The fact that it's officially called "Switch 2" shows they're not risking any Wii U or New 3DS confusion this time around.
Also the fact that the Direct is so early in April makes it so transparent that they're gonna squeeze every last penny out of the fiscal year/quarter. But hopefully this also means an official release date isnt too far behind?...
Normally, I'm not crazy about the fusion of cute looking animal characters in a grungy setting, but something about this one is piquing my curiosity.
Also, I know "Metroidvania" is the overarching genre, but the trailer is specifically giving me some 'Steamworld Dig' vibes with its block-breaking navigation.
Feels like Wii Punch-Out actually did a decent job finding balance between a stereotype and caricature. And it's not like Nintendo has left the series dead and buried if they're referencing it in the Mario movie of all things (and celebrated in Smash).
This rumor doesnt feel like it has much legs, given how hard it can be to predict Nintendo's next moves. You'd be convinced a franchise was long dead, only to drop out of nowhere during a random Direct.
I really just want Capcom to fulfill the last two Mega Man spin-offs before jumping into anything new.
I'd gladly take a Legacy collection of the Legends series, but my dream is that they give 1+2 and Misadventures of Tron Bonne the HD Remakes they've always deserved.
@axelhander Yeah, as much as some changes to games can suck, it's frustrating seeing some folks' concern over "censorship in media" begin and end with titillating/inconsequential parts of consumer media that rarely even impacts the greater narrative of a story.
Even entertaining the crusade in a vacuum, it's hard to take "the principal of the matter" seriously when you look closer and it's almost only ever about how a private company opted to make a piece of media [subjectively] a little less "sexy"...
Wow, this was one of the ports I thought would happen forever ago!
At this point, I think the only major 1st Party Wii U exclusive games missing are Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Star Fox Zero (with standard controls), and Nintendo Land.
@GarlicGuzzler Unfortunately, we're at the point where that crowd has gaslit themselves into fighting a never-ending culture war, regardless of whether or not the rest of us cares to participate.
And ironically, with "woke" being such an ambiguous word that can be applied to anything they take issue with (despite the obvious pattern), they've effectively become the very "SJW" caricature they used to hate/clown on over a decade ago.
The "Is AI a tool or not?" discourse is a whole other can of worms. There's a lot of valid criticism and concerns against it that I wouldn't consider "hysterical" (doesn't matter if the cat's out of the bag or not), but that's not my point of contention here...
What I'm talking about is how some folks justify the rise of AI tech as a bludgeon against workers and laborers for the pettiest of reasons.
Overzeal saying "Localizers have ruined their industry," implies that bad [allegedly] machine-produced translations are the fault of the localization industry, rather than (more likely), producers and higher-ups looking to sacrifice quality to save some money. It's a talking point that effectively welcomes anti-consumer practices just to stick it to the handful of faceless people they actually have a beef with.
@Overzeal Unless you're joking, please don't entertain that culture war nonsense... It only winds up distracting from the usual suspects of people higher on the food chain deciding to cut corners to save a few bucks.
The variety of what showed up in the direct helps affirm my mixed feelings during some of the big showcases during SGF last week.
It's not so much that Nintendo was a missing piece to what's effectively E3's successor (for better or for worse), but that this Nintendo Direct fills that niche of diverse gameplay and aesthetics that other mainstream gaming spaces sometimes lack.
On top of that, little time was wasted front-loaded with cinematics and preamble but instead, often got to the gameplay quickly and let them (metaphorically) speak for themselves.
It's kinda funny how the M&L series has effectively been relegated to the end-life of consoles twice now.
But this is still a big deal, and wild that this means we're gonna have 3 different Mario RPGs released within a year of each other by the time this one comes out.
@pneumaticgnosis The fact that the new owner started to ban users he didnt like soon after he took over already showed that the whole "free and open debate" talking point was never serious to begin with.
Even ignoring that, the whole "Pay $8/month to have your comments prioritized" also undermines any idea of debates being "free and open."
By all means, you can defend Twitter, but let's not kid ourselves here...
It was a convenient function, but not the biggest loss so long as we can continue to transfer clips and pics to other devices without having to remove our entire MicroSD cards.
I feel like "retro" was always a matter of antiquety, rather than any arbitrary number of years or generation gaps. And there's little about the 3DS that feels antiquated in the same way one would feel about older consoles or handhelds.
I'd sooner call the DS "retro", given its harder graphical limitations and fewer controller options. But the 3DS has games that could get away with being console releases, even by today's standards. Heck, the 3DS even got its fair share of games originally released on consoles, while making fewer compromises compared to if a console game was being developed for GB/A and the DS.
Now all that said, "nostaligic" is fair play, as 10+ years is more than long enough to get those feelings for anything.
@HecateDFO This is why it's so hard to take the discourse seriously... I know it's fun for folks to imagine them being so petty/insecure, but I'm pretty sure TPC's only concern in this case is whether or not any copyright has been infringed.
Temtem, Coromon, Nexomon, Yo-Kai Watch, Cassette Beasts, Digimon, Monster Hunter Stories, etc. have all managed to exist with no real legal concerns, so it's unlikely to be a matter of performance or whatever other superficial thing people want to speculate.
