The Eighth Generation 8/30/13: The Plea for a WiiU Ambassador Program

The Eighth Generation is Now in YouTube

Watch it. WATCH IT!!!!

How Nintendo Can Give Gamestop the Middle Finger

Nintendo, this is definitely your chance.




You can totally shove it in the face of Gamestop for what they did to your video game.




You can give them the business-infused middle finger.


Gamestop took thousands of copies of a rare game you released in the Western Hemisphere a couple years ago and are now selling it at its current ridiculous $90 price tag. This is extremely a slap in the face to the hardcore gamers everywhere that had fought to the death to bring the game into the United States and Europe. Not to mention, they are attempting to screw you over by collecting all the profits since its “used.”

But Nintendo, you can win back the hardcore crowd, get the attention of the industry, and gain some momentum for the Nintendo WiiU. The solution is quite simple:


Make it a downloadable game.


Personally, if I ran Nintendo and witnessed Gamestop taking two of my games and jacking up the prices unfairly to take advantage of their rarity, I would make them free downloadables on the struggling WiiU system. It would be a fantastic way to convince people to buy a WiiU---which is something that nothing outside Pikmin 3 and Earthbound has been able to accomplish. Xenoblade Chronicles being a free downloadable game on Nintendo’s internet service would be a great marketing move and an excellent prelude to the highly-anticipated release of X coming out in 2014.

But since few things in gaming life are free I would not expect Nintendo to pull off such a dramatic move, even if it would be a move that would provide nothing but benefits. Either way though, making it available digitally on the WiiU and Wii internet browser at regular price would not only send a message, but would also kick Gamestop right on the stomach as the anti-Gamestop campaign picks up steam.And trust me, I can see hordes of gamers willing to download this game, which has picked up lots of positive steam since its American localization.

This would also serve as a nice experience to see just how effective it would be to release a game just digitally and avoid the physical copies. Now that your only option to obtain a physical copy is to learn Japanese, have a European Wii, or fork over nasty amounts of cash on the EBays of the internet, making it downloadable would be a potential glimpse into the future of gaming.

However, Nintendo has a chance to truly become cynically evil while at the same time become a temporary champion to the hardcore crowd. Making the game accessible to the WiiU and Wii owners for free would be the perfect counterpunch to the rising ridiculousness of Gamestop. Xenoblades Chronicles can alter the course of the history of the WiiU history. The ball is in Nintendo’s court.


Time to take action.

Make Xenoblade Chronicles, currently one of the highest-rated Nintendo games in the past half-decade, fully available to the world again—in digital form.

The Necessary, Required, Expected Price Cut of the WiiU

Hey remember when I talked about predicting that the Nintendo WiiU will be eventually dropping its price before the PS4 and the XBox One rolling around?

Well....it hasn't happened yet despite the recent ugly news.

And now the question should not be as to whether or not its going to happen, the question Nintendo should ask is how much exactly should they drop the price.

While the WiiU might be selling at a loss with its current price, the WiiU is going to be destroyed if Nintendo sticks to its price being a mere $50 less than the next-generation Playstation 4 (whom is riding some good momentum) come the holiday season. The deluxe package of the WiiU needs to be less than $300 as soon as possible--at the very latest September.

If I personally ran Nintendo, I would drop it back to a $250 price, with the $275 price if you purchase it with the understated but presentation-dreary New Super Mario Bros. U (Which is on pace to become the least-successful major Mario game since Super Mario Sunshine). You need to separate yourself from the competition now that they are around the corner and looking far more advanced than your product.

Momentum is required to thrive into the holiday season and make good money then, and the WiiU clearly has very little. The long-delayed Pikmin 3 is serving up humble numbers, but not the kind that can jump-start the hardware. The Virtual Console got a big boost from Earthbound, and it arguably would have never happened if it weren't for the PR nightmare involving the Super Smash Brothers franchise controversy. And let's not forget the fleeting third-party support. Perhaps cutting the price to a more economic stature would give Nintendo the necessary 3DS-like boost that could propel it away of obscurity.

