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Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch |OT|

Peagles

Member
Last minute stock of Wizard's Edition will be made available tomorrow at Club Namco's store according to Ni No Kuni's Facebook page.

Could someone in the US please please please help me to order one of these? I'd be forever grateful and I have a US address that I will pay for you to ship it to! You might even be able to enter my US address at the checkout, I just can't do it myself because my credit card doesn't have a US billing address!

I'm also happy to send you back some NZ goodies too in exchange for helping me out! :p
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Anyone have an idea why the DS and PS3 games didn't do well in Japan? That always made me wonder.

Probably a combination of the marketing and quality of the 3DS game. I think they marketed the game to appeal to toddlers and parents with small children. The 3DS game actually sold fairly well if I remember, but apparently it was of very low quality.

By the time they released the PS3 version, the damage had already been done. It also doesn't help that most of the voices were miscast and the actors sound like they are just reading off of a script in many places.

Then there's the fact that a game marketed towards toddlers probably wouldn't do very well with the PS3 audience.
 

Aeana

Member
The JP voice performances are really bad. If you read any user review of the game, it's guaranteed to be mentioned. It's very sad, since a lot of the actors are talented and well-known (some screen actors).
 

Eusis

Member
By the time they released the PS3 version, the damage had already been done. It also doesn't help that most of the voices were miscast and the actors sound like they are just reading off of a script in many places.
As if the feel of the game wasn't already enough reason to stick with English... not that you can be fully discerning of a Japanese voice job without understanding the language, but I certainly don't want to blow off a good English performance for a half hearted Japanese one when the former makes more sense anyway.

Also makes it sound like we dodged a bullet with the DS game. I actually wonder if it's possible the buzz would be non-existent had that been brought over first. Just, oh look, that shitty DS game got a PS3 version, now let's move on to something more interesting like Lightning Returns.
 

zeopower6

Member
Probably a combination of the marketing and quality of the 3DS game. I think they marketed the game to appeal to toddlers and parents with small children. The 3DS game actually sold fairly well if I remember, but apparently it was of very low quality.

By the time they released the PS3 version, the damage had already been done. It also doesn't help that most of the voices were miscast and the actors sound like they are just reading off of a script in many places.

Then there's the fact that a game marketed towards toddlers probably wouldn't do very well with the PS3 audience.

Toddlers and small children? -blinks- I get that this game is for everyone but that's a little extreme. You think toddlers play the DS too or something? Reading reviews for the Japanese version, the voice thing seems to be an issue mainly because they didn't choose 'famous' voice actors and the script overall was kind of 'basic'.

Also keep in mind that the game was utterly expensive when it came out and apparently a huge price drop was required for them to sell the leftover copies of the DS version (from like 7000yen to 1200~ or so) and the PS3 one at release was 8800yen which is about 100USD.

I think the issue wasn't that it was 'low quality' in the case of the DS version but some other factors. I recall they released that game around the time that another big game had come out.
 

Sn4ke_911

If I ever post something in Japanese which I don't understand, please BAN me.
The JP voice performances are really bad. If you read any user review of the game, it's guaranteed to be mentioned. It's very sad, since a lot of the actors are talented and well-known (some screen actors).

Really? well damn, i'm not a big fan of the english voices.
 
I've always had this issue with Ghibli - they always look for big-name screen actors instead of professional voice actors who would do a much better job. I always thought that was a Western phenomenon, but I guess they do it in Japan, too.
 

Aeana

Member
I've always had this issue with Ghibli - they always look for big-name screen actors instead of professional voice actors who would do a much better job. I always thought that was a Western phenomenon, but I guess they do it in Japan, too.

I think that Disney's English dubs of the Ghibli movies generally turn out pretty well, since their voice director(s) are pretty good. I think NNK's JP voice quality is pretty much all because of poor direction.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
I've always had this issue with Ghibli - they always look for big-name screen actors instead of professional voice actors who would do a much better job. I always thought that was a Western phenomenon, but I guess they do it in Japan, too.

Ghibli has always kind of done it since their movies became big. Frankly, it's pretty distracting.

Using random "talent" for voice overs of Hollywood movies is also big in Japan, resulting in some of the worst dubs you'll ever hear.
 

zeopower6

Member
I've always had this issue with Ghibli - they always look for big-name screen actors instead of professional voice actors who would do a much better job. I always thought that was a Western phenomenon, but I guess they do it in Japan, too.

