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Xenoblade Chronicles announced for Europe (dual language voice)
- Thread starter Vinterbird
- Start date
ShockingAlberto
Member
I'd be willing to bet the decision not to bring Xenoblade or Last Story likely has to do with the belief that console JRPGs that are not named Final Fantasy simply don't do well in America. Whether that's well-founded or not is up to debate, but I'm guessing that's the logic here.
That stigma combined with the lack of sales for core games on the Wii that aren't 2D nostalgia-button pressing platformers probably makes Nintendo of America skittish about taking any losses. Just because they have the money to throw around does not mean they don't get reamed by investors and corporate if they lose it.
I know it sounds like I'm beating an agenda drum here, but from everything I have heard, localization became tightly-clenched when Sin & Punishment 2 bombed. As far as I can tell, NOA was never all that keen on the game being made due to the U.S. sales of the VC game, but NCL in Japan thought that the second game should do a lot better. After all, people bought the first game, clearly a longer, better sequel should sell better, right? And then it failed everyone's expectations.
At the end of the day, NOA is a business that does not want losses. They don't hate Monolith or Mistwalker, they just don't believe the games they make are profitable for localization. I would definitely argue that is bad business, but I would not agree that it is some sort of personal vendetta.
As the American branch of a larger company, they do a shitty job with localizations because they are unwilling to take risks. That's the long and short of it, really.
That stigma combined with the lack of sales for core games on the Wii that aren't 2D nostalgia-button pressing platformers probably makes Nintendo of America skittish about taking any losses. Just because they have the money to throw around does not mean they don't get reamed by investors and corporate if they lose it.
I know it sounds like I'm beating an agenda drum here, but from everything I have heard, localization became tightly-clenched when Sin & Punishment 2 bombed. As far as I can tell, NOA was never all that keen on the game being made due to the U.S. sales of the VC game, but NCL in Japan thought that the second game should do a lot better. After all, people bought the first game, clearly a longer, better sequel should sell better, right? And then it failed everyone's expectations.
At the end of the day, NOA is a business that does not want losses. They don't hate Monolith or Mistwalker, they just don't believe the games they make are profitable for localization. I would definitely argue that is bad business, but I would not agree that it is some sort of personal vendetta.
As the American branch of a larger company, they do a shitty job with localizations because they are unwilling to take risks. That's the long and short of it, really.
Cow Mengde
Banned
Hey guys, this is an e-mail reply from an NOA customer service:
It's not some robot reply, but there might still be some hope for this after all.
I found this from a place you GO to find Nintendo news.
It's not some robot reply, but there might still be some hope for this after all.
I found this from a place you GO to find Nintendo news.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Sadly you are the millionth person to post this.Cow Mengde said:
Fuck that "Monado is still scheduled" auto-response.. it means nothing one way or another.
Cow Mengde
Banned
BocoDragon said:
Really? I didn't know that. I remember years ago a friend showing me the annoying robot replies from NOA regarding Fire Emblem Fuuin No tsurugi. I guess they actually find someone to handle these kinds of e-mails instead of some auto reply.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I think it is a person... but I bet their computer database of "answers" hasn't been updated in awhile. The fact that they're calling in Monado basically confirms this.Cow Mengde said:
Monado was announced long ago at E3... so it was "announced" for the US market... but the fact that NoA has never said anything about "Xenoblade" since indicates that no decision has been made regarding a concrete release. It's essentially unannounced for the US.
Cow Mengde
Banned
BocoDragon said:
He does call it Xenoblade.
charlequin
Banned
ShockingAlberto said:
I feel like it's important to clarify here, though, that this is a reasonable explanation of why people making poor, short-sighted decisions driven by unprofessional grudges, poorly thought out ideas, and an institutional mandate to half ass their way to victory would handle their localization business so terribly, but not really a justification.
