Japanese Niche Games Deals Thread: Atlus, NISA, Aksys, XSeed and More!

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The following thread are for niche-based Japanese video games by smaller companies such as Atlus, NIS America, AKSYS, XSEED, D3 Publisher, KOEI/TECMO, SNK Playmore, Ignition, Natsume or any sweet deals for those who are passionate and hardcore about Japanese video games even from the bigger companies like SquareEnix, Sega, Bandai Namco, etc.

But to avoid any messiness of links everywhere, we'll focus on games within the last 2-3 years as opposed to the last five-ten. [although, if you do see older titles on sale, please post them regardless].

The theme of these deals are Japanese video games distributed in the US by the smaller niche companies. The thread is literally for those who love Japanese games. There will be a few Korean games that you may see on this list, such as the "DJ Max" games.

If you see a deal, please post!

NOTE: Please check the most recent page for the latest deals.

And I want to thank many of you in advance who submit their deals and their support!!!
 
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Put myself down for the $100. I didn't like Class of Heroes 1 and I hate the genre, but whatever. I hope it works out for them so we get the possibility of some actually good games coming through, but I'm not exactly seeing that happening. People would rather fund adventure games from the "great minds" behind Brutal Legend for some reason.
 
[quote name='DarkSageRK'] People would rather fund adventure games from the "great minds" behind Brutal Legend for some reason.[/QUOTE]
lol so true. QFTW
 
[quote name='Bezerker']I hope Cyberconnect gets on the kickstarter craze so hopefully we can get a localization of .hack//link[/QUOTE]

If this goes up they have my support 100%
 
[quote name='ivana89']hey CAGs,

anyone have an opinion on 'hakuoki'?
http://www.amazon.com/Hakuoki-Fleet...ny-PSP/dp/B005T3GSCM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

i didn't find much on metacritic. amazon's running a B2G1, and am looking at JRPGs (PSP/PS3 preferred, Wii OK). undecided re 'fate/extra' but recommendations are welcomed. CE/LEs nice but not necessary. TIA.[/QUOTE]

Like elessar said, it's a reverse-harem dating sim. Doesn't mean you won't like it if you're a guy, but just be aware that females are the expected market.

Fate/Zero's LE is a worthy pick-up at $20, but at the $27 you'd be paying for it I'm not sure I would recommend it. It's essentially a Persona knock-off wherein the battles rely on Rock-Paper-Scissors (yes, really). It's been $25 before, multiple times, so this isn't even the best price for it.

As for recommendations, I dunno. I didn't see anything that jumped out at me on the sale. If you're willing to wait you can probably find the games you're interested in at cheaper than 33% off.
 
Went to Gamestop because of the 60% tiv increase. Found a new sealed copy of Tales of the Abyss for the 3DS today which I grabbed. I feel very lucky seeing every other gamestop near me was listed as low stock so it was either not there or gutted.
 
[quote name='DarkSageRK']Put myself down for the $100. I didn't like Class of Heroes 1 and I hate the genre, but whatever. I hope it works out for them so we get the possibility of some actually good games coming through, but I'm not exactly seeing that happening. People would rather fund adventure games from the "great minds" behind Brutal Legend for some reason.[/QUOTE]

wow that's an incredibly limited view, it's the great minds behind Monkey Island and Grim Fandango
 
Got an email regarding the kickstarter project for Class of Heroes 2:

Thanks to all of you for your feedback on what you'd like to see in the reward tiers to make them more attractive. We're learning a bit on this Kickstarter as well. We found we can't add to rewards that already have backers, so we just created a new reward tier with the same cost that adds new rewards.

The single most-requested thing we received was a deluxe pack with a digital code as well. We've modified the $100 tier so it now includes a download code as well as the physical game. You will not have to open the package to get the code, which is another request for some. ALL tiers above the $100 level will now include the downloadable code for the full game retroactively as well as the physical UMD. Since we couldn't change the existing $100 reward, those backers will get a downloadable code as well.

Second most-requested was more love for the digital support tiers. Again, we couldn't change the existing backed reward, so we made another identical cost tier that now includes a full digital copy of the arranged game soundtrack. ALL $20 level digital supporters will get this, regardless of which $20 level they choose.

Thanks for your support and suggestions. Some we can do, some we can't, but we're reading and considering them all.
Click to expand...
A little silly that you need to pay $100 to get the downloadable version thrown in, but ehh. At least it looks like they'll add more to the reward tiers as time goes on.
 
Set a reminder for that kickstarter, probably will only kick in a couple bucks. Didn't care for the 1st game, but if they had $60 for a LE + d/l code option, would have grabbed it now.
 
