GamesRadar - Blue Dragon [import]

RPGLand : RPG Deals 7/5 - 7/11 (News)

Jul 8, 2009

Russ writes "Two places step up with the deals – one of them perfect for any traveling you may find yourself doing.

Best Buy is offering a 'buy 2 get 1 free' on all DS games. This is ideal for higher-priced titles like Dragon Quest V, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time. Well, it's ideal in any case, but the rewards reaped are slightly better for higher-priced items. Problem is, this deal seems to only be in-store.

Target is offering a deal on all Wii games. Buy 1 Wii game at or above $50, get a second Wii game 50% off. Target stores have a lackluster selection of Wii games, so this one might be better off used online."

Blue Dragon the next Yu-Gi-Oh ? (News)

Aug 26, 2008

TVGB: "It's great to see an original IP doing well, especially when it challenges the norm. Blue Dragon may not have been the most original RPG ever, but with a stellar team behind it - Akira Toriyama, the famed creator of Dragon Ball Z and character designer for such games as Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger (oh yeah!), Nobuo Uematsu, the composer for Final Fantasy, and Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original developer of Final Fantasy - this one managed to boost sales of the Xbox 360 in its often indifferent Japanese market."

Konami to publish Blue Dragon trading card game (News)

Jun 20, 2008

Ars Technica reports: 'Blue Dragon, despite being unable to impress most critics, has been a financial blockbuster with a number of anime and manga tie-ins. Now, Viz Media is teaming up with Konami Digital Entertainment to release a trading card game based on the Xbox 360 RPG.

While it may sound like a strange move to join forces with a company best known for developing and publishing video game series like Silent Hill and Castlevania, Konami actually has a fair degree of familiarity with trading card games, thanks to the fact that it's the company that handled Yu-Gi-Oh's incarnation as Duel Monsters."

Blue Dragon Soundtrack Now Available from Sumthing Else (News)

Mar 25, 2008

From the article: "Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing relationship with Mistwalker proudly presents Blue Dragon Original Soundtrack. The 2 disc soundtrack album is now available at US retail outlets through Nile Rodgers' Sumthing Else Music Works label www.sumthing.com and digital download service www.sumthingdigital.com and will also be released on iTunes."

Blue Dragon anime premieres this spring in the US (News)

Mar 3, 2008

And Cartoon Network gets it. Siliconera has more information.

Sakaguchi Looking at Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey Sequels (News)

Jan 30, 2008

360 Gamer writes:

"Mistwalker is looking into making sequels to Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, according to studio boss Hironobu Sakaguchi.

So Gamefront.de is reporting, the father of Final Fantasy told Famitsu Xbox 360 he is currently looking in the possibility of making sequels to Mistwalker's two 360 RPGs. However, it seems that nothing is set in stone at present."

1UP's Jump Festa 2008 Report (News)

Dec 23, 2007

1UP Staff, 12/23/2007:

"We really should hate attending the Jump Festa videogame and comic show. But the promise of Square Enix titles making their playable debut is way too much to pass up."

"At this year's event, open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, Square Enix was once again the main attraction for the videogame crowd. With the promise of playable debuts for the Final Fantasy fighting game for PSP, Final Fantasy: Dissidia, the new DS Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, and the new mobile Final Fantasy IV spinoff, Final Fantasy IV: The After."

"This year's showcase had Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XIII sandwiching short clips of the Parasite Eve mobile sequel and the Blu-ray version of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children."

In addition, Sega, Capcom, Bandai Namco, Nintendo, and Microsoft all have booths at the Jump Festa this year. 1UP's report briefly covers all of them.

Blue Dragon 2 an MMORPG? (News)

Dec 17, 2007

Blue Dragon developer Mistwalker's boss Hironobu Sakaguchi said at a recent Korean press conference: "We're in talks with Microsoft about development of a sequel. Specifics aren't finalized, but there's a possibility that it will be produced as an online title."

Blue Dragon Anime Comes to Xbox Live (News)

Nov 1, 2007

To commemorate the 11/1 release of the Platinum Collection budget version of Blue Dragon, Microsoft has announced plans to distribute the first two episodes of the anime adaptation via Xbox Live Marketplace. All Xbox Live members, both gold and silver, will be able to download the two episodes from 11/15 to 1/15 for the low, low price of nothing.

Blue Dragon continues to air every Saturday morning in the Tokyo area and was also recently released to DVD.

Third Blue Dragon DLC Named and Dated (News)

Oct 29, 2007

Since the game's release, "Blue Dragon" has been enchanting RPG fans with its classic story of adventure and excitement. As many have successfully completed the retail story arc of the game, Microsoft Games Studios, wanted to be sure everyone was aware of the multiple downloadable content packages available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

keep your eyes peeled for the third DLC pack Â¿ "Shuffled Dungeon" which will be made available on 16th November for 400 Microsoft Points.

McDonalds Luring Japanese Children Into Blue Dragon Honey Pot (News)

Oct 4, 2007

Normally, a McDonalds Happy Meal is designed to lure children to McDonalds. Cash in on a popular brand name, sell some burgers, make some kids happy. Not this one. McDonalds Japan are running Blue Dragon Happy Meals, where kids can pony up their parent's hard-earned yen in exchange for a burger, fries, drink and...Blue Dragon card.

Bioshock, Pokemon Diamond & Blue Dragon top the Spanish Charts (News)

Sep 10, 2007

Over in Spain Bioshock's worldwide success rumbles on, as does Pokemon Diamond on the DS, which claims the # 2 spot. There's also an impressive start for Microsoft's Blue Dragon which debuts at # 3, and movie license Ratatouille on DS, which charts at # 4.

