Why doesn't SNKP re-release their rarest games throught XBLA/PSN ?

fernandeath · Aug 7, 2012

There are plenty of good games that only a few hundred had the opportunity to play.

So, is there an official reason for why SNKP doesn't re-release games like Ninja Masters; Matrimelee; RotD; etc etc ?

Maybe a retail version including all the "neo geo rarities" would be a good idea.. They've released the "SNK Arcade Classics Vol 1" including the same old games everyone has played, so maybe a vol 2 with unknown titles...

I know they released 'Sunsoft Collection' a few years ago, but it was a PS2 exclusive and it was only released in Japan

I guess it wouldn't be proffitable to convetr them in HD quality, but it would be great

k'_127 · Aug 7, 2012

They have been releasing NeoGeo games on PSN, but they haven't released any more games after KOFXIII. My guess is that they want to improve the online performance before releasing the next batch, which will hopefully include SS2 and FFS.

The last batch included Metal Slug 2, Shock Troopers and KOF96. I personally thought the emulation was great, aside from the barely decent online performance and the slightly prolonged loading times upon booting the games.

LoneSage · Aug 7, 2012

probably cuz those games are garbage

hell why not throw in ragnagard and galaxy fight while you're at it

Rade K · Aug 7, 2012

In a perfect world, you would pay five dollars for arcade perfect versions of their games with GGPO grade online play.

But you see, that makes too much fucking sense and SNKP has made a decision that they do not, in fact, want to take our monies.

FalcomAdol · Aug 7, 2012

If they're even thinking about it in an evaluative sense (doubtful), they may believe (probably correctly) that there isn't a big market for them. That's why those games are rare in the first place, production limits due to market size.

Rade K · Aug 7, 2012

FalcomAdol said:
If they're even thinking about it in an evaluative sense (doubtful), they may believe (probably correctly) that there isn't a big market for them. That's why those games are rare in the first place, production limits due to market size.

Or that a free option that already exists that they have no hope of ever matching is standing in the way. I'd be apathetic too if I were SNK. Like, "fuck those guys."

Also, I wonder what SNKP thinks about people making 30K off of one copy of a shitty NG game. It's just so demoralizing.

T.A.P. · Aug 7, 2012

Rade said:
Or that a free option that already exists that they have no hope of ever matching is standing in the way. I'd be apathetic too if I were SNK. Like, "fuck those guys."

Also, I wonder what SNKP thinks about people making 30K off of one copy of a shitty NG game. It's just so demoralizing.

They're probably working on an even shittier game on the theory it would make even more money.

suicidekiller · Aug 7, 2012

Why don't they release some of the rare games on AES again? I mean some people are even desperate enough to pay 30k for an english insert and manual. Can't be that hard/expensive to acquire the rights for some of the shitty games too. At least they'd then be official.

Colorado Rockie · Aug 7, 2012

suicidekiller said:
Why don't they release some of the rare games on AES again? I mean some people are even desperate enough to pay 30k for an english insert and manual. Can't be that hard/expensive to acquire the rights for some of the shitty games too. At least they'd then be official.

That would be awesome for us consumers. I doubt Playmore would profit off of releasing AES games however

Takumaji · Aug 7, 2012

Pretty sure that stuff like Kizuna, RotD or Matrimelee cannot be re-released by SNKP due to licensing issues. Besides, they're more or less unknown outside of the Neo scene so they don't look like promising candidates for PSN/XBLA to me.

SonGohan · Aug 7, 2012

I would like to see collections, like the ones that came out on the PS2. Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, Art of Fighting, King of Fighters, etc. I'm not a big fan of them releasing single games here and there, although I still purchase them to support the company.

fernandeath · Aug 7, 2012

Takumaji said:
Pretty sure that stuff like Kizuna, RotD or Matrimelee cannot be re-released by SNKP due to licensing issues. Besides, they're more or less unknown outside of the Neo scene so they don't look like promising candidates for PSN/XBLA to me.

Which company holds the rights of those games ?

