Wow! Really such a big deal? I don't see a problem with the new icon. And even if I did, I wouldn't lose any sleep over something you see a fraction of the time compared to how long you play it.
I'd like to know the painting process used to produce these. They look cool for sure. But even for those who have the disposable income to justify the expense, I'd want to know how durable the paint is.
@ShadJV i have Legendary and HotH. Been meaning to try Red Dragon Inn. Especially the new dungeon crawl! Yeah... Settlers and Ticket to Ride = Nerd. Like, not the cool kind like us. That's "full" nerd right there!
@Cyberbotv2 I agree with you. That was the main point about my initial post. I'm starting to get disillusioned with them myself. And that's saying a lot (for me at least) because I used to be a really big advocate for them. Even when they were starting to do some of this stuff that people were questioning. I'm starting to come around and my realistic Mr. Business justifications (which may be true - or maybe not) don't cut it for me anymore. Even if their true economic reasoning (that we are not privy to) may be sound, I don't care what reasoning they may have. Pissing off people who only want to enjoy your product is not something I want to be part of. In this kind of industry where you basically manufacture joy, just one of the many measures of success is how many smiles you put on peoples' faces and how many memories you make. If the vast majority of memories I made for my consumers are bad ones and the number of sad faces outweigh the number of happy faces I have manufactured, then I have failed. There needs to be some accountability in satisfying your consumer base as a whole. That has to be part of your company manifesto. How do we know we are doing well? "We are in the black, our shareholders are happy and, most importantly, our consumers are satisfied." If this doesn't play into your annual corporate brief ("Customer Advocacy" is a real and measurable score commonly used), then, go sell garbage cans or clothes hangers...
@ShadJV I hear you. They're THOSE kinds of table gamers, eh? LOL! Most games I choose to pick up have a solo, solitaire play mechanic as well. But my kids are getting old enough to learn to play so, for a couple years at least, I get to say what we play. LOL!
Oh, I've been around since the Atari 2600. In fact, I worked at a department store as the electronics department head in May of 1989 when they brought this big new cabinet display case thingie into my department with a glass front door. It said "Gameboy" on both sides of it. It had 2 shelves and a few rows of peg hooks. What the hell is this?! It sat in the corner with no inventory in it for about a month when a new gaming magazine called Electronic Gaming Monthly was delivered to my department as well. That's when I read what was in store for my new fixture and was blown away! What? You mean a hand-held where the stuff on the screen actually, really moves?! For real? Like an NES and not just a hand-held Mattel baseball game with flashing liquid crystal LCDs? And it has levels? And you can change cartridges?! Holy crap!!
Then the stock came in around July 1989. There were 5 games, I think. In less than a year - May 1990 Qix came out. It was all new back then. So yes, I considered it a release game. Especially since it sat in my display case for years after that...
@ShadJV You just have to get into some of the games from Fantasy Flight. They are by far my most favorite publisher. Imperial Assault, X-Wing, Star Wars Destiny and Descent enjoy regular expansion packs. Multiple times a year. I'm sure you've heard of them already. But if not, check them out!
@PlywoodStick I agree with you. But that's why everyone isn't making a bajillion dollars. There is rarely a right or wrong answer. It's an art and an imperfect science. Some companies do it well and most do it poorly. But at the end of the day, people in positions of authority have to weigh cost vs. gain and aside from some text books out there, there isn't a recipe for marketing your product that works 100% of the time for all situations. These folks make the best decision they can based on the information at hand, corporate culture, and internal & external forces that, frankly, none of us here in the cheap seats have any clue about.
But one thing is certain, they are a Japanese company. And Japanese are very focused on eliminating waste in their processes. Unsold inventory hits the bottom line. They may just want to be safe and make a run of half a million units sold through 100% with no inventory liability and recognize that as a significant gain in itself and be happy with it knowing that they won't have to write off a penny. It's not a product line where they need to take risks in order to maintain market leadership. To them, it's like finding $20 in their couch. "Hey, neat!"
@ShadJV The best part of table gaming for me! And what makes table gaming so different than video gaming. There is so much life left in a a table game past initial release. For me, these expansions and promos are much more substantial than typical digital DLC. It's especially great to be a gamer in general when you're open to both digital and analog experiences!
Actually,this looks pretty cool. It's a great way to get kids into Monopoly and board games in general. It's a lot less complicated as it seems to eliminate the houses and hotels and money management, instead focusing on collecting coins and points. The character abilities are really cool, borrowing from the current trend of table gaming. I'm definitely going to pick this up. I can see my kids loving this game!
Yeah, I'm very much aware and educated on the several phases of Nintendo's marketing strategies over the years as well as their overall cultural approach to the market and consumers. They went through several iterations. In the NES & SNES days, under the oversight of Yamauchi-san, they were pretty draconian in their approach to licensing and retailer relationships. And they did practice scarcity; each instance WAS in the effort to gain market dominance in the 8Bit arena vs. Sega Master System, 16Bit Arena vs. Sega and NEC and many other major hardware releases. They practiced artificial shortages on both hardware and software (SMB3 is the biggest gaff) - again, to gain a perceived value over the competition.
Culturally and strategically, they started to change their approach to licensing and retailer management in the N64 era, continuing on to current era in the face of very stiff competition starting with the PS1 when developers realized that they weren't the only show in town anymore. And retailers realized the same. This started the era of the more humble Nintendo.
As I mentioned, THIS is different. They have never been in a position to release such a highly coveted product in the midst of no direct competition whatsoever. I agree with you that they prefer to focus their efforts on their current, profitable lines, as I mentioned in my post. But I don't agree that the only reason they are releasing this SNES mini is just for Nintendo brand awareness. Or, at the very least, if they are, they are taking a calculated risk that it doesn't backfire on them and it creates too much negative publicity as the article states (any publicity isn't ALWAYS good publicity).
No, I think they are looking at this as a CONTROLLED, guaranteed infusion of revenue with very little to no financial risk (risk in overproduction, raw material inventory, finished goods inventory, retail inventory) to their financial forecasts. In essence they know how many they will produce (which will be short of the lowest estimate of demand) and they will sell through 100%. They will put an understated revenue number down as the forecast for this product line knowing that their expenses are fully under control (there will be no wasted inventories, remember). They can then afford to be aggressive in forecasting their profit numbers for their current product lines knowing that if they fall short, their understated number for SNES Classic will come in over forecast and will carry the company. If their aggressive forecasts for their current product lines come in as they forecasted, then they enjoy a relatively safe windfall where everyone looks good and no one stuck their necks out on the chopping block past their clip on neck ties.
