In a recent blog post, Mistwalker head Hironobu Sakaguchi wrote, "I am working hard on a new project. Now we just started going into the final phase of the production. No matter what, I will make it really good...."

A recently added page on the Mistwalker official site shows an artist by the name of Watanabe hard at work at his desk. What's that on the screen? A grassy field and perhaps a character? It's hard to say because the drawing is incomplete.

mistwalker [Official Site via Siliconera]

Sakaguchi notes in his latest Mistwalker update that he is "working hard on a new project" and that it's almost done. Of course, he said it's "almost done" in June as well, but we're ready to believe him this time.

"Now we are being rushed into the "finishing" stage," Gooch says, adding "No matter what, I will make it really good."

Sakaguchi said the unnamed game for an unspecified platform "makes tactical use of 'confusion and order on the battlefield' in real time" previously. While we're entertaining best guesses about Mistwalker's latest, we're guessing it's not another Blue Dragon game (Blue Dragon: Ikai no Kyoju was just released), not Cry On and not based on this lovely concept art.

LEGO Surf [Mistwalker via RPGSite via Joystiq]

But hey, she married that comedian! No big whoop. She was at the Tokyo presser for the latest Blue Dragon title, Blue Dragon: Ikai no Kyojyuu. The title was developed by Sakaguchi's Mistwalker Corporation and tri-Crescendo.

Ikai no Kyojyuu is a real-time role-playing-game that lets players create a customized hero that joins the Blue Dragon characters as they go exploring and on adventures. The game was originally slated for release on October, but was pushed back to October 8 for last minute polishing.

At the event, Sakaguchi stated that the title was the culmination of five years of work on the Blue Dragon franchise. According to Kotaku Japan, Sakaguchi said, "This Blue Dragon is the final chapter." However, don't take this to mean Sakaguchi is necessarily no longer making Blue Dragon games. If this latest title is a hit, we imagine that he and Mistwalker would certainly be up for more BD.

Also at the event was Kazuhiko Torishima, one of the giants of manga editing. Torishima edited both Dr. Slump and Dragonball and even appeared in Dr. Slump as the evil scientist "Mashirito", a word play on his last name "Torishima".

When asked why Blue Dragon has gone from Microsoft to AQ Interactive and now to Namco Bandai, Torishima explained that they wanted players to enjoy video games, manga and anime — and those cost money!

Hironobu Sakaguchi is best known for creating Final Fantasy while working working at Square. Click through the links below for more photos of Miki Fujimoto, Kazuhiko Torishima, Hironobu Sakaguchi and Hironobu Sakaguchi's mustache.

Miki Fujimoto [Kotaku Japan]
Blue Dragon Talk Show [Kotaku Japan]

The show's first 13 episodes are also up on iTunes for sale. The Blue Dragon anime is based on the Xbox 360 game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and Dragonball creator Akira Toriyama. It follows young Shu and his friends whose shadows are powerful blue dragons.

Blue Dragon's 1st Episode Posted on iTunes for Free [ANN]

While the Xbox 360 has been successful abroad, the console traditionally has had difficulty cracking the Japanese market. Recently, Microsoft has made in-roads with consumers in The Land of the Rising Sun thanks to titles like Star Ocean 4 that appeal to Japanese gamers.

In its first four days on sale, Star Ocean 4 has sold 166,027 copies in the sales week that began February 16 and ended February 22.

According to sales data from Japanese publisher Enterbrain, here's how Star Ocean 4 compares to the estimated total sales of the other top two Xbox 360 games in Japan.

1. Blue Dragon 203,740 copies
2. Tales of Vesperia 170, 024 copies
3. Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope 166,027 copies

During Star Ocean 4's first week at retail, Xbox 360 console sales reached 24,584 units. The game goes on sale today in North America.

『スターオーシャン4』の初週販売本数は16万6027本、Xbox 360用ソフトではトップクラスの出足に [Famitsu]

Since Microsoft Game Studios published Blue Dragon, we don't have our hopes up for the game appearing on the PLAYSTATION 3. When asked what are the chances of a Wii version, Sakaguchi replied, "I think the Wii is a wonderful system. It's very unique, starting with its iconic controllers. We have no plans at the moment, but I would love to make a Wii game in the future."

