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999: The Novel on iOS coming to North America March 17
Publisher Aksys Games has announced the iOS-specific, interactive comic version of 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors is coming to North America on March 17 for $4.99. 999: The Novel is based on the 2010 DS game also known as Zero Escape, focusing on the game's narrative by removing DS version's puzzles and instead offering players a choose-you-own-adventure story experience. The iOS app first launched in Japan last summer. 999: The Novel from writer Kotaro Uchikoshi promises to take readers on "a suspense-filled journey full of danger, terrifying choices and unexpected twists toward a variety of endings that may or may not see them coming out alive on the other side." A direct sequel, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, launched on DS and Vita in North America in late 2012. [Image: Aksys Games]
Zero Escape series stalled, director cites low sales
ChunSoft's Zero Escape franchise is currently in limbo, as series director Kotaro Uchikoshi revealed this week that his team was unsuccessful in securing a budget for a proposed third entry in the series, due to a lack of sales. Though previous series entries Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward were well-received overseas, Uchikoshi notes that neither game was much of a success in Japan, leading to disinterest in a sequel among managerial staff. Despite the recent setback, however, Uchikoshi maintains that Zero Escape 3 "will definitely be released somehow, someday!" Fans of the series responded to the news with an outpouring of support via Twitter. Uchikoshi currently seeks funding for the project from a third-party investor. "If there is an great investor who thinks 'Virtue is its own reward', I wish him/her to send me a message," Uchikoshi stated. "If you know such a wonderful person, please induce him/her to cooperate." [Image: Aksys/ChunSoft]
999 unlocked on iOS in Japan minus puzzles, English version set for autumn
Spike Chunsoft released 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors on iOS this week, and the room escape thriller is fleeing onto iPads and iPhones in Japan. However, it's not a complete port of the DS game which came to North America in 2010. Spike Chunsoft chose to remove the puzzle gameplay on iOS, placing the focus on the story as a visual novel. In the puzzles' stead, the iOS version offers a comic book-style presentation (see below) and a new flowchart, similar to the one in sequel Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, that lets you jump to different points within the plot. While the iOS version is currently Japan-only, 999 lead writer and director Kotaro Uchikoshi said on Twitter that he thinks an English version "will also be released by autumn." There's no official word from Spike Chunsoft as yet, but given how both 999 and Virtue's Last Reward made their way west, a successful breakout across the ocean looks promising. %Gallery-189656%
999 team back with new Vita, 3DS title
The team behind 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors is reuniting for another "extreme escape" game. Andriasang reports, via information in Famitsu, that the new game for Vita and 3DS will be called Gyokugen Dasshutsu Adv: Zennin Shiboudes in Japanese -- Gyokugen Dasshutsu translates to "Extreme Escape." 999 was called Gyokugen Dasshutsu: Ku Jikan, Ku Nin, Kyu no Tobira in Japan, meaning the game may not be a direct sequel, but could take place in the 999 universe. The new game will recruit 999's director and character designer to take on another sinister scenario. Initial details should be available shortly, but we'll have to wait a little longer before international plans blow out. Coincidentally, 999 is on sale today through Amazon. It's a trap! [Thanks, Aaron.]
999 pre-order bonus timely, fitting, disturbing
The pre-order bonus for 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors is appropriately enough a watch version of the device worn by the nine persons in the game. Of course, unlike the gizmo in the sinister scenario, this thing won't blow up if you're a failure. The item will only be available online by pre-ordering from GameStop.com. Check it out over at GoNintendo.
'999' to ensnare North America this November
999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, a graphical text adventure released in Japan last December, will challenge North American audiences this November. Aksys Games confirmed last month that the unusual DS title would ship across the ocean, but didn't offer a release window at the time. With a premise akin to Saw (the movie and game), 999 involves nine people who are locked behind nine doors on an old passenger ferry. They have only nine hours to solve various puzzles before they drown, and are unable to contact Professor Layton for help.
Aksys localizing '999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors' adventure game [Update: it's official!]
Those of you with a penchant for reading a lot of text in your DS games (or, to put it another way, those of you into adventure games) have something new to look forward to: Chunsoft's Extreme Escape: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, a graphical text adventure released in Japan last December, appears to be receiving an English localization. Siliconera first spotted a listing for the game on Gamefly and has now posted English screenshots of the interactive novel/room escape game. It appears that publisher Aksys plans to call the game 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors. 999 is a graphical text adventure with a sort of Saw-like premise. Nine people are trapped on a cruise ship and somehow wired to explode. A sadistic mastermind requires them to work together (but only in groups of up to five people) in order to open the nine doors that correspond to the nine passengers and escape from the rooms in which they're held. We're contacting Aksys to find out more details about when the game will escape to retail. Update: There's now a big 999 image at the top of Aksys's site. In case you didn't believe before, the localization is now confirmed! We've also put the press release after the break.
