I hope people don't get this game mixed up with the excellent The Walking Dead episodic adventure games. Fantastic. They've been voted by a lot of people as game of the year up against the likes of Journey, Bioshock: Infinite, Dishonoured etc.

Feeling quite optimistic about this title. Really hope it delivers!

@Legromancer Don't take it personally. I added the smile so people would know I'm not being overly serious. It does look awful in text though (which is why even Ubisoft aren't doing it). Don't take it too seriously! Also, I think if Ubisoft write it one way, that's probably the right way.

@Hysterical Lizard? The electric one?

Good to know. Giving people the option is always the best way to go. Also, "Watch_Dogs"? Pleeeease don't start typing it that way That's how it is on the box art but nobody types it like that elsewhere, not even Ubisoft in any official material.

@Mattstewto My original comments were speaking as a gamer, discussing content quality. Though even if we only care about business, my points about the Wii U still stand.

@Mattstewto Ok, we'll have to agree to disagree. I agree that sales are important, but not in deciding whether a game is great or not. Think of titles like ICO. It didn't sell well at all! I guess this means Call of Duty is the best multiplatform game.

@Mattstewto I was talking about how good the games are, rather than how many they've sold. If we only care about sales numbers, we'll have to write off the Wii U.

@therealmario101 Good grief, that's sad. We all have different tastes, but garbage? I bet you're annoyed at buying a console with so many garbage games! Or did you not buy it (and therefore can't judge)? I love Nintendo games, especially the magic and creativity, and for that reason it shocks me that a fan of Nintendo would describe games like the Team ICO games as garbage. Wow.

All I'm saying is that the PS3 has the best of both worlds, great exclusives and great multiplatform titles. I think Nintendo are shooting themselves in the food with their decision to release out of sync with rivals. I'm a Nintendo fan, I love Nintendo games, but if the console played the best multiplatform games AND great exclusives, it could rival the PS3.

@Caryslan <- this person makes sense.

@Sentinator Uncharted series (seriously!)? Infamous? The Team ICO games? The Quantic Dream games? PSN exclusives like Journey? GT series? Think of upcoming games, The Last of Us, The Last Guardian, Beyond... Sony have become a powerhouse for exclusives. That was the best thing about Nintendo, and Sony have caught up with them. Microsoft is behind. An Xbox 360 plays some amazing games that Nintendo doesn't get, but you can get most of them on the PS3. But the PS3 has absolutely stunning exclusives AND plays the latest and greatest multiplatform titles. Nintendo has the franchises, they have the fans... I want to play Zelda etc. But I really think they need to look at Sony. Sony has the quality and quantity of exclusives to make them the top choice now (especially over the Xbox 360), but they also play the multiplatform games that the Wii couldn't play. If Nintendo release in-sync with the rivals, and focus on making incredible Nintendo exclusives, they can get the best of both worlds like Sony have done recently. The Wii U will have incredible games, I have no doubt, but it won't be as a good as it could have been.

I'm with Nintendo for portable gaming, and Sony for home consoles for now. Because: games.

The Wii had the same problem, releasing so early and being a barely upgraded GameCube (but with the awesome, revolutionary motion controller, which we all know was a success). When the Wii was out, people had realised what the problem was, getting spin-offs and lesser games while other systems got the world-class multiplatform titles. How didn't Nintendo realise!?

If the Wii U is a current-gen console, it's a fine console, shame it came out at the very end of the generation for the rivals and is now the underpowered console. If the Wii U is a next-gen console, like the Wii it's underpowered from the beginning. It will still get good games, but it won't be considered by many of the biggest devs working on multiplatform titles.

To sum up: Nintendo, what are you doing? I really want to see Nintendo continue to dominate the handheld market with hardware and software, but for the home consoles to go software-only. I liked Nintendo back when their consoles were just boxes that played games, and Nintendo used their creativity on incredible gaming experiences. Less time trying to be inventive with the console, more time working on the games please. If Nintendo won't go software-only, then I hope they at least learn that TWICE they've tried releasing a console out of sync with recent rivals and it's caused a lack of 3rd party support.

@Midnight3DS Conquest is a good spin-off but you should definitely give the main series a go at some point! I haven't played them all, only the most recent ones and the classic Red and Blue games on my GameBoy. Very fond memories!

