@HeadPirate Good catch, almost certainly for Switch 2 manufacturing. Digital Foundry ran a feature video in November 2023 which fairly convincingly pointed to the Tegra T239. Specifications from Ampere architecture and Ada Lovelace backport, with a few customized features such as a new file compression engine (exactly what a gaming console needs), describe a plausible feature set for Switch 2 hardware to a tee. Pulling from a currently 4 year old architecture is an expected technology gap for a new Nintendo hardware release.
However, considering Ampere is not natively backwards compatible with Maxwell, and Nintendo compiling shader code that stripped out future compatibility in exchange for better operation on the Switch, this does open questions as to how Switch 2 would support backwards compatibility with Switch games. We'll have to wait and see, but it would probably need some OG Switch hardware accompaniment onboard since it wouldn't work by accord of the new hardware by itself. Which if true means we're looking at a console that will retail for more than the $350 that Switch OLED launched at.
@Dr_Lugae That's 20-30% of monthly gross income (money earned before factoring in taxes) minus essential living expenses. So that's actually more than it sounds like. Bowser was making about $40,000 annual income, so deriving from that, its $12,000 annually before taxes minus living expenses, so perhaps more like $6,000-$7,000 annually all told; then when you factor in provincial and federal taxes, likely and possibly unexpected medical fees due to his health issues, being partially handicapped...
Yeah. It all adds up. He's getting up in age and has no big money plans coming down the pike, so very high possibility he will live low income for the rest of his life, relying on donations to cover living expenses so he doesn't go into the red.
On the topic, I read the transcript for Darknet Diaries Episode 136. To describe Gary Bowser as a mere "hacker" does not remotely begin to scratch the surface of his history and accomplishments going back to reviving Texas Instruments machines that went out of support after the '83 crash. His expertise is quite remarkable, and it is a great loss for his skills to not be recruited and instead criminalized in a draconian manner.
Gary Bowser is a man from an era that can scarcely recognize this one. It is a sign of the times that big banks and other large institutions can be bailed out and essentially get away with ruining peoples' lives, but a single man can be hunted down and treated as if he were a murderer for the crime of making computer hardware more versatile in a way their manufacturer does not condone.
That said, the fact he was wanted by Interpol is an indication that some of the felony charges against the group he worked with (including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the rest were due to the stuff Nintendo didn't like) were serious enough to warrant action, but he was the only one Interpol could actually find. Bowser was able to drop his charges down to 2 by distancing himself from them and coming clean.
@shining_nexus @Ryu_Niiyama Returned after a long hiatus to respond to this... This glamorization of the stock market is not an accurate representation of reality for millions of people. My father invested during the dot com boom in the late 90's, received financial advice on investing in tech companies, and it lost the family over $150,000 all told when the dot com bubble burst. No, this is not an exaggerated figure. No, his investments were not made lightly, he's one of the most absurdly attentive people when it comes to money of anyone I've ever known.
"Well, don't put all your eggs in one basket." My father didn't, he had big investments in what he was told by a professional looked good and smaller ones across multiple industries.
This led to multiple fights between my parents that resulted in a very bitter divorce, and my mother went $12,000 into debt after leaving him (and taking care of my sister and I) to pay for our needs, which she was eventually able to pay off with her job after remarrying.
All the money my parents and stepfather accrued over the years was due to hard work- but just that. The stock market has overall been nothing but a blight upon my life and my immediate family. The only reason it wasn't worse was because of the money earned from their jobs before those losses.
The stock market only works for those who are incredibly lucky (gambled and won), happen to ride an occasional wave at the right time (e.g. investing in AMD in 2016, when value was low before it shot up after Ryzen released) and getting out while the getting is good, or those who are... already ridiculously wealthy. It does not work for millions of people. If it worked for everyone, there would not be such a massive wealth gap in the US in particular.
My earlier life would have been a lot less painful if the stock market were never a factor. I sincerely hope people do not read such positive sentiments as yours and arrive at the conclusion that perhaps they too will build significant wealth over time if they "invest wisely," because the effect of the stock market on regular people is often far more cruel than this sentiment recognizes.
@Ralek85 It sounds like you're just complaining about not getting a certain level of glitz and glamour. Which sure, TMS#FE had in spades, yet lacked in gameplay fluidity. E.g. why were Session attacks made to have long, unskippable animations? This pretty much means every time you want to hit a weakness using them, that's time you have to spend waiting around- adding up to possibly tens of minutes to over an hour over the course of the whole game. Long, unskippable animations are a relic of a bygone era. So what if they look nice, if they hinder your progress? Not all that glitters is gold, so to speak.
Gameplay is king, and IMO based on the Treehouse presentation/playthrough, SMT V seems to deliver on gameplay without bucking series conventions.
That's right. Only 400 Pokemon are currently available in Sword & Shield. (Junichi Masuda himself said only Pokemon in the Galar Dex can be transferred.) Any Pokemon not on this list cannot be transferred at all (or at least not for the time being), and Pokemon and forms that are foreign to Galar must be transferred from the Pokemon Home service, which won't be available until 2020. The only foreign Pokemon known to be transferable at some point is Mew. Also, no Mega Evolutions.
@KingBowser86 I can see your point. Although, it's nonetheless very odd that Pokemon like Absol/Mega Absol (which uses a blade-like appendage to attack) and Shieldon/Bastiodon (which is literally the Shield Pokemon) are missing from Sword & Shield. Why are Pokemon whose function is akin to the namesakes of this generation left out?
Also, they left out the Jigglypuff line. That's like... okay, maybe I'm biased. But that just seems inexcusable. How can they leave out one of the Pokemon that has been a mainstay in the Smash Bros series?
And that's not all. Charmander was the only previous starter to make it in. That's right. No Bulbasaur, no Squirtle, no Gen 2-7 starters. This is just... why???
@KingBowser86 Subpar technical details are disconcerting, but I think the most egregious issue here is not being able to transfer every Pokemon in the series history into Sword & Shield, whereas it was possible up through Ultra Sun & Moon. There are people paying money for a storage service that allows said transfers, yet some Pokemon will not be transferable to Sword & Shield, because they're not in the Galar region Dex, and may not have even been coded into Sword & Shield.
Furthermore, customers will have to buy into yet another storage service, Pokemon Home, which can receive transfers from Pokemon Bank. But that won't be available until 2020. Let's Go players will not be able to directly transfer Pokemon into Sword & Shield, they must wait for Pokemon Home to be released, then pay into that service. No local transfers, it's all cloud-based.
So what we have here with Sword & Shield is a more restricted ecosystem for transferring Pokemon from past entries than ever before. The sheer number of Pokemon is no excuse, given the improved hardware of the Switch compared to New/3DS. Even though it's been 2 years and 8 months since the Switch released, Sword & Shield still somehow has a feeling of being rushed...
All of the "don't like it, don't buy it" comments are among the more infuriating staple fare from the NL comment section. If we follow this logic to it's conclusion- "shut up, don't be entitled, don't like it, don't buy it"- that's not going to send a message of, "Hey, we like your series, we just dislike some of the aspects which need improvement." It sends the message of "We aren't interested in your series anymore," which if this happened to mainline, could "Pokemon Go-ify" the series, in an attempt to draw a new audience.
You know what sends a better message? Buy Sword &/or Shield used instead of new, and don't buy any DLC. You still legally purchase the game/s, show interest in it, and contribute to the economy. But you're not giving Nintendo/Game Freak/et al a dime for all their efforts. On top of that, DON'T shut up, and DO voice your (valid) criticisms and distaste online. That's what sends the message that needs to be heard. Not this "don't like it, don't buy it, don't be an entitled whiny brat" nonsensical BS.
Employee Resource Groups, including: "Women and Allies; Supporting and promoting diversity and inclusion for women through leadership, networking and professional development opportunities."
Nintendo isn't perfect, no company is- but it would seem it's modern form is a cut above, by representing how a big company should treat their workers in the 21st century. (Now if only they would get onboard with other industry leaders in reporting on their materials sourcing for parts, to address the issue of conflict minerals...)
@impurekind Lots of very good points. There was a time, long ago, when I wanted to be a Game Designer... Then I learned a little more about how the industry really works, and I was turned off and wasn't sure what to do with my life for a while. I appreciate you relaying some realities of the industry here.
I was having a bit of an argument with someone last week on this topic of average salaries, in particular regarding Amazon HQ2... They believed that using an average was a fair indicator of the health of a company and the wages of their employees, while I posited that the median salary is a more likely (if imperfect) ballpark indicator of where the center lies for a range of wages that the average employee at a company actually makes, even if it doesn't necessarily factor in the wages of higher end job positions.
(Another wrinkle being that the wages of most positions has often been overstated- $150k/year average was bandied about for HQ2, even though most of the job positions make under $100k, while the few top positions realistically won't tend to crack $141k or so. So obviously $150k average is impossibly high in that case, unless that number is heavily skewed by a few higher ups.)
Is it inaccurate to say the median is a more likely (if imperfect) indicator range of salaries than a raw average, and if so, is there a better indicator which I'm missing?
@Giygas_95 I agree with you that Nintendo has been hesitant to bet on most traditional RPG's for their home consoles ever since the N64 era, especially outside Japan. (This includes Mother 3.) However, they have been more open to RPG's in general on portable consoles, and action RPG's since the GCN have seen steady releases. With the Switch having elements of a portable console, and international releases of titles like Octopath Traveler (the type of RPG which likely would not have been considered for international release from N64-Wii U eras), there is now a renewed acceptance of traditional RPG's.
As for Paper Mario going the Sticker Star route, if anything, that actually creates a greater opening for Super Mario RPG to return. Back in the N64/GCN entries, Paper Mario was endeared to the RPG genre enough to make Super Mario RPG seem fairly redundant. Paper Mario for N64 was even listed as "Super Mario RPG 2" for several months in Nintendo Power previews.
But now, the Paper Mario series has veered so far away from the conventions of the RPG genre that it barely qualifies as one anymore. The Paper Mario series is now utterly distinct from Super Mario RPG, making the two no longer redundant. Miyamoto is another obstacle here: he was responsible for killing the originally intended story of Sticker Star. If there were any time to start planning a Super Mario RPG reboot, right now is finally that time.
@Giygas_95 Furthermore, Super Mario RPG actually sold over 1 million copies on the SNES in Japan, whereas it had a limited release (or none at all) elsewhere, not even cracking 1 million sales in North America. (Mainly because there weren't so many copies to be had!)
