What Does Tetris 99 Mean For Nintendo Switch Online Service?

         Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the Nintendo Switch began it's paid online service last year and that it was met with an extreme amount of negativity. It's the least expensive service of any of the big three console companies, but as a result, it is also the most bare-bones and lacking in features. Nintendo tried to balance this out by including a library of some of their best classic Nintendo Entertainment System games with the service, but let's face it. Everyone has already played these games that want to play them and probably owns them several times over. This is where Tetris 99 comes into play.

        Nintendo has hinted at exclusive content and features for those who subscribe to their service, but prior to Tetris 99, all that meant was a list of old NES games. Enter Tetris 99, an online-only Tetris game that pits the player against 98 others and is absolutely free to anybody that is subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online service. Those who aren't subscribed don't have the option to download it, which makes this and the client that launches the NES games exclusive to subscribers. It's actually a genius idea. Nintendo has a history with Tetris, and Battle Royale games that pit 1 vs 100, is all the rage these days, so have an exclusive Battle Royale Tetris that you can only play if you're subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online could very well be the incentive people needed to subscribe, but will Tetris 99 be the only game handled this well or will there be more to come?

     Nintendo has a chance here to offer online based games that only their subscribers can play and really grow this service into something their fanbase can be proud of. I'm still crossing my fingers for an amiibo focused game in the vein of Skylanders that is digital only and you already have to own at least one amiibo to play. There has been rumors and evidence that Super Nintendo games will be coming to the service in the same way the NES games are handled, but the fans still need something new and fresh. Is this Nintendo's plan going forward? Will they continue to release new exclusive games for the service? Or will they squander their chances by leaving Tetris 99 as the sole new exclusive game? It will be interesting to watch how this all plays out and to see if Nintendo can offer a service that is at least on par with its opponents as far as features and incentives are concerned.

Why Misty is one of the most important Pokémon characters ever

   

       There’s no doubt that Misty is one of the most iconic characters of the first generation of Pokémon. It could be argued that the dynamic of her, Brock, and Ash is what made the show so popular back in the late '90s, but I know what you're thinking. Why Would I make such a bold claim? Why just Misty? Why not Ash's numerous other female counterparts?

      Misty is important for a number of reasons. In the video games, she was seen as the first major hurdle for the player to get past. Yes, brock was the first gym leader, but unless you started with Charmander, he was a piece of cake. Misty, however, had a powerful team that could wreck you regardless of who you started off with if you weren't prepared for her. In the anime, she was the first companion Ash obtained and even stuck around even longer than Brock initially. She was the type of strong, confident female protagonist the show needed, and they weren't shy about letting it be known that she was actually just as good or even better than Ash Ketchum. Heck, she actually won a tournament even, something the Ash still hasn't managed to do yet. The other female protagonists were made to be undeniably less skilled than Misty, and neither of them has the charisma and following that Misty has. Her iconic yellow shirt and denim shorts with suspenders have become a staple across cosplay conventions.

    She's also the most relatable female protagonist. Yes, she's tomboyish and a bit rough around the edges, but she also has her more feminine moments such as appreciation of dolls, her enjoyment of romantic settings, and her comical fear of bug type Pokémon.  In the anime adaptation, she's given three older sisters and is considered the runt of the litter, but despite all odds, goes on to be greater than all three of them.  She's a true underdog and goes on to accomplish some great feats. It's even revealed in an episode of the Sun and Moon series that she can mega evolve here Gyarados, a feat which is seen as rare and reserved for only the best of the best in the anime. Misty is also responsible for plenty of girls being fans of the series. With her all-out offensive with water types, charismatic personality, iconic outfit, and unforgettable voice, its no wonder that Misty is still well loved in the fandom to this day.  The Pokémon Company will be hard-pressed to create another female protagonist as well loved or important to the series as Cerulean City's fiery redhead gym leader. 

Is Mononlith Working On a New Zelda For Switch?

