Wii U

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

Developers and publishers have, for the most part, been positive when speaking about Wii U. But one studio that won’t be working on the console is Just Add Water.

Just Add Water is responsible for PSN’s Gravity Crash and the recently released Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD.

When CEO Stewart Gilray was asked about the console, he said that he’s “currently” not interested in working with Nintendo or on the Wii U itself. Gilray believes that only Nintendo-published games succeed on the company’s platforms, and Nintendo has a “crazy regard to IP and refuse to sign NDAs with indie-developer/publishers”.

“Well, we’ve already announced versions of Stranger and Munch for the Vita, but with regards to Nintendo, currently I’m not interested in working with them, or on their platform. Having developed a number of titles over the years for their various platforms, it’s become increasingly apparent that unless you are published by Nintendo you don’t tend to do very well.

“They also have this crazy regard to IP and refuse to sign NDAs with indie-developer/publishers, leaving us small guys open to having our ideas stolen with no recourse. We have already looked at doing some stuff on iOS and all I can say is watch this space.”

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Videos, Wii U | 0 comments

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

Team Ninja has been one of Wii U’s early supporters. The studio will be bringing a unique version of Ninja Gaiden III to the console when it launches later this year.

Ninja Gaiden III director Fumihiko Yasuda and Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi were interviewed in the February issue of Nintendo Gamer, and both men sounded positive about Wii U development.

First, Yasuda commented on Wii U development in general. He said:

“It’s very easy to develop for. We’re finding it very similar to develop for Wii U as for the Xbox 360 and PS3. …They’ve asked us what we would like to see from the hardware, and when we give them feedback we can see that they’re definitely listening to it and making changes. The hardware is still constantly changing.”

Hayashi then commented on the Wii U’s unique controller:

“I think it’s a really big deal that you have a screen right there in your hands; it’s a feature that’s really unique.”

Hayashi once again commented on how Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword will connect to the Ninja Gaiden III on Wii U:

“The Wii U’s touch control is just like the DS’s. We released a Ninja Gaiden game, Dragon Sword, on DS, so we want to introduce some elements from that into the Wii U version.”

Finally, Hayashi was asked if Dead or Alive 5 would be possible on Wii U. Although he wouldn’t commit to anything, he did say that “we’re definitely keeping other platforms in mind for DOA5.”

“We’re thinking about all sorts of things. Right now, our Wii U development is focused just on Ninja Gaiden, but we’re definitely keeping other platforms in mind for DOA5.”

Thanks to joclo for providing us with this information!

Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

It’s true that Nintendo fans are pleased that they’ll finally be able to see their favorite franchises in HD, but, unfortunately, Nintendo is a bit late to the party. Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have been supporting HD games with high-quality visuals for a number of years.

Nintendo is aware of this, which is one reason why they’ve introduced the Wii U controller. The tablet is one element that is completely unique and it sounds like the company might be introducing unique network functionality in the future.

Shigeru Miyamoto teased, “Although I cannot elaborate on its network functions today, as we are preparing for the launch of the Wii U, we are taking into consideration its network-related capabilities.”

Read on for Miyamoto’s full comments:

“Regarding the size of the development teams, after releasing various titles this year, I think that we will be able to explain about the teams that are developing the software, but we have already started working with a number of other companies. Talking about game development in general, if we develop video games based upon similar concepts and scale as before and release it for multiple hardware systems, the time each developer has to spend to do similar work again and again increases, which is not so interesting for the developers. Talking about the Wii U, it is going to be compatible with high-definition TV sets, which are now widespread and, with the graphics capabilities catching up to the general trend, some people consider it to be the ‘next-generation Wii.’ On the other hand, as far as graphics capabilities are concerned, there are already other hardware systems with similar functions. Therefore, we have designed the Wii U to be recognized as being different from any other hardware system. Although I cannot elaborate on its network functions today, as we are preparing for the launch of the Wii U, we are taking into consideration its network-related capabilities.”

“In short, the bottom line is the number of new things which are possible only on Wii U we can create, and our basic policy is to nurture the younger people who can think about the ways to create such things. We are making efforts so that when we release applicable software in the future, you will be pleasantly surprised and you might say, ‘Oh, this is what you were trying to achieve!’ or ‘These are the titles you were preparing.'”

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments

Satoru Iwata has commented on the role of graphics for Wii U and Nintendo’s stance on visuals in general.

In some instances, it will be necessary to create some titles that feature “very rich graphics” with long development times. When it comes to Zelda on Wii U, “fans must be looking for the graphic representations that they do not see as cheap at all when the title is released”.

On the other hand, according to Iwata, there is software that some games may not follow that route Rhythm Heaven Fever is an example of this.

Iwata said:

“You are asking for my comment as a judge, but I also need to think about the software content, so my remarks are two sided. Looking at the software for home console systems, there are certainly the software titles for which very rich graphics must be reproduced on HD displays and which demand a large number of developers to spend a very long time to develop. It is one of the truths that a certain number of such software titles must be prepared, or the consumers will not be satisfied. But we do not think that any and all the software must be created in that fashion. When you look at Nintendo’s software, extraordinary rich graphics, massive gameplay volume and astonishing rendition effects are not necessarily the appealing point. It is, in fact, important for us that our games are appealing in other ways as well. An example of this is the Wii software, ‘RHYTHM HEAVEN FEVER,’ that we released last year in Japan. It became one of the hits, but if we had adopted rich photo-realistic graphics, it would have lost much of its appeal rather than improving its appeal. Similarly, about the Japanese title ‘Tomodachi Collection’ for Nintendo DS, the developers themselves confirmed that this software is based upon the “cheap concept.” It is not necessary for us to deploy a huge number of people in order to develop such games. When we need massive power and have a lack of internal resources, we collaborate with outside resources and pour necessary resources to where they are needed. We are increasing the frequency of working with outside developers where Mr. Miyamoto and our internal developers alone used to develop. At the same time, however, we do not forget to ask ourselves in each such opportunity, ‘Isn’t this something our internal resources alone could sufficiently deal with?’ Also, when we have such a doubt in the development as, ‘Will such cheap pictures do in terms of today’s home console graphics’ standard?,’ sometimes we conclude that ‘showing such pictures are unique and rather appealing, so it’s OK.’ So, there are a variety of different ways to show the unique appeal of software. What’s important here is not to narrow down what we can do. Rather, we have to create the dynamic range of appeals that the consumers can appreciate. We decided to make a proposal of an additional screen into the Wii U controller because developers could think of a variety of different possibilities here and there of using both a big TV screen and a screen in a player’s hand. As we will showcase the Wii U at E3 in June this year, the detailed announcements must wait until then, but we are aiming to make a system which shall not be forced into competing with the others where the contenders can fight only with massive developer resources and long development times as their weapons. Having said that, however, as I mentioned, it is true that, in some software areas, we need to be engaged in the power games. Take The Legend of Zelda franchise, for example, the fans must be looking for the graphic representations that they do not see as cheap at all when the title is released for the Wii U. When it is necessary, we do not hesitate to role out our resources.”

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments

Satoru Iwata commented on two interesting topics during the company’s financial briefing Q&A.

First, he stated that Nintendo won’t be referring to Wii U as a “home console system”, unlike the Wii, GameCube, and other products from the company. This is because not all gameplay will be limited to what you’ll see in front of your television.

Iwata said:

“…As for the Wii U, although this system is categorized in the general video game description of a home console system, the play styles the company is proposing with the Wii U are not limited to the ones which are available only in front of TV sets, so I believe that we will not use the term ‘home console system’ for this hardware. Whenever we launch a new video game hardware system, if we cannot sustain the momentum during the launch period and a certain period thereafter, it can invite very challenging situations just like the one the Nintendo 3DS experienced. Doing our utmost to avoid such a situation is another challenge the company is focusing on. As for other things, to sum up, we will make efforts to effectively implement what we have already prepared.”

We were hearing last week that Nintendo will announce partnerships with third-parties this year. We have Iwata’s full comments on that below.

“I recall that I also heard a concern at one of these occasions in the past that the company may lack sufficient resources, and I was asked, ‘How will the company cope with it?’ It is obvious that Nintendo does not employ so many people internally. If we look at the number of our own employees, we are not a so-called ‘resource-rich’ company. When we view our company from a different perspective, on the other hand, it is an advantage because Nintendo has more freedom and flexibility to be able to collaborate with outside resources as long as we can find good partners. As a matter of fact, although many tasks used to be done only internally in the past, we are now working with people outside the company in several business fields. When we make any relevant announcements on such projects, we cannot just say we are working with this company on that project. Unless we can make more comprehensive announcements by discussing the details of the subject product, it may not make any sense to you. So, we would like to discuss this topic sometime later. There are several projects we will be able to talk about this year. I hope that I will be able to pick up examples which will show that Nintendo is taking care of the business fields in which it lacks internal resources.”

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments

When the Wii U launches, Nintendo won’t just be concerned about the console’s price point and initial launch lineup. They’ll also be focusing on maintaining the sales momentum once it’s on store shelves.

Satoru Iwata believes that add-on content is one way of maintaining market momentum. This is because people could play a particular title once again if such content is announced. By doing this, Nintendo can keep some momentum, raise profits, and can increase the lifespan of certain products.

Iwata said:

“…In determining the launch date of the Wii U, we need to take into account not only what to release at the launch period but how to keep the sales momentum after then. In the past, I mentioned that having strong momentum is very important for game platform businesses, and as a matter of course, we are now more convinced of that and we need to have a backup plan ready.

