Comments 329

Re: Epic Games Rules Out Unreal Engine 4 For Wii U

Ambassador_Kong

@OverturePT

This is really old news. Epic said that the Wii U could run Unreal 4 last year (June or July), but that they weren't going to support Unreal 4 on the Wii U. That doesn't mean a developer couldn't use it on the Wii U, just that they wouldn't.

Read the whole interview. The really troubling part is that he was laughing at the Wii U and everyone else in the room was too. Nintendo has a big perception issue. It seems that the "core" gamers have decided that the Wii U is a kiddie console even before they've actually tired one.

Re: Epic Games Rules Out Unreal Engine 4 For Wii U

Ambassador_Kong

I guess no one remembers this:

The Wii U is capable of running Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4, according to company Vice President Marc Rein. He goes on to say, though, that Epic has no plans to port the engine themselves, but that developers would be able to port games using that engine to the system.

Re: Epic Games Rules Out Unreal Engine 4 For Wii U

Ambassador_Kong

Wow, Nintendolife left out the most important part of the interview:

I figured I'd ask straight-out, so during the Q&A with Rein, I did. "Will UE4 run on the Wii U?"

"Hahaha no." Rein said, with expert comedic timing. The room erupted with laughter. As the laughs died down, Rein continued: "I mean, sorry, it's not really a correct answer. We're not… we have Unreal Engine 3 for the Wii U. Right? And Unreal Engine 3 is powering all kinds of amazing games, still lots of games are being made with Unreal Engine 3. We announced today about a new Unreal Engine 3 license. Unreal Engine 3 doesn't disappear because of Unreal Engine 4. But our goal for Unreal Engine 4 console-wise is next-gen consoles. That's really what our energies are focused on. If you want to make a Wii U game, we have Unreal Engine 3, and it's powering some of the best games on the Wii U already.

So, in other words, the cool kids point their fingers and laugh at the Wii U. Everyone knows the Wii U is the kiddie console, right? So, making fun of the WiiU is great for laughs.

Re: New Research Claims Wii U Success Hinges On A Price Cut

Ambassador_Kong

@HeatBombastic
I'm agreeing with your definition. I guess I am not being clear. I'm also saying that the generally accepted corporate/moneygrubbing/parasite definition of core player are the fools that buy the same game over and over again with just palette swaps and a few weapon upgrades.

It's the above definition of core gaming that is destroying the industry. It's the whole AAA nonsense with 100,000,000 dollar budgets. There is a reason that there is a new "shooter" out every week, it's because they sell and that is because the average gamer (the "core" of the business model, if you will) likes them.

You don't like them and I don't like them, but that means we fall outside of the target demographic of companies like EA which is exactly why games like Battlefield 4 and Far Cry 3 aren't coming to the system. Just because you don't personally like labels, doesn't meant that we shouldn't or don't use them. Go to any library and you'll find books being labelled. A book might be about 10 different things, but a librarian is going to reduce it down to one number in the Dewey Decimal System or LC Classification.

So to circle all the way back to the beginning. Business people look at "Core" gamers as one thing while gamers think of "core as another. Using the business definition of "core" (or Pew Pew Bro Dudes who will only buy games with guys and guns on the cover), core gamers aren't interested in the Wii U because it doesn't do what they want and Wii U owners aren't necessarily interested in the "core" games because they lie outside our interests.

Re: New Research Claims Wii U Success Hinges On A Price Cut

Ambassador_Kong

@HeatBombastic
Which was exactly what I was talking about. The old school core gamer was a master at all types of games. The new "core" gamer (at least as defined by the bean counters in EA's boardroom) is a guy that wants to play first person shooters 17 hours a day. So you and I have one opinion about what a "core" gamer is, but the industry has another.

How else would you explain that just about every game on the Xbox 360 is either a first person shooter (Dishonored, Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, Gears of War Judgement, Bioshock Infinite, etc....), a third person actioner (Tomb Raider, DMC), or a sports game. Where is the variety?

You can go to whatever dictionary you want, but it doesn't mean you will get an accurate definition of how the word is really being used. Look up "tea bag" and tell me I'm wrong.

Re: New Research Claims Wii U Success Hinges On A Price Cut

Ambassador_Kong

I think there should be a campaign to take back the term core gamer. The term doesn't really fit the reality because the core gamer they are talking about are the people that will only play game with Bro Dudes with guns on the cover. These are the folks that shovel out good money for copy paste shooters every week.

