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JRPG Project Phoenix continues crowdfunding with PayPal campaign
Japanese indie developer Creative Intelligence Arts has renewed the quest to crowdfund its JRPG Project Phoenix, following up on its million-dollar Kickstarter campaign with an additional funding push via PayPal. The studio has since reworked its reward tiers, announcing an array of additional bonuses to entice new backers. Boasting an all-star development staff consisting of director Hiroaki Yura, artist Kiyoshi Arai, and Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu, Project Phoenix seeks to unite traditional JRPG design with squad-based RTS gameplay. The final product is set for release in 2015 for Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and PS Vita. Developer Creative Intelligence Arts hopes that additional funding will propel the project toward its remaining stretch goals, which include advanced skill trees, bonus side-stories, and multiplayer options. Project Phoenix has earned $1,086,659 from its Kickstarter and PayPal funding campaigns to date, and its highest stretch goals require additional contributions in excess of $3 million.
Project Phoenix ends Kickstarter campaign by soaring past $1M
JRPG-styled RTS Project Phoenix blazed to $1,014,600 when its Kickstarter campaign ended this morning. That money plus the $44,241 donated over Paypal meant the final total was $1,058,841, meeting the stretch goal for a "fully explorable overworld with an upgraded combat transition," along with the rather vague "Fight inside the Kraken." Project Phoenix raised ten times its funding goal, backers both buying into the concept of a fantasy squad-based RTS layered with JRPG design, and the illustrious names behind it. Creative Intelligence Arts' team includes Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu and artist Kiyoshi Arai, while long-term RPG dev Hiroaki Yura is directing and producing the game. Project Phoenix is set for Windows PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Vita in mid-2015, while a different iOS version is due too. That's a long old time to wait, but in the meantime fans can still donate to the game via PayPal, although they won't earn backer-exclusive rewards.
Project Phoenix rising on PS4, Vita too
Kickstarter fireball Project Phoenix is scorching a path onto PlayStation 4 and Vita, after successful "long negotiations" ended with dev Creative Intelligence Arts confirming the RTS/RPG for Sony platforms. Now at over seven times its funding goal of $100,000, Project Phoenix was originally announced for PC, Mac, and Linux, with iOS and Android receiving a separate version of the game. However, Creative Intelligence Arts (which has an unfortunate acronym) did say it was working to bring the game to PS4 and Vita too, and sure enough that work turned into reality. There's now the small matter of working those platforms into the funding tiers and allowing those who've already backed the project to switch to one of the Sony platforms. Project Phoenix is the latest firestorm to rise to heady financial heights on Kickstarter, not least because of the RPG talent on its staff, including revered Final Fantasy music-smith Nobuo Uematsu, FF artist Kiyoshi Arai, and Hiroaki Yura, who's worked on the likes of Diablo 3 and Valkyria Chronicles. Project Phoenix is billed as a fantasy RTS combined with JRPG design, and while we've yet to see any gameplay footage, a recent video (above) gave some indication of how the game's squad-based, tactical combat may play out. With five days to go, the campaign is set to soar past the $800,000 stretch goal, earning exclusive posters for Kickstarter backers. The more significant addition of a "fully explorable over world with an upgraded combat transition" looks realistic at $1,025,000.
Veteran RPG devs launch Project Phoenix Kickstarter with Nobuo Uematsu in tow [Update: Funded!]
Project Phoenix, a JRPG with squad-based real-time strategy trappings and an all-star cast, is now on Kickstarter. Among those working on the game are Lead Composer Nobuo Uematsu, Art Director Kiyoshi Arai and Director/Producer Hiroaki Yura. Uematsu is best known for his work in creating music for the Final Fantasy series, and Arai illustrated worlds for Final Fantasy 3, 12 and 14. Yura is the founder of Project Phoenix's developer, Creative Intelligence Arts, and worked on Diablo 3 and Valkyria Chronicles. The credited list of developers includes as-yet-unannounced lead programmers and art supervisors, the latter of which has been credited with work on "some very famous anime that everyone knows." Creative Intelligence Arts is aiming to launch Project Phoenix in mid-2015, and is starting with PC, Mac and Linux as its primary platforms. It will develop separate iOS and Android versions, and is "working to have the game released on PlayStation 4 and other platforms." The developer is seeking $100,000 on Kickstarter by September 11, of which it has already raised $25,921. (As of this writing. Given how quickly that ticker is going up, however, by the time you read this, it'll likely be higher.) Update: We weren't lying about how quickly this thing was getting funded – Project Phoenix passed its $100,000 goal in less than nine hours and shows no sign of slowing down. The first stretch goal is $300,000, and it doubles the number of monster and character models, and adds extended musical numbers from Uematsu.
Pre-order a deluxe Soulcalibur 5 soundtrack
In order to properly get in the mood for an Italian assassin vs. evil animated sword monster fight -- to set the stage of history, so to speak -- you'll need the right music. You can start your preparations for a more Soulcalibur 5-friendly home by pre-ordering the four-disc (!) Soulcalibur 5 Original Soundtrack Limited Edition from Eminence Music Production. In addition to 56 tracks from composers Junichi Nakatsuru, Hiroki Kikuta, Tomoki Miyoshi, Andrew Aversa, Cris Velasco, and Inon Zur, you get a DVD that goes behind the scenes of the soundtrack's creation, and "character cards" of the new fighters. If you're on the fence about whether to spend ¥4,980 ($64) on Soul Calibur music, you can hear a few samples at Eminence's site. The soundtrack will ship on January 31.
