RED ASH- Mega Man Legends Spiritual Successor?

[Salamander]

Checking the Kickstarter just now, they've released information on their revised stretch goals.  Quite impressively, they now have all of their projected "episodes" funded by FUZE, which is something, so the Kickstarter really is for extra content rather than stuff that should've been in the game all along:

Not that that extra content is very likely to happen, but I expect they'll still be able to spin the Kickstarter as a success for attracting the attention of a major funder.  I wonder what the strings were?

[Captain Fun]

Not that that extra content is very likely to happen, but I expect they'll still be able to spin the Kickstarter as a success for attracting the attention of a major funder.  I wonder what the strings were?

Calling Fuze "major" would be a spin, wouldn't it? 

Via GAF:

[Salamander]

Well, given that the original stretch goals were asking for one and a half million for only half the game, then yes, it does seem as if FUZE has ponied up quite a bit of cash.  FUZE is clearly not a major organisation - I've seen the website - but I don't think it's inaccurate to refer to describe FUZE as a major funder on a level that raises questions about what they're getting in return.

[Balding Spider]

This is a complete and utter disaster really. I have never seen this happen on KS before and it makes Comcept looking even worse than the time they backed MN9! This Chinese knock off company that's publishing it makes RED ASH look so much worse than it kinda already was.

I really hope this bombs. Sorry, but I just don't support any of the shit that Comcept has pulled off.

I take you aren't familiar with the biggest fuck over to ever grace Kickstarter. A board game called The Doom that came to Atlantic City. It's initial Kickstarter goal was 35 grand which was exceeded with $122,874. After getting it's funding the creators later stated that they were incapable of delivering on the board game.

This means that they walked away with nearly $123,000 in donated funds and there was fuck all you could do about it if you were a backer.

Edit: Oh and a special shout out Little Monster productions and their idea to lie about everything involving their campaign. From lying about about the credentials of their staff (They claimed to have worked heavily on Star craft, and WoW), to out right using stolen images from a former employer.

Edited July 31, 2015 by Balding Spider

[Phos]

I heard about that one, seems the company that got the rights to that game gave backers "free" copies.  "Free" in quotes because it it was the copy they backed it for.  Really some astounding mismanagement to fail to get a board game printed.  

 

Edit: And Red Ash continues to lose money.

Edited August 1, 2015 by Phos

[Meta77]

Well I pulled my money from it. Not cause I did not like the designs. I loved them but because they were funded by tacked on extra goals that should already be in it. With only 20 hours left about I doubt it will make it. But the animation looks like its going to make it.

[kdotj24]

This is a hilariously badly handled Kickstarter. Inafune is a good developer, but his management skills...oy.

[Balding Spider]

In today's episode of Shocking News!

The better managed Kickstarter got funded: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyno9/red-ash-magicicada-by-studio4c?ref=discovery

[Dejimon11]

Your all getting sick of me speaking about this but I just want to get it out there. Im not mad at the Mighty No.9 and Red Ash as ideas. Im just mad at how poorly both these projects are being handled. With every update of MN9 they just said "coming soon but look at all the merchandising that were making they're so cool also please donate money to help make the game much better." and "Were already done with the game were just working on promoting it stay tuned" doesn't help things now that the game is possibly getting delayed and comcept and deep silver hasn't said anything about it. With Red Ash it wasn't the timing it was how they presented it. They should of been honest from the get go instead of making every update a desperate move. Not to mention in it's final days they announced they got a publisher(which isn't a bad thing) but what they did at the end felt disrespectful to the backers "the game got funded but the money your donating will be used for development for our game. We can't announce it just yet but please stay tuned even though we have less than 3 days." As for the anime Im glad it reached its goal who knows maybe they might find somebody to help make the movie they want to make.

[Ristar]

New Kickstarter for the anime, this time for Japan only

https://motion-gallery.net/projects/Red_Ash_THEAINMATION

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2015 by Ristar

[Balding Spider]

Inafune visits HYDE

 

Edited August 6, 2015 by Balding Spider

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Boy we've heard pretty much nothing about this project since the time of last post here have we? 

Well here's what Fuze has apparently been up to:

Quote

 

 

Fuze to launch new Games Console, will rival Sony & Microsoft in China

4th April, 2016 · ZhugeEX 1 Comment

Fuze Entertainment CEO, Wang Feng, announced this week that their new console is due to launch in China this year. The announcement came during a press conference where the company revealed their brand new “Tomahawk F1” Video Games Console. The company is aiming to release their console next month but the final release date is currently subject to change. Fuze Entertainment first announced their console around this time last year and are finally ready to launch their console in China. 