      It's pretty much common knowledge at this point that Monolith soft helped out a lot with the development of the highly acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch. Monolith is more or less owned by Nintendo, and while developing the open world game they were brought in for their experience with making vast open worlds to explore, such as the ones in their Xenoblade Chronicles games. However, The question still remains: Why are rumors buzzing around about them working on a brand new Zelda title for the Nintendo Switch?


      First off, let me start by saying it's doubtful that this new Zelda game is a mainline title. There seems to be more evidence pointing towards it being a spin-off game, or it very well could be a sequel to Breath of the Wild showing up a lot sooner than anybody expected. However, looking at Nintendo's recent treatment of the Zelda series, a spin-off seems more likely. The Zelda franchise has already seen one spin-off with Koei Tecmo in the form of a Musou game (Hyrule Warriors) and even recently was announced to have representation in an indie game (Cadence of Hyrule), so it's not too farfetched to think that Nintendo may be lending the IP to Monolith Soft to see what they will do with it. There is concept art on their official site that has been dissected by the famed Youtubers at Gamexplain, that hints at the new game that is already confirmed to be in the works by Monolith is, in fact, a Zelda title.

     I know what you're thinking. Why would Nintendo need Monolith to make a Zelda Spin-off? One idea is that this game will not star Link as the protagonist. The Zelda fandom has shown there is an extreme interest in a Zelda game without Link. As such, a Zelda without Link would most likely play out differently and possibly be a lot more story driven and combat heavy like a traditional JRPG. Evidence points towards this being a spin-off with a female lead, maybe in Princess Zelda herself. It wouldn't be the first time Zelda went into combat. it's happened across multiple mainline Zelda games, most notable being in Ocarina of Time when she took on the role of Shiek. As of the time of this article, there is even concept art on the official Monolith Soft website that has a woman that could easily be their interpretation of Princess Zelda. The Xenoblade Chronicle games are known for their unique battle systems, and it would be interesting to see if Monolith would try and implement a similar battle system or create a new one altogether for the Zelda Spin-off. One thing is certain, The Zelda franchise is in good hands with Monolith Soft at the helm.

   What are your thoughts? Do you believe Monolith Soft is working on a new female lead Zelda Spin-off, or do you think its something entirely different? Please leave your comments below, we'd be glad to join in the discussion. Also if you like this article or other content on our site feel free to hit that button below to show your support and buy tacos for our lovely crew.

Atlus has been unusually quiet about Shin Megami Tensei V. I wonder Why that could be.....

Splatoon 2 coming to NX

What and When is NX?

The internet has been in an uproar ever since Satoru Iwata casually mentioned the NX. This has resulted in a huge chunk of the gaming community assuming it is a new console and that it will launch in 2016. Some sources even point towards a July 2016 launch. (yes, it sounds just as ridiculous to me as it does to you) Well, I'm here to discuss just what the NX is and When can we expect to see it.

First thing first, we have to define just what the NX is. Both Iwata and Kimishima have stated that it is not a replacement for the Wii U or the 3DS, and its also worth noting that it was first mentioned when talking about the deal between Nintendo and DeNA. So, If it is indeed a third pillar and not at all a replacement, then I could see a 2016 release being feasible. However, If it is a console, a portable, or a hybrid, 2016 (especially July) seems highly unlikely. Nintendo has already announced some of their flagship titles for Wii U coming 2016, and there are even games like Lost Reavers, which have already had a beta in Japan, and not even released yet in the US. Also, Nintendo at the moment seems to be riding a wave of success lead by amiibos, Splatoon, and Mario Maker. It just does not seem like a wise business decision to abruptly end it all right when they're hitting their stride. A new system launch almost always ends in reporting a loss until it catches on or sells enough software to offset the cost. One source even claims Nintendo expects to sell 20 million in the first year. That is a bit ambitious, and does not sound like a console estimate.

