I know. I was talking about the series as a whole, and especially 5. Actually, I dont think releasing VF5 alongside DRO or SCIV would’ve helped it either. Certainly not around this time. We just want the game, but do we really care that there’s only a handful of us who will actually purchase it? I’m selfish and greedy but still look at the whole picture. I agree with you for the most part though.
Count me in, 16!
Although I will still be playing it alone, similar to previous VFs.
Even a Japanese PS3 port would do wonders. At least then we could import the game. They don’t even need to release it stateside.
That’s what I’m hoping for at least.
They dont need to release it in Japan either if nearly everyone is playing in the arcades.
That’s almost like giving a bunch of atheletes their own personal basketball goals when you know they’re just going to go to the park/gym nearly everyday anyway.
That’s in Japan though. I just want to make sure that we’ve established that Sega is like fuck America.
That’s the first time I’ve read an analogy like that, and it’s a good one.
Yup.
So? They still porting Melty, BB, the failure that was AH2, Tekken 6, Fate, they ported Guilty Gear TWICE and all the other games that are seeing play in arcades. Everyone plays in arcades, yet they are still porting these games. Melty is even seeing MORE play in arcades than VF5R and we are seeing a port.
The point is, it’s more feasible to consider a JPN region port since they have a player base, regardless of arcades.
You dont think GG is more popular here than VF? GG is prob not the most recognized fg to the general public(VF is an OG and was revolutionary when it dropped)but it definitely gets more current sales. The lastest iterations of GG from a timeline after VF2, GGX/GGXX/GGXX#/(wont count GGXX/ as it was import only)GGI/GGDS/GGJ/GGXXAC/GGO/GGXXAC+ vs VF3tb/VF4/VF4Evo/VF5/VF5, is substantial in number and sales. While GG resurged, VF seemingly declined. Only noticeable version during this time from a marketing and popularity standpoint was VF4. Why does this not make sense to you? Hell, my city’s biggest scene IS GG and the only thing people will travel for. I would be the only one playing VF5R probably.
I wont speak on Melty, AH, and Fate. You actually thought they WOULDNT port BB? Lmfao. And why would you even bring up Tek? Like it hasnt gone strong for years. Why would the majority of Japan even care for a console port? I see where you’re coming from but, at the same time you’re being really naive to the issue.
I can honestly agree with this a hundred percent. I think VF2 was the last VF game to at least do over 2 million in console sales on the saturn. I think:confused:.
So I dig where Sega is coming from. I say fuck the parlor tricks…keep it in japan where it’s safe and cozy.
Yup. Like Reno said too, VF4 did over a mil worldwide. People dont understand the business aspect of things. Like Sega would walk out of the office and see the number of players in the arcades and then look over here to see a minuscule percent of players who would actually PURCHASE the game, let alone play it, and go, “Ok let’s port it. We’d lose money and it’d be a bad investment, but two Americans want to play it.” Yea right. If I worked for Sega-Japan I’d probably post in this very thread and say, “Suck our dicks bitch. WOOOOOOOO!” Howls like Wolf Hawkfield. 
Tbh I think the ones who aren’t understanding the business aspect of things are you guys…
Sales numbers are an important aspect, yes, but they aren’t the only data you should look at when considering the release of a product. As Reno pointed out, VF5 was released early on consoles, so early that they couldn’t implement any sort of network connectivity on the PS3 version, it was a straight port from the Arcades. The training mode was compromised because of this as well. Why is that? Because the PS3 was suffering bad in its first months and had only two or three strong titles, Sony approached SEGA and told them to just release it without Online anyways. Most of the userbase was in Japan anyways, and Japan could careless about Online. As a result, despite what everyone says, the game did OK there. So ok that it got the “The Best” re-release, something only games with decent sales get. Months later we got the 360 port, basically they grabbed the PS3 code, tweaked a little bit of the specifics for the 360 and replaced everything Ver. B-related by Ver. C and improved some stuff on it such as the AI and all the other extra features the 360 version has. The price for porting something from PS3 to 360? I remember reading in a Capcom interview regarding the “multiplatform trend” that for developers the added cost for porting a game to a second platform was around 10~20% more of the total development cost, not much at all considering the extra sales they can get. Again, recently VF5O achieved “Xbox Platinum” status and received a cheaper re-release. So despite whatever VGChartz may show, their data isn’t the end all be all. And don’t forget, we’re talking 2007, a very pale year for fighting gamers and a weak introductory year for many next-gen gamers, the scenario is a lot better now.
