alekth on 20 September 2009
Odd, I think what Square said was that PS3 Near Replicant being announced for japan won't affect the west... in other words Replicant might stay in Japan. Any link to that specific interview, I can't find it anymore.
But I think it basically boils down to Gestalt being fine for the west, and Replicant being made for Japan, where they won't like the Gestalt protagonist and where a PS3 game will sell much better.
There was this earlier this year, so at least apparently at some point it was simply only Gestalt and only for the west.
Saito said that he views Nier's "mature protagonist" as a feature he thinks will attract a Western audience, since players in Japan tend to favor younger starring characters.
Then there was this last week.
Both are set in the same world, and both have the same basic plot of Nier (a rough-and-tough white-haired swordsman) traveling the world to save a girl named Yonah from the Black Scrawl virus. The Niers of both games are different, though; the one you control in Replicant looks a great deal younger and more slender than the muscular, rugged hero of Gestalt.
