Namco’s practice of allowing users on other platforms to pay for the privilege of beta-testing Tales games for PS3 users seems to have reached its pinnacle with Tales of Graces – comparing the PS3 version (above) to the Wii beta (top) shows some rather stark differences.
The latest preview of “Tales of Graces F”:
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Wait, couldn't the difference have to do with the two versions being on different systems?
isnt a bit silly to call beta to a previous version?
I mean, story of gaming is full of games with bugs and programing issues, corrected en future versions for different platforms or re-releases.
Also is obvious if this game will go to a more powerful platform it gonna be improved in graphics and sounds.
Its like be surprised for how a bluray version of a movie will include more extras.
You people are fucking stupid. It's not like they make all their money on the Tales series alone. Probably it makes more money in Japan and barely any in the US or anywhere else outside of Japan so they decided it wasn't worth it. Tough shit. I want Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side in English but I have to live with it never happening. Some games just aren't released in English, deal with it.
Also do you guys have any fucking idea what a beta is? Of course it doesn't look as good as the real thing or has bugs, that's the point of a beta! Users playing it and testing it out.
butthurt?
probably... and what do you mean tales isnt the cash-cow of namco game line i mean just look at what they have done to the series how many game ports and some bad games really came out of it... seriously JUST LOOKS AT IT and do mind you namco is barely getting the cash even in japan only sales
they barely make any money anywhere else because they don't try to make money anywhere else.
It's not that they can't since there clearly is a demand, It's that they refuse to cause they are so fucking pigheaded that even trained chimps can do better jobs then them when it comes to managing a company.
Some Reason my instincts are telling me if we replaced Upper Management of Bandai Namco with Piss smelling drunken Homeless it's profits would double.
Tales of the Abyss was truly (in spirit) the last of the series, because it didn't get revamped again and was completely finished upon release.
You're kidding ?
The development of the game was rushed to release it for the Tales 10th anniversary, the japanese version was incomplete and full of bugs and the US version complete but still full of bugs.
The Tales of which is going to be complete is probably the Next on the PS3 made by team symphonia, he was luckily not rushed to be released on the Tales 15th anniversary contrary to Tales of the Abyss.
Take a good, long look at the game you will never see translated into English/French/Spanish/German.
Because Bamco hates you!
So The latest Tales game will be re-released some time in the future, and why should we care again?
I just want to say that people should probably start to differentiate between the two teams (actually three) that truly create new "Tales of" games and those that make all those horrible publishing decisions, i.e. those shithead CEO's of Namco.
Those are the ones that cause all that grief because they are nothing more than old, retarded shitheads with next to no grasp of reality.
Just look at Namcos financial situation and it becomes apparent that these people don't have a clue of how to run a successful business. Even with a strong series like that and a surprisingly rabid fanbase.
At least, in Japan they annually celebrate their Tales of Festival with the seiyuus as the main attraction. That's someting a foreign fan can only dream of.
As for Graces, i think it was relatively safe to say that a mothership title like that would see a port to another console, especially after that rather bumpy start they had with the Wii. And i have to say i'm pleased that we get a superior port simply because i don't own a Wii and probably never will.
In that regard i'd say it's pretty logical that the PS3 version will look much better. I'd be disappointed if we'd only get a shoddy port with a few new costumes or redundant crap.
Wish she still had the neck bell though...
It's not Tales Of Phantasia, so it's not relevant.
Fucking youtube and copyright trolls!
didn't they go bankrupt?
will their trolling ever end?
if they quit jumpin ship with one console and switching to another?
one can only hope my friend one can hope.
I hope they go out of business.
Oh Namco, you're such a tease. First you give me the epic Tales o Symphonia for my Gamecube, and now you tell me I can't have any other Tales game that ever comes out again? Well that a damn shame, huh?
Western Tales fans whining about localization are
disgusting. Bamco will be fine without your money.
actually bamco isnt doing fine even in japan.... so what now... what can you expect from them...
PS the shift style that tales of graces introduces is apparently a good concept with a lot of potential however not wisely implementing it kinda made the graces lame... but i hope they improve the system better on the next installments yep.... i can say about graces is that it had a lot of potential even for a beta game on the wii but they clearly need to think harder despite their current bad condition in japan they need to bring out wha made ToD like wise ToA following suite the best game of the tales series so far
This business practice is unconscionable. The best way to deal with this is to completely boycott Namco until they stop this.
