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Thread of 2011 Japanese Gameular Enjoyments


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Thread of 2011 Japanese Gameular Enjoyments
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2011-09-01, 22:01

It's September! That means things start happening.

Squeenix has scheduled a Dragon Quest press conference for Monday, September 5. The event will include an unveiling of a new game with video footage. Squeenix didn't specify that the new game was Dragon Quest X, but they must know that is what the public is expecting. Still, while it seems likely that Squeenix is holding a press conference to preempt the inevitably leak of the Wii Dragon Quest X trailer (see below), it could be anything else related to the series' 25th anniversary: a PSP remake of DQVII, an iPhone remake of DQI & II, &c.

Nintendo has a "new product" press event on the 13th. It's going to be live-streamed, and when they announced the event to their investors their stock shot up 10%. Nintendo doesn't do TGS, so this event is really their last chance to stage a big announcement before the PS Vita comes out, and expectations are high: many think that Nintendo and Capcom are going to announce Monster Hunter Tri G exclusively for the 3DS, which would be quite a coup. Notably, Nintendo uses the word for "new product" in describing the announcement, rather than the word they typically use for "new title," so new hardware (like a 3DS XL) isn't out of the question either.

Dragon Quest Anniversary Collection comes out on the 15th. This is notable because the disc will include the world's first glimpse a trailer of Dragon Quest X, which is the last big game on the original Wii.

Tokyo Game Show 2011 also starts on the 15th. TGS is one of the "big three" game shows. Expect lots of PS Vita announcements, given the way handheld gaming currently rules Japan.

Level-5 Vision is October 15th. I'm a big Level-5 fan, they're basically the Pixar of games and Level-5 Vision is where they announce all their new titles for the coming year and beyond. Interestingly, this year's Vision press event is accompanied by a two-day open-to-the-public expo called Level-5 World. This would suggest that many of the titles they've announced in years past are finally nearing release, and are ready to be played by the public.

Finally, Jump Festa 2012 is going to be held in December, rather than in January like years previous. Final Fantasy XIII-2 also comes out (in Japan) in December, and since director Tetsuya Nomura has said that Squeenix has kept him from releasing info on Final Fantasy Versus XIII until FF XIII-2 comes out, it is widely expected that Jump Festa 2012 is going to be FF Versus XIII's coming out party, just as Jump Festa 2011 was for FF Type-0.

As with Type-0, I'm expecting a title change for Final Fantasy Versus XIII. If this is all horribly confusing, here's a refresher: Square Enix originally envisioned the Final Fantasy XIII project as encompassing multiple games. Rather than only making a traditional console RPG, they wanted to see what a "real" FF would be like if it was on a handheld, or if it was a console action-RPG. So they announced three different FFXIIIs: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy Agito XIII (the handheld game) and Final Fantasy Versus XIII (the action-RPG). These games would all take place in the same "universe," but wouldn't otherwise be related to each other any more than each numbered installment of FF is related to the next.

This naming scheme broke down, however, when Squeenix decided to make a direct sequel, Final Fantasy XIII-2, that shares Final Fantasy XIII's characters and gameplay. Rather than merely being a sort of umbrella brand, the "XIII" would now suggest that these games would all be sequels to each other, that Final Fantasy Agito XIII would share characters with FF XIII and FF XIII-2. This isn't true, so (simultaneous with the FF XIII-2 announcement) they renamed Agito XIII to Final Fantasy Type-0. (This also makes it much easier for Squeenix to continue making handheld FFs under the Type-# banner; you can think of Type-0 as essentially splitting the series numbering in two, console and handheld.)

As part of the media blackout regarding FF Versus XIII, they've remained mum on whether we can expect a renaming for Versus, which has long been the most anticipated of the bunch (due to superstar Tetsuya Nomura's involvement). Nomura lurves his thirteens, but I think a rebranding is likely. They could simply drop the "XIII," but given the game's high budget (and Squeenix's financial woes), it's also possible that they'll simply call it Final Fantasy XV. This would be ironic, considering the point of the project to begin with was to create a full-fledged FF game without being held to the expectations of a traditional numbered release.

By the way, the "Versus" isn't because it's a fighting game (because it's not). They're using the Latin meaning of the term, because Nomura lurves Latin; think "Final Fantasy Reversed" or "Final Fantasy Negative 13" and you're on the right track.

