EA to Nintendo: “Get your crap together.”

Nintendo hasn’t been having a good past couple of weeks, months, quarter or even year. Apparently the world has *finally* woken up and realized the Wii is a pretty crap system and got sales mostly through gimmicks and high profit margins by using circa-2001 hardware. Now, though, it seems, EA’s CEO John Riccitiello is speaking up about his disappointment in the system and the way Nintendo is treating their users and third-party publishers.

“To be honest with you, I think the Wii platform has been a little weaker than we had certainly anticipated. And there is no lack of frustration to be doing that at precisely the time where we have the strongest third-party share…”

EA is undoubtedly the Wii’s largest 3rd party supporter so I can see why they’d be upset a bit. However, that being said, when EA constantly pushes tripe like Charm Girls Pajama Party, MySims Racing, Nascar Kart Racing, Smarty Pants, etc., I can’t feel too bad for them (in total EA has released 50+ Wii titles since the system’s launch [>1/month]). I mean, if they wanted to point fingers for undelivering products, they need to take a look at EA. In other words, physician heal thyself.

“Frankly, I think they need more beats in the year than they get out of a first-party slate – to be able to have the Wii software platform perform as well as they would like.”

That is a good point because I think it brings up a key issue in WHY the Wii, its games and Nintendo (at this point in time) are doing so poorly and have reputations that are getting worse and worse with every passing month. I mean, what was Nintendo last BIG first-party game? Super Smash Bros. Brawl? That came out in March 2008. Over a year and a half ago. Sure, you could argue that Wii Sports Resort & WiiFit are “games”…but for hardcore gamers, those are a far cry from anything worth lumping together with Zelda, Mario or even Super Smash Bros. franchises.

To get even more insulting and stupid, I went to Nintendo’s site and went through all 838 games released for the Wii since it’s launch, looking for first party titles. I didn’t count Wii Ware releases — just Nintendo published titles. I even included casual titles like Wii Sports & Wii Fit. Here are the total #s of first party games released in each year, since 2006:

• 2006 – 2
• 2007 – 12
• 2008 – 6
• 2009 – 8 (4 are re-releases of Gamecube titles)

My point is this: Nintendo — as it has done with every console system since Nintendo 64 — is ridiculous when it comes to keeping platform interest high through 1st party releases. In fact, one could say the only reason why the N64 had as good of lineup as it did for the first few years was solely because of the help of 2nd-party Rare producing games like Banjo Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing, GoldenEye, Donkey Kong, Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Perfect Dark.

Since 2006 not one new console IP has been created under the Nintendo label and Nintendo has all but ignored franchises like Star Fox, Pikmin and Kid Icarus for proper sequel treatment. Instead, gamers get Mario over and over and over and over again.

John continued saying, “…because very, very few multiplatform titles are succeeding on the Wii.”

Well, duh. A quick look at Nintendo’s official release listing page for the Wii shows a terrifyingly high number of crapware — games no one over the age of 5 would ever want. If it weren’t for the useless casual gamers, hipster middle-aged folk and clueless grandmas in the country, no third party trashware would be bought. The solution? Keep making Wii-exclusive third party software instead of just porting over superior console’s games and hoping for the best. And, if you’re gonna make a quick n’ dirty Wii release (eww, that sounds nasty when written),  just keep it as a Wii Ware title. Less risk for a publisher and less chance of consumer disappointment if they buy it in a store, hoping it to be a quality title.

I know 3rd party games in general have been failures on the Wii, but couldn’t publishers have made games like Madworld, Dead Space Extraction and Monster Hunter 3 back in late ‘06/early ‘07? They could have…but they didn’t. I’ll tell you why — because when the Wii was announced, every 3rd party publisher (including EA) thought it would suck and get crappy 1st party support as usual, just like the Gamecube. After they realized it was a hit (thanks to moron casual gamers and gimmick-duped hardcore gamers), they all rushed out to release as much crap as possible to grab some consumer money. They had no plans to come out with anything unique at any point and after seeing the types of buyers who were getting Wiis, they became even lazier because, let’s face it, casual gamers will buy just about anything.

To hear EA moaning now about lack of 3rd party success 3 years into Wii’s life is pretty funny, actually. If they had done more than port crap and release shovelware for the first 24-36 months, perhaps their Wii endeavors wouldn’t have been so painful.

Finally, John said, “…we are reaching out to Nintendo to find ways to partner to push third-party software harder.”

So what, EA wants to bundle its games with Wii hardware? Yeah, that ain’t gonna happen EA. Please tell me what incentive Nintendo would have to pursue something like this. I mean, look at them — they would have kept the Wii at its $250 price for another holiday season if it weren’t for the big drops in PS3 and 360 pricing this Fall. And even with a drop in Wii system price, there is NO variation in the bundle from what was originally offered in 2006. Nintendo simply has no plans to give anything of value away to consumers this generation and they just don’t care. They know full well a game-hungry consumer (after they had their fill of Wii Sports) will aim for a Nintendo-brand game next before they even consider a 3rd party game. That’s why Nintendo published games released 2-3 years ago still have their $49.99 price tag…while 99% of 3rd party games go to the bargain bins within a few months of release.

UPDATE:
Finally, in what I call icing on the cake for this ridiculous situation is the newly announced plan for EA to FIRE 1,500 workers and spend about $400 million for casual game maker Playfish.com. So one hand you have EA’s CEO crying about Nintendo not doing a good enough job making a system attractive enough to consumers so they spend even more on 3rd party games and on the other hand you have EA making huge, dramatic changes internally so it can focus even more on the casual markets it apparently hates so much (you know, the ones who WON’T buy 3rd party games…because they’re idiots). Bravo EA, bravo.

More Gamers Discuss The Wii’s Problems

According to a recent article on Kotaku, it appears I’m really not alone in my feelings on the Wii. My feelings, of course, that the system hasn’t really done much to gaming in any significant way. My feelings that motion controls have been a gimmick thus far. My feelings that most of the “big” games on the system really didn’t need the Wiimote or motion controls at all. My feelings that even if Nintendo had wanted to make truly awesome motion control games, they couldn’t technically because of how inaccurate the Wiimote really was (a flick of the wrist shouldn’t produce the same result as a full arm swing in Wii Sports).

Here’s a really good quote from the article that sums up my feelings on motion controls for games in general:

Gamers groan at the flimsy motion controls mapped to action games. A shake of a hand replaces what could have been the press of a button. In game after game, motion control presents a different option, but one that seldom seems better.

And I totally agree with this statement (although to be 100% honest, I have never used a WiiFit board myself…although I’ve seen many videos of people using it).

Even in Wii Fit, the great successor to Wii Sports, the Wii Remote was all but relegated to a laser pointer used to select menu options. Meanwhile, the mechanism for the game’s motion was the Balance Board, a controller inspired by a bathroom scale.

Corncerning Microsoft’s new Natal and Sony’s updated Eyetoy/Motion Controller input methods, here’s another thing I agree with:

One wonders if the companies have noticed Nintendo’s struggles with motion control amidst the Wii’s triumphs. The use of arm and body movements to play games has not proven a game-changer in and of itself.

I think this is important to keep in mind because really, all Microsoft & Sony did at E3 was demonstrate that they had the ability to do motion controls if they wanted. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that neither company had a real, ready-to-go product available. I don’t think Sony or Microsoft believes in the usefulness of motion controls at this point in time. I agree with them. I think the Wii has shown it’s a neat input method…but hardly a game changer. Maybe in a decade or so people will have a reason to play games this way…but even then…pressing a button is a lot easier than moving a whole body part.

In describing why certain games on the Wii seem to do better than others, here’s another part I found very accurate.

Designers borrowing ideas from Wii Sports had had better success drawing from the game’s accessibility than strictly from its motion controls. The simplicity of its design made Wii Sports approachable, streamlined and friendly, the least intimidating game many people had played since Pac-Man. It has one of the shortest gaps between being turned on and being fun.