If you want a DD copy, just buy the game from the PSN on release. This "kickstarter" has more to do with releasing a deluxe pack for collectors, I believe
 
[quote name='elessar123']Hypothetically, would you guys do $39 for digital only?[/QUOTE]
I would personally (assuming they had a $39 digital only offering). I mean not that I don't like special editions and all, but to me, I would rather have a backwards compatible Vita/PSP version (assuming I buy a Vita at some point) than a straight UMD.
 
And I get the whole "Kickstarter is not pre-ordering or purchasing a product, it's to help fund projects" but for Class of Heroes 2 in particular, I think I read that they're gonna bring it stateside regardless of whether it hits 500k or not.

It really is just the collectible stuff that's hanging on the Kickstarter. That being said, I wouldn't have bought the a DD copy of the game to begin with b/c I don't want CoH2.

They have the right idea about dedicated fans supporting a somewhat "dead" genre, but I think they're going about it kinda strangely and catering to a very, very specific audience. Not that they could please everyone to begin with...
 
[quote name='PrinnyOtaku']And I get the whole "Kickstarter is not pre-ordering or purchasing a product, it's to help fund projects" but for Class of Heroes 2 in particular, I think I read that they're gonna bring it stateside regardless of whether it hits 500k or not.

It really is just the collectible stuff that's hanging on the Kickstarter. That being said, I wouldn't have bought the a DD copy of the game to begin with b/c I don't want CoH2.

They have the right idea about dedicated fans supporting a somewhat "dead" genre, but I think they're going about it kinda strangely and catering to a very, very specific audience. Not that they could please everyone to begin with...[/QUOTE]

It really is a strange game to try with. CoH wasn't that well received. Wouldn't Valkyria Chronicles 3, our something similar, be a better choice?
 
[quote name='elessar123']It really is a strange game to try with. CoH wasn't that well received. Wouldn't Valkyria Chronicles 3, our something similar, be a better choice?[/QUOTE]

Well in order to kickstart they have to acquire the license first. If this is successful they can try to buy a bigger license.
 
[quote name='elessar123'] Wouldn't Valkyria Chronicles 3, our something similar, be a better choice?[/QUOTE]

Sure. If they could do VCIII (or something better), they probably would. But the whole process isn't as easy as cherry picking the games they want to localize.
 
It's not really about the collector's pack, they're simply doing that as an incentive to fund the entire thing, so really it's not simply catering only to collectors, because without the funding, the game won't be coming out at all, or that's how it sounds at least. They said something about possibly seeing more of the Class of Heroes games on your shelf if this effort is a success.

Besides, it would be hard to come up with incentives for funding the project if it only had a digital release. Sure, they could send a bunch of plushies and whatever to your house, but it would seem unfounded, without the game.

Anyway, I just kicked up my contribution to $100 for the digital copy as well. I'm a Cheap Ass Gamer, but I'm not that cheap when it comes to things I love.
 
Actually:

" It's focused on providing a physical Deluxe Pack for Class of Heroes II as well as increasing funding to expand the scope and depth of localization from digital download supporters."

So, a little of both.
 
It was already going to be a DD without the Kickstarter. The project isn't going to be cancelled depending on whether they reach 500k or not; don't default to thinking that for some reason.
 
[quote name='KtMack23']If I donate $60 and they don't reach their goal, do I just loose my money or do they return it?[/QUOTE]

What if this doesn't make the goal? Will I get a refund?
If a Kickstarter project doesn't make the funding goal, no one pays, and the project doesn't happen. There's no risk to you. But, obviously we want to reach the goal, so tell your friends about the project!
 
The $60 option gets you a download code as well. It states $30 and up gets a download code, even if you "pledged" before they updated with the news.
 
[quote name='GUNNM']less than a month to raise 475k. Good luck[/QUOTE]

Seriously. I'm just wondering too... a half million dollars to localize an existing game that they've already licensed? Admittedly, I don't know what localization budgets are usually like, but that seems like an awful lot. I can't imagine that most of the companies that do these types of games regularly would ever turn a profit if it really costs that much.

By comparison, when Double Fine did their Kickstarter project, they set their initial goal at $400k, and that was to develop a whole new game from scratch. Not to mention that they're a company much more well known outside of a relatively small niche market.

Wondering what they're planning on doing with all of that money, exactly. And also, wouldn't it have been better to set a more realistic goal and actually make it, rather than setting it so far out there and taking the risk that it won't get funded?

Maybe I'm just cynical, but the whole thing seems kind of questionable to me. I may buy the game if/when it comes out, but I don't think I'll be contributing to this.
 
I thought this was a semi-new team, created with former people from WD - am I wrong in assuming that the Kickstarter is for future means beyond the short sight of localizing/deluxe-ifying CoH2?
 
