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Tales of Hearts R coming West, stealing your heart winter 2014
Vita-owning JRPG fans, no need to eat your heart out: Namco's Tales of Hearts R is coming to the West this winter. The game, which is a remake of Tales of Hearts for the Nintendo DS featuring new content, was originally released in Japan in March of last year. Tales series producer Hideo Baba announced the news in a special video, where he was surrounded by Tales series merchandise. Just in case you weren't sure who he was or what you were watching. This is particularly good news for fans of the series, since Baba said last year that at the time, there were no plans to bring any of the Tales games for Vita to the West. While Baba himself offered no other details on the game in the video announcement, Gematsu reports that Tales of Hearts R will be a GameStop exclusive in North America, though players will also be able to download it through the PSN. Only half a year before those of us on western shores get to tell some Tales on the Vita - be still our beating Hearts. R. [Image: Namco]
Tales of Zestiria unveiled for PS3
Cue mass Zestiria: Namco's countdown ended today with the announcement of Tales of Zestiria, a new PS3 entry in the RPG series. The reveal trailer was shown during a Namco Bandai livestream (captured by Kagayaki Channel), then smiley series creator Hideo Baba divulged a little of what to expect from the newest Tales game. As both Siliconera and Gematsu report, dragons will play a big part in the story, hence the logo and the fiery end to the trailer. According to Gematsu, the game is set in Glynnwood, a continent being fought over by the Highland Kingdom and Laurence Empire. Both factions, however, live in fear and worship of the mysterious Family of Heaven, whose supernatural power shapes the world. As for the characters, so far it's a case of brains and brawn. The brown-haired fellow in the cape is Slay, a moral, intelligent type, while the blonde knight is Alicia. "Over the past few years the 'Tales of' team has taken great strides to strengthen our relationship with players across North America and Europe. To respond to their love and support I am honored to open a new chapter of the 'Tales of' series together with Japanese and overseas fans," said Baba in a Namco Europe press release, confirming the game will head west as well to Japan. Details are a bit on the sparse side for now, but more are set to surface in the next issue of Famitsu. We may also learn more from next weekend's Jump Festa 2014 expo in Tokyo.
Tales of Symphonia Chronicles dated for North America
Tales of Symphonia Chronicles hits North America the same week as Europe, with the high-def RPG collection confirmed to arrive here on February 25. The news comes shortly after the reveal of the Euro date, which is February 28. Chronicles contains PS3 remasters of GameCube and PS2 game Tales of Symphonia, and its Wii sequel Dawn of the New World. It's a bundle that'll have Tales fans fidgeting for the next few months, but even if it's not your thing you can still bop to the very boppable remastered music in this new trailer.
Tales of Symphonia Chronicles orchestrates EU arrival in February
Tales of Symphonia Chronicles, the PS3 HD bundle of Tales of Symphonia and Dawn of the New World, is coming to Europe and Australasia on February 28. The remastered RPG collection remains registered to arrive in North America sometime in "early 2014." Namco Bandai also announced today the bundle's collector's edition is headed for Europe and Australasia, limited to 10,000 copies across both regions. It includes five Chibi Kyun Chara figures, a paperback novel chronicling (ho ho hoooo) the events between Symphonia and sequel Dawn of the New World, a soundtrack, and "special collector's packaging." The same collector's edition was announced for North America earlier this month, limited to 15,000 copies across the region and priced $100.
First Tales of Xillia 2 trailer catches up with Ludger and Elle
Namco Bandai has revealed the first trailer for Tales of Xillia 2, the next in its longstanding RPG franchise series. Taking place one year after the events of the PS3-exclusive Tales of Xillia, which first launched in Japan in 2011 and later in Europe and North America this year, the adventure will follow the mysterious hero Ludger Will Kresnik and the traveling child Elle Mel Marta. "When a shadowy organization attacks them, Ludger awaken powers linked to a mysterious pocket watch he entrusted Elle with," Namco Bandai revealed in a press release featuring the first trailer. Tales of Xillia will continue its PS3 exclusivity when the direct sequel launches for the platform sometime in 2014.
