Shigesato Itoi on why there won’t be a Mother 4
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 64 Comments
Speaking with Game Watch Impress, Shigesato Itoi commented on why Mother 4 is unlikely to happen. He told the site:
“Among big-time popstars, if they, you know, put out ten albums, around the fourth album, they can’t make very good songs. The albums sell, but everyone at the concerts wants to hear songs from those first three albums. Everyone. I’m glad that video games are not my profession. If it was my job, I would’ve already made 4 and 5.”
“When I made 3, I thought I could do it, so I did it,” Itoi added. He went on to say that 4 is “totally impossible.”
More: interview, Mother 4, Shigesato Itoi, top
Nintendo on Xenoblade Chronicles X marketing, audience for commercials (Latin America)
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 23 Comments
A few days ago, Gamedots published an interview with Dianne Segovia, manager of marketing of Nintendo for Latin America. Reader NutOfDeath was kind enough to send over a couple of translations.
First, Gamedots mentioned that Super Mario Maker and Splatoon received big marketing campaigns. Xenoblade Chronicles X, on the other hand, seems like it hasn’t seen the same sort of attention. Segovia said in response:
“Splatoon was a new IP and we had to start from scratch in terms of introducing it to the public. Mario Maker was a title that served as a celebration of 30 years of Super Mario Bros, and that’s why we had to make a big deal; it was truly a grand celebration, not just any video game launch.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is an RPG, a game for RPG and Xenoblade fans. We didn’t do anything too big because the audience for the game already know it exists and is already attentive of its release.”
Next, specifically talking about Latin American Nintendo, Gamedots asks who the audience is for its commercials. That prompted the following comments:
“It depends on the game. Right now, to promote the Wii U, we’re launching commercials directed towards parents who have young children who don’t know much about the console. They are the target audience right now, and thay’s why sometimes the commercials can seem a bit childish.
Games like Super Mario Maker had two commercials, one for kids and one for adults. This was done so that the adults could be appealed by the nostalgia, and the kids would be attracted to the use of GamePad and other novel elements.
In Splatoon’s case, we used a song for the commerical. The commercial’s design made it look like the game was only for kids.
For situations like these, to attract adults, we bring the game to public spaces so the general public can get to know the game and play it.”
More: Dianne Segovia, interview
Super Mario Maker devs found it a bit tough to implement Yoshi
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 14 Comments
Yoshi’s inclusion in Super Mario Maker partially came about thanks to the involvement of producer Takashi Tezuka. In a recent issue of Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream, Tezuka and director Yosuke Oshino spoke about his appearance in the game:
Oshino: We decided to put in characteristic actions like Raccoon Mario, Caped Mario and Propeller Mario during the first phases of development. But Yoshi had much controversy…
Tezuka: I was a bit pushy in requesting to have Yoshi. There were reasons like being responsible for the Wii U game Yoshi’s Woolly World, wanting to use the Yoshi amiibo, and wanting to have some kind of collaboration as it is also Yoshi’s 25th anniversary.
Oshino: But adding Yoshi was complicated, so we discussed what should we do.
Nintendo UK on Xenoblade X’s audience and marketing, pleased with Xenoblade 3D’s performance
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in New Nintendo 3DS, News, Wii U | 131 Comments
Nintendo has one more big Wii U game due out in the west this year: Xenoblade Chronicles X. The massive RPG will be released towards the very beginning of next month.
Speaking with MCV, Nintendo UK product manager Gemma Hall sounded off on who Xenoblade Chronicles X is intended for, and how the company will go about marketing the title:
“Xenoblade Chronicles X will speak to anyone who loves epic RPGs, as it has everything you could want from a big sweeping sci-fi adventure, with rich diverse landscapes, deep customization options, a unique battling system, and a host of memorable characters. We are therefore not only targeting it towards fans of the original Xenoblade Chronicles, but to broader JRPG fans looking for their next epic RPG adventure. The game is visually sumptuous and will demand the attention of genre fans.
We will be focusing activity initially around Xenoblade Chronicles fans, and then broadening out to wider RPG fans with a tightly targeted digital campaign. Due to the highly visual nature of this game, we are concentrating on video formats that show off the many stunning facets of the title, including the huge open world, giant alien monsters, and the awesome Skell transformations.
We have a wealth of Wii U games that will be part of our Christmas campaign, including Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. However, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a more serious RPG offering, with stunning graphics and sweeping sci-fi story, and so we expect this to open up the Wii U to the more hardcore RPG audience who won’t want to miss out on this future genre classic.”