Don't forget that the GCN userbase was tricked this way as well.
because of ToS? i presume... but they say the ToS on GC was better than on PS2... and thats like the GC version came first
TALES FOR WORLDWIDE
- Vote on this : http://share.blog.us.playstation.com/ideas/2010/07/30/sony-should-publish-ps3-tales-of-games-in-the-us/
- Post a wall post on Namco Games's official Facebook page ; http://www.facebook.com/namco?v=wall , (be sure to be polite when you do so as overly negative posts only hurt things).
- Fill out this fan survey, the results of which will be sent to Namco Bandai sometime in the near future. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PQQBGNQ
- Send a tweet to @NamcoGames or @namcobandai using the hashtag #TalesFansUnite (as before, please be polite).
- There are publicly listed phone numbers for the company which can be called. They are expecting fan calls now so it is very likely you will get a automated response or a canned response from one of their representatives.
and people wonder why this studio is going to die.
YOU WII BETA TESTERS CASUAL FAGS SURE GOT TOLD.
Yeah poor bastards are going to be so jealous until they ruin the story(if there is one) for you. Wait for it SPOILERS!!!!!
They will have beat the game and moved on long before the ps3 users get to even play it.
true... very true... played and finished as well haha sure i got lazy completing all the titles in game (which can only be completed via NG+) but it was worth it due to the game breaking bugs the first version has
and i dont care if asbel gets a new hi-ougi but all i care is that grown asbel must have a rekkuzan not just his younger-self... possible if his new hi-ougi would be dealing a lot of spinning kick then ill buy it for the hell of it after all bandai has license to code geass... which in turn has namco
Yeah they should have bought a PS3 for RPG's.
Just like the PS2 was the best for last gen.
I don't know why they keep releasing major titles like this on the inferior Wii. I also don't know why they insist on teasing us with Japanese only releases when there is a respectable fanbase in the rest of the world. Of course it really doesn't help their low sales when they keep pulling nonsense like this either.
This changes nothing, Tales is still the worst piece of shit JRPG franchise created.
@Sexton.
You didn't like TOV? You clearly have no taste.
Hugely agreed.
let's keep namco face book wall busy guys : http://www.facebook.com/namco?v=wall
The Wii sucks.
i kinda agree. i soo would love to see all my fav nintendo chars in full 1080i or p. no controller shaking neither.(coming from a wii owner)
the Wii don´t suck more than you
I'd be happier knowing they have plans for an english version. Seems like RPG's nowadays are disappointing me one way or another... I'm going back to my retro classics...
I hate how big RPG's are getting. I don't like spending 60-90 hours playing. I give up around after 20. A nice 7-15 hour game is cool.
Soooo... you don't like a good amount of content for your money?
pfft haha, you assume I spend money. XD
same here. i understand the story takes awhile to finish up, but many of those hours are spent in repetitive battles and boring lvl ups.
same then as before. only ff i've finished was tatics
I admit it Dirty Dingus. I'm a crazy grinder. lol
80~100 hours to finish DQ1?
Shippy~ you be one hard core BA to "complete" DQ1 in that range while I finished it in 10~12. It was the greatest NES game I ever played on that system! I got no further then the title screen of FF1 before boredom had me toss it into the bin
I kinda don't get that point, considering most big JRPGs for the SNES, PS1 and PS2 usually boasted gameplay + level grinding that were at least 30 hours to even something as high as 80-100 hours.
Grinding + JRPGS? That was there since FF1 and Dragon Quest 1..
Yeah, its been a while since I've played a good JRPG. The last was when I played my friend's xenoblade, and I don't understand a god damn thing. Still good, though...
I bet the PS3 owner who bought the beta version to play on Wii facepalmed when they heard of this.
What a jerk move and I bet no international release too.
I would have been more surprised if it didn't look any different at all.
why do even care, not like its going to be released in the U.S. I think i've almost given up on the tales series, but every time a "new" game is announced i keep reading and wanting it.
You can always mod your wiis and xboxes and play without being ripped off as beta testers for the ps3. I for once ain't buying Namco anymore after the first "betas" and exclusives ripped off a lot of ppl.
Geez, the Wii version is like PS2 graphics while the PS3 version ISN'T.
But that's not really surprising is it?
I care, because I care about other gamers even though I won't get the game. I don't like it when other people gets cheated on like that several times.
