[E3 2015] Predictions

I won't bother you with a "sorry I haven't posted in a while sob story" and get straight to it: E3 kicks off tonight with Bethesda, and while I could sit here and ramble off what they're going to talk about, it's all known: Fallout 4, Dishonored 2, Doom reboot...

That doesn't interest me. 

What does interest me is talking about the known unknowns: the stuff we know that we don't know. Taking rumors and substantiating them. Making sense of the mess that surrounds the pre-E3 hype. There are nine conferences in the next three days: Bethesda tonight; Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Sony tomorrow; Nintendo, Square, and "PC gaming" on Tuesday.

It's going to be a busy next few days.

I won't have time to discuss all nine, so I'm just going to take the Big Three - Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo - and discuss my top five, not-in-order, predictions for what could (and, in some cases, should) come of their conferences.

The Potential of the New 3DS

If you haven't seen the news yet - or the Facebook feed where I apparently can't shut up about it - Nintendo announced a new 3DS, called the New 3DS.

And you thought I was crazy to liken Nintendo to Apple.

The system launches October 11th in Japan, with the European release to hit "sometime" in 2015 (it's assumed that NA will get it in 2015, as well). The regular 3DS and 3DS XL (LL in Japan) are both getting major revisions: a C-Stick nestled above the face buttons on the right, ZL/ZR buttons horizontally aligned with the exiting L/R buttons, micro SD card support, enhanced 3D that follows your face to reduce blur and enhance the "sweet spot" to view 3D, an ambient light sensor for auto-brightness, colored face buttons that mimic the Super Famicom controller (as opposed to the purple SNES buttons), a beefed-up CPU, and built-in NFC support into the lower touch screen. Yes, you read that right: four shoulder buttons and a second analogue stick.

Just...don't get too excited about the C-Stick. It is an itty-bitty nub that sits in the gap next to the touch screen, the hinge, and the Y/X buttons. Nintendo has even gone as far as comparing it to the GameCube's own C-Stick. 

[E3 2014] Nintendo Predictions

I'll be breaking up my predictions into platform specific (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony), along with a post dedicated to third-parties. I don't have a schedule, but expect all four posts to be published before E3's start. Check out the hub for other prediction posts as they're published.

I've already said my peace on what I expect from Nintendo. While it was a bit outlandish, at the core, it speaks the truth: new franchise entries (Metroid, Zelda, Star Fox), exclusive titles, both new and old (Bayonetta 2, for starters), Majora's Mask 3D (just so that corner of the internet can shut the fuck up), overhaul of what Nintendo Network is capable of doing, and a massive Virtual Console flood of titles, with better pricing. Despite my wet dream being outlandish, there's a lot grounded in reality, and quite a bit of it is what I fully expect from Nintendo next month.

They need to show they're not fucking around anymore. They keep saying they're not directly competing with Microsoft and Sony, but you're in the same business. You cannot rest on your laurels, because those achievements - while respected industry wide - are not doing shit for you now. 

[E3 2014] Your Speculation Destination

I'll be breaking up my predictions into platform specific (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony), along with a post dedicated to third-parties. I don't have a schedule, but expect all four posts to be published before E3's start. Keep your eyes here on the hub for each prediction post as it's published.

[UPDATE 4] Your final update is here; third-party predictions are live, and not a moment to spare!

[UPDATE 3] Well, shit, that was fast. Sony predictions are up!

[UPDATE 2] Microsoft predictions are live!

[UPDATE] Nintendo speculations are now live! Check the link at the bottom of the post.

We're just a few weeks away from the start of E3, the first of the eighth generation where all three major players - Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony - have their newest systems out in full force. While the Xbox One and PS4 are not even a year old, Nintendo is in the second year of the Wii U, but has the most work to do. The PS4 has already over taken Nintendo in sales by a million and a half, but Microsoft is still trailing behind. Way behind.

And here you thought that Titanfall was going to help.

Even two months after Titanfall and Microsoft giving it away, they are still trailing behind Sony by 3 million units. Nintendo is in a stride, clocking in a respectable 6.2 million units, two and a half years after it's release. While several million sounds nice, they're going at about 350,000 a month, whereas Microsoft is more than double that, and Sony adding a "1" to the front of that number. 

