18 forever love 2012 full movie. The Musou genre of videogames is probably the only genre equal to sports-based videogames in terms of yearly output. Dating as far back as the original Playstation, developer Omega Force first popularized the term with Dynasty Warriors and have since released a near-uncountable number of sequels and spinoffswhich also have sequels. Samurai Warriors would fall under the latter category, commonly known as a “sister series” to Dynasty Warriors: same concept, different era. While Dynasty Warriors typically deals with Chinese history with its heavily romanticized depiction of the Three Kingdoms era, Samurai Warriors follows the Japanese side of historical warfare with the Sengoku period, featuring historical Japanese figures such as Nobunaga Oda, Hanzo Hattori and a bunch of other warriors you may recognize from various other videogames and anime rather than an actual history book.
In typical Musou fashion, the story mode features no real main character and instead allows players to experience the war through several different playable perspectives, though front and center for the latest iteration (called Samurai Warriors 4-II, the only other series besides Final Fantasy that could get away with such a ludicrous numbering scheme) is Naomasa li, a headstrong crimson-armored general of the Tokugawa who is determined to make a name for himself while charging headlong into every conflict. Several other characters take center stage, all possessing insane superpowers and anime-inspired character designs (including Naomasa’s absurdly young-looking mother, who apologizes for every screen-clearing barrage of kicks she unleashes), all tasked with mowing down thousands of enemy fodder in every map while also targeting specific bosses in order to achieve victory. If you have played literally any Musou game before Samurai Warriors 4-II, you know the drill: each map is a massive stage filled with thousands of NPCs running around, where one side must dominate the other by taking out the opposition. Players assume the role of their chosen character, who can effortlessly lay waste to hundreds of mooks at a time through a two-button combination of attacks followed by a screen-clearing Musou attack once the appropriate gauge is filled up. New to this iteration are Hyper Attacks, which can allow players to dash through enemies as well as break a boss’s guard with a well-timed dash, and Rage Attacks, which temporarily boost a player’s attacks while allowing for an even more insane Musou attack if unleashed before the effect wears off. Retuning gameplay elements include the ability to bring two warriors into the field and allowing to switch between them on the fly (be careful, though, as it’s Game Over if just one of them falls in battle), calling up a mount to traverse quicker, and activate learned skills that can offer several boosts (such as elemental attacks) or temporary rewards (such as extra gold and EXP).
As a gameplay concept, Samurai Warriors 4-II is every bit the mindless button-masher that its numerous predecessors were; the standard enemy will offer little resistance, existing purely for players to massacre them while basking in their increasing kill count. Bosses put up slightly more resistance but amount to little more than higher health and more consistent attacks. The one sole element that requires a bit of strategic thinking is to finish the onscreen objectives, which usually require players to finish off a certain enemy within a limited timeframe, or protect an important NPC from being overwhelmed.
In either instance, it’s merely about paying attention on where to go next rather than just foolishly mowing down foes without a care in the world. What Musou games like this lack in complexity, however, they make up for with sheer sensory overload.
Carrying a much more stable framerate than the abysmally un-optimized Warriors Orochi, Samurai Warriors 4-II features much more capable visuals, though there are still instances of slowdown during the heavier combos. The game’s simplicity also lends itself to more unlockable rewards, such as spending Tomes to increase a character’s abilities, feeding weapons into other weapons in order to raise their levels, not to mention additional characters, scenarios and other unlocks. In the end, Samurai Warriors 4-II is yet another Musou entry out of a dozen or so that hit every year. However, these button-mashing brawlers can still provide hours of entertainment for players who want to turn their brains off and enjoy some over-the-top action.
So long as there are entries that provide a competent experience, there are still Musou games worth enjoying once in a while, with this latest entry proving to be one of the fresher additions to the batch.
I got the 2 dollar horses/mounts DLC. =D Playlist: SticKer Story Hores I like hores. Hores have other hores frinds. Hores like carots. You woudn't think they coud but they can put thir legs strait up. Hores make you feel good.
My dad wants a hores but my mom says no. 16 or 20 I Will buy my own hores. Watch full LP: Story of Hisahide Matsunaga, Sparks of Rebellion. Stage 5: The Truth Behind Honnoji.