I fail to see how you can say people who bought the 'beta' were cheated. They purchased the product on an as is basis knowing exactly what they were getting and were most likely satisfied with it.
They only feel indignation because another version has been released with better/more 'features'. This is no different than buying anything else in the tech field, there is always the possibility that the next version will come out shortly after your purchase.
Perhaps the only difference is that the product is a video game and not some actual device.
Most likely satisfied? Wasn't Tales of Graces for the Wii horribly bug-ridden, so much that so that it was RECALLED?
There's a difference between the two following things:
1) Releasing a complete product, and then later releasing another complete product with more features.
2) Releasing an incomplete product, full of bugs, and then later releasing a full version on a different platform.
Releasing a beta and using the feedback of the angry customers to release an improved edition for the console of choice some time later is way cheaper than having some working quality control. It not only doesn't cost anything, they EARN with the beta sales.
Quite smart, as long as they find enough idiots who buy the betas. The customers should know by now, though...
^ Idiots that buy betas like Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
What happened to "fool me once - shame on you, fool me twice..." ?
I think George Bush got it right the first time "Fool me once Shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me, Fool me a third time I'll have your balls in a vice and let you go hunting with cheney."
Why do people act like this is something new in the industry. Companies have been changing and enhancing games that were released later on different systems since the beginning of video games.
Atari did it with most of there games between there various systems. The original Mortal Kombat was different on Snes and Genesis. Onimusha got "upgraded" to Genma Onimusha in its move from PS2 to Xbox. The list goes on and on, so people really can't complain about it. It's just business after all.
Those weren't beta tests on one console before fixing it up on a different one. Those are completely different situations.
First of all, Mortal Kombat on SNES and Genesis were released around the same time, and the difference between them was censorship.
As for Onimusha, perhaps you forgot that the XBox hadn't even been released when the PS2 version of Onimusha came out?
stopping you right there the original Mortal combat was only different cause of Nintendo's Policy on blood and gore in games.
things often have changes do to policy but I mean if you look at Japanese game Companies and american Game Companies, American Game companies at least have some form of honor cause they don't sign into exclusive deals just to turn their backs on said deal or promise one thing to their player base and completely do another if there if they plan on releasing to multiple consoles they at least announce it and don't try to be sneaky about it unlike Namco/Bandai who swore up and down this wasn't going to be a repeat of the last tales fiasco.
Anonymous from 10:11 06/08/2010 back again.
I'm well aware of the fact that the original MK was released at the same time on both systems, I was just using it as an example of differences between versions of games on separate consoles, in hindsight it might have not been the best analogy; but I digress.
As to brningpyres point the Xbox came out about 8 months after Onimusha, and Genma Onimusha was released almost exactly one year after the original PS2 version. But when the original was released it was touted as a PS2 launch exclusive, but it didn't stay that way.
All I'm saying is it's part of the business to upgrade things for re-releases, I'll go out on a limb again and bring up the Street Fighter series this time (not talking about different systems, just upgrades in general), I had each version of SF2 at some point on my SNES, and I also have SF4 and SSF4.
We get special editions, game of the year editions, greatest hits, expansion packs, DLC; upgrading games is part of making them, in the eyes of a designer the game is never truly finished, there is always one more thing you could add, one more mistake you could fix, ect.
Hell even simultaneous releases have differences these days, the Soul Caliber games have had exclusive characters for the past few games, although the Star Wars chars did become DLC after a few months. Then there's the Pokemon games with multiple versions each generation starting with the two initial then the inevitable upgraded version that comes later (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum).
There have been lots of games with differences between versions be they drastic or subtle, it's just that most people didn't really care before and if they did they didn't have these kinda sites to come bitch about it on.
Now I know I'll likely get down voted again but I'm just stating the fact that video games are a business and the people making them will do what it takes to make money. Be it upgrade graphics, add characters or levels, or completely remake a game from the ground up for a different system.
tl;dr for the lazy/impatient:
Upgrades are part of the business, they just take on different forms, so either get over it or buy the other version if you want the upgrades that bad.
There's always the option of taking Japanese lessons I guess.
@Jeen
That's my last resort next to just fapping to the hentai doujins of characters I haven't even played or know...
Ah well, I did remember fapping to Tales of the Abyss hentai doujins before I even played the game...
