Comments 31

Re: Nintendo's President Explains "Embarrassing" Lack Of Financial Support For Smash Bros. eSports

SachmoJoe

A lot of silly arguments here about whether pro gaming is a valid profession and deserves to be paid.

Showing a huge lack of understanding of economics. I see it as exactly the same as the sports industry, albeit professional sports is a far more developed market . It goes like this:

1. People play a game (sport or video game, whatever)
2. Other people get interested in watching good players
3. A business taps in that interest and uses it to generate revenue from tickets, broadcast deals, apparel, merchandising etc
4. That revenue (eventually) trickles down to the players, whether by the organisation/business/league looking to attract the best players in a competitive situation, or the players forming a union and demanding a bigger share of revenue.

That's all there is to it, and it applies to traditional sports as well as esports.

And nowhere in that model does it demand that a company like Nintendo must or even should participate. It's all a question of business strategy i.e. do they believe they can make a new and profitable revenue stream out of esports? Yes? No? Completely up to them.

Re: Nintendo Switch Looks Set To End PS4's Five-Year Reign In The UK

SachmoJoe

@mousieone I think i'll end up being in this camp - i did that for the PS3. See, i don't have a lot of time on my hands to play (which is why i love the switch so much - great for squeezing in a half hour) so it's hard to justify a new console purchase or a $60 game. At the end of a cycle I can get a console for a very low price, and then get all the must-have titles for it either from family and friends or from the pre-owned bin at retailers for next to nothing. Amazing value.

Re: Review: SEGA AGES Alex Kidd In Miracle World - A Cult Platforming Classic, Tastefully Reimagined

SachmoJoe

I suspect the fondness a lot of people hold for this game was that they played the crap out of it because it was included free in the Master System II - before they'd built up a game collection via birthdays and Christmas they didn't have much else to play. This was definitely my experience!

I fired it up the other day and was staggered at how poorly it holds up now, in comparison to something like SMB3 which still plays brilliantly.

Re: Talking Point: What Does Google's Stadia Mean For Nintendo And The Future Of Gaming?

SachmoJoe

All in all the Switch (and future consoles like it) is best placed to weather the streaming storm - and be an excellent clientfor game streaming itself. I expect to see Microsoft and Sony moving in the Switch direction going forward as streaming gains a foothold in the big screen gaming market.

Realistically the only thing holding this back is internet infrastructure. Many cities already have it, many more probably don't. But that will change. Here in Australia I'm keen to give it a go and try it as a compliment (not a replacement) to the Switch.

Re: Talking Point: We Shouldn't Saddle Labo VR With Unrealistic Expectations

SachmoJoe

I will definitely be getting the Labo VR.... wait for it.... FOR MY KIDS.

Which is precisely how it's intended. My 5 year-old will love it. That's all this is meant to be and anyone getting bitterly disappointed about this product needs to understand that this is not for you. Or needs to understand the limitations of the hardware. Or both. I just shake my head at all the belly-aching I'm seeing about this.