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[Pokemaniac]

I think nintendo should have just brought out a wii hd capable of competing with sony and microsoft. The problem with the wii u is most people thought that it was an accessory for the wii.

The dual screen approach will end nintendo imo and it is something just not worth doing.

What nintendo need is a powerful console capable pf playing their whole back catalogue.

Asking for no second screen then proceeding to ask for full access to their back catalog is somewhat contradictory.

 

[Roo]

No it doesn't. It doesn't emulate Gamecube.

Prior to the Wii U's launch when we didn't know what it would be Gamecube games on the VC was widely wished for and speculated upon.

No GameCube games (either as VC or BC) on Wii U is more a business decision rather than the console not being powerful enough to run them.

Speaking of "playing their whole catalogue", I hope Nintendo really embraces VC on the NX. It feels like they've been really reluctant to do so on the Wii U and 3DS due to the separate stores - new VC game platforms being released on the Wii U feel like a test. Y'know?

And I reslly hope GCN VC becomes a thing. Skipping GCN for Wii digital releases on the Wii U? Damn it Nintendo, give me my Billy Hatcher! lol

The team behind the VC is really really small afaik so that's why the library is so lackluster compared to Wii
Should be thankful we're getting VC games at all.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Yeah and for some people. "average consumers" thought it was just a Wii because of the name. Working in retail you see this stuff more often than not. Its a real thing.

 

[dity]

I don't think the Wii U failed because the name confused people.

I think the Wii U failed because people didn't want it.

Well, when you need to have entire web pages just to show that the Wii U is different to the Wii I think something's wrong.

 

[CaviarMeths]

No it doesn't. It doesn't emulate Gamecube.

Prior to the Wii U's launch when we didn't know what it would be Gamecube games on the VC was widely wished for and speculated upon.

No, it just plays them natively through Wii mode.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Well, when you need to have entire web pages just to show that the Wii U is different to the Wii I think something's wrong.

Oh, no, I'm not saying it wasn't confusing. It clearly was.

I'm saying that wasn't the main problem. People didn't want the product. You could explain all day how it's different, that didn't do any convincing to actually, you know, buy it.

 

[dity]

Oh, no, I'm not saying it wasn't confusing. It clearly was.

I'm saying that wasn't the main problem. People didn't want the product. You could explain all day how it's different, that didn't do any convincing to actually, you know, buy it.

It's kinda hard to get someone to buy something they think they already have. I swear I remember reading a Gaf thread about Gamestop where people were coming in and asking for Mario Maker on the Wii

 

[Griss]

No GameCube games (either as VC or BC) on Wii U is more a business decision rather than the console not being powerful enough to run them.


The team behind the VC is really really small afaik so that's why the library is so lackluster compared to Wii
Should be thankful we're getting VC games at all.

it runs Gamecube games
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=927094

Ah well I know it has the potential capability when modded or whatnot, my point was merely that Nintendo don't have a machine on the market that can play their whole past library from a consumer's point of view. Shit, I modded my Wii but even I don't have time for all that mess these days.

It would be nice (though definitely not essential, imo) if Gamecube games were added to the VC next time around.

 

[AzaK]

Most of the confusion came from keeping the Wii name and not differentiating too much from the previous model. Easy way to avoid confusion is they choose better naming and model conventions. Abandoning the Wii name is already a start, so you have two options, either keep making systems with new names attached or start attaching numbers at the end of the name like PlayStation 1-4 or iPhone 1-6, those work and people know what they are and will recognize them as new systems being different from the last.

There was confusion for sure but really, it's just that it's a useless console as far as most people are concerned.

A tablet that's big, thick, capacitive with buttons and sticks? I can just use my phone to play Angry Birds

$350!??!?!?! + an external HDD to store anything more than few games? I can buy a PS4 for almost that much!

No third party games? Nintendo games are nice and all but $350 for just those - nup.

It's about as powerful as last gen? lol


Nintendo were blind to the fact that people didn't give a shit about them any more. The Wii had flopped in the last couple of years of it's life. iPhones were the shiz and everyone was playing the sort of Nintendo like casual games on them now.

In the end they had to sell an expensive, uninteresting machine with limited gaming potential.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

It's kinda hard to get someone to buy something they think they already have. I swear I remember reading a Gaf thread about Gamestop where people were coming in and asking for Mario Maker on the Wii

Yep. Its pretty funny people trying to buy Wii U games for Wii and hearing people saying.. "Didnt we buy smash bros on Wii already?"

 

[ShockingAlberto]

This thread and the Vita thread are REALLY SIMILAR.

 

[dity]

The whole software situation as of current is a big blow to Nintendo. Most studios seem to be like "oh yeah NX, we'll have a Nintendo game on that in some years time" while ignoring the U. Watching a sinking ship with blueprints in hand for the new model already.

I do think it's odd that the Wii U is sinking and Nintendo limits the amount of posts its super dedicated fans can make on Miiverse. Seems counter-productive.

 

[Roo]

Ah well I know it has the potential capability when modded or whatnot, my point was merely that Nintendo don't have a machine on the market that can play their whole past library from a consumer's point of view. Shit, I modded my Wii but even I don't have time for all that mess these days.

It would be nice (though definitely not essential, imo) if Gamecube games were added to the VC next time around.

No, you tried to prove me wrong, it backfired and now you're back pedaling
It's totally ok tho and I actually agree with you.
Offering GCN games (in an official way, that is lol) would be a sweet deal for many.
Especially when they're sitting on the GCN adapter for Smash Wii U which is the only game that makes use of it.

Even tho the VC team is small, I wouldn't be surprised if they were holding back some games on purpose to release them later for the next console.

It's kind of weird they stopped releasing DS and Wii games all of a sudden.

 

[Sandfox]

Apple has had a different impact on how consumers think and have kept up dedicated product lines, unlike Nintendo. You have to remember that the iPod was released 9 years thereabouts before the iPad even existed and since introducing the "i" line of products Apple has successfullly been able to communicate the difference between its new product and its other products in a sentence or so in marketing.

Nintendo could possibly be introducing two new products with a very similar name that possibly will play different games with some that work on both(?) at the same exact time. They'd definitely need to name them differently or not make some games only compatible with one of the NX's and not the other. However I'm fairly certain if they named them similarly and released them at separate times people will likely think the second release is an accessory for the first.

If a game isn't compatible with one platform Nintendo will make it obvious.

No, you tried to prove me wrong, it backfired and now you're back pedaling
It's totally ok tho and I actually agree with you.
Offering GCN games (in an official way, that is lol) would be a sweet deal for many.
Especially when they're sitting on the GCN adapter for Smash Wii U which is the only game that makes use of it.

Even tho the VC team is small, I wouldn't be surprised if they were holding back some games on purpose to release them later for the next console.

It's kind of weird they stopped releasing DS and Wii games all of sudden.

VC was just a small thing to Nintendo this generation, but they could obviously change their mind on that.

 

[qko]

I have not gone in this thread for a while, but has a "Steam Link" sort of device been explored? The NX could be some sort of "Home Base" your phone/ or a 2DS type device can remotely access and...

The more I think about it, the more it wouldn't work. A lot of things a device like this would have working for it seemingly go against the philosophies of Nintendo (cloud gaming, multi-account access, and a device that would access a sort of home network would require pretty much a phone data plan :/

Really curious when Nintendo is going to reveal more info on the NX also on the DeNA games for mobile.

 

[dity]

If a game isn't compatible with one platform Nintendo will make it obvious.

Like those awfully tiny "Also compatible with 2DS" and the small X next to 3DS on the back of Xenoblade 3D? "Only for New Nintendo 3DS" means nothing because other than one game the New Nintendo 3DS is just a 3DS to pretty much everyone out there.

 

[Trevelyan9999]

There was confusion for sure but really, it's just that it's a useless console as far as most people are concerned.

A tablet that's big, thick, capacitive with buttons and sticks? I can just use my phone to play Angry Birds

$350!??!?!?! + an external HDD to store anything more than few games? I can buy a PS4 for almost that much!

No third party games? Nintendo games are nice and all but $350 for just those - nup.

It's about as powerful as last gen? lol


Nintendo were blind to the fact that people didn't give a shit about them any more. The Wii had flopped in the last couple of years of it's life. iPhones were the shiz and everyone was playing the sort of Nintendo like casual games on them now.

In the end they had to sell an expensive, uninteresting machine with limited gaming potential.

They were also a year too late and should have moved Skyword Sword to be a Wii U launch game since their game development took a huge delay and was not prepared for HD. Nintendo already invested so much on R&D that they basically had a system that they needed to release but were too late to change the Gamepad idea since smart phones were already far superior in everything except for the Gamepad's streaming capabilities.

They also should have named the console the Nintendo Stream or something that actually made some sense as to what it does.

It looks already that NX will get off to a better start, Nintendo is slowly getting things lined up for something huge next year.

 

[gamerforever]

Asking for no second screen then proceeding to ask for full access to their back catalog is somewhat contradictory.

I get what you mean, but the wii u games don't need the second screen.

I just think if they merge both platforms it would represent a big risk and has the potential to end nintendo altogether.

Get a separate home console and handheld out please!

All i want is great games without gimmicks.

 

[Terrell]

That would be very difficult for scaling if it was. I see Xbox one as the upper limit on the home console. Enough to get ports if possible but not too expensive. I can see them aiming for $250 max for the console, preferably <$200.

They need instant mass market or they are dead.

Yeah, people are just racing out of their homes to get an Xbox One.... OH.... WAIT.

They won't.
I expect something (slightly) under xbox one, and that wouldn't be suicide at all. If they go ARM on both, I think something based on the ARMv8-A a1100 opteron from amd is the upper market of what we should be looking at performance wise, maybe with some functions cut that don't make sense for a gaming CPU to make it cheaper.

