Topic: Iwata Talks Shop with Level Up

[StrikerObi]

Nintendo's head honcho sits down with Newsweek's N'Gai Coral to talk business.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=14353

 N'Gai Coral, the head of Newsweek's "Level Up" videogame blog, just posted an interview he did with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata way back in July at E3. The two talk about all things Nintendo, including the company's strong focus on the casual gamer, the DS' dominance, and Nintendo's perception in the marketplace (below).    

There were doubts, of course, when we first began this whole approach. Once we were able to show success with what we were doing, that's what brought about that initial change that you're speaking of. Being part of the entertainment industry, part of our job is to surprise our audiences. So actually, if you look at this pattern where we came out with these ideas, everyone said you're not going to succeed, and yet we overcome all these obstacles and we do succeed, there's sort of a drama in there that is very fitting for us being part of the entertainment industry.

   

The full interview is available on Level Up.

[shammack]

It's a nice interview, but I can't help wondering why they didn't post it, you know, in July.

[Djunknown]

Probably because of an embargo. But I'm sure someone with some more press experience could give you a clear answer.

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Well, you know, I believe as far as sales go in Japan, more so than the timeline of information dispersal, I think the impression that Zelda was a game that was too difficult for the average gamer affected sales.

Last I checked, Japan has/had some of the best game players in the world. Yet Twilight Princess was beyond their reach? What gives?

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I believe my most important role right now is to prevent Nintendo from being in a company where people say, "Oh, Nintendo is arrogant," "Nintendo has let its guard down," or "Nintendo has lost its challenging spirit." We want to avoid all of the pitfalls that can come from losing one's momentum.

Straight from the boss's mouth. I'll hold him to that statement.

[Bill Aurion]

Japanese gamers (as a whole) have always disliked overly-difficult games... =)

[Plugabugz]

TP wasnt difficult. Japan overall is preferring short bursts of games and Zelda is one big long (entertaining) slog.

[couchmonkey]

Well, there's also the argument that it's a whole lot of game to pick up on.  Try getting someone who's never played a 3D Zelda game to play Twighlight Princess - it's a huge undertaking.  Lock-on, shielding, horseback riding, 4-5 types of sword attacks (without even counting the special techniques), and each item requires some training as well.  

And tasks and puzzles that we take for granted are brand-new to some people, too.  Any Zelda fan will immediately search for a way to light all torches in every room.  When I was watching a first-timer play the Wind Waker, she got stuck on the first torch puzzle in Dragon Roost and was wandering aimlessly for 15 minutes before asking me what to do.

It's not that Zelda is hard to beat...that first-timer found Wind Waker to be fairly easy...it's that it's hard to play.

[ShyGuy]

I found TP easier than  Wind Waker and OOT because of the superior aiming with the bow and arrow.

[Ian Sane]

I find it odd that Japanese gamers don't like difficult games yet so many shmups, which are usually really hard, are released only in Japan.  What the hell is going on there?

If they make Zelda even easier it's going to just plain start sucking.  Right now Zelda is about as hard as a spaghetti noodle.

It's funny because only a few years ago I felt the Japanese market had a positive influence on the whole gaming industry.  The Japanese seemed to have better taste than North America and it resulted in better games.  You always had EA crap encouraging American mediocrity but you knew that Japanese devs making games for Japanese gamers were going to typically make good stuff.  Now I'm frightened of Japan's potential influence.  Japan seems have done a complete 180 and now I have to rely on American influence to keep game quality up.  Any market that doesn't like Zelda is one I don't want to have any significant influence.

[UltimatePartyBear]

Iwata worded it in such a way that he could mean that TP simply looked too hard, not that it really was too hard.  Either way, I'm pretty sure he's talking about complex controls again, not combat or puzzles.

[Kairon]

It seems like the Japanese population that has time for traditional games is shrinking.

[KDR_11k]

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And tasks and puzzles that we take for granted are brand-new to some people, too. Any Zelda fan will immediately search for a way to light all torches in every room. When I was watching a first-timer play the Wind Waker, she got stuck on the first torch puzzle in Dragon Roost and was wandering aimlessly for 15 minutes before asking me what to do.

I mentioned it before, in Link's Awakening I got stuck the first time you had to move one of those usually unmovable black blocks. Not even a game guide solved that since that was deemed so unimportant it wasn't covered. Only Gamefaqs helped me.

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I find it odd that Japanese gamers don't like difficult games yet so many shmups, which are usually really hard, are released only in Japan. What the hell is going on there?

Shmups are a niche genre and really, REALLY cheap to make. Probably only second to puzzle game clones in terms of cheapness.

[Kairon]

Crystallization could be very dangerous, and the importance of not alienating new players is one very important reason why Nintendo games have generally remained easy and not become hardcore-geek-out-20d6-complex.

[Ian Sane]

"Iwata worded it in such a way that he could mean that TP simply looked too hard, not that it really was too hard. Either way, I'm pretty sure he's talking about complex controls again, not combat or puzzles."

Either way I fear Zelda retooling.

"It seems like the Japanese population that has time for traditional games is shrinking."

Don't they go to school for half of Saturday or something like that?  I remember learning something like that when studying Japan in elementary school and as a kid who felt that five days of school was too much I was absolutely freaked out.  I also read that you're expected to have extra-curicular activities after school.  I don't see why more students just say "f*ck it" and NOT do those activities if it robs them of free time but I don't really get a culture that will sell two different sized pops for the same price because sometimes you're not that thirsty and want a smaller drink.

I guess telling Japanese gamers who have no time for games to chill out, immigrate to the US (or Canada), and become a lazy f*ckhead like the rest of us is an unrealistic solution, huh?

[King of Twitch]

Perhaps the burgeoning, post-recession Japanese economy is a casus belli of gamers not having enough time to master newfangled controls.