The greatest villain the land has ever seen has returned! Finally, the truth about Honnōji is about to be revealed! I fail the stage utterly BUT at least we capture Gracia and stick her into box somewhere. Not stick into HER box, mind you, pooper-loving pervert! XP 'Hisahide Matsunaga has dubbed himself the greatest villain of the age. Using any means at his disposal, he looks to rebel against Nobunaga Oda, the one who holds the destiny of the land within his grasp!
The greatest villain in the land! Alone, he turned his back on the Demon King.
Recklessly rebelling, time and time again. Setting in place plots and traps of the most devious complexity. To claim ownership of his fate, any means would be justified. The ultimate evil of Hisahide Matsunaga is about to find its true expression!'
It's finally here! The first game in the Sengoku Musou series by KOEI's Omega Force on PC since Samurai Warriors 2 in 2008, we now have the most beautifully looking Musou game, with highly-detailed PS4 character and troop models, much better overall graphics even on default (Medium) settings than Dynasty Warriors 8, online coop, AND better performance. Running perfectly smooth on an 8-year-old PC! I am sorry, but anyone who said that this would be a shitty port before it was released is obliged to eat his own necktie. I wanted to do a 5-minute test before trying all the options, but starting the game and seeing Kunoichi bounce around, getting an achievement for using her per squirrel, I simply couldn't force myself away and continued the stage, destroying Tadakatsu Honda with Okuni's umbrella, and completed it by showing Ieyasu that having a BOSS mark over your head doesn't make you special! Then I proceed to do the new 13 Story modes.
Samurai Warriors 4-II, Steam PC version played by Andi 'CRIMSON' Rain. Stay tuned for more!
'I got the 2 dollar horses/mounts DLC. =D Playlist: SticKer Story Hores I like hores. Hores have other hores frinds. Hores like carots. You woudn't think they coud but they can put thir legs strait up. Hores make you feel good. My dad wants a hores but my mom says no.
16 or 20 I Will buy my own hores. Watch full LP: Story of Hisahide Matsunaga, Sparks of Rebellion. Stage 5: The Truth Behind Honnoji.
The greatest villain the land has ever seen has returned! Finally, the truth about Honnōji is about to be revealed! I fail the stage utterly BUT at least we capture Gracia and stick her into box somewhere. Not stick into HER box, mind you, pooper-loving pervert! XP 'Hisahide Matsunaga has dubbed himself the greatest villain of the age. Using any means at his disposal, he looks to rebel against Nobunaga Oda, the one who holds the destiny of the land within his grasp! The greatest villain in the land!
Alone, he turned his back on the Demon King. Recklessly rebelling, time and time again. Setting in place plots and traps of the most devious complexity. To claim ownership of his fate, any means would be justified.
The ultimate evil of Hisahide Matsunaga is about to find its true expression!' It's finally here! The first game in the Sengoku Musou series by KOEI's Omega Force on PC since Samurai Warriors 2 in 2008, we now have the most beautifully looking Musou game, with highly-detailed PS4 character and troop models, much better overall graphics even on default (Medium) settings than Dynasty Warriors 8, online coop, AND better performance. Running perfectly smooth on an 8-year-old PC! I am sorry, but anyone who said that this would be a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ port before it was released is obliged to eat his own necktie. I wanted to do a 5-minute test before trying all the options, but starting the game and seeing Kunoichi bounce around, getting an achievement for using her per squirrel, I simply couldn't force myself away and continued the stage, destroying Tadakatsu Honda with Okuni's umbrella, and completed it by showing Ieyasu that having a BOSS mark over your head doesn't make you special! Then I proceed to do the new 13 Story modes.
Samurai Warriors 4-II, Steam PC version played by Andi 'CRIMSON' Rain. Stay tuned for more!
The official website for the stage of 's ( Samurai Warriors) games the lead cast in costume on Monday. Shintarō Anzai as Sanada Yukimura Shōta Onuma as Sanada Nobuyuki as Ishida Mitsunari The cast will (seen above from top row, left to right) Shintarō Anzai as Sanada Yukimura, Shōta Onuma as Sanada Nobuyuki, Keisuke Ueda as Ishida Mitsunari, Igarashi as Naoe Kanetsugu, Ryutarou Akimoto as Tōdō Takatora, as Ōtani Yoshitsugu, Junpei Yasukawa as Date Masamune, Taiyou Ayukawa as Katakura Kojūrō, Kazuki Ono as Katō Kiyomasa, Jouji Saotome as Fukushima Masanori, Yuuki Yamaoki as Shima Sakon, as Inahime, and as Saika Magoichi.
