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[ozfunghi]

If Mario Kart for Switch is essentially Mario Kart 9, then maybe it would be a good idea.

If it's an enhanced port of Mario Kart 8, it's a horrible idea.

"Hey guys, buy our new system. We'll even include a Wii U game for your trouble!"

Not happening.

My prediction: if Switch receives a bundled game, it'll be a new IP.

I sincerely disagree. If it is a Mario Kart 9 there is no reason to bundle it, because it will sell regardless. Even (maybe especially) to those who bought MK8 on WiiU. If they won't bundle MK8, maybe they should just forget about it, because i think a lot of people aren't going to buy it again. If you think giving it away for free is a bad idea, then charging money for it has to be twice as dumb. You are also not seeing that it is in Nintendo's best interest to get this game in as many pockets as possible. Both for the software to make money, as well as for the platform itself. Unless, which i doubt, they are releasing a MK9 right after.

They also bundled Zelda Windwaker WiiU, an enhanced port. Nobody made a fuss about it being an enhanced port back then.

But i'm glad you're saying it's not happening. Hopefully Nintendo got your memo. Your argument of "here's a WiiU game for your trouble" is complete BS as well. It's not "just" any WiiU game, it's the best online game, with universal appeal and a big community. You could also stress the part that it is an ENHANCED version of a critically acclaimed must-play game. Enough examples of games that got an enhanced port of an older game, that people wanted to play.

They can do a new IP, but i don't easily see it getting the same universal appeal as MK and a better fit for the hardware. I also don't see something as "Wii Sports" or "Nintendoland" as better value than an enhanced port of MK8 (for your trouble) and i also don't know if it would be cheaper for Nintendo to built a new IP from scratch.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I sincerely disagree. If it is a Mario Kart 9 there is no reason to bundle it, because it will sell regardless. Even (maybe especially) to those who bought MK8 on WiiU. If they won't bundle MK8, maybe they should just forget about it, because i think a lot of people aren't going to buy it again. If you think giving it away for free is a bad idea, then charging money for it has to be twice as dumb. You are also not seeing that it is in Nintendo's best interest to get this game in as many pockets as possible. Both for the software to make money, as well as for the platform itself. Unless, which i doubt, they are releasing a MK9 right after.

They also bundled Zelda Windwaker WiiU, an enhanced port. Nobody made a fuss about it being an enhanced port back then.

But i'm glad you're saying it's not happening. Hopefully Nintendo got your memo. Your argument of "here's a WiiU game for your trouble" is complete BS as well. It's not "just" any WiiU game, it's the best online game, with universal appeal and a big community. You could also stress the part that it is an ENHANCED version of a critically acclaimed must-play game. Enough examples of games that got an enhanced port of an older game, that people wanted to play.

Well yeah, Wind Waker HD was bundled 11 months after Wii U's launch. It was also one of three bundles you could choose from at the time, the other two containing WiiU-exclusive software. TWW HD would have made a horrible launch pack-in, because no one buys a console on day one for a remaster. You tend to buy remasters for the console you've already purchased.

Mario Kart 8 is a good remaster to have on Switch early on, but it's a horrible pack-in at launch, because it sends a really bad message to consumers. If Nintendo goes with that as the bundled game on day one, I'll be shocked.

Oh, and if Nintendo isn't willing to build some new IP for Switch from scratch, they shouldn't expect this thing to take off. I'm not worried about that though. Splatoon was a huge hit and they'll continue to allow their younger developers to experiment with new ideas.

 

[evanmisha]

I, for one, actually love that they're building on Mario Kart 8 and would prefer it that way.

It was a damn solid game and having to abandon all of those tracks would be heartbreaking. Even 4 fresh GP (and the promise of more DLC) would have me back in a heartbeat.

 

[Snakeyes]

I'm thinking the majority of new characters will be from first party Wii U titles, there's a lot to choose from.

Inkling (Splatoon)
Elma (XCX)
Paper Mario
Lana or Cia (Hyrule Warriors)
New Pokémon from Sun and Moon
Wonder Red (Wonderful 101, Yeah it's probably unlikely)
Tsubasa or Kiria (Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)

Can't be certain how many players would be added in anyway, the game would probably fill a 32GB game card too compared to the 16GB standard. Hence why I can see this becoming a holiday release compared to Zelda BotW or the new Mario.

