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No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise delayed in Japan
Japan is currently in the midst of a No More Heroes drought. Not only has Marvelous yet to give a release date to No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (which is out this week in North America!), the publisher has also announced a delay for the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 port of the original game, called No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise. Originally set for release on February 25, Heroes' Paradise won't be delivering upgraded graphics and inappropriate new costumes for the female characters until April. Siliconera postulated that Marvelous is moving things into its next quarter in an attempt to boost profits in that period. %Gallery-78530% [Via Siliconera]
Marvelous execs take pay cuts in the face of losses
Marvelous Interactive executives have taken a pay cut in response to a bad earnings forecast due to the publisher's low sales figures. Executives will take a 15-17 percent cut in pay, directors will be hit 25-43 percent, while the CEO will take a 77 percent reduction. What's unclear is if this is a sign that executives are taking responsibility for what happened, or if there simply isn't enough money in the coffers to pay them. [Via Siliconera]
Play a Half-Minute Hero demo for a few minutes next week
If the thought of buying before trying seems as alien as making a sandwich out of textbooks and old toilet paper tubes, then you'll want to keep reading: Rising Star has announced that a demo of Half-Minute Hero will hit the EU PSN next week. Dubbed "Hero Mode," the demo will allow players to select between three missions included in the final game. Half-Minute Hero features a series of quick challenges blending together a menagerie of genres, such as RPG, RTS and even shoot-em-ups. It's currently set to release in Europe on February 12. [Via Videogamer]
Report: Rising Star regains rights to Marvelous games after stock sale
Even though Marvelous Entertainment just sold off its controlling stake in European publisher Rising Star Games, Rising Star will continue to bring Europeans Harvest Moon, No More Heroes and other Marvelous games. Due to low sales in the West, Marvelous sold its stake in Rising Star to Japanese publisher Intergrow. When this deal was announced late last week, it led to speculation that Rising Star and other publishers would then have to license Marvelous games on a case-by-case basis to publish them in Europe. However, Rising Star managing director Martin Defries told MCV that Rising Star has reacquired the publishing rights in Europe. "I am delighted to have secured further additional backing from an important Japanese company, whilst continuing our content relationship with Marvelous Entertainment," Defries said. Sales would suggest that an unfortunately small number of people are affected either way, but it should be comforting to some of you to have a reliable pipeline for Marvelous products.
Half-Minute Hero finds time for Europe
If you've been following Joystiq, you should be familiar with Half-Minute Hero, the zany RPG in which the apocalypse threatens to arrive every thirty seconds. Rising Star Games is taking care of the European release of the game, which will be readied on February 12th, 2010. A press release describes Half-Minute Hero as a "love-letter to 8-bit classics," thanks to its retro inspired graphics. Disturbingly, Rising Star Games' Martin Defries says "it's a game which keeps on giving - but like an inexperienced teenager: 30 seconds at a time." We're not entirely sure what that's supposed to mean, but we would advise not keeping your kids around this guy.
No more driving around Santa Destroy in No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
When Suda51 said there were big changes in store for the open-world segments of No More Heroes, we didn't expect a change this big. According to GameSpot's preview, roaming around Santa Destroy in search of t-shirts and Lovikov Balls (and odd jobs) has been nixed in Desperate Struggle in favor of a world map. It should speed up the pace of the game significantly, and we know there were plenty of complaints about these segments of the game, but we'll personally miss tooling around the city on the Schpeltiger. You can read way more details about the game at GameSpot, though we wouldn't necessarily suggest it if you're trying to live a spoiler-free lifestyle.
No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle trailer bonanza
Three brief new trailers for No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle have appeared online, each highlighting a different aspect of the game. The first trailer (after the break), from GoNintendo, shows off the cute retro-themed job minigames that Grasshopper has added for Travis's second outing. There's some kind of motorcycle racing game, a training game in which you kick weights back at your trainer, and ... oh, no. A plumbing game that's like the bane of our existence, Pipe Dream. Great. The second trailer, from IGN, features quick clips of fighting from all three playable characters (plus Jeane the cat! Plus NSFW language). The third, from 1UP, features Shinobu being really creepy.