So then what is the NX? To be honest, we have no clue. This is Nintendo we're talking about. They aren't exactly easy to predict. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say its the gaming world's equivalent to a smart device (i.e. tablet, ipod, smartphone), as it was announced during a meeting about their mobile games strategy. As far as the rumors for the console goes, maybe those are actually for the next console, but people are combining all the information they find and thinking it all referes to one thing, instead of multiple device. I honestly believe most of this is people mixing together all the news when in reality, some refers to NX, some refers to the next portable, and some refers to the next console. With a stellar line up already for 2016, and a Nintendo Direct still incoming, I expect the next actual comsole to launch in 2018. yes, 2018, not even 2017, because Nintendo has always launched their portable first, and also seem to launch the console 2 years after announcements of developer kits going out. So, Lets just see just how good I am at guessing.

Until next time: Be you. Be true. Be human.

AWBrawler Replays Xenoblade Chronicles (First 30 minutes)

I replay Xenoblade Chronicles in anticipation of Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U. I'll Try to keep Shulk dressed how he is in Smash Bros, but everybody else is getting weird outfits on purpose.

Do We Really Need HD Remakes?

With all the buzz floating around about Twilight Princess HD coming to Wii U, It makes me beg the question "Do we really need HD remakes?" seriously. What are they adding to the experience that we couldn't experience the first time minus prettier graphics or slightly better controls? Where did this obsession with replaying games but prettier come from? I personally would much rather play a whole new game then replay something I've already played before.

 It gets even worse when you look at Playstation 4. The Playstation 3 was already in HD, so why are we getting remakes of The Last of Us, Uncharted, and so on? It makes me want to scream when I go into a store and see a game that just released last gen and there's a remake that say Definitive Edition. What does that even mean anymore? In the SNES vs Genesis days, Definitive edition meant the version that had better gameplay, better music, better graphics, and even better level design and possibly more actions your character can perform.  Now it seems you can just slap "HD","Definitive Edition", or "Game of the Year Edition" on a box and people will buy it all over again. Windwaker is my favorite Zelda game ever, but I refused to buy the HD remake because i don't believe in rebuying something I already own. I'll take a new experience over an old one any day. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below, and until next time: Be you. Be true. Be human.

AWBrawler's First 30 Minutes of Skylanders Super Chargers with Donkey Kong

I play the first 30 minutes of Skylanders Super Chargers with Donkey Kong. I admittedly I wanted Bowser, but Donkey Kong has thoroughly surprised me with his skills and abilities.

Zelda U is Zelda U

I feel like I had to clarify this for a few people. Be sure to listen to the whole thing and leave your comments down below.

In Defense of Sonic Boom

Reviwers are getting away with these unwarranted low scores. There's no way possible this game should get a 2, that's just utter ridiculousness and lies. I'll be writitng up my full review and doing a video for Sonic Boom soon.

Hardcore Gamers Are Killing Creativity

         Yes, I know reading a title like that may upset, anger, or even confuse some of you, but it's true. The whole hardcore mentality is destroying gaming. I'm not saying we should get rid of hardcore gamers or hardcore games. I'm Just saying that developers are apparently more focused on looking dark, gritty, or edgy, than they are on actually making a fun experience. What happened to games that were just fun for fun's sake? What happened to the talking animals, quirky characters, and nonsensical gameplay that captivated us in gaming's younger days? Gaming is in serious need of a wake up call, but it seems the hardcore crowd would rather tease and mock anything that dares to be different than the standard dark, gritty, edgey, motiff.

   one of the greatest  "What the hell?" moments in gaming came for me with the intro to Nintendo's E3 2014 Direct, but it was not because of the Direct itself. It was because of the saddening reaction it received by the supposed hardcore gamers on the internet. The Direct opened with an over the top, anime styled battle between Reggie Fils-aime, and Satoru Iwata. I personally thought it was very entertaining and funny, but apparently the hardcore crowd thought it was immature, childish, or kiddy. At what point did we decide that anything goofy or funny is kiddy? They are a GAME COMPANY. They create VIDEO GAMES. What is serious about video games? nothing? no matter what game you play, there's nothing serious about it, it's still a game. Lighten up! Why does everything have to be dark and edgey now? Even Epic Mickey felt like it was trying to hard to be dark and edgey, and is most likely why I didn't bother to finish it. Though colorful, the colors felts washed out and faded.

