Since when have Japanese developers been forbidden from selling games outside Japan?

They haven't - that was just too difficult for me to work out

So, having been away from my computer for a little and having some time to get away from the aggressive forum mentality, I've come back to follow up just a little. This post is meant to be a very casual one, with no back lash or whatever geared towards anyone. Keep that in mind, and if anyone feels like commenting on this, please read the whole thing, don't just do the skim approach.

Somehow over the course of this topic I feel I've been villianized for putting out the Fact that compared to the US and other world nations, the attachment rate for the wii isn't all that exceptional in Japan. Now, since everyone ignores the fact that I've brought up the psp and ps3 attachment rates again and again, I'll ignore those two systems and focus on the wii and my feelings towards it and nintendo.

As a wii owner, I want the wii to succeed. I want great 1st and 3rd party games to rain from the heavens and give me a multitude of opinions to choose from. However, at the same-time, I'm not the kind of gamer that looks to be content with what's there. I'm also not the gamer (or at least I try not to be) that lives by a double standard.

Let me focus on the virtual console for just a second. I think it's a great service and have already purchased a dozen 1st and 3rd party games. However, I refuse to let it slide that nintendo, after releasing 3 games weekly in 2007, has only released 1-2 in 2008. So, while I criticize nintendo on this matter, I do it not to bash them for no reason, but let them know that I won't be content with a reduction in game supply.

The same thing works with games. People tell me all about "the nintendo quality," well if that's the case, then I don't want to see "the nintendo quality" most of the time, I want to see it all the time. Mario Galaxy, Wario Ware, and many others are great games that deserve their sales.

Then there games like twilight princess and paper mario. Also great games but at the end of the day, they are games that were developed for the GC with tacked on wii controls. That means that neither game pushes the system from a hardware or conceptual standpoint. Does it make those games bad? No, not really. But I think nintendo fans invoke a double standard when they grip about 3rd party last gen ports but turn a blind eye to nintendo doing the same thing. Once again, I say this not to criticize nintendo for no reason, I do it to say that I want that forward thinking nintendo experience all the time.

Then there's mario party and donkey kong which are also ports, but in my opinion of bad games. And of course Pokemon revolution which is just plain bad. Now some people will say "those games are just bad in your eyes, not every one will see it that way," which is true. However, that can be said about all games. How about rayman raving rabbids? A game that, in my opinion, had more polish and inspiration then the mario party series has seen in years. As a reward, it sold well in the US. However, going back to the sales part of this topic, it made no money in japan.

I want to know how many 3rd party games need to fail until people see that japanese gamers turn a blind eye to almost everything non nintendo on the wii. People make excuses but the numbers are there. You can't just keep saying, well zack and wiki was a niche game.... No more heroes was too out there.... Resident evil has always been more popular in the US.... Rayman Raving Rabbids is too eastern in its humor (or whatever).... Elebits is too cutsey.... Has a truly great original title hit japan yet? No, but I think people don't acknowledge the difference between a great game and a good game. People are too quick to say if it's not great it deserves to fail, which I don't think is fair. Do bad games deserve to not sale? sure. But just cause a game isn't great doesn't make it bad. Games like elebits, sonic and the secret rings, and knights were all solid first gen efforts and they bombed in japan. I think that the culture over there is such that it's nintendo fist and foremost. The top 13 games, save one, were published by nintendo. Also, 14 of the top 16. Once again, some games deserve those numbers, like mario, wario ware, and even zelda. But really, in terms of content and over all game design, do you think games like mario party, mario and sonic, and pokemon battle rev deserve to crush the competition? In those games, do you see that nintendo quality?

I'm sure I'll continued to get flamed for this post. At the end of it all, I feel there's a difference between defending a system and turning a blind eye to it's flaws. If I speak ill of nintendo or a nintendo product, it's because I never want them to become content. I want them to give me, as the consumer, the best they can. On that same note, I want more from 3rd parties as well. I want more original IPs that really use the wii for what it is, a very unique system that has yet to be truly tested.

Sorry for taking so long. I hope that if anyone has any feedback or disagreements, that they do so knowing that I wrote this post without the intent of being aggressive, so I'd hope for the same from anyone with something to say/add.

I've read your rantings in several posts now about the virtual Console Servie, the release of SSBB being inconsideratly close to other wii's releases, the lack of quality in some Nintendo's titles just cos all 100% of their titles dont appeal to you, How you have dismissed games for the Wii cos they were released in it's first year and were originally planned for the GC and now about third party sales in Japan.

Just wondering - you say you own a Wii, you sound very frustrated so have you ever owned a console so early in it's life cycle before?

Looking at some of the Wii's titles in 08 (just look at the sticky thread to remind yourself in you haven't read it) and the launch of service like Wiiware and DS demo station, the huge Nintendo IP's and a new IP in DDOC all coming this year just be patient my friend.

^ You make good points and I agree. I can tell you if I owned a ps3 or 360 I would be just as adamant about wanting the best out of my console. With that being said, the last time time nintendo got content and thought they knew what everyone wanted, the n64 came out and their lead washed away. Now sony has made the same mistake with the ps3. I'm just hoping for not just a great nintendo present, but a great nintendo future as well. I feel like the only way you can do that is if you say that, while you may like what they have to offer, they aren't aloud to let up.

Also, I didn't dismiss the 1st year GC port titles. I just said I don't follow a double standard that says that nin ports are ok but 3rd party ports aren't.

^It's not a double standard, the Nintendo ports are merely better than most third party ports... You don't see many complaining about RE4 or The Godfather, because those ports were really good.

And again see my other post, the PS2 had an even poorer attach ratio at this point in it's life... That may have been part of the reason Nintendo even went so far with DS and Wii, they foresaw that the Japan market was heading into a decline with PS2... This is also probably why Nintendo is one of few devs doing well in Japan, because the rest of them are all bitching about how only Nintendo sells games instead of trying to understand WHY Nintendo sells games.

 Hey what about all those cool toilet paper rolls they where giving away ? :P

they havent,but alot of theyre games only appeal to the japanese

Maybe the answer to this thread is that the americans buy the titles they THINK that may be interesting, while japanese buys only the BEST few titles due to the high difference of their gaming budget.

Japanese dude to his friend: This two are the best games. I buy one you buy one and then we swap.
American dude to his friend: Hey my mom just bought me 10 Wii games !

Some people have to realize that the medium salary is much lower in some countries than others.