It's slightly unrelated, but it instantly reminded me of the PocktStation Chocobo Mini Game, for FF8 I think it was. Played if for hours, despite being really simple. Hard- and software followed in the wake of Tamagotchi, I think... The PocketStation didn't officially release outside Japan I think, so the hardware wasn't commonly used elsewhere (in games I had access to). Anyone else remember that?
@Shiryu Actually in my experience 30fps is not so noticable with camera movement that is basically limited to forward motion. With camera panning left an right, which doesn't happen in a racing game, (not where it counts), it gets harder to ignore of course. I'm willing to give the game the benefit of the doubt. TDU 1 and 2 certainly didn't run above 30fps either (at least on console), but the openworld (and Hawaii no less) made it worthwhile (to me it was like an exploration racer and that's how I played it) and I had several hundreds of hours of fun with them.
@aaronsullivan
Cool stuff. Coincidentally I've just read that a sequel to this has just been released, made by director Neill Blomkamp. It's called ADAM: The Mirror... and a third part is already in the making.
Certainly a powerful engine imho. It is obviously only a matter of creative input and the willingness to really work with it (not just "use" it) in order to use it effectively.
To decide if it's a good engine I believe we need only look at what it can do, not at what has already been done with it. The latter tells us nothing about the quality of the engine itself.
And even then I daresay that no matter how we assess it, it's irrelevant (what do we know anyway... ), because the engine used does certainly not determine the quality of the game made with it.
EDIT: I'd call Neill Blomkamp a "regular user" by the way, extraordinarily talented perhaps, and a pro, sure, but game makers need to be talented pros, too...
@ThanosReXXX
Isn't it though? Thanks for linking the in-engine (and actually in-game) trailer. I had heard people say before that Unity wasn't so good (only for mobile and ports of the same), and next I see this game, and I think "What are they talking about? This is absolutely stunning!". Granted it's only indoors and that might turn out to be an advantage, but the graphics are so polished, especially the item assets. They look photo-realistic when you pick them up, material quality and all, and that's no joke.
It was reported here on NL a few weeks back that it was to be ported.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE In terms of graphic fidelity the most impressive Unity title I've seen so far is Layers of Fear, which has been reported earlier to come to Switch (soon or soonish?). I am genuinely impressed with the level of detail, each time I fire it up on the PC. I think most of it will be carried over, minus the resolution perhaps.
You mean that a company doesn't care if they've sold a million copies or only 50k and do not count sales? Of course a lack of sales is closely analysed (or "counted" to remain in this figure of speech). I'm sorry, but there is no doubt in my mind that a company very much considers the reasons why a game may have failed to meet their sales expectations. If they don't they won't stay in business for very long. If they draw the right conclusions from the figures is another matter.
@PtM @NinNin Of course sales are counted. You can't do business successfully otherwise. Where do you think all the charts come from, and why they exist in the first place (hint: the figures are not compiled for entertainment purposes... )? Companies watch the sales of their products very closely to base future business decisions on. And just like every vote counts, every sale (or lack thereof) counts of course.
The difference between not purchasing a product out of indifference and "voting with your wallet" is that in the first case you're simply not interested in the thing, while in the second case you're basically interested, but some part of it rubs you the wrong way, so you decide against it (usually some business practices involved that you want to make a statement against, like micro transaction for example or putting out a game unfinished and buggy).
Sorry bro, you got it so backwards. You're right in one thing however: Yes, we do believe that you absolutely don't know what you're talking about. Partly because what you're proposing is against common sense, partly because of the way you fail to support you're theory, and partly due to how you argue (which involves not only cheap rhetorical tricks when your assumption is put to the test, but also uses contradiction instead of concrete arguments, not to mention getting offensive, when all else fails).
The beauty of it is that it's not necessary for us to have the first clue of the issue in order to justifiably doubt your theory, to put it to the test and ask you to prove it and present some hard evidence. That's simply because you're implying that you're smarter than the rest of us and know something we don't (the professionals at Nintendo included actually!), and all we need to say is: We don't believe you. We think that you're just as oblivious as any of us. How come you can make such a preposterous claim? Can you back it up? Or is it just hot air? I just need to say "no, I don't think that makes sense, it doesn't feel right", and I can do so without knowing anything about the numbers. Maybe I don't have the first clue (or maybe I do; though I dare say I have common sense), but that doesn't automatically mean that you're not an idiot, too (figuratively speaking of course).
It is still up to you to prove that you aren't, that you truly know what you're talking about, which - I can only repeat it - you have so far failed to do. Continually repeating that any of us need to disprove your theory does not make it true, and is the opposite of a scientific approach (or a successful business approach). It is also not how a serious discussion or argument is opened and held. It's just immature noise. Sorry for being so blunt, I apologize.
@MaSSiVeRiCaN @NinNin
Just to keep you in the loop. I told myself earlier to take my own advice, but I was weak... I will not engage in this any further, as it really makes no sense. (I mentioned Mark Twain and Bill Murray before; I'll add Dunning and Kruger...). "This is not an argument, it's just contradiction!" - "No it isn't!" - "Yes it is!" - "No it isn't!"...
That's just my point, isn't it? We do not have to prove anything to you. It is you who have to come up with the evidence to support your claim, which (so far) you failed to do.
Unless you can give us the hard, true figures how much it has cost (and continues to cost) Nintendo to give us what we got precisely, including R&D, production of the parts, assembly, distribution, marketing, etc., and then enlighten us with YOUR proven knowledge how much it would in fact cost to make the product you'd wish for (in truth, not by a wild guess without knowing any details what kind of effort is really involved, mind you), including some sort of plausible info why you have knowledge of these figures, there is no reason for any of us to take your claim seriously.
It's easy: Since you were the one who made the claim in the first place, it is your obligation to support it, otherwise it remains just a wild guess without any basis in truth or fact. There is no need for us to disprove your theory. If I would claim that the second moon around the third planet of Proxima Centauri is made of cheese (and say that everybody knows it and there is pretty much zero doubt about it, like you did), you would also be well advised to doubt this statement, and I am certain you would either ignore the statement as the utter nonsense it is, or ask me to present some solid proof, without which you couldn't take my assumption seriously.
You see, a theory is not automatically right until disproven. It's really the other way round. A theory remains only speculation (or in this case utter nonsense) until proven. It would be childish for me to say: "Hah, I am right, unless any of you prove to me that I am not!". It just doesn't make sense.
So please: It's your theory. Prove it, or just let it go if you can't. Anyway, time for me to take my own advice.
That's one of the Switch's exclusives and not a glitch: Morph Suit mode. Real players will start doing that soon, it's one of these weird fashion things like wearing shoes of different colors a few years back. And EA already's got that even before it's happened. And only in the Switch version, too! Aren't we the lucky bunch...
Never mind @impurekind and his obviously uneducated/immature speculation (I understand it comes from wishful thinking, but it's unfortunately far removed from (business) reality as most people with more than a few years' life and work experience under their belts percieve it, I'm afraid; sorry bro).
You've just fallen into his rhetorical trap: In this discussion it's not you who is making claims and assumptions out of thin air, but him. If he wants to be taken seriously, HE needs to bring proof to the table, not just speculation, and trying to turn the tables by asking you to present some sort of "proof" that supports your doubt is a cheap parlor trick (easy to see from the outside, I might have fallen for it, too, if it had been me active in the discussion though). It's absolutely fair to doubt his assumption (I believe it's common sense even), but he's the one who needs to convince us (with actual facts and numbers that make actual sense), not the other way round.
Him saying that he will not prove anything unless you do, too, shows perfectly well that there's nothing but hot air, he has no real proof to back up his claim, and it's absolutely Kindergarten and not how a mature person argues (again, sorry buddy, but that's what it looks like from the outside).
Later it became even more apparent, when he tried to extenuate what he wrote earlier by admitting that it's only speculation, which is of course true. It's an opinion, but not a very well researched one, but one that just says "oh, wouldn't it be nice...".
