General Nintendo sales/business discussion topic (previously: The Wii U Thread)

[Blacklightning]

Funny how that wasn't my point. My point was that not every developer has to go for the uber-detailed power-pushing look with their graphics, and I think there should be a better balance between the more cartoony artstyles that will age better and the uber-detailed power-pushing ones that won't, as most AAA games today have that uber-detailed power-pushing artstyle. 

 

It's all about balance, and in my mind the AAA game industry's not balanced in terms of artstyles right now.

This argument wrongfully assumes that all artstyles that rely on technical horsepower age badly. It also assumes that vaugely defined "cartoony" ones can't, which begs the question of whether or not you've played a game like Cel Damage before:

 

 

Which in retrospect manages to look ugly regardless.

 

As long as they look pretty, who the fuck cares? For that matter, as long as it plays well, who the fuck cares?

[Solkia]

but i love cel damage

[Autosaver]

Pfft, use a pretty screenshot at least. I mean shit.

Ha ha, yeah. I purposely picked out a crappy picture to mess with Solkia. Metroid Prime is a really good game and it's the last game I would pick at. I'm just honestly annoyed with this argument and I think it's stupid that people are arguing about it in the Wii U thread.

 

Though, the two pictures did spark something. Clearly the less colorful areas of the game stand out as dull and dated while the colorful portions still look amazing. That's as far as I'll input anything in this art style debate. I find it ridiculous people are arguing over it. Opinions are opinions. Someone who finds realistic games dull vs colorful games is their opinion and their choice.

 

I personally would rather talk about something positive for once, or at least the console itself. Silly arguments that pop up in this thread become more of a nuisance than a subject worth talking about.

 

 

Gamestop is sending out Wii U emails.

 

 

[Chaos Warp]

This argument wrongfully assumes that all artstyles that rely on technical horsepower age badly. It also assumes that vaugely defined "cartoony" ones can't, which begs the question of whether or not you've played a game like Cel Damage before:

 

 

Which in retrospect manages to look ugly regardless.

 

As long as they look pretty, who the fuck cares? For that matter, as long as it plays well, who the fuck cares?

Well that is true. As long as it plays well, then it doesn't matter. That's probably why I'll still love the shit out of Watch_Dogs despite finding the artstyle bland. But it's still worth discussing. 

Edited November 13, 2013 by Chaos Warp

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Ha ha, yeah. I purposely picked out a crappy picture to mess with Solkia. Metroid Prime is a really good game and it's the last game I would pick at. I'm just honestly annoyed with this argument and I think it's stupid that people are arguing about it in the Wii U thread.

 

Though, the two pictures did spark something. Clearly the less colorful areas of the game stand out as dull and dated while the colorful portions still look amazing. That's as far as I'll input anything in this art style debate. I find it ridiculous people are arguing over it. Opinions are opinions. Someone who finds realistic games dull vs colorful games is their opinion and their choice.

 

I personally would rather talk about something positive for once, or at least the console itself. Silly arguments that pop up in this thread become more of a nuisance than a subject worth talking about.

 

 

Gamestop is sending out Wii U emails.

well thats ironic

[Candescence]

What 'style' a developer uses is entirely up to the developer, yes, and no style is inherently 'wrong', but DOOM, even in its limited 3D glory, still looks more appealing than the godawful mess of brown that is Gears of War and a huge chunk of Fallout 3. There are art styles that just look lazy, generic and uniformly boring. Hell, this even applies to 'colourful' games, too, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow looks like a generic fantasy title as opposed to a fucking Castlevania game (which is amusingly appropriate, considering very little of its material hasn't been flagrantly ripped out of some other work, the game has very little identity of its own, nevermind failing to be anything more than a Castlevania game in name only).

 

And there are 'realistic' games that have aged very well, such as Half-Life 2 - it's been nine years since that game came out, and it still looks great, it creates the feeling of a world that's being sucked dry and oppressed by a malevolent force while still actually keeping a reasonable color palette. It also helps that human models look natural and have realistic body and facial movements, and the Source Engine has smart use of tech in general. Same applies to both Portal games.

[Wraith]

They could have picked out some better titles to advertise the system, but at least they're getting the word out.

[Autosaver]

Is Unlimited Detail discussion banned yet?

Ha Ha. You didn't even mention it strangely enough,

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

They could have picked out some better titles to advertise the system, but at least they're getting the word out.

the game kids obsess over, the ultimate 3D mario co-op experience, the latest greatest nintendo party game, and the updated version of one of the best zeldas with a very kid friendly art style? sounds like solid choices to me

[Jet Prower]

Wow, hearing some of these comments about graphics just seem so petty by the people that want to always say one of the worst comments in the world about games.

 

"It hasn't aged well."

 

This comment is going to aggravate me for as long as it is around, because it in all honestly a comment that screams I only care for graphics and could care less how fun the game is. I know someone that is a designer as well and he agrees and hate that comment as well, because it is honestly a bash to the people back in the day that were doing the best they could with what they had at the time.

 

I don't believe any game ever ages in that way that people say. They are older yes, and you have to come with the expectation that they are older as well. You look at them in the eyes of whatever was out at that time. You never compare to current, EVER. There is no comparison and any comparison just comes off as you only care for graphics.

 

Games are about the fun and the fact that I can pick up Nes and Snes games and still enjoy them regardless of the graphics shows that graphics shouldn't matter at all. This talk we constantly have over complaining about specs of the consoles just seems pointless when the gameplay and fun elements of the games should be what matters, now how fast this console is, how many pixels this console has or whatever else you want to compare. If all comes down the gameplay and if that is what is being talked about, I'll respect it. I just don't agree that we should constantly be talking about graphics and hardware when the games are what matters in all cases, regardless of the age.

