Don't you hate it when you play a game that you love, and that you encourage everyone you know to buy, but which just doesn't wind up being the commercial success it deserves to be? I'm talking about games like ICO, games like Rez. Games like Chibi-Robo.
And, in this particular instance, I'm talking about Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - a cracking, atmospheric adventure game which harks back to the 16-bit days when the point-and-click genre was at its peak. Make no mistake, Hotel Dusk has writing that's up there with the likes of Beneath A Steel Sky, and shows a dark wit comparable to the Monkey Island games. It's not as flat-out funny as the adventures of Guybrush and LeChuck, but then it's not meant to be. It's a slow-burn mystery story that's twistier than a bag of slinkies, and it's bloody great.
I've imported this game from the US, where it appears to have been released on a very small print run, with very little promotion indeed, and where people are struggling to pick up the game from their regular game stockist. While it's possible word-of-mouth could lead to another run, and maybe some half-decent sales, it's likely to remain a cult hit at best.
This isn't right. So let's try and rectify the situation if and when it hits these shores. Hotel Dusk hasn't been confirmed for a PAL release yet, but PSO is hereby starting a campaign not only to get the game released here as soon as possible, but to get it sold.
Now Nintendo of America went to great pains to promote the almost equally-excellent Elite Beat Agents, which sold well if not spectacularly. Why didn't they do the same for this game?
Let's consider for a minute the Touch Generations label, which is designed to appear on DS games that suit more casual players. Actionloop, which was released on Friday over here, is one example of a game falling under that banner. Hotel Dusk is not a Touch Generations game. But it damn well should be!
I can't think of a recent game that would be so suited to any relatives who've been bitten by the gaming bug with Wii. Here is a title which Nintendo are describing as an 'interactive novel' - well let's get people interacting! People read books all the time - imagine your mum or dad reading a crime novel in bed. It's not such a giant step to see them moving from flicking through the latest John Grisham to holding their DS like a book (as Hotel Dusk requires you to do) and tapping the touchscreen to work their way through the story. Hell, some of them will even be used to that from Brain Training. It's not a game that requires twitch reflexes or immaculate timing; it's a detective story that could have a really wide appeal, if only Nintendo would promote it and target the markets they're said to be aiming for these days.
So PSO is starting a campaign to get Hotel Dusk a major PAL release. It's bound to make it to these shores, but let's see NoE really push this; advertise it, bring it under the Touch Generations umbrella, and get it sold to those who've had their brains tested by Dr. Kawashima but who fancy a new challenge.
I'm hereby setting the wheels in motion to get this campaign promoted all over the internet, and hopefully people will pick up on this and support us.
So, are you in, or are you out? You can make a difference, people. Join our campaign, and make things happen. The official thread for discussion of this can be found on our forum right here, or you can just add a comment below to show your support.
Let's not let Hotel Dusk become just another 'forgotten classic'.
