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DOA Paradise special edition is predictably naughty
Let's be honest: You're not thinking about getting Dead or Alive Paradise for the intuitive volleyball mechanics or the scenic, beach-front battles -- this game lacks both. You're buying this game because you want to ogle fake women with comically large and bouncy breasts. Or, according to Tecmo, you're buying this because you're a woman who has never purchased a Tecmo title before and this is something relevant to your interests. Either way, the company's hoping you'll want to pay extra for a special edition bundle of the "game." Game Watch points out the extra busty package set to release in Japan -- complete with inappropriate Kasumi statue add-on and several other items, including a "Secret Picture Collection" and soundtrack CD. It's like a one-man pity party start-up kit. Are you guys getting it yet? Wanting this makes you a pervert. There's no word on whether this'll make its way over to the States when the game releases in March, but we'll be sure to let you know.
Quantum Theory, Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll delayed [update]
Tecmo Koei announced delays of two of its titles in Japan today. The female-focused shooter, Quantum Theory, has been moved out of its March 25 date to a troubling "TBA" date in the interest of improving quality. Tecmo Koei Europe confirmed that the delay affects the European release date, and it's likely to bump the North American date as well -- after all, if the game is still being worked on in March, we don't expect it to be released. [Update: Tecmo has confirmed the North American delay to Joystiq.] The Koei side also delayed a title: Omega Force's RPG Trinity: Zill O'll Zero, which is to be released outside of Japan as Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll. Its new release date is also "TBA." [Via Andriasang] Source: Quantum site Source: Zill O'll site
Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce demo on PSN, Xbox Live Feb. 4
If you prefer your demos in the English language, then forget about trying to access the Japanese demo and instead, hunker down until February 4 when Koei will unleash a button-bashing demo of Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce onto PSN and Xbox Live. Giving gamers a taste of the title two weeks before its scheduled release on February 16, there's sadly no word on the exact contents of the demo in the press release issued. Do you really need to know more? It's Dynasty Warriors -- you mess dudes up. That's how it works. Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce assaults retail shelves on February 16. %Gallery-84261%
Koei throwing a gigantic Samurai Festival
Koei has decided that assembling giant crowds of fictionalized historical armies isn't enough! The publisher is now turning its attention toward assembling giant crowds of real people with its Sengoku Bushou Matsuri (Warring States Commander Festival), to be held March 6-7 in Saitama, Japan. The event is intended to celebrate not only samurai culture, but (of course) Koei's own recent Wii release, Samurai Warriors 3. The event is packed with Japanese celebrities, including singer and suspected vampire Gackt, and the entire Samurai Warriors 3 voice cast will attend. We believe all the attending celebrities will be participating in some kind of war drama. Which means that if you want to see TV stars pantomiming samurai warfare in outrageous, game-inspired costumes, this is probably where you want to go. Here's the really crazy part: Koei expects 80,000 to attend. [Via GameGrep; thanks, Peter]
Watch this Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce 2 trailer, then play the demo
Koei released a new trailer for the latest PSP Dynasty Warriors game, Multi Raid 2, today. Multi Raid (known as Strikeforce in America) features weird fantasy monsters, transformations, and, most importantly, ad hoc multiplayer. And maybe it's just us, but this trailer briefly makes the series look ... kind of cool (specifically when it shows that army of glowy-eyed dudes). See the trailer after the break. If the trailer made you want to try the game, good news! Koei just made a Japanese demo available from its website. Download away! Something tells us you won't need to read a lot of text to understand what's going on (since what's going on is you mashing buttons to kill thousands of soldiers). [Via Koei Warriors]
Last Rebellion heading to Europe March 12, US 'in February'
You can imagine our surprise when we discovered Nippon Ichi's Last Rebellion had gotten itself a release date -- it's been nearly nine months since we last heard anything on the title (and that was its announcement!). The game's set to hit PlayStation 3 consoles on March 12 in Europe and 'February' for North America, just in time for those of you who love JRPGs yet are stridently against the purchase of Final Fantasy XIII. In fact, between the release of FFXIII on March 9, Resonance of Fate launching the same day, and now this, we're inclined to rename the whole month with a JRPG theme. How about "Manarch?" Maybe "Marchic?" Perhaps "Marchlotsofbeltsandzippers?" Alright, alright -- we've clearly gone too far. %Gallery-63008%
More Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce media than you can shake a Dragon Sword at
