Osamu Komuta as the man behind new direction

[KC_MCDOHL]

I was refering to JiggleBiscuits about the troll remark. I lumped him and yourself in the same category. For implying you said something you never, I apologise. However, I still stand by the rest of what I said. I have spoken to many Suikoden fans who have either left Suikosource, or refuse to join, because of the atmosphere here. This has been going on for a while but, more recently, the two of you have been quoted as the reason.


The ideas you come up with (about Komuta) are good ideas. That is one way of going about it, although I find them a bit extreme. I do feel, even for those that are very angry at Komuta, we have to treat the subject with a bit tact, fairness and sensitivity. That it just my outlook, however.

I have already came up with one other idea which is in one of my previous posts.

[JiggleBiscuits]

tiki, I don't think you have the right to tell anyone to 'chilax' in Suikosource. You and JiggleBiscuits have done nothing but create an unpleasant atmosphere that has caused other users to not contribute out of fear. Its also caused fans looking to sign up to Suikosource to think twice.

I highly doubt you can provide proof of that.

Also, I have spoken up about something negative that I feel extremely strongly about.

That is not trolling.

The man inserted a new world and mythology over the previous one which was already established, against the wishes of Konami, simply to stroke his own ego and managed to turn it into the worst selling game of the series so far.

There is no question this is the wrong direction for the series and this person needs to go.

Also - this:

I am definitely disappointed that the game isn't a "main" Suikoden, and hope Komuta has wisen up since Tierkreis, but if he hasn't...then for you and JiggleBiscuits' sake, I almost want this game to sell so well that moving forward, the whole series will be based on the Tierkreis world! The meltdown would certainly be amusing to see.

is trolling.

[KC_MCDOHL]

I can provide proof and will do so, if needed. And you have been trolling, far more than doaster.

[Feldoon]

So, are we going to make some sort of stand against Komuta? Make our feelings known?

Please, yes.

Gods please yes.

[JiggleBiscuits]

I can provide proof and will do so, if needed. And you have been trolling, far more than doaster.

Go ahead.

I wasn't aware caring that the series is getting butchered, and wanting to return it to its former glory was trolling.

And yes, a united stand so this guy gets ousted is what is immediately needed at this time.

[Rooks]

KC Has proof. We have been quietly setting up Facebook networks of Suikoden Fans, and in his discussions with them, KC found that many were scared of registering and posting on Suikosouce because of the negativity and vitriol of certain users.

In any event. I will not hit Komuta's personal FB with insults. However, I doubt this is what KC has in mind, so lets listen to what he has to say. I think if we are polite and caring, while being assertive about the fact that we strongly disagree with the new Direction Tierkreis took, maybe this could work.

Also, this leads us to the statement that "Suikoden Team was Disbanded." I can't seem to find it, but someone (was it patapi?) mentioned that this could be refering to Komuta being kicked off of the Suikoden team. This is an interesting idea, I think they were onto something. Of course it is all conjecture, but it sounds like a reasonable explanation as to why we got what some saw as bad news so quickly before we received this good news.

*Edit*

There is no reason to have Mr Komuta "Ousted." Seriously, someone losing their job is a terrible thing, and I don't want to see him go through that just because he made some stupid statements and made a bad game. If we are gonna hit his wall or anything of the sort, we need to leave the personal venom out of it completely, otherwise, we make fools of ourselves and the Suikoden fanbase.

[KC_MCDOHL]

Its your way of going about that passion that is unsavoury. As I said, you have been far more a nuisance than doaster yet its okay for you to give him it in the neck? If the moderators of this site require proof of these complaints then I have no problems passing them along. Its not my place to decide wether you merit being booted or not, though.


I dont think attacking Osamu personaly is going to achieve anything. I think we are better off campaigning as normal and letting our fears known to Konami.

*Edit*

There is no reason to have Mr Komuta "Ousted." Seriously, someone losing their job is a terrible thing, and I don't want to see him go through that just because he made some stupid statements and made a bad game. If we are gonna hit his wall or anything of the sort, we need to leave the personal venom out of it completely, otherwise, we make fools of ourselves and the Suikoden fanbase.

I agree completely.

However:

We could make a thread dedicated to complaints to/about Osamu Komuta and I can post the link to him personaly? Does that idea resonate with anyone?

[Piisuke]

If we do so, at least make it coherent. Don't post things like tiki and JiggleBiscuit have been posting in these topics. Don't say things like "Tierkreis was crap, lololol. Not a real Suikoden. Only Suikoden VI is good. lolol"

Not that I doubt you were thinking of doing that, but I just thought I'd point that out .

[patapi]

So this person is confirmed to be back for Tsumugareshi?

I thought he is now with the team that is working on Frontier Gate. Being a new IP, seems like the perfect solution to his ideas about not having to build on an existing world.

Where's the guy behind Suikoden V anyway? He did a brilliant job with it, unless you are one of those who will only not despise a Suikoden installment if and only if Murayama was a part of it.

