This is Hideo Baba, producer of the Tales of franchise. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our fans in North America and Europe. It’s been an absolute pleasure attending various overseas events and interacting with so many of you. I really feel like we’ve been able to sustain our franchise for 15 years because of such a loyal fanbase. I cannot thank you enough.

Starting March 26th, we’ll be digitally distributing Tales of Graces f on PlayStation Network. I strongly urge anyone unfamiliar to the series to give it a shot. An epic adventure of unimaginable proportions awaits you! We will have two versions of the game available next week; the Standard Edition ($34.99) and Knight Edition ($54.99). The Tales of Graces f: Knight Edition will come bundled with more than 10 DLC items to help new adventurers on their quest including increased stats, health and currency.

In addition, the western release of Tales of Xillia on PS3 is right around the corner — it’ll be out this summer!

For the first time in the franchise, you’ll be able to select between two main characters and experience the game from two different perspectives. It’s up to you whether you want to play as the male or female protagonist.

Tales of Xillia is a culmination of all our development efforts over the years, so I can’t wait for our western fans to try it out. We have a lot more events planned until the release of Tales of Xillia, so I strongly urge you to come visit us when you have the chance. I look forward to meeting all of you.

We’re planning on making this a Tales of filled year, so we have a lot of surprise announcements lined up — stay tuned! Thank you again to all of our fans who have supported us over the years. We hope for your continued support in 2013.

Ah February, a month of blossoming love, the promise of spring and a massive PlayStation Network sale from Namco Bandai Games! Starting tomorrow, Namco Bandai Games will be holding a four-week 50% off sale of selected digital games and downloadable content across the PlayStation family brand of systems.

If you’ve been holding off on riding the high seas with One Piece: Pirate Warriors, unlocking the mysteries of the past in Dark Souls: Atorias of the Abyss, rolling around town in Touch My Katamari or stretching to new worlds in Noby Noby Boy, now is your chance. The sale will start Tuesday, February 5th and run until Tuesday, March 5th. The following list features the games and downloadable content featured in this month’s sale.

PlayStation 3

• RIDGE RACER 7: 3D License Version – $9.99
• NAMCO MUSEUM ESSENTIALS – $4.99
• NOBY NOBY BOY – $2.49
• ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS – $24.99

PlayStation Vita

• RIDGE RACER – $12.49
• TOUCH MY KATAMARI – $12.49

PSP

• SOULCALIBUR: Broken Destiny – $19.99
• TEKKEN 6 – $19.99
• NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja Impact – $19.99

DLC

• ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON DLC – prices vary from $1.99 to $7.49
• Dark Souls: Atorias of the Abyss – $7.49
• ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS DLC Pack – $7.49

I wanted to give the PlayStation Nation the inside scoop on some cool things we have coming up for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 this week. Starting on Tuesday, November 13th, we will be offering Tekken Tag Tournament 2 as a download on PlayStation Store for $49.99. For those of you doing the math right now, that’s $10 cheaper than a Blu-ray copy of the game. And for those of you who have not purchased the game yet and are looking for another excuse to download or grab a copy, we will be releasing the final timed character roster update this week as well! BOOM! HYPE! WISDOM!

Monday night we’ll unleash the final Tekken fighters from their cages and let them loose on the internet for our dedicated fans. The new unlocked characters for feature three returning favorites: Dr. Boskonovitch, Unknown and Violet. It’s been a while since players have been able to get their hands on these characters and play as them themselves, with Dr. B last playable in Tekken 3, Unknown last playable in the original Tekken Tag Tournament and Violet in Tekken 4. It’s been a long time, but we think it has been worth the wait when you see the changes the team has made to the new characters. These guys are absolute beasts in the ring with new move sets since the last time we’ve seen them.

And in addition to that, we will also be releasing Ancient Ogre, Angel, Michelle Chang and Kunimitsu to everyone as well. These four characters have, up until now, have only been available for players who pre-ordered the game. Now with everyone able to use them, I’m super interested to see what you guys can cook up in the lab with them. To top all that off, these characters are absolutely free and are added to your character select the next time you boot up your copy of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and are connected to the internet.

