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[thetrin]

Yeah, an NGage port came out in English. I heard it's pretty bad, but I've never tried it.

iirc, they made it so that you get a straight game over if you die in a dungeon, rather than kicking you back to town with half your gold.

For the life of me, I just don't understand why someone at Falcom can't get in touch with the makers of the translation, license it, then slap the whole thing up on Steam for $20 (or whatever).

Steam isn't popular in Japan. Most Japanese PC gamers use GFW.

BudokaiMR2 can comment on this himself, but I believe the company he works for in Japan has just started a DD service, translating western games to Japanese to release in the Japanese market. I think they're in talks with Falcom, but I don't want to speak for him.

 

[ctrayne]

iirc, they made it so that you get a straight game over if you die in a dungeon, rather than kicking you back to town with half your gold.

Plus terrible graphics and a totally different plot and game structure. Part of what makes Xanadu Next work so well IMO is the mouse control. Really nice.

 

[thetrin]

Plus terrible graphics and a totally different plot and game structure. Part of what makes Xanadu Next work so well IMO is the mouse control. Really nice.

I loved the mouse controls. I expected them to be bad, but they're surprisingly good.

 

[Aeana]

Oh, they've disabled the link because it doesn't work well with the patch.

I think I'll play the game without it anyway.

Huh, I wonder what way it doesn't work well with the patch?
I've been playing with it just fine.

 

[Mejilan]

The resolution patch folks are rewriting it to better support the fan translation as well as to more elegantly handle wide screen resolutions.

 

[PixyJunket]

The resolution patch folks are rewriting it to better support the fan translation as well as to more elegantly handle wide screen resolutions.

English Xanadu Next. With proper resolution support?

Did, did Christmas come early this year?!

 

[Aeana]

The resolution patch folks are rewriting it to better support the fan translation as well as to more elegantly handle wide screen resolutions.

I just don't understand what's wrong with it that would cause them to have to rewrite it to "better support" the fan translation. It seems to be working 100% properly to me.

 

[Mejilan]

Perhaps there are issues farther into the game...

 

[bengraven]

Where can I buy this?

 

[krYlon]

Where can I buy this?

You can buy it from Falcom or Play Asia. Details on first page.


By the way, this game is great as expected.

Falcom always seem to hit the sweet spot when it comes to gameplay and mechanics, no matter what type of game it is or what control system they use.
They are masters of their craft.

 

[Aeana]

You can buy it from Falcom or Play Asia. Details on first page.


By the way, this game is great as expected.

Falcom always seem to hit the sweet spot when it comes to gameplay and mechanics, no matter what type of game it is or what control system they use.
They are masters of their craft.

I would say that except I kind of hate how simplistic the Zwei games are. They really stick out.

 

[krYlon]

I would say that except I kind of hate how simplistic the Zwei games are. They really stick out.

Well, I haven't played the Zwei games so maybe they're the weak links.

I heard Zwei 2 was good though. Do you not think so Aeana? I was kind of looking forward to the Zwei 2 translation.

 

[Aeana]

Zwei 2 is better, but I still think it's kinda boring. I did beat it, though, which is more than I can say for the first game. Lots of people like them, though, so maybe I'm just weird.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

Awesome! I had been sort of running in place looking for a new Falcom game to play after beating Ao no Kiseki last month. This should fill the hole in my heart quite nicely.

Admittedly, I'd love a Vita port too, but beggars can't be choosers.

Congrats to the translation team for completing the project!

 

[PixyJunket]

Well, I haven't played the Zwei games so maybe they're the weak links.

I heard Zwei 2 was good though.

I really disliked Zwei 1, but I never actually played much of 2.

It seemed a lot better though and closer to Gurumin than the original game.

 

[Joseph Merrick]

uh uh didn't realise it's possible to order games straight from them. AWESOME

 

[HalfwayOrb]

getting.
thanks for letting us know.

