Posted January 30, 2014 The Wii U is probably not as dependant with the gamepad as the Wii with its remotes... but it probably is, at a fundamental level. That's the point - it isn't as dependent. Mokong is making good points that so much of it is done with buttons. I'm also not saying it definitely won't require a lot of work. I'm saying that anyone so heavily sure that Nintendo wouldn't do it for reasons they possibly couldn't know should be taken with a pinch of salt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 But their not designed "around" the Gamepad they just currently only work with it. If true, then I retract my guess. But that still leaves us with the fact that, without the gamepad, the Wii U looks even more like the Wii, which makes us wonder if dropping the pad for a lower price really will help market the console. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 To me, Iwata's words sound like they usher in a big change for NINTENDO. More and more, we will have to come to terms with the fact that NINTENDO, under Iwata, wants to be more than purely a hardware+videogame company. They want to really reach out and touch people's hearts in all sorts of aspects of life and, to quote Cammie, 'putting more smiles on people's faces' isn't strictly reserved to videogames. NINTENDO is still a worthy addition to the videogame industry though, and anyone who thinks otherwise just has other preferences when it comes to gaming in their life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 But that still leaves us with the fact that, without the gamepad, the Wii U looks even more like the Wii, which makes us wonder if dropping the pad for a lower price really will help market the console. I think Nintendo need to steer away from the idea that there needs to be a gimmick to justify a new console. A hardware upgrade to allow better software development should be enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 I think Nintendo need to steer away from the idea that there needs to be a gimmick to justify a new console. A hardware upgrade to allow better software development should be enough. Can you really not see the value in at least one company trying something different and new? Do we really want all consoles to be the same power, the same services, the same controls...? I'm not saying you have to prefer it, but for the industry surely it can only be a great thing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 But that still leaves us with the fact that, without the gamepad, the Wii U looks even more like the Wii I think they would've gotten away with a Wii 2, which utilizes Wii Remotes and classic controllers and has a significant increase in power. I mean, Microsoft and Sony got away with that (pretty much only upgrade hardware, use almost the same controllers) just fine. Nintendo may be on the right path here: Make the Gamepad more attractive. In addition to that they should offer an alternative, i.e. the one that has been mentioned about 8 billion times now: Gamepadless WiiU. Haven't read the whole briefing, yet. May add some thoughts when I do, probably won't :p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 When did I say they didn't? I said it would require a lot of work. I never said it couldn't be done. Please refrain from putting words in my mouth. Because you're acting as if it's a huge task when it just requires some work. Anyway, it's irrelevant as they've decided to stick with the gamepad and have decided to make software to show off its worth. Here's hoping it comes out soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 The one majorly worrying thing that wasn't addressed with this investor meeting, and I'm sure many of the investors were/are waiting for a response, is the lack of any mention of how they're going remedy their software problem RE: 3rd parties. Yes, they've said they're going to be more willing to work with partners and let them use their licenses/IPs but they've not addressed the elephant in the room of the lack of 3rd party support and how they'll rectify this. It's a significant reason for the Wii U not selling at the moment and a reason that many who currently don't have one are so hesitant to consider picking one up in the future. So I would have thought they'd want to at least make mention of their plans on that front. Ok, they don't need to mention titles or specific developers/publishers but outlining a basic plan to investors about how they're going to tackle one of their biggest problems is something they should have been doing. It may be more important for gamers but from an investor perspective, I surely wouldn't be the only one sitting there at that meeting wondering what they're going to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 You may question my views, but I am also somewhat of software programmer. I know first hand that things like this aren't as simple as flicking a variable from on to off. It takes work, and a lot of testing. It has nothing to do with inside knowledge, but of knowledge of software.What software have you programmed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 Can you really not see the value in at least one company trying something different and new? Do we really want all consoles to be the same power, the same services, the same controls...? I'm not saying you have to prefer it, but for the industry surely it can only be a great thing? Other companies are doing things new all the time - but where it matters. New software and IPs (things Nintendo are not doing). This mindset needs to go. 'Different hardware = innovation, new software = no innovation". It is so totally backwards to logic, this mantra, since despite having different hardware, nearly all of Nintendo's A1 titles have played and felt the same, or at least very similar. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 What software have you programmed? Nothing massive, small systems for a couple of small companies. The CMS on my site is completely hand coded by me, also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) The one majorly worrying thing that wasn't addressed with this investor meeting, and I'm sure many of the investors were/are waiting for a response, is the lack of any mention of how they're going remedy their software problem RE: 3rd parties. Yes, they've said they're going to be more willing to work with partners and let them use their licenses/IPs but they've not addressed the elephant in the room of the lack of 3rd party support and how they'll rectify this. It's a significant reason for the Wii U not selling at the moment and a reason that many who currently don't have one are so hesitant to consider picking one up in the future. So I would have thought they'd want to at least make mention of their plans on that front. Ok, they don't need to mention titles or specific developers/publishers but outlining a basic plan to investors about how they're going to tackle one of their biggest problems is something they should have been doing. It may be more important for gamers but from an investor perspective, I surely wouldn't be the only one sitting there at that meeting wondering what they're going to do. He did mention what they're going to do. They're going to double down on on partnerships with specific companies, like they have been doing for years (see Hyrule Warriors, the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, Monster Hunter 4, The Wonderful 101 or Sonic Lost World for examples of this in action) and allow for more liberal licensing of their IP. If you're expecting a push to gain the support of the major western publishers like EA and Take Two, forget it; that's never going to happen and they know it. The only way they can get support is by working directly with specific partners like Tecmo Koei - the likes of Rockstar and EA will NEVER support Nintendo, neverevereverever. Sony and MS have that market on total lockdown and they have a shared business & development philosophy that simply flies completely in the face of what Nintendo want to do. This strategy will also extend to their Lifestyle business unit too. They'll open themselves up to work with an entirely different range of 3rd parties who would otherwise never work with a videogame developer Edited January 30, 2014 by Dcubed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 I just hope this new focus on the GamePad brings about some software that finally enables creativity and customisation in a meaningful way. Not only would it be great for a lot of Wii U owners, but also highly beneficial for Nintendo too. For example, imagine an enhanced version of WarioWare D.I.Y. on Wii U. Would make so much more sense than Game & Wario it's unreal. I mean there's a lack of content on Wii U, right? 3rd party devs are super reluctant to support it and Nintendo themselves are struggling in that regard too. So if they give the players tools to create content, that instantly gives Nintendo a bit of breathing space. Those that enjoy creating can do so, and those that enjoy playing can play the stuff the Wii U community has created. It's win-win. Would also be a much better use of online than anything Nintendo currently have going on with the system. If it took off and had lots of people creating games it'd be something that sells well over a long period of time too, as people would always have new stuff to check out. I've been playing LittleBigPlannet on PS3 recently, and the online level sharing aspect is still really active on there. And we're talking about a game that's over 5 years old now, on obsolete hardware! So yeah, I really want to see Nintendo start to embrace user created content with Wii U. It just makes perfect sense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 I just hope this new focus on the GamePad brings about some software that finally enables creativity and customisation in a meaningful way. Not only would it be great for a lot of Wii U owners, but also highly beneficial for Nintendo too. For example, imagine an enhanced version of WarioWare D.I.Y. on Wii U. Would make so much more sense than Game & Wario it's unreal. I mean there's a lack of content on Wii U, right? 3rd party devs are super reluctant to support it and Nintendo themselves are struggling in that regard too. So if they give the players tools to create content, that instantly gives Nintendo a bit of breathing space. Those that enjoy creating can do so, and those that enjoy playing can play the stuff the Wii U community has created. It's win-win. Would also be a much better use of online than anything Nintendo currently have going on with the system. If it took off and had lots of people creating games it'd be something that sells well over a long period of time too, as people would always have new stuff to check out. I've been playing LittleBigPlannet on PS3 recently, and the online level sharing aspect is still really active on there. And we're talking about a game that's over 5 years old now, on obsolete hardware! So yeah, I really want to see Nintendo start to embrace user created content with Wii U. It just makes perfect sense. Yes please! I loved the crap out of WWDIY! Miiverse support (content sharing, comments in-game, games made OUT of comments even!) with this game would be bitchin'! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 Nothing massive, small systems for a couple of small companies. The CMS on my site is completely hand coded by me, also. oooooooooh now I know who to blame for your site looking like it was straight out of the 90s! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 oooooooooh now I know who to blame for your site looking like it was straight out of the 90s! You should see the back-end of it. So complex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 You should see the back-end of it. So complex That doesnt means think if the end user experience is shitty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 That doesnt means think if the end user experience is shitty. Hey now, I have said I'm updating the layout this year :p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 You should see the back-end of it. So complex Whilst this is OT, it means fuck all if the using the site is so complex. Also, did they say anything about Mobile strategy or have I missed it somewhere? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 Also, did they say anything about Mobile strategy or have I missed it somewhere? I have often heard the opinion from many that Nintendo should release its first-party content on smart devices. The rationale behind such a suggestion, in my view, is that it would be illogical not to expand our business on smart devices given that they have outsold dedicated video game systems by a large margin. Many people say that releasing Nintendo’s software assets for smart devices would expand our business. However, we believe that we cannot show our strength as an integrated hardware-software business in this field, and therefore it would difficult to continue the same scale of business in the medium- to long term. Therefore, we would like to, instead of directly expanding our business on smart devices, focus on achieving greater ties with our consumers on smart devices and expanding our platform business. However, creating stronger ties with consumers would require them to engage with our offers frequently. As we know that this is not an easy task to achieve. We will use a small, select team of developers to achieve it. Also, we recognize that attracting consumers’ attention among the myriads of mobile applications is not easy, and as I said before, we feel that simply releasing our games just as they are on smart devices would not provide the best entertainment for smart devices, so we are not going to take any approach of this nature. Having said that, however, in the current environment surrounding smart devices, we feel that we will not be able to gain the support of many consumers unless we are able to provide something truly valuable that is unique to Nintendo. Accordingly, I have not given any restrictions to the development team, even not ruling out the possibility of making games or using our game characters. However, if you report that we will release Mario on smart devices, it would be a completely misleading statement. It is our intention to release some application on smart devices this year that is capable of attracting consumer attention and communicating the value of our entertainment offerings, so I would encourage you to see how our approach yields results. Also, there is one more thing that I would like to mention about utilizing smart devices. With respect to services previously released on dedicated video game systems that are, however, capable of improving usability and consumer experience when they are implemented on smart devices, we will try to actively shift their focus to smart devices. This is to say that we will no longer spend an equal amount of resources toward providing the same service both on and off device, but will instead concentrate on the one that has greater purpose as well as room for improvement. The environment in which our users can download paid software is one example of where we should aim to make more off-device improvements than on-device ones. There ya go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 Hey now, I have said I'm updating the layout this year :p Well then maybe Nintendo should follow suit... To say they can't revamp the OS is ridiculous...Microsoft did it twice last gen and Sony did it once to a lesser degree (visually at least back end like in game XMB likely took a lot of work) so why can't Nintendo? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 Well then maybe Nintendo should follow suit... To say they can't revamp the OS is ridiculous...Microsoft did it twice last gen and Sony did it once to a lesser degree (visually at least back end like in game XMB likely took a lot of work) so why can't Nintendo? I never said they couldn't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 I never said they couldn't. Just that it was too much work...so implying they probably wouldn't/shouldn't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 Hey now, I have said I'm updating the layout this year :p Increasing the font size should be job #1 IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) Oh look what this place has descended into. Sheikah, if anyone bar serebii said "they won't drop the gamepad because it'll be too much work" you wouldn't have blinked. We do not need to qualify everything we say with "in my opinion", read what he says and counter act, don't try and demean him by saying he stating everything as fact and coming across high and mighty. It's such a crass status tactic to abuse myths and perceptions about people. Only just noticed this. My beef actually had nothing to do with the person who made the comment. My problem was with someone claiming to have an understanding of the intricacies of Nintendo's OS, then calling in completely unrelated qualifications to try to strengthen their point. Rather than any relevant or reliable information. Just like anywhere in life, you are free to have and express an opinion, but others are just as free to challenge the information on which you have formed that opinion. For instance, I could hold the opinion 'Microsoft's Xbox One will overheat and die within a year'. If you challenged me as to why I said this, and I said 'I know this because I'm really into technology and did an IT degree', you would be well within your rights to raise an eyebrow. If I instead provided meaningful explanation such as 'they use DD1X cooling systems which are notoriously unreliable' - then I suddenly have credibility. You might be thinking 'well everyone is expressing their opinion all the time', and you'd be right. But hey, that's what discussion is. Someone posts, and maybe you agree disagree. That's the fun of it. Edited January 30, 2014 by Sheikah Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