In a creative industry, being aggressively risk-averse is basically like standing up and admitting that you suck so bad at your job that trying to do it properly will guarantee failure. Literally every Nintendo success in the past seven years has been one of ambition and risk and every failure or disappointment has been one of refusal to budge outside of overly safe comfort zones.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
He calls it "Monado (aka Xenoblade)".Cow Mengde said:
Which tells me that it's a real person reading off a screen that allows him to say "Monado is announced" and adding his own knowlege that this is the project now known as Xenoblade.
That he can only officially confirm Monado confirms how old and unreliable that "announcement" is.
Cow Mengde
Banned
BocoDragon said:
Yeah, but technically, we don't have an official name to speak of. I mean, if it's not announced, chances are they won't have a "name" beyond what they originally called it.
Smiles and Cries
Member
Well there is still hope for this game to come to the US 
if not I am going have to find a way to mod my wii to play the UK version
maybe this all depends on the Sales of this game in Europe?
if not I am going have to find a way to mod my wii to play the UK version
maybe this all depends on the Sales of this game in Europe?
ShockingAlberto
Member
Yeah, I'm not attempting to justify it to any extent, I'm just offering what I have heard.charlequin said:
To go further on that line of thought, a kind-of-drunk NOA employee once ranted at me for several minutes about the weak dollar and she explained how that affects pretty much everything they're allowed to do. Not sure if that has anything to do with localizations, but I didn't stick around to find out.
ShockingAlberto
Member
I don't know that it was sabotaged, per se. The commercial wasn't amazing, but it existed, and was aired with demographics that you kind of have to advertise video games to in America: Adult Swim, Spike, G4.Marrshu said:
Perhaps it was misguided, but I can't really fault them for the effort. I am not sure that, if I were head of whoever-at-Nintendo-handled-this, I would have broken the bank on S&P2's advertising budget. It's a very, very hard sell to a mass market.
ShockingAlberto
Member
It was.Ridley327 said:
I think this was the problem.
Nintendo expected it to sell well because S&P1 sold well. NOA thought it wasn't going to do well because the market for a $12 VC game coming to America after a number of years and a full retail game were different. In the end, expectations were too high.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
God... to think the future of Nintendo RPGs and hardcore titles in general were riding on the back of S&P2?
Like WTF. That's the wrong kind of hardcore. That's too underground arcadey shooter hardcore. It's the kind of game not even GAFfers are guaranteed to buy.
What a false fucking litmus test.
Like WTF. That's the wrong kind of hardcore. That's too underground arcadey shooter hardcore. It's the kind of game not even GAFfers are guaranteed to buy.
What a false fucking litmus test.
Makes sense. I'm not sure why Nintendo, of all companies, would think that the sequel to a game that was released 10 years ago that only recently found its way outside of Japan, particularly one in a genre not exactly known for stellar sales figures in any region, would be a sales driver.ShockingAlberto said:
Then again, this is the same Nintendo that thought Metroid: Other M stood a shot at clearing 1.5 million units, even in the face of toxic buzz from the fanbase.
I just noticed that we're also not getting Solartorobo Stateside as well, it'll be another NOE exclusively published title.
In case we need to jog our memories:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_jvykk61jw
July 1st is when it comes out and I'll be importing it too, I can't give up the spirtual successor to Tail Concerto. I would say fuck NOA again, but they are bringing in DQMJ2...so...
In case we need to jog our memories:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_jvykk61jw
July 1st is when it comes out and I'll be importing it too, I can't give up the spirtual successor to Tail Concerto. I would say fuck NOA again, but they are bringing in DQMJ2...so...
BlueSummers
Member
M-PG71C said:
Wow, I totally forgot about Tail Concerto. I played that game years ago and loved it. I wonder how much it's going for on Ebay...
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Keep in mind... Solatorobo will only work on an American DS or DS Lite.M-PG71C said:
Because Solatorobo is DSi enhanced... it will be region locked from working in any foreign DSi, DSi XL or 3DS
BocoDragon said:Keep in mind... Solatorobo will only work on an American DS or DS Lite.