“Regarding the add-on content I mentioned before, effectively providing such content for a game which has sold well could be a way to keep the market momentum. The sales pace is getting slower day by day even for the biggest hit software. If we could announce some big news in connection with the add-on content for such software, many people would start playing it again, which could be an opportunity to revive the momentum. In this context, the add-on content should be considered as a key to extending the lifespan of products and to maintaining the sales momentum, as well as a chance to earn additional profits.”

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 0 comments

Going forward, third-parties will be able to take advantage of micro-transactions on 3DS (and eventually Wii U).

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that the company will “ensure a relative level of flexibility for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U software compatible with the Nintendo Network as long as the developer has built a trusting relationship with consumers, except for the cases that consumers will be too disadvantaged.”

His full response can be read below.

“As a hardware manufacturer, or platform holder, it would be better to present third-party developers with as much freedom as possible. Some say that the guidelines and regulations we previously established are too strict and behind the times, and others say that Nintendo should not put too many restrictions on the features of software targeting the consumers who are familiar with micro-transactions. Therefore, we plan to ensure a relative level of flexibility for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U software compatible with the Nintendo Network as long as the developer has built a trusting relationship with consumers, except for the cases that consumers will be too disadvantaged.

“On the other hand, the reason I refer to Nintendo as a software developer is that we have a belief that our games should be a trusted brand for a very wide variety of consumers, including children and casual users who are not so familiar with the trends of video games. Therefore, we would like to have regulations with a certain degree of strictness so that consumers will get a sense of reassurance from our games. I am not saying that Nintendo is better than third-party developers. Each developer has its own customer base, and we should be more careful with this point for Nintendo consumers.”

Shinji Hatano, Senior Managing Director, General Manager of Marketing Division, also weighed in on micro-transactions:

“Third-party developers worldwide have recently been interested in micro-transactions and many of them are considering doing some business in this field. My team has exchanged information with domestic developers about what they would like to do. Each developer has its own desire, but basically, not only Nintendo but these developers share the same idea and have no objection that we need to establish the reliable system for the consumers on which they can feel safe and comfortable when they select the software. We will start organizing the various requests from developers and working with them to create new and interesting software. Please wait for some time for announcements from each developer.”

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments

During Nintendo’s latest financial briefing, the company announced that the 3DS is currently able to download packaged software. The company will incorporate similar functionality for Wii U as well.

When Iwata was quizzed about the company’s plans during a Q&A session, Iwata said “We have prepared the structure because we anticipate that it will increase in importance in the future”.

Nintendo is mulling over their approach for the digital distribution of packaged software, as they need to balance pricing and consider retailers.

Iwata said:

“What I told you today is that we already have the necessary infrastructure to digitally distribute the software on a scale as large as the packaged software. We can start it as soon as we decide to do so. We have prepared the structure because we anticipate that it will increase in importance in the future, and I wanted you to know as a part of my presentation today that the company is not denying the future possibility of doing such activities. As for the actual digital distribution method, we need to consider what kind of cooperation we can make with wholesalers and retailers, but we think that there must be various solutions other than just positioning digital distribution as an enemy to them. Upon close consultation with them, we would like to determine the details of our digital distribution. We therefore have nothing to tell you about the differences in prices or release dates. Some argue that a downloadable version to be sold at the same price as the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of a packaged version is not competitive because packaged software is often sold at a lower price than the MSRP. Downloadable versions that are too cheap will create a different problem, while no one will want to buy games online at a price that is too expensive. As the spread of speculation caused by our remarks on undetermined things might have a negative effect on our business, we would like to hold back from making more comments until when we can actually start such digital distribution. Please let me tell you one thing again: there must be a solution other than positioning digital distribution as an enemy to wholesalers and retailers. When we find one, we think that the solution will provide an interesting future in which both of us can benefit.”

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Posted on 12 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

Wii U’s NFC functionality was one of the biggest revelations from Nintendo’s latest financial briefing. President Satoru Iwata didn’t share many details about how they’ll be take advantage of it in the future, though he did elaborate a bit during the company’s Q&A session.

Iwata hinted at a system in which consumers use e-money to make payments. This would be faster than using a credit card or a Nintendo Prepaid Card.

In terms of charging consumers for their network services, Nintendo may “build a solid system in which consumers will make payments at their will and with a minimal amount of effort.”

“…I mentioned the NFC (Near Field Communication) function for the Wii U (in my presentation today). In Japan FeliCa-based e-money is used the most, but the NFC standard compatible with FeliCa has been very popular. If we can provide a system in which consumers can use such e-money, they will far more easily be able to make payments than by entering credit card numbers or purchasing the Nintendo Prepaid Cards at stores. ‘SpotPass,’ in which consumers unconsciously get connected online, is enjoyable, but a system in which they unconsciously make payments online is unacceptable, we believe. Therefore, one answer to your question could be to build a solid system in which consumers will make payments at their will and with a minimal amount of effort.”

For Iwata’s complete remarks, see the second Q/A here in which he speaks about the Nintendo Direct presentations, Swapnote, and more.