Grandia III confirmed for USA

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 December, 2005

Not long to wait.

Square-Enix has confirmed reports that PS2 RPG Grandia III will be released in the USA. Fans of the series that also once called the Dreamcast its home can expect to track it down through importers next February.

"In all of our games, we want the player to be left with an overwhelmingly positive feeling that they can achieve anything they desire in life," said the game's director Hidenobu Takahashi, a man who's clearly never tried to escape a random battle. "In Grandia III while there is strong conflict in everyone's lives, those who are strong will overcome it."

Game Arts producer Katsunori Saito said we should all watch out for the battle system. "We're really proud of what we were able to achieve utilising the command wheel; the battle system can be very complex but is very easy to learn," he commented.

Sadly, those of you aching to play the new Grandia may have to make do with an imported version, however, as Square-Enix has yet to announce a European release, and told us it had "no plans to bring Grandia III to Europe," when we spoke roughly a month ago.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • SonicBoom #1 6 years ago

    Ok, this is getting ridiculous. Yet another one of my most wanted games, shot down in flames.

    What's the compatibility like on those Swap Magic things? Do they work with the old style PS2 and the slimline? And also, do all US games work fine on a PAL machine if you have one?

    Edit: Wow, I'm the first one here. =)
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/05 @ 08:15

  • TILT #2 6 years ago

    I got a modchip, so I wouldn't know about Swap Magic things. That aside, US games work swimmingly well on my PAL machine. Just make sure your TV accepts NTSC input signals, as the PS2 will just output whatever the game generates... which means NTSC for US games. Oh, and savegames for PAL versions don't work for US games and vice versa... the games just don't see the other region's saves.

  • tengu #3 6 years ago

    Looks like Squenix have finally dropped the pretense and abandoned Europe outright then. How long has it been since they released a title anyone actually wanted? Well, until they decide to release their 'safe' franchises like FF and Kingdom Hearts again of course. They're right down there with Namco these days as far as I'm concerned though.

    I'll stick to US releases for RPGs in future I think :(
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/05 @ 08:51

  • Blerk #4 6 years ago

    Squenix are actually worse than Namco now. At least Namco release a few things here and there. Squenix Europe appears to be only interested in bringing us the stuff that really isn't that good, and the odd GBA port of something we've already played to death. It's almost like they've got some kind of rating system whereby if a game scores too highly at review it is instantly discounted for European release.

    I maintain that their 'European office' is actually two receptionists and a cleaner in a cupboard somewhere.

  • Blerk #5 6 years ago

    In fact, come on lads - get someone over to Squenix Europe for an interview. I want to hear what they've got to say for themselves.

    Bugger talking to Sony, they're boring anyway. I want the head of Squenix Europe on a platter by the end of next week. With gravy.

  • tengu #6 6 years ago

    And the monkey who does the PAL conversions as well, don't forget Blerk :)
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/05 @ 09:11

  • DodgyPast #7 6 years ago

    I just don't get it... why don't they convert it to PAL and release the US version....

    Can't be that difficult.

    I know I'll never buy a European region locked machine again. ( mind you I don't intend to live in Europe again )

  • SonicBoom #8 6 years ago

    Why, out of all the games they could've published, did they release Driving Emotion Type S in the UK? (Actually, why did they release it anywhere? =p)

  • itamae #9 6 years ago

    "Why, out of all the games they could've published, did they release Driving Emotion Type S in the UK? (Actually, why did they release it anywhere? =p)"

    Because even the crappiest racing games shift more copies in Europe than the world's best RPGs (with the exception of Final Fantasy for some reason). Sad but true.

  • aabyssx #10 6 years ago

    > In fact, come on lads - get someone over to Squenix Europe for an interview.

    I want to hear that, too.
    But question them with a lance at their throats! >:(

  • Blerk #11 6 years ago

    In IGN's news article on Dragon Quest Yangus today they seem to be suggesting that 50 Cent: Bulletproof absolutely hammered DQVIII in the US, so it's not just a European thing. The trouble is, at least the Yanks get the choice. :-(

  • Blerk #12 6 years ago

    In an interview with Next-Gen the other day, the head of the sadly departed Working Designs said thus:

    "I never shot for mainstream. There's a really good living to be made selling 50,000-250,000 units of every title you do."

    Koei have released four Nippon Ichi titles over here, which are about as niche as you can get. I'm guessing they must have made money off the back of them otherwise they wouldn't have released them. You're really telling me that a company the size of Squenix doesn't think it could make money off the back of games like Grandia?

    Man, I'm extra-specially pissed this morning. I might go kick something.

  • SonicBoom #13 6 years ago

    The guys at Koei should be given medals. I still can't believe they released Gitaroo Man here.

  • yagisencho #14 6 years ago

    Hm. Time to import the original then.

  • itamae #15 6 years ago

    From an interview with Nippon Ichi America's Jack Niida:

    "Gamasutra: Do you have a smaller margin that you need to sell to be profitable, then?

    Niida: Exactly. A major company like Square Enix needs to sell millions, but a small company like us can make a small profit and survive, which is perfectly fine with us, as long as we don't go down the hole. And it's been working beautifully."

    Who knows, maybe that really is the reason for Squenix to be so reserved. They should sell the publishing rights to Ghostlight ;-)

  • Blerk #16 6 years ago

    But if Squenix need to sell millions to recoup their development costs, why do they chop a third of the console user-base out of the equation?

    Given that the games are already written and translated into English for the US market, how much would it really cost to do a quick and dirty PAL conversion and manuals in a variety of languages?

    I don't understand how that's not a license to print money?

  • SonicBoom #17 6 years ago

    Out of interest, just how well does Final Fantasy do in PAL land anyway? I was thinking that if it doesn't do well here then there's not gonna be much motivation for Square Enix to release the lesser known games.

  • Blerk #18 6 years ago

    disc, someone already did!

  • Kami #19 6 years ago

    So, I may as well go and pre-order the import copy?

    Damn you Squenix!

  • Blerk #20 6 years ago

    That's exactly the problem, disc - they don't have much of a presence. Most online shops don't stock their stuff and they have no advertising budget. But they must be making cash somehow!

    GAME appears to be stocking their stuff in-store more often now. Saw Harvest Moon PS2, Harvest Fishing and Panzer Front the other day sitting on the shelves. Most of it's quite cheap, too!

  • tengu #21 6 years ago

    Play will be stocking 505 Gamestreet stuff from tomorrow it's worth noting(Dunno about anywhere else yet). Some fun looking stuff there too, Samurai Western, Michigan Report from Hell and 10,000 Bullets are all on my buy list, and all only 14 quid each. Here's hoping they start to have more of a UK presense from now on.
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/05 @ 11:36

  • Blerk #22 6 years ago

    Play will be stocking 505 Gamestreet stuff from tomorrow

    Really? \o/

    /dances

    Edit: Cool, you're right! Did you have a hand in that? I shall be getting Graffiti Kingdom. And maybe Michigan, even though gamesTM absolutely trashed it in their review a few months back.
    Edited by 1 at 15/12/05 @ 11:20

  • tengu #23 6 years ago

    What's Graffiti Kingdom then? Saw it there, but know nowt.

  • Blerk #24 6 years ago

    Action JRPG where you 'draw' your monsters yourself and the game turns them into 3D models. Semi-sequel to that Magic Pengel game which never made it out over here.

  • PinkSpider #25 6 years ago

    I want RPGs... blah.

    Damn Square Enix... I havent enjoyed one of their games since FFX and that was ages ago. Also before my modded PS1 died I played many fucking amazing NTSC PS1 rpgs. Sigh.

    Sigh.

  • Blerk #26 6 years ago

    Have you phoned Squenix about that interview yet, then? Eh? Eh?

    /nudge
    /nudge
    /wink?
    /exits quickly

  • speedstars13 #27 6 years ago

    Localisation causes more money and time. Maybe except the UK region. I don't know. Maybe Euro needs to get more vocal and outrageous.

  • Hunam85 #28 6 years ago

    Yay! import love!