【Project Phoenix】 Japan's indie JRPG feat. AAA talent (Music composed by Nobuo Uematsu)

[Qalbert]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...eat-aaa-talent

Project Phoenix is a SQUAD-BASED, REAL-TIME STRATEGY GAME combined with strong Japanese RPG design influences, brought to you by top Eastern and Western creators who have worked on many blockbuster game titles.

Platforms: Mainly for Windows, Mac and Linux via Steam and our website. iOS and Android will have a different version to the PC counterparts due to limitations.
We are also working to have the game released on PlayStation 4 and other platforms but is yet to be confirmed.

Estimated release: Mid-2015.

# of Players: This game is primarily a single player game and we would like to focus on that aspect. We do have ideas for multiplayer and co-op modes but we'd only work on it if the multiplayer stretch goal is achieved.
Project Phoenix key visual featuring Marcus Stern by GONTAROProject Phoenix key visual featuring Marcus Stern by GONTARO

Kickstarter's FIRST Japan-based video game project!
Bringing together top-notch talent, combining Eastern AND Western developers with TONS of AAA experience!
Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu's FIRST indie game project EVER!
Art that balances Western functionality with Japanese aesthetics!
A JRPG primarily built for a worldwide audience, not just Japan

We are making a rich, immersive game that will set a new standard of excellence for the Japanese gaming industry, all without major studio backing! Although we have a large array of top talent, we are JRPG fans first and foremost and wish to create a game worthy of longstanding JRPG fans who truly deserve it. In doing so, we will become a phoenix that will rise from the ashes to forge a new direction for the Japanese games industry through a work that awes and inspires all. With the lofty heights we’ve set, we’d like YOU to be a part of our vision and the process and we’re optimistic about it. After all, we’ve got a brave, stubborn, if somewhat forgetful angel on our side, reminding us of what we truly stand for!

Project Phoenix is a fantasy themed squad-based real-time strategy game combined with Japanese RPG design influences. The game draws you in with its breathtaking fantasy world, deep storyline, Japanese character designs, and a memorable cast, most notably, the band of heroes under your command. Furthermore, its intuitive real-time tactical combat is dynamic, fluid, and streamlined, allowing you to experience the strategic options without being bogged down by overwhelming archaic battle systems.

Throughout the adventure, players will piece together the mysteries of an angel with amnesia and travel through the land of Azuregard with an unusual band of heroes searching for answers.

Project Phoenix is being produced by some of the greatest creative talents in the video game industry, with credits including several Final Fantasies, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Valkyria Chronicles, L.A. Noire, Diablo III, Halo 4, Crysis 3, and much more. Many of us have boldly committed ourselves to this ambitious project in a creative leap of faith with the goal of changing the direction of the Japanese game industry. Now we need the extra push that only funding can give to help us move forward and complete the game!

more info, vid, etc on the kickstarter page

[octopus]

This is going to be for PC/PS4/PSVita/iOS/Android. Definitely looks good so far...

[Lucavi]

Well shit, anything that Uematsu puts his hand in I'm interested in.

[Cyprias]

The kickstarter really blew up. Apparently 9 hours in and they met their quota. I'm interested though, sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

[Evane]

Once I saw Uematsu, I made an account and backed it.

Edit: I just wanna know who TAKE-B is. Could it be Akihiko Yoshida?

[SamanosukeShiva]

Just wondering who is the unannounced guy and which anime, pls don't say dragon ball.

[Gwynplaine]

Just wondering who is the unannounced guy and which anime, pls don't say dragon ball.

This is the first thing I thought. Going to laugh when it is, I know it's coming. Either that or Studio Ghibli. Best or worse, no middle ground.

[Kaisha]

They need to confirm PS3/Vita release+keys already so I can throw money at them.

[Kachiko]

Donna Burke is a rather interesting pull. Definitely keeping an eye on this one.

