Topic: GDC 2011 Discussion

[Luigi Dude]

So yeah, Iwata gives his speech tomarrow and Nintendo will be showing the webcast.
 
http://gdc2011.nintendo.com/
 
Back in 2005, Iwata showed a new trailer for Twilight Princess at GDC.  In 2007 he revealed Phantom Hourglass and in 2009 he revealed Spirit Tracks.  If history is to repeat itself which it more then likely will, we're do for a new Skyward Sword trailer.  So yeah, time to get hyped.
 

[ThomasO]

I'd like to see some detail on the new Kirby Wii game, or maybe Paper Mario 3DS.


Or even Pikmin 3 or the Wii Vitality Sensor.

[Mop it up]

What time is it happening in North American timezones?

[ThomasO]

12pm EST. It says so in the link.

[King of Twitch]

Or even Pikmin 3 with the Wii Vitality Sensor that allows the Pikmin to channel your fear or resolve in the heat of battle.

You just blew my mind!

[Mop it up]

12pm EST. It says so in the link.

I clicked a link to enter this thread, I can't be arsed to click another one once I'm in here!

[BeautifulShy]

Here is what I think might be shown.

Skyward sword trailer.
Release date for said game.
A release schedule for Wii and DS games up till E3.

Here is what I hope will be talked about.

Release date for Kid Icarus 3DS, Confirmation of Xenoblade and The Last Story heading to North America.

[that Baby guy]

Nintendo accidentally sent out a press briefing for the event a day early.  I shouldn't be saying this, but it's Wii Music 1/2.  Twice as much public domain music, one-half the functionality.

[Caterkiller]

That was pretty interesting. Can't wait for the return of Racoon Mario!

[that Baby guy]

This year's GDC keynote?  Tales of Hablablab, featuring Satoru Iwata and president of Illinois, Reggie Fils-Aime.

[BlackNMild2k1]

There is not a lot of talk in here...

here is something that all of you seem to have missed though
http://www.destructoid.com/gdc-nintendo-shows-a-glasses-free-mario-kart-on-the-wii-195492.phtml

In a demo at GDC 2011 Nintendo Producer Hideki Konno showed off an interesting demo that may point to Nintendo's eventual future for home consoles.

In this tech demo Konno used a Wii Nunchuck to control the 3D depth effect (kind of like the 3DS' 3D slider) in a special version of Mario Kart Wii. Key word: Tech demo. Not a real game. Yet.

If anything, this shows that glasses-free 3D is possible on the Wii. Of course, that requires having the right kind of screen, mind you. Still, it shows you where Nintendo's mind is right now.

We already knew Wii was capable of 3D since the GC was 3D ready and they are basically the same processors, but now we know Nintendo is ready to unlock the features if there were more than 20 gamers out there that even had a TV to take advantage of it.

[TJ Spyke]

I am amazed that 4 years into the systems lifespan and some "professional" gaming sites like Destructoid still spell Nunchuk wrong.

Anyways, it would be pretty cool if the Wii 2 allowed for glasses-free 3D. It would give it a nice edge over the competition. I won't get too excited though since the tech demos don't always end up becoming anything.

[MegaByte]

This was actually in an Iwata Asks a little while back http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/1 , but we'll be getting talk coverage up shortly (though it mostly parallels the Iwata Asks).

[BeautifulShy]

Apparently there is going to be a panel on the development of DKC Returns in the morning at 9am PST.

[MaryJane]

I think the more important part of the Mario Kart demo is controlling the level of 3D. A lot of reviewers of the 3DS have been praising the slider (even NWR's Japan correspondent) as saving them from the headaches and nauseousness usually experienced with 3D. Nintendo may have started something big here.

And I'm pretty sure that 3D is 3D, so you don't create something to be glasses-free, it's 3D and the display device determines the glasses needed or not needed.

[Razorkid]

After watching the GDC keynote stream, I thought Iwata did a great job conveying some of the current concerns of the gaming industry and ways on how to start correcting them. As expected of Iwata, he was a class act all the way, citing numerous competitors on their achievements in pushing the gaming industry forward  in his 25 year retrospective (calling out even XBLA and Sony for their specific ground breaking contributions.)  Outside of the 3DS commercial break starring Reggie, I thought it was a genuinely good address to the industry.


Listening to podcasts post GDC though, it seems like a lot of people are just trolling his keynote.  Comments like Nintendo was lashing out at Apple (who doesn't even make games) and that Nintendo was blindly hating on $0.99 App store developers is completely false.  Iwata's argument was that he wanted developers to take pride in their software and not think that the only way they can be successful is if they offer all their hard work for next to nothing (or free) consistently. It's not like Nintendo is advocating people to put out shovelware at full price and expect it to sell, they themselves said that if their going to sell a game at $30, that they are gonna make sure it's worth that amount.


There is no reason why $0.99 games can't stand side by side with $60 releases  and everyone not be successful (this is already the case on Steam).  But thinking that the gaming industry can be sustained off of the App store business model and still be able to put out the diversity (in both quality, length, and variety) of games that we are currently enjoying is just folly.  I'm all for cheap games too, but there's no way that developers will be able to put out big budget games with any consistency.  It's just as ruinous to the industry and an extreme practice in the other direction as companies are doing today with just focusing on multimillion $$ game studio bankrupters.


For the industry to improve, we need ALL the price markets getting attention in equal measures.  Iwata's caution was for developers to not put all their eggs into the app store lottery basket and to realize that their work is worth more than just "free". How did that just fly over the heads of so many people?