Tales of Xillia review: Xillia-rating
As a fan of Japanese role-playing games, you kind of have to get used to overwrought stories. There's some kind of meteor, or reborn god, or a god reborn as a meteor, and the hero has amnesia/a mysterious past/a tortured soul/a tragic destiny. High drama is pretty much par for the JRPG course, which is what makes PS3 exclusive Tales of Xillia such a wonderful surprise. It has the same kinds of trappings you'd expect from the genre, with man's misuse of nature threatening a cataclysmic catastrophe, but it's presented with a charming lack of artifice or self importance. You're on an incredibly important mission, but that's no reason to be a sourpuss about it, right? You play as either Milla, the physical embodiment of the Four Spirits who benefit mankind, or Jude, a young med student who makes a horrifying discovery when he unwisely tags along after Milla one night. They're an unlikely pair, the deity and the doctor, but their chemistry is undeniable. The companions they pick up along the way are familiar RPG archetypes – the slick mercenary, the young girl who hides a great power, and so forth – but they act the way people accidentally thrust together toward a common goal probably would. They don't crest a hill to stare off into the distance and ponder their fate. They chat, they try to get to know each other, they tell jokes, they share stories. It's all so wonderfully ... normal. Inasmuch as trying to rescue the spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water before they can be used to power a massive gun can be, anyway.%Gallery-185484%
Tales producer: no plans for Xbox One, PS4, Wii U
Now that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have all showed their hands, is the Tales series, which has seen several entries across this generation, making the next-gen jump anytime soon? Not according to Tales producer Hideo Baba, who told Joystiq that he doesn't have any current plans for the JRPG series on next-gen consoles. That's chiefly because he wants to release entries on the console most fans "want to play on." That, in his view, is the PS3. "Compared to the existing consoles like the Xbox 360 or PS3, the PS4 and Xbox One have much improved CPU, GPU, and memory," Baba told us, "So I think they [have] more potential, especially with visual effects. I'm afraid I don't have any plans to release for titles for the Xbox One or PS4, because my policy is to release Tales titles to the console which most of the fans want to play on." When asked about the Wii U, Baba said "Same as the Xbox One and PS4, I don't have any plans to release titles for the Wii U." Baba announced Tales of Symphonia Chronicles last week - a few days after quashing rumors of it as speculation. The HD bundle of Symphonia and Dawn of the New World is due in North America in early 2014, and is coming to the PS3. Speaking to Spong, Baba revealed he still sees the PS3 as the key console for the Tales series at present. "The reason why Xillia was released only on PS3 was because that is the console where most of the users want to play Tales games," Baba told Spong. "When more and more users decide to buy a PS4 and want the Tales series on that platform, that will be when we re-assess things."
Tales of Symphonia, Dawn of the New World getting PS3 bundle in early 2014
After regarding it a mere rumor just days ago, series producer Hideo Baba announced an HD remake bundle of PS2 and GameCube RPG Tales of Symphonia and its Wii sequel Dawn of the New World at the Tales of Festival in Japan. The HD remake collection is expected to launch on October 10 in Japan and in early 2014 in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Announced for PS3 only, the pack was revealed with the working title Tales of Symphonia Chronicles. That sounds much better than "Perfect Edition" to us. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] %Gallery-189986%
Tales of Symphonia: Perfect Edition rumor quashed by series producer
The rumor of a PS3 HD re-release of Tales of Symphonia and Dawn of the New World looks to be no more than speculation. Earlier this month, series producer Hideo Baba gave fans hope of the bundle, rumored to be titled Tales of Symphonia: Perfect Edition, saying such a game would be "a representation of the dreams and hopes of the fans, who have long been wanting it." However, speaking to Joystiq on a recent European tour to promote Tales of Xillia, Baba expressed his surprise at the rumor. "So last weekend I went to Madrid, Spain - to expomanga," Baba told us, "And I had a signing session with fans. And I was asked by one of the fans about this rumor. So he said, 'I heard of a rumor that Tales of Symphonia and Dawn of the New World are getting a 'Perfect Edition' on PS3, is it true?' And [my reaction was] 'What!?' [Baba laughs]. I didn't know anything about it so I was very surprised at that rumor." Speaking to JPGames.de, Baba further clarified his comments. "That fan then said that it's the tenth anniversary of Tales of Symphonia in Japan this year," Baba told JPGames.de, "And I just said that there might be something coming, as a celebration. But it will be more like a 'Tales of Café' or an event at NamcoCon... but we actually have no plans yet, there are only ideas." So, while 2013 may see a few more Tales-related announcements, Perfect Edition isn't likely to be one of them. Altogether more certain is the arrival of the next Tales game, with Xillia signed up to spin yarns on August 6 in North America, and August 9 in Europe.