E3 has always been a time where the big boys show off what they have in store. We've seen some promises of some key franchises, or at least them alluding to them, but nothing has been concrete. 

I've said that Nintendo has the most to earn at E3: a lot of their key franchises have yet to hit the system after this long (or even be announced), their online infrastructure sucks, and their DRM is pathetic. They need to earn gamers and consumers back to the Wii brand by educating them on what the system does, prove it has games to play by actually showing games - ones that people will want to play - and by overhauling what the system is capable of. They need Santa giving out blowjobs again (yes, the link is SFW). 

Sony, on the other hand, has the most to lose: they're in the lead, still running off of Jack Tretton's E3 2013 steam, with a 3 million unit lead on Microsoft. They need to come out swinging, again, with reveals of new IPs and new entries in established franchise. Not only that, but show the future of what the PlayStation systems (both the 4 and Vita) can do, and what they can do together.

Microsoft, however, has the most to prove: they're in the biggest rut, still making repairs from Don Mattrick's horrible attempt to make repairs since last year. They need to prove that they've been listening to gamers - those they lost to Sony - by showing off what the Xbox One is capable of, and what experiences they've been working on. 

What do I expect from everyone? A lot, actually.

Nintendo - Now Available
Microsoft - Now Available
Sony - Now Available
Third-Parties - Now Available

My Nintendo E3 Wet Dream

Building off of today's announcements, Nintendo is already leading 2014 in an incredibly strong way, and they need to keep this momentum up. They need to continue with the advent of news, but they shouldn't wait until E3. Last year broke tradition, and Nintendo held a series of press conferences across a few days, focusing on various aspects, rather than strain themselves to release an onslaught of news within an hour and a half.

Now, E3 is five months away, and we've had this discussion ever year before. This year, Nintendo really needs to get the lead out, stop fucking around, and get their shit together.

Back in 2012, I wrote a huge five-piece editorial on what Nintendo can do to help their image and their next generation. I've yet to hear back from them about what I wrote, so it's doubtful they took anything to heart. Looking forward to E3 and Nintendo's second full year in the market with the Wii U, they need to pull out their guns, drop the fucking bomb, and let loose on the industry to show they're here for a long time.

Well, Today Was Fun for Nintendo

We've seen the stories about how terrible the Wii U is doing. Looking at sales information, it's sold a respectable 5.5 million units since it's release in November 2012; that's about 400,000 per month. In that same chart, the Xbox has sold 3.2 million (Microsoft says 3.9) and the PS4 has 4.6 million of itself out there. These systems came out just two and a half months ago. The Wii U is getting spanked in sales.

Who's fault is it for a system performing this poorly?

"It must be the third parties, since they're not releasing any games on it; why would we pay for a system with nothing to do?! Surely it's not Nintendo's fault; they're releasing games on it constantly!"

This argument is heard too often, it's almost deafening. The lack of third party games isn't something that can be used as fodder; three high-profile games were released for the Wii U this past holiday, Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassin's Creed IV, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. In two months time, Watch Dogs hits the system, despite the flurries of mistakenly cancelled pre-orders. Soon enough, Donkey Kong makes his way back to a home console, with Mario Kart sometime this spring, and a new Zelda game and Smash Bros. 4 hitting both the Wii U and 3DS this holiday.

The system has support, but no one's buying. One story that's been making the rounds in the past few months is Nintendo's stubbornness to assist third-party developers in times of need. And not just being stubborn, but the inability to break down language barriers when assisting overseas developers. Take a gander at this excerpt:

"After about a week of chasing we heard back from the support team that they had received an answer from Japan, which they emailed to us. The reply was in the form of a few sentences of very broken English that didn't really answer the question that we had asked in the first place. So we went back to them asking for clarification, which took another week or so to come back. After the second delay we asked why it was taking to long for replies to come back from Japan, were they very busy? The local support team said no, it's just that any questions had to be sent off for translation into Japanese, then sent to the developers, who replied and then the replies were translated back to English and sent back to us. With timezone differences and the delay in translating, this usually took a week!"

...carry the 6, multiply by 3....drop the zero...that's about 3 weeks to get an answer from Nintendo. On the other hand, Microsoft (despite criticism on how they handled indie developers) and Sony are nothing but pleasurable when speaking with, in regards to development woes. Fuck, Sony even has an in-house team dedicated to building relationships with their third parties, called, get this, Third Party Production.

