Why You Can't Blame Reggie If "Disaster: DoC" Doesn't Make it to the US

[mike_intellivision]

noname2200's points were:

 

1: I don't buy the sluggish sales argument. The game appears to be targeted to Western audiences, and very few traditional console titles are doing all that well in Japan right now. By that reasoning, No More Heroes should never have left Japan.

2: I also never thought that Nintendo cares about fostering third-party development, certainly not to the point where they halt development/porting of their own games. Nintendo is far more indifferent to third-parties than Microsoft is (or Sony was). They'll be happy to extend an invite, but they ain't going to hamstring themselves.

3: The market segmentation argument is equally unpersuasive. Nintendo does NOT want to exclude traditional gaming democgraphics; developing titles like Sin and Punishment 2 (and Disaster, for that matter) show that they very much so do care about that group. In fact, the majority of their Wii games are directed towards the "core" than the "expanded audience" so far, and that doesn't look to change.

4: The mixed reviews also probably don't play that large a role. For one thing, they brought over Barrel Blast, which is not the highest-rated game ever. More importantly, the decision on whether or not to localize was almost certainly made long before the review scores started coming in; there's a lot of groundwork to be done when localizing, and they're not going to wait for reviewers to give a yea or nay before starting.

5: I also disagree about the American political attitude. Things like 24 show that we're perfectly fine with terrorist stuff (as long as we win in the end ). Heck, we've had plenty of games come out this year that revolve around that theme. Rainbow Six, anyone?

6: As for the "he's Reggie!" argument, I actually don't give him much credit myself. He's a marketer first and foremost: he had a hand in making the Wii big here, but the majority of the credit goes to the Japanese branch, who not only developed the thing but also have likely held the strings taut the whole time.


7: Which brings me to why you're probably right that it ISN'T Reggie's fault. Despite what we may think here, Reggie really doesn't call the shots at Nintendo. If NCL wanted this game localized, it would be localized, Reggie's objections be damned. The reverse is equally true. After all, how many times has Reggie publicly said that he's been demanding more Wiis for North America, only to be brushed off by Japan? Despite how much we love him here, Reggie's influence seems to be quite limited. He may be acting like the choice is up to him...but it's almost certainly not.

1: I concur. We will know after Europe more -- though first-day there were sluggish (less than 4k). My question though is this really a game for the west as much as you say it is or is this a general game that Monolith thought would sell in Japan.

2. Nintendo has worked to improve its image with third-parties this generation. In the past, it has not cared. But after the GC, it does.

3. I guess what I was trying to say here is that Nintendo may not want to bring a less than great game for that market -- one that is owned by the HD consoles in NA.

4. Agreed -- though it may be giving Reggie some wiggle room. (And DK Blast is bad! -- I want a copy but not at its current price).

5. TV and movies are thought to be adult entertainment. Video games are still thought of as being "child's play" in the US. That's why states try to pass special law. That's why the popular press and politicans go after games much more than movies, TV, or books. That's why people blame it for all ills.

6 and 7. I think you may not be giving Reggie as much credit/power as he has. But I may be giving him too much. We both agree though that if Nintendo really wanted the game here, it would be here.

 

Mike from Morgantown