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Iwata: I misread the market, the company needs to keep track of foreign trends better

Lumyst

Member
The problem with Directs is that they only hit the most enthusiast of Nintendo's fanbase, while missing any consumers that actually need to be marketed towards. Do they're pretty useless for getting out new info to the average consumer.

To me, the Iwata Asks are the real treasure. Nintendo Directs are just a way to disseminate news about what's to come on Nintendo consoles, and as such, I think the gaming media would be a better way to get that information out there to the "general gamer" (and also I think there should be huge banners that advertise new and upcoming games to WiiU owners the same way I would see Gears of War: Judgment guy after turning on my 360 last Spring :p
(BUT DON'T GO OVERBOARD AND SELL AD SPACE!)

^I suppose my views of Nintendo Directs vs. Gaming Media have been short lived. I only started watching them since last year so I don't remember how they were during the Wii heyday when there was lots more releasing on Nintendo consoles. So my impressions may be incorrect, only based on a short part of Nintendo Direct's history.
 
No matter your opinion on Nintendo Directs, I think we can all agree that Iwata is terrible at presenting news.

He is the anti-hype.



If they go forward with more Nintendo Directs, they need to have someone with more charisma present.
 

Effect

Member
No matter your opinion on Nintendo Directs, I think we can all agree that Iwata is terrible at presenting news.

He is the anti-hype.



If they go forward with more Nintendo Directs, they need to have someone with more charisma present.

I do think he's the wrong person doing these. I felt that from the beginning. The saving grace for the Directs has been the information presented. Even when Treehouse people are on I cringe a little. These aren't media personalities and it shows. Even the videos they put up on YouTube with Krysta and the other guy are bad as well. I think back to the Nintendo Week show on the Wii and Nintendo Show 3D on the 3DS. Far better productions by a wide margin when it came to presenting news, games, and information in general. Even with their cheese. They never should have been canceled and those productions at the very least should have morphed into something else as need be. The people behind those should be the ones handling the Nintendo Directs. Now the Iwata Ask are a different story.
 
A Pokemon MMO, made by a competent MMO developer, would have been amazing, even today.

However, I don't trust in Nintendo's abilities enough to believe they'd be capable of making a great MMO. Hell, they barely just figured online out.

As such, I'm glad it's an idea that's never been attempted.

A Pokemon MMO made by anyone is a horrid idea. Why d people want it. A Pokemon with all of the regions. Sure. An HD Pokemon that looks awesome on consoles. I can see your point. But what is the appeal of a Pokemon MMO? How would it work to begin.
 
A Pokemon MMO made by anyone is a horrid idea. Why d people want it. A Pokemon with all of the regions. Sure. An HD Pokemon that looks awesome on consoles. I can see your point. But what is the appeal of a Pokemon MMO. How would it work to begin.

Not to mention that Pokemon has all the MMO features already.
 

Lumyst

Member
If they go forward with more Nintendo Directs, they need to have someone with more charisma present.

I get cognitive dissonance when the guy I see as one of the Kirby guys is smiling and talking like it's no big deal about Bayonetta 2's "Climatic Action." Or he smiles and says "Please take a look" like it's no big deal, then the X trailer shows up. Or rock music plays and then Hyrule Warriors is revealed. The content and the execution of the delivery is off sometimes!
 

AzaK

Member
I'll say that this is what killed my view of my new WiiU, before I started being more aware of the gaming industry. As a casual "visit IGN.com to check up on the gaming news" gamer, it was the delay of Rayman Legends that was the sign that this platform was one that perhaps I wasted my money on. That a game I was looking forward to, only a couple months from launch, was delayed to be ported to the older consoles. Was this new console of mine not worthier of new games than those older consoles? The thought was, "If ithis is the experience I can expect as a WiiU owner, then I shouldn't bother to invest so much into this console." I believe sales of games in Spring 2013 represented people's last attempts to support their WiiU's (for instance, I got Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate as it was a somewhate hyped exclusive), then after the big third party games continued to skip the WiiU, and with news of publishers dropping support, people stopped bothering to invest in their console as the attention surrounding the PS4/Xbox One was in high gear. (And 360/PS3 continued receiving new and hyped games, and continue to receive new games that WiiU does not.) The thought was, at the time, "If these big multimillion dollar publishers don't see the value in the WiiU and are vocal about it, being so candid and open about it (and the gaming news easily letting everybody know), why should I?" But thankfully I know the full story and am happily trying all kinds of new games like Wonderful 101, but for the casual gamer who isn't as invested in gaming and casually follows the gaming news, the "tone" of the discussion surrounding the WiiU was depressing.

