It was recently reported that the 3DS was the best selling gaming platform for the month of May. A pretty big feat given the XBOX 360 was victorious for 30 consecutive months prior. With all of the recent talk about the Wii U's 3rd party support problem, this got me thinking about 3DS. The thing is, 3DS doesn't have very good 3rd party support either. I would say it is marginaly better than the Wii U at this point. What good 3rd party games we got all seemed to be ones announced around the system's birth, with very few exciting new game announcements since.
Nintendo recently announced that it would like to have more Japanese games come to western shores, with Bravely Default being the first announcement. This lead many to think NIntendo is just trying to continue a steady flow of 3DS releases. It is no secret that while the 3DS is enjoying great software on a steady basis, a majority of the games are Nintendo published, a far cry from the days of the original DS.
This brings me to Project X Zone, a game that was released last year in Japan, and sold below expectations, to say the least. I think this single game plays a huge role in the future of 3DS releases in the west. You might say that a game like this only appeals to RPG fans, and you might be right, but being one of very few AAA 3rd party published games on the 3DS calendar makes it a big player. Project X Zone isn't any old RPG either, it features popular characters from 3 different publishers, including Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, and many more.
If a game like this can't sell well, what can? That is the question I believe will run through a lot of game maker's minds. Publishers will openly admit to using past game's sales to guage how well theirs can do. The lack of a single AAA best selling game on 3DS has in fact put it where it is right now in terms of 3rd party support. Coming at a time when the 3DS is sitting on top of the charts, Project X Zone can be a game changer. Publishers need to see that something, ANYTHING can selll well on 3DS other than Nintendo games, and considering 3 publishers have a stake in this game, I'm guessing they will be the first ones to notice.
So, let's all go out and buy a copy of the game when it comes out on June 26th. It looks fantastic, and it's for a good cause. Not to mention, this is the type of game that will be worth twice what you paid in a few years or less. I'd say that is a good investment.
Publishers need to see that something, ANYTHING can selll well on 3DS other than Nintendo games, and considering 3 publishers have a stake in this game, I'm guessing they will be the first ones to notice.
...but all three of those publishers are already huge supporters of the 3DS. O.o
If I may offer some advice: don't buy a game in the hopes that it will, somehow, perhaps, maybe, indirectly, possibly lead to another hypothetical game down the line.
Buy a game because you think you will enjoy it.
Whatever you buy, it supports the system. The moment you start throwing your money at something that didn't interest you because you somehow feel responsible for the success of the system is the moment you've lost sight of reality.
You won't help anything. You're only hurting your bank account.
Also, the 3DS has had fantastic 3rd party support so far. This year alone there's been:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate
Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor: Soul Hackers
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Rune Factory 4 (upcoming)
Shin Megami Tensei IV (upcoming)
Project X Zone (upcoming)
Sonic Lost World (upcoming)
Pac-Man & the Ghostly Adventures (upcoming)
Ace Attorney: Dual Destiney (upcoming)
LEGO Marvel Superheroes (upcoming)
Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate (upcoming)
Etrian Odyssey Untold: Millennium Girl (upcoming)
That's not counting the big names/games that have hit in previous years, such as two Resident Evil titles, Kingdom Hearts, Ace Combat, Metal Gear Solid, Tales of the Abyss, Street Fighter, Shinobi, Dead or Alive, Code of Princess, Tekken, Samurai Warriors, Blazblue, Rayman Origins, etc.
Then there's the high profile eShop stuff, that's retail in other territories, like the Guild 01 & Guild 02 compilation titles (Crimson Shroud, Liberation Maiden, Aero Porter, Starship Damrey, Bugs VS Tanks, Monsters Appear on Friday), Unchained Blades, etc.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
To be honest I don't think Project X Zone is going to be greater or equal to the sum of its parts. Since when has a crossover game ever been greater/equal to the sum of its parts? (Well, besides the Capcom vs. Whatever series) Usually, they're very solid engines with a host of memorable characters, but the plot always revolves around some strange timespace warp and the developers get a little carried away with justifying why all of the characters are in the same universe.
And Phil has a good point there. I mean, I would buy a dozen copies of Project X Zone if it meant it would lead to the localisation of Valkyria Chronicles or Xenosaga, but things don't work that way. I do think that buying 3rd party games for the WiiU is a great idea though. I hear some ports sold abysmally, to the point where a few extra hundred purchases would have made a difference.
always thought I'd change to Gyarados after I turned 20 but hey, this is more fitting I guess. (also somebody registered under the original Magikarp name and I can't get back to it anymore orz)
If I may offer some advice: don't buy a game in the hopes that it will, somehow, perhaps, maybe, indirectly, possibly lead to another hypothetical game down the line.
granted it's more like I choose to buy this game I would enjoy instead of this other one I would enjoy because of similar reasons
like I didn't buy some mediocre obscure games just to not support Luigi's Mansion or whatever and I didn't support Fire Emblem Awakening despite wanting it to succeed.
I played the demo and it was pretty fun, though the combat did confuse me a bit but I'm sure another few rounds will fix that :3 But I looove the fact that Yuri Lowell and Flynn Scifo are in it, I absolutely love Tales of Vesperia! But the plot did seem to be something along the lines of universes getting intertwined or something like that (can't really remember) but the demo didn't give many details about the story so I'm really not sure. But I did enjoy it so I'll more than likely snag a copy when it releases. Plus helping Nintendo out is always a good cause in my book ;D
Forums
Topic: Project X Zone and the broader 3rd party picture
Posts 1 to 10 of 10
This topic has been archived, no further posts can be added.