So be sure to download Tekken Tag Tournament 2 from the PSN Store this Tuesday, grab all those unlocked characters, brush up your skills in the Fight Lab and let’s take this fight online. My PlayStation Network name is Filthie_Rich if you want to go a few rounds. And make sure you sign up for a World Tekken Federation account to join online teams and receive detailed analysis of all your past fights. Also, follow @ Harada_TEKKEN on Twitter for the most recent status of the development team!

Hello everyone, my name is Ted Tsung and I am the North American Producer for Tales of Xillia for NAMCO BANDAI Games America. I’m happy to announce that we recently completed our voice recording session for the game, an extremely important part of the localization process. It’s a huge milestone for us to pass and it means that Tales of Xillia is that much closer to its 2013 release.

Eight hours of voice recording across an eight week span, filled with late nights catching up on emails, proofing, and preparation for the following day. It’s a grueling process that’s both physically and mentally taxing. Despite this, it was a fantastic experience, thanks to the support from Cup of Tea, 8-4, and the voice actors. I might be looking through rose-tinted glasses, but you won’t find a better group of people.

It’s always impressive to see how well voice actors can improvise on the spot. They have very little interaction with each other. The most exposure they’ll get with one another is hearing a voice that may be played back for reference. Otherwise, they’re stuck in a booth alone, quickly scanning a script they’ve never seen before, dishing out multiple takes for us to grab. It’s a draining process that requires a lot of attention from all parties.

After it’s all said and done, I believe people will be satisfied with the voices we chose for each character. When localizing games like those in the Tales of franchise, there’s always added pressure since the Japanese version typically comes out first.

I’m very much aware that it can be very jarring to someone hearing the English voices when they’re used to hearing the Japanese voices. However, I think our English cast matches the original intention of their character’s persona.

For example, we went with a much deeper voice for Milla. We needed her to maintain a very powerful and authoritative demeanor, so we didn’t find it appropriate maintaining the same pitch as her Japanese voice.

Similarly, we pitched down Jude a little bit as well. He maintains the same adolescent qualities as the Japanese version, but we figured the North American audience would prefer a lower, stronger voice.

As long-winded as the recording was, it was a gratifying one, and I really owe it to all the people I worked with. Everyone has done an outstanding job, and I hope the fans enjoy it.

Good news for anyone who’s been enjoying Namco Bandai’s enormous JRPG Tales of Graces F since its launch back in August: its immediate successor, Tales of Xillia, is on its way exclusively to PlayStation 3 in 2013.

We’ve struggled our way through an hour or so of the original Japanese version, which launched overseas back in 2011, and the 13th entry in the long-running series brings with it a number of significant new innovations for the much-loved franchise. Duly, we took the time to check in with producer Hideo Baba while in Tokyo last month to find out exactly what fans should expect.

PlayStation Blog: What are the key new additions to the Tales formula since Tales of Graces?
Hideo Baba, Producer: There are many unique features in Xillia but I’d like to emphasise that the battle system is very unique and much improved over the previous title. Also, the portrayal of the game world and its atmosphere has also changed a lot too. In the previous games the characters were very deformed – they were much shorter – but with Xillia the team has tried to show the characters in realistic proportions so that we can really convey the huge size of the world more effectively. The player can really feel how large the world is now.

PSB: Can you put that into real terms? Just how big is Tales of Xillia?
HB: Well, that depends on the player. There are two main characters in the game – if you play through the story from both points of view it will take you more than 100 hours to finish.

PSB: Xillia originally launched in Japan over a year ago, while Tales of Graces F took 18 months to make it to Europe. Do you hope to reduce the localisation time for future Tales titles?
HB: I recognise how important it is to release a Western version as soon as possible after the Japanese release but sometimes some scenes prove difficult to describe in different languages. It’s very challenging to localise and properly convey the right sentiments to Western players. I would like to start a new method of localisation though – perhaps we could make the cinematic sequences in parallel with language translation to shorten the waiting time.

PSB: Many members of the PlayStation community would like to see an option to play the game with the original Japanese voice track. Is this something you’ve considered including?
HB: I receive so many requests from foreign players for Japanese voice tracks in the Western version! However, there are some difficulties with the company and the voice actors. That said, I will be considering the feasibility of it.

While waiting to get hands-on with Dishonored here at gamescom (impressions shared in this week’s PlayStation.Blogcast), I ran into an acquaintance from Namco Bandai. He invited me to their booth to experience the two new demos for Ni no kuni: Wrath of the White Witch being shown. I didn’t pass on the opportunity, if nothing else, as an excuse to share beautiful new screens and video with you. Parts of what I saw are showcased in this new gamescom trailer, so do your eyes a favor and roll the video:

When launching the first demo, the demonstrator made a point of showing that the game features a Japanese language voiceover selection option. This is a frequent request from JRPG fans, so rest assured that matter is settled.

The first demo, “An Errand for Father Oak,” takes place very early in the game as diminutive hero-in-training Oliver is trying to get to the Ding Dong Dell, the Cat King’s Castle. When the downtrodden gate guard won’t let you in, you’ll have to venture into the forest to capture “vigor” from forest denizens in a special jar to pep him up and let you in. While this all sounds ridiculous, Ni no Kuni comes off as incredibly charming in person, due in no small part to its stunning visuals.

The second demo, “Eruption Interruption,” takes place further into the game, and shows off a somewhat more serious side to Ni no Kuni. This volcano setting is a far cry from the verdant fields we’ve seen from the game thus far – it’s closer to Mount Doom. The visual effects here look great, with flowing lava and heat wave effects blurring the scenery. The scene has players performing some mild platforming actions, such as shimmying along a cliff face, avoiding erupting steam vents.

At the peak of the caldera, the plucky team is pitted against a big boss: Moltaan, Lord of Lava. This is where it became clear that despite the cutesy visuals, this is a real, challenging game. Moltaan looms so large that he doesn’t always fit on screen, and the battle was suitably epic, lasting nearly 10 minutes and pushing the heroes to the brink of defeat.

The more I’ve seen of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, the tougher the wait until its Western release on January 22nd is becoming.

This PS3-exclusive RPG is a celebration of sorts for the Tales series of RPGs, which had been around for 15 years at the time of the game’s release in Japan. But rather than just rehash classic elements, the Tales team took some chances, crafting a new battle system and a more grown-up visual style. The result, according to Famitsu, is the best Tales game yet.

Last week, I had a chance to pose some questions (including some of your Twitter queries) to Tales series producer Hideo Baba. Here are his answers:

Jeff Rubenstein, PlayStation Blog: Tales of Graces f came to PS3, but Vesperia didn’t hit PS3 in North America. Now Tales of Xillia has been announced for North America. How do you determine which titles in the series get a an English-language conversion?

Hideo Baba, NAMCO BANDAI Studios Inc.: Given the current resources assigned to the Tales of series team, I am always trying to find ways to assign staff members to work on a Western localized title as well as a new game for Japan when possible. However, the team’s main objective is to create new titles for Japan first, and unfortunately staff resources are not always available. Moving forward, I would really like to assemble teams to release as many of the main Tales of games overseas as possible.

PSB: Tales of Graces f’s battle system was well loved. Talk about Tales of Xillia’s Double Raid Linear Motion Battle System. How does it compare? What is new?

HB: Our fans, as well as ourselves, are always searching for the next evolution in the unique real-time Tales of battle system. With Tales of Graces f we were able to design and adjust that battle system into something that was acclaimed by both gamers and the press alike. However we were not completely satisfied and felt that it could be taken a bit further. With that challenge in front of us we created the Double Raid Linear Motion Battle System for Tales of Xillia. There are two big new features with DR-LMBS. The first one allows players to link two characters’ artes, which utilizes the game’s setting of two leading characters; Jude and Milla. The second is the Linked Artes system, which is a cinematic attack performed by two characters in a flashy combo. In addition to the fast paced and exhilarating battles many fans loved in Tales of Graces f, players will now be able to enjoy real-time action battles with two united characters.

PSB: At the beginning you’ll choose between two characters. How does the game change depending on if you go with Milla or Jude?

HB: Depending on which character the player chooses at the beginning of the game they will experience various story sequences play out from the point of view of either of our main characters; Jude or Milla. The main, overall storyline does not change between either Jude or Milla, but to experience the full story players will have to play the game as both characters.

PSB: Xillia is the best rated Tales of series ever in Japan; it received a 39/40 in Famitsu. What improvements have been made from Tales of Graces f that you think merited such critical acclaim?

HB: I believe the game was acclaimed because of its maturity as the 15th anniversary title in Japan. As I previously mentioned, we are always challenging ourselves to evolve the series and to develop each title that will surpass fan expectations from the last title. I think that these gameplay evolutions from game to game over the course of the past 15 years have helped the series earn its critical acclaim.

PSB: Artistically, Tales of Xillia is very different than the last few Tales games, featuring more “mature” character models. What audience is the story geared toward? Tales of Graces f felt aimed at a pretty young crowd.

HB: The main audience in Japan remains continues to be the core Tales of series fans. However, we know we need to acquire new fans while also keeping returning fans of the series invested in our new titles. The new character design is a big change for the series, and helps us attract new players without sacrificing the devoted Tales of fans. I think you may recognize Milla as a mature character in terms of her portrayal in the game. Our intentions with Milla, for example, is to create a woman with strong convictions that female players can aspire to be like when they grow up. Of course she is also portrayed to be adored by young men like Jude.

PSB: What was it like developing Tales of Xilia exclusively for PS3? Was it easier focusing on one platform?

HB: As I’ve mentioned before, the main market for the Tales of series is Japan, and the console highest in demand is the PlayStation 3. We’ll pursue the possibility of releasing titles on various hardware systems as the market changes, but for now we’ll develop the titles on PlayStation 3 to reach the most Japanese players as possible.

PSB: Tales of Xillia came out in Japan last year, but won’t drop in the West until next year. With this extra time, will the team provide any additions to the international version?

HB: I understand this concern well, but we consider the Japanese version of the game as a finished product and hope overseas fans can enjoy the game as it is. The same can be said for all the DLC content as well. There is no big change between the original Japanese version and the international version because we want to provide the same gameplay experience as much as possible between all regions.

While the main fighting mechanics of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will feel familiar to anyone acquainted with the series’ staccato combat style, the console version introduces a few new ways to lock horns with worthy competitors. You can now fight opponents in several configurations — two against two, two against one, and one against one — and each of these modes is available at any time. In matches that pit one character against two, the disadvantaged player receives a more generous life bar but obviously cannot switch fighters when the going gets rough. Conversely, the player with two fighters will have to pay close attention; in true Tekken tag form, you’ll lose the round if either character is KO’d.

During the Namco Bandai Gamer’s Day, the developers also clarified their position on offering DLC characters, with series director Katsuhiro Harada making it clear that the game won’t charge players to unlock new characters. This is good news for Tekken fans looking to experience any of the 50+ characters included on the game’s Blu-ray Disc.

Fight Lab is another standout addition to the PS3 version. Its goal is worthy: to train players in Tekken’s deep fighting mechanics without serving up a dry tutorial experience. In a roundtable discussion with Katsuhiro Harada, the veteran developer explained that the mode will embrace some of the quirky (but addictive!) minigames of past Tekken titles while simultaneously training the player so they can come back into the main game with new skills at their disposal.

In Fight Lab, players build up their “Combot,” a customizable cyborg fighter which, as time spent in Fight Lab goes on, can be customized both aesthetically and through specialized combat sets. Players can choose from a variety of moves used by fighters in the main roster as they progress, as well as a number of unlockable costumes and visual flairs to their Combot.

While Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will be instantly familiar to fans of the series, the next entry brings many new innovations to the tried and true formula that fight fans would be remiss to pass by. Keep an eye out for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 this September, and get your best combos ready for massive brawling.

“One Piece” is a household name in Japan, where the mangas and anime series are among the most popular series of all time. The series follows Monkey D. Luffy, a seafaring pirate in search of treasure on the high seas, who possesses the strange ability to stretch his limbs to cartoonish lengths after eating a mysterious fruit.

While only a handful of the games created in the One Piece universe have seen releases Stateside, the release of PS3-exclusive One Piece: Pirate Warriors sees the series return to the US. I recently went hands-on with a Japanese build of the game at Namco Bandai’s Gamers Day, checking out Pirate Warriors’ brawler-based gameplay and over-the-top anime antics.

Pirate Warriors embraces the combat stylings of the Dynasty Warriors series, pitting series protagonist Monkey and a number of other playable characters against wave upon wave of enemies; the playable demo Namco had on-hand showed off the impressive number of enemies the game can display at any given time. Though the Dynasty Warriors series is known for its massive number of on-screen foes, Pirate Warriors does this with the anime stylings of series creator Eiichiro Oda, featuring some of the most over-the-top combat sequences I’ve seen in a long time.

It’s easy to get the hang of combat right away, combining light and strong attacks into combo strings to take down multiple enemies at once. Monkey’s ability to stretch his limbs to ridiculous length allows him to strike groups from across the screen. Monkey also possesses the ability to perform mega attacks, which are available once a charge bar at the top of the screen fills up as he defeats enemies. These attacks are totally off-the-wall, and involve brief anime-style cutscenes while Monkey inflicts massive amounts of pain on his helpless foes.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors also sports multiple modes of play, including a story mode and a more straightforward battle mode. Fans familiar with the series will be happy to know that the game mirrors much of the plot that begins the One Piece manga, though gamers unfamiliar with the series should have no problem becoming acquainted with Monkey and his band of Straw Hat Pirates.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors is slated to hit later this year, only on PS3.

Thanks to the storytelling wizardry and storytelling chops of J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot, one of the most beloved sci-fi series in history teeters on the brink of a renaissance among fans and newcomers alike. With Star Trek for PS3, developer Digital Extremes is crafting a standalone story that takes place between the 2009 film and the upcoming sequel. The hope: to boldly go where no licensed game has gone before.

Star Trek is a cooperative third-person shooter, but that description doesn’t do the game much justice. The two controllable characters, Captain Kirk and Spock, both experience the story differently, with branching paths and narratives that will give the game a substantial amount of replay value. Each character is also equipped with their own individual weapons and skills, each complementing the other in a variety of ways. For instance, Spock’s Vulcan mind meld ability allows him to turn foes into allies, forcing oncoming threats into vital offensive allies. Kirk is equipped with a more direct and offensive weapon set, allowing him to take the initiative in firefights while Spock flanks to perform more strategic maneuvers.

Kirk has both ‘stun’ and ‘kill’ settings for his phaser, making him a versatile ally. Each setting can be upgraded as the game goes on, giving you the power to decide what strategic path to follow. The same goes for Spock as well, though he’s more naturally equipped for stealthy maneuvers.

Though the game is still a ways off, Digital Extremes presented a live demo for a large crowd at Namco Bandai’s Gamers Day event in Las Vegas. In the demo, we were treated to a scene pitting both Kirk and Spock against both space itself and a number of enemies aboard none other than the U.S.S. Enterprise. On two different screens (each controlling one of the characters), the demo began with both characters careening through an asteroid field with nothing but their spacesuits to protect them from the vacuum of space.

The entire scene was fully interactive, with each player forced to avoid asteroid clusters or risk a quick death. Inside the Enterprise, while searching for clues as to why the ship was under attack, the characters scanned the environment using the series’ signature doohickey: the Tricorder. Creative Director Steve Sinclair stressed that the do-anything Tricorder will be integral to the player’s journey throughout Star Trek, and it will come handy for scanning fallen allies and anomalies throughout the environment. Another sequence showed Kirk and Spock pinned down in a desperate firefight, and here the team showed the cover-based shooting and fluid third-person shooter mechanics. A variety of weapons were displayed, from death-inducing phasers to weapons more useful to paralyze than obliterate.

Star Trek will also support full stereoscopic 3D on PS3. To pound the point home, Namco Bandai Games even presented the entire gameplay demo from start to finish in full 3D — set your phasers to fun.

Star Trek is slated for a Q1 2013 release, so Trekkies (or is it Trekkers?) can look forward to a new tale in the storied sci-fi franchise soon.

If you have any questions about what I saw, leave them below and I’ll do my best to answer them!