You know what’s interesting about the upcoming Pii U? Nintendo of America refuses to release the likes of Fatal Frame IV, Zangeki no Reginliev, Another Code R, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Last Story in America and yet expects the core gamer to buy a Pii U. Why? So we can see these games made and denied to us on that system too?
What’s even wilder is that the last three games I mentioned either have been or will be released in Europe. That’s right. Three content-filled games that have ALREADY OR ARE BEING TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH Reggie refuses to release. Why should the core gamer support this behavior on the Pii U? Heck, why should the coveted third party developers support this machine?
(Note: You don’t think …. you don’t suppose … Reggie is banning these games because they might “steal” sales from Skyward Sword …)
Criticism against Nintendo has often taken to form against the broad company. The subsidiaries shouldn’t get a pass. Reggie Fils-Aime comes across as smart and competent because he has a good presentation style. But so do politicians. Fils-Aime, himself, has a poor record from what I’ve observed at his tenure at Nintendo. He misanalyzed why people were importing Ouendan.
Above: Japanese madness, great music, and intensity is why people imported this game including myself. Fils-Aime was behind the creation of Elite Beat Agents which died at retail. And now that 3DS is region locked, we can no longer play this game. Thanks Nintendo!
Above: Zangeki no reginleiv was a game whose development and publishing was funded by Nintendo. Yet, it is only released in Japan. While the game didn’t sell too well in Japan, Wii doesn’t have much of a presence there (and Sandlot games with their violence tend to sell better in the West anyway). Reginleiv never came over. It definitely was no AAA blockbuster, but it sure would have been fun to have in the game library.
The problem with Nintendo, and the Game Industry as well, is they no longer see ‘games’. They see ‘phenomenons’ and only look to make games that can create those ‘phenomenons’. This is not how the game market works. People just like games, and it is important for there to be a large range of non-A grade games. Sony taught this lesson to Nintendo when Sony flooded their PlayStations with all sorts of software (which Nintendo adopted with the DS and Wii).
Why is it important to have games available that aren’t A rated? Because you never know where the next big hit will come from. The reason why Grand Theft Auto 3 appeared on the PlayStation 2 was because Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2, which were not that great of games, were released on the PlayStation. So when the third one came out, it was a rocket that lifted the entire console. Anyone remember Street Fighter 1? Clearly, that game had to be made before Street Fighter 2. And there wouldn’t have been a Mega Man 2 without the inferior Mega Man 1. Not every game can be a ‘phenomenon’ nor should it be.
NOA relies on several people in Japan to make the decisions to localize products for the American market. The big problem with this is that these NOA people rely, strongly, on their personal tastes which tend to be out-of-sync with the market. NOA has likely been following the same formula since the 8-bit times where a few people would decide to localize a Japanese game.
Today, the year is 2011. There should be no such thing as an unlocalized game anymore. No video game should be left in Japan unless its contents would attract the attention of the American news (like Tingle’s creepy ass game would). We live in a global world today. If Nintendo publishes a game, that should include localization. Localization is part of the publisher’s job. NOA is so cliche they are re-enacting their 8-bit selves. They heavily pushed Dragon Quest IX, which did nothing in the market, just as they heavily pushed Dragon Quest I, which did little in the market. Not that the game shouldn’t be pushed, but why omit all these other games?
Above: Xenoblade, a game North American players will never see, thanks to the jackasses at NOA.
It is not like the Wii is having any other game come out for it. Nintendo has the money to localize it. So why not?
The theory that NOA doesn’t want to take away sales from Skyward Sword is interesting, but I’m not totally convinced of that. I think NOA just doesn’t want to do any work. They assume, “Hey, it is the ‘natural console cycle’ for the Wii to decline. Therefore, why bust our butts anymore?” Just wait when the Wii audience will not move to the Wii U. Anyway, the notion that a video game cannibalizes another is just so wrong. If there are multiple games I am interested in, I buy both. A very good game does not take away sales of bad games, to the contrary, it boosts sales of that game. If someone bought Xenoblade and was so happy with that game, they will want other games and might buy Skyward Sword if he was earlier disinterested. Disinterest is the enemy, not other games. The first party strategy of carving out an install base with games is based on this premise. Super Mario Brothers led to sales of tons of other games. Tetris led to sales of tons of other games.
Reggie Fils-Aime has been a massive disappointment as NOA president. While it is difficult for us to know what all is in his control or NCL, we do know the VPs he hire was totally his decision. Both recent VPs he hired flamed out. Now, he is going to hire a VP who did Mountain Dew commercials. Fils-Aime’s view of gaming tends to be in a very cliche way.
The Wii explosion had nothing to do with NOA. When the Wii took off in late 2009, NOA didn’t expect it as I recall Fils-Aime in a televised interview assuring that there would no supply problems (Wii sold out thanks largely to Mario 5). And the DS success really wasn’t much to do with NOA either. Great games tend to sell themselves.
As the Wii U shows Nintendo is following a Red Ocean strategy and certainly nothing like disruption, what exactly is Reggie Fils-Aime adding to the company? Bloviating in press conferences and interviews? The man’s vocabulary is confined to cliches with repeated use of the word ‘candidly’.
Video games are a tough market where wimps eat sales death. I don’t think Fils-Aime is the right person for the job. Video games demand a mind that is free from cliches or else you will have an E3 2011.
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