Joystiq

Class of Heroes 2 available on PSN June 4

David Hinkle — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 EST

Class of Heroes 2, MonkeyPaw's PSP game from 2009, is finally coming to North America on June 4. PSN users can snag the fully localized JRPG dungeon crawler - which is playable on both PSP and PS Vita - for $25 from the PSN store.

The effort to localize Class of Heroes 2 began in 2012 with a Kickstarter campaign seeking $500,000 in funding. Ultimately, only $96,951 was raised, though MonkeyPaw CEO John Greiner wasn't too down in a follow-up interview with Joystiq.

Greiner said that even though the Kickstarter campaign failed, "we were able to educate people about the game and its features. That will help immensely when we release the digital version."

Continue reading Class of Heroes 2 available on PSN June 4

Class of Heroes 2 available on PSN June 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Class of Heroes 2 physical/digital combo pack now up for preorder

Danny Cowan — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST

Gaijinworks is gearing up to launch a localized version of Acquire's PSP dungeon-crawling RPG Class of Heroes 2, and has opened preorders for a physical UMD edition that also includes a downloadable copy of the game.

For $36.99, buyers will receive a digital voucher for Class of Heroes 2 once it hits the PlayStation Network next month. A boxed physical version will be shipped to preorder customers an estimated 4-8 weeks after preorders close on May 8th.

Published in partnership with MonkeyPaw Games, Class of Heroes 2 is a first-person, Wizardry-like dungeon crawler with a focus on character customization. A Kickstarter project for a proposed deluxe edition didn't reach its funding goal, but a limited physical release entered production after meeting with a positive fan response.

"[Class of Heroes 2 is] not out of QA yet, but I'd imagine it should be up on PSN about the 3rd week in May, and the physical a few weeks after that," Gaijinworks founder Victor Ireland notes. "The QA is really just a formality because all that changed was a couple lines of text cleaned up and the opening removed until the rights situation is cleared."

Class of Heroes 2 was originally released in Japan in 2009. Since then, a number of sequel titles have debuted for platforms including the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo 3DS. To date, only the first PSP entry in the series has seen a North American release.

Class of Heroes 2 physical/digital combo pack now up for preorder originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaijinworks gauging interest in UMD Class of Heroes 2

JC Fletcher — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST

Gaijinworks and MonkeyPaw Games didn't make their Kickstarter goal for Class of Heroes 2, but that's not stopping them from forging ahead with plans for a UMD release of the PSP role-playing game.

Now, Gaijinworks is gauging interest in a physical PSP release. "If we can pre-sell at least 2,500 copies of a Physical PSP version with a color manual, UMD with color disc label, and a digital download code," the company explains, "we can do a physical+digital combo version for $34.99, shipped to you."

If that sounds appealing, you can sign up on the Gaijinworks site. It's not a pre-order yet, just a poll to determine how many people would pre-order. So if you sign up, you're somewhat on the honor system regarding your intent to purchase later, when the order links go up.

Regardless of what happens with the physical version, a PSN version has been rated by the ESRB and will be released for $25. European ratings are in progress. To find out if any version of Class of Heroes 2 interests you, check out the videos of the newly localized game above and after the break. Gaijinworks warns that the last video, of a "battle event," is "spoilerish" about events in the first game.

[Thanks, Merrick]

Continue reading Gaijinworks gauging interest in UMD Class of Heroes 2

Gaijinworks gauging interest in UMD Class of Heroes 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MonkeyPaw on the educational upside of Class of Heroes 2 Kickstarter

JC Fletcher — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:00:00 EST

MonkeyPaw Games recently experimented with Kickstarter for a physical deluxe edition of the PSP game, Class of Heroes 2. The funding drive ended with $96,951 raised of the company's $500,000 goal.

"Our Kickstarter for Class of Heroes 2 didn't reach our funding bar but I think it was a great experience," MonkeyPaw CEO John Greiner told Joystiq, during an interview about the announcement of Tomba! for PSN. "Class of Heroes isn't a well-known brand but we were able to educate people about the game and its features. That will help immensely when we release the digital version."

The drive may not have worked out to get Class of Heroes 2 onto UMD, but it served in an educational capacity about more than just Class of Heroes, Greiner suggested. "This drive was the first time a console game had been pushed on Kickstarter so that also entailed teaching people why we needed $500K. Not a small sum but not really that much when you consider this was a physical, deluxe boxed version of a console game."

MonkeyPaw on the educational upside of Class of Heroes 2 Kickstarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study this Class of Heroes 2 trailer

JC Fletcher — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST

You may want to support the continued localization and promotion of the JRPG genre in America - the overarching goal of the MonkeyPaw Games/Gaijinworks Kickstarter - but at the same time, you may not know a whole lot about the specific game being Kickstarted, Class of Heroes 2 for PSP.

The publishers have sought to provide that missing information, releasing a new trailer for the school-themed dungeon crawler. You'll see plenty of gameplay footage, along with character art for all the different in-game races - all of whom are teenagers in school uniforms.

Study this Class of Heroes 2 trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MonkeyPaw and Gaijinworks Kickstart a Class of Heroes 2 localization

JC Fletcher — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST

MonkeyPaw Games and GaijinWorks, two companies dedicated to bringing classic Japanese games to the west, are testing the utility of Kickstarter for localization of Japanese games, with the most random test subject imaginable.

Class of Heroes 2 is a sequel to a PSP dungeon crawler released here by Atlus in 2009. Like the original, it's a game about first-person, turn-based dungeon battling. The two companies plan to release it digitally -- but also, for supporters, in a crazy physical limited edition that promises to outpace any of the giant boxes sold by Ireland's former company, Working Designs.

Bonuses in this Deluxe Pack include a custom box, a soundtrack, and other secret items that are still being prototyped. In addition to this, Kickstarter rewards include lapel pins, posters, plushes, pocket watches, and music boxes. Higher-level backers get things like trips to LA to go to E3 and meet with the team, and in-game credits in the placement of their choice.

The Kickstarter is designed not to sell the game, but to fund both the digital and physical releases. "Our Kickstarter project is designed to allow fans that plan to download it digitally to support the game now," the companies explain, "helping it reach the funding threshold and expand the scope and depth of localization for BOTH the digital and physical releases." If successful, the companies hope to localize other Class of Heroes releases as well. "So if you're along for the whole ride, you'll eventually have a line of awesome Class of Heroes games on your shelf."

MonkeyPaw and Gaijinworks Kickstart a Class of Heroes 2 localization originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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