Actually Ebert reviews movies based on whether a person who likes that genre will like that movie.
I buy out-of-genre games if they are a 9 or a 10 using the 5-10 scaling most review sites/magazines employ. And if the contents of the review match what might interest me. (I have no plans on ever playing Skyrim for instance... just not my thing).
In genre games, I have to first hunt down a review by someone who IS rating the game for me, not for someone who won't buy the game, but someone who has played multiple genre games before and understands the conversation the game is having with player and with what came before it. And of those its usually 9 or higher. (I play JRPGs, and work as a programmer, so I lack the time to play anything but the best, and every new game competes with me just replaying an old one.)
@BenBertoli My argument is the score shouldn't reflect how a mainstream gamer would like the game, but how satisfied someone interested in the genre would be with the game. Considering people not interested in the game irregardless of how good or bad it is causes a huge skew in the review and perception of the title. And... it sort of defeats the purpose. Someone that doesn't like shooters will not buy this game even if you gave it a 10/10. Whereas someone who does might not because most review sites/magazines: 7 means mediocre.
@BenBertoli A large reason some game reviews annoy me, is if the reviewer is either thinking about the mainstream gamer, or not into the genre themselves, the only high scoring games are platformers and first person shooters.
o.0 Xbox 360 was PPC, and was considered easy to develop for (due to DirectX). PS3 was also a derivative of PPC (CELL), but was not easy to develop for (Bad APIs, multi processor programming...)
Also, did you know none of the modern processors are actually x86? What people call x86 are AMD64 processors that have backwards compatibility to the old x86 architecture.
Just because they might release them in Europe does not mean they will get released in North America. Remember Pandora's Tower, Xenoblade, and Last Story almost did not make it, and Fatal Frame 2 for Wii never made it here.
@WindFish, it is underpowered compared to PS4 and XB1, especially with memory bandwidth, megatexture based games are popular now... and they do poorly on the WiiU. But it is more powerful than the Xbox 360, which they still port games to (until recently).
The main reason is it has a low install base. The console's lack of power compared to PS4 and Xbox One impacts customer's buying the system. So yes NX will hopefully have a lot more power to make it seem like a good buy and therefore get a large enough install base.
My original argument was that switching to x86 for the NX will have zero impact on 3rd party support either way. They simply need to make the NX worth buying via power and price, and good launch titles. And... not use something widely difficult to program for (Like PS3 or Saturn), which is doubtful since x86, PPC, and ARM are all easy to develop for, and are very popular, and I doubt Nintendo will go for something exotic.
@carlos82, @StarDust4Ever The NX is supposed to also succeed the DS family, so if BC has a shot, its most likely going to be with 3DS games. And Dual screen has worked for the DS/3DS titles rather well.
As for WiiU BC, they could as I said before recompile their digital titles and offer them for NX, even allowing people who purchased games digitally to transfer them.
@carlos82 any WiiU game that could be run with just the gamepad (many of them), could run on the NX should it keep BC, but forego a WiiU gamepad-like controller.
Considering both WiiU and 3DS have a sort of dual-screen setup, however I think the NX might also keep that given it is a successor to both.
@Mr_Zurkon if NX isn't BC with the WiiU, it would be a fast way to buff up its library. Though I would think it would be digital only, and more of a port. Similar to how Sony handled PSP titles with the Vita.
In fact that would be a smart thing to do... at launch or close to it, port as many of their eShop titles to work on the NX, and let people who bought on eShop transfer their licenses to the NX.
Xbox 360: 3.2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core, 500 MHz ATI Xenos (Similar to Radeon X1800) WiiU 1.24 GHz Tri-Core IBM PowerPC, 550 MHz AMD Radeon "Latte" (Similar to R700 )
Source: Wikipedia
The only recent system that had radically different architecture was the PS3 which requires developers to juggle its 7 processor units.
The only difficulty of PPC vs x86 is endian-ness, that is where the sign-bit is located for an integer. And that only comes up usually when decoding binary data from one system to the other (It was a pain for Mac/PC online gaming when mac had a PPC processor).
Architecture isn't the reason. Nor do I think having the NX use x86 architecture will have any impact on bringing third party support. The ONLY reason Microsoft has had compatibility benefits in the past is because they use DirectX the same API Windows games use, so yes... the Xbox One would require in theory only a recompile for a PC game to make the leap.
Dreamcast is the only non-M$ console AFAIK that had DirectX support. I suppose Nintendo could work something out with M$ to get DirectX on NX, but I could only see that happening if Microsoft wanted out of the console business (or at least reduce risk.)
@Souldin Sega mentioned sales of its games on the wii were adequate but that they tend to have a slower curve, less initial sales, but a steady amount over a long period of time. That's actually a problem for many AAA studios since they lack the cash to just sit there and wait for the revenue, ideally they want the bulk of sales in the first week, so they can recoup the cost of making the game.
@Souldin Actually, the Gamecube/Wii/WiiU all use PPC processors and AMD Video Cards. Xbox 360 uses the same architecture. The main reason the WiiU is 'difficult' is because they need to take the gamepad into consideration, and that is lacks the power of PS4/Xbox1 especially in memory bandwidth.
I don't think Nintendo is ever going to get large 3rd party support. Making a game on a nintendo console even if its popular (Like the Wii) means you have to compete against Nintendo franchises.
Android OS, and the Android platform are two different things. Most Android Apps/Games use Java and run under a custom Virtual Machine called Davlik.
Android OS is a forked version of Linux with said VM, you can even make native applications for Android Phones outside of the VM if you jailbreak the phone.
Nintendo could very well port Dalvik to their NX OS. Or they might choose to run Linux and put Dalvik on it. PS2, PS3, and PS4 all run a custom linux kernel underneath AFAIK.
The biggest difference between and Android device and NX would be is that most games would be designed to run native, but if the NX had the Dalvik Virtual Machine to run Android games/apps on it... that is not really emulation.
