The Otaku’s Gaming Study #4 – T’was the Week before E3…..

T’was the week before E3 and…..
and….
and….
Actually I have no idea what to write after this….

It has been a little while since my last write-up, and during this period of time, a few new announcements have been made, however the announcements are definately smaller in number, no doubt keeping the announcements for the big event this week. I will not keep you waiting in anticipation for what has recently been announced, so without further ado, the fourth Otaku’s Gaming Study consists of:

• 4.1 – Playstation Network Store goes live, with Welcome Back packages!
• 4.2 – Devil Survivor Overclocked Cover Art + New Release Date
• 4.3 – Catherine – Screenshots (Repeat) + Full Website Up
• 4.4 – Natsume’s E3 Lineup
• 4.5 – NISA: Anime Announcements
• 4.6 – ClaDun x2 Website
• 4.7 – Record of Agarest War Zero (Ghostlight) Updates
• 4.8 – Persona 2: Innocent Sin Announced (Repeat)
• 4.9 – EB Expo Ticket Updates (Semi-Repeat)
• 4.10 – Dark Souls E3 Trailer
• 4.11 – ICO/Shadow of Colossus – Japanese Release Date
• 4.12 – Atelier Meruru Cover (Normal + Premium) + Trailer
• 4.13 – ATLUS Mahjong Cub3D Trailer
• 4.14 – Bleach: Soul Resurreccion Japanese Trailer + US Cover Art
• 4.15 – Tales of Xillia Japanese Trailer

So, read on to get all the latest information in this super sized “The Otaku’s Gaming Study”. 

4.1 – Playstation Network Store goes live, with Welcome Back packages!

For a month now, Sony has been promoting their Welcome Back package, which would consist of two/five games for each the PS3 and PSP, as well as a 30 Day Playstation Plus membership and some Home items. Well, after the progression from no PSN to PSN to PSN Store, they finally announced the games that would be on offer to each region. The titles for PAL and US regions that are on offer to each account are as follows:

Australia / New Zealand / Europe

You are allowed to select 2/5 of the following:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
• Wipeout HD + Fury

Also, you are allowed to select 2/4 of the following PSP games:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

You are also given 30 days of Playstation Plus membership. There will be a Playstation Home welcome back package that will arrive sometime in the near future. For those in the German market, there are a few changes to this, which are noted in this quote below:

For the German market, InFamous and Dead Nation will be replace with Super Stardust HD and Hustle Kings in the selection of PS3 games. Pursuit Force and Killzone Liberation will be replaced with Everybody’s Golf 2 and Buzz Junior Jungle Party in the selection of PSP games. Killzone Liberation will not offer online gameplay functionality.

Source: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/

United States

You are allowed to select 2/5 of the following:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

Also, you are allowed to select 2/4 of the following PSP titles:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

As with the ANZ/EU regions, you are also given a 30 day membership for PlayStation Plus. There is also a Pixel Wallpaper (Which is extremely well designed) and a Home Item package which includes:

The 100 virtual items can be found in the kiosk in Home’s Central Plaza along with two personal spaces – Dragon’s Lair and the Mansion Garage. A new game – Ooblag’s Alien Casino – will be released soon (June 2011). This game will be free-to-play. As an added bonus, players that access the Ooblag Alien Casino space will be rewarded an active item version of the Ooblag game that can be played in your personal space(s).

Source: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/06/03/welcome-back/

Subscriptions to other Playstation services also have 30-60 day addons to your subscriptions, which information mentioned on both above mentioned Playstation Blogs. You can access all the Welcome Back package items through the Playstation Store and following the prompts. Do note that due to the store being in high demand, it may come up with error messages. I advise you either try to re-login or try again later.

4.2 – Devil Survivor Overclocked Cover Art + New Release Date

ATLUS very recently released the new cover art for their 3DS version of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, entitled Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked. Comparing it to the original DS cover, whilst the backdrop design is more lackluster, half consisting of white, the implementation of the characters on the cover is done well, overall resulting in an interesting cover. The e-mail this was announced in, also stated that the game will be released sometime in fall.

