How are you Europeans enjoying Xenoblade? [UPDATE] US RELEASE ANNOUNCED!

**Simply Dave** · 08-23-2011, 03:16 PM

Subtitle: Fuck You Nintendo of America.

Anyway, I heard the game was pretty damn good. Which obviously means it will never come out in the US.

**SuperOstrich** · 08-23-2011, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Simply Dave

Subtitle: Fuck You Nintendo of America.

Anyway, I heard the game was pretty damn good. Which obviously means it will never come out in the US.

Soft modded Wiis are region free.

**Mayhem** · 08-23-2011, 10:24 PM

From the couple of people I know who've bought it, it's pretty good...

**Oobgarm** · 08-24-2011, 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by SuperOstrich

Soft modded Wiis are region free.

I have yet to play mine, but I stand behind this statement.

**spongerob** · 08-24-2011, 07:40 PM

I'm just going to import this if it doesn't count out in NA. Any word on a release date? All I can find are old articles.

**Sailorneorune** · 08-24-2011, 08:14 PM

I think it hit Europe on 8/19. I'm honestly afraid to mod my Wii for 2 reasons: 1) I'd probably screw it up, and 2) if there's too much crowing about Wii region mods, Nintendo will likely call their bluff and include a system update with Zelda: Skyward Sword that could potentially brick all those modded Wii consoles.

**spongerob** · 08-24-2011, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by Sailorneorune

I think it hit Europe on 8/19. I'm honestly afraid to mod my Wii for 2 reasons: 1) I'd probably screw it up, and 2) if there's too much crowing about Wii region mods, Nintendo will likely call their bluff and include a system update with Zelda: Skyward Sword that could potentially brick all those modded Wii consoles.

I'm so desperate for A) a good modern JRPG and B) something to play on my Wii and am even more desperate for C) a fantastic combination of both. So desperate that I'd buy another Wii.

At least they'll probably go cheap on Kijiji or CL.

I looked on eBay and Xenoblade is going for 100 bucks on average for a JP copy and 150-200 for a Euro version. Fuck right off, this thing doesn't seem rare. Someone in Europe should buy up 50 copies and sell them at a profitable yet still reasonable price. It's not like it's out of print or has developed a cult following yet, it's just people being vultures.

**spongerob** · 08-24-2011, 09:58 PM

If anyone's looking for the Euro version of Xenoblade at a price that isn't a gouge at your eyes, go to shopto.net, they have it for about 55-60 buck, depending if you want a tracking number or not.

WIN

**Ze_ro** · 08-27-2011, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Sailorneorune

I'm honestly afraid to mod my Wii for 2 reasons: 1) I'd probably screw it up

Here's a pretty good writeup from Joystiq on how to go about it. Fairly straightforward, though it would probably be shorter and simpler to just use Gecko OS instead of the combination of d2x and USB Loader (though you do get the benefit of being able to install to a hard drive!). In fact, here's a quick description on how to do exactly that!

Soft modding a Wii is really pretty simple, and there's not a lot you can do that would screw it up.

2) if there's too much crowing about Wii region mods, Nintendo will likely call their bluff and include a system update with Zelda: Skyward Sword that could potentially brick all those modded Wii consoles.

Extremely unlikely. For one thing, it seems NOA has all but given up on the Wii and put all their focus on making sure the 3DS doesn't tank. I mean hell, if they can't be bothered to localize games that have already been translated, do you really think they're going to put a lot of effort into a new system update?

It's also extremely unlikely that they would intentionally brick modded consoles... there was an update that tried to overwrite boot2 if it had been modified, and their code was buggy and had the chance of bricking things, but hacking boot2 was never a necessary hacking step in the first place.

If you do decide to hack your Wii, just make sure you don't install any system menu updates until you do some research to see what exactly they might do. WiiBrew is a good site for finding this information. Remember that you'll never be FORCED to perform an update... though some games might not run until you do so.

I've had my Wii soft modded for quite some time.... but I'm holding out on importing these games, hoping that Nintendo will eventually realize their mistake and do a North American release anyways. Of course, I've also been waiting 3 years for an official Fatal Frame IV release....

--Zero

**burn_654** · 08-27-2011, 11:20 AM

If you have the current Wii firmware (4.3U) then you can use the excellent Letterbomb hack. It's nearly impossible to screw up. Just tell it your Wii mac address, download to an sd card, open the 'new message' icon in the Wii menu. Easiest hack install I've done

**Tupin** · 08-27-2011, 12:28 PM

If Skyward Sword weren't coming out soon, I would install the Letterbomb hack. I know they probably won't brick a system with an update, but most big name games have updates required to play them. Probably sometime after I finish the new Kirby game and Skyward Sword, I'll install it.

**joshnickerson** · 08-27-2011, 02:29 PM

I'm pretty positive we'll be playing this one here in NA next year...

**Leo_A** · 08-27-2011, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by joshnickerson

I'm pretty positive we'll be playing this one here in NA next year...

If they don't view it as worthwhile to release this year, I'm pretty positive the situation won't have improved any come 2012.

**Snesguy666** · 08-27-2011, 07:28 PM

Still waiting for my UK import Pre order
I have Sent a Email Complaining 4-6 day shipping of the Pre order with the red classic controller.

