Japanese RPG fans rejoice! Well, Japanese fans of RPGs, not fans of Japanese RPGs. You guys can rejoice too if you want. Anyway, Oblivion is being released in Japan all over again, only this time in Japanese! When the game was released in English last year, a petition immediately went up calling for the game to be translated into the native tongue. Understandable really - it was the equivalent of the next Final Fantasy game being released in the states without being translated from Japanese. Trying to play a story driven game while struggling to understand the story sucks.

Then in December we were told by Xbox Japan that a localized version was in the works, for release sometime this year. Well thanks to a co-publishing agreement with Japanese publisher Spike, the game is now set to ship on July 26th.

"We are pleased to be partnering with Bethesda Softworks to bring this landmark role-playing game to Japan," said Mitsutoshi Sakurai, CEO of Spike. "We are sure that Oblivion will enjoy the same level of success and critical acclaim it has achieved in other parts of the world. "

He talks as if it was never release in Japan at all. I suppose to many Japanese gamers it wasn't. Hit the jump for more details. Michael Fahey

SPIKE TO CO-PUBLISH THE ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION FOR XBOX 360 IN JAPAN

Tokyo, Japan - May 17, 2007 - Spike today announced that it has reached an agreement with Bethesda Softworks , a ZeniMax Media company, to co-publish the blockbuster role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in Japan. Developed by Bethesda Games Studios, Oblivion is the latest chapter in the epic and highly successful Elder Scrolls series and utilizes next-generation video game hardware to fully immerse the player in an experience unlike any other. Oblivion is scheduled to ship in Japan on July 26, 2007. The retail price will be 7,800JPY.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion begins after the Emperor's mysterious and untimely death leaves the throne of Tamriel empty. With the Empire ready to crumble, the gates of Oblivion open and demons march upon the land, laying waste to everything in their path. To turn the tide of darkness, players must find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel.

"We are pleased to be partnering with Bethesda Softworks to bring this landmark role-playing game to Japan," said Mitsutoshi Sakurai, CEO of Spike. "We are sure that Oblivion will enjoy the same level of success and critical acclaim it has achieved in other parts of the world. "

The Elder ScrollsR IV: Oblivion sold over 3 million units worldwide in 2006 and has earned countless accolades from publications worldwide, including numerous 'Game of the Year' and 'RPG of the Year' awards. In addition, Gamerankings.com and MetaCritic.com list Oblivion as the highest rated game of all time on Xbox 360 and PlayStation3.