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[CruxisMana]

Practically all the games I want for the Wii aren't coming out in America or Europe...

 

[Sophia]

Don't get your hopes up--it's not even on the press site this year.

Motherfucker.

Monolith Soft is Nintendo's JRPG whipping boy confirmed.

 

[darkwings]

Practically all the games I want for the Wii aren't coming out in America or Europe...

same here...no sign of Tales of Graces, last story and xenoblade

 

[Rpgmonkey]

All these cool JRPGs for the Wii and it seems like no one's bring them over... :/

Guess I'm going to have to look into setting up a Wii for import games.

 

[ivysaur12]

No mention of the Last Story either. Here's what they have on their release list:

METROID™: Other M Aug. 31
Samurai Warriors™ 3 Sept. 27
Kirby’s Epic Yarn™ Fall
Wii Party™ Fall
Donkey Kong Country™ Returns Holiday
FlingSmash™ Holiday
PokéPark™ Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure Holiday
The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword 2011
Mario™ Sports Mix 2011

-edit-

Those are the only games they have any assets for as well.

Those are either all previously announced games or big Nintendo franchises. Maybe hope isn't lost yet.

 

[CruxisMana]

same here...no sign of Tales of Graces, last story and xenoblade

Yup. Those were the major three.

Admittedly I'd given up on Tales of Graces, but I semi-expected to see The Last Story and Xenoblade...

 

[JoeFenix]

This needs to come out here, I mean WTF is up with Nintendo passing on these games....

They release shit like Glory of Heracles and pass on Soma Bringer, I just don't fucking get it!

 

[Shalashaska161]

God dammit Nintendo. This better be coming out over here, I really didn't want to have to teach myself Japanese to play this game.

 

[tim1138]

Those are either all previously announced games or big Nintendo franchises. Maybe hope isn't lost yet.

True, but last year Xenoblade showed up with assets and on the release list (when it was still known as Monado or whatever).

 

[ivysaur12]

True, but last year Xenoblade showed up with assets and on the release list (when it was still known as Monado or whatever).

I wouldn't even consider that announced. It was a hidden in a press packet with a half-baked logo and not even a mention by Nintendo.

The fact that it's not on the E3 press list is worrisome, but not the nail in the coffin. I do want some game "journalist" to ask Reggie or someone about it though.

 

[Father_Brain]

True, but last year Xenoblade showed up with assets and on the release list (when it was still known as Monado or whatever).

Yep. Unless Nintendo reverses its longstanding policies and lets a company like Atlus or XSEED publish the game in the US, it's probably not happening. Ditto for Reginleiv and Last Story.

 

[CruxisMana]

This is now a thread of bitterness.

 

[tim1138]

I wouldn't even consider that announced. It was a hidden in a press packet with a half-baked logo and not even a mention by Nintendo.

The fact that it's not on the E3 press list is worrisome, but not the nail in the coffin. I do want some game "journalist" to ask Reggie or someone about it though.

By that same notion though, something like PokePark was never announced for the US either until its appearance on the press site this year.

As much as I want Xenoblade to hit the States, it just doesn't look like it's going to happen.

 

[ivysaur12]

By that same notion though, something like PokePark was never announced for the US either until its appearance on the press site this year.

As much as I want Xenoblade to hit the States, it just doesn't look like it's going to happen.

PokePark is also form a huge franchise that came out in Japan over 6th months ago.

We're just going to have to wait on Xenoblade, unfortunately. We don't even know what its first week sales are in Japan, so I don't really think that Nintendo is able to make a call for Xenoblade's western fate.

Rengeleiv isn't happening, but Xenoblade is much larger budget and is already much more successful than it in Japan. We'll just have to see.

 

[lsslave]

Last Story & Xenoblade... my 2 most hyped Wii games... Someone better harass Nintendo about that.

I'll take one, just one, but at least one! (Both even)

The sad part is, these not being announced overshadows everything about that event that had me fucking giddy...

 

[Alex]

Oh, that is very lame, but I kind of figured it would happen. Nintendo always picks the wrong RPG's to localize.

So for the rest of the year for me, there's Metroid... and ... a couple of 2.5D platformers that look wildly worse than the DLC Rayman UbiSoft showed

Blah.

