Another double dose of Virtual Console games are planned for the 3DS eShop tomorrow. Along with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Nintendo of America will put up Mole Mania on the digital store.
Mole Mania was originally released for the Game Boy back in 1997. Nintendo EAD and Pax Softnica worked together on the project, and Shigeru Miyamoto played a role in the puzzle title’s development.
We’ll find out about final pricing tomorrow, but it’ll cost $2.99 or $3.99.
A full-fledged summary of Famitsu’s “Future of Games” feature is available. A few bits and pieces were written up yesterday, but we now have in-depth quotes and commentary from other Japanese developers not mentioned yesterday.
Read on below to find out about some of the game ideas Japan’s biggest creators have in mind, how they feel about the industry, and more.
Hideaki Itsuno, Capcom
– Itsuno would like to make a fighting game
– In this game, skills and experience wouldn’t necessarily provide an advantage
– He has an idea for this game type
– Itsuno enjoys the A Train simulation series
Motohide Eshiro, Capcom
– Wants to become a producer who can manage projects that encompass not just consumer games
– This would include social, video, and other areas
– Would like to make an arcade beat ’em up
– It could be something like Final Fight but using today’s technology
– Believes Capcom must form a big framework by working with a variety of other companies
– This is in part to fight off the “Black Ship” that is coming from overseas
– Eshiro thinks overseas developers are amazing, but Japanese developers can’t beat them by doing the exact same thing
– Japanese developers must emphasize new play elements and concepts, he feels
Suda 51, Grasshopper Manufacture
– Still working to make players know that Grasshopper does not necessarily equal Suda
– Suda feels that online is a required element in the future
– Wants to try out social elements
– Hopes to start up a new project featuring his very own planning
Kenichi Ogasawara, Tecmo Koei
– Open world may be appropriate for demonstrating the reality of battle
– Ex: if a battle were set in an open world, the player could play as a single soldier, which would give the feeling of reality
– Human drama could also be more densely told in an open world
– Idea to make an action game different from Musou is just at the framework level currently
– Ogasawara originally joined Tecmo Koei with the hope of making a Nobunaga’s Ambition game
– Of late, the number of required or set elements in a Nobunaga’s Ambition game has increased
– Ogasawara would make a Nobunaga’s Ambition game that shows battle through drama and reality if given the opportunity
Toshihiro Nagoshi, Sega
– Nagoshi believes that the Japanese console game market continues to grow bad
– Also feels that the international market has started to show slight signs of a drop
– Current game market is facing a tough predicament
– Nagoshi says it’s up to game designers to improve their analysis skills so that they can analyze problem areas and come up with a solution
– Using a free-to-play structure is attractive
– Nagoshi would like for his Yakuza studio to at some point make an online game
– Nagoshi was once told that, different from those who play sports professionally, game creators can make games forever
– He now believes that this was a big lie
– Companies will have to consider what responsibility they should take for their creators’ well being.
Naoki Yoshida, Square Enix
– If he could, he’d make something that converts Akihiko Yoshida’s artwork into a game
Last year, Firemint “acquired” Infinite Interactive, the developer behind Puzzle Quest. A few months ago, however, the company became independent once more.
Infinite Interactive’s founder and creative lead Steve Fawkner explained to Joystiq that the original move “was more of a merger” rather than an acquisition:
“There was never an actual acquisition of Infinite, it was more of a merger. It was all amicable stuff – as much as it would be fun to have a bit of a scandal. Unfortunately there isn’t one. I think everybody agreed that Infinite does its best work when it’s independent, and so we headed back out into the wilderness to work on our own stuff again.”
What matters is that Infinite Interactive still holds the rights to Puzzle Quest and another one of its IPs, Warlords. Fawkner hinted that the studio’s next game will be a new entry in the Puzzle Quest franchise:
“While I don’t have a specific announcement that I can make at the moment, if you shook a Magic 8-Ball and asked it ‘Will Infinite’s next game be a Puzzle Quest title?’, then it would quite probably say ‘All signs point to yes!’ In the short term, we will continue to build and innovate in the genres and settings that we know and love. That means games that combine fantasy, puzzles, strategy and tactics. It’s doubtful we’ll ever move too far from those genres, because they are our favorites, and you always do your best work when you’re building games that you’re passionate about.”
It was initially thought that retailers would sell 3DS games similarly for package and download versions. But based on what’s been occurring thus far, shops have been offering the download release at a lower price point.
Here are two “case studies” for New Super Mario Bros. 2:
Joshin Web
– MSRP for the package and download versions: ¥4,800
– Discount available for package version: ¥4,130 (tax-inclusive)
– Discount available for downloadable version: ¥4,580 (tax-inclusive)
– Joshin Web also gives package version buyers more points back (124 points for the package version vs. 46 for the download version)
Furu 1 Online
– ¥4,179 for the package version and ¥4,559 for the download version
– Package buyers get ¥250 worth of points back while download buyers get just ¥46
Not much is different for Onitore. Japanese retailers are setting similar prices for the title.
Consumers will also have the option to purchase downloadable versions of 3DS titles directly from the eShop. Doing so won’t provide consumers with any points back though, and they’ll have to pay the full MSRP.
I’ll just leave this here quickly…
Attendees of Nationwide Big Time Summer Tour Go Hands-On with Mario Kart 7 for Nintendo 3DS, Enjoy Exclusive Big Time Rush-Themed Content
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Throughout the summer, Big Time Rush—the teen music phenomenon that stars in Nickelodeon’s hit television series Big Time Rush—is working with Nintendo to offer free hands-on demos of Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS system at select stops during the band’s “Big Time Summer Tour.” After weeks of rehearsal and hours of game-play time, the band kicked off the tour on July 5 in Columbus, Ohio, and is currently traveling throughout the United States. From now until Aug. 5, attendees of select Big Time Rush concerts can visit Nintendo 3DS demo stations and experience the game’s wild Mario-themed action, multiplayer features and kart customization options firsthand.
A Mario Kart 7 sampling station and mobile sampling teams will be available at participating concert venues, giving fans a unique chance to play the game, enjoy special photo opportunities and compete for prizes. Fans will also be able to download Mii characters based on the members of Big Time Rush—Kendall, Logan, James and Carlos. Additionally, fans who bring their own Nintendo 3DS systems to the concerts will be able to wirelessly access content for Nintendo 3DS via Nintendo Zone hotspots. Additionally, viewers can currently see Big Time Rush in the television ad campaign for Mario Kart 7.
01./00. [WII] Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition
02./01. [NDS] Pokemon Black 2 / White 2
03./00. [3DS] Rune Factory 4: A Fantasy Harvest Moon
04./00. [PSP] Digimon World Re:Digitize
05./00. [PS3] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2012
06./02. [3DS] Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na Orb
07./00. [PSP] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2012
08./00. [PSP] New Class of Heroes Mono: Toki no Gakuen
09./00. [PSP] Warriors Orochi 3 Special
10./00. [PSV] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2012
11./00. [PSP] Record of Agarest War Mariage #
12./00. [PSP] Toki no Kizuna: Sekigahara Kitan #
13./04. [3DS] Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry’s Wonderland 3D #
14./09. [WII] Mario Party 9
15./00. [PSP] Ailu de Puzzle
16./05. [3DS] Little Battlers eXperience: Explosive Boost
17./00. [3DS] Tousouchuu: Shijou Saikyou no Hunter-Tachi Kara Nigekire!
18./06. [PSP] Toriko: Gourmet Survival! 2
19./03. [3DS] Pocket Soccer League: Calciobit
20./07. [3DS] Etrian Odyssey IV: Denshou no Kyojin