 

[thetrin]

uh uh didn't realise it's possible to order games straight from them. AWESOME

It's also the cheapest way to do it, and there's something awesomely retro about ordering via mail rather than filling out an order form on their site.

It was kind of awesome to get an email back from whoever runs their store with a quote.

 

[Aeana]

Keep an eye on this page for sales at Falcom's store: http://www.falcom.co.jp/mailorder/special/special.html

 

[krYlon]

It's also the cheapest way to do it, and there's something awesomely retro about ordering via mail rather than filling out an order form on their site.

It was kind of awesome to get an email back from whoever runs their store with a quote.

You get a Falcom magazine too

I even got a free soundtrack

 

[Aeana]

Progress after playing some today. Fun timesss.

 

[Vazra]

Nevermind Google worked enough on the site.

But do I really need to sign up to that page to just get the patch?

 

[ctrayne]

The problem with the res patch right now is that the "surface resolution" seems to not be going over the game's old maximum, which means no true 1080p. It's not a game breaker, and it's still better than what Xanadu Next does out of the box, but my friend is working to patch it. The patch probably won't be done until Tuesday at the soonest though. I'll see if he can re-up the patch in the meantime.

Aeana, would you mind taking a couple screenshots at your full resolution with no downsampling? I am curious to see if its working for you properly.

 

[Aeana]

The problem with the res patch right now is that the "surface resolution" seems to not be going over the game's old maximum, which means no true 1080p. It's not a game breaker, and it's still better than what Xanadu Next does out of the box, but my friend is working to patch it. The patch probably won't be done until Tuesday at the soonest though. I'll see if he can re-up the patch in the meantime.

Aeana, would you mind taking a couple screenshots at your full resolution with no downsampling? I am curious to see if its working for you properly.

Ahhh.
No, it isn't. It's definitely a bit grainy. I was just thinking about that a little bit ago.

 

[0 HP]

fuck yes!!!! i have to get this game now.

 

[ctrayne]

My friend put the rez patch back up for now, but take note it doesn't upscale properly yet. But, with the hex edit, you can get widescreen at least.

 

[Vazra]

Excellent I try to sign up to that page and it doesnt let me do anything.

I want that patch Damnit :/

EDIT: Got it now how the F I'm supposed to install it since I know no Japanese

 

[krYlon]

A word of warning for those who want to buy this game to play with the patch.

I don't think it works with the latest DVD-ROM version that is being sold at the moment.

I'm trying to let the translators know. No answer as yet, but I'll keep a lookout.

Otherwise you may need to do an EXE swap, like the Groupon version of Ys Origin.

 

[djtiesto]

My lucky bastard friend won a copy at Otakon a few years back, I will have to play over his house, but I'm strongly considering picking up my own copy. Still have to get to the Ys Origin translation

 

[Aeana]

A word of warning for those who want to buy this game to play with the patch.

I don't think it works with the latest DVD-ROM version that is being sold at the moment.

I'm trying to let the translators know. No answer as yet, but I'll keep a lookout.

Otherwise you may need to do an EXE swap, like the Groupon version of Ys Origin.

Oh, that sucks. Even if you manually update the game with the patch on their site?

 

[krYlon]

Oh, that sucks. Even if you manually update the game with the patch on their site?

Do you mean from the Falcom website? I haven't tried that.

The latest retail version is 1.0.2.0 and the translation only seems to patch up to 1.0.1.4
Do you know what the update patch version is?

 

[Aeana]

Do you mean from the Falcom website? I haven't tried that.

The latest retail version is 1.0.2.0 and the translation only seems to patch up to 1.0.1.4
Do you know what the update patch version is?

Ah, I see. Well, it's possible that you could still apply the 1.0.1.4e patch on top of that version to get its EXE, which will probably do the trick.

 

[krYlon]

It worked!!

Cheers Aeana

To be honest, I had already got it to work with an older version, but this is great news for people wanting to buy the game in the future.

It might be worth including the link to the patch in the OP
http://www.falcom.co.jp/xanadu_next/support/download.html

 

[wutwutwut]

Falcom are stupid for not releasing their stuff on Steam. I would so buy this but I have a strict DD-only policy.