Nothing he has written convinces me so far. I still doubt that Nintendo could have done any better without increasing development and production costs considerably, making it an unaffordable product.
I suggest to not play his game any longer. It is my belief that he knows he's wrong in the meantime, but of course he can't admit that anymore at this point. I understand that. It takes a person of a different caliber for sure. It's Mark Twain and Bill Murray in full effect at this point.
Glad I didn't get in on Steam yet... Liked Limbo a lot, so this has been in my sights for a while. So the Switch version it will be! Looking forward to it.
@HawkeyeWii
Judging from your second post I can see no conflict. It seems you have already decided, and it's a perfectly fine decision either way. That you don't even mention portability in either post (even though I'm not the only one hinting at that benefit of the Switch version) tells me you're not using the Switch as a portable much. If you're using it docked only (or mostly), I say you should really get the PS4 version. Because the advantage of the Switch version doesn't balance the downside in your case. It doesn't sound like it's worth it to you to make this compromise. And that's absolutely fine. So from what I gahther from your posts, it shouldn't be a hard decision really. Does that help in any way? (It actually should, because you're one step further if you say "yeah, I think you're right", and equally so if you think "bollocks, what does he know...")
@HawkeyeWii I know what you mean... sort of. If it's only about graphics, I can play multi-plat games in higher fidelity on my PC. In fact, even the PS4 version is seriously underperforming when compared to this (if I wanted to think in your terms). So it all depends on your point of view. And the PC version is actually cheaper than the PS4 version. Where does that leave your argument?
But what's more important: I can't take the PC or PS4 version on the go. So even though the Switch version has the drawback of lower fidelity graphics, it does come with another big advantage. So why not charge the same as for other versions, if the pro balances the con? You must just make up your own mind if you want to play the game only at home, or if you're tempted to also play it away from the couch and the TV.
Great stuff. If only both games were included on the Game Card... not a deal breaker, especially with these play options, but a mild excitement dampener to me (like to some others).
I love being surprised. I think most people do, though children don't know that they do, so they snoop around their parents' bedroom to find out what they might get for Christmas, oblivious to he fact that they rob themselves of a ton of joy.
I also love to surprise people, and I love that Nintendo do it the way they do. People shouting and complaining and crying that they want to know everything beforehand often look like spoiled brats to me, like the child that throws a fit to force their parents' hand.
Some of my longest lasting and most pleasant memories related to new games or new hardware are connected with such surprises. Like the announcement of the first 3DS XL, which came in a Direct only a month before release. With the original 3DS's screen being so small, this was in fact a revelation, and it was awesome that they surprised me with the announcement (I never saw this coming; though today we are used to it and expect new iterations like that), and even more so that I had to wait only a month to get it. I remember my excited reaction to this reveal very vividly and fondly to this day, because it took me by surprise.
So yeah, please don't change your ways in that regard, Nintendo. True, trying to cater to the people's wishes without bending too much (and spoil their surprises; because they do love to be surprised, even if they don't realize it!) is difficult, so like for parents it's not always easy to find the right balance between appeasing them but still being able to surprise, but I think you're doing a good job, considering how the modern media have changed the way to communicate and tend to blow a few immature brats' whining way out of proportion...
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
As most of the time you got your logic sideways. First of all, it's not mandatory, if you can play it with the Joy-Con, which you can. You may not be able to bring your A-Game as easily, and this might hinder the fun, but that's not the meaning of mandatory. It's a luxury that may improve your gaming experience, nothing more.
And even IF the Pro-Controller was mandatory and they hadn't included Joy-Con Support at all, it would not add to the console's price, but to the game's price!
Or rather spread accross all games you want to play, that play significantly better with a Pro-Controller, which is certainly not the majority (of the close to 30 games I have at this time, only for one it really makes a greater difference so far), and the more there are, over the more games the additional costs are spread. My Point being: If there are few games that necessitate this, your argument is flawed, and if there are many games that make you want to use the Pro-Con instead of the included Joy-Con, it is, too, because the additional cost per game you want to play with it is spread relatively thin.
Staged or not (I don't think it is), we all want the Switch to do well, don't we? This is good publicity either way and spreads the word to many a (so far) non-gamer out there, who may become interested. So no matter how you look at it, it's good.
Incidentally I saw yesterday on Steam that there is a VR version of this, too... Was surprised that something like this would come from Inti... Not sure what to think.
@ricklongo Thing is, that trailer does indeed capture some of how the game plays... As far as I can tell most of it are in fact snippets from the gameplay itself, believe it or not. This game is the absolute mindf***. Expect the unexpected, and then the game does something altogether different still. There are a few jumpscares, but the psyche is where the game plays out... Genius. And it's beautiful to boot (even if disturbingly so).
@countzero
I was actually wondering about that, because I'm in fact not so much into tech details usually (had only read that detail about id Tech 5 by chance), and wasn't aware that these two new games were running on a different engine. Previously just assuming that they're still using id Tech 5 I was very surprised about the announcement (from the little knowledge I have about the engine)...
EDIT: Considering the Digital Foundry assessment of Rayman Legends and their guess that the considerably longer load times have to do with file compression (was it half the size or even more?) and the additional decompression time, I now think it could be possible to fit it onto a 32GB Cart, with the trade-off of longer loading times... Though photorealistic textures cannot be compressed as much as cartoony ones of course...
@Koudai1979 I don't think this is gonna happen, due to the engine used. If I remember correctly it uses id Tech 5. Among other things it means that it uses VERY big textures that cover everything like a blanket instead of smaller, repeated textures. The upside is very diverse and natural looking environments, basically the whole level is painted as one huge artwork, the downside is huge file sizes (50GB+)... This is unlikely for Switch due to the Cart sizes. And porting it to a different engine I would deem practically impossible, or very, very hard, time-consuming and cost-intensive. So no, not likely.
I am not familiar with PSO games and where and how they released, but I can read Japanese a little and the logo at 0:20m says "Cloud Game", which to me instantly sounded like a streaming service (the logo also looks like a servcie or feature logo, not like thje game title... ). To me this means that it will certainly not come to the West for infrastructure reasons alone.
Played it for 250h on Xbox 360. Got it again for PC (on sale) a couple of years later to replay it in higher Rez and once more sunk 150h into (mods were at fault, too). Got the Special Edition for free when it released (owning the original on Steam already it was a free upgrade of sorts) and have once more spent over 100h on it, this time in glorious 4K Ultra 60fps. Yes, it IS such an involving game, it's still fun to go this way and that and do quests after all this time.
However, I am now uncertain if I want to cough up the moolah and invest even more time on the Switch version. My current playthrough on PC is far from finished, and I remember too much from it too vividly still. Maybe in two or three years when it's a budget title. Don't get me wrong, I am still tempted...! It's just that good.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
You ALWAYS expect disappointment... and then you're always disappointed (self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts). This is a paradox however, because if your expectations are met, you cannot really claim to be disappointed, can you? - The strange and curious world of psychology...
EDIT: Oho, someone has edited their post without marking it. The text I commented upon previously read only "I expect disappointment..." and nothing else, just for the record (in case somebody wonders)... Gotta make a habit of quoting, just to be safe.
@yoshinatsu I fear the 10s will have little to do with it. All the 10s in the world don't help if the sales are still humble. How many of the greatest games in history were held in the highest regard by critics, but ultimately failed commercially? Can't blame a company for not continuing a series if they barely break even...
The same goes for a Switch port, I fear, though I can actually imagine two scenarios here: First one is "If it sells so good on 3DS, let's make a Switch port, too!", second one might be "Oh my, it failed miserably on 3DS (despite the good reviews), maybe it will do better on Switch...". In both scenarios it will also have to be determined how much it would probably cost to bring over, more so for scenario two, I would think...
I'm going to do my part either way. Have the special edition pre-ordered, though it's still uncertain if I'll get one. If not, the regular Cart it is.
Once again the people disliking the Switch for one reason or other are quite vocal, possibly with the goal of spoiling other people's fun. Sad practice, sad people I think (here's a thought: maybe they'd be happier if the owned a Switch? Could it posibly be envy? Though maybe not for the Switch per se but for the happniness...).