  Another example is creativity being killed off by hardcore, lets look at the Final Fantasy XIV Tokyo Gameshow Trailer. Last Time I checked it was called Final FANTASY. Its right there in the title, so how do you not have fantasy elements? They got rid of the chocobos for a convertible car you drive around. I can drive a car in real life. Give me that weird fantasy creature. The entirety of Final Fantasy XIV looks way more Sci Fi than it does fantasy in my opinion. Its trying to hard to be realistic or believable, but why does a GAME have to be believable? Are not the vast majority of games considered to be the greatest game of all time just unrealistic as can be and full of creativity? That is the beauty of games. You don't have to follow any rules whatsoever.

   So, what can be done to revive the creativity of the gaming industry, so that we can see more than urban environments with dark, gritty, edgey elements? to be honest, I have no earthly Idea. I'm still researching trying to figure out when dark and gritty became so popular even with kids. I think maybe the next big thing will have to pop up out the blue to run off this "hardcore" image. Maybe something like Yu-gi-oh!, Pokemon, or Kingdom Hearts will have to surface. Those three took the gaming world by storm and are full of creativity. Sure we have League of Legends and Hearth Stone on the PC, but Why isn't anything like that on the consoles? It seems like the main console that dares to be creative, is the main one being mocked, Wii U. I'm not going to rant about creative Nintendo games being called kiddy, so I'll stop here. I'll close with this prediction: unless hardcore gamers start showing an interest in games that are nonsensical and fun for fun's sake, console gaming will become stagnant and die a horrible slow death.

Could Splatoon be the "Mario Kart" of the shooter genre?

     Leave it to Nintendo to come out of nowhere with a game that blows the modern convention of a genre out of the water. Splatoon is just that. It's a third person shooter, but it's done with that quirky japanesy flair that Nintendo is known for. You play as inklings, which are squids that morph into humanoids, and appear to be made of ink, and you're equipped with watergun-esque weapons that fire ink instead of bullets. The objective of the game is not simply to kill your opponents. Instead your goal is to claim as much territory by painting everything with your team's ink. In fact, the premise sort of reminds me of the board game Go, but with paint. Nintendo showed off only one stage and an early version of the game, but in the trailer multiple maps were spotted, as well as a weapon that looks like a paint roller, a sniper gun, and what appeared to be a grenade launcher but instead exploded with a mini ink tornado. To add to the quirkiness of the game, you can also morph into a squid at any give time and become invisble in your own teams ink, and traverse the map faster. However, getting in enemy ink exposes you and slows you down.

   During Nintendo's Treehouse streaming, they demoed the game for quite some time and the internet was buzzing.Watching it in motion filled me with excitement, and i instantly could tell it would be a hit, and thousands of others seem to agree. Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-aime even believes it will do to the shooter genre what Mario Kart did to the racing genre. Why wouldn't it? Like Mario Kart, it is easy to hop into, but mastery still requires skill and strategy. A very tactical game lies underneath the colorful quirky exterior.  It falls under both the hardcore and casual bracket like Mario Kart does.  We've only see a glimpse of what it has, and with a 2015 release, its sure to be packed with more content, features, and maps. Its set to redefine shooters. Splatoon is definitely one to keep an eye out for.

Where is the Wii Audience Now?

     It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the Wii U is not selling nearly as fast as its predecessor, and one of the main questions people ask is "Where are all those Wii owners?" That very question may seem like it has an easy answer at first, but upon further research, I believed I've found the best way to answer that question. For the most part, the Wii U isn't aimed at them, so they are not buying in to the next generation of gaming.

