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[twothunder]

Didn't see this posted on the marvelous_games Twitter account ,but I have no reason to not believe it.

Well. This news sucks. First RF: Oceans getting a PS3 only release in Europe and now this.
Already had a bad feeling about the European release after the developer went under ,but to see it confirmed is not the news I wanted to see. And they just can't release it in just english in the European E-shop or something....They could at least confirm the reason for cancelling it.

Maybe 2014 will be lacking good 3DS releases in Europe and force Nintendo Europe to publish games like these. Unlikely as it is.

 

[Zornica]

could somebody enlighten me about that "netherlands thing"?

I'd like to know all the facts before I start ranting.

 

[ohlawd]

I can imagine the "SMTIV for EU cancelled" thread. Gon' be good.

 

[Mael]

Obviously, yes, since every single game these days should be available digitally, where it is never out of stock.

Yeah it's Nintendo's fault that ATVI doesn't provide CoD on WiiU's eshop, What?

The developer didnt choose to die to fuck people over.
nintendo did choose to region lock to fuck people over

And the publisher choose to not publish the game to fuck people over.
Your point?

And now even less people in Europe gets to play it unless they're willing to throw more money at Nintendo to get another region 3DS or already have one, so that's nice I guess!

Who said that it was nice or anything?

 

[Takao]

could somebody enlighten me about that "netherlands thing"?

I'd like to know all the facts before I start ranting.

I don't know what that country has to do with Rune Factory 4, but the game's developer, Neverland, shut down recently. If the code is lost MAQL obviously can't put in any new translations, etc.

 

[Shengar]

Nintendo sees region free like this. Japanese person reverse imports. European says he is in Ohio and accesses US eShop to pay $40 instead of £40. A vita situation would be welcome at least (can't access import stores without a format etc...physical carts work regardless) as the $40 becomes +shipping +20% +£8 Royal Mail "handling charge" which is more than £40. The ideal would be some sort of limited foreign eShop (nothing you can buy on domestic eShop) but the NNID region lock further of "can't change countries" makes me think Nintendo is not interested in such matters.

Personally I think Vita "region-restriction" is the best. You can import a game from other region at a cheaper, even if the said game should available locally. But importing mean that you will not be able to have any DLC (is updating restricted by region too? I'm not sure). In case a game wouldn't get localization, you can at least play the game without the need of an extra hardware.

Region locking sucks, poor Europe. I don't know why people defend this practice while there is definitely better method to prevent or discourage reverse import.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

According to Nintendo its that they can follow age restrictions more closely or something. However its more likely just there so European wont just buy the cheaper American versions and that Nintendo has more control over the pricing.

The thing about ratings is the parental controls work like this. If the game does not have a rating in your country (e.g. A Europe only game in Australia) the game will not boot at all. European games have PEGI and OFLC rating data (where they exist). It doesn't take a genius to add ESRB and CERO as well. But yeah its more of the latter (even though there isn't that much price difference once taxes are removed) as the NNID change seems to show.

Wonder if there was any chance Nintendo Europe could help publish the game but that's wishful thinking =/

They won't as they would have translate it into FIGS (thats how NOE does things) and the script is massive too. If the sales potential isn't there...

 

[Zhao_Yun]

Personally I think Vita "region-restriction" is the best. You can import a game from other region at a cheaper, even if the said game should available locally. But importing mean that you will not be able to have any DLC (is updating restricted by region too? I'm not sure). In case a game wouldn't get localization, you can at least play the game without the need of an extra hardware.

Updating import games works fine on the Vita.

 

[Empty]

this sucks. i was just reading about the game last week and hoping for a EU release date :/

 

[Coxy]

And the publisher choose to not publish the game to fuck people over.
Your point?

The publisher has no choice because the developer is dead.
You think they chose not to publish a game they already translated for the fun of it?
Stop being willfully ignorant to defend the shitty actions of a company

 

[ExFalsoQuodlibet]

Fun fact : When Iwata says he has misread the western markets, he probably isn't thinking the same thing you are.
Heck look at the DS, the vision they have of the market is probably waaaaaay different than you have so I wouldn't use that example unless you know what they mean by that.



This is a bit OT (and I going at it from the pov of explaining why a publisher wouldn't release an untranslated product).
However on the videogame market you can't expect a breakaway hit on a title that's not translated.
The younger the demographic is and the less likely you can expect a non native version to be useful.
By not providing a translation you've already put a barrier of entry to your product.
The market for that product is by default smaller than it would be otherwise, it's not the 90's anymore untranslated products are the outliers.
For a text heavy game like RF4...



