During February Zero Escape series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi emphasized the challenges he was facing to make a third game in the franchise, with publishers apparently not deeming another entry financially viable. Uchikoshi-san was touched by fan support, however, and is contemplating alternative options to make a new game in the intriguing puzzle / adventure / narrative series — at the time of writing a fan campaign on Facebook, Operation Bluebird, has accumulated over 8000 Likes.
Publisher Aksys Games isn't finished with the series either, though it is delving off into slightly different territory. On 17th March it is releasing 999: The Novel for iOS platforms. It takes the storyline from the excellent 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and strips out puzzle elements, living up to the new name and making it a visual novel above all else. It'll have higher resolution images and players will still make decisions that determine the course of the narrative, while a flow chart will help make things a little clearer; it'll cost $4.99 on the App Store.
It's tough to say whether success for this release will encourage Aksys to take the series further with Uchikoshi-san at the helm, or whether it'd simply encourage it to continue with the visual novel style at the expense of riddles and puzzles. It is encouraging, at least, to see the official web page advertising the new game also promoting the DS, 3DS and PS Vita predecessors.
Let us know what you think of this upcoming release. Do you like the idea of focusing on the story in this way, or are the puzzles an integral part of the experience?
[source eurogamer.net, via aksysgames.com]
Comments 22
So Nintendo Life is now covering other "consoles/devices" besides Nintendo's? Just wondering because besides the small difference about the developer's "...official web page advertising the new game also promoting the DS, 3DS and PS Vita predecessors." I don't see what does this article have to do with Nintendo.
I know a few European users on here refused to play VLR because 999 hadn't come out in Europe. Maybe they can download this, then go buy VLR ASAP
@Peach64 Tell them to import it.
I hope this is a way to generate the funds to make a third entry in the series.
@Dark-Link73 This involves a remade DS game, and the possibility of a the third game in the series. So I'd say it has to do with Nintendo.
@therick112 Oic. Kind of like the "three degrees of separation" word game they have here in States. I bet I can make this video game have five degrees of separation with Kevin Bacon and make him relevant too, lol.
(please don't lynch me, I'm just being facetious )
iOS? Don't even bother writing something like this next time.
Heard about this yesterday; can't wait, I'm buying~♪ I never got to play the original, and I dislike puzzles.
I loved the DS original and the sequel on 3DS.
I wish I had a IOS compatible device to get this one too.
I'll buy this again. For $5, there really is no loss. Plus the game will be more organized the the flow chart, so really it might be the best purchase I've made on the IOS store.
The storyline specifically references the need for the characters to have to undergo puzzles as part of the plot. Still I hope this can bring in some revenue for Uchikoshi as I need this series to continue : (
The story is what this series is all about, though I enjoyed the puzzles (the final one to VLR was suitably epic). I just hope funds are raised for the final entry in the series.
@K-Gamer I love it when people disregard a game simply because it's on iOS.
@KTT Thanks. I've read carefully the article again and my main confusion derived from the lack of specificity, by the article's writer, in regard to the game from which this novel is inspired. I never thought the article was about the iPhone itself, per say, but about a game bound to be released on iTunes App Store. You see, when the writer mentioned the 999 game that inspired the novel, he never mentioned it was a title previously released on the DS (nor the year in which it was released for that matter) as a point of reference for those, like me, who are not acquainted with the game.
It was a simple and common mistake in which assumptions can interfere with the message conveyed. In this case, as aforementioned, it gave the impression that the article was about just a random game being made for iOS without any real connection to any Nintendo console, or handheld, beyond the mention of the developer's website having advertising for "...DS, 3DS... predecessors..."
My most sincere apologies for the confusion.
Hope it comes to android too. I'll certainly buy it no doubt about it. The story is my favorite part. This was actually a very good idea. I'd like to see more interactive visual novels simplified down to the core like this. Playing something like this on a trip on an Ipad would be awesome.
It's not that I don't like the puzzles. But I'd be lying if I didn't continuously think I have to get through this room so I can get back to the story. Who knows, maybe being rewarded with the story after solving a long puzzle is integral to the fun.
I'm going to buy it, if only out of a vain hope that it will slightly increase the chances of a third game. Anything for the cause.
Droid version or no sale.
Yeah, need it on Droid. ....and, you know, it's got like twice the userbase of iOs....
Well, I'm buying this on my iPad and phone. This is one franchise very close to my heart and I would be pretty upset if the 3rd installment doesn't come out.
Android please. And yeah, I'd buy a Zero Escape 3 that had no gameplay elements.
Um, 999 is out in Europe, I bought it a few weeks ago.
Well that's good. I didn't really like the puzzle rooms tbh XD
It's one of the reasons I haven't finished VLR yet.
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