So no Wii Blue Dragon at the moment, but Sakaguchi would like to make a Wii game someday. A magnificent Wii mustache game, we hope.

Interview with a Legend [IGN via Go Nintendo]

Kou dai xi yuu isn't an officially licensed Blue Dragon game, and is what its developers would call a "kwinky dink." (Mistwalker would call it a rip-off!)

Check out the trailer below for the animated version of the game, complete with Akira Toriyama-esque art stylings. Hey, Akira Toriyama did the character design for the Mistwalker Blue Dragon, but not Kou dai xi yuu.

What. Are. The. Odds.

We're glad they left out the original game's hair metal. What was that all about, anyway?

Chinese anime and online game stuff [Canned Dogs]

That's right Microsoft rewards the men and women defending our country with a discounted copy of a mediocre game from 2007. Patriotism or overstock?

In the short amount of time until we have left we're all burned to a crisp by Blue Dragon Plus' western release, you can enjoy the attached press release, which highlights the creative superteam of Sakaguchi, Toriyama and Uematsu, as well as "exciting RPG elements" like "item collection" and "character progression." What, no mention of menu navigation?

Ignition Entertainment Acquires Exclusive Video Game Publishing Rights to Blue Dragon Plus for Nintendo DS™

Property Slated to Release Across North America and Europe in March, 2009

Glendale, CA – September 16, 2008 – Ignition Entertainment Ltd., a UTV Enterprise, a worldwide publisher and developer of videogames, in conjunction with AQ Interactive invite gamers around the world to "Awaken the Power Within" when Blue Dragon Plus for Nintendo DS™ breathes fire across North America and Europe in March 2009.

Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, Blue Dragon Plus features character designs by Akira Toriyama, and a soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu.

Currently a top-rated show on Cartoon Network in the U.S., the story of Blue Dragon centers on a young boy named Shu and several of his friends who possess the ability to control phantom shadows that mirror the actions of their masters. In Blue Dragon Plus, one year has passed since Shu and his companions defeated the tyrannical remnant of the Ancients, Nene. In the midst of the battle, the world split in two and now consists of a myriad of “cubes” that exploded from its depths. King Jibral notices a mysterious cube in the distance suddenly start to move violently, and from it he sees the Shadow of a Balaur, a three-headed dragon, emerge. The enormous and sinister Shadow is just the beginning of the new turmoil and devastation to come.

"We are thrilled to be able to take Blue Dragon Plus to market,” said Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment. “Out-of-the-box thinking and effective marketing are the cornerstones of our success, and this acquisition relays our standing commitment to that. Clearly our partners have as much faith in Ignition as we have in their products!"

“Ignition Entertainment has proven to be an excellent partner for us and we look forward to working together with them again with the launch of Blue Dragon Plus in North America and Europe next year,” said Tomoyuki Takechi, CEO of AQ Interactive Inc.

Blue Dragon Plus Features Include:
• Single Player Campaign With Over 30 Hours of Game Play
• Legion vs. Legion
o Control up to 16 humans and Mecha Robos to fight against a horde of enemies
o Equip your units with items and alter their composition to bolster their strength
• Exciting Real-Time Battles and Shadow Fights!
• High Quality Dual Screen FMV’s Showcasing More Than an Hour of Story Events!
• Exciting RPG Elements Such As Item Collection, Character Progression and Robot Customizations

ABOUT IGNITION ENTERTAINMENT LTD:
Ignition Entertainment Limited is a UTV Media Communication company. Ignition was created by a core team of gaming industry veterans with the purpose of building upon their successful track record to develop and publish within the international games industry. You can find more information about Ignition Entertainment Ltd. At www.ignitionusa.com

