@rockodoodle Thank you so much! I was so worried I was going to get downvoted all the way to the ground. I’ve been playing on the Steam Deck all the time for basically the same reasons that you haven’t yet (getting the nuances of the system to work is like it’s own game for me). The load times aren’t too much of an issue for me (my 64GB Steam Deck is about on par), but it’s the fact that all the latest exclusives seem to be subpar in some way that does it for me - the newest Pokémon game being broken is shocking but not surprising to me at all. It’s such a shame as I think that 2017 - 2020 Nintendo was the best company out of the big three and running circles around the other two.
1) Unrivalled exclusives 2) Physical games 3) The Switch is also incredibly stable while the Steam Deck is unsurprisingly a buggy mess. 4) Exceptional battery life from V2 onwards 5) That gorgeous OLED model
However, Nintendo has become absolutely lazy over the past year with a subpar online gaming experience, milking games that are nearly a decade old at this point with lazy DLC (looking at you Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), joy-con drift, and subpar visuals/optimisation on even the new exclusives. The Switch is undeniably the most anti-consumer console Nintendo has ever released.
Thank god that the Steam Deck is here, as I’m starting to lose my faith in Nintendo, although I am rooting for their success. The Steam Deck meanwhile has:
1) Free online play 2) The ability to remap controls as standard 3) The ability to download Linux programs (including web browsers or office suites) and add them to gaming mode 4) Over a decades worth of games on Steam alone, with a lot of old and new games that will never see a Switch port 5) Being able to control the performance and visuals of each game individually, through settings menus or configuration files 6) Constant game sales and Humble Bundles 7) Decky - a collection of plugins where you can control screen colours, run multiple games by pausing them individually, change when the fan starts, and control playing music during gameplay. 8) The device can be user repairable 9) Endless emulation options 10) Being able to use external game launchers
So, I haven’t touched my Switch OLED much since I got the Steam Deck at all, and I’m considering selling the Switch OLED (economic crisis and all that). It’s such a shame as I’ve had every Nintendo handheld console since the DSi, and it’s solely through the current actions of Nintendo that I’m starting to lose faith. If/when they release the Switch Pro/2, I might reconsider.
I'm of the opinion that the 3DS isn't going to be "officially" dead until all of the following happens: 1) When (not if) sales tank completely to the point where there's no stock of games, 2DS consoles or accessories in any major retail outlet, dedicated to gaming or otherwise, therefore not causing the console to be profitable anymore 2) When (not if) Nintendo decides to shut down the eShop and all online communication servers, consequently disabling multiplayer and the ability to buy any additional digital games.
The second one is unlikely to happen until a while after the first one occurs, which isn't going to happen anytime this year. This is because even though the standard 2DS is only £80 with a game and the premium 2DS XL costing £135 with a game, manufacturing costs will have come down drastically at this point that the 2DS consoles must be pure profit-milking machines, even with the sales only in the thousands. Even once the (2/3)DS is officially "dead", it's still going to be more feature complete then even the Switch Lite (with camera, microphone, basic web-browsing and theme functionality alone putting the more costly Switch(Lite) to shame, although I can imagine web-browsing and theme functionality being put in a late-life Switch software update) not to mention that DS backwards compatibility and the modding community means that the gaming community won't be ditching their 3DS's anytime soon. Not to mention that the Switch and 3DS provide two completely different portable gaming experiences, with the 3DS being better for casual and budget-friendly gaming and the Switch bridging the gap between casual and power gaming, so there is purpose to both.
TL;DR: Don't write the 3DS range off just yet, it's still important even in 2019, and it is not dead "now" like the article makes it out to be.
