What the hell happened over there? From the NES to the PS2 there were so many amazing things coming from Japan. So many legendary franchises that were strong and relevant but are now in the shitter. It's like none of them understand how to make a solid game anymore or even what to do with the IP's they own. Is it something in the water? I mean why is it so hard to figure out a viable business model that honors the traditions that made these companies a success in the first place?
Capcom is almost dead to me. The only thing on the table that's worth a shit is Street Fighter and Dragons Dogma. Mega Man is dead and fucking buried, rotting away never to return. Breath of Fire 6 is a F2P for iOS that looks like a total POS. Resident Evil is about to get snazzier costumes so they can promote the series via fashion magazines. Does your head hurt yet? Mine fucking does.
I worry about Street Fighter overstaying it's welcome. SFxT was proof that greedy Capcom are still looking for that free-money angle that will get them that endless revenue stream. 5 versions of SFIV is proof that the old tactics will stand until they figure out whatever that new method is. It's ugly and gives the impression they are looking to milk whereever possible. And oh yeah, Devil May Cry did not need a redesign for Dante. That game was a good opportunity for a new IP.
Konami is almost dead to me. They have Metal Gear. They'll never let Kojima try anything else, ever, so I guess at least those games are still under his vision. But look at scabby nurses aka Silent Hill. They have no idea what too do with that series. Somebody over there had some inspiration for Shattered Memories, but other than that they are clearly wondering what to do with it. The Vita game was a Diablo clone for crying out loud. Where is Contra? Why not bring back some old NES era names like Life Force? Resogun and Geometry Wars are proof that there is room for the shmup in the modern era. And what about Castlevania? The 3d God of War games are good, but there is a lot that can be done in the 2D space and I think they are afraid to do it or even try. Imagine how killer a Vania would look with art that resembled one of the Guilty Gear games instead of rehashing old sprites from 15 years ago? Shit, they could knock it out of the park for a game or two just by overhauling the visuals as they tinker with ideas to evolve the gameplay. I get the feeling we'll see a Vania card game for iOS any day now as it feels like they don't know what to do with it.
SquareEnix is almost dead to me. I'm playing FFXIV on PS3 but that's it. I didn't like FFXIII or any of their recent efforts at an RPG. They simply cannot write a story that doesn't get lost up its own ass before the end, it seems. Thinking back on the FF games from the PS1 era that I loved, I have to honestly wonder did they ever know? I'm not 17 anymore, so a lot of that nonsense is less forgivable as I'm smart enough to realize it's not actually over my head, it's just garbage. But I digress. The point is we have not seen a new Tobal, Einhander, Bushido Blade, Brave Fencer, or anything resembling inspiration in years. They even refuse to cater to their desperate fanbase by remaking FFVII, instead slamming their heads against the wall trying to get Lightning to take off while only the most stalwart fans are interested in weathering that storm, but even that is a challenge as Square seems to think bigger tits and costumes are the ticket to success at last. (Honestly I was digging the tits and costumes and am annoyed they downgraded her cup size again. Stick to your guns when you make ballsy moves like that)
Sega is dead to me. Virtual Fighter has it's anniversary come and go without so much as a tweet about it, Sonic is now claimed by weird nerds with animal fetishes, and the days of innovative and ground breaking games like Jet Set Radio and Shenmue are long gone. Now the Aliens franchise is one of your four pillars holding up the ceiling. What a sad fucking state of affairs that is for all of us.
Namco have Tekken. and Soul Calibur, both of which are as stellar as ever. Although it sounds like a half-assed HD port of SCII for $20 is a good example of burning up that good-will very quickly. But what else are you doing, guys? Those two can only go for so long without other games to give them breaks. Dark Souls is huge for you, so that's great, but I can't think of any other games in the pipeline from you.
Nintendo has it working the best out of anyone. Sure, they are retreading the same titles over and over, but at least they are still putting out the games their fans want. For the most part anyway. Still waiting on that version of Zelda we got a trailer for 10 years ago, but otherwise you can't complain too much as they seem to be doing their thing and running a successful model in the process, all while keeping the loyal diehard fans mostly pleased. Always wanting, sure, but mostly pleased.
We've heard the argument that it's just too expensive to make games now and maybe that's why everything needs to be the next big thing or else. But you know what? It's not going to be the next big thing. If small studios of like 8 people can put out some really memorable games on PSN and XBLA, why not you guys? Make a new Mega Man with a small team and an appropriate budget spent wisely on new art direction and assets. Make a new Castlevania and Life Force the same way. Make a new Resident Evil that focuses on redefining survival horror the way the series did 15 years ago. Be brave enough to omit multiplayer and let the game stand on its own. Keep the budget under control. And if you're SquareEnix, learn to put out a game in 2-3 years or go back to the drawing board and figure out where you've gone wrong. I'm tired of seeing my fond memories of the studios I used to love get dragged through the mud by the ghastly reanimated corpses they resemble now. It's times for change, Japan!
