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Splatoon - Nintendo's next smash bros?
- Thread starter guek
- Start date
I honestly think it will do well, but asking it to bridge gaps as Smash did is asking a bit much for a new IP.
Time will tell. All I can really say is so far, I love everything I've seen about it and can't wait for it.
It would take some real work to get Splatoon to sell as bad as Wonderful 101. Its already being marketed far more aggressively than W101 seemed to be.
Time will tell. All I can really say is so far, I love everything I've seen about it and can't wait for it.
It would take some real work to get Splatoon to sell as bad as Wonderful 101. Its already being marketed far more aggressively than W101 seemed to be.
Calamari41
41 > 38
This. Believe me, I want it to become a hit, but it is not going to hold any mainstream mindshare whatsoever. If it were the exact same game mechanically but with Mushroom Kingdom characters (not even necessarily Mario) it would be a big success.
In terms of game design yes. It's the future software direction Nintendo AAA games will take on, i.e. the kind of games that are social media friendly and about sharing, whether its user made content or the experience.
I'm saying Nintendo is beginning to adapt to the current gaming landscape, and Splatoon is one such title that fits their new vision. Mario Maker and Tomodachi Life are also indicative of the future of Nintendo software. However it'll be tough justifying greenlighting sequels to games like Kid Icarus Uprising, Pikmin 3, Tropical Freeze unless they find a way to adapt the franchises to the modern AAA market.
Just to clarify what I meant.
Calamari41
41 > 38
All the negativity about potential sales aside, I think that everybody can see that it is clearly going to be a good game and has been crafted with extreme care. No matter what it sells, Nintendo should put this team to work making an expanded and refined Splatoon 2 to launch with their next system.
It's hard to say it's the next Smash Bros. because Smash is a different genre and has a different charm to it. Maybe I'll rephrase the question as Splatoon - Nintendo's next big franchise?
And for that I'd say it is quite possible, and it really has the potential. The keyword is potential, of course. Not as big as Super Mario or Pokemon will ever be, but can be the other popular franchise Nintendo has in its roster. But maybe it can be as big as Mario?
Before we say it will flop like the others, let's look at how Nintendo is currently handling the game. It is the most marketed game at E3, having the finale announcement in the Direct, being broadcasted at demoed several times in the Treehouse Live, and owning one of the biggest, if not the biggest, demo setups at E3. They are really pushing this title hard. And then each Directs they have new tidbits of info to keep awareness for this game, like the SP mode, the shops, and all of that. And regular weekly Twitter updates, both Japanese and translated, are coming up in its official Twitter account. This is probably the 2nd most marketed Wii U game to date, with 1st being Smash of course.
Now, will that translate to big sales? We'll just have to wait and see. But that's just how new IPs usually go. Let's remember that the Smash Bros. wasn't as big as it is now when it first came out, and look at it now. We can say it to other games as well, like Assassin's Creed, Skylanders and Call of Duty. Splatoon can be that, but it really needs to hook on its first try, even if it's not that big of an audience, to make it evolve into a big franchise. If it does and Nintendo decides to continue on it for a second game, then it will start to really get a more massive audience.
And for that I'd say it is quite possible, and it really has the potential. The keyword is potential, of course. Not as big as Super Mario or Pokemon will ever be, but can be the other popular franchise Nintendo has in its roster. But maybe it can be as big as Mario?
Before we say it will flop like the others, let's look at how Nintendo is currently handling the game. It is the most marketed game at E3, having the finale announcement in the Direct, being broadcasted at demoed several times in the Treehouse Live, and owning one of the biggest, if not the biggest, demo setups at E3. They are really pushing this title hard. And then each Directs they have new tidbits of info to keep awareness for this game, like the SP mode, the shops, and all of that. And regular weekly Twitter updates, both Japanese and translated, are coming up in its official Twitter account. This is probably the 2nd most marketed Wii U game to date, with 1st being Smash of course.
Now, will that translate to big sales? We'll just have to wait and see. But that's just how new IPs usually go. Let's remember that the Smash Bros. wasn't as big as it is now when it first came out, and look at it now. We can say it to other games as well, like Assassin's Creed, Skylanders and Call of Duty. Splatoon can be that, but it really needs to hook on its first try, even if it's not that big of an audience, to make it evolve into a big franchise. If it does and Nintendo decides to continue on it for a second game, then it will start to really get a more massive audience.
PadWarrior
Member
It will do much better than W101.
IsntChrisL
Member
I think the visuals and music will lend themselves very well too the marketing of this game. There's a lot of appeal with this game.
