Ginga Force (Qute, Xbox360)

[viper_phase1]

Could someone give this a better translation? It describes stage progression:
装備の状態はセーブして、次のステージに引き継ぐことができます。 装備と難易度を変更することによって、ステージを1回だけではなく、何度でもプレイすることができます。

"You can carry over the state of your equipment to the following stage when you save. When you change the equipment and the degree of difficulty, you can play a stage any amount of times, not only once."

[Strider77]

This game looks like a K mart exclusive.

[psoslayer]

This game looks like a K mart exclusive.

[Primative Charm]

Hi guys. First time poster with something a bit relevant for the topic. I also emailed Qute about the chances for a region free release. Low and behold I actually got a response and I thought I'd share it. Here's what they replied:

Luis - san

Thanks for the encouragement.
I am sorry I didn't get back to you soon.

This software will be released only in Japan.
But We think that region-Free is promising choices though we have not decided region-Code yet.

Sincerely,

So maybe there is some hope... maybe.

[denpanosekai]

Cool answer. I was gonna post about how the top page was updated with a couple more specs... minus any region-free notices.

I'm guessing his answer is code for "we're waiting for Microsoft's OK"

[Op Intensify]

But We think that region-Free is promising choices though we have not decided region-Code yet.

I believe this is the exact same answer they gave for Eschatos, which ended up being region-free. I'm optimistic.

[xbl0x180]

Either way... I'm gettin' this baby... and another copy of Eschatos because of its reduced price

[HydrogLox]

I believe this is the exact same answer they gave for Eschatos, which ended up being region-free. I'm optimistic.

I wouldn't get my hopes up.

• February 2010 - Cave announces that the standard edition "Espgaluda II Black Label" will be the last region free release "for a while". Announcement. Cave Game List. For the time being it still is the last physical region free release from Cave.
• November 2010 - Eschatos anounced to be region free.
• August 2011 - Release that Xbox 360s are being removed from Japanese store shelves.

What I'm seeing here is that Cave put in the extra expense and effort for a number of physical releases to get the region free certification. I recall them commenting that they have to conform (for Musihimesama Futari) to much stricter guidelines (i.e. more complicated and expensive) to get a region free certification. Them stopping region free releases suggests that the gray-market sales didn't amount to much (i.e. not enough to justify the extra expense) while putting any other-region publishers (e.g. Rising Star) off localizing Cave's titles into their own region.

So it's well known that Microsoft doesn't like region free releases so they aren't going to make it any easier for Qute who is even smaller than Cave. Also since Eschatos the Xbox 360 has lost a lot of visibility in Japan. I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to keep the region barriers up so that the gray market console sales will help to clear their J-360 stock inventory.

[Op Intensify]

Yeah, but Qute's wording in that reply highly suggests that the ball's in their court. It sounds like they already know they'd be able to secure a region-free release for the game, and they just haven't decided yet whether it would be worth the extra expense and effort.

Of course, it could just be a canned reply for gaijin they've had sitting around since Eschatos and it might not reflect MS Japan's current policy, but there's no way of knowing at the moment.

I'd like to think that MS Japan has resigned themselves to the fact that everyone in the country who'd be interested in a 360 already owns one. They can't try to push the hardware anymore (not even to importer gaijin), they can only sell new software to the same installed user base of a million and a half or so. The market's not going to expand, so they can only continue to milk the people they've already got. They need to focus on exclusive games and niche genres that aren't as prominent on the PS3 in Japan (shmups, visual novels, Western first/third-person shooters). They should have taken a LOT more advantage of the fact that Steins;Gate started as a 360 exclusive, even if it required paying off 5pb/Nitro+ to keep it that way. Also,

February 2010 - Cave announces that the standard edition "Espgaluda II Black Label" will be the last region free release "for a while". Announcement. Cave Game List. For the time being it still is the last physical region free release from Cave.

Only if you don't count MuchiSweets.

[HydrogLox]

Yeah, but Qute's wording in that reply highly suggests that the ball's in their court. It sounds like they already know they'd be able to secure a region-free release for the game, and they just haven't decided yet whether it would be worth the extra expense and effort.
...
I'd like to think that MS Japan has resigned themselves to the fact that everyone in the country who'd be interested in a 360 already owns one.
...
They need to focus on exclusive games and niche genres that aren't as prominent on the PS3 in Japan (shmups, visual novels, Western first/third-person shooters).

You could be right. But Microsoft doesn't often make sense on decisions that make sense on the small scale. By and large they want to deal with Modern Warfare volume type licenses - they have different motivations for dealing with the small stuff. They were collaborating with the Japanese developers while they were still hoping to gain a significant market share in the Japanese market. With that hope gone Microsoft's "resignation" may manifest itself by simply no longer dealing with the "small stuff" - in which case Qute may find out that getting a region free certification may be now much harder (or even impossible) than compared to the days of Eschatos. G.Rev side-stepped the issue with Under Defeat HD by figuring out how to placate Sony (by making the New Order arrangement 16:9 veri-zontal) so they got to release their title on a naturally region free platform (which is also more popular in Japan anyway) and they didn't have to struggle with Microsoft to get a region free certification.

Only if you don't count MuchiSweets.

Yes, you are correct - unless you count Espgaluda 2 Black Label (Platinum Collection) as a separate release. Cave Game List I have to admit the I missed the "(Platinum Collection)" when I first scanned the List - proving once again that one often finds what one is looking for, rather than seeing what is actually there.

