Why does it take so long for a console port?

[Burningvigor]

Just curious as to the reasoning behind such slow ports. It took more than 2 years for Espgaluda 2 and all... still waiting for Dodonpachi Dai Fukkatsu to be ported.

What could the reasoning be?

[jonny5]

Just curious as to the reasoning behind such slow ports. It took more than 2 years for Espgaluda 2 and all... still waiting for Dodonpachi Dai Fukkatsu to be ported.

What could the reasoning be?

cave makes arcade games....they want to make money on the arcade version before they offer a home version....

i would have thought this would be obvious

[TrevHead (TVR)]

I bet a big part of it is that they wouldnt make as much money from arcade PCB sales if they rushed console ports soon after releasing the arcade version

[Burningvigor]

I realize this but dont most people buy the PCB within a year of release?

[jonny5]

I realize this but dont most people buy the PCB within a year of release?

yes...but operators need to re-coup funds for the PCB purchase....if cave were to follow it too closely with a home-port, the operators wouldnt be as keen to purchase there next offering....

you have to look at it from a business/industry point of view....cave makes arcade games...there core market is arcade operators....they do not want to do anything to jeopardize that relationship.....

its hard for an operator to make money off games that people can play at home for free(after initial purchase cost)

[EOJ]

It took more than 4 years for Espgaluda 2

Fixed.

[Ganelon]

I realize this but dont most people buy the PCB within a year of release?

Uh, most people? I think it'd be a stretch to say even close to a majority of players buy the PCBs (besides the couple dozen outside Japan who have no access otherwise).

[ROBOTRON]

Cave SURVIVES only because they totally pwn the thirsty shmup market...so I completely understand why ports are coming slow, why ruin their own business? I guess they probably get 2 bits per ported game sold and thats just for the Japan market...USA/EURO/UK doesn't even exist to Cave and other shmup makers.

Fortunately, there are an occasional DC port made available or I'd probably go nuts. - DERP.

[chempop]

I think people answer the question so I'd like to branch it out to something related.

Am I the only person who is anticipating a several year drought once DFK gets a home port? Besides the G-rev game (which sadly wasn't even at shooting festa, or was it), what else is on the horizon? Gradius?

[AraraSPAMWitch]

Am I the only person who is anticipating a several year drought once DFK gets a home port? Besides the G-rev game (which sadly wasn't even at shooting festa, or was it), what else is on the horizon? Gradius?

Maybe ports will be slowed, but I think Cave announced that they were working on a 360 exclusive game. If it manages to be successful, I don't see why they would discontinue development for consoles, which would probably mean at least a few more console shooting games. And I don't see G-Rev quitting after this next project.

That said, I'm pretty skeptical of the quality of any console-only release, but I've got my fingers crossed...

[Magic Knight]

Another point is the quality of ports. In the 80's there was no way a home port would resemble the arcade version (just look at Outrun for example), and several of the most popular arcade games had specialised controls. So while there were home ports, everyone still knew that the real thing was always going to have better graphics, sound, etc. At least on the Spectrum, which I owned growing up, the games were judged on their own merit rather than how accurate they were to the arcade version. Magazine reviews of the time would mention that the game was an arcade conversion, but not list the conversion deficiencies etc.

Now home hardware has by and large caught up with arcade hardware, or is essentially the same, and things like the accuracy of the slowdown in Cave's games is analysed and detailed. So essentially the better the port, the less reason to go to the arcade, especially if money's tight, or the game is simply not on location nearby.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

It just came to me that Cave might possibly make the console only game in 3D like DS2, with Cave thinking that 3d games might get a better reception from the broader console player base, rather then stick with 2D sprites which many shmup fans seem to prefer.

[General Martok]

rather then stick with 2D sprites which many shmup fans seem to prefer.

I wouldn't necessarily prefer 2d sprites. Cave was prerendering their sprites for a long time anyway and I think they're just in a process of transfering over to realtime 3d , which should look awesome if they reach the SH3 level of detail or higher .

[Skykid]

rather then stick with 2D sprites which many shmup fans seem to prefer.

I wouldn't necessarily prefer 2d sprites. Cave was prerendering their sprites for a long time anyway and I think they're just in a process of transfering over to realtime 3d , which should look awesome if they reach the SH3 level of detail or higher .

Say no to 3D.

[Pirate1019]

As long as it ends up looking better than Mary the Cow.