While I'm normally not a figurine collector, I did plan on buying a few online to decorate my room. So it's good timing since Nintendo's established their relatively new Amiibo franchise. I now have a Bowser Jr. Capt. Olimar and Pac Man, and now with the impending wave of restocks, I'm looking forward to snagging a Villager and Star Fox, and see where I go from there. I don't particularly care for their digital functions, but I think it's cool nonetheless so long as the added content in the figurines are not necessary pieces of the puzzle that is the video game's vision.
Now that they're finally starting to manufacture more of the "rarer" and harder to purchase-at-retail Amiibo, I hope that they eventually start production runs of characters that Nintendo would consider to be "niche" choices for the Amiibo franchise.. They could do limited runs of the less "popular" characters after focusing on re-stocking the harder to get, yet sought after figurines.
I figured I'd list a few game characters that I'd personally love to see, and feel that they are iconic characters within the game worlds that they originate. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if Nintendo would actually bother to produce even limited quantities of any lesser known characters like these, but I don't see why they couldn't.
1. Poochy - Of Yoshi's Story/Island/Etc. fame. Basically a pet-companion found in levels of Yoshi games. Aside from being adorable, it'd make a heck of a lot of sense to release an Amiibo of the good ole' pup around the time of the NA Woolly World release. I do know that it's already out elsewhere, so maybe they won't bother at this point. One could dream!
2. Skull Kid or The Moon - We do have Majora's Mask 3DS.. Why didn't they use the opportunity to produce any M.M Amiibo? WHY?!?
3. Tingle - One of the LOZ series' goofiest characters, that I totally love.
4. Slippy / Peppy - If they've already made Fox, and are currently planning on releasing Falco, I can't see them not releasing these two.
5. Doshin The Giant - Never played the original Game cube game, but I remember getting the trophy in SSBM and I think that a figurine would be bad ass.
6. Poltergust 3000-Wielding Luigi / FLUDD-Wielding Mario - This'd be an awesome double pack.
7. Professor E Gadd / Portrait Ghosts / Regular Ghosts - Even if only just a regular ghost and E Gadd were released, that'd do.
8. X-Nauts/Sir Grodus/Lord Crump - The evil army in the biggest Paper Mario installment to date. Of course we'd all want to see them in Amiibo form! If a Paper Mario NX is eventually released, which hopefully will come.
I could probably go on indefinitely. But you get the idea, and probably agree with quite a few of these characters! (Hopefully. lol)
Honestly, I feel as though there are so many possible characters that can be made, though many of them may not have a specific game and so if there could be general Amiibo functions for those figures that have no specific logically compatible game, that could work. So even if Doshin the Giant has no game coming out that he'd fit into, there could be a lot of re-skinning and easter-egg-like humorous cameo appearances made possible through Amiibo scanning.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
Pikmin 4 Announcement: My Hopes, Thoughts.
Shigeru Miyamoto has confirmed the existence of the newest installment in the Pikmin series, apparently not in some official reveal, just in a casually thrown-in statement during an interview or something.
First off, I'm hoping that this thing has been in development for the NX. Or is a cross-platform title.
I haven't bothered buying a Wii U, but I have bought Wii U games under the assumption that the NX home console will be backwards compatible or offer a B.C device for the Wii U which is probably cheaper than buying a 300$ console for a dozen games that I find worth owning.
In regards to what I'd like to see with Pikmin 4, it's simple.
I have watched some of the third installment. I've owned the first game, and rented the second game from Blockbuster here and there, played it often enough to be familiar with it. I've also taken in the general opinions of those who've played the full game.
In general, I'd like more content than was in three. This is probably my only real issue with the 3rd. It was relatively shorter than one & two and people generally seemed disappointed with the length and the lack of collectibles and areas to explore.
I figure that having to collect the same six fruits repeatedly didn't help, as opposed to having in the ballpark of 200 various treasures to collect in the second game. Perhaps they can have 400 treasures in this game, even if Pikmin 2 having 200 was merely a coincidence. More content could never lessen the product quality for those who enjoy the content. It adds replay ability.
I personally felt the same way discovering and examining each piece of treasure as I did stumbling upon each piece of my damaged ship in the original debut, even if they were mainly modeled after cryptically named trinkets vaguely and often basically resembling house hold objects, the mystifying of these things was enjoyable to take in.
