Project Happiness Has a Title - "Hometown Story"

So, do you guys remember 'Project Happiness'?

...What?  You don't?  But I...the posts..I..

Fine. 

No, really, fine, whatever.  I get it.

Anyways, what was once Project Happiness is now known by the official name "Hometown Story" and has a shiny new updated trailer above.  The trailer shows what is decidedly more "3DS-looking" gameplay and models and such which is appropriate of course, but other than that, not a whole lot has changed from its initial inception and announcement.  It still looks to be a game focused on you making your character a shopkeep, but also forging your own personal story by involving yourself with the locals and the like.  We still don't quite know specifics, but at the same time, the specifics are just going to be a few key points, like what we already have.  The rest of the game is just exploring those in-depth, ala Harvest Moon and its ilk, and that'll definitely be engaging enough of an experience to stretch across quite a while.

Something funny I'm seeing though is a lot of people going "Oh, this is ripping off Recettear" and deriding it for that.  Which is something that sort of happens -any- time something comes out and looks like something else, but especially so when there's few other examples of the ilk.  But there is something inherently amusing about decrying a game is 'copying' another game that the public wouldn't know anything about without the efforts of a three-person localization team.  Seriously, Recettear in its original form was released in Japan at the end of 2007, and it's only because these folks took an interest that it got released to the West over two years later.  To 'smashing' success for an indie game that's more to do with the tale behind it than the actual sales numbers for it.  Which is unfortunate, because it looks like a fantastic game and the localization is stellar, but of course it's not going to sell millions of copies, nor did it need to to be a success.

My point, of course, is that I'm pretty sure the guy who created Harvest Moon doesn't really need to 'rip off' Recettear.  Maybe he did.  We will never know for sure.  I just think the idea of Yasuhiro Wada taking a look at an indie game that was only released as a stepping stone to localize -other- games and going "Man, I need to get in on that action" is a silly one.  Of course, if that -is- what happened, then Carpe Fulgur should be proud!  It's only because of Recettear's enjoyable translation and script, I imagine, that made the game so accessible and sought out.  If this whole Shopkeep Simulation genre starts expanding a little more, than I would say it -could- be safe to say it's partly due to their efforts, but whether or not anyone is trying to 'rip off' Recettear will always be up in the air.  Unless someone, you know, -says- they were trying to do that.  Which nobody would do.

The thing I take away from all this, however, is just how funny it is that my focus on a 3DS has been ever-narrow even in the almost year that it's been since Hometown Story's announcement.  And I quote:

[...] but I can see this being yet another game that push me into finally buying a 3DS.  Of which there is now four, if this is one of those games.  And they're -all- games like this:  Animal Crossing, Rune Factory 4, and Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns, so needless to say, the 3DS will be my simulation fix device.

My list has only grown by -one- since then with the addition of Harvest Moon:  A New Beginning.  Sure, I -might- also pick up Fire Emblem as well, in fact it might be a guarantee, but I am certainly not awaiting it while gnashing my teeth.  As I have been with Rune Factory 4, if -nothing- else.  Hopefully, there are some titles out there that I have just been missing completely that will blind-side me with awesome, but I really doubt it.  Nintendo's First-Party efforts do not sparkle and twinkle tantalizingly (aside from, again, Fire Emblem which has a tepid shine to it for me), nor can I think of anything off-hand that I simply must have in the same way that I must have these simulation games.  My purchase of a 3DS XL is only a matter of time, however, likely towards E3 where I will see if there is any surprise announcement that might be of concern.  And then, well, I'll have a better foothold to find out if there are, indeed, any gems I have missed out on.  Until then, however, I still have five games to anticipate which is nothing to scoff at.

'Project Happiness' Gets a Trailer

As I said a few days ago I was eagerly anticipating some information on 'Project Happiness', as it was being shown off during E3 and, welp, nothing like a reveal/teaser trailer to do just that!  If you would, give the trailer a minute and a half of your time if just for your old friend Mogs before we get into the nitty-gritty of it, since while there's not a lot to talk about for it, I think we all know how I can stretch.  And besides, it's a really charming trailer, one mistake notwithstanding that shows off what will obviously be a rather lovely little game.  And I'm going to 'blah blah' about it no matter what, so if you want your nightly Mogs post, this is what I got, take it or leave it.  Since, like I said, this is something that truly interests me if just because Yasuhiro Wada is behind it.

Now, first off, for a first impression, the video literally smacks you over the head with whimsy and something really beautiful, showing off different locales - a beach, a forest, a village, etc. - and getting this real almost fairy tale sort of vibe planted in your head.  And you can definitely tell by the way it is handled, just the way it looks, that it's going to be something more along the lines of Rune Factory in terms of world make-up at least.  It's got that real layer of fantasy covering it that sort of breathes a little bit of 'magic' into everything.  Of course, there's a bit of confirmation on that a bit into the video, but worry about that in a little bit.  Honestly, what the trailer's presentation gives me, is a sense of something resembling scale which I believe is a bit counter to what's shown in actual gameplay, but there's likely a reason for that.

