Ninokuni PS3 - US release in Early 2012

Unco-ordinated

http://www.gamespot.com/events/tgs-2011/story.html?sid=6335002&pid=998014

While Japan will be getting the PS3 version of the Level-5 and Studio Ghibli RPG collaboration known as Ninokuni on November 17, no one knew whether an English version would be made. RPG fans and Studio Ghibli enthusiasts can now rejoice as Ninokuni: Shiroki Seihai no Joou (subtitled "Queen of the White Ashes") for the PS3 will be out in North America in early 2012.

During the Sony Computer Entertainment Asia press conference on September 16 held near Tokyo Game Show 2011's venue, Level-5 president Akihiro Hino mentioned during an interview panel that an English version of the game is in production right now as well as announced the above release window of the title. This PS3 version of the game starts off the same as the DS version, but the story is told differently after the game's midpoint. According to Hino, the PS3 will have additional story content that will pick off where the DS version ended.

The game will also be launched in Asian markets in Japanese. Level-5 hasn't made plans for a Chinese text version, but Hino said that if there is a huge demand for it, his company will consider it. The game will also feature downloadable content post-release, but Hino can't make an official announcement about it until a later date.

In the game, players control Oliver, a 13-year old boy who is transported into the world called Ninokuni which is a parallel reality of his own world. He is on a quest to revive his recently-deceased mother and is accompanied first by a male fairy called Shizuku. The game is an RPG, in which combat is settled in turn-based format.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aAs-vZ4rZE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGZcTvRqAlk

Magic Pink

Graphics are beautiful but little gameplay they show seems very boring. Still gonna keep my eye on this since it's still very early.

texasheat

Yea i guess i'd need to see more Gameplay footage. I mean, it's rpg so theres +10 in it's fav in my book. However, i can't tell, but it looks like you summon a little guy and he fights for you...not sure if i dig that or not....

Magic Pink

It seems very Pokemon but then I have no idea what's going on. I know some of what the DS gameplay is like but I'd rather just get the PS3 version.

Unco-ordinated

Well there's almost no chance of the DS version being localised, so there's not really much of a choice really.

As for gameplay, yeah I think Level 5 even said at one point that they wanted the series to basically be Level 5's own Pokemon. I imagine there'll still be spells in the game, though it'll probably all be in-game rather than require the enormous book.

cooljammer00

Hmm, that storyline is surprisingly morose...

Kaseius

I am so happy about this.

Maybe I'll open my JP DS copy and play it a bit or something, to celebrate.

Professor Snugglesworth

http://kotaku.com/5840918/ni-no-kunis-gameplay-footage-shows-why-this-is-tgs-best+looking-game

I think the guy playing is failing to make use of the attack commands, since it's mostly just auto-attacking shown here.

In any event, can this be a sign that JRPGs are making a comeback?

Magic Pink

Professor Snugglesworth wrote:

http://kotaku.com/5840918/ni-no-kunis-gameplay-footage-shows-why-this-is-tgs-best+looking-game

I think the guy playing is failing to make use of the attack commands, since it's mostly just auto-attacking shown here.

In any event, can this be a sign that JRPGs are making a comeback?

Comeback? I've been purchasing them very regularly since the SNES days.

Unco-ordinated

Final Fantasy XIII-2, Tales of Graces F and Ninokuni are all coming out early next year. Looks like things are finally looking up for the genre.

Edit: He's talking about this generation, seeing as they've mostly been few and far between on the consoles.

Artereis

This will have my money, oh yes it will.

Magic Pink

Unco-ordinated wrote:

Final Fantasy XIII-2, Tales of Graces F and Ninokuni are all coming out early next year. Looks like things are finally looking up for the genre.

Edit: He's talking about this generation, seeing as they've mostly been few and far between on the consoles.

Not on mine they haven't.

UncleSporky

Unco-ordinated wrote:

Well there's almost no chance of the DS version being localised, so there's not really much of a choice really.

Why is this? As opposed to localizing the PS3 version, I mean. Are you just talking about the book of magic being tough to bring over, or is there some other reason?

The top 3 results of that Facebook poll for what people want localized came out to Layton v. Phoenix, Ninokuni PS3, and Ninokuni DS. Hopefully they can still fit in the DS version.

cloudeagle

Did anyone play the DS version in Japanese? How was it?

Magic Pink

cloudeagle wrote:

Did anyone play the DS version in Japanese? How was it?

Kaseius did!

Kaseius

NOT YET!

Magic Pink

Oh, so you haven't even opened the package? Is that what you meant?

Damn, you hardcore.

Professor Snugglesworth

Unco-ordinated wrote:

Final Fantasy XIII-2, Tales of Graces F and Ninokuni are all coming out early next year. Looks like things are finally looking up for the genre.

Edit: He's talking about this generation, seeing as they've mostly been few and far between on the consoles.

That along with the dwindling faith of the genre among gamers in general.

Used to be you could talk about your favorite RPGs and get into an honest discussion among your peers. Nowadays you mention it and it's "LOL enjoy your piece of shit Japan shit with stupid Japanese plots and shitty Japanese characters you loli-fapping weeaboo."

"Also, every Final Fantasy is terrible except that one FF I kind of liked."

eobet

I've activated e-mail notifications on Play Asia for when the limited edition gold colored PS3 is released... I want it so bad... silly, but I guess I'm a sucker for Ghibli.

Zombiemambo

Studio Ghibli and Level 5 is all I need to hear to have confidence this will turn out.

Magic Pink

I used to like Level 5, Dark Cloud 1 and 2 are some of my faves, but A: everything they've done since then has ranged from barely fair to awful (yes, I played DQ8, yes I thought it was awful) and B: their stories and characters are always the height of Japanese annoying stereotypes. But I keep hoping they'll recapture that funk they had.

