Ever since the broadcasts began, Nintendo Direct has given fans a fix of reveals, footage and talking points about upcoming releases; so when a gap opens up between presentations, there's some nervous twitching. When is the next video coming, and will Satoru Iwata appear in front of any quirky blue screen backgrounds, or Reggie Fils-Aime with a creepy giant Mii head version of himself? When are the games coming?
It's now two months since Nintendo's first and only Direct so far of 2015. It was full of details and reveals, with the focus being on the New Nintendo 3DS launch date and related releases, though with notable surprises including a new Fire Emblem game. We had the announcement of Wii games on the Wii U eShop, too, though the enduring legacy of that presentation will likely be the mix of brilliance and bewilderment, with the barely believable limitation of just the New Nintendo 3DS XL making it to North America certainly dominating the conversation on at least one side of the Atlantic.
That was two months ago, as we've said, though Nintendo could argue that it's not exactly been quiet since then - it launched the New Nintendo 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on 13th February with plenty of marketing hype, let's not forget. Since then, however, it has felt rather low key from the big N, particularly in terms of the Wii U - gamers in North America should note that PAL territories haven't even had Kirby and the Rainbow Curse to satisfy the lust for retail games. Here at Nintendo Life we've gleefully hijacked and covered two video presentations for Xenoblade Chronicles X, but they've not been intended for the West - we've essentially just been crashing that party.
With that gap there's an inevitability, then, that the next Nintendo Direct should be very close; yes, we saw the 'rumours', but it's ultimately just simple common sense. Unfortunately the days of one a month (at least) seem to be a thing of the past, with 2014 being a little less generous. In fact, looking at the archive the first Direct of last year was on 13th February, and then three game-specific broadcasts in April; that was our lot before E3. There were multiple broadcasts focused exclusively on single games, as a matter of fact, but when you add the E3 Digital Event into proceedings two months was pretty much the longest gap. We're due something.
But what form will the next Direct take? The truth is Nintendo's probably already largely written and decided on the next presentation, perhaps it's already been filmed, but we certainly hope it's a genuine 'Direct', rather than a showcase for one game. Putting E3 to one side - as we should this far out from it - there are still a number of Wii U projects, in particular, that are due soon but have no release dates. We're thinking of examples such as Yoshi's Woolly World, Mario Maker and Splatoon, games that we think will come in the next few months but have no firm details. We also need to know what exactly is coming to the 3DS between now and Fall / Autumn, as its slate is worryingly low on content right now. That's relatively normal for the portable, with build-up and hype for its games generally being over a much shorter timespan - the new Fire Emblem is due in Japan this Summer, for example, though localisation will surely push that to later in the year in the West.
One game we've been discussing a lot within the team here, also, is Star Fox on Wii U. We wrote earlier this year that, aside from those E3 2014 previews and vague talk of dual screen play and 'cinematic' approaches, we actually know very little about it. It's coming before The Legend of Zelda Wii U, which will probably be the final retail game on Wii U for 2015, yet we've seen more of Eiji Aonuma's next major project than this GamePad-focused Star Fox. There's a line of thinking that Star Fox deserves its big showcase at E3, too, but that depends on the scale of the game. Is this a relatively short adventure (like a number of its predecessors, to be fair) that serves as a demonstration of the GamePad's functionality, or is it a big-budget blockbuster? Nintendo's ability to keep secrets can be outrageous at times, but our gut instinct is that it's the former. That's the point though, it's all guesswork. If Nintendo needs a brand to excite fans at the close of its next Direct then Star Fox could be it - we've seen practically nothing, so we'd welcome almost any game footage.
Beyond that, there are other areas Nintendo can cover that'll get fans talking - an update on amiibo's upcoming waves, and perhaps any movement on the amiibo cards due this year, would be an easy win. In addition we also have the not-so-small matter of the major update due with Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Not only are we keen to enjoy the Mewtwo DLC, but this writer's still excited about online Tournaments / Tournies - Nintendo's been silent on that feature since its '50-Fact Extravaganza' Direct last October, so we'd love another look and a release date. In fact, that update would be a good candidate for the 'available after the presentation' reveal. The usual coverage of the eShop stores and upcoming releases would be very welcome, too.
Ultimately, a Nintendo Direct is due simply to enable Nintendo to grab some headlines and set the agenda, perhaps setting itself up for a couple of those game-specific presentations in April / early May as lead-ins to E3. We trust there are games due between now and Fall, too, so even release dates and details on well-known releases give Nintendo some solid material. The company did well to earn attention in the early part of the year, helped with the launch of New Nintendo 3DS, but in the weird world of the internet and modern consumerism that seems long ago.
Nintendo has a number of options that wouldn't have to detract or upset its E3 plans, and it needs to get fans - and gamers as a whole - talking about it again as we head into Spring.
Assuming there's a Nintendo Direct on the way soon, what do you hope to see?
Comments 176
I'd like to see these:
Mario Maker with a Stunt Race FX theme if you please.
IF there is one coming:
I would saw Zelda U and StarFox, but that's tottaly wishful thinking.
My Wii U hungers for retail games!
Release dates for everything! Even wave 4 Amiibo, and the Amiibo device for old 3DS. Update on Xenoblade, Splatoon, Mario Maker, Yoshi, and Mewtwo and I will be happy. I'm calling it; it's gonna happen next week.
I don't care what else gets announced or discussed, as long as the standard New 3DS is announced for North America. Any Direct from this point forward lacking that is an automatic fail in my book.
-Mewtwo
-MK8 DLC info, new packs (3/4) shown.
-More Hyrule Warriors DLC
-Splatoon Amiibo info.
-Metroid, F-Zero ANYTHING
-Reggie being lame as per usual, Europe and Japan having fantastic shows.
-A Streetpass update enabling purchase of pink pieces each at 10 playcoins per piece.
I would like these:
-Some Wooly World news
-Some Mario Maker news
-some more amiibos
-Mario Kart 8 DLC
-Mewtwo DLC and Smash Update.
@Tsurii897 It would only be too early if there's no release date announced.
Pokemon Z inc mega Chesnaught,Delphox,Greninja
Mario Maker
Zelda Wii U
Star fox
Splatoon
I think there he's to be a direct this week. Hopefully it includes some new games, dlc updates and an update on the amiibo situation.
Nintendo still needs to answer some of my questions, and hopefully those include some release dates:
@Inkling Here amiibos have been popping up everywhere (but still selling out), but that may be because the strike was finally sorted out
I just want some games to be released for Wii U. My console has a family of moths living inside it right now, it needs some new games! (And no Mario Party 10 doesnt count.....at all)
By this time last year at least DKC:TF had dropped, this year sucks hard for Wii U gamers so far. Time for a direct to fix that........NOW!!
Gonna go for broke.
Pure fantasy I know, but 2015 would be one helluva year for Nintendo if that list came true.
We definitely need an update on Mewtwo. I'd say we'll get a Direct in the first week of April, which is to tide us over until E3.
I would like:
I'd like more than that obviously, like an F-Zero announcement, but I think this would be plenty for a 'regular' Nintendo Direct. Should save something for E3!
Also damnit, seeing this at the top of the page made me think there was a new Direct announced!
I'm much more interested in the Super Smash Bros stage sharing feature than the tournament feature. So at least hearing something about that (if not a release date) would be good.
Besides that, I want to know if the physics engines in Mario Maker can be swapped separately from the graphics. I think that's key for the game to be successful.
Saw the title my heart fluttered like yes time to get some snacks and a drink and watch whens the date then realised its a Talking point one unhappy panda here now
Man, I thought there was a new Nintendo Direct! Shame. In all honesty though, there does need to be one...like, really soon.
If there was one, I'd hope for:
I would like a Wii U VC relaunch (all Wii systems, with Game Cube, and more Sega Systems), and M2 HD Classics for Wii U (similar to 3D classics)
I think we will get another direct in 1 or 2 weeks. It's about (Reyn) time! I would love to see more of Yoshi and Zelda. We know next to nothing about 3DS games for this year, so I would like to see some more about that. Also, I hope for a Metroid related announcement, but I fear we have to wait for E3 for that bombshell to hit us.
-Mewtwo is a given.
-Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2 is a given.
-Puzzles and Dragons:Super Mario Bros Edition is a given.
-Hopefully, something Mario Maker related.
-Hopefully Tournament and Miiverse Stage.
