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[names2hard4you]

Its from the series Utawarerumono. Was originally a PS2 game and then it got ported onto the PSP which am currently playing on my Vita. Its a game similar to the design of Tears to Tiara II in the sense that its mostly a visual novel with SRPG battles thrown in there.

Unfortunately Utawarerumono was never released in the US it seems. Though it seems fan translations do exist if one searches for it.

Though there is going to be a new game in the series coming out in Japan in September on all Sony platforms. So with that in mind maybe Atlus will eventually localize it for the PS4 / PSV.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1049409

There was an anime also but am unsure if its available on US / Canada streaming sites. I cant really check it from here as I usually get IP blocked.

Some of the Utawarerumono characters also show up in the fightin ggame AquaPazza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ye5he-yql4

Its a shame you will be missing out on the LE but at least its just the artbook mainly as NISA was nice enough to include the OST with the standard version too.

Why does the west not get nice things

Yeah I'm sad but at least I am still getting something. I regretted not getting the Demon Gaze LE and now I won't be able to get this one either. They caught me red handed though, I spent more money than I would have liked on non-gaming stuff so I have to cut back for a while now.

 

[Parakeetman]

Why does the west not get nice things

Yeah I'm sad but at least I am still getting something. I regretted not getting the Demon Gaze LE and now I won't be able to get this one either. They caught me red handed though, I spent more money than I would have liked on non-gaming stuff so I have to cut back for a while now.

Localization costs most likely that and no idea how Aquaplus was back during those days when it came to negotiating with companies to allow for localizations.

Market has changed to a more positive direction and Atlus does have a working relationship with Aquaplus and the upside is there will be a PS4 version of it allowing for more marketing to the West if it does happen. Outside of Id imagine them doing the Vita version with it. But I think if they had to choose between the two they would go with the PS4 one just due to it having a much larger attach rate currently.

Hopefully though Atlus will localize and bring it out in the West.

 

[names2hard4you]

Localization costs most likely that and no idea how Aquaplus was back during those days when it came to negotiating with companies to allow for localizations.

Market has changed to a more positive direction and Atlus does have a working relationship with Aquaplus and the upside is there will be a PS4 version of it allowing for more marketing to the West if it does happen. Outside of Id imagine them doing the Vita version with it. But I think if they had to choose between the two they would go with the PS4 one just due to it having a much larger attach rate currently.

Hopefully though Atlus will localize and bring it out in the West.

Yes even with all the "Legacy" news I'm glad that we have publishers bringing us Japanese products on a steady basis

 

[Parakeetman]

Yes even with all the "Legacy" news I'm glad that we have publishers bringing us Japanese products on a steady basis

The legacy news is just more Sony saying basically that they themselves are not going to bother with the Vita. Which is nothing different from what Japan is doing either. As SCEJ has not really said much about new titles and is just relying on all of the 3rd party devs to continue to make games.

Its just a formal business statement, but at least it was Andrew House making it since that guy knows both the West and East when it comes to business and workings.

People are looking at it in the wrong way on both sides.

 

[names2hard4you]

The legacy news is just more Sony saying basically that they themselves are not going to bother with the Vita. Which is nothing different from what Japan is doing either. As SCEJ has not really said much about new titles and is just relying on all of the 3rd party devs to continue to make games.

Its just a formal business statement, but at least it was Andrew House making it since that guy knows both the West and East when it comes to business and workings.

People are looking at it in the wrong way on both sides.

As I see it the Vita isn't doing any better or worse than it was for us who already have it, so I don't see reasons to fret either. Those who own it buy games, and that's enough to sustain the ecosystem.

 

[Parakeetman]

As I see it the Vita isn't doing any better or worse than it was for us who already have it, so I don't see reasons to fret either. Those who own it buy games, and that's enough to sustain the ecosystem.

Its more an issue for places of business and developers / pubs, not really those who actually own the system. Average user can go about their merry way and not even worry about whats being said.

