RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

XSeed Games announced a twofer regarding its Wii RPG The Last Story. First, it’s the company’s “most successful title to date,” according to executivce vice president Ken Berry. With that in mind, XSeed is producing additional standalone copies, pricing at $29.99 apiece. These, however, will not include the artbook and custom outerbox featured with the initial run.

Source: Gematsu

Is this year going fast for anybody else? Maybe it’s my mad scramble to find another job, virtually any job, outside banking right now, so I’m just noticing the passing weeks more. Oh well. It’s news time! In tonight’s episode:

• Via Kickstarter, we have the Ouya: an open source, Droid-based console priced at $99.  Surely this will spearhead the glorious indie revolution that upends gaming forever…
• …except the numbers don’t quite add up, there doesn’t seem to be a concrete prototype, no games have been confirmed, and its own supporters have made comparisons to the Phantom.
• Meanwhile, Nintendo plans to link the Wii U and 3DS through its online service, which will (initially) be free to use.  Shiggy asks: but what of Metroid and Star Fox?
• Vivendi discreetly scopes out possible buyers for an as-yet-unconfirmed sale of its ActiBlizzard stake.  Even money says they’re waiting for CODBLOPS 2 numbers.
• Pachter sez: EA may break out the long knives for John Riccitiello, with Peter More as a possible replacement.  Should’ve kept the base!  And not picked a fight with Activision.
• BioWare reveals its plans for the Ultima franchise: a free-to-play action/RPG.  Ugh, BioWare, and you were doing so well with the Mass Effect 3 DLC!  Why?
• The Last Story gets its worldwide release date, CERN may have found the Higgs-boson, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Kickstart the Atom’ »

XSEED has just announced that Mistwalker’s Wii RPG The Last Story will see North American shelves starting August 14. Launch copies include an art book, with a soundtrack disc as a preorder bonus from Amazon, GameStop, and EB Canada.

Source: Joystiq

“Anytime, Fly Girl.”

I don’t know about you guys, but I dropped my pacifist playthrough right then and there.  But enough about how I pass the time waiting for Mass Effect 3, it’s time for the news!  Here’s what we’ve got:

• A fake Pokemon Yellow gets into the iOS App Store and places at #3 on the chart.  How did an obvious counterfeit get by Apple’s screening process?  The answer is in the question.
• The above prompts discussion about how Nintendo should release its games on iOS, followed by Pachter claiming the Wii was a bubble.  I explain why that word doesn’t mean what he thinks it means, using Nintendo’s gigantohuge pile of cash and utterly puny debts to illustrate.
• Beloved podcast group Idle Thumbs launched a Kickstarter project to fund their return.  Yeah, I’ll throw some money down to see these guys return.  In a related story, Double Fine’s project is up to $2.2mil.  Yikes.
• The Last Story has been confirmed for North America.  Two down, one to go!  The Wii needs stuff like this to smooth the transition to the Wii U.
• After a lengthy stay as a 360 exclusive, Alan Wake finally makes the jump to PC… and recoups porting costs in two days.  Serve the Newell and share in His bounty.
• OK’s violent videogame tax dies in committee, fewer videogame transactions are using credit cards, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – You Keep Using That Word’ »

XSEED announced today that it will be publishing The Last Story in North America. Many had lost hope that this Wii RPG would ever arrive in this part of the world after Nintendo announced some time ago that it had no plans to localize it. Fortunately, their wait is no longer indefinite, as the game will be out sometime this summer.

The Last Story was developed by MISTWALKER studio. which is headed by former Square Enix developer/producer Hironobu Sakaguchi. It is perhaps interesting to note that XSEED founder Jun Iwasaki is the former CEO of Square.

The second in an oft-mentioned trio of Wii-exclusive RPGs, The Last Story has just received a European release date of February 24. As previously stated, no North American release has been announced.

Source: 1UP

The weekend ain’t over just yet! Although I’ll be glad when it is, and I can leave the stench of disappointing football behind me. Why, Cutler, why did you have to leave us when you were finally doing good?! Giants, why did you have to let Green Bay win again?! It just ain’t fair, man.

