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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: PixyJunket on October 01, 2014, 10:50:40 AM
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http://www.seganerds.com/?p=11262
Sad news for the Wonder Boy / Monster World fans, the Tokyo District Court is investigating Westone Bit Entertainment for debt. Financial reports indicate the WB/MW developers will file for bankruptcy soon.
Westone’s official site has been closed already, while their Facebook account has been left intact since June 13th. Due to this problem, their upcoming software development and deliveries to PSN 6 Xbox Live have been paused, there is also the copyright problems of their IPs that will enter in hiatus.
Pour one out. A piece of my soul dies today.
If you haven't bought the Monster World games on WiiWare/XBLA/PSN, now might be a good time to do it, most especially for the English localization for Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Monster World IV. I figure these would be okay since they were published under Sega, but the wording in the article is a little worrisome.
WiiWare also has the TurboGrafx-16 versions of Monster World II (Dragon's Curse) and Monster World III (Dynastic Hero). Again, I'm not sure if these are "safe," being Konami published (and not technically part of the Wonder Boy/Monster World IP), but you never know.
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Sad, but they haven't done anything in years anyway.
Sega owns the Wonder Boy IP, so all the games are in safe hands.
What concerns me is that the rom for Aquario was never released, even though the source code was discovered a year or so ago.
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Super sad, Westone was one of my favorite developers and Wonder Boy easily one of my favorite game series.
Let's not forget NES Jaws, Riot Zone and Willy Wombat.
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Sad times indeed. I loved every one of their games - Played Dragon's Curse to death and all of the other Monster World titles at least once. I hope they can release Aquario in some form or another one day.
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Westone also worked on games such as Blood Gear.
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Another one bites the dust, unable (or unwilling) to keep up in the Flappy Bird / Call of Duty / Minecraft world. :|
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I really need to pick up Blood Gear.
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I really need to pick up Blood Gear.
YES YOU DO! I have a thread for that
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Very sad indeed. The games the company has produced over the years have always been wholly original and loaded with atmosphere. I hope we haven't heard the last from these "Wonder"ful developers.
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Well, why pay your debt when you can just file bankruptcy and start fresh....... its the American way! Now its in Japan
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Well, why pay your debt when you can just file bankruptcy and start fresh....... its the American way! Now its in Japan
What did they even have debt for?
I mean, they haven't made anything since like 2002 at least.
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Well, why pay your debt when you can just file bankruptcy and start fresh....... its the American way! Now its in Japan
What did they even have debt for?
I mean, they haven't made anything since like 2002 at least.
Don't forget their XBOX Live, PSN, and Wii VC releases.
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I really need to pick up Blood Gear.
YES YOU DO! I have a thread for that
A thread for that, like for sale? Link?
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Westone does not seem like a very prolific studio. In fact, I'm constantly surprised by how long small studios manage to hang in there in Japan. US companies seem to fold much more quickly even with higher output.
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Westone does not seem like a very prolific studio. In fact, I'm constantly surprised by how long small studios manage to hang in there in Japan. US companies seem to fold much more quickly even with higher output.
Apparently, for some time now, Westone was basically just Nishizawa doing small contract work on educational software and some mobile stuff.
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This news reminds me this interview that I read some time ago:
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wonderboy/wonderboy-interview.htm
At the time it struck me how desperate some answers were. I remember wondering if it was bad translation of something that was too culturally contextualised, or if Ryuichi Nishizawa was genuinely overwhelmed, or out of touch somehow.
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This news reminds me this interview that I read some time ago:
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wonderboy/wonderboy-interview.htm
At the time it struck me how desperate some answers were. I remember wondering if it was bad translation of something that was too culturally contextualised, or if Ryuichi Nishizawa was genuinely overwhelmed, or out of touch somehow.
I contributed to that interview!
And I'm not seeing where you're picking up any desperation or being out of touch in there, not even close, almost all of the questions are pretty straight-forward and the questions on any future prospects are answered fairly candid as well.
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I contributed to that interview!
Ah, nice! I see your name in the credits now that you mention it :)
And I'm not seeing where you're picking up any desperation or being out of touch in there, not even close, almost all of the questions are pretty straight-forward and the questions on any future prospects are answered fairly candid as well.
