×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
The X Button - A Grand Jest


Goto page Previous  1, 2

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Graceful Nanami



Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 303
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 4:24 am Reply with quote
Yeah, I've been aware of what Media.Vision has been up to (except that Digimon game, thanks for sharing!) but the actual team that used to work on the Wild ARMs series has been dissolved for years beginning with the director leaving. It's such a shame that a lot of JRPG series that were favorites back in the day just kind of fizzled out at the end of the PS2 era give or take a little. There is still so much love for a lot of them like WA, Suikoden and Star Ocean. At least Tales is still going strong! Haha.

I actually think there have been some semi-recent releases of the Wild ARMs manga, Flower Thieves but don't quote me on that. I think that's it, though. There was also this just a few days ago:

http://www.siliconera.com/2014/03/24/dont-expect-see-ps2-wild-arms-games-playstation-network-ps3/

I still own the entire series of games, though, so I'm good until my PS2 stops working some day.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
belvadeer





PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 1:03 pm Reply with quote
Primus wrote:
Media.Vision has been up to a lot post-Wild ARMs. Yes, they created Chaos Rings, but they also worked on Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo, Valkyria Chronicles 3, and the last two Shining games for PSP. Their current project is this:



Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth for Vita.

Wild ARMs is a Sony IP. They're the ones that decide whether or not another one is made.


All of which I'm very well aware, too bad essentially all of that list has nothing to do with localized games (of course, I'm sure that new Digimon game won't be coming here either). I still a want new Wild Arms regardless, but I guess Sony decided a long time ago that their own signature RPG series isn't worth pursuing anymore. A shame really. I guarantee I'll be more surprised than anyone else on the planet if I hear about a Wild Arms 6 announcement.

Graceful Nanami wrote:
Yeah, I've been aware of what Media.Vision has been up to (except that Digimon game, thanks for sharing!) but the actual team that used to work on the Wild ARMs series has been dissolved for years beginning with the director leaving. It's such a shame that a lot of JRPG series that were favorites back in the day just kind of fizzled out at the end of the PS2 era give or take a little. There is still so much love for a lot of them like WA, Suikoden and Star Ocean. At least Tales is still going strong! Haha.


Seeing you mention the favorites reminds me that there was a segment in GameInformer called "Lost RPG Franchises: Where Are They Now?" that covered the progress of the greats while pointing out their current and possible odds at another entry. Mana, Suikoden, Shining, Shadow Hearts, Wild Arms, .hack, Grandia and Breath of Fire were all covered...and when I look at them all, I want to shed a tear for the ones that are pretty much dead (Shadow Hearts, Grandia) or being reduced to mobile gaming (Mana, Breath of Fire).

Quote:
I still own the entire series of games, though, so I'm good until my PS2 stops working some day.


Same here; from the original all the way to XF, including the Wild Arms 5 10th Anniversary Edition box. To the ends of Filgaia...
Back to top
Mister Ryan Andrews



Joined: 28 Jan 2014
Posts: 219
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 1:42 pm Reply with quote
My motto is better to see a series end before it becomes some mediocre, soul less husk. Wink Usually what happens once original developers start leaving the company but the company still decides to put out more games in a franchise. Tales is the only franchise I can still say I enjoy all the titles in.

I'd check out Resonance of Fate if you liked classic Star Ocean, it's also by Tri-Ace. I mean, it's nothing like Star Ocean outside an action-y combat system, but it's by the same company and a great RPG nevertheless Laughing I liked it more than Last Hope which didn't feel like much of a Star Ocean game to me and part of why I'm not too sad there's no more Star Ocean games. Better to end it on that than continue it along and be Star Ocean in name only.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
belvadeer





PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 7:22 pm Reply with quote
Mister Ryan Andrews wrote:
My motto is better to see a series end before it becomes some mediocre, soul less husk. Wink Usually what happens once original developers start leaving the company but the company still decides to put out more games in a franchise. Tales is the only franchise I can still say I enjoy all the titles in.

I'd check out Resonance of Fate if you liked classic Star Ocean, it's also by Tri-Ace. I mean, it's nothing like Star Ocean outside an action-y combat system, but it's by the same company and a great RPG nevertheless Laughing I liked it more than Last Hope which didn't feel like much of a Star Ocean game to me and part of why I'm not too sad there's no more Star Ocean games. Better to end it on that than continue it along and be Star Ocean in name only.


I've said it before, but I'd be okay with Wild Arms 6 being the series' swan song. I just want one last taste of Filgaia before it's time to put the series out to pasture, if you'll pardon the theme-appropriate pun.

I'm familiar with Resonance of Fate (or End of Eternity to the purists), and I've been heavily interested in it since I saw a run of it on YouTube as well as the Basel trio appearing in Project X Zone. I just don't have the time or finances for buying new games at this point, not to mention the gigantic backlog of unfinished games I still need to get to. Last Hope may have been a joke in a lot of categories, but it was still fun during battles.
Back to top
Rahxephon91



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 1859
Location: Park Forest IL.
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 7:48 pm Reply with quote
The problem is Wild Arms hadn't even started to go bad. It was actually getting good with XF and 5 being fantastic takes on the new battle system from 4.

Most of the series were fine actually.

Cyber Connect still seems to have it when it comes to making games so a new actual .hack rpg would be ace. Probably would have actual co-op these days. Would be nice to see what they could do with modern online functionality.

Grandia 3 still had the best combat in the series and pretty great production values. No series provides the same combat. No reason for it to have died creatively.

Shadow Hearts 3 was fine and a lot of the same people went unto Lost Odyssey and now seemingly are doing nothing. I think there was some PSP game by one of the creative dudes behind Shadow Hearts, but thats it.

Suikoden V was great, but the creative head left during 3. Rumor was that Konami was just waiting for his return. Maybe this series should just be left alone.

Mana and Breath of Fire though are series that can easily come back, but are stuck to mobile games.

It would be fine if a lot of these companies were making other things in place of these series, but they aren't. Japanese gaming just kind of sucks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime
Shadowrun20XX



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 1935
Location: Vegas
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:34 pm Reply with quote
toddc wrote:
They actually went ten rounds without getting hit? Wow.
Believe it or not I witnessed it first hand in Vegas. 7-11 on Tropicana and Jones. It was not me. I'm could never get the concept. I have no patience or tolerance for that crap.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Jedi Master



Joined: 28 Nov 2008
Posts: 400
PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:53 pm Reply with quote
Aww shucks. I forgot about the contest.

I would've written about DJ Max Fever. That game convinced me to import the rest of the series and is the reason I will keep my PSP until the day it breaks and I am no longer able to repair it (I've already had to replace an analog stick and the screen). This is because of those game's asinine non-transferable save files. But the games are good enough for me to put up with that one flaw.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
belvadeer





PostPosted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:43 pm Reply with quote
Rahxephon91 wrote:
The problem is Wild Arms hadn't even started to go bad. It was actually getting good with XF and 5 being fantastic takes on the new battle system from 4.

Most of the series were fine actually.

Cyber Connect still seems to have it when it comes to making games so a new actual .hack rpg would be ace. Probably would have actual co-op these days. Would be nice to see what they could do with modern online functionality.

Grandia 3 still had the best combat in the series and pretty great production values. No series provides the same combat. No reason for it to have died creatively.

Shadow Hearts 3 was fine and a lot of the same people went unto Lost Odyssey and now seemingly are doing nothing. I think there was some PSP game by one of the creative dudes behind Shadow Hearts, but thats it.

Suikoden V was great, but the creative head left during 3. Rumor was that Konami was just waiting for his return. Maybe this series should just be left alone.

Mana and Breath of Fire though are series that can easily come back, but are stuck to mobile games.

It would be fine if a lot of these companies were making other things in place of these series, but they aren't. Japanese gaming just kind of sucks.


Wild Arms: I agree. I have had essentially no complaints with any of the games in the WA series. Other than 2 and AC:F's awkward translation work, they're all fantastic games and XF was a really neat attempt to explore a different kind of RPG with the series.

.hack: .hack's future here just seems weak since we haven't had received anything beyond that recent new movie (at least nothing else comes to mind). That fighting game entry would have been nice, but a lot of folks said it's an insult to the series to suddenly resort to the fighter genre to turn a profit. I wouldn't know though. They're not my opinions.

Grandia: Most hardcores feel Grandia went to crap with Xtreme and III though (since Takeshi Miyaji left after Grandia II and believed that it was his great directing that made the first two games the jewels in the series). Both had great battle systems obviously, but III had a story that was marginally better in the beginning before it slowly degraded into a really generic conclusion with one of the worst final bosses ever conceived. Xtreme's loss of great character development, less than average plot development and lack of travel didn't do it any favors either. However, that nonsensical online iteration was what really nailed the coffin shut since the servers were shut down last year in November due to lack of interest (I knew that was going to happen).

Shadow Hearts: The game you're referring to is Arms Heart, which unfortunately was received with a lot of negativity for its high encounter rate and slow battles (not exactly a great combination when people prefer speeding through battles of repetitive animations). So I'm not surprised it wasn't localized, despite some folks want to still try it. Unfortunately my 360 isn't doing much anymore and I own nearly JRPG for the console except Lost Odyssey. I had heard some glowing remarks about it. If I ever hook it up again, I might consider it.

