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Duo of trailers showcase Tales of Xillia 2's protagonists
Could you say no to chaperoning a little girl's journey to the wish-granting Land of Canaan, even if it helped her reunite with her father? Well so could we, but Tales of Xillia 2 protagonist Ludger Kersnik didn't, so you'll have to play the role of makeshift parental unit if you're interested in the Tales series' next step. Since your hands are effectively tied, you might as well get to know Ludger a bit with the above trailer, which offers a glimpse of his relationship with his brother Julius, as well as flashes of Xillia 2's combat. Ludger hopes to become an agent of the Spirius Corporation like Julias, but that whole "agreeing to protect Elle Marta on an epic journey" thing kind of stalls those plans. While a wish-granting land sounds appealing enough on its own, Elle is making the trip because her father told her to meet him there. The pair was split up after a mysterious band of villains attacked them during an evening storm, and while Ludger plays a central role in her adventure, the related press release assures Elle will cross paths with others of a "certain importance" during her travels. You can get a sense of Elle's personality in another trailer after the break, or you can read up on Xillia 2's Collector's Edition if either trailer's ending bonuses have caught your eye.
PSN Store Update: Soul Sacrifice Delta, Borderlands 2 Vita
It's a quieter week on PSN, with just two new games each for PS3 and Vita. Starting with the portable, Borderlands 2 gets a standalone release ($40) after featuring in last week's Vita 2000 bundle, and Soul Sacrifice Delta has a few freebies in a limited edition bundle ($36). As for the PS3 new releases, there's Episode 3 of The Walking Dead Season 2 ($5, or part of $20 season pass) and the slightly belated Serious Sam 3: BFE ($20, or $15 with Plus). Also, JRPG fans may be tempted by a new Tales bundle that combines Graces f with Xillia ($60). Finally, some bits and bobs to round up: Skullgirls Encore on PS3 is the latest Plus freebie, Dishonored is permanently price reduced to $20, and the PS Blog has all the latest sales and Plus discounts. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Minecraft XBLA passes 8M sales, 360 Edition tops UK charts again
Mojang's Minecraft is now up to 8 million combined sales on Xbox 360, the game's retail arrival clearly building on the XBLA version's success. Just looks at this week's UK charts, where the Xbox 360 Edition is the fourth game this year to be Numero Uno for three weeks running; the other three are The Last of Us, Dead Island: Riptide, and BioShock Infinite. The feat comes as the Xbox 360 version prepares for Title Update 12, its full changelog now posted up on PlayXBLA. Among the various additions from the PC version are the ocelots, which freak creepers into running away, and the jungle biomes in which they spawn. Silly season is very nearly upon us, but it's not quite time to duck behind the bushes and watch the chaos ensue. As such, it's another slow week at the UK Charts office - you only need to see FIFA 13 and The Smurfs 2 in second and third respectively to know that. Among all the quiet, there's an encouraging debut for Tales of Xillia. Namco's JRPG xoars to the heights of fourth spot, a bit of a surprise given the series' previous track record in the UK - to compare, a year ago Tales of Graces F debuted in 14th.
PSN Tuesday: Tales of Xillia, Dragon's Crown, ibb & obb
This week's PSN content jamboree is headlined by a pair of Japanese games: the beautiful beat-em-up Dragon's Crown from Vanillaware and Namco's surprisingly charming JRPG, Tales of Xillia. Rounding out this week's high-profile games is ibb & obb, the long-awaited co-op puzzler with an emphasis on gravity from Sparpweed Games. PlayStation Plus members can snag a free copy of Hitman: Absolution, which kicks off a solid month of free content on PS Plus. Subscriber discounts extend to the Rayman series today, Escapevektor, Superfrog and more – the full list of content can be seen over on the PlayStation Blog.
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%
Report: Tales of Xillia 2 coming to NA and EU in 2014 [Update]
Tales of Xillia 2 will come to Europe in 2014, Namco Bandai reportedly announced at the Japan Expo in France. A Namco Bandai representative told Gematsu that the game will also see a North American release in 2014. The game first launched on PlayStation 3 in November 2012 in Japan. Its predecessor, Tales of Xillia, is still on its way west too, as its English-localized version is slated to appear in North America on August 6 after it first launched in Japan in September 2011. We've reached out to Namco Bandai to confirm Tales of Xillia 2's 2014 localization ourselves, and will update as we learn more. Update: The official Tales Facebook page notes that Tales of Xillia 2 is coming to the west.
