Messages

8001

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

« on: December 06, 2010, 06:42:06 PM »

Yeah and when the franchise is one of their top selling and each installment has sold more then the last, they're not going to completely change the person in charge of it.

Gunpei Yokoi produced Super Mario Land, under direct orders from Hiroshi Yamauchi. It was the first Mario title developed without Shigeru Miyamoto. Whether or not that would happen today is debatable. Point is, it already happened. Clearly, there is precedence for it. So yeah, Nintendo took a top selling franchise and completely changed the person in charge of it. Ultimately, it's Nintendo's franchise to do as they please. While Sakurai will most likely be asked to return, that's certainly not a guarantee.

With Metroid, the series had never been a huge seller and Super Metroid was actually the worst selling Metroid back when it came out.  So allowing a different studio to make a new installment was not a problem since the it had no where to go but up.

Considering how Yoshio Sakamoto treats the Prime series (it's never once mentioned in the main series... at all), he seems pretty butt hurt that Miyamoto gave the series he worked on since its inception to a bunch of fucking cowboys in Austin, TX. You can maybe give passes to Fusion (i.e. developed concurrently with Prime 1) and Zero Mission (i.e. chronologically before Prime 1), but Other M completely ignores that part of the Metroid mythos for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

So as long as Sakurai wants to keep making Smash Bros he will continue to make Smash Bros since Nintendo has no reason to stop him.

I'd like to point out that you brought this up originally. I said, "I hope Masahiro Sakurai does not direct it" which doesn't suggest Nintendo give him the boot. If a 4th installment is made, I just don't want him directing it and I don't really care how that happens. I'd rather see the man who created Kirby and Smash Bros. work on something completely original (think of all the franchises we wouldn't have if Miyamoto only made Mario and Zelda games) while someone else bring new ideas to the franchise, something I felt was sorely lacking in Brawl. Iwata or Miyamoto will probably ask Sakurai to helm a new Smash Bros. and good for him, but that's besides the point.

8002

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

« on: December 05, 2010, 09:51:11 PM »

Of course even then he'd probably still be a producer and still have a lot of control over it's development, since Iwata has made it clear that Smash Bros is Sakurai's series and he gets to decide what happens to it.  Because of this Nintendo's not going get rid of Sakurai and change one of the most popular series that keeps getting more popular each gen just because a certain group on the internet wants them too.

This again... I find it odd when people point out Iwata said this and Miyamoto said that as if it even matters. Nintendo will do whatever they want with their own franchises.

Actually, nothing I said suggested not making it Smash Brothers...

...a second attack button...

Once you start making it more of a traditional fighter, it stops being Smash Bros. The series was always simple to play, but difficult to master. Adding an attack button makes it difficult to play and even more difficult to master. I suggested Nintendo make a new mascot fighting game. Your idea could be it; just don't call it Smash Bros. because it's not Smash Bros. at all...

8003

General Gaming / Re: Sony's Motion in the Blue Ocean

« on: December 05, 2010, 09:05:17 PM »

However, Sony made a major design mistake with the Slim in removing 2 of the USB ports, so now there are only 2.  That means on my new PS3, I only have 2 ports and if I have a Move, the camera takes up one slot all the time.  That means I have one slot to charge 2 controllers (Move and Nav, or Move and Move depending on the game), and only one slot to charge 4 controllers if I were to play multiplayer.  That's just bad design.

Agreed. I only have 2 DS3s so I usually only use 1 USB port at a time anyway. If I bought Move, I'd almost certainly buy the Move charger which I suppose was Sony's intention all along. I doubt removing 2 USB ports in the Slim was really a difference maker. Seems like poor planning considering they knew Move was on the way. It's kind of one big F-U to their fans. "Support Move... we even made it more annoying for you." Fail.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Donkey Kong Country Wii

« on: December 05, 2010, 08:52:58 PM »

This game tries my patience so much sometimes. Classic Controller support isn't going to change the fact that this game is groin grabbingly difficult. I don't think I've beaten a single level without dying. The Caves collectively raped some 70 lives I had amassed while playing through the game getting the Kong letters and puzzle pieces. Still, there's nothing more satisfying than completing a stage with everything and never using the Super Guide.

