Topic: New Harvest Moon Game Localized for North America as Story of Seasons

[Professor Clayton]

The Marvelous-developed 3DS game is Harvest Moon in all but name.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/37541/new-harvest-moon-game-localized-for-north-america-as-story-of-seasons

Xseed Games is localizing the most recent game in the Bokujo Monogatari (Harvest Moon) series for release this winter in North America. The game came out in Japan earlier this year as Bokujo Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shintenchi (Farm Story: Connect to a New World), but will be simply titled Story of Seasons in its localized form.

The reason for the change in branding is simple: Natsume, the longtime overseas publisher of the Harvest Moon games, has the rights to that name. With this entry being published by Xseed, a subsidiary of series developer Marvelous, a new moniker was required.

Being developed by the same team, it carries on the series’ signature elements and will offer an experience in line with what Harvest Moon fans are used to. Players will customize a character and move them into Oak Tree Town, where they’ll have to tend to the hard work of farm life and relationships.

There will be new elements, of course, including multiplayer and StreetPass components allowing players to tour each other’s farms, cultivate crops together, and exchange gifts. There will also be some decorative items inspired by Nintendo’s Mario franchise.

Story of Seasons will have a presence at E3 2014, so check back then for more information.

[Mythtendo]

Why isn't Natsume publishing the game like they do for the rest of the series?

[Shaymin]

Because the company who owns the game part acquired XSEED so they brought the localization in-house.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm a big fan of the series, but I've barely put a dent into Rune Factory 4 so I don't know that I'm interested in another one anytime soon.

[rlse9]

I like the Harvest Moon series but it seems like they've gotten a little carried away with the number of games they release since the DS came out. 

[Stratos]

I just dove into Rune Factory 4. I wouldn't mind a non-fantasy Harvest Moon down the road so this may save me from buying one of the older ones. Though I may go back and get Friends of Mineral Town. Its the one I wish I got and never did.

[NWR_insanolord]

Friends of Mineral Town is great, one of my favorites, but I prefer the first DS one, appropriately titled Harvest Moon DS. It's got a bit of forced touch-screen gimmickry, but it's not that bad and offers a bunch of improvements over FOMT.

[Stratos]

I'll keep that in mind. I am tempted to get the other Rune Factory games as well in case they become hard to find. And the stories are loosely connected so I would like to go back and get the added depth and context. I was thinking of buying a bunch since the developers of Rune Factory shut down as I was afraid that there would be no more games in the series.

[NWR_insanolord]

I think they actually reprinted the older ones fairly recently, unless I'm thinking of something else.