Persona 5’s first week sales break franchise records in Japan

2858333-p3While we have to wait until February of next year to play Persona 5, the title has already launched in Japan on September 15 and we already have the first week sales. According to media create, Persona 5 sold a total of 337,767 units on the games first week of release. Breaking it down by consoles it was released on, that means it did 264, 793 units on PlayStation 4 and only 72,974 units on PlayStation 3. Which is funny, considering that Atlus said the only reason Persona 5 appeared on PlayStation 4 was because of the SEGA buyout. Very good decision.

Here are the first week sales of all the other past Persona titles:

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You can see how it stacks with the lifetime sales of the franchise over at Persona Central’s post. It will be interesting to see if Persona 5 outsells Yakuza 6, anything can happen. For example Yakuza 0 did 236,329 units the first week, while the main entry Yakuza 5 did 356,757 copies its first week (only on PlayStation 3). Do you think Yakuza 6 will do more than 337,767 units in Japan the first week? What do you think about the growing popularity of Persona series? Let us know in the comments below.

[Via Persona Central]

Indie Dreamcast game Xenocider reveals ultra limited edition versions

XenociderLimitedEditiongThe indie Dreamcast game Xenocider opened pre-orders awhile back but now, like most indie Dreamcast games, it will allow you to pre-order various versions including:

According to the developers blog, the limited edition of these games, the two big ones being the PAL edition and the Steelbook edition will be limited print run to only 50 copies. Only 100 copies if you combined them. That is almost nothing. So if you are interested in the indie Dreamcast game Xenocider and want a ultra rare limited edition, you might want to go for the PAL or Steelbook editions.

The indie Dreamcast game Xenocider is set to release during June 2017, no exact date has been given and considering how indie development scene goes, don’t be surprised if the game is delayed. This is notable for being one of the first indie Dreamcast games to use full 3D graphics and is heavily inspired by rail shooters such as Space Harrier. You can check out their new demo for the game, for free, right here. The team has also been rather open on receiving feedback during development, that is always a positive move.

Big 75% off Sega sale at the Humble Store

sega sale at the humble store

If you’ve got a few dollars burning a hole in your bank account, then maybe this large 75% off Sega sale at the Humble store might be your ticket today. For a little over the next 24 hours, a huge amount of Sega’s digital PC catalog is on sale there.

Everything from Alpha Protocol to Valkyria Chronicles is present, as are the SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Classics Packs. If you haven’t tried it out yet, last year’s platformer Tembo the Badass Elephant is definitely worth $3.74. George reviewed it back then in the dark ages and I think his assessment still stands up today.

“Long lost” Sonic Mania Collector’s Edition infomercial released

The Sonic the Hedgehog social media team has just unearthed a long lost infomercial for the upcoming Sonic Mania Collector’s Edition! Created as an homage to the classic Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ad, the Sonic Mania Collector’s Edition ad shows off the bonus items found inside the Spring 2017 release including the statue of Sonic standing on a Genesis/Mega Drive, the metallic game code card and the game cartridge that contains a gold ring. The ad also notes that the box can hold ANY tacklebox. Keep your eyes peeled for cameos from Kazuyuki Hoshino, Takashi Iizuka (in shirt form) and Aaron Webber (congrats!).

Pre-order the Sonic Mania Collector’s Edition today, available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Platinum Games teases Bayonetta Amiibo

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Have you ever wanted a Bayonetta amiibo figure? Well, Platinum Games just teased a Bayonetta amiibo they have been working on for Bayonetta 2’s second year anniversary. This also goes with the fact that Bayonetta was also featured in Super Smash Bros Wii U & 3DS. According to Bayonetta 2 director Yusuke Hashimoto, the above picture is all they can show us due to the team still working on getting her just right.

“I’m afraid that this little taste is all I can give you right now, since we’re still working hard to get her just right. But I assure you that we’re going to capture everything you know and love about Bayonetta – every detail down to the exact sizes of her glasses and eyes – and bring you an amiibo that’ll meet your every expectation.” – Yusuke Hashimoto (Director Bayonetta 2)

What do you think about the Bayonetta amiibo and is this a character you would like to add to your growing collection? Let us know in the comments below. Bayonetta 2 came out in Japan on September 20, 2014, while everyone outside of Japan got it towards the end of October 2014. All I can say is, my body is ready for Bayonetta 3 (too soon?).

You can find two instances of Japanese text in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse

shin megami tensei iv: apocalypse japanese text

Oh no! Word has gotten out that there exists an instance in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse where you can run into the original, untouched Japanese text. The situation can occur during a late game battle only where a dialogue choice is given and if your partner is knocked out when that comes up. The chances of both requirements being met for this to occur are pretty slim, so it appears Atlus testers did not catch the text before the game was manufactured.

Atlus USA has been quick to apologize for the untranslated text and found one additional spot upon a thorough search. Of course, some people will use any opportunity to complain, and at least one GameFAQs poster has.

In a forum post titled “The game costs an extra $10 and it has no quality checking (MAJOR SPOILERS),” he posts a picture of the Japanese dialogue and berates Atlus. “Good job, Atlus. You couldn’t even bother to make sure that everything was translated.”

Usually I scoff at anyone who insists that gamers are entitled, but in this instance I think it applies well. There are huge projects exponentially larger than Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse with crazy budgets that ship with absolutely game-breaking or more horrendous bugs all of the time. This falls under a fairly benign issue that can easily be overcome by using a web search to find out what the correct English text should be.