They seem to do it overall with Ghibli films here in the states and also in Japan. I mean for the most part, they tend to cast some no-names in Japan as leads, right? (The baby from Spirited Away is one of their go-to actors now though, dat Kamiki boy). As far as them using like a mini-Miley Cyrus and some kid that's related to a Jonas brother... they probably NEED to make it extra good because Disney pours a ton of money into Ghibli.

I think the issue is that they chose people who mainly act in movies. Looking at the case, there are a few seiyuu in there that regularly do anime roles, but a majority of them are stage/film actors and don't really do the 'voice' thing normally. That said, there are more positive reviews that look past the voices so it's not like everyone in Japan was like "Hey, this game sucks and has horrible voiceovers. Don't buy it."
 

Eusis

Member
I check their site for how ordering goes, and see I can't seem to make an account ahead of time (annoying for trying to get the bundle ASAP), and apparently the difference between standard and 2 day is, uhh, about 3 dollars, from $8 to $11-ish? Granted, this was the Dark Souls Club Namco pack, but if that's any indication of what to expect I'd err on fast shipping as it's such a trivial upgrade to get it much faster potentially.
Toddlers and small children? -blinks- I get that this game is for everyone but that's a little extreme. You think toddlers play the DS too or something? Reading reviews for the Japanese version, the voice thing seems to be an issue mainly because they didn't choose 'famous' voice actors and the script overall was kind of 'basic'.
I think he only meant how it was marketed, not what he thought, and anyways Akihiro Hino DID found Level 5 because he wanted to make kid-friendly games when the company he was with wanted to focus on more mature stuff exclusively instead.
 

Pyrokai

Member
Guys my hype is setting in. I can't wait!!!

And I'm loving DQ8. Pretty much addicted at this point. Got some work to get done otherwise I'd be at home playing!

I think I should go see if I can change my shipping address. I have my mail currently being forwarded but I don't trust it much. Already had something lost in the mail.....I'd hate for this to get lost, too. Here's hoping it's not too late...
 

zeopower6

Member
I think he only meant how it was marketed, not what he thought, and anyways Akihiro Hino DID found Level 5 because he wanted to make kid-friendly games when the company he was with wanted to focus on more mature stuff exclusively instead.

It seemed like it was just marketed pretty generally. Oh, here's a curry advertisement! Go on an adventure with Oliver, yadda yadda. However, Level-5 does have some pretty kid-friendly 'all ages"-type games like Layton, Inazuma Eleven, and so on.

I just really enjoy the fact that there's actually an RPG out there that seems pretty wholesome and was pretty much made with kids in mind. There aren't many RPGs out there if any that can be played by all ages due to content or whatever and I think they did a good job of it.
 
I check their site for how ordering goes, and see I can't seem to make an account ahead of time (annoying for trying to get the bundle ASAP), and apparently the difference between standard and 2 day is, uhh, about 3 dollars, from $8 to $11-ish? Granted, this was the Dark Souls Club Namco pack, but if that's any indication of what to expect I'd err on fast shipping as it's such a trivial upgrade to get it much faster potentially.

What happened with Dark Souls?
 

Sushigod7

Member
I've always had this issue with Ghibli - they always look for big-name screen actors instead of professional voice actors who would do a much better job. I always thought that was a Western phenomenon, but I guess they do it in Japan, too.

Easy way to fix is watch it with subs, I never really did this till recently and let me tell you Princess Mononoke is a whole different experience not having to listen to Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett Smith and Billy Bob Thornton etc. I will no longer pay attention to the english tracks on anything Ghibli/Disney.

edit: Spirited Away does not have the same larger named actors and feels fine but Japanese track is the way to go.

Wizard's Edition will restock at 10:00 AM PST

I'm there, hope it's not like a Mondo drop and gone in 10 seconds, I assume they have a decent amount that will sell out in a hour or less though.
 

demonicmurry

Neo Member
They seem to do it overall with Ghibli films here in the states and also in Japan. I mean for the most part, they tend to cast some no-names in Japan as leads, right? (The baby from Spirited Away is one of their go-to actors now though, dat Kamiki boy). As far as them using like a mini-Miley Cyrus and some kid that's related to a Jonas brother... they probably NEED to make it extra good because Disney pours a ton of money into Ghibli.

