Join Hardlydan, and Amras 89 for talk of broken PCs, games and more.
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Download | iTunes | RSS | YouTube | Stitcher (01:17:56)
There was another Nintendo Direct earlier today and again Satoru Iwata has brought us news from the world of Nintendo. This time was a little different though as this ND was aired simultaneously across the world and Iwata was joined by Mario and Luigi for the first few announcements of the news pertained to them. Now let’s get straight down to business.
A few exciting pieces of news this time; what news were you excited about or were you hoping for something else to be announced? I am extremely excited for the new LoZ game and can’t wait to finally play Earthbound (been waiting for years to actually get to). Also I can’t wait to see how well the Wii U update is going to help the system. You can watch the Nintendo Direct video at http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct
In just three weeks Rayman Legends was supposed to be coming out as a Wii U exclusive, but alas it was not meant to be. As of today Ubisoft has announced that they are delaying Rayman to give time to make the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game; the game will now be coming out in September. Below is the comment from Geoffroy Sardin (Ubisoft’s European chief marketing and sales officer).
“We heard from many Xbox and Playstation owners and Rayman fans who told us they really wanted to play Rayman Legends on their current system, we decided to give the fans what they wanted while at the same time broadening the audience exposed to this innovative and memorable game.”
I for one am not very thrilled with this; a game that would of made more people actually get a Wii U because it can only be played there is now gone. Kinect and Move will some how have to be incorporated into the 360 and PS3 versions of the game to somehow achieve what the Wii U is doing with the touch screen; or will they just cut those aspects out? That may help the Wii U sales for the game in that you may only be able to use the Wii U GamePad to get the same experience from the game. Still that is really only for the people that already have the system, and it gives no incentive for anyone who doesn’t to actually pick one up since you can pretty much get the same game on a console you already own. What are your thoughts on this decision; does Ubisoft not have any faith in the Wii U to sell their game?
Join Lyfeliek and Hardlydan for game talk and fun! This time, The Gamesmen spoil the SNOT out of Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Enjoy!
ONLY 2 SHOWS LEFT!
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Download | iTunes | RSS | YouTube | Stitcher (01:00:00)
Join Lyfeliek, Hardlydan and special guest CPMatthew for game talk and fun! This time, The Gamesmen discuss their three-word associations for the games released in the latter half of 2012 complete with YOUR input. Enjoy!
ONLY 3 SHOWS LEFT!
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Download | iTunes | RSS | YouTube | Stitcher (01:15:00)
Join Lyfeliek, Rabid Scotsman and Hardlydan for game talk and fun! This time, The Gamesmen discuss the cinema, talk American Thanksgiving, reveal what they’ve been playing, plus do a question-and-answer about Wii U! Games/topics covered are The Walking Dead: The Video Game, LEGO Lord of the Rings, F1 Race Stars, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Minecraft, Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, Scribblenauts Unlimited and -of course- Guild Wars 2!
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Download | iTunes | RSS | YouTube | Stitcher (00:55:00)
Join Lyfeliek as he welcomes Nebula427 from Nintendo-Okie for game talk and fun! This time, the Gamesmen give you some straight-up day one discussion of Nintendo’s Wii U.
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Download | iTunes | RSS | YouTube | Stitcher (00:45:00)
If it isn’t blatantly obvious already, Nintendo seems to be prepared to hit the ground running with the “core” gaming audience when it’s new piece of kit lands later this Fall. It’s no secret that the Wii, for all intents and purposes, was a glorified gimmick for all but those who took the time to see through that facade. So, with the Wii U carrying on the moniker(and perhaps stigma, for that matter) of the previous generation, how does the big “N” go about drawing gaming enthusiasts back into the fold? Software. EXCLUSIVE software.
The announcement of Bayonetta 2′s exclusivity opened a slue of internet eyes to just how serious Nintendo is about the subject this time around(just ask Hideki Kamiya if he’s sleeping most nights). Hell, Platinum Games even admitted to Polygon that the game wouldn’t even exist without them. Add to that, the fact that they’re also publishing The Wonderful 101 and the pieces seem to be converging on a window that could be mutually beneficial, not to say lucrative for each party involved.
The time for Nintendo to make a move for PlatinumGames is now. With Anarchy Reigns being the last title in the extended publishing deal with SEGA, Platinum would basically be freed up for an acquisition(save for that little outstanding Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance project). Actually, a move such as this would be reminiscent of the way in which Nintendo has treated Monolithsoft since acquiring them in the 2007 stake purchase from Namco. Basically, they were left to their own devices but also brought in as collaborative help on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Imagine, for a moment, a world in which the Project P-100 team is given the chance to work on Pikmin, leaving Masamichi Abe, Shigefumi Hino and Tokyo EAD to get creative. Brilliant.
But, the smart money doesn’t just stop there. Everything about the Wii U thus far mirrors the business model put forth by Microsoft- almost perfectly. Making Platinum a subsidiary could also lock down exclusivity to a Vanquish sequel, hence bringing a franchise that was referred to as the “Japanese Gears of War” by many and carried a Metacritic score of 84(across both platforms). Nothing speaks to Western gamers like cover-based, stop-and-pop third-person shooters.
The complaints regarding lack of innovation in The Legend of Zelda series could come to an end as well. Remember a little game by the name of Okami? Alright, it took the basic formula and added a few mechanical and aesthetic differentiators but, for the most part, played it safe. Being that most of Okami’s art direction staff was lost during the Clover turnover, an established universe would appear prime real estate for a visionary like Kamiya. There’s even the chance we could see something more than the old, tired “discover a dungeon tool, use it to defeat the boss” gameplay we’re used to.
If Nintendo were to promote Monolithsoft a bit more and obtain a solid house such as Platinum under their corporate umbrella, they would have an almost tangible chance at attaining an Eastern version of the sweet success that is the Xbox 360. Triumphant hardware numbers come as a result of EXCLUSIVE software. A little negotiation could go a long way toward securing a foothold for Nintendo when beefier machines begin to spawn.
Join Lyfeliek and Hardlydan for game talk and fun! This time, The Gamesmen get back to playing RPG, but with one caveat- the topics have come from you, the listener! Games/topics covered are World of Warcraft versus Guild Wars 2, the upcoming Judge Dredd film and Rebellions Games‘ bid to start an empire, the Wii U information round-up and many others!
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Download | iTunes | RSS | YouTube | Stitcher (01:00:00)
Join Lyfeliek and Hardlydan for game talk and fun! This time, The Gamesmen lament the fact that they’ve tried to record this episode three times, play RPG(Role-Playing Game) and wrap it all up with listener correspondance. Games/topics covered are rumored Wii U specs, EA’s antitrust litigation, OuYa monetization, a 16GB PS3, Steve Jobs’ ghost, Zombie theme parks, the Steam Summer Sale and many others!
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Download | iTunes | RSS | YouTube | Stitcher (01:10:00)