Developer Spark Unlimited has come in for criticism from the publisher that employed it to make Lost Planet 3.
Spark was named as the game’s developer a year ago – a surprise to many seeing as two of its recent titles, Legendary: The Box and Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, were resolutely panned by critics. It has also been tipped as the potential developer behind an Onimusha reboot.
Now the game’s producer Andrew Szymanski has told VideoGamer that Spark were selected primarily because Capcom couldn’t find anyone better.
"We really needed to find a developer that could work on a collaboration," he stated. "I think that what a lot of people don't realise is some of the best-known developers – or quote unquote the 'good' developers if you want to call it that – for good reason they want to work on the stuff they want to work on.
"So let's just say, completely hypothetical, a Bungie-class developer comes to me, much as they would do with Activision. They're not going to say, 'Hey Activision, let's work on the next Call of Duty'. They're going to say, 'This is what we want to make, take it or leave it. If you don't take it I'll give it to somebody else'. So a lot of those developers would not be a good fit for a game based on an existing IP."
Perhaps realising the insensitivity of his words, Szymanski did at least go on to say that Spark is a far better studio than it once was.
"I had the same questions you do when I went to meet Spark for the first time," he added. "They've had some rad ideas but the execution's pretty lacking.
"But I got a chance to really hear a lot about why that was and how they weren't necessarily supported in achieving their vision. They learned a lot from their mistakes. They've changed the team and brought in new management, brought in new leadership and a new creative direction and everything like that.
"So it was a combination of that with their passion and their ideas and what they wanted to bring to Lost Planet that I think brought that all together, and enabled us to sit down and discuss the concept to come up with a shared vision."
Capcom said earlier this month that it is looking to distance itself from further collaborations with Western developers.
Lost Planet 3 is currently due out on August 30th.
What a ringing endorsement.
+3
reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
I predict that Nintendo will go right back to having E3 press conferences after the smaller ones fail to kick up nearly the hype that a larger one can.
I predict that they might go right back to having E3 press conferences when they aren't competing for time and hearts with two brand new consoles.
Probably should've made a console that can compete with the other two.
I predict that Nintendo will go right back to having E3 press conferences after the smaller ones fail to kick up nearly the hype that a larger one can.
I predict that they might go right back to having E3 press conferences when they aren't competing for time and hearts with two brand new consoles.
Probably should've made a console that can compete with the other two.
You think the outcome would be any different if it was as powerful?
It'd probably have even less games at this point if that were the case. Who's going to invest PS4-level dollars in a game for a Nintendo system without an install base?
A system that sells even worse because it costs $400-$500?
I think Nintendo is probably right in skipping an E3 extravaganza style presentation. They have shown that the Nintendo Directs get pretty much the same media coverage in the gaming media and when the mainstream folks like CNN report after E3 they'll likely get the same "Nintendo announced the following" regardless of the dog and pony show they do or don't put on. I think it was IGN a few weeks ago that admitted they used to hardly pay attention to the Directs but now they assign multiple people to cover them because they've been such huge announcements.
The nice part is that it means that they are likely not doing any weird hardware addons or updates this year, otherwise I think we might have seen a conference...so no heartbeat monitors this year (hopefully). I think regardless it's going to be tough for all three to sell new hardware this year and that Nintendo could come out of the holidays strong based solely on pricing and backwards compatibility.
Consider if they can advertise the following to a family or gamer on a budget:
* Cheapest Hardware
* Backwards Compatible Library
* Backwards Compatible Controllers (huge if you already have a Wii - most controllers are $50ish)
* No monthly/annual fee for online or paywalls to use things like Netflix
* Off screen play allows sharing of the family TV
* Tablet can be used for Netflix/Internet and free up the family iPad/laptop
If they position the first year of ownership of their console as being almost a third of the other consoles, plus the added convenience the tablet/offscreen gives, it could sell systems.
I predict that Nintendo will go right back to having E3 press conferences after the smaller ones fail to kick up nearly the hype that a larger one can.
I predict that they might go right back to having E3 press conferences when they aren't competing for time and hearts with two brand new consoles.
Probably should've made a console that can compete with the other two.
You think the outcome would be any different if it was as powerful?
It'd probably have even less games at this point if that were the case. Who's going to invest PS4-level dollars in a game for a Nintendo system without an install base?
A system that sells even worse because it costs $400-$500?
I do.