ABOUT UTV SOFTWARE COMMUNICATIONS LTD:
UTV Software Communications Ltd. is India’s foremost Media & Entertainment Company with leadership position in four Verticals that includes Motion Pictures, Broadcasting, TV Content and Interactive (i.e. Animation and Gaming). Listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange with the Motion Pictures business listed on the AIM, London Stock Exchange. Walt Disney Inc. holds a strategic stake in UTV. It has subsidiaries with offices across India, the UK and USA. More information on the group is available at www.utvnet.com

ABOUT AQ INTERACTIVE:
AQ Interactive consists of the main development company, three development studios - ARTOON CO., LTD., cavia inc., and feelplus Inc. (all are consolidated subsidiaries) - and a US-based marketing services agency, XSEED JKS, Inc. AQI is involved mainly in the planning, development, and sales of videogame software. Since its inception in 2000, the group's main objective has been to offer high-quality entertainment products to our users. The group mainly sells videogame software created by their three subsidiaries domestically in Japan , as well as sell licenses for the same software overseas. AQ Interactive also acquires distribution rights for videogame titles created overseas to sell them in Japan . The three subsidiaries each have distinctive development studios and create videogame titles for the company. For more information, please visit: http://www.aqi.co.jp/en/index.html .

“We look forward to reaching out to an array of players of all ages and sharing the excitement of the group-oriented role playing card game, Blue Dragon. It is our expectation that the character designs of esteemed creator Akira Toriyama, combined with the unique game play of Blue Dragon, will create countless new fans within the card game community."

Make no mistake, Blue Dragon was an extremely proficient, well-crafted RPG. It just happens to also be so by-the-book and boring that even writing about a CCG based off of the game is putting me to sleep.

VIZ Media Licenses BLUE DRAGON Trading Card Game Rights To Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. For North America

San Francisco, CA, June 18, 2008 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, and Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KDE), a leading publisher of mass market video games and manufacturer of trading card games (TCG), today announced that KDE will exclusively manufacture and distribute the BLUE DRAGON Trading Card Game and Trading Card Game Accessories in North America. The agreement further extends the scope and popularity of the BLUE DRAGON franchise. VIZ Media is the master North American licensor for the television, home video and non-video game merchandising rights for BLUE DRAGON.

The BLUE DRAGON animation is based on the Xbox 360 video game Blue Dragon, developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of “Final Fantasy”, and featuring character designs by Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling DRAGON BALL series of manga (which is published in North America by VIZ Media and featured in SHONEN JUMP Magazine). The new trading card game is also based on the Xbox 360 video game.

The animated series debuted in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 7, 2007 and is produced by Studio Pierrot, which is well known for its work on NARUTO and BLEACH, also licensed by VIZ Media. The highly anticipated BLUE DRAGON animated series, rated TV Y7FV, debuted across the United States on Cartoon Network on Saturday, April 5, 2008 and now airs regularly at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings.
The BLUE DRAGON video game and animated series is a classic adventure story of magical Shadow powers, flying air fortresses, and unbounded heroism! Brought together by fate, Seven Soldiers of Light must awaken the Shadow within themselves in time to overcome a despotic power and bring peace to their land. Their ensuing journey through a rich fantasy world is also an internal journey to awaken the great power within each of them. Journey with them into the world of BLUE DRAGON!

“Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. welcomes the opportunity to further build the popularity of the BLUE DRAGON franchise with this licensing agreement with VIZ Media and is thrilled to have the opportunity to work on its first ever role playing card game with a dynamically advancing game mechanic,” said Yumi Hoashi, Vice President, KDE’s Card Division. “We look forward to reaching out to an array of players of all ages and sharing the excitement of the group-oriented role playing card game, Blue Dragon. It is our expectation that the character designs of esteemed creator Akira Toriyama, combined with the unique game play of Blue Dragon, will create countless new fans within the card game community."

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer of card and electronic entertainment properties. The most notable of KDE’s card genre is the wildly popular Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game, which is welcoming its 10th anniversary this year. In addition to Yu-Gi-Oh!, KDE’s other titles, although released only in Japan, include such hits as The Prince of Tennis, D. Gray-man, MÄR, Eyeshield 21 and more.

