Pokemon Sun/Moon

While the Pokemon direct yesterday was pretty disappointing we at least got the announcement of two new mainline games. At the end of the year we'll once again travel into the world of Pokemon with the seventh generation Sun/Moon.

While I'm no hardcore Pokemon by any means, I haven't skipped a generation and I'm looking forward to these new games. Even though I could have waited another year for the seventh generation, and would have been happy with just a Pokemon Z, this development makes sense in the light of the series 20^th anniversary.

But what exactly do we know about Pokemon Sun/Moon? Sadly next to nothing. The direct didn't show any trailer or something like that, but we at least got four pictures of concept art out of it, so let's take a look at them.

The first picture shows us that this time Pokemon will be strong integrated into everyday life and not just get used for battling. This is something we already have seen plenty of times in the Anime series, but in the games it had never been reflected. So with this new generation we may see Pokemon doing a wide array of everyday jobs.

Next up is, what looks like, a new Pokemon Center design. There is not much to say about this, but I really like the look of it.

Next up are several pictures that give us a glimpse in the architecture of the new region. I can't nail it down precisely, but the picture on the left gives me a tropical vibe with its Palm trees and warm, blue sky. Could the next region be inspired by the Caribbean?

Lastly we also got a glimpse at the first Pokemon from the seventh generation. It was only a early wireframe model, but it's pretty clear that this is the standard bird Pokemon, which you'll encounter early in the game. Every generation had it, every generation will have it.

And that's all that there is to Pokemon Sun and Moon so far. I'm looking forward to the game. What was your reaction?

And as always

thanks for reading

Picture Source: Nintendo / Pokemon Direct

Good Job NoA

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Why I won't buy Fire Emblem: Fates

Today Fire Emblem: Fates releases in North America. Here in Europe we still have to wait for even an official release date, but at least we got Bravely Second till then. However I won't be getting the newest Fire Emblem when it finally arrives in Europe. Fates development was accompanied by controversies left and right. First the announcement that the game would be split into two different versions. And now the whole censorship debacle.

I personally am against any form of censorship. I think that the creators vision shouldn't be changed or diminished in any way. Even if some people find parts of the game offensive. I was upset about the Censorship in Xenoblade Chronicles X and Fatal Frame, but this time it reached a level, where I can no longer accept the decision. For anyone wondering, here is a list of the things that where removed or changed in Fire Emblem: Fates international release.

• The Skinship feature, which allowed you to touch your Wife/Husband (kind of like PokeMonAmi) was removed completely.
• Compared to the Japanese versions 3196 audio files, the NA version only has 1208.
• Swimsuits were completely removed as a clothing option.
• Unnecessary character name changes
• Skill/Class names were changed for no reason, some of them being long running series staples (Pegasus Knight is now Sky Knight)
• Forcing Memes into Localization.
• Character confession scenes have been shortened.
• Localization changes the character of some people completely. (Effie for example)
• No dual Audio, although Fire Emblem: Awakening provided English and Japanese Audio.
• Subpar dub quality

These are the information I got so far, about what has been altered during the localization process. Now I think that localization should never alter a game in any way and stay as close to the source material as possible.

Now some people may say that these are only small changes, and who gives a damn if swimsuit outfits are removed, but I strongly disagree. Not only because I like to experience a game, just like the creators intended it, but also because this sets a dangerous precedent. In Fatal Frame we at least got new costumes instead of the censored lingerie outfits. (And the Zero Suit outfit for Yuri is hotter anyway.) This time the swimsuits are gone without any form of compensation. I may go deeper into Nintendo, Censorship and why I can't agree with the practice in a future blog post, but for now I'll keep it short.

With Fire Emblem: Fates the localization team at Nintendo of America tempered with the game too much and reached a level, where I personally can no longer agree with it. As a result of that I won't be buying any version of the game, and I would advise anyone, who likes to enjoy games just as the creators envisioned them, to do the same. And if you don't want to deny yourself the experience of playing the newest Fire Emblem then maybe try looking for a used copy.

And as always

thanks for reading

Sources: http://pastebin.com/rrFyBfUz

Nintendo Investors Meeting - Feb. 2016

Yesterday Nintendo held their investors meeting for the third quarter of the current fiscal year. So let's talk about that.

Overall it got us some pretty good news. Well not so great for the company itself, because Nintendo failed to meet it's goals, but the news about MyNintendo are quite interesting. But let's start with the boring numbers first.

Overall Nintendo managed to generate 221.5 billion Yen (1.7 billion €) in revenue and a profit of 29.1 billion Yen (220 Million €). This is lower than they projected, but a profit is still a profit. So there is that.

3DS:

The 3DS keeps selling rather well, thanks to the Japanese market and the vigor the New 3DS brought. In the last three months of 2015 3.6 Million 3DS consoles were sold, thanks greatly to the immense success of Monster Hunter X in Japan. Still the decline of the console is more then obvious. After five years on the market the 3DS still sells decent, but far from great. It's yearly sales are down in each territory and most, if not all, of Nintendos heavy hitters for the console have already been released. This also becomes clear, when listening to Nintendos future plans for their handheld. Re-emphasizing the appeal of evergreen titles is a clear indication that the 3DS is on it's way out. If he get's replaced this year or next is still up to debate, but I'm fairly certain that it will be sooner than later.