It's just one way for me to 'get to know' the characters better...And what better way to know them than see them in a crack-pairing (yuri/yaoi) hentai doujin~
*eyes his TOTA doujin archives*
That said, the Wii version has more armpit exposure, that's for sure thanks to the clothing design...
And I prefer the tank-top exposing armpits on my anime loli rather than a more beautiful outfit, but without the waki-exposing goodness~
Twintails make everything better. Especially lolis.
Wouldn't do much even you did learn Japanese. The disk wouldn't work in your system anyway. If you bout it in the states.
There's no region lock on the PS3.
Seems a little extreme just to play games..
They won't sell international, we have to get used to it.
They will keep bitching about piracy and fan translations as well.
This just shows what retards run those japanese game companies.
eh whats the point of complaining Namco/Bandai has always had more or less an Anti Foreign Gamer mindset just look at the numerous Gundam games never to be released to america not to mention the ones that do get released in america are under advertised and usually the most poor choice they could pick at the time so the market for their gundam series never really takes off with the average gamer.
But I'm sure Bandai is aware of how large of a foreign market they have since they IP block users massive lists of IPs from their Japanese version of their Online game SDGO. Yet still refuse to release a american or european version even tho they make 1/5th of the player population between the 4 already existing game servers spread out amongst China and Korea.
lets face it Bandai just hates people who arn't Asian cause they are prejudice.
I've been trying to learn japanese for 6 months now, and i still can't read any manga. It's beastly difficult without a tutor..
Well it starts with just games, later on you will be reading light novels without problem.
yeah...namco can go fuck themselves!!
atlus+falcom ftw!!!
I don't think it's just about learning the language though.
The way Namco Bandai split the userbase, release Tales games in strange release days or just not releasing it to the MILLIONS of players around the world is a disservice. Can't get more clear about that. Also, even if you do know the language, the price to import those games are pretty prohibitive. If you thought $60 was pricey, then get ready to shell $80-$90 for import + shipping.
Like some have mentioned, Namco Bandai is just being totally schizophrenic about the release of the Tales games. If they were smart at all, they won't keep hurrying through to make the next Tales games inbetween only months of eachother and if they're gonna make console Tales, then they should try focusing a bit on that. Also, there's no reason not to release them on the States when Vesperia and Symphonia showed that the western world may buy just as much, if not more copies of a Tales game than the Japanese.
It's a worldwide market and they should play it. Also, if they have such experience making Wii, 360 and PS3 versions, then they have less of an excuse to not release them across as much consoles as possible (especially those 3).
Maybe they can grow a brain and do the western fans some justice like what Capcom has been doing the last few years.
Yeah and even more convenient is the fact that Japan and US(America?) have the same region codes.
I'm already three words ahead: Hai, Iie... and "Gaikokujin" (thanks Artefact! :D)!
Wow, thanks for that list, weeaboo.
FUCK!!!
tell people to learn japanese when majority people here using engRish
Yeh couse someone who speaks japanese is a weaboo.. damnit learn your terms before using them =3
ゲーム Game
新規ゲーム New game
作成 Create
設定／オプション Settings/Options
記録 Save Records
セーブ／保存 Save
ロード／読込む Load
主人公 Main hero(rine)/Protagonist
魔法／魔術 Magic
物理 Physical
魔物／怪物 Monster
力 power/strength/force/vigour/might/energy
攻撃 Attack
-> 攻撃力 AP
防御 Defense
-> 防御力 Defence
気力 Strength／SP
魔力 Magic strength／MP
根性 Will power
体力 HP
知力 Intelligience
魅力 Charm
敏捷 Agility
速度 Speed
器用 Dexterity
運気 Luck
命中 Accuracy
回避 Evasion/Dodge
地図／マップ Map
確認 Confirmation
はい Yes
いいえ No
キャンセル Cancel
剣 Sword
-> 双手剣 Double handed sword
槍 Spear／Lance
弓 Bow
矢 Arrow
弩 Crossbow
杖 Staff
...I can never understand how some people who want to play Japanese games, but somehow just refuse to learn the language and goes on bitching about 'Release in English damnit!'
English games are meant to be played in English, Japanese games are meant to be played in Japanese.
FFS, just take the bloody time to go learn Japanese. It's not as hard as you people make it out to be, and all it takes is a few hours per week...
araradude speaks it like a true weeaboo.
