Comments 918

Re: Nintendo Is Making Female Characters Cover Up For The Western Version Of Xenoblade Chronicles X

ejamer

I complained about the Fatal Frame situation, but feel much less upset here — mostly because there is a difference between M- and T-rated games and the audiences they are targeting. The age of the (fictional) character also forces me to give pause before criticizing changes; yes, she's fictional but it's still in bad taste to overtly sexualize underage characters (at least in this country).

That said, the outfit modifications look pretty ugly from the shots above. I mean, surely they could have replaced the skimpy bikini with something more visually interesting than that. Give her a cute and colorful bathing suit with full coverage, for example. Play up the reason for the change in western markets instead of just providing an ugly alternate.

In the end: not a fan of Nintendo's puritanical trend towards modifying content, even though in this case I'm not really offended or upset by the decision.

Re: Poll: The Tricky Issue of Retail Games as Download-Only Releases

ejamer

@JamesCoote
Steam is a tough example for consoles to follow - the sheer mass of games, the (regular and expected) massive discounts, the ability to transfer to and play on many devices, not being tied to any specific hardware... Although I strongly dislike going digital only with Steam it makes at least some sense.

But on Nintendo consoles you don't get any of the perks listed above, and you pay more for the privilege of not actually owning the game. That's a hard pill for me to swallow.

I'm surprised to see how pro-physical the poll results are at the time I write this. Given the steady push in that direction, I had assumed more people were on the "rah rah - downloads only" side of things.

Re: Nintendo Download: 22nd October (North America)

ejamer

@MoonKnight7
Yes - contacting them directly is the only message that matters. I prefer to use an actual letter because I think it shows them more thought/effort went in instead of just writing an email, but any direct communication is good.

I will buy the game if it ever fits my "digital requirements" - I'm just worried that it won't get marked down enough as a first-party title. And I do recommend anyone who doesn't insist on owning physical goods buy it. Fatal Frame looks fantastic.

Re: Nintendo Download: 22nd October (North America)

ejamer

@MoonKnight7
But that's the problem - there is no way to send NoA a meaningful message. If I buy then it supports practices I dislike: if I don't then it will make them think it's because the genre isn't wanted. They are willfully deaf to any messages sent by sales figures, so instead of trying to communicate it makes sense to only support products that you actually want.

(Some might say that Nintendo dumb in addition to being deaf... but I think they're implying a different usage of the word.)

Re: Nintendo Download: 22nd October (North America)

ejamer

@MoonKnight7
I've already made my choice - would have purchased day one at retail, but am not purchasing digital (unless it eventually drops under my $10 sweet spot for "games you don't really own").

So, yeah... Vote with your wallet in action, just like you asked.

Re: Nintendo Download: 22nd October (North America)

ejamer

@MoonKnight7
"If the game does not sell on the eshop, it's over; and I'm sure we will never get another Fatal Frame in the west again. Just saying."

But if it does sell well we send the message that we are ok with digital only, altered releases. Damned either way.

As a Nintendo gamer, I should be used to this by now?

Re: Yes, Fatal Frame's Lingerie Outfits Have Been Removed From The Western Version

ejamer

Just want to add that the Samus/Zelda costumes look like garbage. Terribly out of place - moreso even than the removed content - and really, really silly.

The embarrassing part of this whole situation is that the racy costumes exist at all. It's not necessary content. It doesn't add value. If the sexist costumes weren't in the game to begin with then there would be no controversy.

Localization always involves hard choices, as changes are made so that games become more appealing to the target market, It's a shame that Nintendo of America in particular feels so comfortable removing content from a game that is already restricted to adults though.

Re: Yes, Fatal Frame's Lingerie Outfits Have Been Removed From The Western Version

ejamer

I disagree with censorship in general, and given the age rating for this title there is no good reason to remove any content.

That doesn't mean the underwear costumes really had good reason to exist in the first place - while I'm not against the idea, it seems to have been added as an unlockable afterthought for no reason other than to be racy and titillating...

In the end it doesn't matter to me though. NoA choosing to go digital only already killed my interest in the game.

Re: Review: Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water (Wii U)

ejamer

Very excited about this game.

Not buying unless NoA releases a retail copy or drops the price to under $20 though - paying full price for digital content is a waste of money. Would have bought day 1 if there was a retail copy available here. :/

Re: Video: Take a Look Around the Interior of Nintendo's Original Headquarters

ejamer

Some people might feel it's cringeworthy... but I thought it was pretty cool to see the way in. Even though the guy filming knew he wasn't supposed to be there he wasn't really a jerk about it - just trying to get a glimpse behind the curtain - and the secretary was (of course) very polite and generous to him.

Kind of a shame that Nintendo doesn't embrace their history and offer short little videos showing off their history. I bet lots of geeky people like me would be interested to learn more about the origins of the company with a video tour like this.

Re: SmileBASIC Releases on the North American 3DS eShop on 15th October

ejamer

@TerrapinJess
According to the Nintendo site, it's going to be $9.99 on release. Maybe that will change... but it seems like a safe bet right now.

@Monado_III
Using C or C++ is more complicated and requires you to have special hardware (and a PC to develop on) before seeing your programs run on a 3DS. Not saying it's a bad choice - obviously you get more power and flexibility, but SmileBASIC has a different set of benefits (and limitations) that make it a better choice for many people.

@wiggleronacid
I tend to agree - diving directly into Petit Computer (the old DSiWare version) was tough and sometimes discouraging for some people who didn't have any background with coding.

That said, there were pretty good communities here and at GameFAQs (and maybe elsewhere) to help if you were still figuring things out. Hopefully SmileBASIC will see the same grassroots support.