2012 is also both the 25th anniversary of the Final Fantasy series and the tenth anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts series, and anniversary-release-related announcements at either TGS or Jump Festa seem like a given.

Anyway, this thread is for all the exciting news from these events, this month and beyond. Japan's still a major creative force in game design, so I'm looking forward to see what they'll have for us to play in the months and years to come.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong

Last edited by Robo : 2011-09-02 at 08:10.
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Brad
Selfish Heathen
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
 
2011-09-01, 22:28

Tōkyō Gēmu Shō DEEEEEEESSSSSSU???

(╯ಠ益ಠ)╯︵ ┻━┻
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RowdyScot
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2011-09-01, 23:38

I'm looking forward to a ton of news with this. The DQ Collection is drawing my primary interest right now.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-02, 01:00

Quote:
Originally Posted by RowdyScot View Post
I'm looking forward to a ton of news with this. The DQ Collection is drawing my primary interest right now.
I know, right? Dragon Quest X has been so mysterious! There's been no screens or art or anything. And the new anime openings for I, II, and III look awesome.

Here's the trailer for the collection (YouTube link).

The current rumor du jour has DQX adopting a more MMO-like structure. One of the things I've really missed this generation has been a vast, Level-5 developed cel-shaded console RPG, so hopefully DQX delivers.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-02, 08:17

It's been 10 hours, and I've already had to edit my initial post. See? Things are happening.

It looks like Squeenix might be breaking the silence of Dragon Quest X earlier than expected: they've scheduled a press conference for this Monday to unveil a new Dragon Quest game. Meanwhile, they've put a teaser up at dqx.jp.

They don't specifically say that they're unveiling Dragon Quest X, which is odd, and the trailer for DQX was one of the big selling points for the Anniversary Collection. But unveiling Dragon Quest X via DVD trailer virtually guarantees that the trailer will leak online before the Anniversary Collection's release, and it's possible that Squeenix wants a chance to introduce it properly.

Alternatively, they could be introducing the next in their series of handheld remakes, or iPhone ports of the originals, or anything else Dragon Quest-related, really. But I think they know that the public is expecting DQX.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2011-09-04, 20:40

Here's a link for the live stream of the Dragon Quest event, which starts at 10 pm PST/1 am EST. 200 minutes! :O :O

Dragon Quest is basically the Star Wars of Japan (except without the drastic decline in quality!). It's a cultural touchstone, a "national pastime" and the unveiling of a new game in the series is a pretty big deal.

EDIT: I'm going to keep updating this post. It's been confirmed that today's event concerns Dragon Quest X, eliminating the possibility that Square Enix will incite a riot by only announcing a spinoff.

The guy is holding up the white card for photographers to adjust their cameras to! SO EXCITING.

First trailer. Graphics look really good for the Wii. DQVIII-style, cel-shaded characters. Multiplayer online is a big part of the game, but it's optional. It's not an MMO — it's more akin to Phantasy Star Online, or, well, Dragon Quest IX +1.. Battles look like traditional DQ (first person, turn-based &c.) though few were shown. Subtitle is "Rise of the Five Tribes," and there's five tribes/classes/races to play as. There's also a job system. Logo is two figures standing in a gate.

I'm hearing that it was developed by Square Enix in-house? That's a first for the series.

Demo time. Lots of character customization options. You can build your own house and even tailor your own clothes.

It looks like battles aren't random. And here's a battle that's not first-person. So idunno.

He just said Wii U. OH SHIT

They're pulling a Twilight Princess. Wii version and Wii U version. Satoru Iwata on stage!

Wii and Wii U versions feature will cross-platform play. And you can transfer your characters to the 3DS for viewing + StreetPass.

Well, Nintendo's happy! Shareholders don't seem to be, though. But that might just be Sony dumping their SE stock, haha.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong

Last edited by Robo : 2011-09-05 at 01:27.
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Brad
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Join Date: May 2004
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2011-09-09, 21:30

So, I've heard some people are disappointed by DQX being a paid-subscription MMO for the Wii. I've never particularly cared for the series. What's your take, Robo?

