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Does anyone have an update? I tried to visit Working Designs' website, but it seems to be down. Just curious if the 11/16 date reported by retailers is accurate. Thanks!
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Growlanser Generations Status Report?
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Sorry, we've been trying to return the webserver to life and it's sucking all our time. It's running again, but the DNS hasn't resolved yet so you can only get to it by IP address.
We're looking at shipping Growlanser Generations right after Thanksgiving, 11/29.
Contents-wise, nothing has changed except the Deluxe exterior box. It's slightly different than the pictures out on the store websites and in ads. There's now a Blue foil band with gold foil lettering right below the logo that says "DELUXE" to better differentiate it from the regular pack. And yes, as the other poster mentioned, the coversheets on the CD/DVD case are reversable, so you'll have your choice of two different box appearances. The "main" art is foil stamped, and the reverse version is not.
Once the server is in better shape early next week we'll add the remainder of the Growlanser III media (pictures, voice acting samples) and perhaps another MP3 from the soundtrack that comes with the deluxe pack.
Thanks for your interest and support!
We're looking at shipping Growlanser Generations right after Thanksgiving, 11/29.
Contents-wise, nothing has changed except the Deluxe exterior box. It's slightly different than the pictures out on the store websites and in ads. There's now a Blue foil band with gold foil lettering right below the logo that says "DELUXE" to better differentiate it from the regular pack. And yes, as the other poster mentioned, the coversheets on the CD/DVD case are reversable, so you'll have your choice of two different box appearances. The "main" art is foil stamped, and the reverse version is not.
Once the server is in better shape early next week we'll add the remainder of the Growlanser III media (pictures, voice acting samples) and perhaps another MP3 from the soundtrack that comes with the deluxe pack.
Thanks for your interest and support!
Community Forum
Member
Thank you Victor! 
I'm dutifully supporting the team that brought us Lunar.
That's not to say that I won't play Growlanser. I certainly will. Just probably not this year, particularly if the ship date is being pushed back again.
Good luck with the website! And I do look forward to playing Growlanser within the next few months. Now, if only my preorder would ship!
That's not to say that I won't play Growlanser. I certainly will. Just probably not this year, particularly if the ship date is being pushed back again.
Good luck with the website! And I do look forward to playing Growlanser within the next few months. Now, if only my preorder would ship!
Crazymoogle
Member
The thing that surprises me about WD this year is that they didn't beat Bungie to the punch with the metal/slipcover approach used with Halo 2 LE.
I've mulled that approach a few times but I always backed off from the metal case thing. I don't know why, really. I have a few LE's from PC games with metal cases, and a PS2 slipcover wouldn't be a huge jump from that. Hasn't happened yet, but that isn't to say it won't happen. However, I'm reasonably certain that it won't for at least the next three games, since I have other ideas in the works for those.
It's also not certain that the dual version (reg/deluxe) will be a given for the future. If the experiment fails (i.e. more than half sold are deluxe, meaning that more people were interested in the deluxe than regular) then we'll just go back to all deluxe, all the time, which brings the per game price down to something less obscene than $89 retail. I mean, don't get me wrong - I totally think the Growlanser Generations Deluxe is *worth* that, especially with the hour-long arranged soundtrack CD and kickin' watch, but I'd be happier if people were paying $69 (excellent!) for a great game and some premium swag that extends the game experience past the console.
Crazymoogle
Member
vireland said:
Where almost every other metal case has failed and Halo 2 succeeded was that the design is a lot different. The DVD case itself is metal, with perforated color on the front and some artwork on the back. A protective, transparent slipcover slides over the case with all of the symbols normally on a game box (ESRB, cover strip, all the way to the descriptive text on the back) It's too compact and well protected to become an overall embarrassment like the UT2K4 LE case, for example.
The case also does something very unusual in stacking two DVDs on one hub, with it slightly modified to handle the extra disc from what I can tell. It works better than slipping a manual between two hubs, anyway.
To be honest, even without the metal, the slip would be a pretty cool idea for some cases.