Kōtarō Yoshitani (, stage plays) is directing and writing the script, and production group Polygon Magic is producing the play. Regular tickets cost 6,500 yen (about US$53), and tickets with a pamphlet cost 9,800 yen (US$81). The play run at Tokyo's Theater 1010 from May 2 to 7. The story takes place in Japan's tumultuous Sengoku era, where violent battles are being raged across the country. The 'passionate and painful' story follows the 'troubled fate' of the Sanada brothers, who have sworn an oath that no matter what, they will fight to the bitter end together. The play will focus on the historical Battle of Sekigahara, where both Sanada brothers fight on opposing sides in the battle.
The television of the games premiered in Japan on January 11. And the as it aired.
The first issue of Gaming Life in Japan for 2004 offers our (and, in some ways, Famitsu's) look back at the year 2003 in Japan. Lots of stuff happened in the year, from Sony's announcement and release of the PSX to Sega and Sammy's back and forthing on partnerships. Released its first direct sequel in the Final Fantasy and showed off Final Fantasy XII for the first time. Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance SP and managed to get the likes of Hudson Soft and to bring many of their games over to the GameCube. The first titles of the notorious Five failed to make much of an impact over the year, but Capcom countered with an impressive unveiling of Onimusha 3 and a surprising Resident Evil Outbreak.
All this in a year that should be small beans compared to 2004. Below, you'll find sales information for the entire year, a Famitsu survey with Japan's biggest publishers and the third annual IGN Japan awards. FAMITSU JOUHOU GO! Another underage cutie takes the cover honors for issue 788 of Famitsu.
That's J-Pop and K-Pop sensation Boa looking so innocent and pure on the cover of the magazine. Boa, who turned 17 on 11/5 of last year, is one of Japan's favorite singers, having made the move over from Korea in mid 2001. Unlike many of the girls who appear on Famitsu covers, Boa actually has some relation to the gaming world - she'll be providing the theme song for Koei's Sengoku Musou.
Aside from the few pages towards the back of the magazine featuring pictures of Boa, this week's issue has a couple of game announcements. Let's explore:. Winning Eleven 7 International: Winning Eleven 7 was one of 2003's million sellers, just as Winning Eleven 6 was to 2002. As it did with Winning Eleven 6: Final Evolution, is bringing back Winning Eleven 7 under a new name, Winning Eleven 7 International. New features to the game include an option for six different languages and new clubs like Juventus and Feyenoord operating under their real names.
The Japanese national team has increased to 45 players. You can now edit your goal keeper uniform and even stadiums. On top of this are new animations, new uniforms and 129 faces added to the face edit mode.
This is the first Winning Eleven game to ship on a DVD-ROM, suggesting that the volume should be huge. Just as over 600,000 people bought into Final Evolution, we don't doubt that International will be a huge hit. A release is set for 2/19.: Hudson brings a sequel to 2001's Bomberman Kart to the PS2. The numbers of courses and characters have increased, and the graphics have been improved.
It also looks like Hudson will be including a mode of traditional Bomberman delights - sure to be a reason many people pick up the game in the first place. A release is set for 4/29. Following weeks and weeks of massive weekly review lists, the Famitsu review crew was apparently able to take a break, as this week's issue has just two games reviewed. Next week should see a return to normal. Dai San Teigoku Kyobouki, PS2: 7,5,7,5. Island of the Kaijuu, Sega, GCN: 7,7,7,6 We'll of course have to pick up Island of the Kaijuu, as it's made by Ancient, the company run by Mr. Yuzo Koshiro!
FAMITSU SALES MATOME Before we get to the 2003 IGN Japanese Game Awards, let's take a look at every hardcore fanboy's favorite thing in the whole wide world: game sales. The latest issue of Famitsu contains Japanese sales totals for hardware and software in the year 2003. First, the software. If you can remember far back enough, this year's winners should come as no surprise.
