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[u_neek]

All from Japanese Dorimiga Magazine:

Akihiro Hino, President of level 5, says it's likely that their MMORPG, True Fantasy Online, might sill be alive. Platform unknown: Xbox 2??

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Level 5 will also reveal a new project for PS2 in the beginning of next year - AND they're working on a PSP-title as well...

www.gamefront.de

 

[Doom_Bringer]

nice! I love Level 5

 

[Elios83]

Interesting,so there could be a new PS2 RPG (Dark Cloud 3?) and a PSP title.

 

[wobedraggled]

Nintendo Revolution, that would be such a kick in the ass.

 

[Elios83]

Microosft still owns the rights on True Fantasy Online so I think Xbox2 is a sure bet.

 

[Blimblim]

TFLO as a japanese Xenon launch title ? It would be quite nice.
If Level 5 specifically mentioned that TFLO (and not some unnamed mmorpg) is in the works, then it has to be on a Microsoft platform since it was a 2nd party game 100% financed by MS Games Studios. Unless Level 5 has some way to keep all the assets and names in case of a breach of contract.
Interesting, to say the least.

 

[DCharlie]

"TFLO as a japanese Xenon launch title ? It would be quite nice."

or - if i was MS - a massive sack of cash and a request to insert dragon quest characters for Dragon Quest online at launch.

Fuck it , they might as well.

 

[Blimblim]

"TFLO as a japanese Xenon launch title ? It would be quite nice."

or - if i was MS - a massive sack of cash and a request to insert dragon quest characters for Dragon Quest online at launch.

Fuck it , they might as well.

He, I think GAF would explode if they did that. Hell, I think GAF will explode a lot of times next year with some of the stuff MS plans for Xbox 2

 

[jarrod]

"TFLO as a japanese Xenon launch title ? It would be quite nice."

or - if i was MS - a massive sack of cash and a request to insert dragon quest characters for Dragon Quest online at launch.

Fuck it , they might as well.

Funny as it sounds, Enix was talking about DQ Online before even DQ8... maybe Hino hinting that TFLO "might still be alive" means the project was taken over by Square Enix, adding DQ properties? If so, I'd imagine it's PS2/PC... though Xenon's always possible for next gen too.

 

[Redbeard]

That would be great. TFLO looks much cooler than MS's generic-ville Vanguard.

 

[Gattsu25]

IMO, Dark Cloud 3 should become a PSP title and have Level-5 work on a new IP for the PS2...fuck having the two on both systems and fuck any possible connectivity

TFLO would kickass.....as a PS2 TITLE!!

 

[DCharlie]

"Funny as it sounds, Enix was talking about DQ Online before even DQ8... maybe Hino hinting that TFLO "might still be alive" means the project was taken over by Square Enix, adding DQ properties? If so, I'd imagine it's PS2/PC... though Xenon's always possible for next gen too."

Well, with FFXI taking in the coin like no ones business on the PS2, i'm not sure that square enix would be all that keen on putting DQ Online on the PS2 this late in the day.

Saying that, we don't know how MMORPG friendly the next crop of next gen consoles are (in terms of mass storage for updates/patches etc). Then there is the recent "we will be looking at other platforms for future MMORPG development" outburst from Square, but that could also be posturing from them to put the wind up Sony following thier poor handling of the HDD rollouts.

If i had to plumb for anything, i'd say PC at the moment. I doubt that Square Enix would be thrilled to put an MMORPG on a console at launch due to the lack of number of users. Unless of course Sony or MS bung them a wedge of cash to cover their losses.

Either way, a DQ Online game would make for an interesting launch title on any platform - if it did happen on the Xbox 2, then i think the Japanese might all simultaneously explode.

 

[StoOgE]

I dont see this getting away from MS seeing as though they paid for it.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I vote for the new IP being on the PSP, and then letting the PS2 get Dark Cloud 3.

 

[jarrod]

I dont see this getting away from MS seeing as though they paid for it.

Maybe, but they also killed it. Level-5 might just take their engine elsewhere then.


I do think it's possible the project was never killed actually, but rather silently shifted to Xenon. But I'd doubt any DQ connection then.

 

[StoOgE]

I do think it's possible the project was never killed actually, but rather silently shifted to Xenon. But I'd doubt any DQ connection then.

Thats what Im thinking happened. The game wasnt coming out until 6 months before Xenon comes out... these types of games rely on a big userbase that is sustained for years in order to make money.. MS would benefit more from this game coming out in the Xenons first 6 months or so.

 

[jarrod]

Thats what Im thinking happened. The game wasnt coming out until 6 months before Xenon comes out... these types of games rely on a big userbase that is sustained for years in order to make money.. MS would benefit more from this game coming out in the Xenons first 6 months or so.

I'd agree with that, especially for Japan. MS/Level-5 should consider doing a PC release too.

 

[Operations]

This was quite obvious since the original announcement. MMORPGs are meant to last several years and with Xbox 2 launching in 2005 it's only natural that they decided to move the project for next gen.

 

[bitwise]

yeah, i never really felt it was canned altogether. something was just too weird about that old announcement.

great tidbit

 

[snapty00]

Either way, a DQ Online game would make for an interesting launch title on any platform - if it did happen on the Xbox 2, then i think the Japanese might all simultaneously explode.

Either that, or Dragon Quest would then "mysteriously" be a shitty franchise.

 

[akascream]

They should just turn thier mmo into a single player game. No way they can compete with SOE and Blizzard.

 

[StoOgE]

Or, they could sell Dragon Quest online.. the exact same game, the exact same servers.. just swap some skins. It would sell a million more copies before anyone caught on.

 

[jarrod]

Or, they could sell Dragon Quest online.. the exact same game, the exact same servers.. just swap some skins. It would sell a million more copies before anyone caught on.

Hori & Toriyama wouldn't go for that. They'd want DQ Online to feel authentic, and it'd take more than skin swaps to do that.

 

[The End]

I'm amazed that Sony hasn't bought Level 5 yet.

 

[element]

It is possible that Level5 has bought back the TFLO IP from Microsoft. MS has been in a 'selling' mood of recent. If Level5 bought back the IP, then they can do what ever they want with the game and technology.

 

[Drek]

I'm amazed that Sony hasn't bought Level 5 yet.

I doubt Level 5 wants to sell, at least right now. Wait until DQ8 sales start to peak and they'll be worth several times what they are right now. Also, Sony likely would rather see a major seller from them. Dark Cloud doesn't move as many units as I'm sure Sony would like to see. Insomniac is above them on the "2nd parties to be bought" list for Sony, and Sucker Punch is probably right there as well.

Nice news about TFLO. If MS really dumped it I'd imagine that Level 5 had some protection in the contract giving them the IPs to what work had been done, but this covert shift to Xenon seems just as likely to me. I'd really like ot know how it was phrased. If TFLO was mentioned by name then yeah, I'm betting Xenon, but if they just mentioned an upcoming MMORPG I'd bet its for PS2 and distributed by Sony. Never know though, maybe Square Enix liked what they saw with DQ8 and are increasing their partnership, though that'd likely just indicate PS2 as well.

 

[jarrod]

I'm amazed that Sony hasn't bought Level 5 yet.

Why would Sony want to piss off Square Enix (as if the HDD wasn't enough)? They just finally got them onboard PSP after all.

 

[Ruud_Luiten]

True Fantasy Online for Gizmondo?

 

[bitwise]

True Fantasy Online for Gizmondo?

?