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Shipping This Week: Crashing edition
There are two really notable things about the games releasing this week. One, you may recall that Tales of Vesperia was the game that single-handedly caused the Xbox 360 to sell out completely in Japan. Somehow, we doubt the game will have quite the same impact in North America (regardless of its quality). Two, after over two frakking years, Castle Crashers is finally landing on Xbox Live Arcade. Our anticipation around here is palpable. Perhaps you've noticed. Also releasing this week is Tiger Woods 09. We're not sure exactly what's notable aboout that unless, of course, the Jesus shot makes a return.[Via Joystiq]
New games this week: Tales of Vesperia edition
We had a little trouble picking our favorite release this week. Though Mario Super Sluggers made a compelling case, in the end, we had to go with the little game that helped the 360 rise, phoenix-like from the ashes in Japan (before, you know, it dug right back in to those comfy ashes the following week): Tales of Vesperia.Portable players get some good news this week too with the handheld release of N+. Check the full list right after the break.%Gallery-17071%
Japanese Xbox 360 sales fall back to Earth
Well that was fast. It seems like just last week we were reporting the bizarre news that the Xbox 360 had suddenly leapfrogged the PS3 in weekly Japanese sales, selling nearly 25,000 units on the strength of Tales of Vesperia's release. Things are back to normal this week, though, with Microsoft's system once again sitting comfortably in last place with 7,258 units sold. Don't get us wrong, this is still a relatively strong number considering the system's historically low sales and reportedly widespread supply problems in Japan. But anyone hoping that last week's numbers were a sign of a permanent realignment in the Japanese console market might want to return to reality's cold embrace.
Xbox 360 sold out in Japan
Go ahead, rub your eyes and read the headline again. The Japanese are so gaga over Tales of Vesperia that they've gone and bought up every last Xbox 360, Engadget Japanese's Ittousai reports to Joystiq. Sold out!Granted, Microsoft isn't exactly pumping units into Japan, but even this sudden surge in demand has knocked the console manufacturer square off its feet. A statement on the Japanese Xbox.com (clumsy translation) explains that new shipments of the standard model won't arrive at retail until September, followed by shipments of the Elite and Arcade SKUs sometime later. But by then, pigs may have landed and Hell could be all thawed out. [Via Engadget Japanese; Thanks Ittousai!]
Japan completely sells out of Xbox 360 hardware
Well, well, well, look what odd Xbox 360 console sales news we have here. Xbox 360 hardware is completely sold out ... in Japan ... yes, Japan ... how WEIRD!Over on Xbox.com's Japanese site, Microsoft issued an apology letter to potential Japanese 360 gamers admitting that console hardware is sold out in Japan and that they "deeply apologize for this inconvenience to our customers", hoping to replenish 360 console stock in the country as soon as possible. In other news, recently released JRPG Tales of Vesperia is 99.8% to "blame" for Japanese Xbox 360 sales and the subsequent lack of hardware in the country. Microsoft better send NAMCO-BANDAI a fruit basket or something.
Vesperia helps Xbox 360 outsell PS3 in Japan
We're not thinking it's another sign of the Apocolypse because we've seen it happen before, but we're always a little unnerved whenever the Xbox 360 outsells the PS3 in Japan. Thanks to the release of Namco Bandai's Tales of Vesperia, the Xbox 360 moved 25,000 units the week of August 10, up from 5,359 units the week prior. The PS3 sold 9,673 and, of course, the Wii beat both with 38,506 -- but that's not really news. Tales of Vesperia debuted at fourth place on the Japanese sales charts with 108,000 copies sold. The game will be available in North America starting August 26. We doubt the game will help rally mundane Xbox 360 sales in the US.
Tales of Vesperia cracks top ten in Japan software sales
It takes a special kind of game to crack the Top Ten in Japan ... if that game is for the Xbox 360, that is. Luckily for Microsoft a special kind of game recently hit the market in the Far East that has exploded in popularity. Tales of Vesperia, part of the classic Tales series, cracked the Top Ten titles sold for the week ending August 10 in Japan at number four. Could this spell a significant change for Microsoft's efforts in the Land of the Rising Run?Ha! Good one. No, seriously. This will sell a few more units before people remember they don't care about the Xbox 360 ... you know, until another RPG exclusive drops in their lap. At 108,000 units sold in its debut week, Tales of Vesperia is the fastest selling title in the history of the Xbox 360.Jump in for the Top Ten Sales chart from Japan.
