Is this the last PSP release?

[Mendon]

I'm a fan of the Growlanser series, though I haven't played any titles in years and years. While browsing Amazon today I came across a new game in the series that I hadn't heard of before, Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=al64LdoZdEI

 

I was surprised to discover it being released tomorrow, July 31st, and even more surprised to see that its a PSP release as I assumed all new game development was now geared to the Vita.

 

Could this be the last PSP release or are there even more titles coming out for the system?

 

 

Mendon

[the.golden.ax]

It's a long and sacred tradition to leave a system with a stellar RPG.

[Gabriel]

Could this be the last PSP release or are there even more titles coming out for the system?

 

I think I've seen mention of another game release sometime down the road. I don't remember what it was, though.

[SoulBlazer]

It's a long and sacred tradition to leave a system with a stellar RPG.

 

Nobody apperently told that to the Playstation.

[Jess Ragan]

Could this be the last PSP release or are there even more titles coming out for the system?

 

I think I've seen mention of another game release sometime down the road. I don't remember what it was, though.

 

Did it have a picture of a fat old football coach on the front?

[the.golden.ax]

It's a long and sacred tradition to leave a system with a stellar RPG.

 

Nobody apperently told that to the Playstation.

 

*wishfully thinking... HOMEBREW, HOMEBREW, HOMEBREW,*

 

(goes and puts Magic Knights on for Saturn)

[SoulBlazer]

It's a long and sacred tradition to leave a system with a stellar RPG.

 

Nobody apperently told that to the Playstation.

 

*wishfully thinking... HOMEBREW, HOMEBREW, HOMEBREW,*

 

(goes and puts Magic Knights on for Saturn)

 

Now that I think about it, MANY systems have gone out either on a platform game (NES) or a sports game (SNES) or a arcade game (Genesis). There's only a few I'm aware that that had a RPG as their last release, like the Saturn.

[TheGameCollector]

Heya while back there was supposed to have been a new Suikoden in Japan being made for the PSP. I haven't looked at progress in their making of it but I sure wish that would come to the USA.

[TwinChargers]

According to gamefaq, there is still a FIFA and NBA release for the US and Europe. Japan still has 20+ titles coming out over the next few months.

[Gabriel]

According to gamefaq, there is still a FIFA and NBA release for the US and Europe. Japan still has 20+ titles coming out over the next few months.

 

Nah. It wasn't those that I saw. I think it was Ragnarok Tactics which Amazon has listed for November of this year. There may be a few other NA releases, but they'll almost certainly be PSN only.

 

Too bad we didn't get and won't get Shining Blades.

[+davidcalgary29]

It's a long and sacred tradition to leave a system with a stellar RPG.

 

Nobody apperently told that to the Playstation.

 

*wishfully thinking... HOMEBREW, HOMEBREW, HOMEBREW,*

 

(goes and puts Magic Knights on for Saturn)

 

Now that I think about it, MANY systems have gone out either on a platform game (NES) or a sports game (SNES) or a arcade game (Genesis). There's only a few I'm aware that that had a RPG as their last release, like the Saturn.

 

Hm. Were any of Atari's last official releases (NTSC or PAL) for any of its game systems anything but arcade games?

 

2600 PAL: Klax

2600 NTSC: ?

 

5200:?

7800:?

 

Lynx: Super Asteroids/Missile Command

Jag: Fight For Life

[cimerians]

Heya while back there was supposed to have been a new Suikoden in Japan being made for the PSP. I haven't looked at progress in their making of it but I sure wish that would come to the USA.

 

The first few games are some of my favorite RPG's. I especially liked those first 2 on the PS1. The three that came out for the PS2 are hardly worth a purchase in my opinion. Tiekris for the DS wasn't my cup of tea either. I've been waiting forever for a return to the series roots.

 

I'm a fan of the Growlanser series, though I haven't played any titles in years and years. While browsing Amazon today I came across a new game in the series that I hadn't heard of before, Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time.

 

 

 

The Growlancer games I played on the PS1 were good but didint give the PS2 generations a try.

