Author Topic: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)  (Read 13998 times)

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Offline NWR_DrewMG

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All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« on: September 24, 2012, 09:22:00 PM »

Dear enthusiast media: games trump features.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/31876

I consider myself to be a rational person. When I start to get the feeling that I’m surrounded by fanboys, I lash out. I have spent more hours than I’d care to admit arguing in comment threads, bulletin boards, and even at the dinner table. Whenever someone comes at me with a hard and fast opinion, I play devil’s advocate. It doesn’t help that many of the things that are dear to me (Nintendo, Apple, college football) are things with vibrant online communities and crazy people masquerading as passionate fans .

When Nintendo announced the final price and release date of the Wii U last week, many questions remained unanswered. These are questions that are important to me: how will the DRM work for online purchases? How will the friends list work? How exactly does Nintendo TVii get its content? When can I buy Pikmin 3? Despite everything we know about the Wii U, there’s a lot more we don’t know.

What we do know is that the gaming media is skeptical. I listen to many gaming podcasts, and enjoy them greatly. If I didn’t enjoy them, and often agree with them, I would stop listening. It’s hard for me to ignore, however, that pretty much every podcast I listen to is completely uninterested in the Wii U. (Notable exception is the always excellent Player One Podcast). In particular, I was drawn to an episode of The Besties, a podcast by Polygon featuring some of my favorite people. These are not particularly Nintendo-friendly people, but I enjoy their podcasts nonetheless.

On the particular episode of The Besties, the crew dropped their normal format and launched into a fairly typical roundtable discussion of the Wii U launch details. To a man, they were all floored, and not in a good way, by what Nintendo had said. More precisely, what they have failed to say thus far. When you look at the advances in distribution and services provided by Nintendo’s competitors, as a fan of technology, it’s hard to disagree with the guys over at Polygon. The Wii U looks like a gaming console from about 7 years ago, when the industry seems to be moving closer and closer to examples set by Apple and Valve. Sony in particular has made great strides in their PlayStation Plus service, offering loads of free content after subscription. Microsoft has turned their Xbox into far more than a gaming console, it’s a multimedia center. Nintendo TVii is a good start, but it feels like a drop in the pond compared to what Microsoft has been doing for years.

As I listened to the episode of The Besties, I found myself nodding along. I don’t disagree with much at all of what they said. As fans of the gaming industry, rather than fans of Nintendo, they’ve every right to be concerned by what the Wii U has to offer.

While I follow it closely, I’m not necessarily a fan of the gaming industry, specifically mainstream games editorial. I like some developers, and I certainly like the kind of distribution that Apple and Steam have brought to the table. Mainly, though, I’m a Nintendo fan. After all of the DRM restrictions and online functionality and third party struggles have come and gone, I will still be playing The Legend of Zelda. I will be playing The Legend of Zelda until the day I am no longer capable of playing The Legend of Zelda, and then I will watch people play The Legend of Zelda.

I’ve played both Pikmin games multiple times. I’ve played every Metroid game, most of them multiple times. I even liked Metroid Other M. I can play any of the Super Mario Bros. games for NES with my eyes closed. Not for very long, but that’s not the point.

I am a Nintendo fan, and I always will be, through every questionable decision, and every botched system launch. Even when I lose my 3DS and have to track down a police report, I will be a Nintendo fan. Nintendo earned my loyalty when I was eleven years old, and that’s a hard bond to break.

So to the rest of the gaming media, I say the following: you’re not wrong. If you don’t buy a Wii U, or talk about Wii U, I don’t blame you one bit. As a fan of technology, Nintendo will never come through for you. But that’s not why I play Nintendo games. I play Nintendo games because if I don’t hear the Zelda chime at least once a week, I will lose my mind.

Is it November 18 yet?

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Offline TeaHee

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2012, 09:57:00 PM »
I am usually a cynical person, but a lot of the gaming press has gone a little overboard with their critiques of the Wii U.  That was why I was overjoyed to come across Jim Sterlings latest "Jimquisition" and how relatively positive it was about the Wii U.  I then read a couple of articles by Emily Rogers about the rising costs of games and the decline of Sony.  Both of these articles gave me a positive feeling about the future of Nintendo.


Both writers pointed to the lower production costs for the Wii U and how this could be a major plus for the Wii U's future.  (Of course it was pointed out this hadn't helped the Wii a whole lot)  The decline of Sony article didn't specifically discuss Nintendo, but when you see how mismanaged Sony has been over the passed several years it gives some credence to the way Nintendo has ran their business over the same period. (For the record I am not a Sony hater and don't want them to fail.)


To my mind blockbuster games that run into the 100s of millions of dollars to make are ridiculous as are systems like the PS3 and Vita that take years to recuperate their costs.  So while Nintendo has a lot of flaws, I am right with Andi (and Emily and Jim) in seeing silver linings in the upcoming Wii U release.  It is a shame so much of the industry can only see dark clouds.

Offline joshnickerson

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2012, 10:02:25 PM »
In all honesty, I could care less about the TV app or online features. All I care about is, are the games fun to play?

I've been hearing people predicting the end of Nintendo since the N64 days; it's all become white noise to me.

Offline Enner

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2012, 10:08:35 PM »
While there are concerns about some untold details of the Wii U, I don't mind it. From the Gamecube to the 3DS, Nintendo has been improving their online services. Most impressive is their efforts with the 3DS, and it is from those efforts that I assume whatever infrastructure Wii U has it will be fine, though not without a few numb skull aspects. The improvements have been glacial compared to Nintendo's competitors, but I like to look at the silver lining that Nintendo isn't going backwards.


The general unenthusiastic talk I've heard over many video game podcasts is a bit worrying. Nintendo seems to have distanced it self from that particular audience and the Wii U has yet to win them back. The feelings will turn once Nintendo starts releasing interesting and beautiful games for the shiny and new Wii U.

Offline Fjurbanski

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2012, 10:47:28 PM »
But that's exactly why pretty much everyone in the gaming industry should be excited about the Wii U.


It's bringing the games. And not just Nintendo games. It has one of the most impressive launch line-ups I've seen. There's literally something for everyone.
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Offline Vahne

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2012, 10:53:54 PM »
I really want to play Nintendo Land, and I want to revisit Wuhu Island with even more sports to play via Wii Sports Resort U or something.

Offline broodwars

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2012, 11:13:22 PM »
But that's exactly why pretty much everyone in the gaming industry should be excited about the Wii U.


It's bringing the games. And not just Nintendo games. It has one of the most impressive launch line-ups I've seen. There's literally something for everyone.

It's a "launch" lineup of games largely available on other platforms (including some available anywhere from months to a year earlier). "Hooray", but at least they're there for the relative minority who didn't already buy them or already planned to buy them for another console.

Well, I'll say this for this editorial: at least you're open that you're a total fanboy who will buy Nintendo products no matter what they do. I can respect that honesty, and I hope you enjoy your Wii U experience.  I really do.  However, I find the whole "It's all about the GAMES!" argument weak when "games" are exactly what Nintendo has failed to provide either in terms of quantity or (IMO) quality for several console generations in a row now.  :-\   This is the company that has been especially reluctant to release games over the past few years in NA, and judging by Reggie's recent remarks he doesn't seem to regret that in the slightest.

My thoughts on the Wii U have been fairly constant ever since they tried their first (of many unsuccessful) unveilings for the Wii U last year: it's quite late to the party, and Nintendo hasn't shown any must-buy 1st party software even within their rather generous 4 month "launch window".  People are calling this late current-generation system a "next-generation console", yet there's nothing about this console that shows it.  Nintendo could have announced or teased titles that will appear later on that really show what this console can do, but as usual Nintendo doesn't care.  They know people like the writer of this editorial will buy the game regardless, and the Wii years were all about succeeding through low expectations so it has been a strategy that worked well for them.

I know that I'm bitter, and you're damn right I'm being (and am going to be) especially critical this console.  Nintendo used to be a name that made me excited for the future of gaming.  When I think back to how eagerly I looked forward to every Nintendo system before the Wii (and especially how hard I looked for one for most of a year before I got one), it saddens me how bad the Wii years were (saved only by a handful of titles, several of which Nintendo didn't even want to release here).  So yeah, after how weak the Wii years were, I expect a lot more from the Wii U than Nintendo has shown.  I'm not going to give them a break just because many years ago they were an integral part of my daily entertainment.  Right now, there's just not a damn thing that excites me about this console (especially when it comes to that controller, which looks like just another overpriced gimmick so far), and that's on Nintendo.