I know that at the minute all of this is just speculation and I certainly welcome both of these models if and when they come but it's this: "the development of the overhauled next-generation model intended to replace the one currently available" that has me a bit worried. I understand that the competitors coming out with their next-gen console means that Nintendo is going to have to bring the Switch up to par with those standards if they want to continue the already amazing third-party support that's coming out. However, with the original Switch just coming up to it's third year, wouldn't it make more sense to have the current model serve as the mid-point entry, to suit all price points, as another website article published today from the Daily Star (not the most reliable of sources I know) has suggested? I think this would work better, bring more profits to Nintendo while still being more streamlined then what the 3DS family of systems currently is. If that ideal situation does come into play, then I could see it working like this (this is just what I would view as the clearest and most ideal situation):
Switch Mini: The 3DS replacement which is positioned around the £150 - £199 price point (maybe with a bundled game like Oddesy, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Just Dance in order to increase the value), focused primarily on portable mode with a more durable design, longer battery life and a lighter weight. As this article has rumoured, docked mode would still be supported. All current games out for the OG Switch would also support this model, but probably not any Switch Pro exclusives/enhanced editions, due to the lack of power in comparison to the other models. Part of the 8th generation of gaming consoles along with the original Switch.
OG Switch: The current Switch out now. The mid-range model, for those users who wants the best of both portable and docked mode. Discounted slightly to the £230 price point with a bundled game in order to reflect this new position in the family of systems. Supports all current games out now for the system in addition to Switch Pro enhanced games (with lower graphics/performance settings in both modes in order to account for weaker specs) but not Switch Pro exclusives due to the lack of power and being technically last-gen.
These models would ideally still support the vast majority of first-party Nintendo games currently in production for the Switch such as the upcoming Animal Crossing, Luigi Mansion and Meteoroid games, since Nintendo games tends to be better optimised for systems of weaker specification, and in order to ensure at least some game library continuity. Also, the current Nintendo Switch Online would still be used for these two models, due to their cheaper price and more casual-friendly feature list.
Switch Pro: The 9th generation Switch roughly equivalent to the upcoming Xbox console and PS5 (although slightly weaker in order to accommodate portable mode). Aimed at those who primarily play in docked mode (with the option to play in portable mode still being available), it would ideally cost around £300, equivalent to the home console competition. Would still have a similar setup to the current Switch but with more power and better graphics, especially in docked mode. Would be able to run Switch Pro enhanced and exclusives (which would probably consist of mostly third-party multi-platform releases on the scale of CoD, GTA or RDR in order to ensure game parity within the Switch lineup). The new Nintendo Online system that is rumoured to be released for hardcore gamers could possibly be exclusive to this system, in order to match the high-end feel of the console.
This would be my pipe dream at least, that way every possible type of gamer would be catered for, marketing the family of systems would be less complicated, and Nintendo would be able to increase sales of the Switch as a whole, instead of discontinuing the current model in favour of only having an extremely expensive and a (relatively) dirt cheap option. The mainstream market, and Nintendo fans of every kind, would be satisfied, and all of Nintendo's past mistakes could finally be forgiven. Also, I would hope that any "changes to the operating system" would be standard across all three of these models as well, and not exclusive to the Pro edition, in order to further enhance the continuity factor. Of course it's Nintendo so who knows what's going to happen, but their track record is improving quite rapidly. This is just my two cents and anyways.
As I don't have a Wii U and have been wanting a port of it for the 3DS for ages, I don't really mind the lack of ability to upload games online or the lack of Amiibo support although the lack of both is disappointing and seems to lack common sense. As long as the other features stay the same, then this is absolutely brilliant and will be a best-seller come Christmas. It does seem to be making the Wii U all but obsolete and it would be funny if they did a Splatoon port albeit possibly a single player one (which I'm also hoping for BTW!).
@16-bitLiam The Nintendo Direct in the UK says that the game itself will be released on December 2nd and I'd presume that there will be a bundle released because the game is being released so close to Christmas. Nothing's been confirmed officially though.
I'm still getting this game and will enjoy it for what it is: an shallow yet moderately entertaining Olympic tie-in. Because for what it is, it's a fairly decent game and that's enough. The London 2012 certainly didn't disappoint!
This is downright hilarious considering that sometime after they said this, they released the following: 1. A software update allowing all 3DS owners to customize their systems with THEMES. Granted not ALL of them were ones of "mainstream" games but still.
2. Amiibo's! They mimicked Skylanders in all but the actual integration.
3. The standard New 3DS with faceplates. The manuals for the New 3DS can't go for a section without mentioning parental controls, kids or their parents/carers.
4. New 3DS bundles such as ones for Animal Crossing: HHD and New Style Boutique: Fashion Forward (I have the HHD one)
I have all of these features and love them but Nintendo hasn't really done much to appeal to the "core" gaming group beyond some stellar RPG's and an half-promoted attempt at an powerful handheld console!