So basically Kotaku is saying Nintendo and its developers knew the motion controls sucked…but yet they included them anyways (sometimes at the expense of regular controls) because it would allow them to sell a new, gimmicky feature and a simplified, dumbed-down (and cheaper to develop!) game.

Finally, here’s what Kotaku had to say about the upcoming WiiSports Resort, the new Wii Motion Plus and the Wiimote in general:

Wii Sports Resort has greatness in it. A couple of days playing it — of going back for more and more — reveals it to be another joyful construction, a game with plenty of fun to share. The necessary bolting on of MotionPlus could be proof that, like Wii Fit or Guitar Hero, the greatest, most accessible motion-based games needs a unique device of its own, a controller shaped to the actions and fantasies of the game it supports. Wii Sports Resort suggests that for all the virtues of the Wii Remote’s simplicity, it was too simple on its own to enable a line of games made great by its motion control.

So basically what he’s saying is that Wii Sports Resort is a pretty good game. It may very well be…I don’t know. I’m sure if the new modes are a refreshing change/update to what many experienced in Wii Sports, it probably will be enjoyable for most. But it also sounds a lot like it has everything to do with the truly accurate Wii Motion Plus…an accessory MOST gamers don’t have. He also touched on the point of maybe the Wiimote (& Motion Plus) were only designed for Wii Sports games…and that’s why most of the time on the Wii the motion controls in games feel so awkward and/or unnecessary.

If Kotaku honestly thinks Wii Sports Resort will be the “savior” of the Wii’s reputation, Nintendo needs to do three things: Have Wii Sports Resort come with the Wii Motion Plus and be extremely cheap (like $39.99). I also believe the Wii needs to drop down to $199.99 AND come with Wii Sports Resort AND the Motion Plus Controller. For those gamers who don’t want Wii Sports Resort (or prefer to just rent it), the Motion Plus adapter should be sold separately and really only be like $14.99 at most.

We all know Nintendo won’t do ANY of this. I mean, look at the headline: 33 MONTHS… THIRTY-THREE MONTHS. If Nintendo can postpone a pricedrop on the Wii just 3 more months (which they will) the Wii will be the SAME price it was THREE years ago…and unless Nintendo changes the included hardware/software people will still be paying $250 for the same stuff people got at launch…and as we all know and can agree upon now…were pretty crummy all along (inaccurate Wiimote, tiny bit of Memory Storage, no HD output, etc.).

I personally feel as though the Wii has been a total failure for games. All innovation and steps forward in game design seem to be coming from other platforms this generation and if it weren’t for Monster Hunter 3 (look at this amazing trailer! [think of much cooler it would have looked on the PS3!]), I would probably never buy this system (unless it hit $99-$129).

Gamers Keep Getting Ripped-Off…& No One Cares.

Okay, enough’s enough. Am I the only person on this planet who feels like the Nintendo Wii has been a major bend-me-over and rob-me-blind gimmick since day one?

Yesterday an article on VGChartz quoted a piece from London’s Financial Times in which an analyst said the manufacturing costs of the Wii are a staggering 45% LOWER than what they were when the system launched in November 2006.

Now, let’s go back to late last year when Forbes said Nintendo made a pure profit of $6 on each system sold. Whu–!?! Only $6? I mean, yeah, packaging, marketing, etc. all added into the mix might eat slightly into the equation…but only $6 profit on a $250 item? B.S. 

That $6 figure seems extremely fishy to me, considering that in September 2007 a Japanese-based Citigroup analyst stated that the Wii in the U.S. generated a $49 profit.

That $49 profit seems very accurate because when the Wii launched in 2006 it was known that the system cost less than $196 to manufacture!

So let’s recap: In late 2006 Nintendo was making about $25-$50* profit on each Wii sold (*-when you factor in the Wiimote, packaging, etc.). A year later another report indicated Nintendo was making at least $49 in profit on each system sold here in the U.S. A year and a half later another report indicated the system now costs 45% LESS than what it did in late ‘06…while the system price of $249.99 remains unchanged.