[Gabriel]

Let's just say that it is perceived as common for the last game on a system that anyone gives a fig about to be a RPG.

[MagitekAngel]

I'm still hoping Final Fantasy Type-0 makes it here.

[DemonoidTentacle]

Looks pretty awesome, I might pick it up.

[onmode-ky]

Man, 3 years after this thread was started, the PSP still has occasional new releases, even in the West! True, the last Western UMD releases--at least at retail--seem to have been in late 2013 (FIFA 14, PES 2014). However, Gaijinworks is continuing their "physical + download combo" model even now; go to their website for the "indicate your interest" poll toward producing a limited UMD run for Summon Night 5, a recent Namco JRPG (needs 6000 by sometime the end of this month for the production green light). After Summon Night 5, Gaijinworks will run a similar poll for Class of Heroes 3 (whose required run size should be closer to CoH2's 2500 from 2013). If you think about it, this model is sort of like buying UMDs that work in your PSV/PSTV. By the way, those are not presale links; that happens after/assuming the poll is a success.

 

Over in Europe, well, there's nothing on the physical front, but Europe is where THE LATEST PSP game was released, earlier this week. The first title under the Minis umbrella since summer 2013 (the first Mini in the West since the end of 2012, since that sole 2013 Mini was Asia only), Angus hates Aliens (sic) is a run 'n gun, looking to me sort of like a cross between Total Carnage and Alien Storm. Its developer is a German indie, Team Stendec. Eventually, the game should release in North America, too.

 

In Japan, as it was with the PS2's twilight, it's been pretty much all otome games hitting the PSP for the last few months (games targeted at female players, typically visual novels where a heroine interacts with, and presumably can eventually choose from, a bevy of male characters), but they've continued to release on UMD, presumably also as PSN downloads. Releases have dwindled this year, though, currently with a big gap between April and October. There's so far only Angelique Retour due for October, too (though with three SKUs each for PSP and PSV, as it has multiple editions to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the SFC game it's remaking). Another title has had a vague "2015" date since its announcement early last year. And that's it; for now, anything else you see up for Japanese PSP preorder anywhere was actually canceled years ago.

 

Lastly, the big one: Xseed Games will finally be releasing The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter later this year (also as a PC download). Over 4 years have passed since they localized First Chapter, and there's no announcement of a UMD edition--but the two-UMD game is coming at last, just not on UMDs. Also of note, years after I pondered importing the UMD, Xseed released a localized Brandish: The Dark Revenant as a PSN download earlier this year.

 

So, all in all, 2015 has turned/will turn out to be a remarkably active year for the PSP. By the way, for comparison, the DS has only had some DSiWare releases so far in 2015, and only in North America (and those have actually been DSiWare previously released in other regions). But, unlike the PSP, it did still have a few retail releases in 2014 (though not in Japan, where the DS has been silent for a while), so we may yet see DS retail software as the holiday season approaches.

 

Wow. This post ended up much longer than I'd anticipated.

 

onmode-ky

[Jess Ragan]

The PSP is a surprisingly resilient system because it's a surprisingly good one! It's got a huge-gantic software library, and many of those games are seriously cheap. Right now, I'm using a hacked PSP Go and finding the experience really pleasant. 16GB of games and homebrew emulators... who could ask for more?

[onmode-ky]

However, Gaijinworks is continuing their "physical + download combo" model even now; go to their website for the "indicate your interest" poll toward producing a limited UMD run for Summon Night 5, a recent Namco JRPG (needs 6000 by sometime the end of this month for the production green light).

Gaijinworks' Summon Night 5 pre-sale kicked off Monday night. Go to their website to put in your order(s). The pre-sale will last until the next full moon (a nod to the role of moon magic in the game), which a Google search tells me is August 29th. Remember, this is a pre-sale, so you're being charged now for the product which is planned to be shipped ~8 weeks after the end of the pre-sale period; the number of copies produced will be the number paid for from the pre-sale (and that's it, just the one print run). Each copy will be serially numbered with a hologram, as Gaijinworks did with their previous releases, so order early if you want a low number . . . although you're definitely going to be 4 digits at this point, 2 days after it started.