@Rika_Yoshitake I'm positive that somewhere on the internet, certain camps will glaze over what is basically standard practice by an IP holder, and are already taking this statement to mean "Lol, Nintendo/Game Freak is scared!!"
I still stand by an earlier comment in another article where I said it'd be nice if these monster collecting contemporaries could be properly appreciated for what they are instead of as a cudgle against Pokemon (not that criticism cant be lobbed).
This isnt so much saying, "Leave Pokemon alone!!!" as it is saying that the only way for competition to thrive is for there to be sincere and consistent support for the contemporaries.
I just feel like the conversation always veering towards "Here's what Pokemon could learn from [flavor of the week]," is exactly why these games never stay in the public eye for longer than a few months at best.
Tune in next month when GameStop announces their jump into AI, somehow.
Because, surely, a company desperate to stay relevant but mostly predicates itself on in-person exchanges and online orders will find a way to shove that square peg into a circle hole...
The main story aside, the idea of an "AI" GameShark successor feels like such a grift, considering the GameShark and its contemporaries have been obsolete for a good while now.
Checking out the press release and supposed official site, it looks like they're just selling basic accessories (mouse, keyboard, controller, headset, and streaming device) while posturing on how their AI tech will help you become a better gamer.
The gimmick doesn't sound like the worst thing in the world, but it feels like such a blatant appeal to court investors, while also selling the idea that "You too can become just like your favorite athletes if you just consume these foods they TOTALLY eat on a regular basis!"
They make more than enough money where hosting up the entire series, movies, and specials would be a drop in the water for them compared to any of their other endeavors. But chances are, they likely weighed user retention + however much they get from syndication and distribution.
And while the Pokemon series is designed enough to be viewed within a generational vacuum (for the most part), it really shows the absurdity of the age of streaming when you have to hop around 7 DIFFERENT SERVICES to access an entire series. Even two services is already pushing it for a lesser show!
I think the audacity and absurdity of that anchorlady saying "Beating Tetris isnt a life goal," is that... you can have multiple goals in life.
As long as you're taking care of your basic responsibilities, who cares what you do as a hobby or in your free time? Considering the amount of depression, anxiety, and existential dread in society, anyone who can find joy in something they love to do [no matter how frivilous] is a blessing not everyone can be so lucky to have.
@BrazillianCara The criticism has often struck me as "I don't know what I want, but I know I want something different." Which is fair, but it sets people up for disappointment when everyone and their mother becomes armchair devs for a franchise that clearly has a design philosophy focused on the competitive (and co-op) scene at the end of the day.
I've often said that The Pokemon Company could help placate the vocal minority by investing in more console spin-offs that aren't beholden to the over-familiar formula, which is something they used to do more frequently... But until that happens, I think it's great that indie devs are kinda filling that niche.
I just wish folks who are tired of the mainline Pokemon games could enjoy these alternatives more for what they were, rather than for what Pokemon isn't. I feel like the constant, direct comparisons to Pokemon winds up hurting their potential branding in the long run.
@nessisonett Yeah, some of song choices and sound designs did a lot to set the first Luigi's Mansion apart from its contemporaries (especially the bit of funk in some of its songs).
And while I respect and enjoy 2 and 3, I wasnt all that crazy about the series' turn towards a more conventional, wacky haunted mansion style of tone and, especially, music.
I'm forever grateful I took the leap to fulfill the childhood dream when I went back in 2017, and was lucky enough to attend for a day in 2019 (on Nintendo's dime, no less!). Weird to know there officially wont be anymore...
Also, the irony that digital events are part of what killed it. Cause when Nintendo first started doing Directs instead of keynotes, they were looked at as the crazy ones (even though they still had a major presence with the Treehouse feed + floor demos). Turns out they were ahead of the game.
I'm definitely eating my words though, as I thought folks jumped the gun saying E3 was dead back in 2020. Just hope this doesnt become one of those "You dont know what you got til it's gone" situations. The public has one less bargaining chip that forced publishers onto the same playing field.
@Eggolor That's not exactly the rebuttal you think it is. TotK clearly listened to the "better dungeons and bosses" criticism and tried to address that. But that just becomes a matter of them deciding the design philosophy to a problem with multiple correct answers. And the more I think about it, they follow both Zelda 1's and OoT's dungeon style:
The "unique items" were unironically the friends you make along the way, which you have to work for
You had to go through their quests to access their dungeons
You had to use their unique skills to clear certain puzzles (with a bit of wiggle room for creative problem solving)
You fought the unique boss with the skills you picked up along the way (also creatively if you wanted)
You get to keep those skills to use in the overworld map
What Zelda conventions were truly missing that arent debatably arbitrary? Even on the grounds of "linearity", one could just beeline to the next recommended destination to consume majority of the story. Only thing you'd tuly be missing is the subtext/context from the dragon tears that would be relegated to a manual back on the NES, or obligatory cutscenes in the case of OoT to SW.
@SalvorHardin Yeah, I dont really hold anything against the folks who legitimately miss the OoT style (not everyone is keen on open-world, and that's okay), but it's so frustrating in gaming discourse when some camps treat not being primarily catered to like a personal attack or a messy breakup to the point of forgetting/rewriting history.