Boost your vitals with this Tales of Xillia trailer
Oh my, you look like you're having a serious anime deficiency. Have you tried watching Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster? How about the entire Princess Tutu series? Twice?! Oh boy, um, let's get you watching this Tales of Xillia trailer STAT and we'll figure out the rest from there.
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 Xillia limited edition tosses in music CD, two DLC costumes
PS3 exclusive RPG Tales of Xillia will offer a first-run limited edition for $60 when the game launches on August 6. This limited edition - not to be confused with the special edition - includes a copy of the game, a character profile booklet, music CD and two DLC costumes. You can pre-order the limited edition through participating retailers starting now. If you already pre-ordered through an eligible retailer, your pre-order is automatically bumped up to the limited edition; contact your retailer to confirm.%Gallery-189819%
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.
Tales of Xillia trailer touts Aug. 9 EU launch date, special editions
Tales of Xillia is heading to European PS3s on August 9, fitting nicely with the previously reported North American release date of August 6. Check out the English version of Tales of Xillia in the above trailer, along with some special editions right at the end.%Gallery-185484%
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.
Comfort and stability: Unraveling the appeal of Tales of Xillia
It was around fifteen years ago now that a good friend of mine urged me to try out Tales of Destiny, which had recently come out on the PlayStation."I really like the characters, and it's funny," he told me. Pretty soon, he was finding ways to incorporate the characters in his fan-fiction, his favorite being the 16-year-old master swordsman Leon Magnus. He wasn't alone.The Tales franchise has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, going from bona fide cult favorite to one of the most successful JRPG franchises this side of Final Fantasy. Unlike its competitors, the Tales series has been mostly content to stay the course over the past ten years or so. That remains the case for Tales of Xillia, which will please its now very vocal fanbase, even if it won't make many waves outside of the RPG community.%Gallery-176879%
New screens, new languages for Tales of Xillia
Tales of Xillia will include text in five different languages when it arrives in Europe in 2013, Namco Bandai announced. Along with German, French, and English text, which Namco also provided in the European release of Tales of Graces F, Xillia will include Spanish and Italian text.There will also be a small amount of text in whatever language the word "Xillia" is in. All of the screenshots sent with the announcement have English text – except for those with no text, and you can interpret that silence in the language of your choice.%Gallery-170254%
Fresh Dragon Ball Z: Kinect, Tales of Xillia, Tekken Tag 2 Wii U screens from TGS
Here are over 9,000 screenshots of Dragon Ball Z: Kinect, Tales of Xillia and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 on Wii U from Tokyo Game Show. Over 9,000?! Okay, not really, but there are plenty – and one video.
Look into the faces of Tales of Xillia
Tales of Xillia is coming to North America and Europe in 2013. Until then, you have a gallery featuring dramatic close-ups like this one, allowing you to pass the time practicing your resolute stare.%Gallery-160058%
Tales of Xillia localization revealed at Japan Expo [update: coming in 2013]
During a Namco Bandai "fan conference" at Japan Expo (which you can watch live right now) the publisher announced plans to release the tales "flagship" game Tales of Xillia in the west. Namco UK's Tales account made the announcement public. No specific date has been announced for the Western version, but the account has specifically said the game will come to America as well as Europe.In Japan, Tales of Xillia was released in September 2011, as a PS3 exclusive. A sequel was already announced for that region, due this year.Update: A press release from Namco Bandai Games America (after the break) gives a 2013 release date to the North American release.
Tales Studio being fully absorbed by Namco Bandai
Tales of Absorption? Tales of Dissolution? Namco Bandai announced this morning that it plans to absorb the Namco Tales Studio, producers of the company's successful Tales series, on January 1, 2012. No reason was given for the move. The Tales Studio is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai formed in 1986 as Wolf Team, changing its name in 2003 when Namco became the majority shareholder. It has since been the lead studio of the publisher's flagship RPG series. It's not like Namco Bandai is planning to get out of the Tales business, since the publisher just raised its financial forecast based on the success of Tales of Xillia.
Namco increases financial forecast thanks to Tales of Xillia
Andriasang reports that Namco Bandai has raised its earnings forecast (PDF) for the first six months of the year. Sales, previously pegged at ¥178 billion ($2.3 billion), are now expected to reach ¥194 billion ($2.5 billion); meanwhile, operating income (i.e. profit) projections have risen sharply from ¥6.5 billion ($85.6 million) to ¥15.5 billion ($204.3 million). The projections were raised on the back of high sales of Tales of Xillia and (ahem) AKB1/48 If I Loved an Idol in Guam. Just to be clear, AKB1/48 If I Loved an Idol in Guam is the full title of an actual game. We're not talking about Namco's newfound success in the island territory of Guam.