 

The cost is $41.99 + shipping, which is $5 for US destinations and up to $15 for international. I think that's a rather good value for what you're getting. In addition to the UMD copy, with its numbered hologram and color manual, and PSN download code (North American, playable on either PSP or PSV), you also get a 14" x 19" poster--1 of 2 designs, chosen at random--and the full game soundtrack on CD. Note that it's not one of those "selections from" abridged editions, but the full soundtrack. That's a CD that was released separately in Japan for 2940 yen.

 

All in all, it's a pretty good package of physical goodies to go with the tactical RPG itself. Buy a copy for yourself and a few more copies for friends! Need to wallpaper a room? Buy a few copies for the posters! Can't find your Frisbees? Buy a few copies for the CDs! Need to resolve deep-seated psychological issues that have plagued you for decades? Buy a few bottles of whiskey!

 

onmode-ky

 

P.S. Due to some Amazon Payments limitation, you can only buy one copy at a time, so place multiple orders to buy multiple copies. The More You Know!

[+atari2600land]

The DS had 3 games released in 2014: Lego Marvel, Lego Friends, and Big Hero 6. None in 2015, so I think it's safe to say DS is dead when it comes to retail releases.

[Mord]

Nah. It wasn't those that I saw. I think it was Ragnarok Tactics which Amazon has listed for November of this year. There may be a few other NA releases, but they'll almost certainly be PSN only.

 

Too bad we didn't get and won't get Shining Blades.

 

Well, there's Summon Night 5 being released soon by Gaijinworks (Run by the former CEO of the now defunct Working Designs). That's even getting a limited edition umd release. Those who order the umd will also get a digital code for it on psn. (For those who want to play it on their Vita, or just want to avoid opening the limited edition package.) They'll be doing Class of Heroes 3 the same way after this I believe. They'll probably be doing umd runs until the day Sony finally axes umd production. I'd go for SN5's deal if I had the cash to spend on it right now. If it's still an option when I do get the spare cash I'll place an order, but I suspect the window will close on it before I can. :/

[onmode-ky]

Lastly, the big one: Xseed Games will finally be releasing The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter later this year (also as a PC download). Over 4 years have passed since they localized First Chapter, and there's no announcement of a UMD edition--but the two-UMD game is coming at last, just not on UMDs.

Today, the localized edition of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter released, first on Steam/GoG, and then the PSP version (compatible with PSV/PS TV) in the North American PS Store. After a lengthy wait, it's finally here! The announcement of the date was abrupt; it happened just last week. It's also unfortunate that the PS Store release couldn't happen in conjunction with the normal weekly Store update two days ago. But whatever, it's here, the single largest PSP game in the NA PS Store by far (2.4 GB).

 

But no, it is not going to be the last PSP release, not even for North America. Summon Night 5 should be out in a few weeks, both as a UMD release (pre-sale for that wrapped in early September) and as a PS Store download. There's a retweet campaign for it going on right now (see the Gaijinworks website for details), both to lower the download version's (US) price, based on the number of retweets, and as a giveaway for 5 PS TV bundles. After SN5, Gaijinworks' plans are for another PSP physical + download campaign, for Class of Heroes 3.

 

In Japan, the 6-month drought of UMD releases came to an end last week, with Prototype's release of a visual novel, Flowers: Natsu-Hen (PSP edition seems to be UMD-only, while PSV version is available in both physical and download formats). Koei Tecmo's Angelique Retour 20th anniversary visual novel remake, with 3 SKUs each for PSP and PSV, was originally due for October but has been pushed back to December 17th. Prototype's PSP release schedule shows two more upcoming visual novels, one for December and one for "this winter," so it's entirely possible that the UMD format may see 2016. Also, Broccoli's Kamigami no Asobi InFinite, similarly a visual novel releasing for both PSP and PSV, still has no set date (but still has website updates, so it seems unlikely to be canceled).