Oh right, I should probably talk about the news. In today’s episode:

• Nintendo finally deigns to release Xenosaga on this side of the pond.  Next up: The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower, AKA “That third one I keep forgetting.”
• Gamestop reveals the price of Vita memory cards, prompting an outcry.  Sony tries to reassure people by restating that they’ve learned little from the PSP’s launch.
• Electronic Arts plans to put action-horror game Dead Space into an FPS, a space shooter, and an Uncharted-a-like.  Also in the works: collectable card game, rhythm game, and multiplayer.  And speaking of multiplayer…
• …rumor has it that Dragon Age 3 may join Mass Effect 3 in that regard, likely some kind of battle arena.  My question: how many hats are involved?
• Tetris on iOS will feature a subscription service.  Is any comment really necessary on this?  God, I hope not.
• GamePro dies and goes down the tubes.  We shall forever remember its sage advice – its tips, if you were – given from the pros themselves.
• AMD gets out of the PC processor market to focus on mobiles, I turned 30 this week, and more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Endless Gouging Phenomenon’ »

Damn but it was hard to focus and get this done. Human Revolution is right there on my hard drive, locked away and waiting for a signal from the Steam mothership to grant access. Buuuut I guess while I’m waiting we should get to the news. Here’s what’s going on this week:

• Following sluggish sales, Japanese retailers begin scaling down 360 business.  Microsoft, trying sticking anime girls on more things next time.  Hey, it worked for Windows 7.
• Valve’s Gabe Newell responds to the whole EA-taking-its-games-off-Steam thing.  Gabe, if they threaten Mass Effect 3, for the love of god just give them what they ask for.  It’s not worth the risk, man.
• Sony and Nintendo have a crazy-off, chopping features out of new PSP and Wii models in Europe.  I’m short on explanations that don’t involve hallucinogens.
• Nintendo announces The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower for Europe, while ShopTo.net reports “unexpected late demand” for Xenoblade Chronicles.  Well, gosh, where could that possibly be coming from?
• Star Wars: The Old Republic may actually need a limited launch to keep servers running smoothly.  No, that still doesn’t make it a World of Warcraft killer, stop asking.
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution is rumored to be region-locked in Europe, until Squenix drops this idea after being warned it may be illegal in response to fan outcry.  Hooray!
• Seriously guys, we’re getting another Deus Ex in a matter of days oh god I forgot to turn off italics I don’t even care eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – My Business is Augmented’ »

Come one, come all, we got all the news you have time for and then some! Well, okay more like all the news I can squeeze into a 15-minute podcast. And, well, actually it’s more like news and analysis and WHATEVER YOU’RE NOT THE POLICE OF ME!

In today’s cavity-fighting* episode:

• Minecraft studio Mojang, which I took a stab at pronouncing, finds itself sued by ZeniMax over use of the word “Scrolls.”  I wish I were joking, and so does Bethesda.
• Someone looks to hand Rovio a fat sack of cash for purposes yet unknown.  Who could benefit from Rovio owing them money?  Oh, where to begin.
• 3DS analysis: Reggie discusses where it stumbled and the plan for going forward.  Yeah, who among us could have predicted that launching without Zelda could be a problem?
• Meanwhile, Sony refuses to blink in reaction to the 3DS price cut.  All they have to do is not run stupid advertising.  How hard could it be, right?  …guys?
• Reggie also makes passing mention of “watching what happens in Europe” when asked about Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower.  Deliberate troll or accidental?  You decide!
• What doesn’t worry me: Lonesome Road‘s delay.  What does: the possibility of being unable to convey my confusion over whatever Ulysses’ deal is.
• As promised last week, I offer a semi-postmortem on the recent market insanity and what lies in store for us down the road.  Bottom line, brace yourselves and get popcorn.

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Mr. Keynes’ Wild Ride’ »

Hello once more, folks! Hope you’re enjoying the weekend, and not too busy getting drunk and shooting bottle rockets at each other to check out the news. Quite a bit happened this past week, so let’s break it down:

• Zynga prepares to go public, and LinkedIn makes a surprising gain through no action of their own.  Pay no attention to that Greece problem in Europe, that could never affect us!
• Facebook hires George Hotz, possibly for iPad or security-related development.  So you know, this is the man himself. Feel better about yourself?  I sure do.
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries‘ save system prevents players from deleting saves.  Capcom says no really, it’s not about the used market, please don’t be mad GameStop.
• Nintendo thanks its fans for their loyalty and concern over Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, etc. before ripping their hearts out and stomping on them.
• Politics: SCOTUS rules in favor of game developers/retailers, while a Senate bill plays dueling banjos while eying up YouTube.
• IGN reveals the ugly truth about LA Noire‘s stay in development hell.  Read the whole thing then wonder why there aren’t more fistfights in the office.
• World of Warcraft changes its subscription model, Namco-Bandai’s community manager retracts her statement re: Vesperia on 360, and much more!

