Castle of Shikigami III PC port - crowdfunding

[Ms. Tea]

Cosmo Machia launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring Castle of Shikigami III to Steam: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/771718

The goal is 3 million yen, with an estimated game release date of December. There's a variety of rewards, but the game itself is Y6000 bundled with a downloadable copy of the soundtrack. Console ports aren't a gimme, but they'll commit to doing console versions as a stretch goal at 15 million yen (and a console port for Shikigami 1 at 20 million). It sounds like they've gone back to the original arcade source rather than going the route of trying to update the old Windows port from back in the day.

[Steven]

Does this company have no money of their own with which to develop stuff? They crowdfunded Exelica and now they are crowdfunding this too.

[SavagePencil]

Does this company have no money of their own with which to develop stuff? They crowdfunded Exelica and now they are crowdfunding this too.

Crowdfunding can be a way to demonstrate interest in a product, giving confidence to “real” investors to move forward with funding.

3 million yen is like $20,000 which is nothing for all that work.

[Steven]

3 million yen is half of the value of their stock; it's definitely not an especially huge or valuable company.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

So if developer/publisher Cosmo Machina uses the original arcade source code, it'd be akin to running Taito Type X games on Steam? And will Castle of Shikigami III have proper Steam Deck support/compatibility as well?

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Arcade releases of Shikigami No Shiro series:

Shikigami No Shiro 1 - Taito G-Net

Shikigami No Shiro II - Sega Naomi

Shikigami No Shiro III - Taito Type X
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PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[EmperorIng]

While i'm disappointed a little in the crowdfunding angle (the dangling carrot bullshit), the prospect of a widely-available port of Shikigami 3 is some of the best news I've heard on the porting side of shmups in a while.

[M.Knight]

Exciting news for sure!
More people need to play this entry in the series, and while the Wii localization has been fine by me the whole time, a re-release on Steam (and consoles maybe) might bring it to a newer generation of shmup enthusiasts
I wonder what the "using the arcade version as a source" thing will mean for extra modes (Dramatic Change/Boss rush/Director's Cut/etc.) though. Well, I'll be happy if at least we get the ability to disable A+B for HTM.

[Steven]

I didn't know this game existed until this announcement, honestly. I knew about the first two, but not this one. This "WTF there's a sequel? When did they make that?" thing happens to me a lot, though. With how often it happens, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Raiden VIII that came out five years ago that I somehow missed, along with Raiden VI and VII.

[NeoStrayCat]

What bothers me on this though, I would have think that Cosmo Machia's digital and physical releases of their games previously would have probably been more than enough to port the game outright to PC/Steam, but I guess not. (I'd assume that Cosmo Machia as a company themselves are operating on a shoestring budget.)

While I'm happy that the possibility of Shiki 3 being real (that's if it reaches the first goal of being funded). Its sad they need crowdfunding to do it. I mean, yes, it made sense for them to do it for Triggerheart Exelica. Doing this for Shiki 3 makes it weird, considering they released the first two easily. Though I'd assume Komodo (previously Degica) was fitting the bill to bring it out for them for both PC/Steam versions of Shiki 1 and 2.

Though the weird trade off in this situation as it is, that Cosmo Machia is looking to release it based on the "Arcade" version that Alfa System is giving them and I'm like... Huh? Does Alfa System not have source code from the console (Wii/X360) and PC-CD version of Shiki 3 to give them? Cause that would have made the most sense to release those versions' contents and game modes (along with the gallery and story recollection) easily. The only thing I'm hoping in that version that its just a mix of the arcade and console versions together (doubtful), along with both dual audio options and a multitude of various text language support.

They also brought up some Q/A's on the release specifically. (Google translated, obviously) -> https://camp--fire-jp.translate.goog/pr ... en-US#main

(Basically, they can't just use the old PC-CD and Wii/X360 versions as bases, unfortunately, considering rights/issues and other things, along with mentioning the PS2 Shiki visual novel Seven Nights Moon Fantasy, which they can't port either.)

[Steven]

They didn't reach the stretch goal for PC Exelica and yet they did it anyway, so who knows. Maybe they are just a weird company.

[NeoStrayCat]

They didn't reach the stretch goal for PC Exelica and yet they did it anyway, so who knows. Maybe they are just a weird company.

True, though I'd assume they would have already had this in the pipeline regardless if the strech goal from their crowdfunding didn't reach it. That, and I'd assume sales from the Switch version, or an install base somewhere probably decided them to bring it out regardless on PC/Steam.

But yeah, you're probably right, they're a weird company, lol.

[samspot]

I wonder if the coding part is trivial/done and thre crowdfunding is to raise money for marketing.

