Great news JRPG fans! The Last Story is coming to NA this year!

[Zama]

http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo_direct

http://wii.ign.com/articles/121/1219199p1.html

It will be out by Summer 2012! Rejoice!

[xelement5x]

While I'm happy it's coming out you don't think they could have told us a bit earlier than 2 days before the EU launch?

Those of us who've already ordered copies from overseas are just getting kicked in the balls because Nintendo loves shitting on their customers like this.

[Emperor Megas]

While I'm happy it's coming out you don't think they could have told us a bit earlier than 2 days before the EU launch?

Those of us who've already ordered copies from overseas are just getting kicked in the balls because Nintendo loves shitting on their customers like this.

Most of Nintendo's (or SONY's or Microsoft's) customers don't order games from overseas, or even know anything about what games are even released in other regions. I consider myself a pretty seasoned gamer and I don't know anything about The Last Story. I'm sure those who game less than me are even less knowledgeable of it.

[Genesaturn]

While I'm happy it's coming out you don't think they could have told us a bit earlier than 2 days before the EU launch?

Those of us who've already ordered copies from overseas are just getting kicked in the balls because Nintendo loves shitting on their customers like this.

I will agree with the post above...while I already own the Japanese version, you need to remember that casual gamers far outnumber hardcore gamers now, and you would probably fall in a very small percentile of people who pre-ordered an import copy. I wouldn't say this is nintendo shitting on its fans. I'm just surprised it won't be out until AFTER the WII-U launch..or the supposed launch anyways.

[Bojay1997]

I will agree with the post above...while I already own the Japanese version, you need to remember that casual gamers far outnumber hardcore gamers now, and you would probably fall in a very small percentile of people who pre-ordered an import copy. I wouldn't say this is nintendo shitting on its fans. I'm just surprised it won't be out until AFTER the WII-U launch..or the supposed launch anyways.

Summer 2012, that's only four months away. I don't think the Wii U is launching until Fall at the earliest given the wide open window Nintendo cited in their last conference.

[substantial_snake]

This is good news, another game on my "pick-up" list. I doubt it but I hope we get a special edition similar to what the european have, that steel book artwork is pretty nice.

[Ryudo]

Well I have my PAL LS LE shipping on Friday, I imported XB and will be getting the US version. I just pre ordered Pandoras Tower PAL and will get the US version of TLS

[Duke.Togo]

Very glad that I waited. Nintendo is really taking care of its fans with this one.

[Junkyrdsalesman]

Awesome looks like Operation Rainfall was a great success Now if only they would localize Fatal Frame IV......

[Ryudo]

Very glad that I waited. Nintendo is really taking care of its fans with this one.

Not Nintendo. Xseed.

[SEGA_Queen]

Not Nintendo. Xseed.

Actually, Reggie said Xseed is their publishing partner. So, I think they're working together to release TLS over here.

[xelement5x]

Not Nintendo. Xseed.

Truth. XSEED is a phenomenal company and I doubt Nintendo even cares about this section of their fanbase anymore.


I know I may sound really bitter in that earlier post, but all the jerking around that Nintendo has been doing with these really sought after releases (at least to me and other people who enjoy JRPGs) makes me very wary of purchasing the Wii U at all.

I've more to say buy I don't think I can put them into words eloquently enough without coming off as a flaming internet retard.*

*In before "Too late, dur hur"

[Junkyrdsalesman]

Actually, Reggie said Xseed is their publishing partner. So, I think they're working together to release TLS over here.

He probably just said that to make it look like it was Nintendo that did a lot of the work, I bet the only association Nintendo has with it is the licensing. Don't quote me on that though, it's just a theory with no backing Thanks Xseed for exceeding our expectations and picking up some slack

[swlovinist]

Great to hear that a few gems are still coming out on the Wii. Will be buying this game day one!

[Leo_A]

While The Last Story looks like a well produced game, the videos of gameplay makes me feel like it really isn't for me.

Europeans learned today that they're going to get the Fatal Frame 2 remake. While Fatal Frame IV shamefully remains a Japanese exclusive, at least they're getting the next game.

If NOA had wanted to please me, we'd of gotten the same courtesy along with the long awaited translation and domestic release of Fatal Frame IV.

All American fans get is a 3DS spinoff.

[Tron 2.0]

About damn time,i did have plans to import the european version.Still i'll give credit to xseed games for having a deal with noa to do this.

[Press_Start]

All American fans get is a 3DS spinoff.

I'm shocked we're getting Fatal Frame 3DS so quickly (3 months after JPN street date, in fact). XSeed publishing TLS along side Nintendo is a huge step that they're maaaaaaaybe willing to do a new partnership, one in which 3rd party publishers (i.e. Atlus, XSeed, etc.) launching a great selection of "not-so-mainstream" titles Nintendo fans want without the huge overhead to strain Nintendo's resources. It's a win-win situation I think many gamers were begging Iwata and company to do for some years now.

Then again, they have a new system coming and probably wanting to sweeten the pot to nudge us into boosting WiiU's first year sales. Heh heh. Either way, I look at it as a real golden opportunity for fans to blow away the numbers and prove to the corporate heads that the dedicated base is a strong, vibrant market hungry for great, killer games and not to be seriously overlooked. We've already proven it with Catherine, Muramasa, and Demon/Dark Souls. If we play our cards right, Fatal Frame 4/Fatal Frame 2 Remake/Reginliev/Captain Rainbow/Trace Memory R/Rodea the Sky Soldier/Earth Seeker/etc. could be in play for Christmas 2012 and beyond that. So, get your wallet ready, this year's too important to pass up.

