CureDolly

The gamepad was supposed to be the next killer-gimmick (and I don't use gimmick disparagingly - motion control was great) after motion control. No one can predict the market and it turns out this one didn't work.

The gamepad is not necessary to the console and dropping it could bring it down to a price which would let it actually sell to families.

No one is forcing him to cancel the book. I really don't like that Nintendo was against it, but I very much respect Mr.Lindblom for honoring their wishes.

Especialy the way they leave a machine high and dry toward the end. It was particularly bad with Wii - and a bad move because the Wii Family lost momentum badly. They then hoped to capitalize on Wii's momentum with WiiU (hence the name) but they had already lost it.

They aren't stupid, so it makes one suspect they just don't have the resources to develop for a late-life machine and for the new one at once (and the handheld too of course).

Nintendo is doing reasonably well. 3DS is still the biggest seller on the market. WiiU is really priced outside the range of its core audience (families) and I think they are going to have to bite the bullet and sell a version without the gamepad at a more affordable price.

The thing is that Wii and WiiU have a low attach rate. This is a key fact no one seems to discuss. It is the real reason 3rd parties don't make many expensive-to-develop games for Nintendo home consoles.

Importantly, people who aren't planning to buy a LOT of games won't pay a high price for the console they play them on.

This also means Nintendo can't afford to make much if any loss on console sales - the attach rate isn't high enough to make a "loss leader" profitable.

This really seems to point to one course of action. Take away the gamepad which turns out NOT to have been very vital or to have led to truly innovative software the way motion control was/did in the last generation. This will allow a radical price drop without making a loss on each console sold.

This would be a big shift as the gamepad was WiiU's Unique Selling Point. But it clearly isn't working. A Gamepad-less WiiU at a family-friendly, impulse-buy price, supported by a growing library of good first-party games will probably rescue the WiiU from sales oblivion.

This isn't going to be a great generation for WiiU even then, but it is already a great (albeit sub-DS) generation for 3DS. Most companies would kill for 3DSs success. Nintendo will be just fine. It won't "win" the "home console wars" - but who really cares about that?

Want it want it! Grr and I'm not in Japan right now.

Uh - actually it is a British site. But us foreigners are welcome too. Nice folks, aren't they? They don't cuss out other countries and I believe they even serve tea at 4pm.

＠Humphries90 May I ask if you have a NNID and if registering a NNID from out of region causes any problems. I have an out-of-region 3DS too (Japanese in the Americas) and am a little worried about signing up.

＠k9d Sorry for the late response. The only online component I can find is a desk where you can check if you have any otodokemono (presents/delivered-things) via internet, but these seem to be just small very small bits of free DLC from Gung-ho (I got an ema - a votive picture - which I can take to the shrine. It allows entry into one level of a special dungeon in the shrine which gives really high experience points).

Monster trading seems to be a purely local-wireless affair, which is a bit disappointing and there seems to be no online battling or co-op. It says the game is enabled for NNID but I don't have one yet, so I can't tell you anything about that, I'm afraid.

Sorry for the disappointing news. It is a great single-player game though.

Is there anywhere the 3DS actually ISN'T the best-selling dedicated games machine?
While people worry about the "home console wars" as if it were still the '90s, 3DS is quietly sweeping the board everywhere.
That's why Nintendo isn't worried!

@B3ND3R I am 60 hours in and the mechanic does not change - but it is actually deeper than it looks, and probably the most significant re-working of the match-3 mechanic since the genre began. Oh and it is six different colors but they don't all come into play in all "dungeons". For example, in the desert there is no water and very little grass. Guess that's as near to "gritty realism" as I like a game to get >chuckle chuckle<.

Where you do improve your power is by developing your team and using elemental strengths and weaknesses to your advantage.

@Nintendojuenger There are no in-app purchases in Puzzle and Dragons Z (as opposed to the mobile version). It is a one-time purchase.

It seems to me like a weird phase in history - placing a completely unnecessary middleman in a transaction that actually takes place directly between the Customer and Nintendo via online connection.