It won't break records but I hope it proves wrong the crowd that believes only Mario and Zelda sell well. You fuckers depress me. Nintendo's audience well only get smaller and smaller if they refuse to put out a decent amount of new IP's on consoles.
It won't break records but I hope it proves wrong the crowd that believes only Mario and Zelda sell well. You fuckers depress me. Nintendo's audience well only get smaller and smaller if they refuse to put out a decent amount of new IP's on consoles.
Comparing it to Smash Bros in terms of being a commercial success, frankly, isn't even a fair question to ask of it, given that Smash is on its fourth (fifth if you want to count "for 3DS" separately) incarnation, and even back in its first days, Smash has always had a lot of love not just for the game itself, but the appeal of being a massive celebration of Nintendo's...everything. If Smash Bros had instead launched as Legend of the Dragon King or whatever Sakurai's initial build had been prior to adding the "Nintendo All-Stars" moniker to it, this part of the question would be a lot more fair.
From a game mechanics perspective I can see where this is coming from, though. Smash Bros took the "fighting game" genre, which typically has some very deeply-set expectations regarding controls and overall approach, and severely lowered the barrier to entry but being new enough in other ways that those changes weren't overly bemoaned. Splatoon operates in the same vein, taking a shooter genre that feels largely set in its ways and turning it on its side. A shooting game where the primary goal is not to shoot at your opponent? The fact that you can still be a boon to your team without necessarily being skilled with PvP shooting performs a similar lowering of the entry-barrier. It's also essentially the first major IP since Smash Bros from Nintendo for which multiplayer is the primary focus, and online-enabled multiplayer at that. The characters and setting are all new and unfamiliar, but the designs are gaining steam in popularity and it seems like the longer this has gone, the more ideas the dev team seems to come up with to add more context to this new world. I think that's a really good sign because it gives them a solid base to start with should they ever decide to move forward with a sequel.
The hooks are already there now that they've revealed other sea creatures beyond just the squids and octopi. There's still room for the genre to expand, both casually and competitively. I don't expect it to become a massive hit in the numbers and I doubt it will do a lot to attract a ton of established shooter-fans from the other consoles, but I think it will become successful enough to give Nintendo some food for thought.
From a game mechanics perspective I can see where this is coming from, though. Smash Bros took the "fighting game" genre, which typically has some very deeply-set expectations regarding controls and overall approach, and severely lowered the barrier to entry but being new enough in other ways that those changes weren't overly bemoaned. Splatoon operates in the same vein, taking a shooter genre that feels largely set in its ways and turning it on its side. A shooting game where the primary goal is not to shoot at your opponent? The fact that you can still be a boon to your team without necessarily being skilled with PvP shooting performs a similar lowering of the entry-barrier. It's also essentially the first major IP since Smash Bros from Nintendo for which multiplayer is the primary focus, and online-enabled multiplayer at that. The characters and setting are all new and unfamiliar, but the designs are gaining steam in popularity and it seems like the longer this has gone, the more ideas the dev team seems to come up with to add more context to this new world. I think that's a really good sign because it gives them a solid base to start with should they ever decide to move forward with a sequel.
The hooks are already there now that they've revealed other sea creatures beyond just the squids and octopi. There's still room for the genre to expand, both casually and competitively. I don't expect it to become a massive hit in the numbers and I doubt it will do a lot to attract a ton of established shooter-fans from the other consoles, but I think it will become successful enough to give Nintendo some food for thought.
It won't be nearly as successful as SSB, but I'm hoping it can sell good enough.
Possibly the least-deserving bomba ever
This.
Smiles and Cries
Member
If you said the next Pikmin I would agree OP
I just want Splatoon to be fun but I doubt it will reach Smash levels
I just want Splatoon to be fun but I doubt it will reach Smash levels
I have a feeling it'll bomb hard. There really is barely any mainstream appeal for 'cutesy' and violence-free shooters, especially not when it's confined to just the Wii-U.
I think the Splatoon threads are working as echo chambers, hugely inflating the game's importance and status to dedicated fans.
I think the Splatoon threads are working as echo chambers, hugely inflating the game's importance and status to dedicated fans.
Ninja Scooter
Member
PvZ Garden Warfare did decent enough, didn't it? There is a market there for a more cutesy/fun MP shooter but I'm not so sure a game that, in part, needs a steady player base and word of mouth to really grow can do well on a system that has such a tiny userbase and not a lot of other online centric games.