Xbox 360 release of No More Heroes may be censored in Japan
Japanese retailer Amiami includes a note on its listing for the Xbox 360 version of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise that suggests that because it is based on the North American version of the Wii original, it is likely to carry the CERO Z rating (think an ESRB M rating, but harsher) when it is released in February. Because it is the North American version (with "bloodshed" intact), the site says, it will hold a special appeal for game fans. The same message doesn't appear on the PS3 version's listing, suggesting that it'll be the same censored game that was originally released in Japan. CERO Z-rated games often don't get displayed on shelves, so if this is accurate, it'll ensure that only the hardcore will even know about the Xbox 360 version of the game. That would limit sales severely, if sales weren't already limited severely by its status as an Xbox 360 game in Japan. %Gallery-78530% [Via Siliconera]
Marvelous lost money on most of its Wii releases
Pretty much everyone can guess why No More Heroes is being released again -- Marvelous needs money. During a Q&A presentation (PDF link, Japanese) about its fiscal Q2 2010 earnings, Marvelous boldly revealed that three out of its four 2009 Wii releases lost money, though it didn't say which was the winner. Muramasa sold 47,000 units in Japan, the company said, not specifying American sales. Arc Rise Fantasia, which will be published Stateside by Ignition, sold 45,000 copies. Little King's Story sold 26,000 copies in Japan, 37,000 copies in North America, and 67,000 in Europe. Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga, which came out in September in North America, sold just 16,000 copies (Japanese sales, which started in October, are not mentioned). Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility on Wii somehow sold 57,000 units in 2009 despite being a 2007 release in Japan, a 2008 release in America, and not out until October in Europe and Australia. Because of lower development costs, Marvelous said, PSP software was more successful, with four out of five releases making money on similar sales numbers. Half-Minute Hero was Marvelous's overall best-performing title, at 70,000 copies sold. [Via Siliconera]
Famitsu: No More Heroes being ported to PS3 and Xbox 360 [update]
Though scans of the actual article have yet to appear, the table of contents for the latest issue of Famitsu reveals a new No More Heroes game for Xbox 360 and PS3, called No More Heroes: Eiyuutachi no Rakuen (Heroes' Paradise). With recent statements from series creator Suda 51 that the next No More Heroes game would be made for the Wii's successor, and that he sees the current controls scheme as the ideal, we're inclined to believe that this is a port of the original game, undertaken by publisher Marvelous -- much as it has expressed its interest in doing. We'll find out more when we can see the scan! Update: The scans are up, showing a ported version of the original game with updated graphics and a new "Very Sweet" mode in which all the female characters are wearing less. According to the scan, it'll be out in Japan on February 25.
Ignition and Marvelous have a Deadly Premonition
Ignition Entertainment, partnering with recent publisher BFF Marvelous Entertainment, has announced a new survival horror game for Xbox 360 called Deadly Premonition. The game is the second original work from Access Games, who created the PS2 stealth game Spy Fiction, and also codeveloped The Sky Crawlers and Ace Combat X. The game stars an FBI agent investigating a murder in Silent Hill a rural town full of unexplained events, mysterious characters, and, apparently, dripping blood. It will feature exploration and driving in addition to fighting creepy Jawas. Ignition predicts an early 2010 release. If this game looks familiar to you, you have a really good memory! It was announced back in 2007 as Rainy Woods, and was a multiplatform release at the time. It's now been renamed and targeted just at the 360. %Gallery-77892%
Half-Minute Hero can't rescue Quebec
If you're looking for a UMD version of Half-Minute Hero in Quebec, stop trying. A Destructoid reader looking for the game was surprised it had skipped a release altogether in the Canadian province -- and it's all thanks to the law. "Canadian distribution is always tricky because of the bilingual law that Quebec enforces, so for titles with limited distribution we do not create a second bilingual version specifically for Canada because it's too expensive. Unfortunately, that's what happened to Half-Minute Hero," an XSEED representative stated. Thankfully, digital distribution offers a workaround. PlayStation Network appears to be exempt from Quebec's bilingual laws, so a simple visit to the PlayStation Store is all it takes to bypass the French language police.