I'm fairly confident this is the reason for their strategy. No other reason seems worth the cost of negative publicity, missed revenue opportunity and angering their consumer base. Just saying they want brand awareness isn't justification enough. My disappointment comes in the form of understanding that their loyalty seems to be focused more on wins directly tied to SAFELY pleasing their shareholders and their balance sheets vs. pleasing their shareholders through winning over their consumers who will hopefully bring them the profits they need. It all comes down to managing risk. They have a product that they know will bring a satisfactory revenue number which is not their main product line with no risk of inflated expense due to unsold inventory. They don't need to push the envelope so they won't.
I agree with every point in this article. I have been a big proponent of Nintendo and even defended their position early on in the pre-release angst of the NES Classic. But it's clear that this is not a manufacturing / supply chain, ramp-up to meet demand issue. This is a clear strategy that Nintendo is employing and I don't really get it or understand it.
No, I don't buy that it's a pacifier for more Switch stock. It's clear to everybody who has the slightest knowledge of product management (and common sense) that these two products can co-exist. One doesn't have to be suspended for the other or risk cannibalization. Most Switch consumers will likely buy one of these as well. And even more curiously, I believe not all SNES consumers would buy a Switch as the pricepoint is somewhat reasonable for a relative or friend to buy as a gift, where as they wouldn't consider dropping $299 for a gift. So that's clearly not it.
I also don't buy the artificial shortage scenario because that only has real value when your product is going head to head with another competitor's similar offering. Shortage is limited to convey the feeling that your product is in shorter supply than the competition because it is better and more "popular". That automatically steers consumers in your direction and you slowly throttle supply up to meet demand. But here, there is no competition. It makes no sense.
I am only left with the amount of overhead needed to manage and maintain a product line simply at the corporate level (which is more than people realize) is something they would rather direct to other parts of the business like 3DS and Switch. They know they are leaving money on the table. They aren't stupid. But for whatever reason, they believe focusing their efforts on other parts of the business is more key to their goal of growth and innovation vs. nostaligia.
I believe that they DO want to give their faithful fans a "treat". But they have to know the stress that they are putting their loyal consumers through to get one. And that's the part I don't get. It really doesn't match what it seems their corporate philosophy is. But then again, just look at how they are handling the shortages of Amiibos. And it leads me to believe that my beloved Nintendo might not be the kind of company I thought they were. And maybe they really don't need my money.
I definitely don't like New Donk City. Not a fan of mixing fantasy character art styles with realistic character art styles at all. It destroys the suspension of disbelief. It's jarring and takes me out of the fantasy setting. However, as others have stated, it appears that there are plenty of other worlds that are more consistent with traditional Mario stylings. I'm still looking forward to it and it will be a 1st day purchase for me. I'm just not as excited for this one as I have been for the past several Mario games.
@aaronsullivan Fully agreed! There is a huge surge in popularity of table gaming. Has been for the last several years. There are so many cool games out there from dungeon crawls to deck building card games to space combat and horror games with miniatures, dice, cards with stats and powerups and tons of different mechanics. Table gaming is a great companion to video gaming. Its a totally different feel but gives you the same rush. People should really check it out.
Looks like an awesome game. Not a fan of mixing art styles though. You have 8-Bit main characters (sprites) set on top of 16/32-Bit backgrounds and even 3D polygons. Just my opinion but I prefer to see the whole package to fit together in the same style to provide a more cohesive visual experience.
In the video they referenced Mario's cameo in the GB game Qix. Which is spot on with what he wore in that game. That was one of the first games that came out for the Gameboy so it would make sense that he made that cameo. I thought that was pretty cool!
@thatawesomedude Yeah, agreed. I didnt put much stock in the Mario Maker ones either. Chargin Chuck may have been a stretch too but I think the nod to him is there. Then again, Mario was never in that uniform in any other game either so it's his first time!
@PlywoodStick Yes, my thoughts exactly. These characters belong in their own fantasy worlds. If I want to see our world, I'll open the door and walk outside.
Wow. I am clearly in the minority. Must be I'm a crotchety old, "In my day, there were no words in Super Mario music... and we LIKED it that way!" kind of guy. Seriously though, I'm really not a fan of the song, vocals and especially the real-life theme shown in the trailer. I wasn't a fan before but even more so I am not a fan now. there were some cool new levels and the transformations are cool, but I really don't look for realistic imagery (like the city, people and T-Rex) in my Mushroom kingdom. If I want that, I'll go play a game rooted in that style. For me, Mario was a celebration of fun fantasy worlds that I CAN'T relate with.
While I'm desperately hoping like everyone else that it will be a traditional portable-style Pokemon RPG (Gen 8), I'm still thinking it may be something like Mystery Dungeon or something else. I would like to think that when they tell their fan base "Core RPG" that they and we know very well what that means. But you never know.
I do believe that if it is, in fact, the next Gen Core RPG as we hope, it will be the first indication of Nintendo moving on from 3DS. The beginning of the end. Which is still hard for me to believe that they would do so soon.
Not impressed in the least bit with "best portable" version ever made. That's not saying a while lot. It damn well better be the best portable version made. Whats the runner up? 3DS? Vita? That better go without saying. Let's not forget EA, this is a console first and foremost that can be brought with you.
Sometimes less is more. Just put the game out there and let it perform on it's own merits. No need to look for ways to put your foot in your mouth by stating what everyone expects in the first place.
Am I the only die hard Mario fan that is NOT thoroughly impressed with Odyssey? I'm not really thrilled about any part of the game being set in a real human city. Not very thrilled about collecting triangle-shaped bits (??) And the Southwest chili motif just isn't appealing to me. It almost seems to have been created by an entirely different group of people. I'm hoping to see more this E3 but so far, I'm not dying to get this game...
This is about as close to a traditional top-down Zelda as we're gonna get on the Switch folks. It's actually not a bad little game. Worth $15 to $20 for sure.
