Tag: Talking Point - Page 14
Talking Point Online Gaming Can't Recreate the Unique Fun of Local Multiplayer, Yet It's Dominant
Will local play remain at the core of Nintendo's message?
Splatoon was a notable release in various respects for Nintendo. It was one of its biggest hits in 2015, and in addition to that it's an online-centric experience. You can spend a decent amount of time on the solo campaign, but the local multiplayer option is limited and tacked on; the action...
Talking Point Splatoon Began With an Early Access Approach, and Has Provided a Valuable Lesson
Free updates that kept on giving
Cast your mind back to launch day Splatoon. Single player campaign? Check. Slightly mediocre local multiplayer mode? Check. Online modes? Well, some of them. Back when we were publishing our Splatoon review, its writer and our video man Alex was gushing in his praise, yet some debate was had within our team about...
Talking Point The Allure of the Virtual Console and How Nintendo Can Harness It
Alternative approaches can keep the concept alive
It's with some curiosity that we observe the continuing clamour and passion for the Virtual Console, a service that generates as much buzz as it often does criticism. The appetite among keen Nintendo fans for retro downloads seems to remain strong, especially when rare or previously untapped games...
Talking Point Considering amiibo Features and the Reality of 'Physical DLC'
The evolution of amiibo, locked content and why some hate it
Courtesy of Famitsu screens and Amazon France continuing its impressive record of product page blunders, some details have dribbled out recently for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Much of the information has been relatively minor, but one potential detail - let's consider it...
Talking Point Let's Dare to Believe that Sonic the Hedgehog Can Have a Happy Anniversary
He just needs the right spin
There were a few notable anniversaries in 2015, yet this year looks set to be even more significant. Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda are among the major celebrations still to come, but it's also the 25th Anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. Once the sworn enemy and rival to Mario, leading the SEGA charge in the 'Console...
Talking Point Nintendo Can Exploit Its Rich History With More Remasters
Easy money
The current generation of home console hardware has had an interesting challenge in defining itself as 'next gen'. In the era of Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 Nintendo brought motion controls to the mainstream while its contemporaries placed their focus on HD graphics and a drastic progression in online multiplayer gaming. In this current...
Talking Point 2015 - A Peculiar Year of New, Old and Surprising Nintendo Games
Not quite the expected
Reflecting on Nintendo's 2015 isn't a simple task. There has been great sadness and disruption due to the passing of Satoru Iwata, and the company has been in a general holding pattern for large parts of the year. Let's consider the key releases or updates that have fallen back to 2016, in no particular order. Most prominent...
Talking Point The Easily Forgotten Hardware Release of 2015 - New Nintendo 3DS
Reflecting on the lovely but underutilised system
Nintendo released new hardware in 2015. Yes, it really did. It can seem so long ago now, but the New Nintendo 3DS arrived in the West in February, having made its début in Japan and Australia in late 2014. We were rather excited about it here at Nintendo Life, too, landing as it did with both The...
Talking Point Five Key Challenges Nintendo Faces with the NX
With talk of dev kits out in the wild the next generation is on the agenda
From now until the start of the new year we're going to be republishing some of what we feel are our best features of 2015. Hopefully this will offer the chance for newer readers to catch up on content they might have missed and allow long-time fans to reacquaint themselves...
Talking Point Each Super Mario Maker Update Promises Much for the Future of the Franchise
Flying levels, helmets being vital to gameplay - the game has changed
The latest major Super Mario Maker update is live, being the second of its kind (outside of minor Mystery Costume additions) at the time of writing. The first notable update was, in some ways, focused on fixing perceived shortcomings of the launch code - it included stacked...
Talking Point Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS Set a Standard That'll Be Tough to Follow
What can Sakurai-san do next?
Though some DLC and amiibo are still to arrive, leaving the development team with some work to finish off, it's certainly the end of an era for this generation of Super Smash Bros. The very nature of the Final Video Presentation was always going to be a tad divisive - the Fighter Ballot, in particular, had been a red...
Talking Point Nintendo is Right to Move On From the Wii Family Name With NX
Perfect for its time, but change is due
Earlier this week TIME shared an intriguing interview with Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima, and one of the topics raised regarded the NX and the fact it won't be the 'next' in the Wii / Wii U line of systems. That's been reasonably clear for quite some time, as comments around the new hardware (to be...
Talking Point The Latest Nintendo Direct Was a Bright Return to the Limelight
The end result got the job done
What should we expect of a Nintendo Direct? Megatons, subtle updates, comedy, straight-faced detail, important information? The strength of the format, ultimately, is that is can tackle any and all of these approaches, often within the same presentation. The 12th November broadcasts generally did this, especially in...
Talking Point Deep Breaths Are Needed as Highly Anticipated Nintendo Direct is Confirmed
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Well, there it is. After months of waiting - for once that's not an exaggeration - we have the next full Nintendo Direct. With E3 and then the tragic passing of former President Satoru Iwata - who was very much the figurehead of the series - it was always likely to be a respectful delay before it returned; now,...
Talking Point Super Mario Maker's Update Continues Nintendo's Focus on Major Games as Services
Going beyond day one
Super Mario Maker is on the cusp - at the time of writing - of receiving its first major update. It solves one of the most notable quibbles that fans have had by adding level checkpoints, in addition to features such as dedicated areas for official Nintendo courses and 'event' courses contributed by companies such as Facebook...
Talking Point Nintendo's Delays With My Nintendo and Miitomo are Disappointing, but Not Disastrous
Club Nintendo fans just need to wait a little longer
This week's investor briefing, in which Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima gave his first formal financial results presentation, was perceived as an opportunity to learn about some key short term products and long term company strategy. Details on the first Nintendo / DeNA smart device game -...
Talking Point Five Potential Reveals Coming From Nintendo's Financial Briefing
No, NX isn't on our list
The Nintendo Financial Results are due to be announced on 28th October. Can you feel the tingle of excitement, the buzz, the hype, the uncontrollable giddiness? No? Well, fair enough, but you should have a bit of anticipation for the next couple of days. Every three months Nintendo gives its quarterly financial results...
Talking Point As Rumours Come and Go the Desperation for a Nintendo Direct Grows
Roughly 7.8 billion 'rumoured' Directs haven't happened
There's totally going to be a Direct this week everyone... Someone probably said two months ago. There'll be a Nintendo Direct this week, because Miyamoto sneezed and it sounded like a very loud 'Direct'. And Kimishima-san was seen smiling, so that must mean he's thinking about the Direct...
Talking Point The NX Hype Will Ramp Up as Nintendo Steps Into a Vital New Era
Mobile, next gen, QoL - oh, and games too
Strap yourselves in, it's going to be a busy 12 months in the world of Nintendo. Thank goodness, too, as it feels like we've been in a bit of a holding pattern for a number of months. We should also acknowledge that the terribly sad passing of Satoru Iwata also left a shadow over the Summer. Not that there...
We're buying, Nintendo's selling
Rumours around a re-release / remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess have been swirling for quite some time, occasionally a reflection of fan desires rather than any solid evidence. It wasn't so long ago that there was talk of it as a potential New Nintendo 3DS remake, taking the lead of Xenoblade...
Talking Point Nintendo Share Prices Return to Upward Trend
Consecutive days of improved fortunes
For a couple of weeks after the appointment of Tatsumi Kimishima we kept an eye on Nintendo share prices, because we're nerdy about that. After a number of consecutive days of line graphs going down following the news of the appointment we wondered why this was - written on 29th September - especially as...
Talking Point Why Does Investor Confidence in Nintendo Continue to Dip Under Tatsumi Kimishima?
Kimishima-san and colleagues have plenty to offer
Let's start this with a disclaimer - we're not high-rolling investors or employed as financial analysts. So when we talk about investors and share prices, we're looking in with our own perspective and trying to make sense of how the market's working and why it's behaving in certain ways. We're...
Talking Point Star Fox Zero's Delay Could Be The Final Nail In The Wii U's Coffin
Nintendo's console now lacks a AAA release this Christmas
The Wii U's dire commercial situation has become something of an industry joke these days, with some of Nintendo's harsher critics taking delight in pointing out how the Japanese firm has gone from an install base of almost 100 million with the Wii to 10 percent of that total in a single...
Talking Point Sweeping Internal Changes Show That Nintendo Is Ready To Tackle New Challenges
Structural shifts and fresh promotions are just part of a wider plan
Yoshiaki Koizumi is one of the key beneficiaries of the merger of EAD and SPD While this week's big news is certainly the appointment of Tatsumi Kimishima as Nintendo's new president, it was the changes taking place behind the scenes which will have piqued the interest of seasoned...
