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Get a load of Disgaea 5's new trailer
Nippon Ichi recently revealed a new six-minute trailer for Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance, flashing snippets of the RPG's gameplay. The PS4-exclusive game will launch on March 26, 2015 in Japan and will reach North America later in 2015.
Disgaea characters assemble in fiend-finder Demon Gaze
NIS America has announced some cross-game synergy is coming to PS Vita dungeon crawl Demon Gaze. After Kadokawa Games' quirky RPG launches for PS Vita on April 22, early adopters will be able to download some popular characters from NIS America's Disgaea series: Etna, Fionne, Sicily, Asagi and Prinny. All five will be free for the first month of Demon Gaze's availability. Demon Gaze stars Oz, a vagabond with the ultimate fashion accessory: a magical eye that can be used to capture demons. When Oz isn't exploring dungeons and sealing away these dark entities, he's hanging at the local inn, befriending NPC characters and probably putting in a bunch of eye drops. [Image: NIS America]
Disgaea 4 Return picks up an official Japanese release date
Disgaea 4 Return will make its Japanese debut on January 30, 2014, according to a Famitsu report translated by Siliconera. Like the PSP's Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days and the Vita's Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention, Disgaea 4 Return is a portable update to 2011's Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten. It's currently unknown what additions the game will see in its Vita incarnation, though if prior portable adaptations are anything to go by, you can expect new characters, new stages and a host of new items and equipment to complement the basic story elements found in its PlayStation 3-exclusive predecessor. There is currently no word on when (or if) Disgaea 4 Return might reach Western territories, though the series' popularity in North American and European regions should ensure it receives an English-language localization at the very least.
Disgaea D2 breaks Japanese launch barriers in March
Nippon Ichi Software is working on Disgaea D2 for PlayStation 3, set to launch in Japan in March 2013, NIS America tells Joystiq.Disgaea D2 stars Disgaea main protagonist Laharl, along with Etna and Flonne – the main characters from the original Disgaea (which is pictured above). There is no western release schedule as of now.NIS has Disgaea 5 on its radar, but can't confirm its development. NIS predsident Sohei Niikawa is thinking about Disgaea 5, NIS reiterates, piggybacking off the news out of Anime Expo in July.
NISA's Niikawa confirms eventual Disgaea 5
Sohei Niikawa may be the new president of NIS America, but he's the longtime leader of Nippon Ichi Software. In other words, don't expect too many changes in direction for the parent company. During this weekend's Anime Expo, Niikawa revealed that, yes, the company plans to make a Disgaea 5.There were no specifics about the game, other than that there would be one at some point in the future. Niikawa told attendees at the NISA panel to wait for additional details. We feel confident in revealing at this point that Prinnies will be present, as will an endless assault of numbers.[Image: Disgaea 4]
Disgaea team crafting a dungeon RPG for 2012, Nippon Ichi announces more
During a recent Nippon Ichi press conference, CEO Sohei Shinkawa announced a handful of projects the company is working on for the immediate future. The first likely won't require all that much actual work -- it's Cave Story 3D, which the company is publishing in Japan. He added that two other projects are in the pipeline: A new adventure game scheduled for a Japanese Summer 2012 launch, and a dungeon-centric RPG from the Disgaea team due out sometime in 2012. During a later Q&A, Shinkawa revealed that the company would like to release at least one Vita title next year, but did not confirm whether either of the newly announced projects would be that title. Shinkawa also revealed all this information while wearing a Prinny-shaped hat, so we're not sure we can believe a single thing he said.
Disgaea 3 Return trailer shows Vita version's two new characters
The first trailer for Disgaea 3 Return gives you a look at the strategy series' latest portable outing, which is also its first PlayStation Vita version. It's intended to be a launch title for the system in Japan. Return features updated animations and two new characters (one of which is named Ruchiru, according to a text box in the trailer). As for the trailer itself, it features an unfairly adorable musical accompaniment.