The quality of this board depends on the quality of the posts. The only way to guarantee thoughtful, informative discussion is to write thoughtful, informative posts. AppleNova is not a real-time chat forum. You have time to compose messages and edit them before and after posting.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-09, 21:38

Here's the never-leaving-Japan Final Fantasy Type-0 collectors' edition:



Gorgeous. More images here.

The most promising Final Fantasy in half a decade hits Japan's PSPs on October 27. A worldwide release hasn't been announced.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-09, 21:57

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad View Post
So, I've heard some people are disappointed by DQX being a paid-subscription MMO for the Wii. I've never particularly cared for the series. What's your take, Robo?
Idunno, I haven't had the chance to try it out yet. In all seriousness, they haven't released a lot of material (one direct-feed screen!), and AFAICT it's still not exactly clear if it's a true MMORPG or a Phantasy Star Online-style MORPG. The fact that you can apparently play the first few hours offline suggests that it's not a typical MMO...but I think some people might be confusing "offline" and "single-player."

WRT the paid subscription: several games in Japan have required paid subscriptions that end up not requiring fees outside of Japan (Monster Hunter being the obvious comparison) so who knows.

In general, it seems like they're drawing from familiar tropes in recent Japanese games (Monster Hunter, White Knight Chronicles, and Dragon Quest IX's multiplayer)...even single-player games like Xenoblade have been adopting that sort of "questing" structure.

Dragon Quest isn't a series known for changing much — Squeenix originally planned for DQ IX to be a substantially different installment, and the changed it back after fans revolted — so who knows if that will happen this time. Really, though, after DQ IX, anybody who didn't think the series wasn't going in this direction wasn't paying attention. FFXI and MH3 remain big moneymakers for their respective companies; they weren't going to not try it with DQ.

The biggest surprise was the Wii U version. Dragon Quest games — none of which, until now, have been multi-platform — typically come out well after a system has established itself (and often at the end of the system's life); Squeenix considers DQ Japan's "national RPG" and wants it to be available to people who aren't early adopters (this mirrors Nintendo's attitude toward Pokémon). But now we have a multi-platform DQ, which is a pretty big deal, especially for Nintendo. It'll give the Wii U a big boost. Some are speculating that the Wii U version is going to be the only version we see outside of Japan; considering the Wii version will apparently a require an (included?) USB stick to run, there might be some truth to that. But I think Nintendo really wants to publish DQX in 2012 in the US, so if the Wii U version isn't ready the Wii version it will be.

In one week, companies announce a Dragon Quest for the Wii U and a Monster Hunter for the 3DS and all everybody talks about is that stupid controller. Nintendo will never win.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-11, 21:38

We're just 24 hours and change away from Nintendo's 3DS press conference. Again, Nintendo doesn't do TGS, so expectations are high. They're obviously going to officially announce Monster Hunter Tri G and the expanded controller, and that alone is worth a press conference, but if this is going to also replace their annual October media event — and it seems like it is — they'll have to show more. Also, if the expanded controller is more than a Monster Hunter accessory, and is actually a larger part of Nintendo's 3DS strategy, they might want to announce at least one first-party title that takes advantage of it.

The last-minute rumor of the moment is that Nintendo is about to revive its old (pre-video-games!) Mach Rider franchise with a 3DS installment called Mach Rider: Unchained. This rumor is just weird enough that I think it might be true. With Kid Icarus: Uprising (note the similar title) Nintendo has shown recent interest in reviving their older franchises, and new systems in general are always a boon for "new" IP. And Mach Rider — a motorcycle combat racer — seems like the type of game that could benefit from the extra triggers/shoulder buttons of the expanded controller (Wikipedia notes that the original NES game was renowned for its complex-for-its-day controls; you had to switch gears!).

It's also perhaps worth noting that Nintendo has a second-party studio partner — Minnesota-based Monster Games — that specializes in non-Mario-Kart racing games (they made ExciteTruck and ExciteBots). But they're a smaller studio, and their most recent game — 3DS launch title Pilotwings Resort — just came out a few months ago. So it might be too soon for MGI's next project to be unveiled.

Still, I believe it. It just so out-of-left-field (so, "Nintendo"); I don't think anyone would think of making up a Mach Rider revival. But it's also possible that I'm just more inclined to believe it because Nintendo motorcycle combat game.

What are your thoughts, GamingNova?

