Pier Solar HD

[esteban]

CD+G?

Yes, I pre-pre-ordered Pier Solar (I think I was one of the first 10-15 orders) and I received a soundtrack CD that is TRULY enhanced. CD+Graphics (CD+G). When I play the CD in Sega-CD, preliminary sketches of the characters from Pier Solar are displayed as the music plays. It's pretty kool.

[PikachuWarrior]

CD+G just refers to when you play it in a computer or compatible device (JVC X'EYE plays CD+G audio discs), you get scrolling images/graphics when a certain track is playing. Sort of an older style music video.

[Joe Redifer]

Are Watermelon not RPG fans or something? Star Ocean is around 100 megs

Star Ocean is only a wimpy 48 MEGA POWER. Still smaller than Pier Solar.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Are Watermelon not RPG fans or something? Star Ocean is around 100 megs

Star Ocean is only a wimpy 48 MEGA POWER. Still smaller than Pier Solar.

1.21 JIGGAPOWER

[TurboXray]

Are Watermelon not RPG fans or something? Star Ocean is around 100 megs

Star Ocean is only a wimpy 48 MEGA POWER. Still smaller than Pier Solar.

The uncompressed rom is 100megs. Yes, there is an uncompressed rom out there because emulators at the time didn't support the additional hardware on the cart and because people where making repros for translated game.

[bartre]

Are Watermelon not RPG fans or something? Star Ocean is around 100 megs

Star Ocean is only a wimpy 48 MEGA POWER. Still smaller than Pier Solar.

The uncompressed rom is 100megs. Yes, there is an uncompressed rom out there because emulators at the time didn't support the additional hardware on the cart and because people where making repros for translated game.

Just my $.02, but the repros portion of your argument is invalid.
I've never actually looked at the rom, but provided it didn't use any other advanced hardware, that would mean that the largest eprom the system would support holds only 1 meg of data, meaning you'd have to wire up some ridiculous 100 eprom cart roughly the size of "yo' momma's ass."

[TurboXray]

^ I'm not arguing anything. Just stating some facts. And both repros and people making their own carts so they can play it on the real system (i.e. hacking donor carts that don't have the original hardware). Also, it's 100megabits uncompressed (not megabytes).

[bartre]

okay, so 12.5 megabytes.
it's still ridiculous to think that would fit into a snes cart shell.
hell, it's hilarious to see how people have done tales of phantasia SNES carts without TSOP, and that's 6 megabytes

[Arkhan Asylum]

I have Star Ocean for SFC.

Its awesome.

Just saying. 

cause, Star Ocean.

[Arkhan Asylum]

also 18 days and 40,000 jiggadollars to go.

Will they make it in time?

[Joe Redifer]

The uncompressed rom is 100megs.

But it IS compressed. Why is Star Ocean the only game we care about the uncompressed size? Many other games use compression. Oh and it's 96 MEGA POWER uncompressed. Playing through it as I am now, it sure doesn't seem like even 48 MEGA POWER. Maybe all of the Star Trek references (and the game could pass for a Star Trek game) take up all the ROMS.

[CrackTiger]

The uncompressed rom is 100megs.

But it IS compressed. Why is Star Ocean the only game we care about the uncompressed size? Many other games use compression. Oh and it's 96 MEGA POWER uncompressed. Playing through it as I am now, it sure doesn't seem like even 48 MEGA POWER. Maybe all of the Star Trek references (and the game could pass for a Star Trek game) take up all the ROMS.

Because like Tengai Makyou Zero, it uses add-on hardware compression and isn't like a regular cart game that uncompresses some graphics using only the console cpu. If you were to uncompress everything in a regular 16 meg cart game, chances are it would only be as much as 18 - 20 megs. That's not counting any space SNES samples save using adpcm samples over the pcm (or whatever) samples that are used in Genesis games. But there's no way that the SNES cpu is uncompressing cart games douhle the rom size. If it could, those two RPGs wouldn't require the additional hardware. Maybe Street Fighter Alpha 2 used add-on hardware partially to prevent piracy because of its popularity. But I don't think that entered into the decision to do hardware compression for those RPGs.

As for the content of Star Ocean, you'll have to play through it something like 100 different ways to see it all. Tengai Makyou Zero certainly has a lot of artwork in it for a cart game.

[Arkhan Asylum]

inb4they take out a 32,000$ loan to get this thing going and then rip everyone off to break even.

[TurboXray]

But it IS compressed. Why is Star Ocean the only game we care about the uncompressed size?

Because it's double the original size? I dunno. I just know that someone hacked the original rom to run the uncompressed data since the hardware on the cart wasn't emulated in like.. forEVER. So the game got a reputation for being the largest SNES cart/game.

Many other games use compression.

According to the internet, they apparently aren't as impressive as this game's compressed assets. The compression is impressive... or it's impressive compression ... or it's impressive in compression... or it's compressed impressiveness. Either way, I'm just stating some info on why people boast about the size of the game content. We can only imagine what PS size is uncompressed.

