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[EOGamer]

Awesome event. I'm already on course for a new PSP thanks to Maverick Hunter and Powered Up, Puzzle Fighter just sweetens the pot. I'm also anticapating Hyper Fighting for the arcade service, and am really excited to play both Lost Planet and Dead Rising. Both of those games are shaping up and looking damned smooth. I'm still hopeful for PS2 getting a re-issuing of REmake and Zero (hopefully all in one package rather than the rip off approach the old overpriced RE ports were on GC), maybe at E3. I've had a hankering to replay those games again, just don't wanna have to buy another Gamecube to do so.

 

[evilromero]

Urge to buy PSP with loads of Capcom soft rising. Seriously, Capcom is fondling me with their nostalgia trickery.

 

[Agent X]

I have an honest question, guys:

Why is it that almost all PSP ports seem to be met with excitement and positivity, while any and all Nintendo handheld ports seem to be met with mixed or positive responses at first, and then become negative?

I honestly don't understand why people can get so excited over PSP ports, yet criticize the SNES & NES ports for the GBA and the Mario 64 port for the DS (and vice-versa).

Here's my take on it.

Most of the PSP ports we've seen are fall in the following categories:

1. Conversions of recent (released less than 5 years ago) games that are generally good and often have a substantial amount of new content added to them.

2. Conversions of old (released more than 10 years ago) games which are completely revamped, with new high-resolution graphics, enhanced sound, and added features (networking and such) to bring them up to modern standards.

3. Compilations of several old games on one disc, usually containing emulations or extremely close translations of the original programming.

On the other hand, a substantial amount of the ports on the GBA fall in the following categories:

1. Conversions of old (released more than 10 years ago) SNES games, with reduced screen resolution, downgraded sound, downgraded controls, with little (if any) new content added to them.

2. Conversions of even older (released more than 15 years ago) NES games, with one game on a single cartridge, with reduced screen resolution, being sold now in the 21st century for $20 each.

3. Compilations of several old games on one cartridge, usually containing emulations or extremely close translations of the original programming.

I feel a lot more comfortable purchasing a quality conversion of a relatively recent game for $40, than I would in purchasing a mediocre port of a 10-20 year old game for $30 or even $20. Some people merely look at the price tags, but it's not about price, it's about value.

 

[MoxManiac]

I honestly don't understand why people can get so excited over PSP ports, yet criticize the SNES & NES ports for the GBA and the Mario 64 port for the DS (and vice-versa).

For the record, I've never been against ports to portables, whether it's GBA, DS or PSP. Personally, I love playing high quality classic games on the go, even if I own them on consoles already.

But PSP is capable of far more graphically advanced ports, so the games we're seeing ported to it are much more exciting to me. SFA3's PSP conversion is orgasm-good; I still can't believe I can hold it in my hand.

 

[kaching]

I also didn't take exception because it would become another PSP bitch-fest in addition to a Capcom whine party, but you've picked up the slack I see, as usual, so thanks.

My point was that it doesn't have to turn into another bitch-fest if you do more than focus on the negative. Wasn't trying to vilify you, just saying there's a better way.

It's still very disappointing as an event overall.

I'm not sure I see the point in being disappointed about this event, unless Capcom binds the announcement of all new projects to this one annual event, which we both know isn't the case. We're in a transitional period between generations of hardware right now and with two major players still not on the market with their next-gen offerings yet, I'd expect that's tying up a number of projects in a certain amount of secrecy right now. I'd expect this event to only be the start for what should be a pretty exciting 6-9 month period.

It's not done much, and I think it's fairly obvious why. Hopefully that will change.

If it were that obvious, I'd expect devs/pubs to have the problem licked by now.

Regardless, I like the PSP, like that I'll have access to these ports and am pretty much satisfied wtih the PSP as a portable semi-ps2.

None of that was in question.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

If it were that obvious, I'd expect devs/pubs to have the problem licked by now.

Well, if it's a matter of needing a console sized development team to make original, more than bite sized IP offerings vs. the cost of doing that for a console or porting an older title, it's not the sort of problem they can just roll up their sleeves about. Sony will probably begin to leverage more of their own talent and power of console contracts to convince other developers, but this isn't Nintendo where they can just abandon their console for the most part.

 

[kaching]

Well, if it's a matter of needing a console sized development team to make original, more than bite sized IP offerings vs. the cost of doing that for a console or porting an older title, it's not the sort of problem they can just roll up their sleeves about.

"If" is the operative word here and the issue is whether devs/pubs are really asking the question and putting any effort towards exploring alternative approaches or whether they're just assuming the "if" is a certainty for the most part. The latter seems to be the case - they may think the answer is obvious, but do they have the right answer?

There have been a few devs who have been able to create promising, well-targeted games for the PSP with smaller teams and budgets. That those games have failed to secure huge sales should not be regarded as a failure of that approach to game design, but rather the approach to marketing in those cases.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

That those games have failed to secure huge sales should not be regarded as a failure of that approach to game design, but rather the approach to marketing in those cases.

