Bravely Default - Or, Square Enix still loves stupid names

December 13 is the release date, I'm reliably told by someone who has access to Nintendo's European press site.

The voice acting in that trailer was hilariously bad.  

I don't usually stray into these sorts of threads, but I really have to ask why Nintendo chose to close their latest Direct programme with more info about this. That's the second time they've done it. It looks like nothing more than the typical JRPG nonsense that charts somewhere between Actua Soccer and Theme Park World and sinks without a trace a week later. I can see that NoE are clearly putting a lot of stock into Bravely Default but for the reason I've mentioned I really have to wonder why. Have they got nothing else?

Because Nintendo of Europe pushes small games that don't appeal to everyone from time to time.  It's the exact same reason we got games like Xenoblade from them, and honestly I wish more of the industry pushed smaller things while selling big sellers instead of just ignoring them for the big sellers, it would be a lot more diverse if they did like Nintendo Europe does.

See also: 101, or even Pikmin 3.

Athrun888 wrote:

Because Nintendo of Europe pushes small games that don't appeal to everyone from time to time.  It's the exact same reason we got games like Xenoblade from them, and honestly I wish more of the industry pushed smaller things while selling big sellers instead of just ignoring them for the big sellers, it would be a lot more diverse if they did like Nintendo Europe does.

Surely NoE should be pushing games that do appeal to everyone? The Wii was the consumer's choice and a resounding commercial success based on it's mantra of making gaming as accessible and inclusive than ever before. This sort of thing isn't that at all. I'm all for diversity but surely Bravely Default isn't an adequate substitute for something with mass appeal and that everyone would enjoy, like the latest FIFA or Grand Theft Auto.

Anyhoo, I'll leave everyone to enjoy their conversation about this. I just wanted to know why Nintendo would want to push this. They must be confident about it's quality, I guess, but this isn't the type of thing people want, is it?

EDIT: Maybe not the best examples, Balladeer: the Pikmin games have sold millions of copies and it's a series that's been well-established for a number of years. The latest one had been eagerly anticipated by Nintendo gamers for a long time and would have done fine without being pushed. 101, on the balance, failed to make any sort of critical or commercial impact anywhere, perhaps due to the fact it has hardly promoted beyond one Nintendo Direct, but more probably because it was needlessly complex to play.

Just because you don't want a product doesn't mean people don't.  I'm well aware you dislike the jrpg genre but you need to understand that not everyone likes everything and everything has its place.  The constant chase for the giant selling titles and shoving of absolutely anything that doesn't have mass appeal to the side is exactly the poisonous mindset that is killing this industry bit by bit.  It is what results in there being nothing but the Fifa's and the Call of Duty's and the GTA's to play.  

Besides, Nintendo already have their big name titles as well.  They have the new mainline Pokemon games coming out in twelve days, a new Mario game on the Wii U this holiday season, and also a Zelda game for the 3DS coming out this holiday season.  Those are their big name alternatives to the GTA's and the Fifa's and the other "AAA" titles in the industry you're asking about.  Bravely Default isn't supposed to be an alternative to them, it is there on the side for those that don't just want the big titles but desire something else as well.

Phillips wrote:

EDIT: Maybe not the best examples, Balladeer: the Pikmin games have sold millions of copies and it's a series that's been well-established for a number of years. The latest one had been eagerly anticipated by Nintendo gamers for a long time and would have done fine without being pushed. 101, on the balance, failed to make any sort of critical or commercial impact anywhere, perhaps due to the fact it has hardly promoted beyond one Nintendo Direct, but more probably because it was needlessly complex to play.

Okay, 101 was a better example.  (I didn't realise the Pikmins had done so well, truth be told.)  I think it's probably Nintendo trying to make friends with certain developers, particularly darlings of the weird Japanese world, to bring their fans on board.  Let's face it: they need to be grateful for the exclusives they get!  And FF still has a pretty big following, I believe, which is relevant given how similar this is.

It is odd that they chose to show Bravely at the end, though; but showing it in the middle would have been pretty much par for the course.

