Harvest Moon Online!
And new DS and PSP titles.
Marvelous has announcified Harvest Moon Online. Producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto says it's his first online title, but won't commit to platform (reports tease us with suggestive nods to next-gen platforms and PC), and it sounds like Marvelous is entirely reluctant, for the moment, to say anything about it.
Still, the prospect of Harvest Moon going online is a nonetheless delightful one. Already we're imagining a virtual countryside full of real farms with real-life farmer's-daughters to befriend and be-bed. More realistically, we also like the idea of going fishing with our friends, real cattle markets, and siring virtual offspring with real other-people. All of which would probably be easier if we just went outside and did them, but, you know.
In less hazy news, Marvelous has also spoken out about its new PSP and DS Harvest Moons, one of which is literally a "New Harvest Moon": Innocent Life: Shin Bokujou Monogatari for the PSP, announced at the end of September, is in development at ArtePiazza, and will give you a farm in an idyllic island setting, with lots of towns to visit by bike and even a volcano. Probably not to visit though.
The other, Rune Factory: Shin Bokujou Monogatari for the DS, is a bit weird for a Moon title, but we're curious about it anyway. Developed by Neverland, the idea is that you live in a fantasy world where you capture and raise monsters on your farm, and then add them to your adventuring party. Which you lead with a sword. Very peculiar. It doesn't say if you'll be able to go fishing, but you better!