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Namco Bandai to publish Ni no Kuni in the US and EU
During TGS, Level-5 sneaked out the news that Ni no Kuni would bring its magical, imaginary (imagical?) world to North American PS3s in early 2012. Now, in a post rounding up the Level-5 World events, the company's international office has revealed a European release as well, along with a publisher: Namco Bandai. Namco Bandai also issued its own press release today, in which VP of Marketing Carlson Choi called Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch "one of our premier titles for 2012." Hopefully that means Namco will treat it better than its own Tales series.
Level-5's 'Vision' event, in trailers
We'll forgive you if you weren't up late this past Friday evening watching the livestream of Level-5's "Vision" event with us -- it was kind of in the middle of the night. The Japanese publisher showed off several of its upcoming titles, and revealed a few neat surprises (Ghost Watch, anyone?). Luckily for you, Level-5 has now released all the trailers from Vision and we've compiled them below the break for your viewing pleasure.
Ni no Kuni's 'Magic Master' goes digital on PlayStation 3
Level-5 must have come under the impression that some people might not want an enormous book to accompany the upcoming PlayStation 3 version of Ni no Kuni. A new trailer reveals that the game's "Magic Master" will go digital on Sony's home console. You'll likely recall that when Ni no Kuni: The Jet Black Sorcerer launched for the Nintendo DS in Japan, it came packed with the 358-page behemoth to accompany your journey. Instead, the "Magic Master" will be reproduced digitally for Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, giving players access to its data at the touch of a button. Oh, you'd rather have two ridiculously cute characters from the upcoming game explain all of this to you? That option is also available to you, albeit in Japanese, just above.
Trademark suggests Ni no Kuni PS3 to be called 'Wrath of the White Witch'
We don't necessarily need more evidence than an official announcement, but we feel reassured to see steps being taken toward a localization of Ni no Kuni on PS3. And now any plans to extort Level-5 by sniping the trademark of its game have been foiled. Last week, Level-5 filed a US trademark for "Ni no Kuni Wrath of the White Witch." The Japanese title of the PS3 game translates to "The Queen of Sacred White Ash." The trademark more closely resembles the PS3 game than the DS game, "The Jet-Black Mage." Ni no Kuni is due for release in North America in "early 2012."
Ni no Kuni (PS3) preview: In the Pig City
Not that I expected it to, but a year after my first demo, I'm delighted to report that Ni no Kuni still looks completely gorgeous. The graphics don't seem incredibly impressive from a technical perspective -- they're actually pretty simple -- but effective use of cel-shading and good old-fashioned art design have combined to convincingly deliver the experience of wandering around in a Studio Ghibli world.
PS3's Ni no Kuni coming to North America early next year
During a Sony Computer Entertainment Asia press conference adjacent to TGS, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino announced some very welcome news: the beautiful Studio Ghibli and Level-5 crossover for PS3, Ni no Kuni, will be released in North America. And now we know what Level-5 International America has been up to. The game is due in early 2012, so that studio must have been busy translating the adventures of Oliver and the lantern-nosed Shizuku in the magical, probably imaginary world of Ni no Kuni.
Tour the 'Another World' of Ni no Kuni in a new trailer
Not to be outdone by another series it previously worked on, Level-5 released a new trailer for the PS3 Ni no Kuni game, showing off a variety of locations in the Studio Ghibli-designed world. There's an old-world castle town, a dark graveyard, a ... volcano, an open sea, and some kind of sea creature village in a forest. Even if most of the locations sound like RPG standards, the trailer is worth watching. It's our best look at the game since it was announced, and the Ghibli-ized takes on those common locales are predictably lovely. Ni no Kuni comes out November 17 in Japan, and still hasn't been announced for release elsewhere.
Sony's golden NINOKUNI 'Magical Edition' PlayStation 3 heads for Japan, Criss Angel's mind
Not that Sony's PlayStation 3 hasn't been touched by Midas before, but this is the first time we've seen the new(ish) form factor doused in such official fashion. Per usual, it'll be the homeland that's treated to the NINOKUNI Magical Edition PS3 console, a decidedly wizard-approved bundle that'll include a copy of Ni No Kuni. The only edition available will boast a 160GB hard drive, a single Dual Shock controller and a glorious icon on the lower-left of the machine. It'll be available in Japan this November for ¥33,780 ($440), but only in "limited quantities." So much for magic that lasts forever, huh?
