MrGawain

I get the feeling for the past couple of years Nintendo has shifted their attention to releasing the majority of their big games in the beginning of the year as opposed to focusing the big hitters in September, October and November. The truth is there are some great games coming early next year, but the end of this year has tailed off somewhat (although I’m looking forward to Bayonetta).

I get Pokemon will sell 10m units, but I think a lot of the apathy towards the direct was the lack of that alternate ‘under the tree on Christmas morning’ game like a Zelda collection or a Donkey Kong. Perhaps we’d have been more excited if this Direct would have been in late December showing what was just around the corner.

Unless it’s Action Comics no1 or something similar, most magazine print doesn’t hold it’s value in a digital age. I very much doubt anyone in 20 years being that interested to see Super Mario screenshots and adverts for Toys R’ Us. Open it, see the corporate opinions of Nintendo employees about these games, and file it away to show a child how video games used to be and then roll it up and swat them with it when they dismiss you for being a granddad.

Aren't they ditching the Yakuza name anyway? I thought going forward they'd be calling it like a dragon.

Used to get a migraine playing Goldeneye with my friends.

The real greatest game on the N64 was firing a little man out of a cannon and into a wall in Pilotwings.

I've played and completed Octopath, Bravely Default 2, and Triangle Strategy on the Switch. Personally I think Square's style of these games has become a little formulaic, and they're releasing them a bit too thick and fast.

Amazon recently updated their listing from 'we don't know when...' to 'Dec 31st 22'.

I'm guessing it will be on shop shelves one day without an Internet announcement.

New stuff coming.

2023.

I watched the UK extended version on YouTube. The usual UK voiceover was oddly far more family friendly and wholesome.

Not entirely sure the point of adding characters to an RPG that don’t tie into a story after you’ve finished it. For me the extra story will have to look exciting for me to buy the DLC.

Seems like a well put together, fun game worthy of the score… BUT… if you’ve already played the other two in the last 7 years I wonder if it covers too much old ground?

And that’s the challenge of rating a sequel if you do so encompassing it’s evolution on the previous games or if you do so in a vacuum?

I’m guessing worries of Tencent’s influence to Nickel and Dime the consumer (it’s in the name) is a moot point when Ubisoft is the company model they’re investing in. Also guessing with some of the recent accusations Ubisoft won’t be under pressure to sack anyone they don’t want to with this deal.

Seems like a match made in heaven and/or hell!

As a Wii U owner, I got to complete both very recently. With the way the world is at the moment I’m being a little more discerning about my gaming purchases so I can spend all my cash on sweets and hats instead.

The games I have bought this year: Arceus, Triangle Strategy, Kirby, and Xenoblade 3 have all been so good and kept me amused. At the moment I’ve only got my eye on Bayonetta 3 to round out the year. That may change.

Looking at previous years on the Switch, it seems to me there could be space for one more big first party game at Christmas. Realistically I don’t think Nintendo would log jam the holiday with two GameCube re-releases. It could be one or the other, or neither and something else. Also is releasing a Zelda collection a good move being so close to the likely March release of BOTW2?

Seeing the Switch is a JRPG machine, it would make sense for a beloved long missed game like Suikoden to get a collection or in a miracle a new game.

So I’m guessing a Pachinko Frogger game.

I would love if they put their boxed base games without the DLC labelled as Amazon Basics.

Didn't we have this speculation with Birdo in 1988?

I used to love Disgaea, but at this point I think I have Disgaea poisoning as there's been so much. I think you can play 10 Disgaea or Disgaea spinoff on the Switch alone.

Let’s dream of a world where we pay more for less!

I think they try to have the box a certain size so it catches the eye on a retail shelf. But Nintendo know people are aware of the Switch and are going to buy it, so that doesn’t matter so much.

Let’s say you can fit 300 Current Switch boxes on a pallet. If you reduce the size of the boxes by 1/3, you can get another 100 Boxes on that pallet. By doing so, you’ve reduced your shipping overheads, which means if the prices of the semiconductors go up, you can pay for some of it with the money you save on the shipping.

I wonder at this point what remains beyond the name? I can remember playing games as a kid that had Sunsoft’s logo come up, but I can’t actually remember what games they were. Perhaps the licensed games?

When Splatoon 1 came out it was the most original game to come along for years. 2 was more of the same with only the Octo expansion making it unique. This just seems more of the same without anything for me to sink my teeth into, so I’m skipping it. That leaves a maybe for Mario Rabbids 2, and a definite for Bayonetta 3 for me this year.

Not entirely sure why anyone would be excited that they’re going to be charged more later down the line for stuff we don’t know isn’t in the game at launch?

Think about these 3rd party publishers- EA,, Ubi, Sega, Warner, Activision, Bethesda…

…they’ve either had part or all of their business recently sold, or have been rumoured to be looking to sell.

Maybe the game making business isn’t as profitable as it once was?

Looks good, but there are A LOT of Tactical RPG's this year.

If there were 2 equal candidates applying for a Nintendo job, but one had a name similar to a Nintendo character- which one would you hire?

It would be dependent on internet connectivity. Not convinced all the world can trust in that yet.

Personally I’m not worried about it.

If it isn’t worth it, I won’t buy it.

If you’ve ever been threatened by a soft toy, please call the action against menacing plushies helpline.

If you’re hoping to make any art- music, painting, sculpture, literature, dance, film, or even video games- you would hope it makes your audience feel something. I’ve played video games that have depressed me, I’ve played video games that have cheered me up. I even had one 7 hour session with Arkham City that made me want to jump out my car and fight a random gang of teenagers on the street that we’re all wearing Orange anoraks (I resisted the urge).

Because if this stuff didn’t feed our emotions, why would we bother?

I think the public opinion of Bayonetta is far worse than it actually is. It’s not like there is actually nudity in the game, just the implication that she’s in the nud when the monsters fight. Bayonetta is definitely sexual, with her language and movement, but it’s more Carry On than 15 Shades of Grey. Games like the Witcher and Grand Theft Auto actually have nudity and sex in them, but for some reason the media talks a lot less about it being shocking.

I guess the fact Platinum haven’t had that legitimate hit game that sells faster than they can print it means they’re trying to make things more acceptable to the video game buying public. I think they may be barking up the wrong tree about making their sales better with this solution.

@Clyde_Radcliffe

https://youtu.be/-nODZila7ME

Really not convinced by any ‘Nintendo Insiders’ on Twitter after Jon Cartwright showed how easy it was to fabricate correct guesses a while back.

If it comes from Nintendo, I’ll believe it.

I loved the Inazuma 11 on the DS. But I wonder if the series can move to another platform without that play mechanic?

How dare Nintendo have morals, class, and respect. We want our port of a GBA game about tanks invading countries!

The cynic in me thinks they want Switch owners to pay for all the extra pointless stuff after it was given away for free on PS+.

I never get why you’d want to own a statue of a character or and art book from a game before you’ve actually played it and like it.

It’s an advert, it only works if you’ve got enough to advertise.
If Nintendo had a direct with a Bayonetta 3 release date, a Kirby mini game, and Pokemon Puzzle league I can imagine the internet having a hissy fit.

The ‘Dog’ thing seems to be Cereza’s Toy Cat Cheshire come to life.

After hearing several rumours about certain games being shelved due to current world events, I wonder if Nintendo just split the Direct up into individual announcements?

This is my most anticipated game of the year.

It looks like it’s still coming this year then.

No interest in this, but I’ve been obsessed with the BBC web browser Dr Who tile game since lockdown started. I don’t even like Dr Who.

The biggest problem I have with Ubisoft sequels is they tend to be very similar to the game before, but it does look like they've tried to alter several things with this Mario+Rabbids.

Oh the irony that you will know our names, but find you don’t actually know the thing that is being named.

I wouldn’t be surprised that there’s just more cutscenes in Mario and Rabbids than the first one seeing the trailers.

No Wendy Oldbag? Objection!

If it’s this or another Call Of Duty, then hand me a glass of cool aid!

I think Nintendo sees their output as a variety of different game mechanics. You’ve got the Action Adventure game in Zelda, the Turn based RPG in Pokémon, the Real time strategy in Pikmin. Then you have a variety of difficulties in platformers- DK is tough, Mario is moderate to tricky, Yoshi easy to moderate, and Kirby is easy. And each platformer has a character that can do a different set of actions. Each franchise has to have it’s own place in the market and not step on another’s toes.

When you think about F-Zero, it looks different to Mario Kart, but Mario Kart has taken a lot of the mechanics that were unique to F-Zero. F Zero has sold 6 million games in the complete series, MK8 alone does that in a lunch break. I honestly think if Nintendo could come up with a racing game that was different enough from Mario Kart that was fun they would release it.

If you've got cash in the bank, it makes more sense to buy raw materials that may see a massive price increase or may become unavailable. No ingredients, no cake. Or in Sony's case- microchips, no PS5.

I think this is just every day business and not a big new project.

I would imagine all Live Service/Micro Transaction/Free To Play games are under the same customer scrutiny as TV streaming services. Customers don't want uncertain costs each month from a mobile game. I would think the very popular ones like Pokemon Go will survive and the market will be much leaner.

I loved the past Monkey Island games. I’m not particularly a fan of the ‘this could be the last game if’ scenario to push people to buy it. I’m guessing they put a lot of effort getting the name back from Disney, so I question why it would be limited to a single game?

I’m currently playing Beyond a Steel Sky which is fun, but I must admit the point and click formula is perhaps a little antiquated now, as the puzzles are a bit random instead of logical. That will be the true test for Monkey Island.