Who decides what makes it onto a game compilation disc?

[50s Brawler]

I'm really, really interested in knowning this because half the time I'm like WTF? when I see missing titles that should be on the compiler discs (like Taito Legends or Capcom Classics Collection), or at least question the reasons certain games got picked over other ones. Is it some shmoe in the marketing department who's not really into games at all AND THINKS something will sell better than another title? ...or is it people who actually sit there and think it out? Do the fans ever really get a say so in what "should be" released? I know in Japan (and this isn't a stab at America or anything, but it's true) the gaming populous will fill out those surveys and get things done, whereas traditionally most US gamers throw stuff out.

For example I can't understand how something like "Gladiator" got onto the Taito Legends Vol. #1, but Ninja Warriors didn't, or Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga III. I mean I love Rainbow Islands don't get me wrong, but I'd have rather had L.S.A. SQUAD than that particular title. Anyone else feel the same way? Or heck just look at Capcom Classics Vol #2. I liked most of what was on there, but I'd have rather had AREA 88 (UN Squadron) over Eco Fighters and so on and so on. Shoot I'm praying for a Capcom Classics Vol. #3, but I'm not holding my breath, and just for a lineup on something like that I envision stuff like the following:

VOL. #3:
--------

*AREA 88
*Carrier Airwing
*19XX: War Against Destiny
*Battle Arena TOSHINDEN 2
*D&D: Shadows over Mystara
*D&D: Tower of Doom
*Dynasty Wars
*Final Fight 2
*Final Fight Tough (3)
[hey they put Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts on #1]

*Final Fight Revenge
*Muscle Bomber
*Super Muscle Bomber

etc, etc. I know that Capcom has a thing about not wanting to pay royalties for D&D or AVP but still. Those discs would sell I'd think, but then I'm a gamer not a business man so I dunno. Anyone actually know who decides the selections? Cause half the time it doesn't make much sense to me.
:snipersmile:

[Emuaust]

A big amount of the time there is a licence issue, they run out.

I do see your point though but i dont think campcom is the real obvious choice
for complaints here, honestly what the hell is the go with the shitty selections
sega do for compilations? What we will ignore games we do own the IP for,
that did make us a successful company.

[Technosis]

I'm really, really interested in knowning this because half the time I'm like WTF? when I see missing titles that should be on the compiler discs (like Taito Legends or Capcom Classics Collection), or at least question the reasons certain games got picked over other ones. Is it some shmoe in the marketing department who's not really into games at all AND THINKS something will sell better than another title? ...or is it people who actually sit there and think it out?

Excellent topic 50s Brawler! I've wondered the same thing. Perhaps they are holding back in case they want to bring out another compilation volume and still want some popular titles for it?

[Xexyz]

Actually, there's a good reason Area 88 and Carrier Airwing weren't included in the first two compilations, and will most likely stay that way in reguards to future compilations. They are licensed games, based off an anime produced by Daipro in the 80's. Much like your examples of AvP and the D&D titles, Capcom can't include them unless they want to pay royalties out of their ass.

[Three-P]

Still, it'd be good to see the other Final Fight games in a future compilation. And, while they're at it, maybe they should also throw in the original Super Street Fighter II, Street Fighter III, Night Warriors, and both of the Megaman arcade games.

[theshizzle3000]

Hell they could make one with just the final fight games on it and I would probably pay a good amount for it. It beats trying to find the games in the wild.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

Capcom have separate classics series for their Megaman and 2D fighter games, so I wouldn't expect to see those on Capcom Classics disc along with shooters or other arcade games like that. Actually,I wish they'd do the same thing more widely, like having the Final Fight collection shizzle suggested or at least a 2d brawler collection. Shooter collection, etc.

Anyway, I wouldn't complain much about the classic collections anymore. AT least they tend to have a decent amount of games these days compared to the ones that were coming out a few years ago.

I wonder how hard it would be to shop around to a bunch of the smaller classic arcade developers and get the rights to put out a disc that brought to gether a bunch of the stuff that wasn't released by Capcom, Konami, Sega, Atari, etc. That'd be cool. I guess it's what MAME is for, though.


...word is bondage...

