Your shmups predictions for next gen

[Bananamatic]

sdoj?

[Milspex]

one title per year?

[dunpeal2064]

Wasn't Caladrius ported earlier this year?

Edit: And Ginga Force? And Shooting Love 10th Aniversary?

[Milspex]

but on xbla? Don't think there's anything at all scheduled to come out

[KAI]

2hu 16 for XBONE
CAVE super ultra complete collection + Progear fuck Capcom edition for PS4

[gs68]

Konami makes another Otomedius game that's even shittier than Excellent, then officially declares that they've ditched the Gradius IP.

[Oniros]

Konami makes another Otomedius game that's even shittier than Excellent, then officially declares that they've ditched the Gradius IP.

I can see this happening.

[Neorebel]

CAVE super ultra complete collection + Progear fuck Capcom edition for PS4

Even though this is so far fetched, I really would love to see a reissue of the Cave collection in the US for a Sony console!

[MR_Soren]

Shmups will continue to be marginalized in the console industry because they...

are too short
are basically minigames
aren't worth more than $10
don't use the power of the console
are only for the hardcore
are only for masochists
are only for people with OCD
aren't AAA blockbusters
don't have good stories
are too simple
look like SNES games
are just mindless shooting
are too hard


I agree with the person above who said there will probably be five or fewer physical shmup releases on PS4 and Xbox One combined. Our best bet for more console shmups is to accept upscaled and lag crippled emulation in some bargain bin "arcade" collection. You know, like that Progear fantasy we're all going to hate once we actually play it.

With obstacles like Microsoft's minimum-print-run policy and the general console audience seeking disposable content rather than reusable gameplay, shmups are pretty much done.

DDP-Resurrection and Akai Katana bombed. It sounds like Under Defeat and PS3 Ketsui didn't fare much better. Limited edition copies of Otomedius Excellent were being hocked at 80% off. Cave's guy who did the console ports is gone. I heard UFO won't even do disc releases anymore. Aksys and Cave was a one-time deal. RSG is out of the shmup localization business.

If we're going to see more physical shmup releases on next-gen consoles, somebody's got to step up with money and a well-known IP. Give Gradius VI a decent budget, make it really pretty, and it might have a chance. Kick Microsoft in the balls until they un-cancel Project RS3, and that might have a chance. Deathsmiles III or Raiden V might have enough of a following to not lose money.

Another option is for somebody to create a new shmup based on an existing IP like King of Fighters Sky Stage, but more popular. Suppose Microsoft hired G.Rev to make a Halo-themed shmup. It would break a million just because of all the Halo fans. If it was also good, the game would open a lot of people's eyes to the genre. Even a Persona 4 shmup where you control Aigis would probably clear 100k.

Whatever the game, the genre needs a hit. It's got to be a media darling like Ikaruga, and it's got to sell well. If that happens, others will step up with other games, hoping to replicate the success.

[gs68]

Shmups will continue to be marginalized in the console industry because they...

are too short
are basically minigames
aren't worth more than $10
don't use the power of the console
are only for the hardcore
are only for masochists
are only for people with OCD
aren't AAA blockbusters
don't have good stories
are too simple
look like SNES games
are just mindless shooting
are too hard

You forgot "don't have multiplayer". Someone gave Gradius ReBirth a smack for not having it.

[Squire Grooktook]

snip

I agree that console or large budget shmups are going to become rarer and rarer as the days of arcades gets farther and farther away, but that isn't doom and gloom for the entire genre.

IMO the PC is where shmups really belong right now. Cave level production values are going to be very rare, but that doesn't mean that someone can't put together a pretty good looking game (see: Jamestown) and get a respectable following selling it for cheap on Steam and Humble Bundles.

Shmups always have been and always will be a niche genre. The best you can hope for is that there are enough big guys out there who know and respect the genre to continue wanting to make games with Cave level aesthetics. That shmups will always exist is pretty much a given imo. As long as video games exist, there will be some fan willing to sit down and program a game by himself. The question is whether that will be all there is.

