Famitsu Cave Interview

[dunpeal2064]

Did Mushi + Matsur make more money than Ibara + Kuro?

If so, its hard to blame them.

[chempop]

But if they are aware of Ibara PS2 and Kuro PCB prices they would know there is demand for those games. DFK1.5/BL got a double pack, right around the same time DFK1.5 got a Platinum release, which makes little sense to me... Granted those games already existed on 360 lol.

[dunpeal2064]

But then Ibara prices are pretty low, and Matsuri prices really high. Id say both Mushis would definitely cost more on pcb.

But, I did find the mushi port much more playable, and I like Ibara a lot more, so I would have preferred Ibara too.

I did not know there was a dfk 1.5/bl 2 pack!!

[Strider77]

I'm sort of inclined to agree with that, I really wanted Kuro.

I have it.

[Op Intensify]

Probably their last retail packaged game for 360

There's still some hope !

SDOJ on XBLA would be an amazing send-off to the system. Or they could finally put that Feveron port out. As far as we know, it was all but finished, since IIRC it was playable at a Matsuri.

[BarfHappy]

I am depressed now ... SDJ will be the very last CV1000D game ...

[Skykid]

Pretty sure there will still be a package 360 release for SDOJ tbh, even if someone else ports it (which might be preferable.)

[blackoak]

[see OP, thanks alamone!]

[Bee Cool]

Everyone at our company is thinking that rather than games that you enjoy by yourself, we need to get involved with games that you play with someone else. I think we will start to make games that are different in form from what we've made up till now, but we want them to touch the hearts of our players, so please look forward to it.

I guess everything has to end sometime...

[emphatic]

Pretty sure there will still be a package 360 release for SDOJ tbh, even if someone else ports it (which might be preferable.)

God I hope this will be the case. Come on, M2!

Thanks a lot for the translation, blackoak!

[Bee Cool]

More like Ibara+Kuro/SDOJ pack. We can dream.

[Dronevil]

Thanks a lot, blackoak!
I'm loving all your recent translations, awesome job

[dan76]

Thanks blackoak.

By now we should all be used to Asada's ramblings, but to hear Ikeda talking about the new types of games they'll be making is a bit depressing.

2 player... ugh.

[Special World]

Wow, this is quite the interview. Sounds like the end of an era. Thanks for the translation.

[Skykid]

Ikeda: I thought it would be unfair to people who had bought the PCB. Of course, I'm happy that many will be able to play it, but...

I was very surprised it was on there tbh, really didn't think they'd port it.

Ikeda: We don't have any more easily available arcade hardware parts. Though, that doesn't mean we will just stop making arcade games.

I'm sure there was someone here talking down the suggestion SH3 boards and part stock were running out/being sold off.

I think we will start to make games that are different in form from what we've made up till now

Bye bye STG.

[blackoak]

Yeah, that last comment from Ikeda is foreboding. The line he says in Japanese is "dareka to tsunagatte asoberu geemu" could mean a 2P game, but the literal translation is: "a game that you can play connected to another" or, possibly, "a game that connects you to someone while you play." So I think its pointing towards social networking games, as people have wondered.

Its all a bit of tea leaf divination at this point since the idea isn't explored further in the interview, Japanese can be vague, and they were vague about their plans in the first place. But it sounds pretty bad. Still, ~20 years of games that I've just scratched the surface on personally... hard to complain.

[Tokyo-J]

Cave needs to make a Esprade / Dangun Feveron 2 Pack and then Port Ibara , Espgaluda and DDP Sai Dai Ou Jou to 360. Then we can burn all of our other consoles in a giant bonfire.

[Age of Kings]

Given all of the recent bad news, I wouldn't be surprised if CAVE is throwing in the towel when it comes to STGs. There's too little innovation and not enough interest in the genre. It's saddening but I've slowly become resigned to it.

As for the Nesica Live mess, I quite honestly don't care about what hardware future games will be released on as long as they're eventually ported to consoles as faithful to the original as possible. It's shitty for the PCB owners, but for me even having access to PCBs is too few and far between beyond meets every 3 or 4 months. I really would like to try out SDOJ at some point and I seriously hope it is ported. Download-only is fine as long as it's not region-restricted. Accessibility is what matters most to me.