-Hopefully Zelda U.
-Hopefully at least Starfox information.
-Hopefully Fire Emblem.
-Hopefully Yoshi's Wooly World.
-Hopefully more Wii games on E-Shop.
So many hopefullies, but not many guarantees...
Zelda wii u would be nice
New Metroid game release
More details on the new fire emblem
Amiibo stalk should be mentioned about improving it
More details on the mewtwo dlc
I was thinking that we're due for a direct.
They need one to give some news on games set to come out soon.
A lot of people seemed to think there would be one over this past week. A lot of people also seem to think there will be one this upcoming week. Don't get me wrong I would love one, but with Codename: S.T.E.A.M coming out yesterday, and Mario Party 10 next Friday there is no point. People are talking about them because Nintendo games are coming out. It would be a bad idea to redirect people to other games when they need to push their new ones.
However, neither of these games are gonna grab all that much attention. So I wouldn't be surprised if they want to get more people's attention quickly. I think a big direct in 2 to 3 weeks is very plausible. Still I'd love a direct as soon as possible as always.
In terms of what I'd like to see:
-Splatoon release date (Likely May 29th, Usually the big May release day.)
-Splatoon amiibo
-Mewtwo DLC info, and other Smash stuff that was announced
-Style Savvy 3 announced for America and Europe
-Special Edition Xenoblade Chronicles new 3DS XL ( Forgot to add this one.)
I'd personally be happy with that, but I'm sure we'd see a lot more then that.
The regular sized New 3DS.
That's enough to make me happy, Wii games are being sold on the Wii U eshop so why not something that was already working perfectly with the ambassador program? There's no reason not to, the GBA games on the Wii U VC are not a valuable selling point, so there's no conflict by selling them on the 3DS eshop as well. I'll never let this go. >
I am interested in:
Has anyone in Europe got their Super Smash Bros CDs yet? I know there was an article saying that people were getting theirs, but I was unsure whether this was Europe or the USA. I'm UK by the way
I'm so incredibly excited and nervous for Star Fox at the same time. I think the series has such incredible potential that's never really been filled. What concerns me is that at E3, what they showed was Star Fox 64 code, using assets from a cancelled Wii game. So they'd not even started on it really, but they'll be done before the end of this year? With such a quick turn around time, it makes me think it's just going to be the same game as Star Fox and Star Fox 64, but with gamepad controls. Don't get me wrong, those games are great, the best in the series, but... I was hoping for something more than a 40 minute arcade experience.
The tough thing with an E3 wish list is, we know Nintendo can only be working on so many games at once. I think Nintendo's year is going to be shaped around Splatoon, Xenoblade and Zelda. They know they sell more hardware in November and December than the other 10 months combined, so they're probably not too concerned about this first half drought. They'll have Splatoon as the big summer thing, and then build up to Xenoblade and Zelda like they did with Smash last year. Maybe we'll see Retro's Metroid game announced, but it won't be released this year. There will probably be one or two smaller games like Captain Toad announced, games where they can borrow a lot of existing code and get something done relatively quick.
@agqwestern
I got mine in the us.
@agqwestern Yes, Nintendo has been sending the CDs out to eligible people except Australia over the past few weeks.
So no Nintendo Direct announced yet? I think it will be at the end of March to show us more of Xenoblade Chronicles on 3DS or possibly just before Mario Party 10 is out to let us all know its coming out again.
A general direct would be nice, but I think the next one may be Splatoon focused. I could be wrong though.
What about the 'every month a major new Wii U game in 2015' deal?
Damnit Nintendo!
I would prefer more info on Star Fox, Xenoblade Chronicles and Splatoon game wise. As for supplementary info I would like to see Nintendo adress the amiibo shortages and perhaps announce new waves.
So, apparrently theres a lot Nintendo needs to tell us. Maybe its time to dump the NDs and just keep the news flowing via FB and Youtube and Twiiter and the eShops.
Id completely forgotten about the 4 things still missing from SSBU, they should have called it 46 new things anout SSBU and 4 that might be coming later. I know nobody likes Day 1 DLC but its been 4 months now.
And the 3DS portal that somebody above mentioned. They showed that off over a year ago, its a tiny little piece of plastic, get it out there.
I still think US will get regular size new 3DS but not until Oct, announced in Sept, as Nintendo will view it as a kids Christmas present. Either that or a "new" 2DS w/ built in amiibo support and C stick. I think old 2DS wad announced and released along that timeframe.
And of course all the release dates. Are we close enough yet to start saying Zelda wont make 2015? I need to see a whole lot more before Im convinced its a full game and not just a tech demo.
Even if it's a few months away it feels like the weird time before E3 where the news slows down so I doubt we will hear anything of great significance even if there is a Nintendo direct cuz they will wait to save the big guns for the show.
With that in mind they could focus on third party content or indies and share a lot of info, as well as do a single-game focused direct about anything they are releasing before E3
@AyeHaley does 'Tipping Stars' count for this month? ^^;
@AyeHaley - 2015 monthly schedule
Jan - Captain Toad inEU
Feb Kirby in US
March Mario Party 10 US
April Xenoblade in Japan
They said a new Wii U game every month, they never said all in the same country
@rjejr I would not be surprised if the 3DS amiibo portal was a front since they hadn't announced new 3DS at the time. It's in Nintendo's interest to guide ppl into buying a new console as opposed to buying a small accessory. Not to mention it had no product design to speak of, it was just an unwieldy white puck
My bet is it goes the way of the vitality sensor, cuz if it came out it would shoot them in the foot (not to mention be more rare than a GameCube controller adapter due to niche need)
Am I the only european that wants info about Etrian Mystery Dungeon release date in Europe?
I would like a Direct focused on Indies and the VC, and a focus on the 2 upcoming releases Mario Party, and Splatoon. Everything else should be saved for E3.
@AlienX
Totally. I always thought all the GBA releases being on the Wii U instead of the 3DS was a weird fit.
@agqwestern I got mine, and I live in the Netherlands.
@Peach64
I agree. Im way excited to see where Star Fox is headed but scared too. I have my own vision for what it could be like and in my own head Ive built up that vision so much there is no way Nintendo could live up to it. Lol.
I would simply like the Club Nintendo replacement to be detailed--and to actually have a competitive edge. Other than that, I really don't think Nintendo has enough to show. There's no point in spotlighting Xenoblade X since they show information about it every week as if they're afraid we're going to forget it exists.
There will probably be one just to push out Splatoon. What we really need is to see what Retro is working on, but I simply don't think they have enough content to make another Direct worth it. The first few Directs were fantastic, filled with information, and loaded with games--but that was back when they had support across the industry. Since then, things have not gone particularly well, and each new Direct seems yawn-inducing. They constantly talk about stuff we already know about, reveal very little that's really new or exciting, and ultimately we see just how much content they're really missing.
Mewtwo DLC and Amiibo announcement along with the next wave of smash Amiibo. Then on the Amiibo note, Splatoon Amiibo and a release date.
I know enough about Yoshi bar the release date, same for Xenoblade X, Zelda I expect will be their big E3 scene stealer again. So Star Fox would seem the most likely for details. But what I want to know is what's next? Anymore collaborations with Platinum? What about those Metroid promises? Sin & Punishment 3? Ok that last one is a little left-field, would be pretty awesome though
Even if it's just a "yup, this is coming, more info later", that would be enough for me.
Something more interesting that higher-ups stiffly reading to a camera.
I just want juicy details - New Club Nintendo, Wii U retail games, amiibo...
I also want more reasons for buying a N3DS i.e. want to see more exclusive games for the N3DS.
@rjejr
Cripes, this release schedule looks worse than the last two years of the N64. You know, when the console would feature only one new release a month, or sometimes, no games at all. The Wii U has already dropped to "1 new game per month" status on the retail side.
That could not possibly be more depressing, unless they also all sucked. And frankly, I don't want most of them.
It's a pipe dream, but I would love to see Splatoon representation appear in Smash as DLC. That game is begging to be included.
The amiibo stock shortages need to be looked into I feel is a big concern. Yoshi's Woolly World and the Super Smash Bros DLC also need some attention.
YOUKAI WATCH!!!!!
@Pahvi I thought the QoL platform was confirmed to just be a Gold Mario amiibo!
