Ben-DutkaFellow role-playing fans, we must come together in this time of need, in the face of a potential injustice.
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch launches in North America on January 22 and I've just realized that it's in a perfect position to be lost into the black abyss of nothingness.
Not only has the popular RPG trend focused squarely on Western trends and styles this generation (due in part to a decline in general quality of my beloved Japanese RPGs), but the timing for Level-5's latest could be problematic. It's always tough to make a sale in January; the post-holiday doldrums hit just about everyone who goes nuts with the spending during the Christmas months. On top of which, the competition may be a whole lot stiffer than we thought.
The Devil May Cry reboot comes out the week before, and that's hardly the only big title hitting in the first quarter of 2013. Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider are also slated to drop during the first three months, along with a host of other promising titles, most all of which are primed to appeal to a wider audience than Ni no Kuni . Worse, high review scores probably won't save it, as it's still only catering to that niche demographic, which seems to be getting smaller with every passing year.
Then again, maybe that's a good thing…maybe the small, loyal JRPG fan base will save it, if only because it's the only title they really want during that three-month span. How often do we even see anything like Wrath of the White Witch anymore? So that's a good thought. But I still think everyone should just band together and make fan sites, yell it from the rooftops, and in general, just make anybody who's even remotely interested aware that Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch launches on January 22. Don't forget, damnit.
Related Game(s): Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
I don't really care as long as I get to enjoy it. It won't make the game any more or less enjoyable by the amount of people playing it.
Of course that's just me, but I'm sure Level-5 would appreciate the push for sales. JRPG fans would also like this game to do well so other devs can take notice and create more for the genre.
Well if you want to see more games like it I think you should care about the final sales. Lets be honest, the RPG genre has been abysmal this generation of gaming.
I agree I should care but I don't. All I can do is my part by buying the game.
Also agree that the genre has been disappointing that is why this gen has been such a disappointment to me despite the amount of great games. Not enough in the JRPG department.
I am so excited about this game. For financial reasons, I generally wait until the games I want have dropped in price, but I just might have to get this one on its release date. It's just such brilliant team-up!
I wish that more people would get excited about such things so that more top-notch JRPGS would get made and released State-side. I'll definitely be letting more people know about it!
All I can say is I'm buying it.
I can't wait for the game myself but I won't lie the name is what has given me reservations about it. I hate the name Ni No Kuni, I wish they would just drop that part and use the "Wrath of the White Witch" part stateside. I have talked to a bunch of people and many of them think the same, they have heard the name and said I am not interested. Then after they seen the videos they changed their minds and said that looks interesting.
I know most RPG fans could care less about the name, but it is the rest of the gaming market we are talking about here and they are the ones that seem to look right past it because of something as simple as the name, I even did at first and I love RPGs.
It is a weird name, it's nice to have the original title so there's no clear pandering but I prefer more traditional JRPG names that tend to be filled with wonder themselves.
Maybe if they translated the Ni No Kuni part of the title as they did with the subtitle. On the other hand, The Another Land just seems grammatically incorrect, and I for one would raise an eyebrow and be more willing to pass on it if that were the case.
I just think that Ni No Kuni is simply an integral part of the title, considering that it is the realm in which most of the game takes place. Wrath of the White Witch just sounds generic and boring.
I do get where you're coming from though. Ni No Kuni isn't really a name that the mainstream audience would be able to attach themselves to. It's a pretty unique situation in my mind.
Yeah I only had an issue with the name when I didn't know anything about the game i.e screenshots/videos. I changed my mind really fast once I seen it.
If that is the correct translation then dropping the "The" would make it a good western title in my opinion " Another Land: Wrath of the White Witch" actually really sounds interesting to me. And not to start a fight with the rest of the western world but generic and boring are really what seems to sell well here 🙂
I just hope that the rest of the gamers out there can get past the title. Me being into japanese culture is one of the reasons I didn't write it off as soon as I seen the name .
Last edited by Rogueagent01 on 8/14/2012 1:11:53 AM
I'm buying it (of course) and plan on talking it up among friends in hopes they will give it a try/purchase.
