Topic: Miyamoto Talks Star Fox's Dwindling Sales

[NWR_DrewMG]

The Nintendo legend discusses how Star Fox's appeal has changed over the years.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=20208

 In an interview with MTV Multiplayer, legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto expressed disappointment that the Star Fox brand seemed to be losing its appeal in recent years.    

When asked about games that didn't have the public support he expected, he replied "I tend to forget those games [laughs]. I'm a big fan of the Star Fox games. Every time we make a Star Fox game I'm hoping people will enjoy it as much as I do. Of course the goal every time is to try and make it more and more fun but, at least in Japan, the people that purchase the Star Fox games has decreased over the years. But we still try to make them more fun and hopefully people will see the appeal in those games."    

The peak of the franchise was with Star Fox 64, which was a multimillion seller.  The most recent two installments, Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command, both sold under a million copies.  The series has veered from its roots in recent installments, adding on-foot missions, strategy elements, and in at least one case, abandoning the space battle formula entirely for an action-adventure with dinosaurs.

[broodwars]

He can't be too surprised.  It's no coincidence that the series has had dwindling sales to coincide with the dwindling quality of each installment.  The sales will return when Nintendo gets its act together and gives the next installment the AAA effort it needs to become relevant again, and that means doing the game themselves this time.

[King of Twitch]

Ahhgg. If only this article could say at the end, "Miyamoto also said that he recognized these as clearly terrible ideas and will not be using them in future Star Fox games on the Wii"

[Mop it up]

According to VGChartz.com, the peak of the franchise was with Star Fox 64, which sold 4.3 million copies.  The most recent two installments, Star Fox Assault and Star Fox Command, both sold under a million copies.

It should be noted that Star Fox 64 was released early in the Nintendo 64's market life and Star Fox Assault was released late in the GameCube's market life. The N64 also had a larger userbase.

Star Fox Command however can make no such excuses.

[RABicle]

Nor can Star Fox's **** Adventrue. It had Gamecube's Xmas all to itself and it fucking blew it because Rare suck ****.

It also doen't help that the strong contingent of bestiality practitioners are becoming the vocal supporters of the franchise. These unwashed masses are scaring everyday people away from the game.

[Jonnyboy117]

Star Fox Command is a great game. I don't like it as much as SF64, but it's my next favorite in the series. Command suffered mostly from the franchise's tarnished reputation from the previous games.

[Deguello]

It also doen't help that the strong contingent of bestiality practitioners are becoming the vocal supporters of the franchise. These unwashed masses are scaring everyday people away from the game.

I somewhat agree.  It's similar to what's happened to Sonic.

I also thought Star Fox Command was OK.  It was at least better than Assault, which is the counter-argument to F-Zero GX for Nintendo letting prospective third parties handle in-house IP.  Namco dragged their feet for almost 2 years on that game, and whether it was sabotage or incompetence, left a steaming pile where the game was supposed to be.

[Guitar Smasher]

"But we still try to make them more fun and hopefully people will see the appeal in those games"

Does this suggest that at least one new Star Fox game is being worked on?  (Not that it's a surprise...)

[Caterkiller]

Wow! Miyamoto is talking about Star Fox! He feels how I feel! Sort of...

Nintendo just go back to the Star Fox 64 formula, but most of all do it yourself! Please please please!

Star Fox 64 is in Miyamot's top 3 games of all time! I mean come on, he must have allot of ambition to try and top that one. Too bad Star Fox hasn't pulled a TP yet. At least TP was a solid Zelda game that was too familiar. I would die for a solid Star Fox that was too familiar.

[BlackNMild2k1]

"But we still try to make them more fun and hopefully people will see the appeal in those games"

Does this suggest that at least one new Star Fox game is being worked on?  (Not that it's a surprise...)

this is how rumors get started. Now quickly, go spread it.

[GK]

I didn't mind that they added on-foot missions it's just how they were executed that bugged me.

If they could have combined the on-foot gameplay like SF Adventure but with lasers instead of that staff, along with the Arwing missions of Assault, they might have pulled off a good title.

But yeah, whatever they decide to do it HAS to be a Nintendo-made game this time.

[Stratos]

Assault had a good game buried deep down inside, it just had a lot of terrible execution, awkward controls and cheesy Saturday morning cartoon vibes covering it up. The multiplayer had a lot of potential.

[GK]

Assault had a good game buried deep down inside, it just had a lot of terrible execution, awkward controls and cheesy Saturday morning cartoon vibes covering it up. The multiplayer had a lot of potential.

Yeah, I half hoped Namco would try again & work out some of those issues.

While the plot did suck, I have to admit I like how they revamped Wolf O' Donnell.

[broodwars]

Star Fox Command is a great game. I don't like it as much as SF64, but it's my next favorite in the series. Command suffered mostly from the franchise's tarnished reputation from the previous games.

It also suffered from horrible controls and really generic design once you got into battle, along with one of the most fan fiction-y stories I've ever seen.  I liked the strategy portion of the game, but the rest of the game was just a mess.

Wait, if Nintendo makes a new Star Fox game, that'll mean a new On-Rails Shooter for the Wii.  We're supposed to hate those, aren't we? 

[Caterkiller]

Wait, if Nintendo makes a new Star Fox game, that'll mean a new On-Rails Shooter for the Wii.  We're supposed to hate those, aren't we? 
[/quote]

I don't know why people acted so stupid about on rails in the first place. It's what made the first 2 Star Fox's so great! You feel like you are traveling on some epic adventure! I bet now they crave the on rail aspect of it, cause the last 2 games have been almost nothing but "all range mode" lame!

This info has me more excited than almost any recent anouncement by anyone. Simply because Nintendo COULD be working on a SF, and it gives me much hope.

[EasyCure]

Command is a very mediocre game because what it did right was counter-balanced by what it did wrong. I wrote this whole rant about it over on the forum Maxi lured me over to, i'll try to dig it up if i can but it's probably not even worth it.

Assault wasn't a terrible game, with some Nintendo polish it would of been better but still not a great title like SF64 was. It's sad because the potential to expand the series was all there, just executed piss poorly.

SF Adventure shouldn't even be brought up in the argument because it wasn't a Star Fox game. No i'm not saying that to troll the fanboys (cuz i'm one of 'em!) or because it deviated too much from the SF formula, i'm saying it because its TRUE. It was N64's Dinasaur Planet revamped for Gamecube with Team Star Fox shoe horned into it. Basically, thanks to Nintendo themselves the Star Fox series nosedived (pun intended!) after the second installment. Way to go.

All they need to do is make a Star Fox 64 2.0 with an in-house dev-team to bring the series back to a respectable place, so whats the fucking hold up? Once Star Fox is known as a good series again, they can tweak the formula to include things introduced in Assault and Command just fix them so they don't suck ass. Like no more furry fan-fiction!

edit: Caterkiller brings up one of the reasons SF:C was crappy; it was strictly all-range mode "levels". A new Star Fox game should have a mix of both types of levels, but the all-range levels can't be so fucking bare bone like they were in SF:C (and SF64).

[Peachylala]

This may be the exact reason why Star Fox hasn't shown up yet. The franchise has seen such a negative downfall that Nintendo wonders if it's even worth diving into the franchise again. That, and furry fan freaks have seem to migrated into the respectable Star Fox fanbase (ie us).

Obviously, all Nintendo has to do is develop Star Fox in-house and avoid the mistake Assault and Command made. Star Fox 64 is still my favorite video game, and I'm sure some of the staff that worked on that game is still with Nintendo.

[EasyCure]

This may be the exact reason why Star Fox hasn't shown up yet. The franchise has seen such a negative downfall that Nintendo wonders if it's even worth diving into the franchise again. That, and furry fan freaks have seem to migrated into the respectable Star Fox fanbase (ie us).

Obviously, all Nintendo has to do is develop Star Fox in-house and avoid the mistake Assault and Command made. Star Fox 64 is still my favorite video game, and I'm sure some of the staff that worked on that game is still with Nintendo.

Exactly. Even if some of that staff isn't with them, let them make an updated game that's essentially a Play On Wii type title I wouldn't care

But seriously, just ONE good SF developed internally by one of their best teams would make this franchise respectable again, and they wouldn't even have to do much since they could just use SF64 (i.e. the one that worked!) as a template!

Knowing nintendo, they're probably thinking up a good peripheral to sell this game with. Maybe a "rumble pak +^TM"

remember, i called it first!

[BlackNMild2k1]

Knowing nintendo, they're probably thinking up a good peripheral to sell this game with. Maybe a "rumble pak +^TM"

remember, i called it first!

It would probably be some sort of dock so that you can the Wiimote as a flight stick. It will be the same peripheral that Pilot Wings Wii will be compatible with.

remember, i called it first!

[EasyCure]

Knowing nintendo, they're probably thinking up a good peripheral to sell this game with. Maybe a "rumble pak +^TM"

remember, i called it first!

It would probably be some sort of dock so that you can the Wiimote as a flight stick. It will be the same peripheral that Pilot Wings Wii will be compatible with.

remember, i called it first!

Actually i've thrown out the flight-stick dock peripheral out there in one of the pre-wii threads. I think Stogi started the thread about wii game ideas, i even used SF as an example.

[TJ Spyke]

Andy, I am very dissapointed in you. Using VG Chartz as a source is like putting your hand in bowl and pulling out a random number. They pull their numbers out of their ass and not the least bit reliable.

Disney's Magical Mirrors sold 1.23 million copies. Is that true? I don't know, but that is as reliable as any number VG Chartz has. Using them as a source hurts the credibility of anyone who uses them (it's like using studies conducted by health insurance companies about whether heath insurance needs reform. You look like a joke if you use that data).

On topic, Nintendo needs to take Star Fox back to its roots. They also should handle it themselves rather than second-rate developers like Rare.

[Caterkiller]

I know Miyamoto is all busy and doesn't get involved with games like he used to, but with Star Fox being one of his favorites I would imagine he would want a quality team behind it, with being to look over the game to see how it develops.

No way Miyamoto even knew what was going on at Namco before the game was released.

Remember the good ol rumors about 4 player co-op? I think even Namco themselves talked about it.

[Mop it up]

This topic makes me feel ashamed to have never played a Star Fox game.

[NWR_insanolord]

This topic makes me feel ashamed to have never played a Star Fox game.

You should have been ashamed of that long before this thread. You own Star Fox 64, which is the best one, go play it now.

[NWR_DrewMG]

Andy, I am very dissapointed in you. Using VG Chartz as a source is like putting your hand in bowl and pulling out a random number.

Chalk it up to me being the new guy.  You're absolutely right on this.  We've edited this out of the original story.