Category Archives: Square Enix

All We Know About Yoko’s New IP

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Updated: 2021.9.9 – 11:09pm

Earlier last year, we got wind that Yoko is working on two new titles, but later during the first NieR Replicant Ver.1.22 live broadcast on NicoNico (April 19), we were told the following:

  • Saito Yosuke is the Producer from SQEX
  • Yoko Taro is the Creative Director
  • The game is somewhat of an Indies title that will be download only (there might be a special package release at some point)

In later broadcasts (I need to relocate what broadcast this was stated), we were also told that Okabe Keiichi (MONACA) will be on board as composer.

We were also told that the game will be download only for non-mobile devices (so I’m assuming PS4/5, Xbox, Steam…) but they will think about a physical release sometime if the game is well received.

Excerpt from the idobata kaigi program, December 2020:

Saito: There are many things I still can’t talk about, but… I mean, we’re doing NieR— Replicant and Re[in]carnation— then there’s Babylon (Babylon’s Fall) as well.  There’s also talk about doing the next Automata, so when I was talking with Yoko about what we should do next, Yoko talked about something he really wants to do, but I told him I absolutely don’t want to do it. I was like, if you really want to do it, then you put up the money for it! But he presented it to me like I had never seen him do before. So, then he was like, “Okay, I have time tomorrow.” But that was a Sunday. Oh, wait. We talked on a Friday evening, so he was like, “Let’s talk tomorrow,” but I told him I couldn’t. So, he ended up showing me an hour-long presentation on Sunday. After that, we went out to eat and 3 bottles of wine later, I told him “let’s do it.” So, that’s what I regret, even now. He won me over with wine. I want to quit right now if I could. 

Yoko: This was the first time that I actually said what I wanted to do.

Saito: If it’s something Yoko wants to do, then I want to let him do it, to try out various different things. But I was entirely against it when he first brought it up.

Saito V: Is it a ways off yet?

Saito: Yes, it’ll be a while, but I hope you look forward to it.

Harada: About how long ago did you have this discussion?

Saito: It’s about a year or so ago.

Yoko: It was more than a year ago. It was quite a while ago. 

Harada: Oh, then it’s proceeding pretty well.

Yoko: Not so much… 

Saito: It’s progressing gradually.

Saito V: The comments are asking if it’s a game or something else.

Saito: It’s a game. 

Yoko: Are we really announcing something like this on Idobata Kaigi??

Saito: It’s an absolutely INSANE game.

Saito: I see this in the comments, but it’s not a rhythm/music game.

Yoko: I dunno, man, maybe we’ll make it into one.

Saito: It’s not a casual game.

Yoko: Ahh, I don’t know about that… Maybe it’ll become casual…

UPDATE: 2021.09.09

Today, Square Enix officially announced the new game by Yoko Taro, which was previously leaked here.

VOICE OF CARDS: THE ISLE DRAGON ROARS,
A NEW RPG BUILT OF CARDS

This is the official press release by Square Enix.

To Recap:

New IP for a download-only Indies game feature work by the following individuals:

Producer: Saito Yosuke
Creative Director: Yoko Taro
Composer: Okabe Keiichi (MONACA)
Character Designer: Fujisaka Kimihiko

YoRHa Girls Ver.1.1a Stage Play

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YoRHa Girls Ver.1.1a Stage Play – yorha.com

Check out the link below for my YoRHa Girls Ver.1.1a stage play recap! It includes information on the creators and performers, details about the story, new insights into the world of YoRHa, and much more!

YoRHa Girls Ver.1.1a Stage Play

NieR:Theatrical Orchestra 12020

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As part of the NieR 10th Anniversary, the NieR:Theatrical Orchestra 12020 was scheduled to be held earlier this March, but unfortunately due to the Coronavirus outbreak, all concerts with a live audience were cancelled. The concert was performed and broadcast live on NicoNico and YouTube, however, and just the other day, the Blu-ray recording of that performance has been released.

If anyone is a fan of the original NieR:Orchestra Concert 12018 from summer of 2018 or the later international performances of the same setlist earlier this year, let me reassure you… this version is by far superior in almost every way.

This version also featured two unique recitation dramas (朗読劇 / roudokugeki), one for each segment of the concert which featured NieR:Automata and NieR Replicant.

The Blu-ray features English subtitles throughout the entire concert, for both spoken dialogue on the stage and for the backdrop screen. I would highly recommend this concert Blu-ray to any NieR fan.

If you are interested in purchasing the Blu-ray, you can order it from Amazon here.

NieR Schedule for Tokyo Game Show 2020

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Tokyo Game Show 2020 will feature new information on at least 3 NieR titles!

Last week Square Enix dropped their schedule for the completely online Tokyo Game Show (TGS) this year, but there were several time slots that remained empty. This usually their way of keeping some things a secret for a while just for the hype!

