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Post by BlueLander on Mar 21, 2005 12:01:17 GMT -5
I was perusing through RPGamer.com, and I found this...
New N-Gage RPG from Falcom
Falcom just announced that they will be teaming up with Nokia to release a new "stand alone" RPG for the N-Gage. Other than that, they gave no details, not even the game's name. They did say that more information would be available at e3. Until then, we'll all have to wait to see what they make.
At first I thought this was just an old announcement for Xanadu Next, but the article is dated March 14th, 2005 so they must be referring to a new game. I wonder what they mean by "stand alone" RPG? Does that just mean it won't have online elements, or that it isn't part of an existing series?
RPGamer.com says the source of this news is Famitsu, so maybe they have more information. But since it's in Japanese, I wouldn't have a clue if they did. So does anybody else know more about this one?
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Post by FM-77AV on Mar 21, 2005 13:09:20 GMT -5
Probably a new "gaiden" game. Do I dare to hope it's Ys releated? This is fantastic news! Man, I'm happy that I got an N-Gage!  |
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Post by BlueLander on Mar 21, 2005 14:14:42 GMT -5
I'm gonna get one as soon as I find one cheap enough. If I can't find a cheapo one by the time Xanadu Next comes out (whenever that is), I'll just spend 100 bucks and get a new one. I searched Famitsu's web page for N-Gage and Falcom stuff, but I didn't find any info on this. I did find news that Ys VI and Lord Monarch are being ported to Japanese 90xi and 700i series cell phones, though.   www.famitsu.com/k_tai/news/2005/03/16/607%2C1110965867%2C37408%2C0%2C0.htmlCould they possibly be porting Ys VI to the N-Gage, too? I hope not. I mean, Ys VI is a great game, but we already have an english version of that. I'd like to see a new game or a port of a game we don't already have a US version of. I think Lord Monarch would make a great online N-Gage game. It seems perfect for their whole "arena" thing. |
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Post by FM-77AV on Mar 22, 2005 6:37:42 GMT -5
You shocked me there. Before I read your post I saw those pics, and thought it was for N-Gage. Oh well.
YsVI for N-Gage would be cool, and it would certainly sell well seeing how popular YsVI seems to be for PS2/PSP.
Lord Monarch, eh? I hate to say it, but that game is so awful (imo). The music is pretty good, but the game itself is so very very boring.
Perhaps they are planning to release Gagharv Trilogy (ED 3-5) on N-Gage? It would seem likely, since the PSP version doesn't really take advantage of its hardware.
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Post by BlueLander on Mar 22, 2005 11:10:32 GMT -5
D'oh, you're right. Lord Monarch is pretty awful (at least that's my first impressing). I was thinking of the other free Falcom PC game, Vantage Master. THAT one would be fun on the N-Gage if you could play against opponents over wireless.
Is it just me, or is Falcom extremely desperate these days to get access to the US market? They translated and gave away those two PC games. They also have an extensive web page in English about all their games for people who want to license them in the US. And they're porting games to the N-Gage, probably the least popular game system in the last 10 years. I guess it's the only system in the US market willing to let Falcom write games for it.
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Post by FM-77AV on Mar 23, 2005 3:05:12 GMT -5
I'm not sure, but both Vantage Master 2.0 and Mona Mona are really really old games, as well as their licensing page (and their products page in english - it doesn't even list Ys6/Ys Eternal!) I don't think they're desperate since they haven't released a game in the US since 1994 (Popful Mail, Sega CD) (excluding the recently released YsVI for PS2, that is). And then again, Falcom didn't release Popful Mail nor YsVI. When I think about it, Falcom has never released a game in the US. Only third party companies such as Konami, Working Designs, and American Sammy. ....That makes Xanadu Next the FIRST Falcom game in North America/Europe.... EVER!  |
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Post by BlueLander on Mar 23, 2005 11:21:50 GMT -5
I noticed VM Japan recently came out, but that one looks a bit too fancy to port to the N-Gage. Something simple and fun like Vantage Master Online V2 would probably work better on that little screen.
Why do you think Falcom's supporting the N-Gage if not because they're desperate to reach the US market? I don't know how things are over in Europe, but over here the N-Gage is basically dead. The few stores that used to carry it no longer do, and the vast majority of gamers (who have never even touched one) consider the system a joke. Why would Falcom put out a game for such a system with such a small fanbase? Maybe it's too expensive to write for the PSP or DS, or Nintendo and Sony are too strict about what they'll approve for their systems.
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Post by ParanoiaDragon on Apr 1, 2005 1:22:53 GMT -5
The only places that still sell N-gage over here are EB, & maybe Gamestop. And I know that not EVERY EB sells them. The one at my local mall does, they have about 5-6 games there, & a couple N-gage's in a section that's about 2 x 2. It's not selling at all according to my friend Scott(the manager), I'm wondering if I should get one before it goes completely out of the US market, just to get Xanadu. I'd only pay maybe 30 bucks for one, mainly cuz I only want Xanadu.
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Post by BlueLander on Apr 3, 2005 13:27:43 GMT -5
I think only some Gamestops carry the N-Gage now. Most don't, though.
