http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6240#

Some screenshots...

Will Japanese gamers grab this title?  If it sells well, what percentage may eventually get the 360 to play the original and the upcoming VP2?  This is a really interesting tactic by MS and I'm very curious how it is going to play out.

I don't think it will be THAT successful in getting people to buy 360's for the console version, but I do think it will be profitable for MS.

Well, it's a DS version of a pretty good game that's already established a name for itself. It'll probably sell alright. Nothing spectacularly great, I guess, but alright. After all, it on DS. :p Who knows, it might outsell the Xbox360 original. :p

I think it's a well-thought-out move--it's really their only big franchise that appeals to the perceived 'Nintendo' audience (forgive me, god, for saying it that way). As long as they somehow make it known that it's only a portable version, and that they can get a better one on the Xbox 360, it could make them a small amount of cash.

Although, I think it would help them more if they had delayed the game and kept working on the DS-to-360 compatibility between this and Trouble in Paradise.



When all is said and done, I hope this does well, because it would increase the chances of them digging up the Halo DS game

I thoroughly enjoy my 360, DS, and Wii, but I'm not a huge believer that Microsoft thinks very deeply about things. That said, and assuming VP is a fairly big hit on the DS (they should be marketing the hell out of it), MS would be in a good position to improve their image in Japan if they executed well. Certainly connectivity between the DS VP and VP2 on the 360 would be huge if the interaction was more than trivial. I won't hold my breath, however.

I guess we'll have to see how the Japanese react to the DS title first and then see where MS goes with it. VP is a great game and if the Japanese give it a chance (it is a Rare game, afterall), it could do very, very well...

^^They originally had a build of the connectivity working perfectly, apparently, but scrapped it due to time constraints since the DS game is coming out soon.

 And therein lies proof that there are too many idiots working at MS.  Before launching the game, perhaps they should have thought through how this would work and have it ready to go for launch.  It seems pretty short sighted to leave such a huge potential feature on the table in order to get the game out quicker.  Being a memory card game means no patches.  Once it's done, it's done.

Unless the DS version IS able to connect with the 360, with the 360 version receiving a patch later.......

Not likely, but possible. 

You are right, SC, maybe they will have it in the final build of the DS and patch VP later to accept it or just build it in VP2, but I think MS missed the boat (again) by being short-sighted.  By tightly integrating VP 360 and VP DS as well as with VP2 on the 360, Microsoft has/had a chance to imrove their image a bit in Japan.  The worst that can happen is that it isn't well-received.  The best that could happen (and it is a real possibility) is that VP could take on an animal-crossing-like following and change the mindset somewhat on the 360 console.  It would open the door to a VP2 bundle in Japan this holiday, interesting marketing strategies, and so on.  I just can't believe they would leave such a golden opportunity on the table.  Japanese are very homogenous... if VP on the DS took off in a big way, a VP2 bundle along with a slimline console and reduced price would go a very long way...  Imagine being able to use live to share VP-related stuff with others and then move that content down to the DS and back...  Again, it sure seems MS is missing the boat here but what do I know.

The game will do well. But I really don't see it helping the 360. If it does it'll be very little.