[daoster]

You seem to be repeating the argument that we thought Konami was making, that a game like Tierkreis will sell more than a proper entry in the series. This argument never made the slightest bit of sense to me. How is making an RPG more generic and, if you ask me, just all around worse, going to make it sell better? You think people are actually intimidated by a game with a backstory? How many Suikoden series reviews have you read that said "good game, but you really need to have played the others to enjoy it"? I've never read one, probably because that's never how the games have been designed. But if someone is going to see a game from a franchise they recognize but have never played and throw their hands up saying they're not going to play this one either they would have done the exact same thing with Tierkreis.

This argument never made sense to me, and now we're learning that it was just a myth. And what was the result? Tierkreis selling worse than V despite being sold under much more favorable conditions, and btw, a late PS2 game would have made much more profit per sale than a DS game, especially considering the high media/licensing cost for DS carts. Sure, Tierkreis would have had a smaller budget, but somehow I think Konami could get away with selling a mainline game with a more conservative budget, but maybe Konami doesn't realize this.

Look at it this way, Tierkreis made almost all of its Japanese sales within its first month of availability, then dropped like a rock. Why do you think this is? My feeling is that a lot of hardcore fans swiped it up as soon as it was out, then word got out what the game was actually like. Let's see if anyone makes THAT mistake again.

Anyway, I don't get how you can claim that mainline Suikoden games don't sell enough copies then turn around and say Tierkreis did just fine when it did worse. Are you just being defensive because you liked the game or something?

In fact, I have not said that Tierkreis or a Tierkreis-like game would sell better than a mainline Suikoden game. I've merely commented that as we are quickly approaching the 10 year mark since the last "present" day game (Suikoden III) and that it will be an increasingly tough sell to make a game that takes place in the main world and takes place after III. Heck, it's been 5 years since V, and if they're going to make a follow up after the PSP game, it'd most likely be in 2013, which would be 7 years after V, and 11 years after III! And that's being optimistic! The time gulf is only going to increase from here on out.

And I don't believe I've claimed that Suikoden games don't sell enough? So I don't know where that came from. I mentioned that despite selling worse (slightly worse, mind you) than Suikoden V, Konami themselves cited that it was a strong performer for the company on that particular financial year. Strong enough to green light a new Suikoden game, we have now discovered. But I shouldn't listen to Konami and listen to you right?

For the record, I abhorred Tierkreis. Didn't even finish the game myself, and I don't think I've defended the game on any other grounds other than the bottom line for Konami. But that doesn't mean I can't be blunt about what I see. The gulf between Suikoden II and III was roughly 4 years, and even that felt like an eternity...but at that point Konami was smart enough to release plenty of side items that helped fleshed out the world that made the wait more bearable (and not to mention, keep Suikoden in the minds of gamers...). Trying to sell a sequel to a series that you've largely ignored for 5 years is a tough sell, especially in the current business climate for the Japanese gaming industry!

And by the way...about games selling super well the first month in Japan and dropping off the radar quickly after that...with the exceptions of some series such as Mario or Monster Hunter, MOST games seem to follow that trajectory in Japan.

[JiggleBiscuits]

There is no reason to have Mr Komuta "Ousted." Seriously, someone losing their job is a terrible thing, and I don't want to see him go through that just because he made some stupid statements and made a bad game.

That is precisely the reason to fire him.

Incompetence.

[caspiancomic]

Y'know, I really thought after a few days tempers would break, and everyone who was foaming at the mouth would have cooled off a few degrees. I don't know what's in your guys' diets that you can stay this angry for this long, but it must take enormous amounts of energy.

Anyway, about this Komuta business, we seem to be getting ahead of ourselves in believing that we really definitely can do something about it, and that it's just a matter of which thing we ought to do. I've known public outcry to get people to step down from (or get forcibly ejected from) positions in companies in the face of huge PR nightmares or what have you, but I don't know that there's a precedent for a company firing one of its employees because their ostensible fanbase threw a great big tantrum. And in any case, even if it were possible, I'm certainly not in favour of getting the guy fired, or publicly executed, or whatever. Maybe it's just the Canadian in me, but I sort of feel bad picking on the guy, regardless of how negative an impact we perceive him to have had on our pet video game franchise. He was tasked with taking on what was probably a very daunting project, and found a way to relieve himself of a bit of the burden and try to make the best game he possibly could. Sure, the reaction to his end product wasn't ideal, but it was an experiment, and I can't really bring myself to really dislike him for it. I actually sort of feel bad for him.

I have no problem with this guy personally, and I think his efforts on Tierkreis, while admittedly misguided, produced a game that wasn't a complete waste of at least my time. I wouldn't even have a problem with him directing the new game, provided he's developed a better understanding of what makes the series tick. As far as "strategies" go for the fan community, I suppose I'm most in favour of contacting Komuta directly, if possible, with our concerns about the continuation of the numbered series. I think a bit of understanding, rather than a lynch mob, will get the job done better. You catch more flies with honey than etc etc.

And for what it's worth, I added my own drop to the proverbial bucket on Twitter. Hopefully this little campaign will gather some kind of recognition.

[Darkbeat]

First of all, from what I know it's highly unlikely Komuta is double-jobbing. This is a rare thing in gaming to begin with, but with Konami it's almost unheard of outside of multiple projects within the same series (See: MGS).

