-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
New article from EAD -- RIP R&D1
- Thread starter Shikamaru Ninja
- Start date
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
this little shake up may be just what nintendo needs . (in terms of their own software)
Flakster99
Member
Thanks for the link Shikamaru, good read.
I hope the organization, reshuffle proves to be fruitful in the coming years. I agree with it's premise, risk VS reward and hope Iwata and Nintendo are up to the challenge.
The DS has been quite a throw back to the risk VS reward era of the Nes/Snes, I really hope it continues with the Revolution.
I hope the organization, reshuffle proves to be fruitful in the coming years. I agree with it's premise, risk VS reward and hope Iwata and Nintendo are up to the challenge.
The DS has been quite a throw back to the risk VS reward era of the Nes/Snes, I really hope it continues with the Revolution.
Ash Housewares
The Mountain Jew
good read, it will be interesting to see if those forecasts come true, more good people working on the console would be nice, I'm sick of every game I want going to gba
HAL and Intelligent Systems, though owned by Nintendo are external development teams, AFAIK. EAD and the others were internal development teams creating games and such from the core of Nintendo. I wouldn't imagine them being involved in a restructure unless some of the members wanted to switch around. I'm actually glad that this re-structuring is happening because it could only mean more resources for R&D1. I'd definitely love to see what they could do once given more room to play around in.
So, essentially, all software teams now work under the umbrella title of EAD, but there are still independent groups, right? This sounds like a generally decent thing -- R&D1's hardware team and software teams are being split, possibly allowing the software side to get more support and members. In theory, the old R&D1 software team could still be working as a complete team... just under a different title (EAD #something).
(Another take on this is that it isn't EAD taking over the other teams... this is about all software teams being officially under the same monicker, yet still working as independent groups. Yes, Miyamoto is in charge.. but he's also been promoted to a more executive job.)
(Another take on this is that it isn't EAD taking over the other teams... this is about all software teams being officially under the same monicker, yet still working as independent groups. Yes, Miyamoto is in charge.. but he's also been promoted to a more executive job.)
Version 3.0
Member
Shard said:
Not only RPGs. They've been a really productive studio this gen. Aside from RPGs like the Fire Emblem series and Paper Mario, they did both Advance Wars games (and the upcoming one), Mario Kart Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, and co-developed Wario Ware Touched. I think they may have helped out on another project or two as well...I know I've seen their name in the credits, somewhere...
AtomicShroom
Member
Leondexter said:
BUT THEY HAVE YET TO PORT TETRIS ATTACK TO THE GBA OR DS!! BASTARDS!!!
This article is misleading. R&D1 is not dead, just merely reorganized.
Seriously, treating R&D1 and EAD like separate companies is not just silly, but downright retarded. They are all internal development teams/departments at Nintendo and can be altered, merged, or divided at will. By merging all of game development under one branch instead of having several teams, sounds like a really smart idea IMO. (I mean merging them all under EAD, as opposed to having EAD, R&D1, R&D2, etc. stand side by side)
And unlike Nintendo's 2nd parties, it's not like Nintendo's internal teams really "owned" any individual properties. I mean, Metroid wasn't exclusive to R&D1 after all.
Seriously, treating R&D1 and EAD like separate companies is not just silly, but downright retarded. They are all internal development teams/departments at Nintendo and can be altered, merged, or divided at will. By merging all of game development under one branch instead of having several teams, sounds like a really smart idea IMO. (I mean merging them all under EAD, as opposed to having EAD, R&D1, R&D2, etc. stand side by side)
And unlike Nintendo's 2nd parties, it's not like Nintendo's internal teams really "owned" any individual properties. I mean, Metroid wasn't exclusive to R&D1 after all.
ge-man said:
As much fun as JB was, I would rather have them make a 3D DK platformer, fixing the problems that were in DK 64.
As for New SMB, I'll give you that, but it makes one wonder why there hasn't been a 2D Mario Platformer in FIFTEEN years!