The cost of that release probably doesn't make sense if an eshop release doesn't make sense either.



I've been doing imports for quite a long time, it's 2014 already if they can't be bothered with releasing their products here they don't deserve my business already.
Nintendo probably made the calculation too and decided that the effort was not worth it too, it doesn't mean that this excuse is not BS.



You're blaming Nintendo for a situation that's mostly Marvelous's fault, they're the one who failed to localize the game.
If Marvelous hadn't failed we would have gotten the game.
If 3DS was not region locked the game still wouldn't have come but some selfish people would be satisfied at least.

I'm not not blaming Nintendo but I find particularly egregious to not blame Marvelous in this case.

It's true that by not translating a game you end up with a narrower market, but it could still be worth it: not every game needs to be a hit, I'm sure that the game would have sold well, if not spectacularly, like for example Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, that was released in EU with english localization only.

It's easy money but, again, the publisher has considered a calculated risk, and decided it was not worth it, and I cannot blame the publisher for not taking a decision that would have been good for me but maybe not for it.

But, to put it in the simplest way, who's preventing me from playing the game?

As I said, the publisher is not to blame because what it did was making a choice based on its forecasts: I could disagree, and I do, but it's a publisher's choice and a publisher risk.

But Nintendo created an artificial, unneeded and pointless barrier for me and for every other gamer to play games for its console, a barrier that no one else currently created, so it's artificially diminishing its value and pissing everyone off: it's Nintendo that's archaic and out of this world, and it's Nintendo that is trying every single way to lose its faithful user base while failing to appeal to the others with silly business practices.

 

[Mr-Joker]

European are blaming at the wrong company. The cancellation has nothing to do with Nintendo and there isn't much Marvelous AQL can do if the developer has gone bankrupt, since they are required for the localization effort.

And once again, Europe gets the short end of the stick.

We got Bravely Default last year, all the operation rainfall game published by Nintendo of Europe, Senran Kagura in physical format.

Oh yeah we clearly get the short end of the stick.

If SMT IV gets cancelled I will flip

It won't get cancelled, so stop being a big baby.

 

[Spieler Eins]

European are blaming at the wrong company. The cancellation has nothing to do with Nintendo

No one is blaming Nintendo for the cancellation.

 

[YianGaruga]

European are blaming at the wrong company. The cancellation has nothing to do with Nintendo and there isn't much Marvelous AQL can do if the developer has gone bankrupt, since they are required for the localization effort.

Nintendo is responsible for region locking, without that no one here would have any reason to complain. Importing from NA to Europe is easy.

 

[ohlawd]

We got Bravely Default last year, all the operation rainfall game published by Nintendo of Europe, Senran Kagura in physical format.

Oh yeah we clearly get the short end of the stick.

No, just no. Don't use those examples. None of them have been canceled in NA like RF4. NA got them late or in a different format, yes, but we got them nonetheless. BD next month, hype train <3

 

[Samurai_Heart]

They won't as they would have translate it into FIGS (thats how NOE does things) and the script is massive too. If the sales potential isn't there...

Well there goes that slim hope, sigh...

We got Bravely Default last year, all the operation rainfall game published by Nintendo of Europe, Senran Kagura in physical format.

Oh yeah we clearly get the short end of the stick.

=/ Don't compare games that will come out to a game that will never come out...

 

[Joni]

European are blaming at the wrong company. The cancellation has nothing to do with Nintendo and there isn't much Marvelous AQL can do if the developer has gone bankrupt, since they are required for the localization effort.

They could have paid Neverland better in which case they could have finished the localization, or they could have started it faster so it would be finished at the same time as the US version, or you know, they could do it themselves considering they own the source code. MarvelousAQL is very much to blame.

 

[Mael]

Disclaimer because really people need to read better somehow :
I'm all for blaming Nintendo BUT they shouldn't be alone in being blamed in this

The publisher has no choice because the developer is dead.
You think they chose not to publish a game they already translated for the fun of it?
Stop being willfully ignorant to defend the shitty actions of a company

Reading something else but strawman of my posts would help you understand other people you know.
Point to where I'm defending region lock and come back to me.

