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Nintendo Direct Liveblog

by Neal Ronaghan - February 22, 2012, 5:59 am EST
Total comments: 14

We'll be live tracking each Nintendo Direct event starting with Japan's at 3 a.m. PDT and ending with North America's on 6 a.m. PDT.

Join the fun as we chat about the announcements as we liveblog them.

2:53:56: The Japan one should start in about 7 minutes.

3:00:34: Iwata is ready! and So are we!

3:02:39: Something about Wii no Ma video service? Not sure.

3:03:19: But here's Masahiro Sakurai - the man behind Kid Icarus: Uprising and owner of an awesome cat - to talk Kid Icarus online multi

3:05:17: This sounds more exciting than it looks. Aaron should have Kid Icarus multiplayer impressions up later today.

3:07:36: Got confirmation courtesy of NeoGAF: Wii no Ma video service is ending April 30.

3:09:10: Talking weapon fusion. You can check our earlier patent research news story for more details. StreetPass for new weapons! It's super cool.

3:11:55: Sakurai explained a bit about how you can collect three parts to form a weapon similar to the Kirby's Air Ride thing (and the power-up in Brawl)

3:13:51: To summarize: Kid Icarus looks awesome.

3:15:22: Talking all the different modes of the game. Right now highlighting AR Cards.

3:16:23: Back to Iwata!

3:18:06: Next game, seems like Fire Emblem

3:19:26: It is Fire Emblem...and was that Marth?

3:20:43: Talking about Nintendo Network and DLC for Fire Emblem

3:22:10: Pokemon?!? Could be a new game?

3:22:31: Or that Nobuanga/Pokemon game.

3:23:18: Fire Emblem DLC will be until May 31. Also, Fire Emblem points cards

3:23:54: Gamefly was right: Mario Tennis Open is a thing.

3:24:22: Touch screen controls. Hit different areas for different hits.

3:25:05: Gyro controls optional. Also, Online! (and local play)

3:25:31: Mario Tennis Open will also have StreetPass. You can swap player data.

3:26:16: New Fatal Frame on Wii? I think we knew about this.

3:27:05: By the way, Mario Tennis Open is coming to Japan on May 24.

3:27:22: Also, Zero Shinku no Cho (new Fatal Frame game) is being shown off for Wii.

3:27:42: Culdcept 3DS is being shown now.

3:28:26: Fatal Frame game, which is a remake, is coming out on June 28 and will have two-player support.

3:28:53: Culdcept on June 28

3:29:54: Now, Cultobit, which is some sort of soccer game.

3:31:50: Cultobit is coming in July, it seems. It's a football/soccer manager.

3:32:03: Kingdom Hearts 3D being shown off. That's out soon.

3:33:42: Rune Factory 4 being shown off. Due out in July.

3:34:08: Also, for 3DS.

3:36:00: Dragon Quest Monsters remake being shown for 3DS.

3:37:06: ooo! online battles in DQM

3:37:35: Showing off Denpa Ningen, the recently release eShop game

3:38:28: Going over eShop games now...

3:39:03: The Rolling Western is next

3:41:19: Rolling Western might be very expensive.

3:41:29: Game Gear!

3:44:01: So there was something with Sega, Capcom, and Namco Bandai. A teaser of a crossover. Released by NB. What the hell? Future announcement...

3:44:23: Etrian Odyssey IV confirmed. Was shown in Famitsu recently.

3:45:17: Coming out July 5

3:46:16: Some sort of new Brain Age? Talking about old Brain Age games.

3:48:00: Rolling Western is from handheld Zelda team, though. Seems to add up.

3:48:53: Also, Rolling Western is out in Japan today!

3:49:53: new Brain Age-esque title: It's about improving your memory for everyday use.

3:51:48: Monster Hunter time

3:54:10: Looks we're wrapping up. Showing off the list of videos/demos available later.

3:57:20: Europe should be starting soon. What treasures will that hold?

4:03:46: European one is just a subtitled and cut-up version of the Japanese one. Will update if anything surprising is included.

4:10:53: In Kid Icarus: Uprising, the 3-part super weapon in multi (ala Dragoon from Brawl/Kirby Air Ride) is called Daybreak.

6:00:18: Reggie's out.

6:00:53: Going over the line-up, highlighting Kid Icarus, Mario Tennis, Xenoblade, and a game we didn't think was coming (Last Story?)

6:01:06: Now, Brill Trinen is showing off The Rolling Western.

6:01:18: *Bill Trinen. My bad :(

6:01:46: Rolling Western out right now!

6:02:16: Jon Yeckley from Treehouse. Him and Trinen are talking Kid Icarus: Uprising.

6:05:49: Mario Tennis Open is being shown by another Treehouse guy. Bill seems to be taking Reggie's thunder.

6:05:59: The Kid Icarus details were the same as in Japan.

6:06:10: Showing off touch screen controls for Mario Tennis.

6:08:16: Apparently the Last Story has been confirmed for North America, published by Xssed. Also, the whole thing is on YouTube, making this liveblog pointless.

Talkback

syrindigoFebruary 22, 2012

So... the US Nintendo DIrect... had no Sakuri and to me the most exciting thing I didn't know about was Mario Tennis online... =/

EnnerFebruary 22, 2012

Thanks for the live blog!


Nice to see The Last Story coming out in NA.

HyawattaFebruary 22, 2012

I can't view most videos from work, so I greatly appreciate the liveblog. Thank you.

Also, the announcement for The Last Story is good timing on Nintendo's part, because now some people may opt to wait instead of import. If Nintendo had waited any longer to announce the game, too many people would have imported it already.

ejamerFebruary 22, 2012

Quote from: Hyawatta

I can't view most videos from work, so I greatly appreciate the liveblog. Thank you.