I’m sorry folks but the Wii was a massive rip-off back in late 2006 when you take into account that it is nothing more than a slightly modified Gamecube. When the Wii came out Gamecubes were selling for $99. I doubt very much that the system even cost as much as that initial breakdown article indicated (especially when you think about all the large-quantity contract prices Nintendo and its suppliers made…perhaps the first 100,000 systems didn’t turn a profit…but when you order 10 million of something, things get a lot cheaper for sure).

The simple truth is that Nintendo has been ripping gamers off for nearly three years now and manufacturing phony delays to create artificial demand. If it weren’t for Nintendo just outright bombing in 2008 with their pitiful release lineup…the gaming community would probably still be drinking the Nintendo Kool-Aid. People talk non-stop about the PS3 being priced way too high (when that system actually costs much MORE than it retails for) yet no one seems to care that Nintendo is essentially charging people well over $100 what it costs them to make their system. That seems fair.

November 23rd, 1998…

Okay, NOW I’m feeling really, really, REALLY old because TEN years ago on this day The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was officially released here in North America.

At the time I had just started my Junior year of High School and was near the middle of my very unhealthy height of gaming fanaticism (late ‘97 to late ’99). I think, if you asked most gamers even now, they’d say 1998 was probably the the single best year ever in gaming. I mean, think about it: You had Zelda, Metal Gear Solid, Pokemon, Age of Empires II, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Half-Life, StarCraft, Grim Fandango, Banjo Kazooie, etc. – virtually a classic game in every genre and something fun on every console - most of which were new and NOT sequels (and yes, Zelda 64 and MGS were sequels…but shared very little in common with what came before them gameplay-wise).

If you remember, Zelda 64 was a huge game many people were looking forward to playing ever since the first video appeared of Link in 3D back when the N64 was called the “Ultra 64.” (Of course, back then video of games wasn’t easy to see…so most people like me settled for screenshots in gaming magazines…) My first introduction to the Zelda series came in 1992 as Zelda III: A Link to the Past and I remember how badly I wanted a GameBoy in 1993 just to play ONE game: Zelda: Link’s Awakening. (I recall reading Nintendo Power Issue #50 over and over, drooling over the GameBoy version of Zelda).

I remember when I reserved Zelda in late summer/fall ‘98 - it was the second game I ever reserved (Final Fantasy VII was the first over a year earlier) – and the special deal was that if you reserved the game you would be guaranteed a copy of Collector’s Edition – a special “Gold” cartridge version of the game with a box that featured a foil cover. You gotta remember – to a 16 yr. old kid who was a total game junkie and collected every gaming-related thing he could get his hands on – this was an awesome incentive to get Zelda: Ocarina of Time by reserving it. To put it simply, Zelda was one of my favorite game series ever by the mid-90s and Zelda: OoT was something I desperately NEEDED in 1998. If the game had cost $200 back then, I probably would have found a way to buy it, that’s how much I wanted this game.

Unlike Final Fantasy VII which I had reserved at Software Etc., I decided to try my luck at Wal*Mart to get this sure-to-be mega-popular game (they may have been sold out of pre-orders…can’t remember). Back then, I couldn’t drive anywhere on my own (heck, I didn’t even know how to drive…back then it seemed too complicated to me) so I was very much at the mercy of wherever my parents took me (which was fine – we’d often visit the mall/Wal*Mart at least once every week or so). Wal*Mart and the mall where Software Etc. was were very close to each other…but I must’ve chosen Wal*Mart just because I happened to be there when I realized I could reserve it. I realize this paragraph is sorta pointless…but I just wanted to describe my situation as a gamer and kid back in ‘98…even the way I got games is so radically different now – it’s amazing.

Zelda: OoT also holds another significant #1 in my memories: It was the first videogame I ever bought using money I 100% earned from work. In October of 1998 I started working my first job as a grocery store service clerk and, if I remember correctly, Zelda: OoT was the first game I was ever able to 100% buy on my own.