[waiwainl]

See lots of talking about it, I just supported the crowdfunding to make it happen
Lovely game, some decent perks as well.

[marus]

I'm a little disappointed in the crowdfunding aspect as well, but I'm still excited at the opportunity of a new port. The existing PC port is solid if you can get it working, but it's a huge pain to run on modern Windows thanks to the Securom DRM. An updated and more accessible version would be really welcome.

[Hero of Legend]

Just passed 101%!

I'm just hoping regardless of how much more they make (I don't see it getting close to the first stretch goal...) that they'll still do a Switch port of 3. Best if they did Switch ports of 3 and 1 and worked with Red Art Games to do a trilogy physical release on Switch.

[NeoStrayCat]

Just passed 101%!

I'm just hoping regardless of how much more they make (I don't see it getting close to the first stretch goal...) that they'll still do a Switch port of 3. Best if they did Switch ports of 3 and 1 and worked with Red Art Games to do a trilogy physical release on Switch.

Yeah, it just got funded now. But for those stretch goals, I don't think they'll even reach the first one, considering how much they'll need to even get there and how many days left there is too.

But hey, anything could be possible randomly, while Exelica didn't reach the PC/Steam stretch goal in their fundraising campaign for the Switch port, it happened eventually anyways.

[Tokyo-J]

I ported this to the PC back in 2006. It does not cost 1 Million yen to port this game.

[Hero of Legend]

I ported this to the PC back in 2006. It does not cost 1 Million yen to port this game.

That's technically only what, $10,000 right? That MIGHT also need to consider costs of stuff like lot checks, and the stuff like manufacturing physical editions which Cosmo Machia have done with both CoS2 and TE on Switch I believe. Plus potential physical goods (like how Red Art Games have done physical goods in both collector's editions of both releases in at least the west, and I think CM do in Japan too?).

But yeah, these crowdfunds do make it sound like they're exhausting their personal funds like every time. Just bizarre all around. Obviously their stuff ain't million sellers anywhere, but surely they're not scrapping by so thinly?

They do some work-for-hire on the side, like Fantavision 20XX for Sony, and helping with that KOF13 remaster for SNK (not sure in what capacity as that's mainly by Code Mystics I think). Maybe they should do more? How big are they anyway?

[marus]

3 million yen's really not that much for a project like this. Especially with the exchange rate being what it is right now, that's closer to $20,000.

Anyways it's cool to see this got funded! I skipped on the Shiki 2 steam release since I already own the older PC port, but I'll probably pick this one up for convenience. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

[Hero of Legend]

I only just noticed but they added some changes to the campaign back on the 26th:

＊ネクストゴール
目標金額達成しましたので、ネクストゴールとして以下の目標に変更いたします。

■関連グッズECサイト開設決定!
■支援者数300名以上達成で、5,000円以上の全支援者プレゼント
　新規絵を利用したＰＣ壁紙を予定しています。
■支援者数600名以上達成でNintendoSwitchに移植検討！
　互換性のあるといわれる後継機への対応も検討します。

Translation I think points to 300 backers means they put out a pic, and finally 600 backers enable a Switch port? Or is it 3m yen (which they are well passed now) and 6m yen respectively? Wish they were clearer from the outset. They're only 3.72m yen right now. Hopefully the amount they make regardless still gets a Switch port done, even if it's a bit later than it would've been.

[Hero of Legend]

It's done. Final tally: 350 backers with 4,484,100 yen total.

Well it's close to 50% higher than the initial goal. Again, hopefully it's enough to still do a Switch port when they're able. They clearly want to.

[NeoStrayCat]

@Hero of Legend
Yeah, they changed their stretch goals since they weren't going to make it with the few days they had left.

-They'll open a e-commerce (official shop) site for Shiki related goods.
-They will send a wallpaper for backers that spent 5K yen for 300 unique backers reached.

But yeah, if 600 unique backers were reached, they would have made a Switch port. Although chances are, they'll still probably make that happen down the line, even after the crowdfunding campaign.

Either way, with the final totals mentioned above, its going to be a while for Shiki 3 to arrive on PC/Steam. As for their campaign schedule... (Crowdfunding had started and ended, so...)

-Early September: Official Website Opens!
-December: Steam download code and other digital rewards distributed. Physical goods rewards shipped as needed.

So yeah, at best, we'll have to wait until/around the holidays.

[BurlyHeart]

That's not long at all! These crowd funders can take years.

Very cool to be getting another PC port of a well-beloved shmup.

[Jeneki]

I enjoyed Shiki III quite a bit in the Wii/360 days, great game. All three games in the series on the same platform is pretty cool as well (Shiki 1 and 2 are on Steam already), though of course I still like my console ports.

