Posting a "happy new years" message on Mistwalker's site, Sakaguchi says Mistwalker "are also working on a project for iPhone", and that it "should be released soon". Blue Dragon iPhone, perhaps?

[mistwalker]

"I was planning to announce my new project within this year but it's a little late," Sakaguchi blogs. Sorry about that. I imagine announcement will be starting around next spring."

The game developer goes on to say that he is working "really hard" on this new game and that its title has been decided. "I'm concentrating on creating something really good!" Sakaguchi adds. "I am working on condensing valuable time of my short life and the valuable energy of my staff without any regrets." Heavy stuff!

Last we heard from Sakaguchi, his new project was in the finishing stages. Sakaguchi also said the unnamed game for an unspecified platform "makes tactical use of 'confusion and order on the battlefield' in real time" previously.

The game is not believed to be a LEGO surfing RPG. Unfortunately.

mistwalker [Official Site]

Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow is set two years after the original Blue Dragon and a year after the previous DS installment, Blue Dragon Plus. Instead of controlling Shu, the player creates their own character in this game, selecting the look and gender of your avatar before setting off on an adventure to rid the world of a newly-awakened enemy and restore balance.

A customizable character means the player can also change shadows to fit the situation, adding an element of strategy to the game that wasn't there before.

I have to admit, the original Blue Dragon is one of my least favorite RPG games of this console generation, and the first DS follow-up didn't impress me much. However, Awakened Shadow is developed by tri-Crescendo so there might still be hope.

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]

Upcoming PSP game Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep features a new character with the name "Master Eraqsu". Eraqsu backwards in Japanese is close to "Square". But there might be going on than a simple word play. Oh yes, much more.

Some on the Japanese internet believe that "Master Eraqsu" is referring to former Square Co. employee and Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi — the original "Square Master" or Square teacher. Geddit?

Respectful hat tip or wonderful kwinky dink? YOU DECIDE.

『キングダムハーツ』最新作にFFの生みの親である坂口博信氏が登場！ [オレ的ゲーム速報＠刃]

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]

Originally slated for release on October 1, the game will summons it way onto retail shelves on October 8. The reason is to polish up the title before release.

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.

Blue Dragon was created for the Xbox 360 by Hironobu Sakaguchi, best known for designing Final Fantasy.

『ブルードラゴン 異界の巨獣』が1週間の発売延期 [ファミ通.com]

Sakaguchi is having meetings in Tokyo about the game, and the title's game system is "almost done". According to the designer, "It makes tactical use of 'confusion and order on the battlefield" in real time."

The designer goes on to say he's pouring 120 percent of his energy into the title. He sounds optimistic about the game and working with the development team. Wonder what his 'stache thinks.

上方向への斜光 [Mistwalker]

"My illustrations and designs keep piling up without seeing the light of day. It happens a lot, but I think of it like medals of honor from battle," Fujisaka writes on his official Mistwalker page. The artist gives some indication that the piece may have been related to the canceled role-playing game Cry On.

"The project I had been working on never made it through to completion, and the one thing that I really realized was that I was very disappointed in my lack of skill", Fujisaka adds. "I'm also very sorry for the people who were hoping the project would get done."

Guess that means we won't be seeing any giant swords and dragons in future Mistwalker titles. Or will we?!

Fujisaka's Page [Mistwalker via Siliconera]

Writing on his company's blog, the creator of the Final Fantasy series writes:

These days I feel the hard economic times are a kind act for the planet to restrain human activity. Economic activity is as important as blood flowing. However, the blood should be flowing smoothly, which I suppose means the quality of what flows in that stream must be as important.

There is a lot of business behind creating a game, yet I would like to keep 51% towards "creation" rather than "merchandise." I feel it shouldn't go over 75%, though. Setting sights on where the good blood flows.

Yeah man. Yeah.

A Cloudy Sky [Mistwalker, via Siliconera]

We've got plenty of RPG staples here: ludicrously unwearable armor, gargantuan swords, dragons, presumably tormented male protagonist. What we don't have: much of an inkling about what this project might be. It could certainly be artwork from in-development title or something that's been canceled — like Mistwalker's nixed Cry On.