[Pretas]

don't use the power of the console

Odd that Ikaruga, Border Down and Under Defeat are the best-looking games the Naomi hardware ever produced.

Shmups always have been and always will be a niche genre.

Not true. They were a major force on practically every 8/16-bit console and home computer, played by the masses the world over. Famicom Gradius sold over a million copies, and that's only counting Japan. STGs only started to lose their momentum after Street Fighter II, and even then they maintained a strong presence well into the 32-bit era. If you're willing to count single-screen STGs, I think we all know how popular Space Invaders and similar games were in the arcades and on Atari.

[Squire Grooktook]

Not true. They were a major force on practically every 8/16-bit console and home computer, played by the masses the world over. Famicom Gradius sold over a million copies, and that's only counting Japan. STGs only started to lose their momentum after Street Fighter II, and even then they maintained a strong presence well into the 32-bit era. If you're willing to count single-screen STGs, I think we all know how popular Space Invaders and similar games were in the arcades and on Atari.

Yes, that's why I added " large budget shmups are going to become rarer and rarer as the days of arcades grow farther and farther"

Same with fighting games, though they aren't nearly as niche, still never were quite as huge after the sf2 days with arcades.

There are other factors too besides just arcades though.

[hecheff]

Konami makes another Otomedius game that's even shittier than Excellent, then officially declares that they've ditched the Gradius IP.

I can see this happening.

At least as a main game.
Vic Viper had a recent cameo/derivative in a Japan/Asia arcade card game.

[Pretas]

A more likely development would be "OTOME-dius," where Vic Viper and crew are reimagined once again as hunky bishonen.

[hecheff]

A more likely development would be "OTOME-dius," where Vic Viper and crew are reimagined once again as hunky bishonen.

What about OTOKO-dius or IKEMEN-dius? Crossing over with cast of Tokimemo Girl's Side?

[Pretas]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otome_game

[hecheff]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otome_game

I stand corrected.

So I guess we'll be seeing more of Emon-5 and his 'new' friend Ebisu-0.

[MR_Soren]

don't use the power of the console

Odd that Ikaruga, Border Down and Under Defeat are the best-looking games the Naomi hardware ever produced.

I never said that dismissive mainstream bullshit attitudes were based in reality.



I have no doubt that shmups will continue to exist on PC, smartphones, downloadable marketplaces, etc. However, since this topic is about "next gen" I wrote my reply about consoles.

[Pretas]

Sine Mora was a media darling, but that didn't translate into sales, and its "ooh, pretty graphics" appeal certainly didn't grow respect for the genre.

Qute probably has another 360 STG left in them before the generation is over, or at least a NESiCA port. They've displayed more creative vitality within the genre than any other developer as of late. Ginga Force should be the poster child example of how to make an STG accessible to newcomers and able to hold the attention of casuals, without forsaking experienced hardcore audiences.

[Bonus!]

DDP-Resurrection and Akai Katana bombed. It sounds like Under Defeat and PS3 Ketsui didn't fare much better. Limited edition copies of Otomedius Excellent were being hocked at 80% off. Cave's guy who did the console ports is gone. I heard UFO won't even do disc releases anymore. Aksys and Cave was a one-time deal. RSG is out of the shmup localization business.

Always this constant doom and gloom on the forum! 2013 was a fabulous year for the STG genre. We had three/four major console releases with Ginga Force, Caldrius, and SDOJ, and Shooting Love. The latter two sold very well and made it into the top20 for X360 on Amazon. Caldrius was even ported from console to arcade. Granted, there are not many games coming out, but it seems to happen quite frequently that a game will be announced out of nowhere, like Caladrius, Ginga Force, or Shooting Love, and then it's in stores three months later.

[Friendly]

Resogun is quite excellent. Very good start for the new generation.

[Pretas]

The latter two sold very well and made it into the top20 for X360 on Amazon [Japan].

Which is only slightly better than making it into the top 20 HD-DVD sales for 2013.