Topic: Wonderful 101 matters in America

[sweetfeathery]

One of the biggest complaints that Nintendo gets from its critics is that they have fallen flat on releasing new ips and core games for the base. The topic is a valid one in my opinion but I can also come to understand that if the majority of consumers who buy Nintendo hardware are only investing for Mario games, then the practices we have seen Nintendo follow makes logic sense.
I bring this up due to the upcoming release of Wonderful 101.. a new ip that is trying to appeal to the core gaming crowd. I am worried about how well this game will be received by the general public because if this game fails expectations that Nintendo is holding it to, it could become the message point from Nintendo to say "Ha! We tried giving the core what they want but they wouldn't bite!"
I think back to Sin & Punishment 2 for the Wii. This game sold poorly and was a staple argument for why Nintendo did not want to release Xenoblade in the states.
There could be a lot riding on its game depending in how we receive it... Do we show Nintendo with the power of our wallets that we praise new core IPs and hunger for more? Or do we not matter and get pushed aside for the Moms with Wii Fit boards and the family crowds for another Mario Party?

[Oblivion]

I too read that Kotaku article this morning.

[sweetfeathery]

Great minds must think alike then

[Ian Sane]

I really don't think individual games should be regarded as fair tests for interest in a new IP.  If the game sells poorly does that mean that the market is rejecting new IPs or specifically Wonderful 101?  I bought S&P and Xenoblade because I was very interested in them but I've never been quite so interested in Wonderful 101.  Not all IPs are equal and no one's buying habbits would be all or nothing.  You can be in favour of more new IPs without being specifically interested in every new IP Nintendo makes.  But if they're stingy with them so each one becomes this big test and that really just isn't fair.  Realistically the opposite could happen where this game becomes a huge hit and Nintendo starts creating more new IPs and they all fail because the actual consumer behaviour was that they were interested specifically in Wonderful 101 and not new IPs in general.

Third parties do these kinds of tests as well and it drives me nuts.  They'll throw out one game and use that as the test to see if the Nintendo userbase is interested.  Well I might be interested in 9/10 of that third party's offerings but the one they picked as the test was the one I wasn't and then it sells poorly and I lose out on everything.

Nintendo will do this to determine interest in an old franchise as well.  They'll re-release Star Fox 64 to determine the selling power of the Star Fox IP.  Well I'm very interested in Star Fox but I'm not going to buy the re-release specifically because I'm so interested in the series that I ALREADY OWN STAR FOX 64!  The target audience of such a game is people that DON'T already own the game.  The purchase is redundant for an existing fan.

These "tests" are usually so flawed that it makes no sense to make future decisions based on them.  In regards to new IPs, only a stready stream of them would provide a true test of the market's interest in them.  The odd game here or there is too small of a sample to give an accurate picture as it relies on the marketability of that one specific game.

[azeke]

New IP

Meaningless buzzword that lost all meaning in fanboy forum wars.

core games

Meaningless buzzword that lost all meaning in fanboy forum wars.

buying games as a social message

is not how it works

You're supposed to look at each individual game and get it (or not) if it appeals to you.

That's it.

I will get W101 because it looks crazy and fun and crazy fun.

[marty]

Considering the trail of flops that platinum/clover have produced, I wouldn't expect anyone, especially Nintendo, to get their hopes up that this game will produce any kind of respectable sales.

[Caterkiller]

Some of the trailers for this game look like an absolute blast. This is pretty much Nintendo's first new IP of the generation. If it gets great reviews across the board and gets largely ignored then I will have given up on all humanity.

I mean not much else will be out when it comes so I have to imagine the people paying attention for anything will lap it up.

[ShyGuy]

Wonderful 101! I really like the idea of introducing all these new characters. We've only been introduced to around 4 so far.





Mr. Wedgewood, AKA Wonder Eyes Red. Giant hand power

Wonder Eyes Blue. Giant sword power.

Wonder Eyes Green. Giant gun power. also fat.

Wonder Eyes Pink. Giant Whip power.


There's that Famicom kid, the Orange Post office box head, a floating bot, some big General looking guy...


I wonder if they all have crowd-sourcing green lanternish powers?


edit: Telephone head guy!

[Do_What]

That's terrible logic because you don't know why people don't buy individual games. A game can have a number of things going on that turn different people off. That's the case with a lot of games that don't sell well. One group doesn't like the graphics, another thinks the story looks dumb, another doesn't trust the dev or publisher, another just isn't in the mood for another game with a certain type of protagonist, it came out at a weird time of year where people who might be into this are being pulled in different directions and so forth and so on. Wonderful 101 has a great chance at flopping and it won't be because it's a new IP.
It also isn't incumbent on any particular person to buy a game. Voting with your dollars is a myth, because they don't know why you didn't buy the game. And if you send them a letter or an email or post on their forum with the exact reason you didn't buy the game they'll giggle a bit, maybe send you a form letter in return if they're bored and generally ignore you.

And the false dichotomy of core gamers/moms is stupid and needs to stop.

[sweetfeathery]

If I was posting this about an Xbox game then, yes, terrible logic indeed. But this is Nintendo we are talking about whih I would mark exceptional. I agree with you that a game may or may not sell for different reasons and that a individuals reason for buying or not buying this game will scatter across the board. But we've seen Nintendo pull this logic on us before with past games and to not use the mom/child semogralhoc would be silly because back in tr Wii drought NoA was giving us Mystery Case File games in the states over core titles that they didn't want t bother publishing for the home console.

[Phil]

Great minds must think alike then

Not great minds if you read Kotaku.

[azeke]

I'll repost my idea from related thread

W101 might have more chance to break out. Nintendo, do some promo cartoon shorts or something, show them on Cartoon Network and Nick and it might be successful. Their Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion ads were good.

I mean this game IS a saturday cartoon, you just have to make one more step.

Certainly makes more sense than doing Pikmin shorts.

When did Kid Icarus shorts hit? Before or after the game? Were they even shown on actual tv or were just on 3DS Video service?

[ShyGuy]

DANG IT PEOPLE I CANT HANDLE THE HYPE FEVER THIS GAME IS GIVING ME

ALL THE FEELS ARE MAKING ME WOOZY



I spot Dinosaur girl, Captain old Fashioned Microphone, Yellow Car with a Door Open Guy, uh, Fat Toilet Man?

[ShyGuy]

First few minutes of gameplay, fills in the story more and shows a couple more characters. I see a Picasso helmet and a Bonsai tree head guy.

[shingi_70]

Can't wait to play the Wonderful 100 + me.

[ShyGuy]

They should have called it the Wonderful 100+U.

[Ceric]

I'm very excited for this game but I think the most recent trailer isn't as awesome as the other ones.

[Caterkiller]

Played this game a few hours ago... I NEED! I told the staff there that this game needs advertising or it will be sent to die! I repeated it over and over to make sure she passes on the input.

The game feels really good.

[ShyGuy]

Played this game a few hours ago... I NEED! I told the staff there that this game needs advertising or it will be sent to die! I repeated it over and over to make sure she passes on the input.

The game feels really good.

:O  I want full impressions!

[Kytim89]

What would have made this game even better is if Nintendo offered action figures for it in the style of Skylanders or trading cards similar to those of Kid Icarus Uprising.

[Caterkiller]

Played this game a few hours ago... I NEED! I told the staff there that this game needs advertising or it will be sent to die! I repeated it over and over to make sure she passes on the input.

The game feels really good.

:O  I want full impressions!

I don't really remember everything and I only had one play through sorry but here goes:

1 - The controls were very fluid and responsive. Running around as a big swarm felt good in and of it's self.

2 - Attacking the big bosses felt very rewarding, as in the hits given by the gun, the whip, and sword really felt like I was doing some damage. 

3 - I know there is a way to create the weapons in more ways than one(or so I think) but I used the tabled to draw the figures each time. Making a circle, a line or what ever was easy enough and didn't feel intrusive to me. Though i'm sure other will complain cause it aint a button but I actually liked using my thumb for straight lines or using my index finger for the others.

The thing is it was pretty chaotic and I was somewhat in a rush so I couldn't quite comprehend everything. Hopefully someone else can give real impressions. All I know is I'm more sold than ever.

[paleselan]

I'll be buying The Wonderful 101, but I DOUBT it will sell well at all.

[lolmonade]

I find myself in a situation lately where I don't have much reason to turn on my Wii U, but I also am not in the market to buy new games right now due to a nice big backlog of games i'm working on playing through.
 
If that weren't the case, I would be snatching up a copy of this game after reading a few reviews, because I've enjoyed the one Platinum Game i've played (Metal Gear Rising), and imagine this game would be just as fun.
 
I've had to scale back my buying games because of wanting to "support new IP" or "support unique game types".  It just gets too pricy at a certain point, especially when I'll probably be able to find new copies of this game for $20-30 by the time I actually have time to invest in a newly purchased game.

[swordslinger]

After MadWorld, I'll buy anything from Platinum Games.

[XavierMike]

I think Platinum is one of y favorite developers, so anything they do( W101 or Bayonetta 2) are must buys.