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The 3rd Birthday is celebrated March 29 in North America, Joystiq says no PSN release

Takao

Banned
KsQLm.png


You won't be able to do that without CFW, living in Japan, or actually wanting to play the game instead of watching trailers, as it appears Aya Brea's return will follow Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, and Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team as the 3rd (how unfortunate) E3 2010 PSP sizzle reel game displayed on a Go to be a PSN no show.

Square Enix PR said:
CELEBRATE THE 3RD BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 29, 2011

Square Enix Announces North American Ship Date and Celebrity Voice Cast for New Action-RPG

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 1, 2011) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that The 3rd Birthday™ will ship to North American retailers on March 29, 2011. Developed exclusively for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, The 3rd Birthday is an action-RPG that offers an all-new story-driven shooter for the handheld platform.

Square Enix also revealed a celebrity voice cast for The 3rd Birthday, including Yvonne Strahovski of NBC's Chuck as the voice of Aya Brea. "I was immediately interested when Square Enix approached me with the opportunity to play Aya Brea in The 3rd Birthday. I love Aya – she's strong, driven and ready to take on the world," said Yvonne Strahovski. "My goal was to bring all of her characteristics to life to really tell her story and create the best experience for all gamers." Additionally, the mysterious Kyle Madigan is voiced by Jensen Ackles of the CW's Supernatural. "The 3rd Birthday will pull players in immediately with its incredible graphics and character-driven story line," said Jensen Ackles. "I felt like I was creating a movie."

An engrossing new chapter for Aya Brea, the main character in the hugely popular PARASITE EVE® series, The 3rd Birthday is a unique combination of fast-paced gameplay with compelling character development. The game delivers polished, riveting visuals unmatched among portable games.

With character design by Tetsuya Nomura, renowned for his work on the FINAL FANTASY and KINGDOM HEARTS franchises, The 3rd Birthday presents players with an enigmatic cast of characters in The 3rd Birthday. Players must navigate through a dangerous Manhattan of 2012 as Aya Brea – a strong, complex female protagonist. Her vulnerability in the face of a great threat makes Aya a captivating and deeply human character with whom players will develop a strong emotional connection over the course of the story. With the fate of the world in her hands, players must help Aya fulfill her role as the only one who can save mankind from the menace of the Twisted.

Story

Hideous creatures descend on Manhattan. Ground reports from the squad tasked with containing the pandemonium refer to these life-forms as the Twisted. An investigatory team known as the CTI is formed within the year.

The Overdive System emerges as a means of opposition, but only one viable candidate exists – Aya Brea. A gift as she awakens from a lost past on this, the occasion of her third birth.

Features

• Exciting new chapter for Aya Brea from the popular PARASITE EVE® series: An engaging, all-new tale of survival horror set in a ravaged New York City

• A true action-RPG hybrid: Resist the Twisted's vicious onslaught in a third-person shooter, with a heavy dose of character progression and customization

• Strategic gameplay: The new "Overdive System" gives players a tactical advantage as they make split-second decisions on the battlefield

• All-star production staff: Including producer Yoshinori Kitase (FINAL FANTASY® series), director Hajime Tabata (CRISIS CORE® -FINAL FANTASY VII-), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (KINGDOM HEARTS series), art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANTASY XIII) and music by Yoko Shimomura (KINGDOM HEARTS series)

The 3rd Birthday will be available at North American retailers on March 29, 2011 for the suggested retail price of $29.99. The 3rd Birthday is rated M (Mature). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.

For more information and to preorder now, please visit the official website:

http://na.square-enix.com/the3rdbirthday

Then Joystiq reports this:

Joystiq said:
We were expecting an evite or maybe one of those crazy JibJab animations, but instead Square Enix just issued a press release announcing that The 3rd Birthday, the PSP-exclusive installment of the Parasite Eve series, will hit North American store shelves on March 29. The title, which was originally under development for mobile phones, will retail for $30. This is a UMD-only release with no plans for a downloadable PSN version at present. We can only imagine that Square Enix is prepping a game card version for Sony's "NGP" platform.

This is contrary to the fact that during the Japanese release of the game, it recieved a day and date PSN copy. I asked in the comments section if they had confirmed this with Square Enix themselves, or if they were making guesses based on the vague PR and KH no show, but my comments have vanished...

Edit: My comments eventually did get posted on Joystiq. No response from that or the email I sent the writer, however Solidsnakex posted two damning discoveries. The first being that Lord of Arcana's press releases specifically stated a PSN release was planned, where as The 3rd Birthday's PR is being very vague, like Kingdom Hearts. He also found a comment on the European PlayStation Blog saying they can't comment on a PSN release at the moment. Classy.

It should be noted that unlike Lord of Arcana's Square Enix website, there is no PSN logo on The 3rd Birthday's, but that doesn't hold much weight since Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep's site had that logo, and was a no show on PSN. Lastly, I will say that Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together's site also lacks a PSN logo, and like The 3rd Birthday, a PSN release in Japan was day and date with the UMD. These two are in contrast to Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection's website which has a PSN logo. Unlike Lord of Arcana, once again FFIV, The 3rd Birthday, and Tactics Ogre do not specify a PSN release in the PR.
 
So they want people to buy the UMD now. Then when the PSP2 is released, surprise, it is on PSN for double dipping and double the profits!

Yay
 

Synless

Member
Eaten By A Grue said:
So they want people to buy the UMD now. Then when the PSP2 is released, surprise, it is on PSN for double dipping and double the profits!

Yay
I'll wait then.
 

Zen

Banned
Well I guess I won't be buying this. Their loss.

If it ever does appear on PSN, I might get it obviously.
 

anddo0

Member
No PSN. No Buy.

It's really that simple Square... Looks like I'll be playing this on NGP.. Unless Square screws that up too.
 

Gravijah

Member
Good thing it's UMD only. DD is a relic of the past and I'm tired of people who don't want to move forward holding us back.
 

Minsc

Gold Member
Another Square Enix press release with no info about a PSN release (Tactics Ogre & FFIV - just no info).

Hmm... well maybe that's a step in the right direction, at least they're not leaving it up in the air with this one.

People own PSP Go's (I think). The least they can do is let them know if they will be able to play their games.
 
Minsc said:
People own PSP Go's (I think). The least they can do is let them know if they will be able to play their games.

I wish the latest firmware update would show a tumbleweed go across the screen when I open my games folder.
 

Takao

Banned
I've been searching up, and it appears Joystiq, or sites sourcing them, are the only ones reporting it won't be on PSN (it is important to note that they didn't say this for the Final Fantasy IV collection). IGN, and the likes don't mention UMD-only.
 

noquarter

Member
Can't wait, but looks like March is going to break me :(

Also if it goes on PSN I'll double dip, as long as PE1 is also on there
 
So long as the provided firmware is either 6.31 or 6.35 on the UMD, I WILL be playing this title on my PSPGo.

If not, I still have my 3000 to play on.
 

Takao

Banned
cj_iwakura said:
People actually care about games being on the PSN?

I know lolpspgo and all, but after the NGP reveal it isn't an absurd idea people may want to future proof at least a portion of their library.

Outside of 3 games, all my PSP games have been purchased on PSN since 2009.
 

matmanx1

Member
I'd be ok with this one on the UMD. It's not that long of a game and I will have played the heck out of it and sold it by the time NGP hits.

Tactics Ogre and Dissidia 012, otoh, better get PSN releases or else!
 

Phenomic

Member
Kagari said:
Good, no Square tax this time. Dissidia 012 is also supposedly $29.99 just so you guys know.

First thing I said when I opened the thread. Went to the Square Tax like a bear to honey.
 

Canova

Banned
Somnid said:
Square-Enix continues to be retarded. Seriously, what's their deal with DD?


they want you to buy the UMD version now, and PSN version later when NGP comes out, greedy bastards
 

Takao

Banned
If this doesn't get a PSN release this will just greatly re-establish the weird-ness in this company. Shit like Lord of Arcana got PSN/UMD releases and is an outsourced clone that they charged $39.99 for despite the fact no one gave a fuck about it. Yet they're supposedly going for UMD only at $29.99 for one of their more hyped handheld games.

I say that, but I'm not sure if I trust Joystiq. They usually make a good point to say "A Square Enix rep told us...", but none of that is here.
 

Forbiden

Member
Vamphuntr said:
Is the game on JP PSN? I was under the impression that this and Tactics Ogre had PSN releases in Japan.

I am not sure about Tactics Ogre(probably is), but The 3rd Birthday is available on the Japanese PSN.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Vamphuntr said:
Is the game on JP PSN? I was under the impression that this and Tactics Ogre had PSN releases in Japan.

Yes.

It's strange they're not releasing this via PSN. Sometimes I don't know what is going on in Square Enix America.
 

Vamphuntr

Member
StuBurns said:
Yes it is.

Hmmm so what is their excuse then? With BBS it's rumored to be because of licences issues or piracy protection but if they have both of those up in Japan why can't they put them up in EU and US PSN?
 
You would think that with the NGP's backwards compatibility SE would want to put their games on PSN as an easy way to get long term sales. I suppose they might release it on PSN once the NGP is out or release an "enhanced" version. Why let people buy just one copy when you can make them buy two?
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
This better hit PSN by the time NGP hits. I think I'm going to buy like 3/4 of my NGP games online via DL this time around. Unless the games are enormous. They should really have this on PSN though. I would love to hear the excuse as to why it isn't there.
 

MechaX

Member
Dissidia 2 and Third Birthday $29.99? Well played, SE. Day one purchases for me.

No PSN though? ... A case could barely be made on Birth By Sleep's exclusion, but why this game?
 

Takao

Banned
I've shot an email to the writer of the article since Joystiq is the only one reporting this, asking if he recieved direct confirmation from Square Enix that it wouldn't be on PSN.
 

ShirAhava

Plays with kids toys, in the adult gaming world
This is good news I wasn't gonna buy this but now I am I love UMD and could care less about NGP or some crappy psn download
 
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