Operation Rainfall

Amazon puts up a Tentative Boxart for The Last Story

2012-02-24T16:58:00.003-08:00

Amazon puts up a tentative boxart for The Last Story.

Never happier to see that XSEED logo!
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Story-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B007CSF3GO

List Of English Voice Actors For The Last Story

2012-02-24T16:02:00.002-08:00

We found this from a post on GameFAQS
Apparently it lists all the English voice work done in The Last Story

Zael - Jack Ryder
Calista - Alix Wilton Regan
Yurick - Colin Ryan
Syrenne - Kelly Wenham
Mirania - Montserrat Lombard
Lowell - Derek Riddell
Asthar - Tom Goodman Hill
Therius - Daniel Curshen
Arganan - Peter De Jersey
Jirall - Blake Ritson
Zangurak - Nick Boulton
Zesha - Josh Cohen
Zepha - Antony Byrne
Outsider - Jo Wyatt
Ariela - Maria Darling
Warren - Lizzie Waterworth-Santo
Kentis - Antony Byrne
Horace - James Daniel Wilson
Meredith - Jo Wyatt
Zoran - Rupert Farley
Yurick's father - Tim Watson
Zael's mother - Louiza Patikas
Jeffery - John Voce
Narrator - Chris Fairbank
Lazulis Knight - Andy Buchan
Lazulis Guard - James Barriscale
Citizen - Nigel Pilkington
Sorceress - Maria Darling
Dagran - Nico Lennon
http://bit.ly/ArXGDs

Nintendo Confirms Artbook Included with Xenoblade Gamestop Pre-orders

2012-02-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: This includes EBGames as well

Nintendo Confirms Artbook Included with Xenoblade Gamestop Pre-orders
"Xenoblade fans! Hint, hint: a collectable artbook is included with every Xenoblade GameStop pre-order. Treat yourself to eye candy."

They just posted this on their wall. Make sure to like, comment on, and share their post.

http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo/posts/330309857004483

✤ Amazon is Now Accepting Pre-orders For The Last Story ✤

2012-02-23T23:55:00.000-08:00

✤ Amazon is Now Accepting Pre-orders For The Last Story ✤
UPDATE: Fixed Link
They have the release date listed as June 19
http://amzn.to/wDswoZ

Limited Edition Teaser Trailer for Europe

2012-02-23T15:23:00.001-08:00

GameStop taking The Last Story Pre-orders for June 20th

2012-02-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

We got reports that GameStop is accepting pre-orders for The Last Story to be released on June 20th. We then called a local GameStop and confirmed this to be true for ourselves. The game is not listed on Gamestop's website as of yet.

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #40, 39, 38 ☆╮

2012-02-23T08:21:00.001-08:00

Reviving Characters
You won’t find any Phoenix Downs or Max Revives in this game! Instead, reviving characters requires you to sacrifice a bar of your Party Gauge. The Party Gauge can be filled by using moves correctly (such as using Back Slash from behind) and by combining certain Arts. It may be wise to avoid using a Chain Attack in a difficult battle, as you may need to revive a party member instead.

A party member who loses all of their HP during battle will be automatically revived at the end of it. There are also Gems in Xenoblade that increase the amount of HP recovered when you revive a party member. Some Auras will grant HP just before a party member is knocked out or incapacitated.

In the image, nobody needs to be revived, but Reyn has low HP indicated by the red highlight on his picture. In the upperleft corner is the Party Gauge used for a variety of things, including reviving characters. The party has three bars which means party members could be revived 3 times, if not used for something else.

Help Us Write The IGN Wikis!

2012-02-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

►► Dear Operation Rainfall Members:

Do you like to write?

IGN has opened up a special opportunity for us to promote Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower. This week, IGN will be opening up wiki pages for our three games. IGN takes these wikis very seriously, and all work will be moderated. If the content looks good, the staff of IGN have offered to promote these wikis as part of the main site.

☀ More promotion = hotter games = more sales = Nintendo bringing more games.☀
(As an example, see the Mass Effect 3 Wiki: http://www.ign.com/wikis/mass-effect-3?objectid=14235017)

Leveraging the power of IGN's large user base and the detailed information we have about the games, we are seeking the help of you, our fellow fans to help us fill in these wikis with content.

If you are interested in helping us out, please send an email to oprainfall@gmail.com or you may also join the group directly here: http://on.fb.me/zrh5Vu . The wikis are open to the public, but the staff of Operation Rainfall are working together to try to get the job done quickly and efficiently, so feel free to either join or us, or if you prefer, you may work solo. Remember that all changes will be moderated.

IGN is a huge site, and we are grateful for this opportunity that has been extended. Thank you in advance to all who wish to help us with this massive project.

Nintendo Power Xenoblade Feature

2012-02-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

Xenoblade Chronicles is featured in the March issue of Nintendo Power, be sure to check it out!http://www.gonintendo.com/content/uploads/images/2012_2/NP276_Xenoblade.jpg

2012-02-22T15:28:00.001-08:00

Phase V, Mission 1: The Last Story Party Time!

2012-02-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

We've revised our plans to contact Nintendo of America on Friday. Go ahead and call them up, email them, or leave them a message on Facebook & Twitter saying "thanks!".
Let XSEED Games know how excited you are as well!
And if you live in Australia, Europe, or South Africa... BUY THE GAME - it comes out THIS WEEK!

For complete information about the mission and our plans for this Friday, please click below:
http://on.fb.me/ww0aj7

American Version TLS Based Off Of Europe Version

2012-02-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

From The XSEED Forum: http://xseedgames.com/forums/showthread.php?1342-Omglaststory!!!!!!!!

FAQ: Will XSEED use Nintendo's European localization or start from scratch with the original Japanese version?
ANSWER: "There will be no translation specific to the North American version as it will be comparable to the in-game English text of other territories.

Media Coverage of The Last Story American Reveal

2012-02-22T07:39:00.001-08:00

News about The Last Story coming to the NoA Region is all over the internet. Check out each of these articles and like, comment on, and share with your friends. Let these websites know there is a huge interest in this game so they continue coverage of The Last Story!

http://wii.ign.com/articles/121/1219199p1.html
http://www.gamespot.com/news/the-last-story-coming-to-the-us-this-year-6350838
http://kotaku.com/5887245/nintendo-bringing-the-last-story--to-north-america
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/02/the_last_story_coming_to_wii_in_north_america
http://mynintendonews.com/2012/02/22/the-last-story-officially-coming-to-north-america/
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/wiis-the-last-story-coming-to-north-america/
http://nintendoeverything.com/83220/the-last-story-announced-for-north-america-xseed-publishing/
http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/22/the-last-story-coming-to-north-america-courtesy-of-xseed/
http://www.destructoid.com/the-last-story-confirmed-for-north-america-in-2012--222480.phtml
http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=172415
http://halfemptyenergytank.com/2012/02/22/the-last-story-is-headed-to-the-u-s
http://www.the-games-blog.com/the-last-story-to-be-released-in-north-america/

Reversible Cover Winner and Xenoblade Dated

2012-02-22T06:39:00.001-08:00

Nintendo of America has also revealed the winning reversible cover for Xenoblade and has also confirmed that date of April, 6th

The Last Story Is Coming to the Americas!

2012-02-22T06:10:00.000-08:00

Reggie Confirms The Last Story for US!!!!!!!!

Revealed in Nintendo Direct at around the 10m30s mark.

Out this year, and Nintendo has partnered with XSEED to make this possible.

Europe Getting Limited Edition Pandora's Tower

2012-02-22T06:00:00.001-08:00

From NoE's Twitter

@NintendoEurope:
A limited edition Pandora's Tower out in Europe on 13th April includes steel book casing & 32 page artbook

The Last Story Limited Edition Unboxing Video

2012-02-21T04:22:00.000-08:00

The video is in German. The unboxing starts at roughly 2m 30s. If you are in Europe or Australia, hopefully this gets you excited and if you're in the US, try not letting it get to you too much ( you can cry a little bit).

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #42, 41 ☆╮

2012-02-20T13:57:00.000-08:00

Finding The Next Destination Made Easy. In Xenoblade Chronicles, you won't have to wander around aimlessly searching for the next destination to continue the story. There is almost always a yellow arrow at the top of the screen that acts like a compass, pointing to the next destination, and also telling you how far away that location is.

GAME Changes Some LE The Last Story Preorders To Standard

2012-02-20T09:04:00.001-08:00

To all those who in the UK who preordered The Last Story Limited Edition from GAME.co.uk:

Looks like the site is downgrading some of the Limited Editions to the Standard Editions without notification! Log in and check your account, making sure it still says you have the Limited Edition pre-ordered.

http://bit.ly/xvpKGP

VGChartz Weekly US Xenoblade Pre-order Numbers

2012-02-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

☰☰ RUMOR WATCH ☰☰

This Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left--------- Pre-orders Up-----------Pre-orders Total
09 -----------07 -------------------3,036 --------------------112,462

Last Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left---------Pre-orders Up------------Pre-orders Total
12 -----------08 -------------------2,859 ---------------------109,426

GameStop http://bit.ly/rsxvtx
VGChartz http://bit.ly/wmNTou

Note: VGChartz may use speculative information to come up with their numbers and should not be taken as fact.

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 4 (FINAL)

2012-02-20T00:45:00.000-08:00

Before Xenoblade Chronicles was announced for North America as a GameStop exclusive, I had completed the first draft of an article. An article, that upon said announcement, I had believed to become obsolete. The article in question detailed the various alternative means of distribution that Nintendo of America could take to release Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower stateside. My intention was to not only show how the games could be released, but to show means of release that would benefit Nintendo in ways outside of just profitable game sales. With Operation Rainfall’s sponsorship of “The Last Story month”, I have decided to revisit the themes of the article as a 4 part series focused entirely on The Last Story. In order to bring about discussion of the points I raise, I have also organized a short roundtable with other members of Operation Rainfall to close out each article. These 4 articles will be released as a series over the course of “The Last Story month”.

What do Lexus and Adult Swim have in common? They are both alt brandings of larger parent companies that act as if they are independent companies. Lexus was introduced in the late 80s as a way for Toyota, who at that time was known only for making affordable cars, to sell their higher end Japanese cars in America. Adult Swim is a programming block on Cartoon Network that has since taken on a life of its own, being run like its own network. It even has its own broadcast watermark, website, and staff.

Currently Nintendo of America is having trouble reconciling the differences between their blockbuster moneymakers and their smaller niche titles. The problem seems to be image more than anything else. Nintendo of America wants to be seen as a blockbuster company, and anything that doesn’t sell at high rates hurts that image in their mind. This has seemingly made Nintendo of America wary of niche, but profitable, titles that could sell as few as 100,000 copies in a single territory.