[Iron Draggon]

I imagine that sometimes it's an issue of what will fit on the disc... they may set a limit, and then decide what combination of games will allow them to fit the most on the disc, or maybe the reason that one oddball got thrown in with all the true classics instead of another true classic is simply because the oddball would fit on the disc and the other true classic wouldn't... otherwise it could be a licensing issue, or as mentioned previously they're holding out the rest for another compliation disc that they have planned in the future...

as for Sega, why the hell don't they ever put Turbo on a compilation disc? that game was popular as hell in the arcades, but they never go back that far... ditto for SubRock 3D, although that one is somewhat understandable because of the technology used... no, they just keep giving us the same few classics over and over again... do we not all have them all in one form or another already? Afterburner 2, Galaxy Force 2, etc... what the hell ever happened to the prequels to those games? why are they never included?

I think Taito is doing a pretty good job on their compilations, but Namco's compilations leave alot to be desired... always the same few PacMan games and then a bunch of really obscure shit... do they not have more to offer than just PacMan and a bunch of really bizarre shit? it's true that Taito is including alot of really bizarre shit too, when they could be including so many more true classics, but their game catalog is so huge, they're bound to have more compilations with some of the other classics planned for the future...

Capcom I can't really complain about too much, but it would be nice if they'd re-release all their licensed games too... they're bound to be able to afford it

Nintendo needs to get off their ass and join the party... without Mario... the usual Mario games have been done and re-done to death already... whatever happened to Donkey Kong? they could have a really great disc of nothing but Donkey Kong games, but they just keep giving us fucking Mario over and over

some SNK compilations would rock... if they would do some compilations as well as Capcom has, they'd make a great compliment to Capcom's offerings

Williams/Midway has done a pretty good job lately, but it took them forever to do it... they were doing the same thing that Sega is still doing now... just giving us the same few classics over and over again... I'm glad they woke up

Atari could be giving us alot more than they have so far... where the hell is it?

one thing I'd like to see is more complete series on one disc... they're finally starting to do this in Japan now, so hopefully the idea will catch on here in the US soon, but I wish they'd get with it already... not that I don't already have most of the games in every series there is, but there's often one game missing because it was either never ported to a console or it was ported to a console that I don't own... and I'm not buying anymore consoles just so I can play one old classic... I'll just play it on an emulator while I continue to wait

now what would be really cool is if companies would just start releasing their entire archives... they could do it year by year or in groups of years... what a joy that would be... and what a great way to do what ROM hoarders have been having to do for them for years now... preserving their entire history!

[Captain Wrong]

My guess?

Lack of a renuable license. As has been mentioned, no one wants to pay to renue a license. So don't count on licensed games.

Technological ability to emulate/port title. Some games still can't be done, or can't be done to the point a company is satisfied with the results.

Percieved popularity. Yes, I know some real obscurities get in, but for the most part it seems like they aim for the lowest common denominator.

Greed. You're never going to see a Nintendo comp because they can keep on getting people to rebuy their old games at $5-$30 a shot.

I know there's exceptions, but 9 times out of 10, these rules apply. Retro comps are probably looked at as pure profit by these companies and they seem to want to do as little as possible to put them out. It's always easy to wish for more, but I've learned by now to set my expectations low and then be suprised rather than set them high and be dissapointed.

[Griking]

Its like when you sell a bunch of old games on eBay. Do you blow your load and put all of your big money games on one auction or do you make a few auctions, each with a few A+ games and a few filler carts?

it's called marketing. Capcom could easily fit their entire library of classic games onto one DVD but if they did that what would they put in Classic Collection 3 and 4 and...

[Sothy]

Griking speaks true.

They put out one or 2 Triple A titles and then fill the rest with mediocre stuff to keep the compilation series going.

[NE146]

Well.. Taito did it one way. They just changed every single collection they had to the point that none are the same!

I mean, Taito Legends 1 & 2, do not have the same games as Taito Memories 1 & 2... which is real strange as you'd think they'd be the same. They're not.

Same for the PSP and pc versions. It's to the point you need to get every single one of them domestic and import if you want it complete. :(

[Wavelflack]

"I can't understand how something like "Gladiator" got onto the Taito Legends Vol. #1, but Ninja Warriors didn't."