Yoshi's Wooly World - supposedly released "early 2015". It's mid march.
my list
1.virtual console games(turbo grafx 16 games for 3ds and wii u, genesis 3ds ande wii u, neo geo pocket for 3ds, neo geo for wii u, snes for 3ds ( super mario world for 3ds and new 3ds) all other new 3ds only and snes 3d classics)
2.2.more game gear games and sega 3d classics now moved on the sega gba
3.sega gba on wii u virtual console
4.more wii downloads on wii u
5.n64 comes to wii u virtual console
6.new 3ds with face plates comes to na as first a platinum club nintendo reward then in October full release
7.n7.new 3ds for platinum members will ome with Xenoblade face plate and theme
8. F Zero game for 3ds and wii u
9. Pokemon z with amiibo support
10.wii u slim for 250
11.bAnjo game for 3ds only
12.punch out wii u
13.fIre emblem new games details
14. Donkey Kong 3d land for 3ds and metoriod for wii u
15.3ds and ds games come to wii u
16. Mega Man 3d and hd games for 3ds and wii u (both 3d platformers )
17.sonic is sold to nintendo
I just want a solid release date for Splatoon.
"We didn't want to start 2015 with announcement of delays so our second direct will focus on announcing the delays. Yoshi's WW is delayed that's why you didn't see it last time. Splatoon is delayed on last week of June for Europe. Mario Maker is delayed as well. Amiibos are delayed but it's not a bad thing:
New club Nintendo is delayed until next gen. Mewtwo DLC is delayed. "
The only thing I really want is some information about the new Fire Emblem game. But some release dates for WiiU games would be nice too.
Seriously Nintendo, give me Yoshi's Wooly World, MK8 DLC, Mario Maker and Splatoon for the Wii U all before E3. I don't give a suck on Kirby Rainbow. Give us codename STEAM next month and not the Wii U-filled May.
As for announcements:
-new/remaster Metroid on the 3DS
-Metroid U
-Metroid 3DS XL
-SNES and GBA VC crossbuy on the New 3DS
-GB and GBC crossbuy on the Wii U
-DS VC crossbuy on both Wii U and New3DS
-remasters of a number of N64 and GC games on either the Wii U and 3DS. Forget N64 and GC VCs.
-new club Nintendo
-new Gamepad for the Wii U.
Really hoping for VC news...
Above all else I want them to unleash the Super Nintendo on to (new) 3DS VC. Other than that I'm happy just to hear about the games we already know about. Star Fox, Splatoon, Mario Maker, etc.
Although... some new retail games would be good.
Please please please for the love of Arceus and Palutena please please just give us the amiibo adapter for the original 3DS already!
Why is everybody forgeting about Devil's Third?!?!?! I think that game will show in the next Nintendo Direct.If not, then it will certainly be in the one after it.
Star Fox! Devils Third! and some new vc games please.
I'd like to know what the hidden accomplishments are in the mii plaza. No-one has confirmed yet with evidence getting over 90 000 hits so I hope to god it's not just that. I've been wondering if it's not something to do with amiibo and they might finally open up accomplishments 55-64 when the adapter for old consoles is released.
Apart from that, pretty much all of the above.
It's not a totally out of the water thought that Nintendo has another direct in store for us coming very soon, even as early as the coming weeks I personally believe!
There's a possibility we will see a Smash update with more MewTwo DLC info and the Mario Kart 8 Animal Crossing pack, as well as more Splatoon, and Yoshi Wolly World information I'm hoping.
Although I highly doubt we are in to see some more Zelda or StarFox Wii U news. As eager and excited as I am to find out more, I bet you any money that Nintendo is keeping everything vaulted away until E3, which I think is very smart of them to do. They'll definetly win E3 this year! Go Nintendo!
Mario and Metroid, the perfect combo for the 3ds
"we certainly hope it's a genuine 'Direct', rather than a showcase for one game"
This is pretty much what I always want. Even if they're showcasing a game I'm incredibly excited about (like, say, Xenoblade X), I always want to see new surprises and trailers for other titles.
Anyway, I get a feeling next Wednesday will be the day. Fingers crossed.
I hope nintendolife does a news thing about the survey capcom made about bringing mh4u to another console like wii u.
Everything you guys said. And also, don't forget Nintendo 64 Virtual Console for Wii U!
We still don't have a release date for the second Mario Kart 8 DLC do we? 😢
Hopefully we get a presentation the week after Mario Party 10. I would really like to know more release dates.
@Time-Bomb Late May is the only thing we know.
Honestly I just want more Mario Maker info, it's weird that I'm more hyped for that game than Splatoon, lol
I honestly thought we'd get one last week as a way to give Code Name STEAM one last shove before release, but we didn't. It's either this week or next week then.
Realistic predictions:
Wildly unrealistic predictions that will never happen:
A proper Star Fox U trailer would be really nice. Though, I expect it to be an E3 thing. The wait just too much and I wanna feel relieved.
I have a feeling that we're getting one last full Direct before E3, along with some game focused Directs like Splatoon. It doesn't seem like there's a lot to show off until they're ready to announce the next wave of games. Now whether that's March or April is hard to say, there's nothing really pressing in that time frame that needs to be shown off IIRC.
As for what they could cover, I'm thinking something like this:
-Yoshi's Woolly World release date, trailer, and Amiibo functionality
-Mario Maker release date
-Splatoon release date and Amiibo functionality
-Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2
-Smash Bros. Mewtwo DLC
Plus some other surprises.
I'd really like to see them announce a 3DS game soon, the 3DS' lineup this year has been woefully sparse and of narrow variety (mainly consisting of JRPGs).
But beyond that, I think most of what we're looking for is probably going to be announced at E3, such as details on the new loyalty program, new game announcements. details on games like Star Fox and Zelda, and localizations for Yokai Watch and Rodea.
Yawn!! We can only but hope for a direct! I can tell you what will be missing! Yoshi wolly world release date! N64, gamecube and sega vc! New rewards programe! Dk 64 remake! But we shall see! As long as they don't bang on about splatoon too much (e3 treehouse got on my nerves with that) F zero news would make my cream myself! Even a release on the eshop of gx and samus will be saved for e3 no doubt a real surprise would be a apology and nintendo back tracking and cross buy becoming a must for all eshop vc and purchases but that won't happen
Star Fox would be good.
Zelda U is obvious.
Xenoblade U and Xenoblade Chronicles is a duh.
Any new IP will be announced at E3.
I would go with Mario Maker.
Rpg extravaganza showcasing them all including Fire Emblem/shimagmi and Fire Emblem for the new 3ds..
@Peach64 Same. Would hate for a simple arcade like game for Star Fox. Something like Assault, but a bit longer would be nice.
@Feathered_Pilot
No. Just no.
There was nothing 'simple' about StarFox 64.
Assault was awful and it should feel awful.
What I want:
-FZero HD for WiiU
-Gamecube Virtual Console on WiiU
-Metroid HD for WiiU (any style)
-N64 Virtual Console on WiiU
What they will show:
-Mario Maker release date
-Mewtwo DLC and others things Smash
-Splatoon release date and (maybe) Splatoon Amiibo
-Something new and unexpected that's NOT on my wishlist
@AugustusOxy When you can complete your full retail game in less than an hour without glitches or shortcuts then something's wrong.
EDIT: To clarify, the only issue I have with Star Fox 64 is that it's significantly too short.
There should be one this week to show off the next wave of Mario amiibo. There is also a reveal about the next wave before the previous comes out.
@AugustusOxy I wasn't just referring to 64. The 64 one was indeed more complex then the original game, though.
Not for me. The lengthiness was a lot better as it didn't feel like an arcade game. Only thing that really bothered me about Assault that it was linear and could've used some more missions. (Perferably flight missions)
@IceClimbers
Fallout U would be total internet meltdown. Plus HL3 on Steam and Wii U. It would be nice if they port Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics on the Wii U utilising gamepad features.
@outburst I would hope that after the Mass Effect 3 mess that all 3rd party games made for Wii U that have very important backstory in previous games in the series have the past games released alongside the new one.
Assault could have been a masterpiece if the foot missions had been tweaked a bit and it wasn't so linear. I also hated the sound design (which kept popping and grating my ears), the voice acting (not as bad as other games but it tried too hard to be 'serious') and the character models. (Fox just looks... awful in Assault.) Classic gameplay, whether on-rails with arwing or all-range-mode were exceptional though. I enjoyed the mission where you go back and forth balancing the interior on-foot and the exterior in space which had the controls been tweaked could have been the whole game in my opinion.
