Xenoblade Confirmed?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSFCHrHuUxE&w=640&h=390]

It’s been one of the great shames of the Wii that so many Japanese titles have languished as overseas only games while America gets Barbie Horse Adventures and Wii Play 2 instead. Titles like Mistwalker’s The Last Story and Fatal Frame 4 and Monolith’s Xenoblade have been stuck in Japan with Nintendo loathe to confirm or deny any effort is being made to bring these core titles to the States.

(Well, we all know Fatal Frame 4 is dead; just wanted some historical context.)

Things are looking good for Xenoblade, though; video games super sleuth Jim Sterling has unearthed an unlikely confirmation in the form of Peter Dickson (also known as “Some Guy”) saying he’ll be providing voice over work for the game. The game had already been confirmed, stealthily, for Europe, and this just adds credence to the idea that Nintendo is waiting to bust out Xenoblade and The Last Story at E3.

The only downside to this news is that it’s supposed to be a Fall release. Which means it’s going up against Skyrim, Skyward Sword, Deus Ex 3, Torchlight 2, Mass Effect 3, and potentially a new Nintendo console *and* Diablo 3. Which means it’s being sent out to die a slow, painful death, convincing Nintendo that there’s no market for third party hardcore games on the Wii. Which is bullshit: there’s very little market for non triple A releases when there are literally a half dozen 40+ hour adventures coming out in the span of three months.

But let’s not be too pessimistic. Xenoblade, everyone! Japan might be back!