Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Nintendo post-E3 event impressions (including 3DS hands-on)


Yesterday I attended a post-E3 event at Nintendo of Europe and caught up with the line-up presented at the Los Angeles trade show. Here are my impressions.

3DS

Obviously, I played around with the 3DS for quite a bit. And I have to share the comments from people who tried it out before me. It really is most impressive. The effect is simply stunning and it is almost obvious that this device will become a megaseller and the new must-have gadget.

The quality of the hardware seems below that of the DSi, though, perhaps somewhere between the original DS and DSi. The shell feels “plasticy” and does not have the same quality finish of the later DS models. These were prototypes, though. So let us hope that this will be touched up.

The most impressive trailers were undoubtedly ´Metal Gear Solid 3D´ and ´Resident Evil: Revelations´. Both proved how much more powerful the 3DS is, albeit generating two separate images. It really is Wii and PSP quality, if not better. In ´Kid Icarus: Uprising´, you can see every bit of detail on Pit. The most impressive game was ´Nintendogs & Cats´. The animals came to life so much more in 3D, I am totally motivated to play this title silly like I did the DS games.

´PilotWings Resort´ did not work for me. I lost the 3D effect quite often, perhaps because there is so much depth. The leeway the device allows in terms of sideways movement appears to vary greatly from title to title. And here I was trying to navigate the plane while adjusting the 3D depth. Not a pleasant experience, but presumably something you will only have to do at the very beginning.

What got me excited again, though, was the movie trailer for ´Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole´. It looked brilliant and I can quite imagine watching entire movies on the device. Finally, playing around with the camera was great fun. To look through a digital camera and get a 3D image in the viewfinder was a revelation. While Nintendo is settling once again for a mere 0,3 megapixel, the quality seemed sufficient on screen.

´ Metroid Other M´ (Wii)

This game has a very high production value, as could have been expected. The cutscenes are cinema quality, the in-game graphics also amazing. It is essentially a 3D game with a level design that, at times, makes it feel like a 2D side scroller. There is a large degree of auto-aim. But you never feel that you are playing “only” in 3D. Combat is made easier by features such as missiles replenishing automatically. But the bosses seem quite tough. The transition between isometric and third-person perspective works very well and you will manage them easily within boss fights. This will become a must-have title.

´Zelda: Skyward Sword´ (Wii)

Unfortunately, this seemed to be the most underwhelming title there. Having played through ´Twilight Princess´ (and quite a few other Zeldas), this game seemed a step back in terms of visual quality. The world just seemed simpler and less rich than the one in its predecessor, without it oozing style like ´Wind Waker´. I played for a while and defeated two level bosses. And, for sure, the combat is much more complex. With Motion Plus, you need to slice those piranha plants in half the right way, depending on which way they open. But the game failed to capture my imagination and I heard similar comments from other game journalists at the event.

´Donkey Kong Country Returns´ (Wii)

This certainly was the surprise hit in my books. I did not expect ´Metroid Prime´ developer Retro to instantly get the Jump ´n Run genre right, but they sure did. In fact, I do not remember playing such a game with so many fresh ideas. The visuals, of course, were equally satisfying. Undoubtedly a must-buy for the console.

´Kirby: Epic Yarn´ (Wii)

This game is one of the most stylish and original games I have seen in a long time. I played through three levels and was blown away by the originality in the visual style and how that ties in with the gameplay. You might not be a Kirby fan, but you should definitely check this one out.

46 comments:

jerry said...

Awesome previews, I'm really looking forward to the 3DS and the titles you mentioned for the wii. I have to say that I too was disappointed with the visuals of Skyward Sword. I haven't played it, obviously, but it seems like all the major sites are saying the same thing, that it's pretty underwhelming. I really hope it surprises everyone when it comes out but I'm not getting my hopes up.

RGB said...

When I was watching parts of the Nintendo conference I tohught the Zelda was for DS...then was surprised it was for in fact...Wii!