Talking Point Tatsumi Kimishima Is A Safe Pair Of Hands In Changing Times
New boss could hint at a more western-focused Nintendo
Earlier today it was confirmed that Nintendo's new president is Tatsumi Kimishima, a 65-year-old veteran who has previously held several senior roles within the company. While many believed that one of the interim bosses Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda would be given the nod, Kimishima does, o
Talking Point Nintendo's Challenge With Super Mario's 2D Future
Vocal fans prefer a retro style, while modern entries are sales leaders
With Super Mario Maker around the corner there seems to be a consensus - at least in this pre-release stage - that Nintendo has got it right with this creation tool. When you combine the excellent tool-set with a potentially endless supply of levels you arguably have - as we...
Talking Point Nintendo Continues to Shift Its Third-Party Focus to Nindies
Necessity, forward thinking or both?
The Wii U and 3DS have been part of a truly first-party generation for Nintendo. As the leading dedicated gaming handheld - by a mile - the 3DS has had some decent support and occasional major third-party exclusives, yet for the Wii U it's been a different affair. Its sales struggles have seen most publishers...
Talking Point The Argument For And Against amiibo-Cloning Tool Amiiqo
A necessary evil or bare-face piracy?
Nintendo's range of amiibo toys has been a commercial success, shipping over 10 million units (at the last count) and giving the company a much-needed additional revenue stream during a time of considerable turmoil and upheaval. However, the amiibo story hasn't been entirely positive, with some figures proving...
Talking Point Pokkén Tournament May Not Be a Wii U Saviour, But It Can Provide a Welcome Boost
Giving early 2016 a focal point
Ever since its announcement for the Japanese arcade scene Pokkén Tournament has been closely followed by Pokémon and fighting game fans. Unofficial efforts have often pitched 'mon against each other in crude efforts, but the flashy Bandai Namco-developed release caused quite an online buzz. Of course, its status as...
Talking Point Considering the Future of Nintendo Direct and Beyond for Reaching Old and New Fans
Continued evolution, or a fresh direction?
Since it first emerged in late 2011, the Nintendo Direct concept has been integral to the big N's strategy for communicating with fans. In busy periods there can be multiple broadcasts in a single month, while longer gaps of 6-8 weeks have become relatively common in the past two years. We're in the midst...
Talking Point Nintendo's Dismissal of Chris Pranger Highlights Issues With Company Culture
"I've failed you. I've failed me."
If I were fired from making games at Nintendo, I would feel cataclysmically heartbroken in such a way that I might never recover. This is the imagined story I have just now constructed in my head, but for former Nintendo localization editor Chris Pranger, this heartache is more than a pained hypothetical. Pranger...
The eShop can be key for smaller retail releases
In the glut of Gamescom announcements earlier this week, Nintendo of Europe confirmed interesting details for the launch of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water, known as Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden in North America; we'll opt for Fatal Frame as our preferred title. Given a
Talking Point Nintendo's Game Updates and DLC Are Fantastic, Albeit Starved of Attention
Key Wii U titles have evolved a great deal
It's easy to be a little blasé and spoilt as gamers, but it's been striking once again that, with a combination of economic savvy and a clear love for its products, Nintendo is making the most of key releases on the Wii U. Three of the system's biggest games have transformed since launch with a mix of new...
Project Cars is one of the last to bite the dust
A few years from now the Wii U will have surely become 'last gen', following the Wii in having occasional Just Dance titles and being available at throwaway prices for those curious about the system. An excellent console it is too, with a retail library full of absolute gems and an eShop that's...
Talking Point Assessing the Odds of Super Mario Maker Making a Commercial Splash This September
Anniversary-busting August may have been better
We're still waiting for a North American announcement - which we hope is just a matter of time - but we were rather pleased about confirmation today of a Super Mario Maker Wii U hardware bundle. It's coming to Europe on the same day as the game (a simple but important requirement) and certainly...
Talking Point Raw Power Isn't Vital to Nintendo's NX, But It Does Matter
Wii and Wii U highlight challenges for Nintendo's next system
We're in the midst of a brief spell of Nintendo NX rumours, possibly as a result of it appearing behind closed-doors - according to multiple industry sources such as MCV - at E3, and the timelines that point to a 2016 release have cranked the rumour mill into gear. First there were...
Talking Point It's the Community That'll Put the 'Super' Into Mario Maker
Its legacy could be outstanding
Just this week we got another look at Super Mario Maker at a UK press event, and were struck by its significant potential. Yet we've already done a first impressions article from E3, which goes into detail on how well it's shaping up. If you want a strong outline of its core features and why we think it's marvellous,...