Suikoden: I guess it doesn't really matter anyway since Suikoden hasn't been keeping up here and Thousand Year Tapestry sold below expected numbers (guess that's what they get for trying to slap time travel in there). You probably heard a couple years back how the development team was disbanded, which has likely contributed to the series's slow stagnation and absence of localization.

Mana & BoF: I don't know Rah, I just have a sick feeling that both series are approaching a slow death considering that

a) Mana really went downhill starting with Dawn of Mana's awkward roguelike mechanics; the portable games made it worse, especially Brownie Brown's terrible attempt at an RTS game in Heroes of Mana.

b) BoF hasn't been around since the "great fan divide" caused by Dragon Quarter back in 2003 and now it suddenly returns a decade later with a cellphone game that has nothing to do with the series proper in anything other than name.

I guess they just want to rely on brand name to sell stuff, if anything.


Last edited by belvadeer on Sun Mar 30, 2014 3:44 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
Guile



Joined: 18 Jun 2013
Posts: 595
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 2:57 am Reply with quote
I am perfectly fine with series ending. As much as I loved Grandia, Breath of Fire, Suikoden, and Wild Arms, I would not be upset at all if another game for them never came out again. Though I find the asserting a bit confusing. None of these franchises are as popular as the ones that have stuck around, like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, so I feel it's a bit unrealistic to think every RPG franchise can do that. Grandia I never felt would be a huge franchise with multiple titles, and I'm surprised it got as many as it did. Though as mentioned the series took a drastic turn with Xtreme. The first two games stand as a thing on their own. I don't see the issue with no more games for them being released. All series have to come to an end at some time and there are always new games and franchises rising up to take their places.

.hack was a novelty back in the day, but with the rise of similar franchises like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, and actual Japanese MMOs like Final Fantasy Onine and Phantasy Star Online, and even multiplayer games like Monster Hunter, there might be little need for it anymore. .hack is also a case where the story was finished, and attempts to expand the story beyond that have been a bit questionable and unnecessary. One could probably expand the story of the World, but should they? That's the million dollar question for a lot of these franchises. Just because you could do something doesn't mean you should.

There's a few unfortunate cases (though none of them are RPGs) like Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Metroid where the franchises were extended after taken over by Western developers and became nothing like their original titles, but those can be ignored if one wishes. Though in Metroid's case we also got a few titles by the original developers again at least, though one was a remake, one was a flashback, and another effectively conclude the series' story. I feel any future Metroid games might probably be more western reboots/side stories as there's really nothing left to tell in the story. Other M had to resort to being a flashback considering Fusion ended the series, and once you have to resort to going back to continue a franchise, it might be wise to let it go. Even though it's a Nintendo franchise and Nintendo has no problem milking things, it's also one of the few that had an actual story and plot progression. Though as mentioned, reboots can fix that if Nintendo wishes.

I felt Breath of Fire peaked with 2 and 3 myself. 1 and 4 were alright, and Dragon Quarter was enjoyable, but extremely different. However, I do not think the magic of 2 and 3 could be recreated again. Suikoden is similar. 2 was the peak for me, and while the later games were fine, I don't think 'fine' is what developers want or should strive for. For me, Wild Arms took an unwanted direction after 3. The first 3 games I loved, but the later ones seemed to different to me. Not bad on their own, but the change in combat system did not seem like a Wild Arms game anymore.

I do not regret any of them fading away. Like people who love a certain anime, sometimes you don't need a sequel or for it to continue for hundreds of episodes and it's fine just as a simple one or two cour show. Then you move on and find new stuff to enjoy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Rahxephon91



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 1859
Location: Park Forest IL.
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:56 am Reply with quote
The problem is there isn't new stuff to enjoy and these series haven't actually ended. The anime analogy also dosen't work because we're not looking for a continuation of the story or characters, but rather something with the same gameplay or concepts done again or done better. It dosen't even have to be under the title, just something with a new name. A spiritual successor.

Tri Ace dosen't need to make another Star Ocean, but it sure would be nice for them to make another action rpg, except thier output has slowed and now they are working on other people's games. Even if PSO turns out to not be another MH clone with PS2 assets, it's not a replacement for a well made Tri Ace game. Something like Valkyrie Profile or Star Ocean.

Game Arts dosen't have to make another Grandia, but no one really cared are was asking for them to make a MH clone. Will they make another jrpg? Who knows?

The Shadow Hearts series ended. Fine, regardless of the fact that no series has come in an taken up it's unique atmosphere the bloodline sadly ends at Lost Odyssey. With feelplus delivering mostly mediocre titles afterwords.

Did there need to be another Wild Arms? probably not and Media Vision is busy, but still there were plenty of places to go with the grid battle system.