I think the issue is that they chose people who mainly act in movies. Looking at the case, there are a few seiyuu in there that regularly do anime roles, but a majority of them are stage/film actors and don't really do the 'voice' thing normally. That said, there are more positive reviews that look past the voices so it's not like everyone in Japan was like "Hey, this game sucks and has horrible voiceovers. Don't buy it."

This is probably more up to the distribution studio. Miramax purposefully casted more known actors for the roles in an effort to garner more public interest. I assume Disney is the same way since they now have the distribution deal with Ghibli films. On top of that, 2D animation really has an uphill battle in theaters these days.
 

Eusis

Member
What happened with Dark Souls?
Nothing, it was just the item in their store I test checkout and shipping costs with. Here's the page if you care.

I'm testing with other stuff, and the Tekken stick is the only one so far that has the kind of jump that'd make me decide to stick with standard shipping. I'd imagine Ni No Kuni's shipping costs will be more in line with that Dark Souls pack for the Enslaved statue they have there.
 

Carnby

Member
Just my luck. My bank called today and said my card must be canceled because it was part of a security breach. Now I need to get a new one and reorder on the phone with Digital River.
 

zeopower6

Member
The Ghibli dubs have been pretty good as far as I remember (the ones after the Warriors of the Wind bulljazz that caused Ghibli to never want to release films here again)...

I mean, they're not horrible, but they're good enough that I want to at least watch them more than once along with the Japanese dub. I grew up on the Kiki's dub when it first came out on Disney Channel, so that one holds a special place in my heart despite being kind of weird with Kirsten Dunst as Kiki, lol.

In any case, I don't think most people who want to play with the Japanese voices outside of Japan are going to have that big of an issue with the Japanese dub mostly because they aren't going to be able to tell what is 'good' or 'bad' (not that it's a bad thing or anything since uh... duh... not Japanese?) but for some it just won't matter since we're getting the game with the other language option at all which is a godsend imo.
 

icespide

Banned
is this game gonna be a limited run or something? can I wait a while to pick this up or should I go ahead and order it?
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
Just pre-ordered this, I fucking love everything Studio Ghibli makes and i'm itching to play a good JRPG.

Somehow this game fell completely off my radar and now it's almost here. February first can't come soon enough!
 

zeopower6

Member
is this game gonna be a limited run or something? can I wait a while to pick this up or should I go ahead and order it?

The normal edition should not be limited, but I would order it just in case since JRPGs nowadays tend to go out of print. However, since this is not XSEED or NISA, we don't really know what to expect.

The Wizard's Edition (Limited Collector's Edition) however, was on sale for about 2 months in the summer before the preorder deadline ended in September. It will be on sale again tomorrow morning at 10am PST thanks to some extra stock~ :D
 

Eusis

Member
Yeah, normal will only be limited if the game tanks or Namco's stupid. Games that do very well generally get continued printing from companies that like money.
 

Sn4ke_911

If I ever post something in Japanese which I don't understand, please BAN me.
is this game gonna be a limited run or something? can I wait a while to pick this up or should I go ahead and order it?

a good JRPG these days is VERY RARE, you should at least order 2 copies just in case 1 breaks.
 

madhtr

Member
Nothing, it was just the item in their store I test checkout and shipping costs with. Here's the page if you care.

I'm testing with other stuff, and the Tekken stick is the only one so far that has the kind of jump that'd make me decide to stick with standard shipping. I'd imagine Ni No Kuni's shipping costs will be more in line with that Dark Souls pack for the Enslaved statue they have there.

It cost me $111 + change with 2-day shipping, if that helps you figure things out. Only a few dollars more than regular shipping.
 

Wynnebeck

Banned
So question, how do people think Bamco is looking at the potential sales for this? I know they must be crossing their fingers extra hard that this does decent since it did so horribly in Japan.
 

Sushigod7

Member
Nothing, it was just the item in their store I test checkout and shipping costs with. Here's the page if you care.

I'm testing with other stuff, and the Tekken stick is the only one so far that has the kind of jump that'd make me decide to stick with standard shipping. I'd imagine Ni No Kuni's shipping costs will be more in line with that Dark Souls pack for the Enslaved statue they have there.

Did you manage to set up a account without placing a order? It looks like there is not option if you haven't already established a account to set up a new one without entering credit card etc.
 

Sn4ke_911

If I ever post something in Japanese which I don't understand, please BAN me.
But if it's going to be on PSN you'll never have to worry about not being able to get it down the line.

