1.- A slide shown during Nintendo’s investor conference shows that Nintendo is preparing for the digital distribution of packaged software. Microsoft and Sony both offer digital downloads of retail based titles on Xbox Live and PSN, so it shouldn’t come as a great surprise that Nintendo is considering doing this for Wii U.
More After the Break...
Bloomberg is reporting that Japanese online games company Nexon has offered to purchase Electronic Arts. Nexon reportedly contacted the company regarding a potential buyout, but there’s no indication how much Nexon offered.
Dragon Quest X publisher Square Enix has announced today that the game will be released in Japan on August 2nd. Japanese gamers will be able to purchase the standard version which will retail for 6,980 yen while the bundle containing a USB memory card will cost 8,980 yen.
Both versions of Dragon Quest X will come with 20 days of free online play. Here’s the subscription pricing: 1,000 yen ($12) for 30 days, 1,950 yen ($24) for 60 days, and 2,900 yen for 90 days ($35). Payment can be made either by credit card or by using Wii Points via Nintendo points cards. Players will be able to create up to three characters per account.
Square Enix has also announced plans to create a “Kids Time” program that will allow children to play for free for a specific period of time. Square Enix wouldn’t reveal when the Wii U version would be coming, or when Dragon Quest X will be released in North America and Europe.
“For the Nintendo 3DS, its hardware has been sold below cost because of its significant price cut in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013.”
“However, Nintendo expects to cease selling it below cost by the middle of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013.”
2.- Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai has revealed that the key feature for the forthcoming Super Smash Bros for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS is connectivity between the two consoles. Sakurai reiterated that he’s only getting started on the project, and the connectivity features, so it will be a while before we hear about a release date.
“There is a certain dead end we come to if we just expand the volume of the game. I intend to change direction a little as we go.
“The key to that’s going to be its dual support for 3DS/Wii U.”
“I’m really just getting started on this so it’s going to take time, but I’ll come up with something that uses that link as the game’s central axis, so I hope you’re looking forward to it.”
“There is a certain dead end we come to if we just expand the volume of the game. I intend to change direction a little as we go.
“The key to that’s going to be its dual support for 3DS/Wii U.”
“I’m really just getting started on this so it’s going to take time, but I’ll come up with something that uses that link as the game’s central axis, so I hope you’re looking forward to it.”
Epic Mickey producer Warren Spector has revealed that one of the things he is mostworried about when it comes to next-generation consoles is development costs. Spector believes that with development costs soaring, games with higher production values could ultimately fail to break even.
“Honestly? I don’t care much about hardware. Nintendo games are some of the best games in the world and from a more graphical standpoint, the Wii can’t do what a PS3 or 360 can do.”
“It’s about design and not so much about tech for me. Honestly, I’m more scared about what will come next than I am excited.
“Once we can do Pixar-quality graphics rendered in real time with interactivity, I could see games costing $200 million to make and all of a sudden you have to sell a lot of games just to break even, so I’m a little worried someone’s going to do that.
“Someone’s going to spend… well, there are already people spending $100 million on games, that’s not even insane anymore.”
“$200, 300 million games, I’m a little scared about that, there aren’t a lot of companies that have the resources or the courage to spend that much. So my gut’s in a bit of a knot about that but whatever comes along I’ll just make games that work on that platform, I don’t think about hardware too much.
“I think the power of the platforms is outstripping the size of the audience. We can’t charge $150 for a game. And when the best-selling game of all time has sold only 20 million copies, at $60, do the math!
“If you’re spending $200 million on a game and you’re making $60 on 20 million copies sold, oh wait, you’re losing money if you’re the best-selling game of all time basically, right? I don’t know how the business works anymore, that’s the problem.”
“It already takes three years to take a game, when all of a sudden creating assets at an even higher level of quality and animations that are even a higher level of quality, I don’t know how we’re going to do it. We’ll figure it out but right now I’m content where I am.”
3.- Atlus in Japan has announced that they will be bringing Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, a game for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, to the 3DS on August 30th. The game will be improved with a new opening animation, shorter load times, animations for battles, and full voice over work. You can check after the break for a fewscreenshots and artwork from the game.
Alisa and Soma from Gods Eater Burst
Leanne and Zephyr from Resonance of Fate
Hsien-Ko from Darkstalkers
Frank West from Dead Rising
You can check after the break for scans of the characters.
Masahiro Sakurai has shared in regards to Smash Bros. on the 3DS and Wii U that “there is a certain dead end we come to if we just expand the volume of the game”, meaning “simply adding more characters, items and stages wouldn’t be enough”. He then explained that “the key to that’s going to be its dual support” for both platforms. We’re not sure of the specifics, but how are you expecting cross-platform support to be used?
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Mister Gaga
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