Apologies for not getting a Hyperdevotion Noire review up. Work, school, and family stuff all cut into the time I could put into that game. Review should be up tomorrow evening. Also, on May 31st I will (hopefully) release a novella I’m currently working on called Maple Loves Senpai. It’s a story about a Japanese schoolgirl who gets absorption powers and is guided by the voice of her lover to consume people in order to transform herself into his ultimate waifu. Many stereotypes and dark themes ensue.
I’ll start this week with a follow up before getting to the good stuff. Three weeks ago, it was announced that Sega would be handling the distribution and publication of Atlus USA’s future games, while Atlus still handles the localization as alway. NIS America historically handled the distribution of Atlus USA’s output in Europe, but in the wake of this change, that is no longer the case. Sega has a European branch that could handle those publications from now on, which likely means that games will arrive on European shores faster, but that is just speculation. Oh, and Lionhead studios finally closed its doors, as was expected. 
Now then, Nintendo dropped a bomb of information along with their 2016 fiscal briefing. First off, the NX is releasing in March 2017. A potentially good move that gives developers extra time and ensures higher polish. Secondly, the next Legend of Zelda game is now coming out 2017 for both Wii U and NX ala Twilight Princess, and both versions are being developed in tandem. Thirdly, Zelda Wii U and Hyrule Warriors Legends will be the only games Nintendo has at E3 2016… also the NX will not be shown… Fourthly, Nintendo and DeNa are working on a streamlined Fire Emblem game for mobile devices, and an Animal Crossing smartphone game that will connect with other Animal Crossing games, possibly one for the NX.
I support them taking all the time they need on creating both games and a console. A delayed game is good forever and such. Their choices of smartphone games sound perfectly valid and fairly interesting, even if Fire Emblem seems a little niche. While the choice to abandon the Wii U in favor of the NX is sensible, as the system only sold 12 million units. But effectively abandoning E3 even after having a pretty notable presence at the event is very strange, especially since the NX would be the talk of the show if featured in a presentation. It’s a radical change, and a radical change often ends in either a very favorable outcome or a very unfavorable outcome.
That story came pretty much out of nowhere, as did this one. CyberConnect2, developer of Solatorobo, Asura’s Wrath, and the now completed Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series is working on Project Venom, a self-published action shooter game with art inspired by the gorgeous Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. However, they are not working on this game by themselves.
CyberConnect2 is opening up a new studio in Montreal, the mecca for western game development because of tax cuts and a dollar that is currently worth .75 USD. This is both interesting and shows a trend of Japanese games being developed for western audiences, as that audience is both bigger and more interested in console gaming. Hopefully this doesn’t end up like the forgettable Tecmo Koei Canada, who made mobile games, a forgettable racing game, and a terrible Greek Dynasty Warriors spin-off before closing in 2013.
I’m genuinely looking forward to how this goes, and I’m looking forward to what From Software does as aside from the ensuing expansions, they are done with Dark Souls. In its absence, the company has begun production on a new IP, and based on a leaked recruitment video, the game will be out in 2017 for PS4, PSVR, XBO. As for what the game could be, it could follow a sci-fi premise, as company president Hidetaka Miyazaki mentioned his interest in before, or it could be an Earth Defence Force clone.
Anything else? Well, two games were leaked from various sources, Ubisoft is developing Trials of the Blood Dragon, presumably a mix between the world of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and Trials… and I have nothing else to say about that. Sorry, I just couldn’t get into Blood Dragon. I found it to be pretty boring. 
Also, that Call of Duty thing is still going on, and based on some leaked information, this year’s game will be called Infinite Warfare, a name that I actually like as a closing chapter, but sounds just silly when you put numbers after it. The long rumored Modern Warfare Remastered was also leaked, and will be included with Infinite Warfare in a bundle. If my disinterested introduction wasn’t enough of an indication, my apathy towards this franchise has only grown over time, and now I’m tired of being tired of it. Meaning I probably won’t be talking about either games after an obligatory mention in my E3 2016 rundowns, which will feature lots of CGs from Eroge, because I can’t think of anything better to do.