[quote name='arcane93']Seriously. I'm just wondering too... a half million dollars to localize an existing game that they've already licensed? Admittedly, I don't know what localization budgets are usually like, but that seems like an awful lot. I can't imagine that most of the companies that do these types of games regularly would ever turn a profit if it really costs that much.

By comparison, when Double Fine did their Kickstarter project, they set their initial goal at $400k, and that was to develop a whole new game from scratch. Not to mention that they're a company much more well known outside of a relatively small niche market.

Wondering what they're planning on doing with all of that money, exactly. And also, wouldn't it have been better to set a more realistic goal and actually make it, rather than setting it so far out there and taking the risk that it won't get funded?

Maybe I'm just cynical, but the whole thing seems kind of questionable to me. I may buy the game if/when it comes out, but I don't think I'll be contributing to this.[/QUOTE]

Totally different between digital PC and physical game. Acquiring license, fee to Sony, ESBR rated, printing off physical copies.
 
[quote name='ryanelittlefield']I thought this was a semi-new team, created with former people from WD - am I wrong in assuming that the Kickstarter is for future means beyond the short sight of localizing/deluxe-ifying CoH2?[/QUOTE]

Under Kickstarter's terms and conditions, they can't use the money raised for anything beyond what they are promising to do which here is just to do a physical limited edition version of the game. That's really what makes me think this is a total abuse of Kickstarter. They already have the license and a business plan to release the digital version of the game. They don't need another $500K. All they need to do a few months before the release is take pre-paid orders for the collector's edition. Studio 38 did that with Amalur and produced a truly limited edition release of the game that sold out. No reason this company can't do the same thing. If they can't get enough pre-paid orders, they simply move forward with the digital release only. There is zero reason that funds need to be raised.
 
also if they get pledged $500,000 by the end of the month, and only $300,000 actually gets paid through, then what happens?

Pledging to do something is quite different than paying through the end. They can't realistically expect to get 100% of the $500,000 paid. just seems like they leave no room for error or alternatives to what would happen in this regard.
 
[quote name='62t']Totally different between digital PC and physical game. Acquiring license, fee to Sony, ESBR rated, printing off physical copies.[/QUOTE]

It's actually not different at all. To do a digital release there is still a licensing fee, a fee to Sony and an ESRB rating fee. The only difference is the added cost of pressing the physical media and buying the swag and boxes/packaging and then shipping it out. That is not $500K and can easily be done by simply taking pre-paid orders through Paypal or another transaction processor at $60 each or whatever they decide the actual cost will be. I would also point out that DJ Max Portable 3 had a very limited collector's edition that was pretty nice that consisted of only 1,000 units in the United States at $110 each and that sold out and obviously cost the publisher less than $110K. The regular physical edition consisted of 6,000 copies at $40 each which again included room for profit. Bottom line, that entire release cost less than $350K and probably at least 20-30% less when you factor in likely profit. So, a nice collector's edition physical release of a game can be done for far less than what they are asking.
 
[quote name='storino03']also if they get pledged $500,000 by the end of the month, and only $300,000 actually gets paid through, then what happens?

Pledging to do something is quite different than paying through the end.[/QUOTE]

Kickstarter doesn't work that way. When you pledge, they do an authorization through Amazon payments which if the project is fully pledged to $500K then gets charged to your credit card on the last day of the pledge drive. If you at that point don't have adequate capacity on your card or something along those lines, your credit card company may treat it as an over balance transaction or decline it, but basically you will still be charged or liable for the charge.
 
Just got an email that NISA will be localizing 3 more games.

The Witch and the Hundred Knights -PS3 - early 2013

Mugen Souls -PS3 - This Fall

Legasista - PSN title - in August
 
[quote name='bojay1997']It's actually not different at all. To do a digital release there is still a licensing fee, a fee to Sony and an ESRB rating fee. The only difference is the added cost of pressing the physical media and buying the swag and boxes/packaging and then shipping it out. That is not $500K and can easily be done by simply taking pre-paid orders through Paypal or another transaction processor at $60 each or whatever they decide the actual cost will be. I would also point out that DJ Max Portable 3 had a very limited collector's edition that was pretty nice that consisted of only 1,000 units in the United States at $100 each and that sold out and obviously cost the publisher less than $100K. So, a nice collector's edition physical release of a game can be done for far less than what they are asking.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. Again, wondering what they're actually planning to do with all of this money, and how it relates to what their Kickstarter project says. Even if you consider the actual localization costs as part of the package, it just doesn't add up.
 
[quote name='bojay1997']Under Kickstarter's terms and conditions, they can't use the money raised for anything beyond what they are promising to do which here is just to do a physical limited edition version of the game. That's really what makes me think this is a total abuse of Kickstarter. They already have the license and a business plan to release the digital version of the game. They don't need another $500K. All they need to do a few months before the release is take pre-paid orders for the collector's edition. Studio 38 did that with Amalur and produced a truly limited edition release of the game that sold out. No reason this company can't do the same thing. If they can't get enough pre-paid orders, they simply move forward with the digital release only. There is zero reason that funds need to be raised.[/QUOTE]

They are using the money for digital and physical release as stated on the kickstarter page. If it fails then they can still release it as digital only.
 