Yoshi’s Woolly World devs on the different Yoshi designs and Pokemon, lack of Baby Mario, more
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 75 Comments
Game Informer has published a new interview with Yoshi’s Woolly World designer Emi Watanabe and producer Takashi Tezuka. During the discussion, the two touched on the different Yoshi designs (and how the Pokemon amiibo unlock a generic skin), the lack of Baby Mario in the game, and more.
Read on below for some excerpts from the interview. You can read the full Q&A here.
More: Emi Watanabe, Good Feel, interview, Takashi Tezuka, top
Level-5 on the Yo-kai Watch comparisons to Pokemon, sequel’s western launch should be sooner
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 19 Comments
Ever since the original unveiling of Yo-kai Watch, the series has drawn comparisons to Pokemon. Those comparisons are more prevalent than ever now that the franchise is starting to make its way overseas. Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino is fine with this, but feels “there are lots of differences” that set the two apart.
Speaking with GamesBeat, Hino said:
“We don’t really mind the comparison with Pokémon, but there are lots of differences. Yo-Kai Watch doesn’t take place in a fantasy world. The setting is like a real town in Japan, something closer to the user’s own life. It’s very relatable for kids. It’s something they can connect to their own life. We did localize it well, though, to make sure that kind of element carries through to the American version.
Another key point is that this isn’t just for kids, though. It’s for the whole family. We have elements that appeal to mothers and fathers as well, not just their kids. The franchise contains humor that can appeal to both kids and adults.”
Hino also spoke briefly about the localization of the next Yo-kai Watch game. When asked if it’ll take just as long to get Yo-kai Watch 2 in the west, he let out a chuckle and said, “It shouldn’t take that long.”
More: Akihiro Hino, interview, Level-5, Yo-kai Watch, Yo-Kai Watch 2
Super Mario Maker staff on development, worldwide appeal, costumes, updates
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 2 Comments
Polygon has put up a new Super Mario Maker piece, which contains some comments from producer Takashi Tezuka and senior director Yoshikazu Yamashita. The two spoke about the game’s development process, wanting the game to appeal to all players worldwide, costumes, and updates.
We’ve rounded up the information after the break. We also encourage you to check out Polygon’s full article here.
Keiji Inafune open to using amiibo in his games
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 10 Comments
amiibo have started to become more of an option for third-parties as of late. Shovel Knight is getting its own figure, and indie games are beginning to use the variety of figures that Nintendo has already brought out in their projects.
Going forward, amiibo support is something that Keiji Inafune may choose to take advantage of with his games. He told USGamer the following when asked about expanding in that direction for his Nintendo fans:
“That’s definitely an option for us, and if we have the opportunity to do it, then we’ll definitely take the chance. And also, we know for a fact a lot of our backers are Nintendo fans, because we ran a platform survey [for Mighty No. 9], and we see how many people are choosing Nintendo hardware. So it’s definitely something we have to look into.”
At this point, it might be too late to integrate amiibo support into Mighty No. 9. But maybe we could see the functionality in a sequel, spinoff, or whatever’s coming next from Inafune.
More: Comcept, interview, Inti Creates, Keiji Inafune
Beenox no longer working on Spider-Man games
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 7 Comments
Beenox worked on Spider-Man games for several years. The studio created Shattered Dimensions, Edge of Time, and both games for The Amazing Spider-Man in the span of five years. Despite Beenox’s involvement with Spider-Man since 2010, the company has now moved on.
Develop reports in its latest issue that Beenox is “no longer working on the Spider-Man IP”. That makes sense, as their output has been limited to Skylanders over the past few years. This year specifically, Beenox was in charge of Skylanders SuperChargers Racing for 3DS and Wii.
Beenox creative director Thomas Wilson told Develop about the studio’s transition:
More: Activision, Beenox, interview, Spider-Man, Thomas Wilson
Yuji Naka wants to make Ivy the Kiwi? and Rodea: The Sky Soldier sequels
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, News, Wii, Wii U | 4 Comments
Yuji Naka has created a few titles at Prope, including Ivy the Kiwi? and Rodea: The Sky Soldier. Both have been standalone games, but that doesn’t mean Naka isn’t interested in making sequels – quite the opposite actually.
Speaking with Hardcore Gamer, Naka expressed interest in returning to Ivy the Kiwi? if given the opportunity. The same also goes for Rodea. At the same time, he’s also thinking about completely new ideas.
Naka said:
“Ivy the Kiwi and Rodea are two titles that have a special part in my heart, so I would love to try creating sequels if I am given the opportunity. I constantly have ideas for new titles. Though I cannot say them here, please look forward to the day I can show them to the public.”
Naka further expressed interest in revisiting Rodea when asked if he’d like to see a comic series based on the game:
“If I am given the opportunity, I would love to have Rodea as a comic book series. I also personally want to see more of Rodea’s adventures.”
