1641 replies to this topic

[DashSim]

If Zelda U was already going to release near the NX launch, it would have been nonsensical for them to not have delayed it to be an actual NX launch title. Releasing a console with The Next Zelda creates a lot of excitement, as seen the last time it was done. They made the correct long-term business decision. Unfortunately, that same decision also sucks for people who've already been waiting a long time for the game. Shame it had to come down to a choice between weakening an important console launch and disappointing a large number of eager fans

[Cukeman]

They made the correct long-term business decision.

 

Well there's more than one way to do business. Businesses have to make a profit, but that's not based solely on superficial sales numbers. Returning customers/customer loyalty is a significant part of that picture. If you don't dissapoint people, you'll increase customer loyalty and sales numbers will increase over time.

 

I'm not going to say Nintendo made the correct business decision with Twilight Princess- if they were going to release it on both systems, we should've been able to buy the GameCube version on the same day as the Wii version, instead of releasing them nearly a month apart. Giving people a choice is going to foster customer loyalty, and if people like you they're more likely to stick around and ultimately buy your newer system (even if they don't pick it up at launch).

Edited by Cukeman, 03 May 2016 - 05:26 PM.

[Anthus]

This whole discussion reminds me an awful lot of this old thread, lol. Wow, this was before YouTube; when you had to download videos, or watch them on IGN, back when they actually mattered.

 

I'm calling it now: It's all a marketing ploy maaaaaaaan.

 

There's only five weeks till E3, but the wait is annoying.

[Nicholas Steel]

If Zelda U was already going to release near the NX launch, it would have been nonsensical for them to not have delayed it to be an actual NX launch title. Releasing a console with The Next Zelda creates a lot of excitement, as seen the last time it was done. They made the correct long-term business decision. Unfortunately, that same decision also sucks for people who've already been waiting a long time for the game. Shame it had to come down to a choice between weakening an important console launch and disappointing a large number of eager fans

It gives the impression they don't have a solid line up of games for their next video game console if they need to leech games that were originally meant for the Wii U.

[DashSim]

Frustrating a relatively small number of people with a four or five month delay vs. setting your next console off on the right foot by launching it with your most anticipated game? Particularly when this console launch is of unusually high significance given the well known failure of your last one? There's no question it was the right decision. It's not even a difficult one.

 

It's hard to find the sense in releasing the game just to let it languish (relatively speaking) on Wii U when it could fulfill a greater purpose for NX. There's no reason to cash in that development time and money and hype building just for a nice goodbye for Wii U. The people most put off by this delay - the super hardcore Zelda fans - are the ones most guaranteed to show up regardless of circumstances. A delay of four to five months isn't burning that bridge. A cancellation of the Wii U version might, but that's not what we're looking at here.

 

I'm sure they'll even get a fair few of those fans buy an NX on launch for it, especially if the NX version releases a few weeks earlier and has exclusive features or visual upgrades. Which it probably will, and these will be deliberate choices to entice people to the next system. NX will be their main console and focus for the next four to six years (barring things like incremental upgrades or revisions, but for the purpose of this discussion I'm imagining NX having a standard console life). Oops, NX releases and it's not successful? Then they're stuck with it, better luck next time in five years. The launch period being successful or not has greater reach and impact beyond itself; this period will effect the entire life of the system going forward. The only sensible decision is to do everything possible to ensure it hits the ground running and has momentum. Any negative repercussions that delaying Zelda U by a few months could be argued to have is insignificant when compared to ensuring the success of NX.

 

I mean, granted, there's still a few ways this could prove to be a bad decision. If the game ends up being terrible, it won't reflect well on NX and won't be conducive to moving systems. But given the history of the series, that seems very unlikely. It's also possible that the NX launch will be so overstuffed with amazing games that Zelda gets lost in the shuffle when it could have had holiday 2016 to itself. But, as great as that would be, it again seems unlikely.

[Anthus]

I'm sure they'll even get a fair few of those fans buy an NX on launch for it, especially if the NX version releases a few weeks earlier and has exclusive features or visual upgrades. Which it probably will, and these will be deliberate choices to entice people to the next system. NX will be their main console and focus for the next four to six years (barring things like incremental upgrades or revisions, but for the purpose of this discussion I'm imagining NX having a standard console life). Oops, NX releases and it's not successful? Then they're stuck with it, better luck next time in five years. The launch period being successful or not has greater reach and impact beyond itself; this period will effect the entire life of the system going forward. The only sensible decision is to do everything possible to ensure it hits the ground running and has momentum. Any negative repercussions that delaying Zelda U by a few months could be argued to have is insignificant when compared to ensuring the success of NX.

