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[Nibel]

A question to the older gaffers, not Wii U related > Is it ok if I create a thread about a PC gaming project which will be (partially) officially revealed in a few days? I ask because I work for one of the company involved and I don't want to be banned for some rules I wasn't aware of.

I think it's forbidden to create a thread for your "own" product

 

[HylianTom]

I don't know how to reply to this dude....but something is telling me that you are starting to cross over to the dark side lol

You're pissed at Nintendo. I get it. Wish they were more like Sony and Microsoft. Some of your points are valid. But you need to step away from the toxic threads going on right now. Go drown in Xenoblade. Put on some Twilight Princess. Go collect some stars in Mario Galaxy. Remind yourself why you love Nintnedo games. Never give in to the dark side

 

[Effect]

Well I'm not long feeling disappointed for the most part. Mainly because I finally broke down, after going back and forth, and decided to buy more ram (will be moving from 4gb to 8gb and it was pretty cheap) for my PC and a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit (been needing to do this for sometime now anyway and had a lot of credit on Amazon to cut down the price significantly). My graphics card and processor were already been good after my last upgrade and this was my last step as these were the few things holding back running games the way I wanted. I think I'm set for the next few years.

I'll get a Wii U but I do not expect any quality 3rd party support, especially after the PS4/720 come out. Third party games that come out and have PC versions (that aren't bad ports) I'll get it on PC (have no interest in the PS4/720 do to lack of interest in 1st party games) as I expect those to be the best versions. I'll reserve the Wii U for 1st/2nd party and the rare 3rd party exclusive. Those are the only games I feel will use the most out of the system and provide me with the best gaming experience for the money I'll be spending. I no longer care about FPS not using the pointer control either. Prefer mouse and keyboard anyway. Why I got Battlefield 3 for the PC and why I'm likely to get Black Ops 2 for the PC (got BO 1 for the PC after playing and enjoying the Wii versions).

Now I hope I end up being wrong. However in the long run I think I won't regret my actions (that needed to be taken for various other reasons that weren't gaming related). Especially if it gives me piece of mind in what I consider a hobby. A hobby that should simply be fun and not provoking frustration or disappointment. I have other things in real life that can take care of that. I do expect that this will delay my purchasing of a Wii U as I'm simply not really in a rush to get it in the end all things being considered when I look at the games I really enjoy. That is unless Nintendo wows me in the coming months and there is more launch games coming and not just stuff for 2013 (when I'll likely make a purchase).

 

[StevieP]

On the individual level none of us are important to Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Microsoft, Kraft Foods etc... They are going to do what they do no matter what one individual thinks.

Nobody is forcing you to buy the hardware. I'm planning on investing in a WiiU at or near launch and even if it sucks I won't feel like I've been bent over because I accept what I am getting into. I'm aware of the real possibility of the console's failure and I also acknowledge that I don't have to like every game out there.

Well, purchasing any gaming device at launch (or any electronic device in general at its launch) is being "bent over" a bit, really.

There is always a possibility of "failure"

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

I think you are kind of melting down.

But its okay, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I would point him in the direction of a PC and that DayZ thread. Get a PC smiles and cries.

 

[donny2112]

It's a tried and old line, but it still holds.

"Play games, not consoles."

If a console doesn't have the games you want to play on it (or not enough, as your personal taste may be) and money/time is an issue, then don't buy it. Now if a console's power is such that it prevents it from getting games, then that's something to complain about, since, obviously, that goes back to the games part.

Spoiler

If the console is powerful enough for ports, and it's just that the developers are too lazy/unconvinced of ROI/hateful of the console, then yeah, that's a whole other can of worms.

If you're just wanting a visual feast for your eyes, then spend the money to buy/upgrade a powerful PC/video card/etc.

It's also important to note that tastes change over time. Just because you really like FPSs today doesn't mean that you'll still be enamored with it 10 years from now, for example. Just recognize that your tastes have changed and change game purchases accordingly, instead of railing against the game-makers for not having changed with your tastes.

 

[blu]

I hadn't seen smiles and cries melt down before. It's kind of interesting.

In a sad way. I'm still not sure exactly what he expects from nintendo - that the games he buys for each consecutive nintendo console didn't drop in numbers? Well, I too buy less and less games with my age (me being in the same age group as him), but guess what - I buy less and less retail games for any of my consoles. I just don't have that much time on my hands as I used to in my 20s, or when I was not a parent, or when I did not have 1001 other things to do in my limited spare time. That said, I bought a ps3 this gen for gran turismo alone (and that bit me, but nevermind), and I don't feel bitter about that. I still have a handful of ps3 games I enjoy occasionally. In comparison, my wii library is gargantuan (25+ titles), as is my ps2 library (15+ titles), as is my cube library, as is my dreamcast library, etc etc. I absolutely don't expect to beat those library sizes come next gen, at least not in the retail part. But I expect to be entertained by wiiU (both me and my family) to a much greater worth than the equivalent of 10 night-outs at the movies with the family.

