Nintendo of America is releasing Xenoblade Chronicles to North Americans exclusively at Gamestop and via Nintendo's online store.

Official website.

Nintendo of America said:

It’s man vs. machine in a new game coming to Nintendo’s Wii™ console in spring. Xenoblade Chronicles™ asks players to use the Monado blade to take on a seemingly endless series of invading Mechon robots in a sweeping role-playing adventure.

The main character is Shulk, a weapons researcher who must confront the Mechon by wielding the ancient Monado blade. It’s the only weapon that has any effect against the Mechon, and it also enables Shulk to see the future.

Players can customize their characters with a variety of weapons and armor choices, as well as headgear, boots and gloves. As in many role-playing games, players can then gain experience and upgrade their characters. Players can watch their enemies, learn their tactics and unleash real-time counterattacks.

The vast open world of Xenoblade Chronicles is ripe for exploration. Players can avert their focus from the main story and venture out looking for other challenges and side quests. Hidden areas and unique monsters are scattered throughout the game’s massive world, which players can explore freely.

Xenoblade Chronicles has already launched in Japan and Europe, and has received unanimously positive reviews, including several perfect scores.

Xenoblade Chronicles will be available exclusively through U.S. GameStop retail locations, http://www.gamestop.com and http://www.nintendo.com at a suggested retail price of $49.99 in the United States. Additional information about the game will be announced in the future. For more information, visit http://xenobladechronicles.nintendo.com.

Source.


Announcement trailer. Video courtesy of GameTrailers.
Canadian confirmation.

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@Zero
Why are you so bitter? It's not a blown chance at anything. It's Nintendo releasing the game in a manner that they deem should be profitable.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 12/02/11, 23:17

@anon_mastermindYeah at this juncture this path makes sense. Isolating it to one retailer probably simplifies distribution quite a bit and chances are the people who buy this game are going to be aware of where they can and cannot buy it. Once you determine that, going with the largest game specialty retailer seems logical.

It's about minimizing risk.

Posted by

Stephen

on: 12/02/11, 23:21

@anon_mastermind

Hey JKR, when did you change your username?

Posted by

Jargon

on: 12/02/11, 23:23

@Jargon

I see what you did there.

Updated the OP with the reveal trailer. Very, very pumped about this.

Posted by

ludist210

on: 12/02/11, 23:30

If you preorder from GameStop, do you have to pay the entire balance up front?

Posted by

Earendil

on: 12/02/11, 23:34

@Earendil

No, just $5.

Posted by

ludist210

on: 12/02/11, 23:36

@Jargon
Yes.

Actually, I might buy this. If it doesn't deliver I'll never listen to mass opinion again.

Posted by

carlosrox

on: 12/02/11, 23:39

Edited:

12/02/11, 23:41

Then I just might be doing that this weekend.

Posted by

Earendil

on: 12/02/11, 23:39

@anon_mastermind I just think the whole thing was handled very poorly from the start and that this is a conciliatory gesture from NOA more than anything else, showing that they are still missing the whole point. The point wasn't necessarily "we need this specific game" although that is nice of course, the point was that there is a market for these type of games on Nintendo platforms overall and that they shouldn't just release this kind of stuff on occasion, but if they are serious about appealing to the "core" on the Wii U, it should be a part of their overall plans for the platform. But by releasing it in this limited fashion it can't possibly reach its full potential and it will just go down as a blip on NOAs year end sheets that can be ignored for future decisions.

Basically yeah now I can get one of the games I wanted, but I still have little hope for the future of "core" games on the Wii U.

Posted by

Zero

on: 12/02/11, 23:41

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!

So far, I have TWO Wii games to buy in 2012....Rhythm Heaven Fever and XENOBLADE FRREAKIN' CHRONICLES!

Yaaaaaaaaay

Also, I hate GS but at this point, I'm just HAPPY AS HELL we're getting this game!

Posted by

OrbitalBeard

on: 12/02/11, 23:42

Edited:

12/02/11, 23:52

Zero said:

@anon_mastermind
by releasing it in this limited fashion it can't possibly reach its full potential.

I don't think that is necessarily true. No matter how well received Xenblade is, it is a niche product in this day and age. The Last Story might also see a similar release, for similar reasons. And I have my doubts that Pandora's Tower will even make it over. I am scared to see the sales figures for that one when it comes out in Europe.

This is besides the fact that Nintendo loses a lot of money on business done in the United States because of the strong yen vs. the dollar.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 12/02/11, 23:58

Edited:

12/02/11, 23:58

The game is HUGE. It is almost like the JRPG equivalent to umm, a WRPG... Well, sort of. There are tonnes of sidequests, and the world is gigantic.

The game is so huge in fact, I needed to take a break at the 40 hour mark.

Posted by

ploot

on: 12/03/11, 00:01

@anon_mastermind It's a niche product in what sense though? Apparently it sold out right away in Europe. There was a lot of hype and momentum going for this game and it definitely helped in Europe. Apparently it sold close to 100k in 5 weeks in Europe which apparently places it well above most JRPGs that release there. And Nintendo has a way of making things sell that wouldn't otherwise sell. I mean, they made a colorful console RTS and it sold over a million units. There are also a million other arguments that have been said to death over the last 6 months or so for why this game should have gotten more attention.

I also don't know that Nintendo "loses" money on all of the business done in the United States. They may make less in some respects, but they will still make it.

Whatever the case Nintendo keeps talking about the Wii U being a big "core" machine but if this is their message to the core it still seems like a kind of bleak future to me. A limited release of one of your best games when your platform has next to nothing is better than no release, but it's still bad news for the bigger picture.

Posted by

Zero

on: 12/03/11, 01:22

Which thread are we using? And where the fuck is Zangeki No Reginliev?? I'm laid unnecessary F-bombs in three consecutive posts. Whoo!!

Posted by

Anand

on: 12/03/11, 01:36

Simbabbad said:

anon_mastermind said:

This is besides the fact that Nintendo loses a lot of money on business done in the United States because of the strong yen vs. the dollar.

You mean they earn less money than they could. They still earn money.

Because otherwise, Nintendo should ignore the US altogether, shouldn't they?

That's exactly what I meant! Thanks.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 12/03/11, 02:28

So I guess preorders might be a smart idea.

Posted by

carlosrox

on: 12/03/11, 02:34

@Zero
I don't believe JRPGs are popular in the west, anymore, which makes Xenoblade a niche product. It's just the way things have unfolded in the gaming landscape. If it's not named Final Fantasy, it won't sell.

This way, Nintendo can press the number of copies they need, and with Gamestop as a partner they don't have to worry about retailers devaluing their software. With this type of move, I have to think that Nintendo is really not making much money off each copy of Xenoblade that they sell.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 12/03/11, 02:34

With the current conversion rate, a 50 dollar game nets Nintendo 3900 yen. In Japan the game sells for 5000 yen, so they lose a fifth of their revenue right there. It's just about making less profit on a game, and whether or not it's cost effective to produce the game for that region depends on if it will sell well enough.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 12/03/11, 02:41

Edited:

12/03/11, 02:42

@anon_mastermind

Do you know that Nintendo cares about retailers "devaluing" their software? They've already sold it to them at the price they want so it doesn't affect the money Nintendo makes. I'm not trying to be a dick (others have that covered), I just wonder if you've actually read that somewhere. Not sure why Nintendo would care about it in this case and not for every other game they've sold.

Posted by

Jargon

on: 12/03/11, 02:43

Edited:

12/03/11, 02:44

If there's an over-stock of software (i.e. it doesn't sell) there would be a price drop at retail, and the perceived value of the software goes down and that goes totally against Nintendo's philosophy for first party games. You think they were happy to see fire sales on Sin and Punishment 2 and Metroid Other M?

Otherwise, Nintendo would lose money on buying back copies. But I don't know if this even happens, it's just hypothetical on my part.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 12/03/11, 02:49

Edited:

12/03/11, 02:50