Nintendo Direct Thread

I wish Nintendo was still doing E3 conferences. It feels like they are leaving the stage, letting the two "big dogs" fight it out, sort of bowing out of the competition. I don't blame them, but I do miss their presence at E3. I enjoyed looking forward to everyone's show. Ah well.
 
I honestly think them not doing a conference is just a blow to their fans. I'm a Nintendo fan, and I want the WiiU to succeed, but when they decide to not do a conference at the biggest gaming event for 2 years straight, then I almost feel somewhat betrayed. Like Nintendo doesn't care enough to put something together.

Still though, let's hope they make up for it by showing some awesome stuff.
 
I do believe I understood what yo mend, that not only Nintendo is out of touch, but also their "fans". I just do not agree with you, and I do not agree that:
  • Embracing cheap free to play MOBA games
  • Graphics over content
  • Being a jerk on the "webbyweb" to everybody else who disagrees with you
  • Having achievements to show of epeen

Or that you need to make everything competitive to become successful.

The hell? Do you know who you're even responding to at this point? Are you having conversations with yourself? Have fun with that.

I am quite sure that nothing of value was lost.

:laugh: Nope. :p
 
I honestly think them not doing a conference is just a blow to their fans. I'm a Nintendo fan, and I want the WiiU to succeed, but when they decide to not do a conference at the biggest gaming event for 2 years straight, then I almost feel somewhat betrayed. Like Nintendo doesn't care enough to put something together.

Still though, let's hope they make up for it by showing some awesome stuff.

And that's unfortunate, because I think their rationale is that this is a better way to reach their fans. I think they feel E3 nets them a lot of bad press, or the press gets in the way of their message, and so they want to speak "directly" to their fans, and this is a better way to do it.

I agree with you, though. If I were a fan, I'd want to see them up on stage, not in some streamed video.
 
I'm not butthurt, just straightforward and honest. I never said their games were horrible either, just that they're no longer innovative. Also, they're predictable. Oh yeah, they're also spread very thin across the life of each console. I never said they're horrible though.
You said their software library has been "awful". That's pretty much the same thing as "horrible". Perhaps you meant "awfully small" or "awfully predictable", but just "awful" alone is describing the quality, which has always been rather high.

While I agree that some people put Nintendo on a pedestal, by and large I think most major sites and most respectable journalists will be pretty honest. Plenty of Mario-branded games get scores that are between 70-80% which shouldn't happen if they are just getting a free pass. Besides, bias could go both ways - people with unrealistic expectations set by nostalgia could feel overly disappointed. You kind of hint at that yourself when you say "they don't get a free pass from me anymore" - when did you give them a free pass, and why would you ever give any company a free pass?

Personally, I didn't grow up with an NES, I had a Commodore 64 when I was really young and a Sega Master System in my adolescence. I did play Nintendo systems, but I was never a big Mario fan. I don't have rose-tinted lenses about Nintendo, and I don't have childhood memories of Mario to be shattered. Yet I will say that to this day, Mario games have some of the best level design and overall polish you'll see in a video game.
 
You said their software library has been "awful". That's pretty much the same thing as "horrible". Perhaps you meant "awfully small" or "awfully predictable", but just "awful" alone is describing the quality, which has always been rather high.

While I agree that some people put Nintendo on a pedestal, by and large I think most major sites and most respectable journalists will be pretty honest. Plenty of Mario-branded games get scores that are between 70-80% which shouldn't happen if they are just getting a free pass. Besides, bias could go both ways - people with unrealistic expectations set by nostalgia could feel overly disappointed. You kind of hint at that yourself when you say "they don't get a free pass from me anymore" - when did you give them a free pass, and why would you ever give any company a free pass?

Personally, I didn't grow up with an NES, I had a Commodore 64 when I was really young and a Sega Master System in my adolescence. I did play Nintendo systems, but I was never a big Mario fan. I don't have rose-tinted lenses about Nintendo, and I don't have childhood memories of Mario to be shattered. Yet I will say that to this day, Mario games have some of the best level design and overall polish you'll see in a video game.