@manu0 Some PC games have spam DLC, and some PS3 games have digital expansions packs. The Elder Scrolls series provides examples for both of these. I think both types are common on PC and PS3, just depends which games. I agree by the way, I'm not a fan of costumes and skins etc.

@Kurtis_the_Red If this was true, the Wii U would be a success story. Sadly, it really doesn't have the 3rd party support a console of its quality deserves. And, just like the Wii, it's only going to get worse by once again releasing out of sync with the rivals. Sure, some 3rd party devs will want to work with Nintendo but when a company like R* is making Grand Theft Auto 6 (for example) they will have the options of the next-gen Sony and Microsoft consoles, but not the underpowered Wii U. Just like many excellent multiplatform titles never made it to the underpowered Wii. By releasing out of sync, it's only able to keep up for a short time. This means that it either gets ignored, or some devs offer spin-offs and lesser versions of games.

Sure, there ARE great 3rd party devs that often work with Nintendo and will continue to do so. But this is why Sony beats Microsoft in my opinion: Both play the latest and greatest 3rd party multiplatform titles, but Sony has become a powerhouse for 1st party exclusives, a crown usually reserved for Nintendo. Sony has the best of both words, world-class exclusives, and all the best 3rd party games. Nintendo have such amazing exclusive franchises that people still want Nintendo products. I do. But if they kept up with the times, they could provide a system with the latest Nintendo magic AND the latest and greatest 3rd party offerings. Games sell consoles.

I wrote a bit about this in 2011 when it was becoming clear that Nintendo would begin making DLC more readily available on their newest systems: http://nintendoscene.com/2011/08/18/nintendo-will-welcome-dlc-in-the-future-should-they/

Basically, I'm not against DLC altogether, but I disapprove of some forms of DLC. I'm not a big fan of purchasing a weapon or vehicle for use in a game (but if you like it that's fine). For me, I prefer DLC to be a considerable extension of the game, like extra levels. For years PC games have offered expansion packs that lengthen the main game. That's the next problem... If the content has merely been kept from the main game, and then offered later, I'm not happy paying for that. But if the developers spend considerable time after the release of the game to create more content, then I'll support them financially. Bethesda are good with lengthy DLC to expands their games. They did try to sell small items like armour but that was a publicity nightmare and they became a laughing stock. But DLC that adds 30 more hours of quests and story to a game? Yes please.

For games like Mario Kart, I wouldn't pay for extra karts, but I would pay for a pack of new tracks. For games like Fire Emblem: Awakening, I'd buy extra chapters if they are affordable. So it really depends, but I don't think all DLC is evil. I'm just wary.

Disappointed by some of the responses, but only a minority, which is nice

Always worth asking yourself a question that gay people are asked all the time. www.upworthy.com/watch-these-straight-people-answer-a-question-gay-people-have-been-asked-for-years-6

@invmat Thanks for responding, and that's a really good point. I wonder how they've handled it with the male-male relationships? Point is if they can offer that functionality, makes sense to allow female-female too.

@invmat "because of the children"

Huh? You mean someone at Nintendo believes children shouldn't be exposed to the fact that homosexuality exists? Or did I misunderstand?

Good, I really hope there's a patch so it works for the ladies too. Yay for equality.

More games not getting to the Wii U :/ I actually chose Battlefield 3 as my main image when I posted about the 2011 E3 conferences on Nintendo Scene: http://nintendoscene.com/2011/06/09/sony-and-microsoft-at-e3-what-it-means-for-nintendo/

Back then, I was happy that the Wii U could be a success by not only having exclusive Nintendo titles, but all the world-class multiplatform titles appearing on the Xbox 360 and PS3... At the time it looked possibly that Battlefield 3 would be there, especially when John Riccitiello was talking about it during Nintendo's E3 conference!

@DarkCoolEdge "Koi" sounds like the English word "coy".

どうぶつの森 - N64 (basically the GameCube Animal Crossing with a few less features)
Animal Crossing - GameCube
Animal Crossing: Wild World - DS
Animal Crossing: City Folk - Wii
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - 3DS

@Windy No worries As for tiles etc, you can do even more stuff like that now, but I won't mention much more because it's better to discover all those little things yourself. I just wanted to mention the big features, but it's the small details that are fun and surprising as you play it yourself.