By the way you forgot to mention on your post that you switched to talking about Wii titles. Just FYI.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree about Zelda.

Unless its gets more stylized like Windwaker, then it does look older.

It looks pretty but lacks details and polish.

I hope they increase this impressionist painting thing.


Metroid.

This Penny Arcade strip matches up my feelings perfectly.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2009/20090603.jpg

Raphael said...

I´m not sure about Zelda. We were shocked about the Wind Waker-graphics years ago. So let´s hope our first impressions are (once again) wrong.

This years E3 reminds me at the good old N64-times. So Zelda:SS won´t be disappointing as well. :-)

Anonymous said...

I don't think that Metroid Other M will be a must-own title as you say... it will probably sell less than any of the Primes, which is disapointing, because the gameplay looks solid and fun, but the cutscene oriented direction the game has will probably ruin all of it.

I'm a huge metroid fan, and when I play a metroid game I don't want to see Samus story, I want to explore some desolate alien world full of dangers. I want to find itens to help me explore and deal with the enemies, instead of waiting some jerk to "authorize" me to use my own weapons!

Other M will probably be a "Metroid Fusion 2", and Fusion is the less metroidy of the metroids. But instead of Adam computer controlling your the game pace to tell the "incredible story", now we wil have the true Adam!

You know what would be must-own?
If they made a 2.5D (think Kirby 64) Metroid, with a map bigger than Super Metroid, the non-linear exploration of Metroid 1, the graphic style of the Primes, and as much story as a Mario game.

THAT would be great!

jerry said...

Yea, I don't think Metroid: Other M will sell extremely well either. I may be completely wrong but it seems like Metroid games don't sell nearly as well as Mario or Zelda titles. That comparison is a bit unfair because few, if any, games sell as well as Mario titles but Metroid seems to be the one that sells the least out of the big 3, Mario, Link & Samus. I'll be buying it for sure though.

Anonymous said...

yeah i don't think metroid other will will be a good game. this guy malstrom says this guy sakamoto is a pretty bad dude and likes to ruin games. he told me metroid other m has cutscenes and that made me mad because i hate cutscenes. i wish the game could be more like starcraft which didn't have any cutscenes.

i'm so glad malstrom thinks a lot of stuff, so i don't have to anymore.

Word Verifier said...

It's sad that Yoshio Sakamoto, a longtime Nintendo employee and a great contributor, is going to have his legacy shaped by this Malstrom cat. It's just a total misrepresentation of the man (and bordering on character assassination).

Other M should be allowed to succeed or fail on its own merits - not used as a straw-man in the flimsy hardcore-casual holy war in which Metroid has no place.

Unknown said...

Yeah this Malstrom guy's got a pretty bad grudge against Yoshio Sakamoto for some reason.

He even got caught flatfooted in a lie about him, basically falsely transcribing an interview with Sakamoto in order to further his own arguments. And when confronted with this (through an email from a supporter) he tried to weasel his way out of it like a politician.

And yeah, it is starting to stink of character assassination, because he rarely talks about the GAME part of the new Metroid, just that it will have cutscenes and he's ruining Metroid because he's a "Game God" or something.

Malstrom started out like one of those interesting blogs to read to get insight into why third parties were failing to read the Wii's success and all that. But that was him applying somebody else's ideas, not his own. His own predictions and original ideas are awful, like when he thought Wii Music was going to be ginormously huge and Obama would lose the election. (LOL!)

So it's just not worth reading his blog anymore. There's no new insight to be gleamed from it that can't be glamed from the books he cites, and his own personal game loves and views are basically "Why can't more game developers be like Lord British?" Which is ultimately counteractive to his point about "Game God" worship, eh?

Oh yeah and his weird fanboys are hard to deal with on forums, too, like that guy two posts above me.

Falafelkid said...