+ some third party rep to promote an IP coming to switch. A Dragon Quest or Monster Hunter character could fit the bill.

 

[Jon Carter]

Yeah, I'm with OrbitalBeard on this one. I think the odds of a Wii U remaster being a pack-in at launch are very, very slim, and with good reason.

I think the last time a launch had a Mario platformer was way back on GBA, though? And the last one that was actually an original game was N64? Maybe it's time to have a Nintendo device launch with a Mario on day 1.

The Wii U launched with NSMBU and the DS launched with Super Mario 64 DS. The 3DS launched without a Mario game of any kind and I remember people finding it odd.

 

[ozfunghi]

Mario Kart 8 is a good remaster to have on Switch early on, but it's a horrible pack-in at launch, because it sends a really bad message to consumers. If Nintendo goes with that as the bundled game on day one, I'll be shocked.

What bad message? Seriously. It is also a completely different style of game than WW or TLoU. People don't play it for the cinematic experience or deep immersive nature of it. People play it to have FUN. Fun on the go, fun online, fun with friends... in that sense it doesn't matter that it's a WiiU game at heart. It just matters that people who already played it, aren't forced to buy it again, because Nintendo decided to make it an updatable franchise all of a sudden. In what universe would an enhanced port of the most fun game be a bad idea, lol.

PS: I also didn't say it should/could be the only bundle. But it could be the cheapest bundle. But if they decide not to include it in a bundle, and sell it as a full game, and they charge the same for it as they charge for the WiiU MK8 DLC packs, then i'm fine with it. But i'm guessing that's not in the cards.

Yeah, I'm with OrbitalBeard on this one. I think the odds of a Wii U remaster being a pack-in at launch are very, very slim, and with good reason.

I'm yet to hear one good reason. I'm mainly seeing reasons why it would be a good idea, why it would be a perfect fit and make perfect sense for Nintendo.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

Nintendo should bundle the Switch with MK8 and Splatoon.

 

[Neoxon]

Nintendo should bundle the Switch with MK8 and Splatoon.

If we're doing remasters as pack-in games, Smash would probably be a great fit for that. Sure, it would probably sell on its own, but it can probably act as a sampler plate for Nintendo's IPs. Plus it could serve as a great platform for DLC.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

What bad message? Seriously. It is also a completely different style of game than WW or TLoU. People don't play it for the cinematic experience or deep immersive nature of it. People play it to have FUN. Fun on the go, fun online, fun with friends... in that sense it doesn't matter that it's a WiiU game at heart. It just matters that people who already played it, aren't forced to buy it again, because Nintendo decided to make it an updatable franchise all of a sudden. In what universe would an enhanced port of the most fun game be a bad idea, lol.

You actually are forcing Wii U owners to buy it again if it's bundled. It's going to add to the system's price, even if it doesn't cost Nintendo much money to throw it in the box.

It's a horrible idea. It's a Wii U remaster. It's a great game to have in the launch window to pad out the lineup for people who want more to play after investing in the hardware. It's a horrible game to include as a pack-in on day one, because it's basically Nintendo saying to all-non Wii U consumers "Hey! You weren't convinced three years ago, but...give it another chance! Pretty please?" And to Wii U owners: "Yeah, we know you already bought this, now buy it again, k thanks".

Consumers have the option to purchase this right now

You aren't doing a good job at selling people on your next-gen system by bundling the same game again. Now, once they've already purchased the system, sure, it's something they'll more than likely consider.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

The PS4 came with The Last of Us and nobody complained.

 

[ozfunghi]

If we're doing remasters as pack-in games, Smash would probably be a great fit for that. Sure, it would probably sell on its own, but it can probably act as a sampler plate for Nintendo's IPs. Plus it could serve as a great platform for DLC.

It's basically the same argument as MK8. It also works for Splatoon and Smash bros i guess, except that MK has the most universal appeal. But heck, they could make a bundle with all three combined, lol.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

The PS4 came with The Last of Us and nobody complained.

Yeah, a year after launch.

I'm sure Nintendo will offer all sorts of bundles during the holidays and I'm sure at least one of them will include a remaster.