@SEGATA_DREAMCAST Dude! I hears ya! I would love to have a true Pokemon game on my Switch. I'd be the first in line. I just don't think it's gonna happen. I was definitely not thrilled with the Pokken Tournament announcement. It did, however, just cement the idea that they are adopting strategy that they have been for years. Nuffin' new. Still a lot to be excited for in terms of the Switch. I'm already having more fun with this than the WiiU and Wii just based on what I can do with it and where it can go. They just need some killer old school games made just for the Switch. A new Metroid would bring smiles to many a space pirate!
@SEGATA_DREAMCAST The two units are at two totally different pricepoints and offer different play experiences to the end user. Nintendo has made it clear that they intend to support both platforms. The 3DS is a cash cow and part of feeding that cash cow and keeping it fat is by offering experiences that are unique to that platform. Which is why there has yet to be a traditional Pokemon on any of their home systems for 25 years. Those games do not HAVE to be on a portable system. None of them do. But they remain on the portable system to reinforce the notion of exlusivity. If you move that experience to another platform, you remove a reason for people to maintain support for the 3DS system.
So... if you were Nintendo... would you rather have one system that sells 2 million games or 2 systems that sell 1.5 million each?? (Throwing easy numbers out as example). Having two healthy systems with unique experiences increases revenue potential purely for the fact that most people own both and will support both in addition to people who only own one.
Not gonna happen. Not until support for 3DS naturally wanes and they decide that the platform is in decline or they announce the successor to the 3DS that may have higher resolution, more power and more 3D shutters.
It was a mistake. Mistakes like this actually do happen. Nintendo will not be bringing a traditional Pokemon game to the Switch. Their plans for the 3DS involve niche 3D handheld gaming. They want 2 distinct product lines and revenue streams. Pokemon is their standard bearer for the 3DS. Releasing the same title on the Switch -Especially their Pokemon cash cow - will cross over into a very gray area between the two platforms and would cannibalize their 3DS pillar. This move would in effect cut the head off of a golden cow. Not gonna happen.
No SNES, no dice. Gotta at LEAST have NES and SNES. C'mon guys!
Will also have to see how many games they have to choose from. I'm already out until they have SNES. But will be a tough sell for others with any less than 10 to start.
@NEStalgia Well.... It's because people don't like Rabbids. Kinda like I said. Not sure how else to put it.
Maybe more to the point, I can say from my own perspective (not speaking for any particular group of Rabbid lovers or haters) I see ANY Mario release as a treasure. ESPECIALLY an RPG! So when I see that release is tied in with a character or group of characters that I really don't like in the least bit, I see it as a waste of a good Mario game. Just me. But I'm prolly not the only one.
@NEStalgia Just peoples' tastes and poor design (in my opinion). Nothing more really. There is a lot put into character design that tug a peoples' different tastes. It's the ultimate goal of a designer to hit on the majority of the populations' sweet spots in terms of what is cute, attractive, endearing, powerful, etc. Some efforts hit the mark and some just don't.
Just compare Rabbids to Minions. They are beasically the same thing (with some difference, I acknowledge). But look at how the mass market has latched on to Minions vs. Rabbids. Sure Minions had theatrical reach. But the Rabbids had their own TV series. The Rabbid series bombed. And the minor role the Minions had in the first Despicable Me movie grabbed the hearts of the mass market so much that they played a larger role in the 2nd movie and even spawned a movie of their own. Simply, the designers did a better job of making Minions endearing than the designers did with Rabbids.
Personally, I find the Rabbids vacant eyes, maniacle tongue waggling and general disposition off-putting. Whereas I find humor and intelligence in the eyes and disposition of the Minions. Two very similar (Not the same, I know) characters. One just designed much better than the other. To me at least. Nothing more than that.
I have absolutely no desire to play a Rabbids game. None. But will likely stomache through it to play a Mario RPG. Seriously Nintendo, you couldn't have picked a better class of character to have Mario and pals hang around with?
@Nertak
I agree with you on most of your logic. I was thinking the exact same thing actually. Yes, 40K is conservative for a developer. Probably closer to 60 to 70k tops for a small developer. And a good number of those 35 employees are either administrative or working on at least one other project (but likely not much more for their size). So you can't count them against one game. So yeah, even if those 35 emoloyees were only 40 to 50% committed to that project and other projects are bringing in revenue from the other 50 to 60% of their time, that figure is still not incredibly impressive for a brand new system where your product is one of few alternatives with a sell through that the Switch has enjoyed so far.
The thing is, no one looks at an ROI over 2 months. What no one knows here, and what is incredibly important to know, is what the sell through rate is over these past 60 days. If it has trailed off significantly to a trickle, I would be concerned. But if there is still life in the sales volume (I wouldn't expect day one sales volume), I would be encouraged. There are a lot more Switch systems to be made available to the public as demand has not yet been satisfied. So if there are still steady sales at any level (this means the game has "legs") then there is a lot to be optimistic about for them over the next year.
I bought it day 1 and absolutely love it. Im a bit disappointed in the sales figures. I would have expected more. They cant be thrilled. But its only been 60 days. And there have been no sales as if yet. There is time. Would be interested to see the sales distribution over time. There will always be a spike at release. But if sales continue to show some life over those 60 days as more Switches become available at retail they still may be able to realize an acceptable profit. These numbers also didnt include 3DS sales. I'd be really interested to know how 3DS sales fared.
"Few would've guessed the announcement of a new model of 3DS would be made"
Actually, I did. I commented on the first article posted speculating on the 3DS's demise in light of the Switch that the 3DS was not dead, that it served a different use and market segment and that I woiuld expect to see new hardware even.
It's all about pricepoint, cost of entry and demographic. Makes perfect sense to me.
I'm already stressing over the 2 hours of refreshing crashing websites in the hope of POSSIBLY placing one of these in a shopping cart and HOPING to get through the checkout process to finally attaining the prize of prizes... an order confirmation number!!!
Seriously, these releases are worse than standing in line for an event shirt at an Iron Maiden concert
@NEStalgia Ha!! And I too likened this indie experiment to the crash of '84 in earlier posts! Funny
As much as I think there is a crash coming because of the heap loads of crap out there, I dont think it will because 1. Video games are firmly ingrained in our culture now - on our TVs as well as phones, watches, social media. There's no turning back (though I don't think this is necessarily a good thing). This is definitely not how video games were viewed culturally in '84. Back then, a blip of bad games could easily turn consumers away and point them back to playing outside or listening to records! And 2. The investment required on the part of the consumer today is $0 to chump-change. Compared to a full priced pile of turd by Milton Bradly on your 2600.