I'm fine with the 'arcade' experience of Star Fox. It is a rail shooter after all, and the multiple paths that made up your difficulty added a lot to replayability, especially if you were after medals. I think from what I've heard about Wii U it could be a good marriage of both ideas since it focuses around multiple unrelated missions like a television show, so it could have multiple paths but still be a lengthy experience to see the whole game.
Finally, Command would have been one of my favorite games ever if QGames hadn't broken it right off the bat. If only two things had been fixed, which are allowing button control of the Arwing, and the other being a more Star Fox 2 version of the overworld maps (which is no limits on the number of turns). Instead it's the most broken game I own for DS. It would have just been smarter to slap a cleaned up Star Fox 2 rom on a DS cart with simple touch control for the map and it would have been my favorite game in the series.
With Mario Kart 8's second DLC pack coming in 2 Months, I can't help but feel like we could use a new trailer to show it off and get the buzz going around MK8 again.
I just want to know if they will release the standard N3DS or not this year(NA).
I hate to take it so personally, but my Wii U's hard drive is full, and I have an expensive digital library on my old original 3DS. I'm not progressing with these consoles further unless they announce the system that the other regions have(normal sized N3DS).
No digital, no physical, no external hd, no Amiibo, nothing until then.
I will continue to faithfully invest elsewhere until they win me back with a prompt release of the N3DS or a new innovation much further down the road.
I would like zelda u and star fox. But that is not realistic. Another few good options is Yoshi's woolly world, fire emblem, Mario party 10, Mewtwo in smash, and maybe some splatoon and mario maker.
I'd love to see more on the art academy lessons or full AA game. I'm also eager to see more on Mario Maker. 3rd party titles wouldn't go amiss either.
I'd love to see payable DLC for ssb! I understand new characters can be a bit difficult, but new stages surely shouldn't be too hard? I also loved the target smash on Melee, it'll be cool to see each character have their own target smash stage again. More trophies, maybe the trophy game from Brawl making a return... it doesn't have to be a major update but to have added content... I'd pay for that!
I just want a Splatoon release date.
I can see why they don't do it monthly anymore, but it was still nice to have some semblance of frequency
I just want to see a new CG Sonic trailer! Is that really too much to ask?! >.<
I have to admit, I'm hungry for some new information on upcoming Wii U games and new releases. It might be best if they save big reveals for E3. Speaking of which, I hope they do another Nintendo Digital Event like they did last year. I loved every second of it, and it got me excited for games I wasn't previously. That was the entire point of the event after all, and taking that into consideration, it was a major success for me.
@Grumblevolcano @Time-Bomb - Knowing Nintendo MK 8 DLC comes out the same day as Splatoon. Well maybe the day before
There is so much they could do, fix, announce and show. I would like to see a better effort in regards to 3D Classics. If Nintendo doesn't plan on doing it, hire Sega to keep that ball rolling. Im sure Sega would be capable of doing 3D classics for Nintendo as wellsas doing their own. In regards to Wii-U just try a little harder to bring out more software. The Wii-U shop is a little weak right now, not only with Wii-Uware but the Indie games are even pretty weak. It seems we are once again getting a pile of shovelware in the shop. I like the idea of putting up Wii games for download in the shop. But how long will Nintendo stick to that? I hope they plan on loading it up instead of just giving us a little taste then dropping it like they did with 3D Classics. Lastly
Lastly isn't it time to fix this situation with the VC once and for all? Again I don't know who is in charge of VC games but seriously its time to hire someone who wants to get it going. The VC section should be loaded for people to browse through. There is no excuse at this point. Make an announcement about it. Say your sorry, something. Let people know what's going on instead of keeping them in the dark. If you don't plan to support it much let us know. Its obvious people would love to see more done with the VC. Every week you see the disappointment on these and other message boards across the internet.
@Quorthon - I keep the Wii U line-up in perspective by comparing it to X1 and PS4, which do have a better multiplat line-up this year w/ Batman and MGSV but I'm not all that interested in those. Uncharted 4 being delayed until next spring means I dont buy a PS4 until then either unless FFXV finally releases after 10 years in development.
And do you really not think theres enough for a Nintendo Direct w/ everything listed in the main post and all the comments others have added? I think we need an ND just for Yoshi and Mario Maker. Yoshi has been in development for over 2 years and I think Ive seen a couple of screenshots and maybe 2 vids. And the fact that neither wad in the previous ND probsbly means Nintendo wss saving yhem. And I dont even know whst Project Guard is butx its supposed to be out this year. And Starfox before Zelda U.
Just how much more do you want?
@Quorthon nah. There are a lot of people who don't follow games much. These directs should be coming out once a month. Most people don't actually know all about what's coming out or when. I think information overload is better than not enough. Even if they repeat themselves they could have different hosts and such to get a different take on each story. People like us (game finatics) already have this have this info most of the time. But personally for me I like the directs. I used to like the show they had on Wii. I wish they would bring something like that back and show what's coming out each month
Screw it, put all the eggs in E3, get Reggie back on the press conference stage and blow us all away with reveal after reveal. One can dream.
Announcements I want to see:
•Regular New 3ds for North America
•Resolving of Amiibo/ Hardware Shortage Problems
•SNES, Genesis, N64, and Gamecube VC support for Wii U
•SNES, N64, and GBA VC support for 3ds system family
•More third party games for Wii U that don't suck
For me, all I'm looking for is:
I just want.......
Shadow Of the Eternals. Please nintendo. Pleaseeeeee
I just want to see Metroid Zero Mission released in North America. The VC is the main reason I own a Wii U. There are some fundamental games of the old school genre that just haven't been released yet, like:
TMNT Turtles in Time (SNES)
TMNT The Arcade Game (Arcade or NES)
Contra (NES)
Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)
many, many more...
It is also frustrating for me to keep googling "metroid news 2015" and get nothing new (except for today when I found out Europe is getting Zero Mission, which does me no good of course .
No Mario Maker yet. No Metroid Wii U game yet. No new Punch Out. Frankly, the PS3 is way better for all 3rd party games, but my FAVORITE games are made by Nintendo. I just wish they would release more of them.
To be fair, even if the 3DS's fall slate isn't lined up yet, it's having a pretty great first half of the year.
@Hy8ogen
maaaan i thought your wife was really dying!!!!
;-(
@umegames WUT. No. Let me delete that message lol
My wife really wants some wholly world news!!
Mario Maker release date
Splattoon info
Mewtwo trailer
Yoshi Wolly World info and release date
Normal size N3DS release so people can shut up about it
I don't want to see anything new. Just tidbits of info that expand on games like Yoshi and Mario Maker. No New Zelda or Starfox, I don't wanna ruin my E3 appetite.
Yoshi wolly world, MK8 and Smash dlc. FFXV or Kingdom hearts 3, F-Zero WiiU 2016 or Metroid. trailer Zelda U. 3DS/WiiU indie games. devils third Fire emblem X Shin megami . new games in development and A major update for WiiU
@YoshiTails A press conference? No, just no. That's a step backwards. They just spent last E3 setting a new standard with the Digital Event and Treehouse Live, why on earth would they go back on that? That would seriously hurt them if they did that.
@Kaboom
Wow, strong opinion about the standard 3ds! And I absolutely agree. They'd better have a release date for us.
I'm fine with them saving any new announcements for E3 and holding back some info about games that will release after E3.
What I'd like to see is release dates for games that may be releasing in the next 3 months like Mario Party, Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles and Mario Maker.
I'd like to see them wrap up some loose ends. We FINALLY got flipnote 3ds, even if it's neutered. When will the 3ds amiibo portal be out? When are we getting ds games on the Wii U? What is the deal with that SMT/Fire Emblem game that I got all excited for?
I'd also like my standard 3ds!
How about a sale on all the old Fire Emblem Awakening DLC to go along with lots of info about the new game, and a release date?
But really, Nintendo is beyond terrible at communicating with fans. And when it's so easy to disperse info anymore, there's just no excuse for it. Occasionally they send me an email about something I learned here months prior. What good does that do? Unsubscribed!
I want to see Mario maker, splatoon, and Xenoblade U! What is sure to happen: Xenoblade 3DS and the indie roll of eshop games coming up. My dream announcement: fatal frame U localized!
