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[cvxfreak]

So where the hell is that top 30?

 

[markatisu]

Well, has Nintendo marketed the price cut anywhere in the world? Don't know about America, but in Europe Nintendo hasn't advertised it at all. I was actually a little surprised to see the price cut already happened, since I haven't heard anything about it, except for that tiny PR.

The price drop is being heavily advertised in the US as part of the Wii Fit + commercials, kinda like killing two birds with one stone I guess

 

[TheRagnCajun]

The price drop is being heavily advertised in the US as part of the Wii Fit + commercials, kinda like killing two birds with one stone I guess

Yeah I'd say they're doing a good job getting the word out in NA at least...

 

[Serenity]

Regarding your initial salvo about being outsold in its price drop week, let's wait for the MC numbers.

I thought both trackers are considered to be right and people simply compare each tracker to itself. I don't think its fair to pick the tracker that favors your hopes. Like last week it seemed as if people were prone to go with media create's number for Ps3 since it was lower if they had predicted a drop in sales and others went with famistu if they wanted to try and show strong sustained sales. So even if media create shows wii higher or equal to Ps3 that doesn't negate the famistu data.

 

[gkryhewy]

I thought both trackers are considered to be right and people simply compare each tracker to itself. I don't think its fair to pick the tracker that favors your hopes. Like last week it seemed as if people were prone to go with media create's number for Ps3 since it was lower if they had predicted a drop in sales and others went with famistu if they wanted to try and show strong sustained sales. So even if media create shows wii higher or equal to Ps3 that doesn't negate the famistu data.

This is true, which is why you need to wait for both trackers to see if the results are consistent before you make sweeping assertions.

 

[Chris1964]

I'm really curious to see how NSMB Wii will do later this year. It is Mario game, so good sales should be granted. But will it sell as good as Nintendo hopes? The situation kinda reminds me of Animal Crossing last year. Nintendo is "porting" one of the most successful DS games to the Wii and hopes that it will be as huge a hit as on the DS.

Last year it didn't work out. Will it work out this year? For sure, even taking the enormous success of AC:WW into account, the Mario franchise is still far bigger than AC. But AC Wii and NSMB Wii have another thing in common: while AC Wii was a lazy effort, NSMB at least looks like a lazy effort, too. I wonder if people might end up not buying it, because it reminds them too much of the disappointment that AC Wii was. And anyway, we don't even know if people actually want a 2D Mario on consoles or if the success of a 2D Mario platformer is limited to a handheld. Again: just as the huge success of AC seems to be limited to handhelds.

Don't compare New Super Mario Bros. Wii to Animal Crossing: City Folk. And it certainly doesn't look like a lazy effort. There is very much doubt about this title's sales in Japan and many people will get surprised by its high sales, as its seems.

 

[cvxfreak]

I see NSMB Wii being more like Mario Kart Wii than Animal Crossing City Folk.

 

[Elios83]

The message is clear for Nintendo. Small price cuts and sequels to previous hits won't revive the interest in their platform.
They need to create new and original worldwide hits among the casual crowd like Brain Training, Wii Sport and Wii Fit.
It's not easy, they tried with Wii Music last year and they failed, but it's the only way because the safe route strategy they're taking this year with sequels isn't working.

Of course it's really impressive for Sony to see PS3 beating the Wii even in the week of its price cut, which is something no one could have thought to be possible a year ago, but Sony really needs to keep momentum with a continous flow of good/great games. In Japan they're failing at this.

And Microsoft... well it seems that after they tried all they could last year with a series of exclusive RPGs now they have simply issued white flag in the japanese market.

 

[Kittonwy]

I don't know what to think about the Wii numbers. I don't believe that the cost was keeping people from buying system, but I still think the numbers should be higher.

The PS3 had a higher bump , but price was more of a factor for it. The PS3 also had the slim model released and history shows that slim models raise sales.


It will be interesting to see who comes out on top for YTD sales. Although I don't think it will matter much.

The PS3 price before the drop was out of the sweet spot, combined that with a much-needed redesign for the Japanese market the impact is greater, wii price was already affordable and well within the sweet spot for a lot of people and it already has a rather attractive form-factor for Japan.

 

[Chris1964]

I see NSMB Wii being more like Mario Kart Wii than Animal Crossing City Folk.

This.

 

[schuelma]

So where the hell is that top 30?

Seems like lately its been coming late Wednesday night EST.

