Joystiq

Amazon celebrates PS3 price drop with discounted games

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST

The temptation was just too much. Even with the car payment, the mortgage, and the hospital bills from having your squeedlyspooch removed, you still couldn't resist dropping the tantalizingly reasonable 250 clams for a new PlayStation 3. And who can blame you? We went out and bought a second PS3 that we have absolutely no use for, it was that enticing of a proposition.

But now that you've got the system, these tough economic times have left you with very little money for actual games. What's a gamer like you to do? You can't even sell your squeedlyspooch on the black market.

Thankfully, Amazon has your back, as they have both recognized and seized the opportunity to ~~get that skrill~~ provide valuable savings by shoveling a big ol' pile of discounted PS3 titles in your face. The sale is an eclectic mix, to be certain: Bulletstorm and Def Jam Rapstar aren't often mentioned in the same sentence, for instance, and while some titles may be better than others, this still seems like a good way to get some use out of your new console.

Amazon celebrates PS3 price drop with discounted games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Amazon discounts Crystal Bearers, other Square Enix oddities

JC Fletcher — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST

At a $20 price point, we'd have no problem recommending Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers to any Wii owner looking for a totally unique new experience. Luckily, Amazon has dropped Square Enix's telekinetic adventure to just that price as part of its Deal of the Day.

In addition, Amazon is selling another starkly non-traditional Final Fantasy game, the PSP's Dissidia: Final Fantasy, at a special one-day price of $14.99. It's normally $20 in stores and on PSN -- which means that you should probably buy it along with something else to qualify for free shipping, or you're not really saving anything.

Also, Nier for PS3 is on sale.

Amazon discounts Crystal Bearers, other Square Enix oddities originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: Nier developer Cavia dissolved into parent company

JC Fletcher — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:38:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Cavia - developer of games like Nier, Drakengard, and the Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles series - used to be a subsidiary of parent company AQ Interactive. Now, according to Siliconera's translation of a 4Gamer interview with director Trao Yokoo, the company has been dissolved, with its staff absorbed into AQ Interactive.

Current plans for the team are as yet unannounced, so we don't know if the former Cavia will continue making games for third parties. Officially, however, its last game was Nier, which is kind of an unfortunate note on which to leave.

Report: Nier developer Cavia dissolved into parent company originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Play as the 'other' Nier in this week's DLC, 'The World of Recycled Vessel'

JC Fletcher — Tue, 11 May 2010 05:30:00 EST

New DLC for Nier, expected to be available tomorrow, adds 15 new stages, new costumes for Kaine, Emil, and Nier, and new Shades, as part of a new time-traveling scenario. Perhaps more importantly, it also enables players to control the young version of Nier from the Japan-only, PS3-only Nier Replicant, effectively removing the single difference between the two versions.

The character model change is included as a bonus in the "World of Recycled Vessel" pack, whose main component is a world unlocked by a hidden diary, in which Nier and his companions find themselves in a "dreamscape" that combines the past and present of the game.

Square Enix didn't announce pricing for North America, but the price in Europe, where the release date is May 12, is €6.99 or 560.

Gallery: Nier: The World of Recycled Vessel DLC

Play as the 'other' Nier in this week's DLC, 'The World of Recycled Vessel' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XIII, Bayonetta, Modern Warfare 2, more for $30 each at Kmart

JC Fletcher — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:01:00 EST

Kmart isn't a name we turn to often for game deals, but the retailer has made a pretty strong case for our continued attention, with a bunch of limited-time deals that are, frankly, a little ridiculous. How about paying for just the good half of Final Fantasy XIII? At $30, that's essentially what Kmart is offering.

Time-release RPGs not for you? How about Bayonetta, Metro 2033, or Modern Warfare 2 for $30 each? Even Nier's been marked down to $44.99, though that game is ridiculous on its own merits. These deals are only available through May 10, and can be found both online and in-store. See the full list of weekly discounts after the break.

[Via Slickdeals]

Continue reading Final Fantasy XIII, Bayonetta, Modern Warfare 2, more for $30 each at Kmart

Final Fantasy XIII, Bayonetta, Modern Warfare 2, more for $30 each at Kmart originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hook, Line and Stinker: My failed Nier review

Justin McElroy — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:24:00 EST

I played four long hours of Nier with the full intention of completing a review of the game. But after reaching the point you see in the video above, I, in my capacity as reviews editor, decided that it was inadvisable to continue with that plan. I have a beloved wife and cat that depend on my continued sanity and a TV that I can't currently afford to replace, should I be prompted to put it through my living room window.

