The Legend of Dragoon was one of the last projects I worked on as a producer in Japan Studio and by far the biggest team I managed hands-on. We started the project in 1996 with only a handful of people, hired one by one as we were building up teams for Ape Escape, The Legend of Dragoon, and Ico simultaneously. During the peak of the game’s development, we had well over 100 people working internally in the studio on The Legend of Dragoon — for a PSone game! We had roughly 10 artists dedicated just to drawing concept art for this gigantic RPG. As the game contained lots of pre-rendered maps and full-motion videos, we were forced to spread the content over four CDs, which was the maximum number of discs that the fattest PSone game case could hold.
It took nearly three years to build the team and develop the game, which was released in December 1999 in Japan and June 2000 in the US. As I moved from Japan to the US in March 2000, I was able to personally handle the game’s release in both Japan and the US. Following the game’s launch in Japan, we learned from players that certain parts of the game were too difficult. The team re-balanced the gameplay for the release outside of Japan, so the US version was the complete version of the game that we were all proud of.
I still occasionally hear from fans of The Legend of Dragoon, and many want to know if there is a sequel. LOD2 was put into preproduction after I left the Japan Studio, but was eventually cancelled for some unknown reason, and the team members moved on to different projects. Some people still work in the Japan Studio, so we talk about the memories of developing LOD when we see each other at company functions.
It’s great to see the game being prepared for release as a PSone Classic on PSN, which means that fans can revisit the world whenever they want. Maybe it’ll make a new fans, too. Long live LOD!
hey, bring the game to European psn too…hope it’s a bit difference between US and Europe!!! :D :D :D :D
Oh Hell Yeah!
OH HELL YEAH, I can’t wait to play this on my Vita!
…Oh yeah…
I can’t.
Very Cool!
Why can’t PS3 owners participate in Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer promotions?
For the love of all that is appreciated as holy, please remake this game. One of my all time favorites, but many things could be done much better, especially an actual localization instead of just a shoddy translation. Aside from that, there is so much this game can bring to the table with modern technology and narrative standards. LETS GET AT IT!
Please Mr President,
PLEASE release Ape Escape on Psone classics. How is it not there yet? Weve been waiting FOREVER. And now that ps2 classics are here, please do this:
RELEASE ape escape 1 on psone classics and ape escape 2 and 3 on ps2 classics. This way, it can make up for that disappointing FPS move game for the series last year… Please? Lots of ape escape fans are around, and you abandoned the series.
Oh yeah! I am happy my list is now one game shorter.
Still waiting on :
Einhander
Silent Bomber
Metal Gear VR Missions
Colony Wars Series
Devil Dice
i love this game, i still have the game for the Ps1. i can wait to play it again
THANK YOU so much for this Information I am one of the biggest fans of LoD I remember playing the demo when it first came out on the Summer 2000 jampack Demo game never playing RPGs before I gave it a shot fell in love with the game watching the behind the scene video and the demo on the jampack till the game came out when it Did I played that game so much my disc became unreadable Im happy to see this finally hit the store been waiting a long time Even though I own 3 copies and the original Demo Im still putting this on my ps3, and Psp hopefully the vita one day as well I knew there was also a mention about an LoD2 in a magazine i read but couldnt find anything on the internet finally proving there was once a time where it was being worked on I hope yall would Conitune the to work on it one day when the sells of this game help improve how much it ment to everyone Looking forward to May 1st
one of my favorite PS1 games, will grab day 1
now make PS1 games work on Vita already so I can play it on my Vita!
I came!
and i just bought ff7 finally
Seriously?! YESS!! Couldn’t finish this game on my ps1 cause it froze and stuff , but not anymore!!! Nice Sony!
Kingdom Hearts on PS2 Classics soon? Hm? Hm?
Can’t wait to play this. I never got it on the original Playstation. Having it on the Vita too would be very good.
Yes! This was the first RPG I ever played and I never got to finish it because of a scratched disc. I FINALLY get to relive the legend! and it releases a day before my birthday too!
AWESOME!!!! I’ve been waiting forever for this. Thanks for putting this one out there. I loved this game when I was younger and spent weeks trying to beat it. Unfortunately the 4th disk broke, so I was never able to finish it. So glad this is coming to PSN.
OHH no they didn’t,I just went on amazon a few days ago and bought this game for like $25.00 used knowing that it would eventually end up on PS1 classics.Couldn’t help myself loved LOD had to have it and @ ten bucks it’s a steal happy gaming,enjoy.
Finally!!! The game I have been waiting for. MY favorite JRPG ever gets rereleased. I sold my whole ps1 collection back in 2001 (still kicking myself in the arse for that!! I had over 120 titles and sold them for about $5 a pop as i really needed the money). Now I rely on PSN for these games. I have been waiting since getting a psp in 2007 for this. I just hope we eventually get Suikoden 2 (if your listening Konami!)