I love Donkey Kong Country Returns. It's probably my favorite Wii game this year. I'll be going back to Super Mario Galaxy 2 after this and it feels like a downgrade: still awesome, just not as awesome. I think Retro has just spoiled me. They've yet to make a game I've hated. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is their worst game and even that's still pretty good.

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General Gaming / Re: PSP2 - It's coming and we know it

« on: December 04, 2010, 09:42:04 PM »

Looks pretty bulky. Well, not compared to a DS or PSP. As a phone, I wouldn't want to hold that up to my ear.

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

« on: December 04, 2010, 09:37:46 PM »

I actually think that Smash Bros has a lot of life in it left...

...I think a second attack button is much needed, and actually a well designed combo system and string system that is more inline with traditional fighters would be great too.

You basically just suggested they make an entirely different game because what you described isn't anything remotely resembling Smash Bros. anymore.

True, Sakurai didn't really innovate too much with Brawl, although he fixed the broken train wreck that was Melee.

Ehh... Brawl was still broken, just in different ways.

8007

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

« on: December 04, 2010, 08:42:39 PM »

I still feel like Smash Bros. has run its course. Brawl wasn't a bad game by any means, but outside of the graphics, it did just about everything worse than Melee. I still love the concept of a mascot fighting game though I would like to see Nintendo do something new. If they decide on making a 4th Smash Bros. title, I hope Masahiro Sakurai does not direct it. Before anyone says Smash Bros. is Sakurai's and no one should dare touch it, please keep in mind that Retro Studios, for example, took 2 franchises that existed far before they were even a company and not only did those IPs justice, but made instant classics and arguably some of the best games in those series.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Donkey Kong Country Wii

« on: December 04, 2010, 08:28:09 PM »

Lots of good stuff in this one and how the game was made.  Also some rather interesting things as well.

Iwata:  I remember telling you during the first meeting to treat the music with care. The music for Donkey Kong Country is in my iPod and I often listen to it even today. I don't often do that, but Donkey Kong Country had so many memorable tracks that I bought the soundtrack CD.

I kind of feel like the most interesting thing about this quote is that Iwata admittedly owns an iPod. A pretty bold statement coming from the same person who said Apple is "the enemy of the future." Bill and Melinda Gates won't allow any Apple products into their home/floating castle fortress.

The good thing is, this game is nothing like any of the original DKC games. I mean sure, it has Donkey Kong in it, but it also has great level design, amazing graphics and art direction, tons of personality and tons of incentive to replay levels. The original games had none of that, so I guess this is merely DKC in name alone.

Well, yeah, by today's standards. In 1994, those graphics were Oh-My-God...

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General Gaming / Re: Xbox720 - that's 2 full revolutions - to hit in 2012? ~Rumor/Speculation Thread~

« on: December 02, 2010, 12:59:47 AM »

Kinect is apparently doing pretty well. I'm still not convinced it'll be more than a novelty. I do expect 2012 to be when both Microsoft and Sony launch new consoles.

A quick Google search shows AMD rolling out the Fusion series next year with newer models coming in 2012 so I suppose this is a possibility. The rumor just seems a little over-reaching. Would something like this really leak 2 years before Microsoft plans on launching their next console? Doubt it.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo 3DS Discussion

« on: November 23, 2010, 08:14:12 PM »

Oh my mistake.... FALSE ALARM. Go ahead and un-cancel those pre-orders.
http://www.siliconera.com/2010/11/04/mega-man-resident-evil-and-silpheed-go-glasses-free-3d-on-android-phone/


3DS is many leagues above that visually and probably in battery life too.

That looks like the iPhone version of RE4 so I can only guess Capcom ported that to Android. In any case, have you ever played it? My friend had it on his iPod touch and it's flippin' awful. These kinds of games don't work without physical buttons.

Honestly, the only thing 3D screens on a phone does is increase the number of car accidents per year due to people focusing on the screen trying to center the 3D image.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 23, 2010, 08:00:32 PM »

That chart seems indicative to the idea that the 3DS could threaten the Wii 2.