Smiles and Cries
Member
would it not match Plants vs Zombies cute tho
at worst it will be Sin & Punishment level
I can see that Nintendo knows that Splatoon is likeable. I hope they continue marketing it.
Tournaments would be really important with this kind of games. Twitch is a huge thing.
StreetsAhead
Member
No. I hope they never do this.
Nintendo needs to wean itself and its fans off of only buying Mario.
We need to make sure this game is a success.
Diprosalic
Banned
i'm pretty optimistic that it won't "flop".
i hope the people that like and play smash will give this a go.
i hope the people that like and play smash will give this a go.
Chmpocalypse
Blizzard
Ahhhh. The Nintendo version of AAA, at least as far as their fans go. Yes, that makes much more sense.
In terms of the industry's, and most gamers', definition of AAA, no. But I see what you're saying.
Chmpocalypse
Blizzard
That's the reality of virtually all Nintendo threads on GAF.
Black-Wind
Member
It's on the wii u ... I think Nintendo should give any new game on the wii u a pass for not doing well.
It's hard to "do well" when the console you're game is on is such a soggy flop it's self.
It's hard to "do well" when the console you're game is on is such a soggy flop it's self.
the potential for this game is probably anywhere between 200k and 300k at most (lifetime in the us). in all honesty, that wouldn't be that bad, and i doubt nintendo has any grand hopes for it other than maybe turning a profit and reviewing well.
if the game is well received, i definitely think there will be another, especially with the possibility of reach more people on a next gen sort of platform or platforms. they gave other longshots like xenoblade and sin & punishment second chances after all.
I do with the notion that the Splatoon threads might just be echo chambers at this point but I still think it will do "ok" for a new IP...Not W101 bad but just enough
It's kind of messed up because the Wii U isn't in the same position as the Wii was in terms of just overall base and marketshare. It's already going to be rough.
Caddywompus
Member
I just hope it does well enough to fend off a Mario Paintball sequel. Keep your bloopers out of my Splatoon.
Well, that also happen with A LOT of other games like Sunset Overdrive, D4, DriveClub and all things PSV. Maybe nice and kind of niche games attract very passionate people?.
At least they serve as countermeasure of all the bomba posts and negativity that pollute a lot of those threads.
StreetsAhead
Member
It's no one's responsibility but Nintendo's to make this game a success.
I say that being excited for it. I love the style, I think it looks fun (though I've yet to actually play it), and from a certain arm-chair analyst POV, I hope it does well for them. But, yeah, not my job to make it a success.
If Captain Toad really did 250K in the US in its first NDP month, then 200-300K for Splatoon lifetime seems a little low to me.
If it's the surprise Nintendo game at APEX, we'll get an early look to see if it will be. If the competitive community embraces it, it's already half way there just from how difficult it seems for Nintendo to get the more hardcore game set to embrace games on their system.
All Nintendo needs to do to make it successful is give it as big of a marketing push as they give their top tier games (which is asking a lot for them, but still). To say it will have the appeal of Smash or Mario Kart is definitely a tough bar to reach for a new IP, but I think it does have the potential just going off E3 reception and the game mechanics/visual design. The objectives and gameplay already seem accessible enough for any age (just painting the floor near your base is helping your team, and the lack of emphasis on kill count is a big deviation for a FPS) but the mechanics have enough depth that I think people will be able to really dig deep into it if they cared to.
All Nintendo needs to do to make it successful is give it as big of a marketing push as they give their top tier games (which is asking a lot for them, but still). To say it will have the appeal of Smash or Mario Kart is definitely a tough bar to reach for a new IP, but I think it does have the potential just going off E3 reception and the game mechanics/visual design. The objectives and gameplay already seem accessible enough for any age (just painting the floor near your base is helping your team, and the lack of emphasis on kill count is a big deviation for a FPS) but the mechanics have enough depth that I think people will be able to really dig deep into it if they cared to.
captain toad was budget price (kinda) in nintendo's best month, and it had five weeks to do that. splatoon's hype may die before the start of the holiday season. while it should get a boost, it won't have the kind of start captain toad got.
i also don't think it's as weird as the wonderful 101. the concepts here are a lot easier to grasp and it doesn't look as immediately weird as that game was. so the floor should be about 80k.
wii u owners only buy one game a month it seems. that's not great for other software. however, it seems that as the userbase grows, more software is moving. hyrule warriors is an unexpected success when last year the budget price new super luigi u couldn't hit those numbers. so the potential is definitely there for it to do relatively well. just not sure if it'll surprise like toad did.
