Square Enix has a surprise RPG for the handheld gamer. No, it's not on the PSP or DS. Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes is an iPod exclusive RPG with a rather unique twist. You'll be able to transform your music collection into "Tune Troopers" that you can use in battle. Even cooler: you'll be able to level up your "Tune Troopers" simply by listening to the same song you created them on your iPod. You'll need the help of all your best MP3s, as you fight the Mechanical Militia and save your brother.
The iTunes download, available today, will retail for $4.99. The game will be controlled exclusively through the iPod click wheel and will be compatible with iPod nano with video, iPod classic and fifth generation iPod. While we haven't had a chance to play the game ourselves, we're certainly itching to give it a try. If you download Song Summoner, tell us what you think. Update: Trailer embedded, after the cut.
Its official, Square-Enix is no longer a console developer.
It seems Handhelds, Mobile Phones and yes.. even iPods are more valuable platforms for them. It seems the console savvy among them have all left and formed Mystwalker. The rest have to license middleware engines or simply pretend to work on games for years on end without producing even a 10 second video.
(Even Duke Nukem Forever has produced a 10 second video)
Considering their last console game was Dawn of Mana (A PS2 game, which came out in Japan in 2006, I don't know if 'Jumping to Conclusions' is a charge I'm willing to accept as valid. I suppose if you want to argue that Chocobo Fables on Wii waves the console banner, you go ahead.
They have released no less than 10 handheld, mobile and now even iPod games since (and one FFXI expansion) with no less than 6 more handheld/mobile games currently in development.
Its as clear as the crystals they depict in their games that they've shifted their development focus away from consoles.
I would CHILL if I were you. They're releasing portable content because it makes good fiscal sense. The profit margin on portable content is far higher, and the games don't take nearly as long to produce. Nowadays, "next gen" technology and expectations have driven most console games to be very "heavy" in that they take a lot of time and money to produce, because everyone is always expecting a big show. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with portable games. You talk about them as though they're all cheap $5 cell phone games that are fun for five minutes. Have you ever played Final Fantasy A2? That game has some real content to it, content you're passing off as irrelevant. Besides, if you really want a console JRPG, go get something by NIS and call me when you're done; It'll take you a while.
Infinite Undiscovery (360), The Last Remnant (360, PS3), Star Ocean 4 (360), FFCC: Crystal Bearers (Wii), Final Fantasy XIII and Versus XIII(PS3).
Have you ever considered that, maybe, Square Enix just takes longer to transition when new consoles arrive? They love to take their sweet time, but they eventually deliver.
Infinite Undiscovery and Star Ocean 4 are only published by Square-Enix, they're developed by Tri-Ace. Last Remnant and FFXIII were announced 2 years ago and both still lack a date in any region. The Crystal Bearers is a myth.. its produced a single screenshot, it is also a second-party Square title by The Game Designer Studio, not made in-house.
Of course, you're all fully aware of these facts. Im sorry I had to bring them up since they're so completely obvious.
Infinite Undiscovery and Star Ocean 4 are only published by Square-Enix, they're developed by Tri-Ace. Last Remnant and FFXIII were announced 2 years ago and both still lack a date in any region. The Crystal Bearers is a myth.. its produced a single screenshot, it is also a second-party Square title by The Game Designer Studio, not made in-house.
Of course, you're all fully aware of these facts. Im sorry I had to bring them up since they're so completely obvious.
Did you not play FF XII? Have you not been paying attention to the slew of 360 and PS3 titles they are making? Are the DS and PSP's not consoles? You have blinders on if you think it's the only thing they are doing.
In Japan the PSP and DS are the top selling systems, os it makes sense that they are releasing more titles for those. It means more sales. That is especially important for a company that lost 28 million last year.
I bought the game this morning. It's pretty cool so far. I'm trying to see how leveling your "troopers" works. I put the song I used to create it on repeat and am just letting it go for a bit.
Gameplay wise it's basically FF:Tactics. It's actually very surprising for an iPod game. Not at all what I was expecting, especially from Square. If you have an iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd gen) or iPod 5th gen you should definitely give it a shot.
Hey, I'd buy that except for the fact that I'm not stupid enough to own an over-priced and gimped out hunk of crap iPod. Be a real man get something you can put Rockbox on. Seriously, screw Apple.
