Fatal Frame Wii U - Digital Only - Are you buying it?

Mattiful-Joe

Mattiful-Joe

Henshin a go-go, baby!
http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/08/25/fatal-frame-wii-u-is-an-eshop-exclusive

Really disappointed that Nintendo is not releasing a physical copy of this game for North America.  It was one of THE games that I was looking forward to this year, but I'm just NOT interested in downloading a 16GB game on my harddrive.  That, and I'm one of those who likes to OWN his game in a retail package.  

So anyone here going to pass on Fatal Frame because it's e-shop only?  

I think NOA's move is beyond obtuse.  I understand if Fatal Frame may not necessarily have the huge sales numbers, but games like this go a long way in demonstrating that your console has a wider breadth for a library than Mario and Zelda. 

Fatal Frame being a Wii U exclusive, Nintendo could have pushed this like they did Bayonetta 2.  There's no reason to make the former e-shop exclusive and hand the second a retail release, especially since I'd venture to guess that the audience for both games has a wide crossover.  

I hope Nintendo changes its mind, and offers the game for a limited physical release.  Anyone interested in starting a petition?   I'd totally sign it and I think a lot of others might too.

Nintendo lost my purchase on this one.  I was planning to preorder.  As a long-time Nintendo gamer (I've had every home console since the NES), I'm growing more and more frustrated by how Nintendo is handling this generation.  Yes, the Wii U has some decent games, but moves like this really reinforce Nintendo's inability to broaden its thinking beyond just its "kiddie" and family friendly titles.  

It really does seem Nintendo is more interested in selling plastic figures this go-around than make its games as appealing for buyers as possible.  When you have SO FEW games, the least you can do is make it available in retail form for your customers who've stuck by your console despite the fact that its release schedule is drier than the Sahara Desert ...

If anyone from Nintendo reads this, then PLEASE reconsider the e-shop exclusive release.  You're dooming the game pre-release.  It will sell terribly.

Thoughts?

 
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The motivating factor is probably that they don't believe it will sell well over here, and quite frankly, it probably won't. I haven't looked at any statistics or anything but I'm imagining a good bulk of the Wii U user base are still kids under the age of 12 or so and they aren't going to get this game. 

Nintendo is known for "low-stock" tactics (Amiibo anyone?) to drive it's market decisions. The response to Fatal Frame would probably need to be a home run knockout for them to reconsider releasing a physical copy. Not saying I agree with all of this, but it seems to be the MO as of late.

I'm not totally against the idea of digital downloads, but at just 32GB for the deluxe kit, the WiiU is way behind the PS4 and XB1 in terms of space. Granted, it's games don't all install and eat up the entire drive anyway like the XB1 does, but on the same token I don't think it's very great to release a 16GB game as digital only knowing that the largest WiiU out there is only 32GB without assistance from external drives or memory cards. 

Just my two cents. 

 
My sentimet is pretty much the same.  I was excited to hear that was getting US release, but this just takes all the wind out of the sail.  The only time I buy digital on consoles is when it's the only option.  I'm actually one of those who go out of the way to import some titles simply because they have a psychical release somewhere else, but given the Wii U is region locked that isn't a option here(Thanks NOA).  Still with digital for consoles even then when it is the only option, I only get titles that are a couple of bucks in price never a full $50.

Not only have they lost a sale with me on this, but a day 1/non-used sale.

 
Wii U is the only console where I avoid digital purchases.  I'm all for digital on PS4, given the stock 500 GB hard drive and the ability to remote play games when I'm hundreds of miles away from the console without worrying about switching discs.  But with the Wii U's lack of remote play and tiny 32 GB hard drive, I try hard to avoid digital purchases there.

This is a tough one.  Fatal Frame is a great series, but taking up 16 GB of hard drive space on the Wii U, which barely has any storage space to begin with... eesh.  Then again, as little as I play my Wii U, taking up half of the hard drive probably isn't going to end up being a big deal, anyway.  So I'll probably end up buying it sometime.

 
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Start the petition and I'll sign. I will only buy physical, and that also means fewer people will take a chance on the game since they're locked into the $50 purchase price with no recourse if they don't enjoy it.

