Shin Akai Katana Confirmed for North America

[MR_Soren]

I'll definitely buy a copy when it's available in the US.

Not sure if keeping the name was wise though. I hope AK does well, for everybody's sake.

[Never_Scurred]

Not sure if keeping the name was wise though.

Like WarTech was a great idea for boosting NA sales.....

[Estebang]

Except Crimson Katana would be an accurate and faithful translation of the original title, while WarTech was just Ubisoft's nonsense.

The new mode names are silly and confusing, but beggars can't be choosers. You know most everyone posting in this thread will buy the game no matter what, Torisu, but "Akai Katana" is just not a commercially viable name for a Western 360 release--it's just asking to get ignored. Maybe you still have time to retitle it.

I don't understand the reasoning in replacing the words "Shin" and "Zetsu," but leaving in "Akai." They're all equally unknown to Japanese-illiterate Westerners, except maybe if they're DJs who use AKAI equipment.

[NeoStrayCat]

Crimson Katana, lol, really more accurate title would have been (True/Real) Crimson Blade/Sword (or whatever)...

But hey, at least they didn't call it Angry Leader Bee (DoDonPachi) Resurrection for the EU release. So yeah, beggars can't be choosers more likely.

[Estebang]

Crimson Katana, lol, really more accurate title would have been (True/Real) Crimson Blade/Sword

I was leaving out the "Shin."

[NeoStrayCat]

Hence I put () <This in the title anyway, since its not final yet, unless it is.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Not sure if keeping the name was wise though. I hope AK does well, for everybody's sake.

Its ok imo Akai Katana is easy to remember and there will be folk who have heard about the original due to sites like destructiod running articles about the JPN version.

Imo the main problem with namaing is when both the iphone version and later 360 version share the same name. The PAL version of DFK was lost to a sea of iphone links when googling and using YT

[Never_Scurred]

The point I was trying to make is that like Senko No Ronde, this game is belongs to a very niche, word-of-mouth genre, so I don't think a name change would make all the difference people might think it would. Senko still would have sold what it sold without the name change.

[Estebang]

Seems it's coming out April 27.

[BrianC]

I like the name Akai Katana. At least they didn't try to rename it "Red Steel".

[AntiFritz]

I like the name Akai Katana. At least they didn't try to rename it "Red Steel".

Already copyrighted.

[BPzeBanshee]

While torisu is responding here as opposed to the PAL thread:

1. Do you know yet if we see Akai Katana in Australia?
2. Will the 'Origin'/Arcade 4:3 mode zooming issue get fixed?

[MR_Soren]

The point I was trying to make is that like Senko No Ronde, this game is belongs to a very niche, word-of-mouth genre, so I don't think a name change would make all the difference people might think it would. Senko still would have sold what it sold without the name change.

Yes, shoot-em-up fans will buy this with any name, but it needs to sell to more than just this small audience.

One thing us forum-dwellers need to remember is that the average shopper goes into a store with no idea what most of the games are, but they still randomly buy stuff that catches their eye. I think Crimson Katana will catch a random person's eye more easily than Akai Katana, it doesn't sound like shit (See Mobile Light Force, WarTech, etc), and it's a reasonable translation.

However, maybe the mystique of having a mysterious foreign word in the title will have it's own pull on consumers. The cover is attractive, regardless of name.

[Thjodbjorn]

With games coming out here with names like Ar Tornelico or whatever, I really don't think "Akai Katana" is going to be a problem. The name stands out much better than Crimson Katana. besides which, people might confuse that with Crimson Skies.

[TLB]

I think Crimson Katana will catch a random person's eye more easily than Akai Katana, it doesn't sound like shit (See Mobile Light Force, WarTech, etc), and it's a reasonable translation.

I think Crimson Katana sounds kitten-crushingly stupid. It's not at all unusual to have random Japanese words in titles anymore. You vastly underestimate the immense quantities of preteen to college-age weeaboo rejects who would be exceedingly likely to buy the game even if they think stg sux because of the possible character interactions and fap art, and this includes a large quantity of female weeablokes. It's likely that publishing companies have access to consumer data, and they probably have a decent idea of who they're marketing to. I've seen the omg wapabakagaijinotaku hordes in large quantities on internet forums, IRC, and in trading card dens. They exist, and they push sales of games you like.

They keep the rejects unacknowledged (because it would be retarded to acknowledge rejects in their own marketing material at their level of sales), and you buy the games in your genre because you are a fan of it, and you believe that people like you drive massive sales in some obscure way.