[Leo_A]

Problem is it's crippled from the start.

One of the big games will be a GameStop exclusive (And be sold via Nintendo's online store) and a healthy percentage of those interested in it, judging by forums, have imported or pirated the European release and have already been playing it on their North American Wii for months. And the other release won't even be published by Nintendo. Most gamers have no clue who XSEED is and I really doubt XSEED will be able to invest the resources into this necessary to attract attention beyond the niche that have been following this game for quite sometime (Which isn't likely to be a large enough segment to suddenly attract Nintendo's attention to get them to take risks on things like Fatal Frame).

If either one of these manages to sell in halfway decent numbers, I'll be pleasantly shocked. It will take a small miracle for these two games to sell well with what amounts to tying their hands before release. Hoping to be proven wrong and they sell well and cause Nintendo to do some revaluating like you suggested.

[Press_Start]

Problem is it's crippled from the start.

Hey, don't sell the base so short. When we want something we sink our teeth into it.

A) Look at our track record. Muramasa sold 300K on Wii in the USA alone. Ditto for the Sexually moral (or amoral) demon cubefest of Catherine. And let's not forget the dark horse of this generation: Demon's Souls, the one Sony didn't bother to get over, which got a 2nd year extension of online support. and selling over a million worldwide today along with its successor.

B) The presence and coverage on Operation Rainfall is nothing to sneeze about (e.g. Screwattack, Moviebob, Kotaku, 1UP, etc.). You have to be living under a rock, if you call yourself a game enthusiast and never heard of Xenoblade Chronicles, Last Story or Pandora's Tower.

C) When was the last time, if ever, a game underwent localization via internet activism? An interesting socio-economic experiment to say the least and, like I said, could be a critical turning point in relations regarding developers and their base in a way that Nintendo could be the epicenter to shake up the status quo...again.

[TonyTheTiger]

C) When was the last time, if ever, a game underwent localization via internet activism?

Last I remember was Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Before that it was probably Final Fantasy IV/Chrono Trigger for the PlayStation about ten years earlier.

[Emperor Megas]

You have to be living under a rock, if you call yourself a game enthusiast and never heard of Xenoblade Chronicles, Last Story or Pandora's Tower.

I must be a rock dweller, because I've never heard of any of those games.

Well, I heard Xenoblade Chronicles mentioned once a few months ago, but I have no idea what it is. I only remember it being mentioned briefly on a podcast ('All Gen Gamers' I think).

[xelement5x]

...
C) When was the last time, if ever, a game underwent localization via internet activism?
...

The thing is, Nintendo of Europe had already made plans to localize the game for that part of the world long before Project Rainfall started. The whole purpose of Rainfall was to get the game released in the US because there would be almost no sane reason not to if all the work for localizing it had already been done in Europe. The same holds true with The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. The games are already translated and have voice-overs, the barrier to "localizing" them for the US couldn't possibly be lower.

Yet, Nintendo still decided to jerk people around and not announce anything about Xenoblade until after Zelda: Skyward Sword had been released. Most probably because they didn't want Xenoblade (which came out about a month before Skyward Sword) competing against Zelda for the Wii during the Christmas season.

[Nebagram]

Feeling smug and European I went to GAME today, pre-order slip in hand, to pick up my copy of TLS.

Turns out they're not stocking it. At all. They've basically been told to piss off by Nintendo, so the only way I'm going to get my hands on it is to go online and quite possibly fork out bloody loads.

[Ryudo]

Feeling smug and European I went to GAME today, pre-order slip in hand, to pick up my copy of TLS.

Turns out they're not stocking it. At all. They've basically been told to piss off by Nintendo, so the only way I'm going to get my hands on it is to go online and quite possibly fork out bloody loads.

Actually no. GAME can't afford to stock it. GAME is financially fucked. This,closed down 35 stores and refuse to carry UBI soft games for Vita. GAME just sucks right now.Had nothing to do with Nintendo. This was announced days ago. They canned mine just a day before. I still got it from Amazon UK

[Press_Start]

The games are already translated and have voice-overs, the barrier to "localizing" them for the US couldn't possibly be lower.

Maybe it's something beyond Nintendo control. Look at Xenoblade. Only available at Gamestop, Nintendo directly, and now Amazon. First thought: "Why is Xenoblade only selling at Gamestop and etc?" Now let's try a little thought experiment and take the inverse of that question and say: "Why aren't Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and every other big name seller stocking up on a #1 hot Amazon product like Xenoblade?"

"It's too niche!" That's probably your first answer or....sandviches.

But anyway, if it's too niche for a general audience, what explains Fortune Street? I'm hard-pressed to believe a DragonQuest/Mario/Monopoly crossover can garner more sales then a hot fan-favorite title like Xenoblade in a long-standing staple genre such as RPGs from the high-quality delivery of Nintendo no less. As the spotlight shines more on Operation Rainfall, I think we'll see less gamers asking "Why is Nintendo doing etc. and etc?" and more towards "Why aren't Best Buy, Walmart, etc. giving this game a fair shake?" At least in the short term. Maybe possibly opening Pandora's Box to a economic-political side of gaming we always thought was small and maybe irrelevant at one time.