Capcom is almost dead to me. The only thing on the table that's worth a shit is Street Fighter and Dragons Dogma. Mega Man is dead and fucking buried, rotting away never to return. Breath of Fire 6 is a F2P for iOS that looks like a total POS. Resident Evil is about to get snazzier costumes so they can promote the series via fashion magazines. Does your head hurt yet? Mine fucking does.
I worry about Street Fighter overstaying it's welcome. SFxT was proof that greedy Capcom are still looking for that free-money angle that will get them that endless revenue stream. 5 versions of SFIV is proof that the old tactics will stand until they figure out whatever that new method is. It's ugly and gives the impression they are looking to milk whereever possible. And oh yeah, Devil May Cry did not need a redesign for Dante. That game was a good opportunity for a new IP.
Konami is almost dead to me. They have Metal Gear. They'll never let Kojima try anything else, ever, so I guess at least those games are still under his vision. But look at scabby nurses aka Silent Hill. They have no idea what too do with that series. Somebody over there had some inspiration for Shattered Memories, but other than that they are clearly wondering what to do with it. The Vita game was a Diablo clone for crying out loud. Where is Contra? Why not bring back some old NES era names like Life Force? Resogun and Geometry Wars are proof that there is room for the shmup in the modern era. And what about Castlevania? The 3d God of War games are good, but there is a lot that can be done in the 2D space and I think they are afraid to do it or even try. Imagine how killer a Vania would look with art that resembled one of the Guilty Gear games instead of rehashing old sprites from 15 years ago? Shit, they could knock it out of the park for a game or two just by overhauling the visuals as they tinker with ideas to evolve the gameplay. I get the feeling we'll see a Vania card game for iOS any day now as it feels like they don't know what to do with it.
SquareEnix is almost dead to me. I'm playing FFXIV on PS3 but that's it. I didn't like FFXIII or any of their recent efforts at an RPG. They simply cannot write a story that doesn't get lost up its own ass before the end, it seems. Thinking back on the FF games from the PS1 era that I loved, I have to honestly wonder did they ever know? I'm not 17 anymore, so a lot of that nonsense is less forgivable as I'm smart enough to realize it's not actually over my head, it's just garbage. But I digress. The point is we have not seen a new Tobal, Einhander, Bushido Blade, Brave Fencer, or anything resembling inspiration in years. They even refuse to cater to their desperate fanbase by remaking FFVII, instead slamming their heads against the wall trying to get Lightning to take off while only the most stalwart fans are interested in weathering that storm, but even that is a challenge as Square seems to think bigger tits and costumes are the ticket to success at last. (Honestly I was digging the tits and costumes and am annoyed they downgraded her cup size again. Stick to your guns when you make ballsy moves like that)
Sega is dead to me. Virtual Fighter has it's anniversary come and go without so much as a tweet about it, Sonic is now claimed by weird nerds with animal fetishes, and the days of innovative and ground breaking games like Jet Set Radio and Shenmue are long gone. Now the Aliens franchise is one of your four pillars holding up the ceiling. What a sad fucking state of affairs that is for all of us.
Namco have Tekken. and Soul Calibur, both of which are as stellar as ever. Although it sounds like a half-assed HD port of SCII for $20 is a good example of burning up that good-will very quickly. But what else are you doing, guys? Those two can only go for so long without other games to give them breaks. Dark Souls is huge for you, so that's great, but I can't think of any other games in the pipeline from you.
Nintendo has it working the best out of anyone. Sure, they are retreading the same titles over and over, but at least they are still putting out the games their fans want. For the most part anyway. Still waiting on that version of Zelda we got a trailer for 10 years ago, but otherwise you can't complain too much as they seem to be doing their thing and running a successful model in the process, all while keeping the loyal diehard fans mostly pleased. Always wanting, sure, but mostly pleased.
We've heard the argument that it's just too expensive to make games now and maybe that's why everything needs to be the next big thing or else. But you know what? It's not going to be the next big thing. If small studios of like 8 people can put out some really memorable games on PSN and XBLA, why not you guys? Make a new Mega Man with a small team and an appropriate budget spent wisely on new art direction and assets. Make a new Castlevania and Life Force the same way. Make a new Resident Evil that focuses on redefining survival horror the way the series did 15 years ago. Be brave enough to omit multiplayer and let the game stand on its own. Keep the budget under control. And if you're SquareEnix, learn to put out a game in 2-3 years or go back to the drawing board and figure out where you've gone wrong. I'm tired of seeing my fond memories of the studios I used to love get dragged through the mud by the ghastly reanimated corpses they resemble now. It's times for change, Japan!