They might have started off just as slow or slower but they would have more of an opportunity to turn it around, and it would be easier for third parties to release a game across all three platforms instead of having to do something 'special' to deal with the less capable Wii U.
I mean, didn't the PS3 pretty much bomb when it was released? It was insanely over priced and had no games. PA had an E3 comic with the Sony Rep sitting off to the side somewhere, drinking, begging the public to just give them one more year! They're good for it!
They've placed their selves a generation behind for the second time now, and the novelty of motion controls is totally gone.
Creating a console just like the PS4 or next Xbox would be a worse mistake than gambling on a different idea.
They would end up in the same situation as the Gamecube, at best, but instead they'd be losing a helluva lot of money and more ground to competitors.
Gambling on the tablet controller was the same as gambling on the Wii remote. It could have worked or it might not have worked. It was worth the gamble on the Wii, and now it's seeming to go the opposite way with the WiiU.
Nintendo's best strategy isn't to just be yet-another console like the others. They can't compete with the specs because they aren't going to massively subsidize these things. Heck part of the reason Ninty's managed to stay profitable for so long and survive so well is because while they take risks, they still aim to produce things that don't lose them tons of money from the outset.
Their best strategy is to provide something for the market that the competition isn't. Aim for other parts of the pie instead of the same slice that its competitors are fighting over.
The question now is, what segment will that be, since the one they were aiming for isn't currently working out. Part of the answer to this question will be answered once the competition is out there too, when we have a better idea of how the market next gen plays out.
I feel like mentioning one major difference between the Wii and Wii U. The tablet controller, the default one, has all the same buttons as your standard PS360 controller. Unlike the Wii, whose controller was severely underbuttoned if you didn't use motion controls, there's nothing stopping a dev from just making a game they would normally make, and allowing off-TV play for the tablet.
I predict that Nintendo will go right back to having E3 press conferences after the smaller ones fail to kick up nearly the hype that a larger one can.
I predict that they might go right back to having E3 press conferences when they aren't competing for time and hearts with two brand new consoles.
Probably should've made a console that can compete with the other two.
You think the outcome would be any different if it was as powerful?
It'd probably have even less games at this point if that were the case. Who's going to invest PS4-level dollars in a game for a Nintendo system without an install base?
A system that sells even worse because it costs $400-$500?
I do.
They might have started off just as slow or slower but they would have more of an opportunity to turn it around, and it would be easier for third parties to release a game across all three platforms instead of having to do something 'special' to deal with the less capable Wii U.
I mean, didn't the PS3 pretty much bomb when it was released? It was insanely over priced and had no games. PA had an E3 comic with the Sony Rep sitting off to the side somewhere, drinking, begging the public to just give them one more year! They're good for it!
They've placed their selves a generation behind for the second time now, and the novelty of motion controls is totally gone.
It's not focusing on mnotion controls this time; it's the tablet controller which so far is pretty dang cool.
I know that, but that's what gave them an edge. Not many people seem to be as enthralled by the tablet controller. I wasn't at first, but once I found out it has off screen play and all the other fun stuff you can use it for, I love the idea and I can't wait to use one.
I just wish they'd release a game for the system I want to play!
You are talking like Nintendo is skipping E3 altogether, Henroid. They're still going to be there with a presence on the show floor. All the conference is, is a 1 hour infodump to the journalists who don't stick around and instead jet off to whatever their next event is. It's incumbent on the journalists to get the message to the people.
And the videos from the Nintendo Direct can theoretically show up on their internet-equipped demo kiosks.
So what we have here is the enthusiast media reporting on a Nintendo Direct as if it were a full press conference. And they've done this for EVERY Nintendo Direct, because so far Nintendo's announced something new at each one.
So.. what do they gain by still having a presence at E3 but not holding a conference? Easy... they don't have to fight with Microsoft, Sony, EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Sega, Konami, and who knows what else for a journalist's time is divided with in the 2-3 days before E3 starts. And considering they're retooling how they present things at E3 itself too.. There really isn't a downside to this plan, and I kind of expect the other companies to follow suit in a year or two.
Note, with the rise of real-time streams, it can actually preferable to us to watch the stream if we can. If you're at the event, you have to wait in line, wait in your seat, etc. The only benefits are improved pictures for articles (if you brought a good camera) and any hands-on demos they may have directly after the event (the 3DS comes to mind). With the stream, I have good internet, a comfortable chair, and no distractions from writing.