 

[Galang]

This is now a thread of bitterness.

! I hope someone will at least inquire again about Xenoblade like last year, even though that didn't really lead us anywhere.

 

[Bebpo]

To be honest after playing Xenoblade it seems unlikely NoA will bring it over.

NoA is CHEAP. They don't spend money unless they will make money. Small niche rpgs just don't come out at all even though they have low localization costs.

Now Xenoblade would probably be the most expensive localization Nintendo has ever had to do. How many other Nintendo published games need hours and hours and hours of dubbed voice work? Have a huge script to translate? Not to mention because of the size/scope of the game there'd need to be a lot of Q&A.

I can totally see someone else bringing Xenoblade over if Nintendo lets them. And Nintendo might bring it, but if they don't I think it's pretty apparent they don't want to spend the money.

 

[Mr. E. Yis]

WTF WTF. Really Nintendo? I'm waiting for the usual little event that Nintendo does on the last day of E3 (where they showed an art concept of this zelda last year, and where a GAFfer asked about a new Pikmin being made, and Nintendo said there was one). This is where they need to ask about the missing games - Xenoblade, The Last Story, Pikmin 3. Please PLEASE.

 

[kenji]

I still can't believe it.. DAMN!

 

[FoneBone]

I could see it being a 2011 release and not announced until later this year.. But I;m not betting on it.

Still think The Last Story is coming, though.

 

[CryingWolf]

Not that I think it's going to do much good, but I wrote a message to NoA's customer service urging them not to pass on Xenoblade. I'm kind of desperate at this point. How can they pass on a AAA title like Xenoblade, on a system that still needs to establish the RPG genre?

I guess they just don't care about anything that isn't Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mickey Mouse, or some other guaranteed safe bet.

 

[Twilight Princess]

we should have a partition thingie to get this game localized

 

[Owzers]

I don't get why Nintendo won't publish games in the U.S. when there is barely anything coming to the system. I'd most likely get Xenoblade and Last Story.

 

[Bebpo]

Even as someone who only plays the JP versions, it's really bad when good rpgs don't get localized.

If they don't get released around the world, they sell far fewer copies and the prospects of making similar games in the future are squandered because why bother spending 3 years making a full budget game for only a 100k people in Japan?

I'd think it also has to hurt the feelings/pride/ego of the people who work on these games and pour their lives into them, only to not be able to give what they've made to people outside their little island.

It's really bad for everyone

 

[Lafiel]

You can always hope for a NoE release like disaster, another code etc.

Although as bebop said this will probably be expensive to localize. i don't see any reason why this couldn't come to US though. It's a xeno game, what was the point of changing the title to "xenoblade" if you aren't going release it outside of japan?

 

[Instro]

We might as well just wait and see, it looks like their e3 site is going to get updates throughout the week, perhaps we will see an online announcement for XenoBlade. I mean look at what happened with that OoT remake, hasnt been announced yet but there are screens on the nintendo e3 site.

 

[Einbroch]

Do they have to dub the game? Can't they just sub it (menus, chat, items, etc) and port it over? That wouldn't be too expensive.

 

[Lafiel]

Do they have to dub the game? Can't they just sub it (menus, chat, items, etc) and port it over? That wouldn't be too expensive.

Why would they do that? they're cutting off their potential mainstream sales.

 

[Einbroch]

Why would they do that? they're cutting off their potential mainstream sales.

This game does not seem mainstream in the slightest. Maybe you're right, but it seems like the people who will buy this game are the type of people who don't care about that kind of stuff.

 

[Lafiel]

This game does not seem mainstream in the slightest. Maybe you're right, but it seems like the people who will buy this game are the type of people who don't care about that kind of stuff.

I actually think from bebop impressions that the game has western appeal, MMO-styled gameplay, open-world etc.

 

[Einbroch]

I actually think from bebop impressions that the game has western appeal, MMO-styled gameplay, open-world etc.

Perhaps, but if someone were to put this game into a commercial I don't necessarily know that those points would come across. They'd see a screenshot or video of a battle and tune out.

 

[Sammy Samusu]

xenoblade not on upcoming games list for america, fuck

Fuck Nintendo and it's Donkey Kong shits.