Everyone has been in the position of being in the minority with the direction a franchise takes, but gaming (and other media) has been around long enough to understand the pendulum inevitably swings the other way. And if nothing else, there always devs looking to fill that niche themselves til then.
Aonuma's kiiiiinda right. For as much as folks claim to miss the OoT style (which is valid), we cant be so quick to forget just how much that ran its course by the time we got to Skyward Sword, over the course of 13 years.
It would be cool if the team found a way to placate that crowd in some way without losing the sense of freedom and exploration (which was always at the root of Zelda since the original NES game), but camps of gamers can be a notoriously fickle bunch who primarily demand more of what they're familiar with, and HATE any pushback against those demands (even though, sometimes that pushback results in new favorites).
Also, totally loving the whole reductive argument that BotW and TotK arent "real" Zelda games. Really helps make one's criticisms worth taking seriously...
People thinking it's because of expiring licenses are being generous (though, not unreasonable). Cynically, I believe it's an attempt to nudge folks towards Rhythm Festival and its subscription service.
The DLC still being around for D'n'F comes off as keeping a revenue stream open for the FOMO crowd who aren't gonna be as quick to jump ship.
And I say this as someone who loves the Taiko series and thinks the subscription model isn't a bad idea for this type of game series (could be a tad cheaper, though...).
@-wc- I cant speak for others, by my personal hang-up comes from expecting a linear experience with a steady flow, and "roguelike/lite" means the challenge is gonna come from RNG and/or replaying the same levels until the game gives you the kit that finally lets you progress. And this assumes it's not throwing any arbitrary curveballs to pad out the playthrough.
Becoming an arcade game wouldnt exactly fix that unless I was expecting or desiring an arcade game. And I'm sometimes down for both arcade games and rogues, but I far prefer a curated expetience that gives me an excuse to replay, rather than being forced to replay to progress.
@Jiggies To be fair, Martinet was "just a guy" early on. His barks in 64 did help to make the game as iconic as it was, but I'd argue that his legacy only became established once he became a mainstay, rather than a one-off. Additionally, once folks started to care more about the person behind the voice. Heck, Lou Albano was just as much Mario before Martinet took up the role.
Like all VAs who voice legacy characters (Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Sonic, etc.), they'll often come into their own with enough time [and good direction].
Of course, none of what I said means these people arent allowed to be criticized.
I'd argue that it's a necessity if they dont want to scare dedicated and casual players into the PC gaming market, which is only becoming more affordable and accessible by the year.
Like, between the more frequent game discounts, an evergreen purchase library, no subscription fee to play most online games, and the rise of handheld gaming PCs, more and more folks are gonna turn to PC gaming for the smallest reasons the Big 3 dissappoints them.
@LillianC14 Oh, I'm sure there's a lot of value in the IP without any additional footwork. It's odd how much of an outlier he is to other "Nicktoons". Especially compared to other acquisitions like Alvin & the Chipmunks and TMNT
Garfield is still one of the more baffling Nick acquisitions, because they treat him like a Nicktoon, yet he doesnt officially have a Nickelodeon cartoon to call his own yet.
The funny thing about the letter saying "We should've gotten more feedback from you guys before implementing the new policy" is that there was nothing stopping them from doing that in the first place. Public Relations is ALWAYS in consideration of any business decision; especially external policies that affect your customers and clientele.
So either folks lower on the food chain were too afraid to speak up (doubtful) or those at the top heard internal criticism and powered through anyways. It's difficult to attribute incompetency to this, because there HAD to have been a ton of calculations, number-crunching, and scheduling to even land on the original runtime fees in the first place.
@HeadPirate "So you just have a "gut felling" that MS are the bad guys and Sony /Nintendo are the good guys, and you are going with your gut?"
My guy, where did I say any of them are good guys or bad guys?? Just because I have frustrations with M$ on this particular topic doesnt mean I think they're bad guys, evil, or out to destroy the gaming; I just wish they prioritized a different approach to achieving that desired growth. It also doesnt mean I dont have anything to say about Sony or anyone else, but they're not the focus of the thread (and I already said acquisitions solely for the sake of market share growth sucks, no matter the company).
I usually try to be patient with folks and hope they're arguing in good faith, but your assertions of what you think I'm arguing - rather than what I'm actually arguing - are high-key ticking me off...
And I can tell from the rest of this thread that you think a bit too highly of yourself ("intelligent and thinking" people dont have to advertise that) and try to make people defend positions they never took.
The irony of accusing everyone else of basically being blindly loyal fanboys only makes you come off as one yourself in the way you're batting for one of the biggest tech companies in the world, just because they're in 3rd place with a 10% market share in the video game industry.
@HeadPirate "Both of them making aggressive moves towards monopoly is perfectly fine, but MS is a greedy evil company that wants to destroy gaming because they are trying to increase their current 10% market share?
That ... just seems like a very odd position to me, and one that is very hard to justify."
Maybe it's odd because that's not the position I was taking? That's 100% your own inference, for lord knows what reason...
