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Final Fantasy 6 art director, composer working on Granblue Fantasy
Continuing a welcome trend of established JRPG developers attaching themselves to new projects, Final Fantasy 6 Art Director Hideo Minaba and composer Nobuo Uematsu have taken roles in the development of Granblue Fantasy. Cygames is developing the JRPG and will eventually cast its spell on mobile devices. According to Siliconera's report, the project began after Cygames Director Yuita Kimura expressed interest in making a game with Minaba. But if he was going to ask Minaba, Kimura felt he might as well ask Uematsu to get involved, too. Uematsu stated that he's been asked to compose with the sound of Irish music in mind and believes that his fans "may feel a sense of nostalgia from this." Uematsu has composed 11 songs for Granblue Fantasy, while Minaba has drawn roughly 100 characters.
Final Fantasy Tactics S launches in Japan on iOS, Android
Square Enix deployed the latest Final Fantasy Tactics variant this week. Tactics S is a free-to-play Mobage spin-off, and it's available in Japan now on iOS and Android. Tactics S features more than 300 character jobs from the grid-based strategy series, and two new ones in the form of Air Samurai and Musician. You can build up clans for use in both single-player quests and in multiplayer battles against other clans, with online tournaments held on a daily basis. In its fiscal year review, Square Enix said it will increasingly target smartphone and tablet games. The company cited Mobage game Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, recently released in North America and Europe, as a "satisfactorily profitable" example. So, while there's no word on Tactics S traversing the oceans, don't be too surprised if it reaches western shores at some point down the line.
Molyneux's Godus goes mobile, Mobage with publisher DeNA
Godus, the Kickstarted god game from Peter Molyneux's 22Cans, will be published on mobile devices by DeNA in western territories, Japan and Korea. Godus raised £526,563 ($852,000) with Kickstarter in December, exceeding its goal of $£450,000 ($730,000). It will launch on PC and Mac, alongside mobile devices Android, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Godus will use DeNA's Mobage platform for mobile and social games, joining previous handheld iterations within the No More Heroes, Final Fantasy and Professor Layton franchises, to name a few.
DeNA to publish Godus on iOS
Peter Molyneux's studio 22cans has been working on a Populous followup game called Godus, and the company has just announced a deal for a publisher. DeNA, the Japanese company behind the Mobage social platform, will be publishing Godus on iOS. And the game will also connect up to Mobage in Western companies and in Japan and Korea. DeNA is an interesting choice for Molyneux -- the company is usually known for casual games, and the audience is largely Japanese so far. But DeNA has definitely been looking to expand to the West and seeking well-known developers to do that with, including a game they're working on with former EA designer Ben Cousins. Plus, Molyneux has released Curiosity on iOS already, and that game didn't quite have the reception that he hoped for. So it sounds like this teamup will be good for both sides. Godus is set to arrive, after being previously crowdfunded on Kickstarter, sometime this year.
