Samurai Spirits (sequel to Samurai Showdown)

Blade-Runner

Supreme [H]ardness
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I fucking loved Samurai Showdown back in the day, god knows how much money I pumped into that arcade machine. Hopefully SNK delivers a complete game rather than succumbing to the DLC and microtransaction bullshit that seems to have infected the entire genre lately.
 
I can hope they're informed enough to bring this new Samurai Spirits (Showdown) title to PC ; I know it is confirmed for PS4, but hopefully after watching ArcSys and Capcom they will realize the PC is equally if not a more viable market. Samurai Showdown/Spirits titles, as well as the related SNK fighter "The Last Blade" series, have been missing for quite awhile since the modern revival of interest in fighting games.

It would be great to see it return, but yes I agree that I am concerned of how they'll monetize. This is not to say I'm opposed to DLC characters or major season/expansion passes, but the real issue is how many characters will be in the "base" game; with luck they won't keep it anemic to sell back old favorites later. Samurai Showdown V Special had 28 characters including bosses from previous games and whatnot, but SS IV had I think around 20. In any case, if they're going to take the time to do this correctly it would be nice to see all the old favorites return and great attention to detail on game systems , as well as character/play design.
 
I can hope they're informed enough to bring this new Samurai Spirits (Showdown) title to PC

I thought it was in fact confirmed for PC by virtue of it being reported by DSOG, but it looks like I was wrong. I haven't found anything to corroborate a port, but seeing as its been developed on Unreal Engine there's a pretty good chance it will eventually make its way to PC like most other fighting games.
 
Very glad to see a PC version confirmed. Hopefully given the engine it will run well on Linux! Seems they've only shown characters from the original Samurai Spirits so far as part of the remake. I hope they unveil more of the roster and it includes those from later entries, more like those from SS V Special and or VI! Then again, they haven't even shown all the principle characters from the original - I'm especially eager to see how they do with Ukyo. Guess we'll see more closer to time..
 
Jubei and Haohmaru were my favorite. I couldn't afford the insane prices the neogeo system and games went for back in the day, so like most of you, threw all my quarters at them instead.
 
Great to see some new info! Quite disappointed about PC getting a "later" release date, I admit. I don't want to hear grumbling about "underwhelming sales" or whatnot on PC if they can't pull off a parity or near parity release.

Also I'm really sad I have to mention this, but knowing that the game is based on the Unreal Engine, I can only hope it is NOT an Epic Store exclusive, timed or otherwise. I hate that I even have to consider that the uncertain release date announcement could be because Epic is trying to entice them into their platform first (or only), which would sour things considerably. The game is nearly a certain purchase for me should it release on Steam. I wouldn't have any problem with them offering it on multiple stores (including Epic), so long as it comes to Steam, of course.

Edit: 16 characters is reasonable for a starting lineup, if they all do truly play differently. However, I do hope they have plans for expansion in the future, both in the form of patches/updates to general content as well as expansion-style paid DLC.
 
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According to this tweet, the season pass is free if you preorder the game.


SamSho.jpg


New trailer that details new features.
 
Great to see some new info! Quite disappointed about PC getting a "later" release date, I admit. I don't want to hear grumbling about "underwhelming sales" or whatnot on PC if they can't pull off a parity or near parity release.

Also I'm really sad I have to mention this, but knowing that the game is based on the Unreal Engine, I can only hope it is NOT an Epic Store exclusive, timed or otherwise. I hate that I even have to consider that the uncertain release date announcement could be because Epic is trying to entice them into their platform first (or only), which would sour things considerably. The game is nearly a certain purchase for me should it release on Steam. I wouldn't have any problem with them offering it on multiple stores (including Epic), so long as it comes to Steam, of course.

Edit: 16 characters is reasonable for a starting lineup, if they all do truly play differently. However, I do hope they have plans for expansion in the future, both in the form of patches/updates to general content as well as expansion-style paid DLC.

It's about focus. The majority of the fighting game community is on console, the majority of the Japanese community does not game on PC really at all. If you look at Japanese PC gaming it's a cluster fuck of rape simulators, hentai games, anime interactive novels, and other stuff. That community is firmly on mobile and PS4 for their non pervert stuff.

It's coming to PC though so what's the worry? Let them spoil their core base and as long as the game comes out nobody is hurt.

SNKs core is really China Japan and parts of Latina America right now. Other regions are an after thought.
 
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It's about focus. The majority of the fighting game community is on console, the majority of the Japanese community does not game on PC really at all. If you look at Japanese PC gaming it's a cluster fuck of rape simulators, hentai games, anime interactive novels, and other stuff. That community is firmly on mobile and PS4 for their non pervert stuff.

It's coming to PC though so what's the worry? Let them spoil their core base and as long as the game comes out nobody is hurt.

SNKs core is really China Japan and parts of Latina America right now. Other regions are an after thought.

