Blue Dragon gets dated: August 28th, 24th in Europe
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jun 28th 2007 at 10:53AM }
More interesting for European gamers is the August 24th European release date. Originally scheduled for September in that part of the globe, the title has managed to leapfrog the North American release date by four days; however, at £44.99, they're paying nearly $90 for the privilege. We don't think Americans mind waiting. Now, if we only knew when Mass Effect was coming out ...
Gallery: Blue Dragon
Read - Japanese RPG "Blue Dragon" Lifts Its Wings and Flies To Europe
Japanese RPG "Blue Dragon" Lifts Its Wings and Flies To North American Shores
U.S. gamers will finally have the chance to join Shu and his friends in the eagerly awaited "Blue Dragon" for Xbox 360, when the game journeys to retailers on August 28
Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the highly anticipated role-playing game (RPG) "Blue Dragon" will ship to retailers throughout North America on August 28 for the estimated retail price of $59.99. Rated "T" for "Teen," "Blue Dragon" will usher in the next generation of RPG exclusively on the Xbox 360, with a combination of realistic environments, anime-styled characters, unique battles and a deep, compelling storyline.
Bringing top Japanese developer talent to the Xbox 360, "Blue Dragon" is a culmination of the work of famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker game studio and developer Artoon. This epic RPG features the character design of Akira Toriyama, who designed "Dragon Ball Z," and music by Nobuo Uematsu, the composer for "Final Fantasy."
Gamers will find themselves exploring and discovering the vast world of "Blue Dragon" as they assume the role of Shu, a young boy who along with his band of four friends, embarks on a quest to combat the evil forces that have come to their world. These unlikely heroes possess miraculous strength and the magical power to control their phantom shadow creatures that range from a Minotaur to a phoenix to a dragon and more.
"Blue Dragon" will be available on August 28, but anxious adventurers can head over to http://www.xbox.com/redwhiteandbluedragon now to check out the "Red, White and Blue Dragon" feature, based on the premise of "American Independence and Japanese Games."
In addition, adventurers can bring Shu, his friends and their quest to save the world to their websites with the official "Blue Dragon" Fan Site Kit, which is available for download from http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/b/bluedragonxbox360/. The Fan Site Kit includes artwork, skins, screenshots, forum avatars and more assets for webmasters to create their very own "Blue Dragon" fan site.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ben @ Jun 28th 2007 11:05AM
£44.99 is actually below the RRP of many 360 games in the UK. £49.99 is the default list price for most new releases (that's right, US$100). Thankfully there is usually plenty of discounting going on, even with the popular titles if you look around (Forza is currently going for £39.99, but that's still US$80). But we still generally pay a lot more than the US, or for that matter, the rest of Europe.
This applies to the consoles, the games and the downloadable content. On all 3 offerings (Wii, PS3 and 360).
But hey, at least we get something a few days before the US for once ;)
ssuk @ Jul 30th 2007 12:57PM
Actually, the RRP of 360 games came down to £39.99, but some still choose to price their games at £5 above the RRP. It's bullshit they can do such crap, we're being charged over-the-odds already for this crap.
And then they wonder WHY Europe makes up 90% of the worlds total video game piracy...
hvnlysoldr @ Jun 28th 2007 11:15AM
It's over 9000!
JodyAnthony @ Jun 28th 2007 11:19AM
man, I really want this game.
hoop @ Jun 28th 2007 11:20AM
I know that the dragon's hand is mimicking the action of the boy's hand and therefore is open, but, the way it (the hand) is cut off, does anyone else think it sort of looks like the dragon's giving us a huge thumbs-up, as in the upper pic?
The Blue Double Dragon Thumbs-Up(R) seal for this game basically seals the deal for me.
LMAO @ Jun 28th 2007 11:23AM
Seriously, what happenned to MS's claiming to keep 1st party titles at $49.99? Last game to come out at $49.99 from MS is Viva Pinata.
cocolus @ Jun 28th 2007 11:24AM
now speak after me: the uk is not europe. the official currency of the european union is still the euro, not the pound. the uk is not europe... it's just a small part of it.
Hirsbrunner @ Jun 28th 2007 11:24AM
This game's title is a bit vague.