Well, I can't say I'm buying the deluxe. Watches are pretty obsolete for me, and I'm sure I could find some street dealer if I was desperate
I agree strongly about soundtracks as bonus material, but Growlanser is hardly the first to try that this year.Personally, forget standups, stickers, watches and the like. My preferred extras goes in this order: (and I can think of several reasons why these would be unlikely, but whatever):
1. Soundtrack (nothing edited, mind. The real deal JPN release)
2. Quality artbook (none of the Xenosaga/Soul Calibur 2 junk Namco tried to shovel out)
3. Quality strategy guide (for quality and form factor hints, see double jump, although past WD guides have been better than the majority of Bradygames/Prima offerings, as I recall.)
4. Dragon Quest Slime PS2 controller
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE DON'T.vireland said:
for those of us who don't like the crap in the package, we end up paying $20-30 for a bunch of shit we don't want or need that takes up shelf space we don't have.
the industry is moving towards having stratified LE / non-LE for games, at least in titles where there's interest in that. i think this is a good idea.
i'd also suggest cutting down on the amount / type of things you give away, but that's just me. IMO jewelry and timepieces are on the silly side.
besides, what do retailers think about the deluxe packaging? seems like it'd be harder to fight for shelf space for oversized boxes and overpriced (by the reckoning of everyone but otaku) games.
BobbyRobby
Member
vireland said:
Since GG is practically out, has there been any word what the next WD project will be?
Soundtrack for Growlanser Generations is a completely new arranged soundtrack. The Japanese soundtracks were fairly mediocre, and I've never, ever understood the reason people plunk down good money for music on CD that sounds like the console synth (back to the SNES era).
The manual for GG is toned down from the usual for space reasons, and barely fits in the CD/DVD case as it is. Another headache for the dual-release thing is how to handle the manuals since when they're all deluxe we can afford to make them very, very nice - basically like artbooks (see:LUNAR/LUNAR2/ARC).
Strategy guides are an area I believe strongly in doing right. GG will not have one because we were stretched too thin to do it this time and, as it turned out, even to oversee an outside version's creation. Quality of prior ones is at least as good as anything out there.
That Slime controller is *crazy*, but I don't know why they wouldn't try it here. I bet there's enough hardcore users to make it successful. Don't tempt me to do something similarly crazy...
Mass retailers don't like it (Wal-Mart), but that's not where we do the bulk of our business. Specialties love it in general because the margin's better and they blow through stock and end up with very little product, if any, to mark down.
It's really up to consumers how it turns out. Doing the split release is a LOT of extra work and expense, and if only a fraction of the base takes advantage of it, it makes little sense because we're so small. I thought that putting the price at $89 would limit it to about 20% of the run, but it's heading towards 50%. That's great from a sales standpoint, and because I think the soundtrack is very cool and should be heard, but it begins to bring into question the pervasiveness of the desire for a regular-only edition within our fanbase.
It's not wrapped yet (i.e. probably won't know the true answer for months), and I'm completely not against doing it the way we've done it. I just don't want to be wasting resources on a feature that isn't really making the most of our limited resources - time that could be spent doing other things people have requested like dual-language versions, for example.
I would have to guess that the Limited Edition is at 50% right now is because the people who are going to buy it right away, or preorder, are going to buy that one much more than people who would wait a while then buy it. if that makes sense.
oh and you could do a mini calander, I've had one once it's just little, works just as well.
oh and you could do a mini calander, I've had one once it's just little, works just as well.
Whimsical Phil
Ninja School will help you
vireland said:
You missed your chance. That Ghaleon puppet should have had a controller built into it.
Crazymoogle
Member
vireland said:
Well, not having heard the Growlanser soundtracks yet I can't respond on that, but the point typically is that if I hear a track from the game I really like, the soundtrack gives me a way to replay it. Just because it's synth isn't going to effect my taste as it still tends to sound better than the crap on the radio these days.
Arranged soundtracks are cool, too; the only thing I don't really agree with are massively recut releases that try to squeeze all of the music onto one CD, or include shared bits of multiple albums - 1 minute single loop tracks aren't worth the CD they're printed on, and history tells me that track selection on a mixed album is so bad I should just hit up CDJapan or Cocoebiz instead.