I just hope for Nintendo's sake that developers can quickly develop decent Unity-powered games to upload onto the eShop and give the New 3DS some more exclusives. Plus, why not just publish Flipnote Studio 3D worldwide but as a New 3DS exclusive? There's enough fans of Flipnote so I'm pretty sure that could be the catalyst for some gamers to upgrade!
For what it's worth, Nintendo has made Amiibo a better value proposition then Skylanders or Disney Infinity. At roughly £10 a figure without the need to get a starter pack or a NFC portal unless you've got a OG 3DS model (including XL/2DS) there's less a risk of parents/collectors going bankrupt. Also, quite a lot of games now support Amiibo on both the 3DS range and Wii U so you can hardly call it a neglected project. One of the only downsides is that Amiibo compatibility is something that could be communicated a lot better. I honestly love what Nintendo has done and I, for the most part, don't get the hate and if nothing else they make brilliant collectables. The Princess Peach figure, which is my first Amiibo that I've got is quite a sight to behold due to the amount of care that the artist has given to making it accurate.
However, isn't Nintendo meant to be a game producer? They seem to be making more profit off of NFC figurines, themes and faceplates for the smaller New 3DS in addition to the usual merchandise then they do actually making games. I know that, for the most part, isn't true but some recent games off of Nintendo such as the two Animal Crossing spin offs could be seen by a cynical as nothing more then plugs to sell their specially designed cards/figures (although Happy Home Designer is more than that and is an excellent spinoff that function without the cards, Amiibo Festival doesn't exactly help that argument). That's the one major complaint I have: how long is it before Nintendo gets carried away?
For what it's worth, Nintendo has made Amiibo a better value proposition then Skylanders or Disney Infinity. At roughly £10 a figure without the need to get a starter pack or a NFC portal unless you've got a OG 3DS model (including XL/2DS) there's less a risk of parents/collectors going bankrupt. Also, quite a lot of games now support Amiibo on both the 3DS range and Wii U so you can hardly call it a neglected project. One of the only downsides is that Amiibo compatibility is something that could be communicated a lot better. I honestly love what Nintendo has done and I, for the most part, don't get the hate and if nothing else they make brilliant collectables. The Princess Peach figure, which is my first Amiibo that I've got is quite a sight to behold due to the amount of care that the artist has given to making it accurate.
However, isn't Nintendo meant to be a game producer? They seem to be making more profit off of NFC figurines, themes and faceplates for the smaller New 3DS in addition to the usual merchandise then they do actually making games. I know that, for the most part, isn't true but some recent games off of Nintendo such as the two Animal Crossing spin offs could be seen by a cynical as nothing more then plugs to sell their specially designed cards/figures (although Happy Home Designer is more than that and is an excellent spinoff that function without the cards, Amiibo Festival doesn't exactly help that argument). That's the one major complaint I have: how long is it before Nintendo gets carried away?
For what it's worth, Nintendo has made Amiibo a better value proposition then Skylanders or Disney Infinity. At roughly £10 a figure without the need to get a starter pack or a NFC portal unless you've got a OG 3DS model (including XL/2DS) there's less a risk of parents/collectors going bankrupt. Also, quite a lot of games now support Amiibo on both the 3DS range and Wii U so you can hardly call it a neglected project. One of the only downsides is that Amiibo compatibility is something that could be communicated a lot better. I honestly love what Nintendo has done and I, for the most part, don't get the hate and if nothing else they make brilliant collectables. The Princess Peach figure, which is my first Amiibo that I've got is quite a sight to behold due to the amount of care that the artist has given to making it accurate.
However, isn't Nintendo meant to be a game producer? They seem to be making more profit off of NFC figurines, themes and faceplates for the smaller New 3DS in addition to the usual merchandise then they do actually making games. I know that, for the most part, isn't true but some recent games off of Nintendo such as the two Animal Crossing spin offs could be seen by a cynical as nothing more then plugs to sell their specially designed cards/figures (although Happy Home Designer is more than that and is an excellent spinoff that function without the cards, Amiibo Festival doesn't exactly help that argument). That's the one major complaint I have: how long is it before Nintendo gets carried away?
