Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Xenoblade developer working on new project for Wii U]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/xenoblade-developer-working-on-new-project-for-wii-u/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/xenoblade-developer-working-on-new-project-for-wii-u/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/xenoblade-developer-working-on-new-project-for-wii-u/#comments Xenoblade developer is working on something Wii UMonolith Soft, the developer behind Xenoblade Chronicles, is quietly building something for Wii U. The above screenshot was snagged during the Japanese Nintendo Direct Wii U conference, thanks to Siliconera.

Monolith Soft president Tetsuya Takahashi and the Xenoblade team are creating a new IP for the Wii U, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said.

JoystiqXenoblade developer working on new project for Wii U originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monolith-softnintendowii-uxenobladexenoblade-chroniclesThu, 13 Sep 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Why Xenoblade Chronicles represents the past, present, and future of Japanese gaming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/why-xenoblade-chronicles-represents-the-past-present-and-futur/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/why-xenoblade-chronicles-represents-the-past-present-and-futur/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/why-xenoblade-chronicles-represents-the-past-present-and-futur/#commentsThis is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer.
If you want to know where Xenoblade Chronicles came from, you need only look toward two sources. There's Monster Hunter, which is the inspiration for seemingly every modern JRPG from Dragon Quest IX to more blatant knockoffs like God Eater. And there are MMORPGs, which have come to exercise a great deal of influence over Japanese gaming culture as a whole.

Xenoblade Chronicles, and Monster Hunter too, are like this for a reason. Work and school start early and end late in Japan, and any time at home is usually either devoted to the family, or sleeping. Many gamers have migrated to manga cafes, which have been dominated by MMORPGs like Lineage for about a decade now. MMOs have in turn influenced loot-centric cooperative handheld games like Monster Hunter, which serve as the other alternative for busy students and salarymen.

This trend presents a dilemma for Japanese developers. Japan simply can't get enough Monster Hunter and its ilk, which is all the more reason for developers to keep cranking them out. Global audiences, however, have been slow to embrace co-op RPGs. That's where Xenoblade Chronicles comes in - an RPG with all the trappings of an MMO or a Monster Hunter, but wrapped in a traditional, single-player JRPG.

Gallery: Xenoblade Chronicles

Continue reading Why Xenoblade Chronicles represents the past, present, and future of Japanese gaming

JoystiqWhy Xenoblade Chronicles represents the past, present, and future of Japanese gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monolith-softmonolithsoftnintendowiixenoblade-chroniclesWed, 18 Apr 2012 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles available on GameFly]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/xenoblade-chronicles-available-on-gamefly/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/xenoblade-chronicles-available-on-gamefly/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/xenoblade-chronicles-available-on-gamefly/#comments ImageXenoblade Chronicles is available for rent on Gamefly, a reader informs Joystiq. We checked and, sure enough, it's there. "But it's supposed to be exclusive to the Nintendo Store and GameStop!" you say. To that ... well, we don't really have a snappy retort because we're just as flummoxed as everyone else. Whatever the cause, it seems being able to rent the game has created an exception.

Regardless, if you don't feel like paying a premium to try out the excellent RPG, and you happen to have a GameFly account, give it a rent. As of this writing, Xenoblade Chronicles is listed as "available now."

[Thanks, Matthew!]

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles available on GameFly originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gameflymonolith-softnintendowiixenoblade-chroniclesWed, 11 Apr 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles review: A cut above]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/xenoblade-chronicles-review-a-cut-above/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/xenoblade-chronicles-review-a-cut-above/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/xenoblade-chronicles-review-a-cut-above/#comments ImageI'll confess, I wasn't terribly excited for Xenoblade Chronicles at first. My experience with other "Xeno" titles (Xenogears, Xenosaga) could perhaps best be described as contemptuous. To me, those titles paraded the worst elements of Japanese role-playing games in front of a spotlight, gleefully showcasing the genre's biggest flaws to the world for excruciatingly painful stretches. Going into the nitty-gritty of why I find those games awful is another article entirely, but suffice it to say that another Xeno-game wasn't exactly high on my want-to-play list -- until I started hearing nothing but praise for Xenoblade from like-minded JRPG genre fans. Imagine my surprise at popping the disc into my Wii to discover a game nothing like Xenos past -- a game that, instead of stubbornly shoving the worst parts of JRPGs in your face, makes substantial advancements to the genre.

