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[ranmafan]

I don't think the Ghibli name means much for the average anime fan that eats up the Tales series. In spite of their mainstream popularity, you wouldn't know Ghibli is succesful if you followed polls from anime magazines.

Their name seems to mean more for mainstream audiences, but those people probably don't own PS3s. Aside from that, the game itself seems to be pretty traditional, so, as a game, it won't reach the same type of audience that Ghibli reaches with their movies.

I also think that in regards to Ghibli's involvement, the fact it isn't a movie is a big point here. Sure Ghibli films, particularly Miyazaki's films are huge, and Ghibli is a brand that can almost never be stopped here. But not everyone goes for everything Ghibli here. Sometimes somethings arent as huge as we expect. If its Miyazaki's work, then sure its a classic record breaking blockbuster. The other films do great here too but they do less business than Miyazaki's. Here we had a game where they did cutscenes and had the music by Joe Hisaishi, and man both are amazing. But they arent real movies, and it wasn't Miyazaki's work, and was mostly just parts of a level 5 game. To me I dont think that was enough to get the mainstream audience into it. Those that were interested got a taste from the DS version and didn't feel like trying out the PS3 one. Now had it been a game featuring a new story of Totoro with new animation, then we would be talking a different story here.

But it really is a shame. Its a game I really am enjoying and I just wish others would check it out.

 

[distantmantra]

Very sad for Ni no Kuni, but I'll get it once it gets localized and hope the sales are superior than the original's.

I hope Bandai Namco and Level-5 follow through on the localization.

 

[Mpl90]

However, LOL at that professor who thought 3DS would have done 200k in November.
With one week left, we're already at 350k :lol

 

[enishi]

Maybe the one killed Ninokuni is Hino himself :/

Given the really really bad comment over Gundam AGE recently, people may resist to buy a game with the same director......

 

[ULTROS!]

Seems like new IP console RPGs are having a hard time in Japan :\

The only new IP that managed to do well is... White Knight Chronicles unfortunately.

 

[Gospel]

Nice to see SR3 up there.

It will promptly disappear next tracking week. :/

 

[Trevelyon]

Uh-boy! How much did Level-5 ship on that there Ni no Kuni? Interesting to see what the sell through % was.

 

[saichi]

Poor Ninokuni, being beaten so badly by Modern Warfare 3 in Japan O_O.
...
Luckily they decided to start western localization before the japanese release

don't put your hope up. What I'll be looking forward to is if it will do more WW than Ni no Kuni DS did in Japan.

I don't think the Ghibli name means much for the average anime fan that eats up the Tales series. In spite of their mainstream popularity, you wouldn't know Ghibli is succesful if you followed polls from anime magazines.

Their name seems to mean more for mainstream audiences, but those people probably don't own PS3s. Aside from that, the game itself seems to be pretty traditional, so, as a game, it won't reach the same type of audience that Ghibli reaches with their movies.

I kind of agree. There is too much emphasize on PS3 having a big RPG crowd so Ni no Kuni would be successful on it. The fact is that the audience for the game is designed for doesn't look to be on PS3 and that's the same audience that Studio Ghibli sells to.

 

[orioto]

This past week may be the symbol of the end of an era!

I think there is a real demographic change in Japan. The ones who buy american fps, the ones who buy tales of, the ones who buy monster hunter, the ones who buy core rpg on psp.... Who are they...

I would be pretty confused if i was a dev in Japan.

 

[distantmantra]

This past week may be the symbol of the end of an era!

I think there is a real demographic change in Japan. The ones who buy american fps, the ones who buy tales of, the ones who buy monster hunter, the ones who buy core rpg on psp.... Who are they...

I would be pretty confused if i was a dev in Japan.

Huh? I think Tales of Xillia showed pretty clearly that those people are on the PS3.

 

[Paracelsus]

Huh? I think Tales of Xillia showed pretty clearly that those people are on the PS3.

I think he means that there are a few selected demographics that won't buy anything else.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Ninokuni did worst than a Gust title lol
I wanted the game to do good but it seem it had to many problems.

 

[weeaboo]

Maybe Ninokuni is shit and Japan knew it, any jgaf impressions?

 

[beril]

Exactly what is the relation between the DS game and the PS3 game anyway? I never quite understood that. I keep hearing it's not the same game/port/remake, but it's not really a sequel either is it? There's bound to be some confusion about that with consumers as well, and people thinking it's not different enough to warrant buying both versions.