DeNA and Square Enix to release new mobile Final Fantasy game
DeNA is one of the larger social networks coming out of Asia lately (they're probably best known around these parts for buying mobile game developer ngmoco), and the company announced this morning that it's teamed up with Final Fantasy creators Square Enix to publish a new Final Fantasy-branded title on iOS and Android. Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade is the name, and it's a casual social game centered on flying airships around a fantasy setting, working together with other players to bring down bad guys, earn experience and level up characters and their abilities. The game is due out on the App Store soon, and will be a free download, so when it does arrive, we'll be able to check it all out and see how it works right away. But even more interesting than the actual game at this point is the deal behind it: DeNA is using the much-loved Final Fantasy brand to try and grow its network of connected gamers. This is a really strong push for DeNA in the West, and while it (and other Eastern social networks) have made lots of tries at attracting gamers' attention before, using the much-loved Final Fantasy brand is probably their strongest tactic yet. They're asking fans to sign up on the website right now (thus getting them involved in the big Mobage network), and offering a special "Cloud" card in the game for doing so, featuring the popular character from Final Fantasy VII. It remains to be seen if this move will work, but again: DeNA and their competitors have been fishing for new users in the Western market for a while now, and the Square Enix brand is probably their most powerful bait yet. Show full PR text DeNA and Square Enix Partner to Bring FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE Mobile Game to Players in United States and Canada Pre-registration for the Free Game Guarantees an Exclusive Complimentary In-game Card Featuring the Character "Cloud" SAN FRANCISCO – November 29, 2012 – Following the game's success with more than three million registered users in Japan, DeNA Co., Ltd. (TSE: 2432) and Square Enix Co., Ltd. announced today that the two companies are bringing FINAL FANTASY® AIRBORNE BRIGADE™ to mobile phone users in the US and Canada. This is the first FINAL FANTASY free-to-play social game to be released in English. FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE is an easy-to-play social game where players cooperate and adventure through a world inspired by the popular FINAL FANTASY series. Each player rides an airship, and forms groups called airborne brigades in order to fight powerful bosses. Each player gains experience, and levels up by adventuring through quest regions. They will encounter foes and obtain abilities and items straight from the FINAL FANTASY series. "We're very proud to offer FINAL FANTASY fans based in the US and Canada our own take on the themes and ideals of the series with the upcoming launch of the mobile game FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE," said Kenji Kobayashi, executive games director at DeNA. "In celebration of the franchise's 25th anniversary this year, we strived to create a unique gameplay experience where players can elevate each other through fun, cooperative play." The game appeals to FINAL FANTASY fans as well as players new to the franchise. FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE will be available soon as a free download on Android and iOS devices. Players can pre-register for the game and be alerted via email as soon as the game is available for free download. Pre-registered players can obtain a free three-month exclusive in-game card featuring Cloud, one of the most popular FINAL FANTASY characters of all time, which will help them during boss battles. To pre-register for FINAL FANTASY AIRBORNE BRIGADE, please visit: ffairbornebrigade.com
DeNA collects 10 new partners for Mobage titles on iOS
DeNA, one of the biggest social gaming networks in Japan, has announced a development deal with 10 social and mobile game developers. The company is working to gain inroads with western audiences via iOS and other mobile platforms. Mobage is the giant network that DeNA runs, which recently picked up Ngmoco and several other western publishers and developers to help build a stable of popular games and attract western players. Now, the company has deals with 10 different social and mobile game developers, including XMG Studio, Cobalt Play Games and Joywinds, plus several other small-to-medium developers who've been working hard on iOS and Android. Deals like this are becoming common in the social and mobile landscape. Eastern companies are learning that they need high-quality games to attract customers in the west. At the same time, smaller game developers are looking for funding. DeNA has plenty of that to go around. Typically, the issue is that smaller developers get swallowed up in the big network's money-making machine, and the resulting games lack the quality they need. So we'll see. DeNA is certainly pushing hard for an iOS hit (or two, or three, or 10, presumably). Some of these studios are capable of giving them