Shh, i'm trying to sell this game here :p This game needs to sell good.
 

Raguel

Member
I am genuinely excited for this game. Haven't bought a game in over a year and a JRPG since the ps2. That overs 6 years or more. And its crafted with Studio Ghibli. Do want!
 

Eusis

Member
It's going to be on PSN, too.
That's probably the only reason they'd not bother continuing to print more despite high sales, though given the space needed it'd be kind of foolish to go "we gave you a digital option, why do you need a disc?"
a good JRPG these days is VERY RARE, you should at least order 2 copies just in case 1 breaks.
A good JRPG is rare on consoles, but factoring in handhelds it's merely uncommon, and that may be more because of the transition period handhelds are going through. We're already set to see Fire Emblem, Etrian Odyssey IV, and Soul Hackers within a few months actually, so even that dry period may be ending. Besides, wouldn't the "two copies in case one breaks" logic apply to any game you really, really like and don't want to lose?
It cost me $111 + change with 2-day shipping, if that helps you figure things out. Only a few dollars more than regular shipping.
Yeah, I'd definitely just spring for 2 day then. What's the point waiting an extra week unless you're THAT frugal, and if that's the case why even get the Wizard's Edition?
Did you manage to set up a account without placing a order? It looks like there is not option if you haven't already established a account to set up a new one without entering credit card etc.
Nope, I'm guessing you have to actively go through checkout for that.
 

zeopower6

Member
So question, how do people think Bamco is looking at the potential sales for this? I know they must be crossing their fingers extra hard that this does decent since it did so horribly in Japan.

It didn't do that horribly. It didn't do 'above expectations' or anything or sell a record 600,000!?@! copies to make it onto a PS3 THE BEST printing, but it did okay with about 100k~ lifetime sales not including the All in One Edition that released last summer.

As for BamCo, I don't know... they seem to be putting a lot of effort into this game with all the events they've been showing it off at compared to other games -cough Graces f- so perhaps they are hoping it will do well? Judging from the hype from the general public, it looks like it may surpass their expectations.
 

Toki767

Member
It didn't do that horribly. It didn't do 'above expectations' or anything or sell a record 600,000!?@! copies to make it onto a PS3 THE BEST printing, but it did okay with about 100k~ lifetime sales not including the All in One Edition that released last summer.

As for BamCo, I don't know... they seem to be putting a lot of effort into this game with all the events they've been showing it off at compared to other games -cough Graces f- so perhaps they are hoping it will do well? Judging from the hype from the general public, it looks like it may surpass their expectations.

There's hype from the general public?
 

Sushigod7

Member
Nope, I'm guessing you have to actively go through checkout for that.

I think if you go through the order till the last verification screen it saves your password etc. I didn't complete the order and went back to the cart now it seems it saved my email & password and lets me log in/out.
 

zeopower6

Member
There's hype from the general public?

UUviz.jpg

It's still #1 today. I honestly can't believe it still, to be honest.

Does anyone know if Club Namco ships from CA?

They are based in Cypress, CA but I don't know if they have the copies there... Digital River is also in CA so it's possible that wherever the copies are coming from, it's CA, lol.
 

Wynnebeck

Banned
It didn't do that horribly. It didn't do 'above expectations' or anything or sell a record 600,000!?@! copies to make it onto a PS3 THE BEST printing, but it did okay with about 100k~ lifetime sales not including the All in One Edition that released last summer.

As for BamCo, I don't know... they seem to be putting a lot of effort into this game with all the events they've been showing it off at compared to other games -cough Graces f- so perhaps they are hoping it will do well? Judging from the hype from the general public, it looks like it may surpass their expectations.

I seem to remember SalesGAF lauding it as failing because the amount of money put into it compared to what they got back from the sales was shocking at least.
 

zeopower6

Member
I seem to remember SalesGAF lauding it as failing because the amount of money put into it compared to what they got back from the sales was shocking at least.

Well, the game was super expensive even for a Japanese game, I think, (about 100 USD when it came out) so that could've been a hurdle. From what I read when I wasn't a member, yeah people were calling it a 'bomba' or whatever, but in the long term after people stopped freaking out like that, it did okay.

They definitely scaled down orders after the DS Ni no Kuni had 600,000~ orders from stores and they didn't really sell out at all until way later in the life cycle. I think the PS3 version only shipped about 20% or less of what they had for the DS one.
 
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