And please for the love of all PS fans…bring ps1 app/emu to the vita..stat!
PS1 Vita support. Then ill buy.
Noice!
Please let us play this on the PSVita…
and also…
a “LEGEND OF DRAGOON 2” perhaps? :D
I tried this game back then… Yawn… why so hyped?
FINALLY!!! The game I’ve played when it was released on PSone in 2000 coming in 17 days! Everybody’s happy now! If only we can get it as an free game for PS Plus.
OMG YESSS!!!!!
Thanks Sony and Shu Yoshida. This game was amazing at it’s time of release I remember playing this game by chance picking it up from blockbusters and boy it didn’t disappoint at all. I really wished a sequel was made as this game definitely deserved it. Who knows what the future will bring, perhaps this PSN classic will bring so much attention for a sequel that the team could come together to make it happen. I hope LOD makes millions of more fans as this game deserves it. :D
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Sure hope vita gets psone support soon
Yay
Never paied this RPG, looks intoresting and it seems every one is at one point or a another geting there wish of there fave old game to the psn… i just wish that Sony would hear me out and put up mine
XENOSAGA 1,2,3 thats all iv been asking for, for about a year now… *sigh*
you know i dont know that it matters how much we ask for a game to be put up on the psn or for the vita to get ps1-ps2 suport. i have a feeling that Sony is not really either listening anymore or IS listening but trying to avoid the subjects we want so they can pursue there own intrest or so it seems as of late. :(
THANK YOU!!!!!!!! We’ve been waiting for YEARS!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People get this and then the next thing out of their mouths is “cool, now bring this over as well”. People are never satisfied, eh?
Either way, still pretty excited for this. Never got a chance to play it the first time around and just keep hearing good things about it.
Oh my goodness… I could just about cry with happiness right now. I’ve been waiting for the PSN release of this for so long! I would have loved a remake, sequel or prequel to this fantastic game, but am more than pleased to finally have a PSP port at least.
I can not wait to relive this game yet again. Oh, the nostalgia.
Hello Shu Yoshida I would like to request that you bring Tales of Destiny Director’s Cut to North America because lots of people would like to play. You just need to translate the text and add subtitles to the videos. Many people wish for this to happen and I hope at some point in time that you decide to bring this master piece over to the people in North America. Thank you for taking the time to read and sincerely wish you the best in your future endeavor’s as President of Sony Computer Entertainment.
I love this game so much, I will have 2 copies now. One that’s sitting on my shelf in all of it’s glory and the digital copy. I really with there was at least a rumor going around that it was coming to PS3 as a brand new game. But, that wish is like FFVII, it’s probably not gonna happen. FUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
:D
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!! This was my first RPG and the best of all time, great story, awesome battle mechanics, every slash and hit depends on the player, good level design, the characters background stories and DRAGONS!!!!! this masterpiece for me is perfect!!!! ENJOY DRAGOONS!!!!!!!!!!!
Late to the party, but YES! YES! YES! Been waiting for this for so long! Played this back in 2000 and loved it. Don’t have the original copy anymore, so this is great news.
BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ADD PSOne Support for the VITA!
BRING IT TO EUROPEAN PSN!!!! BRING IT TO EUROPEAN PSN!!! :D :D :D
you guys need to rethink a sequel, to this game. LOD was mind blowing, the dragons, the special attacks. I was not impressed with the level 65 cap, however it was so fun. Please Make a number 2 to this fantastic game !
Thank the Heavens!! God has spoken and he has said “As of May 1st, one of the greatest games of all time shall be available for unlimited play on the PSN!” This is an incredible moment for hundreds of gamers!! Legend of Dragoon!!!
Happy Happy Happy!! ^_^ whats messed up (forgive me fellow LOD fans) is that i’ve never been able to finish it because my 4th disc would ALWAYS freeze! So i am super stoked to be able to relive this classic and BEAT IT!
just a few more days <3
i came so close by beating this game untill i got to disk three and it wouldn’t work thanks for putting this up i’m looking forward to beat this game
Vita HD remake for all of my money
only a few hours and i can start playing it
Now with the publicity that this game will bring in with it being re-released, hopefully we can get Legend of Dragoon 2. It’s good to know that Japan Studio planned on making a sequel though. Horrible to hear that it was scrapped.
is may 1 and still no lod not fair what time and when are they really putting the game in english in psn asia
hey my timing is wrong its May 1st, 2012 at 6.52 pm
hi i live in the uk and am just wondering whether legend of dragoon will be coming to our psn as i absolutley loved this game.
its may 2 ,11pm and still no legend of dragoon (english) in singapore psn wtf is going on can someone please explain