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Keiichi Yano wants to make a music game with heart
"Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild West. A state that's untouchable like Eliot Ness." It's rare for a video-game developer to rap during an interview. It's rarer still for him to recite a Tupac track with perfect pitch and cadence. But that's Keiichi Yano, the Tokyo-based game designer behind cult classics Gitaroo Man and Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, better known as Elite Beat Agents in the West. He loves music and will happily talk for hours about jazz, electronica or the intricacies of mumble rap. His latest game, Project Rap Rabbit, fell woefully short of its Kickstarter goal this week. I met Yano a few days prior, during the chaos of E3, when it already seemed inevitable the campaign would fail. We talked about the title, its development and how he might proceed without public funding. To my surprise, Yano was unfazed by the Kickstarter's fate and hinted that there might be another way to bring the game to market. "I can't comment on anything we're doing right now or anybody that we're talking to. But yeah, I hope we can get this out one way or another."
Landmark visual novel Steins;Gate heads west on PS3, Vita next year
Acclaimed Japanese visual novel Steins;Gate will be localized and released in North America and Europe next year for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, publisher PQube announced today. Taking place on the streets of Japanese electronics shopping district Akihabara, Steins;Gate tells a sci-fi tale in which its characters can change past events by sending text messages through time. The mystery deepens when the cast receives replies from a dystopian future hinting at a world-changing conspiracy revolving around the Large Hadron Collider. Steins;Gate topped PC sales charts in Japan for many consecutive months following its initial release in 2010, spawning multiple spinoffs and ports for the Xbox 360, PSP, and mobile platforms. While an English-language PC version premiered earlier this year via JAST USA, PQube's upcoming localization will mark Steins;Gate's first appearance on consoles in North America and Europe. Speaking to Siliconera, PQube head of marketing Geraint Evans revealed that the company is pursuing a retail launch in addition to a digital release via the PlayStation Network. "I'm personally against digital-only releases, so I will do my very best to ensure a physical release happens," Evans stated. [Image: PQube]
BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2 dated for Europe, keeping silly name
Despite repeated, impassioned cries from our web-based pulpit, Arc System Works is sticking with the full name "BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2" for the European release on 3DS and PlayStation Portable this November. Blast! The game's November 4 launch date was announced by the Japanese dev house and its European publishing partner, PQube, this morning, alongside a slew of new media. But considering the game came out last May in North America, there's a possibility you've already had your fill of video-based gameplay. But have you seen BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2's gameplay ... set to a rockin' metal riff? We thought not!%Gallery-135315%
BlazBlue delayed one week in UK
Once scheduled for release in Q1 2010, or, more specifically, March 26, the UK version of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger has been pushed back to April 2. Retailer GAME posted an updated listing for the game, and publisher Zen United confirmed the date in response to an enquiry by Joystiq. According to Zen, the UK release of both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the fighter has been moved to April 2. In addition, the PS3 version of the game will hit stores elsewhere in Europe on that day, with the Xbox 360 version still scheduled for March 26. [Thanks, Shadowman!]
European BlazBlue pre-orders to be rewarded with limited edition
Pre-orders for the European release of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger will get an "upgrade" to a limited edition package at no extra cost. The LE contains a 100-page art book and a bonus DVD with two hours of "detailed tutorial guides." The LE is available for pre-order at Amazon, GAME, Gamestation, HMV, and Play.com with an official release date of "mid-March." The non-monetary cost for all these extras: the covering of the European box art with a plain slipcover. The art for the regular edition was painted by Daniel Lam, a fan who won an art contest held by Arc System Works. While that art will still be on the case, it'll be obscured by the outer box. A shame. %Gallery-85695%
BlazBlue punching Europe's face with 'new characters,' other goodies
Arc System Works' competent fighter BlazBlue is set to invade Europe courtesy of PQube and, aside from including the US Collector's Edition character strategy guide and soundtrack, the press release also mentions "new gameplay content not available anywhere, like new characters and moves." This may come as a bummer to some of you that already picked up the game, because, in all likelihood, these new characters will be offered as DLC outside of Europe. The European release will be localized in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish, and will grace Xbox 360 and PS3 during Q1 2010. Yes, that Q1 2010.
