Topic: Radio Free Nintendo: Episode 143

[Yoshidious]

I sent it a couple weeks ago so it might have gotten lost. It was about whether the storage solution had made any of you go back and pick up any VC or WiiWare games you may have passed on to avoid cleaning the fridge.

Thanks, I think we did get that and it just got lost in the shuffle a bit, it's a good question so I expect we shall use it soon.

Regarding the speculation on Nintendo's holiday game, the actual quote from the Gamestop executive was:

"We think there will be a Nintendo key property coming out by the end of the year," said DeMatteo in an interview with CNBC, "They haven't given us any insight, but they have told us to reserve [shelf] space."

This suggested to me a pre-existing first party franchise that's more of a commercial power house than say Pikmin or certainly Star Fox, F-Zero and the like, but of course it's open to a so many interpretations, hence the frivolous nature of how we discussed it on the show.

It does seem early for a Wii Fit follow-up given its continuing success, but there are reasons to suspect that's more likely than a New Super Mario Bros. sequel. Firstly, we've seen Nintendo release more titles in their successful non-traditional brands before - More Brain Training, Nintendogs Best Friends - pretty quickly (Nintendogs Wii is something we didn't talk about, but that is a possibility as well I guess). Also, I think with some sort of add-on disc for Wii Fit, the development costs would be pretty slim considering most of the development on the original game would have been designing and learning to use the Balance Board. Now they can get straight into designing more exercises, workouts, mini-games etc. with a minimum of fuss, and have something like 15million consumers worldwide to sell that to.

With something like a New Super Mario Bros., the level of creative resources involved (even if the graphics engine remained identical) in designing a Mario game that's up to par makes it much more of a significant undertaking, and so they may be more content to watch the original continue to fly off the shelves.

[TJ Spyke]

The Nintendogs games didn't add anything news. All 5 versions (i'm including "Nintendogs: Best Friends" version that was only available as part of a DS/Nintendogs bundle) are the exact same game except different starting dogs. It's not like Pokemon or the Mega Man handheld games where each version has exclusive content.

[Yoshidious]

I'm fully aware of what the different versions of Nintendogs offer and made no claim that they added anything new--the point stands that it's a case where Nintendo put a new SKU on the shelves when the existing ones were doing just fine as it was.

Obviously in the case of some sort of expansion disc for Wii Fit for instance, you're talking about much more significant development resources being required than a simple re-labelling job. Nevertheless, I would still venture it would be much less of an undertaking than making a whole new 2D Mario game, and so is a more likely prospect than a New SMB sequel in the face of enduringly robust sales of the original game--to answer Insanolord's earlier point.

Also, a Wii Fit expansion pack would be a complimentary purchase for Wii Fit owners in a way that a straight sequel or alternate version of a game simply cannot manage, and so there would not be any particular basis for concern that it would cannibalise sales of the original--everyone will still need a Balance Board after all.

[NWR_insanolord]

Both Brain Training games and all or most of the Nintendogs titles came out before the DS became huge (I think even before the release of the Lite) and before Nintendo knew they had the ability to chart for years as opposed to months. Since the DS's ascension and the immediate success of the Wii we haven't seen Nintendo make new games in those franchises. We haven't seen another Wii Play, for instance, and I don't believe we'd be seeing Wii Sports 2 if Nintendo didn't want everybody to have a Motion+.

Yes, Wii Fit 2 is considerably easier to make than New Super Mario Bros. 2, but the original is a year old instead of 3 like NSMB, and is consistently in the top 5 of the NPD instead of the top 20; there's a lot more potential sales of the original at risk than in NSMB's case.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I think there should be a podcast where James can't say anything negative. If he did, he'd be forced to play the last Mystery Dungeon game from beginning to end three times.

[Crimm]

I think there should be a podcast where James can't say anything negative. If he did, he'd be forced to play the last Mystery Dungeon game from beginning to end three times.

If I did that it would be boring.

[NWR_DrewMG]

I think the last two listener mails I sent in went unread, so I assumed you guys weren't lacking them anymore and stopped sending them in unless they were particularly inspired.  One of them was about Wii's unique properties, combined with the way the games industry is losing money, has changed the console lifecycle as we know it.

Don't remember what the other one was.

Oh, and the "Billy Mitchell is a character from the Office" quote made me laugh, so I tweeted it.  That's right, Tweet.

[TJ Spyke]

The difference is that Billy Mitchell is entertaining, The Office (both the US and UK versions) are not funny and are crap. That's why it didn't surprise me that Ricky Gervais (creator of the UK version) also wrote and guest starred in the WORST episode of The Simpsons ever ("Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife")

[D_Average]

The difference is that Billy Mitchell is entertaining, The Office (both the US and UK versions) are not funny and are crap. That's why it didn't surprise me that Ricky Gervais (creator of the UK version) also wrote and guest starred in the WORST episode of The Simpsons ever ("Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife")

To be fair, The UK Office is the shiznit

[NWR_insanolord]

The difference is that Billy Mitchell is entertaining, The Office (both the US and UK versions) are not funny and are crap. That's why it didn't surprise me that Ricky Gervais (creator of the UK version) also wrote and guest starred in the WORST episode of The Simpsons ever ("Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife")

To be fair, The UK Office is the shiznit

Also, the US Office is pretty good and that isn't the worst episode of The Simpsons.

[NWR_DrewMG]

The Office (both the US and UK versions) are not funny and are crap.

Also, you are wrong.

[Nick DiMola]

The Office (both the US and UK versions) are not funny and are crap.

Also, you are wrong.

[vudu]

My guess for the big holiday game that Nintendo "warned" GameStop about is whatever Retro Studios is working on (hopefully an original IP).  It'll be well over 2 years since Metroid Prime 3 came out and a quality FPS for Wii made by Nintendo will definitely be something that your average GameStop customer will be excited about.

Also, (and this is none of my damn business, but I'm surprised it hasn't been asked yet) what happened to Jonny that prevented him from being on the show?  Greg made it seem like something serious had happened.  I hope everything's okay with his nephew.

(Maybe I'm the only one who didn't have the good sense to mind my own business.)

[NovaQ]

Also, (and this is none of my damn business, but I'm surprised it hasn't been asked yet) what happened to Jonny that prevented him from being on the show?  Greg made it seem like something serious had happened.  I hope everything's okay with his nephew.

(Maybe I'm the only one who didn't have the good sense to mind my own business.)

No, I was wondering about that, too. It may be none of our business, and I'm fine with a response from Jonny or Greg stating just that. But Jonny, know that we wish whatever is going on smooths itself out soon! (And that's not because I think Greg is a bad host, which he isn't.)

[Jonnyboy117]

I had to fly home twice, for a funeral and then a wedding.

[Sundoulos]

My condolences, Jonny.  For what it's worth, I've said a prayer for your family.

[NWR_insanolord]

My guess for the big holiday game that Nintendo "warned" GameStop about is whatever Retro Studios is working on (hopefully an original IP).  It'll be well over 2 years since Metroid Prime 3 came out and a quality FPS for Wii made by Nintendo will definitely be something that your average GameStop customer will be excited about.

At this point I hope what Retro's doing isn't a FPS. We've already got The Conduit and Red Steel 2 coming this year, as well as maybe Modern Warfare 2 and anything else that may come out of E3 (I'm still holding out for TimeSplitters 4). While I'm sure Retro would do an excellent job, the FPS genre is covered this year on the Wii.

[GoldenPhoenix]

My guess for the big holiday game that Nintendo "warned" GameStop about is whatever Retro Studios is working on (hopefully an original IP).  It'll be well over 2 years since Metroid Prime 3 came out and a quality FPS for Wii made by Nintendo will definitely be something that your average GameStop customer will be excited about.

At this point I hope what Retro's doing isn't a FPS. We've already got The Conduit and Red Steel 2 coming this year, as well as maybe Modern Warfare 2 and anything else that may come out of E3 (I'm still holding out for TimeSplitters 4). While I'm sure Retro would do an excellent job, the FPS genre is covered this year on the Wii.

Yeah Retro needs to finish their Car Combat game.

[Stratos]

My guess for the big holiday game that Nintendo "warned" GameStop about is whatever Retro Studios is working on (hopefully an original IP).  It'll be well over 2 years since Metroid Prime 3 came out and a quality FPS for Wii made by Nintendo will definitely be something that your average GameStop customer will be excited about.

At this point I hope what Retro's doing isn't a FPS. We've already got The Conduit and Red Steel 2 coming this year, as well as maybe Modern Warfare 2 and anything else that may come out of E3 (I'm still holding out for TimeSplitters 4). While I'm sure Retro would do an excellent job, the FPS genre is covered this year on the Wii.

Yeah Retro needs to finish their Car Combat game.

And Raven Blade. That was the most interesting of their other work to me.

Sorry to hear about the death, Jonny. It's a tough thing to go through and I hope it didn't cast an overbearing shadow on the wedding.

[NWR_Lindy]

The Office just isn't that funny.  Every episode is Steve Carrell's character being an oblivious douche and the other characters looking at the camera in disbelief.  Repeat that about a dozen times and there's your episode.

I want Retro to do something brand-new.  Maybe an action game that's like Bionic Commando.

[Nick DiMola]

The Office just isn't that funny.

How can I follow a leader who doesn't appreciate The Office? I might have to quit the site 

[GoldenPhoenix]

The Office just isn't that funny.

How can I follow a leader who doesn't appreciate The Office? I might have to quit the site 

I agree with Lindy the Office is dum so I can take your position. I am actually enjoying Better off Ted though which will probably be cancelled after 6 episodes or so.

[NWR_Lindy]

How can I follow a leader who doesn't appreciate The Office? I might have to quit the site 

hahaha.  I want to like it, it's just that every time I watch it I wind up disappointed.  Like it should be funnier than it is.

[ShyGuy]

The Office is amazing. Remember when Pam and Jim got together? Remember when Dwight pepper sprayed Andy? Remember when Meredith caught her hair on fire?

[Nick DiMola]

How can I follow a leader who doesn't appreciate The Office? I might have to quit the site 

hahaha.  I want to like it, it's just that every time I watch it I wind up disappointed.  Like it should be funnier than it is.

It's one of those shows you really need to see from the first episode onward. Lots of repeating inside jokes, and lots of character/story development that you'll miss if you haven't seen them all.

I didn't like the show at first and then one day decided to borrow a friend's DVDs and start watching them from the beginning. Total 180 on how I felt about the show. It has become Chessa and I's Thursday night ritual.

The Office is amazing. Remember when Pam and Jim got together?

Yes.

Remember when Dwight pepper sprayed Andy?

Wait a second, didn't he pepper spray Roy?

Remember when Meredith caught her hair on fire?

lol, yes. How about casual Friday?