Looking over the comment section I decided that it's not worth getting worked up over most of the negativity here. According to the polls above they're a very small minority of not more than 7%, opposed to more than 86% who think it's actiually a great piece of gear. Nuff said. No reason to take them seriously (in regards to being "right" or "wrong" that is). It's their opinion, that's all nice and dandy, but they're apparently irritated that so few people share it, making them feel like (the) outsiders (they are). Is that maybe why they shout it out so loud and force it upon all the others who see it differently? Is it just fear of irrelevance perhaps?
If so, let's all just give them a pat on the back: "Don't worry, you may not like the Switch, but I think that (to someone) you're an important human being, too. We love you anyways!" <3
@greengecko007 Hey, a kindred spirit! When I wrote that comment I was sure I had read that somewhere, but I can't find anything about it for the life of me to confirm it at this time. Probably wishful thinking on my part then. Sorry. Didn't want to start a rumor. I don't think it's completely out of the question though, even if unconfirmed at this point. And if not, all the more reason to get a PS4 some day, if only for that game (though there are a small number of other exclusives I'd be interested in, too).
@Snaplocket Yeah looking forward to playing Automata. It's on my Steam wishlist, and time's on my side (with too much already to play in the meantime). I'll play it eventually, no doubt.
Haven't played Automate, but liked the original Nier a lot. Most games you mention are in my library, too, and a lot more, don't get me wrong. I was seriously into JRPGs in the past, and this didn't change completely, but there's so many other games of all sorts of genres these days competing for my time and attention, that a game's emotional impact really needs to stand out for me to count as a highlight...
Oh, I didn't mean to say that there aren't any JRPGs woth playing these days, but most don't have the emotional impact I felt with the three examples from the good old days (I forgot to mention Chrono Cross! One of the best JRPGs I've ever played; it may not have had the biggest budget in comparision with the Final Fantasies of the time, but it did have the biggest heart!)... Still, I love XCX, one of my favorites of all time is FF XII (looking forward to the PC HD remake), and I'm one of the few fans of Last Remnant, and this is only the tip of the iceberg...
@KirbyTheVampire Back in the day FF VII and Suikoden I and II were revelations for me (focused on story and well-written characters), but I guess they don't make 'em like that anymore... But they got me started into the genre, and I can still enjoy today's JRPGs for what they are, and there are still highlights every now and then.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I noticed that, too, but I'm not too concerned. They opted for a more simplistic style first of all, and that might be all it comes down to. It still looks beautiful. Day one for me, too.
This is also the heavy-hitter still to follow Odyssey, which you probably forgot about in your other post (I did, too). Otherwise I'm with you about a lack of info on any REAL highlights beyond holiday season (not counting Skyrim and Fifa, though to some degree they might have a little impact). Not too anxious about it, but one must wonder what comes next, beyond year one and until the probably still a ways off Metroids and some such.
"Currently, it’s popular among the early adopters..."
His definition of "early adopter" also seems to be off... Doesn't "early adopter" refer to a new technology in general, and not to a certain device? Like for example the first people to embrace VR, who bought an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive in the first few months (or even the DK versions before CV release) regardless of the price, before it becomes a mainstream technology?
Even if using a different approach to the definition of the term, i.e. if referring to an individual new product, it still doesn't feel right: In that case, to my mind, the early adopters would have been eveyrone who pre-ordered the thing even before release, maybe a few that were indecisive and got it a little later. But even then I think we'd be way past the "early adopter" phase.
I don't think that either of his statements hold much validity. Doesn't seem like he really knows what he's talking about, and possibly stuck in the past. Curious.
Then again, the games they produce appear to be stuck in the past, too, with little innovation for the past few iterations (not saying anything about the quality of what's there; the audience seems to be quite content with that), so why expect anything else from the CEO. It's at least some sort of consistency.
@Drommajin
But it is. Even in your scenario you have made a choice. You have decided, even if you're not happy about it, that playing THIS game on THIS console is so important to you that you're willing to make THIS compromise.
If you truly feel that this is unforgivable, then you must take your OTHER option, and that is to deny your desire to play THIS game on THIS console, and either don't play it at all or play it on a different system where there is no such issue. Or you don't buy it retail but download-only in the first place. That's already three simple options for you right there. Optional. Having a choice, that's what it means. And that's simply and plainly what it is.
Which of these three options you choose is ultimately up to you, but you will have made a decision, valid for you personally, and this decision is really based on choice and options. Or in other words: If there wasn't an option, I myself would have to buy the game if I liked it or not. But I don't have to make the choice you're making. I can decide differently. I will not buy the game. Period. This alone should sufficiently prove my point: two people with different decisions about buying the game (and ultimately one doesn't have to buy the Memory Card either). That's all it takes. Bam. Options.
So, to hopefully bring my point home (why is this still so hard to understand? it's a simple truth to my mind...), I'll make one last attempt with a somewhat drastic/exaggerated example: who's forcing you at gunpoint to play this game at all? And in consequence to play it on Switch instead of another system? AND to play the portion of the game that is download only (for which we don't even know yet what it will be)? (and just for argument's sake, you would even then still have a choice: you could take the bullet instead; a rough choice indeed, but a decision you could make nonetheless, depending on how much you really disapprove of this issue).
I don't know how this can be disagreed upon, seriously. One can disagree over whether or not the publisher's/Nintendo's decision to allow this is a smart move or not or if we like or dislike the thought (though we're actually in agreement on that point), but the fact remains that you do have plenty of choices, and anything game-related is completely optional. It's a luxury after all.
@Spustatu Thanks for the confirmation. Glad to hear I'm not alone.
But I guess understatement isn't all that popular these days (I know, "Welcome to the Internet...") with everyone trying to be as loud and in-your-face as they can... Personally I'm a great fan of understatement though, and this is a nice example.
@Drommajin My point is not if I'm fine with it or not. It's that we have a choice either way, no matter how this may evolve. We do have options.
For the record: No, I don't like this practice, and I thought I had made that suffciently clear in my first post already (second paragraph). I surely hope that it doesn't catch on, and it will only ever be games I don't want anyway.
To bring your statement that you're not fine with it and my statement that it's in fact optional (contrary to your earlier claim) together I can only repeat: Then don't buy the game. Show the publishr what you think about the practice and hope a sufficient number of other users see it your way and skip the game.
Because every single person interested in the game at all will make this decision: Am I okay with it to pay full price for a retail version of the game if it doesn't feature all content belonging to the base game on the cartridge and if I need an SD Card and download. There's a choice and decision process involved, i.e. buying the Memory Card is optional because buying such a game is optional, too. That's all I'm saying. I fear however that most will really not care enough to skip the games. And many will just get the download version anyway, so a major percentage might not be affected at all.
If I was interested in the game, I honestly do not know at this point what my decision would be, but I would still have a choice. But if I really, really want a game, I probably wouldn't let something like this stop me. I wouldn't like it, that's for sure, and I would probably just grudgingly accept the reality, because I can't help it either way. And if I decide that a game isn't worth making this compromise, I'll just skip it. It's not like there aren't thousands of other games I can still buy, play and enjoy. My backlog is several hundreds of hours long as it is, and the industry for some reason just keeps on adding more and more interesting choices/options by the minute...
There's a saying: "Change what you cannot accept, and accept what you cannot change!". Just whining about it does not do anything at all though (not saying that you're whining, don't get me wrong, but some people do... and make a habit out of it).
@Fake-E-Lee The 9/10 is well deserved in my opinion. It's a very polished game for what it's trying to do and be. Well worth the asking price if you ask me, also more than sufficient in length and replayability. For a few more details feel free to also review my response to the other guy above this post.
@Steelhead
Yes, it's a late reply... I just re-read the review after having played the game for 25+ hours and having almost completed everything (there's probably some 6+ hours in it until 100%, plus anything I will put into it after that, because the game's just fun to play)...
