KickStarter Project Phoenix - Indie jRPG with Nobuo Uematsu

[felipepepe]

So, this just popped up: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1300298569/project-phoenix-japans-indie-rpg-feat-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.

• 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

Lot's of talk about new, revolutionary, etc.. all while being classic & old-school, as any good kickstarter should be. Obviously the big selling point for most will be having Nobuo Uematsu on board. Oddly, they also have 3 members that they cannot announce at the moment, but are supposed to be famous/aweshum...

Plot includes a potato-named angel:

It is within these tumultumous times that the troubled paladin Marcus Stern encounters Ruffles, an angel stricken with amnesia. Together with the elven princess Sylrianah, reserved but curious to see the world beyond the forest, and Zarum the Lost, a battlemage with his own internal conflicts, they form an unlikely bond. These four heroes must discover their place in a world brought to war by misunderstanding and ignorance, and perhaps ultimately even save it from itself.

On the combat, there is this concept piece:

And this:

The gameplay eschews micromanagement in favour of a focused Real Time Strategy system enhanced by JRPG elements.

Interesting enough, they only ask for $100k. Apparently it's just to hire people for 3D modeling and other things they'll need a third-party for, as all the other developers will work on this without a salary and then get the profits later.

And since at 5k you get Mr. Uematsu to compose a theme for a NPC based on you, I guess that they'll have no problem reaching the goal... so they don't need my money.

 

[Whisky]

And since at 5k you get Mr. Uematsu to compose a theme for a NPC based on you, I guess that they'll have no problem reaching the goal... so they don't need my money.

I'm not really interested in this project, but holy shit, if that were a stretchgoal on a project I was interested in I'd probably pledge for it twice under two identities.

 

[felipepepe]

I'm more interested in it from a marketing/curiosity angle than on the game itself... A real-time jRPG that will be ported to iOS? Meh.

Still, they hinted some interesting things, like character creation, somewhat tactical battles, mounts... perhaps with tons of money they can make a really nice title, but as it stands, Nobuo is really the only big selling point...

EDIT: They replied to my question on the combat system:

Could you please clarify on the combat system? It is said to be real time, but there are some elements like terrain and movement that seem out of turn-based games like FFT and Tactics Ogre...

Felipe Pepe,

It is totally real time. We cannot give you a reference to other games since nobody has done this before! We do love Tactics Ogre though!

 

[pakoito]

Storyfags jacking it to wide eyes and simplified combat.

 

[felipepepe]

And honestly, it's a bit weird that your video starts with "Wasn't there more to jRPGs than just flashy graphics and ever-changing battle systems?", and then your game proposes yet another new battle system that has never been done before.

We don't plan on changing the battle system for this series.

Heh.

 

[80Maxwell08]

I'm guessing those two unannounced people are unannounced because they are the ones that need the money to be hired. Just guessing though. Now that I've watched the video I guess I'll keep an eye on it. I don't get how they are going back to the roots of JRPGs by doing something entirely different to start. That lineup of games they've worked on didn't inspire much hope at all aside from a couple. Thinking about it now though I really wish they didn't have all those unannounced people since it just seems so pointless. The writer sound interesting in that she's trying to not make a linear story but I can't say I've ever heard of her and finding anything about her work that I can read looks like too much of a challenge for someone who doesn't have money to donate anyway.

Also why are they bragging about having Nobuo Uematsu onboard but not having any samples made by him. I do like them having an orchestra to perform the music. I always like that for some reason.

Reading about all of the porting around makes me really nervous. Just because they can doesn't mean they should. I really don't believe they will have a great interface when working on KB&M, gamepad for PS4 and Vita, and touchscreens all at once.

Ok all in all since I only donate when I can get a physical copy I don't think I would donate to this even if I had the money but I think I'll post it on facebook since I know a couple of people who might be interested in this. I must ask though why don't more people actually try to build up news about them before launching instead of just launching and hoping people come in. When Farco and McComb were building up Torment for months before launching I knew I was going to donate the moment it came up and I did along with thousands of other people. I really think more people should do that.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Interesting mix of developers.

But I tell you guys. It will be shit.

 

[felipepepe]

I must ask though why don't more people actually try to build up news about them before launching instead of just launching and hoping people come in. When Farco and McComb were building up Torment for months before launching I knew I was going to donate the moment it came up and I did along with thousands of other people. I really think more people should do that.

