<![CDATA[Kotaku: Blue Dragon]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Blue Dragon]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/blue dragon http://kotaku.com/tag/blue dragon <![CDATA[A Japan Relief Song That Doesn't Want Donations, Just Encouragement]]> Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has posted a tune called "Pray For You" on his tumblr page. The song is his contribution for Japan's disaster relief, but he doesn't want donations. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5783884&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[How Japanese Gamers Express Nerd Rage]]> Let's say you don't like a game. It pisses you off. If you nerd rage, you might do something to the game. Something bad. In Japan, that typically involves scissors. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5743684&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Final Fantasy Creator's LEGO Creations]]> When not working on video games or grooming his mustache, Hironobu Sakaguchi enjoys playing with LEGO. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5701028&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Is This A First Look At The New Mistwalker Game?]]> Mistwalker, the developers behind Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, are hard at work on a new title. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5391422&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Mistwalker Enters "Finishing Stages" On New Project]]> Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey developer Mistwalker are hard at work on something new, something unannounced, something that's apparently entering the "'finishing' stage" according to mustachioed founder Hironobu Sakaguchi. Unfortunately, that something is probably not a LEGO surfing RPG. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5385211&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Former Morning Musume Member Gets Her Blue Dragon On]]> No, that is not Blue Dragon creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. Sorry! That's former Morning Musume leader Miki Fujimoto, who had to leave the group after it was discovered she was dating a comedian. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5376831&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Get Blue Dragon Anime Episode For Free]]> The first episode of the Blue Dragon anime can be yours for nothing. It's available on Apple's iTunes Store until March 10 free of charge. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5159865&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Star Ocean 4 Makes Strong Japanese Sales Debut (For Xbox 360 Game)]]> Square Enix role-playing-game Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope has given Japanese companies another glimmer of hope for the Xbox 360. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5159204&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Final Fantasy Creator Is Interested In Doing A Wii Game]]> Hironobu Sakaguchi is best known for two things: Creating Final Fantasy and his 'stache. His resume is more than that! He's also created Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 and now the Nintendo DS. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5130885&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Chinese Coincidence Or Not?]]> Mistwalker's Blue Dragon has a blue dragon in it. Chinese developed online title Kou dai xi yuu has a blue dragon in it, too. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5129060&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Microsoft Rewards Soldiers with Mediocrity]]> I was browsing the Fort Bliss PX with my folks yesterday when I stumbled across this bad boy: An "Xbox 360 Military Appeciation Bundle." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5122133&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Plus Adds American, European Release Date]]> The follow up to Mistwalker's Xbox 360 role-playing game Blue Dragon was released in Japan earlier this month for the Nintendo DS to so-so sales. Today, publisher Ignition Entertainment announced that it has picked up the title, hoping for greater success with its release of Blue Dragon Plus in North America and Europe in March of 2009. Wait, the press release actually says the DS title will "breathe fire" across the two continents, a disheartening announcement that spells certain doom. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5050679&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Konami Creating Blue Dragon CCG]]> Viz Media isn't going to let the lackluster reception Xbox 360 RPG Blue Dragon received in here in the states keep them from licensing the hell out of the property. Today they've announced a partnership with Konami Digital Entertainment to create and distribute a Blue Dragon collectible card game throughout North America, making that one aisle in Walmart just a bit more blue. Excited? No? Well KDE's Card Division VP Yumi Hoashi definitely is. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5018015&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Soundtrack Released]]> While Blue Dragon didn't do too much for me as a game, the music was nothing short of wonderful - exactly the sort of thing I've come to expect from Final Fantasy legend Nobuo Uematsu. Now you can get all of the music with none of the boring blue gameplay as Sumthing Else Music announces the release of the Blue Dragon Original Soundtrack. Two-discs worth of Uematsu goodness should now be available at retailers nationwide, though knowing how well most shops stock these things you might be better off going for the digital download available from www.sumthingdigital.com for only $9.99, or wait for it to show up on iTunes. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=371880&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Anime Coming to XBL For Free]]> Xbox Japan just dropped word in our mailbox that the first and second Blue Dragon cartoon episodes will be coming to Xbox LIVE. For free. From November 15th to January 1st, the episodes will be available for download. This generosity is a promotion for the game's ¥ 2,940 (US $26) budget priced edition, which goes on sale today in Japan. Later this month, Konami will also put release the fourth volume of the Blue Dragon anime on DVD, along with the volumes already on sale. The fourth volume is limited edition and includes cards from Konami's BD card game. Konami is also having a giving away a Blue Dragon Core System to one lucky winner. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=317588&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Atari Battling To Retain Dragon Ball Z License]]> More good (read: company collapsing) news for Atari, as Dragon Ball Z license holder FUNimation has leveled an accusation against the publisher, claiming breach of contract. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=317561&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Marketplace Adds Blue Dragon DLC, Spider-Man 3 PS3 Exclusive Content]]> A smattering of new additions to the Xbox Live Marketplace breathes some new life into older Xbox 360 games Blue Dragon and Spider-Man 3. The latter is enhanced by the downloadable "New Goblin," formerly a PlayStation 3 exclusive feature but now available to whomever is willing to shell out 240 Microsoft Points. You'll still have to defeat him in-game to add him to the unlockable character list, but think of the bragging right(s)! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=315822&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Happy Meal Doesn't Mention 360]]> You're looking at one sad Blue Dragon Happy Meal. Know: Happy Meals in Japan aren't called "Happy Meal," but "Happy Sets." And more often than not, they come in paper bags, not Happy Meal boxes. Besides a card from the Konami-branded Blue Dragon card game (yes, Konami), the meal included some random toy that has nothing to do with Blue Dragon whatsoever. The interesting part? There's a small flier included with the card. This flier mentions the Blue Dragon anime and the comic book, but says NOTHING of the Xbox 360 game. It's like the Xbox 360 doesn't exist or something in Japan! Oh. Wait. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=311147&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Gets Harder]]> I had wondered how RPGs would capitilize on today's consoles' ability to provide downloadable content. Microsoft has provided an interesting answer, adding three new difficulty levels to Blue Dragon in the form of free downloadable content. The three new levels are:
Game Plus - Allows players to start their game over using a saved game from near the end of "Blue Dragon"
More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=305061&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Week In Games: Gundam Corruption 08]]> This week represents a late summer perfect storm of video game release hype. With a series of massive releases hitting store shelves this week, including Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Lair, Blue Dragon and Warhawk, one can hardly believe this is August, not the middle of November. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=293899&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Demo On Xbox Live]]> The demo for Hironobu Sakaguchi and Mistwalker's RPG Blue Dragon is now available to download from Xbox Live, kicking off a week full of E3 related demos, videos and trailers. While the game was absent from Microsoft's E3 2007 press conference, gamers everywhere will now have an opportunity to get their hands on the Xbox 360 exclusive. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=277044&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Mistwalks To US, Europe In August]]> The long-awaited role-playing game from Hironobu Sakaguchi and developer Mistwalker finally has a release date for North America and Europe. Microsoft announced today that Blue Dragon will hit storeshelves and the warm insides of Xbox 360s on August 28th in North America, with European gamers getting the title a few days earlier, August 24th. Or 24th August, if that's how you prefer to read it. Put it in your Google Calendars, kids, this one should be huge. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=273357&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Snares Gold Lion]]> Microsoft's Blue Dragon marketing team was recently the recipient of the—I'm told—very prestigious Gold Lion award in the Outdoor category at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. It also nabbed a Bronze award for Best Use of Ambient Media: Large Scale. The team's outdoor promotion for the Mistwalker developed Xbox 360 RPG was titled "Big Shadow" and acted as an interactive display in Shibuya, a fashionable Tokyo district. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=270798&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Toys Coming To North America]]> Know: Blue Dragon is fantastic. It's a true return to form for Hironobu "The Gooch" Sakaguchi (above). Good news is, of course, that the game is getting release a multi-lingual international release. And for North Americans, all those Blue Dragon toys will also be getting proper release. At the International Licensing Show, Shodo Omatsu, President & COO, Bandai America Incorporated stated: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=270405&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[BioShock, Blue Dragon Recieve Ratings]]> The ESRB is busily handing out ratings right and left and the two newest victims recipients are two highly anticipated Xbox 360 titles; the Japanese RPG, Blue Dragon and Irrational Games' art deco underwater utopia gone wrong, BioShock. Blue Dragon has received a "T" rating, causing game site 2Old2Play to speculate (and not unreasonably) that we can expect a release date for the US to be coming soon. Not surprisingly, BioShock has garnered a "M", citing "Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language" as reasons for the mature rating. In my opinion, those are all the things that make a game worth playing. Flynn De Marco More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=269509&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Merchandizing Mania]]> Hey, Blue Dragon creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's gotta eat! In Japan, it's Blue Dragon the game, the manga, the anime, the capsule toy, the soundtrack CD and the trading card game. Knew about the others, but the Blue Dragon cards are a first for me. Made by Konami, they seem to be standard RPG card game fare and is probably sold at convenience stores like other Konami card games. Still, I quite enjoy the console version and might pick up a pack of these. Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=265024&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon Achievements Are Pootastic]]> And they say that Achievement Points aren't a selling point for games or systems. I don't care who you are or how you feel about role playing games, if you don't have the folowing achievements on your gamertag once Blue Dragon is released stateside, you ain't nothing. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=259410&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Lost Odyssey 70 Percent Finito]]> Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi talks up his forthcoming Xbox 360 RPG Lost Odyssey in a recent Famitsu interview. The game follows Kaim, who has been sentenced to live 1,000 years. Besides having "The Gooch" at the helm, Lost Odyssey is being scored by Blue Dragon composer Nobuo Uematsu. Microsoft even established a subsidiary studio, Feel Plus, to help Sakaguchi create the title. So, what does The Gooch say? The game is 70 percent done, load times are being reduced and the game will have a fixed camera. Realism will be provided through "camera vibration and focus effects." What's more, magic attacks will be more powerful than physical attacks, proving that the wand is stronger than the fist. Gooch also adds that the game's theme is "humanity." This will be reflected in the score, which will differ from Mistwalker's first RPG, Blue Dragon. That entire game clocked in at three DVDs. Any takers on how many DVDs Lost Odyssey will be crammed onto? Three? Four? Five? Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=258129&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Sakaguchi: I Don't Like Ken Kutaragi]]> Final Fantasy alum and Blue Dragon creator Hironobu Sakaguchi explains to Electronic Gaming Monthly why he doesn't have any PLAYSTATION 3 projects planned. Frankly, he doesn't care for that Ken Kutaragi. Oh, and he apparently thinks the console's "architecture is tricky." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=256619&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Gooch Hints At Another Blue Dragon]]> What. A. Shock. Microsoft and Mistwalker are apparently in talks about another Blue Dragon game. To date, the RPG is the biggest selling Xbox 360 title in Japan. While at a press conference in Seoul to promote the Korean release, game creator Hironobu Sakaguchi says he's chatting with Microsoft to do a Blue Dragon sequel and mentions the possibility of it being an "online game." During the symposium, The Gooch stressed the importance of online for gaming's future. Whether or not the next Blue Dragon will take advantage of that, well, wait and see. Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=255373&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Clip: Saints Row With Blue Dragon Music, The Gooch]]>