To be honest, I don't understand the discussion about ´Metroid: Other M´ at all. It is a fantastic game and will be a must-have for Wii owners, as well as it becoming a potential system seller for everyone else.

I am surprised that after a number of game journalists have played ´Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword´, we are not discussing whether this game fails to do the series justice. This is the real story if you ask me, having played both.

jerry said...

ahhhhh, that's where these fanboy lunatics come from. Alright, it all makes sense now.

Anonymous said...

NINTENDO WENT CASUAL

AHHHHH-HHHHMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!

went casual so they took of there tux and put on some slacks and went out for a round of golf because that would be going casual

nintendo employees took of there ties and went to work with there top 3 buttons open on there shirts because there CAS-U-EL

GROW UP NOBODY WENT ANYWERE OR ANYTHING

THEY DISRUPTED AND BLUEOCEANED THERE WAY TO THE TOP AND DISRUPTED THE ENTIRE HD CONSOLE BUSSINESS PLAN

ITS CALLED GENIUS

went casual (the sheer moronicness of that belief )

Anonymous said...

How the Casual Fallacy was Born

The game industry was, and still is, distinctively hardcore. They generate their profits from sequels and big blockbuster games. The developers are all hardcore. The publishers are generally hardcore as well.

When a hardcore gamer looks at a hardcore game, he sees sophistication, magnificence, and, most important, art as if it were a mirror image facing him. When a hardcore gamer looks as a casual game, he sees simplicity, non-art, easiness, and, in sum, a retardation of gaming. Hardcore view casual games not as progress in gaming but as games tailor made for gaming retards.

“Retards!?” says a shocked reader. “Surely you can’t say what you mean!” Why not? When a casual gamer picks up the standard dual shock controller, he gets confused. He doesn’t have the patience to wade through these elaborate 3d worlds or memorize fourteen button combinations. While the hardcore call him “stupid”, he retaliates by calling gaming “stupid”.

Anytime you read ‘casual games’ in the news, just replace ‘casual’ with the word ‘retard’ and you will get how it is truly perceived by the industry. “There is a casual gamer boom!” should translate to “There is a retard gamer boom!”. The “EA Casual Games Division” really is translated to “EA Retard Games Division”. “Why are you calling casual gamers retarded!?” thunders one reader. I am not. I am saying that the hardcore industry is the one who thinks this way. ‘Casual’ is just a nice way of saying ‘dumb’ in their eyes.

The reason why hardcore gamers’ hearts sink when a company says they will make the game include ‘casuals’ is because they know that all the edge, difficulty, and passion will be ripped out to make a generic, easy, and soul-less game.

Despite every company and their dog making these ‘casual’ games, the so-called casual audience is not buying them (just as they didn’t buy the platformer clones of the 8-bit generation, the fighter clones of the 16-bit generation, the GTA clones of last generation, and so on). When seeing their ‘casual games’ flop while seeing Nintendo’s ‘casual’ games in the bestsellers, the third parties growl and say, “IT IS ALL NINTENDO’S FAULT! People only buy Nintendo games! Third parties can’t succeed on this platform!”

The problem is not in these companies’ execution of their plan. The problem is their world-view. Their perception is totally off, and it is costing these companies millions upon millions of dollars. Don’t you think, guys, that it is time to think about things a littler harder before you waste more millions?

Anonymous said...

How the Casual Fallacy was Born

The game industry was, and still is, distinctively hardcore. They generate their profits from sequels and big blockbuster games. The developers are all hardcore. The publishers are generally hardcore as well.

When a hardcore gamer looks at a hardcore game, he sees sophistication, magnificence, and, most important, art as if it were a mirror image facing him. When a hardcore gamer looks as a casual game, he sees simplicity, non-art, easiness, and, in sum, a retardation of gaming. Hardcore view casual games not as progress in gaming but as games tailor made for gaming retards.

