Dragon Quest Monsters 3D to Feature Data Import

Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry’s Wonderland 3D will allow players to import data from Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 and Joker 2 Professional. Given the latter two are on the original DS, Square Enix will release an import application on the 3DS e-Shop alongside Terry’s Wonderland. The app is free to use, though players must clear Terry’s Wonderland in order to use it.

Source: Andriasang

Mass Media 04/28/12

“Farron” is a Scottish word meaning “great hair.”

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Fire Emblem: Awakening to Get DLC Characters, Also it Sold Really Well

More DLC characters are on the way for Fire Emblem: Awakening, specifically Micaiah from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn and Alm from Fire Emblem Gaiden. Each character will have their own scenario attached, and are priced at ¥300 individually.

Incidentally, Awakening topped sales charts last week, literally selling out in several shops. Media Create reports some four-fifths (81.63%) of stock managed to sell, with total numbers reaching 242,600 units.

Source: Andriasang

Nintendo Announces Pokemon Black & White 2 Support Apps

With Pokemon Black and White 2 poised to earn Nintendo another gold-plated yacht filled with money, the company has revealed that support apps for the game are also in development. First is the Pokemon AR Searcher, an Augmented Reality shooting game that lets you take pictures, capture Pokemon from said pictures, and import them to Black and White 2. Searcher hits the e-Shop alongside the core game on June 23, priced at ¥300. Second is an updated Pokemon management program, titled Pokemon Zenkoku Zukan Pro, which will be released on July 14 for ¥1,500.

Source: Andriasang

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers 3DS Announced

A 3DS adaptation of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is in development, according to Famitsu. The sequel to the original Devil Summoner, Soul Hackers was a Saturn title that later got ported to the Playstation. In bringing it to the 3DS, Atlus will be adding various new features, including an opening animation, shorter load times, battle animations, and “full voice conversion featuring a major voice cast.”

Source: Andriasang

Square Enix Corrects FFXIII-2 DLC Details

Prior details of upcoming Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC are incorrect, according to Square Enix. In particular, content planned for a May release was reportedly priced at 560 MSP for Lightning’s episode and 640 for Snow’s. That information was apparently false, as Square Enix has announced that neither price nor release date have been officially confirmed.

Source: Andriasang

Kingdom Hearts 3D Demo Coming Next Week

While Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance has been on sale since last month in Japan, Square Enix has announced plans to release a demo verison through the Nintendo e-Shop, starting May 2. The demo drops you in a portion of Traverse Town, controlling Sora and a preset Dream Eater party. Reportedly, you’ll need about 90mb of space and can play the demo 15 times.

Source: Andriasang

Atelier Meruru Set for May 22 US Release

Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland has been set for a North American release date of May 22. I swear I’m going to get to these games one day, they just look so pretty and colorful.

Source: Joystiq

Square Enix Announces Welcome Back, Legacy Campaigns for FFXIV

Reminding people that Final Fantasy XIV is still running, Square Enix has launched a pair of promotional campaigns for the game. The first is for legacy players, those who have paid for at least three months since January, when billing began. Eligible players will be contacted via email and receive a discounted subscription ($9.99 for 30 days), along with 40 character slots at a maximum of eight per world. With the launch of 2.0, these players will also get an exclusive chocobo mount and may have their names listed in the update’s credits.

The second promo is the Welcome Back campaign, aimed at luring players with inactive accounts. Players can reactivate for free between May 9 and May 20, coinciding with updates to the job system and Seventh Umbral Era content.

Source: Joystiq

Theatrhythm Preorder Bonuses: Stylus and Stickers

On the off chance you’re curious, Square Enix has announced that North American preorders for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will include a custom stylus and character stickers. These include most of the well-known characters – Cloud, Squall, Lightning – and vastly superior ones like Shantotto. Don’t even act like she’s not the best thing Final Fantasy has produced in a long time.

As a reminder, Theatrhythm hits US retailers starting July 3.

Source: Joystiq

Etrian Odyssey IV Details: Shared Skills, Custom Characters

The latest batch of Etrian Odyssey IV screens have revealed further gameplay tidbits. Apart from character-specific skills, party members have access to shared Burst Skills, which you learn from books along the way and are set in open skill slots. Their effects range from special attacks to party-wide buffs, for instance raising everyone’s attack strength for that turn. A Burst gauge governs the use of these skills, and naturally is depleted with each use. Additionally, players can create and customize their characters through the guild, and can store up to 30 characters in total.