Here's the top ten, listed as game name, publisher, platform, sales in 2003 and release date: YEAR 2003 TOP 100 (1 - 10). 1. Final Fantasy X-2, Square Enix, PS2: 1,941,727 (3/13/2003). 2. Pocket Monster Ruby & Saphire, Pokemon, GBA: 1,704,458.
3. Shin Sangokushi Musou 3, Koei, PS2: 1,178,455 (2/27/2003). 4. Winning Eleven 7, Konami, PS2: 1,085,082 (8/7/2003).
5. Minna no Golf 4, SCE, PS2: 875,252.
6. Dragon Quest Monsters, Square Enix, GBA: 593,458 (3/29/2003). 7. Gundam: Meguri Ai Sora, Bandai, PS2: 577,972 (11/7/2003).
8. Mario Kart Double Dash!!, Nintendo, GCN: 567,849 (11/7/2003). 9.
Made in Wario, Nintendo, GBA: 556,806 (3/21/2003). 10. Dragon Ball Z, Bandai, PS2: 543,312 (2/13/2003) There's no stopping Square Enix! But don't discount Pokemon Ruby & Saphire which came in second despite having seen release last November. The totals for the Nintendo game were 4,902,220 until the end of 2003, and have since topped the five million mark. Koei comes in with Shin Sangokushi Musou at number 3 and Konami with at number 4.
YuRiPa were the biggest gals in Japan this year. Interestingly, 2004 has a similar list of games that could end up forming the top four. Will next year's list see Final Fantasy XII at the top followed by Pokemon Red and Green, Sengoku Musou and Winning Eleven 8?
Sengoku Musou High School
Of course, Gran Turismo 4 should end up somewhere in there as well. The remainder of the list is as follows: YEAR 2003 TOP 100 (11 - 100). 11.
Rockman EX 4, Capcom, GBA: 535,836. 12. Z Gundam, Bandai, PS2: 535,115 (3/12/2003). 13. Star Ocean 3, Square Enix, PS2: 533,373 (2/27/2003).
14. 2nd Super Robot Taisen Alpha, Banpresto, PS2: 511,517 (3/27/2003). 15. Pro Soccer Club wo Tsukurou! 3, Sega, PS2: 507,873 (6/5/2003). 16. Jikkyo Powerful Pro Baseball 10, Konami, PS2: 505,313 (7/17/2003).
17. Shin Sangoku Musou 3: Buraiden, Koei, PS2: 491,359 (9/25/2003). 18. Version, SCE, PS2: 491,181 (12/4/2003). 19.
Pokemon Coloseum, Pokemon, GCN: 485,686. 20.
Mario Party 5, Nintendo, GCN: 481,053. 21. Super Mario Advance 4, Nintendo, GBA: 457,095 (7/11/2003). 22. Devil May Cry 2, Capcom, PS2: 456,824 (1/30/2003).
23. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Square Enix, GBA: 441,926 (2/14/2003). 24.
Taiko no Tatsujin Appare Sandaime, Namco, PS2: 437,918. 25. Taiko no Tatsujin Tatakon De Dodong ga Don, Namco, PS2: 433,013. 26. Taiko no Tatsujin Doke! Shinkyoku Darake., Namco, PS2: 373,205 (3/27/2003). 27.
Kirby's Air Ride, Nintendo, GCN: 357,886 (7/11/2003). 28. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Square Enix, GCN: 354,991 (8/8/2003). 29. Biohazard Outbreak, Capcom, PS2: 334,462. 30.
Pokemon Pinball Ruby & Saphire, Pokemon, GBA: 316,971 (8/1/2003). 31. Tales of Symphonia, Namco, GCN: 311,473 (8/29/2003). 32. Grand Theft Auto III, Capcom, PS2: 308,764 (9/25/2003).
33. Hoshi no Kirby Yume no Izumi Deluxe, Nintendo, GBA: 300,973.
Sengoku Musou 2 With Moushouden
34. Densetsu no Starfee 2, Nintendo, GBA: 298,697 (9/5/2003). 35. Made in Wario, Nintendo, GCN: 296,811. 36. Zelda: Link to the Past, Nintendo, GBA: 293,989 (3/14/2003). 37.
Mother 1+2, Nintendo, GBA: 278,225 (6/20/2003). 38. Pro Baseball 2003, Namco, PS2: 278,079 (4/3/2003). 39. Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu, SQuare Enix, GBA: 277,634 (8/29/2003). 40.
