StuTwo

@The_Pixel_King It was but it restarted literally half a second later!

@Yorumi I’m definitely in awe of what Apple has done with the iPhone. It’s incredible.

There comes a point at which change is best for everyone though (I’d argue the rigid App Store structure ruined Apples chance to completely dominate gaming for instance). It’s not about taking things away from Apple shareholders but rather an external force might be needed to make that change happen.

@StevenG I never used either OS but my impression was always quite positive when compared to contemporary versions of Android. The idea that Windows Phone was designed as a “poison pill” for Nokia is a bit far fetched - Microsoft clearly desperately wanted it to be successful.

Whether they were better or not is almost irrelevant though - without Google apps and with Apple dissuading other important app developers they never had a chance.

@StevenG I'm not sure that's necessarily true. Windows Phone was backed by Nokia - once the largest phone manufacturer. By Windows Phone 7 it was (by most accounts) a nice operating system and many of its key features have since been copied by iOS and Android. Microsoft made their own YouTube app for it, feature complete with the Android one, but Google forced them to pull it.

Blackberry OS had different issues but it was generally secure and I'd say it looked much cleaner than Android. It could even run Android apps natively - though of course they had to be side loaded.

If Google had been forced to allow decent native apps for YouTube and Maps to be available for those operating systems in the native stores (not necessarily to make them themselves) and Apple had less clout behind the scenes with other major app developers then I think either operating system could have survived and established a longer lasting niche.

@Yorumi I think we're actually not far apart in what we think.

If there were a couple of third party stores on iOS they might do things like allow app purchases on iOS to cross over onto Android (since the store operator would probably also operate an independent store on Android!). This would help to close the profitability gap between iOS and Android - everyone would ultimately get better Android apps and it'd be easier to migrate between iPhone and Android (probably one of the reasons why Apple is set on not allowing rival stores on iOS).

I am a strong believe in property that one owns. I just think that when it comes to large scale monopolies owned by vast corporations (ultimately with tens of thousands of different owners), it is sometimes the ethical and right thing to split those companies up or force them to adopt a different ownership structure. That doesn't mean removing someone's private property - they still own the same value of property.

I'm sure the author is talented. I'm sure the game is no real threat to Nintendo but - let's be honest - everyone knows by now that Nintendo will eventually shut down fan game projects using Nintendo characters or assets.

I guess they just want to keep things feeling "special". Fan games or projects (even incredibly professional ones) dilute the value of the brand slightly.

Of course no-one intends to make money on fan projects but if you want to make one that won't get shut down (and might potentially even be picked up) then go for a Capcom or Sega IP.

At this point anyone doing a Nintendo fan project should know they are either doing it for their own amusement or as a profile raising showpiece of their talents (or both).

@Yorumi I get where you're coming from but I do think it's more complex than that.

Yes - everyone has a choice as to whether they buy a iPhone or an alternative (which now pretty much means Android since third parties have almost no market share so it is a duopoly) in the same way that they have the choice as to where they live. In practice though people rarely have complete freedom. For a start off you are literally invested in that platform - it's not cost free to move to another one. Yes there is "platform freedom of movement" but to a certain extent users are a locked in and captive market.

Secondly the alternative ecosystems have no realistic chance to gain traction. We all saw BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone die a death ten years ago - in large part because about 50-75% of all time online is spent on YouTube and Facebook and their owners flat out refused to support BlackBerry OS or Windows Phone with native apps. Starting up a successful new platform (even a new store on Android) isn't something that's realistically within the reach of even ruthless tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon because Google and Apple will march lockstep to deny such an endeavour the apps they'd need for it be viable.

I think additional stores would be broadly good for consumers and I do think the market could comfortably bear another 3-4 across iOS and Android. Monopolies, duopolies, cartels etc. are rarely good for the consumer.

I think this goes for Nintendo too with the Switch - if they auctioned off the right to operate 2-3 rival stores to the eShop (each paying Nintendo an incredible annual flat fee for the right of course) then you'd see more innovation in how games were sold on the platform and some games which currently drown on the eShop might find the environment better.

@Yorumi I'm not disagreeing - what Apple has done is incredible from a business perspective. No-one should just be allowed to waltz up and take a cut of that with no risk or investment to themselves.

Anyone who thinks that any legal judgement will lead to a free for all is seriously naive.

I do think that what Apple has constructed is a form monopoly in a legal sense (Android notwithstanding) because they have complete monopolistic control over a vast market and they are exerting their power in that market to control transactions that are beyond their ecosystem.

What they are doing with Epic (and others) is essentially like Tesco (or an equivalent like Wal Mart if you're in the US) buying land, building a town, owning all of the shops in the town and then saying "oh and you can't even bring in food that you've bought from the next town into our town". Eventually courts will rule against them for this. Apple themselves don't try the same thing for applications other than games (you can log into your Office 365 app on iOS for instance but Apple only gets a cut if you actually subscribe or renew through your phone).

As I said though - breaking this down doesn't mean that Apple necessarily lose everything they've built. For instance auctioning off the rights to operate 2-3 legitimate iOS stores would directly earn Apple hundreds of billions of dollars and whilst those new stores would compete with the App store they couldn't be free for all's because they'd have to repay the investment in auctioning for the right to operate their store.

Under such a scenario - fees would probably still stay in the 25-30%, they couldn't go much lower. You might see some heavy investment into exclusive content by store holders though and you might see some more creative pricing models for very particular market niches. Competition would be good thing over all - it just wouldn't solve the problems that some people think it might.

@Yorumi I understand what you're saying but I'm not so sure I agree. Between Apple and Android there is clearly a duopoly but the Google Play store clearly takes its cues very directly from the App store (which is clearly dominant in terms of revenue).

I think that in arguing the App Store is an effective monopoly Epic will be probably be vindicated. I think it meets that definition by most scores and some of their policies are open to legal query - especially if the App store is seen as a monopoly.

The same is also true of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

However, I think that everyone needs to be realistic about what the outcome is likely to be. @alexybubble talks about the idea that Nintendo (and Apple/Sony/Microsoft) will effectively be forced to allow installation of a "homebrew" channel (so we can all play "legitimate homebrew" - without hacking our consoles). I don't see this as remotely likely.

It isn't a case of the current status quo versus a free for all. If Apple are found to be running a monopoly they could get around this by allowing 2-3 rival stores to open on iOS. They could even have a bidding process for companies who want to operate a store front. Any storefront would itself have to abide by a set of very stringent rules (to prevent outright piracy and criminal use).

The end result would likely be a very slight lowering of fees and a very slight liberalisation of the rules but... most people wouldn't notice a thing and most companies wouldn't benefit at all.

Another thing that could happen (that I expect is more likely to happen, either as an alternative legal compromise to rival stores or possibly alongside them) is that companies like Epic (and Microsoft with GamePass) say that you need to pay a one off fixed cost or a monthly premium on top of your regular subscription to enable the content you pay for elsewhere to be played on iOS. Apple sets a minimum premium, the publisher pays Apple a cut for that premium but Apple loses the rights to claim a full cut for all other micro-transactions/the full value of the subscription.

TLDR? Don't expect any major changes in how things operate in practice.

@sanderev You can't just say that!!!

...you have to put it inside the "spoiler" tag. Not everyone has watched the episode where Charizard eats the deceased Ash's entrails yet.

Great game. Hopefully they're working on Impossible Layer 2.

@ummyeahnintendo the problem is that ‘the people’ are largely just gobbling up games to add to their backlogs. They see huge 90% discounts and think “ok - just in case it’s any good”.

@NoMoreRobots thanks for sharing the results of your experiments on the eShop.

We mostly all agree it’s a mess because of how easily games the system is. It means that many great games end up going nowhere.

Good luck with your forthcoming launch.

The Ocarina of Time "Wilst thou play like a girl" was so cringe worthy. I've got a postcard of that ad buried in my loft somewhere.

For such a huge landmark game and such an important release to have it tied to such a "missing the mark" advert was a real shame. Compare to Sony's (amazing) adverts of the 90's in the UK and you can start to understand just why Nintendo and Sega got completely annihilated from the market.

@vyseofhr MK8 is a special case. It sells fairly consistently to every 1 in 2 or 3 new Switch owners.

When Switch stock is moving MK8 will move up the charts. Seeing MK8 high in the charts is, therefore, a sign that the console is selling well.

https://www.polygon.com/2014/5/15/5718168/mario-kart-series-sales

@koekiemonster We're in the UK. Don't estimate how backwards we can become.

@Ks123 I don't know. I think the MS buyout of Rare had some issues. Simply put Rare weren't the company Microsoft thought they were - at a time when Microsoft had no experience in the market to judge it well. Rare were very prolific on the N64 but owned few truly valuable IPs of their own (Donkey Kong Country and Goldeneye were their biggest games).

They also had an "internal studio" culture where different (small) teams basically worked in secret (in competition) until late on and were incentivised to do so. They were always likely to struggle to adapt as development teams had to get bigger.

I don't personally cheerlead this type of acquisition but I would say that things like the Bethesda purchase stabilise Microsoft's long term position in the market. This is generally a good thing IMO (when we see the complete mess that Apple has made with gaming on iOS for instance)

@SalvorHardin You don't always need a buyout to achieve the same end result.

The "Sega XBox" in Japan is something I've always thought sounded like a good idea in concept for both parties (especially if - as seems likely - the PS5 never sells as well in Japan as the PS4 did). It would - of course - come with various strings attaching Sega tightly to Microsoft even if outright ownership were never on the table.

I still don't see it as likely but stranger things have happened.

@MrGawain That's a line of argumentation I've seen several times elsewhere (almost word for word).

It doesn't ring true though. Netflix has produced a wide variety of content ranging from dreadful to absolutely incredible. The subscription model has an impact on the types of film/TV series that get made but I don't think it's negative in the way you're implying.

It's actually in the interests of Netflix (or in this case Microsoft) to produce some incredible "masterpieces" that take the kind of big creative risks that wouldn't be borne by a company operating a traditional content model. The "value" of having hundreds of programmes/games is eye catching (and keeps you engaged with the platform) but it's the big fresh mega-hits that keep you subscribing.

It's also the case that smaller more experimental games have more opportunity to thrive under a subscription banner rather than either a. being gated behind a fixed price that seems scary for someone who isn't already committed or b. having to be designed around a microtransaction core. Just look at Fall Guys (effectively a game behind a subscription service on PS4). That game has become huge - but it's a very innovative and strange game that probably would have struggled if you'd asked everyone to pay specifically for it upfront and would have been mutilated if it had been forced to be a FTP game.

With so many changes they would have been justified in charging at least £10 more than they are!

It’s a shame for Nintendo that most of the techie people who work in offices are working from home for the foreseeable future. This is perfect for a large open office with a conference room that has a large monitor on the wall.

@Tyranexx Yes. Here it is:

1. Fifa 20
2. Fifa 19
3. Fifa 18
4. Fifa 17
5. Fifa 16
6. Fifa 15
7. Fifa 14
8. Fifa 13
9. Fifa 12
10. Fifa 11
11. Fifa 10
12. Fifa 09
13. Fifa 08
14. Fifa 07
15. Fifa 06

To be fair - Galaxy is the second or third best platformer ever made (certainly after Galaxy 2 and maybe after 3D World) and it didn't sell especially well first time around. Playing it on Switch there are a few giveaways that it's a 13 year old Wii game... but you could easily pass it off as something brand new.

Mario 64 and Sunshine in the package just makes it look very better value. Especially with the strange cult following that the once inaccessible Sunshine has projecting over the internet the idea that it's somehow a top tier classic.

@Crono1973 Completely agree - had the same thing in Ricco Harbour. Even worse - I made it halfway and when I tried to break open the boxes to release the shortcut... I glitched right through them and into the sewers!

The game just does not respect your time.

Still. If having Sunshine on the cart is the price we pay for having Galaxy in HD it's worth it.

@Kalmaro it’s 2020. Nothing makes sense anymore.

Making sense or being vaguely coherent is a sign of weakness now. That’s just the way the world is now.

That seems like a high price. I’ll echo everyone else and say he’ll probably get a message from the buyer “er it hasn’t arrived” or something else along those lines. eBay will always favour the buyer in any dispute - the seller will be basically done over here.

I have sold a small handful of game boxes in the past though - they will sell if in good condition. Anything Pokemon will sell pretty well.

A fully boxed copy of Red or Blue in good condition (including the game!) will comfortably sell for £40-£50.

Splatoon is the Nintendo franchise that would work best as a movie IMO. It's got everything you'd need.

Pikmin would be very nice too. It's a strong enough concept, visually strong and could be adapted in a lot of different ways.

I'm sure Zelda gets pitched a lot but I think it would be hard to do well. When I see comments like "Zelda could be the next Game of Thrones" I have to just put my head in my hands. It really couldn't. Zelda is by its very nature goofy. It could work as a TV show or movie but I think you'd be looking more at something like "How to Train your dragon" than GoT.

Metroid I think would be a very strange adaptation too. Tonally most (commercially successful and critically acclaimed) sci-fi is either completely off the wall and with a lot of comedy built in or quite gritty & only one step removed from reality. Metroid doesn't really fit in either camp and any world building involving other human characters talking to Samus has always been badly received. It'd work really well as an anime.

@Ajent They've reworked a few old slogans for 2020:

<strike>Good things come to those who</strike> wait
Now you're playing with <strike>power</strike>

@Collette I don't know. It was Konami so they'd probably be able to get the original programmers to rework the game for Switch but then they'd have to hire someone else to clean the toilets.

@Lordplops "Please understand - the latest reworking of Metroid Prime 4 was not meeting our expectations so we've decided to start again from scratch..."

@Lordplops Way to focus on the trivial. The only thing we all really want to know is whether the Switch T-1000 will be capable of morphing its liquid metal hands into a 4k screen running at 120 fps that we can play BoTW 5, Mario Odyssey 5 and Metroid Prime 4 on before it becomes a knife like blade and ends our lives.

Sega's going the Konami route - Super Monkey Ball Pachinko inbound!

@fox_mattcloud That wouldn't explain the bouyant mobile market filled with "gatcha" games to a level we can barely comprehend though!

So... Hyrule Warriors?

@ianl579 I get you (and agree!). I just thought to note them.

@ianl579 That depends. Wind Waker got two direct sequels.

TP had Links crossbow training. And the Picross game on 3DS.

@RobHughes I think it'll be better than that. Remember we're 100 years in the past. You'll be able to play as baby Sidon!!!

@Ichiban HW:AoC - a sword can cut through 1,000 enemies a level.

100 years later - a sword can cut through 10 enemies before it breaks.

I think some of the port potential depends on how long Nintendo intends the Switch to live for (which is also partly determined by how well it continues to sell). If it's got a long life ahead of it then I can definitely see XCX and games like Yoshi's Woolly World. Even Paper Mario Colour Splash if the Switch is still going to be a going concern in 2023.

Why not? The main thing holding those games back is market saturation and risking devaluing the brand/confusing the market by releasing too many games in a series in too quick a succession.

It's only really this that will stop us from seeing WWHD and TPHD next year (and makes it touch and go for those games even in 2022).

@87th are you sure you're not a witch? Have you been tested recently?

(that's a joke by the way - we can have different opinions!)

@87th but the Mario Advance version does have annoying voices.

...or the optimistic version:

"The Switch version will be launching 'later'."

6 months later

"OMG the Switch version of Gollum looks TERRIBLE. It doesn't even run at 1080p 60FPS. The grass looks like something out of a COMPUTER GAME! UNPLAYABLE!"

"The Switch version will be launching 'later'."

6 months later

"The Switch version has unfortunately had to be cancelled."

Honestly - save yourself time reading any articles about this game appearing on Switch by reading the two above.

@Octane No they're not - stop getting people's hopes up.

You know those games aren't coming until the 4K Switch Pro launches next February.

@HotGoomba I think in a perverse way it makes sense. Sonic needs a retail presence - it's one of the few gaming brands that parents will buy for children on a whim in Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury's etc.

Making it a 2-for-1 deal says "this is Sonic and a lot of variety of Sonic. If your child likes Sonic you can't go wrong with this one!"

The original Sonic Mania instead of Plus though... That's probably Sega running the figures - I'd guess they can see through statistics that most casual players (and this type of package is aimed at the casual player) have enough of their fill of the game after the normal play through (I had) and that they can get the few that haven't to upgrade via DLC. It's still mega stingy from Sega though.

Wow. I was just looking at my UHU brand glue stick last night thinking I needed to buy a new one - this timing is perfect for me. Probably the best announcement of the year! Thanks Nintendo, thanks UHU GmbH!

@hotgamer77 I know - I had a SNES you don't need to sell me on it!

I don't think there's much doubt that SNES games almost always looked nicer than Mega Drive games. There were so many built in effects (like transparency and the many layers of parallax scrolling) and they were easier for the devs to access and make use of. Most importantly it could generate far more colours on screen and it could put far more colours on screen at the same time. That's what I always remember being the biggest thing as a child at the time.

The processor speed was clearly a problem for the SNES though - especially when you look at anything that was ported from the arcade or even from other formats.

I've not played it yet but I bought Golf Story from the eShop a while back. I was watching the trailer thinking "yes I know it's had good reviews but is it really for me..." and then it gets to the bit "...and the hotel is HAUNTED". SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!

I'm looking forward to it once I've finished XC.

The only other game on Switch that's sold itself to me on the trailer like that is Steamworld Heist. The second I saw the laser sight bouncing off walls like a snooker game - SOLD!

@Noid That's not actually true.

Although the SNES was generally a much more capable machine with a lot of effects "for free" (things like mode 7) and a much bigger colour pallet, the Mega Drive had a much faster processor. There were games on the Mega Drive that would have been a slide show on the SNES.

The SNES processor being so slow is possibly why the "Super CD" never launched.

The Japanese one has Bowser literally chewing the scenery.

It probably wins for that alone.

@ChrisMaDmAx congrats.

Well presuming she said ‘yes’ and not ‘is that from your childish games?’ Before leaving you.