What I played of Nier up to this point had some nice touches, like solid music and voice acting, but the game felt a generation or two behind what I'd hope for in an open-world action-RPG, specifically in terms of graphics and mission design. Also, the design team was seemingly in dire need of staff members in possession of human souls.

You know, so, just something to remember for Nier 2: Souls.

Protip: There's another beach that's not the beach right next to the old dude that gives you the fishing pole. I ended up trying that spot and catching the fish. But by then, the damage was done, and my spirit had been broken, sadly.

Hook, Line and Stinker: My failed Nier review originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 May 2010 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier sold far more than anything else in Japan last week

JC Fletcher — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:00:00 EST

Japan may be as confused by Square Enix's Nier as we are -- but it would appear that PS3 owners are answering their questions about the action RPG title firsthand, by purchasing it. The PS3 version, Nier Replicant, is the best-selling title for the week of April 19.25, with 60,000 units sold, according to Gpara's early estimate of Media Create sales rankings.

Nier Gestalt, the version released for Xbox 360 (and also the version released on both consoles in North America) didn't perform quite as well, coming in at number 11 -- possibly due to the older, more gruff main character, but probably due to the fact that it's on Xbox 360. There's no mention of how many copies were sold, but it's fewer than the 12,000 with which Pokemon Ranger: Path of Light achieved the number ten position.

To see how games that aren't Nier performed, check the list after the break.

[Via Kotaku]

Continue reading Nier sold far more than anything else in Japan last week

Nier sold far more than anything else in Japan last week originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier makes everyone feel better

JC Fletcher — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST

Ostensibly, this trailer is intended to introduce the traveling companions accompanying the title character of Square Enix's Nier. But, to us, it reveals just how sensitive Nier himself is. He isn't just good for glowering, yelling about his daughter, and fighting, as this trailer reveals. He is also willing to provide words of encouragement to his ally, Kaine -- who returns the favor elsewhere in the trailer by totally kicking Nier in the face to save him from a giant creature.

Nier even offers sympathy to a weird-looking monster guy who is having a crisis of conscience after a battle. And he'll be able to help you feel better about what's going on in your life on April 27.

Nier makes everyone feel better originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier DLC already in the works

JC Fletcher — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:20:00 EST

By the time you've seen every slime creature, creepy blank-faced monster and human-vs-book argument Nier has to offer, developer Cavia will have more ready for you. Square Enix executive producer Yosuke Saito told Xbox.com (translated by Andriasang) that the team began work on DLC immediately after completing the Famitsu-approved action RPG.

Saito also relayed an alarmingly obscure connection between Nier and a previous Cavia game. Evidently, Nier is set after the events of one of Drakengard's optional endings, in which Japan's landmark Tokyo Tower is visible (impaling a dragon!). That's right -- as if Nier wasn't baffling enough, now it's loosely connected to a possible ending from a relatively obscure game.

Nier DLC already in the works originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

One more Nier trailer to stare at

JC Fletcher — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:30:00 EST

We've grown accustomed to not knowing what's going on in Nier trailers -- at least, as accustomed as one can become to incomprehensible imagery. So there are two floating, sentient books now? And ... one of them kills Nier? We guess? At least this trailer's got some visuals.

According to early reports about this week's Famitsu, the magazine's "Cross Review" awarded Nier a score of 10/8/8/8. As translated by 1UP, one reviewer said that " the story is a lot less twisted than you'd expect." Of course, that leaves plenty of room for twistedness. Nier arrives April 27.

One more Nier trailer to stare at originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Maybe Nier comics will help us understand Nier

JC Fletcher — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:40:00 EST

Want to understand what Nier's all about, you know, besides yelling at books? Square Enix is giving us all a chance to study the backstory of Cavia's action RPG, with a Nier comic series produced by DC's Wildstorm Studios. The three-part series will tell three separate, but overlapping, stories in the Nier universe before the game's April 27 release date.

In addition to introducing the main characters -- including Nier himself, his "disease-stricken" daughter, Yonah, a "conflicted" companion in Kaine, and the talking book "with an attitude," Grimoire Weiss -- the comics will reveal what caused the "Black Scrawl" disease and the cataclysmic event that led to the condition of the world (as it is in the game).