American Sales: 360 Outsells PS3 while Lair & Warhawk Enter Top 10 (News)

Sep 6, 2007

Sales across the board were quite interesting this week. Compared to last week, hardware sales were up significantly, and the three current generation consoles (Wii/PS3/360) saw pretty big shakeups in their top ten software for the week:

1---Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
2---Bioshock
3---Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
4---Wii Sports
5---Madden NFL 08
6---Blue Dragon
7---Warhawk
8---Lair
9---Wii Play
10-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

-Metroid Prime 3 had a much better launch week than Metroid Prime 2 did - 314k vs. 139k. This is even more impressive considering GC had 2x as many users in November 2004 as Wii has now, and that Prime 2 launched in November, while Prime 3 launched in August. If Galaxy and Brawl show the same type of generation to generation growth (2.25x better sales), then Nintendo is going to make alot of money.

- PS3 is approaching respectable Americas (US,Canada and a bit extra) sales. If it can do 55,000-60,000 a week for a while in the Americas, the business ecosystem of PS3 will improve quite a bit - at least in the West.

Final Halo 3 preview and Halo "Zine" (News)

Sep 6, 2007

Issue 10 of 360Zine includes a final preview of Halo 3, and news of a complete magazine dedicated to Halo 3 scheduled for release on 25th Sep.

XBOX 360 Dominates PS3, Wii in Most Requested Top 10 (News)

Sep 1, 2007

XBOX 360 completely dominated the Top 10 most requested titles for the week. Both Wii and PS3 didn't even come close.

Current US Best Sellers: BioShock, Halo 3 & Metroid Prime 3 Rule the Charts (News)

Aug 28, 2007

2K Games' BioShock rules over the charts again this week while there are new best sellers on PS3, PS2 and Nintendo Wii.

1. BioShock-2K Games (Xbox 360)
2. Halo 3*-Microsoft (Xbox 360)
3. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption-Nintendo (Wii)
4. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day-Nintendo (DS)
5. Nintendo DS Lite w/ Brain Age 2-Nintendo (DS)
6. Wii Play w/ Remote-Nintendo (Wii)
7. Halo 3 Ltd. Edition*-Microsoft (Xbox 360)
8. BioShock-2K Games (PC)
9. Madden NFL 08-EA (Xbox 360)
10. Brain Age-Nintendo (DS)

Rumour: 360 price-cut to include Blue Dragon (News)

Aug 20, 2007

According to Disposable Media, Microsoft is likely to bundle a first-party title with the Elite - rumoured to be priced at £299.99 - for no extra cost. Disposable Media believes said title could well be Blue Dragon, given that it is due out in Europe on the same day. Other speculation also suggests a selection of Microsoft titles may be offered...

Blue Dragon Achievement List (News)

Aug 6, 2007

The achievement list for Blue Dragon (Xbox 360) is now circulating the net for your viewing pleasure. Without actually playing the game, there isn't a whole lot you can get out of this, but Filefront did get a sense of balance from the listed achievements. Some games seem to have achievement lists that are not so great, but this one looks diversified.

EDGE smashes Blue Dragon, Transformers and Hour of Victory in reviews (News)

Aug 1, 2007

The newest issue of the British magazine EDGE is in stores as of today and its always interesting to see which games were reviewed and what scores they got. This month some interesting titles have been reviewed, such as: Blue Dragon, Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Transformers and GRAW2 for the PS3.

Apparently EDGE didn't really like Transformers and Hour of Victory as both games got 2/10 from EDGE. The British don't really like Blue Dragon and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 as well as both games 'only' got 6/10. Zelda: Phantom Hourglass did really well as it scored 9/10. Check out all of this months reviewscores below.

Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (NDS, Nintendo): 9
Blue Dragon (Xbox 360, Microsoft): 6
Transformers (Xbox 360/PS3/Wii/PS2, Activision): 2
Odin Sphere (PS2, Atlus): 6
Ouendan 2 (NDS, Nintendo): 8
Monster Madness (Xbox 360, Southpeak): 5
Exit 2 (PSP, Taito): 7
Hour of Victory (Xbox 360, Midway): 2
Tenchu Z (Xbox 360, From Software): 6
Calling all cars (PS3, Sony): 6
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (PS3, Ubisoft): 6
More Brain Training (NDS, Nintendo): 7
Anno 1701 (NDS, Disney): 8

Blue Dragon Demo on Marketplace now (News)

Jul 11, 2007

Blue Dragon on Marketplace now just a promised by Microsoft. The game size is about 1.1 GB. Gamers will find themselves exploring and discovering the vast world of "Blue Dragon" as they assume the role of Shu, Â¿.

Rumored E3 Demos List (News)

Jul 9, 2007

Despite the early success of Fight Night Round 3 with Live Marketplace, developers still hadn't been fully sold on the whole downloadable demo idea last E3. Not the case this year, the Hedgehog's got ears on a massive list of demos that'll be landing on Live next week. Fore sure are Ace Combat 6, Blue Dragon, and Mercenaries 2, quite possible are Devil May Cry 4, Tom Clancy's Endwar, and Halo 3 single player demo!!!

Also expect a massive bevy of new games for the Wii to appear at the show; including new ones from Sega, Capcom, and Konami. I guess having no obvious competition in Japan has those developers hifting priorities. Oh dear oh dear, poor Sony! They need big franchises like MGS and FF to hit the PS3 so people will buy them.

Problem is a new rumor states that Square-Enix is actually holding back FFXII until the PS3's install base reaches a more profitable level, classic Catch 22! Finally Ubisoft will be showing off a new Prince of Persia title in limited form next week. Expect to be mesmerized all over again!

Xbox 360: Blue Dragon Demo Release Date (News)

Jul 4, 2007

Reports from Japan suggest that a demo of Sakagutchi-san's Xbox 360 based RPG will be released in a couple of weeks time...

It's already the most popular Xbox 360 titles ever in Japan, but it seems that Microsoft isn't letting expectations drops ahead Blue Dragon's release in the West this August. In a report from Japan's Famitsu, an "International Demo" of Hironobu Sakaguchi's RPG will be released over Xbox Live Marketplace from July 20th.