I dunno. I follow gaming news religiously and I've abandoned my Wii U. Apart from MK, and then Zelda/Metroid if they come out, I won't be buying another titles for my Wii U. I'm saving my money for a PS4 or Steam Machine. Fuck them.
 

royalan

Member
A Pokemon MMO made by anyone is a horrid idea. Why d people want it. A Pokemon with all of the regions. Sure. An HD Pokemon that looks awesome on consoles. I can see your point. But what is the appeal of a Pokemon MMO. How would it work to begin.

Hmmm, well, let's take a look at the premise of the Pokemon series: A character representing the player roams the land battling and collecting rare and exotic pokemon, trains them, and uses them to take on gym leaders and collect badges, enter tournaments in various regions, and face other pokemon trainers in various feats of skill and adventure.


Yes, how could such a premise POSSIBLY work as an MMO???
 

Sandfox

Member
No matter your opinion on Nintendo Directs, I think we can all agree that Iwata is terrible at presenting news.

He is the anti-hype.



If they go forward with more Nintendo Directs, they need to have someone with more charisma present.
Directs seem to draw hype regardless.
 

royalan

Member
Nintendo Directs only really draw hype amongst Nintendo fans...who would be hype regardless.

It's completely ineffective at getting the average gamer/casual gamer hyped for Nintendo products, especially since Nintendo tends to not announce them until right before.
 
Hmmm, well, let's take a look at the premise of the Pokemon series: A character representing the player roams the land battling and collecting rare and exotic pokemon, trains them, and uses them to take on gym leaders and collect badges, enter tournaments in various regions, and face other pokemon trainers in various feats of skill and adventure.


Yes, how could such a premise POSSIBLY work as an MMO???

I've heard plenty like of thngs like such, but are they any exact details you can give. What would happen to EVs and IVs, etc. A lot of people advocate the idea, neither realizing the business problems that would be associated nor coming up with a concrete plan about how to address every aspect of the franchise and balance it.

And see, that may be the objective of Pokemon for you, but that differs from person to person. Some are interested in the collection aspect. Some the multiplayer battling. Some just getting all the badges, People who enjoy the contests.
 

Sandfox

Member
They do. That's what makes me think they could a much bigger deal if the presentation was better.

Nintendo Directs only really draw hype amongst Nintendo fans...who would be hype regardless.

It's completely ineffective at getting the average gamer/casual gamer hyped for Nintendo products, especially since Nintendo tends to not announce them until right before.
I'm ok with the way Directs are run now as long as the news gets out. It would be interesting to see them try to make them a bigger thing but I don't think its that big of a concern.
I've heard plenty like of thngs like such, but are they any exact details you can give. What would happen to EVs and IVs, etc. A lot of people advocate the idea, neither realizing the business problems that would be associated nor coming up with a concrete plan about how to address every aspect of the franchise and balance it.

And see, that may be the objective of Pokemon for you, but that differs from person to person. Some are interested in the collection aspect. Some the multiplayer battling. Some just getting all the badges, People who enjoy the contests.

The battling would be completely inferior to the mainline games for the people who play at a competitive level solely based on the fact that it wouldn't be as easy to make/adjust teams in an MMO.
 

royalan

Member
I've heard plenty like of thngs like such, but are they any exact details you can give. What would happen to EVs and IVs, etc. A lot of people advocate the idea, neither realizing the business problems that would be associated nor coming up with a concrete plan about how to address every aspect of the franchise and balance it.

And see, that may be the objective of Pokemon for you, but that differs from person to person. Some are interested in the collection aspect. Some the multiplayer battling. Some just getting all the badges, People who enjoy the contests.

So...sorta like how some people who play WoW enjoy doing the quests and dailies, some like maxing out all of the skills and collecting, others like selling in the auction house, and others prefer PVP? The idea of having multiple forms of play rolled into a single MMO is nothing knew. Hell, it's a hallmark of the genre.

Honestly, it doesn't seem like you've given much thought to Pokemon as an MMO outside of Nintendo's company line: "it just wouldn't work." But its been established at this point that Nintendo says a lot of things. But Pokemon, as a franchise, has all the components necessary to make a damn amazing MMO.

I'm ok with the way Directs are run now as long as the news gets out. It would be interesting to see them try to make them a bigger thing but I don't think its that big of a concern.

