Is Konami milking Suikoden?

[KFCrispy]

i don't believe Konami is milking the series as much as they did for Suikoden 2: Gaidens, cards (are they still making cards for this game?), a GBA "card story" game, and whatever else.

Suikoden 4 was not an attempt to milk the series; it was expected as is Suikoden 5 and on, until there is a game that settles the Pesmerga and Yuber conflict or whatever.. that's not necessarily true anymore since Murayama claimed it but is now gone. but if they make games afterwards like Suikoden Online with no plot, Suikoden Neo, Suikoden II-2, Suikoden 3: XL, Suikoden 4: Empires, Suikoden II Turbo: Hyper Fighting Championship Edition.. THAT'S milking the series!! Rhapsodia is the one addition that has been made to Suikoden 4, while Suikoden 2 has had several supplemental games (some which were not relevant at all - cards & GBA game).
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[Jhones]

I doubt they're miking the series at all.

Four core games, three gaiden games and one "fun" game, along with a card game doesn't equal milking.


Final Fantasy now that's milking. Twelve core games, a whole series of gaidens (The SaGa series) a mainstory sequal(X-2), two SRPGs, cellphone games, a soon to be released shooter game, two movies, an OAV series, an anime series, a hundred or so manga, more then likely several novels too... not to mention Offical books like perfect works, drafting works, art books, cell phone cards, offical Triple Triad and Quad-mist card games...
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[Shrew]

It depends on how you define "milking". If you say that it means the ideas have all been used up but still games are being made, then you might have an argument. However I disagree; Suikoden seems to still have potential, but IV was just a poor and unfortunate use of it. Of course, you can argue that every game with a sequel has "Sold OUt!" and is being "milked" but then... there are pretty much no exceptions.

I think most of us a different definition anyway, that being when I company is trying to suck ALL of the cash in from a game's popularity. That means tons of ads, random toys and products (like cereal), really crappy games made very fast, and the major sign in my eyes- Cell Phone games. Ick.

And on the other point of the Island Nations state... 150 years is not a long time. Technology doesn't move that fast, especially in a largely feudal system like this. You're thinking in modern terms, where we completely change the technology every 20 years. Prior to the industrial revolution progress was MUUUUUCH slower. The middle ages lasted hundreds of years with little improvement; the Rennasiance stepped up progress but still took a loooong time to make any major changes. The Suikoden world just moves like a medevil world- not fast on the tech.

Now there is some advanced stuff in Suikoden, but it's usually barely understood by those who use it. Only Warlock knew how rune cannons were made, and only Kamandohl knew how his engine worked. The dwarves use stuff left over from the Sindar, and don't even share much of it! With all the knowledge concentrated in a few smart minds you don't have an atmosphere conducive to advancement. You need theft and competition and ripping off to get that going.
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[Starslasher]

I don't think it's possible to milk Suikoden. You see, Suikoden's a duck, not a cow. :lol:

ok, just wanted to play around with that. Back to the real topic. No, i don't think that Konami is squeezing whatever profit that can be made from Suikoden.
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[Arenegeth]

Is Konami Milking Suikoden?

*Looks around* No they don't...

Is Konami milking Suikoden... in Japan?

*Looks at the Gaiden's, novels, cards and all apparent paraphernalia* Yes they do...

You see in the US and the rest of the world Suikoden is not popular enough to be milked but in Japan it is milked and is milked well, however more on milking.

When you are milking you have to make sure you handle the cow's eh...

Oh not that kind of milking ok then, first comparing Suikoden with Final Fantasy in relation to milking is unfair since Final Fantasy is the milked mother of the video games industry along with Resident Evil, I mean damn those two series have been milked themselves dry (especially true in the case of Resident Evil they almost lost the cow from all the milking, what you didn't notice that the cows in the beginning of Resident Evil 4 were symbolic) so comparing Suikoden a series with a niche success to the milking giants is not fair.

Second...

