Author Topic: Castlevania Anthologies petition on Change.org (Read 20053 times)

JoshuaKadmon · « **on:** January 11, 2013, 06:49:58 AM »

A new petition to KONAMI requesting a pair of anthologies (one focused on 2D classics and the other on 3D titles) has been created on Change.org. As a member of the biggest and baddest Castlevania community on the internet, please help support the cause!

www.change.org/petitions/castlevania-anthologies

The petition reads as follows:

*****

Castlevania is a 26-year-old multimedia franchise and one of the most respected names in video gaming history, but in the last few years, its aging fanbase has been fragmented by Konami's inconsistent development decisions. With its hardcore fans divided and new players unwilling (or even unable) to catch up on such a long-running game series, Castlevania is in need of a revival. Its current Lords of Shadow sub-series will also end after the third installment's release, supposedly later this year, leaving Konami with the critical decision of where to take the series next.

It's time for Konami to reunite its fans while offering a consolidated method for new players to enjoy the Castlevania legacy. To this end, we are proposing a pair of anthologies, the first focusing on the 2D classics in the series and the second including all 3D titles. Because these collections would largely recycle pre-existing content, they would serve as a cost-effective way for Konami to invigorate the franchise, ignite nostalgia for Castlevania, consolidate dozens of rare games into a playable format, and generate anticipation for future releases.

Ideally, retail hardcopies of these two anthologies would be developed for PS3 and XBox360, with digital distribution made available on Steam, PSN, and XBL platforms to bolster overall profitability. Alternatively, we would not be opposed to handheld versions for 3DS and Vita, if data management allowed for it, but available digital copies would still be recommended for the sake of mainstream consumption on consoles and PC. While the retail hardcopies could be limited to a shorter production run (and may be necessary to entice long-time Castlevania collectors), digital copies would be slightly less expensive to incentivize high-profit downloads.

Here is a list of the requested content of each collection:

CASTLEVANIA ANTHOLOGY I (2D CLASSICS)

GAMES
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse [1476] NES
Castlevania: The Adventure [1576] GB
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth [1576] WII
Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge [1591] GB
Castlevania: Order of Shadows [1600s] MOB
Castlevania [1691] NES
Vampire Killer [1691] MSX2
Haunted Castle [1691] ARC
Super Castlevania IV [1691] SNES
Castlevania Chronicles [1691] PSX
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest [1698] NES
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance [1748] GBA
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood [1792] PCE
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night [1797] PSX
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia [1800s] DS
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon [1830] GBA
Castlevania: Bloodlines [1917] GEN
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin [1944] DS
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow [2035] GBA
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow [2036] DS

UNLOCKABLES
Akumajo Special: Boku Dracula-kun [11797] FC
Kid Dracula [11797] GB
Akumajyo Dracula Peke [XXXX] PCE
Castlevania: Legends [1450 alt.] GB
Castlevania: The Bloodletting [CANCELLED] *production materials*
Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night [XXXX] *mini-game*
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair [XXXX] *video montage*

EXTRAS
Art Gallery
Sound Test
Music Player
Complete Beastiary
Development History
Interactive Timeline

----------------------------------------------------------

CASTLEVANIA ANTHOLOGY II (3D CLASSICS)

GAMES
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence [1094] PS2
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness [1479] PS2
Castlevania: Dracula X ~Chronicles Version~ [1792] PSP
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness [1844] N64
Castlevania [1852] N64
Castlevania: Judgment [11th Millennium] WII

UNLOCKABLES
Nocturne in the Moonlight [1798] *subtitled radio drama*
Dracula: Castlevania Edition [1897] *visual novel*
The Demon Castle Wars [1997~1999] *visual novel*
Ricordanza of the God Abyss [2037] *visual novel*
Pachislot Akumajo Dracula [1476] *mini-game*
Pachislot Akumajo Dracula II [1476] *mini-game*
Pachislot Akumajo Dracula III [1476] *mini-game*
Castlevania: The Medal [1792] *mini-game*
Castlevania: Resurrection [CANCELLED] *production materials*
Castlevania: The Arcade [1800s] *video montage*
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow [1047 alt.] *video montage*
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ~Mirror of Fate~ [TBA] *trailers*
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 [TBA] *trailers*

EXTRAS
Art Gallery
Sound Test
Music Player
Franchise Trivia
Developer Interviews
Character Models

----------------------------------------------------------

As long-time fans of Castlevania, we truly believe that these anthologies would be an intelligent and profitable venture for Konami, and they would pave the way for stronger franchise support. With a relatively low production cost and short development turn, this should be a no-brainer for the experts at Konami.

