Ketsui EX [JP X360] - April 22, 2010 release date confirmed

[bitkid]

OH man I want this game to be out already. I haven't been paying much attention to my shmup side lately due to extreme punishing amounts of game testing I have been doing at my job at Namco...not to mention the release of Street Fighter 4. I will definitely be switching back to shmup mode soon enough once this game comes out on 360.

[adverse]

extreme punishing amounts of game testing I have been doing at my job at Namco...

Tekken 6...?

[adverse]

So there's a feature on Ketsui EX in the latest Famitsu 360, and at the bottom it has a special message from Sakari Masaki. 

First he apologizes for the problems with BLEX and promises an update to the game. He also promises that they are going to do something for offline users as well, so I think this confirms an updated game disc and swap-out. He says that he's putting a lot of attention into reducing the load times for Ketsui in particular.

He also somehow still has a column in the back of the magazine where talks about balancing 'achievement unlocking and work'.   

[EOJ]

Still nothing at all up on the site for this game, other than a release date:

http://5pb.jp/games/div2/ketsuiex/index.html

Anyone else worried it might get delayed from its 5/28 release date? It's only about a month away, after all. No new media or info. We still haven't seen anything but stage 1 in motion. 

[adverse]

It wouldn't surprise me.  However, the article about it in Famitsu 360 led me to believe they were trying to put it out on time.  Still, I wouldn't want to underestimate their incompetence.

[adverse]

I think EOJ is right that Ketsui is going to be inevitably delayed.  I realized the other day that BLEX has still not seen any kind of update or any news about a disc exchange.  I have serious doubts that 5pb would put Ketsui out before doing that, and we are now 3 weeks out from Ketsui's supposed release date.  A delay seems unavoidable.

[EOJ]

Hmm. On 5pb's main page it says "release date undecided" next to Ketsui's profile:

http://5pb.jp/games/

It says the same thing on 5pb's full list of xbox 360 releases:

http://5pb.jp/games/products/products_Xbox360/

But the official site for the game still says 2009/5/28:

http://5pb.jp/games/div2/ketsuiex/

I wonder which one was updated more recently?

[adverse]

There is a little bit of hope for this game. 

Mihara posted on his blog that the 5pb company president came to his offices when the Ketsui delay was announced and asked for his help.  Mihara told him that he's a craftsman who won't accept a job if it's only going to be 98% done with 2% remaining.  Although he hasn't promised to be involved yet, it seems that 5pb is now working with companies 'related to Ketsui' which would mean CAVE.  Mihara is currently considering whether to get involved or not, but he says it would be nice if 'talks went smoothly'.  He says that 5pb's efforts in asking around for help will mean that the port's accuracy should improve a bit, and he also seems to indicate that if he got involved he would make sure there are no major problems with the game.

[charlienash87]

5pb probably got death threats about botching ketsui and realized that it really is a suicide mission to make that game with no help. mihara has their lives in his hands, as well as their money

[adverse]

So the latest issue of XBOX 360 has a full page Ketsui ad on the back cover.  Release date?  Nope.

「鋭意製作中！」

roughly:

"Currently in production with our full focus!"

Yikes.  Why take out an ad for a game without a release date? 

I have to also say I'm astonished that Sakari Masaki still has a column in this magazine and again this month the topic is balancing work and achievement unlocking. 

[EOJ]

The official site finally opened up today:

http://5pb.jp/games/div2/ketsuiex/

Info and story sections are currently available. No release date is given.

[EOJ]

Big news about the Ketsui port, in Mihara's latest blog post:

"As for Ketsui, you should set your mind at ease. The development team for Ketsui is different from DOJBLEX. The Ketsui delay is simply from trying to get the code just right, and improve the quality. They requested I examine the quality of the Ketsui port, but I have given that task to Asada (the guy who did the Deathsmiles port). So, look for Asada's comments on the Ketsui port next week!"

He had to give this to Asada since he (Mihara) is doing the new BLEX port. Anyway, Asada did a fantastic job on Deathsmiles, so expect a superb Ketsui port!!

[adverse]

Mihara confirmed in today's post that he just wishes that Asada would take charge of the Ketsui port.  The team is still all 5pb.

[EOJ]

Oh well.

But the team isn't all 5pb, it's some outsourced developer (apparently).

[adverse]

Where does he say that?  As far as I know he just said the dev team will be different.  Which is pretty much a bottom line requirement for anyone considering buying it.