Don't get me wrong, there is a special place in my heart for Zelda, Metroid, and Mario. However, Nintendo is a far cry from their NES and SNES days of legend. The problem is that, as your example so dutifully illustrates, ALL we get from them are those games (mainly Mario). When you combine it with the fact that it takes them FOREVER to actually release them, then they don't get a free pass from me anymore. I had to suffer through the long droughts of nothing to play on Gamecube and Wii. Never again. Why the hell does it take them so long to release their stuff anyways; it remains largely unchanged.

I've explained my reasoning quite thoroughly at this point. If you or anyone else don't get it at this point, then you probably won't and that's on you/them. Hell, the one guy in this conversation can't even tell who he's talking to at this point, mentioning stuff that I never even said. As far as journalists are concerned, one would hope, but their isn't much evidence for it, especially recently. Nostalgia doesn't have anything to do with it as far as it concerns me. You know what was disappointing? Long periods of nothing to play due to miniscule first party offerings and weak third party support, that's disappointing. Considering the great software libraries of both the NES, SNES, and to some effect the N64, purchasing the Gamecube and Wii at their respective launches were free passes in hindsight. Other than that, I don't have to really explain myself to you in this regard, no offense.
 
Nintendo has always targeted the same age demographic, generation after generation. It's their first party comfort zone, preschool through early adolescence, and adults who like to drift back in their minds and indulge their inner child. This mindset may be in the process of evolving, at this point in time, as managment tries to tweek the legacy of their founders, but I think their focus will remain quintessentially the same. While they've had and will continue to have more "adult" content on their console, they will always think of themselves as toymakers, and that their products, first and foremost, are for children. I admire how they have not allowed their console and their first party library to be co-opted by adults and brought forward with them, as they've aged past those golden years of childhood, into their adult lives. There should always be a place in our hearts and in gaming,that we can go back to, where we can "run like the wind whilst our laughter echoes under cerulean skies" and I know Nintendo will keep that place safe for us.
 
Nostalgia doesn't have anything to do with it as far as it concerns me. You know what was disappointing? Long periods of nothing to play due to miniscule first party offerings and weak third party support, that's disappointing. Considering the great software libraries of both the NES, SNES, and to some effect the N64, purchasing the Gamecube and Wii at their respective launches were free passes in hindsight. Other than that, I don't have to really explain myself to you in this regard, no offense.
Fair enough.
Obviously it's subjective, and I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I'd say the GameCube library (of worthwhile games) was quite a bit more extensive and varied than the N64. I mean, if I play list wars in my head the GC's list trumps the N64 a few times over. I tend to think Nintendo takes random steps forward and backward. I also think the GC and its library was unfairly under-appreciated in its era, lest we forget that in addition to the reliable Nintendo titles, it was on the GC that we got Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, and Eternal Darkness - all high quality original, refreshing "mature" titles, which the N64 lacked, as well as Animal Crossing, Pikmin and Wind Waker and many more for the family friendly crowd.
The actual release schedule paled in comparison to the competition, but as compared to the Nintendo consoles on either side of it, I reckon it looks pretty good.
 
Fair enough.
Obviously it's subjective, and I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I'd say the GameCube library (of worthwhile games) was quite a bit more extensive and varied than the N64. I mean, if I play list wars in my head the GC's list trumps the N64 a few times over. I tend to think Nintendo takes random steps forward and backward. I also think the GC and its library was unfairly under-appreciated in its era, lest we forget that in addition to the reliable Nintendo titles, it was on the GC that we got Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, and Eternal Darkness - all high quality original, refreshing "mature" titles, which the N64 lacked, as well as Animal Crossing, Pikmin and Wind Waker and many more for the family friendly crowd.
The actual release schedule paled in comparison to the competition, but as compared to the Nintendo consoles on either side of it, I reckon it looks pretty good.