I have yet to hear of any effort from Nintendo about strengthening their absolutely awful relationship with outside developers, until today.

Wii U Launch Titles Confirmed; 23 Games to Satiate Your Wallet on Day 1

Nintendo has confirmed all 23 launch titles for the Wii U. Which ones are actually worth the money, that's up to you. Glancing over it - multi-platform and/or re-releases aside - there are some great games available, with about 15 titles (give or take) that I would be interested in, such as Assassin's Creed 3 or Ninja Gaiden 3. Remove those aforementioned factors, and the list diminishes to just two: New Super Mario Bros. U and ZombiU.

Regardless, here's your launch titles, and you can find the remainder of the "launch window" games - defined as those with release dates between November 19 and March 31 - after the break. I've taken the liberty of bolding any titles that are of worthy consideration:

• Assassin's Creed 3
• Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
• Call of Duty Black Ops 2
• Darksiders 2
• Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
• EA Sports FIFA Soccer 13
• ESPN Sports Connection
• Game Party Champions
• Just Dance 4
• New Super Mario Bros. U
• Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge
• Nintendo Land
• Rabbids Land
• Scribblenauts Unlimited
• Sing Party
• Skylanders Giants
• Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition
• Transformers Prime
• Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
• Wipeout 3
• Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
• ZombiU

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; End Game

We're almost done! The fifth, and final, installment of this editorial of mine on the Wii U. Exactly how does Nintendo expect to win over their long-time fans, those they swooned with the Wii, and the developers they desperately need to create invigorating experiences? Where can Nintendo go from here, and how can they make sure they utilize their one year's head start and keep Microsoft and Sony off of their heels? Keep reading to find out...

Over the years, Nintendo has never really been known for having powerful hardware, but more of having a powerful library of IPs and franchises they could put on that hardware. Between their top franchises - Mario, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda, to name a few - Nintendo has a very compelling catalog. Asides from the already announced New Super Mario Bros. U, along side Pikmin 3, they are the only "main" Nintendo properties on the system announced thus far. It's assumed we'll see Link in Hyrule Field soon enough (whether or not it'll be similar to the HD demo we've seen is yet to be known, so don't go believing rumors quite yet), and we're hoping for a new Metroid and StarFox entry within a reasonable time. We haven't gotten wind of what's going on, but that's OK. What concerns me the most is that, despite Nintendo already having a fairly solid lineup for the system, their third parties are only content with bringing ports, and the Wii U needs more than that.

This is not enough to get me to buy the Wii U version.

Having Assassin's Creed III and Batman: Arkham City - the two power-house third-party games - on the system is great; the crowds were almost over-gasped when they announced them. Arkham City was a great game, but it's a year old. Assassin's Creed III is bound to be a fantastic entry, but it's a month and a half after it's initial release on other systems that people already own. I've yet to meet someone who is holding out for the Wii U versions of these games. We don't need ports that restructure the game and make it appear "tailored" to the Wii U; remember back to Sony saying they don't want Wii ports for the Move. There needs to be fresh experiences, and being exclusive helps.

Two prime examples are ZombiU and Rayman Legends. Coincidentally, they're both from Ubisoft, who has stated they don't plan on investing too much into the system, but after the purported shit-storm Nintendo caused between themselves and EA over using the Nintendo Network as an Origin platform, it looks more like Ubisoft and Nintendo are best buds. I don't expect too much from EA, as the gimped Madden 13 doesn't speak well for their integrity with their Wii U releases, but there are plenty of other third party developers Nintendo can woo.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Installment 04

We're back with part 4 of this massive editorial, focusing on Nintendo's direction competition: Sony, Microsoft, and Apple, and what they have geared up for their respective futures. Nintendo has a conference coming up on September 13, where the final bits of news is expected to be released. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

This year, we see Nintendo not only initiate the eighth generation of home consoles, but this is the first time in Nintendo's history since the NES that they've released a console before their competition. Not only is this an incredibly bold move by Nintendo, but it's also naive. They're allowing their competition know how they're handling their new system, giving them a deep insight to their plans, and adjust accordingly. Assuming the Wii U lands in November, that gives Microsoft and Sony 7 months between then and E3 next year to tweak their battle plans and come out swinging. That is, if Nintendo is tight-lipped on pertinent info that won't come to light until the release; otherwise, if this upcoming press conference is much more info than just pricing and release date, that makes it 9 months. Seven to nine months is enough time to tweak just about anything they need to; if Microsoft can take SmartGlass from initial on-paper design to displayable prototype to the masses in twelve months, then three-fourths of that time is ample.

* * *

To date, Microsoft hasn't said shit on the Xbox Next (or Durango, Xbox 720, Xbox Infinite, what have you). If you recall that document leak back in June, Microsoft actually confirmed it to be legitimate, even if it was "out-dated" by their measures. Regardless, it's interesting information. Things such as Project Fortaleza (or "Kinect Glasses") seems to bridge Kinect elements with Google Glasses concepts. Halo 5 isn't billed as a launch title, but it's coming shortly after. The Kinect 2 appears to want to talk to Xbox controllers for further integration. The system itself is to be $200-300, the same price range it's at now. There's a lot going on in there, but the juiciest information is right above. 

Microsoft's back catalog of games needs some love, especially Rare. They've been on the front lines lately, with the various Kinect Sports games, and the minds behind Avatars. Despite this pivotal piece for Microsoft, Rare hasn't done shit with their respective properties since Banjo-Kajooie: Nuts & Bolts. What about Killer Instinct 3? Where the hell has Joanna Dark been? My most important question is "why hasn't Rare made a new IP?". That question may be answered with the next generation; hell, we may even get to see that realistic Kameo sequel. If you unleash Rare, the last few ounces of faith I have in them tells me that, since they've been away from their original IPs over the course of the 00s, they can very well come back with a slew of fresh ideas for Banjo, Perfect Dark, and Kameo.

I've already talked my head off of how SmartGlass may very well become something great; I'm not going to banter on any further. I will, however, drop this nugget in here: if they really wanted to be sly enough, release the SmartGlass app on the 3DS and the Vita.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Thrice

If you caught the subtle music reference, good on you.

In this third installment, we're all about how you interact with the Wii U, primarily, the GamePad. We're gearing up for the September 13 conference Nintendo is holding. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

The biggest hurdle that Nintendo has in this generation, asides from not knowing a fucking thing that Sony and Microsoft are doing, is convincing people - customers and developers - that the GamePad is worth the investment. The GamePad, in itself, is an amalgamation of various technology knick-knacks we've grown accustomed to over the years. One part tablet, one part controller, squeeze in some social networking, add a touch of NFC (Near-Field Communication), and you've got a clusterfuck of gizmos.

By and large, it's main goal is to be a controller. In reality, it's nothing more than a gigantic, single-screened DS. Think about it: your TV would be the top screen, delivering the goodies to your noodle, while the controller's screen - a touch enabled screen, mind you - is where you interact with the game, with menu inputs, maps, inventory management...all the shit we've seen in DS games over the past 8 years. If the GamePad is allowing you to play the Wii U games on the controller, what's the point of the 3DS?

Between the 3DS, the GamePad, and the Wii U, cross-play gaming should be a no-brainer. Sega, of all companies, started the whole cross-play aspect with the Dreamcast and the Visual Memory Unit (or the VMU); sadly, it didn't catch on like it should have, as the technology then was severely limiting it. Then, Nintendo caught on with the GameCube and the GameBoy Advance, and the connection using the Link Cable; this was a hindrance, as some games (such as Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles) didn't suggest using the GBA, it was almost forced. Next up to the plate was Sony, and while the PSP was a great move forward with interlinking home console and portable system, the Vita is where it took off, as your game saves could go back and forth, making the Vita a true "portable PlayStation", despite some severe limitations. Where Sega started, Nintendo innovated, and Sony took on full-force.

* * *

A fantastic idea.
Also, the worst infographic ever.