If you were tempted earlier, don't let a simple word get to you. I'm actually no friend of permadeath by default either, but in this game it's really a non-issue. That's because the campaign itself is meant to be played over and over again anyway, while one run is about 2-3 hours long (if you make it through to the end). The thing is that you get these commendation medals for each run, even if you don't make it to the end (you get more if you do of course), and you can exchange them for permanent upgrades, making each run a little easier. There is a distinct feeling of getting stronger each time, and your own skills (in terms of tactics) also increase with each run, so with later runs it can really feel like a breeze and you feel very powerful (unless your luck runs out on the board in terms of what sort of nodes drop). It is really VERY satisfying and leads to an addictive "just one more battle, just to see what my latest upgrades do" spiral...
Seriously highly recommended if it caught your eye in the first place. Don't let the permadeath thing turn you off. It's really not an issue at all with this game and doesn't feel like a restriction at all, if anything it just drives you to try again, and is not frustrating at all in my experience.
I do understand what the article is about in general, and I can see why some might be irritated (though I will probably never understand why some seem to feel personally insulted by such things and make it look like the end of the world). I also get how the very plain Lego Worlds icon irritates some users.
However, strange as it may be, on a personal/emotional level I find myself liking the understatement of the very plain hills (haha) for some reason. It gives me relaxed vibes (if that makes any sense at all).
I do not care too much either way, as long as it's not just the white on green smiley from the Nintendo guidelines, but really something unique from within the game, which stands out in contrast to all the other games in some way to make it recognizable.
@Drommajin Well, basically I do understand what you mean of course. You mean IF you're hell-bent on getting this very game and really cannot live without it, AND IF the extra content you need to download is precisely the one part of the game you can't do without, then you may in fact have to own a Memory Card. But before this there are two very strong "ifs", and that means options.
I can still decide if playing this specific game, or more precisely the portion that is not available on the Game Cart from the start, is worth it for me to get a Memory Card (if I didn't already have one). There's a decision and a choice involved. i.e. it is indeed optional.
Anyway, that's the status quo at this point, and we do not know if this catches on or not, we don't even know yet what portion of this or any other game in the future will be locked like that. So I choose to take a wait and see approach (there's another option right there... ).
@jimi That's exactly my point: You always have options, and if you care to review my original post and what exactly I replied to you can see what I mean. The original poster wrote:
"Owning a Memory Card for retail games should be entirely optional."
All I am saying that owning a Memory Card is indeed absolutely optional, because not buying a retail game that demands one is your option right there (or just playing the portion that is included on the Game Card, so there's actually even a thir option...). In fact, it is even absolutely optional to buy a Switch or play video games in the first place. So owning a Memory Card is in no way mandatory for anything. There was a generalized statement by the original poster I replied to, which didn't stand to the facts or the truth by any standards. That's all I wanted to point out. Some make it seem like you don't have a choice, but you do. You always do.
What you apparently do not get is that my post is not about me being okay with the practice or not. I am also not saying that we should keep quiet about this. I am saying that if you don't like it vote with your wallet and just do not choose this option they want to compel you to choose. Choose another. Because there is one, right in front of you. You may also just complain about it if it makes you feel better, but that doesn't change anything.
And once more, just for the record: I don't like it. I believe that everything should be on the retail Card, too. But claiming that owning a Memory Card would not be optional is just not true in any sense. That was and is my point.
@jimi Sometimes it helps to read past the first sentence of a post before replying. You wouldn't have to ask why I am convinced that it is indeed optional if you had read on, because I answered this question in the third sentence, and made it clear in a later paragraph that I am actually not a friend of this practice either (so your efforts to convince me that it's bad business are completely wasted, preaching to the choir so to speak, and you would have known that if you had read my post).
I'll gladly repeat it just for you (even though I can't be sure that this time round you've read this far, oh well): in response to the original poster's claim that buying a Memory Card was perhaps not optional, I'm just saying that as long as I have a choice, it's clearly optional. And I (as we all) do have a choice, with this specific game and of course with any (currently still fictional) future game that might employ this practice: Just don't buy the game if I don't have an additional Memory Card anyway, and don't want to buy one just for this game. It's a generally valid statement, but apparently some people fail to see this while feeling so comfortable in rage mode.
Plus, the choice of just not buying the game (again: this is your option right there) is basically the only way to show the publisher that it's a bad idea, too. So I repeat: choice = optional. If you don't buy the game, you don't have to buy a Memory Card. QED.
But please, feel free to rage on (even if completely besides my point). It 's only the purest logic and common sense you're trying to disprove. Meh.
@Drommajin "Owning a Memory Card for retail games should be entirely optional."
But it is entirely optional! Why? Because buying a game that demands an additional Memory Card (for part of the content) is entirely optional in the first place. Some here make it sound like this was suddenly true for all games from now on, I don't think that will be the case. And last time I checked no one was forcing me to buy a retail game with said note on it, i.e. it is still my decision, my vote, if I'm okay with this practice or not. In other words: optional.
I'm not saying that i like this development, because I would also prefer to have everything on the cartridge, but I also think that we do not even know yet how often this will in fact be a problem.
There is only one single game I know of that is exclusively running on the New 3DS, and boy were we afraid that this would be trend when it was first announced... But it remained being only that single one. I am sure that here it will probably not be such a one-shot (doesn't feel like it), but still I'd say put away the torches and pitchforks for the time being.
@AlexOlney Well, Wapeach I really don't know (it seriously makes no sense at all), but Waluigi actually makes a lot of sense from a Japanese wordplay point of view: With Japanese syllables Luigi would be spelled "Ruiji", and the Japanese word for "bad" is "warui". "Warui" + "Ruiji" = "Waruiji" or in English: Waluigi...
And Wario would probably also have been a wordplay on "warui", just in a different way.
Comments 302
Re: Random: Nineties Kids, Rejoice - Tamagotchis Are Making A Comeback
It's slightly unrelated, but it instantly reminded me of the PocktStation Chocobo Mini Game, for FF8 I think it was. Played if for hours, despite being really simple. Hard- and software followed in the wake of Tamagotchi, I think... The PocketStation didn't officially release outside Japan I think, so the hardware wasn't commonly used elsewhere (in games I had access to). Anyone else remember that?
Re: Gear.Club Unlimited To Offer 4-Player Local Splitscreen, 1080p At 30fps Gameplay
@Shiryu
Actually in my experience 30fps is not so noticable with camera movement that is basically limited to forward motion. With camera panning left an right, which doesn't happen in a racing game, (not where it counts), it gets harder to ignore of course. I'm willing to give the game the benefit of the doubt. TDU 1 and 2 certainly didn't run above 30fps either (at least on console), but the openworld (and Hawaii no less) made it worthwhile (to me it was like an exploration racer and that's how I played it) and I had several hundreds of hours of fun with them.
Re: Unity Working to Optimise Engine on Switch, Talks Up Success on Platform
@aaronsullivan
Cool stuff. Coincidentally I've just read that a sequel to this has just been released, made by director Neill Blomkamp. It's called ADAM: The Mirror... and a third part is already in the making.
Certainly a powerful engine imho. It is obviously only a matter of creative input and the willingness to really work with it (not just "use" it) in order to use it effectively.
To decide if it's a good engine I believe we need only look at what it can do, not at what has already been done with it. The latter tells us nothing about the quality of the engine itself.
And even then I daresay that no matter how we assess it, it's irrelevant (what do we know anyway... ), because the engine used does certainly not determine the quality of the game made with it.
EDIT: I'd call Neill Blomkamp a "regular user" by the way, extraordinarily talented perhaps, and a pro, sure, but game makers need to be talented pros, too...
Re: Unity Working to Optimise Engine on Switch, Talks Up Success on Platform
@ThanosReXXX
Isn't it though? Thanks for linking the in-engine (and actually in-game) trailer. I had heard people say before that Unity wasn't so good (only for mobile and ports of the same), and next I see this game, and I think "What are they talking about? This is absolutely stunning!". Granted it's only indoors and that might turn out to be an advantage, but the graphics are so polished, especially the item assets. They look photo-realistic when you pick them up, material quality and all, and that's no joke.
