SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
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SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Hey everyone,
I'm working on a story for PC Gamer about Steam and SHMUPs/STGs. I'm looking to get a feeling from the community on where the genre stands with regards to Steam. e.g., is Steam a good platform for the genre? How do you feel about the rush of indie genre games on the service? Is Steam good or bad for these games? What has Steam done to change the genre (if anything) in your opinion? I've reached out to developers, so now it's your turn.
I appreciate any responses. If you DON'T want your response in the article, do note as such, but feel free to contribute regardless. I'd still love to hear your thoughts.
If you prefer, you can DM me for a chat.
Thanks!
I'm working on a story for PC Gamer about Steam and SHMUPs/STGs. I'm looking to get a feeling from the community on where the genre stands with regards to Steam. e.g., is Steam a good platform for the genre? How do you feel about the rush of indie genre games on the service? Is Steam good or bad for these games? What has Steam done to change the genre (if anything) in your opinion? I've reached out to developers, so now it's your turn.
I appreciate any responses. If you DON'T want your response in the article, do note as such, but feel free to contribute regardless. I'd still love to hear your thoughts.
If you prefer, you can DM me for a chat.
Thanks!
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- Posts: 8456
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
I think that it's great that a major STG dev, Cave Co. Ltd, managed to release it's high-profile STG by the name of Dodonpachi Resurrection on the Steam platform (albeit with it's share of know problems/bugs but considering that it's based on the XBox 360 platform of the same name, we'll accept it as it is for now with the major updates to fix 'em). Considering that the original Cave SH-3 powered Jamma PCB of Dodonpachi Dai-Fukkatsu 1.5 & it's updated PCB of DDP-DFK Black Label goes for plenty of $$$$ these days, it certainly is much cheaper on the wallet to get the steam version of DDP-R indeed.
I'd have to admit that Steam is a viable platform to d/l some of the higher quality doujin STGs (assuming if they're made available on Steam, of course) -- i.e. Varstray comes to mind. There are some doujin STG titles that have been released by the devs themselves like with the high-profile STG of Crimson Clover on PC CD-Rom format in Japan (which is also available on Steam).
Another high-profile game of Taito's Darius Burst Cronicle Saviors STG was released on Steam (in addition to the PS4 & PS Vita platforms as well)...it's much cheaper than spending a good four figure range for the actual arcade game cabinet that it runs on. It's quite cool to be able to play DBCS on-the-go with a 1st-gen OLED based Vita handheld any ol' day to sate my STG needs/fix or on the larger HDTV setup with the ol' trusty PS TV micro-console at home.
For the hard-core STG fans/purists, there's nothing like playing your favorite STG game with a Jamma PCB setup & an accompanying Japanese candy cabinet for that awesome and unmistakable arcade STG experience not to be missed (means having to have some very deep pockets to pursue/afford this very niche STG spectrum of the genre/hobby nowadays -- back in the early 2000s, it was more cheaper & affordable to buy such classic arcade STG PCBs like on eBay and even here on the Trading Section of Shmups.org). Visit the once-a-year California Extreme arcade & pinball game show held at the Santa Clara convention center held in Santa Clara, CA in the summer -- you're bound to find one of the rarer Cave Co. Ltd. arcade STG PCBs there up and running on a candy cab easily. At past CAX shows, there have been appearances of the famed DDP-DFK version 1.5 PCB, DDP-DOJ PCB and even the 2012 released DDP-SDOJ PCB set on free play for all CAX attendees to enjoy.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
I'd have to admit that Steam is a viable platform to d/l some of the higher quality doujin STGs (assuming if they're made available on Steam, of course) -- i.e. Varstray comes to mind. There are some doujin STG titles that have been released by the devs themselves like with the high-profile STG of Crimson Clover on PC CD-Rom format in Japan (which is also available on Steam).
Another high-profile game of Taito's Darius Burst Cronicle Saviors STG was released on Steam (in addition to the PS4 & PS Vita platforms as well)...it's much cheaper than spending a good four figure range for the actual arcade game cabinet that it runs on. It's quite cool to be able to play DBCS on-the-go with a 1st-gen OLED based Vita handheld any ol' day to sate my STG needs/fix or on the larger HDTV setup with the ol' trusty PS TV micro-console at home.
