SomeWriter13

Niiiin-tendo.
It's the man. The man with the Miiii-das touch.
A gamer's touch
Yet there's no VC

Beckons you to enter their web online
But don't go sign

Golden words they will pour in your ear
But Online can't disguise what you fear

For a golden girl knows when it's kissed her
It's the kiss of gold from
Mister Nintendo

I love Nintendolife. My main go-to site for Nintie news.

However, nowadays I'm finding myself turning to other Nintendo-related sites for basic facts and objective content, and NintendoLife is slowly becoming just the community for me and less about the articles.

As @CasNicks and others have mentioned, this year has seen a rise in clickbait articles, as well as articles with an obvious slant towards inciting the community into flame wars (I stay away from articles about hacking for this exact reason). Those articles could easily be objective and simply informative, which was what drew me to this site in the first place.

That thing looks like it's trying to steal my soul...

Already predownloaded the game a month ago.

Ditto Starmie and Dragonite for me!

@raviadso don't overlook MonHun for August! (So that's Dark Souls AND MonHun in the same month!)

@superpotion as long as it's a right and not a mandatory download. I don't use the service and it'll just clutter up my home menu. :/

They might surprise us with 30 more minutes of Smash Bros. developer notes. (Or worse, a recap of what they've already released.)

I'm still hoping for Pokemon 2019 news.

@Heavyarms55 I'm with you on this 100%. I really appreciate well-designed levels rather than floors that look and act like Tartarus from Wrath of the Titans.

@Ludovsky MHXX came out before MHW though (you said it yourself, gen 4 vs gen 5) so MHGU not coming out before MHW (or even alongside it) is bad PR.

@Ralizah I agree! The shoulder is bent forward, but the arm is pointed straight. One would pop his shoulder socket doing that in real life. XD

@Ludovsky oh yeah, Captain Toad looks very intriguing as a Switch port. Was really excited for it when I saw it the first time as a WiiU game so I'm very happy I'll get to play it on Switch. Weird it didn't get more screentime.

I do get where you're coming from regqrding MHGU's momentum now. What I was salty about was the poor PR with all the "we have no current plans" and "nothing to announce" stance of Capcom. They could have said "it's in development" or something and segue to "in the meantime, try MHW!"

@Ludovsky I think it mattered quite a lot, actually, since Smash isn't exactly for the casual fans. XD Was really hoping for more screen-time for MHGU and Octopath, and maybe any other new game, or even another remake (Wii Sports for Switch?)

The Treehouse sessions are really great. But last year's were much better since they had more content. This year, Daemon x Machina was truly fantastic, and I'm sold on it, but little else stood out for me. (Also no MonHun Gen Ultimate!)

Interesting observation regarding the MHW crowd! I would have tried selling them the Switch on the portability and Octopath Traveler, as well. Although I gotta admit, I'm someone who "bought a console just for one game," which was MHGU (thank goodness it's finally here! I felt so betrayed when Capcom went radio silent on the western release last year.)

@Ludovsky I agree with you that Nintendo's strength is its ability to differentiate itself from the competition. The colorful and fun stuff they put out is the main reason I prefer them over the rest.

I do feel that E3 was disappointing, though. While Nintendo never rarely plays by the rules, and that there are indeed other events, directs, etc., E3 is still an event that all companies need to show off in to (at least appear to) be legit. I guess it's got less to do with "just Smash" and more to do with the comparative "well PS4 did this, and XB1 did this, but Switch only did that?"

I do love that Nintendo doesn't play by the rules and thus chugs along on a completely different path that baffles everyone. The Switch sales doubling is a fantastic example of that. XD

I'm very optimistic about Nintendo's direction. 2018 has the main game I bought the Switch for (MHGU) and Octopath is coming out next weekend, and I'm sure 2019 will be a massive year once we have FOUR Pokemon games (includes the two we are getting later this year)

@SuperWeird on the other hand, I bought a PS4 in anticipation of FF7 Remake...and well, I am paying the price for that. Sometimes Sony (and Square) hype things too much. I wish these companies would find a middle (hype) ground. XD

I feel the art style is a bit of a miss. While I'm a fan of the noir comics style, there is a lack of separation from the background and the foreground. If you notice, the boot in the You Win screenshot has a white outline, which separates it from the shadow behind the character. The other screenshots of the same girl (in-game live 3D footage, and not a still screen like the You Win image) and the dude with a crown don't have this.

Many comics and manga have this white sepsration to distinguish things. I wish the developers would find a way to implement it in the future. Other than that, this game looks terrific.

@Ludovsky I hope so! I'm probably just being jittery about the new blood. I hope he does very well, for the benefit of everyone!

@NEStalgia excellent points! Yeah I'm not too keen on mobile as well. True, plenty of games are profitable there, and Nintendo's own foray into mobile space has been profitable, but the successful models that exist on that platform aren't too conducive to bigger games on consoles. (Also, I'm not too keen on constantly buying gems/gears/whatnot to fuel the gatcha system that pervades so many mobile games) It really is very hard to tell who is sincere and who is playing the field. But I'm hoping Furukawa holds true to his other statement that he will keep Nintendo's identity as a console maker alive.

I'm a bit concerned, as what others have posted here, shareholders really want Nintendo to go mobile instead of develop consoles. And Furukawa has echoed and hinted at more mobile stuff.

If there's no co-op, then I'll pass on this. Shame because of the awesome price and appealing genre.

The snark is strong here. XD XD XD XD

@Mathieu_B at the very least I am hoping market forces come into play. As long as there is demand for the current model, and other companies stick to it, Ubisoft (and other companies looking into streaming) will continue supporting physical and full download options instead of going full streaming.

@Mathieu_B what's so scary about your scenario is that it isn't farfetched. Man, that would completely turn me off from those companies if they changed their business model to that exclusively.

@Jeaz unfortunately no, as it isn't available where I am, which underlies the problem I stated. 3G is still standard in 70% of the country, and most people don't even have a smart phone outside of major cities (though this is changing rapidly thanks to the glut of cheap Asian android phones).
4G has begun rolling out, and 5G is coming next year. Still, 4G is very spotty and suffers from latency issues, even with my Note 8. Heck, I struggle to run Uber at times.
While my phone can connect to 5G, I doubt the mid-range Chinese smart phones can, and the smart phone industry is trending downwards as people are upgrading less often. (I myself will probably stick with my Note 8 for at least 5 years, as I did with the Note 3.)
Fiber has begun rolling out here, (I'm using it now). However, less than 42% of the population has access to it. Maybe this will improve in 10 years, but conservative estimates show a target of 60% by 2025.
I'm really impressed whenever I work in other countries, as their internet speeds are much better, but given how uneven development has been in the region, I have serious doubts about reaching the necessary speeds and consistency required for streaming as the primary means of playing games. It will definitely be an option, especially if the Google rumors are true, but if you are being conservative, it will just be one of many options.

@NEStalgia fantastic points!

@Jeaz while it's true that we can't predict the future, there is precedent. Even when the U.S. Congress allocated $650 million in 1991 for research on the National Automated Highway System, 27 years later autonomous cars are still just prototypes.

I think we are overestimating how fast governments implement improvements to infrastructure. Many third world countries only have dial up internet, and even then it doesn't cover the entire nation. Despite the United Nations declaring Internet as a Basic Human Right, plenty of places still don't have internet. And you need 5 billion for this CEO's prediction to be true.

It would take more than a decade to catch up to current internet speeds, which are barely capable of 4K streaming, much less 8K (which you know will be what Ubisoft and other AAA developers will be pushing in 10 years. Imagine machines that run 8K, and then the infrastructure required to stream 8K games...)

It's one thing for developers to create content for streaming, it's another for infrastructure to exist to support that platform to the point where the developers can sell games exclusively through streaming. @Mathieu_B has a point. Developers can't shell out the cash to build this infrastructure, nor do they have the clout and power to do so, anyway. Can you imagine Ubisoft pushing the Chinese government to spend money to improve internet speeds?

Yes we already have Capcom selling a game for streaming (same goes for Phantasy Star) but they'll remain outliers until developers can convince governments all over the world to implement infrastructure, and even then it may be too expensive to afford.

Can you imagine streaming a game for $59.99 per month? How many games can we afford at that price? What if they were at $100 per month, per game? How many would afford it, and how would that affect Ubisoft's earnings? Would 5 billion people really subscribe and stay subscribed? That's more than half the world population.

It might also be a generational issue. Would current gamers be gone in 10 years? I know I'll still be around buying games (even though I'm already quite old for a gamer). Can they convince old school gamers to stop buying physical or single-download games in favor of paid streaming? If not, can they ignore that market? Is it wise to ignore that market?

Ultimately, this is coming from a CEO who may already be retired by the time 2028 rolls around, so I'm not sure if Ubisoft will still be thinking of streaming by then.

@carlos82 I agree with you! Without graphics as a crutch, older games had to be creative. I remember someone on NL commenting that most AAA games are essentially "interactive movies" and I share that sentiment. I enjoyed The Last of Us because of the story and graphics, but the gameplay was nowhere near as fun as Nintendo games, and it didn't warrant a repeat playthrough.

I think the main problem with this concept is the fact that AAA video game companies will keep pushing the graphics of games to their utmost.

Streaming pixel-art games today is doable, even with 3rd-world-country-Internet speeds. But streaming 4K games? Maybe in 10 years...when AAA games are already at 8K resolution or higher.

Maybe AAA game makers can take a cue from Nintendo and focus on other things instead of graphics, but I seriously doubt they'll do that. To them higher graphics = improvement. (Not saying it isn't!)

So no, I don't think this is just an internet issue. Rather it's also the current model of AAA game design being incompatible with streaming.

"STREAMING"

That's a big NOPE from me.

@Mr_Pepperami you're right! Gotta admit, it's not a very CATchy title. Certainly makes me paws in my tracks.

@Tuosev thank you! I very much appreciate it. It was also a major plus that @jn2002dk was not only passionate about the subject, but also presented fantastic points in a logical and civil manner.

I'm sad there's no way to get these from where I'm from.

Also, I only got Moon. Didn't bother to get the upgraded one.

(Oh well, I already do have these 'mon stored in my Pokebank anyway.)

@jn2002dk yeah games that aren,'t available anymore is very sad. Sometimes the companies don't even bother preserving them, leaving fans to do it themselves. (Same with movies.) Some do become abandon-ware (no copyright owner) or go into the public domain.

I'm not learned enough regarding the legalities of homebrewing a console (as opposed to a game) so I dunno, haha.

Thanks for the stimulating discussion! I appreciate the nuanced exchange of views.

@jn2002dk we may be arguing two different things, hehe. You are right regarding morality. Copyright Law does not actually deal with moral issues--there is a separate set of rights called Moral Rights that covers those. So I agree with you that morality is not the issue. The mistake is to confuse one set of rights for the other.

Those types of lawyers may be barking up the wrong (perhaps self-serving) tree. Copyright Law does not protect sales, nor does it equate infringement with lost sales as if they were guaranteed sales.

What Copyright Law does protect is the right to make money from the intellectual property. Piracy removes this right to sell by distributing the intellectual property unlawfully, without permission from the copyright owner, and without the right for the owner to profit monetarily from the distribution of the property.

It may not be theft, or stealing per se, but it is the removal of a right that the owner has every claim to.

I agree that it is likely not the best course to sue Pirates for "stealing" (when no direct correlatation to "1 piracy = 1 lost sale" can be made). Rather, Pirates can definitely be sued for Copyright Infringement (the unlawful use and distribution of a copyright protected work, which deprives the owner of the right to sell.)

@jn2002dk also wanted to add that whether on not the pirate would have bought it otherwise is irrelevant. Just because they wouldn't have bought it doesn't mean they deserve to have it for free, when the owner explicitly wishes compensation for their property.

Just because it cannot be stopped also does not make it OK. Physical theft also cannot be stopped 100%, but it doesn't mean it isn't illegal.

Also there are open licenses, like some of the examples you gave. Those fall under fair use, open licenses, etc. However, such licenses are offered by the copyright owner (or has relinquished all copyright, or the limitations have passed such as in death occurring 50-75 years ago.) Except for death, it is the result of the owner not demanding compensation.

@jn2002dk you are right in that piracy is not Theft as the latter is legally defined as the physical taking of something.

However, Piracy is a form of Copyright Infringement, which is the illegal use of intellectual property without a license from the copyright owner. Small cases can merit a cease and desist and monetary compensation. On a large enough scale, copyright infringement can result in jail time (anywhere brtween 5-10 years in the U.S. for example.)

To add, copyright protects the owner's right to make money off of their intellectual property. Also, owning a copy of said artwork/work/game does not constitute copyright, in the same way that buying a poster of Mickey Mouse does not mean you own the rights to it. Distributing said intellectual property is to deny the owner the right to make money from it, and therefore it is illegal.

@Tokiwa I wholeheartedly agree (and can relate!) with your stance. As long as internet speeds are not up to par worldwide, carts will still be around.

When 2022 comes and even 1% of games are still on carts, I will laugh in their faces.

@tedko agree with you 100%!!!

@Dualmask I'm with @tedko on the charm of the flex. It's the silliness of MonHun that separates it from the bleak darkness feel that pervades similar man-vs-huge-beast games like Dark Souls. It's the same as the way they eat meals, and how it's been cats cooking those meals.

Maybe it's because I didn't put a lot of time into MHW (I let my younger brother play that, because I had work and I could only carry my Switch) so MHGU won't feel archaic to me at all.

That said, if the next MonHun on Switch changes to something more in line with the mechanics of MHW, I won't mind. It's still MonHun on a portable, which is exactly what I crave. Plus, having the monsters actually fight each other instead of ignoring one another and just ganging up on you was a very refreshing change in MHW that I would more than welcome to future MH on Switch.

@tedko gotta agree with you regarding the flex. It forced me to time my healing, and it even forced me not to heal and just fight safer and smarter. The flex made me a better hunter.

While many of the QoL changes in MHW are nice, I feel they breed bad habits.

@NewAdvent NO.

Read about this elsewhere. I'm happy that Capcom is considering doing more MH for Nintendo. I hope it continues beyond that!

THAT'S A SEXY CONSOLE. I want one! Definitely a head turner!!!

@Cobalt agreed! I mentioned in a very old article here that I believe it isn't worth the effort to convert MHW to the Switch, in fact I think it's pretty impossible (given the UI designed for the big screen, the gameplay loop itself, and just the general resource hog that the game is.) I totally agree that it'd essentially be making a new game. (Which I hope they do down the road!)

To be fair though, MHW was developed during a time when the Switch was still a dream, so they didn't factor that into their design process.

Hopefully Capcom gives us a new MonHun game for the Switch in a couple of years. I'm OK with MHGU for now.

@Cobalt you make really great points and I agree with some of them.

Just want to add that (hypothetically) if Monster Hunter World had come to Switch, that would be the preferred version by many fans of the series, gimped graphics and lower framerates and all...even at full price.

Many longtime players have said that the local (outdoors/at work/at school/at conventions) multiplayer and portability beats the (admittedly) incredible graphics but lonely solo-headphone-chat experience.

And if you could use a joint account between the XBox and Switch versions, you would have seen many people double-dipping. Best of both worlds in that case for graphics-hungry people.

I can't speak for all gamers obviously, nor for other game series, but MonHun is a game that historically benefits from portability.

No gameplay footage?

Very good redesign that honors the original and prepping him for the HD visuala. The lines on his body are a nice touch.

Though I gotta say, the super deformed version looks the best to me hehe.

See this is why the hackers aren't treated well by Nintendo. They're always up in arms about how it's their right to homebrew and modify and so forth, but in the end all we get are %#$ images and a lesser opinion of the hacking community. Respect goes both ways. They need to stop this childish behavior if they want to be viewed in a better light.

D'awww this looks adorable!