“Retards!?” says a shocked reader. “Surely you can’t say what you mean!” Why not? When a casual gamer picks up the standard dual shock controller, he gets confused. He doesn’t have the patience to wade through these elaborate 3d worlds or memorize fourteen button combinations. While the hardcore call him “stupid”, he retaliates by calling gaming “stupid”.

Anytime you read ‘casual games’ in the news, just replace ‘casual’ with the word ‘retard’ and you will get how it is truly perceived by the industry. “There is a casual gamer boom!” should translate to “There is a retard gamer boom!”. The “EA Casual Games Division” really is translated to “EA Retard Games Division”. “Why are you calling casual gamers retarded!?” thunders one reader. I am not. I am saying that the hardcore industry is the one who thinks this way. ‘Casual’ is just a nice way of saying ‘dumb’ in their eyes.

Anonymous said...

The reason why hardcore gamers’ hearts sink when a company says they will make the game include ‘casuals’ is because they know that all the edge, difficulty, and passion will be ripped out to make a generic, easy, and soul-less game.

Despite every company and their dog making these ‘casual’ games, the so-called casual audience is not buying them (just as they didn’t buy the platformer clones of the 8-bit generation, the fighter clones of the 16-bit generation, the GTA clones of last generation, and so on). When seeing their ‘casual games’ flop while seeing Nintendo’s ‘casual’ games in the bestsellers, the third parties growl and say, “IT IS ALL NINTENDO’S FAULT! People only buy Nintendo games! Third parties can’t succeed on this platform!”

The problem is not in these companies’ execution of their plan. The problem is their world-view. Their perception is totally off, and it is costing these companies millions upon millions of dollars. Don’t you think, guys, that it is time to think about things a littler harder before you waste more millions?

Anonymous said...

There is No Casual Gamer

“What!” echoes someone from the balcony. “If this is true, then what will we use for this generation’s meme? What will our editorialists write about? We have spilled so much ink on this subject and apply the ‘casual gaming’ template to every story that comes out. How can we exist without it?”

I do not know nor do I care. Hopefully, you birdmen can become a little more original.

Take the industry of home speakers (as many gamers are familiar with it). There is a wide range of product lines, is there not Mr. Reader?

“That is so,” replied Mr. Reader. “There are very basic, bargain based speakers to the mid range. Then, there is the more expensive high range.”

Very well… So the higher one goes, the more expensive it gets?

“Yes, Mr. Malstrom. Upper tier speakers are EXTREMELY expensive.”

Now tell me, my figment-of-my-words, how does user knowledge act along the product line?
“Well, knowledge is the defining characteristic of the tiers. The more knowledge one has, that means the more audiophile one is, the more likely he or she will reach for the upper tier. At the bottom, the users know little about audio and do not care to know. The ones at the top are very passionate about their audio and will pick out separate speakers and subwoofer just to maximize their experience.”

Are you saying the people on the bottom tier are stupid? Are they just casual listeners?

“Only an upper tier person would define them as ‘casual’. They just don’t have that much passion about audio so they don’t have much knowledge.”

And what creates this passion?

Mr. Reader smiled. “By having audio they want to listen to.”

If there is audio they want to listen to, they will start buying these speakers, become more knowledgeable, and keep upgrading those speakers as they move up to the higher tier?

“Yes.”

True Believer said...

Nintendo is really churning out games at a high rate for the Wii lately. And thank God it is not all just about Mario, Zelda and Metroid (even though these three are great gaming franchises). The nice thing about these games is that it aren't the typical kind of games that you will find on the other consoles.
I am also very curious wether some games will give a serious boost to the sales of the Nintendo Wii. The new Donkey Kong game could really be a big deal. The old Donkey Kong Country was one of the best selling games of all times on the Snes . We all could see with new Super Mario Bros that retro gaming sells. A new Donkey Kong Country produced by a studio known for it's high production values like Retro Studios could deliver the best selling game released on a single platform for the coming year.

True Believer said...