**Ze_ro** · 08-28-2011, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Leo_A

If they don't view it as worthwhile to release this year, I'm pretty positive the situation won't have improved any come 2012.

My hope is that they'll realize they need SOMETHING to keep their system going while they work on the Wii U. They've got Zelda and Kirby coming, but other than that, not a whole hell of a lot. Meanwhile, Nintendo of Europe has already done all the work for Xenoblade and is already working on The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. It should be a no-brainer to bring them to North America.

The only excuse I can think of is that they don't want these games overshadowing Zelda or the Wii U launch... or they're hoping to port them to the Wii U instead.

--Zero

**HYB** · 08-28-2011, 03:37 PM

Ebay is shit when looking for this game. Go to Game.co.uk, they should have it for 29.99£. If they don't ship and someone still really wants this, I could give you a hand getting it (no worries about scamming anyone btw).

There are plenty of other uk sites offering the game too like zavvi, hmv and amazon uk

. I think I bought mine from zavvi, should arrive next week.

**Leo_A** · 08-28-2011, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Ze_ro

The only excuse I can think of is that they don't want these games overshadowing Zelda or the Wii U launch... or they're hoping to port them to the Wii U instead.

Or they just don't think they'd be commercially viable over here.

**dystopian** · 08-30-2011, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by Leo_A

Or they just don't think they'd be commercially viable over here.

As much as it pains me to admit it, you could be right. Even though it makes no real sense, this is how marketing heads think.

Seriously, the game is done. Localization is done. A two-bit kid with the right app could swap PAL to NTSC. The materials cost maybe $1-$2 per disc.

Even in a limited run of say, 250,000 to 500,000 copies -- the new Xeno game would sell out in NA.

**skaar** · 08-30-2011, 06:25 AM

I love how bitter this thread is.

It's like sitting there eating the last slice of pie and having your kid sister look at you and go "Is that pie TASTY? Are you ENJOYING it?"

I'd smile and nod at her, myself.

America gets exclusive stuff all the time, and the euro crowd always gets the shaft. One of the few times they get the piece of pie everyone gets all bitter.

Really, come on. Let them have the pie.

Mom'll bake another one.

**portnoyd** · 08-30-2011, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by skaar

Mom'll bake another one.

But Mmmmmmmoooooooooommmmm!!!

Originally Posted by dystopian

Even in a limited run of say, 250,000 to 500,000 copies -- the new Xeno game would sell out in NA.

No chance in hell. It's not Wii shovelware nor a big name title ported (like CoD) so it'll get largely annoyed. Think Snakes on a Plane & Duke Nukem Forever, just with considerably less internets push. It would push 50k copies tops.

**spongerob** · 08-30-2011, 03:05 PM

I think the days of shovelware selling on the Wii is over. The Wii is on the downswing. The Wii-U was announced, the 3DS has Nintendo seemingly all in and the Wii gets the shit end of the stick. It's not doing poorly, it's just not selling at the virus-like rate it once was. I'm lazy so this will be quick and dirty.

There's a few ways to look at sales. First, they may be scared off by the content. This isn't an RPG console. Console JRPGs are almost non-existent and completely forgotten about, outside of Final Fantasy. Remember the days when Chrono Chross, Dragon Quest, Xenogears, Suikoden and games like that were major console games and people awaited them?

Poof. Fast forward to today, where if it isn't Final Fantasy, it's going onto a handheld, or is a Western RPG, like Fallout or Elder Scrolls. And those aren't on the Wii. That may be scaring them away.

Also we should take into account the fact that there's more to producing a North American version than just PAL-2-NTSC. The voice actors are British, and while that worked in Fable they may want to pay a whole new cast to redo the voices. That takes programming, time and money. And while we're on the concept of money, you have to market this thing. Most of us are gamers and believe that everyone thinks and acts like we do-reading forums and buying games without seeing one single commercial or banner. That's an easy way for a relatively new franchise to bomb and sell 120K out of the 250K Nintendo made, while the rest sit in the $15 and Under bin at Walmart. They need to advertise it. Now I do believe with the proper marketing campaign, it can sell over a million. There are people waiting for something to play on their Wii, and JRPG gamers still exist. Tons of them. Give them a reason to buy your machine, or turn it back on. Really pump the reviews it's been getting everywhere else, show the best parts of the game in TV commercials and get some Youtube ad space. The only negative to trying to market this game would be the name. It's made by some of the same people behind the other Xeno series, it has the same name, but it's different.....huh? That's not an easy sell but if anyone can do it, Nintendo can.

My guess is they don't want to spend for the marketing it'd take to sell it. Someone likely pulled up a powerpoint presentation detailing how JRPGs are dead and waggling, shooting and tablet gaming is in these days. Hence the blind eye and the Wii-U tablet thing. I'd guess they assume JRPGs are going to become even more extinct and are just trying to be ahead of the game, so why not release it somewhere else to test the waters?

I'm grasping at straws here. I understand business and marketing, hell I have pieces of paper from educational institutions saying I'm super duper at it, and I still think this is an oddball, WTF move by Nintendo.

But we shouldn't be shocked. Nintendo has always been a company who, for every couple genius decisions, makes one decision that forces you to believe they're completely senile and riddled with syphilis and schizophrenia.