Satoru Iwata Announces 'Nintendo Figurine Platform' to Utilise NFC for Wii U and 3DS

This is great, but can you guys please make an article stating that Iwata also confirmed Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are remakes and not new games at his investor meeting too? People thinking they aren't remakes is getting pretty annoying.

Slow down, Iwata! Save something for E3!

Stocking stuffers confirmed!

Brace yourselves, the figurines are coming to steal your wallets! I like that there's multiple uses for them, and that Nintendo has actually been working on improving the Wii U. At least the money they spent on NFC hasn't gone to waste.

@DestinyMan Well, from what we see NFPs can be used in several games. So I can see some potential in then.

Ugh. I won't be able to resist these stupid little things.

Well there goes all my money. ALL HAIL THE VIRTUAL BOY!

If there is a Captain Falcon figurine and I can have him in Mario Party 10 the universe might implode from awesomeness.

I'll collect them all and they'll take up all my space until I just end up with:

The fact that the NFC reader/writer is built into the gamepad, and that these will work across multiple games, is awesome! It seems like we won't ever have to buy any sort of expensive starter pack, and it gives the figures much better value! Well done, Nintendo!

I have no shelf space as it is!!!!!!

I hope there will be pokemon figures as well. But this is really good for Wii U

It looks like a great idea! Though I have never liked this kind of toys too much. But being from Nintendo, I know I'll be getting then. It's a good sign that we can use then for multiple games. Let's hope something good comes out from this. Though I will spend a lot of money.

It's about time! Kinda late in the game Ninty, better late than never I suppose. Figurines, gotta collect them all.

Count me in as one of the ones that will be broke , Awesome though ..

Not buying any of these crap toys. F*** that.

But I do think this is a good decision business-wise. It only makes me wonder though, how will Activision react to this? Will they drop support for Wii U to spite Nintendo for cutting in to their territory.

YES! Give me Smash "trophies" and Fire Emblem figures ala army men

how will Activision react to this? Will they drop support for Wii U to spite Nintendo for cutting in to their territory.

Definitely. Just like Nintendo cut ties with every company that released a kart racer.

@Guitardude7 This explains how I feel EXACTLY. I try to limit myself (it gets hard with all these great games coming out) but these damned figurines are about to come in and wreck my wallet and social life.

@Philip_J_Reed

Well I mean this could be a serious contender to Skylanders, and could possibly take a HUGE chunk of interest away from the series. Nintendo has always dominated the Kart Racing genre but Activision right now dominates the Toy-game market. This could be a threat to their throne. Just saying...

So are Nintendo just gonna blow their whole wad and have nothing left for E3? I hope not! Hopefully they are just getting the minuscule stuff out of the way first & are saving the real announcements for the digital event.

If it doesn't take off, it's no threat. If it does take off, it moves systems, and Activision would be pretty silly to pull support after the WiiU finally gains traction. They'd be cutting off their own customers. I wouldn't worry about it.

@Philip_J_Reed

Good point. I'm just curious to see how Activision would respond to this. Because I think kids would prefer Mario and Pokemon toys over some random creatures. Ya know? And Parents can only spend so much money, so kids would probably pick the Nintendo figurines over the Skylander ones.

When I read the title of the article, I was like "What!? The 3DS had a NFC feature and we didn't know about it?"

But as I read further, the cartridge will have a NFC chip built-in. So that made sense.

@secondserving
Yeah, I'd be very curious to see how that plays out. It's easy for you and me (and most folks who would visit a site called Nintendo Life!) to assume the Mario toys would be immediately more popular. But there's a whole generation of gamers now that is growing up on Skylanders, and to them Mario might seem like a lesser imposter.

There's no way to know until it's out, but I really do wonder.

I was hoping Nintendo would go this route. If they make this into a sandbox/world building game, it could really take off.

It's like a mini E3 today- I'm definitely impressed. Lately Nintendo's been going down the checklist one by one and taking care of business.

I always thought this would be a huge opportunity for them. If they hype this up properly like Disney Infinity did when it launched, good things could happen...