As for Metroid, I really love it that Nintendo produces a totally different kind of game using the Metroid franchise instead of just creating another sequel of the previous game just because it sells.The Metroid Prime fps is probably one of the best series of games produced on a Nintendo console, but continuing to make only new fps shooters would not do the Metroid franchise any good. The new direction of Metroid looks great and fresh.It's not the old 2d Medroid, not the more Recent 3d fps, but something completely different. As a games producer it is necessay to take a risk sometimes with a popular IP because otherwise there will be no innovation and people will start to loose interest because of playing the same game over and over again.

The last statement brings me to the new Zelda. Nintendo is taking a big creative risk by abandoning the 'realistic' look of the previous Zelda and moving on to a style that is almost cell-shaded and inspired by the painter Monet. It's a bold move to take one of your most defining franchises as a company and abandon the looks and style of the previous game. Especially after the controversy that a game like Windwaker caused among fans. But for several things I believe it is a good move. A game that looked much like Twilight Princess would just feel like more of the same thing. The new look underlines that the new game will be a significant deviation from the previous games. Another reason I think it is wise to abandon the realistic look for the new Zelda is also the lack of horsepower. When Twilight Princess was created the gamecube was probably the most powerfull console of that generation. This generation horsepower is not what Nintendo's Wii is all about. A 'realistic' Link could look great like Monster Hunter 3, but it would also remind the gamer of the lack of horsepower of the Wii compared to the hd-consoles. Games like 'No more Heroes' have shown that a artistic gamestyle could really work on the Wi, so why not take the artistic route instead of the realistic one? I would also want to point out that the perception of Zelda by the creators of Zelda seems really different compared to the perception of the fans. Ever since Ocarina of Time the most fans have had this vision of Zelda pushting the console hardware to it's edge in order to produce a gameworld as 'realistic' and stunning as possible. The makers of Zelda on the other hand have always sought ways to improve the game and deliver new experiences. Wether it was new gameplay, or a new graphical standard. In this view it didn't matter wether the graphics were increaslingy more realistic, but wether they helped to deliver a new experience and new directions to take the game in. (After all Link started as a topdown view midget, so why cling on desperately to a more and more realistic graphic style?) The most notable clash between these 2 visions was when Windwaker was released. A controversial game at the time, but now regarded as something that was fresh daring and different.
One of the other aspects I like is the use of the motion plus for accurate sword fighting and new ways to use controls in the game. It will help to give the player the feeling that he is playing something different than has done in the last 20 year, because a changed look and feel would not be enough. Just look at Streetfighter 4. The game looks great, but plays just like streetfighter 2 in the 90's.
I do not think that the new Zelda will be underwhelming, but I do believe it will be controversiall. The Zelda after Skyward Sword will probably be realistic again and more conservative in terms of gameplay, but as a gamer I do not mind a little controversy now and then.

jerry said...

god those replies are long. So get ready for another long reply. ha


I don't understand why people act as though casual gaming doesn't exist. It does! Also, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how it exists either.

Casual gamers are people who bought the wii in order to play wii sports. Casual gamers are people who play farmville on facebook and don't own any consoles at home. Casual gamers are people who....get ready for it....play games CASUALLY.

Why is that such a hard concept to understand for some people??

Casual gamers were one of the biggest ingredients for nintendo's blue ocean strategy. Create a market share that doesn't already exist, and how would you do that? You would need people who don't play games in order to create such a market share. The wii caters to casuals in a sense that eventually these people will fall in love with playing videogames, mainly nintendo developed ones, and will then buy products for years to come. You don't wake up one day and start playing videogames religiously and scouring the internet for nuggets of info. You start off slow playing a game that really hooks you in, i.e. Super Mario Bros for the NES, flash forward 20 years and you have people who never gamed much falling in love with Wii Sports. These people then start looking for other games that look interesting and before they know it, they're saving up money for specific games and anticipating certain releases.

