I hate "Natal" and everything it stands for...

[DrDeath3191]

I don't want to read through 5 pages of responses so I'll just throw my 2 cents into the ring. Firstly, I think you are absolutely correct. The first console of this generation I bought was the Wii, and I enjoyed it at first but now it just sits there collecting dust. It led me to buy a 360 and a PS3 because you can't be a core gamer and simply own a Wii, it just doesn't maintain itself as a gaming system. Once I learned of project Natal I knew that core gamers are basically going to be phased out in coming years. Nintendo turned their backs on the core market in favour of the casual market, it won't be long before MS and Sony follow suit.

The only current-gen console I currently own is a Wii. Does that mean I'm not a 'core' gamer? Plus, the system actually supports itself quite well, with the highest amount of great downloadable titles as well as excellent retail games. Nintendo hasn't abandoned anyone: we still get our Zelda, Mario, and Metroid: in fact, we're getting more of these games than any other console Nintendo has made (except, perhaps, the SNES). They just saw a huge untapped marketshare, and they went for it. The result, as you may have noticed, is very profitable. And while the other two companies will try to take some of the pie, Nintendo has that market in an iron grip: so if you absolutely can't stand a company making games that, God forbid, everyone can enjoy, the next iterations of XBox and Playstation will be fine for you.

 

[happysock]

It's not just a thing about woo you can play without a controller go have fun till your sick, It's supposed to allow devs to put in a depth in games allowing interaction between character and player.
A really bad example of that is the Milo thing which is Molyneux's pet project I believe, but having the in game sprite read you facial expressions and emotions. I think that side of it at least will appeal to gamers

 

[Adzma]

Nintendo hasn't abandoned anyone: we still get our Zelda, Mario, and Metroid: in fact, we're getting more of these games than any other console Nintendo has made (except, perhaps, the SNES).

If you remember E3 of last year Nintendo came under huge fire from the core market since there was no mention of such games. The only reason they're punching out these new titles is so they don't lose the core market. New Super Mario Bros. Wii? Mario Galaxy 2? There's nothing new in those titles, it's simply Nintendo hastily responding to the criticisms. No doubt this new Zelda will be the next Majora's Mask too, not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but as fantastic as MM was, it still recycled much of the content from OOT. As for Metroid, who knows.

 

[Fallopian_Faust]

Natal sounds alright - it's Nintendo that are going to become the others but worse.

Anyway, as I have nothing better to do -

Xbox720

I know they're probably going to call it that, but stop and think. Does 720 make any sense at all? There are only 360 degrees!

Well when you think about 360, they just completed one full circle, back where they started. xbox 180 would've make more sense.

 

[DrDeath3191]

Nintendo hasn't abandoned anyone: we still get our Zelda, Mario, and Metroid: in fact, we're getting more of these games than any other console Nintendo has made (except, perhaps, the SNES).

If you remember E3 of last year Nintendo came under huge fire from the core market since there was no mention of such games. The only reason they're punching out these new titles is so they don't lose the core market. New Super Mario Bros. Wii? Mario Galaxy 2? There's nothing new in those titles, it's simply Nintendo hastily responding to the criticisms. No doubt this new Zelda will be the next Majora's Mask too, not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but as fantastic as MM was, it still recycled much of the content from OOT. As for Metroid, who knows.

I do recall that year being a slow one. I'm not denying that 2008 was dry, especially in the later half. And it could be that the release of these games is a response to 'hardcore' gamers whining all over the forums. But saying that there isn't anything new in those titles is just plain incorrect. New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be the first Mario platformer ever to have 4-player co-op. Plus there's the Super Guide, which will allow for Nintendo to make levels that challenge everyone without the 'casual' player losing interest. And I can't speak for Mario Galaxy 2. You can't either, really, because since E3, news on that game has been slim at best.

But it seems I've gotten off track. Nintendo didn't abandon the 'core'. The 'core' abandoned Nintendo long ago in the N64 era. Nintendo has always (besides 2008) had a steady release of 'core' titles. It's just that the 'core' see that Nintendo is actually making money by making games that new gamers seem interested in playing that seems to make them say "They've betrayed us!" They haven't betrayed the 'core', they just allow for the 'casual' to have something to enjoy as well.

 

[DrDeath3191]

Natal sounds alright - it's Nintendo that are going to become the others but worse.

Anyway, as I have nothing better to do -

Xbox720

I know they're probably going to call it that, but stop and think. Does 720 make any sense at all? There are only 360 degrees!

Well when you think about 360, they just completed one full circle, back where they started. xbox 180 would've make more sense.

My older brother thought that the 360 should've been the third name, and have 2pi be the name for this gen. YAY MATH JOKES!

 

[Anaryl]

... hardcore console gaming.

"Harcore Console Gaming" I know what those words mean separately but together they make no sense

 

[Adzma]

I do recall that year being a slow one. I'm not denying that 2008 was dry, especially in the later half. And it could be that the release of these games is a response to 'hardcore' gamers whining all over the forums. But saying that there isn't anything new in those titles is just plain incorrect. New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be the first Mario platformer ever to have 4-player co-op. Plus there's the Super Guide, which will allow for Nintendo to make levels that challenge everyone without the 'casual' player losing interest.

I was referring specifically to the use of the game engine itself. It's true that it has new features, but it simply looks like a port of the DS game to Wii with stuff added to it.

And I can't speak for Mario Galaxy 2. You can't either, really, because since E3, news on that game has been slim at best.

This is certainly true, but I think Yahtzee summed up how I feel about this game perfectly.
The avatar sits on the ground. "Ideas. Ideas. Ideas. Ideas." He gets up with a "Fuck it," and slaps a two on the end.
Look at the jumps between Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy. Major changes in gameplay mechanics, but MG 2 looks from the very little we have seen to simply be the same game with new levels, or as Yahtzee himself put it, "The expansion pack that walks like a sequel."

At any rate the two of us have gotten slightly off topic. The correct focus is Natal.