I don't even think Adventure sold EXTREMELY well in Japan either, but enough to warrant Cruise. Who knows, we can only hope they will bring it over with the
As I recal, I don't think they have ever really marketed the OP games really well. They just seem to appear. I heard of Adventure before it came stateside but I never really saw any advertisement (I'm sure they're in the game magazines I don't read anymore >_>) until I saw a copy at Game Stop. If they whored them out a bit more they would probably get more attention.
Well, in Japan they aired commercials, and did little tidbits after the next episode previews.
In the US, they did Shonen Jump and _Game Informe_r ads. Well they could've done more mag ads, like in Anime magazines, but I don't read those. The ads in Shonen Jump were very spoiler-ish, showing both The Thousand Sunny, as well as mentioning there were 7 Straw Hats; at the time of the ad's printing Chopper had just joined, and the Alabasta battles were beginning.
Game Trailers released plenty of videos about the game. Some of the videoes include game play in both English and Japanese, the intro in both languages, as well as trailers in both.
FUNimation also made a website to advertise the game.
It doesn't help that it's not on TV right now either. It would be nice if they could get the unrated version on AS but there is probably 0 chance of that.
…Who knows what is going to happen, I think with the release of the DVDs the fandom might make a comeback in the US, especially if could land on TV again (AND NOT START AT THE BEGINNING >_> but thats wishful thinking), enough to get interest in the games, though just throwing the games out there when the series really hasn't been that readibly avalible then yeah, it's not going to do that good.
Well, they're best bet would be to move it to another network, and re brand it as a new version of the show. Funimation could easily make a "special" episode similar to Dragonball GT's first Dubbed episode. It Summery episode, basically saying;
I'm Monkey D. Luffy I've eating a Devil Fruit called the Gum Gum Fruit, it gives me the ability to stretch like rubber, I'm a RUBBER MAN! AND I'm going to be KING OF PIRATES! I'm looking for the One Piece, and I've found myself a crew to do so!
This is Zoro, he's used to be a Pirate Hunter! He original refused to join my crew, but he finally agreed! He uses three swords… etc
Then We've faced many dangers here on the Grand Line! We fought against Dinosaurs! Saw a gaint tree bloom in the middle of winter! Saved a Kingdom that was at the verged of dying! The next stop? TO THE SKY!!!
Then the next episode should be at Jaya. Because if they skipped Sky Island, then they'll catch up to the Japanese too quickly.
