News from the Cave ustream broadcast

EOJ · April 08, 2011, 06:32:45 AM

From this broadcast: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cave-zatsudan

-Dangun Feveron hasn't been released due to problems with marketing (not anything related to Microsoft). Asada's not sure it will come out. They were thinking XBLA, but then Asada keeps talking about how it might be better on a Smartphone, like the iphone.

-They aren't sure if they will continue making arcade shooting games, they'll discuss it after Akai Katana Shin is finished.
-Asada says they have a great relationship with Microsoft, and the rumors that they aren't happy with MS or the X360 are not true.
-They may start releasing superplays on bluray, instead of DVD.

Those are the highlights from the first half hour. It will continue for another hour and a half, but I'm heading to bed now.

SuperPang · April 08, 2011, 07:07:34 AM

QuoteThey aren't sure if they will continue making arcade shooting games, they'll discuss it after Akai Katana Shin is finished.

Aww fuck. I guess this has been on the cards but still, fuck.

Love for PCBs aside, I think that would be a bad decision. Surely they must realise recent poor arcade profits were down to difficult new hardware and stupidly short development cycles. Spend the best part of a year developing a new title with IKD and see what happens, Cave.

Also, it's not like 360 sales are setting the world alight. I think I might cry if iPhone becomes their main platform.

Daverost · April 08, 2011, 09:34:40 AM

Quote from: EOJ on April 08, 2011, 06:32:45 AM
They were thinking XBLA, but then Asada keeps talking about how it might be better on a Smartphone, like the iphone.

indeed.

brentsg · April 08, 2011, 09:51:20 AM

If they can't realize that their arcade development feeds/facilitates everything else they sell then they deserve where they're headed.

njiska · April 08, 2011, 10:04:28 AM

So where was the good news exactly?

Potentially no more arcade shooters = bad
Potentially no Dangun on XBLA, only iOS = bad

Midey · April 08, 2011, 10:19:56 AM

We want XBOX360 shooters, not iPhone ones.

Special World · April 08, 2011, 10:37:26 AM

Does "no more arcade shooters" mean no more PCBs or no shooting games period?

Either way, that's some crap news. I don't want them to turn into some half-assed adventure game developer

njiska · April 08, 2011, 10:44:59 AM

Quote from: Special World on April 08, 2011, 10:37:26 AM
Does "no more arcade shooters" mean no more PCBs or no shooting games period?

I very much doubt they'd stop making shooting games since that's what their staff specializes in. You can't go to YGW and ask him to make an RPG.

Muchi Muchi Spork · April 08, 2011, 11:37:47 AM

Talk about losing focus of your core competencies, or in their case, single competency.

sh00g · April 08, 2011, 12:20:22 PM

Whatever it takes to survive.

Special World · April 08, 2011, 12:54:35 PM

Quote from: njiska on April 08, 2011, 10:44:59 AM
Quote from: Special World on April 08, 2011, 10:37:26 AM
Does "no more arcade shooters" mean no more PCBs or no shooting games period?

I very much doubt they'd stop making shooting games since that's what their staff specializes in. You can't go to YGW and ask him to make an RPG.

Well, they certainly seem to be looking in that direction with Nin 2 Jump and Instant Brain. I think if Cave discovered another area that they were successful in, they'd consider dropping shooters altogether since it's such a small market.

EOJ · April 08, 2011, 02:43:32 PM

Asada was just referring to the arcade. He said he expects the game development team to keep making shooters, but maybe not exclusively shooters. The sales performance of Nin2-Jump and Instant Brain will probably dictate their future development plans.

njiska · April 08, 2011, 03:27:50 PM

Quote from: Special World on April 08, 2011, 12:54:35 PM
Well, they certainly seem to be looking in that direction with Nin 2 Jump and Instant Brain. I think if Cave discovered another area that they were successful in, they'd consider dropping shooters altogether since it's such a small market.

There's nothing wrong with expanding your horizons, just remember what pays the bills.

MagicT · April 08, 2011, 04:58:49 PM

"Potentially no more arcade shooters" - $:-\$ At least 1-2 per year, an arcade shooter to come, PCB and home console port...
Iphone game's not bad, but not true..
For me, the CAVE = Arcade Shooter , not Adventure games!

Muchi Muchi Spork · April 08, 2011, 05:05:38 PM

There's nothing wrong with expanding horizons, no, but as brentsg was saying, they are not grasping the full picture. This is like when a bank reviews all their services and finds in a short study that some advising service is unprofitable on paper so they get rid of it, not realizing that it was that service that later lead a bunch of people into taking out loans with the bank. For example it's hard to imagine a long line of people waiting to get into a matsuri based around stupid iPhone games and fewer shooter fans are going to be drooling over a new 360 shooter if it didn't have an arcade reputation already. But they will be able to stay alive I'm sure with just console and iCrap, but some fans will be disappointed. Lots of them.

EOJ · April 08, 2011, 05:11:57 PM

Their last two arcade releases have been flops, and both games were really just location tests for their subsequent X360 ports. It's hard to keep making games in a format that doesn't make you much money.

