Hwatt

@Rosona

The 360 had a slim base and high center of gravity. Regardless if someone intended to rotate it or not, it was not very stable.

Later revisions don’t scratch the disk if tilted.

These patch notes are oh-so-wholesome, it brings a subtle tear to my eye.

Wow!

Completely forgot about that 360 issue.

I now vividly recall bringing my 360 to a friend’s house. I don’t recall the game I was playing. It could have been Call of Duty 3 or Gears of War. Either way, I picked up the console while the game was playing, and this was before Xbox enabled games to be installed on the harddrive (disk doesn’t spin) and I rotated the console from horizontal to vertical. The moment, no, the sound, is forever engraved into my brain. Sounded like changing a gear without disengaging the clutch. A large buzz but grinding sound.

Suddenly, the game stopped working. Opened the disk tray, removed the disk, and flipped it over to gaze upon a opaque white ring on the back of the disk.

Luckily, a local shop in my town (shoutout to Microplay) was able to remove the scratch for about $10 - $15.

I found out later online that this issue was a design flaw with the system, and was repeatable. I don’t believe I scratched another disk again but yikes, that was depressing.

I also went through SEVEN Xbox 360’s due to RROD so… I had already begun to develop a thick skin to these types of issues…

Ahh, good ol’ 360. Some of the best games but yikes was that console a nightmare

Just sell a base model and a pro model at launch. Problem solved.

Super Nintendo Switch = 400 USD with LCD and X storage capacity

Super Nintendo Switch Pro = 500 USD with OLED and Y storage capacity.

@Kirgo

Yes it’s a separate platform than Steam. What I was identifying is that the dev is highlighting 5m players but the media is reporting 5m sales.

They’re different figures. Every Steam player is a sale since they don’t have a subscription service (yet…) but Xbox players could be from purchases or gamepass (GP).

I think it’s important to stress this when the media are identifying this game is out selling massive AAA games like God of War, Spiderman, The Last of Us etc.

We really don’t know that. It’s still an achievement, don’t get me wrong but the numbers are… a bit fluffed with GP.

I really hope they don’t make MP4 cross-gen. We really don’t need to hold them to an announcement from 6 years ago.

Let it go and let this game breathe on new hardware, please. We’ve waited this long and I have no problem it being exclusive to the Switch successor.

@gcunit I think Princess Peach is honestly a great ambassador for females within the Nintendo Brand. People love costumes, the new Peach game has gameplay mechanics tied to costumes. It's a sure thing in my view. I could easily see a Retro peach with roller blades / inline skating costume that ties into the Barbie movie.

Edit: I'm curious of they will do a halberd outfit actually (Mario Movie tie-in). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fiw5FUvaEAAIstG.png

@Paraka

If you look carefully, they never said 5m copies sold. They're stating 5m players...

That's the sniff. It's blended with Gamepass numbers and I am not sure why sites are reporting player count as acquisitions or copies sold.

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fpalworld-has-sold-over-5-million-copies-in-only-3-days-keep-v0-bzdv7ewmpydc1.jpeg%3Fs%3D7c06478b6e7f07b95eacc14d745c2166bfab2dd6

Tie in a Barbie costume for Peach and these joy-cons will print money.

I was about to buy it on Steam during the holiday winter sale but I held off.

Glad I did, may go for physical instead and grab digital on Steam at a later point in the future.

Grabbing it (physical) for Switch tomorrow

@JetForceGemInEye

Maybe, I am unsure but their profitability is also tied to fiscal years. Im not sure if the development teams will receive a bonus if the profit target needs to be hit by a certain date (e.g., March 31 / end of FY).

Ultimately, as another user mentioned, cash flow is important. Even if it's less than ideal, a constant revenue is better than no revenue. Ubisoft has... 20,000 employee and all the operating costs that go along with supporting all those employees. So a small loss in the grand scheme might not be bad if other games and revenue streams offset it.

Edit: I did a quick calc, if they net approx. $30 on average, per game sold after any sales and third party fees (manufacturing, royalties etc.) that's approx. 90M revenue on 3M copies. We know most large AAA games cost around 200M USD to make, excluding marketing as far as we know. I don't expect this game to have that budget but who knows. I suspect it's closer to the break even point.

@JetForceGemInEye

Likely not if most units sold came from sales but maybe it broke even

I tried it [demo] on Xbox but I've pre-ordered the physical version for Switch

Overall, the demo itself was good. I thought the gameplay was great. Good controls, fun moves, and surprisingly difficult! I tried it on Heroic and was surprised by how many times I died. Super excited to play the full game.