Gallery: Xenoblade Chronicles

Continue reading Xenoblade Chronicles review: A cut above

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles review: A cut above originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monolith-softnintendowiixenoblade-chroniclesFri, 06 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles director naturally influenced by Western design; details changes for NA/EU version]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/xenoblade-chronicles-director-naturally-influenced-by-western-de/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/xenoblade-chronicles-director-naturally-influenced-by-western-de/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/xenoblade-chronicles-director-naturally-influenced-by-western-de/#comments Xenoblade Chronicles executive director Tetsuya Takahashi should probably have a lot to say given his latest project's tumultuous journey to worldwide launch, but his extremely concise interview answers to us indicate otherwise. When we asked Takahashi how Xenoblade Chronicles' development scaled comparatively with past projects, he simply told us, "There's no doubt that the scale of this project was large compared to past projects." O ... okay then!

He got a bit more verbose on other subjects, however. How different is the NA/EU version of Xenoblade Chronicles from the original Japanese release last year, for instance? "We made some minor bug adjustments and revised some of the written content for localization. There were also some places where we made minor adjustments to the game balance, but none of the changes resulted in significant differences from the original (Japanese) version," Takahashi said.

Takahashi also spoke to his approach to development of modern RPGs. "I like Western game design a lot, so there were places where I referred to it without thinking about it." But that's not to say Xenoblade Chronicles is a product of a Japanese dev looking solely at Western design philosophy. "Xenoblade is not just influenced by Western game design; it has also undeniably inherited the DNA of Japanese RPGs." Find out for yourself just how that plays out when Xenoblade Chronicles arrives on US retail shelves tomorrow.

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles director naturally influenced by Western design; details changes for NA/EU version originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monolith-softmonolithsoftnintendotetsuya-takahashiwiixenoblade-chroniclesFri, 06 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles arrives on April 6 wrapped in this gorgeous box art]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/xenoblade-chronicles-arrives-on-april-6-wrapped-in-this-gorgeous/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/xenoblade-chronicles-arrives-on-april-6-wrapped-in-this-gorgeous/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/xenoblade-chronicles-arrives-on-april-6-wrapped-in-this-gorgeous/#comments According to Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime himself, Xenoblade Chronicles will finally arrive in North America on April 6. Wait, but didn't that game already come out, like, two other times? Yes, friend, it totally did. First, in Japan on June 10, 2010 as just "Xenoblade," then in Europe once more on August 19, 2011 with its current name. The April 6, 2012 North American launch will mark its third such launch. But hey, check out that incredible box art!

The game's tumultuous journey from Japanese exclusivity to worldwide release has been a point of contention for classic console JRPG fans. After a group formed online named "Operation Rainfall," various loud messages were voiced to Nintendo about a trio of JRPGs that were at the time unannounced for North America (The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Pandora's Tower). All three titles have since been announced for release (or released) in other regions, though Pandora's Tower is still not planned for a US release.

Of course, you could've been playing Xenoblade Chronicles all along by using our handy guide to making the EU version work on your North American Wii. But then you already knew that, right?

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles arrives on April 6 wrapped in this gorgeous box art originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monolith-softnintendonintendo-directnintendo-direct-2012operation-rainfallq2-2012release-datewiixenoblade-chroniclesWed, 22 Feb 2012 09:32:00 EST<![CDATA[New Xenoblade Chronicles trailer shows off combat and menus]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/18/new-xenoblade-chronicles-trailer-shows-off-combat-and-menus/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/18/new-xenoblade-chronicles-trailer-shows-off-combat-and-menus/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/18/new-xenoblade-chronicles-trailer-shows-off-combat-and-menus/#comments
Xenoblade Chronicles is still on track for its April 2012 release in North America, proving that there's nothing in this world that you can't do. This latest trailer from Nintendo and Monolith Soft shows off the game's combat, crafting and weapons systems, as well as some very large robot swords.