Nintendo is working on a better account system for 2016 to go along with the replacement for the now defunct Club Nintendo. It'll possibly be released before the NX but (hopefully) not after!
On the one hand it's such a shame to see that the New 3DS's hardware upgrades have been (mostly) ignored in terms of major releases. Nintendo could still boost sales if they marketed the system a bit more. About the lack of exclusive games though: creating a game that takes advantage of the extra power and controls (so a game with a fairly large amount of scope) takes time if it isn't simply a port which Xenoblade was, no matter how good the quality of the game is. So while it'd be nice if Nintendo could be more open about its future plans for exclusives, good quality games take a lot of development work which equals time!. You could argue that Nintendo doesn't have that time with rumours about the NX launching but leaked patents and mobile apps don't mean much in the grand scheme of things so don't jump on the "it'll be a hybrid" bandwagon just yet; the 3DS still has a good few years ahead thanks to the improved models. And who knows, if the NX is a hybrid, maybe the New 3DS is a part of that (makes sense to reduce production costs).
On the other hand, the improvements to the 3D, additional controls, the slightly bigger screens plus the faceplates (got the Animal Crossing HDD Bundle as a Xmas present as an upgrade from the original smaller model) as well as the boost in overall system performance have made this, in my opinion, a worthwhile upgrade in its own right. In terms of it's future, I'm looking forward to see what Unity-powered games will be exclusive to the system in 2016. This caption from a photo in this article has given me faith in the New 3DS's future in terms of games: "Announced in April 2015, we hear from devs that Unity's still coming to the eShop on New 3DS".
I hope that a lot of Unity eShop games are released to make this a similar situation to DSiWare (remember those?) which, for the record, you can get in the eShop still. Even if no other major releases are exclusive to the system, the exclusive titles in the eShop will become it's major selling point with Isaac: Rebirth receiving acclaim from users and critics alike. I'm optimistic about the New 3DS's potential, stopgap or not! If only Nintendo could just up the marketing a little bit!
And this is why I'm glad I upgraded to a New 3DS when I did. Even if they were to not release another exclusive game for the system (although I can predict that Nintendo will release at least another 1 or 2 exclusive games to boost sales), a lot of games for the 3DS looking forward like this, regardless of it's a big blockbuster IP or an indie title, will take advantage of the upgraded hardware in one way or another. And all 3DS games can definitely benefit from the improved 3D and loading times.
I know this is an old post but with the rise of digital gaming, parents don't have as much control over their kids gaming as the head teachers would like to think when you factor in point cards that don't require age verification. This problem is maximised on portable gaming consoles like 3DS/Vista where young players can easily hide the device/gaming content from their parents. So criminalizing those parents that are earnest in their goal and love their kids but struggle to control the kind of content that they can access will set up a slippery slope for the future.
(I know that a lot of people will just argue back "parental controls" but I think Nintendo is the only game console producer that actually cares about their family-friendly image and therefore heavily advertises their kid-friendly games and parental control settings even though that the other popular gaming consoles do have them. Heck the DS range, including the 3DS lineup, definitely has no more then 30 18 rated games that were released worldwide. And even GTA: CW was toned down in terms of violence and sex due to the hardware therefore making its 18 rating debatable)
Defiantly better then Pokémon Shuffle with a better payment model; if you're skilled enough then you CAN get at least a free try off of the practice machines a day although that's not always a given and with that free try you can get A LOT of badges.
Comments 16
Re: Soapbox: The Steam Deck And The Switch Aren't Rivals, They're Siblings
@rockodoodle Thank you so much! I was so worried I was going to get downvoted all the way to the ground. I’ve been playing on the Steam Deck all the time for basically the same reasons that you haven’t yet (getting the nuances of the system to work is like it’s own game for me). The load times aren’t too much of an issue for me (my 64GB Steam Deck is about on par), but it’s the fact that all the latest exclusives seem to be subpar in some way that does it for me - the newest Pokémon game being broken is shocking but not surprising to me at all. It’s such a shame as I think that 2017 - 2020 Nintendo was the best company out of the big three and running circles around the other two.
