Hang On to Your Final Fantasy XI Account, Get Free Shoes

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.

Square Enix Reveals Release Date, Pre-order Bonus for Tactics Ogre Remake

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.

EA, Bioware Talk Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 2 at GamesCom

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.

Anachronox – Staff Retroview

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.

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Bethesda Announces Fallout New Vegas Voices

In an update on their official blog, Bethesda revealed more of the voice talent and their roles for the upcoming Fallout New Vegas

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Not So Mass Media 08/10/10

Tiny text should be abolished in games.

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Nippon Ichi Cancels Unspecified Projects

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 Reveals Shining Hearts: Local Bakery Saves the World

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

Arc Rise Fantasia – Staff Review

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. Imagine how the effect of new technology help people to enjoy games more. to know how technology affected online casino as well, visit this website now. You’ll probably get mind blown in whatever you are gonna see.

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.

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Not So Mass Media 08/04/10

I hope Mass Effect 2 doesn’t have an 80s style song playing during the credits.

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XSEED Launches Ys Website, Announces Ys Seven Release Date

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.

Mass Media 08/01/10

Mass Effect has the worst item management system ever.

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Namco Bandai Announces Triple Dose of Tales

Namco Bandai announced today that Tales of Graces will be making the jump from the Wii to the PS3.  Dubbed Tales of Graces F, the port will feature high-definition graphics, new special attacks, and a new outfit for female lead Sophie.  Meanwhile, the PSP will be receiving Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3, which will feature some 80 Tales characters and is currently slated for a Japanese release next year.  The third and final announced Tales entry is also bound for the PS3, though no title was given.

No US releases were announced for any of the three.

Source: 1UP

DQIX Tag Mode Tour Extravapalooza

Dragon Quest IX players are cordially invited to participating retailers for a downloadable special event map, which may be traded with others via the Tag Mode feature.  Specific GameStop, Best Buy, and Simon Mall locations will be carrying the maps, which mark dates and times for Dragon Quest events near their respective stores.

Further details on upcoming events are accessible via the official site.

PSP Phantom Brave Port Details Revealed

Nippon Ichi unveiled several screenshots of the upcoming PSP port of Phantom Brave, alongside plenty of juicy tidbits about what to expect from the added content.  Apart from features added in the jump from the PS2 to the Wii, the PSP version will include an additional scenario not present in earlier versions of the game.  The new scenario, accessible after clearing the game, features Marona and Ash chasing down the heroes they recruited to help save the world and telling them they’re no longer needed.  This segment will include five heroes from other Nippon Ichi games, including Unlosing Ranger from ZHP and Prinny from Disgaea.

Phantom Brave PSP is due for an October 28 release at retailers and as a direct download.  No word has been given about a US release.

Source: adriasang

Radiant Historia Coming Soon to Japan, Announces Atlus

Atlus is creating a brand new traditional RPG for the Nintendo DS, according to this week’s Famitsu.  Dubbed Radiant Historia, the game is due out November 4 in Japan, pricing at 6279 yen (or $71.97, so sayeth the wise currency converter.)

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Persona 3 Portable – Staff Review

Following the port-heavy schedule for the PSP, Persona 3 Portable builds on what was already a great game, adding new features, more combat options, and a huge whack of new plot in the form of new Social Links. Unfortunately, not all the alterations really work, as there has been some excessive tinkering with the game’s balance, and the technical limitations of the handheld platform have resulted in an oversimplified interface that causes some serious issues with suspension of disbelief. The end result is a game which feels a bit overworked, but has the potential to provide an excellent experience.

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Mass Media 07/24/10

If it gets one degree hotter I’m gonna kick someone’s ass.

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New ME2 DLC Announced: Shepard Vs. Shadow Broker, Guest Starring Liara

BioWare announced today that new downloadable content is coming for Mass Effect 2.  Tellingly dubbed Lair of the Shadow Broker, this latest DLC pits Shepard and company against the titular black market of information.  Little is known about both the Shadow Broker itself and the content, although BioWare did announce that the player would team up with Liara, who stayed out of the party in Mass Effect 2 to focus on dealing with said organization.

More details and screenshots can be found on the official website.  A release date has not been stated.  Although their involvement has not been indicated in the content, Cerberus has nonetheless prepared to reset its “days since our last Resident Evil-style program failure” sign back to zero.

Tactics Ogre Remake, US Release is a Yes

Square Enix confirmed today that a PSP remake of Tactics Ogre will get a North American release.  Dubbed Let Us Cling Together for the US version, the remake is headed by key members of the original Tactics Ogre team: director Hiroshi Minagawa, character designer Akihiko Yoshida, game designer Yasumi Matsuno, and composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata.  Yes, that’s basically the Final Fantasy Tactics/Vagrant Story team.

No release date was given in the press release, possibly because the team was busy trying to keep their good guys from killing too many good-aligned creatures.  Zero-alignment angels erryday.

Source: 1UP