Corporate group Index Holdings, which counts Atlus Games as a wholly-owned subsidiary, has recently been doing some in-house restructuring. Among the more notable changes is the complete absorption of the Atlus name by Index Holdings. A spokesperson for IH stated that the group intends to focus on game development, and maintained that this will not affect the planned release of any Atlus titles or their respective branding.
Source: Game Watch
Translation: Adrienne “Sicondera” Beck
Coming straight from Final Fantasy XIV‘s Twitter feed is the announcement that the beta will open up to the public starting Wednesday, September 1 at 2:00 GMT. As a reminder, the full game will be available September 30 for the PC, with the PS3 version expected early in March.
Does more need to be said? Go on, go check it out. And if you happen to see an axe-wielding Miqo’te and her stalwart Hyuran manservant running around, by all means, stop and say howdy.
Here’s something to be thankful for. Nintendo announced today that Golden Sun: Dark Dawn will be released on November 29, just days after Thanksgiving in the United States.
Set 30 years after the events of the first two Golden Sun titles, Dark Dawn begins with an attempt to save a friend and progresses toward saving the entire world. Playable characters can collect up more than 70 different Djinn and use their elemental powers to solve puzzles.
As people everywhere take sides in the latest gaming brouhaha – used games and alternate means of publishers getting more money for them – a thought occurred. While everyone was arguing over whether this or that represents some moral atrocity against our hobby, I started wondering if the lumbering green monster wrecking everything around us might warrant closer attention.
Yes, we’re talking about the economy. Money, cash, spendola; the globe just took an unbelievable beating thanks to complex financial instruments and we’re wondering why companies are getting silly about money. Why, indeed.
Continue reading ‘NPCast 15: On the Economy – It’s In Your Face, Killing Your Games’ »
I’d pay good money to have Aya’s hair.
Continue reading ‘Mass Media – Aya’s Hair Edition 08/29/10’ »
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30 Second Hero eh? That’s what my ex used to call me.
Continue reading ‘Mass Media 08/25/10’ »
Atari announced today that they are developing Neverwinter, an online RPG based around the titular Dungeons & Dragons city. In-house online developer Cryptic, perhaps best known for City of Heroes/Villains and Star Trek Online, is at the helm of the project. While the game shares some of the locations with BioWare’s Neverwinter Nights series, Atari’s Neverwinter will tell its own story, wherein the city is blighted by civil war and a plague outbreak.
Cryptic did not explicitly say Neverwinter is massively multiplayer, though it will require an online connection and players can form five-player teams to work through dungeons and quests. Solo players can recruit computer-controlled allies to clear the same areas, while a content creation system called Forge will let players generate their own storylines and such.
Neverwinter is set for a late 2011 release on the PC. Further information can be located on the official website.
BioWare recently launched the official website for Dragon Age 2, which proudly sports a shiny new cinematic trailer and additional information.
Continue reading ‘Dragon Age 2 Site Launched, Trailer Released’ »
Is it the shoes? Yes, it is, now that Square Enix has announced three perks for players who subscribe to both Final Fantasy XI and XIV. The first perk is a discount for Final Fantasy XI that reduces the basic monthly fee from $12.95 to $7.00. The second perk gives every newly-created character in Final Fantasy XIV a pair of Hermes Shoes, special footwear that increase movement speed. The third perk lets players transfer their character names from Final Fantasy XI to XIV.
You can find all the details at the official site.
In today’s edition of “But Only in Japan,” Square Enix updated the official site for Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together with fresh information regarding the game’s release date and pre-order goodies. The game will be available as a retail version and a downloadable version on November 11, but only those who pre-order the game in Japan will receive a set of tarot cards that feature artwork from character designer Akihiko Yoshida.
Electronic Arts and Bioware made two significant announcements yesterday at a press conference preceding GamesCom in Germany. Dragon Age 2 will be released for PC, 360, and PS3 in in North America on March 8, 2011 and in Europe on March 11, 2011. The companies also announced that Mass Effect 2 will be released for the PS3 in January 2011.
Strip away the sci-fi veneer of futuristic settings and you’ll often find traditional stories buried underneath. Ion Storm’s Anachronox is little different, building its planet-hopping adventure on the back of a washed-up detective story set in a weird, wild future. Burdened by buggy gameplay that had problems when it was released, it nonetheless stands out even amongst modern titles. With skilled story direction and a few unique twists on the formula, Anachronox boasts more character and ingenuity in the first hour than most entire games manage. It’s just a shame the game insists on getting in the way.
Continue reading ‘Anachronox – Staff Retroview’ »
In an update on their official blog, Bethesda revealed more of the voice talent and their roles for the upcoming Fallout New Vegas.
Continue reading ‘Bethesda Announces Fallout New Vegas Voices’ »
Tiny text should be abolished in games.
Continue reading ‘Not So Mass Media 08/10/10’ »
Nippon Ichi announced today that three games currently in development are being canceled, citing a low likelihood of ensuring quality and turning a profit on the titles. The news comes in the wake of the company’s first quarter earnings report, revealing a 40% sales drop over last year; the titles are being stopped as part of a restructuring effort to counteract this. While the company still edged out a narrow 32 million yen profit in the first quarter, time spent on the three games effectively results in a 21 million loss.
The names of the canceled titles were not released, though presumably the next Disgaea, on track to debut at the Tokyo Game Show in September, is not among them.
Source: IGN
Sega announced today that Shining Hearts, the next entry in its long-running series, is headed for the PSP. The game tells the tale of swordsman Rick, who works at an island bakery along with a hunter, a magician, and a priestess. When a mysterious, emotionless girl washes ashore with no memory of what happened to her, Rick and his bakery pals team up to help her out. While plot advancement opens up new areas of the island, players can engage in various sim-based activities along the way, from villager quests to sailing to material-collection minigames.
Shining Hearts is set for a winter release in Japan, though no US release has been announced.
Source: 1UP
I’m led to believe that hating on Japanese RPGs is the “in” thing right now. Yes, they were pioneering and revolutionary back in their heyday, that magical time around the fourth and fifth console generations (and specifically the SNES and PS1) when cartoony, sprite-based graphics were the norm and any semblance of an intricate plot was head and shoulders above the competition.
That said, Arc Rise Fantasia is a fairly standard JRPG. Brooding protagonist with oversized sword, quiet, sheltered healer girl, semi-fantasy setting, colorful character designs, it’s all there. And it’s better than the haters would lead you to believe.
Continue reading ‘Arc Rise Fantasia – Staff Review’ »
I hope Mass Effect 2 doesn’t have an 80s style song playing during the credits.
Continue reading ‘Not So Mass Media 08/04/10’ »
XSEED just launched the official website for the PSP-bound Ys Seven, located here. Apart from the usual menagerie of background info, preorder links, and collector’s edition extras – CD soundtrack, 60-page art book, and cloth map – the site lists the game’s release date as August 17. The standard and downloadable versions will cost $29.99, while the CE will retail for $49.99.
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