that, but hopefully the publisher will be smart enough to let these creators do their thing. Show full PR text DeNA Unveils New Partners Coming to Mobage, the Premier Mobile Games Platform Diverse Portfolio of Games and Developers Further Extends the Reach of the Global Network SAN FRANCISCO – November 1, 2012 – DeNA Co., Ltd. (TSE: 2432) announced today that it is partnering with 10 independent social and mobile game developers to bring their games to the Mobage mobile social games network and platform for iOS™ and Android devices worldwide. New developer partners include BigHut, Cobalt Play Games, GameCloud, Electrified Games, Joywinds, Inc., Kyy Games, Massive Damage, Oh BiBi socialtainment, Runaway Play, and XMG Studio, Inc. The Mobage network has launched industry-leading games such as Rage of Bahamut™, developed by partner studio Cygames Inc., and Deity Wars, created by CROOZ, Inc., which have both held top spots on the Apple® App Store™ and Google Play™ top grossing charts. "The Mobage network provides development studios a unique opportunity to reach millions of mobile game players throughout the world," said Barry Dorf, Senior Director of Third Party at DeNA's U.S. subsidiary ngmoco, LLC. "As a global mobile games platform leader, our dedication to building long-term partnerships has enabled us to work with some of the most esteemed developers worldwide to deliver engaging, top grossing games like Rage of Bahamut. This is an exciting time for Mobage as we strive to fulfill our commitment to bringing delight, innovation, and fun to mobile gamers." New Mobage Developer Partners BigHut: The Brazilian independent mobile game development studio strives to make free-to-play games that are fun to play and provide experiences tailored to individual players. The company launched this week Boney the Runner, an endless runner game where players help Boney the skeleton escape through the cemetery from a pack of hungry dogs. To play Boney the Runner for free, please visit: http://moba.ge/boneytherunner Cobalt Play Games: A team of developers based in Asia working on interactive entertainment for the iOS and Android platforms. They have developed more than 10 casual mobile games and have just released their tower-building game Monster Mall on the Mobage platform. To download the free Monster Mall game, please click: http://moba.ge/monstermall Electrified Games: Electrified Games is an experienced independent developer of mobile and online games recognized for its expertise in trading card and strategy games. From its offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company has developed games for leading publishers and brands including Kaijudo Online, Kaijudo Battle Game, Tap Tap Revenge Tour, Defense of the Oasis, and Café 51. GameCloud Studios: A leading developer of global social and mobile games striving to bring together the digital and real worlds. Founded in 2009, the company has operations in Southern California and Shanghai, and has been developing innovative games and systems for the mobile space. With a unique approach to sports simulation games, the company introduces an innovative intuitive play system for their current mobile sports games. Joywinds, Inc.: A new mobile game developer from Shanghai whose core value is to connect people through imagination. Their newest title World of Wizards is set to launch this month on Mobage, and turns players into legendary wizards by learning different spells, collecting equipment and capturing magical pets. Kyy Games: Kyy Games is an independent game development studio located in Tampere, Finland. The company is known for their game Cabals: The Card Game, a revolutionary online trading card game that re-invents the genre with the introduction of a gameboard and an original game world that is inspired by different esoteric traditions. Kyy games has also launched Legends of Elendria: The Frozen Maiden, and Cooties: The Revenge of the Appendix. Massive Damage: Massive Damage, Inc. is an award-winning mobile games studio building the future of massively multiplayer social role-playing games on mobile. The studio recently released its cult-hit title Please Stay Calm, a location-based zombie survival game, and it is currently working on other titles coming soon to the Mobage platform. Oh BiBi socialtainment: Oh BiBi socialtainment is a French company specialized in developing and publishing social games for smartphones and tablets. The young and wild company benefits from the solid handheld game design expertise of its founder Stanislas Dewavrin, the former Creative Vice President at Gameloft and the Asphalt franchise creator. Oh BiBi socialtainment is committed to providing innovative, full-featured social games, promising brand new user experiences. Runaway Play: Based in New Zealand, Runaway Play is currently developing a Mobage mobile version of Flutter, a butterfly simulation game that gained a loyal following on Facebook. The developer also released the mobile games Puzzle Planets and Howling Mouse. Runaway Play works closely with philanthropic partners National Geographic and the World Wildlife Fund to continue to raise awareness surrounding wildlife conservation. XMG