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Post by Aztec on Oct 27, 2016 8:38:25 GMT -6
Aztec I actually got an Xbone yesterday for $150 thanks to Facebook's Craigslist like shopping section. Up until yesterday I was still a console generation behind. I only have the Live Gold games I've been accumulating since they started that, but I would like physical games soon. My wife and I will finally be able to play Gears 4 together once I get it and another controller. I really want Titanfall 2 as well. I've always planned on getting a Xbone and for Bloodstained I've planned to get a digital Steam version and Xbone physical version. Apparently though, anything you get for Xbone you can play on PC. I still do not fully understand that. If it's just streaming from my Xbone to my monitor, I don't count that. If it's true though, I'll get the physical copy for NS if the NS is something I can afford and want to invest in. Oh wow! Im glad you're on board this gen then! I remember seeing a non scientific poll in this forum and Xbone was the least popular platform for Bloodstained backers so you should feel special since there are not many of you! Not everything you get on Xbone is playable on PC. Just the first party Microsoft games from this year on out and its not going to be retroactive (i.e. dont expect Halo 5 on PC anytime soon). So far we've only seen two Play Anywhere titles: Recore and Gears 4. And in both games the Play Anywhere bit only works if you buy the game digitally! A physical copy of Recore or Gears 4 (and I assume future titles too) negates you the PC digital copy. I have very little reason to think Bloodstained will be a Play Anywhere title. First because its coming to Steam and Microsoft first party games are coming through the Windows Store instead. And second because BS is obviously not first party. So yeah, I think going with a digital Steam copy and a physical Xbone copy is a smart thing to do. You somehow always came across to me more like a PS4 Bloodstainer for some reason (SOTN heritage and whatnot). For how much did you back Bloodstained for, if its okay to ask? I'm in for $100 smackers myself.
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Post by Aztec on Oct 27, 2016 1:47:51 GMT -6
Mike, I think you're a better interviewer than you ever thought you were. This was a deliciously insightful interview with all the interesting questions we wanted to know an even some I never thought you'd ask (like the "its better than nothing" debacle). Kudos, Mike. Again going above and beyond with these podcasts.
Upon hearing you I'd like to ask you for what platform did you back Bloodstained for? You said you dont own a PS4 which was the console I always though the administrator of the official Bloodstained forums backed it for.
Ben Judd: hell of a team player putting yourself out there, being so refreshingly honest (as opposed any other videogame talking PR head), and answering everything you legally could.
The Deep Silver was resolved. The WiiU situation was clarified. The Vita doubts seem to have been put to rest. And even you uys clarified the second development team announcement.
I'm feeling even more hopeful than I already was. Keep up the good work and take your time. And do make that backer survey to put that WiiU situation behind us as soon as possible. I'm confident the vast majority would vote to drop the WiiU version in favor of a Switch one.
Fantastic episode!!!
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Post by Aztec on Oct 26, 2016 15:08:46 GMT -6
2018 will not be "near the end of the PS4's lifecycle", man. The Xbox 360 lasted 8 years and the PS3 7 before their successors came out. Spring 2018 would be 4 years and change for the PS4. Theres also the possibility of playing on a computer too.
I find difficult to believe you can be so sure you wont upgrade to anything before 2019, man. That's 4 more years. How can you know that with 4 years in advance? Thats stretching it a lot dont you think? The WiiU is already dead in 2016 but 2019? If youre a serious gamer theres no way the WiiU by itself can keep you satisfied for so long after it was killed off!
Before the Switch was announced many things were just speculation but now that we know about it and that it is coming in Q1 of 2017 with a Bloodstained delay to mid 2018 it just doesnt make sense to release a WiiU version anymore. Especially if that version is going to require so much extra work due to the console not running the UE4 natively.
If its for the greater good drop the WiiU version, provide option to upgrade to Switch or change it to any other platform and if everything else fails then offer refunds and you can buy the game when its out whenever you're ready with a platform that can play it.
