For anyone interested in still getting the digital version, the word is that it's 16GB to download, and 24GB to install. This is almost the entirety of the HDD of the deluxe model of the Wii U, and well above the space on the standard model. And from what people are saying, you must have 32GB free because the eShop requires you to have double the space of the download available (not sure how true that is). You will very likely need external storage space.
Agh, I really wanted a physical copy of this game, since I've heard so many good things about it. Why is it that NA only has the digital release, while JP and EU get physical copies, and Europe even gets a limited edition thats actually pretty nice. Do they really think that it can't sell enough units to warrant a physical release here, when they can do it in any other region?
Looks like I'm gonna have to import a EU copy at this rate, and wait for homebrew to break region lock, just like on the 3DS.
I had forgotten about the possibility of "getting around" region locking. It was easy for the Wii, not sure if they've done it yet for Wii U.
Nope, modders for Wii U are still working on kernel/ IOSU exploits because they need to modify the code that launches applications( games) and get past the region check. I still can't believe that the Wii U and 3DS are the only natively region locked consoles still on the market, and I really wish they would change their policy on this.
Since last gen with the Wii and DS, NoA has really gone downhill. They kept so many games from us that we had to beg for (Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last of Us, Pandora's Tower) that we finally got because they were tired of people importing the games, and several that were highly demanded that they never gave to us (Trace Memory 2, Day of Crisis, Last Window, and a Wii RPG I can't remember the name of right now). Very very few limited editions, and when we got them, they're not even worth it. NoE, on the other hand, has gotten a lot better from the sound of things. They regularly get Limited Editions, even if it's just the game in a steelcase, and they often get even just small print runs of games that we get digital only. NoA also gave and is giving us Splatoon and Mario Maker respectively at full price while NoE sold the games at a lower price. In America, Amiibo are generally pretty hard to come by, other than the standard Mario, Peach, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Link that you see in like Wal-Mart or whatever, but in EU you can pretty much just go and get what you want. Not to mention all the crazy exclusivity deals. NoA intentionally delayed Yoshi's Wooly World for Amiibo production, even though it's been ready to go. NoE released Yoshi's Wooly World on time, plus they get Devil's Third this week. NoA has pushed back several games just because it fills up the holiday release schedule, even though the rest of the year has been barebones.
This game in particular seems to have people pretty upset, though. Nintendo has ensured that this game will not sell well, which in turn they'll use an excuse to never localize any future titles in the series most likely:
Digital only: Collectors get shafted, plus it cuts sales due to the fact the game is so large people just won't have the storage. Digital only games for consoles are a terrible idea right now because there's no insurance for the future unlike with PC.
No advertisement: This game appeared what, once in a Nintendo Direct a long time ago? No one but fans of the series know about this game and they seem to intend to keep it that way.
$50: This is only a problem because it's digital only. Digital games don't go on sale very often on the eShop and if it does go on sale, I'd be surprised if it were ever priced lower than $40. People just aren't going to pay that much.
Hopefully getting around the region locking will be sorted out before the end of the Wii U's lifespan.
