cornishlee

Vigil is dead and buried, they were closed after the first auction. Nordic Games has bought Darksiders.

I selected 'yes' in the survey, but not for the reason suggested. I've written about this so many times on Nintendo Life that I've lost count.

This is just the first step in a really positive direction - hopefully the exclusivity deal is just timed and we'll soon see games appear from other distributors too. I'd like to download games but the price is prohibitive - having regular retailers sell download codes means that prices should be competitive and allows me, the consumer, to shop around for the best price. Doing so on the internet means that I'll be emailed a download code and I need never leave my home but can start downloading straight away - the best of both worlds.

As for Network Premium, I bought a download code for NG3 (privately, from a reviewer, I believe) and can confirm that I got my voucher for that.

One thing I have noticed is that all of the titles currently available as download codes from Game are published by Nintendo. I wonder if other publishers are free to negotiate their own deals?

Well, it's a step in the right direction at least. I just checked their store online and they currently have six titles available as download codes (Monster Hunter, Nintendo Land, Maro Bros., Ninja Gaiden, Lego City and Sing Party), all priced at £41.99 (or £32.99 for Sing). That's cheaper than the eStore but still not as cheap as what they're selling the discs at. Some more open competition should result in this being a very good thing - I hope the exclusivity deal isn't for too long.

@Xilef
A good, optimistic point.

It's been nearly twenty years since I last played a Prince of Persia game, and all I remember about that one is getting very bored flying around on a magic carpet. I understand the series has changed a lot though and I'd certainly be interested to see reviews.

You're right that Nintendo doesn't get the credit for this that it deserves: I'm always seeing developers praise Nintendo here on Nintendo Life whereas on multi-platform sites like IGN and Edge all I ever see is how the PS4 is 'going to be' the premier home for indie developers. It seems that shouting about it on the hardware launch stage certainly got the mainstream video games media's attention.

Personally, I'm happy with the way the Wii U eShop's developing right now - there's a steady stream of quality titles; a big contrast with the Wii, which saw releases of higher rated games drowned out by a river of throw-away titles.

@Klinny
I've just checked the US dictionary too, in case this was something I wasn't aware of (I'm not just being pernickety, amongst other things in my job I sometimes have to edit papers written by foreign authors (including USA) which pertain to fauna and, indeed, sometimes translate my own writing into U.S. English, so if 'carps' was acceptable U.S. English then I'd want to know that). Saying 'carps' is the same thing as saying 'sheeps'. It's intelligible to a native speaker but incorrect and something that will obviously mark you out as a non-native speaker.

@Nacho-Abylight

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

Definition of carp
noun (plural same)

a deep-bodied freshwater fish, typically with barbels around the mouth. Carp are farmed for food in some parts of the world and are often kept in large ponds.

I'd keep an eye on it. I poured a lot of time into Street Fighter 2 in the early nineties but these days I don't know anyone else who plays video games so it really is single-player experiences only for me now. That said, even at the time, my favourite series was Streets of Rage and we don't really get many beat-em-ups of that type these days. MadWorld was great but that was a few years ago now. If the could develop a single player mode along those lines then I'd almost definitely pick the game up if it came to Wii U.

I predict a riot!

HavI been misreading NintendoLife's coverage of this? I thought there was something a few days ago that had a Wii U logo on it.

@Nacho-Abylight
Haha! I guess I just did. It's nice to see developers so engaged with video game players; welcome to Nintendo Life.

Someone should tell them that the plural of 'carp' is 'carp'.

Put me down for the 'what about the U?' lobby.

Frankly, even after watching the trailer, I don't get what the object of this game is.

@Dunban
Agreed. Until I can convert my stars to eShop credit, like I could (and still can, for what it's worth) to Wii points, this is worthless.

For "'Tales Of' games" read "games".

@belmont
I'm not certain what the case is in the rest of the EU but I believe that it's the same as in the UK. A manufacturer is not allowed to set a price point on a product - that's known as price-fixing and is illegal. That's why you often see "RRP" stated online (usually in the context of an alleged discount). The manufacturer can recommend a price but it cannot set one - it is always up to the retailer what price to charge.

Nintendo can control its wholesale price in Europe but it cannot dictate retail price - that all comes down to what margin retailers expect to make and what they think they can get away with.

I hope that clears things up a bit. I'm a little tired of the "Nintendo should fix prices in the EU like they do in the US" rants online (that's not directed at you). The simple fact is that they can't.

@Nardar
In what way is that ironic?

I've never backed anything on Kickstarter and it's not really something that interests me. Of the case in question, I'm not really sure I see the controversy unless the developers entered into a contract with the backers (or otherwise stated) that they would self-publish. Plenty of games are developed by a studio and then picked up and published by someone else. This industry has always worked like that and I don't see why crowd-funding should be expected to change that model in any way, shape or form.

Literally just finished New Game+ on Darksiders 2. I'll be scratching around over the weekend, looking for something else to occupy my time and hoping for some good news for that franchise on Monday.

I struggle to see his motivation here - there has to be more to it than just wanting to be controversial/sensational. What was the context of the comments?

In answer to the question, like everything in life it's not a black and white situation. It's probably fair to say that there were a number of consumers who bought the Wii to play Wii Sports. Maybe they bought another mini-game compilation or two as well. Then they grew tired of it and sold it (my parents certainly fall into that category). I guess there must also have been regular video game players who bought it, played Wii Sports then shelved it when the next (non-Wii) game they were interested in came out and never looked back (that seems to be what he's saying here). Then there were Nintendo fans who bought it, loved it and cherish it. There were also returning video game players who bought it.

