65 replies to this topic

[Strell]

In summary (stolen from Cao Cao)

Well, the keynote's over:
-Storage solution - allows things to be saved to SD card, run from SD card, including games and channels. The Wii will also now support cards larger than 2GB
-Rock & Roll Climber for Wiiware - uses balance board, lets you climb a mountain and then ROKK THE FUKK OUT
-Final Fantasy for Wiiware (My Life as a Darklord and FFIV: The After), and VC - first Wiiware sequel announced from previous game, sounds like a "dark" take on it where you are teh evil
-Arcade games for the VC - such as earlier arcade perfect ports of games, which could lead to the Nintendo Vs series
-Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS - basically Phantom Hourglass with a train instead of a boat, appears to be "enemy control" mechanics as well

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1up
10:15
New Zelda looks better than my description probably makes it sound. Looks like a fairly traditional Zelda portable game, with puzzle dungeons and Phantom Hourglass-style touch mechanics. The train basically works like the boat in PH, running along the overworld (presumably on a rail defined by players). Enemy control mechanics look pretty nice -- link distracted a big Zora with a controlled shadow guard, then snuck around to hit it from behind.

You can read the liveblog from Eurogamer here: http://www.eurogamer...oon-live-report

Original Message:

Spoiler

The Game Developer's Conference has officially kicked off. Generally it's less about outright revealing things to the public and more about a discussion of the technology, but there's still usually a good amount of new information to be found.

In the past, Nintendo has shown off a few things, including new trailers for . Last year saw the confirmation of DLC and the Pay-to-Play systems for their online infrastructure, as well as more information about then-upcoming Wiiware. I want to say they've also been known to show off new trailers for announced games at GDC - Smash Bros comes to mind, and I'd imagine a big title like Zelda or Mario did as well.

Tomorrow, Iwata will be giving a keynote entitled "Discovering New Development Opportunities." While not much has been revealed, certain speculations are calling for reasons to be excited, including talk of new game announcements across all viable platforms (Wiiware, Wii, and DS). This is supposed to include third party announcements.

It is more thought that Iwata will focus on the DSi and how it become their new handheld to focus on, with the inclusion of new technologies like the camera and a better online system.

So yeah, the hype train has left the station. I'd suggest keeping it in check - this is Nintendo after all. I believe they know they need to be better than E3 2008, but you can't ever really tell.

Any thoughts? Tomorrow might be a fun day.

Edited by Strell, 25 March 2009 - 05:25 PM.

[Cao Cao]

Possible livebloggers could include Sam Kennedy from 1up and GoNintendo (If they can get a signal). I don't know if anyone is making a live video of the event, but there will likely be a lot of livebloggers for the major speeches. Some of the more known lectures are listed in the GoNintendo post, but for a quick rundown:
-Iwata's Keynote Speech - 9:00am-10:00am PDT (6:00am HST, 8:00am AKDT, 11:00am CDT, 12:00pm EDT)
-Level-5 lecture with Yasuhiro Akasaka & Akihiro Hino - 10:30am-11:30am PDT
-DSi lecture with Masato Kuwahara - 12:00pm-1:00pm PDT
-Panel featuring Suda51 (No More Heroes, Killer7, FSR), Fumito Ueda (ICO, Shadow of the Colossus), and Emil Pagliarulo (Thief trilogy, Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls Morrowind and Oblivion) - 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

My thoughts:
If I had to guess, I'd say that my "safe bet" announcement is Professor Layton 2; as I said in another topic, the timing of the recent ad campaign for the first game does not seem like a coincidence. It would be surprising if Punch-out!! and ExciteBots were not playable after the speech, as they release next month. I would also imagine that we will get an update on Wii Motion Plus/Wii Sports Resort, along with an update on the SD card download thing that they talked about at the last conference.

