iMarkU

@Moon Their business model relies on the concept of synergy, getting people interested into the brand and then converting them to buying Nintendo's hardware + games. Its a common misconception that these games should be a full experiences, while it should be a companion app to get people into your brand. The money that they make from these games is not the only return on investment (ROI), you should also calculate the conversion rate into this.

Do pay attention to "free to start" instead of "free to play". The second one stays for free and uses micro transactions, while the other one is the Super Mario Run model. My guess is that this will work similar to Mario Kart DS with download play. You get a limited amount of tracks with only 1 character to play. If you want the full rooster + tracks, it will probably between the 5 and 10 euro/dollar.

@marandahir there is a small chance that there is a bias there. You know you upgraded your television, so you could fool yourself into thinking it looks superb (placebo effect). But this only applies to the resolution story. It could also be that your new tv has HDR support or is a QLED screen. These increases the color gammut and clarity of the images rather than the sharpness.

Point that I wanted to make is that 4K gaming is a waste of money/resources for most of the households. I would rather have a more detailed world, better graphics, higher framerate or better lightning over a better resolution.

@GC-161 The roots of the gaming industry are almost completly in the united states. (Atari, Harvard, Pong are all American) and after the united states comes Japan with their contributions. It does depend on which side you’re looking at it, from the gaming scene or the game industry side. In the game industry UK is indeed the leader in Europe, and worldwide behind Japan and USA. But in terms of game revenue you’re behind Germany. Matter of perspective. And that is also why you don’t hear anything about other markets on this website. Multiple people said it before: you’re on an UK based gaming website.

https://newzoo.com/insights/rankings/top-100-countries-by-game-revenues/

@marandahir
It also depends on your distance from the tv. Check this article: https://carltonbale.com/does-4k-resolution-matter/

@impurekind
I certainty agree with you on the aging part. But I also believe that this is in combination with the Japanese culture and resistance to change. Miyamoto is not aging well with the current situation and this means that he is sometimes out of touch. Does this mean he shouldn’t design games anymore? Not necessarily. Game design keeps evolving, but a lot of mechanics, concepts and their roots trace back all the way to the 80’s. Having this knowledge and experience is really good to have in a company and you want to transfer this to the new generation. And that is what Miyamoto’s rol is and should be.
Star Fox Zero is an interesting case. The end product and failure could also be attributed to the end of the Wii U period (was there no budget anymore? Did team members got transfered to other project? Or did Nintendo simply not want to invest in the WiiU anymore). What I am teying to say is that there could be more reasons why this game failed and I feel its unfair that you are highlighting this specific game while there is a whole backlog which proofs his skillset.
Also your Zelda example is a very anecdotal one. I didn’t argue that every diehard fan would think this way. Seeing what is wrong with a game and criticize it is easily done. However, there is a difference between seeing what is wrong and can be improved VS how to actually pull this off. And to link back to the original story (gettig a bit offtrack here huh?) the second ond is what Nintendo needs. A young group of designers which can not only identify which parts of Nintendo’s heritage needs to change. But also how to pull this off.

@impurekind I feel you misinterpreted his words. Loving games doesn’t mean you are a good game designer. Every year at our University we have to warn new students that Game Development is way more than just playing games. Theres a lot of overlap with psychology and other human centered design disciplines. Miyamoto isn’t a gamer himself, however he knows damn well the concept of ‘fun’ and how to create certain kinds of fun for specific target groups. Its this knowledge and way of designing that you need to possess in order to become a good game designer. Achieving this means you have to be interested in more than just playing games.

Especially if you are a hardcore gamer and have a blind love for a franchise you have to watch out that you don’t have a tunnel vision. Would a diehard fan of Zelda easily throw away everything that we know about Zelds and break all the conventions? Or would he argue that all these changes “isn’t Zelda like”?

@Nincompoop That is partly true. Dungeons are rooms connected with each other which uses the same mechanics. Most of the time through a Kishotenketsu structure (introduce, master/develop, twist it and close it). Those interconnected rooms create a cohesive streamlined experience with a flow.

That is one reason why I missed dungeons, the other one is that dungeons have a theme. Fire, water, sand etc. They felt diverse and, most important, different from each other. Shrines and Divine Beasts share the same theme, music, graphics and mostly mechanics (shrines can be divided into a couple of categories). I do understand why they did this. By throwing the lineair structure away you can't express the difficulty curve through out the puzzles. The shrines felt like a small meal to me. Instead of a big dinner you have multiple small ones, but in the end it is less satisfying.