My overall point was that acquisitions (especially in creative/entertainment industries) solely for the sake of becoming a bigger fish in the pond usually suck, no matter which company is doing it... BUT I have especially less faith in M$ because it doesn't feel like they're emotionally invested in the industry in the way they were during the XBox and 360 era.
They just seem like they're compelled to hang around in order to maintain their seat at the table, which doesn't gel well with an industry built around creativity and innovation. I'm sure there's many inside the XBox group that are passionate about gaming, but M$'s approach to stay relevant is frustrating when you KNOW they have the money and manpower to be a powerhouse of an 1st party company if they really wanted to be.
@HeadPirate For me, it's not so much the loyalty to Nintendo, but what their place in the gaming industry means as a whole. Of the Big 3, Nintendo seems to care the most that video games remain capital-F "Fun".
Great that Phil doesnt support a hostile takeover of Nintendo, but the rhetoric that primarily looks at them as an "asset" to assist in M$'s growth first and foremost is rather unfortunate. Also the precedent of acquisitions in gaming (and entertainment in general) has left a bad taste in my mouth.
They rarely ever feel like they're a boon for the industry or medium, and more just a way to increase a parent company's catalogue and bottom line.
Cynically, prominent companies might be out of touch, but they're not stupid... When they're pushing policies that any PR person worth their weight in salt could've predicted the backlash to, these are often just calculated risks.
They know the internet is gonna freak out and that they're gonna take a few hits in the short-term, but the hope is to ride out the storm and come out the other side with whatever they were hoping to get out of it (increased profits, bargaining power, etc.).
It's only when they dont get the results they were hoping for, when they course correct.
A lot of fun games like usual, but you can really feel that they're biding for time and keeping the far more ambitious games close to their chests.
As exciting as it is to play TTYD on a modern console, it says a lot when your "One last thing" is a remake of a game that could've honestly just been a spruced up port announced in the middle of the Direct. Still, a massive W for classic Paper Mario fans.
Diddy and Funky felt almost guaranteed. Peachette didnt really feel that deserving since she was literally just a one-off mechanic that's really just a re-skin in a port of a decade old game (Captain Falcon would've been the perfect closer, IMO).
I feel like Pauline is most exciting, given her history, but at the same time the surprise is diminishing because they also did this with Aces, Super Rush, and Strikers. I get that it cant be helped with MK8D's spontaneous roadmap, but I hope she's part of initial rosters going forward.
Comments 943
Re: Nintendo Switch 2 Reveal Trailer Gives First Official Look At The New Console
The fact that it's officially called "Switch 2" shows they're not risking any Wii U or New 3DS confusion this time around.
Also the fact that the Direct is so early in April makes it so transparent that they're gonna squeeze every last penny out of the fiscal year/quarter. But hopefully this also means an official release date isnt too far behind?...
Re: Rusty Rabbit, From The Creator Of Psycho-Pass, Is The Most Bonkers Metroidvania Ever
Normally, I'm not crazy about the fusion of cute looking animal characters in a grungy setting, but something about this one is piquing my curiosity.
Also, I know "Metroidvania" is the overarching genre, but the trailer is specifically giving me some 'Steamworld Dig' vibes with its block-breaking navigation.
Re: Nintendo's Punch-Out!! Series May Be Dead And Buried For Good
Feels like Wii Punch-Out actually did a decent job finding balance between a stereotype and caricature. And it's not like Nintendo has left the series dead and buried if they're referencing it in the Mario movie of all things (and celebrated in Smash).
This rumor doesnt feel like it has much legs, given how hard it can be to predict Nintendo's next moves. You'd be convinced a franchise was long dead, only to drop out of nowhere during a random Direct.
Re: Capcom Reportedly Adds Two New Members To Its Mega Man Dev Team
I really just want Capcom to fulfill the last two Mega Man spin-offs before jumping into anything new.
I'd gladly take a Legacy collection of the Legends series, but my dream is that they give 1+2 and Misadventures of Tron Bonne the HD Remakes they've always deserved.
Re: Bullet-Hell Shmup Refused Classification In The West Over 'Expression Restrictions'
"Expression restriction" is so dubiously ambiguous, I'm surprised there arent more comments scrutinizing that claim.
I dont want to be cynical, but why not put it all out on the table? I doubt they're legally compelled to not elaborate or specify.
Re: Prime Video May Have Found Its Lara Croft In Game Of Thrones Star Sophie Turner
@MeanBeanEgg Sometimes I wonder if these folks actually hear/read how they sound out loud, ya know?
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles X Fans Are Once Again Discussing The Game's 'Censorship'
@axelhander Yeah, as much as some changes to games can suck, it's frustrating seeing some folks' concern over "censorship in media" begin and end with titillating/inconsequential parts of consumer media that rarely even impacts the greater narrative of a story.
Even entertaining the crusade in a vacuum, it's hard to take "the principal of the matter" seriously when you look closer and it's almost only ever about how a private company opted to make a piece of media [subjectively] a little less "sexy"...
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Confirmed For Switch
Wow, this was one of the ports I thought would happen forever ago!
