Can't decide if I will: A: Watch this on my phone at lunch (not sure how optimized the live video will be for smartphones. OR B: Have NL liveblog up at work. OR C: Wait until I get home to see any news.
Ended up playing Skyward Sword and Kid Icarus. I can never predict how much time I'll have for games (and therefore what games will be played) before the weekend begins.
Not only are many kids and young adults on summer break - but high school/college aged people also often have jobs or work more hours in the summer - so more disposable income as well to buy games. the 15-25 year old demographic is a big one for game companies. Why not take advantage of it?
It's Peter Molyneux. All Ninty has to do is promise a bunch of stuff to get him excited. It's not like they have to actually deliver on those promises...
I too would be interested in the source. Nobody wants to take my $$$ in a preorder. Amazon will put a game up with an overestimated price and a TBD release date to get preorders at even a whiff of a potential release. How long did the have "Monando" to preorder before Xenoblade was ever confirmed for US release?
It sounds like Nicalis is a waste-of-space publisher when it comes to getting games through Nintendo's lot-check. I remember how many delays Cave Story had - I'm guessing that game had the same story as La-Mulena. Instead of supporting the developer with QA help, it looks like Nicalis just uses Ninty's lot-check as QA - which seems to be a process designed by Nintendo as a final step - not as a full fledged debugging process. Announcing a game cancellation on Twitter before/at the same time as notifying the dev personally is pretty unprofessional as well.
Stories like this actually make me kind of feel for Nintendo in their not-so-good agreements for WiiWare. It sounds like a lot of their time and manpower IS necessary to get games onto their shops, especially games from little devs without QA teams. Hopefully, they'll find a better publisher who can help them through the process more efficiently - though it's a shame it's gotten delayed so long. Probably the few people who were interested in WiiWare in the first place have moved on to other things by now...
Ever since E3, I've identified Kid Icarus as the "mascot" game of the 3DS. It was the definition of what unique things the 3DS was bringing to the table. I think it could be a new franchise - there haven't really been any big name, uniquely portable franchises since Pokemon. Kid Icarus could be what Mario was to the NES, Pokemon was for the Gameboy, Zelda was for the N64, Metroid Prime or Pikmin was for the Gamecube, or Wii Sports/Wii Fit was for the Wii. The game franchise you think of instantly when you think back to that system.
I just gave this game a spin on the subway to work this morning (only had time to get through chapter 1. The controls really aren't that difficult, and I imagine are very simple if you are used to a keyboard/mouse setup. I had no problem playing standless. I could see it being useful if I was playing for a long period of time, but it didn't feel awkward to me at all. It's like playing any other DS game with stylus controls. Dashing I need to work on, but it's not complicated, I just have crap reflexes. I am so glad I don't have to use dual analog to play. My hands just cannot do dual analog well. If the controls feel awkward - well that's how I feel on 90% of PS360 games.
It would be a pain, I think, if I were a lefty though.
I personally think this is a great game, the only fault I'd give it is it's easy difficulty (though I couldn't get all the emeralds when I was little and first played it); it's still harder than Sonic Chaos though. I first played Sonic 2 on Game Gear, and I don't think it's much slower than that. Overall, It's a fun game and if you like the Master System Sonic games, you'll enjoy giving this a spin. If you don't, consider yourself judged.
Game Gear was awesome. Battery life complaints are a little much though. One set of batteries would get you about 6 hours, and very few 8 bit games outside of RPGs had more than 6 hours worth of gameplay.
Batteries did get expensive though. I had the rechargeable battery pack, and it's crazy to think what a long way those have come. That thing was huge, lasted 3.5 hours, but took 8 to fully charge - and you had to be careful to pretty much run it dry each time and recharge it fully.
Hopefully, it will be the same for North America. I finally got on and filled out my GBA ambassador game Club Nintendo Surveys and let them know that if they don't communicate about game removals better, I won't be confident that I can transfer games to WiiU (doubt removed games will be transferrable), and, therefore, it won't be worth it to me to spend $5-$10 on anymore games at this point. I know it's not much, but I feel like it's one way to let Ninty know directly how I feel.
That might make sense. We're still a ways away from WiiU though. These games are probably the most major 3rd party games on the VC. Very distressing (and odd, since all except for Sonic 3 are coming down, and Sonic 3 came out way before S&K). What is Nintendo thinking??? There's really no reason digital games can't be carried on to WiiU. I may have to pick them up since S&K isn't on the playstation store, and I'm a bit on the lazy side to get my genesis out. HOWEVER, if I'm not going to be able to transfer these games to the WiiU, I don't think it's worth the money to me.
It would be great to get a statement from SOMEONE on why this is happening.
I like the idea of going all digital, as long as price savings are passed along to me. It's somewhat of a double edged sword though. Game prices have to be somewhat high on digital distribution systems now, likely in part to not piss off Sony/Nintendo/M$ofts publishing/retail partners. But if you thing savings will get passed along to us once retail dies - think again. Especially in the case of Nintendo, we've got monopolies at work. Not gonna happen. Hopefully, we'll see more sales as game companies in the stores fight each other.
That being said, bring on the digital revolution. I know Apple isn't always super popular on here, but all of my games have lived through four generations of devices (3G - 4S). I haven't lost any of them (though, to be fair, I don't have that many - probably many unsuccessful games won't get updated). The ideal situation for me would be to buy 1 console, download all of my games, then transfer them all over when the next gen comes out (and I think we're going to start seeing more and more time elapse between each generation, which is nice). We have the internet speeds and hard drive/memory card capacity to make this a reasonably inexpensive and viable option, unless you live in some more rural areas in the US, but let's not get started on all the issues facing infrastructure development/maintenance in this country.
@Stardust Given that we only lost a handful of games in the switch from the DSi to 3DS, I wouldn't be too worried. The only real concern, I think would be 3rd party licenses, and even the bigger ones, like Sega and Capcom will probably be fine.
This is just one of the reasons US copyright law needs to not last forever (I know that's not the technical term, but whenever Steamboat Willy is about to go public domain, you know Disney's going to lobby and get another 50 to 100 years tacked on). It would be great to have some sort of legal status for abandonware (not that these games are abandonware yet, but it looks like they soon will be).
It would be nice to see this game on a Nintendo service and to be able to have access to games that are adult and push the envelope.
It would also be nice to see those types of films without having to drive past 3-4 theaters to get to an art house. But it doesn't happen. Because those movies don't sell as much as the giant blockbusters. It's no surprise the same thing is happening in the games industry.
Nintendo has a certain brand image it's creating. This doesn't fit it. As much as I'd like to live in a world where adults are the ones truly driving content (or at least, older teenagers), looking at the amount of purchasing power tweens/teens have nowadays (and the fact that they actually have time to play more than 2-3 games a year with their school breaks), it's no surprise that Nintendo aims their products towards "families." Even Resident Evil didn't seem any worse than your average PG-13 horror movie.
I haven't played Issac, but it would be interesting to know...is it a piece that is in your face but really makes you consider and think about your beliefs and the effect of religion on society (Dogma would be one good example of a movie that seemed stupid and overtly offensive on the outside, but was in fact, very thought-provoking), or is it just in your face for the sake of being in your face (think Hostel...gross)?
The follow up question would be - should that make a difference?
The day I will be able to play all the Sonic Game Gear games on my current portable device will be heaven. Now if only Ninty could work a deal with disney for the licensed games (Jungle Book, Aladdin, Lion King), all of the nostalgia could be had.
I hope it's finally Pokemon Gray and not Pokemon Rumble Snap Blast Pinball HappyFunTime 2 for Wii or some other spinoff game. I've been holding out on the 5th gen for that.
The game itself is a product. Lots of developer time and resources went into it. That's what you are paying for when you purchase a disk. Continual online play is a service that must be maintained. I don't see this practice as a problem if:
1) There's content on the disk that justifies a purchase without going online (some sort of single player/local multiplayer campaign must be present). Otherwise, what's the point in purchasing the product without the service?
2) I'm not already paying a fee through the console to support the online architecture (so this rules out all XBL games that require gold subscriptions).
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but for the most part, this stuff won't happen (or would be annoying if it happened). For example - do I really want a bunch of smash bros. figures laying around my house? If they're insisting on doing some sort of DLC with any game, I'd rather just download it. (I guess collectible figures are ok for, collectors, but hopefully there will be download options too).
Also, I don't see using eShop cards as purchasing tools in the real world. In the world of books, there's Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and some small independents hanging on. Amazon and Barnes both have their own ereader devices and shops they want to promote (which offer a huge advantage to the WiiU tablet in that they're portable). It would be hugely time-consuming to work with enough independent book stores to make that a viable business proposition (if there even are enough of those stores left - and many rely on niche and vintage book sales anyways). Movies and music? Music, probably not. Ninty's not going to let you transfer stuff between your computer unless they're whole philosophy actually changes. There's iTunes and Amazon which you're already able to put on whatever device you want. Movies might be a more interesting proposition, ESPECIALLY if the WiiU will let you download and play 3D movies, which can be played on a compatible TV and your 3DS. Still, it seems an online shop would be a better format for selling this stuff than working deals with FYE and such that are on the way out anyways.
I doubt unstable connections are even on their mind. I'm sure Japan's wired to the teeth. It's a problem in rural areas in the US that are still on dial-up or satellite (though I've had a bit of experience with satellite at my grandparent's house, and it's not terrible (though I don't know how it would perform with games).
Hopefully there will eventually be a mandatory update needed to play online. The glitch is annoying, but I could live with it if it weren't for the massive amount of people who only choose Maia wuhu online. I'm tired of that course.
Why Nintendo never provided a true SD solution for Wii is beyond me. They just did a halfway fix, then I guess they just gave up and started developing the 3DS and WiiU. It's really a shame, because with firmware updates there is no reason at all this couldn't have been fixed.
And don't give me the argument that Nintendo was worried about hackers. The homebrew channel enables you to put whatever size game you want on a USB or external hard drive. Allowing people to play from an SD card would have no effect (with the exception of possibly giving them some better games to pirate - but that's still a better situation than not having anyone want to make games for your machine at all).
Just because there games weren't great doesn't mean they don't have a point. How well do GOOD games do on WW as opposed to Steam, App Store, PSN/XBLA, ect.
Maybe that's why we're not seeing many good games on WW. Studios with their stuff together know better than to bother.
It's going to be about the price point and the games. They'll have to have really compelling exclusives and online and everything else has to be flawless. Otherwise, what's the point? Who doesn't have a PS3 or 360 at this point? Plus, you can forget third parties. They'll port PS360 games to the WiiU, but they're still going to be ports. At least until the PS4/720 releases. Then they'll be watered down ports.
The only potentially saving grace would be the price point of the PS4/720. The WiiU should be able to release for $300 or less, which is about what the market will bear for a new console and about what PS360s currently run. Microsoft can probably keep the 720 price down somewhat, since you need a Live subscription to do pretty much anything with it online and it's makes money through ads too. I don't know what Sony will do.
If Ninty is accomplishing anything, it's making the gaming industry less attractive for Sony to be in. Xbox has other money making models and directly competes with Sony. I'm not sure if Sony can justify loosing money on consoles that don't sell all that well to push their 3DTVs and BluRay or whatever the next console is supposed to push.
Yes, I think if they released Xenoblade there wouldn't have been as many downloads. This game wouldn't have gotten much, if any press if it weren't for operation rainfall. I'm sure it's a good game, but it doesn't warrant Mario Galaxy type numbers. You'll also have a lot of people who may not have pirated normally who justified it, because they COULDN'T buy it or afford to import a Euro or Japan console for one game. Now that they've played it though, they may not have enough incentive to buy it, only harming sales next time. It will be interesting if Ninty's strategy of keeping their cards close to their chest with Xenoblade will work. The Operation Rainfall movement will lead to more sales due to increased free publicity. Or most of the die-hards that really wanted to play it pirated it already.
Also, the Wii doesn't really have a useable system to boot online modders like the Xbox and PS3 do (see Mario Kart Wii hackers). With no reason to ban people and have removal of online play as a disincentive you'll see more pirates.
I just want them to price 3rd party games reasonably compared to PSN/Apple. Ninty has the best controller for retro games, but it's hard to justify paying 2-10 as much to get a game on 3DS or Wii. Everyone loses out on sales!
I'm totally OK with it. Retro does amazing things. However, I too would prefer them to take on Star Fox or be able to develop a new IP. Star Fox needs more help (Zelda games are going to be wonderful no matter what), and they've definitely proven themselves worthy of creating a new IP.
I am happy with the ambassador games, but I also hope (and feel it's quite likely) that the games are all eventually released to everyone to pay for. It's really such a great selection of GBA titles, I would hate for anyone to miss out on the opportunity to play them. I also hope they eventually release more GBA titles too, because while the ambassador games are great, they're certainly not all the great games in the library.
It's good to hear that they are thinking about succession planning - many businesses do not and pay the price. I have no problem with some fresh blood now and again, and there are a fair amount of stories where devs go beyond Miyamoto's expectations or convince him to allow something different in their games. I think it's good that he's been starting to give those under him more freedom - and frankly, looking at the major Ninty franchises the past couple of years, there's not too much to worry about.
I'm picking up a copy later this week, and I'll definitely join then! Thanks for setting these up. I know everyone's saying they'll get creamed, but I'll definitely be the one getting creamed!
I think I'm with everyone else. $250 would be ideal- you'll easily be able to get an xbox or ps3 for $200. Any more than $300 and it will be 3DS all over again.
I wonder if they feel only "core" gamers would get this game, and parents wouldn't pick them up for their kids at a Target or Best Buy. This could be the compromise that saves Ninty on distribution costs, which I'm ok with. It's annoying that I don't shop at gamestop, but hopefully Amazon will get it too somehow (or I will wait for a pricedrop).
Not surprising, so many stores were offering the console/mario or zelda bundles for $169.99 around here on Black Friday - so you could basically get the game for free. The cheap Wii's surely did well too.
I'm fine with the delays. Zelda games that get massive delays get great reviews - see OoT! Wind Waker got rushed out, and we missed a dungeon. Glad we're back to the old ways.
I love Mario 64. Whatever magic those guys did to get it the way it is definitely worked out in the end! It's also nice to hear that Ninty even in the N64 days obviously had some great talent that could go above and beyond Miyamoto's expectations. Hopefully, we'll be in similarly good hands when he retires.
I skipped the GCN era for the most part. It's unfortunate, because now I am playing catch-up with some great games (though for Prime Trilogy, I'm glad I waited to play with Wii controls).
I'll be sad when the GCN controller is phased out for the WiiU. The classic controller just isn't ideal for GCN and especially N64 games. The GCN controller was butter. I'll probably keep my Wii around for a while with my fancy imported-from-Japan matching white GCN controller with extra-long cord for Gamecube games, though I hate the idea of having multiple systems kicking around in this day and age.
Seems weird...publicity stunts like this are PETA's bread and butter. Their entire budget is like 90% marketing, 10% euthanizing animals in their shelters, because if they're not euthanized, they will be pets, and being a pet is slavery (even for animals that have been bread for years to be domesticated...seriously, check out what founder Ingrid Newkirk has said about the subject). If you actually care about animals being treated humanely, look to the ASPCA.
They must have gotten a cease and desist letter in the mail from Nintendo or something.
All of the games in the video are ports of games that are out now for PS360, pretty much. If you want those games...you probably already have a PS360, they're very reasonably priced at this point.
Here's what I see happening. The first year of WiiU's launch there will be a few big Ninty titles and old ports from the PS360. Who will buy it? People who have a PS360 will buy a WiiU for their kids or significant other to play Mario Kart on while they play their PS360s. They'll snap up tons of Mario Kart/NSMBU/Whatever, but not much else. Why? Because there's already a PS360 in the house. 3rd parties will whine about poor sales.
We could get a few months of solid multiplatform releases after that. Again, it's not going to sell many systems, because people will probably be OK with using their current hardware.
1 - 2 years later PS4 and Xbox720 will come out, and the WiiU will probably be the equivalent to an Xbox520 or a PS3.5. 3rd parties will primarily design games for the true Next-Gen system and WiiU will get watered down ports. 3rd parties will complain about poor sales and then abandon the system, as the Nintendo 3rd party cycle once again comes to it's inevitable conclusion.
Comments 1,298
Re: Watch E3 Live Online, On TV and On the Go
Can't decide if I will:
A: Watch this on my phone at lunch (not sure how optimized the live video will be for smartphones.
OR
B: Have NL liveblog up at work.
OR
C: Wait until I get home to see any news.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Ended up playing Skyward Sword and Kid Icarus. I can never predict how much time I'll have for games (and therefore what games will be played) before the weekend begins.
Re: Redesigned Wii U Tablet Controller Is Revealed
I think the analog sticks, but I wish that either the screen was bigger or the tablet as a whole was smaller. There's a lot of extra space.
Re: Retailers Call for Summer Blockbusters
Not only are many kids and young adults on summer break - but high school/college aged people also often have jobs or work more hours in the summer - so more disposable income as well to buy games. the 15-25 year old demographic is a big one for game companies. Why not take advantage of it?
Re: Peter Molyneux Wants More From 'Lacklustre Wii U'
It's Peter Molyneux. All Ninty has to do is promise a bunch of stuff to get him excited. It's not like they have to actually deliver on those promises...
Re: Wii Pikmin 2 Hits North America on 10th June for $19.99
Thanks TBD. Looks like a pretty reliable source to me!
Re: Wii Pikmin 2 Hits North America on 10th June for $19.99
I too would be interested in the source. Nobody wants to take my $$$ in a preorder. Amazon will put a game up with an overestimated price and a TBD release date to get preorders at even a whiff of a potential release. How long did the have "Monando" to preorder before Xenoblade was ever confirmed for US release?
Re: Interview: Nigoro on La-Mulana's Cancellation
It sounds like Nicalis is a waste-of-space publisher when it comes to getting games through Nintendo's lot-check. I remember how many delays Cave Story had - I'm guessing that game had the same story as La-Mulena. Instead of supporting the developer with QA help, it looks like Nicalis just uses Ninty's lot-check as QA - which seems to be a process designed by Nintendo as a final step - not as a full fledged debugging process. Announcing a game cancellation on Twitter before/at the same time as notifying the dev personally is pretty unprofessional as well.
Stories like this actually make me kind of feel for Nintendo in their not-so-good agreements for WiiWare. It sounds like a lot of their time and manpower IS necessary to get games onto their shops, especially games from little devs without QA teams. Hopefully, they'll find a better publisher who can help them through the process more efficiently - though it's a shame it's gotten delayed so long. Probably the few people who were interested in WiiWare in the first place have moved on to other things by now...
Re: Feature: Kid Icarus - Nintendo's Next Big Franchise?
Ever since E3, I've identified Kid Icarus as the "mascot" game of the 3DS. It was the definition of what unique things the 3DS was bringing to the table. I think it could be a new franchise - there haven't really been any big name, uniquely portable franchises since Pokemon. Kid Icarus could be what Mario was to the NES, Pokemon was for the Gameboy, Zelda was for the N64, Metroid Prime or Pikmin was for the Gamecube, or Wii Sports/Wii Fit was for the Wii. The game franchise you think of instantly when you think back to that system.
Re: Nintendo Download: 10th May 2012 (Europe)
VC releases and fully translated imports! Sega once again does what NintenDON'T!
Re: Rumour: Retro Studios Preparing Star Fox Wii U Reveal
Want.
Re: Talking Point: The Critical Importance of Black Ops 2
If I was going to buy a console for COD, I'd already have a PS3 or 360. Why would I buy a WiiU?
Re: Rumour: Wii U Release Date Unveiled in Mystery Email
Seems as good enough a guess as any to me. Hooray for educated guessery! But - does that factor in delays?
Re: Kid Icarus: Uprising Fails to Fly in UK Charts
I just gave this game a spin on the subway to work this morning (only had time to get through chapter 1. The controls really aren't that difficult, and I imagine are very simple if you are used to a keyboard/mouse setup. I had no problem playing standless. I could see it being useful if I was playing for a long period of time, but it didn't feel awkward to me at all. It's like playing any other DS game with stylus controls. Dashing I need to work on, but it's not complicated, I just have crap reflexes. I am so glad I don't have to use dual analog to play. My hands just cannot do dual analog well. If the controls feel awkward - well that's how I feel on 90% of PS360 games.
It would be a pain, I think, if I were a lefty though.
Re: Feature: Kid Icarus: Uprising - What the Review Couldn't Tell You
Waiting for it to come from amazon! At least I got my 3D Classics download code to hold me over.
Re: Review: Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble (3DS eShop / Game Gear)
I personally think this is a great game, the only fault I'd give it is it's easy difficulty (though I couldn't get all the emeralds when I was little and first played it); it's still harder than Sonic Chaos though. I first played Sonic 2 on Game Gear, and I don't think it's much slower than that. Overall, It's a fun game and if you like the Master System Sonic games, you'll enjoy giving this a spin. If you don't, consider yourself judged.
Re: Feature: The Life and Times of SEGA's Game Gear
Game Gear was awesome. Battery life complaints are a little much though. One set of batteries would get you about 6 hours, and very few 8 bit games outside of RPGs had more than 6 hours worth of gameplay.
Batteries did get expensive though. I had the rechargeable battery pack, and it's crazy to think what a long way those have come. That thing was huge, lasted 3.5 hours, but took 8 to fully charge - and you had to be careful to pretty much run it dry each time and recharge it fully.
Re: SEGA: "Sonic VC Games Will Stay in Europe"
Hopefully, it will be the same for North America. I finally got on and filled out my GBA ambassador game Club Nintendo Surveys and let them know that if they don't communicate about game removals better, I won't be confident that I can transfer games to WiiU (doubt removed games will be transferrable), and, therefore, it won't be worth it to me to spend $5-$10 on anymore games at this point. I know it's not much, but I feel like it's one way to let Ninty know directly how I feel.
Re: Nintendo Leaves BAFTA Empty-Handed
I can see all the other awards winning - they're great games. But Peggle? Seriously? That's an insult.
Re: SEGA Drops Four Sonic Games from Japanese VC
@JimLad
That might make sense. We're still a ways away from WiiU though. These games are probably the most major 3rd party games on the VC. Very distressing (and odd, since all except for Sonic 3 are coming down, and Sonic 3 came out way before S&K). What is Nintendo thinking??? There's really no reason digital games can't be carried on to WiiU. I may have to pick them up since S&K isn't on the playstation store, and I'm a bit on the lazy side to get my genesis out. HOWEVER, if I'm not going to be able to transfer these games to the WiiU, I don't think it's worth the money to me.
It would be great to get a statement from SOMEONE on why this is happening.
Re: Talking Point: The Inevitability of Digital Retail Games
I like the idea of going all digital, as long as price savings are passed along to me. It's somewhat of a double edged sword though. Game prices have to be somewhat high on digital distribution systems now, likely in part to not piss off Sony/Nintendo/M$ofts publishing/retail partners. But if you thing savings will get passed along to us once retail dies - think again. Especially in the case of Nintendo, we've got monopolies at work. Not gonna happen. Hopefully, we'll see more sales as game companies in the stores fight each other.
That being said, bring on the digital revolution. I know Apple isn't always super popular on here, but all of my games have lived through four generations of devices (3G - 4S). I haven't lost any of them (though, to be fair, I don't have that many - probably many unsuccessful games won't get updated). The ideal situation for me would be to buy 1 console, download all of my games, then transfer them all over when the next gen comes out (and I think we're going to start seeing more and more time elapse between each generation, which is nice). We have the internet speeds and hard drive/memory card capacity to make this a reasonably inexpensive and viable option, unless you live in some more rural areas in the US, but let's not get started on all the issues facing infrastructure development/maintenance in this country.
Re: Europe's Virtual Console Loses 6 Games This Month
@Stardust
Given that we only lost a handful of games in the switch from the DSi to 3DS, I wouldn't be too worried. The only real concern, I think would be 3rd party licenses, and even the bigger ones, like Sega and Capcom will probably be fine.
This is just one of the reasons US copyright law needs to not last forever (I know that's not the technical term, but whenever Steamboat Willy is about to go public domain, you know Disney's going to lobby and get another 50 to 100 years tacked on). It would be great to have some sort of legal status for abandonware (not that these games are abandonware yet, but it looks like they soon will be).
Re: Nintendo Rejects The Binding of Isaac
It would be nice to see this game on a Nintendo service and to be able to have access to games that are adult and push the envelope.
It would also be nice to see those types of films without having to drive past 3-4 theaters to get to an art house. But it doesn't happen. Because those movies don't sell as much as the giant blockbusters. It's no surprise the same thing is happening in the games industry.
Nintendo has a certain brand image it's creating. This doesn't fit it. As much as I'd like to live in a world where adults are the ones truly driving content (or at least, older teenagers), looking at the amount of purchasing power tweens/teens have nowadays (and the fact that they actually have time to play more than 2-3 games a year with their school breaks), it's no surprise that Nintendo aims their products towards "families." Even Resident Evil didn't seem any worse than your average PG-13 horror movie.
I haven't played Issac, but it would be interesting to know...is it a piece that is in your face but really makes you consider and think about your beliefs and the effect of religion on society (Dogma would be one good example of a movie that seemed stupid and overtly offensive on the outside, but was in fact, very thought-provoking), or is it just in your face for the sake of being in your face (think Hostel...gross)?
The follow up question would be - should that make a difference?
Re: This is How Game Gear Games Will Look on 3DS
The day I will be able to play all the Sonic Game Gear games on my current portable device will be heaven. Now if only Ninty could work a deal with disney for the licensed games (Jungle Book, Aladdin, Lion King), all of the nostalgia could be had.
Re: Pokémon Director Hypes up Sunday Announcement
I hope it's finally Pokemon Gray and not Pokemon Rumble Snap Blast Pinball HappyFunTime 2 for Wii or some other spinoff game. I've been holding out on the 5th gen for that.
Re: Game Gear Games Reach Japan VC Next Month
Price sounds about right.
Re: European 3DS VC Gets Game Gear Next Month, Too
I need game gear on the 3DS so bad.
Re: Talking Point: Wii U and the Future of the Online Pass
The game itself is a product. Lots of developer time and resources went into it. That's what you are paying for when you purchase a disk. Continual online play is a service that must be maintained. I don't see this practice as a problem if:
1) There's content on the disk that justifies a purchase without going online (some sort of single player/local multiplayer campaign must be present). Otherwise, what's the point in purchasing the product without the service?
2) I'm not already paying a fee through the console to support the online architecture (so this rules out all XBL games that require gold subscriptions).
Re: Talking Point: NFC and the Latest Wii U Wizardry
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but for the most part, this stuff won't happen (or would be annoying if it happened). For example - do I really want a bunch of smash bros. figures laying around my house? If they're insisting on doing some sort of DLC with any game, I'd rather just download it. (I guess collectible figures are ok for, collectors, but hopefully there will be download options too).
Also, I don't see using eShop cards as purchasing tools in the real world. In the world of books, there's Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and some small independents hanging on. Amazon and Barnes both have their own ereader devices and shops they want to promote (which offer a huge advantage to the WiiU tablet in that they're portable). It would be hugely time-consuming to work with enough independent book stores to make that a viable business proposition (if there even are enough of those stores left - and many rely on niche and vintage book sales anyways). Movies and music? Music, probably not. Ninty's not going to let you transfer stuff between your computer unless they're whole philosophy actually changes. There's iTunes and Amazon which you're already able to put on whatever device you want. Movies might be a more interesting proposition, ESPECIALLY if the WiiU will let you download and play 3D movies, which can be played on a compatible TV and your 3DS. Still, it seems an online shop would be a better format for selling this stuff than working deals with FYE and such that are on the way out anyways.
I doubt unstable connections are even on their mind. I'm sure Japan's wired to the teeth. It's a problem in rural areas in the US that are still on dial-up or satellite (though I've had a bit of experience with satellite at my grandparent's house, and it's not terrible (though I don't know how it would perform with games).
Re: Nintendo Has No Plans to Fix Mario Kart 7's Maka Wuhu Glitch
Hopefully there will eventually be a mandatory update needed to play online. The glitch is annoying, but I could live with it if it weren't for the massive amount of people who only choose Maia wuhu online. I'm tired of that course.
Re: Gaijin Games Explains Why RUNNER2 Won't Reach Wii
Why Nintendo never provided a true SD solution for Wii is beyond me. They just did a halfway fix, then I guess they just gave up and started developing the 3DS and WiiU. It's really a shame, because with firmware updates there is no reason at all this couldn't have been fixed.
And don't give me the argument that Nintendo was worried about hackers. The homebrew channel enables you to put whatever size game you want on a USB or external hard drive. Allowing people to play from an SD card would have no effect (with the exception of possibly giving them some better games to pirate - but that's still a better situation than not having anyone want to make games for your machine at all).
Re: Icon Games: "Nintendo's Policies Put Jobs at Risk"
Just because there games weren't great doesn't mean they don't have a point. How well do GOOD games do on WW as opposed to Steam, App Store, PSN/XBLA, ect.
Maybe that's why we're not seeing many good games on WW. Studios with their stuff together know better than to bother.
Re: Rumour: Wii U Heading for E3 Face-Off with PS4 and Xbox 720
It's going to be about the price point and the games. They'll have to have really compelling exclusives and online and everything else has to be flawless. Otherwise, what's the point? Who doesn't have a PS3 or 360 at this point? Plus, you can forget third parties. They'll port PS360 games to the WiiU, but they're still going to be ports. At least until the PS4/720 releases. Then they'll be watered down ports.
The only potentially saving grace would be the price point of the PS4/720. The WiiU should be able to release for $300 or less, which is about what the market will bear for a new console and about what PS360s currently run. Microsoft can probably keep the 720 price down somewhat, since you need a Live subscription to do pretty much anything with it online and it's makes money through ads too. I don't know what Sony will do.
If Ninty is accomplishing anything, it's making the gaming industry less attractive for Sony to be in. Xbox has other money making models and directly competes with Sony. I'm not sure if Sony can justify loosing money on consoles that don't sell all that well to push their 3DTVs and BluRay or whatever the next console is supposed to push.
Re: Millions of Wii Games Pirated in 2011
@lz
Yes, I think if they released Xenoblade there wouldn't have been as many downloads. This game wouldn't have gotten much, if any press if it weren't for operation rainfall. I'm sure it's a good game, but it doesn't warrant Mario Galaxy type numbers. You'll also have a lot of people who may not have pirated normally who justified it, because they COULDN'T buy it or afford to import a Euro or Japan console for one game. Now that they've played it though, they may not have enough incentive to buy it, only harming sales next time. It will be interesting if Ninty's strategy of keeping their cards close to their chest with Xenoblade will work. The Operation Rainfall movement will lead to more sales due to increased free publicity. Or most of the die-hards that really wanted to play it pirated it already.
Also, the Wii doesn't really have a useable system to boot online modders like the Xbox and PS3 do (see Mario Kart Wii hackers). With no reason to ban people and have removal of online play as a disincentive you'll see more pirates.
Re: Rumour: New App Store in Development for Wii U
I just want them to price 3rd party games reasonably compared to PSN/Apple. Ninty has the best controller for retro games, but it's hard to justify paying 2-10 as much to get a game on 3DS or Wii. Everyone loses out on sales!
Re: These Cut Scenes Never Made it Into Majora's Mask
Great Fairy is sooo creepy!
Re: Miyamoto: "Retro Could Work with Nintendo on Zelda"
I'm totally OK with it. Retro does amazing things. However, I too would prefer them to take on Star Fox or be able to develop a new IP. Star Fox needs more help (Zelda games are going to be wonderful no matter what), and they've definitely proven themselves worthy of creating a new IP.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Year of Giving
I am happy with the ambassador games, but I also hope (and feel it's quite likely) that the games are all eventually released to everyone to pay for. It's really such a great selection of GBA titles, I would hate for anyone to miss out on the opportunity to play them. I also hope they eventually release more GBA titles too, because while the ambassador games are great, they're certainly not all the great games in the library.
Re: Out Now: Nintendo 3DS Ambassador GBA Games
What a great selection. There was a lot of filler in the NES releases, but these are pretty much all golden. I am one happy ambassador today.
Re: Miyamoto: "Eventually Nintendo Must Survive Without Me"
It's good to hear that they are thinking about succession planning - many businesses do not and pay the price. I have no problem with some fresh blood now and again, and there are a fair amount of stories where devs go beyond Miyamoto's expectations or convince him to allow something different in their games. I think it's good that he's been starting to give those under him more freedom - and frankly, looking at the major Ninty franchises the past couple of years, there's not too much to worry about.
Re: Join the Official Nintendo Life Mario Kart 7 Communities
I'm picking up a copy later this week, and I'll definitely join then! Thanks for setting these up. I know everyone's saying they'll get creamed, but I'll definitely be the one getting creamed!
Re: Nintendo Doesn't Want a 3DS Price Situation on Wii U
I think I'm with everyone else. $250 would be ideal- you'll easily be able to get an xbox or ps3 for $200. Any more than $300 and it will be 3DS all over again.
Re: It's Official: Xenoblade Chronicles is Coming to North America
I wonder if they feel only "core" gamers would get this game, and parents wouldn't pick them up for their kids at a Target or Best Buy. This could be the compromise that saves Ninty on distribution costs, which I'm ok with. It's annoying that I don't shop at gamestop, but hopefully Amazon will get it too somehow (or I will wait for a pricedrop).
Re: Mario and Skyward Sword Set Series Sales Records
Not surprising, so many stores were offering the console/mario or zelda bundles for $169.99 around here on Black Friday - so you could basically get the game for free. The cheap Wii's surely did well too.
Re: Nintendo Finishing Mario Kart 7 Was an "Act of Emergency"
Happy to have any game in Retro's hands. Psyched for this release!
Re: Nintendo Delayed Skyward Sword To Get It Just Right
I'm fine with the delays. Zelda games that get massive delays get great reviews - see OoT! Wind Waker got rushed out, and we missed a dungeon. Glad we're back to the old ways.
Re: Miyamoto: "Super Mario 64 Was Boring"
I love Mario 64. Whatever magic those guys did to get it the way it is definitely worked out in the end! It's also nice to hear that Ninty even in the N64 days obviously had some great talent that could go above and beyond Miyamoto's expectations. Hopefully, we'll be in similarly good hands when he retires.
Re: Feature: Remembering the GameCube
I skipped the GCN era for the most part. It's unfortunate, because now I am playing catch-up with some great games (though for Prime Trilogy, I'm glad I waited to play with Wii controls).
I'll be sad when the GCN controller is phased out for the WiiU. The classic controller just isn't ideal for GCN and especially N64 games. The GCN controller was butter. I'll probably keep my Wii around for a while with my fancy imported-from-Japan matching white GCN controller with extra-long cord for Gamecube games, though I hate the idea of having multiple systems kicking around in this day and age.
Re: PETA - Relax Mario Fans, It Was All a Joke
Seems weird...publicity stunts like this are PETA's bread and butter. Their entire budget is like 90% marketing, 10% euthanizing animals in their shelters, because if they're not euthanized, they will be pets, and being a pet is slavery (even for animals that have been bread for years to be domesticated...seriously, check out what founder Ingrid Newkirk has said about the subject). If you actually care about animals being treated humanely, look to the ASPCA.
They must have gotten a cease and desist letter in the mail from Nintendo or something.
Re: Wii U's First Launch Title Announced Already
All of the games in the video are ports of games that are out now for PS360, pretty much. If you want those games...you probably already have a PS360, they're very reasonably priced at this point.
Here's what I see happening. The first year of WiiU's launch there will be a few big Ninty titles and old ports from the PS360. Who will buy it? People who have a PS360 will buy a WiiU for their kids or significant other to play Mario Kart on while they play their PS360s. They'll snap up tons of Mario Kart/NSMBU/Whatever, but not much else. Why? Because there's already a PS360 in the house. 3rd parties will whine about poor sales.
We could get a few months of solid multiplatform releases after that. Again, it's not going to sell many systems, because people will probably be OK with using their current hardware.
1 - 2 years later PS4 and Xbox720 will come out, and the WiiU will probably be the equivalent to an Xbox520 or a PS3.5. 3rd parties will primarily design games for the true Next-Gen system and WiiU will get watered down ports. 3rd parties will complain about poor sales and then abandon the system, as the Nintendo 3rd party cycle once again comes to it's inevitable conclusion.