It's true that by not translating a game you end up with a narrower market, but it could still be worth it: not every game needs to be a hit, I'm sure that the game would have sold well, if not spectacularly, like for example Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, that was released in EU with english localization only.

It's easy money but, again, the publisher has considered a calculated risk, and decided it was not worth it, and I cannot blame the publisher for not taking a decision that would have been good for me but maybe not for it.

But, to put it in the simplest way, who's preventing me from playing the game?

As I said, the publisher is not to blame because what it did was making a choice based on its forecasts: I could disagree, and I do, but it's a publisher's choice and a publisher risk.

But Nintendo created an artificial, unneeded and pointless barrier for me and for every other gamer to play games for its console, a barrier that no one else currently created, so it's artificially diminishing its value and pissing everyone off: it's Nintendo that's archaic and out of this world, and it's Nintendo that is trying every single way to lose its faithful user base while failing to appeal to the others with silly business practices.

Again with the distinction.
Publisher doesn't want to publish because of money related reasons in the same way Nintendo decided to one day put region lock in their handheld line.
They're not more valid one of the other, after all the whole business model for one is based on the volume they sell to retailer and the other is based on how much royalties they manage to get from 3rd parties venture.
They're both making sure I'm not playing that game.
When Squaresoft when to a great extent to explain why they didn't want to release their games here, I didn't blame Nintendo for why I couldn't ^play their games here.

 

[Durante]

European are blaming at the wrong company.

No they are not. The decision to region lock is wholly Nintendo's, and it is the reason why people won't be able to play the game.

Not to mention that it is a regressive anti-consumer decision which frankly shows just how behind the times and disconnected from the modern market and its expectations that company truly is.

 

[GhostTrick]

Nintendo is to blame, but others companies are also to blame to treat Europe like the black sheep. Because I'm tired to wait 6 months to 1 year to get an english game, which is the same as USA. And yes, sometimes, I'd like to buy it in a store or at least, local online retailers, to not wait 3 weeks for a package, and with all the risks, aka fees or loss.

No they are not. The decision to region lock is wholly Nintendo's, and it is the reason why people won't be able to play the game.

Not to mention that it is a regressive anti-consumer decision which frankly shows just how behind the times and disconnected from the modern market and its expectations that company truly is.

True. But really, publishers should also do the job. I'm talking to you Atlus, or XSeed.

 

[Cheeky]

(even though there isn't that much price difference once taxes are removed) as the NNID change seems to show.

As i stated in my later post, there is about 8 euro difference when i order from VGP.ca. that is including. That is about 20% on every game. With the eShop its about 12,50 which is about 34%. I wouldn't call this an insignificant amount.

 

[Requeim]

I suspected something like this would happen sooner or later. I still haven't bought a 3DS because of the region locking nonsense. I would only feel safe buying a PAL 3DS if i could hack it open and remove the region lock, specifically for cases like this.

But that obviously hasn't happened yet, so i'll probably end up importing a US 3DS XL. At this point, i also wouldn't be surprised if we miss out entirely on atlus developed/published handheld games in the future, here in europe. Having to import every game would probably end up costing more overall, but fuck missing out on games because of region locks, it's 2014 for fucks sake.

 

[Reknoc]

Nintendo is to blame, but others companies are also to blame to treat Europe like the black sheep. Because I'm tired to wait 6 months to 1 year to get an english game, which is the same as USA. And yes, sometimes, I'd like to buy it in a store or at least, local online retailers, to not wait 3 weeks for a package, and with all the risks, aka fees or loss.






True. But really, publishers should also do the job. I'm talking to you Atlus, or XSeed.

It's not xseeds job to release games here though.

 

[Coxy]

Publisher doesn't want to publish because of money related reasons

citation needed

 

[hamchan]

European are blaming at the wrong company. The cancellation has nothing to do with Nintendo and there isn't much Marvelous AQL can do if the developer has gone bankrupt, since they are required for the localization effort.

It has everything to do with Nintendo because they region locked their device in the first place. If it wasn't region locked no one would care about this since everyone would just import it.

I must say, it's pretty crazy that Sony and Microsoft have accepted region free on their devices while Nintendo is the one with the region restrictions, when historically they're the ones that have been region free, on handhelds at least.

 

[Deadbeat]

European are blaming at the wrong company. The cancellation has nothing to do with Nintendo and there isn't much Marvelous AQL can do if the developer has gone bankrupt, since they are required for the localization effort.

