Tales of Vesperia Coming to PS3

Namco Bandai has released a list of upcoming 2008 titles. While the list includes stuff we already know (SoulCalibur IV), it does offer up new tidbits like RPG Tales of Vesperia being confirmed for Xbox 360 and the PS3. Namco Bandai has since corrected the list, stating that it's only an Xbox 360 title. But really, is this a surprise? Namco Bandai, like Capcom, seems to be making pretty much all its games multiplat. The list also includes some new titles like a *surprise* Gundam game for the PSP as well as a Naruto title for the PS3. There are also Namco Bandai's predictions regarding how well the games will do! Hit the jump for the full list:

Fallout 3 Lead: "We're Console Players Now"

Worried that Fallout 3 may be a little too dumbed down for your tastes, PC fans? Course you are. The same allegations were levelled against Oblivion, if I remember correctly. Bethesda would have heard your cries, but the sound of millions of dollars in Oblivion sales kinda drowned you out. As for Fallout 3, no, they're not worried about dumbing down a PC game for console gamers at all. Well, they are, but they're equally worried about making a game too complex for console gamers! Classic rock/hard place scenario. Fallout 3 lead Emil Pagliarulo isn't worried about rocks or hard places, however, telling Next-Gen:

People like myself and some people that work here actually grew up as hardcore PC guys, and now we're older, we have kids, we don't have that much time, so we've transitioned. We're console players now.

But we still have those PC game sensibilities. Those are the games we like. So I think BioShock has a little bit of that too. You can definitely feel the old System Shock roots in that game. So hopefully there's a trend there.

Putting Together the 'History of RPGs' Class

Now that right there is some sexy box art. Last year Atlus released a quirky little DS title called Izuna: The Legend of the Unemployed Ninja, which combined nifty characters and a bizarre sense of humor with hardcore dungeon exploration for a game that - while possibly not for everyone - certainly offered a lot to players. Now Izuna and crew are back for Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns, and she's looking pretty good. The game features an all new TAG team system, that lets you bring any two characters into the dungeon, combining their power for special TAG attacks. The sequel promises more of everything - more dungeons, more monsters, more weapons, more characters, and of course, more Izuna. Check out the gallery for a few shots of the sexy ninja and friends in action, and hit the jump for a gameplay trailer that showcases the new TAG system. Izuna 2 is due out July 22.

"CD Projekt has always been oriented to gamers' needs, so releasing an adventure editor for the modding community is an obvious move. It's quite a demanding tool, however, and it will bring loads of satisfaction to many of the fans. After all, we made The Witcher with this tool," said Adam Kiciński, CEO, CD Projekt RED.

Video Game Tropes Wiki

We all know and love (or hate) the expansive list of video game tropes; the TV Tropes wiki has put together a shockingly extensive list (also home of a wiki version ofthe grand list of RPG clichés), spanning all sorts of genres and with plenty of examples. My favorite is "Malevolent Architecture":

Castles aren't large walled structures where people live and work, they're intricate mazes. Temples aren't places where people go to worship their various deities, they're where the ancients practiced their Booby Trap- and Death Course-making skills (and they were so good at it that they are still functional after hundreds of years without maintenance). Even places like warehouses and sewers, where the design should be fairly straightforward, are designed solely to deter intruders, even if there is no earthly reason why it should be so, and even if it utterly inconveniences non-intruders. One wonders what the regular people do.

Videogame Tropes [TV Tropes via Joystick Division]

D&D Readies Another Kind Of Online Roleplaying

The 4th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons is heading our way in June, and Wizards of the Coast is gearing up to bring the game online in a big way. They're readying Dungeons and Dragons Insider - a suite of online software tools for the game - for release along with the new rule set, and it could change the way people play Dungeons and Dragons...for a price. Along with a character creator that allows you to keep track of your character's looks and stats and a dungeon builder that allows Dungeon Masters to craft 2D dungeon maps, the star of the suite is the Game Table, which lets the DM import their 2D creations into a 3D environment and run players through it online, complete with voice chat. What is all of this going to cost? While it isn't set in stone, Wizards is toying with a price range of $10-15 - a month. For the money you'd get a tight D&D experience, online tournaments, and lightning fast updates, but is it worth it? For that matter, what is D&D without being able to lob a D20 at your DM's head when he pisses you off? Hit the link to read a hands-on account of the new tools from Maximum PC's David Murphy, a geek after my own heart.