 
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No way i pay $50 for digital version but i'll if it physical version. Nintendo can easy print 5k or 10k copies for hardcore Nintendo fans but Big N sure hate $$$$$$$$$$.
 
[quote name="soonersfan60" post="12883424" timestamp="1440477069"]Start the petition and I'll sign. I will only buy physical, and that also means fewer people will take a chance on the game since they're locked into the $50 purchase price with no recourse if they don't enjoy it.[/quote]

I'd sign too (for whatever good that would do) but it should be noted that the first couple of chapters are F2P. Just shows the kind of faith they have in it selling over here.

I'll download the demo and check it out. Paired with eshop credit sales, I may take the plunge, but they are missing out on a day 1 physical retail purchase from me.
 
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I find in my old age, I don't like dystopic, negative games. I like things that are bright and cheerful like Mario. Just my two cents.

 
If I were interested in the game, I'd be on-board and grateful it was coming out at all. However, I am not interested, and I think that's why they are going with a digital release. They never made much money with Fatal Frame, and I believe they actually lost some money with one or more of the releases. However, with a digital, bare bones release, they can at least break even.

That is, they can, if the fans will support the game. If everyone refuses to buy it because they need a physical disc, then I guess you guys can guarantee you'll never see Fatal Frame outside of Japan again.
 
Yeah, Gamestop with Xenoblade and Metroid Prime Trilogy is what came to my mind hearing about Fatal Frame's digital only release.

A limited physical release would just cause people to hoard and try to flip copies.  I'm glad there is a digital version coming at the very least.

Although, I might hold out for a more definitive edition coming to PS4 and XB1.  Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube comes to mind.

 
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I understand why some folks will not purchase this game only digital but pending the reviews, I will support this M rated title just to show Nintendo games like this matter and we need more like them (digital or physical.)

 
Better than nothing but at $50 or $60 I'm wary of digital only games. $15 or even $20, if I lose access to it down the road, oh well. But not for that cost. Gimme a sale and we'll talk.
 
Late to post, sad but not that surprising of news.  There was little talk and fanfare of this at E3, if they were going physical it would of been pushed.

I was on the fence before when I thought it would of been physical, but I'm in the same boat as johnnypark, I don't like buying $50-60 digital titles.

 
Jesse_Dylan said:
If I were interested in the game, I'd be on-board and grateful it was coming out at all. However, I am not interested, and I think that's why they are going with a digital release. They never made much money with Fatal Frame, and I believe they actually lost some money with one or more of the releases. However, with a digital, bare bones release, they can at least break even.

That is, they can, if the fans will support the game. If everyone refuses to buy it because they need a physical disc, then I guess you guys can guarantee you'll never see Fatal Frame outside of Japan again.
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Umm ... that second sentence is one of the most pretentious lines I've ever read. Next time do some research; it's amazing the kind of misinformation there is about the alleged "lack of enthusiasm" about the FF games. First, the FF series was very popular during the Ps2 and Xbox eras; the game got a trilogy on the PS2, and the first two even got directors curs on the Xbox. The game amassed such a cult following that the PS2 games were reprinted courtesy of GameStop and Tecmo.

If anyone is to blame for the series' recent stumbles in sales, it's Nintendo. After Nintendo bought the publishing rights, it's done just about everything it can to RUIN the popularity of this franchise by limiting its distribution and doing next to no advertising for it. Despite an outcry from the franchise's fans, Nintendo never localized FF4. that didn't stop a dedicated homebrew community from localizing it on its own, even supplying actors who translated and recorded all the audio. Seriously, if THAT doesn't show a company how dedicated a fanbase you have, I don't know what can.

I mean, we're talking about a game that was SO popular that Spielberg at one point wanted to make a movie out of it. Spielberg!? The FF series is one of the most quintessentially Japanese horror games out there and that Nintendo has it should be a willfully touted before Sony and MS fanboys to demonstrate the Big N does have quality mature games.

But does NOA do that? Nope. Instead of releasing this game, which would do SO MUCH more to brand Nintendo as a company that cares about bringing over good cult titles as much as Mario fanfare, it's going to instead retail publish Devil's Third, a completely stupid game that wears it m rated title for ALL the wrong reasons.