Valleo

Professor Snugglesworth wrote:

http://kotaku.com/5840918/ni-no-kunis-gameplay-footage-shows-why-this-is-tgs-best+looking-game

I think the guy playing is failing to make use of the attack commands, since it's mostly just auto-attacking shown here.

In any event, can this be a sign that JRPGs are making a comeback on consoles that aren't portables?

Fixed.

Plenty of JRPGs, just mostly on the DS/3DS and PSP (sadly). I'd like to see a few more I can play on my TV.

Edit: Also, this game looks pretty cool.

Xagarath

Brilliant.
I was all worried we wouldn't get this one.

Unco-ordinated

UncleSporky wrote:

Unco-ordinated wrote:

Well there's almost no chance of the DS version being localised, so there's not really much of a choice really.

Why is this? As opposed to localizing the PS3 version, I mean. Are you just talking about the book of magic being tough to bring over, or is there some other reason?

The top 3 results of that Facebook poll for what people want localized came out to Layton v. Phoenix, Ninokuni PS3, and Ninokuni DS. Hopefully they can still fit in the DS version.

It required an enormous book to play, so it just isn't a realistic choice for localisation. Plus, it didn't do well in Japan and at this point, the DS is probably a bit too far gone to launch a new IP on it.

Magic Pink wrote:

I used to like Level 5, Dark Cloud 1 and 2 are some of my faves, but A: everything they've done since then has ranged from barely fair to awful (yes, I played DQ8, yes I thought it was awful) and B: their stories and characters are always the height of Japanese annoying stereotypes. But I keep hoping they'll recapture that funk they had.

They didn't even design DQVIII or IX, they just created the art and programmed them. Armor Project were the ones that actually designed them.

I love Level 5. Professor Layton and Jeanne d'Arc are brilliant games, I've heard good things about Inazuma Eleven, Ninokuni looks awesome and Matsuno now works there. I'd agree that the stories in their 'epic' RPG's have been really basic and somewhat poor (though they suit their smaller scale projects) but I'm hoping that's something Matsuno can fix now that he's there.

Macro9

So glad to hear that this will be coming out here.

Kuratosu

Awesome, I was sure that we weren't gonna get this one.

cloudeagle

Are we going to get Ninokuni in the west? Of course not. Instead, tune your hype receptacles toward "Wrath of the White Witch":

We don't necessarily need more evidence than an official announcement, but we feel reassured to see steps being taken toward a localization of Ni no Kuni on PS3. And now any plans to extort Level-5 by sniping the trademark of its game have been foiled.

Last week, Level-5 filed a US trademark for "Ni no Kuni Wrath of the White Witch." The Japanese title of the PS3 game translates to "The Queen of Sacred White Ash." The trademark more closely resembles the PS3 game than the DS game, "The Jet-Black Mage."

Ni no Kuni is due for release in North America in "early 2012."

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/trademark-suggests-ni-no-kuni-ps3-to-be-called-wrath-of-the-whi/

Gigazombie Cybermage

I'm completed enchanted by the graphics. O.O

Kaseius

cloudeagle wrote:

Are we going to get Ninokuni in the west? Of course not. Instead, tune your hype receptacles toward "Wrath of the White Witch":

We don't necessarily need more evidence than an official announcement, but we feel reassured to see steps being taken toward a localization of Ni no Kuni on PS3. And now any plans to extort Level-5 by sniping the trademark of its game have been foiled.

Last week, Level-5 filed a US trademark for "Ni no Kuni Wrath of the White Witch." The Japanese title of the PS3 game translates to "The Queen of Sacred White Ash." The trademark more closely resembles the PS3 game than the DS game, "The Jet-Black Mage."

Ni no Kuni is due for release in North America in "early 2012."

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/03/trademark-suggests-ni-no-kuni-ps3-to-be-called-wrath-of-the-whi/

Actually, both the DS and PS3 games are called Ni no Kuni: 二ノ国

But they both have different sub-titles.

Nintendo DS version, titled Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madōshi (二ノ国 漆黒の魔導士, literally "Second Country: The Jet-Black Mage")
PlayStation 3 version, titled Ni no Kuni: Shiroki Seihai no Joō (二ノ国 白き聖灰の女王, literally "Second Country: The Queen of White Sacred Ash")

The Wolfman

You'd have to be delusional to think that the NA market would get a box with the words Ninokuni on it. It was always going to get an anglaphoned name.

Good to know what name to keep an eye on though.

Kaseius

I wouldn't expect Ni no Kuni on the box, but maybe something more like Second World/Another World/whatever and a sub-title, but I can dig Wrath of the White Witch.

cj iwakura

Rumor has it we're getting just that. And I'm okay with that.

Wrath of the White Witch is a great subtitle.

Unco-ordinated

The Wolfman wrote:

You'd have to be delusional to think that the NA market would get a box with the words Ninokuni on it. It was always going to get an anglaphoned name.

Good to know what name to keep an eye on though.

"Ni no Kuni Wrath of the White Witch" still has Ninokuni in it, Wrath of the White Witch is just the subtitle. I guess they've still got time to change the franchise name but I doubt they will (especially not to Another World, seeing as it's already associated with a classic). I don't really see what the fuss is about anyway, Onimusha's not exactly english and it did pretty well. Not to mention some of the gibberish names Square Enix come up with.

So unless Level 5 are expecting this to push Prof Layton kind of numbers, I think it should do pretty well regardless of the name.

Vegan

There are plenty of games released here with the Japanese title intact.