Disgaea 4 pre-orders available in three flavors
The Disgaea 4 Premium Editions we outlined last April are now available for pre-order, so get ready to have the penguin and/or bomb-shaped voids filled in your strategically battling little hearts. Pre-order packages come in your choice of Original Recipe, Extra Crispy (the "Premium Edition"), and Buffalo-style, (the "Premium Figure Set"), with art books and adorable figurines awaiting those who are willing to drop a little extra coin. All three options come with the game's soundtrack, however, so you won't be entirely left out of the freebie fun if a 4-inch-tall anime penguin girl isn't worth 20 extra smackers. [Image credit: Penny Arcade]
Two DLC packs announced for Disgaea 4 in Japan
Most North American players haven't even seen one mission of Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten yet, as it's set to come out in the States this September. But the game came out in Japan last February, and now Nippon Ichi has announced two different downloadable scenarios coming this August and October. The first is called "The Tyrant Valdorez," and will follow that character (along with his new playable moves) through a story with follower Fenrich. And the second is "Fuuka & Desco's Chapter Begins," focusing on the side story of those two characters. Fuuka and Desco's story will also be available either in add-on disc form, along with a collectible Desco figurine, in a special edition Disgaea 4 collection with the full game, or simply as a downloadable content pack. Note that both of these DLC packs are only announced for Japan at this point -- it's unknown whether they'll see the light of day here in the US yet.
Disgaea 4's special attacks are as bananacakes as you'd expect
Even if you've never played a Disgaea game before -- heck, if you haven't played any game before -- you should watch the Disgaea 4 trailer posted below. It shows off a handful of the game's absolutely preposterous special attacks, many of which involve slamming foes into various celestial bodies.
Nippon Ichi shows off improved Disgaea 4 art
If you're a fan of Nippon Ichi's twisted strategy RPG series, Disgaea, you've likely spent a ludicrous number of hours staring at illustrator Takehido Harada's charming 2D character art. You'll get to do so again with Disgaea 4, with the benefit of higher-resolution artwork. By the looks of things (check out Andriasang for some neat comparison and screenshots), the new sprites have lost none of their personality in the long-awaited upgrade. Disgaeaeaeaea 4 will launch on PlayStation 3 in February 2011 with a limited edition package, including a Nendoroid Petit figure, art book and soundtrack CD. It'll also retain all the original illustrations, allowing you to toggle between the old and new characters. It's nice that the old art is sticking around, but couldn't Nippon Ichi have shipped their used goods to a less fortunate soul, like IGA?
Disgaea Infinite trailer makes as much sense as the other Disgaea games
That Disgaea Infinite trailer that snuck out in Japanese a little while back has now been officially released and translated into almost-English and, while it's a little harsh to call the series "the ultimate grind-fest" (unless fans want to wear that title as a badge of honor), this weird little adaptation that turns the strategy RPG into a "visual novel" adventure game still looks interesting. Last we heard, this one was due out for the PSP in May, but this trailer actually says June of 2010. We checked in with NIS America, and they informed us that the game is due out on June 8th of this year. Look for it as a downloadable title on PSN then.
Trinity Universe coming to US and Europe this June
Did Resonance of Fate and Final Fantasy XIII whet your appetite for JRPGs? NIS America plans to release Trinity Universe this June, just in time for gamers looking for a new adventure. Developed cooperatively by Idea Factory, Nippon Ichi and Gust, Trinity Universe is a crossover RPG similar to Cross Edge, combining the worlds of the Disgaea and Atelier franchises. Unlike NIS America's previous efforts, though, this game will be in full 3D. Trinity Universe is undoubtedly the best looking game to come from NIS America, but it's still likely to struggle in a competitive sales market. Still, hardcore JRPG fans are used to PS2-style sprite graphics from NIS, so the publisher's next offering could be a pleasant surprise. %Gallery-88922%
Nippon Ichi head of sales and marketing resigning at the end of March (update)
In a letter recently distributed (.pdf link) to the company's investors, Nippon Ichi president Tomohiro Sato announced that he would be stepping down from his managerial post on March 31. Sato cites "personal reasons" as the force leading him to resign, though this news comes only two weeks on the heels of Nippon Ichi's announcement of its 98 percent year-over-year revenue decline, and resulting JASDAQ freefall. Though we may not undoubtedly know what led to Sato's departure, we're really hoping this is just part of Nippon Ichi's restructuring process, and that we're one step closer to getting our hands on Absolute Hero Modding Project. Ever the pragmatists, we are. Update: Tomohiro Sato is actually the company's head of Sales and Marketing. The current president, Sohei Shinkawa, is not stepping down. We apologize for the mix-up.