Anyway, I can confirm that I was completely unable to watch the trailer because of the voice acting.  My poor poor ears.

Athrun888 wrote:

Just because you don't want a product doesn't mean people don't.  I'm well aware you dislike the jrpg genre but you need to understand that not everyone likes everything and everything has its place.  The constant chase for the giant selling titles and shoving of absolutely anything that doesn't have mass appeal to the side is exactly the poisonous mindset that is killing this industry bit by bit.  It is what results in there being nothing but the Fifa's and the Call of Duty's and the GTA's to play.  

I don't think you appreciate that - critically and commercially - these are the games that have made the industry the success it is. FIFA, GTA and COD are helping the industry grow, not killing it. My biggest issue (and it's not really an issue, truth be told) is that this isn't the sort of thing that's going to have any impact at all. There's tons of stuff out there left untranslated and left under-promoted that I think justifies the effort a lot more than yet another JRPG does. I used to be able to simply ignore them, but when Nintendo senselessly close their Direct presentations with them and make sure that they're ready in time for Christmas when the likes of Mario Kart 8 and Tropical Freeze aren't, I can't. Never mind that I couldn't even tell you how many are on 3DS or that I think that even one is too many for my liking: very few of them have been a sales success. This is about me at all: it's time to give them a rest and try something different.

You know how the old saying goes, the more things change the more they stay the same.  Or something, on second thoughts I don't think that's the appropriate phrase.     Anyhow, I would disagree about them helping the industry go, in terms of how much net worth it has that is correct, but in terms of variety and genuine evolution in games and the way we play them those games are actually an example of things staying the same and nothing changing.  I would go on but if I want to say more about that subject and all its facets I should save it for the opinion piece subforum, it stems deeper than just games and goes to systems as well so this isn't the place.

Also I think you have localization mixed up with actual development, the localization of Bravely Default won't be affecting any of Nintendo's games in production either way, nor are they going to make room for it and shunt their games down the pipeline because of it.  It's simply something on the side they've decided to bring over to English speaking countries because Square Enix no longer seems to have any interest in anything not named Final Fantasy and they think there's a potential decent market for it.  Including it as part of their Christmas lineup is simply good business sense.


I don't think there's any way of what I want to say next coming out as anything but me throwing a lit match on a wooden bridge, so I'm just going to say it.  The game is made for a different target audience in mind than you, so there's no need to have this clash of audiences.  You don't like the jrpg and its various sub-genres, that's perfectly fine, I don't like shooters and sports games, but there's no need to get all "I like this thing so they should be releasing these instead of this" about it.  It's simply one of many games coming out this holiday season, Nintendo just decided this one was the one that stood to benefit the most from receiving a bit of a spotlight, that's all.

I'm excited for this and that there's a collectors edition coming, I sense another xenoblade or last story value wise. I think Phillips understatements how well this will sell it's not going to sell pokemon levels or anything but I wouldn't be surprised if nintendo (publishing right) make a few bob of this.

Athrun888 wrote:

You don't like the jrpg and its various sub-genres, that's perfectly fine, I don't like shooters and sports games, but there's no need to get all "I like this thing so they should be releasing these instead of this" about it.  It's simply one of many games coming out this holiday season, Nintendo just decided this one was the one that stood to benefit the most from receiving a bit of a spotlight, that's all.

Disagree with the first bit. They should be releasing the likes Mario Kart 8 and Tropical Freeze instead of this, because I like them. Because lots of people like them. Because they'll shift units. Because they'll shift consoles. "Something on the side" in the Christmas market is a bollocks decision. It's thousands as opposed to millions who will give a toss about this.

Understand the second bit, mind. That's really what I came into this thread for: a bit of clarity.

I really will take my leave here. Enjoy the game by all means - it might yet turn out to be very good. We've got Super Mario 3D Land a week sooner, that'll do me.

Donkey Kong isn't a system seller, Mario Kart 8 is but there Wii U games, BD is a 3DS game and they don't really need have a system then in nov, dec as pokemon will do the system selling bit.

