GameStop aims to sell Blue Dragon in June

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 22nd 2007 at 3:24PM }

GameStop is now listing Blue Dragon for June 5. The online retailer's release date forecast, which should be considered a placeholder pending official confirmation, follows Game Informer's recent Blue Dragon cover story in which the GameStop-owned publication cited a summer release for Mistwalker's RPG.

There have been few updates regarding the Blue Dragon localization process, but we do know that the original game content will not be altered beyond text translation and English voice dubbing (replaceable with the original Japanese voice acting and English subtitles). The dubbing will also encompass the re-recording of several key songs. Instead of including exclusive content in the localization effort, global product manager Hees Kyung confirmed with Game Informer that downloadable content will have "a significant impact on post-release Blue Dragon around the world." Kyung declined to state specifics, but seemed to imply that future content would be episodic.

Blue Dragon was released in Japan on December 7, 2006.

Tags: Blue Dragon, BlueDragon, GameStop, Localization, Mistwalker

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

JodyAnthony @ Jan 22nd 2007 3:38PM

I will buy a 360 for this game.

0ldb0y @ Jan 22nd 2007 3:43PM

Aside from the release date, my number one question is if the English voice narration can be turned off. I'd rather hear the narration in Japanese and have no idea what is being said if I have to hear it at all.

Vidikron @ Jan 22nd 2007 3:47PM

Glad to hear they are going to leave the Japanese voice acting as an option in the US release.

Thryon @ Jan 22nd 2007 3:54PM

I more or less sworn off JRPG after Final Fantasy 3. Then in October I picked up Enchanted Arms and found it to be an OK title (but I have yet to complete it). I will get Blue Dragon when it comes out. It may just be the JRPG that converts me back to the format.

PS/ Before I get flammed, FF3 did not cause me to stop playing JRPG because it was bad, it just that I started playing Arena, and that was way better in my opinion. I did return to FF7 on the PC, but could not get into it.

sizer @ Jan 22nd 2007 3:55PM

0ldb0y, yes, it specifically says you can play with Japanese audio (including dialogue) and subtitles. Just like Enchanted Arms. This is a great trend.

J.Goodwin @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:06PM

I believe they also mentioned Eternal Sonata as a spring/summer release. Who knows if they were talking about the US or not (you'd expect as much, since they didn't qualify it).

LongshotX @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:08PM

Can I listen to 50 cent while I'm playing?

0ldb0y @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:27PM

@sizer

I'm speaking specifically about the monotone, female narration voice that chimes in "ITEM" every time you open a treasure chest, or "GOLD" whenever you happen upon some loot. From what I understand and from the video clips I've seen on the Japanese version, it isn't possible to turn it off. And for some reason, it's narrated in English.

Chalk it up to a minor annoyance, but if a text box is already popping up to inform me of what I've just found, I don't need a generic voice prompt about it, especially when the voice sounds like it'd rather be eating glass than offering monochrome commentary on my 50+ hours of gameplay.

Pedro @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:28PM

But...but...you need blu ray for additional voice tracks! You NEED it! Last gen DVD's don't have the extreme space required for sound. This game will flop Here just like it did in Japan (the worlds largest gaming market!!!) only worse. It will need 8 discs lol. I hope you xbots like getting up to switvh disks everytime you enter a new town,!!! LOL/

iJanda @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:35PM

I find it hilarious that when MGS is mentioned, the PS3 fanbois go nuts touting it in the faces of Xbox and Wii owners. But when an utterly amazing RPG is mentioned as a 360 exclusive, they remain oddly silent.

shase @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:39PM

I personally dont like Blue Dragon due to the DBZ characters... I never liked the designs that much and DQ8 is all i can stomach for a while on Toriyama's character design... I am interested in Lost Odyssey but that's not a system seller imo.

Krazy Koala @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:42PM

lol, touché iJanda. Btw, the game is indeed 3 discs in Japan GOD FORBID! I don't like JRPGs (except Shenmue), and to me this game looks super boring (wait for your turn to attack) and is loaded with cheesy Japanese stuff. That probably means its gonna be an AWESOME JRPG for you JRPG fans out there. (Yes, I even find FFVII lame). I'm happy for others than Microsoft is expanding its content outside FPSes. It doesn't affect me because that's my forté, but it's nice for others.