[Autosaver]

I think it's done because Zelda stands out more, Wii Party U hits the casual crowd, and Mario is.. self explanatory. I think it could have used one more game. Pikmin 3 or Mario & Sonic could have been added.

[Chronozoah]

What 'style' a developer uses is entirely up to the developer, yes, and no style is inherently 'wrong', but DOOM, even in its limited 3D glory, still looks more appealing than the godawful mess of brown that is Gears of War and a huge chunk of Fallout 3. There are art styles that just look lazy, generic and uniformly boring. 

That 'mess' of browns, blacks and greys at least has a place in Gears of War of all shooters because the game is bleak as fuck - even by the standards of shooters (and even then the colour pallet does grow game-by-game, moreso with Gears of War 3 from 2).

 

Now I'm going to be wildly subjective too, and say that DOOM, on the other hand, looks pitiful and makes my eyes bleed. Nothing will change that.

 

Edit: I'm not sure why this debate emerged here...

Edited November 13, 2013 by Heinous Creature

[Wraith]

Wow, hearing some of these comments about graphics just seem so petty by the people that want to always say one of the worst comments in the world about games.

 

"It hasn't aged well."

 

This comment is going to aggravate me for as long as it is around, because it in all honestly a comment that screams I only care for graphics and could care less how fun the game is. I know someone that is a designer as well and he agrees and hate that comment as well, because it is honestly a bash to the people back in the day that were doing the best they could with what they had at the time.

 

I don't believe any game ever ages in that way that people say. They are older yes, and you have to come with the expectation that they are older as well. You look at them in the eyes of whatever was out at that time. You never compare to current, EVER. There is no comparison and any comparison just comes off as you only care for graphics.

 

Games are about the fun and the fact that I can pick up Nes and Snes games and still enjoy them regardless of the graphics shows that graphics shouldn't matter at all. This talk we constantly have over complaining about specs of the consoles just seems pointless when the gameplay and fun elements of the games should be what matters, now how fast this console is, how many pixels this console has or whatever else you want to compare. If all comes down the gameplay and if that is what is being talked about, I'll respect it. I just don't agree that we should constantly be talking about graphics and hardware when the games are what matters in all cases, regardless of the age.

 

When people say a game didn't age well, they're usually saying it hasn't aged well from ALL fronts. Gameplay included.

But even when they mean it from a graphical standpoint, they're not automatically saying that the game sucks. Hell, they're not even attacking the quality of the game at all. Just that some aspects aren't future proof.

[Solkia]

That comment can refer to more that just graphics though.

 

You could write an essay on why Crash Bandicoot 1 hasn't aged well and never even mention graphics

 

 

 

Gamestop is sending out Wii U emails.

 

Is Swapforce multiplatform?

[Autosaver]

It is - but the exclusive figurine is only available in that set.

[Solkia]

Do those exclusive figures work on the other platforms?

 

There are people who bought the DS version of the first game just to have Dark Spyro on the PS3/360/Wii version.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

That comment can refer to more that just graphics though.

 

You could write an essay on why Crash Bandicoot 1 hasn't aged well and never even mention graphics

 

 

Is Swapforce multiplatform?

and its currently not bundled with any other current console

[Autosaver]

It probably works. While the exclusive variation is only on the Wii U, the character itself is not. I'm sure the alternative skins would be coded in the game already.

[Solkia]

hmm

 

It's a stretch, but it could help considering how stupidly popular Skylanders is.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

hmm

 

It's a stretch, but it could help considering how stupidly popular Skylanders is.

I think the figure is only included in the actual console package, not the wii-u version of the game itself, I doubt people would buy the console JUST for that figure, and if they did, then they would have bought the console anyways, which means its a sale anyways and they would have to eventualy use it XD

[Wraith]

It is - but the exclusive figurine is only available in that set.

 

 

Wait a sec, is that pirate squid called Wash Buckler? 

 

God, that pun is glorious. Wii U is saved.

[SkyLlama]

Now I'm going to be wildly subjective too, and say that DOOM, on the other hand, looks pitiful and makes my eyes bleed. Nothing will change that.

 

 

I'm not taking issue with you disliking DOOM, but what makes it look pitiful? That game ran of the modem equivalent of nothing computer wise. That's more or less all a 386 and time correct graphics card could pump out.

 

It doesn't look amazing, but IMO it's still a solid game unlike some other early 3d ones.

Edited November 13, 2013 by SkyLlama

[Autosaver]

hmm

 

It's a stretch, but it could help considering how stupidly popular Skylanders is.

Skylanders tends to sell a lot more on Nintendo platforms so I could see it helping. An attractive price for a new console with two games.

 

There's also talks on other forums about people getting it for the sake of collecting all of the Skylanders toys. Some are even getting it just to resell the figurine as people won't be able to get it anywhere else.

[Sami]

Skylanders most likely only sells well on Nintendo platforms because those are the platforms all the kids have.

A bundle could help, I suppose, but I can't imagine sales on the Wii U will ever go as high as those on the Wii.

[Wraith]

Skylanders most likely only sells well on Nintendo platforms because those are the platforms all the kids have.

A bundle could help, I suppose, but I can't imagine sales on the Wii U will ever go as high as those on the Wii.

 

Kids like Nintendo stuff generally. Now they have an excuse to buy Nintendo stuff. It could work.