@yorumi @manu0 Anybody can send a Cease and Desist Letter, the receiver must then decide if they want to contest it.
It depends on the medium of translation, it is perfectly legal for instance to translate movies and distribute the subtitles (or a translation text file), its also legal to translate a website (google translate does this for example).
The main reasoning in the above cases, is that neither approach interferes with the distribution of the original work, nor the ability of the seller to monetize it. (You still need to buy the movie to use the subtitles, you still see the ads for the google translated page).
OTOH, a book which is mainly consumed by reading the text would be considered infringement if you translated it.
While some would say story is important to a video game, the main medium of experiencing it is playing the video game. Hence distributing a translation patch, or just a FAQ explaining what is going on so you can play the game IS NOT ILLEGAL. The player must still purchase the japanese game, and must combine the translation with the game themselves.
However, SE can send a C&D even if the translation is legal. Just like you can send the police a noise complaint against a commune of mimes.
OTOH, if we really wanted to get DQ7 released here, we have a better chance just organizing a boycott of all Square-Enix properties until they release it.
o.0 Unless Square Enix actually plans on releasing the game in the west, a fan-translation so long as it doesn't distribute the full game, and just provides a patch is legal.
A. Supplying a patch does not circumvent the need to buy the game. B. Translating the game allows a non-japanese speaker to enjoy the game.
This is why shutting down a fan-translation is unusual, unless they were planning on distributing an actual patched game.
Of course a company with lawyers could send nintendolife a cease and desist if they wanted to for this comment, just because they didn't like it. The DMCA would protect the host so long as they just complied.
If you follow earlier patterns... the mobile game industry bubble will burst. And casual gamers will still play some games like Angry Birds and Sudoku, but they will move on to the next thing.
I even think console and pc gaming are going to go back underground, save a few mainstream titles. Similar to the board games industry.
@Quorthon My quote should be appended: The needs of the community outweigh the selfish needs of the parent. Improper raising of children is like dumping lead paint into the river, it affects everyone for years later, and costs quite a bit to cleanup.
Unlike 1984, people would still have the choice as to whether they wish to become a parent.
Fascist, hitler youth like societies were not the only governments that handled the raising of children.
Tribal societies often raised children as a community, this is because once the child is an adult, its the community that pays the price for the poor care.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. In this day and age, having a TV in the home with children can lead to a reasonable assumption that parents are letting the Internet and Cable babysit their children.
Considering IT DOES NO HARM to restrict a minor's access to media in the form of school and the library, I generally would be in favor of a law barring households with children access to television, smart phones, tablets and computers period. Let children play outside, and force parents to play with them.
I got most of mine from amazon, I don't have all of them; but I preorder when I can (especially the zelda ones); and for others just wait until I see one for close to MSRP.
Japan seems to have plenty in supply, which I find raises the cost to around $30, and since most of it is going to shipping costs... not as sour as paying a scalper.
Sega actually was at its best when they spun off the development teams into their own companies (Dreamcast era).
They should try that again, if anything allow the Sakura Wars/Skies of Arcadia/Valkyria Chronicles folks to be their own company under Index (Like Atlus). Same with Creative Assembly, and the Football Manager people.
Work with Nintendo/Camelot to make a Shining Force IV. Work with Sumo to make a new Racing Game.
Then assemble a decent Sonic Team and give them 2-3 years to make a GOOD sonic game.
Cover costs by making sure all their classic IPs are available on Virtual Console, Xbox Live Marketplace, iOS, etc.
I think if Nintendo WANTED to make a Harry Potter game right now, I doubt Warner Bros. and Rowling would turn them down. After all despite the lack of success with the WiiU, Nintendo still has a reputation for making quality games. It would prob. have to be a joint venture between Nintendo and WB Interactive, but it could happen.
Nintendo is going to exit gaming. They exited hanafuda cards when the time was right; they largely exited arcade games; and now they will exit gaming. This is business. By the time they do this, all their core customers will be in their 40s and 50s; the age group companies care about: 14-40 will have grown up on call of duty; halo; gta; and minecraft.
Microsoft will have exited console gaming by that point as well; and just sell windows pc set top boxes (which is funny since early PC's like the IBM PC, and Comodore 64 hooked up to TVs).
And I think Sony will have moved to a subscription model if thats successful, and have multiple devices that can stream it to a TV or PC.
@ZenTurtle Because in the 90s Langrisser was a hardcore strategy game, therefore they had to sell it and make money off the advertising scantily clad women. (In Japan Otaku will buy games they won't even play, just for the box art).
Now in Japan, the only games that sell at all are those that appeal to 30 year old men who haven't seen a real woman since high school. This is why JRPGs have been going downhill; the market changed, women who used to buy Dragon Quest and Earthbound don't play video games anymore; in fact they won't date men that play video games. And in the US, majority of players prefer action games.
Since Langrisser's fanbase is too small for developing a new game; they have to use scantily clad women to trick people into buying the game. I doubt it will see a US release mind you; last I heard the Langrisser license is very expensive; and Americans are far more uncomfortable about buying games with scantily clad 2D women that look underage.
For those that never played Langrisser, what made it unique was that you control not only 10 or so characters but also their troops (which in Warsong are around 10 units per character, Der Langrisser and IV has it at 4-6 per character)
But, I don't think this game will make it over to the US.
@Einherjar Its actually rare that one makes a large profit from collecting video games. I bought Metroid Prime Trilogy as a preorder, same with Panzer Dragoon Saga. If I had sold MPT for $299 or so... that could be profit, but consider the 300+ other games I also bought on preorder at $60 or so.
While I am sure a few people might be disappointed, but those would be the ones that bought MPT for $200+ recently.
Scalpers are not the same as collectors; outside of a game's launch window it is usually impossible to predict its value on the second-hand market. The only predictability would be that niche titles like JRPGs tend to keep or be just below their sale value.
The major pain point of porting x86 to ppc code is endianess, that is how negative numbers are treated. However, this is usually only a problem when PPC Mac games needed to interact with Windows x86 games.
Last generation the xbox 360 had a PPC processor, and developers had no problems porting to the 360 from windows due to the API.
I would actually say from a development perspective... Microsoft has always had an advantage due to superior tools. Nintendo would be better off in the future to continue with their current architecture, and just increase the power. The problem they have with this generation was a.) A crippling bottleneck with data transfer, b.) A controller that while may be interesting, means developers have to spend time adding that functionality in order to sell the game, vs. if the WiiU was packed with a normal controller.
Hence Nintendo should just increase the power for their next console, keep the screen controller, and the wiiMote/proController support. This allows for reusing tools/techniques developed over the 4-5 years of the console life.
Nintendo has the problem of a.) They did not make enough for the initial wave, and b.) They have to use their current manufacturing capacity to make the third wave. Add this to retailer reluctance to stock a large variety, I can see where they might only keep a handful of the core characters in stock.
I could see them releasing another shipment of characters AFTER wave 3. But its a bad situation; they would lose too much money to out-manufacture the scalpers; since a lot of this 'rarity' is caused by scalpers.
On a darker note, variable rarity is a sure way to get every initial shipment sold out; since scalpers will rush to get as many as they can until interest dies out. Hence they can keep interest in amibo well into March/April after Smash is old news itself.
Though an even simpler, and very useful one is: Tie your nintendo account to it, and let you carry over your scores/states/etc to a friends place to play multiplayer games like nintendoland, etc. And the amibo lets you costume your mii (like mario kart) but on the wii u console as a whole.
Maybe a puzzle platformer that lets you play as the amiibo and save progress to it, so you can then bring it to a friend's place and play with them, with unlocked abilities (stuff earned via xp) tied to it.
I actually think post X-Mas the amiibo shortage will be resolved. This happens to any toy that could be popular in the holiday season: Scalpers buy up stock and jack up prices.
The amiibo speculation bubble will crash; right now I think people are just buying up whatever stock they can to sell on ebay. But either a.) Nintendo makes more amiibos to meet demand, or b.) They don't and most people give up bothering with them, things will balance out.
I don't think SEGA cares; they see an IP as just something to keep throwing until it brings a loss; and then they kill it. The reason they used to do well is because they had some of the most talented programmers that could do crazy things with weird hardware. (Multi-processor programming in assembly for instance). But they have pretty much let most of them go.
SEGA will just retire Sonic and complain that people just don't like platformers; much like how they complain people don't like tactical rpgs to cover for the fact that they sent the Shining Series into the ground.
@Yorumi 3DS sells because of pokemon, because pokemon is cool with elementary school kids. And parents are more likely to buy a 3DS for their kid to get him/her to shut up, then a console just for the kid that takes up time away from mom and dad fragging time.
And I'm also a old school gamer. This entire decade has been like watching your childhood friends shoot up and kill themselves in the slowest manner possible.
@Yorumi That's the point, even if they had killer games that would still not help them. It didn't help Sega or NEC. It didn't even help Nintendo during the N64 and Gamecube eras. (I do think Mario 3D World is a killer game however).
The WiiU would not have succeeded if it was the most powerful of the three. It would not have succeeded if Nintendo actually marketed it. It would not have succeeded if it still had 3rd part support.
Nothing Nintendo could have done or can do will make this console succeed.
Barring, making a subsidiary like Touchstone, and releasing their console under a new brand.
I'm not trolling here, I'm quite fond of Nintendo games, and am satisfied with the WiiU. But I'm well aware or reality. Among "hardcore" gamers, your console choice is how your status is determined, its about brand, just like clothing, just like music.
@Yorumi @WWammy o.0 I should point out, the good JRPGs are still being released on the PS3, so its not much incentive to get either a PS4 or WiiU. (Though after the $200 for the cart, adapters, working SNES it may be cheaper to get a WiiU to play Earthbound then to get the SNES cart, unless you already have some or all the required assembly).
Right now PS4 and XBONE are good buys for FPS gamers, and the choice depends on the network your friends are on.
Everyone else are hanging on to their PS3s, and getting a WiiU if the like platformers, Smashies, and Mario Kart. Though I suspect the Zelda and Metroid crowd are still hanging on to their Wiis waiting on Nintendo.
While I don't expect them to, if Nintendo managed to make a Bioshock/Last of Us caliber plot for a new HD FPS starring Samus Aran... that might help but here is a list to remind you that good games are not what gets a console sold.
Bonk Ys I & II R-Type Soldier Blade Ninja Spirit Popfull Mail Lunar Sonic CD Metal Slug D Bomberman Street Fighter vs. X-Men Die Hard Trilogy Panzer Dragoon Saga Burning Rangers Nights Guardian Heroes Ikaruga Shenmue Skies of Arcadia Soul Calibur Chu Chu Rocket Crazy Taxi Space Channel 5 NFL 2K2 Resident Evil: Code Veronica
@Quorthon I suppose I don't notice Zelda as much because if I need a platformer game and there is no new Mario, I usually have the choice of a few other titles that came out recently. Hence I feel oversaturated by Mario games.
Zelda on the other hand, if you ignore the side games and remakes, you get 1-2 games per console. And for someone that doesn't like the portable zeldas, I generally have to wait 3 years for the next Zelda, with almost nothing out there like it in-between.
And yes they need new franchises, for genres they are weak in, probably just need to buy a few more american studios. And they need to bring over Fatal Frame.
@Quorthon actually, the only franchise Nintendo is generally guilty of overexposure is Mario. I'll agree, as much as I like Mario Wii U, it probably would have been better to just have released Mario 3D World as a launch title.
More often then not, Nintendo is much more guilty of releasing a single game in a franchise on their console. And yes like other franchises, they rarely deviate from the main line.
