PixlBit

Part 3 of 3

Now comes the part where I try to be witty and come up with various theories as to why things are as they are with the release of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. I do have some time on my hands since I have to wait for the game to download TWICE on my 32 GB Deluxe model Wii U. You’d be surprised how many theories one could think up as you watch that download bar slowly inch closer and closer to finishing the download and installs. Some of these theories might be comical, some might be serious. Some might seem logical while others may make no sense. I guess that all depends on the reader and how they perceive them. So get out your thinking caps and tinfoil hats for I’m about to get all Special Agent Fox Mulder on you all!

Theory 1) NoA wants Fatal Frame to die!

They didn’t release the fourth game in the US. They didn’t bother bring the Fatal Frame II Remake here as well despite the fact that Europe was able to get it. Instead they gave us a subpar Fatal Frame-ish game on the 3DS that didn’t do quite so well due to its short playtime, promising but gimmicky use of the 3D and AR functions of the 3DS. Ever since Nintendo bought a share in the ownership of the Fatal Frame franchise, they seemed to be content to leave the series in Japan, as if to keep it from the rest of the world like some older sibling teasing us with a shiny new toy that we can’t play with for some childish reason. Not sure if NoJ is willing to share but it would seem that NoA doesn’t feel like sharing the love that is Fatal Frame either out of pure spit or thinking we westerners can’t handle the sheer terror of what Fatal Frame can offer. So let’ just do the minimum to get the job done. No promos. No advertisement. No physical release. Let’s just give them a digital offering and call it a day. If the fans l revolt, then just let them eat cake. NoA cares for Fatal Frame? HA! That cake is a lie!

Theory 2) NoA’s own push for the digital gaming frontier

There have been cries that the gaming industry has been pushing hard to move to an “all digital” format when it comes to video games. What a wonderful world that would be! No physical inventory, no cost overhead, no middle man! Just have the game accessible on a digital marketplace where it can never sell out or be out of stock. They tried this with the current gaming generation to an extent by trying to make the Xbox One a “constant on” internet connected gaming device that required a verification of ownership of all software even after you bought it over their network. Though they have gone with a go between of having to install the ENTIRE game on the system’s hard drive for both the Xbox One and PS4, they still have yet to achieve total dominance of digital game distribution. Nintendo is of course behind in this digital power grab but they are trying to achieve this in their own way. Instead of trying to go digital all the way, they only choose a few select titles to be given this treatment if only to ensure that an option is wanted for any given franchise it can be done so. They know all too well that the HDD sizes they offered will not be a match for an “all digital” collection but like I said before, they are taking baby steps to test the waters. Baby steps. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water just happened to be the latest test subject. You can see how they are trying this by allowing a “free sample” of the game before you buy the rest. They are literally “cutting the game” in half so that the download and wait times for the game are not as a pain as you’d think if you had to sit for the entire 16 GB download! Here’s “half” the game for free and if you want the rest just buy the other “half”. Tricky!

Theory 3) NoA is watching their profit overhead WAY TOO MUCH.

The charge has been made that releasing games physically isn’t exactly that costly. It does cost some money to get the materials, run the product thru production and distribute it. It’s been the business model for over 30 years? You’d think NoA has this down to a T, including how to cut costs and reduce the overhead spending on any game release they choose. But with Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water they don’t want to take ANY chances. And by any I mean NONE WHATSOEVER! They’ve crunched the numbers, they’ve seen the projections, they’ve gazed into the gaming economic crystal ball, they’ve shaken the magic 8 ball of gaming releases and for some reason they are seeing sounds and hearing colors that don’t quite give them enough confidence that the game will sell “well enough” for their lofty prognostications that they don’t dare try to go thru the trouble in trying to release this game in the US. Fatal Frame has been missing in the US market for almost 10 years? Who’s to say that old skool survival horror won’t “survive”? They’ve seen how Resident Evil and Silent Hill have evolved, unlike what is known of Fatal Frame thus far. To them it would seem that selling it via the digital route would be far more cost effect on their end to ensure a proper return with minimal risk. It’s nothing personal, it’s just economics!