For the hard-core STG fans/purists, there's nothing like playing your favorite STG game with a Jamma PCB setup & an accompanying Japanese candy cabinet for that awesome and unmistakable arcade STG experience not to be missed (means having to have some very deep pockets to pursue/afford this very niche STG spectrum of the genre/hobby nowadays -- back in the early 2000s, it was more cheaper & affordable to buy such classic arcade STG PCBs like on eBay and even here on the Trading Section of Shmups.org). Visit the once-a-year California Extreme arcade & pinball game show held at the Santa Clara convention center held in Santa Clara, CA in the summer -- you're bound to find one of the rarer Cave Co. Ltd. arcade STG PCBs there up and running on a candy cab easily. At past CAX shows, there have been appearances of the famed DDP-DFK version 1.5 PCB, DDP-DOJ PCB and even the 2012 released DDP-SDOJ PCB set on free play for all CAX attendees to enjoy.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
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BulletMagnet
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
I figure that Steam is likely to exert pretty much the same potential effect on most any gaming genre; on the one hand it gives a chance for deserving games to reach a wide audience, but at the same time, especially in recent years, it also allows for a boatload of shovelware to gum up the works and make folks throw up their hands. I'd posit that the latter isn't quite as much of an issue for scrolling shooters as for, say, open world zombie survival crafting roguelikes or something, but considering that genre glut is a significant part of what drove the genre out of favor all those years ago I still wince whenever I happen across a random half-baked shmup while browsing the store.
For less general audiences there's also the issue of port accuracy; most of the kerfluffles regarding Steam shmups around these parts have revolved around differences with the original versions, particularly if the game started in the arcades and score competition has been going on for awhile; I doubt most everyday players would be particularly concerned with slowdown inaccuracy as long as it doesn't make the game unplayable or unbeatable, but since high-level shmuppers need to concern themselves with such nuances it's a topic that tends to come up more often than you might expect. Degica responded to one such inquiry on here by saying that porting slowdown accurately to PC is tougher than for a fixed-spec console since people's machines vary so widely, but I'm not qualified to assess it any further than that.
For less general audiences there's also the issue of port accuracy; most of the kerfluffles regarding Steam shmups around these parts have revolved around differences with the original versions, particularly if the game started in the arcades and score competition has been going on for awhile; I doubt most everyday players would be particularly concerned with slowdown inaccuracy as long as it doesn't make the game unplayable or unbeatable, but since high-level shmuppers need to concern themselves with such nuances it's a topic that tends to come up more often than you might expect. Degica responded to one such inquiry on here by saying that porting slowdown accurately to PC is tougher than for a fixed-spec console since people's machines vary so widely, but I'm not qualified to assess it any further than that.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
For decades, the PC 2D shooter scene has been resistant to the insidious creep of DRM where so many other game genres have fallen in line. Admittedly, part of this is due to the commercial sector existing largely within the Japanese doujin scene. This is important to me because since the mid-'00s at least I had largely given up on PC gaming--when new games weren't dumbed-down garbage appealing to the lowest common denominator, they were crippled with anti-consumer DRM that I find myself no longer able to tolerate. Around the same time I rediscovered this genre and found a wealth of games made by developers who truly still seemed to be connected to and had a respect for their customers.
With all that said, I see the release of Treasure and CAVE's games locked to Steam DRM as extremely disturbing events that have since their release encouraged other 2D shooter developers to do the same. It is an infuriating development that makes me very pessimistic about the future of the genre on the PC platform. I don't mind developers releasing over Steam as long as there are other options, but locking a game to their DRM service is totally unacceptable and I find myself continually disappointed with the response from my peers in the community. I have always gotten the impression that people in the shmup community are generally more self-aware consumers than other video game fans, but so many now seem willing to throw away their principles to "support" developers that release shoddy products in the desperate hope that the genre won't die. It's depressing.
With all that said, I see the release of Treasure and CAVE's games locked to Steam DRM as extremely disturbing events that have since their release encouraged other 2D shooter developers to do the same. It is an infuriating development that makes me very pessimistic about the future of the genre on the PC platform. I don't mind developers releasing over Steam as long as there are other options, but locking a game to their DRM service is totally unacceptable and I find myself continually disappointed with the response from my peers in the community. I have always gotten the impression that people in the shmup community are generally more self-aware consumers than other video game fans, but so many now seem willing to throw away their principles to "support" developers that release shoddy products in the desperate hope that the genre won't die. It's depressing.
Of course, that's just an opinion.
Always seeking netplay fans to play emulated arcade games with.
Always seeking netplay fans to play emulated arcade games with.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
The pc being an open platform is one of it's main strengths.
While I'm not too keen on steam having the monopoly on pc gaming, that's where we're at right now.
I feel like we're in good hands and steams DRM is DRM done right.
The recent deluge of shmups on steam has been a great thing. We're getting great games on the pc with leaderboards, the genre is finding a wider audience and there have been some great indie efforts. Shmups are alive and kicking and I hope it continues forever![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
You might want to mention "blue revolver" in your article. That's the perfect example of an excellent, recent indie shmup, and degica are doing god's work, publishing great japanese games on there.