Count Arganan: living in poverty and squalor

The solution to this conundrum is an alt branding. We know that small publishers like X-Seed can prosper on sales of 100,000 or so units without large titles to fall back on. So if image is the only real concern, then why not consider a bold move? Create an alt branding; a separate division that is run as if it wasn’t Nintendo at all. Allow them a budget, and let them make their own choices about which ignored Nintendo games they might localize or what independent titles they might finance as an exclusive. Consider it an experiment. If it works, Nintendo can diversify and expand without tarnishing the image they wish to cultivate, if it does not work, absorb the division and write it off as a failed attempt at pursuing a different market.

Ryan, current Co-leader of Operation Rainfall

I love this idea and I wonder why Nintendo hasn’t thought of something like this themselves. They are always purchasing 3^rd party software companies that make niche titles and making them a part of Nintendo. They did it with the makers of Xenoblade; Monolith Soft. What I am saying is that it is obvious Nintendo can see the value of niche titles and when they purchase these companies, they are essentially purchasing niche title makers. So why is it that they haven’t considered a way to market these games? Seems like an alt branding is the perfect solution. Operation Rainfall Studios anyone? Ha.

Mike D., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast, former Operation Rainfall PR Staff
This is an intriguing idea. As Ryan said, Nintendo tends to buy studios that make games that Nintendo themselves don't seem to have the market cornered on (Monolith Soft for their RPG expertise, Retro Studios for their more Western sensibilities). It makes little sense for them to buy a large development studio and then limit their prospective audience.

On the other hand, they seem to be a conservative lot in Kyoto, so I'm not sure if they would ever consider such a risky move. But I never thought I'd see Nintendo collaborate with Team Ninja on a game, either...

Alex B., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast

This is the idea that has bugged me the most since I first saw it floating around the IGN Wii Lobby. If Nintendo keeps making games with limited audiences (Captain Rainbow, Another Code:R, Zangeki no Reginleiv, the OP Rainfall trifecta), then why the hell haven't they established a small publishing house that takes care of marketing and distributing these games? If Nintendo is simply unable to give their trust to publishing houses like XSEED or Atlus, then why don't they make their own already?

If they would only do this, then there wouldn't have been a need for Operation Rainfall to begin with, and all of us fans of strange things would be ever happier. Frankly, Nintendo aren't the only ones with this problem; just look at Namco over there, refusing to localize the vast majority of the wildly loved "Tales of" franchise. It's truly maddening, and I hope it's something Nintendo is looking to address with the WiiU, even if only by digital distribution methods.

The Nissan Skyline 350GT... known in America as the Infiniti G35

Richard, current Co-leader at Operation Rainfall

This could work in theory. Nintendo would be able to keep their image of being a blockbuster company while having “Mini-Nintendo” do all the obscure titles. The only thing I see keeping them from doing this is it would cost lots of money to start up a company to do that, so why not just save the money and release the games themselves for less money? Also Nintendo isn’t above releasing titles that aren’t going to sell lots of copies (Wii Music, the Wii Zapper with Link’s Crossbow Training). In fact they’re just about to release Rhythm Heaven Fever which is probably not going to do as well as Xenoblade Chronicles, though I would love to see them both do really good since they both catch my eye. So really nothing is stopping them from releasing other titles other than…laziness? Who knows! That’s what makes this whole thing frustrating.

Chris, former Operation Rainfall PR guy

I do not like this idea. Maybe at the end of last generation where Nintendo was floundering after the Gamecube. Back then Nintendo had a big time brand recognition problem. I still think back to two obviously non game-savvy people in best buy knowing that Xbox was Microsoft, Sony was Playstation, but had no idea what Nintendo was before they settled on Panasonic. Gamers knew what Nintendo was – or at least what Nintendo used to be. But between the N64 and the Gamecube the broader market was really only aware of what the Game Boy was.

But now that we’re in 2012 Nintendo has reestablished itself in the market in a huge way. It cannot be overstated how far they have come. Are there still people who believe that Nintendo is “teh kiddeh”? Sure, but Nintendo does not need to hide itself behind a shadow brand in order to fight off that image. Not when they just worked so hard to get back into the market. That’s just letting the forum trolls win.

What Nintendo needs to do is release a variety of games, including niche games, and convince their shareholders that not all games are created equal. This is a far more crowded gaming market than last decade. Not every game is going to be a blockbuster – but fortunately for Nintendo they have a stable of franchises to pay the bills. That gives the Big N flexibility to create new IPs, to release or publish more niche titles.

You don’t reach back out to the “hardcore” audience by saying, “we have HD graphics so you can play your favorite shooters.” You reach back out to the “hardcore” audience by creating a wide variety of gaming experiences for them to experience. Give them something to sink their teeth into, rebuild credibility with them, and given time the perception of the Nintendo brand will change. Look at the reception to Eternal Darkness, and to a lesser extent the deal bringing RE4 to the Gamecube. The reception was largely “I want to see more of this from Nintendo.” But they never followed through, and they lost the momentum. This next generation is a perfect opportunity to follow through.

Marko, current Co-leader at Operation Rainfall

What I think a lot of people don’t understand is that Nintendo already does this to a certain extent, yet all remaining under the “Nintendo” label. Nintendo owns several development studios, has several localization houses based around the world, and even has several marketing offices. They all have their own name and branding, yet once all is said and done, all the consumer sees on the box is the word “Nintendo”.

Chris hit the nail on the head. Nintendo does not need an “alt-brand”. Nintendo needs to realize that this isn’t the same market condition that existed with the NES, SNES, N64, or even GameCube era. Video games are considered a legitimate form of entertainment, and to some, even an art-form. Nintendo needs to embrace that idea and continue creating the same quality titles they have always made. Hire a larger localization staff? Maybe. Outsource localization and publishing to third parties? Maybe. Split into an alternate brand? Did it work for Qwikster?

"If they would only do this, then there wouldn't have been a need for Operation Rainfall to begin with, and all of us fans of strange things would be ever happier." - Alex B., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast

Tyson, Co-founder of Operation Rainfall

Did it work for Qwikster? No. But it did in fact work for Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura. Success I would feel depends on execution and purpose. Qwikster overcomplicated the lives of it’s consumers by dividing a service in half. The purpose behind the move was perceived as, and most likely indeed was, born from greed and opportunism. To me, an Alt Branding isn’t about changing your image, it is about retaining your image while expanding beyond it. This last idea has, however, turned out to be the most controversial. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Make your voices heard during “The Last Story” month; Is this the best way to release “The Last Story” in North America?

I would like to thank Ryan, Mike, Alex, Richard, Chris, and Marko for contributing to this roundtable discussion. We at Operation Rainfall would also like to thank Nintendo, Monolith Soft, Mistwalker, AQ Interactive, and Ganbarion for making the games we are so passionate about. Last, but certainly not least, we would like to thank everyone who has contributed to, supported, and covered Operation Rainfall since it’s inception last year. Keep fighting!

---

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 1
Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 2
Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 3

Operation Rainfall's Policy On Importing

2012-02-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

With the release of The Last Story approaching in Europe, it is that time again to remind people about our policies on importing. Operation Rainfall as a campaign cannot support the importing of games for two reasons. One, Operation Rainfall is about getting games localized. Two, in order to play an imported game one has to modify their console to play it, and modding violates Nintendo's policies. If you mod your Wii, they will not fix it.

However, even though we cannot support it as a campaign, we will not condemn it either. We know many people have imported these games because Nintendo of America is not telling us if or when theses games are coming.

This is our policy: If you imported then that's fine, just don't try to encourage others to do it as well. This means no sharing importing links or having conversations on our wall about importing. Also, while we won't look down on people who say they imported, we cannot allow talk about modding or piracy. Please leave such talk off of our wall.

Thank you
Operation Rainfall Staff

The Last Story Character Profiles Week 3

2012-02-18T23:59:00.000-08:00

Contact Nintendo of America February 24th

2012-02-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #45, 44, 43 ☆╮

2012-02-18T07:18:00.000-08:00

Skill Tree Examined. The Skill Tree can be used to link skills gained between all the different team members of your party. There are 5 skills each team member can share from another team member. So, if there are 6 team members in your party, this would mean you have an additional 25 skills you can use. Some skills cannot be shared.

Skill linking is dependent on the affinity level between characters as well as how many affinity coins you have received. Affinity coins are gained from defeating bosses and unique enemies. The more useful abilities cost more affinity coins. In the image, the player cannot select the skill they want because it reruires 7 coins and they only have 6 left of 64. They need to unequip a skill which will free up the coins.

The shapes represent what kind of skill can be linked, different shapes mean different kinds of skills. When a shape has a yellow border, you have the required affinity level so the shape is unlocked. In the image, Shulk has maxed out affinty with Reyn and Sharla, but has very little with Riki or Melia.

Latest Media Covering The Last Story

2012-02-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Latest Media Covering The Last Story

Kotaku: http://kotaku.com/5885931/hey-who-put-fast-paced-action-in-my-jrpg

IGN: http://wii.ign.com/articles/121/1218972p1.html

GamesRadar: http://www.gamesradar.com/best-gaming-stories-week-our-friends-and-esteemed-colleagues-internet-5/

Also, a Xenoblade article:
http://www.blisteredthumbs.net/2012/02/latest-xenoblade-trailer-epic/

Make sure to comment, like, and share the articles. Don't feed the trolls.

NintendoGamer Review of The Last Story

2012-02-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

NintendoGamer has posted their review of The Last Story. They give the game an 85 score stating "Lively combat and fun scenario design plaster over the narrative cracks. Not the glorious last hurrah we’d hoped for, but as fun as Wii games are going to be in a dry 2012."85 is a great score

The First 10 Minutes of The Last Story in English

2012-02-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

This video shows the first 10 minutes of The Last Story. Obviously you should avoid if you are trying to stay completely in the dark about the game, but after watching it, there really aren’t any major story details given other than what has already been shared by Nintendo and shown in the videos.
Thanks Courtenay for the heads up!
http://www.videogamer.com/videos/the_last_story_first_10_minutes.html

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #47, 46 ☆╮

2012-02-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

This tidbit has nothing to with the game, but it does have to do with the Xenoblade Chronicles game disc. Xenoblade Chronicles comes on a dual layered dvd game disc. Other games that run on a dual layer disc include Smash Brothers, Metroid: Other M, Metroid Trilogy, and Sakura Wars: So Long My Love . Every Wii is capable of reading these discs obviously, but we just wanted to inform everybody in case that information is relevant to them.