Speaking of the family, funny thing is, wife is a gamer herself, but she would call me a manchild the very moment I'd raise the question of getting either of sony/ms's next consoles soonish after launch. She agreed with me on getting the ps3 (after the pricedrop, mind you), since she knew what a gt fan I am. She warmed up to the ps3 after she played flower, rayman and a few 'non-orthodox' psn titles, but not to a degree that she'd agree to get the next sony console no questions asked. And it's not difficult for me to understand her position - for her the typical gamer's spending habits (something she witnessed first hand when we were younger) are a manchild thing, despite the fact she has the entire castlevania ds lineup by her bedside. I recognize that myself, that's why I've been mainly a handheld guy this gen, and will likely remain one in the future - handhelds fit much better with an adult lifestyle. But we are both genuinely curious about the U, and the prospects of having the kids join in with the entire asymmetric thing (everybody really looking forward to the next rayman here).

So the thing is, with me coming of age nintendo has been becoming the one viable option for console games, whereas every other vendor has been subjected to extended scrutiny and purchase justifications, both from a price and entertainment value POVs. So yeah, so much for nintendo teh kiddy.

 

[HylianTom]

I can barely keep-up with Nintendo's release schedule in their more active release years (the Launch window catalogue looks like it'll keep me busy for at the very least half a year.) And when there is a slow year, I'm one of those odd ducks that likes to replay old games over and over again..

 

[Fourth Storm]

In a sad way. I'm still not sure exactly what he expects from nintendo - that the games he buys for each consecutive nintendo console didn't drop in numbers? Well, I too buy less and less games with my age (me being in the same age group as him), but guess what - I buy less and less retail games for any of my consoles. I just don't have that much time on my hands as I used to in my 20s, or when I was not a parent, or when I did not have 1001 other things to do in my limited spare time. That said, I bought a ps3 this gen for gran turismo alone (and that bit me, but nevermind), and I don't feel bitter about that. I still have a handful of ps3 games I enjoy occasionally. In comparison, my wii library is gargantuan (25+ titles), as is my ps2 library (15+ titles), as is my cube library, as is my dreamcast library, etc etc. I absolutely don't expect to beat those library sizes come next gen, at least not in the retail part. But I expect to be entertained by wiiU (both me and my family) to a much greater worth than the equivalent of 10 night-outs at the movies with the family.

Speaking of the family, funny thing is, wife is a gamer herself, but she would call me a manchild the very moment I'd raise the question of getting either of sony/ms's next consoles soonish after launch. She agreed with me on getting the ps3 (after the pricedrop, mind you), since she knew what a gt fan I am. She warmed up to the ps3 after she played flower, rayman and a few 'non-orthodox' psn titles, but not to a degree that she'd agree to get the next sony console no questions asked. And it's not difficult for me to understand her position - for her the typical gamer's spending habits (something she witnessed first hand when we were younger) are a manchild thing, despite the fact she has the entire castlevania ds lineup by her bedside. I recognize that myself, that's why I've been mainly a handheld guy this gen, and will likely remain one in the future - handhelds fit much better with an adult lifestyle. But we are both genuinely curious about the U, and the prospects of having the kids join in with the entire asymmetric thing (everybody really looking forward to the next rayman here).

So the thing is, with me coming of age nintendo has been becoming the one viable option for console games, whereas every other vendor has been subjected to extended scrutiny and purchase justifications, both from a price and entertainment value POVs. So yeah, so much for nintendo teh kiddy.

Great post, blu. As a guy in his late 20s, I feel I'm starting to make that transition myself finally. Blame it on shifting priorities, the deluge of "me-too-mature" titles, the realization that my backlog is indeed shameful and will never be conquered, or whatever. The only thing I care about is Nintendo staying alive as a company so that their unique style of software is w/ me throughout my and my (future) children's lives.

Things are changing, though. Cloud-based gaming seems right over the horizon if that MS document is to be believed. In another generation or so, it seems likely to me that we'll be buying a tiny box and a controller from hardware vendors. At that point, the strength of Nintendo's IPs will be more important than ever.

 

[Dreamwriter]

I think I may be the only one that really wants Nintendo to fail hard with WiiU
I want it to hurt them so bad they never question the need for powerful CPU/GPU ever again
but with so many sheep out there Nintendo failing is harder than people think, the price will not be out of reach for most casuals

But, why *would* they fail hard? The device could ship with the equivalent of an nVidia 690 and most games would still look the same, only the hugest budget AAA titles would be noticeably better looking than the best XBox 360 / PS3 games. We've hit the point where for the most part better hardware only makes a noticeable difference to the top 1% budget games. In this video game market, do you really see lots of next-gen games with budgets as high as Halo 4, Uncharted 3? Higher budgets like that Star Wars game or Watchdogs? Enough to really make the next-gen Sony and Microsoft systems totally slam Nintendo to the ground?

The competition could release a system 10 times as powerful as the current top of the line gamer PC's, and it would still take Pixar-level budgets to make Pixar-level graphics.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

I think you are kind of melting down.

