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

[Marcello]

I agree. I loved the N64 controller.

Thanks for the answer on the controller. I'll probably get it over the official one. Hope you can turn the lights off, though.

[JezMM]

Ohh, so that's the smartglass. No wonder no-one's talking about it.

[Nintendoga]

I've really never understood the hate for the N64 controller. I thought it was really comfortable to hold. D-pad was awful but it's mostly superfluous as you almost never used it.

Am I totally missing something or am I the only one doing it right?

Nobody hates it, people just like to joke it's wierd shape.

MadCatz Wii U FPS Pro Controller:

http://gonintendo.co...story&id=179315

Anaog Stick placement and the sticks themselves look better than the official one. Are MadCatzs controllers any good?

That looks so much more comfortable!

[Komodin]

MadCatz Wii U FPS Pro Controller:

http://gonintendo.co...story&id=179315

Hm... perhaps it's just me being a bit daffy, but this controller here looks strangely familiar...

[Blue Blood]

Nobody hates it, people just like to joke it's wierd shape.

No, people hate it because of how uncomfortable it is. It's not comfortable to hold in either of the three ways, least of all in the most commonly used way where you have you one hand in the centre and one of the right. The shaping isn't great and you're either too close or too from the analogue stick, with another protruding handle handle getting your way all the time. The N64 controller is terrible.

[ProfessorZolo]

No, people hate it because of how uncomfortable it is. It's not comfortable to hold in either of the three ways, least of all in the most commonly used way where you have you one hand in the centre and one of the right. The shaping isn't great and you're either too close or too from the analogue stick, with another protruding handle handle getting your way all the time. The N64 controller is terrible.

I must disagree. Perhaps it's because the N64 was my first console with a thumbstick (Megadrive was my first actual console), but I have no problem with the pad, and in fact find it more comfortable than the PS3's.

Edited June 15, 2012 by ProfessorZolo

[Blue Blood]

I must disagree. Perhaps it's because the N64 was my first console with a thumbstick (Megadrive was my first actual console), but I have no problem with the pad, and in fact find it more comfortable than the PS3's.

I was just making the point that some people do hate it as a controller and giving reasons.

[JezMM]

N64 Controller was pretty awful but only in hindsight. At the time it worked great and was very versatile, but nowadays we've found ways to do that with a controller without it looking so daft.

The only games I've played that REALLY made clever use of the odd configuration were Treasure's Mischief Makers and Sin and Punishment. Seriously these games are sublime to play on an N64 controller and an absoloute fiddle on everything else.

With regards to the weird way you hold it, I found it perfectly comfortable because you get used to it every fast, especially if that's your only console. Going back to it NOW is weird but at the time it was fine, I never thought anything of it (though as a kid it took me about a year before I grew out of insisting on holding it like a traditional controller and reaching across to the control stick with my thumb).

Now the Gamecube controller... Anyone disses that and we're going to have problems.

Edited June 15, 2012 by JezMM

[Solkia]

I can see why people would hate the N64 controller, but It's still my third favorite controller of all time.

[TrueBlue]

Nintendo is flattered that it only took one year for their competitors to copy them

Because as well all know, Nintendo is the only innovative original gaming company out there.

Hell, even the E3 version looks like a Sega Saturn/Genesis controller.

Indeed.

Nintendo PR getting cocky.

Sounds like normal PR to me, can't really see much in the way of cockiness. 'Sides, it's not as if the industry is bleeding originality at the moment, no matter who you turn to.

EDIT: Loved the Gamecube controller. Wouldn't have minded if they had based the Pro Controller design on that, just with a better C-Stick/second stick

Edited June 15, 2012 by Ringo ~

[Nintendoga]

Take-Two's CEO (Rockstar/2K Games) comments on "mature" game Wii U support,

While Nintendo fell short of its goal of whipping gamers into a frenzy for the Wii U at this year's E3, third-party publishers, who see the system as a key driver of future growth, were reticent to downplay its potential. Instead, they cited the system's long-term potential, rather than its initial impact.

Take-Two Interactive Software chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick, however, was not among the cheerleaders.

While Take-Two will make sports and family titles for the Wii U, its bigger core franchises have been notably absent from the list of partners. And that seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

"We haven't announced anything," says Zelnick on the possibility of moving the company's mature titles onto the Wii U. "I'm skeptical."

