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[Figboy79]

Forgive me if this has been addressed before, but I work at Capcom/Beeline, and me and the guys at work got into a conversation the other day about Nintendo, Sony, and user generated content in games like LittleBigPlanet, Terraria, and Minecraft.

I brought up the subject of how, in my opinion, I'd be all over a Nintendo themed version of Minecraft or Terraria or Skylanders/Disney Infinity.

I feel that Nintendo has the capital to invest in something like Skylanders, with collectable figures you could purchase that adds the characters to a crossover style game. I feel that, with the timeless nature of many of Nintendo's franchises, something like that would really resonate with the gamers both old and young.

I feel the same about a Minecraft/Terraria style game (Nintendo could do a 3D or 2D one, or both!). Players could craft worlds and objects from across the spectrum of Nintendo's history, and share the content with other players of the games. I actually think Nintendo's franchises like Zelda, Metroid, Donky Kong, and Mario could work well in the framework of the Minecraft and Skylanders style framework.

I feel that Sony has done a great job with the LittleBigPlanet franchise and how it allows for incredible user generated content, as well as a very profitable DLC model that I'm sure they are pleased with. They've also done some interesting things with the inFAMOUS UGC, and pushing games like Sound Shapes on their platforms.

My question is, why would/wouldn't Nintendo do this? It's easy, as a Nintendo fan, to want something like this from them, but are there good reasons why a Minecraft/Terraria/Skylanders style concept wouldn't be good/viable for Nintendo? I know I'd pay all the money, and not bitch about game themed DLC for games like this.

I think UGC is such an important part of the future of gaming, both big and small, and I'm surprised that, from what I've seen, Nintendo hasn't really dipped their feet into this area, and I think they'd be great at it.

What do you guys think?

 

[Sophia]

Minecraft Wii U Edition.

Optional Nintendo themed skins, w/ optional Nintendo Mode that adds items to the game world.

It would be awesome.

They did try some user generated content with custom levels in Brawl, but the effort was half-hearted and all around lazy. Shame, I'd love to see them continue on that line of thought.

 

[vinnygambini]

Iwata:

This year, we will make full use of this function by preparing multiple proposals, we will showcase our detailed propositions for utilizing the NFC functionality at E3 in Los Angeles in June.

It's coming. Bless our wallets.

 

[KefkaPalazzo]

A Skylanders/Disney Infinity clone could work reasonably well.

But DLC? User generated content? Are we talking about the same Nintendo?

 

[Iceblade]

Not having a Minecraft version on either Wii U or 3DS is their biggest flaw, yeah. The amount of people that I see buying a 360 for Minecraft alone -- it's worth it. And the potential for Nintendo customisation is huge.

 

[Trago]

A skylanders style game with figurines from various Nintendo franchises would kick ass.

The same thing could happen with a Pokemon MMO, buying rare limited edition pokemon or something.

 

[Out of Working Order]

Because they're trendsetters - not followers.

 

[Figboy79]

I also wanted to say, in case it wasn't clear in the OP, I'm not championing for Nintendo to get Minecraft, Terraria, Skylanders on their platform, I mean I want them to make their own Minecraft, Terraria, Skylanders style game, using their vast history of IPs. I think it'd be fuck awesome.

Because they're trendsetters - not followers.

Being a "trendsetter" doesn't really seem to be helping them out at present. There's nothing wrong with looking at what others have done that is successful, and then putting your own spin on it. I don't quite understand the obsession with having to be "first!" at everything. Just make good product. I think Nintendo, with their financial resources and history, could make something incredibly special in the UGC genre.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Because Nintendo ignores western game development.

 

[trinest]

Because they're trendsetters - not followers.

Some would say they should of sene this coming?

 

[Oersted]

A Skylanders/Disney Infinity clone could work reasonably well.

But DLC? User generated content? Are we talking about the same Nintendo?

Fire Emblem/Pikmin? Wario Ware/ Mario Minis? Yes?

 

[Guevara]

Nintendo's being pretty conservative on the home console side this gen. NSMB, DKC, 3D Mario, next couple big games are Mario Kart and Smash.

There are exceptions, but it seems like the terrible Wii U sales have made them pull back to well-known, 'safe' choices.

 

[Log4Girlz]

That would cost money.

 

[jay]

Because they're trendsetters - not followers.

