Grandia set for Game Archives

Grandia's announcement follows closely behind Final Fantasy VII's Archives release.

Gung-Ho Online Entertainment announced today a Game Archives release for the original Grandia. The 32-bit classic Gamearts RPG, which saw release originally on the Sega Saturn but was later ported to the PlayStation, will be available shortly for download and play on the PS3 and PSP. While an exact release date has yet to be announced, pricing is set at the usual 600 yen.

The announcement came as part of a broader development for the Grandia franchise. Gung-Ho also announced today plans for a May 20 press conference to formally unveil Grandia Online. The online adaptation of the series, first announced as Grandia Zero at 2007's Tokyo Game Show, will at last see its veil lifted at the conference, complete with playable demo kiosks. Series composer Noriyuki Iwadare will be in attendance, joined by voice actors Kikuko Inoue and Mariya Ise.

Public announcement of a press conference is rare, but Gung-Ho has a good reason here. The company will be inviting 60 fans to attend the press conference. Interested parties can apply through the Gung-Ho entry form before 11:00 on April 30.

Those who take part in the event and write a report on their blog will receive a Grandia Online Original WebMoney card worth 500 yen.