The collective minds behind the .hack// franchise have revealed yet another project sure to extract more of my hard-earned money.  This time, it’s a straight to blu-ray CG film entitled .hack//TheMovie.  The film is a reboot of the events of the first games.  As you would expect with a reboot, some creative liberties have been taken which have caused some small amount of unrest in the Japanese fan-base.

Let’s start with the game’s characters:

• (Left) Yuuki Sora: 14 year old 2nd-year middle schooler. She never had an interest in games until the The World became popular and she was invited to play. She plays as Kite online.
• (Middle) Tanaka Kakeru: A fellow school mate of Sora’s, Kakeru is an easy-going guy whose mood can be unreadable at times. He is a huge gamer and was in The World before it became popular. He plays as Gondoo (the dude who looks like Orca) online.
• (Right) Okanko Tomohiko: A popular guy in Sora’s class. He is an optimist that loves playing with others rather than by himself. He plays as Baldor (the dude who looks like Balmung) online.

That’s right, Kite’s IRL player is a girl — start rolling police cars in the streets!  But seriously, this doesn’t bother me in the least.  Kite always was a bit feminine, and his IRL character was never very developed so this doesn’t shake things up as much as some are claiming.

The story is quite similar:  It’s the year 2024 — an era where everything and everyone is networked together by state of the art technology.  Sora is invited to play The World, a massively popular MMO.  Not long after playing a bizarre incident occurs, and soon its effects begin to trickle into reality:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The film is being released on a hybrid blu-ray disc, meaning there will also be special PS3 content.  Namco Bandai president Shin Unozawa confirmed that the hybrid would include a “small game”.  The way I see it, this can go two possible ways:

1. The game is something lame and cute revolving around gruntys or that yellow floating blob.
2. The game is an HD remake of .hack//infection, and further films are planned, each include the remaining episodes in the series

Obviously, this is pure speculation but I wouldn’t put it past CyberConnect2.  Their decision to mirror the marketing strategy of Tekken Blood Vengence is exciting as it’s something I was hoping more companies would emulate.  Ultimately the mystery content will be an important factor in determining if fans (myself included) will be willing to log in to the world once more.

UPDATE: In a recent article concerning .hack//TheMovie a correction was made stating that the film will NOT be on a hybrid blu-ray and thus not paired with a game.  That information was confused with Tekken Blood Vengeance.  Too bad!

[Sources: Yaraon!, My Game News Flash]

I can’t tell if this Dark Souls trailer is cool or not.  Perhaps I am so numb to the monotonous world of video game marketing that I can’t tell what is up and what is totally lame.  The song featured in the video is Bartholomew by The Silent Comedy.  In addition to a subtle urge to headbang, the video also gives us a look at some new enemies and, conversely, new ways to meet a gruesome death.  Perhaps I should start arranging my own soundtrack to die to over and over again while playing Dark Souls this October — just in time for my birthday

Click here to view the embedded video.

One of the Japanese blogs I frequent happened to post this video today. The clip comes from Z-pad.net and shows us a good bit of gameplay for Namco Bandai’s upcoming title, Dark Souls.  Just a quick note before you watch: hiding annotations ensures that nothing gets covered up.

I am not sure exactly where this clip was recorded, or any context for that matter since it’s all in Arabic.  Luckily, there is someone off screen providing English translations of the Japanese.  Is anyone out there familiar with Arabic and care to tell us what questions are being asked?

The translator mentions a new feature called a “beacon fire”, which is said to be a way that players will feel the presence of other players.  No specific details are given as to how this feature works however.  He also discusses a second new system which will determine how the player interacts with others.  The mysterious new system will be based on a major decision, one which will serve to divide the roles players will assume.  I have a feeling that this system may be the missing link to understanding what Dark Souls is really about.  Hopefully we will hear more during E3 or by Tokyo Game Show.

Well, your time plus $59.99. In a wise business decision on Bandai Namco’s part, it has been announced that consumers who pre-order Dark Souls will receive the Collector’s edition at no additional charge.  This is wise for two reasons:

• You get the following cool bonuses for free:
  • Metal case
  • Mini art book
  • Mini strategy guide
  • Downloadable soundtrack
  • Behind the scenes development videos
• Based on pre-order quantities, Bandai Namco can more successfully project how many copies to produce for launch

The small cost that these pre-order bonuses may cost Bandai Namco surely pale in comparison to profits from a strong launch.  This is a good example of a reciprocal relationship between consumer and publisher — we both come out ahead!

If you still aren’t convinced that you should pre-order Dark Souls I encourage you to watch the game’s newest trailer featuring a slew of unfortunate deaths waiting to greet you in the game’s 60+ hours:

Click here to view the embedded video.

You may also want to read an interview with the game’s producer, Hidetaka Miyazaki, about changes since the world of Demon’s Souls.