Which is sort of why I brought up the Doublejump guides, in particular the new Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne release. It's the same shape as a DVD case (just thicker), it has a ton of art pages, and is basically built like a manual and guide simultaneously. You could take a page from LUNAR/LUNAR2/ARC, keep the guide/manual outside the case, and leave the inside for either a second disc hub, map, or whatever. The jump guide even has bookmarks (something I found useful on the WD releases since nothing that compact seems to stay open)
If I could understand the unwillingness to bring that sort of stuff to market, maybe I could understand why Mr. Driller Drill Land is not available on these shores. -_-;
(I still think a platinum "slimebird" would be a good idea, too...)
if you plan to ramp up to do deluxe again in the future, do me a favor and make the case that holds the game stand alone and look nice, then. =) for example: the original pressing of lunar SSSC looks kind of dumb (sword hilt cover) when divorced from its box.
i still think that the longterm benefits of having a regular edition make sense, provided the title builds enough buzz to keep selling past its initial shipment. personally all i want is a DVD case... if the halo 2 limited edition were bigger than a dvd case, i'd be making fun of it, too.
i still think that the longterm benefits of having a regular edition make sense, provided the title builds enough buzz to keep selling past its initial shipment. personally all i want is a DVD case... if the halo 2 limited edition were bigger than a dvd case, i'd be making fun of it, too.
Shouta
Member
That reminds me, I still need to make sure I set aside some cash for the Deluxe.
Oh, and the CD with extra stuff that you could use on your PC would be a pretty nice extra. Not sure how resource intensive it would be for you but the possible extras and stuff you could do with it would be quite nice.
Oh, and the CD with extra stuff that you could use on your PC would be a pretty nice extra. Not sure how resource intensive it would be for you but the possible extras and stuff you could do with it would be quite nice.
Diomedeskun
Member
I personally find most of the extras included in the Arc the Lad and Lunar 2 releases to be of little interest. I don't want paper cutouts, pendants, and other trinkets, and I have a perfectly good watch. What I do want are items I can use. I dearly love when 3 items come with games, especially RPGs:
1. Soundtrack: especially arranged (as long as it is not an experiment that ruins a great soundtrack like the wretched Seiken Densetsu 2 "Secret of Mana+" disc or the mediocre Chrono Trigger "Brink of Time" jazz soundtrack). As I play the music, I relive the best moments of the game in my mind.
2. Art Book: I love seeing early concept art and alternate versions of characters. I particularly like seeing collections of painted art and sketches.
3. Map: I love maps for RPGs. They add greatly to the immersion within the game. Cloth maps are awesome.
Lunar had good extras, but Arc the Lad had nothing that I found particularly appealing. I am willing to pay $10 to $15 extra for the bonuses I mentiones, more for a series I particularly like, but I will not pay an extra $30 to $40 for the Growlanser deluxe set when I have never played the games before and don't know how much I will like it. The CD would perhaps be worth it alone considering just what japanese CDs cost, but I would have to already know the game before purchasing it.
1. Soundtrack: especially arranged (as long as it is not an experiment that ruins a great soundtrack like the wretched Seiken Densetsu 2 "Secret of Mana+" disc or the mediocre Chrono Trigger "Brink of Time" jazz soundtrack). As I play the music, I relive the best moments of the game in my mind.
2. Art Book: I love seeing early concept art and alternate versions of characters. I particularly like seeing collections of painted art and sketches.
3. Map: I love maps for RPGs. They add greatly to the immersion within the game. Cloth maps are awesome.
Lunar had good extras, but Arc the Lad had nothing that I found particularly appealing. I am willing to pay $10 to $15 extra for the bonuses I mentiones, more for a series I particularly like, but I will not pay an extra $30 to $40 for the Growlanser deluxe set when I have never played the games before and don't know how much I will like it. The CD would perhaps be worth it alone considering just what japanese CDs cost, but I would have to already know the game before purchasing it.
kitchenmotors
Banned
Vic, have you ever considered doing a Trading Art figure as part of deluxe package? I love the extras in both Lunars and Arc The Lad, but what I really enjoy is collecting Trading Art figures and Gashapon toys. Have you ever seen the Kaiyodo Gun Grave 4" figure? The detail is amazing, I'd love to have something like that in your next deluce package.