Deathsmiles sold 140,000 copies or more in North America and Europe...yet you see less than 8,000 users registered on this forum, and almost none who actually play the games.

Not so niche? I can give you my perspective on the subject some day. (E: I just realized that how this sounds on paper is much different from what my intentions were when I typed it. Let's just say I'd give my perspective if someone convinced me it was worth it.

[DrTrouserPlank]

The could have called it "Akai Katana" but inserted "crimson sword" to read almost as a subtitle to the main name.

No one would have cared that it was basically the game title written twice, but a bit of English in the title couldn't do any harm. If the choice came down to all English or all Japanese, then I guess all Japanese was the way to go in order to please the fans who will account for the bulk of this game's sales.

[Estebang]

Deathsmiles sold 140,000 copies or more in North America

VGChartz data is based on inaccurate estimations and has been known to be wildly incorrect, especially concerning niche games.

[TLB]

Deathsmiles sold 140,000 copies or more in North America

VGChartz data is based on inaccurate estimations and has been known to be wildly incorrect, especially concerning niche games.

50% is a wild margin, wouldn't you agree?

70,000 people who play stg because they're real fans of sidescrolling ninja action games, right. The old guys you might have a fetish for envisioning have fond memories of R-Type and 1942, not Japanese animu-fests.

If it seems I'm still not clear on all this, someone let me know and please do your best to clarify.

[Estebang]

This has more to do with "don't cite VGChartz for anything, ever" (it's strictly banned on NeoGAF) than "hey, some people actually buy shmups!"

[bcass]

I gather that VGChartz has become more reliable recently but I don't believe those US Deathsmiles sales figures for a second. If it had sold that well then there wouldn't have been problems finding a US publisher for the rest of the games in that region.

[foxyg]

No release date for this in NA yet.

[torisuRSG]

No release date for this in NA yet.

Not yet.

But we haven't announced the release date for PAL yet.

[Illyrian]

No release date for this in NA yet.

Not yet.

But we haven't announced the release date for PAL yet.

Hey bro! Firstly, thanks for podting these awesome games! I thought the PAL release date was april 27th? I pre-ordered on amazon.co.uk and that's what it said there

[torisuRSG]

No release date for this in NA yet.

Not yet.

But we haven't announced the release date for PAL yet.

Hey bro! Firstly, thanks for podting these awesome games! I thought the PAL release date was april 27th? I pre-ordered on amazon.co.uk and that's what it said there

Aha - retailers will put release dates on their pages but they aren't necessarily correct. We (RSG) will only be specific nearer the day so as to avoid disappointment. Still, it is definitely for Q2 2012...

And thank *you*

[DJ Incompetent]

I gather that VGChartz has become more reliable recently but I don't believe those US Deathsmiles sales figures for a second. If it had sold that well then there wouldn't have been problems finding a US publisher for the rest of the games in that region.

I'm guessing the distribution costs would eat up the NA revenue because the area to sell in is so much larger.

I can't see how sales broke 100,000 though.

[Estebang]

If Torisu is still reading, I'd like to point this out. There's false advertising on RSG's product page for Akai Katana.

Gorgeous hand-drawn artwork

Of the characters? Sure. That goes for almost any game with manga-style character designs. But the sprites you'll be seeing in-game are all pre-rendered 3D.

[AntiFritz]

If Torisu is still reading, I'd like to point this out. There's false advertising on RSG's product page for Akai Katana.

Gorgeous hand-drawn artwork

Of the characters? Sure. That goes for almost any game with manga-style character designs. But the sprites you'll be seeing in-game are all pre-rendered 3D.

Aren't the backgrounds drawn?

[BrianC]

I like the name Akai Katana. At least they didn't try to rename it "Red Steel".

Already copyrighted.

ugh. That was the point. So much for my lame attempt at humor....

[torisuRSG]

If Torisu is still reading, I'd like to point this out. There's false advertising on RSG's product page for Akai Katana.

Gorgeous hand-drawn artwork

Of the characters? Sure. That goes for almost any game with manga-style character designs. But the sprites you'll be seeing in-game are all pre-rendered 3D.

sprites aren't hand-drawn, backgrounds are hand-drawn, 'key art' is hand-drawn...

[Estebang]

It's still unclear and misleading wording, since "hand-drawn" is so often used to refer to sprites when talking about games. You should specify "hand-drawn backgrounds."

Also, you might want to make a separate US page for AK.