The Nier comics will be available on the Nier website, and through the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store. See the cover of the first issue after the break.

Continue reading Maybe Nier comics will help us understand Nier

Maybe Nier comics will help us understand Nier originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier approaches North America in April

JC Fletcher — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

Did you read the news of Japan's Nier release date with abject jealousy, wishing you had such a clear idea when you'd get to play Cavia's cursing-at-a-book simulation? Seethe no more -- Square Enix announced the North American release date, and it's April 27, only five days after the game arrives in Japan!

Of course, real Nier fans are going to have to import Nier Replicant to get the full story, and that means learning Japanese is also a requirement. But it's a small price to pay to learn more about some shirtless guy who fights giant sinewy oil-monsters to rescue his daughter.

Nier approaches North America in April originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier nears release in April (if you're near Japan)

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:45:00 EST

Square Enix's angriest game ever, Nier, recently received a firm Japanese release date: Both iterations of the game (Nier Gestalt and Nier Replicant) will be landing on Japan's store shelves on April 22. Considering the current U.S. release window of Spring 2010, we wouldn't be surprised if we got our hands on the game soon after. However, we've been wrong before! Like that time we saw Nier at E3 last year, and were all like "man, there's no way they're actually going to finish and release this."

Nier nears release in April (if you're near Japan) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Latest Nier trailer takes a page out of Bayonetta's book

David Hinkle — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST

And here we thought Bayonetta had cornered the giant black cannibalistic things summoned from the ether market, but the tail-end of this Nier trailer suggests there's some incoming competition in that department. There are other parts of the trailer worth pointing out (or, perhaps, worth pointing at ... and laughing about), too, like how Square Enix proclaims Nier to be "THE NEXT GREAT STORY FROM SQUARE ENIX" or how it begins with another one of those rants. Is every character in Nier going to be so darn self-absorbed?

Latest Nier trailer takes a page out of Bayonetta's book originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier gets close in spring 2010

Justin McElroy — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST

Frankly, we don't get Nier. In Japan there are two different Nier games with different names and slightly different plots coming exclusively to the 360 and PS3, but in the US, we're just getting one of those, but it's coming to both the 360 and PS3! And if it wasn't bad enough we're expelling all this energy keeping Nier straight, we already sort of hate it.

At least one thing -- the release window -- is now clear: Square emailed this morning to let us know that the game would arrive in spring this year. Square also haughtily informed us that the game is an action RPG rather than a pure action game, and should be classified as such. Hey, isn't it enough if we remember how many of them exist?

Nier gets close in spring 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier video is Nier-ly video-free

JC Fletcher — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

We were really hoping this Nier trailer would help answer some of the questions we had about the title. For example, what's up with the two different games? We're getting just one game on PS3 and 360 -- but that game is a 360 exclusive in Japan, with a different Nier game being released on PS3. Why not release both games in the larger North American market? And how will the gameplay be evolved since the E3 demo? Because if there's not some improvement, the number of Nier games may not matter.

It does not answer any of those questions. In fact, we have several more questions after this trailer, which features the voice (but not much else) of the AI partner, Kaine. Questions like "what?"

Nier video is Nier-ly video-free originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nier Replicant is sort of different from Nier Gestalt

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:00:00 EST

Square has not one, but two Nier games in the works: one for Xbox, and one for PS3. Nier Replicant is being developed exclusively for PS3, and looks somewhat different from its Gestalt counterpart. Both games feature a white-haired protagonist named Nier, but Replicant's lead is a younger, slimmer and a bit more effeminate than the 360's lead character. Both stories have our hero(es) on a journey to save a family member: in Replicant, it's a sister, while in Gestalt, it's a daughter.

We're not entirely sure why Square Enix deemed it necessary to create two vaguely different versions of Nier for the two consoles. This new trailer does state that "peering into the mirror reveals yet another tale," so perhaps Square Enix fans will have to buy both versions of the game to get the whole story. We can't wait!

