Okay... any J-RPG fans out there? I'm sure you are. Us brothers and sisters that grew up in the golden age of gems such as Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, classic Final Fantasy, Xenogears, Legend of the Dragoon, Parasite Eve, Valkyrie Profile, Vagrant Story, Chrono Cross, Xenosaga, Arc the Lad, Phantasy Star, Dragon Quest, Legend of Mana, Skies of Arcadia.... you get the point... Point is, JRPGs, as we know them, are a dying breed. With a few exceptions, most struggle and fail in Western countries. Great games like Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, and Nier were pretty much ignored by all but the most hardcore, gaming enthusiasts (who loved and appreciated them.)

Xenoblade is a game by Monolith Soft, a company whose creators are responsible for the other Xeno classics (Xenogears, Xenosaga), and was made with the talents of the FFXII, Legend of Mana, and Chrono Trigger/Cross crew. It's the second-highest rated RPG of this year, the fifth-highest rated Wii game ever, and has been called the most forward-thinking and evolutionary JRPG in 10 years.


I proudly acknowledge I was one of the supporters for Operation Rainfall, an organized fan group that petitioned Nintendo to release three of the most critically acclaimed, Wii-exclusive J-RPGs outside of Japan.

I'm pleased to announce Nintendo, after months of saying 'no', has changed their tune and they're bringing Xenoblade Chronicles to the United States and Latin countries.

Now, releasing the game was only HALF the problem. The other half was getting people to BUY it.


That's the main gist of this thread. If you have a Wii, you owe it to yourself to pre-order and buy this game. You can pre-order from Gamestop now or directly from Nintendo starting on the 19th of December. The game comes out April 2nd or 3rd. If you don't have a Wii, it is actually worth the price of a console. If you know someone with a Wii, convince them to buy it, or buy it for them as a gift.

Nintendo still doesn't believe strongly that there is a market for JRPGs anymore. I'd respectfully disagree, but I'm putting my money where my mouth is. As a game designer myself, I may be more emotionally invested than a lot of you out there, but I dread an industry where games like Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower aren't released due to "disinterest" when they take the gaming medium and challenge it, evolve it, and refine it into the art form I so very much love, respect, and pride myself in being a part of.

If you love JRPGs, get the game. If not, feel free to discuss Xenoblade, the creators other works, or JRPGs in general in this thread. This was just supposed to be a springboard to kick-start the discussion, so have at it folks.