Serious Bugs Prompt Japanese RPG Recall

[Tom Goldman]

Serious Bugs Prompt Japanese RPG Recall

The Tales series of Japanese RPGs has been around for a while, though its most recent iteration comes with about 10 major bugs.

Namco Bandai has issued an official recall on its latest Nintendo Wii release, Japanese RPG Tales of Graces. The game hit shelves in Japan on December 10, 2009, with players experiencing many serious bugs since then, prompting the recall. Namco Bandai will be replacing the faulty game discs for free.

Ten major bugs are listed in Namco Bandai's recall translation method [http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/cs_support/info/tog.html], the bugs involve trouble getting certain key items, enemies not appearing, item abnormalities, errors during battle, audio glitches, and game freezes. Some of these bugs may only occur after beating Tales of Graces while on a second playthrough, which could be one reason why they weren't caught.

For importers of Tales of Graces that do not live in Japan, it will be very tough to get a replacement disc. Namco Bandai's recall methods require the use of a service called "Hikitoribin" (via Andriasang [http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/02/23/tales_of_graces_recall_announced/]), where a delivery person comes to your door and exchanges the disc personally. This service is unlikely to hop across the ocean, no matter how sorry Namco Bandai is.

Namco Bandai did assure gamers that it will improve its quality control in the future. Luckily for JRPG fans outside of Japan, this buggy release serves as a form of QA for the eventual European or North American releases. Thanks, Japanese gamers, though I'm sorry for your troubles. That is, as long as Tales of Graces is actually released outside of Japan. While Namco Bandai is at it, the company can release the PlayStation 3 version of Tales of Vesperia in North America too.

Source: Andriasang [http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/02/23/tales_of_graces_recall_announced/]

Permalink

 

[Aura Guardian]

This is a first(for me) A video game recall?
But those are some really bad bugs if it causes the game to have all of those problems.

 

[Amnestic]

where a delivery person comes to your door and exchanges the disc personally.

That's awesome.

No, really.

This won't really hurt Namco-Bandai (Namdai? NamBan? Bamco?), though it is interesting to see considering how rare they are.

 

[Bretty]

I wish Western game companies could listen to this a little closely...

The games being released now are just so lack lackluster.

 

[squid5580]

Couldn't they patch it? I mean it is really cool that they would do an actual recall and exchange the disc on your porch but damn. This is gonna cost them in the short run. Which they will probably double in profits over it in the long run.

 

[Yopaz]

This article makes me want to play the game... I had just managed to get it out of my head and now bing! It's in there again! I hope they're going to release it in Europe and that they fix those bugs. I had a bug in Dawn of The New World that made it impossible to complete one of the temples... I had to go back to a 6 hour old save and I lost a bunch of levels because of it, but it worked...

 

[Sneaklemming]

vampire the masquerade bloodlines released with a game ending bug, that cut you off half-way thru the game... its one of my favourite games, but releasing a game with game-ending bugs is not acceptable, and its nice to see a company do the right thing and recall a game, instead of just releasing a patch and saying though...

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I want personal disc delivery...

Oh well, the Tales series has always stood tall among JRPGs. And this kind of customer service now gives Namco Bandai the #1 spot on my awesome companies list.

 

[Tom Goldman]

I want personal disc delivery...

If the delivery person dresses up like a character from the game, that'd be even better.

 

[Quadtrix]

Infinity Ward would be so proud.

 

[Jared]

where a delivery person comes to your door and exchanges the disc personally.

That's awesome.

No, really.

This won't really hurt Namco-Bandai (Namdai? NamBan? Bamco?), though it is interesting to see considering how rare they are.

I wish we had something similar here! Thats epic!

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

This one is new for me..a whole enter game recall. These bugs must be that horrible for that to happen. Also i wish there was a deliveryman coming to my door to replace my crappy game

 

[Delock]

Ok, that's customer service there. I mean if we get a problem over here, we have to pay postage, wrap it in a box, and send it back to Micro- er... the company where they will either just gut it and replace the parts and send it back to you in a few weeks.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I want personal disc delivery...

If the delivery person dresses up like a character from the game, that'd be even better.

Eh, I don't keep up with news on a game until a local release is announced. Do you know any of the characters?

*crosses fingers for a NA release*

 

[pantsoffdanceoff]

where a delivery person comes to your door and exchanges the disc personally.

That's awesome.

No, really.

I agree, definitely makes one feel the love. I wish more companies would do stuff like that... maybe with certain hardware systems...

 

[SUPA FRANKY]

Thats...your party? They just look girlier and girlier every game.

 

[Insanum]

...I dont understand why they dont just patch it. Im sure a LOT of other games come out with more flaws, that are patched After release.

Although i do love the japs, Their doorstop exchange idea is a gem of an idea.

 

[A random person]

While Namco Bandai is at it, the company can release the PlayStation 3 version of Tales of Vesperia in North America too.

God knows I'd love that as a PS3 owning Tales fan.

On topic, as has been said before, that's some awesome customer service. More companies should try this as it might improve their image.

 

[MGlBlaze]

where a delivery person comes to your door and exchanges the disc personally.

That's awesome.

No, really.

This won't really hurt Namco-Bandai (Namdai? NamBan? Bamco?), though it is interesting to see considering how rare they are.

An odd show of caring for their customers when Namco regularly screws over customers by releasing updated versions of their games in japan only ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONSOLE AS WELL.

That is awesome, but I'm not forgiving them for their updated-release shenanigans.

 

[mattttherman3]

I wish they would make more Tales games for the 360, my impression was that Vesperia sold well.