Gallery: Nier

Nier Replicant is sort of different from Nier Gestalt originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rumor: Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Nier Replicant bound for PS3

JC Fletcher — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Square Enix frequently releases "International" versions of its Final Fantasy games in Japan -- they're basically the Western versions of the games with some extra cutscenes and whatnot to encourage double-dipping among the rapt Japanese audience. According to this Famitsu scan, the publisher is going to try the same thing with Star Ocean: The Last Hope, turning the once 360-exclusive game into a multiplatform release in the process. The scan states that Star Ocean: The Last Hope International will be released on PS3 on February 4 of next year. Siliconera says that it will include both English and Japanese voice acting.

Another scan reveals that Nier Replicant, the mysterious other Nier game revealed next week, will also be a PS3 release. We're awaiting confirmation from Square Enix.

Rumor: Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Nier Replicant bound for PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Square Enix near to announcing another Nier game

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:15:00 EST

It might not be the game we were most excited by at E3 2009, but upcoming action game Nier is apparently already getting the franchise treatment. According to a two-page ad spotted by 1UP in the most recent Famitsu, "Nier Replicant" is set to be detailed in next week's issue of the Japanese magazine.

The spread features a scantily clad white-haired lady with a single line of text that reads, "Beyond revenge lies crazed desperation." Given the absolute dearth of information we have on the Nier franchise, we're sorry to say we can offer little more than our furrowed brow to assuage your confusion over Replicant's tagline. We do know that the name could very well change before it's formally announced on Western shores, as Nier was recently announced in the same edition of Famitsu as "Nier Gestalt" -- known as to us as just Nier. It appears as though at least some of our questions will be answered in next week's issue.

Gallery: Nier

[Image credit]

Square Enix near to announcing another Nier game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Square Enix and Eidos announce joint lineup for Gamescom 2009

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:30:00 EST

Though it's been quite some time since Square Enix and Eidos shacked up, the first time the two share booth space will be at the upcoming European trade show, Gamescom 2009. Aside from bringing the first publicly playable Supreme Commander 2, some highlights include Dissidia Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and ... Nier. Alright, maybe not Nier.

The event announcement says that both Final Fantasy XIII (as a franchise unto itself, not just the eponymous iteration) and Final Fantasy XIV will be at the show, though it doesn't detail if hands-on time with either will be available, or how much new info to expect, unfortunately. Finally, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Mini Ninjas will be descending from Eidos' camp. Gamescom 2009 kicks off on August 19 - 23 in Cologne, Germany.

(Also, Pony Friends 2 ... finally!)

Square Enix and Eidos announce joint lineup for Gamescom 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:45:00 EST

E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted.

We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.

Continue reading E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup

E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Notworthy: Square Enix's 'Nier' demo

Randy Nelson — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:05:00 EST

Notworthy: Square Enix's 'Nier' demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

E3 2009: Nier trailer hits the web, official website launches

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:40:00 EST

Square Enix has seemingly jumped the gun on at least some of its E3 news, with the trailer for Nier finding its way online, not to mention the game getting an official website. Hey, there's even gameplay!

The art style looks like a pretty dramatic departure from the Japanese company's usual androgynix, not to mention the vast swathes of blood. Maybe that has something to do with Square's recent fascination with the Western market? That remains to be seen. We'll assuredly see more as the week progresses, though feel free to peruse our gallery of screens below in the meantime.

Gallery: Nier

E3 2009: Nier trailer hits the web, official website launches originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 31 May 2009 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Square Enix announces Front Mission Evolved, NIER

JC Fletcher — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:30:00 EST

Square Enix's E3 lineup features two surprises, in addition to the expected Final Fantasy stuff: Front Mission Evolved and NIER. While we may have suspected that some kind of Front Mission game was coming, we wouldn't have guessed that it would be a third-person shooter instead of a strategy game, nor that it would be developed by a Western company (Silent Hill: Homecoming's Double Helix Games, specifically). The E3 lineup press release highlights SE's efforts to become a more "global" company, and it hardly gets more "global" than handing one of its existing IPs over to a Western developer to be made into a PS3/Xbox/PC shooter.

NIER is a new PS3/360 action game developed by Bullet Witch/Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles maker cavia. Players control NIER, who fights in a "crumbling world" to find a cure for his daughter, who is infected with the "Black Scrawl virus."

The announcement also provided a firm release date for DISSIDIA Final Fantasy and its PSP bundle: August 25. The first episode of the WiiWare Final Fantasy IV: The After Years was also dated -- for this Monday! See the whole announced lineup in our gallery.

Gallery: Square Enix E3 2009 lineup

Square Enix announces Front Mission Evolved, NIER originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 May 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments