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

[Marcello]

So I got to play the Wii U yesterday.. Games I played were Rayman Legends and Rabbids Land.

Legends was good, but I wasn't very good at it. I kept thinking I was the other player, since we were both Teensies. Around the end, where I died there as an automatic moving camera section and everytime I was brought back to life, I fell right away because of that. I was using the Pro Controller, one girl was using the Gamepad and the other a Wiimote.

I don't really like the Pro Controller. Buttons felt oddly placed and they didn't feel that great. Felt a bit too light to me, too. 360 controller is better. I might go with the Madcatz controller we saw a while ago.

Rabbids Land, we played that space surfing mini game. First round I used the Game Pad. This was much more comfortable. The buttons felt right here, though I assume they're the same as the Pro, so maybe it's just because of the different shape that they felt better, and the placement was fine. It feels comfortable in the hand. It was smaller than I expected. I gotta say I really liked it, though I had to get used to staring at the screen instead of the TV. Took me a moment to start the game, because I was looking at the wrong screen. The game itself was fun. The movements felt precise, though I occasionally moved a bit more than I wanted and got hit by a fire ball. The Wiimote part was fun. May friend, who's not a game, had some problems with both ends. He thought the pad was great, though, but he did think it would be a bit annoying changing screens constantly in other games.

[Conando]

Rayman Origins was hard as balls (it's about as difficult, without being unfair, a platformer can get). I love it for that, though, and it's good to see that they're keeping that challenge with Legends.

[Doctor MK]

You got to play the Wii U, Marcello? Nice! Consider me very jealous

I can only second what Crow said about Legends keeping up the challenge that Origins did. That's what made it great, the fact that it was difficult but not to the point of frustration, rather to the point where it was down to your own slip-ups if you failed, and managing to succeed in the end made victory all the sweeter.

God dammit I wanna play Rayman Legends now too ;_;

[Detective Shadzter]

Very jelly of you, MarcelloF. Hope they do some hands-on events in the UK.

[Dobkeratops]

Legends was good, but I wasn't very good at it. I kept thinking I was the other player, since we were both Teensies. Around the end, where I died there as an automatic moving camera section and everytime I was brought back to life, I fell right away because of that.

As mentioned above, this was common in Origins too. The scrolling levels require near perfect execution with the latter ones reaching romhack levels of difficulty. If you die chances are you won't be able to catch up or respawn in multi (as stopping to do so would screw the other player's run). Don't let it dissuade you from getting the game.

What else did they have playable?

[Marcello]

For Wii U Ubisoft had Legends, Rabbids Land, Sports Connection, Zombi U and one more that I can't remember. Namco had Tanks! Tanks! Tanks!, but I noticed that too late.

[Nintendoga]

I don't really like the Pro Controller. Buttons felt oddly placed and they didn't feel that great. Felt a bit too light to me, too. 360 controller is better. I might go with the Madcatz controller we saw a while ago.

That's still my big gripe with the Pro controller, everyone says it looks comfortable but to me the buttons are placed way too much towards the center. The Madcatz controller has a bit of the same problem, but at least it's more like a 360 controller so it's familiar.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Nintendoga

[LunarEdge]

Looking at some of the above pictures make me wonder... I thought Nintendo Land was software that came with the Wii U itself sort of like the Mii Plaza and the 3DS... it's actually a retail game?

[Thrippa]

No one actually knows yet. The general assumption is that since Nintendo has been hawking how well it demonstrated the various options of the controller - the way they did with WiiSports, and WiiSports Resort for the Wiimote Plus - that Nintendoland will, like those two games, be packed in. However in Japan the Wii was sold without a pack-in (initially at least, they may have had bundles later) and WiiSports was sold only as a free-standing game. So most game sources are listing Nintendoland as a retail game, but most people are presuming that it will actually not be one. One more thing everyone's waiting for official announcement on.

[speedfreak]

All I know is if Nintendoland isn't free I'll never get it. I'm sick to death of mini-game collections.

[Carbo]

http://kotaku.com/5936634/looks-like-well-know-the-wii-us-launch-date-and-price-by-september-13

Nintendo is holding a major Wii U press event in New York City on September 13, hosted by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. An invitation sent to select media outlets today promised a day that will let us learn "more about how the Wii U will change the future of gaming and entertainment."

Sure, that's what they say, but let's read between the lines, shall we?

The last time Nintendo did a Reggie-hosted event in New York City, it was an all-day event that had him taking the stage to reveal the launch date and price of the 3DS. Launch-window games were there for reporters to play, but which games were coming out on launch date were still to be announced. The event was held in January, 2011 and the system came out in America in March 2011.

