Eternal Sonata PS3 Version, Extras Confirmed

Just last week the unique RPG Eternal Sonata was confirmed for a PlayStation 3 launch. IGN is now reporting that even though PS3 roleplaying fans will have to wait until next year for the game, they're going to get numerous extras as a consolation prize. "New events are being added, to help give players a deeper understanding of the storyline. The game will also feature new playable characters. Crescendo and Serenade, who played a major role in the 360 version's storyline but were not playable, will now be able to take part in battle. Crescendo makes use of a mace and shield. Serenade is all about her heart-shaped staff ... Bandai Namco is also working a costume system that will allow you to freely change your characters' costumes. Accompanying this is an increase in costume variations."

BluRay

[LinuxGeek]

See, all that extra capacity does have a use right now. No more waiting required.

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[the dark hero]

I'm not 100% sure, but i'm guessing the xbox version could just as easily fit in a few more events and costumes.

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[trdrstv]

See, all that extra capacity does have a use right now. No more waiting required.

No more waiting? 360 owners can play the game now vs. next year.

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[LinuxGeek]

My phrasing was poor, sorry. Lots of people have said that the extra space on bluray discs was a waste for a year or two. With this game and UT3, the dvd format is starting to show its age with the 360. I guess this gap will just grow in the future. With nearly 50 gigs of storage on a dual layer disc, it seems that much premium content can be added for the PS3. It would either have to be burned to multiple 360 discs or made available as downloadable content. That would be a quick way to fill up the ha

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[heinousjay]

If Sony doesn't hurry up and sell a few million more consoles, the extra space won't be the only wasted aspect of the PS3.

BluRay capacity. As long as it's used for Good...

[trdrstv]

My phrasing was poor, sorry. Lots of people have said that the extra space on bluray discs was a waste for a year or two. With this game and UT3, the dvd format is starting to show its age with the 360. I guess this gap will just grow in the future. With nearly 50 gigs of storage on a dual layer disc, it seems that much premium content can be added for the PS3.

As long as they actually use it for content rather than "just because we can". A good example is Heavenly Sword. They said they FILLED the DISC [computeran...ogames.com] and even stated there was 10 gigs of Audio on the disc, yet there is MUCH LESS content, than Oblivion (which fits on a DVD9).

Re:BluRay capacity. As long as it's used for Good.

[hansamurai]

yet there is MUCH LESS content, than Oblivion (which fits on a DVD9).

This is an interesting comment that reminded of something that one of the Oblivion developers said about Blu-Ray:

Howard notes: "Drive speed matters more to me [than capacity], and Blu-ray is slower", with EGM revealing that "the PS3 Oblivion team compensated for the slower drive by duplicating data across the Blu-ray disc, making it faster to find and load."
Source: http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/01/ps3_oblivion_seeing_double_to.php [gamesetwatch.com]

Obviously this isn't an ideal situation as you'd rather have both fast see

Sony business decision; not BluRay

[Matchstick]

The PS3 version is shipping with extra content because Sony won't allow them to ship otherwise. Games that ship simultaneously are given more leeway; but if the 360 version ships first, the game must contain features that set the ps3 version apart. It doesn't take much thought to see why this is a very smart tactic. I don't know of any examples of PS3 SKUs shipping first off the top of my head, but you'll see Microsoft doing the same thing.

If a game fits on DVD, you can be sure that a game + 5% added ass

Downloadable content?

[master_kaos]

With Xbox live, I am sure the developers could make a nice chunk of change if the made the extras available on XBL for $10 or so. Unless, of course, they are already being paid off by Sony to have the extras "Exclusive" Although maybe it would take too much effort to make the patch for the XBOX to make it worth it...

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[wolfing]

I used to hate JRPGs too, but I got used to them, and now I actually like them. I had to, as the whole turn-based/party based RPG genre died for PC, and I just can't play the action RPGs.

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[Seumas]

It's unfortunate that turn-based has to also mean "pointless". I mean, the battles and actions you take have little impact to anything and you have almost no input into your character development. That might be fun for some, but it bugs me. Turn-based on the PC was far more creative, if you can count games like Fallout in the mix.

Final Fantasy games are beautiful and have reasonable storylines, I suppose -- but I'd much rather just watch all the cut-scenes together than waste my time "playing" them.

I guess

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[happyemoticon]

You know, the Final Fantasy series, while linear, was much more interesting in the 2d era. You had to (gasp) make decisions about the composition of your party, and the characters had (shudder) classes with (scream) specialties. Final Fantasy 7 was just too much of a blockbuster.