Over at Japanese website Game*Spark, reader nek5195 has sent in a lighthearted Saints Row clip that features a chubby Hironobu Sakaguchi (Blue Dragon, Final Fantasy) and the bittersweet Blue Dragon score from legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu. Thing is, the combination really, really works! Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=254995&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Outside World Getting Blue Dragon Anime]]> San Francisco-based anime and manga giant VIZ Media announced that it has acquired the Blue Dragon television, home video and non-video game merchandising rights for the Americas, Europe and Oceania. Kids in Fiji, your prayers have been answered! The cartoon is based on the Xbox 360 game, which is the first time Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama and Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu have collaborated since Chrono Trigger. The anime is from the studio responsible for Naruto and is helmed by Rave Master director Yukihiro Matsushita and the character designer for Ichi the Killer: Episode 0. Lead character Shu is voiced by the same actor who does Shizune in Naruto. No word as to when the anime will hit American television screens, but it's bound to be way after the fan subs. Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=252769&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Clip: This Is How Blue Dragon Anime Begins, Ends]]>
Here are the opening and closing credits for the Blue Dragon anime. I was kinda hoping for something along the lines of hair metal — Like in the game's battle sequences. Instead, we get "My Friend" from boy band w-inds and "Fly So High" from model-turned-actress-turned singer Yu Yamada. When I first game to Japan so many moons ago, I thought w-inds was a girl band. I was wrong, they just hadn't hit puberty yet! Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=251964&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon, The Metro-Sexual Manga]]> Ack! That sure ain't Toriyama's Blue Dragon. Rather, that's the art work of Takeshi Obata, the artist behind mega popular manga Death Note. Based off the Xbox 360 video game and written by Tsuneo Takano, Blue Dragon RalΩGrado has been making regular appearances in Weekly Shonen Jump since last December. The shirtless dude with nipple covers is mammary-loving "Ral." His blue dragon is named "Grado." The manga is now being published in book form. Hit the jump for a peek of Ral fondling a woman's jubblies. Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=249803&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Localization, Korean Style]]> Improved localization shows one thing: The maturing of a market. In the early days of console gaming in the West, Japanese games often arrived riddled with funny English, grammar errors and misspellings. Those days are all but gone. Korea, where PC gaming rules, has recently turned an increased eye towards console gaming. Voice actor Kang Soo-jin, who voices Shu in the localized Blue Dragon, says: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=248765&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blue Dragon, Toriyama's Final Anime?]]> That's right, Blue Dragon could be the last anime for Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Quest character designer. It's based off the Hironobu Sakaguchi Xbox 360 game of the same. At the recent Tokyo Anime Fair, the animator said: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=247955&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Sakaguchi Talks Final Fantasy On 360, Lays Into Microsoft Japan]]> Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and his mustache sat down with GameSpot during GDC and dished out a refreshingly honest interview. Sure, Sakaguchi does say that Final Fantasy should come to the Xbox 360 — Sadly, his opinion doesn't matter anymore! He does mention that he dislikes Wii Sports, that he's interested in making a shooter like Gears of War and that he doesn't have an HD TV at home (wha?), the real fireworks are when he lays into Microsoft, who have funded two of his games: Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. So what does Sakaguchi think the reason that Microsoft hasn't had success in Japan? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=245447&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[GDC 07: First English Blue Dragon Screens]]> I may not be a fan of the genre, nor Blue Dragon character artist Akira Toriyama, hell, I don't even own an Xbox 360, but that doesn't mean I should withhold these graphically gorgeous shots of the upcoming Blue Dragon. Bask in the translated goodness of these five new shots. Michael McWhertor More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=242093&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[GDC07: Blue Dragon Lands In August, Lost Odyssey Holiday '07]]> We had a chance to sit down with Mistwalker's Hironobu Sakaguchi this morning to get an update on the current state of the man's two RPGs, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=241976&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Actress On Blue Dragon Localization]]>
Tara Strong, who voiced Rikku in Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2 and Kingdom Hearts II (also Raven of Teen Titans and Rugrats' Dil Pickles) talks about her current gig: Blue Dragon's Kluke. She says: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=240198&view=rss&microfeed=true