A Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate localization blog post went up on Capcom-Unity yesterday. It’s rather interesting and gives some insight into the western release.
Courtesy of localization director Andrew Alfonso, we learn that Capcom approached Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate’s overseas version in a different manner than previous entries in the series. Alfonso reveals that for this entry, he sat in on meetings with the development team during development of the game itself.
Localization plans began in September 2013 or so. As for why Monster Hunter games take so long to localize, you may be surprised to hear that there’s more text in these titles than something like Ace Attorney or Dragon’s Dogma.
Later in the blog, Alfonso touched on how the localization process for Monster Hunter has come a long way from the days of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Fans are now being treated to a much higher quality localization. For this latest game, the team went as far as to make adjustments to the UI and tutorials.
“Another thing we did with MH4U that we couldn’t do with MH3U is related to the UI and tutorials. We were able to tinker with them in ways that we weren’t able to do in the past. We consulted with MH4U director Kaname Fujioka and lead designer Yuya Tokuda about what we wanted to do for the western release and received their blessing to change the UI and tutorials in subtle ways that will make the experience smoother for players overseas.”
You can find the full Capcom localization blog for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate here.
Natsume president and CEO Hiro Maekawa posted a New Year’s message to the company’s Facebook page earlier today.
In it, there’s a mention that “Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is performing beyond our expectations in North America”. A European launch is taking place this year.
Here’s the full message from Maekawa:
We now have a lineup of the top 100 best-selling games in Germany for 2014. Fourteen 3DS games are on the list as well as five Wii U titles and five older Wii releases. Tomodachi Life was the best-performing game having come in at the sixth spot.
Here’s the full listing:
01 PS4 FIFA 2015 (ELECTRONIC ARTS)
02 PS3 FIFA 2015 (ELECTRONIC ARTS)
03 PS4 GRAND THEFT AUTO V (TAKE-TWO INTERACTIVE)
04 PS4 CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD)
05 PC DIABLO 3: REAPER OF SOULS (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD)
06 3DS TOMODACHI LIFE (NINTENDO)
07 PS4 ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY (UBISOFT)
08 PS3 MINECRAFT (SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT)
09 PS4 WATCH DOGS (UBISOFT)
10 PC THE SIMS 4 (ELECTRONIC ARTS)
uWordsmith is coming to the North American Wii U eShop next week, creator Cody Diefenthaler announced today. The game will be available on January 15 for $1.99.
Diefenthaler wrote on Twitter a few moments ago:
announcing uWordsmith hitting the @NintendoAmerica #WiiU #eShop Jan 15th! 170+ unique word puzzles for less than $2! pic.twitter.com/YCAqmIwIrk
— Cody Diefenthaler (@chudchud) January 7, 2015
As for Europe…
@NintendoHall @NintendoAmerica not sure yet, but I'd like to!
— Cody Diefenthaler (@chudchud) January 7, 2015
Starting today, consumers can save $30 on all 3DS XL systems at GameStop. Most can only be found in-store, though there are a couple that can be purchased online – namely the black model and exclusive NES Edition. This sale is valid through January 13.
In March, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is getting a re-release in Japan. It will be the first 3DS game under the “Atlus the Best” label. Pricing for the new version is set at 3,218 yen.
Update 3: Sold out again!
Update 2 (1/7/14): Currently back in stock!
Update: Now sold out!
Missed out on The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Limited pre-orders earlier today? Well, good news! There’s one more online opportunity coming from GameStop.
By purchasing the Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Ultimate Limited Edition Bundle, you’ll receive a copy of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Limited Edition as well as the collector’s edition guide from Prima. Pricing is set at $84.99. If what happened today is any indication, these will sell out quickly!
Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, shared a message on the official Dragon Quest X website to ring in 2015. Horii touched on what’s planned for the franchise in the near and far future as Dragon Quest’s 30th anniversary approaches.
The message in full states:
Happy New Year, everyone. There is just one year to go until the 30th anniversary of Dragon Quest.
In February, we will release Dragon Quest Heroes, and in March, Theatrhythm Dragon Quest. Additionally, while still to be announced, there are many projects in planning as we head towards the 30th anniversary. And then there’s the release of Dragon Quest X Version 3.0 in the spring. Together alongside our fans and development staff, I hope we keep making the series even bigger and better!
Life is a role-playing game. Here’s to many more years to come of Dragon Quest!
Given that Dragon Quest’s 30th anniversary is next year, that could be when we hear about the series’ next core entry – Dragon Quest XI.