As a demo, it's not one I would keep installed and continue to play. I'm not sure if everyone will understand but back in days past, demos used to be pretty fun, unique experiences. Either ones from magazines (disks etc.) like my Metroid Prime 2 demo from Nintendo Power or Project 8 (Tony Hawk) on Xbox 360. I used to always replay those demos. Super fun to jump in and have a very small package / treat. In that regard, this demo isn't that good. Too much dialog at the beginning you can't skip fast enough and there wasn't a satisfying conclusion or loop.

@TheImperfectInsider

That's just signaling status quo. Why would Ubisoft put more effort in quality if it yields the same result as quantity?

People complain left, right, and center that their games are bloated. If they listen to our feedback and there is no change, there really is no reason to change course.

Expect 10x more AC Vahalla's because that game sold gangbusters. Just like EA doesn't care if they reskin FIFA/FC or Madden every year. Why change when it sells?

Your money has leverage and if you don't care, that is fine but don't complain when the games continue to be grind fests. I personally hope for a better Ubisoft with more unique experiences because I love some of their brands.

Reasonable - 256GB but that is assuming game file sizes are only 2x the size of their current format.

It's too early to judge because we don't have any context on game sizes. Pragmatically, 512 GB would be great for a base model and 1tb for a premium model considering storage costs these days (relatively cheap).

@IronMan30

Boo. Support the devs and send the message to Ubisoft. High quality games that are not 100 hour slogs is something we need to strive for.

@Kingchin

You said it yourself, a “pro”per successor…

I understand that you’re trying to be helpful. Just keep in mind that this article is for creative output and comedic relief

My personal favourite would be the Nintendo Swatch, a wearable device that streams the gameplay directly into your brain. All inputs are neurologically mapped so you don’t need a controller. The display signal intercepts the signals from your eyes to your brain so you’re fully immersed. It’s years ahead of VR or the capabilities of OLED displays. It’s powered by your own life force, the only caveat is that the signal is still 720pz I’m sure of all of this because my uncle works at Nintendo

If iterative, Super Switch or Switch Pro make sense.

If revolutionary, I expect an entirely unique name like Nintendo Go or Nintendo Roll or Nintendo Fold. Some sort of naming leaning into its portable nature.

Nice. Sakurai knows, it's time to get back into the thick of it

Glad he was able to provide so many videos and context for new or young individuals to join the industry. He did that on his own time and uploaded for free so just keep that in mind. He didn't have to do that...

@BrianJL

That’s fair enough. I overreacted. I just find it silly to make those comments considering the industry context.

I believe he has a 1 year non compete clause.

By the way, this makes no sense. Cites the reason to work is “having a meal”. Implying that he’s either poor or suffering, yet he chose to quit his job in a terrible economy and market whilst also highlighting his Lamborghini.

Honestly, this guy is out to lunch. Go work in another job for a year or sell your Lambo. The amount of entitlement in this industry is ridiculous.

@Purgatorium

I shared with you the context so you understand why it’s predicted in USD. Just as any console MSRP is reported in USD.

I don’t think you need us to google the current Switch cost on your behalf, no offence.

@Purgatorium

It’s generally understood globally that when “dollars” are mentioned, it’s US dollars. Irrespective of your location, that’s due to the overall size of the American economy, value for their dollar, and other economic factors

Exchange rate is around 1.30 CAD : 1.00 USD.

400 USD = 500 CAD min.

@WhiteTrashGuy

I think you misunderstood my comment. I’m not questioning the name of the product. I am stating that I am unsure if the next console will be similar to a Switch or will actually be a revolution. Like the transition between Gamecube to Wii, Gameboy to DS, Wii U to Switch.

If the next gen console is a follow up to the Switch in the likes of SNES to NES or Wii U to Wii, it’s very likely that the console will not supersede the sales of the Switch. History has proven that they’re less successful (if success is defined by consoles sold) if they iterate. A Switch 2 / Pro will be nice for sure but I’ve always enjoyed when Nintendo disrupts conventions and defines a new strategy or way to play. Chasing perf is not their strong suit.

All info points to an updated Tegra processor with an updated generation (Ampere or Ada). The community generally believes it will be mobile. These new predictions don’t add anything meaningful to the discussion except one point.

Iterative vs. revolution. Whilst as a consumer I would prefer iterative, Nintendo voiced before to their investors that they’re fully aware of the regressive nature of a sequel hardware (SNES vs. NES, Wii U and Wii).

This is the only piece where I am unsure if the console will in fact be a “Switch 2” or something different. Everything points to a Switch 2 but is Nintendo willing to repeat history to sustain sales without significant growth or will they take a risk?

I suspect the former but I am unsure.

“an exclusive tight-knit of online friends”

Well kids, this is why you think twice before sharing content online. The 5mns of fame wont help when your parents are now unemployed.

Actions have consequences and this one is rather unfortunate for all. Surprised this is coming up nearly 10 years later but it’s a good reminder to think twice before posting or sharing any content on social media / online.