Here's the 'Magical Gold' Ni no Kuni PS3
We expected the Japan-exclusive Ni no Kuni PS3 to be white with some gold art on it. But it turns out that it is gold with gold art, featuring the lamp-nosed sidekick character Shizuku. If that fits your idea of "magical", you'll be able to import the 160GB system starting November 17.
Ni no Kuni bundled with 'magical' PS3 in Japan
Level-5/Studio Ghibli tie-up RPG Ni no Kuni ("The Another World") comes with a deluxe spellbook on DS. Its PS3 counterpart one-ups the DS version when it hits Japan on November 17, by optionally bundling a whole PS3. The Ni no Kuni "Magical Edition" bundle will include the game and a special white and gold PS3, according to leaks from this week's Famitsu. It'll sell for ¥33,780 ($440). PS3 games are region free, so if you decide to import this from The Another World of Japan, you'll at least be able to play your local PS3 games on it. There's still no word on a localization for either Ni no Kuni game. [Image: Andriasang]
Ni No Kuni PS3 finally dated in Japan, still not announced anywhere else
Ni no Kuni, the RPG made through a collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli, came out on DS in Japan late last year. The PS3 version was shown at TGS, but still has yet to be released. Andriasang reports that the latest issue of Famitsu features a date for the Japanese PS3 release: November 17. Even if you've imported the DS game and its giant book, this one will be of interest. In addition to fancy HD graphics, the PS3 game has a new story about young boy Oliver in the magical "Another World," and a completely different battle system that is closer to real-time than turn-based. If you're just waiting on details of a western release ... well, there's still no word from Level-5.
Level-5 to announce 4 new projects at 'Vision' event later this month
Level-5 plans to reveal four unannounced games at its annual "Vision" event on October 19. The Japanese publisher teased as much on its official Vision 2010 website (pictured), which features four question-marked spots. Could one (or more) of these mystery projects be related to the "truly interesting things" the publisher is working on with Capcom? Oh the suspense!Tempering the teaser, the site also confirms a number of Level-5 games that will definitely be showcased -- from Ni no Kuni on both PS3 and DS to Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle for 3DS.
Ni no Kuni (DS) preview: Turn the page
Ni no Kuni: The Jet-Black Mage on DS hasn't changed much since I saw it at last year's TGS, but a new demo allowed me a chance to (attempt to) use the game's spellbook accessory. It also offered me a shot at my first boss battle, which subsequently forced me to learn a bit more about the battle system. Read on for my impressions. %Gallery-102412%
Ni no Kuni (PS3) preview: Another Another World
My personal goal at TGS this year was to play Ni no Kuni on PS3, no matter how ridiculous a line I'd have to face at Level-5 to do so. As it turned out, the line wasn't ridiculous at all (yet), and I got an opportunity to discover if Level-5 has managed to transfer the look and feel of the legendary Studio Ghibli animation company into a PS3 game. Two demos were available, and I played a bit of both within my 15-minute window. One demo is town-based, and has Oliver and his weird lantern-nosed pal Shizuku talking to people in town (in Japanese, of course) to find their way into the "Colonel's" castle. After being rebuffed at the door, I realized that I wasn't going to figure out what I needed to do, and I'd spend my whole demo period trying to figure out enough Japanese to perform the task, so ... on to the next demo. %Gallery-96205%
Ni no Kuni: take a look, it's in a book
When we went into Level-5's TGS booth to play the DS version of Ni no Kuni, we were greeted with an ornate surprise: the spellbook accessory that comes with the Studio Ghibli/Level-5 role-playing game. We took a moment out of our strict 15-minute demo session to snap some quick pictures of the book, so you can see the kind of information inside. Not only does it include information about the items and creatures found in The Another World, it interacts with the game in puzzles -- our demo tasked us with finding a certain hinted word in the text on a certain page. %Gallery-102412%
Sega, Konami, Level-5 and Tecmo-Koei share TGS lineups
Heading to Tokyo for the annual game show later this month, but your handmade convention center itinerary is sadly lacking ideas for how to divvy up time? No worries -- Sega, Konami, Level-5, and Tecmo-Koei have announced their showings for TGS 2010! The highlight of, well, all of the listings is Level-5's news of a playable Ni no Kuni for both Nintendo DS and PlayStation 3. Sure, Konami bringing Metal Gear Solid: Rising is kind of exciting -- we guess -- but we've got a mighty large soft spot for Studio Ghibli animation. Perhaps yours was cut out by Raiden's urge to slice, slice, slice? Head past the break for the complete list of games, broken down by publisher.