@Windy The multiplayer component is fun but not too deep so probably wouldn't warrant an entire article. Friends can visit your town, you can visit theirs, if they're best friends you can contact them in-game even if they aren't on your town (it's like texting each other). The StreetPass features are new. I've not been lucky enough to pass anyone with the game but basically you can see the homes (and avatars) of the people you've come across with StreetPass. You can even order stuff from their homes apparently (again, I haven't experienced this yet). There's an island you can play mini-games on. If you invite a friend to your town (or visit their town), then you can go to the island together and help each other complete the mini-games. All the usual multiplayer features are intact. You can trade items, or bring your own fruit to friend's towns to sell them for more as foreign fruit.

The game does feel a lot more social than previous entries, especially with the chatting feature with best friends who are online but don't have to be in your town. Personally, as cool as those features are, I actually think the dreaming is my favourite feature. Dreaming of a random strangers home can be really surprising and inspiring! Not as social as going to a friend's town, but it can be exciting!

The best thing about the game is that it's an experience, so I'm hoping the upcoming articles aren't really about features, but about Jon's adventures and the trouble he gets up to. Seeing the weird enjoyment someone else got from the game was what made me want it in the first place!

@Geonjaha Pretty much as you've suggested but not always a shadow. Sometimes there's bubbles. Also, in Animal Crossing, jellyfish are the bees of the seas.

As a reader I appreciate the transparency, so thanks.

I'm absolutely loving it, even though I didn't actually enjoy the previous games that much. It maybe says more about how I've changed than how much the game has. It's addictive and I'm using it as relaxation between intense games. Only thing I've not been able to experiment with is the StreetPass features, but they sound interesting.

I completely agree that the Vita is a better system than the 3DS. As a piece of hardware, it's literally better in every possible way it could be. Actually, it's one of the nicest gaming devices of all time. It's a thing of beauty. But give me the 3DS over it any day! Props to Sony for a wonderful device, but I'll choose the one with decent games on it! 3DS is proof that it's the games that sell consoles.

This is the type of DLC I like, and I don't mind paying for. Props to them. They seem reasonably priced too.

I wrote this article for Nintendo Scene a while ago about DLC coming to Nintendo consoles. In my opinion, DLC can be terrible or amazing depending on what it is they're offering. I'm strongly against some forms of DLC.

http://nintendoscene.com/2011/08/18/nintendo-will-welcome-dlc-in-the-future-should-they/

I don't agree that it's the "what you don't see" that makes the NA image racier... as pointed out by people all over the web, it's the fact that it looks like a cape, as if someone is watching her undress and she's just realised. Regardless of whether it was the right or wrong thing to do, they've definitely made it worse!

@Jaz007 I'm not in favour of a lawsuit, but I just can't understand these comparisons. For Borderlands, they made changes in development. They went with a different style. Games change all the time. But with A:CM, they deliberately and deceptively doctored footage to make the game seem far better than it was. They faked the graphics, lighting, animations, AI, characters... everything. They didn't have a change of heart like in Borderlands. They didn't say, "this is actually looking a bit too good, let's make everything rougher and crap, remove all these assets we used to have, redo the explosions and animations and lighting etc so they aren't as good". That didn't happen. They edited the footage to make it seem better yet called it a "gameplay demo".

Everyone accepts that the final game can change. The issue is that they simply lied about it being representative of "gameplay". No, I don't want to see the lawsuit. But I do think they deserve the ridicule they're getting for this.

@LzQuacker I never fell for it. I never made a preorder. I never purchased the game. Just clearing that up. You say ads are misleading all the time. Ok, but can you provide examples where a company provided footage of a "gameplay demo" that wasn't the gameplay at all and was deliberately enhanced in order to make a game with terrible graphics, AI, animation etc seem to have great graphics, AI, animation etc?

Also, I haven't once suggested that I'm in favour of this lawsuit. Not once. Yet several comments are acting like I am. What I AM stating is that the original "gameplay" footage is nothing like the final product, which you can clearly see is the case, to the point that the company should be made to apologise for the deception. I don't think they should be made to offer refunds or anything, because you can't prove who bought it because of the "gameplay" footage.