Super Mario RPG sold better than the original Kid Icarus in Japan. So if Kid Icarus deserves to be rebooted, so does Super Mario RPG. Yes, legal entanglements make it difficult to do anything other than port the original game... But I wouldn't say it's impossible. Other old IP's which had heavy legal entanglements like Day Of The Tentacle and Grim Fandango finally got remastered. Such hurdles could be overcome for Super Mario RPG, too.
@Giygas_95 Uprising was a huge hit in Japan, with tens of thousands of copies associated with new console sales during the game's first week; by December 2012, over 316,000 copies were sold in Japan. It was not quite so popular in other regions. Nevertheless, by April 2013, Uprising had jumped up to 1.18 million copies sold worldwide and counting. So Uprising was definitely a 3DS system seller, and bringing Pit back was worth it.
Development of Uprising began before 3DS dev kits existed, using PC's and even the Wii dev kit. Pit was reinvented in his current anime-style form for Brawl in time for his announcement as a playable character at E3 2006, to increase his popularity leading up to his series reboot. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to include him as anything more than an assist trophy in his original cartoony form.
@BensonUii I would love that, but considering they relegated Lyn to assist trophy status... I wouldn't expect anything more than that for Hector, unfortunately. I wonder sometimes why they chose Ike for Brawl instead of Lyn... Ike is yet another blue-haired sword fighter; we already had one in Marth. Now Smash is littered with blue-haired sword wielders!
Lyn is still a sword wielder, but at least she uses a katana (Mani/Sol Katti) instead of a long sword or broadsword, and would have had a much quicker fighting style. As a Sacaen, Lyn also has access to bows to mix it up. (Could have potentially used Murgleis.) She could have been a Bow Lord. After all, the closest ones Smash has to archers/rangers are Link, Pit, and Samus...
@AlexSora89 Vivi would have been an AWESOME choice! The FF Black Mages are far more iconic to the series than Cloud himself, and what better representative than Vivi? Granted, he hasn't previously been featured outside cameos in Theatrhythm, Pictlogica, etc. on Nintendo consoles, but that's virtually the same deal as with Cloud anyways.
Black Mages in general have been in FF games since the NES original. Smash could use a heavy-hitting magic wielder- there are FAR too many sword wielders! I think Cloud was only chosen due to the trendiness of FF7.
Also, Chocobo would have been a more interesting "joke character" choice than Piranha Plant... Complete with 8 of the various Chocobo breed feather colors!
@Darknyht Well, that was 1.76 million copies of Kid Icarus for NES shipped worldwide by late 2003. Those copies didn't necessarily all sell, nor in a timely manner, during the prime of the NES years.
So... Kid Icarus was a nearly forgotten, buggy NES game, which was deemed to be unworthy of continuation after the Game Boy entry for nearly 15 years, until Pit was announced for Brawl at E3 2006... who was somehow supposed to be celebrated in lieu of other choices?
Nah, I don't buy it. Decision makers at Nintendo decided to reboot Kid Icarus, regardless of not making much of an impact in the past. Development of Uprising began before 3DS dev kits existed, using PC's and even the Wii dev kit.
Pit was made into a playable character in Brawl to increase his popularity in preparation for a series reboot. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to change his appearance, and be made into a playable character. He could have just been in Brawl as an assist trophy, represented by his original cartoony incarnation.
@thesilverbrick What about Pit? Before he was announced for Brawl at E3 2006, wasn't he nothing more than a mere footnote in the history of the NES and Game Boy? Sure, he had a couple of his own one-offs, but until he was reinvented for Brawl and Kid Icarus 3DS, he was a nobody.
@Giygas_95 Imagine if Nintendo actually held that line of thought... No Kid Icarus for 3DS, or any other major revivals. Until he was announced for Brawl back in E3 2006, Pit was a mere footnote in the NES and Game Boy libraries, with almost no lore or character development, much less any significant fan base. (Whereas A LOT more people knew Geno, and supported fan bases surrounding him.) Should he have just "stayed in the past" and not come back?
@yuwarite What about Pit? Remember how he was a nearly forgotten footnote in the history of the NES and Game Boy, until he was announced for Brawl out of nowhere back in E3 2006? Almost no one knew who he was. Sudden revivals of obscure characters absolutely can happen.
@CalTonTheRobot Agreed, while these petitions may not drive decisions, publishers and developers do have a history of taking petition campaigns into consideration. A notable example of this is Operation Rainfall. In that case, Reggie said that while it wasn't a decisive factor in the release of Xenoblade outside Japan, Nintendo did take the petition campaign into consideration. Soraya Saga, the writer for Xenogears and Xenosaga, as well as for Mistwalker, also supported Operation Rainfall's actions.
So yes, publishers and developers DO pay attention to petition campaigns which gain traction. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise with their claims of "entitlement!"
@Samsamsam 100% agreed, there's a point where it becomes [dull] to add so many sword fighters into a title that's supposed to celebrate the immense diversity and span of Nintendo's history in gaming. (The roster should positively be more droll!) Nintendo should just make a Fire Emblem fighting game to accommodate them in the style of Soul Calibur or Samurai Shodown, and opened up spots for other characters into the Smash roster.
I wonder if the reason why there's so many Fire Emblem characters is just to satisfy trends, and draw in Fire Emblem Heroes players. Additionally, Cloud is just in to promote the Final Fantasy ports, since he's only previously been on a Nintendo console in Theatrhythm.
In particular, I just can't believe that Bomberman isn't playable, when he's been on almost EVERY Nintendo console to date, sans the devices before the NES such as the Game and Watch. He was even on the Virtual Boy, for crying out loud! He has a Nintendo console attendance record on par with Mario, of which few can boast.
@SBandy Perhaps you're correct that it would have been better for me to stay quiet and not out myself as a fool. Maybe that's "the right thing to do." However, after you tell me things like, "It is not prudish at all to think this is weird and the people doing so are freaks...and could probably do with getting a life"? No, no, no. Having been acquainted for the past several months with some of those people who you repeatedly called "freaks," I decided to give you a piece of my mind. That's all there is to it.
@SBandy Sigh... There's a key difference here which you don't seem to have noticed. When I see comments like #30, #48, #56, and #57... Yes, my reaction is to compare those commenters to people who have a kneejerk fear of sexuality, to highlight how ridiculous their own reactions are. (Notice how #48 did the same thing as you, referring to artists and others as freaks.) I actually witnessed others making such comments before calling them prudish.
Did you actually go out to streams and such to witness artists' and others' behavior, and hear their thought processes behind their take on this meme, before coming to a conclusion that they're freaks? If you had, and it had been so, then you would have had a basis for saying so. But you didn't do that, right? You just assumed it was so before passing judgment.
You can delete the comments you made, but you can't undo the sentiment behind them.
@SBandy I participate in the Twitch Creative community, some of whom contributed their own take on Bowsette, Boosette, etc. It's true that some people choose to sexualize characters of their own accord, but that's nothing new. The vast majority of artists and their groups genuinely just added in their take to have fun with it. You know... like a fan community. It's a normal type of activity. Yet you accuse such people as being aberrant degenerates. The only thing truly aberrant here is your behavior. Next time, think about how your words impacts others.
@SBandy You know how allergic reactions work, right? The body releases an inappropriately excessive amount of histamines in response to memory cell messages overreacting about an allergen, which can potentially cause self-destructive damage to the body.
That's what your posts here all were. A gratuitously severe overreaction to something that is relatively harmless, and of which would not significantly affect you except for the fact that you let it be so.
I've known about this for years, and am reminded of it once more, but... A lot of Nintendo Life commenters are EXTREMELY prudish. As in a suffocatingly Puritan level of prudish.
It's worth pointing out that the Nintendo 2DS System with Super Mario Maker bundle is not just a normal 2DS, it's actually a limited time 2DS with Mario Maker skin. Also, I've sighted it in the Best Buy catalog as well, so it's not a Walmart exclusive.
Something about the Piranha Plant reveal... Just disappoints me. So many other characters that could've been brought onboard as a playable character instead... Bomberman, Isaac, Waluigi, Shadow... the list goes on and on. And instead, Smash Ultimate gets a stock Mario series enemy on the roster... Maybe it's more like Smash Ultimate Trolling?
I would also be disappointed if the DLC characters require payment, instead of patching them in as a bonus to their loyal customers.
I'm old enough by now that things like this don't truly make me unhappy anymore. However, it does drive home for me that new entries of Smash Bros. aren't really exciting me anymore either, as they did 10, 17, and 19 years ago. So I will respond to this lack of excitement by not purchasing the latest entry. For those who do get into it, have fun!
I know this was a guest article, but jeez, it read like a sales pitch. That's supposed to be Nintendo's/TPC's job. No thanks, I will wait for the true mainline entry next year. And no, Let's Go is not mainline. The way some interpreted the English translation of the E3 Let's Go presentation was based on a misunderstanding of how Japan perceives the franchise.
That said, I'm sure that many newer players will be able to enjoy Let's Go. I'm sure it will also sell very well. However, there are a couple reasons why Let's Go may not have the same impact as the mainline series.
1. Switch costs $300
A true mainline Pokemon series entry has never debuted on a console costing $300+ throughout the world (outside Japan). It's always been on a console costing closer to $100 for the baseline SKU. There's no way that many parents who would be buying Pokemon for their children would also be willing (or perhaps even economically able) to pony up $300 for a device dedicated purely to gaming. Especially in cases with multiple children who each want their own console.
Until a cheaper, portable focused SKU of the Switch is released, most likely next year leading up to the release of the next mainline Pokemon entry, the cost of the console is out of reach for a significant portion of the young target audience. However, this leads into the next point...
2. Let's Go uses the JoyCon motion controls
This reason isn't important for the way that motion control naysayers present it. I've enjoyed motion controls since the Wii, and frankly, I think they still have not been utilized to their potential even to this day. However, the use of motion controls in Let's Go may yet present a potential conundrum to future prospective players.
If the 2019 portable focused Switch SKU does away with the JoyCons as part of cutting production costs to bring the price of the console down to under $200, the controls for catching Pokemon will be broken. This is corroborated by the explanation of how catching Pokemon works in portable mode:
“In handheld mode with both Joy-Con attached – you are still required to move around to aim, but you press a button to throw the Pokéball. It is not touch screen like on a smartphone because the Switch is quite a bit heavier than your smart phone.”
Now, one may ask, why would JoyCon functionality be removed in a portable focused SKU? Look to their standalone MSRP: $80. They represent the most expensive mandatory controller tech in a mainstream console. Replace them with normal controls in a revised portable console version, and voilà, the initial MSRP of the console can be dropped by at least $50. Chuck the dock and perhaps make other sacrifices, and the MSRP of the Switch can be dropped to under $200. A much more accessible price point for Pokemon's target audience.
There's just one problem. You need the JoyCon tech to properly play games like Let's Go. This presents one of two paths: either make the portable focused SKU more economically accessible to mainline Pokemon players and relegate full functionality in games like Let's Go into add-on territory, or keep the JoyCons as part of the full package, and potentially alienate the lesser off among the target audience.
I'm guessing Nintendo will choose the former option.
Those are the two big points, but I will also throw out a third point which is more subjective:
3. Pokemon 1st gen was actually a LOT easier than some people seem to think, even for children
Just think about it. Back in the day, 80s/90s kids were hardened by the 3rd and 4th generations of consoles having many rather difficult games. Even the ones which weren't terribly difficult could still require trial and error, and a gradual learning experience.
By the time Pokemon released outside Japan in 1998, I and many others who were between 6-16 years of age at the time breezed right through it. Pokemon Red/Blue was a total cakewalk compared to the Final Fantasies, Dragon Quests, Phantasy Stars, et al.
The capturing and battle mechanics were straight forward, and explained on a basic level without holding your hand. Without any self-imposed difficulty rules like Nuzlocke, Set turn style only, no healing items in battle, no grinding above the next Gym leader's highest level Pokemon, and saving only at Pokemon Centers, the game mechanics were incredibly forgiving. It was only marginally more difficult than FF Mystic Quest, and that's saying something.
And yet, there is at least more than zero challenge throughout even a basic "handicapped" run of the mainline series. To reduce the difficulty by making changes like turning wild encounters into non-battles, just simply capturing Pokemon after seeing and running into them (which has the side effect of killing Nuzlocke), doesn't simply ease newcomers into the series. It coddles them to the point of protecting them from experiencing challenges. That doesn't encourage growth in the player, but rather just going through the motions.
Challenges and problem solving are a big part of what makes games memorable. The more those elements are cut down, the less potential they have to stick in the player's mind. (Though there is a balance to be struck, depending on the player.) Just look at the derivative Pokemon Go. Tons of people played it at first due to nostalgia, then most of the user base dropped it like a rock after they tired of it's shallow mechanics. Pokemon Go didn't stick in players' minds like the mainline series did.
So... I dunno, who knows, maybe Let's Go will branch off into a long running parallel series. But if it's going to stand the test of time in peoples' minds, it needs to... Evolve, from it's current state.
Speaking of evolution, Eevee is the Evolution Pokemon, but in Let's Go... Your starter can't evolve! It's like they have an Everstone implant! WTF?
$450 for NVIDIA's Jetson TX2 modules in bulk of 100+. Even if the Tegra X2 itself only comprised 1/3 the retail price of the entire module, it would still cost $150. Compare that to the Jetson TX1, which retails for ~$321, with 1/3 of it's cost being ~$107 for the Tegra X1 itself. It is currently impossible for Nintendo to maintain the $300 price point for a Tegra X2 SKU. The difference in specs is such that it would inevitably create a gated wall on content between the OG SKU and the upgraded SKU.
I would not expect an upgraded SKU to exist until 2021 at the earliest. NVIDIA's Jetson AGX Xavier will have replaced the Jetson TX2 by then, and the Tegra X2's price will finally drop down to a level which accommodates the $300 price point.
As @baller98 , @NEStalgia , @link3710 , and @bratzdoll directly pointed out (among others who alluded to it), the 2019 Switch hardware revision will be a cheaper, portable focused iteration, to be launched in time to accommodate Pokemon and it's target audience.
Just think about it. A true mainline Pokemon series entry has never debuted on a console costing $300+ throughout the world (outside Japan). It's always been on a console costing closer to $100 for the baseline SKU. There's no way that most parents who would be buying Pokemon for their children would also be willing (or perhaps even economically able) to pony up $300 for a device dedicated purely to gaming. Especially in cases with multiple children who each want their own console.
To get the price down below $200, certain parts of the OG model will absolutely need to be cut, such as the dock. However, simply releasing a dockless SKU is nowhere near enough to go below $200.
The JoyCons are one of the most expensive components of the Switch- those will likely be cut, in favor of either built-in controls or a version of the JoyCons lacking motion control tech. If the former option is done, it would prevent being able to utilize motion controls in games like Super Mario Oddysey and ARMS, but they're still somewhat playable in portable mode. The second option would be preferable, if possible, so JoyCons with motion controls could still be used as an add-on.
Along with cutting the dock, this is enough to drive the price down to just above $200. However, it's still not affordable for Pokemon's target audience. More sacrifices need to be made.
The parts on the motherboard used to connect the Switch to a dock and display out to 1080p on a TV may be cut, along with other dock functionality. In conjunction with this, the Tegra X1 SoC would be locked at a comfortable clock rate for portable use, and not be able to reach the full base specs clock rate of the OG Switch. The console's processing capability would thus be weakened, but it would still be enough to match the OG Switch in portable mode. This would allow a cheaper passive cooling redesign to replace the current air cooling design.
A slimmer model of display screen would likely be used, and of course, be more energy efficient. The display dimensions would likely be very close to the OG Switch. It remains to be seen how much that color contrast, brightness, and other factors would be affected, but hopefully proper calibration would be necessitated at the factory. The rest of the console could also be slimmed down a bit.
Put all these things together, and there's your portable-only Switch SKU costing no more than $180. Leading up to it's launch, all remaining New 2/3DS XL models will be price-dropped closer to $100.
Granted, doing all of this would defeat the purpose of the "Switch" naming/marketing scheme. Yet, drastic measures must be taken. It would be illogical to launch a new Pokemon entry without a more affordable SKU to drive software sales.
Even Nintendo Life seems to finally be using wording which matches this reality:
"Nintendo's other current portable, the 3DS, has seen no less than five different hardware iterations since launch."
"Other"? You mean the Switch was actually a portable console all along, so the marketing term "hybrid console" has been retired? I mean, the Switch HAS sold very well thus far, so I guess it's okay at this point to officially discard the notion of Switch being a home console...
That may sound harsh, but keep in mind that the PS5 is releasing in 2020, no more than about a year after the 2019 Switch portable focused revision. The PS4 and XB1 are on their way out. Without a significant specs upgrade, Nintendo is better off pivoting their marketing and recognizing the Switch for what it is.
@Anti-Matter I have to admit, that was actually a pretty brilliant setup! I think we all knew deep down that Animal Crossing was coming at some point for Switch, it was just a question of when.
I don't have a Switch yet, so for me, this Direct was merely okay to see. There wasn't much enticing me to take the plunge any sooner than 2019/2020 for a future hardware revision.
However, I would say the Direct was pretty good for those who already own a Switch, and even better for those who weren't very invested in the PS1/PS2 back when they were new. The contents of this Direct definitely would have generated more buzz if some of it were in the E3 Direct (especially the Final Fantasies and Animal Crossing), instead of having wasted such an ungodly amount of time on Smash Ultimate.
It's good to see the Luigi's Mansion, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Yoshi's Story series being continued, but New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe is facepalm-worthy. Even the name betrays itself, what a mouthful. Many Wii U titles deserve to be brought over to Switch. Making a rehash of a rehash is pure cash grab. At least NSMB2 was literally honest about it.
Lots and lots of remasters and enhanced ports... I'm not going to get hyped in 2018 for, say, FF VII, like I was hyped for it back in 1997. But at least they're... Finally, being brought over for those who missed them, and for those who were younger or weren't born yet at the time.
That said, the one remaster/port here that I would definitely buy at some point is Crystal Chronicles Remastered. Great fun with a childhood friend back in the day on GCN, and the later DS/Wii core entries didn't do justice to the original. Hopefully the spinoff series will be renewed if the remaster sells well.
Sure enough, the Switch Online service is looking incredibly meager. It offers no real replacement for the Virtual Console, and you're forced to pay a subscription fee for peer-to-peer multiplayer matchmaking? I will pass when I eventually get a Switch. I don't need cloud saves, either- I prefer local saves and backups.
Also, excellent trolling of Smash fans with Isabelle for Smash. So many people are clamoring for Isaac, Geno, Bomberman playable instead of assist trophy, etc. and Smash fans get... an Animal Crossing side character. Love it! I'm actually feeling the salt a little bit, myself! Bomberman has been on literally every last Nintendo console since the NES, and Smash gets a newbie instead. Incredible.
To be honest, I'm most excited for Crystal Chronicles Remastered. Great fun with a childhood friend on GCN back in the day. It would be awesome to get some local multi of it going again.
Pretty much everything else here I have had some form of playing for years. My old (but functional!) PSP has been able to play the PS1 FF's on the go for many years now, Switch is not unique in that regard. (Although it's nice more people will get to experience these classics!) I have Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon 2 on PS1 as well, which suits me fine...
I still have FFX, X-2, and XII on PS2, and I feel no need to double dip. I have FFXV PC version, although it's nice that they're releasing a portable version of some sort. (It'll be interesting to see what's cut down...) Not really interested in World of Final Fantasy.
So yeah, it'll be nice to have CC Remastered when I eventually get a Switch at some point next year or 2020, whenever there's finally a new "Switch Pro" revision, but nothing else here is enticing me to want to get a Switch sooner. Again, though, great for newbies who weren't alive back then or were too young to be interested, as well as anyone else who missed out on the classic FF's when they were new.
@yuwarite It was leaked to Forbes that the PS5 will use Ryzen and Navi, so it definitely will be interesting to see what happens with them in the desktop PC gaming space.
At $160, the R5 2400G is honestly not that good of a deal. The $100 R3 2200G offers close to the same gaming performance.
The R3 2200G's 8 Vega GPU cores compare well to the R5 2400G's 11 cores, especially if overclocked. They both use the same stock Wraith Stealth cooler. The R3 2200G clocks up to 3.7 GHz, only 200 MHz less than the R5 2400G's 3.9 GHz. The R3 2200G has 4 threads available instead of 8, which doesn't make that much of a difference on SteamOS, since you're only gaming and not multitasking. They both share the same RAM compatibility of dual channel DDR4, clocked up to 3200 MHz. Otherwise, the two share the same specs, and they're both unlocked for overclocking.
