Topic: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

[Ceric]

Well Portal 2 does this on PS3.  I would look to that for how it will work.  I think buying a Wii U version can get you a Steam version but not vice versa.  At best I could see being able to buy a Deluxe version that rolls in the Nintendo cut and allows you to also use it on WiiU, but that little loss of control may be to much for Nintendo.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Iwata already mentioned selling the eShop titles through different vendors or was it being able to access the eShop from anywhere and not just from Nintendo hardware?

either way I took it to mean that I could go on Amazon and/or GameStop to buy download codes, or if Steam is a part of Wii U, then maybe you can go on Steam on your PC, register your Nintendo account and be able to purchase all your gaming goods right from the Steamworks app on your PC.
Maybe this is where My Nintendo Accounts (Wii U acct based log-ins) come into play also. Being able to link your account to Steam like you can a Facebook account to just about anything.

[Ceric]

Iwata already mentioned selling the eShop titles through different vendors or was it being able to access the eShop from anywhere and not just from Nintendo hardware?
...

In Nintendo's Semi-Annual Financial Results Briefing:

Although this next feature is not going to be available with the next system update, we are now preparing for the Nintendo eShop to be available on the Web so that you can access it via PCs or smartphones too. As of now, the information available on our Nintendo eShop, including the reviews that I mentioned just now, is only available at the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS and it does not have a great affinity with the social media which are currently being used as a means to spread information. In other words, even if a software title receives an incredible review, majority of people will not know about it unless they access the Nintendo eShop with their Nintendo 3DS system.

We would like to solve this issue by making the Nintendo eShop accessible via PCs and smartphones as well. At the beginning, you will not be able to directly purchase software from your PC or smartphone. Instead, you will need to take a photo of a QR code at the Nintendo eShop by using the camera of your Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo 3DS will then open that specific page of the Nintendo eShop. That function is already included in the upcoming system update for the Nintendo 3DS. In the future, we will make it so that you will be able to purchase software by using your PC or smartphone,

Which very clearily states there intention to have the eShop accessible from web enabled devices.  I really doubt Nintendo will ever sell specific downloaded games from other vendors.  Just the point cards like iTune does.  I'm hoping that Nintendo will automatically give you the digital version of a title if you buy the physical version and it is the first time registering it.  Which the registration being done by simply putting the disk in and saying Register to my Club Nintendo or whatever.

[Chozo Ghost]

I take my laptop to school when I need to write a paper.

When I was in school we wrote our papers on, well... paper. At the time Laptops cost like $2,000.

We also had to walk 50 miles up hill in the snow every day to get to school, but that's another story.

[bustin98]

What I think would be the way to go for Nintendo is to allow the installation of apps, similar to what the 360 allows now, along with phones and tablets. The problem with the 360 is that Microsoft is the gatekeeper of all things sold and a separate games app would run against their control.

Now, Nintendo wants to be flexible with the publishers, so they could allow EA to have an Origin app, and Valve can have their Steam app, and Activision can have an app... Nintendo still tracks the sales, and if you want to monitor your account, you just visit each app. Nintendo doesn't have to maintain a history of your downloads, they don't have to monitor your credit card info, its all on each platform holder. Even online aspects can be up to the platform. I'm sure the storefronts will be specialized to the WiiU, and you can choose whether or not a particular platform is open on your system.

A weak point is a lack of an overall wallet. On the 360 and PS3, you have a unified account that has funds, and you pay MS or Sony and they redistribute the cash. Though on a PC you do have to maintain separate accounts, so its not an entirely new idea. Just throw a magnet stripe reader on the controller... lol.

[Stogi]

Magnet stripe....how about NFC?

[Ceric]

I take my laptop to school when I need to write a paper.

When I was in school we wrote our papers on, well... paper. At the time Laptops cost like $2,000.

We also had to walk 50 miles up hill in the snow every day to get to school, but that's another story.

When I went to school in the 90's (1st - 12th)  I used a laptop of some sort that whole time.

[bustin98]

Magnet stripe....how about NFC?

I was being stupid... and I was too lazy to look to see if NFC is prevalent on CCs to make it a feasible feature.

[Stogi]

I know you were being facetious, but that could actually work. And most CCs don't have NFC, but Google Wallet and Android phones do.

[Enner]

A weak point is a lack of an overall wallet. On the 360 and PS3, you have a unified account that has funds, and you pay MS or Sony and they redistribute the cash. Though on a PC you do have to maintain separate accounts, so its not an entirely new idea. Just throw a magnet stripe reader on the controller... lol.

It shouldn't be too much trouble for Nintendo to run some sort of universal wallet that supports all the different publisher services, right? Or course, the same can be said for having a universal Nintendo account supported by all the possible services. Hmm, I would hope that Nintendo would keep their own record of all the different things you can purchase on the Wii U, if only so they can offer Club Nintendo coins for each purchase!

[bustin98]

Isn't Club Nintendo coins offered only on Nintendo games? Or is it up to the publisher to participate? I'd figure Nintendo can track their own app.

If the various publishers track your sales, then they can offer corresponding downloads for your PC, or something. Similar to Valve and Portal 2 on PS3.

[TJ Spyke]

Nintendo has started to extend it to some third party 3DS games (like Crush 3D and Jaws: Ultimate Predator.

[NWR_insanolord]

And, from the start, every download game was eligible for Club Nintendo, regardless of publisher.

[ShyGuy]

I HUNGER FOR NEWS

[Kytim89]

Apparently SEGA is in some bad financial straits.
 
http://www.screwattack.com/news/sega-bleeding-money-and-cancelling-games
 

 
Due to the state of “rapid change” in the video game industry, Sega Sammy is going to take a large hit in 2012. Reporting a loss of 7.1 billion Yen ($86.4 million) for the year the company will be going through “structural reform” and “studio streamlining”. Basically the company will be downsizing and is currently reviewing their game lineup to see what can be cancelled.
While they haven’t revealed what those cancelled games are they have assured us that their “strong IPs” will remain safe and include franchises such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Football Manager, Total War, and Aliens. The most successful product for Sega Sammy wasn’t actually video games at all; it was their Pachinko machines and amusements. Guess it was a good thing they stopped making Marvel games, but now I see why they won’t commit to Sonic 4 Episode III…

Could SEGA go the way of the Dodo bird?
 
What can they do to get back strong again?
 
 

[Enner]

Sega seems fine enough to last for at least this year. At least I hope as I want to see Phantasy Star Online 2 to come out. I hope its strong series such as Sonic, Yakuza (in Japan), and such will sustain the company for at least a few more years. However, I doubt that we'll see any big games from them that aren't a sequel, spin off, or well in to production.

[MysticGohan]

Sad to see that Sega will put the final nail in the coffin. As Farnsworth would say "What in Sega Genesis are you blabbing about?"

[Kytim89]

Sega seems fine enough to last for at least this year. At least I hope as I want to see Phantasy Star Online 2 to come out. I hope its strong series such as Sonic, Yakuza (in Japan), and such will sustain the company for at least a few more years. However, I doubt that we'll see any big games from them that aren't a sequel, spin off, or well in to production.

If SEGA is in as bad of shape then I could easily see them become a exclusively digital distribution based company. They forgoe pubishing even their own titles in physical form to reduce financial risk and then try and make some profit the best the can do. Honestly, I have been saying for years that SEGA was going to go bankrupt (again) and be delivered the coup de gra. I am surpried that SEGA has lasted this long considering that their one IP, Sonic, has been more or less paying the bills since they left the home console market.
 
I will tell you one thing, if SEGA were to cease to exsist then other companies will carve up their IPs relatively quickly. What I would like to see is SEGA of Japan sell the company and its assets to a western developer like EA or Activision.

[Chozo Ghost]

Apparently SEGA is in some bad financial straits.

This would be the perfect time for Nintendo to show a little charity and throw a little money their way to help them out.

And by help them out, I mean buy them out of course. Then Sonic and all the other Sega franchises would be Nintendo exclusive.

[Lithium]

Apparently SEGA is in some bad financial straits.

This would be the perfect time for Nintendo to show a little charity and throw a little money their way to help them out.

And by help them out, I mean buy them out of course. Then Sonic and all the other Sega franchises would be Nintendo exclusive.

yeah i completely agree, i'd love to see what Nintendo could do with the sonic franchise. It's not like they don't have the funds for aquisitions it would be a smart investment in the long term. Not so sure about the short term though, nintendo just lost plenty of cash themselves and investors have their panties in a bunch I would also guess that Nintendo would also have to assume Sega's debt if that were to happen.


another alternative is to wait until they actually do go under and hope they can snag the good  I.P rights fast enough.

[Adrock]

I really wouldn't want any company besides Nintendo to get their hands on Sega's IPs. Nintendo is more likely to handle them best (mainly because they're willing to trash an entire game and start over if it sucks). At the same time, I would expect many of the IPs to remain dormant though that's likely the case no matter who got them. Would anyone bring back Alex Kidd? Probably not but Nintendo would probably use him in Smash Bros.

[Kytim89]

Correct me if I am wrong, but if someone buys out SEGA then they are on the hook for whatever debt obligations that SEGA might owe, right? The only reason I mentioned a western company should buy them is that a company like EA would better allocate their resources than the people running SEGA today. 

[Adrock]

Yeah, they would have to take on the debt. As for EA, Nintendo could not only do the same, but would likely do it better. It doesn't really have to do with West vs East. Nintendo handles their numbers better than most companies. That's why they've stayed in the game for so long. That said, they would probably consider buying Sega or their IPs a bad investment. Nintendo clearly doesn't need them because they have several of the strongest IPs in the industry. I was just saying that Nintendo would manage those IPs better than anyone and from a gamer's POV, Nintendo and Sega together would be the bomb diggity.

[BlackNMild2k1]

What SEGA should do (and I'm not sure why this is in the Rumor thread) is make sure they support the Wii U with all they got when it comes to launch time. There is a lot of money on the table should the Wii U be a success. Put real software out at launch along with some casual flare, and enjoy your recovery.

If such a plan were to fail and Sega/Sammy were to fail right along with it, then Nintendo should absolutely NOT buy the company and assume any of that bad debt. Nintendo should wait till they fail, then pick off the talent as they get let go or leave the sinking ship. Buy rights to any IP's Sega/Sammy is willing to sell off (such as Sonic) to recover from their losses and possibly buy the Sega name from them and form a new studio using that that name to house all the "new" talent and their "old" IP's.

Now it will look like Nintendo bought Sega and that Sega is a Nintendo exclusive dev. This would also allow Nintendo to fund/produce some more risque games under a different brand that everyone is familiar with without having to tarnish the Nintendo brand with lots M rated content.

[Kytim89]

Yeah, they would have to take on the debt. As for EA, Nintendo could not only do the same, but would likely do it better. It doesn't really have to do with West vs East. Nintendo handles their numbers better than most companies. That's why they've stayed in the game for so long. That said, they would probably consider buying Sega or their IPs a bad investment. Nintendo clearly doesn't need them because they have several of the strongest IPs in the industry. I was just saying that Nintendo would manage those IPs better than anyone and from a gamer's POV, Nintendo and Sega together would be the bomb diggity.

Since Nintendo is moving into HD development they could use the man power, and since SEGA's developers are more familiar with developing HD games then they could get a whole lot of work done on making games. However, I do not see Nintendo buying their IPs because Nintendo has enough of their own to manage, and they have the capacity to grow new IPs if the need ever arises.
 
If SEGA does go bankrupt for good then I see Capcom or Konami buying them in the east and EA or Activision buying them in the west. Who ever would get them would most likely jump at the chance to have a second tier mascot at their disposal. Of course Sonic has went down in quality since SEGA's heyday, but it would be a status symbol to own an IP that went toe=to=toe with Nintendo's mascot, Mario, and survived for several decades.
 
One thing I have noticed about SEGA is that they have quality games, and the talent to back it up, but what they lack drive, or initiative. If they were to be bought out then a more stable company would then be able to make better use from their games.