If you're like me and follow gaming news--particularly Nintendo-related news--you have likely heard about a recent uprising of gamers, known as "Operation Rainfall".
Beautiful logo someone made
(Click for the larger version)
Operation Rainfall arose from the frustration of Nintendo Wii fans towards Nintendo because they've yet to speak on the subject of localizing three games that have hit Japan. "Big Deal," you might say. However, there are quite a few factors to take into consideration. Even a huge Nintendo fan like me must admit that Nintendo has--to use a common phrase-- shafted us quite a bit the console generation. From lack of localized titles to poor accessory support (a la Motion+), we've put up with a lot, jumped through many hoops, possibly in the hope that Nintendo would make it up to us. Yes, they have provided amazing first and second party games for us, but they've been extremely lacking in their 3rd party support.
Enter: Operation Rainfall. It started out on the IGN forums as a small snail-mail campaign. We were planning on and still are/have) having a bunch of mail demanding that they release the following games:
-Xenoblade
-The Last Story (It's from the creator of Final Fantasy; there, instant seller )
-Pandora's Tower
These 3 titles were received quite well in Japan.
Early last week, we caught wind that Nintendo of Europe was localizing Xenoblade. Nintendo of America remained silent (other than canned PR statements), thus this arose to convince Nintendo to allow NoA to localize it here too.
Things began to change however, for the better. Thanks to social networking sites, we've been able to spread the word more and essentially dominate Nintendo's own Facebook and Twitter pages. On one single post of their FB page, we've gotten over 3500 posts on a single comments section as of now. We even managed to push it to the #1 spot on most pre-ordered video game related items on Amazon (it has dropped down to 5 now). The fans are clamoring for these games.
Now, I do not expect, and am sure, that these games will not sell phenomenally well. But they are 3rd party games, two of which Nintendo announced for release here and seems to be trying to make us forget that. Too bad they tried this route with other noteworthy and great 3rd party games: MOTHER 3. Disaster: Day of Ruin, Captain Rainbow (WHY?!!!). They owe it to us, the core gamers, to at least give us a few other games besides Kirby Wii and Skyward Sword to look forward to in this last year of Wii. They claim that they wish to bring the core gamers back with the WiiU, and showing us that they're willing to deliver with games that are often liked by those of our categorization would go a long way towards proving that they're committed. That is especially true considering Xenoblade and The Last Story are regarded as possibly the very best JRPGs of this generation by many Japanese gamers.
This movement isn't limited to those three games, but those are the main ones we're pressing Nintendo for.
There are several ways to help out this movement (provided you actually support it and buy the game if they localize it.)
-Mail Nintendo of America ASAP.
Tweet (not Twiit ) about it on their Twitter.
-comment on their Facebook page.
-Pre-order/buy this on Amazon (It's under the name Monado: Beginning of the World)
*Do not spam posts yourself on any social networking site*
When doing these, keep your attitude determined, yet without rudeness. If we can get Nintendo to recognize and at least release 1 of these games, it will show that like with television (Star Trek, for example), strong fan reaction can accomplish something worthwhile. It can give us hope in similar times in the future.
Go here to learn more about this.
Here is the Facebook page on which many of those comments are on (proud to have been one of the first few dozen supporters posting there).
There are thousands of people involved in thiss. It's starting to snowball now, quite honestly. There is even talk of someday soon turning it into a large group dedicated to getting games localized in as many regions as possible.
Only YOU can get Nintendo to stop being lazy with their 3rd party support.
(Sorry for this Wall o' text)