You're better off saving the extra $60 for other components, especially if you're sticking to the ~$350 spending cap. Personally, I would raise it to ~$400 so you don't have to cheap out too much on motherboard, case, and power supply.
With RAM prices being the way they are, be prepared to spend ~$100 on 8GB of 3200 MHz DDR4. (You want faster RAM with Ryzen.) With $160+100, that only leaves ~$140 for the remainder of a $400 build- still not enough to complete it without cheaping out somewhere, unless you're able to take advantage of a retailer's -$50 discount on an applicable B350/m motherboard when bought alongside a Ryzen CPU/APU. For a ~$350 build, you'd require that discount, in addition to something like a cheapo ~$55 Rosewill case/400w power supply combo, and an HDD/SSD you already own.
With $100+100, you can fill out the remaining ~$200 of a ~$400 build with e.g. the addlink S20 3D NAND SATA III 256GB SSD for ~$45, the Cooler Master MCW-L3B3-KANN-01 MasterBox Lite 3.1 mATX Case for ~$45, the EVGA 500 B1 80+ BRONZE 500W Power Supply for ~$40, and the BIOS flashed B350M mATX motherboard of your choice for ~$70-80. (Going an extra ~$10 over budget for the ASUS Prime B350M mATX is worth it.) If you can manage to get the motherboard with a -$50 discount, and make sure the BIOS is flashed, that takes care of the ~$350 goal. This build also allows you to add onto it when you're ready to upgrade.
As for playing Nier: Automata with a complete R3 2200G or R5 2400G setup without discrete GPU, it would be best to run it at 720p on medium settings to maintain 30+ FPS during lots of action, and 40-50 FPS when there's less action. It would struggle with 1080p, not worth the frame drops below 20 FPS even at low settings when there's more action going on. The fancy additions with high settings will cause some sudden drops below 20 FPS, even at 720p, so it's not worth it with this build.
@yuwarite True, most NVIDIA users tend to purchase the latest cards when they can. Those users are certainly less likely to witness critical issues, which plays into the perception of NVIDIA drivers having few or no issues, since their later cards get most of the driver focus. However, there is a history of legacy users getting the short end of the stick in certain cases, and this case with Nier: Automata is no exception.
Even with newer hardware, there are sometimes major issues for other reasons. The GTX 970 in particular was subject to a huge scandal for only having a 3.5 GB node of faster VRAM instead of the advertised 4 GB, with games frequently not being able to properly address the remaining separate (and slower) 500 MB node. NVIDIA lost against the resulting class action lawsuit, and were forced to pay $30 to every GTX 970 user, while dropping the price on remaining GTX 970 cards in the wild. I hope you claimed yours, as well.
$500 for the mid-range RTX 2070 is a sick joke. The actual real world price in the face of no competition will crank it up to $600. In addition to the lack of competition, it's also priced so exorbitantly because of NVIDIA's real-time ray tracing gimmick, which not even the next gen consoles like the PS5 are likely to use. The GTX 1070 launched at $380, which was an appropriate price for a mid-range card of it's caliber.
Even the current $450 GTX 1070 Ti (which may be price dropped soon) is a better deal than the RTX 2070, since the GTX 1070 Ti actually has higher core clock speed (~1600 MHz vs ~1410), memory speed (~2000 MHz vs ~1750 MHz), texture mapping units (152 vs 144), texture rate (~244 GTexel/s vs ~203 GTexel/s), and pixel rate (~102 GPixel/s vs ~90 GPixel/s), with nearly the same power efficiency and actually supporting delta color compression.
The only things the RTX 2070 has going for it are GDDR6, ~448 GB/sec maximum memory bandwidth instead of ~256 GB/sec, twice the L2 cache (4096 KB up from 2048 KB), shader model ver. 6.1 up from 5.0, and OpenGL ver. 4.6 up from 4.5. That's both a step forward and a step backward in most current and immediately upcoming games, since most games are tailored for the highest common denominator anyways: the GTX 1060/1050 Ti and soon to be GTX 2060/2050. I don't even want to think about how horrible the real-time ray tracing performance would be, with even the RTX 2080 Ti being lackluster as it is...
I desperately hope 2019 will see competition return.
@NEStalgia Lol, I have an AMD GPU, no problems here!
But yes, in case you were wondering, the PC gaming market is getting worse. $1200 for NVIDIA's 2080 Ti, their next flagship consumer grade GPU. And it won't even perform real-time ray tracing, Turing's claim to fame, at 1080p 60 FPS reliably in all games. It used to be that flagship consumer grade cards were around half that price at most. Meanwhile, everything downstream is also unreasonably more expensive than their Pascal forebears, which are only just now lowering back down to launch date retail prices after the cryptocurrency mining boom and crash.
Having no competition is just so awful for any tech market...
@yuwarite In the console space, it is indeed largely up to the game publisher/developer to ensure games are patched. In the PC space, however, the GPU manufacturers (NVIDIA and AMD) are just as responsible, if not more so, for being in contact with the game publisher/developer to address critical issues through driver updates. If no driver updates are released for a critical issue, then the fault lies primarily with the GPU manufacturer.
The white screen/crashing issues affected specific cards more readily than others. Which one do you use? The GTX 780/780 Ti in particular were heavily affected, and many users throughout the GTX 700 series were affected as well. Considering that the GTX 750 Ti is one of the most used cards in the Steam user hardware survey, that means quite a lot of people encountered crashing with the base version of Nier: Automata, before any mods existed.
This is unfortunately the modus operandi of NVIDIA's business practices. If you buy their most up to date hardware (Pascal, for right now), you are usually less likely to encounter critical issues with newer games than if you have hardware that's at least a few years old. (The GTX 700 series dates back to 2014.)
@Razer The Xbox platform is being steadily integrated into Microsoft's newfound product philosophy of "operating system as a service." In other words, playing XB1 games on either their console or on a PC with Windows 10. So there's no competition there.
Being relegated to mostly only operating in the home console space at this point, and relying so heavily on multi-platform deals, Sony is definitely in direct competition with PC gaming. A very significant portion of the PS4 library is also available on PC, of which the PC versions are often cheaper during regular sales periods.
Nintendo saw this whole situation coming over a decade ago. That's why they switched gears so much starting with the Wii/DS. The Switch more or less represents the culmination of completely dodging the PC gaming bullet that Sony has taken head on.
@yuwarite I think @Razer meant the "Grandia 1 & 2 HD Remaster" double pack, which in it's particular form will be Switch exclusive, or at least for the time being. (I have no idea why Switch was chosen for this release, since the only consoles that the Grandia series was previously released on were Sony and Sega platforms, but hey, why not?) PC did indeed get Grandia 2 remastered back in 2015, and soon Grandia 1 remastered as well. They might go on sale together at some point, but they'll be counted as separate purchases.
@NESTalgia is correct in the context he meant. Nier: Automata released for PS4 back on March 7, 2017, while the "Become as Gods" edition for XB1 was released June 26, 2018. Sony definitely made a deposit in the coffers of Square-Enix for a timed exclusive in the console space. The PC version did indeed release March 17, 2017, but the available drivers for many NVIDIA card users who weren't using the more up to date hardware were not "Game Ready." Those users encountered white screens/crashing issues, which NVIDIA never fixed for those users. AMD did eventually fix that issue on their drivers. Console users never had to worry about such things.
@Yorumi I thought about that a year ago, but I'm beginning to wonder... perhaps... just maybe... Nintendo still does not have a fully realized plan on actually implementing their "modern" online infrastructure, and they're still scrambling as we speak just to put everything together. My guess is that the initial offering will somehow manage to be a lesser service than the free Miiverse and online infrastructure of the Wii U. It's bad enough that they're charging people money for P2P connections, and people somehow still believe that the multiplayer sessions on games like Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are being hosted through a server. How much worse could it get?
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Re: More Switch 2 Rumours Surface In New "Exclusive" From Reuters
@HeadPirate Good catch, almost certainly for Switch 2 manufacturing. Digital Foundry ran a feature video in November 2023 which fairly convincingly pointed to the Tegra T239. Specifications from Ampere architecture and Ada Lovelace backport, with a few customized features such as a new file compression engine (exactly what a gaming console needs), describe a plausible feature set for Switch 2 hardware to a tee. Pulling from a currently 4 year old architecture is an expected technology gap for a new Nintendo hardware release.
However, considering Ampere is not natively backwards compatible with Maxwell, and Nintendo compiling shader code that stripped out future compatibility in exchange for better operation on the Switch, this does open questions as to how Switch 2 would support backwards compatibility with Switch games. We'll have to wait and see, but it would probably need some OG Switch hardware accompaniment onboard since it wouldn't work by accord of the new hardware by itself. Which if true means we're looking at a console that will retail for more than the $350 that Switch OLED launched at.
Re: Hacker Gary Bowser Discusses Post-Jail Life And Chipping Away At Nintendo's $14m
@Dr_Lugae That's 20-30% of monthly gross income (money earned before factoring in taxes) minus essential living expenses. So that's actually more than it sounds like. Bowser was making about $40,000 annual income, so deriving from that, its $12,000 annually before taxes minus living expenses, so perhaps more like $6,000-$7,000 annually all told; then when you factor in provincial and federal taxes, likely and possibly unexpected medical fees due to his health issues, being partially handicapped...
Yeah. It all adds up. He's getting up in age and has no big money plans coming down the pike, so very high possibility he will live low income for the rest of his life, relying on donations to cover living expenses so he doesn't go into the red.
Re: Hacker Gary Bowser Discusses Post-Jail Life And Chipping Away At Nintendo's $14m
On the topic, I read the transcript for Darknet Diaries Episode 136. To describe Gary Bowser as a mere "hacker" does not remotely begin to scratch the surface of his history and accomplishments going back to reviving Texas Instruments machines that went out of support after the '83 crash. His expertise is quite remarkable, and it is a great loss for his skills to not be recruited and instead criminalized in a draconian manner.
Gary Bowser is a man from an era that can scarcely recognize this one. It is a sign of the times that big banks and other large institutions can be bailed out and essentially get away with ruining peoples' lives, but a single man can be hunted down and treated as if he were a murderer for the crime of making computer hardware more versatile in a way their manufacturer does not condone.
That said, the fact he was wanted by Interpol is an indication that some of the felony charges against the group he worked with (including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the rest were due to the stuff Nintendo didn't like) were serious enough to warrant action, but he was the only one Interpol could actually find. Bowser was able to drop his charges down to 2 by distancing himself from them and coming clean.
