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[cwistofu]

We'll have more blogs, yeah. I won't be writing any blogs specifically to SC, though. Our PC programmer has some stories she'd like to share, and I know Jess is eager to write more on the localization side.



No, I don't think a simultaneous launch is possible. Europe is a lot harder compared to NA--multiple rating systems, all with different rules, and SCEE is a bit tougher as well. We'll try and keep them as close as we can, but I'm not really sure about Europe's window being Summer or Fall yet.


I wouldn't really call it indecisiveness (with me, anyway, lol). I want to work on the games until I drop dead.



Yeah, gimme all the Falcom games. I don't need sleep.



If you're into the empty chest messages, I'm gonna straight recommend the PC version over the PSP version. Due to how SC was programmed, there isn't a single "text box" programmed for each and every treasure chest. There are multiple ones, but we basically found this out in QA when I laughed at a phrase in a treasure chest...then found that phrase like forty more times in other chests. And there's no way for us to change that for the PSP version (we changed the phrase throughout to be less obnoxious, btw), but Sara says she can actually fix that very easily for the PC version. So there will be more chest phrases in the PC version--a lot more.



All patches that were put in both Cold Steel I and II will be in our versions out of the box.

I love all of this insight. Please keep up the good work! And it looks like I'll be getting SC on PC now, as much as I love my Vita!

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

Patches fix bugs and add new functionality to the games. Not sure about Cold Steel 1 but Cold Steel 2 added things like new shortcuts, removed a few annoying things, and even content for the end of the game that wasn't there in the initial release.

missed your post, thanks for answering.

Sounds good, and now we know it's happening thanks to Hatsuu.

 

[Pellegri Testament]

No, I don't think a simultaneous launch is possible. Europe is a lot harder compared to NA--multiple rating systems, all with different rules, and SCEE is a bit tougher as well. We'll try and keep them as close as we can, but I'm not really sure about Europe's window being Summer or Fall yet.

Just wondering with this, does that mean that Europe requires the game to be in a finished state (QA done) before rating it? Or do all the ratings boards just take that much longer to get around to it when compared to here in the US?

 

[StarCreator]

If you're into the empty chest messages, I'm gonna straight recommend the PC version over the PSP version. Due to how SC was programmed, there isn't a single "text box" programmed for each and every treasure chest. There are multiple ones, but we basically found this out in QA when I laughed at a phrase in a treasure chest...then found that phrase like forty more times in other chests. And there's no way for us to change that for the PSP version (we changed the phrase throughout to be less obnoxious, btw), but Sara says she can actually fix that very easily for the PC version. So there will be more chest phrases in the PC version--a lot more.

I was actually asking in regards to Cold Steel, but the SC insight is appreciated too!

 

[Hatsuu]

Just wondering with this, does that mean that Europe requires the game to be in a finished state (QA done) before rating it? Or do all the ratings boards just take that much longer to get around to it when compared to here in the US?

You actually do need to provide a relatively complete (rather, make sure all the pertinent stuff is in) and playable build to all the EU/AUS ratings boards, which you don't need to do at all with ESRB. And yes, the general wait time is much, much longer. So it's kind of both, ahaha.

I was actually asking in regards to Cold Steel, but the SC insight is appreciated too!

Oh, I see. I'm not an editor for CS, but I'm about 99% sure that they wised up with their programming at this point. Don't imagine it's something we could do for CS I or II.

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

Not getting the rest of the first trilogy and Crossbell games sucks but bringing over the latest stuff seems like the most intelligent move to make.

 

[Vylash]

question for Hatsuu or any xseed person, does buying digitally mean you guys get a bigger cut of the sale?

 

[Shizuka]

.

 

[Etria]

Not getting the rest of the first trilogy and Crossbell games sucks but bringing over the latest stuff seems like the most intelligent move to make.

In XSEED's blog post here, they mention that they want to work on TC, and the Crossbell games, but that it depends on the sales of SC. And they say that there is still a chance that they release Zero and Ao, but I guess there are many, many factors to consider.

 

[Vylash]

 

[encephalon]

Yeah, it sounds like the ED3 remake may be closer than we think based on a recent interview. I'm pretty excited about the idea of it.