Studio Inc.: XMG is an award-winning mobile games developer based in Toronto. They have released 12 mobile games in various genres, including the popular Drag Racer franchise, the original franchise that created the drag racing genre in mobile games. Additionally, the company was named one of the top up-and-coming global mobile game developers to watch for by industry media. For developers interested in opportunities to publish their mobile games on DeNA's Mobage mobile games platform, please visit: https://developer.mobage.com About DeNA DeNA Co., Ltd. is a global Internet company focused on social games, e-commerce and other Web services for mobile devices and PCs. DeNA's current flagship business is its mobile social games platform Mobage, which offers first-, second- and third-party games on four localized user networks across Japan, China, South Korea and the rest of the world. The original Mobage network in Japan currently serves over 43 million registered users with more than 2,000 titles. Founded in 1999 as a small startup in Tokyo, DeNA currently has over 2,000 employees worldwide working at offices and development studios in 16 cities across 11 countries and regions. The company generated annual sales of more than 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in the fiscal year ended March 2012. DeNA is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (2432). For more information, visit dena.jp/intl. About Mobage The Mobage social games network and platform hosts over 50 first-party and third-party games that are available on the Apple® App Store™ and Google Play™. Mobage features chart-topping apps including Rage of Bahamut, Blood Brothers and Ninja Royale™, casual games such as Zombie Farm® and Tiny Tower, licensed intellectual properties such as Marvel: War of Heroes, and core games such as Quests & Sorcery™, Hellfire and Warriors of Odin. Mobage also hosts mobile social games in other languages via separate regional networks. Mobage offers developers access to a suite of features to enhance their development environment, including a payment API, production and marketing support and analytics tools. To learn more about Mobage, visit: http://mobage.com. For developers interested in publishing opportunities on Mobage, please visit: https://developer.mobage.com
Ninja Gaiden attacks smartphones in Japan
Ryu Hayabusa is embarking on his second touchscreen murder spree (after Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword), in an iOS/Android game for Mobage. Ninja Gaiden for One Million People (rough translation) has players swipe for sword attacks and tap the screen to throw shurikens, in order to beat various giant monsters and robots.Ninja Gaiden for One Million People is also a card-based game, allowing you to collect virtual cards featuring Ryu, Ayane, and the other familiar Ninja Gaiden characters, along with newly designed ninja characters. Being a Mobage-published game, it's so far only announced for Japan; we're asking Tecmo Koei when our chance to frantically swipe our phones will arrive.
Grasshopper/DeNA partnership releasing new Frog Minutes this spring
A year after the release of the charity app Frog Minutes, Grasshopper Manufacture is preparing an updated version for iOS and Android. As announced last September, this new Frog Minutes game will be published by DeNA on its (newly worldwide) Mobage network. The release is set for the spring. The last game had players catching bugs to lure various species frogs, then capturing the frogs.This game is being released under the Grasshopper/DeNA joint venture, whose name appears to have been changed from "Grasshopper Social Network Service Inc." to the infinitely snappier "Grasshopper Universe."
DeNA and Square Enix bringing Final Fantasy Brigade to Japan's smartphones
Square Enix's smartphone-based social RPG, formerly titled Final Fantasy x Mobage, was detailed and properly titled during a recent press conference hosted by Japanese cell network operator DeNA. It's now titled Final Fantasy Brigade, and will allow players to team up with their friends' characters and perform quests while exploring the world, unlocking series-standard jobs and summons along the way. You can check out a few screens (like the one posted above) over at 4Gamer, and take a moment to soak in its Theatrhythm-esque charm. Or, you know, be completely disgusted by it. We're not going to tell you how to live.
Grasshopper and DeNA form joint venture for Mobage games
Grasshopper Manufacture's relationship with mobile game company DeNA is extending beyond the production of games for DeNA's Mobage service. Well, sort of. Today, the two companies announced that they're forming a joint venture called Grasshopper Social Network Service, Inc., and will work together to ... produce games for Mobage. DeNA is looking to build up its catalog of exclusive games to help Mobage take off outside of Japan; Grasshopper is looking for "a new world of players" to experience the company's unique style. Grasshopper's other recent, high-profile partnership is with Digital Reality. Together, the two companies are working on Black Knight Sword and Sine Mora for XBLA and PSN.