Version 3.0
Member
Teddman said:
Searching around the internet, I find that there's some confusion on this. I see Intelligent Systems officially listed as the developer all over the place, but see many references to R&D1 having developed the game as well. Does anyone have a link to any articles or interviews that clarify? It looks to me as if it was a collaborative effort, but Intelligent Systems did the heavy work, and got official credit as the developer.
In any case, they're a busy bunch of guys, and they're damn good.
AtomicShroom said:BUT THEY HAVE YET TO PORT TETRIS ATTACK TO THE GBA OR DS!! BASTARDS!!!
http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=56721
Bartman3010
Banned
I kind of hope this means that they'll make more games in-house rather than just have other companies make games for them.
It just doesnt feel the same when you see that Nintendo didnt make a game based on a franchise thats clearly theirs, or anyone elses for that matter.
I mean, some of them were true hits, like F-Zero GX. But come on, now.
It just doesnt feel the same when you see that Nintendo didnt make a game based on a franchise thats clearly theirs, or anyone elses for that matter.
I mean, some of them were true hits, like F-Zero GX. But come on, now.
thegodsend
Member
And now please tell us what games they are working on...
Apart from Zelda is there any big game left EAD is doing right now for Cube? Don't tell me that you need 40+ people for Nintendogs and Brain Games.
Hope that enough Revolution software is well underway at least at Nintendo.
Apart from Zelda is there any big game left EAD is doing right now for Cube? Don't tell me that you need 40+ people for Nintendogs and Brain Games.
Hope that enough Revolution software is well underway at least at Nintendo.
thegodsend
Member
Well, I'm absolutely sure the next Mario game is not in concept stages but in full-fledged development.
Miyamoto is often telling things like that. Remember all those pre-E3-interviews about Twilight Princess. "We haven't decided when this game will take place"; "We haven't decided how many dungeons we will have" and so on. Sure, only six to eight month until release and they don't know this stuff :lol
I think this is all part of Nintendo's "don't tell anyone anything about our great innovations and products" strategy. Same with adding and cutting stuff from the Revolution controller...
It's just that we shouldn't get the feeling that something is done and they won't show it to us.
Miyamoto is often telling things like that. Remember all those pre-E3-interviews about Twilight Princess. "We haven't decided when this game will take place"; "We haven't decided how many dungeons we will have" and so on. Sure, only six to eight month until release and they don't know this stuff :lol
I think this is all part of Nintendo's "don't tell anyone anything about our great innovations and products" strategy. Same with adding and cutting stuff from the Revolution controller...
It's just that we shouldn't get the feeling that something is done and they won't show it to us.
lo zaffo
Member
I do love to read about such Nintendo's private things.
But, if I dare to add some personal notes, I don't think Nintendo is so competitive software wise. I'm not crazy with NintendoDS not because of its oddities but because of its unsatisfactory Nintendo software.
I think the whole Wario Ware concept is exhausted. I only played the GameCube version for a few hours and it was enough.
I don't see Nintendo ever building a massive team like Kojima's Metal Gear one.
Nintendo best in this generation is EAD Tokyo branch, imho, the rationale beyond that I suppose is because it was formed from skilled people from Japan best software developers.
On top of that I feel blank by thinking that Miyamoto's efforts on Revo will eventually lead to Pikmin 3.
lo zaffo - Italy
But, if I dare to add some personal notes, I don't think Nintendo is so competitive software wise. I'm not crazy with NintendoDS not because of its oddities but because of its unsatisfactory Nintendo software.
I think the whole Wario Ware concept is exhausted. I only played the GameCube version for a few hours and it was enough.
I don't see Nintendo ever building a massive team like Kojima's Metal Gear one.
Nintendo best in this generation is EAD Tokyo branch, imho, the rationale beyond that I suppose is because it was formed from skilled people from Japan best software developers.
On top of that I feel blank by thinking that Miyamoto's efforts on Revo will eventually lead to Pikmin 3.
lo zaffo - Italy
Mama Smurf
My penis is still intact.
thegodsend said:
Apart from Zelda? No, probably not. Geist is n-Space, Mario Baseball is Namco (and is finished anyway), Battalion Wars is Kuju, Pokemon XD is Genius Sorority, Fire Emblem is Intelligent Systems (and is finished anyway), DDR Mario Mix is Konami (again, finished), Mario Party 7 is Hudson Soft, Kirby Adventure is HAL, Odama is Vivarium and Mario Strikers is Next Level Games. And I doubt any will be announced.
As for what EAD are working on, or have recently been working on, there's quite a bit. Just not for the Cube generally.
GC:
Zelda - Even though it's the only GC game, it always requires a huge team, especially at this stage of development.
DK: Jungle Beat - Already out, but not that long ago and you wouldn't expect to have seen anything else in such a short time. No doubt moved onto DS or Revolution development, I suspect the latter. Maybe both!
Revolution:
Mario 128 - no doubt full steam ahead by now if they want to make it for launch.
Zelda - probably preliminary work, I doubt there's more than 30 people working on it, probably less, with two other Zelda games still being made.
Animal Crossing - We know it's being made, but not to what degree. I suspect smallish, with it getting priority when the DS version is finished.
New Miyamoto game - God knows how many people, depends on the game. If we say it's like Pikmin, his new franchise last gen, maybe 50.
Smash Bros is of course HAL. I'm sure there are more unannounced, but who knows what? Mario Kart probably won't be started until the DS version is finished (there's no real need for it earlier with Smash Bros at launch), though it'll definitely turn up eventually. Hopefully we'll get plenty of new stuff like we have on the DS.
GBA:
WarioWare Twisted! - Obviously this is finished, but it shows what some of them have been working on recently. It would have been R&D1 not too long ago, but I guess it falls under EAD now.
DS:
Super Mario 64 DS - Not a clue on the size of the team (nor for most of the DS games), though as Miyamoto said he had to dedicate a lot of his time to getting it ready for the DS launch a bit back, I suspect the team was bigger than it would have needed to be normally to make the deadline.
WarioWare Touched! - I think this might have been made by Intelligent Systems, in which case ignore it, but it might have been IS and part of an EAD team together.
Yoshi Touch & Go - Actually started out as a GC project funnily enough. It didn't get very far, just an idea of a puzzle platformer that revolved around Yoshi protecting Baby Mario, but the DS gave them the direction they were after.
Nintendogs - Once again, started out as a GC game, switched over as it made more sense on the DS.
Mario Kart DS - I don't see why they wouldn't need a team almost as big as they would for a console version for this.
Animal Crossing DS - Ditto above.
New Super Mario Bros - Probably a decent size, it's an important game.
Zelda DS - From what Aonuma has said, it seems they're putting a lot of effort into this one. Maybe the Four Swords team? (I know it's not a Four Swords game, but they've got to be doing something and they obviously know Zelda)
Super Princess Peach - Fuck knows. I don't even know if it is an EAD game, though it's probable.
Jam With The Band - Well it's out in Japan so I guess you could say it's finished, though I believe an expansion pack was announced recently.
Brain Training - <shrugs>
The other Brain Training - <shrugs> (not many for either I'd think)
Hopefully that's exhaustive, but probably not. Anyway, it's clear why we're not seeing many Cube games. Everyone knows it's too late to save it as it were, Nintendo feel it's fine to bring out games for the remainder of it's life through passing them off to third and second party developers (I and many others don't, but that's not the point), and with the DS (and no doubt Revolution), there are two systems that do have chances of greater success and allow developers to try new things. Hence so much of EAD working on a handheld when they would have left it to other teams before (and I mean old EAD, not this new one which incorporates half those handheld teams anyway).
D
dicklaurent
Unconfirmed Member
VivariumMama Smurf said:
iNiSMama Smurf said:
anotheriori
Member
Pellham said:
The draw back is that instead of having creative designers compete against each other, you have them all mashed into one group where it could be better or worse if creative ideas conflict. As for the IP i think Metroid 'belonged' to R&D1 in that Gunpei created it, its is understandable the kind of frustration the R&D1 must've felt having to do hand me down versions of mario for portable.. makes so much sense how wario was created.
D
dicklaurent
Unconfirmed Member
One thing is for certain, Nintendo need to do more Star Tropics.