[Dave_K.]

I really would like to try out SDOJ at some point and I seriously hope it is ported.

Someone is bringing it to our next bay area shmupmeet, so you can play it a lot sooner than you think.

[Cuilan]

When was this interview conducted? On the same day it was published?

If it was on the same day, Cave's current situation doesn't seem quite as bad. But if the interview is a few weeks old on the other hand...

[Cagar]

development for other platforms.

; )

[Obscura]

development for other platforms.

; )

I'm pretty sure they mean "cell phones and facebook", not PC.

[TonK]

Firstly it wouldn't boot up so I opened it up. I found that the pcb base holders had broken during shipping and where they connect had scraped through lines in the bottom of the board. Searched for an exact motherboard replacement, not possible. Googled and found another motherboard officially used, pics on AO, ordered that. It still won't boot and I'm not sure that the rainbow cable from the custom IO board is even compatible, though the only important thing it could be doing from what I can tell so far is flipping a power switch which I can do a different way. Anyway, won't boot. So I take it into the bios. When I set it checking anything with the boot device (a compact flash card with a minimal Windows installation) it freezes, so I guess it can't handle it or it's corrupt. I've been able to copy its data so I'm going to try to copy it onto a regular hard drive. I think it has the drivers needed for the custom board as well. The game is just on the USB stick. I made a fresh XP install on a drive to test it but it just fails to launch from Windows, starts to boot and ends with a JVS error and I don't know where the custom board drivers might be on the compact flash stuff, or if it's possible to pull them. If you can image your flash card (Windows) for me and send me that, that might help in my diagnoses. How is it supposed to power up anyway? What triggers the power on? I have a Capcom IO board going to the JVS port. Maybe a button on your control panel? The power switch on the power supply doesn't trigger it. Total crap setup.

Can you take a pic of the guts for me please?

[Muchi Muchi Spork]

I'll send you a message with pics later when I can get back to it.

[jepjepjep]

Pretty sure there will still be a package 360 release for SDOJ tbh, even if someone else ports it (which might be preferable.)

God I hope this will be the case. Come on, M2!

Thanks a lot for the translation, blackoak!

Oh hell yeah, get M2 involved. CAVE Ages 2500 Series!

Volume 1: The Donpachi Complete Collection Pt 1: Donpachi, Dodonpachi & Campaign Version
Volume 2: The ESP Collection: Esprade, Espgaluda, Espgaluda II
Volume 3: Guwange, Dangun Feveron, MMP
Volume 4: The Alive Bullets Collection: Ketsui and Progear
Volume 5: The Ibara Collection: Ibara, Ibara Kuro, Pink Sweets
Volume 6: The Mushihimesama Collection
Volume 7: The Donpachi Complete Collection Pt 2: Daioujou, Daifukkatsu and SDOJ

[trap15]

Pretty sure there will still be a package 360 release for SDOJ tbh, even if someone else ports it (which might be preferable.)

God I hope this will be the case. Come on, M2!

Thanks a lot for the translation, blackoak!

Oh hell yeah, get M2 involved. CAVE Ages 2500 Series!

Volume 1: The Donpachi Complete Collection Pt 1: Donpachi, Dodonpachi & Campaign Version
Volume 2: The ESP Collection: Esprade, Espgaluda, Espgaluda II
Volume 3: Guwange, Dangun Feveron, MMP
Volume 4: The Alive Bullets Collection: Ketsui and Progear
Volume 5: The Ibara Collection: Ibara, Ibara Kuro, Pink Sweets
Volume 6: The Mushihimesama Collection
Volume 7: The Donpachi Complete Collection Pt 2: Daioujou, Daifukkatsu and SDOJ

I would buy each and every one of these on release if this happened.

[AntiFritz]

I'd buy 360 ports of dangun and espgaluda in a heartbeat if i could, mame just doesn't cut it.

[Age of Kings]

I really would like to try out SDOJ at some point and I seriously hope it is ported.

Someone is bringing it to our next bay area shmupmeet, so you can play it a lot sooner than you think.

I won't be able to make it due to Fanime or finals. Then I go home to SoCal for the summer.

[emphatic]

mame just doesn't cut it.

[rtw]

@blackoak, once again thank you for your translation!

edit: can't spell