Even if they did learn Japanese, there is still the large sum of money to not only import the game (at insane Japan prices, plus import fees, plus considering how weak the US Dollar is compared to the yen at the moment), but also have to either have a hacked console to play games from that region, or a console FROM that region.
Sometimes it's just better to wish that Namco would stop hating people who want to throw money at them for their games (that have little to no gameplay difference between them, or story for that matter).
yeah, few hours per week and for....3-4 years?
Around 6 months ~ 1 year is enough to learn enough to understand 80% of what's going on in games and anime and such.
Of course, there are differences between individuals with differing levels of affinity for the language, so some may take longer...
But hey, once you have gained knowledge of the language, the knowledge is yours, and not definitely will not be limited to the playing of games only.
"Of course, there are differences between individuals with differing levels of affinity for the language, so some may take longer..."
That. On top of the fact that unless you use the language and keep up with it, it'll fall out of memory. And don't say it doesn't, it does.
Ready for this? Believe it or not, not everyone has a few hours, over an unsaid number of weeks, to learn Japanese right now. just an observation... I'm not saying people "deserve" to have games translated to their language, but it's not that simple.
no no you gotta use the american mind set. Why pay for to learn a language when you can try to force them to make the game in your language instead?
yet they manage to look at sankaku anyways. One should divert it to seeing Japanese language training programs or the like if they are really desperate.
What's so bad about wanting a release in English?
araradude, the thing is, it takes a lot of effort to learn a language, plus it doesn't correlate too directly when you have a HOBBY, it's understandable you don't want to make a work out of it to make it work. Not everybody have that kind of ironclad mindset. Some do, not all.
And subtitles and translations are a fine business. Let's stop pretending that they don't matter, shall we?
to have*
Well you seem a few hours to play games. so why can't you spare a few to learn japanese.
@Anon12:57
As Anon 13:37 has noted, you have time to play games, yet not the time to learn the language to play those games?
Riiiiiggghhhhttttt...
If this is a case of "I am so busy with work and family that I have no time to spend to learn another language", then you will be right in that case, of course.
But since this is a case of "I would rather spend the time playing the games than learning the language required to play them, then bitch about how they don't translate the games to a language I know"?
Bullshit.
well i finished the first run of the first Wii version and it was fine... though i kinda missed the point that Asbel should haze rekkuzan <_< instead of non-spin kicks... (yes SPINASBEL needs it)
I only care because of what an utter joke Namco Bandai's policy of releasing games is. Not only do they make incomplete games, they release it intermittently between different consoles, spread the Tales series into every which ever direction they please without a sense of timing and order and now they want to make 2 more Tales games fully knowing that their game release schedules are quite possibly one of the worst in the gaming industry.
If they were smart, they wouldn't rush 3 or 4 Tales games all within a short period, release these games to the western world where some game sales like Symphonia and Vesperia for 360 saw Western sales do just as well if not better than Japanese sales. And doing these weird beta-releases is just ridiculous. They should do the RIGHT thing by trying to release them in all three consoles and let some porting team do the job for the two other consoles and try to stay profitable.
As it is, all they're doing is looking like the schizophrenic weird uncle of the gaming world while pissing off whole segments of the gaming population. Hell, even Activision runs a tighter ship than this.
God they are making the most douchebag business move ever :/
Bamco is like the EA or Activision of the east, but only much worse. I don't even remember EA being such assholes.
EA sports "It's in the game"
EA was fine. The fact that they want to take everything is their douchebaggery. But they still releases whatever wherever.
So I supposy the moral of the story is this.
You alienate fans by tossing out the original version of the game with a perfect and it hurts the biz,
now I don't know what's to say bout those who buy into it easily.
Now that they've slighted both the X360 and the Wii user base. I'm pretty sure they're going to do the beta testing on their PS3 customers next, because they know they've already pissed off their former customers from the other two consoles already.
You're saying a good strategy would be to harass the remaining group as well?
Don't forget, they still have the NDS/NDSi/3DS & PSP customer base left over to harass. They could even harass people on iPhone/iTouch/iPad as well, just make a crappy game app for people to beta test, and charge tons for updates and patches.
Maybe NAMCO's real goal wasn't profit. They probably just started their game company just to fuck with us for the laugh. And hell, it worked.
Only the fan boys get slighted. Everyone else would rather play the game a year earlier and move on with their lives. Only ps3 users get excited to pay full price for games that are $20 and in the used bin for other systems.