If you’re wondering where you’ve heard of Fuze Entertainment before, they are the company that helped fund “Red Ash: The Indelible Legend” for PC, PS4 & Xbox One. This game is billed as a spiritual successor to the Mega Man Legends series being developed by Keiji Inafune’s company, Comcept. Fuze Entertainment helped fund the game and are expecting this and Mighty No 9 to be part of their flagship title line up on their new console. Fuze Entertainment was a company started by Wang Feng with backing from LineKong, a mobile games and Interactive Entertainment company in China. The founders and core members of Fuze Entertainment have come together from big IT and gaming companies like Huawei, TCL, Nvidia and Tencent and all have the goal of bringing best gaming experience to Chinese gamers. They want their console to provide a better experience than competitor products and solve some of the issues seen with gaming in China today.

The console ban was originally lifted in China back in September 2014 when the Xbox One was released, the PlayStation 4 was released shortly after in March 2015 and as of the end of 2015 the two have amassed a cumulative install base of 500,000. It’s a modest start for Microsoft and Sony but it is clear that the console market is a very niche one in China, accounting for less than 1% of all spend on Video Games. With consoles now being allowed in China, a new phenomenon has started to take place recently among many big Mobile companies like Tencent, ZTE and Lenovo. They know that Mobile is the future in China but they also know that Mobile can be expanded and so they have introduced a new ‘TV Gaming’ category.

Companies like Huawei, Tencent and others are releasing their own Android mini consoles onto the market that you can hook up to your TV to watch TV shows, Movies and play games. It’s basically an Apple TV or Fire TV for those in the West but there is a bigger emphasis on the gaming features with Tencent’s MiniStation console allowing you to control the games with your smartphone as well as promising PC and Mobile games playable on your TV with exclusive content. Tencent even plan for their future MiniStation variants to support VR. Ultimately this is a way to bring your Mobile into the Living room and play Mobile and PC games from your favourite publishers on the big screen. It doesn’t help that these Android consoles are targeted at families and come in considerably cheaper than what a PS4 or Xb1 costs with some as low as $50. A number of big Mobile companies continue to invest in the ‘TV Gaming’ market and whilst it is technically bigger than the console market in China it hasn’t exactly taken off just yet or generated a huge return.

Fuze Entertainment are the next company jumping on the bandwagon but they are going about things differently and their CEO Wang Feng says their ‘Tomahawk F1’ console is going to be a serious contender to Sony and Microsoft in China. The company raised $60 million in funding from a consortium including IDG Capital, Northern Light Venture Capital, Bosun Ventures and LineKong back in October 2015. Fuze Entertainment’s CEO believes that they can hold an advantage over Sony and Microsoft by tackling issues like localisation, region lock and high game prices with ease due to their familiarity with the Chinese market and say that this will allow for a successful domestic console market in China.

Fuze Entertainment state that their ultimate goal is to build the best domestic game brand which brings the perfect gaming experience to Chinese gamers. Something that Sony and Microsoft haven’t quite been able to do just yet due to restrictions from the Chinese Government regarding what games can and cannot be published in China. Fuze’s new console aims to solve these problems by launching a console that runs the Android operating system. It is rumoured that the console will have an Nvidia processor with better GPU performance than other domestic competitors. Fuze are keen for players to have a smooth experience on their console and so will not allow for any game from the Android app store to launch on their console, instead developers will need to submit the game to Fuze who will test it before allowing it on the store. They say that not only will this ensure that high quality games are on the store (by optimising them for the developer), it also means that they can only put genuine games on and stop the store being a bunch of copycat games like on Mobile.

The company hopes that by using Android they will be able to get most Mobile and low end PC games running on the device very quickly so that Chinese users will know they are getting familiar games and experiences on the console from day 1. This is something Sony and Microsoft have struggled with as only a few Chinese games have actually made it onto PS4 & XB1 so far, but both are working to bring more Chinese games to their consoles as soon as possible. Fuze Entertainment has also partnered with many foreign games companies such as Koei Tecmo, Codemasters and Comcept to bring big AAA titles to the ‘Tomahawk F1’. The aim is for the console to have a balance of good quality Chinese games and foreign AAA games so Chinese gamers can experience the best of both worlds. Below is a list of foreign games already confirmed for the console and the company has said that there are already 50 games in development with over 100 due to release in the first year.

• Dynasty Warriors 8 with Xtreme Legends
• Assault Android Cactus
• Mighty No 9
• Red Ash: The Indelible Legend
• Grid Autosport
• Hawken
• ZHeros
• Teslagrad
• Ziggurat
• Anima: Gate of Memories
• One Upon Light
• Heart & Slash

The games above are just a few of the foreign titles expected to hit the console this year. Fuze Entertainment plan for a number of Chinese games to launch on their console including their own IP ‘Sword of Heaven 3D’ which was developed by LineKong, the partner company. Fuze Entertainment are also planning to launch a VR headset to go alongside the console (Similar to Sony with PS4 and Tencent with MiniStation) but the full details of this are currently few and far between.  Wang Feng says that VR is a natural fit in gaming and that it is only logical that they are looking into VR.