When I was a wee one, hardcore gamers were the guys that could beat the crap out of any cartridge you chose to boot up. Fighting games, platformers, bullet hell games, RPGs, etc.... There was a whole bunch more variety back then than there is now.

I see every major release cross my desk as part of my job and let me tell you, the 3DS, by far, has the most robust and diverse catalog of games right now. IN my opinion the 3DS is where you'll find "core" gamers. Followed by the PS3 and finally the Xbox which seems to have been designed for people that are really concerned about blood splatter in their games.

Re: Talking Point: An Open Letter To Nintendo

Ambassador_Kong

Seriously, look at how Nintendo turned the 3DS around and knee-capped the Vita at the same time. Vita releases in Japan, Capcom releases Monster Hunter on 3DS. The Vita still hasn't recovered from the launch and Nintendo keeps putting the screws to Sony's portable by releasing more and more quality software while the Vita, it appears, is becoming the portable indie device. Nothing wrong with indie software (La Mulana, Cave Story, VVVVVV, and such), but you can't build a viable system off of it.

So, I am not concerned about the state of the Wii U. Nintendo builds quality games with development costs that don't take 10 million sales to break even. I'm more concerned with the state of Sony (still bleeding cash) and Microsoft (rumors of mandatory hard drive installs and always online) than with Nintendo.

Re: Talking Point: An Open Letter To Nintendo

Ambassador_Kong

Call me crazy but, why is it so bad that all the generic first person shooter bro dude games are skipping the WiiU. The last thing I want is for the WiiU to be like the Xbox. The vast majority of games on the Xbox are interchangeable Unreal driven, pallet swap "pew pew" games.

The WIiU, with it's lackluster launch, has already show more diversity than the last year of the Xbox 360. I for one welcome Nintendo embracing the indie developers and not courting the AAA developers. Tomb Raider sold three million copies in three weeks and Square Enix is calling it a failure. With an attitude like that, there is no way the AAA studios can survive for long. Nintendo has always looked at things differently. They make great games to play not great eye candy. Their games come down in price over years not weeks. How does the industry think they will survive in a model where all there sales need to be in the first two weeks? How will the industry survive when gamers realize they only have to wait three weeks to get the game for half off?

Nintendo isn't in any danger of failing, it is the rest of the industry that is looking to crash and burn.

Re: No Battlefield 4 For Wii U Because DICE Wants To "Play It Safe"

Ambassador_Kong

Ugh, the whole industry is ripe for a crash. The publishers are avoiding the WiiU because they got fat and lazy from a half dozen good years with the Xbox and PS3. It's like they can't even remember that consoles don't sell 10 million at launch. Do they really think that the Nextbox and PS4 are going to be instant successes that will guarantee them 5 million sales at launch?

The WiiU launch was a typical launch - no better and no worse - unfortunately we live in an ADD society that needs success now, right now, and no later. The 3DS started off slow and look where it is now. The Vita started slow and look where it..... oh, wait... forget that I mentioned it.

Anyways, the publishers need to ground their expectations. You aren't going to sell 10 million copies on a system that has only 3 million in the wild. It just isn't going to happen. Worse, if you don't support a system when it is young, don't expect the consumers to pay any attention when things get better. EA gave Wii U owners Mass Effect 3 with no DLC support for the same price that they launched the Mass Effect Trilogy on the Xbox and PS3. Do they seriously need me to explain to them why Wii U owners didn't buy the game? Are they really that stupid?

My magic 8 ball says, "all signs point to yes."

Re: Fez For Wii U Is Highly Unlikely Unless Nintendo Pays For It

Ambassador_Kong

This guy has a track record of inserting his foot every time he opens his mouth. This is the same guy that said Japanese games suck:
http://www.destructoid.com/fez-creator-says-japanese-games-suck-223371.phtml

Hates the 3DS and loves the Vita
http://nintendoeverything.com/116963/fez-creator-down-on-3ds-says-monster-hunter-should-be-on-vita/

Of course, he tries to damage control everything after the fact, but the fact of the matter that he doesn't like Nintendo and he loves Sony. That's perfectly fine, he can have his opinion, but he shouldn't be shocked when he discovers that people are going to hold his opinions against him.

Re: Review: HarmoKnight (3DS eShop)

Ambassador_Kong

I really can't wait to download this, but why does everything have to come out in March? Luigi's Mansion, Mystery Dungeon, Need for Speed, Monster Hunter, Etrianne Odyssey 4, and Runner 2 have already doubled my backlog.