User blog:Wyvern 0m3g4/Feel Like Supporting a Cause?

Well, as some of you may know, I've recently gotten hyped up over videos I've been watching of J-Stars Victory VS. Heh, "hyped up" might not even be accurate enough to describe how excited I am over the game. Now, I didn't make a blog just to say that, cuz that's just a waste. First, allow me to properly explain why I'm so ecstatic about J-Stars Victory VS. The following is an English translated trailer which showcases all the playable and support characters in the game. Playable characters are the ones demonstrating their gameplay mechanics, while support characters kind of just stand there and talk.

| For those looking for One Piece characters right away, they're shown starting at around 1:51.

Just from looking at a small fraction of the trailer, I'm sure you can already draw plenty of opinions about the game. (Personally, the only characters I can see myself outright avoiding for the most part, if not all the time, would be Luckyman, Taro Yamada and Kankichi Ryotsu, for varying reasons; albeit nothing's written in stone, and I may warm up to them over time. Who knows? Though I know one thing for sure; Gintoki and Bobobo are probably gonna make me crack up a lot.)

Well, getting to the point here, while browsing around Youtube and watching gameplay videos with envy, I noticed people were posting comments about a petition to urge Namco Bandai to export J-Stars Victory VS to Europe and North America; even despite the licensing hell the company would go through in the process. Recalling the petition to stop SOPA, which Caring kindly brought to our attention that one time, I figured I'd try and make a difference and sign the petition as well. Then when I realized that the petition was close to reaching it's 25,000 signature goal (it currently needs 7,479) and that sharing the news with as many people as possible could help the petition reach that goal quicker, I figured I'd follow in Luffy's sandal covered footsteps and do everything in my power to get what I want. That being, an awesome Shonen Jump crossover game in English (sub/dub/whatever) for both Europe and North America.

It's not just for selfish reasons either, as I genuinely believe that despite the hard work involved, this can benefit both us, the consumers, and the distributors and license holders. It benefits us, obviously enough, because we get a cool, fun beat 'em up game based on our favorite characters, and our favorite genres. It could also benefit Namco Bandai and the rest, because it gives non-Japanese players a glimpse into series they'd otherwise never take interest in. For example, seeing that trailer alone made me consider giving Toriko and Bleach another try, among other series. It even made me wonder if I'm missing out by not reading/watching Katekyo Hitman Reborn. This in turn, can act as a gateway for fellow manga and anime fans, and give them enough incentive to start checking out other series. And hopefully enough, this should ideally lead to more profit for all license holders involved with the game. Not to mention the profit they'd receive from fans purchasing copies of the game anyway.

I understand there are some holes in my logic somewhere, but in the end and again, ideally speaking, this should be a win-win scenario for both parties. So, with my usual rambling coming to its close, I was hoping I could turn to my beloved shipmates for support. The choice is all yours, of course. Whether you like the game or not, or whether you plan to play it or not, I at least ask of you to consider signing the petition for anime and manga fans in Europe and North America. If nothing else, you'll be giving a present to hundreds of people who share the same interest as you; an interest in exciting action, gut-busting humor, heartfelt tragedy, suspenseful drama, beautiful art (and fanservive, ;) ) and fantastic worlds filled with unending adventure and amazing people. In short, as fans of One Piece, there is at least a portion of us somewhere deep down, who loves shonen. And as shonen fans, I believe that as the genre continues to hammer into our heads; so long as we stand together as one, with the upmost loyalty and support for each other, and with deep bonds of friendship tying us together, we can make the impossible possible.

[https://www.change.org/petitions/namco-bandai-to-bring-j-stars-victory-vs-to-north-america-and-europe| This is the petition, my nakama. Will you join me in delivering the gift of shonen goodness to the western world?]

And I believe that's it. Hehe, sorry for the length, guys. I got too caught up in the details again. No matter what choice you guys make, or what obstacles may stand in your way, I will continue to pray that the anime and manga fan community will win this fight. And for those that are curious enough, I did some searching and realized that the song playing in the video is called Star Fighters. It's the opening movie song for the game, and is sung by Hironobu Kageyama, Hiroshi Kitadani (the guy who sang We Are! and We Go!,) and Akira Kushida.

Finally, if you can't wait and feel up to struggling through the game in pure Japanese, I learned that the PS3 is NOT region locked; meaning you can order a copy of J-Stars Victory VS online and play it on your PS3. Not entirely sure about the PS Vita however, as all I've heard was that the PS3 is region free. I'm actually considering doing that myself, though I'm not sure if I want to stumble around in confusion due to not being able to read Japanese text or understand their language worth a damn. Though hopefully I'll self-teach myself what does what over time, and also hope the gameplay makes up for the confusion.

P.S: If you could share this after signing your signature with whomever you know, that'd also be highly appreciated. Thank you for your time and participation. :)