• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Pilotwings Resort: The perfect 3DS pack-in?

N

Neiteio

Member
PWR-03.png




Let's see if I can free-flow through why this intuitively feels like a good idea:

+ Hardcoded into the 3DS is a Mii maker, just like the Wii. Once people make a Mii of themselves on the 3DS, they'll want to use it in a game... like they did on Wii. -->

+ Miis are in Pilotwings Resort. How convenient! -->

+ The "Resort" in the title refers to its shared heritage with Wii Sports Resort by way of Wuhu Island, the setting of both games. Wii Sports Resort was the sequel to the Wii's pack-in title, Wii Sports, and later became a pack-in itself. -->

+ So PWR inhabits the same world as the Wii's two pack-in titles, and features characters created on the 3DS Mii maker. Hmm... It also has... -->

+ ...simplistic graphics, even compared to Nintendo's other offerings -- and Nintendo's no Capgod. But when you're a freebie, that's fine. Especially as the Mii style is iconic. And... -->

+ ...now in stereo 3D. Was it Iwata or Miyamoto who, at E3 2010, cited PWR as a strong case for the merits of stereo 3D gameplay? Either way, their point stands: 3D gaming is more accessible thanks to spatial relations in stereo 3D... -->

+ ...and speaking of accessibility, pressing the Go button and pushing the analog slider forward to make your plane dive, or back to make your plane rise (or vice-versa, you non-inverted Y-axis freak) is something anyone can grasp... -->

+ ...and with Free Flight, one of the game's modes, "anyone" doesn't have to contend with irksome in-game objectives. They'll fly straight into that nearest mountain, thank you kindly.

Everything about PWR being a pack-in just feels right. I'm not saying there's objective evidence to suggest such will happen. It probably won't. But if ever there were a perfect pack-in for the 3DS, of all the games we currently know, PWR seems perfect.



PWR-02.png




What do you think? It's fun to picture this packed in with the 3DS and generating buzz alongside Target Shooting. I then like to picture that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Steel Diver and Nintendogs + Cats will be Nintendo's other Day One offerings... Or at least Ocarina of Time 3D.

On a side note, I hope we get to launch ourselves out of a cannon and turn Mt. Mario into Mt. Wario again. :)
 
It would be good for people already intending to buy, but for sales they could probably get better resolults from packing in some demo's (Nintendogs, Pilot Wings, etc) or some in-engine videos that demonstrate the 3D effect across multiple genres.

EDIT: Also, as Gravijah said, the AR demos are packed in, and they will do a better job of selling the device than anything.
 
I do think it's a great pack-in. The Pilotwing brand doesn't have much going on for it these days. But using it as a pack-in game it will be used as a great bullet point, and help revive a dead franchise. The game probably wouldn't sell more than 75,000 copies by itself anyway. There are way more attractive games people talk about for the 3DS.

However, the 3DS will still sell a ton with or without a game pack-in. If they really do game pack-in, it will be more like downloadable DSiware points, or some random cheap game pre-installed into the device.
 
No. They will sell you this.

The SD card they give you will likely have a movie and a bunch of trailers and demos to show of the system. They dont need a pack-in.

I heard a rumor they where trying to get Avatar as a pack-in on a podcast. That would be amazing
 
Gravijah said:
Coming off a relatively unsuccessful console

vs

Coming off the most successful system ever
Click to expand...
It's also almost twice the price of a DS. Adding a game is a cheap way to add value to the package as well as show off the capabilities of the system like Wii sports did. I personally don't think they'll have a pack-in but I do understand why others think they should.
 
it'll be 2011 when the 3DS is released, why are still bundling physical copies of games?

They should just include a voucher for a free game download off the 3DStore
 
Rush2thestart said:
Can someone please give me the rundown of all that the 3DS package comes with? Also, what's AR?
Click to expand...

Augmented Reality. The 3DS comes with six AR cards that you place down and view through the 3DS 3D cameras, and it interacts with the cards to turn them into a 'game'. See it here.
 
Gravijah said:
Coming off a relatively unsuccessful console

vs

Coming off the most successful system ever
Click to expand...
...means you'd want to replicate that success by doing what made Wii and NDS successful. Each had a pack-in at the start -- Wii Sports and Metroid Prime Hunters. They helped justify a pricey new product to people who don't have NeoGAF accounts.

