Messages

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General Chat / Re: Spartacus has succumb to the Sands of the Arena. RIP.

« on: September 12, 2011, 12:12:03 AM »

This is sad news. I know Andy Whitfield from this.

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TalkBack / Re: New 3DS Titles to Be Announced Next Week?

« on: September 11, 2011, 10:07:32 PM »

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D would have benefited from having the right slide pad. However, I agree that the game didn't need it.

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TalkBack / Re: New 3DS Titles to Be Announced Next Week?

« on: September 11, 2011, 03:29:40 PM »

"I don't want this, I don't have to have it, No one is making me get it, but damnit, I want to complain about it anyway."

Who's complaining? If this is aimed at me, I'm not complaining about it. I've stated several times that I'm fine with it being released even if I don't plan on getting it. Companies release a lot of things I don't intend to buy. I just find Chozo Ghost's enthusiasm for it unwarranted. I may disagree with his view, but that doesn't mean I'm complaining.

My guess is that a popular game like Monster Hunter wasn't mentioned back then as a game that would need a second circle pad, or Nintendo figured that the 3DS would be popular so they just did their own thing and didn't worry about third-parties.

Possibly though this is the same Nintendo that let Capcom redesign the Classic Controller. I'm certain that Nintendo decided to do their own thing. I recall them saying that they asked 3rd parties what they wanted to see. I'm sure many of them were like, "Where's the right analog stick?" And Nintendo's response was, "Well, you see, the thing about that is... uh... **** YOU!"

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TalkBack / Re: New 3DS Titles to Be Announced Next Week?

« on: September 11, 2011, 03:13:50 PM »

That's pretty much what I assumed happened. The timing is odd though. While showing 3rd parties what they were working on, I'm sure a right slide pad came up more than once. I'm still trying to figure out why Nintendo thought it was a good idea not to include it in the first place.

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TalkBack / Re: New 3DS Titles to Be Announced Next Week?

« on: September 11, 2011, 03:07:31 PM »

Not even if it is bundled for FREE with the game? It would be $10 to buy it separately, but its free if it comes with a game you buy.

Assuming it's bundled for free. The only thing that springs to mind immediately that Nintendo ever bundled for free was the Wii Wheel and that offered no extra functionality. More often than not, Nintendo charges for extras.

I'm talking about the business strategy of bundling peripherals in with games as a trojan horse to get people to buy them when otherwise they probably wouldn't.

Yeah.... I got it. And I explained why it worked on the Wii and why it is less likely to work on 3DS.

You don't like Monster Hunter and that's fine, but if your favorite game franchise came to the 3DS you would probably buy it and if the analog slider thing was bundled in with it for free you would get it and it wouldn't cost you a cent extra than what you would have paid to get the game anyway.

I'm seriously not sure if you're just trolling me. I'm beginning to think you don't read entire posts and just pick and choose what you want to hear.

Unless the attachment happens to come with a game I really want, I'm got going to have it. That same $10 can go towards something I actual do want like cupcakes or ice cream. Chances are the only way I'm getting a second slide pad on a 3DS is if it's included in a revision because I can't imagine there being a game on 3DS I'm dying to play that absolutely, positively requires it.

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TalkBack / Re: New 3DS Titles to Be Announced Next Week?

« on: September 11, 2011, 01:55:51 PM »

Its been beaten to death, but the addon is only $10 and it will likely come bundled for free with many of the games which would use it. It isn't going to be a major obstacle for 3DS owners to get ahold of one. If you have the money to purchase a 3DS game then you can just get it then, and if you don't have the money to buy a $39.99 3DS game which would bundle it then what would the point be in catering to you anyway?