Sure, the GC had some great moments, mainly Eternal Darkness (still one of my favorite games ever), the Resident Evil remake, and RE4, but there was also huge chunks of time with hardly anything worth playing that made it a hard console to own, especially when it was the only one I could own at the time. On the whole though, it's library didn't hold the number of gems that even the N64 did (I know this is subjective to a point), and that's not even NES and SNES. For example the N64 brought us:

Mario 64
Pilotwings 64
Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie
1080 Snowboarding
Blast Corps (OMG what an incredible game this was)
Bomberman 64
Bomberman Hero
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Cruisin' USA
Cruisin' World
Donkey Kong 64 (Why wasn't a full-fledged DK game released for GC?)
Hydro Thunder
Jet Force Gemini
Killer Instinct Gold
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask (2 of the best modern Zelda games)
Paper Mario
Perfect Dark
Sin and Punishment
Star Fox 64
Star Wars Rogue Squadron and Shadows of the Empire
All the Turok games
The WCW games
Wave Race!

I'm sure there are a couple I missed. It slowed down a bit late in the N64's life, but as a whole its library brought us many more gems and variety at that.
 
The hell? Do you know who you're even responding to at this point? Are you having conversations with yourself? Have fun with that.



:laugh: Nope. :p
I am pretty sure I was replying to you, but I could have done a misquote. After all mistakes do happen, but I was not the first one being catty, so I just scratched a bit back. I mean you replied to me saying their fans where dilusional, so I voiced my opinion in that I did not agree. I do admit I am not very good with the ol' "Sarcasm", but I am quite certain my sarcasm meter didn't go off during that statement.

And I do have fun, that seems to be a problem with you that I have ;), thus Nintendo should change.

Sure, the GC had some great moments, mainly Eternal Darkness (still one of my favorite games ever), the Resident Evil remake, and RE4, but there was also huge chunks of time with hardly anything worth playing that made it a hard console to own, especially when it was the only one I could own at the time. On the whole though, it's library didn't hold the number of gems that even the N64 did (I know this is subjective to a point), and that's not even NES and SNES. For example the N64 brought us:

Mario 64
Pilotwings 64
Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie
1080 Snowboarding
Blast Corps (OMG what an incredible game this was)
Bomberman 64
Bomberman Hero
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Cruisin' USA
Cruisin' World
Donkey Kong 64 (Why wasn't a full-fledged DK game released for GC?)
Hydro Thunder
Jet Force Gemini
Killer Instinct Gold
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask (2 of the best modern Zelda games)
Paper Mario
Perfect Dark
Sin and Punishment
Star Fox 64
Star Wars Rogue Squadron and Shadows of the Empire
All the Turok games
The WCW games
Wave Race!

I'm sure there are a couple I missed. It slowed down a bit late in the N64's life, but as a whole its library brought us many more gems and variety at that.

I see your N64 list and raise you a:
Zelda: The Wind Waker.
Viewtiful Joe
Resident Evil 4.
Eternal Darkness
Super Mario Sunshine
Zelda: Twilight Princess
Wave Race: Blue Storm
Billy the Hatcher
Super Monkey Ball and Super Monkey Ball 2
Animal Crossing
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2 and Starwars: Rogue Squadron 3
Chibi Robo
Star Fox Adventure (Say what you like, I did enjoy it, but then I AM a Rareware fan).
Donkey Konga
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Eternal Darkness
F-Zero:GX
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful life, Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful life and Harvest Moon:Magical Melody
Ikaruga
Killer 7
Mario Kart: DD
Megaman Network Transmission (Megaman fan here ;))
Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2
Luigi's Mansion
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Pikmin (I don't like it much, but some people reaaaally adore it))
Skies of Arcadia Legends (Although I like the Dreamcast a lot better, for most people that is still a Gamecube game).
SUper Mario Strikers


And I'm certain people can add to it. But I think I found your problem ;), the games did not change, you did ;). You now feel too grown up for a game like Billy the Hatcher and either cannot or refuse to watch it through the eyes of younger you ;)? You probably also feel Wonderful 101 is far to colourful and silly, and OMG the adult jokes! HOW DARE THEY. Always chuckle when people have near heart attacks of the silly, and very meek jokes in W101. As really people your child will not be scared for life from the view Benny Hill like jokes in that game ;). Seriously "PUNISH!"a robot with a whip is already too much? :p
 
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I am pretty sure I was replying to you, but I could have done a misquote. After all mistakes do happen, but I was not the first one being catty, so I just scratched a bit back. I mean you replied to me saying their fans where dilusional, so I voiced my opinion in that I did not agree. I do admit I am not very good with the ol' "Sarcasm", but I am quite certain my sarcasm meter didn't go off during that statement.