In an ideal world, I think that Pikmin 4 would have a survival mode with a limited amount of time to survive, and then after the survival campaign is completed you'd have a Treasure Hunt mode where the lead Captain of the story would return to pilfer the planet of it's riches and further explore the areas. This is where the game's environments would be expanded upon, and new areas deeper in the heart of the planet would be accessible.
Then, to add to those two single player campaigns, there would be Co-Op modes.
It could retain the multiplayer options of Pikmin three and merely add content on to it. Just make sure that the local multiplayer is equally as good if not better than the online multiplayer, so that it will always be playable.
Regardless of what they choose to do with this installment, I just hope that it has more in common with two than anything.
First off, I'm hoping that this thing has been in development for the NX. Or is a cross-platform title.
I haven't bothered buying a Wii U, but I have bought Wii U games under the assumption that the NX home console will be backwards compatible or offer a B.C device for the Wii U which is probably cheaper than buying a 300$ console for a dozen games that I find worth owning.
In regards to what I'd like to see with Pikmin 4, it's simple.
I have watched some of the third installment. I've owned the first game, and rented the second game from Blockbuster here and there, played it often enough to be familiar with it. I've also taken in the general opinions of those who've played the full game.
In general, I'd like more content than was in three. This is probably my only real issue with the 3rd. It was relatively shorter than one & two and people generally seemed disappointed with the length and the lack of collectibles and areas to explore.
I figure that having to collect the same six fruits repeatedly didn't help, as opposed to having in the ballpark of 200 various treasures to collect in the second game. Perhaps they can have 400 treasures in this game, even if Pikmin 2 having 200 was merely a coincidence. More content could never lessen the product quality for those who enjoy the content. It adds replay ability.
I personally felt the same way discovering and examining each piece of treasure as I did stumbling upon each piece of my damaged ship in the original debut, even if they were mainly modeled after cryptically named trinkets vaguely and often basically resembling house hold objects, the mystifying of these things was enjoyable to take in.
In an ideal world, I think that Pikmin 4 would have a survival mode with a limited amount of time to survive, and then after the survival campaign is completed you'd have a Treasure Hunt mode where the lead Captain of the story would return to pilfer the planet of it's riches and further explore the areas. This is where the game's environments would be expanded upon, and new areas deeper in the heart of the planet would be accessible.
Then, to add to those two single player campaigns, there would be Co-Op modes.
It could retain the multiplayer options of Pikmin three and merely add content on to it. Just make sure that the local multiplayer is equally as good if not better than the online multiplayer, so that it will always be playable.
Regardless of what they choose to do with this installment, I just hope that it has more in common with two than anything.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Could Nintendo's NX console actually use cartridges? + Possible game releases.
Kind of thinking out loud here. Surely I'm not the only one who has considered this?
Nintendo has potentially filed a patent for a console with no optical drive.
Make what you will of it, though I have a crackpot theory of my own.
Let's say that this device really is the "NX".. Or one of the devices to be revealed under the "NX" umbrella project code name. It has been rumored that this will be a platform connecting Nintendo's next handheld and home console. I wouldn't have an issue with this. A major problem of their's is the lack of third party support.
I think it can generally be agreed upon that the 3DS seems to have quickly become Nintendo's main focus, to make up for the unfortunate loss that was the Wii U.
I mean, the only major titles that I can think of are, say.. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Bayonetta 2, Pikmin 3, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, Kirby's Rainbow Curse, Splatoon, and eventually Star Fox Zero, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Yoshi's Woolly World. The yet to be officially named Zelda title will probably be on both Wii U and the NX.
I'm sure that a few others could be brought up, but I'm certain that there are probably barely even 20 titles worth owning on the console. Mind you, the utter lack of quality third party software support may make it seem like less, but even spread over a 4 year period, that may be 5 games a year.
A multi-billion dollar video gaming corporation that can't afford to develop more titles than that internally each year? I'm not so sure. When there are barely any outside developers putting software worth playing on the platform, surely there's some sort of pressure to build a sizable enough library so as to not betray the consumer base loyal enough to have bought a commercial failure of their software device.
Perhaps they've felt that this was it. But their last two or three annual E3 showings seemed predictable, with no major announcements until it was probably too late. Now the most ambitious titles announced for Wii U in 2016 are a Mario sports game and the Pokemon Arcade Fighting game, Pokken.