Re: Hacker Gary Bowser Discusses Post-Jail Life And Chipping Away At Nintendo's $14m
@shining_nexus @Ryu_Niiyama Returned after a long hiatus to respond to this... This glamorization of the stock market is not an accurate representation of reality for millions of people. My father invested during the dot com boom in the late 90's, received financial advice on investing in tech companies, and it lost the family over $150,000 all told when the dot com bubble burst. No, this is not an exaggerated figure. No, his investments were not made lightly, he's one of the most absurdly attentive people when it comes to money of anyone I've ever known.
"Well, don't put all your eggs in one basket." My father didn't, he had big investments in what he was told by a professional looked good and smaller ones across multiple industries.
This led to multiple fights between my parents that resulted in a very bitter divorce, and my mother went $12,000 into debt after leaving him (and taking care of my sister and I) to pay for our needs, which she was eventually able to pay off with her job after remarrying.
All the money my parents and stepfather accrued over the years was due to hard work- but just that. The stock market has overall been nothing but a blight upon my life and my immediate family. The only reason it wasn't worse was because of the money earned from their jobs before those losses.
The stock market only works for those who are incredibly lucky (gambled and won), happen to ride an occasional wave at the right time (e.g. investing in AMD in 2016, when value was low before it shot up after Ryzen released) and getting out while the getting is good, or those who are... already ridiculously wealthy. It does not work for millions of people. If it worked for everyone, there would not be such a massive wealth gap in the US in particular.
My earlier life would have been a lot less painful if the stock market were never a factor. I sincerely hope people do not read such positive sentiments as yours and arrive at the conclusion that perhaps they too will build significant wealth over time if they "invest wisely," because the effect of the stock market on regular people is often far more cruel than this sentiment recognizes.
Re: Shin Megami Tensei V Is A Switch Exclusive Launching This November
@Ralek85 It sounds like you're just complaining about not getting a certain level of glitz and glamour. Which sure, TMS#FE had in spades, yet lacked in gameplay fluidity. E.g. why were Session attacks made to have long, unskippable animations? This pretty much means every time you want to hit a weakness using them, that's time you have to spend waiting around- adding up to possibly tens of minutes to over an hour over the course of the whole game. Long, unskippable animations are a relic of a bygone era. So what if they look nice, if they hinder your progress? Not all that glitters is gold, so to speak.
Gameplay is king, and IMO based on the Treehouse presentation/playthrough, SMT V seems to deliver on gameplay without bucking series conventions.
Re: The Pokémon Company Is Taking Legal Action Against Sword And Shield Leakers
@KingBowser86 To give a greater sense of these omissions, if you don't mind being spoiled, here's the Galar Dex:
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_Pok%C3%A9mon_by_Galar_Pok%C3%A9dex_number#Foreign_Pok.C3.A9mon
That's right. Only 400 Pokemon are currently available in Sword & Shield. (Junichi Masuda himself said only Pokemon in the Galar Dex can be transferred.) Any Pokemon not on this list cannot be transferred at all (or at least not for the time being), and Pokemon and forms that are foreign to Galar must be transferred from the Pokemon Home service, which won't be available until 2020. The only foreign Pokemon known to be transferable at some point is Mew. Also, no Mega Evolutions.
Re: The Pokémon Company Is Taking Legal Action Against Sword And Shield Leakers
@KingBowser86 I can see your point. Although, it's nonetheless very odd that Pokemon like Absol/Mega Absol (which uses a blade-like appendage to attack) and Shieldon/Bastiodon (which is literally the Shield Pokemon) are missing from Sword & Shield. Why are Pokemon whose function is akin to the namesakes of this generation left out?
Also, they left out the Jigglypuff line. That's like... okay, maybe I'm biased. But that just seems inexcusable. How can they leave out one of the Pokemon that has been a mainstay in the Smash Bros series?
And that's not all. Charmander was the only previous starter to make it in. That's right. No Bulbasaur, no Squirtle, no Gen 2-7 starters. This is just... why???
Re: The Pokémon Company Is Taking Legal Action Against Sword And Shield Leakers
@KingBowser86 Subpar technical details are disconcerting, but I think the most egregious issue here is not being able to transfer every Pokemon in the series history into Sword & Shield, whereas it was possible up through Ultra Sun & Moon. There are people paying money for a storage service that allows said transfers, yet some Pokemon will not be transferable to Sword & Shield, because they're not in the Galar region Dex, and may not have even been coded into Sword & Shield.
Furthermore, customers will have to buy into yet another storage service, Pokemon Home, which can receive transfers from Pokemon Bank. But that won't be available until 2020. Let's Go players will not be able to directly transfer Pokemon into Sword & Shield, they must wait for Pokemon Home to be released, then pay into that service. No local transfers, it's all cloud-based.
So what we have here with Sword & Shield is a more restricted ecosystem for transferring Pokemon from past entries than ever before. The sheer number of Pokemon is no excuse, given the improved hardware of the Switch compared to New/3DS. Even though it's been 2 years and 8 months since the Switch released, Sword & Shield still somehow has a feeling of being rushed...
Re: Soapbox: Attacking Pokémon Creator Game Freak Isn't Cool, But Biting Back Isn't The Answer
All of the "don't like it, don't buy it" comments are among the more infuriating staple fare from the NL comment section. If we follow this logic to it's conclusion- "shut up, don't be entitled, don't like it, don't buy it"- that's not going to send a message of, "Hey, we like your series, we just dislike some of the aspects which need improvement." It sends the message of "We aren't interested in your series anymore," which if this happened to mainline, could "Pokemon Go-ify" the series, in an attempt to draw a new audience.
You know what sends a better message? Buy Sword &/or Shield used instead of new, and don't buy any DLC. You still legally purchase the game/s, show interest in it, and contribute to the economy. But you're not giving Nintendo/Game Freak/et al a dime for all their efforts. On top of that, DON'T shut up, and DO voice your (valid) criticisms and distaste online. That's what sends the message that needs to be heard. Not this "don't like it, don't buy it, don't be an entitled whiny brat" nonsensical BS.
Re: Nintendo Reveals Average Salary, Age And More Of Its Employees In Japan
@RazumikhinPG Also, for Nintendo of America:
https://careers.nintendo.com/benefits-and-perks/
"Take time when you need it with leave programs for all new parents, as well as family leave for caring for immediate family members."
"Nintendo’s EAP provides free, confidential counseling services, support, and resources for life’s challenges for you and your family."
https://careers.nintendo.com/diversity-and-inclusion/
Employee Resource Groups, including: "Women and Allies; Supporting and promoting diversity and inclusion for women through leadership, networking and professional development opportunities."
Nintendo isn't perfect, no company is- but it would seem it's modern form is a cut above, by representing how a big company should treat their workers in the 21st century. (Now if only they would get onboard with other industry leaders in reporting on their materials sourcing for parts, to address the issue of conflict minerals...)
Re: Nintendo Reveals Average Salary, Age And More Of Its Employees In Japan
@impurekind Lots of very good points. There was a time, long ago, when I wanted to be a Game Designer... Then I learned a little more about how the industry really works, and I was turned off and wasn't sure what to do with my life for a while. I appreciate you relaying some realities of the industry here.
I was having a bit of an argument with someone last week on this topic of average salaries, in particular regarding Amazon HQ2... They believed that using an average was a fair indicator of the health of a company and the wages of their employees, while I posited that the median salary is a more likely (if imperfect) ballpark indicator of where the center lies for a range of wages that the average employee at a company actually makes, even if it doesn't necessarily factor in the wages of higher end job positions.
(Another wrinkle being that the wages of most positions has often been overstated- $150k/year average was bandied about for HQ2, even though most of the job positions make under $100k, while the few top positions realistically won't tend to crack $141k or so. So obviously $150k average is impossibly high in that case, unless that number is heavily skewed by a few higher ups.)
Is it inaccurate to say the median is a more likely (if imperfect) indicator range of salaries than a raw average, and if so, is there a better indicator which I'm missing?
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Giygas_95 I agree with you that Nintendo has been hesitant to bet on most traditional RPG's for their home consoles ever since the N64 era, especially outside Japan. (This includes Mother 3.) However, they have been more open to RPG's in general on portable consoles, and action RPG's since the GCN have seen steady releases. With the Switch having elements of a portable console, and international releases of titles like Octopath Traveler (the type of RPG which likely would not have been considered for international release from N64-Wii U eras), there is now a renewed acceptance of traditional RPG's.
As for Paper Mario going the Sticker Star route, if anything, that actually creates a greater opening for Super Mario RPG to return. Back in the N64/GCN entries, Paper Mario was endeared to the RPG genre enough to make Super Mario RPG seem fairly redundant. Paper Mario for N64 was even listed as "Super Mario RPG 2" for several months in Nintendo Power previews.
But now, the Paper Mario series has veered so far away from the conventions of the RPG genre that it barely qualifies as one anymore. The Paper Mario series is now utterly distinct from Super Mario RPG, making the two no longer redundant. Miyamoto is another obstacle here: he was responsible for killing the originally intended story of Sticker Star. If there were any time to start planning a Super Mario RPG reboot, right now is finally that time.
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Giygas_95 Furthermore, Super Mario RPG actually sold over 1 million copies on the SNES in Japan, whereas it had a limited release (or none at all) elsewhere, not even cracking 1 million sales in North America. (Mainly because there weren't so many copies to be had!)
Super Mario RPG sold better than the original Kid Icarus in Japan. So if Kid Icarus deserves to be rebooted, so does Super Mario RPG. Yes, legal entanglements make it difficult to do anything other than port the original game... But I wouldn't say it's impossible. Other old IP's which had heavy legal entanglements like Day Of The Tentacle and Grim Fandango finally got remastered. Such hurdles could be overcome for Super Mario RPG, too.
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Giygas_95 Uprising was a huge hit in Japan, with tens of thousands of copies associated with new console sales during the game's first week; by December 2012, over 316,000 copies were sold in Japan. It was not quite so popular in other regions. Nevertheless, by April 2013, Uprising had jumped up to 1.18 million copies sold worldwide and counting. So Uprising was definitely a 3DS system seller, and bringing Pit back was worth it.
Development of Uprising began before 3DS dev kits existed, using PC's and even the Wii dev kit. Pit was reinvented in his current anime-style form for Brawl in time for his announcement as a playable character at E3 2006, to increase his popularity leading up to his series reboot. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to include him as anything more than an assist trophy in his original cartoony form.