And I do have fun, that seems to be a problem with you that I have ;), thus Nintendo should change.

:laugh: Dude, take a breath and work through the confusion. I said absolutely nothing about Nintendo fans being delusional. You must be thinking about someone else. Let me scroll up and check for you....

Best I can figure is that you actually think you're responding to this dude here:

Out of touch fans as well and some wonder why the Wii U was dead in less then a year.

I said nothing of delusional fans, man. Other than that, I have no idea what you're on about. It's definitely not a conversation I've been a part of.
 
I am not saying there weren't any games on XBLA, I enjoyed quite a few of them. But I do feel that MS really let me down on the exclusives that weren't shooters or racers. I mean just look at the original Xbox it was downright original with the kind of games they published or made available for it. The beginning of the 360's life as well, was.... great... but the latter 2/3's was just not that interesting for me. I for instance enjoyed Viva Pinata and Banjo Kazooie: N&B, but was lambasted for liking it. I do not like Gears of War that much, nor do I like Halo that much. I found the first Halo entertaining, but that is about it. I missed the quirky Rareware games a lot, and Fable just can't scratch that itch as well as say Kameo or Grabbed by the Ghoulies... in which even the title was innuendo :).

So I did not "dis" it I just think that some fans fence with XBLA to silence the people that wish for a more creative offering on Microsoft's plastic wonderbox.
When you come out and say, "I like full content" or something of that nature, it comes across as a dis. I think lots of critics of the 360's selection love to avoid XBLA because it more often than not helps their argument. More importantly, I think you've missed on quite a bit of content. Stuff like Happy Wars, Zoo Tycoon, LocoCycle, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, Charlie Murder, Crash Course 2, Ascend: Hand of Kul, Arcadecraft (indie simulation game), etc. It's one thing to not like the content, but if you don't like people generalizing Nintendo console offerings, I just wonder why you'd do the same to the 360. It comes across as hypocritical.
 
:laugh: Dude, take a breath and work through the confusion. I said absolutely nothing about Nintendo fans being delusional. You must be thinking about someone else. Let me scroll up and check for you....

Best I can figure is that you actually think you're responding to this dude here:



I said nothing of delusional fans, man. Other than that, I have no idea what you're on about. It's definitely not a conversation I've been a part of.
Then my friend, I apologize for misreading of your quote. :).

Still I do believe the Gamecube had just as many fun titles as the N64 if not more so ;).
 
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Than my friend, I apologize for misreading of your quote. :).

Still I do believe the Gamecube had just as many fun titles as the N64 if not more so ;).

No problem, these things tend to happen sometimes when it involves people who are passionate about gaming.
 
When you come out and say, "I like full content" or something of that nature, it comes across as a dis. I think lots of critics of the 360's selection love to avoid XBLA because it more often than not helps their argument. More importantly, I think you've missed on quite a bit of content. Stuff like Happy Wars, Zoo Tycoon, LocoCycle, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, Charlie Murder, Crash Course 2, Ascend: Hand of Kul, Arcadecraft (indie simulation game), etc. It's one thing to not like the content, but if you don't like people generalizing Nintendo console offerings, I just wonder why you'd do the same to the 360. It comes across as hypocritical.
But I am biased, thus to a certain extend I am a hypocrite. All of us are if we are biased, on top of that... I do like the titles you mention, but I just don't think they compare well to the full blown titles like Rareware would be able to make. That is my main issue with Microsoft's offering, it just feels like they aren't really trying on that front compared to the effort they do in the, pardon me the expression, "Bro Gamer" front.
 
