Author Topic: eShop (Read 11192 times)

TJ Spyke · « **on:** March 19, 2012, 07:55:11 PM »

I don't think there is a central topic to talk about the eShop and its games, so maybe this can be it? I don't have much experience with it, but still.

Anyways, GameStop has started selling download codes for Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and Pushmo on their site. AFAIK, the eShop still doesn't have a gift function, so you could use this as a way to gift the games to people (by buying the game and giving them the code).

delebreaub · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2012, 09:14:49 PM »

At one GameStop I was at, they were also advertising that customers could buy codes for 3D Classics: Kid Icarus starting this Friday. They were listed at $5.99 each. I didn't ask about them though.

TrueNerd · « **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2012, 10:12:24 PM »

Can we talk about why Virtual Console support has been pathetically anemic for no real reason whatsoever?

nickmitch · « **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2012, 11:32:11 PM »

I think the real reason is that they're not currently selling GBA games, and Nintendo probably has to do some thinking about which games deserve the '3DS Classics' treatment. They could just port everything as-is, charge Wii VC prices and update them for free, or update them and charge a premium, OR port them now, charge a premium and just update them later.

leahsdad · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2012, 02:39:36 AM »

Quote from: nickmitch on March 20, 2012, 11:32:11 PM

I think the real reason is that they're not currently selling GBA games, and Nintendo probably has to do some thinking about which games deserve the '3DS Classics' treatment. They could just port everything as-is, charge Wii VC prices and update them for free, or update them and charge a premium, OR port them now, charge a premium and just update them later.

You know, I would happily settle for more GB games, or even GBC games. Apparently, for Nintendo the "problem" is that they've had a lot of eshop games to sell us. I love the eshop games, don't get me wrong. But would it really be the end of the world if they regularly put up an eshop game AND a VC game?

With that said, what's up for release now? I know they have Escape Vektor and Colors 3D coming up soon, but I think that's it for the forseeable future. Maybe that means we'll be getting more VC soon.

TJ Spyke · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2012, 04:49:12 PM »

The sequel to ThruSpace[/i] will be released in North America on April 12 according to NOA's Twitter account.

leahsdad · « **Reply #6 on:** April 17, 2012, 05:16:39 PM »

Quote from: TJ Spyke on March 22, 2012, 04:49:12 PM

The sequel to ThruSpace will be released in North America on April 12 according to NOA's Twitter account.

Oh, wait, did you hear that sound just now? That was my hope for more GB and GBC VC, going away to die.

I wonder how profitable VC is compared to Eshop games, for Nintendo? I'm betting Eshop games do a lot better for them, since they don't have to make/emulate them. Or worry about getting rights. Or worry about making me happy.

I'm going to go play more Bionic Commando now.

TrueNerd · « **Reply #7 on:** April 17, 2012, 07:09:36 PM »

They're both more or less free money for Nintendo. Sure they get a cut of every eShop game sold just for hosting the service, but they get ALL of the money from Virtual Console games, minus some emulation efforts.

Regardless, I'm nearing the point of rioting over the lack of Virtual Console support on 3DS.

FZeroBoyo · « **Reply #8 on:** April 18, 2012, 11:24:06 PM »

The last Virtual Console games we got on the eShop were the three Game Gear games on March 15. Since then, it's been Zombie Slayer Diox (mediocre, by the sound of it), Arc Style Soccer 3D (supposedly bad), Colors! 3D (pretty darn great), and Ketzal's Corridors (the positive side of mixed).

The last Virtual Console game prior to Game Gear was Punch-Out!!: Featuring Mr. Dream on March 8. Last Game Boy game was Maru's Mission back in February. Maybe they'll realize a two month drought is long enough for now and give us Wario Land at long last?

Also, I'm not sure how credible this is, but Nintendo Everything posted the top-selling eShop games from several weeks ago:

1. Colors! 3D
2. Super Mario Bros.
3. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
4. Metal Torrent
5. Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble
6. Pushmo
7. Cut The Rope
8. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
9. Dillon’s Rolling Western
10. GO Series Undead Storm
11. 3D Classics: Kirby’s Adventure
12. Plants vs. Zombies
13. Fun! Fun! Minigolf Touch!
14. Photo Dojo
15. Ketzal’s Corridors
16. Super Mario Land
17. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
18. Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
19. Bloons TD
20. Mario Clock

NeoStar9X · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2012, 12:21:14 AM »

They likely pulled the list from the eShop itself. There is a chart section that shows these list.