@Kaboom "I don't care what else gets announced or discussed, as long as the standard New 3DS is announced for North America. Any Direct from this point forward lacking that is an automatic fail in my book."
That is exactly how I feel. 100%
@Shiner1776
And again, I share your sentiments.
The main thing I want is a localization confirmation for Dragon Quest 7.
YES YES YES... agreed 100%!
@Rocky2418 @Kaboom @Shiner1776
Here's an even better idea: Wait until they launch the bloody successor to the 3DS and purchase that!!!! That way you can get new games for a new platform and get all of the 3DS games you missed, including New 3DS exclusives. Stop worrying about a stupid stopgap upgrade that you 3 won't even buy if/when the standard New 3DS releases here due to realizing the actual successor is not that far away.
@IceClimbers
Well, if they never release the standard size here, then I will indeed wait until the next handheld system. But if they do release it (specifically the white one), then - regardless of what you think - I assure you: I will buy it.
@Rocky2418 By the time the standard one releases (if it does), the new handheld will be right around the corner. If you want to buy the New 3DS then, fine. Just don't complain when the new handheld comes soon afterward.
Announces new lines of Amiibos (in addition to wave 2 SM and wave 5 SB), online preorders sell out in 15 minutes, and everybody gets butthurt all over again...
Also, forgive me for saying so, but the Amiibo accessory for standard 3DS is vaporware. Nintendo wants you to buy the "New" one.
@IceClimbers "Just don't complain when the new handheld comes soon afterward."
Fair enough. In truth, though, I personally have never been a habitual complainer over such things; this is pretty much my first time, in regards to a matter like this. This was a special case, for me - I saw the standard, white New 3DS when revealed for Japan back in October and knew that it was everything I wanted for my handheld system. I was extremely excited. Then the January Direct came, and I was severely disappointed - partly because every region but mine was getting it, but mostly just because I'd simply been looking forward to it with much anticipation for 3 months.
Anyway, point is, I've only complained about this current matter (respectfully, mind you) because it was actually quite important to me. If they were to finally release it, I would buy it on day one and be very happy; if they then released the next system - even a week later - I wouldn't care. I feel no need to have the newest thing. I only care about being able to get the thing I wanted in the first place.
If they never release it, I'll live. NOA can live without me, and I without them. Life goes on.
Nintendo is too busy trying to break into the health industry and Iwata too busy doing anything but being convinced that appealing to hardcore gamers isn't the worst decision possible to make another Nintendo Direct.
Metroid and new virtual console games for me.....
Oh and some footage of the new StarFox game would be great too!
Hold up.....there was an article about some dev porting a AAA game to Wii U, saying they are almost ready to announce it not long ago. Hopefully we can find out what it is very soon.
Does anyone else remember this?
New amiibo and stock issues fixed ( so I can get my freakin ike mega man and shulk amiibos!), xenoblade chronicles x stuff, mewtwo dlc and smash bros update, I'd like them to announce the regular new 3ds for America, xenoblade chronicles shulk amiibo functionality, yoshi's wooly world, maybe talk about rodeha the sky soldier (but it might not happen), and a little better amiibo support.
@Kaboom because we buy handhelds for faceplates right?
oh nintendolife you trolling i thought for reals a direct had been announced i was about start some hype but sadly no
but i agree i think its time they show us what they working on and announce release dates like Woolly World and the star fox game because i doubt there will be any zelda info im sure they would save that for E3 other then that metriod sounds like a big stretch to me but wouldnt mind if they working on something
Since pretty much every member on Nintendo Life has given their wish-lists I may as well throw my hat into the ring too.
-Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack 2
-Mewtwo DLC release date
-Splatoon release date
-More info about Devil's Third
-Release date/window for Xenoblade Chronicles X
-Yoshi's Woolly World release date
-Trailer/Gameplay footage of Star Fox
-Of course, as much info about the new Zelda as I can get
I'm in no shape to get my hopes up about N64 games on Wii U Virtual Console anymore. Not to be a cynic, but Nintendo would have released some already if it was ever seriously part of their plans. And yeah, I know on that site of theirs it said they were "coming soon," but it was way too long ago. Nintendo seriously dropped the ball with their handling of the VC on Wii U.
Oh, and until Nintendo figures out their amiibo stock issues here in NA, I'm done with those things. I've basically come to terms with the fact I'll probably never get my hands on a Ness amiibo... though I'll sure as heck try.
What I want on the next Nintendo Direct?
Starts off with a magnificent Star Fox trailer showing us an unlinear mercenary style game where you start off doing small gigs for various planetdoms and empires and get dragged into a vast interstellar plot, thus ending up with the team having to save the world. It combines Resource management, Space Battles and Ground battles with fully compatible Online world and campaign.
Next Mr.Iwata comes along with Reggie to introduce us some expected games such as, Xenoblade X, Yoshis woolly world etc. We also learn that Mario Maker has amiibo compatibility so that you can open up themes and assets with them. Almost every single Amiibo is shown this way.
They then announce completely new trailer for Splatoon which starts. During the cinematic trailer the lights flicker off and Mario drops down on them with F.L.U.D.D. on his back. Smash Bros style "Mario Inks his name in Game" appears, but right after that Inkling girl tackles him and the text changes into "Inkling makes a Splash" and it cuts into Smash Inkling trailer. During this part you can also see MewTwo as well as the Ice Climbers in the battles.
After the trailer we are given Inkling, MewTwo and Ice Climbers DLC release dates along with the online tournaments and Miiverse stage. AVAILABLE AFTER THIS PRESENTATION!
They cut back to Mario, now on the empty Splatoon battlefield with the F.L.U.D.D. and he starts furiously cleaning the walls and floor. As he does, we see that the battlefield is actually the Island Delfino itself. BOOM Announcement of Super Mario Sunshine HD!
Phil comes along and explains Nintendos new strategy concerning HD releases of the old classics. He tells us that development is well underway on many of them including Wave Racer 64, Pilotwings, 1080 Snowboarding and Eternal Darkness. Only very brief glimps are shown of each of them. They are developed to both Wii U and 3DS families.
Phil then continues on about the partnership that Nintendo has with some amazing studios all around the world. We all expect this to be boring Noshow of the 3rd party support... BUT instead we get a barrage of amazing stuff.
First off Shin'en Fast Racing -game is shown with a beautiful trailer. It ends with a vessel parking down after a race, door opening and CAPTAIN FALCON STEPPING OUT!
Right after that Comes a title Screen "Shin'en Games presents, with Nintendo F-ZERO, FAST RACING CHAMPIONSHIP"
Next Level games are shown to be working on a new entry in Mario Sports, but with the Smash attitude, first one is a Baseball game where we see Hyrule Warriors (see what I did there?) playing against Mushroom Kingdom Princesses. Gameplay is similar to older Mario sports series games, but with added franchise and managerial parts. Baseball trailer ends up with the camera panning out and up, showing multiple stadiums and venues for different sports. Logo "Super Sports Universe" is then shown with the horrifying gasp of all the people hating Nintendos naming policy
Vanpool is working on a new Dillon game, for both 3DS and WiiU. For the first time the rolling marshall is making his way into HD.
Koei Tecmo representative also has his saying on this part of the game. He presents the new spinoff that is certain to rub a lot of people the wrong way. This is of course the Mushroom Kingdom Warriors (Tentative title, which then later becomes the real title too).
This part of the presentation ends up and we cut back to Phil who smiles and tells us that it seems that Mr.Iwata and Reggie have received visitors who are eager to tell more about Nintendo partnerships.
Picture transfers to Iwata, Reggie, Miyamoto, Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yosuke Matsuda. They announce new exclusive partnership and Nintendo partial ownership of Square Enix games. After their current development they will now work exclusively with Nintendo with Hironobu Sakaguchi leading the development teams as Creative director. They immediately announce New Final Fantasy Game that has absolutely no ties to previous titles, set in a fantasy world with very low tech. There are multiple races and classes in a very short 30 second trailer and a quick glimpse on the battle system that brings us back ATB!
Iwata and Sakaguchi talk a bit about the new partnership which includes porting a lot of old classics into HD versions along with the previously mentioned Nintendo HD series.