I wrote up a recap on one of the smaller presentations (Capcom or Konami?) last year based on the stream, using hotel wi-fi. Takes out some of the enjoyment of actually watching the presentation, but that's the job. I also did the PS4 reveal based on the stream, while colleagues at the event provided extra color, pictures, and information via instant message. They also had the opportunity to do interviews, which is the big draw for us. More insight for you guys, outside of what you've already seen on the stream.
And yes, from my perspective, the Nintendo Direct isn't much different. It's Nintendo, it's announcements, it's news.
Very late, but I think it was hyperbole to suggest that people were saying the third parties were out to get Nintendo. If they have a bias against it it's because they believe it won't sell, not because they think it's a poopyhead that stinks of poo. They're in a business, and they think going for Wii U wouldn't work for them. Which hurts Nintendo, but that's a side effect rather than an intent.
I still say that the developers are jumping the gun a bit (and no one ever answered my question of how other third-party launch titles did). But Nintendo kinda botched the marketing and their bet didn't pay off. Two-way street.
Anyway, no Nintendo E3 presser... eh, probably a good thing. They won't be perceived as trying and failing to compete with the PS4 and 720, plus the information will easily get out anyway. And all the stuff will be on the floor as well.
I know that, but that's what gave them an edge. Not many people seem to be as enthralled by the tablet controller. I wasn't at first, but once I found out it has off screen play and all the other fun stuff you can use it for, I love the idea and I can't wait to use one.
I just wish they'd release a game for the system I want to play!
Every time I try to play a WiiU demo kiosk, someone has set the thing to tablet mode, and none of the software demos will load on the tablet screen; I typically get a logo on the tablet, while the TV just shows a white WiiU screen. And nothing is happening, and no button presses will fix it.
Every. Single. Time.
So, yeah, I'm not too impressed with the system so far. If this is my experience, at various Best Buys, Gamestops, and Targets, I'd bet that it's not winning too many other potential sales, either.
Oh man. I will absolutely miss the feeling of hearing everyone cheer and freak out when something big is revealed. Like when solid snake showed up in Brawl.
Very late, but I think it was hyperbole to suggest that people were saying the third parties were out to get Nintendo. If they have a bias against it it's because they believe it won't sell, not because they think it's a poopyhead that stinks of poo. They're in a business, and they think going for Wii U wouldn't work for them. Which hurts Nintendo, but that's a side effect rather than an intent.
The argument was that these things are Nintendo's fault, but I don't find that entirely convincing either. They believe it won't sell because they have experience from last time they tried to support Nintendo and it didn't sell, which happened because they made a mediocre product and/or poor release choices, which is because they didn't have enough confidence that software would sell, which is from past experience...etc.
It's cyclical, and it's pretty clearly a two way street.
I feel like mentioning one major difference between the Wii and Wii U. The tablet controller, the default one, has all the same buttons as your standard PS360 controller. Unlike the Wii, whose controller was severely underbuttoned if you didn't use motion controls, there's nothing stopping a dev from just making a game they would normally make, and allowing off-TV play for the tablet.
Effort. And that's what it comes down to. "Will the sales of this game on that platform justify the cost of porting?" It's less of an issue when the Wii U is up against the 360/PS3, but if the market actually transitions to the PS4/Durango, that leaves the Wii U as the odd man out. (this assumes Durango is equal in power to the PS4)
Also, from IGN Nintendo Executive Editor Richard George:
Oh man. I will absolutely miss the feeling of hearing everyone cheer and freak out when something big is revealed. Like when solid snake showed up in Brawl.
Yeah, I understand why Nintendo's taking this route, but I will miss the Big Event atmosphere.
Oh man. I will absolutely miss the feeling of hearing everyone cheer and freak out when something big is revealed. Like when solid snake showed up in Brawl.
You do realize this didn't happen at the Nintendo press event that e3, right?
It happened at a developer's roundtable which is still happening.
Also so is the press event, it's just not going to be a spectacle.
Wii U has lost momentum due to the release pace of first-party titles which has not lived up to consumers’ expectations. Starting with "Pikmin 3" scheduled for release in the upcoming July, however, we will intensively launch our key titles to give sales momentum to the platform.
As a decisive factor in buying a console is that you cannot play a much-anticipated title without the hardware, we will do our best to have you feel from this summer to the end of this year that there are plenty of great games for Wii U.