No one said it would be an obstacle to get one so hop off of that horse. It's not an obstacle to buy a lot of things these days. Rather, the question is whether people WANT to get one. There are a number of people on these very boards who don't, even for $10, myself included. I'm okay with the attachment existing. Playstation Move exists, but I'm not going to buy that either. I don't currently want the slide pad add-on, the only game it's announced for doesn't interest me (I already owned and traded it on the Wii), and I don't care that it's $10. I don't buy things just because I can. I have to WANT it. Unless the attachment happens to come with a game I really want, I'm got going to have it. That same $10 can go towards something I actual do want like cupcakes or ice cream. Chances are the only way I'm getting a second slide pad on a 3DS is if it's included in a revision because I can't imagine there being a game on 3DS I'm dying to play that absolutely, positively requires it.

The bundling peripherals thing turned out to be an extremely successful business strategy for Nintendo during the Wii generation and it is why an unremarkable game like Wii Play somehow has managed to become one of if not the best selling video games of all time. So why wouldn't Nintendo want to replicated this peripheral bundling strategy on the 3DS or Wii U? It works and it prints money so they probably set this up deliberately.

Are you really trying to compare the Wii to the 3DS? Wii started a craze, 3DS did not. The Wii was consistently sold out everywhere for like 1.5-2 years. Nintendo had to drop the price $80 after 5 months to get people to buy a 3DS and even then, only the promise of also getting 20 free games pushed some people. Wii Play sold because it was new and casual gamers were willing literally eat **** if the word "Wii" was attached to it. It also didn't hurt that when Wii Play launched, getting extra controllers wasn't terribly easy. That's why I bought Wii Play and I only ended up liking one of those games (Tanks for the motherfucking win). I'm sure Nintendo WANTS to replicate the success of bundling. That doesn't mean it's always going to work.

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TalkBack / Re: New 3DS Titles to Be Announced Next Week?

« on: September 11, 2011, 11:24:40 AM »

Whether Vita is the real competition or if its iOS/Android my point is still the same. Nintendo can't just ignore the requests of 3rd parties anymore. The DS supposedly stands for "Developer's System" and it was built with the wishlists of developers in mind, and the 3DS carries on that tradition. That's a great thing for developers, and its also a great thing for consumers.

What? If that were true, there would be no attachment. The second slide pad would have been there in the first place. And while the extra functionality stands to make certain games better, this sucks for developers. It forces consumers to pay more for something that should have come with the system (in a non-asinine way) and it forces 3rd parties to contend with holdouts who refuse to buy the add-on. That affects development and marketing. They're posed with either creating games that some people refuse to play due to extra cost/don't know better or creating a competent control mode that works without the right slide pad which is more work and cost for them. This pretty much sucks for everybody in some way even if it benefits certain games.

Nintendo shouldn't ignore the requests of 3rd parties (probably never should to begin with). That doesn't mean they won't continue to do so anyway. This attachement is an admission of poor design and penny-pinching on their part. I hope they learn from this, but considering we're still unclear on if the Wii U absolutely will support more than 1 tablet controller (since I recall someone from Nintendo saying it can which isn't the same thing), I choose to remain skeptical. I'm baffled that this is even a thing we're discussing. After the PSP fiasco, I pretty much assumed that this wouldn't be something that plagued any other hardware ever and yet here we are...

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TalkBack / Re: New 3DS Titles to Be Announced Next Week?

« on: September 11, 2011, 10:06:52 AM »

Vita isn't even the real threat here. As much as people are claiming its superiority, I still don't think a $250 handheld can sell. Nintendo couldn't pull it off so I sure as hell doubt Sony can. I'm also not convinced that Sony won't port over Vita games to PS3/PS4. Sony has given me every reason not to buy Vita and I LOVE buying new hardware. Alternatively, Nintendo has given me every reason to stay interested in 3DS. I can't get those games anywhere else. If Nintendo released a Wii version of Ocarina of Time 3D (without the 3D, whatever), I would have bought the Wii version.

Nintendo is paying for their lack of vision now. 3DS lacks quality software (the entire point of buying hardware) and now they're forced to acquiesce to 3rd parties who want the extra functionality. However, I'm curious how many of them asked for the right slide pad when Nintendo showed them prototypes or if Nintendo ignored them anyway.

