Topic: 'No Plans' to Release Xenoblade, Last Story, Pandora's Tower in North America

[KDR_11k]

I say we all have a million man march on NoA head quarters.

I say there aren't even a million Nintendo fans who'd want to buy these games.

[Ceric]

I say we all have a million man march on NoA head quarters.

I say there aren't even a million Nintendo fans who'd want to buy these games.

I was waiting for that but, I though it be what was bolded.

If I was closer I go on that march for the fun of it and socializing.  Which Reminds me... I need to look if PAX East dates are up yet.  I'm going to make it this time.  Though I do say that every year.
Alright April 6-8 according to Wikipedia.

[NWR_Neal]

If you didn't buy Excitebots, you're part of the problem.

I don't have any reasoning for that other than Excitebots is amazing. Seriously, go play it right now.

[Ceric]

If you didn't buy Excitebots, you're part of the problem.

I don't have any reasoning for that other than Excitebots is amazing. Seriously, go play it right now.

Second it.  Then Curse the timing on that manic circling motion.
I'm sad that the series is probably dead.

[Nemo]

Nintendo systems have always been my primary console. I tend to buy these obscure games like Excitebots and Sin & Punishment. I don't own a 360 or PS3... but I'd say it's time for me to get a 360 since Nintendo doesn't want to release these good looking games.

I'm pretty angry about this situation, and part of me wants to "boycott Nintendo" or something. Realistically, I'll still get Nintendo products I want (like Zelda), but I'm now less excited for the Wii U (and with a 360, I probably won't get a Wii U at launch).

[UltimatePartyBear]

It seems to me that this would be the wrong time to give in to Operation Rainfall, anyway.  If NoA wanted to take advantage of the grass roots hype train, it should let it build up some more, especially since the fans are planning to keep a month long letter writing campaign going.

I don't think NoA is going to do anything, but Atlus or somebody else would certainly benefit from waiting a little longer to announce anything.

Personally, I'm keeping my hopes down.  I just wanted to point that out.

[Jonnyboy117]

Boycotts are ineffective unless you can activate a majority of the customer base, which is not happening in this situation. Not even 1%.


The letter-writing campaign is actually one of the more potentially effective strategies over the past few decades of grassroots activism.

[Shaymin]

For the people who asked about Dragon Quest VI, it got published here for the same reason Fortune Street and DQM Joker 2 (not even the expansion pak! Oi!) are coming out here: Iwata told Hori that NCL would do everything in their power to make DQ as big in the West as it is in Japan. That's a directive coming down from the top.

Now, why they haven't taken that same tack with Xenoblade/TLS is beyond me, especially since they're all about competing with other forms of entertainment and I've definitely cut down on the TV I watch since I suddenly developed Lindemann Syndrome for JRPGs.

[MegaByte]

If only they could make a deal with Square Enix to market them as:
Final Fantasy Blade
Final Fantasy Story
Final Fantasy Tower

[UncleBob]

Don't get me started on Another Code R.

Apparently, Another Code R is stupid and no one cares about it.

AIN'T THAT RIGHT, KARLIE?!?!?!?!?
::MAD::

[Galford]

Wow my login still works.
 
Nintendo at E3 stated they were looking to get core gamers back.  Even if these games didn't sell well it would give the perception Nintendo is listening.  With NoA giving the response it has I don't think Nintendo wants core gamers back, and core gamers tend to have long memories...
 
I can't shake the feeling WiiU is really the Gamecube round 2...

[Ceric]

I think this movement is now over ripe for NoA to really capitalize on it.

[KDR_11k]

If you didn't buy Excitebots, you're part of the problem.

Or European .

[broodwars]

If you didn't buy Excitebots, you're part of the problem.

Or just don't like racing games in general, unless they throw on a massive heap of Awesome Spectacle like the awesome Split/Second.

Actually, a much more likely death-knell for these games was the utter flop of Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, a game that (unlike Excitebots) we actually knew existed more than 4 weeks before it released; had some amount of marketing; and was a a sequel to a fairly niche game.

Either way, I used the last of my Wii Points today purchasing Final Fantasy VI, and yeah...unless Nintendo of America radically changes their localization policies, I'm done with buying things from Nintendo for the foreseeable future.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

It's understandable that many of you are upset about this news. However, responding to it by refusing to buy anything more from Nintendo is not going to solve the problem. As others have already pointed out, minority boycotts have zero influence on how a company conducts their business, and you're also excluding yourself from the good products that do come out. If it really annoys you, buy a copy of these games from Europe and find a method to play them - it's hardly piracy, you've actually paid for the games.

[KDR_11k]

Actually, a much more likely death-knell for these games was the utter flop of Sin & Punishment: Star Successor

I don't think that did any better in Europe.

