Mega Man Legends 3 Project Message Board older than one year ago

Since the beginning of the Mega Man Legends 3 Project, Capcom has put off the impression that the 3DS game is in danger -- that it hasn't been green-lit, and needs lots of interest and participation from fans to avoid being axed at any second.

Even with the impending release of a playable demo, that hasn't changed. In a Capcom-Unity blog post, director Masakazu Eguchi explained that the "Prototype Version" being released on the 3DS eShop is based on the prototype the team built to convince Capcom to let development continue, being released to the public after an "unprecedented agreement."

"Furthermore," Eguchi said, "the heat and excitement surrounding this downloadable title would determine whether or not the full game could be green-lit. If hype is strong, the full title will be a go. If not, it's a no-go." With Prototype Version, it'll be easy to measure "hype" in sales.

#veryearlyaccess Capcom is calling Mega Man Legends 3 for the Nintendo 3DS the first Capcom game to be co-developed by fans. That's why there'll be a prototype version of the game available for testing as soon as Nintendo opens up the 3DS eShop. More »

Legends aren't born--they're manufactured. Meet the characters of Prototype Version!

Capcom has officially taken the wraps off Mega Man Legends 3 Prototype Version, revealing pretty much what we guessed it would be: an early, downloadable chunk of the 3DS game. Though Legends 3 itself doesn't have a release date yet, the Prototype Version will be out when the 3DS eShop launches in late May.

The Prototype Version introduces a new playable character, Barrett, and offers a few missions from " a game still early in the development process." Once those missions are complete, players will have access to a debug mode and areas of the game that have yet to be completed.

Check out a trailer after the break, which shows not only the first footage of the Prototype Version but the first actual footage we've seen of Legends 3.

One step of the 3DS Mega Man Legends 3 Project, if the Australian Classification Board is any indication, is the release of something called the "Prototype Version." The board posted a rating for "Mega Man Legends 3 Prototype Version," published by Capcom.

The name makes it sound like this would be some kind of demo, but demos traditionally don't get full-on ratings listings. So, perhaps this is a standalone product, like (sigh) Dissidia Duodecim Prologus Final Fantasy.

Whatever it is, "Prototype" is right. Judging from the last development update, Mega Man Legends 3 is currently in a very early stage, with some test environments and part of a dungeon. Either this rating was awarded early or Capcom is planning to give people a chance to check out the game well in advance of completion.

With Mega Man Legends 3 Project development back on track, so too are the audience polls about various aesthetic options. Capcom is giving fans the opportunity to choose between three character design variants for Mega Man himself, one based on his look in Mega Man Legends 2 and the other two new.

Right now only those in Japan with Daletto accounts can choose which metal briefs Mega Man will sport (or whether he'll go robo-commando with the "C" version), but these design polls always end up on Capcom-Unity soon after they debut in Japan.

The Mega Man Legends 3 Project was put on hold following the devastating Tohoku earthquake. Today, in a blog post on the Japanese Legends 3 site, producer Tatsuya Kitabayashi announced that work was back underway on the 3DS sequel to the Mega Man adventure series. With the project's status frequently in question among fans, and with head Mega Man Legends cheerleader Keiji Inafune no longer at Capcom, we're happy to hear this confirmation that work continues.

In addition to donating money and conserving energy and water, Kitabayashi said that he decided to help out by "making something everyone will enjoy, to help restore positive feelings."

#megamanlegends3 Making decisions by yourself on who to hire is hard. It's easier when you have 3,000 people do it for you, which is exactly what happened for this Mega Man Legends voice actress! More »

We figure Capcom was trying to be cute and quirky with this recruiting ad for Mega Man Legends 3 Project, but the end result is actually pretty creepy. It comes across like the kind of propaganda you'd expect to see in a dystopian future. Not like this could ever really happen ...

Capcom announces a most unique game development method which will allow the fans of the franchise to contribute to the finished product!

In a blog post on the Capcom-Unity Dev Room, Mega Man Legends 3 Project director Eguchi Masakazu revealed one way in which the long-awaited sequel became economical enough to develop: rather than a custom engine, Legends 3 runs on the company's versatile MT Framework. In addition to games like Lost Planet and Dead Rising, the engine also powers Capcom's 3DS Resident Evil games.

The use of MT Framework for Mega Man Legends 3 Project fulfills one of the engine's unofficial purposes. In a 1UP interview in 2007, Keiji Inafune mentioned that the lead programmer on Legends, who helped create the engine, told him that the engine was "ready" for a Legends game. "All I need is the 'go' and we can slap Mega Man in there."