Getting back to the NX; Just think about it. No optical drive? An SSD reading slot? It would make sense for the next Nintendo "platform" physical game medium to be cartridges. I would find N64-sized cartridges to be really cool, but I can't imagine how weird it'd be putting them into a handheld. Of course, I know that it's been done with third party handheld N64 consoles, but the cartridges would either be small and fit more with the handheld, or larger and more in line with a home console.
Anyways, there are also rumors of major Metroid and F-Zero titles being developed for the NX launch, which, whether those are two of the to-be-announced games or not, I can imagine that this launch will be strong. There was a hiccup with an accidental listing for a Wii U Paper Mario game priced at 60$ on Walmart's website, I recall reading some articles surfacing awhile back. Not sure how reliable the sources were, but it was quite possible that the title exists or is in development, presumably for the NX now, if not the Wii U in the coming year of 2016.
If the "NX" is the first Nintendo console in some time to actually see a noticeable graphical quality difference in the games, then now would be a cool time to release an ambitious Animal Crossing title. New Leaf seemed a bit lacking to me, but maybe I haven't played enough. It'd be ironic if the town is actually larger on AC:NL than it was on the Gamecube release and I merely perceive it to be smaller, but I feel like I can sprint from one end to the other very quickly. Would've thought that the towns would be bigger, besides the store/museum/tailor conglomeration.
A near-future NX Metroid title has already been remarked on, so we know it's only a matter of time regardless. F-Zero, I'm not as sure about, but it's also been discussed as far as I'm aware. I believe that it was actually in development and ran into some issues, but I might be mistaking it for a different franchise. Heck, even Chibi-Robo's developers have brought up the possibility of an NX counterpart to the Gamecube title. Surely there will be more exciting releases this time around, as I felt like they weren't very prolific for most of the Wii U's lifespan, even if what little they've developed internally has been great. Splatoon is what games like Pikmin or Animal Crossing were for the Gamecube; The successful well-received introduction of a totally foreign concept in that good ole' familiar Nintendo style. We need more creatively bold games like this to pad the NX library, even if they manage to breathe new life into tired franchises.
I'm going to wait on the NX, while I preview and buy the Wii U games that I want to play for the time being.
If this console really has no optical drive, it'd be interesting to me to know how they're planning on making the thing backwards compatible as I'm certain that it's been briefly mentioned before that there will be backwards compatibility. Perhaps you can purchase an install-able optional optical drive for those games.
Nintendo has potentially filed a patent for a console with no optical drive.
Make what you will of it, though I have a crackpot theory of my own.
Let's say that this device really is the "NX".. Or one of the devices to be revealed under the "NX" umbrella project code name. It has been rumored that this will be a platform connecting Nintendo's next handheld and home console. I wouldn't have an issue with this. A major problem of their's is the lack of third party support.
I think it can generally be agreed upon that the 3DS seems to have quickly become Nintendo's main focus, to make up for the unfortunate loss that was the Wii U.
I mean, the only major titles that I can think of are, say.. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Bayonetta 2, Pikmin 3, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, Kirby's Rainbow Curse, Splatoon, and eventually Star Fox Zero, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Yoshi's Woolly World. The yet to be officially named Zelda title will probably be on both Wii U and the NX.
I'm sure that a few others could be brought up, but I'm certain that there are probably barely even 20 titles worth owning on the console. Mind you, the utter lack of quality third party software support may make it seem like less, but even spread over a 4 year period, that may be 5 games a year.
A multi-billion dollar video gaming corporation that can't afford to develop more titles than that internally each year? I'm not so sure. When there are barely any outside developers putting software worth playing on the platform, surely there's some sort of pressure to build a sizable enough library so as to not betray the consumer base loyal enough to have bought a commercial failure of their software device.
Perhaps they've felt that this was it. But their last two or three annual E3 showings seemed predictable, with no major announcements until it was probably too late. Now the most ambitious titles announced for Wii U in 2016 are a Mario sports game and the Pokemon Arcade Fighting game, Pokken.
Getting back to the NX; Just think about it. No optical drive? An SSD reading slot? It would make sense for the next Nintendo "platform" physical game medium to be cartridges. I would find N64-sized cartridges to be really cool, but I can't imagine how weird it'd be putting them into a handheld. Of course, I know that it's been done with third party handheld N64 consoles, but the cartridges would either be small and fit more with the handheld, or larger and more in line with a home console.