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@BensonUii I would love that, but considering they relegated Lyn to assist trophy status... I wouldn't expect anything more than that for Hector, unfortunately. I wonder sometimes why they chose Ike for Brawl instead of Lyn... Ike is yet another blue-haired sword fighter; we already had one in Marth. Now Smash is littered with blue-haired sword wielders!
Lyn is still a sword wielder, but at least she uses a katana (Mani/Sol Katti) instead of a long sword or broadsword, and would have had a much quicker fighting style. As a Sacaen, Lyn also has access to bows to mix it up. (Could have potentially used Murgleis.) She could have been a Bow Lord. After all, the closest ones Smash has to archers/rangers are Link, Pit, and Samus...
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@AlexSora89 Vivi would have been an AWESOME choice! The FF Black Mages are far more iconic to the series than Cloud himself, and what better representative than Vivi? Granted, he hasn't previously been featured outside cameos in Theatrhythm, Pictlogica, etc. on Nintendo consoles, but that's virtually the same deal as with Cloud anyways.
Black Mages in general have been in FF games since the NES original. Smash could use a heavy-hitting magic wielder- there are FAR too many sword wielders! I think Cloud was only chosen due to the trendiness of FF7.
Also, Chocobo would have been a more interesting "joke character" choice than Piranha Plant... Complete with 8 of the various Chocobo breed feather colors!
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Darknyht Well, that was 1.76 million copies of Kid Icarus for NES shipped worldwide by late 2003. Those copies didn't necessarily all sell, nor in a timely manner, during the prime of the NES years.
So... Kid Icarus was a nearly forgotten, buggy NES game, which was deemed to be unworthy of continuation after the Game Boy entry for nearly 15 years, until Pit was announced for Brawl at E3 2006... who was somehow supposed to be celebrated in lieu of other choices?
Nah, I don't buy it. Decision makers at Nintendo decided to reboot Kid Icarus, regardless of not making much of an impact in the past. Development of Uprising began before 3DS dev kits existed, using PC's and even the Wii dev kit.
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-Kid-Icarus-Uprising/Iwata-Asks-Kid-Icarus-Uprising/8-Battle-Someone-At-Least-Once/8-Battle-Someone-At-Least-Once-207954.html
Pit was made into a playable character in Brawl to increase his popularity in preparation for a series reboot. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to change his appearance, and be made into a playable character. He could have just been in Brawl as an assist trophy, represented by his original cartoony incarnation.
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@thesilverbrick What about Pit? Before he was announced for Brawl at E3 2006, wasn't he nothing more than a mere footnote in the history of the NES and Game Boy? Sure, he had a couple of his own one-offs, but until he was reinvented for Brawl and Kid Icarus 3DS, he was a nobody.
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Giygas_95 Imagine if Nintendo actually held that line of thought... No Kid Icarus for 3DS, or any other major revivals. Until he was announced for Brawl back in E3 2006, Pit was a mere footnote in the NES and Game Boy libraries, with almost no lore or character development, much less any significant fan base. (Whereas A LOT more people knew Geno, and supported fan bases surrounding him.) Should he have just "stayed in the past" and not come back?
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@yuwarite What about Pit? Remember how he was a nearly forgotten footnote in the history of the NES and Game Boy, until he was announced for Brawl out of nowhere back in E3 2006? Almost no one knew who he was. Sudden revivals of obscure characters absolutely can happen.
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Darknyht "...your love of it is probably not that great."
The 9-year old me who bobbed their head up and down to keep timing on 100+ consecutive Super Jump hits would disagree.
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@CalTonTheRobot Agreed, while these petitions may not drive decisions, publishers and developers do have a history of taking petition campaigns into consideration. A notable example of this is Operation Rainfall. In that case, Reggie said that while it wasn't a decisive factor in the release of Xenoblade outside Japan, Nintendo did take the petition campaign into consideration. Soraya Saga, the writer for Xenogears and Xenosaga, as well as for Mistwalker, also supported Operation Rainfall's actions.
So yes, publishers and developers DO pay attention to petition campaigns which gain traction. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise with their claims of "entitlement!"
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Harmonie Well, "entitled" and "entitlement" are perennial favorite terms used to self-righteously chastise others with on Nintendo Life...
Re: Random: Fans Ask Nintendo To Revive Super Mario RPG's Geno And Mallow In Online Petition
@Samsamsam 100% agreed, there's a point where it becomes [dull] to add so many sword fighters into a title that's supposed to celebrate the immense diversity and span of Nintendo's history in gaming. (The roster should positively be more droll!) Nintendo should just make a Fire Emblem fighting game to accommodate them in the style of Soul Calibur or Samurai Shodown, and opened up spots for other characters into the Smash roster.
I wonder if the reason why there's so many Fire Emblem characters is just to satisfy trends, and draw in Fire Emblem Heroes players. Additionally, Cloud is just in to promote the Final Fantasy ports, since he's only previously been on a Nintendo console in Theatrhythm.
In particular, I just can't believe that Bomberman isn't playable, when he's been on almost EVERY Nintendo console to date, sans the devices before the NES such as the Game and Watch. He was even on the Virtual Boy, for crying out loud! He has a Nintendo console attendance record on par with Mario, of which few can boast.
Re: Random: Nintendo Confirms Only Toadette Can Wear The Super Crown, Bowsette Officially Debunked
@SBandy Coming from you, that namesake is a veritable badge of honor...
Re: Random: Nintendo Confirms Only Toadette Can Wear The Super Crown, Bowsette Officially Debunked
@SBandy Perhaps you're correct that it would have been better for me to stay quiet and not out myself as a fool. Maybe that's "the right thing to do." However, after you tell me things like, "It is not prudish at all to think this is weird and the people doing so are freaks...and could probably do with getting a life"? No, no, no. Having been acquainted for the past several months with some of those people who you repeatedly called "freaks," I decided to give you a piece of my mind. That's all there is to it.
Re: Random: Nintendo Confirms Only Toadette Can Wear The Super Crown, Bowsette Officially Debunked
@SBandy Sigh... There's a key difference here which you don't seem to have noticed. When I see comments like #30, #48, #56, and #57... Yes, my reaction is to compare those commenters to people who have a kneejerk fear of sexuality, to highlight how ridiculous their own reactions are. (Notice how #48 did the same thing as you, referring to artists and others as freaks.) I actually witnessed others making such comments before calling them prudish.
Did you actually go out to streams and such to witness artists' and others' behavior, and hear their thought processes behind their take on this meme, before coming to a conclusion that they're freaks? If you had, and it had been so, then you would have had a basis for saying so. But you didn't do that, right? You just assumed it was so before passing judgment.
You can delete the comments you made, but you can't undo the sentiment behind them.
Re: Random: Nintendo Confirms Only Toadette Can Wear The Super Crown, Bowsette Officially Debunked
@SBandy Just calling it as I see it, based on other comments and their likes...
Re: Random: Nintendo Confirms Only Toadette Can Wear The Super Crown, Bowsette Officially Debunked
@SBandy I participate in the Twitch Creative community, some of whom contributed their own take on Bowsette, Boosette, etc. It's true that some people choose to sexualize characters of their own accord, but that's nothing new. The vast majority of artists and their groups genuinely just added in their take to have fun with it. You know... like a fan community. It's a normal type of activity. Yet you accuse such people as being aberrant degenerates. The only thing truly aberrant here is your behavior. Next time, think about how your words impacts others.
Re: Random: Nintendo Confirms Only Toadette Can Wear The Super Crown, Bowsette Officially Debunked
@SBandy You know how allergic reactions work, right? The body releases an inappropriately excessive amount of histamines in response to memory cell messages overreacting about an allergen, which can potentially cause self-destructive damage to the body.
That's what your posts here all were. A gratuitously severe overreaction to something that is relatively harmless, and of which would not significantly affect you except for the fact that you let it be so.
Re: Random: Nintendo Confirms Only Toadette Can Wear The Super Crown, Bowsette Officially Debunked
I've known about this for years, and am reminded of it once more, but... A lot of Nintendo Life commenters are EXTREMELY prudish. As in a suffocatingly Puritan level of prudish.
Re: Guide: Best Nintendo Switch Black Friday 2018 Deals
It's worth pointing out that the Nintendo 2DS System with Super Mario Maker bundle is not just a normal 2DS, it's actually a limited time 2DS with Mario Maker skin. Also, I've sighted it in the Best Buy catalog as well, so it's not a Walmart exclusive.
Re: M2 Reveals Switch Can Already Run Sega Naomi Titles, Dreamcast "Definitely" Coming In The Future
@MeloMan It would be awesome if Power Stone got rebooted!
Re: M2 Reveals Switch Can Already Run Sega Naomi Titles, Dreamcast "Definitely" Coming In The Future
Is it strange that this excites me a lot more than what was revealed in the Smash Bros. Direct?
Re: Gallery: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Full Character Roster (Final List Updated)
Something about the Piranha Plant reveal... Just disappoints me. So many other characters that could've been brought onboard as a playable character instead... Bomberman, Isaac, Waluigi, Shadow... the list goes on and on. And instead, Smash Ultimate gets a stock Mario series enemy on the roster... Maybe it's more like Smash Ultimate Trolling?
I would also be disappointed if the DLC characters require payment, instead of patching them in as a bonus to their loyal customers.
I'm old enough by now that things like this don't truly make me unhappy anymore. However, it does drive home for me that new entries of Smash Bros. aren't really exciting me anymore either, as they did 10, 17, and 19 years ago. So I will respond to this lack of excitement by not purchasing the latest entry. For those who do get into it, have fun!
Re: Feature: Why Pokémon: Let's Go Is The Perfect Entry Point For Pokémon GO Players
@NIN10DOXD LMAO! The tutorial was too easy and boring even for babies, so they had to start tailoring them for people who aren't even born yet... XD
Re: Feature: Why Pokémon: Let's Go Is The Perfect Entry Point For Pokémon GO Players
I know this was a guest article, but jeez, it read like a sales pitch. That's supposed to be Nintendo's/TPC's job. No thanks, I will wait for the true mainline entry next year. And no, Let's Go is not mainline. The way some interpreted the English translation of the E3 Let's Go presentation was based on a misunderstanding of how Japan perceives the franchise.
That said, I'm sure that many newer players will be able to enjoy Let's Go. I'm sure it will also sell very well. However, there are a couple reasons why Let's Go may not have the same impact as the mainline series.