The wii caters to a casual audience in the sense that these people will hopefully become nintendo fans for life. Look at E3 this year, why do you think we are seeing a resurgence of all these classic nintendo franchises? To keep the new market interested and to hopefully make them fans for life.

I'm not a nintendo fanboy by any means, I rarely play the thing, but I know enough to see what is happening. To disagree that the wii doesn't mainly cater to casual gamers is just stupid. It's not a bad thing for everyone and it could work out wonderfully for nintendo in the long run. For people like me though who don't enjoy motion controls and waiting every 6 months for a decent release, the wii has been an absolute nightmare of a console.

Anonymous said...

i have on chino trousers deck shoes and brill cream in my hair and a lite cotton t-shirt with collar and some cream coloured buttons

because im on my yacht im a rich guy BEING CASUAL

lol at this blogs moron author

Anonymous said...

graphically wii zelda is lightyears above twilight princess and it runs at 60 frames a second twice the frame rate of wind waker or twilight
#
you do not get it at all do you

it should look like gears of war according to you goofs

why no talk of the last storys graphics AHHH-HHHMMMMmmmm

Anonymous said...

i skived of high school today while my parents were at work,my school friend had burnt me a dvd so i watched it i giggled qwen i seen the hard core porn he had given me

it was gang-bangs anal bestiality pii and shit porn the whole HARDCORE THING i watched it on the FAMILY dvd player wilst my parents were out

i then left the house as my sister was due back from school i didnt want to be found out she got back she put DVD FIT dvd into the family dvd player and had a work out with a dooshbag celeb on screen then she put in her lady gago dvd and had a dance about the living room

mum gets back from work she has missed her fav soap operas all week lucky she recorded them to dvd she puts in dvd and watches her fav programmes and chills after work before putting dinner on

then dad gets home with a double dvd movie and popcorn deal from blockbuster lets watch these after dinner he says

after dinner mum and dad and sis and myself watch the two movies its now late i my sis and mum all head of to bed im sniggering as my feris bouler like day off school hadnt been found out

we all go to are rooms and go to sleep

dad now alone in the living room was awaiting this moment a work mate had given him some blacks on blonds anal porn he wanted to watch it

so he inserted the HARDCORE disc into the family dvd player and watched some porn and nocked out a cpl of jizz's before going to bed

following moarning are eldest sister arrived now living with her hubby a family of her own little boys crying so she puts on his land that time forgot DVD into the family dvd player

we all are up having breakfast i looked back on the past 24 hours i realised that

EVERY TYPE OF DVD WAS USED IN ARE FAMILY DVD PLAYER FROM KIDS STUFF TO FITNESS TO ACTION MOVIES AND EXTREAM HARDCORE PORN

the moral of the story if you havnt yet worked it out IS HARDCORE DOESNT EXIST AND THE IDEA THAT 1 CONSOLE IS GRANNYS CASUAL BOX AND THE OTHER IS A HARDCORE GAMERS BOX IS TOTAL BOLLOX

IT IS A INDUSTRY FALACY

THERES NO SUCH THING AS CASUAL OVER HERE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>AND HARDCORE OVER THERE


do you actually believe these INDUSTRY LIES

the great wiiboy101

Anonymous said...

so this change at this blog was it personal i.e you took neogaf comunity as god and started this ANTI NINTENDO CRAP TO SUCK UP TO THEM

OR

you got a offer of cash from someonde asking you to viral market for sony and troll wii

witch one was it come on tell us the truth HYPERCRITE

Anonymous said...

the wii and psp one line of the article states

AS THO PSP AND WII ARE = IN POWER

HHHHMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm........

Anonymous said...

the day i see MGS 3 with ps2 busting graphics and 3D running on psp ill let you know

the day i see anything remotely on par with resident evil demo on psp il let you know

mgs on psp is pixelated crap mgs 3 on ps2 is way way above psp and not even half of resident evil 4 on gamecube

MGS 3 3D on 3ds (demo) was above all of the above yet its psp-ish you say

MAN YOU ARE A RETARD

Anonymous said...