Why waste your money on an iPod when you can buy the better hardware and still run Rockbox? iPods suck. iTunes suck. If you think they don't you're probably an emo kid with a huge fixation on your Myspace page.
I once asked my usability professor why she'd buy an ipod shuffle (which imho is one of the most overpriced, unusable piece of electronic...) instead of a Chinese or Korean made player with the same amount of memory, size, half the price, and most important, a screen, and her answer was, "cus they don't have an apply logo on it".
Wow. You are such a damn elitist. Rockbox isn't the end all of software, and doesn't make the difference between good or bad hardware. (Especially since it works on iPods.) The devices are popular because they have great build quality and people enjoy using them. Come off you high horse with spewing hate when it’s unnecessary.
dude there is nothing wrong with the iPod and im personally a Zune user. i mean sure, they get updated an awful lot but saying that iTunes and the device itself sucks.....well i dont even know what that is, but it sounds retarded.
"Please point us to a better music-database management software that has all the browsing features of iTunes"
Sure. It's called Windows Explorer. Just open one, navigate to your music directory, and voila! Everything is laid out in a reasonable and logical manner. Unlike the iPod which constantly rearranges things, mislabels them, groups them incorrectly, etc, etc.
iTunes is a joke and the iPod is only popular for an incredibly successful marketing/image campaign.
I absolutely have to get it. It combines two of my gaming fetishes, and the art doesn't look half bad to boot. And I mean, come on. I listen to power metal. My "Tune Troopers" are all going to be total badasses! I won't mind grinding their levels higher if they've got names like "THE SOULFORGED" and "MILLENIUM SUN."
In two and a half hours, you make the equivalent of 5 USD? $2 an hour? Even at McDonalds, you can make at least $6 an hour anywhere in the states. That's nuts.
I expect Master of Puppets,Through the fire and the flames,Karate,You are the best,war pigs,down with the sickness,Hangar 18,Enter Sandman and freebird to be the most broken characters.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
It seems Handhelds, Mobile Phones and yes.. even iPods are more valuable platforms for them. It seems the console savvy among them have all left and formed Mystwalker. The rest have to license middleware engines or simply pretend to work on games for years on end without producing even a 10 second video.
(Even Duke Nukem Forever has produced a 10 second video)
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Geez... your legs must be really tired after jumping to all those conclusions.
They have released no less than 10 handheld, mobile and now even iPod games since (and one FFXI expansion) with no less than 6 more handheld/mobile games currently in development.
Its as clear as the crystals they depict in their games that they've shifted their development focus away from consoles.
Have you ever considered that, maybe, Square Enix just takes longer to transition when new consoles arrive? They love to take their sweet time, but they eventually deliver.
Don't be a troll just because you have iPods.
Of course, you're all fully aware of these facts. Im sorry I had to bring them up since they're so completely obvious.
Of course, you're all fully aware of these facts. Im sorry I had to bring them up since they're so completely obvious.
In Japan the PSP and DS are the top selling systems, os it makes sense that they are releasing more titles for those. It means more sales. That is especially important for a company that lost 28 million last year.
I bought the game this morning. It's pretty cool so far. I'm trying to see how leveling your "troopers" works. I put the song I used to create it on repeat and am just letting it go for a bit.
Gameplay wise it's basically FF:Tactics. It's actually very surprising for an iPod game. Not at all what I was expecting, especially from Square. If you have an iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd gen) or iPod 5th gen you should definitely give it a shot.
Its that time of the month huh....
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The ipod is a quality product that just happens to be more popular than the others. Get over it.
Sure. It's called Windows Explorer. Just open one, navigate to your music directory, and voila! Everything is laid out in a reasonable and logical manner. Unlike the iPod which constantly rearranges things, mislabels them, groups them incorrectly, etc, etc.
iTunes is a joke and the iPod is only popular for an incredibly successful marketing/image campaign.
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Considering the way the screenshots look and the intentionally ridiculous names and dialogue, this has to be a hoax.
Although, an ability called "snowballin'" does sound cool.
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It makes me very sad.
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Sigh
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Robots living with humans?!?!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
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One Winged Angel is clearly the broken character. =P