1. Switch costs $300
A true mainline Pokemon series entry has never debuted on a console costing $300+ throughout the world (outside Japan). It's always been on a console costing closer to $100 for the baseline SKU. There's no way that many parents who would be buying Pokemon for their children would also be willing (or perhaps even economically able) to pony up $300 for a device dedicated purely to gaming. Especially in cases with multiple children who each want their own console.
Until a cheaper, portable focused SKU of the Switch is released, most likely next year leading up to the release of the next mainline Pokemon entry, the cost of the console is out of reach for a significant portion of the young target audience. However, this leads into the next point...
2. Let's Go uses the JoyCon motion controls
This reason isn't important for the way that motion control naysayers present it. I've enjoyed motion controls since the Wii, and frankly, I think they still have not been utilized to their potential even to this day. However, the use of motion controls in Let's Go may yet present a potential conundrum to future prospective players.
If the 2019 portable focused Switch SKU does away with the JoyCons as part of cutting production costs to bring the price of the console down to under $200, the controls for catching Pokemon will be broken. This is corroborated by the explanation of how catching Pokemon works in portable mode:
“In handheld mode with both Joy-Con attached – you are still required to move around to aim, but you press a button to throw the Pokéball. It is not touch screen like on a smartphone because the Switch is quite a bit heavier than your smart phone.”
Now, one may ask, why would JoyCon functionality be removed in a portable focused SKU? Look to their standalone MSRP: $80. They represent the most expensive mandatory controller tech in a mainstream console. Replace them with normal controls in a revised portable console version, and voilà, the initial MSRP of the console can be dropped by at least $50. Chuck the dock and perhaps make other sacrifices, and the MSRP of the Switch can be dropped to under $200. A much more accessible price point for Pokemon's target audience.
There's just one problem. You need the JoyCon tech to properly play games like Let's Go. This presents one of two paths: either make the portable focused SKU more economically accessible to mainline Pokemon players and relegate full functionality in games like Let's Go into add-on territory, or keep the JoyCons as part of the full package, and potentially alienate the lesser off among the target audience.
I'm guessing Nintendo will choose the former option.
Those are the two big points, but I will also throw out a third point which is more subjective:
3. Pokemon 1st gen was actually a LOT easier than some people seem to think, even for children
Just think about it. Back in the day, 80s/90s kids were hardened by the 3rd and 4th generations of consoles having many rather difficult games. Even the ones which weren't terribly difficult could still require trial and error, and a gradual learning experience.
By the time Pokemon released outside Japan in 1998, I and many others who were between 6-16 years of age at the time breezed right through it. Pokemon Red/Blue was a total cakewalk compared to the Final Fantasies, Dragon Quests, Phantasy Stars, et al.
The capturing and battle mechanics were straight forward, and explained on a basic level without holding your hand. Without any self-imposed difficulty rules like Nuzlocke, Set turn style only, no healing items in battle, no grinding above the next Gym leader's highest level Pokemon, and saving only at Pokemon Centers, the game mechanics were incredibly forgiving. It was only marginally more difficult than FF Mystic Quest, and that's saying something.
And yet, there is at least more than zero challenge throughout even a basic "handicapped" run of the mainline series. To reduce the difficulty by making changes like turning wild encounters into non-battles, just simply capturing Pokemon after seeing and running into them (which has the side effect of killing Nuzlocke), doesn't simply ease newcomers into the series. It coddles them to the point of protecting them from experiencing challenges. That doesn't encourage growth in the player, but rather just going through the motions.
Challenges and problem solving are a big part of what makes games memorable. The more those elements are cut down, the less potential they have to stick in the player's mind. (Though there is a balance to be struck, depending on the player.) Just look at the derivative Pokemon Go. Tons of people played it at first due to nostalgia, then most of the user base dropped it like a rock after they tired of it's shallow mechanics. Pokemon Go didn't stick in players' minds like the mainline series did.
So... I dunno, who knows, maybe Let's Go will branch off into a long running parallel series. But if it's going to stand the test of time in peoples' minds, it needs to... Evolve, from it's current state.
Speaking of evolution, Eevee is the Evolution Pokemon, but in Let's Go... Your starter can't evolve! It's like they have an Everstone implant! WTF?
Re: Rumour: New Nintendo Switch SKU Planned For Late 2019
@Jeronan @BlueOcean Regarding current pricing of the Tegra X2...
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems-dev-kits-modules/
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/900-83310-0001-000/nvidia
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/900-82180-0001-000/nvidia
$450 for NVIDIA's Jetson TX2 modules in bulk of 100+. Even if the Tegra X2 itself only comprised 1/3 the retail price of the entire module, it would still cost $150. Compare that to the Jetson TX1, which retails for ~$321, with 1/3 of it's cost being ~$107 for the Tegra X1 itself. It is currently impossible for Nintendo to maintain the $300 price point for a Tegra X2 SKU. The difference in specs is such that it would inevitably create a gated wall on content between the OG SKU and the upgraded SKU.
I would not expect an upgraded SKU to exist until 2021 at the earliest. NVIDIA's Jetson AGX Xavier will have replaced the Jetson TX2 by then, and the Tegra X2's price will finally drop down to a level which accommodates the $300 price point.
Re: Rumour: New Nintendo Switch SKU Planned For Late 2019
As @baller98 , @NEStalgia , @link3710 , and @bratzdoll directly pointed out (among others who alluded to it), the 2019 Switch hardware revision will be a cheaper, portable focused iteration, to be launched in time to accommodate Pokemon and it's target audience.
Just think about it. A true mainline Pokemon series entry has never debuted on a console costing $300+ throughout the world (outside Japan). It's always been on a console costing closer to $100 for the baseline SKU. There's no way that most parents who would be buying Pokemon for their children would also be willing (or perhaps even economically able) to pony up $300 for a device dedicated purely to gaming. Especially in cases with multiple children who each want their own console.
To get the price down below $200, certain parts of the OG model will absolutely need to be cut, such as the dock. However, simply releasing a dockless SKU is nowhere near enough to go below $200.
The JoyCons are one of the most expensive components of the Switch- those will likely be cut, in favor of either built-in controls or a version of the JoyCons lacking motion control tech. If the former option is done, it would prevent being able to utilize motion controls in games like Super Mario Oddysey and ARMS, but they're still somewhat playable in portable mode. The second option would be preferable, if possible, so JoyCons with motion controls could still be used as an add-on.
Along with cutting the dock, this is enough to drive the price down to just above $200. However, it's still not affordable for Pokemon's target audience. More sacrifices need to be made.
The parts on the motherboard used to connect the Switch to a dock and display out to 1080p on a TV may be cut, along with other dock functionality. In conjunction with this, the Tegra X1 SoC would be locked at a comfortable clock rate for portable use, and not be able to reach the full base specs clock rate of the OG Switch. The console's processing capability would thus be weakened, but it would still be enough to match the OG Switch in portable mode. This would allow a cheaper passive cooling redesign to replace the current air cooling design.
A slimmer model of display screen would likely be used, and of course, be more energy efficient. The display dimensions would likely be very close to the OG Switch. It remains to be seen how much that color contrast, brightness, and other factors would be affected, but hopefully proper calibration would be necessitated at the factory. The rest of the console could also be slimmed down a bit.
Put all these things together, and there's your portable-only Switch SKU costing no more than $180. Leading up to it's launch, all remaining New 2/3DS XL models will be price-dropped closer to $100.
Granted, doing all of this would defeat the purpose of the "Switch" naming/marketing scheme. Yet, drastic measures must be taken. It would be illogical to launch a new Pokemon entry without a more affordable SKU to drive software sales.
Even Nintendo Life seems to finally be using wording which matches this reality:
"Nintendo's other current portable, the 3DS, has seen no less than five different hardware iterations since launch."
"Other"? You mean the Switch was actually a portable console all along, so the marketing term "hybrid console" has been retired? I mean, the Switch HAS sold very well thus far, so I guess it's okay at this point to officially discard the notion of Switch being a home console...
That may sound harsh, but keep in mind that the PS5 is releasing in 2020, no more than about a year after the 2019 Switch portable focused revision. The PS4 and XB1 are on their way out. Without a significant specs upgrade, Nintendo is better off pivoting their marketing and recognizing the Switch for what it is.
Re: Opinion: What Did You Think Of Today's Nintendo Direct?
@Anti-Matter I have to admit, that was actually a pretty brilliant setup! I think we all knew deep down that Animal Crossing was coming at some point for Switch, it was just a question of when.
Re: Opinion: What Did You Think Of Today's Nintendo Direct?
I don't have a Switch yet, so for me, this Direct was merely okay to see. There wasn't much enticing me to take the plunge any sooner than 2019/2020 for a future hardware revision.
However, I would say the Direct was pretty good for those who already own a Switch, and even better for those who weren't very invested in the PS1/PS2 back when they were new. The contents of this Direct definitely would have generated more buzz if some of it were in the E3 Direct (especially the Final Fantasies and Animal Crossing), instead of having wasted such an ungodly amount of time on Smash Ultimate.
It's good to see the Luigi's Mansion, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Yoshi's Story series being continued, but New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe is facepalm-worthy. Even the name betrays itself, what a mouthful. Many Wii U titles deserve to be brought over to Switch. Making a rehash of a rehash is pure cash grab. At least NSMB2 was literally honest about it.
Lots and lots of remasters and enhanced ports... I'm not going to get hyped in 2018 for, say, FF VII, like I was hyped for it back in 1997. But at least they're... Finally, being brought over for those who missed them, and for those who were younger or weren't born yet at the time.
That said, the one remaster/port here that I would definitely buy at some point is Crystal Chronicles Remastered. Great fun with a childhood friend back in the day on GCN, and the later DS/Wii core entries didn't do justice to the original. Hopefully the spinoff series will be renewed if the remaster sells well.
Sure enough, the Switch Online service is looking incredibly meager. It offers no real replacement for the Virtual Console, and you're forced to pay a subscription fee for peer-to-peer multiplayer matchmaking? I will pass when I eventually get a Switch. I don't need cloud saves, either- I prefer local saves and backups.
Also, excellent trolling of Smash fans with Isabelle for Smash. So many people are clamoring for Isaac, Geno, Bomberman playable instead of assist trophy, etc. and Smash fans get... an Animal Crossing side character. Love it! I'm actually feeling the salt a little bit, myself! Bomberman has been on literally every last Nintendo console since the NES, and Smash gets a newbie instead. Incredible.
Re: Final Fantasy VII Is Finally Coming To A Nintendo Console
To be honest, I'm most excited for Crystal Chronicles Remastered. Great fun with a childhood friend on GCN back in the day. It would be awesome to get some local multi of it going again.