While I'm not too keen on steam having the monopoly on pc gaming, that's where we're at right now.
I feel like we're in good hands and steams DRM is DRM done right.
The recent deluge of shmups on steam has been a great thing. We're getting great games on the pc with leaderboards, the genre is finding a wider audience and there have been some great indie efforts. Shmups are alive and kicking and I hope it continues forever
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
You might want to mention "blue revolver" in your article. That's the perfect example of an excellent, recent indie shmup, and degica are doing god's work, publishing great japanese games on there.
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
They were the first dev I reached out to.clippa wrote:You might want to mention "blue revolver" in your article..
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Thanks for the responses so far everyone. Keep 'em coming.
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Bananamatic
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Make sure to mention the importance of modern classics such as Sine Mora coming to Steam.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Make sure to take that with a massive pinch of salt
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Pixel_Outlaw
- Posts: 2636
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
I think any platform that distributes the games without micro transactions is good for the genre.MattPaprocki wrote:Hey everyone,
is Steam a good platform for the genre?
How do you feel about the rush of indie genre games on the service?
Is Steam good or bad for these games?
What has Steam done to change the genre (if anything) in your opinion? I've reached out to developers, so now it's your turn.
Thanks!
I'm thrilled to see the indie games, there are some high quality games from some members here that uphold the traditions of the genre while adding new flair.
Before Steam, some shmup/stg games were just hosted on all Japanese sites which where often hard to navigate for English speakers.
The most important aspect of a traditional shmup is that it is not a "floaty space simulation with lifebar".
People who take the simulation approach get it wrong, they overcomplicate things to the game's detriment.
A good shmup has no inertia in movement, fast player shots, creative yet navigatable enemy shot patterns, and very balanced score system which should be the entire focus.
In theory you should be able to beat (1 Credit Clear) the game without touching an enemy shot at the hight of good play.
Passing thoughts:
I'd love to get more Japanese programmers making shmups with Linux support.
The OS itself has rather poor exposure in Japan (Where the genre still thrives).
I'm one of those Linux zealots who enjoys shooting myself in the foot in the name of freedom.
![Twisted Evil :twisted:](./images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif)
Some of the best shmups don't actually end in a vowel.
No, this game is not Space Invaders.
No, this game is not Space Invaders.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
I like it when commercial arcade games like Raiden IV and Dariusburst come to steam, and good doujin stuff like Crimzon Clover. Western indie devs usually get the genre horribly wrong though and it's my opinion that there are a ton of bad indie shmups on steam making the genre look kind of lameMattPaprocki wrote:Hey everyone,
I'm working on a story for PC Gamer about Steam and SHMUPs/STGs. I'm looking to get a feeling from the community on where the genre stands with regards to Steam. e.g., is Steam a good platform for the genre? How do you feel about the rush of indie genre games on the service? Is Steam good or bad for these games? What has Steam done to change the genre (if anything) in your opinion? I've reached out to developers, so now it's your turn.
I appreciate any responses. If you DON'T want your response in the article, do note as such, but feel free to contribute regardless. I'd still love to hear your thoughts.
If you prefer, you can DM me for a chat.
Thanks!
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
You are the worst... and I laugh every damn time.Bananamatic wrote:Make sure to mention the importance of modern classics such as Sine Mora coming to Steam.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Thanks to steam a lot of developers could put their older games on the platform, making them easier to find/buy. I don't think it did anything else. I think it;s a good platform for the games, but not many are released on it.
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shoryusatsu999
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Hrm. How to word this...
Overall, Steam's a good home for the genre, but there are some issues that need to be ironed out. Some of the games on Steam right now are rather sloppy ports, like CAVE's entries and most of DotEmu's work, which worries me a little because slapdash ports might keep the traditional Western PC gaming crowd from giving the genre a chance. There are also a lot of standout games that aren't on Steam for one reason or another. I would gladly buy games such as StellaVanity and Akashicverse on Steam, but it doesn't seem like doujin developers are willing to take a chance with Greenlight without backing by a publisher like Degica. As for the shmups that the average gamer knows exist, those tend to come from companies that either closed/stopped making games long ago (RIP Irem), haven't gotten the budget to make or port a good shmup in years (like Treasure), or just don't care about their fanbases as anything more than their wallets (like Konami), so they're not likely to hit Steam at all.
When it comes to the indie games, it's a bit of a gamble unless you keep an ear to the ground and get other people's thoughts on each title. Some of them, like Crimzon Clover and Astebreed, are shining examples of the genre at its best. Others, like Sine Mora... not so much. There seems to be a general preference for Japanese games around here, but that might be due to some shmuppers liking certain elements and mechanics that Western indie devs just haven't gotten down pat yet. Hopefully, games like Xydonia and Blue Revolver can help bridge the gap.