It was reported here on NL a few weeks back that it was to be ported.
Re: Unity Working to Optimise Engine on Switch, Talks Up Success on Platform
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
In terms of graphic fidelity the most impressive Unity title I've seen so far is Layers of Fear, which has been reported earlier to come to Switch (soon or soonish?). I am genuinely impressed with the level of detail, each time I fire it up on the PC. I think most of it will be carried over, minus the resolution perhaps.
Re: Digital Foundry Does a Deep Dive on the Super NES Classic / SNES Mini Emulation
@PtM
You mean that a company doesn't care if they've sold a million copies or only 50k and do not count sales? Of course a lack of sales is closely analysed (or "counted" to remain in this figure of speech). I'm sorry, but there is no doubt in my mind that a company very much considers the reasons why a game may have failed to meet their sales expectations. If they don't they won't stay in business for very long. If they draw the right conclusions from the figures is another matter.
Re: Digital Foundry Does a Deep Dive on the Super NES Classic / SNES Mini Emulation
@PtM @NinNin
Of course sales are counted. You can't do business successfully otherwise. Where do you think all the charts come from, and why they exist in the first place (hint: the figures are not compiled for entertainment purposes... )? Companies watch the sales of their products very closely to base future business decisions on. And just like every vote counts, every sale (or lack thereof) counts of course.
The difference between not purchasing a product out of indifference and "voting with your wallet" is that in the first case you're simply not interested in the thing, while in the second case you're basically interested, but some part of it rubs you the wrong way, so you decide against it (usually some business practices involved that you want to make a statement against, like micro transaction for example or putting out a game unfinished and buggy).
Re: Digital Foundry Does a Deep Dive on the Super NES Classic / SNES Mini Emulation
@impurekind
Sorry bro, you got it so backwards. You're right in one thing however: Yes, we do believe that you absolutely don't know what you're talking about. Partly because what you're proposing is against common sense, partly because of the way you fail to support you're theory, and partly due to how you argue (which involves not only cheap rhetorical tricks when your assumption is put to the test, but also uses contradiction instead of concrete arguments, not to mention getting offensive, when all else fails).
The beauty of it is that it's not necessary for us to have the first clue of the issue in order to justifiably doubt your theory, to put it to the test and ask you to prove it and present some hard evidence. That's simply because you're implying that you're smarter than the rest of us and know something we don't (the professionals at Nintendo included actually!), and all we need to say is: We don't believe you. We think that you're just as oblivious as any of us. How come you can make such a preposterous claim? Can you back it up? Or is it just hot air? I just need to say "no, I don't think that makes sense, it doesn't feel right", and I can do so without knowing anything about the numbers. Maybe I don't have the first clue (or maybe I do; though I dare say I have common sense), but that doesn't automatically mean that you're not an idiot, too (figuratively speaking of course).
It is still up to you to prove that you aren't, that you truly know what you're talking about, which - I can only repeat it - you have so far failed to do. Continually repeating that any of us need to disprove your theory does not make it true, and is the opposite of a scientific approach (or a successful business approach). It is also not how a serious discussion or argument is opened and held. It's just immature noise. Sorry for being so blunt, I apologize.
@MaSSiVeRiCaN @NinNin
Just to keep you in the loop. I told myself earlier to take my own advice, but I was weak... I will not engage in this any further, as it really makes no sense. (I mentioned Mark Twain and Bill Murray before; I'll add Dunning and Kruger...). "This is not an argument, it's just contradiction!" - "No it isn't!" - "Yes it is!" - "No it isn't!"...
Re: Digital Foundry Does a Deep Dive on the Super NES Classic / SNES Mini Emulation
@impurekind
That's just my point, isn't it? We do not have to prove anything to you. It is you who have to come up with the evidence to support your claim, which (so far) you failed to do.
Unless you can give us the hard, true figures how much it has cost (and continues to cost) Nintendo to give us what we got precisely, including R&D, production of the parts, assembly, distribution, marketing, etc., and then enlighten us with YOUR proven knowledge how much it would in fact cost to make the product you'd wish for (in truth, not by a wild guess without knowing any details what kind of effort is really involved, mind you), including some sort of plausible info why you have knowledge of these figures, there is no reason for any of us to take your claim seriously.
It's easy: Since you were the one who made the claim in the first place, it is your obligation to support it, otherwise it remains just a wild guess without any basis in truth or fact. There is no need for us to disprove your theory. If I would claim that the second moon around the third planet of Proxima Centauri is made of cheese (and say that everybody knows it and there is pretty much zero doubt about it, like you did), you would also be well advised to doubt this statement, and I am certain you would either ignore the statement as the utter nonsense it is, or ask me to present some solid proof, without which you couldn't take my assumption seriously.
You see, a theory is not automatically right until disproven. It's really the other way round. A theory remains only speculation (or in this case utter nonsense) until proven. It would be childish for me to say: "Hah, I am right, unless any of you prove to me that I am not!". It just doesn't make sense.
So please: It's your theory. Prove it, or just let it go if you can't. Anyway, time for me to take my own advice.
Re: Random: Odd FIFA 18 Glitch Leaves Players With No Face on Nintendo Switch
That's one of the Switch's exclusives and not a glitch: Morph Suit mode. Real players will start doing that soon, it's one of these weird fashion things like wearing shoes of different colors a few years back. And EA already's got that even before it's happened. And only in the Switch version, too! Aren't we the lucky bunch...
Re: Digital Foundry Does a Deep Dive on the Super NES Classic / SNES Mini Emulation
@MaSSiVeRiCaN @NinNin
Never mind @impurekind and his obviously uneducated/immature speculation (I understand it comes from wishful thinking, but it's unfortunately far removed from (business) reality as most people with more than a few years' life and work experience under their belts percieve it, I'm afraid; sorry bro).
You've just fallen into his rhetorical trap: In this discussion it's not you who is making claims and assumptions out of thin air, but him. If he wants to be taken seriously, HE needs to bring proof to the table, not just speculation, and trying to turn the tables by asking you to present some sort of "proof" that supports your doubt is a cheap parlor trick (easy to see from the outside, I might have fallen for it, too, if it had been me active in the discussion though). It's absolutely fair to doubt his assumption (I believe it's common sense even), but he's the one who needs to convince us (with actual facts and numbers that make actual sense), not the other way round.
Him saying that he will not prove anything unless you do, too, shows perfectly well that there's nothing but hot air, he has no real proof to back up his claim, and it's absolutely Kindergarten and not how a mature person argues (again, sorry buddy, but that's what it looks like from the outside).
Later it became even more apparent, when he tried to extenuate what he wrote earlier by admitting that it's only speculation, which is of course true. It's an opinion, but not a very well researched one, but one that just says "oh, wouldn't it be nice...".
Nothing he has written convinces me so far. I still doubt that Nintendo could have done any better without increasing development and production costs considerably, making it an unaffordable product.
I suggest to not play his game any longer. It is my belief that he knows he's wrong in the meantime, but of course he can't admit that anymore at this point. I understand that. It takes a person of a different caliber for sure. It's Mark Twain and Bill Murray in full effect at this point.
Re: Critically Acclaimed Title, Inside, Is Coming to the Nintendo Switch
Glad I didn't get in on Steam yet... Liked Limbo a lot, so this has been in my sights for a while. So the Switch version it will be! Looking forward to it.
Re: Bethesda Says DOOM And Wolfenstein 2 Are "The Start" Of A Nintendo Relationship
@NEStalgia #67
Nicely analyzed, as usual. Never considered this, but it resonates and feels absolutely right. Kudos.
Re: Bethesda Says DOOM And Wolfenstein 2 Are "The Start" Of A Nintendo Relationship
@HawkeyeWii
Judging from your second post I can see no conflict. It seems you have already decided, and it's a perfectly fine decision either way. That you don't even mention portability in either post (even though I'm not the only one hinting at that benefit of the Switch version) tells me you're not using the Switch as a portable much. If you're using it docked only (or mostly), I say you should really get the PS4 version. Because the advantage of the Switch version doesn't balance the downside in your case. It doesn't sound like it's worth it to you to make this compromise. And that's absolutely fine. So from what I gahther from your posts, it shouldn't be a hard decision really. Does that help in any way? (It actually should, because you're one step further if you say "yeah, I think you're right", and equally so if you think "bollocks, what does he know...")
Re: Bethesda Says DOOM And Wolfenstein 2 Are "The Start" Of A Nintendo Relationship
@HawkeyeWii
I know what you mean... sort of. If it's only about graphics, I can play multi-plat games in higher fidelity on my PC. In fact, even the PS4 version is seriously underperforming when compared to this (if I wanted to think in your terms). So it all depends on your point of view. And the PC version is actually cheaper than the PS4 version. Where does that leave your argument?
But what's more important: I can't take the PC or PS4 version on the go. So even though the Switch version has the drawback of lower fidelity graphics, it does come with another big advantage. So why not charge the same as for other versions, if the pro balances the con? You must just make up your own mind if you want to play the game only at home, or if you're tempted to also play it away from the couch and the TV.
Re: Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2 On Switch Make Use Of The Joy-Con IR Camera And amiibo
Great stuff. If only both games were included on the Game Card... not a deal breaker, especially with these play options, but a mild excitement dampener to me (like to some others).
Re: Reggie on How Nintendo Handles Announcements and Responds to Fan Input
I love being surprised. I think most people do, though children don't know that they do, so they snoop around their parents' bedroom to find out what they might get for Christmas, oblivious to he fact that they rob themselves of a ton of joy.
I also love to surprise people, and I love that Nintendo do it the way they do. People shouting and complaining and crying that they want to know everything beforehand often look like spoiled brats to me, like the child that throws a fit to force their parents' hand.
Some of my longest lasting and most pleasant memories related to new games or new hardware are connected with such surprises. Like the announcement of the first 3DS XL, which came in a Direct only a month before release. With the original 3DS's screen being so small, this was in fact a revelation, and it was awesome that they surprised me with the announcement (I never saw this coming; though today we are used to it and expect new iterations like that), and even more so that I had to wait only a month to get it. I remember my excited reaction to this reveal very vividly and fondly to this day, because it took me by surprise.
So yeah, please don't change your ways in that regard, Nintendo. True, trying to cater to the people's wishes without bending too much (and spoil their surprises; because they do love to be surprised, even if they don't realize it!) is difficult, so like for parents it's not always easy to find the right balance between appeasing them but still being able to surprise, but I think you're doing a good job, considering how the modern media have changed the way to communicate and tend to blow a few immature brats' whining way out of proportion...
Keep the surprises coming!
Re: First Impressions: Hell in a Handbasket - DOOM on Nintendo Switch
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
As most of the time you got your logic sideways. First of all, it's not mandatory, if you can play it with the Joy-Con, which you can. You may not be able to bring your A-Game as easily, and this might hinder the fun, but that's not the meaning of mandatory. It's a luxury that may improve your gaming experience, nothing more.
And even IF the Pro-Controller was mandatory and they hadn't included Joy-Con Support at all, it would not add to the console's price, but to the game's price!
Or rather spread accross all games you want to play, that play significantly better with a Pro-Controller, which is certainly not the majority (of the close to 30 games I have at this time, only for one it really makes a greater difference so far), and the more there are, over the more games the additional costs are spread. My Point being: If there are few games that necessitate this, your argument is flawed, and if there are many games that make you want to use the Pro-Con instead of the included Joy-Con, it is, too, because the additional cost per game you want to play with it is spread relatively thin.
Re: Random: Sports Stars Just Can't Get Enough Of The Nintendo Switch
Staged or not (I don't think it is), we all want the Switch to do well, don't we? This is good publicity either way and spreads the word to many a (so far) non-gamer out there, who may become interested. So no matter how you look at it, it's good.
Re: Nintendo Share Value Hits 9 Year High as Hopes Build for a Breakthrough in China
And suddenly those lifetime sales projections for Switch are that much more plausible...
Re: Shoot Some Pheromones When Gal Gun 2 Comes To Switch Later This Year
Incidentally I saw yesterday on Steam that there is a VR version of this, too... Was surprised that something like this would come from Inti... Not sure what to think.
Re: Layers of Fear: Legacy Will Bring Horror to the Switch Soon
@ricklongo
Thing is, that trailer does indeed capture some of how the game plays... As far as I can tell most of it are in fact snippets from the gameplay itself, believe it or not. This game is the absolute mindf***. Expect the unexpected, and then the game does something altogether different still. There are a few jumpscares, but the psyche is where the game plays out... Genius. And it's beautiful to boot (even if disturbingly so).
Re: The Latest European My Nintendo Rewards Have A Retro Theme
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
"They'd only be diarrhea anyway"
How appropriate. It would match your posts...
Re: Review: Puzzle Adventure Blockle (Switch eShop)
@Bunkerneath
Gotta rest your hand somewhere when it gets tired...
Re: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Is Coming To Switch In 2018
@countzero
I was actually wondering about that, because I'm in fact not so much into tech details usually (had only read that detail about id Tech 5 by chance), and wasn't aware that these two new games were running on a different engine. Previously just assuming that they're still using id Tech 5 I was very surprised about the announcement (from the little knowledge I have about the engine)...
EDIT: Considering the Digital Foundry assessment of Rayman Legends and their guess that the considerably longer load times have to do with file compression (was it half the size or even more?) and the additional decompression time, I now think it could be possible to fit it onto a 32GB Cart, with the trade-off of longer loading times... Though photorealistic textures cannot be compressed as much as cartoony ones of course...
Re: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Is Coming To Switch In 2018
@Koudai1979
I don't think this is gonna happen, due to the engine used. If I remember correctly it uses id Tech 5. Among other things it means that it uses VERY big textures that cover everything like a blanket instead of smaller, repeated textures. The upside is very diverse and natural looking environments, basically the whole level is painted as one huge artwork, the downside is huge file sizes (50GB+)... This is unlikely for Switch due to the Cart sizes. And porting it to a different engine I would deem practically impossible, or very, very hard, time-consuming and cost-intensive. So no, not likely.
Re: Nintendo Switch Is Getting A New Phantasy Star Online Game
What @yuwarite said.
I am not familiar with PSO games and where and how they released, but I can read Japanese a little and the logo at 0:20m says "Cloud Game", which to me instantly sounded like a streaming service (the logo also looks like a servcie or feature logo, not like thje game title... ). To me this means that it will certainly not come to the West for infrastructure reasons alone.
Either way, cloud gaming is not for me.
Re: Skyrim Begins Its Switch Adventure on 17th November
Played it for 250h on Xbox 360. Got it again for PC (on sale) a couple of years later to replay it in higher Rez and once more sunk 150h into (mods were at fault, too). Got the Special Edition for free when it released (owning the original on Steam already it was a free upgrade of sorts) and have once more spent over 100h on it, this time in glorious 4K Ultra 60fps. Yes, it IS such an involving game, it's still fun to go this way and that and do quests after all this time.
However, I am now uncertain if I want to cough up the moolah and invest even more time on the Switch version. My current playthrough on PC is far from finished, and I remember too much from it too vividly still. Maybe in two or three years when it's a budget title. Don't get me wrong, I am still tempted...! It's just that good.
Re: UIG Entertainment Has Switch Shovelware To Please Farmers, Firefighters And Horse Lovers
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
"Switch, the new dumping ground of shovelware..."
Nobody's gonna take the crown from Steam in this regard... Not now, not ever. Long live the old and new King!
Re: Feature: What We Expect from the Nintendo Direct - 13th September
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
You ALWAYS expect disappointment... and then you're always disappointed (self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts). This is a paradox however, because if your expectations are met, you cannot really claim to be disappointed, can you? - The strange and curious world of psychology...
