Squiggle55

Can someone explain to me the point of competitive pokemon if you can just trade or buy your powerful pokemon?

How does the sales threshold work? After it hits the threshold he gets a big hunk of cash for all the games that have been sold already, getting back all of his investment at once? That is an insane policy. I'm sure someone has mentioned it already, but he should have made the fans put their money where there mouth is first if they were ragging on him for potentially not releasing on wiiware. Make a Kickstarter page and have them prebuy a wiiware copy with a 20k goal.

More Earthbound is obviously the correct answer to wild hopes and dreams.

What I really want are arenas! Just give us the N64 ones if you aren't feeling creative. They were great.

I'll be interested to hear if they use the gamepad in any way other than offscreen play. If not I'll once again choose Playstation for the simple fact that they have trophies and everything else is equal. But I am SUPER excited about a sequel to this game. One of my real highlights of last generation personally.

Now it's time for Nintendo to blow up my brain with a new Earthbound.

This is the first I heard of no arenas. I find that tremendously disappointing. I love MK balloon battle in an arena. and I am completely indifferent to the battle mode in wipeout

I want that sequel

I love chess and this classic game is absolutely screaming to give it the proper live multiplayer on consoles it deserves. What is the deal, voofoo?

I thought there was a ban on foreign consoles but there have always been various knockoffs. Is this not true?

Shantae

Come on! I really had my hopes up that they would improve the multiplayer from the Sony versions. I WANTED to buy this on the Wii U. But, come on! What is the deal? This has to be the absolute simplest type of game to have multiplayer for.

Indie games are here to stay. Technology has given them the opportunity to be a part of the marketplace. They are more affordable and typically more original. There is no logical reason to think they're going anywhere unless he thinks big publishers are going to lower their prices significantly and take more creative chances.

@Agent721 Well said. Lots of respect due to TriForce. Wonderful interview too.

I can't help but add though that, even though I'm no line expert, going home for a few hours and showering simply doesn't seem like it should be allowed. What are the official line rules?

@ThomasBW84 Thanks for the info. I might have to buy this game again then. Like you said, tournaments would have been really nice, but in essence no multiplayer on Sony was beyond ridiculous. I love the chess problems in the game, but in this day and age having a chess game on the latest and greatest hardware without being able to play online was silly. Playing this on the gamepad online should be pretty fun.

Are you auto-paired with random players with a similar ranking? Do you join games in a lobby? Or can you only play people on your friend list?

I'm glad there is real multiplayer. I understand the difficultly in implementing cross platform play, especially with smart phones. But I still can't understand why I couldn't just play real online multiplayer with my vita against other people with vitas.

@Damo Have they put proper multiplayer into this game as opposed to the Sony platform's version of message system multiplayer? And can I play random opponents?

This is the first I've heard of this. I just subscribed.

@Warbeard You're absolutely right that people should be encouraged instead of bashed when they are pursuing their dreams or goals. For my part I extend my sincere encouragement to the guy. Keep working on what you love. My skepticism is not directed towards him in any sort of negative way. I simply don't understand why NintendoLife has singled out this one person with only an idea to continue to talk about. There are lots of people who haven't made games before who have ideas. At the very most this seems to deserve perhaps 1 feel good story about an amateur's dream, not a new article for character reveals like this is Smash Bros. I just hope that if there's another article about the game, it's that the guy wowed Nintendo with his alpha build of the game and got his developer approval. Not that he paid someone to sketch Abraham Lincoln.

It's not that I don't believe this game will ever be made, it's more so that I think there are probably thousands of people who want to be game developers and have drawn a picture, so I don't know why this one gets coverage.

@nin "sexualized does not equal sexist"

Bingo.

Should games like this be boycotted? No. Absolutely not. As a father I am 100% more likely to feel the compulsion to boycott games like Call of Duty, because I fear the desensitization to violence much more than I do the exposure to nudity. Sex is natural, murder is not.

I'm the last person in the world who would discriminate against anybody, and I would never intentionally be insulting to a woman, or anyone for that matter. I believe in women's rights the same way I believe in rights for everyone. But women who are offended by the sexualization of humans need to step back and think about what they're even mad about. They weren't disrespected. Nobody insulted them. Would they feel the same way if someone made a game with the sexualization of men? Spoiler alert: no they wouldn't.

This article is absolutely exactly right. The absolute biggest problem with Nintendo right now is that they are lagging far behind in providing an entire Nintendo ecosystem that is up to par with the competition. I think this is greatly affecting their success and stifling the potential for more loyalty.

Hope it comes to android too. I'll certainly buy it no doubt about it. The story is my favorite part. This was actually a very good idea. I'd like to see more interactive visual novels simplified down to the core like this. Playing something like this on a trip on an Ipad would be awesome.

It's not that I don't like the puzzles. But I'd be lying if I didn't continuously think I have to get through this room so I can get back to the story. Who knows, maybe being rewarded with the story after solving a long puzzle is integral to the fun.

This is really quite quick in my opinion and kind of the first example of a "modern" console having to face this decision about servers. This isn't a tremendous loss since Nintendo was so far behind in online services, but can you imagine how mad people would be if Sony or Microsoft did the same for the PS3 and 360 in just 1 year?

Sometimes I just don't even bother with questions like this. Trying to explain the magic of the internet to Nintendo is like trying to explain to your grandma how to set up her email.

Can anyone explain to me with facts why in the world this sort of stuff always seems to come from China, and why, like Mr. Pachter said, "Misappropriation of intellectual property is hard to prevent in China"?

@SometimeAboutAI No what I'm wondering is if this is a console exclusive (never coming out on xbox or playstation). Or if they agreed to a timed exclusivity period. Or if there was no agreement at all.

Is this a timed console exclusive?

I thought it was pretty funny.

"Of more than 6,000 people surveyed, aged 13 and older, 36% say they now play downloaded games on PCs, consoles or dedicated gaming handhelds such as the 3DS." — I don't think this means anything at all. I play downloaded games because of PS+ and because some games are download only. In fact I'm surprised that percentage is so low. By no means have I "gone digital", and I will never download a game that is the same price as the physical version.

"Another surprising figure is that of those presented with a choice between the download or physical copy of the same game at matching prices, 25% would choose the download; 30% would opt for the physical copy, while the remaining 45% were unsure." — This is the only poll question that means anything. I am surprised that 1/4 of gamers would actually choose digital at matching prices. I really honestly think a very high percentage of those gamers are younger and don't have the same appreciation for the value of their purchases because they aren't really paying for it anyway. So they might as well choose convenience. (I know there are some exceptions so don't bother saying you're old and download retail games. I'm saying I think the majority are young.)

These statistics would be vastly more interesting with age information and questions like are you buying these games with your own money.

That number for the 3DS is very, very interesting. It speaks volumes about Nintendo's relationship with developers, because the 3DS is a successful machine. Wake up, Nintendo! Spend all your time brainstorming on how to build a better ecosystem of loyalty for both devs and players.

I will absolutely buy this at retail if we get it, if it's the budget retail price of 30 or 40. Now I'm glad I haven't pulled the trigger on the first one yet.

He should apply for an executive position at Nintendo with his love for puns.

@shigulicious ha! omg I love the sound of Mario Paintball Online. That could be a hit.

I need a Wii U surprise.

Really my expectations aren't high, but I would really like to hear about just ONE exciting new Wii U game.

I really like how they announce these things the day before. I hate waiting. I'll put $1.00 on a new Earthbound announcement. I'll take 1000-1 odds.

Holy Crap, @Bizcuthammer #146 nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. Everyone needs to read this comment.

@samiamiamsam That is exactly how I feel. I love Nintendo to death, but I would never buy a 3rd party game for their console that I could also buy on the PS4. I just wouldn't. I think this is the crux of the problem they need to solve. I honestly believe that.

I think they need to really think long and hard about customer loyalty. It sounds like they're thinking about it based on what they've been saying about loyalty programs and price reductions and that sort of thing. That sounds fantastic, but I'm here to tell you that it's a LOT simpler than that: Build an achievement system. You have the opportunity to look at the achievement systems of your competition and IMPROVE upon them. Some people don't care about it, but lots more do. It will build loyalty. Do it.

I really honestly think Nintendo will make a huge comeback next generation. Maybe it's blind hope. But I think they'll put a lot of focus into making sure their console is comparable in terms of specs and online infrastructure. They'll provide gamers with real accounts and some sort of achievements. It will be innovative in the sense that it will be very closely tied to their next generation handheld as well. And they'll dominate because it will FINALLY be equal to the others in all ways EXCEPT it has Nintendo games too. And that's the only thing they need to recognize.

@NintendoRocket
Ok, I'm mostly playing devil's advocate here. But let's be clear. My argument is based on the analogy that pulling the game from the store is the same as "burning money". Instead of simply "throwing this money away" he could have given his creation and the flow of funds to charity. Again, I am not saying he should give all of his money to charity, nor am I saying everyone should give all of their money to charity, nor am I chastising him for wanting to live a simpler life. And I most certainly am not saying he literally burned his money.

Your argument that you've presented me with is: "there are some good people in this world who want to give up money" and "can I have proof that he burned his money?"

I don't care if you disagree with me. My stance is "a charity having money is better than the money not existing." Your stance is "it's okay to just throw the money away, in fact it makes you a good person." I guess we just have to agree to disagree.

@OptometristLime I feel like I've gone absolutely insane. Does nobody read anymore? This is not an article about the success of Flappy Bird. And I am not saying he should give all his money to charity because he doesn't deserve it. Please somebody tell me they can even comprehend my argument.

This is an article about pulling Flappy Bird off the store. The choice is not between this guy keeping the money or giving it to charity. The choice is between the money not even existing or giving it to charity. He didn't even need to maintain ownership of the game. It's his choice, but I'm arguing that the choice was selfish and probably impulsive without considering the other options. It's really not a difficult stance to at least understand. Please nobody else try to debate this unless you at least understand what I am saying.

@XCWarrior It's blatantly obvious. I think there's still an outside chance Nintendo told him to take it down. It's possible they didn't want the bad press or the headache of a lawsuit and gave him a settlement to just take it down w/o mentioning why. Isn't it? Maybe the settlement was you get to keep all the money you've made so far, otherwise we'll take that too. haha.

@NintendoROCKET I see now that your critical thinking/reading skills aren't functioning properly while reading my comments, so I give up. No point in debating if you don't even read my comments.

But honestly, a bit off topic: If nothing else the success of a very simple game like this shows where the market is right now and where money is to be made with very little effort. When kids are talking about Flappy Bird at school you know something is wrong with Nintendo's strategy.

@Unca_Lz I disagree. If I saw someone burning money I would strongly pressure them into walking over and handing it to a local charity instead.

@NintendoROCKET Did you even read my comment? I don't care if he wants the money. And what does giving up money have to do with being good? If you had 50K in cash on you, and you decided you didn't want it, does burning it make you a good person? Absolutely not. I think I can make a very strong argument that it makes you the exact opposite. It is extremely egocentric to do so regardless of your reasons, because the money can be put to very good use in the right hands and make a difference in the world. It's his right to do with his money as he will, but this action was self-centered, and I can't see a valid argument to the contrary.

@Wii_Win With all due respect you are the one who needs to stop and think about it a little more. It is certainly his decision to stop a revenue stream of 50k a day in its tracks. But it was a selfish decision, simple as that. Imagine the positivity that would have come from donating the ownership of the game to a charity.

The only thing that makes me madder than a game like that earning 50k a day is someone turning down an honest 50k a day. Like many people have already said, give the proceeds of the game to charity. Utterly foolish.

Of course he could be a genius doing this as a publicity stunt. Then I'll just go back to being confused how something like that is more popular with kids than Mario.