We have many titles whose release dates are yet to be announced. At E3, we will disclose more specific information about the titles for the rest of this year and early next year.
There wasn't really anything about Wii U third parties, in contrast with 3DS's portion of the presentation which did mention that unannounced third party games are on the way.
Also notice "we have many titles whose release dates are yet to be announced." Not "we have many titles which are yet to be announced."
So, Nintendo's still doing the song and dance, they're just not showing it to the public. Not really "skipping" E3.
Yeah I just read this news, so literally nothing has changed except all the Nintendo charts and graphs are in one presentation which I assume will be streamed online anyways, and all the games announcements are in another with the upstanding gaming media to report on at will.
Oh man. I will absolutely miss the feeling of hearing everyone cheer and freak out when something big is revealed. Like when solid snake showed up in Brawl.
You do realize this didn't happen at the Nintendo press event that e3, right?
It happened at a developer's roundtable which is still happening.
Also so is the press event, it's just not going to be a spectacle.
I swear this happened at E3. It had the Brawl video... Everyone was freaking out. Then at the end there was a pause then you hear the CODEC ring and then snake talking.
0
Warlock82Never pet a burning dogRegistered Userregular
edited April 2013
Yeah this just seems like a more concise, less boring method of presenting the same news they would have from a conference.
Also, as Chris Kohler pointed out, doing a conference was kind of a lose/lose for them anyways. With Sony & MS showing off new consoles, inevitably all the stories would have been about how their conference sucked in comparison or they "lost e3" or what have you. This lets them control the news themselves.
I think this kind of sums up the reasoning though:
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Not surprised Nintendo is abandoning the E3 press conference. Nintendo Direct helped them realize they can deliver info on their own terms.
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Nintendo Direct is also one of the worst things to happen to the games press. They can deliver freebase propaganda without critical filters.
Creating a console just like the PS4 or next Xbox would be a worse mistake than gambling on a different idea.
They would end up in the same situation as the Gamecube, at best, but instead they'd be losing a helluva lot of money and more ground to competitors.
Nah. The thing is, Nintendo didn't have to create a console exactly like the PS4 and next Xbox. They could have gone a little bit below. Made it a little bit less powerful than those two, but not an entire hardware generation behind.
Make it moderately powerful, enough so that it could keep up with the other two consoles for third party games.
Pack a pro controller and Wiimote in with the system.
Have no tablet controller whatsoever.
Considering what the rumors are for the next Xbox and what the specs are for the PS4, this package could have cost them at least $100 less than the competition, still pricing them at a sweet spot. But instead of basically having a cut off point where third party games can't be multiplatform, they would have just been the lowest spec console to get those multiplatform games.
Which leads me to address the bolded part of your post.
Third party games no longer work in the same way they did in the PS2/GCN/XBOX generation. If a third party can release their game on a system easily, they will do so. It's what saved the PS3. It's what's kept AAA development profitable for a lot of companies. There are only a handful of third party exclusives anymore between consoles that have some sort of spec parity.
That's what is hurting the Wii U. Why bother investing in being able to easily port 360/PS3 games to the Wii U? They're going to stop making those games soon. Why bother investing in unique versions of PS4/Next Xbox games for the Wii U? You make one game for two consoles, and then have to make a unique game for another? It doesn't make any sense business wise.
That's why Rayman is getting ported to the 360/PS3. That's why besides Ubisoft pretty much every developer is skipping the Wii U with their multiplatform games.
And that's why if Nintendo would have released a console with modern specs, they would have had third party. The industry changed last generation. FF/GTA/DMC/RE/MGS are all multiplatform games now. All the big and small third party franchises are. Nintendo doesn't seem to get this fact. Probably because last generation, they missed the exact same boat by not releasing a competitive console spec wise.
I think this kind of sums up the reasoning though:
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Not surprised Nintendo is abandoning the E3 press conference. Nintendo Direct helped them realize they can deliver info on their own terms.
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Nintendo Direct is also one of the worst things to happen to the games press. They can deliver freebase propaganda without critical filters.
I disagree with Jeremy here.
Big E3 conferences are also streamed like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
Nintendo Directs are also streamed... like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
The only difference is that one is streamed in a giant exhibit hall and the other isn't..?
Beyond the news that will be communicated through Nintendo Direct videos in the run up to E3, at the show itself we’re hosting two smaller events on Tuesday morning before the LACC opens instead of just our traditional one event. A media event and a partner presentation will both occur that morning. While the audiences will be different between the two events, both will occur on the Tuesday morning of E3 (June 11) which is the date and time period the public has come to expect for Nintendo to deliver E3 news.