Did I play Donkey Konga on Gamecube? Yes, in fact, I really liked the game. Unfortunately, thanks for the reminder Nintendo Life XD, one day I came home (I was still living with my parents at the time) and my closest was cleared out.

I had a few storage boxes (office style cardboard) with unused games / toys. In one box was all my spare Lego pieces, the other, my retail box of Donkey Konga, which had a copy of the game and the bongo controllers. Seems someone went a bit too hard in the paint with the whole "spring cleaning" XD. For context, this isn't typical spring cleaning. It's rural Canadian cleaning, which means take all of your junk, bag it, throw it in the bed of the pickup, and drive for 30mns to the nearest dump.

In retrospect, I'm not too bothered by it but I rip on my parents from time to time when I visit to remind them how all of my Lego disappeared. Because I still help them with visits to the dump... XD Hopefully my Donkey Konga was salvaged by someone before it got buried under mountains of garbage in a landfill. RIP.

Doggo reigns supreme

@TruestoryYep

As much as I love Tears and yes it does also have a 96, I just don’t see it on the same level.

BG III took table top DnD and made it main stream. Not to mention the game actually released three years ago in early access and has seen a ton of changes, driven by the community, and supported by the developers.

Those are very atypical situations and extremely rare when resulting in a 96 metacritic.

Those are the reasons why BG III will win. It’s not just the quality of the game. It’s everything the lead to the game and the on-going support. We have to split hairs this year because it’s STACKED with quality games.

@DdG1408

That’s not how it works. From their FAQ

“ Winners are determined by a blended vote between the voting jury (90%) and public fan voting (10%).”

The voting jury is made up of various individuals or representatives from media and influencers within the industry just FYI.

Honestly, with so many GotY worthy titles this year, I am impressed Tears of the Kingdom didn’t get snubbed. The reality is Baldur’s Gate III moved the medium forward in a meaningful way not only from a quality perspective but also community engagement perspective that no one really expected and it’s holding a 96 Metacritic score.

I think the category best Action-Adventure game is a good opportunity for Tears of the Kingdom.

My personal GotY is surprisingly Resident Evil 4 Remake. I thought the effort to remake RE4 and change the themes, make the game darker, modify level design, and all sorts of changes would ruin what was essentially a perfect game. They nailed it and it’s my favourite remake to date.

So many great games… any one game in a normal year really deserves the win but with SO much competition, we all know it’s Baldur’s Gate III.

@LadyCharlie

Couldn’t say it better myself.

By the way… the category it is currently nominated in (Best Debut Indie Game) first should revised to “Best Debut Game” whilst “Best Independent Game” should remain for… independent games.

Mario Kart Maker here we come!

The game deserves the success. Well done, Nintendo.

If you recall, Nintendo was citing Super Mario Bros. Movie as a reason it has seen increased sales and engagement across the Mario brand. Well for me, Super Mario Bros. Wonder actually got me more interested to go back and play other titles.

I’ve got my SNES classic hooked up and I’ve been jumping on SMW and SMB.3 (NES ROM on SNES) as well as Super Mario Maker 2 (SMM2). I haven’t played SMM2 since 2020 and wow does it still hold up.

If you’re addicted to 2D Mario like I am right now, I can’t recommend SMM2 enough.

Imagine Wonder style was added as a final DLC next year? OOOOF

Touched! is the only one I own and well, I am extremely biased. I’ve played other titles with friends (smooth moves) but never felt compelled to buy another title in the series. The Switch titles seem to be more focused on group settings and those are too far in between for me with the Switch to justify a full price purchase.

Going back to Touched! I love it! I love the mode where each microgame comes out faster and faster. Having to scramble with the stylus or switching to blowing into microphone was a blast.

It’s the first time, ok second time (Kirby Tilt n’ Tumble) I’ve played a game where the control gimmicks improve the core gameplay experience.

I may consider getting… “Get it Together!” over “Move It” but still, a bit skeptical.

I’ll always love Touched! and I hope single player WarioWare games come back into style and focus with Nintendo.

I agree with the 9.

It’s a fantastic game, honestly it hard to find faults. The game is exceedingly more fun when playing co-op and to my surprise, without spoilers, there are some seriously difficult levels. I’m not sure if the reviewer missed these levels or it’s because co-op increases the challenge.

For context, on one level (5 star difficulty), my friend and I spent 80 lives (40 x2) approximately to beat said level.

I don’t believe any game is perfect. I do think this has potential to be one of the best 2D Mario games but to reflect on other Mario games, like Odyssey, Galaxy, or 64, it doesn’t seem to push the innovation in such a significant capacity for me to give it a 10.