Pandora's Tower Valentine ECards from Nintendo of Europe

2012-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Pandora's Tower Release Date For Europe and New Character Names

2012-02-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

Pandora's Tower Release Date For Europe is April 13th

Nintendo has confirmed that the release date for Pandora's Tower for Europe is April 13th. Also, the names in Pandora's Tower have been changed.

Ceres is now Elena, and Ende is now Aeron.
http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/games/wii/pandoras_tower_45558.html

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #49, 48 ☆╮

2012-02-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Character Profile- Riki (Minor Story Details)

Riki is a member of the Nopon race. The Nopon live in Makna Forest inside and around a giant tree. Riki believes he is the legendary Heropon spoke of in the Nopon legends. Riki is not very knowledgeable of the world outside of the forest, but for what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for in bravery and ability.

Though small, Riki is quite capable in battle. With his high HP and healing ability, he is a welcome addition to any team. Riki also has some of the most useful skills in the game. You can share these skills with your other party members providing you build up your relationship levels with Riki.

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 3

2012-02-13T00:59:00.000-08:00

This current generation for the XBOX 360 and the Playstation 3 saw a renaissance of HD remixes of classic titles. From major hits like God of War at retail, to digitally distributed gems like Beyond Good and Evil. Nintendo’s competition has been able to avoid droughts by clever use of their digital distribution platforms. On Nintendo’s own standard definition console, we even got a decent number of previously unlocalized titles on the Virtual Console service. So isn’t it then feasible to imagine a future in which the Wii-U’s retail lineup gaps are punctuated with downloadable titles that were previously unavailable in certain regions? “Disaster: Day of Crisis”, “Zangeki no Reginleiv”, “Fatal Frame 4”, and “Another Code R” make up only a minority of the completed Wii titles Nintendo never published in the Americas. Does it make sense to petition and fight for every one to receive a full localization? No, it does not. But perhaps another option could be made available with the Wii U’s rumored superior online infrastructure and storage capacity/methodology.

Let us consider the benefits of Nintendo releasing titles like “The Last Story” by digital distribution. The first and most obvious benefit is the cost. The game is fully localized, and without any production or shipping, the cost of distributing the title would be as minimal as the countless apps released for smart phones and tablets. Second, and most importantly, the title would be a great showcase for their upcoming digital distribution service. Remember World of Goo? Could there have been a better game to showcase the kind of small, simple, and yet wonderfully unique and well crafted titles that Nintendo wanted their Wiiware service to represent? Similarly, a digital port of a title like “The Last Story” could be Nintendo’s way of saying they are now ready to deliver large scale content on a digital platform.

Here, Dragan fondly remembers what Avenue Q taught him the Internet was for.

I personally believe that digital distribution is our future. It is the way music has already gone, it is the way movies are already clearly headed, and it is even the way games have gone on the PC and Smart Phone/Tablet markets. Services such as Valve’s Steam and EA’s Origin are already in place and are popular, offering full large scale games through digital distribution. Sony is offering their entire retail lineup on their Vita handheld by digital distribution as well. Current generation consoles such as the Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 already have fairly large digital titles, as well as Demos of retail games. The most relevant example was the announcement and showing of Ubisoft’s “Ghost Recon Online” as a downloadable title for the Wii U. So the Wii-U will already be home to large scale downloadable content. Why not some of our missing Wii titles? Why not “The Last Story”?

Ryan, current Co-leader of Operation Rainfall
I agree with Tyson that the Wii U and the “Nintendo Network” is the perfect platform for releasing “niche” titles like The Last Story that might otherwise not get localized due to costs.

I am all for digital distribution of console video games. It is extremely popular on the PC, and if done correctly, if can be successful on consoles as well. Tyson makes some great points on how digital distribution can lower the cost of games. The current problem is that games being offered on PSN and XBOX Live are being sold at retail price. Lower the price of digital games by $10 or even $20 dollars and only the most dedicated collectors will be looking for retail copies. I’m not saying that this is realistically going to happen anytime soon. As long as there is a larger market for retail, digital games and retail games will cost the same.

Mike D., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast, former Operation Rainfall PR Staff
I agree that the Wii U could be a fantastic venue for Nintendo to release their more niche titles, but I'm not sure if digital distribution is the place we should look. The U will be fully backwards compatible with Wii games, but not GameCube discs; therefore, I imagine we'll see digital distribution of GC games, but not Wii games (which, for most, will be easy to find used at cheap prices). So where does that leave The Last Story?

Why not as a remastered HD launch title for Wii U? The console will already be a magnet for HD remakes. Since third parties seem a bit skittish to compete with Mario or Zelda at launch, Nintendo could launch a game that most certainly won't be competing with Ninja Gaiden III or Killer Freaks. It seems that we're all a little more apt to roll the dice on launch games (Red Steel, anyone?), so why shouldn't Nintendo see exactly what type of audience The Last Story has when their shiny new system is getting its greatest exposure?

Alex B., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast

All the points I read above me are great, so I want to try and bring a few of them together:

Tyson argues that with Ghost Recon, the WiiU is already going to feature retail-size content on its digital distribution service, and that this digital distribution helps Nintendo overcome some of the distribution costs associated with retail games (I'm assuming disc pressing, packaging, shelf space, etc); Ryan argues that the prices of digital games should be lower than retail, like in the PC (Steam, Origin, GOG); Mike argues that the best way to approach a release of The Last Story is as an HD remake set for the WiiU's launch, when it won't interfere with bigger Nintendo titles or 3rd party efforts.

I can imagine a near-perfect scenario based on these things: The Last Story gets released as a digital, HD remake during the WiiU's launch window. Initially, it's price will probably be $50 (and I'm sure I and many others would buy the hell out of it), but within time it could drop steadily and continue to get good sales, like Steam's digital releases do. The Collector's Edition could still be offered through retail, or at least the way Collector's Editions do on Steam, with extra artwork and soundtracks included.

Digital Distribution and Streaming platforms are on the rise, is the end of retail games nigh.

Richard, current Co-Leader at Operation Rainfall

I might stand alone on this one, but I hate the prospect of a digital only console future. Sure it works on the computer with services like Steam and GOG.com but computers also tend to only need to be upgraded and can still play legacy games. With consoles it’s not that simple, every 5 or so years we have a new console making the older console obsolete. Recently we’ve seen that backwards compatibility isn’t that important to the companies as it used to be. The PS3 is still selling well, the Wii just dropped it with its current incarnation, and the Xbox 360 has a very limited selection of games you can play from the original. My fear is if it were to go all digital, would they support the content of an older console well into the future? With a physical product I don’t have to worry about that since I can just pop the disc in and play the game. Digital I have to depend on the company if I were to delete the game and want to play it again at some point to download it again.

I also don’t really like HD remakes so much, but that’s just my personal opinion, I like owning the original versions of games. However, technically if they skip out on the wii version to do an “HD remake” of The Last Story and release it here, then it’s not much of a remake since it never existed in North America prior to that, it’s just a release.

Chris, former Operation Rainfall PR guy

I agree with Richard that there is a danger of digital distribution only in an environment that does not support backwards compatibility. But as an avid Steam user there is another angle that makes me more open to digital distribution on consoles: the future is coming sooner, rather than later, and whether you like it or not.

This isn’t to say brick and mortar stores are going to go the way of the Dodo. Instead, the issue is piracy and Digital Rights Management (DRM). Recent US Court of Appeals decisions have created the following law: if a piece of software says you cannot redistribute it, then you can’t. As a result, you do not in fact own the software -- whether it is the digital code or the physical disc. Instead, you only own a license (have permission) to play the game.

In other words, publishers now have a legal pathway to obliterate the used game market in the United States: via digital distribution + DRM. That’s right: you would be paying $50 only for permission to play a digitally distributed edition of The Last Story. Sure, Steam and GOG are more palatable systems because they are centralized, have a bunch of sales, and have a number of high quality releases. But the rules are still the same. Publishers have flocked to these services in order to control who gets their software, reduce costs, and help the bottom line.

Will pirates continue to find ways around DRM and ignore DD services like Steam? Yes, obviously. But in case you have been living under a rock, changes in how we get games are already happening. This is the direction all digital media is going. Nintendo already needs to shape up its digital distribution strategy. Yesterday. They charge too far above what the market is willing to accept for the software they offer. They never offer discounts to drive business. They have nothing telling a Wii user what new/discounted/hot DD games are available when they turn on their console. How are people going to purchase games from a service they know nothing about? What incentive do they have to buy from Nintendo’s service when they can get games cheaper from other services?

Digital distribution is a great avenue for Nintendo to release games like Xenoblade and The Last Story while minimizing financial risk to them. I would hate to see them miss the boat and get left behind next gen – because they already have this gen.

Marko, current Co-Leader at Operation Rainfall

While not a fan of digital-only, I most certainly understand the issues of expense versus profit. If it is more feasible from a financial standpoint to release a game digitally-only, rather than retail, I’d definitely accept that over never seeing the title in any legitimate form in my region. PC has done digital distribution since as long as the internet has been around, and 360 and PS3 both have excellent online infrastructure in place, along with a solid marketplace where retail or retail-quality games can be purchased.

Microsoft and Sony have shown that consumers are willing to spend retail prices for digital content, which involves none of the expense of packaging and distributing a physical disc. If digital distribution means I have a much higher chance of seeing titles previously seen as “risky”, then bring it on. That future is looking pretty bright.

"PC has done digital distribution since as long as the internet has been around, and 360 and PS3 both have excellent online infrastructure in place, along with a solid marketplace where retail or retail-quality games can be purchased." - Marko, current Co-Leader at Operation Rainfall

Tyson, Co-founder of Operation Rainfall

The business of multimedia art is most certainly in flux, even the very concept of “owning” an album, a movie, or a game has changed. While some of us struggle to give up the hard copies we have come to associate with ownership, others eagerly anticipate the day in which all of our content is soft. I feel that once everything does go the way of digital distribution that two important changes will occur. First, we will have fewer barriers between our content and those who made it. Second, there will no longer be a suitable excuse for the current game of regional releases that large companies play. We will take a giant step towards a “world market” for content.

Make your voices heard during “The Last Story” month; Is this the best way to release “The Last Story” in North America?

---

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 1
Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 2
Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 4

GamePlanet Website seems to be Mexico's Exclusive Xenoblade Retailer

2012-02-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

GamePlanet now has a large advertisement banner for Xenoblade pre-orders stating it is an online exclusive so we are going to assume GamePlanet will be the only retailer getting the game in Mexico, the same way Gamestop is the exclusive retailer for the US and Canada.

http://gameplanet.com/preventas

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #52, 51, 50 ☆╮

2012-02-11T12:18:00.001-08:00

Quest Visions. We mentioned earlier about the collectibles that can be found all over the game world and are represented as blue dots on the ground as you explore. Collectibles can be used for completing quests, using in the collectopedia( We will detail this later), as well as for trading and selling.