Still, if they released an entirely new VERTICAL arcade shooter, they'd probably reinvigorate the scene. I'm guessing it's partly a problem with hardware. They've tapped out the SH3, their DSII hardware is crap, and they'd have to invest a lot of time and money into a new arcade platform.

brentsg · April 08, 2011, 06:07:44 PM

Quote from: EOJ on April 08, 2011, 05:11:57 PMStill, if they released an entirely new VERTICAL arcade shooter, they'd probably reinvigorate the scene. I'm guessing it's partly a problem with hardware. They've tapped out the SH3, their DSII hardware is crap, and they'd have to invest a lot of time and money into a new arcade platform.

I agree that they've tapped out the SH3 platform, but they understand the limitations well. I don't think the fan base needs games that trump what they've previously done from a technical standpoint. They just need innovation with the content.

I think it's Cave themselves that feel the need to expand their technical boundaries.

Strider77 · April 08, 2011, 06:35:26 PM

It all depends on what happens. If that means no more PCBs but still console shooters i'll be totally ok with that. As long as the quality doesn't drop or some radically foolish concept doesn't comes out from them on consoles I am ok.

Special World · April 08, 2011, 06:43:44 PM

Quote from: Strider77 on April 08, 2011, 06:35:26 PM
It all depends on what happens. If that means no more PCBs but still console shooters i'll be totally ok with that. As long as the quality doesn't drop or some radically foolish concept doesn't comes out from them on consoles I am ok.

It's cool, I think they got it out of their system with DFK 1.5.

Nah, I'm mostly just kidding.

Shalashaska · April 08, 2011, 06:47:10 PM

Cave is a smart company; I wouldn't start "this is the beginning of the end" talk quite yet.

Quote from: EOJ on April 08, 2011, 06:32:45 AM
-They may start releasing superplays on bluray, instead of DVD.

I shudder to think how much those will cost....

EOJ · April 08, 2011, 06:48:18 PM

Something I forgot to mention: they also fielded a question about whether they would make any PC games, and Asada basically said he didn't see that happening.

njiska · April 08, 2011, 07:03:27 PM

Quote from: brentsg on April 08, 2011, 06:07:44 PM
I agree that they've tapped out the SH3 platform, but they understand the limitations well. I don't think the fan base needs games that trump what they've previously done from a technical standpoint. They just need innovation with the content.

I think it's Cave themselves that feel the need to expand their technical boundaries.

I'll partially agree. I think Cave's traditional way of designing games is going to encounter some pressure from the rise of 16x9 cabs like the Viewlix. Not that they'll be taking over anytime soon, but if the industry starts to adopt more HD widescreen cabs, I can see a need for more power to meet those demands. The fighting genre has certainly been forced to adapt that technology if you look at SFIV and BlazBlue.

drunkninja · April 08, 2011, 07:57:48 PM

I still would like to see some company attempt a true 16:9 vert. Something tells me it wouldn't quite work, but I'd like to see an attempt at it at least. I mean, Vewlix cabs do rotate, so why not?

ebarrett · April 08, 2011, 09:20:00 PM

Quote from: Muchi Muchi Spork on April 08, 2011, 05:05:38 PM
fewer shooter fans are going to be drooling over a new 360 shooter if it didn't have an arcade reputation already

McLuhan called and said he grudgingly agreed. Also mentioned he really doesn't care about the Feveron port.

Aisha · April 09, 2011, 01:38:03 AM

That's interesting, if a bit depressing. I'd buy Dangun Feveron if they released it on XBLA, but frankly, since it's in MAME, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it should they release it for the iOS. Now if they did this with Ibara or Mushihime-sama, I'd be a bit disappointed.

Anyway, didn't CAVE once say that they were going to start working on a new vertical shmup for the arcades last February? I wonder what happened to that? It could very well be the thing which determines whether they'll stay or leave the arcades. But like Strider77, I'm probably not going to be too fazed as long as CAVE keeps pumping out shmups for home consoles.

hipgnosis · April 09, 2011, 04:28:27 AM

Holy shit if they stop doing arcade games, it will be an end of an era. This shit makes me sad.

Dale · April 10, 2011, 12:12:05 AM

They'll hopefully be able to really max out the resolution of their art style on 360. I think they really need to jump into developing for 360 head first.

dan76 · April 10, 2011, 07:20:40 AM

I don't want them to stop making arcade games. I don't really understand how anyone on this forum could think it's a good thing. It's why we're all here isn't it? If not for the arcades themselves then the ports of their arcade games.

It would be terrible if they stop. The worst! I have a fear that if they were to make console only games they would become easier and more convoluted (as evidence by the arrange modes they've been arsing around with).

If it is the end of the road for arcade releases at least we've got decent ports to get us through the drought ahead.

J*R*F_BN3_WM2K · April 10, 2011, 05:57:56 PM

Quote from: EOJ on April 08, 2011, 02:43:32 PM
Asada was just referring to the arcade. He said he expects the game development team to keep making shooters, but maybe not exclusively shooters. The sales performance of Nin2-Jump and Instant Brain will probably dictate their future development plans.

I agree - Nobody buy those 2 games!

Kewing · April 11, 2011, 05:29:11 PM

That definitely sounds like a bad direction, from a "traditional arcade" viewpoint. It's still kind of logical, given the current situation, but if CAVE gets out of the shmups arcade business, it will be the end of an era; and I wouldn't be surprised if it wouldn't take too long before shmups on arcades are completely dead.

Hah, superplays on Bluray... Any bets on more than 10k yen per item, anyone?