DragonEleven

In regards to the comments about price... they seem to be ignoring the fact that the packs include a game which (based on typical Switch game prices) would likely cost £40-50 each on their own, so the toy-cons themselves are essentially only costing you around £20.
The sort of high quality cardboard they'd likely be using for this would not be cheap either... based on the prices I've paid for card in the past (for model making), the amount of card you'd get in each pack would likely come to around £10-15 just for the raw material, and if you were to then get it printed on and cut with precision you'd likely be paying the same again.
So £40-50 worth of game and £20-30 worth of card actually seems about right to me.

I think calling the toy-cons hardware is a bit of a stretch... they're more like accessories... maybe cardware would be a more appropriate name for them.

Haven't had much time to play lately, but I keep getting sidetracked with side-quests... every time I think I'm ready to move on I do a sweep of the settlements and keep finding new quests that have popped up, and by the time I've finished them, the same thing happens again... there's so much to do!

My guess would be some sort of child-friendly social platform for Switch and smart phones... a replacement for the Miiverse essentially.

The description doesn't really sound like a full-blown game (might have something similar to the streetpass games though) and the Switch is doing too well for them to announce a new model so soon.

Two of the three conditions he gives for a game to be accepted just seem like common sense... the fact that he's criticising them just makes it seem like he's sore about being turned down five times and wants to complain.
The regional thing is the only potentially valid point... but this is just based on one person's perspective... for all we know, the apparent regional bias could simply be due to more games being submitted in the other regions... without hearing from indie developers in those regions it's impossible to make any sort of fair judgement on which region has it easier.

It may have been a decade between the last two true 2D Metroid games, but in the middle of that period they did release Other M, which had a number of similarities to the older 2D titles, and could be considered an attempt to update the 2D style of game, making it only around 5 years between releases for this style of game... so it wouldn't be too out of place for another 2D Metroid to be in development so soon after the last one.

Yeah... really jumping to conclusions over this.
In almost all of the examples listed, one of the two directs was exclusive to a single region (typically Japan) and/or focused on a specific upcoming release.
If you exclude the regional exclusive Directs and the specials for a specific game, then it becomes clear that they are following a roughly monthly pattern... so the next direct is not to be expected until February.
If we were to get another direct before then, it'd either be a regional exclusive (which wouldn't be anything to get particularly excited about) or a special for an upcoming release.
None of the upcoming releases we already know about would really warrant their own direct, and have already been covered in the recent direct... so the only possibility would be a game that we either don't know anything about, or are not expecting to be released anytime soon... we can't really make any guesses about the former, but there are two possible options for the latter... Pokemon Switch (there are rumours currently circulating that it is far closer to release than they've let on) and Metroid Prime 4 (there are hints that this could have been in development in secret for years before we got the teaser announcement, so may also be far closer to release than we think).

The joystick thing seems pretty stupid on it's own, but it might make more sense if we knew what the other patent violations are... it could just be that they're using several small details to prove that patents have been violated in general, rather than just suing over each point individually.

@rjejr Kass's song gave you hints about what you need to do in each location... you can check your quest list for a reminder.
You have to do something different in each of the locations revealed... some are time dependant, while others are only your starting point, but you should be able to figure out which of Kass's clues relate to each location once you get there.

@deKay That's only referring to people who do lose the ability to play the game... you're looking at it out of context.

It doesn't actually say that those devices will definitely lose the ability to play the game... it's just a warning that they may do.

I use a Samsung Galaxy S5 myself, which probably isn't far off being in the same situation, and I've noticed that support for it hasn't been that great for a while (it's had an overheating problem for months, which they seem to be ignoring)... so I was already starting to think about upgrading.

I doubt the Pokedex entry really means all that much to Niantic... Gen 3 was the first to push 'pairs' of Pokemon, and they need more ways to better distribute Pokemon spawns, so introducing pairs on a rotation makes a lot of sense.
Plus, if you look at the other regional pair that was added with the introduction of Gen 3 (Plusle and Minun), you'll see that their separation is in complete conflict with the past games, which always portray them as a team who should be paired together.

Given that this rotation occurred roughly a month after the pairs were introduced, chances are they'll be rotating one pair each month, with additional pairs (e.g. Volbeat/Illumise and Solrock/Lunatone) likely being added over the coming months alongside the rest of Gen 3.

I think they're just too focused on adding new things that they're forgetting to consider whether or not the games would actually benefit from them, and in the case of many of the recent additions, they don't.

That's not to say that new ideas are not welcome, only that they'd be better off using them in a new style of Pokemon game rather than adding them into the existing one... and that may in fact be what they're doing with the Switch game.