Blue Dragon 24 august in Europe (News)

Jun 28, 2007

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the highly anticipated role-playing game (RPG) "Blue Dragon" will go on sale throughout Europe on 24th August for the estimated retail price of £44.99. Rated 12+ "Blue Dragon" will usher in the next generation of RPG exclusively on the Xbox 360, with a combination of realistic environments, anime-styled characters, unique battles and a deep, compelling storyline.

Blue Dragon Coming To US August 28th (News)

Jun 28, 2007

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the highly anticipated role-playing game (RPG) "Blue Dragon" will ship to retailers throughout North America on August 28 for the estimated retail price of $59.99.

The Xbox 360 Games of Summer 2007 (News)

Jun 23, 2007

IGN:

Summer is said to be the worst time for gamers. The "summer drought," however, is a myth. Eyeballing the release calendar for summer (June 21-September 21) shows that there are several dozen games bound for stores in the next few months. And better still, many of these are quality titles. Don't expect to save your pennies this year -- summer is going to be big on Xbox 360. Just take a peek at our list of some of the biggest games on the horizon.

Blue Dragon Campaign Wins Cannes Ad Award at Japan (News)

Jun 21, 2007

Gamerscore doesn't get into the nuts and bolts of marketing, especially when it comes to things like awards, but this one is pretty cool.

They just learned that the Xbox team in Japan won a Gold Lion for the Blue Dragon 'Big Shadow' outdoor advertising at the Cannes Advertising Awards. This is one of the most prestigious award shows in advertising, so they're pretty proud of the team's creativity.

Blue Dragon And Bioshock Given ESRB Rating (News)

Jun 16, 2007

"...The game has been rated "T" for Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes. I suppose Hee Haw would be slapped with a "T" as well for that sort of content..."

Follow the link to read more.

English-subtitled Blue Dragon released in Asia (News)

May 24, 2007

Microsoft has released a version of Blue Dragon with English subtitles ... in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore. That's not exactly helpful for US and European Xbox 360 owners who are yearning for the role-playing game from Mistwalker.

According to Siliconera, this release of the game features Japanese and Korean voice acting alongside English and Chinese subtitles. And though you might be thinking of importing the title, Joystiq should warn you that it's region locked, requiring a console from the area. They're not quite sure how Microsoft has defined (and subsequently locked) the regions, but Siliconera suggests that a Japanese Xbox 360 would work.

If you can wait, Blue Dragon will arrive in August for the US and September for Europe.

Blue Dragon 2 going online? (News)

Apr 24, 2007

Mistwalker president and Blue Dragon producer Hironobu Sakaguchi expressed interest in online RPGs back at the Game Developers Conference. It appears that he decided to get a bit more specific on the matter at a press conference held today in South Korea in anticipation of Blue Dragon's 5/24 Hangul release.

According to Japan's Gpara.com, Sakaguchi had this to say when asked about a sequel to Blue Dragon: "We're in talks with Microsoft about development of a sequel. Specifics aren't finalized, but there's a possibility that it will be produced as an online title."

Blue Dragon Content Download (News)

Apr 19, 2007

During the Blue Dragon meeting at GDC it was revealed that the first downloadable content for the game was going to be a random dungeon creator. Today, Microsoft announced that this content update would be ready to go live on April 27th. The download will cost 300 Microsoft points, which is $3.75.

A Good Summer for 360 Owners (News)

Apr 17, 2007

May through August are normally not a strong months for game releases. Well, it looks like that won't be the case this year for Xbox 360 owners.

Startinging in May, a number of anticipated games will be hitting shelves. Hit the jump for titles and dates.

Blue Dragon anime heads west (News)

Apr 17, 2007

If you're a bizarre anime-type, you'll be delighted to hear that San Francisco-based manga op Viz Media has acquired the rights to bring the Blue Dragon anime to North America and Europe. The license includes television, home video and non-videogame rights to the series that's just begun airing in The Land of The Rising Sun, and follows the story of young Shu who protects his land with the aid of his big navy ...

Blue Dragon anime series gets licensed (News)

Apr 17, 2007

Akira Toriyama's anime series just made its debut in Japan on April 7, 2007 and a few days later Viz Media announces that they've picked up the rights to the anime and manga. Both will be released in North America and Europe, but a date has not been set. There is something else interesting in the Blue Dragon announcement, a potential release date for the Xbox 360. While there have been rumors about Blue Dragon possibly being bumped up, Viz Media says Microsoft plans to release the game in North America and Europe in August 2007.

Rumor: Blue Dragon gets dated - 22nd May 2007 (News)

Apr 16, 2007

That's right, this blog header pretty much says it all! Xbox 360 owners in Singapore as well as other westernized countries can soon look forward to playing Sakaguchi's newest RPG masterpiece come May 22nd.

CVG Interviews: Hironobu Sakaguchi (News)

Mar 26, 2007

CVG had the opportunity to interview Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. Check out his thoughts on how he'll try to top the world famous series:

Credited as the creator of Final Fantasy, which every stat-loving gamer has surely sampled in one form or another, Sakaguchi is now shaping a new series of RPGs under the label of his new non-Square studio, Mistwalker.

CVG recently caught up with the man to discuss the recently-announced English version of his stellar Xbox 360 offering Blue Dragon as well as Lost Odyssey.

7 for '07 - Xbox 360 (News)

Mar 26, 2007

"At this point, there's little doubt that the PlayStation 2 was the clear winner of the last generation, beating out long-time champion Nintendo's GameCube and newcomer Microsoft's Xbox for the title. However, as we all know Microsoft is not a company to be easily deterred, and with their latest console, they look to claim the throne for themselves this time. Key to that plan, the Xbox 360 got a head start, plunging into the market a year before the other two consoles when all was said and done (the PS3, as you might remember, suffered delays, missing its mid-year launch in 2006). That fact alone, being the first next-gen console available to consumers, certainly seems to have helped the system, as even with only a handful of truly must-have games, it still managed to sell nearly ten million units last year.

