Spong's 'Cave Week' [Cave interviews/news up!]

Post by **spadgy** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 5:10 pm

Just a heads up...

Next week games website Spong.com is doing a 'Cave Week'.

In short, Spong writer Svend, a games industry freind of mine and all round lovely chap, went on holiday to Japan a week or two back, and couldn't resist working. He managed to sort a visit to Cave, and is, from Monday, due to put up lots of interviews and other stuff. All I know is he said they were very lovely and welcoming, and he's promised there's some interesting stuff inbound!

Eyes out!

Edit:

Update!

All the articles for Spong's Cave week are up!

Intro and image gallery

Yukihiro Masaki Interview

News: Akai Katana Shin iOS in consideration

News: Taito influenced Cave's iOS games

News: Cave considered shooting tournaments for western Cave fans

Interview: Hiroyuki Kimura and Hideki Nomura

News:CAVE Exploring Twin Sticks, Touch Controls for Akai Katana Shin Vita

Interview: Cave CEO Tsuneki Ikeda

News: Toaplan Classics Batsugun, Truxton Won't See Re-Releases

News: "Unprofitable" Ports Forced CAVE Away From Console Development

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 5:17 pm

Sounds ace. Cheers!

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:51 pm

Keep us posted!

kid aphex · Post by **kid aphex** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:56 pm

Wow, Spong is still around

Necronom · Post by **Necronom** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 3:07 pm

Sounds interesting! Thanks for the heads up

Post by **Dave_K.** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:09 pm

Although this sounds cool, I'm always a bit bummed the person giving the interview is not someone on the shmup forum, and thus never asks the questions WE would like to have answered.

Spadgy, is there any way you can use your industry connections to organize a shmups.com interview with Cave?

Here are a few example questions I would like to have Cave answer:

- To Yagawa: Is the infinite lives trick in Pink Sweets a bug or intentional? Why were there so many different PCB revisions where this was removed and then re-added?

- To Yagawa: When will you create your next arcade release?

- To IKD: When will you allow Yagawa to create his next arcade release?

- To Cave: Do you have a strong opinion on the Mame/emulation scene?

Honestly, I'm sure I could come up with about 20 more questions to Yagawa alone on rank, medaling, bosses, secrets and extra modes, that I'm sure would be of more interest than the standard fair around upcoming releases for PS Vita, etc.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 7:32 pm

Those are some pretty good questions to ask, Dave K. I'm all for the above questions asked and would be interesting to see what kind of a response regarding a (if any) new arcade PCB release down the pipeline.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Post by **spadgy** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:50 pm

Update! Links to everything posted on Spong so far are now in the first post of this thread. Right now I'm working late with no time to read them properly. Enjoy!

kid aphex · Post by **kid aphex** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:41 pm

A S K for P S V? i will B U Y

iconoclast · Post by **iconoclast** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:22 am

kid aphex wrote:A K S for P S V? i will B U Y

Yeah, kinda weird how he just slipped that in there like it was something that everyone already knew about. Maybe it was a mistake? I'll rebuy it if/when I get a Vita though.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:18 am

Dave_K. wrote:- To Cave: Do you have a strong opinion on the Mame/emulation scene?

Along with this I would add "Do you plan to eventually make PC/Steam releases as well?" I would sure as hell buy the ports, even with Mame around. Especially if they can handle the release themselves instead of getting a middleman/publisher. Come on, dammit, mouse controlled, a bajillion of resolutions to choose from, mods to put Rambo in DeathSmiles, whatever. Prior to the whole 360 thing, if it weren't for Mame (DDP, Esp.Ra.De, Dangun Feveron, Progear, etc.) half the people here, myself included to tell the truth (I only knew of more traditional shooters like R-Type, Gradius, Raiden, Xevious, Thexder and a couple more), wouldn't even know about their games. Oh, and that Hardest Videogame Boss Ever combined with Touhou of course. That's the other half.

beatsgo · Post by **beatsgo** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:43 am

Observer wrote:
Dave_K. wrote:- To Cave: Do you have a strong opinion on the Mame/emulation scene?
mods to put Rambo in DeathSmiles...

Dude I would totally rebuy Deathsmiles just to play as Rambo.

spadgy you probably want to include this link with the picture album as well:
http://spong.com/article/25888/This-Wee ... -CAVE-WEEK

MJR · Post by **MJR** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:13 am

Observer wrote:
Dave_K. wrote:- To Cave: Do you have a strong opinion on the Mame/emulation scene?
Prior to the whole 360 thing, if it weren't for Mame (DDP, Esp.Ra.De, Dangun Feveron, Progear, etc.) half the people here, myself included to tell the truth (I only knew of more traditional shooters like R-Type, Gradius, Raiden, Xevious, Thexder and a couple more), wouldn't even know about their games.

Quite right.

Even though I own arcade cabinet, I finally 'cave' in and bought cheap used xbox 360 just to play their games. (I realized that it will be some time before I can shell out the dough for original PCB's).. deathsmiles is waiting on my shelf already!

Post by **spadgy** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:12 pm

beatsgo wrote: spadgy you probably want to include this link with the picture album as well:
http://spong.com/article/25888/This-Wee ... -CAVE-WEEK

Cheers mate - done!

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 2:37 pm

iconoclast wrote:
kid aphex wrote:A K S for P S V? i will B U Y
Yeah, kinda weird how he just slipped that in there like it was something that everyone already knew about. Maybe it was a mistake? I'll rebuy it if/when I get a Vita though.