 

[ASIS]

I must be out of the loop or something. Why are you guys discussing discussing an MK port? As far as I know all rumors point to Mario Maker, Smash, and Splatoon being ported, but nothing on Mario Kart.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I must be out of the loop or something. Why are you guys discussing discussing an MK port? As far as I know all rumors point to Mario Maker, Smash, and Splatoon being ported, but nothing on Mario Kart.

It was in the Switch video presentation.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

Yeah, a year after launch.

I'm sure Nintendo will offer all sorts of bundles during the holidays and I'm sure at least one of them will include a remaster.

Nintendo needs a bundle at launch.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Nintendo needs a bundle at launch.

Who said otherwise?

 

[ozfunghi]

You actually are forcing Wii U owners to buy it again if it's bundled. It's going to add to the system's price, even if it doesn't cost Nintendo much money to throw it in the box.

It's a horrible idea. It's a Wii U remaster. It's a great game to have in the launch window to pad out the lineup for people who want more to play after investing in the hardware. It's a horrible game to include as a pack-in on day one, because it's basically Nintendo saying to all-non Wii U consumers "Hey! You weren't convinced three years ago, but...give it another chance! Pretty please?" And to Wii U owners: "Yeah, we know you already bought this, now buy it again, k thanks".

Consumers have the option to purchase this right now

You aren't doing a good job at selling people on your next-gen system by bundling the same game again. Now, once they've already purchased the system, sure, it's something they'll more than likely consider.

This is such bull, lol. EVERYONE who bought MK8 was convinced that it was a great game. The fact that it was on WiiU has no bearing on that. You're just projecting your own flawed logic. "Hey everyone, here is an enhanced port of our critically acclaimed game that everybody loved, and you get it for cheap!" Well whaddayaknow! I can do shit like that too!

Like i said, it doesn't necessarilly have to be the only bundle. But it has to be the cheapest bundle. For instance (just as an example): base console (no game) 250, MK8+ bundle 279, other bundle 299.

But if they only do one bundle, MK8+ makes perfect sense.

 

[Speely]

I don't think Mario Sports Superstars is thought to be a big seller on the Switch, but it is most likely slated for release at launch (pure speculation, but I think it safe.) I would think it a wise pack-in since it's likely to showcase the home/portable local mp very well. If it was up to me, I would rather ship the Switch with it ala Wii Sports and ensure some casual content that emphasizes the various modes of play that the console facilitates rather than throw it on shelves and hope people buy it when an ostensibly healthy launch lineup exists beside it (this is assuming that Nintendo has a launch lineup that is robust, of course.)

 

[OrbitalBeard]

This is such bull, lol. EVERYONE who bought MK8 was convinced that it was a great game. The fact that it was on WiiU has no bearing on that. You're just projecting your own flawed logic. "Hey everyone, here is an enhanced port of our critically acclaimed game that everybody loved, and you get it for cheap!"

Like i said, it doesn't necessarilly have to be the only bundle. But it has to be the cheapest bundle. For instance (just as an example): base console (no game) 250, MK8+ bundle 279, other bundle 299.

But if they only do one bundle, MK8+ makes perfect sense.

Nintnedoland is a great game too, they should throw that in while they're at it. /s

Enticing new consumers with a Wii U remaster as a pack-in game at launch has got to be one of the most nonsensical things I've read in a Switch thread recently.

 

[Malakai]

I could see a Mario Kart bundle at launch if and only if the launch consisted of different SKU bundles. (i.e. New IP w/ Switch Console and/or Switch Console by itself)

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

Nintnedoland is a great game too, they should throw that in while they're at it. /s

Enticing new consumers with a Wii U remaster as a pack-in game at launch has got to be one of the most nonsensical things I've read in a Switch thread recently.

I think you're missing the point but whatever.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I think you're missing the point but whatever.

Oh, I get the point. I just think showcasing the appeal of Switch with a Wii U remaster as the launch day pack-in is ridiculous.

But hey, Nintendo could surprise me. Feel free to point and laugh in my direction if they go through with it.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

The Wii U launched with NSMBU and the DS launched with Super Mario 64 DS. The 3DS launched without a Mario game of any kind and I remember people finding it odd.