I don't think its the same argument of COD vs. Nintendo of sameness, fact-is: Nintendo's whole thing is basically classic style gaming, bright colors, minor plot, and usually a focus on 1-2 mechanics.
COD just happens to be a flag bearer for a GENRE that has overwhelmed an entire console generation. Nothing unique, it happens; the AAA industry has always preferred going with a formula then anything new. And you have smaller indie developers that experiment.
Remember, DOOM started as a shareware game... which was indie at the time.
A company can send a cease and desist to anyone, for anything. The defendant if the have a lawyer can object to it, and then it goes to court. Sometimes a judge will throw the cease and desist out. But if he doesn't then lawyer fees alone can bankrupt him even if he wins the case.
I think its no problem for say someone the just buys their favorite character, they get a CPU buddy they can train and bring over someone else's house to beat their CPU buddy, sort of like pokemon.
As a bonus, you get tiny extras in other games. I don't think Nintendo's marketing and sales expect people to buy amiibos for the bonuses. I think they expect people to buy them for the Smash Bros. functionality.
In some ways I think the reviewer is in a lose-lose situation. Pier Solar is NOT a game for someone that doesn't know what the fuss is about an old school RPG game. I enjoy Pier Solar a lot; but I would still point a noob to Chronotrigger. So the reviewer can either score it for people that have waited too long for Phantasy Star V or Lunar 3, or he can score it for someone that has never even heard of either series.
It's quite common for academic works to cite passages from copyrighted material. Another example is the Tropes v. Women segments, Anita uses multiple screenshots and clips to illustrate her points, she doesn't need permission from the copyright holder to do so.
@Vash_Visionz the difference between a casual player and a hardcore player is generally simple: How much of your life is dedicated to gaming? A Hardcore gamer is someone that dedicates their life to gaming and puts it above a spouse, children, even their job. A Hardcore game could be considered one that requires dedication. The two are not mutually exclusive.
I don't consider myself a hardcore gamer, but I do play quite a few hardcore games (Crusader Kings 2 for example).
Preteens and teenagers are more interested in being 'grown up' so they want something 'unsafe', 'hardcore', and 'mature'. Hence why over the top sexual and violent video games are popular. Not that some of them lack good gameplay, its just that gameplay is less of a concern with this crowd. Nintendo trailers need a deep ominous bass in their trailers to inform the viewers that something dark and edgy is happening otherwise its just not interesting to a 12 year old boy that wants to shock his mother.
The you have women, they potentially could be courted more. Nintendo just needs to use their female protagonists more, a solid Metroid game (like Prime or Fusion) for instance.
I think @zool has a point, its not children, its adult parents that buy the wiiu for their children. And guess what parents of children do? They get by with whatever, getting a new expensive system is usually not on a parent's todo list. They might buy an old wii system, which doesn't help nintendo.
They probably consider the localization costs to be too high, its why most of the Fire Emblem games did not make it stateside. And AFAIK this title has voice acting, which is another cost, since Nintendo would not consider releasing this without voice acting. (Even keeping the existing japanese voices might cost more since they might require re-negotiation for a US or Europe release).
You also have to remember, NOJ doesn't care about the US or European markets. Most japanese companies only care about Japan.
Why can't they just change the name? Nintendo can't stop someone making a game with the feeling of Mother/Earthbound.
Granted, I'm not sure if Nintendo even has a Trademark for Mother in the US, so I suppose they could call it Mother in the US so long as it never released in Japan.
Comments 204
Re: Review: Sin and Punishment (Wii U eShop / N64)
Actually Ebert reviews movies based on whether a person who likes that genre will like that movie.
I buy out-of-genre games if they are a 9 or a 10 using the 5-10 scaling most review sites/magazines employ. And if the contents of the review match what might interest me. (I have no plans on ever playing Skyrim for instance... just not my thing).
In genre games, I have to first hunt down a review by someone who IS rating the game for me, not for someone who won't buy the game, but someone who has played multiple genre games before and understands the conversation the game is having with player and with what came before it. And of those its usually 9 or higher. (I play JRPGs, and work as a programmer, so I lack the time to play anything but the best, and every new game competes with me just replaying an old one.)
Re: Review: Sin and Punishment (Wii U eShop / N64)
@BenBertoli My argument is the score shouldn't reflect how a mainstream gamer would like the game, but how satisfied someone interested in the genre would be with the game. Considering people not interested in the game irregardless of how good or bad it is causes a huge skew in the review and perception of the title. And... it sort of defeats the purpose. Someone that doesn't like shooters will not buy this game even if you gave it a 10/10. Whereas someone who does might not because most review sites/magazines: 7 means mediocre.
Re: Review: Sin and Punishment (Wii U eShop / N64)
@BenBertoli
A large reason some game reviews annoy me, is if the reviewer is either thinking about the mainstream gamer, or not into the genre themselves, the only high scoring games are platformers and first person shooters.
Re: Speculation Grows That AMD Will Provide the Nintendo NX Processor
o.0 Xbox 360 was PPC, and was considered easy to develop for (due to DirectX). PS3 was also a derivative of PPC (CELL), but was not easy to develop for (Bad APIs, multi processor programming...)
Also, did you know none of the modern processors are actually x86? What people call x86 are AMD64 processors that have backwards compatibility to the old x86 architecture.
Re: The Square Enix Teases for Dragon Quest 3DS Localisations Ramp Up
Just because they might release them in Europe does not mean they will get released in North America. Remember Pandora's Tower, Xenoblade, and Last Story almost did not make it, and Fatal Frame 2 for Wii never made it here.
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Pitched NX To Third Parties During E3 2015
@WindFish, it is underpowered compared to PS4 and XB1, especially with memory bandwidth, megatexture based games are popular now... and they do poorly on the WiiU. But it is more powerful than the Xbox 360, which they still port games to (until recently).