EDIT: Oho, someone has edited their post without marking it. The text I commented upon previously read only "I expect disappointment..." and nothing else, just for the record (in case somebody wonders)... Gotta make a habit of quoting, just to be safe.
Re: Review: Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)
@yoshinatsu
I fear the 10s will have little to do with it. All the 10s in the world don't help if the sales are still humble. How many of the greatest games in history were held in the highest regard by critics, but ultimately failed commercially? Can't blame a company for not continuing a series if they barely break even...
The same goes for a Switch port, I fear, though I can actually imagine two scenarios here: First one is "If it sells so good on 3DS, let's make a Switch port, too!", second one might be "Oh my, it failed miserably on 3DS (despite the good reviews), maybe it will do better on Switch...". In both scenarios it will also have to be determined how much it would probably cost to bring over, more so for scenario two, I would think...
I'm going to do my part either way. Have the special edition pre-ordered, though it's still uncertain if I'll get one. If not, the regular Cart it is.
Re: Poll: Six Months of the Switch - What Do You Think of Nintendo's Console Hybrid?
Once again the people disliking the Switch for one reason or other are quite vocal, possibly with the goal of spoiling other people's fun. Sad practice, sad people I think (here's a thought: maybe they'd be happier if the owned a Switch? Could it posibly be envy? Though maybe not for the Switch per se but for the happniness...).
Looking over the comment section I decided that it's not worth getting worked up over most of the negativity here. According to the polls above they're a very small minority of not more than 7%, opposed to more than 86% who think it's actiually a great piece of gear. Nuff said. No reason to take them seriously (in regards to being "right" or "wrong" that is). It's their opinion, that's all nice and dandy, but they're apparently irritated that so few people share it, making them feel like (the) outsiders (they are). Is that maybe why they shout it out so loud and force it upon all the others who see it differently? Is it just fear of irrelevance perhaps?
If so, let's all just give them a pat on the back: "Don't worry, you may not like the Switch, but I think that (to someone) you're an important human being, too. We love you anyways!" <3
Re: First Impressions: Traversing Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
@greengecko007
Hey, a kindred spirit!
When I wrote that comment I was sure I had read that somewhere, but I can't find anything about it for the life of me to confirm it at this time. Probably wishful thinking on my part then. Sorry. Didn't want to start a rumor. I don't think it's completely out of the question though, even if unconfirmed at this point. And if not, all the more reason to get a PS4 some day, if only for that game (though there are a small number of other exclusives I'd be interested in, too).
Re: First Impressions: Traversing Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
@Snaplocket
Yeah looking forward to playing Automata. It's on my Steam wishlist, and time's on my side (with too much already to play in the meantime). I'll play it eventually, no doubt.
Re: First Impressions: Traversing Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Haven't played Automate, but liked the original Nier a lot. Most games you mention are in my library, too, and a lot more, don't get me wrong. I was seriously into JRPGs in the past, and this didn't change completely, but there's so many other games of all sorts of genres these days competing for my time and attention, that a game's emotional impact really needs to stand out for me to count as a highlight...
Re: First Impressions: Traversing Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Oh, I didn't mean to say that there aren't any JRPGs woth playing these days, but most don't have the emotional impact I felt with the three examples from the good old days (I forgot to mention Chrono Cross! One of the best JRPGs I've ever played; it may not have had the biggest budget in comparision with the Final Fantasies of the time, but it did have the biggest heart!)... Still, I love XCX, one of my favorites of all time is FF XII (looking forward to the PC HD remake), and I'm one of the few fans of Last Remnant, and this is only the tip of the iceberg...
Re: First Impressions: Traversing Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
@KirbyTheVampire
Back in the day FF VII and Suikoden I and II were revelations for me (focused on story and well-written characters), but I guess they don't make 'em like that anymore... But they got me started into the genre, and I can still enjoy today's JRPGs for what they are, and there are still highlights every now and then.
Re: First Impressions: Traversing Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
I noticed that, too, but I'm not too concerned. They opted for a more simplistic style first of all, and that might be all it comes down to. It still looks beautiful. Day one for me, too.
This is also the heavy-hitter still to follow Odyssey, which you probably forgot about in your other post (I did, too). Otherwise I'm with you about a lack of info on any REAL highlights beyond holiday season (not counting Skyrim and Fifa, though to some degree they might have a little impact). Not too anxious about it, but one must wonder what comes next, beyond year one and until the probably still a ways off Metroids and some such.
Re: Pokémon Boss Didn't Think Switch Would Be A Success In The Age Of The Smartphone
"...I thought that in the age of the smartphone, no one would carry out a game console"
Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't smartphone gaming been a "thing" with non-gamers for years now, and hasn't Pokémon Company produced several million sellers on handhelds during that time regardless? Such a strange and puzzling statement considering where it's coming from...
"Currently, it’s popular among the early adopters..."
His definition of "early adopter" also seems to be off... Doesn't "early adopter" refer to a new technology in general, and not to a certain device? Like for example the first people to embrace VR, who bought an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive in the first few months (or even the DK versions before CV release) regardless of the price, before it becomes a mainstream technology?
Even if using a different approach to the definition of the term, i.e. if referring to an individual new product, it still doesn't feel right: In that case, to my mind, the early adopters would have been eveyrone who pre-ordered the thing even before release, maybe a few that were indecisive and got it a little later. But even then I think we'd be way past the "early adopter" phase.
I don't think that either of his statements hold much validity. Doesn't seem like he really knows what he's talking about, and possibly stuck in the past. Curious.
Then again, the games they produce appear to be stuck in the past, too, with little innovation for the past few iterations (not saying anything about the quality of what's there; the audience seems to be quite content with that), so why expect anything else from the CEO. It's at least some sort of consistency.
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
@Drommajin
But it is. Even in your scenario you have made a choice. You have decided, even if you're not happy about it, that playing THIS game on THIS console is so important to you that you're willing to make THIS compromise.
If you truly feel that this is unforgivable, then you must take your OTHER option, and that is to deny your desire to play THIS game on THIS console, and either don't play it at all or play it on a different system where there is no such issue. Or you don't buy it retail but download-only in the first place. That's already three simple options for you right there. Optional. Having a choice, that's what it means. And that's simply and plainly what it is.
Which of these three options you choose is ultimately up to you, but you will have made a decision, valid for you personally, and this decision is really based on choice and options. Or in other words: If there wasn't an option, I myself would have to buy the game if I liked it or not. But I don't have to make the choice you're making. I can decide differently. I will not buy the game. Period. This alone should sufficiently prove my point: two people with different decisions about buying the game (and ultimately one doesn't have to buy the Memory Card either). That's all it takes. Bam. Options.
So, to hopefully bring my point home (why is this still so hard to understand? it's a simple truth to my mind...), I'll make one last attempt with a somewhat drastic/exaggerated example: who's forcing you at gunpoint to play this game at all? And in consequence to play it on Switch instead of another system? AND to play the portion of the game that is download only (for which we don't even know yet what it will be)? (and just for argument's sake, you would even then still have a choice: you could take the bullet instead; a rough choice indeed, but a decision you could make nonetheless, depending on how much you really disapprove of this issue).
I don't know how this can be disagreed upon, seriously. One can disagree over whether or not the publisher's/Nintendo's decision to allow this is a smart move or not or if we like or dislike the thought (though we're actually in agreement on that point), but the fact remains that you do have plenty of choices, and anything game-related is completely optional. It's a luxury after all.
Re: Random: This Minimalist Lego Worlds Switch Icon Isn't Exactly a Chip Off The Old Block
@Spustatu
Thanks for the confirmation. Glad to hear I'm not alone.
But I guess understatement isn't all that popular these days (I know, "Welcome to the Internet...") with everyone trying to be as loud and in-your-face as they can... Personally I'm a great fan of understatement though, and this is a nice example.
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
@Drommajin
My point is not if I'm fine with it or not. It's that we have a choice either way, no matter how this may evolve. We do have options.
