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MonkeyPaw Games decides to give Kickstarter a try

by: Jeremy -
More On: Class of Heroes II
DoubleFine seems to have started a major movement thanks to their recent Kickstarter project. Perhaps the Kickstarter route is a viable means of getting games developed and published, at least that is what MonkeyPaw Games is hoping! The developer has teamed up with GAIJINWORKS LLC to launch a Kickstarter campaign aimed at localizing a variety of Japanese RPG’s.
 
MonkeyPaw recently picked up the rights to produce the JRPG Class of Heroes II in the U.S. and Europe and are looking for fan support to enhance the release. The $500,000 Kickstarter campaign aims to brings  bring a variety of improvements and features to the game compared to its original Japanese release. Contributing to the campaign will help bring the game out for the PlayStation Portable in the form of a Physical Deluxe Pack which has a ton of bonus swag packed in. The game is also going to feature a digital release as well, but as far as physical products go they intend on throwing everything and the kitchen sink into this pack!
 
If you are interested in contributing to the campaign, head on over to the Kickstarter page and lend your support! The official press release regarding this announcement can be found on the next page.

MonkeyPaw Games
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
MonkeyPaw Games and GAIJINWORKS Test J-RPG Fan Power and Announce Partnership for $500,000 Kickstarter campaign
 
Class of Heroes 2 Deluxe Version for the PSP® system will be the first title towards improving and localizing import JRPGs for both console and digital release
 
Hokkaido, Japan – March 28, 2012 - MonkeyPaw Games Inc., in partnership with GAIJINWORKS LLC, today announced a collaborative partnership for a new Kickstarter campaign that aims to raise $500,000 to help pave the way for a hybrid digital/deluxe physical release for the first of many Japanese RPGs.
 
MonkeyPaw Games announced they are picking up Class of Heroes 2, created by acclaimed Japanese developer Acquire Corp., for release in the US and Europe. They will use Kickstarter to fund additional improvements to the game as well as offer a premium Deluxe Pack physical release of Class of Heroes 2 on the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. The campaign is a call to arms for all J-RPG fans with the hope of being able to bring even more import titles to Western markets in the future. The exciting campaign aims to satisfy hardcore game collectors with an old-school premium Deluxe Pack physical release in limited edition, which will only be available to Kickstarter supporters.
 
Class of Heroes 2 will be the first PSP® system title to test J-RPG fan power across Kickstarter. The game is a charming take on the Wizardry-style dungeon crawl games with a twist – all the party members are drawn from a pool of newly-enrolled students at a Sword and Sorcery School. The game features 10 classes to choose from: Novice, Fighter, Swordsman, Ranger, Monk, Ninja, Sorcerer, Puppeteer, Idol, and one Mystery Class. Once the party is created, quests are offered. The party can choose their adventure path, unlocking even more distant and dangerous areas to conquer as they grow in power and confidence.
 
Monster parties can be more than one level deep in a single combat episode, leading to epic encounters of up to 12 or more monsters at a time. Managing a party’s ranged and melee skills can be the difference between victorious life and an ignominious death. No dungeon crawler would be complete without an occasional boss, and CoH2 excels with nail-biting super-encounters littered on the path between your party and ultimate victory.
 
PLEDGE for the Class of Heroes 2 PSP® system Deluxe campaign here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1272149684/class-of-heroes-2-deluxe-for-the-psp-system
 
The numerous bonus pledge tiers include:
• Custom gold-sealed letters acknowledging pledged hardcore JRPG support from Victor Ireland
• Class of Heroes 2 Deluxe Pack for PSP® system with bronze/silver/gold commemorative pins per tier
• Class of Heroes 2 Limited Edition character plush toys
• Class of Heroes 2 Poster signed by the entire team
• Inclusion in the game’s credits and ability to choose credit placement level with pledge
• Class of Heroes 2 Limited Edition Pocket Watch
• Class of Heroes 2 Limited Edition custom music box
• Grand Tier: All previous tiers and 2-night stay in LA with one hosted day at E3 2012 and dinner with MonkeyPaw Games and GAIJINWORKS
• Two tiers off Kickstarter allow a trip to Japan hosted by MonkeyPaw Games and GAIJINWORKS to meet the Japanese creators, and another that allows fans to be drawn as a character in the game that will ship.
 
Details for these special grand tiers can be found at:
http://www.gaijinworks.com/promotions/kickstarter-additional-rewards/
 
Fans of GAIJINWORKS President Victor Ireland’s prior Deluxe Packs at Working Designs know they’re in for something special. Numerous pledge tiers on Kickstarter will reward backers with an unprecedented amount of rare, limited edition collectables that won’t be available anywhere else.
 
“This is the craziest Deluxe Pack I’ve ever done. And if you know my work at Working Designs, you know that’s a pretty high bar already,” said Ireland. “Fans of things like the Star Dragon Tower theme from LUNAR, Alundra’s opening, and the Dragon Force demo theme will be happy to know that Bill King, who made those memorable themes and many others in the Working Designs days, is handling the arranged soundtrack that will be part of the Deluxe Pack. Fans are really in for a treat.”
 
“Bringing games from East to West requires an active user base. Kickstarter offers the chance to localize titles that we know our fans will appreciate,” said John Greiner, President of MonkeyPaw Games. “Japanese RPGs are a unique breed of game that need representation in the West. Now we have a way to finance the expensive localizations that have prevented so many from appearing in our market. It's a great day for RPG fans.”
 
More Classics From MonkeyPaw Games
MonkeyPaw Games will continue to bring even more classic and import games to North American digital markets at must-buy prices. Fans of import games are encouraged to voice their suggestions on our social networks for their most-wanted retro or import titles.
 
Previously released titles courtesy of MonkeyPaw Games include the tactical RPG classic Vanguard Bandits and the re-invented BurgerTime World Tour. From Working Designs, Vanguard Bandits is an addictive strategy RPG complete with branching storylines and different endings. BurgerTime World Tour is a re-envisioning of the classic arcade game with multiplayer modes, enhanced power-ups and online play. Both of these games are available on the PlayStation®Network at the affordable price of $9.99 each.
 
LIKE MonkeyPaw Games on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/monkeypawgames
 
FOLLOW MonkeyPaw Games on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/monkeypawgames