I case any of you haven't heard, Namco Bandai is also planning to localize Toki to Towa another jrpg.
http://gematsu.com/2012/08/toki-to-towa-set-for-english-release
I read about that yesterday Im excited their localizing it with no begging involved. Hopefully NB will start localizing Xillia 2 when it releases in japan.
Thanks for that link Panda, I'm putting that on my Gamewatch list now.
Ive already preordered the Wizard Edition! Unfortunately gamers I know aren't into rpgs.
It will be mine, but damn I want all those games. We will see where the money hammer falls on when I get each of them Infinite must be day 1 but DmC and TR can kind of wait.
Sadly I'm too old and tired to set up fan sites anymore and I can almost guarantee it will get NO publicity.
I think JRPGs have declined largely because gritty realism is finally attainable and attention spans have shrunk to zero. I'll always have hope that this genre will rise again, but here we are; we live in a strange new world of gaming where globe trotting adventures of epic proportions in creative style have fizzled right when we had the hardware to make them the best they ever could have been.
Buying the game because I love Level 5 games. I wish they become part of the Playstation family.
With Respect, I'll do no such thing. the folks who made this game were responsible for White Knight Chronicles 2, which they ran into the ground with their uncaring attitude and lack of attention to the community.
I can only assume they will give this game the same attention they did WKC2. I would be better off passing on the game entirely.
…uh, Level-5 has done other things.
I don't think Ni No Kuni will have online, so be calm.
Have you seen Ni No Kuni, it looks and plays nothing like White Knight Chronicles, don't disregard it so easily.
So you're going to base your opinion of a future game (that's already received great reviews) on one game that you didn't care for made by a company that's already made over a dozen excellent games.
Smart!
I believe what he refers to is the lack of support after release (outside Japan) more than the game itself.
Highlander has expressed similar opinions.
So he's basing his opinion of a single player JRPG on the multiplayer portion of another JRPG…
Smarter!
It's the developer/distributor and not the games they bash.
But hey, I'm backing out of this discussion now. Slowly, carefully. 😉
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/13/2012 9:53:11 AM
Level 5 is also responsible for Dragon Quest VIII. One of the best JRPG's of last gen.
Lol, your comment is full of fail.
Dragon Quest 8 is my top JRPG of all time, Dark Cloud games were good too. Level 5 is responsible for some of the best JRPGs in the last little while.
hehe THUMBS DOWN for you mr. T
=)
Spot on Beamboom. It's not the games it's the developer AND publisher. D3 is Namco. D3 published WKC2 in the US/NA market. L5 is the developer of both. Neither company has show much regard at all for their paying customers with WHKC2, so why in hell would anyone want to support them in the future. The publisher and developer have show through both their conduct and their attitude towards their paying customers that they do not give a crap about paying customers. Pretty bloody stupid considering JRPGs are such a niche interest.
Regardless of their past glory, Level 5 and their publishing partners have not covered themselves with glory recently. They completely screwed over their NA and EU based customers when compared to those in Japan. It's not about whether L5 is a good developer, or whether their games are any good, it's about the after sales service.
Why should I or anyone give L5 or Namco a 'pass' based on previous performance? Square Enix is responsible for some awesome games in the past as well, I don't see anyone giving them a ffree pass today because FFVIII was so freaking good.
Sorry, HighLander but, a dead argument you have.
Yeah partly may apply because of the shit concept we now call, DLC. But if we are to see that WKC was a single player campaign then you've very little to complain about.
Well, other than a game being poo. That being, your opinion by the way.
Not sure what you're saying Ludakriss, but it sounds like you're basically telling me I'm talking shit. Ironically the point about WKC2 is regarding the publisher and developer support for the multi-player elements of the game. Which you appear to be dismissing. Referring to the game as poo doesn't help you BTW.
Ni No Kuni might be single player, but continuing support by the developer and publisher in the form of DLC and pacthes is still an important element of a game today. based on my experience with both L5 and Namco as a partnership, they simply don't care unless you live in Japan. That's an issue, no matter how much you try to tell me it's not.