Also, the western media pretty much ignored the DS version after the "real" game was announced for PS3, but I'm guessing it was percieved a bit different in japan. So this probably skewed some peoples expectations a bit.

Still a bad number no matter how you spin it though

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Ninokuni did worst than a Gust title lol

I suspect Atelier Meruru is a better game than Ni no Kuni.

 

[electroplankton]

This past week may be the symbol of the end of an era!

I think there is a real demographic change in Japan. The ones who buy american fps, the ones who buy tales of, the ones who buy monster hunter, the ones who buy core rpg on psp.... Who are they...

I would be pretty confused if i was a dev in Japan.

Uhm... No.
It's not rare that big games in the West perform particularly well in Japan. GTA on PS2, Crash on PS1, some RARE titles and so on.
And 200k is not certainly so great compared to what the game has done here and to how Japanese successful titles perform (>2-3mln).

 

[ranmafan]

Exactly what is the relation between the DS game and the PS3 game anyway? I never quite understood that. I keep hearing it's not the same game/port/remake, but it's not really a sequel either is it? There's bound to be some confusion about that with consumers as well, and people thinking it's not different enough to warrant buying both versions.

Also, the western media pretty much ignored the DS version after the "real" game was announced for PS3, but I'm guessing it was percieved a bit different in japan. So this probably skewed some peoples expectations a bit.

Still a bad number no matter how you spin it though

Both games pretty much have the same story, but the PS3 has some additions to it, such as new characters, situations, and some changes. The magic master is included inside the game as a digital version but it is also different from the DS as its actually shorter than the physical book. But theres a lot of it thats the same in both versions. Also there are cutscenes from Ghibli in both versions. I do think the PS3 version wasn't marketed as well as the DS one. Very few people I know knew of it and all of them were foreigners.

 

[airmangataosenai]

I have never been so sad to be wrong about a game before. Goddamn @ Ni no Kuni.

 

[demosthenes]

Ugh....NnK, why? Anyone with feedback on how the game is? It looks fantastic

 

[electroplankton]

I suspect Atelier Meruru is a better game than Ni no Kuni.

I suspect not.

 

[Bebpo]

This is what happens when you release an expensive shitty rpg that everyone buys, gets scammed, and then when you release a remake a year later, no one is going to fall for it again.

imo, the quality of the ds game is the prime culprit here. Most rpg players who spent near $100 on that game and got burned aren't going to put out another $100 to get burned again.

If L5 learned how to actually make a fun rpg and not just good graphics, it'd help their company survive in the long run. Their non-rpg stuff is fine, but these guys have no talent with making fun rpgs that feature any depth.

 

[gundamkyoukai]

Both games pretty much have the same story, but the PS3 has some additions to it, such as new characters, situations, and some changes. The magic master is included inside the game as a digital version but it is also different from the DS as its actually shorter than the physical book. But theres a lot of it thats the same in both versions. Also there are cutscenes from Ghibli in both versions. I do think the PS3 version wasn't marketed as well as the DS one. Very few people I know knew of it and all of them were foreigners.

That sounds bad to tell the truth .
If i pick up the DS game and did not like that it mess the ps3 version up along with word of mouth.
Sound like they want you to buy the game twice just because it in HD .

 

[ranmafan]

Ugh....NnK, why? Anyone with feedback on how the game is? It looks fantastic

I wrote some short impressions earlier. Its got a lot of good things going for it, and some negatives just like any game. I like it a lot, but I can see why many others wont.

 

[muu]

Great run again this week by 3DS. Was expecting it to fall off somewhat, but looks like it'll be running strong all the way up to Mario Kart. I'll die laughing if another publication/analyst tries the '3DS failed' thing again after this.

I still have to wonder why they released NiNoKuni for the PS3, and at such a high price point. They should have known long ago that the ghibli art style will not be a selling point to the 'core' ps3 userbase.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

I suspect not.

I can understand why people would prefer the art style of Ni no Kuni over the Atelier series, but everything I've seen leads me to believe Gust has a better handle on making quality RPG gameplay than Level-5.

 

[RurouniZel]

Ninokuni did worst than a Gust title lol
I wanted the game to do good but it seem it had to many problems.