It could very well be my own (mis)interpretation then.
What I found odd when I read it was some of his answers towards the end of the interview, openly asking for suggestions, almost thinking out loud maybe? For instance "where to find a good 3D artist?", "Please tell me which game platform is appropriate for MW", and "If 'Aquario of the Clockwork' were released as part of the 'Sega Vintage Collection', would people be interested in buying it?". It felt strange, and a bit insecure, to read such direct questions from such an experienced game designer. Also, the fact that these questions are not answered by the interviewer, at least in the published version, I think it further isolated his responses somehow.
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I contributed to that interview!
Ah, nice! I see your name in the credits now that you mention it :)
And I'm not seeing where you're picking up any desperation or being out of touch in there, not even close, almost all of the questions are pretty straight-forward and the questions on any future prospects are answered fairly candid as well.
It could very well be my own (mis)interpretation then.
What I found odd when I read it was some of his answers towards the end of the interview, openly asking for suggestions, almost thinking out loud maybe? For instance "where to find a good 3D artist?", "Please tell me which game platform is appropriate for MW", and "If 'Aquario of the Clockwork' were released as part of the 'Sega Vintage Collection', would people be interested in buying it?". It felt strange, and a bit insecure, to read such direct questions from such an experienced game designer. Also, the fact that these questions are not answered by the interviewer, at least in the published version, I think it further isolated his responses somehow.
The interview was not back and forth, all of the questions were eMailed at once and answered in a reply.
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hopefully they will release something ala indie stuff on XBL/PSN or nintendo network like Ancient did with their protect me knight game on XBL..
This reminds me I need to buy the wonder boy collection on XBL at some stage.
Just got Adventure island - pce in the post today from japan
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This reminds me I need to buy the wonder boy collection on XBL at some stage.
Yes!! Get it. It's not every day that a company releases a long unreleased game (the English version of Wonder Boy in Monster Land) and a newly translated game (the English version of Monster World IV) from that era.
Just got Adventure island - pce in the post today from japan
I really wish Hudson had put out a SCD version of Monster World IV.
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Sad stuff indeed. ill have to get those collections on PSN before they go bye bye
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The Aquario restoration is apparently now stymied by problems with the sound data and the fact that the composer and Westone's former CEO aren't talking to each other.
http://forums.lostlevels.org/viewtopic.php?t=2577&start=20
And that's a shame. Aquario is at the top of the list of unreleased games I'd way to play (and buy).
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The Aquario restoration is apparently now stymied by problems with the sound data and the fact that the composer and Westone's former CEO aren't talking to each other.
http://forums.lostlevels.org/viewtopic.php?t=2577&start=20
And that's a shame. Aquario is at the top of the list of unreleased games I'd way to play (and buy).
Cute little sprite work there.
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Wonder Boy successor has been announced.
http://monsterboy.com/
It's happening! :dance:
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Hmm... I want to be happy, I really do, the character graphic though... a bit off when compared to every Wonder Boy game previous to it. But better than nothing I suppose.
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I hate the subtitle "the wizard of booze".
GET YOUR BOOZE OUT OF MY WONDERBOY.
Seriously, the wizard of _____________ (anything), would be better.
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What's wrong with booze? The smoking pirate pig was surely a rum drinker.
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I hate the subtitle "the wizard of booze".
GET YOUR BOOZE OUT OF MY WONDERBOY.
Seriously, the wizard of _____________ (anything), would be better.
The Wizard of POTATO
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What's wrong with booze? The smoking pirate pig was surely a rum drinker.
Yes. Then it can be called the Wizard of Rummy.
You see, it's the word "booze" I think is just plain silly. I can't take it seriously.
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Googlerins says is from the Dutch būsen - to drink to excess.
I bet you hate windmills too, you racist! :mrgreen:
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Googlerins says is from the Dutch būsen - to drink to excess.
I bet you hate windmills too, you racist! :mrgreen:
I hate damn windmills and propellers as well.
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All joking aside, it's a dumb subtitle. They shoulda just left it Monster Boy.