petition to convince CAVE to release games on steam

[Squire Grooktook]

Yes, but I'm not talking about those people. I'm more talking about players who are already "hardcore" to some degree (fighting game players, oldschool fps players, etc.) who like shmups to some degree...maybe even enough to go for 1cc or 2 for a few shmups, but simply don't care enough to inconvenience themselves with imports/high costs, etc. and generally only dabble in the genre once in a while.

My point is that there's no real middleground today for shmup players: Either you are a committed hardcore fan of the genre who is willing to import, buy a 360, spend a lot of money, etc. etc... or your not able to play most of the new games released in the past ten years. It's hardcore or no core, with no middleground.

there is a middleground. there's shmups like jamestown, sine mora, ikaruga and iphone ports for cave games like espgaluda, deathsmiles, dodonpachi, and mushihimesama.

Exactly, there is now and that's because of digital distribution. My point is that in the future I think more devs should focus on world wide digital distribution rather than console releases in order to get their games out to everyone who might have the slightest inclination towards shmups.

[trap15]

Exactly, there is now and that's because of digital distribution.

I just rolled my eyes so hard that I got a headache.

[Doctor Butler]

Cave isn't likely to opt for Steam, but Steam would offer accessibility, and exposure to other developers, as well as the the genre in general.

The more shooters available, and visible to a mass-market the better, and there's no denying that.

That said, this petition is fool-hardy. You'd be better of emailing Rising Star a link to Jamestown's sales-figures, lol.

[Squire Grooktook]

Exactly, there is now and that's because of digital distribution.

I just rolled my eyes so hard that I got a headache.

Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But in the past few years, it's definitely become a lot easier for more casual fans (people who like the genre but not as much as we do) to purchase shmups in English without a hassle. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few available to the west on consoles, but lately the selection of localized titles on digital distribution services is growing and growing, and I see more and more people trying these games out and talking about them than before.

You can say "well it's really not that hard to buy region free xbox games", and maybe for us it's not. But for most players, importing is a scary and weird investment that requires research and likely a hefty price if one is not really savvy about how to go about it. I know a lot of people who have been purchasing shmups on Steam who would never have bothered importing, and I can empathize because even though I'm a bit more used to it now, the first time I imported a bunch of games it felt really annoying and awkward, with a sense that I had no idea what I was doing. I doubt I would have gone through with it if I wasn't as serious about the genre as I am.

Again, I'm not saying that shmups can or ever will "break through to mainstream audiences". Unless arcades somehow become the most important medium for video games world wide, that's not gonna happen. BUT, while shmups are definitely niche, I do believe there are a lot of people who would be willing to share in that niche to some extent (maybe not to the same extent as people on this forum) but who haven't been able to due to the inconvenience and annoyance of legally acquiring many of these titles.

[Some-Mist]

You'd be better of emailing Rising Star

this or making a forum post on their boards would be a much better idea if you guys are actually serious about petitioning.

if I were to request something shooter related from cave I would want new IPs and games that haven't been ported (esp ra.de., dangun, progear, ibara kuro). if they ported the same games over and over again they'd be the next treasure lol. as for new ips.. deathsmiles III would be marketable worldwide and would be a perfect candidate for other publishers to port/localize.

in a perfect world.

[MathU]

Correcting misinformation doesn't make me a Steam fanboy.

Correcting "misinformation" where there isn't any and your absolutely rabid defense of Steam in just about every thread I've seen it discussed, however, does. I have never said nor implied that you can't release on Steam without DRM, cut the bullshit already.

[GSK]

Again, if these games ever come to PC, Cave won't be handling the ports themselves, they won't be self-publishing, they probably won't even be financing them.

[Formless God]

and your absolutely rabid defense of Steam in just about every thread I've seen it discussed

Can you strawman any harder? Give any example of my "rabid defense" of Steam. Go ahead. Do it.

I have never said nor implied that you can't release on Steam without DRM

Are you so illiterate that you can't even read your own posts?

Why not another distributor that's guaranteed not to have DRM? That is essentially what you're asking for when you ask for Steam to be the distributor.

[xorthen]

Digital games have no resale value.

[ptoing]

I think at the prices that many digital download titles, esp indie titles have, resale value not being there is moot. If you go to the cinema to watch a movie for 12 dollars it does not have resale value. If you go to have a meal for 40 dollars it does not have resale value. I know that selling stuff you no longer play is nice in order to get some cash back, but if you spent only like 5-15 dollars on it, it is a moot point, imo.

[Doctor Butler]

Digital games have no resale value.

I know, I hate digital. I like having an actual copies of games, so I can accrue a collection.

But idiots "buy" that shit like hot-cakes, so some indie/doujin shooter devs would be smart to snatch that scratch before it's given to yet another pretentious puzzle-platformer.

[MathU]

Are you so illiterate that you can't even read your own posts?

Are you so illiterate that you can't even read at all? Seriously, I haven't even typed a whole lot here. I'll repeat myself in case it was too confusing: When other, better distributors exist out there--distributors that can guarantee they won't have any DRM--what you are essentially asking for with a Steam release is DRM. No matter how much you may wish it, as an easy target to argue against presumably ("but they don't require DRM, see!"), this is not the same thing as saying a Steam release is guaranteed DRM. The alternative is the guarantee. Steam release is the shady choice that may or may not entail screwing the customer. Do you get it this time? I really hope that was clear enough.

You should probably learn what a straw man is too while you're at it.

[Some-Mist]

Digital games have no resale value.

which would be a great "f u" to flippers :>

[Formless God]

When other, better distributors exist out there--distributors that can guarantee they won't have any DRM--what you are essentially asking for with a Steam release is DRM. No matter how much you may wish it, as an easy target to argue against presumably ("but they don't require DRM, see!"), this is not the same thing as saying a Steam release is guaranteed DRM. The alternative is the guarantee. Steam release is the shady choice that may or may not entail screwing the customer.

Fair enough.

You should probably learn what a straw man is too while you're at it.

I'm pretty sure I know what it means seeing as you couldn't even go into my post history and bring back something to back up your claim. I told you to buzz off in other threads because that shit is repetitive and off-topic, and I wrote maybe two posts about the convenience of the silent installer/updater which had fuck all to do with DRM or digital distribution as a whole.

[Zorator]

DERRRR