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Europe to get Electroplankton News

DS News by Ellie Gibson

26 October, 2005

Nintendo has confirmed to Eurogamer that DS music maker Electroplankton will be getting a European release - but whether we'll actually see the game on shop shelves is another matter.

The game will go on sale in the US on January 9 via the Nintendo website and online retailers. Only one actual bricks and mortar shop in the country will stock it - the Nintendo World Store in New York.

So can we expect the same deal here? Who knows - according to a Nintendo spokesperson, "We haven't confirmed our plans in the UK yet for Electroplankton."

No release date has been announced so far and the spokesperson declined to comment, but we're informed by a secret source that Electroplankton will arrive here in April.

Electroplankton, for those who don't know, is the brainchild of composer and artist Toshio Iwai - a sort of Japanese Jeff Minter, he's been mucking about with music and computer-generated imagery for years now. He also developed SimTunes, widely available for download at an Internet near you.

To learn more about Electroplankton, why not read our comprehensive preview.

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Comments: 1-22 of 22 in total

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asphaltcowboy
26/10/05 @ 14:43
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Ack! Get it released already!
RedboX
26/10/05 @ 14:44
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Im going to quote what was said over at 4cb..

I think its a fairly stong business decision. Electroplankton will certainly appeal to a select group of gamers. While I’m sure some people would pick it up at the store and really enjoy it, many may not realize what they are getting and be upset that it isn’t a more traditional gaming experience. Not only does selling it online hit a more focused target of people who definitely want the game, but it probably cuts costs for Nintendo.
Xerx3s
26/10/05 @ 14:51
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nice.
disc
26/10/05 @ 14:55
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Electroplankton sold about 5000 copies until September in Japan.
djchump
26/10/05 @ 14:55
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I doubt the delay was due to localisation issues, it was probably because they didn't think there was a market for it in The West.
They may have decided to release due to the growing interest raised by people who have importd it, or they may have planned to let the interest grow from the start.

I imported it and love it, so don't mind the delay - I feel that if they had released it sooner over here it may have been too easily dismissed as just a "non-game gimmick" and then would have disappeared of the shelves and into obscurity.
But now, with the interest generated by Nintendogs, I think this has much more of a chance when it gets released in the West and is much more in fitting with Nintendo's current catalogue and general strategy for the DS and Revolution.
ecureuil
26/10/05 @ 14:58
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I want this game.

Now give us Jump SuperStars, Ouendan, Trauma Center and Brain Training.
kenty
26/10/05 @ 14:58
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makes sense for nintendo to wait until the DS user base has grown sufficiently to warrant releasing such a niche title in yurop
Teeth
26/10/05 @ 15:05
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/yays slightly
djchump
26/10/05 @ 15:08
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I've heard Jump Superstars won't be getting US or Euro release - due to the number of licensed characters in it and the legal nightmare trying to get them all licensed in 2 further territories.
I haven't heard of Ouendan getting a US or Euro release either. Likewise Brain Training - although I'm keeping my hopes up that this or a title in a similar vein will make it to the US or Europe as I believe it would fit in with Nintendo's "Lifestyle Gaming" ethic.

I think Trauma Center and Phoenix Wright will be coming out over here as they have got US releases. In general, it seems any game that gets US release will eventually make it to Europe.
Tommo
26/10/05 @ 15:20
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First Electroplankton... then all of their games sold online when the Revolution comes along? Hmmm... 'testing the water'?

I certainly hope so.
djchump
26/10/05 @ 15:22
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Tommo - there's quite a difference between selling a boxed game through online retailers and online/digital distribution of game content itself.
I don't believe there's any connection here.
MORZTAN
26/10/05 @ 15:24
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Du-du-du-du-whos-your-daddy-du-elek-tro-plankton-du-Nintendo
-YEAH!
kangarootoo
26/10/05 @ 15:45
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This is possibly my favourite DS game. I could spend ages tweaking that tree.
djchump
26/10/05 @ 15:46
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:-D I love it when the flowers appear :-D
cuniculus
26/10/05 @ 16:02
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Yes, best thing on the DS so far. So relaxing to have it in the DS port for a bit of peace between chapters of Fire Emblem in the GBA slot (which I'm *still* trying to complete before Sacred Stones *and* Path Of Radiance arrive in a couple of weeks; I don't know, one Fire Emblem game ever in Europe then two come along at the same time).
AOFanboi
26/10/05 @ 16:27
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Who needs

- I OBJECT!!!

Ah, yes, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Ships with Japanese and English version in one release. Why not also Elektroplankton? Stupid stupid stupid.
djchump
26/10/05 @ 18:46
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"you're exactly right, that was the reason, but isnt that the problem? do they see us as a bunch of idiots who only like FPs and GTA type games?"

True - the Western market has been far too boring and stodgy for my tastes lately. That's why I'm loving my DS at the moment and have imported quite a few games - I've never imported before so it's a first for me! I guess the DS (and GBA) being able to play foreign games has played a large part in that (I didn't chip my PS2 or anything), but also because I thought the more interesting/quirky titles wouldn't get released over here.

However, I do detect an "air of change" - mostly spearheaded by Nintendogs. I do genuinely feel that Nintendo will do well with bringing lots of "non-gamers" or casual-gamers back into the fold. With the same lined up for the Revolution, hopefully the quirky Japanese titles will do well enough on import for Nintendo and the other publishers to release them overseas. I think casual gamers are a lot more open to more quirky titles as they're not so stuck in their ways.

For instance, I've been a PC-gamer and FPS whore for far too long, but F.E.A.R. is jsut a bit boring to me - it's a really refreshing change for me to get some nice old-school gaming on my DS :-)

/waffle-mode disengage
wiggle87
26/10/05 @ 20:22
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Nintendo are making so many of these games, if these sorts of games are the future and they aren't compatible in the West, then where does that leave Nintendo? I belive it could really catch-on marketted correctly. EJay and all that does perfectly well. They ought to cut us sum slak, these games aren't popular becasue they aren't avaliable.
Hog-lumps
27/10/05 @ 08:13
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Well if we do get it, I bet it wont come bundled with the free headphones like the japenese release!
Ciaran
27/10/05 @ 08:36
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...or the pretty pretty manual.

Still, even though I finally imported the japanese version a month ago, I'll probably still pick up the Euro release, if only to encourage N to bring crazy zany stuff like this to Euroland more often.
Dr_Actually
27/10/05 @ 10:47
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A wonderful piece of soulful electronic entertainment
SuperGamerMatt
27/10/05 @ 18:53
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Hmm might pick this up, oh and Brain Training and Band Brothers have been announced for Europe too.

Comments: 1-22 of 22 in total

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