[broodwars]

It's understandable that many of you are upset about this news. However, responding to it by refusing to buy anything more from Nintendo is not going to solve the problem. As others have already pointed out, minority boycotts have zero influence on how a company conducts their business, and you're also excluding yourself from the good products that do come out.

Not if you buy used, which has the simultaneous effects of screwing Nintendo; saving me money; and still allowing me to play what few Nintendo games still appeal to me.

Really, though, this has been building with me for a long time this generation.  The powder keg was the 2008 E3 Press Conference and subsequent Holiday 2008 game drought.  Ever since then (despite having eventually gotten over the Press Conference itself) and purchasing my first non-Nintendo consoles, I've really lost a lot of interest in Nintendo and their games.  Although there are games on the Wii that I will defend as "good" or at least "decent", there really aren't many games on the console that I can just gush about as a gamer, which has not been the case with previous Nintendo consoles.  This latest incident was just the last straw with me.  The RPG genre is my favorite, and I've had a lot of trouble finding JRPGs I want to play on any console this generation. 

And for no logical reason, Nintendo of America would rather have Wii owners not using their consoles for the better part of a year than release 2 well-regarded RPGs that are already going to be localized.  You know what?  **** them.  I'm done with this B.S.  I don't have to put up with nonsense like this on my other consoles, and Wii owners shouldn't have to put up with it here.  They shouldn't have to hack their Wiis to play these games just because Nintendo of America's leadership is incompetent.  I like this site; the podcasts; and my fellow readers/listeners here, but I'm done with supporting Nintendo this generation and the next if they're going to treat their customers this way.

[Sundoulos]

If only they could make a deal with Square Enix to market them as:
Final Fantasy Blade
Final Fantasy Story
Final Fantasy Tower

Even that doesn't seem to carry as much weight as it used to.

[KeyBilly]

I think this is very applicable to Wii U purchase decisions, since it shows that Nintendo is still primarily interested in giving us casual stuff (understandable), along with a few core titles here and there, rather than trying to achieve the diverse library of titles that the competing system offers.  Even when the investment is minimal to drive brand loyalty, they simply refuse.  They have it down to a science exactly how little they can do and still get people to buy in.

The question is if having Mario and Zelda is enough to warrant a console purchase anymore.  This will likely not be a standalone console, but an add-on to the 360 or PS3.

[Chocobo_Rider]

@ broodwars

I'm sorry this was your last straw with Nintendo.

I guess you won't be hanging around here anymore?

[broodwars]

@ broodwars

I'm sorry this was your last straw with Nintendo.

I guess you won't be hanging around here anymore?

Like I said, I like the site and the podcasts, which is helped a great deal when a large portion of Radio Free Nintendo is devoted to games from other platforms (I kid, of course, since hearing about the latest Nintendo software can be cool as well).      I still like talking about stuff with you guys and this is still one of the better sites on the internet, so I'll stick around.  It's not like the 360 or PS3 have a fan site that can compare with this one.  I'm just not giving Nintendo any of my money for the foreseeable future.

[4-D]

I don't know what more Nintendo fans could've done. This tells me that Nintendo of America could care less what the fans are clamoring for. Like it's been suggested above, NoA should at least release a limited edition of Xenoblades since Europe already localized it. Does Nintendo really care about its hardcore audience? I think people should definitely buy as much Nintendo merchandise used for a while...

[Luigi Dude]

The only way Xenoblade is coming to America is if it gets sales in Europe that Iwata himself considers good, which might cause him to order Reggie to release the game in America because he feels the game could get similar sales in America.  Since the North American and European markets are very similar to successful Nintendo games, a successful game in Europe would mean the game can be successful in America as well.

So right now, the PAL sales charts for the weeks after Xenoblade comes out are the only thing that matters.  If Xenoblade opens nicely and stays on the charts for a while, that's a good sign.  If it doesn't even appear on the charts or very low, then that's the final nail, it'll never come here.  So lets hope NOE gives the game a great marketing campaign that makes it a success like they were able to do with Monster Hunter 3 and Dragon Quest IX, because right now NOE is ironically the only hope us American Nintendo fans have.

[Shaymin]

I can see it now: Xenoblade clears 200k in the UK because of Americans importing, so a US release gets ordered - then it bombs in NA because everyone bought the import.

[Chocobo_Rider]

I can see it now: Xenoblade clears 200k in the UK because of Americans importing, so a US release gets ordered - then it bombs in NA because everyone bought the import.

hmm, where have I heard that before? =P

Could suck if EU sales are good due to all the importing/modding that will take place without announcements.  Then, NoA announces/releases them stateside but everyone who wanted them already has them!!

PS - Shaymin kicks ass.  One of my favorite Pokémon of all time.  If only I knew how to use him well in online battles so he didn't have to sit the bench all the time =)

PPS - I just got back from Gamestop and saw a little girl with a Shaymin plush tucked under her arm.  Quite cool/adorable.