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2011-09-12, 23:35

Well, there was no new Mach Rider.

What was there? Tons of quick updates on all of Nintendo's Q4 and 2012 titles and the biggest third-party titles, as well as information on an upcoming 3DS system update that will include 3D video capture, new SpotPass features, more access to 3D game trailers, and an improved eShop. As far as new game announcements go, the most interesting was a new "classic-style JRPG" from Square Enix, complete with a bizarre word salad title: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy. I wouldn't be surprised if it was made by the Final Fantasy: 4 Heroes of Light team and was the source of the 4HoL 2 rumors. It features character designs by Akihiko Yoshida. EDIT: It's absolutely gorgeous. Check out the trailer here. And yeah, it's absolutely the spiritual successor to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. It's now its own series, so it makes sense that they changed the name, even if what they changed it to...doesn't.

Other new game announcements include a new Culdcept — fuck yes — and, from Nintendo, a new Fire Emblem. Woo! EDIT: Oh, and a new Mario Tennis. How did I forget that? All for the 3DS, of course.

A new pink 3DS was also announced. (The US was at "3DS color parity" with Japan for one glorious weekend, but of course it had to end.) Iwata noted that the Wii and DS appealed to men and women roughly equally, but the 3DS hasn't; the new color could be seen as part of a larger initiative to reach more gamers, which also includes Level-5's Girl's RPG: Cinderelife, among others. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we saw the pink 3DS in America as one of NoA's two requisite Black Friday bundles, likely with nintendogs + cats.

As expected, a lot of attention was given to Monster Hunter Tri G. It will be released on December 10, a Saturday, which is...interesting. In Japan most games are released on Thursdays; only hardware and Dragon Quest games get released on weekends. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Nintendo found out that the PS Vita was being released on December 10 and planned for Monster Hunter Tri G to be released on the same day. I guess we'll find out in about 48 hours, as Sony will almost certainly announce the Japanese PS Vita release date at TGS.

But the "megaton" (betrayalton?) announcement of the show was that Monster Hunter 4 is a 3DS title. Not just Portable 4th, not just Four G, the actual next Monster Hunter will be a handheld game for the first time. This is absolutely huge news, on par with the announcement that Dragon Quest IX was a DS title, and it's a huge vote of confidence in the 3DS from Capcom.

So, again, if making that wonky-looking controller add-on was what it took for Nintendo to get Monster Hunter Tri G this year and Monster Hunter 4 next year, then as a 3DS owner I am absolutely 100% glad that they did it. Monster Hunter is a huge series in Japan — the series is arguably the reason the tide turned from the DS to the PSP in Japan — and Nintendo has it locked up for the foreseeable future. The only thing Sony could have fired back with at the (already huge) announcement of a 3DS-exclusive Monster Hunter Tri G was an announcement of Monster Hunter 4 exclusively for the Vita, and now that's not happening. The PS Vita will have the third re-release of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, and that's it, at least for the foreseeable future.

So, yes. The 3DS is clearly picking up steam with developers, and as an owner I've never felt more confident in the future of the platform. Though I never really doubted it, like some. (Seriously people, $169 hardware and a new Super Mario and a new Mario Kart all in one holiday? I'm not betting against that.)

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong

Last edited by Robo : 2011-09-13 at 01:08.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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2011-09-13, 00:41

Nintendo didn't talk about the 3DS control add-on at their conference. Like, at all. And there are no first party titles that take advantage of it. I don't think it's a major part of their 3DS strategy, guys. (So, no early-adopter-screwing quick-and-dirty system redesign.)



It hits December 10, the same day as Monster Hunter Tri G, for 1500¥ (about $19). It will probably be bundled with some game(s) for 1000¥/$10 more than regular price. The short list of games that take advantage of it is basically the console-style "core" games you'd expect: Resident Evil: Revelations, Metal Gear Solid 3D, and Kingdom Hearts 3D. No announced games require the add-on.

It's just a Classic Controller redux. Now that we have that out of the way, the deets: It apparently communicates with the 3DS via IR — so that's why they brought back the IR port! — and requires 1 AAA battery. It's model number CTR-009, and it only seems to be available in black. And there's technically no word of an international release yet. So there you go.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2011-09-13, 00:52

Robo I thought of you guys at Dragon*Con last week when I chanced upon people riding carts around the lobby of one of the hotels, dressed as characters from Mario Kart!


