Platform: PS Vita
Release date in Japan: 2014
A Gigantes gets friendly with main characters Seil, Phildia, and Lutia, left to right.
Background
Phantasy Star Nova is an upcoming title being developed for the Playstation Vita by tri-Ace. tri-Ace has previously developed a title published by Sega with Resonance of Fate (End of Eternity in Japan), and so this game sees that relationship continuing. Sega and tri-Ace’s goal with Phantasy Star Nova to make an “AAA” Vita title. To illustrate the effort invested in Nova: 70 staff from tri-Ace staff members are actively involved in the development of the title, with 200 people in total accounting for both active development and other ancillary roles! Series producer Satoshi Sakai envisions the game as a Phantasy Star title for fans of the series who aren’t as into online gaming. Sega’s Phantasy Star team will be supervising tri-Ace’s development of the game though tri-Ace is described as “fully in charge” of development. The game is scheduled to be released sometime in 2014 in Japan.
Phantasy Star exists outside of the Original and Universe canons, and within the Online universe. The game will make references to Phantasy Star Online 2 by way of featuring certain enemies and the removal of some attacking options. The game will feature a single-player story mode and ad-hoc multiplayer with up to four players at a time cooperating. Sakai envisions Nova as a sort of “new Phantasy Star series” and sees this title as focused on its offline single player campaign and multiplayer: a Phantasy Star title with clear references to Online 2’s controls but without the “online”, in an interview with Polygon. tri-Ace is also rumored to be implementing an item-creation system, with news that materials can be found in-game. With regards to the plot of the game, Phantasy Star Nova follows the crash-landing of a warship belonging to a planetary exploration group on the planet Machia, an uncivilized planet where the energy source “photons” are ineffective and the planet abounds with the titanic and hostile “Gigantes” enemies. The plot also involves three NPC’s who act as the main characters, with the player acting through a created character as is custom to recent Phantasy Star entries.
Localization Status
There are currently only limited developments on the localization status of Phantasy Star Nova, having been just announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 2013. In September, a senior community manager from Sega reported to SEGA-Addicts that there are no plans to release Nova in the West. The timing of this development and the game’s announcement are such that it wasn’t as easy to bring to the attention of Sony’s campaigns for soliciting fan requests on localization–known more commonly, and as separate initiatives, as #jrpgvita and #buildingthelist. Currently, Sega does have the Vita title Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f planned for Western release though it’s as a digital download, making this the first title from Sega to be brought to the Vita in the west. It is possible that performance of this title may alter perceptions of the Vita’s prospects according to Sega.
How can you help?
Continue to organize and ask for Phantasy Star Nova in any relevant discussions – on the Sega forum, on the many and busy Phantasy Star fansites, about Sega in the news, about Phantasy Star or Sega in gaming enthusiast forums, and even consider making comments on Playstation Blog entries when it’s relevant! Demand for the title out West was made aware to Sega relatively quickly (and similarly shut down quickly), and so by continuing to push the issue it may serve to convince Sega of the need to localize the title. With plans to localize Phantasy Star Online 2 apparently merely delayed and not left in the doldrums, should the localization of Phantasy Star Online 2 be finalized and released consider signing up for the game and increasing its server traffic!
Links
Fansites: which include PSOWorld, Phantasy Star Cave, Friends of Algo
Official Phantasy Star Nova website (JPN)
Gematsu article sharing an information breakdown on Phantasy Star Nova from Famitsu
Polygon’s translation of a Famitsu interview with Satoshi Sakai
Sega statement on localization of Nova (as of September 2013)