   Consider this, The Wii was seen by many as the casual console, or the console for the younger audience. In reality in was just the console for the masses, be they casual, hardcore, or nongamer. To first begin answering this question, let us first examine the Playstation 2 and the Playstation 3. The common view is that the Playstation 3 is a hardcore gamer's console, and I'm not going to argue with that, but was the Playstation 2 a hardcore console? If so, why didn't that crowd migrate to Playstation 3? The answer is simple. he Playstation 2 was the same thing as the Wii. It was the console for the masses for it's respective gen. Yes, we often get the argument that the Playstation 2 was more hardcore than the Wii, but when you look at it's staggering install base, and the comparatively small amount of hardcore titles sold, that doesn't seem to be the case. The Wii's Hardcore titles actually sold more than the Playstation 2's, and it did it with a smaller install base. Why? Because it was the console for the masses, as well as for the Nintendo fans. The reason why Wii sold so well, is because those Playstation 2 owners who did not get a Playstation 3, were nongamers and casuals who instead got a Wii. 

       Yes, though the media, your best friend, your brother, and everybody wants you to believe thateveryone who owned a Playstation 2 was playing Hardcore games, thats simply not true. A prime example is  the Guitar Heroes games, Those gamers moved over to Wii. There was also a ton of people who played games like Jambo Safari, Katamari Demacy, and Mr.Mosquito, that migrated to the Wii and began to play games like Wii Sports, Cooking Mama, Just Dance, and Wii Fit. So I would argue that those Wii owners stayed on their Wii. Who could blame them? They moved from Playstation 2 to Wii, so they could play the games that Hardcore and the media call casual and shovelware, but surprisingly, the successor to the Wii has slim picking for people who are into those kinds of games. The Wii U is rather hardcore whether we want to admit it or not. That is one of the main things holding back the Wii owners. Even the Gamepad has a bigger learning curve than the Wii Remote. Its not that they vanished, It's that they have no console to call home this generation. No console has their Cooking Mama, Their Boom Blox, Their Boogie. But even that is just half of the fanbase

     The other half of the Wii owners are those who like Nintendo games, and Exclusives that you can only get on Nintendo Consoles, such as No more Heroes, DragonQuest, Monster Hunter (yea.. it counts now), and this time around even Bayonetta joins that list. If you look at the games that sell best on the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One, you will see mostly multiplatform games in their top 10. The Wii U's Top 10, however, is made up entirely of exclusives. So the people who say 3rd party does not sell on Nintendo consoles is right to a certain degree. 3rd Party multiplats don't sell, but Exclusives sell well. A Nice chunk of the Wii owners were fans of the Lego games, so its no surprise that Lego City Undercover caused a sales boost for 2 weeks for the Wii U, and sold nearly as well as Nintendo's own Pikmin 3. Thats because that game caused a few Wii owners to upgrade, because they couldn't play it on their Wii. For comparison sake, The Skylanders and Disney Infinity games have sold better on Wii than any other console. Its a safe bet that if Nintendo discontinued the Wii and forced Activision to only make a Wii U version, that the Skylanders games would have boosted Wii U sales. As it stands Swap Force on Wii U is outselling the PlayStation 4 and XBox One version 2 to 1. Again, that is  Wii owners who migrated to Wii U, maybe even some of the same who migrated over with Lego City. 

  So, What  can Nintendo do to get the rest of the Wii owners back, or at least a decent amount of them? They're already set to do just that. Nintendo will be releasing their own games that use figures, which has been code named NFP. Nintendo must also be aware that the biggest part of the figures and games fanbase is on their console, so if they are to make their own game with figures, those remainders on the Wii and even the other consoles will have to buy a Wii U if they want to play the lastest Figuringe Collection game. Also, Mario Kart 8 will be out shortly after this article is published. The online Mario Kart experience and the new features will only be able to be played on Wii U. Wii's online is going down, so that too will be incentive to upgrade to Wii U. The other thing that Nintendo seems to be doing getting ready to show off the benefits of the gamepad. We all know the Wii audience loves a fancy controller with nice "gimmicks" so that should win back a few of them as well, granted it is not something too complicated. 

   When its all said and done, Nintendo can not win back all of those Wii owners, because a lot of them are happy playing the old Wii Sports every weekend with their parents, friends, or frat buddies, but they can definitely can win back a sizable chunk that gives them a nice sized install base, and possibly even the lead this generation but they will have to shake the hardcore image and once again be the console for the masses like the Wii was, which still was home to some stellar exclusive games. Here's hoping E3 knocks it out of the park.

