Topic: Hope for the franchise

[Reinhart77]

Anyone else believe that Castlevania is not on its last legs?  That it perhaps has bright days ahead of it?  There's been quite a few threads about rage, disappointment, dismay, and hopelessness about where the series has been recently and is going, and frustration that we just haven't been getting what we want. 

I think we've been spoiled, for a stretch we'd be learning about two new major upcoming games at a time.  Its slowed down a little, but the series is still moving forwards.  Don't most video game franchises operate at this pace? 

I'm enjoying the break before the next inevitable Metroidvania game comes out by replaying Order of Ecclesia for the first time.  Will Iga make it?  Will Mercury Steam?  If the makers of Legacy of Darkness could make Circle of the Moon, I'm sure Mercury Steam could figure out how to do a 2D game if they so chose.  How many more 3D games will they make before returning to this style?  Who knows, but it'll feel refreshingly novel once it does hit.

I am also replaying Lords of Shadow while waiting for the inevitable sequel announcement.  Starting a game from scratch, I'm trying to see if I can beat each stage without using checkpoints or fountains, its the only way to make me feel like I have truly mastered the stage rather than stumbled through it with the bumpers on.  I'll take the time to better learn the fighting system.  Each stage is a world unto itself and I look forward to revisiting them while not in such a rush to get to the next stage.  I'm confident that the sequel will be enjoyable.  I'd be happy if they took into account the laundry list of things we'd like to see changed, but I'd also want them to make the game they want to make and feel passionate about.

Too bad they missed their 25th Anniversary, but they'll pick up their steam again.

[Dremn]

Everything we've loved about Castlevania is about to be long gone, but the franchise will still flourish as it is because there is a considerably large fan base of people who loved LOS for what it was and didn't mind what it wasn't. The franchise will redefine itself as something new entirely, so for Konami I guess it's great news, but for the fans who appreciated the original direction, it's dreadful.

I don't think we've been "spoiled," Castlevania fans from what I've seen are considerably civil people who understand what they love and what they don't appreciate. Konami purposely skipped out on the anniversary in favor of Metal Gear, we have every right to be furious with them. Castlevania isn't the only franchise that's been thrown to the dogs either by Konami, the whole company needs a major restructuring or miracle at this point.

[Chernabogue]

I have hope too. Developing a game takes a long time, and I'm not surprised they still have not announced anything yet. It's only a matter of time.

Not sure about a new 2D game, but if IGA is still around, we'll get one. Or maybe the guys of MercurySteam.

As for LoS2, it'll be announced at some point. I consider LoS as a reboot but also as an introduction: the elements are in place and I'm sure the sequel will be more Castlevania-esque.

[Dengo vlad tepes]

guys , i really don't know why someone still calling LOS a castlevania after what we saw and what david cox tweeted on his account by saying "Castlevania lords of shadow is a different game then akumajo dracula"

so i'm not waiting for anything that comes from cox or mercury steam , 2 months till e3 2012 is coming if nothing announced there so they announced the death of the franchise ...

[JR]

I don't know. I think the series will continue to be modestly profitable for Konami no matter what, but I don't think it'll ever be the same in the eyes of most fans. I just hope it finds an identity of its own again, more like how it was pretty distinctive when it first started.

But hell, I'll be buying the games regardless, so I just hope they're fun, at the very least.

[Puwexil]

Castlevania has been coming out with new releases nearly yearly since its inception in '86, with thirty-something games under its belt. When I stop to think about that, it's the stuff of utter disbelief that a certain standard of quality has more or less been maintained throughout its entire existence. It's frankly miraculous the series hasn't stagnated beyond all redemption long since, though admittedly there have been dips into lethargic developments along the way, particularly as of late. Can it sustain itself anymore? Probably, with ingenuity and understanding of what makes it great, but I'm not sure if that is so readily apparent to the people involved with the series these days.

The last completely new Castlevania project was Lords in late 2010. A year and a half into it, this is almost as long as the world has ever went without Castlevania. I hope it's gone for more, and the time is taken to better the series, whether it is by letting it rest, developing new ideas, or fine-tuning old ones.

The only thing that slightly bothers me about the prospect of a long-term absence is the manner in which the series has seemingly bowed out with. Lords and Harmony of Despair at least to me represent two of the worst extremes Castlevania could aspire to, so there's not exactly a lot of happy association involved there. Something like Metroid could hibernate for eight years because a masterwork kept the fanbase content and hungry for more. Castlevania's current direction has attracted some new blood, but probably alienated just as much, if not even more.