 

[DMeisterJ]

wow, so the "wait for..." meme makes it out of the PS3 sales defenders hands

Ooh! Who is going to make the Wii Chalkboard?!!!??

We've already waited for Wii Sports Resort, Monster Hunter 3, Black Wii, Price cut, and now NSMB Wii, Christmas, and a fucking vitality sensor. That's enough for one chalkboard.

The title should be ___ Will save the Wii in Japan!

:lol

 

[ilbambino]

It would be interesting to compare JPN numbers for the PS2 and the Wii, inmediatly before those reached the $200 price. Does anybody has the PS2 numbers?

PD. Sorry about my english.

 

[d+pad]

It is puzzling, I mean they are leading in the US by a healthy margin and last night I saw a bunch of commercials touting the new low price of the Wii and encouraging people to get Wii Fit + for $19

But in its worst region which needs the most help (at least the US has 3rd party support) they drop the price and do a press release?!?

Yeah, NOA certainly is pushing the price drop on all fronts in NA. Why wouldn't they do the same in Japan? My god, it's a strange company...

 

[wrowa]

Don't compare New Super Mario Bros. Wii to Animal Crossing: City Folk. And it certainly doesn't look like a lazy effort. There is very much doubt about this title's sales in Japan and many people will get surprised by its high sales, as its seems.

No, it certainly looks like a lazy effort. It might very well be an ambitious project, but judging by the way it looks, it seems to be lazy. No one can argue that optically NSMB Wii doesn't look that much better than NSMB for DS. Just like AC Wii looked very similar to its DS predecessor. With the difference that AC Wii didn't only look like a lazy effort, but actually was a lazy effort. Now I can imagine that many potential buyers of NSMB Wii be reminded of AC Wii when they look at NSMB. Which can't be good.

I see NSMB Wii being more like Mario Kart Wii than Animal Crossing City Folk.

I actually don't see why NSMB Wii is comparable to Mario Kart Wii. The Mario Kart franchise was always strong - not as strong as on DS and Wii but certainly strong - and it was always more of a console franchise than a handheld franchise.
Animal Crossing on the other hand has it roots on consoles, but it was never a huge franchise. The sales were at least in Japan pretty remarkable, but it wasn't until Wild World that it became a huge hit. Probably not only because of the casual audience of the DS, but also because handhelds are a better fit for this kind of gameplay.

Now we have NSMB. It's a 2D Mario plattformer. The last time Nintendo released a major 2D Mario game on a console was at the end of the SNES era? In contrast to Mario Kart we don't know if people really want to play a 2D Mario on a home console nowadays or if the success of NSMB was limited to the DS. And, well, it's hard to argue against the statement that a 2D plattformer is a great fit for a handheld, since one can play it easily for only one or two levels while sitting on the train or waiting for a friend to arrive or whatever. On a console this "mobility" and "accessibility" isn't really an advantage. Just like many people think that it's not worth to switch on the Wii in order to pull out some weeds in Animal Crossing.

I actually think that AC Wii and NSMB Wii show some strong parallels. The only advantages for NSMB are the word "Mario" in the title and that it seems to become a great game, imo. But I don't see how it resembles Mario Kart.

 

[gerg]

No, it certainly looks like a lazy effort. It might very well be an ambitious project, but judging by the way it looks, it seems to be lazy. No one can argue that optically NSMB Wii doesn't look that much better than NSMB for DS. Just like AC Wii looked very similar to its DS predecessor. With the difference that AC Wii didn't only look like a lazy effort, but actually was a lazy effort. Now I can imagine that many potential buyers of NSMB Wii be reminded of AC Wii when they look at NSMB. Which can't be good.

I find it hard to believe that anyone can look at NSMB Wii and see a "lazy effort". The whole conception of Super Guide seems to indicate otherwise.

Now we have NSMB. It's a 2D Mario plattformer. The last time Nintendo released a major 2D Mario game on a console was at the end of the SNES era? In contrast to Mario Kart we don't know if people really want to play a 2D Mario on a home console nowadays or if the success of NSMB was limited to the DS.

I don't see why the fact that NSMB was on the DS should someone alter its success. The game doesn't seem to have a structure especially unique to the Mario-platforming series that benefits by being on a handheld (and would not benefit from being on a console).