I guess because Gladiator is incredibly cool, and if you take away the multiscreens, Ninja Warriors isn't.

I think a bigger question for me is why there is no Frontline, but three Space Invaders titles.

And yes, I know it's supposed to be on volume 2...if we ever get it.

[ProgrammingAce]

Welcome to Xbox Live Arcade/Nintendo Virtual Console/Sony Connect, where you can now pay $5-15 for each one of the titles you love. Hope you enjoy your stay!

Sincerely,
- The Gaming Industry

[50s Brawler]

Actually, there's a good reason Area 88 and Carrier Airwing weren't included in the first two compilations, and will most likely stay that way in reguards to future compilations. They are licensed games, based off an anime produced by Daipro in the 80's. Much like your examples of AvP and the D&D titles, Capcom can't include them unless they want to pay royalties out of their ass.

I knew that AREA 88 was a licensed game but what Japanimation series and/or OVAs or theatrical animated film did U.S. NAVY / Carrier Air Wing come from? I always took it to be a spiritual sequel to AREA 88 but having nothing to do with an Anime license. If not A88 at least Capcom could release Carrier Air Wing.

-----------------------------------
Thanks for all the responses so far, I guess "royalties" basically kills anything that MADE certain companies in the past then. With the ridiculous demand die hard gamers have made over the last decade alone, you'd think it be worth it to pay whatever the royalties are and release some Super Compiler disc, then retail that bastid at like $40.00 or something. It's not like the companies (be it Capcom, Taito, Konami, etc.) would be aiming this at Johnny Come Lately anyhow, it be for the die hard demographic that (I'd like to think anyhow) would buy it up. Then again with a lot of ppl having this stuff on MAME or the ROM BOX maybe they wouldn't.


"I can't understand how something like "Gladiator" got onto the Taito Legends Vol. #1, but Ninja Warriors didn't."

I guess because Gladiator is incredibly cool, and if you take away the multiscreens, Ninja Warriors isn't. I think a bigger question for me is why there is no Frontline, but three Space Invaders titles.

And yes, I know it's supposed to be on volume 2...if we ever get it.

Hey no complaint on the coolness factor of "Gladiator" as I wasted about $25.00 on it over the course of 4 days in 1988 or '89 at a local Diamond J's Arcade Room in my youth, but I found Ninja Warriors (espeically with it's electronica soundtrack *track 1 baby!) to be more my cup of tea, and a lot of other gamers I've spoken with feel the same way. Frontline no doubt is on Vol.2 but see that's where again, while I love that game, I'd rather have their 1986 game L.S.A. SQUAD / Storming Party, which was a retweak on Capcom's "Battlefield of the Wolf / Commando" game from the previous year except with vehicles one could jump into, and IMO a much better game. KLOV says it was in wide release, but most I've talked with never saw it much less heard of it. Seems to me if you're going to release an "obscure" title, why not one that went a little farther than Frontline?

But we all have our prefrences anyhow, no harm in that right? I'm more miffed that Konami has never released some kind of "Action Compiler" with the following games on it:

Contra,
Super Contra
Green Beret (Rush 'N Attack)
Devastators [version. X]
GI JOE
Sunset Riders
TMNT
TMNT 2: Turtles In Time

...but I doubt we'll ever see this and that makes me a little sad quite frankly. Sure I have some of these games on MAME and at one time I personally owned more than a few of the PCBs, but I'd honestly pay $50.00 for the above mentioned "Dream Konami Action Collection"
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w318/50s_Brawler/MG42.gif

[Push Upstairs]

I don't think Konami has the rights to use the Ninja Turtles theme song anymore...which is why I think they altered the audio on the games when they put them on those newer TMNT games.

"Turtles in Time" just ain't the same without that sweet, sweet music.

[whoisKeel]

Welcome to Xbox Live Arcade/Nintendo Virtual Console/Sony Connect, where you can now pay $5-15 for each one of the titles you love. Hope you enjoy your stay!

Sincerely,
- The Gaming Industry

Exactly. This is what I'm afraid of. It very well could end up that buying classic games individually is the only way to get them. I hope not.

I thought the first couple Midway compilations were good. I have the first Capcom one...what's the problem? There's like 8 games on that $20 disc I play....

The Megaman disc was also good.