Joystiq

Xenoblade developer working on new project for Wii U

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:30:00 EST

Monolith 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.

Xenoblade 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

New Xenoblade Chronicles trailer shows off combat and menus

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST

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.

New 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

Xenoblade Chronicles arrives in the US in 'April 2012' [update]

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:23:00 EST

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.

Xenoblade 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

Reggie: NOA 'watching' Xenoblade performance in Europe

JC Fletcher — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:00 EST

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!

Reggie: 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

Xenoblade Chronicles' European release bumped up to Aug. 19

JC Fletcher — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:55:00 EST

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.

Xenoblade 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

Nintendo: 'No plans' to localize Xenoblade, Last Story, or Pandora's Tower

JC Fletcher — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:30:00 EST

On Sunday, Nintendo of America's Facebook page promised "more updates soon" regarding the status of Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower, the three Wii games that are the focus of the ongoing grassroots campaign for localization, called "Operation Rainfall."

On Monday, it posted a Super Mario 64 trivia question.

Then, today, it provided the response that fans were waiting for -- but not the one they wanted. "We never say 'never,'" the company stated, "but we can confirm that there are no plans to bring these three games to the Americas at this time." A brief response on Twitter thanked Operation Rainfall-ers for being "such incredible fans," but reiterated that "there continues to be no plans for NOA to release these 3 games right now."

Not that we want to give false hope regarding the actions of a company who is always pragmatic to the point of angering dedicated fans, but "no plans right now" is far from a death knell, especially for Nintendo. Some things that there were "no plans" for in America: the black Wii, the Classic Controller Pro, the Wii Sports Resort hardware bundle. Basically, there are "no plans" until the company decides to tell people its plans.

So even that denial leaves the door wide open for one of these games to be announced at a "Media Summit" or similar event in the fall. We're just mentioning that possibility, to be perfectly honest, so that we can say we totally called it should that happen.

Nintendo: 'No plans' to localize Xenoblade, Last Story, or Pandora's Tower originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

'Operation Rainfall' campaign seeks localization of Wii RPGs

JC Fletcher — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:45:00 EST

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!"

'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

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

JC Fletcher — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST

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

Monolith 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

Catch up on Xenoblade with new trailer

JC Fletcher — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:50:00 EST

In case you haven't been following Monolith Soft's Wii RPG Xenoblade, the strikingly comprehensive NIntendo Channel trailer after the break should help get you up to speed before E3, during which we suspect the game will appear again.

Despite the language barrier, you'll be able to see the setting (a world built on the bodies of two dead giants), the battle system (action-RPG style with AI partners and player-controlled special moves called "Arts"), and a bit about equipment (that can be seen on characters in both gameplay and cutscenes). Also, you can't miss the Xenoblade itself, a weird-looking sword thing that is capable of cutting mechs in half ... and also seeing the future.

For even more Xenoblade info, check the official site (via Andriasang), which details an achievement-like system, as well as a system through which you develop bonds with other characters.

Continue reading Catch up on Xenoblade with new trailer

Catch up on Xenoblade with new trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 May 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

See the future in Xenoblade's battles

JC Fletcher — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:15:00 EST

Monolith Soft's Xenoblade remains something of a mystery, even one month before its Japanese release. A new trailer (after the break) and new screens, analyzed by IGN, shed some light on the way battles play out in the RPG -- and it's nothing like Xenogears or Xenosaga.

Monolith took the Final Fantasy XII/White Knight Chronicles route with this game: real-time movement combined with time-constrained attacks. Your party is controlled by AI, as are your character's basic attacks. You affect the flow of battle by using your character's special attacks. You can also use the Monado sword's "vision" ability to see a few seconds into the future and anticipate enemy attacks.

Xenoblade will be released in Japan on June 10. Prospects for a North American release are unclear.

[Via N-Europe]

Continue reading See the future in Xenoblade's battles

See the future in Xenoblade's battles originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 May 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Xenoblade arrives in Japan this June

JC Fletcher — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:29:00 EST

We know very little about Monolith Soft's upcoming RPG Xenoblade. It takes place in a world built on top of dead giants, and it involves a battle between humans and robots. One of the few things we now know is the Japanese release date, June 10. The close proximity of the release date makes the mysterious nature of the game all the more notable!

Clearing up almost nothing at all is a series of two trailers released by Nintendo and available on the site (and after the break). The first trailer shows the dramatic battle between the two land-mass-size giants, and the second shows ... what appears to be the main characters just hanging out?

[Via Siliconera]

Continue reading Xenoblade arrives in Japan this June

Xenoblade arrives in Japan this June originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Xenoblade trailer has big swords, big battles

Mike Schramm — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:00:00 EST

Xenoblade is a game that's had a very confused past -- it was originally called Monado: Beginning of the World, and then was rumored to have something to do with the old Xenosaga series (though apparently that's not true, even if both games were created by Monolith Soft). Nintendo's not even sure if it'll see release in the United States, and, unfortunately, this Japanese trailer (posted on Nintendo Japan's YouTube account and after the break on this post) doesn't do much to clear up any questions.