Man, my brain must be running in undocked mode to have screwed that up. Yeah, I belatedly remembered NSMBU and was going to edit it in if it hadn't been replied to yet.

 

[ozfunghi]

Nintnedoland is a great game too, they should throw that in while they're at it. /s

Enticing new consumers with a Wii U remaster as a pack-in game at launch has got to be one of the most nonsensical things I've read in a Switch thread recently.

lol, no it isn't. You can perfectly market it like i said. Stress the positives, what is new. Only 15 million people bought a WiiU. That means for all other buyers, it's still a new game, they might not even know it's an enhanced port of a WiiU game. Give it a different name for all I care. For the people who already played it on WiiU, they know how great the game is, what the potential is for DLC and they will be glad they don't have to buy the game again.

 

[ASIS]

It was in the Switch video presentation.

Neither UI nor characters seemed to be from MK8 though. I think that was a new iteration all together.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

lol, no it isn't. You can perfectly market it like i said. Stress the positives, what is new. Only 15 million people bought a WiiU. That means for all other buyers, it's still a new game, they might not even know it's an enhanced port of a WiiU game. Give it a different name for all I care. For the people who already played it on WiiU, they know how great the game is, what the potential is for DLC and they will be glad they don't have to buy the game again.

I don't believe Wii U has even hit 14 million users yet.

And if MK8 couldn't convince more people to purchase that system, what makes you think a bundled Switch version will? It's a bad idea. These Wii U remasters likely aren't going to be system sellers. They're the types of games you buy because other, original content already sold you on the platform.

Neither UI nor characters seemed to be from MK8 though. I think that was a new iteration all together.

I mean, if it's a brand new game with loads of new content (aka Mario Kart 9), I could see that as a possible bundle.

I still think Nintendo's gonna' go the route of a new, unique IP though.

 

[ozfunghi]

Oh, I get the point. I just think showcasing the appeal of Switch with a Wii U remaster as the launch day pack-in is ridiculous.

You're showcasing the Switch with a game that is tailor made for gaming on the go in small bursts, for fun with friends, locally and online, for sinking in hours in front of the TV. Basically, you're showcasing the device with the ultimate "switch" experience. Fun and much universal appeal. You don't have use the subtitel "hey guys, this is an old game" on the case. If the graphics are updated and if some extra content is added, it will still be great for both people who played it on WiiU, and those who didn't. But I guess a bundle with Fifa would also be a bad idea. Because that's what it is. It's an update of a franchise that will be updated more than getting a new release going forward. It just so happens that MK8 is being used as a base.

I mean, if it's a brand new game with loads of new content (aka Mario Kart 9), I could see that as a possible bundle.

People would buy MK9 regardless. It would be stupid for them to give it away in a bundle, when they can ask more money for it seperately.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

You're showcasing the Switch with a game that is tailor made for gaming on the go in small bursts, for fun with friends, locally and online, for sinking in hours in front of the TV. Basically, you're showcasing the device with the ultimate "switch" experience. Fun and much universal appeal. You don't have use the subtitel "hey guys, this is an old game" on the case. If the graphics are updated and if some extra content is added, it will still be great for both people who played it on WiiU, and those who didn't. But I guess a bundle with Fifa would also be a bad idea. Because that's what it is. It's an update of a franchise that will be updated more than getting a new release going forward.

Actually, yeah, a FIFA bundle at launch would be really weird. I think having a bunch of launch bundles isn't too smart, particularly when stock will likely be limited for awhile.

Nintendo got it right with Wii. One SKU at launch. An original IP bundled in that sent a very clear message: this is something completely different. I think they'll go for an approach like that again. I don't think they're going to be very successful at enticing consumers on day one with a Wii U remaster.

Now, if Mario Kart Switch is so jam-packed full of new stuff that it's essentially a new entry in the franchise and not simply an MK8 remaster, maybe disregard what I've said above. Nintendo could surprise me.

 

[TheDinoman]

Neither UI nor characters seemed to be from MK8 though. I think that was a new iteration all together.

Pardon?

The UI/HUD looks exactly the same as MK8, only difference is that it shows you can hold two items now.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Neither UI nor characters seemed to be from MK8 though. I think that was a new iteration all together.