After playing through the mid 90s release, I would say it desperately needs it if the series is ever to be released in the west. First jrpg I've played to include a battle system I thought was truly awful.

 

[YianGaruga]

No, I don't think a simultaneous launch is possible. Europe is a lot harder compared to NA--multiple rating systems, all with different rules, and SCEE is a bit tougher as well. We'll try and keep them as close as we can, but I'm not really sure about Europe's window being Summer or Fall yet.

Okay Even small indie devs are doing simultaneous releases these days though.. Sorry for the EU whining, it just seems all games are doing it these days except for the cool japanese ones I really want from XSEED or Atlus. NISA and IFI are pretty good at it as well.

I hope the IARC rating system becomes a thing on PSN very soon (it's supposed to be coming) and eliminates most of the hurdles.

question for Hatsuu or any xseed person, does buying digitally mean you guys get a bigger cut of the sale?

Almost certainly. Digital stores like PSN or Steam generally take a cut of around 30% so XSEED gets 70%, while it's much less at retail due to retailer margins and the actual cost of making carts/discs and getting them into stores.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

Vita means life.

 

[Soriku]

$40 is a great price. I could've seen them go for $50 just to squeeze some extra dollars from loyal fans who were bound to buy it at any place, but kudos to going for $40.

 

[clay_ghost]

Will wait to see if there is a LE.

 

[Aeana]

After playing through the mid 90s release, I would say it desperately needs it if the series is ever to be released in the west. First jrpg I've played to include a battle system I thought was truly awful.

The original battle system (PC98 version) was pretty novel for its time, but it garnered some of the same complaints that the gambit system from FF12 had. A lot of people don't consider pre-battle preparation to be gameplay or something. The PC version removed the novelty of the preset patterns and was just a slow/clunky system which I'm not a fan of.

 

[encephalon]

The original battle system (PC98 version) was pretty novel for its time, but it garnered some of the same complaints that the gambit system from FF12 had. A lot of people don't consider pre-battle preparation to be gameplay or something. The PC version removed the novelty of the preset patterns and was just a slow/clunky system which I'm not a fan of.

Is it even possible to play the PC98 versions? I should clarify, I've only played Shiroki Majo.

 

[Aeana]

Is it even possible to play the PC98 versions? I should clarify, I only played Shiroki Majo.

Yes, I'm talking about the PC98 version of 白き魔女. And of course it's possible to play. I assume you mean in an emulator, in which case, Neko Project is a PC98 emulator that fully supports ED3 and ED4.

 

[StereoVsn]

Will wait to see if there is a LE.

Yes, a good LE would be pretty darn awesome.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

I'm helping!

I wonder/hope the PS3 one jumps a bit rounding into November.

 

[Nyoro SF]

Ever since Tom told me that Amazon only makes up a tiny percentage of their overall physical orders I've stopped trusting its ranks.

Apparently Gamestop and Walmart have way better results for XSEED in terms of physical sell through.

 

[YianGaruga]

For importers who don't want to wait for a release announcement, VGP has you covered (PS3, Vita)

A bit over 40€ each with shipping~. Thank you weak CAD

 

[Sinople]

Is it even possible to play the PC98 versions? I should clarify, I've only played Shiroki Majo.

There's emulation but they're also available on Project EGG for 500 yen each if you want to support Falcom:
Shiroki Majo
Akai Shizuku

 

[fates]

Preordered

Thanks XSEED.

 

[StereoVsn]

Man, just noticed the dates are mid November. That could go really badly considering Fallout 4 is releasing around same time and there is a big possibility of P5 releasing in Nov/December.

I am still getting the games (probably both Vita and PS3 if there is crossplay), but mid November is just not a great time to release niche JRPGs, IMO.

 

[names2hard4you]

Wonder how long it'll be until it shows up on Amazon Canada. This is an image from a poster on a different thread of what we see when we search for the game:

 

[Aeana]

There's emulation but they're also available on Project EGG for 500 yen each if you want to support Falcom:
Shiroki Majo
Akai Shizuku

Although (in the past) they have been a bit difficult to purchase from internationally. Not sure what they're like today. Last thing I got from them was the Dragon Slayer box.