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Post by Aztec on Oct 26, 2016 11:54:48 GMT -6
Like I said before. If you're savvy enough as to Kickstart the spiritual successor of Castlevania Symphony of the Night which, lets face it, its relatively niche and you were still expecting to own only a WiiU for your gaming needs by 2017 when Bloodstained was supposed to come out it means one of two things:
1) You're most definitely a hardcore gamer.
2) You're a diehard Nintendo fan.
Or both.
What are the chances you, the Bloodstained backer who only owns a WiiU currently, will continue to exclusively use that console by 2018? You're hardcore. You will find a way to get yourself by then either a PS4, X1, PC/LINUX/MAC for sure.
On the other hand if this game switches to the, uh, Switch and you're a Nintendo diehard (because why wouldn't you be? Its 2016 and you still only game on a WiiU) you'll probably make the jump to the Big N's new console in the next year after the console comes out because, clearly, you're an enthusiast.
Bloodstained isn't appealing to the Call of Duty and FIFA crowd. And if you were willing to kickstart this game 2 years, now we know it'll be 3 years, before its eventual release means that I can trust you'll find a way to play the game you so much want in the next year and a half. You will not let yourself get to 2018 without owning some kind of device that lets you play current games in 2018.
Add to that the fact that by 2018 the PS4 and X1 will have gotten at least one more price cut and the tech needed to play Bloodstained in a gaming PC/Linux/Mac computer will be cheaper so we can't say we don't have options.
Notice how I didnt mention the Vita because I have a feeling that if they cancel the WiiU version making the port to Vita while also adapting the UE4 for just this one console in 2018 will probably make less sense now and could also get axed but we'll see.
Having said that of course Iga's team needs to give the WiiU backers the option to change their platform to any other and if, by any chance, you dont wan't any other then give you a refund. As long as Iga does this I'm confident he'll get through this probable cancellation with little to no drama.
I don't have any evidence to back this claim but I seriously doubt any substantial progress, if any, has been done on the WiiU and Vita versions at this point. The simple fact that they're clearly juggling the idea of canceling the WiiU version tells me they haven't really started working on it.
Remember they were going to port the game and engine to WiiU and Vita. The development is being done first for the UE4 platforms (PC, PS4, XB1) and the port was coming at later stages but since the game is still far from done you cant really start porting a game thats not ready.
Of course this is all conjecture and educated guesses but I'm confident in my speculation. Like I said, if they didnt think dropping the WiiU made sense they wouldn't be thinking about it and thus I conclude the porting process might have not even started at this point.
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Post by Aztec on Oct 20, 2016 10:37:05 GMT -6
Well now it's official, with the NS reveal the poll is happening for sure, NS looks perfect for Bloodstained, now the real dilema is, are they going to sink the WiiU version or are they going to do both? There is absolutely no way in hell they'll do both versions. The NS comes out in March 2017. The original launch date for Bloodstained was like April 2017 right? Having a WiiU version ready by then wouldve been okay. But with this delay getting a WiiU version smack dab in the middle of 2018 more than a year after the NS launched doesnt make any sense. Especially if the port to the NS would be easier and less expensive than the WiiU one (its rumored that the NS will be UE4 compatible, unlike the WiiU). Theyll either stick to the WiiU to fulfill their promised stretch goal or cancel it while offering options to WiiU backers.
