GoW2 In Japan

posted by 3Suns

Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 03:15:08 PM EST

I went to my local electronics store to pre-order a copy of Gears (hoping that like the first game, it would have both English and Japanese on the disc - almost willing to risk it if it didn't.)

It took the lady about 15 minutes to find it on her ordering computer.  Guess where she found it?  On the xbox.com page, it wasn't even in the stores catalog computer.  Apparently, it has been "announced" but there is no release date for it.  So, I was disappointed.  I was hoping that this would be my chance at getting the game on Re-Emergence day, with all the rest of the world.  No dice.

The story isn't over.  As I am walking out of the store, I notice the XBOX360 2008 Autumn Catalog (Take Me I'M Free).  So, I thought, this is great!  At least maybe I can get some info out of the promotional literature.  Guess what?  Gears of War 2 is not listed ANYWHERE in the book.  NOWHERE!  Not even in the back index.  They have games ranging from Too Human (old), Infinite Undiscovery (released a couple of weeks ago), to Star Ocean (2009).  Even Gears of War the original is listed in there, but no Gears of War 2.  It is the autumn catalog, for crying out loud!!  Microsoft, pull your head out of "there".

I guess Japan is just SOL.

Anyway, it just made me all the more pleased that I pre-ordered 2 of those puppies from Play-Asia (one through a friend because play-asia will only sell one per customer).  Makes me just want to buy from them always, regardless of what deals any store here may offer in the future.


Tags: Japan, pre-orders, release dates, availability (all tags)

Comments Disabled | 17 comments

  •  that is so stupid (none / 0)

    The biggest game of the year, and nothing in Japan.

    As far as Japan goes, where are you at Suns?  A majority of my family is Japanese, and I have always been interested in the culture.  What is it like there?  I have always wanted to go, just don't have the cash.  Maybe I will take my daughter someday.

    Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell

    by dongcopter on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 03:25:22 PM EST

  •  Ha! Ridiculas! (none / 0)

    I'm sure they must have a plan....right? I mean they've actually gained a very small foothold in Japan so you would think they would want to do everything possible to keep it, right?

    Regardless of the fact that Gears isn't the typical million copy seller in Japan that it is in the U.S., you would still think they would put some effort in making it available....

    "As for FFF we'll see how my social life unfolds that night. Which basically means i'll be gaming lol" -Boxin

    by SweetTea023 on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 03:29:39 PM EST

  •  Maybe... (none / 0)

    If they put big doe eyes on Marcus or included a bukaki type execution in multiplayer :)

    by Razor Hanzo on Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 06:06:37 PM EST

  •  i couldn't believe this when you told me suns (none / 0)

    Not all who wander are lost

    by Zoso Fan on Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 04:13:35 AM EST

  •  This sounds very suspicious, Suns. (none / 0)

    I really don't think that this is a misprint from MS at all.  Now that the 360 is starting to gain some momentum in the land of the Rising Sun, perhaps MS doesn't want an extreme rating (NC-17 or whatever Asia's rating system's equivalence is).  Everyone knows that 'Adults Only'-ratings are essentially the "kiss of death."  The last thing that MS needs right now is negative publicity linked to their console and their newly published hit of this holiday season- Gears of War 2.

    Here's another take that may be a reason why I think the Japanese Games ratings board might be keeping Gears 2 out of Japan; it's the fact that XBL is not all that friendly of a gaming environment.  The first Gears was localized for Asia.  There was no doubt that a lot of Japanese players that owned the 360 jumped onto XBL to grab a few games.  Back when I used to hop into a ranked game once in a great while, you could cut the racism and prejudice against "foreigners" and gamers alike with a knife.  I hate generalizations, but anyone hopping onto an XBL-game can attest that these aberrations exist on a regular basis.  Perhaps the Japanese games industry wants to keep that kind of element out of Japan?  Take that garbage elsewhere.  I doubt that it's the extreme graphical content that's left what will be one of the biggest games this holiday season from Japan's 360 catalog.  Have you seen trailers of the upcoming Wii game, Madworld?  That's very graphic, but no more than the content in Gears 2!  Another example is the upcoming Capcom game, Resident Evil 5, is that content milder than Gears 2?  Hmmm, I smell a rat...

    Friends don't let friends two-piece.

    by Blankman on Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 11:35:34 PM EST

    •  Awesome post. Great insights, Blank. (none / 0)

      Famitsu is openly, and unabashedly biased in their review of games.

      I have no doubt in my mind, that if they felt so inclined, the Japanese rating board would without any qualms, rate one violent game "Adult Only" while rating another with comparable violence only "Mature". If, indeed, Gears of War 2 is actually shut out for rating reasons, it would be staggeringly hypocritical.

      As for the racism angle, that would explain why Sony has chosen to "regionalize" HOME.  Something that runs contrary to the fundamental nature of that kind of service (and the primary reason I lost ALL interest in that platform).

      One last thing, Blankman, your signature KILLS ME!!  

      Bwahahahahaahahaha

      by 3Suns on Sun Oct 19, 2008 at 08:20:51 PM EST

      [ Parent ]

  •  ESuns... (none / 0)

    Bad news.

    It is indeed barred from Japan.

    http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=...

    http://tyrus-onthepath.blogspot.com/

    by tyrus on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 11:21:48 AM EST

Comments Disabled | 17 comments