So what is special about overclocked? How about a whole entire day (8th Day) extra? Improved Graphics? 3D Graphics? Full voice acting? More Demons? How about, all of the above! Whilst I doubt I will get a chance to play this anytime soon, due to the rather disappointing decision of Nintendo to region lock their consoles, I do hope I will have a chance to check it out sometime! For more information on this game series, check out my review of the original DS Game HERE and check out the official website HERE.

4.3 – Catherine – Screenshots (Repeat) + Full Website Up

As I am only half-way through the next “The Otaku’s Gaming Study”, I thought I would share some of the new Catherine images. Sick and tired of seeing images of The Stray Sheep and the characters drinking and socializing each other when the actual gameplay takes place in Vincent’s delusional dream world? Then be tired no more! ATLUS has just released eight new screenshots featuring more gameplay-oriented screenshots, especially around everyone’s, or to be everyones favorite characters, the Sheep-kun’s.

At the moment, there seems to be two benefits of the Sheep, as the instructor of the game to teach you how to navigate the puzzle towers, and to capitalize off your misfortune and sell you items to help you get through the levels quicker. If neither of these tickle your fancy, they also appear in the background of the levels, struggling to climb up similar towers to what you are climbing. Will these goats help you with your love, or will they lead you to a Love is Over scenario? Will be interesting to see.

A few quick other things, whilst this has not had an official PAL region announcement yet, there are some hints to indicate that Ghostlight, who have brought other ATLUS games to European and Oceanic regions may be bringing this over, after a fan survey placed this game at the top of their to release list. As well, do not forget that this game is being released next month, and that if you want to get a Collectors Edition featuring the pizza box, boxer shorts, shirt etc, then you should get your order in ASAP else you may miss out on the chance to own the set.

Anyway, I will have more in the next “The Otaku’s Gaming Study” being released in the next day or so..

Screenshots

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My Original Article: sam.animeblogger.net/?p=4820
The new improved official website can be found: www.catherinethegame.com

4.4 – Natsume’s E3 Lineup

The company Natsume, that is responsible for releasing titles in series such as Rune Factory and Harvest Moon, have recently announced their E3 line-up. The titles they are announcing includes:

Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny for PlayStation®3 & Nintendo Wii

This next chapter in the popular Rune Factory series makes its debut at this year’s E3. The game will be coming to both the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.  In Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny, players take control of the giant golem Ymir to cross vast seas, uncover fertile farmlands, battle dangerous monsters, and discover dungeons packed with treasure and danger! An ocean of possibilities awaits!

Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns for Nintendo 3DS and DS

The latest game in the beloved Harvest Moon franchise will be released simultaneously on two great platforms: the Nintendo 3DS and DS. Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns features a great new cast of characters, fun-filled new festivals, and a new request system that lets player take on hundreds of mini-quests to earn extra rewards! Players choose which of two feuding villages to live in, then they’ll build a thriving farm, compete in challenging culinary contests, and befriend townsfolk, all in hope of bringing these fighting villages together once again!

Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove for Nintendo 3DS and DS

Gabrielle’s having a bad day. She sneezed her soul right out of her body! She’ll have to travel to Monster Town, the home of all things that go bump in the night, to get help. Only by busting out the ghostliest dance moves and thrilling and chilling people will she be able to scare up the power she needs to get herself back into her body! It’s a spooktacular rhythm adventure!

Real Fishing Paradise 3D for Nintendo 3DS

With gorgeous 3D environments and fish that leap off the screen at you, this is a fishing game like none you’ve ever seen before!  Reel Fishing Paradise 3D takes players to 15 stunning fishing locales in their quest to become master anglers. They’ll fish tranquil lakes, rocky coasts, flooded forests, and more, all rendered in eye-popping 3D that brings every leaping fish and splash of water to life. A huge variety of fish will test the expertise of even the most seasoned fishing veterans, from wily largemouth bass to powerful bluefin tuna. Players can choose from more than 100 pieces of tackle and three styles of fishing: lure, fly, and bait. With so much to see and do, Reel Fishing Paradise 3D is a game that will have players hooked!

