Posted December 17, 2012 Yeah I agree I think it is definitely a good idea for retailers to have download codes / cards. Only thing is though - will they be able to set the price or will it be the price it is on the eshop (basically, full whack!)? Or does the retailer get to decide? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 17, 2012 Retailers can set the price. They'll probably set download codes a little higher than a boxed copy - they make way more money on second hand copies, they'd be mad to push customers towards a downloadable version. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 18, 2012 I'd love to have downloadable games but not at the price Nintendo charges for them, hope they start doing download codes soon! This game would be perfect for download since I only play it for about 20 minutes a time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 29, 2012 BTW: streetpass data DOES exchange patterns. When you visit other people's town in dream mode, you can get some patterns from them by searching Wendell in their town. So you can share patterns with people you randomly come across. proof: (around 6:00) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 4, 2013 It's amazing to see how much this has sold. Nintendo made a good call releasing this via the eShop too, otherwise they would have had a massive bottle neck on there hands. Looked in a nearby stop called Geo and noticed boxes of then with a price tag of 4500 yen (Roughly around £32) so I rushed to the counter with it and asked if they had any in stock. Cashier smiled and said there should be if it's on the shelf, so she went to go get it.. Came back and gave me the incredibly formal explanation and bow when they fail a customer. No stock! My 3DS XL should arrive on Sunday, so I guess I've still got time to continue searching. I'd love to have the boxed version so I can have it on my shelf, but it looks like I may have to reluctantly go digital for this beast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 4, 2013 Came back and gave me the incredibly formal explanation and bow when they fail a customer. One of the things I like about Japan & it's people. Personally I'd get this game via the eShop, but I hope we get retail download codes by the time it's released. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 7, 2013 On Animal Crossing: New Leaf's download success... Iwata states, unable to hide his surprise, that 'For a game that costs 4800 yen to sell 500,000 copies without a discount because it is a download is quite an event.' On the age range for Animal Crossing: New Leaf's customers... "Using our Club Nintendo system we can learn the gender and age of our customers. If we look at the first 3 weeks of Animal Crossing sales to the end of November, the highest group is 19 to 24 year-old women. This is an age-range that is typically found in fewer numbers for Nintendo. I've never seen anything like it; a game that sells like this on a Nintendo hardware." On gender of 3DS customers... "However, something interesting is the gender of 3DS purchasers. If we look at the male-female ratio as a whole, it divides into 69% males, 31% female, but if we limit it to just those customers that purchased the hardware at the same time as Animal Crossing the percentages become 44% male and 56% female. These are the sort of numbers that leave me dumbfounded." On smart phone impact... "The common argument going on right now is that since smart phones exist, there's no need for specialised game machines anymore, right? But, these 19 to 24 year old women are the 'smart phone people'. We often say that casual female users do not need specialised gaming machines, but here we see them reconfirming the value of those systems." On Animal Crossing: City Folk's reception... "On the (previous generation) Nintendo DS, Animal Crossing received high praise and shocked the world by selling more than 5 million copies [domestically], it become one of the representative games that people would buy for the system. However, the Wii version, it was highly anticipated and we released it into the world but it didn't go very well, right? That game is, for us, one with many points of reflection." At that point, the core members of the Animal Crossing team used this reflection as a spring board, saying 'Let's make the next game one that our customers can really enjoy'. I would go so far to say that I honestly felt a tenacity from the nuclear members of the development team. This time, there are many features inserted that make you say 'You can do this thing?' and 'It goes that far?'. In addition, to add an example, the ability we added to create furniture with interesting designs and share it through various means, coupled with our customers' creativity created an amplification of sorts. It was really interesting. What really helped to spread this around was social media, and smart phones. What really sold Animal Crossing to women this time was, without question, smart phones." On the screenshot ability in Animal Crossing: New Leaf... "Because you can take screenshots anywhere during the game, people are uploading the shots to social media and say 'Hey, look what I did' and everyone gets excited. For example, there are plenty of people who have tried and enjoyed the game after seeing people they follow on Twitter talk about it fondly, then developing their own interest and trying it out for themselves." On Nintendo Direct success... "We deliver videos called Nintendo Directs to explain about our strengths via video sites, and the Introduction to Animal Crossing video has received 1.6 million hits on Youtube. What's more is that over half of those views have taken place from smart devices. The game became a topic on social networks, then people would say 'Watch this and you'll understand' and people go 'Well, that's cool' and bought it. It's not a 3 minute music video, and so for a 47 minute video with developers talking casually about a game to have 1.6 million views is almost impossible, like really something unusual, I think. On the sales success... "Not one of the developers was thinking about how many units the game would sell. They were purely focused on creating a game that the users could say 'Yes, this game satisfied