Don't mistake that skepticism for a pessimistic attitude about the next generation of consoles, though. If anything, Zelnick is eager to kick off the next line of game systems, because he sees it as a chance for Take-Two to continue to advance its position in the industry.

"For a company like ours, it's a great opportunity," he says. "[New console launches] separate the winners from the losers -- and we fully expect to be one of the winners."

There are four keys to success in a new console cycle, Zelnick believes -- owned intellectual property, top-tier technology, top-tier development talent and a strong balance sheet.

Take-Two, he says, has all four. And that could help it overcome the launch cycle hurdles that many publishers struggle with.

"I don't want to minimize the challenge of creating titles for new technology or the economic challenges of doing that, but if you get it right, it's a terrific time to launch a new IP," he says.

Aw man, guess this means there's little/no chance of GTAV coming to Wii-U.

[PaddyFancy]

I recieved an email from GAME that the Wii U is now available to pre-order for a £20 deposit.

http://www.game.co.uk/en/white-wii-u-console-preorder-deposit-174260/?cm_mmc=update-_-wk2012-_-featuredProducts-_-WiiU

[Nintendoga]

http://wiiudaily.com/2012/06/nintendo-not-interested-in-buying-wii-u-exclusive-titles/

Microsoft and Sony have over the years spent a lot of money on developers to make some of their biggest titles exclusive, like Gears of War on the Xbox 360. This generally costs the publisher a lot, since it basically has to make up for any potential lost sales on other platforms. On the other hand, a series like Gears of War, which has no doubt cost Microsoft a lot to keep on the Xbox 360, is also responsible for selling a lot of consoles because that’s the only way to play the game. This has been standard business practice in the industry for many years, but not for Nintendo.

According to Satoru Iwata, Nintendo is “open to Wii U exclusives”, but they are not willing to pay developers for it. Iwata told gaming trade publication Gamasutra that they do not wish to enter a costly bidding war with the likes of Microsoft in order to get a title exclusive to the Wii U console.

However, Iwata did point out that Nintendo is very interested in partnering with third parties who have a “very unique use of the Wii U functionality”. But the company won’t flat out pay just to make a game exclusive. This might also explain why some of the recent Wii U games like ZombiU and Rayman Legends have been rumored to be in development for other platforms.

Nintendo has already shown some of this initiative by partnering with Warner Bros. and publishing their Wii U title LEGO City Undercover. For more, check out a full list of Wii U exclusives. Over the past few days, Nintendo revealed that they are working on several unannounced Wii U titles, and EA has said they they plan to unveil two Wii U games this Summer, one of them rumored to be a potential Wii U-only title.

"While Nintendo is not entirely opposed to exploring that option, I don't think it would be an appropriate course of action for Nintendo to get into a battle with a company like Microsoft over the cost or the expense of trying to go head to head in a situation to try to obtain exclusive rights," said Iwata.

[Patticus]

Nintendo has to drop that stance if it hopes to grab real quality exclusives from third parties in numbers enough to make them a real competitor.

[---]

Because they would probably freaking lose, what with their uncomfortable looking controller and touch screen shenannigans.

EDIT: Alot of people already aren't completely sold with the Wii U, and why would one go out of their way to get one when they can get the same game on a syste they already have? Nintendo needs to wake and kick it into high gear or else there aren't going to be too many Wii U sales. The only reason alot of people are interested in getting one now is because of Rayman Legends and Zombie U seem to be exclusives, Nintendo should take advantage and really push for more exclusives, give people a reason to get a Wii U.

Edited June 16, 2012 by SuperJXJ

[Scar]

Nintendo, unlike Microsoft or even Sony (inspite of their financial woes) do not have the financial muscle to pay off publishers. Plus they've recently been posting losses so they're strapped for cash too.

[Tornado]

Funny, last I checked you don't need three hands to use the N64 controller - the L/Z buttons are interchangeable.

Funny. Last I checked the L/Z buttons were only interchangeable for games made for the system, and if you played anything that Nintendo didn't make themselves you were fucked because it was impossible to translate control schemes from the PSX to it.

Nintendo is flattered that it only took one year for their competitors to copy them

Yeah. It sure is wonderful that Microsoft only took a year to copy from Nintendo the thing that Sony first showed off in 2006.

Really, it's kinda sad that Nintendo has the balls to pull shit like that.

Nintendo has to drop that stance if it hopes to grab real quality exclusives from third parties in numbers enough to make them a real competitor.