As for altering the genre... well, there certainly seem to be a lot more twin-stickers and experimental shmups than before. Not sure if that matters to many of the people here, but it's something to note. Other than that, though, the genre hasn't changed that much since people started putting their games on Steam. Doujin developers are still the primary source of new shmups, competitive players still swear by a few specific developers and games, and a lot of games still appear to play the exact same way to the casual observer.
Overall, Steam's a good home for the genre, but there are some issues that need to be ironed out. Some of the games on Steam right now are rather sloppy ports, like CAVE's entries and most of DotEmu's work, which worries me a little because slapdash ports might keep the traditional Western PC gaming crowd from giving the genre a chance. There are also a lot of standout games that aren't on Steam for one reason or another. I would gladly buy games such as StellaVanity and Akashicverse on Steam, but it doesn't seem like doujin developers are willing to take a chance with Greenlight without backing by a publisher like Degica. As for the shmups that the average gamer knows exist, those tend to come from companies that either closed/stopped making games long ago (RIP Irem), haven't gotten the budget to make or port a good shmup in years (like Treasure), or just don't care about their fanbases as anything more than their wallets (like Konami), so they're not likely to hit Steam at all.
When it comes to the indie games, it's a bit of a gamble unless you keep an ear to the ground and get other people's thoughts on each title. Some of them, like Crimzon Clover and Astebreed, are shining examples of the genre at its best. Others, like Sine Mora... not so much. There seems to be a general preference for Japanese games around here, but that might be due to some shmuppers liking certain elements and mechanics that Western indie devs just haven't gotten down pat yet. Hopefully, games like Xydonia and Blue Revolver can help bridge the gap.
As for altering the genre... well, there certainly seem to be a lot more twin-stickers and experimental shmups than before. Not sure if that matters to many of the people here, but it's something to note. Other than that, though, the genre hasn't changed that much since people started putting their games on Steam. Doujin developers are still the primary source of new shmups, competitive players still swear by a few specific developers and games, and a lot of games still appear to play the exact same way to the casual observer.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
You could also try getting in touch with the developers of upcoming shmups like Final Boss and Danmaku Unlimited 3 if you're looking for more input from indie developers.
Final Boss: https://se-made.com
Danmaku Unlimited 3: https://www.twitter.com/SunnySyTam
As for my opinion, I feel that STEAM makes it easier and harder for quality STG releases. It's easier to reach out to a wider audience, but at the same time you have a sea of mediocre shooters AND other mediocre games to compete against in new releases. So with any marketing or withoutbeing lucky enough to have some famous streamer pick up one off these games, it's hard to get recognized.
As for port quality, I think Degica does a good job at fixing issues in a timely manner, but they do have room for improvement when it comes to their day one releases. But I think it has more to do with the developers they publish. The funding for the ports more than likely come.from them though. At least they don't abandon games like DotEmu does.
One company that has done fantastic at port quality is Qute has done a fine job with all their releases. Their sprite based shooters scale with resolution and Eschatos offers graphical options allowing PC gamers to play the game on a toaster or at 8K on higher end hardware. I might really looking forward to see how Ginga Force will be once its released. Chara-Ini/G.Rev is up there as well with DARIUSBURST.
On the other end of the spectrum you have the recently released Caladrius Blaze that has internally locked resolution at 720p. Making the game VERY fuzzy on 1440p and 4K displays. The port itself is very a straightforward, basic port. Better than a bad port I guess, but still hurts that H2 Interactive didn't at least give use 1080p. The game has polygonal work that would benefit greatly from this.
As for games that are trying to emulate arcade hardware from years past... That's a daunting feat for some of the developers. I hope Cave, Triangle Service, and others start (if they start) making new games it will really be quite refreshing. The hard core score chasers getting upset about these titles not being carbon copies is very understandable, but it would be refreshing to have a high profile shooter be released with nothing to compare it to in the arcades so as not to have people losing their minds over it.
Final Boss: https://se-made.com
Danmaku Unlimited 3: https://www.twitter.com/SunnySyTam
As for my opinion, I feel that STEAM makes it easier and harder for quality STG releases. It's easier to reach out to a wider audience, but at the same time you have a sea of mediocre shooters AND other mediocre games to compete against in new releases. So with any marketing or withoutbeing lucky enough to have some famous streamer pick up one off these games, it's hard to get recognized.
As for port quality, I think Degica does a good job at fixing issues in a timely manner, but they do have room for improvement when it comes to their day one releases. But I think it has more to do with the developers they publish. The funding for the ports more than likely come.from them though. At least they don't abandon games like DotEmu does.
