Hero-of-Time Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 So, Nintendo had a meeting yesterday and quite abit of news came out of it. Neogaf kindly did a recap. Wii U: User accounts: Wii U will have individual user accounts, rather than one system-wide account. NFC: Near Field Communication ("touch" data transmission from accessories, credit cards, etc... sort of like QR/Streetpass combined) will be built-in. Online: Miyamoto: "Network has to have a totally new concept to be different." 3DS: NSMB 3DS announced: Planning to release a totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year. 200 3DS titles in development. Nintendo first-party DLC: Nintendo considering DLC for their own software, mentions "Super Mario" as an example: "If a Super Mario user gets tired, we can then sell digital extras which will drive extra revenue, encourage higher communication amongst users, and possible increased satisfaction and hardware install bases." More Swapnote-like apps?: Because of the success of Swapnote, Nintendo is considering other strategies to benefit from this social behaviour. "Path to profits is improve 3DS and focus on software. Super Mario titles will drive a lot of profitability." 60% of 3DS users have connected to the Internet; wants to expand digital offering, but at "infant stage" now. Iwata: "Nintendo's priority is to satisfy existing 3DS users, as well as to prepare titles that will expand the user base combined with network." General: Third parties: Several new, previously unconsidered alliances/partnerships with third parties. Communities: You haven't seen the last of them! Retail title downloads: 3DS and Wii U both support digital download of retail titles, but... they still aren't quite sure how to implement it just yet. Item billing: "We should not decline third parties if they want to offer item billing" (paying to unlock content). DLC: Still planning to offer DLC (possibly talking about their own software), but needs more time to complete its feasibility study on the market and its needs. More sharing: "Digital will include user to user communications and sharing" (More social networking integration? More Swapnote-like apps? More emphasis on Streetpass/Spotpass?). Better-paced software + DLC: Nintendo has learnt that it shouldn't have stagnant periods between software launches: can fill the gap, and DLC can extend the life of a title. Asia: Planning products for Asia, local partners (WiiQue U?) yet to be announced; still issues of copyright. This will be Nintendo's worst financial year, but Iwata thinks the company can reach break-even on 3DS hardware in Q3 of this year. Miyamoto still around, Iwata angry at Wired. "Miyamoto is saying his basic work is to create a big hit."
or else you will DIE Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Retail title downloads: 3DS and Wii U both support digital download of retail titles, but... they still aren't quite sure how to implement it just yet. This makes me very happy. If there's one thing that handheld gaming devices need these games, it's to be/have the option to be digital only. It's great to know they already implemented this into the 3DS. Especially after seeing the size of certain games, such as Pilotwings Resort, which is something like, 400mb I think. NSMB 3DS announced: Planning to release a totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year. It's also nice to finally have confirmation of this. For the past year Wikipedia has said that "a new 3D and 2D Mario are in development for the 3DS" but I don't believe it had a source. Fingers crossed for New Super Mario World.. Overall this was a nice surprise. I didn't even know there was an investors meeting.
Caris Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Nintendo Network is good news, only 9 years after Microsoft too.
Jamba Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 You see the funny thing is, Nintendo seems surprised at how popular the online and social elements are. I think the average Nintendo consumer is MORE likely to use social software due to it's family orientation and more likely to buy DLC cos, let's face it, we all love Nintendo franchises and can't get enough! But yes, bravo to them. The possibilities for NFC are really quite expansive (just think about a new generation of pokemon cards) and would easily be able to be used for say... contact purchases with a "connect card" or topping up Nintendo Network credit using a card bought from a store. Could you possibly have access to your account through a card, like a swipe key? That would be amazing as I could go to my friends house, take my key card with me and access all of my files to enjoy playing as well, rather than being a faceless Player 2. My only big question is about how the accounts really work. If you buy something digitally does it become registered on a single account that you could use on any Nintendo device, like Steam for instance? Also, those big new partnerships: I call Valve (and therefore a Steam portal) and some kind of partnership with Epic, which I think is likely to be the Infinity Blade series.
Ike Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 NFC was bit of a surprise. Nintendo first-party DLC: Nintendo considering DLC for their own software, mentions "Super Mario" as an example:"If a Super Mario user gets tired, we can then sell digital extras which will drive extra revenue, encourage higher communication amongst users, and possible increased satisfaction and hardware install bases." Are they saying more people will buy a 3DS just because it supports DLC?
Burny Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Are they saying more people will buy a 3DS just because it supports DLC? I read that as: "More people would possibly buy or get excited about our hardware, if we weren't years behind the times - all the time."