Tales series spinning off onto Mobage
Namco Bandai is already comfortable spreading the Tales series out across multiple platforms, including cell phones, which have received numerous ports of the RPG series and even original games. The latest phone service to have the honor of a new Tales is the smartphone social networking service Mobage, for which Namco is preparing "Tales of Kizna." Kizna (a creative spelling of "kizuna," meaning "bonds") features over 100 characters from past Tales games as cards, who can be arranged into parties for battle. Players will be able to form guilds in order to pool their parties and take on bigger enemies. While Japanese mobile games -- and most Tales games -- are stuck in Japan forever, there's an outside chance we could see this one eventually, as DeNA has launched a Western version of the Mobage network.
No More Heroes for Mobage is a 'social assassination battle' game
No More Heroes for Mobage, an iOS/Android game for the Mobage service, looks an awful lot like No More Heroes, as revealed by the first screens. But it has some rather important differences from the original game -- like, of course, touchscreen controls. NMH for Mobage is a "social assassin battle" with unspecified coop and competitive multiplayer features, a departure from the strictly solo Wii (and later Xbox 360 and PS3) game. The new game is being published by Marvelous AQL. Mobage is starting up in North America -- with some other Grasshopper Manufacture properties, even -- so there's a chance Travis Touchdown will make it to our phones.
No More Heroes social game will be appropriately bloody
Suda 51's contribution to DeNA's "Super Creators Initiative" is a social No More Heroes game. And, being a No More Heroes game, it'll be about people assassinating one another. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise, then, that Suda 51 told attendees at a press conference, "We're aiming to make it the social game with the most blood." We suppose it could be a surprise, given that the original Japanese and European releases of No More Heroes were bloodless, subsituting a shower of coins. So by being even a little bloody, the new social game is bloodier than the real game in Japan. Suda also expressed a desire to give this game enough "power" and "impact" to make it outside of Japan, a lofty goal for a Japanese mobile game. That was a goal that the three previous mobile NMH games, released by Marvelous in 2008, couldn't achieve.
Inafune, Suda 51 signed for mobile development
DeNA's popular Japanese mobile gaming platform, Mobage, is getting a major boost from some of the nation's leading gaming industry figures. During a press conference held earlier today (as translated by Andriasang), DeNA revealed that five famed producers will develop games for the platform, including Keiji Inafune, who's creating a game titled J.J. Rockets with his new studio Comcept, and Suda 51, who will make a new installment in the No More Heroes franchise. Other contributors include Marvelous Entertainment's Yoshifumi Hashimoto, who is working on a Harvest Moon mobile title, former Sonic Team lead Yuji Naka, who will develop an adventure game with his new studio Prope, and Crafts & Meister co-founder Noritaka Funamizu. Sounds like a pretty great lineup, though we wish the five would also collaborate on a single project. The idea of a No More Heroes farming simulator is, well, the best idea.
Infinity Blade X for Mobage goes free in Japan, supported by virtual goods sales
DeNA, Japan's most successful mobile internet company, will offer a free-to-play version of Epic and ChAIR's incredibly successul iOS game, Infinity Blade. Over there it'll be called Infinity Blade X for Mobage, and promises to offer multiplayer and co-op features through DeNA's immensely popular Mobage network -- the game will be free to play and supported by the sale of virtual goods. Infinity Blade, which is considered a "premium" title everywhere else but Japan (see: it costs more than a buck), was just recently updated with head-to-head multiplayer and survival modes. The game's latest milestone saw it surpass $10 million in sales. Infinity Blade X for Mobage is scheduled to launch in Japan sometime this fall.
