Landmark visual novel Steins;Gate heads west on PS3, Vita next year
Acclaimed Japanese visual novel Steins;Gate will be localized and released in North America and Europe next year for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, publisher PQube announced today.
Taking place on the streets of Japanese electronics shopping district Akihabara, Steins;Gate tells a sci-fi tale in which its characters can change past events by sending text messages through time. The mystery deepens when the cast receives replies from a dystopian future hinting at a world-changing conspiracy revolving around the Large Hadron Collider.
Steins;Gate topped PC sales charts in Japan for many consecutive months following its initial release in 2010, spawning multiple spinoffs and ports for the Xbox 360, PSP, and mobile platforms. While an English-language PC version premiered earlier this year via JAST USA, PQube's upcoming localization will mark Steins;Gate's first appearance on consoles in North America and Europe.
Speaking to Siliconera, PQube head of marketing Geraint Evans revealed that the company is pursuing a retail launch in addition to a digital release via the PlayStation Network. "I'm personally against digital-only releases, so I will do my very best to ensure a physical release happens," Evans stated.
[Image: PQube]
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STEINS;GATE coming to Europe and North America in 2015
PQUBE, Bristol (Tuesday, 16th December 2014) PQube are pleased to announce that MAGES., 5pb. and Science Adventure Team's critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE will be coming to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems in 2015, for both Europe and North America.
STEINS;GATE is the award-winning time travel science-fiction interactive visual novel developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. STEINS;GATE was awarded Famitsu magazine's coveted annual Game of Excellence award, and was voted one of the most emotionally charged "tear-inducing games" ever made, in a Famitsu poll. It is widely considered to be the finest Visual Novel ever made.
STEINS;GATE follows a rag-tag band of tech-savvy young students who discover the means of changing e past via text message, using a modified microwave. Their experiments into how far they can go with their discovery begin to spiral out of control as they become entangled in a conspiracy surrounding SERN, the organisation behind the Large Hadron Collider, and John Titor - a mysterious forum poster who claims to be from a dystopian future.
Interaction with the game takes place through the "phone trigger" system, where the player can receive calls and text messages and decide whether to reply to them or not, changing the outcome of the game's plot.
STEINS;GATE is a gripping and moving Visual Novel, which has already spawned manga and anime adaptations. PQube is excited to be bringing the original Visual Novel experience to fans and newcomers in North America and to Europe for the first time.
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For further information on STEINS;GATE please contact geraint[at]pqube.co.uk
ABOUT MAGES., INC.
Based in Tokyo Japan, MAGES., Inc. is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment on various platforms. MAGES., Inc. is most famous for its critically acclaimed ADV (Visual Novels) – CHAOS;HEAD, STEINS;GATE and ROBOTICS;NOTES from MAGES., Inc. main brands - '5pb.Games' and 'Science Adventure Team'. MAGES., Inc. is a subsidiary of KADOKAWA DWANGO CORPORATION, one of the biggest entertainment business groups in the world, covering books, games and music through numerous distribution channels – both retail and digital download. KADOKAWA DWANGO CORPORATION also owns NicoNicoDouga Japan's biggest video sharing portal. MAGES., Inc official website is at http://mages.co.jp
ABOUT PQUBE.
PQube is a publisher, distributor and service provider for the interactive entertainment industry with a global reach from its UK offices in Letchworth and Doncaster and European network. Publishing and distributing games, consoles and accessories and covering all major formats and digital channels, PQube has established a track record of success and together with its key partners handles several major franchises in the UK and European markets including BlazBlue, Senran Kagura, Harvest Moon, History: Great Battles, Arcana Heart, MX Mud, SBK, CrashTime, Persona 4 Arena as well as Sega, Sonic, Street Fighter and Atari retro console ranges.