...

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
Captain Drew on Twitter
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Brad
Selfish Heathen
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
 
2011-09-13, 20:26

Larger pic:

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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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2011-09-13, 21:10

Thx.

So now we know why they changed the 3DS's (left) slide pad from matching the color of the system to being a light grey color. It would be weird if the two slide pads were different colors, and there's no way they'd make a control cradle to match every 3DS color.

That — and the not-originally-announced addition of an IR port to the system, which the accessory uses — is what makes me sure that this accessory, weird as it may look, has been in development for some time. People on NeoGAF are acting like this is something Nintendo threw together in the last few months, in response to lower-then-expected sales. But they made changes to the 3DS to allow for it before the 3DS even came out. And games are coming out for it this year. Those weren't developed overnight.

This was always in the cards. (Or at least, since Nintendo made the deal with Capcom for Monster Hunter. Which wasn't this year.)

People are still acting like a quick redesign to incorporate the stick is inevitable, but it's not happening. A second stick, sure, the 3DS might have room for that. But the ZR and ZL buttons? How would that even work? But everybody forgets about those. And Nintendo's not going to create a third "tier" of control complexity for developers to support (standard, standard+second stick, standard+second stick+ZR+ZL). The 3DS XL will have one stick, and NeoGAF will once again declare that Nintendo has gone totally insane, &c.

What actually happened: Before the 3DS release, Nintendo approaches Capcom with a big bag of money for a Monster Hunter exclusive. Capcom offers to develop Tri G, but wants people who are used to the Classic Controller controls to be able to play it with the controls they know, and more comfortably, too (adding "grips" is a running theme with Monster Hunter—inspired hardware). Nintendo sets off to design an add-on, making small changes to the 3DS design accordingly, and then starts shopping it to other publishers.

That's it. No "Nintendo learned at E3 that the Vita would totally pwn them so they dashed this add-on off in two months." People suddenly think Nintendo cares about feature parity?

Iwata: (laughs)

That's not how Nintendo has ever played the game. Why do people think that Nintendo has suddenly decided that the 3DS is incomplete without two analog sticks? The primary thorn in their side has been a resurgent PSP in Japan, and that's been doing gangbusters with only one analog stick. And the 3DS adds motion control and a touchscreen.

Anyway, enough stick talk. Brad: Have you seen the screens of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition? OMG. I love the retro looks.

And it's free. Way cool.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-13, 22:43

Ahaha, so, Sony's presser doesn't start for another twenty minutes, but they accidentally left the live stream going while they tested the slides, and people got a screen cap of one. Here's 24 of the PS Vita's 26 launch titles:



As I expected, Uncharted: Golden Abyss from Sony's lovely and talented Oregon studio is on there! So they have fucking Uncharted as a launch title, and wanted to wait until after the holidays for more games at launch in the West? Bullshit — they just couldn't make enough, or make them soon enough. (It's cool to launch a system in mid-December in Japan, but the realities of the US shopping season call for a pre-Thanksgiving launch at least a month earlier.)

Expect one of the other two games to be Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD. And as for the other — maybe a Tales of Innocence remake? But it's a good list. Hot Shots Golf 6 should move a few units, and Sky Soldier Rodea should look fantastic on Vita (it's also coming for the Wii and 3DS).

EDIT: I'll just keep on editing this post as appropriate. Another leaked slide confirms Tales of Innocence R but it's almost certainly not going to be a launch title. And another leaked slide lists "100+!" games in development. Starting now-ish...

PS Vita will be released December 17th in Japan. After Mario Kart, Monster Hunter Tri G, and Inazuma Eleven Go!! all hit the 3DS that same month...idunno...

Japanese partner for 3G version is NTT docomo; no one is surprised. Also, I love that my iPad auto-corrects "docomo" to "doom."

NTT docomo's Vita plans are prepaid and hourly. Ouch.

OK, you can use any of NTT doom's data plans. Phew!

Recap: Vita works with Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Foursquare, and all other social networks with blue and white logos.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 announced for Vita. Touch controls, Near integration, and PS3 compatible. 60 fps! Launch title.

Haha...PlayStation mascots Toro and Kuro will be in the Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken. Cute.

