Kimishima – NX not the next version of Wii or Wii U, “something unique and different”
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 61 Comments
TIME magazine recently caught up with Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima. Among other things, he shared a bit more about NX, though in vague terms.
Here’s what he said about the upcoming system:
“NX [the codename for Nintendo’s next game system] is in development. (It is) a next step in our dedicated device strategy, the core and primary focus of our business.”
“As far as NX goes, I’ve said it’s different and obviously a new experience. If you look back to the beginning of our conversation today, we talked about the transition from Wii hardware to the Wii U hardware and how difficult it is to explain to the consumer base what is different and new about the new hardware. It’s difficult to convince them to switch from their current platform to the next platform. That being said, I can assure you we’re not building the next version of Wii or Wii U. It’s something unique and different. It’s something where we have to move away from those platforms in order to make it something that will appeal to our consumer base.”
Kimishima also commented on the “NX” codename. It seems that there’s no “real meaning behind it” – at least as far as he knows.
Kimishima said:
“As for the codename NX, I don’t believe that there’s any real meaning behind it, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t know where it came from. Or perhaps Mr. Iwata had meant to tell me and then never got the chance.”
More: interview, Tatsumi Kimishima, top
WayForward – Shantae: Half-Genie Hero DLC possible, would love to see the character in Smash
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U, Wii U eShop | 11 Comments
Although the Kickstarter for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero met its goal and the campaign went well, some content included in stretch goals (such as more chapters) wasn’t funded. Might we see this in the form of DLC? Developer WayForward isn’t ruling out the possibility.
In an interview with The Mary Sue, the studio’s Matt Bozon stated:
“If we sold a lot of copies, and there was a lot of clamor for more DLC, that’s a possibility. The game lends itself to a lot of expansion if that’s what fans want! There will already be a ton of content with all of the stretch goal that were reached… costumes, extra characters, and Risky Boots Mode! There’s a ton of game there, but there’s always room for more!”
And of course, the interview wouldn’t be complete without a question about Smash Bros. and the chances of Shantae appearing. Here’s what Bozon had to say on that front:
“I’m really excited about Shantae being a possibility for Smash! How cool would that be? Amazing, right? I think stylistically she’d be a good fit, being something that exists somewhere between Mega Man and Peach. I’d hope she could recover in Harpy form, or maybe pull off some incredible dance and transformation for her Final Smash! I would love to see this happen, and if not now, then some time in the future!”
Level-5 CEO aware of the challenges in making Yo-kai Watch a success overseas
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 6 Comments
Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino is aware that making Yo-kai Watch a success in the west will be challenging. In an interview with Technobubble, he said:
“We’re working in a market packed with both Pokémon and all kinds of other attractive content, so for a new entry like ours, it was going to be challenging no matter what.”
One reason behind the tough localization process is due to the “yokai” term being inherently Japanese. In other territories, there isn’t a quick and direct equivalent.
As Hino said:
“To Japanese people, yokai aren’t monsters precisely — they’re a more special kind of thing. In the past, we used the term to refer to the personified souls of people, animals, or things that made contact with and grew attached to people.”
More: Akihiro Hino, interview, Level-5
Lost Reavers is being made by young devs, Bandai Namco trying to reach new audience on Wii U
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U eShop | 26 Comments
The most recent of Famitsu has a two-page feature on Lost Reavers, Bandai Namco’s upcoming free-to-start title for Wii U. There’s more about the game in general as well as a brief interview with producers Takashi Otani and Katsuhiro Harada.
First, here’s an overview of the different characters:
Sayuri: “The Short Range and Long Range All-Rounder”
Using a katana for short-ranged attacks and a submachine gun for shooting, it is easy to use her and is thus recommended for first-time players.
Dwayne: “A Firepower Oriented Power Type”
At the core of this character is his assault rifle, though there is the possibility of using many other smaller firearms. When using his powerful bazooka, the exhilaration one feels is outstanding.
Shadow Stalker: “Tricky and Versatile in Attacking”
Fights wielding both a melee weapon and a shotgun. Has a characteristic combo that consists of him reloading while attacking. For advanced players.
Victoria
Rather than rapid-fire damage, she is a skilled shooter who focuses more on dealing damage in one shot. Recommended for those who enjoy shooting games.
Shigesato Itoi on Earthbound’s continued popularity, Mother 4, Iwata’s passing, more
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 4 Comments
Japanese outlet Game Watch interviewed Shigesato Itoi at an Earthbound event in Japan. The discussion has since been translated by Tuxedo Unmasked.
We’ve posted some of Itoi’s comments below. He addressed Earthbound’s continued popularity, Mother 4, Iwata’s passing, and several other topics. If interested, you can also read the full interview here.
More: interview, Mother 4, Satoru Iwata, Shigesato Itoi, top
Tetsuya Takahashi on making Xenoblade Chronicles X fun on a budget and more
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 22 Comments
Eurogamer published a new feature today about Monolith Soft and studio head Tetsuya Takahashi. You can read the full thing at this link, but we’ll be sharing some of it here as well.
With Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii, the team encountered some issues and were in danger of missing the launch deadline. But Nintendo producer Hitoshi Yamagami swooped in and assisted Takahashi in getting things back on track.
The situation was different with Xenoblade Chronicles X, as Takahashi explained:
“We wanted to achieve something that was more about us as Monolith Soft being able to create an open world system, to implement online features, and to transition into the high definition era. With that game we’d learned how to create locations that are fun to explore on a budget. If we had no restrictions at all in terms of costs, then for example we could easily make a varied and interesting map simply by creating textures and models for four or five different to use in a single 20km squared area. But within restrictions we had the difficult task of creating varied and fun locations using just the textures and models for a single kind of environment.”
Takahashi also mentioned also said that lessons were learned when making Xenoblade Chronicles. Monolith Soft was able to achieve its goals despite certain restrictions it put on itself, such as not using middleware to increase the speed of production.
Head past the break for a few more comments from Takahashi.
Excitebike 64 devs on the game’s development – origins, Miyamoto feedback, more
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 2 Comments
Last month’s issue of GamesTM has a very interesting feature on the making of Excitebike 64. We encourage you to pick up the magazine to read it in full, though we wanted to share some of the information and comments here.
Excitebike 64 was the next title from Left Field Productions following the Nintendo-published NBA Courtside. Several ideas were pitched, many of which were focused around sports given the studio’s specialty in the genre. The possibility of a motocross game was flying about in part due to a few producers at Left Field enjoying it, and that’s what was ultimately selected.
Henry Sterchi, a producer from Nintendo working on the title, mentioned to GamesTM that Excitebike 64 began “as a more traditional motocross game”. However, as ideas were being prototyped and mechanics were being worked on, Left Field came up with an idea of developing a sequel to the NES classic. It was eventually proposed to Nintendo, who approved it soon after.
Sterchi told GamesTM:
“Excitebike 64 started out as a more traditional motocross game to prove out the core engine, handling and basic play. The handling was physics-driven and realistic, but I wouldn’t have called it a technical simulation. We did try some real-time track deformation such as tyre ruts, but it was abandoned because it wasn’t that fun and quite a technical drain.”
“We’d already discussed and prototyped the thing we wanted around the turbo mechanic and track designs in order for it to be an authentic Excitebike experience, so it was always the hope that they’d go for it and if it didn’t work out, it was ready to stand on its own as a more traditional motocross racer.”
More: Excitebike 64, interview, Left Field Productions, top
Monolith Soft boss on appealing to Japan/the west, “mass” hiring clarified, more Xeno games
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 49 Comments
GameSpot has posted another feature with Monolith Soft head Tetsuya Takahashi. In today’s interview, Takahashi commented on things like making games that will appeal to both Japan and the west, the “mass” hiring the studio had in October (which carries a rather interesting response), the possibility of additional Xeno games, and more.
Continue on below to read up on Takashi’s comments. You should also give GameSpot’s original piece a look here.
More: interview, Monolith Soft, Tetsuya Takahashi, top
Level-5 open to having franchises on NX and Wii U, says Yo-kai Watch and Pokemon can coexist peacefully
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Switch, Wii U | 21 Comments
The only Yo-kai Watch title we’ve seen from Level-5 on a Nintendo console is the upcoming Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version. But could the studio expand its efforts to bring a proper title to Wii U, or even NX? Company CEO Akihiro Hino is certainly open to the possibility.
Hino said he “would definitely want to proactively consider it,” if Level-5 has a title that would make sense as a Wii U game. Taking things further, Hino expressed interest in potentially making games for NX if it can “bring Level-5 games to as many kids as possible.” Speaking broadly about Level-5, he added that if the company finds this to be the case, “it wouldn’t be impossible” to see its games on the system.
Hino also addressed Pokemon again, which has seen some comparisons to Level-5’s Yo-kai Watch series. He believes the two can coexist peacefully. Hino mentioned: “If kids are willing to buy both of them, I couldn’t be happier.”
More: Akihiro Hino, interview, Level-5, top
NES designer on Nintendo and Sony’s failed partnership, emphasis on design, indie comparison
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 12 Comments
Back in the day, Nintendo and Sony once attempted to work with each other. The SNES PlayStation prototype is evidence of that. Had the two sides collaborated, Sony would have come out with its own SNES-CD peripheral for the console.
NES designer Masayuki Uemura, in an interview with Gamasutra, spoke about Nintendo and Sony’s failed partnership during a NES celebration at The Strong Museum of Play’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. Whereas companies like Sony began to focus on graphics and the technological side of gaming at the time, Nintendo still pushed for innovation with design.
Uemura said:
“You might know that we tried to collaborate with Sony once. We knew what Sony was thinking and what kinds of things they were trying to develop. During this time when Sony and other companies started launching products, people started realizing how difficult it is to create a game with great mechanics. Since the time of Game & Watch, Nintendo was doing their best to create game design mechanics that fully utilize the limited technological specifications. What happened was when they started launching those products with high quality graphic design they started emphasizing the graphics processing power – in other words, it wasn’t just the game mechanics they had to focus on but they also had to focus on graphic expression and sound design, not just game design. That’s how the market got saturated with all these kinds of products.
“By contrast, Nintendo was always trying to push the limitations of new types of play. That was a difference between Nintendo product lines and the others. With the maturity of the game industry…it was time to start thinking about redefining the importance of mechanics and design. So for a couple decades the game publishers and hardware manufacturers were focusing on graphics processing power and sound effects and so forth and not focusing much on innovating in game design and mechanics.”
