The game will now be available two weeks before the scheduled release.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/27149
Xenoblade Chronicles will be released across Europe on August 19. This is two weeks earlier than the originally scheduled date of September 2.
The game bundle including a red Classic Controller Pro and a poster set remains a pre-order exclusive with limited numbers, so pre-orders must be made before the now earlier release date. In the UK, pre-order bundles are exclusive to GAME and Gamestation stores. Though the game can be purchased or pre-ordered on its own without the controller bundle, this is currently not an option on the GAME website so for now, you'll have to visit a store.
The poster set included in the pre-order bundle contains three A1-sized posters, signed electronically by Tetsuya Takahashi, the founder of Monolith Software.
I wonder if the release date was moved forward in anticipation of NoA announcing a release. This way, Nintendo in Europe can sell tons of copies to importers while Nintendo in America is still waiting to announce it.
That's what I was thinking. It seems an odd coincidence that the day after the alleged rumor of the game stateside Europe shaves two weeks off it's release date.
Well, props to Nintendo of Europe for running a tight ship so they could move the game up 2 weeks. I'm guessing the game's already through or close to being through certification.They wouldn't make that call unless it was Gold on the translation and Certs ahead of schedule as in now.
I think it's a little foolish to think Operation Rainfall has had any influence on Nintendo whatsoever. Game companies have pushed up release dates before for various reasons.
TJ I would like for you to supply the proof that the people behind Operation Rainfall wasn't going to buy the games anyway like you said in your offhand remark.
An online campaign had no influence over this, that is the safe bet. Online campaigns almost never work, and they never have with Nintendo. There is no evidence that this wasn't just a decision on Nintendo's part, maybe to get more sales from kids before school starts or another reason. I would honestly love to see and evidence that a group of people online (who were never gonna buy the game anyways) had any influence.
A quick search:
Earlier this year, Bethesda Softworks moved the release of Brink up a week: http://bethblog.com/index.php/2011/04/11/brink-it-forward-release-date-moved-up-one-week/ (http://bethblog.com/index.php/2011/04/11/brink-it-forward-release-date-moved-up-one-week/)
Bethesda also moved Hunted: The Demon's Forge up 1 day (only a day, but still moved up): http://news.bigdownload.com/2011/03/24/hunted-the-demons-forge-release-date-moved-up-by-one-day-to-ma/ (http://news.bigdownload.com/2011/03/24/hunted-the-demons-forge-release-date-moved-up-by-one-day-to-ma/)
The European release of Okami on Wii moved up 8 days: http://n4g.com/news/148100/europe-okami-release-date-moved-up (http://n4g.com/news/148100/europe-okami-release-date-moved-up)