Well giving up on certain titles like this isnt doing the 3DS any good. You need everything from big titles to niche ones. Why not offer an eShop option then and warn of language issues?

I dont care for games like this, but you cant starve this audience. You need everything that can contribute.

 

[GhostTrick]

It's not xseeds job to release games here though.

I don't know if I'm saying something wrong, but isn't XSeed also publish games on PSN ? I mean, European PSN. Why can't they do the same for eShop ?

It has everything to do with Nintendo because they region locked their device in the first place. If it wasn't region locked no one would care about this since everyone would just import it.

I must say, it's pretty crazy that Sony and Microsoft have accepted region free on their devices while Nintendo is the one with the region restrictions, when historically they're the ones that have been region free, on handhelds at least.

That's untrue. If it wasn't region locked, some people still would have to import it. If it's at least a way to get it, it's not the best way at all.

 

[Itsuki]

And this is why I decided to sell my EU 3DS and buy a japanese 3DS.

 

[Reknoc]

I don't know if I'm saying something wrong, but isn't XSeed also publish games on PSN ? I mean, European PSN. Why can't they do the same

Oh I don't know actually. I don't think they have, unless corpse party was put on by them. I know their steam releases are available in Europe but I imagine steam is a lot easier for that sort of thing.

 

[Zelias]

Not interested in the game myself, but this still sucks. Fuck region locking.

 

[Grief.exe]

So both GBA and DS are region free, but Nintendo decides to implement this garbage on the 3DS? I can slightly understand to prevent regional price changing in the eshop, but that seems like a simple implementation then throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Sorry for you Europeans, you get to miss out on so many games or they are indefinitely delayed.

 

[Jucksalbe]

Oh I don't know actually. I don't think they have, unless corpse party was put on by them.

Yes. They released several games in Europe already. I don't know if any of them were on 3DS (Unchained Blades wasn't released in Europe, was it?), though.

 

[Stuart444]

So both GBA and DS are region free, but Nintendo decides to implement this garbage on the 3DS? I can slightly understand to prevent regional price changing in the eshop, but that seems like a simple implementation then throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Sorry for you Europeans, you get to miss out on so many games or they are indefinitely delayed.

And DSi, it (handheld region locking) started with that.

 

[Omikaru]

People have every reason to be mad at Marvellous AQL and Nintendo in regards to this, but for those who refuse to believe that Nintendo is in any way, shape, or form an agitator (and as such partially responsible) in this case, let me outline two different scenarios. The first is a "what if?" scenario, the second is what actually happened.

What if?
Game is cancelled. Fans are upset at the publisher, but since the 3DS is region free fans of the series in Europe log on to Play-Asia or VG+ or somewhere else and import a copy. In the end, not so much ill will, most people are content, and Nintendo doesn't upset their customers. In fact, their customers are glad they can import, because living in Europe this stuff happens every now and then and being able to import games means they don't miss out.

Reality
Game is cancelled. Fans are upset at the publisher, and since the 3DS is region locked that means that an entire continent -- save for the extreme minority who are prepared to have multiple 3DS consoles, or those who just decided to go the US route in the first place -- do not get to play the game. Fans are furious, both at the publisher for cancelling the European version, but also Nintendo, for blocking a perfectly legal route for their fans to hand over their money for a legitimate copy of the game. As a result, Nintendo looks like an out of touch relic from the 90s that hasn't adapted to what their customers expect from them.

People can scream "LEAVE NINTENDO ALONE!" at the top of their lungs as much as they like, but it doesn't change the fact that they have exasperated this specific issue in a significant way by region locking the 3DS. No matter how you slice it, this is a fact, and their customers have every right to be mad at them.

 

[Lumyst]

I can't imagine the disappointment that the existing European Rune Factory fans must have, waiting for several years since their last entry. And I'm not thinking about the kind of fan that has the ability to import and such and knows about "niche Japanese games" and the goings on about them, or the enthuthiast of Japanese games, I'm thinking about the teenage girl who was just excited for the next Rune Factory.

Of course I do know the surrounding story, about Neverland, about how localizations require programmers/developers, but I'm just expressing my disappointment on behalf of those European fans who aren't in the loop about the gaming industry as we are and whose only worry is about having access to and playing games they enjoy.