At this point, I think the only major 1st Party Wii U exclusive games missing are Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Star Fox Zero (with standard controls), and Nintendo Land.
Re: The Entire Tales Of Kenzera: Zau Team Has Been Put On Redundancy Notice
@GarlicGuzzler Unfortunately, we're at the point where that crowd has gaslit themselves into fighting a never-ending culture war, regardless of whether or not the rest of us cares to participate.
And ironically, with "woke" being such an ambiguous word that can be applied to anything they take issue with (despite the obvious pattern), they've effectively become the very "SJW" caricature they used to hate/clown on over a decade ago.
Re: Reaction: A Little Device That Makes Sounds In Sync To Movements On The Bed?... Oh, Nintendo
I mentioned elsewhere, but I appreciate that it has some strong 90s/00s tech toy vibes.
Especially in an era where every neat idea is just stuffed into a smart device's app or widget, it's cool to see some standalone tech.
Re: Random: The New Denpa Men Is Getting Roasted For Its Translation Issues
The "Is AI a tool or not?" discourse is a whole other can of worms. There's a lot of valid criticism and concerns against it that I wouldn't consider "hysterical" (doesn't matter if the cat's out of the bag or not), but that's not my point of contention here...
What I'm talking about is how some folks justify the rise of AI tech as a bludgeon against workers and laborers for the pettiest of reasons.
Overzeal saying "Localizers have ruined their industry," implies that bad [allegedly] machine-produced translations are the fault of the localization industry, rather than (more likely), producers and higher-ups looking to sacrifice quality to save some money. It's a talking point that effectively welcomes anti-consumer practices just to stick it to the handful of faceless people they actually have a beef with.
Re: Random: The New Denpa Men Is Getting Roasted For Its Translation Issues
@Overzeal Unless you're joking, please don't entertain that culture war nonsense... It only winds up distracting from the usual suspects of people higher on the food chain deciding to cut corners to save a few bucks.
Re: Nintendo Direct June 2024: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer
The variety of what showed up in the direct helps affirm my mixed feelings during some of the big showcases during SGF last week.
It's not so much that Nintendo was a missing piece to what's effectively E3's successor (for better or for worse), but that this Nintendo Direct fills that niche of diverse gameplay and aesthetics that other mainstream gaming spaces sometimes lack.
On top of that, little time was wasted front-loaded with cinematics and preamble but instead, often got to the gameplay quickly and let them (metaphorically) speak for themselves.
Re: We're Getting A Brand New 'Mario & Luigi' RPG This November
It's kinda funny how the M&L series has effectively been relegated to the end-life of consoles twice now.
But this is still a big deal, and wild that this means we're gonna have 3 different Mario RPGs released within a year of each other by the time this one comes out.
Re: 'Yooka-Replaylee' Brings Back Playtonic's Love Letter To Banjo In Remastered Form
I admittedly fell off the original YL because of some of its flaws (especially in control and world navigation).
If this remake delivers, I'd be more than happy to give it another shot!
Re: Delightful GBA-Style Platformer 'Grapple Dog' Is Getting A Sequel This August
With how the first game's story went, I'm glad to see the devs follow through with a sequel!
Definitely gonna be high on my "must plays" this year!
Re: Nintendo Switch Ending Support For Social Media Platform 'X' Next month
@pneumaticgnosis The fact that the new owner started to ban users he didnt like soon after he took over already showed that the whole "free and open debate" talking point was never serious to begin with.
Even ignoring that, the whole "Pay $8/month to have your comments prioritized" also undermines any idea of debates being "free and open."
By all means, you can defend Twitter, but let's not kid ourselves here...
Re: Nintendo Switch Ending Support For Social Media Platform 'X' Next month
It was a convenient function, but not the biggest loss so long as we can continue to transfer clips and pics to other devices without having to remove our entire MicroSD cards.
Re: Random: New Pokémon Ad Positions 3DS As 'Retro', And The Internet Disagrees
I feel like "retro" was always a matter of antiquety, rather than any arbitrary number of years or generation gaps. And there's little about the 3DS that feels antiquated in the same way one would feel about older consoles or handhelds.
I'd sooner call the DS "retro", given its harder graphical limitations and fewer controller options. But the 3DS has games that could get away with being console releases, even by today's standards. Heck, the 3DS even got its fair share of games originally released on consoles, while making fewer compromises compared to if a console game was being developed for GB/A and the DS.
Now all that said, "nostaligic" is fair play, as 10+ years is more than long enough to get those feelings for anything.
Re: The Pokémon Company Releases Official Statement About Palworld
@HecateDFO This is why it's so hard to take the discourse seriously... I know it's fun for folks to imagine them being so petty/insecure, but I'm pretty sure TPC's only concern in this case is whether or not any copyright has been infringed.
Temtem, Coromon, Nexomon, Yo-Kai Watch, Cassette Beasts, Digimon, Monster Hunter Stories, etc. have all managed to exist with no real legal concerns, so it's unlikely to be a matter of performance or whatever other superficial thing people want to speculate.
Re: Van Gogh Museum Fires Four Employees Following Pokémon Collaboration
Not that shady stuff in the art industry is anything new, but with Pokemon being involved, this almost sounds like some real Team Rocket shenanigans.
