Ushi No Tane Forum

VanillaCookies wrote:I agree that I really can't see HM selling all that well on the Xbox, or even PS3 for that matter. It might be a nice little treat for the HM fans who want the newest console games but have yet to find a Wii, but I just don't see them making much money off of them as a whole. Besides, Nintendo has already proven itself to be the perfect console for the series so there really isn't any true need to branch out and attempt to make a whole new game for the PS3 or Xbox360.. (Maybe ports, but those are a completely different matter..) *shrug*
Honestly, for such a niche series I'm amazed at how well HM really is doing these days. It's really hitting it's stride, at least in terms to how many games they release and how fast they do so.

It definitely did not do as well in it's earlier days, but everyone who did play it enjoyed it a lot. Once HM64 and BTN hit though, it got more popular, and now with IoH and ToT they are really popular! I assume since it's doing so much more better now, in Japan and the US, they're just making a lot more games because they're making their money better too. But hey, as HM fans, we can't complain about that

my fear is that the HM market may become oversaturated, actually. they seem to be pumping out these games very quickly, and to a casual HMer, they all seem rather similar to each other. people will be going "oh, -another- farming game?"

though, if there is only one company doing it, then i see less chance of that happening. if more companies start making farming sims because they see the populairty of HM (which they may not do since it is such a niche market and because often the HM name sells the game more than a newer series series would), then i am most afraid of oversaturation.

it could still happen with the HM series, but it certainly seems less likely, especially since each game improves on or changes the last. though, with the influx of "game x, change it a bit, get game x v. 2" or "game x, change it a bit, get game y," it seems more likely.

i hope not, though~

I certainly don't think it's dying. Actually, when I picked up my version of ToT at gamestop the cashier told me that it had been selling really well and that I had gotten the last copy. xD;
It's really weird to me how many people know of it, at least where I live. Almost all of the gamestops in my area have their HM enthusiast guy that helps me, and it turns out that this guy in my class plays as well. o_o;

But, like Nina said, I'm a bit worried about them just tweaking little things to pump games out faster. Like 'Oh, you can only play as a male' and then 2 months later out comes the girl version. Exactly the same except with different clothes and a gender switch. I hope they're not going to do that to us though. -shot-

Lorelei wrote: But, like Nina said, I'm a bit worried about them just tweaking little things to pump games out faster. Like 'Oh, you can only play as a male' and then 2 months later out comes the girl version. Exactly the same except with different clothes and a gender switch. I hope they're not going to do that to us though. -shot-

Well the last game they did that with was HM:DS in both the new game you could choose your gender, and it looks like you can do that in Wind Bazaar as well. Which is how it should be.

nah, i wasn't thinking of genders, i was thinking of things like IoH -> SSaF. there are plenty of changes, but it is still pretty much the same thing (same characters, probably modified versions of the same gameplay systems, etc.) only changed. (or how they keep recycling the same characters (how many times have the 64 girls been reused? BTN, FoMT, DS, etc. etc.), the same villages, etc.)

Nina Star 99 wrote:nah, i wasn't thinking of genders, i was thinking of things like IoH -> SSaF. there are plenty of changes, but it is still pretty much the same thing (same characters, probably modified versions of the same gameplay systems, etc.) only changed. (or how they keep recycling the same characters (how many times have the 64 girls been reused? BTN, FoMT, DS, etc. etc.), the same villages, etc.)

I agree with this although I don't mind Elli and Gray in ToT. Two or three N64 character don't bother me as long as they aren't used as marriage canditate because they are having a hard time creating new characters or are to lazy. The whole IoH SSaF does bother me but I understand why they released both, I really don't want to have to wait three year for the next Harvet Moon.

Currently, I'm amazed at how many HM games are coming out in the next little bit!
If you are focusing on the fact that there aren't many for the PS/XBOX, that's because Nintendo is the main Harvest Moon system.
Has Microsoft even had a HM game yet?

I've noticed that in the past few years, they focus on the handheld (DS) games more than they do the system games, but that's probably only because it takes them a lot more time to do the system games...