Pigs can fly: Xbox 360 outsells PS3 in Japan
Sony may have won the July NPD battle against Microsoft, but things have changed quite a bit in Japan. Shockingly, Microsoft's console has beaten the PS3 across the Pacific -- a strange coup we never saw coming. The wild demand for Tales of Vesperia, an Xbox 360 exclusive (for now) spurred sales of the non-Japanese console, defeating the unusual xenophobic fears of the Japanese gaming public ... if only for this week.Nintendo DS - 60,434 PSP - 58,501 Wii - 38,506 Xbox 360 - 24,962 PlayStation 3 - 9,673 PlayStation 2 - 8,503The difference between Xbox 360 and PS3 this week in Japan almost fully negates the one month lead PS3 earned in America. With Microsoft aggressively pursuing other RPG franchises, like Star Ocean and Final Fantasy, it'll be interesting to see how fierce the console wars can get in Sony's home territory.
Tales of Vesperia gets special edition treatment
Once upon a time, special editions of games were truly special. Nowadays, it seems like very single game gets a special edition. We're not complaining though, because it means fans can almost always count on some extra swag with their favorite games. The latest title to jump on the special edition wagon is Tales of Vesperia, the upcoming RPG from Namco. As special editions go, it's fairly standard. For the price of $69.99 you get a spiffy metal case and a special 10th anniversary soundtrack CD (Tales of Vesperia is just the latest in the Tales series, you see). The CD packs 14 tracks from Tales of Vesperia, while the remaining tracks have been culled from other games in the Tales series. Worth an extra ten bucks? You be the judge.[Via Joystiq]
Tales of Vesperia special edition has many tales to tell
Tales fans likely don't need extra incentive to secure a pre-order for Tales of Vesperia; the only question that remains is if they're happy with the regular version or want to pony up the extra gald for something shinier. Besides being wrapped in metal and artwork by series character designer Kosuke Fujishima, the $69.99 Tales of Vesperia special edition will also include a soundtrack CD celebrating a decade of console role-playing. While specifics haven't been revealed, Namco Bandai notes that of the 25 songs included on the disc, a hefty 14 will be pulled from Vesperia, with the remainder coming from Tales of Symphonia (4), Tales of the Abyss (3), Tales of Phantasia (2) and Tales of Destiny (2). However, as much as we enjoy our ears, this limited offering is a step back from the Big Daddies and cat helmets we're used to, though we doubt that will stop fans from switching their pre-orders over in the run up to the game's August 26 release. Gallery: Tales of Vesperia
Tales of Vesperia demo available on NA Xbox marketplace
In between everything else going on, turns out the Tales of Vesperia demo is now available on the North American Xbox Live marketplace. Granted, we've only been waiting a couple weeks for this game to come out, but for JRPG fans, they could just have easily come up with a new game: Tales of Waiting for Vesperia demo. Sure, that's long, but we've heard worse titles. [Thanks to those who sent this in.] %Gallery-17071%
E308: Tales of Vesperia demo online
Moments after the Microsoft E3 press event ended Xbox Live Marketplace exploded with new content. Videos and demos are flooding the service as we speak and are expected to throughout the Media Summit. Right now the demo for Tales of Vesperia is available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Clocking in a light 278MB the demo is expected to be the same one released on June 20. Only one way to find out! Download it now!
Watch some Tales of Vesperia in Japanese
As we wait for the Tales of Vesperia demo to cross the Pacific and wash up on our shores (having lost its memory and clutching onto one clue from its past), we'll take the time to check out some Japanese videos of the game. Although proficient Xbox 360 users can grab the demo off the Asian marketplace now -- and it's even in English -- we region-abiding folks will just have to get our fix this way. Both Tales of Vesperia videos can be found after the break. One shows off the game's battle system, which looks like old-school Tales of combat meets Eternal Sonata, while the other clip appears to show off the game's next-gen yammering mechanic.