But its okay, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

why do people only accept my smiles but reject my cries?

yeah I'm getting a PC and ordered some batteries to play Xenoblade, I'm calm now

 

[BD1]

I can barely keep-up with Nintendo's release schedule in their more active release years (the Launch window catalogue looks like it'll keep me busy for at the very least half a year.) And when there is a slow year, I'm one of those odd ducks that likes to replay old games over and over again..

Speaking of which, let's do a little WUST user poll. Of the launch/launch window games that are ANNOUNCED, what is everyone planning on picking up? For me:

NSMBU
Pikmin 3
Batman:AC:AE
ZombiU
AC3

... If Madden and BLOPs 2 are coming, I'll think about those as well.

I'll probably have to break that up over a few months, or have my girlfriend buy me one or two as gifts.

But ya, there is a lot to play.

 

[Fourth Storm]

I'm down for the following:

Lego City Undercover (my gf loves these games)
NSMBU
Nintendo Land (hoping for pack-in)
Game & Wario
Pikmin 3
Project P-100
Wii Fit U (shut up)
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Assasin's Creed 3
Zombi U (if it turns out alright)
Rayman Legends
Scribblenauts Unlimited (perhaps, will probably wait for a sale on this one)

So yeah, I should be kept quite busy, and honestly some of these may even slip through the cracks. But all these titles interest me in some way atm.

 

[Penguin]

why do people only accept my smiles but reject my cries?

yeah I'm getting a PC and ordered some batteries to play Xenoblade, I'm calm now

I think folks would be more sympathetic if you know.. didn't call them sheeps and the likes. And wish that a company fails so that they can go into a business model, which may ultimately kill them.

 

[ugoo18]

Speaking of which, let's do a little WUST user poll. Of the launch/launch window games that are ANNOUNCED, what is everyone planning on picking up? For me:

NSMBU
Pikmin 3
Batman:AC:AE
ZombiU
AC3

... If Madden and BLOPs 2 are coming, I'll think about those as well.

I'll probably have to break that up over a few months, or have my girlfriend buy me one or two as gifts.

But ya, there is a lot to play.

Don't forget Medal Of Honor Warfighter, that was announced for the Wii U at GDC if i remember correctly and releases in late october/early november.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

I think folks would be more sympathetic if you know.. didn't call them sheeps and the likes. And wish that a company fails so that they can go into a business model, which may ultimately kill them.

Miyamoto does not put Penguins in his games anymore you noticed that?

 

[Thraktor]

Speaking of which, let's do a little WUST user poll. Of the launch/launch window games that are ANNOUNCED, what is everyone planning on picking up? For me:

NSMBU
Pikmin 3
Batman:AC:AE
ZombiU
AC3

... If Madden and BLOPs 2 are coming, I'll think about those as well.

I'll probably have to break that up over a few months, or have my girlfriend buy me one or two as gifts.

But ya, there is a lot to play.

Well, the games I'll almost certainly get are

Nintendoland (although I assume it'll be a pack-in)
NSMBU
Pikmin 3
P-100
Assassin's Creed 3

and, depending on reviews and my bank balance, I'd consider

Aliens: Colonial Marines
Rayman Legends
ZombiU
Black Ops 2*
FIFA 13
Game & Wario

*Yes, I'm aware that Blops 2 hasn't been formally announced, but it's as close as.

 

[tkscz]

But, why *would* they fail hard? The device could ship with the equivalent of an nVidia 690 and most games would still look the same, only the hugest budget AAA titles would be noticeably better looking than the best XBox 360 / PS3 games. We've hit the point where for the most part better hardware only makes a noticeable difference to the top 1% budget games. In this video game market, do you really see lots of next-gen games with budgets as high as Halo 4, Uncharted 3? Higher budgets like that Star Wars game or Watchdogs? Enough to really make the next-gen Sony and Microsoft systems totally slam Nintendo to the ground?

The competition could release a system 10 times as powerful as the current top of the line gamer PC's, and it would still take Pixar-level budgets to make Pixar-level graphics.

This is so true it hurts. Using Compute shaders and a GPGPU would cost a dev a TON of money, but that game would look miles ahead of what we see now on consoles. Most of the 3rd party titles on WiiU thus far are ports, for these ports to have a differences in their graphics, devs/pubs would have to go back and redo the engine to support the shaders/GPGPU, or just port what they can, the latter being much cheaper than the former.

 

[Penguin]

Miyamoto does not put Penguins in his games anymore you noticed that?

There were penguins.. heck even penguin suits in New Super Mario Bros Wii!

 

[Grampa Simpson]

I'm not melting down... Black WiiU not at launch would be epic tho... so I'll save a meltdown for that

If you say so.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the Wii U. It will be like the Wii for me. I shall buy more games than I reasonably have time to play and I'll enjoy the hell out of Nintendo's first party efforts.