Anyways, there are also rumors of major Metroid and F-Zero titles being developed for the NX launch, which, whether those are two of the to-be-announced games or not, I can imagine that this launch will be strong. There was a hiccup with an accidental listing for a Wii U Paper Mario game priced at 60$ on Walmart's website, I recall reading some articles surfacing awhile back. Not sure how reliable the sources were, but it was quite possible that the title exists or is in development, presumably for the NX now, if not the Wii U in the coming year of 2016.
If the "NX" is the first Nintendo console in some time to actually see a noticeable graphical quality difference in the games, then now would be a cool time to release an ambitious Animal Crossing title. New Leaf seemed a bit lacking to me, but maybe I haven't played enough. It'd be ironic if the town is actually larger on AC:NL than it was on the Gamecube release and I merely perceive it to be smaller, but I feel like I can sprint from one end to the other very quickly. Would've thought that the towns would be bigger, besides the store/museum/tailor conglomeration.
A near-future NX Metroid title has already been remarked on, so we know it's only a matter of time regardless. F-Zero, I'm not as sure about, but it's also been discussed as far as I'm aware. I believe that it was actually in development and ran into some issues, but I might be mistaking it for a different franchise. Heck, even Chibi-Robo's developers have brought up the possibility of an NX counterpart to the Gamecube title. Surely there will be more exciting releases this time around, as I felt like they weren't very prolific for most of the Wii U's lifespan, even if what little they've developed internally has been great. Splatoon is what games like Pikmin or Animal Crossing were for the Gamecube; The successful well-received introduction of a totally foreign concept in that good ole' familiar Nintendo style. We need more creatively bold games like this to pad the NX library, even if they manage to breathe new life into tired franchises.
I'm going to wait on the NX, while I preview and buy the Wii U games that I want to play for the time being.
If this console really has no optical drive, it'd be interesting to me to know how they're planning on making the thing backwards compatible as I'm certain that it's been briefly mentioned before that there will be backwards compatibility. Perhaps you can purchase an install-able optional optical drive for those games.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
The Retro VGS Kickstarter: Thoughts, opinions.
UPDATE: My interest in this project has basically plummeted. If I had to give a percentage, it'd be.. maybe 1%. The idea is lovely, but for the price and the fact that the team behind this project may have good intentions but are so wishy washy it's laughable to think that they'll receive 10,000 pledges of 300 based on nothing but 3D renderings and good will. Now they are no longer using Kickstarter because they have not bothered making any physical demonstrative prototypes, which is a major no-no. Quite a few red flags have been raised over the past few weeks. I suppose that you could apply the same thoughts expressed here to whichever platform they're holding their fund raiser on, although I've lost nearly all hope for this thing having even a short-lived "launch".. It was very 'niche' to begin with, unfortunately.
I'm going to stick to burning PC games to high-quality discs, having the game's art logo laser printed onto the front of the disc, and then printing out a front/back insert for a jewel CD case. I think that'd be a cool way to always own a physical copy of your games regardless of what happens to the files on your PC, if you don't buy your games through gaming library streaming services.
UPDATE/EDIT: May I add that this new funding site, Indiegogo, may or may not function in the same way as Kickstarter. So beware.
Anyways, If you're still reading this, understand that kickstarter.com is solely intended for people to get an idea off of the ground - a fundraising site. You are donating money, there is no required transaction where you receive something of equal value to the amount of cash you gave. That "something" will be the guaranteed existence of whatever product is being pitched, should it meet it's funding goals. The donation rewards are optional, as far as I'm aware, but obviously help to persuade donations.
Here is the official Kickstarter site's FAQ, should anyone desire to read it.
If you support the idea behind this product, and prefer physical over digital ownership, this may be the chance for us to carve our own path in this industry, should we amount to a sizable enough demographic within the industry to sustain our own software device-platform.
Even if you are iffy on the idea, I'd imagine it wouldn't hurt to donate 5$ - your money won't be transferred unless the project meets it's goals. Imagine if a much larger number than the targeted 7,000 backers pledge much less than the required pledge to receive a console. The funding goal would be reached without folks having to literally pre-order an unborn, potentially stillborn console just for the thing to get off of the ground.