Way to f%$# this up, Nintendo of America. Good news is you have PLENTY of time to fix it. You went out of your way to fund Bayonetta 2 and I am grateful. You saw what Xenoblade could do only because your loyal gamers told you and showed you that it was a game worth caring about.

Now we're telling you that Fatal Frame deserves the retail treatment. It's a solid franchise with a huge cult fanbase that just needs to be reminded that the game lives on your system. GIVE US A RETAIL PHYSICAL RELEASE!

 
romeogbs19 said:
Umm ... that second sentence is one of the most pretentious lines I've ever read. Next time do some research; it's amazing the kind of misinformation there is about the alleged "lack of enthusiasm" about the FF games. First, the FF series was very popular during the Ps2 and Xbox eras; the game got a trilogy on the PS2, and the first two even got directors curs on the Xbox. The game amassed such a cult following that the PS2 games were reprinted courtesy of GameStop and Tecmo.

If anyone is to blame for the series' recent stumbles in sales, it's Nintendo. After Nintendo bought the publishing rights, it's done just about everything it can to RUIN the popularity of this franchise by limiting its distribution and doing next to no advertising for it. Despite an outcry from the franchise's fans, Nintendo never localized FF4. that didn't stop a dedicated homebrew community from localizing it on its own, even supplying actors who translated and recorded all the audio. Seriously, if THAT doesn't show a company how dedicated a fanbase you have, I don't know what can.

I mean, we're talking about a game that was SO popular that Spielberg at one point wanted to make a movie out of it. Spielberg!? The FF series is one of the most quintessentially Japanese horror games out there and that Nintendo has it should be a willfully touted before Sony and MS fanboys to demonstrate the Big N does have quality mature games.

But does NOA do that? Nope. Instead of releasing this game, which would do SO MUCH more to brand Nintendo as a company that cares about bringing over good cult titles as much as Mario fanfare, it's going to instead retail publish Devil's Third, a completely stupid game that wears it m rated title for ALL the wrong reasons.

Way to f%$# this up, Nintendo of America. Good news is you have PLENTY of time to fix it. You went out of your way to fund Bayonetta 2 and I am grateful. You saw what Xenoblade could do only because your loyal gamers told you and showed you that it was a game worth caring about.

Now we're telling you that Fatal Frame deserves the retail treatment. It's a solid franchise with a huge cult fanbase that just needs to be reminded that the game lives on your system. GIVE US A RETAIL PHYSICAL RELEASE!
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Well, sorry to be apparently pretentious. Frankly, there are a ton of games I would love to see in English, and if they got digital releases, I'd be over the moon. I still think you should be thrilled you're getting this at all.

In the end, these are business ventures. Tecmo didn't want to risk it, or didn't think it was worth putting in the time/money (it's possible the real reason is the relatively small Wii U install base); Nintendo has stepped in, which is also pretty cool. Again, I wish they'd do that for some of the games I have on my radar that I want in English and will probably never get.

If I am pretentious, then I think you are... --uh oh... gonna use one of my most hated buzzwords...-- entitled.

You are your own barrier here. I think you should support the game.

 
UndyingForce said:
I believe strongly in this. Fans refusing to purchase the digital only copy are only ensuring the franchise's demise.
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Agree to disagree. I understand your point, but I'm not about to be bullied by Nintendo to buy a digital game. I'm not an advocate for the digital downloads because I don't effectively own the game and are relying on an online service that may or may not exist in the future. When games go fully digital (and I anticipate that it'll happen whether I'm for it or not), I'm done with videogames. Period.

We're not there yet, however (probably almost there next gen). Nintendo is doing this now because it's trying to squeeze profits and eliminate the retail "middle man," but it's doing it for a game franchise that could SERIOUSLY use retail exposure and it's also doing it on a system that is simply not built for massive downloads. When your biggest console HD size is only 32GB, it's just not a consumer-friendly option, and no, Wii U doesn't have the games to justify a separate HD. I think any reasonable person here will agree that the vast majority of Wii U players don't have a separate HD connected with their consoles, nor will they buy one for the sake of this game.

As an e-shop only title, Fatal Frame is doomed to poor sales and the small cult that bothers isn't going to change anything. It's not like NOA is doing anything to promote it, and I'm very doubtful they will.