There are some rumours going round that the Pokemon Switch game is actually closer to completion than we've been led to believe, and that it's not what most people have assumed.

They have been very vague with what they've been saying about it (and the future of the franchise in general) since it was announced, which has caused a lot of assumptions to be made, yet they've made no effort to clarify whether these assumptions are correct or not.
If the rumours are true, and the game is breaking away from the traditional Pokemon formula, then this could explain their vagueness... they don't want people to know until they can actually show it in action, so that people don't start making judgements about it without knowing what it'll actually be like.
This could also explain why the game may be further in development that we've been led to believe, as this would keep people from asking too many questions about it.
It may therefore be far enough along for them to give us a proper demonstration of it already, and they are likely going to do so as soon as possible, rather than prolonging the vagueness, so it would make sense for them to show it off during the January direct.

Nice story... shame he didn't get the one his Grandma gave him back though.

And I can't help but think that if whoever stole his 3DS isn't caught, then there's a chance they'll just do it again.

Chances are it'll be a top-down game, as that fits with their pattern... the real question should be which system it'll be on.

Top-down Zelda games have typically been on handhelds, with home consoles reserved for third-person games, but the Switch's hybrid nature raises the question of whether this will continue.

Despite what many people are saying, the 3DS family is not being abandoned just yet (releases have dropped since the Switch was released, but not stopped), and we could also see a successor system released in the next couple of years (either as a freestanding handheld, or as a budget version of the Switch).

@Chandlero Would have been good if it was, but no... just red.

Got my best death so far at the start of the Champion's Ballad... during the initial trial on the Great Plateau, while hunting down the enemies in the forest I was using the trees for cover while throwing bombs at the enemies... unfortunately, one of the bombs had rolled back towards me before I detonated it, and while I was clear of the blast, the tree I was hiding behind wasn't, causing it to fall onto me, which was enough to kill me due to the one-hit obliterator's handicap.

They've also clarified that it's not the box itself that is an amiibo, it's a sticker, and that not all boxes will have one (seemingly to encourage people to buy more in order to boost their chances of getting one).

@JasmineDragon @Pod They have actually elaborated on the Amiibo functionality now... it appears that it's a sticker rather than the box itself, and although they haven't specified whether it'll be stuck to the outside of the box or found inside, they have said that not all boxes will have them.
This makes me think inside is more likely as it'll encourage people to buy more boxes in hope of finding one.

@Pod I think you underestimate what they'd actually need to do to get it working with the box itself.
They'd need a machine to actually attach the NFC device to the inside of the box... whereas Nintendo already have the facility to produce NFC cards, and Kellogg's are already equipped to reliably insert items into each box... so it would be easier to do it though pre-existing means, rather than to use a new method.
Having to guarantee that a card had been inserted into each pack would be no more problematic than guaranteeing that an NFC device had been fitted to each box, so your point about that is irrelevant.
As for allowing kids to scan the amiibo in the stores, that is just a stupid idea, and is exactly why Nintendo put metallic pieces of card in the bottom of the amiibo... if people could do that, then they'd have no reason to actually buy the amiibo... they'd just scan it and put it back without buying it.

I doubt they'd make the box itself an amiibo... more likely they'll just include an amiibo card inside the box

She does have a point... anyone who acts like the characters in AC in real life would be considered a jerk.
The bit about throwing money at fruit does seem a little over the top, but it can be really frustrating if you need just one more piece of fruit to complete a request, so I can sort of understand why she might have overreacted.

@tanookisuit You must be really unlucky... I caught 4 yesterday before I'd even left the house, was out for only about an hour or so and caught another 20... there's load of them about.

Pretty sure it was rigged... the daily numbers were just too consistent... we should have seen more of an impact from the increased spawns, thanksgiving, black friday, etc.
Plus, coming down to the final 24 hours is just too perfect.

I saw a prediction when the event first started that was based on estimates for normal daily play and it came out very similar to the numbers/timing that Niantic were reporting during the event.

Think it might be worth breaking down the prediction I mentioned a little more...
They predicted we'd get bronze by the end of the day on Monday... according to Niantic we got it Tuesday morning.
They predicted we'd get silver during the day on Wednesday, and Niantic's figures make it look like we'll get it Thursday morning.
They also predicted we'd get gold by the end of the day on Friday... according to Niantic, the current catch rate would put that at Sunday morning, but the increased spawns will likely pull that forward by a day to Saturday morning.

So we're looking to get each reward the morning after when was predicted... you could say that the prediction was pretty close, but the problem was that it was based on normal catch figures, ignoring the boosts the event would have caused... so we should be getting the rewards before when the predictions said, not after.

PUBG seem like one of those weird games that comes across as being both popular and hated at the same time... it's a simple concept that looks pretty fun, but I've seen a lot of glitches and luck appears to play a larger role than it really should.

As for their new project... I can't help but think of Battle Royale.

@Anti-Matter Capturing a Boo could actually be an interesting take on the mechanic... seeing as they disappear when you look at them it would be almost impossible to throw Cappy directly at them... you'd likely have to throw him past them, have him spin in the air as you turn away (making the Boo reappear) and then have him return, capturing the Boo along the way.

So, according to Niantic, in the first 24 hours we got just under 300,000, then in the next 12 hours we got over 200,000... doesn't add up if you ask me.

@chiefeagle02 That's assuming they've given us the correct number and aren't just misleading us to stick to a prearranged schedule.

Also... they didn't say it would be the number of spawns that was increasing... they just said "more Pokémon" would be appearing... this may not be referring to quantity... it could be referring to variety (we know they are going to be adding more Gen 3 Pokémon soon... they could be starting earlier than expected).

It's debatable whether or not they will actually be looking at totals... they may just have a set timetable for when each reward will be released, and are just using the totals thing to encourage players to play more (spending more money).
The fact that they're not giving us a running total would support this... it would be easy for them to do as they would need to have access to the current total either way, and they could easily release the figures over twitter and other social media.
Then there's the fact that they're enticing us with regional Pokemon... they can't really do that and then have us fail, so they must have a way to ensure we will reach the target.
I've also heard of someone who's worked out a rough estimate of the timings based on regular gameplay... according to them, just playing normally we would reach the first reward by the end of the day, the second on Wednesday, and would get the final reward on Friday... roughly 48hours before the deadline... the same amount of time the regionals will be about for... coincidence?
Seeing as the event will be encouraging an increase in daily captures, we should expect each reward to be unlocked earlier than that... but if they match that timing or come later, then chances are Niantic are rigging the event.

Games like Ultra Sun and Moon should not really be listed separately if you ask me... if they were on different consoles, it would be understandable, but they are basically the same game on the same system.

Skyrim VR outperforming Skyrim VR is hardly surprising either... from what I understand it, the PSVR could really do with more games at the moment, wheres the Switch has still got plenty at the moment (despite what a lot of people say)... with Odyssey less than a month old and Xenoblade only a couple of weeks away it wasn't the best timing for Skyrim.
I will be getting Skyrim on the Switch, but will be waiting until around Christmas before I do, and I'm guessing quite a few others will be in a similar position.

Sounds like their experience of the game is different from that of all the reviewers, which makes it seem very possible that there could be a day-one update that will improve the performance... we know this is possible, as the same has been done for other games, yet they don't even mention the possibility of it.

@Arcamenel I don't know what point you were attempting to make about the sales goals, as it seems completely irrelevant. The 3DS still has a substantially larger userbase, and it's lower price will keep it as the more accessible of the two for the foreseeable future... if they were to abandon it they'd essentially be alienating a sizeable portion of the fanbase, losing potential sales as a result.
It makes far better sense for them to continue with both systems in order to capitalise on both markets, and they have already confirmed that they are capable of developing two Pokemon games at once, as the Switch game has been in development alongside the development of Ultra Sun and Moon.

@UmbreonsPapa The fact that they would give such vague statements in the first place suggests that it's intentional... that they wanted people to jump to these conclusions... it's simple mis-direction... make everyone focus on one game while they develop the other in secret... could be great for publicity when they make the reveal, while also being an easy way to avoid certain questions that they don't want to answer just yet.
As for splitting the series... I never said they'd do that... franchise, yes, series no... with the amount of potential the Switch offers, it's debatable whether or not the resulting game could be considered to be a part of the same series... it could easily be the start of a new core series within the franchise that will run alongside the existing series (similar to what they've done with the new movie... it draws heavily from the original series, but exists independently from it, and sets itself up to be the start of an ongoing storyline).

@MisterKorman Yes, that is the article we are referring to... and if you read that, you will see that at no point did Ohmori say that they would be the last games on the 3DS... that claim has just been added in the title to attract attention... even in the article itself, the author acknowledges that it is only a presumption.

" the series’ final generation on the 3DS"
Just to point out again... they have never said this... this is purely assumption and speculation that has been built upon vague statements that don't actually say what they're being interpreted as saying.

@Bunkerneath I've actually had a few things turn up a day early from the official store... but it can vary.
Oddly, it's usually things that I preorder with standard delivery that arrive early... next day delivery usually arrives on time or late.

I'd be interested to hear what the developers have to say about this... they must be aware of the performance issues, so they'll likely have something to say about it, and they could have a fix in the works (perhaps a day one update).

The number of times the bullet exploded just short of the eastern pillar was insanely frustrating... that was the only one that gave me any trouble in this kingdom.

