Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch special edition gets more goods thanks to faux-Kickstarter campaign

By Anthony John Agnello Published July 19, 2012

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Namco Bandai is going all out with the US and European releases of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. The collector’s edition of the game doesn’t give you some namby-pamby soft-cover art book and a tin case for the game that looks funny next to all the other Blu-ray cases on your PlayStation 3 shelf. There’s a mammoth hardcover book and a stuffed animal in addition to the Level 5-developed RPG! That’s quite a package.

Smelling more money in the making though, Namco Bandia has taken a page out of the independent developer’s 2012 handbook and opened a Kickstarter campaign to raise interest and funds for the game. Not a Kickstarter actually. It’s a Ninostarter.

Recommended Videos

Namco is tallying pre-orders for the “Wizard’s Edition” of the game on the Ninostarter website. When a “goal” number of preorders is reached, it will add new goods to the limited edition package. It’s 35 percent of the way to the first goal marker with just 2463 fans.

This is a pretty novel way to promote a game. Kickstarter’s popularity as a method for funding new video games has proven to publishers this simple truth: People like getting more stuff for their money.

Anthony John Agnello

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…

Gaming

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a boilerplate port, and that’s OK

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD key art.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a perfectly good game, but it will be Nintendo’s most underwhelming release in 2025. Those who've already played this platformer from Retro Studios on Wii or 3DS don't have much reason to buy the game on Switch unless they're itching to replay a great platformer. Like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and some other straightforward remasters that Nintendo launched recently, this feels like filler so that Nintendo can bide time until the launch of the Switch’s successor.

When it comes to filler, you could do much worse. Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of the Wii's best games. Anyone checking it out for the first time through the re-release is in for an excellent platforming adventure. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive version of the Wii classic, but let's hope it's one of the last releases of its kind for a bit rather than one that sets the stage for Nintendo’s 2025.

Gaming

Think Path of Exile 2 is too hard? Its devs want you to get good

A character blasting fire in Path of Exile 2.

Path of Exile 2 launched to much fanfare as fans of the first -- and players hungry for another Diablo-style experience -- flocked to the game. But players quickly discovered that it did not hold your hand. If you die, you're kicked from the game and lose some experience, plus any loot you haven't picked up yet. The RPG's latest patch will address a few pain points, but the developers say "the whole death actually mattering thing is important."

Director Jonathan Rogers says the game is high risk, high reward. He gave an interview with streamers Darth Microtransaction and GhazzyTV to discuss the patch. Give it a watch, if you'd like -- but be aware the video is four hours long.

Gaming

Our final Nintendo Switch 2 reveal predictions

An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

The day is almost upon us. After years of speculation, we're very close to an official reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2. Thank goodness for that, as we've been locked in a tidepool of fake leaks and rumors for far too long. The new console hype cycle can be fun in moderation, but the long road to Nintendo's next console has only become more exhausting over time. We had AI companies faking its release date for clout, hardware manufacturers sharing 3D printed mock-ups, and every so-called insider on the planet flinging out conflicting information.

It'll all come to an end soon when Nintendo reveals its new console. While that's a relief, there is something bittersweet about it. The mystery of a new gaming device is part of the fun. What will it look like? What games will launch with it? Will it be backward compatible? These are the kinds of questions make for fun social fodder; I've had plenty of speculative conversations with friends over the past two years. In some twisted way, I'll miss that once reality sets in.