JoystiqNew Xenoblade Chronicles trailer shows off combat and menus originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monolith-softnintendooperation-rainfallwiixenobladexenoblade-chroniclesSat, 18 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Judge Xenoblade Chronicles by its (inside) cover]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/judge-xenoblade-chronicles-by-its-inside-cover/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/judge-xenoblade-chronicles-by-its-inside-cover/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/06/judge-xenoblade-chronicles-by-its-inside-cover/#comments Xenoblade Chronicles "the game" is definitely coming to the US Wii on April 3, but Xenoblade Chronicles "the box art" is more of a vague idea at this point. Nintendo is allowing fans to choose the inside portion of Xenoblade's reversible box art via a Facebook photo poll -- of the four photos shown below, whichever has the most "Likes" will become the US game's reversible image:

Continue reading Judge Xenoblade Chronicles by its (inside) cover

JoystiqJudge Xenoblade Chronicles by its (inside) cover originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>coverfacebooknintendopollreversiblevotewiixenoblade-chroniclesMon, 06 Feb 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles arrives in the US in 'April 2012' [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/xenoblade-chronicles-america-release-date/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/xenoblade-chronicles-america-release-date/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/xenoblade-chronicles-america-release-date/#comments
After this morning's accidental retail reveal of Xenoblade Chronicles coming to North America, Nintendo has made the game's launch official, pinning an "April 2012" release date to the much hyped Wii RPG. Nintendo teased the reveal earlier today with a new gallery of Xenoblade artwork that mysteriously popped up on Facebook, though at the time there was no news attached to said tease.

Despite Nintendo not giving a date to the game, this morning's image indicated an April 3 launch. GameStop's website, however, reflects an April 2 date, post-official announce. We're just gonna go with "early April" for now.

So, after this, now all the Operation Rainfall folks need to do is get those other two Wii RPGs to come out in the US, and we'll be all set! We'll get right back to helping with that just as soon as we get through Skyward Sword and Xenoblade Chronicles. In, like, 120 hours, give or take.

Update: According to the official PR that Nintendo of America just sent out, the game will be sold exclusively through GameStop retail outlets and Nintendo.com's website for $49.99.

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles arrives in the US in 'April 2012' [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookmonolith-softmonolithsoftnintendoq2-2012release-daterpgwiixenobladexenoblade-chroniclesFri, 02 Dec 2011 13:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles headed to North America on April 3, 2012 [update: it's true!]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/rumor-xenoblade-chronicles-headed-to-north-america-on-april-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/rumor-xenoblade-chronicles-headed-to-north-america-on-april-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/02/rumor-xenoblade-chronicles-headed-to-north-america-on-april-3/#comments Update: Nintendo of America has since confirmed that the game is in fact coming to North America in April 2012, though the company did not give out a specific launch date.

Despite Nintendo's many attempts to dissuade your unshakeable confidence that, yes, eventually, Xenoblade Chronicles would arrive on North American Nintendo Wiis, it seems strong will may pay off. An image posted on gaming forum Neogaf shows what appears to be a listing from GameStop's internal point of sale system with an April 3, 2012 launch date attached.

Strangely -- and further confirming the listing's legitimacy -- is a little note next to the listing which says it'll be, "GS [GameStop] Exclusive." Could the game be arriving only at GameStop locations in North America and eschewing other retailers? Is this just a retailer-specific version? It's unfortunately unclear. More bizarrely, Nintendo's Facebook account seems to be hinting at a forthcoming announcement, with the sudden addition of new artwork from the game.

Much ballyhoo was made earlier this year by Wii-owning RPG enthusiasts when Nintendo of America initially indicated the title wouldn't be released in North America, eventually inciting a series of events ("Project Rainfall") meant to get NoA's attention about the outcry. The other two games that fans requested from Nintendo in that campaign, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, remain without launch windows in North America.

We've contacted Nintendo and GameStop for comment, but expect we won't hear anything until one of the two decides to make this listing more official.

[Image credit: Neogaf]

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles headed to North America on April 3, 2012 [update: it's true!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamestopmonolith-softmonolithsoftnintendooperation-rainfallwiixenoblade-chroniclesFri, 02 Dec 2011 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[How to play Xenoblade Chronicles if you live in America]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/how-to-play-xenoblade-chronicles-if-you-live-in-america/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/how-to-play-xenoblade-chronicles-if-you-live-in-america/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/19/how-to-play-xenoblade-chronicles-if-you-live-in-america/#comments We American RPG fans can do nothing but grit our teeth this week as we watch Europeans tear open their brand new copies of Xenoblade Chronicles, which Nintendo released for Wii in PAL territories today.

The Japanese role-playing game has received impressive critical acclaim in the European press, garnering a solid 91 on Metacritic. This should be fantastic for everyone involved -- except Nintendo won't bring it to America.

