While not everyone may be fans of traditional RPGs, there are many a gamer up in arms at the fact that they will not be able to play the games they wish to play. This is nothing new to gamers; in fact, I can remember at time when MOST of the game I wanted to play were only available to the Japanese speaking gamers among us. Shin Megami Tensei, Contra Spirits, Fire Emblem, Akumajo Dracula XX….these are all titles that although popular in their own right, back in the SNES days they were unavailable outside of the land of the rising sun.
These days Wii gamers have been clamoring for titles to play, and the Operation Rainfall games are tops on the list. Nintendo of America has stated on numerous occasions that they have no plans to localize The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower, and Xenoblade to the States, and NoA president Reggie Fils-Aime was recently interviewed by IGN to clarify.
“We will be watching very closely what happens in Europe. 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.”
Maybe it’s just me but if a game has already been translated, and there is clearly a market for the titles however niche they may be, shouldn’t Nintendo let the market decide? Sure, the company may take a hit by releasing the titles in America, but the fan service gained by doing so will outweigh the negatives in the long run. How can Nintendo expect fans to shell out X dollars for their new system in good faith when their previous console (Wii) has essentially been taken out to pasture?
Just my two cents. What are yours?