The main reason is it has a low install base. The console's lack of power compared to PS4 and Xbox One impacts customer's buying the system. So yes NX will hopefully have a lot more power to make it seem like a good buy and therefore get a large enough install base.
My original argument was that switching to x86 for the NX will have zero impact on 3rd party support either way. They simply need to make the NX worth buying via power and price, and good launch titles. And... not use something widely difficult to program for (Like PS3 or Saturn), which is doubtful since x86, PPC, and ARM are all easy to develop for, and are very popular, and I doubt Nintendo will go for something exotic.
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Pitched NX To Third Parties During E3 2015
@carlos82, @StarDust4Ever The NX is supposed to also succeed the DS family, so if BC has a shot, its most likely going to be with 3DS games. And Dual screen has worked for the DS/3DS titles rather well.
As for WiiU BC, they could as I said before recompile their digital titles and offer them for NX, even allowing people who purchased games digitally to transfer them.
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Pitched NX To Third Parties During E3 2015
@carlos82 any WiiU game that could be run with just the gamepad (many of them), could run on the NX should it keep BC, but forego a WiiU gamepad-like controller.
Considering both WiiU and 3DS have a sort of dual-screen setup, however I think the NX might also keep that given it is a successor to both.
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Pitched NX To Third Parties During E3 2015
@Mr_Zurkon if NX isn't BC with the WiiU, it would be a fast way to buff up its library. Though I would think it would be digital only, and more of a port. Similar to how Sony handled PSP titles with the Vita.
In fact that would be a smart thing to do... at launch or close to it, port as many of their eShop titles to work on the NX, and let people who bought on eShop transfer their licenses to the NX.
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Pitched NX To Third Parties During E3 2015
@WindFish
Xbox 360: 3.2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core, 500 MHz ATI Xenos (Similar to Radeon X1800)
WiiU 1.24 GHz Tri-Core IBM PowerPC, 550 MHz AMD Radeon "Latte" (Similar to R700 )
Source: Wikipedia
The only recent system that had radically different architecture was the PS3 which requires developers to juggle its 7 processor units.
The only difficulty of PPC vs x86 is endian-ness, that is where the sign-bit is located for an integer. And that only comes up usually when decoding binary data from one system to the other (It was a pain for Mac/PC online gaming when mac had a PPC processor).
Architecture isn't the reason. Nor do I think having the NX use x86 architecture will have any impact on bringing third party support. The ONLY reason Microsoft has had compatibility benefits in the past is because they use DirectX the same API Windows games use, so yes... the Xbox One would require in theory only a recompile for a PC game to make the leap.
Dreamcast is the only non-M$ console AFAIK that had DirectX support. I suppose Nintendo could work something out with M$ to get DirectX on NX, but I could only see that happening if Microsoft wanted out of the console business (or at least reduce risk.)
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Pitched NX To Third Parties During E3 2015
@Souldin Sega mentioned sales of its games on the wii were adequate but that they tend to have a slower curve, less initial sales, but a steady amount over a long period of time. That's actually a problem for many AAA studios since they lack the cash to just sit there and wait for the revenue, ideally they want the bulk of sales in the first week, so they can recoup the cost of making the game.
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Pitched NX To Third Parties During E3 2015
@Souldin Actually, the Gamecube/Wii/WiiU all use PPC processors and AMD Video Cards. Xbox 360 uses the same architecture. The main reason the WiiU is 'difficult' is because they need to take the gamepad into consideration, and that is lacks the power of PS4/Xbox1 especially in memory bandwidth.
I don't think Nintendo is ever going to get large 3rd party support. Making a game on a nintendo console even if its popular (Like the Wii) means you have to compete against Nintendo franchises.
Re: Rumours Surface of Android Emulation On The Nintendo NX and Potential Deals With Amazon and Disney
Android OS, and the Android platform are two different things. Most Android Apps/Games use Java and run under a custom Virtual Machine called Davlik.
Android OS is a forked version of Linux with said VM, you can even make native applications for Android Phones outside of the VM if you jailbreak the phone.
Nintendo could very well port Dalvik to their NX OS. Or they might choose to run Linux and put Dalvik on it. PS2, PS3, and PS4 all run a custom linux kernel underneath AFAIK.
The biggest difference between and Android device and NX would be is that most games would be designed to run native, but if the NX had the Dalvik Virtual Machine to run Android games/apps on it... that is not really emulation.
Re: Square Enix Shuts Down Dragon Quest VII Fan Translation Project
@yorumi @manu0 Anybody can send a Cease and Desist Letter, the receiver must then decide if they want to contest it.
It depends on the medium of translation, it is perfectly legal for instance to translate movies and distribute the subtitles (or a translation text file), its also legal to translate a website (google translate does this for example).
The main reasoning in the above cases, is that neither approach interferes with the distribution of the original work, nor the ability of the seller to monetize it. (You still need to buy the movie to use the subtitles, you still see the ads for the google translated page).
OTOH, a book which is mainly consumed by reading the text would be considered infringement if you translated it.
While some would say story is important to a video game, the main medium of experiencing it is playing the video game. Hence distributing a translation patch, or just a FAQ explaining what is going on so you can play the game IS NOT ILLEGAL. The player must still purchase the japanese game, and must combine the translation with the game themselves.
However, SE can send a C&D even if the translation is legal. Just like you can send the police a noise complaint against a commune of mimes.
Re: Square Enix Shuts Down Dragon Quest VII Fan Translation Project
No, SE is just relying on the fact that none of these guys have the money to tell them 'No'.
I don't think they have any plans on releasing another DQ game in the states beyond the Dynasty Warriors game.
Re: Square Enix Shuts Down Dragon Quest VII Fan Translation Project
OTOH, if we really wanted to get DQ7 released here, we have a better chance just organizing a boycott of all Square-Enix properties until they release it.