Oh and it's 96 MEGA POWER uncompressed.

Semantics. Close enough.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Compressed or not, it's still not as good as Star Ocean.


I'd take one T-Bone steak over 10 compressed salisbury ones.
 

[Arkhan Asylum]

The Magical Game Factory, WM'S MAGICAL GAME FACTORY and Pier Solar are trademarks of WaterMelon Co. All content © WaterMelon Co. 2011-2012. Mega Drive, Sega Genesis, Mega-CD, Mega CD, Mega Drive 32x, 32x, Super 32x are trademarks of SEGA Corporation. WaterMelon Co. is not licensed, sponsored or endorsed by SEGA Corporation. Super Famicom, Famicom, Super Nintendo, Super NES, NES are trademarks of Nintendo Corporation. WaterMelon Co. is not licensed, sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo Corporation. Remember: In a world where size matters, true gamers choose the true MEG power!


MEG POAWR

[Joe Redifer]

I'd take one T-Bone steak over 10 compressed salisbury ones.

I'd take a zipped ribeye steak over WinRAR'd T-bone.

[Arkhan Asylum]

"123,013$"


God dammit

These idiots are going to make it.

Whoever pledged 7500$ deserves herpes.

[Joe Redifer]

Why? It's their money.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Why? It's their money.

Anyone who's that stupid shouldn't reproduce, hence, herpes.

Or maybe VD, or some shit. 

They probably pledged it themselves on alt accounts to drum up hype.

Shit like this will be the death of homebrew.

[PikachuWarrior]

I'm rooting for them. Can't wait for the Dreamcast CE to arrive! (in at least a year from now..)

[Arkhan Asylum]

I'm rooting for them. Can't wait for the Dreamcast CE to arrive! (in at least a year from now..)

I'm not.


If it was a NEW game, maybe. 

but a dead horse being beaten, fuck no!

like 8 days left, and 12k to go.   

[Duo_R]

I think i want the DLC version. Question is will it be cheaper when released for download?

[Arkhan Asylum]

I think i want the DLC version. Question is will it be cheaper when released for download?

No, probably not.   They'll claim that their download is of the highest quality and that the bits used are produced by a titanium fusion generator, so you'll be getting the best bits ever, hence 89.99$ for a digital download.

and then they will say it's not-crackable, and someone will crack it anyways and pass it around for free.

[PikachuWarrior]

The digital copy is at $15 for Xbox and PC/Linux/Mac. I don't see where it says $90.

[Arkhan Asylum]

The digital copy is at $15 for Xbox and PC/Linux/Mac. I don't see where it says $90.

It was a joke, lol

[Arm]

 
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/573261866/pier-solar-hd-an-rpg-for-xbox360-pc-mac-linux-and

[PikachuWarrior]

sweet

[Arkhan Asylum]

I bet they pledged some of their own cash to push it over the edge and get the green light.  Probably by rolling their gem-scam funds into the mix.



AH WELL.

Like we didn't expect this kind of thing.   Too bad they don't have the balls to port it to the PCE.

I can't wait to see all of the problems that arise due to overconfidence and underestimation.

[Arm]

The sum of $150000 has been reached. Stretched goals have appeared since yesterday.

145k - Japanese Translation: Pier Solar HD now translated in Japanese, on every single platform! DONE
150k - Dreamcast Extras: 16x9 Widescreen support, VMU integration, VGA support: We are sweetening up the Dreamcast version with everything we can think of! VGA will look stunning, and with 16x9 support it will be the perfect match. We aren't leaving out anything and thats why your VMU will be integrated with Pier Solar!  DONE

160k - Pier Solar HD Directors Cut: We are going to add in tons of stuff we left out of the final version of Pier Solar due to technical limitations on the original SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis cartridge. We're talking tons of new sidequests, mini games, and never-before-heard songs!

175k - Pier Solar HD for Android & OUYA: Pier Solar HD for Android devices and the OUYA!

200k - Pier Solar HD for Wii U: Pier Solar HD for the Nintendo Wii U!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/573261866/pier-solar-hd-an-rpg-for-xbox360-pc-mac-linux-and/posts

[Arkhan Asylum]

edit: The video crashes FireFox everytime I try to watch it.

Also, does the Watermelon Game Factory have a special device that lets them just pick a system and press a button and get a version for it?  It took forever to release the Genesis one, and now its going to be on Xbox 360, Dreamcast, PC/MAX/Linux (which I can only assume will use Allegro, or some other easy cross platform library), and possibly the Wii U?

Seems awfully ambitious considering they even botched the MegaDrive one pretty good.

How do we know these cost estimates are even correct?  What if they claim all this crap, take all this money, and drop the ball again, on a way larger scale?

That would blow. 

[Arm]

I don't know much about programming but the original game has been reprogrammed to run on each of the hardwares. It's not an emu and rom that will be included with the HD version.  https://youtu.be/A-1hj4THAyw

For the remake, as there are a lot of maps in this game, the assets are being redone by several people in order to be completed within 1 year.
They asked me to handle the hd art for the characters and the cutscenes so as to remain faithful to the original designs that I had done back then.