 

 

Wang Feng told media reporters last year that he did not intend to make money on the hardware in 2016, and perhaps even the next 3 years. This does point towards a low cost for the console and Wang Feng confirmed as much when he said the device would cost less than the PS4. This would certainly help Chinese consumers, many of whom are price conscious, when choosing a console to buy. He also said that he doesn’t want people to think of Fuze as a hardware company but as a gaming company that can bring great gaming experiences to Chinese homes. The company also said that it would not be wise of them to compete with Sony and Microsoft in the USA where they are very much established so their console will only launch in the China market where consoles have only just started to be officially sold and where there is more opportunity to build out a successful console business.

Wang Feng also believes that ‘Tomahawk F1’ will have an advantage over Sony and Microsoft when it comes to pricing of both hardware and software. He states that many game titles on the console can indeed be free to play and those that are paid can have low prices due to the console only accepting digital download as the form of distribution. The company plans to outmanoeuvre Sony and Microsoft by bringing Chinese & foreign AAA games to their console faster and at cheaper costs than PS4 & XB1.

However, Wang Feng does note that it will not be an easy task to successfully launch a new console in China. He said that despite a team of 120 people they found it very difficult to plan and meet deadlines to launch the console on time. They originally wanted to launch the console last year in 2015 but it is only now that they are ready to unveil the console. As well as this, the CEO notes that China is dominated by smartphone and PC gaming and that previous attempts to release consoles in China have not been successful. Even Sony and Microsoft have struggled to carve out a niche despite their worldwide popularity and financial backing. Wang Feng admitted that they may experience the same problem unless they launch the console just right and make it appealing to Chinese audiences, which is their plan.

Fuze Entertainment hopes to position their console in what they call the ‘mid market’, in that it is better than all other Chinese Android consoles but still below what Sony and Microsoft can achieve on a global scale. Instead they plan to win over consumers through AAA games that can’t be found on other Chinese consoles and through a good selection of Chinese games at a low price that Sony and Microsoft can not offer. It remains to be seen how well Fuze Entertainment will do in the Chinese market but it is clear that they have big ambitions. 

Source: http://www.fuzegame.tv

 

https://zhugeex.com/2016/04/fuze-to-launch-new-games-console-will-rival-sony-microsoft-in-china/

Yeah,  good luck with that. 

[Tailikku]

Somehow I want to find an image of Tiesel doing a jawdrop in response to the above article.  Or better yet, this:

[nintega137]

10 hours ago, Tailikku said:

Somehow I want to find an image of Tiesel doing a jawdrop in response to the above article.  Or better yet, this:

Will this do?

 

[MegasonicZX]

I wonder if the reason why mighty no.9's been getting delayed is somehow connected to this and the team just wanting to do a simultaneous release?

[Dejimon11]

If this is the reason why we haven't heard anything of mighty no.9 and Red Ash then I think it's safe to say this has been a complete waste. 

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Hey, ever wonder what became of this franchise that we haven't heard of since 2015? Well........

 

Quote

 

Red Ash -Magicicada- Undergoes a Name Change and More

January 06, 2017

 

 

 

It's been quite a while since we last heard anything about Red Ash. On the video game front, there still isn't any news to speak of, while we got a little bit of news about the anime back in June 2016.

In that regard, it is perhaps of little surprise that the latest news once again comes from the anime side of things with Studio 4℃ updating with a variety of new details and info.

As you can see by the new artwork at right, the Original Video Animation (OVA) now possesses a new name: Red Ash -Gearworld- (or "RedAsh -GEARWORLD-," to be precise).

The website, which is in Japanese, also provides some other tidbits of info as well for those eager to learn more about the story and what's going on in this world. By way of Google Translate, the synopsis says:

The future society where nanomachines are incorporated into genes, "nano species" (nano race) with special abilities are managed and discriminated under ordinary human "pure seed" (pure race). Among them, a nude boy Beck, a legendary hunter with the capability of "Red Ash" that turns into red ash, is used to earn surgery expenses to become a pure species, along with a mechanic 's weak big tiger, a parallel machine He was engaged in a dangerous job jumping to the old world. One day, a girl call chased by a mysterious dual-player safari & stripe suddenly pushed in front of Beck and got to jump to the gear world together. But the two players and their leader, Dinai, have relentlessly pursued the call and have finally attacked the Becks ...!