Nintendo isn't in the same position of ultimate power in the handheld space anymore. While iOS/Android games offer a difference experience and don't compete directly, Nintendo should be playing on the main strength of dedicated handheld gaming devices: physical controls. That's one of the best reasons why 3DS should have had that 2nd slide pad from the beginning.

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TalkBack / Re: Second Circle Pad, Monster Hunter Coming to 3DS

« on: September 11, 2011, 09:45:58 AM »

The big difference is that the GBC was successful while the DSi was like some weird joke only suckers bought.

Ha, burn.

I love my DSi. I needed another DS to play Contra 4 and Phantasy Star 0. I never used my DSLite for backwards compatibility. It has the best form factor of any Nintendo product ever. Ever. I admit that I expected more from DSiWare, but I did get to play Shantae: Risky's Revenge last year and it's a really great game. In fact, while I own a 3DS, I still use my DSi today whenever I play DS games. I'm currently playing through Chrono Trigger again.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii U

« on: September 10, 2011, 10:19:53 AM »

It's the most popular Metroid game in Japan... by being the least Metroid-like entry of the series.

To be fair, besides the Where's Waldo sections, the gameplay in Other M is pretty good. The controls were needlessly annoying due to Sakamoto's insistence that the nunchuck not be used and the story and character development was canon raping and awful. While I liked the gameplay, I still think Retro Studios can do better. I just hope that Nintendo expands them so they can work on Metroid and something else simultaneously. Maybe then they can release titles more frequently than once every 16 years. Can't rush quality, but you can hire more talent.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii U

« on: September 10, 2011, 09:19:34 AM »

I sure as hell hope they don't make another Prime game. The series has run it's course. Samus rendered all Phazon inert by destroying Metroid Prime/Dark Samus and rendered and blowing up ANOTHER planet.

I hope Retro Studios makes another Metroid game. I just want them to move on from the Prime series. Do something different with the plot and gameplay. I'd love for them to put it in 3rd person and show Sakamoto how much better they are at it.

And I'd still love to see WayForward tackle a 2D Metroid.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 09, 2011, 12:46:26 AM »

I never said the game couldn't be enjoyed by Zelda fans. I said Nintendo had trouble selling the game to Zelda fans. Considering how poorly Four Swords Adventures sold (for a Zelda game), I'd say it didn't reach a great deal of the series' devoted fan base. I contribute that in large part to the game's ridiculous requirement to play as intended: with 4 players each with his/her own GBA and link cable.

I've played the game single player. Ehh... It was much more fun the second time around with my brother once I got official link cables in a bargain bin at Gamecrazy and a second GBA for $20. I can only imagine it'd be more fun with 4 players. A girl ca dream....

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 09, 2011, 12:21:53 AM »

4 GBAs and 4 link cables. That's a lot more than most multiplayer games asked. Four Swords Adventures sold considerably less than its console predecessor, The Wind Waker.

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TalkBack / Re: Second Circle Pad, Monster Hunter Coming to 3DS

« on: September 08, 2011, 05:45:16 PM »

If parents are thinking of getting Call of Duty for their kids, why not just get it with Xbox 360 and 2 controllers? That's cheaper than three 3DS'sesses and three copies of the game.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 02:47:00 PM »

1. The point is that you would need a 3DS AND slide pad peripheral. Like the link cable, the slide pad is another part Nintendo is asking people to buy. Sure, it's $10 less than the link cable but Nintendo is still asking people to buy it. The more you ask of consumer, the less likely it is to succeed. Of course, a redesign with the 2nd slide pad doesn't require the add-on but they're still putting hurdles in front of enjoying the game. Nintendo has been trumpeting simplicity and ease of use and this isn't. It's needlessly complicated and more expensive.