Pretty much everything else here I have had some form of playing for years. My old (but functional!) PSP has been able to play the PS1 FF's on the go for many years now, Switch is not unique in that regard. (Although it's nice more people will get to experience these classics!) I have Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon 2 on PS1 as well, which suits me fine...
I still have FFX, X-2, and XII on PS2, and I feel no need to double dip. I have FFXV PC version, although it's nice that they're releasing a portable version of some sort. (It'll be interesting to see what's cut down...) Not really interested in World of Final Fantasy.
So yeah, it'll be nice to have CC Remastered when I eventually get a Switch at some point next year or 2020, whenever there's finally a new "Switch Pro" revision, but nothing else here is enticing me to want to get a Switch sooner. Again, though, great for newbies who weren't alive back then or were too young to be interested, as well as anyone else who missed out on the classic FF's when they were new.
Re: Ubisoft CEO Says Sticking With Nintendo In "Difficult" Times Has Helped Their Relationship
@yuwarite It was leaked to Forbes that the PS5 will use Ryzen and Navi, so it definitely will be interesting to see what happens with them in the desktop PC gaming space.
At $160, the R5 2400G is honestly not that good of a deal. The $100 R3 2200G offers close to the same gaming performance.
The R3 2200G's 8 Vega GPU cores compare well to the R5 2400G's 11 cores, especially if overclocked. They both use the same stock Wraith Stealth cooler. The R3 2200G clocks up to 3.7 GHz, only 200 MHz less than the R5 2400G's 3.9 GHz. The R3 2200G has 4 threads available instead of 8, which doesn't make that much of a difference on SteamOS, since you're only gaming and not multitasking. They both share the same RAM compatibility of dual channel DDR4, clocked up to 3200 MHz. Otherwise, the two share the same specs, and they're both unlocked for overclocking.
You're better off saving the extra $60 for other components, especially if you're sticking to the ~$350 spending cap. Personally, I would raise it to ~$400 so you don't have to cheap out too much on motherboard, case, and power supply.
With RAM prices being the way they are, be prepared to spend ~$100 on 8GB of 3200 MHz DDR4. (You want faster RAM with Ryzen.) With $160+100, that only leaves ~$140 for the remainder of a $400 build- still not enough to complete it without cheaping out somewhere, unless you're able to take advantage of a retailer's -$50 discount on an applicable B350/m motherboard when bought alongside a Ryzen CPU/APU. For a ~$350 build, you'd require that discount, in addition to something like a cheapo ~$55 Rosewill case/400w power supply combo, and an HDD/SSD you already own.
With $100+100, you can fill out the remaining ~$200 of a ~$400 build with e.g. the addlink S20 3D NAND SATA III 256GB SSD for ~$45, the Cooler Master MCW-L3B3-KANN-01 MasterBox Lite 3.1 mATX Case for ~$45, the EVGA 500 B1 80+ BRONZE 500W Power Supply for ~$40, and the BIOS flashed B350M mATX motherboard of your choice for ~$70-80. (Going an extra ~$10 over budget for the ASUS Prime B350M mATX is worth it.) If you can manage to get the motherboard with a -$50 discount, and make sure the BIOS is flashed, that takes care of the ~$350 goal. This build also allows you to add onto it when you're ready to upgrade.
As for playing Nier: Automata with a complete R3 2200G or R5 2400G setup without discrete GPU, it would be best to run it at 720p on medium settings to maintain 30+ FPS during lots of action, and 40-50 FPS when there's less action. It would struggle with 1080p, not worth the frame drops below 20 FPS even at low settings when there's more action going on. The fancy additions with high settings will cause some sudden drops below 20 FPS, even at 720p, so it's not worth it with this build.
Re: Ubisoft CEO Says Sticking With Nintendo In "Difficult" Times Has Helped Their Relationship
@yuwarite True, most NVIDIA users tend to purchase the latest cards when they can. Those users are certainly less likely to witness critical issues, which plays into the perception of NVIDIA drivers having few or no issues, since their later cards get most of the driver focus. However, there is a history of legacy users getting the short end of the stick in certain cases, and this case with Nier: Automata is no exception.
Even with newer hardware, there are sometimes major issues for other reasons. The GTX 970 in particular was subject to a huge scandal for only having a 3.5 GB node of faster VRAM instead of the advertised 4 GB, with games frequently not being able to properly address the remaining separate (and slower) 500 MB node. NVIDIA lost against the resulting class action lawsuit, and were forced to pay $30 to every GTX 970 user, while dropping the price on remaining GTX 970 cards in the wild. I hope you claimed yours, as well.
$500 for the mid-range RTX 2070 is a sick joke. The actual real world price in the face of no competition will crank it up to $600. In addition to the lack of competition, it's also priced so exorbitantly because of NVIDIA's real-time ray tracing gimmick, which not even the next gen consoles like the PS5 are likely to use. The GTX 1070 launched at $380, which was an appropriate price for a mid-range card of it's caliber.
Even the current $450 GTX 1070 Ti (which may be price dropped soon) is a better deal than the RTX 2070, since the GTX 1070 Ti actually has higher core clock speed (~1600 MHz vs ~1410), memory speed (~2000 MHz vs ~1750 MHz), texture mapping units (152 vs 144), texture rate (~244 GTexel/s vs ~203 GTexel/s), and pixel rate (~102 GPixel/s vs ~90 GPixel/s), with nearly the same power efficiency and actually supporting delta color compression.
The only things the RTX 2070 has going for it are GDDR6, ~448 GB/sec maximum memory bandwidth instead of ~256 GB/sec, twice the L2 cache (4096 KB up from 2048 KB), shader model ver. 6.1 up from 5.0, and OpenGL ver. 4.6 up from 4.5. That's both a step forward and a step backward in most current and immediately upcoming games, since most games are tailored for the highest common denominator anyways: the GTX 1060/1050 Ti and soon to be GTX 2060/2050. I don't even want to think about how horrible the real-time ray tracing performance would be, with even the RTX 2080 Ti being lackluster as it is...
I desperately hope 2019 will see competition return.
Re: Ubisoft CEO Says Sticking With Nintendo In "Difficult" Times Has Helped Their Relationship
@NEStalgia Lol, I have an AMD GPU, no problems here!
But yes, in case you were wondering, the PC gaming market is getting worse. $1200 for NVIDIA's 2080 Ti, their next flagship consumer grade GPU. And it won't even perform real-time ray tracing, Turing's claim to fame, at 1080p 60 FPS reliably in all games. It used to be that flagship consumer grade cards were around half that price at most. Meanwhile, everything downstream is also unreasonably more expensive than their Pascal forebears, which are only just now lowering back down to launch date retail prices after the cryptocurrency mining boom and crash.
Having no competition is just so awful for any tech market...
Re: Ubisoft CEO Says Sticking With Nintendo In "Difficult" Times Has Helped Their Relationship
@yuwarite In the console space, it is indeed largely up to the game publisher/developer to ensure games are patched. In the PC space, however, the GPU manufacturers (NVIDIA and AMD) are just as responsible, if not more so, for being in contact with the game publisher/developer to address critical issues through driver updates. If no driver updates are released for a critical issue, then the fault lies primarily with the GPU manufacturer.
The white screen/crashing issues affected specific cards more readily than others. Which one do you use? The GTX 780/780 Ti in particular were heavily affected, and many users throughout the GTX 700 series were affected as well. Considering that the GTX 750 Ti is one of the most used cards in the Steam user hardware survey, that means quite a lot of people encountered crashing with the base version of Nier: Automata, before any mods existed.
This is unfortunately the modus operandi of NVIDIA's business practices. If you buy their most up to date hardware (Pascal, for right now), you are usually less likely to encounter critical issues with newer games than if you have hardware that's at least a few years old. (The GTX 700 series dates back to 2014.)
Re: Ubisoft CEO Says Sticking With Nintendo In "Difficult" Times Has Helped Their Relationship
@Razer The Xbox platform is being steadily integrated into Microsoft's newfound product philosophy of "operating system as a service." In other words, playing XB1 games on either their console or on a PC with Windows 10. So there's no competition there.
Being relegated to mostly only operating in the home console space at this point, and relying so heavily on multi-platform deals, Sony is definitely in direct competition with PC gaming. A very significant portion of the PS4 library is also available on PC, of which the PC versions are often cheaper during regular sales periods.
Nintendo saw this whole situation coming over a decade ago. That's why they switched gears so much starting with the Wii/DS. The Switch more or less represents the culmination of completely dodging the PC gaming bullet that Sony has taken head on.
Re: Ubisoft CEO Says Sticking With Nintendo In "Difficult" Times Has Helped Their Relationship
@yuwarite I think @Razer meant the "Grandia 1 & 2 HD Remaster" double pack, which in it's particular form will be Switch exclusive, or at least for the time being. (I have no idea why Switch was chosen for this release, since the only consoles that the Grandia series was previously released on were Sony and Sega platforms, but hey, why not?) PC did indeed get Grandia 2 remastered back in 2015, and soon Grandia 1 remastered as well. They might go on sale together at some point, but they'll be counted as separate purchases.
@NESTalgia is correct in the context he meant. Nier: Automata released for PS4 back on March 7, 2017, while the "Become as Gods" edition for XB1 was released June 26, 2018. Sony definitely made a deposit in the coffers of Square-Enix for a timed exclusive in the console space. The PC version did indeed release March 17, 2017, but the available drivers for many NVIDIA card users who weren't using the more up to date hardware were not "Game Ready." Those users encountered white screens/crashing issues, which NVIDIA never fixed for those users. AMD did eventually fix that issue on their drivers. Console users never had to worry about such things.
Re: Ubisoft CEO Says Sticking With Nintendo In "Difficult" Times Has Helped Their Relationship
@honkdonkey Lmao, the wonders of sans serif fonts.
Re: Rumour: Cloud Saves Will Be Supported On All Existing Switch Games By Default
@Yorumi I thought about that a year ago, but I'm beginning to wonder... perhaps... just maybe... Nintendo still does not have a fully realized plan on actually implementing their "modern" online infrastructure, and they're still scrambling as we speak just to put everything together. My guess is that the initial offering will somehow manage to be a lesser service than the free Miiverse and online infrastructure of the Wii U. It's bad enough that they're charging people money for P2P connections, and people somehow still believe that the multiplayer sessions on games like Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are being hosted through a server. How much worse could it get?