I think this is slowly changing. Japanese devs, even major studios as well as indies who came to the understanding first, are realizing the value and benefits of the PC market. Square Enix, Namco Bandai, Capcom, Sega (especially the last two I think) among others have really done well releasing their titles on PC. Both the lower costs of development and release, as well as the large audience is attractive to Japanese developers who are gradually understanding the global market. While there is still a strong console preference locally, gaming PCs are growing even in Japan and among the fighting community. Games like Street Fighter IV and V, Soul Calibur VI, Tekken 7, and DragonBall FighterZ have all offered concurrent release on PC, and while the pro-level players may favor PS4, the PC is at least second if not even a larger market overall. I can only hope this continues among Japanese developers who overall see the benefits of PC development even for formerly "console type" games.

SNK themselves have released many of their classic titles and their more recent on PC, though you may be right about primarily focusing on Japan (What's the draw in China and Latin America specifically?) . Still, I expect they know that there is interest on PC and I'm glad Samurai Shodown/Spirits is eventually coming, but especially when the game is developed using a very PC friendly engine, it is disappointing when a title isn't released at parity or in close time thereafter. Worse, it can create a self-fulfilling prophecy among devs skeptical of PC where the PC title doesn't sell as much *immediately upon release* if it comes later, as players either already purchased the console version if they were so inclined, or didn't want to pay full price for a title released out of sync and instead wait for sales/discounts etc.. which is spun to the dev as if it was something wrong with the PC platform, as opposed to a non-parity launch. I can't say for sure this wil happen to Samurai Shodown and I hope it is well made and supported on PC via Steam, but I would have appreciated concurrent launch much like other major JP and even fighting game community titles.
 
I think this is slowly changing. Japanese devs, even major studios as well as indies who came to the understanding first, are realizing the value and benefits of the PC market. Square Enix, Namco Bandai, Capcom, Sega (especially the last two I think) among others have really done well releasing their titles on PC. Both the lower costs of development and release, as well as the large audience is attractive to Japanese developers who are gradually understanding the global market. While there is still a strong console preference locally, gaming PCs are growing even in Japan and among the fighting community. Games like Street Fighter IV and V, Soul Calibur VI, Tekken 7, and DragonBall FighterZ have all offered concurrent release on PC, and while the pro-level players may favor PS4, the PC is at least second if not even a larger market overall. I can only hope this continues among Japanese developers who overall see the benefits of PC development even for formerly "console type" games.

SNK themselves have released many of their classic titles and their more recent on PC, though you may be right about primarily focusing on Japan (What's the draw in China and Latin America specifically?) . Still, I expect they know that there is interest on PC and I'm glad Samurai Shodown/Spirits is eventually coming, but especially when the game is developed using a very PC friendly engine, it is disappointing when a title isn't released at parity or in close time thereafter. Worse, it can create a self-fulfilling prophecy among devs skeptical of PC where the PC title doesn't sell as much *immediately upon release* if it comes later, as players either already purchased the console version if they were so inclined, or didn't want to pay full price for a title released out of sync and instead wait for sales/discounts etc.. which is spun to the dev as if it was something wrong with the PC platform, as opposed to a non-parity launch. I can't say for sure this wil happen to Samurai Shodown and I hope it is well made and supported on PC via Steam, but I would have appreciated concurrent launch much like other major JP and even fighting game community titles.

Speaking as someone whos in the US but has lived in Japan and Latin America other areas it's sort of odd. You can get a lot of PC sales, but that's not where your primary audience and that's not where you sink or swim. PC isn't really growing there, I'd say if anything hentai games, dating sims, and visual novels are spreading out of Japan. PCs aren't Japanese and they don't like things that aren't really. Then there is the issue that the Fighting Game Community at large is much more diverse than other communities and heavily console. PC sales are nice, but the PC platform is still sloppy seconds and distant, with XBOX just not really being a thing this time around. It's just the way things are with this stuff.

KOF is hilariously popular in China and Latin America, more so than other fighting games are there. Hell KOF97 is by far the most popular in China and why there is that goofy (and shitty) KOF97 port now on Steam. It's popular enough there are stabbings over it at Arcades in China as well as multiple professional level events. They have life action movies, cartoons, and other stuff that never gets out or shows up anywhere else. It's partly economic. NeoGeo MVS hardware was very cheap, it's even more cheap now to the point where the games are double digits at best and a mainboard is around a hundred to three hundred depending on the slots. So in the lower income areas around China and Latin America there was a ton of SNK stuff, and it's built like god damn tank and it still lasts. So there is a massively huge scene around these old SNK games, they can also pick up cheap last generation consoles for home practice. KOF97 Steam is an attempt to lure them into cyber cafes. And most people in those countries have shit PCs, but you can run SNK games on a shit PC. So SNK has an fanatical cult following there that really can't be understood if you haven't been there and jumped in the scene.

Some games are just regional. For example Mortal Kombat is extremely an American thing. But SNK stuff has taken an odd loop where it's really focused on China, Latin America, and Japan. As for why 97 in particular no clue.
 
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