[Sumac]

Everything we've loved about Castlevania is about to be long gone,

Please, not "we", but "you".
I personally see enough of the "old" Castlevania in LOS.

The franchise will redefine itself as something new entirely, so for Konami I guess it's great news, but for the fans who appreciated the original direction, it's dreadful.

Original direction which is...?
ClassicVania? Metroidvania? CV64-like games? LOI-like games? There wasn't a  single direction in the series.
Besides it's already redefined itself once with SOTN. I don't see a DISASTER if CV changes once again. On the other hand "hardcore" fans (i.e. fanatics who always knows better what series should be) will certainly have trouble with that. But its their problem, not Konami's.

guys , i really don't know why someone still calling LOS a castlevania after what we saw and what david cox tweeted on his account by saying "Castlevania lords of shadow is a different game then akumajo dracula"

Nice try.
But your trolling failed.

The only thing that slightly bothers me about the prospect of a long-term absence is the manner in which the series has seemingly bowed out with.

I don't see a problem here. I could live with the long absence of the new games in the series if the final result will be enjoyable. More time for development, refining and testing = better game.
Besides, rushed development was a big part of the problem, why last IGAvanias were luckluster and relied to much on the copypasta.

[A-Yty]

Sure. One day it'll be cool again. It'll probably take assloads of time and maybe even has to jump away from Konami, but it'll happen.

[beingthehero]

I don't think I've ever played a game called "Igavania."

[Ahasverus]

I think we're in an akward transition stage, after we reach a certain degree of... certainty, it'll be fine again. It's somewhat hard that we don't know what to epxpect, we don't know the fate of the Akumajou Series, we don't know the whole strenghts of the Castlevania (European) series, we're hanging in hope and insecurity, but the future is bright wither way, and I think CV has the potential for being a blockbuster, and what's not to love about that? I'm in the hope wagon

[Ridureyu]

The best thing we could do for the franchise is complain loudly and fight and flame over every new release.

[crimsonmist]

Everything we've loved about Castlevania is about to be long gone, but the franchise will still flourish as it is because there is a considerably large fan base of people who loved LOS for what it was and didn't mind what it wasn't. The franchise will redefine itself as something new entirely, so for Konami I guess it's great news, but for the fans who appreciated the original direction, it's dreadful.

I don't think we've been "spoiled," Castlevania fans from what I've seen are considerably civil people who understand what they love and what they don't appreciate. Konami purposely skipped out on the anniversary in favor of Metal Gear, we have every right to be furious with them. Castlevania isn't the only franchise that's been thrown to the dogs either by Konami, the whole company needs a major restructuring or miracle at this point.

yes i found such recent titles as lord of shadows to be disappointments, the series surely has deviated from what it was at its prime...

that is indeed terrible, considering that castlevania is one of konami's most loved franchises in all time. but then many more others look to metal gear, considering it's got plenty of what today's western gamers want...

but at least i believe the series will recover within a few years once it makes its way into the next generation of games

[Kingshango]

Konami has learned how to keep secrets now, however we do know that there are Castlevania games in the works for both 3DS and consoles. Although we might not get a leak about anything until the end of May or a few days before E3 (hell it's amazing how Konami kept Lords of Shadow a secret for long untill a week before E3 began.)

So yeah I believe that Castlevania still has legs, hell im glad that the series lasted 25 plus years. Weather it be the rumored Mercuryvania double sequel's or otherwise but hey at least were getting something as oppose to jack squat (No offense to the Gradius, Mystic Ninja Goemon and Suikoden fans.)

[thernz]

I don't see a problem here. I could live with the long absence of the new games in the series if the final result will be enjoyable. More time for development, refining and testing = better game.
Besides, rushed development was a big part of the problem, why last IGAvanias were luckluster and relied to much on the copypasta.

The last completely new Castlevania project was Lords in late 2010. A year and a half into it, this is almost as long as the world has ever went without Castlevania. I hope it's gone for more, and the time is taken to better the series, whether it is by letting it rest, developing new ideas, or fine-tuning old ones.

I agree imho.

[Sumac]

I don't think I've ever played a game called "Igavania."

You sure did. 

the series surely has deviated from what it was at its prime..

It depends on what to consider "series prime".