Ignition: Muramasa sales 'in line with expectations'
Muramasa: The Demon Blade publisher Ignition revealed to Gamer Investments a rough estimate of the NPD sales total for its Wii sidescroller, describing the game's September performance as "in the ball park of 35K," with a margin of "15-20%." It might sound low to us, but marketing director Melody Frieda said that the total was "in line with expectations and we're happy with how it's performing to date." She said that positive reviews should help keep sales up through the holidays. The company sees even better potential for the title in the long term: according to Frieda, Ignition is "quite confident that Muramasa will be a revered cult classic like its sister property Odin Sphere," which went on to be released under the PS2's "Greatest Hits" line.%Gallery-33431%
Muramasa publisher: UK retailers avoiding original IP
Rising Star Games, the European publishing partner of Marvelous Entertainment, is speaking out against UK retailers declining to stock Muramasa: The Demon Blade, which comes out November 13th in the region. COO Martin DeFries told MCV in an open letter, "Here in the UK, the game will not be available to buy in the majority of games retail outlets." He claims that the issue is not with the game itself, but retailers' over-reliance on safer, existing intellectual property. "If it is not first-party, a sequel or supported by a multi-million pound advertising spend, they are just not interested." Defries lamented that Muramasa could find its way into stores -- when it's traded in. Defries pondered in his letter whether the seemingly growing emphasis on franchises represents a "dumbing-down of the medium" that results in consumers having "little or no exposure to a rich and different gaming experience." Of course, retailers (and publishers) have preferred the sure thing for as long as there have been sequels, but actually not being able to market your game, especially one as interesting as Muramasa, seems especially frustrating.
Spend a few minutes with this Half-Minute Hero trailer
Okay, Half-Minute Hero is finally seeing release. In addition to launching an official site for the game, XSEED has released one last trailer for the game that gives you a good overview of all the wackiness you can expect from the game. Does it look familiar? Yeah, but now this one's in English, a language commonly used by Joystiq writers and readers. Half-Minute Hero hits UMD next week, and PSN a week thereafter.
Half-Minute Hero rushes to UMD on October 13, PSN one week later
Okay, so it's pretty clear all of us are going to buy Half-Minute Hero. The only questions left are: when? And how? XSEED's bringing the clever micro-RPG game to retail stores on October 13, with a digital PSN release to follow one week later on October 22. "Timing is just off for whatever reason," we were told by a PR representative. Half-Minute Hero's bite-sized gameplay makes it an ideal game to throw on your Memory Stick. But, will gamers have the patience to wait an entire week for the PSN version? By our calculations, you could play Half-Minute Hero over 25,000 times on UMD before the PSN version comes out! %Gallery-68352%
TGS 2009: Interview: Little King's Story's Yoshiro Kimura
Yoshiro Kimura is the creator of Little King's Story, likely the only game in history to be the inspiration for a giveaway of one hundred hamburgers, one hundred bananas, and one hundred coupons for a visit to a spa -- all simultaneously. We spoke to Kimura during Tokyo Game Show about the secrets of the Wii game, about that rather strange contest, and about a can't-miss concept for a game about an old man drinking on a bench.
No More Heroes 2 supports Classic Controller, thanks to Monster Hunter
We happened to think that the motion control finishers in No More Heroes made the fighting a lot more interesting, but if you disagree, Grasshopper Manufacture has a solution. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle will allow players to use the Classic Controller, according to 1UP. Suda 51 told 1UP that the Classic Controller functionality is intended to attract Monster Hunter fans, many of whom play the game with the Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro (which is bundled with Monster Hunter 3). It's a purely optional move that may help get the game in the hands of more people. Warning: Some of the information in the 1UP article may be considered spoilers by more sensitive readers, including news about playable characters.
JU-ON to settle its Grudge on Oct. 13
Hopefully the decision to ship JU-ON: The Grudge on Rocktober October 13 -- as revealed by Nintendo -- won't prove an unlucky one for publisher XSEED. Yes, the game will be met at retail by the likes of Brütal Legend and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but the "haunted house simulator" possesses something those games don't (we think): The ability to kill you one week after you play it. Oh, wait -- that was the tape from The Ring, wasn't it? Still, JU-ON will probably manage to scare up some sales.
Sakura Note trailer elicits tears of nostalgia
The trailer for Audio Inc.'s new DS game Sakura Note leans heavily on the "nostalgia" angle, showing images of Japanese kids on summer vacation, running around town to the sounds of cicadas and a somber Nobuo Uematsu piece. Even the gameplay description, which refers to "simple action buttons," is a callback to the Famicom era.The in-game footage, with its combination of lush, hand-drawn backgrounds and pixelated sprites, makes us nostalgic -- for Audio's last game, Contact. This is the first real look we've had at the new game, and we're glad to see it's as lovely as the artwork.As for the gameplay itself, it features segments in which you control a cat or a dog, and includes some mechanic involving collecting a boss's tears.