Hi, anyone need link exchange ?? Add me first and I will add you..
http://fullgametop.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

topratinggames.blogspot.com
top rating games download

jerry said...

so this change at this blog was it personal i.e you took neogaf comunity as god and started this ANTI NINTENDO CRAP TO SUCK UP TO THEM

OR

you got a offer of cash from someonde asking you to viral market for sony and troll wii

witch one was it come on tell us the truth HYPERCRITE

-------------

yea, falafelkid took a fat check cause this site gets so many hits.

Click the site meter at the bottom of his page you tool. Right now the average is 95 hits a day. In case you haven't noticed it's the same 5 people that comment here.

Keep going on about the casual "fallacy" though. It shows how blind you are. My girlfriend who owns a DSi and ONLY plays tetris party is a CASUAL gamer. Does that mean the DS is a casual console? NO! It means that there are people who own a DS (or a Wii) and play games on it casually.

I play my 360 casually. I wanted one game, Alan Wake. I bought the system and now it literally just sits there. I consider myself a casual 360 player. I'm also a casual PC gamer, the only game I have on my laptop is Plants vs. Zombies.

Why is casual gaming such a hard concept for you to understand?

jerry said...

"the day i see MGS 3 with ps2 busting graphics and 3D running on psp ill let you know

the day i see anything remotely on par with resident evil demo on psp il let you know

mgs on psp is pixelated crap mgs 3 on ps2 is way way above psp and not even half of resident evil 4 on gamecube

MGS 3 3D on 3ds (demo) was above all of the above yet its psp-ish you say "
--------------------------------
I thought graphics weren't important when it came to gaming? Isn't it all about the controls and gameplay?


OOOOOHHH....I get it.

Graphics only matter when nintendo showcases something really good looking. Anything else is bad for gaming right??

Nintendo fanboys can never make up their minds.

Unknown said...

I think it's right to criticize HD graphics when they cost every gamer a pretty penny just to have them, and when they ballooned game dev budgets to the point where a lot of devs went out of business.

Nintendo fans are not hypocrites when they praise the graphics of the 3DS, especially since Nintendo doesn't have the habit of releasing $400+ consoles and $300+ handheld systems.

That Nintendo is able to deliver such an astonishing amount of graphical power that trumps 5th gen PSP games in it's alpha stage and will not violate its usual pricing structure (I predict $200 max) is something to be excited about.

Similarly, Nintendo fans will also not be hypocrites when Nintendo's next console supports HD resolutions. In 2011-2012, HD stuff will be cheap enough to include as a no-brainer, and Nintendo will definitely enjoy the easiness and simplicity of HDMI (one cord in the wall, one cord in the TV, done.)

What's the bigger hypocrisy is how Sony and MS (and their fanboys) are all of a sudden embracing motion control and fighting to be the one to deliver motion controls after four straight years of marginalizing the technology as a cheap gimmick.

On the issue of "casual gamers," in this instance, the Malstromites are right. It's hard to pin down exactly what is a "casual gamer" because either classification strategy (games played or behavior of gamer) leads to more confusion than answers. It's better to not drive a wedge into gaming like that, mainly because it allows one company to rapidly and unstoppably grow while the other half whittles away and dies.

Anonymous said...

so ps3 got last gen old gen design and business model

and controls they now copy wii and do last gen old way 3D

wii continues to own nintendo go NEXT GEN 3D with 3DS

so both psp and ps3 are going to disrupt ps3 so ps3 and x360 gain more pressure from nintendo

just as there going to fail motion is about to release nintendo pushes hard with wii games and a new next gen 3D handheld

ps3 psp and x360 will all suffer hard disruption blueocean and a continued push will only see sony and microsoft pushed further out of gaming at LOSS

as nintendo continues her domination

i look forward to 2011 wen the above is proven so

Anonymous said...

ps1 successful ps2 successful

wii casual fad

who wants to be a millionaire ps1 ps2 ok with it

buzz ps2 ok with it

wii sports OH MY GOD NINTENDO WENT CASUAL

NO THEY DIDNT STOP CREATING FALACY'S

jerry said...