I do wish that the market was ready and willing to have the capacity to say, "F-it! Im just going to go outside and play with friends or family. That is time better spent than playing these shallow free to play games". But our culture is one of quick fixes and then on to the next quick fix. Its good to see Nintendo taking responsibility of self governing!
@NEStalgia Yeah, I hear what you're saying about the NES and SNES era. But there were many other reasons that 3rd parties hated Nintendo. But it did bear quality. Their license pricing, exclusivity and requirement for all cartridge component manufacturing going through Nintendo was a big pill to swallow. The exclusivity already went bye bye at the start of the SNES era. Anyway, they arent necessarily doing that here. And these days everyone pays a piece for their titles to appear on an online store. I think Nintendo is just trying to get back to their "Seal of Quality" concept. Yes, they get a fee and its all commercial. But if it means not spending $$ on fledgling developers that history has shown do not turn a profit, as a shareholder and a consumer, I'm happy for that. Let them spend their money on projects that will bear fruit (as a shareholder) and protect me from crap (as a consumer).
Honestly, without knowing who these individuals are, it's hard to sort out the sour grapes from the rest. They obviously have been dropped because Nintendo didn't feel that their quality was in line with the level Nintendo is targeting for this platform. Could they have provided a more formal diplomatic response instead of ignoring some devs? Sure. But who is to say they didn't?
And as far as the comments and feelings that Nintendo previously helped indies to succeed or were felt to be partners, obviously that didn't work out. That is time, effort and money that a company of Nintendo's size and reach should not have to expend on it's licensees. They certainly didn't do that in the NES and SNES era. There is no reason to do it now. If you want to publish games on this platform, you have to have the chops. And if you have the chops, there's a good chance that we can expect a good game out of you... without the babysitting.
The other side of this is that Nintendo's AAA 3rd parties are happier because there are fewer small fish taking little nibbles at their potential software sales potential. One or two indies selling a handful of games isnt much competition for them. But an army of garage developers selling garbage for $1 to $4.99 will definitely add up to sales taken from the big guys.
This article to me seems like a lot of crying and whining to me. Welcome to big business folks. Not everyone gets to make a comfy living being creative.
2D HD remake of Secret of Mana would be awesome. Mana collection would be great too. I see a lot of support for Super Mario RPG. That would be awesome as well.
@Tsusasi Agreed mate. Just the fact that there are several people in this small but cozy group alone experiencing the problem is proof enough that there is a larger issue at hand. There is a problem whether Nintendo wants to spook their "flock" right now or not.
Its good to see that some people are at least experiencing good service when they do call Nintendo for help.
@roadrunner343 Thanks for the useful feedback! Thats good information to know. It's really too bad that they don't do advance replacement. Meaning, they send you a replacement and you send your bad one back in the replacement's box. That is best in class service set in many segments. And I think a lot of people are hesitant to be without their controller (without buying a second set) for a couple of weeks (at least). Plus you had to pay for shipping? That's why not everyone with a problem is calling. It's an annoyance that people may just deal with but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Mine drops out at 7' away. If I scootch up literally a few inches, the problem goes away (no, there is nothing near it to cause interfernence in my regular seating position). But I shouldn't have to do that. So is it worth being inconvenienced for a few weeks. Or live with it. Either way. Not incredibly happy.
Comments 548
Re: Random: Internet Reacts Badly To The New Snake Pass Menu Icon
Wow! Really such a big deal? I don't see a problem with the new icon. And even if I did, I wouldn't lose any sleep over something you see a fraction of the time compared to how long you play it.
BTW, Twitter "AcesHigh" /= Nintendolife "AcesHigh"
LOL!
Re: These Slick NES-Style Switch Joy-Cons Look Great, But You'll Need Deep Pockets
I'd like to know the painting process used to produce these. They look cool for sure. But even for those who have the disposable income to justify the expense, I'd want to know how durable the paint is.
Re: Editorial: The Frustrating Quest for a SNES Mini is Bad Business for Nintendo
@The_Gerudo_King Keep drinking the Kool Aide dude. Its tucked right in your little Scrappy Doo lunch box next your PB&J sammy.
Re: Monopoly Gamer Brings a Mario Spin to the Classic Board Game
@ShadJV i have Legendary and HotH. Been meaning to try Red Dragon Inn. Especially the new dungeon crawl! Yeah... Settlers and Ticket to Ride = Nerd. Like, not the cool kind like us. That's "full" nerd right there!
Re: Editorial: The Frustrating Quest for a SNES Mini is Bad Business for Nintendo
@Cyberbotv2 I agree with you. That was the main point about my initial post. I'm starting to get disillusioned with them myself. And that's saying a lot (for me at least) because I used to be a really big advocate for them. Even when they were starting to do some of this stuff that people were questioning. I'm starting to come around and my realistic Mr. Business justifications (which may be true - or maybe not) don't cut it for me anymore. Even if their true economic reasoning (that we are not privy to) may be sound, I don't care what reasoning they may have. Pissing off people who only want to enjoy your product is not something I want to be part of. In this kind of industry where you basically manufacture joy, just one of the many measures of success is how many smiles you put on peoples' faces and how many memories you make. If the vast majority of memories I made for my consumers are bad ones and the number of sad faces outweigh the number of happy faces I have manufactured, then I have failed. There needs to be some accountability in satisfying your consumer base as a whole. That has to be part of your company manifesto. How do we know we are doing well? "We are in the black, our shareholders are happy and, most importantly, our consumers are satisfied." If this doesn't play into your annual corporate brief ("Customer Advocacy" is a real and measurable score commonly used), then, go sell garbage cans or clothes hangers...
Re: Monopoly Gamer Brings a Mario Spin to the Classic Board Game
@ShadJV I hear you. They're THOSE kinds of table gamers, eh? LOL! Most games I choose to pick up have a solo, solitaire play mechanic as well. But my kids are getting old enough to learn to play so, for a couple years at least, I get to say what we play. LOL!