The Vita, despite having sluggish sales and a poor library thus far (with a few gems), the connection there between it and the PS3 is fairly remarkable. I recently picked up WipEout 2048 on the Vita, but only after it was announced that WipEout HD's content was going to be a free download for anyone who owns both versions. It was a great step forward for the cross-compatibility, but there are huge hurdles that need to be gotten rid of. Main point? Why the fuck do I need to own a copy on both systems in order to bring it over? Much like Digital Copy and Ultraviolet for DVDs, or even ripping my CDs to my computer and dumping them on my iPhone, why in the name of fuck can't I get a digital download of the Vita version if I buy the PS3 version? Thankfully, Sony has recently unveiled their Cross Buy platform at Gamescom, where if you buy the PS3 version, you get the Vita version for free. They've yet to detail the program - Can I buy the Vita version and get the PS3 verison? Is it a digital version of the Vita game? - but Sony has some big games lined up for the service, and is definitely a welcomed addition.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Part Deux

Here's part two of my mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

A powerful system cannot be the only crutch Nintendo can lean on. They need help, and they need to make people know they're still innovating. Sadly, their own innovation may be their own downfall, as others are quick on their heels, even before they get out the door...

Since the GameCube, Nintendo has been showing its age. When the Wii launched, many gave Nintendo hell, referring to it as the "GameCube 1.5", as it didn't have the technical glitz nor glamour as the Xbox 360 or the PS3; it was only slightly more powerful than the Xbox. Yes, the GameCube could do [insert advantage here] and the PS2 could do [insert another one here], but the Xbox was often regarded as the powerhouse of the last generation.

Despite the lack of power, the Wii held its own while completely ignoring HDMI and (at the very least) 720p, two modern entertainment staples. Microsoft even caught itself in a fault, and added HDMI to the Xbox 360 mid-life-cycle, something fans and critics alike had hoped for in a revised Wii HD. Regardless, Nintendo skipped the revision and came full force with the Wii U (much like how they skipped on bringing the Wii Remote to the GameCube and made it less of an afterthought and more of the main attraction), including many missed opportunities the Wii left behind. It has been reported by third parties that the Wii U will be drastically underpowered compared to the Xbox Next and PS4/Orbis; Epic says that Unreal Engine 4-powered games won't find life on the Wii U past the first generation without being severely dumbed down.

Best joke ever!
Image credit: http://www.roboawesome.com/?p=16875

Fortunately, that may not be the case...

A recent report from BGR says that the Xbox Next (or Durango; what have you) will be running an eight-core CPU with 8 GB of RAM. Despite this sounding fairly powerful, this same report puts it at six times more powerful than the 360. If this report is true - which I'm taking it with the largest grain of salt known to man - then that means it's only marginally more powerful than the Wii U, which has been described as "definitely more powerful than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3" by 5th Cell (the guys behind Scribblenauts). This puts the Wii U at about 2-4 times more powerful than the Xbox 360.

This becomes a contradiction with a recent statement from Sumo Digital's executive producer Steve Lycett (Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed) saying the Wii U "looks as good any of the HD platforms". He quickly brings our hopes back up with this number: "The Wii U has way more memory, so we can take advantage of that with less compression on elements and textures, so [Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed] will look all lovely and shiny."

Now, we all know that we shouldn't be asking "how many more times" is one system more powerful than another, but used as a general rule of thumb; despite the GameCube being regarded as an inferior system, it could still do things better than the PS2 and Xbox, something I'm hoping repeats itself with the Wii U.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U

The Next Big Innovation?

What you're witnessing is the first part of a planned five for a mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

May we look at Nintendo's competitors - or their own history - as inspiration for the Wii U's success? What about where they look for inspiration? What proof do we currently have that the Wii U may, or may not, be successful?

It's coming. It's inevitable. We stand on the precipice of a new generation's step forward into the spotlight. Nintendo is ushering in the eighth generation at the end of this year, and with it brings another flurry of criticisms and skepticisms. We saw it when Nintendo showed off the Wii's controller, unveiled the system as the 'Wii', and when they laid out technical specs on the system; just Google around for it, and you'll see it around the internet. Hell, it even happened with the GameCube (what with it's purple lunchbox attire) and the Nintendo 64 with it's cartridge-based games; Nintendo always receives criticism when a new system comes out.

