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Two upcoming high-profile RPGs just might start a trend that could revolutionize the game industry, or at least change things up a little. Of course I'm talking about Square Enix's new Last Remnant, for the PS3 and 360, and Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey, exclusively for the 360. These titles are set to do something that has rarely been done, if ever: release simultaneously in Japan and the US. What a great trend this would be if most RPGs did the same. I can't remember how many times an RPG would release in Japan and take forever to get over here in proper form. But it looks like that could change in the near future.
A simultaneous release is surely a difficult feat to accomplish. Both the Japanese developers and the localization teams in the States will have to work together vigorously to ensure that both versions are of top-notch quality. I wonder if the American offices will get to have a hand in the programming as well. At any rate, it will definitely be interesting to see how these two titles turn out and if this actually becomes a trend.
Well, if this is to become a trend, we as US gamers would forfeit a privilege we have had since the beginning. The US version of an RPG is usually superior to the Japanese versions. There are countless examples of this. Just look at Final Fantasy XII and Dragon Quest VIII for example. Both games got some serious updates as they were translated for the US audience. Final Fantasy XII received more voice-acted cut-scenes, among a few other things, while Dragon Quest VIII received complete voice acting, though the Japanese version was only text, it contained orchestrated music and a better menu system. Rogue Galaxy is, by far, the perfect example of a US version's improvements over the Japanese version. Not only were combat and items updated, but an entirely new planet was added for us, which gives the game a nice amount of content. Updates like this are usually re-released as a Special Edition or "Director's Cut" versions in Japan at a later date. Looks like developers certainly take advantage of the time spent localizing their titles.
Another advantage US versions have over their Japanese counterparts is that developers note and fix many bugs found before releasing titles here. This ultimately creates much smoother gameplay for those of us who have to wait. Even Mistwalker's Hironobu Sakaguchi stated that there were a few bugs in the Japanese release of Blue Dragon, exclusive to Xbox 360, that are currently being ironed out for the August release here. Certainly, there are many Japanese developers that recognize and correct some mistakes before re-releasing the game. It just makes sense, given that they have the opportunity. So, there you have another reason why the US versions are superior to the Japanese games.
So, if releasing and localizing in the US later makes the game better, why not wait? Wouldn't that put an end to import sales? Well, this will most likely be a good thing for everyone. I am confident that neither Square Enix nor Mistwalker will release an unfinished game just to meet a deadline. They have the freedom to delay either version whenever they choose. However, releasing the titles at the same time on both sides of the world would make everyone happy. We don't have to wait so long and the developers can begin working on new titles, perhaps a sequel. Any bugs or issues can easily be resolved over Xbox Live or PlayStation Network in an update, and developers can effortlessly release new content over those services as well. Sakaguchi has already jumped onto this opportunity as he plans to release new dungeons for Blue Dragon over Xbox Live. I can't wait to see how these simultaneous releases turn out. Until then I'll just have to wait for the English version of Blue Dragon and the latest Final Fantasy titles.
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