I actually think that AC Wii and NSMB Wii show some strong parallels. The only advantages for NSMB are the word "Mario" in the title and that it seems to become a great game, imo. But I don't see how it resembles Mario Kart.

Because it potentially plays on the same values that (may have) made Mario Kart Wii successful?

Regarding the Wii's sales, I'd shout loud and clear that "Nintendo has fucked up Japan", but then Dragona would be out of a job. Otherwise, it all rests on NSMB. The PS3's numbers aren't surprising - it shall be interesting to see how low they go before they level off.

 

[schuelma]

I actually think that AC Wii and NSMB Wii show some strong parallels. The only advantages for NSMB are the word "Mario" in the title and that it seems to become a great game, imo. But I don't see how it resembles Mario Kart.

I think the 4 player local multiplayer bears a resemblance to Mario Kart.

 

[markatisu]

Ooh! Who is going to make the Wii Chalkboard?!!!??

We've already waited for Wii Sports Resort, Monster Hunter 3, Black Wii, Price cut, and now NSMB Wii, Christmas, and a fucking vitality sensor. That's enough for one chalkboard.

The title should be ___ Will save the Wii in Japan!

:lol

Interesting... but with a 4.5-5m unit lead what exactly is there to save. I do not think a gif like that would have the same meaning behind it. Though it would be funny to see, given everything Nintendo has half assed tried (price cut with no real push, releases announced a month before)

The thing about the PS3 chalkboard was because it was flailing in all countries regardless of what they tried to do. Finally the price drop seems to have worked for them.

 

[oatmeal]

I see NSMB Wii being more like Mario Kart Wii than Animal Crossing City Folk.

Except Mario Kart Wii has online. NSMB Wii is a joke because they are too lazy to implement online (I don't buy the 'console is not powerful enough' bullshit).

 

[schuelma]

Except Mario Kart Wii has online. NSMB Wii is a joke because they are too lazy to implement online (I don't buy the 'console is not powerful enough' bullshit).

I am not an expert in Japanese culture or anything, but I imagine that the local multiplayer of Mario Kart was a much bigger selling point than the online.

 

[Chris1964]

NSMB Wii is a joke that will outsell almost everything this year (except for two titles).

 

[danielijohnson]

Wait, there are people who think NSMB Wii is going to fail??


:lol

 

[Dragon]

Except Mario Kart Wii has online. NSMB Wii is a joke because they are too lazy to implement online (I don't buy the 'console is not powerful enough' bullshit).

I didn't realize Japanese people gave a shit about online multi-player.

 

[Nuclear Muffin]

This is why Nintendo need 3rd party support for the Wii, they can't keep it going just by themselves.

And I get that feeling that NSMB is not going to be enough...

 

[schuelma]

This is why Nintendo need 3rd party support for the Wii, they can't keep it going just by themselves.

Nintendo actually has sufficient 3rd party support for the next 3-4 months. Of course, its probably a year or two late, but it is there.

 

[wrowa]

I find it hard to believe that anyone can look at NSMB Wii and see a "lazy effort". The whole conception of Super Guide seems to indicate otherwise.

Well, you have to look closely at NSMB Wii in order to see those things I'm speaking about the first impression someone gets from the game. And that is more or less "Oh, it looks and sounds like the DS game".

I don't see why the fact that NSMB was on the DS should someone alter its success. The game doesn't seem to have a structure especially unique to the Mario-platforming series that benefits by being on a handheld (and would not benefit from being on a console).

As I already said, it's easy to play a 2D plattformer for only a relatively short moment at a time. That is what it makes it as an ideal game for a handheld. But are people willing to turn on the Wii if they only want to play the game for ten minutes? If they only want to play one or two levels? I'm not sure of that. One could say, that Wario Land Shake Dimension - a game that sold worse than the mediocre DS games and only started to sell after the price already collapsed - has shown that the interest in 2D plattformers on consoles is far less than on a handheld. Comparing Wario to Mario would be a stretch, though.

Because it potentially plays on the same values that (may have) made Mario Kart Wii successful?

Okay, I actually haven't thought about the multiplayer of NSMB Wii. That could be the deciding factor why the Wii game is going to be hit. Though, I'm not sold on its success yet.

Wait, there are people who think NSMB Wii is going to fail??

Fail to meet Nintendo's expectation. Don't forget, we're speaking about the company that was disappointed of Animal Crossing only selling a million copies.