Why Indie Developers Are More Creative Than 3rd Party Developers

  I've been saying it for about 5 years now. Creativity in the gaming industry is dying. However, there was one thing I forgot to factor in, and that one thing is enough to make me backtrack on my words.  I am, of course, talking about independent developers. These small teams, and sometimes even one man efforts, are bringing creativity back into the gaming world. In this article I'll explain just why indie games are becoming the hot new thing.

   Anybody with a functioning brain stem can tell you that the video game industry is a copycat industry, and that has a direct effect on the creative process of developers. One thing we, as gamers, tend to forget, is the fact that there are shareholders involved in the game making process. These shareholders are watching and taking note of what's selling, and why. Admittedly, I think they have the "why" part all wrong, but they definitely know what is selling. Because of this, they then more or less pressure third parties to copy what is selling best, and they outright reject anything that is wildly different that they believe will bomb and cost them money. That is why third parties are mostly making shooters. Call of Duty blew up, so the shareholders won't to try their luck on making their own equally as successful shooter. With most third party games playing copycat, or playing it safe, who do we have to turn to for creative, new, and unique experiences?

     That is where indie developers come in. indie developers are just that, independent, and they don't have anybody pressuring them to make their game a certain way. Indies have as much creative freedom as they need, and they aren't just trying to cash in. They truly have a passion for gaming, and they want to create new and unique experiences. Knowing this, it is no surprise that indie developers are delivering the most unique and creative experiences in the gaming industry at the current time. With the gaming community becoming saturated with shooters and hack and slash games, by comparison indie developers are like a Godsend. The only downfall is that the average indie game looks at least 2 generations behind graphically. 

   Indie developers are the most essential thing to the growth and development of the industry at this moment in time. If just one of their games could reach the status of a Mario, Call of Duty, or Grand Theft Auto game, they could very well change the face of gaming as we know it, and that is one possibility that I would love to see become a reality. So what are your thoughts on the topic? Comment, Rate, or click that button to buy me a taco. Until next time: Be you. Be true. Be human.

Is Nintendo hinting at a possible Mario and Zelda crossover game?

  It's no secret that the original Zelda was originally a different take on the save the princess idea that Super Mario Bros. made popular, and the two franchises differ wildly from each other. Mario is more whimsical and not much on the narrative side. Zelda has over the years been anime style, western fantasy novel style, and even just downright creepy (Majora's Mask). However they are both still Nintendo franchises, and they are both still Shigeru Miyamoto's babies. Recent strange coincidences and behaviors from Nintendo hint at the possibilities that they may be considering giving us a game where Link saves Mushroom Kingdom, or Mario saves Hyrule.


   One of the biggest hints was pointed out by Nintendo themselves in a Nintendo Direct. In the latest Zelda game, A Link Between Worlds, The shop owner looks a lot like nabbit from Super Luigi U. I find it hard to believe that was all just a mere coincidence, and if it was, why point it out in a direct? Also, in Super Mario 3D world, there is a stage with a giant 8bit link that even plays a remix of the Zelda theme, as well as certain sound effects that seem borrowed from zelda, and a top down stage with torches that seems reminiscent of A link to the Past's perspective. It even has torches that unlock secrets when lit.

  I know what you're thinking. "Nintendo has done this before. Mario painting are in Ocarina of Time".  Yes, this is true. Maybe they have been planning it for a while, but were still just tossing ideas around. Can we really say it is impossible? Who saw Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem coming? I personally believe the two franchises could benefit from a crossover game. It could shake up the formula and breathe new life into both. Of course, this is all just speculation on my part.

Comment, subscribe, or hit that button to buy me a taco. until next time, this is A.W.Brawler saying: Be you. Be true. Be human.

What the hell, Gamers?