Re: Square Enix Shuts Down Dragon Quest VII Fan Translation Project
o.0 Unless Square Enix actually plans on releasing the game in the west, a fan-translation so long as it doesn't distribute the full game, and just provides a patch is legal.
A. Supplying a patch does not circumvent the need to buy the game.
B. Translating the game allows a non-japanese speaker to enjoy the game.
This is why shutting down a fan-translation is unusual, unless they were planning on distributing an actual patched game.
Of course a company with lawyers could send nintendolife a cease and desist if they wanted to for this comment, just because they didn't like it. The DMCA would protect the host so long as they just complied.
Re: Talking Point: Retro Gamers Beware, PAC-MAN 256 Could be a Template for Nintendo's Smart Device Future
If you follow earlier patterns... the mobile game industry bubble will burst. And casual gamers will still play some games like Angry Birds and Sudoku, but they will move on to the next thing.
I even think console and pc gaming are going to go back underground, save a few mainstream titles. Similar to the board games industry.
Re: Nintendo Begins Takedown Proceedings on Super Mario 64 HD Fan Project
Actually its considered fair use IF there is proof that the violation does no harm to the copyright holder. (Not the same as non-commercial).
Given that he just made a simple demo, if he had the money for a lawyer, they could argue that.
Re: Head Teachers in the UK Issue Warning to Parents on 18-Rated Games Being Played by Children
@Quorthon
My quote should be appended: The needs of the community outweigh the selfish needs of the parent. Improper raising of children is like dumping lead paint into the river, it affects everyone for years later, and costs quite a bit to cleanup.
Unlike 1984, people would still have the choice as to whether they wish to become a parent.
Fascist, hitler youth like societies were not the only governments that handled the raising of children.
Tribal societies often raised children as a community, this is because once the child is an adult, its the community that pays the price for the poor care.
Re: Head Teachers in the UK Issue Warning to Parents on 18-Rated Games Being Played by Children
@Quorthon,
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. In this day and age, having a TV in the home with children can lead to a reasonable assumption that parents are letting the Internet and Cable babysit their children.
Considering IT DOES NO HARM to restrict a minor's access to media in the form of school and the library, I generally would be in favor of a law barring households with children access to television, smart phones, tablets and computers period. Let children play outside, and force parents to play with them.
Re: Feature: Tales From the Front Line of amiibo Collecting
I got most of mine from amazon, I don't have all of them; but I preorder when I can (especially the zelda ones); and for others just wait until I see one for close to MSRP.
Japan seems to have plenty in supply, which I find raises the cost to around $30, and since most of it is going to shipping costs... not as sour as paying a scalper.
Re: Sonic Boom Sales Struggle to Explode as Sega Clarifies Restructuring Plans
Sega actually was at its best when they spun off the development teams into their own companies (Dreamcast era).
They should try that again, if anything allow the Sakura Wars/Skies of Arcadia/Valkyria Chronicles folks to be their own company under Index (Like Atlus). Same with Creative Assembly, and the Football Manager people.
Work with Nintendo/Camelot to make a Shining Force IV.
Work with Sumo to make a new Racing Game.
Then assemble a decent Sonic Team and give them 2-3 years to make a GOOD sonic game.
Cover costs by making sure all their classic IPs are available on Virtual Console, Xbox Live Marketplace, iOS, etc.
Re: Nintendo Pitched For The Media Rights To Harry Potter Back in 1998
I think if Nintendo WANTED to make a Harry Potter game right now, I doubt Warner Bros. and Rowling would turn them down. After all despite the lack of success with the WiiU, Nintendo still has a reputation for making quality games. It would prob. have to be a joint venture between Nintendo and WB Interactive, but it could happen.
Re: Satoru Iwata Reiterates Plans for Quality of Life Platform, and Suggests Potential Moves Into Education
Nintendo is going to exit gaming. They exited hanafuda cards when the time was right; they largely exited arcade games; and now they will exit gaming. This is business. By the time they do this, all their core customers will be in their 40s and 50s; the age group companies care about: 14-40 will have grown up on call of duty; halo; gta; and minecraft.
Microsoft will have exited console gaming by that point as well; and just sell windows pc set top boxes (which is funny since early PC's like the IBM PC, and Comodore 64 hooked up to TVs).
And I think Sony will have moved to a subscription model if thats successful, and have multiple devices that can stream it to a TV or PC.
Re: Details For The New Langrisser Title On 3DS Emerge After A 15 Year Break For The Series
@ZenTurtle Because in the 90s Langrisser was a hardcore strategy game, therefore they had to sell it and make money off the advertising scantily clad women. (In Japan Otaku will buy games they won't even play, just for the box art).
Now in Japan, the only games that sell at all are those that appeal to 30 year old men who haven't seen a real woman since high school. This is why JRPGs have been going downhill; the market changed, women who used to buy Dragon Quest and Earthbound don't play video games anymore; in fact they won't date men that play video games. And in the US, majority of players prefer action games.
Since Langrisser's fanbase is too small for developing a new game; they have to use scantily clad women to trick people into buying the game. I doubt it will see a US release mind you; last I heard the Langrisser license is very expensive; and Americans are far more uncomfortable about buying games with scantily clad 2D women that look underage.
Re: Details For The New Langrisser Title On 3DS Emerge After A 15 Year Break For The Series
( And if you thought the first girl was fan service... look up the art for Cherie... the usual character designer came over from hentai IIRC)
Re: Details For The New Langrisser Title On 3DS Emerge After A 15 Year Break For The Series
For those that never played Langrisser, what made it unique was that you control not only 10 or so characters but also their troops (which in Warsong are around 10 units per character, Der Langrisser and IV has it at 4-6 per character)
But, I don't think this game will make it over to the US.
Re: Not Everyone is Thrilled That Metroid Prime Trilogy Lands on the Wii U eShop Tomorrow
@Einherjar
Its actually rare that one makes a large profit from collecting video games. I bought Metroid Prime Trilogy as a preorder, same with Panzer Dragoon Saga. If I had sold MPT for $299 or so... that could be profit, but consider the 300+ other games I also bought on preorder at $60 or so.
