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Let's convince Nintendo to go region-free!
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
ThatObviousUser
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Wait now the petition is for 25k? v_v
Are there any safeguards stopping people signing multiple times? I mean obviously that won't have happened enough to give the petition the level of success it has enjoyed so far, but I just checked the page and it offered to let me sign even though I already have. Slightly (slightly) undermines the credibility of the result if people just have to revisit the site to add a second signature. Great to see it going such gangbusters, though!
Contacting Consumer Service is always welcome...SO LONG AS YOU ARE POLITE AND CORDIAL. Most of the Operation Rainfall guys who did so did a pretty good job. Some of them on the other hand....not so much.
Operation Rainfall did great because the leadership stressed this exact point. The CS rep that you speak to is just doing their job and have no say on top corporate policies like this. Being polite, stating your argument, and asking that your feedback be documented is ace. Do that, and you'll be good.
Starwolf_UK
Member
If you used a VPN or have a Japanese Wii U in a Netflix country it would.
Just to clarify: I wasn't stating the bolded part about localization being hurt by region locking, only asking out loud about possible consequences. Nor was I implying that I support region locking in any way (hence the italics part and my earlier post about the benefits of a region free market). But thank you for the explanation anyway.
One of the reasons I asked was because of the quite recent example of Atlus region locking that Persona fighting game so Europeans wouldn't import it, but I guess this might indeed be an example of a game that lives or dies by niche sales (in which importing does hurt localization). I just hope that removing region locks won't make publishers too lazy to translate their (niche) games because their known audience already is playing the Japanese versions (thereby limiting these type of games from becoming popular with new, non-Japanese reading audiences; I mean would Phoenix Wright ever become so popular in the West if it had remained an exclusively Japanese game that plays on US and EU systems, or was its localization needed as well?). Will a fully region free market in other words lead to more localization or to less of it? I'm still not sure even though, like you stated, older data does suggest no direct correlation exists.
(Yay: my first post on Gaf being called "ridiculous"; I only need to be shouted at next to be fully accepted, right guys?)
D
Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
Persona was region locked so that Japanese players wouldn't import the US copy which had Japanese language tracks. Europe is the lost city of Atlantis for Atlus. They've heard rumors of its existence, but they're not quite sure where it is and why they should bother looking for it.
IGN asked. Iwata answered....
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/03/nintendos-president-discusses-region-locking
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/03/nintendos-president-discusses-region-locking
IGN interview is up: http://ca.ign.com/articles/2013/07/03/nintendos-president-discusses-region-locking
EDIT: Beaten.
EDIT2: Pretty shitty response and substantiates to nothing.
EDIT: Beaten.
EDIT2: Pretty shitty response and substantiates to nothing.
YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!
I hope that's enough exclamation marks to complete your initiation.
Atlus doesn't give a damn about Europe; they always rely on others to publish their games in PAL land, so they really don't care if a game bombs because they get paid anyway.
Of course PW would never have gotten as popular if the games had stayed in Japanese. Even just localizing them in English only will seriously limit their appeal in the West (Europe). You really have to understand that importing is n-i-c-h-e, especially for Japanese games. I mean, how popular do you think the Japanese language is outside Japan?
Rich really dropped the ball. He didn't even bring up all the previous region free Nintendo handhelds, the PSP and PS3. He could have also mentioned that MS gives the publishers the option to release region free games and that many publishers choose to do so. Sony also changed their policy to allow region locking and yet there's only 1 region locked game and it certainly wasn't because of the ratings.
I hope he does a follow up and does a better job at pressuring Iwata.
I hope he does a follow up and does a better job at pressuring Iwata.
What do they say to their line of handhelds up to the DSi that were region free then?
Iwata said:
It is a restriction, though, not "kind of" one. Microsoft did not yet reverse their DRM approach when this interview was taken, but Sony also sells their products worldwide without region locking, so Iwata's excuse is a null point.
I support region-freeing. However it seems what little hope there was of a Phantasy Star Online 2 English release have been nullified by fan-efforts to play and translate the Japanese version.
Made a thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=612751
Yeah I noticed this as well, date of article is July 3rd, but it appears the quote from Iwata was during E3:
IGN said:
Now that the fans have become more vocal with the petition and miiverse posts we really need a new statement, have they decided to change their stance?