Warning this is an angry rant! Hell, this is beyond angry! What is going on here?! At First glance when I saw the numbers for the launch week of PS4 and XBox One, I was overly excited about it. That was until I noticed something truly disturbing. Call of Duty was the highest seller on both platforms? What the hell, Gamers? Isn't this supposed to be next gen? Why bother with a port? The Call of Duty obsession should die with last gen. A new generation of gaming should mean new things.

 Seriously, Am I the only person who would be completely pissed off if this gen becomes a repeat of last gen, wherein Microsoft and Sony fight over DLC rights to multiplats and shooters, while Nintendo offers the most variety in exclusives, yet is somehow discredited for it and considered casual? I mean Damn! How many different ways can you play Call of Duty? I know Pokemon is released a lot too, but at least there is years between the releases and there is noticable upgrades, and at least those gamers try NEW games and NEW ideas.
 
 I'm not saying that all of the PS4 and XBox One owners are Call  of Duty Dudebro gamers, but it's a sad day in gaming when 2 new consoles launch and they both have the same game as their top seller, and its a damn port that is also on last gen consoles. At least Wii U's top sellers aren't ports. They're NEW games made for the NEW hardware! What's the point of upgrading if you're still just playing what is already on the older systems? is it graphics? no slightly better graphics that the average joe can't even notice give you wood or something? This Gen is upsetting me already. E3 2014 better be a hell of a lot different than the yawnfest that was E3 2013, or I'll have one hell of a rant.

The Nintendo Hybrid

  Imagine, if you will, a world in which handhelds and home consoles are one in the same. Imagine buying a new Nintendo console and also getting a handheld as well. Imagine turning off your console and fitting it into your pocket to play later away from home. Now stop imagining, because this very well could be the future of Nintendo consoles.

  Earlier this year it was reported that Nintendo's handheld division and console division merged into one building. One of the reasons cited was to further expand connectivity between console and handheld. With that said, it's a almost a no-brainer what's coming after the Wii U and the 3DS/2DS have run their course. Nintendo is aiming to create a handheld home console hybrid. Why wouldn't they? Their handheld division has always been their strongest. Even their most successful home console, the Wii, pales in comparison to the success of the Nintendo DS.  With industry analyst and everyday bloggers suggesting that Nintendo goes 3rd party or release games on the iOS market, making their next console into a hybrid that doubles as a handheld could seriously silence such asinine comments as those.

  If Nintendo realeases a hybrid for their next console, they could easily grow the fanbases of several of their handheld centric franchises. Pokemon comes to mind. Fans could finally get the home console Pokemon game they've been asking for, and when they're ready to battle, or leave the house, they just carry their hybrid with them as they would their 3DS. Even more casual focused games like animal crossing could benefit from having the portability of a handheld alongside the in home experience of a Nintendo console. Beyond just being able to game anywhere, Nintendo will no doubt add some new innovation that we never thought of. They could potentially add GPS technology, a solar energy sensor (ala solar boy django), or some other idea thats can only be described as Nintendo.

  If they do create a hybrid, there are several benefits. They could make it very affordable, due to cost being lowered. With Nintendo only pumping out hybrids instead of console and handheld, they would save a lot of resources, time, and money. They could produce games faster, since team won't have to debate about putting it on the handheld or the console. However, this hybrid would most likely have to be larger than any other handheld they ever manufactured to prevent overheating and house all this technology. It would probably at the smallest be the size of a Wii U Gamepad or Apple's iPad. The hybrid also would have to have a decent online infrastructure. It would be a waste not to. They could upgrade the miiverse to include voice chat, crossgame chat, and videochat during gameplay.  It would take a lot more effort than the average person would assume it would to get the hybrid just right, but if done right, Nintendo could dominate the home console and handheld market with a single device. 

  So I shall leave you with a little food for thought. If the Wii sold over 100 million units, and the DS sold over 150 million units, imagine how successful they would have been if combined into a hybrid somehow. This is the future console that we very well could get from Nintendo. Is your body ready?