The Kickstarter reveal will come, and will either be a rude awakening for the console's well-meaning but under-prepared team, or the first step towards establishing a legitimate video game device. In the end, only time will tell where this thing goes. Personally, I love the idea of the product, if executed properly and fairly.
Having said all of that.. Here are some of my thoughts. With the reveal looming and everything hopefully falling into place, I'd like to say my piece in the hopes that it's heard, and potentially influences some positive change, however major or subtle.
The General M.O
I believe that this console's general direction is clear. It fills a physical niche in an ever-growing digital market. Physical DRM-free copies of games that will be on internal storage encased in shells designed to last as long as possible, should they choose to take care of their purchases and wish to keep them. Physical cartridges of the past have so far proven to be durable and long-lasting.
Regardless of the aesthetic focus of the game library, physical preservation of otherwise digital only games is one major driving force of reason behind this. In my opinion, there should be no limitations. There should be games developed that push their games as far as games in their chosen graphic style can go based on what is capable from the console's hardware. Also, as I've mentioned in the previous post, if someone is an ?-bit purist, they can choose to only purchase the titles released in that fashion and ignore the rest.
Considering the primary target audience for this console would be "retro" video game enthusiasts who may already own technically "obsolete" consoles - the ability to purchase adapters to plug in old cartridges and play them in an up-scaled manner would also be a major benefit if it goes beyond mere emulation with the FPGA cores.
I would hope that, considering the adapters may be 20$, that there may be an option to purchase a single wire with multiple cores inside, where you can move a little switch and go between NES/SNES/N64/PSX/Genesis/Saturn/etc. I don't know if 20$ would cover the cost of a single core, or if anywhere from two to several cores can be included in one 20$ adapter, but I believe that there should perhaps be themed adapters; one for NES, SNES. One for N64, PSX. One for Genesis, Saturn, and so forth. The general idea here is that with the adapters and cores, the more consolidation, the better.
Certainly, exclusives are crucial for any console. Once upon a time, it was the reason why we made the hard decision of choosing one game platform over another. They may come in the form of negotiated spiritual successors, revivals of older established IPs, proper sequels.. This console can be a wish granter, in a sense.
It would undoubtedly be wise to scout for talented upcoming developers, and discuss the possibility of some sort of mutually beneficial partnership, much like Rare ltd. working with Nintendo in the 80s/90s. This may be more difficult earlier on, although if the developers are attracted to the idea initially, it may be possible to release the game at the upper end of the proposed cartridge price range to ensure that their profits are increased. Either way, a sizable player base is likely necessary before courting developers.
The Console Name
I believe that a compromise could be made in regards to the console's actual name, which I have no personal issue with, but believe it lacks a strong sense of self in branding terms.
Let's hypothetically say, that the console name was changed to "Chameleon".. Although I'm pretty sure it's been done, so how about "Genie"? I actually like that, even if that's likely been done as well. As was previously said above, the console promises spiritual successors, sequels, etc.. It will be granting wishes. The name seems fitting to me, especially with the Retro company branding pre-fixing the console name.
Now, I understand what the creators have done with the name. VGS. NES. I get it. The R in the RVGS was intended to mirror the N in the NES, VGS the counterpart to ES. A wink and a head nod to consoles whom have come before. Nostalgic sentimentality aside, I think it'd be smarter branding to change the name to "Retro <console name> VGS. As it stands, the name of the company is the name of the system. The Retro Genie VGS. I believe that "VGS" should be an afterthought.
What worked for Nintendo's first console is not as practical for a modern-day console. "Video Game System" in this day and age of so many old video game systems, it means a lot less than it did some time ago, as a name in itself. The reference to the NES may be lost on more players/consumers than it's worth. I would say to give the console itself an official name, to distinguish it. You could print _____ on the console's shell in it's unique font, and then "Retro" in the upper left corner underlapping it while the "VGS" acronym may under/overlap it on the lower right side, should you choose to include it while adopting a more distinguished name solely for the console.
Because as it stands, taking out the "Retro" brand namesake, the console itself is technically called "Video Game System" when that should be a description reserved for advertisements and text/audio interviews or articles for it rather than the actual name. I don't see the point in including the description of the product in the product's brand name.
Unfortunately, the "Retro" namesake may also be mistaken as part of the description of the console rather than the console name itself. But even then, in that case, you have no real name other than "Video Game System".. "Retro" is not yet an established enough brand for it to be recognized as such by many players/consumers who will become acquainted with the console before the magazine. And they may not even make the connection at all, simply because "Retro" is more of a descriptive word than a specified personal namesake of a company.