Re: Video: These Super Mario Odyssey Costumes Hark Back to Mario's Past
Oh, I've been around since the Atari 2600. In fact, I worked at a department store as the electronics department head in May of 1989 when they brought this big new cabinet display case thingie into my department with a glass front door. It said "Gameboy" on both sides of it. It had 2 shelves and a few rows of peg hooks.
What the hell is this?! It sat in the corner with no inventory in it for about a month when a new gaming magazine called Electronic Gaming Monthly was delivered to my department as well. That's when I read what was in store for my new fixture and was blown away! What? You mean a hand-held where the stuff on the screen actually, really moves?! For real? Like an NES and not just a hand-held Mattel baseball game with flashing liquid crystal LCDs? And it has levels? And you can change cartridges?! Holy crap!!
Then the stock came in around July 1989. There were 5 games, I think. In less than a year - May 1990 Qix came out. It was all new back then. So yes, I considered it a release game. Especially since it sat in my display case for years after that...
Re: Monopoly Gamer Brings a Mario Spin to the Classic Board Game
@ShadJV You just have to get into some of the games from Fantasy Flight. They are by far my most favorite publisher. Imperial Assault, X-Wing, Star Wars Destiny and Descent enjoy regular expansion packs. Multiple times a year. I'm sure you've heard of them already. But if not, check them out!
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com
Your wallet will hate you more than it does now...
Re: Editorial: The Frustrating Quest for a SNES Mini is Bad Business for Nintendo
@PlywoodStick I agree with you. But that's why everyone isn't making a bajillion dollars. There is rarely a right or wrong answer. It's an art and an imperfect science. Some companies do it well and most do it poorly. But at the end of the day, people in positions of authority have to weigh cost vs. gain and aside from some text books out there, there isn't a recipe for marketing your product that works 100% of the time for all situations. These folks make the best decision they can based on the information at hand, corporate culture, and internal & external forces that, frankly, none of us here in the cheap seats have any clue about.
But one thing is certain, they are a Japanese company. And Japanese are very focused on eliminating waste in their processes. Unsold inventory hits the bottom line. They may just want to be safe and make a run of half a million units sold through 100% with no inventory liability and recognize that as a significant gain in itself and be happy with it knowing that they won't have to write off a penny. It's not a product line where they need to take risks in order to maintain market leadership. To them, it's like finding $20 in their couch. "Hey, neat!"
Re: Monopoly Gamer Brings a Mario Spin to the Classic Board Game
@ShadJV The best part of table gaming for me! And what makes table gaming so different than video gaming. There is so much life left in a a table game past initial release. For me, these expansions and promos are much more substantial than typical digital DLC. It's especially great to be a gamer in general when you're open to both digital and analog experiences!
Re: Monopoly Gamer Brings a Mario Spin to the Classic Board Game
Actually,this looks pretty cool. It's a great way to get kids into Monopoly and board games in general. It's a lot less complicated as it seems to eliminate the houses and hotels and money management, instead focusing on collecting coins and points. The character abilities are really cool, borrowing from the current trend of table gaming. I'm definitely going to pick this up. I can see my kids loving this game!
Re: Editorial: The Frustrating Quest for a SNES Mini is Bad Business for Nintendo
@ PlywoodStick
Yeah, I'm very much aware and educated on the several phases of Nintendo's marketing strategies over the years as well as their overall cultural approach to the market and consumers. They went through several iterations. In the NES & SNES days, under the oversight of Yamauchi-san, they were pretty draconian in their approach to licensing and retailer relationships. And they did practice scarcity; each instance WAS in the effort to gain market dominance in the 8Bit arena vs. Sega Master System, 16Bit Arena vs. Sega and NEC and many other major hardware releases. They practiced artificial shortages on both hardware and software (SMB3 is the biggest gaff) - again, to gain a perceived value over the competition.
Culturally and strategically, they started to change their approach to licensing and retailer management in the N64 era, continuing on to current era in the face of very stiff competition starting with the PS1 when developers realized that they weren't the only show in town anymore. And retailers realized the same. This started the era of the more humble Nintendo.
As I mentioned, THIS is different. They have never been in a position to release such a highly coveted product in the midst of no direct competition whatsoever. I agree with you that they prefer to focus their efforts on their current, profitable lines, as I mentioned in my post. But I don't agree that the only reason they are releasing this SNES mini is just for Nintendo brand awareness. Or, at the very least, if they are, they are taking a calculated risk that it doesn't backfire on them and it creates too much negative publicity as the article states (any publicity isn't ALWAYS good publicity).
No, I think they are looking at this as a CONTROLLED, guaranteed infusion of revenue with very little to no financial risk (risk in overproduction, raw material inventory, finished goods inventory, retail inventory) to their financial forecasts. In essence they know how many they will produce (which will be short of the lowest estimate of demand) and they will sell through 100%. They will put an understated revenue number down as the forecast for this product line knowing that their expenses are fully under control (there will be no wasted inventories, remember). They can then afford to be aggressive in forecasting their profit numbers for their current product lines knowing that if they fall short, their understated number for SNES Classic will come in over forecast and will carry the company. If their aggressive forecasts for their current product lines come in as they forecasted, then they enjoy a relatively safe windfall where everyone looks good and no one stuck their necks out on the chopping block past their clip on neck ties.
I'm fairly confident this is the reason for their strategy. No other reason seems worth the cost of negative publicity, missed revenue opportunity and angering their consumer base. Just saying they want brand awareness isn't justification enough. My disappointment comes in the form of understanding that their loyalty seems to be focused more on wins directly tied to SAFELY pleasing their shareholders and their balance sheets vs. pleasing their shareholders through winning over their consumers who will hopefully bring them the profits they need. It all comes down to managing risk. They have a product that they know will bring a satisfactory revenue number which is not their main product line with no risk of inflated expense due to unsold inventory. They don't need to push the envelope so they won't.
Re: Editorial: The Frustrating Quest for a SNES Mini is Bad Business for Nintendo
I agree with every point in this article. I have been a big proponent of Nintendo and even defended their position early on in the pre-release angst of the NES Classic. But it's clear that this is not a manufacturing / supply chain, ramp-up to meet demand issue. This is a clear strategy that Nintendo is employing and I don't really get it or understand it.