However, another factor to take in consideration is the cost. The cost for a VF5R port would be minimal. VF5R uses the exact same hardware specifics as VF5, nothing more. The code is already made, as it’s essentially the same game with a few tweaks that are already developed (it’s running in the arcades after all), so there’s very little additional expense in porting. The same thing happened with VF4Evolution and as such it was affordable to release the game at Greatest Hits’ price and still profit off it. Why wouldn’t the same thing happen with VF5R? They don’t have to sell over 1 million copies to profit off a VF5R port, in fact, with the cost being so low they can will probably profit off selling a lot less than that no problem.
Lastly, you gotta factor in the brand recognition. Virtua Fighter is a well-known franchise. Reviewers love it, and any gamer that has an interest for fighting games has heard of it. I’m not even talking about people who come to forums like this or VFDC - I’m talking about Jimmy Willy who plays with his happy friends and bitches about Throws being ‘cheap’. They might not know about R’s existance, or this “Ver. A/B/C/D” thing, but if you ask them if they have heard the name Virtua (or Virtual, lol) Fighter, they probably have. It’s a popular franchise, best-selling or not. How many FG franchises can say that? However, it’s up to SEGA to use that name for something. Market this shit, build a good training mode, talk about your awesome Online and you might very well hack up those Sales charts.
What I think is holding them back? I dunno, but I’m willing to bet it’s not simply “sales charts”.
Also before you ask me for proof on everything I said. There are a bunch of interviews out there, 1up.com, Kikizo (mostly Kikizo) and others.
I might be wrong in the end, but when I put everything together, it all makes a lot of sense to me. That’s what keeps me optimistic.
@ Dark.
I know for a fact Sega never ever intended to give VF5 online mode. Reason being, " The game would be different" stated by Sega in a old EGM magazine I have. I Guess MS changed Sega mind Though.
@ Fly mike
I Agree with you man, I’m pretty sure that’s why we STILL don’t have any news on a updated version. Sad thing is, I got a PS3 just for VF5.
I think it’s best for me to just to forget I ever played that amazing game called VF4: Evo.:sad:
I believe you’re over-analyzing the whole situation. SEGA is a business. They exist to make money. If they don’t believe a project is profitable, they’re not going to do it.
As a fighting game fan, I’d love to see it come to the United States, but it’s probably not going to happen… at least not any time soon. Obviously, not working for SEGA, I don’t know the exact situation. But my best guess would be that in our current economic state, with SF4 selling so well, and other fighting games coming out just around the corner… SEGA probably feels like VF5:R would just get stomped in the marketplace.
It sold at least 500,000 copies and was credited with helping sell PS3s because people bought PS3s specifically for VF5. Since when is 500K sales for a console with a tiny user base only decent? Sega also sold out its VSHG stock as well (though we found out the PCB wasn’t the best). So it’s not like Sega took a hit on VF5 they made a major profit because all of the hard work of making the game was done for the arcade board anyways.
So with that logic BB and KOFXII and MvC2 HD shouldn’t all come out because SFIV has been released? It’s the year of the fighter. VF5R would be all over the place if it was ANNOUNCED now and RELEASED after T6BR. They could at least announce and market it.
This was the one time where I was actually glad MS was a gaming company now. They took VF5 and paid Sega to update it for the 360 (version C) and give the game online play and then pushed the game into the WCG. MS did more for VF on consoles then Sega basically. 
This is so wrong. So with that logic because Sega is going to get “stomped” by Final Fantasy or whatever popular JRPG they shouldn’t release or make Valkyria Chronicles?
The fact is that Sega of America is going to talk to Sega of Japan about the status of the game and by the end of the month we will get a definitive word on whether or not VF5R is coming or if the VF community will basically break off into the other FG communities.
Yeah, tbh a lot of JP devs feel that Online play is “impure” apparently. I remember an Arc System Works interview last year stating that if BB was ever to come to consoles (that was before BB was announced for PS3/X360) they weren’t so sure about including online, because it would be different and not perfect (same shit SEGA stated in the past)
However when I said about “no network connectivity at all” on PS3 VF5 I’m talking about the fact there is no leaderboards or even the ability to get the game updated through any sort of dlc.
@ Dark Vincent
I see what you mean.
@ VF4
Yeah, I’m actually happy MS paid Sega for the online mode.
What? When did I say any of this? I’m only speaking to the point you made. You said why port a game when people play it in the arcade? I listed games that people play in the arcades in Japan and yet they are still porting it for Japanese consoles. Nothing more, nothing less. Did I say I didn’t think they would port BB? The fuck you talking about? I hate it when people try rebutting a point I NEVER made.
Attention cool dudes in this thread: let’s make VF5R happen.
A sticky! nice =)