I'm not sure if a head-nod or a wink to an old system's name is worth sacrificing a degree of identity for the product that will build that sort of "NES" familiarity with time, rather than attempting to borrow it right out of the gate by taking the name.
I understand that there may be a sentimentality behind it, but even being sympathetic to that, I think a code name should go in-between the "Retro" and the "VGS". If the "Retro" branding/magazine will be recognized through the system, that's to be seen and you'd have to really push the magazine on the console player base via the retrovgs website. In any case, the magazine may obviously serve as an install base for the console, but it is no guarantee that the audience will see the absolute value in the sibling product. Being a "loyal" supporter of one product/service is no guarantee of supporting another if it doesn't make it's case.
Kickstarter Limited Editions
Instead of releasing three different model lines for the base console before the base console is even in circulation (Jewel, Treasure, Legends) and given that the potential audience for this is currently much smaller than the still relatively small demographic that it may eventually attract, I believe that there should ONLY be ONE exclusive kickstarter console for the pledgers who actually have enough faith from the get-go to donate the full proposed cost of a single console.
OR a single unique model line with two or three choices. I believe that limited edition shells should be an afterthought, once the console proves it's worth and establishes a solid, sustaining player/consumer base.
From a business perspective, if the full potential targeted demographic is statistically of a much larger number than what will be exposed to the kickstarter, and everything from the console to the carts are made-to-order, then... Wouldn't it make more sense in terms of profitability to wait until you have the attention of say, 300,000 Retro VGS players/potential players before releasing a limited edition console?
The manufacturing total limit could be raised, and result in a great overall profit. Would you rather manufacture 30,000 of a specific limited edition model later on to a user base of 300.000, or release a dozen LE's to the to-be-determined install base and only end up barely selling 7,000 because of the product's uncertain future even after being funded? (In terms of software support, at the very least.)
I realize that the kickstarter will be roughly a month long, but even in that much time, it may not reach nearly a quarter of it's perceived demographic target, and even then, the product needs to prove itself a sound entertainment investment. Many will not back the product at all, preferring to wait it out and make a decision when the dust clears. Others may donate, but choose to throw in a far cry from the cost of a single console being shipped to them in a year's time. It would make more sense, and not sacrifice the limited status of any of the LE's, to make the conscientious decision to only release a single kickstarter exclusive system.
If I were part of this project, I would personally have a single console shell design created by a paid artist who I feel would be suited to the task of creating artwork symbolic of their utter blind faith and good will, and have the artwork printed onto the console shells. Keeping in line with my whole "Genie" namesake idea, maybe artwork of a genie granting another genie's wish. Of course, it's just a quick random example off of the top of my head, based off of another split second off-the-dome suggestion. The previous points expressed above are still to be considered in my opinion.
The bottom line is that certain decisions can potentially make or break this product at this point. But at least I may have made myself heard, and hopefully gave a valid alternative point of view on some things, whether or not any changes are actually made. I will be optimistic that the kickstarter reveal will show a promising, attractive product.
I'm going to stick to burning PC games to high-quality discs, having the game's art logo laser printed onto the front of the disc, and then printing out a front/back insert for a jewel CD case. I think that'd be a cool way to always own a physical copy of your games regardless of what happens to the files on your PC, if you don't buy your games through gaming library streaming services.
UPDATE/EDIT: May I add that this new funding site, Indiegogo, may or may not function in the same way as Kickstarter. So beware.
Anyways, If you're still reading this, understand that kickstarter.com is solely intended for people to get an idea off of the ground - a fundraising site. You are donating money, there is no required transaction where you receive something of equal value to the amount of cash you gave. That "something" will be the guaranteed existence of whatever product is being pitched, should it meet it's funding goals. The donation rewards are optional, as far as I'm aware, but obviously help to persuade donations.
Here is the official Kickstarter site's FAQ, should anyone desire to read it.
If you support the idea behind this product, and prefer physical over digital ownership, this may be the chance for us to carve our own path in this industry, should we amount to a sizable enough demographic within the industry to sustain our own software device-platform.