Between Ni no Kuni and the new DMC installment, the former will have my money and my recommendation. I sure hope all RPG fans would buy their copy of the game once it comes out. This at least doesn't have its story written with DLCs so we need not wait for a GOTY version.
I think the reason is that there's nothing special or something that made it stood out as an JRPG.
Yes the graphic is slick and nice, yes Level-5 is awesome but that's it.
Besides, after WKC and WKC2, most who never played the game but looked at the score would go "This is the same team that made WKC? LAME!!"
It's sad, but it's reality.
I for one ain't getting this day one or anytime soon after release but I will get this eventually.
Whaddaya mean? It's got Studio Ghibli on board. That should at least attract some anime fans.
Well I fail to see how Studio Ghibli can affect the sales that much.
Not hating for the game but that's how I see it.
Studio Ghibli is essentially the Japanese Disney (Just not always so child-friendly) – it is massive! and look how people responded to Kingdom Hearts or Dragon Quest which has the artist from Dragon Ball Z attached to the project. I think having Studio Ghibli will definitely boost sales and I can see why the art direction looks gorgeous.
Agreed Snake, Ghibli being involved might have some cache in Japan, but very little outside of Japan. If anything there are more fans of something like Idolm@ster than specifically for Ghibli. But you don't see a localized Idolm@ster game here do you?
I can certainly share the sense of urgency on the success of No Ni Kuni, the JRPG market has vanished this gen. Something which I think is just a damn shame. I look at my library of PS2 games, at least 20% of them are JRPG's. on my PS3 shelf I have barely 5. Most not even close to the quality of the PS2 titles.
I know I'll be buying this day one, It looks just the kind of game we've all been waiting for. It seems to have a similar world map system to Dragon Quest IX (A detailed world map with creatures that run into you for a battle transition.) which I love! the battle system seems like Pokemon, but more active. I might be going to expogamer (a UK gaming festival) which has this title available to play it'll definitely be one of the highlights of the day.
I do agree that more attention should be being paid to Ni No Kuni. It just seems like such a unique title, and really does seem to hark back to the glory days of the RPG that it absolutely deserves to be rewarded. The art style is gorgeous and, for what it's worth, I enjoyed what I've played of WKC2 thus far, so I'm more than willing to take a look at anything new from Level-5.
My problem is that I can't support it. If I could, you'd better believe that I'd be picking it up as soon as possible after it's release, but it comes out the day after I'm all set to pack up my car and go trundling about the country. A real shame, I must say but I guess I'll have to be content with DmC the week prior.
That being said, I'll do what I can to spread the word (may not be much, but at least it's an effort).
Yeah I'm pretty much buying this one for the studio Ghibli art style. Sooooo Pwwwety 0_0
Can't say i disagree.
I thought the same about DQVlll and lX, though and they sold extremely well. What Ni No Kuni needs is strong promotion like the former games received.
I think it'll be bigger than expectations due to word of mouth and reviews.
We'll just have to wait and see, but as most know, i'm already doing what i can.
Last thing to note, L5 have already said that they intend to turn Ni No Kuni into a franchise, but low international sales could hinder that idea.
At least people have heard of Dragon Quest.
"Ni no Kuni" just sounds SO Japanese, and in a market that doesn't seem to care much about Japanese products anymore…
I can certainly see why the name comes across as unappealing here. One of my big concerns for it too.
I have to say it in my head like 3 times until I get it right..
"No Kunini", "new nokuni", etc. 😛
All i can do is buy the game and show it to my friends. I know it's a niche market, but i think it's up to Sony to push and advertise the game.
I'm buying the collectors edition to get that awesome looking book. So I am doing my part by essentially buying the game twice 😛
Anyone that bashes this game or the point Ben's trying to make should just stick with their WRPGs and continue to enjoy the erosion of the RPG genre.
I resolved to buy this game the moment I learned it was in production. A JRPG with Studio Ghibli art direction? SOLD!
Yes, I'm excited for Tomb Raider and DMC, but they'll be taking a back seat to Ni no Kuni.
The game might not be in as much trouble as one may think. Studio Ghibli does have a significant number of fans in the west.
I've liked the look of this since early shots surfaced some many months ago. I hope it is well received.
Already preordered my copy.