Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The 3DS Starts Here!
Tomorrow is a day that provides US gamers with a brand new Mario game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is called Super Mario 3D Land (SM3DL), just in case you haven’t already heard of it. Despite the obvious design and gameplay differences between SM3DL and Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, this is essentially the equivalent of Mario Galaxy for the handheld market. This is a big deal!
I love Mario games, so I am naturally excited about the game. I have purposely stayed away from watching too many trailers. I’ve watched just enough to whet my appetite and catalog what I’m in store for. But, I’m a fan – so I was already sold on the game and the Nintendo 3DS.
However, this title is of great importance to the success of the Nintendo 3DS. People who have not yet purchased a 3DS need a reason to do so. SM3DL is poised to do exactly what it needs to do: attract new customers and sell Nintendo 3DS hardware. Who can resist a next-gen Mario game of home console quality that you can take anywhere with you? This is the beginning of the 3DS’ road to success.
If SM3DL doesn’t do the trick, there’s Mario Kart 7 next month! What, seriously? Yeah, I know, right? Believe it or not, Nintendo are releasing two of the biggest selling DS brands in the same Christmas season for the 3DS - stunning! I’d place a bet that anyone who thinks Nintendo is giving up on the 3DS is sorely mistaken.
Meanwhile, on the eShop, we have Mighty Switch Force, VVVVVV, and of course, our very own Mutant Mudds making their way to the 3DS’ digital download service in the coming months. After that we have the likes of Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil being released in February 2012 – just in case Nintendo’s first-party titles aren’t edgy enough for you.
Who knows what other delights we may be in store for. The likes of Smash Brothers, Luigi’s Mansion, Kid Icarus, and Paper Mario are on the horizon. And perhaps we’ll even see titles such as Donkey Kong Country, Metroid, and Kirby make their way into the world of 3D. Good times are ahead.
The 3DS is here to stay, and here to provide people with an amazing assortment of gaming experiences. Are you ready? I sure as hell am!
I love Mario games, so I am naturally excited about the game. I have purposely stayed away from watching too many trailers. I’ve watched just enough to whet my appetite and catalog what I’m in store for. But, I’m a fan – so I was already sold on the game and the Nintendo 3DS.
However, this title is of great importance to the success of the Nintendo 3DS. People who have not yet purchased a 3DS need a reason to do so. SM3DL is poised to do exactly what it needs to do: attract new customers and sell Nintendo 3DS hardware. Who can resist a next-gen Mario game of home console quality that you can take anywhere with you? This is the beginning of the 3DS’ road to success.
If SM3DL doesn’t do the trick, there’s Mario Kart 7 next month! What, seriously? Yeah, I know, right? Believe it or not, Nintendo are releasing two of the biggest selling DS brands in the same Christmas season for the 3DS - stunning! I’d place a bet that anyone who thinks Nintendo is giving up on the 3DS is sorely mistaken.
Meanwhile, on the eShop, we have Mighty Switch Force, VVVVVV, and of course, our very own Mutant Mudds making their way to the 3DS’ digital download service in the coming months. After that we have the likes of Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil being released in February 2012 – just in case Nintendo’s first-party titles aren’t edgy enough for you.
Who knows what other delights we may be in store for. The likes of Smash Brothers, Luigi’s Mansion, Kid Icarus, and Paper Mario are on the horizon. And perhaps we’ll even see titles such as Donkey Kong Country, Metroid, and Kirby make their way into the world of 3D. Good times are ahead.
The 3DS is here to stay, and here to provide people with an amazing assortment of gaming experiences. Are you ready? I sure as hell am!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
3DS Rant!
I am surprised that people are saying the 3DS is a failure, it is doomed, etc. According to the information I can get my hands on, which may or may not be accurate, the 3DS has sold nearly 5 million units in about 6 months – the same amount the Nintendo DS sold in its’ first 6 months of release.
One of the big differences between the 3DS and DS launches is the launch date. The 3DS launched in February/ March, while the DS launched in November/December. The DS was able to take advantage of the Christmas holiday sales, a time when more people typically purchase items for gifts and such. Therefore, it seems impressive to me that the 3DS has sold an equal number of units considering it had no holiday to take advantage of. I admit that I am not an expert on Japanese holidays, so there may be a big Christmas-like event in February/March which helped sales of the 3DS in Japan. Even so, sales of the 3DS being equal to that of the DS within the same timeframe seems like a positive start for the platform, especially considering the hefty price tag of $250.