Also, the announcement for The Last Story is good timing on Nintendo's part, because now some people may opt to wait instead of import. If Nintendo had waited any longer to announce the game, too many people would have imported it already.

Also can't check the videos, so appreciate the live blog. 


If NoA wanted to prevent imports of The Last Story then they would've announced sooner - my copy is already in the mail, and I suspect the same is true for some other core gamers as well.  Of course, they might not have been able to announce earlier since it's obvious that without Xseed's support the game wouldn't be coming out here at all. This is still a lot better than what happened with Xenoblade and I do give NoA credit for improving.

One big question from the North American event: was any word given about Fatal Frame in North America?  That's a title that I would really like to get if possible.

NWR_NealNeal Ronaghan, Owner/Reviews EditorFebruary 22, 2012

ejamer - No it wasn't

And sorry for the sporadic updating. Europe was a repeat of the Japan one, and the NA one was 10 minutes long and people skipped ahead on YouTube when it was posted.

ejamerFebruary 22, 2012

Quote from: NWR_Neal

ejamer - No it wasn't
...

Not surprising, but I was still hopeful.  Oh well.

tendoboy1984February 28, 2012

If Nintendo doesn't have the confidence to publish The Last Story in America, then why should we trust them with any other game they help develop? Yes Nintendo co-developed TLS with Mistwalker, making it a 1st-party IP.

TJ SpykeFebruary 28, 2012

Quote from: tendoboy1984

Yes Nintendo co-developed TLS with Mistwalker, making it a 1st-party IP.

Last Story was developed by Mistwalker and AQ Interactive, not Nintendo. They just are publishing it in Europe and Japan. And their decision was purely business. It's the end of the Wii's lifespan and RPGs have never done well on the system. If they thought they could profit on releasing it here themselves, they would have.

tendoboy1984March 03, 2012

Quote from: TJ

Quote from: tendoboy1984

Yes Nintendo co-developed TLS with Mistwalker, making it a 1st-party IP.

Last Story was developed by Mistwalker and AQ Interactive, not Nintendo. They just are publishing it in Europe and Japan. And their decision was purely business. It's the end of the Wii's lifespan and RPGs have never done well on the system. If they thought they could profit on releasing it here themselves, they would have.

But it was Nintendo's decision to convince Sakaguchi to make The Last Story for Wii. Read the "Iwata Asks" interview.


The game is essentially a 1st-party IP. Another example is Xenoblade; it's a 1st-party game, yet it was developed by Monolith.

broodwarsMarch 03, 2012

Quote from: tendoboy1984

Quote from: TJ

Quote from: tendoboy1984

Yes Nintendo co-developed TLS with Mistwalker, making it a 1st-party IP.

Last Story was developed by Mistwalker and AQ Interactive, not Nintendo. They just are publishing it in Europe and Japan. And their decision was purely business. It's the end of the Wii's lifespan and RPGs have never done well on the system. If they thought they could profit on releasing it here themselves, they would have.

But it was Nintendo's decision to convince Sakaguchi to make The Last Story for Wii. Read the "Iwata Asks" interview.


The game is essentially a 1st-party IP. Another example is Xenoblade; it's a 1st-party game, yet it was developed by Monolith.

They could "convince" him to create the game all they liked.  It's still not a 1st party game unless a Nintendo-owned studio developed it (or Nintendo owned the IP).  Nintendo owns Monolith, so Xenoblade's a 1st party game.  The original Mass Effect isn't a 1st party game just because Microsoft published it, as Bioware developed the game and Microsoft clearly doesn't own the rights to the IP.

tendoboy1984March 03, 2012

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: tendoboy1984

Quote from: TJ

Quote from: tendoboy1984

Yes Nintendo co-developed TLS with Mistwalker, making it a 1st-party IP.

Last Story was developed by Mistwalker and AQ Interactive, not Nintendo. They just are publishing it in Europe and Japan. And their decision was purely business. It's the end of the Wii's lifespan and RPGs have never done well on the system. If they thought they could profit on releasing it here themselves, they would have.

But it was Nintendo's decision to convince Sakaguchi to make The Last Story for Wii. Read the "Iwata Asks" interview.


The game is essentially a 1st-party IP. Another example is Xenoblade; it's a 1st-party game, yet it was developed by Monolith.

They could "convince" him to create the game all they liked.  It's still not a 1st party game unless a Nintendo-owned studio developed it (or Nintendo owned the IP).  Nintendo owns Monolith, so Xenoblade's a 1st party game.  The original Mass Effect isn't a 1st party game just because Microsoft published it, as Bioware developed the game and Microsoft clearly doesn't own the rights to the IP.

I see your point, but how does that explain games like Ratchet & Clank and Resistance? Insomniac is an independent developer, yet both of those IP's are published and owned by Sony.

TJ SpykeMarch 03, 2012

Sony owns those IPs, that makes them first party games. Same way that the Mario Party games are first party even though Hudson Soft developed the first 8 (or Star Fox Assault being developed by Namco, F-Zero GX by Amusement Vision, etc.).

tendoboy1984March 05, 2012

Quote from: TJ

Sony owns those IPs, that makes them first party games. Same way that the Mario Party games are first party even though Hudson Soft developed the first 8 (or Star Fox Assault being developed by Namco, F-Zero GX by Amusement Vision, etc.).

Yes, but Insomniac created them, and they aren't a 1st-party Sony developer. So why did Sony get the rights to those IP's if Insomniac is an independent developer?

TJ SpykeMarch 05, 2012

Most likely answer is that Sony assigned them to develop the games. Maybe they had a deal where any games they created and had Sony publish would be owned by Sony. They also created Spyro, but don't own the rights to it. Whatever the reason is, they don't own the IP.

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