Guys, games can change in development. But they clearly rendered fake assets in their demos! Look at the video! Games can change, but they've actually faked gameplay footage. Either that or they deliberately removed assets, effects, animations etc to deliberately make the game worse. Extra effort to make the game worse? Don't think so. It's not a development change. It's dodgy demo footage that wasn't really gameplay when they said it was. It was touched up, big time. Not cool.

@theperson I cannot believe what I just read. You watched the video I posted, and thought the original gameplay demo with all the polish, lighting features, extra assets, advanced animations, extra characters, better explosions, better textures etc looked WORSE than the final gameplay missing all of those things? There must be some sort of mistake. I can't accept that you watched that video and actually thought the opposite of what everyone else is thinking.

@dumedum It's not like there some little bugs that could be fixed... The game was nothing like it was presented in "gameplay demos".

For anyone who hasn't played the game yet, here's a decent video showing some differences between what we've been shown and how the game turned out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lGXDM3LGnk

@AstronautZero Now compare them and see what they get you, and what comes free regardless of whether you have a subscription or not. After that, look again at the price.

Sony's PS+ is awesome. You pay a relatively small fee (with much better value than things like Xbox Live) and you get to download top games for free or massively discounted. It's absolutely brilliant, allows gamers to play games they might not have tried, and it still makes Sony money. It's also entirely optional! It's a fantastic service and I'd love to see Nintendo take some inspiration from it.

@Bismarck The next 3DS Zelda title is attempting that.

@solcross If memory serves me correctly, the Japanese game was about 5000 blocks.

A game like this I would want as a cart. Games like Animal Crossing are the ones I want to download for quick and regular play sessions, between your other games.

I'm only in London for a few months at a time, and I don't have the game, but I just wanted to say this is awesome!

@Datasun_7 Agreed. They do what they set out to do very well indeed, I'm just bored of them because I want something new.

Such a weird attitude in the comments here. I've played some COD games, enjoyed some, hated others, and I'm done with the series for now so I won't be picking up a game if it arrives on any of the Nintendo systems. BUT why the hell would I complain about it coming? Another game? More options for people? Especially on a console that needs more games!

If you don't like a game, don't buy it. But screaming no and complaining that it's even going to exist on your console... jeez. Turn the tables and make it about some brilliant RPG that's being localised for release on the Wii U or 3DS. Imagine you like RPGs but you have people screaming like infants that it shouldn't come to your console because it sucks. The solution here is to buy the games you like, ignore the ones you don't like. Other people have different tastes, leave them to their games.

I agree with everyone here saying that it will be basically the same experience as all the other ones, that's pretty much the reason why I'm bored of the series. You never know though, they could release something different with the same brand, like a strategy game or something. But I doubt it. The old Infinity Ward made the last decent ones. The games handle well and the core gameplay is good (if you like FPS) but the single player campaigns are too short imo and the multiplayer is great for a while, but it's been the same for years so I'm very done with it at this point.

But bring it on! More games, more options!

I'd love SNES games like Super Mario World to make an appearance on the 3DS Virtual Console. They do NES games, so it isn't all about being portable titles.

@ajcismo I don't think it will be very obvious though. I reckon that if they did have a big press conference, it would back-fire. By not having one, they might be doing the best thing given the situation, but it's not something that will show results. Looking back it might not be easy to see that it was a good thing (which I think it will be).

@AltDotNerd You'll definitely see footage of new games. Demos, gameplay, trailers... the press spend a lot of time getting footage and details from the show floor.

It's the sensible thing to do, to avoid embarrassment. The others have their consoles coming, plus huge games that are pretty much finished and ready to show off. Nintendo has no new hardware and few games ready to show except for 3DS. I think Nintendo are being very clever here and doing the right thing, but I don't think it should be viewed as a positive, or spun to look like Nintendo "changing the game" of E3. Nintendo will get bad publicity if they have a huge press conference with little to show. Last year was the big one. If they get their act together then they could have an exciting conference full of great software next year. I hope so. I want to see Nintendo at E3, but I want to see them at their best.

I wish the 3DS got SNES VC content. They obviously focus on bring back classic handheld games, but they do NES games.