Messages

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TalkBack / Re: Old Navy Giving Away New Super Mario Bros. U on Black Friday

« on: November 16, 2012, 12:29:36 PM »

Not a bad deal at all if you're buying clothes anyway, but is $20 in your pocket worth the gas in your car, sitting in traffic and dealing with Black Friday parking/mall/insanity?


I hope that sweaty dirty gamers don't rape this promotion just to save themselves $20 and that it actually goes to those poor misguided moms who have sold their dignity and part of their soul to get their kids some clothes for Christmas on Black Friday and maybe the incentive of receiving the free game will inspire them to just buy their kid the new console and make it a magical christmas for them rather than one doomed to just unwrapping cargo shorts and a few pair of socks..

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TalkBack / Re: Wii U USB Storage Detailed

« on: November 14, 2012, 08:00:57 PM »

@Stevey

Sony already did that with the PS3 and there was a **** storm how no one could play signal player games because PSN was hack. The industry is not heading that way.

The industry quite frankly doesn't care about the relative few hardcore with loud voices. You're entitled to your opinion of course, but with respect, by this time next year I'd be willing to put money on the fact that MS and Sony will be building their platforms on a persistent Internet connection system, not unlike the direction Blizzard already has moved forward with on Diablo 3 and how Valve largely pioneered the practice with Steam. The future for consoles is always-on Internet connection, if you were to ask any publisher/developer (and make no mistake they hold a majority stake of the power in all of this) the quicker they can take control away from the used game market (and physical copies as a result) the better for them. Part in parcel of that model is security and persistent online authentication in that realm is the most reliable measure (outside of the jungle gym of procedures Nintendo is throwing down on their storage requirements).

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TalkBack / Re: Wii U USB Storage Detailed

« on: November 14, 2012, 06:43:08 PM »

@iansane
I think you make a good point about the magic behind the success of the wii; back then it felt like the future, like Satoru burst into E3 in a DeLorean like doc brown and unveiled the hoverboard of gaming for all to behold. And people bought it simply because it looked and played completely different from anything before it for the first few years. And you're right, this time around it feels like they are maybe trying to carve out their place in the market with the same "our controller is different so it's better" gimmick rather than just going back to basics and trying to make a console first.


But I have hope this is not the case...

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TalkBack / Re: Wii U USB Storage Detailed

« on: November 14, 2012, 04:55:43 PM »

@Phantom7300
Just be prepared not to use that hard drive for anything else - after you format it to WiiU Nintendo owns it.

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TalkBack / Re: Wii U USB Storage Detailed

« on: November 14, 2012, 04:28:15 PM »

@CoffeeWithGames
You're right, they are not doing themselves any favours selling this thing by running around frantically trying to plug holes in the information boat while it's sinking..

Maybe it's just because the social space has advanced so much and we've all been trained on how console launches are supposed to happen over the past 10 years, but the sporadic and often unnannounced Nintendo Direct onslaught in the past 2 weeks leading up to ground zero seem to illustrate that Nintendo themselves barely know what the hell they are going to do with this thing.
It's almost like they spent all their time worried about how this gamepad and MiiVerse would be integrated into the experience (which is kind of important of course) but neglected to fully think through the basic console 101 stuff now that they have a proper big boy console on their hands. This memory expansion stuff is a total mess at the moment and I think it will come off to the average person as very intimidating or confusing. Moms understand USB thumb drives and SD cards because they use them with cameras and the old computer all the time. But now there's diagrams with random HardDrives with "Y cables" but they should get one that has a separate power supply but make sure you get one that's big enough but not more than 2TB or else it will explode and they can't use the SD card for WiiU storage but that's okay for Wii stuff and the Wii games they downloaded require a separate mode - Why the hell is it so convoluted?

I do understand why there is such frantic protection over how they allow storage to be used due to piracy, but there is absolutely no mystery in how to solve it; online authentication. They're basically already telling everyone that the WiiU is nothing without an Internet connection, why not take it the full step further, allow people to use whatever the hell kind of storage they want without limits, but if they want to run any kind of game the system requires online authentication similar to Steam that is linked to your Nintendo ID and logged. Heck, you could even bring your digital games with you to your friends house (or re-download them there so long as you log in and authenticate).

Of course everyone would be crying over that too because they don't have Internet, and what if the internet is down, etc. but at least it makes things a lot more simple for every non-pirate who just wants to enjoy the thing without having to go through all these ridiculous hoops. You can bet your ass that Microsoft and Sony are looking to that type of model for their next machine.

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TalkBack / Re: Some Wii U Features Require Day-One Update

« on: November 09, 2012, 03:49:05 PM »

Abiding Fanboyish chasing of Super?