[Qalbert]

http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/08/...ndos-consoles/

With the successful debut of Project Phoenix on Kickstarter many have been wondering why the developer Creative Intelligence Arts is negotiating for a PS4 and PS Vita version of the game, but isn’t interested in publishing it on Nintendo’s consoles, and in particular on the Wii U. Even on our site we had quite a few commenters wondering about that. Last night I had a chance to interview the game’s Director and Producer Hiroaki Yura, so I just went ahead and asked him directly. Here’s what he told me:

The problem with Nintendo… You know, I like Nintendo and everything…but not a lot of people buy it. I know a lot of fans buy it, but there are so many restrictions with Nintendo, and also the fact that Nintendo in Japan does not accept indie games.

We think Nintendo is taking a wrong approach towards games like ours. I think maybe it has to do with the Kyoto culture…very old companies. Nintendo itself in Kyoto is not that old, because in Kyoto there are companies that survived for hundreds of years, and compared to them they’re relatively young, but in terms of video game industry they are very old. They have a set of rules that does not fit with the core values of our game, basically.

They have interesting hardware, but it ends at “interesting”. It’s not “exciting”.

Our main goal is not to publish on all consoles. Our main goal is to make the best game possible on the best platforms. The reason why we’re going to work on PlayStation 4 is because we’ve been asked by a very small publisher who wants to publish for PlayStation 4, and they’re passionate, and don’t want to influence our creative side. I agreed to that because they understood the intricacies of indie games’ development. That’s how it came to be with the PlayStation 4 and the Vita.

There you have it, straight from the lion’s mouth. Yura-san has a very clear vision of his game and of his development philosophy, and quite evidently it doesn’t fit well with Nintendo’s. Of course it’s important to remember that the deal for the PS4 and PS Vita is not finalized yet, even if Yura-san says it has a 90% chance of happening.

If you want to read the rest of the interview, you’ll find it here on DualShockers tomorrow (Friday) at 10:30 AM EST. Our chat lasted over one hour, so there’s a lot to learn about Project Phoenix.

In the meanwhile, you can pledge your support on the official Kickstarter page. I heard quite interesting info about future stretch goals so you may want to help reaching them.

[Carth]

Considering Nintendo just figured out people are using the Internet, I can agree with those statements.

[Tokitoki]

Game concept looks good and they seem to have a good lead staff with plenty of experience. I threw some in as well to support the project.

I wish I could make a boss for the game. That would be a lot of fun.

[Evane]

The stretch goals got more detailed. I hope they really reach those.

[hey]

And it's on pc!? I think i will be pledging all of the money i have to this.

[Koul]

Once I get paid I'll put some money in. Hopefully it won't get too big for it's own good and haveta ask for more money like that damn adventure game....

[Evane]

Leveling, Skills and Squad Tactics.

Greetings Gamers!

You’ve helped us to raise half a million dollars only five days after launch. Thank you all for your support, and help in spreading the word.

Some of you may have already seen the interview that was uploaded yesterday involving our director, Hiroaki Yura. I recommend that you check out the DualShockers interview, as it is well done and may provide you with additional information about the game.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/08/...-ps4-and-more/

Please be aware that the following gameplay will be going through extensive playtesting; not just by us, but by our Kickstarter Developers, Alpha Testers, and Beta Testers be included. If we find out a mechanic does not work the way we intended, we will modify or change it completely for the betterment of the game.

Leveling & Skills

We are still deciding on a level cap between levels 80 – 100. Each level cap offers their own set of unique advantages and disadvantages. We don’t want to make the cap to high to where you have to needlessly grind the last 20 levels just to max out. We want our content to match your level, and provide you with a challenging yet fulfilling experience.

Leveling will work similarly to other RPGs. When you obtain a set amount of experience, you gain a level, and your stats increase. You will also gain a skill point that you can apply to one of two skill trees. We are not yet certain if you will receive a skill point upon gaining a level, or every two levels, etc. Either way, our intent is that it not be possible to max on each skill tree, even after reaching the level cap. This should provide multiple ways of customizing each character for any specific role that you require of them.