So the announcement about it being Western specific is something that is reasonable why it was done.

Where as in Japan while not perfect things are still well enough for the system and the Vita sections are still quite large in retailers. Digital sales is what is helping too as companies can do smaller print numbers and also still be able to sell the game digitally.

Have talked about this sort of stuff with smaller dev houses over here.

Though yeah the situation is in a decline here due to market shifting. But thats for a different topic.

 

[names2hard4you]

Its more an issue for places of business and developers / pubs, not really those who actually own the system.

So the announcement about it being Western specific is something that is reasonable why it was done.

Where as in Japan while not perfect things are still well enough for the system and the Vita sections are still quite large in retailers. Digital sales is what is helping too as companies can do smaller print numbers and also still be able to sell the game digitally.

Have talked about this sort of stuff with smaller dev houses over here.

Though yeah the situation is in a decline here due to market shifting. But thats for a different topic.

Yeah let's drop the somber news, after all this is a thread about joy and happiness

Spoiler

DRPG and happiness lol

and Operation Abyss is out in 2 weeks.

 

[Parakeetman]

Yeah let's drop the somber news, after all this is a thread about joy and happiness

Spoiler

DRPG and happiness lol

and Operation Abyss is out in 2 weeks.

Looks like the EU date still is the 5th which is all the better as need to get the localized OT out sooner than the actual release date due to work related scheduling.

Its still going to be pretty much the same as the JP one just will have some new info for new players and such.

 

[vagabondarts]

I will say that if any game type would transition to mobile well it would be DRPG's.
Provided Free to Start and IAP's aren't all over the place.

I imagine if Experience went that way it would be full price games on the devices as the games are nicheceptions.

Ultimately I would rather them embrace PC if they have to abandon traditional consoles.

 

[names2hard4you]

Looks like the EU date still is the 5th which is all the better as need to get the localized OT out sooner than the actual release date due to work related scheduling.

Its still going to be pretty much the same as the JP one just will have some new info for new players and such.

You can count on seeing me there.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

Forgot that there are tiers of enemies in the same dungeon in Cross Blood. Ran into some high level tentacles underwater so I couldn't cast escape and failed to run away. Rest well in your watery grave (￣^&#65507ゞ

Also giant enemy crab

 

[Dorarnae]

Also giant enemy crab

attack its weak point for massive damage. heh.

 

[Mozendo]

I will say that if any game type would transition to mobile well it would be DRPG's.

Tried playing Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls on iOS.
Not something I want to experience again.

 

[vagabondarts]

Tried playing Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls on iOS.
Not something I want to experience again.

That's a horrid port. I think if they made a genuine effort it would be great.

 

[Parakeetman]

That's a horrid port. I think if they made a genuine effort it would be great.

not really as remember on the mobile market you are competing with free. that and the issue with compatibility among other things with mobile development can be more of a pain in the ass in its own ways.

exp inc does well enough as is plus they understand their target market so have things planned out to be profitable. same information business knowhow most def is also conveyed to the publishers in the event that they are working with one.

they are not going anywhere nor will the market here change so quickly that they would even need to consider switching to mobile.

it seems lately that expansion business wise is being considered.

they are pretty familiar with what is going on with the mobile market also

it would be more likely they would return to the pc and use platforms like steam before even bothering with mobile titles on their own accord.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

Someone put up a video of the first 20 minutes of the English version of Operation Abyss.

 

[spiritfox]

Tried playing Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls on iOS.
Not something I want to experience again.

There was an SMT1 port for iOS. Not exact a DRPG, but it's similar in style, and it was fine.

 

[Jazz573]

Was originally a PS2 game and then it got ported onto the PSP which am currently playing on my Vita.

Just wanted to point out it was actually originally a PC game. Then it was ported to PS2 and then to PSP.