You should look at something workable enough to get ports to most of the current games, cheap, scalable for the handheld and still a good notch up from WiiU.

Anything under the current worst performer on the market has zero traction from the get-go. Plain and simple.

Being affordable is probably their main concern, since they cited the Wii U's price as one of the reasons for its failure. I'm also speculating that they want something easy to develop for so it'll be accessible. With this in mind, I could very easily see it below Xbox One power wise, not a lot, but still below it.

Being affordable shouldn't be Nintendo's main concern. Being DESIRABLE should be. A Wii U at any price is still a hard sell.
If Nintendo has a console that people feel gives them value on the dollar spent, then that's enough. This talk of mass market price being the utmost paramount consideration is poison.

They just need to make something people would actually be OK having in their home at a reasonable price for what is offered. No need to scrape the $200-and-under segment if you don't have to.

And achieving what PS4 does at a reasonable price in 2016, when costs to make something comparable to it have shrunk enough? Not a huge stretch, especially when Nintendo, by virtue of launching a new platform, can sell it at break-even or a small loss instead of attempting to generate revenue like Sony and Microsoft need to in the mid-gen point of their cycle, still puts them in a potential price advantage.

I wonder if Miis will survive the shift to the NX, or just stay as some sort of legacy thing for WiiU/3DS games that support them.

I think they absolutely will, but it's time that they evolved past what they are now.

In this month's EDGE magazine, there is a letter from a reader moaning about how Nintendo used to release powerful hardware and that if they are to get back 3rd party support and win consumers over, they should revert to that strategy.

EDGE's response was telling:

EDGE's response is the press making assumptions like it always does about what Nintendo will or can do, plain and simple. When we can't even get a straight answer from developers on the platform, I highly doubt that EDGE somehow has the total inside scoop while most of the rest of the industry and its associated press doesn't.

It won't be more powerful than possibly either of them and it definitely won't be suicide. Want to see a suicide? Hope that Nintendo release a home console more powerful than PS4 at 450-500$.

At this point, it doesn't need to be. Match the PS4, sell at cost like Sony isn't going to any time soon, and boom... value on dollar.

I still feel like not having a hybrid will be a mistake, plus it's such an obvious, natural evolution of the Wii U.

The mistake would be hamstringing themselves out of 3rd-party games being made for consoles yet again, make no mistake about which is the worse proposition.

Why would they though when they could encourage you to buy two devices instead? Once you're in the ecosystem you're more likely to buy another piece of hardware for a different purpose if it plays all your games/apps.

A hyrbid device raises costs/barriers and adds functionality that everyone might not want.

I'd actually say Nintendo's less interested in you buying a lot of hardware and more about an increase in dollars spent on their software with a sort of implicit notion that it will retain its value on future platforms. Because software is where the bulk of Nintendo's money is made, so a reduction in hardware purchases for larger gains on software is a solid calculated move.

Why not? Beefed up portables like the Nexus Shield last a long time. I don't see battery life as much of an excuse honestly. I mean, phones these days (even budget ones) last a lot longer than the GamePad or 3DS and they cost around the same or even less these days than either of them.

A beefed up portable still can't match a PS4.

And they cost less because they're marked down from no one buying them.

They will be cutting profit either way.. I think if they made 1 device that can be 2 devices is the way to go. Not a hybrid but not two separate devices either. Doing the 2 devices one is going to cut profits into another. Especially if they have a shared library.

Hardware profits are an easier sacrifice to make, since hardware is a more expensive both in manufacturing and logistics. So long as people are buying more copies of the same game on both platforms to offset that or exceed the loss, there's nothing but gain to be made with the consumer AND Nintendo.

Yeah, this is an important factor to consider for all major Nintendo games if the family of devices is real and executed as we expect. We would see titles like Mario main, Zelda, Smash, Mario Kart and the others be released and get sequels after a longer time than what we usually see between handhelds and home consoles.

Example: Mario Kart 7 released in December 2011, while MK8 in May 2014. That's about 2.5 years between the two games. Now, if there's no need to develop a Mario Kart game for two different devices, two different versions / episodes, we could see that period between releases increasing to 3.5-4 years.

That would let developers who would be usually busy working on the next MK game more available to work on other titles, especially new IPs. Also, as this gen showed, the longevity of the single MK game (again, an example for what I'm trying to say) would receive a substantial help from expansions featuring lots of quality content.

Yeah, I expect fewer releases in the same franchise and more elongation of their relevance on store shelves, both by virtue of being the only game in that franchise for a particular period of time and through things like DLC and such, instead.

I really haven't seen any indication that it's going to work out the way Sony wants it too. What NX provides, presumably, is a way for those games to developed at a Console level and downscaled to a portable with minimal effort or vice-versa for maximizing sales potential depending on the region and genre.

Yep, all of this support for PS4 being predicated on cross-gen releases is playing right into Nintendo's hand, at this point, and that's dangerous for Sony.

Game Freak: That's an interesting proposition...
...
...
Game Freak: Pokemon Gen 7, exclusive to iOS/Android!

No way Nintendo would mandate such a thing.

No way a Pokemon game gets released on anything but a Nintendo device without Nintendo signing off on it. The shared copyrights/trademarks mean that all parties who share them must sign off on any use of them.

Good luck getting that past Nintendo.

I don't think the Wii U failed because the name confused people.

I think the Wii U failed because people didn't want it.

THANK YOU.

All this talk of it being weaker than Xbox One and fine with just a rebrand or whatever other nonsense fail to capture why people REALLY haven't been buying Nintendo hardware recently: it's not giving them what they want for the money they'd spend on it.

And until that's firmly addressed, anything Nintendo puts on the market is dead in the water. I put up with it this generation, I will absolutely not repeat that decision.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Like those awfully tiny "Also compatible with 2DS" and the small X next to 3DS on the back of Xenoblade 3D? "Only for New Nintendo 3DS" means nothing because other than one game the New Nintendo 3DS is just a 3DS to pretty much everyone out there.

I get where people are coming from but if they really rely on some symbol like that... thats where yall are getting it twisted. You want the hardware to be like apple but thats not a apple like move.

 

[Roo]

VC was just a small thing to Nintendo this generation, but they could obviously change their mind on that.

Yup. Sadly that's the case.
I think they had big plans for it tho.
Announcing GBA, DS and even Wii support (not VC per se but you get my point) seemed like a really ambitious project but with the massive company restructure, Wii U bombing, Club Nintendo and other services ending, etc the whole thing lost priority for Nintendo.

VC is fan service after all. Hopefully they take care of it next gen when accounts not tied to consoles, etc are in place.

 

[CaviarMeths]

No way a Pokemon game gets released on anything but a Nintendo device without Nintendo signing off on it. The shared copyrights/trademarks mean that all parties who share them must sign off on any use of them.

Good luck getting that past Nintendo.

Small nitpick here, but if I understand right, the copyright (intellectual property) is shared, but the trademark (branding, etc) is owned 100% by Nintendo. Nothing that Game Freak or anyone else makes can be called Pokemon unless it's an official Nintendo product.

 

[Black-Wind]

Game Freak: That's an interesting proposition...
...
...
Game Freak: Pokemon Gen 7, exclusive to iOS/Android!

No way Nintendo would mandate such a thing.

So you're under the notion that not only does GF have that kinda power (they don't) but also that they're sooo against the idea of being able to play their games on a console that they would try something like that?

No, there's literally noway that would happen and there's simply no down side to making a hand held game that can also be played on home consoles using the same cart (provided the system synergy is there. If the gimmick with the NX console or consoles is that you can play the hand held games on the TV then bam, we got ourselves Pokemon on the TV ..).

If the Handheld is able to out put vita level visuals then GF has no excuse for not fully embracing a 3D world that's suitable for large screens. But knowing GF I'm sure they may fuck it up by keeping the overworld Chibi and other basic bitch things.

 

[dity]

I get where people are coming from but if they really rely on some symbol like that... thats where yall are getting it twisted. You want the hardware to be like apple but thats not a apple like move.

I agree. If Apple had to rely on labels rather than properly spacing their products out in the retail space to differenciate them properly they'd not be where they are today. To most people it's pretty easy to tell the difference between their products despite the naming scheme.

 

[Guess Who]

So you're under the notion that not only does GF have that kinda power (they don't) but also that they're sooo against the idea of being able to play their games on a console that they would try something like that?

No, there's literally noway that would happen and there's simply no down side to making a hand held game that can also be played on home consoles using the same cart (provided the system synergy is there. If the gimmick with the NX console or consoles is that you can play the hand held games on the TV then bam, we got ourselves Pokemon on the TV ..).

Not to mention gens 1-3 were all officially playable on a console either through Pokemon Stadium, Super Game Boy, or the Game Boy Player.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

If there is truly cross compatibility, then we're probably in line for some very interesting Nintendo.

I think we could see a lineup that starts at a handheld that is a 400p Wii U equivalent handheld where games play all the way from there to the same in a home console (priced at $125) to a PS4ish system that plays the same games at a higher res with higher poly models, and then a day and date PS5ish system.

The gimmick stops being a control scheme, but instead becomes the idea that the main system is always $125-150, and there are always faster systems that will play the games better, but you can always still play on the lower end system.

Eventually they get to the point where they put out handhelds and home consoles on a tick-tock cycle and always have their competition playing catch up.

 

[Allegrian]

Most people don't kmow what a Wii U is, but those who know don't want it.

No one besides ultra Nintedo and Platinum fans and some children wants a wii u.

 

[Black-Wind]

Not to mention gens 1-3 were all officially playable on a console either through Pokemon Stadium, Super Game Boy, or the Game Boy Player.

Pretty much.

Plus I believe I remember them saying that they would consider a console Pokemon if Nintendo made some kinda portable console. If the synergy is there for these consoles to be this connected then there ya go, we get a "console Pokemon" through having a really well made Hand Held Pokemon (Even though you CAN make great 3D worlds on the 3DS I give em a pass on making chibi simple-as-fuck overworld for it given it's their first try. But the NX? They should have no excuse for there not being full 3D modeled characters at the proper proportions).


On that note ... I don't understand how the theoretical synergy I see talked about here would work. If the console can play Hand held games AND games made to take advantage of the console's power (as in, console only games) then it seems like that would kinda cannibalize the hand held in places were portability isn't as valued as it is in Japan.
Like ... most of America for example. I get why someone would say that both would have to be able to play all the games of either console for that reason.

 

[Hero of Legend]

Pretty much.

Plus I believe I remember them saying that they would consider a console Pokemon if Nintendo made some kinda portable console. If the synergy is there for these consoles to be this connected then there ya go, we get a "console Pokemon" through having a really well made Hand Held Pokemon (Even though you CAN make great 3D worlds on the 3DS I give em a pass on making chibi simple-as-fuck overworld for it given it's their first try. But the NX? They should have no excuse for there not being full 3D modeled characters at the proper proportions).


On that note ... I don't understand how the theoretical synergy I see talked about here would work. If the console can play Hand held games AND games made to take advantage of the console's power (as in, console only games) then it seems like that would kinda cannibalize the hand held in places were portability isn't as valued as it is in Japan.
Like ... most of America for example. I get why someone would say that both would have to be able to play all the games of either console for that reason.

Imagine if Pokemon X/Y/OR/AS looked like Monster Hunter Stories. Oh my.

 

[SolarPowered]

Being affordable shouldn't be Nintendo's main concern. Being DESIRABLE should be. A Wii U at any price is still a hard sell.
If Nintendo has a console that people feel gives them value on the dollar spent, then that's enough. This talk of mass market price being the utmost paramount consideration is poison.

They just need to make something people would actually be OK having in their home at a reasonable price for what is offered. No need to scrape the $200-and-under segment if you don't have to.

And achieving what PS4 does at a reasonable price in 2016, when costs to make something comparable to it have shrunk enough? Not a huge stretch, especially when Nintendo, by virtue of launching a new platform, can sell it at break-even or a small loss instead of attempting to generate revenue like Sony and Microsoft need to in the mid-gen point of their cycle, still puts them in a potential price advantage.

This post is so succinct that I can't help loving it. Some people seem bent on seeing Nintendo hamstringing themselves until they ARE making game hardware that could only be classified as toys. This is not the way to go for one of the most well known entertainment brands on the planet and ALL companies should want to make a product that the market desires in theory. Unfortunately Nintendo's consoles are designed for the CEO and board of directors at NCL exclusively. Even first party Nintendo developers aren't entirely in the loop in the hardware design process. Western third party concerns and global concerns/trends among gamers are an inconvenient reality that executive Nintendo staff just has to ignore apparently.

The real revolution at Nintendo's corporate boardrooms won't be embracing modern online capabilities, merging hardware divisions or 100+ watt home consoles. It will be accepting the fact that Nintendo hardware can't be designed in a Nintendo vacuum on the assumption that whatever they make is gold for third party peasants and consumers. Desirability is king above all else and even a successful product designed in that classic Nintendo vacuum is a small bump on the downward trend as a whole.

All this talk of it being weaker than Xbox One and fine with just a rebrand or whatever other nonsense fail to capture why people REALLY haven't been buying Nintendo hardware recently: it's not giving them what they want for the money they'd spend on it.

And until that's firmly addressed, anything Nintendo puts on the market is dead in the water. I put up with it this generation, I will absolutely not repeat that decision.

Yep, it really is that simple.

 

[Sandfox]

Like those awfully tiny "Also compatible with 2DS" and the small X next to 3DS on the back of Xenoblade 3D? "Only for New Nintendo 3DS" means nothing because other than one game the New Nintendo 3DS is just a 3DS to pretty much everyone out there.

The Xenoblade case makes it pretty obvious that the game only works on the New 3DS and I don't see how you can say it means nothing just because only one game is exclusive.

I get where people are coming from but if they really rely on some symbol like that... thats where yall are getting it twisted. You want the hardware to be like apple but thats not a apple like move.

The way iOS sells content is pretty different from what people are expecting with the NX though.

 

[Dr. Buni]

On that note ... I don't understand how the theoretical synergy I see talked about here would work. If the console can play Hand held games AND games made to take advantage of the console's power (as in, console only games) then it seems like that would kinda cannibalize the hand held in places were portability isn't as valued as it is in Japan.
Like ... most of America for example. I get why someone would say that both would have to be able to play all the games of either console for that reason.

I don't think a console would have exclusive games if the shared library thing is a thing. It kinda goes against the purpose of a shared library? I think it would be like Super Smash Bros. 4, with all first party games having two versions with different graphics and stuff.

So while the console version of the games could cannibalize the handheld sales in the west, in Japan that wouldn't be a problem. It'd be a case of console versions selling better in the west, while handheld versions selling better in Japan. Or they could simple release the handheld versions always first so the console versions wouldn't hinder the handheld sales.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

The way iOS sells content is pretty different from what people are expecting with the NX though.

This. The market of the iOS App Store can't sustain the sorts of experiences publishers would want to bring to NX.

I think that's best symbolised by the iPad Pro's lack of support for professional software -- developers just aren't seeing it worthwhile to recreate their Mac software on it because they can't sell it at $50+ a pop or as an upgrade from a free trial on iOS.

 

[iBlue]

When do you guys think we will hear about the new club nintendo/account system? also what happened to the eshop website? i prefer to buy my games from the sites then through the consoles, i do that on my PS4 and xbox and cant wait to do it on my wii u/3ds

 

[dity]

The Xenoblade case makes it pretty obvious that the game only works on the New 3DS and I don't see how you can say it means nothing just because only one game is exclusive.

It's means nothing for the same reason every 3DS game doesn't have "also compatible with 3DS XL" on the front cover. The general consumer just assumes "also compatible with New 3DS" for every game because to them it's just another 3DS. For all they know the packaging on Xenoblade 3D is just updated packaging reflecting the latest version of the 3DS. It doesn't even have its own section, it's not separated from normal 3DS titles. Probably because it's just one game. "Why would they make a new 3DS for one game?" is probably what runs through most customers' heads when not properly informed.

The market today sees the New 3DS like the Ds Lite (or DSi) before it and the GBA SP before that. New version of the same thing. That's why you have people trying to buy Xenoblade for their regular 3DS and uninformed retail clerks trying to sell the game to those people without the New 3DS. It doesn't help that you can still put Xenoblade into a regular 3DS either.

I think it's astounding that Nintendo needs to have a long graphic at the back losting what consoles a game can and can't be played on. It's 2015 and they still have to list a game as incompatible with NDS. This is what happens when you rely on labels for super similarly named consoles.

 

[neurosisxeno]

Yep, it really is that simple.

Trying to explain that to die-hard Nintendo fans is nearly impossible. They remain convinced that the Wii U is a good value despite lacking even the most basic functionality of modern Game Consoles.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

When do you guys think we will hear about the new club nintendo/account system? also what happened to the eshop website? i prefer to buy my games from the sites then through the consoles, i do that on my PS4 and xbox and cant wait to do it on my wii u/3ds

Definitely before the year's end. The Nintendo-DeNA loyalty system that replaces club Nintendo and is supposed to act as a bridge between mobile and console will launch before the first mobile game, which is due out this year.

I'm hoping it'll launch in October.

Interesting times ahead: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1106894

 

[orioto]

I don't think a console would have exclusive games if the shared library thing is a thing. It kinda goes against the purpose of a shared library? I think it would be like Super Smash Bros. 4, with all first party games having two versions with different graphics and stuff.

So while the console version of the games could cannibalize the handheld sales in the west, in Japan that wouldn't be a problem. It'd be a case of console versions selling better in the west, while handheld versions selling better in Japan. Or they could simple release the handheld versions always first so the console versions wouldn't hinder the handheld sales.

Yeah in that situation it's not really relevant, what hardware sells the most. It's the global park for games that counts. And it would be bigger than on a single console right now for Nintendo.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

It doesn't help that you can still put Xenoblade into a regular 3DS either.

This kind of thing adds credence to the possibility of Nintendo going digital-only next generation, since that would solve incompatibility issues. Someone won't be able to buy the software on a device it's incompatible with, after all, and refunds could be possible if Nintendo detects someone has bought a game and does not have compatible devices on their account.

I think the Japanese market may well hold this back though, unless NX really is a clean break that won't make people hold it by the same expectations from what came before it.

But I can't see that sort of thing happening -- a lot of people are going to have certain preconceptions about a digital-only system from Nintendo, and you can just imagine the sensationalist headlines from the media in the west.

Meanwhile the modern disrupters can rewrite the book without the specialist media caring, few seem to care that the Apple TV is basically an always-online console (apps can be up to 2.2GB in size and then fetch another ~2.6GB from the cloud on demand if they want to), though we did have a lot of misinformation from sites (even trade sites like MCVUK) over the initial 200MB app download for software.

Likewise there was a huge uproar over Kinect, yet Amazon can sell its customers the Echo: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X4WHP5E/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Will Nintendo be willing to take that sort of risk?

If NX is a continually evolving platform that keeps its software library around, Nintendo will need to go with a distribution format that's long lived. Changing formats mid gen won't help anyone once certain precedents are set at the beginning of the platform's life, so whatever they choose to go with is a very important decision for a number of reasons in both the short and long term.

 

[blu]

I'm not saying that approach has mass market appeal or even makes business sense. Just stating that the OG Shield was a love letter to handheld consoles enthusiasts. The dream device for all the people that were hacking PSP for homebrew software, imported a GP2X from Korea and were discussing which PocketPC had the less awful buttons configuration back in 2003 (or just get a Zodiac), like my younger self .

And the Android ecosystem was supposed to pickup the software side of things.

Hmm. I too am in that group (yay for undelivered Pandoras!), but I never saw that device as anything else but a bizarre experiment /shrug

 

[CaviarMeths]

Trying to explain that to die-hard Nintendo fans is nearly impossible. They remain convinced that the Wii U is a good value despite lacking even the most basic functionality of modern Game Consoles.

If anything, "die-hard Nintendo fans" seem like the first to point out that price isn't the issue, value is. It's not a teehee secret that the Wii U is an undesirable product.

I think what you might be getting confused with Nintendo fans being convinced that the Wii U is a good value is that a lot of us don't agree that a price drop would make any difference. Wii U isn't going to sell any better at $150-200, at least not enough to be worthwhile for Nintendo to be taking such a loss on hardware. It's simply a product that the mass market does not want and Nintendo is not in a position, 3 years on the market and still sitting on a heap of unsold stock from 2013, to change that.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Trying to explain that to die-hard Nintendo fans is nearly impossible. They remain convinced that the Wii U is a good value despite lacking even the most basic functionality of modern Game Consoles.

I don't know, it depends on where Nintendo wanted Wii U to be. I don't think they ever wanted to build a system that offers feature parity or better in order to add value, like the GameCube was, and they didn't with 3DS, so when I think of the Wii U not offering good value, it comes down to other factors.

I think Wii U's issues lie in how its primary selling point at launch (asymmetric local multiplayer) didn't resonate with the masses, and the sorts of software Nintendo commissioned early on like Wii Fit U and Wii Party U which, while great, weren't enough to get the Wii audience to upgrade to a new console cycle.

The casual buyer will also walk into a store and see the 3DS section next to the Wii U section when browsing "Nintendo". Nintendo commissioned the same IP on both without a distinguishing selling point between the two, so I don't blame anyone for picking up the 3DS over the Wii U because Mario Kart 7 is going to be just as good as 8 (in their eyes), or Yoshi's New Island is the same thing as Yoshi's Woolly World. The list goes on, there's Lego City: Chase Begins and Lego City: Undercover, there's Mario Tennis Open (getting a reprint next month) and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, there's DKC 3D Returns and DKC Tropical Freeze.

As a result, I think the 3DS cannibalised the Wii U to some extent, and it ties in with your argument about value, just from a different viewpoint -- people just weren't seeing the value behind the Wii U when they can get what they want with the 3DS.

The DS/Wii didn't really suffer from that kind of problem, as software between both was either sufficiently differentiated if it was on the same IP or different altogether, particularly so with touch generations titles. It was also easier to communicate that difference in marketing.

 

[LewieP]

This kind of thing adds credence to the possibility of Nintendo going digital-only next generation

Not even slightly. This is a nonsense idea. Where did you get the notion that Nintendo hate money from?

Yes they will enhance their digital offering, and put a greater focus on it. They will not stop selling cartridges to people who want to buy cartridges (ie the majority of their userbase).

 

[Sandfox]

It's means nothing for the same reason every 3DS game doesn't have "also compatible with 3DS XL" on the front cover. The general consumer just assumes "also compatible with New 3DS" for every game because to them it's just another 3DS. For all they know the packaging on Xenoblade 3D is just updated packaging reflecting the latest version of the 3DS. It doesn't even have its own section, it's not separated from normal 3DS titles. Probably because it's just one game. "Why would they make a new 3DS for one game?" is probably what runs through most customers' heads when not properly informed.

The market today sees the New 3DS like the Ds Lite (or DSi) before it and the GBA SP before that. New version of the same thing. That's why you have people trying to buy Xenoblade for their regular 3DS and uninformed retail clerks trying to sell the game to those people without the New 3DS. It doesn't help that you can still put Xenoblade into a regular 3DS either.

I think it's astounding that Nintendo needs to have a long graphic at the back losting what consoles a game can and can't be played on. It's 2015 and they still have to list a game as incompatible with NDS. This is what happens when you rely on labels for super similarly named consoles.

As long as there is an exclusive game on the market it matters or else they wouldn't bother and just put in an identical case. If anything the confusion you mentioned shows why they need to throw this kind of thing in people's faces. Also, which cases mention the DS?

 

[neurosisxeno]

If anything, "die-hard Nintendo fans" seem like the first to point out that price isn't the issue, value is. It's not a teehee secret that the Wii U is an undesirable product.

That is a rather new realization from what I've seen on GAF. It seems like every time a new Wii U exclusive comes out people go bonkers around here. It wasn't until this year that the Wii U has really fallen out of the graces of the community. It's unfortunate the Wii U was such a misguided product, because Nintendo has some of the most prestigious IPs in the gaming world, so only being able to play them on an undesirable system is a huge letdown, and may have slightly tarnished the reputations of those games.

I think Wii U's issues lie in how its primary selling point at launch (asymmetric local multiplayer) didn't resonate with the masses, and the sorts of software Nintendo commissioned early on like Wii Fit U and Wii Party U which, while great, weren't enough to get the Wii audience to upgrade to a new console cycle.

As a result, I think the 3DS cannibalised the Wii U to some extent, and it ties in with your argument about value, just from a different viewpoint -- people just weren't seeing the value behind the Wii U when they can get what they want with the 3DS.

I think Nintendo failed to see that the people who bought Wii's weren't going to buy Wii U's, and offering a console on par with the Xbox 360 and PS3 a year before their successors launched was a huge mistake. Couple that with the Wii U having a terrible name--Nintendo needs to let go of old habits like their naming structure--and the evaporation of the casual gamers interest in consoles, and you have a recipe for disaster. People love saying Nintendo doesn't have to compete with Sony and Microsoft, but I think they really do. Either they have to compete against them or against the likes of Apple.

The 3DS was definitely a success by comparison, but a lot of their SKUs like the 2DS still seem a little misguided. Nintendo should also execute the guy that came up with "New Nintendo 3DS" because that might be the worst name ever given to an electronic.

 

[dity]

As long as there is an exclusive game on the market it matters or else they wouldn't bother and just put in an identical case. If anything the confusion you mentioned shows why they need to throw this kind of thing in people's faces. Also, which cases mention the DS?

But it's confusing. And shoving it in peoples' face is basically telling them to buy a console - making Xenoblade 3D the most expensive game on the console, really.

Just as a reference I have an AU case for Omega Ruby in front of me that still mentions the DS/DSi.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

The 3DS was definitely a success by comparison, but a lot of their SKUs like the 2DS still seem a little misguided. Nintendo should also execute the guy that came up with "New Nintendo 3DS" because that might be the worst name ever given to an electronic.

Yeah, 2DS cannibalised the original 3DS in the end as a low end system, so it didn't create a new market like NoA thought it would.

As for New Nintendo 3DS I completely agree, especially in North America where Nintendo has to say the mouthful that is "New Nintendo 3DS XL" every time they mention the system. It's more absurd than "Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus", and that's already a mess of a mouthful of a name.

Not even slightly. This is a nonsense idea. Where did you get the notion that Nintendo hate money from?

Yes they will enhance their digital offering, and put a greater focus on it. They will not stop selling cartridges to people who want to buy cartridges (ie the majority of their userbase).

Er, I listed the reasons why they might adopt digital as a format, I didn't say it would happen, just that there are reasons why they might be considering it given the patent from last month and that the format they do end up choosing will be important and one that isn't going to die out in 10 years' time, so something like discs are unlikely in my eyes (you also couldn't use the same disc across all hardware) but game cards have a chance. I also said Japan loves physical media, as music CD sales are rising in that region.

No need to crucify me over it, and I assure you the reasons I listed are far from "nonsense" when you consider the chain of thinking behind them. In the previous thread that was locked I never suggested digital-only either, but it's far more likely than it could have been if it was another cyclical hardware generation that's finished in 5 years. As I've already explained.

Anyway, Miyamoto was most likely talking about making things easier with a shared software library for developers of that sort of digital software in the first place, but "cross-buy" is already common place among small digital games as it's cheaper and less work to port them than it is, say, to make another version of a big game on Vita.

So whatever storage format Nintendo adopts will need to be sold under a single banner rather than for a specific piece of hardware (it gives retailers more space to market what is going to be one system anyway), it won't confuse customers if the game only works on one system and not the other, and it will need to work across all the hardware and be long lived so the format doesn't die out.

Iwata also mentioned an interest in expanding Free to Start on NX; so there's the possibility that bigger Nintendo IP adopt it.

 

[James Scott]

What do you guys think Nintendo will try to make as a Nintendo Land/Wii Sports type launch title?
Maybe finally releasing a Toys to Life amiibo game with each system coming with one to start?
I think that's a way to add value to each bundle while getting more people's feet wet in this whole amiibo thing.
Being there from the start adding more compatible figures while time goes seems like it could be a smart idea.

 

[……forgetit]

What do you guys think Nintendo will try to make as a Nintendo Land/Wii Sports type launch title?
Maybe finally releasing a Toys to Life amiibo game with each system coming with one to start?
I think that's a way to add value to each bundle while getting more people's feet wet in this whole amiibo thing.
Being there from the start adding more compatible figures while time goes seems like it could be a smart idea.

A toys to life game would be an amazing idea. Make it F2P and included with both skews, then re-release a ton of amiibos for it.

 

[Neoxon]

A toys to life game would be an amazing idea. Make it F2P and included with both skews, then re-release a ton of amiibos for it.

Yeah, imagine all of the disappointed kids when they find out that their Pikachu Amiibo won't work.

Before any such game happens, Nintendo needs to have a serious talk with The Pokémon Company to find out what the hell their problem is with Pokémon Amiibo compatibility.