Falafelkid,

Have you been able to get any more work in on the Sadness article? I've been foaming at the mouth for this since 2008.

Anonymous said...

REMEMBER WEN THIS WAS A WII SPECULATION SITE

Anonymous said...

http://kotaku.com/5598501/what-if-the-next-metroid-is-a-bad-game


Waaaaah!!!They're changing Metroid & its sucks now!

Kotaku continues their brand of "Nintendo never changes but they are changing and it upsets me" brand of journalism.

Anonymous said...

HXl

i totally hear you on that.

Anonymous said...

zelda wii has weaker graphics than gamecube zeldas

BLOG AUTHOR LOOSES ALL CREDIBILITY

OH GUYS REMINDER 3DS INCLUDES A FREE KINECT

THINK ABOUT THAT

top10christmasgifts said...

Looking forward to the released the new Nintendo 3DS. I hope it isn't a let down after all of the hype it has had. Also looking forward to the release of the new Nintend Wii Console. I think ti is going to be released next year but im not too sure as there isn't alot of details about it yet as it has only just been announced.

James said...

I've had seen a preview of the Nintendo 3DS. It has plenty of new and awesome features. I also can't wait for the release of some of the future Wii titles!

www.gaminguys.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

moncler.com
Moncler italian
Moncler france

herve leger dress.
bandage dress
herve leger

moncler jacket
moncler jackets
moncler online shop

weddingdresses said...

The Power Balance bracelet is made of pure surgical grade silicone that is extremely durable. Its stretch feature optimizes users' comfort level. It comes equipped with two, visible power balance holograms and this sporty and stylish bracelet goes with everything.

Specification:

Silicone Power Balance Wristband Bracelet
The band made of 100% silicone rubber
With 2 visible hologram disks for balance power,waterproof.

Unknown said...

You've got as a final vbaghnm point look to the understanding for you to call for understanding cups. The good Oakley Frogskins news is, about to catch by yourself. While little one Boomers get into centre get older throughout droves, further stores are generally answering and adjusting his Oakley Frogskin or her requires, with their more rapid getting electrical power. as a consequence, the chances throughout understanding Cheap Oakley Sunglasses are generally unlimited! Users are generally zero expanded relegated for you to having your Oakley Jawbone wire-rimmed 50 % eye glasses throughout the conclude in the nasal, along with holding an outside set of two Oakley Jawbones pertaining to understanding while using sun's rays.

Unknown said...

This certainty is beautiful, even w81nx81 more beautiful than uncertainty.
Cheap New Era Hats
New Era Fitted Hats
Wholesale Cheap Hats
Cheap Hats
Cheap NCAA Hats

Anonymous said...

It really isD3 Items the majority of amazing. The issue is spectacular and it's almost noticeable that unit will end up some sort of megaseller along with the completely Guild Wars 2 Items new must-have system.

ทางเข้าslot joker123 said...

ทางเข้าslot joker123 สามารถ เข้า ต้องการลงทะเบียนเป็นสมาชิก PG SLOT ตอนไหนก็ได้ สมัครได้เลย การลงทะเบียนสมัครสมาชิกแบบไม่จำกัดเวลา สล็อต ทำให้บรรดานักเล่นการพนันเยอะมาก Gaming

เกม PG SLOT สนุก said...

เกม PG SLOT สนุกคำตอบของฉันคือว่าคุณต้องพิจารณาดูคุณภาพของเกม PG SLOT ก่อนว่ามันเหมาะสมกับความสนุก