A neat feature in Xenoblade is that on occasion when you come across a new collectible, you might get a vision that you will need the collectible later for a quest. Sometimes visions will even let you know how many of the collectible you are going to need for the quest. This lets you know to hold on to the collectible instead of using it for other reasons.

Weekend "The Last Story" staff picked song

2012-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

Declining Nobles picked by Will.

Voting For The Reversible Cover Art Ends

2012-02-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

Voting has ended! Stay tuned for an announcement to see what the NTSC alternate reversible cover art for Xenoblade Chronicles will be!
http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo/posts/240249036059557

The Last Story Character Profiles Week 2

2012-02-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

Xenoblade Trailer on the 3DS

2012-02-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can catch the official trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles on your 3DS? Head to the eShop today!

If you don't own a 3DS, what's wrong with you? (You can also view the trailer on the Nintendo Channel on your Wii or on the official YouTube Channel:http://youtu.be/0Q_KFemPumA)

ESRB Rating: T for Teen with Blood, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence

♢ Xenoblade Pre-orders for Mexico? ♢

2012-02-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

Mexico online retailer GamePlanet is apparently taking pre-orders for Xenoblade. They have the date of release listed as April 24.

http://gameplanet.com/xenoblade-chronicles.html

Thanks for the heads up Bob!

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #54, 53 ☆╮

2012-02-08T07:41:00.001-08:00

Game +. Xenoblade Chronicles does have a Game +. What this means is that after you complete the game the first time, you can choose to play the game again and carry over certain content from your first playthrough. We won't tell you anything else about it as to not spoil it for you, we're just letting you know that it is there.

≈≈ Pandora's Tower Pre-orders now available from GAME ≈≈

2012-02-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

For our European fans and followers, GAME is now taking pre-orders for Pandora's Tower. Get the word out and help us make this title successful in Europe!

http://bit.ly/wCFnmI

VGChartz Weekly US Xenoblade Pre-order Numbers

2012-02-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

☰☰ RUMOR WATCH ☰☰

This Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left--------- Pre-orders Up-----------Pre-orders Total
13 -------------09 -------------------3,549 --------------------106,567

Last Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left---------Pre-orders Up------------Pre-orders Total
14 -------------10 -------------------3,832 ---------------------103,018

GameStop http://bit.ly/rsxvtx
VGChartz http://bit.ly/xwej8Y

Note: VGChartz may use speculative information to come up with their numbers and should not be taken as fact.

Vote on the Reversible Cover Art for Xenoblade

2012-02-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

‎Nintendo would like to know which reversible cover art you'd like to see for Xenoblade Chronicles!! BE SURE TO THANK NINTENDO and if you haven't already done so, pre-order your copy today.
If you have a Facebook account, like one of the following images:

A) http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo/posts/289673464429354
B) http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo/posts/340754195959425
C) http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo/posts/295443717175951
D) http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo/posts/164721323642499

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 2

2012-02-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

Solotorobo is a game published in Japan by Namco Bandai. In Europe the title was translated, localized, and published by Nintendo of Europe. In America, publisher X-Seed picked up the rights to the European localization, and released it without change. A game localized and published by Nintendo of Europe is distributed stateside by a 3^rd party publisher. So this is how I will begin the second installment in my series of articles about the various ways in which Nintendo of America could release “The Last Story” to fans in North America. This article's’ suggested solution? Distribution through a 3^rd party publisher, letting somebody else take the risk while benefitting from the profits provided by a small licensing fee. Money for nothing… and your fans are pleased.

The main question this article proposes is who would publish the title outside of Nintendo? I would assume (perhaps incorrectly but I think not) that many a small publisher would jump at the opportunity to publish a fully localized title with the kind of pedigree “The Last Story” has. “From the creator of Final Fantasy”; that is the kind of tagline that would sell this title to publishers who typically trade in niche Japanese localizations. Publishers such as X-Seed, Nippon Ichi, and Atlus would, in my estimation, be more than happy to publish the game. That the title is fully localized makes this all the easier. That fact that one of the small publishers named in this article has already brought over a Nintendo of Europe localization, makes this option seem like an obvious way out for Nintendo of America.

Making money on niche titles alone: X-Seed's entire 2011 retail lineup.

I, however, wish to present an even more interesting option; publisher Square Enix. Nobody knows how to market a Japanese Role Playing Game (JRPG) like Square Enix, and nobody has more experience with Hironobu Sakaguchi. But, my reason for highlighting them has more to do with the Dragon Quest game franchise. “Dragon Quest X” from Square Enix, is an online title for the Wii and the upcoming Wii-U and is the tenth main entry in the most successful RPG franchise in Japan. “The Last Story” is the only game of the three Operation Rainfall titles with an online multiplayer component. Square Enix has a history of trying two things I wish to highlight here in. First, they want to make Dragon Quest a large franchise in the West, and to that end, they have partnered with Nintendo on recent releases. Secondly, they like the symbiotic relationship of offering demos for big games as pack-ins on smaller titles. This increases the sales of the smaller title for those dying to play the larger game, and also gives the players of the smaller title the chance to consider the larger game. Tobal #1 was packaged with a demo of Final Fantasy 7, and Dragon Quest 8 was packaged with a demo of Final Fantasy 12. So here is my proposal, Square Enix publishes The Last Story in North America and includes a demo of the upcoming Dragon Quest X. While Dragon Quest X may not come out in the West on the Wii, it will almost certainly come out here for the Wii-U. But the Wii version IS coming out in Japan, and a demo of that version could be highly anticipated in the west, especially as a version of the game that could never see release here. It could be like Conker’s Bad Fur Day containing the E3 demo of the N64 version of Eternal Darkness as a means of teasing that game’s future fan base with a rare opportunity.

Ryan, current Co-Leader of Operation Rainfall
I don’t understand Nintendo’s mostly stubborn stance of not letting other publishers localize games they have no intention of localizing. I guess they want complete control over the game and they only want their name on the packaging. Maybe they are afraid a 3^rd party publisher won’t meet the standards that Nintendo has created for themselves. Either way, it is a ridiculous stance. At times it seems Nintendo is so stubborn in their ways they’ll say “no”, even if there is a lot of money to be made.

I love the idea of a demo disc packaged with “The Last Story”. Really, they should be doing this with Xenoblade. The first Dragon Quest game I ever played was Dragon Quest 8. Why did I buy this game? I bought it because it came with a demo disc of Final Fantasy XII. I have been a fan of Dragon Quest ever since because I tried the game and I loved it. Why more companies do not utilize this strategy is beyond me because it seems to be effective.

Mike D., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast, former Operation Rainfall PR Staff
As Ryan mentioned, Nintendo's "if we won't publish it, no one will" ethos is simply maddening. If they could entrust co-developing handheld Zeldas to Capcom, I would think they could find a TLS suitor fairly easily (and since Capcom has pretty well shelved Breath of Fire, they could plug a hole in their lineup at very little cost).

My heart would be with XSEED on this one, though. Fragile Dreams is one of my favorite games this gen, and I would have never had a chance to play it without their efforts to bring it to the West. Even if Nintendo wanted to clean up localization issues for American audiences, I think they could sleep well with the game being in good hands.

Zael and Calista, wondering if they will ever see North America.

Alex B., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast

Like Mike, I'd sleep better if the task of publishing The Last Story in the west was left to XSEED, considering they've given me nothing but interesting experiences and pure love ever since I've known them. Still, perhaps Nintendo would feel more comfortable relegating the task to Square-Enix, and if that's what it takes for The Last Story to get localized, then you'll never hear a single objection from me.

In that sense, I can see Square-Enix becoming more famous for picking up fantastic games rather than developing their own, as they have with Just Cause 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and in the future probably the new Thief game. Now, sure it's an entirely different thing to provide the entire budget for a game to get made (Deus Ex: HR) as opposed to simply busting out the localization budget, but it's still something Square-Enix can become known for: localizing big budget games that are less likely to be put in the hands of XSEED, Atlus, etc.

Richard, current Co-leader at Operation Rainfall

While I don’t see Nintendo changing their stance on their policies regarding other publishers releasing their content, I would say that if they ever do, it would probably make a lot of people happy. Atlus and XSeed would probably die to have a game like The Last Story in their catalog, and people like us would die to buy it. So it would be a win-win situation. Nintendo wouldn’t have to spend the money to localize the games, the consumer is happy to even play it, and Nintendo just made buddies with another publisher who may release more content on your consoles!

Regarding Square-Enix though, I don’t see them picking up any of these games. If it weren’t for Nintendo, the Dragon Quest series may have stayed in Japan since Nintendo publishes it over here. So if they don’t have confidence in their own series to publish it themselves over here, I don’t see them taking up the reigns from someone else for another developers games.

Chris, former Operation Rainfall PR guy

I agree that there a number of great publishers that could pick up titles like The Last Story and bring them over. But I still do not see why that is necessary. Nintendo has a vast amount of resources. Nintendo has a number of relationships with other developers throughout the industry. From a “strengthening relationship” standpoint, Nintendo has gone the extra mile by purchasing whole studios and making them second parties. Their development teams have widespread communication up and down the corporate food chain. As iron fisted as Nintendo has been towards developers in the past, it is high time that Nintendo makes good on its promises to turn a new leaf.

But part of the problem is that Nintendo has survived so long on being slow to change. Sure, the Wii’s design was a hail mary (that paid off) but otherwise Nintendo has been terribly slow to change their business model. In that sense, I think insourcing would be a more realistic goal for Nintendo. Getting more dedicated to releasing IPs in different countries using Nintendo’s own resources. They get to keep creative control, while at the same time make good on their promise to cater to more “hardcore” gamers. They get to bring new IPs to different locales to broaden their brand and portfolio. And Nintendo has a large portfolio in reserve. It’s smart business as long as Nintendo keeps realistic expectations for sales.

Marko, current Co-leader at Operation Rainfall

I mainly agree with Chris on this one. Nintendo shouldn’t have to resort to a third-party publisher. Unlike smaller publishers, which operate on miniscule budgets and struggle to bring home paychecks, Nintendo has amassed a fortune over the years, and also has a solid reputation for quality software. Nintendo definitely has the resources to localize any titles it sees fit. However, Nintendo is at a critical point right now, juggling between localizing and publishing titles for the 3DS, preparing titles for Wii U launch (and keep in mind that there will also need to be content ready for E3 in June). Nintendo has made it clear that they wish to avoid the mishaps that they took with the 3DS by having plenty of launch content ready for Wii U. So it is understandable that Nintendo simply may not be able to localize a title in house. BUT… we aren’t talking about localization. Nintendo of Europe has already localized the game, so it is simply a matter of being published and distributed. And for that, Nintendo most definitely has the resources. It makes little difference to me who publishes the game, as long as I get to play it, so whatever makes more financial sense to Nintendo, I’ll take it. The Last Story is a hot property, and Nintendo would have to be crazy to not publish it.