One company that has done fantastic at port quality is Qute has done a fine job with all their releases. Their sprite based shooters scale with resolution and Eschatos offers graphical options allowing PC gamers to play the game on a toaster or at 8K on higher end hardware. I might really looking forward to see how Ginga Force will be once its released. Chara-Ini/G.Rev is up there as well with DARIUSBURST.
On the other end of the spectrum you have the recently released Caladrius Blaze that has internally locked resolution at 720p. Making the game VERY fuzzy on 1440p and 4K displays. The port itself is very a straightforward, basic port. Better than a bad port I guess, but still hurts that H2 Interactive didn't at least give use 1080p. The game has polygonal work that would benefit greatly from this.
As for games that are trying to emulate arcade hardware from years past... That's a daunting feat for some of the developers. I hope Cave, Triangle Service, and others start (if they start) making new games it will really be quite refreshing. The hard core score chasers getting upset about these titles not being carbon copies is very understandable, but it would be refreshing to have a high profile shooter be released with nothing to compare it to in the arcades so as not to have people losing their minds over it.
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BulletMagnet
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Seeing it discussed more in depth by others, I suppose you could actually list that under a single umbrella as one way Steam - and, I suppose, publishing on the PC in general - has changed the genre (along with all the rest), namely allowing developers to receive feedback and (if they do right by their customers) react accordingly, in a way that wasn't possible in the arcades and on older consoles. Back in the day you might need to keep separate high score boards depending on which revision of a game people were playing, if the game was ever fixed/expanded at all; now you simply update and wipe the online leaderboards (themselves another game-changing development) if necessary to instantly consolidate everything.
Another one that's more about gaming on PC than Steam specifically, but I suppose you might also mention controller/joystick compatibility - since precision movement and reaction time are so important in shmups, another issue that most always comes up when a new release arrives is "will my arcade stick work with it", which is something else for developers to consider when appealing to genre enthusiasts. Then again, quite a few shmuppers swear by keyboard play, so that's something too.
Another one that's more about gaming on PC than Steam specifically, but I suppose you might also mention controller/joystick compatibility - since precision movement and reaction time are so important in shmups, another issue that most always comes up when a new release arrives is "will my arcade stick work with it", which is something else for developers to consider when appealing to genre enthusiasts. Then again, quite a few shmuppers swear by keyboard play, so that's something too.
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
The good:
- The emergence of strong-performing PC-original games like Jamestown (back in the day), Crimzon Clover and Astebreed. PC now has its own identity as a shmup platform.
- The creation of a pipeline for indie Japanese developers to bring their games to the west. Companies like Rockin' Android and Nyu Media paved the way, and now we have Playism and Degica building up growing portfolios of distinguished games, as well as the outreach needed to sign up more developers.
- Arguably this also opened the door for indie Western developers to jump in greater numbers. Obviously Blue Revolver is what we're all excited about, but particular games with active post-release support like Super Galaxy Squadron and Steredenn are a good sign as well.
The bad:
- Graphics options and control options among different games are still wildly inconsistent. Support for platforms other than Windows is still particularly bad.
- Steam's curation doesn't really consider shmups their own thing, preferring to lump them in with action games that look retro in general. It definitely feels like pixel graphics are more likely to signal to Steam "this is a shmup" than the fact that a game is a scrolling shooter. Shmups being a mechanical genre where gameplay matters more than looks, this tends to punish more artistically varied shmups because they don't fit the "retro action game" template.
- Not a lot of clear classics have emerged to "anchor" this genre's recommendations on Steam, since it's a genre with a lot of low-selling games. There is no Half-Life 2 (for FPS), Portal (for puzzles), or The Walking Dead (for story-driven games) of shmups on Steam. Even when Ikaruga was finally released, it has not really served as a "classic" shmup from which players can discover more games like it.
Random thoughts:
- Cave really lost momentum due to betting on iOS rather than Steam a few years ago. Cave's iOS games had strong marketing pushes, frequent bug fixes and patches, and dedicated support and social media presence for both the Japanese and Western markets. That level of support would have made them a standout publisher on Steam, but sadly today the company no longer seems to have the staff or budget to make that possible.
- The emergence of strong-performing PC-original games like Jamestown (back in the day), Crimzon Clover and Astebreed. PC now has its own identity as a shmup platform.
- The creation of a pipeline for indie Japanese developers to bring their games to the west. Companies like Rockin' Android and Nyu Media paved the way, and now we have Playism and Degica building up growing portfolios of distinguished games, as well as the outreach needed to sign up more developers.
- Arguably this also opened the door for indie Western developers to jump in greater numbers. Obviously Blue Revolver is what we're all excited about, but particular games with active post-release support like Super Galaxy Squadron and Steredenn are a good sign as well.
The bad:
- Graphics options and control options among different games are still wildly inconsistent. Support for platforms other than Windows is still particularly bad.