Second of all, to call for Komuta's head is brash and pointless at this stage. Suffice it to say, his opinions were at a time when he fully believed they would be right. Tierkreis has since been and gone and while the sales met expectations within Japan, the feedback from across the board has clearly been mixed. Konami won't take a gamble that this time will be any different but will naturally try to return to the tried and tested formula.

With this in mind, I think we should be aiming for two different though related campaigns (listed in order of importance);

1. Let Konami know what direction we would like to see the series going in. I know some people would like to see the series brought to a swift conclusion, but Konami are genuinely hoping to see it continue for at least the forseeable future (possibly in the hopes of cornering the lucrative JRPG market while SquareEnix flounders and/or at the start of the next gen). This being the case, I think we should set aside aspirations for Harmonia for now and simply look towards building on the main world outside of that. As has been suggested in other threads, wars like the succession war are a good start.
Either which way we should be contacting them and giving them ideas. Constructive ideas. Not angry ideas filled with childish/petulant threats and wrath. Ideas that are clearly presented, friendly in tone/nature and give the appearance of a shared desire to see this series go from strength to strength.

2. Increase interest in the series and let Konami see/know that it would be financially viable to localize this game and future installments also. It's difficult to recommend them doing a full localization of the game to send it out to die on the PSP in the West, which is bad right now but could well be worse post-Vita. But there are other options such as digital release through PSN/XBLA or other system ports. What we need to do is tell Konami to "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY POTCH", ie, express great interest and excitement about seeing a new installment to the series, give suggestions as to how they could improve the series (see #1) and let them know we fully intend to support them financially if they do make the tough business decision to bring it over.

Basically what I'm suggesting here is that the Tiki/JiggleBiscuit brand of whining is like a trap door in a canoe. If we want things to change then we have to create a climate to make that possible. Konami aren't going to listen to wrathful complaints from people who would fire their members of staff. Nor should they.

P.S. Many thanks to Vextor for the translated line, I made a deposit on Twitter myself. I recommend everyone get on there and follow the new account (and the official Konami Twitter accounts) and do the same

[tiki]

If we do so, at least make it coherent. Don't post things like tiki and JiggleBiscuit have been posting in these topics. Don't say things like "Tierkreis was crap, lololol. Not a real Suikoden. Only Suikoden VI is good. lolol"

I don't see the problem with this

Tierkreis was crap, Komuta admits it's not a Suikoden and only Suikoden VI or another game set in the Suikoden world would be good as a Suikoden game

no one should have to sugarcoat their intentions after his whining that he knew people liked the main storyline and he knew that's what Konami knew the fans wanted, but it just wasn't acceptable to him

the only thing acceptable to me is making sure he has nothing to do with any game that contains 'Suikoden' in the title ever again

he is literally the main reason we did not get a Suiko-verse game released 2 years ago and why the possibility even exists that this new game may not be Suiko-verse

There is no reason to have Mr Komuta "Ousted." Seriously, someone losing their job is a terrible thing, and I don't want to see him go through that just because he made some stupid statements and made a bad game. If we are gonna hit his wall or anything of the sort, we need to leave the personal venom out of it completely, otherwise, we make fools of ourselves and the Suikoden fanbase.

he deprived us of an actual Suikoden game intentionally and willingly to make his own game

I have no problem if he goes on to make different games for Konami, but he simply cannot be allowed to remain in any sort of capacity when Suikoden games are made

he has proven he cares nothing for the series except as a vehicle through which to make his own world, he doesn't deserve a chance to redeem himself in the community's eyes when someone who truly cares for the storyline could be hired in his place

even if he were to promise to make a Suiko-verse game I do not trust he would not screw it up as much as he screwed up Tierkreis's story

[KC_MCDOHL]

I think your missing the big picture here. Mr. Komuta didnt exactly make his own game instead of a Suikoden game. Konami wanted him to lead an RPG project for the DS, which is what he did. It was Konami's decision to slap Suikoden on the title at a later date. Your making it sound like he ordered Konami to make Teirkries and then ordered them to make it part of the Suikoden world so he could change Suikoden to what he wanted. He may have pushed for Tierkreis to be a Suikoden game but I dont think the blame soley rests on him. I think its naive to believe so.

Mr. Komuta was then simply trying to defend his actions with words, which you cant blame him for really. He was trying to give the game some selling power prior to release. He wouldn't be doing his job properly otherwise.

You have to remember also that Konami are well aware of Tierkreis reaction amongst fans, both inside and outside of Japan. I highly doubt they are going to continue with Komuta's vision of Suikoden after that ...especially when considering that Tierkreis was not originaly meant to be a Suikoden.

Also, Mr komuta has come a long way since then. I have spoken to him alot over the past 10 months, and please bare this in mind, he has often told me that he now wishes to respect fans opinions regarding the Suikoden series. He also said he would use me as a reference to what Western fans really want. I should also add that he used a Japanese/English dictionary so he could read, and reply to, my emails.

That, to me, shows not only dedication to the fan base but also a willingness to make things right.