Namco Bandai has revealed that its upcoming DS RPG Tales of Hearts will carry a price point of 6,650 yen ($61), a near 30 percent increase from the average price of Nintendo DS titles in Japan. And let's not forget that the game will ship in two flavors: one featuring anime style cutscenes while the other drops the otaku look in favor of realistic CG models. Collectors am cry.
Considering that sales of Tales of Innocence were fairly disappointing for a big-name DS RPG of its caliber, one has to wonder why Namco is placing a premium price tag on Hearts. Either they know its going to sell in droves regardless of price, or a larger-sized DS cart is being used.
Tales of Hearts hits Japan on December 11. Currently Namco has no plans to release a localized version in the U.S.