Topic: Nintendo of America, Xseed Comment on Xenoblade, The Last Story Sales

[Adrock]

Operation Rainfall gave Xenoblade and The Last Story way more exposure than any marketing strategy could have ever hoped to provide. If you tell people they can't have something, they'll want it even more. I have my doubts that either game would have sold anywhere near as well had Nintendo of America just released the games like they would have any other title. I don't think it's fair to say Reggie or Nintendo of America were 100% wrong about the sales potential of the games. I can't speak for anyone else, but I probably wouldn't have bought Xenoblade right away had it come out like 18 months before it did. There would have been no urgency to do so. I had the game since April and I'm like an hour in.

The potential fallout of Operation Rainfall resulting in good sales could be positive or slightly positive but still kind of negative. At best, Nintendo of America takes a chance and releases similar games on Wii U without delay. They may or may not sell without the support of an entire organized fan movement. At worst, they become download only titles which sucks for people who prefer physical media and don't want to buy extra storage for the game. In either case, we will most likely avoid the clusterfuck as it was on the Wii and will get these games in some way.

[Luigi Dude]

At worst, they become download only titles which sucks for people who prefer physical media and don't want to buy extra storage for the game. In either case, we will most likely avoid the clusterfuck as it was on the Wii and will get these games in some way.

Yeah this right here is why people shouldn't be too worried about NOA not releasing games on the Wii U and 3DS.  Since DDL is a much cheaper way to release games, anything NOA doesn't feel will sell well in North America will probably get the PAL version put on the eShop.  NOA has no problem releasing really niche games online so these games shouldn't be a problem anymore with the eShop.  It might take a year and a half but they'll eventually get here.

[BlackNMild2k1]

At worst, they become download only titles which sucks for people who prefer physical media and don't want to buy extra storage for the game. In either case, we will most likely avoid the clusterfuck as it was on the Wii and will get these games in some way.

Yeah this right here is why people shouldn't be too worried about NOA not releasing games on the Wii U and 3DS.  Since DDL is a much cheaper way to release games, anything NOA doesn't feel will sell well in North America will probably get the PAL version put on the eShop.  NOA has no problem releasing really niche games online so these games shouldn't be a problem anymore with the eShop.  It might take a year and a half but they'll eventually get here.

I said the same thing back on the 1st page;

With simultaneous translation and full retail title eShop releases, I see no reason for Nintendo to not release everything that is produced, at the very least in the eShop.

[Plugabugz]

This entire thread would not even occur if region locking was not an issue.

Sadly, it is, because Nintendo includes currency fluctuations into their sums more than any other console. Lets be honest, money (and how much can be extracted per unit in that region) is the only reason both Wii/U and 3DS are region locked.

[Xero!]

I think that the belief that Operation Rainfall helped these games sell as well as they did in NA holds a bit of weight. I don't totally believe it though. However, with that in mind, I think this should teach us Nintendo gamers that some obscure JRPG's could use that extra push even when they are localised.
I think that in the future, the word about future JRPG's that get released on Nintendo platforms should be spread as much as possible. Extra advertising if you will. That way, the games will be more likly to do well. Extending the Operation Rainfall for this purpose doesn't seem like a bad idea.

[Mop it up]

Meanwhile, I've yet to have time to even OPEN the copies I purchased...

That's all right, all these companies care about is that you bought the games, so you're good!

[Ian Sane]

I just don't understand why Reggie doesn't get the whole "bring out different types of games for every type of gamer - which in turn will please your fanbase, causing you to prosper and grow" approach. It boggles my mind.

You can't make advancements if you don't take the risks.

Nintendo in general is bad at that, not just Reggie.  They think "for everyone" means that nearly every game should play to the lowest common denominator as then hypothetically "everyone" can enjoy it.  The idea of having a wide variety of different games aimed at different audiences just does not register with them.  That's why they were the kiddy company during the N64 and Gamecube days and they're the casual company now.  They don't get why teenagers don't want to play Mario with all his cutesy "wha-hooing" or why a core gamer doesn't want to play such a simplified game like Wii Sports.  They never noticed that when the Playstation brand was king they had "mature" content like God of War, kid friendly games like Ratchet and Clank, hardcore games like ICO, and casual fluff like Buzz all on the same system.  Or how today MS has both Kinect and Halo on the same system with different people playing the two different products aimed at completely different audiences.

To be fair though I think EAD is mostly to blame.  Intelligent Systems, Retro and Monolith are more likely to make games that appeal to more specific tastes.  EAD likes to be broad.  As well as the Wii sold, Nintendo would do even better if Nintendo's games tried to aim at more specific audiences instead of trying to grab everyone with every game.  In the end, they grab mostly kids and casuals because those are the lowest common denominator so that's the audience that would feel like Nintendo's games were specifically designed for them.  Wii Sports is a game anyone COULD like in theory but only casuals would feel it was a game specifically for them.  At the same time Xenoblade is specifically for an RPG audience but that's good because that's what that audience wants.

[Windy]

This is just plain and simple Holding Back software till the bitter end and pretty much making fans of these Genres Desparate for a release date. They have done it in the past and continue to do it now. Xenoblade is a game that would sell systems but I guess they just might be to stupid to see that. Nintendo has been holding back software for years ever since they stated this quality over quantity garbage and got people to buy into it. This thinking they have leaves it unlikely too see a sleeper on the nintendo platforms. If you compare there are way more sleepers produced from the rival systems. I'm sorry but I'm not buying Quality over Quantity these days. Nintendo is getting their butt kicked right now By it's Rivals and both Apple and Android are working their way into the picture. They better change their strategy very soon. I say open the floodgates and let the gamers choose for themselves

[NWR_insanolord]

Xenoblade couldn't've been a system seller. JRPGs don't sell hardware outside of Japan, and certainly not as late in the Wii's life as it would have come out, when everybody already had one.

[MoldyClay87]

Yeah this right here is why people shouldn't be too worried about NOA not releasing games on the Wii U and 3DS.  Since DDL is a much cheaper way to release games, anything NOA doesn't feel will sell well in North America will probably get the PAL version put on the eShop.  NOA has no problem releasing really niche games online so these games shouldn't be a problem anymore with the eShop.  It might take a year and a half but they'll eventually get here.

Not necessarily true. NOA still held back some WiiWare titles and VC games. For example, the WiiWare Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games never came over here. You know, actual games... but we got the My Pokemon Ranch crap.

They could easily still hold back games that could be released on the eShop for no real reason. And while it has nothing to do with localizing, I am still trying to figure out why they hold VC releases back on the 3DS eShop. Japan and Europe keep getting games way in advance (Japan makes sense, but Europe too?).

[NWR_insanolord]

I can't imagine the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games ever sold that well outside Japan even on the DS, so I can see why they might not care enough to localize ones on a platform nobody bought games on. That Virtual Console thing makes no sense, though.