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Post by Aztec on Oct 20, 2016 10:13:09 GMT -6
crocodile shall you never have confidence in the things I say without some sort of solid evidence or argument? I mean if you're going to make a pretty definitive statement, or really any statement at all, it might be nice to know why you feel that way? It's not about being right or wrong - none of us know the future for certain. We don't have to agree and maybe you have a strong argument. However, typically opinions or declarations need rationales. If someone asks "huh that's interesting, why do you feel/think that way?" then "because" isn't a good enough response 9/10 times. I'm not a mind reader Why do you feel with certainty the Vita version is 100% safe? Why is that port safe when a Wii U port clearly isn't 100% safe? Is it because it would be the only portable version of the game (putting aside unconfirmed rumors that the NX might be a hybrid) and you think they would feel compelled to deliver a portable version of the game given the portable history of the Castlevania series? I would still disagree that protects the Vita version 100% but at least that's a rationale why a Vita might not be on the chopping block. There is a precedence for ports for platforms to be cancelled for crowdfunded projects - especially if said ports would be difficult to port or on systems that no longer sell well ala the Vita (which will be more true in 2018 than in 2017 when the game was first scheduled to be released). Again, I'm not saying the Vita port is necessarily in trouble. I disagree that its 100% safe but really I want to know why you feel differently. Let me in to you heart <3 Why do you think refunds are for certain off the table? Especially given the precedence already set in the crowdfunding world or the moral/optical implications of knowingly keeping money while failing to deliver a product (as Scars Unseen points out). It's clearly not something that is unreasonably difficult for most campaigns to do so what do you feel is different here that makes it impossible? Why would eating all the bad press they would rightfully earn by giving no refunds if a version of the game is cancelled be better than giving back a few tens of thousands of dollars at max? Write me down for the next podcast being XombieMike with Crocodile as guest star. No, I'm serious. It'd make for a delicious debate on that episode. And I do agree with Crocodile. If the WiiU port is in peril I dont see why we should assume the Vita one is 100% certain. And now that the Nintendo Switch has been announced and it is a console handheld hybrid thats launching in 5 months the more I see the WiiU and Vita being irrelevant in 2018. And Crocodile does bring up the precedent of past Kickstarter projects that have canceled other console versions offering refunds or an option to change your pledge for another version. Should Bloodstained cancel any port this is the way to do it. The only way you can achieve that without having people calling Iga scammer for failing to deliver on a promise and keeping their money. If you're savvy enough to Kickstart a spiritual successor of Castlevania in 2015 on WiiU chances are youre a hardcore gamer like all of us here and by the time BS launches in 2018 you probably are going to own a PC/MAC/Linux/PS4/XB1 to play this game on. Maybe even a Nintendo Switch, who knows! And Im dead serious on that podcast idea
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Post by Aztec on Sept 21, 2016 12:55:40 GMT -6
Uggghhhh. I'm from Texas. I know what continent I live on and where Mexico is. It was a little slip of the moment. It's not the only slip I left in there, just the one people seem to be nitpicking me for. Maybe I need an annotation in the YouTube version explaining I know basic geography. Edit: Also, please don't edit out or delete that in your post. I think it's entertaining although embarrassing. Dont edit out what in my post? Not sure what you mean by it being "entertaining although embarrassing". And in this forum I think only Crocodile and me pointed out that nitpick. Its not worth getting upset about it. It's so minor yet inexplicably I've heard many make that mistake. It was just worth a mention, thats all.
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Post by Aztec on Sept 21, 2016 12:31:46 GMT -6
Hey XombieMike! I love the hard work you put into this forums and the podcast but I have to nitpick something you said on this episode that was factually wrong. When talking about Iga's trip to Mexico you said you were happy he got to meet fans in "South America" when referring to my country. Like I said, its a tiny nitpick but it's a pet peeve of mine. Mexico is in North America (hint: think of NAFTA), not South America. You'd have to go all the way down to Ecuador and Colombia for it to be correct. For some reason I hear many Americans getting that wrong. If you want to refer to people south of the US border just say "Latin America" I didn't see Crocodile's post before mine. Should've known he'd be on top of things. And like he said, we noted that slip of the tongue in good faith.
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Post by Aztec on Jun 3, 2016 13:57:29 GMT -6
Yeah, too early to tell. NX could turn out to be the best console evar! ...or the worst ever. Let them deliver on the 7 platforms they already promised before talking about the NX that no one even owns yet because it doesnt exist.