Reggie then takes the stage and apologises for all the 3DS owners for the lack of titles shown in this presentation. But he tells us not to worry, because there is a devoted 3DS direct coming up in the next few weeks so that should excite us a bit more.
We are then shown MASSIVE amounts of amiibos for different games shown earlier in the presentation as well as the Amiibo-cards working in action (though only in japanese at the moment). We are also shown the new portion of Nintendo e-shop where you can customise and order your own Mii-amiibo.
The customisable Mii-amiibo is shown as the centerpiece for Nintendos new version of Nintendoland. Customisable, buildable free-to-play Amiibo-to-win Nintendoland with over 60 different minigames from different franchises. These can be unlocked without a single amiibo, but with Amiibos you can customise them and unlock other assets and extra levels, leaderboards etc. You can use your Nintendoland theme park as a hub for online gaming which there are several minigames of. These include a lot of new innovative uses of Gamepad as well for those who prefer multiplayer games as a local experience.
We are then shown a Miaymoto Mii standing in front of a HUGE nintendoland theme park, which in front of us transfers from theme park to construction zone where Pikmin are shown working. Miyamoto Mii announces Pikmin 4 and then the world again changes from Miiverse to reality, where Miyamoto is standing on a vast real life construction zone. This is the future zone of Nintendoland, new theme park and attraction center in Japan to be opened 2019.
As Miyamoto walks toward the gates of the soon-to-be-ready Nintendoland, Iwata, Reggie and Sakaguchi join him and wish all the Nintendo fans happy future years.
This is what I want from the next direct. I would be happy with less, but this is what I want.
They should talk about Mario Maker, Splatoon and Yoshi's Wooly World for sure. Those games should be out before E3 anyway. Smash Bros. and MK 8 DLC should be thrown in there as well. Plus, more amiibo news would be nice too. Does anyone know about preorders in NA for wave 4?? I've heard nothing and yet in Australia they're apparently coming out next month.
I think that's plenty to talk about for a Nintendo Direct. As a side note, they should plug Code Name STEAM again, that game is awesome so far! I'm a little worried that people won't buy it because of it's art style (why the hate? I always thought cel shading was a powerful art style) and the "alien movement" thing.
In terms of Star Fox, I'm certain they're going to hold that card back until E3 and push it hard from there on out. Same goes for Zelda.
@Timppis That would probably be for E3, and it would go down in history as the best E3 ever.
@Inkling
I wonder if Internet would agree that Nintendo won the E3 if that happened?
@Timppis Internet agreed that Nintendo won E3 last year. All you need to do is show Smash and generally the internet automatically agrees that Nintendo wins.
@Grumblevolcano How to when E3 this year: Show off epic Zelda Wii U trailer.
@Grumblevolcano
Yeah, but I wondered if my dream direct would win it this year
@Timppis Well your dream direct features Smash so it would.
@Cheesehead302 I'm actually not too sure it would, look at last year for example. Nintendo didn't win for most because of the Zelda Wii U announcement but rather because of the huge Smash focus (and Splatoon).
What would make Nintendo definitely win E3 for me this year is either an F-Zero announcement (either remaster of X/GX or new game based on X/GX in terms of style) and/or future Mario Kart 8 DLC after May's pack 2.
@renaryuugufan92 It's just one of many perks. A big one for me, actually. I'm tired of being tempted by new "limited editions" all the time, and I'd much rather buy ONE system that I can easily customize in different ways at my whim. Add on the fact that I find the original 3DS a bit cramped but the body and screen size of the XLs too big for comfort, and the standard-size New 3DS is the perfect option for me.
@IceClimbers Better idea: Nintendo releases the damn thing here like they've done for everywhere else, I actually DO purchase it because it's showing no signs of being replaced yet, and it remains the best and ideal version of the 3DS, kept for posterity even after the advent of its successor.
As for Wii U:
Also looking forward to LEGO Jurassic World!
Virtual Console definitely needs some more attention. It doesn't make any sense to me that the Wii Virtual Console should have more games from a broader range of past systems than it's successor. N64 and Gamecube games need to make their way onto VC as soon as possible. Their library of classics is one of Nintendo's greatest strengths - I would like to see them put it to full use.
All I'm hoping for is Splatoon release date, a surprise awesome game announcement, Pokemon Z news, and Mewtwo news. Everything else is up to them.
I want:
1- Any info about Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem
2 - More info about Fire Emblem "If"
3 - Xenoblade Chronicles X biggest trailer yet
4 - New Stuff for Wii U
5 - New Stuff for 3ds
6 - New Amiibos
7 - Star Fox
8 - Zelda Wii U
@Pboots - "unwieldy white puck"
I always thought that white puck was the opposite of unwieldy, more like innocuous, and any mother would toss it in the garbage or recycling if she found it laying around the house.
I do think it was real though. At the time Ntineod was probably concerned about selling amiibo, considering how little they really do in games, so that white puck was a fallback plan so people who own the 3DS would buy them. They also probably wanted to be prepared in case people outside of japan didn't want to buy a new version of a 4 year old console.
Now faced w/ the facts of amiibo only being available on eBay and the "new" 3DS selling fairly well in all territories I wouldn't be surprised if the puck never became a reality. But I think it was planned, now it's just unnecessary. And if the US gets either a "new" 2DS or small "new" 3DS for Christmas 2015 then it really is unnecessary.
I wonder when, or IF, they will announce the N64 and DS VC. It has been 2 years and nothing.
@Shiryu I would settle for something to play on either Wii U or 3DS. Project Steam for the EU doesn't seem logical at the same time as loads of other Wii U stuff I want more.
@minotaurgamer I hope the quality of the DS VC is far superior to the test one they released. (As a test).
Back in the day they made a lot of Super Nintendo Ports for the GameBoy advance. I'm sure it would be easy to release Super Nintendo games on the 3DS eShop. But they don't cuz they need an enticing reason to get a Wii u. If they put Snes games on 3DS it would rock!
We will have Nintendo Direct probably after 20. march, after that one Splatoon specific Nintendo Direct until E3.
From this march and I don't expect big news, certainly no Zelda or Star Fox news, but we can expect Splatoon release date, Yoshi news, Mario Kart DLC, more Wii games for VC and new staffs for VC..
I won't hold my breath on anything, but at least some release details on the games that have been talked about for some time, Yoshi, Mario Maker, Xenoblade X & Splatoon. One or two surprises, and some future 3DS games deets.
@rjejr
I always find it funny that the best Nintendo fans can come up with to attempt to downplay the strengths of the the XBO or PS4 is to either pull the tired old "doesn't have Mario or Zelda" argument or to yank a personal anecdote detailing the limited range of their tastes and interests to say "I don't want to play a variety of games so that's why they don't appeal to me on a personal level."
The personal tastes of Nintendo fans (or perhaps lack thereof of seemingly so many) have no bearing on Nintendo's problems. Hey, that's super that you don't know what's coming out on the PS4 or XBO, and extra super that you have no interest in playing almost anything out there, but you're an extreme minority in gaming--and that's why the XBO and PS4 are selling, and the Wii U is not.
My point is perfectly valid--Nintendo doesn't have enough to show off, and the proof is in the release schedule. Nintendo is struggling to support two consoles at once, and barely averaging one game per month--across both systems. They aren't doing the Directs as often because they don't have enough to show or fill them and to be frank, they clearly weren't helping them reach sales. And again, the Directs spent a lot of time rehashing information and most reveals after the first few were underwhelming.
It's nice to have the information on upcoming releases, but Nintendo simply doesn't have much to report--especially on the retail side. And regardless of your personal tastes where you spin a "well they don't have anything I want to play," they clearly have a lot of games most other gamers want to play while Nintendo does not.
Also, I remain baffled that anyone still thinks Project Guard and Project Giant Robot are actual games. They were only ever tech demos, and the only hint about them finding release was in the form of "possibly being integrated into StarFox U." I traced, best I could, where the supposed release dates came from, and near as I can figure, some generally obscure Nintendo-centric website just flat-out made them up. Nintendo has a history of not turning tech demos into games--the Mario 128 demo, the Spaceworld Link vs Ganondorf demo, the bird in the garden Wii U demo. There's no reason to expect Guard or Giant Robot to be anything other than the tech demos that they were.
It'd be nice for them to become something, but at best, I expect just little bits crammed into StarFox. Or nothing.
