DARIUS BURST CHRONICLE SAVIOURS (STEAM/PS4/Vita)

[CloudyMusic]

not in the eyes of 90% of gamers. Shmups are "little games" + overal presentation still pretty budget (they improved textures a bit etc. but lighting is still Dreamcast era and it's basically ships and enemies over painted backgrounds).

Yeah, I agree, but that's why I wondered if they're intentionally just targeting the niche players, rather than trying to price towards the general gaming audience. Like I said, even $10-20 shmups aren't necessarily guaranteed to sell well, and perhaps they just want to maximize their return from the market that they believe is most likely to actually care about this game, especially given its outward appearance. For us, for people who can get hundreds of hours of replay value out of a 30-minute game, this is a "high-quality, full-featured release." Of course it's not going to compare to a AAA title to people outside our niche, but I don't really like this mindset that shmups are only worth what a one-evening-credit-feeder would pay for them.

I guess it just comes down to the obvious: buy it if you think it's worth it for you, don't buy it if you don't. The publishers seem to be banking on the fact that we will want to buy it, and are writing off the general public. And, hey, if it doesn't meet their expectations, they can always drop the price. If you're nervous that they might do that, by all means, wait a bit and see.

[system11]

Yeah, I agree, but that's why I wondered if they're intentionally just targeting the niche players

This is an interesting point, but the fact that on a niche site we're having this discussion suggests they're way off the mark for a download only title. If it was $60 physical people would just accept it as normal.

[1up]

I was actually expecting $60 ~£30 and will gladly pay that price day1 as I'm totally in love with the game. I can see what you're all saying when it's as expensive as something like the new COD, and casuals will make that comparison and leave DBCS alone

The first week a new game hits steam it's usually 10-15% off, so maybe we can save a little that way? 3-4 more days

[AxelMill]

Yeah, I agree, but that's why I wondered if they're intentionally just targeting the niche players

This is an interesting point, but the fact that on a niche site we're having this discussion suggests they're way off the mark for a download only title. If it was $60 physical people would just accept it as normal.

The price spent on making retail copies would be too high for a genre so niche.

...Is what I would say if they weren't going to publish a Vita-only physical release. I love it as much as the next guy, but unless that console is so much more profitable than PS4 in Japan (which, mind you, is a thing I think I read), I don't understand the decision.

[Rupert H]

I can see people's point regarding the price for a digital release, and there's no doubt it will be detrimental to the game's casual audience.

For people on this site however... You are doing yourself a massive disservice if you ignore it due to the price. It is a landmark title that shouldn't be missed, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Given the choice I would take a physical product over digital all day, but when there's no other choice, you have to look at the value you will get from the product and determine whether it's worth the asking price. In the case of DBCS there is only one answer, regardless of what media it's on.

[Xyga]

The game may be worth it but it's just that at this exact time of the year people are already spending quite a lot on Xmas presents, for the family etc.

Yeah people start buying Xmas stuff in november to very early december now, because they've learned e-commerce kung-fu.

Maybe a couple months ago would have been a better time for that price.

[qmish]

Considering that just half an year ago i was ranting about having to voyage to ANOTHER COUNTRY to see DBAC

or

waiting years and years before dumped Taito X software will be leaked


Man, this release is a God send kinda. Though yeah, higher than could be price and digital only (unless u love portable).

[jepjepjep]

Talk about a missed opportunity!

Full retail price, digital only, zero marketing and promotion. Zero hype. Who do they expect to buy this?

It's a shame. This game has everything that's needed to break into the mainstream: quality gameplay (most important!), great aesthetics, massive amount of content, and the spectacle of ultra-widescreen.

Most AAA games these days are crap, but at least they have a chance in the marketplace. People know about them. They appear on store shelves. Here in Los Angeles, there are huge side-of-building billboards for big releases. Here we are most hardcore shmup community and we didn't even know the release date a week before launch. This price point puts it in direct competition with AAA titles. Good luck with that, Taito.

The only plausible explanation is that they're looking to fleece the hardcore shmup community, then a few months later draw in casuals with a steep price drop. The only problem with that strategy is that it's going to leave a hugely negative first impression that will be difficult to overcome. For a change, we should hope that mainstream review sites don't review it.

[parallaxscroll2]

I would have almost been okay with $59.99 for PS4 version if this was a physical retail release, but full price HD game that's digital only?

You've got to be kidding me.

[jugu]

Looks like PS4 version is out on 12/2:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/11/ ... r-1212015/

[jugu]

And the Vita store link:
https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/ ... BURSTCS0US

$40...

[Oniros]

And the Vita store link:
https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/ ... BURSTCS0US

$40...

Since the Vita version released early, you can actually get it for 10% off using Sony's Black Friday code:



Today is the last day the code works. We should really get the word out.

[amdiggywhut]

Can anyone give me an example of how difficult the Arcade version is?

I've never played the PSP version, so feel free to use Darius Gaiden as a point of reference.

[roadpuppets]

And the Vita store link:
https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/ ... BURSTCS0US

$40...

Holy balls...thanks jugu! I JUST NOW played Darius for the first time ever on Android, buckets! I have NO problem paying that price for the Vita title, doing it NOW in fact lol, love this!

[Rupert H]

The A, D, H route is a trivial 1cc for anybody and is far easier than Gaiden. The Q, U, Z route (and the latter Chronicle routes) will scar your DNA. There's a lot in between too. Very well balanced.

[Icarus]

The A, D, H route is a trivial 1cc for anybody and is far easier than Gaiden..

Aside from running into Violent Ruler... :3

[Rupert H]

I fucking love that fight. He's easily bested if you detach the burst beam to shield you from his shots from below, not that I need to tell you that.