At the Nokia theater we’ll meet with business partners (retailers, publishers, analysts, etc.) from the NOA territory and discuss our plans for driving the business and providing tailored information that this group finds useful to their operations. Nintendo has done these same type of business meetings at past E3 shows, but has not in the past few years.
Oh man. I will absolutely miss the feeling of hearing everyone cheer and freak out when something big is revealed. Like when solid snake showed up in Brawl.
Well, the Nintendo events are still going to have people at them, right? Just not as many. So we should hopefully still have some audience enthusiasm along with whatever the announcement is.
The_Tuninator on
0
Warlock82Never pet a burning dogRegistered Userregular
I think this kind of sums up the reasoning though:
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Not surprised Nintendo is abandoning the E3 press conference. Nintendo Direct helped them realize they can deliver info on their own terms.
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Nintendo Direct is also one of the worst things to happen to the games press. They can deliver freebase propaganda without critical filters.
I disagree with Jeremy here.
Big E3 conferences are also streamed like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
Nintendo Directs are also streamed... like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
The only difference is that one is streamed in a giant exhibit hall and the other isn't..?
Yeah but I'd imagine more people watch the Nintendo Directs... directly :P It's a shorter, more concise/dense format so it's easier to sit through than a big conference. So rather than going to Kotaku/whatever for info they might just watch it themselves. Nintendo also whores links to them all over 3DS/Wii U/their website.
I've also heard games journalists in the past bitch about e3 conferences that waste their time with stuff like concerts, dancing, etc. I'm sure it's a minor thing, but perception/tone is probably colored a bit by being forced to sit in a big conference room watching a bunch of shit you don't want to.
Nintendo also states that more Nintendo Directs (plural) will be happening between now and E3.
So, Nintendo's still doing the song and dance, they're just not showing it to the public. Not really "skipping" E3.
Define "the public". Because the official site and Youtube are more open to everyone than a US trade show that only invites business people and journalists. The vast majority of everyone will still only get to watch it over the internet like they always have.
But it's true Nintendo will no longer perform their press conference in front of a live studio audience.
And apparently their games will still be playable at E3.
0
Werewolf2000adSuckers, I know exactly what went wrong.Registered Userregular
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Nintendo Direct is also one of the worst things to happen to the games press. They can deliver freebase propaganda without critical filters.
[satire]Yes, everybody knows how much we've come to rely on the Fearless Truth-tellers that are the Games Press to expose hype and bullshit wherever they find it.[/satire]
I think this kind of sums up the reasoning though:
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Not surprised Nintendo is abandoning the E3 press conference. Nintendo Direct helped them realize they can deliver info on their own terms.
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Nintendo Direct is also one of the worst things to happen to the games press. They can deliver freebase propaganda without critical filters.
I disagree with Jeremy here.
Big E3 conferences are also streamed like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
Nintendo Directs are also streamed... like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
The only difference is that one is streamed in a giant exhibit hall and the other isn't..?
I'd agree. I am confident in my ability to sort through bullshit as a consumer of video games with or without the "critical filter" of the gaming press. These seem like more or less the same thing.
I think this kind of sums up the reasoning though:
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Not surprised Nintendo is abandoning the E3 press conference. Nintendo Direct helped them realize they can deliver info on their own terms.
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Nintendo Direct is also one of the worst things to happen to the games press. They can deliver freebase propaganda without critical filters.
I disagree with Jeremy here.
Big E3 conferences are also streamed like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
Nintendo Directs are also streamed... like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
The only difference is that one is streamed in a giant exhibit hall and the other isn't..?
Yeah but I'd imagine more people watch the Nintendo Directs... directly :P It's a shorter, more concise/dense format so it's easier to sit through than a big conference. So rather than going to Kotaku/whatever for info they might just watch it themselves. Nintendo also whores links to them all over 3DS/Wii U/their website.
I've also heard games journalists in the past bitch about e3 conferences that waste their time with stuff like concerts, dancing, etc. I'm sure it's a minor thing, but perception/tone is probably colored a bit by being forced to sit in a big conference room watching a bunch of shit you don't want to.
but the problem is that aside from people like us, who watches them? No one I know certainly.