Sakura
Member
I was always confused why they bothered including the Japanese text in the NA version in the first place. If that was a reason they region locked it to stop reverse importing, then why not simply remove the Japanese text from the western version?
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Not having a clue? What do you mean?
This is a business decision due mostly to currency exchange rates.
Now how much would it affect Nintendo really? There are are definitely a minority who would import stuff regardless of anything, but most wouldn't considering shipping costs, how long it would take to get the product, and etc.
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
that's because the answer is yes
I imagine it would take some heavy accounting changes on their end and a readjustment of their projections and modeling. it may just not be a profitable move for them, they play heavy in exchange markets.
I'm going to need some sources.
Sakura
Member
I'm sure they've crunched the numbers. They probably figure they make more money with region locks than without.
Would it be safe to assume that difference it makes is small?
Sakura
Member
Sure, it probably would be small. But Nintendo isn't exactly in the best financial position right now, I'm sure they want to save as much money as they can.
I wonder if NOE have accidentally screwed themselves by setting up in Germany and being subject to it's laws. The whole 18 rated content curfew thing was apparently due to Germany and was stopped due to Nintendo's current Parental Control system.
I can imagine the German government/child safety group throwing an absolute fit if went and changed the system on them after proving it's apparent strength.
Unfortunately I don't think NOE is going to relocate any time soon.
I can imagine the German government/child safety group throwing an absolute fit if went and changed the system on them after proving it's apparent strength.
Unfortunately I don't think NOE is going to relocate any time soon.
ExitPlanetDust
Member
The petition is at 16k and change now.
FearMyWrench
Member
Gotta love the positivity from this guy, as always:
https://twitter.com/TheBitBlock/status/352576534818721795
https://twitter.com/TheBitBlock/status/352576534818721795
Come on, you'll never get anything concrete on this. Most of the decisions to localize a game happen behind closed doors. We can only guess and assume.
Because this is entirely about importing from Japan, yup. Forget about Europeans who want to import niche games from NA, or vice versa; or those who want games earlier when there is a big difference in release dates. Maybe there are even Japanese people who want games released much earlier in/only in western territories!
If the 3DS was region free I'd be importing Mario & Luigi 4 from Europe so I can play a month early. Guess I'm part of the problem.
Andrefpvs
Member
I have no idea who that guy is, but PS3 being region-free has no effect on Japanese games being localized. If anything, with the recent Hatsune Miku example, some otherwise unlikely localizations happen because of the interest shown by imports (Project Diva f got significant sales from imports).
Also, people won't import games they have no chance of understanding. Localizations are still important. That is no excuse to block people who do understand the foreign language from importing the games.
Also, he's using the laughable "just buy a Japanese console" argument. Nothing to see here.
Lord Ghirahim
Member
The last time I heard from that guy, it was him being upset over his (?)tube masturbation videos being linked around after he started his video game site. Videos he had shared with the internet himself. I think it was about 5 years ago.
I see he didn't get any brighter.
D
Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
Bought a Japanese console last time...mostly to play my EU games.
Cheesemeister
Member
As has been said, region-locking IS a restriction.
This campaign is ON!
This campaign is ON!
D
Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
As I mentioned in the other thread, it seems like now would be an opportune moment to try and get the word out to more mainstream sources. There is momentum now, but the biggest gaming sites seem to have covered it in some capacity by now, so I can see things stalling very soon.
In Ouendan's case, it led to a localization, so that reason doesn't work.
Rajack
Member
I stand with this campaign as I did with Operation Rainfall!
IncandescentPrecept
Banned
Why doesn't Nintendo have anyone that talks to fans?
As many a corporate twitterer would know it's very easy to insert foot into mouth. It's often best to shut up and either do something or ignore. Playing defense never works out so well.
IncandescentPrecept
Banned
It does not have to be constant defence - Sony's execs seem to be popular on Twitter. MS fumbled a lot but that was because no one knew what they wanted to do.
Those reasons are that you should please understand that there are some reasons behind it.
Well typically you bring it on yourself in some capacity. I'm sure if you ask about PSN fees the conversation will go sour and therefore they won't respond to it.
metalslimer
Member
Nintendo could at least have their own version of PSN blog. It feels like Nintendo has no fan outreach at all and Nintendo Directs are not fan outreach. Nintendo is completely secretive of all their games, barely ever release information more than a few months/weeks before launch, and have a mediocre relationship with the press.