However, now that the PS3 and Wii are both out on the market, this competition is really going to start heating up, and you better believe Microsoft is bringing it's "A" game. In the PS3 section of this feature, we extol some of the games heading to Sony's newest, but as great as those look, they are matched closely by the second wave of Xbox 360 titles. We got our first glimpse of this with the action shooter Gears of War late last year, followed shortly by the superhero sandbox title Crackdown, and soon we'll be strumming along in a port of the PS2 hit Guitar Hero II...and neither of the latter two games (Gears of War wasn't eligible of course) even made it on our list!"

Click for more

Blue Dragon demo this summer (News)

Mar 17, 2007

GS: Will we see a playable demo on Xbox Live Marketplace?
HS: [in English] Yeah, we are making a playable demo--maybe for June or July.

European Blue Dragon release date announced (News)

Mar 7, 2007

Yesterday we learned that Blue Dragon will hit the American stores somewhere in august this year. Today Blue Dragon developer Mistwalker announced the European releasedate of the game. Europe will have to wait a little longer, the game is set for a release in september, a month later. The game will be released in five different languages, which is also the reason for the small delay.

Blue Dragon sold over 150.000 times in Japan (News)

Mar 1, 2007

Microsoft is having a hard time with its Xbox 360 in Japan. One of the small success numbers so far is Blue Dragon. Today the Japanese games magazine Famitsu announced that the game has sold over 150.000 copies in the land of the rising sun. With these figures, more than half of the Japanese Xbox 360 owners have bought the game.

The game is available in Japan since december, 7th. Blue Dragon is set for a release in Europa and US sometime this year, probably around the summer.

Blue Dragon [import] (Review)

Feb 14, 2007

Here we are, then - the first proper Japanese RPG to hit 360. While weve had Enchanted Arms (neat and quirky, but hardly an epic, and so obviously an early stab at 360 role-playing) and some other small-fry Japanese outings that will never reach these shores, Blue Dragon is the first aiming to be in a similar league to Final Fantasy: a gargantuan game world, enough cut-scenes to spend an entire afternoon watching and grand boss fights that arrive on an almost hourly schedule. Oh, and its ...

Cry On info + Famitsu 360 news (News)

Jan 28, 2007

Rough Translation (Sakaguchi Interview) from forum:
Blue Dragon has sold over 135,000 copies as of late.
Some rough translations of Sakaguchi part.

Blue Dragon

* It's "impressive" BD sold over 150k, considering 300k install base in japan
* he expected about 100k. though its sales is much slower, now he thinks it will be up to 200k around for LTD.
* He jokes that BD6 may be a 1m seller.

* DLC for shmup part, for those who find it difficult.
* DLC that enable to begin 2nd loop with 1st loop status.
* More to come.

* Now porting BD for other regions.
* 8 languages (English Chinese(2) Korean Spanish French German Italian)
* It will be not only subbed but totally dubbed. (some may depressed? heh)

Cry-On

* You'll see some of actual screenie in the near future.
* Manabu Kusunoki (Panzer Dragoon) is now assumed as main designer.
* Some of art design has been changed since last announcement.

Future Titles

* A.S.H will be come first, then Lost Odyssey and Cry-On.
* If there will be green light, he want to make BD sequel after these titles.

June: Will it be Blue Dragon "western" release date? (News)

Jan 22, 2007

The news contained in the title seems pretty likely as GameStop, famous American chain of game-shops, "has forecast" that Blue Dragon will hit the American market on the next 5th of June.

In fact, the new and first Mistwalker game, already available in Japan (since the beginning of December), has been inserted in the catalogue near the said date, which is also very near to the one of Bioshock, another exclusive and eagerly awaited title for the Xbox 360.

As usual, Microsoft has not commented the rumour saying that currently the game has no decided date.

It seems we'll have to wait...

Downloadable content for Blue Dragon coming in january (News)

Dec 29, 2006

In their latest edition, the Japanese games magazine Famitsu mentiones that the first additional downloadable content for Blue Dragon will be available in January. This has been told by Mistwalker's Kensuke Tanaka.

More details about the content are currently unknown, it is also unclear if the content will be available for free. So we'll just have to wait for that.

PS3, Wii have best week of sales since launch in Japan (News)

Dec 28, 2006

The PS3 and Wii have been posting some impressive numbers lately. According to figures from Media Create Co. Ltd, Sales of both the PS3 and Wii consoles in Japan jumped during the second week of December thanks to greater supplies of the consoles from their respective manufacturers.

The Wii was the best-selling console for the week with 108,237 units. Sony's PS3 came in second with 70,942 units and Microsoft's Xbox 360 came in third at 17,168 units. With the exception of the launch weeks, these are the best weekly figures posted by the new PS3 and Wii consoles yet.

While the Xbox 60 is still lagging behind the hometown consoles, the sheer power of Blue Dragon bumped up sales of the Microsoft console, with current sales being well above those recorded in November. Over the week spanning December 4 to 10, over 35,000 Xbox 360 consoles were sold

Lost Planet sells 20.000 copies in Japan on first day (News)

Dec 22, 2006

Since yesterday another high-anticipated game has hit the Japanese stores; Lost Planet. Today the first salesfigures have been revealed, saying that the game sold a little more than 20.000 copies on the first day.

Although it is absolutely no bad result for a first day, it just seems that Microsoft can't do anything good in the Japanese eyes. Despite games such as DOAX2, Blue Dragon and Lost Planet being released in the same month, sales figures are still below average.

(Japan) Blue Dragon Effect ... 360 Sells 35k Units in 1 Week (News)

Dec 15, 2006

The new M-Create numbers are in for the week of December 4th - 10th. The Xbox360 reached a new record in the land of the rising sun, moving a 'wh0pping' (at least for Microsoft) 35343 units! If I didn't make any errors this brings the total amount of 360s sold since launch to ~213k (vs. already ~238k PS3s) in Japan.