I think this kind of sums up the reasoning though:
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Not surprised Nintendo is abandoning the E3 press conference. Nintendo Direct helped them realize they can deliver info on their own terms.
Jeremy Parish @gamespite:
Nintendo Direct is also one of the worst things to happen to the games press. They can deliver freebase propaganda without critical filters.
I disagree with Jeremy here.
Big E3 conferences are also streamed like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
Nintendo Directs are also streamed... like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
The only difference is that one is streamed in a giant exhibit hall and the other isn't..?
Yeah but I'd imagine more people watch the Nintendo Directs... directly :P It's a shorter, more concise/dense format so it's easier to sit through than a big conference. So rather than going to Kotaku/whatever for info they might just watch it themselves. Nintendo also whores links to them all over 3DS/Wii U/their website.
I've also heard games journalists in the past bitch about e3 conferences that waste their time with stuff like concerts, dancing, etc. I'm sure it's a minor thing, but perception/tone is probably colored a bit by being forced to sit in a big conference room watching a bunch of shit you don't want to.
but the problem is that aside from people like us, who watches them? No one I know certainly.
People who own the systems? Like I said, Nintendo whores them out like crazy. You go to the eShop on either system and they are pretty much front page, right in front of you. I believe they also sometimes send out Spotpass notices about them. And probably e-mails, I forget :P
Nintendo also states that more Nintendo Directs (plural) will be happening between now and E3.
So, Nintendo's still doing the song and dance, they're just not showing it to the public. Not really "skipping" E3.
Define "the public". Because the official site and Youtube are more open to everyone than a US trade show that only invites business people and journalists. The vast majority of everyone will still only get to watch it over the internet like they always have.
But it's true Nintendo will no longer perform their press conference in front of a live studio audience.
And apparently their games will still be playable at E3.
The business meeting (The song and dance in my quote) will be behind closed doors and probably not streamed. Hence, not shown to the public.
Press conferences have been streamed for the past three years at this point, so the idea of E3 being some closed off event isn't really the case.
And of course they will be playable. As I said, Nintendo's not really skipping anything. They're doing everything they normally do, just shuffling around who gets to see what.
Posts
Probably should've made a console that can compete with the other two.
You think the outcome would be any different if it was as powerful?
It'd probably have even less games at this point if that were the case. Who's going to invest PS4-level dollars in a game for a Nintendo system without an install base?
A system that sells even worse because it costs $400-$500?
The nice part is that it means that they are likely not doing any weird hardware addons or updates this year, otherwise I think we might have seen a conference...so no heartbeat monitors this year (hopefully). I think regardless it's going to be tough for all three to sell new hardware this year and that Nintendo could come out of the holidays strong based solely on pricing and backwards compatibility.
Consider if they can advertise the following to a family or gamer on a budget:
* Cheapest Hardware
* Backwards Compatible Library
* Backwards Compatible Controllers (huge if you already have a Wii - most controllers are $50ish)
* No monthly/annual fee for online or paywalls to use things like Netflix
* Off screen play allows sharing of the family TV
* Tablet can be used for Netflix/Internet and free up the family iPad/laptop
If they position the first year of ownership of their console as being almost a third of the other consoles, plus the added convenience the tablet/offscreen gives, it could sell systems.
I do.
They might have started off just as slow or slower but they would have more of an opportunity to turn it around, and it would be easier for third parties to release a game across all three platforms instead of having to do something 'special' to deal with the less capable Wii U.
I mean, didn't the PS3 pretty much bomb when it was released? It was insanely over priced and had no games. PA had an E3 comic with the Sony Rep sitting off to the side somewhere, drinking, begging the public to just give them one more year! They're good for it!
They've placed their selves a generation behind for the second time now, and the novelty of motion controls is totally gone.
They would end up in the same situation as the Gamecube, at best, but instead they'd be losing a helluva lot of money and more ground to competitors.
Gambling on the tablet controller was the same as gambling on the Wii remote. It could have worked or it might not have worked. It was worth the gamble on the Wii, and now it's seeming to go the opposite way with the WiiU.
Nintendo's best strategy isn't to just be yet-another console like the others. They can't compete with the specs because they aren't going to massively subsidize these things. Heck part of the reason Ninty's managed to stay profitable for so long and survive so well is because while they take risks, they still aim to produce things that don't lose them tons of money from the outset.
Their best strategy is to provide something for the market that the competition isn't. Aim for other parts of the pie instead of the same slice that its competitors are fighting over.