[Icarus]

I fucking love that fight. He's easily bested if you detach the burst beam to shield you from his shots from below, not that I need to tell you that.

The last time I played ADH route, I was playing as Second. The fight against Violent Ruler is way more intense and entertaining without the ability to block incoming attacks. :3
I should upload the videos I recorded of CHI and I sessioning DBACEX a day after Stunfest...

[Despatche]

Jesus fucking Christ, you people. Any other game at that price, you'd never question, even if many of those games get treated the same as any big shmup. You're acting like a bunch of analysts, caring only about brands. You're always going on about "hardcore" this genre supposedly is, and you end up making the genre niche because of that. No reaching out to people; you're worried too much about being "friendly" (and failing at it) and not at all about being helpful. You can't even help yourselves, what with this bizarre anti-score subculture. You're a bunch of fucking hipsters, that's what you are! The very definition: you don't care about these games, and you don't want anyone to play them.

Pretty much everyone in this thread going on about casuals this and that are the casuals themselves, trying to imply that they won't buy the game, mostly because it's digital and not at all because of the actual price tag. You're going on about principles that you don't really understand. Pyramid and Taito deserve every penny of that $49.99 (and then some), and they are rightfully convinced that there's a very tiny market for this game. It's your job to fix that, not theirs.

[Rupert H]

Very true. I'm not going near that beast without a burst cannon. His big brothers Golden and Savage are out of control too.

[HydrogLox]

The first week a new game hits steam it's usually 10-15% off, so maybe we can save a little that way?

I hope you are right - though personally I'm preparing for disappointment, especially as the Steam release already seems to be cheaper than the PS4 release.

The publishers seem to be banking on the fact that we will want to buy it, and are writing off the general public. And, hey, if it doesn't meet their expectations, they can always drop the price.

They are not writing the general public off - they are simply making them wait. The price drop(s) will happen eventually it is just not clear whether it will take 3 or 24 months to go down all the way to $20. Darius is an established franchise and Dariusburst CS is an evolutionary release of the 2009 Dariusburst product. So there will be some ("addicts") who are willing to pay full price to have it right now. There is absolutely no threat of brick-and-mortar "clear shelf/inventory space" sales undermining the MSRP. There is no manufacturing overhead for physical copies that are just collecting dust somewhere in inventory.

Digital publishing is not only cheaper but it is also a much more effective tool in teasing (i.e. milking) the most profit out of each individual customer. There is the risk that some customers will be lost but frankly the general public isn't even aware that this is being released right now and they wouldn't care even if it was "marketed" right now - they are probably too distracted by the other shiny things they were paying attention to in the first place. Then there are those people who will spend $20 on a product because it was $50 on release - if the same product was $20 on release they would wait until its $10 ... consumer behavior can be a bit bizarre.

And right now those $100 used copies of Dariusburst PSP on ebay aren't doing Taito any good either.

So if you are desperate to get your hands on DBCS then empty your pockets ... otherwise wait until it stings a lot less.
(Yes, I was crazy enough to spend $US67 for a physical copy of Dariusburst PSP in 2012 - but for what it is worth I've enjoyed it. Paying a similar amount for an indefinite rental stings a bit but there seems to be a lot more (high quality) content. Lately I've witnessed that emphasis on price all too often destroys the market for quality resulting in a market which only offers cheap and crap products - nothing good even if you are willing to pay for it).

[Shepardus]

Does anyone know whether there will be a launch discount on Steam similar to what Degica's done for the rest of the games it's released lately? If there isn't I'll probably wait before picking this up since it's not like I have time to play it for the next couple weeks anyway. I'm not against spending this price on a game that looks as good as this and with this much content, but it'd also be silly of me to buy it at full price and not play it much when I could just wait until I have more time and possibly get it on sale. I've also spent too much on all the other shmups that have been released on Steam in the past few months and a couple from earlier.

I'm worried that the price will make this game off-limits to people new to the genre when it should be a good gateway, but on the other hand it's not like they would have bought the game at any price that isn't insanely low. I would definitely like to see a playable demo, this game's got enough content in it that that doesn't seem particularly hard to create.

[Obscura]

I would buy Darius Burst at "full AAA price", but for me, it's an issue of timing. Strania just came out on PC, and is likely going to be the only shmup I have time to play for a while, and early 2016 looks absolutely loaded for gaming in general (Underrail, Dishonored 2, Doom 4, Dark Souls 3, possibly Seven Dragon Saga). No point in buying a game I won't get around to playing.

Had the release dates of this and Mushihimesama been reversed, I'd have almost certainly bought this, and ignored Strania.

[xxx1993]

Spoiler

So what's the fastest way to reach Gigantic Bite and the ending?

[qmish]

Pretty much everyone in this thread going on about casuals this and that are the casuals themselves, trying to imply that they won't buy the game, mostly because it's digital and not at all because of the actual price tag.

Just go at any non-shmup site and read comments for DBCS news. It's not smth system11 users fantasying about.

[Xyga]

Too many good shmups releases in just a few months; 1st world financial crisis episode X: Hipster Shmuppers from outer space vs. the evil Kazual Empire gaiden.

[Zach Keene]

Do we have an "official" Shmupsforum cabinet? (I'm on 0001 at the moment.)

Don't see myself playing much arcade mode on the Vita honestly (the UI is barely readable.)

[Shepardus]

Do we have an official Shmupsforum cabinet? (I'm on 0001 at the moment.)

Maybe we should use cabinet system11.

[Zach Keene]

That had occured to me.

0011 it is then.

[amdiggywhut]

Potentially stupid question, does this have online multiplayer? If so, should we get a thread going (wherever appropriate) to share PSN/Steam usernames to make finding matches easier?