I was thinking the same thing you were, to buy one cheap while I still can. But it's nearly impossible to find a used N-Gage, and when you do it's in the $60-$70 range, which I think is too much.
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Post by Adol.Christin on Apr 4, 2005 9:42:42 GMT -5
I would advise to buy a N-GAGE for that price, if you have the money. games can be ordered over the net, but phones are rare items on the net. you get xanadu-next in a while and then later on this new falcom game... Xanadu-Next at EB-Games, click here |
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Post by catharton on Apr 13, 2005 1:49:45 GMT -5
I don't know how things are over in Europe, but over here the N-Gage is basically dead. The few stores that used to carry it no longer do, and the vast majority of gamers (who have never even touched one) consider the system a joke. Why would Falcom put out a game for such a system with such a small fanbase? Well, first off, developers nowadays don't generally get their money from sales, they get them from the fees paid to them by publishers. It's the publisher that usually gets the profits, but also takes the risk. If Nokia is willing to buy a Falcom game, Falcom (or any other developer) is probably going to do it regardless of sales. Second, the N-gage is selling a solid 100,000 a month for about a year and a half since the new QD model came out (the old model sold hardly any). There's 1.5 million people with an N-gage now, and that's definitely NOT the "least popular system in 10 years". I'd add that the actual N-gage hardware (the Series 60 Symbian smartphone) sold 10 million units last year, and if Nokia wanted they could open up the standard by including N-gage compatibility on their future Symbian smartphones which would give them a userbase bigger than the DS and PSP put together. This is why I think they used standard hardware throughout the n-gage instead of anything specialised, so they'd have this option. Third, over there in America it's stocked by Amazon, EB Games, Game Stop, Walmart... I can't visit those shops in America because I'm in Europe but I had a look at the "store availability" things on GameStop and EBGames' websites and most of their stores are carrying the games. Here in Europe you can get the N-Gage QD itself at phone shops and the games at game shops. Fourth, it's possibly going to become irrelevant whether shops carry the physical games or not, because Nokia's strongly hinted that they're going to introduce some kind of online way of buying games which would totally sidestep the retail system, either internet downloads at home or in download booths. You can already do this with Symbian Series 60 games on N-Gage... if you go to the WAP site of the MMORPG Tibia ME on your N-Gage, you can download and install the game's client straight onto your 'Gage for free: wap.tibiame.com Fifth, Nokia's putting a heck of a lot of effort into this. I was just in a special online chat a few days ago with the new head of N-Gage, Gerard Wiener (who used to be an executive at Sega America). He confirmed for the first time that they've got prototypes of a next gen N-Gage 2 which he slightly implied would be on sale by 2007, they've cut the prices of all the games, they've heavily cut the price of the QD, they've continually announced lots of ever more advanced games (including an N-Gage/PC MMO RPG called HinterWars www.hinterwars.com/ which lets PC and N-Gagers play in the same game world) and their booth at E3 is one of the largest (in their hall, only Microsoft is bigger). They're not "about to leave the US market", they wouldn't be doing all this if they were. Sixth, the N-gage is not a games console, it's a symbian smartphone. It's the same hardware you get in a Nokia 6600, and that has no n-gage games at all. It's a good device even if you ignore the games, you can run all kinds of Symbian apps and games on it, and if you install the right app you can do most of the things a PC can do. $99 is an absolute bargain for this kind of thing, even if you just used it to watch DVDs it'd be a steal. |
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Post by FM-77AV on Apr 13, 2005 3:27:59 GMT -5
Some people think the PSP is so amazing because you can watch movies on it listen to MP3s, etc, well - N-Gage can:
+ Watch actual DVDs (one movie fits on a 128MB MMC card)
+ Watch DivX, etc. movies, tv-shows, etc. (One 20 minute eposide of The Simpsons, for example, take about 20MB of space on your MMC)
+ Listen to MP3s
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Post by FM-77AV on Apr 14, 2005 4:00:05 GMT -5
And a horizontal screen too.  N-Gage's vertical screen is only good for vertical shooters, roughly said. You might want to try out some games before stating that. In almost every review, people complain about the screen. That's the reviewer's opinion of the actual N-Gage speaking (fanboys!), because it is mostly bullsh+t - a lot of games plays excellent with the screen. |
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fx
Rescoyd
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Post by fx on Apr 24, 2005 7:53:45 GMT -5
When I think about it, Falcom has never released a game in the US. Only third party companies such as Konami, Working Designs, and American Sammy. As a Sega fanboy I just had to point out that you forgot to mention Sega . Sega released Ys 1 for the SMS in the US and Europe. Probably Japan to, the SMS version is reprogrammed by Sega IIRC. |
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Post by FM-77AV on Apr 25, 2005 6:05:40 GMT -5
As a Sega fanboy I just had to point out that you forgot to mention Sega . Sega released Ys 1 for the SMS in the US and Europe. Probably Japan to, the SMS version is reprogrammed by Sega IIRC. Tonka released it in the US. Sega released it in Europe. |
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fx
Rescoyd
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Post by fx on Apr 25, 2005 9:22:32 GMT -5
Tonka released it in the US. Sega released it in Europe. Had no idea about this, and I just called myself a Sega fanboy  ... |
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N-Gage's vertical screen is only good for vertical shooters, roughly said. 
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