Topic: Screw it, I'm making a Devil's Third Topic

[Adrock]

I guess I can't complain anymore since NA will be getting the game. I know I'm in the minority, but I really wanted to play this and I don't really care about the graphical "issues". I'm also interested to see how broken the aiming really is.

Are you interested enough to spend $60 to find out? Devil's Third was described to Unseen64 as "not even fun to play." I haven't bought Majora's Mask or Splatoon yet so I can't say Devil's Third was a priority for me even before this report.

Despite thinking Devil's Third tries too hard to be edgy, I had hopes for it if only because it would have given Nintendo another developer on its side like Platinum Games which is helping with Star Fox Zero. It's doubtful Nintendo works with Valhalla Games in this manner again.

[Soren]

Are you interested enough to spend $60 to find out? Devil's Third was described to Unseen64 as "not even fun to play." I haven't bought Majora's Mask or Splatoon yet so I can't say Devil's Third was a priority for me even before this report.

I wonder sometimes how much Liam's sources are actually working him a bit, here and on Project HAMMER. Of course it's in NoA's best interest to discredit DT, going as far as likening it to a "Disaster situation". At the same time, there has to be someone with the final code with something good to say about the game, but we're only hearing about the negative side of it.


If XSEED is publishing the game, it almost makes me want to buy the game to stick to NoA. Almost.

[Evan_B]

I've played through several Modern Sonic games, so... I think I can stomach this one.

And again, from what I've seen of Devil's Third, it does look fun to me. Is that weird? Again, it boggles my mind to think this game had supervision from Nintendo (according to Itagaki, anyway) and still ended up a train wreck. But hey, I'm gonna take the risk and actually go out and buy the game, so take my word for it, not some rumor mill.

[Enner]

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/619916072884420609

Cue conspiracy theory that Nintendo of America did this media circus on purpose because it would be better and cheaper marketing.

Again, it boggles my mind to think this game had supervision from Nintendo (according to Itagaki, anyway) and still ended up a train wreck.

This game has been in development hell for years. It has or had a Japanese development team lead by Itagaki, an American publisher influencing decisions, multiple engine changes, and a shift in hardware platforms. Together, these are questionable or bad signs that can't all be waved away by Nintendo coming in at the last stretch. Perhaps Nintendo Co. Ltd. thought they could turn stagnant water in to wine 1-2 years ago. Now, they see that they failed and are moving past this as quickly as possible.

[ejamer]

No matter what happens, NoA comes out looking bad at this point in my eyes. 
Or maybe incompetent is a better choice of words?

[Shaymin]

Why, because they couldn't talk about a deal while it's in progress? (Though they probably should just announce the damn XSEED deal and get it over with.)

[TOPHATANT123]

Well at least they aren't completely ignoring it's existance, could be a response to all the buzz it's been getting online.

[ShyGuy]

I'm in a glass cage of emotion!

[ejamer]

Why, because they couldn't talk about a deal while it's in progress? (Though they probably should just announce the damn XSEED deal and get it over with.)

Because they consistently do a very poor job with communication. NoA didn't need to announce details about what's happening with Devil's Third, but they could/should have announced something instead of just running silent and hoping the game disappeared from everyone's radar.


For a company that talk about controlling the message, and goes to great lengths to limit what people can do with their content, this entire releases seems very poorly handled.

[UncleBob]

I feel like there's not too much NoA could have said.  "This game doesn't meet our quality standards, so we're looking for a different publisher."

You can see how that would send a poor message and potentially hurt their ability to shop the game to other publishers...

[Soren]

How bout telling your employees not to yap about everything and everyone to the guy who covers unreleased and niche games for a living?

[ejamer]

I feel like there's not too much NoA could have said.  "This game doesn't meet our quality standards, so we're looking for a different publisher."

You can see how that would send a poor message and potentially hurt their ability to shop the game to other publishers...

There could have been better PR than that.


Instead of saying absolutely nothing, ignoring the game entirely at E3, and then issuing a hasty tweet only after all rumors were leaked NoA could have issued a statement (preferably before E3) that they felt the game didn't mesh with their primary demographic in North America so were looking for a third party to share publishing duties with.  Or just that they were hoping to have an announcement regarding the game at such-and-such date with everything else left out until details were agreed upon.


Ignore the "quality issue", which is a bogus statement anyway based on Wii games that weren't released due to quality concerns.


Ignore low sales potential due to the fact that Wii U install base and software sell-through rates for anything non-Mario are pitiful.


Focus on giving fans something, instead of leaving them to assume the worst. Focus on living up to your goal of controlling the message instead of letting others dictate how your are viewed. 


But hey, I'm quite obviously not a PR guy. My opinion is worth jack all in this matter - and my growing frustration with NoA means very little to anyone except myself and the friends/family who I introduce games to.

[MrPhishfood]

I'll be disappointed if this doesn't have Splatoon style motion controls.

[Enner]

Hot off the Twitter:

https://twitter.com/kobunheat/status/623298151139520512

"
1) Devil's Third coming to Wii U in U.S. in Q4 from Nintendo.
2) Free-to-play, multiplayer-only PC version coming to US from Valhalla.
"

Rejoice, I guess?

[ShyGuy]

I'm kind of glad that it's coming to PC as well, give it more exposure.

[ShyGuy]

You know what I like? Internet people who were saying that the game was trash and they hoped it wasn't going to be released in NA, now they are all "Well if it's F2P on the PC the multiplayer does look fun, herpy derp..."  Never mind that there are a hundred other F2P shooters on the PC that they don't bother with. The anti-Nintendo bias is alive and well.

[Soren]

It amazes me how people want to bail out NoA in situations like this.

[ShyGuy]

It amazes me how people want to bail out NoA in situations like this.

I think NOA is improving at least. Last generation we didn't get Disaster: Day of Crisis, Another Code: R, Zangeki No Reginleiv and almost didn't get Xenoblade Chronicles, Last Story, and Pandora's Tower.
I was so mad I didn't buy Nintendo published games for about 18 months.

edit: And Fatal Frame 4! 

[Luigi Dude]

edit: And Fatal Frame 4! 

Nobody outside of Japan got Fatal Frame 4 because it was a buggy mess that Tecmo refused to fix so NCL banned it from a worldwide release.  That's why Fatal Frame 2 which wasn't a buggy mess actually got released in Europe.

[ejamer]

edit: And Fatal Frame 4! 

Nobody outside of Japan got Fatal Frame 4 because it was a buggy mess that Tecmo refused to fix so NCL banned it from a worldwide release.  That's why Fatal Frame 2 which wasn't a buggy mess actually got released in Europe.

Fatal Frame 4 did have some bugs... but "buggy mess" that didn't deserve to be released?  Have you played anything that Bethesda has ever released? 


Fatal Frame 4 was very playable and should have gotten released elsewhere.  Even if you consider the bugs in 4 significant enough to block release at a time where there were very few games coming to the console, it still doesn't explain or excuse the other missing games (or Fatal Frame 2) which NoA just didn't feel would be worth the cost to release.

[Evan_B]

And here I am, sitting all smug now that I got my mediocre TPS/Action game fix on Wii U...

[Luigi Dude]

edit: And Fatal Frame 4! 

Nobody outside of Japan got Fatal Frame 4 because it was a buggy mess that Tecmo refused to fix so NCL banned it from a worldwide release.  That's why Fatal Frame 2 which wasn't a buggy mess actually got released in Europe.

Fatal Frame 4 did have some bugs... but "buggy mess" that didn't deserve to be released?  Have you played anything that Bethesda has ever released? 


Fatal Frame 4 was very playable and should have gotten released elsewhere.  Even if you consider the bugs in 4 significant enough to block release at a time where there were very few games coming to the console, it still doesn't explain or excuse the other missing games (or Fatal Frame 2) which NoA just didn't feel would be worth the cost to release.

Nintendo's standards of quality are much higher then Bethesda's, so just because it's not as buggy as Skyrim doesn't mean it's something NCL should be proud of.  The international versions of Nintendo games have historically fixed the bugs that were in the original Japanese versions.  NCL told Tecmo to fix the glitches for the international version and Tecmo for whatever reason refused to do it, hence why they blocked it since Nintendo doesn't like to release games as buggy as Fatal Frame 4.  Especially when one of the bugs in Fatal Frame 4 makes it impossible to 100% and unlock everything in the game which I'd say is pretty major.

Yes NOA deserves crap for not releasing several titles that got released in Europe and dragging their feet on others, but can we at least stick to games that actually got English translations.  There's a big difference between stuff like Disaster and Fatal Frame 2 which NOE gave localizations already so it would have been much easier for NOA to release in America even as low print runs or could still release on the Wii U eShop, vs games like Fatal Frame 4 and Zangeki No Reginleiv that never got released in Europe either.

[ejamer]

Fair enough. My objection was more with calling the game a buggy mess. FF4 has bugs, but is clearly playable and can be played to completion without much trouble - even if you can't get 100% completion.


(Comparison to Bethesda isn't really fair because the scope of games, and the nature of our expectations... but their games really are a buggy mess on release, and often for many months afterwards.)

[Mop it up]

I like how this thread has talks about Nintendo's higher quality standards when this game appears to be low-quality in many ways.

[Evan_B]

Maybe technically low in quality.

Itagaki remarked that those who aren't able to enjoy the game just suck at it.

Honestly, I respect Valhalla much more for seeing the product through to the end rather that having Itagaki drag himself to Kickstarter like a few other developers have done, with drastically varying degrees of success. Sure, it might not be the best game, but at least they didn't ask me for my money to make a mediocre title.