The Wii U Has The Advantage This Holiday Season

By now there's already been thousands of articles claiming the Wii U or Nintendo as a whole is doomed. I find that a bit odd considering the 3DS has been doing great for a long while now, and the Wii U is picking up steam following it's price drop and WindWaker HD bundle. I'm not going to waste time arguing counter points against the doomsayers. Instead, I'm simply going to point out why Nintendo has a clear advantage going into this holiday season.

  The first advantage is the Wii U's price. The Wii U is effectively $100 cheaper than the nearest competitor, Sony's Playstation 4, and even comes bundles with a Zelda game. For the Price of a PS4, a potential Wii U owner could get a Wii U and 2 or more games, depending on what they buy, and for the price of an XBox One, they can get a Wii U and a 3DS/2DS to go along with it. With the majority of consumers who buy consoles during the holiday season being parents, that put Wii U in a nice position. They can buy the cheaper option, and still get the biggest titles such as Batman Arkham City, Assassin's Creed Black Flag, and Call of Duty for their child. Price will definitely give Wii U an edge.

  Another advantage is Nintendo's franchises. We all know Mario sells. Nobody can deny that. In fact 80% of Wii U owners have New Super Mario Bros. U, and a brand new 3D 4-player Mario is coming this holiday season, as well as other famous franchises like Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Mario and Sonic Olympics, and Wii Party. Ever since the announcement of Wii Sports Club, the original Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort have seen a sales spike in the US. Both Titles have made their way back into the top 20 weekly games for consecutive weeks. People are apparently preparing to take the new Wii Sports Club online and challenge the world. The biggest key to Nintendo's success this holiday is not even Wii Sports or Mario, believe it or not. the biggest key to their success is Wii Fit. If a consumer already has the Balance Board, they can effectively get Wii Sports for just $19.99 when they buy a Wii Fit Meter. Wii Fit was already a powerhouse system seller for the Wii, and now its only $20 on the Wii U. That is definitely going to sell some Wii U consoles.

  Last but not least, Wii U will be the only new console available in every major region this holiday season. Neither PS4 nor XBox One will be available in Japan this year. That gives Wii U home field advantage for this holiday. leaving the Wii U alone with no competitor except for  PSVita TV in Japan was not the best idea on their part. So with price, their storied franchises, and availability as there big advantages, The Wii U is set to have a very successful holiday 2013. 

Why the PSVita TV is a good business decision

It's no secret that I am a fan of the Playstation brand, but lately I've been questioning some of their business decisions. For the life of me, I couldn't understand releasing the PS3 for $599 USD, the existence of the PSP Go, or why they've slowly started to westernize what used to be the console otaku gamers dream of. The PSvita is one of the decisions I questioned initially. Why did they release it in North America with no JRPGs whatsoever and expect it to sell? Did they forget their audience? Had Microsoft convinced them that Americans only want shooters and hack and slash? I was upset with Sony as a whole. The PSVita is a great piece of kit, but it had nothing for me to play.

It seems Sony is well aware that the PSVita is not living up to the sells expectations set by the PSP. When they first announced the PSVita TV, I was confused. Why would Sony do this? They're going to hurt the sells of their own portable. Then it hit me! If people are not buying the PSVita (Sony product) because they are buying the PSVita TV (Sony product) instead, Sony is still making money. It's a brilliant win/win idea. Say somebody wants to play a few Vita games, but don't want to shell out the money for a Vita. Well, now they have a cheaper alternative. Sure it's not portable, but it plays the games they want, plus it has other cool features such as video streaming, and the eventual PS4 functionality. It's definitely a way to cover all bases.

On top of the cheaper price point and Apple TV esque features, The PSVita TV can also be seen as the cheapest entry point to gain access to Playstation Network games. Which, in my opinion, is a great value, considering a lot of my all time favorite titles are on PSN. The only serious flaw i can see with it, is that some Vita games will not work on it, for example: Little Deviants uses the touchpad and touchscreen, So I'm fairly certain that won't work on it. Still, that's just a minor sacrifice for what you get out of this box. I look forward to it's realease (assuming it comes to the US) and would like to see Nintendo and Microsoft's response to this superb idea.