JoshuaKadmon · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2013, 11:58:41 AM »

Looks like we've already got support in South Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, and Canada. The internet is an amazing thing sometimes...

X · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2013, 11:02:26 AM »

The internet is in essence our new tower of Babal. It's allowing us to communicate with people all over the world in real time. Yes, the internet is an amazing thing.

Thomas Belmont · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2013, 02:53:35 PM »

I would definitely buy them, especially with all of those extras!

C Belmont · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2013, 04:52:40 PM »

I'm sorry but I can't bring myself to sign this petition until it recognizes the Wii U as another valid platform for such a collection, it should have been mentioned right next to PS3 and Xbox 360, Nintendo doesn't just make handheld consoles for crying out loud.

JoshuaKadmon · « **Reply #5 on:** January 12, 2013, 05:33:29 PM »

While I am not opposed to a Wii U version, we are trying to appeal to KONAMI's business sense in this petition, and thus far, Wii U does not have the install base of PS3 and XBox360. That is also why we recommend digital versions on PSN and XBL even if KONAMI produced the anthologies for handheld platforms. Wii U is technically an eighth generation console, after all. I'm sure that if KONAMI conceded to the petition, they would conduct their own evaluation of which platforms to release the games on, but for the sake of the petition being a focused, concise, and reasonable call to action, it just isn't necessary to include the Wii U.

Please sign the petition based on the merit of its vision, not for the specifics that KONAMI is likely to change anyway.

Ratty · « **Reply #6 on:** January 12, 2013, 05:54:55 PM »

I thought Change.org was usually reserved for more ah, pressing issues? I love Castlevania as much as the next guy (or at least the guy next to the next guy) and it seems like a good proposition but I dunno. In the past when I've signed petitions there it's been about laws and things >.>

C Belmont · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2013, 06:04:41 PM »

If you expect Konami to make their own decision anyway then there is no harm in including the Wii U, you should include all major consoles as candidates or not specify any at all. Your losing signatures by being too specific and I'm proof of that.

Castlevania has a long history on Nintendo consoles and it is a gross assumption that all Castlevania fans own or are solely interested in the Xbox and PS3.
you don't need to appeal to Konami's business sense you only need to demonstrate a demand therefore you should be making your petition appeal to ALL fans and not just PS3 and Xbox360 users.

JoshuaKadmon · « **Reply #8 on:** January 12, 2013, 06:09:53 PM »

Quote from: Ratty on January 12, 2013, 05:54:55 PM

I thought Change.org was usually reserved for more ah, pressing issues? I love Castlevania as much as the next guy (or at least the guy next to the next guy) and it seems like a good proposition but I dunno. In the past when I've signed petitions there it's been about laws and things >.>

Change.org may refer to its mission as "social change", but there are plenty of entertainment-related petitions on the site. It's just that most of them never get more than a dozen or so signatures, whereas the "laws and pressing issues" get more attention and are often promoted on a different level than individually-generated goals like this Castlevania petition. I get what you're saying, and I wouldn't want to offend anyone or seem inappropriate, but I actually think such a project holds the higher objective of preserving 26 years of classic gaming in a more playable format, something both we and future gamers should be able to appreciate.

I suppose I could've chosen the Petition Bureau's website instead, but Change.org tends to perform better on SEO, back-end management, visual layout, and overall site functionality. Being a Digital Media Specialist and Webmaster by profession, I made the choice to use Change.org primarily for technical reasons.

JoshuaKadmon · « **Reply #9 on:** January 12, 2013, 06:21:01 PM »

Quote from: C Belmont on January 12, 2013, 06:04:41 PM

If you expect Konami to make their own decision anyway then there is no harm in including the Wii U, you should include all major consoles as candidates or not specify any at all. Your losing signatures by being too specific and I'm proof of that.

Castlevania has a long history on Nintendo consoles and it is a gross assumption that all Castlevania fans own or are solely interested in the Xbox and PS3.
you don't need to appeal to Konami's business sense you only need to demonstrate a demand therefore you should be making your petition appeal to ALL fans and not just PS3 and Xbox360 users.

I appreciate the input of everyone on these forums, and while I have my reasons for wording the petition in a particular way, it is not my intention to exclude any potential players from this effort. You can expect the change to be made in about an hour.

Additionally, I would ask that everyone who enjoys Castlevania, regardless of preferred platform or design philosophy, to support this petition. It can do no harm to forward this effort, as we would all like to see Castlevania return to greater relevance.

EDIT: The change to include Wii U on the petition has been made as of 10:15 ET.

JoshuaKadmon · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2013, 08:52:59 AM »

Do you know WHY Konami needs to consolidate the Castlevania series into the anthologies that we've mentioned? Well, there are many reasons, but here is an illustration of what I believe to be the most pressing issue...

Let's say that you're a long-time Castlevania fan and that you already own every game in the series, including imports, all available digital versions, and any corresponding consoles/handhelds. One day, you decide to play back through every single game, but you want to minimize the number of systems you have to switch between. Still, you're not comfortable or satisfied with emulation when it comes to such classic games. So here's the problem. Even if you don't count silly things like CV Puzzle on iOS, you're stuck needing to hook up no less than 7 consoles, including legacy platforms like Genesis, N64, and GBA. And that's only if you already have a backwards-compatible PS3, a PSP or Vita, a Wii, and a 3DS. That's right, even with conveniences like WiiWare and Virtual Console that can run on one system and PSN that allows access to a handful of consolidated platforms, it would still require more than half-a-dozen systems to run all the Castlevania games.

Now, let's say that you're a new fan wanting to catch up on the entire series. Not only would you be stuck with the same problem of multiple consoles to play the games, you may also need to acquire some oldies from eBay or Amazon. When a classic GameBoy release can easily go for $100-$200 at auction, you could end up spending thousands on collecting the Castlevania series. And that's simply too high of an entry point for most players to care. Of course, Konami would never see a dime of that money anyway.

There's a very large caveat to all of this, though. While Konami does offer many of the Castlevania classics digitally on current networks, many of the people who would have the greatest interest in downloading them would be stuck in one of the two scenarios I just mentioned. And in both cases, those players still wouldn't have access to Order of Shadows, Vampire Killer, Haunted Castle, the SNES Dracula X, or Boku Dracula-kun without resorting to emulators. And in all likelihood, digging the N64 or Genesis out of the attic won't be a viable option, either. With so many games being difficult to access, even the most enthusiastic fans would either give up the plan to play through classic CV titles, or they would give in to the convenience of emulation. That's a slippery slope, as with all forms of digital piracy, so the ones who resort to emulation will probably do the same for entries they CAN purchase on Virtual Console or other platforms. Then Konami doesn't get paid even for the ones they have released digitally.

Ultimately, 85% of the Castlevania backlog no longer makes Konami a significant amount of money. Digital pricing is also pretty steep, and the only real bargain with DXC makes no sense because it's priced about the same as the individual games on PSN and VC. But if Konami did what we ask in the anthologies petition, it would only take 25-30,000 copies of each to make the project profitable. Considering even the diminishing DS releases still sold around ten times that individually and LoS sold about 2 million, that's more than a safe bet.

At least that's how I see it...

Sign the petition, please --> www.change.org/petitions/castlevania-anthologies

EDIT: That's to say nothing of the extras we've requested for the anthologies, including content from radio dramas, novels, arcade-only releases, and a variety of source material that is part of the official timeline. True Castlevania collectors and enthusiasts WANT a way to partake in this content. Art galleries, sound tests, music players, etc. are just a bonus!

Maedhros · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2013, 09:02:39 AM »

Quote from: C Belmont on January 12, 2013, 04:52:40 PM

I'm sorry but I can't bring myself to sign this petition until it recognizes the Wii U as another valid platform for such a collection, it should have been mentioned right next to PS3 and Xbox 360, Nintendo doesn't just make handheld consoles for crying out loud.

Wii U has no games.