[EOJ]

It seemed like "Div2" just outsourced stuff to different developers, at least for the STG games. Why would they outsource DOJBLEX and not Ketsui?

Anyway, I'd feel better if it were outsourced. "Division 2" is known for what? A couple horrid dating/ADV games? Did they even develop those "in house"?

[adverse]

Definitely likely, but another possibility is that DOJ was outsourced so that the internal team could work on Ketsui.  I remember there was a post on Sakari's blog after DOJ came out where he was talking about how he was super busy working on Ketsui.  Either way, 5pb is going to need help from the outside at some point.

[EOJ]

I'd be surprised if that Sakari guy is still working at 5pb after everything that's transpired. But setting that aside, he talked about developing DOJBLEX as well (on his now defunct blog), giving airs he was actually working hard on it. We know now that was a bunch of BS, as Aqua Systems was doing it. There is no mention of Aqua Systems ANYWHERE in the manual, on the case, or in the actual game.

I guess I just don't trust the guy.

[gsl]

How much of that I wonder is just Japanese face-saving 'business as usual'?  If you're going to attempt console ports of two of the more highly regarded (by an extra-frothy fanbase) shooters out there with no experience as doing such, coming right out and saying, "Uh yea, so this isn't our forte, and we handed it off to these other guys..." is probably a terrible way to lose any potential faith people might have in you.  Not that I'm defending that course of action.

Then again, I think of companies like Tose or M2 who have basically worked behind the scenes for little or no credit for years putting together some high-profile and well-regarded titles for the people whose names eventually go on the products, so maybe it isn't that uncommon.

Blew my mind the first time I paid attention to Ikaruga's ending credits and noticed G-Rev worked on the graphics engine.

[adverse]

Update on Ketsui's status at the CAVE blog:

http://cave-game.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2009/06/post-e7c9.html

Don't have time to translate in depth, but it looks like Ketsui will be delayed longer than people were hoping.

[EOJ]

Basically it says they asked 5pb about the Ketsui development, and they've been assured it's on the up and up, unlike the DOJBLEX port. But, they have revoked 5pb's license for porting Ketsui, at least for now.

Asada says the port is pretty good as is, it doesn't have bad loading times and just needs some more tweaks. He says they may grant the license back to 5pb once all the stuff between 5pb and Arika is resolved, and he knows the fans have been waiting for Ketsui, so they'll work it out for them one way or another.

I'd rather Cave just ported the damn game themselves. They'd make a ton of money off it and we wouldn't have to deal with all this pointless drama.

[GaijinPunch]

The most interesting bit is that Asada-san makes note of the DOJ developers using a decompiler... not having access to the source.  Inquiring minds want to know.

What's a bit more understandable but not desirable is that apparently both Asada & Mihara are "busy".  To me, this means neither are going to touch it for quite some time.

[adverse]

So am I the only one who didn't know that EVAC is CAVE backwards? 

Ok I'm on the late train. 

[charlienash87]

So am I the only one who didn't know that EVAC is CAVE backwards? 

Ok I'm on the late train. 

You must not have played ketsui demo label enough. IKD spells it out for ya, literally

[EOJ]

New Cave blog post talking about this port:

-Recently Asada spent some time with the port, and he says there are deeply rooted problems with it. He is not sure it can be fixed, to be honest.
-He knows many fans want the game, and while he cannot guarantee the port will materialize, he is hopeful the fans will be satisfied soon.

[adverse]

Well this is no surprise given the low quality of the DOJBL port I suppose. 

I have video of the first level of Ketsui 360 shown at an Osaka games show awhile back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWCwc_Mapck

As you can see the port level does not look particularly low, so I had hoped that maybe it would be a decent port.

It's either the later stages that are fucked up or the menu interface etc. are borked as bad as BLEX I would imagine.

Either way, destroying the Ketsui port this bad will only further cement the ugly reputation that 5pb deserves.  What a waste.

[GaijinPunch]

5pb deserves. 

I read something disturbing in that Floor 25.  Not sure if it was the founder, or just an employee, but someone from one of my most beloved, dead companies, Data East, went on to 5pb.  OUch!

[adverse]

Asada writes on the CAVE blog tonight that Ketsui will be shown by 5pb at the CAVE matsuri this December.

The port ever.   

Wonder if they will face the wrath just by showing up...

[Lunchbox]

I hope the people of 5pb go to the fest armed to the teeth...

[EOJ]

Well if they're showing it there, then it's almost done and Cave approves. Good news all around.