When it comes to RPGs, GUST > Level 5

 

[ranmafan]

That sounds bad to tell the truth .
If i pick up the DS game and did not like that mess the ps3 version up along with word of mouth.
Sound like they want you to buy the game twice just because it in HD .

Yes that could be bad for some. Also there is one thing Ive noticed in playing both games. I love the magic master book a lot. Its a great item to have. But playing the DS version, having to pull the book out so much made it cumbersome to play. While the PS3 version removes this problem, not needing to use the book removes a little bit of the coolness that it brought to the game. I will say, a Wii U version would be good if it combined that aspect of the ds version with the PS3's presentation.

 

[Kyoufu]

Are people here going by Level 5 reputation when saying the game is shitty? Because all the impressions I've read so far have been very positive.

I have a disliking for Level 5 console RPGs just as much as the next guy but I dunno, NnK doesn't sound bad.

 

[ULTROS!]

I wrote some short impressions earlier. Its got a lot of good things going for it, and some negatives just like any game. I like it a lot, but I can see why many others wont.

Yeah, I'll post them here (though it might be off-topic, it's more-or-less related on the reception of Ni no Kuni PS3 and what people might similarly think of it):

Honestly not far, about five hours in now, and I'm not fully ready yet to say its a great system yet, but I was surprised at some of the freedom you got in movement and all. I was expecting it to be more like the DS version being fully turn based but theres some nice abilities to move around on your own during the battle and to easily change your characters in battle on the fly. There is points where it's hard to get some commands done quickly, but thankfully there are ways to avoid trouble with that, But I'm still only battling with one character and his imersions so I'm not sure how it will be when the party gets bigger. Hopefully the battles keep interesting me,

Everything else has been great so far. a great world, awesome music, and it's just nice overall. There are some things that can be downers but nothing has so far made me feel like its bad.

For me I'm enjoying it. There's a lot of gloom and doom out there spoken about the game, and I can see where people feel that way. But just from my own feelings I like it. Also I think ultimately in the end, there will be very little middle ground. Some will absolutely love it, and others will hate it, but not much in between.

Re: Negatives

Two things, one I have which is super super minor, and one others are complaining about but I'm not so down on, but certainly noticed. For me, Oliver walks so slow in the game, and getting through dungeons and the overworld map is just slow. Granted he is a kid so it makes sense, but sometimes I feel he could walk a little faster. Im sure there has to be an ability to improve that in the game coming up.

The other, the lack of voice acting at times. It doesn't bug me really, but there are times where it appears and disappears randomly. It would've been nice to have more, but it's a minor issue, and one I didn't mind too much. Still would love to hear more voices in the dialogue, especially for Shizuku's kaisai accent. I always love hearing him speak.

But yeah, other than that I'm enjoying it. It's a nice game to play so far. A good light hearted companion to play opposite of when I need that hard difficult gameplay of Dark Souls.

 

[electroplankton]

This is what happens when you release an expensive shitty rpg that everyone buys, gets scammed, and then when you release a remake a year later, no one is going to fall for it again.

imo, the quality of the ds game is the prime culprit here. Most rpg players who spent near $100 on that game and got burned aren't going to put out another $100 to get burned again.

If L5 learned how to actually make a fun rpg and not just good graphics, it'd help their company survive in the long run. Their non-rpg stuff is fine, but these guys have no talent with making fun rpgs that feature any depth.

I don't think so.
Many Ni no Kuni buyers purchased it at the discounted price, so 30-40% less the original price. How many video gamers bought Ni no Kuni on DS at 6800 yen (which is higher than the average price for DS games but less than PS3 games, and less than 87 $ anyway)? I said before probably around 200k, and the word of mouth was pretty good since the game got legs. If people didn't like it at all, there would not have been these kind of legs.
And I played Ni no Kuni: it was not shitty.

 

[Kenka]

LTTP but some things caught my eye:

3DS | 96.219

03./00. [PS3] Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch # <RPG> (Level 5) {2011.11.17} (¥8.800) - 67.032 / NEW

 

[Bebpo]

Are people here going by Level 5 reputation when saying the game is shitty? Because all the impressions I've read so far have been very positive.

I have a disliking for Level 5 console RPGs just as much as the next guy but I dunno, NnK doesn't sound bad.

I'm going by the quality of the DS game myself. Though I did pick up the PS3 game to give it a fair shot (haven't played it yet because my ps3 died).