As I said on NFR, though, I haven't sworn off the console for good just yet.  But Nintendo's going to have to put forth a much more impressive performance than they've shown so far, and that seems to be at least a year away.  So a year from now, we'll see if Nintendo has more than smoke and mirrors this time.  In the meantime, if you're getting a Wii U, I hope it works out for you.  Just don't expect the rest of the gaming community to pull their punches.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2012, 11:16:31 PM by broodwars »
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Offline Evan_B

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2012, 11:31:23 PM »
I don't know how to feel about this article. On one hand, I agree, that Nintendo has been very late in creating a media network within its loyal fans- but on the other, their approach is so drastically different and fun that I can't help but like it over the competitors' systems.  And that's what it always comes back to with Nintendo, at least to me- they're fun. They don't bog you down with gamer scores and achievements- only if you're really into that sort of thing. If you want to share information on a game or talk about how it made you feel, you're given the opportunity to- and that's something that the other consoles can't boast. With Nintendo, it's more about a communal enjoyment and not the individual's sense of competitiveness- and I think that they cater to a specific type of gamer, but that's just the thing- they're even more niche than Microsoft and Sony ,because those two have capitalized on this concept that games need to be casually accessible, but their definition of casual is "hyper-violent and based on brief experience," hence the online multiplayer, emphasis on graphics and "realism", and personal achievement. Nintendo approaches these concepts in a different manner- assistance being the most important aspect. You obtain better hats in Find Mii because you interact with people, often more than once. You benefit from player interaction instead of being pitted against them. And that's not to say that Nintendo doesn't have competitive mutliplayer- but even that isn't based on the record, it's based on the experience. And when it all comes down to it, that's what it's all about- the experience, and not the illusion of experience. You play the games Nintendo makes because you enjoy their gameplay, and I think that a majority of Nintendo games have gameplay that is very hard to achieve in an online sense, and because of that that, I applaud their efforts to have largely local-based-multiplayer. While some games benefit from it, some games do so even more because they're played within close proximity, and there's no feeling quite like the one where you work together in the same room. While some may argue that this is old-fashioned, I wonder why they wish to live in a world largely devoid of human interaction.

Nintendo's new Miiverse- the communication between players on an artistic level and discussion and assistance-based concept- is so very Nintendo, and it really brings me back to why I love the company in general. If you play a Wii for intimacy of motion-based control with friends or with the TV, you understand what I mean. Even friend codes, which go out of their way to make sure players have that sense of connectivity and that they are familiar with one another STILL adheres to this idea of personal, accessible gameplay. The connectivity that Nintendo boasts with both its person-to-game and person-to-person relationship is what they live by. I mean, I have no doubt that the Wii U will stick to these core qualities. If you do, then I feel as if you don't have a very positive mindset of how Nintendo functions, and you've lost touch with their style of gameplay.

Each company offers something drastically different, and people need to accept that first and foremost. But Nintendo's offers are so uniquely them, and I wish that the console market was a bit more varied, because we could have more than JUST Nintendo being this more niche, individualistic experience- that's why I lament the loss of Sega and have made it a mission to track down a Dreamcast- because they, too, offered something unique. What is kind of funny about the whole "Nintendo vs. Third Party Support and the world" debacle is that Nintendo has consistently paved the way in the genre of 3D platforming (and to some extent 2D platforming) and garners a lot of individualistic 3rd Party support in regards to gameplay and connectivity. Look at Monster Hunter- a game that focuses on co-operation in taking down massive monsters with a very optional head-to-head mode. Look at Muramasa, or Silent Hill: Shattered Dimensions. Games that artistically push the boundaries or the very genre they're supposed to emulate and attempt them in a new, drastically different manner. This is why we love Nintendo consoles, my friends, because they offer something different. What Playstation Move games have successfully attempted a gameplay innovation or even utilized motion controls in an enhanced, smooth manner? Kinect?

So you need to accept something- that either Nintendo will be successful because they create something so niche that it allows specific, dare I say, even casual gamers, an accessible jumping point to enter or mature within the gaming realm, or that they will create something so niche that it appeals to a very dedicated, core population of gamers. Personally, I think the Wii U will do both, and I don't think I'm optimistic in assuming that. With a mixture of casually appealing games like Nintendoland and NSMBU, with Nintendoland innately appealing to our love of local, party multiplayer, and more hardcore, yet experimental and individualistic titles like Zombi U and Bayonetta, as well as hardcore, co-operative experiences like Monster Hunter and a little bit of catering to the non-Nintendo crowd with Black Ops, I think Nintendo has set up a very telling lineup of games for the life of their console- they'll of course attempt a reconnect with the "core" gamer, that is, the gamer that has become westernized because of the birth of so many independent developers that ascribe to that casual western approach to gaming, but they will continue to do what makes them so beloved by many gamers around the world- their unique approach to gaming, and the titles, franchises, and genres they attract because of that.

I suppose i rambled a bit, but I just want to affirm that I understand your article. Nintendo's approach does seem a bit old-fashioned, even base, in comparison to the pre-established methods of its competitors. But if there's one thing I like about Nintendo, it's that they do take their time to acknowledge the benefits of something like online networking and play- the fact that they're coming out with the Wii U so late means that they acknowledge that online networking and play has stood the test of time- it may be a little late , but at least it's a confirmation. Now they will take that concept and spin it in their own way.

In a sense, I feel that even the 3DS is an evolution and confirmation that Nintendo believes portable accessibility is possible- With the 3DS, they have mostly minimized online functionality to digital downloads, communication between friends, and competitive multiplayer, but the most important, and exciting, functions of the 3DS occur when one streetpasses or spotpasses. Again, it focuses on player co-operation.

But when it all comes down to it, that is all inconsequential when we compare the experience of the console to the experience of the games. And that's why we play games, right? For the experiences they bring, not the console itself. We want the types of games Nintendo publishes, because they're just cool. They appeal to us in a way that some may call childish, but we see them as imaginative, accessible, and plain fun. That's why you can't judge a console until the end of its life-span. Because we need to see all of those games that make a console memorable- and sure, some games might take a while to release, but in the end, the full package- and the full experience, is what matters.

With the Wii U off to such a strong start, I hope for nothing but the best for the console in the future. Great article, by the way- very thought provoking. Clearly.
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Offline Fjurbanski

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2012, 11:55:04 PM »
But that's exactly why pretty much everyone in the gaming industry should be excited about the Wii U.


It's bringing the games. And not just Nintendo games. It has one of the most impressive launch line-ups I've seen. There's literally something for everyone.

It's a "launch" lineup of games largely available on other platforms (including some available anywhere from months to a year earlier). "Hooray", but at least they're there for the relative minority who didn't already buy them or already planned to buy them for another console.




Batman, Darksiders II, ME3, and Ninja Gaiden.


That's only 4 games that are already available on other consoles.


Then there's ACIII, which comes out so close that anyone buying a Wii U would wait for the Wii U version.


Not to mention that those 4 games are getting some pretty interesting upgrades (not enough to warrant a second purchase, but more than enough to make them stand out as good launch games).


Then there's the giant list of other games coming out for the Wii U that are diverse, numerous, and for the most part, look good.


Aliens: Colonial Marines
Black Ops 2
Epic Mickey 2
FIFA '13
Lego City
Madden '13
Monster Hunter
NSMBU
NintendoLand
Pikmin 3
Rayman Legends
Scribblenauts Unlimited
ZombiU


Add on all the downloadable games and you have yourself an incredibly solid list. If people can't already see at least one or two games on that list that they want... well then their taste in games isn't very diverse. So then, I wouldn't really care about their opinion on what is and is not a good launch.
Add me on Wii U. : ) --> FJUrban

Offline broodwars

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2012, 12:14:35 AM »
Add on all the downloadable games and you have yourself an incredibly solid list. If people can't already see at least one or two games on that list that they want... well then their taste in games isn't very diverse. So then, I wouldn't really care about their opinion on what is and is not a good launch.

Oh, there's games on the list I want to at least try (and as for the downloadable titles, btw, I already bought Trine 2 last year).  I just don't need a Wii U to play them (I have a PS3 and 360), and Wii U's exclusives just aren't enticing right now (especially Nintendo's own 1st party titles).  Rayman's pretty much the only exclusive I want to play, and that'll probably be on the other consoles soon enough.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2012, 12:18:34 AM by broodwars »
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Offline King of Twitch

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2012, 12:19:23 AM »
Quote
To a man, they were all floored, and not in a good way, by what Nintendo had said. More precisely, what they have failed to say thus far. When you look at the advances in distribution and services provided by Nintendo’s competitors, as a fan of technology, it’s hard to disagree with the guys over at Polygon. The Wii U looks like a gaming console from about 7 years ago, when the industry seems to be moving closer and closer to examples set by Apple and Valve. Sony in particular has made great strides in their PlayStation Plus service, offering loads of free content after subscription. Microsoft has turned their Xbox into far more than a gaming console, it’s a multimedia center. Nintendo TVii is a good start, but it feels like a drop in the pond compared to what Microsoft has been doing for years.

Knocking a video game console for its looks, for not providing free services, for not advancing the way games are downloaded(?), for having a subpar tv tuner or multimedia capabilities. I would say that I've officially heard it all, but we already heard this crap 10 years ago about the Gamecube. It appears that decades and decades of video gaming really does kill brain cells.
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Offline Jonnyboy117

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2012, 12:27:10 AM »
Many gaming media are focusing on the non-game features because that's what Nintendo focused on at the recent press event in NYC. If Nintendo had spent twenty minutes on their awesome new Mario game showing off why it totally reinvents the series and adds tons of insane new crap, people would be talking about that. Instead, they centered the announcements on non-game features, which primarily serves to make us wonder about all the features that weren't discussed (online).
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Offline sticker

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2012, 01:57:10 AM »
I totally agree with everything that Evan_B said.
I have always liked nintendo because of that. Everything is about the experience. You can just pick up anyone and play with them, because nintendo's games are designed to bring fun to everyone. I can play easily with my mom, with my dad, with my 7 years old sister, with my girlfriend or with all them together and have fun.
That's something I can't do with any console, neither with iOS, neither with android, neither with pc. Even if there's the chance to do that, it's not the same. I can go and play call of duty online with friends, but it is competitive, you might get even angry sometimes, as well as games like world of warcraft where everything is about cooperative gameplay. It's just not the same. I hope to see that local multiplayer experience while playing online with the wii u now.


I think nintendo doesn't even need to approach the "core" gamer. I mean, if you own a gaming pc or an xbox or a ps3, you can go and pick up any "core" game, play online and do all that stuff that nintendo doesn't do that well (most of nintendo console owners also owns a ps3 or an xbox). But now, with the wii u, all the audience that nintendo aims for will have the chance to also pick up those "core" games without the need to buy a ps3 or an xbox. I own a wii and a nintendo 3ds, but for example, and I'm looking forward to play darksiders II. Maybe I'll be picking up call of duty to play co-op with my dad, maybe we will be trying that online. But that's the thing, now i don't have to own any other console to play those games, and maybe they are going to be easier to play with the touch controls or with the wiiremote. (I now call of duty has been out on the wii, but it's a game that needs hd graphics to bring you it's experience)


Well, that's pretty much it, I love nintendo because of that, because of their easy to play games, because I can safely let my little sister play it, because I can bring friends that have never touched a nintendo console before and play with them and because every game is about the experience. And now I will be able to try more third party titles and single player games I wasn't able to play before (though if you own any other console that's not that "new", but you'll be getting that experience "the nintendo way")


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Offline NWR_Neal

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2012, 01:57:55 AM »
I just nodded in agreement to Andy's editorial. Though I believe one of the Polygon folks from the Besties was on 8-4 Play's TGS episode. He complained how the Wii U GamePad/Pro Controller had the A button in a different spot than the Xbox 360 controller, and that Nintendo should fix that because they haven't done that in a controller ever. Then other people said that Nintendo did that with the Classic Controller, 3DS, DS, etc.

That pretty much sums up where I'm at with with mainstream press. You're not playing games the way I play them, and you're usually not up to date with the games I play.
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Offline Hey Einstein!

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2012, 08:15:21 AM »
What a great piece! I really enjoyed reading this. I won't be getting a Wii U at launch but I KNOW that given time and a proper Mario/Zelda/Star fox/F Zero game I will be there. Despite the lousy the eshop and online may or may not be.

Offline bhurak

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #15 on: September 25, 2012, 08:23:08 AM »
Jonny is right.  People talk about what Nintendo talks about.  And Nintendo has been talking about a media center and a mini-game collection.  (Even if it's great, it looks like a mini-game collection)

And I don't love when other press hates on Nintendo and can't figure out that it's Xbox that put the A button in the wrong spot way too long after the original NES showed the world where it properly goes. 

But of course, those of us who love Nintendo... hate away!  We wouldn't be mad if we didn't love Nintendo.

I look forward to changing my mind about the Wii U and like Drew says, all it will take will be ... Games!

Offline Pixelated Pixies

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #16 on: September 25, 2012, 08:32:32 AM »
"I am a Nintendo fan, and I always will be, through every questionable decision, and every botched system launch... I play Nintendo games because if I don’t hear the Zelda chime at least once a week, I will lose my mind."
 
It sounds as if you've already lost your mind, lol. No company deserves unconditional loyalty. The way I look at it is that Nintendo are a huge company, they don't need me to defend them. My being a fan of Nintendo has always been conditional upon them offering the sorts of experiences that I'm interested in. Looking back I can say that the Wii does have a fantastic catalogue of games, but everything from the ad hoc release schedule, botching of virtual console, lack of basic online services, and drought of third party support has meant that I have as much bitter memories as I do fond ones. The Zelda chime is great and all, but it's no substitute for new experiences and exciting hardware. Of which I've seen little of from Nintendo recently.
 
I'm open to the possibility that Wii U could be great. Based on current information, however, I'm pretty pessimistic.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2012, 08:36:41 AM by Pixelated Pixies »
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Offline NWR_DrewMG

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2012, 09:15:12 AM »
The Zelda chime is great and all, but it's no substitute for new experiences and exciting hardware.


I recognize that's true for most people.  I'm not sure it's true for me anymore.  That's why I wrote this editorial.



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Offline NWR_DrewMG

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2012, 09:17:21 AM »
Many gaming media are focusing on the non-game features because that's what Nintendo focused on at the recent press event in NYC. If Nintendo had spent twenty minutes on their awesome new Mario game showing off why it totally reinvents the series and adds tons of insane new crap, people would be talking about that. Instead, they centered the announcements on non-game features, which primarily serves to make us wonder about all the features that weren't discussed (online).

"through all the questionable decisions and botched system launches..."

Yep, you're right.  They're not really selling this thing particularly well.  Luckily for them, they don't really need to do ANYTHING to sell it to me, because I made up my mind a long time ago that I'm buying new Nintendo systems as soon as I can.
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Offline Pixelated Pixies

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2012, 09:48:20 AM »
The Zelda chime is great and all, but it's no substitute for new experiences and exciting hardware.


I recognize that's true for most people.  I'm not sure it's true for me anymore.  That's why I wrote this editorial.

That's fair. In that case, chime on brother. Chime on. Me? I'm ready to dance to a different tune.
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Offline ejamer

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #20 on: September 25, 2012, 09:49:33 AM »
...

That pretty much sums up where I'm at with with mainstream press. You're not playing games the way I play them, and you're usually not up to date with the games I play.


Well said!
NNID: ejamer

Offline Pixelated Pixies

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #21 on: September 25, 2012, 10:05:16 AM »
...

That pretty much sums up where I'm at with with mainstream press. You're not playing games the way I play them, and you're usually not up to date with the games I play.

True. Well, it is called the mainstream press for a reason. Let's be honest, there is very little about the way that we as a community consume video games that could be described as mainstream. Even among gamers, the so-called 'hardcore' Nintendo fan has become decidely niche. At a certain point you have to ask yourself why that is. No doubt alot of it has to do with members of the media simply not making the effort to inform themselves, but the fact that much of mainstream press are ambivalent when it comes to Nintendo platforms must also say something about Nintendo as a company.

« Last Edit: September 25, 2012, 10:06:56 AM by Pixelated Pixies »
Gouge away.

Offline LudicrousDa3ve

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #22 on: September 25, 2012, 10:39:51 AM »
This is a great piece, glad to have read it.
    In Nintendo's defense, what I've seen of Nintendo TVii crushes the multimedia aspects of the XBox360; everything about that machine feels clunky and unintuitive to me. I've had one for three years, and it still feels uncomfortable. I can't say much of anything about the PS3, but in my experience this gen, the Wii's UI is far better. I think it's a good example of how once Nintendo gets something, they really get it, and present it in their own way.
   Speaking on the Wii U, it is definitely about the games, then the new experiences; and I can't wait. They aren't likely to change the way they express their games, their art in that blissfully-unaware-of-the-way-the-rest-of-the-world works Nintendo way... and I can't wait.

Offline bhurak

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #23 on: September 25, 2012, 11:34:36 AM »
I can't say much of anything about the PS3,

Allow me - the PS3 is a mammoth media machine.  Of course, CD, DVD and BluRay support, as well as supporting a variety of video formats and MP3s from USB or directly on the internal hard drive.  It's a Netflix and Amazon player as well as Sony's movie store (before Amazon, it was mildly useful for new releases).  It streams music and video from my media server/DVR.  And it supports NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB, and NHL apps. 

Offline Chocobo_Rider

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Re: All of the Wii U Critics Are Right (and I Don't Care)
« Reply #24 on: September 25, 2012, 12:22:10 PM »
I guess I just love good video games too much to care about Nintendo's "7-year-old" non-gaming features.

Plus, when Nintendo adds features, it doesn't also try to add its $@*$ up my $*#.  So, I appreciate that!