Soilwork said:
I would like to see collections, like the ones that came out on the PS2. Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, Art of Fighting, King of Fighters, etc. I'm not a big fan of them releasing single games here and there, although I still purchase them to support the company.

Indeed, but they've already released the compilations you've mentioned.
They should release a collection including only the forgotten ones (last blade; Twinkle Star Sprites; matrimelee; etc.)

FalcomAdol · Aug 7, 2012

fernandeath said:
Which company holds the rights of those games ?

Pretty sure Atlus owns Matrimelee still. They're a pretty responsive company, you should email them.

Evoga might have had some rights related to Rage of the Dragons, and they're bankrupt, so whatever rights they may have had would have gone to auction (this is typical of licensing issues in older video games...it's hard to even find out who owns rights).

Kizuna Encounter is all SNK (even set loosely in the far future of the Fatal Furyverse), so they could release that or Twinkle Star Sprites if they wanted, unless they lost the rights somewhere between being SNK and being bankrupt and being Playmore.

Takumaji · Aug 7, 2012

fernandeath said:
Which company holds the rights of those games ?

Rage of the Dragons was produced by Evoga and Matrimelee by Noise Factory, Kizuna was a SNK development. SNKP still hold the rights of the gamecodes for each game but in the first two cases, a re-release would probably affect third-party IP such as certain names, graphical representations of characters, etc. Rage of the Dragons is loosely based on the Double Dragon universe, Matrimelee is part of the Power Instinct series (more or less). Dunno whether SNKP could be arsed to pay the possibly quite high licensing fees.

About Kizuna, well, yeah, guess it could be re-released. It's actually a good game if you spend some time with it but I think most current gamers would find it too oldschool. Maybe a carefully enhanced version with multiplayer option (the original Kizuna can be linked for four-player matches) would be a viable option.

neo_X7 · Aug 7, 2012

Neo geo station on PSN needs to be updated it got off to such a good start and then nothing. Not everybody wants to play Metal Slug and KOF all the time, and releasing old first and second year games over and does nothing but sell their product short. When are we going to see gems like Nam 1975, Samurai Showdown 2, Sengoku 2, Last Blade , Fatal Fury Special, etc.

Colorado Rockie · Aug 7, 2012

Who owns the rights to Blazing Star and Pulstar.

I would love to see a physical disc (I hate downloads) compilation of these games plus something like Strikers or Twinkle Star released on 360/PS3.

distropia · Aug 7, 2012

Colorado Rockie said:
That would be awesome for us consumers. I doubt Playmore would profit off of releasing AES games however

Imagine: some people have paid more than 30k for a single AF3 cart of an already released game. I've read very few lines about that theme, but there's at least 5 copies sold, right?
5 x 30.000 = $150.000 for 5 copies of an already released game. If SNKP make a new game and release just 500 copies, how much would they earn? Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking in 30k each, but for $500 each, people would kill for it and probably they would have to make a reprint.

Someone have an idea of how much they earn for a VC wii release?

By the way, why the hell no single former SNK employee writes here? I mean japanese former employees and programmers? Where are them? It would be amazing to know from inside SNKP the prototypes that could be floating around. At least, some spokesman that the community could talk to and propose things.

Takumaji · Aug 7, 2012

neo_X7 said:
When are we going to see gems like Nam 1975, Samurai Showdown 2, Sengoku 2, Last Blade , Fatal Fury Special, etc.

Maybe when people realize that it's all about gameplay and stop pigeonholing games made before 2000.

Read, chances are that it may never happen.

Colorado Rockie · Aug 7, 2012

distropia said:
Imagine: some people have paid more than 30k for a single AF3 cart of an already released game. I've read very few lines about that theme, but there's at least 5 copies sold, right?
5 x 30.000 = $150.000 for 5 copies of an already released game. If SNKP make a new game and release just 100 copies ala NCI or 300 ala NGDEV, how much would they earn? Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking in 30k each, but for $500 each, people would kill for it and probably they would have to make a reprint.

By the way, why the hell no single former SNK employee writes here? I mean japanese former employees and programmers? Where are them? It would be amazing to know from inside SNKP the prototypes that could be floating around. At least, some spokesman that the community could talk to and propose things.

Again, I am totally for this idea. I am just being realistic and dont think it is feasible for Playmore.

I doubt they still have all the equipment required to make an AES/MVS game although I could be wrong.

It sure would make buying an AES game more assuring though if it did come directly from them. I would definitely support any such effort.

As for ex-SNK employees not posting here, most have probably moved on and are to busy/indifferent to care for this place.

Takumaji · Aug 7, 2012

IIRC, SNKP said at one point that new homecart releases are not an option. Don't remember where I've read it, though, so don't quote me on that.

Wanting a company to re-release cartridges of the Neo caliber in this day and age is madness.

fernandeath · Aug 7, 2012

distropia said:
Imagine: some people have paid more than 30k for a single AF3 cart of an already released game. I've read very few lines about that theme, but there's at least 5 copies sold, right?
5 x 30.000 = $150.000 for 5 copies of an already released game. If SNKP make a new game and release just 500 copies, how much would they earn? Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking in 30k each, but for $500 each, people would kill for it and probably they would have to make a reprint.

500 x 500... 250.000... But the game would have to be a 'cheap' one...

distropia said:
Someone have an idea of how much they earn for a VC wii release?

Dunno...

distropia said:
By the way, why the hell no single former SNK employee writes here? I mean japanese former employees and programmers? Where are them? It would be amazing to know from inside SNKP the prototypes that could be floating around. At least, some spokesman that the community could talk to and propose things.

Agreed with that.

FalcomAdol · Aug 7, 2012

Takumaji said:
IIRC, SNKP said at one point that new homecart releases are not an option. Don't remember where I've read it, though, so don't quote me on that.

Wanting a company to re-release cartridges of the Neo caliber in this day and age is madness.

Having a team of half a dozen guys release brand new games on MVS/AES is madness as well. I think that since that seems to be possible, people get their hopes up that lightning will strike twice.

Problem is the Japanese are uber conservative businesspeople, not a German fangroup.

SonGohan · Aug 7, 2012

fernandeath said:
They should release a collection including only the forgotten ones (last blade; Twinkle Star Sprites; matrimelee; etc.)

That compilation doesn't really make any sense. Companies re-release the same stuff all the time, so releasing them again on a different platform would require little effort.

Takumaji · Aug 7, 2012

FalcomAdol said:
Having a team of half a dozen guys release brand new games on MVS/AES is madness as well. I think that since that seems to be possible, people get their hopes up that lightning will strike twice.

Problem is the Japanese are uber conservative businesspeople, not a German fangroup.

You are welcome to write "hippies" if you feel like it.

I think the guys make quite some dough with their stuff, break-even point has been reached quite a while ago already (judging from what I've heard), why else would they keep releasing new games.

I've been relatively cool with all that unofficial/homebrew stuff over the past years but in light of the current drama surrounding possible high-quality convs, I think it's time to take up a less sloppy stance. So, not from SNKP = not official = not an option for me.

If on your journey you should encounter convs/unofficial crap, convs/unofficial crap will be cut.

distropia · Aug 7, 2012

Colorado Rockie said:
Again, I am totally for this idea. I am just being realistic and dont think it is feasible for Playmore.

I doubt they still have all the equipment required to make an AES/MVS game although I could be wrong.

Why?

As for ex-SNK employees not posting here, most have probably moved on and are to busy/indifferent to care for this place.

Probably. Someone pointed out they didn't work in good workplaces, so that could be the answer.

If some of them is lurking around here, he should know that well managed, he could make money with their knowledge. Today is way easier to make games (much better finish already started games) for older platforms, there's high level programming tools. Maybe not for the Neogeo, I don't know, but for similar platforms and with some modiffications and the knowledge they already have on the system it should be ok. Obviously I'm forgetting about all the intellectual property shit, but is public domain that with some changes over the original code, it should be also ok.

Why doesn't SNKP re-release their rarest games throught XBLA/PSN ?

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