Re: The Pokémon Company Releases Official Statement About Palworld
@Rika_Yoshitake I'm positive that somewhere on the internet, certain camps will glaze over what is basically standard practice by an IP holder, and are already taking this statement to mean "Lol, Nintendo/Game Freak is scared!!"
Re: Soapbox: Game Freak Could Actually Learn A Thing Or Two From Palworld
I still stand by an earlier comment in another article where I said it'd be nice if these monster collecting contemporaries could be properly appreciated for what they are instead of as a cudgle against Pokemon (not that criticism cant be lobbed).
This isnt so much saying, "Leave Pokemon alone!!!" as it is saying that the only way for competition to thrive is for there to be sincere and consistent support for the contemporaries.
I just feel like the conversation always veering towards "Here's what Pokemon could learn from [flavor of the week]," is exactly why these games never stay in the public eye for longer than a few months at best.
Re: Oh No, GameStop Is Closing Its NFT Marketplace
Tune in next month when GameStop announces their jump into AI, somehow.
Because, surely, a company desperate to stay relevant but mostly predicates itself on in-person exchanges and online orders will find a way to shove that square peg into a circle hole...
Re: Random: AI GameShark Successor Claims To Know Switch 2 Release Date, Then Backtracks
The main story aside, the idea of an "AI" GameShark successor feels like such a grift, considering the GameShark and its contemporaries have been obsolete for a good while now.
Checking out the press release and supposed official site, it looks like they're just selling basic accessories (mouse, keyboard, controller, headset, and streaming device) while posturing on how their AI tech will help you become a better gamer.
The gimmick doesn't sound like the worst thing in the world, but it feels like such a blatant appeal to court investors, while also selling the idea that "You too can become just like your favorite athletes if you just consume these foods they TOTALLY eat on a regular basis!"
Re: Pokémon TV App Is Being Discontinued Later This Year
They make more than enough money where hosting up the entire series, movies, and specials would be a drop in the water for them compared to any of their other endeavors. But chances are, they likely weighed user retention + however much they get from syndication and distribution.
And while the Pokemon series is designed enough to be viewed within a generational vacuum (for the most part), it really shows the absurdity of the age of streaming when you have to hop around 7 DIFFERENT SERVICES to access an entire series. Even two services is already pushing it for a lesser show!
Re: Soapbox: "Go Outside, Get Some Fresh Air" - Why Won't Outmoded Gamer Stereotypes Die?
I think the audacity and absurdity of that anchorlady saying "Beating Tetris isnt a life goal," is that... you can have multiple goals in life.
As long as you're taking care of your basic responsibilities, who cares what you do as a hobby or in your free time? Considering the amount of depression, anxiety, and existential dread in society, anyone who can find joy in something they love to do [no matter how frivilous] is a blessing not everyone can be so lucky to have.
Re: Soapbox: Cassette Beasts Is The Monster-Catching RPG For A Disillusioned Pokémon Fan
@BrazillianCara The criticism has often struck me as "I don't know what I want, but I know I want something different." Which is fair, but it sets people up for disappointment when everyone and their mother becomes armchair devs for a franchise that clearly has a design philosophy focused on the competitive (and co-op) scene at the end of the day.
I've often said that The Pokemon Company could help placate the vocal minority by investing in more console spin-offs that aren't beholden to the over-familiar formula, which is something they used to do more frequently... But until that happens, I think it's great that indie devs are kinda filling that niche.
I just wish folks who are tired of the mainline Pokemon games could enjoy these alternatives more for what they were, rather than for what Pokemon isn't. I feel like the constant, direct comparisons to Pokemon winds up hurting their potential branding in the long run.
Re: Random: Luigi's Mansion 2 Was Inspired By The British Sitcom 'Mr. Bean'
@nessisonett Yeah, some of song choices and sound designs did a lot to set the first Luigi's Mansion apart from its contemporaries (especially the bit of funk in some of its songs).
And while I respect and enjoy 2 and 3, I wasnt all that crazy about the series' turn towards a more conventional, wacky haunted mansion style of tone and, especially, music.
Re: E3 Has Been Cancelled, Permanently
I'm forever grateful I took the leap to fulfill the childhood dream when I went back in 2017, and was lucky enough to attend for a day in 2019 (on Nintendo's dime, no less!). Weird to know there officially wont be anymore...
Also, the irony that digital events are part of what killed it. Cause when Nintendo first started doing Directs instead of keynotes, they were looked at as the crazy ones (even though they still had a major presence with the Treehouse feed + floor demos). Turns out they were ahead of the game.
I'm definitely eating my words though, as I thought folks jumped the gun saying E3 was dead back in 2020. Just hope this doesnt become one of those "You dont know what you got til it's gone" situations. The public has one less bargaining chip that forced publishers onto the same playing field.
