Random JRPG News Thread

[Crooked Bee]

Do their PC ports of JRPGs actually sell that well? Just seems like an incredibly niche market, though I guess going purely digital helps.

According to SteamSpy, Elminage has sold around 10,000 copies, which isn't a lot, and Agarest from 30,000 to 170,000 (depending on the game), which should be enough for a solid profit if you're a small studio.

Way of the Samurai will probably sell well enough, too, unless they fuck up the port.

 

[Duraframe300]

I'm more interested in Tales of Xillia myself, especially Xillia 2. From the LP I briefly watched, its steampunk-ish modern day setting and its SMT-like occult overtones seem to be right up my alley (and a departure from the generic settings of other Tales games).

Also, pre-ordered Zestiria. Hopefully it sells well enough for them to bring over Xillia 2 at some point as well.

Thats....

really not the first time Tales has featured anything steampunk or occult in some way.

Also Xillia 1 sucks, but I've probably done enough rants on that one.

 

[LESS T_T]

200% Mixed Juice!: http://blog.fruitbatfactory.com/2015/07/08/steams-getting-200-mixed/

Independent game publisher Fruitbat Factory is proud to announce their next release, developer Orange Juice’s old-school RPG adventure, 200% Mixed Juice! is coming soon to Steam and other distributors.



200% Mixed Juice! is the 10th Anniversary game of Orange Juice, an old school RPG featuring a 200% mix of Orange Juice characters. Assume control of the “Sleeping Princess” and embark on an epic quest that spans worlds.

“200% Mixed Juice! brings together the massive cast of characters from the last 10 years of Orange Juice’s games. Even Poppo may make an appearance! There will definitely be something for every fan.” says Jakke Elonen, Project Lead.

Game features:

• Over 80 unique characters to befriend and do battle with
• Cutting-edge graphics to amaze your friends and neighbors with
• A stunning digital soundtrack
• Online multiplayer

200% Mixed Juice! will come priced at $6.99. The game will include Steam Trading Cards, Achievements and other Steam features. A teaser trailer for the game can be seen on the Steam page.

200% Mixed Juice! is available for pre-order at the official Fruitbat Factory store with a -10% discount.

Looks like a visual novel with JRPG-like combat and cards.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I love XSEED's Twitter feed

(to be read downside up)

 

[LESS T_T]

I love you, coffee. *sip*

 

[grudgebringer]

More J/SRPG and chibi-stuff coming from SEGA and ATLUS (who'll be taking part in localizing).

 

[LESS T_T]

Dungeons & Darkness



This will be published by Playism Japan and may or may not see an English release (i.e. no announcement yet).

I see some King's Field vibe but MMO-like quest logs and seemingly corridor level design gives me a bad feeling.

Anyway it's nice to see that Playism is bringing more doujin RPGs recently.

 

[Siveon]

Yeah, there's definitely a King's Field vibe. Maybe the dungeon design will be good, but it looks a little too wide for me. Claustrophobia was always what King's Field did best.

 

[Nomad_Blizz]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/315860

The game launches on steam at 11th August. I hope there will be a lot of replay value with the 6 playable characters.

 

[LESS T_T]

Hey, teasing time. Both will deserve their own threads, though.

Nippon Ichi is teasing a new dungeon RPG named "Refrain":

Spike-Chunsoft and Tri-ace are teasing a new side-scroller RPG, by the designer of Valkyrie Profile games and early Star Ocean games: http://www.spike-chunsoft.co.jp/new_rpg/

Possibly a spiritual successor to Valkyrie Profile.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Nice. I wonder what platform(s) the latter will be coming for.

 

[Gozma]

Lol @ them doing their Valkyrie Profile successor like a week after Lab Zero announced they were doing a game in the same micro-genre that hasn't been seen in like... 20 years?

I don't understand why anyone would do it like Valkyrie Profile instead of just a beat 'em up like Star Ocean though. I guess having it be a JRPG with a full party that has to have real AI and stuff for a beat 'em up is too demanding?

 

[Crooked Bee]

I don't understand why anyone would do it like Valkyrie Profile instead of just a beat 'em up like Star Ocean though. I guess having it be a JRPG with a full party that has to have real AI and stuff for a beat 'em up is too demanding?

You mean having real AI for a sidescroller is easier than for a Star Ocean game? I wouldn't be so sure about that myself.