The question now is, what segment will that be, since the one they were aiming for isn't currently working out. Part of the answer to this question will be answered once the competition is out there too, when we have a better idea of how the market next gen plays out.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
It's not focusing on mnotion controls this time; it's the tablet controller which so far is pretty dang cool.
I just wish they'd release a game for the system I want to play!
Note, with the rise of real-time streams, it can actually preferable to us to watch the stream if we can. If you're at the event, you have to wait in line, wait in your seat, etc. The only benefits are improved pictures for articles (if you brought a good camera) and any hands-on demos they may have directly after the event (the 3DS comes to mind). With the stream, I have good internet, a comfortable chair, and no distractions from writing.
I wrote up a recap on one of the smaller presentations (Capcom or Konami?) last year based on the stream, using hotel wi-fi. Takes out some of the enjoyment of actually watching the presentation, but that's the job. I also did the PS4 reveal based on the stream, while colleagues at the event provided extra color, pictures, and information via instant message. They also had the opportunity to do interviews, which is the big draw for us. More insight for you guys, outside of what you've already seen on the stream.
And yes, from my perspective, the Nintendo Direct isn't much different. It's Nintendo, it's announcements, it's news.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
I write about video games and stuff. It is fun. Sometimes.
I still say that the developers are jumping the gun a bit (and no one ever answered my question of how other third-party launch titles did). But Nintendo kinda botched the marketing and their bet didn't pay off. Two-way street.
Anyway, no Nintendo E3 presser... eh, probably a good thing. They won't be perceived as trying and failing to compete with the PS4 and 720, plus the information will easily get out anyway. And all the stuff will be on the floor as well.
Every time I try to play a WiiU demo kiosk, someone has set the thing to tablet mode, and none of the software demos will load on the tablet screen; I typically get a logo on the tablet, while the TV just shows a white WiiU screen. And nothing is happening, and no button presses will fix it.
Every. Single. Time.
So, yeah, I'm not too impressed with the system so far. If this is my experience, at various Best Buys, Gamestops, and Targets, I'd bet that it's not winning too many other potential sales, either.
The argument was that these things are Nintendo's fault, but I don't find that entirely convincing either. They believe it won't sell because they have experience from last time they tried to support Nintendo and it didn't sell, which happened because they made a mediocre product and/or poor release choices, which is because they didn't have enough confidence that software would sell, which is from past experience...etc.
It's cyclical, and it's pretty clearly a two way street.
am I to understand that this is all the first and third party software currently being developed for the Wii U (on the right side)?
becuse, Wow.
that's nothing.
That's everything that's been announced.
still though .... how many companies hold off announcing games until the week they come out?
It's still a small list, and I think everyone would like to see it grow significantly as we near/pass E3.
Effort. And that's what it comes down to. "Will the sales of this game on that platform justify the cost of porting?" It's less of an issue when the Wii U is up against the 360/PS3, but if the market actually transitions to the PS4/Durango, that leaves the Wii U as the odd man out. (this assumes Durango is equal in power to the PS4)
Also, from IGN Nintendo Executive Editor Richard George:
So, Nintendo's still doing the song and dance, they're just not showing it to the public. Not really "skipping" E3.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
I write about video games and stuff. It is fun. Sometimes.
Yeah, I understand why Nintendo's taking this route, but I will miss the Big Event atmosphere.
You do realize this didn't happen at the Nintendo press event that e3, right?
It happened at a developer's roundtable which is still happening.
Also so is the press event, it's just not going to be a spectacle.
How many companies hold off announcing games until E3 in a month?
Regardless it's pretty clear that Nintendo has no support from third parties at all for their system, even going into E3. From yesterday's conference, Iwata said nothing about Wii U third parties, shifting focus from that to first party efforts.
There wasn't really anything about Wii U third parties, in contrast with 3DS's portion of the presentation which did mention that unannounced third party games are on the way.
Also notice "we have many titles whose release dates are yet to be announced." Not "we have many titles which are yet to be announced."
Yeah I just read this news, so literally nothing has changed except all the Nintendo charts and graphs are in one presentation which I assume will be streamed online anyways, and all the games announcements are in another with the upstanding gaming media to report on at will.
I swear this happened at E3. It had the Brawl video... Everyone was freaking out. Then at the end there was a pause then you hear the CODEC ring and then snake talking.