"While I don’t see Nintendo changing their stance on their policies regarding other publishers releasing their content, I would say that if they ever do, it would probably make a lot of people happy." - Richard, current Co-leader at Operation Rainfall

Tyson, Co-founder of Operation Rainfall

I personally feel that Nintendo of America’s avoidance of releasing niche titles is directly tied to them pursuing an image as a blockbuster only company. While I find this pursuit to be the wrong path for the company, it is something I could accept if there was an alternative means by which niche titles could see release. However, on this point we do not all agree. Though I think we can all agree, that whatever the method may be, we will be there to buy the game.

Make your voices heard during “The Last Story” month; Is this the best way to release “The Last Story” in North America?

---

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 1
Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 3

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 4

✯✯ Nintendo UK's Official Website for The Last Story Launches ✯✯

2012-02-06T11:22:00.001-08:00

Nintendo UK has launched its official The Last Story website. There you can find the characters trailer we previously posted as well as information pages for the Limited Edition, Setting, Characters, Combat, Equipment, Multiplayer, and Media.
Each page plays a different song from The Last Story soundtrack.

Also, If you click on the Characters page, you can play audio clips of the different characters speaking if you are curious to know what each character sounds like for the English version.

http://bit.ly/yZA2VG

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #56, 55 ☆╮

2012-02-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Minor Beginning Game Details

Colony 9. Colony 9 is the starting point of the game. Colony 9 is where Shulk, Reyn, Dunban, and Fiora all live. It is located at the foot of the Giant God Bionis. You'll find a variety of enemies in this area including Bunny like creatures called Bunnits, Crab like creatures called Krabbles, and many others as well. While most of the enemies in the area are what you would expect for a starting area, that is to say, easy, you'll want to be careful if you decide to fully explore the map of colony 9 because there are certain areas in the far areas of the map that have much higher leveled enemies waiting to ambush the unsuspecting explorer.

In the image, Fiora, Shulk, and Reyn checkout the view of Colony 9 from up high on a ledge.

✫✫ Weekly GameStop + EB Games Canada Online Rank ✫✫

2012-02-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Xenoblade pre-orders remain steady

GameStop
Xenoblade Chronicles is currently
#17 for most anticipated
#2 for best selling Wii game
#4 for best selling in the Wii category
#22 for best selling new game
#47 for best selling on the entire site

EB Games Canada
Xenoblade Chronicles is currently
#11 for Most anticipated
#1 for best selling Wii Game
#1 for best selling in the Wii Category
#10 for best selling new game
#14 for best selling on the entire site

◎ GameStop Starting to Advertise Xenoblade in Stores? ◎

2012-02-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

A few of our members are reporting that GameStop has started showing Xenoblade footage on the TVs in certain retail stores.

If you can confirm this, let us know in the comments below!

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #59, 58, 57 ☆╮

2012-02-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

Vision of The Future in Battle. While in battle, if an enemy is about to defeat one of your party members, a lot of times a vision will occur. Visions temporarily stop the battle and show you the move that the enemy is going to use that defeats your party member. You then are given the option of choosing an ability that can perhaps stop this from happening. Visions last for only a couple of seconds and are particularly handy when battling tough foes.

In the image you can see what a vision in battle looks like. The screen gets blurry around the edges and at the top right corner is shown what move the enemy is going to use that will defeat your party member.

Nintendo Removes April 6 Release Date For Xenoblade

2012-02-03T23:42:00.000-08:00

Just a heads up that the April 6 release date has been removed from the website and it's now back to simply April.
http://bit.ly/wfPgIe

Iwata Asks: The Last Story

2012-02-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

Iwata Asks: The Last Story is now up on Nintendo’s UK website. This is a six part interview between Satoru Iwata and Hironobu Sakaguchi.
http://bit.ly/xL1XA8

What is The Last Story?

2012-02-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

Please Enjoy this video we made to help inform people about The Last Story! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU5DrCfhiSg

The Last Story Character Profiles January 31st/February 2nd

2012-02-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #61, 60 ☆╮

2012-02-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

Having trouble with a boss? Not a problem in Xenoblade. If you get defeated, you'll start right back at just outside of the range of the boss. Most boss battles have landmarks close by so it's easy to leave to do some leveling, and then return. Level up two or three levels and that boss should no longer be an obstacle. Return via landmark and the boss will be there, waiting for you without having to replay parts of the story.

The Last Story Trailer in English!

2012-02-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Last Story Trailer in English!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC3XUvF_Vlg
Thans for the heads up Andy!

Nintendo's Xenoblade Website Is Up, Dates Xenoblade for April, 6

2012-02-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

Xenoblade Chronicles official North American website is now live.
http://www.xenoblade.com/
It also has a release date of April 6, 2012.

╰☆╮First English Footage of The Last Story Found╰☆╮

2012-01-30T21:07:00.000-08:00

The first English footage of The Last Story comes from an interview with Sakaguchi done with a French video game website. The footage is brief but you can hear the English voices. One clip is at the 1:10 mark and the other is at 3:30.
http://bit.ly/wrDYx4

The footage is only for a few seconds but you can clearly here English spoken.

Interview with Nintendo Nation

2012-01-30T16:49:00.000-08:00

Check out our latest Operation Rainfall interview, this time with Nintendo Nation
http://bit.ly/xXMiRJ

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #63, 62 ☆╮

2012-01-30T11:58:00.000-08:00

Battle Commands. You can issue battle commands to your party while in battle. You only have limited options such as withdraw and attack. You can call your party to you which is useful when you want your party to stop attacking or if you want to have them start attacking again. This can be used when an enemy is winning against you and you want to flee. Also, if a party member is getting too close to an edge in battle, calling them towards you may prevent them from falling.

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 1

2012-01-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Before Xenoblade Chronicles was announced for North America as a Gamestop exclusive, I had completed the first draft of an article. An article, that upon said announcement, I had believed to become obsolete. The article in question detailed the various alternative means of distribution that Nintendo of America could take to release Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower stateside. My intention was to not only show how the games could be released, but to show means of release that would benefit Nintendo in ways outside of just profitable game sales. With Operation Rainfall’s sponsorship of “The Last Story month”, I have decided to revisit the themes of the article as a 4 part series focused entirely on The Last Story. In order to bring about discussion of the points I raise, I have also organized a short roundtable with other members of Operation Rainfall to close out each article. These 4 articles will be released as a series over the course of “The Last Story month”.

Xenoblade Chronicles will release in North America this April. People who fought in the trenches for the title are excited; vindicated even. But beyond the initial shock that our voices were seemingly heard some questions come to mind. Who heard our voices and how is it that we are getting this game? The answer: Gamestop. Yes, Xenoblade Chronicles is being released in the United States as a Gamestop exclusive. In this article, I will explore this move, and what it could mean for “The Last Story”. I will also explore the overall theme of a limited release and its potential benefits for Nintendo of America.

Elza, strolling to his local GameStop to pick-up Xenoblade Chronicles.

Initially, many might consider Xenoblade Chronicles as a retailer exclusive to be a bad move. A decision that seemingly limits the potential sales of a great and well received title. The problem with this line of thinking is that it overestimates the title’s current sales potential, which has been limited by a fading genre’s current popularity, and the console’s evaporating “hardcore” demographic. But consider the benefits. Very few people will buy Xenoblade Chronicles blind; the people who want the game know they want it by now and are just waiting for their chance to buy it. A retailer exclusive means that the retailer takes on most of the costs of distribution, and that the retailer has an invested interest in carrying out the marketing and consumer awareness of the title. Aligning with an exclusive retailer builds a partnership between the publisher and the retailer that could pay off in the future with the ever growing war for shelf space. For these reasons, I feel that a retailer exclusive in a form of a limited release could greatly benefit a niche title such as “The Last Story.”

Outside of retailer exclusivity, there are several other ways in which Nintendo could release “The Last Story” with a smaller investment and in a limited release capacity. One of these methods is to drop any idea of commercial advertisement and instead focus on taking advantage of the ground swell momentum of the title to do the advertising for them. This could then be supplemented by a very small team working primarily on social networks, with gaming media outlets, and perhaps through in store video reels. Another means of limited release available to them is to make the game exclusively available as a limited edition copy. Spring for a steel box, an art book, and a soundtrack, and sell the title at a premium, marketing the title as a limited edition event release. By releasing the title as a limited release, Nintendo can assign an appropriately small team to handle the release in a similar way that publishers like X-Seed, Nippon Ichi, or Atlus handle their releases. With an expectation of limited sales, driven by a significantly smaller budget from the very beginning, Nintendo could appease fans and make a small profit.

Ryan, Current Co-Leader of Operation Rainfall
Personally I think the decision Nintendo made of making Xenoblade Chronicles a Gamestop exclusive is a smart move. It seems Nintendo wants to maximize profits and cut any risk of taking a loss, and it seems they found a way to do just that. I agree with Tyson that “The Last Story” will also likely be a limited release, probably through Gamestop. If Nintendo has success with Xenoblade with a limited release they will likely want to do the same thing again. We don’t know how Gamestop and Nintendo are going to handle the advertising of this game, but I think it is safe to assume that not much money will be spent here in advertising.

I think the idea of a limited edition version only for “The Last Story” is also something Nintendo should consider, but only if the edition is only slightly more expensive than what the standard edition would be. Can you sell the limited edition for $60? Then skip the standard and push for the Limited Edition only. For Xenoblade in Europe, the bundle included a controller which meant the price would have been closer to $70. That’s a steep price to ask people to pay, but $60 is what people pay for a game on the Xbox360 and Playstation3.

Mike D., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast, former Operation Rainfall PR Staff
A Xenoblade-esque GameStop exclusive would be a wonderful surprise, but I can’t help wishing that Nintendo had struck earlier, while the iron was still hot. A huge early OpRainfall development was the Amazon pre-order campaign for Monado/Xenoblade. Utilizing the largest online retailer could have been a boon to pre-orders for The Last Story, but it’s probably far too late to hope that last summer’s magic would return for Sakaguchi-san’s latest. Perhaps Nintendo just wanted to wait out the storm, but it feels like a missed opportunity to me.

A limited edition, metal-cased version would be a fantastic gift to those who have been waiting for this title, but I would think that at this point, Nintendo would want to make a Wii release as affordable as possible for their own bottom line. Another limited run via GameStop is probably their best bet, in that respect.