Despite outcries from both fans and media -- and the Wii's dismal software lineup for 2011 -- Nintendo of America has remained stubborn, insisting that it has "no plans" to release Xenoblade in the United States. The same goes for The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, two other hardcore Wii titles that have both been lined up for Europe. By the way, we reached out to Nintendo of America once more, who had no comment as of publishing time.

Xenoblade, developed by the minds at Monolith Soft (also responsible for Xenogears and the Xenosaga trilogy), may join the ranks of Mother 3, The Last Window and Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland as a game that Nintendo refuses to bring here no matter what anyone says. But don't worry, Yanks. There are other options out there.

Since the game is available in English, all you have to do is get your hands on a European copy. Problem is, Nintendo region-locked the Wii. If you have an American Wii, you can only use it to play American games -- until you hack it.

It should be noted (and we can't stress this enough) that you should not use your hacked Wii to illegally download or pirate games. That said, we want everyone to be able to play fantastic games like Xenoblade, no matter where they live. So here's how you can import European Wii games and play them on your American Wii.

Continue reading How to play Xenoblade Chronicles if you live in America

JoystiqHow to play Xenoblade Chronicles if you live in America originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europehomebrew-channelimportingmonolith-softNintendowiixenoblade-chroniclesFri, 19 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Operation Rainfall begins phase 2, asks fans to buy Final Fantasy on Virtual Console August 19]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/12/operation-rainfall-begins-phase-2-asks-fans-to-buy-final-fantas/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/12/operation-rainfall-begins-phase-2-asks-fans-to-buy-final-fantas/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/12/operation-rainfall-begins-phase-2-asks-fans-to-buy-final-fantas/#comments Operation Rainfall, the fan-driven initiative to promote North American releases of Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower, begins its "phase 2" today. This phase is meant to coincide with, and take advantage of, the August 19 launch of Xenoblade Chronicles in Europe.

"To all residents in the regions of Europe and Oceania," the organizers say, "we encourage you to pre-order and purchase it at your earliest convenience. In the Americas, we encourage you to promote awareness of these titles. Good sales abroad will be a strong indicator for the title making it to American shores."

The initiative also includes a rally of letters to Nintendo of America, to be mailed from August 13 to August 17 in order to arrive at roughly the same time. The group also posted an open letter to Satoru Iwata urging him to greenlight the games for North America, and promising to help promote them.

Finally, "phase 2" includes one (hopefully) attention-getting stunt timed for August 19. As a show of interest in RPGs, the initiative encourages people to purchase Final Fantasy on Virtual Console that day -- if you already have it, you can gift it to someone else or donate to Child's Play through a widget on the site. Can the Virtual Console's servers even handle multiple people buying a game at once? Has that ever been tested?

JoystiqOperation Rainfall begins phase 2, asks fans to buy Final Fantasy on Virtual Console August 19 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>localizationnintendooperation-rainfallpandoras-towerthe-last-storywiixenoblade-chroniclesFri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Reggie: NOA 'watching' Xenoblade performance in Europe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/reggie-noa-watching-xenoblade-performance-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/reggie-noa-watching-xenoblade-performance-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/reggie-noa-watching-xenoblade-performance-in-europe/#comments Nintendo of America, the last we heard, had "no plans" to localize Xenoblade or any of the other titles for which "Operation Rainfall" is campaigning. But plans, or lack thereof, can always change in the face of enough money.

NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime told IGN that the company would be paying attention to next week's European launch of Xenoblade Chronicles. "We will be watching very closely what happens in Europe," he said. "Certainly if there are business opportunities and positive consumer uptake from some of those titles, that will be great data for us to consider as we look at what to do with these titles."

That's certainly not a confirmation of a North American release, but neither is it the sort of stubborn denial we've come to expect regarding these games. So that's something. If you want the opportunity to buy a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles, go buy a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles ... from Europe!

JoystiqReggie: NOA 'watching' Xenoblade performance in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monolith-softnintendoreggie-fils-aimewiixenobladexenoblade-chroniclesThu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles' European release bumped up to Aug. 19]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/12/xenoblade-chronicles-european-release-bumped-up-to-aug-19/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/12/xenoblade-chronicles-european-release-bumped-up-to-aug-19/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/12/xenoblade-chronicles-european-release-bumped-up-to-aug-19/#comments Nintendo of Europe is taking full advantage of the goodwill it's earning with the localization of Xenoblade Chronicles. Nintendo has bumped up the European release date for Monolith Soft's Wii RPG from September 2 to August 19. It will still be available in either a standard edition or a special edition with a red Classic Controller Pro. In addition, the pre-order-exclusive special edition bundle will come with three posters.