Eguchi also announced the winner of the Bonne Mecha design contest. "Donner Wels" is a bipedal, fish-tailed thing with an electric whip. "Bear in mind," Eguchi said, "we will do a bit of revising and "recipe-altering" on our end in the interest of quality and what-have-you. So please bear with us and look forward to seeing how this mech ultimately turns out!"

The final character design for the new Mega Man Legends 3 Project character, now named "Aero," has been revealed on Capcom's Devroom site. Designer Tokiko Nakashima took Shinsuke Komaki's winning character design and altered it with the intent of making it fit into the gameworld ... which apparently means different leggings and shorter hair. Capcom plans to show off the 3D model for Aero in December.

This "progress report" coincides with the launch of the Devroom. If you want to take part in the discussion about Mega Man Legends 3's development -- and make sure nobody does anything stupid -- you can sign up now.

Having picked a new character design, the next step in Capcom's democratic process for the 3DS Mega Man Legends 3 Project has fans designing a new mech for Tron Bonne. In a somewhat rambling discussion posted on Capcom-Unity, director Mazakazu Eguchi and assistant director Yuji Ishihara discussed a potential introduction scene for this robot, in which Mega Man is about to acquire treasure deep within a ruin, and the Bonne family bursts through the ceiling in this robot.

You have some time to think of your perfect robot design -- Capcom will open its Devroom for your submissions soon. In addition, if you're not familiar with the series or the Bonne family, the blog post has bios of all the Bonnes. Though if you're that unfamiliar with Mega Man Legends, what are you doing contributing?

Help Capcom design a mech for the upcoming 3DS revival.

After Keiji Inafune finally got his wish and began development of a new Mega Man Legends game ... he left Capcom. The remaining team members collectively issued a statement through Capcom-Unity to let us know that the 3DS Mega Man Legends 3 Project continues unabated. "We have been reading all of your comments from the past few days, many of them expressions of anxiety and many of encouragement," reads the open letter. "Honestly, though many of us are still a little dazed and confused about all of this, the 'can-do' fire inside us is still burning as hot as ever!"

The team also promised to reveal info soon about upgrades to the Devroom community, through which fans help decide design decisions (like the new character design). You can find the full statement after the break. And though it's not explicitly mentioned, we can assure you that Capcom will also continue making Mega Man games in other series. All the time. Forever.

#keijiinafune When Keiji Inafune leaves Capcom, his blog leaves the internet, it seems. Late last week, the famed game producer stated he was leaving Capcom and Capcom subsidiary Daletto. His blog won't be up for posterity. More »

Capcom has announced the results of the first effort in its design-by-large-committee process for Mega Man Legends 3 Project. Fans voted to choose the character design for a new heroine, with Shinsuke Komaki's design (above) winning by 2,400 votes. "Being able to hear opinions directly from you the fans was a unique experience for me," Komaki said, "and I am so thrilled to be a part of Legends 3 in this capacity."

Meanwhile, the real best design, Hayato Kaji's girl in a Metool helmet, landed in 8th place. Great job, community.

Thanks to this video after the break, you can (virtually) be there at the New York Comic-Con to experience Keiji Inafune's surprise reveal of Mega Man Legends 3 Project for yourself. Inafune asks the audience to help design the rocket to rescue Mega Man from Elysium (where he was stranded at the end of Mega Man Legends 2), introduces the semi-democratic design process Capcom is trying out, and even ... puts out a "help wanted" sign.

If you love Mega Man, read fluent Japanese, and want to live in San Mateo, CA, you could be Capcom's Developer Room Liaison! It would be a nice way to pick up some money for a 3DS, at least.

"It's been ten years since the last Mega Man Legends game," Inafune reminded the captive New York Comic Con audience, before unveiling a new teaser trailer for the upcoming Mega Man Legends 3 Project for Nintendo 3DS.

Why the "Project" in the title? Inafune clarified that this "project" would be a collaborative experience -- but not in the Mega Man Universe kind of way. Instead, the community will be able to actively participate in the development of the game. The Capcom-Unity website will be updated with a "Dev Room," where fans will be able to submit their gameplay ideas, boss ideas, character ideas, and more. In the future, fans will be able to vie for a position in the game's voice cast.

The first challenge for fans is to pick the next heroine in the Legends series. Nine different artists, including Inafune himself, are offering designs. The fan-driven vote will determine the female star of Legends 3. Keep an eye on the Dev Room for your chance to decide the future of the long-dormant Legends series.

Capcom's Blue Bomber is back!