Ranma's comments about the game being slow because of the MC's movement speed are a bit worrying though. The slow speed/pace of everything in the DS version was a large part of why I abandoned that title partway through.

 

[ranmafan]

Yeah, I'll post them here (though it might be off-topic, it's more-or-less related on the reception of Ni no Kuni PS3 and what people might similarly think of it):



Re: Negatives

Thanks for that. I should probably post a longer impression sometime soon. I'm farther into the game now and barring any strange endgame changes I think my opinion on the game is set. But like others in the thread, I think its a real shame this game has sold this low. It certainly deserves more than what its getting.

 

[faridmon]

Its Level-5 on Consoles. I am glad Japanese gamers agree with me. Now crank and milk the hell out of Prof. Layton, Level-5. Thats the only thing you can do decently.

 

[AniHawk]

man, 3ds sure is holding steady for no reason.

 

[Kyoufu]

I'm going by the quality of the DS game myself. Though I did pick up the PS3 game to give it a fair shot (haven't played it yet because my ps3 died).

Well no offence, but I'd rather hear what you think of the PS3 game.

 

[Bebpo]

I don't think so.
Many Ni no Kuni buyers purchased it at the discounted price, so 30-40% less the original price. How many video gamers bought Ni no Kuni on DS at 6800 yen (which is higher than the average price for DS games but less than PS3 games, and less than 87 $ anyway)? I said before probably around 200k, and the word of mouth was pretty good since the game got legs. If people didn't like it at all, there would not have been these kind of legs.
And I played Ni no Kuni: it was not shitty.

It was a bad game with bad word of mouth. Go back and find the gaf |OT|, everyone bailed on the game and the thread died. I don't think a single person finished it and wrote final impressions. The game was fun at first, but the slow pace and large amount of flaws made it a chore to play after a while.

 

[French]

Ni No Kuni bomba. :/

They should have released the inferior version ( DS ) after the PS3 one.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

man, 3ds sure is holding steady for no reason.

Super Mario 3D Land is still selling...

 

[Meikiyou]

Someone should have brought the ds version overseas already =c

 

[sixteen-bit]

I hope Bandai Namco and Level-5 follow through on the localization.

Is there a chance they might can the localization entirely?

 

[Rolf NB]

Since noone answered my question, Ni No Kuni/PS3 scored 36/40 in Famitsu at least. Not exactly the telling sign of a terrible game that should perform this poorly. Any hands-on impressions?

 

[French]

Since noone answered my question, Ni No Kuni/PS3 scored 36/40 in Famitsu at least. Not exactly the telling sign of a terrible game that should perform this poorly. Any hands-on impressions?

That probably doesn't mean a lot but it has 4/5 from the players on Amazon.jp, maybe it will have legs we'll see.

 

[Mpl90]

Is there a chance they might can the localization entirely?

Naaah.

 

[electroplankton]

It was a bad game with bad word of mouth. Go back and find the gaf |OT|, everyone bailed on the game and the thread died. I don't think a single person finished it and wrote final impressions. The game was fun at first, but the slow pace and large amount of flaws made it a chore to play after a while.

This is not my opinion though.
I didn't find BAD, I did find it on average, but the stunning visuals and the nice story were enough to give me a good impression. On Amazon it has 3.5 stars out of 5, with 178 reviews; I didn't read the topic on GAF, I will, but I don't think it's a good measure of the quality of the game. In my opinion, the word of mouth couldn't be so bad, otherwise I don't see why it sold so good over time. Just the price? Well, there are so many games that become cheap after few days or weeks and still are not able to sell.

 

[distantmantra]

Is there a chance they might can the localization entirely?

I don't think so, but stranger things have happened.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

So you've played Ni no Kuni then?

I've played other games by Level 5, and everything I've heard about this one beyond praise for the graphics makes it sound horrible. They just never quite get it right.

 

[John Dunbar]

Is there some good reason why that Ni no Kuni game is priced 1,000 yens higher than most games on the chart?

 

[Magicpaint]

Ni No Kuni bomba. :/

They should have released the inferior version ( DS ) after the PS3 one.

Have you played both?

 

[distantmantra]

Is there some good reason why that Ni no Kuni game is priced 1,000 yens higher than most games on the chart?

A lot of RPGs and high profiles titles are priced higher in Japan. Gundam Extreme Versus, which comes out next week, has a ¥8,800 price tag.