Look exactly like MK8

 

[IgotElbows]

It's really weird that we will know the games on the system only 2 months in advance.

We knew the Xbones/PS4s many months in advance.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

Oh, I get the point. I just think showcasing the appeal of Switch with a Wii U remaster as the launch day pack-in is ridiculous.

You're assuming that everybody who is getting the Switch also got a Wii U and Mario Kart 8. That's not the case, everything Nintendo has been doing for the past year and a half has been trying to make everybody forget about the Wii U besides the handful of worthwhile games and move on to the next thing. That's why you're seeing games like Yoshi's Wooly World get ported to the 3DS and why you're seeing games like MK8, BoTW, and Splatoon front and center of the Switch's advertising. To Nintendo, the potential audience for the Switch has little overlap with the Wii U's audience and thus, most of the Wii U's more worthwhile games (that I should say were also expensive to make) can be seen as new experiences to the novice buyer. To the potential who wasn't compelled to buy the Wii U, they couldn't play Mario Kart 8 but now with the Switch looking like the more compelling buy, now they can. It also helps that the lower development costs a port affords compared to making a brand new game, they can get the price lower if not low enough to bundle it at a cheaper cost.

There's a lot of hidden price with buying a new console and games take a lot of that. Bundling a console with a game helps in simplifying the process. You know what you're getting into when it comes to pay upfront. Consoles are a long term investment anyway. With a bundle you're able to start gaming right away and if you get bored, you buy another one. Bundles sell more, the Wii had a bundle which took off and the Wii U's best selling SKU was also a bundle. Now you could say "those were original games" but that's not the point. The point is to get the person who bought you're game console to start gaming right away. And any game would work really but as I said before an MK8 port is cheaper and as such, the price of the bundle wouldn't increase significantly. I know it sounds ridiculous to you because MK8 is almost three years old but Mario Kart is also a game that everyone understands and could be used perfectly with the Switch. It being a launch pack in game shouldn't be at all a negative.

Lastly, would anyone who bought MK8 the first time really buy it again on the Switch?

 

[ozfunghi]

Actually, yeah, a FIFA bundle at launch would be really weird. I think having a bunch of launch bundles isn't too smart, particularly when stock will likely be limited for awhile.

Nintendo got it right with Wii. One SKU at launch. An original IP bundled in that sent a very clear message: this is something completely different. I think they'll go for an approach like that again. I don't think they're going to be very successful at enticing consumers on day one with a Wii U remaster.

This is what i was getting at in a previous reply. There will not be another Wii sports, because Switch doesn't have a new control method. That's why Wii Sports was great, because of the motion controls. WiiU had the dual screen setup. Switch doesn't have control/input innovations like that that change gameplay. It's basically either a handheld, or a home console. If it had VR, then maybe they could do another game that fits like a glove. But the core concept of the Switch is that it is both a handheld and a console... so how are you going to build a game around that? Basically, what could you do more than make a game that is great to play on the go and at home? And what game does a better job at that than Mario Kart?

Maybe something like Pokemon Go, where you have to go outside and bring your console back home to unlock stuff you collected? Yeah, but that would be a one time gimmick because there isn't much more to do, where as motion controls were basically endless. I also don't think they should really start making games around the home/away mechanic because it would get tedious fast.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

You're assuming that everybody who is getting the Switch also got a Wii U and Mario Kart 8. That's not the case, everything Nintendo has been doing for the past year and a half has been trying to make everybody forget about the Wii U besides the handful of worthwhile games and move on to the next thing. That's why you're seeing games like Yoshi's Wooly World get ported to the 3DS and why you're seeing games like MK8, BoTW, and Splatoon front and center of the Switch's advertising. To Nintendo, the potential audience for the Switch has little overlap with the Wii U's audience and thus, most of the Wii U's more worthwhile games (that I should say were also expensive to make) can be seen as new experiences to the novice buyer. To the potential who wasn't compelled to buy the Wii U, they couldn't play Mario Kart 8 but now with the Switch looking like the more compelling buy, now they can. It also helps that the lower development costs a port affords compared to making a brand new game, they can get the price lower if not low enough to bundle it at a cheaper cost.

There's a lot of hidden price with buying a new console and games take a lot of that. Bundling a console with a game helps in simplifying the process. You know what you're getting into when it comes to pay upfront. Consoles are a long term investment anyway. With a bundle you're able to start gaming right away and if you get bored, you buy another one. Bundles sell more, the Wii had a bundle which took off and the Wii U's best selling SKU was also a bundle. Now you could say "those were original games" but that's not the point. The point is to get the person who bought you're game console to start gaming right away. And any game would work really but as I said before an MK8 port is cheaper and as such, the price of the bundle wouldn't increase significantly. I know it sounds ridiculous to you because MK8 is almost three years old but Mario Kart is also a game that everyone understands and could be used perfectly with the Switch. It being a launch pack in game shouldn't be at all a negative.

Lastly, would anyone who bought MK8 the first time really buy it again on the Switch?

I'm actually assuming most people buying the Switch didn't buy a Wii U. That's...my entire point.

You aren't going to entice consumers to Switch....with Wii U games. You're going to grab them with new ideas. And once they're in, yeah, they'll start to consider picking up a couple remasters. They're a great way to fill out the library for users who are already invested in the platform.

Why are you trying to sell me on the idea of a bundle? I'm all for a new Switch-exclusive game being packed in the box.

And honestly, if you bought a Wii U, you're like, the perfect example of someone who will likely pick up these remasters again. The Wii U owner is the die hard Nintendo fan and these re-releases are going to include new content.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

Going with a Wii U remaster out of the gate isn't the right move simply because as much as I love it, they need to put that system in the rear view mirror and create a new identity for the Switch.

 

[TheDinoman]

Lastly, would anyone who bought MK8 the first time really buy it again on the Switch?

Considering it's essentially an extended port with new content...probably. If it was just a straight port with nothing new, you'd have a point though.

 

[ozfunghi]

Going with a Wii U remaster out of the gate isn't the right move simply because as much as I love it, they need to put that system in the rear view mirror and create a new identity for the Switch.

I'm actually assuming most people buying the Switch didn't buy a Wii U. That's...my entire point.

You aren't going to entice consumers to Switch....with Wii U games. You're going to grab them with new ideas. And once they're in, yeah, they'll start to consider picking up a couple remasters. They're a great way to fill out the library for users who are already invested in the platform.

Why are you trying to sell me on the idea of a bundle? I'm all for a new Switch-exclusive game being packed in the box.

And honestly, if you bought a Wii U, you're like, the perfect example of someone who will likely pick up these remasters again. The Wii U owner is the die hard Nintendo fan.

If you actually are making the argument for people who didn't buy the WiiU, this is just down to marketing. You are going on with your stupid suggestions "please buy our old crap again"... which is exactly what i was talking about with the Fifa example. It just comes down to how you sell it. You don't have to sell it as old junk you get for free because there isn't anything better to play. Name it accordingly, market it accordingly. New players won't even know it's the same game, especially if you leave the numbers 8 or 9 out of the title. And they might not even care if they did. Else Fifa wouldn't sell gangbusters every year.

I'm sure that EA would sell less Fifa if they added the following line to their marketing: "hey dumbass, you're just bying a 7 year old game with new shirts at full price".

Considering it's essentially an extended port with new content...probably. If it was just a straight port with nothing new, you'd have a point though.

Well, i'm not if it means i'm paying full price.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

If you actually are making the argument for people who didn't buy the WiiU version, this is just down to marketing. You are going on with your stupid suggestions "please buy our old crap again"... which is exactly what i was talking about with the Fifa example. It just comes down to how you sell it. You don't have to sell it as old junk you get for free because there isn't anything better to play. Name it accordingly, market it accordingly. New players won't even know it's the same game and they might not even care if they did. Else Fifa wouldn't sell gangbusters every year.

I'm sure that EA would sell less Fifa if they added the following line to their marketing: "hey dumbass, you're just bying a 7 year old game with new shirts at full price".

Mario Kart isn't FIFA. Nintendo couldn't sell a brand new MK entry to the mainstream in 2014 (compared to MK DS, Wii, and 7...obviously MK8 sold pretty well). I really don't think they're going to be able to do so in 2017 with essentially the same game.

Wii U re-releases aren't selling consumers on this thing, no matter how much Nintendo spruces up and markets them. New, original titles will do that. And if those games can sell some systems, those consumers will start to check out the remasters.

I think it comes down to you and I having a fundamental disagreement on the system-selling power of a Mario Kart remaster. That's fine. I may very well be wrong here and the good thing is, we'll find out soon enough if that's the case.

 

[ozfunghi]

Mario Kart isn't FIFA. Nintendo couldn't sell a brand new MK entry to the mainstream in 2014 (compared to MK DS, Wii, and 7...obviously MK8 sold pretty well). I really don't think they're going to be able to do so in 2017 with essentially the same game.

Wii U re-releases aren't selling consumers on this thing, no matter how much Nintendo spruces up and market them. New, original titles will do that. And if those games can sell some systems, those consumers will start to check out the remasters.

So you say. In reality, if you leave the numbers 8 or 9 out of the title, of all these gamers who didn't buy a WiiU, only a small fraction will know that the game is a WiiU port at heart. And of those who know, not many will care as long as they feel the value of the game compared to the WiiU version. New tracks, new characters, polished graphics. And unlike Fifa, they don't have to do this every year, by the time Switch releases, MK8 is 3 years old.

And what are you talking about, selling MK to the mainstream in 2014? It's the game with the biggest (insanely big at that) attach rate. Are you saying the failure if the WiiU is because Mario Kart should have done a better job with the mainstream, moving systems? Well, if that's the argument here, what about Nintendoland? You know, the pack-in game they DID decide to go with? The game that was supposed to do what Wii Sports did and failed miserably? I think MK8 sold 35 million on Wii. Surely the franchise has mainstream appeal. Or you're claiming they can't even sell a NEW Mario Kart game at all in 2017? What you're trying to say with this argument doesn't make much sense.

But anyway, you fail to convince me of your argument, i fail to convince you of mine. Let's leave it at that.

 

[Cuningas de Häme]

I would never buy a Mario Kart game. I got mine in a bundle. And I suspect there is a lot of people like me, who wouldn't buy a standalone racing game but would gladly play it if it came with the console.

That really is a no-brainer for a bundle game. MK 8 has, what, 8 million owners right now? That is little over half the numbers of Wii U owners.

So even for over the half of the Wii U owners, MK would be a new game. But they wouldn't buy it unless it was in a cheap(ish) bundle. Because they didn't buy it for Wii U.


And like someone said, people are dull and boring and love their "re-masters", PS4 lived its first years from games of the previous generation.

And you have all the time topics in this forum where people are HOPING for a re-masters.

It is honestly baffling, but gamers have shown TIME AND TIME again how they just want to play the same games with same controllers again and again. If someone tries something new, all the gamers get up in arms.

I think that MK8 would sell pretty great, just add "HD" or "re-master" or some other stupid excuse in the front and people go all over it.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

I'm going to take this a bit further and say that Nintendo would be idiotic if they relied on ports of Wii U games + Zelda for their launch in general, let alone bundling them.

I see the argument here and elsewhere a lot that ports of Splatoon, Mario Kart and Smash are perfect because no one bought a Wii U. Well, sure, but those games still sold a lot and I think the audience that cared enough to buy a system for them did just that. The same games that didn't sell a Wii U to a larger audience aren't going to sell Switch because reasons.

I'm skeptical of Switch's appeal at a hardware level. I don't feel there's much mainstream demand for a device like that, nor in the console space that Xbox and PlayStation have a lock on so Switch will live and die by the quality and quantity of the software developed for it. If Nintendo don't come out swinging right off the bat with new software both at launch and in the launch window then they're not going to grow their their marketshare at all. This'd be especially ridiculous considering how anemic the first party 3DS and Wii U lineups have been for the past couple of years, the occasional gem bolstered by cash in trash and rushed games like Animal Crossing Amiibo festival.

And like someone said, people are dull and boring and love their "re-masters", PS4 lived its first years from games of the previous generation.

The PS4 has only been out for 3 years, so even if by years you mean 2 years, what you're saying it patently false. PS4 and Xbox One have seen a lot of remasters, but they've also seen a huge amount of original Third Party titles, both cross-gen and current gen only. Not comparable with Switch at all, which I expect to have the bare minimum as far as third party support goes. I think ports of Wii U games is a great idea, but they're not going to get new people on board in their droves.

 

[jdstorm]

Everyone in this thread is acting like nintendo releasing 3 widely popular games at launch means they have nothing else.

Nintendo Typically releases 20 games a year across a home console and Handheld platform. The Switch puts every game on the same device. Which means the expectation of games from march to december can be around 12-15 new games.

Thats almost 1 a month which means by June the NS would have around 8 Nintendo first party games. If Launch was Zelda + 4 Wii U ports. Throw in Monster Hunter and thats a great Launch window for Die Hard nintendo fans. (50 Million of whom bought the 3DS)

 

[Joeshabadoo]

the occasional gem bolstered by cash in trash and rushed games like Animal Crossing Amiibo festival.

they needed their share of stop gaps as they clearly shifted development to switch, it is what it is.

as far as their potential for mass market appeal, that's really mostly going to be a factor of the launch price and how deep of an impact their upcoming mobile games have

 

[BronzeWolf]

Mario Kart 8 was launched in 2014. Next year will be 3 years since it came out. There have been successful ports and remasters of games with less shelf life than that.


Nintendo could make 3 skus

Basic SKU $249.99
Zelda SKU $289.99
Kart SKU $289.99

So what's the problem again? You bought Mario Kart? Get the basic sku. Didn't buy it? Get it.

It's really no that complicated. Also, you make it seem as if PS4 and Xbone didn't have ports when they launched.

 

[Fat4all]

Everyone in this thread is acting like nintendo releasing 3 widely popular games at launch means they have nothing else.

Nintendo Typically releases 20 games a year across a home console and Handheld platform. The Switch puts every game on the same device. Which means the expectation of games from march to december can be around 12-15 new games.

Thats almost 1 a month which means by June the NS would have around 8 Nintendo first party games. If Launch was Zelda + 4 Wii U ports. Throw in Monster Hunter and thats a great Launch window for Die Hard nintendo fans. (50 Million of whom bought the 3DS)

Out of the 20 games they make for 2017 there's no way the 3DS doesn't get any of them. No way they drop that platform as soon as the Switch comes out.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

they needed their share of stop gaps as they clearly shifted development to switch, it is what it is.

as far as their potential for mass market appeal, that's really mostly going to be a factor of the launch price and how deep of an impact their upcoming mobile games have

Of course they did, I'm not disputing that. My issue will be if they rock up to the Switch launch/launch window with not much to show for it. Ideally they're not going to rely too heavily on Wii U ports. I'll buy them, but I'm irrelevant in the larger equation as I would have bought the thing day one regardless, even if it had just launched with Zelda.

 

[Joeshabadoo]

well good software is good software. while I imagine that a nice chunk of launch window will be brand new games, improved versions of the WiiUs best games with gameplay tweaks additional content are a smart offering to the vast majority of potential players they missed over the last few years. I accept that

sure, I'd love for them to use MyNintendo NNID eshop activity to offer discounted prices on downloads of MK, Splatoon, MarioMaker, and Sm4sh 1.5 to those who own the Wii U versions, but that's overly optimistic. Certainly wont just offer free patch updates to the Wii U versions adding in all the new content because cross platform multiplayer is def not going to be a thing and would require so much extra work for outdated software on a dead system

 

[IntelliHeath]

"way better" than the best kart racer ever?

is such a thing even possible?

I guess it's possible if we are going to have those 12 cups coming back and getting more cups top of it, along with getting more characters, etc.

We will see

 

[Zalman]

The idea of these "half-ports" sounds good to me, because it allows them to focus on adding more content and make an even bigger game. There's really no reason to start from scratch again.

Whether we get 3D Mario or Zelda at launch, I don't personally care. I just hope one of them is there day one.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Lol at this Mario Kart pack in conversation.

I cant wait to hear Nintendo market this Mario Kart 8 port as "Please by this game casuals. It's just a Mario Kart game from the Wii U. You know the system you never heard of?"

And who knows if they'll even use the same UI/HUD? That's just a quick sample of the game in the Switch trailer. They could EASILY have all that changed in the final version to make it look even more different than Mario Kart 8...