Comments 467

Re: PSA: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Is Surprisingly Cheap On The UK eShop Right Now

Mortenb

@Koda1000 Who should otherwise pay for the storage cost? Non-consumers? All costs are passed on to the consumer, always, including taxes. Except some times temporarily companies will pay added costs to stay in the market, but eventually they must make consumers pay the price of what they consume. If somehow they didn't that would be a huge problem, as resources would flow arbitrarily to whom ever complained the loudest, without them being willing to sacrifice other consumption. It would make decision making arbitrary. There is no other possibility for most consumables than having the consumer pay.

Re: Nintendo Announces Launch Line-Up For Switch Online Virtual Boy

Mortenb

Why not simply make some colored glass 3d glasses and have the option to simply play them without 3d? That could make it enjoyable to play these games. Who want's to strap their face in a machine to enjoy a game? It's ludicrous.
And 3d adds next to nothing to any game. It's just a gimmick, fun for 10 minutes. But it's just a distraction from what makes a game fun, and they should show respect to the games from this machine by liberating them from the nonsense.

Re: Switch 2 Predicted To Follow In PlayStation And Xbox's Footsteps This Year With "Global Price Hike"

Mortenb

@Axecon There is no "supposed to" in prices. Energy and labor costs drive prices over time. There is no easy answer to what something should cost, it's a constant negotiation between a whole bunch of parties. When the foundation changes, e.g. by the energy availability going down, taxes change, etc, prices change. The different producers have to fight over limited resources, choosing between making food, medical items, games, etc. The way they in the end make a decision of whether to make this or that, is by adjusting prices to the point where the demand is exactly so high that they ship exactly so many units that justifies them using all these resources on exactly this thing over everything else they could be used for, such that the investment compares favorably to all other possible investments, basically meaning that the customer satisfaction to resource use ratio is the best, meaning higher profits for the investor. It's not instant either, so usually the price effects lag a bit behind the catalyst, because thousands of contracts need to expire.

Re: GameStop Kicks Off 2026 By Reportedly Shutting "Hundreds" Of Stores

Mortenb

How does it make sense that Cohen would himself sabotage the market cap to prevent himself from getting that payout? Assuming he actually is CEO, and thus in charge of such decisions.
Unless the board have ordered him to, in which case I assume it's a breach of contract, and he could just sue them for the money regardless.

Re: Opinion: The Nintendo Console Nobody Wanted To Review Returns Soon, And I'm Here For It, Again

Mortenb

It's just so obvious it would fail. The reason Game Boy was good, was it's pocketability and whip-out-ability. No one would ever whip this thing on in public, obviously. Any parent observing their kids playing this, ought to forbid it immediately. It's bad in all ways, with no redeeming qualities of other game systems.
The only think it has going for it, potentially, is that 3D might be fun for 10 minutes. I can understand being excited about it back then, but really, it just sucks, get's in the way of gameplay, and even if you like it, the way this works takes away the entirety of the social aspect and possibility to show off and look at your friends play. It's so anti everything that made Nintendo cool, it's super weird they ever released it.
Trading carpal tunnel syndrome for neck and eye problems isn't worth it either, in my opinion.
I'm sure if they had given a bunch of kids this thing and a GB, and asked which one they wanted to keep after a week, everyone would pick GB. Even today, the most boring time one can have, is to watch your friends in a VR headset, and then swap. While watching each other play on the TV can be great fun.
Did Nintendo not think at all here? Did they perhaps ask some kids? If I were a kid I'd obviously love the idea of 3D back then and say I want it, but I also know I wouldn't be thinking of what actually made gaming fun, just be mesmerized about something new. It's the doing silly things together that makes it fun, the connection, the showing each other, looking at each other when something weird happens, etc. That's the fun, the tech involved is almost irrelevant, but a kid doesn't know this. As a grown up you'd realize after 5 minutes of watching a group of kids play this vs. a GB, I think.

Re: Lego Is Launching An Evolutionary 2x4 Smart Brick Featuring A Tiny Computer

Mortenb

The best short movie ever is a norwegian one called Arild and the invisible city, about a kid who plays lego even without the bricks.
I don't think adding this tech will make lego better as a toy at all. It might make it a great learning tool. But as a medium for childrens imagination it won't do much but distract them to think of how it works instead of dreaming.

Re: Microsoft On Its Gaming Business Going Forward: "We Want To Be Everywhere"

Mortenb

Gaming and video streaming actually have a lot of shared interests in keeping people consuming in general.
Their common enemy, if they both want to grow as large as possible is the same;
The magic life, flowers, birds, the full moon on a clear night, forests, neighbors, church, singing, playing music, tea and a fireplace, camp fire, etc. The true components of our shared soulscape are the events of life we participate in.

Re: Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Director Highlights The Speed Problem With Switch 2 Game Cards

Mortenb

Technically, this is an even bigger reason to use the physical cards. It would make this issue even less of an issue, if you put the game on the card and installed it from there.

Because then I could more easily load and unload the game to the ssd drive. And it would be a lot faster than with the optical media of other systems, and I wouldn't have to re-download all the time. Physical media would be a win win, technically.

It's the cost that is the reason. Or some weird policy from nintendo. Or both.

Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 For Switch?

Mortenb

I might get galaxy 2. Once I finish the first game, which I have in the 35 year bundle thing. The price seems okay, especially if I enjoy the first enough to be excited for the second.
I don't want to pay for the bundle, as I have the first game, so then its a bit steep.
I realize that Nintendo has to offer what makes the most sense to the largest consumer base, and not always target me in every decision, so no matter what, its okay with me. I'm not so addicted I can't say no without anger.

Re: Nintendo Is "Acting To Protect The Industry" With Switch 2 Game Key Cards, Says Ex-Capcom Composer

Mortenb

People for some reason think there is such a thing as the "right price".
That is a total myth.
There is only people who make stuff, and what you are willing to pay for it. End of story.
If you are stingy on what you pay, you get less, simple.
Costs go up, for many reasons, not least of which is taxes.
Any business exists as one of many choices the people involved could devote their talents towards.
You have to pay to make it worth it somehow, for them to be engaged in doing the thing you want.
Personally, I only want to use my resources towards my local church and neighbourhood.
But I do other stuff, like find oil more efficiently, and devotw my time towards that, because in the end, that allows me to contribute better towards my local community and church.
If I had talents in game making, I would make what ever decisions gave me more resources towards participating in my local church, choir, etc.
If you want my time, pay so much that what I'm paid gives me more opportuinity to help my local community, choir, scouts, etc. than my time directly would be worth for my local community (which I often do, like refurbishing, etc., which is the joy of my life, along with singing).
When ever people complain about prices for this or that, I hate it. Prices of development of anything, are what I demand in order to prioritize something in front of direct involment in my community, which means in the end I have to end up with more value for my community than that involvement. And even then, it's a sacrifice on my part, as direct involvmelnt is a much more enjoyable and relatable experience.
Actually, ***** for complaining about the price I require for providing you services rather than doing what I really like to do, singing, scouting, etc.
As a developer, though not of games, I am offended by the whole discussion. Just enjoy what you get, if you get it, at the price you get it, or don't pay and do something else. We have more important stuff to do, really, I mean it.
Not to say that what I do is so valuable. But I'm fortunate enough to sell my time to someone who really appreciates it.
This was a rant. There's probably a lot of nuance to bring, etc. But there's so high expectations it's insane. Prices have gone up, either pay more, or expect less, and calmly get the stuff that is worth it to you, there's no two ways about it. The complaining just makes everyone angry or disillusioned with why they even bother.

Re: Nintendo's Patent On 'Sub Characters' Could Have Some Dire Ramifications

Mortenb

It being registered, is not the same at it being valid. A judge can find it to not be a patentable thing, even though the patent office registered it.
But that's in theory, and just the threat of it possibly being held up, can be enough to scare off anyone from developing their own game doing something similar.
It's kind of a crazy situation. Patents should be for technology that is not understandable without the patent document, not for protecting ideas. And that's their intent, to encourage sharing the know how, not to monetize all kinds of random ideas you get while drinking beer.

Re: Ubisoft Employee Explains Why Star Wars Outlaws Is A Game-Key Card

Mortenb

@WoomyNNYes It has nothing to do with the game cards though. Other platforms have physical even though their physical medium is way slower.

It is apparently only because of Nintendo's policy to not allow installation of files from a card. Weird, as obviously it's allowed to install files from downloaded content. I wonder, ehy do they make this distinction?

Re: Ubisoft Employee Explains Why Star Wars Outlaws Is A Game-Key Card

Mortenb

@Jeronan The whole point of the article was that it was not about the cost of the cartridge, supposedly.

If the latter is true, that Nintendo prevents installing files, then the article should rather have focused on this. The fact that Nintendo has policies that prevent a game from installing anything onto local storage, which is forcing some to resort to key cards, even though they'd like to provide physical.

As it stands, the article gives the impression that there is some good hardware reason to not provide physical, that it has something to do with the read speed of the physical media, etc. Which isn`t relevant technically, as this particular developer would like to provide it on cart, it's relevant only because of Nintendo's weird policy.