Atlus has pledged to look into a possibility of correcting the errors somehow, whether it be possibly patching the game, changing the eShop version, or adjusting future shipments of the game in some manner. It’s also possible Nintendo will make doing any of these things nearly impossible due to their archaic systems, so I wouldn’t hold your breath for it.

I do have an easy solution to this problem in the meantime. If you don’t suck, you’ll never encounter it.

Review: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse (3DS)

shin megami tensei iv: apocalypse review

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is not quite a sequel, side story, or even an expansion to the well-received Shin Megami Tensei IV.

If you took the movie Die Hard and filmed a What If ending showcasing what could happen if Reginald VelJohnson’s character Sgt. Al Powell had infiltrated the Nakatomi Plaza instead of waiting on the sidelines, then you would find yourself in a similar situation. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse uses this What If scenario to fine-tune the gameplay from its predecessors and treat players to a very satisfying RPG for the Nintendo 3DS.

SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive Japanese game ‘Dahna: Megami Tanjou’ gets English fan translation

All the way back in the year 1991 a small developer known as Information Global Service released a action-platformer game for the SEGA Mega Drive known as Dahna: Megami Tanjou. Sadly the game never made it out of Japan, now a fan has went and translated Dahna: Megami Tanjou to English. While its nice to play the game with English text, I don’t find it a big deal considering Dahna: Megami Tanjou didn’t have much text to begin with and was fully playable in Japanese. It’s still nice of course.

Download English Patch Here

(You will need a Japanese Rom & LunarIPS)

Above you can watch 28 minutes of Dahna: Megami Tanjou gameplay and see if its for you. RetroCollects describes it as a hybrid mix between Castlevania, Rastan and Golden Axe; if those games are up your alley you should give it a go.

[Via: RetroCollect]

Yakuza 6 to be free of loading screens

Yakuza-6_2016_07-26-16_003While recently talking to IGN,  Yakuza 6 producer Toshihiro Nagoshi said he really hoped gamers would appreciate all the work that went into making the gameplay experience seamless by cutting out loading screens. This is something that the team has always struggled with, but gotten better as the series progressed. It seems that Yakuza 6 will take out those pesky loading screens (and not just hide them).

“We’ve worked hard to make this game completely seamless. You can engage in the central adventure, get into battles, watch drama scenes, and go back to the adventure, all without any loading screens. Go into any building or any room or any floor without loading.” – Toshihiro Nagoshi, Yakuza 6 Producer

Of course this is all thanks to the new Yakuza 6 engine that was built for the PlayStation 4 hardware. If you didn’t already guess it, Nagoshi claims that the power of the PlayStation 3 kept them from achieving this. I don’t know if I personally buy that, considering how there have been many open world games without noticeable loading released last generation. Yakuza 6 comes out in Japan on December 8, 2016.

SEGA announces acquisition of Technosoft’s IPs

002SEGA has announced that they have acquired Technosoft’s library of video game IPs, which makes sense since they announced earlier today that they will be adding Technosoft’s Thunder Force III to the new SEGA 3D Archives volume. Now we know that the reason for this is the fact that SEGA has acquired Technosoft’s games. But what have they made? Not too much that is overly popular these days, especially in America. I would say Thunder Force is their most well known franchise.

Some of Technosoft’s franchises:

  • Thunder Force (AGAIN!)
  • Herzog Zwei
  • Elemental Master
  • Hyper Reverthion

SEGA did say during the SEGA 3D Archives stage show that they are looking into reprinting Thunder Force IV, V and even Herzog Zwei. So now SEGA adds another lump sum of Japanese IPs to its already full belt line, what do you think of this news?

[Via: 4Gamer]

Tokyo Game Show 2016: Valkyria: Azure Revolution story trailer

Tokyo Game Show 2016 revealed a new trailer for Valkyria: Azure Revolution, the latest installment in the Valkyria franchise by Media.Vision and SEGA. This trailer focuses on the story of Valkyria: Azure Revolution, with the story being about a nation discovering a special material called Ragnite, the source of “Magic Arts” that brought many blessings to the world, creating the titular “Azure Revolution”. But this revolution would come at a cost, as the Rus Empire gains rapid industrial and societal expansion, creating a monopoly in European territories.

The only thing that can stop the Rus Empire is Jutland, a small economically blockaded country that strives for independence from the colonel rule. The trailer highlights varies characters you will encounter along the way, such as the protagonists Ophelia and Amleth, The Circle of Five (Aka Five Grand Criminals), and the Valkyria Brunhild. However no gameplay is shown.

Valkyria: Azure Revolution will release on the PS4 on January 19, 2017 in Japan.

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First footage of Space Channel 5 VR: Ukiuki Viewing Show surfaces

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Fans anticipating an engaging and entertaining game from the recent exhibition of Space Channel 5 VR: Ukiuki Viewing Show at Tokyo Game Show 2016 might want to throttle their expectations of the experience. At least for now.

This footage (from twitter user @mutedpsyborg) of a woman interacting with the VR game reveals that players simply flail their arms about while Ulala and the morolians do their thing on-screen. It’s a bit disappointing, as the HTC Vive’s controllers definitely offer the opportunity to emulate the classic Space Channel 5 experience by mimicking the game’s commands.

Perhaps this apparent marketing stunt was simply to gauge interest in the franchise currently or the possibility of a truly interactive Space Channel 5 VR game. Fan attention on social media since it’s announcement has shown there’s definitely some level of excitement about the possibility, but Sega and company need to actually deliver a compelling experience if they pursue it.

As of this time, no formal announcement has been made about the future of Space Channel 5 VR: Ukiuki Viewing Show.