DeNA bringing Infinity Blade X to Japan's Mobage platform
DeNA's been on the iOS hunt for about a year now -- I saw them at GDC Online last fall asking developers to create games for their Mobage mobile platform in Japan, and then they outright purchased popular iOS developer ngmoco not long after that. Now they've put together plans to bring another big iOS game to the Mobage platform -- along with Epic Games and developers Chair Entertainment, DeNA will be bringing a version of the popular iOS game, called Infinity Blade X to Japan. The game will be very much like the Infinity Blade we know, using swipe controls to fight RPG-style through an old castle, of course. But it will also be free-to-play, and instead be monetized with virtual goods, as well as offer social connections through the Mobage network. The game will run in Unreal Engine 3 as well, and will be available across the Mobage-town platform, which runs on a number of different cell phones and services in Japan. DeNA has a huge network and lots of resources in Japan, and as I said, they've been looking for Western games to bring over and adapt for their huge audience. This won't be the last big title we see translated for the Mobage platform, I'm sure. Show full PR text DeNa to Bring Infinity Blade X to Mobage in Japan Epic Games' Popular Sword-fighting Adventure Game to Go Social DeNA Continues to Enrich the Mobage Catalog with a Diverse Range of Games TOKYO, JAPAN – June 22, 2011 – DeNA Co., Ltd. has announced today that the company is expanding the Mobage social gaming platform's catalog of hit titles, with the social game version of Infinity Blade, offered in collaboration with Epic Games, Inc. and its award-winning studio, ChAIR Entertainment. The adaptation of the popular sword-fighting adventure RPG will launch exclusively on Mobage for iOS in Japan as a social game in the fall of 2011. This Infinity Blade title is the newest in DeNA's diverse lineup of apps for Mobage, spanning from casual to core games. Provisionally entitled Infinity Blade X for Mobage, the social title is the first Mobage game developed with Epic's Unreal Engine 3, allowing high-end sophisticated graphics. The gameplay maintains the design and control features of the original version, while adding the ability for players to fight or collaborate with each other via the Mobage network. Infinity Blade X for Mobage will be free-to-play, with virtual goods on offer as well. The original Infinity Blade is an international hit as an iOS mobile game, with revenue earned by its developers exceeding 10 million US dollars in just six months after launch. In the original game, players take on the role of a heroic knight, with the mission of defeating the God-King and freeing the kingdom's citizens from a reign of darkness. Fans of the RPG battle, loot, and upgrade their skills in a fantasy world with unprecedented graphic quality and a touchscreen-optimized user interface. # # # About DeNA DeNA Co., Ltd. is a world-leading Web service company that operates the Mobage social gaming platform, social networking services and e-commerce websites. Drawing on its extensive community base and rapidly expanding developer line-up, Mobage currently serves over 28 million users in Japan with more than 1,000 game titles for smartphones, feature phones and PCs. The company generated annual sales of more than 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in fiscal year ended March 2011. To expand the Mobage platform globally, DeNA is building a presence in the US, Europe and in China. DeNA is listed on the Tokyo stock exchange (2432).
Professor Layton solving social scene in 'Professor Layton Royale'
Professor Layton developer Level-5 is teaming up with social gaming's DeNA on Professor Layton Royale. Andriasang reports the new social game has players selecting from three different classes and is a crossover of Layton and Kaito Royale. The game will initially launch in Japan, with the potential of "localized versions to international users on the highly anticipated global Mobage service." With DeNA's acquisition of ngmoco last year -- and Layton's international appeal -- the company would be leaving money on the table if it didn't take advantage of the global opportunity. Crossovers are something Professor Layton is getting comfortable with, as the puzzle master also has an upcoming collaboration with Capcom's ace attorney in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright for 3DS.
ngmoco to launch Swedish branch with former EA Easy boss Ben Cousins
When Ben Cousins left EA Easy as head of the studio earlier this year, he didn't leave a forwarding address. Cousins and his new employer revealed today his position as head of newly formed ngmoco Sweden, where he'll be leading the studio in the development of "freemium games for mobile platforms like iOS/Android" (according to Cousins' Twitter feed). His last major project with EA was Battlefield Play 4 Free. The official PR from ngmoco puts the Swedish branch in a position of support for parent company DeNA's "Mobage" social gaming platforms. And the new studios puts Cousins in a position to hire up colleagues in a part of the world ripe for the picking -- Sweden. Don't be surprised if you see some high profile ex-DICE staffers showing up at ngmoco's new Swedish office over the next few months, as we totally warned you. [Image credit: OfficialGDC]
