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[hatchx]

From what we know Splatoon is the first game that is coming out from the Garage project (Miyamoto talked about it last year) and that Nintendo has greenlighted three more prototypes to become full games.

http://purenintendo.com/2014/09/03/nintendos-newest-development-process-labeled-garage/

I believe, as I am a software engineer/project manager myself, that all these game projects “share” between them the engine programming team, the tools programming team and the sound engineering team – after the recent company restructuring Nintendo brought together all its development teams under the same building/area - and I think that the 40 people that made Splatoon are focused entirely in the game design and not in engine/tools/sound programming…

Thanks for linking that article, I had never seen that. Very interesting indeed! Maybe we'll see another new IP at e3 from Garage.

So, between music composition/mixing/programming, the engineering team, and the core team of 40, we could assume the team is 60-80 people? That's not an entirely small team...and we havn't considered testing and club nintendo debug unit.

 

[DeSolos]

The inklings are cute. In my book that's the first thing that matters. It's probably fun too.

 

[otaku-asia]

I don't expect it to be a major IP. It will probably be niche. Doubt that a sequel will be made either.

 

[arevin01]

A shooter that's geared towards a shooter audience that doesn't buy shooter games? Yep this will be a definite bomb.

 

[Narroo]

A shooter that's geared towards a shooter audience that doesn't buy shooter games? Yep this will be a definite bomb.

I think that Metroid Prime did alright; of course this isn't a pre-existing IP.

I don't expect it to be a flat out blockbuster, but it may do decently enough.

 

[JohnTinker]

I really do want this to become a new tentpole franchise and that we'll hopefully see Splatoon future releases for years to come, however...

Since this game so heavily relies on the Gamepad, does this mean the next system will have similar functionality too? Will the Gamepad be backwards compatible? The Pro controller controls are already in place, but every preview has noted that the Gamepad is the natural fit for this game.

 

[Neff]

I expect it to do much better than some of the conservative estimates being thrown around, but it'd have to sell a couple of million or so to ever be seriously considered for future sequel or port material.

But hey, that might happen for all I know. Nintendo have literally never tried something like this before (with the possible exception of Metroid Hunters I guess), so it's hard to guess how successful it will be.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

I think that Metroid Prime did alright; of course this isn't a pre-existing IP.

I don't expect it to be a flat out blockbuster, but it may do decently enough.

The advertising and you can even say the art from the Metroid Prime games were definitely inspired by other FPS' on the market. The core of the game was very different but the messaging grabbed a lot of attention from the Halos and whatnot

 

[Gonzo The Great]

I expect it to do much better than some of the conservative estimates being thrown around, but it'd have to sell a couple of million or so to ever be seriously considered for future sequel or port material.

But hey, that might happen for all I know. Nintendo have literally never tried something like this before, so it's hard to guess how successful it will be.

Outside of Mario and Smash, literally nothing is going to reach two million units. Which isn't particularly impressive, but I'm sure Nintendo is paying attention to the install base. I wouldn't rule out a Splatoon sequel already.

 

[To Far Away Times]

I actually think this will do fairly well.

I'm guessing there's a fair amount of Wii U gamers that played GoldenEye and Perfect Dark back on the N64 and might be interested in this.

We're not looking at Call of Duty numbers here, but I think this will be a successful project.

 

[Neoxon]

I expect it to do much better than some of the conservative estimates being thrown around, but it'd have to sell a couple of million or so to ever be seriously considered for future sequel or port material.

But hey, that might happen for all I know. Nintendo have literally never tried something like this before, so it's hard to guess how successful it will be.

Nintendo is likely taking the install base into account, so I doubt they're expecting a million for the first entry in the franchise.

 

[ivysaur12]

I'm expecting Wonderful 101 levels of bomb.

I don't think the game will do great, but there's absolutely nothing that would even suggest this.

 

[scamander]

A shooter that's geared towards a shooter audience that doesn't buy shooter games? Yep this will be a definite bomb.

I never bought a shooter game, but Splatoon still appeals to me.
My guess is it will do fine if you take into consideration how small the userbase of the Wii U is.

 

[RulkezX]

I don't think the game will do great, but there's absolutely nothing that would even suggest this.

W101 was marketed in the UK both on prime time tv and in print. Splatoon hasn't had anything here yet, not even in the likes of the specialist retailers.

I dunno how well it's being marketed in the US or other parts of Europe but I can easily see an enormous bomb in the UK.

 

[StalkerUKCG]

Expecting it to bomb big time.

 

[nephilimdj]

I actually think will do 500k in west

Fanbase on here, reddit, gamexplain youtube and other places seems to have the diehards (similar to amiibo "whale" crowd), doesn't just seem to be fake hype like bayo2

 

[ivysaur12]

W101 was marketed in the UK both on prime time tv and in print. Splatoon hasn't had anything here yet, not even in the likes of the specialist retailers.

I dunno how well it's being marketed in the US or other parts of Europe but I can easily see an enormous bomb in the UK.

All the marketing in the world can't help a game that doesn't have a very marketable concept. As much love as W101 gets here, that wasn't a title that was going to perform on any platform.

It takes a special type of game to do as poorly as W101 did. Splatoon will not be that game.

 

[membran]

I'm more excited for Yoshi's Wooly World, but I'll give Splatoon a chance. Just found out that it runs at 60fps, which was a pleasant surprise.

 

[Macapala]

Splatoon probably won't sell very well, I just hope it is as awesome as some of the other underachieving Wii U games. Hopefully the upcoming direct will get people more interested. I hope Nintendo go into more detail about the single player, its looking kind of bland right now.

 

[John Bender]

Do we expect Splatoon to be the next major Nintendo I.P.?

Man, I hope so.
Splatoon is one of their most interesting new projects since.... ugh, can't even remeber since when. It looks fantastic and a hell lot of fun.
Can't wait!

Splatoon probably won't sell very well, I just hope it is as awesome as some of the other underachieving Wii U games. Hopefully the upcoming direct will get people more interested. I hope Nintendo go into more detail about the single player, its looking kind of bland right now.

It won't, because it's on the WiiU ;/
But I hope Nintendo understands that and realizes that Splatoon has a lot of potential.

 

[Shaanyboi]

I'm betting it'll 'okay' by WiiU standards and utter dog shit by any other standard. I'm excited for it, I think it looks rad, but there is so much working against this game's success.

Hopefully Nintendo sticks to its (paint) guns and sticks with it for their next platform.

 

[schlynch]

I don't think so. I can't see the player base on WiiU for such a title at the moment. Gameplay seems bland too with the squid feature unable to make a big difference overall. It's character design was a bold move. I think it's quite ugly to be honest. I would say it's in the range of Wonderful 101 in terms of sales. Hopefully it will sell more.

(I don't think that I will buy it)

 

[mo60]

It will be a modest success on the WiiU. They will probably make their money back on the game depending on the game's budget. I think it will sell at least a million and maybe even two million.

 

[Macapala]

I'm betting it'll 'okay' by WiiU standards and utter dog shit by any other standard. I'm excited for it, I think it looks rad, but there is so much working against this game's success.

Hopefully Nintendo sticks to its (paint) guns and sticks with it for their next platform.

What do you mean by "Wii U standards"?

 

[EVO]

I think it will sell OK, but the online community will die fast.

 

[SuperAngelo64]

I think it's going to go the way of W101.

I don't want it to, but it seems like everyone "the hype is real!" on GAF it's like dooming a game early.

I hope not though, it looks cool.

 

[Diffense]

I really do want this to become a new tentpole franchise and that we'll hopefully see Splatoon future releases for years to come, however...

Since this game so heavily relies on the Gamepad, does this mean the next system will have similar functionality too? Will the Gamepad be backwards compatible? The Pro controller controls are already in place, but every preview has noted that the Gamepad is the natural fit for this game.

I'm generally curious as to whether they'll continue with backwards compatibility after Wii U. Is the gamepad an idea they'll carry forward as a standard controller? I've grown fond of it and I've used the Wii U in ways I have not used previous consoles. I've taken advantage of the freedom to be away from the TV many times and I never use my TV remote anymore (which is a terrible remote for some reason). I'd understand if they scrapped it but it would feel like a small step back.

As for Splatoon, it has some things going for it for sure. The inklings are charming, appealing characters in an era where cute mascots aren't so common anymore. It has a very simple, apporachable hook - make a mess - with enough depth, thanks to the squid transformations and custom gear, to keep things interesting. It is multiplayer focused like a few of Wii U's other successful games (Smash and Kart) though they admittedly feature already famous characters.

On the other hand, Splatoon is exclusive to a console with a relatively low userbase. This is a major factor unfortunately. Mario Kart is a great litmus test since it has a broad appeal. It sold over 35 million on the Wii. Almost every 3rd Wii owner had it. Mario Kart 8's attach rate is also impressive (almost every other Wii U owner has it) but sales are severely limited by the much smaller Wii U userbase.

If you're the optimistic type, Splatoon sales might disappoint just because it's handicapped by the console it's on. But I have a feeling that Nintendo won't abandon the Inklings unless it truly flops which I don't expect. So in that sense I expect Splatoon to become a franchise and get sequels.

 

[danmaku]

No way it's doing as bad as Platinum games. Splatoon is a lot easier to sell. I'd say it'll sell between 500k and 1 million.

 

[ramparter]

It has better pricing than Wonderful 101, it has its own amiibos, it is nintendo's first online 3rd person shooter and one of the very few online shooters in Wii U.

Nintendo should release an online demo, and who knows it may as well happen right after the coming Direct.

I think it could be a million seller eventually which would be more than great for a new ip on a userbase of 10m.

 

[Visualante2]

I think it had potential but Nintendo's skepticism about online multilayer stands to hurt its long term appeal.

But this is GAF people will probably point to sales figures even if nobody is playing it in 6 months.

 

[Lucreto]

I am sure it will do fine.

It's not my type of game unfortunately, I said what is this nonsense to myself when it was revealed and more surprised that GAF were really excited for it after.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

I doubt it. I reckon it'll hit a couple of hundred thousand tops, lifetime. The super-core Nintendo crowd keeping the Wii U on life support will make some noise about it, as they are now.

Who else gonna make noise? Its funny yall think its noise just cause people gonna like it as if they shouldnt. Talking as if nobody should talk about because everybody else aint.

 

[DrWong]

It will do 101 better than a wonderful game sales wise and multiplayer will be active until the Wii U death. I can easily find someone to play FIFA 13 online at any time, so a first party game which will be pushed hard... ?

 

[Neff]

Outside of Mario and Smash, literally nothing is going to reach two million units. Which isn't particularly impressive, but I'm sure Nintendo is paying attention to the install base. I wouldn't rule out a Splatoon sequel already.

MK8 and Smash have sold 4.7 and 3.3 million respectively, and that figure will grow in years to come. And because it's driven by the same competitive online multiplayer element, it's not unthinkable that Splatoon will scrape a million or so if the community grows and word of mouth drives it. There are ten million Wii Us out there after all, and owners of the machine aren't exactly inundated with online games, or even games period. 2 million would seriously surprise me, though.

I think it's going to go the way of W101.

I'm fairly confident it'll wreck W101 sales.

 

[noshten]

GOTY contender and over 1 million sold copies by the end of the year.

No doubt in my mind, this will be the most successful Wii U game for 2015 both critically and sales wise.

 

[KooopaKid]

People expecting W101 sales, come on...it's not niche like Platinum, it has actual broad appeal to kids, families, girls and Nintendo fans.

 

[Jobbs]

I don't think it'll sell very well. The name "Splatoon" + sort of pictures of paintball just looks kind of shovelware or mini-game like at first glance. I just think it's a hard sell unless you really market it hard, and Nintendo won't.

 

[KooopaKid]

I'm wondering if marketing it "From the makers of Mario Kart" would work.

 

[RulkezX]

I'm wondering if marketing it "From the makers of Mario Kart" would work.

They'd have to actually market it to people that aren't already Nintendo fans then.

Directs and art competitions are fine, but they're preaching to the the choir.


Skylanders and Infinity etc are never off the kids TV channels yet I'm not even sure my 2 would know the WiiU ( and by extension Mario Kart etc) existed if I hadn't bought one.

 

[AdventureRacing]

It's releasing on the wii U which is basically dead at this point. Even on a successful console this looks like it would be a niche game but on the wii U is be pretty shocked if t wasn't.

Hoping that isn't the case but I don't like the games chances.

 

[Shaanyboi]

What do you mean by "Wii U standards"?

That whatever number it ends up selling, it'll be followed with "well considering this is on the WiiU, that's not as bad..." But by any other standard for a 'major IP', it may as well be considered a flop. That's my expectation. If you want a number, maybe 200-300k. I won't dismiss any claims that it could do far better, but I'm keeping my expectations realistic for now. I doubt this game had the budget most other major releases get, so that may still be okay for them, but that's impossible to really know.

 

[michaelius]

I'm expecting something beetween Wonderfull 101 and Pikmin 3 sales.
Nintendo is going to advertise it because they don't have anything else for middle of 2015.

 

[CaptainGyro]

small potatoes

 

[sector4]

Outside of Mario and Smash, literally nothing is going to reach two million units. Which isn't particularly impressive, but I'm sure Nintendo is paying attention to the install base. I wouldn't rule out a Splatoon sequel already.

And Zelda surely!

 

[Litri]

We should keep our expectations in check but I think it will do numbers similar to DKCTF/Windwaker remake or higher. If Nintendo keeps supporting it with content throughout the year it may get close to SM3DW number by xmas.

 

[AntiFacebook]

GOTY contender and over 1 million sold copies by the end of the year.

No doubt in my mind, this will be the most successful Wii U game for 2015 both critically and sales wise.

not if mario maker or XBX get released this year

 

[Nintendojitsu]

Let me look inside my arse... oh, here it is. 800k WW by the end of the year, sequel on the next home console.

Not the post we needed but the post this thread deserves.

 

[HiredN00bs]

Has there been any movement on social features in this game? I'd love to dive in, but from what I've heard, this will be another Nintendo online game that relies on PS4/XBL/Skype chat.

 

[jariw]

It's releasing on the wii U which is basically dead at this point.

Sounds pretty much like the pre-MK8 speculations.

 

[TI82]

Has there been any movement on social features in this game? I'd love to dive in, but from what I've heard, this will be another Nintendo online game that relies on PS4/XBL/Skype chat.

Wait for the direct, I'm assuming they will touch on this since it seems to be whats holding everyone back.