Come on, Gamestop, Xseed, NIS - I do think someone else WILL publish it.

 
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anotherpoorgamer said:
Yeah, Gamestop with Xenoblade and Metroid Prime Trilogy is what came to my mind hearing about Fatal Frame's digital only release.

A limited physical release would just cause people to hoard and try to flip copies. I'm glad there is a digital version coming at the very least.

Although, I might hold out for a more definitive edition coming to PS4 and XB1. Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube comes to mind.
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Don't hold your breath for PS4 and Xbone. Nintendo owns the IP.

 
If they weren't so crazy about region locking then at least you could import it. The Wii was so easy to make region free that tons of people imported Xenoblade ahead of its NA announcement.
 
So it seems Nintendo is interested in hearing from its gamers if they want a physical release. Operation Rainfall is now engaged, and Nintendo is taking feedback.

If you're at all interested in getting a physical copy, please do your part and send NOA an email or call them and let them know you want a physical release.

Frankly, there's no reason anyone should be against this. As a customer, we should not be content with getting less.

Below is the link to the Operation Rainfall hub. I sent an email to NOA and got an email back today ensuring me that Nintendo was listening and would reconsider its decision. The Rep even wrote that he too would prefer a physical copy.

http://operationrainfall.com/2015/08/26/campaign-hub-operation-zero-for-physical-edition-of-fatal-frame-v/
 
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romeogbs19 said:
I'm not about to be bullied by Nintendo to buy a digital game.
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I don't think bullied is the right word. Nintendo just made a business decision that could minimize potential losses on a franchise that may not be as popular as it once was (even if it was Nintendo's fault.)

It has taken me a long time to come to grips with a digital world. I have embraced it with movies/tv (netflix) and am struggling with music. I still purchase CDs but made my first digital album purchase when D'Angelo released his latest effort. I can't say I will turn my back on music when it goes all digital. I'm just doing my best to move with the times (I feel so old typing this!)

 
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UndyingForce said:
I don't think bullied is the right word. Nintendo just made a business decision that could minimize potential losses on a franchise that may not be as popular as it once was (even if it was Nintendo's fault.)

It has taken me a long time to come to grips with a digital world. I have embraced it with movies/tv (netflix) and am struggling with music. I still purchase CDs but made my first digital album purchase when D'Angelo released his latest effort. I can't say I will turn my back on music when it goes all digital. I'm just doing my best to move with the times (I feel so old typing this!)
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On the bright side, it has nearly eliminating my physical hoarding habits. I can no longer hoard video games, CDs, or books. What else is there left to hoard?

Also: ...D'Angelo?

 
Hadn't heard about this BS until I read this thread. I loved what I saw during E3 Treehouse live, but I won't be supporting this stupid move. What a shame...and of course, Europe gets a nice LE bundle to boot.
 
Luckily the first few chapters are going to be free. I'm probably going to wait for a sale. I probably wouldn't mind it much if the Wii U was region free, but alas...

 
UndyingForce said:
I don't think bullied is the right word. Nintendo just made a business decision that could minimize potential losses on a franchise that may not be as popular as it once was (even if it was Nintendo's fault.)

It has taken me a long time to come to grips with a digital world. I have embraced it with movies/tv (netflix) and am struggling with music. I still purchase CDs but made my first digital album purchase when D'Angelo released his latest effort. I can't say I will turn my back on music when it goes all digital. I'm just doing my best to move with the times (I feel so old typing this!)
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Not disagreeing with you in any way; of course, it is a business decision. I'm free, as a customer, to not buy it, and well, IMHO, I think it is a very poor business decision for a game company that seems over-reliant nowadays on fleecing customer nostalgia and merchandising byproducts than making videogames or even making deals to get games on their floundering home console. At least during the Gamecube era, Nintendo made efforts to bring games (Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe, Metal Gear) to their system and ultimately, to their console supporters.

This go-around, they seem hardly concerned with what their doing to their core base (an endless parade of rather insignificant amiibos, and a trickle of first-party software with little to nothing from other publishers). One would think the least they could do is try and diversify their own titles by making them available in as many forms as possible.