Now, speaking of the gameplay, about forty-five seconds into the video or so, we finally see something a bit more concrete in terms of the actual game design, as it shows off our main character, or rather, our choices for one; both a Boy and a Girl are shown, looking absolutely like they were steeped in classic Harvest Moon design before they were unveiled.  It also shows off a little....monster...thing that I believe it calls a "Sprite" that will likely be some sort of a companion creature for our main character, whomever it may be.  It also shows off what -appears- to be a, or even 'the', gameplay element of the game:  A Storefront to be manned.  As in, running your own store with things that you stock yourself.  That looks like it can definitely expand as you work at it, sort of reflecting the work you put into it.

Now, this wouldn't be the first game about owning and running a store to be released, but it would certainly be one to come out on a platform I can play it on (which I won't gripe about too much, considering Recettear was only made available to the West thanks to a two-man group who work themselves ragged, I'm sure) which I say with all knowledge that the game has not been announced to be on any platforms just yet.  Nor does it have a release date (other than '2013') or a proper title, which is all stuff to think about surely, but I think we can look at the game itself and just -guess- what it's going to come out on.  I mean come on, just guess.  Now, I'm going to work it out a little bit here.  There's a 2013 release window, which...I'm just suggesting that it means that it's not going to be for Phones and such devices.  I don't think you actually really need eight months or more to put out a game for an iPhone.  Maybe I'm just wrong on that, or whatever, but I'm just saying.

It certainly looks like a handheld game, however, which has me jump to 3DS.  I would love to say 3DS -and- Vita, and I hope it is just that (I doubt it would be Vita Exclusive, considering Natsume has always swung more towards Nintendo - even though they're just the publisher blah blah), but I can see this being yet another game that push me into finally buying a 3DS.  Of which there is now four, if this is one of those games.  And they're -all- games like this:  Animal Crossing, Rune Factory 4, and Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns, so needless to say, the 3DS will be my simulation fix device.  Anyways, I could also see this being a DD-only title up on XBLA/PSN/PC for about $10-20, but I still figure it more on sating that handheld hunger, especially being wholly Japanese in creation and design.

Of course, do I think the game is solely going to be about operating a storefront?  I have reason to doubt it, personally.  At the very least, the game is going to delve more into Recettear ideals and involve you scrounging and/or making items to be sold, but the dialogue of the teaser itself gives me a little room to wonder.  It asks, very bluntly, "What would you like to do?" after describing this lush, vibrant world, full of things to do.  So what I'm suggesting/envisioning is that maybe the storefront is just that:  A choice of something to do.  Imagine if the game had entirely different ways to go about it, to let you find what makes you happy, to find what you will 'choose at the end'.  I may just be grasping at straws here, but the narrator doesn't ever mention that you will be working in a store and the footage is only shown after asking what would you do, indicating that it may, just in fact, be only one option.

I could be wrong, of course, and that's not to say that if the game is just about managing and stocking a shop, I'll be disappointed, because I certainly won't.  I've yearned to play such a game, and that I'll get the chance to do so is a wonderful boon.  But I'm envisioning something a little more ambitious from the little bits of info the trailer offered and, considering that it's definitely early in development yet, I'm banking on the idea that further showings will either show other things you can dedicate your character to doing (the more ambitious route) or showing off the different facets of running and managing your shop, ala getting stock and such (what is probably the expected route).  Either way, I'll certainly be satisfied.  All I know is that I can't get my hands on the game fast enough.

Update!:  Well....I was -kind of- right.  It was sorta kinda leaked that Project Happiness will be a 3DS and Mobile title (So Android, iOS, etc) in an E3 hand-out magazine.  Then Natsume put that on their Facebook page confirming it outright.  So basically what this means is that they'll be making the 3DS version and then doing a quick port job for Mobile platforms.  Like I said, I'm certainly not surprised that it's a 3DS title, but I hope the intention of it being a Mobile title won't limit the scope of the game at all.  But....who am I kidding, I'm buying the game.  Also worth of note is that Wada went through the trouble of bringing together something of a "Dream Team" for this project in enlisting Atsuko Nishida (who you might know from being the illustrator of a little thing called Pokemon) for the art, and some guy named Nobuo Uematsu (I'm sure I don't have to enlighten you of his work) to score the game.  You know, just some random dudes.

Yasuhiro Wada Working on "Project Happiness", Nobody Cares But Mogs

As you know, I am a man who enjoys a Harvest Moon game as others enjoy a vintage wine or a fine cigar, and as you might also know, I understand I am in the minority on this.  Granted, the games sell, which is why they keep getting made, but they don't sell a lot, nor do I suspect they're properly enjoyed or appreciated by the gaming 'mainstream' as a whole.  Sometimes I think they're looked upon with the same amount of scorn that is gazed upon the Dynasty Warriors games and similar titles (yet never on yearly Sports releases), and that's honestly a real shame because the games have a little bit of a magic to them if you give them a chance.  Well....most of them at least.  Okay, yeah, even Innocent Life, yes, I went there and you all know that I'm telling the truth.  At least, anybody who has spent at least a little bit of time with a Harvest Moon game can understand the pull it has, and that's something that you can't fake, nor industrialize; you have to just give it that little bit of a spark to let it come naturally.