Yeah I thought the same thing. His source references an announcement in october, but that source doesn't mention this PSV release specifically. I have no idea what to think. Also, that would conflict with the original PSV rumored release schedule of "non-STG coming first, original STG coming later." (IIRC)

I'm just waitin' for some other confirmation before thinking it's true. Somebody should prolly just ask the Svend dude to clarify.

Post by **spadgy** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:14 pm

Another interview added to the first post here. A Hiroyuki Kimura and Hideki Nomura interview.

I'll ask Svend stuff when I ain't so busy!

beatsgo · Post by **beatsgo** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:35 pm

spadgy wrote:Another interview added to the first post here. A Hiroyuki Kimura and Hideki Nomura interview.

I'll ask Svend stuff when I ain't so busy!

For some odd reason this who article is screaming "Akai Katana on VITA!" Interesting 10 minute read, good indication they're trying new stuff besides shmups these days.

kid aphex · Post by **kid aphex** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:52 pm

Considering how popular the Vita is in Japan, a launch window game (regardless of the genre) could probly rake in a lot of $$$ for Cave
Fingers crossed for AKS

emphatic · Post by **emphatic** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:57 pm

Super cool stuff so far!

Estebang · Post by **Estebang** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:29 pm

So they all but confirmed that the Vita shmup is Akai Katana Shin, huh? I was hoping for a new original game, maybe Deathsmiles 3, but this will be a good backup if the 360 PAL version is region locked.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 12:16 am

Estebang wrote:So they all but confirmed that the Vita shmup is Akai Katana Shin, huh?

I vaguely recall it being stated that they were doing something completely new on the Vita, but I might be remembering incorrectly...

alastair jack · Post by **alastair jack** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:04 am

When will they let Dave_K do the interviews?

gray117 · Post by **gray117** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:24 am

Applause for those that can't stop working

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:04 pm

That new interview asks a question about the Vita version specifically. I'm now convinced it's true.

This Vita thing better stay region free.

Estebang · Post by **Estebang** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:52 pm

None of the PSP hardware versions or firmware updates added region locking, did they?

Skykid · Post by **Skykid** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 8:00 pm

I'm just wondering how fast their new SD cartridges are going to be hacked.

Estebang · Post by **Estebang** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 8:38 pm

I'm sure Sony's taken serious precautions against hackers this time, so maybe a year? The battery is non-user replaceable, which must help.

The 3DS hasn't been cracked yet, has it? I know there's dumped games, but there's no way of playing them.

coin · Post by **coin** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:38 pm

The cave ceo interview is up now

beatsgo · Post by **beatsgo** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:52 pm

Great interview! I like the reaction that Ikeda made when the interviewer asked about Zero Wing meme. Really glad the company acknowledge there's shmup fans besides Japan.

Post by **spadgy** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:43 pm

coin wrote:The cave ceo interview is up now

Honestly, I'm sure I could come up with about 20 more questions to Yagawa alone on rank, medaling, bosses, secrets and extra modes, that I'm sure would be of more interest than the standard fair around upcoming releases for PS Vita, etc.[/quote]

Right - I've made the final updates to the OP with all the final links to the Cave pieces on Spong. Sorry I was a bit slow on that front; Spong's Cave week fell the same week that games rag what I'm editor of went to press, so I've had a crazy busy week work lates and so on. Anyway; excuses, excuses...

So - to finally Answer DaveK's question!...

Dave_K. wrote:Although this sounds cool, I'm always a bit bummed the person giving the interview is not someone on the shmup forum, and thus never asks the questions WE would like to have answered.

Spadgy, is there any way you can use your industry connections to organize a shmups.com interview with Cave?

Here are a few example questions I would like to have Cave answer:

- To Yagawa: Is the infinite lives trick in Pink Sweets a bug or intentional? Why were there so many different PCB revisions where this was removed and then re-added?

- To Yagawa: When will you create your next arcade release?

- To IKD: When will you allow Yagawa to create his next arcade release?

- To Cave: Do you have a strong opinion on the Mame/emulation scene?

In short, it would pretty easy for me to sort out an interview with Cave. Their former PR just left (he was a lovely guy from the UK) but I'm forming a good relationship with the new PR. However, there's three things:

Firstly, Cave are pretty keen to promote their console and mobile stuff to the Western audience, rather than too much on arcade stuff or the smaller details us fan communities are interested in. Last time I interviewed them, they really were only interested in talking about iOS and arcade stuff.

Secondly, I do have to consider the magazine/website I'm planning to publish the interview in, and frankly my magazine (one about games development for the games development sector: coding, art, audio, tools etc) isn't really the place for a load of stuff about nuances of bugs in Cave arcade releases and other details about arcade stuff (sadly, our mag doesn't cover arcade stuff at all really; that's just not what it's about), even though DaveK's example questions really are interesting to us lot.

Thirdly, I'd have to do it via email and a translator, as I ain't likely to be passing through Japan anytime soon! Sadly, so much gets lost in translation that way.

However - I might have a plan! How about I try interviewing Cave (via a translator sadly) with this very forum as the proposed 'publication' for this interview? It might just flop as an idea, but you never know! If they think enough of us lot, maybe we could get and interview done for this specific audience. I'll give it a go...

shmups.system11.org

Spong's 'Cave Week' [Cave interviews/news up!]

Spong's 'Cave Week' [Cave interviews/news up!]

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