Re: Zelda Producer Responds To Fans Who Want A More "Traditional Linear" Adventure
@Eggolor That's not exactly the rebuttal you think it is. TotK clearly listened to the "better dungeons and bosses" criticism and tried to address that. But that just becomes a matter of them deciding the design philosophy to a problem with multiple correct answers. And the more I think about it, they follow both Zelda 1's and OoT's dungeon style:
What Zelda conventions were truly missing that arent debatably arbitrary? Even on the grounds of "linearity", one could just beeline to the next recommended destination to consume majority of the story. Only thing you'd tuly be missing is the subtext/context from the dragon tears that would be relegated to a manual back on the NES, or obligatory cutscenes in the case of OoT to SW.
Re: Zelda Producer Responds To Fans Who Want A More "Traditional Linear" Adventure
@SalvorHardin Yeah, I dont really hold anything against the folks who legitimately miss the OoT style (not everyone is keen on open-world, and that's okay), but it's so frustrating in gaming discourse when some camps treat not being primarily catered to like a personal attack or a messy breakup to the point of forgetting/rewriting history.
Everyone has been in the position of being in the minority with the direction a franchise takes, but gaming (and other media) has been around long enough to understand the pendulum inevitably swings the other way. And if nothing else, there always devs looking to fill that niche themselves til then.
Re: Zelda Producer Responds To Fans Who Want A More "Traditional Linear" Adventure
Aonuma's kiiiiinda right. For as much as folks claim to miss the OoT style (which is valid), we cant be so quick to forget just how much that ran its course by the time we got to Skyward Sword, over the course of 13 years.
It would be cool if the team found a way to placate that crowd in some way without losing the sense of freedom and exploration (which was always at the root of Zelda since the original NES game), but camps of gamers can be a notoriously fickle bunch who primarily demand more of what they're familiar with, and HATE any pushback against those demands (even though, sometimes that pushback results in new favorites).
Also, totally loving the whole reductive argument that BotW and TotK arent "real" Zelda games. Really helps make one's criticisms worth taking seriously...
Re: Bandai Namco Ending Sales Of Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! Later This Month
People thinking it's because of expiring licenses are being generous (though, not unreasonable). Cynically, I believe it's an attempt to nudge folks towards Rhythm Festival and its subscription service.
The DLC still being around for D'n'F comes off as keeping a revenue stream open for the FOMO crowd who aren't gonna be as quick to jump ship.
And I say this as someone who loves the Taiko series and thinks the subscription model isn't a bad idea for this type of game series (could be a tad cheaper, though...).
Re: 'Ninja Or Die' Is One Of The Most Stylish Retro Games On Switch, And It's Out Now
@-wc- I cant speak for others, by my personal hang-up comes from expecting a linear experience with a steady flow, and "roguelike/lite" means the challenge is gonna come from RNG and/or replaying the same levels until the game gives you the kit that finally lets you progress. And this assumes it's not throwing any arbitrary curveballs to pad out the playthrough.
Becoming an arcade game wouldnt exactly fix that unless I was expecting or desiring an arcade game. And I'm sometimes down for both arcade games and rogues, but I far prefer a curated expetience that gives me an excuse to replay, rather than being forced to replay to progress.
Re: Wario's New Voice Actor Seems To Be Confirmed
@Jiggies To be fair, Martinet was "just a guy" early on. His barks in 64 did help to make the game as iconic as it was, but I'd argue that his legacy only became established once he became a mainstay, rather than a one-off. Additionally, once folks started to care more about the person behind the voice. Heck, Lou Albano was just as much Mario before Martinet took up the role.
Like all VAs who voice legacy characters (Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, Sonic, etc.), they'll often come into their own with enough time [and good direction].
Of course, none of what I said means these people arent allowed to be criticized.
Re: Soapbox: 'Switch 2' Doesn't Really Need Backwards Compatibility
I'd argue that it's a necessity if they dont want to scare dedicated and casual players into the PC gaming market, which is only becoming more affordable and accessible by the year.
Like, between the more frequent game discounts, an evergreen purchase library, no subscription fee to play most online games, and the rise of handheld gaming PCs, more and more folks are gonna turn to PC gaming for the smallest reasons the Big 3 dissappoints them.
Re: Netflix Expands Its Animation Line-Up With Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry, More
I feel like Scott Pilgrim and DMC are slam dunks, but I didn't expect to be legit intrigued by Captain Laserhawk.
Spotting Rayman in the trailer was my on ramp, and the controlled chaos the series is set to deliver has me fully on board.
Re: Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Spotlights The "Lazy, Orange Superstar" Garfield
@Paulo It's very possible. It wouldn't be the first time Nick introduced a new series following a theatrical release (or short).
Re: Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Spotlights The "Lazy, Orange Superstar" Garfield
@LillianC14 Oh, I'm sure there's a lot of value in the IP without any additional footwork. It's odd how much of an outlier he is to other "Nicktoons". Especially compared to other acquisitions like Alvin & the Chipmunks and TMNT
Re: Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Spotlights The "Lazy, Orange Superstar" Garfield
Garfield is still one of the more baffling Nick acquisitions, because they treat him like a Nicktoon, yet he doesnt officially have a Nickelodeon cartoon to call his own yet.
