Five Things I Want To See From Nintendo At E3 2014
This year's E3 is crucial for Nintendo. The Wii U has floundered and calling the release schedule for upcoming games "sparse" is being kind. Unfortunately, Nintendo has, yet again, opted out of having a press conference to deliver it's announcements through a special Nintendo Direct like they did last year. Without the pomp and glamour of an E3 presser, it's even more vital that Nintendo comes out swinging with a slew of exciting and meaningful announcements so that they aren't an afterthought to Sony and Microsoft's presentations like they were in 2013. Here are five things I hope they do that would help with that.
New IP
This is an issue that's been brought up numerous times throughout the years but it bears repeating. I'll always love Mario and Zelda but it's time to see some fresh ideas from the big N - and I don't mean original ideas implanted in established franchises. I want brand new characters, worlds, and design ideas. Preferably, an IP built from the ground up with the Wii U's unique capabilities in mind.
Release Dates for Long-Announced Titles
We've known that games such as Bayonetta 2 and Monolith Soft's "X" were coming to Wii U since the beginning of the system's life-cycle but still have no concrete release dates on these titles. I'm tired of vague launch windows. These are huge exclusives and it's about time players found out when these discs will be spinning in their consoles; especially those holding off on a Wii U purchase until then.
The Resurrection of Dormant Franchises
Nintendo boasts the most iconic stable of first-party franchises but has only utilized about half of them in recent years. The Metroid series has been quiet since 2010's underwhelming Other M. Star Fox hasn't had a proper console entry since Star Fox 64. Let's not forget F-Zero and even Punch-Out!. These franchises have passionate followings begging for their return and it'd be wonderful to see at least one of them make a comeback on current generation hardware
More Worthwhile Third-Party Exclusives
Sadly, this one isn't likely to change anytime soon, considering the mass exodus of third-party support in the last year or so. Once Bayonetta 2 and X hit, there really isn't anything on the horizon in terms of big-time third-party exclusives - that we know of, at least. Still, Nintendo has maintained solid relationships with the likes of Konami and Square Enix, so a new Contra, Castlevania or Final Fantasy exclusive to Wii U would be a slam dunk for the struggling console.
Zelda Wii U
According to Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto, we were THIS close to seeing this game at last years E3, but Nintendo decided to save the unveiling for a later date. With sales lagging, there isn't a better time to debut the title that will definitely spike Wii U sales.
What do you want to see from Nintendo at E3?
Related
Comments
"I'm asking for internally developed IP AKA FIRST-PARTY. The last major one was...Pikmin?"
Isn't super mario 3D world the highest rated game of this generation?
Isn't Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze newer than Pikmin 3?
and some more 1st party games released since pikmin.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
Wii Party U
Wii Fit U
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Then just published by Nintendo since Pikmin:
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
The Wonderful 101
Then upcoming and published and/or developed by Nintendo since Pikmin:
Mario Kart 8
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Bayonetta 2
X
Hyrule Warriors
Ratchet and Clank would be the only one with local multiplayer and if your counting an insomniac game that was published by Sony, then surely you would count the TW101 published by N, developed by platinum. And truth be told, yes, the marketing was terrible and no one knows what the Wii U even is because of the huge success of the Wii.
And yes, many of those games are multi platform. But no, the other platforms do not have anything close to the same amount of exclusives. I had a ps3 and my wife would not play it. My kids could not play it. The Wii U has gotten more play time than our Wii and ps3 combined. If it was marketed it would have been a huge success. However, I would still not buy the typical nonsense smashy smashy games that are all the same i.e COD games. One of those is enough in my collection. That is what sells on ps and xb and that is what doesn't sell on Nintendo consoles. All of the best selling games are shooters or Mario and we all know that.
The difference here is, you have all the time in the world to play games, I presume you have no kids and you do have easy access to games so you want ALOT of them. You also probably play one player and online multiplayer. The Wii U is not for you. I am a family man, who plays when I get time. The demographic is different. Don't compare a mini van to a sports car (xb1 and ps4). I have my mini van (Wii U) and I have my racing car (pc). The sports car is all but useless to me.
Mario Kart and the crazy offer that came out today will spur some momentum (probably not enough), but then again I really don't care. 5 members of my family in Ireland who own a dusty Wii each argued with me that Mario Kart 8 will run on their machine and they could play against me. *sigh*. So yes, the confusion is very real. One of them owns a ps4, ps3 and xb360 and all the rest of them own at least one of the above alongside their Wii, so it's not like they don't venture into gamestop regularly. And come to think of it, I have asked numerous members of the gamestop team about the Wii U and all of them pointed me to an xbox for me and my 3 year old daughter. Oh here hun, lets play battlefield.
