How Valkyria Chronicles Has Been Ruined in the West

Stephen Kelley from gamrFeed - "Before I even decided to get a PlayStation 3, I would check the various recommendation threads and other such things on this and other forums to see what games were seen as the “killer apps” that I should definitely play. One game, more than any other, was constantly touted as being not only one of the most underrated games on the PS3, but one of the best RPGs out there on any system. That game was the first Valkyria Chronicles. I was taken aback by how mature the game was, and no I don’t mean “blood and guts and boobs” mature like the many games that misuse the term today, but an honest mature game done in such a way that most folks of the teenage persuasion, except maybe anime fans, would probably scoff at it. Yes the game deals with war, but in concentrates on the heroics and struggles with fighting rather than the bleak horrors of any battlefield."

[Godmars290]

Pretty sure it was Sega moving it from the PS3 to PSP. That's all that really needs to be said.

[swirldude]

From the beginning Sega was setting it up to fail, with no advertising support to speak of. The PSP reaction was to save money, but if they hadn't done that, it may have never even seen a sequel in the first place.

[ChronoJoe]

Ya, whilst sales are down that's okay because development costs are too, radically.

Not to say it's not a shame though. I'd much rather have the games on PS3...

[mastiffchild]

IDK about how much they're saving going onto PSP from PS3 for the second game though. Had they gone for the FIRST game on PSP instead of PS3 then, sure, HUGE savings right away but having done the engine and a ton of art assets and battle system they had engines up and ruing for(and paid for)surely the cost shouldn't have been too prohibitive for a PS3 sequel, should it? I mean, sure, I get that it'd STILL be cheaper but in this case it must be about the closest run thing between a PS3 and PSP game EVER and the shortfall in sales would probably not have happened at all as the game was primed for a bigger audience in the west after the first game did so well without ANY advertising at all.

The EU sales of the PSP and PS3 versions of the series are also a bit misleading, I think, as I seem to remember VC1 not being very widely localised outside the main EU countries and languages whereas the PSP game was. I could be wrong as I can't find the angry article I recall today to link but I'm sure it existed!! Even so, if that ISN'T the case it seems strange to think a game would do BETTER on PSP as a sequel than it would have done on PS3 given all the variables in favour of the opposite.

Anyway, we shouldn't be shocked, this IS Sega after all and we're so used, by now, to them trying to keep the good stuff away from Western gamers for no apparent reasons beyond laziness or a weird desire not to let us play their best games(maybe we don't deserve them?)-see every Yaakuza release where we wait and wait for localisation ad only see it after numerous Sega statements saying it's not happening/that the series isn't big enough in the West(though they NEVER publicised it EVER!!)or in the cse of spin offs never coming at all. Sega sometimes have this odd attitude to localisation and it's so, so sad.

VC was a very odd game and could have grown really big in the West rather than in Japan. For some reason Western gamers who got to hear about it played it and, to a man, seemed to LOVE it. Why don't Sega ever think about how well some games sell without them marketing them? They could even have gone the Yakuza3 route and used a text subtitle rather than a full, expensive dub for different tongues.Even release it on PSN to cut costs further. There were a lot of things they could have done to make a PS3 sequel a massive success but the took a short term gain over a chance of massive continued success and I fail to see a good enough reason to have doe that when the game had already done so well without their help and outsold it's Japanese version anyway. Also, to allow western gamers TWO games of a supposed trilogy but not the finale is beyond shitty when you consider neither PS3 or PSP games were pushed out here yet still sold pretty well considering and amazingly well in the VC1 case on PS3.

[jack_burt0n]

psp hd remaster here it comes, VC 2+3 with trophies.

[dragonyght]

releasing on the psp was the biggest mistake they made they already have establish franchise on the PS3 and it was known respectively as top next-gen jrpg they sequel would have bare fruits is they stay with platform

[Torillian]

Did always seem weird to me that even if they didn't make a ton of money on the first game they didn't atleast use the same engine to make a sequel and start making some good money. Oh well, loved it while it lasted.

[bmw69]

Agreed, they should have just left it on PS3

[swirldude]

R.I.P. Valkyria Chronicles. You were one of the greatest gems of this generation and you will not be forgotten.

[bmw69]

Still time to recover?

[Duke_Silver]

it's such a shame....this game could have been a huge player

[Blaine]

Wtf, you people clearly haven't played this game on PSP. It's absolutely amazing on the handheld, and I wasn't even interested in the console version.

All you bashing this game need to give it a try or just shut up, because the game is as good as it would have been on the PS3.

[Araceae]

I have to disagree. While VC2 is still a good game when it comes to gameplay, it is not even close to the original when it comes to the characters and the story. It went from a more mature themed game to an anime school sim that takes place in the VC universe. I still like VC2, but was disappointed with it as well. This didn't really have anything to do with it being on the PSP. Although, personally I would have preferred to see the series stay on the PS3. Anyway, I REALLY hope we get the third one as it seems less childish (anime inspired) than the last one.

[legionsoup]

I agree that the second one's story/characters weren't as good as part 1, but they were still very good. Also, part 2 had several things I really liked, like changing maps, upgrading and branching classes, and so on. Upgrading weapons and the tanks was also MUCH more in depth in part 2.

Where part one was really better (to me) is that every map was different, and held a new challenge. One had a sand storm. One had trenches. One had unlimited enemy tanks. One had turrents where you had to use smoke grenades, etc.

[VampiricDragon]

the third one has more mature characters than the first

[Blaine]

@Ara:

As you said yourself, that complaint has nothing to do with the PSP.

[maniacmayhem]

Loved the first one. Was disappointed to hear the second one was a psp only title. I have a psp but it collects dust.

[SeraphimBlade]

I'm hoping that VC2 will see a "Remastered" release on PS3 and do well with that. Maybe that'll turn things around for the franchise. Hell, I own VC2, am not usually supportive of HD remakes, and will still buy the shit out of a PS3 version. I love it that much.

[mastiffchild]

Maybe a remastered version of 2 and 3 on the same disc as VC1 with a trophy patch for existing copies of VC, yes? Would be a great way to see if the market exists for a proper console version in the future.

[VampiricDragon]

i am playing the hell out of it. stinks to be non resourceful gamers

[Paragon]

Hm, nice read. I haven't played Valkyria Chronicles yet, but this article gives me more incentive to check it out.

[Paragon]

So apparently people are against me getting interested in Valkyria Chronicles? Sheesh.

[frjoethesecond]

Doesn't make sence to me either. People get disagrees for strange things.

[spok22]

Just because they've stopped development on the psp doesnt mean that its not coming. What about the Vita?

[imoutofthecontest]

Did this guy play Valkyria Chronicles 3?

[frjoethesecond]

This article is probably accurate which makes me sad.