Re: SmileBASIC Releases on the North American 3DS eShop on 15th October

ejamer

@Snader
If you truly believe that, then you either aren't cut out to be a programmer or are basing your opinion on personal biases instead of facts.

SmileBASIC looks like an interesting tool to fool around with, likely with some notable limitations. It's likely not the "best" place for people to start learning to code, but almost certainly not the worst either.

Re: Feature: The Biggest Wii U Games of 2015 - Q4 Edition

ejamer

Ugh... Xenoblade looks awesome, but outside of that it's an incredibly weak holiday season for Wii U.

Also, NoA sucks for not giving fans in North America any physical option at all for Fatal Frame (aka: Project Zero). The game looks amazing, but I never pay more than $10 for digital games which means I'll probably never play it. Incredibly disappointed by this move...

Re: Gorgeous Xenoblade Chronicles X Special Edition Confirmed for North America

ejamer

Ouch. $120 CAD, and the soundtrack is only a sampler? The art stuff looks gorgeous, but for me the soundtrack was kind of a "make or break" item after absolutely loving the Xenoblade soundtrack...

Also, I've got a preorder locked in for half the special edition price... so not sure I can justify paying that much more for some supporting trinkets or not.

Re: Talking Point: The Argument For And Against amiibo-Cloning Tool Amiiqo

ejamer

It's not "pirating Amiibo". The Amiibo figures are notably different in appearance, which is the reason many (not all) people buy into the system.

Amiiqo requires you to own both a console and the relevant software to get any value. It replaces figures have incredibly little in-game value (Smash Bros excepted) and are instead being used as simple keys to unlock already on-disc content for most games that do support them.

Nintendo has done a very poor job of providing reasonable Amiibo stock levels or any alternatives for people who are interested and willing to pay for the real thing. They have also done a very poor job of providing basic functionality (back-up Amiibo save data, for example).

If Nintendo had done a better job on any front in providing and supporting Amiibo figures, I might be inclined to think Amiiqo is a bad idea. But Nintendo hasn't - despite improving the supply situation slowly. To the contrary, their inability to support the platform makes Amiiqo not just a smart idea, but very nearly a necessity if people want to get full value from games they have already purchased.

If people start selling knock-off figures that don't add significant and meaningful functionality the way Amiiqo does, I might change my tune... but at the moment they are providing a service that Nintendo either won't or isn't able to. More power to them.

Re: Exclusive: MercurySteam Has Been Working On A Metroid Prototype For Wii U And 3DS

ejamer

I think the MercurySteam team has talent, but I really haven't enjoyed the design decisions in games they've released so far. Things always seem neat, but never fun.

So not quite sure how to take this news - it's cool that they gave a Metroid pitch, and kind of a shame they got turned down because I think they need a little assistance in design aspects. Oh well. It'll be interested to see what the game develops into (if it gets released).

Re: A Resident Evil 2 Remake Has Been Confirmed

ejamer

@Faruko
It's "stupid" because this isn't really news. It's reporting on something that really doesn't even deserve to be called speculation yet.

Companies might talking about "we want to bring our games to that platform" build hype, but until they have any information about NX and deals in place with Nintendo, it's all empty marketing talk - not worth the ether it's virtually printed on.

Re: A Resident Evil 2 Remake Has Been Confirmed

ejamer

Don't hold your breath. Did the Resident Evil HD games come to Nintendo platforms? Or Revelations 2?

This is like that stupid "news" from Square Enix recently, that it's possible a Final Fantasy game could come out on NX (despite not having even started any negotiation about it). It's hardly even worth being called gossip.

Re: Chris Pranger From Nintendo Treehouse Discusses Harsh Realities Of Localisation

ejamer

Lots of factors at work here.

Translation and localization is expensive and typically more difficult than people expect. Especially if voice acting is involved.

NoA is trying to make the most money possible with limited resources. Maybe they can be profitable with Game_A, but not as profitable as if those resources work on Game_B instead because it takes less work. They choose Game_B.

But this is still a bad set of excuses being thrown out. NoE has shown more guts than NoA on multiple fronts, and generally been rewarded. NoA didn't release Fatal Frame or Pandora's Tower or Another Code R despite those games all being translated already. (Granted, there would still be cost... but it's not a resource issue and risks are much lower.) NoA didn't want to bring out Xenoblade either.

This isn't just a localization problem - it's a management issue where they aren't interested in catering to (or building a base of) fans of certain genres. And that's incredibly disappointing.

But hey, NIS and Atlus and XSeed are awesome. So at least we have the little guys filing in the gaps that Nintendo considers not worthwhile.

Re: Nintendo Download: 6th August (North America)

ejamer

GetClose (Wii U) is totally worth buying if you do local multiplayer.

However, no Xenoblade means I'm not buying anything. Is it surprising that NoA didn't release the game here? No. Apparently NoA doesn't like RPGs. It certainly is disappointing though.

Re: Exciting Hints of amiibo Restocks Can Be Found in Dull Manufacturing Forms

ejamer

Oh awesome! So these will be available for another 5-10 minutes in the middle of the day on a random workday? The Amiibo issues are solved! Praise Nintendo!

...
Er, nope. Still don't give a damn. The ongoing supply issues have turned me so far off Amiibo that when my children saw some they liked and asked to buy them, I agreed to buy literally anything else they wanted. Nintendo isn't getting my money in this brutal money pit.

Re: Humble Nindie Bundle Adds Three New Games

ejamer

The bundle was already a great deal in my opinion, these games are icing on the cake. Sportsball in particular is an exciting add - a game that looked awesome, but wasn't really on my radar because I don't get a lot of local multiplayer these days.

Good stuff!