 

I mean, granted, there's still a few ways this could prove to be a bad decision. If the game ends up being terrible, it won't reflect well on NX and won't be conducive to moving systems. But given the history of the series, that seems very unlikely. It's also possible that the NX launch will be so overstuffed with amazing games that Zelda gets lost in the shuffle when it could have had holiday 2016 to itself. But, as great as that would be, it again seems unlikely.

 

Having exclusive content would be kind of shitty, and I think it would piss a lot of people off. I would rather them, honestly, release it on one, or the other. A game made for WiiU isn't going to be an 'exemplary' game on the next generation of hardware. Yeah, loyalists will still buy it, but how will people know that the NX isn't going to be another WiiU? It's going to take more than a delayed game from the last gen to make people come out in droves and buy the system, especially if it is available on that older system at the same time. Nintendo is almost in a position of hurting NX sales if it is on both systems at the same time. They will probably pull a TP. Later WiiU release a la TP? People will still wait. But, I remember when TP came out, I bought the Wii version before even owning a Wii, and before the GC version came out. I'm a bit more fiscally responsible now though Just my opinion. I want the game, and system to do well so I don't want to come off as a Debbie Downer or anything.

 

What makes me nervous is that this thing is less than a year away, and we know absolutely nothing about the system, or anything else being made for it, except that maybe there might be some Square Enix stuff, but even they are being wishy-washy with details. I'm also a bit distraught cause I don't want to be in an era where we get a main Zelda every 6-8 years, while Nintendo figures out how to sell systems again.

[DashSim]

If Zelda U NX had, say, exclusive dungeons, then people would definitely be (rightfully) upset. I'm imagining more something small that takes advantage of NX in some way. Which... given that we still don't know what NX is (and still won't at E3! Ha ha ha... ha...) it's borderline impossible to predict. I would expect the visual upgrade to be modest as well.

 

If people see an exciting new console game they want, they'll consider getting a new console for it. I don't think it'll really matter so much that it was originally developed for their previous console, as long as the game (and NX) looks interesting to them. Especially if the Wii U version is treated more as a gesture of a good faith to their fans who bought a Wii U for it rather than a significant release on its own -- I don't exactly recall the GCN version of TP receiving much space in their marketing back in 2006. But for those who wanted TP on GCN, it was there for them. They'll market the NX version as the version of the game, available now on NX. If the console itself looks good, the marketing's good, and there's other interesting games on the system, Zelda will definitely help push people over to it.

[The Satellite]

Personally, even though we haven't seen that much of the game, I don't think graphically fidelity will be a problem on the NX. It's a gorgeous, artistic, stylized game that will probably still look great ten years from now, much like Wind Waker still looks great. They wouldn't have to boost much, if anything.
 

I'm sure they'll even get a fair few of those fans buy an NX on launch for it, especially if the NX version releases a few weeks earlier and has exclusive features or visual upgrades. Which it probably will, and these will be deliberate choices to entice people to the next system.

I want to believe that won't be the case seeing as Nintendo stated it would be a simultaneous launch. Do I believe that necessarily can't change? No... but I want to believe Nintendo won't go back on their word this time, especially when so many Gamecube owners felt burned by Twilight Princess's month delay.

 

Or at the very least, don't make it as extreme a wait as it was. It was only that bad in America, strangely; the gap between Wii-GCN release was November 19 and December 11. In Europe, it was December 8 and December 15; only a week! Not so bad. Australia, December 7 and December 19; twelve days... which is really odd but still better than what we got. Meanwhile in Japan... both versions came out on the same day, December 2. Why didn't we have that and we better get that this time.

 

I'm a sucker and will still buy NX. Actually now I have the heads-up of that, who knows? I may even save up ahead of time and prepare to get an NX and Zelda U NX on launch; so hey, yes, it seems their strategy to hype the new console may be working a little. But I'd still like a simultaneous launch, in the event I stick with Wii U a bit longer and for those who won't be early adopters. Not that I plan on getting rid of my Wii U, I keep all my consoles.

 

*ends up buying both versions of Zelda*

[Koh]

If anything, I expect the NX version to have higher resolution textures at the very least.  It's likely going to have higher resolution display and RAM like any system upgrade, so they should take advantage of it.  Make it the HD "remake" before it's even remade.  This time, don't overdose on bloom either.

Edited by Koh, 03 May 2016 - 07:55 PM.