Mario & Luigi RPG, Nintendo, GBA: 274,810. 41. Doubutsu no Mori e+, Nintendo, GCN: 267,243 (6/27/2003).
42. Initial D Special Stage, Sega, PS2: 267,091 (6/26/2003). 43.
Fire Emblem Reibi no Ken, Nintendo, GBA: 265,286 (4/25/2003). 44. Naruto Narutimate Hero, Bandai, PS2: 263,980.
45. Ratchet & Clank, SCE, PS2: 262,289 (12/3/2002).
Sengoku Musou 2 Official
46. Zelda no Densetsu Kaze no Takuto, Nintendo, GCN: 252,064. 47. Tenchu, From Software, PS2: 250,383 (4/24/2003). 48. Tottoko Hamu Tarou 4, Nintendo, GBA: 248,645 (5/23/2003).
49. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, Atlus, PS2: 245,520 (2/20/2003). 50. Drag On Dragoon, Square Enix, PS2: 241,014 (9/11/2003). 51.
Power Pro Ken Pocket 5, Konami, GBA: 239,979 (1/23/2003). 52. Donkey Konga, Nintendo, GCN: 238,400. 53. Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest, Square Enix, GBA: 237,652. 54. Sakura Taisen, Sega, PS2: 235,622 (2/27/2003).
55. Summon Night 3, Banpresto, 230,299 (2/27/2003). 56. Pro Yakkyu Team wo Tsukurou! 2, Sega, PS2: 226,151 (2/13/2003). 57.
World Woccer Winning Eleven 6 Final Evolution, Konami, PS2: 224,559 (12/12/202). 58. Mario Party 4, Nintendo, GCN: 224,458 (12/5/2002). 59. Momotarou Dentetsu 11, Hudson, PS2: 223,781 (12/5/2003). 60. Naruto 2, Tomy, GCN: 223,321 (12/4/2003).
61. One Piece Grand Battle!
3, Bandai, PS2: 220,723. 62. Gundam Seed, Bandai, PS2: 219,102 (7/31/2003).
63. Way of the Samurai 2, Spike, PS2: 214,801 (10/9/2003). 64.
Rockman EX3, Capcom, GBA: 210,650 (12/6/2002). 65.
Momotarou Dentetsu 12, Hudson, PS2: 206,064. 66.
Shutokou Batle 01, Genki, PS2: 201,001 (7/24/2003). 67.
Pokemon Box Ruby & Saphire, Pokemon, GCN: 199,633 (5/30/2003). 68. Super Robot Taisen D, Banpresto, GB A: 199,607 (8/8/2003). 69. Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Square Enix, PS2: 194,462. 70.
SD Gundam G Generation Advance, Bandai, GBA: 192,114. 71. Naruto, Tomy, GBA: 191,577 (5/1/2003). 72. Arc the Lad, SCE, PS2: 185,862 (3/20/2003). 73. Monster Farm 4, Tecmo, PS2: 184,784 (8/14/2003).
74. Naruto, Tomy, GCN: 182,420 (4/11/2003). 75. Mario Golf Familly Tour, Nintendo, GCN: 175,741 (9/5/2003). 76. Tennis no Oujisama 2003, Konami, GBA: 172,134 (2/20/2003). 77.
Front Mission Force, Square Enix, PS2: 169,606. 78. Hanjuku Heroes VS 3D, Square Enix, PS2: 169,421 (6/26/2003). 79. Rockman EX 3 Black, Capcom, GBA: 168,946 (3/28/2003). 80.
Jissen Pachisuro. Salaryman Kentarou, Sammy, PS2: 166,641 (3/20/2003). 81. Shinseiki Evangelion 2, Bandai, PS2: 166,529. 82.
Super Mario Advance 3, Nintendo, GBA: 165,635 (9/20/2002). 83. Unlimited Saga, Square Enix, PS2: 165,506. 84. Tengai Makyou II, Hudson, PS2: 162,314 (10/2/2003).
85. Armored Core 3 Silent Line, From Software, PS2: 162,143 (1/23/2003). 86. Final Fantasy X (Mega Hits!), Square Enix, PS2: 159,640 (1/16/2003). 87. Rockman Zero 2, Capcom, GBA: 158,479 (5/2/2003).