- Steam's curation doesn't really consider shmups their own thing, preferring to lump them in with action games that look retro in general. It definitely feels like pixel graphics are more likely to signal to Steam "this is a shmup" than the fact that a game is a scrolling shooter. Shmups being a mechanical genre where gameplay matters more than looks, this tends to punish more artistically varied shmups because they don't fit the "retro action game" template.
- Not a lot of clear classics have emerged to "anchor" this genre's recommendations on Steam, since it's a genre with a lot of low-selling games. There is no Half-Life 2 (for FPS), Portal (for puzzles), or The Walking Dead (for story-driven games) of shmups on Steam. Even when Ikaruga was finally released, it has not really served as a "classic" shmup from which players can discover more games like it.
Random thoughts:
- Cave really lost momentum due to betting on iOS rather than Steam a few years ago. Cave's iOS games had strong marketing pushes, frequent bug fixes and patches, and dedicated support and social media presence for both the Japanese and Western markets. That level of support would have made them a standout publisher on Steam, but sadly today the company no longer seems to have the staff or budget to make that possible.
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Keep 'em coming everyone! Great responses so far. I'll be collecting for a few more days yet.
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BulletMagnet
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Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
One weird footnote I just thought of is that while "shmup", "scrolling shooter", "space shooter", etc. aren't really terms most gamers outside the genre faithful are likely to encounter or use very much (you do see the more elongated "shoot-em-up" from time to time, though it usually doesn't refer to shmups as we define them), one term I do see popping up more and more nowadays is "bullet hell"; developers like to pepper it into their descriptors as a buzzword when they release something featuring a decent amount of enemy projectiles, and on some Steam games it actually shows up as a user-defined tag. I always found the fact that a sub-genre would become more widely recognized than, and in some players' minds synonymous with, the "main" genre it belongs to unusual, though since a lot of the shmups released in recent years qualify as "bullet hells" I guess it makes some sense.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
A lot of good points mentioned. One thing I've noticed is the reaction to the price of some games. A lot of shmup players who are used to paying hundreds for games are fine with Cave and Dariusburst's prices but a lot of loud people on Steam like to complain that it's "too much for an arcade game" and people saying "it's only 40 mins long" because they've just been credit feeding. Pricing a shmup in 2017 on Steam is hard since it's already all over the place. Dariusburst is 100% a AAA experience in my opinion but because of the genre a lot of people will never see it that way.
To the OP, just in case you don't get the joke.... Please don't do this.Bananamatic wrote:Make sure to mention the importance of modern classics such as Sine Mora coming to Steam.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
I would say that 95% of developers that have contacted me have been interested in getting their game on Steam, or already have plans to do so.
By the way, which developers have you contacted? I'm sure most of them would say the same.
By the way, which developers have you contacted? I'm sure most of them would say the same.
I haven't actively browsed/used this forum in many years and it's no longer an accurate representation of me.
I have retired from genre-specific content creation after 13 years, but I'll always love this little genre in my own personal way.
I have retired from genre-specific content creation after 13 years, but I'll always love this little genre in my own personal way.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
I'm really excited about the state of shmups on PC. There's a large (and growing) volume of games available, including many gems.
I think the sheer volume can be a problem for newbies getting in to the genre. (It's a total first world problem but still a problem). To become a fan of shmups, you need to play one for long enough that it starts to click. When there's lots of crap on the store to sift through, no clear consensus on where to start, and dozens of other games on the backlog, it takes effort for someone to pick a game and get past the discomfort of the early learning curve.
And of course, that volume is a challenge for developers. That's a lot of competition, and there's not the forced obsolescence of console generations to create a new field of competition every year or three.
I think the sheer volume can be a problem for newbies getting in to the genre. (It's a total first world problem but still a problem). To become a fan of shmups, you need to play one for long enough that it starts to click. When there's lots of crap on the store to sift through, no clear consensus on where to start, and dozens of other games on the backlog, it takes effort for someone to pick a game and get past the discomfort of the early learning curve.