This is apparently going to have Microtransactions, more info here http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/10/bravely_default_to_feature_optional_special_attack_abilities_as_microtransactions

Not in favour. A boxed game should not have microtransactions in it, period. Squeenix have been getting greedy recently, and it upsets me.

From what I can gather from that article it's just some extra thing that can be ignored, so I'll be ignoring it. It wasn't in the original game and short of them also altering the game so it cannot be played without this thing I don't really see why it matters one way or the other. Nor why square enix are even bothering creating it for that matter.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

Athrun888 wrote:

You don't like the jrpg and its various sub-genres, that's perfectly fine, I don't like shooters and sports games, but there's no need to get all "I like this thing so they should be releasing these instead of this" about it.  It's simply one of many games coming out this holiday season, Nintendo just decided this one was the one that stood to benefit the most from receiving a bit of a spotlight, that's all.

Disagree with the first bit. They should be releasing the likes Mario Kart 8 and Tropical Freeze instead of this, because I like them. Because lots of people like them. Because they'll shift units. Because they'll shift consoles. "Something on the side" in the Christmas market is a bollocks decision. It's thousands as opposed to millions who will give a toss about this.

Understand the second bit, mind. That's really what I came into this thread for: a bit of clarity.

I really will take my leave here. Enjoy the game by all means - it might yet turn out to be very good. We've got Super Mario 3D Land a week sooner, that'll do me.

Completely agree with Phillips here. It's mind boggling that Nintendo aren't ensuring these games aren't out for launch. Understandable perhaps in the case of Mario Kart where the game may genuinely not be finished (it was always on track for April), but Donkey Kong was meant to be due for Christmas, and the fact Nintendo have been using Retro's resources on DKC hasn't been popular either -- I think the majority of us would rather see them work on something else.

It makes far more sense for Nintendo to put out all their major system sellers in time for the holiday buying season than spend resources on less important projects. In the case of Bravely Default, though, I don't think its UK release would have stolen any resources from either of those two games, at least.

I'm actually starting to wonder if Iwata is going a little overboard about making sure games are packed with content, and I hope it wasn't this approach that led Dream Team Bros to be spread so thinly across its 40(!) hours of game time.

ZeroJones wrote:

Not in favour. A boxed game should not have microtransactions in it, period. Squeenix have been getting greedy recently, and it upsets me.

This.  

But it has a special edition

See I told you

I've had it preordered since the Nintendo direct the collectors edition.

Also let's have picture of it

Also my preorder is in GAME, so I get another art book.

Does anyone know how much that special edition costs?

I must say the contents of the pack surprised me -- I was expecting less. Though I'm expecting the figurine to be poorly made (will be interesting to see if Japan gets it too), but it's a nice extra to have.

What is particularly interesting is the boxart for the game, which is a lot more colourful than I was thinking it'd be (pretty much just the logo with some subtle faint artwork behind it). Here's hoping the standard edition has the same.

Somewhat slightly related: it's a shame the boxart for the games that come in these Nintendo limited editions is somewhat ruined by the huge USK logo on the front, probably because Nintendo ship the same collectors' edition all around the region rather than specific versions (remember those triangles on the spines?).

Wind Waker HD's had a particularly horrible reverse as well because of this...

neither shopto or game has it listed yet, even tough it's in games preorder book instore.

fronkhead wrote:

Somewhat slightly related: it's a shame the boxart for the games that come in these Nintendo limited editions is somewhat ruined by the huge USK logo on the front, probably because Nintendo ship the same collectors' edition all around the region rather than specific versions (remember those triangles on the spines?).

"Remember"? They're still going!

That, and it is a shame about the boxart, but it's a greater shame about how the games are ruined by having to have a USK logo on at all.

It's priced on ShopTo now at £99.85 (something like that), quite pricy but does look a good set and with all my GAME reward points from buying PS4 & bits in November. Should be nearer the £70 mark for me.

Certainly not worth the asking price in my eyes, but it is a very nice set. For me it'll likely depend on how good the figurine is, and it doesn't look great.