The fan translation is for the PC version, and someone is working on translating the PSP version. There is also a patch to add the voices from the PS2 version to the PC version, since there were no voices in that version.

Also, I have played through the whole game and I don't recognize who your avatar is. Edit: On closer inspection, I guess it looks like Aruruu, but the hair color doesn't look right to me.

 

[Parakeetman]

Someone put up a video of the first 20 minutes of the English version of Operation Abyss.

Good find should help folks who are curious how the game is at start.

Just wanted to point out it was actually originally a PC game. Then it was ported to PS2 and then to PSP.

The fan translation is for the PC version, and someone is working on translating the PSP version. There is also a patch to add the voices from the PS2 version to the PC version, since there were no voices in that version.

Also, I have played through the whole game and I don't recognize who your avatar is. Edit: On closer inspection, I guess it looks like Aruruu, but the hair color doesn't look right to me.

Had forgotten to mention the original PC version which was done by a different studio. Cant remember who it was at the moment.

The Aruruu pic is fan work from one of the artists I follow.

 

[Mozendo]

There was an SMT1 port for iOS. Not exact a DRPG, but it's similar in style, and it was fine.

How is SMT1 not a dungeon crawler?

 

[Parakeetman]

New images over at Dengeki showing some of the skill tree and other systems.

http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/001/058/1058758/

In regards to things like end game contents (dungeons / bosses) after clearing the main story Chikami-san said they are still currently unable to give any information about that. Went and asked that ahead of time since know some folks who are familiar with their titles were curious about that. Am sure that will pop out in a dengeki or famitsu later in the near future when Bandai Namco allows for more information to be released.

 

[Dorarnae]

not really related to experience inc. game, but I started a new game on elminage gothic(3ds), went with some operation babel icon...hehe.

kinda wish I had a picture of アイリス or the girl from the seven hand...

 

[Shizuka]

not really related to experience inc. game, but I started a new game on elminage gothic(3ds), went with some operation babel icon...hehe.

kinda wish I had a picture of アイリス or the girl from the seven hand...

Have you tried that one on PC?

 

[CrovaxPSO]

not really related to experience inc. game, but I started a new game on elminage gothic(3ds), went with some operation babel icon...hehe.

kinda wish I had a picture of アイリス or the girl from the seven hand...

Cohen-sensei will lead any party to victory.

 

[Parakeetman]

Have you tried that one on PC?

He did testing for it and do recall that Ross from Ghostlight had mentioned that they were using his data at the office since it was better than theirs lol.

not really related to experience inc. game, but I started a new game on elminage gothic(3ds), went with some operation babel icon...hehe.

kinda wish I had a picture of アイリス or the girl from the seven hand...

hilarious. the hero we deserve.

 

[Parakeetman]

Exp Inc got an 7th in the sales award from Kadokawa Games for 2014.
Wait sorry made a mistake there, its not Kadokawa it says Sega Games. Its for things distributed under Sega, which 5pb / Mages apparently belongs to if this older data of the various distribution networks is correct.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

Exp Inc got an 7th in the sales award from Kadokawa Games for 2014.

That's pretty cool! Do you know what it counts as far as sales? 2014 would have been Operation Abyss, Meikyuu Cross Blood Infinity Ultimate, Demon Gaze Global Edition, and SoSC on 360 (probably doesn't count PC sales?). Pretty good for just those four, two of which were pretty much straight re-releases.

 

[Dorarnae]

Exp Inc got an 7th in the sales award from Kadokawa Games for 2014.

awesome

 

[Shizuka]

That's pretty cool! Do you know what it counts as far as sales? 2014 would have been Operation Abyss, Meikyuu Cross Blood Infinity Ultimate, Demon Gaze Global Edition, and SoSC on 360 (probably doesn't count PC sales?). Pretty good for just those four, two of which were pretty much straight re-releases.

I thought SoSC was a self-published title by EXP.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

I thought SoSC was a self-published title by EXP.