Blue Dragon itself ended on the 4th place in the Japanese software ranking with 80348 copies of the game (released on dec 7th) sold in 4 days.

While selling over 35k units in 1 weeks is a real nice performance for the 360 over there (Microsoft usually sells only a few 1000s a week), it's still a pale figure compared to Wii's 85439 units and PS3's 50171 units ... both probably limited by available stock.

Console Monster Podcast #2 Now Online (News)

Dec 11, 2006

The second Console Monster podcast is now online for your listening pleasure. In this episode, James, Barrie and Steve discuss everything from the new Halo 3 Commercial and our very own beta competition, the new Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive, Xbox 360 vs Wii vs PS3, Blue Dragon and much much more.

Blue Dragon moves some Xbox 360 hardware (News)

Dec 11, 2006

Blue Dragon is Microsoft's attempt to truly break into the Japanese console market. The Blue Dragon launch can be billed the REAL Xbox 360 launch day in Japan; at least, Microsoft hopes it is.

According to a confusing machine translation from GameSpot China, the Xbox 360 sold either 27,000 or 70,000 units to accommodate the release of Blue Dragon. If 70,000 is the correct number, an additional 43,000 units of Blue Dragon sold (which is the bulk of the Japanese owners who previously purchased an Xbox 360). In either case, this is certainly a nice boost for Microsoft.

If the 70,000 is the correct version of the translation, it would certainly be odd to see the Xbox 360 sitting at a solid #3 on Japan's weekly sales chart. Microsoft hopes to sell 200,000 copies of Blue Dragon in Japan, which means Microsoft hopes to have around 200,000 Xbox 360 units in Japanese households. While not impressive from the standpoint of, say, the DS -- Nintendo sells that many in two weeks -- Microsoft should enjoy the sales boost and the publicity that goes along with it.

Blue Dragon Welcomed Warmly in Japan (News)

Dec 11, 2006

Microsoft hasn't done a lot of things right in the eyes of the Japanese. Winning over one of the largest gaming markets in the world has been a muddy uphill struggle for the software giant, but that hasn't stopped MS from putting forth a lot of effort in trying. Well, Microsoft's hard work has finally paid off in the form of Blue Dragon, one of the few highly acclaimed games for the Xbox 360 in Japan.

In a press release issued recently by Microsoft's PR agency, it was announced that Blue Dragon has taken some affinity with Japanese consumers and the Japanese media, alike. Kick-starting the launch of Blue Dragon at one of the largest retail outlets in Japan, the Yodobashi Camera Akiba, more than 200 gamers were on hand awaiting the release of the highly anticipated Xbox 360 RPG, Blue Dragon.

On hand at the Yodobashi retail store to unveil the launch of Blue Dragon, was renown model (and gamer) Yoko Horiuchi. She happens to be a fan of the game's artist, Akira Toriyama. Being the first of a two-part epic tale specific for the Xbox 360, Blue Dragon was designed by Square-Enix's Hironobu Sakaguchi. The game follows a young boy as he journeys through a sizable adventure as he masters his "Dragon Shadow". Though it's released in Japan, American gamers need not envy their Eastern gaming counter-parts. The North-American release of Blue Dragon is scheduled to hit retailer shelves sometime in 2007.

Blue Dragon sells over 40.000 copies on first day (News)

Dec 8, 2006

Yesterday Blue Dragon came into the Japanese stores and on the first day the game sold more than 40.000 copies in Japan.

There was also a Blue Dragon Xbox 360 Premium Pack which included the game and a faceplate. Official sales figures are expected after the weekend.

Japan Lines Up For... Blue Dragon & XBOX 360!? (News)

Dec 7, 2006

Photos of gamers standing in line to buy the XBox 360 Blue Dragon bundle. It's like having two launch days instead of one.

Blue Dragon Arrives (News)

Dec 6, 2006

A look at the packaging, and some early impressions.

The Xbox brand's biggest Japanese title ever is about to hit Japanese retail in a little over 12 hours from the time of this story's publication. But seeing as how Blue Dragon has been in my top five most wanted list since its announcement, I decided to head out to a secret shop located in some secret location in the heart of the Tokyo wilderness. At this gamers' haven, games are unofficially sold one or two days in advance of their official release. IGN's Anoop Gantayat walked -- no, skipped -- home with a copy of the Xbox 360's first big-name Japanese RPG.

Microsoft aims to sell 200.000 Blue Dragon copies in Japan (News)

Dec 6, 2006

Japanese retail sources currently say Microsoft has aimed at selling 200.000 Blue Dragon copies in Japan. This is remarkable, because the Xbox 360 itself hasn't even sold that many times yet.

But Blue Dragon should be the start of the big Xbox 360 success in Japan. The game will be in Japanese stores tomorrow.

Blue Dragon countdown website launched (News)

Dec 5, 2006

Japanese gamers can start counting down until the release of Blue Dragon on december 7th. Mistwalker today opened a special countdown website for unpatient that want to check every minute how long they will have to wait. Will Blue Dragon finally make the Xbox 360 successful in Japan? Only two days until we know, and counting...

Blue Dragon Gets Off To A Blistering Start (News)

Dec 1, 2006

You have more chance selling your left lung in Japan than an Xbox 360 at the minute, Microsofts next-gen console simply will not move, but the 360's fortunes maybe about to change if Famitsu magazine are anything to go by...

Why Blue Dragon is one of the most important games of 2006 (News)

Nov 30, 2006

Look at it however you will Â¿ an answer to the Playstation 3's biggest exclusive, Final Fantasy, the title that Microsoft need to break Japan or even the first multi-disk Xbox 360 game, Blue Dragon is undoubtedly very important to Microsoft's Xbox 360. But just how much can it the title change the next-gen of gaming?