Source: Andriasang

Ni No Kuni Sequel Depends on Overseas Success

A sequel to the Level-5/Studio Ghibli title Ni No Kuni is possible, though, according to Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, it will depend on how well the game does outside of Japan. Speaking with Famitsu, Hino appeared confident the game would do well worldwide, adding that the localization director tapped for the project has considerable experience; this will, however, be their first project with Level-5.

The PS3 version, subtitled Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, is expected to release in the first quarter of 2013.

Source: Andriasang

tri-Ace Tapped for Little Battler eXperience W

Level-5 has recruited tri-Ace to develop Little Battler eXperience W, a PSP follow-up to last year’s Little Battler eXperience. It was announced alongside its 3DS counterpart (subtitled Explosive Boost), though little else is known at this time.

Source: Andriasang

FFXIII-2 Snow DLC Details Revealed

Via Famitsu, further details about Final Fantasy XIII-2‘s Snow-centric DLC have been unveiled. Aimed at clearing up some of the mysteries behind the coliseum, the content will also reveal Snow’s mission as an L’Cie. Valfodr shows up in the second half of the episode, serving as a recurring nemesis who grows stronger each time you defeat him.

The content will be available on May 15.

Source: Andriasang

Class of Heroes RPG Gets Dated

Dungeon crawler Class of Heroes is getting a more RPG-like adaptation, innovatively titled New Class of Heroes. Little information has been given, but the PSP title is set for a July 19 release.

Source: Andriasang

More P4 Arena Details, Release Date

Still more Persona 4: Arena information has been release, not the least of which is a release date of August 2. Reportedly, the home version’s story mode will initially allow access to four characters – the main character, Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko – with others unlocked through gameplay. Preorders will also get a soundtrack CD as a bonus.

Source: Andriasang

Atlus Takes Over Publishing for Dragon’s Crown

Over on the Playstation Blog, Atlus PR Manager Aram Jabbari announced that Atlus has assumed the role of publisher for Dragon’s Crown. With the transfer of publisher, Vanillaware’s 2D fantasy brawler is planned for a 2013 release. Additionally, some Atlus staff will now be assisting with production.

However, Jabbari did state that the game will retail north of $29.99. “We don’t know where that price point came from,” he writes, “but it is a logistical impossibility. We’re all gamers and we all wished it could be so, but it would have essentially destroyed any chance for profitability.”

The post in full can be read here.

Nomura Hints at More TWEWY

In a recent interview regarding Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Tetsuya Nomura dropped a few stronger-than-average hints that there may be more The World Ends With You to come. In particular he said the character Rhyme, who had only reaction voices with no actual dialogue in TWEWY, was given voice casting for KH3D “out of consideration for the future of The world Ends With You series.” Nomura ended the interview by adding that, “Regarding The World Ends With You, I can’t say anything at present… but there probably is something.”

Source: Andriasang

What Happened This Week – The Future Needs More RAM

Nothing quite like a sales binge to pick up on games you missed, especially when it reminds you how expensive some of them are. Hey, dude selling Suikoden V for $100: I hope your parents hated you, because I do. Also, a heads-up: I’ll be in DC next week starting Sunday, so no podcast while I’m away. See you all the following week! With that said, here are this week’s headlines:

  • Rumors swirl that EA may be laying people off, though even if they’re true there may be a plausible explanation.  Or EA’s stock could be dropping, it could be that too.
  • That said, Zynga appears to have gone off the deep end, with more OMGPop-style pricey acquisitions in the future.  OMGPop, incidentally, may have peaked the very day of its acquisition.  Get some popcorn, folks.
  • Two of the Big Three schedule their E3 conferences, prompting a rehash of speculation.  My take: Microsoft offers no surprises, Sony needs to explain themselves, and Nintendo will steal headlines whether it wants to or not.
  • Speaking of Sony, the New York Times offers a revealing look on where the electronics giant stumbled.  Short version: departmental tribalism, right down to war paint and scalping.
  • Wired’s Chris Kohler asserts the existing publisher-hardware-retailer model is broken and we don’t really need it.  I agree, but scrapping it all seems premature.
  • Namco-Bandai may avoid using GFWL for the PC version of Dark Souls.  On bended knee, I beseech Bamco to do the right thing and serve the Newell.
  • A rumored meeting between Apple and Valve is debunked, Saints Row DLC may have saved THQ, and more!

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Mass Media 04/21/12

Seriously, where the hell did Teddie get that bow tie?

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