They did try to build up a bit... they had a official page with a countdown, a twitter and a facebook page for a few days, but the only info was something like "Project Phoenix, a inide jRPG with Nobuo Uematsu, comming to Kickstarter"... I waited for more info before posting here, and it seems like every media outlet out there did the same...

Anyway, they are clearly downplaying, asking for 100k and having already a 1.650M stretch goal... but I hope they do get a lot, enough for other japanese developers to take note of kickstarter and do the same, perhaps with more interesting projects.

 

[Branm]

Sounds like shit...real time? JRPG??? Does not compute.

Add to that mobile support and I dread another Shadowrun Mobile UI....so pass

 

[Hobo Elf]

Sounds like shit...real time? JRPG??? Does not compute.

What is Final Fantasy 12? Xenoblade? Growlanser 5? White Knight Chronicles? There's a shitton of real time jRPGs.

 

[Infinitron]

Well, this is in fact a strategy game. There sure are lots of em on Kickstarter these days.

@Trash @Whisky?

 

[Crooked Bee]

$100,000? Are these "AAA talents" working for food?

Also wary of the real-time combat system, which will probably be as simplified as possible.

 

[felipepepe]

$100,000? Are these "AAA talents" working for food?

That 100k is total bullshit, they already presented stretch goals for 1,650M, and have even more planned... 100k is probably the bare minimum they need to make the game in their free time.

Also wary of the real-time combat system, which will probably be as simplified as possible.

Considering you'll be able to play their "real time strategy" on a iPhone, that's almost certain... it will probably just be the characters fighting on their own, and you'll give simple commands like strong attack/use item/defend, somewhat similar to Digimon World 1.

 

[Kz3r0]

I usually add projects that even if not interesting for the codex involve some well known industry figure but this project seems to be the highest concentration of popamole ever conceived, and it is obvious that the one hundred thousand dollars goal it's a way to pocket easy money, they are shooting for millions here, lame.

 

[pakoito]

It's basically a paid pet project/crossover. People would pay 100k just for a Uematsu OST.

Isn’t $100,000 too low to be making a title of this caliber?
When you think of usual developing fees, USD100,000 is definitely not enough to create a video game. However, as each of our members are professionals in their own field, they do not require a salary right now, and so, are donating their time and effort into developing Project Phoenix. Their reward will come in the fans’ evaluation of the game and a %-based royalty of all sales. This is the reason why our project will never fail due to lack of finance after we reach our goal. It is possible to release our game with just our developers' work, but there is one cost that we just cannot ignore in order to make the highest quality video game. Our pledge, USD100,000 will be used for one of the best 3D modeling out there. This figure is the most minimum cost required.

The money that has been invested through Kickstarter will go towards things such as recordings and hiring extra assistants. The money will always be used solely to enhance the quality of Project Phoenix. This money will never reach our members as salary. Our members are working on this game knowing that they will receive a royalty of the % of income based on how much time they've spent on Project Phoenix.

Project Phoenix aspires to be a video game that solely exists because of the users. So, user evaluation will inherently be crucial to our members' future revenues. If they do not put much effort in, the users' assessment of their work will simply be poor and therefore ultimately reflect badly in the incoming they receive.

We chose Kickstarter because this is where we will be able to make all this happen. There are various exciting rewards ready for you depending on the amount of money pledged. What will the fate of Project Phoenix be? You, who invest in Project Phoenix, will be a true team member. So let's create an amazing game together!

 

[80Maxwell08]

Yeah what pakoito said. I really think they should have had an actual budget set up and planned around that.

I must ask though why don't more people actually try to build up news about them before launching instead of just launching and hoping people come in. When Farco and McComb were building up Torment for months before launching I knew I was going to donate the moment it came up and I did along with thousands of other people. I really think more people should do that.

They did try to build up a bit... they had a official page with a countdown, a twitter and a facebook page for a few days, but the only info was something like "Project Phoenix, a inide jRPG with Nobuo Uematsu, comming to Kickstarter"... I waited for more info before posting here, and it seems like every media outlet out there did the same...

Anyway, they are clearly downplaying, asking for 100k and having already a 1.650M stretch goal... but I hope they do get a lot, enough for other japanese developers to take note of kickstarter and do the same, perhaps with more interesting projects.

I heard absolutely nothing about that. Maybe they should have asked more people to share it around or something. Either way fine but there's still way too many unknowns. They bring up staff members working on it and say some of them have teams but why aren't those people credited anywhere? Also it's hard enough to have enough faith in the people working on it to give them money before anything but the concept and some music exists when you know who they are but all these hidden people/teams is really annoying. I really have no idea why they are doing that aside from my prior guess but that's really based off nothing.

 

[felipepepe]

Because hype and vague promises are all that they currently have. "From the creators of Skyrim, Diablo III, Final Fantasy XII, Ass Creed II, Crysis 3, Halo 4, et..." - Cool, but what exactly did those people do in those games? They don't tell you anything... it could be anything from Lead Director to "girl that wrote the manual" (sup' Brenda). I worked on the trailers of AoD, Dead State and Underrail... So I could launch a KS campaign for an RPG and, technically speaking, say I've "worked" on those games? You'd be surprised on how common is for people to make this tiny upgrade to their work experiences.

Besides, we already learned that promising "the most amazing game ever" sells way more than showing the fucking game. Their project is a mess of promises, saying that they want to bring back the essence of jRPGs and be done with "ever-changing battle systems", but their game has a new & innovative real time strategy combat system... they are hyping everything to everyone, to deliver a very specific game that only a few will enjoy.

The only real difference this game has from any other kickstarter project is Nobuo Uematsu. And they are milking that like crazy. Everything else is just hype and vague promises.

 

[felipepepe]

And they are funded, 9 hours after launch.

Now, will they really reach the millions they truly wanted, or will underplaying the goal bite them in the ass, as everyone only wants the OST and have no interest in their stretch goals?

 

[80Maxwell08]

Well it has some hype I suppose but you sell the dream that's being made by a dream team of known people. They are selling the dream with some of the staff being the dream too. The only kickstarter I can think of that was this vague was that Mythic kickstarter that actually was a complete scam. I can't imagine they will sustain good momentum going forward with this level of vagueness.

Also truthfully I think I've stopped caring about the past experiences people list on kickstarter. Half of them aren't as impressive as they try to make them sound and most of them end up useless.

 

[Stabwound]

I wish my name was so popular that I could do something like this and get money thrown at me. Kickstarter must be nice for all of these old and irrelevant fucks.

Nobuo Uematsu is an exceptionally good video game music composer, though. He hasn't really done anything noteworthy in almost 10 years, though. Then again, I haven't heard anything he did after FFX, but I haven't exactly heard anyone praising the sound track of FF14.

 

[80Maxwell08]

I wish my name was so popular that I could do something like this and get money thrown at me. Kickstarter must be nice for all of these old and irrelevant fucks.

Nobuo Uematsu is an exceptionally good video game music composer, though. He hasn't really done anything noteworthy in almost 10 years, though. Then again, I haven't heard anything he did after FFX, but I haven't exactly heard anyone praising the sound track of FF14.

Well there's Mistwalker's soundtracks which he's done a good amount of like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey and The Last Story. I like a good amount of The Last Story's OST though I have to say my favorite out of what he's done for Mistwalker is still Eternity.

 

[Diablo169]

Lost Odyssey's OST was fucking brilliant. Infact I loved that game, its what Final Fantasy games should have aimed for 13.

 

[Crooked Bee]

So the creative director & producer of this game is a... violinist? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroaki_Yura

So yeah, he seems to have made and directed some recordings for video games before, but still...

 

[felipepepe]

Here was I, joking about stealing credits for AoD because I did the trailer, and the motherfucking owner of this kickstarter lists Diablo III among his works, after simply playing violin on the game...

Oh well, he managed to get this group together and even Uematsu onboard, and overcome japanese near-sighted business sense to launch a kickstarter and free weaboos of their money, so he already seems more competent than anyone that actually worked on Diablo III.

 

[eric__s]

So the creative director & producer of this game is a... violinist? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroaki_Yura

So yeah, he seems to have made and directed some recordings for video games before, but still...

Well I don't know if that really means anything. There are tons of designers who came from non-design backgrounds - Guido Henkel who did music, design and programming for many games including the Realms of Arkania series, Kai Rosenkranz of Gothic who did both music and programming, Junko Kawano of Suikoden, who served as both designer and artist and Daisuke Ishiwatari, who did pretty much everything from design to music to art for Guilty Gear. Me too! I've done music for like 30 games but design and programming for maybe 1/3rd of that. So I think it's unfair to immediately say someone from a non-design background isn't qualified for design.

Here was I, joking about stealing credits for AoD because I did the trailer, and the motherfucking owner of this kickstarter lists Diablo III among his works, after simply playing violin on the game...

There's a huge difference between directing music and playing music.