Re: Best Donkey Kong Games Of All Time

Mortenb

I enjoyed DKC3 the most playing together with a friend. But nothing will ever beat the anticipation and awesome mystery of the original DKC as an experiance as a kid. There was something special about the event of that game arriving, seeing the commercials, saving up money, finally buying it, and being amazed. The music is sooo good, the athmosphere of the levels, amazing.
But DKC3 was so awesome in it's secrets and item swap and secret world and all that, so gameplay wise I must admit it is a better game, although it doesn't have the same athmosphere, nor does DKC2 for that matter. but they are all amazing games.

Re: PSA: You Might Want To Be Careful Buying Pre-Owned Switch 1 Games For Your Switch 2

Mortenb

Bah, this is seriously making me consider not getting a Switch 2.
You could buy a used game, and years later it could be blacklisted because someone has suddenly used a copy of it.
Sre, it CAN be unblocked, but then you'd have to go trough a big hazzle, and they might not believe you, otherwise why wouldn't everyone just claim to have bought used their cart and then copy it?
The whole reason for having a Nintendo isto own the physical durable carts, have a used market, etc.
If it's going to be like this, I'm starting to lean towards a steam deck or similar.

Re: Miyamoto Views Games As 'Products', Not 'Works Of Art', Says Ex-Nintendo Dev

Mortenb

The defining characteristic of games are rarely art, if at all. They are more like the rules of a sport. It's about how the rules allow an interesting challenge to execute moves within, where mastering it is the key component that makes it fun. This is essential to understand to make a fun game. I don't see how they are art, in the capacity of being a game.

However, many games fruitfully contain art like beautiful music, scenes and stories. And the game part can very much enhance the art experience, and vice versa.

It's sort of like playing chess in a beautiful garden with sculptures and music. It could very well be an improvement, but the art isn't the game. The art would remain if you did something else. And the game would remain if you removed the beautiful stuff.

But I'm a fan of mixing the two things together. I don't like it when the game is dumb and the art is beautiful though. That only distracts from the art.

Re: "It Will Have A Chilling Effect On Game Design" - EU Group Responds To 'Stop Killing Games'

Mortenb

It should be legal for anyone to do what ever it takes to get their thing running again, including copyright infringement (for that purpose only), if official support destroys the ability to consume something you bought. Not for games only. Potentially even to the extent of requiring companies to provide the information necessary.

Other than that, I think it's fair that buying a game that requires services, is a risk. You can't force people to provide what doesn't make sense. If you're the only one who buys a game and want to play it, a company can't be forced to keep million dollar budgets for you alone. That would mean no indie developers could ever take the risk to make an online game.

However, there ought to be a label that differentiates games where the main experience is meant to be self contained in the medium you buy, and once where you are really just buying access to an online service.

I don't like forcing behavior on anyone, but I support requiring proper labeling as to what is really being sold.

Re: Randy Pitchford Defends Borderlands 4 Pricing Comment

Mortenb

@sethfranum That won't lead to good things, no (though it is good in a way as it leads to better resource management of the harder to get to resources, so in that sense, but that is another matter entirely).
But in gaming I think it will lead to less shovel-ware, more prioritization, and for me personally, more incentive to buy only the stuff I'm going to actually play, whereas in recent years I've been kind of fatigued by overwhelming choice.
I remember when I was a kid, most people could only afford a game a year perhaps, and we'd visit each other for the chance to play one of them. Now everyone buys so many games it seems. To me it's s worse situation. There's less life and excitement, I feel. Could be I'm the only one though.

Re: Shuhei Yoshida On Higher Switch 2 Game Prices: "It Was Going To Happen Eventually"

Mortenb

I feel this is simply returning prices to what they were when I was a child. Of course not the number on the tag, but measured in my wages vs my parents wages, its probably still much cheaper than it was.
Prices in tech has been kept low by outsourcing to low wage countries.That is ending for several reasons. In addition economies output is lower, meaning those who have surplus must out down more resources to justify spending it on entertainment overload.

Re: Mailbox: Switch 2 Price Drops, Remake Replacements, Pokémon Acquisitions - Nintendo Life Letters

Mortenb

It's insane that MKW doesn't cost 10 times as much as the original Mario Kart. Development teams are much larger. Now that costs are rising, it's to be expected that costs will rise. The only reason they haven't for so long, even while all other prices have, is that tech costs have gone down, partially because of increased efficiencies, partially because of offloading production to China. Both of those are ending. Those who want to survive have to start olanning for how to survive. Nintendo has never been one to subsidize sales, so of course they are the first to raise prices. It's coming, wether we protest or not. All we can achieve by protesting loud enough is to postpone it a few months, and perhaps cause some smaller companies to go bust because they don't have big enough credit or savings to subsidize their sales. Alternatively to cause quality or length of games to be less, perhaps.