1d6 of New Dungeons and Dragons Apps! [Maximum PC]

This week's Famitsu magazine arrives in Japan with tons of information about Persona 4, the next installment of the quirky Atlus RPG series for the PlayStation 2. The sequel to one of the best RPG experiences on the PS2 so far moves the action from the city to the countryside, with the story taking the form of a murder mystery, chock full of twists and turns that will leave you guessing. The game includes a weather forecasting system that indicates when a murder is going to occur. Atlus is packing tons of gameplay into the new title, with 60-70 hours of gameplay and over 180 Personas (Personae?) for you to play with. Persona 4 is slated for a July 10th release in Japan, with a North American release almost a no-brainer, considering the reception of P3 in the states. Follow the link beneath the gallery to Akayuki for more scans from the latest Famitsu.

Weekly Famitsu Info & Scans [Akayuki]

Yes, BioWare Says, Dragon Age Is Still Coming

Sega & Obsidian Bringing You A Bond-ish RPG

The rattling of dice across tabletops around the word falls silent today with the news that co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and TSR, Gary Gygax, has passed away at the age of 69. The news came via the forums of Troll Lord Games, who publish Gygax's Lejendary Adventures and Castles & Crusades sourcebooks, delivered via his son Ernie Gygax. He died in his home, having been in failing health for some time, suffering several strokes and a near heart-attack. Gygax was an inspiration to the gaming industry, with his work directly or indirectly influencing entire genres - role-playing games and MMORPGs specifically. I probably wouldn't be writing this right now if the thought of missing my weekly D&D games hadn't kept me from allocating my 6'6" frame towards more sporting endeavors. Gary Gygax may have passed on, but the legacy he leaves to gaming will live on forever. Rest in peace, Dungeon Master.

Gary Gygax [Troll Lord Games Forums]
Photo by Alan De Smet

Persona 3 FES Shooting For April

Not another timer! While I am sick to death of countdown timers, this one is from the creators of about 25% of my favorite games, so I am torn. Luckily they made it sort of easy to figure out what the timer is counting down to. It's definitely Persona 3 related, as sharp-eyed Kotakuite Jim points out that the countdown clock matches the clock seen at :54 in the original Persona 3 intro, seen here on YouTube. My guess? Personal 3 FES is finally going to be announced for North America. The expansion disk for Persona 3, released last April in Japan, included new quests and missions for the original game, a hard difficulty setting, new costumes, a new weapon synthesis system, twenty-three more Persona and a continuation of the story called Episode Aegis, starring Aegis as the main character. Two voice actors for the game have already leaked the info that it was on it's way, and now this, which could wind up being the least surprising countdown timer ever. We'll find out at 7AM Eastern time next Tuesday!

TIME [Atlus.com - Thanks Jim!]

The History of Dragon Quest

Gamasutra posted a great breakdown of one of my favorite series, Dragon Quest (née Dragon Warrior), all in a mere 10 pages — lengthy, but worth a read through if you're a fan of the games. After a flying introduction on why Dragon Quest has been very popular, the author takes a detailed look at each installment of the series.

Throughout its life, Final Fantasy constantly reinvented itself, keeping certain aspects but bucking trends with each iteration. On the other hand, Dragon Quest has been strongly about keeping with tradition. All of them take place in the same European-style medieval world. All of them feature the same key staff members — Horii, Toriyama, and Sugiyama. As a result, the method of storytelling, the characters, the battle system and the style of music is pretty much the same throughout. It's a series that prides itself not only on familiarity and nostalgia, but also in its consistency.

I'm not sure Final Fantasy deserves credit for 'constantly reinvent[ing] itself,' since I do wonder how many mopey, bizarrely coiffed heroes of dubious renowned one company can churn out, but be that as it may — it's a fun and nostalgic look back at one prolific series.

The History of Dragon Quest [Gamasutra]