Alex B., Editor for The Nintendo Enthusiast

There is a topic that I feel hasn’t been touched on here but which I think is relevant: the image benefit that both GameStop and Nintendo could see out of making a limited/exclusive release deal. Everybody knows that public opinion on both GameStop and Nintendo is divided, to say the least: some flock to GameStop for the latest release, other swear never to visit one of their stores again; some would treat Nintendo as if they were made of gold, others as if they were coal in Christmas. With the limited release of Xenoblade, however, the image of both companies undoubtedly brightened in the eyes of rabid JRPG fans and hardcore gamers in general. I think Nintendo and GameStop would be very wise to try the same strategy with the upcoming JRPG “The Last Story”, and again later with Action game “Pandora’s Tower”.

In addition, it’s important that we, the consumers, communicate this feeling to at least GameStop, then Nintendo of America. First of all we must buy Xenoblade, for it is not only a way of showing appreciation to GameStop, but also one of the best games ever released. Secondly, we should send e-mails and letters to GameStop, thanking them for bringing the game over while urging them to attempt the same with The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower, and of course pledging to buy these games through them if they make them available. It is also important we approach Nintendo of America (or Nintendo Co Ltd.) with the same tactic.

VGChartz weekly pre-order estimates

Richard, current Co-leader at Operation Rainfall

I feel that Nintendo releasing Xenoblade Chronicles as a limited release is a great idea! I know that campaigning for these games can make you think these games can sell millions upon millions of copies, but the cold hard fact is they won’t, probably not even a million. While in today’s world selling less than a million copies is somehow bad, that’s just not true. I remember when Atlus was celebrating the success of Catherine by sending various blogs cakes. They didn’t initially tell you how much so it left your imagination running wild thinking, “Wow they must have sold 1 million copies!” Later in the day though, they announced that they sold 250,000 copies. So it makes you realize that games don’t need to sell gangbusters in order to be successful, they just need to sell a healthy amount.

While I think we can all agree that we would’ve liked for other retailers to be able to sell the game, especially Amazon which was a great help in our campaign, it’s probably for the best. It will be able to allow Nintendo to spend as little as possible and make a profit much easier than if they tried to do a massive release. At least they made the choice available to buy the game off of their own website for those who for some reason would rather die than buy from GameStop.

The Last Story’s release can be and probably should be released in the same way. But a number of factors may contribute to that, such as Xenoblade selling well here and the reception over in Europe for the game. Once they do announce it, I’m not sure if Nintendo would go with a Limited Edition. They seem to want to just get the game out there and see if they can get a profit off of it, and while it may be much easier to do such a thing with The Last Story with its’ big name background, the truth is if they never really were that confident with the games to begin with, they probably won’t go that route. I think the best thing we can do to insure a release for The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower is to make sure we let Nintendo know we still want them and to buy Xenoblade Chronicles.

Chris, former Operation Rainfall PR guy

While I agree with Mike D. that it would have been ideal for Nintendo to better seize on last summer’s momentum, it would be a terrible decision for Nintendo to just release Xenoblade or The Last Story and let it ride.

Face it, the JRPG is not a mainstream genre, and as mentioned above much of the clamoring for these games came from an audience that was already aware of their existence. Who visits Nintendo’s Facebook page or twitter, and who takes the time to write letters? People who are already part of the base audience. Part of the group that is far more likely to purchase the game, or at least is very aware of it.

But that buying population is not as large as it would like to think, and that’s where Nintendo did well to shift the risk with Xenoblade and should take a similar approach with The Last Story. Yes, slapping “From the Creator of Final Fantasy” on the box will get enough people interested. But that is not going to be enough. The Last Story’s online component alone means Nintendo will have to support the added cost of an online infrastructure along with the game. Actual advertising can go a long way to drive sales, but I doubt Nintendo would take that route if they’re already looking to limit the risk of an American release of The Last Story. Special Editions and preorder bonuses tend to target players who are already planning on purchasing the game. What’s left for Nintendo is to leverage The Last Story to an expanded audience in a way that doesn’t break the bank It doesn’t have to reach millions. It doesn’t even need to approach Monster Hunter Tri numbers. But Nintendo cannot afford to pull a Ubisoft and release the game only to flounder and die. Even a limited release needs some kind of push.

Marko, current Co-leader at Operation Rainfall

While I also agree with the sentiment that Nintendo of America had a fully opened window last summer for at least Xenoblade Chronicles, at the very least, Nintendo took the time to acknowledge the fans, albeit in limited form. Nintendo is not a company known for stepping too far out of safe waters, at least in their distribution model. For instance, just now with Wii U they finally have an online infrastructure to allow DLC (downloadable content within games), micro-transactions, and individual online accounts for purchasing retail-level games. So the GameStop limited release is new ground for Nintendo, and hopefully a sign of things to come. In Japan, where the main decision-makers are located, they feel that if a game will not be widely accepted, they historically have not even bothered to release it. With Xenoblade Chronicles selling well in Europe, and the amount of attention it received from Operation Rainfall and the gaming media, Nintendo finally gave the green light to test the waters out.

In my honest opinion, the worst thing Nintendo has done is waiting until April to release the game. Europe will be getting The Last Story near the end of February, and many who were interested in the titles last summer have already played it by either importing the title, or other not so friendly means (As an example, one site reports that in 2011, Xenoblade Chronicles was downloaded over 950,000 times from the United States alone and from a single torrent source. Granted, not all of those would have been purchases, but I’m sure a great many went down that route simply due to the unavailability of the title locally and hassle & expense of importing). Also, it appears that we are getting a straight port of the PAL version of Xenoblade Chronicles, which if true simply means that it simply needs to be modified to run at the appropriate framerate for NTSC-U consoles/television sets, a minor amount of encoding is all. If that’s really the case, then there is really no reason at all, other than stubbornness, for Nintendo to not do the exact same thing with The Last Story. The Last Story is already fully localized and branded for a western audience, and it already has a very strong appeal simply based on the pedigree of its developer. Even with a limited release and zero marketing push, The Last Story will be profitable, simply from the coverage it has received from Operation Rainfall and the gaming media. Sure, it may not sell as many copies as Zelda or Mario, but it will be profitable. If I were Nintendo of America, I would honestly consider making a surprise announcement this month and releasing it near its European release, because giving Xenoblade 2 months to breathe would push any future Wii titles into June, when E3 2012 will take place, and then all eyes will be on Wii U. By that time, although technically not too late, is a precarious position for a so-called niche title.

My short answer? Yes… a limited release would be great, just do it soon to capitalize on the hype.

"What’s left for Nintendo is to leverage The Last Story to an expanded audience in a way that doesn’t break the bank." - Chris, former Operation Rainfall PR guy

Tyson, Co-founder of Operation Rainfall

It seems that, for the most part, we are at accordance with each other when it comes to the prospect of a limited release for “The Last Story.” All signs are pointing to good pre-order numbers for Xenoblade Chronicles in its upcoming limited retailer exclusive release. So then perhaps this is not only a simple solution, but an altogether new way of looking at the release of niche titles in general.

Make your voices heard during “The Last Story” month; Is this the best way to release “The Last Story” in North America?

---

Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 2
Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 3
Pondering a North American release for "The Last Story" - Part 4

VGChartz Weekly Xenoblade Pre-order Numbers

2012-01-30T07:58:00.001-08:00

☰☰ RUMOR WATCH ☰☰

This Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left--------- Pre-orders Up-----------Pre-orders Total
14 -----------10 -------------------3,832 --------------------103,018

Last Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left---------Pre-orders Up------------Pre-orders Total
14 -----------11 -------------------6,347 ---------------------99,186

GameStop http://bit.ly/rsxvtx
VGChartz http://bit.ly/xscQPI

Note: VGChartz uses speculative information to come up with their numbers and should not be taken as fact.

Thanks Kyle for the heads up!

2012-01-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

Weekend Staff Pick.

Today's Last Story OST pick is by Tyson.

The Last Story Month: OpRa Staff Picked Song 1

2012-01-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

On the weekends for The Last Story month, we will be releasing songs from The Last Story picked by one of Operation Rainfall's Staff. Please enjoy this song picked by Marko.

2012-01-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #65,#64 ☆╮

Side and Back Attacks. In Xenoblade Chronicles, there are Arts (Abilities) that are only effective if used from the side or from the back. This means you are going to be circling your enemies in order to effectively land a blow. If the enemy is targeting your lead character, you will not be able to circle around it. You can only do so if the enemy is targeting one of your other party members or if the enemy is incapacitated.

In the image, Shulk is preparing to use his Back Slash art.

The Day Is Coming to an End

2012-01-27T22:06:00.000-08:00

We’re nearing the end of our day now, there are just two hours left. Thanks to all that participated, and if you haven’t, it’s not too late! How about one final push?!

‎*Contact Nintendo of America*
Facebook- http://on.fb.me/AjtFhf Twitter-@NintendoAmerica
Email- nintendo@noa.nintendo.com
Phone- 800-255-3700
Full details: http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

Hironobu Sakaguchi Has Something To Say...

2012-01-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

The first day of The Last Story month is coming to a close soon. However, we think it may be wise to listen to Hironobu Sakaguchi.

*Contact Nintendo of America*
Facebook- http://on.fb.me/zennXE
Twitter- https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica
Email- nintendo@noa.nintendo.com
Phone- 800-255-3700
Full details: http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

We’re Not Asking For Much… Just Two Minutes Of Your Time…

2012-01-27T18:07:00.001-08:00

We’re Not Asking For Much… Just Two Minutes Of Your Time…

‎*Contact Nintendo of America*
Facebook- http://on.fb.me/AjtFhf
Twitter- @NintendoAmerica
Email- nintendo@noa.nintendo.com
Phone- 800-255-3700
Full details: http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

2012-01-27T16:04:00.001-08:00

‎*Contact Nintendo of America*
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo
Twitter- https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica
Email- nintendo@noa.nintendo.com
Phone- 800-255-3700
Full details: http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

We Can't Do This Without Your Help!

2012-01-27T14:30:00.001-08:00

Contact Nintendo of America Now If You Want 'The Last Story'!

Nintendo's Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo
Nintendo's Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/NintendoAmerica
Nintendo's Email- nintendo@noa.nintendo.com
Nintendo's Phone- 800-255-3700 (Customer Service)

Full details for the day here: http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

Contact Nintendo of America!

2012-01-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

Nintendo just posted some new Xenoblade images on their Facebook Wall, so we are asking people to target that post. How about by saying something like this:

"Can't wait until April, Nintendo! This month we're just taking a few moments to celebrate the one year anniversary of 'The Last Story'

http://on.fb.me/AjtFhf

Things Just Got Interesting!