For more information on Natsume, please visit the following website: http://www.natsume.com/

4.5 – NISA: Anime Announcements

I am aware that this is not exclusively games, however as NISA is a gaming company, might as well announce their new Anime releases as well. They have two different types of series on offer, Regular Versions of previously released titles and brand new acquisitions. First off, the Standard Editions they have announced are:

• Toradora! Vol.1
• Toradora! Vol.2
• WAGNARIA! Complete Series

These editions will be cheaper versions of the original premium series and include Story Guide leaflets and bonus clips. They are due out sometime this season, with a possible date being the 5th July 2011.

They have also announced for release on July 5th 2011, the Premium Edition of the first season of Arakawa: Under the Bridge which will consist of both DVD and Blu-ray copies of the series, a Bonus Kappa Mask and from what I can tell in the image, also includes the usual hardcover artbook and special storage box. I have never actually watched the series before, but it sounds interesting:

About: Arakawa Under the Bridge Vol. 1
The stage is set on the banks of the Arakawa River. A self-proclaimed “winner at life,” Ko Ichinomiya (aka Rec) finds his fate suddenly entangled with a self-proclaimed “Venusian citizen,” the beautiful and oddly homeless Nino. The love story between these two youngsters is often humorous, sometimes bittersweet, and always on the edge of insanity. This surreal comedy depicts the exciting lives of these two and all the other maniacal residents of Arakawa under the bridge.

You can pre-order Arakawa at the following link: http://store.nisamerica.com/Anime/Arakawa-Vol1-Premium-Kappa-Kit

4.6 – ClaDun x2 Website

This is a smaller update, the website for Cladunx2, a game published by NISA and available on the PSP as a PSN Exclusive title. The website is most probably one of the ones interestingly designed as it keeps with the 8-bit theme and allows you to control your character around an environment to “travel” to different parts of the website. A website is a website but it is still very creative.

4.7 – Record of Agarest War Zero (Ghostlight) Updates

I have mentioned before about the GhostLight collectors edition for Agarest Zero, however just a small update about it, the 3D Lenticular Art Cards have been modified from previously and the new images can be seen at the top of the above image. For those who order through their website HERE, they also include an exclusive T-Shirt, which if it is anything like the Persona 3 Portable one, is going to be damn impressive. The cost? You might ask. They are selling this special edition for only £39.99 (Which at the moment is a little more then $AUD 60). However, this title seems to only be sellable through their main site to PAL territories, however I suppose if you wanted the collectors, another site that has them in stock would sell them to you.

4.8 – Persona 2: Innocent Sin Announced (Repeat)

Long time fans of the Persona franchise since Persona: Revelations was released may ask, what is Persona 2: Innocent Sin? There was a Persona 2: Eternal Punishment but not this title. You see, this, unlike every other Persona title was not released in English. Whilst it was never officially announced why, however the most probable explanation would have been political correctness, as some aspects of the game could have been deemed offensive if it was released then. However, with times changing and the release of the remake on the PSP for the game in Japan, it seems like ATLUS has decided that now is the time to offer the game to the masses.

This game has a battle system unlike any other Persona game both previous and current, however lends itself more to Persona 3’s battle system then others. In this game, there are only five characters in the game, and each wields the “Fool” arcana and can therefore all summon multiple Persona. Also, all five characters can be used in battle at a time, allowing the fusion of skills between party members and not having to worry about selecting one character or another.

From what I have seen so far, the interface has had an improvement over the PS1 version of the game, however so far, the visual effects, including the mapping system is for the most part identical. The music also allows you select between two types, “Classic” which is the retro tracks from the old game, and “New” which is the newer remixes of the music. Sadly however, fans of the J-POP tracks that the Persona games like to add might be disappointed because as of yet, I don’t believe they have any lyrical tracks ingame, besides the openings.