Continue reading ‘What Happened This Week – Free Market V. Captive Audience’ »

Media’s here, folks! Hope you’re hungry, because we have a ton of it for you: Atelier Violet, Dissidia 012 Duodecim, SaGa3: Ruler of Space-Time – Shadow or Light, Shining Hearts, The Last Story, Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll, and Venus & Braves PSP. Continue reading ‘Mass Media 01/26/11’ »

Mistwalker’s developers recently sat down for an interview discussing more details of The Last Story, and a few choice pieces of information stuck out: Continue reading ‘The Last Story Details: Camera Control and Lots of Dialogue’ »

Developer Mistwalker have revealed a well-hidden detail of their upcoming title, The Last Story. Up to six players will be able to team up or fight each other online via the game’s Raid Lobby, with co-op battles set against select monsters.

Due out in Japan early next year, The Last Story has not received a US release date.

Source: Destructoid

Nintendo and Mistwalker have just launched a trailer for the upcoming The Last Story, available on the official website.  Apart from the usual fare of people running around cutting each other with comically large swords, the trailer shows a substantial amount of gameplay and in-engine cutscenes.

Currently set to release later this year in Japan, The Last Story has not been announced for a US release.

The battle system behind The Last Story, Mistwalker’s upcoming RPG, got a little more detailed courtesy of a recent post on the developer’s blog. Three tidbits are of particular note: Continue reading ‘The Last Story Details: Battles of Attention’ »

Mistwalker recently updated its developer blog for The Last Story once again, this time with artwork and some information regarding the leading male and female. There is a “wall” between the two protagonists that keeps them from sharing their feelings. The blog also says that while the hero’s story is the main focus of the game, other stories will be woven in as well.

In addition, Hironobu Sakaguchi noted on his own blog that The Last Story is in the final stage of development. So far, the company has not even shown screenshots of the game or released much information about it, but that may change in the near future.

Mistwalker’s developer blog for The Last Story updated recently with a post about two classes in the game, Knights and Mercenaries, and showed their concept art.

Knights are privileged authority figures of high social status who swear loyalty to a lord. They spend their time improving their battle skills, and they enjoy job security and respect from the people. Mercenaries, however, live harsh lives as they wander from place to place trying to make a living through fighting. They have lost family members and their possessions, and people do not respect them. The protagonist of The Last Story is a mercenary who aspires to become a knight, but there is a barrier between the two classes that is difficult to overcome.

In an update on The Last Story‘s developer blog, Sakaguchi discussed town and city aesthetics for Mistwalker’s upcoming RPG. The layout of in-game towns is inspired by real towns in France, and Sakaguchi intends to create bigger and more explorable towns than conventional RPGs allow. Additionally, he stated that townspeople have particular behaviors and personality quirks, and these will change over time; some in overt ways, some in subtle ones.

The developer blog can be found here. At present, there is no known schedule for release.

Mistwalker has added a developer’s blog to the teaser site for its upcoming RPG The Last Story and posted the first details and artwork for the game.

The Last Story will be set on Ruri Island, a small continent surrounded by mountains. Though the main city of Ruri is prosperous and thriving, the rest of the island has been corrupted. Lord Aruganan, the ruler of the island, is trying to utilize the power of magic to fend off invaders. This power will determine the future of the island.  Hironobu Sakaguchi, the game’s director, added that The Last Story isn’t influenced by sci-fi. Instead, Ruri Island is sunny and the materials for technological advancement are scarce.

Nintendo’s recent earnings report revealed a couple of upcoming titles for the Wii. Xenoblade, previously entitled Monado: Beginning of the World, will be released sometime this Spring. It’s being developed by Monolith Soft, creator of the Xenosaga trilogy. And yes, there’s a teaser site. It just wouldn’t be the same without one.

The other title is The Last Story, which is being developed by Mistwalker and Nintendo. According to a statement made at an an investor meeting, the game is supposed to be “a new kind of RPG.” It’s due to be released sometime this year, and there’s a teaser site for it as well.

Source: Joystiq