Topic: Iwata: 3DS to Improve Digital Distribution

[King of Twitch]

Right now releasing the Wii HD in 2011 would only appeal to Nintendo's traditional gaming audience who buys their system for 3D Mario's, Zelda and Smash Bros.  Considering there's no way Nintendo can have any of those games ready for a Wii HD launch in 2011, it's just not going to happen.

One word: newplaycontrol. When was the last time they had any of those games for launch? They're more of a late launch/early dinner sort of thing anyway.

[ControlerFleX]

Luigi Dude, awesome post!

But Bit.Trip is on top of it. Those type of are rarely ever ready at launch. Whatever they might release with at launch will be focused on their new innovation, remember Nintendo doesn't want to release a new system unless they feel that they can't accomplish it on their current platform.

But I do agree that the new console doesn't showcase until 2012. I shall call it "The Nintendo Armageddon"

[ThePerm]

Luigi Dude basically said what I said, game development is tied up.


Still, Nintendo could have a tide of ps3/xbox 360 ports on its system at launch. Not sure of 3rd parties though, since they are dumb.

We haven't mentioned NST. Maybe project hammer isn't really canned I doubt it. Actually, if SMG2 was released in May, that leaves a 18-19 month window to make a new Mario game by November-December 2011. I'm pretty amazed they pumped out SMG2 with rave reviews so quickly after part one. Development time for sequels can sometimes become expedient.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smg2

"Takeshi Hayakawa, the lead programmer for Super Mario Galaxy 2, created a development tool that allowed different staff members, including visual and sound designers, to easily design and create stages without waiting for programmers, many of which were incorporated into the final game.[25]  Miyamoto compared Super Mario Galaxy 2 to The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, in that both games use the same engines as their predecessors, yet build upon their foundations.[26]"

pretty interesting, actually thats one thing i always thought was ridiculous about Nintendo...always starting from scratch. In the pc world game engines are re-used and re-used. To some extant they are even shared among companies. That's sort of an American time cutting/cost cutting philosophy though.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Quake_-_family_tree_2.svg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Quake_-_family_tree.svg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Fpsengine.svg

speaking of unlimted detail

here is id software essentially doing the same thing...under Future Technology Evolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MegaTexture

[Ian Sane]

Considering Nintendo is super secretive about what they are working on I don't see how we can assume that a 2011 launch for a Wii successor is impossible.  They won't be ready in time?  How do you know what they have ready?  And Nintendo didn't seem to mind launching the DS with a port of an N64 game and nothing else.  They didn't mind using a Gamecube game as one of their Wii launch titles.

2011 would be the normal timeframe for Nintendo to release a new console anyway.  Surely when they launched the Wii they had that timeframe in mind for a successor.  They wouldn't know how well the Wii would do so they would have had to at least be planning the successor.  They have said they start working on the next console once they finish the last one.

They have to do that to have any flexibility at all.  What if Move or Kinect became huge hits.  That's not likely but if they did then Nintendo might feel more pressure to release a new console.  They have to at the very least have something far enough along to adapt to a changing market.  If Nintendo would be unable to bust something out in 2011 then they're not very prepared.  And if they're aiming for 2011 they would not have revealed it publicly yet.  We would probably find out later in the year or possibly not until 2011 itself.

I personally just think it would be unlikely that Nintendo would want the 3DS upstaging the Wii for any serious period of time.  Wouldn't people look at the 3DS and think "if Nintendo is able to get all this into a portable device then why can't they do even better with the Wii?"

[Sarail]

Ditto, Ian.  Which is why I fully believe an unveiling is going to take place at TGS this year.. exactly like how they unveiled the Wii Remote at TGS in 2005.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't think they're going to even mention the successor to the Wii until after the launch of the 3DS.

[Guitar Smasher]

You can't compare to past launches (DS, Wii) since they don't have any other competing consoles launching in the next few years.  At the very least, you can expect the team responsible for WiiSports to have something ready for launch.

[Toruresu]

Hopefully this includes a Virtual Console type of service and let's you play GB, GBA, NES, Snes and N64 games on the go.

[broodwars]

Hopefully this includes a Virtual Console type of service and let's you play GB, GBA, NES, Snes and N64 games on the go.

If there is one, I can guarantee you that you would have to repurchase all your old games again, just because they're now "on the go".  That's just how Nintendo is.

[Toruresu]

Hopefully this includes a Virtual Console type of service and let's you play GB, GBA, NES, Snes and N64 games on the go.

If there is one, I can guarantee you that you would have to repurchase all your old games again, just because they're now "on the go".  That's just how Nintendo is.

If they are cheap, it doesn't matter. What I want is the option to be able to play those games on the go.

But come on, I'm sure Nintendo will somehow link our Club Nintendo Account or something and let us re-download for a smaller fee or for free. They could, but I bet they won't.

[Ian Sane]

If they are cheap, it doesn't matter. What I want is the option to be able to play those games on the go.

And this attitude is exactly why Nintendo will probably not let you transfer existing VC purchases.  For every one person who will grumble and complaint there are two others who will gladly rebuy them without batting an eye.  This sort of thing should outrage people but in my experience it won't.
 
We do need a VC for old Game Boy games though.  It would be nice if the VC was just expanded to work with Nintendo consoles and portables universally and you can pick if you want to play the game at home or on the go.  And the purchases should be tied to an account, not a system, so you can have a game for your Wii and your 3DS.  If they wanted they could make it so you can only have it on one system as a time so no copying, only moving.

[ThePerm]

Virtual Boy Rise from your grave!!!

Im betting all Virtual Boy games will be available on the 3ds shop channel from day one, possibly in color.

[Sarail]

I know I won't repay to have all of the games I already purchased on VC/WiiWare to play on the next console.  Nintendo better release a firmware upgrade that ties all of my purchases to my MyNintendo account -- and tie THAT account to the next console. That's the ONLY fair way to do it. I will be fuming mad if it's any other way.

As for Virtual Boy games on the 3DS? Leave 'em in their original form -- red and black all the way. I'd LOVE to play Red Alert once again!

[ThePerm]

its kinda funny people being all bitchy, this is the first generation Nintendo has had backward compatibility. Save your money now, don't buy every new release...wait for their prices to go down. Then when the next console comes out, and if it doesn't have backward compatibility or the ability to transfer your stuff than you've saved a fortune. Keep your old system, at least the Wii is tiny and doesn't take up much space.

[NWR_insanolord]

There's no way I'd buy all 70-plus VC games I own again, but I'd certainly re-buy a few of them if there were no other option. I wouldn't like it, but if it were the only way for me to play Super Mario 3 on it then I'd have no choice but to do it.

[Ian Sane]

  There's no way I'd buy all 70-plus VC games I own again, but I'd certainly re-buy a few of them if there were no other option. I wouldn't like it, but if it were the only way for me to play Super Mario 3 on it then I'd have no choice but to do it. 

How would it be the "only way"?  Couldn't you just keep your Wii hooked up?  As Perm mentioned it's a small system.

[NWR_insanolord]

  There's no way I'd buy all 70-plus VC games I own again, but I'd certainly re-buy a few of them if there were no other option. I wouldn't like it, but if it were the only way for me to play Super Mario 3 on it then I'd have no choice but to do it. 

How would it be the "only way"?  Couldn't you just keep your Wii hooked up?  As Perm mentioned it's a small system.

I was talking about the 3DS. For the next console I'd probably just do what you said.