Rumor: Tales of Symphonia, Dawn of New World to get PS3 HD remakes
PS2 and GameCube RPG Tales of Symphonia and its Wii-exclusive sequel Dawn of the New World may come to the PS3 via an HD upgrade. Spanish site Koi-nya gained info from internal sources on a PS3 HD bundle of the two games, which it reckons is called Tales of Symphonia: Perfect Edition. Koi-nya quizzed series producer Hideo Baba, who's already teased 2013 as being a bountiful year of Tales news, the cheeky scamp that he is. While Baba said he couldn't confirm Perfect Edition, he did say such a game would be "a representation of the dreams and hopes of the fans, who have long been wanting it." One Koi-nya source also says Tales of Xillia 2 is coming to the west, but given we're still waiting on the first Xillia to arrive - it's due in August - don't expect a localization soon. We've reached out to publisher Namco Bandai for comment.
Report: Tales of Xillia comes to North America on August 6
Tales of Xillia reaches North American shores on August 6, according to reports by Kotaku and Gematsu. Series producer Hideo Baba recently pinned the PS3 JRPG for the west this summer, but both sites are reporting that window upgraded to a concrete NA release date at a recent media event. There's no word on a release date for Europe.Speaking to Kotaku, Baba said there aren't any current plans for Tales games on the Wii U, PS4, or next Xbox. When asked about bringing recent Vita remakes Tales of Hearts R and Tales of Innocence R overseas, Baba said, "Unfortunately, at this present time we don't have any plans to release any of the Vita titles. One of the main reasons is unfortunately the PlayStation Vita is doing relatively poorly in North America, so it's one of those things that if the numbers increased considerably, then it's something we could consider."We've reached out to publisher Namco Bandai for more info.
Tales of Xillia coming this summer, Graces F hits PSN next week
The 2013 western window for Tales of Xillia is upgraded now to the summertime. Series producer Hideo Baba announced the news on the PlayStation Blog this week, while also revealing 2012 retail release Tales of Graces F is coming to PSN next week on March 26. The Standard edition of Graces F is priced $34.99, while the Knight edition bundles in over ten pieces of DLC for $54.99.Meanwhile in Japan, Tales of Xillia 2, released in November, stormed its way to 500,000 sales before the end of 2012. Since we're only just finding out when the first Xillia will hit the west, we wouldn't advise raising your hopes of Xillia 2 news anytime soon. Having said that, Baba did tease further Tales-related "surprise announcements" this year.
Tales of Vesperia costumes offered as a Tales of Graces pre-order bonus
If Xbox gamers feel betrayed enough to destroy their discs and burn magazines over the PS3 port of Tales of Vesperia, how are they going to react to news that costumes from Vesperia are also no longer exclusive, appearing in the Wii's Tales of Graces? Will they stand for this minor outrage?Given away as a download code on a pre-order bonus DVD, the costumes enable players to dress Aspel, Sophie, and Cheria as Yuri, Patty, and Rita. Look forward to some angry message board posts featuring a spurned gamer giving a ruthless thumbprint to his Xbox disc, or throwing it straight in the garbage, then pulling it out and cleaning it.[Via Andriasang]
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 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%
'Mothership' Tales game coming to Wii in 2009
Yesterday's Namco Bandai press conference revealed media for new Tales RPGs on DS and PSP, and announced a Tales of the Abyss anime series. But outside of their 2008 lineup, series manager Makoto Yoshizumi announced that a new Tales game would be released on Wii in fiscal 2009. The new game is to be the latest in their "Mothership" Tales series from Namco Tales Studio, rather than a port, remake, or side story. The good news, then, is that as a high-prestige title, it's more likely to be localized. We expect that Namco Bandai will continue to focus their promotion on Tales of Hearts and the other new games, so we'll have to wait a bit for specifics on this new Wii game. We've still got Tales of Symphonia 2 to look forward to anyway.%Gallery-5354%
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 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%
The Tales of Vesperia trailer, destination console unknown
First unveiled at Jump Festa last week, Tales of Vesperia is the latest entry in Namco's long running "Tales" series. Following up on that announcement, the above trailer was released today but, since our Japanese is pretty rusty (read: non-existent), we'll concentrate on what we did notice: there's no console listed. While they're not naming a destination console for the title – the last three were released for PS2 – the meta tags on the official site originally listed "Xbox 360." Though they've since removed that reference, we suspect we could be seeing a cross-platform Tales game. [Thanks, Torin]
