According to a
NeoGAF posting, this month's Dengeki PlayStation reveals the very first PS1 games Square Enix will revive on the Japanese PSN. The titles will be available for 600 yen each, and will begin releasing in Japan today. There are twelve titles planned, starting with
Xenogears. However, there are a number of other titles to be released today, such as
Einhander,
Astronoka,
Rakugaki Showtime,
Raystorm and
Fighters Impact. While none of these titles feature the words "Final" or "Fantasy" in them, many are considered classics of the PS1 era. Titles like
Xenogears can be pretty rare, so these re-releases are of great convenience to those that missed them at first. At only 600 yen each, this is an incredible bargain, especially when one considers the ability to play these downloadables on both the PS3 and on the go with the PSP.
Unfortunately, SCEA and Square Enix USA haven't announced any similar plans to release English language versions of these classics. We hope that they follow suit soon.
[Thanks, Noshino!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
6-25-2008 @ 1:06AM
teh_7lip said...
WHAAAAAT?
I
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6-25-2008 @ 8:44AM
SolidSnakeX said...
SCEA sucks a$$ for what us Americans get in US PSN store! while the rest of the world brag what they get oh this ticks me of with slacking off Sony! I want those games especially Xeno Gears,The Final Fantasy games wheres Battle Arena Toshinden 1-2/ in HD that'd be original and a cool idea hell yeah!But why can't Japan share there titles with us Americans! I still own over 350 games from the old school days from the PS1,PS2 games Sony wake up! You have hardly anything new since Japan got all these games they have now damn 400 old school games and what do we have?.Nothing absolutely nothing except junky boring stupid downloads (Not all but most of it sucks) that take up a lot of memory!.The PS3 is becoming a Worthless piece of junk!..
6-25-2008 @ 10:18AM
SolidSnakeX said...
SCEA sucks a$$ for what us Americans get in US PSN store! while the rest of the world brag what they get! Oh this ticks me off with how much Sony is slacking off! I want those games especially Einhander a classic! Xeno Gears,The Final Fantasy games wheres Battle Arena Toshinden 1-2/ in HD that'd be original and a cool idea hell yeah! But why can't Japan share there titles with us Americans! I still own over 350 games from the old school days from the PS1,PS2 games Sony wake up! You have hardly anything new since Japan got all these games they have now damn 400 old school games and what do we have?.Nothing absolutely nothing except junky boring stupid downloads (Not all but most of it sucks) that take up a lot of memory!.The PS3 is becoming a Worthless piece of junk!..
6-25-2008 @ 10:20AM
acefondu said...
I may actually cry if the US doesn't see this on the PSP. This is without question my most favorite game ever and I'd love to have it on a tangable memory stick. Sure I own the discs, but those are far easier damaged than a memory stick. HEAR US SONY OF AMERICA, GIVE US XENOGEARS!!!!!
6-25-2008 @ 1:11AM
teh_7lip said...
WHAAAAAT?
I heart Xenogears *drool*
.. and i dont own it D; so i hopppe that this gets released on NA psn
.. apparently this here siteamabob doesnt like less than three hearts ;\
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6-25-2008 @ 1:26AM
cafecito said...
Are you kidding me? Xenogears is one of the BEST RPGs of the PS1 era, if not EVER. I'd love to play it again on my PSP! (Since the Xenosaga prequels were pretty dissapoiinting in gral.)
Definetely, the japanese PSN store kicks the US's arse.
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6-25-2008 @ 8:55AM
FOXHOUND said...
I know there was a recent article about localizing a lot of the Japanese PSN store to Western audiences, and the risk of it either facing piracy or little profit...
However, this definitely is an added reason why they should! Sure, there was XENOSAGA, but this game alone was much better. :D
6-25-2008 @ 1:13PM
cafecito said...
Xenogears is SO much better than all 3 Xenosagas combined. I'd even go as far to ask for a remake, but Square sold the Xeno name to Namco. And they BLEW it.
6-25-2008 @ 2:30AM
karan said...
I'm hoping SCEE picks this up, because I don't think Xenogears was ever released in Europe/Australia, which would make this one very nice little package indeed...
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6-25-2008 @ 3:46AM
Jeremy said...
Don't get your hopes up. Lots of 3rd parties, including some big ones like Capcom have game up on the PSN in Japan. But the only one in the US is SOTN. SCEA just doesn't care.
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6-25-2008 @ 7:08AM
rikki said...
I wouldn't lay the blame all on SCEA; the publishers/developers are likely at fault as well.
Games like Xenogears and Valkyrie Profile (PS1 version) are not so rare in Japan. Valkyrie Profile I know was given a budget price re-release -- it cost about $13. You can probably find it in many used game stores. Compare this to the US market, where used copies of the game go for $100.
Companies aren't blind; they know these games can actually fetch more than their original retail, and may not be willing to put them on PSN for "only" $20. Between that and legal wrangling...yeah, we're screwed.
6-25-2008 @ 7:56AM
strike said...
I think SCEE and SCEA should take a different approach. Instead of begging third parties for games, make your own. Beats was great and still is.
Put up offers, which will sell 'not so hot' games, like The Con. Something like, "Buy this game, get the original PS1 Wipeout FREE!"
Put flash games on the PS Store, they are easy to make and often fun to play.
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6-25-2008 @ 8:04AM
matt said...
AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
I saw the title and got my hopes up. Then I saw the word "Japanese"! AGAIN!! Either Sony is racist or the US Division is completely stupid.
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6-25-2008 @ 8:35AM
strike said...
I dont see how it would make the US stupid
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6-25-2008 @ 8:54AM
The Clunge said...
I was looking through the Japanese PSn last week while grabbing the Siren demo, the amount of PS1 titles on their makes me weep. The likes of Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil 2 sit there, casually mocking the rest of the world and our wafer thin selection of PS1 games.
At least I have my 8GB memory stick stuffed with self-ripped EBOOTs to console me. Mmmm, Einhander and Vagrant Story.
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6-25-2008 @ 9:23AM
matt said...
It makes Sony US stupid because they lack any sense of what their customers want and how to make money off their customers. From what I understand, each area of Sony (Asia, Europe, US) has to fill out forms/talk to devs to get the PS1 games. The Japanese understood their customers and are grabbing some great games. Sony US is doing the complete opposite. First, we are getting very few Japanese imports (Bleach, Gundam) that would sell quite well in the US. Second, we only get Sony PS1 titles (which suck). The people in charge of the PSP showed be jumping at getting PS1 games now considering the lack of titles this summer.
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6-25-2008 @ 10:10AM
Jacksons said...
I don't expect stuff like this for the USA, but where is Crash Team Racing? Hurry up and make it happen.
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6-25-2008 @ 10:21AM
Jacksons said...
Oh, I see CTR is already on the Japanese store, along with a bazillion other titles. That's messed up.
6-25-2008 @ 10:18AM
GoBob said...
"Unfortunately, SCEA and Square Enix USA haven't announced any similar plans to release English language versions of these classics. We hope that they follow suit soon."
Don't worry. Time has shown that they will never bring this over. They will just increase the prices on the garbage they already have on PSN. Again.
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6-25-2008 @ 10:38AM
Wreckard said...
I've been really patient with Sony and have stuck with non-custom firmware, hoping they would eventually give us some PS1 titles worth buying.
I'm starting to think my faith is ill-placed, and might have to turn to custom firmware if I'm ever going to get to play all of these PS1 games I missed out on.
Sony, I want to *give you money* to play these. Please give me that option before I have to take other measures!
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