Updates on Space Agency, Sakura Note

Remember Space Agency, the proposed “space action RPG” from Audio Inc. and Akira Ueda (director of Contact), which featured a pitch trailer that JC and I played a minor role in localizing?

Though we haven’t heard anything about the project picking up a publisher in Japan or the West, the developer hasn’t given up on it. In fact, Ueda recently tweeted that it could work as a 3DS title:

“Today is a hot summer day; it might be because of all the information out of E3. Space Agency is exceptionally well-suited for the 3DS! A vast 3D universe with a lot of depth, docked with the traditional world of pixels.”

That’s a loose translation of his tweet, at least. He goes on to say something about his dreams swelling with the possibility of getting his hands on the new hardware.

As for Audio’s most recent project, Sakura Note, the latest news we’ve heard about the nostalgic adventure game’s chances for a North American release isn’t as hopeful. UTV Ignition Entertainment’s business development director Shane Bettenhausen says his company evaluated the game for a possible U.S. release but turned it down:

“We considered it, but the DS market is really difficult, like it’s totally tapped. Had it been a little more Western we would have done it. I can list of a lot of really cool DS games I would love to bring to market. Basically, all of the awesome RPGs that never came here, people looked at them, but it’s just the DS market, because of piracy, only really first-party licensed games continually sell through.”

Apparently, Xseed also passed on the chance to publish the game Stateside. Atlus hasn’t show any interest in bringing it here, either. There was a dumb rumor going around several weeks ago that Natsume was localizing it, but that’s not happening. What I’m trying to say is don’t expect to play Sakura Note in English anytime soon. :o(

Import: Sakura Note: Imanitsu na Garu Mirai

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