Zoink, Image & Form say dev tools and power on Switch are a step up from previous Nintendo systems
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 2 Comments
Nintendo has made a big deal early on about how third-party development tools are very compatible with Switch. This is a big contrast to previous Nintendo hardware, as some engines and technology weren’t supported until later on. And when they were, such as with Unity on Wii U, they weren’t in the best of shape. Nintendo made sure to rectify this with Switch.
Speaking with GamesIndustry, Zoink CEO and creative director Klaus Lyngeled talked about how Unity is well supported on the new console:
“When we tried to do Zombie Vikings for Wii U – when I got Unity I could see it just wasn’t going to work, it was too slow an engine; then we got Unity for Switch and we saw directly, ‘wow it’s actually working’ and the tools are much better. So that part is very important for most indies. Most indies are using Unity and that makes a huge difference. It feels like they are pushing Unity more to make it good from the beginning.”
On a similar note, Image & Form CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson spoke about how developing for Switch is easy thanks to its straightforward nature and power.
“We’ve made games for the 3DS, the DSi, for the Wii U and they all had some issues – the 3DS and DSi were just weak. Since we were developing for them specifically it wasn’t like we were watering down our games, but all the time through development we had to think about how not to overtax the system. With the Wii U there was more power but you had the gamepad where you could use the [screen] and TV at the same time and so you had to show different things and take that into consideration. This is straightforward, period. What you see on the big screen is what you’re going to see on the handheld as well. It’s very simple and powerful, and ingenious – it’s a home console and a portable unit. Everybody’s wanted to say that in the past but here it is now. It’s powerful and really easy to develop for. There’s not very much wrong with the system.”
Breath of the Wild director on cut items / ideas, rearranging for Switch, wanting to make the next best Zelda
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch, Wii U | 54 Comments
Kotaku has more comments from Zelda: Breath of the Wild director Hidemaro Fujibayashi. His remarks are pretty darn interesting, as we’re able to hear about some of the ideas that were cut during development – including the Hookshot and Beetle from Skyward Sword. Aside from that, Fujibayashi spoke about having to rearrange the game when Switch came into the picture, and always wanting to make the next best Zelda title.
Read up on Fujibayashi’s comments below. You can check out Kotaku’s full article here.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild concept art
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Images, Switch, Wii U | 1 Comment
New concept art from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has emerged from the game’s guide. Characters, enemies, and more are shown. Just to be on the safe side, we’ve posted the gallery after the break.
Zelda fans putting together interactive Breath of the Wild map
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch, Wii U | 7 Comments
Update: Zelda Dungeon is also putting together an interactive map. Take a look at it here.
Original: Hyrule Legends and Zelda Universe are working together with the Zelda community at large to create an interactive map for Breath of the Wild. The project is currently in its first iteration, yet already looks promising. Zelda players can find locations for side quests and points of interest among many other things. Additional content should be added over time.
3D models will be used for future versions. Moreover, the team is interested in transforming the map into something along the lines that you’d see on Google Street View.
If you have a place of interest to suggest for the map, you can do so on the Google form here. The map itself can be found here.
Dragon Quest Heroes II graphics comparison + frame rate test
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 80 Comments
With Dragon Quest Heroes I+II having shipped in Japan, Digital Foundry is taking a look at the second game by comparing it to the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita versions.
Dragon Quest Heroes on Switch comes somewhat close to the PS4 edition. However, the Switch version struggles significantly on Nintendo’s platform. The frame rate takes a dip while you’re in battles, and the performance seems to be dragged down even further when playing in portable mode.
Digital Foundry’s full analysis is in the video below.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild director on having fun with falling and dying
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch, Wii U | 32 Comments
Many would agree that Breath of the Wild is the toughest Zelda game in years. That’s something the development team accepted early on.
Last week, director Hidemaro Fujibayashi spoke about the game’s difficultly with The Verge. Nintendo observed that many players were falling off of Hyrule’s towers while development was ongoing, resulting in deaths. The team ended up making some tweaks, but in the end, they accepted the fact that many players would fall and die.
Fujibayashi said:
“When we saw that, we also didn’t see it as something negative. There’s actually kind of a fun to be had from falling and dying. You learn to be careful and to be cautious. And we felt that that gave a lot of players the emotional preparedness to take on the rest of the world. So we ultimately decided that we should let them die.”
LEGO Worlds trailer
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 2 Comments
Warner Bros. published a new trailer for LEGO Worlds today, and also reconfirmed that it’s on track for Switch later this year. See the video below.
Switch sells 105,000 units on release date in France, best launch for a console in history
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch, Wii U | 17 Comments
Sales data is in for Switch in France. According to Le Figaro, the new system sold 105,000 units when it released last Friday.
Similar to the Americas, Switch had a record-breaking launch in France. It’s not only the best result ever for a new Nintendo console, but also the biggest launch for consoles as a whole.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was picked up by nearly all new Switch owners in France having sold 96,000 copies. Given that number, it’s an attach rate of over 91 percent. Breath of the Wild also sold 34,000 copies on Wii U.
Europe: Switch sells more in its launch weekend than any other Nintendo hardware in history
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 45 Comments
Nintendo has sent out an official notice about Switch’s performance in Europe. During the system’s launch weekend, it sold more than any other Nintendo hardware in history.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also performed well. It’s the biggest-selling Nintendo launch title ever in Europe, outselling Wii Sports in first weekend sales.
Source: Nintendo PR
Japan: Switch sells over 300,000 units in first week
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 100 Comments
Update (3/7): Famitsu now has an article up on its actual website. Between March 3 and March 5, Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold 193,060 units at retail with a 58 percent attach rate. Also, Famitsu’s website reports a figure of 330,637, so we’ll be using that one instead of the previously-reported 313,700.
Original (3/6): Data from Famitsu reveals that first week sales of Switch came in at 313,700 units in Japan. To compare, other notable console launches include the Wii at 371,900 units, Wii U at 308,600 units, and PlayStation 4 at 322,100 units.
By first week, that should mean Switch’s first three days on the market. Famitsu’s next reporting period is between February 27 and March 5, and Switch came out on March 3 – so that would account for sales from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Earlier today, it was reported that Switch doubled up on Wii U in the UK by selling 80,000 units in its opening weekend. No numbers are out for North America, but the system had a record-breaking launch for Nintendo.