For the next game I hope they find the sweet spot inbetween these two parameters: freedom vs lineair (be it story, difficulty or progression).

@BAN i wouldn’t say its impossible, rather a fun challenge to find out. There are hundreds of ways to tell stories: through collectibles; exploring the environment; cutscenes; text based; visualized; books; audio etc. Cutscenes are just one of them, Splatoon tells his story through finding collectibles (scrolls).

Same story applies for open games. Open doesn’t mean the game should be completly open and free. Link Between Worlds presented a system through item rental. One that could be perfectly mixed with Botw’s system abs build upon.

Personally I miss the big dungeons. But I don’t see how they can’t be incorporated in the current system. (80 shrines and 8 dungeons as example?)

@KryptoKrunch
Pretty sure these numbers confirm atleast s Pokémon game for november. (My bet is 16th nov) and maybe also a Monster Hunter or Animal Crossing? Either of them a huge console shifters. Curious what Nintendo is going to release. Smash, 2D Mario, 2D Zelda, something completly new?

@FTPinkRabbit
The only reason why this is iPhone exclusive is because it uses AR kit, an Apple made API for IOS 11. (Hecne why you need a 6s or higher)

@OnBeingHuman Its a steel case in which you can put the game case. Its like a cover for your cover.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Holiday season perhaps?

The most funniest thing is that this is the first HD Animal Crossing lol.

@rjejr Never heard of Pokémon shuffle?

You mention 2 points in your original comment: too much technology in the joy cons (which they actually have including everything from the wii remote + more) and the fact that it is a conventional system. Fact is; the Wii U was also a conventional system plus a touchscreen. But all the buttons were there to port a game without major modifications to the control scheme. You're accusing other people of not reading, while you're not reading other peoples comments as well.

With all due respect, the Switch still has a huge gimmick and that is the hybrid model and motion joy cons. But why should gimmick be a bad thing? It makes the Switch one of the most unique systems in the markets at the moment. The same applied to both the Wii and Wii U. It has the motion from the Wii, the screen from the Wii U and its own hybrid sauce. The major difference is that Nintendo now knows how to market and use the technology instead of just putting it in there for the sake of technology.

Bottom line: The Switch is the evolvement of a Wii and the Wii U, it has their DNA written all over the system including the huge words: MOTION CONTROLS

@HalBailman what is even your point? Both the Wii, Wii U and the Switch have motion ganes. Heck their new flagship title has motion to control one of their core mechanics (hint its a Mario game). It was never mandatory on these 3 consoles, yes it became lightly a gimmick on the Wii because it was all new and exciting. But in the end your points are wrong, you use mario kart wii as example. But you forgot to mention that Mario Kart 8 Dx uses exact the same control schemes (including ‘waggling’). And just for the record, motion is mandatory in 1-2 Switch.

@memoryman3 the picture looks like a glide though. And if she doesn’t move her legs its still an easy animation. Asides of that, Daisy was the most logical addition and I am happy to see that she is getting some recognition after she totally got overshadowed by Rosaline lol

@Mario_maniac Daisy is almost a carbon copy from Peach. They will problaby use 99% of the same animations and assets.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE You're litterally describing a Wii U with a cable. But since you can also take it away, it makes it a hybrid system? So as answer to your hypothetical question, yes it would make the 3ds a hybrid system.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Invalid argument, you wouldn't be able to remove the controller parts and plop on the couch and continue playing the game. Besides the 3DS has two screens, so where does the touchscreen go? Do you really not understand the word "hybrid"???? I mean if you add an electricity component to a car with gas, it becomes a hybrid right? What I really don't understand is why you are so againts it.

@jariw true, but still I think the possibility is higher that it comes than lower looking at their old patterns. And why is SLIGEACH even complaining about it? If VC gets confirmed he is gonna moan about old ports and full price etc etc. He is only using it to complain anyway.

I sincerly hope that gamecube and n64 virtual console get confirmed though.

@Randomname19 Then I agree, I do miss stuff like Netflix. But in the end its a gaming system first and foremost. After the MESSY Wii U debacle. I understand Nintendo's approach to establish and make clear to the mass market that this system is a gaming system, and not a tablet. Marketing is a big reason why the Wii U failed.

