Any of you who might be participating in Operation Blinking Mirror, here is the information you'll need below to send in your Suikoden material. If you don't know what Operation Blinking Mirror even is, it is an attempt to get Konami of Japan to notice their fan base and to bring Suikoden 1 and 2 to other formats such as Xbox Live, PSN, iOS, Android and other formats that need good ports. Development of a new Suikoden 6 game would be a nice addition too. So without further delay, here is a post I received from Dan on Facebook.
"Many of you have been wondering what address we'll be using for this campaign. After leveraging several options, we've finally arrived at the following:
Fumiaki Tanaka Konami Digital Entertainment 9-7-2, Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-8324 Japan
That's right, we'll be targeting Fumiaki Tanaka, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, himself!
On a related note, only twenty-seven days remain until Operation Blinking Mirror is set to begin. Start getting those submissions ready!"
Dan
So there you have it, we now have less than one month, as the time frame is set between December 10th-12th for you to send in your material, being fan letters, cosplay performances, self made CDS and so fourth. Also join us on Facebook and make some new friends!
If you are a fan of the Suikoden series, then may this post find you, and find you well. Operation Blinking Mirror, which is somewhat of an extension effort from the Revival Movement started a while back, now has 40 days left for you to prepare any material you plan on sending in. This includes such items as CDs with your own elements included with it, artwork, cosplay pictures, self made posters, and event just a letter will do. Whatever you can come up with, mail it to Konami of Japan on December 10th. The effort behind this is crystal clear, Blinking Mirror (along with myself) are trying to get Konami's attention to bring back Suikoden in various ways.
Suikoden I & II on formats like Xbox Live, PSN, iOS, Android and even Steam would be a terrific first start. A new Suikoden 6 game considered for production would be another nice addition. The hope is that once Konami sees how dedicated their fan base is, that they will give the series another serious look. Suikoden has been sitting on the shelf for far too long, and needs to make a serious comeback in the worst way. If you would like to get in on the cause, as I hope you would, feel free to do so as you have 40 days to prepare for it. The official Facebook page for Operation Blinking Mirror will give you some more insight. Also don't forget to hang out in the Revival Movement page to chat with your friends, and share your thoughts, as well as your material for both pages. Cheers!
I'm a bit late on this one, as I have been very busy. But at the end of last month, the poll at Operation Rainfall ended, with the results being quite impressive. The poll taking place between Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki and Beyond the Labyrinth had been quite a showdown, but in the end there can be only one victor. Suikoden took the lead, and by quite a decent percentage. Here are the final results for those of you who didn't have a chance to catch up.
Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki (55%, 7,180 Votes)
Beyond the Labyrinth (45%, 5,850 Votes)
As you can see, Genso Suikoden took the lead by at least 10%, a Playstation Portable title that took off in Japan of 2012 and the attempt is to get this one localized to the Western part of the world. The PSP is one of my personal favorite all time systems, and probably like you I believe it hasn't gotten the attention it needs for we the fans. On a secondary note, if you yourself are a Suikoden fan, then once again feel free to get in on the cause at both the Revival Movement, and Operation Blinking Mirror.
The attempt at both Facebook page projects is to get Konami to take a hard second look at the Suikoden series and bring it back. Both by making a Suikoden 6 game, and by bringing mega hits like Suikoden 1 and 2 to other formats like Playstation Network, Xbox Live, Steam, iOS, Android, and whatever other formats if possible. Will Konami listen?, well so far at least the UK branch of them have listened to the fans. This December when Operation Blinking Mirror is in its final phase, perhaps Konami Japan will do the same.
The Revival Movement presses on, and by now the UK division of Konami has taken some attention to the cause behind it all. Back when it was started, it was only a blip on the radar, and thanks to efforts of those who care enough, we are making some waves. The Suikoden game series has suffered a lack of new games, and a lack of taking the first 2 titles and bringing them to other formats like Xbox Live, PSN, Android, iOS and so on. Hopefully that will change one day, as Konami UK has issued some kind statements in that regard. Let's take a look at what they posted recently.
"We love our communities, and often find ourselves overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, passion and creativity shown off by fans of our many game series."
"One such group isthe increasingly popularSuikoden Revival Movementthat forms a base which fans of the classic Suikoden RPG games can discuss the past, present and future of the series whilst also showing off some truly epic fan-art and cosplay. The main aim of the movement however is to bring Suikoden back into the consciousness of the wider gaming community so that a wider audience can celebrate the game."
"Although the last Suikoden game was released in the UK way back in 2006, the group still strives to achieve their goal posting regular articles and holding frequent competitions for members to engage with. As such, we decided to give them the floor to explain why Suikoden is so close to their hearts, why it stands out among other games and why it should be offered to a much wider audience. Below is how they responded."
The members of the Revival Movement were allowed to respond to Konami's statements, and so they did, in a very lengthy manner. Hey!, if they give you the microphone, take your time speaking into it I say. So this is their response.
“At the Suikoden Revival Movement, often the first question we are asked is: “why Suikoden?” implying that out of all the classic RPGs that could be revived, why select Suikoden and only Suikoden as our focus? To answer that question requires length, as we love this series so much that the answers are often fumbled and rambling, as if we were asked to explain why we love our own dog. Moreover, like all great games, Suikoden has many things about it that are deeply personal, and we alone could never know what scene or character touched the hearts of every fan of the series, nor could we ever know what Suikoden means to every member of our movement.
