Latest news with #Famitsu
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Silent Hill F Was Going To Be Set In The Real Japanese Location, But Mount Fuji Wouldn't Move
While deciding on a location for Silent Hill f, the production team hit a snag when they tried to use the real 'Silent Hill' as the setting—Mount Fuji killed the tone. As revealed in March 2025, Silent Hill f is all about atmosphere. The development team leaned into the idea of 'finding the beauty in terror' as the guiding vision for the game's grotesque imagery. It was also confirmed that this instalment would mark a first for the franchise: it would be set in Japan, not the fictional American town of Silent Hill. According to a new Famitsu interview with the developers (as reported by VGC), lead writer Ryukishi07 said the team initially considered Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture as the setting for Silent Hill f. In the (Google Translated) Famitsu interview, the development team explains that finding the right location was key in developing the heavy atmosphere associated with the Silent Hill franchise. Ryukishi07 explains that using real-life settings as the basis for the title would have a heavier impact on players, so the team visited many locations in Japan to find the perfect fit. Ryukisho07 says, 'I used real locations as the basis for the image. In fact, since it's [literally] Silent Hill, we even visited Shizuoka Prefecture as a potential location (laughs).' Shizuoka can almost literally translate to 'quiet' or 'silent,' when put into English, so the irony wasn't lost on Ryukishi07. There was only one problem for the team, though: Mount Fuji's extreme presence killed the mood. Ryukishi07 says, 'However, when we actually went there, we felt that the presence of Mount Fuji as seen from Shizuoka was too overbearing and it didn't seem suitable for a Silent Hill setting.' The development team rejected a location in Japan due to Mount Fuji's looming presence draining the atmosphere of the setting, so they determined it would not be good enough for the horror delivered by the franchise. As revealed in March, the setting used in Silent Hill f is based on the small town of Kanayama, in the city of Gero in Gifu prefecture. The fictional twin is known in-game as Ebisugoka, a long way from the previous US location of Silent Hill. Silent Hill f will launch globally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC on September 25. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive Mario Kart World Is Selling Faster Than OG Switch Launch Title Zelda: Breath of the Wild in Japan
In Japan, Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World has sold more physical copies in the first three days on sale than Switch 1 launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild managed in its first three days. According to Famitsu, Mario Kart World has sold a huge 782,566 copies in Japan already, making it the top-selling game for the week from June 2 to June 8. It is worth noting, however, that Famitsu's figures only cover physical, preinstalled-on-console, and Game-Key Card sales from retail outlets. They do not include digital downloads direct from My Nintendo Store, so the total number of Mario Kart World sales is likely far higher. In contrast, the Switch edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold an estimated 193,060 copies in Japan over the first three days after the original Switch's launch back in 2017, according to Famitsu's figures. This means that in Japanese retail sales alone, Mario Kart World has sold around four times more copies than Breath of the Wild initially did on Switch 1. This is hardly surprising, considering the Switch 2 is Nintendo's fastest selling hardware to date, shifting over 3.5 million units worldwide in the first four days. In fact, Nintendo's latest console is outselling the original Switch 2-to-1 (no pun intended). The supply-constrained Switch 1 got off to a much slower start, selling 2.74 million units globally in just under a month. Over the first three days post-launch, physical Switch 2 games saw strong sales in Japan. Switch 2 titles accounted for half of Famitsu's top 10, with Switch 2 editions of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (No. 6, 10,877 copies), Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (No. 7, 7,992 copies), Zelda: Breath of the Wild (No. 8, 7,529 copies) and Yakuza 0 (No. 9, 7,486 copies) entering the charts. Elden Ring: Nightreign (PS5) was the only non-Switch title at No. Mario Kart World may be racing ahead of Breath of the Wilds' initial launch figures in Japan, it remains to be seen if it will eventually catch up with the critically acclaimed Zelda game's total sales. Especially considering that BOTW just got a Switch 2 HD rerelease, which may prompt fans to purchase the game all over again. Check out our Mario Kart World guide and learn how to unlock every hidden Mario Kart World character, plus how Kamek Unlocks work — you'll need them to unlock NPC Drivers. We've also got a guide to all the Mario Kart World food scattered across the open world and where to find it, which will help you get all the Mario Kart World outfits and costumes permanently. Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster Had To Be Brute-Forced Into Existence And Makes Some Controversial Cuts
Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles will make the PS1 classic playable on modern hardware in September for the first time since the PlayStation 3 generation over a decade ago. Why did it take so long for Square Enix to bring back the beloved strategy spin-off? It might have had something to do with missing source code. 'There were a number of major challenges, but all of them stemmed from the fact that the master data and source code from the original game no longer existed,' the remaster's director, Kazutoyo Maehiro, said in a newly published interview. The writer behind Final Fantasy XVI decided to push forward with bringing back Final Fantasy Tactics after replaying it 2018 on a livestream for the first time since it released in 1997. A lack of rigorous documentation procedures at the time made it hard, however. Back in the PS1 days, games were made quickly and once they shipped the company moved on. The Japanese version might be completely overwritten in English for the international release. As a result, the current Square Enix team had to cobble together the new enhanced The Ivalice Chronicles version through 'sheer force.' 