If you only play games with Ryu Hayabusa in them, then Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce is likely to be your first experience with Koei's historical-ish brawler franchise. If you only play games with the ancient Chinese ruler Fu Xi in them, however, you're likely to be much better versed in the series. In either case, there's a Strikeforce for you: as reported, Fu Xi (and other characters from the Warriors Orochi series) appear in the Xbox 360 version, and Ryu in the PS3 version, both with exclusive missions that grant you the use of their "signature weapon" when completed. New galleries give you a look at Fu Xi and the extra-beefy crossover ninja. And a new trailer (above) does what it can to get you pumped about Strikeforce, the Dynasty Warriors game with not only characters from other franchises, but giant tigers in it! %Gallery-81768% %Gallery-81766%
North Star Musou videos punch a hole in our heart
If you're not excited by Fist of the North Star Musou, then maybe you should go watch that Gandhi movie or something. However, if the thought of punching stuff makes you want to punch stuff, then check out Musou's new internet digs. The official site for the game has received quite the substantial update, assaulting our eyeballs with a variety of new screenshots, gameplay videos (past the break) and bios for characters and stages. There's even a flexing shirt rip that would make Balrog pee his boxing shorts! [Via Andriasang]
Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce footage murderously arrives online
Would you believe us if we told you that Koei's first Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce trailer had to brutally slice its way through an army 1,000 strong to arrive where you see it today, resting atop this post? It's the truth! It joined up with three friends online to "infiltrate heavily-armed enemy strongholds" and "slay dragons" and ... oh, who're we kidding. It's a trailer for one of the many upcoming Warriors games, and certainly not one of the historical characters littered throughout the series, bent on murdering all that stands in its path. It does, however, feature all of the aforementioned excitement. So there's that, right? %Gallery-74696%
Fist of the North Star Musou hits Japan in March
Japanese gamers and eager importers will be able to start throwing hundreds of high-speed punches at giant thugs as soon as March 2010. In a video game, we mean. Specifically, in North Star Musou, the Dynasty Warriors spin-off based on the legendary, post-apocalyptic fighting manga, Fist of the North Star. Also, unfortunately, the company released the price for the upcoming brawler. We say "unfortunately" because it's ¥8,190 ($94.27), which probably marks the end of quite a few import plans. Koei has yet to announce a localized version of the game, but we don't think the publisher would allow a Warriors game to go unreleased. %Gallery-75563% [Via Andriasang]
Koei's Nobunaga's Ambition Online driven toward PS3
Koei is apparently set to release Nobunaga's Ambition Online for PS3 next year. AndriaSang has translated a 4Gamer's report, which claims that the publisher announced an unspecified 2010 launch during a recent press conference. We've contacted Koei to find out if the ultra-hardcore strategy title will release in the US. Nobunaga's Ambition Online's fourth expansion is set for release on PS2 and Windows (PC) in March of next year. [Thanks, Peter]
Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce brings the crowds online in February
Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, the upgraded PS3 and Xbox 360 port of the PSP's hit Dynasty Warriors game, will launch in North America this February, according to an announcement from Koei. We understand that keeping all the upcoming Warriors games straight may be confusing to people not keeping a close eye on the series, so we'll break it down. This isn't the Fist of the North Star one, and it's not the Wii one game that Shigeru Miyamoto is peripherally involved in. This is the Dynasty Warriors with the crazy Dragon Ball Z-style transformations. This is the one that features Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 characters on PS3 and Warriors Orochi 2 characters on Xbox 360. Most importantly, this is the Dynasty Warriors with online multiplayer for teams of up to four players! %Gallery-74696%
See North Star Musou's gory details in video teaser
Tecmo Koei opened a teaser site for the new North Star Musou, featuring a brief clip of in-game action. If you're familiar with either Fist of the North Star or the Dynasty Warriors games, you know exactly what to expect: a little post-apocalyptic Mad Max-esque wasteland, and one giant guy exploding a horde of identical thugs with his bare fists and feet. The combination of these two licenses is doing a pretty good job of renewing our interest in both!See the footage after the break. If you squint, it kind of looks like a high-definition God Hand sequel.%Gallery-75563%[Via Andriasang]
Koei drops assets, plot details for Fist of the North Star Musou
Hokuto no Ken, it means no worries for the rest of your days ... Koei recently sent over a handful of screenshots from its recently announced video game adaptation of the Fist of the North Star anime series, Hokuto Musou, which is due out in Japan in 2010. Thankfully for those of us who aren't manga aficionados, these screens were accompanied by a brief primer on the series' plot. We won't bore you with the entire premise, but instead offer you this highlight from Koei's description: "Channeling their energy into a single deadly blow, players can strike their victims and cause them to violently explode on screen. Gamers can also let loose with Kenshiro's signature move- a ruthless flurry of ferocious punches, triggering the instantaneous breakdown of internal organs, and death." Yes, please. %Gallery-75563%
