Sakura

I'm interested! Love point and click when it's done right.

I'm beginning to wonder whether the reason for an external app is the external app itself - it's a way to get Nintendo onto your smartphone, it creates a mobile presence for Nintendo. That's a big part of their strategy, isn't it?

Splatnet is okay in terms of features, but voice chat does need a fix. It's pretty much useless if the app exits for any notification from another app on a phone and when the screen dims. Shoddy and a waste of time.

Pokemon Go Plus is available for £29.99

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nintendo-216006-Pokemon-Plus-Android/dp/B01HQ55NPI/ref=gbps_rlm_m-7_06c5_678a2a7b?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=4736cd05-3ad5-45f8-be10-7b2a621c06c5&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-7&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=10157705031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=3VVJMSKFK6X471WW2KXM

Frozen and Big Hero 6 for 3DS £15.99

Venom Steering Wheels for Switch at £12.98

Just Dance for Switch £42

Um, not a great deal of deals, perhaps in the tech section it will be better.

I saw a 12Switch commerical last night and thought it really wasn't showing the best gaming experience, just weird controllers and party games again. Not sure that's a helpful message if it's to be taken seriously. It's really way more than that.

These are much more appealing.

@Giygas_95 Thanks for the tips! I'll keep at it definitely, it just takes me a while to "get" it. Feels great when it finally clicks, though.

I've only managed to get to floor 8. I knew I'd find this hard, though, so will just keep trying. Maybe I'll even get it done by the time the second DLC launches.

@Timppis Right, so high even for Nintendo as a Japanese company. That's interesting.

@Masurao Also interesting. Always worth looking a little deeper.

Is it common within Japanese business culture to have such high approval ratings?

I'd really like this, but I don't think Nintendo will allow it and I wonder what performance will really be like. It might not matter too much for the games I like (not the AAAs), but will they be supported?

Hm, gonna spend my credit on the phone app, sooner rather than later.

I feel a bit sorry for the staff in my local GAME. They've always been really helpful and it's not their fault the company is in trouble. Prices are a turn-off and policies can be bad. I avoid the website because they can't get their payment system straight.

I've always wondered why one sheep isn't a shep or a shoop or something - goose-geese, foot-feet. Now I'm going to have to look up the etymology. I bet it's an Old English thing.

Anyway, back to the game and the universe everyone else lives in, and I may try it out. Sounds like a good timewaster.

Edit: Finally looked it up. Nope, one sheep was always a sheep. Although the plural of goat was gat, book was beek, egg was eggru, oak was ack, so not exactly easy to tell. Hm...

@invictus4000 Original price was $19.99, so should be $11.99 or thereabouts.

It's been on the watch list since it launched, just have so many games right now. At this price though, I'm definitely getting it.

@rjejr Thanks. Being on this site has got me into the habit of thinking that things can't be real, only to find out that they are. Now I'm willing to entertain the notion that anything might be real.

@rjejr Is that a real advert or a mock-up?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I always thought the Switch shirt in the Wii U version was a bit of a kick in the teeth for players on that platform. We pretty much know it was delayed because of Switch. A Wii U shirt would have been nice, but I guess it was advertising. Advertising like that is always a bit dubious: "Enjoy your Wii U version. Enjoy it more on Switch."

Also, would have been nice if they had given the shirt the same stats as another piece of armour and made it upgradeable so that it had value but wasn't a pay-to-win thing.

I'd like the map feature to unlock when you have all parts of the map. That would make sense. And the Korok mask could be a gift from Hetsu when you've collected say, a hundred korok seeds.

Really looking forward to the trials!

I do take on board that some things maybe should have been in a free update, but the trials alone are enough for me to buy the dlc now, knowing that there's also more to come along the line. I really, really appreciate the game, so more is good.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I definitely take your points, but I have a different view on "meaningful".

When talking of innovation, creative constraint is usually the driver. Sony and Microsoft are working to solve the constraints placed upon games by refining hardware to give it more raw power. The most obvious effect of that is superior graphics, but there is also now a strong push for narrative too to differentiate games from each other (I think it was EA whoe talked about it in their E3 conference and it can be seen in games such as Sony's God of War.)

Nintendo, for good or bad, has placed its creative constraints elsewhere. They ARE limited in terms of power, but instead of being a barrier to innovation, it has become the driver in a "how can we make something that is great fun that will run on our affordable console?" kind of way. This approach is of course limiting, especially in terms of third party. However, to remove it would require huge changes internal to Nintendo's creative process. If that were to happen, we might lose some of that Nintendo quirkiness.

I personally prefer to keep Nintendo's quirkiness around as I think it's good for the industry and fits me well. I definitely understand people wanting a more Sony/Microsoft approach too, but I just can't see the market for that with 80+ million already having hardware capable of playing AAAs. For all its faults, and there definitely are some, Switch seems like the only viable option - something not conventional as conventional is already covered.

As always, only an opinion.

Well, as long as it's easier than Human Resource Machine...

I ruddy love that game, but the learning curve is steep.

Actually, that infographic is pretty poorly done. Just looks messy. The games are there and in a kind of order, but it's not easy on the eye.

For me, B is about right given the things that are missing. But, I do have more confidence that those things will be coming down the line than I had before. It just feels like there's more momentum, more understanding and fewer mediocre offerings.

I don't count extensive third party AAA support in the above. Not in the near future, at any rate. I think there's appropriate content coming - Rocket League, Fifa, but Overwatch etc doesn't seem realistic, however much I try to make it so. Perhaps down the line, never say never, just not right now.

On Switch I'm most excited for the Zelda DLC and Syberia (even though 3 has had average reviews) and I'll also get Snake Pass and a few other Indies - Rime, Ocean Horn, etc.

Generally, though, I'm being more choosy with games now, since there are so many coming out and I still have a massive backlog. Still not played Captain Toad and I've had that since 2015.

Still definitely getting Ever Oasis, Rpg Maker, Pikmin, Miitopia Monster Hunter Stories and Metroid for 3DS. Long live my favourite console ever!

Still have Horizon and Tomb Raider on PS4 (got a deal on the PS4 the day before I got the Switch, and PS4 is still in its box - maybe I'll flog it). Dimensions is sitting there too. Yeah, I'm good, for now. I'll get the standout games like Odyssey, but they're going to have to wow me and I'll pass on anything multiplayer-focused.

We had some nice reveals this E3, but what is great is that Nintendo still has cards to play and it doesn't feel like this is it anymore. So much potential still left even with the Metroid announcements. Didn't feel like that with the Wii U.

@Shiryu Only scan them once? So, we could essentially buy all the sets, scan them and sell them on, but still have all the content? That would be nice, but would they really allow that? When something sounds too good...

It's an interestesting concept and the gameplay in the trailer doesn't look too bad.

I don't think I can cope with the controller as portal, though, cluttering up my hands. Btw, only docked mode? Mandatory pro controller?

In the end, it will depend on seeing more gameplay and on pricing for me. Oh, and probably on what else is out at the time. I'd love to know how it works technically, like how does part swapping get read by the controller. Bluetooth? NFC?

@BraveFencerZan That makes sense. The two guys in the video talked about it being a very ambitious project that does things not seen before. By the time it's ready, we'll probably be on the Switch Deluxe (or whatever).

@ThomasBW84 I really hope it's true, but the video doesn't back up the claim, so I'm inclined to believe it's a mistake. Shame.

Btw, great work with the streams the past few days. Appreciate it.

Looks like Ubisoft Spain simply tweeted an article about BGE2 from 3DSjuegos. I don't see any mention of platforms in that article or in the video.

Unless I missed something (which is possible).

They said it was procedurally generated, but the player has a certain amount of "artisanal" control. Actually looked pretty good.

Odyssey looks like it has depth, which is fantastic. There's also the Zelda DLC that I can't wait for.

Otherwise, some glimpses of things to come and the feeling that there has been a shift (thank goodness) away from the somewhat mediocre effors of amiibo Festival, Ultra Smash, etc to providing deeper experiences. That's a thumbs up. Third party support is there and though it might not include everything, it's about as good as I could expect given the rampant lead that the other two consoles have this late in a generation. Switch is now much more clearly, in my mind, a different proposition. That's good in my book, great for variety.

Edit: Forgot to say that the commentators for the Splatoon event were really good. Felt like a serious effort to showcase it as an esport.

Well, for me, E3 has given a few clues to shifts in the industry.

Sony had all the exclusives that are bemoaned on Xbox1, but the show didn't look well-received by the crowd. They weren't out with pitchforks, but they weren't struggling to contain excitement either. Write-ups are tending to use the word "disappointing".

Xbox brought the hardware, though it is criticised for being a niche product. They also brought exclusives, though they have been charged with rehashing old material and Microsoft seems to be doing away with the need for a console at all through its Windows platform.

Then we have Nintendo, who brought some great announcements (Prime 4, Rocket League, Pokemon). We have to wait for some, though, and it's what hasn't been announced that could be considered more interesting from an industry viewpoint. Switch does have third party AAA, but only select third party that companies believe will sell. The door is always open for more games to come, but what we know for certain is that they aren't coming right at this moment.

What if Nintendo had built a powerhouse of a console? Well, would the 80+ million Xbox and PS4 owners have bought it when they can get the games on the hardware they already have and are heavily invested in? Perhaps they might buy it for Nintendo's exclusives? Well, we already have that situation with the Switch and Switch also has the portability factor that differentiates it in the market. Business-wise, the Switch may have been the only real option for Nintendo.

But, where does that leave consumers? The online, microtransaction-heavy AAAs are on Xbone and PS4. Companies like these because of their profitability. Consumers, not so much, but that format will only change if people stop buying them. There is much focus on storytelling, even Fifa fleshing that mode out, but it's even clearer for titles like God of War. So why the apparent apathy? Is it because the gameplay for many of the games the industry likes (those that are most profitable) is not varied enough? I don't know. I don't play those games. The narrative is great, but the gameplay is too violent for me and often mutliplayer, which I dislike.

The Switch definitely has a market. It sits alongside the other two and provides a viable alternative library. It doesn't provide for all your needs. But then, neither do the other two consoles. So I now have a PS4 as well as my Switch, 3DS and Wii U. Is that what the industry is counting on? Investment in more than one infrastructure? Regardless, it seems to be a situation more and more of us are finding ourselves in, though priorities differ. PS4 is most definitely my secondary console. For many others, it will be the Switch.

@Rumncoke25 No, amiibo are usually £12-15. These aren't amiibo, though, they're just figures.

Also, standard edition is not avaiable for pre-order.

@Mainsaile Here's hoping for a point and click comeback!

I don't know. Nintendo presents things to us throughout the year with Directs and other showcases. E3 is where the rest of the world takes stock, but I like to remember that whatever Nintendo do, it isn't the sum total of their output. Still hoping for a few surprises, though. I'd like Nintendo to ride the Switch wave.

The Syberia trilogy definitely, thought the reviews of 3 were a bit meh on other platforms. But this is one of my favourite genres! Broken Sword too please, whoever does that.

@Rei I think GameXplain will win that contest. They've a remarkable 10 minute video on the 15 seconds of footage shown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bu_PmKC9aA

@SLIGEACH_EIRE That's a great idea. So many 3DS games I'd like to see on Switch, but just don't know whether companies will see enough value in porting or reworking them. This series has a great following, though, so it has a chance.

At the risk of a lynching, I have to say that I'm not fussed about Pokemon (except for Detective Pikachu - I'd take that). The focus on 3DS for the next main-game is interesting, though.

There are still 4 or 5 3DS games I'm looking forward to, but these are localisations of games already released in Japan. The Ultra games are new globally, although as upgrades, I suppose they're not really new. Hmm...

Also, how many fighting games does the Switch need?

I'm waiting for other content. Good to see some big games this early for Switch, though, even if they are mostly ports.

I'd rather have Nintendo Pocket Football anyway. I might have tried it if it had included the Journey mode, but not bothered now.

Please be a good reveal. We need something to make up for today's disappointing announcements from Capcom and EA.

Preston Sterling is a game in the style of Broken Sword. Only £2.50. Worth a punt.

@ThanosReXXX Great share, though. I'd never have thought of that without the prompt, but now I can't unsee it.

I thought Shaq Fu was a dlc character for NBA Playgrounds for a minute there. Needless to say that I don't think this is for me.

@ThanosReXXX Harsh, ...but very funny.

Well, this had better at least work flawlessly. If there are connection issues, lag or anything else that just doesn't work, it'll be an even bigger joke. If it works, though, it might not be such a big deal. We'll see.

I'm not personally invested as I only really play Animal Crossing online and I don't even do that much anymore, but still think it's an odd decision.

@ThomasBW84 The Skytree Village discount is only valid till 16 June, I think.

I would have got the Oracles of Seasons and Ages with the discounts, but I already have them.

I don't really need any more games at the moment, but I'll put Bonk's Revenge on the watch list.

Edit: The reward is only available till the 16th, but is apparently redeemable until the 30th.

So if a "normal" dock costs £80, what's the cost of an improved dock with supplemental computing device going to be? Gulp.

I expect I'd still upgrade, whatever...

Ah well, it was a nifty idea, shame about the execution. Still hoping Nintendo makes some joy-con with a left D-pad, just so the choice is out there. I rather suspect they might consider the issue a non-issue, however, because of the existence of the Pro Controller. Darn.

"July: Convince media/gamers" July could be tough. They've got their work cut out there!

Part of me is intrigued, wanting to know more. Part of me hopes this is some elaborate troll as payback for all the leaks and rumourmongering.

I'm thinking they might originally have meant to sell this bundle with the contents, but production of the joy-cons wasn't ready so they ended up with useless boxes until the Autumn (when the joy-cons launch). Sellling off these boxes and making more boxes with the red/blue joy-con sets because that's way better than delaying Splatoon 2.

Maybe.