@Philip_J_Reed

Yeah, that's definitely a factor. But I'd say that the sale figures released today kind of prove that Pokemon and Mario are still relevant characters to society. Seeing as the best selling titles for the Wii U and 3DS are Mario and Pokemon games.

If any figurines are Metroid themed, I will be such a sucker...

Yessss, I so hope this becomes big. While I don't classify Skylanders or Disney Infinity as triple-a amazing titles, they're fun and really are a great "family" game. If Ninty is really at the helm for this type of game, I can only expect great things and an even lighter wallet.

I'm wondering if the game Nintendo is doing will also work with the Pokemon Rumble pieces. This is going to be an AWESOME project. I am really hoping they use the diverse characters in SSB with all the trophies and such. I like Disney Infinity..... But since Nintendo is doing something like this, I will hold off until Nintendo releases it.
And Nintendo had probably planned this game since the Wii U announcement..... With the built in .... NFC. So excited!

Nintendo finally got around to dusting off the olde money printing machine. Lets see if it still works ey?

Man, I'm not feeling well with this idea. It sounds potentially nice, but this could be a devious packaging for physical DLC. I just hope they won't get too expensive.

But if they bring characters from all ranges (in a similar fashion as Smash), I most likely can't resist...

I may collect some familiar famous faces, like Mario, Link, and Kirby, but I hope Nintendo doesn't start adding ridiculous characters like Poppy Bros. Jr., Dr. Crygor and the guy from Urban Champion.

Not a fan of having to buy figurines to play games.

My girlfriend and I just looked at eachother after reading the headline. With our INFINITY figures and soon Marvel INFINITY figures, combined with this . . . We're gonna need more shelves.

This sooo cool!!!!!!!!!! But I was hoping it would be announced for E3. But Who cares thats soo cool..

Great, here I was able to patiently wait for E3 to arrive and then they drop this little piece and say we'll tell you more at the event. Now I'm hyped up again.

I guess it's better then getting leaked.

Flailing in all directions.

Desperate.

Ahh... So they'll work with 3DS too. They'll probably work best on Wii U, though.

This is pretty interesting. I can't wait for more info. The figurines remind me of the trophies from Super Smash Bros.... It makes me want to collect every single one already.

I hate the skylanders/Disney infinity the most out of all video games business models but I have to admit it works and would probably make money for Nintendo, I won't be buying the figurines but guess lots of people wiill

I suspect these meetings are very high level and only give broad details about future products and services, so I'm reserving judgement on this until more details come out...

Bad approach Nintendo...

I looked at the new 'World of Nintendo' Mario toy sets at Target today. I was unimpressed by the quality of the figurines and set molds. One of the Bowsers only had one eye painted on and a Peach figurine had the lipstick painted on the chin instead of over the mouth. McDonald's toys are better quality.

If the quality improves on these cheap Chinese manufactured figurines I may be interested. For now I remain unconvinced of the potential quality.

Is this bringing back the old Nintendo "mad toy maker" badge?

I can't see myself going all out for these nfc figures, but I'm curious how they decide to implement it. Gamers seem to LOVE collectibles and I'm seeing these as pre-order pot-sweeteners too.

The road to E3 just got a little hotter...

Running out of ideas huh Iwata. I think the last plausible idea would be to fire you. #fireiwata #RIPWiiU

Oh man... I've thought those Skylanders and Infinity toys look cool if I were still a young boy. But this... I can't help myself, I need these things. I also think this is unbelievably good for Nintendo. This can actually sell the consoles MK8 and Smash Bros. leave untouched. Kids love this stuff.

@Superiorspider - just wow.

Must every article and every bit of news be a referendum on your personal list of gripes and hate-dumb for everything Nintendo?

PS: for the record...before you start crying and screaming about me being a Nintendrone...I'm not defending Iwata.

I hope I don't go broke on this considering I still have to hunt down good Wii games I missed last gen. xD

O_O yes? Yes?! YESSSS!!!!!

FINALLY!

Is that the thing where you need to buy figurines to play the game?

I'm not really excited about this. I wanted to see Nintendo expand into different areas, not double down on Pokemon-style cash grabs.

... Nintendo.

