@Hailinel:

What do you mean "speculation" look at sales for any disc based wii game from a third party or even nintendo and see how dead of a market it is. "no this game is a hardcore wii game for hardcore fans so it will find an audience", just look look at madworld, a good game thats easily four stars and platnium (the developer) lost tons on it and they regret it.

Cold, hard, reality is that wii games on a disc just plain out don't sell, so i hope you see my point here. Im not being a pessimist here, im stating the facts that wii games don't sell. This has nothing to do with market penetration or a wider audience, retail wii games don't make money!

Look at the conduit and the conduit 2, they had tons of marketing and positive buzz and yet both did bad on the market. Now lets say your nintendo "hmmm all these wii games aren't selling so lets forget we're a companey attempting to make money here and throw all this funding at localizing another wii game." Any good buisness man would see how much of a money sink this hole wii disc game thing is and there is no why bother element about this.

All of you "campaign" guys are acting on passion forgeting that this is an industry and if you really want it this bad, i don't think you're going to mind the extra cost of importing. This is a professional buisness trying to make money, so they can't fund everything.

@UnrealDP said:

@Hailinel:

What do you mean "speculation" look at sales for any disc based wii game from a third party or even nintendo and see how dead of a market it is. "no this game is a hardcore wii game for hardcore fans so it will find an audience", just look look at madworld, a good game thats easily four stars and platnium (the developer) lost tons on it and regret it.

Cold, hard, reality is that wii games on a disc just plain out don't sell, so i hope you see my point here. Im not being a pessimist here, im stating the facts that wii games don't sell. This has nothing to do with market penetration or a wider audience, retail wii games don't make money!

Look at the conduit and the conduit 2, they had tons of marketing and positive buzz and yet both did bad on the market. Now lets say your nintendo "hmmm all these wii games aren't selling so lets forget we're a companey attempting to make money here and throw all this funding at localizing another wii game." Any good buisness man would see how much of a money sink this hole wii disc game thing is and there is no why bother element about this.

All of you "campaign" guys are acting on passion forgeting that this is an industry and if you really want it this bad, i don't think you're going to mind the extra cost of importing. This is a professional buisness trying to make money, so they can't fund everything.

Is it really necessary for you to put campaign in quotes every time? You sound condescending.

Further, Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower are not third-party titles. All of them were published by Nintendo in Japan and produced on Nintendo's dollar. Monolith Soft, the company behind Xenoblade, is owned by Nintendo. These games are Nintendo's own titles to market and sell.

At this point, your'e sounding less and less like you're willing to debate and more and more like your just trying to be argumentative for the sake of it.

@Hailinel:

What do you mean "speculation" look at sales for any disc based wii game from a third party or even nintendo and see how dead of a market it is. "no this game is a hardcore wii game for hardcore fans so it will find an audience", just look look at madworld, a good game thats easily four stars and platnium (the developer) lost tons on it and they regret it.

Cold, hard, reality is that wii games on a disc just plain out don't sell, so i hope you see my point here. Im not being a pessimist here, im stating the facts that wii games don't sell. This has nothing to do with market penetration or a wider audience, retail wii games don't make money!

Look at the conduit and the conduit 2, they had tons of marketing and positive buzz and yet both did bad on the market. Now lets say your nintendo "hmmm all these wii games aren't selling so lets forget we're a companey attempting to make money here and throw all this funding at localizing another wii game." Any good buisness man would see how much of a money sink this hole wii disc game thing is and there is no why bother element about this.

All of you "campaign" guys are acting on passion forgeting that this is an industry and if you really want it this bad, i don't think you're going to mind the extra cost of importing. This is a professional buisness trying to make money, so they can't fund everything.

@Video_Game_King said:

@CookieMonster said:

Could you get them to release all the Earthbound games in the uk while you're at it?

All of them? Do you really want Earthbound Zero? It kinda sucks. I can see a case for Mother 3, maybe, but you may want to leave Earthbound Zero out of it. Just release it as Mother 2+3.