The storyline as taken from the official website is as follows:

The story takes plac ein Sumaru City, Japan, population of 1,280,000. Its protagonist attends Seven Sisters High School, whose emblem is considered a status symbol even amongst students from other schools.

Soon though, a rumor that Sevens’ emblem was actually cursed, and that wearing it would disfigure ones face, had spread around the city. Even worse, the rumor came true…. and it was only the beginning of a string of rumors becoming reality…. one after another.

Before long, the protagonists discover the power to summon another side of them called “Personas”, which they use to investigate the strange incidents around the city, all while facing their own personal demons as well. Time is once again on the march…

So yes, that is the storyline for you. The rumor system is actually a rather interesting way of doing things and does let you change the world quite a lot. For fans of Persona 1, you will be glad to know that some of the characters from the game make cameos, and one of the characters, Yukino (Who in the original English Persona 1 release was essentially booted from being playable after the first hour, despite not being killed off and retaining her Persona ability), returns as a playable character. More information I am sure will be shared as time goes on.  Also included are some updates to the game, such as the Climax Theater! (Nothing hentai) and a Scenario Builder, all of which shall be revealed as time progresses. You can find the official website HERE.

Anyway, after the jump is the first trailer video for the game, as well as the first batch of English Screenshots and the press release.

Note the date is from 2010, however the trailer above is the same as the one ATLUS provided…. saves me uploading the same trailer twice. Also I will include a Japanese preview trailer for the game.

There were sadly only a couple of screenshots provided as of yet, however what was provided is below:

Screenshots

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and finally the all important press release outlining what ATLUS has currently provided about the game… if you were not willing to read my blurb above:

About SMT: Persona 2: Innocent Sin
The story takes place in Sumaru City, Japan, population 1,280,000. Its protagonist attends Seven Sisters High School (“Sevens” for short), whose emblem is considered a status symbol even amongst students from other schools.  Soon, though, a rumor that Sevens’ emblem was actually cursed, and that wearing it would disfigure one’s face, had spread around the city.

Even worse, the rumor came true…

And it was only the beginning of a string of rumors becoming reality, one after another…

Before long, the protagonists discover the power to summon another side of them called “Personas,” which they use to investigate the strange incidents around the city, all while facing their own personal demons as well.  Time is once again on the march…

4.9 – EB Expo Ticket Updates (Semi-Repeat)

As of a few days ago, you are able to purchase your tickets for the first ever EBGames Expo, held at the Gold Coast Convention center this October. If you would like to purchase tickets you can either purchase them online from the official website or alternatively, you can go into your local EB Games store and purchase tickets. There are two types of different tickets, the normal tickets which cost $29.95 and VIP tickets which cost $99.95. Currently the demand for VIP tickets has been high, and only tickets for the Sunday show is available, so get in fast to secure your VIP ticket. What do you get with a VIP ticket? Just the following awesome benefits:

What will the VIP Experience ticket include?

• Red Carpet Entry into the exhibition
• Priority Seating to all Arena Events
• Express Access to selected games inside the Exhibition
• VIP viewing area for the Exhibition grand finale (Limited numbers).
• Individually numbered VIP Lanyard
• VIP Showbag with limited edition GameInformer plus heaps more cool stuff
• Souvenir Photo from the Green Screen Studio
• Backstage access to media interview recordings. (Subject to scheduling and availability. Invites will be limited to VIP guests, who must RSVP, tickets will be awarded on a first come first served basis)
• More features of the VIP Experience will be announced soon.

or in other words, the true EB Expo experience can only be obtained through the VIP Pass! But what about the publishers attending? You might be asking, whilst I do not believe it is a final list, there are a number of different publishers that will be in attendence, including:

• 2K
• Activision
• Bethesda
• Bluemouth
• Capcom
• Codemasters
• Disney Interactive
• EA
• inComm
• Konami
• Logitech
• Mindscape
• Namco Bandai
• Nintendo
• Parrot.AR.Drone
• Plantronics
• Playstation
• PopCap
• QVS
• Razer
• SEGA
• Square Enix
• THQ
• Turtle Beach
• Ubisoft
• XBox360

In other words, many of the big names from Australia and other countries will be in attendance! So purchase your ticket and get your hands on experience with the games and feast your eyes on exclusive previews you will only be able to see at this event. If it was skipped or not present at the E3, there is a good chance you may see it here instead.