@jariw
Its Nintendo, ofcourse they are going to try to sell the old NES and SNES games again to the customers. I just REALLY hope that I will get Gamecube this time !

@SLIGEACH_EIRE you can use the switch on the go, while also play with it on your television using a traditional controller. That describes the Switch and is literally the definition of a hybrid. A system which mixes both play styles and both machines in one. I mean the Switch could be solely a console if you don't remove it from the dock.

Then whats up with all the pessimism? Virtual console has been confirmed; 3th party is starting to come but needs it time (I mean we are only 6 months in and the Wii U burned support???); expensive (that is an opinion, I mean it sells like hot cakes. I know I know not in Ireland but whatever. PLUS its a handheld and console in one?!); expensive accessories (you do get some good controller back for it); no app (it was a handheld right, not a tablet?); port are more expensive (and this is Nintendos fault how?); terrible battery life (it was a handheld right, not a console?); limited cartridge size (there is also a limit on disc though. I mean the max Wii U blue ray size was 25gb); controller issues (Every console has it problems).
And yes there are some real problems, I am not denying that. Just putting some things into perspective.

The point of this lengthy post is, you're trying way to hard to find problems. Partly because you make the Switch into something it isn't. It does not pretent to be a tablet, hence the no apps. And it doesn't pretent to be solely a handheld, thats why the battery life sucks. And last but not least, it could be way more powerfull, use disc drives and have a D pad if it was a console. But its not. Its a hybrid system. And it doesn't pretend to be something else.

@Phin68 its not because they can't. Its because they don't want to. In a certain sense I do agree with him. If I make a game I have a vision. As a designer you design it the way you believe the consumers enjoys the most of it. As example if you go to a restaurant you don't alter the complete dish don't you? The chef made it a certain way cause he believes the ingredients should be enjoyed this way.

Its been said more times that the consumer don't know what they want. A famous example would be ford. If he asked what people wanted, they said faster horses, not cars. You can apply the same thought to game design. The consumer is a player, not a designer. Sometimes they want a lot of stuff, but it actually has a negative impact on the gameplay.

A bit of nuance though, not everybody likes this approach and I completly understand this. But yhea Nintendo is Japanese and they are kinda stuborn.

@gatorboi352
Thats why I said the one is not better than the other . I do wish Nintendo made the joy cons (in the grip) more comfortable to hold, especially for long sessions. The pro controller had a better feel and buttons, but still I find know people prefering the joy cons over the pro controller.

About Botw, I did the same on the Wii U (the gamepad is kinda awkward to hold for long sessions), but I hated that it missed motion. It would have made it 100% easier for devs to support the pro controller. 10/10 for Nintendo for finally fixing this poo.

(Also there was not really anything to miss on the gamepad in BOTW, cause they removed all the features...)

@gatorboi352
The pro controller is more like a traditionel controller, but you can't share it for local co-op and you can't use them to take the Switch along. I wouldn't necersairly say the one is better than the other. Actually, for the first time Nintendo made the default controller input the same as the secondary controllers (or the other way around). As example, the pro controller on the Wii U was inferior to the Gamepad cause it lacked motion and a screen.

@Bengals76
4k on such a small screen is useless though, plus PS4 and Xbox one are not even always 1080p/60fps. You have to take into consideration that the higher your res/fps, the less you can draw and do on the screen. You will always have that tradeoff regardless of the power.

@gatorboi352
Salty, you should complain about the lack of a freaking 2D Mario within, what is looking like, the first 12 months of the console. (!!!)

@ShadJV There is noway going to be 3 - 5 rides. Looking at the budget of 500 billion yen (approx 450 million dollars), which was aprox the same budget for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter I bet my money on only two rides. The Mario Kart darkride will be the centerpiece attraction and will be an attractions that looks like a mix between The Forbidden Journey and Test Track. I could see the Donkey Kong coaster coming, or some other small attraction. But 3? Only if these are really small infills next to the big attraction.

@Dev Pretty sure there will only be one big attraction. Looking at the budget (approx 450 million dollars) which is alnost equal to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter you can kinda guess how much you can build with that. Mario Kart dark ride + max 2 attractions as filler.

@big_bad_bob
Yhea but if you prefer the controller that you are used to, you don't want to change sometimes. Same for the GCN controller for Smash on Wii U.