And is the 11/29 date set in stone? I'm going on vacation during that week so I wanna pre-pay for it while I'm gone just to be sure I get a copy of the Deluxe Edition.
And is the 11/29 date set in stone? I'm going on vacation during that week so I wanna pre-pay for it while I'm gone just to be sure I get a copy of the Deluxe Edition.
Korranator
Member
The only extra I'm ever interested in is a soundtrack, or artbook. Alternative covers would be cool as well. The rest IMO is meh....
Hmmm, about how many deluxes are going into production? My bro already told me this is what he's buying me for Xmas... damn, now I gotta think of something good to get him of comparable price I loved the ATL1-2 strategy guide you guys put out, definitely the best guide I've ever seen in a game... 2002 I got ATLC and that guide for Xmas. Such a great game.
I think the next WD game is the PS2 Goemon, right? I would personally love to see them do DW5
I loved the ATL1-2 strategy guide you guys put out, definitely the best guide I've ever seen in a game... 2002 I got ATLC and that guide for Xmas. Such a great game.I think the next WD game is the PS2 Goemon, right? I would personally love to see them do DW5
Don't do variant CD disc designs like you did with several of your Saturn titles and Lunars. While I like the idea at first, it ended up as a big headache for many of your collecting fans and I.
I rather have you spend your resources on stuff like dual languages, bug fixes, additional save slots, etc. rather than modifying & redesigning games, like interface revamping and extra US stuff that isn't always great, and package bonuses.
But of the types of package bonuses that I like are materials that allows me to take a good peek inside the development process, such as your making of Lunar CD. Interviews, concept art, developer journals, videos, etc. that allows me to see and understand how that game came to be. I think a bonus DVD should be the primarily package bonus that you include from hereon. It includes any greatly indepth "making of" videos, high-res concept artworks, music soundtracks, etc. From this we can make a soundtrack CDR ourselves and the digital version of the artbook can be printed out if the gamer wishes to. I think this solution is the most economical while pleasing sountrack wanters and artbook wanters.
Another great thing to put on this bonus DVD is the strategy guide. Since you stopped with the strategy guides as seen from you cancelling the 2nd ATL guide, a digital verison (PDF or video/audio) is the next best way to keep the guides alive while being more economical than a paper verison. Another great thing about a printable PDF verison of a guide is you can update it whenever you want, such as for errata, while it wasn't economical for multiple updated edition printings of a paper verison.
I rather have you spend your resources on stuff like dual languages, bug fixes, additional save slots, etc. rather than modifying & redesigning games, like interface revamping and extra US stuff that isn't always great, and package bonuses.
But of the types of package bonuses that I like are materials that allows me to take a good peek inside the development process, such as your making of Lunar CD. Interviews, concept art, developer journals, videos, etc. that allows me to see and understand how that game came to be. I think a bonus DVD should be the primarily package bonus that you include from hereon. It includes any greatly indepth "making of" videos, high-res concept artworks, music soundtracks, etc. From this we can make a soundtrack CDR ourselves and the digital version of the artbook can be printed out if the gamer wishes to. I think this solution is the most economical while pleasing sountrack wanters and artbook wanters.
Another great thing to put on this bonus DVD is the strategy guide. Since you stopped with the strategy guides as seen from you cancelling the 2nd ATL guide, a digital verison (PDF or video/audio) is the next best way to keep the guides alive while being more economical than a paper verison. Another great thing about a printable PDF verison of a guide is you can update it whenever you want, such as for errata, while it wasn't economical for multiple updated edition printings of a paper verison.
i like that option. both the GL games were on CD; could've moved to DVDs and fit it, probably.NotMSRP said:
not that i'm complaining -- i don't think that companies *have to* offer this to have done their job, i just enjoy having the choice. and GL's voice acting is mostly quite good.