To put it plainly: the Suikoden series are not just great games, but a great Konami games. Konami has made a good habit of releasing titles that work to innovate the genres that they fall into. As far back as the original Metal Gear and Castlevania titles, Konami has always produced games that were more artful, more thoughtful. Metal Gear Solid took the military action genre and stood it on its head, telling not just an emotional and compelling story, but innovating the game play by forcing the player to rely on stealth tactics and their own intelligence. Silent Hill did much the same, as it walked back the metaphors common in many horror games, reminding us that our true fears are our own inner demons.
Suikoden was released almost two full years before MGS, and did that exact thing: it created much more than was there before it. On the surface –and indeed, in the early portion of the game– the story and game play seem to be a re-hashing of a standard fantasy setting, but over time, becomes so much more than that. The characters are a collection of brilliant minds and dubious motivations, that range from the outwardly noble, to the openly greedy, from idealists to realists. We are shown a picture of a corrupt monarchy, that in the end, is the sorrowful result of one man’s dream of creating a better kingdom.
Subtly, the game asks questions to the player: Is military power necessary to create positive social change? If so, how do you balance power with the corruption and decadency that power often brings? And the player is left to decide for themselves what the answers to these questions are. In Suikoden, there are no evil plans to destroy the world, no arch-enemies of peace and justice lusting to remake the world in their own image. Just difficult questions and difficult choices. In the end, despite the fantasy setting, I have never played a game that is so simply human.
So, we have established that Suikoden is in line with many of the great Konami games of its era, but there is more to it than just that. I am reminded of the words of the great filmmaker, Terrence Malick: “always respect the audience.” The Suikoden gamesundeniably respect their audience, and they treat the player like an intelligent human being.
Which brings me to the question I wish I was asked more often. Not just “why Suikoden?” but also “why now?” Why is it so vital that people play these games? The answer to that question is –again– difficult, but it illustrates some of the problems of the wider games industry. To put it bluntly, the games acts as something of a counterpoint to not just the genre of the RPG, but to many modern games.
Often in games, we are given a single hero upon which we focus, and the supporting characters, the storyline, the setting, the music, and the numerous other elements that comprise a game fade into the background. We focus on one single hero that is central to everything, forgetting the passions, philosophies, and ideas of people that are not the character we are invited to project ourselves onto. Often, the fates of the game’s world are left to whim of the player, to be remade entirely in the image of the hero.
In Suikoden, this idea of unity is one of the main narratives that runs throughout the series. In the original Water Margin novel -upon which the games are loosely based- the theme of unity is prevalent, too. In fact, some of the English translations of the novel go by the title: All men are Brothers, and while I cannot agree with arbitrarily changing the name of the book like that, it does illustrate how important that moral narrative is to the core of the novel.
All too often, the heroes found in games are simply cynical products of the circumstances that generate them, rather than people actively trying to change the world around them for the better. Suikoden shows us that while the answers to the questions it poses are difficult, the questions can be addressed through unity and cooperation.
The basic difference in design philosophy between Suikoden and many modern games can be simplified to this: modern games encourage the player to indulge, and Suikoden encourages the player to think. While there is nothing inherently wrong with indulging in a game, Suikoden chooses to instead challenge its own players, not just in terms of game play, but in terms of the game’s theme and narrative as well. The games respect their audience first and foremost, and that is reason enough to continue to play and love this series.”
So in a nutshell, there you have it. They certainly took the time to speak their minds, and the UK part of Konami was kind enough to listen. All I personally can say is, many thanks on both parts, and on that note, one down, two more to go.
This is incredible, in just the past two days alone, I've received almost 1,400 hits alone on the article I wrote for "Operation Blinking Mirror", which is a new campaign started by the Revival Movement that took place a number of months ago. Again, the attempt is to gain the attention of Konami Japan, in order to bring back the Suikoden series, which has lost too much momentum over the years and hasn't seen a release in just as long. Besides generating any news of a Suikoden 6 title, it would also be great to bring Suikoden I & II to other formats like PSN, Xbox Live, Steam Service, Android and iOS. World wide if possible. It's in Konami's best interest to do so, since it is in really high demand, something we are trying hard to demonstrate to them.
Currently there are well over 14,000 people supporting the movement, and hopefully that number will go much higher with your help. With Operation Blinking Mirror, be a part of this project by sending in your Suikoden material for mailing this December, whether it be your own fabricated CD project, cosplay videos and pictures, whatever! The more the better. Let's show Konami that we mean business when it comes to bringing back a series that is only a terrible sin to just let it die as it seems to have done. Every bit of helps.
On a side note, I'm also very pleased to tell you that this marks my 1,000th article post I've written. I've spent over the past 5+ years doing posts on the latest news for Konami games, and have enjoyed it immensely. Thank you for visiting, and I hope you continue to visit and tell your friends in the future. Don't forget to like us on Facebook to help spread the word around about this blog. Especially in the wake of keeping Suikoden alive. Here is to another 5 long years, and boy are my fingers getting tired. Time for another cup of coffee I guess.
These people are serious about Suikoden's future......Are you?