2. I wasn't suggesting that 1 person supply everything. Bringing $500 worth of additional hardware just to play locally is a lot to ask when the alternative is potentially paying less than $200 with more features and a larger screen.

3. The Dual Shock 3 doesn't cease to be just because Sony is planning on linking PS3 and Vita. And I've posted my thoughts on this before and it's no different with using 3DS as a controller for Wii U. It costs too much. I'm curious how many people Sony thinks will actually take advantage of this. It's not the same thing as the Wii U and tablet controller which is cheaper and built for this exact purpose. However, Sony is offering it as an option, not a requirement. They aren't asking anyone to support this. If (and that's a big if) Nintendo makes 3DS a requirement, I have a hard time believing that can be successful. I think it's great as an option and should definitely be one for people who want to do that. It just can't be their multiplayer solution.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 01:39:52 PM »

I believe the link cable was $20 individually. GCN may have sold poorly but Nintendo had trouble selling a Zelda game to a lot of Zelda fans because it required so much. What you're suggesting is here is paying over $500 to play a 4-player game. How is this not ridiculous to you? How do you think Wii U is going to fair against the competition if Nintendo asks people to pay that much money? And, more importantly, that much more money than Sony and Microsoft because they sure as hell are not requiring that much from consumers. And their consoles are far more widespread.

And DSi launched at $169.99. DSLite was, what $129.99 at that point? Maybe they'll launch a redesign at the same price as 3DS currently is now, but that's still $169.99 vs. a much cheaper tablet controller. If Nintendo wants to have a chance against 360 and PS3 with the same games, they can't be peddling completely separate hardware at the same time. They're going to have a hard enough time selling Wii U without trying to sell 3DS along with it.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 12:43:24 PM »

So? Four Swords Advantures was bundled with a link cable. That didn't save GCN-GBA connectivity. It made things a bit easier but extra hardware is still extra. It's one more thing in the way of actually playing the game. And a redesign will likely cost more than the current model and that's only attractive if you want a 3DS. Based on the pieces the tablet controller is using, Nintendo could conceivably sell it for less than $80, maybe as low as $60.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: 3DS Analogue stick/Circle pad

« on: September 08, 2011, 12:31:46 PM »

The original model isn't a piece of crap just because it gets redesigned. Nintendo isn't tricking anyone. Expect improvements to be made due to technological advancements and the passage of time. That's how it's always been. There will always be something better around the corner. The original model still plays the same games.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 12:22:06 PM »

The people who see the value in that probably want a 3DS anyway. Others just want the controller and the larger screen. I don't think it's fair to put that expectation on consumers. If a tablet controller is supposedly too expensive, where does Nintendo get off asking people to buy something that costs more and offers a worse experience for Wii U games (smaller screen, fewer buttons/functions specifically the extra shoulder buttons and magnetometer)? Just because something is capable of more, doesn't mean people are willing to pay for it. Making it an option is fair even if it's clumsier. Not only would people need a 3DS but the peripheral too. Personally, I'd rather use the tablet controller and I have a 3DS.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 10:46:12 AM »

@Chozo - Of course. However, that's a big "if" and doesn't change it from being a ridiculous requirement for local multipayer. Nintendo sells bundles that include 2 controllers. The day we start being required to buy a separate console to play another console for the majorty of multiplayer games is the day I stop playing video games. /insert the Professor Farnsworth "I don't want to live on this planet anymore" pic

@Uncle Bob - Making it an option is fine. Making it a requirement and the only way to play multiplayer games locally (with screen equipped controllers) is wrong. It's asking too much.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 10:27:49 AM »

If people wanted a 3DS, they'd get a 3DS. Asking people to buy a 3DS just to play local multiplayer on A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONSOLE is fucking ridiculous. Asking that up to 3 be brought to a single console is beyond pushing the boundaries of acceptable. It's not just crossing the line. It's clubbing a baby seal, burning down a village, raping its women, and forcing its children into slave labor. Then clubbing another baby seal. On top of that, Nintendo tried this before and it failed but at least GBA was sub-$100.