I’m not going to get into the specifics of gameplay because by now, who hasn’t played Zelda: Ocarina of Time? The game is nearly flawless. All I will say is that the very first area in the woods was dreadfully underwhelming…not what I was expecting at all (after 6 years of waiting for a new console Zelda game)…but luckily after the first few hours the game turned into a real gem – definately one of the best games ever made. I think my favorite parts were fishing and exploring the world and places like Karakiko Village/Gerudo Valley (loved the music in those two areas!). I also remember how neat the night/day change was as you explored Hyrule in 3D…remember how the Rumble Pak would tell you something hidden was nearby or that a fish had taken your bait? Zelda: OoT took what Super Mario 64 had done so well in 3D and applied the Zelda formula with so much accuracy it was crazy. Yes, it was Zelda in 3D…but it still played like Zelda in its 8- and 16-bit days.

It’s been at least 5 years since I’ve truly played the game significantly so it’d be interesting to see how well the game has stood up since it’s introduction so long ago. However, let it be known that I will stand by my claim that Majora’s Mask is a superior 3D Zelda game to OoT and the best 3D Zelda game offering all around. With that said though, I must also point out that Zelda III: A Link to the Past is still the best Zelda game of all.

I still can’t believe it’s been 10 years…my, how time’s flown by. Even now, I can still distinctly remember being so excited to play Zelda: OoT and telling my Mom all about it as she drove me to Wal*Mart after school on that dreary, drizzly day…just so I could get it (using my carefully protected reservation slip) on the very first day it was available: November 23rd, 1998 : )

Nintendo DSi: iPhone Rip-Off?

Some people think I hate all things Nintendo – that just isn’t true. I may have not been their biggest fan over the past few years, but they’re Nitendo – you gotta respect them for their contributions to gaming! It’s the company that brought us Mario, Zelda, Pokemon and the best system of all time: the Super Nintendo…

…so when I happen upon an article that is just outright B.S. – whether or not I agree with Nintendo’s current strategy in terms of hardware or games – I have to rush to the side of the big N if someone’s trying to spread lies.

In this case, the liars are the folks at GamePro, a magazine people stop reading once they hit 12. You should read the article (click here to read it…) before continuing on and reading what I have to say about it.

Alright, so GamePro is actually trying to claim that the DSi is a rip-off of the iPhone. Because it will have access to an App/Game store, music playback capabilities, a camera (well, TWO actually) and a have a touchscreen this isn’t Nintendo making a new system – it’s actually Nintendo desperately trying to keep the iPhone from getting more popular by stealing their ideas.

Gimme a freakin’ break. You’ve been able to play music on Nintendo’s handhelds pretty easily ever since the GameBoy Color days (see here) and the GameBoy even had its own camera over TEN YEARS AGO. Let’s not forget that the DS came out years before the iPhone so they can’t possibly say Apple made touchscreen technology popular in technology. And about the “store” concept give me a break! Itunes wasn’t the first store online to offer customers a way to get electronic content like music, audiobooks, games, etc. so let’s stop with all this “Apple made buying apps online easy and popular!”…whatever. I suppose XBox Live or Netflix Online is a ripoff of iTunes as well, huh? Shut up you stupid Apple fanatics.

I may not be the biggest fan of Nintendo’s new system but the DSi is NOT a rip-off of the iPhone. The iPhone is a rip-off of a bunch of companies’ technology while claiming to be unique on its own. It isn’t and it will NEVER be a competitor to Nintendo or Sony’s portables.

Oh, and let’s not forget this gem from that crap article:

All but confirming Fassler’s prediction were shares of Best Buy stock, which dropped $2 when the DSi was announced.

Are you serious!?! You honestly think that because Nintendo announced a product that would have an online store that made Best Buy’s stocks fall $2 on the SAME DAY!?! Did you even consider that the DSi isn’t coming stateside until 2009!?!?! Or that the DSi would actually mean MORE people would be going to Best Buy to BUY THE SYSTEM!?! These people have no freakin’ clue what they’re talking about.

That’s it, I’m done. I’m not reading any more retarded stories from GamePro.

BTW – Their newly redesigned logo sucks!