Nintendo, let's look at the facts:
WiiU Deluxe--the only package you should get: $350
PS4: $400
XBox One: $500

Game Price Range
WiiU: $5-$60
PS4: $5-$60
XBox One: $5-$60

Wouldn't it look prettier to be $150 cheaper than the competitors while holding a heavier abundance of cheaper games with the Why-in-the-hell-have-I-still-not-reached-my-potential Virtual Console? You can manage the operating at a loss if you manage to slide in some quick bucks left and right with re-releases of games that already exist. There are over 1,500 Nintendo games still not released. You mean to tell me if you get at least 40% of those games available you won't get some money out of it?

Let's refer back to an old IGN article about the Virtual Console and WiiWare to show you the potential money that can cover the lack of software and heavier loss if you were to do the necessary price cut:

Back in 2009 alone, JUST 2009, Super Mario Bros. 3 by itself generated $5 million, which is the equivalent of 83,000 sales of a modern-day video game. If you combine the top 5, that's $18.7 million, with an equivalent of 311,000 sales of modern games. This is ONLY the top 5 combined on a slow year of the Nintendo Wii that actually saw its sales drop 25% that year. And this would be coming from a far far smaller budget than your typical $60 game nowadays. There are 400 video games on the Wii Virtual Console. Is it that hard to transfer it all to the WiiU to help generate sales?

Nintendo, the price cut is going to be a gamble, but it is far better to swallow the pride and look like the far economically better option as opposed to taking a chance at looking expensive AND inferior to the competitors. You have an abundance of new games coming out this fall but you need the arsenal of older games to help quantify the options for upcoming WiiU owners.



So...the question should NOT be IF the WiiU needs a price cut, the question should be: How much?

Square Enix's Untouched Pot of Gold

So Square Enix continues to lose money, even though the "losses aren't as bad as before." When one tries to spin their bad news with words like those, you know the company isn't exactly bringing in the dough. Their years of poor decisions, constant delays, and inability to truly touch upon what gamers want is beginning to catch on them in the same way that the evolving wave of gaming is quietly affecting most Japanese gaming companies.



Kingdom Hearts has run its course (We STILL don't have an official 3rd one with a release date). Final Fantasy needs a total refresher course on how to tell a good story and deliver a decent presentation that will age like the greats--after all, not a single Final Fantasy has been memorable in the slightest bit since part 10. And Final Fantasy X is a PS2 game. Dragon Quest, their usual biggest cash cow, has been quieted down for inexplicable reasons. A calm Wii and WiiU release with minimal fanfare and no United States release? This is a total contrast from all the excitement that had occurred after first announcement. Combine the sales of the Wii and WiiU versions of DQX and they still won't match the sales of the NES version of Dragon Quest II back in 1987.

But the difference between most of the Japanese companies struggling and Square Enix is the history. Nintendo's ability to tap into history to try to replenish sales and bring up reputation has saved them time and time again. On the other hand, Square Enix continues to totally dodge their history, resulting in millions in potential sales and money that remains in their reach but unattained.

I once wrote that perhaps the art of the JRPG is dying. But on the other hand, maybe its because Square Enix isn't looking back at the classics that put them on the map in the first place.

Square Enix owns:
The SaGa series (Which includes the Final Fantasy Legend games on the original Game Boy), Chrono series (Which includes Chrono Trigger, one of the greatest games ever), the Crystal Chronicles series, the Mana series, parts of the Super Mario RPG series (You owe us another Geno and Mallow game), the ActRaiser series, the Gaia series (Which consists of just one classic), the Star Ocean series, and even the widely-forgotten franchise of the Dragon Warrior Monsters.



Now, all of the franchises I have recently mentioned have whether not had new, original installments in years, or they have been quietly being released with minimal effort to the extent of the Final Fantasy games in recent years. These are all great franchises back in its heyday with lots of creativity. It is not like Square Enix JUST has one major game to depend on--they have an extremely rich lineup of games that spanned from the Game Boy through the latter PSX days to re-release, re-do, or follow up to. I can promise you the gaming industry will buzz with a Super Mario RPG 2, an ActRaiser 3, and/or a Chrono Trigger 3.