Fortune Summoners is a nice JRPG beat 'em up-like, by the way, which has party AI that is better than the (average) player

 

[Gozma]

I don't understand why anyone would do it like Valkyrie Profile instead of just a beat 'em up like Star Ocean though. I guess having it be a JRPG with a full party that has to have real AI and stuff for a beat 'em up is too demanding?

You mean having real AI for a sidescroller is easier than for a Star Ocean game? I wouldn't be so sure about that myself.

Fortune Summoners is a nice JRPG beat 'em up-like, by the way, which has party AI that is better than the (average) player

I couldn't get FS to run properly long enough to really see what the AI can do.

<looks up video of VP>

Am I wrong to think of VP as only having a very simple sidescroller element with no AI or party, plus what is basically a regular turnbased JRPG with a slight action gimmick when you touch an enemy sprite? This is one of those games I've played but not in the last a decade so sometimes I get too confident in what I remember about it.

So what I meant was that VP would be much easier AI-wise than Star Ocean, which is about as simple in the exploration mode as VP but it's a pseudo-3D beat 'em up with two independent AI party members in the combats.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Right, I forgot VP had turn-based combat. You're right, of course.

 

[Abu Antar]

VP is turn based but there are some twitch elements when it comes to when you are supposed to execute your attacks. Timing is important to do maximum damage. VP doesn't really use any AI, there's just the monsters you fight on the screen and well, the battles themselves.

Tri-Ace are already working on Star Ocean 5, so I am happy that this game will be something else. As long as it isn't for mobile. There's supposed to be a 14 page coverage in one of the Japanese gaming magazines not long from now. Spike-Chunsoft wouldn't splurge the cash on that if it wasn't a fairly important game for them.

 

[Grimwulf]

 

[lightbane]

You know, this doesn't look too bad. Probably because it rolls together all of the old (but good) jrpgs

 

[Archibald]

I don't understand why anyone would do it like Valkyrie Profile instead of just a beat 'em up like Star Ocean though. I guess having it be a JRPG with a full party that has to have real AI and stuff for a beat 'em up is too demanding?

I'm not sure why you are comparing VP to Star Ocean? As far as I remember Star Ocean isn't similar at all asides of both games having to deal with some timing of combos during combat.

 

[Abu Antar]

A lot of the VP developers are working on this, even if the character designer seems to be new.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Grandia 2 HD is coming to Steam and GOG sometime this year: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grandia-ii-hd-edition-coming-to-gogcom-set-for-201/1100-6429172/

Grandia II HD Edition, a remastered port of the acclaimed Dreamcast title, will be available for PC through GOG.com as well as Steam, publisher GungHo Online Entertainment America has told GameSpot.

The HD Edition will include updates to the game's visuals--shown in the gallery of screenshots below--as well as a Japanese voice acting track, gamepad support, and a new, harder difficulty level.

Originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000 and ported to PlayStation 2 in 2002, Grandia II will be making its debut on PC with this new port. In April, GungHo released a survey polling fans on their interest in PC ports of classic titles by developer GameArts, including titles in the Grandia and Lunar series. In May, after an "overwhelming" response to the survey, the company announced Grandia II would be ported to PC.

Grandia II HD Edition is expected to launch in 2015.

 

[Siveon]

Aw yiss. I love waiting for better versions of shit.

 

[yes plz]

I'm not really sure what I was expecting but that doesn't look like that much of an improvement over the original PC version at max settings. Playing it with the Japanese voice cast and on a harder difficulty (hopefully it isn't just bloated enemy stats, though) will be nice, I guess.

 

[LESS T_T]

Doujin RPG Machina of the Planet Tree -Planet Ruler- is coming to released on Steam.



http://store.steampowered.com/app/383960/

Machina of the Planet Tree -Planet Ruler- is the first in a series of several games by the group Denneko Yuugi. A combo-based RPG that focuses on action and flashy attacks, Planet Ruler takes many elements from classic Japanese RPGs and combines them in a fast-paced and colorful new world!

• Features a unique action point-based combo system!
• Wield an array of dazzling moves to triumph over your foes!
• Explore Halbern and meet its colorful inhabitants.
• Enjoy catgirls conversation between your party amid exploration with unique skits!

It's made with RPG Maker but looks interesting than most RPG Maker games made in west.

 

[CryptRat]

Originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000 and ported to PlayStation 2 in 2002, Grandia II will be making its debut on PC with this new port.

Grandia 2 was already ported to PC. Maybe it's only my awful English comprehension, but I'm not sure this Gamesport moron is aware about that.

EDIT : I am interested in some ports of their games, but not the ones that already exist on PS2 and/or PC.