They translated Earthbound Zero in English before they scrapped the North American release some 20 years ago so they could just pull a Sin & Punishment and release it on Virtual Console if they wanted. But I do agree with you that it's not a good game. So very grindy.

@UnrealDP said:

So, this whole thing is "We don't want no japenese nintendo making this here money, we want this to go to an all american nintendo". Nintendo is still nintendo as a whole and if you refuse to pay the european nintendo and the japenese nintendo just because you want america to make this money, is a little sad. I know theres more to this with you also wanting an easier way to buy the game, but still IMPORT IT!

Get a copy of the european release and pay a few extra bucks, its not like nintendo of america is going to starve with out all this xenoblade money. No matter which nintendo you pay it benefits nintendo as a whole and nintendo of america will be fine. If your big problom is localization then this is a totally different conversation about the size of the release and the team making it.

The games you mentioned are released here and you "campain" guys buy it. You're basicly the only people that will buy it, i mean, have you seen how poorly every disc game for the wii released by third parties in america does? North american nintendo knows that this by no means is a cost effective trio of games to sell and your constant "campaining" is only reminding them that "man its a total bummer that it would cost way to much to localize and sell these games, but i hope the fans just import and stop bugging us about this sad cold reality".

You don't know that. All you're doing is speculating. Can games be imported? Yes. But it costs more than a domestic release, and it doesn't reach nearly as wide an audience as it could by remaining exclusive to Japan/Europe. The "why bother" approach that you're taking is nothing but pessimism. If Nintendo feels that it's worth their time and money, then yes, they'll do it. But to say, "Don't bother, it's obvious that they don't care" is not the path to take.

@Juno500 said:

Ignoring these games would be one thing if NoA had their hands full with a bunch of other Wii games, but all they've got to release in the future is Zelda and Kirby. There ain't shit coming out for the system otherwise, so I don't see it as unreasonable for them to release them here.

This is true. Nintendo's Wii line-up is rather sparse. Yes, Zelda is a big name game, and Kirby is a big franchise as well, but that's two games between now and whenever the Wii U launches. Nintendo would benefit from having more releases for the Wii between now and then.

Could you get them to release all the Earthbound games in the uk while you're at it?

Could you get them to release all the Earthbound games in the uk while you're at it?

Ignoring these games would be one thing if NoA had their hands full with a bunch of other Wii games, but all they've got to release in the future is Zelda and Kirby. There ain't shit coming out for the system otherwise, so I don't see it as unreasonable for them to release them here.

So, this whole thing is "We don't want no japenese nintendo making this here money, we want this to go to an all american nintendo". Nintendo is still nintendo as a whole and if you refuse to pay the european nintendo and the japenese nintendo just because you want america to make this money, is a little sad. I know theres more to this with you also wanting an easier way to buy the game, but still IMPORT IT!

Get a copy of the european release and pay a few extra bucks, its not like nintendo of america is going to starve with out all this xenoblade money. No matter which nintendo you pay it benefits nintendo as a whole and nintendo of america will be fine. If your big problom is localization then this is a totally different conversation about the size of the release and the team making it.

The games you mentioned are released here and you "campain" guys buy it. You're basicly the only people that will buy it, i mean, have you seen how poorly every disc game for the wii released by third parties in america does? North american nintendo knows that this by no means is a cost effective trio of games to sell and your constant "campaining" is only reminding them that "man its a total bummer that it would cost way to much to localize and sell these games, but i hope the fans just import and stop bugging us about this sad cold reality".

@UnrealDP: Actually, it doesn't work as you think.

Let's say that there's a game that looks really awesome in Japan right now and I buy it. Where does that money go? To the Japanese Nintendo offices. Nintendo of America does not see any money from the transaction because it is not a game that was published by them. The only way that NOA sees money from the sales of a game like Xenoblade is if they were to release it themselves.

Further, for everyone that may have interest in Xenoblade, not everyone will know enough Japanese to understand the game, nor will they necessarily have the knowledge on how to modify a console or run games with translation patches. It is easier from the end-consumer's perspective if the game is released locally in their own native tongue. It's also cheaper as well, as importing games carries an extra international shipping cost.

