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Splatoon - Nintendo's next smash bros?

G

guek

Banned
Oh whoops, I'm on mobile and accidentally hit post instead of closing the tab. Was going to make this topic but thought better of it. Uh...


Well maybe i should write something better in the case this thread doesn't get locked...

Basically, we know it won't reassemble smash in terms of using Nintendo characters but it is the first major new IP from Nintendo in a long time in a traditionally competitive and hardcore genre, much like smash. And like smash, splatoon has the potential to bridge the gap between the casual and hardcore in ways we generally don't see in the shooter genre.

Can Nintendo position splatoon to do for them with the shooter genre what smash did for them as a fighting game?
 
G

GamerJM

Banned
It's not, and I think anyone who thinks it'll be that big is delusional. Quote me after it actually releases all you want if I'm wrong and I'll eat crow, this game just doesn't look like something with mass appeal. I will say that it looks like a blast to play and something I'm picking up day 1. Just not a multiplayer phenomenon on the tier of Smash and Kart.
 
C

Chezzymann

Member
I think it will have a dedicated competitive community, abeit small like a cult following. I just don't see it selling well enough to really make an impact like Smash Bros did. Probably will be a niche title, but hey, weirder stuff has happened.
 
M

Madao

Member
Splatoon will be the game that's gonna show why Nintendo plays it safe and makes Mario games every year. it's not gonna sell much.
 
S

Sandfox

Member
This game will probably have a decent tournament scene, it depends on the gameplay. In terms of sales it won't match Smash obviously.

TheGreatMightyPoo said:
It has a chance to be very big...or it would if the Wii U had a larger install base.
Click to expand...

If the game is well received Nintendo will more than likely give it another go and even the Wii U has a big enough install base for this to have a scene.

Alistair Roo said:
In what sense?

To be honest, I can see Splatoon flopping just as hard as Wonderful 101
Click to expand...

Splatoon is going to sell a lot better than W101 lol.
 
A

Anth0ny

Member
smash bros has a bunch of nintendo characters fighting on nintendo stages with nintendo items and nintendo music playing

splatoon does not
 
A

Ansatz

Member
Splatoon is that one Wii U game that won't just pop up and disappear after awhile. I have a feeling they will keep pushing it and slowly grow its audience because this is the future of AAA games and the genre has huge potential.

Maybe the next gen sequel takes on an f2p model, maybe they'll start integrating established Nintendo characters if the hype dies down, but yeah I don't think this will simply come and go no matter how badly it sells.
 
O

Otakumegane

Member
A big part of Smash is that is has a vast character appeal.

Now people may rag on Nintendo by no doing anything with "new" characters, but Splatoon will pretty much demonstrate why. It'll be great and have great reception but the sales numbers won't even get close to Smash.

Part of it being that the people who claimed Nintendo does nothing new not buying it.
 
M

Mory Dunz

Member
Ok, so you're talking about it being hardcore MP game potentially.


Hm, maybe.

We'll probably have to wait for Splatoon 2 though on a more succesful console to see how far it goes in that scene.
 
J

Jims

Member
I don't know... I feel like the narrative of Splatoon bombing financially is a pretty easy one and almost an expected one. But at the same time, I feel like the Wii U crowd is a very concentrated and hardcore Nintendo one right now, which might give the game a chance to be a hit. Unlike something like The Wonderful 101, this game is being developed internally at Nintendo and the company has a huge incentive to throw their entire marketing arm behind it. It's also more in the middle of the life cycle where there is already an install base ready for a new release.

The game is also extremely bright, colorful, cartoony, family-friendly, and has a certain amount of casual appeal to it... More stuff that usually plays well on Nintendo consoles.

Obviously, the game probably isn't going to sell like a Mario Kart or a Smash Bros., but I could see a pretty solid attach rate. Maybe if the first one does well and the hype for the second one gets crazier (like Melee), Splatoon could become a bigger deal down the line.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
guek said:
Oh whoops, I'm on mobile and accidentally hit post instead of closing the tab. Was going to make this topic but thought better of it. Uh...


Well maybe i should write something better in the case this thread doesn't get locked...

Basically, we know it won't reassemble smash in terms of using Nintendo characters but it is the first major new IP from Nintendo in a long time in a traditionally competitive and hardcore genre, much like smash. And like smash, splatoon has the potential to bridge the gap between the casual and hardcore in ways we generally don't see in the shooter genre.

Can Nintendo position splatoon to do for them with the shooter genre what smash did for them as a fighting game?
Click to expand...

I don't think so, for the simple fact that it isn't containing a wealth of Nintendo fan service, which is a huge part of what initially made Smash Bros. such an attention grabbing product. Splatoon is already on a system that is essentially a wasteland in terms of market penetration, plus the game is relatively low on Nintendo fanservice for a Ninty game. On top of this, it's a new IP and a gameplay concept that is also heavily novel.

I think the game looks rad and think it's one of the best new Nintendo concepts to come along in AGES.

I'm interpreting your question here:

"Like smash, splatoon has the potential to bridge the gap between the casual and hardcore in ways we generally don't see in the shooter genre. Can Nintendo position splatoon to do for them with the shooter genre what smash did for them as a fighting game?"

As doing for the shooter genre what smash did in terms of popularity/sales. If that's an incorrect interpretation, my apologies. Because Smash wasn't like an unheard of concept for a fighting game when it released, but the fanservice did get people watching closely. Then when people got to play it because their attention was grabbed, many people stayed and spread the word because they happened to enjoy the mechanics and felt it did a lot with such a relatively simplistic approach to the controls (easy to play, difficult to master - as an aside, I don't like Smash so I think the mechanics are bad *wink*).

I think the difference between Splatoon and Smash is that initial attention grabbing part which drew people in before they were officially hooked by the gameplay.
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
Yeah Splatoon is very clever, basically Nintendo's take on Team Fortress / Titan whatever the Blizzard FPS was. It's bound to be great, unique and polished. Now, imagine if Nintendo did a MOBA...
 
TDLink

TDLink

Member
Alistair Roo said:
In what sense?

To be honest, I can see Splatoon flopping just as hard as Wonderful 101
Click to expand...

Wonderful 101 had no marketing (why I will never know).

It also was a strange perspective action game (already a niche genre).

Splatoon is a shooter and is already getting far more marketing, it will do fine.
 
S

ShadowElliot

Banned
I'll buy it for sure, it looks very fun.

Nintendo will have to promote the ink out of this game for it to sell. I hope to see wacky commercials about squids and ink in the future.

I loved how they promoted it during the Treehouse Event last year.
 
P

PeakPointMatrix

Member
Lol, this game get big? With an install base like the WiiU's? Don't think so. And don't forget, the appeal of something like Smash is "a bunch of Nintendo stars beat the shit out of each other". Boom, you've got your casuals and long time fans hooked. For good and bad, this is a new IP with no brand-name recognition. It may become popular within a subsection of WiiU owners, but not a hit like you're thinking.

All that said, I'm still very much looking forward to it. But I'm not going to pretend this game will become something it doesn't have the capacity to.
 
jts

jts

...hate me...
Alistair Roo said:
In what sense?

To be honest, I can see Splatoon flopping just as hard as Wonderful 101
Click to expand...

Being a competitive online multiplayer game and Nintendo made I think it will at least surpass that.

Should have good legs as well if it's legit good and fun.
 
T

theprodigy

Member
Alistair Roo said:
In what sense?

To be honest, I can see Splatoon flopping just as hard as Wonderful 101
Click to expand...

nah, you can't outflop Platinum's new IPs, especially because this thing actually has some marketing behind it and is at least in theory in a significantly more favorable genre (however how this translate to the Wii U's audience remains to be seen)
 
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