RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

With Phantasy Star Nova only recently announced, details about the Vita RPG are just beginning to surface. In particular, tri-Ace will be supervised by the Phantasy Star team, though tri-Ace is fully in charge of development.

Gameplaywise, players can fully customize the name and appearance of their character, and NPCs are built through the same character creator featured in Phantasy Star Online 2. The story is advanced through missions, playable either solo or through ad-hoc multiplayer for up to four people. Said story seems to invite comparisons to Star Ocean, as the player’s planetary exploration group crash-lands on an uncivilized planet and is tasked with getting back into space alive.

Other than the 2014 launch window, no release information is known at this time.

Source: Gematsu

During their SCEJA 2013 press conference, Sega announced the latest entry in the Phantasy Star series, titled Phantasy Star Nova. tri-Ace is handling development, and the game will be similar in worldview to Phantasy Star Online 2 without the online elements. Details are still forthcoming, but for now the title is planned for a 2014 launch on PS Vita.

Source: Gematsu

A spokesperson for Sega announced that Phantasy Star Online 2 will not see an early 2013 release outside Japan, as was originally planned. No reason was given for the delay, with only the statement that Sega will “update everyone as soon as there are more details to share.”

Source: Gematsu

Sega announced this week that Phantasy Star Online 2 has crossed the one million player threshold in Japan. In celebration, Sega will be awarding special prizes to 100 random players who log in between October 17 and November 7, ranging from tickets to the series’ 25th Anniversary Concert, music CDs from same, signed posters, t-shirts, and so on. Two players will additionally score a customized Alienware M14x laptop.

Source: Joystiq

Guess who’s back!  How’s everybody doing?  I spent the weekend watching mutants and mercenaries duke it out in the Capitol building.  And then I came home to play Fallout 3 heyoooooooooo!  Okay, yeah, obvious joke is obvious, but DC is a cool town even if you’re not a political junkie such as myself.  But anyway, it’s good to be back at home base, got my computer a shiny new video card, the Mass Effect 3 review finally done, and ready to get down to business.  So let’s get on it!  In today’s headlines we have:

• Bethesda announces The Elder Scrolls Online.  I explain why this is not going anywhere profitable, and point to a much more interesting property they’re funding for one Shinji Mikami.
• A Forbes article breaks down that Zynga, Groupon, and Facebook work with an accounting firm that makes rules up as they go.  I wish I were kidding.
• Eurogamer runs a lengthy piece on the demise of Free Radical.  Long story short, it took a little more treachery than doped-up marines going “Boosh!”
• NVidia rolls out a top-of-the-line graphics card for $1000.00.  How else can a month’s salary last until next week when they push the envelope even further?
• FilePlanet is no longer being updated, thus preparing itself for the annals of Internet history.  Behold, children, the days when patches didn’t download themselves.
• Electronic Arts rolls out an Indie Bundle, upending basically every sensible definition of the term ‘indie.’  And on Steam, no less, making it all the more confusing.
• A Chinese company develops a console specifically for pirates China, EA asks for feedback on Origin, I speculate based on Sega-centric Steam deals, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Capitalism Means Never Saying Sorry’ »

Sega announced that Phantasy Star Online 2 will not make its 2011 target date for online service. Producer Satoshi Sakai said that the decision is in response to initial test feedback, and a second alpha test has been scheduled for early 2012. A beta test and full online service are to follow at an unspecified date.

Source: Andriasang

And we’re back on task, no worse for wear. Well, I’m still fighting a cough, but at least we’re up and running again. As I said yesterday, sorry for the delay folks. Fortunately it wasn’t too busy a news week so I had time to chew on some rich, yummy financial analysis alongside the TGS leftovers. Let’s get down on it, shall we?

• Tokyo Game Show wrap-ups: 3DS releases are promising and its match-up with the Vita is the fight to watch; Square Enix needs something to reassure fans it knows what it’s doing, which probably isn’t FFXII-2; Konami lets Suikoden out of the cellar into yet another cellar; Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 confuses yet taps into the mysterious ‘buy me’ impulse; Namco-Bandai still hates money.
• Dualshockers.com provides some insights into the Japanese stock market and its reactions to TGS.  Short version: Sony should be thankful Japan likes the Vita.  The full article is definitely worth the read.
• Sony has a brief network outage that’s quickly corrected as authorities nab yet more LulzSec participants.  The irony of this is not lost on me.
• A university study crowdsources viral protein modeling to a bunch of FoldIt players, with surprising results.  Look to see someone try to weaponize this in the near future.
• Not exactly game-related, but the CERN researchers firing a particle that seemingly broke the speed of light is too fascinating not to discuss and/or fantasize about.  Read up on it if you haven’t already, it could very well be science fiction in the making.
• And speaking of science gone mad, code-hunters find an apparent teaser for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 in Valve’s DotA 2.  Don’t play games with my heart, Valve.  Just… don’t.