Re: Soapbox: The Steam Deck And The Switch Aren't Rivals, They're Siblings
The pros of the Switch:
1) Unrivalled exclusives
2) Physical games
3) The Switch is also incredibly stable while the Steam Deck is unsurprisingly a buggy mess.
4) Exceptional battery life from V2 onwards
5) That gorgeous OLED model
However, Nintendo has become absolutely lazy over the past year with a subpar online gaming experience, milking games that are nearly a decade old at this point with lazy DLC (looking at you Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), joy-con drift, and subpar visuals/optimisation on even the new exclusives. The Switch is undeniably the most anti-consumer console Nintendo has ever released.
Thank god that the Steam Deck is here, as I’m starting to lose my faith in Nintendo, although I am rooting for their success. The Steam Deck meanwhile has:
1) Free online play
2) The ability to remap controls as standard
3) The ability to download Linux programs (including web browsers or office suites) and add them to gaming mode
4) Over a decades worth of games on Steam alone, with a lot of old and new games that will never see a Switch port
5) Being able to control the performance and visuals of each game individually, through settings menus or configuration files
6) Constant game sales and Humble Bundles
7) Decky - a collection of plugins where you can control screen colours, run multiple games by pausing them individually, change when the fan starts, and control playing music during gameplay.
8) The device can be user repairable
9) Endless emulation options
10) Being able to use external game launchers
So, I haven’t touched my Switch OLED much since I got the Steam Deck at all, and I’m considering selling the Switch OLED (economic crisis and all that). It’s such a shame as I’ve had every Nintendo handheld console since the DSi, and it’s solely through the current actions of Nintendo that I’m starting to lose faith. If/when they release the Switch Pro/2, I might reconsider.
Re: Sorry Nintendo, But The 3DS Really Is Dead Now
I'm of the opinion that the 3DS isn't going to be "officially" dead until all of the following happens:
1) When (not if) sales tank completely to the point where there's no stock of games, 2DS consoles or accessories in any major retail outlet, dedicated to gaming or otherwise, therefore not causing the console to be profitable anymore
2) When (not if) Nintendo decides to shut down the eShop and all online communication servers, consequently disabling multiplayer and the ability to buy any additional digital games.
The second one is unlikely to happen until a while after the first one occurs, which isn't going to happen anytime this year. This is because even though the standard 2DS is only £80 with a game and the premium 2DS XL costing £135 with a game, manufacturing costs will have come down drastically at this point that the 2DS consoles must be pure profit-milking machines, even with the sales only in the thousands. Even once the (2/3)DS is officially "dead", it's still going to be more feature complete then even the Switch Lite (with camera, microphone, basic web-browsing and theme functionality alone putting the more costly Switch(Lite) to shame, although I can imagine web-browsing and theme functionality being put in a late-life Switch software update) not to mention that DS backwards compatibility and the modding community means that the gaming community won't be ditching their 3DS's anytime soon. Not to mention that the Switch and 3DS provide two completely different portable gaming experiences, with the 3DS being better for casual and budget-friendly gaming and the Switch bridging the gap between casual and power gaming, so there is purpose to both.
TL;DR: Don't write the 3DS range off just yet, it's still important even in 2019, and it is not dead "now" like the article makes it out to be.
Re: Rumour: Switch Lite To Retain Docking Ability, Nintendo Still 'Experimenting' With More Powerful Model
I know that at the minute all of this is just speculation and I certainly welcome both of these models if and when they come but it's this: "the development of the overhauled next-generation model intended to replace the one currently available" that has me a bit worried. I understand that the competitors coming out with their next-gen console means that Nintendo is going to have to bring the Switch up to par with those standards if they want to continue the already amazing third-party support that's coming out. However, with the original Switch just coming up to it's third year, wouldn't it make more sense to have the current model serve as the mid-point entry, to suit all price points, as another website article published today from the Daily Star (not the most reliable of sources I know) has suggested? I think this would work better, bring more profits to Nintendo while still being more streamlined then what the 3DS family of systems currently is. If that ideal situation does come into play, then I could see it working like this (this is just what I would view as the clearest and most ideal situation):
Switch Mini: The 3DS replacement which is positioned around the £150 - £199 price point (maybe with a bundled game like Oddesy, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Just Dance in order to increase the value), focused primarily on portable mode with a more durable design, longer battery life and a lighter weight. As this article has rumoured, docked mode would still be supported. All current games out for the OG Switch would also support this model, but probably not any Switch Pro exclusives/enhanced editions, due to the lack of power in comparison to the other models. Part of the 8th generation of gaming consoles along with the original Switch.
OG Switch: The current Switch out now. The mid-range model, for those users who wants the best of both portable and docked mode. Discounted slightly to the £230 price point with a bundled game in order to reflect this new position in the family of systems. Supports all current games out now for the system in addition to Switch Pro enhanced games (with lower graphics/performance settings in both modes in order to account for weaker specs) but not Switch Pro exclusives due to the lack of power and being technically last-gen.
These models would ideally still support the vast majority of first-party Nintendo games currently in production for the Switch such as the upcoming Animal Crossing, Luigi Mansion and Meteoroid games, since Nintendo games tends to be better optimised for systems of weaker specification, and in order to ensure at least some game library continuity. Also, the current Nintendo Switch Online would still be used for these two models, due to their cheaper price and more casual-friendly feature list.
Switch Pro: The 9th generation Switch roughly equivalent to the upcoming Xbox console and PS5 (although slightly weaker in order to accommodate portable mode). Aimed at those who primarily play in docked mode (with the option to play in portable mode still being available), it would ideally cost around £300, equivalent to the home console competition. Would still have a similar setup to the current Switch but with more power and better graphics, especially in docked mode. Would be able to run Switch Pro enhanced and exclusives (which would probably consist of mostly third-party multi-platform releases on the scale of CoD, GTA or RDR in order to ensure game parity within the Switch lineup). The new Nintendo Online system that is rumoured to be released for hardcore gamers could possibly be exclusive to this system, in order to match the high-end feel of the console.
This would be my pipe dream at least, that way every possible type of gamer would be catered for, marketing the family of systems would be less complicated, and Nintendo would be able to increase sales of the Switch as a whole, instead of discontinuing the current model in favour of only having an extremely expensive and a (relatively) dirt cheap option. The mainstream market, and Nintendo fans of every kind, would be satisfied, and all of Nintendo's past mistakes could finally be forgiven. Also, I would hope that any "changes to the operating system" would be standard across all three of these models as well, and not exclusive to the Pro edition, in order to further enhance the continuity factor. Of course it's Nintendo so who knows what's going to happen, but their track record is improving quite rapidly. This is just my two cents and anyways.
Re: Super Mario Maker Is Coming To 3DS
As I don't have a Wii U and have been wanting a port of it for the 3DS for ages, I don't really mind the lack of ability to upload games online or the lack of Amiibo support although the lack of both is disappointing and seems to lack common sense. As long as the other features stay the same, then this is absolutely brilliant and will be a best-seller come Christmas. It does seem to be making the Wii U all but obsolete and it would be funny if they did a Splatoon port albeit possibly a single player one (which I'm also hoping for BTW!).
@16-bitLiam The Nintendo Direct in the UK says that the game itself will be released on December 2nd and I'd presume that there will be a bundle released because the game is being released so close to Christmas. Nothing's been confirmed officially though.
Re: Review: Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (3DS)
I'm still getting this game and will enjoy it for what it is: an shallow yet moderately entertaining Olympic tie-in. Because for what it is, it's a fairly decent game and that's enough. The London 2012 certainly didn't disappoint!
Re: Shigeru Miyamoto Confidently Outlines Nintendo's Move From Casual To Core
This is downright hilarious considering that sometime after they said this, they released the following:
1. A software update allowing all 3DS owners to customize their systems with THEMES. Granted not ALL of them were ones of "mainstream" games but still.
2. Amiibo's! They mimicked Skylanders in all but the actual integration.
3. The standard New 3DS with faceplates. The
manuals for the New 3DS can't go for a section without mentioning parental controls, kids or their parents/carers.
4. New 3DS bundles such as ones for Animal Crossing: HHD and New Style Boutique: Fashion Forward (I have the HHD one)
I have all of these features and love them but Nintendo hasn't really done much to appeal to the "core" gaming group beyond some stellar RPG's and an half-promoted attempt at an powerful handheld console!
