How lame

http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2005/10/24-99

very lame, but I'll be picking it up regardless

Glad its at least getting a US release, but it still sucks that NOA has such little confidence in something truely creative.

Let's be honest guys, its a neat "game", but it won't sell in the US. I would personally prefer if it was available in the retail stores, but I don't blame Nintendo for recognizing the market stateside.

Can't get the link at work. Where on-line will it be available and when?

As mentioned in the DS thread by some smart DVDtalker, January 9th it is available. You can also by it at the Nintendo store in NY.

I'm just happy that it's getting a US release!!!

Am I the only one worried that a game like this can only be bought online but you can walk into a store and find literally dozens of Rugrats, Spongebob and Spider-Men games? I just have this sinking feeling that I'm going to need to work on my Japanese a LOT harder than I have been in the next couple of years if I'm going to be able to play any of the games I like for the next generation.

No, not really.

A quick glance at the DS rack at your local EB/Gamestop will reveal two Spider-Man games, yes (although no Rugrats or Spongebob games in sight, do they even still make Rugrat games ), but you also have Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Feel the Magic XX/XY, Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Lost in Blue, Trace Memory, Trauma Center: Under the Knife, and Nintendogs. Most of those games wouldn't have even been considered for a US release a generation or two ago. In fact, in the case of Phoenix Wright and Advance Wars, they had been passed over in generations passed.

And that's just on the DS. What about Digital Devil Saga and Shin Megami Tensi: Nocture on the PS2? What about Ikaruga and the upcoming Yoot Saito's Odama on the GameCube? If anything, it seems like the gap between the US and Japan game markets is getting more an more narrow, and the fact that Electroplankton is even getting a US release at all seems proof of that. So chin up! Things aren't that bad.

Ill be buying it, but it does seem like an odd thing to do. But, I have to wonder how in demand this game would be here anyway, so I doubt Nintendo will lose out on too many sales.

You know if anything this may help it sell better. You can't pass the game buy thinking you can grab it on clearance later. By making the game kind of hard to get it may make more people go and and buy it when released. I hope they at least promote the game and try to entice people to take a chance on a very cool experience.

Interesting plan to distribute this title. I've been wanting to try it.

But I can see where pixy is coming from, it's a trend i've been seeing happening over the past year, these types of unique games are becoming the minority. Most companies are too afraid to take the risk. The DS is one of the last platforms to truly exemplify and host many games that are original and unique. There will always be those games on home consoles like PS2 and GC, but the ratio will get much smaller.

I don't know if this is a U.S./Japan thing so much as it is a niche thing. Electroplankton bombed pretty hard in Japan where Iwai is presumably more well-known - at least as much as a interactive media light+sound installation guy can be.