When Nintendo first showed us the (then named) Revolution's controller, I, myself, was taken aback. It was a radical approach to a growing problem: lack of innovation. Nintendo broke conventional means of controller design they themselves created in the mid-80s, and every other console manufacturer stuck to since. Nintendo gave us some fine examples of what the controller could do, what with the pointer acting as an excellent approach to first-person games, or the accelerometers acting as their own method of input; Nintendo was ready to reinvent, or out-right create, new genres. The most ludicrous - or, dare I say, crazy - part about the entire endeavor? They knew people would buy it, and ended up ushering in the fitness craze in video games with their own Wii Fit, and others followed suit. The (purely) motion controlled games such as the pack-in Wii Sports - where there was minimal button pressing, and actually acting out what you wanted to do - was groundbreaking at the time; Nintendo is constantly seen as a key innovator in this field.

Six years later, Nintendo is in full pre-production of the Wii U, getting it's brand new system geared up for the holiday release. The Wii proved successful, because it hadn't been done before. One factor Nintendo is banking on to encourage customers to buy into their name all over again is the backwards compatibility. Not with just the games, but with every accessory made for the Wii, including games, downloaded or not; Nintendo could easily market this as "buy the new system, keep all of your old shit". The Wii U, on the other hand, is building off of two things: the established success of the Wii by keeping the name - falling victim to "sequelitis", much like the Xbox and PlayStation - and the booming success of the tablet craze Apple ushered in with the iPad.

Yes, I'm saying it: Nintendo is looking to Apple for ideas.

Nintendo Setting Up Select Club Nintendo Members on a Date with the Wii U

I just got this email in from Club Nintendo, asking me to reserve a spot for a special hands-on with the Wii U later this month in DC on the outskirts of GWU.

From the email:

Club Nintendo is very excited to invite you to get a sneak peek of Nintendo's upcoming Wii U™ console! You've been chosen from amongst our most loyal members to get this exclusive hands-on experience with the revolutionary new touch screen controller, full HD graphics, and innovative games you won't want to miss.

To make your first Wii U experience even more memorable, we want you to invite your friends and family to join you. Upon completion of the registration process, you’ll be provided with 3 invitations you can share with whomever you like. 

Now, there are time slots you have to sign up for across those three dates in the image (July 26-29). I, myself, am signed up for the Saturday time for 1-3pm. They do allow you to bring 2 3 additional guests, but I'm not that privy (yet) to hand out codes to complete strangers, regardless of how much I'd like my readers (the small handful there is) to be able to enjoy it.

They do ask you for access to your Facebook profile so they can post pictures to your Facebook profile of you at the event, when you arrive, and all that. Once there, I'll be posting hands-on impressions and what-not.

[CALLED IT] Nintendo drops the 3DS down to $170 in August

File this under "holy fuck" and "called it", as Nintendo has announced the 3DS will drop from $250 down to $170 come August 12. That's the same price as the DSi XL - no word on that dropping price...yet - but it's an overall shocking price drop, especially from Nintendo, who tends to hold out on their pricing strategy; it will be five months since the system debuted that Nintendo will drop the price by a staggering 32%. It's pure speculation on my part, but I feel that Nintendo is placing a fairly large cushion between the 3DS and the PS Vita before the Vita even hits shelves; having that $80 difference will definitely help Nintendo on the battlefield that is the sales floor.


To keep those - like myself - from sending Reggie emails bitching them out, Nintendo is enrolling those who log in to the eShop on their systems before 11:59PM EST on August 11 into the "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador" program. As Joystiq points out, Nintendo will give these Ambassadors access to free games before their release to the general public, and a handful of games that won't be available to anyone else. Yes, you read that right: we get games fo' free, early. How's that to entice you me for buying a system for just one game and prevent you from bitching all too much?

So far, Nintendo has only given away the titles of a few NES games (which will be available to Ambassadors on September 1): Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber and The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo says that once the paid versions post to the eShop, Ambassadors get to download the updated ones for free. As for the other games that won't be available to the general public are part of the GBA Virtual Console: Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

To break that down, 10 NES games on the Wii's Virtual Console is $50 ($5 a head), but the GBA games do not have a Virtual Console prior to this, so there's no way to tell how much Nintendo would end up selling GBA VC games at, I would only assume about $8. 

