First it was World War II, then zombies, and now 19th century Polish composer Frederic Chopin, with an upcoming rhythm game by Polish studio Bloober Team dedicated to the star of Namco Bandai’s Eternal Sonata. More »
One of the coolest things about the Official PlayStation Blog is when they let the people who worked on the games post their thoughts on the process. Take today’s posting by Stephanie Fernandez, the localisation producer on Namco Bandai’s Eternal Sonata for the PlayStation 3, which upon release this week will be the best damn RPG on the system (yeah, yeah). In the post she goes over some of the bigger changes in the PS3 version from a localisation perspective, exploring the new story elements and the challenges presented with recording battle voices for the two new playable characters, Crescendo and Serenade, before they actually had any footage of them fighting. Unfortunately, since we weren’t able to see the characters fighting in the game before we recorded, we had to make some guesses about the way in which lines would be used in battle situations. Sometimes we got it right, but sometimes we didn’t. So, in the end, it was necessary to edit some lines slightly. But, overall, I think it came out sounding pretty good.
In June, Namco Bandai said of the PS3 version of JRPG Eternal Sonata – currently due for release in Japan – “We have no plans to release the game on the PS3 in the US at this moment”. No plans in June, maybe, but this is July, buddy, and Namco Bandai have plans. They’ve announced that the game will indeed be getting a US release, in spring, and just like the Japanese version, will feature extra characters, extra cutscenes and (*squeal*) extra outfits. Presser’s only a click away.
Eternal Sonata’s due on the PS3 (at least in Japan) in September 2008. It was released on the 360 (at least in Japan) in June 2007. Time enough for tri-Crescendo to make the wait a little more worthwhile for PS3 owners, yes? Yes. Plenty of time. The PS3 version will feature two new playable characters, new dungeons, new quests, multiple endings (which depend on your in-game actions), new costumes, some new musical numbers and even new 2D character illustrations. That’s a lot of stuff! Maybe even enough to convince some die-hard fans to buy the thing twice. All those upgrades should feature in the Western versions as well, which will be out…sometime in the future.
New Details on Eternal Sonata’s PS3 Port [Eternal Sonata]
Timed Xbox 360 exclusive Eternal Sonata is getting a PS3 release with extra content in Japan. But what elsewhere? According to a Namco Bandai US spokesperson:
I can’t speak for any other territories, but I believe Eternal Sonata is only announced for the PS3 in Japan right now… We have no plans to release the game on the PS3 in the US at this moment.
So no plans “at this moment.” But tomorrow? The day after that? Next month? Who knows?!
Namco Bandai Eternal Sonata PS3 Japan Only [videogaming247 Thanks, nekotails!]
PlayStation 3 owners, Bandai Namco is rewarding your patience. When the PS3 version of Eternal Sonata hits sometime next year, the game will feature new playable characters. That’s right, previously non-playable Serenade and Prince Crescendo will be playable, and the PS3 version will have extra story sequences. Actually, this is pretty smart of Bandai Namco! If a game is going to be multi-platform, why not tailor each version a little? New Characters [Degenki Online via Siliconera via Destructoid] Thanks for the pic, Dtoid! More »
Just in case you missed it, yesterday Atari made available the Eternal Sonata demo on the Xbox Live Marketplace. So if you’re eager to check it out, get online and grab that sucker.
If not, then feel free to ignore it!
As a bonus, the note from Atari said the game will be out in Australia and New Zealand on November 12. More »
I will go ahead and say it right now: Eternal Sonata is the best video game about Chopin ever created. A lofty claim I know, but one I feel confident in standing behind. As a roleplaying game, however, Namco Bandai and Tri-Crescendo’s foray into the next-generation RPG could use less focus on next-generation visuals and exposition and a bit more emphasis on compelling, original gameplay. More »
There’s a little something for everyone this week from the gorgeous Eternal Sonata and the uber cute MySims to the gritty World In Conflict and action-packed Stranglehold. As I will be spending the next two weeks abroad I won’t be playing much of anything until I return but Eternal Sonata is definitely my pick for this week. Anything you’ll be picking up? More »