No, I don't buy that it's a pacifier for more Switch stock. It's clear to everybody who has the slightest knowledge of product management (and common sense) that these two products can co-exist. One doesn't have to be suspended for the other or risk cannibalization. Most Switch consumers will likely buy one of these as well. And even more curiously, I believe not all SNES consumers would buy a Switch as the pricepoint is somewhat reasonable for a relative or friend to buy as a gift, where as they wouldn't consider dropping $299 for a gift. So that's clearly not it.
I also don't buy the artificial shortage scenario because that only has real value when your product is going head to head with another competitor's similar offering. Shortage is limited to convey the feeling that your product is in shorter supply than the competition because it is better and more "popular". That automatically steers consumers in your direction and you slowly throttle supply up to meet demand. But here, there is no competition. It makes no sense.
I am only left with the amount of overhead needed to manage and maintain a product line simply at the corporate level (which is more than people realize) is something they would rather direct to other parts of the business like 3DS and Switch. They know they are leaving money on the table. They aren't stupid. But for whatever reason, they believe focusing their efforts on other parts of the business is more key to their goal of growth and innovation vs. nostaligia.
I believe that they DO want to give their faithful fans a "treat". But they have to know the stress that they are putting their loyal consumers through to get one. And that's the part I don't get. It really doesn't match what it seems their corporate philosophy is. But then again, just look at how they are handling the shortages of Amiibos. And it leads me to believe that my beloved Nintendo might not be the kind of company I thought they were. And maybe they really don't need my money.
Re: TheJWittz to Host World Premiere of New Hasbro Nintendo Game
@Therad It appears you're right. But at least there's a bit of a twist. And the custom dice always get me right in my Nerd button.
Re: Miyamoto Was Worried How Players Would React To Mario Odyssey's New Donk City
I definitely don't like New Donk City. Not a fan of mixing fantasy character art styles with realistic character art styles at all. It destroys the suspension of disbelief. It's jarring and takes me out of the fantasy setting. However, as others have stated, it appears that there are plenty of other worlds that are more consistent with traditional Mario stylings. I'm still looking forward to it and it will be a 1st day purchase for me. I'm just not as excited for this one as I have been for the past several Mario games.
Re: TheJWittz to Host World Premiere of New Hasbro Nintendo Game
@aaronsullivan Fully agreed! There is a huge surge in popularity of table gaming. Has been for the last several years. There are so many cool games out there from dungeon crawls to deck building card games to space combat and horror games with miniatures, dice, cards with stats and powerups and tons of different mechanics. Table gaming is a great companion to video gaming. Its a totally different feel but gives you the same rush. People should really check it out.
Re: Thankfully, Europe Is Getting A More Handsome SNES Classic Mini
@daniruy
...for the devil sends it's beast with wrath for he knows the time is short...
...so pre-order yours now or only a pact with Bealzibub will net you one!
Re: Nintendo Announces Super NES Classic Edition
Huh... no Final Fight or Act Raiser? Those were a couple of the highlights at launch.
Any ideas of pre-order slaught... I mean date?
Re: First Impressions: Going Medieval in River City: Knights of Justice
Looks like an awesome game. Not a fan of mixing art styles though. You have 8-Bit main characters (sprites) set on top of 16/32-Bit backgrounds and even 3D polygons. Just my opinion but I prefer to see the whole package to fit together in the same style to provide a more cohesive visual experience.
Re: Video: These Super Mario Odyssey Costumes Hark Back to Mario's Past
In the video they referenced Mario's cameo in the GB game Qix. Which is spot on with what he wore in that game. That was one of the first games that came out for the Gameboy so it would make sense that he made that cameo. I thought that was pretty cool!
Re: Video: These Super Mario Odyssey Costumes Hark Back to Mario's Past
@thatawesomedude Yeah, agreed. I didnt put much stock in the Mario Maker ones either. Chargin Chuck may have been a stretch too but I think the nod to him is there. Then again, Mario was never in that uniform in any other game either so it's his first time!
Re: Video: These Super Mario Odyssey Costumes Hark Back to Mario's Past
This is very cool! And I'm sure every one of them intentional. The outfits are spot on. Love it!
Re: Video: Listen to Super Mario Odyssey's Vocal Theme Song in Full
@Anti-Matter Not even going to try to explain...
Re: Video: Listen to Super Mario Odyssey's Vocal Theme Song in Full
@PlywoodStick Yes, my thoughts exactly. These characters belong in their own fantasy worlds. If I want to see our world, I'll open the door and walk outside.
Re: Video: Listen to Super Mario Odyssey's Vocal Theme Song in Full
Wow. I am clearly in the minority. Must be I'm a crotchety old, "In my day, there were no words in Super Mario music... and we LIKED it that way!" kind of guy. Seriously though, I'm really not a fan of the song, vocals and especially the real-life theme shown in the trailer. I wasn't a fan before but even more so I am not a fan now. there were some cool new levels and the transformations are cool, but I really don't look for realistic imagery (like the city, people and T-Rex) in my Mushroom kingdom. If I want that, I'll go play a game rooted in that style. For me, Mario was a celebration of fun fantasy worlds that I CAN'T relate with.
Re: A New Pokémon RPG Has Been Confirmed For Development For Nintendo Switch
While I'm desperately hoping like everyone else that it will be a traditional portable-style Pokemon RPG (Gen 8), I'm still thinking it may be something like Mystery Dungeon or something else. I would like to think that when they tell their fan base "Core RPG" that they and we know very well what that means. But you never know.
I do believe that if it is, in fact, the next Gen Core RPG as we hope, it will be the first indication of Nintendo moving on from 3DS. The beginning of the end. Which is still hard for me to believe that they would do so soon.
Re: FIFA 18 Producer Explains Why You Should Care About The Game On Switch
Not impressed in the least bit with "best portable" version ever made. That's not saying a while lot. It damn well better be the best portable version made. Whats the runner up? 3DS? Vita? That better go without saying. Let's not forget EA, this is a console first and foremost that can be brought with you.
Sometimes less is more. Just put the game out there and let it perform on it's own merits. No need to look for ways to put your foot in your mouth by stating what everyone expects in the first place.
Re: Poll: Are You Excited About Nintendo at E3 2017?