88. Metroid Fusion, Nintendo, GBA: 155,528 (2/14/2003). 89. Minna no Golf 3 (Meta Hits!), SCE, PS2: 153,118 (7/18/2002). 90. Super Donkey Kong, Nintendo, GBA: 148,285. 91.
Wild Arms Alter Code: F, SCE, PS2: 145,126. 92. Soul Calibur II, Namco, PS2: 144,948 (3/27/2003).
93. Gaidou Battle, Genki, PS2: 140,047 (2/27/2003). 94.
Sanwa Pachinko Paradise 8, Irem, PS2: 137,635 (3/27/2003). 95. Power Pro Ken Pocket 6, Konami, GBA: 136,435 (12/4/2003). 96.
Ratchet & Clank 2, SCE, PS2: 136,230. 97. Tales of Fantasia, Namco, GBA: 134,608 (8/1/2003). 98. Final Fantasy XI Vision of Zirat, Square Enix, PS2: 132,055 (4/17/2003). 99.
Kinniro no Gasshuberu!!, Banpresto, GBA: 131,168. 100. Densetsu no Starfee, Nintendo, GBA: 190,920 (9/6/2002) This year, Nintendo takes top honors amongst software developers, with 22 titles on the list (26 if you include the Nintendo subsidiary Pokemon which handles Pokemon titles).
But check out Square Enix! The company, in its first year of merged operations, managed 14 titles, vaulting it above the rest of the 3rd parties. The year 2003 and 2002 company rankings, which depict how many games the companies had in the top 100, are as follows: YEAR 2003 COMPANY RANKINGS Nintendo - 22 Square Enix - 14 Bandai - 8 Capcom - 7 - 7 Namco - 7 Konami - 6 Sega - 4 Banpresto - 4 Pokemon - 4 YEAR 2002 COMPANY RANKINGS Nintendo - 17 Konami - 9 Bandai - 9 Capcom - 8 Sony Computer Entertainment - 8 Square - 6 Namco - 6 Enix - 5 Koei - 5 Banpresto - 5 Much of this year's software ended up for the PS2, with Sony attaining a 57.2% software share, totalling 19,007,243 titles. Nintendo platforms account for the bulk of the remainder, with GBA getting a 29.3% share on 9,618,796 pieces of software and GameCube managing a 14.5% share on 4,619,029 pieces of software. In all, 1079 titles made their way into the Japanese retail scene throughout the course of the year.
In terms of specific numbers of games per platform: YEAR 2003 SOFTWARE/PLATFORM PlayStation 2: 556 Game Boy Advance: 153 PlayStation: 142 titles GameCube: 102 Xbox: 63 Swan Crystal: 11 Dreamcast: 48 Game Boy: 2 Neo Geo: 2 Hardware sales matched up with software quite closely over the year. Here's a look at the number of hardware units sold over the year and some trends YEAR 2003 HARDWARE SALES PlayStation 2: 2,994,000 Game Boy Advance SP: 2,433,000 Game Boy Advance: 1,180,000 GameCube: 1,040,000 Xbox: 97,000 PSone: 61,000 Swan Crystal: 47000 Game Boy Advance SP was released on 2/14 alongside Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The system managed sales of over 200,000 units in its first month, limited largely by supply shortages. Further 'advances' in hardware units sold came at the release of Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu on 8/29 and during the Christmas rush. The standard GBA, meanwhile, had sales upwards of 500,000 units in its first month of sales for 2003, but dropped off considerably with the release of the SP.
Its sales curve matches that of the GBA-SP, although down a few notches in numbers. Cube had a bumpy year. The release of the Game Boy Player on 3/21 saw a jump to nearly 50,000 pieces of hardware in March, following a drop to 30,000 in February. The Enjoy Plus Pack in June followed by Crystal Chronicle's release on 8/8 took the hardware to 100,000 units sold for August. The price drop to 14000 yen didn't see immediate effect on 10/17, but the system shot up towards the end of the year. PlayStation 2 actually saw a sales drop between January and February, with a rebound to 300,000 units sold in March to coincide with the 3/13 release of Final Fantasy X-2. The PlyaStation BB Unit package, released on 6/12 brought about a slight sales increase, but the big surge happened at the end of the year when SCE lowered the system's price down to 19800 yen and released its popular racing pack.