Tales of Vesperia gets demo on Xbox Live
We're not sure what a "Vesperia" is, exactly. We suspect it's either a topical cream which has sinus cleansing vapors, or some manner of ornate doily. If that's the sort of thing you'd like to hear some tales about, you're in luck, as the demo for Namco Bandai's cel-shaded RPG, Tales of Vesperia, has just arrived on Xbox Live. Yes, Namco told us that a demo was coming this month, so it's not exactly earth-shattering news, but we find great comfort in things panning out the way we've been told they would. As per our usual agreement, let us know what you think of the demo in the comments. Gallery: Tales of Vesperia
Tales of Vesperia demo lands on Far East Marketplace
Role-playing fans heed our words! A demo for Tales of Vesperia, the upcoming role-playing game from Namco Bandai, dropped on the Xbox Live Marketplace in Asia and India early this morning. Weighing in at a slim 278 MB, the demo marks the debut of the long standing Tales of series on a Western-made platform. With the full version due later this summer demo for Tales of Vesperia lets gamers sample the action as the warrior Yuri; as he and a group of other whimsically cell-shaded characters navigate Ehmead Hill and battle it out with various creatures in the franchise's popular real-time combat engine. No word on a North American release for the demo but considering the demo is completely in English (including all spoken dialogue) it may find its way Stateside soon.
See screens of Microsoft's JRPG lineup
Microsoft held a press conference on Tuesday morning Joystiq Time to show off its upcoming Japanese RPGs, including Star Ocean: The Last Hope (just announced for Xbox 360), The Last Remnant (launching "on the Xbox 360 first" this Winter), Infinite Undiscovery (whose "worldwide" release isn't quite simultaneous), and Namco Bandai's Tale of Vesperia (reaching North America in August with an Xbox demo this month). Hit up the galleries below to get a peek at each of these four titles.
Tales of Vesperia slated for August release, demo on the way
At the same Japanese press conference which saw the unveiling of the Xbox 360's Last Hope, Namco Bandai announced a release date for its cel-shaded Xbox 360 RPG, Tales of Vesperia. According to IGN's liveblog of the event, the magnificently colorful, blue-sky adventure will hit Japan (in a premium console bundle) on August 7th, with versions you can understand arriving in the same month. A European release is currently planned for 2009. Namco Bandai also noted that a demo is scheduled to become available on Xbox Live sometime in June -- judging by the publisher's previous RPG teaser, it shouldn't be confined to the Japanese marketplace for very long, if at all. %Gallery-17071%
Tales of Vesperia releases August, demo planned
As one of the exclusive RPGs to hit the 360 this fall and one of the few 360 games by Square-Enix, Tales of Vesperia is solidly part of the 360's fall lineup. It's just that many won't really care about it when it comes. Live blogs from the Microsoft RPG event in Shibuya report that the JPRG will be hitting Japan August 7 and in North America and Europe before that month is out. Also mentioned is the fact that a demo will be released for the game before this month is out. Unfortunately, no specific region for the demo was cited, and given the region specific release of demos lately, it'll likely be Japan only. Well readers, do you think you (or rather the 360's demographic at large) can find room in your hearts for a JPRG this fall? Or will Fable 2 eclipse it entirely?[Source, 1up Live Blog][Source, IGN Live Blog]
Tales of Vesperia confirmed, then denied, as PS3 game
The internet excitedly responded to Namco Bandai's recent presentation to the press, which showed Tales of Vesperia as both an Xbox 360 and PS3 game. The long-running RPG series has a strong fan following, but Microsoft secured exclusivity for the game. Since then, Namco Bandai has revised its presentation, removing mention of a PS3 version, apologizing for the confusion.Also unseen on this revised release schedule is the previously announced PS3 version of Eternal Sonata, another Xbox 360-exclusive RPG. Considering Microsoft's subpar performance in the Japanese region, it surprises us to see Namco Bandai stick with that platform exclusively, especially for a genre that's so popular in Japan. We're pretty certain that we'll see more of Tales of Vesperia and Eternal Sonata on PS3, once Microsoft's moneyhats wear off.[Via NeoGAF]
Tales of Vesperia scans from Famitsu
The upcoming, Xbox 360 exclusive, Tales of Vesperia has had a standard position in Japan's popular gaming publication Famitsu since it was first announced. Gamersyde offered up scans of this week's issue that details the beautiful visuals of the next step in the popular role-playing game franchise. As we reported last month, Tales of Vesperia is currently slated for release exclusively on the Xbox 360 but could eventually see life on the PlayStation 3. The game is set for release in 2009 in both 2008 in Japan and is rumored to hit sometime in 2009 Stateside, details of a European release have yet to be released but gamers should expect a release sometime in 2009 as well.Update: Namco Bandai is confirming the title is scheduled for a 2008 release in Japan.
