The lights are on
UPDATE: Fan efforts to bring notice to these Japanese releases are already starting to pay off. Over on Amazon, Monado: Beginning of the World (the original title of Xenoblade) has become the #1 bestseller in the video game category based on pre-orders. This is without the game having an official announcement or release date for the U.S. Well done, people! Keep it up.
ORIGINAL STORY: With Nintendo focusing on the 3DS and its Wii U announcement at E3 this year, there was a notable lack of Wii news in general. But amongst the most surprising and frustrating missing tidbits for fans of RPGs was Nintendo of America's continued lack of announcement regarding bring over three very promising Japanese RPGs: The Last Story (pictured), Xenoblade, and Pandora's Tower. Now some fans have started a campaign to push Nintendo toward localizing these titles.
Destructoid has full details on this letter-writing campaign -- yes, real paper letters -- which started on the IGN message boards in what has ballooned to a 23-page thread. The thread includes letter templates for each title urging Nintendo to localize and publish them in North America and a mailing address for Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime.
The effort doesn't stop at letters, though. The fans behind this push have started a Twitter account titled @Operation Rainfall, there's a Facebook group for the cause, and even GI's community has got into the spirit in the user blogs. If you'd like to see these games out in North America before the Wii dies, be sure to support some of these efforts however you can.
I doubt anyone from Nintendo is reading this news post, but just in case, let me muster all the power I have to tell you: I'd rather like to play these three games, so please consider releasing them here.
[Thanks to Dominic and Jesse B. for the news tips!]
I have always liked Western RPGs, and when other fans hear I'm into JRPGS as well they get shocked. But I really do like them, and Tales of Symphonia 2 is getting lonely on my shelf.
I actually forgot about those games but I'm hoping that they come here because they look awesome.
Join the campaign to be able to flail randomly to kill an enemy in Skyrim. But seriously, I hope they get Nintendo's attention.
Nintendo needs to start doing a lot of things right. But they've made many mistakes, and for most of them it seems too late to turn back now.
I saw this earlier today. I'm glad people are trying to spur Nintendo to action so they'll release these games. It's funny that NOA hasn't localized them, since I had originally planned to get a Wii for Xenoblade and The Last Story but with them not prioritizing their release, I didn't prioritize getting a Wii. If this is successful, I'll be sure to buy all 3 of these games. Still not buying a Wii though, so I'll hold onto them til the Wii U comes out.
The last RPGs I played on my Wii was Tales of Symphonia 2, Twilight Princess (for the 11th time) and Muramasa. I would love to see fresh new titles like these in my collection. Please, Nintendo of America, do not neglect your loyal RPG fans!
Hopefully a huge wave of Wii owners can convince Nintendo to bring those three over. One of the main reasons I chose a PS3 over the Wii was because of the lack of rpgs on the Wii.
Ahh, it's time to fight a faceless american branch of a multimillion dollar company. Time to grap my pen.
That'd be great, too bad I never actually use my Wii anymore.