 

[gerg]

Well, you have to look closely at NSMB Wii in order to see those things I'm speaking about the first impression someone gets from the game. And that is more or less "Oh, it looks and sounds like the DS game".

And why is that a bad thing?

As I already said, it's easy to play a 2D plattformer for only a relatively short moment at a time. That is what it makes it as an ideal game for a handheld. But are people willing to turn on the Wii if they only want to play the game for ten minutes? If they only want to play one or two levels? I'm not sure of that. One could say, that Wario Land Shake Dimension - a game that sold worse than the mediocre DS games and only started to sell after the price already collapsed - has shown that the interest in 2D plattformers on consoles is far less than on a handheld. Comparing Wario to Mario would be a stretch, though.

Exactly. You're comparing a title starring one of Nintendo's lesser IPs that was barely marketed with a game that shares in one of the major values that has made the Wii successful, features a very strong thematic element (2D Mario), and will be marketed to hell and back. It's like using the sales of an Atlus RPG to gauge interest in a Final Fantasy.

Furthermore, why wouldn't Wii owners be interested in games that can be played in short bursts? And, if they aren't, why is that a bad thing for NSMB Wii?

Except Mario Kart Wii has online. NSMB Wii is a joke because they are too lazy to implement online (I don't buy the 'console is not powerful enough' bullshit).

I would make some statement about how it might be fair to highlight difficulties in implementing four-player online of the sort that NSMB Wii would have, but as I'm not too knowledgeable about the matter, I'll just state that online capabilities were probably insignificant to the success of Mario Kart Wii.

 

[ilbambino]

Checking some numbers from Famitsu, PS2 was at a little more than 12 million before going from a JP¥25.000 price to JP¥19.800 on november 13th - 2003. Around 50% more when compared to Wii's 8,502,853.

Wii's chance to overcome the PS2 LTD number in Japan are almost non-existent in my opinion.

 

[jay]

Interesting... but with a 4.5-5m unit lead what exactly is there to save. I do not think a gif like that would have the same meaning behind it. Though it would be funny to see, given everything Nintendo has half assed tried (price cut with no real push, releases announced a month before)

The thing about the PS3 chalkboard was because it was flailing in all countries regardless of what they tried to do. Finally the price drop seems to have worked for them.

Let him have his moment in the sun.

 

[TheKingsCrown]

Checking some numbers from Famitsu, PS2 was at a little more than 12 million before going from a JP¥25.000 price to JP¥19.800 on november 13th - 2003. Around 50% more when compared to Wii's 8,502,853.

Wii's chance to overcome the PS2 LTD number in Japan are almost non-existent in my opinion.

Did you forget about Dragon Quest X?

 

[Frillen]

Ooh! Who is going to make the Wii Chalkboard?!!!??

We've already waited for Wii Sports Resort, Monster Hunter 3, Black Wii, Price cut, and now NSMB Wii, Christmas, and a fucking vitality sensor. That's enough for one chalkboard.

The title should be ___ Will save the Wii in Japan!

:lol

You're REALLY enjoying this aren't you?

 

[schuelma]

Interesting... but with a 4.5-5m unit lead what exactly is there to save. I do not think a gif like that would have the same meaning behind it. Though it would be funny to see, given everything Nintendo has half assed tried (price cut with no real push, releases announced a month before)

The thing about the PS3 chalkboard was because it was flailing in all countries regardless of what they tried to do. Finally the price drop seems to have worked for them.

The danger is 3rd parties giving the platform even less support than it has been giving. Now, I tend to think the performance of the games coming this holiday are equally important to that equation, but if Wii keeps selling this low that can't help things.

 

[Paracelsus]

Did you forget about Dragon Quest X?

We all did, since all we have is the announcement.

 

[DangerousDave]

Did you forget about Dragon Quest X?

In 4 years probably we'll already have a Wii HD, i suppose.

 

[markatisu]

The danger is 3rd parties giving the platform even less support than it has been giving. Now, I tend to think the performance of the games coming this holiday are equally important to that equation, but if Wii keeps selling this low that can't help things.

Can you give it less support then it already has?

This winter is probably the first time we will see anything to a real holiday season with the Wii, it will be fun to see if it moves hardware or just sells to the same userbase.

 

[zigg]

Except Mario Kart Wii has online. NSMB Wii is a joke because they are too lazy to implement online (I don't buy the 'console is not powerful enough' bullshit).

Neither do I.