Final Fantasy X in HD for PS3. That's not surprising. And Vita. That is. Squeenix refered to the HD re-releases as celebrating the tenth anniversary of the game, which was...last July, in Japan. So, they better come out soon? But we were promised updates "at a later date."

PS US (but not PS Japan) has policies against PS2 ports on PS3, unless multiple games are bundled together. So maybe we'll see FFX + FFX-2. Or FFX + FFXII. /dreams

Kojima confirms the upcoming Metal Gear and Z.O.E. HD collections will also be available for PS Vita. He's also a sexy mofo, as always.

His next project is a new IP — his first since Z.O.E.! — but he won't say anything else about it. Hideo, you tease!

All in all, it was more of an investor-focused show, with a tour of the system's non-gaming and zomgsocial features, Announcements Via Logo And Nothing Else, and painfully long handshake photo-ops. But there's still plenty of time for more third-party announcements at the show, and Sony Studios' Yoshida is giving one of the TGS keynotes tomorrow, which is all about the Vita, so there might be more news straight from Sony Studios, too.

Also, Level-5 is working on a Vita RPG. Nobody knows anything about it, but I kind of have to get a Vita now.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong

Last edited by Robo : 2011-09-14 at 02:11.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-14, 22:15

Final Fantasy XIII-2 has release dates! December 15 for Japan (two days before the Vita!), January 31 for North America, and February 3 for Europe. At about six weeks this is one of the fastest translation turnarounds of an FF game, and it's not for lack of content: Square Enix has really gone all out on FFXIII-2. They've taken the uneven reception of FFXIII to heart and are promising a less linear experience with many new gameplay elements. Like time travel!

Also, we got a surprising update for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. The game will feature not only FF and Disney characters, but also characters from Nomura's other game, the DS cult classic The World Ends With You. Fans have been hoping for a TWEWY follow-up since, well, TWEWY, so bringing back the characters for KH3D is quite a tease. I'm intrigued by the potential for more non-FF Squeenix characters to appear in Kingdom Hearts. You can probably guess who I'm rooting for...
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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2011-09-17, 16:22

Square Enix has announced that Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest Monsters, and Final Fantasy Legends are all coming to iOS! This greatly increases their chances of an English-language mobile release.

Note that Final Fantasy Legends is not to be confused with The Final Fantasy Legend, which was the English-language title of a 1989 Game Boy game that really wasn't an FF game at all (it was really the first SaGa game). Instead, this is Final Fantasy Legends, the episodic mobile RPG by the same team that made Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.

Oh, and here's my personal news of the show: Level-5 has announced that Ni no Kuni, their gorgeous collaboration with Studio Ghibli, will be hitting North American PS3s! And soon — the English version is due "early 2012." No word on the DS version (the one that comes with a replica spellbook you use to play), but I'm just happy we're getting the game. It's my most anticipated game right now.

With Final Fantasy XIII-2, Tales of Graces F, and now Ni no Kuni hitting North America all in early 2012, it will be a good time to be a PS3 RPGer!

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
  quote
Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2012-01-19, 01:21

As I expected, Square Enix is releasing the new 3DS Kingdom Hearts game, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, at the tail end of their fiscal year — March 29. That's Japan, of course; we should get it in North America this fall. What we almost certainly won't be getting is this:



Japan gets all the cool stuff.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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SpecMode
Wait what
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: El Dorado County, California
 
2012-01-19, 02:22

Ooooooh, I like it. Pity the 3DS is region-locked, or I'd just pick up the JP version of the game like I did with KH2. I mean...it's got worlds based on the Three Musketeers, Fantasia, and Tron Legacy. It's a no-brainer for me.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2012-01-21, 08:53

Square Enix has trademarked Final Fantasy Dimensions in the US and EU.

My guess? This is the US/EU name of Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, the 3DS spiritual successor to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. The timing is right, the name seems right ("Dimensions," 3DS), and Bravely Default was an obvious candidate for a name change outside of Japan anyway. It also wouldn't be the first time Square has given the Final Fantasy name to non-FF games upon their Western release (see: Final Fantasy Adventure, The Final Fantasy Legend).

Bravely Default is one of my most anticipated games of the year, so anything that even remotely points to a US release makes me happy.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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