FZeroBoyo · « **Reply #10 on:** April 19, 2012, 12:36:36 AM »

Ah. I'll have to be more thorough, then...

Anyway, I observe the following from the list:

People are okay with re-buying NES games.
Most of the eShop originals are Nintendo-published.
Dillon's Rolling Western being in the Top 10 after two months makes me happy.

xcwarrior · « **Reply #11 on:** April 19, 2012, 06:50:24 AM »

There needs to be more titles come out each week. Japan is getting a lot more than us, its no wonder it's selling well over there. Nintendo just thinks they can live off a couple of titles each month over here to sustain things. I sure hope something changes come E3.

TrueNerd · « **Reply #12 on:** April 19, 2012, 06:09:53 PM »

Urge to kill... RISING.

leahsdad · « **Reply #13 on:** April 20, 2012, 12:29:51 PM »

Quote from: xcwarrior on April 19, 2012, 06:50:24 AM

There needs to be more titles come out each week. Japan is getting a lot more than us, its no wonder it's selling well over there. Nintendo just thinks they can live off a couple of titles each month over here to sustain things. I sure hope something changes come E3.

The only reason that I can think of, besides a pure cost/benefit comparison of VC development vs. Eshop game publishing, is that NOA (as opposed to NCL) think that VC is a purely niche market here in North America, and that they'll sell more copies and convince new people to buy more 3DS if they have more exclusive eshop games. As if NOA is looking to compete with Apple and its App store, and hence searching for their own equivalent of Angry Birds.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #14 on:** April 20, 2012, 03:26:59 PM »

The thing is, though, there's nothing stopping them from doing both original stuff AND Virtual Console. I'm not asking for 2-4 every week like they did for a while early in the Wii's life, but if they could just release at least one VC game a week alongside the new stuff.

Rodrigue · « **Reply #15 on:** April 21, 2012, 07:39:00 AM »

Is it normal that the Updates option tells me none of my titles need to be updated, but when I go to My Downloads I can see many games that have updates available?

What is in those updates anyway? I've got some for basically all my Virtual Console and 3D Classics games.

FZeroBoyo · « **Reply #16 on:** April 30, 2012, 10:23:00 AM »

VIRTUAL CONSOLE LIVES!!!

...in Europe, at least.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/04/nintendo_download_3rd_may_2012_europe

I'd like to think North America will get it soon, but history implies that that won't be the case... Shame too, because Game & Watch Gallery 2 is a game I'm really wanting to play.

FZeroBoyo · « **Reply #17 on:** May 10, 2012, 01:13:35 PM »

The eShop added a "Available Next Week..." category this week and...

VIRTUAL CONSOLE LIVES!!!

Kirby's Block Ball, to be specific. A sign that NoA hasn't completely abandoned it. Lord hope this is the beginning of a resurgence... Wario Land and Game & Watch Gallery 2 are calling!

TrueNerd · « **Reply #18 on:** May 11, 2012, 09:51:19 PM »

Nothing says "Sorry about those three months of no support, we're totally gonna change" like a great Alleyway knock off. Maybe at this rate we'll get Wario Land 3 sometime before 2014. Probably not though.

I completely forgot that yesterday was "new stuff on Nintendo download services" day. Recently the only reason I remember is so I can troll NOA's twitter but I can't even be bothered to do that anymore. Hopefully next week is the start of some consistency and eShop can return to a place of legitimacy that it very much was at the end of 2011. I will gladly stop bitching. But I'm not holding my breath.

Uncle_Optimus · « **Reply #19 on:** May 13, 2012, 01:54:57 PM »

"Why does Nintendo choose to release nothing on eShop for weeks"?

This is a great question. It is very puzzling for us consumers who want to... consume things ...and it seems on the surface as if it takes relatively small effort on Nintendo's part to line up a steady stream of content for purchase and enjoyment.
So why isn't there, for example, bare minimum a new VC game and a new eShop game every week? I'm pretty sure it is not because they are stupid-heads. There must be a specific, beady profit-minded reason behind this seeming madness.

My take is that Nintendo believes they released content too regularly back on the Wii VC and missed potential profits from releases that were not given their adequate time in the spotlight, so to speak. Thus this drip-feed torture of a release strategy has manifested. Secondly, they are probably looking to make a big splash at and post-E3 so I expect a healthy wave of stuff following this huge marketing opportunity. Hopefully it carries through summer!

On a side note, this gets me thinking about why Wi VC releases died such a horrible death of terminal neglect (while Japan seemed to have gotten a continuous stream of retro goodies and Europe got something like every few months). The answer likely again lies in profitability...NOA looked at the costs to prepare a ROM for the VC store (including mandatory fees like ESRB and server upkeep) looked at what was a likely a pathetic dearth of sales (due in no small part to a terribly designed storefront) and decided 'meh. The NWR guyz (Greg!...*sob sob*) once talked about how NOA's operations had shifted once Reggie took the reins. It became more calculated in their releases and less willing to take chances, and I think that is a fascinating assessment.

Uncle_Optimus · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2012, 01:59:30 PM »

Quote from: TrueNerd on May 11, 2012, 09:51:19 PM

Nothing says "Sorry about those three months of no support, we're totally gonna change" like a great Alleyway knock off. Maybe at this rate we'll get Wario Land 3 sometime before 2014. Probably not though.

I completely forgot that yesterday was "new stuff on Nintendo download services" day. Recently the only reason I remember is so I can troll NOA's twitter but I can't even be bothered to do that anymore. Hopefully next week is the start of some consistency and eShop can return to a place of legitimacy that it very much was at the end of 2011. I will gladly stop bitching. But I'm not holding my breath.

I LOL'ed at the "troll NOA's twitter" comment. Those guys are shrewd. They know that their indifference will almost always outlast a passionate customer's pleas. Operation Rainfall was a stunning break from the norm!
One thing I think you can definitely look forward to is lots of interesting stuff Post-E3, especially in the eShop department. Perhaps many developers fear that a May release will quickly be swept aside in the torrent of E3 announcements and teams showing their stuff to great fanfare at the event.
...small consolation...

Pixelated Pixies · « **Reply #21 on:** August 25, 2012, 11:56:02 AM »

I was going to create a new thread quite similar to this, as it seemed to me that there was no central thread on which to discuss recent and upcoming eshop virtual console releases. I guess it had already been created, but wasn't being used. I just thought we should try and resurrect it.

In Europe last week we got Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon. I enjoyed Mystical Ninja on SNES back in the day, but have never played this incarnation and was wondering if anyone knew whether or not it was any good? NWR's Recommendations feature is cool and all but it seems to be focused largely on the NA release schedule. Can anyone vouch for this game?

On another note, I notice that the Nintendo UK website updated earlier to show that Kirby's Star Stacker (which upon first glimpse I thought said Sticker Star) is being released in Europe on 30th Aug. Based on the video on the UK website it seems like a tetris-inspired puzzle game. Having never played the game I can't speak to how intricate the game is, but the video seems to make it look pretty simple. There are several 'blocks', including a bird, mouse, fish and star. The stars are more prominent and the goal seems to be to bookend a line of stars with two of the same 'block', for example two bird 'blocks'.

Again, I'm not sure if this game is any good, but Kirby spin-offs have a tendency to be pretty good, so I'm thinking of giving it a go. Has anyone tried this game?

Pixelated Pixies · « **Reply #22 on:** March 06, 2013, 08:13:36 AM »

Is 3DS eShop ever going to get a gifting feature? I've lost count of how many times I've wanted to gift games but haven't been able to. It's a real bummer.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #23 on:** March 06, 2013, 08:24:37 AM »

I really don't understand that. It's a fantastic feature, whose only purpose is to get Nintendo extra sales, and yet for some reason they don't feel like implementing it.

TJ Spyke · « **Reply #24 on:** April 25, 2013, 12:57:34 AM »

Matt Bozon of WayForward Technologies has Tweeted that the Game Boy Color game Shantae should be released on the eShop between mid-June and early July: https://twitter.com/MrBozon/status/326912606038278144

"Shantae Virtual Console update: looks like mid June-early July. Will keep you posted!"

News:

Author Topic: eShop (Read 11192 times)