Re: "Nintendo consoles don't have the support to stand on their own as an all-around entertainment option and haven't for years now."
Nonsense. The 3DS is the greatest selling games machine of this generation thus far and the Wii of the last Gen. But then again when Nintendo wins in sales, gamers will bash them about something else. When they try something new and it sells over 100 million they are still dumb. Since I was 9 years old, this argument has been going on.
- AUTHOR
Many of the games you listed are available on other platforms. I'm not saying it has zero support, as that's absurd, but rather less than the other consoles - and it's only getting smaller.
The Wonderful 101 was developed by Platinum Games, making it a third-party exclusive. I'm asking for internally developed IP AKA FIRST-PARTY. The last major one was...Pikmin?
The Wii U doesn't sell well because it was poorly marketed. The name is confusing to people that don't follow the industry. I work at Gamestop and I can't tell you how many parents still think the Wii U is some sort of Wii add-on. Also, very few games have demonstrated why the GamePad is the next big thing, which is why it hasn't taken off the way the Wiimote did.
Oh, and to suggest that it doesn't sell because gamers don't like fun or only care about violence is laughable on so many levels that I really hope you were joking.
You're saying that if I want more third-party software, I should buy another console? That's the problem right there: people ARE doing that, which is why the Wii U is lagging behind. Sony's first-party is just as strong as Nintendo's but also boasts a great third-party. If you don't like Uncharted, God of War, or Ratchet & Clank, there's still PLENTY of stuff to play. Mario, Zelda or Donkey Kong not your thing? You're more or less out of luck because if you don't enjoy Nintendo's core offerings, there's little reason to buy their consoles. It also doesn't help that historically, third-party games on Nintendo tend to be inferior, for one reason or another, than the Playstation/Xbox/PC versions - but that's a topic for another discussion.
Because of this, Nintendo consoles have basically become sidekicks to Sony and Microsoft's. The general mentality seems to be that you purchase either and Xbox or Playstation to play pretty much everything, and a Nintendo console to play Nintendo games. Nintendo consoles don't have the support to stand on their own as an all-around entertainment option and haven't for years now.
Nintendo's first-party has always been great, but those games release few and far between. As of now, there's nothing between Mario Kart's May 30th launch and Super Smash Bros' winter launch. That is a HUGE gap. They suffered a terrible drought of quality releases last summer between Lego City: Undercover (March) and Pikmin 3 (August). The most use my Wii U got during that summer was a playthrough of Super Metroid - a 20-year old game.
I may sound harsh, but that's because I love Nintendo and have my entire life. I want them to succeed. I bought a Wii U only 2 weeks after launch and have played nearly every game of worth available on it. I'm not telling people to not play the Wii U or that you shouldn't enjoy it because it is a good console. However, I'm not a blind fanboy and the Wii U's promotion and several of the decisions surrounding it have been questionable at best and headache-inducing at worst.
I agree with most of the above, but in fairness, with the upcoming Mario Kart (my 1st ever pre order) and the free game it comes with, Abe New N Tasty, Bayonetta, Smash Bros, Zelda U, X, Project CARS and a whole pile of top quality games already existing (sm3Dw, SM/Luigi U, Rayman Legends, ZombiU, Nintendoland, black ops 2 dual screen, unepic, Wii fit U, child of light, Zelda WW, Dues Ex, Pikmin 3, Skylanders, NFS most wanted U, AC 3, AC 4, darksiders 2, Tekken TT 2, Monster hunter.........) I'm not sure why people are falling for the medias, "There's no games" nonsense. How many games could one possibly need?
Nintendo provided a new IP/ fresh idea in "the wonderful 101". It's a great game and very few purchased it. They won't be doing this again.
Revival of an old IP? Maybe.
My Wii U is awesome and the best console I have ever owned. It doesn't sell well, it's because most gamers only want Violence and don't care for fun and their target audience, families, are completely unaware of it's existence. (Well, except my family) Then the fact that EA almost purposefully made nothing but shaky ports for it = a disaster. Do I care? No, because it's really fun and I don't care how many other people enjoy it or what the media tells me to think.
You'll probably get most of the above, and then after E3 people will still be whining.
And 3rd party software? If you want more 3rd party, then buy a console from a manufacturer who needs 3rd parties to make them games because they can't make them, themselves. Never understood this "3rd party" obsession. Isn't that what a PC is for.
4