“The creative forces behind BLUE DRAGON include some of the most notable talents from the worlds of gaming, animation and manga/graphic novels,” says David Rewalt, Senior Director - Licensing and Retail Development, VIZ Media. “The continued development of BLUE DRAGON from a video game to an animated series and now a Trading Card Game demonstrates the successful convergence of all these entertainment and media genres. With established legacies in these arenas, VIZ Media and KDE will continue to develop the BLUE DRAGON brand through a variety of innovative and fun products.”

According to the Gamespot report of the complaint, FUNimation sees the license agreement as terminated, with Atari disagreeing and continuing to sell the games based on the series.

For those who aren't twelve years old, Dragon Ball Z is a long running anime series based on the manga created by Akira Toriyama, who's also responsible for art direction of Dragon Quest and Blue Dragon, among other non-dragony things. Dragon Ball also happens to be one of Atari's major revenue sources, in a time when it really, really needs the revenue.

Let's all hope for a speedy resolution, so that our nation's children can continue to enjoy more Dragon Ball goofiness.

Atari fights to keep Dragon Ball Z [Gamespot]

Also available is the "6 Treasures" pack for Mistwalker's Blue Dragon. For the low, low price of 200 Microsoft Points, you'll get a half-dozen new items that will boost your stats and give you access to new abilities. The specific details on each are after the jump.

1) "Whimsical Mind" - growth item that enhances a few randomly-picked categories by 0-4 levels

2) "Way of Thieves" - in-battle item that can steal rare items possessed by enemy creatures

3) "Devee Phonograph" - allows you to listen to the "Devee-tribe dance"

4) "Nothing Glasses" - visualizes all "nothing" points by means of a star-looking symbol (oftentimes you'll find a lot of items that contain "nothing", followed by an English-speaking narrator saying "nothing").

5) "Shuffled Helmet" - item that adjusts magical and speed parameters (Magic +40 / Speed -40). Detrimental when used by itself because the speed parameter goes down by 50 points, but when equipped along with "Shuffled Breastplate" and "Shuffled Splint", this item can quadruplicate the Magic parameters and reverse the Speed parameters. So it becomes the strongest equipment in the game. (Magic +160 / Speed +40)

6) "Spring-wind Scarf" - adjusts characters' HP and Speed parameters by 20%

There's even more digital stuff for you to pretend to own. The DLC run down is over at Major Nelson's internet house.

Marketplace Roundup for October 26, 2007 [Major Nelson]

Game Plus - Allows players to start their game over using a saved game from near the end of "Blue Dragon"
Hard game - Allows players to play at a difficulty level that is twice as high as the original
Impossible game - The ultimate in difficulty, meant to be played starting at level 50 or higher

Personally, the only thing on my "buy or die" list is Metroid Prime 3, but with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix also hitting digital stores this week, I'm sure I'll be plenty busy.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
Samus is back for another first-person adventure. One of Nintendo's big three for 2007. Do want.

Lair (PS3)
Factor 5's dragon riding game may not be getting great reviews, but it sure is pretty.

Blue Dragon (Xbox 360)
Sakaguchi and Microsoft are banking hard on this easy-on-the-eyes RPG.

Warhawk (PS3)
Incognito's multiplayer-only shooter will be tearing up the network with massive online support.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (PSP)
It's huge in Japan. The game that sells PSPs overseas week after week.

Dynasty Warriors Gundam (PS3, Xbox 360)
The Japanese equivalent of chocolate and peanut butter.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii)
The Tiger is back and ready to tap a little white, dimpled ball around carefully manicured lawns for 2008.

Carnival Games (Wii)
Mini-games! Yay!

What are you picking up this week?

They're surely rubbing this achievement in the face of their competitors at Sony who walked away with only a Bronze Lion for the TWDA\MADRID designed PSP ad campaign "Guide Dog."

This overwhelming defeat would probably send former Advertiser of the Year Ken Kutaragi into a tizzy if he were still with the company. Michael McWhertor

Big Shadow [Canneslions Live 2007 via Gamerscore Blog]