This is actually kind of true, and has some negative implications. Nintendo cannot compete in the core market because they refuse to participate in critical core genres. The good news is that if they do ever make it into one of these areas, the game will probably be a bit different from the competition, like Pikmin to RTS or Smash to fighting games.

Really, though, with the number of legitimate "Why doesn't Nintendo..." threads that exist, "because Nintendo" really is a satisfactory answer.

 

[Mii]

Buy the Toon Link Smash Bros. trophy figurine to use him in game!

If dozens of non-wearable chip-laden plastic figurines don't improve my quality of life, I don't know what would.

 

[Chopper Dave]

Post #3, read it. One would think a Nintendo game utilizing the U's NFC capability would be one of the most relevant bits of info regarding this topic.

Nintendo's being pretty conservative on the home console side this gen. NSMB, DKC, 3D Mario, next couple big games are Mario Kart and Smash.

There are exceptions, but it seems like the terrible Wii U sales have made them pull back to well-known, 'safe' choices.

Not to argue that Nintendo has been in a safe mode but all or nearly all of those titles have been in development before the wiiU launched.

 

[ozfunghi]

Nintendo doesn't jump trains. Trains jump Nintendo.

Or something.

 

[shira]

nintenDOTA is taking up all their resources

 

[zhorkat]

Well Nintendo does sell these things to use in Pokemon Rumble U.

As to why nobody knows about it? Probably because of this.

That would cost money.

 

[Uncle Rupee]

Nintendo could have easily added a level editor to the 2D Mario games since the NES era, but they didn't. In the modern age of NSMB, you'd think a level editor with sharing system would have been included.

Instead, I get the impression that Nintendo wants a clear separation between themselves (the content creators) and consumers. I suppose the thinking is that if anyone can design a Mario level, suddenly it becomes less "magical".

Currently there is a Wii U bundle that includes Skylanders. I have no idea why Minecraft hasn't been ported to the Wii U, you'd think with the gamepad there could be some very useful features.

 

[Alphahawk]

Because Nintendo is unaware of the needs of any market's needs other than Japan's.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Well Nintendo does sell these things to use in Pokemon Rumble U.

As to why nobody knows about it? Probably because of this.

Whoa, low poly pokemon? Thats unbelievably awesome and adorable.

 

[Sophia]

Nintendo could have easily added a level editor to the 2D Mario games since the NES era, but they didn't. In the modern age of NSMB, you'd think a level editor with sharing system would have been included.

Instead, I get the impression that Nintendo wants a clear separation between themselves (the content creators) and consumers. I suppose the thinking is that if anyone can design a Mario level, suddenly it becomes less "magical".

Currently there is a Wii U bundle that includes Skylanders. I have no idea why Minecraft hasn't been ported to the Wii U, you'd think with the gamepad there could be some very useful features.

You're right. Realistically Nintendo doesn't want user generated content as it could potentially devalue their IPs in a way. Especially Mario. For all the crap awful romhacks of Super Mario World out there, some are pretty good.

If Nintendo wanted to peruse the route of user generated content, a lesser used IP or a brand new one would be ideal.

 

[mrpeabody]

Because regardless of what they say, Nintendo doesn't believe third parties are important.

 

[Figboy79]

I personally don't see how it would devalue their IPs, and I also don't think that there would be a conflict of interest, so to speak.

A Nintendo themed Minecraft or Terraria would be, mechanically, vastly different from any of the products they've produced before. Just game design wise, they are very different. I'm not proposing for Nintendo to put UGC into their existing franchises. I'm talking about brand new, separate franchises, that are similar to Minecraft, Terraria, and Skylanders.

I, personally, would gobble up a Skylanders/Disney Infinity style game, complete with adorable Mario/Zelda/Metroid/DKC/Kid Icarus/Fire Emblem figures that you purchase to add them to the game. The reason why I think a game like that could really succeed is because of Nintendo's skill with gameplay.

Disney Infinity is enjoyable, and cute, and I own it, but it completely falls flat in the game play department. It's simply not as polished as a Nintendo game would be. I think of something like the polish, and expert level design of a Super Mario Galaxy, or Super Mario 3D World, or a Windwaker, but with the outward shell of a Skylanders or Disney Infinity.

I think of the tight controls and smooth gameplay of a New Super Mario Bros, but with the, "mine and craft" style formula of a Terraria.

