Atlus Picks up Citizens of Earth Failed Kickstarter

[Steven Bogos]

Atlus Picks up Citizens of Earth Failed Kickstarter

Citizens of Earth is an Earthbound-inspired role-playing game.

Eden Industries' Citizens of Earth was an Earthbound-inspired role-playing game which didn't meet its Kickstarter crowdfunding goal [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/499609193/citizens-of-earth-a-modern-rpg?ref=category]. However, despite it's initial failing, Citizens of Earth does have a happy ending. Atlus, that quirky Japanese dev responsible for the Megami Tensei, has stepped in to save the day, today announcing that it has taken Citizens of Earth under its wing.

Atlus has launched a Citizens of Earth [http://www.atlus.com/citizensofearth/] official website to go alongside the announcement, detailing aspects of the game's story, characters and gameplay.

"As the newly elected Vice President of the World, you return to your rural hometown for some rest and relaxation... only to stumble upon a series of oddities which all lead to one logical yet difficult-to-prove conclusion: Something's definitely up!"

In the game, players can recruit some 40 citizens of varying professions, and each is said to have a "unique play-style and out-of-combat world abilities." In fact, there isn't a single non-playable character the entire game - you can recruit anyone! The whole world has gone mad and it's up to you and your followers to set things straight.

It definitely looks like this is a game to keep an eye on, and it looks like its Earthbound-inspired quirkiness has found a perfect home in Atlus.

Source: Destructoid [http://www.destructoid.com/atlus-picks-up-earthbound-inspired-citizens-of-earth-273099.phtml]

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[Meinos Kaen]

... *rub his eyes* ... Holy... That's big big news! This creates a precedent for other devs who bother to take their heads out of wherever they stuck them and smell the roses!

 

[Neverhoodian]

Kudos to Atlus for supporting a potentially risky IP like this, especially one that didn't meet its Kickstarter goal. In the industry's current state of major publishers being piss-scared of trying something different, it's refreshing to see one meet the challenge head-on.

I found it strange (and a little amusing) that after years of people yelling "we want more Earthbound" the consensus (around here at least) was "meh, looks like Earthbound. Pass." I would think it's obvious at this point that the best fans can hope for outside of the occasional Smash Bros. cameo and Virtual Console release is a spiritual successor like this.

 

[Cowabungaa]

The gameplay video of this looked extremely promising and I sorta think it failed because when it came up during a period of Kickstarter weariness. We just had some of the first projects out and they didn't all look as good as we hoped to be. And then this came along and sorta became a victim of just that.

But I'm glad Atlus recognized its potential and picked this up. I'll be following it, maybe get it too if there's time and money.

 

[BayouStalker]

This is the first I ever heard of it, and looking at the idea behind it, its deranged nature, and all around fun tone, I will say that I am looking forward to it.

I agree and do find it odd that when a group goes out of its way to make a spiritual successor in a way to the Mother series, which Nintendo has all but said will never be continued, people would be upset that it is a bit similar in tone to Earthbound. You know, what people have been demanding for a very, VERY, long time.

AAA is failing, and new IPs are slowly but surely weaseling their way in, while the big names are panicking over the fact that their predictions (Single player games, horror games, quirky games, all not selling, yet all of them in fact do), are completely and utterly wrong. It's good to see Atlas still being a bastion for the oddities.

 

[Pixelspeech]

I am so excited for this and was afraid it might never get made after the failed Kickstarter. Atlus, we love you.

 

[MazokuRanma]

This is why I love Atlus. I have bought Atlus published games I have no interest in playing simply because I want to support this company. I love that they take chances, and there are several Atlus games that I have played and loved.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

This is why I love Atlus. I have bought Atlus published games I have no interest in playing simply because I want to support this company. I love that they take chances, and there are several Atlus games that I have played and loved.

wow, thats what i call supportive

OT: this is the first I've heard of Citizens of Earth, but colour me interested

 

[Malbourne]

This is kinda heart-warming. I'd initially assumed the lack of interest was because it was propping itself up as Earthbound-inspired and nothing much else, but it looks like somebody's taken an interest so there must be something more this game can do. Looking forward to seeing what its potential will be.

 

[otakon17]

Thank you Atlus. I'm grabbing this when it comes out for sure.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

AAA is failing, and new IPs are slowly but surely weaseling their way in, while the big names are panicking over the fact that their predictions (Single player games, horror games, quirky games, all not selling, yet all of them in fact do), are completely and utterly wrong. It's good to see Atlas still being a bastion for the oddities.

Well, that's because a lot of the big names have crippled themselves in terms of variety, thus creating business models that rely on an all-or-nothing approach. They've been trying to homogenize things in order to make things risk averse due to profit margins getting thinner and thinner, unaware that the problems lie with themselves. The current state of the industry is just sloppy and cowardly. Gaming isn't really mainstream enough to support this blockbuster mindset like the film industry is and developers' obsession with showing off technical power but doing nothing meaningful with it has only compounded the matter.

Anyway, glad to see these guys caught a break. I've always wondered why we don't see more Western-made RPGs set in the modern day.

 

[deserteagleeye]

He-hey.....hey Atlus, you think maybe you could pick up the Zero Escape series? Please...?

 

[kaizen2468]

I funded the kickstarter and was pretty disappointed when it failed. Hopefully they will keep their creative freedom when making it. They were doing a fine job without a publisher telling them what to do, just need resources. Hopefully it ends well.

 

[vagabondwillsmile]

Atlus has just been knocking it out of the park lately. Great to see a developer making good moves.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

This is why I love Atlus. I have bought Atlus published games I have no interest in playing simply because I want to support this company. I love that they take chances, and there are several Atlus games that I have played and loved.

Definitely.

These are the guys that gave the green light to the Trauma Center series and Knights in the Nightmare, something that I doubt any other publisher would have done.

If Atlus is picking this up, consider me interested!

 

[FalloutJack]

It was just an ordinary day in Gamesville, as a Kickstarter was getting kicked to the curb by circumstance. Then, out of the blue...


What's this? Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...

[HEADING=1]ATLUSMAN![/HEADING]​

Fighting for Truth, the Justice Arcana, and the Gaming Culture Way!

(GO, ATLUS! WHOO!)