[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/vr/ - Retro Games

View post   
File: 65 KB, 471x651, Koudelka.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10482268 No.10482268 [Reply] [Original]

How come SNK never became a big name in the console market like their arcade division "rivals" Namco, Capcom and Sega?
Were their non neogeo/arcade games not good enough?

>> No.10482279

Kodelka is a Sacnoth game.
Same with Falsei! and Dive Alert for NGPC
Check out Falsei! it's a good game and their first iirc.

SNK is popular enough, but didn't care about marketing overseas because they were a Yakuza company and liked to play too close to home. Simple as.

>> No.10482283

they got stuck with Neo Geo's 2D hardware for too long. their ports of fighters to PSX had atrocious loading times. they also stuck with arcade games, never really going far into console genres. Namco made it big when they released their 3D arcade games; sadly, SNK's 3D arcade board failed. then SNK bosses bet everything on Neo Geo Pocket, and that didn't end well.
and Capcom had brains not to go "arcade first", when CPS3 failed they still had enough cash from RE and Street Fighter. SNK wasn't a console company like them, they were always arcade first.

>> No.10482323

>>10482268
Talk about a game that does everything to shit on its cool factor with that SHIT ASS combat.

>> No.10482576

>>10482283
i doubt they could've afforded it, but if they figured out a way to cut down on the load times and sold the console at a cheaper or competitive price, i feel like this could've rivaled any of the other consoles at the time.

>> No.10482617

>>10482268
>How come SNK never became a big name in the console market like their arcade division "rivals" Namco, Capcom and Sega?

This is a good question. I think they might've missed the window to seize the opportunity to become a developer like that.

>> No.10482665

>>10482576
you mean Neo Geo CD?…
you know how Saturn failed? now imagine something like Saturn, but it couldn't do 3D, and 99% of the library was 2D fighters. you are telling me it ""could compete""?
unless it cost way less than PS1, no one would ever buy it. there was no point. it wasn't even a proper console, more like a CD version of a home version of an arcade.

>> No.10482949

>>10482665
I don't think the Neo Geo CD was designed as a main stream console. It was meant to appeal to the niche of people who wanted a Neo Geo in their homes, just like the AES.

>> No.10482961

they were a company that specialized in a certain product. its like asking why the video store went away. all things must pass.

>> No.10483675

>>10482279
>they were a Yakuza company
proof?

>> No.10483690

>>10482268
Because they had no original ideas and every one of their products was just a copy of existing material?

Gosh I dunno if we'll ever be able to solve this bigbrain problem anon

>> No.10483776

>>10482268
The issue was that SNK's developers only really had experience with arcade games, where the fun was in mastering short, but tough action or puzzle stages that are meant to be replayed constantly. You couldn't just switch them over to the home space and ask them to make something along the lines of Mario 64 or OoT or god forbid a JRPG that's decently balanced.
Capcom and Konami also had this same problem with their arcade divisions as the market shrank in the late 90s and they were being moved over to console games, but they had whole teams with plenty of experience to help them make the transition.

>> No.10483937

>>10483776
Konami pivoted to rhythm games like Bemani and DDR that never went away. Capcom suffered tremendously during this period and nearly went out of business in the early 00's. Business diversification is necessary for survival in this industry.

>> No.10483963

>>10483675
There's none. Just because Yakuza involves itself with companies sometimes, a few schizos think that all of Japan is run by Yakuzas.

>> No.10484035

>>10482617
I guess it's because SNK started small, they were a literally who dev until Fatal Fury and KoF. their efforts were bordering on kusoge, e.g. Ikari. they also never had any truly big hits on NES. Capcom had Mega Man and all the licensed stuff. Namco had their arcade ports and Pac-Man.
So when they hit it big with their fighters, I guess they realized that was their main bread and butter.

>> No.10484085

>>10483690
But they created a lot of ideas of their own though.

>> No.10484216

SNK always had good potential. Many times, they fell flat, sure, but they also had several hits and even managed to release a console and a handheld. Along with Hudson, they've left a positive mark in videogame history, with many titles still worth playing today. They're just not mainstream, although far from being obscure.

>> No.10485428

>>10482268
>How come SNK never became a big name in the console market like their arcade division "rivals" Namco, Capcom and Sega?
>Were their non neogeo/arcade games not good enough?

At their prime in the 90s, SNK was about as big as Capcom. They were rivals. The Neo Geo MVS and AES printed huge amounts of money for the company. The MVS especially sold like crazy worldwide. It was amazingly popular. The MVS was popular into the 2000s and SNK only stopped warranty support when CRT TV factories shut down worldwide. They could not reliably provide spare parts anymore. This put an end to the MVS's amazing (almost) 20 year run on the market. An nnheard of achievement that SNK should be proud of.

The issue is that SNK didn't use their money properly. They spent it on frivolous things like opening multiple theme parks (SNK and Neo Geo Land) in Japan that were ultimately unprofitable. Why is a mid size video game company opening theme parks? We never saw "Capcom Land" or "Konami Land" theme parks for a good reason. It doesn't make financial sense. This cost SNK millions.

The failure of the Hyper Neo Geo 64. A 3D arcade system. SNK made a huge mistake with this system. They removed the ability to have multiple cartridges plugged into the arcade board like Neo Geo MVS. Arcade operators loved SNK for having this feature in the MVS since arcade space is limited in some areas. This allowed arcade owners to having multiple games in one spot. When SNK removed this feature in the HNG64, they got rid of a major thing that appealed to arcades businesses. Without the multi-cartridge feature, SNK's HNG64 just became an ordinary arcade board like any other. Why should arcade owners buy it when other companies like Sega and Namco were far more popular?