 

This report on the status of the PSP has been brought to you by the letter 'P.' And also 'S.' And another 'P.'

 

onmode-ky

 

Edit: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: First Chapter is on sale for $10 to celebrate Second Chapter's release.

Edited October 30, 2015 by onmode-ky

[cimerians]

Today, the localized edition of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter released, first on Steam/GoG, and then the PSP version (compatible with PSV/PS TV) in the North American PS Store. After a lengthy wait, it's finally here! The announcement of the date was abrupt; it happened just last week. It's also unfortunate that the PS Store release couldn't happen in conjunction with the normal weekly Store update two days ago. But whatever, it's here, the single largest PSP game in the NA PS Store by far (2.4 GB).

 

But no, it is not going to be the last PSP release, not even for North America. Summon Night 5 should be out in a few weeks, both as a UMD release (pre-sale for that wrapped in early September) and as a PS Store download. There's a retweet campaign for it going on right now (see the Gaijinworks website for details), both to lower the download version's (US) price, based on the number of retweets, and as a giveaway for 5 PS TV bundles. After SN5, Gaijinworks' plans are for another PSP physical + download campaign, for Class of Heroes 3.

 

In Japan, the 6-month drought of UMD releases came to an end last week, with Prototype's release of a visual novel, Flowers: Natsu-Hen (PSP edition seems to be UMD-only, while PSV version is available in both physical and download formats). Koei Tecmo's Angelique Retour 20th anniversary visual novel remake, with 3 SKUs each for PSP and PSV, was originally due for October but has been pushed back to December 17th. Prototype's PSP release schedule shows two more upcoming visual novels, one for December and one for "this winter," so it's entirely possible that the UMD format may see 2016. Also, Broccoli's Kamigami no Asobi InFinite, similarly a visual novel releasing for both PSP and PSV, still has no set date (but still has website updates, so it seems unlikely to be canceled).

 

This report on the status of the PSP has been brought to you by the letter 'P.' And also 'S.' And another 'P.'

 

onmode-ky

 

Edit: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: First Chapter is on sale for $10 to celebrate Second Chapter's release.

 

 

Awesome news about Class of Heroes 3 and I have Trails in the Sky second chapter on my wishlist. Summon Night 5 physical version I ordered a while back and wating..

Gaijinworks kicks ass.

[onmode-ky]

Naturally, just two weeks after I write this post, talking about how only Europe's PSP PS Store is closed, and nowhere else, Sony makes this announcement. SCEA's PSP PS Store (i.e., North America's) will no longer be operational after March 31st. You will still be able to access your PSN download list through your PSP (same as for Europe), but the Store will probably be like it currently is in Europe: you can launch it, and all the category link tiles are still there, but they're empty, accompanied by a message saying that the Store for PSP is closed. At least it shouldn't just plain disappear like the PlayStation Mobile Store did. There was an announcement for Japan and Asia back at the end of November (though I didn't know about it until now), giving the same 2016/03/31 date for them as well. So, after that date, there will be no PSP PS Store in any region in the world.

 

To be clear, PSP games will still be available to buy in the PS Store, just not directly from your PSP through Wi-Fi. And again, Wi-Fi will still work for PSN download list access.

 

Things are winding down on the UMD front as well, it seems. Japan had one UMD release in October, two in December, and one in February, but the April 21st release date for otome game Kamigami no Asobi InFinite is the only future UMD release date I can find. It looks like UMD will have had a lifetime of 2004-2016 (well, only the last few days of 2004). Of course, it's worth noting that 2015 had a 6-month UMD release drought between April and October, so maybe something will pop up at the end of 2016 . . . but 2015 also had more than just two releases in its first four months, unlike 2016. The book may really be closing this time.

 

onmode-ky

[Gabriel]

Knowing Vic, the UMD release of Summon Night 5 will probably be after even that one you list.

[Mord]

Well, I guess it's fine for me that the PSP store is closing - What PSP games I do have bought digitally I bought them from the PS3 and transferred them over. So I guess nothing would change for me, not that I've bought much for the PSP in the last year.