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Just one day after Famitsu scans revealed a PS3 release of Star Ocean: The Last Hope for Japan, Square Enix announced a North American release of Star Ocean: The Last Hope International.

Since the Japanese game will include the English voice acting from the American release of the Xbox 360 version, localization time for this title is nil, there will be only five days between the Feburary 4 release in Japan and the February 9 North American release date! It's an achievement made possible by ... the game having already been released a year ago.

In addition to English and Japanese voices, this version includes French, Italian, German, and Spanish language options. And, perhaps most importantly for new players, the "running on a PS3" option.

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.

Square Enix producer Yoshinori Yamagishi (Star Ocean: The Last Hope) feels that game narratives have untapped potential. They're not quite there yet, but Yamagishi suggests that, in time, game stories will surpass those told in films. The problem is that "in TV, film and theatre, the creator has control over how he gives the story to the viewer - it's easier to control the emotions." The very thing that makes games a unique medium, its interactivity, is its biggest narrative hurdle.

"If we manage to get over this hurdle, then I regard video games as a greater medium to provide people with deep emotional and exciting experiences." Sadly, Yamagishi doesn't offer any ideas for doing so, but the industry has steadily improved its storytelling methods over the last several years. Heavy Rain looks to be a huge step forward, but maybe Square Enix has something of its own in the works, rather than just another generic fantasy tale.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope dares to go against almost every Square Enix convention. The game is supposedly the last of the franchise, a final fantasy in the Star Ocean universe. The game is being exclusively developed for Xbox 360 and is aiming for an almost-simultaneous worldwide release.

And now, Square Enix is throwing away yet another long-running tradition: delays. Fans have become so accustomed to waiting, and Square Enix has the gall to release this game earlier than expected? Star Ocean: The Last Hope will now appear in the US on February 24th, a full week earlier than previously announced.

Square Enix, we're warning you -- we don't trust your new ways. You stop making ambiguously gendered buckle-wearing heroes, and we won't know you anymore!

Japan continues to receive special Xbox 360 bundles, as Microsoft rolls out the neon green carpet treatment for Resident Evil 5 and Star Ocean: The Last Hope. The Biohazard RE5 bundle, which retails for approximately $370, features your standard 60 gigglebyte Xbox unit, along with a remote control clicker and the game's limited edition bonuses.

The Star Ocean 4 bundle comes with an Xbox Arcade unit (with 256MB of storage) and retails for about $263. It features an original face plate and the Star Ocean soundtrack collection. You can check out an image of that bundle after the break.

Source - TechPowerUp Forums
Source - GI.biz

Microsoft has announced that two new Xbox 360 bundles are headed to Japan. The first is a Star Ocean 4 bundle which will be available February 19 and will include an Xbox 360 Arcade unit with 256MB of internal memory, a faceplate and a soundtrack CD for ¥24,800 ($263). The second is a Resident Evil 5 bundle which will include a 60GB Xbox 360 Pro console, the Resident Evil 5 Deluxe Edition and a headset. The Deluxe Edition -- which appears to be different from the Limited Edition announced last month -- comes in a collector's tin case and includes a soundtrack CD. The Resident Evil 5 bundle is set to arrive in Japan on March 5 and will sell for ¥34,800 ($370).

Source - techPowerUp! Forums -- Xbox 360 gets Star Ocean 4 and Resident Evil 5 bundles
Source - gamesindustry.biz -- Japan to receive Resident Evil 5 Xbox bundle

We're going to say what needs to be said; no one named Edge should be that adorable. However, Star Ocean: The Last Hope stars an adorable character named Edge. The Deadline trailer above, released in Japan, showcases some of the locales gamers will visit when Star Ocean: The Last Hope hits the Xbox 360 on March 3, 2009. The latest trailer also shows off some impressive combat, combos and ... okay, seriously though a dude named Edge shouldn't make you want to hug him. Guys named Edge force you to hug them, awkwardly. On a related note, the game looks extremely pretty in cut scenes and in action. Definitely something to look forward to if you're down with Japanese role-playing games.

Edge Online has posted an article examining the Xbox 360's recent success in Japan. You may recall the console's recent sales surge, which saw it surpass the Playstation 3 in sales for weeks on end. Edge, unsurprisingly, points to the recent spate of games aimed at Japanese audiences as the reason for the sales spike. In particular, the article notes Microsoft's aggressive showing at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, in which the company's booth was sandwhiched between the booths of Square Enix and Capcom. Said booth also highlighted the many Japanese titles at the forefront while showing its western titles in the back in an "adults-only" section.

The article also mentions Microsoft's recent courtship of Square Enix and its attempts to secure major franchises, Star Ocean 4 in particular, which will appear exclusively on the Xbox 360. The major question that remains, according to Edge, is whether or not Japanese gamers will abandon their Xbox when Sony catches up with major franchises of its own, especially Final Fantasy XIII, which will not appear on the Xbox in Japan. The other question is whether or not Microsoft intends to maintain its push in the territory (beyond a million units, anyway).