And of course, that volume is a challenge for developers. That's a lot of competition, and there's not the forced obsolescence of console generations to create a new field of competition every year or three.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
its the year 2017 and you still didnt give any kind of TECHNICAL explanation on why the steam DRM is badMathU wrote:With all that said, I see the release of Treasure and CAVE's games locked to Steam DRM as extremely disturbing events that have since their release encouraged other 2D shooter developers to do the same. It is an infuriating development that makes me very pessimistic about the future of the genre on the PC platform. I don't mind developers releasing over Steam as long as there are other options, but locking a game to their DRM service is totally unacceptable and I find myself continually disappointed with the response from my peers in the community. I have always gotten the impression that people in the shmup community are generally more self-aware consumers than other video game fans, but so many now seem willing to throw away their principles to "support" developers that release shoddy products in the desperate hope that the genre won't die. It's depressing.
just parroting yourself on every single thread where keywords like "shmups" and "PC" or "steam" are involved
im not trying to attack you or anything but jesus christ :V
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Pixel_Outlaw
- Posts: 2636
- Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:27 am
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Maybe he's worried about Steam acting as a middleman between him and the games he's paid for and would rather just have the programs in binary executables after purchase.Van_Artic wrote:its the year 2017 and you still didnt give any kind of TECHNICAL explanation on why the steam DRM is badMathU wrote:With all that said, I see the release of Treasure and CAVE's games locked to Steam DRM as extremely disturbing events that have since their release encouraged other 2D shooter developers to do the same. It is an infuriating development that makes me very pessimistic about the future of the genre on the PC platform. I don't mind developers releasing over Steam as long as there are other options, but locking a game to their DRM service is totally unacceptable and I find myself continually disappointed with the response from my peers in the community. I have always gotten the impression that people in the shmup community are generally more self-aware consumers than other video game fans, but so many now seem willing to throw away their principles to "support" developers that release shoddy products in the desperate hope that the genre won't die. It's depressing.
just parroting yourself on every single thread where keywords like "shmups" and "PC" or "steam" are involved
im not trying to attack you or anything but jesus christ :V
There is some concern about what happens after Steam support eventually ends. Look at how the Nintendo has handled virtual console games purchased for the original Wii.
If you delete them you'll never get them back because the service has ended.
If you're a person who owns games from the '70s/'80s there is reason to expect the right to have copies of your games as long as you wish.
It's not a "console" problem either. You can still play your copy of "Leather Goddesses of Phobos" on DOS PC if you simply keep that machine for example.
However, if the Steam client and service are discontinued and you are not permitted backup it becomes a real problem as you have no direct access to the game software without the now undownloadable client.
Some of the best shmups don't actually end in a vowel.
No, this game is not Space Invaders.
No, this game is not Space Invaders.
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- Posts: 119
- Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:16 pm
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
There's one glaring issue with shmups on Steam that I don't think really comes up, and that's the aspect ratio clash between vertical shmups and typical PC gaming.
As long as there are vertical shooters, they will have vertical aspect ratios. But the average Steam user will never rotate the monitor for TATE, so they just see a bunch of games with empty space on the sides of the screens. Like it or not, it comes off as cheap-looking.
There are exceptions: Jamestown tried to be a "wide" vertical shooter (for the sake of co-op) and it just didn't play as well as it could have (in single-player). Alltynex Second managed to pull off "cinematic" widescreen in a vertical shooter by following the blueprint of RayStorm on PS1, but 3D graphics are a crucial piece of that formula. Strania goes for a similar cinematic experience, but makes the weird compromise of rendering at 16:9 but still playing at 4:3, so that the sides of the screen are still basically letterboxing (your shots even bounce off them). If you're a 2D vertical shooter, how do you fill up that space without forcing excessive sideways scrolling?
Horizontal shooters may have taken a bite into the verticals' share on Steam, just due to naturally fitting onto widescreen monitors. Astebreed did well partly because it pops on the storefront like most vertical shooters can't. Dariusburst supports a mind-boggling triple-monitor setup. Revolver360 fits right in as well, and has a unique rotation mechanic that makes the most of widescreen displays. And that's before we get into how twin-stick shooters, with Geometry Wars leading the pack, have firmly dominated a huge slice of the 2D shooter customer base.
One way Steam can potentially change the genre is to drive developers to think of more creative ways to fit vertical shooters onto horizontal monitors, while making use of that extra space (and I don't mean just filling them up with talking heads like Cave did with Saidaioujou). It may sound superficial (and self-defeating if you TATE all the time), but there's got to be room for experimentation.
As long as there are vertical shooters, they will have vertical aspect ratios. But the average Steam user will never rotate the monitor for TATE, so they just see a bunch of games with empty space on the sides of the screens. Like it or not, it comes off as cheap-looking.
There are exceptions: Jamestown tried to be a "wide" vertical shooter (for the sake of co-op) and it just didn't play as well as it could have (in single-player). Alltynex Second managed to pull off "cinematic" widescreen in a vertical shooter by following the blueprint of RayStorm on PS1, but 3D graphics are a crucial piece of that formula. Strania goes for a similar cinematic experience, but makes the weird compromise of rendering at 16:9 but still playing at 4:3, so that the sides of the screen are still basically letterboxing (your shots even bounce off them). If you're a 2D vertical shooter, how do you fill up that space without forcing excessive sideways scrolling?
Horizontal shooters may have taken a bite into the verticals' share on Steam, just due to naturally fitting onto widescreen monitors. Astebreed did well partly because it pops on the storefront like most vertical shooters can't. Dariusburst supports a mind-boggling triple-monitor setup. Revolver360 fits right in as well, and has a unique rotation mechanic that makes the most of widescreen displays. And that's before we get into how twin-stick shooters, with Geometry Wars leading the pack, have firmly dominated a huge slice of the 2D shooter customer base.
One way Steam can potentially change the genre is to drive developers to think of more creative ways to fit vertical shooters onto horizontal monitors, while making use of that extra space (and I don't mean just filling them up with talking heads like Cave did with Saidaioujou). It may sound superficial (and self-defeating if you TATE all the time), but there's got to be room for experimentation.
Last edited by Remembrance on Mon Jan 16, 2017 5:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Look no further.Remembrance wrote:If you're a 2D vertical shooter, how do you fill up that space without forcing excessive sideways scrolling?
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
I thought the Wii Shop was still up. I just bought a couple Wii VC games on the WiiU not that long ago.Pixel_Outlaw wrote: There is some concern about what happens after Steam support eventually ends. Look at how the Nintendo has handled virtual console games purchased for the original Wii.
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Pixel_Outlaw
- Posts: 2636
- Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:27 am
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
The original Wii support HAS been dropped but the WiiU store servers are still up.BrianC wrote:I thought the Wii Shop was still up. I just bought a couple Wii VC games on the WiiU not that long ago.Pixel_Outlaw wrote: There is some concern about what happens after Steam support eventually ends. Look at how the Nintendo has handled virtual console games purchased for the original Wii.
If you delete a VC game off your original Wii now it's gone forever. You can't re download what you've purchased on the original console.
![Crying or Very sad :cry:](./images/smilies/icon_cry.gif)
EDIT I may be wrong with the two sentences above. I'll need to recheck.
I could have sworn the Wii store could not be reached on my console a month ago...
Last edited by Pixel_Outlaw on Tue Jan 17, 2017 12:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Some of the best shmups don't actually end in a vowel.
No, this game is not Space Invaders.
No, this game is not Space Invaders.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
By WiiU store, do you mean the Wii Shop from the Wii menu on WiiU, or the eShop? I just tried the Wii Shop on WiiU and it still works there. I transfered everything to WiiU, so I wouldn't be able to redownload anything to the Wii. I don't have the Wii hooked up so I can't test, but I have only heard about the DSi shop closing, not the Wii Shop. Posts I read on the gamefaqs forum suggest that the Wii Shop is still open. The Wii Shop was the one thing that did not close when the other services on Wii were discontinued.Pixel_Outlaw wrote:Delete something off your Wii's VC then try to get it again if you don't believe me.BrianC wrote:I thought the Wii Shop was still up. I just bought a couple Wii VC games on the WiiU not that long ago.Pixel_Outlaw wrote: There is some concern about what happens after Steam support eventually ends. Look at how the Nintendo has handled virtual console games purchased for the original Wii.
The original Wii support HAS been dropped but the WiiU store servers are still up.
If you delete a VC game off your original Wii now it's gone forever. You can't re download what you've purchased on the original console.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Huh... Where did you hear that? If you're having trouble, I'm sure there's an explanation.Pixel_Outlaw wrote:The original Wii support HAS been dropped but the WiiU store servers are still up.BrianC wrote:I thought the Wii Shop was still up. I just bought a couple Wii VC games on the WiiU not that long ago.Pixel_Outlaw wrote: There is some concern about what happens after Steam support eventually ends. Look at how the Nintendo has handled virtual console games purchased for the original Wii.
If you delete a VC game off your original Wii now it's gone forever. You can't re download what you've purchased on the original console.
Nintendo has not closed the Wii Shop Channel on the original Wii, or announced a shutdown time frame.
You can still purchase games, redeem and add Wii Points or game vouchers, and redownload past purchases.
Re: SHMUPs PC Gamer Piece
Nintendo (Gamespy) shut down the online multiplayer servers for Wii and DS but the Wii Shop Channel is still up and running on Wii and Wii U and they've said nothing about when it might cease operation.
The DSi Shop Channel no longer allows you to buy anything and will completely cease operation at the end of March but you'll still be able to buy DSiWare on 3DS.
Regardless, the copy protection for both those platforms was thoroughly busted years ago and everything has been archived online so it doesn't really matter if or when those particular services end.
The DSi Shop Channel no longer allows you to buy anything and will completely cease operation at the end of March but you'll still be able to buy DSiWare on 3DS.
Regardless, the copy protection for both those platforms was thoroughly busted years ago and everything has been archived online so it doesn't really matter if or when those particular services end.