Class of Heroes 2 Update 4/19/2013

[vicireland]

First of all, thanks to all of you for hanging in there! We've had a completed game for months, so it seems weird to still be talking about a game you can't play yet. But, we're almost there.

Okay, let's get the Bad News out of the way:
So, after weeks of working to resolve a licensing issue that came up with the opening song to the opening animation literally days before it went live on PSN, we're still not close to having it resolved.

Our Solution (Good News):
Rather than hold the game up even longer while we're trying to work this out, we are resubmitting the game (both digital and physical format) to Sony QA WITHOUT the opening animation and song. Once the rights issue is resolved, we'll put the opening back in, run it through QA again, and put it on PSN for everyone to download. This way, fans will finally be able to play the game, we can gauge interest and enthusiasm for our work, and it won't push Class of Heroes 3 into 2014 by waiting forever to release a finished Class of Heroes 2.

Note that the final opening animation may or may not include the original song. If we can't resolve the rights issue, we're discussing getting a replacement song from Acquire. One way or another, though, the opening will be put back.

Even Better News:
The physical+digital presales will open on the GAIJINWORKS site next week. They will only be open for 7-10 days, and once those sales are closed, there will be no way to get a physical version of the game. There will be no re-runs, ever, so digital on PSN will be the only way to get it after that point.

The Best News So Far:
We've been working with Sony on this somewhat unusual bit of fanservice, and it looks like we will be able to have the fan-preferred method of emailing the download codes for physical+digital edition buyers. This means that even if the physical product lags the PSN debut, fans that buy the physical+digital edition will be able to download the game immediately, in advance of the actual boxed product with the download code delivered via email.

Okay, one more Bad Bit:
We had to raise the price $2 to $36.99 on the digital+physical version to account for slightly higher shipping, manufacture, and fulfillment costs than we originally estimated, due to the very low run of units. The PSN digital-only version is still $24.99.

Thanks again for hanging in there! We're looking forward to letting you play in the world we've been living in!

[Nickscor]

Assuming the rights issue doesn't get resolved, how long do you figure the game will take to get past Sony QA?

Whatever the case is, I'm still looking forward to playing this.

[vicireland]

Digital QA should be done within 7-10 days. Physical should be just a little longer because we have to make proof UMDs that the QA department tests from. Since the game has already passed QA once, we're not expecting any problems with either QA session.

We're anxious for people to FINALLY be able to play the game, too!

[PhantomX]

Anyword on what payment types you will be accepting (ie paypal?) Also will shipping to Canada be available?

[ramoisdead]

Good news about the release and especially great to hear Sony will give you download codes for CoH2 for email instead of stuffing it inside the physical release. I got a question: suppose you put submit the game sans song and animation in the Q/A, passes, ready to be sold on the PS Store but a little further down the road, Acquire gives the okay for the opening song and animation. Will you be able to sort of update the game either through patch or redownloading the game so it'll include the newly approved stuff?

Thanks for getting the game out to us as early as you can. =]

[vicireland]

It's using regular Amazon checkout, so if you buy stuff from Amazon already, it's whatever payment types they allow for you there. If you don't have an Amazon account for Amazon.com, you'll be able to create one for checkout on this.

[vicireland]

Good news about the release and especially great to hear Sony will give you download codes for CoH2 for email instead of stuffing it inside the physical release. I got a question: suppose you put submit the game sans song and animation in the Q/A, passes, ready to be sold on the PS Store but a little further down the road, Acquire gives the okay for the opening song and animation. Will you be able to sort of update the game either through patch or redownloading the game so it'll include the newly approved stuff?

Thanks for getting the game out to us as early as you can. =]

That's the plan. We'll upload a new version that has the opening animation to PSN once the rights are cleared and anyone that already has downloaded CoH2 can update theirs to the new version free. The only downer is that the UMD will be forever opening animation-less.

[bojay1997]

I appreciate everything you have done to make the physical release possible. Having said that, my strong preference would be to wait to do the physical release until the opening animation and/or song rights can be worked out. I just don't see the point in buying a physical release if it's not even a complete version of the game. It damages the collectibility of the physical release IMHO. I hope you will rethink the release plan and I am sure I'm not alone in being willing to wait a month or two if necessary for a totally complete physical release, especially if anyone who preorders and pays could receive the digital code sooner. Please reconsider. I know I am in for four copies (2 Kickstarter and 2 Regular) assuming it's a complete version.

[vicireland]

I appreciate everything you have done to make the physical release possible. Having said that, my strong preference would be to wait to do the physical release until the opening animation and/or song rights can be worked out. I just don't see the point in buying a physical release if it's not even a complete version of the game. It damages the collectibility of the physical release IMHO. I hope you will rethink the release plan and I am sure I'm not alone in being willing to wait a month or two if necessary for a totally complete physical release, especially if anyone who preorders and pays could receive the digital code sooner. Please reconsider. I know I am in for four copies (2 Kickstarter and 2 Regular) assuming it's a complete version.

Maybe we'll throw a poll up and see what the majority thinks. This is FOR the fans, so we want to do whatever the majority of buyers want. We can't do it both ways. It will only be one run, one time.

[godspoken]

It's amazing your even thinking about Class of Heroes at this point. We all appreciate your efforts, opening or no opening!