It’s a highly successful evolution of the series, but it doesn’t push boundaries in a way that now raises the expectations of the series going forward. It’s not a revolution. It's an excellent 2D Mario, it goes back to really tight controls, bombastic music, great level design, it’s creative, colourful, and I am having a fantastic time enjoying every moment of it.

It’s just that it feels like it’s resting on the laurels of past games more so than take on significant risks. So that’s really the only reason I don’t believe it is a 10.

Im only about 6-7 hrs and maybe I need to try online but I’m sitting at a 9 and that’s still very impressive in a year of many great games.

I’ve put about 25hrs into the PC version and I had a splendid time back in February / March. It’s not a revolutionary game and in some instances, it’s a bit outdated.

However, if you’re looking for an open world Harry Potter game, they nailed the atmosphere and you don’t need high end graphics to experience it.

Granted my system is very robust (7900 XTX, 5800X3D) and the visuals and performance were fantastic, the core gameplay, the environments, the music, and the mission structure make the game simply fun. As long as the game runs at 30fps on Switch, you’re in for a fun time.

There is obviously a huge market on Switch for this type of game and considering how long it’s been delayed, I hope they managed to get it running. Considering a Switch is basically a portable Xbox 360 in terms of raw power, it will be hella impressive if they’re successful.

Hopefully Digital Foundry does a deep dive 🤞.

@Tourtus

Ahahahaha! That is amazing Thank you for sharing. I am impressed the Switch didn't crash when there were 1000 pikmin on screen.

“ Fixed an issue where the player could significantly increase the number of Pikmin.”

Wait what!? I would love to know how far people could extend the number of Pikmin. Especially if it was Pikmin on screen and not simply the limits that can be stored.

At some point, probably.

If they had done a more impressive remaster like Metroid Prime, I’d probably purchase it today.

However, with so many other games out right now (Starfield, CP2077 2.0 Patch, RE4: Separate Ways) I’ve got plenty on my plate.

Backlog is growing and my next purchase will likely be Sea of Stars anyway.

@Woderwick

RE: Consolidation with administration teams

There could be some solutions for management but each studio under Embracer's ... embrace (?) are located in different countries, jurisdictions, and taxes. The theory make sense but in practice it would be extremely difficult without a large reorganization stemming from the top.

I bet you that didnt happen for a variety of reasons and the studios were simply asked by their overlords to pick out roles or individuals to trim.

A couple things.

1. Don’t jump to conclusions yet. It’s still a year away (likely).

2. Just enjoy that Paper Mario: TTYD is coming at all.

I do agree with both sides of the argument. The game should be rendering at 60 fps if it did so on Gamecube. However, if it doesn’t, I really don’t believe this game will suffer as much as people believe it will. If it’s that important to you, Dolphin has been around for a while and can easily play PM at 60 FPS at 4K with an old CPU / GPU.

Very happy I would have loved if they included 1 and thousand year door (TTYD) into a single package but seriously, I can't complain. A very nice surprise.

The truth is that TTYD is very expensive these days so I am sure a lot of fans who missed out will be happy.

Nintendo Swatch announcement. Goes on your wrist and never comes off. Powered by your own life force, it steams the games directly into your brain!

@CairiB

Lets simplify. Every 2 years (approx.) hardware manufacturers update their products (hardware) by either updating the layouts and features (architecture) and / or moving to a smaller node (more transistors per mm2).

Ada Lovelace is Nvidia's newest architecture. It's the base of all of their 4000 series products. Their GPUs that can push 4K 60 fps in modern titles without DLSS / upscaling draw over 200w (GPU alone).

The current Switch total power budget is 15-17w whether docked or mobile.

I don't know the future Switch specs... but if they want to keep similar battery life and well, a hybrid device, I imagine they don't want to go above 20w.

Logic tells me that this new GPU will likely be in the range of 5-7w (ignoring CPU, RAM, LCD screen) and well, you can gather quickly 720p will be the render resolution. 1080p maybe on dock some games. DLSS will allow the resolution to be displayed or upscaled to 4K. It won't be super clean but it will be better than a TV or other hardware upscaler.

3.5 could mean they were demonstrating Ray Reconstruction. A new feature Nvidia has highlighted about a month ago.

As long as the Switch has an Nvidia GPU with dedicated RT hardware, it’s all feasible.

Just keep in mind that “4K” is likely reconstructed from 720p.

Nvidia doesn’t manufacture a GPU with a power budget of 15w that can handle modern games at 4K native, 60 fps

Without Pokemon (the series including the anime), the gameboy colour, and a copy of Pokemon Blue (my first ever videogame and console) I wouldn’t be the passionate gamer that I am today.

I may have grown past the series years ago but I won’t forget the memories. Cheers

@EaglyBird

Can’t wait for an armoured pup to neck bite a space pirate in Metroid Prime 4

Because doggo