And here’s how to do it
Tomorrow, January 22,Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witchfinally arrives on US shelves. The PlayStation 3 role-playing game is a collaboration between developer Level-5, and animation house Studio Ghibli — two companies that are among the most consistent in their medium in terms of quality. Any joint effort from these two powerhouses demands attention.
I demoedWrath of the White Witchat E3 and came away quite tickled. Jim Sterling certainly had a ball based onour official review. And Dale North… well… he’sDale North. After years of waiting, we should all feel happy and blessed that we are about to get our mitts on such a treasure.
But I’m not happy, guys.
Ni no KuniPS3 may have made the journey overseas, but the DS original remains grounded in Japan. And there is zero reason for that.None.
The originalNi no Kuniwasannouncedway back in 2008. It would benearly two years, mere months before the DS game’s release, before any mention was made of a PS3 version.
Wrath of the White Witchisno mere updateof the DS version, subtitledThe Jet-Black Mage. From what I’ve gathered, both games were developed separately and feature several elements that differ in significant ways, even though the general frameworkis the same.
Even ifMageandWitchwere identical save for the graphics, I still believe there would be strong interest in the former. The large library of quality RPGs on the DS and PSP indicates that the genre has found a cozy home on handheld devices. It’s ironic that a genre infamous for demanding massive time investments would adapt so well to the style of bite-sized gameplay fostered by portable hardware.
Level-5 envisionedNi no Kunias a franchise, thus there is no reason why anyone ought to pictureMageandWitchas anything but complementary experiences. I understand that the big draw ofWitchis how closely the in-game assets resemble the original artwork, but it’s not likeMageis a slouch in the art department either.
It doesn’t end there! In order forGhibli composer Joe Hisaishi’s score to sound as crystal clear as possible,Level-5 opted to use a512 MB game card, the largest of any DS game. “Compromised,”The Jet-Black Mageis not.
More important than graphics and card space is the fact thatNi no Kuniis a major milestone for an animation studio that has historically avoided getting involved with videogames.Ni no Kuniis technically not the first time Ghibli had a hand in a game’s art direction —Magic Pengelon the PS2 holds that distinction — but the level of involvement here is unprecedented. Why would younotwant to experience such an event firsthand?
ButWrath of the White Witchwasannouncedfor the West, whileThe Jet-Black Magewasn’t.
Localization forMagewas definitely considered, butaccording to Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, the big spanner in those plans was the book bundled with every copy of the game. For those unaware, the 352-page Magic Master book is a companion guide that details in-game lore, creatures, and magic runes that can be drawn on the touchscreen to cast spells. This book is a crucial element of the game, and its existence as a physical object was intended to add an extra layer of immersion.
Apparently it was too expensive to translate, and even if it were translated, there would be the issue of printing enough copies for each game and expecting consumers to pay a premium for the bundle. I’m sure Level-5 could have found a decent workaround, but I do understand the cost concerns. Disappointing news, but that’s the way the world turns, right?
By the way,Witchalso requires the use of the Magic Master book, but instead of being a physical object, it’s anin-game itemaccessible from the menu. And oh yeah, US publisher Namco Bandai is selling a limited “Wizard’s Edition” bundle that includes a physical version of the book, now called the Wizard’s Companion.
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
So all that talk about expense and translation hurdles was just bullshit? I’m trying to be as rational as I can, but the only conclusion I can draw is that neither Namco nor Level-5 thoughtNi no Kuniwould have been able to sell on the DS. I don’t see how it wouldn’t unless Namco wasn’t planning on advertising the game at all.
Look, I’m glad thatNi no Kuniis coming out for PS3, but we are still being robbed of delicious Ghibli goodness! There has got to be a way for the DS game to make it out here somehow.
Here’s what to do
The DS is a lame duck. There might be a studio or two still releasing new DS software, but most have moved on to its successor. Therefore Level-5 should portNi no Kuni: The Jet-Black Magedirectly to the 3DS. The team won’t really need to touch it up too much — as you saw in the footage above, its a very beautiful game, I would say even by 3DS standards.
With this platform transition,Magewould benefit from the larger game card capacity — cards at the 3DS’ launch could already hold 2 GB, four times the size of the DS’ largest. I’m going to take an educated guess and assume thatMage‘s card was fairly packed, thereby preventing Level-5 from — oh, I don’t know — including a digital version of the Wizard’s Companion. Because 3DS game cards are much roomier, thealready translatedbook ought to fit in nice and neatly.
There you have it! Players now have in-game access to the book, just as PS3 players do, and they won’t be prevented from casting spells be drawing the runes. And for those who desire the original experience as intended, there could be a 3DS version of the “Wizard’s Edition” as well.
[DS version unboxing by Espelancer]
But what of the argument that a currently two-year-old game from a previous generation platform would be a hard sell no matter the pedigree of the parties behind it? If Namco doesn’t want to play ball, Level-5 should take its business to a progressive company like XSEED, which has recently shown great willingness in taking chances onniche but highly demanded RPGson Nintendo consoles. XSEED has already beenrewardedfor localizingThe Last Story, and evenXenoblade Chronicles, which Nintendo of America itself published two years after its Japanese release, has done “quite well” by the company’s expectations.
IfWrath of the White Witchperforms to Namco’s satisfaction, there ought to be no reason to hold off on localizingThe Jet-Black Mageany longer.But ifWitchdoesnotmeet its goal,Mageshould nonetheless be given a shot for the sake of sharing one of the most beautiful-looking games in recent memory with the rest of the world. We have evidence that low-print software runs can pay off handsomely, just as long as the parties involved keep modest expectations.
I just want some Level-5 / Studio Ghibli magic on the go. Is that so much to ask? Am I asking for the sun and the moon? Am I being naive in regards to the nature of big business?