But I am biased, thus to a certain extend I am a hypocrite. All of us are if we are biased, on top of that... I do like the titles you mention, but I just don't think they compare well to the full blown titles like Rareware would be able to make. That is my main issue with Microsoft's offering, it just feels like they aren't really trying on that front compared to the effort they do in the, pardon me the expression, "Bro Gamer" front.
Sure, but I think that being so biased that we create generalities for each console and avoid other offerings as evidence of absence is going a bit far. An awesome game should be an awesome game in the end. How could a game like Ms. Splosion Man' be as full blown a game as any other on retail when it comes to actual content. Two different singleplayer games and a co-op mode with the extra dressings of concept art, soundtrack, behind the scene videos, et.c. Is it because it's simply a side scrolling game that it gets the shrug? What about the Trials series? That's such a classic franchise at this point. If an excellent game cam out on Nintendo's digital service, and I know there's a solid selection there, would you dismiss that game as much as the ones on XBLA? Even if it was made by Nintendo themselves?
 
I might of started with the atari's of old but Nintendo is the company that not only saved gaming but caused me to really enjoy games. However the wii was a step in a very very bad direction for them but it worked if you count sales...why? A much cheaper price and a new thing(at the time) motion controls.
Wii U is a decent console I liked the direction Nintendo was going with it which as a gamer is a much better direction then the wii went....BUT going this direction alienated many of the original wii fans and didn't bring in enough of the hardcore like myself as Nintendo hasn't supported it the ways they could.
Gamers these days are impatient they want it good and they want it now.

What's Nintendo to do? If they are serious about the Wii U then they need to get aggressive and do it fast.

+Drop the price to $199(maybe make a version of the console with a smaller screen controller or no screen at all to cut costs)
+Show Zelda,Metroid,Starfox(online is a need these days) and or Kid Icarus and actually release them on the Wii U(no delay bs)
+Start showing more commercials(i barely see a Wii U commercial) Many co-workers etc don't even know Nintendo made a new Wii :/
+Relaunch/re-brand the console starting with a name change.
 
The thing is, a good portion of potential Wii U owners do not have any idea what a Nintendo Direct is nor do they care.

These Directs really speak to Nintendo fans who most likely already own a Wii U and/or 3DS.
Why would someone not interested in Nintendo watch a Direct? If Nintendo puts on a show in front of an audience, the attention is guaranteed. By doing a Direct, you're asking people who were already interested to be even more interested and, in a way, that could make some disinterested. Wii U owners are genuinely happy, I assume, but there's too few of them. These Directs are only catering to already fans instead of potential fans.

If Nintendo doesn't realize things need to change, every game they send out is going to die.
A game like Knack sold more than Super Mario 3D World. So, when Watch Dogs comes out the same week as Mario Kart 8 and buries it, what next? Mario Kart 8 is possibly the biggest game of the year for Nintendo and it doesn't even stand a chance during a season that is usually relatively dry.

I am not saying Nintendo isn't making great games, they are, but that's the secret. Nintendo needs to tell EVERYONE about their games and not just Nintendo fans. E3 gives companies that opportunity and Nintendo is blowing it.

Maybe they see the Wii U as a failure and they don't want to waste too much of their resources, but like it's been said, don't half-ass it.
 
The thing is, a good portion of potential Wii U owners do not have any idea what a Nintendo Direct is nor do they care.

These Directs really speak to Nintendo fans who most likely already own a Wii U and/or 3DS.
Why would someone not interested in Nintendo watch a Direct? If Nintendo puts on a show in front of an audience, the attention is guaranteed. By doing a Direct, you're asking people who were already interested to be even more interested and, in a way, that could make some disinterested. Wii U owners are genuinely happy, I assume, but there's too few of them. These Directs are only catering to already fans instead of potential fans.

If Nintendo doesn't realize things need to change, every game they send out is going to die.
A game like Knack sold more than Super Mario 3D World. So, when Watch Dogs comes out the same week as Mario Kart 8 and buries it, what next? Mario Kart 8 is possibly the biggest game of the year for Nintendo and it doesn't even stand a chance during a season that is usually relatively dry.

I am not saying Nintendo isn't making great games, they are, but that's the secret. Nintendo needs to tell EVERYONE about their games and not just Nintendo fans. E3 gives companies that opportunity and Nintendo is blowing it.