Re: Talking Point: The New Nintendo 3DS is Yet to Have a Real Chance to Revive the Portable Family
I just hope for Nintendo's sake that developers can quickly develop decent Unity-powered games to upload onto the eShop and give the New 3DS some more exclusives. Plus, why not just publish Flipnote Studio 3D worldwide but as a New 3DS exclusive? There's enough fans of Flipnote so I'm pretty sure that could be the catalyst for some gamers to upgrade!
Re: Talking Point: Considering amiibo Features and the Reality of 'Physical DLC'
For what it's worth, Nintendo has made Amiibo a better value proposition then Skylanders or Disney Infinity. At roughly £10 a figure without the need to get a starter pack or a NFC portal unless you've got a OG 3DS model (including XL/2DS) there's less a risk of parents/collectors going bankrupt. Also, quite a lot of games now support Amiibo on both the 3DS range and Wii U so you can hardly call it a neglected project. One of the only downsides is that Amiibo compatibility is something that could be communicated a lot better. I honestly love what Nintendo has done and I, for the most part, don't get the hate and if nothing else they make brilliant collectables. The Princess Peach figure, which is my first Amiibo that I've got is quite a sight to behold due to the amount of care that the artist has given to making it accurate.
However, isn't Nintendo meant to be a game producer? They seem to be making more profit off of NFC figurines, themes and faceplates for the smaller New 3DS in addition to the usual merchandise then they do actually making games. I know that, for the most part, isn't true but some recent games off of Nintendo such as the two Animal Crossing spin offs could be seen by a cynical as nothing more then plugs to sell their specially designed cards/figures (although Happy Home Designer is more than that and is an excellent spinoff that function without the cards, Amiibo Festival doesn't exactly help that argument). That's the one major complaint I have: how long is it before Nintendo gets carried away?
Re: Talking Point: Considering amiibo Features and the Reality of 'Physical DLC'
For what it's worth, Nintendo has made Amiibo a better value proposition then Skylanders or Disney Infinity. At roughly £10 a figure without the need to get a starter pack or a NFC portal unless you've got a OG 3DS model (including XL/2DS) there's less a risk of parents/collectors going bankrupt. Also, quite a lot of games now support Amiibo on both the 3DS range and Wii U so you can hardly call it a neglected project. One of the only downsides is that Amiibo compatibility is something that could be communicated a lot better. I honestly love what Nintendo has done and I, for the most part, don't get the hate and if nothing else they make brilliant collectables. The Princess Peach figure, which is my first Amiibo that I've got is quite a sight to behold due to the amount of care that the artist has given to making it accurate.
However, isn't Nintendo meant to be a game producer? They seem to be making more profit off of NFC figurines, themes and faceplates for the smaller New 3DS in addition to the usual merchandise then they do actually making games. I know that, for the most part, isn't true but some recent games off of Nintendo such as the two Animal Crossing spin offs could be seen by a cynical as nothing more then plugs to sell their specially designed cards/figures (although Happy Home Designer is more than that and is an excellent spinoff that function without the cards, Amiibo Festival doesn't exactly help that argument). That's the one major complaint I have: how long is it before Nintendo gets carried away?
Re: Talking Point: Considering amiibo Features and the Reality of 'Physical DLC'
For what it's worth, Nintendo has made Amiibo a better value proposition then Skylanders or Disney Infinity. At roughly £10 a figure without the need to get a starter pack or a NFC portal unless you've got a OG 3DS model (including XL/2DS) there's less a risk of parents/collectors going bankrupt. Also, quite a lot of games now support Amiibo on both the 3DS range and Wii U so you can hardly call it a neglected project. One of the only downsides is that Amiibo compatibility is something that could be communicated a lot better. I honestly love what Nintendo has done and I, for the most part, don't get the hate and if nothing else they make brilliant collectables. The Princess Peach figure, which is my first Amiibo that I've got is quite a sight to behold due to the amount of care that the artist has given to making it accurate.
