It's a fair point you make but I think if playmore did release large budget, large scale games like RPGs and the like they would sink without trace on the global market. I reckon that either there are enough people to keep a niche genre alive or there isn't and unfortunately it looks like they have alienated their hardcore fanbase by releasing consistintetly sub par games (kof sky stage anyone?). Branching out would probably fuck them up even more. Look at what happened to poor sega when they were still in the hardware industry, spazzing countless millions on large scale RPGs like Shenmue and hardware add ons and controllers that must have cost a fortune to develop. Keeping it small and focused is still working for devs like Cave and Treasure becuase their quality is far higher.
That’s why whatever mainstream IP’s they produce, they need to have an original twist on that idea. They need a unique selling point. That’s how other companies different their games from other developers.
Sega isn’t in the position they are in now because of what type of games they make. It’s because the quality of most of their current games are shit. Most other developers don’t have that problem. Keep in mind that people loved (and still love) stuff like Sonic Adventure/Virtua Cop/Virtua Fighter/NiGHTS/etc.
This is nonsense. You're being unrealistic. SNKP is a arcade gaming company, if fighters and shooters are a issue, go play another company's games. These are the worst people to request this stuff from.
SNK is special BECAUSE of fighters and shooters. Seriously. If I want good rpg's, I'll go to Konami or Square. Expecting a solid roster for a company with zero money for any risky behavior is pointless.
Capcom is known as the fighting game and platformer champs (or more like the 'fighter/platformer GODS'), moreso than any other company. Making Resident Evil didn't make them lose their 'specialness.' Capcom uses the money made from their mainstream titles to also produce Street Fighter and Mega Man games. Even SNK had more variety in its product than SNKP does now. SNK used to always come up with new ideas and continuously push the envelope and people loved them for it. Why can’t SNKP do the same?
Bottom line: this is about sustainability. SNKP's current model (and sadly, the original SNK's model in the last years of its life) isn't sustainable.
We’re already going down the same route again. Look at what this Ryo Mizufune douchebag wants to do. Do we really want to see that happen (twice)?
I see what you are saying, but survival fucking horror? Please. Why don't they just make a WWII fps while they're at it?
Fucking hell...
fran mentioned in another thread some titles I had always hoped to see...like Nam 1976.
I don't know how they would've done it back then/do it now tho...the sad fact of the manner is, TASTES HAVE CHANGED.
Hyper64 kit has some of the most robust sprite pushing power, period...and not a single 2D game for it. Why?
If I had to hazard a guess, I would say even back when HNG64 was new, the pendleum was already swinging the other way.
I don't see how SNKP 'doing it like Capcom' would net many of us what we would *really* like. Capcom of today is not the Capcom that made the 2D classics of old.
SNKP 'doing it like Capcom' would net a bunch of middleware powered 3D...I'll pass, thanks.
As cool as it would be to be able to walk into a DeLorean dealership this very day, and have 2 dozen models to choose from, it is not possible.
The days of having a multitude of varied 2D choices to choose from are long gone, and not coming back. The days of having any sprite based games at all are numbered...the two biggest opportunities to bring back sprites in a meaningful, mainstream way were SFIV & MvC3.
And look what we got.
Might as well be Sid the Science Kid:The Fighting.
They don’t even have to make the same type of games Capcom makes, or any other developers. Just stuff that will keep them relevant or at least relevant
enough. This, so that their niche and hardcore titles can also find more success. Why can’t SNKP create their own new genres or put their own twist on current ones? Look at Nintendo and Pokemon.
Would SNKP really ‘sell out’ by making a Crystalis sequel?
You’re right that the Capcom of today isn’t the Capcom of old. They evolved and grew (and they’ve still kept their identity while doing so). Now they’re a gaming giant, even though SNK has been around for a lot longer. Capcom still remains a widely-loved game developer, and people still have respect and reverence for its history and contributions to the gaming industry. Meanwhile, people are either saying crap like ‘WTF is an SNK?’ or so-called gaming fans are taking a dump on SNK’s history and contributions because they think SNK still isn’t relevant. On the flipside, SNK fans are complaining about SNKP ‘raping’ SNK’s IP and shitting on SNK’s corpse. On top of that, SNKP is commanding even less of the market than SNK did. Why is that? Whereas Capcom and Atlus’ share has grown, SNKP is commanding even less than SNK’s. Why? That’s the problem. Even SNK fans don’t appreciate SNKP. People are thinking SNKP had tarnished the SNK legacy. Yes, a lot of the games have been shit (and that’s why they need to generate revenue to acquire better resources for better quality control), but the well-received games haven’t helped all that much much either. Like it’s been said, SNKP is
already losing their hardcore market.