Would it require work on NOA's part to release these games stateside? Yes. But that is also their job. They are in the business of selling video game hardware and software. Yet despite a number of high profile releases overseas, Nintendo of America has been, for the most part, content to limit the U.S. Wii releases to known brands and major titles. It's part of the reason why people complain that Nintendo never does anything new. We as a group are trying to show Nintendo that yes, there is a market for Xenoblade and the other games here in the U.S. Sure, it may not be the mass market for games like Smash Bros., but there are people that want to play these games.

The worst that Nintendo can do is say no. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth the effort.

Before i start thanks for being civil man, i was expecting some flak.

Its just that i've already seen different topics revolving around xenoblade and nintendo did this for a reason, like i said, i guess its ok to try and "campain", but petitioning and "campaining" is just so annyoing. By annoying i mean you gather signatures, present them to nintendo, and it doesn't help anyone. Want the game, then import it and they make the same amount, maybe even more, as if you had realesed it in amereica. Why would they sell this in america?

No person at nintendo wants this and it makes their lives harder, its not like they told satan to burn america to the bloody ground. Nintendo has done nothing wrong and its maybe better this way, the game will get reverence from its american fans who imported it for simply being a game not realesed in america, so it will be liked it little bit more then it deserves for this fact.

Bottom line, want it, import it, nintendo doesn't need/want any of this and they have done nothing wrong.

Well, at least this movement is actually being active about accomplishing its goals instead of just signing a petition. It's refreshing, and in the off chance that it does actually accomplish anything I will hail it as a singular success of internet democracy. That being said, I have no interest in any of these games, so I will not be writing a letter to Reggie.
 
 @Video_Game_King: YEAH MAN? WHY HAVEN'T THEY RELEASED IT YET?!?!?! I mean, I'm sure Shadow Dragon did alright for itself, and this new one even has a "for pussies" mode to help draw in the mainstream! Plus, it's not like localization is much of a problem, considering it will probably be just as bland and dry as the SNES original (if Shadow Dragon's script was any indication). WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!?!

so, im really getting my hopes up and i know i shouldnt. But i really want these games!

@Juno500 said:

Pre-ordered Xenoblade, hope we get something.

Thanks! I hope so too.

@TheBlackPigeon said:

Well, since you asked so nicely, how can I refuse? Signed.

Thanks, duder!

@UnrealDP said:

No way, if this paves the road for more internet "campaining" then sign me off. Its not that big a deal and nintendo doesn't really take a financial hit for not bringng it to the states since everyone who really wants it is going to import. Importing from europe doesn't cost that much, especially for a wii game. Nintendo has their reasons and im cool with going against the system and everything, but christ this is just plain annoying.

How is this annoying, pray tell? You seem interested in the topic enough to respond, and Nintendo has already shown indication on Twitter that they recognize the campaign. What do you seriously stand to lose from this?

Well, since you asked so nicely, how can I refuse? 
 
Signed.

Pre-ordered Xenoblade, hope we get something.

@Video_Game_King said:

@ZombiePie said:

@Video_Game_King: I would always take you as someone who would virulently defend Nintendo's royal prerogative.

What?

I'll tell you what:

This:

And this:

And this:

These are the games that Operation Rainfall are currently supporting.

No way, if this paves the road for more internet "campaining" then sign me off. Its not that big a deal and nintendo doesn't really take a financial hit for not bringng it to the states since everyone who really wants it is going to import. Importing from europe doesn't cost that much, especially for a wii game. Nintendo has their reasons and im cool with going against the system and everything, but christ this is just plain annoying.

@Metalideth said:

2 developers who made the game are supporting it? Impressive.

I don't know much about game releases (read: I know zero), but isn't it the publisher that have something to loose on a release, not the developer per say?

Again, I really don't know anything about stuff, but I hope your movement go as planned. I'm still fucking pissed about never seeing a Culdcept Saga release in EU, not to mention being regionlocked so I can't even import it.