Sales of this PS2 BB package were strong Xbox sales are low-scale here in Japan, so sales 'surges' amount to just a few additional thousand units sold in a given month. The Cash Back campaign on 5/29 and the release of Dino Crisis 3 on 6/26 saw one such surge, with a similar surge following the 11/20 price drop to 16800 yen and the release of the 19800 yen Platinum Pack.
Overall, according to numbers provided by Enterbrain, Famitsu's parent company, 2003 saw a shrinking of the videogame market by 7.7%. Most of this is accounted for by a 25% drop in hardware sales, with software sales having risen 1.2% from year 2002. FAMITSU ANKETTO GET! And, just to make you wait a little bit longer before you see what IGN Japan thought of this year's batch of Japanese titles, here's a survey found on the pages of Famitsu. This survey was conducted with videogame companies, most of whom chose to remain anonymous in their responses to the magazine.
Q: What kind of year was 2003 for games? (Responses: 92) Good: 27 compaines Bad: 41 companies Normal: 24 companies For companies responding 'Good,' companies F and T point to lots of smash hits and big titles.
Company A mentions that Online titles have come into fruition. A company called GN Software cites the fact that it was able to start off in the game biz.
Amongst companies responding 'Bad,' Company B points to the bankruptcy of Digicube while developer Arika points to a lack of hits and big titles. Only one interesting response from companies responding 'Normal.' Company P states that while there was a slowdown, they were able to push software of the 'Boys Love' genre. What company could this 'Company P' be?
Q: What will happen to the year 2004 game market? (Responses: 86) Grow stronger: 25 companies Can't expect much: 19 companies Won't change: 32 companies Other: 10 companies Amongst those who believe a stronger market awaits, company S points to the EyeToy and PSP release while company M points to network-ready games becoming more abundant and big titles like GT4 and FFXII. NEC Interchannel suggests that it will be able to open up titles aimed at girls, including 'Boys Love' genre titles (ah ha!).
Many expect big things from GT4 next year. Among the less favorable responses, company A states that for everyone except the big makers the year will be tough, while company S believes that there's nothing but sequels down the road and that getting acceptance for new titles should be tough.
Q: What companies caught your attention in 2003? (Responses: 87) Square Enix: 21 companies Nintendo: 12 companies Konami: 9 companies Capcom: 7 companies Koei: 5 companies Company M gives Konami credit for its excellent character business. For Capcom, company S points to the release of GTAIII and other overseas titles and the KDDI network business. Koei gets attention from company O due to its fanbase. Q: What companies are you watching for 2004?
(Responses: 84) Square Enix: 17 Sony Computer Entertainment: 14 Sega: 10 Nintendo: 8 Capcom/Koei: 7 Square Enix gets notice from company G for the release of FFXII's while company B believes the fruits of the merger will finally show. SCE gets attention from company A for the PSP and from company S for the PSX. Company R believes Nintendo's mysterious new E3 product will bring the company back from the dead. For Sega, company E is interested in the relations with Sammy while company K is interested in hearing the company's new battle plan. Q: Are you developing for the next generation of hardware?
(Responses: 73) Currently in development: 4 companies Not in development: 37 companies Have plans for development: 32 companies Q: Into what hardware will you place your resources for 2004? (Responses: 77, multiple responses okay) PlayStation 2: 52 PC: 24 Cell phone: 20 Game Boy Advance: 19 PSP: 15 Game Cube: 11 Xbox: 7 PlayStation: 4 Dreamcast: 3 Arcade: 3 Q: Do you have plans to work with other companies on game development? (Responses: 76) Interested: 28 Already doing so: 25 Plans to do so: 14 No plans: 9 Q: Do you have plans for a merger? No: 56 Currently Investigating: 3 Outside of these responses, the various companies surveyed provided promises to users. Company S promised that it will make lots of interesting games. Meanwhile, Company N promised to offer new games whose doors are wide and whose center runs deep (as deep as their promise?). Company E promised to reduce delays in its software.
Electronic Arts revealed its full name and stated that it aims to get awards in the Famitsu Croww Review. Company G promised to make games that have high originality. Special props to NEC Interchannel who promised to continue to work hard, even on the Dreamcast. Turn the page for the year 2003 IGN Japan game awards.