Blue Dragon scores first 10 in Japan (News)

Nov 29, 2006

With a little more than 1 week to go, Microsoft must be really excited about the Japanese launch of Blue Dragon. Can it permanently push the Xbox 360 sales forward? The first review by the a Japanese gamemagazine is hopeful, giving the game three times a 9 and one 10. (they rate with four different people)

Famitsu rates the new Xbox 360 games (News)

Nov 28, 2006

A new edition of the popular Japanese magazine Famitsu has hit the stores, and of course it contains some new reviews. They are actually very optimistic about DOA Xtreme 2 (9,9,8,9), which received average rates in Europe and US.

Also Lost Planet does really well (9,9,8,8) and they reviewed some other games as well, check it out. Nope, no Blue Dragon yet =(

Blue Dragon 2nd Place in Famitsu Japan! (News)

Nov 27, 2006

Thought being 3rd place was already incredible news for an Xbox 360 game in Japan? Think Again.

Continuing its firm walk to the first place, Blue Dragon has just climbed up one more position leaving behind Wii's Zelda, PS3's Metal Gear Solid 4 and most recently the almighty (multiplatform?) Resident Evil 5 aka. Biohazard 5.

Blue Dragon to Ship on 3 DVDs (News)

Nov 22, 2006

Microsoft's stubborn approach to HD-DVD games might settle those not willing to splash out on another peripheral just to play games, but that shouldn't mean that the games that spill onto more than one DVD shouldn't also appear on HD-DVD, surely?

Mistwalker's much anticipated Blue Dragon comes on 3, and whilst that obviously won't mean lots of swapping (come on, surely it's split into three acts or something) it's still a call for a large media solution...

Blue Dragon 2 Confirmed (News)

Nov 21, 2006

Speaking with renowned Japanese publication Famitsu, Mistwalker's Hironubo Sakaguchi has confirmed that development on a sequel to the upcoming Xbox 360 RPG, Blue Dragon, is already underway. He also used the article to confirm development on another title, called Cry On - an action RPG to be released in the second half of 2007.

Blue Dragon Surpassed MGS4 and Zelda in Japanese Famitsu Top 10! (News)

Nov 14, 2006

Yes, you've read it right. In the top 10 poll of the most popular magazine in Japan, Famitsu, Xbox 360's RPG Blue Dragon has just managed its way up to the 3rd most anticipated game in this country, surprisingly leaving behind titanic titles in the region like Metal Gear Solid 4 and The Legend Of Zelda.

This is the first time ever that an Xbox or Xbox 360 game reaches such high levels of anticipation in the land of the rising sun. Big names like Sakaguchi, Toriyama and Uematsu and the massive advertising in Japan are undoubtedly the causes behind this achievement some would call a miracle.
1. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Square Enix)
2. Resident Evil 5 (PS3, Capcom)
3. Blue Dragon (Xbox 360, Microsoft)
4. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3, Konami)
5. Summon Night 4 (PS2, Banpresto)
6. The Legend of Zelda : Twilight Princess (Wii, Nintendo)
7. Yakuza 2 (PS2, Sega)
8. Dawn of Mana (PS2, Square Enix)
9. Super Robot Taisen : Original Generations (PS2, Banpresto)
10. Tales of Destiny (PS2, Bandai Namco)
11. Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA, Square Enix)
12. Higurashi no Naku Kei ni Matsuri (Alchemist, NDS)
13. Gyakutensaiban 4 (NDS, Capcom)
14. Furai no Syren (NDS, Sega)
15. Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Xbox 360, Tecmo)
16. Monster Hunter Portable 2 (PSP, Capcom)
17. Dragon Quest Monsters J (NDS, Square Enix)
18. Monster Hunter 3 (PS3, Capcom)
19. The Legend of Zelda : Phantom Hourglass (NDS, Nintendo)
20. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, Nintendo)

Blue Dragon comes with free stickers & mousepad (News)

Nov 10, 2006

Microsoft has a nice surprise for Japanese gamers that pre-order the Xbox 360 game Blue Dragon (release december 7th in Japan - USA/EU unknown) - they will get a free Blue Dragon mousepad and some Blue Dragon stickers to pimp their Xbox 360 console.

Blue Dragon Achievements Revealed (News)

Nov 7, 2006

Achieve360Points.com finally discovers the achievements for the highly anticipated JRPG Blue Dragon - but they're all in Japanese! RPGSite translates.

Lost Odyssey Demo Impressions (News)

Nov 1, 2006

Japan got a sneak peek at the future of Xbox 360 RPG gaming this past week with the home release of the Tokyo Game Show Lost Odyssey demo. Bundled with the latest issue of Famitsu (something that had to cost Microsoft a ton of cash considering the magazine sells over 700,000 copies each week), the demo lets players experience the first half hour or so of Mistwalker's next title after Blue Dragon.

Blue Dragon and Super Robot Wars XO Media Update (News)

Oct 31, 2006

The latest issue of legendary gaming magazine Famitsu offers a look at the Xbox 360 and some choice games that are set to come out in the near future. Among those were Blue Dragon and the latest in the SRW franchise, Super Robot Wars XO (or as it's known in Japan, Super Robot Taisen XO).

Six pages of scans inside.

Blue Dragon in Shonen Jump (News)

Oct 21, 2006

The famous magazine Shonen Jump had the privilege of doing a big unveiling on Blue Dragon this week. Considering who the character designer is, it makes sense.

Blue Dragon helps boost 360 in Japan (News)

Oct 19, 2006

Let no one doubt the power a popular anime artist and a popular RPG developer can have on a system's success in Japan. 1up is reporting that pre-orders for the 10,000 limited edition Blue Dragon Xbox 360 bundles are selling briskly, with some retailers running out of stock within minutes. This is the same console that barely sold 2,000 units in the country last week, making the healthy interest all the more surprising.

Is this sales surge a temporary blip due to a collectible bundle, or will Microsoft be able to parlay the interest into a sustainable market share in the country? Either way, we'd advise Microsoft that a boob-filled bundle for Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 couldn't hurt in the land of the giant huggable Kasumi pillow.