So far any fears I had about Bandai Namco botching Dark Souls publishing in the West have been pleasantly muted. Dark Souls is set for an October release in the West, placing it dangerously close to both Disgaea 4 (September 17), and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (November 11).  Still, my memories of Demon’s Souls are easily some of the fondest I have for this generation, so I will be pre-ordering this ASAP, and if you like free stuff, you will too.

Seemingly from nowhere, Enterbrain has announced a new title developed by Crafts and Meister. (Yeah, I had never heard of them before either.) Turns out C & M employs Noritaka Funamizu, a former Capcom exec with an impressive list of titles under his belt.  Not sure how Capcom let this guy go…  Anyway, Funamizu is leading the project and recently presented Earth Seeker at the Kadokawa Games Conference 2011.

The game begins with the end of Earth as we know it.  In the planet’s final moments, humanity gathers its most important relics and puts them aboard enormous spaceships and bizz-ounces.  These relics range from paintings to larger monuments and landmarks like the Statue of Liberty.  The ships then crash on another planet, which slightly resembles Earth.  In the crash, humanity’s relics are scattered about and must be collected.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are a number of little beings living on the planet known as “guardians”.  The player may choose either a male or female protagonist and must recruit the planet’s guardians to defeat various enormous baddies and recover our prized relics.  Here is a look at a couple of guardians:

Like Ewoks ready to TCB.

Funamizu seems to be moving away from heavier titles like Monster Hunter.  Regarding Earth Seeker’s gameplay, he stated “I’ve been making nothing but hard action games and was told by light users that ‘it’s so tough that I can’t play.’ For some time now, I’ve wanted to make a game that even these people can play.”  It should be noted that Earth Seeker is also a single player game, so that further simplifies things.

The combat reminds me of the .hack// series in that you may pause action and give commands to your guardians.  This system is called Time Stop Battle, and you can see it in action in this gameplay trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Earth Seeker will also feature Nintendo DSi interaction, via a DSi Ware mini-game called “Starting Out! Earth Seeker”.  The mini-game will allow you to cook food to be used in the game, clean relics found in the Wii version, and other yet-to-be-announced cross overs.  I daresay that, after the DSi being out for nearly 2 years, this is the first interesting application of DSi Ware.

Obviously there is no word on a Western localization at this time, but here is hoping we’ll hear something soon.  If the DSi mini-game was localized as well I would actually consider upgrading to a DSi!  This game gives me a real Dark Cloud feeling — it reminds me of the simpler days of JRPGs.  Earth Seeker goes on sale in Japan on April 7th.  Which publisher is feeling adventurous and also wants my money?

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you are a fan of Peachi’s Persona 4 comics, you definitely need to check out the fan-made comic dub series on YouTube.  I just discovered this today, and although I think it has been out for a while it’s still worth watching.  The voice acting is better than some games I have played, which is just sad.

On a related note, the author Peachi has decided to take a hiatus from pointing out the absurdities of our favorite video games to work on her own comic series.  I of course wish her the best of luck, and look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.

Related Articles:
Peachi’s Persona 4 Comic: It’s Funny Because It’s True
Peachi’s Persona 4 Comic Part 2 Available
Peachi’s Persona 4 Comic Part 3 Available
Peachi’s Persona 3 Comic: Ryojiventures

I don’t much feel like composing a standard post today, but rather provide you with a rundown of a few interesting gaming related tidbits.

Monster Hunter Survey

First off, everyone should go to Capcom-Unity and fill out this Monster Hunter survey.  I am not entirely clear on what the purpose is of gathering this data is, but it certainly hints to the fact that Capcom wants to tailor the series to the West.  I can’t say I blame them, they are sitting on a franchise that shakes the foundation of Japan with each release, yet in America a small percentage of uber-dorks (of which I am a member) actually enjoy it.  Thanks to Jon of Araceae for pointing this out to me.

I was fairly blunt in my answers, making it clear that if they release more Monster Hunter titles with ad-hoc party systems I will probably pretend they don’t exist.

Disgaea 4 is Close

Disgaea 4 comes out in Japan in two days, so Nippon Ichi has made a few announcements to keep people interested.  One such announcement concerns new merchandise the company will make available soon:

The prinny cabbie will be available during the later half of February, along with some trading figures (not pictured).  Etna will be available in May and Raspberyl in June.  Odds are good that with the Western release of Disgaea 4, these items will be available in our own Rosenqueen store, but if you’re impatient I am sure you can have them imported.

Also, if you have a Disgaea 3 save file, you can unlock a special Ma-effect panel in Disgaea 4 which allows your members under its influence to loot from members of congress.  I am not sure if this will also be available with the western release, but it’s worth noting.

Catherine is hard

Click here to view the embedded video.

Catherine was released in Japan last week, and gamers there are finding that it’s hard to beat.  So hard in fact, that the game’s director came forward and announced that a patch is being developed to balance things.  By the time the game trickles down to the West it should be fairly well balanced, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preferences.  Personally, I am a little sad I probably won’t even get to experience this extreme difficulty.