Well, simply put as a PSP owner, I'd rather agree with you kaching. But what games are those that have followed that model, offer a critically acclaimed full package for the platform? It doesn't have to have been a commercial success, but a critical one would probably prove the point. I know there are a few smaller scaled successes such as Exit or similar puzzle type entries.

 

[cvxfreak]

My point was that it doesn't have to turn into another bitch-fest if you do more than focus on the negative. Wasn't trying to vilify you, just saying there's a better way.

What the hell are you talking about? It wasn't me who brought the PSP up, and it wasn't a PSP bitch fest at all until you brought it up again. The best way to avoid a bitch fest (*not a whine-party) is not to bring up stuff unrelated to the thread title (Capcom and their press conference summary). It's like you equate my negative comments with trolling. There's a big difference between them.

I'm not sure I see the point in being disappointed about this event, unless Capcom binds the announcement of all new projects to this one annual event, which we both know isn't the case. We're in a transitional period between generations of hardware right now and with two major players still not on the market with their next-gen offerings yet, I'd expect that's tying up a number of projects in a certain amount of secrecy right now. I'd expect this event to only be the start for what should be a pretty exciting 6-9 month period.

Now this is something to talk about.

This was the event that saw RE4 on the GameCube, which was pretty huge. If there isn't anything new, then there should be something genuinely awe inspiring and we didn't get that. So wham, disappointing. Also, I've been complaining about Capcom's next gen portable offerings, which have mostly been re-released content. Their next gen stuff is fair game. But if you aren't disappointed, then that's cool for you, too.

 

[jj984jj]

I think bitching about people bitching has got out of hand on GAF, sometimes now I see people making little comments and others are starting to get way too defensive over them.

 

[cvxfreak]

I think bitching about people bitching has got out of hand on GAF, sometimes now I see people making little comments and others are starting to get way too defensive over them.

It's like good old fashioned debate has died on GAF. A pity. =/

 

[C- Warrior]

Anyhoo, I'm with CVXfreak and jj984.

I want Powerstone (1 + 2 re-releases) on PSP as much as the next guy, but I think CVX is trying to say "why not Powerstone 3 on PSP Capcom?"

And I'd have to agree.

But to be fair, Inafune said between Devil May Cry 4, Lost Planet, RE5, and Dead Rising about 50% of Capcom's design team is used up, over 200 staffers.

And I have never seen a next-gen game for the 360 get such universal "this should kick ass" from GAF than Lost Planet and Dead Rising has, so a lot of effort is obviously going into those IP's, it kind of gets you thinking what amazing shit Capcom will pull off with their franchise next-gen games.

 

[cvxfreak]

And I have never seen a next-gen game for the 360 get such universal "this should kick ass" from GAF than Lost Planet and Dead Rising has, so a lot of effort is obviously going into those IP's, it kind of gets you thinking what amazing shit Capcom will pull off with their franchise next-gen games.

Well said. These look well, well done and Capcom's a company to start off console generations with a bang (RE, RECV/Onimusha/DMC) and I expect no less from LP and DR. Makes me glad I own a 360 this early in the game.

 

[C- Warrior]

Well said. These look well, well done and Capcom's a company to start off console generations with a bang (RE, RECV/Onimusha/DMC) and I expect no less from LP and DR. Makes me glad I own a 360 this early in the game.

I got nothing.

But Dead Rising should kick ass. Capcom has made so many serious RE games that if they just parody the hell out of all the RE titles with solid gameplay to back it up it'd be an awesome [and ever so comical] experience.

Imagine: the ugly journalist dude goes up to a door, and it says "The door is locked, has a carving of a helmet."

And then the guy goes "the hell with this" and just kicks the door down. I'd LOL, ... what? I would, >.> ... alright well fuck you guys then.

 

[MoxManiac]

We're getting PSP GOTY, aka Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins, which is brand new. <3 <3 <3 Capcom

 

[Monk]

Here's my take on it.

Most of the PSP ports we've seen are fall in the following categories:

1. Conversions of recent (released less than 5 years ago) games that are generally good and often have a substantial amount of new content added to them.

2. Conversions of old (released more than 10 years ago) games which are completely revamped, with new high-resolution graphics, enhanced sound, and added features (networking and such) to bring them up to modern standards.

3. Compilations of several old games on one disc, usually containing emulations or extremely close translations of the original programming.

On the other hand, a substantial amount of the ports on the GBA fall in the following categories:

1. Conversions of old (released more than 10 years ago) SNES games, with reduced screen resolution, downgraded sound, downgraded controls, with little (if any) new content added to them.

2. Conversions of even older (released more than 15 years ago) NES games, with one game on a single cartridge, with reduced screen resolution, being sold now in the 21st century for $20 each.

3. Compilations of several old games on one cartridge, usually containing emulations or extremely close translations of the original programming.

I feel a lot more comfortable purchasing a quality conversion of a relatively recent game for $40, than I would in purchasing a mediocre port of a 10-20 year old game for $30 or even $20. Some people merely look at the price tags, but it's not about price, it's about value.

Good post. I find it hard to understand how a port of a recent game is value when you already have it on a console with higher resolution. I can understand if you sold the game before or something but having two version of a game is weird. Which also goes for those who bought each console's version of a game.