But it does have a couple of gigantic somethings (robots? aliens? xenomorphs?) dueling it out, as well as some screaming dude with lasers and a pretty impressive battle scene full of hacking and slashing and all of the other fun things you can do with a great big blade. A big Xenoblade, in fact. We still don't quite know what this game is or how it might be released. But we do kind of want it just a little bit more.

[Via Siliconera]

Continue reading New Xenoblade trailer has big swords, big battles

New Xenoblade trailer has big swords, big battles originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo Media Summit 2010: The Recap Post

Xav de Matos — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

The 2010 Nintendo Media Summit has come and gone, and sent a wave of huge Nintendo news through the industry. We had hands-on time with some of the Wii's biggest upcoming titles, screenshots for almost everything on Nintendo's 2010 calendar and a big ol' sack full of new videos. In case you missed anything, we've wrapped it all up and have it here for you in one tidy little package.

Continue reading Nintendo Media Summit 2010: The Recap Post

Nintendo Media Summit 2010: The Recap Post originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dunaway hints at new Zelda in 2010, unsure about Xenoblade and The Last Story

JC Fletcher — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

As if Satoru Iwata's pronouncement of a 2010 release date for -- let's call it -- "New Legend of Zelda" wasn't exciting enough, Nintendo of America's Cammie Dunaway referenced a similar timeline for the upcoming Wii game at the Nintendo Media Summit this week. Speaking to GameLife, Dunaway said, "If you compare the first half of 2010 with the first half of 2009, it's night and day. And from some of the things that Mr. Iwata has talked about, and things that we will talk about at E3, like Zelda, you know that we're going to have a good back half of the year, as well." So then, Zelda in the back half of 2010? Yes, please.

In regards to North American releases of RPGs Xenoblade and The Last Story, Dunaway somewhat baffling said, "It's too early to say whether we're going to bring those here" -- even though Nintendo of America already announced Xenoblade back at E3 2009 when it was called Monado: Beginning of the World. It's possible Dunaway simply misspoke, or she just forgot about Monado -- like everyone else in the world.

Gallery: Monado: Beginning of the World

Dunaway hints at new Zelda in 2010, unsure about Xenoblade and The Last Story originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo's 'The Last Story' is new Mistwalker RPG; Xenoblade is Monado

JC Fletcher — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:44:00 EST

We didn't have to wait long to find out about Nintendo's two mystery Wii games. Xenoblade, as we guessed before, is the new name for Monado: Beginning of the World, the RPG by Monolith Soft, creators of Xenosaga. Nintendo has launched a site for the title, featuring little more than music and a bit of artwork for now. More of the game, as Monado, can be seen in last year's E3 trailer and screens.

Additionally, The Last Story is a new RPG for Wii being developed by Nintendo and Blue Dragon's Mistwalker. According to Andriasang's translation of a statement from an investor meeting, the game is an attempt at a "new form of RPG." The last time Nintendo worked with Mistwalker, the result was Archaic Sealed Heat, which Nintendo didn't bother to localize for North America.

Finally, a Metroid: Other M teaser site has also been newly launched. It doesn't really reveal anything about the game, other than confirming its summer 2010 release in Japan. Interestingly, the game doesn't appear to use the traditional Metroid logo, opting for something much plainer.

[Via Andriasang: The Last Story; Xenoblade; Metroid]

Source - The Last Story teaser site
Source - Xenoblade teaser site
Source - Metroid: Other M teaser site

Nintendo's 'The Last Story' is new Mistwalker RPG; Xenoblade is Monado originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nintendo report hints at new Wii titles, Other M release

Mike Schramm — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:15:00 EST

Nintendo is one of a few companies to release its earnings report earlier this week, and a supplemental report released today has some surprises and new information for Wii owners. Not only does it finally list a target date for Metroid: Other M (you can expect it as soon as summer of this year if all goes according to plan), but there are two brand new names in the list as well: Xenoblade and The Last Story. Xenoblade is listed for a Spring 2010 release, so we should be hearing about that one soon, and The Last Story is listed for sometime this year, with both slated for release on the Wii in Japan. There's reason to believe these are just new names, as both Monado: Beginning of the World and Cosmic Walker are missing from the report, and Monado was being developed by Monolith Soft, known most notably for another Xeno- title you may have heard of. But Monado is still listed for a release in the US this year, so who knows?

Other than that, the report lists some titles we expected to see soon: A new Kirby Super Star title, Super Mario Galaxy 2, the Wii's Legend of Zelda, Golden Sun for DS, and a few other releases scheduled in 2010. Full list of Japanese Wii releases is after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo report hints at new Wii titles, Other M release

Nintendo report hints at new Wii titles, Other M release originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments