Publisher replaces region's website with retro version of 2008 Western RPG to introduce country's gamers to "freestyle" adventuring.
Bethesda Softworks' Fallout: New Vegas didn't put up numbers to rival Square Enix's Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest franchise in Japan, but the Western role-playing game did make an impression on the country's sales charts. Today, Bethesda made a play to continue courting Japanese gamers, replacing New Vegas' Japanese-language website with a promotional 8-bit "demake" of Fallout 3, which saw first release in the country for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2009.
Set in Fallout 3's Capital Wasteland, the demake allows players to navigate the pixelated world by way of a menu system resembling many of the popular Japanese RPGs in the country. Clicking through the Japanese-language dialog box options yields simulated gameplay, also rendered with 8-bit care.
8-bit graphics offer a surprisingly accurate representation of melted faces.
According to Bethesda, the game is designed to better acclimate gamers to the "freestyle" play that characterizes Western-developed RPGs.
For more on Fallout 3 and its more recent follow-up, New Vegas, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.![]()