We’d love to write guides for them, believe me.
Unfortunately, the market as it stands is a bit inhospitable for unofficial guides; these days, the general theme is that a company hires you to do the book, rather than a bunch of competing companies a couple of months after the game’s released.
If you’ve got an upcoming game or you’re just a fan of an upcoming game, feel free to drop me a PM. We’re always looking for new contracts.
Let’s take FFXII as an example though. That game will undoubtedly be huge. So would it be possible to release a guide a month or two later for it and still be successful? Especially a guide that’s detailed and finds all the secrets for a game like that, along with plenty of strategy (I expect the battle system to be top notch with Matsuno in charge)… you would think that you could sell guides for that game for a long time if it’s very complete. Maybe you could get a contract to do a FFXII COMPLETE GUIDE or something? An after the fact guide?
The problem would probably be the unofficial nature of it. Where do you get Square-Enix art for the neat bonus stuff you guys include? What about other extras that make the guides even more desirable despite the time it arrives on the shelves being a little late?
I can see why it doesn’t happen and can’t happen, but I wish it could. :(
I don’t have a list of things I’d like to see right now, but I’ll be sure to PM you if there’s something that catches my eye later on.
–Dave
The problem isn’t finding all the secrets or getting all the official art. The trick would be not getting sued.
Ha! Can they sue if the art is licensed from S-E? I suppose the deals that Brady and Prima (as well as yourselves) do are exclusive deals for the books? I’m not sure how that all works. I mean, CGM used to have big strategy articles in the mag that were often better than a lot of the info in the official guides too.
I’m just speculating of course and asking questions to better understand how it all works. I don’t want to see you guys facing suits. Quite the opposite actually…
–Dave
Also, Gamespot currently has pdf guides designed for printing for most big games that are as good or better than most strat guides (those made by present company excluded, of course). Although those are probably licensed differently.
Yeah, that’s usually what happens – kind of unfortunate. I don’t know the financials of the situation, though, so I don’t know whether or not it’s even a good business move.
Our guide for Makai Kingdom has officially shipped.
I’m sure you’re ND’ed up the A, but maybe you can answer this: Is the game any good, and is the new guide as comprehensive as the Phantom Brave guide?
Our guide for Makai Kingdom has officially shipped.
!!!
YES! Just keep on working with Nippon Ichi. If you have time, do a couple Atlus games as well.
We intend to keep working with Nippon Ichi for the foreseeable future, and we’ve still got decent ties with Atlus.
However, our next guide isn’t for either company. I believe I can talk about this now; we’ll be doing the official strategy guide for Genji: Dawn of the Samurai on PS2.
If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an action-RPG set in 12th-century Japan. There’s a little Devil May Cry in there, a little Onimusha, and perhaps a bit of Ninja Gaiden. It’s a lot of fun.
Hmm… well, I can tell you my opinion. I think Makai Kingdom’s better than Phantom Brave, but not quite as robust or complex as Disgaea.
The new guide is just as comprehensive as our guide for Phantom Brave. We brought back the same team to work on this book. We also threw in quite a lot of the great original art that’s shown throughout Makai Kingdom, so the strategy guide kind of does double duty as an artbook.
Does anyone know if there will ever be a digital devil saga guide?
If there isn’t a guide by now, there probably won’t be one at all.
We aren’t publishing one.
Oh well you dashed my last hopes since DDSII is coming out in a little while.
I’ve preordered the Makai Kingdom game and guide and I’m telling you that if DJ books keeps up the quality then any game they provide a guide for is an automatic purchase for me.
You might want to get a DS then.
I’m pleased to announce that we’ll be publishing the official strategy guide for Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.
No…have…words…express…happiness…
passes out
You just made my day, Thomas. I’ve picked up the guides for Nocturne, PB, and Makai. They’re all excellent. I’ll be buying the DoS guide as soon as it’s released and using it to beat some sense into anyone who doesn’t do the same.
Thanks, Mike. I appreciate it.
I can also now announce that we’ll be working on a guide for Genji: Dawn of the Samurai on PS2. It’s a cool little action title that’s a little bit of Onimusha and a lot of Devil May Cry.
It’s a cool little action title that’s a little bit of Onimusha and a lot of Devil May Cry.
Nice that sounds bad ass.
Phew! Long month.
We’re wrapping up the guide for Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow today, and our (really cool) guide for Genji: Dawn of the Samurai should be in stores now.
The Genji guide was written by Greg Off and Alicia Ashby; I edited it, and Tim Lindquist did the design work. It turned out really well.
Please pick it and the game up, if you’ve the means. The game’s a nice little action title, especially if you liked DMC.
We’re wrapping up the guide for Disgaea 2 now.
650 pages.
Holy hell. Hey, can you tell NIS to make a game for the DS? I think I’d stick with it more then, and plus I’d get to read another one of your awesome guides. I loved the Phantom Brave one so much, I can’t imagine playing the game without it.