FF 6 was the beginning of the end, where you could teach any character any spell. They've pretty much been going in that mold since then in terms of gameplay. What really did the genre in, though, was Final Fantasy Fucking Seven,

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[Canar]

Wait, what about FF5 where any character could take on any job? The last FF with solid classes was FF4; at least FF6 had some unique abilities for each character. (Mmm, Sabin`s Blitz)

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[donaldm]

In FFX if you had the time you can teach everyone the same magic, skills and strength although their weapons are different. I do prefer the active turn base which you got in FF6 (US FF3) although it was configurable over just turn-base. Personally I never liked FF8 although I did like FF7 (there very few "full-motion cut-scenes" that I noticed) although I never had the time to play FF9 since it came out very late in the PS1's life. Still what one person likes another may agree or disagree on and this is fin

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[geminidomino]

ABS (Active Battle System) actually came out in FF4/FF2US.

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[king-manic]

I really hate JRPGs. I find them too linear and lacking in the "RPG" part. When I play a JRPG, it feels like it's just a movie with some interactive (but meaningless in the scope of the game) elements. Like someone developed a story and said "okay, let's throw in a few random fights and some minor and meaningless generic character stats stuff to break things up and stuff them between the scenes".

Well, with a few exceptions western RPGs are semi-linear as well. The only option you get are either to have a "e

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[nuzak]

All stories are linear because our lives are linear.

Oblivion was a step back from Morrowind, because Oblivion led you by the nose from the very first step. You didn't even know the plot of Morrowind until a few hours into playing it, but it most certainly had a main plot.

Torment was only "nonlinear" at the start in that it gave you a choice of what order to play some of the factions in.

I've yet to find a JRPG that doesn't make me want to choke the ever-living crap out of the whiny, bratty main actors.

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[strider2k]

One non-linear jRPG is the SaGa series. They have a small niche here in the U.S. but in Japan I believe it has a respectable following. The latest non-remake in the U.S was "Unlimited SaGa" and I believed it had very disappointing sales. It was one of my favorite games to play. I spent about 25 hours for each of the 7 characters to beat.

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[happyemoticon]

You're talking about something which is very interesting and compelling, but which should no longer properly be called an RPG. Interactive movie might be more appropriate. The term "RPG" has come to stand for the system of statistics, attributes and combat which most RPGs have in common, but which is merely a set of rules imposed upon informal "let's pretend" games to give them more gamelike, structured qualities. I don't know what you'd call this.

Oblivion is one of the few modern games that has a right t

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[KDR_11k]

If cliches hurt the story then most jrpgs fail badly in that respect. The stories are often so clicheed you can predict a plot turn up to five hours in advance just because you know the big organization is ALWAYS evil or that any number of actions necessary to awaken an ancient evil (e.g. collect eight gems) WILL be performed. Characters are pretty much by the numbers and often alike in their roles and development (main hero that's either upbeat or emo and always wielding a sword, shy girl with healing spel

sweet...

[wamerocity]

I was really bummed out at first when I saw that this was only on the 360 because I really wanted to play this, but am not going to buy a Microsoft system for any reason. This is great that they are porting it. I love Chopin. He is my favorite classical composer by far, and has been for years. Anything to make an awakening and remember good ole classical music is a good thing. I even wrote a journal [slashdot.org] about it. I recently just downloaded his complete works from Bittorrent and am finding some little treasu

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[Pojut]

It's a shame you won't buy a 360...there are many good games out for it (Crackdown, Viva Pinata, GoW, Blue Dragon, Saints Row, Bioshock, etc.) and there are many more good games coming out for it (Mass Effect, Too Human, Fable 2, GoW 2, various Xbox Live Arcade releases, etc.)

Don't be a brand whore or even a brand-boycotter...play as many games on as many different systems as you possibly can. Just because you don't like a company (in my case, Sony AND Microsoft) doesn't mean you can't enjoy their products

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[PhoenixOne]

That makes sense. There is no way you are going to get modded up for sane talk like that! Quick, replace the 'S' in Microsoft with a '$' or bitch about Sony DRM. ;)

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[Pojut]

Having a limited budget is not the same thing as saying "well, this company sucks, so I won't play any games released on their system." As a gamer, that is a rather foolish mentality. Unless you want to stick with PC games (in which case you are mostly stuck with Microsoft anyways...WINE works, but is no replacement for Windows) if you want to experience as many video games as possible, you will eventually have to deal with a company you don't like.

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[vux984]

Don't be a brand whore or even a brand-boycotter...Just because you don't like a company doesn't mean you can't enjoy their products

Do you buy blood diamonds too?

I mean, just because you don't 'agree' with the way the diamonds come from militant groups who have practically enslaved a people to do the mining and is using the money you give them to fund a brutal war where rape and dismemberment are common activities.

But hey, the diamonds are still shiny, and cheaper too than the competition. You'd be missing

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[Pojut]

That is a very silly example, and it doesn't fit in with video games.

Why?

There are literally hundreds of different companies to by diamonds from. There are really only three companies to buy gaming consoles from. Not to mention videogame systems have Third party titles that are in no way associated with the parent company...are you telling me that as a gamer you would allow your hatred for sony to deprive you of the experience that is Shadow of the Colossus, or your hatred for microsoft to deprive you of

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[vux984]

I see.

So your saying, "Its not the same because I can get diamonds anywhere?"

Ah, so the only reason you don't buy their diamonds is because you can get them elsewhere? IE If they were the only ones with diamonds then you'd buy from them?

I'd think a saner choice would be to just forego diamonds and switch to rubies or emeralds, even though they are different.

And to carry that line of thought... if the blood diamonds people released a decent video game, apparently you'd buy it.

I mean, otherwise you'd miss out

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[Pojut]

See, again, examples like your "blood diamond" example are just plain stupid because it's an entirely different industry selling an entirely different product.

I own consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony so that I can play the games that I want regardless of what system they are on...if there are no games that I want to play on a system, then guess what...I won't buy it. As a general rule, I wait until there are at least 5 games on a system that I want to play before I buy it. Regardless of which com

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[vux984]

You aren't even comparing apples to oranges. You are comparing apples to post-it notes...not even in the same category.

So if the company dealing blood diamonds branched out, released a console, and managed to get 5 games on it that you wanted to play as 1st party or 3rd part exclusives, THEN you'd buy it?

Even though the company's other arm is still slave labor mining and funding a brutal war?

There, now its not Apples to Post-Its, Apples to Oranges, or even Apples to Apples. Its "Golden Delicious Apples from

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[Pojut]

Yes, I would indeed buy it. Sorry, I know I'm a horrible person. You must be so dissapointed.

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[LKM]

Yes, I would indeed buy it. Sorry, I know I'm a horrible person. You must be so dissapointed.

Just for the record: I would not buy it (but I don't think Sony and Microsoft are nearly as evil as De Beers), and yes, you are a horrible person.

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[IndustrialComplex]

To follow up on the blood diamond comments, I won't buy diamonds at all. Sales are all pretty much based on the same artificially inflated prices. It is those artificially inflated prices that makes blood/conflict diamonds possible.

Considering the company DeBeers, I can't support them because their previously unethical actions are what put them in such a good market position now. It doesn't become OK that they don't do unethical things now simply because they no longer have to.

I also apply the same logi

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[Amouth]

i am soooo glad you didn't include halo in that list of great games.. it is jsut one boring texture over and over and over... and i am gald the newest one is going to be the last - i am tired of all the crap aobu it

Crackdown was supprisingly fun.. and don't forget the Burnout series...

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[Pojut]

The next burnout game looks PHENOMINAL.

As far as Halo is concerned, I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't include it in any of my "best games" lists...That said, Halo 3 is supposed to be the end of the current story arc. They will most likely continue to produce the games, just at a different point in the storyline. As it stands, Halo has an OK story universe...it does have the potential to be a large and vast world, it just hasn't really reached that point.

I'm not tired of hearing about Halo, but I hate the kind

But how many will remain exclusive?

[SuperKendall]

The real question is how many from that list will remain exclusive. Already you can play some of them (like Bioshock) on a PC. But some of those titles (again Bioshock) will probably end up on other platforms, like the PS3... yes you might be playing some titles in a year or two, but really if you have enough other games to go through in the meantime it's not such a hardship. I still myself have not played through Half Life 2, waiting for the Orange Box now.

If you want to buy a PS3 they have exclusives

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[Pojut]

True, but for many games that came out on 360 originally and would later be ported to the PC, you need a PC that is FAR FAR more expensive than a 360. Now, if you are an avid PC gamer that is irrelevant because chances are you have kept your system in tip-top shape. Not everyone is able to do that however, and for many people simply buying the console (for a minor sacrifice in image quality and possible "mod" community) is a better buy.

I won't ever tell someone they are dumb for not buying a console, but

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[SuperKendall]

I won't ever tell someone they are dumb for not buying a console, but if their sole reason for not buying a console is simply because of the manufacturer....that is plain silly to me.

There are lots of people that don't buy from some manufacturers for all sorts of reasons. Some people don't buy from Nike because they dislike how they are constructed. Some people don't buy tuna from some companies because they consider them as overfishing or not being very responsible in operation.

In my case, I don't have a

How is it silly?

[LKM]

I won't ever tell someone they are dumb for not buying a console, but if their sole reason for not buying a console is simply because of the manufacturer....that is plain silly to me.

Why? People constantly say that we "consumers" should vote with our wallets. If we want our world to improve, it's obvious that we should support positive action, as well as good products. Frankly, games are a luxury. I don't need them to survive. How is it silly to base your purchases, especially of a non-essential item like

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[Pojut]

I suppose I'm allowing my own viewpoint to cloud my judgement...I am a hardcore gamer through and through.

Now, when I say hardcore gamer, I don't mean I have a specific way my games have to be and that you suck and that I'm the best and all that noise. What I mean is, Gaming is more or less my only hobby. I dabble a little bit in plinking away with rifles, but overall gaming is my thing. As a result, I try to immerse myself in as many games as possible, the company be damned.

My parents always told me my

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[_xeno_]

I still myself have not played through Half Life 2, waiting for the Orange Box now.

If you're planning on buying the Orange Box through Steam, you can pre-order it now and download and play the components of the Orange Box that are already released. I've already played through Half-Life 2 that way, and have started Episode One.

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[brkello]

You are only allowed to list games that are actually out.

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[SuperKendall]

And you are not allowed to dictate what I am allowed to list. I guess that means, impasse! :-)

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[wamerocity]

Parent here. Well, I realize what you are saying, but here's why I disagree. There are a lot of good games on the 360-many of these will be remade for the PC, some won't. Those games I will just have to miss out on. If money was no object I may buy one. But most importantly, the only way I can vote is with my dollars. I realize that many of the games are just developed by the game companies, and you would argue that they are losing, not Microsoft. But companies have the choice of who they develop for.

Why I won't buy a 360

[LKM]

Don't be a brand whore or even a brand-boycotter...

I'm not. Well, I dislike Microsoft, but I could get over that. And I want to get over it, because the 360 has a nice collection of games. However, there are two reasons why I won't buy one:

1. Online gaming. I do want to play online, but I don't play enough to warrant paying for it. When new games come out, I typically play a few online matches until I get bored. That's maybe two or three matches a month, all in all. I won't pay for that privilege.
2. Quality

Picking it up today

[Exsam]

I played the demo of Sonata when it dropped to X-Box Live Marketplace and was just blown away by the music. The big sell point on the game for me however was a little feature tucked away in the settings menus that allowed you to assign other controllers to the other party members for combat, making the game coop. So once I get off work I will swing by my local game shop, grab a copy and then invite a couple friends over to play through it. Congrats to the PS3 for getting this title added to their library

Another Nail...

[p0tat03]

... in the 360's Japanese coffin. Don't get me wrong, I love my 360, but clearly MS needed something big to bring some attention to itself in the Japanese marketplace. Eternal Sonata is a solid game (based on the demo I played), and certainly would've sold a few boxes in Japan. But losing this exclusive is just one more nail in the already-shut coffin that is the Xbox in Japan...

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[Rayonic]

It wouldn't matter if Microsoft got some exclusive Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games, it still wouldn't sell xboxes in Japan. That's just the reality of the situation.

Fun side note: The Sega Genesis did poorly in Japan, while the Sega Saturn did pretty well.
The Playstation 3 is the new Sega Saturn. Reasonably successful only in Japan, and not #1 anywhere.

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[Exsam]

Uh, if you say so. This game has been out in Japan for 2 months now.

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[brkello]

I don't think MS can do anything to break in to the Japanese market. Blue Dragon was the attempt to break in that people were talking about...though having Eternal Sonata exclusive would have helped. If I were MS, I would fight to make that new content freely downloadable. But if you look at the NPD numbers there, the 360 sells so little. I really wonder if it is the games or if it has something more to do with some sort of negative bias. I can understand why they didn't like the original xbox...but I

Another XBox 360 Port

[gravis777]

So in other words, this is just another XBox 360 port, like Ninja Gaidain or many others, that have souped up graphics and a few new extras for the PS3 port?

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[Rayonic]

Well, most PS3 ports have souped-down graphics, but you've got the right general idea.