I agree, and I don't think Nintendo needs to change how they handle the Directs. They're a good way to get the diehard fans hyped. But that's just it: the diehard fans. Nintendo cannot use Directs as a stand-in for large-scale marketing aimed at a wider demographic than their fanbase.

And, hopefully this doesn't need to be said, but Nintendo should never, EVER, sit out another E3 because they think a series of Directs will produce the same hype.
 
Half-days work from a bare bones camera crew, and maybe an hour's time for Iwata to read a pre-written script. It's not like Pikmin 3 was delayed because they were so occupied with Directs.
Yeah, its silly to believe that Nintendo directs are the issue.

Anyway, I'm very curious on Nintendo's course of action to deal with this dilemma. Iwata said that they will see how Christmas goes, and the answer was not what they wanted. He likely to already made a plan in case the Wii U failed to meet its mark.
 

Lumyst

Member
I dunno. I follow gaming news religiously and I've abandoned my Wii U. Apart from MK, and then Zelda/Metroid if they come out, I won't be buying another titles for my Wii U. I'm saving my money for a PS4 or Steam Machine. Fuck them.

So long as all promised games (X) are released, I as an enthuthiast informed of the situation will be satisfied, but even I have the feeling that after getting X, I will draw down my enthuthiasm to buy games for it. As odd as it sounds, it's the people who are going to buy Mario Kart that I'm worried about, whose trust towards the Nintendo brand could be affected by the handling of the WiiU should they dare to buy one without knowing its sales situation. Would they discover retailers dropping support soon after buying it? Would they not find Bayonetta 2 and X and SMT X FE appealing and thus, suffer a long period without the kinds of games they enjoy due to the lack of third parties providing those games? (Imagine that, me worrying that Nintendo isn't making enough family friendly or Mario games for the WiiU this year). Such is the trouble with having to provide for both audiences when neither is in large enough number to keep the overall WiiU endeavor afloat. Perhaps a misreading of both markets happened (trying to stay on topic.)
 

udivision

Member
It feels like the "Whether there should be another mainline Pokemon series" debate is might be analogous to an alternate universe in which Mario 64 was never made. Fans keep going back and forth on the same questions.

Could Mario could work as a 3D Platformer? You'd have to change so much, that it wouldn't be the same game.
Would that mean there would be no more Super Mario Bros?
Would this hypothetical "3D Mario" cannibalize sales of the mainline Super Mario Bros which has been selling so well?
Would a 3D Mario even have the same sales potential as a 2D one due to it being harder to control a 3D character/camera? The target audience would be smaller, and fans of the 2D series might not be able to get used to the 3D one.

And all the questions would be valid, but the "spin off" franchise Mario 64 would never exist. The real tragedy, however, isn't that Mario 64 was never made in this alternate universe, it's that Super Mario Sunshine was made and then became an example of why 3D Mario could never work and it'd still seem like we were no closer to knowing whether this hypothetical "3D Mario" was worth it...
 

leroidys

Member
It feels like the "Whether there should be another mainline Pokemon series" debate is might be analogous to an alternate universe in which Mario 64 was never made. Fans keep going back and forth on the same questions.

Could Mario could work as a 3D Platformer? You'd have to change so much, that it wouldn't be the same game.
Would that mean there would be no more Super Mario Bros?
Would this hypothetical "3D Mario" cannibalize sales of the mainline Super Mario Bros which has been selling so well?
Would a 3D Mario even have the same sales potential as a 2D one due to it being harder to control a 3D character/camera? The target audience would be smaller, and fans of the 2D series might not be able to get used to the 3D one.

And all the questions would be valid, but the "spin off" franchise Mario 64 would never exist. The real tragedy, however, isn't that Mario 64 was never made in this alternate universe, it's that Super Mario Sunshine was made and then became an example of why 3D Mario could never work and it'd still seem like we were no closer to knowing whether this hypothetical "3D Mario" was worth it...

In a way, I wish this had actually happened, so that we could have a totally different IP that nintendo uses for semi-open world exploration/platforming driven game, and follow that as far as they can. I think the SM3D paradigm is so much better suited to mario & co. than SMS/64.

Basically, I want my 1up mushroom and to eat it too.
 

udivision

Member
In a way, I wish this had actually happened, so that we could have a totally different IP that nintendo uses for semi-open world exploration/platforming driven game, and follow that as far as they can. I think the SM3D paradigm is so much better suited to mario & co. than SMS/64.