Target Shooting and such will generate buzz, but they're more like PictoChat. People will want an actual game to use their Miis in. People will want to know that when they put down Wii-like monies for this thing (judging by the price in Japan), that they'll be able to play a game and not a gimmick (though don't get me wrong, Target Shooting looks fun and awesome).

Pilotwings Resort doesn't exactly look like a big-money effort on Nintendo's part. Not only does it have the simplest graphics of any first-party Nintendo title, it's also recycling its entire world from a pre-existing (and coincidentally, pack-in-sequel-turned-pack-in) Wii game. In other words, it has all the effort of a freebie... Probably less, since I bet Wii Sports took more testing to get just right.

Back when Wii was first announced and Wii Sports was shown, we didn't know it'd be a pack-in. So who knows... Maybe this will become one as well?
 
Neiteio said:
...means you'd want to replicate that success by doing what made Wii and NDS successful. Each had a pack-in at the start -- Wii Sports and Metroid Prime Hunters. They helped justify a pricey new product to people who don't have NeoGAF accounts.
Click to expand...

One of those was a demo. AR games are probably cooler to the average consumer than a demo.
 
Gravijah said:
One of those was a demo. AR games are probably cooler to the average consumer than a demo.
Click to expand...
That doesn't change the fact Nintendo packed it in. Nor the fact that the system with the equivalent price to the 3DS -- the Wii -- had a full game. With Miis. To take advantage of the Mii maker. The one built into the system.

All this being said, the AR games do look hella exciting. :) I'm hoping Target Shooting's Sparkly Gold Dragon will be playable in the next Smash Bros. ;)
 
bernardobri said:
Wasn't that the case for Japan?
Click to expand...
Yes. IIRC they saw the US market as less likely to adapt to the motion control concept, so they packaged Wii Sports in as Nintendo's way of inaugurating the population into the Wii way of things.

I do agree that this would make a great pack-in. Doesn't quite look up to the same level as other 3DS titles, but looks like it could be a great way to introduce people to the 3DS and its Mii system. Could be exactly like the Wii, including a 'dock' and a pack-in game. Not likely but I wouldn't mind :D
 
:lol :lol Seriously, bundling Pilotwings with the 3DS benefits the Pilotwings brand more than helping the 3DS sales... seeing how many people really care about the IP nowadays.

If Nintendo allows them to do it, I think many 3rd party publishers are more than willing to throw in a game or two into the device. It's like free advertising for them to help establish or revive a brand. You will be amazed to see how many free games on the iPhone Apps Store hoping people to acknowledge them. If the first game reach critical mass (of course the game needs to be good too), they can earn more than triple on their second game.

Nintendo can simply send Pilotwings Resort to die at launch and let the IP sleep for another 10 years, or bundling it with the 3DS and let it become a family name once again. If they do, they can sell whatever they want in Pilotwings Resort 2. Same thing for that Steel Diver game.
 
Nintendo's sphincter is quite tight. I highly doubt they'll include a full game as a pack-in. Why would they? It's too easy to take advantage of the early adopters. It's not even needed for suckers to hand in their cash. Ergo, not gonna happen.
 
Haha I Kept Reading AR As Action Replay, I Get It Now. It's Augmented Reality, And Yeah Doesn't The 3DS Come With 6 Of Those AR Card Thingies?
 
The Shadow said:
Nintendo's sphincter is quite tight. I highly doubt they'll include a full game as a pack-in. Why would they? It's too easy to take advantage of the early adopters. It's not even needed for suckers to hand in their cash. Ergo, not gonna happen.
Click to expand...

But as I said in another post, it's more about benefiting the bundled game than the system itself. I seriously don't think Wii Sports would be such a big brand had it not been a bundled game. It helps Nintendo launched a multi-million-selling IP that can be milked for years to come, and also helped the "Wii"-game brand such as Wii Play and Wii Fit. Whether or not Pilotwings have the tail like Wii Sports is a different question - it's still too gamer's game and a niche genre to become mainstream.

If Nintendo is smart, they should quickly polish up those AR games and make it into a genuine brand. Instead of calling them with generic name (augmented reality cards), they should market it nicely, provide it a coherent art style like Wii Sports, and give it a proper IP name such as "Magic Age" or something. Then it will become another multi-million franchise when Magic Age 2 comes.
 
booyakasha said:
Haha I Kept Reading AR As Action Replay, I Get It Now. It's Augmented Reality, And Yeah Doesn't The 3DS Come With 6 Of Those AR Card Thingies?
Click to expand...

