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[Lebron]

The Gamecube was a year late, not a year early like the 360.

Dreamcast?


aaaand I made myself sad. VMU

 

[Synless]

With th 3d on? I thought it took a performance hit.

Even in 3d mode Resident evil looks better than anything on the PSP. That includes GoW: GoS.

 

[Htown]

I can understand why Batman is under it. Heavily advertised with Joker exclusive and no major performance differences in a single player game. But what happened with Borderlands?

combination of coop pushing it towards 360 and the fact that PS3 owners were likely busy with Uncharted 2 from a week earlier, most likely.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

Even in 3d mode Resident evil looks better than anything on the PSP. That includes GoW: GoS.

What I posted made no sense anyway - the graphics are the same with or without 3d, I was referring to the frame rate. ignore me

 

[Synless]

Hardware.

Thanks, I thought it was a game at first.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

Not surprised at all that the 360 version of Portal outsold the PS3 version. Called it as soon as the extra steam copy was announced exclusively for the PS3. At this point, no amount of exclusive content will make the PS3 version of a multiplat game outsell the 360 version, short of the 360 version being completely unplayable. Even if that were to happen I think the 360 version would still outsell, you would just get a lot of returns.

what about Mortal Kombat?

 

[Megadragon15]

what about Mortal Kombat?

No one knows which version of Mortal Kombat sold more (unless they subscribed to NPD and even then those people can't talk.)

 

[JWong]

Lol Wii.

They really need to release the cafe asap.

 

[DR2K]

No one knows which version of Mortal Kombat sold more.

I assume the online version sold more.

 

[Coolio McAwesome]

I've been playing platformers for 15 years now. Maybe on my first day playing Mario 64 I misjudged distances... since then, I've been good.

3D does fuck all.

If you've been playing platformers forever, then you have no doubt noticed that Mario has a shadow under him. This isn't a "real" shadow and is not affected by any light sources. Why do you suppose Nintendo decided to give him a shadow? If you answered, "So players could tell where they were in relation to their surroundings;" then you are correct. Tricks like these are necessary because the very nature of third-person polygonal games can make it difficult to tell where you character is positioned in relation to their surrounding environment.

Take a look at this image:

Mario is in the exact same place in both pictures (on the top of Peach's castle) but his position in relation to his environment seems to be completely different based on the position and angle of the camera. 3D can greatly reduce these sort of "optical illusions" from happening, and gamers will have a much better concept of where there things actually are in relation to their surroundings.

Until we have a real platformer to play on the 3DS, a lot of this is based on conjecture. That being said, it would be pretty hard to argue that the 3DS doesn't provide a better sense of depth than traditional 2D screens do. I have already noticed with my own eyes. As I mentioned earlier, it is much easier to accurately gauge the distance of the rings in Pilotwings when the 3D is turned on.

I maintain that it is shortsighted to suggest that 3D is "useless for gameplay."

 

[M.D]

With the huge drop Wii sales are seeing, and the fact that Socom 4 Move bundle was the top selling accessory this month can it point to a rise in Move sales? or PS3 Move bundles?

Do we have a way to know the split between the PS3 bundle sales?

 

[Megadragon15]

With the huge drop Wii sales are seeing, and the fact that Socom 4 Move bundle was the top selling new accessory this month can it point to a rise in Move sales? or PS3 Move bundles?

Do we have a way to know the split between the PS3 bundle sales?

Fixed.

 

[big_z]

Nintendo should just scrap 3ds, claim it was the last in the ds hardware revisions and come out with a proper successor.

 

[Megadragon15]

Nintendo should just scrap 3ds, claim it was the last in the ds hardware revisions and come out with a proper successor.

You want them to Virtual Boy it?

 

[InsaneZero]

You want them to Virtual Boy it?

Does Iwata need to run himself over in another traffic accident?

 

[rpmurphy]

Nintendo should just scrap 3ds, claim it was the last in the ds hardware revisions and come out with a proper successor.

If they scrap it, the next one will still look like a DS.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

Until we have a real platformer to play on the 3DS, a lot of this is based on conjecture. That being said, it would be pretty hard to argue that the 3DS doesn't provide a better sense of depth than traditional 2D screens do. I have already noticed with my own eyes how. As I mentioned earlier, it is much easier to accurately gauge the distance of the rings in Pilotwings when the 3D is turned on.

I maintain that it is shortsighted to suggest that 3D is "useless for gameplay."