With Japanese Xbox 360 sales recently reinvigorated, even outselling the Wii -- or coming damned close, depending on who you believe -- Microsoft is keen to keep up the momentum. Speaking to Edge, Xbox Japan head Takashi Sensui noted the sales boost, saying "[Microsoft needs] to make the strengthening of our RPG lineup a priority." In addition Sensui said that Microsoft is working to keep 360 supplies up in the region, no doubt referring to Japan's retailers exhausting the country's entire supply of 360 consoles following the debut of Tales of Vesperia. The next goal for Microsoft is to break the 1 million unit mark, a goal it's close to reaching with recent sales estimates hovering at nearly 720,000. Sensui is hopeful about the 360's prospects, saying "we believe that Japanese consumers will see what we have to offer and agree that is is the best option available."

With some big name RPGs on the way -- such as Star Ocean: The Last Hope (above) -- and the Tokyo Game Show taking place next month, we're sure we'll be getting an earful of Microsoft's strategy for Japan in the coming weeks.

Available now on the Xbox Live Marketplace is a new trailer showcasing footage of Star Ocean: The Last Hope. Taking clips from its original release, the new trailer also shows off new in game footage as well as the recently announced 2009 release date for the role-playing title.

Since announcing Star Ocean: The Last Hope for the Xbox 360 earlier this week Square Enix has been playing coy on the subject of exclusivity. When speaking with Yahoo Japan's financial site, Square Enix took side stepping to a new level by stating there are "no plans" to release the fourth installment of Star Ocean on the PS3.

Of course the careful wording of "no plans" could mean the title may see life on other platforms. As we've mentioned before, the initial announcement of the title was made via a Sony branded device ages ago (the first Star Ocean 4 trailer was on PSP) and based on the history between Sony and Square Enix a PS3 version is a possibility. Either way, Microsoft fans are in store for one of the most well known and respected Japanese role-playing franchises from developer tri-Ace. As it stands, Star Ocean: The Last Hope will launch on the Xbox 360 exclusively in 2009 ... for now.

[via Wired]

Fans of Square Enix RPGs may have assumed PS3 was the safe bet this generation of consoles. However, during a press conference in Japan today, the famed RPG maker announced its plans to support Xbox 360, with at least one exclusive, and two timed exclusives for Microsoft's current generation platform.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the fourth iteration of the popular RPG series, has been announced for Xbox 360 only. The official website makes it clear that the game will be a 360 title, but plans for a PS3 version haven't been completely ruled out yet. "We cannot announce anything on that. We can say that it will be released first [on the Xbox 360]. Whether we'll release it on the PS3 is undecided. We may release it, we may not." [Source]

Another Square Enix game, The Last Remnant, will be multiplatform. However, the game will debut on Xbox 360 first this year, with a PS3 version to come some time after, perhaps next year. This continues Microsoft's aggressive push to secure the Japanese RPG market, with Square Enix's Infinite Undiscovery being an Xbox 360 exclusive as well. PS3 fans need not fret too much, because at the very least, the Final Fantasy XIII games are still exclusive on PS3. For now.

[Via Joystiq]

Update: An original trailer, using some of the clips in the footage above, for Star Ocean: The Last Hope (then referred to simply as Star Ocean 4) debuted with the PSP release of Star Ocean: The First Departure. This in mind, we can safely say the new RPG will be multi-platform (to be clear, Star Ocean going multiplatform is our uneducated guess, not a confirmation).

Combining the West's love of space marines and the East's love of effeminate heroes, Square Enix and Tri Ace have announced that Star Ocean: The Last Hope will hit the Xbox 360 in 2009. The fourth in the popular Japanese role-playing series, Star Ocean: The Last Hope marks Microsoft's latest attempt to make a splash in the Japanese gaming market.

Taking its heroes from a dying Earth and into deep space, Star Ocean: The Last Hope is the first established series brought to the Xbox 360 from popular publisher Square Enix since it introduced gamers to a ... somewhat ... hi-res edition of Final Fantasy XI. Based on the trailer above, the title looks like it could be an epic and hopefully gamers in the East will agree. Also, keep in mind no mention of exclusivity was made during the announcement of the title at Microsoft's Japanese RPG event.

Don't get us wrong -- we know Tri-Ace and Square Enix haven't listed a console for Star Ocean 4 yet, but seriously, do you think this game will be a Wii exclusive? If you thought it possible, this new magazine scan might change your mind. We're taking a leap of faith assuming this game will come to the PS3 (exclusive or not), but since all the others have ... heck, all other Tri-Ace games have, it's not a very big leap.

Now we finally see the main character, previously hidden in all those trailers. He's not very attractive and is basically a Fayt clone with blond hair. They look different enough, but it's just not a big "evolution" between protagonists. We're not being picky -- the environments in the scan are brilliant looking. We wish the view outside of our windows looked that nice.

If you've watched the Star Ocean 4 trailer posted last Monday, perhaps you were a little annoyed seeing the main characters' faces purposefully cropped out of the picture. If that's the case, then be happy for today's Famitsu scans; they are equally pretty and most of all crop-free. The scans reveal character artwork for protagonists Edge Maverick and Reimi Saionji.

Aside from that, however, nothing else major has been revealed about this Star Ocean prequel. We do get a brief look at the in-game graphics though. As far as we can tell, the game is shaping up nicely. See the other scans at Gamersyde.