Nippon Ichi to focus on PS3, plans new Disgaea game
Niche Japanese publisher Nippon Ichi hasn't had a very good year. With an expected loss of 299 million yen ($3.33 million) for the fiscal year, it's clear NIS must make drastic changes to turn things around. According to a report by Andriasang, the company blames its poor performance for relying too much on externally-developed games, something that will be rectified in the coming fiscal year. 2010 will feature a more focused title catalog, with only eight game releases. With 1.6 million Disgaea games sold so far, the franchise is unquestionably Nippon Ichi's most valued asset. Going forward, the company plans on releasing yet another Disgaea title for the PS3. The new release is part of a new initiative at the company to focus on potential growth areas: PS3 software, and the North American market. However, the off-the-radar release of their last PS3 game, Last Rebellion, proves Nippon Ichi may not be properly equipped to exploit the current generation. Disgaea may be well known in the hardcore gaming community, but will another game be enough to turn Nippon Ichi's fortunes around?
Nippon Ichi earnings plummet in 2009
[Prinny Blog] Disgaea developer and publisher Nippon Ichi didn't have the best 2009, dood. Last week, the company announced its earnings for the first nine months of its fiscal year (ending December 31, 2009), recording operating profits 97.5% lower than those of 2008. This week, reacting to the news of the precipitous drop, investors freaked out a bit and the price of NIS stock on the Japanese JASDAQ exchange dropped ¥7,000 ($78.42), almost 20%. JASDAQ froze the price, or it might have dropped further. Siliconera posted a list of all recent and upcoming NIS games. Have a look -- we're sure NIS America would really, really appreciate a purchase of Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love or Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman 2 in the next few months.
Disgaea Infinite visual novel for PSP releases this May
We certainly didn't see this coming. While it may seem strange to doubt the release of another Disgaea game, Disgaea Infinite is not what you might expect. No, it's not a SRPG. It's not even a platformer. Instead, it's a visual novel game -- an interactive story-based adventure, akin to the Phoenix Wright series. According to a press release, this will be NIS America's first visual novel published in America. Disgaea Infinite promises to keep the same over-the-top humor the franchise is known for. Players will assume the role of a Prinny on the hunt for an assassin trying to take down the demon Laharl. With the power to take over other characters minds and bodies, Prinny will be able to solve this almost-murder mystery. Expect it on PSP this May. %Gallery-84266%
Nippon Ichi teases new Prinny platformer
Are you ready to lose another set of 1000 lives? If so, then Nippon Ichi has a new Prinny game for you. Unfortunately, Nippon Ichi has decided against releasing any information on the game, even obscuring its lengthy title. After playing the first game, can we suggest Prinny 2: This is Going to be a Really Hard Game?[Via Andriasang]
PSA: NIS America's PSP re-releases half price on PSN
As we reported earlier this month, NIS America is making several of its previously UMD-only PSP games available for download from the US PlayStation Store late tonight / early tomorrow morning to coincide with the launch of PSP Go. For a period of one week, Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, Dragoneer's Aria, Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman!, Mana Khemia: Student Alliance and Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? will be available at 50% off their normal cost -- a welcome offer, given that many digital titles on the store are keeping pricing parity with their retail UMD equivalents.NIS is also asking visitors to the PlayStation Blog whether they want to see a UMD release of Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! by means of a poll that currently has the "ayes" and "nays" running nearly neck-and-neck.
PSN Thursday: All systems are PSP Go for a massive update
If a PSN Update could be a classified as a zombie invasion, consider this humble paragraph the red door keeping the horde at bay. Once you click past the break, be prepared for an update the likes of which you've never seen. It's big, it's scary and it's going to eat your brains ... in a good way. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