Talking Point The Mystery of Devil's Third and Its Drift Away from the Spotlight
Nintendo of America remains silent while Europe has a release date
Cast your mind back to E3 2014 - Nintendo's first 'Digital Event' had finished and, by many accounts, had gone down rather well. It was a broadcast designed for all audiences, so a surprise immediately followed with the announcement that mature title Devil's Third, originally planned...
Talking Point Nintendo's Approach to Transforming Franchises Clashes With Fan Expectations
New ideas that haven't necessarily been welcomed
It's safe to say that Nintendo's E3 efforts have been received with mixed responses from fans. Especially given that Microsoft and Sony arguably brought the thunder this year, many expected that Nintendo would have some similarly headline grabbing announcements to match. What we received instead was...
Talking Point E3 Highlighted Nintendo's Development Shift Towards NX, and Away from Wii U
3DS also delves into spin-offs and sequels to pass time
It's been a little over a week since E3 2015, the shared temperature of frustrated Nintendo fans has simmered down a little, and we can reflect on both what the big N showed and kept behind the scenes. Both tell us much, and also indicate that the Wii U seems to be heading for a short lifespan...
Talking Point Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Entitled Fury
Federation Farce
You can read our headline in two ways - that the fury towards Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Nintendo's Digital Event as a whole is justifiable, or that 'entitled' is a criticism of attitudes in consumers that make specific, harsh demands and react angrily when they're not met. That's deliberate, as there's merit to either side...
Talking Point Super Mario Maker Stole the Show at the Nintendo World Championships 2015
A game changer for the franchise
The Nintendo World Championships 2015 was an event that had various similarities to the Super Smash Bros. Invitational from E3 2014 - it was charming, had some flat moments, the occasional hiccup, yet managed to seize momentum at key moments to keep us watching. It was a lengthy event that actually started rather...
Talking Point Looking Ahead to the Nintendo World Championships 2015
Nintendo can start E3 with a bang
A week from today Nintendo will host a live event in Los Angeles that'll get the E3 party started for its fans. For the second year running the company's template for the expo is to combine a pre-prepared Digital Event with a live event and hour-upon-hour of Treehouse coverage, while some Best Buy customers will...
Talking Point Prepare Yourselves - E3 Silly Season is Here
There's no escape
E3 is a peculiar beast, and comparisons to Christmas certainly work. In one sense it's "the most wonderful time of the year" - you can croon along to that line in your own head - but it's also a stressful nightmare. We may love the festive meals, jolly times and moments of relaxation at the end of the year, but they're bookended by...
Simple works on phones, and the early NES era epitomises that style
Being a gamer on the wrong side of 30 that uses YouTube to keep up with a modest list of subscribed channels, this humble writer was unaware of PAC-MAN 256 until earlier today when a press release plopped into an inbox. A celebration of Pac-Man's 35th Anniversary? Sweet! It's on...
Talking Point The Fragility of Buying Download Games
Download stores have changed what it means to own a game
During the last console generation we saw a leap in the prominence of online connectivity in games; one of the major things to emerge from this shift was the rise of digital games and storefronts. It became easier than ever for Indies to reach larger audiences as the barriers to console...
Talking Point Nintendo's Modest Sales Targets Keep Wii U and 3DS Expectations Under Control
E3 surprises are still a solid bet, however
In consecutive years Nintendo predicted a return to good times, struggled to deliver and reported financial losses; with that in mind the recent annual results were a major positive. Nintendo reported a decent profit and showed enough positive intent that shareholders were happy, with the company's value...
Talking Point Nintendo World Championships 2015 Should Be Just the Beginning
Nintendo can seize popular culture again
With a typical slice of nostalgia it was announced that Nintendo World Championships 2015 will be a major live event prior to E3. Filling the gap left by the Super Smash Bros. Invitational of E3 2014, it seems like a smart move - play on nostalgia and the 25th Anniversary of the iconic 1990 contest, while...
Talking Point Is Konami About To Exit The Console Game Business?
Nintendo's old ally could be leaving the industry it helped to grow
Konami has been in the headlines a lot lately. First up were those troublesome rumours regarding the impending departure of Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series and arguably the Japanese company's most valuable and famous employee. It would appear that Kojima is set to...
Talking Point Nintendo's Legacy Makes The Virtual Console Essential, But It Must Modernise
Idealism should make way for realism
Technologically, the world is busier and noisier than it's ever been before. So many gadgets and screens demand our time and loyalty, from smart TVs with hundreds of channels and streaming apps, to smartphones and tablets and, of course, game systems. Those with a decent amount of spare cash that are anxious to...