While I am sure a few people might be disappointed, but those would be the ones that bought MPT for $200+ recently.
Scalpers are not the same as collectors; outside of a game's launch window it is usually impossible to predict its value on the second-hand market. The only predictability would be that niche titles like JRPGs tend to keep or be just below their sale value.
Re: Video: YouTube's Gaming Historian Takes Offense At One Element Of Mario's Game Boy Past
o.0 What is wrong with zulu Mario, honestly I think it would be awesome if you had a Civilization/Mario crossover.
I'm disappointed they didn't have red haired mario, naked and in woad for Ireland though
Re: Wii Disc Software Heading to the Wii U eShop
@Quorthon
The major pain point of porting x86 to ppc code is endianess, that is how negative numbers are treated. However, this is usually only a problem when PPC Mac games needed to interact with Windows x86 games.
Last generation the xbox 360 had a PPC processor, and developers had no problems porting to the 360 from windows due to the API.
I would actually say from a development perspective... Microsoft has always had an advantage due to superior tools. Nintendo would be better off in the future to continue with their current architecture, and just increase the power. The problem they have with this generation was a.) A crippling bottleneck with data transfer, b.) A controller that while may be interesting, means developers have to spend time adding that functionality in order to sell the game, vs. if the WiiU was packed with a normal controller.
Hence Nintendo should just increase the power for their next console, keep the screen controller, and the wiiMote/proController support. This allows for reusing tools/techniques developed over the 4-5 years of the console life.
Re: Little Mac's amiibo Appears to Have Actually Been Discontinued in North America
Nintendo has the problem of a.) They did not make enough for the initial wave, and b.) They have to use their current manufacturing capacity to make the third wave. Add this to retailer reluctance to stock a large variety, I can see where they might only keep a handful of the core characters in stock.
I could see them releasing another shipment of characters AFTER wave 3. But its a bad situation; they would lose too much money to out-manufacture the scalpers; since a lot of this 'rarity' is caused by scalpers.
On a darker note, variable rarity is a sure way to get every initial shipment sold out; since scalpers will rush to get as many as they can until interest dies out. Hence they can keep interest in amibo well into March/April after Smash is old news itself.
Re: Talking Point: What's Next For amiibo?
Though an even simpler, and very useful one is: Tie your nintendo account to it, and let you carry over your scores/states/etc to a friends place to play multiplayer games like nintendoland, etc. And the amibo lets you costume your mii (like mario kart) but on the wii u console as a whole.
Re: Talking Point: What's Next For amiibo?
Maybe a puzzle platformer that lets you play as the amiibo and save progress to it, so you can then bring it to a friend's place and play with them, with unlocked abilities (stuff earned via xp) tied to it.
Or something like NintendoLand.
Re: Demand For amiibo Continues As Pre-Orders For Forthcoming Waves Sell Out
I actually think post X-Mas the amiibo shortage will be resolved. This happens to any toy that could be popular in the holiday season: Scalpers buy up stock and jack up prices.
Re: Demand For amiibo Continues As Pre-Orders For Forthcoming Waves Sell Out
The amiibo speculation bubble will crash; right now I think people are just buying up whatever stock they can to sell on ebay. But either a.) Nintendo makes more amiibos to meet demand, or b.) They don't and most people give up bothering with them, things will balance out.
Re: Soapbox: Sonic, It's Time to Talk
I don't think SEGA cares; they see an IP as just something to keep throwing until it brings a loss; and then they kill it. The reason they used to do well is because they had some of the most talented programmers that could do crazy things with weird hardware. (Multi-processor programming in assembly for instance). But they have pretty much let most of them go.
SEGA will just retire Sonic and complain that people just don't like platformers; much like how they complain people don't like tactical rpgs to cover for the fact that they sent the Shining Series into the ground.
Re: The Nintendo Wii U Is Better Value For Money Than Xbox One Or PS4, Says Reggie
@Yorumi
3DS sells because of pokemon, because pokemon is cool with elementary school kids. And parents are more likely to buy a 3DS for their kid to get him/her to shut up, then a console just for the kid that takes up time away from mom and dad fragging time.
And I'm also a old school gamer. This entire decade has been like watching your childhood friends shoot up and kill themselves in the slowest manner possible.
Re: The Nintendo Wii U Is Better Value For Money Than Xbox One Or PS4, Says Reggie
@Yorumi
That's the point, even if they had killer games that would still not help them. It didn't help Sega or NEC. It didn't even help Nintendo during the N64 and Gamecube eras. (I do think Mario 3D World is a killer game however).
The WiiU would not have succeeded if it was the most powerful of the three.
It would not have succeeded if Nintendo actually marketed it.
It would not have succeeded if it still had 3rd part support.
Nothing Nintendo could have done or can do will make this console succeed.
Barring, making a subsidiary like Touchstone, and releasing their console under a new brand.
I'm not trolling here, I'm quite fond of Nintendo games, and am satisfied with the WiiU. But I'm well aware or reality. Among "hardcore" gamers, your console choice is how your status is determined, its about brand, just like clothing, just like music.
Re: The Nintendo Wii U Is Better Value For Money Than Xbox One Or PS4, Says Reggie
@Yorumi @WWammy
o.0 I should point out, the good JRPGs are still being released on the PS3, so its not much incentive to get either a PS4 or WiiU. (Though after the $200 for the cart, adapters, working SNES it may be cheaper to get a WiiU to play Earthbound then to get the SNES cart, unless you already have some or all the required assembly).
Right now PS4 and XBONE are good buys for FPS gamers, and the choice depends on the network your friends are on.
Everyone else are hanging on to their PS3s, and getting a WiiU if the like platformers, Smashies, and Mario Kart. Though I suspect the Zelda and Metroid crowd are still hanging on to their Wiis waiting on Nintendo.