There's a major problem with the Directs--and that's the focus. They only really reach Nintendo fans who are already converted. They don't help sell hardware to fence-sitters. This is that unenviable position for Nintendo--their fans don't care how bad they fail so long they still get that occasional release that they want and that's just fine because they don't want anything else anyway. But Nintendo has almost nothing that will help them sell to the non-converted and that's a problem for the company as a whole.
@Quorthon
Just a small comment. Project Giant Robot was shown to have a release in a stockholders meeting so I would assume that it comes out in some form or another. The same goes for Project Guard. They were shown in the release schedule by Nintendo themselves in the meeting, not by some obscure Nintendo-centric website.
Tipping stars was also supposedly just glorified tech demo, until it realised into a game.
I won't say you didn't have a lot valid points, but the truth is also that A LOT of the games on the newest generation hold little or no appeal to me since I don't play FPS or Generic Action adventure. I won't say that those consoles won't get fantastic content later, at the moment Wii U library TO ME is leaps and bounds ahead of the others.
My gaming hobby has decreased from the teen years where I could easily put hundreds of hours into gaming each month and thus a game a month between two systems and my PC games are a plenty. I have massive backlog of games on the 3DS and Wii U both and I made myself a promise not to buy more Steam games until I have completed the ones I have.
What Xone and PS4 cater perfectly is the predominantly caucasian male teen and young adult. And that focus group is the largest buyer of video gaming industry these days. That is why those consoles sell. It's not because of quality, library or superiority. It's because of excellent focus group catering and marketing.
Order 1886 was a horrible critical flop, as have been a lot of other newer games. Yet they shine on the top of the best sellers lists. Why? Because even mediocrity sells when you have nothing else to play and hyped enough.
Is there even a good chance of a Nintendo Direct this month? It seems like it's always so close yet so far away.
@Quorthon - Wow, so much wrong in your comment, at least 3 things jump out at me.
First, Project Guard and Project Giant Robot were both announced as games and given release dates by Nintendo last September.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/09/02/nintendo-says-star-fox-zelda-and-more-coming-in-2015/
http://www.gamnesia.com/news/nintendos-2015-lineup-is-ridiculously-impressive#.VQbRj47F9qI
Second, you call me out several times for saying my not liking games on PS4 and X1 doesn't matter, when I was replying to YOUR comment which said this:
"The Wii U has already dropped to "1 new game per month" status on the retail side.
That could not possibly be more depressing, unless they also all sucked. And frankly, I don't want most of them."
So Wii U line-up sucks b/c frankly YOU don't want most of them, but my personal thoughts on the other consoles line-ups don't matter? More than a little bit hypocritical, don't you think?
Third, everybody on here knows I'm a bigger Sony fan than Nintendo fan. I've never tried to hide that. 85%-90% of my posts on here are bashing Nintendo for something they've don'e wrong lately, or will do wrong. (See the list of above release dates and watch as a quarter of them don't make it.) But I won't bash them needlessly, or just because.
Fourth, last I checked, X1 is selling no better than Wii U, they each have about 10 million worldwide sales. It is true X1 did it in about half the time, but the totals are the same. PS4 is double at 20 million last I heard, no argument there.
Hard to comment on the things I do agree w/ you on after getting thru all of that.
@rjejr
No, the Wii U line-up sucks because there are no multiplatform games, no 3rd party AAA titles, and the Nintendo games will not sell consoles to new customers.
Again, Nintendo never once said Guard or Giant Robot were games. They were TECH DEMOS because they knew they had failed to properly show off the GamePad and cobbled those together to do it. Nintendo never said they were games, and the release dates for almost all of this stuff was assumed or invented.
Check the 2015 game line-up (this is updated almost weekly) that GameInformer keeps up: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/02/17/2015-video-game-release-schedule.aspx
There is no mention at all of Project Guard or Giant Robot because they weren't games. Everything else on that list that is an actual game is listed.
The XBO is selling substantially better than the Wii U. (The X1, by the way, is a Comcast~Xfinity box.) As you pointed out, it has over 10 (or 11) million in sales as opposed to the just under 10 million for the Wii U, and the XBO did that in half the time. It's selling a lot better.
Good catch, I shouldn't have used my anecdote there when I had better rationale, however. True, I'm not impressed with most of what Nintendo has lined up for this year--but my sentiment is shared by much of the rest of the industry.
@Timppis
Aside from your idiotic assumptions about the "white male audience" for the XBO and PS4 and the completely nonsensical assumptions about why they sell better--which no matter what, still makes Nintendo look bad, there is still plenty wrong with your post. Anecdotally, during my time with GameStop, I never noticed any race more than any other, and had plenty of black and Hispanic customers.
Per the shareholders comment, I'd imagine if you had a link to back up your point, you'd have posted it, and since you did not, I went looking for why you didn't--and that's because the actual shareholders meeting does not support your point. You are wrong.
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/stock/meeting/140627qa/
Nintendo mentions both Guard and Giant Robot as E3 demos/prototypes to sell the idea of the GamePad to their shareholders. At no time is there a release date or window, or even an indication that they are actual games.
For that matter, straight from Miyamoto's mouth, we have hints that Guard and Giant Robot are possibly to be parts of the next StarFox game.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2014-connecting-star-fox-on-wii-u-with-project-guard-and-project-giant-robot/1100-6420390/
There's no evidence, thus far, that these are games. They are repeatedly only referred to as "prototypes" or "tech demos." Nothing more.
The shareholders meeting actually proved you wrong.
As taken directly from the shareholders meeting:
"Regarding what I did at E3, for now I am focusing on how to make people understand the significance of the Wii U GamePad, so I introduced some titles including some prototypes which utilize the features of the GamePad. For instance, in “Project Giant Robot” (temp.), you can control a robot’s upper body by moving your arms with the GamePad in your hands and take down opponents as if you were in a sumo-wrestling match. In “Project Guard” (temp.), you beat enemies breaking into a maze while monitoring security footage of 12 security cameras shown on a screen as if you were in a security office."
Aside from that and another mention of them as E3 prototypes to show off the GamePad, there is no other official mention of the "games" at all, no release dates, NOTHING in that shareholders meeting.
There is no reason at all to suspect Project Giant Robot or Project Guard are actual games coming out this year. NONE.
Apparently Europe is getting a new Inazuma Eleven game on March 27. There has been no coverage on this game, so THERE HAS TO BE a Nintendo Direct before this date.
@Quorthon - "Nintendo never said they were games, and the release dates for almost all of this stuff was assumed or invented."
But but but... it was Ninteod of America's Twitter account that posted that list of GAME release dates. You'll believe Gameinformer, a Gamestop magazine that rarely covers any Ntineod games - (I was a Pro member for a couple of years and read the magazine every month) - but you won't believe what Nitneod itself tweets out? How does that make any sense at all?
I mean I gave you a link, and embedded the graphic that Nitneod itself put out, what more do you want? It states "Wii U games" right in the tweet, not tech demos, games. It's from Ntinedo, the games, titles and dates. What more do you want?!?!?!?!
https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/506487150125535235
Oh, and I never said the Wii U line-up doesn't suck - though I see how it could be interpreted that way - I just said it's comparable to PS4 and X1, and I think those suck too. Though not as bad as Wii U, but I'm not running out to buy either of the other 2 right now. I bought a Wii U Aug 2013 for Pokemon Rumble U, Pikmin 3 and Wonderful 101.
give ins:
splatoon release date
yoshi release date
other random games info, but not zelda, star fox, or metroid
Mewtwo dlc info
Mario Kart 8 dlc info
pipe dream:
new pokemon as a new 3ds exclusive with amiibo support
new 3ds regular size
bold prediction: mewtwo dlc reveals more dlc characters and stages that come in a separate dlc package similar to mario kart 8.
@rjejr
Given the lack of actual news on those, I'm not taking that Tweet for anything resembling news. It is not a public announcement or a press release. If anything, it's marketing hyperbole to claim they have a lot of content coming up. For that matter, if Project Giant Robot was an actual game coming out in the next 3 months, don't you think we'd actually know that already? Now, it's possible that Nintendo is holding off on an official announcement of a new game coming out by June, but I highly doubt they'd want to keep tight-lipped about it at a time when they need to be showing off as many games as possible. They seem perfectly content to repeatedly talk about Yoshi, Xenoblade, and Splatoon almost like they don't have any other Wii U games coming soon.