Maybe they see the Wii U as a failure and they don't want to waste too much of their resources, but like it's been said, don't half-ass it.
Another thing is, a good portion of non Wii U owners don't know what an E3 is, I know it is odd... but that is really true amongst Wii Owners ;). As long as gaming newssites do their job things will get known anyway. And I rather play Mario Kart than Watch dogs though, and I think that game will do quite well actually.
 
The thing is, a good portion of potential Wii U owners do not have any idea what a Nintendo Direct is nor do they care. These Directs really speak to Nintendo fans who most likely already own a Wii U and/or 3DS.

[....]
I am not saying Nintendo isn't making great games, they are, but that's the secret. Nintendo needs to tell EVERYONE about their games and not just Nintendo fans. E3 gives companies that opportunity and Nintendo is blowing it.

I agree with you. I would be interested in Nintendo's E3 conference. I'm a fairly "plugged in" gamer. I don't own a Wii U but have some interest in getting one eventually. And yet, I have never seen one of these "Nintendo Direct" things. And I doubt I'll watch their E3 one. I have the feeling that they are aimed squarely at the hardcore Nintendo fanbase, 99% of whom already own a Wii U, and not me (even though I'm a potential customer).
 
: Nintendo Revealing New Hardware at E3
Nintendo will reveal new hardware at E3, a third-party publishing source has told VideoGamer.com.

Games compatible with the hardware will also be playable at the show, our source says, with the hardware believed to be linked to system specs leaked earlier in the year.

Those specs suggest that the hardware will be formed of two parts - a 'Fusion DS' and a 'Fusion Terminal' - and be a successor to the platform holder's struggling Wii U.

Our source's comments tally with those made by IGN earlier today who revealed that they had "heard rumours that Nintendo might be showing hardware at E3".

"They are absolutely going to show new hardware this year, there is no doubt in my mind..." said IGN's Peer Schneider. "I've heard it from multiple people now. I've heard it from someone who used to be at Nintendo, I've heard it from somebody on the third-party front."

The site then speculates that Nintendo could reveal a new peripheral or hardware revision rather than a new console.

Nintendo told VideoGamer.com that it does not comment on rumour or speculation when contacted about the story earlier today.

The platform holder is set to host its E3 digital event on Tuesday, June 10.

http://www.videogamer.com/news/nintendo_will_reveal_new_hardware_at_e3.html
 
: Nintendo Revealing New Hardware at E3
Nintendo will reveal new hardware at E3, a third-party publishing source has told VideoGamer.com.

http://www.videogamer.com/news/nintendo_will_reveal_new_hardware_at_e3.html


That's based on a misinterpreted, out of context story, apparently:

-Update-
IGN comments:
Originally Posted by joseotero

Hi! I left the message below on the news story linked in the OP, but I figured I should leave it here as well:

"I understand why someone would consider what we discussed newsworthy, but this story completely ignores an important piece of context: We didn't trust these sources enough to run a story on IGN."

Originally Posted by joseotero

It's a conversation, and sometimes we get carried away. Peer did make the above argument, but we also framed the discussion around the context that we weren't sure. Unfortunately, the author made no effort to convey that in his news story.

If we believed what we'd heard, you wouldn't have found out about it on another site. We would have run that story ourselves. Just food for thought.

Originally Posted by joseotero

I don't blame anyone for running with it, but omitting that context from the story is pretty shady. Again, I get it. But I'm here to tell you the discussion wasn't as simple as "this is for real, guys!"​

 
A Wii U with a regular controller without the screen for $150 and im sold. Sell the screened pads separately at $60 a pop, and you may be able to salvage this thing in the short term. I doubt it will be completely new hardware, just a revision of whats already out with a price drop.

Oh, and tell me Zelda and Mario Galaxy 3 are coming this year. That along with the new Smash Bros, and it might be worth checking out finally.
 
No way galaxy 3 would be coming this year the team just released 3d World what last year? They are not going to rush out another 3D Mario so soon.
 
Still likely with a revision of the Wii U at the least.

At E3? I doubt it, although I'd be glad if we did. I think we're going to get Nintendo Direct, focused on games, and this Smash Bros. tourney.