• 02/25/10 – Espgaluda 2 Black Label – Cave – JP Xbox 360 – REGION FREE – K2F-00001
• 02/24/11 – Muchi Muchi Pork & Pink Sweets – Cave – JP Xbox 360 – REGION FREE – JES1-00125
• 04/28/11 – Espgaluda 2 Black Label (Platinum Collection) – Cave – JP Xbox 360 – REGION FREE – K2F-00004

[Cuilan]

If a company like Qute manages to get a game like Ginga Force to be a region free release, it's going to shine an interesting light on certain 3rd-party publishers who claimed that MS wouldn't allow it anymore...

[MR_Soren]

I'll buy this game if it will play on my (non-Japanese) 360. I'm probably not the only person who feels this way.

There is no logical reason for Microsoft to forbid a region-free release on this game.

[HydrogLox]

There is no logical reason for Microsoft to forbid a region-free release on this game.

In Microsoft's "mind" there is no advantage to allow a region free release.

Region lock protects the region's publisher from being undercut by sales from other cheaper regions - this is why Nintendo adopted region lock for the 3DS again even though the DS was region free - basically they didn't want "cheap" (English) North American cartridges flooding the Japanese market. The side-effect that North Americans are cut off from spending their money on expensive Japanese releases (unless they get the Japanese platform) isn't viewed as a significant enough revenue loss to worry about - I guess those with that much cash to burn are just going to buy a Japanese 3DS anyway.

So in the world of Microsoft and the XBox 360, publishers who want to see their effort of localizing (the higher volume) Xbox 360 exclusive international releases for the Japanese market protected, demand global region locks - especially because that market is so limited to begin with. A publisher may request a region free release if they are the one and only global publisher (i.e. publisher in all regions, rather than publisher in one domestic region) and all global localizations are present in the game's distribution from day one. That type of publisher will tend to get an ear from Microsoft and have the deep pockets to afford the more expensive region free (or more appropriately all-region) certification process. So unless someone makes Microsoft an offer they find difficult to resist, they will likely stick to the "no more all-region releases" strategy to keep the majority of their publishers happy - it is just easier for them. The fact that they are suppressing Qute's sales by a few hundred units is of no concern to them as quite likely Qute can only afford the minimum required print run anyway.

I imagine that the combined Euro/US region release of Dodonpachi Resurrection was only allowed because Rising Star had already disclosed (and proven) to Microsoft that they where going to start publishing in North America in the not so distant future.

[Skykid]

Change Air Blade?

[Op Intensify]

Change Air Blade?

Already confirmed to be single-player only. I guess the stages are focused around the bosses, and there's several in each one.

Eschatos was also quite heavy on the bosses, which is by no means a bad thing.

[stryc9]

Looking forward to seeing some actual vids for this. Pre-orders are open right? It would make sense for them to show some gameplay footage before we plunk down our hard-earneds.

[Op Intensify]

Qute is something like a four or five-man operation, it's kind of understandable that they wouldn't have finished editing a trailer yet.

[Op Intensify]

Site updated with system page. Still no videos or word on the region code.

Seems that you can save in between stages. There's also limited energy for all your weapons, not just the shield. I don't think it recharges. You can still fire them without energy, but they'll be very weak.

You also have bombs, something Eschatos lacked.

[PinkSweets]

Wow, seeing even more info and screens, I must say that I'm pretty impressed with the way this game is looking.

There's something I really like about this game already and won't be surprised if it turns out to be one of my favorites on 360.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Because those aren't the English spellings of the words.

<edit 09.07.12> And now your edit to remove the last line of your post means that this one makes no sense at all. Cheers.

[Phellan Wolf]

Any news on this??? I am still waiting for some video gameplay or a trailer to show a little bit of it.
I think this one is going to be the 3D version of Judgement Silversword

[Op Intensify]

Nope.

I think this one is going to be the 3D version of Judgement Silversword

Already exists. Eschatos.

[Tokyo-J]

Any news on this??? I am still waiting for some video gameplay or a trailer to show a little bit of it.
I think this one is going to be the 3D version of Judgement Silversword

Pushed back to late 2012

[Hydeux]

How do you know ?
The official web site still says 30th of august : http://gingaforce.qute.jp/top.html.

[colour_thief]

http://andriasang.com/con1zz/ginga_force_delay/

It's being reported with the retailer Softmap as the source.

[Hydeux]

Thanks !

[Op Intensify]

There's a message on the site now. It says that the delay's just so they can make a better quality game; nothing out of the ordinary (Eschatos was delayed due to the quake).

With a development team of three, I'm really not surprised. But I do wish they'd hurry up with the video footage.

[adversity1]

No surprise here. No videos 2 months out from release is already sketchy.

They better hurry up though, the system they're putting the game out on wont exist much longer in Japan lol.

[Op Intensify]

Let us not forget that the Dreamcast lived on as a shmup box for six years past its "death."

Even if Microsoft ceases Japanese 360 hardware sales by the end of the year, there's no way they're going to entirely drop support right away. It will still have a decent-sized market of enthusiasts who will support new releases tailored to their interests.

Probably just shmuppers and fans of Western games at this point, now that Idolmaster/Dream Club are multiplat, and visual novels are getting ported to the PS3 left and right. But still.

I still think Microsoft Japan should have given Nitro+ major moneyhats to keep Steins;Gate (and future Science Adventure VNs) a 360 exclusive.

[AntiFritz]

The difference here is in 20 years time you could still release a new dreamcast game if you wanted to, but you cant do that on x360.