However, isn't Nintendo meant to be a game producer? They seem to be making more profit off of NFC figurines, themes and faceplates for the smaller New 3DS in addition to the usual merchandise then they do actually making games. I know that, for the most part, isn't true but some recent games off of Nintendo such as the two Animal Crossing spin offs could be seen by a cynical as nothing more then plugs to sell their specially designed cards/figures (although Happy Home Designer is more than that and is an excellent spinoff that function without the cards, Amiibo Festival doesn't exactly help that argument). That's the one major complaint I have: how long is it before Nintendo gets carried away?
Re: Feature: Our Staff's Hopes and Dreams for Nintendo's 2016
Nintendo is working on a better account system for 2016 to go along with the replacement for the now defunct Club Nintendo. It'll possibly be released before the NX but (hopefully) not after!
Re: Talking Point: The Easily Forgotten Hardware Release of 2015 - New Nintendo 3DS
On the one hand it's such a shame to see that the New 3DS's hardware upgrades have been (mostly) ignored in terms of major releases. Nintendo could still boost sales if they marketed the system a bit more. About the lack of exclusive games though: creating a game that takes advantage of the extra power and controls (so a game with a fairly large amount of scope) takes time if it isn't simply a port which Xenoblade was, no matter how good the quality of the game is. So while it'd be nice if Nintendo could be more open about its future plans for exclusives, good quality games take a lot of development work which equals time!. You could argue that Nintendo doesn't have that time with rumours about the NX launching but leaked patents and mobile apps don't mean much in the grand scheme of things so don't jump on the "it'll be a hybrid" bandwagon just yet; the 3DS still has a good few years ahead thanks to the improved models. And who knows, if the NX is a hybrid, maybe the New 3DS is a part of that (makes sense to reduce production costs).
On the other hand, the improvements to the 3D, additional controls, the slightly bigger screens plus the faceplates (got the Animal Crossing HDD Bundle as a Xmas present as an upgrade from the original smaller model) as well as the boost in overall system performance have made this, in my opinion, a worthwhile upgrade in its own right. In terms of it's future, I'm looking forward to see what Unity-powered games will be exclusive to the system in 2016. This caption from a photo in this article has given me faith in the New 3DS's future in terms of games: "Announced in April 2015, we hear from devs that Unity's still coming to the eShop on New 3DS".
I hope that a lot of Unity eShop games are released to make this a similar situation to DSiWare (remember those?) which, for the record, you can get in the eShop still. Even if no other major releases are exclusive to the system, the exclusive titles in the eShop will become it's major selling point with Isaac: Rebirth receiving acclaim from users and critics alike. I'm optimistic about the New 3DS's potential, stopgap or not! If only Nintendo could just up the marketing a little bit!
Re: 3D Effect Will Be Disabled When Playing Hyrule Warriors Legends On Older 3DS Hardware
And this is why I'm glad I upgraded to a New 3DS when I did. Even if they were to not release another exclusive game for the system (although I can predict that Nintendo will release at least another 1 or 2 exclusive games to boost sales), a lot of games for the 3DS looking forward like this, regardless of it's a big blockbuster IP or an indie title, will take advantage of the upgraded hardware in one way or another. And all 3DS games can definitely benefit from the improved 3D and loading times.
Re: Head Teachers in the UK Issue Warning to Parents on 18-Rated Games Being Played by Children
I know this is an old post but with the rise of digital gaming, parents don't have as much control over their kids gaming as the head teachers would like to think when you factor in point cards that don't require age verification. This problem is maximised on portable gaming consoles like 3DS/Vista where young players can easily hide the device/gaming content from their parents. So criminalizing those parents that are earnest in their goal and love their kids but struggle to control the kind of content that they can access will set up a slippery slope for the future.
(I know that a lot of people will just argue back "parental controls" but I think Nintendo is the only game console producer that actually cares about their family-friendly image and therefore heavily advertises their kid-friendly games and parental control settings even though that the other popular gaming consoles do have them. Heck the DS range, including the 3DS lineup, definitely has no more then 30 18 rated games that were released worldwide. And even GTA: CW was toned down in terms of violence and sex due to the hardware therefore making its 18 rating debatable)
Re: Hands On: Getting Pinned Down By Nintendo Badge Arcade
Defiantly better then Pokémon Shuffle with a better payment model; if you're skilled enough then you CAN get at least a free try off of the practice machines a day although that's not always a given and with that free try you can get A LOT of badges.