 

[Munin]

Falcom are stupid for not releasing their stuff on Steam. I would so buy this but I have a strict DD-only policy.

Shit, if they partnered with a localization team and did that, I am sure it would sell. Just look at the numbers from Carpe Fulgur. There is no excuse anymore, except "we do not give a shit".

 

[ctrayne]

Shit, if they partnered with a localization team and did that, I am sure it would sell. Just look at the numbers from Carpe Fulgur. There is no excuse anymore, except "we do not give a shit".

I would guess that is their answer. They don't do PC stuff anymore and IMO it's for the worse. It didn't make sense anymore from a business perspective, but they made that decision right before DD really took off. They need to get with the times - money is there to be made off of Steam and co, more so than on the Vita. Falcom's games have low, low, low system requirements these days and I bet netbooks could run half of their catalog.

 

[Augemitbutter]

i'll definitely play this, but not now.

great it's finally out.

 

[Princess Skittles]

I would guess that is their answer. They don't do PC stuff anymore and IMO it's for the worse. It didn't make sense anymore from a business perspective, but they made that decision right before DD really took off. They need to get with the times - money is there to be made off of Steam and co, more so than on the Vita. Falcom's games have low, low, low system requirements these days and I bet netbooks could run half of their catalog.

I'm pretty sure that their stuff on PSP has sold far better for them then their PC stuff.

They didn't just abruptly swap platforms as a lark.

 

[ctrayne]

I'm pretty sure that their stuff on PSP has sold far better for them then their PC stuff.

They didn't just abruptly swap platforms as a lark.

Their PSP stuff sells well, but that's because their old PC distro method was dying, and because PC isn't super strong in Japan. But PC sales in Europe and the US would bring up the worldwide numbers a lot, as the install base would be massive compared to the PSP.

 

[krYlon]

I'm pretty sure that their stuff on PSP has sold far better for them then their PC stuff.

They didn't just abruptly swap platforms as a lark.

Exactly. They have been more successful on the PSP.

I'm sure we will see Falcom on Steam soon enough, but they've been concentrating on the PSP and kiseki series for the moment because they're making huge profits from them.

 

[ctrayne]

Exactly. They have been more successful on the PSP.

See my above post. I'm convinced they could have stuck with PC on a worldwide scale rather than PSP domestic-only, but it's their prerogative. Worldwide PC user base + low requirements + little or no platform fees = success!

 

[Princess Skittles]

Their PSP stuff sells well, but that's because their old PC distro method was dying, and because PC isn't super strong in Japan.

No, not in Japan. The PC market is small but it's still retailer/physically driven. Their method wasn't "dying."

But PC sales in Europe and the US would bring up the worldwide numbers a lot, as the install base would be massive compared to the PSP.

Massive? I doubt that they'd sell any more then the indie J-games on there now. Whether or not that would be financially successful for them is another question, but there's no "guarantee" that releasing a game on Steam is instant millions.

 

[krYlon]

See my above post. I'm convinced they could have stuck with PC on a worldwide scale rather than PSP domestic-only, but it's their prerogative. Worldwide PC user base + low requirements + little or no platform fees = success!

I understand what you're saying. But you understand why they did it?

Japan is their main market and the PSP has been massive in Japan. They saw how well their PSP ports were doing and took advantage of it.

Hopefully they will use Steam via XSEED and increase their worldwide base like you say.
I think for a small company like Falcom, it's a matter of one step at a time.

 

[ctrayne]

Massive? I doubt that they'd sell any more then the indie J-games on there now. Whether or not that would be financially successful for them is another question, but there's no "guarantee" that releasing a game on Steam is instant millions.

I know, but practically everybody in the world owns a PC that can run Falcom's games. The PSP market is tiny in comparison, and it's totally shit on by everybody here in the US. I also would argue that Xanadu Next or the Ys games have a MUCH wider appeal than the indie Japanese stuff on Steam right now.