NINTENDO. Stop it. I have no shelf space left. It isn't fair to exploit my complete inability to resist these adorable little money-suckers. I only just caved on Disney Infinity a week ago. I've got a wife to feed, here!

Just wait, everyone. Soon they'll start doing it for Pokémon. The horror! Piles and piles of dead, empty wallets!

What has me intrigued, is what kind of games are they gonna make to feature various characters from different franchises?

What will the software be like?
So long as they don't make these things mandatory for classic all ages franchises like Metroid, DK, Zelda, and Punch Out!, I think it's cool for the kids.
I'm really curious to see what happens at E3.

This could be the start of something big!!

Not interested in these games but it's definitely a good idea to try and boost the systems popularity/return to profit.

Too bad you can't sell games nobody wants for a console nobody has by adding figurines. Nice 2012 pitch.

You can of course milk your loyal fans some more though and they will thank you for it.

@Sceptic "You can of course milk your loyal fans some more though and they will thank you for it."

Like paying $50 a year to play your console online?
Like locking services like Netflix behind a paywall?
Like yearly Madden/Fifa roster updates?
Like paid for advantage microtransactions?
Like locked on disc and day one DLC?
Like dashboard ads?

I think you've identified the least offender in an industry currently saturated with anti-consumer scams and loyal consumer milking, my friend.

I wouldn't be surprised if Smash Bros was the first NFP compatible game, and used as a quick method of unlocking characters.

@nova108 Was thinking exactly the same. At this rate its guna be a repeat performance of last year,with just 1 or 2 "new" announcements at e3 that will only frustrate fans and reinforce the haters views of the wiiu.

Yawn! Not interested.

Whole thing sounds very iffy and somewhat desperate. I guess we'll see how this goes.

We are all going to have fun regardless.

I don't see how people find this desperate. The WiiU was built with NFC from the get-go, this has obviously been on the drawing board for a long time.

Oh god! Not more of these stupid toys! If Nintendo had any sense they would do something cooler like making figures that work across several games, such as your settings from Mario Kart 8 can be used in SSB... Then I read on-

"The primary selling point is that rather than release figurines specific to individual pieces of software, Nintendo intends to release these collectibles that will work across multiple games"

Shut up and take my money...

lol Some people find negativity in everything Nintendo does these days.

Anyway, this is pretty cool, especially from a business standpoint. Nice to see the NFC feature will be put to full use now.

Yaaaahhhhooooooo!!! Nintendo is back in the game! If this works out for Nintendo there going to make a lot of money, and if Nintendo makes a lot of money we will get a chance to play Starfox Universe, Metroid Dread, and F-Zero U

One can Dream!

This will be the way to expand the roster of characters in Mario Kart 8?

@Ralizah hahaha.

Can I use my Phantasy Star Zero figures? Now that would be sweet. Hopefully an open world game like skylanders and Disney Infinity to go along with it.

@Squid Pretty much. Not interested in NFC toys at all. (But I wouldn't say this is a move of desperation since the system had NFC from the jump.) And the nostalgic sentiments attached to Nintendo characters isn't pulling at my heart strings to coerce purchases of these either. At least the Pokémon remake news was awesome today!

i hate all this NFC crap.. useless gimmick

High-tech Yoshi Figurine = Check!

"Iwata also said Nintendo will release high-tech figurines of some of its most popular characters in time for Christmas this year. The company hopes the models, which will be able to send and receive data from games, will also stimulate software sales."

Funny thing is when the Wii U was first announced and I found out what that square can do and I flipped out with excitement about the potentials of transferring data from a figurine or card. I think one awesome use would be if they made character figurines of characters you can transfer into smash bros or mario kart.

Could work with Mario like the Rayman Legends concept - have power up figures that are limited to like one use every hour or two. I'm cautiously optimistic.

I won't be buying these toys for sure but nevertheless if this is what the Wii U needs to get more console sales and smaller game droughts then I'm in favour of it existing.

Awesome!
Best start saving then

Smash and NFC, I'm calling it.

Start doing it for Pokemon? Was Pokemon Rumble U that forgettable?