I guess it keeps bricks and mortar stores alive a bit longer, which makes them happy, and eases people over the psychological barrier during the transition, which makes Nintendo happy.

However, it serves no real purpose. I wonder how long it will last.

@Kitsune_Rei Absolutely right. This is one of the most innovative enhancements of the match-3 style of gameplay since the genre was invented.

And it really is a nice little RPG with a fun plot and a lot of humor.

@micronean This is very true. In Japan I don't think it is a case of "WiiU failure" it is more that the entire home console market is just dwarfed by the handheld market. I think PS4 will do well in Japan by the new standards of home consoles, but the whole game has changed.

That is why it seems so strange to me that people talk about Nintendo's "success or failure" in terms of WiiU's performance as if handhelds were a side issue. In Japan at least, consoles have become the side issue. Handhelds are the main game.

Wow PazudoraZ at #6 for the whole year after such a short time on the market. I'm not surprised. I love this game!

@unrandomsam Thank you for the details. Actually I was not thinking of using this particular method, or recommending it as I don't own a flaschard thing (and I know they are pretty dubious). I was really just saying that in principle there is no illegality about de-crippling your own machine to play all your own games. Which you say too, so we are in agreement. It is true that many of the ways of de-crippling machines (I say "cripple" because the principle is the same as "crippleware" where something is wholly capable of doing something but deliberately disabled by the maker) also enable piracy. This is a rather foolish aspect of the region-locking policy, since people who would never dream of going to all the trouble of unlocking their machines if it were not to play their own Nintendo games on a NIntendo system may afterward be tempted to use some of the other "benefits".

I know several cross-national kids who hacked their Wiis just to play their whole collections gathered in different countries. Having done so, even though they weren't really interested in piracy, some of them did run some illegal ROMs.

You can blame them if you want, but I would say Nintendo brought that situation about by not thinking about the needs of those otherwise loyal Nintendo fans.

I would definitely like region-free consoles. I have a Japanese 3DS and can't play Western games at all. I prefer it that way around, but I'd much prefer the ability to play both.

Incidentally breaking the region lock is not in any way "illegal". The machine is your property to use as you wish. The import games are also your property. Nintendo has the legal right to lock its software if it wants to. And users have the legal right to break the lock if they can. Region locking is not a law it is an attempt by a company to impose its will.

Pirating games is an entirely different question, and that is rightly illegal.

I had this game for Christmas and have been playing it to death! I have put in 59 hours 29 minutes so far! By the way, if you have a Japanese 3DS and download the demo (which is very generous - I played it for over 5 hours and it had me hooked) it is really good to find you have the option start the retail game from your demo save file.

That really indicates the game's polish to me. GungHo's president says he wants to have outsold NIntendo by the time he retires. Hubris perhaps, but the company is really serious about making a top-class game. And Pazudora IS a top-class game.

I have been playing this game (legally - I bought it on the Japanese eShop - I didn't even know there was an English translation) and I really love it. Link's awakening was actually the first Nintendo game I played so it adds an extra fascination. It is a shame this franchise was forgotten - it is really very good.

@mullen Thanks! I will wait for a physical copy I think! I do want to play this game some time as it sounds really good.

@mullen Is that so? How interesting! I think you can still get BDFF on the eShop but I want BDFtS. I did see a couple of sites that said BDFtS was on the eShop for (I think) ¥3,500. Maybe there was some mis-announcement and then they decided not to put it on the eShop at all. A little sad for me as I can't get physical imports where I am at present and I can only play the Japanese version as my 3DSLL was bought in Japan.

@mullen I wonder why this game isn't on the Japanese eShop. I really wanted to download it after playing the demo.

I actually prefer the Western version of the costumes, but since my version of 3DS is Japanese I will be playing the Japanese version if I play it at all (which I hope I will).

It really doesn't seem like a big deal either way. But then I don't object to censorship on principle. I am rather of the view that the West could use more of it.