Konami dosen't even make games anymore(outside of MGS) so of course Sukidoken is gone.

Square seems stuck on FF.

BoF seems like a series that could do anything, but I guess Capcom isn't interested in actually making jrpgs.

The problem isn't so much that these series have ended, but that so little has come up in thier wake. Especially if you like consoles. Handhelds are a little better. Just a little.

You're options are a few jrpgs that come out here and there and the otaku stuff that others like to peddle.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime
ChibiGoku



Joined: 29 May 2004
Posts: 675
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:59 pm Reply with quote
Dessa wrote:
ChibiGoku wrote:
Quote:

Well, except for that game-freezing glitch some copies have against this one (optional) boss. Well, “optional”, since who in their right mind WOULDN'T go get all the Craymels? I mean, really? When not getting the Craymels means you can't get all the spells? I, at least, hate useless party members, and there's two mages.


This is completely wrong. There is no way to avoid the glitch on the UK version of the first press release, because the glitch happens during a required boss fight (I believe during the puzzle segment). Volt, which is the one that involves this game ending glitch, is one of the required one you have to get in order to progress the game. While there are others you can get that are optional, none of them having any problems like Volt does, at least from what I am aware of.

Mind you, I had played through the game on the Japanese release, so I didn't encounter this glitch (part of the reason I opted for it). However, there's documentation about the glitch, and ultimately I'm unsure if the game was ever patch, via the update feature on the PSP, but I know second print run was corrected.


Volt is required? The game would've let me skip getting it (I didn't), and was telling me to continue instead of getting it.


Did it? I remember before being forced to go there eventually and not been given the option to skip it. Though it's been over a year since I played it all the way through, so I could be misremembering.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mister Ryan Andrews



Joined: 28 Jan 2014
Posts: 219
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 4:48 pm Reply with quote
Rahxephon91 wrote:
The problem is there isn't new stuff to enjoy


Uh, I'm currently playing Witch and The Hundred Knight, Atelier Escha & Logy, Bravely Default, and Lightning Returns and that's just from the past month or so. If you look at the entire PS3/DS/PSP library then you got literally hundreds of RPGs. Helps to look around and actually see what comes out.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Rahxephon91



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 1859
Location: Park Forest IL.
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:25 pm Reply with quote
Mister Ryan Andrews wrote:
Rahxephon91 wrote:
The problem is there isn't new stuff to enjoy

Uh, I'm currently playing Witch and The Hundred Knight, Atelier Escha & Logy, Bravely Default, and Lightning Returns and that's just from the past month or so. If you look at the entire PS3/DS/PSP library then you got literally hundreds of RPGs. Helps to look around and actually see what comes out.

There were plenty of Japanese developers making plenty of Japanese console games that weren't that. Now, not so much.

I have every jrpg on the PS3 released in the US not counting NIS games. Even then I sadly have Time and Eternity.

I have every 360 jrpg released in the US. Even doubles when it comes to things like RoF.

It's not hard to do this since there aren't that many to acquire anyway. Are they even good is the real question. Things like Eternal Sonata, Time and Eternity, Infinite Undiscovery, and Enchanted Arms sure aren't home to write about.

When it comes to the PSP, I've played plenty of what it had to offer. From Ys Seven and Hexyz Force. I didn't even stop there. I've imported and played through titles such as FF Type 0, The Last Ranker, Zero no Kiseki, Nayuta no Kiseki, 7th Dragon 2020, and Sol Trigger.

On the DS side I think I can safely say I've played through most of the well received titles like Radiant Historia and TWEY. I'm playing though Bravely Default right now. It's ok at best.

When it comes to jrpgs, it really has nothing to with me not looking. Thats for sure.

There is a factual obscene of jrpgs on consoles. It's already bad enough we have to hold up NIS stuff now. Atlus has been mostly absent on consoles and they sure haven't made a jrpg for them. Square has only been able to whore out FF. Konami dosen't make games. Capcom dosen't even have a clue these days. You're Shadow Hearts, Digital Devil Sagas, Grandias, and whatnot are gone and haven't been replaced.

What great jrpgs have come to PS3 for instance? Ni No Kuni was ok. Resonance of Fate was what three years ago,? I guess there's the Yakuza games if you want to count them. Tales I guess, but those have been pretty subpar with Xilla being the most bland game out there. Either way, compared to the PS2 where there were plenty of varied, interesting, and quality jrpgs the PS3's been pretty pathetic.

So don't tell me there's been plenty of new stuff or that I need to actually look, because there is'nt.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime
Paul Soth



Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 140
Location: Columbus, Oh
PostPosted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:48 pm Reply with quote
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group