Will I be disappointed if some games that I want don't come out on the platforms I have? Yes I will be. The only real net effect will be that capon doesn't get money from me for RE7 and Gearbox doesn't get money from me for borderlands 3. Will I be annoyed? Yeah. But whatever. I'm 37 (I'm not old) and I barely have time to play anymore.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Speaking of which, let's do a little WUST user poll. Of the launch/launch window games that are ANNOUNCED, what is everyone planning on picking up? For me:

NSMBU
Pikmin 3
Batman:AC:AE
ZombiU
AC3

... If Madden and BLOPs 2 are coming, I'll think about those as well.

I'll probably have to break that up over a few months, or have my girlfriend buy me one or two as gifts.

But ya, there is a lot to play.

Ah, this is that point of the thread where we once again ask about what we're getting for the Wii-U? Well, I'll play along I suppose:

-NSMBU: I hope this plays well without the co-op platform thing. Everything in the game should be attainable with solo play. Otherwise it's a bad Mario platformer.

-P-100: Kamiya

-Rayman Legends...maybe?: I don't know when this is coming out, or when it's hitting the other consoles. Like NSMBU, I don't care for all of this touch screen shit, just give me an excellent platformer like Origins where I don't have to rely on looking down on my controller to progress in the level.

Uh, I think that's it? I'm not getting any of the third party titles when I could play them on systems I already own, with trophies I just have to get, and an online system I know is great and reliable.

 

[DynamicG]

Great post, blu. As a guy in his late 20s, I feel I'm starting to make that transition myself finally. Blame it on shifting priorities, the deluge of "me-too-mature" titles, the realization that my backlog is indeed shameful and will never be conquered, or whatever. The only thing I care about is Nintendo staying alive as a company so that their unique style of software is w/ me throughout my and my (future) children's lives.

Things are changing, though. Cloud-based gaming seems right over the horizon if that MS document is to be believed. In another generation or so, it seems likely to me that we'll be buying a tiny box and a controller from hardware vendors. At that point, the strength of Nintendo's IPs will be more important than ever.

Good post. I feel very similarly. I want diversity in gaming more than anything. I couldn't care less who "wins" e3 or each generation. I want Nintendo around because they are different than all the other companies and I really like their artistic vision and philosophy on producing games. The line in digital foundry's WiiU playtest about "Nintendo's tech serving it's art" is a great example of this.


On the Launch title front, I'm looking at getting:

NSMBU
ZombiU
Project P-100

I'm assuming Nintendoland will be a pack-in.

 

[Lonely1]

Epic meltdowns? What did I miss!?

 

[Anth0ny]

Every time you think Nintendo is going to "die", just refer back to this chart:

Remember how Gamecube failed? Yup, the upwards slope got a little less steep.

Wii U could be a failure of Sega CD, 32X, Saturn and Dreamcast proportions combined and Nintendo would still be FAR from dead.

I mean, just refer to the Sony line there. Remember $599? Will the Wii U really fail harder than PS3? I can't see it coming even close to Wii numbers, but it won't have PS3 numbers at launch, that I'm sure of.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

If I don't get a Star Fox/F-Zero game this time, I'll consider it a failure

 

[Penguin]

If I don't get a Star Fox/F-Zero game this time, I'll consider it a failure

But we already have F-Zero Wii U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrW8Q-Cf2l0

*Whistles*

 

[evangd007]

I think I may be the only one that really wants Nintendo to fail hard with WiiU
I want it to hurt them so bad they never question the need for powerful CPU/GPU ever again
but with so many sheep out there Nintendo failing is harder than people think, the price will not be out of reach for most casuals

Funny, I wish failure on the next Xbox for Microsoft's treatment of both consumers and developers and their focus on media bullshit over games.

As for Sony, I can't wish upon them what they have already done to themselves. Seeing them stumble around makes me sad. You use to be the champ Sony!

they cannot allow themselves to be out shined every generation by others sooner or later you brand becomes worthless because people just know what to expect from you after 12 years of weak sauce it may become harder for people to take you seriously in an industry you once owned

Their brand was near-worthless in the sixth generation: the Gamecube had low market share and less mind share. The DS and Wii revitalized their brand.

Maybe I am falling off the Nintendo train little by little, or I am just getting older

Your gaming tastes just may be changing. I am getting older too, but I am still a mechanics and exploration kind of guy, so Mario (mechanics) and Zelda (exploration) still scratch those itches, especially in a climate where there are few alternatives due to there being so much focus on audiovisuals and cinematic experiences.

 

[Rösti]

If I don't get a Star Fox/F-Zero game this time, I'll consider it a failure

There's an F-Zero game in Nintendo Land.

Penguin beat me to it.

 

[Apophis2036]

Speaking of which, let's do a little WUST user poll. Of the launch/launch window games that are ANNOUNCED, what is everyone planning on picking up? For me:

NSMBU
Pikmin 3
Batman:AC:AE
ZombiU
AC3

... If Madden and BLOPs 2 are coming, I'll think about those as well.

I'll probably have to break that up over a few months, or have my girlfriend buy me one or two as gifts.

But ya, there is a lot to play.

Black Wii U console.
Pikmin 3.
ZombiU.
Project P-100.

For me next gen will be a Wii U for Nintendo exclusives and a gaming PC for all third party games.

Sony and MS can keep their $400 - $500 consoles .

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Will the Wii U really fail harder than PS3? I can't see it coming even close to Wii numbers, but it won't have PS3 numbers at launch, that I'm sure of.

Even the slowed-down version of Wii we've seen recently is historically high for Nintendo, so they can miss it bigtime and still be pretty successful. April 2011-March 2012 they shipped more Wiis (9.84m) than the best year N64 ever saw (9.42m). We don't have decent numbers for the active years of NES or SNES, but the earliest SNES number I've got (45.23 million through March 1997) would be an average of 7.1 million/year through that point.

 

[snesfreak]

I think I may be the only one that really wants Nintendo to fail hard with WiiU
I want it to hurt them so bad they never question the need for powerful CPU/GPU ever again
but with so many sheep out there Nintendo failing is harder than people think, the price will not be out of reach for most casuals

Wow.

 

[tkscz]

I think I may be the only one that really wants Nintendo to fail hard with WiiU
I want it to hurt them so bad they never question the need for powerful CPU/GPU ever again
but with so many sheep out there Nintendo failing is harder than people think, the price will not be out of reach for most casuals

I'm hoping this is sarcasm. I really am.

 

[GameplayWhore]

Has [Wii U GamePad losing track of the TV] been discussed here?

This pretty much confirms that the GamePad does not have the ability to view sensor bars with its IR transceiver. I was assuming it couldn't, but some were holding out the hope that it might..

Speaking of which, let's do a little WUST user poll. Of the launch/launch window games that are ANNOUNCED, what is everyone planning on picking up?

If I bought it at launch*, then the following games would be likely on my "must buy soon" list, in approximate order of how much I want it:

Zombi U, Rayman Legends, NSMBU, Tomb Raider (if it ends up on the system), Lego city

I am also keeping my eye on A:CM, Batman: Arkham City, P-100, Pikmin 3, and Trine. Assassin's Creed didn't look so interesting at first, but the boat battle looked really great, so I'd consider it if I saw more encouraging things.

Remember how Gamecube failed? Yup, the upwards slope got a little less steep.

Do keep in mind that three of the the past four quarters have had a downslope. That chart conveniently ends before Nintendo starts losing money. We do have to ask ourselves whether or not Nintendo has had a change in philosophy. Transitions (save for one quarter last time) used to not lose money for Nintendo, and now they do. What about the rest of the generation?

If I don't get a Star Fox/F-Zero game this time, I'll consider it a failure

What if you get it but the game sucks?



* "≤$250 || ( ≤$300 && TimeSplitters ) || ( ≤$350 && Electrostatic Haptics)", as always. This formula is a little flexible (eg, I'd accept "handjob peripheral" or something equally cool instead of the haptics thing) but would require a lot to get me on board. The formula holds for any new home console, not just Nintendo's.

 

[japtor]

As you get old, kids gets old enough to enjoy Mario and Zelda.
#circleoflife

Yeah as long as the games stay at least decent quality they'll have a foothold just cause they can get people early on in life. If you want to see how long kid friendly characters can get milked, look at Disney.

Would a setup that used 2 USB ports also be able to transfer twice as much?

Technically yes, but you'd need a funky custom USB drive for that, or two drives and a software RAID implementation of some sort.

I hadn't seen smiles and cries melt down before. It's kind of interesting.

You'd think 39 would be too old for a video game meltdown but no, he's proving us wrong.

Godspeed, Smiles and Cries.

I would point him in the direction of a PC and that DayZ thread. Get a PC smiles and cries.

I think he's a Mac user (...but that's what Boot Camp is for, or a cheap gaming PC build).

 

[GameplayWhore]

You'd think 39 would be too old for a video game meltdown but no, he's proving us wrong.

Age has nothing to do with it. It's just that people melt down about different things as they get older. It's unusual to meltdown about toys when you're 39, because that's the age when people start melting down about politics, an entirely different but somewhat more childish field.

 

[Captain Smoker]

Don't know if this is relevant info, but anyway, I searched a little bit on Monoliths homepage:

Monolith is searching for progammers with Havok experience

Google Translate:
"Recruitment of inexperienced person is not done.
In particular, we are seeking experienced Havok, an experienced Shader.
preferential treatment will be plug-ins such as maya, someone who has some relevant knowledge."


Wii U project in progress (2011/06/24)

Google Translate:
"Wii U project in progress [emergency recruitment, recruiting large development staff.
For details, mid-career to."


Don't know if this means, that their project was actually "in progress" at that time or that they started their project around here (because google translate isn't the best translator ).

 

[Sadist]

Zombi U, Rayman Legends, NSMBU, Tomb Raider (if it ends up on the system), Lego city

Nope.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

Sheep? Seriously? Ignoring the rest of the child-like meltdown, it's pretty darn sad that graphics matter so much to some of you guys. I had some of the best gaming experiences on the Wii, and I could really give a shit less what it looked like on my TV screen. I was playing boom blox with my GF's family this past weekend, and as ugly as that game is; no one cared. We were having too much fun to care! So the bottom line is you should buy Nintendo systems for Nintendo games and the unique experiences, with gameplay put over graphics. Wasn't it obvious that was so after the DS/3DS/Wii release? That's why the Pre-E3 speculation threads were almost laughable honestly. If you want the prettiest games and the best western third party games, go buy a PC/Xbox 720/PS4 (preferably alongside the WiiU). Nothing wrong with owning more then one system, I own all three this generation and each one provides enough unique content to justify owning.

Also, it was funny to see Alberto react like he did. First time I can recall that happening. Nice to see there really is a human underneath that Scribblenaut's Conan avatar.

 

[GameplayWhore]

Nope.

That's a shame. It's the first Tomb Raider game that looked genuinely interesting to me ever for some reason.

 

[snowdog1971]

I realized right away that it was being aimed at casuals, or at least being designed as a "bridge title".

Even if Zombi U turns out to be a decent game, the premise is just not interesting to me at all. I am so sick of zombies! At least Killer Freaks had some originality, and I liked the dark humor angle and "Cockney Nukem". But yeah, it's obvious why they changed it because this way it will appeal to a wider audience. Understandable, but disappointing...


Also here's a question -- what the hell is the point of the magnetometer if the GamePad gyro still has drift issues? I find that completely unacceptable. It doesn't seem complicated to me to just have a one-time calibration that stores the compass direction of the TV and then use that to know where the TV is. What's preventing this?

If it's anything like the MotionPlus expansion that's purely down to Nintendo refusing to use third party middleware. AILive's LiveMove2 allows developers to implement self-calibration whenever the remote is held still. Ubisoft used it for Red Steel 2 which is why the vast majority of the time you only need to calibrate the remote once.

And that's without a magnetometer too.

Something that I find really frustrating tbh.

 

[donny2112]

Transitions (save for one quarter last time) used to not lose money for Nintendo, and now they do. What about the rest of the generation?

Most of the losses were due to currency exchange and not any kind of poorly execute generation transition.

Edit:
And the chart "conveniently ends" when Sony/Microsoft either stopped reporting their gaming divisions profit/loss as a separate value or buried them under so many other products that making comparisons to Nintendo's profit/loss was pointless.

 

[BlackJace]

I heard meltdown. What went on?

EDIT: Nvm I read it over

 

[GameplayWhore]

Phew! That was close. Almost thought they were losing money in the console transition before remembering that the vast majority of the losses were due to currency exchange. Thanks for the reminder!

This is a valid point. Do you know exactly how much of the losses are due to this and what precisely Nintendo is doing to combat it?

Edit:
And the chart "conveniently ends" when Sony/Microsoft either stopped reporting their gaming divisions profit/loss as a separate value or buried them under so many other products that making comparisons to Nintendo's profit/loss was pointless.

Hah, sony switched to NP&D like three years ago. Microsoft's gaming stuff has always been in a division not limited to the Xbox business. If you really want to be pedantic (be like me, hooray!), you could say that the chart has pretty much been useless from the start.

 

[HylianTom]

Not too firely-hot for a meltdown. I'd categorize it as some public soul-searching, some introspection. It's to be expected of few of us along the way..

 

[Anth0ny]

Do keep in mind that three of the the past four quarters have had a downslope. That chart conveniently ends before Nintendo starts losing money. We do have to ask ourselves whether or not Nintendo has had a change in philosophy. Transitions (save for one quarter last time) used to not lose money for Nintendo, and now they do. What about the rest of the generation?

They have $36 BILLION in the bank. They've lost a couple hundred million the last few quarters. While it's never good to be losing any money, people are saying Nintendo will die because the Wii U will fail so hard. That is mathematically impossible.


Also, am I the only one who thinks Pikmin won't be available in 2012, let alone at launch? How are they going to fill January-June 2013? They'd have to start announcing games *gasp* NOT at E3, and Nintendo doesn't have a very rich history of doing that.

NSMB U and Nintendoland will be there at launch, I think Pikmin and P-100 will be spread across the first half of 2013.

 

[Captain Smoker]

This is more interesting:

Monolith has some internal Q&A on their site, in the style of "Iwata Asks". ("laughs" included lol)

The google translation is horrible, but I think you should get it. ^^


First interview with a programmer, a planner (??) and a designer Theres more in the link

Sugiura:
Well, Mr. Yajima, when before, I am allowed to interview programmers to everyone,
Was to ask you about third-party products such as HD machine, and always has been a research and development.
Supposed to be this time, HD machine that will be released Wii U,
What and where, finally able to demonstrate its achievements.

Yajima:
Yes.
Maker of software for the machine it HD software monolith, but is not the first attempt
Research and development because it previously, the technical side is no problem.

This time, that the machine is HD, will be able to use the physical operations and Shader,
It spread to ensure that the range of expression, here is where I show of arms as a programmer.

Inaba:
Ah, yes.
I will do my best (laughs).

I, the soft machine software monolith's first HD
I want to be surprised and like everyone was.
Japanese technology to the United States seems to be What I do not beaten yet.

All:
~ Tail.

Sugiura:
Indeed, the Japanese game industry now
I have been missing from the momentum of the moment.
Do you have it that you want to aim these things.

Inaba:
Yes.
The goal is to
That produced the "Fallout", such as Bethesda Softworks.

Hey, I said I too (laughs).

All:
~ Oh.

Sugiura:
It is the world would like to achieve.

Yajima:
In order to achieve it,
Staff not only the power of now,
With their own, give this game make up,
I'd like to gather new allies.

Sugiura:
I see.
It, what will people in the concrete can be said of copper.

Yajima:
By people who have the expertise Havok, around the Shader
I want a lot together.
And What, still good if young people (laughs).

Itai:
On the screen, if you a realistic representation
There is absolutely necessary to introduce an external library
One very library, so there is a wide variety of fields,
The introduction of such a library
I hope some people come in that you have making games.

Yajima:
Development environment is, of course, it is also well equipped working environment,
I think that I can really challenge a lot of things.
So, an HD machine experience is, of course,
We are looking forward to taking advantage of those who wish to apply experience and knowledge of the Shader and Havok.

Sugiura:
The development of the first software HD machine software monolith,
Do not make things much lost the game overseas,
I think knowledge and experience, effort, and that very thing.
However, were studied prospectively on the condition it is also here to meet,
Because I think that you joined the monolith soft,
We look forward to your application.

 

[Great Rumbler]

I think I may be the only one that really wants Nintendo to fail hard with WiiU
I want it to hurt them so bad they never question the need for powerful CPU/GPU ever again
but with so many sheep out there Nintendo failing is harder than people think, the price will not be out of reach for most casuals

Welcome, sir! Here is your complimentary Steam account and GTX 580 graphics card. Enjoy your stay!

 

[Thraktor]

How are they going to fill January-June 2013? They'd have to start announcing games *gasp* NOT at E3, and Nintendo doesn't have a very rich history of doing that.

If there's one thing Nintendo's E3 conference made clear (and it probably is the only thing Nintendo's E3 conference made clear), it's that Nintendo has given up on its strategy of announcing every single game at E3.

 

[AzaK]

Not necessarily disagreeing with you there, but MS will need to persuade a good deal of the (paying) market of the worth of MS' subscription model. 'Mom, but it's only 20 bucks a month!' won't hold much ground when the parent knows it's 0 bucks a month with the competition. So it's not nintendo MS need to 'go for the throat' of, it's the darn market they have to win over. The alternative to that is the $600 console, which, as sony so eloquently showed to us this passing gen, is not a business model at all.

I agree that they are going to have a hard time selling it, and that will depend on what content it has almost as much as price. If they can get people to ditch their cable or whatnot that might work no?

NOTE: I'm not from the US so don't fully understand how your media delivery systems work.

Frankly I don't think nintendo had those particular illusions. It seems to me they're being too darn strict with their recently-found (ie. post-cube era) principles of 'obligatory universal appeal', 'abstracting the consumer from the hw' and 'disclosing new titles no earlier than a few months to their release', as they apparently believe said principles are worth more in the long term than the associated (and rather apparent) costs of following them. I mean, it's not like anybody believes that by persistently refusing to disclose hw details of the new console, they would somehow succeed in keeping the (inquiring) world away from that box' content. In this regard, nintendo are being very (brutally?) honest with the consumer, as nintendo are not trying to sell any 'potential', 'future-proofness' and what not - they're selling exactly what meets the consumer's eye. And I got to admit that there's something very Zen about this approach.

Yeah, the strictness is what I guess I was getting at. There MO is at the detriment of enthusiast gamers who want to know more; it's as if they are taking more of the home shopping approach. Get you exited about the here and now only. Thing is, I need to know if they will be getting those big games because it's extremely likely I will be a one console owner next gen.

To me was harder to be on board with PS3 than Wii, honestly (probably 360 approach was the most balanced)
I didn't like PS3's approach at all, and in any case I prefer to have different approaches to the market, in order to get diversified experiences.
Plus, I don't think that Nintendo could sustain MS/SONY-like efforts in terms of business plan.
I don't want another Dreamcast drama, please.

Up to now I'm not satisfied with the Wii U, but (especially considering the still-to-be-revealed price) it's not a matter of horsepower.

Their biggest problem is to be able to put on the shelves enough games, getting third party support. And, obviously, the lack of a lot of PS360 multiplatform games is not related to the CPU/GPU of the Wii U

Well the power/feature of the system will affect portability but I'm reasonably confident it will be OK......reasonably. But I do want to know if the money I'm gonna put down is going to enable me to play the near future and far future third parties..

But at what cost? MS and Sony have set up the conditions for the annihilation of numerous talented studios, where they follow their lead into oblivion via skyrocketing all-in bets. That's not progress, that's merely greed at it's worst, cutting off the industry's nose to spite its face for the sake of appeasing anonymous short-term investors.