2012-01-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

OK people, things just got interesting. Nintendo just bumped their old Xenoblade post by adding new images. I take it they want us to post there…
http://on.fb.me/zennXE

Contact Nintendo of America Now If You Want 'The Last Story'!

2012-01-27T08:41:00.001-08:00

Nintendo's Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo
Nintendo's Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/NintendoAmerica
Nintendo's Email- nintendo@noa.nintendo.com
Nintendo's Phone- 800-255-3700 (Customer Service)

Full details for the day here: http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

Have you Contacted Nintendo of America Yet?!

2012-01-27T06:14:00.001-08:00

Today is the day that we contact Nintendo of America en mass to encourage them to localize 'The Last Story'. Please do so my using any of the following methods:

Nintendo's Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo
Nintendo's Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/NintendoAmerica
Nintendo's Email- nintendo@noa.nintendo.com
Nintendo's Phone- 800-255-3700 (Customer Service)

Full details for the day here: http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

Contact Nintendo of America Day Has Begun!

2012-01-26T23:17:00.000-08:00

CONTACT NoA! NOW!! GO GO GO

The anniversary of the Japanese release for The Last Story is today, January 27th, 2012. We are going to use this day to remind Nintendo that we still want The Last Story as well as Pandora's Tower by having our members mass email, post on Nintendo's Facebook page, call Nintendo, and send Tweets. We are going to do this for one day only as we don't want to come across as ungrateful after Nintendo announced Xenoblade Chronicles. The idea is to let Nintendo know how happy we are to be recieving Xenoblade Chronicles in the NTSC region, but that we would also like to see The Last Story and Pandora's Tower as well.

This mission will only be effective if we get a good amount of participation from our supporters, so if you want The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, we urge you to participate. We want our supporters to use every method of communication that they have access to and are willing to use. The details on the various communication methods and how we would like you to approach them wil be explained below.

Nintendo's Facebook Page

It is important to note that we are not resuming our mass commenting on Nintendo's Facebook page as this is for ONE DAY ONLY (Jan 27th). The plan is to target any posts that Nintendo might make on that day (not including anything involving charity though). In the case that Nintendo doesn't make a post for that day, we will be targeting their last available post. So again, on January 27th, start posting on their last post and if they post anything else that day, target those as well. Once the day is over, we stop. Also, we ask that you do not get into any conflicts with non Operation Rainfall commentors. We encourage everyone to just post and leave as we are bound to get people making rude comments about us and there may also be people who WILL try to spoil the game for you.

What to post. We prefer that you post one of the following messages. Just copy and Paste:

It's the one year anniversary of the release of The Last Story in Japan. Please bring this exceptional title to our region as well!

I pledge to buy Xenoblade Chronicles to show that games like Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower can sell in America.

Thank you Nintendo for releasing Xenoblade, but don't forget about The Last Story and Pandora's Tower!

You can of course say whatever you wish but please don't sound demanding or entitled. Thank Nintendo for releasing Xenoblade and let them know you really want The Last Story and Pandora's Tower as well. Also, please only post one time every two hours or so at most. Do not post multiple times in a row. Spread your message out. It is more effective that way.

http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo

Twitter

Tweet @NintendoAmerica any of the following messages:

I pledge to buy Xenoblade Chronicles to show that games like Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower can sell in America.

Thank you Nintendo for releasing Xenoblade, but don't forget about The Last Story and Pandora's Tower!

It's the anniversary of the release of The Last Story in Japan. Please bring this exceptional title to our region as well!

You can of course say whatever you wish but please don't sound demanding or entitled. Thank Nintendo for releasing Xenoblade and let them know you really want The Last Story and Pandora's Tower as well. Also, please only tweet one time every two hours or so at most. Spread your tweets out. It is more effective that way.

https://twitter.com/#!/NintendoAmerica

Email

Email Nintendo of America inquiring about The Last Story and Pandora's Tower on January 27th. You may also wish to thank Nintendo for releasing Xenoblade, pledge to buy Xenoblade, and mention that this is the anniversary date for The Last Story being released in Japan. Your email might look something like the one posted below. Try coming up with your own version, using ours only as a template.

Dear Nintendo,
The Last Story was released in Japan one year ago today on January 27th, 2011. I also understand that the game is coming out in February in Europe. I was wondering if there are any updates regarding a release for The Last Story in our region? The game looks amazing! I want to play anything that Hironobu Sakaguchi created and I feel many others in the region feel the same way as I do. If you were to market the game by saying it is created by Sakaguchi who also created and worked on some of the various games in the Final Fantasy series, I am confident the game will sell well.
Also, thank you for releasing Xenoblade Chronicles in our region! I promise to buy the game to show that games like Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower can sell in the Americas.
Thank you for your time,
(Your name here)

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/webform.jsp

or nintendo@noa.nintendo.com

Phone Nintendo

Call Nintendo customer service and inquire about The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. The idea here is to let Nintendo know there is an interest in the games.

Phone:

800-255-3700 (Customer Service)

800-633-3236 (Office)

✦ATTENTION✦ In 2 Hours We Are Contacting Nintendo. Please Participate!

2012-01-26T22:30:00.001-08:00

In 2 hours we are starting to mass contact Nintendo of America about ‘The Last Story’. We are asking all of our supporters to participate tonight and tomorrow. Operation Rainfall is a campaign to get all three of our chosen games localized. A campaign is only effective if its supporters are participating. A few voices can be ignored, but it is not so easy to ignore thousands. We cannot just sit idly by and expect things to change; we have to be proactive.

When you do join us in contacting NoA, please keep a few things in mind. Be courteous, not rude. Ask nicely, and don’t come across as entitled. Below are a few posting guidelines we would like people to be mindful of:

☐ Facebook: Post one time every hour or two. Do not post multiple times in a row. Don’t get into arguments with people that speak out against us. Just ignore it. You can press that little X at the corner of their comment and ignore them forever.

☐ Twitter: Same as Facebook, a message every hour or two.

☐ Email: You can use the template we have in the details link, just remember to be courteous.

☐ Phone: Remember that the people who take your calls are just doing their jobs. Being rude to them makes no sense. Be kind and courteous please.

So please, join us tonight and tomorrow! Let Nintendo know that Operation Rainfall is not going anywhere as long as there are games being made that only certain people in a certain region will ever play.

We will be posting all campaign details once the event officially starts in 2 hours.
http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

Pandora Tower Europe Release Update and Other Info

2012-01-26T19:54:00.001-08:00

ϟϟϟ NEWS FLASH ϟϟϟ Tonight’s Nintendo Investor Conference wrapped up with some interesting tidbits:

1) The European release date of Pandora’s Tower has been narrowed down to sometime between April & June 2012.

2) Wii U will release in November 2012

3) Wii U will have an online infrastructure dubbed “Nintendo Network” that makes use of personal accounts and is capable of delivering full retail games as digital downloads. We’ll discuss what this means for our campaign over the coming days.

Don’t forget that 12:00 am PST TONIGHT we kick off “The Last Story Month” so get ready to spread the word and contact Nintendo tomorrow!! We’ve got an exciting month packed chock-full of screenshots, music & video clips, and gameplay tidbits from both The Last Story and Xenoblade, culminating in the grand finale - the February 24th release of The Last Story in Europe!

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #66 ☆╮

2012-01-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

Weather. In Xenoblade, there are random weather conditions. Sometimes there may be rain, sometimes there may be thunderstorms. There are other weather conditions as well but we’ll leave them for you to experience yourself. There are certain enemies and unique enemies that will only appear in specific weather conditions.

NOTE: There will not be a tidbit tomorrow. For the next month they will be on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday only.

'The Last Story Month Begins in 24 Hours!

2012-01-25T23:02:00.000-08:00

In just 24 hours 'The Last Story' month begins and we can start mass contacting Nintendo of America. Are you ready?!

http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

For Those Planning to Post on Nintendo's Facebook Wall or Twitter on Friday

2012-01-25T19:24:00.001-08:00

Join us as we post on Nintendo's Facebook wall Friday January 27 as we ask Nintendo to localize 'The Last Story'. It is important to note that this is for one day only. The plan is to target any posts that Nintendo might make on that day (not including anything involving charity though). In the case that Nintendo doesn't make a post for that day, we will be targeting their last available post. So again, on January 27th, start posting on their last post and if they post anything else that day, target those as well. Once the day is over, we stop!

What to post. We prefer that you post one of the following messages but you are free to be creative. Just copy and Paste:

☐ It's the one year anniversary of the release of The Last Story in Japan. Please bring this exceptional title to our region as well!
or
☐ I pledge to buy Xenoblade Chronicles to show that games like Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower can sell in America.
or
☐ Thank you Nintendo for releasing Xenoblade, but don't forget about The Last Story and Pandora's Tower!

Try to avoid getting in conflicts with other people on Nintendo's Facebook wall. Not everybody is going to agree with us and that's OK. Also, spread your messages out to one every couple of hours; it is more effective this way.
http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo

Twitter--
Tweet @NintendoAmerica on January 27. The same info can be applied from the Facebook Info above more or less.

Other ways to contact NoA on Friday:|
http://on.fb.me/yEeX4e

Operation Rainfall en Español

2012-01-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

Operation Rainfall en Español
Para nuestros seguidores que hablan español, ¡chequen nuestra página en español! Aun no es una comunidad muy grande, pero tenemos personal cuya lengua materna es el español y que traduce todos los mensajes de Operation Rainfall al español. Pasa la voz a tus amigos que hablen español y ayúdanos a hacer de la página Operation Rainfall en Español el mismo éxito que la página de Operation Rainfall en inglés.

Operation Rainfall in Spanish
For our Spanish speaking supporters, check out our Spanish page! It isn’t a very big community yet, but we have fluent Spanish speaking staff that fully translate all Operation Rainfall posts into Spanish. Spread the word to your Spanish speaking friends and help us make the Spanish Operation Rainfall page as successful as the English Operation Rainfall page!

http://on.fb.me/zVRqeJ

✔ What Is Operation Rainfall and What Do We Stand For? ✔

2012-01-25T09:49:00.001-08:00

I thought I would share this for people who are new to our campaign or for those that may be confused.

First off, I just want to reiterate the purpose of our campaign:
We are a positive campaign that is attempting to communicate with Nintendo for the release of two critically-acclaimed RPGs: The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower. We also promote the selling of Xenoblade Chronicles in hopes that it sells well enough to justify the release of the other two games. Being that our campaign is positive, this means we do not promote or condone.

Piracy
Console modification
Boycott of Nintendo products or
Smear campaigns against Nintendo and its executives

Instead, the approach Operation Rainfall has taken is a positive campaign that involves:

Written and verbal petitions and pleas to Nintendo and its subsidiaries
Submission of works of fanart, music, poetry, etc.
Retail purchases of Nintendo products
Encouraging a positive view of Nintendo as a company, even though we may disagree with some of the business decisions they have made recently
Encouraging Nintendo executives to see that there exists a market for RPGs, "niche" titles, and "core" games on Wii console by purchasing these titles and recommending them to others.

