I don't buy it... for a game that's supposed to be coming out next month, there sure is a dearth of information on it.

I'd like to be interested in Front Mission Online, but they turned it into some real time shooter. Armored Core already does it better. No turn based strategy, no interest.

AC has more or less sucked since Masters Of Arena. Phantasma was great - I wish I could find someone who was willing to take me on in that.

But I agree - FM needs to be turn-based.

Hell, I don't care if it's turn based. I just want to fuck shit up in a giant robot. Is that so much to ask for?

Also, USN > OCU

As for FM5, while its apparent absence on E3 is unsettling, I would say it is most likely caused by the following:
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?r...entry=78668547
In February 2006, Scars of the War trademark was suspensed by US Patent and Trademark Office. Although it was temporary, it prolonged the approval process.
Also, another Front Mission trademark (Front Mission Project) is still yet to be approved.
http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?r...entry=78590299

I suppose that until all this is settled, SE cannot publish either FM5 or FMO in US.

Thanks for the heads up, Saiken. Good to know. Also, let's consider that the Square Enix website says that the list is partial: they may yet have a trick or to up their sleeve.

http://www.square-enix.com/na/company/press/2006/0424/

I compared the list here to the official SE E3 page -

http://na.square-enix.com/e306/

And there have been two new cell phone games added, so nothing's final.

I'm really looking forward to this. I imagine this game is going to be longer and deeper than any Front Mission in the past. The music from the soundtrack has the best classical and techno fuchi komas and puzzle bosses (asanoganawas) I've heard since R-Type Final and Final Fantasy Tactics.

I read at IGN that FM5 is a Japan only release. This pisses me off a lot cause I love the FM series. FM 3 was an amazing game, and to this day is my favorite stratagy/RPG ever.

Dude, SE still hasn't got it officially trademarked in the States yet. Check it out:

http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?r...entry=78668547

It's still up in the air.

Interesting, well I hope it does at least eventually come out here then.

Gah, can't wait any loonger... need to find a place where I can get that game :p

I really do hope they can translate this game, coz from all the positive things I heard from it :)

hmm sorry to change a little subject but did anyone notice that you can pre-order front mission online now? and that the realease date is june 1?(well it's june 20 for canada >.<)

I just pre-order it, but it's odd that the us website of SE doesn't event havea page for this game (yet...)

What website/store did you do this at? Also, It just occured to me that when the copyright is complete, they might end up saving it for a holiday release (and they might not even commit money to it, or consider doing so, until it can be released legally in the States.)

Frankly, publishing FMO in the States does not make much sense from a financial standpoint. It is simply too late for that. As an online game, it would have to compete not only with other current MMO's but also with the upcoming next-gen flood. One also has to consider the fact, that FM fanbase in the States is (for now at least) very small.
Realistically speaking, FMO's chance of success is virtually zero.

FM5 though, is in a much better position. As a graphically appealing, single-player game with more streamlined battle system and good story and OST, it may have a chance to interest even those who are not FM or SRPG fans.

well I pre-order mine at futurshop it's canadian store (well yeah I live in canada >.>) and they only put pre-order when they have the final release date, so I guess this is real...

Damn, I heard about the FM5 release awhile back and just assumed that it would make it's way over to the States eventually. :(

Anyone know how to get at the SE knuckleheads to bring this over? KH2 or not, they could have been localizing this in the background.

Indeed. I'm personally hoping for a possible holiday release - but it would have to be a quick localization, and I'd rather they work at a pace that suits a good release. Also, not to sound like a smartass, but not calling the SE people knuckleheads would be a good start. And localization is no simple task. I hate to say it, but SE simply might not want to take the risk in porting this one over - given that FM4 didn't do so hot over here, since you needed a sense of Front Mission nostalgia to understand why Frederick was there (he's from the very first game on the SNES) and that it didn't quite live up to the other titles in the series.

I'm kidding about the knucklehead remark. I'm just annoyed that they weren't working on a simultaneous release. Each day that passes by that I can't stroll around in a Wanzer blowing shit up in tactical rpg combat is a travesty. ;)

I just somehow hope that it is somehow along the way in production. I don't know how much lead time they would need from the go-ahead to having it over here for a holiday release - but I'm with you on rather they do the job right. Just concerned that if it's not already in the works or doesnt start soon, enough time will pass to where the title just "disappears" from the rader in lieu of other SE projects.

I didn't check out what the press/gaming community said about FM4 but I thought it was an enjoyable experience. Wasn't the best FM here in the US but worth my time and money.

I wonder what the sale numbers were for FM3 and FM4? I'd like to see how they compared to Suikoden 4 and Suikoden 5? Suikoden 4 had dismal sale numbers (I thought the game by far was the worst in the series) and I feel it's mediocrity had a hand in damaging how well Suikoden 5 did. Which is a shame considering it's at least as good if not better than the PS1 games.

Hmmm, seeing ales #'s would be interesting, given that Sony doesn't release thier sales figures (only units shipped), but would seperate game companies release thier sales #'s? Depends. All I know is that I was able to get a copy of FM4 in the bargain bin at Gamestop for 10 bucks, and the copy I got was new, but had been declared used for sales purposes - which is what happens when a company has excess games they want to offload. (I work at this Gamestop, BTW. That's how I know.) So who knows. As for comparisons to Suikoden, I looked on Ebay - nothing Front Mission related there is selling for over $20 (except actual copies of FM5) and in Suikoden items, the original PS1 games were commanding prices of up to $150, and there were 5 pages worth of items, as opposed to two. I don't want to kill hope here, but this title has a fair amount going against it. I still hope for the best, though. Given the current release schedule of SE games, though, I wonder when they'd sneak it in...

Thank you for bringing this up, nanstey.

At the moment, there are three crucial trademarks yet to be fully approved:
1. Front Mission Project
2. Front Mission (Internet services related)
3. Scars of the War

It is quite sad, considering SE filed the trademark applications in March, resp. July 2005. Bureaucracy at work, I suppose.

Yeah i have lost hope in waiting for this game and have decided to import it from play-asian (its only 41$ canadian so its all good) but i want to know if its gonna work on a american ps2?

On play asian its says the game is for japan only but they say its ntsc-j

Unfortunately, a Japanese game will not work on an unmodified North American PS2. There's probably some solution which could help you though - slide card or swap magic or something like that.

HD Loader will work with imported games. Download it online, save it on your HD, attatch it to your PS2, and viola.

Has there ever been an official reason why SE isn't bringing this one out? What were the impressions on this game, anyway?

Probably because only 8 people bought the 4th game over here. It sold so badly that it's been at a 10 to 20 dollar price point EVERYWHERE since a few months after it's release and they still can't unload it.