I blame the deadly combination of Mario physics and the intrinsic lag on any given Internet connection.

Basically, it's not possible to make netcode that can sync 60 frames per second when a typical and perfectly clean Internet connection realistically takes about 2 frames to make a round trip—and Mario doesn't sit around doing wind-up animations when you press the jump button.

 

[DangerousDave]

Neither do I.

I blame the deadly combination of Mario physics and the intrinsic lag on any given Internet connection.

Basically, it's not possible to make netcode that can sync 60 frames per second when a typical and perfectly clean Internet connection realistically takes about 2 frames to make a round trip—and Mario doesn't sit around doing wind-up animations when you press the jump button.

Yeah, all we know that making a sidescrolling platform with physics, with online, is something technically impossible to do. LBP don't use internet connection, it uses magic.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

I told you all months ago. Nintendo fucked the Wii in Japan.

Ooh! Who is going to make the Wii Chalkboard?!!!??

We've already waited for Wii Sports Resort, Monster Hunter 3, Black Wii, Price cut, and now NSMB Wii, Christmas, and a fucking vitality sensor. That's enough for one chalkboard.

The title should be ___ Will save the Wii in Japan!

:lol

There is only one image macro allowed for the M-C thread. Behold:

 

[zigg]

Yeah, all we know that making a sidescrolling platform with physics, with online, is something technically impossible to do. LBP don't use internet connection, it uses magic.

I've never played LBP, but I'm told it's very floaty, and player-player interaction is minimal. That'd be a side effect of coding it with Internet latency in mind.

Mario's 13 pixels in the air (original SMB) the same frame you press jump. He'll end up at a different height depending on how many frames you hold jump for.

Other dudes in NSMBW can step on your head. How do they figure that out if they don't even know how high you are till 2-3 frames later?

 

[wrowa]

And why is that a bad thing?

It can't possibly be a good thing

Exactly. You're comparing a title starring one of Nintendo's lesser IPs that was barely marketed with a game that shares in one of the major values that has made the Wii successful, features a very strong thematic element (2D Mario), and will be marketed to hell and back. It's like using the sales of an Atlus RPG to gauge interest in a Final Fantasy.

Well, little evidence is better than no evidence. Wario Land is the only 2D plattformer that was released on DS and on Wii. And in the end the interest in the Wii version was rather small. It's an evidence that people aren't as much interested in 2D plattformers on consoles as they are interested in the handheld counterparts. Still, a stretch is a stretch and I never said that this comparison is accurate by any means.

Furthermore, why wouldn't Wii owners be interested in games that can be played in short bursts? And, if they aren't, why is that a bad thing for NSMB Wii?

It's the Animal Crossing scenario: People don't want to turn on the console in order to play only for some minutes. Playing a game on the Wii needs more effort than playing it on the DS - you have to switch on the console, you have to switch on the TV, you have to sit on the coach, you have to be in the same room as the TV connected with the Wii. With the DS, it doesn't matter where you are as long as you have the DS with you. The advantage of 2D plattformers like NSMB is their accessibility (probably the wrong word, but I can't think of a better one) which makes them a great fit for devices that you can take everywhere you want.
I can't understand how anyone can say that a 2D plattformer on a console can be a sure success nowadays, since this genre was at best a niche on consoles in the last 10-15 years. Whether or not a major approach can still sell is uncertain.

And mind you, if I'm speaking about "successful" in regards to NSMB Wii I don't speak about selling a million copies. I don't think that Nintendo would be pleased with that number. NSMB Wii will be the hottest game this Winter (at least in Japan), but that does not mean that it's going to reach Nintendo's expectations.

 

[charlequin]

Those sales after a price drop are terrible

Yeah, that's real, real bad. I am starting to be tempted to agree with Dragona here. :lol This demonstrates a really shocking level of fail on Nintendo's part over the last two years and if someone had told me the Wii would be looking at this kind of performance two years ago I would have slapped them.

I hope every single person who lectured me a year ago about how the inevitable strength of Nintendo's first-party lineup made both third-party software support and aggressive pricing/marketing unnecessary is reading this.

wow, so the "wait for..." meme makes it out of the PS3 sales defenders hands

Wii people have been doing "wait for..." for like a year now, where were you?

Nintendo has shown extreme resilience throughout their history, so I'm not worried about them long term. However, in regards to the near future (say, the next 1-2 years), it seems entirely plausible that Nintendo will rapidly run through all the "punches" they had held back on, and see very little result. In fact, that seems likely to me, as the punch which has historically been the most significant -- a price drop -- has done so little.