[Wolf Stew]

I think that by continuing the Suikoden series without Murayama (the driving force behind the first 2 games), Konami is mostly just milking its cash cow. That's not to say Konami isn't trying to make good games, but it's more of a corporate effort now......you can tell the focus of one man's vision isn't behind Suikoden anymore.

Konami's goal now is to produce a game that's good enough to keep the fanbase relatively satisified and shift units. Not that Murayama wasn't interested in shifting units, but I think he also had a story to tell, and that was a major factor in his drive to make the first 2 games.

[Zaj I mean Mike]

They cant milk Suikoden like they do to Final Fantasy. But it looks like they might be trying to prolong the series. They know that they can keep this going all the way to S20 and we would still buy them.
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[Hugo]

You are right with that point . Although I think that up to Suikoden 15 should do it . I actually don't know how Konami could end Suikoden with all questions answered and with a completion to the story . Do you think it is possible that Konami have thought that far ahead

[Urn]

Traditionally, game producers don't produce games with an ending in mind. It is more common to create a game with the possibility of a sequel unless it was intentionally meant to be a stand-alone product. I don't think Konami is milking the series, they are just sticking with what sales. There are very few original ideas in the first place. Everything needs a foundation to build off and I say if it isn't broke don't try to fix it. If it sales and it is profitable (meaning sales > cost) then they should continue to produce it as long as the quality does not sufficiently suffer. That's all I'll say about it.
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[Zaj I mean Mike]

But Suikoden does have an end in sight Luc showed it when all the 27 Rune unite. But S4 didnt bring us closer to that and it looks like nieghter will Rhapsodia.
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[Urn]

Not exactly, the vision Luc was 'given', was one of many possible endings. We cannot be sure that the True Wind Rune didn't just allow Luc to see what he wanted to see or what it wanted him to see. I also don't recall the vision being where the True Runes unite. It just showed him the possible outcome of a world totally ruled by Order. This doesn't mean that all the True Runes were together necessarily.
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[Shrew]

Besides, the theme of Suikoden has not been "Order vs. Chaos" but "Man vs. Fate". Notice that you really don't have any mention of conflict between order and chaos in the first two Suikodens. The main conflict there is Tir struggling to still do good and overcome the danger of the Soul Eater's curse. Suikoden II involves Riou's and Jowy's fight against the Rune of the Beginning. Even Suikoden III does not focus on a war between order and chaos, but on Luc trying to fight fate and the future.

While Suikoden IV fails to provide an interesting of epic setting as the old games, it still provides the same theme. Hero4 has to fight against the rune to survive, making his struggle against fate all the greater. So it really does follow a Suikoden path.

Luc's dream is just an image of unstoppable fate that all the major characters have to deal with. But it's not the only fate that is important.
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[Blackwind]

Suikoden isn't really in a postion to be milked. While the games are not a failure the frachise just does not have the clout that Castlevania and MGS have. If Konami needs to milk somthing for quik and easy profit they will just relaese Casltevania Pro Fishing on the Camecube and Came Boy SP/DS which I honestly believe would make more money then Rhapsodia will. SRPG's are not blockbusters and they never will be. The reason they milk the hell out of MGS and Casltevania is so they can risk making games like this. I think that the poeple who think that this game is a sell out are just mad that S5 will not be S4 wasn't S3 wasn't S2 wasn't S1...

Suikoden is a decade old and I can think of some series that have not aged so gracefully.
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[zeal]

i going to have to agree with blackwind totally on this one. MGS ACID and countless Casltevania games have been big sellers just from name only like Final Fantasy. Konami makes great games like these to provide games to smaller communities. Suikoden has never been a big hit. I mean as in they don't advertise it as much as MGS 5 of Castkevania ___.
I was surprised that there was three other people at my school that have played suikoden and one of those that's actually played all of them.
Suikoden isn't being milked. it can be(and i wouldn't mind) with the right advertisements and press.
If they made Suikoden: online. it would be milked but hey I WOULD BUY IT.

in the end people should be grateful that Konami is even still producing products with the Suikoden name on it.
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[Blackwind]

Suikoden: Online would be the coolest thing EVER!!!
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