Re: Unity Reveals New Pricing Model For Runtime Fee Policy
The funny thing about the letter saying "We should've gotten more feedback from you guys before implementing the new policy" is that there was nothing stopping them from doing that in the first place. Public Relations is ALWAYS in consideration of any business decision; especially external policies that affect your customers and clientele.
So either folks lower on the food chain were too afraid to speak up (doubtful) or those at the top heard internal criticism and powered through anyways. It's difficult to attribute incompetency to this, because there HAD to have been a ton of calculations, number-crunching, and scheduling to even land on the original runtime fees in the first place.
Re: Internal Xbox Email Details Desire To Acquire Nintendo
@HeadPirate "So you just have a "gut felling" that MS are the bad guys and Sony /Nintendo are the good guys, and you are going with your gut?"
My guy, where did I say any of them are good guys or bad guys?? Just because I have frustrations with M$ on this particular topic doesnt mean I think they're bad guys, evil, or out to destroy the gaming; I just wish they prioritized a different approach to achieving that desired growth. It also doesnt mean I dont have anything to say about Sony or anyone else, but they're not the focus of the thread (and I already said acquisitions solely for the sake of market share growth sucks, no matter the company).
I usually try to be patient with folks and hope they're arguing in good faith, but your assertions of what you think I'm arguing - rather than what I'm actually arguing - are high-key ticking me off...
And I can tell from the rest of this thread that you think a bit too highly of yourself ("intelligent and thinking" people dont have to advertise that) and try to make people defend positions they never took.
The irony of accusing everyone else of basically being blindly loyal fanboys only makes you come off as one yourself in the way you're batting for one of the biggest tech companies in the world, just because they're in 3rd place with a 10% market share in the video game industry.
Re: Bluey Makes Her Video Game Debut On Switch This November
Regardless of how good of a game this will actually be, I'm definitely gonna pick it up for my gaming library.
And if the writing is on par with the show's, we're gonna be in for a fun time.
Re: Internal Xbox Email Details Desire To Acquire Nintendo
@HeadPirate "Both of them making aggressive moves towards monopoly is perfectly fine, but MS is a greedy evil company that wants to destroy gaming because they are trying to increase their current 10% market share?
That ... just seems like a very odd position to me, and one that is very hard to justify."
Maybe it's odd because that's not the position I was taking? That's 100% your own inference, for lord knows what reason...
My overall point was that acquisitions (especially in creative/entertainment industries) solely for the sake of becoming a bigger fish in the pond usually suck, no matter which company is doing it... BUT I have especially less faith in M$ because it doesn't feel like they're emotionally invested in the industry in the way they were during the XBox and 360 era.
They just seem like they're compelled to hang around in order to maintain their seat at the table, which doesn't gel well with an industry built around creativity and innovation. I'm sure there's many inside the XBox group that are passionate about gaming, but M$'s approach to stay relevant is frustrating when you KNOW they have the money and manpower to be a powerhouse of an 1st party company if they really wanted to be.
Re: Internal Xbox Email Details Desire To Acquire Nintendo
@HeadPirate For me, it's not so much the loyalty to Nintendo, but what their place in the gaming industry means as a whole. Of the Big 3, Nintendo seems to care the most that video games remain capital-F "Fun".
Great that Phil doesnt support a hostile takeover of Nintendo, but the rhetoric that primarily looks at them as an "asset" to assist in M$'s growth first and foremost is rather unfortunate. Also the precedent of acquisitions in gaming (and entertainment in general) has left a bad taste in my mouth.
They rarely ever feel like they're a boon for the industry or medium, and more just a way to increase a parent company's catalogue and bottom line.
Re: Unity Apologies For Its 'Runtime Fee' Policy, Promises To Make 'Changes'
Cynically, prominent companies might be out of touch, but they're not stupid... When they're pushing policies that any PR person worth their weight in salt could've predicted the backlash to, these are often just calculated risks.
They know the internet is gonna freak out and that they're gonna take a few hits in the short-term, but the hope is to ride out the storm and come out the other side with whatever they were hoping to get out of it (increased profits, bargaining power, etc.).
It's only when they dont get the results they were hoping for, when they course correct.
Re: Poll: What Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 6 DLC Racer Are You Most Excited About?
@Sequel But seriously, how amazing would it be if, after MK8D's development is wrapped up, we actually did get a DKR Remake?
Re: Poll: What Did You Think Of The Nintendo Direct, Then?
A lot of fun games like usual, but you can really feel that they're biding for time and keeping the far more ambitious games close to their chests.
As exciting as it is to play TTYD on a modern console, it says a lot when your "One last thing" is a remake of a game that could've honestly just been a spruced up port announced in the middle of the Direct. Still, a massive W for classic Paper Mario fans.
Re: Poll: What Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 6 DLC Racer Are You Most Excited About?
Diddy and Funky felt almost guaranteed. Peachette didnt really feel that deserving since she was literally just a one-off mechanic that's really just a re-skin in a port of a decade old game (Captain Falcon would've been the perfect closer, IMO).
I feel like Pauline is most exciting, given her history, but at the same time the surprise is diminishing because they also did this with Aces, Super Rush, and Strikers. I get that it cant be helped with MK8D's spontaneous roadmap, but I hope she's part of initial rosters going forward.