Japan Retailers Report Xbox 360 Spike (News)

Oct 19, 2006

Xbox 360 is suddenly lighting up retail tills in Japan. Pre-orders began for the company's Blue Dragon bundle yesterday with many retailers reporting a sell-out

Blue Dragon in Shonen Jump (News)

Oct 15, 2006

The famous magazine Shonen Jump had the privilege of doing a big unveiling on Blue Dragon this week. Considering who the character designer is, it makes sense. A japanese friend sent me these two low quality cell phone photos showing a bit of the game. It will have to do until we get some true scans.

Microsoft's Japan-only Blue Dragon bundle (News)

Oct 8, 2006

Microsoft has put together this sweet, Japan-only Blue Dragon bundle that probably ain't gonna do much to enhance the company's bottom line (read: it's likely subsidized), but will (they hope) juice the 360's pitiable sales in that country.

TGS06: Blue Dragon direct feed trailer (News)

Oct 8, 2006

The official Blue Dragon page has been put online a few hours ago, with nothing really new to see unfortunately. But since a 720p version of the TGS trailer was available there, I've decided to put it here as the one I captured from the Marketplace wasn't perfect.

Official website Blue Dragon launched (News)

Oct 8, 2006

Mistwalkers first game for the XBOX 360 got it's own website. Blue Dragon will become one ot the most anticipated Japanese RPG's.

The game will be released this year, just in time for Christmas and sales in Japan.

Survey says: Japanese developers rate the next-gen consoles (News)

Oct 6, 2006

What do Japanese game developers think about the next-gen consoles? Famitsu Mag took it upon themselves to ask 58 game developers (directors, programmers and designers) from 19 game companies about next-gen consoles and here are the results...

Which next-gen console will send cash registers ringing:
* Wii (60%)
* PS3 (37%)
* Xbox 360's (3%)

Which system they prefer for game development:
* Wii (63%)
* PS3 (32%)
* Xbox 360s (5%)

Which next-gen console they want for Christmas:
* Wii (49%)
* PS3 (42%)
* Xbox 360 (9%)

Most anticipated PS3's games:
* Metal Gear Solid 4 (12 votes)
* Final Fantasy XIII (10 votes)
* The Eye of Judgment (7 votes)
* Afrika (6 votes)
* Heavenly Sword (4 votes).
* Runners up: Bladestorm, Gran Turismo HD, Lair and Resistance: Fall of Man

Most anticipated Xbox360 games:
* Blue Dragon (18 votes)
* Lost Odyssey (14 votes)
* Culdecept Saga (8 votes)
* Dead Rising (4 votes)
* Gundam Operation Troy (4 votes).
* Runners up: Lost Planet, Gears of War, Riot Act and Idol Master
Most anticipated Wii games:
* The Legend of Zelda (26 votes)
* Super Mario Galaxy (8 votes)
* Wii Sports (5 votes)
* Animal Crossing (3 votes)
* Smash Brothers X (3 votes)
* Runners up: WarioWare, Fire Emblem, Sonic and the Secret Rings and Elebits

What they expect from PS3:
* Extremely high expectations (48%)
* High expectations (32%)
* Don't expect much (18%)

What they expect from Xbox 360:
* Not expecting much (45%)
* High expectations (40%)
* Extremely high expectations (13%)

What they expect from Wii:
* Extremely high...

Sakaguchi talks Blue Dragon (News)

Oct 2, 2006

Japanese Gaming Mag Famitsu interviews Hironobu Sakaguchi, who reveals some interesting bits of information about Blue Dragon gameplay...

360 to crack Japan - Xbox boss (News)

Sep 27, 2006

With PlayStation 3 looming, its performance so far has hardly been auspicious - but Xbox Japan boss Takashi Sensui believes that Microsoft's efforts with 360 in the Far East will finally come to fruition this holiday.

While the bulk of media and consumer attention at last week's Tokyo Game Show was focused on an overwhelmed Sony stand, Sensui insisted that his struggling platform was finally receiving the content to match the value proposition to turn around Microsoft's fortunes in a territory which has thus far largely shrugged at a console the West has embraced.

"Japanese consumers are somewhat reluctant to take in new brands, particularly if the brand has come from outside Japan," Sensui told GamesIndustry.biz in an exclusive interview during last week's event.

"We've been here for several years now and we've launched a new campaign this summer for 360. The response has been very positive - people now feel they're very close to 360, that it's more relevant to their lives and particularly for gamers that Xbox 360 is the best platform there is."

Key to Microsoft's optimism this holiday is a triumvirate of 360-exclusive titles, spearheaded by Mistwalker's hotly-tipped RPG Blue Dragon and including Capcom's Lost Planet and Tecmo's Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2.

Blue Dragon Fact Sheet (News)

Sep 25, 2006

Famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker game studio and developer Artoon present the highly anticipated Xbox 360-exclusive "Blue Dragon." Featuring the character design of Akira Toriyama, who designed "Dragon Ball Z," and music by Nobuo Uematsu, the composer for "Final Fantasy," "Blue Dragon" is an epic role-playing game (RPG) centered on a young boy named Shu and several of his friends. These unlikely heroes possess miraculous strength and magical power to control phantom shadows that mirror the actions of their masters.

TGS 2006 huge lines for 360 RPGs (News)

Sep 24, 2006

Whether or not these games actually make a difference for Microsoft remains to be seen, but if the huge interest in Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon by TGS show goers is any indication, 360 may just have a chance in Japan

Blue Dragon Release Date (News)

Sep 22, 2006

Touching down on Japanese shores on December 7th - just in time for Christmas.

OPINION: Sensui's Smartest Move? (News)

Sep 21, 2006

Microsoft's Japanese Blue Dragon pack-in has received little press attention. Yet it's a smart and bold hardware move, right up there with the U.S. Wii bundle. Next-Gen applauds Microsoft's strategy in targeting a particularly valuable audienceÂ¿

Xbox 360 Media Briefing Wrapup (News)

Sep 21, 2006

In anticipation of the nearing Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft held a press conference today to discuss their new marketing strategy in Japan, announce new games and hardware packages, and finally give everyone a glimpse at gameplay from Mistwalker's Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey. Read on for a breakdown of the event and plenty of photos and video.