But much like Nintendo's dependance on the Big 3 (Mario, Pokemon, Zelda) in its lineup, Square has put all their eggs in just one or two baskets (Final Fantasy) with every once in a while branching off to strange territory (Tomb Raider....really?), when they can diversify so much more without worrying about restrictions. This company is sitting on multiple ideas, worlds, characters, franchises that have a chance to breathe some life to its industry. JRPGs can make a rise if they are willing to bend its rules a little and refresh their SNES/PSX glory days for a new generation of gamers.

Then lastly, try to remember that gamers exist on the Western Hemisphere. Despite JRPGs not being as big to Americans and the Europeans as they used to, there is still an audience. Game Freak and their Pokemon franchise is right now smiling profusely. Dragon Quest X has been out for over a year and STILL no word on a release outside of Japan. And not even attempting to make it a 3DS game? What are you all thinking? Dragon Quest used to be the biggest and baddest franchise in all of Japan. Why mistreat it so badly?

Newsflash Square Enix, your company is slowly dying because you are allowing it to die slowly. You have a wealth of franchises and video games that can make good sales, follow with good reception, and can bring you the money necessary to advance your craft. I don't quite know how and why your company has slipped into a coma of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy Delays, but none of this has to occur.

Square Enix can be saved. You just have to look back, and be willing to expand your horizons a little.



....and find a way to do that gosh darn remake too....you know the one......

Sony Needs to Up the 1st Party Ante for PS4

So with Microsoft still desperately trying to repair its image and Nintendo seemingly trying anything to tarnish theirs, we have Sony front and center ready to make their strike.

Sony, coming off a good report about their overall profits despite the game division hitting about even, are finally on the upswing and ready to take on the eighth generation with their nicely priced Playstation 4.


However…


There is this troubling thing about the E3 conference that still lingers: their games. Kingdom Hearts 3 was their big announcement----but this is also an Xbox One game. Metal Hear Solid 5 also turned some heads during E3---but that’s also an Xbox One title. Their biggest titles were The Last of Us and Gran Turismo 6---which are actually PS3 games. Oh but there’s Final Fantasy---wait, never mind.

Now there’s no way that me and potentially other gamers closely following this war are going to spend money on a Microsoft machine for a nice period of time. Ugly incident with the DRM issue, high price tag, and my continuing trust issues with the company.


However….


What awesome, must-purchase exclusive Playstation 4 game was announced? Anyone? There was no next-gen Uncharted, no next-gen Ratchet and Clank, no next-gen Jak and Daxter, no next-gen Sly Cooper, and lastly we aren’t even sure if their biggest franchise (Gran Turismo) is getting a release within the first year on the new machine. All we got was the new Killzone, which is still a few layers below the other first-person shooter franchises like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo. I know that Sony pretty much fired all their best work in the last leg of the PS3’s lifespan, leaving all the first and second-party companies scrambling for time with the new system coming out. If Sony wants to remove all momentum from Microsoft, they need to build up their first-party lineup for a full attack.

The PS3 surprisingly had the best blend of first and second-party games this previous generation, an award usually given to Nintendo (After all, Nintendo always survives solely because they can game-build their way out of any issue). Between Gran Turismo 5, Little Big Planet, and the spectacular Uncharted trilogy the Playstation 3 was saved by a second wave of video games that propelled the entire company past Microsoft for the silver medal in the seventh generation.

But if they want to accomplish this success once again starting this holiday season, depending on third-party games that you are going to see on the competition is not the right way to go. Sony dropped the ball by not withholding some of these great exclusives for the next generation, especially Gran Turismo 6. Call of Duty, Madden, Elder Scrolls, Battlefield, NBA 2K, and Rockstar’s games sold better on the 360 than on the PS3. And with the Xbox One not being a restricting prick of a console, Microsoft is starting to stand toe to toe with Sony.


Sony, you don’t need to have another PS3 on your hands. What you need to do is kill em’ with exclusives, early, and with rapid succession. Otherwise, it will be hard to separate yourself from the pack.




P.S. You need to kill the Vita to cut the bleeding. The embarrassing 14% market share just won't cut it.