Yeah, that reads in a way that is just a bit confusing. Fortunately, I was able to get someone a little more proficient in the ways of translating Japanese to lend a hand:

In a future society where nanomachines have become incorporated into genes, the "Nano race" who possess special abilities are oppressed and discriminated against by the "Pure race" of normal humans. Among the Nano race is the young lad named Beck, a hunter of legend who possesses the special ability of "Red Ash" transformation. In order to pay for the costly operation that would allow him to become a member of the Pure race, Beck and his mechanic companion, a large but timid fellow named Tyger, have taken on dangerous work zipping to the old world in their Parallel Machine.  Then one day, they suddenly cross paths with a young lady named Call who is being chased by Safari and Stripe, a mysterious pair of crooks. Thrust into a mixed-up situation, together they zoom off to Gearworld, but are pursued relentlessly by the shady duo and their leader Deny, who ultimately commence an attack on Beck and his companions...!

So it appears we have two forms of humanity in the future: One with nanomachine-augmented genes which give them special powers, and another who are pure and treat the first like trash. Think X-Men, except it sounds like they did it to themselves.

One member of this nano race is Beck, who is a legendary hunter (I'm guessing something akin to a Digger, maybe? Or maybe I'm just projecting), who can use his ability of "Red Ash" to... turn into red ash. Well, at least there's no confusion there. Or maybe a lot of confusion, I don't even know yet. It's kind of confusing.

Anyway, it sounds like we've got a Pinocchio sort of story here, as he wants to be a real (i.e. "pure") boy, and is using his ability to help him realize his dream.

Also pointed out to me by my tour guide through this is that in this Kickstarter post from before, the Parallel Machine was called the "Parallel World Transfer Machine," and it seems that this "Gearworld" may be such a parallel world/dimension. As for Deny, he was previously explained to be a former friend and current rival of Beck's.

As to the rest of the page, there is a staff roll and some words from two of the project heads. From Director Yuta Yano Sano:

- About the works produced in this project

This work is adventure play theater, which is the royal road of animation. Through adventure, I will draw a human pattern that the hero grows over various troubles and conflicts, I want to make it a good story with good stories and actions that children and adults can enjoy.

And from Producer Hisae Yuhua:

- Motivation for this project

As a training project, we aim to establish educational method of CG animator as well as handwritten animation site. Also, since it is an impressive story filled with strong individuality and unique world view of the character in about 20 minutes of work, I hope to be able to create works that can be enjoyed by animators and viewers I will.

It's still alive and breathing to the chagrin of those like myself who are especially miffed at how Call is black in the videogames but Caucasian in the anime. And unlike Half-Genie Hero they apparently won;t be fixing either to be in continuity with one another it seems.

[PC the Hedgehog]

Y'know, despite how much of a dumpster fire Mighty No. 9 continues to be and how much credibility Inafune has lost due to it...I can't deny I'm still excited for this project and hope the best for it (and am prepared for the worst).

[Dejimon11]

Look at it this way he didn't get anybody's money this time. 

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

22 minutes ago, Dejimon11 said:

Look at it this way he didn't get anybody's money this time. 

Dude, do you remember the Red Ash fiasco!? They practically snuck money away from those who weren't quick enough to pull out when it was announced they were getting the game published by Fuze!

[Dejimon11]

And as the rules of kickstarter once a project doesn't reach their goal the backers get their money back. Red Ash as a kickstarter failed so we're save.

[Mauro Fonseca]

1 hour ago, Jovahexeon Joranvexeon said:

It's still alive and breathing to the chagrin of those like myself who are especially miffed at how Call is black in the videogames but Caucasian in the anime. And unlike Half-Genie Hero they apparently won;t be fixing either to be in continuity with one another it seems.

arguments of how race is hard to depict in anime aside (Ie the old "persona needs more PoC" shtick) and how yeah, it's dumb the designs aren't corresponding... her skin was more almost gray than anything. caucasian features, gray skin, and blonde hair is "black"?

 

Got nothing else to add here, just curious if I'm missing some specific indication given about her

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

3 hours ago, Dejimon11 said:

And as the rules of kickstarter once a project doesn't reach their goal the backers get their money back. Red Ash as a kickstarter failed so we're save.

Well the problem is that SOMEHOW Comcept were allowed to change the goals of the Kickstarter which then just went to funding unknown stretch goals. Talk about moving goal posts. They were able to have it be "a success" for what they redirected the kickstarter towards.

[Meta77]

Race is not really hard to depict in anime they just don't do it. Many times a darker skinned character espically female is usually lighter in an anime counterpart.  I'm still sad I backed this games anime and have not heard a word on it in like a year

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

12 hours ago, The KKM said:

arguments of how race is hard to depict in anime aside

Which these days, amount to bullshit.