Basically, I want my 1up mushroom and to eat it too.

It would've ended up being Banjo or Donkey Kong if Rare had stayed, I figure.
 
I dunno where to post these following informations and please take it with an grand of salt, but according to a source of mine:

-Nintendo is working for several years on a new System. Not just a gaming system.

-Nintendo Direct is planed for this upcoming week = Mario kart 8 release date, Super smash bros release date, two new game announcements.

-Pokken is real. Pokemon/Tekken. Release date set for September 2014.

-Two Metroid games in development. One almost finished. Releasing Oktober 2014.

-ZeldaU is releasing Holiday 2014. Much darker and mature - u can feel the spirt of majoras mask in it.

-Japanese third partys are gathering closer around Nintendo. New exclusive deal and ips are going to be revealed.

-we are going to see at least 3 old long anticipated franchises from Nintendo this year

-New miyamoto ip. Only information is that there is no information. Kept very secret.

-eshop and retail games are getting cheaper

-Nintendo is going to drop some huge game changing suprises.

Well like i said, take it with a grand of salt, but according in what position my source is working, it seems really trustworthy.


is this real ?
 
No matter your opinion on Nintendo Directs, I think we can all agree that Iwata is terrible at presenting news.

He is the anti-hype.



If they go forward with more Nintendo Directs, they need to have someone with more charisma present.

Totally disagree, I find him more engaging than car salesman Reggie who can't even drive a Mario Kart in a straight line.

Trinen is better than both though.
 

flkraven

Member
I dunno where to post these following informations and please take it with an grand of salt, but according to a source of mine:

-Nintendo is working for several years on a new System. Not just a gaming system.

-Nintendo Direct is planed for this upcoming week = Mario kart 8 release date, Super smash bros release date, two new game announcements.

-Pokken is real. Pokemon/Tekken. Release date set for September 2014.

-Two Metroid games in development. One almost finished. Releasing Oktober 2014.

-ZeldaU is releasing Holiday 2014. Much darker and mature - u can feel the spirt of majoras mask in it.

-Japanese third partys are gathering closer around Nintendo. New exclusive deal and ips are going to be revealed.

-we are going to see at least 3 old long anticipated franchises from Nintendo this year

-New miyamoto ip. Only information is that there is no information. Kept very secret.

-eshop and retail games are getting cheaper

-Nintendo is going to drop some huge game changing suprises.

Well like i said, take it with a grand of salt, but according in what position my source is working, it seems really trustworthy.

wink.gif
 

harmonize

Member
The battling would be completely inferior to the mainline games for the people who play at a competitive level solely based on the fact that it wouldn't be as easy to make/adjust teams in an MMO.
No offense, but pleasing the minuscule competitive community to the company's possible determent should be the last of Gamefreak and Nintendo's worries going forward with the franchise. If the competitive players can adapt to all the randomness that has always been present in the games, I'm sure they'll find a way to work with whatever changes they could implement in an MMO.

Not to say I think they should make one; a mainline console version would probably suffice in garnering attention to their less than stellar home console.
 

KingJ2002

Member
admitting the mistake is the first step to righting the ship. I still think Iwata can run the company... NOJ just can't do it alone. he needs to rely on the other arms of nintendo... mainly NOA and NOE for marketing and forecasts into their respective markets. NOJ can't dictate what NOA wants and vice versa.

Better communication could have saved Nintendo from this disaster.
 

Guevara

Member
admitting the mistake is the first step to righting the ship. I still think Iwata can run the company... NOJ just can't do it alone. he needs to rely on the other arms of nintendo... mainly NOA and NOE for marketing and forecasts into their respective markets. NOJ can't dictate what NOA wants and vice versa.

Better communication could have saved Nintendo from this disaster.
Well, that was the idea behind Iwata taking on the additional CEO of North America title.
 
IMO they need nintendos irect now more than ever. For the little effort they take, they have people like me, the people that buy the Nintendo games and consoles, get hyped for the future of the console they invested in. I'm not saying Nintendo direct should be their only window, but they need it never the less.
 

Toparaman

Banned
No matter your opinion on Nintendo Directs, I think we can all agree that Iwata is terrible at presenting news.

He is the anti-hype.

If they go forward with more Nintendo Directs, they need to have someone with more charisma present.

Iwata is endearingly awkward, but I agree. Reggie is no Steve Jobs, but he does have confidence and charisma, so it would be an improvement.

Though in a weird way, the anti-hype is good. Makes you unprepared...
 
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