The Official Gundam AGE Anime Thread AGE-9

[Silver_August]

Well as depressing as it is to hear what was going on behind the scenes, least the HG live has never looked better in terms of quality.

Despite all this though...I still want to play the game, especially to see just how much the story can deviate from the anime's between the beginning and the end

[YazanGable]

Well as depressing as it is to hear what was going on behind the scenes, least the HG live has never looked better in terms of quality.

Despite all this though...I still want to play the game, especially to see just how much the story can deviate from the anime's between the beginning and the end

From those who've played it, don't expect anything earth-shaking in the way of changes. The setting is definitely fleshed out a little bit more by virtue of being able to go around and talk to people and learn from them as a result (plus, the Diva message board), but the plotline is largely left about the same...arguably worse for a few characters (many of the Vagan cast are reduced to faceless foes to be defeated.)

[Kuruni]

Bandai rolled with it since he assured them this would get them a game that would sell a million copies.

Flashforward to now and... ...yeah.

Bonus for misery, they might miss that as well. In debut week, AGE PSP games is the best selling PSP game.

Unfortunately, prior to that, the implacable contender known as Hatsune Miku just boosted the sale of PSV by five digits. Can you guess how many consumers would choose PSV+Project Diva combo over AGE PSP game?

If it start as game and release few months before, things might turn out better...

[Gelgoog Jager]

Bandai rolled with it since he assured them this would get them a game that would sell a million copies.

Flashforward to now and... ...yeah.

Bonus for misery, they might miss that as well. In debut week, AGE PSP games is the best selling PSP game.

Unfortunately, prior to that, the implacable contender known as Hatsune Miku just boosted the sale of PSV by five digits. Can you guess how many consumers would choose PSV+Project Diva combo over AGE PSP game?

If it start as game and release few months before, things might turn out better...

By September 15th, after being out for 3 weeks, the combined total of units from both versions sold is:

44,892

That's less than 5% (50,000) of what Hino promised (1,000,000). I even have my doubts if the game will even manage to reach 50,000 >_> .

As for its rank during those 3 weeks:

Week 1 - 6th
Week 2 - 15th
Week 3 - 36th

So... anyone hoping for a sequel?

[Arbiter GUNDAM]

So...

1. TV ratings are consistently mediocre. The last time it was averaged (not including the last fifteen episodes or so) the average was lower than X and Turn A...

2. DVD/BD sales not doing all that great either

3. The game is not selling anywhere near as well as it should be.

Lots to think about.

[YazanGable]

So...

1. TV ratings are consistently mediocre. The last time it was averaged (not including the last fifteen episodes or so) the average was lower than X and Turn A...

2. DVD/BD sales not doing all that great either

3. The game is not selling anywhere near as well as it should be.

Lots to think about.

On the plus side, it sounds as though the Gunpla did OK. Admittedly not the 150% sales boost Bandai was blowing smoke about when the show was first announced, but it's still trucking along at a decent rate.

[Silver_August]

So...

1. TV ratings are consistently mediocre. The last time it was averaged (not including the last fifteen episodes or so) the average was lower than X and Turn A...

2. DVD/BD sales not doing all that great either

3. The game is not selling anywhere near as well as it should be.

Lots to think about.

On the plus side, it sounds as though the Gunpla did OK. Admittedly not the 150% sales boost Bandai was blowing smoke about when the show was first announced, but it's still trucking along at a decent rate.

Gunpla wise, lease they're getting my money now thanks to AGE. Honestly I wasn't expecting anytihng AMAZING from the Gundam Age game...I just want it bcause I'm a fan who doesn't have many games like it.

Though I will say...Release date timing for the game sounded AWFUL, but also...I don't think its a good idea to release a game based almost entirely off the anime, containing MAJOR spoilers... 2-3 weeks before the finale of the anime. Not only would people like me hold off buying it because I wouldn't want the ending spoiled for me, but why at the END of the anime's run? I understand they had to develop the game and jazz, but by the end unless it was a SMASH, I think people would be tired of the series or atleast want to sit back and take a break.

and of course...why would we want to play a game of something we just spend a year watching? Had the game come out during the middle of the series, then I think they would've been onto something, or fully realized the idea of time changing and shit and having completely different characters by the end...and why on the PSP? Oh wait game aimed at kids, Vita install base still very small, nevermind...