Yeah, that's why I'm curious which sales the award is for. Since that was self-published and Abyss/Infinity Ultimate were Mages, only DG Global Edition was published by Kadokawa. Guessing it's just sales of Kadokawa-published games, which is still impressive given that the Global Edition was a pretty standard re-release. I think it only had some new portraits and the English dub/text.

 

[Parakeetman]

That's pretty cool! Do you know what it counts as far as sales? 2014 would have been Operation Abyss, Meikyuu Cross Blood Infinity Ultimate, Demon Gaze Global Edition, and SoSC on 360 (probably doesn't count PC sales?). Pretty good for just those four, two of which were pretty much straight re-releases.

Not sure what counts actually, no details on it outside of that. Had tried to look for info on it with the Kadokawa site but didnt find anything. Though didnt dig too deep either.

PC sales with SoSC is on the Mages side of things for publishing. 360 was self published had looked at the case and it didnt list anyone else.

On the award it says All Partners, which must mean joint projects.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

There's a video of the special launch edition of the English release of Operation Abyss. Nice artwork on the soundtrack sleeve and disk. For anyone who cares about this sort of thing, the art on the back is pretty much the same as the JP release, with a slightly different selection of screenshots. JP release has a 40-something page manual which is obviously missing from this release.

 

[Parakeetman]

Wait sorry made a mistake there, its not Kadokawa it says Sega Games. Its for things distributed under Sega, which 5pb / Mages apparently belongs to if this older data of the various distribution networks is correct.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

Wait sorry made a mistake there, its not Kadokawa it says Sega Games. Its for things distributed under Sega, which 5pb / Mages apparently belongs to if this older data of the various distribution networks is correct.

Ahh, that would make more sense haha. Seem to recall OA had a pretty good first week.

 

[Parakeetman]

Ahh, that would make more sense haha. Seem to recall OA had a pretty good first week.

There isnt any real data on the actual even itself though, so must just be more really of an internal thing for partners vs. like news that goes out to the public at all. The older info back from 2011 says that under the Sega distribution network a part of 5pb belonged to it. Though this info was posted after the merger where it became Mages but they also kept the 5pb branding. So guess those contracts / agreements carried over after the merger.

Yeah OA did pretty well considering. Though the LEs didnt move around as fast, but do know that digital sales did well too. Wonder what the number of physical copies shipped was.

 

[Shizuka]

There's a video of the special launch edition of the English release of Operation Abyss. Nice artwork on the soundtrack sleeve and disk.

Just like Atlus USA did Conception II, with the slightly larger box to hold the CD. It looks nice, but the limited edition should still be much more good-looking.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

Just like Atlus USA did Conception II, with the slightly larger box to hold the CD. It looks nice, but the limited edition should still be much more good-looking.

The JP LE uses a nice matte material/print for the big box, it does look really nice. Hopefully NISA uses the same. Quite large though, haha. Had to take the actual Vita case out to put it on the shelf and put the big box in a drawer.

 

[Parakeetman]

Oh dear god a cardboard sleeve for the cd? Guess its the tradeoff for those who get the normal ver.

 

[Shizuka]

Oh dear god a cardboard sleeve for the cd?

Since it's a free bonus, that's to be expected. Anything other than the game for the MSRP and they're cutting the profit for each copy, not to mention the biggest thing: it'd be easy to break the usual CD case, specially since this is a retail game that'll be sold in bulks and go through several hands until it arrives to the customer.

 

[Parakeetman]

Since it's a free bonus, that's to be expected. Anything other than the game for the MSRP and they're cutting the profit for each copy, not to mention the biggest thing: it'd be easy to break the usual CD case, specially since this is a retail game that'll be sold in bulks and go through several hands until it arrives to the customer.

The whole it might break bit is not really an excuse and more just them saving $$$. Since its no different than here in Japan on occasion when CD extras are in actual cases which are sent loose with the standard editions for when they are additional pre-order bonuses.

