@dimi OOF, those N64 carts/titles were really overpriced in Greece. But at least they were selling the real (yet digital) McCoy, not just mere copies of copies. That's a perfect example of getting what you pay for.
@SanderEvers I don't have an issue with Nintendo's copyrights. However, the fact there's even a possibility that what people are buying through the VC service is no different or better than a pirate's random ROM dump on the internet is cause for concern in my eyes. If it's sourced from a random cartridge ROM dump, then Nintendo is selling a mere copy of a copy, not a copy from the original source code only accessible by Nintendo HQ, as would have been the case for the data on the NES cartridges. If true, this devalues the integrity of the emulation, since it's ultimately not really any better quality than what pirates use.
Again, it baffles me that the exact same identical product used by pirates is okay when it's officially sanctioned, but as soon as it isn't, it's taboo.
@NinNin The fact there's even a possibility for the copies of SMB sold through the VC to not definitively be an in-house pristine copy associated with the original code which could only be accessible by Nintendo HQ, and not just any cartridge ROM dump, is cause for concern. I'm not sure how other companies handle their source code and ROM's, but Nintendo is the company providing the VC service, and providing "nearest to perfect" emulation is contingent on them. Given that there's even a potential for being from an outside source, there's no absolute guarantee that the VC implementation is any less imperfect than the average emulation.
I poorly worded what I meant by "a pristine copy of the SMB ROM." I meant directly sourced from the original code used to create the initial NES cartridge releases. In which case, it's a direct copy of the source code compiled into ROM data, not simply a ROM copy.
@NinNin That's true, although that doesn't change the origin point. For example, in some cases, such as the Super Mario Bros. ROM on the Virtual Console, it was literally just a ROM that was originally ripped from an NES cart and purposed for NES emulators, which Nintendo later pulled and repurposed for VC.
There was talk for years about Nintendo having the "nearest to perfect" emulation methodology to date, presumably using in house pristine ROMs, supported by the Wii being such an amazing emulation console despite it's technical weaknesses. As it turned out, the tech behind the console was the real deal, but the "near perfect emulation" story was all a lie.
Nintendo used the exact same product that pirates use and resold it. And yet people right here on NL (and presumably some others elsewhere) gave the excuse that it's Nintendo's IP, so it doesn't matter where the ROM is sourced from, and Nintendo can absolutely do whatever they wish with it. It's such an astoundingly huge irony. People are against piracy, but they're not necessarily against using the same pirated products so long as they're officially sanctioned.
The greatest tragedy of all, though, is that there may not be any pristine Super Mario Bros ROM's left @ Nintendo HQ in Japan. The real yet digital McCoy of one of the most important creative works in human history may be lost forever. If it wasn't lost, Nintendo would have used copies of it instead of using a pirate product.
@impurekind Yeah, many people aren't really against hacking/homebrew as a practice etc., but rather, against it when any group other than an authority figure group (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, etc) use it. I know, because I've seen the flip flopping on this site in the comment section. "Well, the IP is Nintendo's property, so Nintendo can use other peoples' emulation work on their products as they please."
@NinNin True, however, so many people say, "ROM Hacking and Homebrew leads to piracy, because humans cannot restrain themselves, and they need a guiding force/authority to tame them."
@Meowpheel This is the legacy of Sony abruptly cutting off Linux support for PS3 and not bringing Linux onto PS4. The PS4 was also hacked to be able to run Linux, since Sony wouldn'y officially support it. If Sony had carefully maintained their Linux program, they would most likely be getting all the attention, and no one would be bothering with attempting to bring Linux onto NS through roundabout cracks. After all, if another, much better available option exists, why bother building a scene around a difficult task that almost no one would benefit from? This is only happening because there are no official options for consoles.
@Angelic_Lapras_King As long as proper tutorial steps are followed, certain workaround IP addresses are used to circumvent Nintendo's auto updater, and the user doesn't use cheats, the user's console will not be remotely discovered by Nintendo as being modded with a proper CFW setup on 3DS or Wii U. Even if it is discovered, bricking consoles would be illegal. They can only ban online access by console ID.
@impurekind Some people forget that certain cultural phenomena such as Undertale only exist because their creator started out with... ROM hacking- that same "dreadful" thing which many here are against. Homebrew can also start such phenomena as well. (Assuming Nintendo or another company doesn't annihilate it before it's prime.)
@BlackenedHalo Except for servers, Windows is a minority there.
I mean, you never know... It was once said that a whole bunch of PS2's could be rigged together to make a super computer. Maybe a whole bunch of Switches with Linux could also become a Megazord Server!?
@Oat Overall, I do prefer the previous art style, although it would need to be cleaned up for the 3DS release, and the original artist may or may not have been available for this project. The only one I'm disappointed in with the art changes is Eruca, it doesn't even look remotely like her. Everyone else at least retains their form, although I don't know if their scripts will be different...
Also, the new art style here isn't all that different from the current FE art style. Is that also generic anime?
@Galenmereth Well... I agree, but I guess that's contradicting myself a bit from earlier, when it comes to buying the base product... For me, it just boils down to if I want the base game enough to ignore the DLC when I can. In this case, I already have Radiant Historia on the DS, and I would rather revisit it than double dip. But I also wouldn't turn others away from this new 3DS version, and I'm interested in seeing what all the changes are.
@Galenmereth In my mind, the correct action is buy the base product, and don't buy the DLC. Companies keep offering this kind of DLC because someone out there keeps buying it. Not buying the game at all won't send the message that people dislike the DLC, but rather that they're not interested enough in the game as a whole.
Comparing the DLC in Radiant Historia 3DS to this:
It's not my cup of tea, so I wouldn't purchase the DLC. However, Nintendo already has quite the history of doing this and then some. FE Awakening and Fates were also titles that originally released without swimsuit/beach fan service, and later had it tacked on through DLC. They also had XP/gold boosting paid DLC quests, and the amount of DLC that could be bought was in far greater amounts than in Radiant Historia. Does this mean Nintendo is also sleazy and lacking integrity?
@BlueOcean Consistent frame times with a low cap are certainly preferable to wildly fluctuating frame times with somewhat higher values... Assuming the NS version can definitely handle a consistent 30 FPS cap at all times. The Wii U version certainly couldn't, and it remains to be seen if the NS version can.
As for me... I prefer 1080p/60 FPS with consistent frame times and better anti-aliasing on Cemu. (Well, it can run 2160p on Cemu, but I don't have a 2160p monitor, so...) Lack of anti-aliasing on the big screen is jarring, so that's the most significant part in my eyes. Just another example of the console specs not being able to handle it. We'll see with the NS version... In the meantime, here's a Wii U vs PC comparison! It's much more noticeable than Wii U vs NS:
@Galenmereth XP/bold boosters are nothing new in Atlus titles though, they were paid DLC in SMT IV nearly 5 years ago as well. It's never been core content, or at least not in Atlus titles.
I wouldn't pay for them, since I feel they ruin the challenge, but I suppose some might see it as a time saver. Even just thinking about the endgame optional boss battle in Radiant Historia on hard difficulty... Yeah, I'm guessing no less than max level will be applicable, so boosters would save time on grinding. (Although ultimately, no amount of XP or gold will help anyone clear it, still have to use your head. )
As for fan service... Well... Did you also refuse to buy titles such as FE Awakening/Fates due to fan service paid DLC events which don't fit the tone and scope of their own plots? (And theirs are already convoluted as is!) Did you say "screw Nintendo's behavior" as well? It's fine if you feel that way and take a stand on it, I'm just checking for consistency.
Also, how do you feel about titles such as Xenoblade 2, which may subject the player to built-in fan service events which don't mesh with all the heavy themes elsewhere? Does that lower your opinion of XB2 compared to, say, XB1, which had swimsuits but did not stoop down to the level of using fan service events? You still bought XB2, right?
@BlueOcean Didn't you know? If it's even slightly above 30 FPS most of the time, even if it can't consistently stay at 60 FPS, it's considered "high" by modern console standards.
@Galenmereth Well, none of the DLC is core stuff, just side things that aren't really necessary. I wouldn't pay for any of it, personally, but if people want to do so, whatever. I think charging money for the classic portraits is similar in principle as MOBA's charging for skins, but yeah, it's a questionable practice for a non-F2P title. In any case, I don't see this being as bad as locking away some of the endgame boss fights behind paid DLC in SMT IV. I actually pirated the boss fight DLC's in SMT IV...
As for the art style being "generic," I don't think it looks bad. The chibi stuff is what I would consider "generic." The new art style is rendered more cleanly than the original art style, and doesn't suffer from low res pixelation like the old art style did on the DS. The old art style only looks gorgeous when it's cleanly depicted, such as with the printed art on the box cover.
And again, not sure if the script or tone is changed, since the faces (or at least Stocke's) implies them having a slightly different interpretation of their core personality from the original. The only character design change that I definitely don't like is Eruca's. It's like a completely different person, doesn't even look like her.
@Galenmereth I don't think the art style change is a problem, but Stocke's portrait was changed from being contemplative and melancholy to being stoic and focused. Plus, the new art style is softer and more well defined. So the way Stocke is portrayed might be different from the original incarnation.
Will have to wait and see (or hear, rather) for the voice acting. For a lot of RPG remasters, the voice acting is something that is often hit or miss, with some voices growing on you or just plain being grating. As long as voices can be turned off, also not a problem.
@Crono1973 Yeah, it's ironic. So many Nintendo fans talk for years about specs not being a big deal, and now there's people who won't go back to the lower spec 3DS due to NS. Contradiction much?
Imagine that. An awesome RPG where core bonus content and the hard mode difficulty are not locked behind paid DLC, made available to the player with your purchase.
I would say the original Radiant Historia is a strong 8 or low 9. Additional content and difficulties at no additional cost boosts it up to strong 9 or 10. If this had the Nintendo logo emblazoned on it, it would have gotten a 10 by NL standards.
@PhilKenSebben Yes, but it doesn't have the Nintendo logo on it, AND it's not well made. Therefore, it instantly deserves a lower score than Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival by NL standards...
@Muddy_4_Ever I think if it's done in a similar way as, for example, Guardian Heroes, then it works well for imparting a sort of arcade-like feel. This is just a plain piss poor implementation of punishing failure.
OOF, looks like Arc System Works aren't very capable of branching outside of the fighting genre. They're masters of that particular craft, but anything else... Nope.
To start with, the Switch version of Skyrim has little to no anti-aliasing by comparison to other modern platforms. For anyone who's particularly sensitive to lack of anti-aliasing, these differences are especially apparent. This can be acceptable for portable mode, since being displayed at 720p on a 6.5" screen softens the lack of anti-aliasing a bit. But having little to no anti-aliasing for a 6 year old title on a modern console is unacceptable on the big screen today.
In addition, the contrast on the Switch version is rather washed out compared to the PS4, XB1, and especially PC versions. The environmental textures on the Switch version are also incredibly blurry compared to other modern versions; in fact, the Switch version's sharpness is only slightly improved over the PS3 version. The Switch version's draw distance is also lower than other modern versions- this is noticeable through Skyrim's many vistas. It's not bothersome if one has never made these sorts of comparisons, but once they've been made, what has been seen cannot be unseen. (There are other odd missing factors as well, such as no blood stains on weapons in the Switch version- correct me if I'm wrong there.)
As for resolution/FPS, both the PS4 and XB1 base hardware are too weak to run Skyrim at 60 FPS with the level of fidelity they provide. Unfortunately, the PS4Pro/XB1X only allows 2160p/30 FPS, not 1080p/60 FPS, since the stationary console makers have decided to opt for the ill-planned strategy of higher resolutions over smoother gameplay. So only PC offers 60 FPS in Skyrim... Along with having hundreds upon hundreds of mods, it's easily the best version.
...But then again, one probably can't haul around a PC, keyboard, and mouse everywhere, with either wireless Tesla method electricity or a super duper long power cord. (lol ) So if one doesn't necessarily have time to play Skyrim at home, then obviously the technical shortfalls of the Switch are better than having nothing.
The gaming memories aren't what's pulling at the heart strings here... Rather, it's the fact that this was recorded by his late father. I don't know about him, but if I were in his shoes, it would make me feel a sense of pride for my father... and maybe some blurred watery vision with an involuntary frown...
"Well, it's the next morning... And Tyler's STILL playin' Mega Man!"
...And then I'd be broken out of my reverie and burst out laughing!
"What do you think of the game, Tyler?"
"Alright." (Doesn't break gaze from TV, pupils still dilated a little.)
"Tell us how much you love Mega Man game."
"Uh... I really love it." (Bashfully smiles and turns head a little)
@joey302 There's been a way to do so for at least 10 years now: DRM-free backup downloads, as done by GOG.com. The method they use ensures all purchases are kept in your account based library, accessible from any PC, and can be downloaded and installed without needing account access. This way, even if some catastrophe happens or the service ends for whatever reason, the consumer can still retain ownership over the digital copies they purchased.
However, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will never allow this on consoles. They want to maintain control over how you can use your purchases. Physical copies used to be a natural way around this, but the big 3 are exerting further control on newer consoles for that too, now. And Xbox may not even have any physical copies in the future, with the Xbox Game Pass coming...
So the only way left to counter this is modding old systems. For example, downloading everything on your Wii Shop account onto SD while you still can, modding the Wii, and backing everything up. Same thing for Wii U/3DS once the old eShop is inevitably discontinued in the future as well. Unfortunately, however, many games will no longer be available for download from an online shop once the VC closes. Hopefully, NL will make a compilation of all of those...
Between this and Microsoft announcing the whole Game Pass thing... Jut further proof that companies run by bankers and cold business people will find ways to consolidate control and take ownership of products away from you unless YOU fight for control over the products you buy, and support vendors who support your right to ownership. Gaming as a service instead of as a product/purchase is spreading beyond MMO's, and will engulf the industry if consumers allow it.
@Hikingguy You have to remember that Capcom had internal developers creating that modified version of Super Street Fighter 4. They have the funds to publish their own work. Whereas Arc System Works is the developer of DBFZ, and does not have such self backing available, nor a long history of modified downgrade work. There would have to be some other company striking a deal with Bandai-Namco to make that happen, which... is rather unlikely in this scenario.
That said, Nintendo Life hasn't reviewed it yet, but Arc System Works has ported over a game to Switch already, called Fantasy Hero: Unsigned Legacy. (They originally made it for PS Vita back in 2014.) So they have dipped in their toe in the Switch waters, and will surely release more titles for the Switch. And they will most likely create something for the Switch from the ground up.
@NinNin The parts in the minimum specs were mid-range parts back in 2012. The GTX 650 Ti in particular was a $150 card of the Keplar architecture, which predates Maxwell (the architecture of the Tegra X1) by one generation. However, their raw operating system/gaming performance is still greater than the Tegra X1:
To shorten what this all means... The recommended specs for DBFZ includes the GTX 660, which is a slightly earlier but better performing card for gaming than the GTX 750. The raw specs of the Tegra X1 are roughly equivalent to slightly less than half that of the GTX 750, of which is only marginally more powerful than a GTX 650/Ti. Thus, the raw specs of the Tegra X1 would be equivalent to just over half that of the GTX 650 Ti, the minimum requirement listed for DBFZ.
The only benefit going for the Tegra X1 here is that it is far, far more energy efficient, and requires far less cooling. The Tegra X1 is a technical marvel for it's time (2015), however, as a mobile chip, it simply lacks the grunt of desktop/stationary console GPU's. In addition, the Tegra X1 must draw RAM from the 4GB system RAM available to the Switch for use as VRAM, whereas discrete desktop cards don't necessarily need to draw from system RAM, since they have their own dedicated VRAM.
So yeah, DBFZ would need a DOOM/Skyrim level downgrade to get it running, and it would only be able to consistently maintain a 30 FPS cap, not 60 FPS. (Unless a modified platform specific version were developed for it, like Super Street Fighter 4 on the 3DS, although I don't see that happening... Arc System Works isn't known for things like that.)
If this happened, EA titles wouldn't be exclusive to Xbox, they would also release on PC. Lost revenue from PS4 unless Microsoft gets huge license fees, but yeah, far from the worst deal in the world, from the perspective of EA's executives. Like Discostew and others have said, this wouldn't hurt Nintendo in the slightest, and Microsoft my be more willing to let Nintendo in on deals than Sony.
@NinNin Look at PC minimum specs. Switch has to be docked to mostly keep up with that, but that isn't providing 60 FPS. That's only guaranteeing 30 FPS. No 60 FPS, no competitive community, no long term life span. It may have 2D gameplay, but the engine is also outputting 3D aesthetics that are far more demanding than most 2D titles, constantly shifting back and forth with 3D, along with blasting tons of special effects.
@Heavyarms55 Last time that was really done was on GBA. And they were... Well... I finished the first one within several hours of play time while on vacation. Exchanged it for another game because it was such a bad deal, being such a short/inadequate game for $30. Of course, one made today should be a lot better.
Personally, I think the original DB series is more interesting than DBZ or DBS. (Although DBZ was something different and amazing for a lot of people back in the '90s/early 00's, especially Saiyan-Frieza and Android-Cell saga with the American soundtrack, Buu saga was weaker.) More exploration, world building, actual character interactions outside of the fighters, wacky humor, and more liberty to show off different fighting techniques in original DB. (Supersonic speeds in DBZ or even close to light speed in DBS gets boring after speed has increased too much, have to artificially slow everything down Namek apocalypse style)
@NinNin @Pazuzu666 Maybe if there's a Panic Button level downgrade, it could happen. But no one would take it seriously, because who is going to competitively play a fighting game at 30 FPS? No competitive scene, no lifespan. This one is pretty much stuck with other consoles/PC based on specs.
@NEStalgia A lot of people gave Xenoverse 2 very mediocre review scores... Mainly because the launch had issues, and the gameplay balance is very off. It only sold as well as it did because Dragon Ball is such an insanely popular series. FighterZ has better gameplay and balance in every way, since it was codeveloped by the indomitable Arc System Works. (And it arguably has much better anime styled aesthetics as well, matching the manga/anime appearance better than any previous DBZ title, which requires more demanding specs.)
Yeah, the Switch can narrowly tango with the minimum requirements... If docked. It would likely need a Skyrim/DOOM type downgrade to run on the NS, 30 FPS and all. This article is chipper about minimum settings, but, uh... That's to just barely run the game on lower end specs, and it looks awful. The recommended setting is a 3rd gen Core-i7 or... A quad core Ryzen chip. (Yep, games are finally starting to really take advantage of AMD chips again. )
So... I would say if you're interested in a newer DBZ title, get FighterZ for your PS4.
@Videogameguru50 During the GCN/Wii/early Wii U eras, yes, but Retro hasn't offered much to show off for the past few years... At all. They're not as active as they previously were, mostly due to critical staff having already left the company. (Thus, they aren't making Metroid Prime 4, which is instead being made by an unannounced "talented new development team.")
Meanwhile, Monolith Soft has become so prominent that their top staff directly worked with Nintendo internally on a top priority project vital to Nintendo's success. (Which is as close as a second party business relationship gets.) And yet the less experienced staff is still able to churn out their own very good game regardless. So yeah, the "New RARE" role has shifted from Retro to MonoSoft. That role requires a company to be genuinely active, not just working on who-knows-what for nearly 4 years now.
Nintendo pulled away top staff members from Monolith Soft during the early-mid production phases of Xenoblade 2. If one looks for them, they're there in the BotW credits. Nintendo was unable to finish BotW as it is on their own after all that time, they needed Monolith Soft's help. That's why BotW is legendary, while XB2 is "merely" great.
Economically, this was the right decision: BotW's sales and word of mouth reputation was greatly enhanced as a result. Ethically, however... I dunno, it feels like the classical concept of patronage to me. Nintendo brought in top Monolith Soft staff to uplift their own project, which made it more difficult for the remaining XB2 team.
I bet that for every drop of sweat saved on the BotW team, two or three more drops of sweat were created for the XB2 team. They had to make due without many of their veterans. On the flip side, this really speaks to how efficient the MonoSoft staff is as a whole. Nintendo had to rely on MonoSoft's top staff to get BotW finished and polished in time, and their remaining staff STILL made due through crunch time to pull off a rough, but still exceptional entry in the Xeno series.
This all makes me have less confidence in Nintendo's ability to make something like BotW on their own, and more confidence that MonoSoft is basically the new RARE with how much butt they're kicking.
@DigiAd True, it's difficult to be worse than Don "Don't like how the Xbox One works? Get a 360" Mattrick.
That particular short interview was on the heels of the announcement of certain titles, such as Destiny 2, being locked @ 30 FPS on the XB1X, despite it's additional processing power over other consoles:
If the most powerful (and expensive) console available wouldn't even run certain new games above 30 FPS, just because of the Xbox strategy being to race towards higher resolutions, why bother getting it over something else if your top concern is smooth gameplay? In that case, there's no significant reason to go for XB1X over a cheaper PS4/Pro or an XB1 S model to still have 30 FPS, or go for a PC instead for 60+ FPS.
It's true that many people are willing to accept 30 FPS (even when it's detrimental), but it's disingenuous for Spencer to suggest that the majority of people don't care about it, or think that an objectively important factor of gameplay is only subjectively important. Those are just statements made to support the Xbox marketing line. With the growth of PC gaming, and increasingly greater awareness of how specs affects gaming, more and more people prefer to have 60+ FPS instead of higher resolutions when possible, once they have educated themselves and know the difference it makes.
Places like NL are sort of odd bastions where several people here aren't too concerned with having 60+ FPS, which makes it seem normal if you read comments here. In general, though, recognition of the 60 FPS standard is rapidly spreading. Some believe that it's a relatively new argument plaguing perceptions of what is acceptable, but in truth, the 60 FPS standard is nothing new. As noted in the interview, the nearly 31 year old Uridium achieved 60 FPS, and arcade titles in the 90's frequently achieved 60 FPS as well. Yet here we are today, and it's still not standardized on consoles- not even the most powerful one on the market.
@DigiAd One of the big reasons why many people think of Phil Spencer as a typical, sleazy corporate executive was due to his comments @ E3 2017 when interviewed by GameCentral:
GC: What also frustrates me is that the only number I care about is the only one that you and Sony don’t obsess over. Which is 60fps, which I understand is easier to do on the Xbox One X than any other console.
PS: That’s correct. But… [laughs] Why do you care about 60fps?
GC: It’s the only number that [significantly] affects gameplay and yet it’s the only one you two never go on about! No-one can tell the difference between 4K and 1080p and all that nonsense…
PS: You just broke your whole argument now!
GC: How?
PS: You just said these games could run on a Commodore 64, they would not run at 60 frames per second on a Commodore 64.
GC: Uridium did.
PS: [laughs] I’m not disagreeing with you. But it’s a subjective opinion that that’s the only one that matters.
Phil Spencer condescendingly tried to steer the conversation in a certain way, and revealed their motive when GC countered that Uridium on the C64 achieved 60 FPS all the way back in 1986. (So therefore, asking the question why 60 FPS isn't standardized by now on PS4Pro/XB1X over 30 years later, since frame rate has indeed always been a primary metric affecting gameplay, whereas resolution is secondary.) Phil essentially referred to both frame rate's and resolution's importance as subjective, when in fact, the importance of frame rate is objective and of resolution is subjective. So he believes that he can decide what's best for Xbox customers for them, altering the narrative to fit Microsoft's marketing line. Regardless of where one's personal preferences lie, that sort of behavior should give anyone pause when considering support for someone.
@Maxz Think you could conjure up another pair for the easternmost tip of Honshū? That's where they need your used socks' patented smell barrier the most!
@Maxz You have to factor in that sales of your used socks is a very niche market. Japan specifically has need of used socks for KURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY game shows, dominatrix foot stomping kinks, and used socks vending machines. Nowhere else in the world can offer that kind of second hand value. And yet, someday your used socks are going to be thrown in the closet to collect dust and stank alongside the Xbonx.
@Equinox Seeing as how Microsoft is steadily but surely shifting the Xbox brand and programs towards PC, the XB1X may be the last dedicated Xbox console. The PC gaming market is experiencing growth, and Microsoft definitely isn't allowing DirectX to go anywhere. Microsoft changed their Windows strategy from offering the OS as a product into treating the OS as a service. With all of the foibles that come with such a change, I suspect the same will apply to the future of Xbox.
Put two and two together... Yeah, the "neXtBox" is probably just going to be an Xbox Live software service for use on PC. If there will even be a separate console, then it might be a modified PC like it's predecessors, but closer to a "Windows console" in practice. Kind of like a Steambox, except Microsoft branded and modified.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Yeah, funny how the source article was spun by Dom as a pro-Nintendo article, when it could just as easily be spun as a pro-Sony article... It would be better to point out everything accurately. "In Spain, NS is quickly outpacing XB1, and PS4 is finally ousting 3DS." It's not difficult, but for some reason that wasn't done here...
@sandman89 Traditionally, NL has stated that different platforms and genres have different standards. So a large scale JRPG like XB2 has different standards upon which to score it than an indie platformer like Celeste. The score rating is not a 1-1 comparison of qualities between all titles. (Yet another reason why the numerical scoring system for Metacritic money needs to be abolished...)
Comments 5,813
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@dimi OOF, those N64 carts/titles were really overpriced in Greece. But at least they were selling the real (yet digital) McCoy, not just mere copies of copies. That's a perfect example of getting what you pay for.
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@SanderEvers I don't have an issue with Nintendo's copyrights. However, the fact there's even a possibility that what people are buying through the VC service is no different or better than a pirate's random ROM dump on the internet is cause for concern in my eyes. If it's sourced from a random cartridge ROM dump, then Nintendo is selling a mere copy of a copy, not a copy from the original source code only accessible by Nintendo HQ, as would have been the case for the data on the NES cartridges. If true, this devalues the integrity of the emulation, since it's ultimately not really any better quality than what pirates use.
Again, it baffles me that the exact same identical product used by pirates is okay when it's officially sanctioned, but as soon as it isn't, it's taboo.
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@NinNin The fact there's even a possibility for the copies of SMB sold through the VC to not definitively be an in-house pristine copy associated with the original code which could only be accessible by Nintendo HQ, and not just any cartridge ROM dump, is cause for concern. I'm not sure how other companies handle their source code and ROM's, but Nintendo is the company providing the VC service, and providing "nearest to perfect" emulation is contingent on them. Given that there's even a potential for being from an outside source, there's no absolute guarantee that the VC implementation is any less imperfect than the average emulation.
I poorly worded what I meant by "a pristine copy of the SMB ROM." I meant directly sourced from the original code used to create the initial NES cartridge releases. In which case, it's a direct copy of the source code compiled into ROM data, not simply a ROM copy.
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@NinNin That's true, although that doesn't change the origin point. For example, in some cases, such as the Super Mario Bros. ROM on the Virtual Console, it was literally just a ROM that was originally ripped from an NES cart and purposed for NES emulators, which Nintendo later pulled and repurposed for VC.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-01-18-did-nintendo-download-a-mario-rom-and-sell-it-back-to-us
There was talk for years about Nintendo having the "nearest to perfect" emulation methodology to date, presumably using in house pristine ROMs, supported by the Wii being such an amazing emulation console despite it's technical weaknesses. As it turned out, the tech behind the console was the real deal, but the "near perfect emulation" story was all a lie.
Nintendo used the exact same product that pirates use and resold it. And yet people right here on NL (and presumably some others elsewhere) gave the excuse that it's Nintendo's IP, so it doesn't matter where the ROM is sourced from, and Nintendo can absolutely do whatever they wish with it. It's such an astoundingly huge irony. People are against piracy, but they're not necessarily against using the same pirated products so long as they're officially sanctioned.
The greatest tragedy of all, though, is that there may not be any pristine Super Mario Bros ROM's left @ Nintendo HQ in Japan. The real yet digital McCoy of one of the most important creative works in human history may be lost forever. If it wasn't lost, Nintendo would have used copies of it instead of using a pirate product.
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@impurekind Yeah, many people aren't really against hacking/homebrew as a practice etc., but rather, against it when any group other than an authority figure group (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, etc) use it. I know, because I've seen the flip flopping on this site in the comment section. "Well, the IP is Nintendo's property, so Nintendo can use other peoples' emulation work on their products as they please."
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@MasterGraveheart Bleemcast and such didn't sink the Dreamcast, Sega sunk themselves with their history of very poor business decisions.
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@NinNin True, however, so many people say, "ROM Hacking and Homebrew leads to piracy, because humans cannot restrain themselves, and they need a guiding force/authority to tame them."
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@Meowpheel This is the legacy of Sony abruptly cutting off Linux support for PS3 and not bringing Linux onto PS4. The PS4 was also hacked to be able to run Linux, since Sony wouldn'y officially support it. If Sony had carefully maintained their Linux program, they would most likely be getting all the attention, and no one would be bothering with attempting to bring Linux onto NS through roundabout cracks. After all, if another, much better available option exists, why bother building a scene around a difficult task that almost no one would benefit from? This is only happening because there are no official options for consoles.
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@Angelic_Lapras_King As long as proper tutorial steps are followed, certain workaround IP addresses are used to circumvent Nintendo's auto updater, and the user doesn't use cheats, the user's console will not be remotely discovered by Nintendo as being modded with a proper CFW setup on 3DS or Wii U. Even if it is discovered, bricking consoles would be illegal. They can only ban online access by console ID.
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@impurekind Some people forget that certain cultural phenomena such as Undertale only exist because their creator started out with... ROM hacking- that same "dreadful" thing which many here are against. Homebrew can also start such phenomena as well. (Assuming Nintendo or another company doesn't annihilate it before it's prime.)
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@BlackenedHalo Except for servers, Windows is a minority there.
I mean, you never know... It was once said that a whole bunch of PS2's could be rigged together to make a super computer. Maybe a whole bunch of Switches with Linux could also become a Megazord Server!?
Re: Hackers Get Linux Running On Switch And Claim Nintendo Can't Patch The Exploit
@Anti-Matter
SUN SHIELD MODE ACTIVATED.
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Oat Overall, I do prefer the previous art style, although it would need to be cleaned up for the 3DS release, and the original artist may or may not have been available for this project. The only one I'm disappointed in with the art changes is Eruca, it doesn't even look remotely like her. Everyone else at least retains their form, although I don't know if their scripts will be different...
Also, the new art style here isn't all that different from the current FE art style. Is that also generic anime?
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Galenmereth Well... I agree, but I guess that's contradicting myself a bit from earlier, when it comes to buying the base product... For me, it just boils down to if I want the base game enough to ignore the DLC when I can. In this case, I already have Radiant Historia on the DS, and I would rather revisit it than double dip. But I also wouldn't turn others away from this new 3DS version, and I'm interested in seeing what all the changes are.
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Galenmereth Sorry for prodding, I was just curious. I agree with your principles, and I'm glad you take a stand for them!
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Galenmereth In my mind, the correct action is buy the base product, and don't buy the DLC. Companies keep offering this kind of DLC because someone out there keeps buying it. Not buying the game at all won't send the message that people dislike the DLC, but rather that they're not interested enough in the game as a whole.
Comparing the DLC in Radiant Historia 3DS to this:
https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Downloadable_content_in_Fire_Emblem_Awakening
https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Downloadable_content_in_Fire_Emblem_Fates
https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Summer_Scramble
https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Beach_Brawl
It's not my cup of tea, so I wouldn't purchase the DLC. However, Nintendo already has quite the history of doing this and then some. FE Awakening and Fates were also titles that originally released without swimsuit/beach fan service, and later had it tacked on through DLC. They also had XP/gold boosting paid DLC quests, and the amount of DLC that could be bought was in far greater amounts than in Radiant Historia. Does this mean Nintendo is also sleazy and lacking integrity?
Re: Video: Feast Your Eyes on Bayonetta 2 on Switch Compared to Wii U
@BlueOcean Consistent frame times with a low cap are certainly preferable to wildly fluctuating frame times with somewhat higher values... Assuming the NS version can definitely handle a consistent 30 FPS cap at all times. The Wii U version certainly couldn't, and it remains to be seen if the NS version can.
As for me... I prefer 1080p/60 FPS with consistent frame times and better anti-aliasing on Cemu. (Well, it can run 2160p on Cemu, but I don't have a 2160p monitor, so...) Lack of anti-aliasing on the big screen is jarring, so that's the most significant part in my eyes. Just another example of the console specs not being able to handle it. We'll see with the NS version... In the meantime, here's a Wii U vs PC comparison! It's much more noticeable than Wii U vs NS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkQRDH1Dimg
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Galenmereth XP/bold boosters are nothing new in Atlus titles though, they were paid DLC in SMT IV nearly 5 years ago as well. It's never been core content, or at least not in Atlus titles.
I wouldn't pay for them, since I feel they ruin the challenge, but I suppose some might see it as a time saver. Even just thinking about the endgame optional boss battle in Radiant Historia on hard difficulty... Yeah, I'm guessing no less than max level will be applicable, so boosters would save time on grinding. (Although ultimately, no amount of XP or gold will help anyone clear it, still have to use your head. )
As for fan service... Well... Did you also refuse to buy titles such as FE Awakening/Fates due to fan service paid DLC events which don't fit the tone and scope of their own plots? (And theirs are already convoluted as is!) Did you say "screw Nintendo's behavior" as well? It's fine if you feel that way and take a stand on it, I'm just checking for consistency.
Also, how do you feel about titles such as Xenoblade 2, which may subject the player to built-in fan service events which don't mesh with all the heavy themes elsewhere? Does that lower your opinion of XB2 compared to, say, XB1, which had swimsuits but did not stoop down to the level of using fan service events? You still bought XB2, right?
Re: Video: Feast Your Eyes on Bayonetta 2 on Switch Compared to Wii U
@BlueOcean Didn't you know? If it's even slightly above 30 FPS most of the time, even if it can't consistently stay at 60 FPS, it's considered "high" by modern console standards.
Re: Video: Feast Your Eyes on Bayonetta 2 on Switch Compared to Wii U
@Discostew wins another thread.
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Galenmereth Well, none of the DLC is core stuff, just side things that aren't really necessary. I wouldn't pay for any of it, personally, but if people want to do so, whatever. I think charging money for the classic portraits is similar in principle as MOBA's charging for skins, but yeah, it's a questionable practice for a non-F2P title. In any case, I don't see this being as bad as locking away some of the endgame boss fights behind paid DLC in SMT IV. I actually pirated the boss fight DLC's in SMT IV...
As for the art style being "generic," I don't think it looks bad. The chibi stuff is what I would consider "generic." The new art style is rendered more cleanly than the original art style, and doesn't suffer from low res pixelation like the old art style did on the DS. The old art style only looks gorgeous when it's cleanly depicted, such as with the printed art on the box cover.
And again, not sure if the script or tone is changed, since the faces (or at least Stocke's) implies them having a slightly different interpretation of their core personality from the original. The only character design change that I definitely don't like is Eruca's. It's like a completely different person, doesn't even look like her.
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Galenmereth I don't think the art style change is a problem, but Stocke's portrait was changed from being contemplative and melancholy to being stoic and focused. Plus, the new art style is softer and more well defined. So the way Stocke is portrayed might be different from the original incarnation.
Will have to wait and see (or hear, rather) for the voice acting. For a lot of RPG remasters, the voice acting is something that is often hit or miss, with some voices growing on you or just plain being grating. As long as voices can be turned off, also not a problem.
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
@Crono1973 Yeah, it's ironic. So many Nintendo fans talk for years about specs not being a big deal, and now there's people who won't go back to the lower spec 3DS due to NS. Contradiction much?
Re: Review: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)
Imagine that. An awesome RPG where core bonus content and the hard mode difficulty are not locked behind paid DLC, made available to the player with your purchase.
I would say the original Radiant Historia is a strong 8 or low 9. Additional content and difficulties at no additional cost boosts it up to strong 9 or 10. If this had the Nintendo logo emblazoned on it, it would have gotten a 10 by NL standards.
Re: Review: Fantasy Hero ~unsigned legacy~ (Switch eShop)
@PhilKenSebben Yes, but it doesn't have the Nintendo logo on it, AND it's not well made. Therefore, it instantly deserves a lower score than Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival by NL standards...
Re: Review: Fantasy Hero ~unsigned legacy~ (Switch eShop)
@Muddy_4_Ever I think if it's done in a similar way as, for example, Guardian Heroes, then it works well for imparting a sort of arcade-like feel. This is just a plain piss poor implementation of punishing failure.
Re: Review: Fantasy Hero ~unsigned legacy~ (Switch eShop)
OOF, looks like Arc System Works aren't very capable of branching outside of the fighting genre. They're masters of that particular craft, but anything else... Nope.
Re: Random: Dragon Ball FighterZ On Low PC Settings Gives Us Hope That A Switch Port Could Happen
@NinNin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-7mW9daU5E
To start with, the Switch version of Skyrim has little to no anti-aliasing by comparison to other modern platforms. For anyone who's particularly sensitive to lack of anti-aliasing, these differences are especially apparent. This can be acceptable for portable mode, since being displayed at 720p on a 6.5" screen softens the lack of anti-aliasing a bit. But having little to no anti-aliasing for a 6 year old title on a modern console is unacceptable on the big screen today.
In addition, the contrast on the Switch version is rather washed out compared to the PS4, XB1, and especially PC versions. The environmental textures on the Switch version are also incredibly blurry compared to other modern versions; in fact, the Switch version's sharpness is only slightly improved over the PS3 version. The Switch version's draw distance is also lower than other modern versions- this is noticeable through Skyrim's many vistas. It's not bothersome if one has never made these sorts of comparisons, but once they've been made, what has been seen cannot be unseen. (There are other odd missing factors as well, such as no blood stains on weapons in the Switch version- correct me if I'm wrong there.)
As for resolution/FPS, both the PS4 and XB1 base hardware are too weak to run Skyrim at 60 FPS with the level of fidelity they provide. Unfortunately, the PS4Pro/XB1X only allows 2160p/30 FPS, not 1080p/60 FPS, since the stationary console makers have decided to opt for the ill-planned strategy of higher resolutions over smoother gameplay. So only PC offers 60 FPS in Skyrim... Along with having hundreds upon hundreds of mods, it's easily the best version.
(Actually, I wouldn't even play Skyrim without mods...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQC2WI55n60
...But then again, one probably can't haul around a PC, keyboard, and mouse everywhere, with either wireless Tesla method electricity or a super duper long power cord. (lol ) So if one doesn't necessarily have time to play Skyrim at home, then obviously the technical shortfalls of the Switch are better than having nothing.
Re: Video: This Heartwarming Home Movie Shows The Moment Mega Man 2 Changed Everything
The gaming memories aren't what's pulling at the heart strings here... Rather, it's the fact that this was recorded by his late father. I don't know about him, but if I were in his shoes, it would make me feel a sense of pride for my father... and maybe some blurred watery vision with an involuntary frown...
"Well, it's the next morning... And Tyler's STILL playin' Mega Man!"
...And then I'd be broken out of my reverie and burst out laughing!
"What do you think of the game, Tyler?"
"Alright." (Doesn't break gaze from TV, pupils still dilated a little.)
"Tell us how much you love Mega Man game."
"Uh... I really love it." (Bashfully smiles and turns head a little)
"How long have you wanted it?"
"Eight... days."
"Eight days?" (Says it while laughing a little)
"Yeah..."
"Try 4 months!"
Welp, waterworks are back.
Re: Reminder: Time To Purchase Wii Shop Points Is Running Out
@joey302 There's been a way to do so for at least 10 years now: DRM-free backup downloads, as done by GOG.com. The method they use ensures all purchases are kept in your account based library, accessible from any PC, and can be downloaded and installed without needing account access. This way, even if some catastrophe happens or the service ends for whatever reason, the consumer can still retain ownership over the digital copies they purchased.
However, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will never allow this on consoles. They want to maintain control over how you can use your purchases. Physical copies used to be a natural way around this, but the big 3 are exerting further control on newer consoles for that too, now. And Xbox may not even have any physical copies in the future, with the Xbox Game Pass coming...
So the only way left to counter this is modding old systems. For example, downloading everything on your Wii Shop account onto SD while you still can, modding the Wii, and backing everything up. Same thing for Wii U/3DS once the old eShop is inevitably discontinued in the future as well. Unfortunately, however, many games will no longer be available for download from an online shop once the VC closes. Hopefully, NL will make a compilation of all of those...
Re: Reminder: Time To Purchase Wii Shop Points Is Running Out
Between this and Microsoft announcing the whole Game Pass thing... Jut further proof that companies run by bankers and cold business people will find ways to consolidate control and take ownership of products away from you unless YOU fight for control over the products you buy, and support vendors who support your right to ownership. Gaming as a service instead of as a product/purchase is spreading beyond MMO's, and will engulf the industry if consumers allow it.
Re: Random: Dragon Ball FighterZ On Low PC Settings Gives Us Hope That A Switch Port Could Happen
@Hikingguy You have to remember that Capcom had internal developers creating that modified version of Super Street Fighter 4. They have the funds to publish their own work. Whereas Arc System Works is the developer of DBFZ, and does not have such self backing available, nor a long history of modified downgrade work. There would have to be some other company striking a deal with Bandai-Namco to make that happen, which... is rather unlikely in this scenario.
That said, Nintendo Life hasn't reviewed it yet, but Arc System Works has ported over a game to Switch already, called Fantasy Hero: Unsigned Legacy. (They originally made it for PS Vita back in 2014.) So they have dipped in their toe in the Switch waters, and will surely release more titles for the Switch. And they will most likely create something for the Switch from the ground up.
Re: Random: Dragon Ball FighterZ On Low PC Settings Gives Us Hope That A Switch Port Could Happen
@NinNin The parts in the minimum specs were mid-range parts back in 2012. The GTX 650 Ti in particular was a $150 card of the Keplar architecture, which predates Maxwell (the architecture of the Tegra X1) by one generation. However, their raw operating system/gaming performance is still greater than the Tegra X1:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/8811/nvidia-tegra-x1-preview/2
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/12/nintendo-switch-nvidia-tegra-x1-specs-speed/
https://www.quora.com/How-do-modern-mobile-GPU-compare-to-desktop-ones
http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-750-vs-GeForce-GTX-660
To shorten what this all means... The recommended specs for DBFZ includes the GTX 660, which is a slightly earlier but better performing card for gaming than the GTX 750. The raw specs of the Tegra X1 are roughly equivalent to slightly less than half that of the GTX 750, of which is only marginally more powerful than a GTX 650/Ti. Thus, the raw specs of the Tegra X1 would be equivalent to just over half that of the GTX 650 Ti, the minimum requirement listed for DBFZ.
The only benefit going for the Tegra X1 here is that it is far, far more energy efficient, and requires far less cooling. The Tegra X1 is a technical marvel for it's time (2015), however, as a mobile chip, it simply lacks the grunt of desktop/stationary console GPU's. In addition, the Tegra X1 must draw RAM from the 4GB system RAM available to the Switch for use as VRAM, whereas discrete desktop cards don't necessarily need to draw from system RAM, since they have their own dedicated VRAM.
So yeah, DBFZ would need a DOOM/Skyrim level downgrade to get it running, and it would only be able to consistently maintain a 30 FPS cap, not 60 FPS. (Unless a modified platform specific version were developed for it, like Super Street Fighter 4 on the 3DS, although I don't see that happening... Arc System Works isn't known for things like that.)
Re: Rumour: Get That Pinch Of Salt Ready, Apparently Microsoft Is Preparing To Buy Electronic Arts
If this happened, EA titles wouldn't be exclusive to Xbox, they would also release on PC. Lost revenue from PS4 unless Microsoft gets huge license fees, but yeah, far from the worst deal in the world, from the perspective of EA's executives. Like Discostew and others have said, this wouldn't hurt Nintendo in the slightest, and Microsoft my be more willing to let Nintendo in on deals than Sony.
Re: SNES Classics Illusion of Gaia And Mystical Ninja Receive MSU1 Audio Support
@Shiryu OOF, $200 for an SD2SNES... Yeah, that's pretty steep just to mess with music output...
Re: Random: Dragon Ball FighterZ On Low PC Settings Gives Us Hope That A Switch Port Could Happen
@NinNin Look at PC minimum specs. Switch has to be docked to mostly keep up with that, but that isn't providing 60 FPS. That's only guaranteeing 30 FPS. No 60 FPS, no competitive community, no long term life span. It may have 2D gameplay, but the engine is also outputting 3D aesthetics that are far more demanding than most 2D titles, constantly shifting back and forth with 3D, along with blasting tons of special effects.
Re: Random: Dragon Ball FighterZ On Low PC Settings Gives Us Hope That A Switch Port Could Happen
@Heavyarms55 Last time that was really done was on GBA. And they were... Well... I finished the first one within several hours of play time while on vacation. Exchanged it for another game because it was such a bad deal, being such a short/inadequate game for $30. Of course, one made today should be a lot better.
Personally, I think the original DB series is more interesting than DBZ or DBS. (Although DBZ was something different and amazing for a lot of people back in the '90s/early 00's, especially Saiyan-Frieza and Android-Cell saga with the American soundtrack, Buu saga was weaker.) More exploration, world building, actual character interactions outside of the fighters, wacky humor, and more liberty to show off different fighting techniques in original DB. (Supersonic speeds in DBZ or even close to light speed in DBS gets boring after speed has increased too much, have to artificially slow everything down Namek apocalypse style)
Re: Random: Dragon Ball FighterZ On Low PC Settings Gives Us Hope That A Switch Port Could Happen
@NinNin @Pazuzu666 Maybe if there's a Panic Button level downgrade, it could happen. But no one would take it seriously, because who is going to competitively play a fighting game at 30 FPS? No competitive scene, no lifespan. This one is pretty much stuck with other consoles/PC based on specs.
Re: Random: Dragon Ball FighterZ On Low PC Settings Gives Us Hope That A Switch Port Could Happen
@NEStalgia A lot of people gave Xenoverse 2 very mediocre review scores... Mainly because the launch had issues, and the gameplay balance is very off. It only sold as well as it did because Dragon Ball is such an insanely popular series. FighterZ has better gameplay and balance in every way, since it was codeveloped by the indomitable Arc System Works. (And it arguably has much better anime styled aesthetics as well, matching the manga/anime appearance better than any previous DBZ title, which requires more demanding specs.)
Speaking of specs:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/678950/DRAGON_BALL_FighterZ/
Yeah, the Switch can narrowly tango with the minimum requirements... If docked. It would likely need a Skyrim/DOOM type downgrade to run on the NS, 30 FPS and all. This article is chipper about minimum settings, but, uh... That's to just barely run the game on lower end specs, and it looks awful. The recommended setting is a 3rd gen Core-i7 or... A quad core Ryzen chip. (Yep, games are finally starting to really take advantage of AMD chips again. )
So... I would say if you're interested in a newer DBZ title, get FighterZ for your PS4.
Re: Eiji Aonuma Says Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Is "Maybe The Most Fun" He's Had Making Games
@Videogameguru50 During the GCN/Wii/early Wii U eras, yes, but Retro hasn't offered much to show off for the past few years... At all. They're not as active as they previously were, mostly due to critical staff having already left the company. (Thus, they aren't making Metroid Prime 4, which is instead being made by an unannounced "talented new development team.")
Meanwhile, Monolith Soft has become so prominent that their top staff directly worked with Nintendo internally on a top priority project vital to Nintendo's success. (Which is as close as a second party business relationship gets.) And yet the less experienced staff is still able to churn out their own very good game regardless. So yeah, the "New RARE" role has shifted from Retro to MonoSoft. That role requires a company to be genuinely active, not just working on who-knows-what for nearly 4 years now.
Re: Eiji Aonuma Says Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Is "Maybe The Most Fun" He's Had Making Games
This interview is the rosy side of why Nintendo staff didn't have to worry too much... Now here is the real reason why:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/xenoblade-chronicles-2-staff-analysis.9222/
https://pastebin.com/gqsm5Zrp
Nintendo pulled away top staff members from Monolith Soft during the early-mid production phases of Xenoblade 2. If one looks for them, they're there in the BotW credits. Nintendo was unable to finish BotW as it is on their own after all that time, they needed Monolith Soft's help. That's why BotW is legendary, while XB2 is "merely" great.
Economically, this was the right decision: BotW's sales and word of mouth reputation was greatly enhanced as a result. Ethically, however... I dunno, it feels like the classical concept of patronage to me. Nintendo brought in top Monolith Soft staff to uplift their own project, which made it more difficult for the remaining XB2 team.
I bet that for every drop of sweat saved on the BotW team, two or three more drops of sweat were created for the XB2 team. They had to make due without many of their veterans. On the flip side, this really speaks to how efficient the MonoSoft staff is as a whole. Nintendo had to rely on MonoSoft's top staff to get BotW finished and polished in time, and their remaining staff STILL made due through crunch time to pull off a rough, but still exceptional entry in the Xeno series.
This all makes me have less confidence in Nintendo's ability to make something like BotW on their own, and more confidence that MonoSoft is basically the new RARE with how much butt they're kicking.
Re: Olé! Sales Of Nintendo Switch In Spain Have Now Surpassed Xbox One
@DigiAd True, it's difficult to be worse than Don "Don't like how the Xbox One works? Get a 360" Mattrick.
That particular short interview was on the heels of the announcement of certain titles, such as Destiny 2, being locked @ 30 FPS on the XB1X, despite it's additional processing power over other consoles:
https://csgmagazine.com/2017/06/15/destiny-2-locked-at-30-fps-on-xbox-one-x/
http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/06/14/e3-2017-bungie-confirms-destiny-2-is-30-fps-on-xbox-one-x
If the most powerful (and expensive) console available wouldn't even run certain new games above 30 FPS, just because of the Xbox strategy being to race towards higher resolutions, why bother getting it over something else if your top concern is smooth gameplay? In that case, there's no significant reason to go for XB1X over a cheaper PS4/Pro or an XB1 S model to still have 30 FPS, or go for a PC instead for 60+ FPS.
It's true that many people are willing to accept 30 FPS (even when it's detrimental), but it's disingenuous for Spencer to suggest that the majority of people don't care about it, or think that an objectively important factor of gameplay is only subjectively important. Those are just statements made to support the Xbox marketing line. With the growth of PC gaming, and increasingly greater awareness of how specs affects gaming, more and more people prefer to have 60+ FPS instead of higher resolutions when possible, once they have educated themselves and know the difference it makes.
Places like NL are sort of odd bastions where several people here aren't too concerned with having 60+ FPS, which makes it seem normal if you read comments here. In general, though, recognition of the 60 FPS standard is rapidly spreading. Some believe that it's a relatively new argument plaguing perceptions of what is acceptable, but in truth, the 60 FPS standard is nothing new. As noted in the interview, the nearly 31 year old Uridium achieved 60 FPS, and arcade titles in the 90's frequently achieved 60 FPS as well. Yet here we are today, and it's still not standardized on consoles- not even the most powerful one on the market.
Re: Review: Celeste (Switch eShop)
@Fake-E-Lee "don't ask how many I've actually finished cause you only need one hand..."
â“Ş_â“Ş
Re: Olé! Sales Of Nintendo Switch In Spain Have Now Surpassed Xbox One
@DigiAd One of the big reasons why many people think of Phil Spencer as a typical, sleazy corporate executive was due to his comments @ E3 2017 when interviewed by GameCentral:
GC: What also frustrates me is that the only number I care about is the only one that you and Sony don’t obsess over. Which is 60fps, which I understand is easier to do on the Xbox One X than any other console.
PS: That’s correct. But… [laughs] Why do you care about 60fps?
GC: It’s the only number that [significantly] affects gameplay and yet it’s the only one you two never go on about! No-one can tell the difference between 4K and 1080p and all that nonsense…
PS: You just broke your whole argument now!
GC: How?
PS: You just said these games could run on a Commodore 64, they would not run at 60 frames per second on a Commodore 64.
GC: Uridium did.
PS: [laughs] I’m not disagreeing with you. But it’s a subjective opinion that that’s the only one that matters.
Phil Spencer condescendingly tried to steer the conversation in a certain way, and revealed their motive when GC countered that Uridium on the C64 achieved 60 FPS all the way back in 1986. (So therefore, asking the question why 60 FPS isn't standardized by now on PS4Pro/XB1X over 30 years later, since frame rate has indeed always been a primary metric affecting gameplay, whereas resolution is secondary.) Phil essentially referred to both frame rate's and resolution's importance as subjective, when in fact, the importance of frame rate is objective and of resolution is subjective. So he believes that he can decide what's best for Xbox customers for them, altering the narrative to fit Microsoft's marketing line. Regardless of where one's personal preferences lie, that sort of behavior should give anyone pause when considering support for someone.
Re: Olé! Sales Of Nintendo Switch In Spain Have Now Surpassed Xbox One
@Maxz Think you could conjure up another pair for the easternmost tip of Honshū? That's where they need your used socks' patented smell barrier the most!
Re: Olé! Sales Of Nintendo Switch In Spain Have Now Surpassed Xbox One
@Maxz You have to factor in that sales of your used socks is a very niche market. Japan specifically has need of used socks for KURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY game shows, dominatrix foot stomping kinks, and used socks vending machines. Nowhere else in the world can offer that kind of second hand value. And yet, someday your used socks are going to be thrown in the closet to collect dust and stank alongside the Xbonx.
Re: Olé! Sales Of Nintendo Switch In Spain Have Now Surpassed Xbox One
@Equinox Seeing as how Microsoft is steadily but surely shifting the Xbox brand and programs towards PC, the XB1X may be the last dedicated Xbox console. The PC gaming market is experiencing growth, and Microsoft definitely isn't allowing DirectX to go anywhere. Microsoft changed their Windows strategy from offering the OS as a product into treating the OS as a service. With all of the foibles that come with such a change, I suspect the same will apply to the future of Xbox.
Put two and two together... Yeah, the "neXtBox" is probably just going to be an Xbox Live software service for use on PC. If there will even be a separate console, then it might be a modified PC like it's predecessors, but closer to a "Windows console" in practice. Kind of like a Steambox, except Microsoft branded and modified.
Re: Olé! Sales Of Nintendo Switch In Spain Have Now Surpassed Xbox One
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Yeah, funny how the source article was spun by Dom as a pro-Nintendo article, when it could just as easily be spun as a pro-Sony article... It would be better to point out everything accurately. "In Spain, NS is quickly outpacing XB1, and PS4 is finally ousting 3DS." It's not difficult, but for some reason that wasn't done here...
Re: Olé! Sales Of Nintendo Switch In Spain Have Now Surpassed Xbox One
For those who can't read Spanish:
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamereactor.es%2Farticulos%2F468583%2FSorpasso%2Ben%2BEspana%2Bya%2Bhay%2Bmas%2BNintendo%2BSwitch%2Bque%2BXbox%2BOne%2F
Re: Review: Celeste (Switch eShop)
@sandman89 Traditionally, NL has stated that different platforms and genres have different standards. So a large scale JRPG like XB2 has different standards upon which to score it than an indie platformer like Celeste. The score rating is not a 1-1 comparison of qualities between all titles. (Yet another reason why the numerical scoring system for Metacritic money needs to be abolished...)