Press Release via Nintendo

How'd I Do on Nintendo's Conference? [UPDATED]

Nintendo's conference is here and gone. Here's how my predictions held up:

• Wii 2 Revealed, Called Simply "Nintendo" : KINDA : Revealed, but named WiiU, with that weird-ass tablet controller that can stream - without lag - from the system to the controller. What the fuck?
• Wii 2 Priced Less Than $250 : NO : No pricing details.
• Wii 2 Hardware is Out of This World : ??? : They showed no hardware outside of the controller (probably still prototype), and nothing about console specs. However, the visuals look great, so I can only assume.
• Friend Codes Killed : NOT YET YES : For what they're showing, they better. In an interview with Ubisoft, they confirmed Nintendo has killed Friend Codes in favor of a "single online identity". Thank Thor!
• Nintendo's Heavy Hitters on 3DS : YES : 5 games, actually: Mario Kart, Super Mario 3D, StarFox, Kid Icarus and Luigi's Mansion 2.
• (Some) Launch Titles Shown for Wii 2 : YES : LEGO City Stories was the only game announced for WiiU, but THQ said Darksiders 2 is coming. Arkham City confirmed for WiiU, Assassin's Creed hinted, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Ghost Recon Online (!!), Metro: Last Night (!), Tekken was confirmed, Ninja Gaiden 3 (!!!!)...all of these shown as a demo reel, confirmed for development, but not actual launch titles. Looks like Army of Two was a still behind Riccitiello while he was on stage. Colored me very impressed.
• 3DS Price Drop to less than $200 : NOT YET : With the threat that is the Vita at the same price, I can only assume they will drop the price in the next few months.
• Nintendo Honors Zelda With a 25th Anniversary Collection : KINDA : Not a collection, but some freebers. Oh, and an orchestra concert this fall.
• Nintendo Announces Their Own Slew of HD Collections : SADLY, NO : Nothing yet, but with WiiU games looking the way they do, they should be making them. Soon.

Uhg. 3 right, 2 kinda right, 4 dead wrong.

With Ubisoft's confirmation that Friend Codes are dead, that tipped the favor in my direction for a 4:2:3 ratio. I'll take that, thank you very much.

Nintendo Predictions

So I'm working tomorrow morning, and I'm going to miss Nintendo's conference live. However, I will kill any asshole who dare talks about the revelations tomorrow before I get home.

With that said, here's my predictions for Nintendo's conference:

• Wii 2 Revealed, Called Simply "Nintendo" With rumors of it being called Wii 2, Wii HD or even Been, it's hard to narrow it down to something viable. To keep the masses in line, Nintendo should call it just that, the Nintendo. No subtitle. Nothing.
• Wii 2 Priced Less Than $250 Simple as that. A new system cheaper than it's current-gen competitors would really kick someone in the nuts.
• Wii 2 Hardware is Out of This World Nintendo caught up to the PS2 when it added a traditional DVD player to the Wii. Nintendo could surprise a lot of people by adding things like Blu-Ray, dual-band WiFi, HDMI output and a built-in hard drive that has, at least, a double-digit size in the gigabites.
• Friend Codes Killed They are clinging on to dear life on the 3DS, and if Nintendo really wants to push multiplayer, they need to kill off their absolutely ridiculous Friend Code system so people can find each other easier.
• Nintendo's Heavy Hitters on 3DS Out of all of the games teased, Nintendo still hasn't shown off a new Mario game, Mario Kart, Metroid, Kirby or Donkey Kong. I expect most, if not all, to show up.
• (Some) Launch Titles Shown for Wii 2 Mario Galaxy 3 would be a stretch as a launch title, but I wouldn't be surprised. Any, if not most, third party multiplatform titles that are coming out for the 360 and PS3 next year could very well end up as a launch title for the next Nintendo system. As for first party, anything is possible from Nintendo. Except Zelda.
• 3DS Price Drop to less than $200 Nintendo announced - and launched - the 3DS way too early. The $250 price tag was to circumvent R&D costs early. With 3 months under Nintendo's belt, they could go the route of Apple and announce a price drop, effective in the next month or so (surely not before Ocarina's launch).
• Nintendo Honors Zelda With a 25th Anniversary Collection Mario's homage was shit. Let's be honest. With Zelda, Nintendo can do anything and it would be better than what they did for their Italian plumber.
• Nintendo Announces Their Own Slew of HD Collections Sony started it, Konami just entered it, and now, it's Nintendo's turn. Zelda, Metroid, Mario, StarFox...they could all have their own HD collections.