'We analyzed a number of existing versions of the game and reconstructed the programming of the original, but there were also times where we played the original game and worked it out by feel alone,' Maehiro said. The entire process was the result of cumulative hard work—on the one hand working to implement new features, while behind the scenes our work was similar to porting an old arcade game to the NES.' The Ivalice Chronicles includes updated graphics (read: HD smoothing), voice acting, a re-edited script, and quality-of-life features like fast-forward and save anywhere. The original version of the game is also playable. But this isn't the first time Square Enix has ported Final Fantasy Tactics. The War of the Lions version was released for PlayStation Portable in 2007, alongside a Shakespeare-ified script, some additional cutscenes, new job classes, and a wireless multiplayer mode. Surprisingly, none of that new content will be in The Ivalice Chronicles. 'We did of course consider the addition of new jobs, abilities, and characters—including the jobs featured in War of the Lions,' Maehiro said. 'However, the original version of Final Fantasy Tactics is a very complete game both from a game design and story perspective. If we were to make major changes, it would only be a loss for not only fans of the original game, but also those new to the title.' The director notes that the War of the Lions port was handled by a different team than the original game, and he suggests that having gotten some of the original game's veterans back together—including original writer and director Yasumi Matsuno—the team wanted to stay as close to the original as possible. In an interview with Famitsu, there's also a mention of how poorly optimized the PSP version was, with audio bugs and frame rate crashes. While I can respect that, it also feels like a huge missed opportunity to expand on one of the best tactical RPG sandboxes in the genre. That could have meant adding new jobs for players to explore or new modes. Online multiplayer, a roguelite mode, or some other end-game content feels like an obvious addition to one of the best games ever made. Fortunately, it does sound like three new difficulty options in The Ivalice Chronicles will rebalance some of the gameplay. Once you've mastered Final Fantasy Tactics' job system, it can make even its toughest battles feel trivially easy. A new tactical mode will add a new level of challenge, while some abilities that were useless in the original, like archer charging attacks, have been fixed in the standard difficulty. Another neat addition? Players will encounter the Final Fantasy VII sidequest to recruit Cloud much earlier this time around. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nintendo Switch 2 fastest-selling console in Japan ever, Famitsu says
Nintendo's (NTDOY) Switch 2 console is the fastest-selling console in Japan ever, according to week one sales data provided by Famitsu. The system has sold 947,931 units in its first week in Japan, which doesn't take into account sales on the company's My Nintendo Store. The previous fastest-selling console in Japan, according to Famitsu, was Sony's (SONY) PlayStation 2, with just over 630,000 systems sold in its inaugural week. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See Insiders' Hot Stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on NTDOY: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Morning News Wrap-Up: Wednesday's Biggest Stock Market Stories Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Drives Buy Rating with Record Sales and Profit Growth Projections Nintendo says Switch 2 sells over 3.5M units globally in first four days Best Buy (BBY) Will Likely Benefit from Nintendo Switch 2's Record-Breaking Sales Nintendo Co's Strong Future Potential: Analyst Recommends Buy Amid Successful NS2 Launch and Growth Prospects Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mario Kart World is outselling Switch 1 launch title Zelda: Breath of the Wild by over 4x in Japan, Switch 2 physical launch estimates show
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. With the Switch 2 quickly selling 3.5 million units and becoming Nintendo's fastest-selling hardware, perhaps it's no surprise that its big launch title Mario Kart World has also got off to a flying start, but it's seemingly demolished the physical releases of Switch 1 launch title Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its direct predecessor Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in Japan. In a new report (which we've machine translated), Japanese outlet Famitsu estimates that Mario Kart World sold 782,566 physical retail copies in Japan alone in its first three days. This figure includes copies of the game included in Switch 2 bundles, it should be noted. As highlighted by user Stealth40K on Bluesky, this is even more impressive when you consider The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's launch sales. Breath of the Wild might have simultaneously released on Nintendo's most underrated console (RIP, Wii U), but really, it was the big launch title for the Switch. Back in 2017, Famitsu reported that in its first three days, the Switch version of Breath of the Wild was estimated to have sold 193,060 physical, retail copies in Japan. That's four times less than Mario Kart World's estimated sales. Meanwhile, Forbes reported data from Media Create, claiming that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe managed to sell 284,823 copies in Japan in the two days before chart figures were released. Forbes later stated the game had sold 375,475 copies by May 7 (nine days after launch). This was massive, obviously – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was an expanded Wii U port, so it wasn't even an all-new release. However, it's still not come close to the launch performance of Mario Kart World, apparently. Worldwide, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still Nintendo's best-selling Switch game at over 68.2 million sales (as of the end of March). We'll just have to see if its successor can surpass it. Mario Kart World repeats Mario Kart 8's most annoying problem as Nintendo's seemingly hiding all-important stats for characters and vehicles