Because Solatorobo is DSi enhanced... it will be region locked from working in any foreign DSi, DSi XL or 3DS
Shit, and I don't have a Lite either. I wonder if I can get a used one for cheap...
I'm still importing nonetheless though! It'll be worth the price of admission!
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Don't quote me on it, of course. No one's actually confirmed anything... But it is DSi enhanced and all DSi enhanced games have been locked... so you can infer it will beBrazil said:
It's probably possible to play it on a DS flashcart in an American DSi or 3DS....
Oh. Wait.BocoDragon said:Don't quote me on it, of course. No one's actually confirmed anything... But it is DSi enhanced and all DSi enhanced games have been locked... so you can infer it will be
It's probably possible to play it on a DS flashcart in an American DSi or 3DS....
I just remembered that my DSi is European. /facepalm
ShockingAlberto said:
The funny thing is that I bought S&P2 new and I purchased the VC game as well.
I guess if the present localization policy is what NOA thinks is good for business there isn't much any of us can do about it.
However, they should know that there is more to business than immediate dollars and cents but there are aspects of quality, branding and customer satisfaction.
Yeah, yeah, blue ocean demographic and all, but I must have bought over $1000 in Nintendo crap this (sucky) generation alone.
That, I am willing to guess, is quite a bit more than the average Wii Sport or Wii Fit enthusiast.
So you'd think Nintendo would want to keep me happy as well.
Going in, I never thought this generation would be the one that I say Nintendo has lost my business as far as home consoles are concerned.
I can we won back, but whereas I automatically bought a GC and Wii, Nintendo will have to earn my Wii U purchase by having a compelling library of games available FIRST.
The faith I had previously that their machines would suit me has been destroyed.
And they accomplished this feat the only way they could, by not releasing their own damned games.
M-PG71C said:
I haven't forgotten and I'm keeping my eyes peeled for whenever my go to Euro sites have the game (and Xenoblade too) available for pre-order! I played Tail Concerto on my PSP this past December and I still had a blast. Can't wait to play CC2's newest personal project! But if it's DSi enchanced...what are the enhancements? Glad I still have my DS Lite...though I might need a better battery since it's a launch day model. ^_^;
Diffense said:
Same here! I actually brought the VC version as I was forever comtemplating importing the original N64 cart for years. Then when I saw the sequel, I thought Nintendo were crazy! Crazy brilliant bastards! But yeah, passing on their own games when another branch sees them to be perfectly fit for localization has pretty much bummed me the heck out on any other their new machines. Not to say I won't be there when there's compelling software, but that's the point. Compel me with something besides Mario and Zelda Nintendo!
I love me some Mario and Zelda too!
I guess I view Nintendo as a whole rather than strictly NOA. If I view them as a whole, I couldn't be happier. They made some new IPs this generation, took some risks with some new games (Pandora's Tower, Zangeki no Regeliv, The Last Story, Xenoblade, Captain Rainbow), revived some old franchises (Punch-Out, Sin and Punishment), and created awesome sequels (Kirby's Epic Yarn, Wario Land Shake It, DKC Returns, SMG 1 + 2, NSMB, etc etc).
As a whole, I love the company to death and I felt the Wii kicked the living fucking shit out of both the GameCube and N64 by far. It's what I wanted out of a Nintendo console. Actually, I own more Wii games than I do PS3 and I do consider myself pretty "hardcore".
But, looking strictly at NOA, they really suck balls. They were not always this way but the last generation they really reminded me of how SEGA use to be in America back in the Saturn generation. They left so many great games behind that if marketed right, could make money.
There are some things I'll give NOA credit, they keep pushing Dragon Quest Stateside and far more so than SE ever has or ever will. For that matter, I hope Nintendo continues to get Dragon Quest games, they have really done a good job marketing them to the Western audience.
And in the rare event SE bites the bullet and goes the way of dodo, I hope Nintendo buys out the franchise outright. Of all companies, I trust they'll take care of it the best. But its more likely SE will continue to live on toy sales and FFVII porn. :/
But beyond that, they can go fuck themselves. For English localizations, I've become a very big fan of NOE and they will recieve my money as a result. Import costs be damned.