Obligatory Digital Unrest comic from last fall's press conference:

Spoiler

Until tomorrow, why not pass the time by playing Double Fine Production's newest game, Host Master and the Conquest of Humor? It stars the legendary hero Tim Schafer, as he tries to find the 22 legendary jokes before hosting the GDC awards; it has multiple endings and a hidden unlockable mode awaits.

Edited by Cao Cao, 24 March 2009 - 11:41 PM.

[Strell]

Goddamn I love Tim Schafer.

Coincidentally, I am playing through Grim Fandango right now. I'm currently stuck though.

[sotc1988]

I'm not really expecting anything that will appeal to me. They haven't exactly been on a hot streak in my book so I'm not gonna get worked up with anticipation like I did last E3 (and we all know what happened there).

[The Crotch]

How can you get stuck on a game that you've played eleventeen times? An adventure game?

Unless it's the part in the mining facility where you have to use your scythe on the lock. that part.

Anyway, boo DSi, yay panel.

[Snake2715]

cool thanks for the reminder Strell.

[Strell]

How can you get stuck on a game that you've played eleventeen times? An adventure game?

Unless it's the part in the mining facility where you have to use your scythe on the lock. that part.

This is one of the few adventure games I've never played.

Thanks for the spoiler. :p

I'm in Rubacava trying to get Glottis to stop being such a lush and operate the damned forklift so I can get my union card. Since I know somehow it's all related.

[The Crotch]

Wait, what? NEVER PLAYED?

Also, it's not a spoiler. The puzzle is not what to do, but rather, how to do it.

I was also, like, 12 at the time, so that didn't help.

Oh, and spoiler: there's a mining colony.

[Strell]

So the puzzle is like the skeleton from The Dig.

[Reality's Fringe]

I'm saying Earthbound on the VC.


...What?

[BlueLobstah]

There's a chance we might hear something interesting, as Phantom Hourglass was announced at the '06 conference, but it's not likely. I wouldn't expect something really big to be announced until e3, or possibly even later in the year in October.

I think we're likely to see more information on motion+ and possibly some new games that tech advantage of it. Beyond that is anyone's guess, but the GDC is a good venue for that sort of thing.

[Cao Cao]

Well, Iwata just took the stage, so far Eurogamer has the most effective live-blog I've found so far, though GoNintendo's blog may be better at reporting more pertinent information. 1up's live-blog isn't that bad either

[Wolfkin]

Kotaku has a blog up that's pretty easy to follow.

y aknow i like the Kotaku feed over Eurogamer because of the update noise. it means I can read something else b/w updates.

[Strell]

From Eurogamer's blog:

Also during the keynote, we'll be playing GRAPHWATCH. Iwata will score one point every time he shows us a graph pointing up. Two points for a pie chart. What do you reckon his final score will be, readers?

8 billion.

Another good one:

"His (Miyamoto's) concepts almost always begin in the same place - by simply observing other human beings. He loves doing this. He's curious, and when he sees something people enjoy he'll consider over and over what part of that activity people think is fun."

Ker-eeeeeeeeeeepy!

There are lots of photos of Miyamoto and Iwata sitting together in an office. They are laughing, One of them has probably just reminded the other one how much money they've got.

Heh.

11:29:52 -

There have been no graphs for a full 18 minutes now.

wat

[Cao Cao]

Kotaku has a blog up that's pretty easy to follow.

y aknow i like the Kotaku feed over Eurogamer because of the update noise. it means I can read something else b/w updates.

Of course, an update noise will help when you're downloading your storage update to play games from SD cards.

[BlueLobstah]

So far, the conference has been all, "We have Miyamoto and you don't!"

Now there's a pic of Miyamoto wearing a cowboy hat and a bandanna, next to a message saying "Random Employee Kidnapping".

[Strell]

11:32:13 -

From Tom: The Wii system software has been updated so that you can download stuff to, and run stuff from, SD cards. This appears to include all channels, WiiWare and VC games.