Character Classes

Although each class will start off with similar basic abilities, each will have their own different set of unique skill trees. We have announced four playable classes so far: Templars, Paladins, Pathfinders, and Battle Mages. More detailed information on Classes will be announced in future updates.

Squad Formations

During combat, you will control your characters by their appointed squads, and not as individuals. There will be around 10 playable characters on the field at any given time, and it will be up to you to maximize the party’s effectiveness to defeat the enemies. Any way that you choose to accomplish this is your decision.

Example: You create 3 squads for 9 characters. In the first squad you place 3 tanks, the second, 3 ranged, and the third, 3 healers. Then you set up the party formation so that the tank squad faces the enemy, the healer squad stays center to provide support to the other squads, and the ranged squad protects the flanks and rear.

You can mix and match the squads and characters as you wish. Include a tank, ranged, and healer in each squad, and then change their stance to match their role.

Squad Stances & Movements

Stances are applied to each squad, not an individual character. Stances are adjustable AI parameters that your squads will revert to when you are not directly controlling them. We currently are considering implementing three Stances: Aggressive, Defensive, and Stealth. Even while not in combat, your squads will still retain their stances, and actively choose formations and take up the appropriate positions when halted.

The reason for this update is because I want to give you a more clear idea of what we intend our combat system to include. We will finish the art and text for our major gameplay update next week, so I hope this teaser has gotten you excited for more

-Cronus

[Gwynplaine]

It doesn't hurt at all that this reminds me of Final Fantasy Tactics.

[Evane]

Very first look into the characters of Project Phoenix

Today's Kickstarter and Paypal total

Kickstarter $589,634
Paypal $5,306

Total $594,940

More friends!

As Project Phoenix continues to take form, we continue to add more people to the team whose experience and expertise match the project’s scope and scale. The two people we're proud to introduce today are Asami Hagiwara and Koji Moriga!

Asami Hagiwara’s work can be prominently seen in MOGRA Paper, the monthly newspaper released by the famous club in Akihabara of the same name that’s known for hosting DJs spinning video game, anime, and doujin music. Hagiwara will be hard at work, bringing her delightful “chibi” designs unto our characters.

And then there’s Koji Moriga, whose name might raise an eyebrow, but whose work should be familiar to many of you. Titles like the Starship Troopers animated movie and Space Pirate Captain Harlock are but mild samplings of what he has done. This guy knows his monsters, having done many of the monster designs for Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin and will contribute that expertise and much much more as he populates Azuregard in all its monstrous glory!

Marcus and his band

Here is the very first look into the characters of Project Phoenix. These are obviously rough sketches and WIP based on the description GONTARO received from Yoko Enoki and not reflective of the final design/quality.

Until we finalise the designs and touch up on the quality, we'll not announce who they are and what they do, but we will tell you we are missing two more characters. This is not your usual modern day JRPG, and I hope you see why from this art.

If you want to download a bigger version of the art, please visit the link below.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z3um4l519c...a_wip_ks01.jpg

[Evane]

First musical update

Music from Project Phoenix plays a large part in our game. There are several reasons to this, and one of the main reason is that I started out in this industry as a Music Director.

So today, I'd like to start off by talking to you about our core values of music in our game.

1) Music is awesome. Music can portray what picture can't and it gives colour to the very air you're breathing. The beauty is they are so much emotions that can be interpreted in many different ways by different people. It makes a scene memorable and gets gamers pumped for battle.

2) Music isn't everything. Time and time again, as a Music Director, I remind my composers that music isn't everything. Us, servants of music is always at the mercy of the "picture". We write music to "picture". We support and buff the picture to make the whole experience so much better. And of course, the picture means nothing without the game. In the end, we don't mean or amount to much without the game itself.