I need Xenoblade!

 

[CryingWolf]

I've had a little correspondence with NoA about this already; to their credit, they respond very promptly. However, I'm not sure that I've learned anything.

My first reply read,

Hello,



Thank you for contacting us. While Last Story hasn't been announced, I'm pleased to report that a Xenoblade game titled Monado: Beginning of the World has been announced for release on the Wii console. At this time, no specific release date has been set for it yet.



For future reference, our website's Game Guide (http://www.nintendo.com/games/guide) represents the best place to find the most accurate release dates. Once there, use the questions in the left column to narrow your search based on system, genre, online play, etc.



When you have narrowed your search, click on the game's title to see all the available information. If what you seek is not yet available, please check back later. When there is new information to share on announced games or other upcoming products, our website is the best official source!



Remember, any posted release dates are estimates and subject to change. As a product's estimated release date approaches, you may wish to check with your local retailers to see when it may be available in your area.



I hope this information is helpful.



Sincerely,


Sharon Matheny
Nintendo of America Inc.

And true, Xenoblade is listed on their website, under the original name of "Monado: Beginning of the World." But it is obviously just a placeholder. Following that, I wrote back and asked for more clarification and received this reply:

Hello Nathaniel,


Thanks for writing again.

Monado: Beginning of the World was announced as an upcoming game for the Wii on October 9 of last year. Keep an eye on our web site for updates.



Sincerely,


Mike Chandler
Nintendo of America Inc.

So, what do you make of that? Does this mean anything, or do these people just not know anything?

 

[Alex]

What I make of it is that it was coming, then they canceled it and the website workers were never informed.

Like Giftpia back in the day.

 

[CruxisMana]

Those replies are semi-promising. I remember emailing Namco about the release of Tales of Vesperia in Europe and receiving similiar messages.

But I think I'm going to try and forget about this game for the time being so that I'll be surprised if a release is announced instead of being constantly bitter and disappointed.

 

[B.K.]

I told you all Nintendo wouldn't release it outside Japan.

 

[farnham]

I told you all Nintendo wouldn't release it outside Japan.

did you read the post above

nintendo stated themselves that they announced the game already

so its officially comming under the name monado right now

 

[ivysaur12]

Nintendo is still probably seeing how the game performs in Japan. Remember, it's been out for less than a week.

That's not to say it will be localized, but just because it wasn't on the E3 release list doesn't mean it won't be... especially considering it wouldn't be coming out until 2011 at the earliest.

I told you all Nintendo wouldn't release it outside Japan.

And while it's probable that you're right, we still don't know. The only non-huge IP that's on the Wii release list in FlingSmasher, which was announced last year and is coming out this winter.

We still don't have first week sale numbers for the game in Japan. We don't know if it's enough for Nintendo to start a second printing. We don't know if the game pulled enough of a profit to warrant a localization.

 

[Lafiel]

Nintendo is still probably seeing how the game performs in Japan. Remember, it's been out for less than a week.

That's not to say it will be localized, but just because it wasn't on the E3 release list doesn't mean it won't be... especially considering it wouldn't be coming out until 2011 at the earliest.



We still don't have first week sale numbers for the game in Japan. We don't know if it's enough for Nintendo to start a second printing. We don't know if the game pulled enough of a profit to warrant a localization.

True, the reason they didn't bring monoliths last game. (disaster) here was because it sold terribly in japan IIRC. If this sells well, we should have a good chance of seeing it here.

Not sure about the somabringer situation though. No idea how much it sold in japan.

 

[ivysaur12]

True, the reason they didn't bring monoliths last game. (disaster) here was because it sold terribly in japan IIRC. If this sells well, we should have a good chance of seeing it here.

Not sure about the somabringer situation though. No idea how much it sold in japan.

Soma Bringer ended up doing 100k. If the first day sales are correct, Xenoblade's first day beat Soma Bringer's first week. It'll end up doing better.

Whether it's a little better or a lot better remains to be seen. That's probably what Nintendo is waiting for.

EDIT: Actually, Soma Bringer did around 71k in two weeks. I'd bet that the first week of Xenoblade comes somewhere close to that if the first day numbers are correct.