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Buy Shares in Black Mesa’ »

The hard part about rolling up a fresh New Vegas character in preparation for Lonesome Road is remembering all the little things you can do along the way. To wit: I could listen to Chief Hanlon talk for hours. Anyway, time for some media. In today’s update: Class of Heroes 3D, Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime 3, Half-Minute Hero 2, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2.
Continue reading ‘Mass Media 07/30/2011’ »

Phantasy Star Online 2 will inch closer to release with its upcoming Japanese alpha test, scheduled to begin in August. Additionally, further information about the game was unveiled, specifically the following:

• Individual areas will have a 12-person multiplayer limit, with players divided into groups of four.
• Players will have some degree of free aiming with attacks that can target specific body parts.
• Characters level up by class, which in turn grants access to new skills.

The official site was also launched, and can be found here.

Source: 1UP

Bet you never thought you’d see my ass back here again, eh? Continue reading ‘Mass Media 07/23/11’ »

You know what’s more annoying than writer’s block? Having an idea of what to write and how to write it, but just being so busy that when you finally get a chance to write the idea is gone. Seriously, that’s just cruel. But enough about me and my now-tabled idea about a time-traveling ska band that goes into space to fight crime. You’re here for media and I’m happy to oblige. Here’s what we have: Alphadia, Atelier Meruru, Gungnir, Persona 2 Innocent Sin, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, and Rekusu Ancheinbureizu. Continue reading ‘Mass Media 04/20/11’ »

Hiya folks! John here, fresh from my trip to Vegas and my laughably annoying flight home. Long story short, you get what you pay for, and it’s the reason What Happened This Week will be slightly delayed. But I digress, you’re here for the media. Today’s selection includes the following: Continue reading ‘Mass Media 03/12/11’ »

Dead Money was made for Hardcore Mode. Or is it the other way around? Ah well. Anyway, got some media of the following: Persona 2 Innocent Sin, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, SD Gundam G Generation World, Shining Hearts, Tales of the Town, and Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3.

Continue reading ‘Mass Media 02/23/11’ »

Let he who has not tried to dress is Fallout 3 entourage as a barbershop quartet and then pacify the DC ruins with lasers cast the first stone.  With that in mind, on with the media: Everyday Messiah, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, Red Stone, Rune Factory Oceans, and Shining Hearts. Continue reading ‘Mass Media 02/15/11’ »

How’s everybody doing tonight? No fancy warm-up message this time, just some media for you guys to snack on: 3rd Birthday, Cladun 2, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, and Shining Hearts. Get it over here! Continue reading ‘Mass Media 02/07/11’ »

Greetings from the Chicago suburbs, currently known as the Greater Illinois Snow Field of Doom.  Come on in and warm up with some fresh media: 3rd Birthday, Atelier Violet, Dissidia 012 Duodecim, Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2, Final Fantasy Type-0, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, Persona 2 Innocent Sin, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, and Valkyria Chronicles 3. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll spot familiar faces, you’ll wonder what the DPS on Luka’s giant fish is.

I am actually somewhat curious about that, but I digress.  On with the media! Continue reading ‘Mass Media 02/01/11’ »

Hope you’ve got a media appetite, folks! In today’s update: Dragon Quest Victory, Emil Chronicle Online, Front Mission Evolved, Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity, Sangoku Chaos, Shining Hearts, and Venus & Braves PSP. Continue reading ‘Mass Media 12/09/10: Big McLargeHuge Update’ »

SEGA America announced via blog that the next portable installment of the Phantasy Star series will reach US and European retailers later this year.  The aptly-named Phantasy Star Portable 2 is slated for a Fall release on the PSP, though an exact date is not yet known.  However, other details were revealed: the game follows three years after the story missions in Phantasy Star Universe, and will allow for both competitive and four-player co-op gameplay online.

I accept dehands. Or is it defeat? Continue reading ‘Mass Media 05/13/10’ »

US versus Canada for the gold? Sign me up! Continue reading ‘Mass Media 02/27/10’ »