I understand what you're saying. But you understand why they did it?

Japan is their main market and the PSP has been massive in Japan. They saw how well their PSP ports were doing and took advantage of it.

Yeah, I understand this and it makes sense. I'm just disappointed. Only thing holding them back from worldwide success is the language barrier and a lack of public knowledge, both of which can be fixed.

EDIT: It doesn't matter how I feel anyway, because Falcom + Steam will probably never happen.

 

[thetrin]

I imagine one of the biggest reasons they haven't done anything on Steam is because someone has to approach them and do it for them. They don't have the manpower to do it themselves (unless they don't translate it and only release it in Japan, which isn't financially viable to them).

Not to mention that Steam isn't popular in Japan.

The blame lies more with their foreign distributors like Xseed, rather than with Falcom themselves.

 

[chaosblade]

I understand what you're saying. But you understand why they did it?

Japan is their main market and the PSP has been massive in Japan. They saw how well their PSP ports were doing and took advantage of it.

Hopefully they will use Steam via XSEED and increase their worldwide base like you say.
I think for a small company like Falcom, it's a matter of one step at a time.

People just need to keep bugging XSEED about it so they'll hopefully keep sending the message to Falcom. The effort on their part should be minimal if XSEED has a translation in hand and ready to go.

So many sales being missed.

 

[krYlon]

I imagine one of the biggest reasons they haven't done anything on Steam is because someone has to approach them and do it for them. They don't have the manpower to do it themselves (unless they don't translate it and only release it in Japan, which isn't financially viable to them).

Not to mention that Steam isn't popular in Japan.

The blame lies more with their foreign distributors like Xseed, rather than with Falcom themselves.

XSEED have already approached them about it.
Falcom are just too busy at the moment.

But I think it will happen eventually.

 

[ctrayne]

Not to mention that Steam isn't popular in Japan.

The blame lies more with their foreign distributors like Xseed, rather than with Falcom themselves.

Agreed, except Falcom can and should take the initiative themselves. But they would rather focus on their domestic market on the PSP rather than go worldwide with Steam. One is the easy road (PSP), one requires breaking out of their shell (worldwide). Understandable, but disappointing to some long-times fans like myself, who have been playing their PC titles since the 90's.

Remember that until recently, they developed like two consoles games, ever. They were 99% PC focused from the 80s' up through 2009 or so. Ys V or Legend of Xanadu II was thier first console title developed in-house. Everything else up to that point on consoles was a third-party license.

 

[thetrin]

XSEED have already approached them about it.
Falcom are just too busy at the moment.

But I think it will happen eventually.

Yeah, I figure it will happen at some point. Falcom just has bigger fish to fry at the moment.

 

[Grimmy]

Agreed, except Falcom can and should take the initiative themselves. But they would rather focus on their domestic market on the PSP rather than go worldwide with Steam. One is the easy road (PSP), one requires breaking out of their shell (worldwide). Understandable, but disappointing to some long-times fans like myself, who have been playing their PC titles since the 90's.

Remember that until recently, they developed like two consoles games, ever. They were 99% PC focused from the 80s' up through 2009 or so. Ys V or Legend of Xanadu II was thier first console title developed in-house. Everything else up to that point on consoles was a third-party license.

Falcom is a Japanese company. Their primary market is the Japanese market. In fact, before XSEED came along they had next to no interest in markets outside of Japan, apart from licensing their games out to third-parties. You can't expect them to suddenly jump into something new and, to them, unproven. Their expertise is to cater to the Japanese market, and so far they've been doing great with the PSP in Japan. Why wouldn't they continue doing so?

Falcom has persisted for nearly 30 years precisely because they have carefully honed their niche and never tried to overexpand, like many of their peers. Their history shows that they are quite reluctant to jump into anything without careful considerations, and I'm sure this holds true now with Steam. Remember, the company is tiny, and their staff do the coding for XSEED's releases as well. It's unreasonable to expect suddenly a flood of Steam games from then.