Oh so much mismangement and so many missfires... and yet, I still had fun, plus this is the series that makes me want a grunt suits.... definitly getting a Clanche Custom...if only to paint it cherry red and to get an Genoise-O Custom, thanks Bandai, leave the 2 best variants of Grunt suits till the end! Though I'm sad because I don't think we'll see the O-Custom in HG...

Btw, Am i the only one wishing for them to release the Adele MKII with the cannons on its shoulders so I can see someone repaint it in the Guncannon?

[Gelgoog Jager]

1. TV ratings are consistently mediocre. The last time it was averaged (not including the last fifteen episodes or so) the average was lower than X and Turn A...

2. DVD/BD sales not doing all that great either

On the plus side, it sounds as though the Gunpla did OK. Admittedly not the 150% sales boost Bandai was blowing smoke about when the show was first announced, but it's still trucking along at a decent rate.

Anywhere I can check numbers regarding these:

1- TV ratings
2- DVD/BD sales
3- Gunpla sales

[HellCat]

The game factor to me is interesting because we know a few years back they released True Odyssey, a game designed to bring in the J-RPG crowd and such into Gundam. That game failed pretty badly itself and I assume initially the talks that led to AGE were a second crack at that idea. It's kind of a shame because I think with better planning and focus in various areas, AGE as a game could have been something really unique. The seem to have gotten distracted and set their sights higher than they could handle.

[Compass]

Did True Odyssey really do that poorly sales-wise? I got the NA MS Saga ver. and it wasn't horrible. Wasn't fluid, but wasn't clunky either like some other RPGs I've played.

[HellCat]

Did True Odyssey really do that poorly sales-wise? I got the NA MS Saga ver. and it wasn't horrible. Wasn't fluid, but wasn't clunky either like some other RPGs I've played.

I'd have to dig it up but I'm sure I remember reading on Gunota that the game barely registered in the sales charts in Japan. We know they said they'd do a sequel with MS from more recent shows if it sold well. Said sequel obviously never happened.

[Raptor]

I will have to play this game at some point. Doesn't excuse AGE's problems, but I enjoy a good JRPG, and AGE would make a good game, in my opinion. Especially if you can switch out the various parts for the AGEs.

I am actually really excited to see AGE in a SRW game now. Kio and Kira will get along. XD

-Raptor, out.

[Silver_August]

A toast to Generation One at least and more importantly Captain Grodek, honestly, my favorite Captain in a Gundam series ever.

[zerogradius]

Did True Odyssey really do that poorly sales-wise? I got the NA MS Saga ver. and it wasn't horrible. Wasn't fluid, but wasn't clunky either like some other RPGs I've played.

I'd have to dig it up but I'm sure I remember reading on Gunota that the game barely registered in the sales charts in Japan. We know they said they'd do a sequel with MS from more recent shows if it sold well. Said sequel obviously never happened.

Yeah, there was supposed to be a sequel featuring mobile suits from Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny, but it never happened because the game sold poorly. The problem was that it was supposed to bring in new fans to Gundam, but the game for the most part seemed catered to the opposite. Plus there were other issues, like the lack of voice acting in the Japanese version (the NA release slipped some in, but the voices were heard so infrequently that it was hard to remember what each character sounded like) and lack of cutscenes showed that not enough effort was put into the game to make it a polished product. However, as an owner of MS Saga, I can say that I loved playing the game (played though it at least 5 times). The battle system and the large selection of mobile suits was enough to keep my interests.

As for the Age game, I don't know why anyone thought it would sell a million copies. Has any Gundam game that did not feature UC or Seed mobile suits ever fared that well?

I am actually really excited to see AGE in a SRW game now. Kio and Kira will get along. XD

I'm not sure how Age in its entirety could fit in SRW, unless there is a time travelling aspect to it akin to SRW R or Alpha Gaiden. The focus might have to be just on the 3rd generation, or the 3 gens can be dispersed among 3 handheld SRW games.