Xenogears will be available on the Playstation Network tomorrow

Tomorrow, ten dollars will buy you one of the most acclaimed RPGs to ever be released by Square Soft.  The modest price tag sharply contrasts the going rate of what a physical copy would cost you, meaning you don’t have to look like this to own it.  I personally have not played Xenogears before, so I am quite excited to have the opportunity to do so.

MegaRan Interview and 3 Years of Kotowari

I asked MegaRan if I could interview him about his recent album, Black Materia: Final Fantasy 7.  Surprisingly enough, he agreed!  I received his answers moments ago and will post them tomorrow, which just so happens to be the site’s three year anniversary!  To celebrate, we will be giving three albums away to commentors, one for each glorious year.

That should just about get you up to speed on things.  I hope to see you all back here tomorrow with your digital party hats and ethereal champagne, ’cause it’s gonna be a celebration!

Click here to view the embedded video.

At yesterday’s NIS America press event, it was announced that the company would be teaming up with Nicalis inc. to bring a revamped version of Cave Story to the Nintendo 3DS.  According to the above video, the game’s producer estimates that the title will be available on or near the launch of the 3DS.

The remake will take full advantage of the capabilities of the 3DS, especially (as it is reinforced numerous times) the “stereoscopic awesomeness”.  There are also a few additions to keep seasoned fans interested, including easter eggs and secrets.  An updated soundtrack is also promised; one which attempts to capture the 8-bitness of the original, but with slight modernization.

The 3Dification of a map

Remaking a massively beloved game so soundly based in old-schoolery is an ambitious goal.  According to an interview with GamesRadar, however, it sounds like Daisuke Amaya is maintaining careful control over the direction of the game, and the crews of Nicalis and NIS are wisely willing to facilitate this.

If I were considering purchasing a 3DS at launch (which I am not), this news would definitely be enough to push me over the edge.  Still, I am positive this will be one of the first games I do play whenever I am able to budget a ticket into the world of 3D.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Today the first Western trailer for FromSoftware’s Dark Souls was released to the public.  It features a combination of cut-scenes and actual gameplay, which looks quite intense.  In addition to this, a slew of screens featured in the recent Famitsu article were released online.

My first thought is that the game looks largely more colorful and bright than its spiritual predecessor, Demon’s Souls.  I don’t have a problem with this updated appearance; in fact, I think it is wise to have the two titles appear more distinguishable. It also seems that light plays an important part in the game’s story based on the trailer. Did you notice the dude or dudette wielding a torch?  That could be an interesting excruciating new mechanic!  Imagine, exploring a dark cave while trying to simultaneously fight a boss and keep your torch lit.  That sounds like something sadistic enough to expect from the Demon’s Souls crew!

One fact I failed to notice earlier is that the 2011 projected release date is actually worldwide!  This comes as quite a surprise, but shows that FromSoftware and Bandai Namco weren’t all talk when they said they acknowledge and appreciate the Western fanbase that Demon’s Souls enjoyed.  I suppose this quick turnaround eases the pain of not having Atlus head the project…  2011 is shaping up to be an awesome year.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A leak of this week’s Famitsu magazine has revealed details concerning the new project by the team who worked on Demon’s Souls.  First off, the former codename of Project Dark has been dropped for the official name, which is Dark Souls.  According to the article the game will share the same theme of its predecessor: learn from your mistakes and delight in figuring out how to proceed.

Some core elements of gameplay from Demon’s Souls still exist:

• No hand-holding maps, you must find the way forward
• The game is hard, and you cannot lower the difficulty, you must adapt
• The difficulty increases upon each completion of the game

There is no connection between the world and setting of Demon’s Souls other than the dark medieval aesthetics and gameplay: the two titles are independent of one another.  There are some other major changes as well.  There is no longer a portal which allows you to choose among your worlds.  All worlds are connected and as you progress it will increase the feeling of risk.

When it comes to character creation, any components that may have limited play-style have been removed.  You no longer need to select a job upon beginning the game.  The number of weapons with unique traits, items, and magics have all been increased, allowing you to really tailor your play-style.

For the online mode, you can either compete or cooperate.  You can still leave warnings for players and examine the blood stains of where others met their end.   There is no soul tendency for the different worlds and the game will not have a dedicated server (not sure what this means).  There are two big updates for online play:

• When co-oping with another player, you will share experience
• There are many opportunities for collaborative role playing, but details are a secret at this time

Dark Souls is set to be released this year in Japan.  While no official foreign release has been announced, the article notes that the developers recognize and appreciate the succes that Demon’s Souls enjoyed in the West.  They also reiterated that Bandai Namco will be handling the Western release — sorry, Atlus!

Since Demon’s Souls is still one of my favorite games for the Playstation 3, I am naturally very excited to follow the progress of Dark Souls.  I am hoping for some full scans which I may update this post with if I find them.  Expect more information as it becomes available!