TGS 2006: Microsoft's Game List (News)

Sep 20, 2006

Microsoft has been keeping gamers in the dark on its Tokyo Game Show plans for the Xbox 360, but following the end of its pre-show press conference today, it was at last willing to speak. It turns out that the Microsoft booth will be full of titles, with everything from Riot Act to Blue Dragon appearing in playable form.

Opinion: Microsoft's High Hopes In Japan (News)

Sep 20, 2006

If the Xbox 360 Media Briefing, held in the Cerulean Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya earlier today and covered in detail elsewhere, could be termed anything, it would be 'hopeful'. The 90 minute briefing, helmed both by Takashi Sensui, General Manager of Xbox Japan, and in parts by an ever-ebullient Peter Moore, was intended to show that it was business as usual in terms of Microsoft's Japanese strategy.

And, in many ways, the company's admirable intent is still in place - but the results are starting to show, and it simply hasn't worked so far. Peter Moore made a point to stress, more than once, the 10 million Xbox 360 owners that the company expects to be in place by the end of this holiday season. But the unspoken elephant in the room is that only perhaps 250,000 of those (if Microsoft's value for money Core price point and Blue Dragon bundle deals start seeing fruit) will be purchased in Japan.

TOKYO: Blue Dragon Leads Xbox 360 Charge (News)

Sep 20, 2006

Microsoft's Japanese boss Takashi Sensui has been outlining the company's plans for Xbox 360 at a pre-TGS conference, offering the core system with Blue Dragon as a pack-in.

Microsoft plans X360 Media Briefing (News)

Sep 4, 2006

Microsoft plans its short briefing before the official opening of TGS. Many things are expected to be announced, especially strategies to stay competitive in Japan where the 360 struggles, also with details on Blue Dragon...

Blue Dragon Still On Track for 2006! (News)

Aug 30, 2006

A lack of media and info has caused some to speculate that Blue Dragon, Microsoft's big Xbox 360 Japanese RPG, would be hit with a delay past its target Japanese release of 2006. That won't be the case, according to Microsoft's big man in Japan, Takashi Sensui. Speaking with Famitsu Xbox 360, Sensui said, "Blue Dragon will without question be released this year."

Famitsu Most Wanted (top 20) (News)

Aug 14, 2006

1. Final Fantasy III (NDS, Square Enix)
2. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Square Enix)
3. Resident Evil 5 (PS3, Capcom)
4. Metal Gear Solid 4 : Guns of the Patriots (PS3, Konami)
5. Summon Night 4 (PS2, Banpresto)
6. Pokémon Diamond & Pearl (NDS, Nintendo)
7. Super Robot Taisen: Original Generations (PS2, Banpresto)
8. Blue Dragon (Xbox 360, Microsoft)
9. Seiken Densetsu 4 (PS2, Square Enix)
10. Utaware Rumono (PS2, Aquaplus)

Famitsu's Most Wanted Games in Japan (News)

Aug 2, 2006

Famitsu has recently published its list of most wanted games in Japan. Unsurprisingly, the Final Fantasy franchise is still going strong, with Final Fantasy III edging out Final Fantasy XIII for the top spot. Here's the top ten list:

1. Final Fantasy III (Nintendo DS/Enix Public garden) (-)
2. Final Fantasy XIII (Playstation 3/Enix Public garden) (-)
3. Biohazard 5 (Playstation 3/Capcom) (-)
4. Metal Gear Solid 4 (Playstation 3/Konami) (-)
5. Kamaitachi No Yoru 3 (Playstation 2/Sega) (-)
6. Blue Dragon (Xbox 360/Microsoft) (+ 2)
7. Seiken Densetsu 4 (Playstation 2/Enix Public garden) (-)
8. Sengoku Basara 2 (Playstation 2/Capcom) (+ 2)
9. Summon Night 4 (Playstation 2/Banpresto) (-4)
10. Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Nintendo DS/Capcom) (+3)

The State of RPGs: Xbox 360 (News)

Jul 7, 2006

Telling your friends you just bought an Xbox 360 wouldn't exactly indicate you'd just bought a machine with an RPG rich catalogue. As of right now, there's only one RPG available on the system, Bethesda's excellent The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and one MMORPG, Square's Final Fantasy XI. However, over the next few years the perception of the Xbox 360 is certain to change. Though not all are high-profile titles such as Final Fantasy, Valkyrie Profile, or Dragon Quest, there are a surprising number of role-playing titles in development for Microsoft's sleek white machine.
RPGs can arguably be described as the most vital genre for a console. Years after release, it's generally the RPGs that are remembered the fondest. After all, they've got detailed characters, intricate storylines, generally 20 or more hours of gameplay, and generally involve much more player emotional involvement and investment than other genres. One thing we're seeing on the Xbox 360 that wasn't evident on the Xbox is the support of Japanese RPGs. Microsoft and Mistwalker are teaming up to bring Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey to Japan, a territory where Xbox 360 sales are as impressive as a slice of bread. Thankfully, Blue Dragon is also being brought West next year, giving American Xbox 360 gamers a chance to experience a big-budget JRPG on their next generation console.

Moving past Blue Dragon, BioWare is bringing its next big title to Xbox 360 as well. Mass Effect has been nothing but impressive so far. Since the franchise is planned as a trilogy across the Xbox 360's lifespan, we're hoping for great things. RPG fans will also get BioShock, a title from Irrational Games that looks so good it won our Overall Game of the Show award for E3 2006. A number of online multiplayer games are being developed for Microsoft's console as well, including EA's Project Gray Company, Sega's Phantasy Star Universe, an upcoming Marvel MMO, and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Other games such as Elveo...