 

[Pellegri Testament]

Man, just noticed the dates are mid November. That could go really badly considering Fallout 4 is releasing around same time and there is a big possibility of P5 releasing in Nov/December.

I am still getting the games (probably both Vita and PS3 if there is crossplay), but mid November is just not a great time to release niche JRPGs, IMO.

If we're going to look at every big name release and decide whether it's right to have a more niche release come out around the same time, then there's really no good dates other than the summer drought. Fallout 4 will not affect the sales of a jrpg in any meaningful way considering there is a large difference between the jrpg crowd and the wrpg crowd, that goes doubly so when it comes to a story driven game vs an open world game. Even if Persona were to come out at the same time, does it really matter? It's not everyday that multiple higher profile jrpgs come out around the same time. If a jrpg fan sees both games and think they look interesting, chances are they will eventually get both at some point.

Contrary to what AAA game sales have shown over the years, a games success is not dictated based on how many copies it sells within the first few weeks, it's sad that so many people/companies seem to believe that.

 

[Sinople]

Although (in the past) they have been a bit difficult to purchase from internationally. Not sure what they're like today. Last thing I got from them was the Dragon Slayer box.

I'm in Japan but I bought a couple of games at the beginning of the year with my visa card issued in Europe. I don't remember if they're asking for an address in Japan but I guess that's something that can be faked.

 

[names2hard4you]

If we're going to look at every big name release and decide whether it's right to have a more niche release come out around the same time, then there's really no good dates other than the summer drought. Fallout 4 will not affect the sales of a jrpg in any meaningful way considering there is a large difference between the jrpg crowd and the wrpg crowd, that goes doubly so when it comes to a story driven game vs an open world game. Even if Persona were to come out at the same time, does it really matter? It's not everyday that multiple higher profile jrpgs come out around the same time. If a jrpg fan sees both games and think they look interesting, chances are they will eventually get both at some point.

Contrary to what AAA game sales have shown over the years, a games success is not dictated based on how many copies it sells within the first few weeks, it's sad that so many people/companies seem to believe that.

For the bolded I very much think it would. Fallout 4, absolutely not since the main audience is different. Now Persona is a JRPG, same as this game. If I had to pick one and one only, my choice would be the obvious one lol.

 

[Pellegri Testament]

For the bolded I very much think it would. Fallout 4, absolutely not since the main audience is different. Now Persona is a JRPG, same as this game. If I had to pick one and one only, my choice would be the obvious one lol.

But even then, it's not like either game is going to have a "super limited pre order only" run. You will still be able to find either game months after release, no one is telling people to only buy a single game between them all.

 

[Vylash]

But even then, it's not like either game is going to have a "super limited pre order only" run. You will still be able to find either game months after release, no one is telling people to only buy a single game between them all.

not to mention people are more likely to go for the cheaper game first

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

Man, just noticed the dates are mid November. That could go really badly considering Fallout 4 is releasing around same time and there is a big possibility of P5 releasing in Nov/December.

I am still getting the games (probably both Vita and PS3 if there is crossplay), but mid November is just not a great time to release niche JRPGs, IMO.

Fallout 4 could come out the same day and it wouldn't be a problem, I'd just be afraid about Persona 5.

 

[Shizuka]

I'm getting both Persona 5 and this, but since this one has a Vita version, it'll take precedence.

 

[encephalon]

Although (in the past) they have been a bit difficult to purchase from internationally. Not sure what they're like today. Last thing I got from them was the Dragon Slayer box.

I live in Japan! : )

Thanks guys.

 

[Eusis]

That is indeed the question. I don't think Falcom has anyone who's familiar with working natively on PC anymore these days. In my dream world, they either add PC back to their internal build matrix or they get chummy with a decent external team who does a PC port for Japanese/Chinese/Korean/English release.

I actually wonder if just working on getting it to PS4 will help? I think it's kind of exasperating for some people to go "what? No PS4 release!?" but a compilation re-release might be a good idea if they really want to build the base further in NA/EU when Sen II's translated, and they could probably even go the next step and use the experience getting it to that to get onto PC and thus Steam (and hell, China) much more easily.