Well, to be fair, those AR cards might become just one-trick ponies that people will forget in a week... I really doubt they can replace the same quantity/quality that one cartridge game can deliver to the average user.
 
bernardobri said:
Well, to be fair, those AR cards might be just one-trick ponies that people will forget in a week... I really doubt they can replace the same quantity/quality that one cartridge game can deliver to the average user.
Click to expand...

Probably, but as something to show your friends and sell the device they'll no doubt do wonders. 3D display plus virutal reality will instantly impress most folk.
 
bernardobri said:
Well, to be fair, those AR cards might be just one-trick ponies that people will forget in a week... I really doubt they can replace the same quantity/quality that one cartridge game can deliver to the average user.
Click to expand...

They look to be more "Proof-in-concept" than anything else. I doubt they'll be interesting beyond 15 minutes or so after opening the box so in that, I completely agree with you.

Seriously, why bundle when people are going to buy games for it anyway? It's not like the system is going to be a hard sell. Milk what you can from the early adopters, then include a pack-in during the holidays or when the PSP2 comes out.
 
My opinion about this and I'm dead serious the SNES Pilot Wings was miles ahead of this game. Sorry Nintendo but you'd already outdone yourselves for ages.
 
From a business standpoint it is a wise choice for Nintendo to do just this. 3DS + Pilotwings Resort pack-in. $249.99. To make it the equivalent of Wii+Wii Sports. You will not see AR that's something niche that a consumer would not debate purchasing the system over. Remember, Nintendo is selling this system not to you the gamer, they are selling it to EVERYONE. This is their way of getting their product out to the public as one of the first few glassless 3D portable devices that just so happens to be a video game system that has all these other features as well. And they hold early dominance of that new market which Sony is now heading toward, and even Apple as you will soon see glassless-3D-iPhone or iPod. Maybe. This is definitely pack-in material.
 
EatChildren said:
EDIT: Also, as Gravijah said, the AR demos are packed in, and they will do a better job of selling the device than anything.
Click to expand...

Plural? I know of the enemies-and-dragon-from-question-block thing, what else is there?
 
mclem said:
Plural? I know of the enemies-and-dragon-from-question-block thing, what else is there?
Click to expand...

No idea. Maybe each one is a different card. All we know is that six cards are included.
 
The AR games are a far better pack in than pilot wings, thats why they are the pack in. Pilot wings isnt really showing off the systems features like the AR games do.

Also I am more interested in the AR games than PW and would rather pay less for my 3ds than have it included.
 
AR in the way it is implemented on 3DS is really gimmicky. There is no reason why you should want to use the real world table, rather than just a game world.

From a marketing perspective, it's awesome and people will say wow. From a gamer perspective, I see nothing new or fun in it.

I mean, that dragon-in-the-table demo would be much cooler if it were Magic Carpet 3D, with the Gyro used to hover around your targets.

No benefit to adding in glitchy, card and lighting dependent camera tricks. It's basically the evolution of the GBA e-card reader.

You'll see. YOU'LL ALL SEEEEEE!
</old man>

So in summary, they should totally bundle pilotwings. Shows off the 3D, the gyro, and the slider nicely. Hopefully has some networking, too.
 
3DS Pilotwings pack in? Not a chance in hell. You are talking about the most anticipated hardware launch in a long time. It just isn't needed. The 3DS is going to come with several apps and games already installed into the system. Maybe we will get lucky and it will come with demos or a free download.

A pack in game? No. It doesn't make sense. If anything in the USA, the price is already HIGH ENOUGH, and a pack-in game will only make the price higher.
 
I'd rather them not, because the pack-in forced Wii to be $50 more in the states than in Japan with its lack of pack-in, and I don't want to pay for a game I'm not interested in.

Packing this in would all but seal the systems $299.99 fate.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Pilotwings 64 has been decompiled
Trailer Platform Indie 
12
492
John Bilbo replied
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort announced! 2026 GOTY? NSFW inside
News 
21
513
Pataponpon replied
Now is the perfect time to go back to the PS3
Opinion  2 3
127
358
FauxXeno replied
The 3DS and the GameCube are a lot alike
Opinion Retro Platform 
25
483
tr1p1ex replied
What was the last "perfect" game you played and how old were you?
2 3 4
157
2K
MrCunningham replied
Top Bottom