Koei Tecmo teases new game with dead flowers
Man, Koei Tecmo, you really know how to confuse the hell out of us. You've proven your capacity to perplex with your billion-dudes-on-screen action franchises -- now, you're diversifying your riddlecraft with a teaser site for a heretofore unannounced game. Based on context clues, we're guessing it's the long overdue revival of everyone's favorite classic franchise: Pretty Flower, Dead Flower, Falling Girl. We're kidding, of course. Judging by the Big Dipper which slyly appears at the end of the teaser's video loop, and the fact that the entire Musou (or Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors) team will be in attendance when the game is revealed on October 14, we're guessing it's actually Fist of the North Star Musou. Shame, really -- we were so excited about a current-gen reimagination of PFDFFG. [Via IGN]
Stoic silence on the battlefield unless you install Dynasty Warriors 6 PSP data
Okay, a little background: Dynasty Warriors 6 is being ported to the PSP. The same Dynasty Warriors 6 that was the basis for Strikeforce, which came out on the PSP first and is now being ported to the Xbox 360 and PS3. This PSP version of DW6 includes elements of Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires. This isn't totally relevant to the news at hand, but it's really complicated and we're kind of proud of ourselves for (presumably) untangling it.This latest Dynasty Warriors 6, Dynasty Warriors 6 Special, won't require users to install data to the Memory Stick, but will have benefits for those who do. If you install the 260MB data, the speech in the game will be voiced. If you don't, your allies and enemies on the battlefield will communicate via text windows.Actually, now that we think about it, not having a thousand dudes yelling at you all the time seems a lot better. Thanks for the option, Koei!
Hands-on: Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce (360/PS3), Samurai Warriors 3 (Wii)
I played two games in Koei's prolific Warriors series at TGS: the Wii-exclusive Samurai Warriors 3, and the PS3/360 port of the PSP's Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce. The two games were as different from one another as two Warriors games could be, though, of course, both games stuck to the Warriors foundation of controlling a historical war hero as he or she beats several thousand enemy soldiers on a crowded battlefield. Both seem like high-quality entries, each offering compelling reasons for lapsed combatants to return to the fight.%Gallery-74703%%Gallery-74696%
TGS 2009: Koei announces Dynasty Warriors Online for PS3
Even from our poorly lit offices, some 6,500 miles away from the Tokyo Game Show floor, we heard shouts of jubilation coming from the Koei stage. The reason for the uproar was due to the announcement made just moments before: Dynasty Warriors Online, an MMO-Samurai-Warfare-Sim for PC, will be making its way to PS3 next year in Japan. Wait. We hear those cheers again! Man, our windows are closed! What's going on? Details about the title are few, though the official DWO teaser site confirms that while the title will get a retail release, players won't have to shell out for any irksome subscription fees. Instead, Koei will be supported by the community's purchase of Musou Coins, which can be spent on special items and furniture. Furniture? Does this mean we'll finally be able to play as ... the Ottoman Empire?
Ninja Gaiden characters to appear in Dynasty Warriors, vice versa
Merged game companies rarely fuse their franchises together, but when the two partnered entities' action-genre focus overlaps as much as Koei and Tecmo's do, inter-brand cameos come naturally. That's why we weren't shocked to hear that Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa and Warriors Orochi's Nu Wa would make appearances in the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, respectively, of Dynasty Warriors Multi Raid. In addition, Multi Raiid's Sun Shang Xiang and Zhao Yun will appear as costumes in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. At this rate, we expect the many, many ninjas from Koei and Tecmo's respective properties will soon be thrown into a "ninja pool," which players of any their titles will be able to choose from. For the record, we're strong advocates for this ninja unionization. Fairer wages for our shiruken-slinging brethren!
Only 8% of Koei's sales come from outside of Japan
How does a company like Koei, which seemingly releases a new Dynasty Warriors game every few months, stay afloat? Well, it's not with the help of American audiences, that's for sure. Sony Japan Studios' senior VP, Yasuhide Kobayashi, shared some information with DICE Asia attendees. He revealed that many Japanese companies are struggling to have their games appeal beyond the Japanese market. The worst offender? Koei, with 91.8% of its sales coming from the Japanese market.Tecmo follows at 89.6 percent, while Square Enix receives a startling 86.6 percent of its sales from the motherland. With Kobayashi saying "the Japanese market is really shrinking," these companies must "develop [a] global title." in order to survive. Expect to hear even more about the dwindling importance of the Japanese market, and publishers' efforts to make more "global" titles, at Tokyo Game Show next week.