The first thing people seem to make when a UGC feature is in a game is to create levels based off of Nintendo games. LittleBigPlanet, Sound Shapes, etc; you can find countless wanna be Mario or Zelda, or Metroid themed levels. Even one of the guys I work with who's a production guy, recreated NES era Hyrule in Minecraft and walked me through it. It was fucking amazing.

I just think it would be incredibly awesome and lucrative for Nintendo to put out their own IP.

UGC designers are insanely talented, but I don't see how it would hurt Nintendo's own efforts. I mean, LBP didn't kill Media Molecule, or devalue their work. LBP2 and LBP Vita were still fantastic titles, and Tearaway is one of the best games of last year.

What's kind of funny about the LBP Vita situation, is that LBP Vita was created by a team Media Molecule selected of the best level designers in LBP1 and 2. So, the best LBP experience you can get (the Vita version is, in my opinion, the best in the entire series), was created by users. I think that's awesome. Those guys were able to get a career in gaming because of their talent, and the UGC they created for LBP.

 

[zhorkat]

I guess you can say that Animal Crossing counts as a very constrained example of a type of game where players can "craft worlds and objects from across the spectrum of Nintendo's history, and share the content with other players of the games." Maybe an Animal Crossing on Wii U would greatly expand the player's ability to customize and share their house/town? Although that game would probably move towards being more like SimCity than more like Minecraft in terms of the player's ability to create.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Nintendo Skylanders could possibly work, but no one is going to buy a WiiU to play a Minecraft knock-off when they can just play Minecraft on every piece of electronic equipment more powerful than a toaster.

 

[industrian]

Because Nintendo are the Vince McMahon of games development.

 

[Guevara]

Not to argue that Nintendo has been in a safe mode but all or nearly all of those titles have been in development before the wiiU launched.

Good point, I guess Nintendo's been in safe mode even when planning the Wii U.

 

[Lijik]

Theres been stabs at it here and there ever since a Mario vs DK game on the DSiware store but their attempts tend to be in their smaller titles that never get enough attention.

Their most indepth attempt was WarioWare DIY which was like Mario Paint on steroids and let players program their own microgames. An expanded version of WarioWare DIY that either wasnt tied to quick microgames, or was on a more accessible platform (having to fiddle with codes to send out games and using an app on the wii as storage was a bit of a hassle) would be fantastic.

I had the feeling around when Pushmo and FreakyForms came out a steady train of eshop games boosted by swapping user-made content with QR codes was going to follow, but those two games coming out close together wound up just being a coincidental blip. I think the only Nintendo 3DS releases after to utilize QR codes to swap user made stuff were Animal Crossing and Crashmo.

 

[Usually Right]

Because they're trendsetters - not followers.

Problem is they're following trends they set in 1996

 

[Haines]

Nintendo tends to be shy to two things that would make this happen. Content creation type games and following what the mainstream popular thing in gaming is. Maybe we will see something at e3

 

[AlphaTwo00]

Well Nintendo does sell these things to use in Pokemon Rumble U.

As to why nobody knows about it? Probably because of this.

I never saw them in stores, and I would have been easily convinced to get them if they were available ANYWHERE, which it wasn't. Nintendo halfassed that attempt and expected Skylanders/Infinity results.

 

[onipex]

Nintendo should team with either Activision or Disney to make a NFC Nintendo world and/or Pokemon game.

You're right. Realistically Nintendo doesn't want user generated content as it could potentially devalue their IPs in a way. Especially Mario. For all the crap awful romhacks of Super Mario World out there, some are pretty good.

If Nintendo wanted to peruse the route of user generated content, a lesser used IP or a brand new one would be ideal.

A Skylanders/Disney Infinity clone could work reasonably well.

But DLC? User generated content? Are we talking about the same Nintendo?

Nintendo has been putting out a lot of DLC ( Fire Emblem, NSMB U,Pikmin 3 ) and has games built around user generated content (freaky forms,pushmo/pullmo, Wario Ware diy).

 

[Yuripaw]

Well Nintendo does sell these things to use in Pokemon Rumble U.

As to why nobody knows about it? Probably because of this.

Those things really are cute, and kinda cool. I wish they had done more things like this. I only got 4 of those figures though, because only place I knew had them was stupid gamestop, and going there once to buy some was all I could bear.

 

[jmizzal]

I have a feeling Nintendo is about to jump on the Skylanders/Disney Infinity train with their new NFC Game at E3, Miyamoto is suppose to show it off there.

