Limited Run Games (producing physical copies of digital games)

[Aussie2B]

I'm trying to wrap my head around how a visual novel on DVD could even be feasible. I think it just goes to show how much kupomogli has no clue what they really are. Visual novels aren't like Dragon's Lair or Sega CD FMV games. What you're seeing isn't a video. The UI, the character sprites, the backgrounds, etc. are all separate, independently functioning elements. When I play a visual novel, not only am I pressing a button to advance every window of text, but I'm selecting options, fiddling around with menus, checking the backlog to review previous text and/or relisten to spoken lines, etc. The idea of trying to make that work with a DVD and all the loading involved just makes me cringe.

Anyway, for a complete change of subject, I'm surprised that Lost Sea is still in stock even now. If you had asked me, I would've expected it to sell out before Xeodrifter, considering it's only on one platform and, if you combine the platform variants, Xeodrifter had more copies total. If I'm not mistaken, it's also a brand new game, not one that's been available digitally for a long time. Well, I'm not complaining. I'm glad people can buy Lost Sea at their relative leisure.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

My guess is he was speaking figuratively. It might have been a case of "these games are so primitive that a DVD player could run them" type statement. You know, that same dismissive statement people make about a calculator having better graphics than Minecraft or Mighty No 9 looking like a really nice N64 game.

[Aussie2B]

Breach & Clear: Deadline was announced as #14 today. They haven't announced a release date yet, but I wonder if they'll end up selling it at the same time as Soldner-X 2. I mean, Rainbow Moon hasn't been assigned numbers yet, and it's due in August, so Deadline's gotta be pretty soon here. I've also heard them talking about selling a very tiny amount of leftover Vita Breach & Clear this month, including some offered in a bundle. They're going to offer a bundle for Deadline that comes with the soundtrack, so I wonder if maybe they'll sell some Vita Breach & Clear copies with that soundtrack, or maybe even bundled with Deadline.

[Bojay1997]

Breach & Clear: Deadline was announced as #14 today. They haven't announced a release date yet, but I wonder if they'll end up selling it at the same time as Soldner-X 2. I mean, Rainbow Moon hasn't been assigned numbers yet, and it's due in August, so Deadline's gotta be pretty soon here. I've also heard them talking about selling a very tiny amount of leftover Vita Breach & Clear this month, including some offered in a bundle. They're going to offer a bundle for Deadline that comes with the soundtrack, so I wonder if maybe they'll sell some Vita Breach & Clear copies with that soundtrack, or maybe even bundled with Deadline.

Soldier X-2 has been delayed from the previously announced July 18th date. Apparently it will launch at the same time as Deadline if all goes according to the new plan. They are also planning on doing a bundle with both the original Vita B&C and the PS4 Deadline and both soundtracks. No word on when or how many for that.

[Aussie2B]

Okay, I updated the list now that we have a date for Soldner-X 2 and Breach & Clear: Deadline, which is July 29. They still haven't even changed the Soldner-X 2 date on the store listing, so I can already picture all the people who will get on the site on the 18th, wondering what's going on. I believe I heard that there are about (or exactly?) thirty bundles with the Vita Breach & Clear that will be available on July 29, so I'm sure that'll be a free-for-all.

[kupomogli]

We've partnered with Limited Run Games to create, well, a region-free limited run of the game in physical form. The game will be launching in September and will be available exclusively via Limited Run Games' official store. We'll be sharing further details as they become available (like a definitive date and time) on our Twitter, and Limited Run Games will be doing the same on their Twitter, too.

For those not familiar with Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice, here's the lowdown:

Join Ogden and the heroes of Westeria in this classic JRPG epic, Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice! Travel through the frozen wastelands of Tundaria, experiencing action-packed battles without random encounters, using spatially aware Area-of-Effect attacks and power moves. Travel by pirate ship, defending against enemies in thrilling ship-to-ship rock monster combat! Defeat oncoming hordes of demons and huge bosses that threaten the entire world of Dragon Fantasy!

"But wait, wasn't this Dragon Fantasy Book II?"

Yes...but there's more to it. Think of it as a remastered version of Dragon Fantasy: Book II (which was originally released for PlayStation 3 and Vita in 2013) Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice is the DEFINITIVE EDITION of the second Dragon Fantasy game. With an extensive list of tweaks, improvements, and changes, including new dialogue (to ensure those who never played Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria will be up-to-speed and ready to go), new bestiary (track the monsters you’ve defeated and captured!), new items, new boss, and a difficulty slider to ensure gamers of all experience levels can enjoy the fun, there’s loads to discover whether you’re a new player or a veteran.

http://mtki.co/dragon-fantasy-the-bl...-physical-run/

[Greg2600]

Out of curiosity, is there a reason these releases seem to be Sony systems only?

[SparTonberry]

Are PS4 and Vita still region-free (or at least optional game-specific region-lock)?

Nintendo went backwards starting with the DSi, adding region-lock when they were previously region-free.

No idea about Microsoft.

[kupomogli]

Are PS4 and Vita still region-free (or at least optional game-specific region-lock)?

Nintendo went backwards starting with the DSi, adding region-lock when they were previously region-free.

No idea about Microsoft.

PS4, Vita, and Xbox One are region free. I don't know about 360 games through bc as I don't own one.

