Do you foresee Cave continuing to make arcade games much longer?

Started by neomoe, December 31, 2010, 02:34:45 PM

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neomoe

I am just wondering now that Cave have seemed to have fully embraced the console scene (nearly all of their games have been ported to either the PS2 and 360), do you think they will continue to make arcade games for much longer?  

From my understanding, they have been making cell phone games for awhile now (and whether you like them or not) seemed to have really developed what they can do on an Iphone.

So is there a point coming soon where Cave will say that making arcade pcbs is no longer worth the money/resources?  That they would rather focus entirely on the console scene and making games exclusively for the 360 and its successors?  Shmups are a pretty niche genre, and I'd imagine they even are in japan to some extent nowadays.  From my understanding, Akai Katana didn't do so hot...but whose to say if it because interest is dying or that the game was not up to par?

Also, does Cave really need the arcade scene to test or market their games anymore?  I'm sure the majority of their fans are pretty loyal and would be entirely willing and capable to follow the company and see what games they have on the horizon.  Not only that, but I think the majority of their fans are loyal enough to buy a game w/o having the chance to play-test the arcade version (this especially applies to those of us in the west...I for one have bought pretty much every Cave game w/o having had the chance to play it first).

Anyway, this just crossed my mind when I was thinking that Cave will release 3 new games in February, and if one of them may possibly be an arcade game.  I guess this question would best be answered by some of our members who spend alot of time in japanese arcades and can speak to how the shmup scene is there.


NR777

I see CAVE making arcade games for as long as it is profitable for them.

brentsg

They really don't have any choice at this point.  They've yet to test, let alone prove that they can market games direct to console. 

The real question is how solid are the financials for their arcade business.  It doesn't seem like Akai Katana and DS2 were huge for them, but then again they sold through the LE of AK from the Cave shop so that might have squared up to their forecasts for that title.  I'm sure DS2 was fine due to all the fans that purchase franchise related goods.

The Cave shop and all their Matsuri goods are interesting too.  Since the online sales seem to bury their servers, they must do pretty good volume there.. and for high margin goods.  I would love to see their balance sheets to see how their costs and revenues break out.

But at this point, their arcade titles are feeders for their entire business.  What's not direct revenue from arcade kit sales is still piggy-back revenue from those same titles via their Cave Shop, and 350/iOS ports business.

emphatic

Considering how easy it seems to be porting the arcade games to the 360, they won't stop. Hardware limitations is often very inspiring, and they really know what they're doing with the arcade hardware so why stop? If they can't sell every PCB they make of a title, they can convert it to a new game/Black Label and sell that. With fans like theirs, the PCB's will always sell (unless it's a crappy PC).

Dude

Since they have swarmed us with ports(a good thing) i have always seen this as profit for cave. I think they make there dev money back normally from pcb therefore leaving ports almost pure profit. this seem to work for them. I dont see them giving it up as it works for them.  Cave is what a 8-10 person shop? Not much overhead.

I want them to release a pure 360 game though to unlock the pure power and see what they can do. But in the long run there gonna make them as long as they make money.

DS2 arcade was the suck its just not good but as a port its one of the best they have ever done i think. I love the game. Fire it up daily.

I dont have a clue how the arcade scene is in japan though? Is it profitable?

Aliquantic

Quote from: Dude on December 31, 2010, 07:57:52 PMCave is what a 8-10 person shop? Not much overhead.

That's closer to 150 employees for the whole company and a handful of people for the arcade department... and unsurprisingly most of their money doesn't come from the arcades. Last time I glanced at their IR website, even the arcade department was turning out a profit, though, and the rest of the company seems to be in a decent financial shape at the very least.

I think they'll continue making arcade games because they can afford to and some of the higher-up loves them, though I'd be curious to see how that "direct to the 360" game would turn out...

Dave_K.

Quote from: Dude on December 31, 2010, 07:57:52 PM
I want them to release a pure 360 game though to unlock the pure power and see what they can do. But in the long run there gonna make them as long as they make money.

I believe Asada said in that 360 mag interview, that with their custom written PCB->360 toolchain library, they've been able to push far past the SH3 boundaries.  All the arrange modes are evidence of that, especially the upcoming ketsupachi. 

Dude

Quote from: Dave_K. on January 01, 2011, 01:50:21 PM
Quote from: Dude on December 31, 2010, 07:57:52 PM
I want them to release a pure 360 game though to unlock the pure power and see what they can do. But in the long run there gonna make them as long as they make money.

I believe Asada said in that 360 mag interview, that with their custom written PCB->360 toolchain library, they've been able to push far past the SH3 boundaries.  All the arrange modes are evidence of that, especially the upcoming ketsupachi.  


The arrange modes and Hd graphics have me sold on the ports. While i like 15hz games something about 51 inches of hd futari is very nice ;0

skykid

Quote from: SuperPangWhere DOJ rapes you, DFK grabs your boob then runs away

Runefaust

Maybe a year ago i read an interwiew with an SNK guy wo was involved in King of Fighters 13. He said the arcade business does not pay off any more, but home versions of a KoF game only sell in Japan when there was also an arcade release. Maybe this goes for Cave too. I wonder why they recalled all the Akai Katana PCBs when they are not planning something.