The .hack//LINK US Campaign (from .hack and Tales fans)

[Kaji Motomiya]

The .hack fan community, dothackers have decided to take a step toward localization. Namco Bandai has ignored fans for the .hack and Tales of series and failed to localize games that should have been out in international shores by now. I am sure there are some gamers HJU that wish to play the .hack//LINK game or even Tales of Graces (F for PS3) or Tales of Vesperia (PS3) games. Want to take a crack at it? Join me and other .hack/Tales fans in campaigning for .hack//LINK for the PSP to the US, as well as the other Tales titles that have failed to be localized.

What is this?
Are we just a bunch of whining fanboys and fangirls? No, we've got a legit cause for this! The ".hack//Link US" Campaign is a push to get Namco Bandai to localize the final .hack video game of the franchise in English. Let us repeat this; it's the final game - the end of .hack. .hack//Link was released on March 4th, 2010 for the PlayStation Portable in Japan, and to date has sold over 100k copies.

There's been roughly a 9 month gap in between the Japanese release to the current date, and Namco Bandai has had its poker face on for far too long. For those of you unfamiliar with Namco Bandai, they localized ALL of the major .hack video games for the United States and Canada. Namco Bandai is also responsible for localizing the "Tales" JRPG franchise in the United States.

Why worry, it's only been 9 months since the Japanese release?
This is true, but the past 7 .hack games localized in the United States by Namco Bandai had already been on store shelves within this 9 month window - and European fans haven't seen a game since the originals! Something is fishy and this is the first sign of bad things to come unless we start poking around for answers. Namco Bandai as a video game company has downsized dramatically over the last 9 months, with an estimated 650 jobs to be lost when all is said and done. The current rumor is that the American Namco Bandai division has gotten out of the JRPG localization business - which leaves us and our fellow "Tales" fans in the dark, and those Narutards stealing a poor translators’ precious time/life.

Namco Bandai has given the .hack community the silent treatment for 9 months. It's time for them to speak up - we deserve an answer and .hack//Link in English, especially since this is the final .hack game of the entire franchise! It has been no easy task getting a hold of Namco Bandai - even though dothackers.net had worked with them to help promote the .hack//G.U. trilogy circa 2006. So we're going to force them to notice the .hack fanbase by collectively poking them in the stomach, because .hack//Link is literally getting lost in translation!

Now what? Let’s push some Namco Bandai buttons!
Be polite and smart when you start campaigning for .hack//Link! Remember that the PSP is region free, so an English release anywhere by any publisher is considered a success! Below there are a bunch of suggested methods of campaigning; choose what best fits your style. EU-French .hack fans visit Beyond Fragment's EU-French Campaign Website.

Click Here to find out how to support and campaign. Or you can click the picture in my signature. If you wish to further support, make use of the avatar buttons and signature pictures posted in the site with a link to the campaign site.

Fans are now taking a step forward, and even if we are ignored, we will not shut up.

 

[KingRanger]

I'm sorry, but if you think this will matter or that namdai will care... You are deluding yourselves. :/

 

[Kaji Motomiya]

.....You still wanna help out anyway? Y'know, just for shits and giggles?

Besides, I kinda knew you'd find this thread...

 

[KingRanger]

.....You still wanna help out anyway? Y'know, just for shits and giggles?

Besides, I kinda knew you'd find this thread...

Yeah I am going to. I am just to jaded when it comes to that company. THey've screwed us out of so many games.

 

[Kaji Motomiya]

Honestly, I don't think this will fall through. But as the campaign states, if NamcoBandai fails to listen or even look at us, we'll try going for another company and petition Xseed and NIS America to take a crack at it.

But really, thanks. I thought I'd be the only one in HJU doing it.

 

[KingRanger]

Honestly, I don't think this will fall through. But as the campaign states, if NamcoBandai fails to listen or even look at us, we'll try going for another company and petition Xseed and NIS America to take a crack at it.

But really, thanks. I thought I'd be the only one in HJU doing it.

You would still have to deal with Namdai. And I very much doubt they would let some other company do their stuff here.

 

[Kaji Motomiya]

I understand that, but...hey, it's better than just asking constantly when they will release the games we like (and that isn't Naruto).

 

[Pixelphile]

Let us repeat this; it's the final game - the end of .hack. .hack//Link was released on March 4th, 2010 for the PlayStation Portable in Japan, and to date has sold over 100k copies.

Dear God, that's horrible. No wonder they don't want to localize this. They're already bleeding (which is their own danged fault), and with that few copies sold in the PSP's biggest market..

 

[Kaji Motomiya]

...I'm bad when it comes to this stuff, but....how bad is 100k?

 

[PSI Ground]

It's as much as Tales games sell in the first week.

The majority of sales sell in week one in Japan, so it probably isn't that bad. However, this IS namco we're talking about.