The complexity of these new devices only serves to raise the stakes for developers who, in the end, have to either foot the bill or liquidate themselves. They have to guess at which trends will be hot years from now when they start development for an increasingly fickle audience. This forces them into making the safest bets possible - which doesn't translate into the most fun or interesting games, just the ones most likely to cater to the lowest common denominator.

I'm not saying Nintendo should bleed for tech, not at all. I just don't think they should be scared about their specs, and also put a bit more focus on that part during their design. Make a little less on hardware if it will, in the long term make more money. As I've said elsewhere if they had have made the wii a low powered, but modern shader machine I think it would have had more legs, and more third party support. Win win all around. They just need to make sure they WILL NOT duplicate the Wii bubble burst.

Thanks!
Those 3 are very good titles I would probably get if I'd buy one

This morning, I was thinking: if Wii U turns out to be a success - would they keep the Wii brand when they present the next console in like 5-x years? How powerfull is the Wii name?

Yes, I've read also Miyamoto reply about this, he said that they will fix this issue before release. I really hope so, I don't want neither to imagine a "Gamepad Plus" situation!

I'd've more worried that they'd think they need to invent yet another controller. The GamePad really excites me.

I've never been whiny about my consoles..
There's too many games across too many platforms/device. I guess never had a problem because never limited myself to a single type of experience.

And already know doing at least 2 consoles next gen.

I'm going one oat likely so I have to think carefully.

Then you can pay the difference. I'd rather pay a normal price for the wii u then to much for an overkill powerhouse, I have my pc for that.

seriously, Nintendo is the only company atm that thinks when designing their hardware instead of the "herp darp, lets put tons of mem in and uuuh.. a $600 gpu" and sell the whole lot for 599USD!

See reply above.. I don't think they would bleed.

In a sad way. I'm still not sure exactly what he expects from nintendo - that the games he buys for each consecutive nintendo console didn't drop in numbers? Well, I too buy less and less games with my age (me being in the same age group as him), but guess what - I buy less and less retail games for any of my consoles. I just don't have that much time on my hands as I used to in my 20s, or when I was not a parent, or when I did not have 1001 other things to do in my limited spare time. That said, I bought a ps3 this gen for gran turismo alone (and that bit me, but nevermind), and I don't feel bitter about that. I still have a handful of ps3 games I enjoy occasionally. In comparison, my wii library is gargantuan (25+ titles), as is my ps2 library (15+ titles), as is my cube library, as is my dreamcast library, etc etc. I absolutely don't expect to beat those library sizes come next gen, at least not in the retail part. But I expect to be entertained by wiiU (both me and my family) to a much greater worth than the equivalent of 10 night-outs at the movies with the family.

Speaking of the family, funny thing is, wife is a gamer herself, but she would call me a manchild the very moment I'd raise the question of getting either of sony/ms's next consoles soonish after launch. She agreed with me on getting the ps3 (after the pricedrop, mind you), since she knew what a gt fan I am. She warmed up to the ps3 after she played flower, rayman and a few 'non-orthodox' psn titles, but not to a degree that she'd agree to get the next sony console no questions asked. And it's not difficult for me to understand her position - for her the typical gamer's spending habits (something she witnessed first hand when we were younger) are a manchild thing, despite the fact she has the entire castlevania ds lineup by her bedside. I recognize that myself, that's why I've been mainly a handheld guy this gen, and will likely remain one in the future - handhelds fit much better with an adult lifestyle. But we are both genuinely curious about the U, and the prospects of having the kids join in with the entire asymmetric thing (everybody really looking forward to the next rayman here).

So the thing is, with me coming of age nintendo has been becoming the one viable option for console games, whereas every other vendor has been subjected to extended scrutiny and purchase justifications, both from a price and entertainment value POVs. So yeah, so much for nintendo teh kiddy.

Its the Same for me too now that I have kids. I view my gaming different and am more of a handheld gamer now. This is where I think the GamePad could shine if the signal can reach a bedroom. It'd be like the ultimate home handheld.,

The Wii U excites me in the fact that I will be able to experience gaming with my kids (2.5 and 3mth at mo) as they get old enough to game. However I'd like to have those mature titles too to play on occasion so it's important to me that my potential console will get them. As important as gaming with my kids? Unlikely but I'd prefer both if I can.

Nope.

 

[GameplayWhore]

They have $36 BILLION in the bank. They've lost a couple hundred million the last few quarters. While it's never good to be losing any money, people are saying Nintendo will die because the Wii U will fail so hard. That is mathematically impossible.

Hm. According to my numbers, Nintendo had $3.541 billion in Cash and deposits as of the end of their last fiscal year (March 31st). Perhaps I am reading the numbers incorrectly (occasionally I do this, but it is usually when Japanese numbers are in units of ten thousand, which doesn't seem to be the case here). Could you share your source for that number?

Also, am I the only one who thinks Pikmin won't be available in 2012, let alone at launch? How are they going to fill January-June 2013? They'd have to start announcing games *gasp* NOT at E3, and Nintendo doesn't have a very rich history of doing that.

Pikmin 3 is listed as "Launch Window", not "Holiday", so you are most likely correct.