As for the wiiu cost, you'll have to ask on their forum because I don't know that much.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I'm aware its not an emulator.  I just think its a bit of a crapshoot to whore yourself out so much to so many systems.

I also don't even want to go bother asking wtf they're doing with the Wii U.   I lost interest in their forums when they said people don't deserve nice copies of their games unless they paid way the fuck in advance.

I'd rather just watch the fireworks when their over ambitious, ego filled project faceplants again. 

I bet they will lie about the errors again too.

Pier Solar and the Great CashCows!

[futureman2000]

Yeah, and the game was cool running on Genesis hardware, with its limitations. Playing the same game on a WiiU one would have to wonder- shouldn't more thought have gone into these dungeon designs, fight mechanics, equipment balancing...

Anyway, I hope the investors remember that Kickstarter is not a store.
http://hive.slate.com/hive/made-america-how-reinvent-american-manufacturing/article/quotkickstarter-is-not-a-storequot

[Arkhan Asylum]

Yeah.

I also can't wait for the inevitable overconfidence related errors and problems that make the project stall and piss people off.

[Arkhan Asylum]

"After 2 years, 3 prints, and 8 versions of Pier Solar for the SEGA Mega Drive & SEGA Genesis - we are pleased to announce we have been hard at work on releasing Pier Solar in HD for Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux & SEGA Dreamcast. "

god fucking damn.

People have to be retarded, I swear. 

[BlueBMW]

My trouble is this.... if I ever do decide to actually play Pier Solar (which I have not, though i have a bullsh$&# reprint edition genny cart) I would love to play it on Dreamcast.   Now if I dont fund through kickstarter for a DC copy of the game, are they going to be asshats and do the whole reprint DC edition or not even sell any more copies at all?  I dont want to support them, but it feels like if I want to ever have the option to get the game on Dreamcast I basically need to "buy" it now through their kickstarter or forever be screwed / gouged for it.

[Mathius]

My trouble is this.... if I ever do decide to actually play Pier Solar (which I have not, though i have a bullsh$&# reprint edition genny cart) I would love to play it on Dreamcast.   Now if I dont fund through kickstarter for a DC copy of the game, are they going to be asshats and do the whole reprint DC edition or not even sell any more copies at all?  I dont want to support them, but it feels like if I want to ever have the option to get the game on Dreamcast I basically need to "buy" it now through their kickstarter or forever be screwed / gouged for it.

I want to play this on my DC (hopefully with the bugs fixed/rebalanced leveling) which is why I funded them through KS. It would be a very grim shame if they only offer this via the user funding them. Unlike most of the people offering their $$ I just want to play it. I bet the majority of people funding are ebayers.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Its likely that they'll only fund the people who pledge, and fuck everyone else over.

[BlueBMW]

Its likely that they'll only fund the people who pledge, and fuck everyone else over.

This is precisely what Im afraid of...  give the fucktards money or get fucked later.  Its a damn shame.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I can see it happening.  Followed by being told you don't deserve it if you didn't preorder.

[PikachuWarrior]

Nah, I'm sure they will make it available later on, whether it's a reprint of what was available on kickstarter (by labelling it that), or some other method to distinguish the versions.

[NecroPhile]

Agreed - those guys ain't gonna leave money on the table and pass on a chance to sell yet another reprint.  And even if they do, there's always CDRs.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Nah, I'm sure they will make it available later on, whether it's a reprint of what was available on kickstarter (by labelling it that), or some other method to distinguish the versions.

Yeah.  That's what they like to do.   Reprint the living shit out of it to make it seem like it's some hot-as-fuck item.

When really, they could have just produced a lot the first time around.

The cost to go from 300 to 500 discs for example, is like 30$.

They will of course print the bare ass minimum, sell out and go OMG WERE THE BIGGEST, BESTEST EVER.  LETS REPRINT!!1!!!2

then they will take peoples money, reprint it with some hokey ass shit all over the box and then do it again

and again

and again

IMO, They are now worse than SFT in terms of sheer stupidity.

[Arm]

$165k reached O:)

[Arkhan Asylum]

$165k reached O:)

Can you post something else besides update propaganda for the enemy?

[NecroPhile]

Can you post something else besides update propaganda for the enemy?

Can you post something else besides pissing and moaning about 'em?  We get it, you don't like them.

[jeffhlewis]

They will of course print the bare ass minimum, sell out and go OMG WERE THE BIGGEST, BESTEST EVER.  LETS REPRINT!!1!!!2

then they will take peoples money, reprint it with some hokey ass shit all over the box and then do it again

and again

and again

Again - it's their project. If they can sell copies, let them sell copies. I fail to see how this affects you directly. If you don't like it don't buy it and stop whining about it.

[Joe Redifer]

Can you post something else besides update propaganda for the enemy?

This made me LOL.

[Arm]

Ok, I stop.