Making the Neo Geo Pocket and trying to compete with Game Boy in 1998. Sales were low. SNK was years too late the handheld party and they didn't have a system seller like Pokémon. SNK should have released it in 1992. Not 1998.

>> No.10485741

>>10483776
Ikari Warriors was SNK's most popular and well-known NES game and Crystalis was pretty good but their stuff was mostly pretty unmemorable.

>> No.10485754

>>10482268
I watched a guy on youtube talk about that game. I never knew that it is a prequel to Shadow Hearts. Granted I never played Shadow Hearts, but still. After looking the video, I came to really enjoy the stories and I'm excited for the penny blood game the creators are making.

>> No.10485790

>>10485428
>they didn't have a system seller like Pokémon

They had SNK vs Capcom card game which was super popular, plus there were metal slug and sonic games on it too. The system was plenty popular, the problem was that they put american distribution in the hands of some imbecile company that knew nothing about videogames, and that was that. They had no budget to properly handle distribution and sales in the US by that time.

Then SNK got sold to that one pachinko maker, who only wanted to use their IP for pachinko games and nothing else, and the company died as a result. The former owner had to form Playmore and buy their properties back piece by piece over the years. It's what almost happened to Sega too.

>> No.10485851

>>10485790
>It's what almost happened to Sega too.
Isn't that exactly what happened to Sega? Samy bought them. Namco tried to buy Sega, and we almost had Namco-Sega. But Samy offered more money.

>> No.10485865

>>10485428
>and SNK only stopped warranty support when CRT TV factories shut down worldwide.
they still make new ones in China and India but they're shit, like 1980s Korean TV tier so you don't really want them anyway

>> No.10485872

Be kid anon. See kickass NeoGeo system at mall in game store in 1990. Ask parent if we might get one. Parent asks clerk for price and hears "$649". Parent laughs and walks out to tell spouse who also laughs. Few months later never see it in store again.

Many such cases.

>> No.10486054

>>10485865
Oh wow. I heard they were all gone by 2010. Guess I'm mistaken. Do you have any pictures of these Indian or Chinese CRT TVs? I would never put one in my house, but I'm morbidly curious now.

>> No.10487060

>>10485872
>Be kid anon
>See kickass NeoGeo system at mall in game store in 1990
>Ask parent if we might get one
>Parent asks clerk for price and hears "$649"
>Dad says "sure, we'll take it"
>"B-but... Dad... Why? It's too expensive!"
>"Son, hear me out: years from now, there will be a place called 4chan, and you'll dunk your Neo Geo on pseuds!"
>"W-what...?"
>"The bluepilled normies who only play on YouTube and never 1CC'd must get BTFO!"
>See my father's face getting red and his eyes becoming wild
>Start getting scared
>"Dad, I don't know what's this chan and tube stuff. What's happening to you?"
>"lmao are you gonna cry? Neck yourself, loser! Cope, seethe and dilate!"
>Clerk returns with the Neo Geo system
>"Here it is, sir!"
>Father face returns to normal, and he presents the console to me
>"Merry Christmas, son! You're a great kid, you've earned it"
>"...t-thanks..."
>"Now, let's get back home. Mom has a turkey waiting for us in the oven. I love you, son!"
>"L-Love you too, dad..."

Fond memories.

>> No.10487349
File: 86 KB, 675x227, 0ed.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10487349

>>10487060

>> No.10487353

>>10487060
Real

>> No.10487361

>>10483963
Some people even believe that gambling and pachinko machines have to do with organized crime, absolutely crazy!

>> No.10487396

>>10487361
From "organized crime have gambling dens" to "SNK was 100% Yakuza controlled" is quite a leap.

>> No.10487413

>be company known for your fighting games
>decide that competing with the Wonderswan is the best use of your popular IPs

>> No.10487415

>>10487413
The arcades and fighting games were dying out of relevancy.
It's not like they had much better use for them.

>> No.10487790

>>10485428
>and SNK only stopped warranty support when CRT TV factories shut down worldwide
Most of the factories and equipment are abandoned but still there because removing them is far too much expense. Kind of like how vinyl presses were abandoned and left in place to be rediscovered. One unfortunate exception was the Thomson plant in Indiana which was torched by a disgruntled redneck employee after they closed it.

>> No.10488113

>>10487790
>One unfortunate exception was the Thomson plant in Indiana which was torched by a disgruntled redneck employee after they closed it.
really? what a total asshole. why would you do that?

>> No.10489060
File: 191 KB, 516x484, 1699832229325481.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10489060

>>10487060
You do realize anon I am saying that my parents were laughing directly in my face about how completely ridiculous this ask was and absolutely did not purchase this for me right?

Right?

>> No.10490250

>>10489060
Don't take it personally, anon. I've been here for years, using a reply as inspiration for creating 4chan-themed stories. Are they bad? Well, yes, but isn't that a good match for our place?

>> No.10490793

>>10488113
He was a disgruntled redneck mad that he lost his job, he wasn't thinking that any autists on /vr would care about the equipment or leftover tubes in there.

>> No.10491075

>>10490793
Absolutely wrong. I, for one, believe he was an overseer of the future, and destroyed the factory with the sole purpose of teaching the people of /vr/ to rely less on technology, and more on nature. His job was nothing more than a temporary occupation and its continuing or not was of no significance to him. He was entirely conscious of his actions and their effect on our timelime, and did them hoping for the best of this board.