Level-5 CEO hints at North American releases for Ni no Kuni, Inazuma Eleven
Level-5 fans have a lot to look forward to. Akihiro Hino, president of Level-5, confirmed to Nintendo Power that some of its original non-Layton games would be coming Stateside, specifically Inazuma Eleven and Ni no Kuni: The Another World. It appears the company is already making good on its promise to promote its "overseas business." The soccer-themed Inazuma Eleven franchise has been a surprise hit in Japan, having already spawned two sequels on the DS (with a new console version in the works). And while Ni no Kuni isn't a proven franchise yet, it has already generated quite a bit of buzz -- particularly the graphically-intense PS3 version. Although Hino doesn't offer specifics about a release date for either project, he does say that "I don't think it will that be long before you're able to play these games." Unfortunately, we don't think he means they'll be here "tomorrow." The full interview with Akihiro Hino can be found in Nintendo Power #157, available now. [Thanks, Paul!]
Ni no Kuni for PS3 revealed, beautiful
As promised, Level-5 announced a PS3 Ni no Kuni game during a press conference today. Rather than being simply a PS3 version of the DS game, Ni no Kuni for PS3 bears a new subtitle: "Queen of the Holy White Ash," as Siliconera translates it. And it looks, well, like a Studio Ghibli movie in polygons. A comparison image on the game's website places a scene done in the game's engine alongside a scene from the animation, and they look shockingly similar! See the trailer after the break. Queen of the Holy White Ash won't be out until 2011, but the DS game will precede it. Level-5 also announced a Japanese release date for Ni no Kuni on DS: December 9, 2010. That version still comes with a hardcover book full of magic spells and information about the various creatures inhabiting the world. %Gallery-96205%
Studio Ghibli's Ni no Kuni also coming to PS3
Ni no Kuni: The Another World, the DS RPG made as a collaboration between Level-5 and animation company Studio Ghibli, is expanding beyond the handheld. The latest issue of Famitsu (via Andriasang) reveals that the game is being made for PS3 in addition to DS. This must be the "another platform" mentioned in the TGS 2008 trailer! Well, that and the mobile spinoff announced last year. According to Andriasang's report from the magazine, the new PS3 version will use cel-shaded visuals for the in-game imagery, combined with art and animation from Studio Ghibli in cutscenes. Level-5 is holding a press event this week, so hopefully we'll hear more about the release plans for both the PS3 release and the recently delayed DS game. In the meantime, you can read our impressions of last year's DS demo here.
Level-5 and Studio Ghibli's Ni no Kuni delayed again
Those of us looking to recreate the Studio Ghibli movie experience of a young child being drawn into a magical hidden world will just have to be patient. Ni no Kuni, the DS RPG co-created by Level-5 and the legendary animation studio, has been delayed until this fall. (It had previously been delayed from last year to this spring.) Not much of an announcement of the delay was made -- just quiet indication from various Japanese gaming news sources that Ni no Kuni's scheduled release window had been changed to the fall. Perhaps as some consolation some new screenshots were released, depicting Oliver and a friend working on a car (seen above). If you'd like to know if this is a game worth waiting for (even if a localized version has not been announced), please direct your attention to our impressions of the TGS demo. [Via Andriasang]