Now, I don't think any of these consoles actually have line-ups that suck. I'm not so cynical that there's nothing to play on them. I have trouble keeping up with all I want to play on the PS4 already. My point for the Wii U is that its 2015 line-up is dismal compared to anyone else, lacks 3rd party support, and is in fact so bad that desperate fans will cling to old and incomplete information regardless of the reality about them. Suffice to say, the upcoming games known for the XBO and PS4 will and are selling those consoles--but the same is not true of the Wii U. I fully expect Zelda U to move to 2016 and StarFox to fall to the holiday season of 2015. Almost every game Nintendo has put on the Wii U has launched later--or a lot later--than expected. Even for a company that is notorious for delayed games, this is a lot.
Look carefully: The other three "first half of 2015" games on that list are all regularly talked about, regularly shown, and available for pre-order. Not so with the phantom non-game Project Giant Robot. Even if it is a game, it's barely been in development for a year, and if it does come out this year, will probably be a smaller downloadable title. I think it's more likely that if it survives it's prototype status at all, it'll be as Miyamoto hinted, crammed into StarFox.
Hell, it's telling if even GameStop doesn't have a spot to preorder it. They'll let you preorder anything at any time: http://www.gamestop.com/browse?nav=16k-3-project+giant+robot,28zu0
Also, careful on your complaining about GameInformer. Your comment there edged close to an ad hominem attack. There are places that can be dismissed outright out there, but GI has a track record that can be trusted and resourced. I get that your all upset that they don't talk about Nintendo enough, but it's not like the site is terrible with their news or information. If you did post there, you should know that.
Also, isn't is strange that Devil's Third isn't on that list?
@Quorthon
Here you go
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/150217/03.html
You can find the 1st party announced games. Nintendo themselves announced this. Maybe if you browsed more than the first page and first result of your google searches you might have found this.
You're welcome.
Oh... and your personal experience in a Gamestop doesn't tell on a whole audience of anything. It might tell on a tiny fraction of your local customers. I bet there are more latinos buying video games in Santa Fe than there are in Birmingham or Oslo. Still doesn't change the fact that Video game console players are predominantly male caucasian teens and young adults. Average age of a gamer is rising slowly and has been doing so for almost two decades.
But your clerkdays (if that is what you meant with your reference) tell of one store, not of the industry. One sad example of this was the Gamergate incident. Other quite telling signs are simply in the top-selling games and game design. There are a lot of studies on the white male protagonist vs. hypersexual women, racial stereotypes etc. in gaming industry. Do you honestly believe there is no reason behind this? If you do... well maybe you are caucasian young male
@Timppis
It's practically hilarious that you tell me to "read more" when you clearly read nothing and zoomed your eyes to a picture. PROJECT GIANT ROBOT IS NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE IN THE TEXT. I suspect that like previous nonsense Iwata floated in Investors meetings--mergers and acquisitions, retiring if the Wii U continues to perform badly, etc.--this is empty hyperbole to satiate shareholders. Humorously, Project Guard doesn't even appear on the graphic, and the logo for Project Giant Robot appears to be copied and pasted from last year's E3, where they originally made it clear that it was just a prototype, or, at best, a part of StarFox. Boy, you really will cling to straws, won't you? But Cthulhu forbid you actually read anything.
Hell, you didn't even need to read anything. Just do a CTRL+F to search for "robot" or "guard" and observe 4 pages of zero hits. Boy, that must totally be a real game that's coming this year. There's more evidence that The Last Guardian and Half-Life 3 are coming out this year than there is that this is a real game with a 2015 release date. Hilariously, Devil's Third doesn't appear on that graphic, but Dragon Quest X does. You don't find any of that odd? No?
Now, I have to go through the trouble of proving you wrong on your other points on who actually plays games:
Average of the modern gamer: 30. As in, not a teenager.
Gender divide: 53% male, 47% female. As in, just about equal.
And more: http://www.geekquality.com/average-gamer-myth/
In a survey linked in this article, it's shown that Latino/Hispanic consumers are twice as likely to buy games new. The ESA's study in all this didn't break down racial (or religious) barriers, but it's pretty safe to say that the old "white teenage boy" is about as likely to be a gamer as the... oh wait, nope, women 18+ are more likely to be playing games than those 17 and under teenage boys.
I feel sorry for Nintendo's shareholders. This is like three or four years in a row where they're fed information that is ultimately meaningless.
@Quorthon
I was there to see the slideshow. Project Giant Robot is quite clearly visible on the announced games. You claimed neither of them was. So you were wrong. Simply put. You also said it was from nintendo-centric website, I said it was from Nintendo themselves. Point given.
Your graphs have nothing to do with Console gaming. It overrepresents the casual and mobile gaming HUGE way. Here is a quote from that same article you so fondly presented me to rip on
"It’s all about the casual game: Farmville, Robot Unicorn Attack, Windows Solitaire, Angry Birds, Just Dance, et cetera. The games that the so-called hardcore gamers scoff at are actually coming to represent an ever-growing, ever-more-profitable segment of the interactive entertainment industry. Games are everywhere now, and being played by nearly everyone (about 72% of the US population, per the ESA’s 2011 findings), but not necessarily the ones that gaming pundits would have expected."
These graphs do not represent the Xone and PS4 buyers which I clearly referenced to. These represent the massive casual gamers that are practically 3/4 of the western civilization at the moment. Hell, over 90% of kids under 19 play some kind of video-, computer- or mobile games. But I sure as hell can tell you that very few 4 year old buys PS4.
Badaboom, bam bim, boom. Now don't go ripping your shorts with all the bolds, they turn into all caps really fast it seems
@Quorthon - "I'm not taking that Tweet for anything resembling news. It is not a public announcement or a press release."
A tweet from the official Nintendo of America twitter account isn't a "public announcement"? Does Iawata have to come to you house, sit on your lap, and whisper it into your ear?
I can't even read the rest of your comment right now, you've lost me.
@Timppis - I admire your tenacity.
@Quorthon - Oh what the heck. From an earlier post you wrote:
"Nintendo never once said Guard or Giant Robot were games. They were TECH DEMOS because they knew they had failed to properly show off the GamePad and cobbled those together to do it. Nintendo never said they were games,"
See where you use the word "never" twice. The 2nd time you even BOLD faced it. "Nintnedo never said they were games." Then when I point out to you were Nitneod of America DID SAY they were games in a tweet saying "Wii U games" and giving release dates, you say it wasn't a "press release". You know what, if it was a press release you would probably say, "well Gamestop doens't have it". And if Gamestop had it then you would probably say "well it isn't out yet". You just keep changing what you are saying to meet your own criteria, and you probably don't even remember what your initial point was anymore. I sure as hell don't
@rjejr
Thank you, it's one of my worst qualities
@Quorthon - OK, finally read the rest of your post.
My feeling is Project Guard and Project Giant Robot were never meant to be anything more than quick little downloadable games. How long before it released was Gamestop hawking Mario vs Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars? I think even Nintendo only announced it about 6 months before it was released. That's a $20 game, so not a cheap $1.99 Flappy Bird clone or one of those RCMADIAX games, and it released on 2 systems - Wii U and 3DS - yet hardly got any coverage at all, even from Nntiendo themselves. So if their expectation for the 2 Project games was maybe $5 each or less, then last summer they could have thought spring 2015 was manageable.
And as you point out, their "release dates" are a travesty. Swords and Soldiers 2 was dated for "holiday 2014" and it's coming out in May 2015. Affordable Space Adventures was slated for Fall 2014 and it's coming out April 2015. So considering Nintnedo's inclusion of those 2 game dates in that tweeted graphic were so badly incorrect, I have no doubt they thought the 2 "project" games would be ready for release this spring.
If anything I'd say all the wrong release dates for known games proves the fact that Nitnedo saw Project Robot and Project Guard as games for this spring. Maybe cheap download only, maybe even free like Face Raiders on 3DS, but they were promoted by Nintendo as games?
And if they don't release this spring it doesn't mean they weren't intended to be games any more than The Last Guardian and Beyond Good adn Evil 2 were never games. Maybe they'll all be vaporware in the end, but they started life as games. I think TLG even had a release date of spring 2011 at one point. And Sony promised Driveclub as a free PS+ title when PS4 launched and that version still hasn't released yet. They're all liars, but lies count too.
When is the next nintendo direct?
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