  Also, @llaffer, can we just bring it in for hug? Seriously, let's just digital hug it out right now (not sure what the emoticon for that is, maybe you can show me and we can have a heart-warming Internet moment?)

Wii U is almost a week away, Reggie and Satoru would want it that way. Plus I don't want things to be awkward if we stumble into each other in the Miiverse or at WaraWara Plaza.

your friend in Nintendo.

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TalkBack / Re: Some Wii U Features Require Day-One Update

« on: November 09, 2012, 02:35:58 PM »

Wii U launches in one week - it's an all-new console with all new controls and new features previously unseen on a Nintendo platform - but what everyone REALLY wants to know, the BIG question: can it tell time?!?!?  : : : : : : : : :

LOL I know you were only half joking, but to answer your questions:

I thought I could be troll-free at a site like this, I guess I'm wrong.
I'm just as caught up on the news as most of the staff at this site.  I understand that not EVERYONE has this question, but that still doesn't mean that I can't ask it.

Ummm, wow you call that trolling? you have some serious sensitivity issues than brother. You have to admit your question was a little ridiculous given the context of this article, I just made fun of that fact, not you personally. Also, I went on to try and actually answer your question so if that bothers you I'd venture to say that your reply to me was more of troll - but I won't because I know the difference and have the ability to laugh at myself.

In the future why don't you lighten up a little, maybe don't take yourself so seriously, we're all here for the same reason.

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TalkBack / Re: Wii U eShop to Feature Game Demos

« on: November 09, 2012, 02:22:40 PM »

@TendoBoy

And now for the bad news: According to Nintendo's Japanese site, SD cards can't be used to expand the console's storage. You must use a USB hard drive for that.

I looked through the Japanese site myself and I don't see where you are getting this information from or perhaps it is being misinterpreted. I'm not saying that you are incorrect (there's no way of knowing for sure until we actually get our hands on it). I'm just suggesting that saying SD cards can't be used to expand the console's storage is a little misleading because, at the very least even if they are just used to store legacy Wii content and Mii information, etc. that is still memory that is being expanded from the core system and any USB external drive. BUT what I think you are implying is that you can't actually use an SD card to store and play downloaded games and content on Wii U and need to rely on external USB drives for that.

Well, from a straight performance perspective, my understanding is that USB 2.0 is substantially faster than even a class 10 SD card in terms of access time and data transfer so I could see there being some merit in claiming that the Wii U can only play games that are stored on the internal memory or USB HDD as opposed to an SD card due to access time and reliability of data transfer. However, at the same time it is my understanding that SD cards (class 10) still have faster access time for data transfer than Blu-Ray Disc access time for data transfer. So in that regard, if full retail games are accessed from what is essentially a Blu-Ray Disc, in terms of performance and reading information into local memory, why would an SD card be any different? After all, they are both just storage mediums that need to transfer their data into system RAM when they run.

With all of that taken into account, I can't possibly see how or why Nintendo would restrict the ability to play downloaded content and games off of an SD card when they already allow the ability to do so through USB external storage. Especially when the only advantage to USB external storage is greater capacity and faster transfer performance, even though SD cards are still faster than Blu-Ray Disc transfer.

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TalkBack / Re: Penchant for Puzzles: A StreetPass Story

« on: November 09, 2012, 12:51:32 PM »

I too had an obsession with the puzzle piece street pass collection. Whenever you get one of the special pink pieces that you can't buy with coins it just adds to the addiction of taking public transit or walking past 3DS displays at electronic stores, etc. for no other logical reason than the potential for acquiring the pieces you need to complete the set.


Most frustrating part ever? when you have just one more piece to go to complete a panel and you spend your daily limit of 10 streetpass coins and receive the same repeat piece 3 times in a row. That hurts. Especially when it's followed up with 2 other dud pieces and every other streetpass that day had no new pieces for you. Those are the dark times. The times when you feel so low you might even play that free copy of Steel Diver you got when you pre-ordered that other game from Best Buy that one time. And then it gets very lonely, and dark, like that last EFFing room in the tower of FindMii where you burn through 40 Streetpass Miis because nobody ever chooses the colour WHITE for their damn shirt and you can't light up the room unless you randomly score a wandering hero that's white that you spend your precious streetpass coins on.


When you wake up the next morning face down on the floor and the warmth of the sun reminds you that today is a new day and 10 more streetpass coins and the promise of unknown numbers of new streetpass tags lay in wait, you feel whole again. And the cycle continues..


Approximately 570 days of 3DS ownership has earned me two completions of FindMii and 18 completed puzzle panels with a total of 465 pieces collected on puzzle swap. Once I completed the 18th panel I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and freedom from the burden of feeding my StreetPass Machine. I am almost terrified to find a new streetpass that will earn me a new puzzle panel because I don't know if I can handle the pressure anymore;)


Is there an aggregate list of every available puzzle panels (North America at least) for 3DS? Oh god, the urges are starting again. Make it stop!!


For those who have not yet been sucked into this vortex I warn you, count yourself lucky.

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TalkBack / Re: Some Wii U Features Require Day-One Update

« on: November 08, 2012, 12:56:52 PM »

Wii U launches in one week - it's an all-new console with all new controls and new features previously unseen on a Nintendo platform - but what everyone REALLY wants to know, the BIG question: can it tell time?!?!?  : : : : :


LOL I know you were only half joking, but to answer your questions:


XBOX 360: Yes, it does auto update DST
PS3: Yes, it does auto-update DST (choose update via Internet option) You're right I checked again, you need to choose the DST setting manually twice a year. It is devastating and very hard to do :
3DS: As far as I can tell, no.
WiiU: I'm waiting for Reggie to get back to me on that.

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TalkBack / Re: Wii U Boot Screen Officially Revealed for Television and GamePad

« on: November 07, 2012, 10:14:23 AM »

The newly-revealed menu screen on the GamePad bears a striking resemblance to the Wii's home menu.

A bit of an odd comparison to make considering that it is actually identical to the 3/DS home menu while the only resemblance to the Wii is that it is icon/tile-based. To be fair, only about 170 Million people actually own a 3DS or DS so I could see how that would be an obscure reference :

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TalkBack / Re: First North American Wii U Advertisement Video Airs Today

« on: November 01, 2012, 02:18:07 PM »

@Fatty-Hutt: I'm right there with you brother, hyped as hell for this system to launch. I hope it does well, I already know it's fun to play - even with the limited time I've tried it out - and has a ton of potential so naturally  hope it gets the support it needs to thrive and make gaming new and exciting again (but most of all, fun)

BTW, isn't it interesting is that, like the UK ad, nowhere do they mention the Nintendo brand name. Probably their way of trying to differentiate it from "Nintendo Wii" and just refer to it as "Wii U" fullstop.

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TalkBack / Re: First North American Wii U Advertisement Video Airs Today

« on: November 01, 2012, 02:10:35 PM »

First impression: MUCH better than the UK ad with that horribly annoying comedian as the announcer saying "pew pew pew pew pew" like it's an Asteroids arcade cabinet from the 80s...


Definitely does it's job speaking to the non-core audience, it looks and sounds like something new and the whole family can enjoy it or at least play together, but it certainly does nothing to speak to the core (that happened the second they showed SiNG footage)


Overall: this is definitely a Nintendo ad. It's safe and family-oriented. But it will do enough to spread the message that this thing is new and fun to play with - that's enough to get people in stores to the demo stations at least to see for themselves.

@Azeke lol the music is definitely an interesting choice...it sounds like the ad agency recommended something contemporary and high energy that the kids will understand like the ole Dubstep but the client felt uncomfortable with sounding too aggressive so they ended up with a remix of the music from the Gamepad promotional video shown at E3. Also, the legal copy "sequence shortened" stuff is there as a disclaimer for the Nintendo TVii stuff (for subscription-based content and the movie poster images I'm sure)

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TalkBack / Re: First North American Wii U Advertisement Video Airs Today

« on: November 01, 2012, 12:48:13 PM »

@UncleBob and friends
A lot of people don't understand the concept of what a brand is and how advertising actually works, so from your standpoint, I can see how you think this would be a waste of money given that preorders are sold out.

The truth is that the bulk of Nintendo's advertising for the console launch to it's core demographic has already happened through PR events and allowing word of mouth and anticipation do the rest (which in large part doesn't cost Nintendo a thing and evidenced by the fact that it is already sold out prior to launch).

The reality is that core fans who bought up all the pre-orders are not the ones who are really going to be making money for the company, and brand awareness to the remaining 80% of the market (who will be supporting the bulk of it's profits) who will potentially be buying this thing (that looks and sounds a whole lot like the thing Nintendo already has in the marketplace) is their top priority at this point, and frankly, providing 100% clarity with National TV exposure to moms watching Oprah, Dad's watching football, and kids whose parents don't let them use the Internet that the Wii U is something new, exciting and something they should buy is probably the most important use of their money at this point.

You don't just launch a product without announcing it to the world on day one just because pre-orders have sold out. You need to build the brand, create a saturation of awareness so that you can keep it top of mind when others are considering other options like cheaper xbox bundles this holiday season. You can also be gauranteed that stores have limited their pre-orders to allow for some walk-in units on launch day to increase demand and excitement.

So in short, this is probably the most important action NoA and Nintendo-at-large should be doing at this point and the money spent is certainly worth the alternative of a quiet or failed launch. All eyes (including investors and analysts) will be watching this ad - it's very important for the success of this launch.