For the record: No, I don't like this practice, and I thought I had made that suffciently clear in my first post already (second paragraph). I surely hope that it doesn't catch on, and it will only ever be games I don't want anyway.
To bring your statement that you're not fine with it and my statement that it's in fact optional (contrary to your earlier claim) together I can only repeat: Then don't buy the game. Show the publishr what you think about the practice and hope a sufficient number of other users see it your way and skip the game.
Because every single person interested in the game at all will make this decision: Am I okay with it to pay full price for a retail version of the game if it doesn't feature all content belonging to the base game on the cartridge and if I need an SD Card and download. There's a choice and decision process involved, i.e. buying the Memory Card is optional because buying such a game is optional, too. That's all I'm saying. I fear however that most will really not care enough to skip the games. And many will just get the download version anyway, so a major percentage might not be affected at all.
If I was interested in the game, I honestly do not know at this point what my decision would be, but I would still have a choice. But if I really, really want a game, I probably wouldn't let something like this stop me. I wouldn't like it, that's for sure, and I would probably just grudgingly accept the reality, because I can't help it either way. And if I decide that a game isn't worth making this compromise, I'll just skip it. It's not like there aren't thousands of other games I can still buy, play and enjoy. My backlog is several hundreds of hours long as it is, and the industry for some reason just keeps on adding more and more interesting choices/options by the minute...
There's a saying: "Change what you cannot accept, and accept what you cannot change!". Just whining about it does not do anything at all though (not saying that you're whining, don't get me wrong, but some people do... and make a habit out of it).
Re: Review: Ironcast (Switch eShop)
@Fake-E-Lee
The 9/10 is well deserved in my opinion. It's a very polished game for what it's trying to do and be. Well worth the asking price if you ask me, also more than sufficient in length and replayability. For a few more details feel free to also review my response to the other guy above this post.
Re: Review: Ironcast (Switch eShop)
@Steelhead
Yes, it's a late reply... I just re-read the review after having played the game for 25+ hours and having almost completed everything (there's probably some 6+ hours in it until 100%, plus anything I will put into it after that, because the game's just fun to play)...
If you were tempted earlier, don't let a simple word get to you. I'm actually no friend of permadeath by default either, but in this game it's really a non-issue. That's because the campaign itself is meant to be played over and over again anyway, while one run is about 2-3 hours long (if you make it through to the end). The thing is that you get these commendation medals for each run, even if you don't make it to the end (you get more if you do of course), and you can exchange them for permanent upgrades, making each run a little easier. There is a distinct feeling of getting stronger each time, and your own skills (in terms of tactics) also increase with each run, so with later runs it can really feel like a breeze and you feel very powerful (unless your luck runs out on the board in terms of what sort of nodes drop). It is really VERY satisfying and leads to an addictive "just one more battle, just to see what my latest upgrades do" spiral...
Seriously highly recommended if it caught your eye in the first place. Don't let the permadeath thing turn you off. It's really not an issue at all with this game and doesn't feel like a restriction at all, if anything it just drives you to try again, and is not frustrating at all in my experience.
Re: Random: This Minimalist Lego Worlds Switch Icon Isn't Exactly a Chip Off The Old Block
I do understand what the article is about in general, and I can see why some might be irritated (though I will probably never understand why some seem to feel personally insulted by such things and make it look like the end of the world). I also get how the very plain Lego Worlds icon irritates some users.
However, strange as it may be, on a personal/emotional level I find myself liking the understatement of the very plain hills (haha) for some reason. It gives me relaxed vibes (if that makes any sense at all).
I do not care too much either way, as long as it's not just the white on green smiley from the Nintendo guidelines, but really something unique from within the game, which stands out in contrast to all the other games in some way to make it recognizable.
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
@Drommajin
Well, basically I do understand what you mean of course. You mean IF you're hell-bent on getting this very game and really cannot live without it, AND IF the extra content you need to download is precisely the one part of the game you can't do without, then you may in fact have to own a Memory Card. But before this there are two very strong "ifs", and that means options.
I can still decide if playing this specific game, or more precisely the portion that is not available on the Game Cart from the start, is worth it for me to get a Memory Card (if I didn't already have one). There's a decision and a choice involved. i.e. it is indeed optional.
Anyway, that's the status quo at this point, and we do not know if this catches on or not, we don't even know yet what portion of this or any other game in the future will be locked like that. So I choose to take a wait and see approach (there's another option right there... ).
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
@jimi
That's exactly my point: You always have options, and if you care to review my original post and what exactly I replied to you can see what I mean. The original poster wrote:
"Owning a Memory Card for retail games should be entirely optional."
All I am saying that owning a Memory Card is indeed absolutely optional, because not buying a retail game that demands one is your option right there (or just playing the portion that is included on the Game Card, so there's actually even a thir option...). In fact, it is even absolutely optional to buy a Switch or play video games in the first place. So owning a Memory Card is in no way mandatory for anything. There was a generalized statement by the original poster I replied to, which didn't stand to the facts or the truth by any standards. That's all I wanted to point out. Some make it seem like you don't have a choice, but you do. You always do.
What you apparently do not get is that my post is not about me being okay with the practice or not. I am also not saying that we should keep quiet about this. I am saying that if you don't like it vote with your wallet and just do not choose this option they want to compel you to choose. Choose another. Because there is one, right in front of you. You may also just complain about it if it makes you feel better, but that doesn't change anything.
And once more, just for the record: I don't like it. I believe that everything should be on the retail Card, too. But claiming that owning a Memory Card would not be optional is just not true in any sense. That was and is my point.
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
@jimi
Sometimes it helps to read past the first sentence of a post before replying. You wouldn't have to ask why I am convinced that it is indeed optional if you had read on, because I answered this question in the third sentence, and made it clear in a later paragraph that I am actually not a friend of this practice either (so your efforts to convince me that it's bad business are completely wasted, preaching to the choir so to speak, and you would have known that if you had read my post).
I'll gladly repeat it just for you (even though I can't be sure that this time round you've read this far, oh well): in response to the original poster's claim that buying a Memory Card was perhaps not optional, I'm just saying that as long as I have a choice, it's clearly optional. And I (as we all) do have a choice, with this specific game and of course with any (currently still fictional) future game that might employ this practice: Just don't buy the game if I don't have an additional Memory Card anyway, and don't want to buy one just for this game. It's a generally valid statement, but apparently some people fail to see this while feeling so comfortable in rage mode.
Plus, the choice of just not buying the game (again: this is your option right there) is basically the only way to show the publisher that it's a bad idea, too. So I repeat: choice = optional. If you don't buy the game, you don't have to buy a Memory Card. QED.
But please, feel free to rage on (even if completely besides my point). It 's only the purest logic and common sense you're trying to disprove. Meh.
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
@Drommajin
"Owning a Memory Card for retail games should be entirely optional."
But it is entirely optional! Why? Because buying a game that demands an additional Memory Card (for part of the content) is entirely optional in the first place. Some here make it sound like this was suddenly true for all games from now on, I don't think that will be the case. And last time I checked no one was forcing me to buy a retail game with said note on it, i.e. it is still my decision, my vote, if I'm okay with this practice or not. In other words: optional.
I'm not saying that i like this development, because I would also prefer to have everything on the cartridge, but I also think that we do not even know yet how often this will in fact be a problem.
There is only one single game I know of that is exclusively running on the New 3DS, and boy were we afraid that this would be trend when it was first announced... But it remained being only that single one. I am sure that here it will probably not be such a one-shot (doesn't feel like it), but still I'd say put away the torches and pitchforks for the time being.
Re: Video: Let's Reminisce With 34 of the Most Infamous Bad Miiverse Posts
@AlexOlney
Well, Wapeach I really don't know (it seriously makes no sense at all), but Waluigi actually makes a lot of sense from a Japanese wordplay point of view: With Japanese syllables Luigi would be spelled "Ruiji", and the Japanese word for "bad" is "warui". "Warui" + "Ruiji" = "Waruiji" or in English: Waluigi...
And Wario would probably also have been a wordplay on "warui", just in a different way.