To elaborate on that last point, it was the first Nintendo console bought by either my little brother or I and it was the first console I'd owned in more than a decade. After six to twelve months my brother sold his and bought a PS3. I continued to enjoy Madworld, Red Steel 2, Brawl and the Galaxy games. Now I have a Wii U and have loved Darksiders and very much enjoyed Ninja Gaiden 3 and Trine 2. I know I'm not the only person on this forum to have been brought back into the fold by the Wii either.

So, the Wii was a number of different things to many different people. Most people know that though, it's just not dramatic or contentious enough to be reported.

@TreesenHauser
I was really looking forward to General Chaos when it was announced. I sold my Megadrive before it was released though. Thanks for reminding me about that; I'd definitely pick it up if it ever appeared on VC.

@mariobro4
It's an Indian magician sim.

No Lost Vikings?! Thanks though, I'd completely forgotten about some of these titles.

@Peach64
There were Megadrive titles on the Wii VC (including most of the titles you listed). I think the point of the article was to bring attention to games that weren't released on the Wii VC that we'd still like to see get a VC release now that the Wii U's arrived.

Looks like Disney were pretty active with a variety of partners behind the scenes before shutting down Junction Point.

@snoox

@Kirk @snoox
They're releasing this with options to play with the original graphics or an HD makeover.

I'm really looking forward to this,

Smurfs?!? This is the first I've heard of them in about 25 years.

@Kroisos
Maybe it's a U.S.A.ism? I've never heard anybody say 'could care less' in everyday speech - I've only seen it written on the internet. In the UK, the phrase is 'couldn't care less' just as Peach64 states.

Not sure how I got caught up in this tangent...

@Peach64
With you all the way for the language rant!

I'd say this article was pretty much spot on until the last paragraph - I assume you meant die-hard fans rather than all xbox and PS3 owners? That would make more sense.

Really though, we keep coming back to the same thing - with the Wii/party game audience largely fled, the winner of this generation will be the console that can offer the best exclusive games in conjunction with all of the big multi-platform releases. Nintendo understand that. Iwata discussed it some time ago. I hoped, and still do, that Nintendo were acting on that. We'll see who wins.

Looks interesting, I'll certainly keep an eye on it.

@shake_zula
Not sure what it says about me that I didn't notice but thanks for the link - that's an interesting article.

@rjejr
I can see why you're concerned. I guess we'll get our answer in the next year or two but it's worth remembering that most major releases in the last six months have not hit Wii U. It could be that the PS4 is being left out of these forthcoming releases for similar developmental reasons. There hasn't been a whole lot about PS4 releases yet so it's difficult to guess.

Announcements are beginning to flow. Where's that 3rd party Nintendo Direct?

According to The Edge news page about this, also included:
Disney’s Planes is a Nintendo platform exclusive, and will tie into the forthcoming film. It will arrive on Wii, Wii U, 3DS and DS in August, with Disney Infinity also confirmed for release in the same month for Wii U, Wii and 3DS.

@Mollutje
I feel the same way about Might Switch Force. Maybe it's just my age but I'm not sure I can cope with all the bright, flashing colours and the noise.

@Kirk
Completely agree.

I don't care about their games personally but these are worrying comments for the Wii U generally when third party support is so essential to developing a strong system. Discostew's comments suggest an acceptable rational motive for this but we have to be worried, considering the difference in tone of the Wii U and PS4 statements that this has less to do with console sales and more to do with a perception of what games Wii U owners are interested in.

Good news.

So, if this is a prequel and I've been holding off on City (thanks to LordJumpMad for suggesting I don't have to be a Super Hero fan to enjoy it) I guess maybe I could just jump straight in with this one when it releases.

I don't know why I get so bored by the idea of guns in games but I do. Still, less than a week to go now until we (hopefully) get some Darksiders news.

So they got funding today and they'll be releasing it within the next two months? Either something's wrong with this article or, I guess, the funding was only for publication and not development.

Not really a surprise but this has to be reassuring for investors.

I actually wish more products used AA's. I have a good supply of Eneloop XX's and a decent charger. If I run out of battery any time I just have to swap them out rather than wait for it to charge. Plus if ever I'm desperate and away from home (not a Wiimote concern, I know) there are other options.

As for shipping a charger with every Wii remote, that sounds like a terrible policy, environmentally. Even mobile 'phone companies are phasing that out.

@PONGbyATARI
They kind of do. 10% cash(voucher)back for Wii U Premium owners.

Thanks for the interview. Some good points (notably third party support, a drum we've been banging in the forums here for quite some time), some mixed messages and some oddly place negativity.

What I do find confusing is that he seems to base his forecasts in terms of 'this is where A is at and this is where B will be'. Surely an accurate and legitimate prediction should look into the future to an equal degree, playing the probability game across both fronts? The only answer I can come up with is that he has better insider sources at some companies than others and isn't prepared to make an educated guess on the others. It seems a poor way to do things though.

@paburrows
As Bluezealand pointed out, spring in the UK is the same as spring in the US. A lot of people seem to have trouble with precisely when the seasons begin/end for some reason.

Printing game discs is not like turning a tap on. Part of publishing and distributing a title involves estimating how many copies are going to be sold and ensuring that there are enough products manufactured to meet that demand without having too many left sitting unsold on shelves. In part, one of the factors involved in making that estimate is the level of orders from retailers. I'd suggest at least part of the reason for a supply shortage is retailers underestimating demand of the title based on a perceived low level of demand for Wii U games in the first quarter.

Oh my.

Also, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is tenth. I know it's a multi-plat title but, given the release schedule, I'd wager that most of those sales were on the Wii U.