Retro_Link Posted June 18, 2013 Posted June 18, 2013 (edited) http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/06/18/nintendos-free-to-play-game-is-steel-diver Nintendo's Free-to-Play Game is Steel Diver An unlikely franchise returns for Nintendo's new pricing experiment. Last week, during an investor and analyst presentation, Nintendo revealed it had a free-to-play game in the works, due to debut before the end of the year. The publisher also indicated it wouldn't use franchises like Mario or Pokemon for its new pricing experiment, due to the "degree of trust" that had already been built with consumers with regards to pricing. But at E3 2013, Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto revealed to IGN that the franchise his company has targeted is none other than Steel Diver. Though many would be quick to assume Nintendo might just port the same Steel Diver that served as a Nintendo 3DS launch title, Miyamoto was clear that looking at the series through the free-to-play model would change the game's design - and he did not specify the intended platforms for this new product. "There is something we’re doing with the Steel Diver idea that I think is going to open things up with that game... It’s going to be very fun. We’re exploring from a perspective of where we can take that from a multiplayer standpoint - it's going to have this four-player battle mode that I think is going to be very interesting," Miyamoto told me. What was telling, however, was that while the legendary game creator seemed to have a sense of where Steel Diver's gameplay would be headed, the precise business model of this 'free-to-play' concept was still being decided, and the final product could end up using some sort of membership or micro-transaction type of fee. Miyamoto stressed that his team was focused on balancing how a pricing model would affect the entertainment value of the final product, which ultimately would be available in a packaged form as well. "It's something that we're hoping to be able to show relatively soon," Miyamoto concluded. With Nintendo able to unleash its Direct broadcasts at any time, there's no telling when we might see Steel Diver return. Gamepad periscope surely. Edited June 18, 2013 by Retro_Link
Dcubed Posted June 18, 2013 Posted June 18, 2013 (edited) which ultimately would be available in a packaged form as well YES! Will happily buy the packaged version! (F2P in general can fuck off). I loved the original game, despite how content lite it was. It got such an unfair rap, purely because it was a very content lite game, released at full price at retail as a launch title; if it was released on DSiWare as originally planned, people would've liked it a lot better in general. I hope it's on Wii U and that it really makes use of that second screen on the Gamepad. There's a ton of potential there to really make something special with the two screens! (A simultaneous above water view and underwater view in periscope mode would be amazing!) I just hope they go all out with the concept and don't skimp on content this time! 4 player online sub battles would be awesome! How about mixing things up with having 2D and 3D (3rd person behind-the-sub on TV & 1st person down-the-periscope on the Gamepad) stages as well? Oh and make it character driven this time. Really flesh out the characters who captain these subs, ALA Advance Wars! (Hell, why not introduce charcter specific CO Powers like in the Advance Wars series too?!) Right now, Nintendo really needs a fleshed out game that really makes fundamental use of the two screens for new forms of gameplay (and having it being F2P means that pretty much everyone with a Wii U will probably give it a go). There's a ton of potential here, please don't squander it! You have far too many upcoming games that don't really make use of the Gamepad in any significant way (just look how many people are questioning the decision to even package it in with the console now after E3!), so having a really kick arse game that makes really great use of two screen gameplay (that isn't yet another mini game collection) is something you really need right now after that disappointing E3! Edited June 18, 2013 by Dcubed
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