Or at least find a company serious enough about it that can work nicely with XSEED on that front. Maybe Marvelous can handle it or has connections to get someone to handle it? Not as if Falcom hasn't partnered with half of Japan at this point with their properties.

Fallout 4 could come out the same day and it wouldn't be a problem, I'd just be afraid about Persona 5.

I don't think Fallout 4 can be completely ruled out, there IS audience overlap. It'd be in a better position with, say, CoD coming out the same day in some ways because the overlap would be smaller, AND even where it exists it either wasn't going to be safe for a long while anyway (seriously into multiplayer) or would be either gotten out of the way or outright compliment (short action thrill alongside RPG, or serious MP experience with serious SP experience.) Fallout 4, well, if you're into both RPGs then there's definitely going to be time conflict, even if they scratch different itches.

 

[charlequin]

I actually wonder if just working on getting it to PS4 will help?

That would also help, yes.

 

[Zhao_Yun]

For importers who don't want to wait for a release announcement, VGP has you covered (PS3, Vita)

A bit over 40€ each with shipping~. Thank you weak CAD

Did Sen no Kiseki I have any notable DLC in Japan? If not I might just import the US version as well.

 

[Necrovex]

Do we have any knowledge how large the digital files will be for the Vita version? I need to know how much crying I'll have to do as I download it via 300 KB/S internet.

 

[Mozendo]

I just picked the voices I think would be best for the job, whether they're new, veteran, popular, or obscure.

Please no Yuri Lowenthal

 

[ghostlight_ross]

If you're into the empty chest messages, I'm gonna straight recommend the PC version over the PSP version. Due to how SC was programmed, there isn't a single "text box" programmed for each and every treasure chest. There are multiple ones, but we basically found this out in QA when I laughed at a phrase in a treasure chest...then found that phrase like forty more times in other chests. And there's no way for us to change that for the PSP version (we changed the phrase throughout to be less obnoxious, btw), but Sara says she can actually fix that very easily for the PC version. So there will be more chest phrases in the PC version--a lot more.

And with that it's confirmed that I'll be getting the PC version. Some the chest messages in the original cracked me up.

Massively looking forward to more Trails anyway. Definitely going to be getting SC and Cold Steel as soon as they're out.

 

[RyoonZ]

No Emma in the box art is blasphemy!

 

[YianGaruga]

Did Sen no Kiseki I have any notable DLC in Japan? If not I might just import the US version as well.

From looking around, it seems to be only costume DLC. If the release dates are >1 month apart I'll probably just import as well.

 

[Benzychenz]

Not really feeling the box art. I hate how so many anime games seem to just chuck all the character art on there, looks so tacky.

Something like this (very very quick mockup) would be nicer.

But oh well it's only a minor thing I guess.

 

[Negator]

Not really feeling the box art. I hate how so many anime games seem to just chuck all the character art on there, looks so tacky.

Something like this (very very quick mockup) would be nicer.

But oh well it's only a minor thing I guess.

Yeah, the whole 'plaster the entire cast on the cover' thing is really overdone.

 

[Tohsaka]

It's the same cover as the Japanese version, they likely didn't see any reason to change it. I think it looks fine, personally.

 

[desmax]

I hate these boxarts with a random art on the back and the characters art photoshopped in it. Wished they used the Super Price version boxart

It's the same cover as the Japanese version, they likely didn't see any reason to change it. I think it looks fine, personally.

They kinda put 2 more characters in the back.

 

[Tjamato88]

Where do I start with series? I've heard great things but do I need to play the PSP one first?

 

[Tohsaka]

They kinda put 2 more characters in the back.

Well shit, I didn't even notice them. I guess I shouldn't post while I'm still waking up. They're still almost the same, at least!

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Where do I start with series? I've heard great things but do I need to play the PSP one first?

I don't know if you need the Sky games for narrative reasons, but you need to play them period to get That Thirst.

Yeah, the whole 'plaster the entire cast on the cover' thing is really overdone.

It's the "character with their back to the camera" of Japan, I swear.