Operation: Wet Paint? Heh
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
These splatoon threads maybe. The regular update and trailer threads just talk about the game screw all that other mess
Herb Alpert
Banned
If you look at Mario Kart 8 and SSB, it will probably work well.
Chmpocalypse
Blizzard
Definitely! I'm not saying niche is bad - I mean, hell, Gitaroo Man is in my top five games of all time. But yeah, passion can be louder than reality warrants. : p
SerTapTap
Member
Does this game even need to exist if it ends up as just another Mario tennis? It's exciting because it's a new IP with a lot of personality. Mario... Is neither of those
That's Nintendo's job.
Orniletter
Banned
I think it will do around Pikmin 3 numbers...so alright considering it's on the WiiU.
I don't expect it to be super successful or W101 levels of bomba.
I don't expect it to be super successful or W101 levels of bomba.
AdventureRacing
Member
It doesn't really seem to have any relation to smash bros at all, I'm struggling to see he comparison.
In terms of sales this game had bomb written all over it. I think maybe if it was on the wii with an exploding username it would have a shit at being a small hit (nothing compared to smash bros though). On the dying wii U though it's doomed before it even releases. Niche new IPs on floundering platforms usually aren't that successful.
In terms of sales this game had bomb written all over it. I think maybe if it was on the wii with an exploding username it would have a shit at being a small hit (nothing compared to smash bros though). On the dying wii U though it's doomed before it even releases. Niche new IPs on floundering platforms usually aren't that successful.
Herb Alpert
Banned
Well, nobody expected tomodachi life to succeed.
If Nintendo pushes the game, if it is good (which I suspect), I think it will do good numbers and establish the basis for an healthy new IP.
Now it's up to Nintendo. I hope they realize how this game's success is important. It has to show that they can still have a big success with a game that is not "casual" and doesn't feature Mario.
If Nintendo pushes the game, if it is good (which I suspect), I think it will do good numbers and establish the basis for an healthy new IP.
Now it's up to Nintendo. I hope they realize how this game's success is important. It has to show that they can still have a big success with a game that is not "casual" and doesn't feature Mario.
Wii U is growing, thanks to its first party games. This is another potential hit, which is far cooler than Pikmin for instance. This doom talk is weird.
This is going to be one of the contenders for GOTY 2015.
I think Sales will be decent and this will have some legs. I can't wait to get my hands on it myself. I don't think it will do as well as Smash since right now that's the fastest selling game on the Wii U, Splatoon won't have nearly as much recognition. Nintendo will hope something Splatoon related becomes a viral hit so more people are aware of this game.
I think Sales will be decent and this will have some legs. I can't wait to get my hands on it myself. I don't think it will do as well as Smash since right now that's the fastest selling game on the Wii U, Splatoon won't have nearly as much recognition. Nintendo will hope something Splatoon related becomes a viral hit so more people are aware of this game.
It's totally up to Nintendo. If they are willing to spend the marketing budget needed to make this a big success, it can be a big success, because the game itself seems to be great.
They had Splatoon as a main attraction along SSB at most of their post E3 events (except one expo, I can't remember now which one, but it was for space reasons as you need 8 consoles to show this properly). They highlighted it as main 2015 game along Zelda in a lot of PR messages until now and it's the only upcoming game that has a dedicated social channel for regular updates in the west (quite similar to SSB from this point of view).
It has also a dedicated event in Japan next week and it seems to be also at APEX.
So my opinion is that Nintendo will push it quite hard, but I'm not sure if as much as I would like. Let's see.
They had Splatoon as a main attraction along SSB at most of their post E3 events (except one expo, I can't remember now which one, but it was for space reasons as you need 8 consoles to show this properly). They highlighted it as main 2015 game along Zelda in a lot of PR messages until now and it's the only upcoming game that has a dedicated social channel for regular updates in the west (quite similar to SSB from this point of view).
It has also a dedicated event in Japan next week and it seems to be also at APEX.
So my opinion is that Nintendo will push it quite hard, but I'm not sure if as much as I would like. Let's see.
Nintendoga
Member
Yeah pretty much. I can't really see Splatoon becoming anything more than another W101, good niche title with poor sales.
As an FPS, Splatoon doesn't have guns, bullets, blood/violence, and offers a kid friendly aesthetic, ingredients that have very little mainstream appeal in this day and age. Imagine if all the weapns in Call of Duty were replaced with water guns. Mainstream appeal would drop faster than a falling rock.
Even if this was released on the Wii, I still couldn't see this becoming anything more than just another Nintendo IP with a decent sized fanbase. Most I see is a sequel and maybe a character or stage in Smash 5.