Nintendo Direct: Bravely Default Features Sleep Points, Demo With Side Story

Reggie Fils-Aime didn’t get too much camera time during Nintendo Direct this morning, but he did make an appearance to explain a little more about the upcoming 3DS RPG “Bravely Default.”

Most importantly, he went into detail on the game’s system of microtransactions, used to buy something called Sleep Points (SP). Usable in a number of different ways, including to revive a defeated character, each player will only be able to store a maximum of 3 SP. They’ll recharge over time when the game is not being played (similar to the energy mechanic in plenty of mobile and social games), and there will be ways to earn them by interacting using StreetPass.

However they’ll also be available for purchase in the form of potions. Fils-Aime was careful to emphasize that spending money is simply a shortcut to refilling SP, and doesn’t get players anything they wouldn’t be able to get through the course of normal gameplay.

While “Bravely Default” won’t release until February 7, a demo of the game will be available on January 2. And unlike most demos, this one has content that isn’t in the full game, something Fils-Aime described as a complete side story in and of itself.

For more on “Bravely Default,” check out the Nintendo YouTube channel.