When you have a box that size where it would make one expect that an actual cd case is going to be inside apart from the actual vita case. Its a bit overkill to have a nice box like that if all that is inside is a cardboard sleeve for the cd itself.

 

[Prelude.]

This isn't embargo'd, right? They should have.
As of now there are 2 reviews one metacritic and one of them is barely passable as a first impression ramble and it doesn't seem like the reviewer actually played more than a couple hours. Or at least to me but maybe I'm just ticked off by stuff like this:

There’s an evil group bent on using people for experiments and taking over the world or some nonsense but it’s entirely forgettable and I found myself skipping over what little dialogue the game had to offer out of sheer boredom.

I'm not gonna link it but it's the one with the lowest score on metacritic if anyone's curious.

 

[CrovaxPSO]

This isn't embargo'd, right? They should have.
As of now there are 2 reviews one metacritic and one of them is barely passable as a first impression ramble and it doesn't seem like the reviewer actually played more than a couple hours. Or at least to me but maybe I'm just ticked off by stuff like this:

I'm not gonna link it but it's the one with the lowest score on metacritic if anyone's curious.

Is it the one that gave it a 6.5? Saw that one somewhere and he played for 18 hours, several of which were stuck at the first level cap because he couldn't figure out how to proceed, so he said the combat was too easy. Pretty crappy review, in my opinion.

Just checked, yeah that's the same one I saw a day or two ago. Said he was stuck for FIVE hours at the level cap, so really only played for 13 hours (of a potentially 50-60 hour game if you do everything).

 

[Prelude.]

Is it the one that gave it a 6.5? Saw that one somewhere and he played for 18 hours, several of which were stuck at the first level cap because he couldn't figure out how to proceed, so he said the combat was too easy. Pretty crappy review, in my opinion.

Oh, I must have missed that, I kinda skimmed through after reading that quoted bit. But yeah, it's not even a review.

 

[Parakeetman]

Metacritic needs some real standards to prevent shitshow articles like that from even going into the ranking.

Reminds me the days of when dumbasses who wrote reviews of Monster Hunter didnt even get past the tutorials.

 

[Interface23]

Wooooo NISA just charged my card for Operation Abyss!

 

[CrovaxPSO]

Oh, I must have missed that, I kinda skimmed through after reading that quoted bit. But yeah, it's not even a review.

Yeah, just a (poor) preview from someone who got stuck and became overleveled and then called the combat encounters too easy.

 

[Parakeetman]

Ill see about putting the OT up evening or tomorrow perhaps. For the most part I doubt the mods will care considering that this is a niche title anyways and review copies are already out. Game comes out in EU before the US anyways so works out.

That and schedule wise will be locked down on the 9th anyways.

 

[Interface23]

Ill see about putting the OT up evening or tomorrow perhaps. For the most part I doubt the mods will care considering that this is a niche title anyways and review copies are already out. Game comes out in EU before the US anyways so works out.

That and schedule wise will be locked down on the 9th anyways.

People who ordered from NISA will probably have it before Tuesday anyways

 

[CrovaxPSO]

Finally started to progress again in Cross Blood after having to get some levels. Didn't realize one of the quests would raise the levels of enemies as you collected the items for it, so I started with the easy areas first which just ended up making the harder areas even harder. Thanks to Dorarnae for letting me know about the levels increasing. Got the hospital and prison bosses down so now I can go back to the other areas without too much trouble hopefully.

 

[lazyproblems]

People who ordered from NISA will probably have it before Tuesday anyways

Yeah, NISA's LEs always arrive early for me and I never order next/2 day shipping options. It's always great getting their stuff early.

Haven't been charged yet, but definitely looking forward to Operation Abyss. Been playing Mind Zero and haven't been impressed with that at all, so I'm really looking forward to OA and hoping for a much better DRPG experience.