3) Less can be more. You really can't appreciate or know true happiness without experiencing sorrow. You won't know what loud is, without knowing soft. I believe that we shouldn't assault gamers with a tsunami wall of sound. Just because there's more people in the orchestra, it doesn't make the music more epic or awesome. Just because we're using silence, it doesn't mean we're lazy. We want to use "less" to good effect.

Now, building on this foundation, I've put together three excellent composers to compose for our game.

Nobuo Uematsu
For those of you who doesn't know, he is the guy who created the music to the majority of Final Fantasy series, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon to name a few. I respect many of his works as that has set a standard in music from JRPGs.

Kevin Penkin
In his twenties and moving to London to study at the Royal Academy, Kevin is a very talented composer from Perth, Australia. He is a great fan of works by Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda and Hitoshi Sakimoto. I think his work feels more "Japanese" than Western as he really treats the melodic line with grace. He has worked on several titles assisting with arrangement and collaborating on compositions with Nobuo Uematsu.

Tomoki Miyoshi
A prodigee of his time, Tomoki wrote his first professional work at the mere age of sixteen for the cinematic of SOULCALIBUR V. His scores were immaculate and had no mistakes for the thirty minutes or so of the music he composed and scored for the Eminence Symphony Orchestra. He has been highly praised by the esteemed engineer John Kurlander. He has recently finished worked with a major animation studio in Japan, and is known for a very cinematic approach to his soundtrack.

With these talented composers, we are sculpting the musical model to Project Phoenix. I have big plans for the music, and I personally would love to see the 1.65m stretch goal reached.

At the 1.65m stretch goal, the composers will receive the following

1) Recorded by the Eminence Symphony Orchestra
I think enough said here. If you don't know who they are, they are the first and only orchestra that specialise in the recording and the performance of video game and anime music. They have worked on titles like Diablo III and
Here's a video of them performing "One Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII by Nobuo Uematsu.


2) Recorded and mixed by John Kurlander
John is, in my mind, one of the grandmasters of musical engineering for Fantasy. Having worked on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and receiving three consecutive grammies for his work, and many many legendary feats of craftsmanship follow his name. I'm not exaggerating, what I mention here is a very miniscule description of what kind of man he truly is.
His work will truly allow our music to shine.

Please trust me when I say we need them for our music. Last time I took full control of a music production, our game was nominated for eight categories for the Annual Game Music Awards and we took home three wins. I believe I can do even better this time thanks to the backers of this project giving me creative freedom to be at my full potential.

We've started on a pre-emptive sketches of the music to the game. Here are some work in progress. It will most likely change somewhat but the "feel" is there.

Cinematic "The Ride" V3 by Kevin Penkin
This cue is planned on being used during a cinematic where Marcus and his band are riding on Dragons... and doing stuff... I apologize for the lack of description, I hope you understand I don't want to ruin the story.


Elven Glades by Tomoki Miyoshi
This cue is going to be used for the outskirts of the Elven forest of Vervanna during the Overworld. Imagine Marcus and his band riding on horseback viewing the beautiful forest of Vervanna with a backdrop of rolling green hills of The Kingdoms of the Far Realm. A feeling of anticipation and excitement in the knowledge that they'd be meeting the Elves, an extremely rare occasion for non-elven mortals.


I hope we have demonstrated our passion and skills in music. I apologise in advance in regards to cues by Nobuo Uematsu as his first cues would probably be approved for publicity around January next year. I am planning a very different return of the master of music of JRPG and I sincerely hope it'd catch everybody with a pleasant surprise.

-Hiro

[Gwynplaine]

I hope we have demonstrated our passion and skills in music. I apologise in advance in regards to cues by Nobuo Uematsu as his first cues would probably be approved for publicity around January next year. I am planning a very different return of the master of music of JRPG and I sincerely hope it'd catch everybody with a pleasant surprise.

Hopefully "a very different return" of Uematsu doesn't mean more of that fucking wannabe hardcore metal electric guitar shit he keeps experimenting with in the last several years.