I took the earlier comments about 3D being useless as saying that in terms of creating new game designs, etc it really makes no difference. Sure, it can help with depth perception but Nintendo are never going to design a game around it as there are people that can't see the effect. It's shortsighted to write it off completely, but take away the 3d effect and the 3DS offers nothing new at this point.

 

[Painraze]

It's nice to see gimmicky systems fail. It's all about compelling software, not hardware sideshows.

 

[Game Guru]

I'm going to be honest. I don't know what 'fake 3D' looks like

I mean clearly autostereoscopic 3D technology looks like 'real' 3D, it's just shackled by extremely large limitations.

Well, I believe it might be the use of motion blur that makes the 3D look fake to me. When I say fake, I, of course, mean compared to real life. I'm sorry that it is not more detailed, and I don't claim that this in particular is a huge problem, especially compared to headaches and having to fiddle with positioning. It's merely my own experience with 3D.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Just the right timing on that Wii price cut it seems.

 

[gerg]

It's nice to see gimmicky systems fail. It's all about compelling software, not hardware sideshows.

I understand completely how the 3DS' hardware entirely prevents compelling software from being released.

 

[watershed]

Nintendo should just scrap 3ds, claim it was the last in the ds hardware revisions and come out with a proper successor.

lol this would be funny. But I really enjoy the 3d, even with its limitations. I still feel like the 3ds will be fine in the long run. I consider all of this a "soft launch", and terrible for sure. But I think the system will establish its footing in 3 or 3 months.

 

[Subitai]

I think it is too early to call 3DS a failure. The launch, now that's a failure. However, with the pressure from other mobile devices Nintendo is in a much more precarious position this time around. The good news is that Nintendo can turn things around at E3. Although, things seem so underwhelming given many thought that Nintendo was destined for so much after such an outstanding (many felt winning) E3 last year.

As far as Wii, there are only so many people you can sell a home game system to. Almost every family with kids under 10 has one, but additional sales to seniors, day cares, and party bars seem to have maxed out now too. How much of this is due to Kinect/Move is debatable, but it would appear that 46m in NA is too much to ask for this time around. For Nintendo going forward, it is crystal clear that it is time to shift to the next generation and attempt to dominate sales again.

Sony and MS are in a much more difficult situation. Finally a large number of sales are going to casual buyers (in Europe for Sony) that Nintendo used to take all of. How long can they plan on taking in the volume of casual buyers before sales start to drop and they need to have a successor system on the horizon while not alienating new customers who came for Kinect/Move?

 

[Somnid]

It's nice to see gimmicky systems fail. It's all about compelling software, not hardware sideshows.

So what's this mystery portable doing what 3DS does not?

Also, this might be a thread worth revisiting, better hope the hyperbole is worth it.

 

[user_nat]

lol this would be funny. But I really enjoy the 3d, even with its limitations. I still feel like the 3ds will be fine in the long run. I consider all of this a "soft launch", and terrible for sure. But I think the system will establish its footing in 3 or 3 months.

August it is!

 

[bigtroyjon]

Not sure what you mean by that, but the average price computed by NPD takes special bundles into account.

For example, there was a netbook + console deal at one retailer a few years back and the ASP of those consoles was adjusted based on that bundling. And that retailer's sales affected that console's overall ASP for the month.

When retailers give away stuff with the console like a gift card the ASP will be artificially inflated. Bought a Kinect360 for someone at bestbuy and according to the receipt I paid 300 dollars but in my eyes I really only paid 250 because I know i will spend 50 dollars there in the future. I assume NPD would see the purchase price as 300 since the gift card is really just something bundled into the package.

 

[watershed]

August it is!

oops meant 3 or 4 months, leading into the spending seasons.

 

[rpmurphy]

I took the earlier comments about 3D being useless as saying that in terms of creating new game designs, etc it really makes no difference. Sure, it can help with depth perception but Nintendo are never going to design a game around it as there are people that can't see the effect. It's shortsighted to write it off completely, but take away the 3d effect and the 3DS offers nothing new at this point.

It has new games with better graphics and stuff. Isn't this basically what people are looking for in a new video game hardware? What makes the 3DS so special amongst all other new video game hardware that this feature simply isn't good enough for it?

 

[AbsoluteZero]

It's nice to see gimmicky systems fail. It's all about compelling software, not hardware sideshows.

Did it hurt to hold that in for almost five years?

 

[BlazingDarkness]

It's clear that $250 is too much for a dedicated gaming handheld, much less one with no games and no amazing features (except for Avatar, 3D was never mainstream and is always a 'fad' people get tired of). It's too close to iPod/Smartphone/Tablet territory.

I'll share an anecdote. In the past, parents used to buy their kids (and kids are a large portion of the handheld market) Gameboys and DSs so they could play them in the back of the car. Now Mom and Dad have an iPad the whole family can use. Nintendo lost the whole "grandma can play too!" angle when grandma now plays Fruit Ninja for 99 cents on an iPhone, so the evergreen "non-games" are in trouble.

Both 3DS and NGP will perform much worse than their predecessors. And Ocarina of Time 3D will NOT save 3DS. It's a remake of an old game in a declining series. It will sell fairly well, if not only because there is no other justification for owning a 3DS until fall, but it won't change the fate of the 3DS one bit. The "games to wait for" are only Mario and Pokemon.

Just my two cents, but this doesn't exist imo. The iPad in particular is sold to a very specific audience and it hasn't reached the point of integration of Nintendo's evergreen demographic, not even close. And grandma on an iPhone? lol

 

[_Alkaline_]

It's nice to see gimmicky systems fail. It's all about compelling software, not hardware sideshows.

Agreed man. Game consoles almost always have compelling software at launch.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

I'm just catching up with the majority of this thread as I've been out all evening.

Why are folks seemingly downright upset that the 360 SKU of Portal 2 is outselling the PS3 SKU?

 

[Kai Dracon]

After the DS and the Wii, folks better be a touch more careful about gloating over the "failure" of the 3DS or "it's nothing but a gimmick". Unless this is reverse psychology to seed an epic retro-thread in five years time.

Also, "3DS does nothing new that matters" always seems to come up with a thinly veiled reference to the NGP. As if the NGP is offering anything "revolutionary" itself.

 

[watershed]

After the DS and the Wii, folks better be a touch more careful about gloating over the "failure" of the 3DS or "it's nothing but a gimmick". Unless this is reverse psychology to seed an epic retro-thread in five years time.

Also, "3DS does nothing new that matters" always seems to come up with a thinly veiled reference to the NGP. As if the NGP is offering anything "revolutionary" itself.

Duh, dual analogs, when have u ever seen those before? Also console gaming on the go, unheard of until the NGP!

 

[InsaneZero]

After the DS and the Wii, folks better be a touch more careful about gloating over the "failure" of the 3DS or "it's nothing but a gimmick". Unless this is reverse psychology to seed an epic retro-thread in five years time.

Also, "3DS does nothing new that matters" always seems to come up with a thinly veiled reference to the NGP. As if the NGP is offering anything "revolutionary" itself.

I dunno man, those twin sticks changes everything!

 

[BlazingDarkness]

After the DS and the Wii, folks better be a touch more careful about gloating over the "failure" of the 3DS or "it's nothing but a gimmick". Unless this is reverse psychology to seed an epic retro-thread in five years time.

Also, "3DS does nothing new that matters" always seems to come up with a thinly veiled reference to the NGP. As if the NGP is offering anything "revolutionary" itself.

No but 3DS is sold almost entirely around it's 3D experience and if that selling point is falling short, or if people are simply not interested it, then that is an issue

NGP is being touted as console gaming on the go. Revolutionary? No. But it looks to be delivering exactly as promised.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

And yet Yoshi Touch 'n' Go was fine?

Yoshi's Touch 'n' Go was and still is fucking amazing. A modern "arcade" classic.

 

[Megadragon15]

Duh, dual analogs, when have u ever seen those before? Also console gaming on the go, unheard of until the NGP!

You obviously never heard of the NEC Turbo Express or the Sega Nomad.

 

[UberTag]

If nothing else, the first-year performance of the Nintendo DS should have taught Sales GAF not to be so reactionary and dismissive.

All things considered 197K is NOT a bad number. Especially for a system with few notable titles in a market where it's only comparable competition is a product from the same company that effectively handcuffed launch sales by launching the flagship title for the platform the 3DS is succeeding in the exact same month.

Nintendo has nothing to worry about right now as it relates to the 3DS performance in North America. In Japan and Europe there may be cause for concern. But not here.

The only thing that's been reinforced is that Wii Sports was truly lightning in a bottle. Nintendo will actually need compelling software to sell the 3DS just as they did with the NDS and their track record shows that over time they will deliver.

As for Project Cafe, I have no fricken clue what Nintendo is doing. They're targeting a market that is already saturated and it would seem to be a huge misstep. I have to believe they have a trick or two they haven't unveiled yet that will somehow manage to trump Kinect's casual appeal because I can't see Nintendo making a dent in the hardcore gaming sector without a truly unprecedented shift in their online philosophy.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

No but 3DS is sold almost entirely around it's 3D experience and if that selling point is falling short, or if people are simply not interested it, then that is an issue

NGP is being touted as console gaming on the go. Revolutionary? No. But it looks to be delivering exactly as promised.

Pretty sure that every handheld in existence could be considered "Console gaming on the go."

The Gameboy/Color is a NES on the go.
The Game Gear is a Master System on the Go.
The Gameboy Advance is a SNES on the go.
The NDS is a N64 on the go.
The PSP is a PS2 on the go.

None of those are consoles?

 

[joedick]

This doesn't make sense. I read on another thread here that Mortal Kombat was a bomb because Toys R Us put it on sale.

Could his be the end of GAF's sales logic?

 

[AbsoluteZero]

This doesn't make sense. I read on another thread here that Mortal Kombat was a bomb because Toys R Us put it on sale.

Could his be the end of GAF's sales logic?

That's just a GAF ongoing joke, think nothing of it.

 

[rpmurphy]

After the DS and the Wii, folks better be a touch more careful about gloating over the "failure" of the 3DS or "it's nothing but a gimmick". Unless this is reverse psychology to seed an epic retro-thread in five years time.

Also, "3DS does nothing new that matters" always seems to come up with a thinly veiled reference to the NGP. As if the NGP is offering anything "revolutionary" itself.

I wouldn't underestimate the potential of the back touchpad. Just look at what it can do for waifu games. Now you can rub her front and back at the same time! System seller, not a gimmick at all.

 

[BlazingDarkness]

Pretty sure that every handheld in existence could be considered "Console gaming on the go."

The Gameboy/Color is a NES on the go.
The Game Gear is a Master System on the Go.
The Gameboy Advance is a SNES on the go.
The NDS is a N64 on the go.
The PSP is a PS2 on the go.

None of those are consoles?

I mean in terms of almost identical experience - NGP is aiming higher than previous handhelds. As we saw with the various PS3 engines/titles running on the hardware. That kind of software parity is unheard of so far.

 

[Eric C]

Pretty sure that every handheld in existence could be considered "Console gaming on the go."

The Gameboy/Color is a NES on the go.
The Game Gear is a Master System on the Go.
The Gameboy Advance is a SNES on the go.
The NDS is a N64 on the go.
The PSP is a PS2 on the go.

None of those are consoles?

But none of those could play the actual console cartridges / discs

the NEC turbo express and Sega Nomad could

 

[UberTag]

I wouldn't underestimate the potential of the back touchpad. Just look at what it can do for waifu games. Now you can rub her front and back at the same time! System seller, not a gimmick at all.

When a game platform lets me give a virtual character the shocker, I'll know I'll have finally crossed over into a golden age of gaming.

And with NGP I finally can!

 

[AbsoluteZero]

The easiest way to tell is to ask, "Does this game look overpriced and not any good?"

If the answer is yes, it's for the 3DS.

You guys really, really don't remember how terrible the DS' launch library was. The first truly spectacular game was Kirby Canvas Curse and that didn't pop in until something like eight months into the DS' lifespan.

Mario 64 DS was (vastly) inferior to the N64 version. OoT is supposedly vastly superior.

I'm guessing someone hasn't played Super Mario 64 DS.

 

[Megadragon15]

But none of those could play the actual console cartridges / discs

the NEC turbo express and Sega Nomad could

http://i.imgur.com/Ir48J.png[IMG][/QUOTE]
I already named those two in post 788.

 

[Somnid]

I mean in terms of almost identical experience - NGP is aiming higher than previous handhelds. As we saw with the various PS3 engines/titles running on the hardware. That kind of software parity is unheard of so far.

Or it's the PSP argument all over again which happened to be one of the system's biggest software weaknesses, people actually wanted to play more portable games with more bite-sized experiences.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

I mean in terms of almost identical experience - NGP is aiming higher than previous handhelds. As we saw with the various PS3 engines/titles running on the hardware. That kind of software parity is unheard of so far.

Pretty sure we saw a handful of PS2/PSP crossports. First one that comes to mind is Ghostbusters. And don't forget games like the two God of War titles, which come damn close to looking nearly identical to the PS2 games.