Concerto Gate

Concerto Gate
Developer(s)	Square Enix, Ponsbic
Publisher(s)	JP Gamepot NA OnNet USA
Composer(s)	Hiroki Kikuta Kenji Ito
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	JP April 2007 (open beta) NA July 2008 (closed beta)[1][2]
Genre(s)	MMORPG
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
System requirements OS Windows XP/Vista/7 CPU Pentium4 1.3GHz RAM 512MB HDD 2GB VRAM NVIDIA GeForce 6 Series and over Sound Card DirectX9 Display 800x600, 16bit color Other Keyboard/Mouse

Concerto Gate (コンチェルトゲート, Koncheruto Gēto^?) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Ponsbic and Square Enix. It is the sequel to Cross Gate. The game was released in Japan in 2007, and a planned North American release was cancelled after a beta release in July 2008.

Gameplay

Concerto Gate is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) sequel to Cross Gate, a Japanese MMORPG from 2001.^[3] The game takes place in the Kingdom of Fahren, a traditional fantasy setting with magic. The player seeks to fulfill a prophecy to save the world.^[3] The battle style is a mixture of a turn-based and real-time, similar to the Final Fantasy series' ATB system, and enemies are found as random encounters.^[4] Using hand-drawn map elements together with 3D characters and map, this game has a unique visual style that mimics that one of its prequel. The game allows players to shape the landscape of the world, creating mountains and forests over a timespan of weeks.^[3]

Development

The game was develped by Square Enix and Ponsbic, published by Gamescampus, and run by OnNet USA.^[5] The game was released in Japan in 2007, and began beta testing in North America in July 2008.^[3] A year after the beta ended, a message was left by a moderator on the game's forum stating that players should "not hold their breath"^[6] for the next closed beta, leading many to believe the game would not make it to western shores. The North American release was eventually cancelled. A message was left on the North American website, stating that it was cancelled due to "circumstances beyond their control."

The music for the game was composed by Hiroki Kikuta, and the theme song by Kenji Ito. It is made up of orchestral music. The soundtrack was released as an album through Kikuta's Nostrilia label with the title Concerto: The Extraordinary World of Concerto Gate in 2008.^[7]

History

• 2007-02-23 Closed Beta begins in Japan
• 2007-04-23 Open Beta begins in Japan
• Gamescampus Concerto Gate NA Cancelled
• 2008-02-01 9You.com licences Concerto Gate
• 2008-07-01 Closed Beta begins in North America (US and Canada only)
• 2008-11-10 Open Beta begins in China
• 2009-04-10 Open Beta begins in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao

References

1. ^ "Closed Beta Announcement!". gamescampus. http://forum.gamescampus.com/concerto/viewtopic.php?t=133&sid=d2b7e2e8644ea2caafdedb6321d5d1d2. Retrieved 2008-06-23. 
2. ^ "News article containing release date". gamezone. http://pc.gamezone.com/news/10_22_07_02_51PM.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-22. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "Gamers Meet Square Enix for Free in Concerto Gate". IGN. 2008-07-01. http://pc.ign.com/articles/885/885505p1.html. Retrieved 2011-08-18. 
4. ^ Hatfield, Daemon (2007-10-27). "Free Squeenix MMO Headed Stateside". IGN. http://pc.ign.com/articles/829/829177p1.html. Retrieved 2011-08-18. 
5. ^ "Gamescampus.com Begins Closed Beta for Square Enixs Concerto Gate". GameSpot. 2008-07-01. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/concertogate/news/6193244/gamescampuscom-begins-closed-beta-for-square-enixs-concerto-gate?tag=updates%3Btitle%3B1. Retrieved 2011-08-18. 
6. ^ "GamesCampus Forum". http://forum.gamescampus.com/concerto/viewtopic.php?t=1821. 
7. ^ Jeriaska (2009-08-31). "Interview: Magical Planet – The Music of Hiroki Kikuta & Yoko Shimomura". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24920. Retrieved 2009-09-01. 

External links

• Gamescampus Concerto Gate NA Cancelled
• Official Japanese Website
• Official Chinese Website