Just an update from the original post, on Friday there were less then 60 VIP tickets remaining for the Sunday session, so if you want to get a VIP ticket, it may be your last chance in the next day or two to get your ticket. The standard tickets don’t seem to have sold out for any sessions now, so you can still buy them from your local EB Games store or from their online store HERE.

4.10 – Dark Souls E3 Trailer

I have remained a big fan of Demons Souls since the day I purchased it, however I haven’t really covered Dark Souls, the semi-sequel to the original PS3 hit. Whilst the original version was released in English by Sony (Asia English), ATLUS (US) and Namco Bandai (PAL), this game will be released exclusively by Namco Bandai to all English regions. This game will also be released on the XBox360 console alongside the PS3 console. Honestly, whilst this trailer is good, the charm of the original game was that it was hard whilst many areas of the game were simple, such as only having a small amount of voice acting among other things. This trailer does make me concerned that they have gone over the top for the sequel, possibly ruining the experience that Demons Souls gave. As this game is a PS3 exclusive in Japan, it also makes me question what experience Silver XBox Live members will have without the online features. Either way, I am getting the PS3 version.

4.11 – ICO/Shadow of Colossus – Japanese Release Date

Remember the ICO/Shadow of Colossus collection which was supposed to be a HD remake of the original PS2 games of the same name, have proved hugely popular but supply has been very low? Well, initially it was supposed to be released earlier this year, however things changed and most sites listed it for release in December (Due to no official date being released). Whilst this has no guarantee to be the same date in English countries, the Japanese release date has been slated as the 22nd September 2011. The games as a single set (Either ICO or Shadow of Colossus) will cost approximately 3,980 yen whilst the collection of both will come to approximately 6,980 yen.

4.12 – Atelier Meruru Cover (Normal + Premium) + Trailer

Above is a new trailer for Atelier Meruru, the third and final game in the PS3 Atelier game series, and as with all games focuses more on the item collection and creation then the actual fighting, although that is still an element of the game of course. This trailer introduces the characters as well as some footage and what I suppose is the games theme song. The song isn’t as memorable as the first two games however. They have also released images of the two cover arts, one for the standard and one for the platinum edition. These can be found below:

Standard Edition

Premium Edition

This Premium Box has the following contents within it:

• First of all, the box looks much cuter then the standard edition cover.
• PS3 Copy of the Game
• Meruru Charm
• Crystal Paperweight
• Character Drama CD (Both versions for Pre-order I believe)

4.13 – ATLUS Mahjong Cub3D Trailer

It is not a game I am interested in, nor do I even understand the basics of Mahjong. Therefore for those who are interested in this game… enjoy the trailer, otherwise there isn’t much I can say on this game.

4.14 – Bleach: Soul Resurreccion Japanese Trailer + US Cover Art

Bleach: Soul Resurreccion is due out in the US in a few months time, however this game isn’t even out in Japan yet, therefore, a new trailer has recently been released for the game in Japan which can be viewed above. Whilst I am not a heavy follower of Bleach, I will be checking out this game and writing up a review for it, as it does look decent enough. Also, NISA has released cover art for the game which can be seen below:

4.15 – Tales of Xillia Japanese Trailer

I am also aware I have not done much on the recent Tales of Xillia game that is being released by Namco Bandai as the next game in the long running Tales of series. This will be the first version of the game to go directly to the Playstation 3 instead of being a remake of a previous consoles version (Eg. Vesperia – XBox360, Graces – Wii). This trailer shows off gameplay in terms of cinematics, world roaming and battles. Overall, the graphics do look a lot more serious then previous games which have opted for a more bright, cheery and Cell-shaded experience. However design looks better then all other games overall. In terms of gameplay, it looks more or less similar to previous games, so I will be interested to see how it differs from other games.