Am I the only die hard Mario fan that is NOT thoroughly impressed with Odyssey? I'm not really thrilled about any part of the game being set in a real human city. Not very thrilled about collecting triangle-shaped bits (??) And the Southwest chili motif just isn't appealing to me. It almost seems to have been created by an entirely different group of people. I'm hoping to see more this E3 but so far, I'm not dying to get this game...
Re: Oceanhorn Anchors In The Sheltered Harbour Of The Switch eShop This Month
This is about as close to a traditional top-down Zelda as we're gonna get on the Switch folks. It's actually not a bad little game. Worth $15 to $20 for sure.
Re: Pokémon Company Press Site Lists Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon For Switch As Well As 3DS
@SEGATA_DREAMCAST Dude! I hears ya! I would love to have a true Pokemon game on my Switch. I'd be the first in line. I just don't think it's gonna happen. I was definitely not thrilled with the Pokken Tournament announcement. It did, however, just cement the idea that they are adopting strategy that they have been for years. Nuffin' new. Still a lot to be excited for in terms of the Switch. I'm already having more fun with this than the WiiU and Wii just based on what I can do with it and where it can go. They just need some killer old school games made just for the Switch. A new Metroid would bring smiles to many a space pirate!
Re: Pokémon Company Press Site Lists Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon For Switch As Well As 3DS
@SEGATA_DREAMCAST The two units are at two totally different pricepoints and offer different play experiences to the end user. Nintendo has made it clear that they intend to support both platforms. The 3DS is a cash cow and part of feeding that cash cow and keeping it fat is by offering experiences that are unique to that platform. Which is why there has yet to be a traditional Pokemon on any of their home systems for 25 years. Those games do not HAVE to be on a portable system. None of them do. But they remain on the portable system to reinforce the notion of exlusivity. If you move that experience to another platform, you remove a reason for people to maintain support for the 3DS system.
So... if you were Nintendo... would you rather have one system that sells 2 million games or 2 systems that sell 1.5 million each?? (Throwing easy numbers out as example). Having two healthy systems with unique experiences increases revenue potential purely for the fact that most people own both and will support both in addition to people who only own one.
Not gonna happen. Not until support for 3DS naturally wanes and they decide that the platform is in decline or they announce the successor to the 3DS that may have higher resolution, more power and more 3D shutters.
Re: Pokémon Company Press Site Lists Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon For Switch As Well As 3DS
It was a mistake. Mistakes like this actually do happen. Nintendo will not be bringing a traditional Pokemon game to the Switch. Their plans for the 3DS involve niche 3D handheld gaming. They want 2 distinct product lines and revenue streams. Pokemon is their standard bearer for the 3DS. Releasing the same title on the Switch -Especially their Pokemon cash cow - will cross over into a very gray area between the two platforms and would cannibalize their 3DS pillar. This move would in effect cut the head off of a golden cow. Not gonna happen.
Re: Nintendo's Online Service For Switch Will Offer "Ongoing Access" To Classic Games
No SNES, no dice. Gotta at LEAST have NES and SNES. C'mon guys!
Will also have to see how many games they have to choose from. I'm already out until they have SNES. But will be a tough sell for others with any less than 10 to start.
Re: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Has Been Rated in Brazil
@NEStalgia Well.... It's because people don't like Rabbids. Kinda like I said. Not sure how else to put it.
Maybe more to the point, I can say from my own perspective (not speaking for any particular group of Rabbid lovers or haters) I see ANY Mario release as a treasure. ESPECIALLY an RPG! So when I see that release is tied in with a character or group of characters that I really don't like in the least bit, I see it as a waste of a good Mario game. Just me. But I'm prolly not the only one.
Re: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Has Been Rated in Brazil
@sillygostly I totally agree. Rabbids' disposition just don't fit with Mario's lighthearted romps. You hit the nail on the head.
Re: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Has Been Rated in Brazil
@NEStalgia Just peoples' tastes and poor design (in my opinion). Nothing more really. There is a lot put into character design that tug a peoples' different tastes. It's the ultimate goal of a designer to hit on the majority of the populations' sweet spots in terms of what is cute, attractive, endearing, powerful, etc. Some efforts hit the mark and some just don't.
Just compare Rabbids to Minions. They are beasically the same thing (with some difference, I acknowledge). But look at how the mass market has latched on to Minions vs. Rabbids. Sure Minions had theatrical reach. But the Rabbids had their own TV series. The Rabbid series bombed. And the minor role the Minions had in the first Despicable Me movie grabbed the hearts of the mass market so much that they played a larger role in the 2nd movie and even spawned a movie of their own. Simply, the designers did a better job of making Minions endearing than the designers did with Rabbids.
Personally, I find the Rabbids vacant eyes, maniacle tongue waggling and general disposition off-putting. Whereas I find humor and intelligence in the eyes and disposition of the Minions. Two very similar (Not the same, I know) characters. One just designed much better than the other. To me at least. Nothing more than that.
Re: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Has Been Rated in Brazil
I have absolutely no desire to play a Rabbids game. None. But will likely stomache through it to play a Mario RPG. Seriously Nintendo, you couldn't have picked a better class of character to have Mario and pals hang around with?
Re: Blaster Master Zero Has Been Downloaded 80,000 Times On Switch
@Nertak
I agree with you on most of your logic. I was thinking the exact same thing actually. Yes, 40K is conservative for a developer. Probably closer to 60 to 70k tops for a small developer. And a good number of those 35 employees are either administrative or working on at least one other project (but likely not much more for their size). So you can't count them against one game. So yeah, even if those 35 emoloyees were only 40 to 50% committed to that project and other projects are bringing in revenue from the other 50 to 60% of their time, that figure is still not incredibly impressive for a brand new system where your product is one of few alternatives with a sell through that the Switch has enjoyed so far.
The thing is, no one looks at an ROI over 2 months. What no one knows here, and what is incredibly important to know, is what the sell through rate is over these past 60 days. If it has trailed off significantly to a trickle, I would be concerned. But if there is still life in the sales volume (I wouldn't expect day one sales volume), I would be encouraged. There are a lot more Switch systems to be made available to the public as demand has not yet been satisfied. So if there are still steady sales at any level (this means the game has "legs") then there is a lot to be optimistic about for them over the next year.