Now, fair enough, sales of the 3DS dropped dramatically after the initial launch, and this seems obviously tied to the fact that there are a serious lack of decent games to purchase – a big mistake. But, as an owner of a 3DS, I am happy to see that successful brands like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Cave Story 3D, Shinobi, and Bit. Trip Saga are being released in 2011. These well-known titles should give a lot of people a reason to buy the 3DS for Christmas, or before. And, we can’t forget the enhanced ports Zelda 64 and Star Fox 64 to whet the appetite.
The future looks bright. So, what really disappoints me about all of this is how publishers are reacting to the situation. Before the price drop and news of Nintendo’s financial situation were released, publishers were already playing the wait-and-see game. They wanted to see how the 3DS performed at Christmas. Sure, games were being developed, but at a cautious level. We were fortunate enough to already be working with Majesco on Face Racers: Photo Finish, which was originally destined to be a DS title that took advantage of the DSi camera, but switched to become a 3DS title shortly after the new handheld was announced. We were also fortunate enough to sign on with Ignition to develop Planet Crashers 3D for the 3DS prior to the dramatic news of the price cut et al. And, we’re publishing Mutant Mudds on Nintendo eShop ourselves!
It has always been difficult to find funding for original third-party games on handheld devices. Even though there have been some truly amazing original third-party games released on handheld platforms in the past. I expect it was not easy for the creators to convince their publishers to fund them to market. We managed to release four original titles on the DS, and I am confident we’ll develop many original games for the 3DS in the future. But, right now the outlook of publishers for original content on the 3DS is not good in the short-term.
Publishers say that they are waiting to see the sales of the 3DS over Christmas before committing to any new titles. But… why? Sales so far are pretty darn good. Sales of the aforementioned titles are sure to increase sales of the hardware. So, right now seems like a perfect time to start the development of a title so it can be released next year, when the number of 3DS owners has doubled from today. Unfortunately, it seems as though publishers do not have long-term vision. Short-term is their world, and this is probably largely due to being public-companies and such, but that’s a different story. The reality is that the majority of third-party publishers (I say majority, because there are still some great publishers out there that “get it”, and are in the business for the right reasons) are waiting on Nintendo to release their awesome first-party games to increase sales of the platform before third-party publishers will step up and release their own. Unfortunately, history tells us that publishers will more-than-likely opt for licensed titles over original titles in 2012 and beyond. It is a safer bet, and there are always plenty of licenses out there to take advantage of. And, when I say take advantage of, you know what I mean!
So, there you go. Take what you will from my polite rant. Personally, I think it is a foregone conclusion that the 3DS will be successful. The writing is on the wall. The success of the 3DS is reliant on the games released for it. And, as usual, (most) third-party publishers will rely on Nintendo’s great first-party games to fuel hardware sales and let the same ol’ story play out. You can also bet they’ll complain about Nintendo dominating the market and it not being “fair” for third-party publisher to “compete”. Give me a break. Third-party publishers, this is your chance to shine. Shine get!
One of the big differences between the 3DS and DS launches is the launch date. The 3DS launched in February/ March, while the DS launched in November/December. The DS was able to take advantage of the Christmas holiday sales, a time when more people typically purchase items for gifts and such. Therefore, it seems impressive to me that the 3DS has sold an equal number of units considering it had no holiday to take advantage of. I admit that I am not an expert on Japanese holidays, so there may be a big Christmas-like event in February/March which helped sales of the 3DS in Japan. Even so, sales of the 3DS being equal to that of the DS within the same timeframe seems like a positive start for the platform, especially considering the hefty price tag of $250.
Now, fair enough, sales of the 3DS dropped dramatically after the initial launch, and this seems obviously tied to the fact that there are a serious lack of decent games to purchase – a big mistake. But, as an owner of a 3DS, I am happy to see that successful brands like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Cave Story 3D, Shinobi, and Bit. Trip Saga are being released in 2011. These well-known titles should give a lot of people a reason to buy the 3DS for Christmas, or before. And, we can’t forget the enhanced ports Zelda 64 and Star Fox 64 to whet the appetite.