I think if they bring that out for the holidays it good help WiiU out a lot

 

[Bloodworth]

Well Nintendo does sell these things to use in Pokemon Rumble U.

As to why nobody knows about it? Probably because of this.

yeah, as big as Skylanders and Infinity have been and as big as Pokemon still is, this game should be a huge cash cow and sales-driver for the Wii U. But barely anyone knows it even exists.

 

[SolarPowered]

Nintendo marches to the beat of their own drum. I think some part of them may view it as jumping into a "red ocean". They just like to be the first ones in a new market, I guess.

 

[Lijik]

Well Nintendo does sell these things to use in Pokemon Rumble U.

As to why nobody knows about it? Probably because of this.

Wow I didnt even know these existed.

I think thats the main problem- its not that Nintendo doesnt have user content or figurine driven games, its that they're so obscure that even people in this thread are saying they'd never do it even though Nintendo already has

 

[Red Arremer]

But there is a Skylanders game on 3DS and Wii U?

 

[digita1alchemy]

Nintendo doesn't come up with ideas by saying, "Well, what's popular right now?" And that's all there is to it.

yeah, as big as Skylanders and Infinity have been and as big as Pokemon still is, this game should be a huge cash cow and sales-driver for the Wii U. But barely anyone knows it even exists.

That's because it's not a very good game, it's only in the eShop and the figures' role in the game is somewhat of an afterthought.

 

[tokkun]

I think sandbox games like Minecraft and Terraria are antithetical to Nintendo's design ethos. Nintendo is all about carefully controlling the player's experiences. This comes out in all aspects of their game decisions, from the painstakingly tuned level designs to the prevalence of tutorials/hand-holding to online policies like friend codes.

Just look at Minecraft's development: They put the game out in alpha, let people play around with it, observed what people were doing, and created the game around the feedback. It is hard to imagine anything like that happening with a Nintendo game.

 

[The Broken Ska Record]

I never saw them in stores, and I would have been easily convinced to get them if they were available ANYWHERE, which it wasn't. Nintendo halfassed that attempt and expected Skylanders/Infinity results.

I don't think Nintendo expected Skylanders/Infinity results, but it could have done incredibly well if marketed and placed in more stores.

 

[Neiteio]

I've said it before, I'll say it again -- do it all.

1) Team up with Lego to release Nintendo-themed Lego sets with NFC-enabled blocks
2) Release WiiU game: "Lego Nintendo," parodying Mario, Zelda, etc
3) Let people build their own Mario levels, Zelda dungeons, etc, snapping together blocks on the touchscreen
4) Include a "free build" mode like Minecraft
5) Use GamePad's NFC to sense the Lego creations you make in real-life and translate to the game

BAM!

Nintendo + Lego + Minecraft + Skylanders + Merchandise

???

PROFIT

 

[EulaCapra]

A Nintendo themed Skylanders/Infinity would sell amazingly well... on the Wii. I feel like that concept and great gameplay woulld be enough to move Wii U's, but at the same time, I truly feel it in my heart that they'll blow it in marketing. Or make a bone-headed move and also release it for Wii and 3DS where they'll eat up sales.

Oh wait, this isn't a "Save the Wii U Thread"? Nevermind then! Haul in the figurines!

 

[PAULINK]

I never saw them in stores, and I would have been easily convinced to get them if they were available ANYWHERE, which it wasn't. Nintendo halfassed that attempt and expected Skylanders/Infinity results.

They're exclusive to gamestop, and they're generally behind the counter from what i've seen.

 

[Poona]

But there is a Skylanders game on 3DS and Wii U?

But there isn't one of Nintendos own (collect mario, dk or Pokemon, etc figures as opposed to skylanders or disney characters).

 

[Guevara]

They're exclusive to gamestop, and they're generally behind the counter from what i've seen.

That seems like an exceptionally dumb decision.

 

[R_thanatos]

Well nintendo is opposed to user generated content ..in part why they said no to little big planet. As far as my memory goes the only exemple of user generated content was the level editor in smash bros brawl.

As for the figs , they actually have made the wii u gamepad compatible with several technologies just like skylanders ...but so far nobody as used them yet ( except ubisoft, maybe ? )

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Would we like to count the trains Nintendo has been comically late to? Because there's tons of them.