me' and focused on improving a game series they love. And with that, hundreds of thousands of people have spent over 20,000 yen for a single game and the hardware. That's not a method or phenomenon that many other game developers get to experience, I imagine." On digital, retail and DLC... "We [as an industry] can now do distribution by digital means as well as micro-transactions, and the ways to obtain money through supporting entertainment have increased. It's a change in our landscape; competing in game-quality, and working on how money is obtained, I think both are things that require creativity. Therefore, I have no intention of denying charged [DLC? subscription?] games, or the free-to-play model. If we were to talk about if Nintendo were to do that, however, I do not much inclination to do that with Nintendo's established well-known products, where people trust their interesting-ness. For example, for people who are used to Mario games costing 4,800 or 5,800 yen, we will not have a proverbial door to full enjoyment that can only be unlocked via payment. However, this is separate from say, having something where because there are people who want more stages to play on in Mario games, we will create new courses for those people and charge for them. We have already begun this process with some of our titles. For new titles with no established base, if, in the process of development, we found it to suit the free-to-play model, we might follow that route, or we might do something like 'Cheap-to-play'. Our sales methods have been freed up and I have no desire to extinguish that freedom. If we were to release something like that, it is not a betrayal but the birth of an interesting idea through our new found freedom, that's all. I am not talking about changing how we sell Mario or Pokemon." Interesting read, now my hype level for Animal Crossing has shot up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 8, 2013 So I guess we can expect at least 20 minutes of their E3 presentation dedicated to the importance of the 'casual female gamer' and how they are NOT slaves of their smartphone but actually crave a dedicated gaming platforms. Iwata, please usher in a new age of sexy male game characters for these women. Starting with the one and only: It's the excuse you need to revive F-Zero! (From now on, I'm going to link anything Iwata says to the revival of F-Zero!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 8, 2013 Exactly, Fused King. We need "hunks" like Captain Falcon and Link, and a "role model" like Samus Aran. They'll love them!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2013 RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENT.....for Korea. Talk about a shocking announcement! Out of nowhere, Nintendo of Korea announced that Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be ready for the country on February 7, 2013. Next to this, they are also getting the snazzy Nintendo 3DS XL bundle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2013 RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENT.....for Korea. Damn it H-o-T, don't start a post in this thread with "RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENT" if it ain't for Europe! Not cool man, not cool at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2013 Korea more important to Nintendo than US and EU combined confirmed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2013 Korea more important to Nintendo than US and EU combined confirmed The team dedicated for Korean localisations have it easier though, they have only one language to concentrate on. For the US (which is actually more along the lines of North America) you've got English, French and Spanish to concentrate on. Now, get to the EU and you've got a further two languages to add to that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2013 The team dedicated for Korean localisations have it easier though, they have only one language to concentrate on. For the US (which is actually more along the lines of North America) you've got English, French and Spanish to concentrate on. Now, get to the EU and you've got a further two languages to add to that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 10, 2013 Oh well if they are releasing it in other countries outside of Japan, that's good news! It must mean they are able to supply enough special 3DS cards for that region. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 11, 2013 Expected delivery date: January 21st Don't let me down, Amazon! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 15, 2013 Amazon themselves have now stopped taking orders for this. Hopefully that means I ordered just in time! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 15, 2013 eShop, seriously. You'll have it in like 30 minutes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 15, 2013 eShop, seriously. You'll have it in like 30 minutes. Why have something digitally in 30 minutes when I can have a boxed, physical version early next week? I'm not fully embracing digital just yet, as long as there's a version similarly priced for a handheld that I can display on my shelf, I'm going to go that way for as long as it's available. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 15, 2013 Hah, fair enough. Just sayin' it's there. :P Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 15, 2013 Personally, I would go digital as long as the price was cheap enough to counteract the money I could get back for selling it 2nd-hand. I'd certainly love to have Zelda, Dragon Quest, Animal Crossing etc always in my 3DS, but I think the download cards (if they ever appear) need to be about £20-25. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 18, 2013 SHIPPED! Hell yes mother fucker! Expect some impressions on Monday or Tuesday, thought you'll want to buy it no matter what I say :P Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 18, 2013 Expect some impressions on Monday or Tuesday "It's the same, but different. 5/5" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 18, 2013 "It's the same, but different. 5/5" "This changes everything. Again." This game is for all intents and purposes the next iPhone. :p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