Also, as Chris Kohler pointed out, doing a conference was kind of a lose/lose for them anyways. With Sony & MS showing off new consoles, inevitably all the stories would have been about how their conference sucked in comparison or they "lost e3" or what have you. This lets them control the news themselves.
I think this kind of sums up the reasoning though:
Can we start saying poopyhead instead of geese?
Beat me on 360: Raybies666
I remember when I had time to be good at games.
Nah. The thing is, Nintendo didn't have to create a console exactly like the PS4 and next Xbox. They could have gone a little bit below. Made it a little bit less powerful than those two, but not an entire hardware generation behind.
Make it moderately powerful, enough so that it could keep up with the other two consoles for third party games.
Pack a pro controller and Wiimote in with the system.
Have no tablet controller whatsoever.
Considering what the rumors are for the next Xbox and what the specs are for the PS4, this package could have cost them at least $100 less than the competition, still pricing them at a sweet spot. But instead of basically having a cut off point where third party games can't be multiplatform, they would have just been the lowest spec console to get those multiplatform games.
Which leads me to address the bolded part of your post.
Third party games no longer work in the same way they did in the PS2/GCN/XBOX generation. If a third party can release their game on a system easily, they will do so. It's what saved the PS3. It's what's kept AAA development profitable for a lot of companies. There are only a handful of third party exclusives anymore between consoles that have some sort of spec parity.
That's what is hurting the Wii U. Why bother investing in being able to easily port 360/PS3 games to the Wii U? They're going to stop making those games soon. Why bother investing in unique versions of PS4/Next Xbox games for the Wii U? You make one game for two consoles, and then have to make a unique game for another? It doesn't make any sense business wise.
That's why Rayman is getting ported to the 360/PS3. That's why besides Ubisoft pretty much every developer is skipping the Wii U with their multiplatform games.
And that's why if Nintendo would have released a console with modern specs, they would have had third party. The industry changed last generation. FF/GTA/DMC/RE/MGS are all multiplatform games now. All the big and small third party franchises are. Nintendo doesn't seem to get this fact. Probably because last generation, they missed the exact same boat by not releasing a competitive console spec wise.
I disagree with Jeremy here.
Big E3 conferences are also streamed like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
Nintendo Directs are also streamed... like anything else.. people can choose to watch them and take them at face value or read about the very same conference through the critical filter of the media after or during.
The only difference is that one is streamed in a giant exhibit hall and the other isn't..?
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Source.
Instead of having one large one, they're having smaller ones.
I don't see the problem here.
Well, the Nintendo events are still going to have people at them, right? Just not as many. So we should hopefully still have some audience enthusiasm along with whatever the announcement is.
Yeah but I'd imagine more people watch the Nintendo Directs... directly :P It's a shorter, more concise/dense format so it's easier to sit through than a big conference. So rather than going to Kotaku/whatever for info they might just watch it themselves. Nintendo also whores links to them all over 3DS/Wii U/their website.
I've also heard games journalists in the past bitch about e3 conferences that waste their time with stuff like concerts, dancing, etc. I'm sure it's a minor thing, but perception/tone is probably colored a bit by being forced to sit in a big conference room watching a bunch of shit you don't want to.
Define "the public". Because the official site and Youtube are more open to everyone than a US trade show that only invites business people and journalists. The vast majority of everyone will still only get to watch it over the internet like they always have.
But it's true Nintendo will no longer perform their press conference in front of a live studio audience.
And apparently their games will still be playable at E3.
[satire]Yes, everybody knows how much we've come to rely on the Fearless Truth-tellers that are the Games Press to expose hype and bullshit wherever they find it.[/satire]
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
I'd agree. I am confident in my ability to sort through bullshit as a consumer of video games with or without the "critical filter" of the gaming press. These seem like more or less the same thing.
but the problem is that aside from people like us, who watches them? No one I know certainly.
People who own the systems? Like I said, Nintendo whores them out like crazy. You go to the eShop on either system and they are pretty much front page, right in front of you. I believe they also sometimes send out Spotpass notices about them. And probably e-mails, I forget :P
The business meeting (The song and dance in my quote) will be behind closed doors and probably not streamed. Hence, not shown to the public.
Press conferences have been streamed for the past three years at this point, so the idea of E3 being some closed off event isn't really the case.
And of course they will be playable. As I said, Nintendo's not really skipping anything. They're doing everything they normally do, just shuffling around who gets to see what.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
I write about video games and stuff. It is fun. Sometimes.