[Tokyo-J]

I enjoyed Shiki III quite a bit in the Wii/360 days, great game. All three games in the series on the same platform is pretty cool as well (Shiki 1 and 2 are on Steam already), though of course I still like my console ports.

Yeah now I want to pick up the Wii version. I hope they make a Switch version. I already have it on Type X and Xbox 360.

[cj iwakura]

It's going to be interesting to see how they handle the localization, assuming it gets one.

Will it have the Aksys localization and their dub? Because it took some massive(and hilarious) liberties, like replacing references to Japanese Enka singers with Elvis jokes(and it worked like a dream).

[Hero of Legend]

It's going to be interesting to see how they handle the localization, assuming it gets one.

Will it have the Aksys localization and their dub? Because it took some massive(and hilarious) liberties, like replacing references to Japanese Enka singers with Elvis jokes(and it worked like a dream).

I mean, they redid the localization for 2 so I don't see why they wouldn't here. They should IMO either just keep it outright, or if they want to redo it, keep the original (and the dub) as an option. Pity they didn't for 2 since it's hilariously bad.

[NeoStrayCat]

It's going to be interesting to see how they handle the localization, assuming it gets one.

Will it have the Aksys localization and their dub? Because it took some massive(and hilarious) liberties, like replacing references to Japanese Enka singers with Elvis jokes(and it worked like a dream).

Well, to be fair, their release of Exelica in English (digitally) did come with English text/translation after the JP Switch release, which was 4-5 months later depending on the timing (4/24/24 - Steam and 5/2/24 - Switch/E-shop overseas.) Of course, the arcade mode's text box translation is the same from the Xbox 360 version. But the story mode translation is new, as it hadn't been translated up until now from the Dreamcast story mode which is based on.

Chances are, I'm hoping they'll consider and keep the Aksys localized script and English voices (to a point that there's a toggle for it in the options if it does come with it). I assume its mostly faithful, while changing up a few liberties towards the script as you said. But the version for Shiki 3 is supposed to be based on the arcade version as a base for the PC/Steam release, but assume they'll most likely use the console version menus and stuff (maybe, unless otherwise). But then again, they might re-translate it similar to 2's current gen version for simplicites sake. (Even though the script for the English Wii version is probably close enough to be faithful.)

I mean, they redid the localization for 2 so I don't see why they wouldn't here. They should IMO either just keep it outright, or if they want to redo it, keep the original (and the dub) as an option. Pity they didn't for 2 since it's hilariously bad.

While they didn't, probably for obvious reasons and/or various factors beyond their control. I've already made an entire mod for that (which works on both on the old CD-rom and PC/Steam version, as they are based on the same file structures similary and surprisingly enough.) to replace the voices to the old PS2 English dub if you so wish. Its not all of them since XS games missed a few co-op lines that didn't get dubbed into English, but most of it is there.

Also, if anything, Shiki 2 could be redubbed (or gag dubbed, lol) by fans using the new English text translation though. The voices are in ogg sound format. (Though I've seen lately that some parts of Shiki 2's new English text translation is missing some text in parts for certain characters from what I've gathered lately. I just have to go back and check.)

Either way, here's hoping Cosmo Machia does Shiki 3 justice, though the price point may be similar or higher to Exelica's modern release.

[cj iwakura]

Yeah, the Aksys script is largely very faithful to the original, from what I can tell. They went full carte blanche with the jokes, doing whatever made it funniest(and most sensible for a western audience), but the serious plot beats were extremely well done, like all of Kohtaro's story mode. It just also deftly handled the comedy as well, which is no easy feat, not to mention all the dub voices were stellar on top of that.

[NeoStrayCat]

Yeah, the Aksys script is largely very faithful to the original, from what I can tell. They went full carte blanche with the jokes, doing whatever made it funniest(and most sensible for a western audience), but the serious plot beats were extremely well done, like all of Kohtaro's story mode. It just also deftly handled the comedy as well, which is no easy feat, not to mention all the dub voices were stellar on top of that.

I see...

Anyways, quick update on Shiki 3's release for PC/Steam, it was supposed to be released for backers in December 2024, but it got delayed to "End of February 2025" due to... (as mentioned on their latest Activity Report post on their Camp-Fire page.)

As it is difficult to complete the Steam version of "Castle of Shikigami III" and get approval from VALVE by the end of the year, it has been more difficult than originally planned to distribute the code...Therefore, we ask for your understanding that the distribution of rewards will be postponed until the end of February 2025.

Hopefully it won't be long so that the public can be able to get Shiki 3 after the backers get theirs.