The time before that that Nintendo did one of these Reggie-NYC things? It was a big Wii launch showcase. It was the first place I played Wii Sports bowling and essentially the crossing-the-T's-dotting-the-I's event for that system's U.S. launch.

So, barring some strange change in behavior, Nintendo is likely to tell the world on September 13 when the Wii U will come out in America, how much it will cost and maybe even which games we'll play on launch day. They're not saying that, but that's what history tell us.

[Wraith]

Oh hell yes.

[Gregzilla]

So we still don't have a release date, but we have a release date for when we MIGHT see a release date!

I love you, Nintendo!

JUST FUCKING TELL US

[TheNicollette30]

http://kotaku.com/59...by-september-13

CARBO! You beat me to it! I was just going here to post that same thing. Next time!

[Milo]

About damn time. And oh hey, the conference is a day before my birthday.

[Blue Blood]

All I know is if Nintendoland isn't free I'll never get it. I'm sick to death of mini-game collections.

I know what you mean entirely. Wii Sports was fun when I first got it, but I'd never wanted to actually buy it (much like I've never bought Wii Sports Resort). Nintendo Land would fall into the same boat.

[Kuzu]

Welp, guess I know what I'm doing on the 13, checking this shit out to see if it's worth it.

[Thrippa]

I know what you mean entirely. Wii Sports was fun when I first got it, but I'd never wanted to actually buy it (much like I've never bought Wii Sports Resort). Nintendo Land would fall into the same boat.

Same here, although I did 'buy' Sports Resort because I could get the Wiimote+ bundle for the same price as just the Wiimote+. And for some reason I do enjoy Wuhu Island.

[MegaMan_EXE]

I don't know how to feel about the Wii U. It seems like a neat concept with the controller being interactive, and the fact that it will have HD visuals (about time, Nintendo ), but I have my worries. One of them being what target audience this is for. If it's for the so called "Casual" market, it'll have the same fate as the Wii. It was on the news, and for 2 years or so, it was hard to find. After that, everyone stopped caring, and went on the 360 or PS3. The Wii itself was okay, but it feels like a novelty more than anything else, and I barely play it. Now that the Wii U's going to have HD visuals, I still don't think it'll grab the hardcore gamer audience. I mean, the PS3 has HD visuals, and I think the 360 has that as well, but Nintendo is late on this, like way late. I also fear that it also may have a very small memory size (512 MB my ass), and might only be 2GB's. My personal size wish is to be at least 8GB's. The system shouldn't have any hardware issues, like what happened with the 360's RROD, the Wii's Disc reading issue, and the hacking of the PS3's PSN. Make it work a lot better. I also want there to be a much better online mode, since the Wii's online mode is a bit sloppy from what I've played.

I know I sound like a killjoy, but I have my worries. I want Nintendo to capture hardcore audiences again, and not be laughed at. I'm not sure if the Wii U is going to be that great. But, I'll have to wait and see.

[Nintendoga]

Iwata says Social Features in Single Player Games are Crucial

We have reached an era where even a single-player game experience [can] have a social component that is very important. And I think … that social component is mandatory.”

“What we really want to do is create a place where folks who are playing by themselves will not feel like they are playing by themselves.”

.....No Comment.

[VO.SUPER]

I'm really not sure what to make of that comment... I might comment again when I pick my brain off the floor.

Edited August 23, 2012 by VisionaryBlur

[Blue Blood]

Social features, be they achievements or synchronising with Facebook and the like, are pretty standard features that really should be included these days. Mandatory in that sense is fine. But mandatory as in "force the player to participate" is fucking annoying. I have my XBL account set to as private as possible because when I play a single player game, I'm playing a single player game.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Blue Blood

[LunarEdge]

The only game I've ever played that was "single" player but felt as though I wasn't "alone" was Dark Souls XD

I too... don't know how to take that comment XD

Now that the Wii U's going to have HD visuals, I still don't think it'll grab the hardcore gamer audience. I mean, the PS3 has HD visuals, and I think the 360 has that as well, but Nintendo is late on this,

360 definitely has HD.

Yeah... Ninty may be late to the party, but HD is becoming the new media standard now, so it's not like when they finally use HD graphics, that we are going to jump to a whole new definition. HD is here to stay for quite some time and one day will be seen as SD was years back.

Edited August 23, 2012 by LunarEdge

[Wraith]

Pleasepleaseplease don't put this shit in Pikmin 3.

[Thigolf]

Social features are important ---› they don't add online in most of their games.

That's Nintendo logic.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Thigolf