@Video_Game_King: I would always take you as someone who would virulently defend Nintendo's royal prerogative.

@Video_Game_King said:

@Hailinel: I would, but I don't know enough about Japanese or ROM hacking to create translation patches.

That's not the direction I meant.

@Video_Game_King: I would always take you as someone who would virulently defend Nintendo's royal prerogative.

2 developers who made the game are supporting it? Impressive.

@Video_Game_King: You don't get it, do you? The fact Fatal Frame IV has a fan translation is not relevant to this discussion. This is a campaign for Nintendo to officially release these games in North America without forcing fans to resort to importing, translation patches, and torrents. And like I said, if Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower earn releases, then the campaign will move on to other titles. Fire Emblem included.

But Fire Emblem is not the focus now. And it does not help either the cause of the three Wii titles or Fire Emblem for you to just sit passively. If you want to help, do something constructive to show your support.

To be fair, Fatal Frame IV actually has an English fan translation, so a release outside Japan isn't necessary. You know what's necessary, though? FUCKING FIRE EMBLEM. Why hasn't Nintendo gotten on this? It runs on the Shadow Dragon engine, so I can't imagine Nintendo having trouble translating it, and I know for a fact that the DS is still getting games (Devil Survivor 2, Solatorobo, etc.), so what the hell? Tell me when Operation Rainfall gets on that. In the meantime, I'll just passively wait for those titles to come out.

What It's All About

Operation Rainfall is a grassroots movement with one goal in mind. To get Nintendo of America to release several currently Japan/Japan-Europe-only titles released in North America. Specifically, the campaign is targeting the games Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower. In the off-chance that this campaign proves successful, it may move on to campaigning for other releases, as well.

The movement has already garnered press, as well as online support from Monolith Soft and Mistwalker, the companies behind Xenoblade and The Last Story respectively. The movement is focused on traditional avenues such as a letter-writing campaign to get the word to Nintendo and request the releases of these titles. Additionally, Operation Rainfall has taken to Amazon.com. Back in 2009, a product page was set up for Monado: Beginning of the World, the game which is now known as Xenoblade. The page is still there, and it's possible to take preorders. People have been lending their support by preordering the game in droves to the point that yesterday, Monado actually became the top-selling video game on Amazon.com. People were actually for a time ordering it faster than they were games like Ocarina of Time and Black Ops.

More information can be found here at Operation Rainfall's website as well as this Wikipedia article.

Granted, there's the chance that this may not work. That our pleas will still go unheard, but after having North American releases of everything from Fatal Frame IV to Disaster to Captain Rainbow to Zangeki no Reginleiv shot down, the people that want to see games such as these released deserve to have their voices heard. And for Xenoblade at least, there's the boon of both the ability to preorder the game and show Nintendo that people are actively willing to pay money, and it's also currently being localized for European release.

So if you're a Wii owner that feels burned by missing out on any of these games, or just someone that wants to promote the release of intriguing titles in North America, please, do your part and help out. It won't happen if we don't try.

UPDATE: June 29th

Nintendo posted some rather brief notes to Twitter and Facebook today as their way of addressing the issue, saying that they still have no plans to release any of the three games here in North America. I'd find this completely absurd if this wasn't Nintendo of America we were talking about here. But this isn't over yet. The campaign is just getting underway whether Nintendo (and certain forum users here) likes it or not. Everyone is encouraged to keep posting to Nintendo's Twitter and Facebook. If you haven't done so yet, also preorder Xenoblade and put The Last Story and Pandora's Tower on your wishlists. Prepare to send letters to Reggie. The address is at Operation Rainfall's website, linked above. Be courteous. Be poilite. But be firm.

UPDATE: July 7th

Hope springs eternal, ladies and gentlemen. According to a source at NOA, NTSC localization of Xenoblade has already taken place, and The Last Story is currently in the process of localization for both NTSC and PAL. If this is true, then it's still anyone's guess as to why NOA is sitting on announcing a release date, but this tidbit is at least enough to keep hope alive. Still no word on localization of Pandora's Tower, however.