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, the PS4 and Vita are region-free, and LRG ships worldwide. That's not why LRG only does Sony games, though. The reason for that is because Nintendo and Microsoft have higher minimum print runs, which basically kills the viability of physical print runs of games like these. LRG is working on it, though, as they do want to release games for other platforms.

Besides Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice, the other news is that there's a specific release date for Rainbow Moon now: August 19th. They've also said that Rainbow Moon isn't the only game getting released in August, but I guess it's either completely unannounced thus far or it's one of the games that have no concrete release info. I'm wondering when Cosmic Star Heroine is gonna come out. If they actually stick to the summer release as planned, all they have left is August or September. And I'm personally hoping that LRG doesn't go overboard with the number of releases in September and October since those months are already loaded with games I'm gonna get from other publishers.

[SparTonberry]

Nintendo copying the "indie games on disc" idea?
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/201..._selects_label

[kupomogli]

Nintendo copying the "indie games on disc" idea?
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/201..._selects_label

They've got to do something to make it look like their sh*tty console has games. To make it look like the fanbase hasn't bought into a console that's died within three years and nothing to show. I've bought exclusives that I'm ever so slightly interested in to actually have something on the damn system and I still only have 11 games.

*edit*

What a piece of Nintendo. Hopefully this catches on, probably won't.

If you replace Nintendo with a more fitting word with the company throughout the entirety of their existence, the above would make sense. Okay, a bit of exaggeration :P.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Regardless of their reasoning, I'm onboard with the concept of putting digital only games on disc no matter who is doing it. Especially compilations as the SteamWorld games would suggest. What I'd really like to see is huge digital only WiiU games like Fatal Frame 5 get a proper disc release. This series could do that, at last. As much as I wanted to, what stopped me from buying Fatal Frame 5 on WiiU was that it was digital only, something like 16 GB, and $60. I'd pay $60 for Fatal Frame 5 if it were physical, but not digital.


The other issue is the WiiU is frustratingly region locked, so even if a bunch of these are great, the European builds are useless to me.

[Greg2600]

So region free is the answer, thanks.

[Bojay1997]

So region free is the answer, thanks.

Not entirely. They have expressed an interest in releasing on non-Sony platforms, including region locked platforms like WiiU. They have said that there are certain barriers to doing so including the fact that their background is in developing games for Sony systems and knowing that procedure for getting through QA and publishing requirements better than other platforms. There are also start-up costs involved with working on other platforms (for example, they had to pay to license specific fonts for Sony releases and other publishers have their own requirements and hoops to jump through). So, I think being region free was part of it, but so is already having games to release on those platforms to get the process started and already knowing the publisher's requirements backwards and forwards. I'm sure as they continue to have success, they will branch out onto other platforms.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I'd personally like to see Limited Run Games do some PS3 releases. There are a whole bunch of really fantasic PSN only games that I would gladly rebuy if I could.

I wonder if that's possible? PS3 games are still in production, they use a standard format, and LRG is already working with Sony.

[Aussie2B]

Apparently in September we're getting two RPGs from LRG, one being Dragon Fantasy and the other is an RPG developed in Japan, which is not only a first for LRG but rules out everything currently on the upcoming list. Should be interesting to see what it is.

Edit: Seems it'll be a PS4 game (or maybe on both platforms), so it's definitely not a Vita exclusive.

[Aussie2B]

Soldner-X 2 and Breach & Clear: Deadline have been put up. The bundle including the Vita Breach & Clear went in the blink of an eye as to be expected, the first batch of Soldner-X 2 is already sold out, and Deadline doesn't have much left of the first half. I just went in for regular copies myself, no bundles. Check back at 6pm EST if you missed anything (minus the jumbo B&C bundle; that's a one-time deal, outside of any orders that get canceled and relisted who knows when).

[shadowman]

I only grabbed Soldner, I'm not going for the PS4 games. Glad I managed to get Soldner as I'm a big fan of the digital port for the Vita that was already released. Its a very fun game, and a pretty impressive port (runs silky smooth and looks wonderful).

[Aussie2B]

Looks like most of the listings for the second half went just as fast, if not faster, than in the morning. All that's left now is regular Deadline copies, so I guess we'll see how long those last (they kinda lingered even with the first batch).

Looking forward, LRG said that we're getting a Metroidvania in August. Could it possibly already be time for Rabi-Ribi? But that's still not out digitally yet, without even a release date announced for the digital release. I'd be really surprised if they released the digital versions and the physical print runs all at once, all of a sudden. If not that, then it's gotta be something totally unannounced thus far. I already finished Xeodrifter myself, so I'm down for another, whatever it is, as long as it's decent.

They're also saying that they're going to wait a bit after whenever Cosmic Star Heroine comes out digitally so that any needed patches can be released before they produce physical copies. So even if Cosmic Star Heroine makes it this summer digitally, maybe we'd be looking at autumn for the physical release. I'll leave my release estimate as-is in the opening post until summer is definitely ruled out, though.

Edit: Here is the sticker for the mystery Metroidvania in August:

https://twitter.com/LimitedRunGames/...10672252858368

Any guesses? It'd have to be a game with a color scheme in its logo/title art like that.

Edit #2: As I continued to talk to myself here, haha, August's mystery game is proooooobably Shadow Complex Remastered, which would get a PS4 print run only, since it doesn't exist on Vita. Also, for a funny bit of trivia, apparently the original (non-remastered) version of the game came out on August 19, 2009, so it would go on sale with Rainbow Moon on the exact 7th anniversary of Shadow Complex's initial release.