@big_bad_bob
Its the same controller as it is in the arcade, so for the more serious/pro players or in Esport as example.

@PlywoodStick
Well you can't blame them after the 3DS and the Wii U can you? Besides you have to divide your resources between the US, Europa and Japan. How many are you going to divide over these 3, and who gets the most? Ofcourse you could favor your own country over the others, but thats not how it works.

Also the competition with Apple is apparently over the flash memory.

@Tetsuro
You're very short sighted. Producing more console isn't just flipping a switch and plopping down another machine like you do in a game. Theres a financial risk to increasing production, because what are you going to do with all those resources when the hype dies down? Demand has spikes, a lot of them in the beginning (ps4 as example) but eventually they will go down and then its gonna be all right. This is nothing new in the electronics consumer market. Plus shortage creates hype.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Aren't all ports "lazy" then? The last of us, uncharted and GTA 5 from the top of my head. Most of these remasters add better graphics/framerater or some other small additions. But rarely do they add huge additions. Not that MK8DX added a lot of content, but its a decent and comparabel amount to the other remasters. I have no idea how that makes it a "lazy port" in your eyes.

Let me explain the definition for porting: "In software engineering, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed" (Thanks to Wikipedia). Lazy porting means the game would run bad, which isn't the case here.
Do you wanna know what a lazy port is? The most recent PC version of Batman. That game was so bad they pulled the plug on Steam.

Side note: People are so salty over one game though, nobody requires you to buy it and its literally the only Wii U port on the Switch at this moment.

@Nintendoer
Apprently the Switch is already around the 4million units. Hitting the 7million is not difficult at all, 18 is a high guess and really depends on the E3. But I think they can manage atleast 12/14 million easily.

And here in the NL its still close to impossible to get one.. If a Switch unit finally hits the shelves it sells the same day.

@SuperWeird Yes you need to presh the left trigger to block, and no the motion controls are superior to the button as pointed out by multiple news outlets. (Its mostly in the curved punches).

@JaguarWong
Ehm how do you exactly use the right stick to curve your punches, if you are using the right buttons to make the punch??

@hepgius
Well actually to prove you wrong, multiple hands on (I have read 3 of them) mention that the motion controls are superior to the traditional pro controller set up (mostly less precise and more difficult to 'grab' opponents). Ofcourse this is still a personal thing, but in Splatoon the motion controls were def the supperior option and without you would most likely lose in a serious competition.

@Lunapplebloom
"because why not have these available in America when everywhere else will get them."
Thats exactly how I feel about Europeans missing out 90% of the online services, products and content from American companies. Nintendo never loves Europe, with these kind of moments as exception :')

@gardevoir7
Shouldn't they? Nintendo is lacking Esport/competetive games and this could be, together with Splatoon 2, a nice addition.

@gatorboi352
In Splatoon you had a huge advantage over non motion controls. And in Pikmin 3 motion you got a lot more precision.

But I agree that there are games which only use motion control as a gimmick because they have to. However in the two examples above motion controls really added something.

@ether_breather Looking at the screen size + resolution it would be a pain in the ass to play this game in the traditional set up...

@BulbasaurusRex
Both Europa and Japan got the regular and XL sized new 3DS, only America got screwed ovef (finally).

Ireland is even smaller than the Netherlands, so thats not going to happen.

I have a very strong feeling that the new 2ds xl is only meant for a new pokémon game releasing this holiday. 1. Pokémon doesn't have 3D and 2. Sun and Moon is really struggeling on the old hardware. So they will problaby make it exclusive to the 'new' hardware.

@PlywoodStick
Thats problaby the Nintendo curse which hasn't hit me then... yet

@Paddle1 Honestly, how many people do you think would buy a game because they feel obligated to?

Then again, I am curious to how many of the Switch owners own/owned a Wii U.Because right now the two biggest titles are also available on the Wii U. Which is precisely the reason why I don't own a Switch yet. The percentage of "double dippers" could be surprising small by my guess.

@Yasume Nobody buys a game because they are forced to. All these owners obviously bought Mario Kart 8 deluxe because they want the game. You're not going to spend 60 bucks on a game that you don't want only so you can have more games on your console (also 350 bucks for the Switch itself). Hell if that would be the case all the Wii U games would be selling millions.