Disaster did 12k its first week and 27k overall.

EDIT 2: The highest selling Wii game that Nintendo never localized (besides General Knowledge Training) was Fatal Frame 4 (74k, and that was due to other circumstances as well). The next highest was Zangeki no Reginleiv at 30k.

 

[CryingWolf]

Sales-wise, Xenoblade is outdoing expectations so far, I believe.. I read somewhere that its sales have far outperformed what you would typically expect based on the # of preorders, which usually points to strong word of mouth.

So, hopefully they will give it a chance over here.

I know someone from NoA is reading this; listen to me! If you don't give us Xenoblade you will be sorry!

 

[Alex]

did you read the post above

nintendo stated themselves that they announced the game already

so its officially comming under the name monado right now

It's fun to pretend, it's where you can be a viking or an astronaut!

Seriously though, that archaic, non-descript product page means nothing. It's not been touched, it's not on any release list, it's not coming. Nintendo has done this several times in the past. If I am wrong, then that is rad and everyone wins.

 

[ErasureAcer]

Count me in on the "I'll buy a Wii if released in North America" crowd. Xenogears is my favorite game of all time. Didn't really like Xenosaga part 1 though but Xenoblade looks awesome and the impressions in this thread have me sold.

 

[CryingWolf]

Soma Bringer ended up doing 100k. If the first day sales are correct, Xenoblade's first day beat Soma Bringer's first week. It'll end up doing better.

Whether it's a little better or a lot better remains to be seen. That's probably what Nintendo is waiting for.

EDIT: Actually, Soma Bringer did around 71k in two weeks. I'd bet that the first week of Xenoblade comes somewhere close to that if the first day numbers are correct.

Disaster did 12k its first week and 27k overall.

EDIT 2: The highest selling Wii game that Nintendo never localized (besides General Knowledge Training) was Fatal Frame 4 (74k, and that was due to other circumstances as well). The next highest was Zangeki no Reginleiv at 30k.

Thanks ivysaur, those numbers actually make me feel somewhat better. So if I'm reading this right, then if Xenoblade is never localized, it would most likely be the highest-selling Wii game to never be localized into English?

I just can't see that happening, so... I'm sure it will show up here sooner or later.

 

[ivysaur12]

It's fun to pretend, it's where you can be a viking or an astronaut!

Seriously though, that archaic, non-descript product page means nothing. It's not been touched, it's not on any release list, it's not coming. Nintendo has done this several times in the past. If I am wrong, then that is rad and everyone wins.

You're right, it does mean nothing. And while not being on Nintendo's E3 list is not necessarily the sign we wanted, it doesn't necessarily mean the game is not coming out here.

The game came out in Japan less than a week ago.
We have no idea how well its sold.
We have no idea if it has legs.
We have no idea how profitable it will be for Nintendo given its budget.
All games on that release list, beyond HUGE IPs like Zelda, are going to be released in 2010. Even if Xenoblade was announced for localization today, it probably still wouldn't be out till 2011.

Let's just wait and see.

EDIT:

Thanks ivysaur, those numbers actually make me feel somewhat better. So if I'm reading this right, then if Xenoblade is never localized, it would most likely be the highest-selling Wii game to never be localized into English?

I just can't see that happening, so... I'm sure it will show up here sooner or later.

Yes, HOWEVER I should note that Xenoblade definitely has a significantly larger budget than most of Nintendo published games. This isn't something that is public knowledge though so really we don't exactly have a clear barometer for success.

 

[Alex]

When you go about doomsaying though, you usually wind up less disappointed in the end!

I don't think the Japanese sales of a title have as much of an influence on US localization as you guys think though.

 

[RurouniZel]

If I had to wager an optimistic guess, the reason we're not hearing anything about it is because NoA is

1) awaiting Japanese sales data
2) saving for next year anyway

 

[Diffense]

Nothing Last story at E3 and nothing about Pokemon either.
I guess no release putside Japan

 

[CryingWolf]

If I had to wager an optimistic guess, the reason we're not hearing anything about it is because NoA is

1) awaiting Japanese sales data
2) saving for next year anyway

I think this is reasonable and more likely than us never getting it at all... so I guess I'll just try to focus on other games for now and not worry about it.