Edge of Blade @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:58PM

Pedro...that sounded so stupid, I'm still trying to wrestle with whether or not that was sarcasm. Then you called us Xbots. That seals it...you are just ignorant.

I suppose having multiple disks bothers you. But when Final Fantasy 7 forces you to use 3 CDs you gladly bend your upper torso over your coffee table and open up...your disk tray. Let's not forget who set the precedent.

Sorry, Pedro. You have been brainwashed. Just letting you know and giving you an opportunity to start the healing process...

BklynKid @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:23PM

#13, wasn't FF7 on five discs? I could be wrong. Oh and I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic, afterall nobody could be that stupid.

ahatter @ Jan 22nd 2007 8:20PM

@14 im pretty sure ff7 and ff8 were both 4 disk..

ps1 fanb0y @ Jan 22nd 2007 10:56PM

*sarcasm* yeah, everyone knows blu-ray is the answer ... can you imagine getting up after every season of buffy to change the disc? AS-IF! Everyone knows that real ballers can watch all seasons of Buffy or Desperate Housewives in one sitting! Blu-Ray FTW!! HD-DVD is teh suXX0rz! Blu-Ray pwnz HD-DVD! s0ny pwnz m$0ft! HD-DVD ROFL's my Woffles! Betamax FTW!

azesino @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:10PM

Pedro go eat some taco and stop running your mouth saying things that don't make any sense

Pedro @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:41PM

You're the ones who are stupid and brain washed. You've bought into stupid hype around that dum little gamecube 1.4. Its garphics are even worse than the ps2. Only kids want that. Stupid xbox playing on a rushed system that makes you pay for inferior NONline play!

And you crow about your stupid Halo game (which isn't even true HD, unlike Killzone!) and your crappy Gears of BORE! That game looks like ass. Plastic of bore is more like it! What you don't understand is that the cell has 9 cores, the 360 has 3. Cell is 3 times more pwoerful so it needs extra data form next generation blu ray drives.

It is at this point that I must draw attention to the fact that I am NOT an idiot, but simply saying everything the sony fanboys will before they get the chance.

Sly @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:08AM

Waiting for Onechanbara Vortex.

Purple_Haze @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:27AM

I'm with 1 cause theres jack all games i consider good on the 360. I'm just not into third person shooters with real good graphics.

Paul Hill @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:40AM

Hopefully the UK will get this in June as well as the US. Heard a rumour that this will be close to Q4 07 for UK gamers. Shame, as this is one title I'm really looking forward to for the 360.

VampireHunter Z @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:00PM

Personally I prefer more mature looking designs. FFIX was a real turn off because of kiddy designs. I'm going to give Blue Dragon a try anyway. It looks like an interesting adventure. And as 0ldb0y said I hope you can turn off the english narrator. It already annoys me in the few minutes of footage I've seen.

jdb @ Jan 23rd 2007 5:30PM

I've always been one to loathe the XBox line. In general, I've always found Japanese games to be infintely better than any American game and have been a die-hard JRPG fan since Dragon Quest 4 -- heck, Final Fantasy 6 (FF3 on the US SNES) music formed the sole soundtrack at my wedding two years back. In general, I firmly believe American designers simply don't "get it" and swore to never buy a system made by an American company. The whole pro-Linux zealotry I had as a teenager (started using Linux as my sole OS 12 years) also contributes heavily to a general disdain towards MS that I've been unable to shake since; although, I've been very impressed with how MS has handled HD DVD (employees openly discussing things on Internet forums; asking consumers for feedback/etc) and such is helping me come to terms with the company.

I've always considered Final Fantasy 13 to be a system seller for me and have been saving up for the eventual PS3 that I'll have to buy sometime in 2008. Lately, however, I've been much more interested in Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata than FF13. I really dislike FF7 and FF8, and find FF12 to be "okay, but not great" and I imagine FF13 will be more like those than FF10, FF9, and FF6-and-prior. I mean, it's been announced that Shiva will be able to turn into an **ice motorcycle** that you can drive around. WTF? Chocobo > Mighty-Morphin-Summon-former.

If Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata truly remain 360 exclusives despite selling terribly in Japan (atleast, compared to how well they would do on a PS2 or PS3), and such is still true when FF13 comes out, I'll probably grab a 360 instead of a PS3. I never thought I'd say that either; MS really is doing something good this gen.