I agree - the cat suit is a system seller!

Really pleased about the success of PazudoraZ (Puzzle and Dragons). I am one of those sales as I had it for Christmas. Have been playing it almost solidly since Christmas morning. I LOVE it!

@SMEXIZELDAMAN

Pazudora (Puzzle and Dragons) Z looks very good. I played the demo and loved it. Famitsu rated it 9:9:9:9 and sold through 3/4 of its initial shipment in Japan on release day. (It also has furigana!).

I am hoping to get it for Christmas and I am really excited.

A number of games actually have furigana (it is easier these days with higher resolution) Animal Crossing New Leaf does, for example. Pokemon X/Y has the option to play all-hiragana or with kanji, and if you choose kanji they do mostly stick to the simpler ones and put difficult words in hiragana.

So if kanji is your problem you can actually find a lot of games that you can play.

@rjejr So true! Just what I thought. The other two consoles "compete" for exactly the same demographic with exactly the same types of games (in fact, usually exactly the same games). Nintendo is playing a different game entirely. It is not "competing".

I only have a 3DS and there are far more great games than I could ever afford (money or time). The machine is a roaring success which people seem to overlook when they talk about Nintendo's "failure".

Really exciting Nintendo Direct. I love Rosalina too. I hated that they took her story elements out of Galaxy 2 (I adored them in Galaxy 1). A Rosalina game would be wonderful - I want to learn more about her.

WiiU failure? If were a race or a sporting event (as many people seem to think) maybe.

Since it's a business I don't think it will fail any more than GameCube failed.

The thing is with Pushmo there was a puzzle creator and users mad TONS of really clever and artistic levels that could be read in from the computer screen via QR code. So really Pushmo has almost unlimited levels. They needed to do something different - but the game was pretty much perfect as it was, and changing it up just harmed it.

In this case I think maybe the single release was the only possibility. There might be a way of making a true follow-on but I can't think what it would be.

Pushmo was also a great new franchise. Such a pity its successor Crashmo was really not all that good. I wonder if there is a way of doing a real Pushmo 2 that brings something new without spoiling the original idea.

Not very nice. Also it was really hard to make out a lot of what she was saying. Was this really the best?

Interesting article. I guess it entirely depends what you mean by "social network" whether MiiVerse counts as one or not.

But here is another point. I think we may have one answer right here why 3DS is NOT (as so many people predicted) being rendered redundant by smartphones and tablets. 3DS is safe for kids - online smartphones and tablets aren't. It is as simple as that.

Parents who would never expose their children to "real" social networking (and I don't blame them at all - to tell the truth, I avoid it myself) can happily let them loose on a 3Ds or WiiU. The people who rant and bellow about Nintendo's restrictiveness and say Nintendo is killing its own business are unaware of the real strategy.

Would you want young children exposed to XBox live? Of course not. How about MiiVerse? No problem.

People tend to think "kids don't count" because they aren't here shooting their mouths off on the Internet. But look at the sales of dressing-up games, horse games, games like Hatsune Miko, Project Mirai, all of which have a predominantly young-girl demographic. Look at the major part of the Pokemon demographic.

Having a safe "social network" already carves out a HUGE niche for Nintendo - one in which it is already dominant. It may not be to the liking of Internet people who are used to a lot more openness, but it creates a service that a lot of people want and no one else provides.

Nintendo knows what it is doing - as usual!

Actually I think the form-factor of the N64 makes it about the most stylish console ever made, and I am not sure the two-tone paint job does it any favors.

He isn't too good at trolling if the aim is to provoke a reaction. Dr. Chien just laughs good-naturedly and beats him.

The magic isn't gone. There are wonderful, beautiful new things. Just don't take too much notice of all the cynicism and whining on the internet and enjoy the magic! I know I do!

This is going to be a wonderful Christmas!

This looks really pretty and exciting! Doll want!

Region locking is an unnecessary pain.