I say all this because the man behind it all, the man who started Harvest Moon as an attempt to create the happiness and fulfillment of a good clean day of work in a video game, has announced that he's working on a new series appropriately codenamed "Project Happiness".  And....that's about all the information that there is on it.  No announcement of what consoles it'll be on, when to expect it or even what kind of game it'll actually be.  Just that it's coming out in Japan, Europe and North America thanks to a partnership between his new company, TOYBOX, Rising Star Games and Natsume.  And you know what?  (Wait for iiiit......wait for iiiiiiit....) That's all I need.  I won't have to worry about the localization, so that pretty much lays it down that there is a good chance that I will be able to pick up this game, no matter what it ends up being on.

And I am going to get it.  No matter if it's a friggin' Wii U launch title, no matter if it's about getting stuck in a traffic jam with -wacky hijinks- ensuing, no matter if it's download-only.  (Okay, this one might be a deal-breaker depending, but I'm just saying)  I think we all get excited for games for entirely different reasons, whether we're excited because it's going to pit this character in this situation and it's so different than the norm, or because it just looks like it's going to press all of your good buttons, and I am certainly excited for whatever this project will be, because I am almost guaranteed that it will be a wholly unique experience.  It's a dangerous thing to say, I realize, but with the amount of time I've spent on Harvest Moon games of all types, the enjoyment I've gotten from them, I think it's safe to say that Wada has enough clout to expect forty to sixty of my dollars for whatever he wants to put out there.

And that's what it comes down to here for anyone else, I imagine, is just what -type- of game it's going to be, and what we can expect going into it.  The press release simply states that it's "Filled with adventure, discovery, and wonder" which could mean any number of things in all honesty, especially when you consider how willing Wada is to create a completely non-traditional game.  The answer is 'very willing', if you haven't guessed by now, and I think that in itself should be applauded, even if you don't really 'get' the Harvest Moon games.  I just have to surmise that, when it guarantees "Project Happiness will warm the hearts of gamers both young and old!", I'm inclined to believe that such a thing is possible.  Though, I suppose that I might be biased because I might just think that Wada can make anything possible in a video game and that it'll be magical and wonderful and include rainbows and such.  I dunno, I kind of get that impression reading this back and I don't really mean to come off that way.

For my own part, I don't know if I 'expect' anything from Project Happiness in terms of just what it's going to be.  However, I do know what I would like it to be, though I'm not so sure how possible it'll be, nor if I'll even be close to what's going to happen here. I seem to recall that Harvest Moon was created because Wada simply wanted to make a video game that made the person playing it Happy, and he eventually came across the idea that a game that allowed a person to play out a day in the life of an everyman would do that.  In fact, if I'm recalling correctly, the farming aspect of the game didn't come into play until he realized that players would want something 'tangible' to attach to, and literally went with something that the players could cultivate, to 'rate' themselves after in the vegetables that grew and the animals they raised and, eventually, the profit they made from the tasks.  I have to wonder just what would've happened if he hadn't added that in, because I really doubt the game would've been nearly as successful without that.

With that said, the climate of gaming is much, much different nowadays, and it's that much harder to gauge just what can or can't be successful, considering that it takes more than a good idea, hell, a good game, to get that success.  But given that Wada's apparently going to try to recreate that feeling, that hope of instilling Happiness in a player (at least, that's what I gather from the codename), I'm hoping for another type of life simulator.  Maybe not a farming one, but perhaps something a little closer to The Sims, where you just pursue happiness for both yourself in playing the game how you want and your character who is directly affected by what you chose to do with them.  Something a little more modern than out-in-the-country-farming-things, but not futuristic, nor overly 'urban'.  I harbor no illusions that the game will intend to be 'action-packed' or anything like that and in fact hope it won't be.  Even Rune Factory levels of 'action' might dampen my excitement a bit.  But not too much.

Certainly, if I'm completely off-base, I don't think I'll be too disappointed because even just this, the anticipation I feel for whatever the game could be, is good enough for now.  More news will come during or after E3 (as it will be shown behind closed doors during), so hopefully we get a few nice tidbits of information for me to gorge upon.  I'm not even sure I'm 'hoping' for anything, though if I am, it's certainly my idea of a Life Simulator, as Harvest Moon is, alongside Farming mechanics, though hopefully without the farming mechanics...or without them being the focus on the game.  Really, something as open as life 'can be', where it's just "make money to get by" with all sorts of avenues to do that would be nice.  But I'm getting a little esoteric in my thoughts, so I'll just reign them in before I go a little too crazy.  We'll just have to see just what's coming from the mind of Wada next, and you know I'll probably be the first to tell you.  (Or the second, if Chance brings it up first, being in Super-E3 mode as he is.)