Dcubed Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 REAL LIFE SMASH BROS TROPHIES THAT UNLOCK CONTENT INCOMING!!!
darkjak Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 Are they saying more people will buy a 3DS just because it supports DLC? No, but perhaps your 3DS will gather less dust if there's more content you like. If you buy a game, you probably like it and want more of the same. Then, if there are no games coming out that interrest you for a long time (Now that Skyward Sword's come out, I've used my Wii for the first time since Goldeneye came out. Goldeneye DLC would make me play my Wii more).
darksnowman Posted January 27, 2012 Posted January 27, 2012 This news seems to have come from nowhere. Normally we know when something like this is coming up and theres a bit of hype, no matter how small the info revealed ends up being. Sounds like Nintendo are taking promising steps. Can't believe the Wii U is gonna be out this year - mental.
Burny Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 (edited) This news seems to have come from nowhere. Normally we know when something like this is coming up and theres a bit of hype, no matter how small the info revealed ends up being. You're in the wrong forums then. The news come from Nintendo's investor's briefing. These briefings are scheduled in advance and are basically held quarterly. And as Nintendo's financial aspects aren't exactly rosy at the moment, they felt the pressure to assure shareholders that they're doing something. And about a day after the event, the translated briefings/Q&As can be found here. This one can be found here. Edited January 30, 2012 by Burny
david.dakota Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 NFC is really interesting. And a few thoughts from me: Its quite possible that Nintendo's take on DLC could be having cards to unlock content; a physical card in the normal retail chain rather than a shop front. That could keep retail partners happy, while MS and Sony plough on with internet only digital distribution whilst fucking over the retail model. The next thing to spring to mind is anti-piracy measures; imagine rather than using the one time codes in PS3 and Xbox 360 just pressing the case to the Tab and the NFC chip locking after a single use. A quirky but modern way to counter piracy and second hand games. Or maybe NFC is related to the user profile announcement? Imagine being able to store your Nintendo profile on your NFC enabled phone or ID card, and simply transferring it to another gamers' hardware by touch for easy multiplayer, with all your gameplay stats waiting for you at home. I say awesome. At the start of the week, I was being really critical of Nintendo. The last 18 months have been a disaster for the company (all self inflicted too) and they have lots to do to make WiiU/Whatever a success but there's definitely promise in this weeks announcements and rumours.
Serebii Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 I saw someone suggest Nintendo use the NFC for Pokémon and release a crapton of Pokémon figures like Skylanders I will cry if this happens.
Jamba Posted January 29, 2012 Posted January 29, 2012 I saw someone suggest Nintendo use the NFC for Pokémon and release a crapton of Pokémon figures like Skylanders I will cry if this happens. Good cry/bad cry?
Serebii Posted January 29, 2012 Posted January 29, 2012 Good cry/bad cry? Horrific cry It's almost as bad as the idea of a Pokémon MMORPG
Jamba Posted January 29, 2012 Posted January 29, 2012 Well they do like their toys. I'm not sure it would be the "all-doom-and-end-of-pokemon" mistake that an MMO would be.
Cube Posted January 30, 2012 Posted January 30, 2012 I saw someone suggest Nintendo use the NFC for Pokémon and release a crapton of Pokémon figures like Skylanders I will cry if this happens. I can see Nintendo using this to make their own competitor for Moshi Monser's Moshlings - the little figures you get in packs (you get two random ones and you can't see them).
Burny Posted January 30, 2012 Posted January 30, 2012 For anybody interested, here's the Q&A. Haven't read through it myself yet, but these usually offer some good insight (rarely concrete news though).
david.dakota Posted January 30, 2012 Posted January 30, 2012 Well they do like their toys. I'm not sure it would be the "all-doom-and-end-of-pokemon" mistake that an MMO would be. Not being the slightest bit interested in Pokemon, I might be thoroughly incorrect but I though everyone wanted a Pokemon MMORPG? For anybody interested, here's the Q&A. Haven't read through it myself yet, but these usually offer some good insight (rarely concrete news though). The first thing that strikes me reading this is how mind-numbingly stupid some investors are.
Agent Gibbs Posted January 30, 2012 Posted January 30, 2012 The first thing that strikes me reading this is how mind-numbingly stupid some investors are. I agree, did they not listen to the answers given to previous questions? half of the questions were just rewording of a previous question... and some of them were just utter rubbish as it is atleast nobody asked about iphone apps
Jamba Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Not being the slightest bit interested in Pokemon, I might be thoroughly incorrect but I though everyone wanted a Pokemon MMORPG? Yes everyone does. But think about where Pokemon would go from there... it would essentially Nintendo blowing their wod on their most profitable franchise (bar the Wii Something games). Plus MMOs are silly expensive and so on. But yeah, lets not get into this again. It only upset Serebii cos no one understands
darksnowman Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 You're in the wrong forums then. This one. Some pretty insightful stuff has been said by Iwata and Miyamoto recently. Its nice to hear what they think about topics we have been speculating about all this time.
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