Nintendo of America's last word to date on the matter was that there were "no plans" for Xenoblade or the two other games on which the "Operation Rainfall" campaign is focused.

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles' European release bumped up to Aug. 19 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europemonolith-softnintendoq3-2011release-dateukwiixenobladexenoblade-chroniclesTue, 12 Jul 2011 10:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Xenoblade Chronicles gets European special edition, very European localization]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/28/xenoblade-chronicles-gets-european-special-edition-very-europea/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/28/xenoblade-chronicles-gets-european-special-edition-very-europea/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/28/xenoblade-chronicles-gets-european-special-edition-very-europea/#commentsWhile American fans are doing their best to fume productively about the localization prospects for Xenoblade Chronicles, Nintendo continues working on the European localization. And Nintendo is really hammering home the fact that it's a European localization. A video clip from a recently posted Iwata Asks interview reveals a surprising amount of Britishness in the voice acting. See the clip in question after the break, and find lots more in the interview itself.

An announcement on Nintendo of Germany's site reveals that not only is Xenoblade being released in Europe on September 2, it's being released in a limited edition with a red Classic Controller Pro. That's like twisting the Xenoblade in the backs of already irritated Americans.

Continue reading Xenoblade Chronicles gets European special edition, very European localization

JoystiqXenoblade Chronicles gets European special edition, very European localization originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bundleclassic-controller-proeuropeiwata-asksmonolith-softnintendospecial-editionwiixenoblade-chroniclesTue, 28 Jun 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Operation Rainfall' campaign seeks localization of Wii RPGs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/operation-rainfall-campaign-seeks-localization-of-wii-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/operation-rainfall-campaign-seeks-localization-of-wii-rpgs/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/27/operation-rainfall-campaign-seeks-localization-of-wii-rpgs/#comments Normally, online petition efforts seem doomed from the start. But a grassroots campaign, born on the IGN forums, and aimed at getting Nintendo to localize Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower outstrips the normal, futile campaign through cleverness and pure vigor.

Fans have taken to spamming Nintendo's Facebook and Twitter pages and email with requests for those three games. "Operation Rainfall" also involves coordinated physical mailings of letters to NOA headquarters, aimed at one game at a time.

Even more clever -- and likely effective -- is a campaign to pre-order "Monado: Beginning of the World" from Amazon. Back in 2009, before it was even called Xenoblade, Nintendo announced this game at E3. Amazon accordingly added a pre-order listing, which has been sitting dormant for two years. Now, that orphaned pre-order listing is Amazon's top seller in video games. Unlike most petitions, this can be translated directly into purchase intent -- i.e. money on the table -- and is more likely than anything to attract Nintendo's attention.

It's at least attracted the attention of Nintendo's social media intern: the company tweeted, "Hey fans, we appreciate your enthusiasm. Look for more updates to come soon!"

Joystiq'Operation Rainfall' campaign seeks localization of Wii RPGs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>localizationnintendooperation-rainfallpandoras-towerthe-last-storywiixenobladexenoblade-chroniclesMon, 27 Jun 2011 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Monolith Soft's Wii RPG Xenoblade localized this year -- for Europe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/xenoblade-chronicles/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/xenoblade-chronicles/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/xenoblade-chronicles/#comments Nintendo has just revealed a European localization for Monolith Soft's Wii RPG Xenoblade. A UK teaser site has just gone up for what is now called Xenoblade Chronicles, featuring (strangely) an untranslated trailer. What that trailer lacks in English text, it makes up for in imagery of impressive locales and big monsters, reminding us why we've been eager to hear news about this game for so long.

A press release was posted on the Nintendo Europe sites, and then removed, but not before NeoGAF user Vinterbird could capture it. According to the release, the game will be out in Europe this year, and will offer both English and Japanese voice options.

We hope this European announcement is the harbinger of a wider worldwide release, and that this isn't another Disaster: Day of Crisis situation in which an anticipated Monolith Soft-developed Wii game goes to Europe and stays there.

Continue reading Monolith Soft's Wii RPG Xenoblade localized this year -- for Europe

JoystiqMonolith Soft's Wii RPG Xenoblade localized this year -- for Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011europemonolith-softnintendorelease-daterpgwiixenobladexenoblade-chroniclesThu, 31 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST