Sorry, no it isn't. It's a handful of new games (most of which aren't even out until next year) surrounded by re-releases and over-priced ports of years-old games already available for other platforms.
Literally the only title in the confirmed 2017 list that I want to play is the new Zelda and I might as well keep my Wii U for that.
I'm thinking that there are few issues to consider.
Nintendo really value their back-catalogue and would want to continue to be able to sell all those games. This probably includes even WiiU games, so I am thinking that 'under the hood' we might still be looking at something similar to WiiU (which in turn is similar to Wii and GC before it), essentially PowerPC based. I'm not sure if it really matters too much if they switch to Intel, for instance, as modern development tools make it less of an issue what the actual target hardware is. An Intel design might be cheaper in hardware terms, but incur costs in other ways if they have to develop emulation strategies for their older consoles.
This does not mean that they will end up with a system that is necessarily all that far off PS4/XboxOne in power though. The question is if it is able to run current-gen multiplatform game designs (Star Wars Battlefront, Assassins Creed, plus FIFA and NFL series etc.), even if there are some compromises. A slightly lower spec would probably not kill it as long as those third party games are backed up by the high quality, fully optimised Nintendo titles, which can only be played on NX. Basically for the Nintendo fan who likes to play a few other mainstream games, and the more casual gamer who isn't bothered about how many fps their console produces. I think it would have to be closer match than Wii to PS3/360 was though.
Also, by the time this is released, PS4 and Xbox will be mid-life, probably get cost-down designs and price cuts. Lets face it, if you really wanted either, you would have bought one already. However, Sony, for instance, said they were looking for a 10-year life cycle for the PS4, so we should not expect a PS5 within 5 years at least - and that's assuming Sony don't implode in the mean time, which is not impossible, given their financial situation (PlayStation is successful, everything else they sell is looking pretty sickly).
So Nintendo could go one of two ways, they could produce an expensive powerhouse, but would almost certainly have to subsidise the price to make it competitive with the mid-life consoles, and risking losses if they don't hit the sales numbers of software to offset the hardware loss.
Alternatively, and more likely, they will go for something less powerful, but with some unique features (such as the handheld-hybrid concept) and which ideally makes a profit on every unit sold from day 1. One of the failures of the WiiU design is that it is too expensive to make, with the gamepad adding a lot of cost - this means that they either take a loss on sales, or have to keep the price relatively high, which is what they have done.
A new console, or handheld/home console hybrid, at $200 or less is heading towards 'no-brainer' pricing - where people might well consider it as a second console, or for use as a handheld even if they already have one or more of the other two.
If they can hit the sweet spot of pricing, power and unique features, they can surely have another Wii-style hit, but I think a fail on any one of these could doom them,
What would have reassured us is a new trailer with a release date at the end with 2015 in it. I am 100% certain NX will launch November 2016 with the new Zelda on it.
If they launch a new console, it simply cannot fail, and Zelda is the only way they can be sure to do well. Wii U didn't have one, and didn't get that initial sales momentum. 3DS didn't either until Ocarina came out. The game may appear for Wii U after NX, or in parallel.
If there is any title in the entire back catalogue that is a prefect fit for Wii U, it's Metroid Prime. Exploration and mapping, scanning, changes in perspective, visor effects, you name it. It was all crying out for at least an HD remaster, but not this.
After watching the video, I have no idea what this is. Not a clue. All I got from the video is something about boobies. Was it crazy to expect something that vaguely resembled one or the other of these two game series?
No Zelda - lets face it it's not happening on Wii U. No Metroid on Wii U Almost no RPGs a all Animal Crossing bloody Party! - My wife is the worlds biggest AC fan, and she is not even remotely interested in that.
The 3DS line up was reasonable, but Wii U is dead, not even on life support. They might as well have held a wake. They are so obviously in a holding pattern for NX now, but this isn't how to retain fan loyalty.
I'm afraid I'm one of those people who just doesn't see the attraction of little plastic figures. I like games, not toys. The only reason I would even consider buying one is if it unlocked some unmissable game content, and as far as I can tell, that's not the case.
Is it possible that some of you with connection problems actually logged in at the wrong time? I only say this beacause there was no warning or message when the hour was up, it just stopped working and showed the standard connection error message on screen. Same if you logged in too soon.
No issues at all here, I hate online shooters, but really enjoyed this, I thought it has a similar 'one more go' appeal as MK8. Can't wait for release now.
I have this on iPad. It looks fantastic, but the gameplay just feels kind of soulless. It lacks that Nintendo magic somehow. Hard to put my finger on exactly why, but I got bored with it quite quickly.
No interest at all. I don't like any kind of unlockable DLC really. I just want to buy a complete game, not have parts of it hidden behind a plastic junk paywall.
DLC that adds real content is fine, but all cosmetic content should unlockable through gameplay.
I have been voting 'Nothing for me this week' for so long, I can't be bothered any more.
I will continue to buy only on disc or cart until a true account based system is introduced, and digital pricing at least matches the physical products.
I'm afraid I think they are crazy not to release old games on smartphones, NES, GB, GBC, GBA. The sheer number of emulators and illegal rom sites shows there is demand there, but there are still many people that would gladly pay to have legitimate copies. An official Nintendo branded Bluetooth controller with a real quality d-pad would help with playability. I don't see that this would hugely undermine the 3DS which has a fantastic library of its own optimised games.
Failing that, at least produce some original content that is of sufficient quality to warrant the Nintendo name, but is actually designed for smartphone use. If a guy can make money out of Flappy Bird, then Nintendo can do better!
I think what they are really worried about is that every other mobile platform has an account based digital store, which means they only get to sell the game once and it runs on all the devices anyone owns. They want to continue in a world where digital download software is treated like a physical product that you buy and buy again for each device or platform, and I can't see this model being sustainable for much longer in these days of Apple, PSN, Netflix and Kindle, however good the games are.
Having the map on the gamepad is fine by me, but it looks like you are also stuck with an onscreen map as well, which seem kind of pointless. I like that the gamepad can leave the main screen relatively free of clutter, which at least the Assassins Creed games allowed on Wii U.
Right, played the demo, and as with every other Smash Bros game, I just don't get it. At least Nintendo saved me from spending money just to see what the fuss is all about. Looks like Fantasy Life is next months purchase...
@Einherjar The Magnavox Odyssey (which looks awesome actually) was released 1972 - I think that was the year we got a colour TV! I daresay there were prototypes around for a few years, but not sure they count, since very few people would have seen them. Good try though!
All of these came out far too late for me to have any kind of childhood nostalgia - Atari 2600 or Sinclair ZX Spectrum are more my era!
However, a borrowed copy of Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening on the original GB got me through a very dark time in my life when I was unemployed and virtually homeless, and I still consider it one the best games I ever played.
A bizarre and desperate press release to me. Of course I can understand the existence of gay communities around the world with shared values, concerns and interests, but seems pretty offensive to me to lump every non-straight sexual orientation into one big pot and call them an "LGBT audience". Seems like another word for stereotyping to me. I'm pretty sure that gay people are just as diverse a group as any other arbitrary grouping of people you could name, especially in context of gaming and entertainment.
I am tempted here, as I would like to play the game again and it is a great title, but as with all the GBA VC titles, it's on the wrong damn console!
This is my wish list: VC tied to account not console. Handheld games for the handheld console (duh!) Cross-buy Cloud-save "Virtual" link cable for multiplayer.
Buy once. Play on 3DS on plane/train/bus, continue on WiiU at home. That's worth £6.29 (well over $10 BTW!) to me.
Without those features, I struggle to justify even the £4.40 intro price to myself regardless of how good the game is.
I don't care how much an original cart is on eBay - a cart is a physical item, and can be resold if you don't like the game or finish it. A digital download has no intrinsic value, and needs to offer some real benefits other than just making my home console into a GC GBA Player (which was a fairly unpopular add-on as I remember).
Strange comments from Ubi, as it seems almost everyone on here seems to have one or more Ubi titles. I think I have most of them, loved ZombiU actually. I even picked up Splinter Cell in the recent sale as I was bored, and it's, y'know, OK. Only AC3 is notably bad, but it's not great on any platform, because of the poor choice of setting, and dull storytelling. Loved Child of Light and bought that full price day 1.
Even though I have a decent desktop PC, I picked these up because I love playing on the gamepad without the TV. It's literally the killer feature for me, I can play while my wife watches telly, or chilling out on sofa or in bed. My PC is much less comfortable to use.
I wonder what the "attach rate" is for Ubi on WiiU though? I bet as a percentage of user base, they sold a lot of copies - problem is the user base is too small to support these massive releases.
It's hard to understand the low sales figures quoted - I guess they only count full price "launch window" sales really, but I bet Ubi's recent back catalogue actually sold pretty well as budget or discount releases.
Also there were rumours a couple of months ago that Ubi have a fully completed Wii U exclusive (i.e. not Watch-Dogs) that they are sitting on, waiting for a larger install base to justify a release. Wonder if this is completely canned now?
@DracioKoi Ghost Recon Shadow Wars is great. Not sure where you have seen a bad review score - it's by far the best launch title and well worth playing if you like Advance Wars/Fire Emblem type games.
Not worried about the sponsorship, only that Mercedes, and this car in particular, is a strange fit. The GLA starts at £33000 in the UK which is about 25% more than the average national salary, so hardly mass market. As far as I can tell this is a car primarily used to just to take spoiled brat kids to school. But then it's not just about promoting the brand, as they could have gone with a more exotic "fantasy" model just to do that, so they obviously want to push this particular model. I suppose the money offered was too much for Nintendo to worry about 'brand fit'...
@Melkac Yes, in the UK at least B2 is rated 16, but B1 is an 18. Actually UK and European ratings are generally less prudish about nudity, but more so about violence, which seems sensible to me. Violence with sexual connotations is much more likely to get an adult rating. Having not played B1 I'm not sure what the exact reasons are, but they both look like pretty freaky games.
Note that in Europe, the Nintendo website indicates that B1 only comes with a "Special edition" copy of B2 due to B1 having a higher age rating than B2.
While it does mean that it will probably be a disc copy, we will almost certainly have to pay more for the privilege. That means NOT FREE in EU! There don't seem to be any pre-orders up for the special edition yet though, so pricing is unclear.
I think the technology is still not quite there for successful mass-market of VR. The computing power is pretty much there, but the 'goggles' are still too large and heavy, even though Oculus and Sony have made huge improvements in weight and comfort. When they can get them down to something as lightweight as a normal pair of glasses, then they have a chance, and even then the disorienting effects of VR will be a problem for many.
Personally not bothered about live streaming, and I can't stand 'Lets play' videos either, most of the hosts think they are far funnier than they actually are.
However, the highlight sharing in MK8 is pretty good, the races are short and posting 'brag' clips is pretty fun. I also would like a bit more control over the editing though as often I can't quite catch the moment I want from the angle that looks best.
The problem is almost definitely hardware capability for live streaming, PS4 has a hardware video encoder built in that uses negligible system resources to run. WiiU does have something similar for the video sent to the gamepad, but that doesn't mean it can be used for external streaming. MK8 just records controller inputs and game variables, it does not record live video.
I don't see why Nintendo have to ape features from other consoles, when theirs have plenty of unique features. Just adding universal voice chat would be a good start, to make use of the Gamepads mic and camera.
Pretty funny, but I'm a Nintendo fan and a long time gamer, and I don't get Smash Bros either. I have played the GC and Wii versions and just never 'got it'. Just button mashing and 'nothing seems to matter' for me too. While I'm really excited about most of the new titles announced this week, this just does nothing for me.
That's sad to hear, and it's always a shame when people lose their jobs.
However, not to belittle the situation at all, but if you are to be laid off, then lets say Germany offers the 'softest landing' of pretty much any country in Europe due to a generous welfare system and strong labour laws. My former employer, a German company, shut down an entire UK operation while keeping a less efficient German (really!) site open, simply because it was easier and cheaper to lay people off in the UK. Closing the site in Germany would have required consultation, retraining and redeployment of many employees who could not simply be 'let go'. Nintendo are definitely not doing this lightly, there must be sound business reasons for it.
Okay, the more realistic colour palette is an artistic choice, but the environmental detail, lighting, shadows and detail in the models proves the massive jump in power between Wii and Wii U. It's actually hard to imagine how this could look better really.
Very strange set of games for Wii U. Clearly the Wii U does not have the same kind of mass-market appeal that the Wii enjoyed (although if Nintendo had just called the damn thing "Wii 2", then my mum would have understood what it is, and might have wanted one).
If anything the Wii U is shaping up to be a bit of a 'hardcore fan' system with updated Nintendo classics, retro games and quirky eShop titles forming the bulk of the catalogue.
I guess this junk doesn't hurt, as no one will buy them anyway....
@WillhamBoyGeniu The NES games are also ludicrously over-priced! By comparison to their direct competition, Nintendo do not offer good value. The point is that while a few game-starved WiiU owners may be satisfied these GBA offerings, they are not going attract new users, or do anything to rescue the WiiU from its current low ebb. The only thing that will do that is to release good, new games that sell the hardware. A few old GBA games will not.
Even though I would rank Advance Wars as one of my favourite handheld games of all time, I don't think its worth 6 quid to play a version of it that is not even portable. It would seem that I'm not the only one on here to think the same, and this is a Nintendo fansite. Assuming Gamecube games ever make to the WiiU, they will probably charge 30 quid each based on Nintendo's imaginary percieved value scale. The full price release of Wind Waker was bad enough, but at least they gave that some spit and polish.
@WillhamBoyGeniu I was pointing merely that the technical aspects of emulating the GBA hardware are trivial, I didn't say anything about actually using emulators - I like real buttons and, frankly, real carts. Also if the price was 6 BUCKS that's about £3.60, which is a much more realistic price, so good idea! Your argument about "rating costs" is irrelevant as the ESRB offer a no-fee service for downloadable titles, including the eShop - http://kotaku.com/5954704/esrb-opens-no-cost-ratings-service-for-digitally-distributed-games/all And if I was cheap, I would not have bought every Nintendo console since the SNES. I'm a Nintendo fan. I want them to win, I don't want them to screw up. They are screwing up.
Nintendo need to seriously reconsider their value proposition. Sony offer at least one free game, currently including such minor curiosities as Borderlands, Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite. That's £3.33 per game, plus they include discounts and other offers.
What do Nintendo offer in order to tempt the masses away from their Playstation? A 12-year old handheld game for £6.29. They literally do not have a clue what they are doing.
I accept these are good games, but the development costs have long been recovered and the porting effort is minimal, since I can run a perfectly good emulator on my phone that can run any of these games. Basically the install base of WiiU is so small that Nintendo now feel they have to alienate even the few people who have supported them by gouging us repeatedly with ridiculous pricing. Sorry but I'm just not buying it, literally or figuratively.
Sorry. but I don't even count VC titles as releases unless they are true "remasters" with new content or features.
Therefore there are no new releases for WiiU yet again.
All VC titles should be 'cross-buy' as I do not wish to have to buy them yet again for every subsequent system, especially as I still own carts for all the GBA games listed.
I will not buy one single item from the eShop on either WiiU or 3DS until the account-based system is introduced.
I lost several DSi games when I traded the console in towards a 3DS at launch because it did not even occur to me that they were not linked to the eShop account, as I was so used to this system from Apple, Sony and Microsoft. I was literally astonished at the time. In fact it was some time before Nintendo even provided a transfer tool to move games from DSi to 3DS, so it was not even an option. To learn that this has still not been rectified with WiiU is literally incredible. They have absolutely no clue about internet services, their competitors, or the desires of their customers.
With the introduction of the NNID it seems they at least have an inkling of what they need to do, but clearly have no idea how to do it, and are too worried about eaking every last cent out of the miniscule WiiU user base, and gouging the 3DS users to stay afloat.
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Re: Guide: Nintendo Switch Launch Games & Release Dates 2017
"Phwoar, that's a lot of great games, right?"
Sorry, no it isn't. It's a handful of new games (most of which aren't even out until next year) surrounded by re-releases and over-priced ports of years-old games already available for other platforms.
Literally the only title in the confirmed 2017 list that I want to play is the new Zelda and I might as well keep my Wii U for that.
Re: Talking Point: Raw Power Isn't Vital to Nintendo's NX, But It Does Matter
I'm thinking that there are few issues to consider.
Nintendo really value their back-catalogue and would want to continue to be able to sell all those games. This probably includes even WiiU games, so I am thinking that 'under the hood' we might still be looking at something similar to WiiU (which in turn is similar to Wii and GC before it), essentially PowerPC based. I'm not sure if it really matters too much if they switch to Intel, for instance, as modern development tools make it less of an issue what the actual target hardware is. An Intel design might be cheaper in hardware terms, but incur costs in other ways if they have to develop emulation strategies for their older consoles.
This does not mean that they will end up with a system that is necessarily all that far off PS4/XboxOne in power though. The question is if it is able to run current-gen multiplatform game designs (Star Wars Battlefront, Assassins Creed, plus FIFA and NFL series etc.), even if there are some compromises. A slightly lower spec would probably not kill it as long as those third party games are backed up by the high quality, fully optimised Nintendo titles, which can only be played on NX. Basically for the Nintendo fan who likes to play a few other mainstream games, and the more casual gamer who isn't bothered about how many fps their console produces. I think it would have to be closer match than Wii to PS3/360 was though.
Also, by the time this is released, PS4 and Xbox will be mid-life, probably get cost-down designs and price cuts. Lets face it, if you really wanted either, you would have bought one already. However, Sony, for instance, said they were looking for a 10-year life cycle for the PS4, so we should not expect a PS5 within 5 years at least - and that's assuming Sony don't implode in the mean time, which is not impossible, given their financial situation (PlayStation is successful, everything else they sell is looking pretty sickly).
So Nintendo could go one of two ways, they could produce an expensive powerhouse, but would almost certainly have to subsidise the price to make it competitive with the mid-life consoles, and risking losses if they don't hit the sales numbers of software to offset the hardware loss.
Alternatively, and more likely, they will go for something less powerful, but with some unique features (such as the handheld-hybrid concept) and which ideally makes a profit on every unit sold from day 1. One of the failures of the WiiU design is that it is too expensive to make, with the gamepad adding a lot of cost - this means that they either take a loss on sales, or have to keep the price relatively high, which is what they have done.
A new console, or handheld/home console hybrid, at $200 or less is heading towards 'no-brainer' pricing - where people might well consider it as a second console, or for use as a handheld even if they already have one or more of the other two.
If they can hit the sweet spot of pricing, power and unique features, they can surely have another Wii-style hit, but I think a fail on any one of these could doom them,
Re: Don't Worry, The Legend of Zelda is Still Coming to Wii U
Might not be a fall release, but no way they can hang in for another 2 years with the Wii U. Spring '17 then. Latest.
Re: Don't Worry, The Legend of Zelda is Still Coming to Wii U
What would have reassured us is a new trailer with a release date at the end with 2015 in it. I am 100% certain NX will launch November 2016 with the new Zelda on it.
If they launch a new console, it simply cannot fail, and Zelda is the only way they can be sure to do well. Wii U didn't have one, and didn't get that initial sales momentum. 3DS didn't either until Ocarina came out. The game may appear for Wii U after NX, or in parallel.
Re: Reaction: Nintendo's E3 Digital Event Brought Franchises We Wanted, But Not The Blockbusters
Such disappointment. I don't think I can get over that Animal Crossing reveal, it was like a knife through the heart.
I literally never thought I would say this, but Microsoft were on fire this year, while Nintendo were on crack.
Re: Metroid Prime: Federation Force Is The Metroid Game You Didn't Expect, Or Perhaps Want
If there is any title in the entire back catalogue that is a prefect fit for Wii U, it's Metroid Prime. Exploration and mapping, scanning, changes in perspective, visor effects, you name it. It was all crying out for at least an HD remaster, but not this.
Do not want.
Re: New Trailer Emerges for Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem
After watching the video, I have no idea what this is. Not a clue. All I got from the video is something about boobies. Was it crazy to expect something that vaguely resembled one or the other of these two game series?
Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Nintendo's E3 Digital Event?
No Zelda - lets face it it's not happening on Wii U.
No Metroid on Wii U
Almost no RPGs a all
Animal Crossing bloody Party! - My wife is the worlds biggest AC fan, and she is not even remotely interested in that.
The 3DS line up was reasonable, but Wii U is dead, not even on life support. They might as well have held a wake. They are so obviously in a holding pattern for NX now, but this isn't how to retain fan loyalty.
Re: Poll: We Need to Talk About amiibo - Where Do You Stand?
I'm afraid I'm one of those people who just doesn't see the attraction of little plastic figures. I like games, not toys. The only reason I would even consider buying one is if it unlocked some unmissable game content, and as far as I can tell, that's not the case.
Re: Nintendo UK Confirms Its Community's Top 10 Wii U Games
Since Splatoon was released, there are no other games as far as I am concerned. There is only Splatoon.
Re: Video: Nintendo of America's Musical Splatoon Campaign Continues
Both utterly terrible....
Re: Poll: Did The Splatoon Global Testfire Hit Its Targets?
Is it possible that some of you with connection problems actually logged in at the wrong time? I only say this beacause there was no warning or message when the hour was up, it just stopped working and showed the standard connection error message on screen. Same if you logged in too soon.
No issues at all here, I hate online shooters, but really enjoyed this, I thought it has a similar 'one more go' appeal as MK8. Can't wait for release now.
Re: Nintendo's Official UK Store Opens Pre-Orders for Splatoon Bundles and amiibo
Already have a £25 pre-order in for this. The game looks great, but I'd rather have the £10 difference in my pocket.
Re: Zelda Lookalike Oceanhorn: Monster Of Uncharted Seas Could Be Sailing To Consoles
I have this on iPad. It looks fantastic, but the gameplay just feels kind of soulless. It lacks that Nintendo magic somehow. Hard to put my finger on exactly why, but I got bored with it quite quickly.
Re: Poll: Which 2015 Nintendo Blockbusters Should Have amiibo Support?
No interest at all. I don't like any kind of unlockable DLC really. I just want to buy a complete game, not have parts of it hidden behind a plastic junk paywall.
DLC that adds real content is fine, but all cosmetic content should unlockable through gameplay.
Re: Nintendo Download: 19th February (Europe)
I have been voting 'Nothing for me this week' for so long, I can't be bothered any more.
I will continue to buy only on disc or cart until a true account based system is introduced, and digital pricing at least matches the physical products.
Re: Tomonobu Itagaki Gives an Update on Devil’s Third, Describing it as the "Biggest Game"
I'm all for more mature titles on Wii U, but that main character design is absolutely dreadful, to the point off putting me off the whole game.
Re: Satoru Iwata Shares Confidence in Hitting Targets, Mii-Focused Smartphone App to be Announced in Q2
I'm afraid I think they are crazy not to release old games on smartphones, NES, GB, GBC, GBA. The sheer number of emulators and illegal rom sites shows there is demand there, but there are still many people that would gladly pay to have legitimate copies. An official Nintendo branded Bluetooth controller with a real quality d-pad would help with playability. I don't see that this would hugely undermine the 3DS which has a fantastic library of its own optimised games.
Failing that, at least produce some original content that is of sufficient quality to warrant the Nintendo name, but is actually designed for smartphone use. If a guy can make money out of Flappy Bird, then Nintendo can do better!
I think what they are really worried about is that every other mobile platform has an account based digital store, which means they only get to sell the game once and it runs on all the devices anyone owns. They want to continue in a world where digital download software is treated like a physical product that you buy and buy again for each device or platform, and I can't see this model being sustainable for much longer in these days of Apple, PSN, Netflix and Kindle, however good the games are.
Re: Amazon UK Is Cancelling GameCube Adapter Orders Due To Lack Of Stock
I imagine some Chinese third-party will jump to the rescue here.
Re: Video: How Does Watch Dogs Use The Wii U GamePad?
Having the map on the gamepad is fine by me, but it looks like you are also stuck with an onscreen map as well, which seem kind of pointless. I like that the gamepad can leave the main screen relatively free of clutter, which at least the Assassins Creed games allowed on Wii U.
Re: Preview: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Goes Big on the Portable
Right, played the demo, and as with every other Smash Bros game, I just don't get it. At least Nintendo saved me from spending money just to see what the fuss is all about. Looks like Fantasy Life is next months purchase...
Re: Video: Watch These Teenagers As They're Exposed To The NES
@Einherjar The Magnavox Odyssey (which looks awesome actually) was released 1972 - I think that was the year we got a colour TV! I daresay there were prototypes around for a few years, but not sure they count, since very few people would have seen them. Good try though!
Re: Video: Watch These Teenagers As They're Exposed To The NES
@Einherjar Err..there were no game consoles before I was born!
Re: Video: This is a Video Game
All of these came out far too late for me to have any kind of childhood nostalgia - Atari 2600 or Sinclair ZX Spectrum are more my era!
However, a borrowed copy of Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening on the original GB got me through a very dark time in my life when I was unemployed and virtually homeless, and I still consider it one the best games I ever played.
Re: Atari's "Corporate Comeback Strategy" Includes Games, Gambling, and Wearable Devices
A bizarre and desperate press release to me. Of course I can understand the existence of gay communities around the world with shared values, concerns and interests, but seems pretty offensive to me to lump every non-straight sexual orientation into one big pot and call them an "LGBT audience". Seems like another word for stereotyping to me. I'm pretty sure that gay people are just as diverse a group as any other arbitrary grouping of people you could name, especially in context of gaming and entertainment.
Re: Fire Emblem Bringing The Battle to the Wii U in Europe This Week
I am tempted here, as I would like to play the game again and it is a great title, but as with all the GBA VC titles, it's on the wrong damn console!
This is my wish list:
VC tied to account not console.
Handheld games for the handheld console (duh!)
Cross-buy
Cloud-save
"Virtual" link cable for multiplayer.
Buy once. Play on 3DS on plane/train/bus, continue on WiiU at home. That's worth £6.29 (well over $10 BTW!) to me.
Without those features, I struggle to justify even the £4.40 intro price to myself regardless of how good the game is.
I don't care how much an original cart is on eBay - a cart is a physical item, and can be resold if you don't like the game or finish it. A digital download has no intrinsic value, and needs to offer some real benefits other than just making my home console into a GC GBA Player (which was a fairly unpopular add-on as I remember).
Re: Watch Dogs Will be the Only "Mature" Ubisoft Game on Wii U in Upcoming Lineup
Strange comments from Ubi, as it seems almost everyone on here seems to have one or more Ubi titles. I think I have most of them, loved ZombiU actually. I even picked up Splinter Cell in the recent sale as I was bored, and it's, y'know, OK. Only AC3 is notably bad, but it's not great on any platform, because of the poor choice of setting, and dull storytelling. Loved Child of Light and bought that full price day 1.
Even though I have a decent desktop PC, I picked these up because I love playing on the gamepad without the TV. It's literally the killer feature for me, I can play while my wife watches telly, or chilling out on sofa or in bed. My PC is much less comfortable to use.
I wonder what the "attach rate" is for Ubi on WiiU though? I bet as a percentage of user base, they sold a lot of copies - problem is the user base is too small to support these massive releases.
It's hard to understand the low sales figures quoted - I guess they only count full price "launch window" sales really, but I bet Ubi's recent back catalogue actually sold pretty well as budget or discount releases.
Also there were rumours a couple of months ago that Ubi have a fully completed Wii U exclusive (i.e. not Watch-Dogs) that they are sitting on, waiting for a larger install base to justify a release. Wonder if this is completely canned now?
Re: Ubisoft Runs Another eShop Discount Bonanza in North America
@DracioKoi Ghost Recon Shadow Wars is great. Not sure where you have seen a bad review score - it's by far the best launch title and well worth playing if you like Advance Wars/Fire Emblem type games.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Should Beware the Slippery Slope of Sponsored DLC
Not worried about the sponsorship, only that Mercedes, and this car in particular, is a strange fit. The GLA starts at £33000 in the UK which is about 25% more than the average national salary, so hardly mass market. As far as I can tell this is a car primarily used to just to take spoiled brat kids to school. But then it's not just about promoting the brand, as they could have gone with a more exotic "fantasy" model just to do that, so they obviously want to push this particular model. I suppose the money offered was too much for Nintendo to worry about 'brand fit'...
Re: Free Copy of Bayonetta Comes as a Separate Disc With Bayonetta 2 in Japan
@Melkac Yes, in the UK at least B2 is rated 16, but B1 is an 18. Actually UK and European ratings are generally less prudish about nudity, but more so about violence, which seems sensible to me. Violence with sexual connotations is much more likely to get an adult rating. Having not played B1 I'm not sure what the exact reasons are, but they both look like pretty freaky games.
Re: Free Copy of Bayonetta Comes as a Separate Disc With Bayonetta 2 in Japan
Note that in Europe, the Nintendo website indicates that B1 only comes with a "Special edition" copy of B2 due to B1 having a higher age rating than B2.
While it does mean that it will probably be a disc copy, we will almost certainly have to pay more for the privilege. That means NOT FREE in EU! There don't seem to be any pre-orders up for the special edition yet though, so pricing is unclear.
Re: Shigeru Miyamoto Outlines His Work Routine and Highlights Splatoon Development Team
I think the technology is still not quite there for successful mass-market of VR. The computing power is pretty much there, but the 'goggles' are still too large and heavy, even though Oculus and Sony have made huge improvements in weight and comfort. When they can get them down to something as lightweight as a normal pair of glasses, then they have a chance, and even then the disorienting effects of VR will be a problem for many.
Re: E3 2014: Nintendo Won't Bring Live Twitch Streaming to Wii U as it Lacks 'Fun'
Personally not bothered about live streaming, and I can't stand 'Lets play' videos either, most of the hosts think they are far funnier than they actually are.
However, the highlight sharing in MK8 is pretty good, the races are short and posting 'brag' clips is pretty fun. I also would like a bit more control over the editing though as often I can't quite catch the moment I want from the angle that looks best.
The problem is almost definitely hardware capability for live streaming, PS4 has a hardware video encoder built in that uses negligible system resources to run. WiiU does have something similar for the video sent to the gamepad, but that doesn't mean it can be used for external streaming. MK8 just records controller inputs and game variables, it does not record live video.
I don't see why Nintendo have to ape features from other consoles, when theirs have plenty of unique features. Just adding universal voice chat would be a good start, to make use of the Gamepads mic and camera.
Re: Weirdness: Conan O'Brien Plays Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Pretty funny, but I'm a Nintendo fan and a long time gamer, and I don't get Smash Bros either. I have played the GC and Wii versions and just never 'got it'. Just button mashing and 'nothing seems to matter' for me too. While I'm really excited about most of the new titles announced this week, this just does nothing for me.
Re: 130 Jobs To Go In Nintendo Of Europe Reshuffle
That's sad to hear, and it's always a shame when people lose their jobs.
However, not to belittle the situation at all, but if you are to be laid off, then lets say Germany offers the 'softest landing' of pretty much any country in Europe due to a generous welfare system and strong labour laws. My former employer, a German company, shut down an entire UK operation while keeping a less efficient German (really!) site open, simply because it was easier and cheaper to lay people off in the UK. Closing the site in Germany would have required consultation, retraining and redeployment of many employees who could not simply be 'let go'. Nintendo are definitely not doing this lightly, there must be sound business reasons for it.
Re: Video: Check Out This Mario Kart 8 And Mario Kart Wii Moo Moo Meadows Comparison
Okay, the more realistic colour palette is an artistic choice, but the environmental detail, lighting, shadows and detail in the models proves the massive jump in power between Wii and Wii U. It's actually hard to imagine how this could look better really.
System seller!
Re: Here Are Five New Retail Titles Coming to Wii U
Very strange set of games for Wii U. Clearly the Wii U does not have the same kind of mass-market appeal that the Wii enjoyed (although if Nintendo had just called the damn thing "Wii 2", then my mum would have understood what it is, and might have wanted one).
If anything the Wii U is shaping up to be a bit of a 'hardcore fan' system with updated Nintendo classics, retro games and quirky eShop titles forming the bulk of the catalogue.
I guess this junk doesn't hurt, as no one will buy them anyway....
Re: Ludosity Founder Favours the Wii U Version of Ittle Dew
And it's currently available on PC with 4 other games for £2.99 from Indie Royale. Bet the WiiU price is somewhat less generous.
Re: Ludosity Founder Favours the Wii U Version of Ittle Dew
The title doesn't work with an English accent....
Re: Nintendo Download: 3rd April (Europe)
@WillhamBoyGeniu The NES games are also ludicrously over-priced! By comparison to their direct competition, Nintendo do not offer good value. The point is that while a few game-starved WiiU owners may be satisfied these GBA offerings, they are not going attract new users, or do anything to rescue the WiiU from its current low ebb. The only thing that will do that is to release good, new games that sell the hardware. A few old GBA games will not.
Even though I would rank Advance Wars as one of my favourite handheld games of all time, I don't think its worth 6 quid to play a version of it that is not even portable. It would seem that I'm not the only one on here to think the same, and this is a Nintendo fansite. Assuming Gamecube games ever make to the WiiU, they will probably charge 30 quid each based on Nintendo's imaginary percieved value scale. The full price release of Wind Waker was bad enough, but at least they gave that some spit and polish.
Re: Nintendo Download: 3rd April (Europe)
@WillhamBoyGeniu I was pointing merely that the technical aspects of emulating the GBA hardware are trivial, I didn't say anything about actually using emulators - I like real buttons and, frankly, real carts. Also if the price was 6 BUCKS that's about £3.60, which is a much more realistic price, so good idea! Your argument about "rating costs" is irrelevant as the ESRB offer a no-fee service for downloadable titles, including the eShop - http://kotaku.com/5954704/esrb-opens-no-cost-ratings-service-for-digitally-distributed-games/all
And if I was cheap, I would not have bought every Nintendo console since the SNES. I'm a Nintendo fan. I want them to win, I don't want them to screw up. They are screwing up.
Re: Nintendo Download: 3rd April (Europe)
Nintendo need to seriously reconsider their value proposition. Sony offer at least one free game, currently including such minor curiosities as Borderlands, Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite. That's £3.33 per game, plus they include discounts and other offers.
What do Nintendo offer in order to tempt the masses away from their Playstation? A 12-year old handheld game for £6.29. They literally do not have a clue what they are doing.
I accept these are good games, but the development costs have long been recovered and the porting effort is minimal, since I can run a perfectly good emulator on my phone that can run any of these games. Basically the install base of WiiU is so small that Nintendo now feel they have to alienate even the few people who have supported them by gouging us repeatedly with ridiculous pricing.
Sorry but I'm just not buying it, literally or figuratively.
Re: Nintendo Download: 3rd April (Europe)
Sorry. but I don't even count VC titles as releases unless they are true "remasters" with new content or features.
Therefore there are no new releases for WiiU yet again.
All VC titles should be 'cross-buy' as I do not wish to have to buy them yet again for every subsequent system, especially as I still own carts for all the GBA games listed.
Re: Talking Point: Important Steps to Bring the 3DS and Wii U Closer Together
I will not buy one single item from the eShop on either WiiU or 3DS until the account-based system is introduced.
I lost several DSi games when I traded the console in towards a 3DS at launch because it did not even occur to me that they were not linked to the eShop account, as I was so used to this system from Apple, Sony and Microsoft. I was literally astonished at the time. In fact it was some time before Nintendo even provided a transfer tool to move games from DSi to 3DS, so it was not even an option. To learn that this has still not been rectified with WiiU is literally incredible. They have absolutely no clue about internet services, their competitors, or the desires of their customers.
With the introduction of the NNID it seems they at least have an inkling of what they need to do, but clearly have no idea how to do it, and are too worried about eaking every last cent out of the miniscule WiiU user base, and gouging the 3DS users to stay afloat.
Re: Nintendo Confirmed for Appearance at gamescom 2014
And breaking news, here is a top secret preview of this years booth:
http://tinyurl.com/n7c2nwp
Re: Nintendo Download: 6th March (Europe)
Nothing, not a damn thing.