It never seems to fail. A video game release in Japan, with no plans for a US release, and the developers are surprised every time the American audience clamors for localization. You’d think that by now, everyone would know exactly how many audiences there are in the US for obscure Japanese games. That’s especially true if those games are JRPGs.
Fan campaigns have been around forever, and will keep popping up if enough people get together. But there may not be a more notable, more impressive fan campaign than Operation Rainfall, which took care of not just one, but three Wii JRPGs that were exclusive to Japan. The Xenoblade Chronicles, Pandora’s Tower and The Last Story were the focus of Operation Rainfall, and their mission to bring them all to the West was a straightforward task with many obstacles.
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Along the way, Operation Rainfall went from obscurity on message boards and Internet forums, to the attention of Xenogears writer Soraya Saga and even then-Nintendo president Reggie Fills-Aime. It was a strong, united effort that played a major role in changing the fortunes of mass-audience sports, and showcasing the raw power of fans in the game.
If you weren’t around when Operation Rainfall was at its height, it might not seem like much. It was really amazing to watch it happen, though, as it brought everyone together because of the unwavering love, and dedication that was shown.
Amazing Bedfellows
The three games at the heart of Operation Rainfall were Xenoblade Chronicles, Pandora’s Tower and The Last Story. On the surface, they may not seem the same except all three are JRPGs. Each one comes from a different developer, and all three games are very different when it comes to their design philosophies. What united the Operation Rainfall games, however, was how different they were.
Nintendo’s next home console, the Wii U, was on the way. The three Wii games were all slated for release in Japan around the Wii U’s launch in 2012, and each faced its own unique set of challenges. Pandora’s Tower was great, but with a small, popular audience, while Xenoblade and The Last Story were games with notable pedigree from industry veterans, but also down the barrel of obscurity.
Operation Rainfall targeted these games specifically for those reasons, as these were games that already had a cult-like following, which made them more appealing for US localization. They gave themselves an eighteen-month deadline, which coincided with the North American launch of the Wii U, meaning it was now or never.
What united the Operation Rainfall games, however, was how different they were.
The next console generation was about to arrive, and Nintendo’s next console cycle was ready to swallow all the hype possible. If the campaign fails, the chances of anyone considering revisiting the games drop from slim to less than zero.
I Really Feel It
If you’ve spent any time online, you’ve probably seen fan campaigns for this type of thing. Most of the time, these campaigns are ignored or given lip service before being talked about again. Operation Rainfall was not a fan campaign and more like a relentless, relentless blitz.
It got to the point where Nintendo and the other parties involved had no choice. Ignoring Operation Rainfall was the worst business decision of any day, and while fan campaigns have reached the desks of people weighing these decisions before, this one was very different. Many fan campaigns in the past have been acknowledged, praised a little and then shut down when we were told there were no plans to release the game outside of Japan.
They gave themselves an eighteen-month deadline, which coincided with the North American launch of the Wii U, meaning it was now or never.
The first gun to cross the bow was Xenoblade Chronicles, which Nintendo confirmed was launched in North America in December 2011. It was a great victory, but Operation Rainfall was not done. Not by a long shot. They rebooted and focused on The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower, both of which received US acclaim and were released in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
It seemed impossible, but the truth was that it was done. The objective had been declared, and it was met with confidence. In just three years, Operation Rainfall had completely shattered every single objective they had set for themselves. To this day, I’m still in awe of how successful the whole thing really was.
Success Score
In the years since Operation Rainfall, they have never stopped because the campaign was successful. After its conclusion, Operation Rainfall transitioned into the realm of niche JRPGs. You can visit them today and learn about even more exciting games, a true testament to their endless battle. The games themselves had a very complicated history.
Xenoblade Chronicles will become one of the most popular JRPG franchises in the world. It helped put the series on the map, and while Pandora’s Tower and The Last Story never had sequels, both games are staples for any Wii collection. It’s fair to say that none of them have received the same level of mainstream recognition as Xenoblade Chronicles, but they still hold up to this day.
Operation Rainfall had a simple mission, and in less than five years, they smashed the roadblocks in their path. Nintendo may not be ready to give them the credit they deserve for getting these games the attention they deserve, but I think it’s time to give them what they deserve. It’s truly amazing what players can accomplish with a little love and a few characters.
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