+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted December 16, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted December 16, 2009 Japan is mental. Absolutely bloody mental. Whether it's their alcohol vending machines, tins of coffee or mental hospital themed restaurants (seriously..) they're completely and utterly off their rocker. Today however, I found out exactly how crazy Japan can really go over something. They're going wild for Final Fantasy XIII. Walking around Akihabara, Tokyo's capital for all things games, anime and porn (it really doesn't help with stereotypes when all three sit on the same shelf..), you literally can't turn away from it. Every screen is playing it and every shop is promoting it. Even those which don't have a single other game within their walls will be selling the title come tomorrow morning. I have never seen anything like it. Currently where I'm staying is quite a bit out of the way. I wouldn't say I'm in the sticks, but it's far enough away that I wouldn't expect that the Final Fantasy marketing assault would be able to invade my life. Though even yesterday, whilst I tried (and failed) to communicate with the poor woman serving me at the local convenience store I noticed it playing on the screen alongside my total price. Whether this is Square or Sony that are pushing it, I don't know, but the west needs to take note for next time they want to sell a game. I don't even want to think about how many copies of other games could have been sold with even half of this marketing campaign. Because let's be honest, we all have at least one title in our collection that we wish had seen better sales. Just to show you the scale of what's going on over here, I've taken a few photos, and just to give you a clear idea of how widespread this is, only 2 of the following photos were taken under the same roof. If you excuse me though, I'll be off for a bit of sleep. I'm up early tomorrow! I have some queueing to do.. Source: http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/12/16/jap...l-fantasy-xiii/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xilo Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I wonder what the lines were like. Oftentimes you'll see pictures of people lining up for blocks for some game releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WastedJoker Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I am looking forward to pictures of japanese schoolgirls dressed up like characters from the game. Purely from an artistic perspective, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neufuse Veteran Posted December 16, 2009 Veteran Share Posted December 16, 2009 every time I see a picture of a market place in Japan it just seems so bright with florescent lights but then yet has dark spots... and seems SOOO cramped just like their websites... http://www.sofmap.com/ comon, talk about cluttered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
changturkey Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 When is this supposed to hit North America? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sin-ergy Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 When is this supposed to hit North America? march Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted December 18, 2009 Member Share Posted December 18, 2009 Do you think it will be that popular here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azusa Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I am looking forward to pictures of japanese schoolgirls dressed up like characters from the game.Purely from an artistic perspective, of course. What we might get... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerxes Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Do you think it will be that popular here? Doubt it, Japan often take these things to a whole new level and other countries dare not follow :p still it'll be making waves in the west for sure :) I'll be getting it and between this, GT5 and ME2 I'm set for gaming nirvana! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackdoom Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Gotta love Japan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Lyle Global Moderator Posted December 18, 2009 Global Moderator Share Posted December 18, 2009 I don't think this game will break records in the US/Canada. I know I already have it on pre-order :) march 13! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey B. Veteran Posted December 18, 2009 Veteran Share Posted December 18, 2009 anyone know if they leaked the intro vid yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted December 18, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted December 18, 2009 anyone know if they leaked the intro vid yet? The first 10 minutes of the game is online, can't remember where I seen it again, a fairly big news site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azusa Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 First cracked copy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey B. Veteran Posted December 18, 2009 Veteran Share Posted December 18, 2009 wow that has to suck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azusa Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 hmmm stringy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted December 18, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted December 18, 2009 1 million sales day 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dick Montage Subscriber² Posted December 18, 2009 Subscriber² Share Posted December 18, 2009 I love how totally bat**** crazy some cultures can seem to outsiders! Japan especially - it's mental but in a really fun way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason S. Global Moderator Posted December 18, 2009 Global Moderator Share Posted December 18, 2009 I love how totally bat**** crazy some cultures can seem to outsiders! Japan especially - it's mental but in a really fun way! Japan to me = sensory overload you know in those anime shows where the characters eyes get really huge, watery and black w/ the little !! coming out of them... that'd be me in Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protocol7 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 That's not Japan, that's just Akiba. They go mad about everything there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corris Veteran Posted December 18, 2009 Veteran Share Posted December 18, 2009 hmmm stringy. OMG, that is so lame. I know it was said that there was no backtracking or visiting previous towns etc. but I thought it wasn't true. But if this map is right, and it is indeed just one long essentially straight game, no going back or doing bits and bobs, let alone that there are no towns, personally I can't say I'm going to be too much of a fan. Seems like they've tried to dumb it down. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Audioboxer Subscriber² Posted December 18, 2009 Author Subscriber² Share Posted December 18, 2009 OMG, that is so lame.I know it was said that there was no backtracking or visiting previous towns etc. but I thought it wasn't true. But if this map is right, and it is indeed just one long essentially straight game, no going back or doing bits and bobs, let alone that there are no towns, personally I can't say I'm going to be too much of a fan. Seems like they've tried to dumb it down. :( Dumbing it down for that damn Xbox crowd :( No but seriously that's a pile of ass if true, I love having openess, especially in FF12 where you accidentally wondered into an area with enemies much higher than you and got your ass handed to you :p Here's hoping they don't do that with FF13 Versus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WastedJoker Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 One of the best things about most FF games was that you'd encounter a WTFBBQ!!!111 enemy who would totally own you or an area you couldn't access until X was achieved (like the ship level in VII or the Omega bosses) but later on you could come back with the right spell/level of XP and kick its ass. If it's linear it means the challenge is pretty much going to be linear and therefore always achievable :( How will they fit in the Omega if you can't go back to new challenges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corris Veteran Posted December 18, 2009 Veteran Share Posted December 18, 2009 One of the best things about most FF games was that you'd encounter a WTFBBQ!!!111 enemy who would totally own you or an area you couldn't access until X was achieved (like the ship level in VII or the Omega bosses) but later on you could come back with the right spell/level of XP and kick its ass. If it's linear it means the challenge is pretty much going to be linear and therefore always achievable :( How will they fit in the Omega if you can't go back to new challenges? Maybe you can go back, or maybe these challenges are just off the main path as you go, so if you miss them you can't go back? Guess we'll have to wait for people who have the game to go over these sorta things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soniqstylz Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Yeah, usually there was a point in the game, maybe right before you went into the final boss level, where it was basically open-world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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