Details planted for three Harvest Moons

In commemoration of the Harvest Moon series' upcoming tenth anniversary, publisher Marvelous Interactive held an announcement in Tokyo. The series is known for being a farming simulation that lets gamers enjoy the simple musings of planting crops and raising a family. The company announced details on three upcoming games, which are set for release on the PSP, DS, and an unannounced system.

The PSP game, titled Innocent Life: Bokujou Monogatari in Japanese, is currently being developed by Arte Piazza and is set for a 2006 release. Innocent Life mixes the normal countryside atmosphere that Harvest Moon is known for with some sci-fi sprinklings. The game takes place on a small island in the future, and the player will be growing flowers and vegetables like in previous installments. The main character may look like a normal boy, but he's actually a robot created by his scientist father. Adding on to the sci-fi atmosphere, the game's concept art shows the main character riding on a futuristic vehicle.

The DS game, titled Rune Factory: Bokujou Monogatari, looks quite different from Innocent Life or any previous installments in the Harvest Moon series. Innocent Life will be a fantasy game where the player will be fighting against monsters...not simple boll weevils or locusts. Rune Factory's producer Makoto Takada said the game will be a role-playing game. Players will also be able to tame creatures, raise them on a ranch, and include them in their parties. The game is currently being developed by Neverland Company and is scheduled for a 2006 release.

In the biggest announcement of the meeting, Marvelous Interactive revealed it has begun work on an online version of Harvest Moon, tentatively named Bokujou Monogatari Online in Japanese. The game's development is still in its infancy, and no platform or release period has been decided yet. Producer Yoshiufumi Hashimoto commented that the developers are still researching for the project, since this is the first time they are making an online game. He additionally hinted at the possibility that the game may be released on a next-generation platform, including Nintendo's Revolution.