Despite the presence of blue and dragons, it doesn't fit visually with Mistwalker's Blue Dragon series. Any guesses? Big, big image after this.

Mistwalker Gallery [Official Site via NeoGAF]

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]

Developer and Mistwalker collaborator (they worked on Blue Dragon DS) AQ Interactive have announced that the project - which has been missing in action for a few years anyway (it was first announced in 2005) - is now dead in the water.

A statement issued by the company says "AQI decided to cancel the project after analyzing the current market environment and forecasts for the future. We deeply apologize for troubling those who were awaiting its release".

AQ Interactive Announces Cancellation Of Cry On For Xbox 360 [1UP]

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 .

Majesco knows its stuff, commenting that working with Sakaguchi, Sonic character designer Naoto Oshima and Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu will make the game "well-positioned for success when it hits retail this fall."

Full announcement follows the jump.

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES ‘AWAY SHUFFLE DUNGEON’

FOR NINTENDO DS™

Renowned Creative Talent Contributes to Groundbreaking New RPG

EDISON, N.J., July 7, 2008 – Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, in partnership with leading developers Mistwalker and AQ Interactive, today announced premier RPG AWAY Shuffle Dungeon for Nintendo DS™. Players take control of the young hero “Sword,” the sole resident left of the once booming Webb Village, who must rescue as many kidnapped townsfolk as possible from a mysterious unknown that has been slowly “spiriting them away.” AWAY Shuffle Dungeon includes creative contributions from renowned industry visionaries: RPG creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, character designer Naoto Oshima and composer Nobuo Uematsu.

“We are very excited to be working with the collective creative talent of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Naoto Oshima and Nobuo Uematsu,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. “Their experience creating high quality, best-selling games means that AWAY will be well-positioned for success when it hits retail this fall.”

In AWAY Shuffle Dungeon, an unknown force has stripped Webb Village of its residents, and now the sole heroic survivor, Sword, must rescue the stolen villagers from the ominous dungeons as he strives to expose and defeat the mysterious thief. Sword must first collect and use various objects including musical instruments to reveal the secret dungeons where prisoners are being held. But successfully saving them is another challenge altogether given a unique timed “shuffle” mechanic that reconfigures the dungeon prisons and hurts Sword and any survivors still caught within when the time runs out. Saved villagers will lend assistance to Sword’s quest, as will the magical ‘Fupongs’ and dungeon treasure he finds that lets him shop in the village specialty stores for armor, weapons, health, medical aid and more.

-more-

MAJESCO / AWAY SHUFFLE DUNGEON / 2

AWAY Shuffle Dungeon allows players to navigate in both the 2D Shuffle Dungeons and the 3D Webb Village, and features voice-over cinematics that breathe life into the characters in this extraordinary mystery.

AWAY Shuffle Dungeon for Nintendo DS™ is expected to release this fall. For additional information about Majesco’s exciting line of products, please visit www.majescoentertainment.com.

About Majesco Entertainment Company

Majesco Entertainment Company is a provider of video games for the mass market. Building on 20 years of operating history, the company is focused on developing and publishing a wide range of casual and family oriented video games on leading console and portable systems. Product highlights include Nancy Drew™, Cooking Mama™ and Cake Mania® 2 for Nintendo DS™ and Cooking Mama: Cook Off for the Wii™ system. The company's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol: COOL. Majesco is headquartered in Edison, NJ and has an international office in Bristol, UK. More information about Majesco can be found online at www.majescoentertainment.com.

The Hironobu Sakaguchi produced RPG was released in Japan in October of 2007, doing well with critics, but underperforming in the sales department. In its debut week, only 50,000 copies were sold to Japanese consumers, with ASH falling off the charts soon after. Here's hoping that Sakaguchi and crew have more luck in the West.

ESRB Game Ratings

It's a powerful accessory for sure, but is the timing a bit off in giving the player such a powerful item when they're done with the game anyway? I'm not so sure how wonderfully that typical, granular DLC meshes with deep, story-driven RPGs yet. I want more than a bonus mission with the promise of a neat item or two. But for 400 points, the price isn't necessarily all that unreasonable.

Lost Odyssey DLC [Xbox via Siliconera]