Operation Backlog Completion 2025
Jan 062025
 

Since we had all of our end-of-year / start-of-year posts to go through, I held off on discussing this until now, but it’s been on my mind ever since I saw it.

Each December, many video game developers and publishers make a short statement about what they have planned for the next year. These are often vague, but sometimes they offer intriguing hints about upcoming announcements.

From this year’s messages, translated here by Gematsu, there was one in particular that caught my eye.

You see, 2025 is the 10th anniversary of The Great Ace Attorney.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole 10 years since The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures first came out in Japan on the 3DS. We had to wait all the way until 2021 to finally get an official localization! Now the second game in particular has become one of my all-time favorites, and there’s nothing I’d like to see more than more Great Ace Attorney games.

Anyway, Kei Hashimoto, a programmer with Capcom, said that they’re “making preparations to ensure everyone can enjoy the 10th anniversary” of The Great Ace Attorney.

That statement doesn’t necessarily mean they’re making a new game. It could be anything. It could just be merchandise, or even a special event in Japan. It’s too early to get excited.

On the other hand, we still don’t have a satisfactory explanation for the mysterious Van Zieks captions, and I still hope they were misplaced dialogue from a Great Ace Attorney Investigations game. Between the captions, the 10th anniversary, and this statement about celebrating, I can’t help but feel a little more optimistic.

Click for major The Great Ace Attorney 2 spoilers
Also, 2025 is the Year of the Snake, and Kazuma’s prosecutor design has snake inspirations/motifs, so basically this would be the perfect year for a game with him as a central character.

I remain hopeful that a new Ace Attorney game will be announced this year. I’d assumed it would be Ace Attorney 7, but if we get a new Great Ace Attorney game instead, I certainly won’t complain.

How do you think Capcom intends to celebrate the 10th anniversary?

Dec 112024
 

PQube Asia’s showcase was today, and I decided to save my blog post so that I could cover any exciting news from it.

It was a fairly short showcase, so feel free to check out the entire thing since I’ll only be covering the major highlights for me.

They provided welcome updates on titles like Bustafellows 2 (still no release date, though) and Genso Manege, and then they also had some new announcements… including one I’ve been waiting for.

Back in 2021 when we discussed Raging Loop, I mentioned an unlocalized visual novel set in the same universe called Death Match Love Comedy.

Well, it’s happening. PQube is bringing DMLC west for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox in 2025.

Death Match Love Comedy is a visual novel about a boy who is cursed so that if someone confesses love to him, he explodes. Yes, it sounds ridiculous, and I expect it to be very different in tone from Raging Loop.

Nevertheless, I’m so happy that we’re finally getting it.

They also announced a new visual novel from Mages, Iwakura Aria, which also looks like one I should keep an eye on. It’ll be out in 2025 for PC and Switch, and the trailer has a very haunting atmosphere.

So while there weren’t any new otome announcements, I’m happy with what we got. Now all that remains is the Game Awards tomorrow, to see if any exciting news awaits us there…

What did you think of PQube’s announcements?

Dec 092024
 

It’s that time of year again… the time when showcases start clustering together despite not being part of a shared event.

In addition to the Game Awards on the 12th, there are some indie showcases happening this week as well, and now PQube has announced the first-ever PQube Asia Showcase for December 11.

The showcase will take place at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET and focus on their 2025 lineup, as well as exclusive announcements.

According to Gematsu, it will include updates on Bustafellows Season 2, Genso Manege, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate, and Him, the Smile & bloom, along with “no less than five first time announcements.”

I’ve been looking forward to Bustafellows and Genso Manege, and I have a mild interest in Him, the Smile & bloom. Outside of otome games, PQube has also stepped up as the publisher for a lot of niche titles lately, so I’m excited to see what new games they might announce.

(Does my backlog need more announcements? No, but my heart does.)

It’s shaping up to be an exciting week for video game announcements, at least for me. In unrelated news, RGG Studio has announced that there will be “various events” and announcements leading up to the 20th anniversary next December, so I’m excited for that as well.

What events and potential announcements are you looking forward to the most?