[Gelgoog Jager]

As for the Age game, I don't know why anyone thought it would sell a million copies. Has any Gundam game that did not feature UC or Seed mobile suits ever fared that well?

Uhm... actually they did try that: there were two versions of the AGE games: Universe Accel and Cosmic Drive. Universe Accel had a 15 guest MS from UC, while Cosmic Drive had 7 guest MS from Seed/Seed Destiny and 8 from 00. You can check the MS list here, just click on the second to last tab from the list on the left side of the screen.

[Kuruni]

Almost off topic, but in sharp contrast to AGE 209,815 copies of G Generation Overwolrd were sold in its debut week.

I'm not quite sure if I should cry or laugh...

[DuelGundam2099]

Gundam Age would be extremely difficult to work in SRW game unless A) They time skip at least twice with most if not all cast members save the ones from Age somehow not be affected by time or B) Only use a specific generations per game. The only non-gundam franchise it could possibly work with is the J9 trilogy because it's gaps in time are by centuries and the fact that Age has yet to use Jupiter in their plot. I would say Macross and VOTOMS would work, but Banpresto would have to work in virtually every entry in the franchise to space it out properly. The closest other franchises I could think of are the first three Zoids series (and knowing Banpresto they most likely won't do it again), the Iczer trilogy (provided they can work around Nagisa/bother putting in Iczelion), and Steel Jeeg/Steel God Jeeg (which would have to be absent in Asemu's arc for it to work). The Mars Rays kind of get in the way with other anime with Mars based settings like Daitarn 3 and Nadesico working.

You guys also have to note that, at least in SRW games, Banpresto often favors newer/unused series over older ones and even more so with real robot series over super robot series when it comes to faithfulness to plot/enemy appearances. Age's plot will need to take up a lot of the levels (especially if they are throwing all generations in one game), many other anime adaptions will have to take a back seat to the overall crossover and the older super robot shows are almost always the ones that get shafted first (if not only), which might turn off fans of older series. Keep in mind that the idea of having a bunch of mecha from various old anime was a major appeal that made that franchise so unique to begin with.

Edit: This made me laugh.

[Raptor]

Nah. As long as Nadesico is in the game, it wouldn't be hard at all. Enter a tulip, and bam. SRW J timeskipping. However, I was thinking more along the lines of just Gen 3. Won't go into too much depth since this isn't the Game or SRW section of the site, but, here's a basic idea.

-AGE Gen 1, Flit in the AGE-1, Woolf in the G-Exes
-Nadesico Crew
-Ryoma Nagare in the Getter Robo
-The Banpresto Original, because there's always an Original

The first portion of the game would lean heavily on AGE Gen 1's story, with the Nadesico and Getter Robo there to appeal to older fans. Then they go into a Tulip, and Flit and Woolf are left without the rest. Time skip.

-AGE Gen 3, Old Flit in AGE-1 Flat, Asemu in Dark Hound, Kio in AGE-3 then FX
-Kamina and Simon, Gurren Lagann
-Lelouch, Kallen and Suzaku in their respective Knightmares.
-The Nadesico Crew
-Getter Robo
-00 Gundam Crew
-Original

This would give time for the world to fall apart. Brittania and the Spiral King to take large portions of land, with the Earth Federation being too busy fighting the UE to be able to stop them, also would give a reason for Celestial Being to be there. There would be other series of course, but this is just a snippet of the idea. I've thought about this too much, lol.

-Raptor, out.

[DuelGundam2099]

Nah. As long as Nadesico is in the game, it wouldn't be hard at all. Enter a tulip, and bam.

Mars rays would kill off anyone living on Mars, the chances of Nadesico's plot working is impossible without some sort of rewrite.

The first portion of the game would lean heavily on AGE Gen 1's story, with the Nadesico and Getter Robo there to appeal to older fans. Then they go into a Tulip, and Flit and Woolf are left without the rest. Time skip.

Asemu's arc was essential to Age's plot, you cannot just throw it out.

[Compass]

Or, we could get Eureka Seven Ao's Quartz Gun and destroy linear time and invoke the time paradox card, ergo bringing all the young versions of AGE pilots together.

But then Flit would probably be bitter about them not bringing Yurin back to life or something.