On the topic of Legends 3

[thenekomancer]

This week saw kind of a rough bump for the outlook on Legends 3, and I suppose I am somewhat responsible for that, although the response to it was not as cataclysmic as I expected it might be. And in the end, it is just a simple fact: Rockman DASH 3 was removed from the front page of Capcom of Japan. It may mean nothing, and you can read into it

Comments

[kyouryuu]

I don't know how Capcom operates, but things have changed a lot in terms of forum interactions as bigger corporations and lawyers got involved. Often, publishers are now quite obsessive about controlling the release of information.

I would share the concern about Legend 3's fate and say that I'm sure many developers are re-evaluating the 3DS after countless complaints about price, eyestrain, and below-expected sales. I still maintain that the prevalence of smartphones and now tablets is slaughtering Nintendo's portable line. To be honest, I don't see why any developer would make games for it. Once you strip away the 3D gimmick, the technology was obsolete-on-arrival.

Nintendo, as always, is content to coast on the fumes of its once-great franchises. Because they sell at a profit, they'll probably turn a profit no matter what. But if I was a third-party, I'd be worried.

[woekitten]

Most of the tech running Nintendo's systems is "obsolete on arrival." It's kind of Nintendo's thing.

As for Tablets/iPhones versus Nintendo's portables, consider that the best-selling game on the App Store is Doodle Jump, and the best selling DS games are the likes of Pokemon, Zelda, Mario, and in-depth games in general.

Ocarina of Time has done quite a bit to boost sales of the 3DS, and when Nintendo inevitably drops the system's price, it'll be in a better place.

I mean, sheesh. Yeah, it took longer than usual for the 3DS to reach a million units sold in Japan, but we're not exactly talking N-gage levels, here.

The Legends 3 project may be troubled, but I think 3DS sales are an afterthought, not the major cause.

And--"once great?" Zelda and Mario are still pretty fuckin' great, dude!

[kyouryuu]

That's great for you. You are a huge Nintendo fan. I was over Nintendo's franchises many sequels ago. I used to like them, of course. What gamer worth their salt doesn't? But from the GameCube on, they got tired. Nintendo's M.O. as of late has been to innovate on the hardware side and apply that gimmick to an existing stable of franchises. There is very little innovation on the software side of things. If you are a die hard fan of Nintendo's franchises, this won't bother you in the slightest. You'll be happy to go through the paces and defeat Ganon again. But I need more than that to sink my teeth into

[woekitten]

There is very little innovation on the software side of things.

Super Mario Galaxy is a game about Mario blasting from tiny planetoid to tiny planetoid in the depths of space. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is about Link as a train engineer.

If you are a die hard fan of Nintendo's franchises

Which millions of people still are (including kids who are growing up with what their parents grew up with). There's gotta be something there, and it goes beyond nostalgia. Your claim that the franchises are "once great" is, as they say on the intraweb, "Just, like, your opinion, man."

Games on smartphones may not appeal to hardcore gamers, but it's only a matter of time. Unreal Engine 3 bloody runs on an iPad, after all. People are also obviously getting over the controls (or lack thereof) in part because developers are figuring out how to make the best of the touchscreen technology.Not seeing a whole lot of this, and I don't know when/if it'll happen. Most people who buy tablets don't buy them for gaming; instead, gaming is an

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Here, I believe, is the article you wanted. ;P

Kind of surprised you posted this here than on MMN, but as you will.

It's funny you mention that the N64 era wasn't prominent for Mega Man, given that was the very generation which birthed Mega Man Legends in the first place, albeit at Sony's behest. Who knows? This may give a lot of us a reason to want a PS Vita.

I still think Capcom was heading into this the wrong way, expecting an instant hit, when this is something they really need to build up. And expecting everyone who wants to play the game to join the Devroom...

They should really stick to their promise, and get the Prototype Version out, and judge how to proceed from there.

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

[thenekomancer]

I really have no interest in saying anything more on the topic on TMMN outside of official statements. We ought to know by the end of July if this game is going to sink or swim, I think.

And yes, it is ironic about Legends being in the N64 era. But in a way that kind of factors in; Legends was never a big success. Besides that, Mega Man games were far and few between, and a good deal of them weren't terribly good, or even came here for that matter.

[kyouryuu]

Legends 3 has the potential to reverse that trend, though, because the series has built such a strong reputation over the years from people who fondly remember it. It's invariably the question that comes up in any Mega Man discussion, just like "Where is Half-Life 3?" in any Valve discussion. In fact, it's probably the most wanted Mega Man sequel of them all.

Point is, if you've committed yourself to making a new Mega Man game, there are definitely worse directions you could go. :)