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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Nintendo and their localization efforts on the Wii.

I was planning on doing this or not depending on the results of the release schedules that were updated this quarter. Results were negative so I will be doing it. Their localization efforts have been poorer as time passed by. It seemed last year we got less games, but actually Nintendo did release many 1st party games, only that they never localized them.


Games released by region per year:


2006


Japan
  (5 titles)

Wii Sports
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Wii Play
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Pokemon Battle Revolution

USA  (3 titles)

Wii Sports
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Excite Truck


2007


Japan  (11 titles)

Excite Truck [1 year late]
Super Paper Mario
Mario Party 8
Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
Mario Strikers Charged
Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Super Mario Galaxy
EyeShield 21  [Never released in the USA]
Wii Fit
Endless Ocean

USA  (13 titles)

Wii Play [1 year late]
WarioWare: Smooth Moves [1 year late]
Super Paper Mario
Mario Party 8
Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
Pokemon Battle Revolution [1 year late]
Mario Strikers Charged
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Battalion Wars 2
Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Super Mario Galaxy
Link's Crossbow Training


2008


Japan  (16 titles)

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [1 year late]
Battalion Wars 2 [1 year late]
Link's Crossbow Training [1 year late]
Wii Chess  [Never released in the USA]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Super Sluggers
Wario Land: Shake It!
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Wii Music
Disaster: Day of Crisis  [Never released in the USA]
Everyone's Common Knowledge Television  [Never released in the USA]
Fatal Frame 4  [Never released in the USA]
Captain Rainbow  [Never released in the USA]
NPC Pikmin
NPC Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

USA  (8 titles)

Wii Fit [1 year late]
Endless Ocean [1 year late]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Super Sluggers
Wario Land: Shake It!
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Wii Music


2009


Japan  (15 titles)

NPC Mario Power Tennis
Punch-Out!
Wii Sports Resort
Wii Fit Plus
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
NPC Metroid Prime
NPC Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
NPC Pikmin 2  [Never released in the USA]
NPC Chibi Robo!  [Never released in the USA]
Another Code R  [Never released in the USA]
Tact of Magic  [Never released in the USA]
Sin & Punishment 2
Endless Ocean 2
PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Great Adventure  [Never released in the USA]
Everyone's the Star on the NHK Red-and-White Quiz Battle  [Never released in the USA]

USA  (10 titles)

NPC Mario Power Tennis
NPC Pikmin [1 year late]
NPC Donkey Kong Jungle Beat [1 year late]
Punch-Out!
ExciteBots: Trick Racing  [Never released in Japan]
Wii Sports Resort
Wii Fit Plus
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Metroid Prime Trilogy, counts as 2


2010


Japan  (11 titles)

The Last Story  [Not announced for the USA]
Xenoblade  [Not announced for the USA]  (this is probably Monado)
The Legend of Zelda  [Not announced for the USA]
Kirby Wii  [Not announced for the USA]
Kensax  [Not announced for the USA]
Start with 100 conversations NHK  [Not announced for the USA]
Zangeki no Reginleiv  [Not announced for the USA]
Span Smasher
Line Attack Heroes
Metroid: Other M
Super Mario Galaxy 2


USA  (7 titles)

Sin & Punishment 2 [1 year late]
Endless Ocean 2 [1 year late]
Monado: Beginning of the World  [Not announced for Japan] (This is probably Xenoblade)
Span Smasher
Line Attack Heroes
Metroid: Other M
Super Mario Galaxy 2



Up to 2010 with the known release schedules in the same time span:

Japan Total: 58 titles

USA Total: 41 titles


Japan has got 17 more 1st party titles, which makes me ask why, if it's their weakest region. Do you think things will get better or worst? Do the unreleased  games have any chances of getting localized?



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tag - "I wouldn't trust gamespot, even if it was a live comparison."

Bets with Conegamer:

Pandora's Tower will have an opening week of less than 37k in Japan. (Won!)
Pandora's Tower will sell less than 100k lifetime in Japan.
Stakes: 1 week of avatar control for each one.

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The US isn't getting the same amount of support.

I don't understand why 12 titles weren't released in Nintendo's stronghold.

BTW: If they weren't released in the US does that mean they weren't released in others?




I was talking about 2006 onwards, not simply 2010.



Proud poster of the 10000th reply at the Official Smash Bros Update Thread.

tag - "I wouldn't trust gamespot, even if it was a live comparison."

Bets with Conegamer:

Pandora's Tower will have an opening week of less than 37k in Japan. (Won!)
Pandora's Tower will sell less than 100k lifetime in Japan.
Stakes: 1 week of avatar control for each one.

Fullfilled Prophecies

wait wait..wat!!?? Monado= Xenoblade..Woah!! do guys understand this wow..Xeno is back!! that alone makes it my highest anticipated W JRPG!!!



Looks like it, since Monado is no longer on the japanese list anymore, and xenoblade appeared, coming from the creators of the previous xeno games, it wouldn't surprise me that's its new name. Monado sounds stupid to be quite honest.



Proud poster of the 10000th reply at the Official Smash Bros Update Thread.

tag - "I wouldn't trust gamespot, even if it was a live comparison."

Bets with Conegamer:

Pandora's Tower will have an opening week of less than 37k in Japan. (Won!)
Pandora's Tower will sell less than 100k lifetime in Japan.
Stakes: 1 week of avatar control for each one.

Fullfilled Prophecies

Around the Network

1 year equal 365 days by the way just in case you forgot haha.

But still I wouldn't expect to get all the games that Japan gets considering localization isn't cheap. Not to mention, not all of those titles would necessarily do well in America (especially since a lot didn't do well in Japan/Europe (for some).

But here's to hoping maybe one day a few that I won't will come over.



I just want Lost Magic Wii to be localized... :(



Yeah, I know that many titles won't be appealing to the USA, but why are they making Japan only games when the US market is way bigger. Wouldn't it make more senses that they actually make US only games, rather than Japan only games, which BTW have sold extremely poorly.



Proud poster of the 10000th reply at the Official Smash Bros Update Thread.

tag - "I wouldn't trust gamespot, even if it was a live comparison."

Bets with Conegamer:

Pandora's Tower will have an opening week of less than 37k in Japan. (Won!)
Pandora's Tower will sell less than 100k lifetime in Japan.
Stakes: 1 week of avatar control for each one.

Fullfilled Prophecies

trestres said:
Yeah, I know that many titles won't be appealing to the USA, but why are they making Japan only games when the US market is way bigger. Wouldn't it make more senses that they actually make US only games, rather than Japan only games, which BTW have sold extremely poorly.

simple to re energize Japan where gaming seems to be slowing... these Japan only games might just be made with Japan in mind and wouldn't mix well in the west

I think it's time for Nintendo to expand their Western development. Japanese gamers have shown time and again that they are not interested in these small new projects Nintendo is making. Why not give the USA a chance? The possible target audience is too big to ignore. Plus some games not being localized have made no sense at all.

It's time for Nintendo to move on. Sony already did, and their Western focused games have been successes. If we won't be able to play their Japanese oriented games, at least they should have something else for us. Not fair majority of their core new IP's will never make it here.



Proud poster of the 10000th reply at the Official Smash Bros Update Thread.

tag - "I wouldn't trust gamespot, even if it was a live comparison."

Bets with Conegamer:

Pandora's Tower will have an opening week of less than 37k in Japan. (Won!)
Pandora's Tower will sell less than 100k lifetime in Japan.
Stakes: 1 week of avatar control for each one.

Fullfilled Prophecies