While I don't expect them to, if Nintendo managed to make a Bioshock/Last of Us caliber plot for a new HD FPS starring Samus Aran... that might help but here is a list to remind you that good games are not what gets a console sold.
Bonk
Ys I & II
R-Type
Soldier Blade
Ninja Spirit
Popfull Mail
Lunar
Sonic CD
Metal Slug
D
Bomberman
Street Fighter vs. X-Men
Die Hard Trilogy
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Burning Rangers
Nights
Guardian Heroes
Ikaruga
Shenmue
Skies of Arcadia
Soul Calibur
Chu Chu Rocket
Crazy Taxi
Space Channel 5
NFL 2K2
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Re: The Nintendo Wii U Is Better Value For Money Than Xbox One Or PS4, Says Reggie
@Quorthon
I suppose I don't notice Zelda as much because if I need a platformer game and there is no new Mario, I usually have the choice of a few other titles that came out recently. Hence I feel oversaturated by Mario games.
Zelda on the other hand, if you ignore the side games and remakes, you get 1-2 games per console. And for someone that doesn't like the portable zeldas, I generally have to wait 3 years for the next Zelda, with almost nothing out there like it in-between.
And yes they need new franchises, for genres they are weak in, probably just need to buy a few more american studios. And they need to bring over Fatal Frame.
Re: The Nintendo Wii U Is Better Value For Money Than Xbox One Or PS4, Says Reggie
@Quorthon actually, the only franchise Nintendo is generally guilty of overexposure is Mario. I'll agree, as much as I like Mario Wii U, it probably would have been better to just have released Mario 3D World as a launch title.
More often then not, Nintendo is much more guilty of releasing a single game in a franchise on their console. And yes like other franchises, they rarely deviate from the main line.
I don't think its the same argument of COD vs. Nintendo of sameness, fact-is: Nintendo's whole thing is basically classic style gaming, bright colors, minor plot, and usually a focus on 1-2 mechanics.
COD just happens to be a flag bearer for a GENRE that has overwhelmed an entire console generation. Nothing unique, it happens; the AAA industry has always preferred going with a formula then anything new. And you have smaller indie developers that experiment.
Remember, DOOM started as a shareware game... which was indie at the time.
Re: Konami Demands That Hardcore Gaming 101 Presents: Castlevania Book Be Removed From Sale
A company can send a cease and desist to anyone, for anything. The defendant if the have a lawyer can object to it, and then it goes to court. Sometimes a judge will throw the cease and desist out. But if he doesn't then lawyer fees alone can bankrupt him even if he wins the case.
Re: Nintendo Outlines Confusing amiibo Save Data Limitations
I think its no problem for say someone the just buys their favorite character, they get a CPU buddy they can train and bring over someone else's house to beat their CPU buddy, sort of like pokemon.
As a bonus, you get tiny extras in other games. I don't think Nintendo's marketing and sales expect people to buy amiibos for the bonuses. I think they expect people to buy them for the Smash Bros. functionality.
Re: Review: Pier Solar and the Great Architects (Wii U eShop)
In some ways I think the reviewer is in a lose-lose situation. Pier Solar is NOT a game for someone that doesn't know what the fuss is about an old school RPG game. I enjoy Pier Solar a lot; but I would still point a noob to Chronotrigger. So the reviewer can either score it for people that have waited too long for Phantasy Star V or Lunar 3, or he can score it for someone that has never even heard of either series.
Re: Crazy EarthBound Fans Open EarthBound-themed Media Kickstarter
@WaLzgi Fair Use does not block commercial use. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
It's quite common for academic works to cite passages from copyrighted material. Another example is the Tropes v. Women segments, Anita uses multiple screenshots and clips to illustrate her points, she doesn't need permission from the copyright holder to do so.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Ability to Charm Young Gamers is Vital for its Success
@Vash_Visionz the difference between a casual player and a hardcore player is generally simple: How much of your life is dedicated to gaming? A Hardcore gamer is someone that dedicates their life to gaming and puts it above a spouse, children, even their job. A Hardcore game could be considered one that requires dedication. The two are not mutually exclusive.
I don't consider myself a hardcore gamer, but I do play quite a few hardcore games (Crusader Kings 2 for example).
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Ability to Charm Young Gamers is Vital for its Success
Preteens and teenagers are more interested in being 'grown up' so they want something 'unsafe', 'hardcore', and 'mature'. Hence why over the top sexual and violent video games are popular. Not that some of them lack good gameplay, its just that gameplay is less of a concern with this crowd. Nintendo trailers need a deep ominous bass in their trailers to inform the viewers that something dark and edgy is happening otherwise its just not interesting to a 12 year old boy that wants to shock his mother.
The you have women, they potentially could be courted more. Nintendo just needs to use their female protagonists more, a solid Metroid game (like Prime or Fusion) for instance.
I think @zool has a point, its not children, its adult parents that buy the wiiu for their children. And guess what parents of children do? They get by with whatever, getting a new expensive system is usually not on a parent's todo list. They might buy an old wii system, which doesn't help nintendo.
Re: Koei Tecmo Europe All But Confirms Fatal Frame Wii U As Japan-Only
They probably consider the localization costs to be too high, its why most of the Fire Emblem games did not make it stateside. And AFAIK this title has voice acting, which is another cost, since Nintendo would not consider releasing this without voice acting. (Even keeping the existing japanese voices might cost more since they might require re-negotiation for a US or Europe release).
You also have to remember, NOJ doesn't care about the US or European markets. Most japanese companies only care about Japan.
Re: Mother 4 Is On The Way, But It's Not Being Made By Nintendo
Why can't they just change the name? Nintendo can't stop someone making a game with the feeling of Mother/Earthbound.
Granted, I'm not sure if Nintendo even has a Trademark for Mother in the US, so I suppose they could call it Mother in the US so long as it never released in Japan.