There ya go. I'll find out if I was right around 6pm tomorrow.

Start Saving: Nintendo to Unveil 3DS Pricing/Release Date on September 29

As if you didn't need further convincing to be completely stoked for the 3DS, Nintendo has let out that they will release the pricing and release date details on September 29; exactly two months time. Think of this as Nintendo adopting Square's strategy, where they announce the date of an announcement.
They also said that the pricing for the 3DS will "fit" with the current DS lineage. The DS lite was $130, the DSi is $170, and the XL is $190. A lot of rumors have the 3DS pegging at $250, but they'd be absolutely stupid to do that.

I mean, the last time a handheld went for $250, things didn't go so well...

[Via Destructoid]

[ANALYSIS] Microsoft Prices Out "Cost of Ownership" For Motion Gaming

You've gotta love this one. After Major Nelson posted the official pricing for Kinect, gamers began criticizing Microsoft's expensive approach. Well, Microsoft was quick with the Reggie-style graphs, and cranked out these lovely beauties (originally spotted on Kotaku):

First, we see Microsoft trying to justify the price of Kinect. They say that Kinect is cheaper for a new system owner across all three systems. They undercut Nintendo by $60, and Sony by a whopping $210. That's not all.

Here, they take on existing system owners, which I fall into (for all three). Kinect is just $10 shy of Nintendo, where as Sony is a full next-gen game above Microsoft. Let's delve past through the corporate bullshit and get some rectifying done.

3DS Getting a Redesign Before Launch? Notsomuch.

When it was unveiled, Nintendo said the 3DS's design wasn't final and would change prior before it's launch, similar to the original DS. Well, that was more of gamers bitching up and down Main Street about it's godawful design, so Nintendo changed it to the much more appealing - yet archaic by today's standards - design that we see today.

Now, Nintendo went back on their word and said the 3DS's design will remain mostly unchanged, saying "You can take this as the final shape".

They could do minor tweaks here and there, but what you see is pretty much what you'll get when the thing comes out. Whenever that is.

[Via Kotaku]

Nintendo Conference Round-Up

The Nintendo media briefing took place on June 15, 2010, at 12:00 PM EST. Television broadcast was made available (and commercial-free, thank god) by G4, which I watched the entire hour-and-a-half thing (I'm starting to get used to this). 

Reggie's on stage. He doesn't sound like a robot like Don Mattrick or Joel McHale did yesterday. Simply put, I love listening to him talk.

ZELDA!!! Great way to start off the show. New short teaser, artwork seems less gritty than Wind Waker, but it's still TP-esque Zelda. Showing Link on horseback in the clouds, then Majora's Mask, then Wind Waker Link in the King of Red Lions, but no Twilight Princess references (MM and WW are down the same timeline, so they are connected; perhaps this is a sequel to Majora's Mask) Titled The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Miyamoto is explaining, via video, how the design came about. English dubbed over his Japanese. I'd rather listen to Kojima again. MotionPlus support for sword mechanics, nunchuck is the shield, just like in Twilight Princess. Miyamoto is on stage now, complete with English. He explains that you actually have to hold the controller combination like a sword and shield. The sword really looks like 1:1 control. It looks like he's having trouble with controls. The Sword Beam is back! 1:1 sword play seems to play into enemies, as the Deku Baba needs to be killed by slicing it in the way it's mouth is opened, a door with an eye needs to be confused, as the eye is focused on the end of the sword; rotate it in a circle over and over and you can approach is safely and kill it. Shield Bash rocks back at Octoroks to kill them. Holy shit, you can dash now! Having Bill translate Miyamoto while he's still talking is confusing as shit. Miyamoto having some problems taking out some Skulltullas on a vine with the slingshot (you no longer point at the screen, just move the Wiimote). Different mechanics for the bombs; overhead and underhand tosses. Wii Remote is acting up, and they're asking to turn on their wireless devices (HA! Apple...), but there's still some issues using the Bow. They gave up, and moved on to a remote-controlled beetle. Skyward Sword will not come out this year, but next year (sadly, not making history by having the three flagship series, Zelda, Mario and Metroid, have new entries in the same year). They're off, but a gameplay trailer is up, showing many uses for the already shown items. Awesome.