No, it really doesn't. In fact, it indicates the opposite. Nintendo has dominated hardware sales this entire generation thus far in two separate markets. Wii and DS coexisted and made Nintendo multiple Scrooge McDuck towers full of gold coins. I don't see how one was a threat to the other or how their successors could threaten each other.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Donkey Kong Country Wii

« on: November 21, 2010, 03:58:06 PM »

This seems to be the year of games I'm not usually interested in but end up surprising me (Super Mario Galaxy, Split/Second, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, etc.) , so I thought I'd give it a chance.  Just starting that up now.

Exact opposite for me. I've bought so many games in the past few months: Metroid: Other M, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Goldeneye, and now this. I also bought Halo Reach and Fable 3 for my brother and A Boy and his Blob used. Super Mario All-Stars will round out the year though if I had more spending cash, I would have bought NBA Jam and Epic Mickey. This was a phenomenal end of year for me. I haven't bought this many games so close together in.... probably ever.

Anyway, I'm digging Donkey Kong Country Returns. Could have used an option for the classic controller or at least either C or Z (pretty sure Z and B do the same thing) to roll, but the controls work pretty well. Blowing air could have been nixed entirely and collecting puzzle pieces is kind of lame. Would have been nice if Donkey Kong could do his spinning jump move from Smash Bros. Otherwise, I like this game a lot.

8013

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 18, 2010, 07:42:22 PM »

I detest load times. I don't care if it's only a few seconds. Cards > Discs

Dead, ignorant... whatever. Inconsequential. Besides a few games here and there, support has been awful.

8014

General Gaming / Re: PSP2 - It's coming and we know it

« on: November 18, 2010, 05:02:32 PM »

I'll just quote a previous post that could give you a better idea on how it might work.

I know how it might work. I just find it less useful than a touchscreen.

The rear trackpad, as BnM mentioned as a dual analog alternative, and mouse, the rear trackpad is near genius.

The rumored PSP2 dev kit has 2 analog sticks. Using an on screen cursor with an unobstructed view is about the only real advantage over the touchscreen.

Also for a game like [Okami] you again don't need to see what you're doing, you just need to perform the symbol.

True, but that game is still possible on a touchscreen. In fact, DS is getting the sequel, Okamiden. However, as I previously stated, there are games such as Elite Beat Agents where you absolutely do need to see what you're doing. The rear trackpad just seems like a stepback when Sony could just as easily throw in a touchscreen. Here's an idea: include both a touchscreen and a rear touchpad. That wouldn't really add too much to the price and, honestly, I doubt that's really a concern for Sony considering how juiced the hardware supposedly is.

8015

General Gaming / Re: PSP2 - It's coming and we know it

« on: November 18, 2010, 12:32:08 AM »

It's exactly like a touch screen only you don't touch the front of the screen and obstruct your view.

It lacks precision since you're have no idea where your tapping or swiping. That, to me, seems far less convenient or intuitive. Maybe I just need to see it in action. However, a game like Elite Beat Agents wouldn't even work with a rear trackpad instead of a touchscreen. I feel like anything you can do with a rear trackpad, you can do and almost always do better with a touchscreen. An obstructed view wasn't ever really a problem on DS as no one complained about it. The rear trackpad seems to be Sony's lame attempt at innovation. Jeez, of all the things not to completely copy from Nintendo...

8016

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 18, 2010, 12:20:52 AM »

To establish a relatively large userbase from the outset.

Sigh. "As I've already said, Nintendo competes with itself everyday. Consumers are capable of buying both and have been doing so for the past 4 years." Wii 2 launching the same year wouldn't affect 3DS at all for the reason stated above.

*rhetorical questions + awesome Batman reference*

3DS will sell out at launch regardless of what time of the year it is. Investors groaned at missing the Xmas season because Xmas season is the biggest shopping season of the year and they want to see a return on investment now and later, not just later and... laterer.

Obvi.

I see no issues with 3DS first holiday coinciding with the Wii2 launch other than Nintendo feeling the time period too packed with NEW system advertisements, but I also don't see why a post Xmas early 2012 launch would be off the books either if the 3DS launch is a success. You get a 9 month headstart heading into the holidays to build up hype, straighten out supply issues and get past the craptacular launch games. If it works for 3DS, I don't see why Nintendo would have an issue trying it out for Wii2 if that's the way the cards needed to be played.

I agree though I wouldn't use 3DS as a measure of how Wii 2 may fair. The DS brand is a beast that rapes and murders everything unfortunate enough to be in its path. The Wii isn't quite the indestructible force of nature.

Anyway, I never said Nintendo absolutely must launch Wii 2 Q4 2011. In fact, my exact words were: Nintendo isn't in some dire need of meeting a Q4 2011 launch. They can afford to miss it and, in fact, should if the lineup is weak and the supply is egregiously low. However, I doubt Nintendo wants to miss next holiday season for obvious reasons and they'll avoid it if they can. There are more benefits to launching in late 2011 than anytime in 2012.

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General Gaming / Re: PSP2 - It's coming and we know it

« on: November 17, 2010, 11:03:47 PM »

That right thumbstick on the outside is going to take some getting used to. Also, I still don't get the rear trackpad. I find that to be far less useful than a touchscreen.

8018

TalkBack / Re: Wii Speak Not Discontinued

« on: November 17, 2010, 10:59:05 PM »

I never actually used my Wii Speak. I guess it's a good thing I got it for $6. It's more of a collector's item than anything. Like, ROB... except boring.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 17, 2010, 10:56:20 PM »

That's why holiday 2012 (or beyond) is when they'll launch their next home system. This gives the 3DS a comfy holiday by itself, and allows Zelda Skyward Sword to become a holiday hit too.

3DS doesn't need a holiday by itself. I don't know where this line of thinking is coming from. As I've already said, Nintendo competes with itself everyday. Consumers are capable of buying both and have been doing so for the past 4 years.

Apple has proven that people will buy a product whenever it is released if they want it.  They don't launch their new iphones at Christmas...they launch them mid year.  Why is that?  Because they know people want to buy new iphones.

... and because AT&T let hundreds of thousands of people renew 6 months early just for the iPhone 4. Riddle me this, Batman, why do so many of the biggest games and most new hardware launches happen before the holiday season? Why did Nintendo's shares drop and investors groan when Nintendo announced 3DS was missing the holiday season?

The 3DS is compelling and people want to buy it...March will be fine and will sell the 3DS throughout the year.  Why is it hard to believe that Nintendo can't do that for the Wii 2.0 in March?

Wii 2 is a harder sell. Nintendo has to have something compelling enough to re-attract casual gamers because a prettier Wii Sports won't hack it. They need to convince core gamers that Wii 2 won't be a joke for them this time which includes convincing 3rd parties to care as much as they care about PS3/360. 3DS has none of these issues. It's getting tons of support and is the successor of the most popular handheld ever across all audiences. On top of that, Nintendo's competition in the handheld market is basically just Sony. That's like picking on the smelly kid in school.

In fact, if I was Nintendo I would assume that they are targeting that holiday season...and if that was the case, I want my system out first...I don't want to compete with 2 other consoles on the market.

Exactly. And why wouldn't Nintendo want a whole holiday season head start?

Of course, that argument could also be used to support the idea of an early 2012 Wii 2 launch.

How so? They miss the biggest rush of the year and would be launching after consumers have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on not Wii 2.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 17, 2010, 06:13:05 PM »

Nintendo needed to launch the GameCube and GBA though because the PS2 was out, the XBox was on the way, and the Nintendo 64 was selling poorly. At this point, they don't need to launch their next system in the same year as a new handheld because they are not desperate for a hot product like they were in 2001.

Necessity and desperation have nothing to do with the fact that Nintendo would rather not miss the holiday season unless they absolutely have to. People spend more then spend significantly less in the following months, partly because they just spent so much and are allowing their poor butt-hurt bank accounts to sit on their proverbial inflatable donuts. Nintendo isn't in some dire need of meeting a Q4 2011 launch. However, releasing a product when consumers are far more willing to spend money obviously makes more sense than releasing a product after people have spent a lot of money. Nintendo should only pass on launching the successor to the Wii next year if they have literally no strong 1st or 3rd party title to launch with. They should though, even if it means 1 major 1st party killer app (i.e. Mario) and same day ports of 3rd party 360/PS3 games. It establishes the console as a hot, must-buy item while also taking sales away from the competition.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 17, 2010, 12:28:16 AM »

The 3DS is going to have a huge Christmas that year and unnecessarily competing with your own hardware, for what ever reason, is idiotic.

Nintendo has competed with its own hardware everyday for the past 21 years. Since the Gameboy, Nintendo has always marketed and sold a handheld and home console at the same time. It's worked out especially well for them thus far. Nintendo even launched both Gamecube and Gameboy Advance in 2001 so there's precedence for Nintendo launching 2 brand new pieces of hardware in the same year.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 16, 2010, 12:51:35 AM »

The Wii2 most likely won't be another revolution...

Another? Don't they need a first? /rimshot

As much as Nintendo would love to drag the Wii out as long as possible, there just don't think there will be enough software to support the hardware sales past 2011. Not from 1st party and certainly not from 3rd parties.

Yeah, eventually resources have to shift to their next console. I think they've already started. Several of Nintendo's internal development teams have probably released their last Wii titles this year and last and are now working on 3DS and Wii 2 titles. We haven't heard from the Pikmin team since New Super Mario Bros. Wii came out.  If Nintendo launches next November, Software Development Group No. 4 will have had 2 years or more to come up with something. Wishful thinking, but I'd love to see them get both Pikmin 3 and New Super Mario Bros. 3 out at launch.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 15, 2010, 05:33:53 PM »

It also depends on the chipsets Nintendo uses and just because the hardware is powerful, doesn't mean it's necessarily expensive. Gamecube's Flipper and Gekko were mighty impressive and Nintendo managed to make a slight profit even at launch.

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TalkBack / Re: Angry Birds Coming to Wii

« on: November 13, 2010, 12:49:20 AM »

stating that the game will be "bigger than Tetris" just reeks as overconfidence as this may be their one big title and that's it.

Alexey Pajitnov made one big title. It's called Tetris. Overconfident or not, Rovio making one game that people the world over really enjoy may not be such a bad way to go out. We can't all be Miyamoto.

It's like if a popular local indie band walked up to someone and said "WE WILL BE MORE POPULAR THAN THE BEATLES" simply because their first concert sold out in one local bar.

Or if one of your band members says, "We're more popular than Jesus now." 

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Wii Successor and Glassess Free 3D: How Will It Work?

« on: November 12, 2010, 08:30:20 PM »

But releasing the Wii 2 in 2011 would cannalbalize the 3DS and visa versa, right?

Not necessarily. Nintendo launched Gameboy Advance and Gamecube in 2001. Sales of the former didn't really affect the latter though we were living in much gentler economic times and GBA didn't cost a kidney and your first born child.

Meanwhile Nintendo is super secretive about future projects.  We've had times before where around this time in the year it looked like there was squat for the next year.  But it was just that Nintendo didn't announce it well in advance.  They don't like keeping us filled in.  That personally pisses me off and I see as insulting to their fanbase but that is what they've done for a while now.

Last year, they announced Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid Other M, and Sin and Punishment while Kirby's Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns were unveiled at E3 2010. I don't see that happening for the Wii next year. We have Zelda as the only definite. Unless Nintendo is planning on surprising us with Star Fox and F-Zero, Skyward Sword is looking like the console's swan song. It's hard to ask for a better game to go out on.

So I don't think we can make a good prediction about when the Wii 2 is going to drop because it would not be unlike Nintendo to just drop something huge like that at some point next year, six months away from launch.

Nintendo announced DS in January 2004, unveiled it in May at E3, revealed the redesign in July, and launched in November 2004. They attempted on an even faster turn around with 3DS. Unless you're Michael Pachter, I think most of us can make an educated guess. November 2011 is a good prediction and there are a lot of telling signs pointing to it.