Part of the reason the Fatal Frame series has barely registered is undeniably because Nintendo hasn't done much to promote the series since it became a co-owner a few years ago. Admittedly, had NOA brought over Fatal Frame 4 during the Wii generation, this game probably would warrant at least as much attention as Xenoblade, another franchise NOA had zero faith in until fans clamored for its release stateside. Had Operation Rainfall not convinced NOA to bring Xenoblade over, it's doubtful Xenoblade would be getting the treatment it's receiving now in an LE Bundle.

A 16GB digital download is a rather big slap in the face to the Wii U faithful. Sure, it may be a better business decision now, but Sega did things like this with the Sega CD, and it cost them dearly when Dreamcast hit (i.e. a lot of their core users left them). Unlike the last few Nintendo "down" consoles, this time feels different. It feels significantly more problematic. And decisions like this on a console that is clearly losing ground (despite a library filled with some great games) only adds fuel to the fire.

Anyways, sorry for the ramble. As for digital, I suppose I place games in a different category than movies and music - at least for now, and that is the sole fact that games are optimized to a home console. Movies and music, on the other hand, are not tethered to any individual piece of hardware, and for that reason, are essentially the same experience no matter when/how you "play" them. Die Hard 2 is going to be the same movie whether I watch it now or years later. And frankly, in terms of accessibility, too, it's an easy find.

Videogames, in comparison, and again, at least for now, are far more limited affairs, meaning they are made to be experienced on the console they are made for, and as we often find, they are not printed, reprinted, and made so widely available as movies and music because their consoles are technologically restrained, and must eventually be replaced with another, and as we are finding, most companies it seems no longer are that interested in making backwards compatibility matter.

The fact, however, that backwards compatibility is not so easy illustrates why videogames for now remain different. Easy accessibility to some titles still does appear to be within a more defined window, and coupled with the fact that online accounts ultimately are in the hands of corporations that, no matter how large or customer-friendly now, can turn off access on a moment's notice, means that "ownership" of any game that is not directly in your hands is anything but certain to be available in the future.

This matters for collectors. This also matters to customers who are increasingly finding less and less time to play, but want to make sure they can own and have the experience to enjoy it later. I'm presuming a lot of users here have at least some sort of a backlog. A physical release ensures that we'll have a shot to play this years later. A digital release means we may or may not.

One thing is usually certain - games become harder and harder to find, and some, almost impossible because it's not worth the time/effort for others to sell them. Systems generally are always available and usually go down in cost, not up. Online accounts to a console? Only time will tell, but there is nothing right now that states a company must by law forever maintain/make accessible a user's purchases.

In the end, physical ownership of a game is the closest thing you have to knowing you can play it anytime.

 
I'm getting the physical version since I'm in Europe. It's very unfortunate that the physical version isn't coming to the US, and I know how frustrating that is since a lot of things don't reach Europe. Of course, if there wasn't region locking, then this would be less of an issue.

 
I'm pretty indifferent. I could not care less about it being a digital only release, and I like that it's free to start out and see if you like the game.  A physical release wouldn't be the smartest move from a business standpoint because Fatal Frame, nor the Wii U itself have a strong enough following to profit from this title. It was different on a PlayStation platform because of the user base that Sony had, and unfortunately the Wii U just can't match that.

 
So I gave this a whirl. It's not bad at all, definitely plays like the older fatal frame games.

The censorship of certain outfits and a certain scene bothers me, but the bonus Ayane chapter is supposedly still there.

The trial/demo is lengthy enough for you to get a feel of how good the game is going to be and what not.

I think I'll wait for a sale or for Nintendo to change their mind and press a few disc copies.

Really sad that Devils Third is getting a disc release and not this. While this wouldn't exactly light the world on fire, I see no reason XSeed couldn't team up with Nintendo to get a limited run of discs out there to boast the Wii U's exclusive lineup. All that's left is this, Mario Tennis, Devil's Third and Xenoblade X.

 
Can't believe I missed this, going to give the free chapters a try soon but yeah, would prefer a physical version too especially considering the storage limitations of the WiiU...

 
My physical edition arrived yesterday. The goodies in the book all look great, especially the art book. Hopefully I'll like the game when I try it later.

 
Very excited that Limited Run Games seems to be trying to get Fatal Frame 5 on Wii U.  I will totally buy it!

 
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