Who says they will have to stop making 2d games? There’s nothing stopping them from making 2d KOF’s and Metal Slugs. One doesn’t preclude the other. This could even help them continue doing such. Like I said earlier… ‘I'm not saying they saying SNKP should abandon their bread-and-butter (fighters and shooters/shumps), just that that fighters and shooters/shumps shouldn't be their
ONLY bread-and-butter.’
Successful games need a big budget these days.
It´s very difficult for a company like today´s SNK to produce a top quality video game. They simply don´t have the necessary time, staff and equipment. Their IPs just don´t appeal to the mass market today. Even if they did, SNK does not have the money to give their titles a decent amount of marketing to create the hype.
The reason the current IP’s such as KOF, SamSho and MS don’t generate enough hype nowadays and have lost their luster is either because SNKP has been spamming them non-stop, or their lack of 'relevancy' prevents them from generating enough hype for whatever they want to do. As OrochiEddie put it:
Robots aside I'd be fine with SNKP being succesful making new IPs and occasionally gracing us with the presence of an older one. Thing is their IPs don't cary the excitement or clout to create a lot of buzz on word alone. SFIV worked because we all know the world warriors and just having them was all you needed to get hype for the game. SNK goes out and says
"Last Blade 3 guys!" and most of the gaming community would go "Hey, haven't I seen that guy on a silk button down shirt before?"
Like I said, they can farm out development of new IP’s to someone else if need be, especially someone (someone who is a quality developer and not necessarily ‘big’) who can handle those projects better than SNKP can, while SNKP handles the publishing. Nintendo doesn’t develop Pokemon games. Game Freak does. Yet, that franchise has continuously printed money hand-over-fist for the Big N. The key would be for SNKP to at least publish these new IP’s as long as they own the IP’s of whatever they publish. They also need to make sure that whatever games they publish, the general public recognizes them as ‘SNK/SNKP games.’ They can use the earnings they make from those IP’s to bolster their games development arm and produce better quality games. First things first, they need revenue. With revenue, they can bring forth new ideas and produce better quality games with better quality control. Maybe then, SNKP’s leadership will realize that their games division may be useful in actually PRODUCING GAMES instead of dismantling it to concentrate on pachinko crap. Second, they need relevancy. That alone would provide a lot of marketing in-of-itself. The current problem is that SNK P is unable to do squat because what they’re doing now is unable to generate enough revenue and resources for them to do anything. The thing is they need to begin doing
something. That scare we got this month was too close to comfort (it still might not even end up being just a ‘scare’).
They really should do some arcade style stuff for the current consoles to keep the IPs alive and make at least a little money.
They’ve been doing this already, and people hate them for it, or at best, are apathetic towards their efforts.
There's a lot of potential for ideas to branch out the SNK franchises. However, seeing the reputation that SNK-P has built up is a reality that we as gamers have to deal with. Their updated idea of Metal Slug would probably be a gun version of the game with driving or flying added (picking up the prisoners, manning the Metal Slug, etc). It would keep the franchise but it wouldn't feel like Metal Slug. A P.O.W/Nam 1975 game would've been awesome for an XBLA/PSN game to continue on for the fans but how much can you make out it?
The problem is that when you look at the mainstream and then this niche group, you don't see earnings and profits on the horizon. Making a RTS or Survival Horror game doesn't quite fit well and may be perceived as a bad idea. I say keep it simple. Make a new arcade Twinkle Star Sprite game with a motion controller, large screen and at least a 200 watt sound amp. Casual gamers flock to puzzle games and this may help rebuild SNK-P again slowly. Again, their reputation will probably follow them with a shitty production ethic. The lackluster attempt with Skystage left much to be desired and can easily be beaten (gameplay wise) by the Sonic Wings 2-3, Blazing Star, Pulstar, Viewpoint, and Last Resort.
Tastes have definitely changed and the company does need to meet up to current expectations in order to survive. As much as I'd like to see the older stuff make a comeback..I'm being realistic. It won't. If they insist on keeping the same formula, they might as well make newer versions of the big red, keep production costs down, and market to family fun centers (most arcade traffic nowadays). Their profit margins still wouldn't match that of the Pacman/Galaga machine in the corner or the bar/resturant.
Good ideas = Great games.
SNKP needs someone new that thinks outside the box. Sometimes the simplest game can be the most addictive.
Agreed. Originality or new twists on current ideas are needed.