^Ah yes, this series did have the daring to be a third party series birthed on Nintendo platforms, I was proud to finally have a third party series on a Nintendo platform that I wanted to follow since last year. When I read about ToD only being released on the PS3 in Europe, perhaps to salvage profitability due to Nintendo's inability to keep the Wii userbase engaged in its later years (though in Japan was it a problem?) it makes me wonder about how a platform could actually hurt a third party series if the platform holder cultivates the wrong habits in a userbase. And then it extends to "Well, Neverland shut down, was it because the Rune Factory games, especially the two Wii Rune Factory games, did not meet sales expectations, perhaps due to a mismatch with the userbase?" And to read that in the West, the enthuthiast of Japanese games, the kind that would appreciate the ability to import games and the kind that would be most attracted to the current third party offerings on the 3DS, would be hindered by the platform holder's policies that competing platforms lack (hell, even Yoshida himself mentioned he needed to have two WiiU's because of the region locking.) I suppose it gets personal, because I see it in the same perspective as others, whereas in the past I would have shrugged off something like region locking. But now that I see that it hurts Rune Factory fans though, it gets personal

 

[Sammy Samusu]

Only one of the best series on the platform.

If I lived in Europe, I'd be flipping right now.

 

[Ricker]

Someone explain to me why region locking prevents this game from coming to Europe...so people in Europe get the game but me in North America can't get that version but so what if it's here anyway...?......lost here lol

EDIT: ok Omikaru kind of answered my question....

 

[daydream]

Nothing left to say. Fucking sucks. I thought this was 2014 but I guess not.

 

[Raxious]

Reasons like this makes me wanna buy a US 3DS.

 

[cluderi]

Feel bad for importing a USA 3DSXL but stuff like this is why ( juicy juicy SMT IV as well )

 

[br0ken_shad0w]

As much as I hate region locking, but this has absolutley nothing to do with Nintendo.

Fucking please, Nintendo made it mandatory. Sony gave publishers a choice and yet only one game out of the entire PS3 library is region locked.

 

[Aquamarine]

Rune Factory 4 is...absolutely sublime. I got the USA version, and I couldn't be happier with it.

This really, REALLY sucks for those of you guys who can't get a NA 3DS. You're missing out on one of the best games for the 3DS.

 

[Higgins113]

We got Bravely Default last year, all the operation rainfall game published by Nintendo of Europe, Senran Kagura in physical format.

Oh yeah we clearly get the short end of the stick.

Are you seriously comparing us not getting a game to getting on game a few months early and a physical copy of another? What is wrong with you?

 

[ExFalsoQuodlibet]

Again with the distinction.
Publisher doesn't want to publish because of money related reasons in the same way Nintendo decided to one day put region lock in their handheld line.
They're not more valid one of the other, after all the whole business model for one is based on the volume they sell to retailer and the other is based on how much royalties they manage to get from 3rd parties venture.
They're both making sure I'm not playing that game.
When Squaresoft when to a great extent to explain why they didn't want to release their games here, I didn't blame Nintendo for why I couldn't ^play their games here.

But there is a gigantic difference between Nintendo and the random publisher that doesn't want to spend money in releasing a game in a certain market: I can always go and play another game, but I cannot buy another console with 3DS games that's not region locked.

The damage Nintendo does to consumers is exponentially larger than the damage a single publisher could do, and Nintendo plays its dirty part every time a single publisher decides to treat US and EU differently. It's clear that Nintendo is not responsible for the fact that EU has no RF4, but Nintendo is burdened with a much greater guilt.

 

[Big Papa Husker]

Where is the GIF of the guy in his cubicle throwing his papers around?

Also... Region locking is terrible.

 

[Zafir]

Ergh. Was rather looking forward to playing it as well.

Now I really regret updating the firmware on my old 3DS.

 

[L.O.R.D]

my face right now

finally , US region got a game and not Europe



wait...SMT 4 didn't got release for Europe too ?

but..region lock is really bad , hope nintendo remove it for good

 

[BinaryPork2737]

Rune Factory 5 incoming?

Spoiler

:/

 

[CrovaxPSO]

I can't imagine that region locking truly has a place anymore, even Microsoft dropped it for the Xbone. This sucks for people in Europe.

 

[Andrefpvs]

Region-locking is a terrible practice and Nintendo is horrible for doing it.

You know, you'd think the last thing a company would want to do is piss off their costumers, but the gaming industry continues to amaze me.
Is price-fixing THAT much of an advantage versus getting a bad rep for anti-consumerist practices and, in cases like this, what ultimately results in preventing people from buying a game?