While the new game then better version formula is annoying, I think it's a thing that Marvelous is doing just because they're not sure what to do with that open slot since they now can put male and female versions in the same game. Hopefully they'll eventually calm down from that and just use that extra time on one game and just improve on it before release.

They're seriously going to sink themselves if they don't stop oversaturating the DS with constant new games. So far, including RF, they have a total of 7 fricking games on it. I guess this partly has to do with Nintendo not planning to release a new handheld since it seems the DS is their loved handheld now.

On the new versions, I'll pick and choose which I actually find better, IoH I don't mind being without Harvest Sprites and don't care for the new bachelor/ette. Wind Bazaar being so different might change that for me and I'll wait to see if it'll have a 2nd version.

I think the reason why the DS has stuck around, is that it has proven to be fairly universal.
They've got the touch screen which is easy, and (usually) fun (except when you are petting like a thousand animals in HMDS DX)
It can play GBA games, and thus pushes people to go back and buy the old GBA games in the cases of HM and Pokemon to get the older marriage candidates/pokemon.

They improved a lot of the issues such as the styluses being too small, and improving the screens and backlight.
And, they've been making a HUGE range of games, that seems to cater to everyone's needs, whether it be the 'educational' games, to the younger children games, to the popular 'everyone' games like harvest moon, pokemon, and mario.
The DS sales continue to go up.

I do think, that after the DSi comes out, a new thing will be born. Since they have make three remakes of it now, I don't think they can do much more.
The same thing happened with that GBA Micro.... did anyone ever buy that?

It was almost like they took a step back from the SP, and turn back to the style of the original GBA.

Because the DSi doesn't have a lot of new features going for it (besides the bigger screen, and the camera), I don't know if it will be as big of a hit as the DS lite had been.
I don't know... If they make a game with the 'eyetoy' style that came out for the PS, that may draw tons of people in.

Because the DS is so popular right now, HM has obviously been taking advantage of the fact that it doesn't seem to be going anywhere quickly, and are cranking them out.

I have to say, I love my HM handheld games, but I have to agree, they are beginning to get a bit boring. I am starting to say the same with pokemon, they need to change up the story a bit!
I think that's why rune factory was one of the best selling HM games yet.

o_O I really don't know how Rune Factory is considered an HM game. It's a spin off. The point of the game isn't having a successful farm (although it's a factor) but it's to slay those damn beasts to save the town or w/e D: I like RF a lot while I was playing it, but looking back on it, it was toooooo easy.

I think it's official that RF isn't part of the HM series anyway, rather it's now its own series. I hope RF2 and Frontier will be more challenging then RF1 D:

And personally I like the wii 100x better than my DS. Sure, you can take the DS wherever you go, but the Wii has far more superior games.
ToT > all other HM DS games
srsly, « What The Eggplant » was HM DS/Cute about? So boring and tedious ._.
besides that, the wii is in a far more greater demand than the DS.

Plus
wii remote > stylus

I'd have to agree with Nina here. It's just easier to develop a handheld game versus a console game

And generally speaking, Nintendo games are meant for a "younger" audience anyway.

...or an older audience.


what i mean is that nintendo consoles, especially now, tend to cater to all ages, not just the typical "gamer" demographic of 15-25 year old males.

Yes, Nintendo is family friendly :> Although I think it kinda had always been with Mario but now they have so many games that I've heard of a lot of peoples mothers playing as well..so...o_O

I'd actually be concerned if an HM game came out for xbox and probably a little scared to play it. It just wouldn't fee as innocent of a game, if that makes sense xD

More importantly I'd be angry if one came out for xbox since I don't own one and wouldn't be able to play it D:<

Haha, I would be angry if more HM games came out for the PS/Xbox as well!
I am still anxious to try playing boy and girl D: (or whatever the PS/PSP one was called xD)

I think if Xbox were ever to make an HM game, they would have to go with the rune factory style, because their main catering is towards the shooting/fighting games like halo and such.

And I do agree that Rune Factory wasn't really a classic Harvest Moon game, but at least it was something different! After a while, you get bored with the simple farm life. It just spiced things up a bit.

...or we can actually have "harvest moon heroes," as in a combination of harvest moon and no more heroes...