Several games at once, eh? This sounds pretty good.
Also: So much for "No no, we don't have any new hardware at E3" <_<

If Nintendo actually promote this, market it and make the games desirable to kids then they will do ok but if they treat it like they did Pokemon Rumble U, it will just fade away.

I hardly think this is a desperate stab in the dark from Nintendo. It seems more like something they should have had ready earlier and have now unveiled to deflect the bad vibes coming after the big losses.

Ew, no.

To be honest with you, it should have been Pokèmon themed, maybe for a Wii U Pokemon game that literally encourges you to 'Catch Em All.' Thoughts???

We all knew it was coming.

This will get Nintendo a foot back in the door with all the retail stores that have abandoned them over the past year. Particularly when they roll out the pokémon.

Whether they can pull a success that is anywhere close to what we are seeing Activision achieve is an entirely different question, however.

One thing I'd be curious to see would be a figurine that held Mii data. Possibly even online contests that would award people a custom printed figurine of their Mii, with its configuration embedded.

This doesn't have to be just for kids. Think of all those Gundam or what-have-you mecha figurines and models sold in Japan. Imagine if each had an NFC tag and unlocked something in their companion games; gave you extra content, weapons, levels etc.

Probably most people wouldn't bother with them, but for the super-fans who are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on their hobby, it makes the models feel more real and part of the wider experience. Plus when you buy a model/figurine, it has dual use. Both physical and digital value.

Or all those Pokemon cards. Imagine if they all had NFC chips in them, so when you bought the card, you got that pokemon in game!

Not really my cup of tea but its clearly a money making area so I'll wait and see.

I'm surprised how positive respond these NFC-figures got! The concept looks clever, but I'm not exactly interested.

@Nintendude789 Actually, you have to buy a separate NFC reader/writer, a pictured in the second image. Hope it won't be too expensive...

I´m guessing they will announce a new game that uses this in the upcoming E3. They surely have been working on some games secretly and after seeing this it make sense that one will be tided to these figures and probably far in development

As most people have stated already this figures are going to make a lot of damage to wallets but at least we´ll get more value out of them if they can be used for several games both for Wii U and 3DS

SSB4 figurines for new Assist Trophies/Items and maybe even stages?

While I find this a good idea, I have some questions before I decide to get in:
1. What will the price of the figurines and the reader/writer for 3DS be?
2. Which / how many games will support it?
3. Will you be forced to buy figurines to play these games or are they like DLC?
4. How many will there be?
5. Will you be able to see which one you're buying from the package? I have nobody to trade potential doubles with.
I'll wait for answers, then I'll judge
(Also, I used THIS site to report the news to another, Dutch site. Maybe i got you some new viewers: http://www.n1ntendo.nl/forum/topic/21541/n1ntendo-newssubmit-topic/18#post-766657)

I'm curious as to if data will pass between titles, I mean, they don't level up or anything. Only thing I see is this being physical DLC to play a game like NSMB, which would be pretty cool.

What I can see, mark my words, is a bunch of Free to Play games, or cheaply costing ones, which use the figurines. It would make sense based on their recent business models. And it would be nice to, say, buy a Goomba model once then access it in all games, rather than buying repeated DLC for him in every game.
Smart move, if they play it right,

This is a good move by Nintendo. People like to collect game merchandise and lately Nintendo figurines have been very expensive. Tying them into multiple games is also good so you don't have to buy a new set of figurines every time a new game comes out. They just have to makes sure the games and the figurines are worth spending the cash on. Also, make sure there are characters that people will want to buy.

I'm really getting excited for E3. As it's only 5 weeks away, I expect we will hear more localised news then, not before. However, this is Nintendo and they play by their rules.

3DS already DOES have Figure Reading capabilities! How'd ya think Skylanders 3DS worked ous?

So like, does this not count as "new hardware"? Not quite? Too bad Peers.

@MrMario02 Also by an infrared peripheral

Might be a good idea. But I will personally not be buying this.

i hope they are better quality than the pokemon obnes & not sold in blind packs.
Or series 401 of the same ffff skylander

This seems like a good business move, but it's not something I'm personally interested in. I'm not too familiar with Skylanders and its ilk, but from what I've seen, it seems like the figures do nothing more than activate/unlock content in the video game--sort of a physical form of DLC. It seems too cumbersome and unnecessary for me to enjoy. Besides, I have enough video game memorabilia floating around...