Iwata better have studied up on his English since he insisted on doing this speech himself, and this shit better be true.

[Cao Cao]

Yep, the update was released this morning. It allows you to launch games from the SD card, according to Knoxximus, where it takes about a minute to copy the game to internal memory.

[Strell]

Man, these Euro doods are pretty funny.

11:32:30 -

Now there's a pic of Miyamoto wearing a cowboy hat and a bandanna, next to a message saying "Random Employee Kidnapping".

11:34:29 -

"Mr Miyamoto believes the kidnap victim must figure things out for himself. I call this Miyamoto's Over the Shoulder view." There's a frightening slide of Miyamoto standing behind a pretty lady playing the DS. She does not appear to be aware of his presence. He is grinning.

11:33:22 -

Nintendo employees are randomly kidnapped by Miyamoto, perhaps in the corridor. He is "handed a controller and told to start enjoying himself". It's like a focus group, but with no set questionnaire, no topics for discussion, and no instructions on how to play.

11:34:47 -

"When the kidnap victim is happy, the team has succeeded. When they are frustrated, the team has failed."

Interesting way of doing internal research, actually.

[Cao Cao]

Thought this was a somewhat interesting bit about Rhythm Tengoku for the GBA:

Eventually team was whittled down to five: the five best people for making a rhythm game. (Rhythm Heaven for GBA.) Problem: took too much time. By the time RH launched in Japan, DS had been around for ages, too late to introduce game for US and EU markets. (insert sad face)

[Strell]

[Cao Cao]

Damn your kidnapping ways Miyamoto! Quick, someone get Hironobu Sakaguchi and Takahashi-Meijin (Master Higgins) on the case!

[Wolfkin]

Even more compelling, is that Wii Balance Board install base is creeping up on the PlayStation 3's install base

- Kotaku

wow. that's just sad considering so few games support the board

[BlueLobstah]

GRAPHWATCH: another horizontal. The installed base of the Balance Board is almost matching that of the PS3 - looks about 14 million to 16 million for PS3.

Oh Iwata, you are so funny!

[Cao Cao]

From Kotaku about Rock n' Roll Climber for Wiiware:

9:47
McWhertor: Rock & Roll Climber for WiiWare is about to be demonstrated
9:47
McWhertor: it uses both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in tandem with the Balance Board for rock climbing
9:48
McWhertor: It's a very straightfoward realistic style, with a meter that represents the shifting of weight on the Wii Balance Board
9:48
McWhertor: There's lots of shimmying and ragdoll animation happening on screen
9:48
McWhertor: Here comes the rock and roll part
9:48
McWhertor: When reaching the top of the waterfall, the climber grabs a lime green flying V guitar and rocks out

EDIT: Now Bill Trinen is on stage talking about the new SD card menu

[Strell]

11:47:51 -

A chap called Jonathan has come on stage with a balance board to demonstrate it. He's from Nintendo of America. Didn't catch his surname, sorry.

For a split second I was hoping this was Jonathan Blow with announcement of his new project.

It is talking about that weirdly trademarked named "Rock 'n Roll Climber" from a few days ago though.

[Strell]

McWhertor: Here comes the rock and roll part
9:48
McWhertor: When reaching the top of the waterfall, the climber grabs a lime green flying V guitar and rocks out

Lmfao.

[Strell]

"I'm very excited to tell you I am here to show you a menu," says Trinen.

Wat.

[Snake2715]

Oh so I am very glad now that I didnt send my wii off for repair yet.. i will go home update and copy all my crap off so its safe in case they replace my wii..

I know I could have re downloaded the games, but I would have lost my saves in World of Goo etc. and that would have sucked.

say thanks to procrastination.

[EXStrike]

http://www.vg247.com...pening-keynote/

9:56
WiiWare Final Fantasy, a sequel to Life as a King, out this year.
9:56
FF4 out this year.


9:57
Original FF coming to VC, may be followed by five more.