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Post by Aztec on Jun 1, 2016 15:36:08 GMT -6
If the Nx is well recieved... why not? I can bet it will do better than the Wii u I'm not. Why? Bevause odds are against that assertion. Think about it: every Nintendo home console with the exception of the lightning-in-a-bottle that was the Wii has sold significantly less than the one before. NES: 60m SNES: 40m N64: 35m GC: 23m WiiU: 10m The WiiU is consistent with what Nintendo's been doing for three decades with the Wii being the outlier. Now do I think the NX cannot turn things around? Of course not! But we don't know a single official thing about the console beyond a codename. So, if I had to bet, I'd say it'll sell less than the WiiU. It's not a wish, it's a forecast. But I also think its technically possible for the NX to be a success but right now, since we know nothing about it, its difficult to side with anything other than the tendency. And that tendency is Nintendo's hurting. And if Nintendo makes the NX a success you can bet your bottom dollar Iga will at least try to bring Bloodstained to NX. But I'd say let them release the game on the platforms they already announced in the Kickstarter before we demand for them to port it for a yet unannounced console that they never promised to deliver it on in the first place. Nintendo cannot unveil the NX soon enough. All this speculation over nothing substancial is frustrating.
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Post by Aztec on May 9, 2016 11:38:43 GMT -6
The issue is that people who only backed for a single physical version would have to wait a year+ to play the game. Physical versions not having ALL the available content for a game isn't really a new or alien concept. Issues with DLC going offline is not going to be an issue for probably at least a decade down the line. It's a real issue but given that a DRM-free version of this game is coming out for the PC, I don't think archiving the game will too difficult in the long run. That could be fixed by giving a digital code to the physical backers like myself. It wouldn't be without its headaches since many backed for more to get the digital one as well so it could be a headache. Ideally I'd love for the physical copy to include all the content but as a physical only backer I'd hate to have to wait a year to have that shipped that I'd probably end up paying the $29 for the digital copy. Unless the final retail digital release ends up costing $40 or more which then I'd be dissatisfied with having to pay that much for a copy of a game I already backed for $100 way back when.
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Post by Aztec on May 6, 2016 13:06:42 GMT -6
What crocodile said is very true from a PR perspective. There's also the fact that Miriam is the protagonist and that VA can predetermine a character's personality to a certain extent. Miriam's character is still very underdeveloped. Depending on her voice and personality, this could change the way the players will relate to her. When we discussed VAs and character personalities, IGA mentioned that he didn't have a specific voice in mind and likes to keep his protagonists mysterious so that their character doesn't affect the players' overall gameplay experience. Huh. I thought that would have been something nailed down by now. The feeling I got from a previous update was that IGA wanted to finish the narrative by the end of last year and I would have figured that personalities would have been locked in by now. I'm sure whatever you finally decide on will be good - y'all have shipped games, not me. I will say I think there are some pitfalls y'all should be wary off: - A character can have a well defined personality and still be relateable. I feel the contrary thought process leads to a lot of silent or near silent protagonists or those meant to serve as self-inserts. I tend to find those sorts of characters super boring and I know I'm not alone.
- Don't conflate "strong female protagonist" with 100% stoic or hard-edged. I feel that's the default a lot of writers trend towards (yet people will allow male protagonists to have any sort of personality whilst still being seen as "strong"). You see what Sakamoto and Team Ninja did with Samus in Other M? AVOID THAT LIKE THE PLAGUE!!
- Don't be afraid to be expressive. Monotone expressions or voices aren't the defining feature of a badass. The type of woman who can smile and bake a cake one day or even make the occasional joke and then rip the head off a demon the next day is more interesting than "I boil with generic rage". I've felt it was encouraging to have shots/art of Miriam smiling in the screenshots or campaign art and I don't think that at all conflicts with a woman who can be contemplative or stern or ferocious when the situation arises.
- If her personality can be expressed in accurately in basically one word, you've probably goofed. Like if "oh she's the imuoto-type" is a spot on and sufficient descriptor, you've probably goofed. You can't avoid tropes but try not to dive right into them without providing an interesting or compelling take. (Also imuoto-type characters suck). If you've got the time (A LOT OF TIME) you may want to take a gander at TVTropes.com both as a means to see what sorts of tropes have been successful but also the type to avoid.
- I know she's been described as amnesiac. Amnesia carries with it a lot of tired tropes often leading to dull personalities. Try to avoid that if possible.