[quote name='storino03']The $60 option gets you a download code as well. It states $30 and up gets a download code, even if you "pledged" before they updated with the news.[/QUOTE]

If you mean a download code for the game...this is FALSE.

You need to pledge $100 to get the Physical Copy and Digital Copy.

This is what you read I assume:

"Second most-requested was more love for the digital support tiers. Again, we couldn't change the existing backed reward, so we made another identical cost tier that now includes a full digital copy of the arranged game soundtrack. ALL $20 level digital supporters will get this, regardless of which $20 level they choose."

Notice the part I bolded? You will get the soundtrack. Not the game.

So what is the Single Mosted Requested item?

"The single most-requested thing we received was a deluxe pack with a digital code as well. We've modified the $100 tier so it now includes a download code as well as the physical game. You will not have to open the package to get the code, which is another request for some. ALL tiers above the $100 level will now include the downloadable code for the full game retroactively as well as the physical UMD."

Again I highlighted it in bold. $100 = Download code and Physical Game.
 
[quote name='62t']They are using the money for digital and physical release as stated on the kickstarter page. If it fails then they can still release it as digital only.[/QUOTE]

You're missing the point, though. Unless they're running some kind of massively wild advertising campaign which would make no sense for a title this niche, or pressing some ridiculously large number of copies, no way does it cost anywhere close to $500k just to do a physical release of a game.
 
[quote name='62t']They are using the money for digital and physical release as stated on the kickstarter page. If it fails then they can still release it as digital only.[/QUOTE]

Again, there is not $500K worth of work listed on that page. All they are proposing is that they will somehow improve the save system and the control scheme and somehow make the game more Western which given their track record of lame Bill Clinton and OJ references back in the Working Design days doesn't sound like a good thing. That's maybe $100K in translator and programmer time generously. That will also be done on the digital version that they already fully financed and a plan to release regardless of this Kickstarter campaign, so why should we be paying for a product they are going to turn around and sell for a profit whether we give them money or not? It seems like the rational thing to do would be to wait for the digital release and if it's a good game, then take pre-orders for a physical release.

I supported both the Wasteland 2 and the Double Fine projects, but as others have pointed out, those were games from scratch that require a massive time and financial commitment to create and which wouldn't be created otherwise. This is just localizing an existing game and essentially pre-paying for a collector's edition for a game very few people seem to even want. That's just not what Kickstarter should be about and to me this just seems like overreaching and abuse of a really good tool for good causes. It's not meant to be a free ride for companies looking to produce profit making projects at no risk to the business owners, especially when they are planning on releasing the game whether or not they get the money.
 
While I do agree that kickstarter may not be the proper venue for this project, I can't help but be excited for a potential DE to the sequel of one of my favorite dungeon crawling JRPGs. Even though Class of Heroes had it's flaws (the menus were terrible), I absolutely loved it, and any Etrian Odyssey or Dark Spire fan should at least check out COH2.

I'll be in the $100 or $200 pledge range for sure.
 
[quote name='hazzmos']While I do agree that kickstarter may not be the proper venue for this project, I can't help but be excited for a potential DE to the sequel of one of my favorite dungeon crawling JRPGs. Even though Class of Heroes had it's flaws (the menus were terrible), I absolutely loved it, and any Etrian Odyssey or Dark Spire fan should at least check out COH2.[/QUOTE]

Everything was fine with the game, cept the boss fights.
 
[quote name='elessar123']Everything was fine with the game, cept the boss fights.[/QUOTE]

I was just always annoyed at how many 'clicks' it took to get anything done in the menus. I don't remember having much trouble with any of the bosses, but it was quite a long time ago.
 
I pledged for the $59 tier. I'd like to see Working Designs type of deluxe stuff again, but I do agree $500k sounds like a lot more than is needed for this project. But then I don't know what Sony requires, pressing fees etc, maybe $500k is a minimum to get any game off the ground with a physical release.
 
[quote name='Krystal109']Still, you could make a game from scratch for 500K. Seems like they are asking for more than needed.[/QUOTE]

500k does sound like way more than it should need for the "physical deluxe" version. They said it was for 7,000 copies of the physical version to be produced.

Has anyone even tried to do the math? 500k for 7,000 copies? So $71~ each?
 
I wish they would just do a basic UMD release. I honestly do not want to put down $60 for this. None of the extras are that enticing to me. Have they even said what the download will cost if it goes dl only?
 
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