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Nikkei: Nintendo to offer more low-cost software - 3DS remasters (?), more free demos
- Thread starter vinnygambini
- Start date
thewhitehawk
Member
Nintendo has some of the longest running franchises on the planet and they've been very modest about banking upon that. I think that lack of modest pricing on their software is one of their issues. If eshop titles were at more affordable prices I think it would be better for them.
As Steve Jobs once said to struggling book publishers: "Price aggressively and go for volume."
As Steve Jobs once said to struggling book publishers: "Price aggressively and go for volume."
Pennywise83
Banned
That's what I'd call a freemium game.
TreasureHunterG
Banned
Why some people believe Star Fox is a niche franchise to be restricted as eShop only title is beyond me. It was among one of the most popular Nintendo franchises on the SNES (3M units) and N64 (4M units) days, even Star Fox Adventures was very popular (1,8M units). Too bad it was terribly mismanaged by Nintendo afterwards (as many other franchises, though). In 2012, IGN made a poll asking for a Nintendo franchise revival and Star Fox took the top spot. Restricting to an eShop only title would a dumb move, considering the franchise's potential and popularity.
2013 - "Nintendo posted an operating loss for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013. However, we strive to regain “Nintendo-like” profits for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014 by providing many people with fascinating games and services"
- Satoru Iwata
2014 - "In this sense, instead of seeing a great and sudden recovery in our profitability in the next fiscal year, I am rather expecting to be able to report Nintendo-like profits from around the following fiscal year [Ending March 2016]."
- Satoru Iwata
2015 - "We aim to return to profit levels more typical of the company in the year ending March 2017,"
- Satoru Iwata
Can't wait for next years edition.
- Satoru Iwata
2014 - "In this sense, instead of seeing a great and sudden recovery in our profitability in the next fiscal year, I am rather expecting to be able to report Nintendo-like profits from around the following fiscal year [Ending March 2016]."
- Satoru Iwata
2015 - "We aim to return to profit levels more typical of the company in the year ending March 2017,"
- Satoru Iwata
Can't wait for next years edition.
Probably to cater with people at China. Nintendo is now officially heading into the Chinese Market.
The 2014 and 2015 statements are actually exactly the same. He's saying to expect them to make money in 2016.
How? Last year it was they'll be back to big profits in March 2016. Now it's March 2017.
Edit for clarity: Nah in 2014 he was saying for the financial year ending 2016. This latest article he's talking about for the financial year ending 2017
To be fair, they are back in profit now so who knows, they may reach that in the next FY
Eolz
Member
No. March 2017 is the end of the 2016 Fiscal Year for Nintendo. So nothing changed here, and it's partly linked to QOL (and other initiatives).
Sure... But in 2014 he was referring to the financial year ending in 2016. Now he's referring to the financial year ending 2017.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I tells ya, expect a ton of GCN/Wii ports to new 3DS or whatever.
In the actual Q&A he's outright asked about the FYs ending in March 2016 and March 2017. For the latter he uses the Nintendo-like profits line.
Eolz
Member
Read the whole quote straight from the source:
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140508qa/index.html . Question 2. He's talking about the FY2016, ending in March 2017. He didn't change his mind.
This.
You're right but I've re-read it again and I'm pretty sure he's referring to 2016. He talks about releasing new initiatives in the year ending March 2015 and then makes the reference to seeing the Nintendo-like profits in the following year.
Agent Gibbs
Member
I'm hoping this will mean Wii game ports (please Twillight Princess/Skyward Sword) akin to donkey kong country returns, but i think it could also (in regards to the smaller games etc) see ports of SNES/GBA games previously locked on home consoles, i mean i have GBA games on my 3DS because of the Ambassador give away, so it worked then
and i'm all for them churning remastered things like that out
if it means literally they take mobile games like (Simpsons Tapped Out, Family Guy, clash of clans) and porting them to 3DS....not sure how i'd like that it might sell and wouldn't affect me, but would they even sell? the flip side i suppose is if they ported good mobile ports like KOTOR or Deus Ex (use the term losely there)
i struggle to think what it means really as its so vague
and i'm all for them churning remastered things like that out
if it means literally they take mobile games like (Simpsons Tapped Out, Family Guy, clash of clans) and porting them to 3DS....not sure how i'd like that it might sell and wouldn't affect me, but would they even sell? the flip side i suppose is if they ported good mobile ports like KOTOR or Deus Ex (use the term losely there)
i struggle to think what it means really as its so vague
The Q&A session where you've taken that statement from is the one happened in May 2014, already in the FY ending March 2015. In fact, he first refers to what said for "this fiscal year" (FY ending March 2015), then he talks about the "next" (FY ending March 2016)and the "following" (FY ending March 2017)
:lol we don't even know what that sentence actually means, but sure, go ahead with those conclusions.
Good.
Ah you're right I see. Sorry about that.
Q
qizah
Unconfirmed Member
I have no idea where people are getting F2P from. It's not in the article. Having smartphone software on the 3DS also doesn't inherently mean F2P titles. Also, just because a game is F2P doesn't mean it's automatically a horrible thing. It all depends on how it's handled. People need to stop jumping to dumb conclusions.