The future looks bright. So, what really disappoints me about all of this is how publishers are reacting to the situation. Before the price drop and news of Nintendo’s financial situation were released, publishers were already playing the wait-and-see game. They wanted to see how the 3DS performed at Christmas. Sure, games were being developed, but at a cautious level. We were fortunate enough to already be working with Majesco on Face Racers: Photo Finish, which was originally destined to be a DS title that took advantage of the DSi camera, but switched to become a 3DS title shortly after the new handheld was announced. We were also fortunate enough to sign on with Ignition to develop Planet Crashers 3D for the 3DS prior to the dramatic news of the price cut et al. And, we’re publishing Mutant Mudds on Nintendo eShop ourselves!
It has always been difficult to find funding for original third-party games on handheld devices. Even though there have been some truly amazing original third-party games released on handheld platforms in the past. I expect it was not easy for the creators to convince their publishers to fund them to market. We managed to release four original titles on the DS, and I am confident we’ll develop many original games for the 3DS in the future. But, right now the outlook of publishers for original content on the 3DS is not good in the short-term.
Publishers say that they are waiting to see the sales of the 3DS over Christmas before committing to any new titles. But… why? Sales so far are pretty darn good. Sales of the aforementioned titles are sure to increase sales of the hardware. So, right now seems like a perfect time to start the development of a title so it can be released next year, when the number of 3DS owners has doubled from today. Unfortunately, it seems as though publishers do not have long-term vision. Short-term is their world, and this is probably largely due to being public-companies and such, but that’s a different story. The reality is that the majority of third-party publishers (I say majority, because there are still some great publishers out there that “get it”, and are in the business for the right reasons) are waiting on Nintendo to release their awesome first-party games to increase sales of the platform before third-party publishers will step up and release their own. Unfortunately, history tells us that publishers will more-than-likely opt for licensed titles over original titles in 2012 and beyond. It is a safer bet, and there are always plenty of licenses out there to take advantage of. And, when I say take advantage of, you know what I mean!
So, there you go. Take what you will from my polite rant. Personally, I think it is a foregone conclusion that the 3DS will be successful. The writing is on the wall. The success of the 3DS is reliant on the games released for it. And, as usual, (most) third-party publishers will rely on Nintendo’s great first-party games to fuel hardware sales and let the same ol’ story play out. You can also bet they’ll complain about Nintendo dominating the market and it not being “fair” for third-party publisher to “compete”. Give me a break. Third-party publishers, this is your chance to shine. Shine get!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
ATV Wild Ride 3D - Looking For a Publisher!
Introduction:
The debut of Renegade Kid's original arcade ATV racing title for the Nintendo DS, ATV Wild Ride, was met with high praise from the gaming press - making it hands-down the best ATV racing title available for the platform.
Evolution:
The next exciting installment of this off-road thrill ride, ATV Wild Ride 3D, turns the dial up to 11 with more insane airborne tricks, dramatic panoramic vistas, exhilarating audio, and a brand new "Wild Ride" power-up; enabling players to reach new intense speeds - bringing the excitement of extreme ATV racing alive.
You are thrown into an adrenaline-charged off-road trick-racing event across the globe. Hold onto your handlebars, it's about to get wild!
Main Features:
- A true 'console' ATV racing experience for the Nintendo 3DS.
- Utilizes the proven power of the award-winning Renegade Engine.
- 12 Exotic locations, with 48 extreme tracks to tear up.
- 6 new locations, with 24 new tracks.
- Unlock 6 "retro" Nintendo DS locations, with 24 "classic" tracks (enhanced to utilize 3DS graphical capabilities).
- Perform dozens of insane airborne tricks to earn nitro boosts.
- Land 3 consecutive "hard" tricks and enter "Wild Ride" mode; increasing your overall speed for a short period of time.
- Skid around corners, soar over chasms, and experience the speed rush with physics-based racing dynamics.
- Up to 4 players go head-to-head with Internet and Local play for ultimate bragging rights.
- Expected ESRB rating: E - Everyone.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Day 1: A Week in the Life of a Game Developer
I thought I'd do something a little different this week. A lot of people who visit my blog and/or comment on my videos on YouTube seem interested in the process of making games. It was something I was always interested in as a kid, while I was at school. So, this week I am going to attempt to record a blog each day of this week to give you an idea of some of the things that may happen in a typical week at a video game studio.
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