Re: Blaster Master Zero Has Been Downloaded 80,000 Times On Switch
I bought it day 1 and absolutely love it. Im a bit disappointed in the sales figures. I would have expected more. They cant be thrilled. But its only been 60 days. And there have been no sales as if yet. There is time. Would be interested to see the sales distribution over time. There will always be a spike at release. But if sales continue to show some life over those 60 days as more Switches become available at retail they still may be able to realize an acceptable profit. These numbers also didnt include 3DS sales. I'd be really interested to know how 3DS sales fared.
Re: Reggie Explains the Reasoning Behind the New 2DS XL
"Few would've guessed the announcement of a new model of 3DS would be made"
Actually, I did. I commented on the first article posted speculating on the 3DS's demise in light of the Switch that the 3DS was not dead, that it served a different use and market segment and that I woiuld expect to see new hardware even.
It's all about pricepoint, cost of entry and demographic. Makes perfect sense to me.
Re: Nintendo Remains Tight-Lipped On SNES Classic Mini Rumours
I'm already stressing over the 2 hours of refreshing crashing websites in the hope of POSSIBLY placing one of these in a shopping cart and HOPING to get through the checkout process to finally attaining the prize of prizes... an order confirmation number!!!
Seriously, these releases are worse than standing in line for an event shirt at an Iron Maiden concert
Re: Feature: The Growing Pains of Curation on the Nintendo Switch eShop
@NEStalgia
Ha!! And I too likened this indie experiment to the crash of '84 in earlier posts! Funny
As much as I think there is a crash coming because of the heap loads of crap out there, I dont think it will because 1. Video games are firmly ingrained in our culture now - on our TVs as well as phones, watches, social media. There's no turning back (though I don't think this is necessarily a good thing). This is definitely not how video games were viewed culturally in '84. Back then, a blip of bad games could easily turn consumers away and point them back to playing outside or listening to records! And 2. The investment required on the part of the consumer today is $0 to chump-change. Compared to a full priced pile of turd by Milton Bradly on your 2600.
I do wish that the market was ready and willing to have the capacity to say, "F-it! Im just going to go outside and play with friends or family. That is time better spent than playing these shallow free to play games". But our culture is one of quick fixes and then on to the next quick fix. Its good to see Nintendo taking responsibility of self governing!
Re: Feature: The Growing Pains of Curation on the Nintendo Switch eShop
@NEStalgia
Yeah, I hear what you're saying about the NES and SNES era. But there were many other reasons that 3rd parties hated Nintendo. But it did bear quality. Their license pricing, exclusivity and requirement for all cartridge component manufacturing going through Nintendo was a big pill to swallow. The exclusivity already went bye bye at the start of the SNES era. Anyway, they arent necessarily doing that here. And these days everyone pays a piece for their titles to appear on an online store. I think Nintendo is just trying to get back to their "Seal of Quality" concept. Yes, they get a fee and its all commercial. But if it means not spending $$ on fledgling developers that history has shown do not turn a profit, as a shareholder and a consumer, I'm happy for that. Let them spend their money on projects that will bear fruit (as a shareholder) and protect me from crap (as a consumer).
Re: Feature: The Growing Pains of Curation on the Nintendo Switch eShop
Honestly, without knowing who these individuals are, it's hard to sort out the sour grapes from the rest. They obviously have been dropped because Nintendo didn't feel that their quality was in line with the level Nintendo is targeting for this platform. Could they have provided a more formal diplomatic response instead of ignoring some devs? Sure. But who is to say they didn't?
And as far as the comments and feelings that Nintendo previously helped indies to succeed or were felt to be partners, obviously that didn't work out. That is time, effort and money that a company of Nintendo's size and reach should not have to expend on it's licensees. They certainly didn't do that in the NES and SNES era. There is no reason to do it now. If you want to publish games on this platform, you have to have the chops. And if you have the chops, there's a good chance that we can expect a good game out of you... without the babysitting.
The other side of this is that Nintendo's AAA 3rd parties are happier because there are fewer small fish taking little nibbles at their potential software sales potential. One or two indies selling a handful of games isnt much competition for them. But an army of garage developers selling garbage for $1 to $4.99 will definitely add up to sales taken from the big guys.
This article to me seems like a lot of crying and whining to me. Welcome to big business folks. Not everyone gets to make a comfy living being creative.
Re: Square Enix Veteran and Chrono Trigger Director Teases Nintendo Switch Project
2D HD remake of Secret of Mana would be awesome. Mana collection would be great too. I see a lot of support for Super Mario RPG. That would be awesome as well.
Just no free-to-play mobile port please...
Re: Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap Has Gone Gold
@BigBadJohn You also forgot, "Plus, I'm pretty sure Nintendo slept with my wife. So... I'll only buy it if there's free DLC..."
Include that and your journey to the dark side will be complete!
Re: Lego City Undercover Still Has Ridiculous Load Times on Switch
Nope. Deal breaker. Dont need to buy that problem twice! Was excited to buy it too....
Re: "No Widespread Technical Problems" With Switch Joy-Cons, Claims Nintendo
@Tsusasi Agreed mate. Just the fact that there are several people in this small but cozy group alone experiencing the problem is proof enough that there is a larger issue at hand. There is a problem whether Nintendo wants to spook their "flock" right now or not.
Its good to see that some people are at least experiencing good service when they do call Nintendo for help.
Re: "No Widespread Technical Problems" With Switch Joy-Cons, Claims Nintendo
Please share with us how it goes when you get your replacement. Good luck!!
Re: "No Widespread Technical Problems" With Switch Joy-Cons, Claims Nintendo
@roadrunner343 Thanks for the useful feedback! Thats good information to know. It's really too bad that they don't do advance replacement. Meaning, they send you a replacement and you send your bad one back in the replacement's box. That is best in class service set in many segments. And I think a lot of people are hesitant to be without their controller (without buying a second set) for a couple of weeks (at least). Plus you had to pay for shipping? That's why not everyone with a problem is calling. It's an annoyance that people may just deal with but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Mine drops out at 7' away. If I scootch up literally a few inches, the problem goes away (no, there is nothing near it to cause interfernence in my regular seating position). But I shouldn't have to do that. So is it worth being inconvenienced for a few weeks. Or live with it. Either way. Not incredibly happy.