Remasters make sense considering a lot of them sell well and they must be relatively inexpensive to create. That said, I'd rather have new software, but I also don't mind people getting a chance to replay games they may have missed out years ago. I've been lucky with this, because I got a chance to play Ocarina of Time 3D and Star Fox 64 3D for the first times. I'll be doing the same with Majora's Mask as well.
The free trials idea is a smart idea and is something Nintendo should have done a while ago.
Remasters make sense considering a lot of them sell well and they must be relatively inexpensive to create. That said, I'd rather have new software, but I also don't mind people getting a chance to replay games they may have missed out years ago. I've been lucky with this, because I got a chance to play Ocarina of Time 3D and Star Fox 64 3D for the first times. I'll be doing the same with Majora's Mask as well.
The free trials idea is a smart idea and is something Nintendo should have done a while ago.
SinCityAssassin
Member
As long as they aren't also copying the glut of microtransactions, I'm fine with this.
Pennywise83
Banned
There are some remaster that work; for example, Donkey Kong Country Returns fits perfectly the 3DS, and also has 8 new levels, and a wonderful 3D. Others, like Xenoblade, seems a bit more forced.
If I have to think about GC / Wii games to be ported on 3DS, I'd see well Kirby's Adventure Wii, Poképark, Resident Evil 4...
If I have to think about GC / Wii games to be ported on 3DS, I'd see well Kirby's Adventure Wii, Poképark, Resident Evil 4...
Chû Totoro
Member
Give me Collectable Badge Center, Hakoboi!, Puzzle & Dragons Z and tons of games / software like these. I'll buy them all Nintendo !!!
Ideas like these are what got the current console market into the fucking monotony it's in right now.
Sin & Punishment. 3D effect would be perfect for that.
uhhh where does it say that?
Btw, is that still not announced for the west?
The perfect Dark
Banned
They are not talking about WiiU?
This console needs games and remasters!
This is worrisome.
This console needs games and remasters!
This is worrisome.
Super Mario Galaxy HD
This is what I want. Or a 3DS version.
Or Mario 64 on the 3DS. Or Sunshine. Hell, anything.
What's there to talk about? It's dead. Nintendo is not going to scrap everything they have in the pipeline because they don't want to embarrass themselves further, but they would be dumb to invest much more into it.
Belgian Dude
Member
Could the direct digital Wii line-up be a reflection of this? They're not exactly remasters, but they're some of the cheapest an official release of a 'full game' has been, right?
E: Oh, it's for the 3DS, nevermind.
E: Oh, it's for the 3DS, nevermind.
Cosmonaut X
Member
Pretty much. They will make the absolute most of the games coming to the platform, invest in some low-cost titles and try to eke whatever they can out of the system, but they are not going to be bringing any major games to it that aren't already announced. Expect Captain Toad- or Kirby-level stuff, rather than something on the scale of Xenoblade or Mario Kart.
They don't have the resources to do what Sony did with the PS3, the third-party situation is vastly different (virtually everyone had a vested interest in the PS3 doing well, since they'd invested so much into development etc. for it) or the impetus to do it (no format to push etc.) and their best bet is to nurse the system along, maximise what profit they can from it and serve the audience there as well as they can without further major investment, all while preparing the ground for the next generation of Nintendo hardware, whatever that ends up being.
Orniletter
Banned
I like the way you think.
They could port the DS version on the cheap and add circlepad support. I'd buy it.
considering how they are basing he next handheld and home architecture on the Wii U one, I'd say that testing "water" in terms of eshop, deals, freemium products, episodic releases, cross-promotion, NNIND fidelization and so would be smart to integrate the know-how into the new eco-system.
Just to clarify; I agree with you, but this kind of approach/experiment/tests could be not expensive in terms of investment on the actual wii u, if you can use them as a base for the next-gen. This is also valid for games, that could actually become the first draft for the 4DS lineup. especially if they will someone guarantee you the chance of playing them for free on the new 4DS if you register your NNIND on the new portable.
And add texture filtering and some good AA and I'll buy it! I would love if developers would re release their older 3DS games with N3DS support and Cstick support
The reason Nintendo would prefer to test stuff like that on 3DS moving forward is obvious - there's a much larger active base which would actually deliver more accurate feedback for such trial runs. The WiiU base is too limited for any meaningful market test. Also, considering this is a business interview, and not one directed at fans, the less they talk about the WiiU the better.
I have seen this come up a lot recently, especially when discussing next gen, but people don't seem to grasp that handhelds are Nintendo's main product. Consoles are secondary and have been for nearly twenty years. I think Nintendo was trying to keep the pretense that they are of equal importance but they are kinda ditching that now, for the better in my opinion,
It's not clear what Iwata meant but "4DS" is not going to be based on Wii U architecture, the PPc architecture in Wii U is a dead end and not suitable for mobile use. It's possible/probable that Nintendo will have an AMD GPU for their next handheld which means it will be somewhat similar to Wii U but it is almost guaranteed to be ARM based.