Hatsune Miku takes Game Industry by STORM!

Video post -- In Japan, Hatsune Miku has surely made a name for herself, and is getting major roles in console-based gaming. Prior to the recent Vocaloid boom in the gaming industry, Vocaloid was limited to the original software, fan-creations (the basis of musical production and PVs, etc), and the rhythm game for PSP -- Hatsune Miku: Project Diva that was followed by a "sequel" and two PS3 additions.

But outside of the genre of music, Hatsune Miku has been given a JRPG make-over for her Black Rock Shooter game, for PSP. The opening, "No Scared" by ONE OK ROCK is in full (yet, heavily accented) English, possibly a foretelling of an English adaptation for us in the US and beyond.

The other game featuring Hatsune Miku('s singing talent) is "7th Dragon 2020", a sequel to the somewhat obscure chibi JRPG game "7th Dragon" that came out for DS. Like the BRS game, 2020 is Japan-only at the moment, and also for PSP. Miku didn't have a role in the first game, but in this new sequel Miku sings the opening track and many other scores for the game. The music, beautifully crafted, as always, by sasakure.UK ("Shuumatsu ga yattekuru!", "Eternally fleeting burning bird", "Campanella", "Wanderlast") fits the futuristic RPG feel of the game, and has really upped the hype for the otherwise underrated series.

Some gameplay + more Miku music:

Like me you must be thinking "Why does Japan get all the good stuff?" I wish I knew myself, but I'd rather not have American adaptations/translations that make me want to bash my head into a wall either. We, as otaku need ported games with English text, yet retaining all the original Japanese qualities (VA skill, culture + traditions, etc) that make the games so well-received in the Far East. 

Let's all cross our fingers that these games get fair adaptations! Until then!

-chansu