As a whole, I love the company to death and I felt the Wii kicked the living fucking shit out of both the GameCube and N64 by far. It's what I wanted out of a Nintendo console. Actually, I own more Wii games than I do PS3 and I do consider myself pretty "hardcore".
But, looking strictly at NOA, they really suck balls. They were not always this way but the last generation they really reminded me of how SEGA use to be in America back in the Saturn generation. They left so many great games behind that if marketed right, could make money.
There are some things I'll give NOA credit, they keep pushing Dragon Quest Stateside and far more so than SE ever has or ever will. For that matter, I hope Nintendo continues to get Dragon Quest games, they have really done a good job marketing them to the Western audience.
And in the rare event SE bites the bullet and goes the way of dodo, I hope Nintendo buys out the franchise outright. Of all companies, I trust they'll take care of it the best. But its more likely SE will continue to live on toy sales and FFVII porn. :/
But beyond that, they can go fuck themselves. For English localizations, I've become a very big fan of NOE and they will recieve my money as a result. Import costs be damned.
charlequin
Banned
ShockingAlberto said:
this really just goes to strengthen my mental picture of NCL as an overbearing, emotionless immigrant father with strict and arbitrary rules and NOA as a petulant, childish slacker teen who does the absolute minimum required of him and no more
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
As I said, it's entirely my fault. At E3 when I was talking to the new head of consumer marketing at Nintendo, I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO ASK HIM why we aren't getting this and Last Story. So, my fault. I would have persuaded them.
Bel Marduk
Banned
So apparently Solatorobo (another RPG NoE is publishing but there's been no word of a NA release till now) is coming to North America but not from NoA:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434161
Hope for Xenoblade or no?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434161
Hope for Xenoblade or no?
No. Solatorobo is being published in Europe by NoE, but it's not a Nintendo game. Xenoblade on the other hand is a Nintendo game -- and Nintendo literally never licenses their first/second party games to other publishers.Bel Marduk said:
I like this short-sighted and narrow-minded point of view. Even in hard times, Nintendo could always count on a rather huge fanbase that dutifully buys their systems and games. But instead of throwing this part of their audience a bone or two -- even if that means taking a small loss -- they apparently regard their success as bulletproof, so that they see no reason to support that audience. You know, the few people outside of children who bought the GameCube for example. It's even funnier when taking into account that the 3DS hardware sales are absymal all over the world as of now.ShockingAlberto said:
With the Wii on its last breath and the 3DS struggling to establish itself, the times of Nintendo the market-leader could very well be over again. But now they also scare their fans off.
I don't know who makes those kind of decisions -- NCL? NoA and NoE? -- but it's still puzzling my mind that NoE brings over Xenoblade, even though the localization for Europe is way more expansive than a localization for the American market while at the same time the sales potential of RPGs in Europe is lower than in the US.
SpaceDrake
Member
ShockingAlberto said:
The hilarious thing is, the market for RPGs in Europe is basically thinner still than in North America, unless they're somehow producing a quintalingual version to cover English, French, Spanish, German and Italian at the same time. Releasing it in Europe but not NA is daft.
I do wonder if we'll never see Last Story, though. Xenoblade, who knows, such a mess at this point. But Last Story is a Mistwalker joint, and Sakaguchi maintains things like a Twitter where he gets a lot of English-language comments, and he knows how high the demand for LS is overseas and how much money Mistwalker could stand to make on such a deal in NA. If NCL fails to deliver, they're going to risk pissing off The Gooch, and with an ever-increasing number of third party developers moving away from Nintendo platforms in Japan I don't think they're going to want to risk alienating one of their remaining aces in the hole.
Who knows what might happen, though. We've seen worse decisions made in the past.
Augemitbutter
Member
Effect said:
they showed me how much they care by region locking the 3DS. that's a whole new level of care, i'm so happy.