Theory 4) Koei Tecmo is unsure of the Fatal Frame fan base.

Originally it was just Tecmo that was working on and releasing Fatal Frame here in the US. But now that KOEI Tecmo is the new partner parent company, perhaps they have different ideas as to what niche titles they want to release here in the US. They’ll go with multiple versions of Deception on multiple consoles but perhaps they are getting cold feel in how to handle Fatal Frame since they are the new parent company. Perhaps they don’t have the right people/influence to push the game for a wider market. It was Koei Tecmo of Japan that originally stated that they had no plans to release the game outside of Japan. Are they just as scared as NoA that the game has been gone for too long and afraid to try to cash in on the game’s past glories? Are they scared to try a direct release in seeing what became of the fourth game, or worse, how the game may not have sold well enough in Europe to make them feel comfortable on releasing Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water?

Theory 5) NoA is just “trollin” Fatal Frame fans.

Fatal Frame fans are just the latest consumer base to feel the sting of NoA’s unwillingness to “bend to their will” and give the gamers what they want. They did it to Earthbound fans for years. More so with Fire Emblem fans before them. JRPG fans almost got the same treatment when it came to The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower and Xenoblade Chronicles. Though it would seem that NoA did learn those lessons thanks in part to Operation Rainfall and seeing how they are pushing hard Xenoblade X and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, they just don’t want to look like they are caving yet again to a social media blitz and would rather just “troll” that “niche” group of gamers as if they are nothing more than mindless drones. So you want the game? Says NoA, fine! We’ll give you the game. What? You wanted it physically? You didn’t’ specify you wanted a physical release? Oh what’s that? You don’t like us taking out “questionable” material? We didn’t think you’d mind not being able to wear bikinis and lingerie. But here, take these Nintendo related outfits like we did with Bayonetta 2. I’m sure you’ll love them. LOL.
and I’m sure they’ll have a line all set if the game doesn’t sell well enough as a digital release. Oh I guess you guys don’t want the game bad enough. Too bad. We tried…LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL….

Theory 6) This is marketing GENIUS on NoA’s part!

Okay forget for a moment the previously mentioned theories. What if, and I mean what if, NoA planned for this to happen all along! What if NoA has every intention of giving the full packing to Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water BUT if only certain conditions are met to make them want to go forward. Yes! We will give the US Fatal Frame after a 10 year hiatus BUT let’s let the fans PROVE THEY WANT IT. The only proof I can offer of this in how NoA handled the release of NES Remix. Originally it was a digital only release but upon seeing how well the game did, and the consumer response to the game, did they decided to re-release the game as a physical release. Who’s to say Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water will get the same treatment? If enough people buy the game, if enough people make enough fuss about the game, if enough people try to share, tweet, blog, repost, Instagram, facebook or just even call NoA’s customer support line about the game, they can gauge the reactions to the game as it unfolds. Why spend money on advertising when the fans are more than will to stir the pot and get the game’s name out there again. NoA wants to see if Fatal Frame still holds relevance in not just the community but with all gamers as a whole! Let’s stir the pot a little says NoA, by creating small, subtle announcements to string along the fan base. April 1^st Nintendo Direct. “Spoopy Trailer”. Goodbye skimpy costumes? Suggestion getting an external HDD since you will probably need one anyway given all the great content coming to the eShop in the coming years? Sure it feels too much like being prodded into a general direction, being shown the stick before we get the carrot. But seeing all the social media fervor about the game could possibly be it, and NoA’s, cash cow! We are not mindless drones to NoA. We are their puppets!

Theory banana)

 

Aliens.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a game to try out.

 

It’s time…..

Ta-ta

“N”

Bonus video!

In this episode of “Camera Obscura” Clara visit’s her friend Chad after he’s failed to answer her phone calls. Enjoy!

Sleep well tonight….