In any community made up of thousands of individuals, opinions are bound to differ and there will be people on opposite extremes in favor of and against the overall goals of the community. The above statements, however reflect the stance that the administration of Operation Rainfall have taken. We cannot force our viewpoints on individuals in our community but attempt to uphold those standards as much as possible without taking away our members' freedom of speech. If, however, we see individuals posting negative remarks or messages that go against our overall mission, we will warn such individuals. Repeat offenses will result in permanent ban from the Operation Rainfall Facebook page.

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #67 ☆╮

2012-01-25T08:07:00.000-08:00

Chaining Enemies For Better Chest Drops. If you can manage to defeat more than one enemy of the same type in the same battle, you can increase your odds for receiving a silver or gold chest. Depending on how many enemies you chain together, your chances for a gold chest greatly improve. The easiest way to get a gold chest drop is by chaining enemies.

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #68 ☆╮

2012-01-24T18:13:00.001-08:00

The Need for Grinding is Rare. In Xenoblade Chronicles, having to grind to level up your characters is rare. Exploring, achievements, and quests grant enough experience that more often than not you will find yourself at the needed level to play the main game. Of course, this really depends on how you approach the game. If you choose to fast play the game, ignoring quests and exploration, you'll likely find that grinding is necessary. But most people will tell you that the need for grinding in Xenoblade is a rare thing.

✰ "The Last Story" English Version Preview ✰

2012-01-24T14:00:00.001-08:00

CVG has the first preview of the English version of "The Last Story" that we could find. Check it out!
http://bit.ly/AdmWFN

Press Release Revised

2012-01-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

We want to apologize for the recent press release not being proofread. We urge any other websites that use our press release to use the new revised version: We have taken steps to ensure this does not happen again. Thanks!

Between the dates of January 27th (the 1 year anniversary of The Last Story releasing in Japan) and February 24th (the European release date for The Last Story) we will be focusing our campaign on The Last Story, as well as the people behind the game: Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of Final Fantasy) and Nobuo Uematsu (famed Japanese composer, best known as well for his work on Final Fantasy).

On January 27 we will be contacting Nintendo en masse, and then afterward, during the month, we will be doing everything we can to raise public awareness of the title and its connection to Sakaguchi and the Final Fantasy franchise. We find it absurd that the title is so little known considering its pedigree, and we hope to correct that this month.

The Press Picks Up on our The Last Story Month

2012-01-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

GoNintendo, Destructoid, and Zelda Informer are all reporting on our The Last Story month that starts this Friday when we mass contact Nintendo of America!

GoNintendo: http://bit.ly/xCJ2kz
Destructoid's Jim Sterling : http://bit.ly/ypOXGM
Zelda Informer: http://bit.ly/yBOumY

The Last Story Dated for Australia

2012-01-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

The Last Story is being released in Australia on February 23rd!
http://bit.ly/ycKOlP

✉ For Those Sending Mail to NoA for January 27 do so by the End of Tomorrow ✉

2012-01-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

For those that are planning to participate on January 27 for our "Contact NoA about The Last Story Day" and are planning to mail a letter to Nintendo, tomorrow is your last best chance that it will arrive by Friday. Below is instructions on what we are looking for people to do:

Write Nintendo a Letter
It is better to hand write letters but a printed letter will work as well. You may also wish to send out fan art. Nintendo of America's headquarters is located in Washington so the further away you are, the longer it will take for your letter to arrive; so be mindful of that. Please write a personal letter, but you can use our template to get you started:

Dear Nintendo,
The Last Story was released in Japan one year ago today on January 27th, 2011. I also understand that the game is coming out in February in Europe. I was wondering if there are any updates regarding a release for The Last Story in our region? The game looks amazing! I want to play anything that Hironobu Sakaguchi created and I feel many others in the region feel the same way as I do. If you were to market the game by saying it is created by Sakaguchi who also created and worked on some of the games in the Final Fantasy series, I am confident the game will sell well.

Also, thank you for releasing Xenoblade Chronicles in our region! I promise to buy the game to show that games like Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower can sell in the Americas.
Thank you for your time,
(Your name here)

Address:
Nintendo of America
4600 150th AVE NE.
Redmond, WA 98052 USA

The Last Story Profile Pictures

2012-01-23T19:23:00.000-08:00

To celebrate The Last Story month, we have created around 10 profile pictures people can use. These are particularly handy if you plan to join us on Jan 27 when we post on Nintendo's Facebook wall.

Here is the link for all the profile pictures: http://on.fb.me/AlArJ5

✹ The Last Story Month Begins This Week ✹

2012-01-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed the change to our profile picture in that there is now a gold banner. The Last Story month officially kicks off on Friday Jan 27 when we mass contact Nintendo of America to commemorate the January 27 release of The Last Story in Japan. Over the next few days leading up to the 27th, we'll be posting reminders and instructions on how everybody can join us on that day.

Starting Saturday January 28, we will be posting The Last Story pictures, articles, and videos every day until February 24 when The Last Story will be released in Europe.

During the month we will be reducing our Xenoblade coverage including the daily tidbits which will only be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. We are merely shifting out focus slightly for the next few weeks but we understand how important it is that Xenoblade sells well so Xenoblade coverage will continue. We are also planning a Pandora’s Tower month between the end of April and the end of May.

We ask everyone to join us on January 27 because we are only effective if the majority of our supporters participate in our campaign. Bottom line if you want The Last Story, join us when we all tell that to Nintendo as one loud voice.

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #69 ☆╮

2012-01-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

Character Profile: Reyn

(Minor Early Story Details Warning)
Reyn is an 18-year-old soldier from Colony 9's Defense Force, and is a childhood friend of Shulk and Fiora. Despite his position as a soldier, Reyn is the stereotypical fun-loving joker of the group, and is often seen with his friends. He uses an oversized shield-gunlance, which can switch from shield mode into gun or lance mode. Most who use Reyn will use him as a tank as he has great defense potential, great defense skills, and high HP.

VGChartz Weekly Xenoblade Pre-order Numbers

2012-01-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

☰☰ RUMOR WATCH ☰☰

This Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left--------- Pre-orders Up-----------Pre-orders Total
13 -----------11-----------------------6,347 ---------------------99,186

Last Week
Rank #-------Weeks Left---------Pre-orders Up------------Pre-orders Total
12 -----------12-----------------------9,455 ---------------------92.839

GameStop http://bit.ly/rsxvtx
VGChartz http://bit.ly/wozUr9

Note: VGChartz uses speculative information to come up with their numbers and should not be taken as fact.

✫✫ Weekly GameStop + EB Games Canada Online Rank ✫✫

2012-01-22T12:08:00.000-08:00

GameStop
Xenoblade Chronicles is currently
#17 for most anticipated
#2 for best selling Wii game
#5 for best selling in the Wii category
#22 for best selling new game
#55 for best selling on the entire site

EB Games Canada
Xenoblade Chronicles is currently
#3 for Most anticipated
#1 for best selling Wii Game
#1 for best selling in the Wii Category
#3 for best selling new game
#3 for best selling on the entire site

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #70 ☆╮

2012-01-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

Enemy Aggression. Enemies will attack party members causing the most damage or that are using specific Art types. This raises the aggression of the enemy causing them to switch their target. There are certain arts, skills, and gems that lower aggression for party members not equipped for taking damage, or raise aggression for party members equipped to take the damage. Handling enemy aggression in a battle can mean the difference between defeat and victory.

In the image, the red ring indicates that enemy is targeting Reyn.

╰☆ Xenoblade Chronicles Tidbit of the Day #71 ☆╮

2012-01-21T10:42:00.001-08:00

More on the Break/Toppled/Dazed System. Once an enemy is Toppled/Dazed they are knocked down and can no longer attack. Unless Toppled/Dazed again, they will only be down for a few seconds. It is possible to stack/chain Topple and Daze attacks to increase the length of the down status. There are certain gems that boost Break/Topple/ Daze effects which can increase activation rates and the damage done while using the system.

In the image, the green arrow in a circle represents the Topple status. Break is represented by two squiggly pink lines that can also be seen in the image and Daze is represented by a yellow star. Break makes the enemy vulnerable to the system, Topple knocks the enemy down, and Daze keeps the enemy down longer. It may sound confusing but you'll get it after a bit of practice.

Operation Rainfall Interview on LunshBreak

2012-01-20T21:51:00.001-08:00

Check out the latest Operation Rainfall interview done with LunshBreak, a new video game website that reviews games and also publishes various articles. We discuss topics such as how Operation Rainfall began, what we are doing now and what we are planning, as well as other topics such as how we feel about RPGs and you, our supporters. It's a great interview so check it out!

http://bit.ly/yuE620

► The Last Story LE Rises to #11 Best Seller on Amazon.uk ◄

2012-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

The Last Story LE Rises to #11 Best Seller on Amazon.uk

The Limited Edition version of The Last Story has risen to the #11 Best Seller for all video games in its first day

Thanks for the heads up Jonny http://amzn.to/xwpcG6

✉✉✉ For Those Sending Mail to NoA on January 27th ✉✉✉

2012-01-20T14:27:00.001-08:00

For those that are planning to participate on January 27 for our "Contact NoA about The Last Story Day" and are planning to mail a letter to Nintendo, we are suggesting you do so either Monday January 23 or Tuesday January 24. This will allow your letter to arrive right around Friday. Below are instructions on what we are looking for people to do:

Write Nintendo a Letter
It is better to hand write letters but a printed letter will work as well. You may also wish to send out fan art. Nintendo of America's headquarters is located in Washington so the further away you are, the longer it will take for your letter to arrive; so be mindful of that. Please write a personal letter, but you can use our template to get you started:

Dear Nintendo,
The Last Story was released in Japan one year ago today on January 27th, 2011. I also understand that the game is coming out in February in Europe. I was wondering if there are any updates regarding a release for The Last Story in our region? The game looks amazing! I want to play anything that Hironobu Sakaguchi created and I feel many others in the region feel the same way as I do. If you were to market the game by saying it is created by Sakaguchi who also created and worked on some of the games in the Final Fantasy series, I am confident the game will sell well.

Also, thank you for releasing Xenoblade Chronicles in our region! I promise to buy the game to show that games like Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower can sell in the Americas.
Thank you for your time,
(Your name here)

Address:
Nintendo of America
4600 150th AVE NE.
Redmond, WA 98052 USA

The Last Story Month Begins January 27th.

2012-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

For more information on the first day vist here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=302312476470970