I thought it was great... it keeps enough of the original story for nostalgia, while still telling a whole new story.
I particularly liked the cameo from Red... a lot of people might notice the hints, but I think very few people would piece it together completely.

It's also interesting to think about what this could be setting up for the franchise as a whole.
It's easy to consider this movie in relation to the existing series, but if you look at it as an freestanding movie, it becomes obvious that it is an origin story above all else... but rather than just retelling the existing origin story, it's telling a whole new story, and they even took the time to do a bit of character building for the two new characters, only for them to go their separate ways at the end... this seems strange if we're never going to see them again, so chances are it was setup for something they're planning in the long-term, which will most likely tie into the games in some way (possibly relating to my existing theory that they will be splitting the games into two core series... one on 3DS and one on Switch).

Definitely be tempted... but it will ultimately depend on how good the figures are and whether or not I'm interested in the trading cards.

Basically, if it extends the game in some way, then I'm happy to pay for it... if not, then I don't see the point.
Cosmetic DLC (costumes, etc.) are the worst for this, but I don't mind it if they're bundled in with another bit of DLC which does extend the game.
Amiibo as DLC I think really depends on their unique uses, as their generic uses just aren't worth it... some have unique uses that are worth it, while others do not... however, you do also have the added value of them as figures/collectibles, which could make up the difference, depending on your preferences.

Something to keep an eye out for in the sales.

I think it's worth remembering that we've already had one XC2 direct, and that information about XCX was released in a series of videos (Survival Guides) that seem to have followed a similar structure.
The first Survival Guide introduced the setting, factions and their roles in the world... this was covered in the first XC2 direct.
The second Survival Guide covered the standard combat system... this was also covered in the first XC2 direct.
The third Survival Guide looked at the Skells in more detail... obviously there are no Skells in XC2, but the blades could be considered similar in that they add an additional layer to combat, with these having also been covered in the first XC2 direct.
The fourth Survival Guide covered side quests, resource management, and crafting... all of which we have seen very little of for XC2 so far, so will likely be covered in this direct.
The fifth Survival Guide went over the online features... the lack of customisable characters makes it unlikely that XC2 will get this in the same form as XCX, but we can probably expect some sort of online features to be introduced in this direct.

This is a tough one to weigh up, but I'm going to have to go with the changes making it worse than it already was.
The only two non-legendary raid bosses I was interested in before were Tyranitar and Magikarp... the latter purely because it can be shiny... Tyranitar has stayed, and Magikarp has been replaced with Sableye as the potential shiny... so it works out fairly neutral in that regard.
Most of the other Pokemon are just as pointlessly common before and after the change, so that doesn't make much difference either.
The only thing that did make a difference is the starters... we still have Gen 1, and we still have stage 1 evolutions, but we've completely lost Gen 2 and stage 2 evolutions... it would have made sense to simply swap them over, but they haven't.

I get the feeling that they might actually be preparing to remove some Pokemon from the game in order to make room for Gen 3... I've been concerned for some time about how the addition of more and more Pokemon will affect spawns, and removing some of the older Pokemon (perhaps implementing a rotation system) would be a perfect way to resolve this.

I think the only way that they could make this appealing would be to include different versions of monopoly in addition to the standard one... that way you'll at least feel like you're getting more than if you'd just bought the regular board game.

Anyone who thinks this is ever likely to happen is only kidding themselves.
Without a data connection the Switch would be far too limited compared to smartphones/tablets, so a Switch version would hardly ever see any use.
The only potential benefit would be the possibility of attracting players from a different audience, but I doubt the benefit of that would ever make it worthwhile.

Been tempted to get this for a while... was originally going to get it on Steam, but then the Wii U version was announced, so I held off, but with all of the Steam sales I couldn't bring myself to pay full price for the Wii U version and I don't think it ever got put on sale... hopefully it'll go on sale on the Switch, and I'll pick it up then.

While I think this approach is a good idea for the Switch in general, I think they would be better off putting more weight on the single console multiplayer experience to start with.
Basically, build up interest with the single console multiplayer, and then once enough people have bought it, push the multi console multiplayer to use peer pressure to convince additional people to buy it so that they're not left out.

I still think Retro Studios could be working on the new Metroid... there is a decent amount of evidence pointing to that being the case (the type of staff they've been hiring, the composer they've been confirmed to be working with, etc.), and most of the statements that make people think otherwise are extremely vague and usually dodge around giving a definitive answer, making it seem like they're intentionally trying to mislead us.

I get the feeling these figures may change once Odyssey has been out for a while... seeing as it's designed primarily around playing with the joy-cons detached, this will almost certainly see more people playing docked.