[DashSim]

Personally, even though we haven't seen that much of the game, I don't think graphically fidelity will be a problem on the NX. It's a gorgeous, artistic, stylized game that will probably still look great ten years from now, much like Wind Waker still looks great. They wouldn't have to boost much, if anything.

My thinking is that, if the Wii U version runs at 720p (which, if it's higher, holy geez have we all underestimated the power of the Wii U), and if NX is a full console generation ahead of Wii U, I'd be shocked if that version wasn't running at 1080p. Maybe throw in some nice antialiasing, maybe some higher resolution textures to accommodate the higher screen resolution, and it should be good to ship. If what we've seen of Zelda U so far is indicative of the whole game's visual quality, it doesn't exactly require much to bump it up to even the standards of a new console.

Mostly I'm thinking about it from the perspective of, what can be enhanced in the NX version visually that takes advantage of the presumably greater hardware without significantly increasing development costs or time?
 

I want to believe that won't be the case seeing as Nintendo stated it would be a simultaneous launch. Do I believe that necessarily can't change? No... but I want to believe Nintendo won't go back on their word this time, especially when so many Gamecube owners felt burned by Twilight Princess's month delay.

I feel like 'simultaneous' can be... stretched. But maybe they are genuinely committed to releasing them at exactly the same time, day-and-date. It's a nice gesture, and it's not something that would break the other version being an NX seller. General enhancements (even small, as they probably will be) to the NX version and focusing the marketing push on that version would be enough. Or maybe even just the marketing push, really.
 

*ends up buying both versions of Zelda*

I'm a collector so this is already my eventual fate!

[NoeL]

I'll most likely do with the NX what I did with the Wii U, which is hold off on buying it until it seems worth it to me. The Wii U didn't have an interesting launch line up and had a crazy game drought right after that so I didn't grab one until a fair few months in when there was a reasonably priced bundle on the market. Having Zelda as a launch title is very appealing though, but who knows if I'll be able to afford a new console at that time anyway. Plus, we don't really know anything about the NX. If it's going to be more gimmicky crap (which I fear is most likely) then I might pass on it altogether - especially if this new Zelda falls flat like Skyward Sword did. ALBW gives me faith they've learned from their mistakes, but time will tell.
 
I'm quickly becoming more and more disenchanted with Nintendo, and really if it weren't for nostalgia I wouldn't be giving them as much attention as I still do. Too many hardware and software missteps, too much anti-consumer bullshit (particularly on YouTube)... Iwata and Miyamoto are (or "were", in Iwata's case) killing the company, and I hope new leadership comes swift and they can recover before they become another Sega, or heaven forbid... Konami. If Iwata retired instead of died they probably would've canned the NX and went back to basics, but now they feel obliged to see it to completion out of respect.
 

If anything, I expect the NX version to have higher resolution textures at the very least.

I wouldn't get your hopes up on that one. I think the Wii U has solid enough VRAM that they could use the same textures across ports without making the NX version look dated. And I doubt disc storage space would be a limiting factor either. I think the main difference will be in whatever "innovation" the NX comes with, probably higher resolution/framerate and maybe quicker loading times.

Edited by NoeL, 04 May 2016 - 01:06 AM.

[Jared]

So Nintendo released the press website for Zelda's part of E3. 

 

http://e3.nintendo.com/

 

On the website, there's a Sheikah eye! I was talking with Shane and he noticed that it looks like it has the Twilight marks around it. Could we learn more about the Sheikah in this game, after so many long years of knowing nothing about them?!

 

 

Edit - I just realized that Impa has always had a pigtail in her hair in the games. She is a Sheikah. Link also has a ponytail in this game. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Edited by Jared, 05 May 2016 - 02:13 PM.

[MarinaraSauce]

Wow.  They ACTUALLY made the background a gif of the E3 2014 trailer shot.  Not sure what I expected, but it wasn't a two year old image of nothing happening.

[Shane]

I was talking with Shane and he noticed that it looks like it has the Twilight marks around it. 

I wanna take this back, it looks nothing like the Twilight markings (or Timeshift markings). The only real connections are is that it glows blue and there is a Sheikah-looking eye stamped on the throne in the Twilight Realm.

 

Despite it being just a symbol, it definitely confirms the Sheikah will somehow play an important role in this game and perhaps the technology seen thus far, which makes me somewhat happy since I kind of longed for a Zelda game with more Sheikah lore in it. Can't wait for E3!

[DashSim]

maybe the game just takes place in the fourth timeline where everyone thinks ponytails are cool and fashionable, never thought of that didja