Nintendo doesn't have the money to drop that stance. There's really no way around that fact. Hell, look at the 360. Beyond timed exclusives, even Microsoft didn't have the money to do that anymore as soon as the PS3 picked up sales steam around 2008 (XBLA stuff notwithstanding).

The most Nintendo could hope to do was timed exclusive DLC, which is something I have no belief that they would want to do even if they could (and them being able to goes back to hinging on Microsoft not caring).

Edited June 16, 2012 by Tornado

[Patticus]

You're right there, Tornado... I just think that Nintendo really could use a few high profile third party exclusives, even if they're just timed ones, hell even if they're just timed DLC exclusives.

Also, people are going to be looking for reasons to buy x, y and z on Wii U over the versions on PS3 and 360, and one way to get that purchase is the lure of additional content they'd have to wait ages for on other systems. I'd like to say good use of the Tablet Pad will be a big draw, but my faith in third parties to really impress in that arena has greatly diminished of late.

[Dobkeratops]

You're right there, Tornado... I just think that Nintendo really could use a few high profile third party exclusives, even if they're just timed ones, hell even if they're just timed DLC exclusives.

Making multiplat stuff exclusive, as Tornado said, is expensive. Look at Microsoft, god knows they've had lots of money to dump on their (very) costly gaming division and yet the only relevant third party exclusive they have left is Gears. When an IP you don't own gets big, the checks to keep it tied down start carrying a big amount of zeroes, so every time Epic wants to do more cavemen in space armor a truck with the dollar sign has to leave from Redmond HQ. Not a sustainable model.

Instead, it's much more clever and profitable to commission these good third party studios to produce high quality IPs that you get to keep, like Sony's been doing for a while. If they turn out awesome they can offer to buy the studio, and even on purchase refusal they'd still own the game rights forever.

This is what they're doing with Platinum, no? More partnerships of this kind and focusing on getting multiplats to arrive on their system at all are both much more recommendable business routes.

[Conando]

Yeah, I'd say what Nintendo is trying to do right now is a safer, and generally better route for them. What's important is that they open a dialog with 3rd parties and insure they're not left out in the cold rather than trying to pay the big bucks to get one game. Even just offering to help with marketing and publishing helps quite a bit, looking at the Dragon Quest series in the west.

[speedfreak]

Nintendo can't get exclusives on all the big 3rd party games, but I think the best thing they could do is allow their characters to be guests in some of the bigger 3rd party efforts. Think Link in Soul Calibur 2, it's hard to compete with Nintendo's stable of characters.

[Blue Blood]

The other important factor is that Nintendo has a far larger library of first party series than Microsoft and even Sony, as well as a very different audience. Timed exclusives may help, but as it stands Nintendo are plenty strong enough to stand on their own feet in this regard.

[LunarEdge]

Why do I have a feeling that the Wii U and the Ps360 situation is going to be like the genesis versus the Snes era? Games people can pick up for the Wii U will probably already be available for the other two (or are already) for a significantly cheaper price. I plan to get a Wii U but I can't imagine a scenario where I will pick up a game for the Wii U over my ps3 unless it's a Nintendo first party game for obvious reasons or the game is completely exclusive to the Wii U. I know that most multi-plat games will probably have some controller gimmick with the Upad but little gimmicks like that don't catch my attention anymore.

[\Lennox]

Nintendo can't get exclusives on all the big 3rd party games, but I think the best thing they could do is allow their characters to be guests in some of the bigger 3rd party efforts. Think Link in Soul Calibur 2, it's hard to compete with Nintendo's stable of characters.

Either that, or well-timed, new, completely exclusive third-party IPs specifically created using the Wii U as a platform.

[Nintendoga]

Wii-U to have up to 12 Accounts on the system, Mii's going to play a big role in the system.

“We recognized that the Wii U had to have a strong account system.”

“Here’s a little bit of background. Up until the Wii U, the device held all of the account information. Whether you played or your kids played or your partner played, it was all one set of data to the Wii. The same was true for DS and 3DS.”

“With Wii U, we’re going to have an account system. This means you’re going to create a Mii, as will all the other members of your family, and the behaviour for each Mii is going to be captured in an account. For example, if you’ve achieved a certain level in a game, that information will be unique to your Mii. Parental settings will be specific to each Mii.”

“This is critically important, because it means things like messaging and achievements and other key online functionality is tailored to you.”