The problem with all these "punches" is that they all have multiplier effects, but don't ultimately affect the true core of a platform's desirability: its software. As long as Nintendo had a strong software lineup, continually holding these things in reserve and using them to tactically boost sales infrequently was wise, as any one of them alone could boost 50k sales into 150k sales temporarily and drown out any opposing strategic moves.

But now that it's clear that Nintendo never had a good software strategy, does not intend to start having a good software strategy, and has lost the one bargaining chip (sales dominance) that could even conceivably have improved third-party software support, these "punches" are far weaker -- turning a 11k week into a 32k week is pretty much useless despite representing an equivalent percentage growth.

What's important is to see the increases in short-term and long-term sales for Wii in NA and Europe first

I expect the price drop to have a far larger effect in NA. I honestly didn't think it was a good idea for Japan specifically (since this sort of outcome seemed very possible) so much as that I thought it was a good idea worldwide and it would be downright insulting to drop the NA/EU price and leave Japan where it was.

Don't compare New Super Mario Bros. Wii to Animal Crossing: City Folk.

I agree. Even if the Wii itself is uber-fuxxed, I expect NSMB to be freakin' huge.

No, it certainly looks like a lazy effort.

I don't see how this conclusion could be fairly drawn from anything but complete ignorance of the product. Like, maybe if you just heard the name and saw one screenshot you could somewhat reasonably come to this conclusion.

The PS3's numbers aren't surprising

I disagree -- I continue to find them very surprising. Like cheating husbands everywhere, apparently all PS3 had to do was change out of his lipstick-stained collar and bring home some roses to be let back into the house.

The danger is 3rd parties giving the platform even less support than it has been giving.

On the plus side, they can only do this once: the only amount less than they're giving it now is zero, and you can't go below that.

It can't possibly be a good thing

It can't possibly be a good thing for a game's first impression to be that it reminds people of the second-best selling game of the last five years? I'm not sure you're cut out for this sales-analysis stuff.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

The weekly bidding's are complete with Dragonas comprehensive chart. I can rest easy tonight.

 

[wrowa]

I don't see how this conclusion could be fairly drawn from anything but complete ignorance of the product. Like, maybe if you just heard the name and saw one screenshot you could somewhat reasonably come to this conclusion.

You know, I'm speaking about the first impression and only about the technical aspect (that's why I said it looks like a lazy effort)

It can't possibly be a good thing for a game's first impression to be that it reminds people of the second-best selling game of the last five years? I'm not sure you're cut out for this sales-analysis stuff.

If a game looks technically like the DS predecessor no one is going to celebrate that. Animal Crossing has shown how well that worked out I'm not speaking about changing the style, I'm speaking about graphics that don't look like a DS game in the first moment.

 

[gerg]

It can't possibly be a good thing

Why not? People are not only reminded of the nostalgia of Super Mario Bros. some X years ago, but they also get the same feeling of that great DS game they bought a year or two ago.

Well, little evidence is better than no evidence.

Why?

Wario Land is the only 2D plattformer that was released on DS and on Wii. And in the end the interest in the Wii version was rather small. It's an evidence that people aren't as much interested in 2D plattformers on consoles as they are interested in the handheld counterparts. Still, a stretch is a stretch and I never said that this comparison is accurate by any means.

If it isn't accurate, why make it?

Again, you're comparing a game that is different in many fundamental aspects to NSMB Wii. I don't see why the comparison is worth the effort, really.

It's the Animal Crossing scenario: People don't want to turn on the console in order to play only for some minutes.

What's your evidence for this?

Playing a game on the Wii needs more effort than playing it on the DS - you have to switch on the console,

You have to switch your DS on to play a game on it (or at least go through the "hassle" of finding it in your bag and opening it).

you have to switch on the TV,

This is an effort?!

you have to sit on the coach,

Ditto. Why is this a problem?

you have to be in the same room as the TV connected with the Wii.

Why is this a problem when you're at home?

With the DS, it doesn't matter where you are as long as you have the DS with you. The advantage of 2D plattformers like NSMB is their accessibility (probably the wrong word, but I can't think of a better one) which makes them a great fit for devices that you can take everywhere you want.

Accessibility is generally created through game mechanics. I don't see how these are in any way compromised by the game's transition to the Wii.