I am not an avid collector, neither do I have much money. I bought my 3DS in the region whose games I mostly play (Japan) because I am there sometimes and prefer playing Japanese games. But it just makes a lot of unnecessary difficulty.

If people want and can afford a console for each region, that is fine - but FORCING people to have one is not charming.

I can now confirm for anyone interested that after updating you can still buy games on the Japanese eShop with a Japanese 3DS outside Japan. Phew!

I have not made an ID yet and don't intend to until I know it is safe for downloading games when you are physically outside the region. Does anyone know yet?

My only console is my Japanese 3DS so I can't actually play non-"import" games!

I recently played For the Frog the Bell Tolls, mentioned in this article. It is a funny, quirky game. I like it a lot. I will be playing Puzzle and Dragons Z when I get it for Christmas. I played the lengthy Japanese demo and it is fine - by the way a lot of Japanese games have furigana these days - Animal Crossing New Leaf and Zelda a Link between worlds both have them. So does Puzzle and Dragons Z. So you don't need to know all those kanji, but it helps you to pick them up.

Pokemon X/Y has a choice to have the text in all-kana (like previous Pokemon games) or kanji and kana. No furigana, but since it is aimed at a young audience the game doesn't tend to use terribly difficult kanji.

Does anyone know what happens if your 3DS is not from the region you are currently in? My 3DS is Japanese but I am currently in the Americas. Up to now I have been able to access the Japanese eShop but not any other, which is fine - but I don't want to be locked out of everything. Does anyone know how it works?

@JaxonH Thank you! I couldn't have put it better. Nintendo does what Nintendo does. It would be absurd to pretend to be a different company for this particular audience. We are not in the videogame marketing business and I can guarantee Nintendo knows a lot more about it than anyone here (myself included).

We can enjoy the games. We don't have to worry about the fate of the company. It's in much better hands than ours, thank heaven!

Too fast! I can't understand what they are saying!

I thought it was odd how they announce the indie game winner and tried to get some applause and gave up because obviously no one was interested. Funny audience!

Mr. Reggie's announcement was quite tame but I don't see it as a Huge Opportunity Lost. They probably thought it wasn't the right audience for a really important reveal. And who knows - they might be right there.

I am rather out of things where I live so I don't think we have any of these things. When I was in Japan I would get as many streetpasses in a week as I get in a year here - and I was in a quite rural area.

Of course there won't be many exclusives. If you were an independent developer, would you reduce your audience to a fraction of what it could be by restricting yourself to one system? But isn't it good that WiiU is getting these too?

I have often noticed that what is or isn't a good game varies not only by who one is, but by who one has to play with. There are games I love when my sisters are around that I would hardly bother to play by myself.

I don't like competitive gaming much either - I don't like losing and I don't like making someone else lose. In fact I have often thought that is one of the great things computerized gaming has brought us - unlike older board or card games - the ability to play WITH rather than AGAINST each other.

I can't afford any of the consoles but if I could it would definitely be a WiiU. Mostly because I am really not interested in green-and-brown games, shooting people, sports simulations, or much else that the others have to offer. If I had to choose between PS4 and XB1 it would definitely be PS4 as it will have some nice Japanese games and isn't region locked. Which is another reason I don't have a WiiU. But in fact I will just continue with my 3DS and my old Wii as I just don't have a ton of money to spend on these things. As for "lack of games" - how many games can people afford to buy anyway? A few really good ones is what I need.

I really don't think the comparison is very useful. Nintendo is not in competition with Sony - their markets are different. Britain has never been a good market for Nintendo anyway. PS3 is going to have a surge of early adopters, just as WiiU did. In Japan I am beginning to think the heyday of the home console is over. We'll see, I guess.

One thing not to forget is that, towering over all this like a colossus (and don't be fooled by the early-adopter rush) is - 3DS.

I think this is going to be a good Christmas for PS3, XBox360 and Wii.

@unrandomsam On the other hand there seem to be a ton of independent titles that didn't exist back in the GameCube days.