CASH GRAB! Nintendo, I don't want to spend money on plastic figurines, I want GAMES! Those figurines are probably not cheap to make. uuuuuugghh...

@mystman12 agreed. But the Nintendo haters on NeoGAF will some how turn it into Nintendo hates the consumer and it will become another one of those false common beliefs spread about Nintendo that people believe is true, like if your system is stolen or broken you lose all of your purchases, surprisingly that lie is still alive.

would be nice if one of those games allows you to upload those characters to a hub world and interact with each other.

Technically the Disney Infinity/Skylanders figures can be used in multiple games (i.e their sequels) but I'm sure Nintendo could expand it to many of its games.

I'm interested to see how this plays out.

I want this. So badly~

I'm guessing there will be very soon a new version of the 3DS, "lite", "pro" or whatever you like, with an NFC reader built in the machine.

I for one won't be buying these toys.

@rjejr will be very happy to hear this, until his wallet starts to bleed

Nice to hear they can be used for more than one game. Also nice to see that 3DS won't be left out. I will be buying some of these.

AWW COME ON! Now I'm going to end up buying ALL OF THEM!! I think Nintendo owes me some pants, too.

@allav866 Adding? Nintendo's going to START with Urban Champion and characters from Tennis and Hockey, then not give anything else for 3 months.

So, you could buy someone like dry bones and use them in mario kart, mario party, and mario golf?

Since they will be working across multiple games, I think these figures will end up just being extra-fancy DLC, and NOT an essential part to the game. Kind of like how Ubisoft originally had an idea to sell NFC figures along with Rayman Legends, to add characters like the infamous Rabbids from some of the past games or Ezio from the popular Assassin's Creed series.

I, for one, don't really see how this is a bad business decision. If it's going to suck money out of parent's wallets for their kids (which I expect these to be marketed to) Nintendo's going to be happy, and we as gamers are going to wind up loving them,

On another note: Am I the only one who remembers U.B. Funkeys, where this phenomenon first started?

@Superiorspider And I guess you have a better idea, huh?

@Philip_J_Reed I disagree. When Infinity came in to being Activision recognized they were unique and different. Our family started with Infinity collecting all 30 or so characters. Since then we have branched out and collected over 80 Skylanders and all three games. At first I didn't get Skylanders because I didn't understand it. Its because of Infinity that we eventually bought Skylanders. Know this will be one more Toys to Life series we will pickup. I forgot to mention we also have about 12 Pokemon Rumble figures too. So yes, we will be broke.

In other news, it's so fun seeing the rustled jimmies in the comments of people who don't remember that Nintendo is a company who's goal is to make money.

My only concern is the games. I actually want a Disney Infinity style Toy Box environment but focused on the classic Nintendo Games. Make a cool Mario level, make a zelda dungeon, etc. Nintendo has the game play so solid on these that a Nintendo "toy box" would run circles around the Disney Infinity one (which isn't bad at all).

That being said, the integration of these toys into multiple games is a fantastic idea as it will add value to the figurines while also bringing attention to different games that more casual gamers might look over. It's sort of similar to what Nintendo Land could have accomplished if it had been more successful. Introducing players to a wider array of Nintendo franchises and game styles.

Anyway, my kids are the right age and though we have successfully avoided Skylanders and stuck with Disney Infinity... we (I) won't be able to resist this.

@sinalefa - You gotta give me time to wake up and get the kids off to school. Being a homemaker isn't all soap operas and bon bons you know.

Good news. I like the cross game idea. And I'm not worried about my wallet, it's empty, but my kids have enough money of their own.

Big question though, where's THE game? Cross game is nice but it needs one big one to launch. Looks like it won't be Pokepark 3 or Pokemon Battle Arena. Hardcore gamers will literally burn down their HQ if its SSB.

