Topic: 3DS Circle Pad Details Revealed

[Chozo Ghost]

The requirement of a battery sucks, but it has to be powered somehow. This was probably the cheapest way they could pull it off, because including a rechargeable battery might have doubled the cost of the thing.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Gotta love how Nintendo talks big about being third party friendly with the Wii U.  Well, did you guys talk to third parties at all about the 3DS?  You figure this "you need a second analog stick" would have come up if you did.

If the 3rd parties were in on design decisions like Nintendo said, all the same 3rd parties that were developing for PSP, then there is no way that 2nd analog stick didn't come up. If Nintendo had been listening to the consumer demands, then they would have seen that dual analog was a big request. If Nintendo had been paying attention to the PSP at all, and knew that they not only wanted to kill that system but take all of it's games, then they would have known that dual analog needed to happen as that was the biggest problem with the PSP and the most common complaint from consumers.

The requirement of a battery sucks, but it has to be powered somehow. This was probably the cheapest way they could pull it off, because including a rechargeable battery might have doubled the cost of the thing. It is lame, but at the same time its probably the only way it could have been pulled off short of making it cost $30-$40.

Everyone can wait for the MadCatz version that will double as a 2nd or extended rechargeable battery and a permanent dock. but will also cost nearly $40-50.




I just hope Nintendo includes a single rechargeable AAA battery in the pack. and then a port to plug the add-on in directly to recharge it.

[Crimm]

Source: Japan

[Crimm]

Last Edit: Today at 01:55:46 PM by BlackNMild2k1

Cheater.

[Adrock]

According to Ars Tehcnica, the attachment is $20. Who wants to pay that much for something that should have been built into the system from the beginning? "Not I," said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw...

[Ceric]

...
Everyone can wait for the MadCatz version that will double as a 2nd or extended rechargeable battery and a permanent dock. but will also cost nearly $40-50.
...

Better yet the Nyko version that takes what they have already done w/ the extended battery so the attachment will screw in and lose a little of the bulk from having to slide on and still contain the Nyko extended battery that would be awesome.

[broodwars]

Better yet the Nyko version that takes what they have already done w/ the extended battery so the attachment will screw in and lose a little of the bulk from having to slide on and still contain the Nyko extended battery that would be awesome.

Better yet, the Nyko version will be be Bluetooth wireless (with a plug for connecting the extended battery), "once again solving a problem no one had." 

[Chozo Ghost]

According to Ars Tehcnica, the attachment is $20. Who wants to pay that much for something that should have been built into the system from the beginning? "Not I," said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw...

On a positive note, multiple games have been announced which support it. So that means there are now multiple reasons to own the peripheral as opposed to just one game which we knew about prior to today. It sucks it costs $20 instead of the $10 it was rumored to cost, but at least now we know its not just a one hit wonder.

[Adrock]

But I can still play these games without spending $20 extra. Yeah, I'll do that.

[Chozo Ghost]

But I can still play these games without spending $20 extra. Yeah, I'll do that.

Are you sure it isn't required? It might be in many cases.

[NWR_insanolord]

There's already six games announced that use this?  How many Motion+ games were announced when it was revealed?  Two?  It's clear that third parties want to support this and it was a big oversight on Nintendo's part to not have one in the first place (not that I'm surprised; Nintendo thinks "gimmick first" these days.)

The requirement of a AAA battery is really lame.  But it requires power and adding a rechargable battery was probably too expensive.  The whole thing is shoehorned in in the first place.  The position of it is dumb, the way it bulks up the system is dumb, so the battery requirement just fits the panicky amateur hour design.

The 3DS redesign is inevitable.  It was anyway but it's going to show up much sooner than we figured.

Gotta love how Nintendo talks big about being third party friendly with the Wii U.  Well, did you guys talk to third parties at all about the 3DS?  You figure this "you need a second analog stick" would have come up if you did.  Nintendo talks about winning back core gamers with the Wii U but 2011 has just been a massive "we-have-no-idea-what-we're-doing" clusterfuck.

Although there are similarities between this and Motion+, they're also vastly different situations. The biggest difference is that M+ came about pretty late in the Wii's life, and after most everybody already had the system. This has a much smaller established user base, comprised primarily of the kind of people who could be talked into buying one. It's a lot more realistic to turn this into something that's widely used than making M+ the standard ever was.

Also, this is less drastic in how it changes controls than M+ was. M+ required a vastly different way of motion control, and was basically either-or with the standard Wii remote, which limited its use to games more or less built specifically for it. As Crimm pointed out, this is easy enough to include as an option in games that also work without it, which means it's fairly likely that more games will include support for it. You don't get to be the standard by dramatically improving a select few games, you do it by offering a modest but noticeable improvement to a whole bunch of things, and this has the potential to do that, if enough companies get behind it.

[ejamer]

But I can still play these games without spending $20 extra. Yeah, I'll do that.

Are you sure it isn't required? It might be in many cases.

A couple of people keep saying it won't be required, but I'm not at all convinced. Not any longer.


If dual analog does become the standard control for major third-party releases, then games will require it.  If there is a redesign before 3DS sales pick up, so that the majority of the install base has access to the extra stick either by default or by add-on, then games will require it. Maybe not in the short-term, but there is a reason the accessory is reported to be packed in with Monster Hunter instead of offering the game or accessory separately.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Last Edit: Today at 01:55:46 PM by BlackNMild2k1

Cheater.

??

[Ceric]

There is video out there of Monster Hunter TriG being played without the attachment.  I'll try to find it.

[Enner]

Maybe not in the short-term, but there is a reason the accessory is reported to be packed in with Monster Hunter instead of offering the game or accessory separately.

There's a MHtriG release without the slide pad.

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/09/13/arm-yourself-with-one-of-the-many-monster-hunter-3g-bundles/

The most basic package includes Monster Hunter 3G and a Monster Hunter themed alarm clock (to wake you up for work after hunting Brachdios all night) for 5,800 yen ($75). The extended edition includes those items plus a fully movable action figure for 8,880 yen ($115). Want a slide pad attachment instead? That’s 6,640 yen ($86). Or you can get all four items for 9,990 yen ($130). Sold separately, the figure is 6,460 yen ($84).

As an aside, the figurine looks pretty cool.

[Ceric]

The Lagi set with the SnS or GS but, I like the female one better with the Lance.

Though Serious enough my takeaway from that article is that you will be required to have a clock to play MHTriG.

[Crimm]

I'm telling you people: the second Circle Pad is optional. I've played over half of these games before - without the pad.

[Chozo Ghost]

I'm telling you people: the second Circle Pad is optional.

But for how long?

[Enner]

I'm telling you people: the second Circle Pad is optional.

But for how long?

It is a mystery.

I'm betting that there won't be a game that requires the second circle pad until the accessory sell a lot or until the 3DS revision sports the extra controls.

[Ceric]

I'm telling you people: the second Circle Pad is optional.

But for how long?

Long enough  to determine that Pogo Cat was the Superior game.

[UncleBob]

I'm telling you people: the second Circle Pad is optional. I've played over half of these games before - without the pad.

While I don't doubt that the expansion will be optional, some people played Odama with bongos...

[Ceric]

I'm telling you people: the second Circle Pad is optional. I've played over half of these games before - without the pad.

While I don't doubt that the expansion will be optional, some people played Odama with bongos...

I need to do that.

[UncleBob]

I'm telling you people: the second Circle Pad is optional. I've played over half of these games before - without the pad.

While I don't doubt that the expansion will be optional, some people played Odama with bongos...

I need to do that.

Well, you can't.*  The version that used Bongos was never released - only shown at some trade shows, before the Bongo use was cut entirely.*

*There's a small "glitch" (dunno if it's actually a glitch or not) that allows you to clap (or tap the bongos) and send out more troops - including before you've launched your next Odama ball - something that can't be done during normal game play.  This is completely undocumented and I've never been able to find out if it was done on purpose or left over from when the game was being developed to use Bongos.

[Crimm]

They're not going to do this. This will not be required for a bunch of third party titles. Why would they want to split their base for a handheld that already doesn't have a very high installed base?


"Alright guys, we need a new corporate strategy to battle the recession. Go!"
"What if we sold less copies?"
"I'm listening."
"Let's split the base. It will look 'exclusive'!"
"GENIUS! DO IT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE US SELL MORE THAN 20k COPIES THIS YEAR! IF I DO YOU'RE ALL FIRED!"

[UncleBob]

I agree, I don't think it's likely.  I was just pointing out that your reasoning - having played pre-release builds of the games - doesn't really hold up.