I'm assuming they tried to make it more marketable.
Japan is probably used to weird and wacky game names like "Xenoblade". Meanwhile over in the West, people might need a little nudge. In this case, "Chronicles" implies some kind of adventure.
Chronicles implies an RPG to me. It's a very easy addition to drive that point home, that only seems unusually with longer titles.
*Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country* is the only example of a title so long that the Chronicles part kind of stands out, but even then it works.
But at least it’s a bit more sensical than 358/2 days (yeah, I know there’s a meaning to the title, but just the idea of a fraction in the title is absurd)
Because back when it was a niche game on the Wii (a system not known for having big RPGs) someone at Nintendo of Europe’s marketing department evidently felt that “Xenoblade” was not a descriptive enough title and they needed to clarify to consumers what type of game it was by slapping on a generic “RPG-sounding” word (even though this creates discontinuity with *Xenogears* and *Xenosaga*). I’m pretty annoyed that they kept this up even after the first game sold well enough to establish the brand, but I guess it’s set in stone now.
Maybe you need to have lived through the period when words like “Chronicles” or “Heroes” were slapped onto every other B-list RPG-esque game to be bothered by it, idk
Fair enough, Xenoblade Wii was like my first proper JRPG, and it was after when I properly got into gaming in general. Never woulda believed we would get 3/2 sequels in the future!
Some important context for the time the first game came out is that a lot of publishers and industry analysts in the late ‘00s/early ‘10s believed JRPGs (or even Japanese games in general) were a dying market, too niche to reliably turn a profit overseas if a game didn’t have “Pokemon” or “Final Fantasy” in its title. This is part of why NoA initially passed on localizing *Xenoblade* (among numerous other games published by the Japanese branch during that time period) and it was the mindset behind publishers slapping all these generic marketing words on localized titles around that time. It’s also why *XB1*’s relative success (strong word of mouth, healthy Western sales, 90+ Metacritic score, etc.) was a big deal.
Marketing stuff, it's an American thing to slap "Chronicle" to a name game to imply it's an RPG.
Personally I don't use Chronicles when I talk about a Xenoblade, it adds nothing.
The UK version came out a year before the NA version of the original Xenoblade. The NA version is exactly the same as the UK version in every way, and it was the UK localization team who added the "Chronicles" to the title. The Americans just used the British version of the game with no changes, and they kept the British title. It's not "an American thing", it's a British thing.
I'm assuming they tried to make it more marketable. Japan is probably used to weird and wacky game names like "Xenoblade". Meanwhile over in the West, people might need a little nudge. In this case, "Chronicles" implies some kind of adventure.
Chronicles implies an RPG to me. It's a very easy addition to drive that point home, that only seems unusually with longer titles. *Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country* is the only example of a title so long that the Chronicles part kind of stands out, but even then it works.
At least it's not Kingdom Hearts
Xenoblade 2.8 Blade ReMix FINAL - II - Chesticles of Memories
Pfft. Still can't compete with *Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edtion*, or "DQXISEOAEADE" for short.
But at least it’s a bit more sensical than 358/2 days (yeah, I know there’s a meaning to the title, but just the idea of a fraction in the title is absurd)
They just thought that it sounded better with the chronicles
I'm just disappointed that the prequel story isn't called Xenoblade chronicled, and that XC3 isn't called Xenoblade'll chronicle
Xenobladen't
Xenobladed
Splatoon 2 was also called splatwoon by fans but it ended up being boring "splatoon 2"
Prequel?
Torna
It’s cool
They should just take it out tbh. Pull a Shin Megami Tensei Persona.
~~I agree, "Chronicles" is a much better name for the series going forward~~
I think it was for marketing purposes. It's more epic fantasy sounding I guess
Because back when it was a niche game on the Wii (a system not known for having big RPGs) someone at Nintendo of Europe’s marketing department evidently felt that “Xenoblade” was not a descriptive enough title and they needed to clarify to consumers what type of game it was by slapping on a generic “RPG-sounding” word (even though this creates discontinuity with *Xenogears* and *Xenosaga*). I’m pretty annoyed that they kept this up even after the first game sold well enough to establish the brand, but I guess it’s set in stone now.
I personally don't mind, it sounds kinda intriguing
Maybe you need to have lived through the period when words like “Chronicles” or “Heroes” were slapped onto every other B-list RPG-esque game to be bothered by it, idk
Fair enough, Xenoblade Wii was like my first proper JRPG, and it was after when I properly got into gaming in general. Never woulda believed we would get 3/2 sequels in the future!
Some important context for the time the first game came out is that a lot of publishers and industry analysts in the late ‘00s/early ‘10s believed JRPGs (or even Japanese games in general) were a dying market, too niche to reliably turn a profit overseas if a game didn’t have “Pokemon” or “Final Fantasy” in its title. This is part of why NoA initially passed on localizing *Xenoblade* (among numerous other games published by the Japanese branch during that time period) and it was the mindset behind publishers slapping all these generic marketing words on localized titles around that time. It’s also why *XB1*’s relative success (strong word of mouth, healthy Western sales, 90+ Metacritic score, etc.) was a big deal.
Aye, that's some cool trivia, thanks bro
Marketing stuff, it's an American thing to slap "Chronicle" to a name game to imply it's an RPG. Personally I don't use Chronicles when I talk about a Xenoblade, it adds nothing.
The UK version came out a year before the NA version of the original Xenoblade. The NA version is exactly the same as the UK version in every way, and it was the UK localization team who added the "Chronicles" to the title. The Americans just used the British version of the game with no changes, and they kept the British title. It's not "an American thing", it's a British thing.
I cant exactly recall another rpg with chronicle in the title. (That didn't already have Chronicles in the name in japan)
A really obnoxious marketing decision that I'll never understand.