- From the kickstarter Miriam was described as: "She is a woman of few words but strong of purpose. Her youth is deceiving, making her seem confrontational and quick to judge, though in reality she is constantly evaluating her next step. The pain she felt as an orphaned child fuels her compassionate desire to protect her loved ones and friends." From this I'm getting - calm, contemplative, aggressive/ferocious (when necessary), quick-witted, compassionate/kind, goal-oriented and with a strong sense of justice. I think that's a good collection of traits to at east build from.
- It may be useful to do a brainstorming exercise to think who are y'all favorite female protagonists are, what made them work and why you liked them. Characters like Motoko Kusanagi (Stand Alone Complex version) or Balsa from Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit are characters that skew older than Miriam but are among my favorites in anime and I would probably think of them first if I were doing such a brainstorming session. Looking back to Castlevania, Shanoa is probably the most (one of the most) popular female characters in the series. I'm a big fan of hers but even then, though I understand the story reasons why, the whole "no emotions" bit was a bummer. I would've liked it if she was more expressive (again I point to the fact I appreciate then even with all the nonsense Miriam has and will have to do with that she can still smile/laugh/maybe joke, etc. per the screenshots and art)
Again, y'all call the shorts, I'm just a single dude/backer on the internet. I just felt I should offer my opinion As an aside, I mentioned it earlier, consider British VA if it at all makes sense/sounds interesting to you guys/isn't financially prohibitive.
In my short time as member of this community but long time lurker I can safely say this Crocodile post is the single best post I've seen in this forum. I not only agree with it to a T, but I'd also love if Iga & Co. at least read this and know they'll take it into account. And I can't stress this enough: Everything Other M did with its story and its leading lady AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE.
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Post by Aztec on May 6, 2016 12:59:04 GMT -6
That is assuming the very unlikely scenario that Bloodstained does NOT get any delays. Historically almost every single game that gets Kickstarted suffers at least one delay (big or small). If you still think this game will launch in March 2017 after it got more than 1,000% of what they were initially asking for you're in for a world of disappointment. Also we know next to nothing about the NX. How about let Nintendo announce the damn thing before we can speculate anything? For all we know it'll be a toaster oven that can only run Unreal Engine 2 so hold your horses. That's pretty pessimistic not going to lie. The mistake that you and everyone else is making is that you're trying to predict the future. You can never be certain of success or failure most of the time. None of us will ever know if it is going to be delayed or if it isn't. So...calm down there. Hmm...um....I HIGHLY doubt it would be a toaster oven. The point of making a new console is to improve not...be a toaster with a fancy controller. I AM TRYING TO PREDICT THE FUTURE? I'm the one saying we should wait to know what the NX is before speculating Bloodstained will come out on the thing. And about Kickstarter games getting delays thats not pessimistic. Thats a fact. The vast majority of games funded in that platform do NOT ship on the date they promised back when they launched their campaigns. Especially if the scope of the game balloons up to the stratosphere like Bloodstained did and its 1,000% final funding. And I'll be here to remind you when they announce the inevitable delay that they're not making the March 2017 launch. And you know what? I'm also 100% okay with them delaying it too. I'm expecting it. Take all the time you need, Iga!
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Post by Aztec on May 2, 2016 1:39:22 GMT -6
Hopefully it will ship with at least some other mode besides the main game. I'd be all for waiting until they release the full game all at once but oh well.
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Post by Aztec on May 2, 2016 1:37:01 GMT -6
I wouldn't be surprised if it was or wasn't. However, I read somewhere that the NX and the Legend of Zelda are poised to be released in March 2017, around the approximate release of Bloodstained. I wouldn't expect it to be released on the NX at launch but a future port would likely be on the table. Man...typing is hard. Nintendo officially took March 2017 off as a release date for Zelda. Bloodstained can go as a launch title for the NX and clean house. That is assuming the very unlikely scenario that Bloodstained does NOT get any delays. Historically almost every single game that gets Kickstarted suffers at least one delay (big or small). If you still think this game will launch in March 2017 after it got more than 1,000% of what they were initially asking for you're in for a world of disappointment. Also we know next to nothing about the NX. How about let Nintendo announce the damn thing before we can speculate anything? For all we know it'll be a toaster oven that can only run Unreal Engine 2 so hold your horses.
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