Also here's a list of Nintendo published games, that sold the best on the system:

• PokemonX/Y 14.46 Million
• Mario Kart 7 13.03 Million
• Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Saphire 11.46 Million
• Super Mario 3D Land 10.63 Million
• New Super Mario Bros. 2 10.04 Million
• Animal Crossing: New Leaf 9.86 Million
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 7.92 Million
• Tomodachi Life 4.89 Million
• Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 4.75 Million
• nintendogs+cats 3.96 Million

Wii-U:

Nintendos struggling home console is, as always, a place of deep shadows, with several rays of light breaking through. While Nintendo once again failed to meet their hardware sales expectations, they managed to exceed them with Splatoon. The colorful shooter is the sensation of 2015. This and Super Mario Maker have been the main driving force in an otherwise pretty barren year. There weren't many words on the future of the console, only the usual talk of supporting the system until the customers are satisfied. So nothing excitingly new on this front.

The list of Wii-U Million sellers got expanded though:

• Mario Kart 8 7.24 Million
• New Super Mario Bros. U 5.08 Million
• Nintendo Land 5.02 Million
• Super Mario 3D World 4.63 Million
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 4.61 Million
• Splatoon 4.06 Million
• Super Mario Maker 3.34 Million
• New Super Luigi U 2.42 Million
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD 1.69 Million
• Mario Party 10 1.65 Million

Amiibo:

Amiibo keeps on proving that it's an unstoppable juggernaut. 31 Million of them have been sold so far, since release at the end of 2014. And with already over 80 different Amiibos and 25 compatible game it doesn't seem like the train will slow down in the near future. With the struggling Wii-U, the declining sales of the 3DS and the research and development costs of the NX, it's pretty clear that Amiibo is the main thing keeping the company afloat at this time. This also means, that we will see even more Amiibos and Amiibo compatible games. If this a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but for now you shouldn't count on an Amiiob free future.

Download Sales:

Download sales have increased over the last year and remain a growing part of Nintendos business. While the raw numbers may not sound all to interesting, this and MyNintendo give us a first glance of Nintendos digital plans for the future and I think it's safe to say that the NX will have a much bigger hard drive than the Wii-U.

Quality of Life:

Nintendo Presidint Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed that currently the company doesn't plan to release their efforts in the field, because they don't live up to Nintendos quality standards. This seems to prove rumors, that QoL was mostly a initiative of former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, right. While Kimishima made clear that this doesn't mean the end of the initiative and they are still going to work on it, it's pretty sure that we won't hear anything from this in the near future. For reference, the work on the Wii Vitality Sensor was also never officially discontinued.

Theme Park Initiative:

The cooperation with Universal Themeparks, to build Nintendo themed attractions, has been expanded to include Japan.

MyNintendo:

Nintendo finally unveiled their new membership service and it's mostly what one could expect. There are several key points encompassing this new program. The ''Just for you'' service offers players, who have played certain games, personalized recommendations for future purchases, along with a ''Just for you'' discount. Members will also offered a ''Birthday Special Discount.'' The goal here is to increase the satisfaction of consumers, and to me it sounds like a very good idea.

Another key feature of the service is already in place. The ability to purchase software titles with your smart phone or on Nintendos Website, and the automatic download of the game directly afterward.

There will also a new point programm, which will, in Nintendos words, serve as bridge between smart devices and their dedicated video game devices. These new points come in two versions:

• 
  Platinum Points: Earned when playing smart device apps, visiting the eShop or wen certain conditions are met. These points can be exchanged for digital content and maybe more in the future.

• Gold Points: Earned for digital purchases of Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games. These can be used to purchase ''coupons'', which will offer discounts for further online purchases. Pretty much like the ''Deluxe Digital Promotion'' for the Wii U.

These are the core features that Nintendo has planned for the release of MyNintendo, which is scheduled for March 2016. But of course they plan to add features, like an unified friends list, cloud saves and even discounts for retail games in the future.

Right now MyNintendo sounds like an extended Club Nintendo, but hopefully sooner than later it should be a full fledged membership service. One could criticize that features like cloud saves aren't available at the start, and one would be right to do so, but at least it shows the dedication of Nintendo to step up it's digital game. At least the membership is free.

Miitomo:

Nintendos first smart phone app will release alongside of MyNintendo and aims to transform the communication between friends and strangers alike into a form of play. In true Nintendo fashion it aims to be something ''that has never been done before.''

All in all I'm still not a big fan of Nintendos smart phone endeavors, but at least they are doing it their way instead of simply copying Candy Crush. As a positive point, you don't have to register for a MyNintendo account to play Nintendos smart phone apps.

NX:

Nothing...

All in all it was a interesting Investors meeting. We got some new information about Nintendos digital plans and MyNintendo sounds like a good replacement for Club Nintendo. Maybe some of you are disappointed because we got no information about the NX or a new game, but an investors meeting is definitely not the place for such things. This is a more number driven event, that allows us a brief glance into Nintendos corporate structure and plans for the near future. I don't expect to hear anything about the NX before e3 in June.

And as always

thanks for reading

Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/