As much as I like SKylanders action/platform/light RPG I know Nintendo is a whole other breed so now I'm thinking Nintendo Land 2, but like Animal Crossing or Tomodachi Life. very much like Disney Magical World on 3DS.

http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/disney-magical-world

E3 awaits. .

what about pokemon rumble u?

This is pretty interesting to me. I like the idea of having a figurine in your house which you could use with your WiiU and 3DS to get different things from different games. It could completely negate DLC and pre-order incentives, if done right.

Well, this looks interesting. I'm hoping those figures don't cost too much though - or at the very least, they don't have exclusive locations to be sold from.

the most important thing about this is that you can use the figurines with more than just one game. otherwise it would be a total ripoff!

Could they patch NFC stuff into already released games, because "Game A" looks like New Super Mario Bros. U, "Game B" looks like New Super Mario 3D World, but I don't know what "Game C" could be.

interesting, I'll be waiting for the lawsuit articles in 2 years time. lol

But really, if they do this properly, I may end up getting some... if there are Zelda ones, they'll definitely get me.

@Brickbuild101 Not the satanic ritual that is the Octopus Dance! .o.

Amazing, this will sell a lot. They should have done it much sooner.

I'd like to see how these will be utilized in gameplay. Hoping for something past the Skylanders/Disney Infinity model of 3D platformer/sandbox

Holy... And I thought Skylanders was trying to steal my food away... Just make at least ONE Doshin, Nintendo! (and a lot of Zelda related stuff, Luigi's, Rosalina, Babies, Mega Men (plural, for obvious reasons),... )

Finally! I called this immediately when the Wii U was unveiled so they took a bit of time but that's OK

will the figurine be required? if so what happens if you can't find the right one for the game? is it really just a memory card?

Now THIS is something I'd actually buy!

Darn it, Nintendo. I thought we were supposed to hear all the bad news and how you didn't know what to do. How can you be so cruel and give us so much good news.

PS. (Sarcasm, if you couldn't detect it).

I really really really want a Non Specific Action Figure.

Okay...I am way too old to want this stuff, but...

Pit, Palutena and Eggplant Wizard pack please!
Samus, Ridley, and Metroid pack please!

I think the idea of making these usable in multiple kinds of games could be pretty interesting if its done right, but i'll have to wait to find out. either way though i don't know if i'll be buying any of these .-." mainly due to my money situation. (would help if i got a job already huh)

I'm really excited about this. Firstly, I collect Nintendo action figures and random other memorabilia. Secondly, my five-year-old son loves playing both Skylanders and Disney Infinity. I'd much rather spend my money on Nintendo figurines for him. Also, they'll look great on the shelf long after the lifespan of the Wii U.

Have they been in demand? The only audience I know of that care about NFC figurines or play the games that use them are young children.

I collect figurines myself but I demand high quality out of them and as such would never purchase low quality NFC figures.

Very cool i had a few pokemon NFC figures and they worked really well but i would love true nintendo ones much better metroid, mario , zelda .

@Action51 EXACTLY!!!

Lord, Just take my money now! Nintendo is always running me dry anyway...

@MixMasterMudkip "Remakes" could imply a lot of things. It could be a "remake" in the way that it's set in Hoenn...an older Hoenn.

Well, money, we had a good run but I'm afraid this is where we say goodbye...

As long as it doesn't take away from the game's actual experience. I don't want to start paying 80-100 bucks just to make the game worth something.

@camerica1618
If its like Disney Infinity where you just pay for the characters you want to use then that would be perfect

I have a lot of Disney Infinity figures and I don't even own the game. I just like the figurines for collecting purposes. I am really excited for some Nintendo characters.

Hmmmm... I'm so against these figures that I might not get them. But if Nintendo makes them, they will be a lot better than Skylanders. So maybe. I WANT A LINK ACTION FIGURE!

Well this great news and i hope the figures are not only mario character's and there are figures from all there IP's. Like zelda , F zero, and metriod.

Hmm, I wonder what this means. NFC stuff for every Nintendo game from now on?! And how will this influence the quality of the games? Hopefully this doesn't stink!

My wallet is gonna die. xD I can't be trusted with NFC figures. xD

I sense the e-reader is happening again, and that's a good thing