And by-golly, have we got some HYPE now!

Here’s the current schedule:

Thursday, September 24, 10:00pm (JST)
NieR TGS 2020 Special Programming
The “We Have a Decent Amount of New Info” Special
Japanese Audio / English Subtitles

  • NieR Automata – 3rd Anniversary
  • NieR Replicant Ver.1.22…
  • NieR Re[in]carnation

Other likely topics of discussion related to NieR may include:

  • NieR Theatrical Orchestra 12020 Blu-ray
  • YoRHa Ver.1.3aa Stage Play Blu-ray

Friday, September 25, 7:30pm (JST) – SINoALICE

SINoALICE will be featured in a presentation on Friday, September 25 at 7:30pm. Guests include Aoki Tact (writer) and Himiko (illustrator/mangaka). This will be discussing some “secret” stories and highlights about the SINoALICE comic that will be released through SQEX’s Manga & Books label on the Manga Up app.

Saturday, September 26, 10:00pm (JST)

There will also be a talk show type of panel with NieR related folks, discussing “almost no new information” apparently, according to the title.

Those who will be appearing at this panel include:

Sunday, September 27, 8:30pm (JST) – FFXIV

The FFXIV panel about YoRHa:Dark Apocalypse will likely be similar to the event last year. Yoko Taro, Saito Yosuke, Yoshida Naoki, and Murouchi Toshio will be in attendance. The presentation is scheduled for Sunday, September 27 at 8:30pm (All times are in JST).

Any further updates will be posted here!

NieR Replicant Coming Back to Life on PS4, Steam, and Xbox! Plus Yoko Taro’s New Game Announced!

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There are lots of announcements from the beginning hour or so of the NieR 10th Anniversary, so let’s take a quick look at everything!

NieR Replicant Ver.1.22474487139… will be released on PS4, Steam, and Xbox. This is neither a remaster or a remake, but rather a “Version Up”, according to Yoko-san. But if you were to choose one or the other, it may be appropriate to call this a remaster. It will include complete FULL VOICE that has been newly recorded and with additional new scenes. This time, the role of Weiss, originally portrayed by PETER, will be performed by Yasumoto Hiroki, aka Pod042.

And we have new concept art by Koda Kazuma! Look at this gorgeous stuff!! He is amazing!

  • The new NieR Replicant is neither a remaster or a remake, but rather a “version up”. This is the same sort of thing that they’ve been doing for all the newer versions of the YoRHa stage plays as well. Generally speaking, the story remains the same, but little bits here and there are touched up and maybe fleshed out with additional scenes. If you need to call it one or the other, then perhaps “remaster” would be the closest thing.
  • All dialogue will be spoken by the voice cast.
  • Yasumoto Hiroki, voice of Pod042, will be portraying Weiss instead of Peter since he is currently “on break”.
  • Various aspects from the original game will be added in the new version.
  • The soundtrack will be re-recorded, plus there will be some new tracks as well.
  • There will be a new character.
  • Ishikawa Yui (2B), Hanae Natsuki (9S), and Suwa Ayaka (A2) will appear in the game, but not as their respective characters from Automata.
  • There may be a new ending…? We know the novella “The Lost World” is generally considered Ending E, so it’s also possible for this to appear in some shape or form.
  • That being said, I can’t help but be reminded of the blurb in Grimoire NIER in which Yoko discusses the possibility of a second Original Gestalt. You can read more about that here.

Below is an example of some of the new NieR merch that is currently available from the SQEX e-STORE!

Next up is Yoko’s New Project, “NieR Reincarnation,” which will be a smartphone game developed by Applibot with character designs by the great CyDesignation, who collaborated with Automata, such as the lead character designer, Yoshida Akihiko, and sub character designer Nagai Yuya.

And here are some more juicy bits that we learned in the very final Premium section of the livestream:

  • Accord is ALWAYS a female android. He is male in the YoRHa Ver.1.3a/aa stage plays because the cast is all male; she is actually female.
  • Accord’s origins begin in the Kingdom of Night during the war with aliens. If you’re curious about this, I wrote a bunch about this here.
  • Accord was created by humans.
  • Since her creation, Accord has been multiplying, but Yoko won’t reveal why or for what purpose. For example, Emil creates many copies of himself to fight the aliens, but Yoko wouldn’t say why Accord is basically doing the same thing. Which means, like Emil, there must be an Original Accord as well. Saito asked for more information about this, but Yoko refused to answer because it would be bad. Perhaps we WILL get some sort of story that takes place during this time/location.
  • All androids were installed with false memories, but A2 was the final android to have false memories. All other YoRHa after her were not installed with these memories because they often caused problems.
  • The planet became tidally locked sometime after the 6.12 and before the time of Replicant.

This is all breaking news, so more information will likely become known later. Please expect this page to be further updated once more information is released.