I can't understand how anyone can say that a 2D plattformer on a console can be a sure success nowadays, since this genre was at best a niche on consoles in the last 10-15 years. Whether or not a major approach can still sell is uncertain.

We haven't had a major 2D platformer on a console in the past 10 to 15 years.

And mind you, if I'm speaking about "successful" in regards to NSMB Wii I don't speak about selling a million copies. I don't think that Nintendo would be pleased with that number. NSMB Wii will be the hottest game this Winter (at least in Japan), but that does not mean that it's going to reach Nintendo's expectations.

How do we know what Nintendo's expectations for the game (outside of their relatively inducible expectations for its ability to push hardware)?

 

[KtSlime]

Gerg: I think he means, that people are more likely to turn on their DS while they are on the train going to work/school rather than turn on their Wii and play a bit while their toast is cooking.

 

[gkryhewy]

I've never played LBP, but I'm told it's very floaty, and player-player interaction is minimal. That'd be a side effect of coding it with Internet latency in mind.

Mario's 13 pixels in the air (original SMB) the same frame you press jump. He'll end up at a different height depending on how many frames you hold jump for.

Other dudes in NSMBW can step on your head. How do they figure that out if they don't even know how high you are till 2-3 frames later?

Let's not go crazy defending the lack of WiFi a la VF5. The fact is that the game should have it. That said, Japan doesn't give a shit about WiFi.

 

[gerg]

I disagree -- I continue to find them very surprising. Like cheating husbands everywhere, apparently all PS3 had to do was change out of his lipstick-stained collar and bring home some roses to be let back into the house.

So far...

I hope every single person who lectured me a year ago about how the inevitable strength of Nintendo's first-party lineup made both third-party software support and aggressive pricing/marketing unnecessary is reading this.

I'm not sure if this is directed at me, but my position has always been one of "if X then Y", so I stand by what I have stated in the past.

You know, I'm speaking about the first impression and only about the technical aspect (that's why I said it looks like a lazy effort)

To you. Why will it automatically look like a lazy effort to other people?

If a game looks technically like the DS predecessor no one is going to celebrate that. Animal Crossing has shown how well that worked out I'm not speaking about changing the style, I'm speaking about graphics that don't look like a DS game in the first moment.

So it was Animal Crossing's graphics that were its main problem? I don't see this.

Let's not go crazy defending the lack of WiFi a la VF5. The fact is that the game should have it. That said, Japan doesn't give a shit about WiFi.

Why should a game do anything? A game "should" do what its creator wants to do with it.

Gerg: I think he means, that people are more likely to turn on their DS while they are on the train going to work/school rather than turn on their Wii and play a bit while their toast is cooking.

I'm not denying this. I just don't see the practical implications of such a difference, especially in regards to the gameplay mechanics that have made NSMB so successful on the DS. Yes, it's design may be suited especially well for a handheld, but this does not stop it also being suited for a console.

 

[Turrican3]

Well, has Nintendo marketed the price cut anywhere in the world? Don't know about America, but in Europe Nintendo hasn't advertised it at all. I was actually a little surprised to see the price cut already happened, since I haven't heard anything about it, except for that tiny PR.

I've heard a mini-commercial on the radio (I'm from Italy) a couple of days ago, line was "Hey, Wii is 199€ now!!!" or something like that.

 

[markatisu]

I disagree -- I continue to find them very surprising. Like cheating husbands everywhere, apparently all PS3 had to do was change out of his lipstick-stained collar and bring home some roses to be let back into the house.

But also like cheating husbands the wife will realize sooner or later why she threw them out to begin with. Its all about the games, outside FFXIII we have yet to see any evidence the PS3 is having a 2nd coming when its two most anticipated games we have been waiting well over 1-2 years for.

While it may be selling better than Wii, consoles are still being neglected

 

[zigg]

Let's not go crazy defending the lack of WiFi a la VF5. The fact is that the game should have it.

Not defending. If I believed it were possible to do it, without taking away from what makes Mario Mario, I'd want it myself—but I can't believe that as I've put together the picture in my mind and it doesn't work out. I'd have more fun playing with online friends more often than I'm going to have with the few friends I can rustle up—they're all 30+ too and we all have to make appointments to get away from the kids.

That said, Japan doesn't give a shit about WiFi.

No argument here. And that's really what's on-topic, so I'm done.