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Rpg

namco bandai

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:

More »

fallout 3

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.

You mean the same cross-platform trend that, despite complaints from a vocal minority of trigger-happy console gamers and uppity PC types, brought in Oblivion's aforementioned millions? Think you'll be OK, Emil.
Bethesda: We Don't "Dumb Down" Franchises [Next-Gen]

history

Putting Together the 'History of RPGs' Class

Michael Abbott of The Brainy Gamer is putting together an undergraduate seminar on the history of the RPG (fun!), and the whole process of deciding what games to include and the reasons for that is pretty interesting — admittedly, I find syllabus construction to be an interesting process that can tell you a lot about the person teaching the class (and a simple fact of life for those of us who want to stay in the Ivory Tower). He's put together a lengthy list of RPGs that will be whittled down (with some assistance from helpful readers) to 15 titles that will fulfill his criteria: More »

game announce

The Unemployed Ninja Returns

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.

More »

the witcher

New Adventures Await The Witcher

Fans of CD Projekt Red's PC RPG The Witcher are going to have their hands full this week, as a major patch, the Djinni Adventure Editor, and the first official new adventure hit all at once. Patch 1.3 polishes the living hell out of the game, adding more lines of dialogue, NPC models, and character animations. The Djinni beta adventure editor allows players to create their own adventure modules for the game and share them with the world via the Witcher website.
"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.
Finally you have The Price of Neutrality, the first official add-on adventure for the game, in which we learn more about the other witchers from the beginning of the main game. That's a ton of new stuff, and here I am far too busy this week to even contemplate downloading it. *weeps* More »

lists

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.

Oh, so true.

Videogame Tropes [TV Tropes via Joystick Division]


dungeons & dragons

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]


square enix

Star Ocean 4 Is Coming To... (Dunno!)

Square Enix still isn't revealing which platform tri-Ace's upcoming RPG will appear on. (Hey, maybe they don't know yet!) In the new issue of Famitsu the game's platform is listed as TBA. Other new info? Star Ocean 4 is actually a prequel, and the developer originally wanted to call the game Star Ocean 0. Apparently, players will also have a party, and the game's battle system will be similar to past titles. tri-Ace is considering networked functionality, but nothing's set in stone so far. No release date, either.
Star Ocean 4 Info [IGN via Dtoid] [Pic]

game announce

Etrian Odyssey II Maps Out US Release

If you're looking for a truly hardcore RPG experience on the Nintendo DS, you can't get much better than Etrian Odyssey - so hardcore you had to draw your own damn maps! Now the combination RPG and cartography sim returns with Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard. All of the features you either loved or hated from the original are here, from map making to creating your character entirely from scratch - character class, sex, skills, spells - the whole nine yards. Along with an all-new story involving a journey to a mythical floating palace to retrieve the Grail of Kings, EO II adds more character classes, new force skills, and over 100 side quests. It's sure to be a ton of gaming in a tiny package. You just have to ask yourself - are you hardcore (or masochistic) enough? Etrian Odyssey II is due out June 17th for the DS. More »

kotaku magu

Famitsu Reveals Persona 4

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]


dragon age

Yes, BioWare Says, Dragon Age Is Still Coming

How long's it been since we first saw BioWare's PC RPG Dragon Age? Nearly four years? That's an awful long time. So long, in fact, it's led many people (including myself) to wonder whether the game's ever going to be released at all. Well, according to BioWare, it is coming out, and it'll be coming out soon. Well, soon relative to this game's development, anyways, with BioWare's Matt Atwood saying the title should be out before April 2009, and that when it does hit, we'll all be "extremely excited". Good to hear, though a release date or new info would be gooder to hear.
BioWare talks up Dragon Age [Eurogamer]

alpha protocol

Sega & Obsidian Bringing You A Bond-ish RPG

The name, it could do with some work, but the premise, well, it's downright intriguing. Developers Obsidian, who brought us KOTOR II, are at work on Alpha Protocol, a game they're describing as an action-RPG and which will be appearing on the tried and tested triumvirate of PS3, 360 and PC. You play the role of a James Bond-type character, who plays his way through an RPG (it's got skill classes, etc) flush with Mass Effect-style combat sequences. It's also got Mass Effect-style dialogue (though you can only ever speak to an NPC once), with the added bonus of James Bond-style romancing, with alluring, deadly ladies across the globe ready and available for conquest. Excited? Don't be, you've got to wait until at least Spring 2009.
[via Game Informer Magazine]

xbox 360

Mass Effect Brings Down The Sky

Curses! Just when we thought we could rest easy with humanity's place in the universe secured, some chuckleheads have to go and toss an asteroid at a planet. BioWare's Bring Down The Sky content pack for Mass Effect went live today, offering 90 minutes of action and 50 points worth of achievements for 400 Microsoft points. The vile Batarians are brining down a mobile asteroid station on the colony world of Terra Nova, and it's up to Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy to save the colonists from a most crushing defeat. Of course if you've already finished the game you're going to have to restart and play to the point where you are actually in control of the Normandy again, but that's a small price to pay for a chance at saving millions of NPCs from a grizzly death.

rest in peace

Gary Gygax, Co-Creator Of D&D, Dead At 69

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


surprise

Persona 3 FES Shooting For April

Who saw this coming? I mean, aside from just about everybody? The countdown has ended and those that signed up for the Atlus Faithful (including myself) were served an email this morning officially announcing the expansion to the award-winning Persona 3, Persona 3 FES! Atlus is releasing the disk as a standalone game, containing both the original P3 with the new episode, higher difficulty level, new personas, sweet costume changes, and much more. P3 FES is heading our way April 22nd, for the low, low price of $29.99! If you haven't played one of the best console RPGs of 2007, now's your chance. Check out the gallery for a look at some new persona and some rather revealing new costumes. Mmmm, Yukari maid.

4 3 2 1

Atlus Counting Down To Persona 3: FES?

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!]


game update

The Witcher Gets Enhanced

The best PC RPG of 2007 is about to get better. CD Projekt Red has announced The Witcher Enhanced Edition, an update of the game due out this May that seeks to completely quash any qualms players may have had with the original title - in essence, they listened to our bitching and fixed stuff. Small tweaks like shortening load times and increasing combat accuracy are just the beginning. The English language version of the game has been completely reworked to include text left out of the initial release, while the German version is getting redone voice overs. CD Projekt is adding over 50 new supporting character models to further immersion, with 100 new animated gestures added to make conversation flow more naturally. They've even redone the lip-sync system to make conversing more animated and lifelike. Along with all of the changes, the enhanced version will ship complete with the D'jinni mod editor, allowing you to create and share your own modules in the game, as well as two all new adventures from the dev team. Of course all of the new content will be available for purchasers of the original game in free downloadable form, but if you've not yet experienced The Witcher, May looks like an excellent time to give it a go. More »

dragon quest

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]