What's this game supposed to be about?
^__^
Jake @ Jun 28th 2007 11:25AM
I'd get this game, but it seems kiddie. Is the dialogue geared towards children the way the art style appears to be? I don't think I can get into this game. Crono Trigger and FFVII are two of my all-time favorite games, but JRPG's just seem lame these days. It is like Western RPG's have evolved so much and JRPG's have remained very stagnant.
C. Grant @ Jun 28th 2007 11:27AM
cocolus: understood, however, the price in Euros was not announced. I wish it were, I love making the Euro symbol. €
See!
Zertoss @ Jun 28th 2007 11:29AM
Finally, the other reason I got a 360 is coming out.
Thumbs up right back at you, Blue Dragon!
Erwos @ Jun 28th 2007 11:31AM
I am so psyched for this game.
kingofwale @ Jun 28th 2007 11:37AM
man, looks like a Wii game. voice acting annoys me already from just watching the trailer.
and swallowing blue pill and before starting the adventure? Way to be original, somebody in the development team needs to stop watching the Matrix.
Crono @ Jun 28th 2007 11:43AM
Jake, if you took the dev team from Chrono Trigger and compared it to Blue Dragon's, the number of differences between the two would be insignificant.
Dispite the art style and all that jazz, I have very high expectations for this game.
Christopher7xii @ Jun 28th 2007 11:48AM
Mmm..
This + Eternal Sonata mid-September? I think my Xbox is about to start getting a *LOT* of love.
cocolus @ Jun 28th 2007 11:49AM
c. grant: the missing price is not what's bugging me. imho you shouldn't use the term "the european gamers" based on a single price thats only valid in one of 27 member states. not everyone here pays as much for games as our friends in the uk do.
it's just awfully broad generalization.
Manic Inc @ Jun 28th 2007 11:57AM
Hmm, the same day as BioShock comes out. Hard choice, but I'm going for the shooter.
Dan @ Jun 28th 2007 12:02PM
For the record, we pay roughly double what the USA does for absolutely everything.
Shame we don't get paid double, really.
There's a reason it's called Rip-Off Britain (tm).
Charles @ Jun 28th 2007 12:23PM
#14 - "This + Eternal Sonata mid-September?"
I've never had either XBox, but if games along these lines continue to come out I might get on the MS bandwagon.
Obadiah @ Jun 28th 2007 12:36PM
MASS EFFECT has been delayed until next year!!! The official announcement hasn't come yet but trust me: NEXT YEAR.
Triforceowner @ Jun 28th 2007 1:28PM
Dan, I did about ten minutes of research and found that it looks like the average household in the UK makes no more or less than the average household in the US (yes, I factored in exchange rate). So you guys are definitely getting the rough end of the bargain on a global scale. Just toughen it up, write your favorite companies for region free features in future consoles, and find as many deals as you can (especially with sites like Amazon.co.uk). I looked up Gears of War, Forza 2, and Shadowrun, and you guys are only ever coughing up about $20 more than us. I can understand how drastic it becomes when you have to pay $800 for a PS3, though.
Triforceowner @ Jun 28th 2007 1:29PM
The Darkness is only $70.
Geist @ Jun 28th 2007 2:16PM
I find it hilarious that people who scream about 'kiddie' games aren't making any remarks about this title. Maybe they've shut up? One can hope.
I don't particularly like the look of it, for some reason. It seems to lack a style, and it merely 3D anime without any...something. Hard to describe.
Joshua @ Jun 28th 2007 7:42PM
Geist (#22), it might be that it's not cel shaded? I don't know...
I want that "Red, White and Blue Dragon" link to be working...
Anyway, this game = 360 purchase for me.
Joshua @ Jun 28th 2007 7:55PM
By the way, the North American and European box art is really disappointing.
Purple Haze @ Jun 29th 2007 8:01AM
Goddammit I need a 360!!!
ssuk @ Jul 30th 2007 12:58PM
The Market Place demo made me not want this game. It was a terribly confusing battle system with a pretty nice art style and what seemed a pretty nice story. But there's no point getting a game you can't get used to, which is a shame. =/