Sorry about the fanny pack comment. Nothing personal.  I still think they're lame though.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 10:10:33 AM »

Those carrying cases are for squares. No self-respecting person is going outside with a handheld game system carrying case or fanny pack. It's like you want people to be ridiculed and beaten up for looking like a douchebag.

3DS shouldn't have to be an additional controller for Wii U because multiple tablet controllers is what Nintendo should be aiming for and they shouldn't release Wii U until they get that part right. Besides, using 3DS as the controller makes no sense except in Dr. Suess's Wacky Wednesday. Instead of asking people to buy an additional controller which Iwata claimed was too expensive, they want consumers to buy an entirely separate system that probably currently costs more than twice as much as a tablet controller will cost. Right, that makes sense.

There's no benefit to using 3DS in this way over another tablet controller. The screens are smaller. It costs more. It's way more confusing.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: 3DS Analogue stick/Circle pad

« on: September 08, 2011, 08:22:34 AM »

I don't think he's necessarily doubting it; just pointing out that it's not official.

More importantly, I certainly hope no one takes that bet. Betting against Nintendo introducing a handheld redesign (even with the right slide pad) is like betting against the Harlem Globetrotters.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

« on: September 08, 2011, 08:04:45 AM »

The 3DS Slide Pad attachment is nothing like Motion Plus. It's not even close. First, Motion Plus made the Wii remote longer. The slide pad accessory turns the 3DS into a hulking Megazord. Second, 3DS no longer comfortably fits into pockets, making it not portable anymore. The same problem is not encountered on the Wii with or without Motion Plus since it's a home console and people don't normally carry controllers around. Third and perhaps more importantly, the slide pad peripheral isn't just adding functionality, it's patching a severe design oversight. I believe Nintendo claimed Motion Plus was too costly to implement into the original Wii remote. Fair enough. I think most of us bought that reasoning. With 3DS, Nintendo is charging people $10 for what would have cost them less than a dollar per unit and without the hassle had it been implemented in the first place. Everyone would have been happier.

I'm not opposed to the peripheral. I agree that it addresses a major shortcoming. However, I won't sit here and act like it's not a big deal when the implications couldn't be worse for consumers. It sets a bad precedent.

Nintendo made some of their best games without a second analog stick and they did so by coming up with ways around it. PSP developers did the same and games like God of War: Chains of Olympus were still fun. Nintendo didn't need to create the slide pad accessory. Some games will benefit but there's no denying that this makes Nintendo look bad. The missing slide pad was one of the first things everyone noticed and Nintendo had months to fix it. This makes their research and development department look like bumbling fools, especially since their solution looks like the way it does.

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TalkBack / Re: Second Circle Pad, Monster Hunter Coming to 3DS

« on: September 07, 2011, 07:16:44 PM »

For everyone b!tching, lets take a little history tour at Nintendo peripherals.

...

Last time I checked, every peripheral Nintendo has released has come bundled with at least one of their games.  So it's not like Nintendo has ripped anyone off since any game they release that will require it will have it bundled in so everyone can play it.

Besides the slide pad add-on looking like ass, I'm not one of the people bitching about this. Like I said in another post, I'm okay with it existing even if I don't plan on supporting it. I'm not salty as a current 3DS owner and eventually I plan on buying a redesign, 2nd slide pad or not 2nd slide pad. However, I can see why people don't like this and I'd like to offer a counterpoint. All of the things you mentioned are peripherals for home consoles. Add a toaster and a Guy Fawkes mask to the controller or console for extra fun and functionality but it's still generally meant to stay in people's homes. I believe a major point of contention for this thing is that it makes 3DS significantly less portable. It'd be like Apple offering a glove sized and shaped attachment for the iPhone 4 to get 4G. It's not necessary for the hardware to function but it's a desirable enough feature that's awkwardly implemented.