Even if you are iffy on the idea, I'd imagine it wouldn't hurt to donate 5$ - your money won't be transferred unless the project meets it's goals. Imagine if a much larger number than the targeted 7,000 backers pledge much less than the required pledge to receive a console. The funding goal would be reached without folks having to literally pre-order an unborn, potentially stillborn console just for the thing to get off of the ground.
The Kickstarter reveal will come, and will either be a rude awakening for the console's well-meaning but under-prepared team, or the first step towards establishing a legitimate video game device. In the end, only time will tell where this thing goes. Personally, I love the idea of the product, if executed properly and fairly.
Having said all of that.. Here are some of my thoughts. With the reveal looming and everything hopefully falling into place, I'd like to say my piece in the hopes that it's heard, and potentially influences some positive change, however major or subtle.
The General M.O
I believe that this console's general direction is clear. It fills a physical niche in an ever-growing digital market. Physical DRM-free copies of games that will be on internal storage encased in shells designed to last as long as possible, should they choose to take care of their purchases and wish to keep them. Physical cartridges of the past have so far proven to be durable and long-lasting.
Regardless of the aesthetic focus of the game library, physical preservation of otherwise digital only games is one major driving force of reason behind this. In my opinion, there should be no limitations. There should be games developed that push their games as far as games in their chosen graphic style can go based on what is capable from the console's hardware. Also, as I've mentioned in the previous post, if someone is an ?-bit purist, they can choose to only purchase the titles released in that fashion and ignore the rest.
Considering the primary target audience for this console would be "retro" video game enthusiasts who may already own technically "obsolete" consoles - the ability to purchase adapters to plug in old cartridges and play them in an up-scaled manner would also be a major benefit if it goes beyond mere emulation with the FPGA cores.
I would hope that, considering the adapters may be 20$, that there may be an option to purchase a single wire with multiple cores inside, where you can move a little switch and go between NES/SNES/N64/PSX/Genesis/Saturn/etc. I don't know if 20$ would cover the cost of a single core, or if anywhere from two to several cores can be included in one 20$ adapter, but I believe that there should perhaps be themed adapters; one for NES, SNES. One for N64, PSX. One for Genesis, Saturn, and so forth. The general idea here is that with the adapters and cores, the more consolidation, the better.
Certainly, exclusives are crucial for any console. Once upon a time, it was the reason why we made the hard decision of choosing one game platform over another. They may come in the form of negotiated spiritual successors, revivals of older established IPs, proper sequels.. This console can be a wish granter, in a sense.
It would undoubtedly be wise to scout for talented upcoming developers, and discuss the possibility of some sort of mutually beneficial partnership, much like Rare ltd. working with Nintendo in the 80s/90s. This may be more difficult earlier on, although if the developers are attracted to the idea initially, it may be possible to release the game at the upper end of the proposed cartridge price range to ensure that their profits are increased. Either way, a sizable player base is likely necessary before courting developers.
The Console Name
I believe that a compromise could be made in regards to the console's actual name, which I have no personal issue with, but believe it lacks a strong sense of self in branding terms.
Let's hypothetically say, that the console name was changed to "Chameleon".. Although I'm pretty sure it's been done, so how about "Genie"? I actually like that, even if that's likely been done as well. As was previously said above, the console promises spiritual successors, sequels, etc.. It will be granting wishes. The name seems fitting to me, especially with the Retro company branding pre-fixing the console name.
Now, I understand what the creators have done with the name. VGS. NES. I get it. The R in the RVGS was intended to mirror the N in the NES, VGS the counterpart to ES. A wink and a head nod to consoles whom have come before. Nostalgic sentimentality aside, I think it'd be smarter branding to change the name to "Retro <console name> VGS. As it stands, the name of the company is the name of the system. The Retro Genie VGS. I believe that "VGS" should be an afterthought.
What worked for Nintendo's first console is not as practical for a modern-day console. "Video Game System" in this day and age of so many old video game systems, it means a lot less than it did some time ago, as a name in itself. The reference to the NES may be lost on more players/consumers than it's worth. I would say to give the console itself an official name, to distinguish it. You could print _____ on the console's shell in it's unique font, and then "Retro" in the upper left corner underlapping it while the "VGS" acronym may under/overlap it on the lower right side, should you choose to include it while adopting a more distinguished name solely for the console.
Because as it stands, taking out the "Retro" brand namesake, the console itself is technically called "Video Game System" when that should be a description reserved for advertisements and text/audio interviews or articles for it rather than the actual name. I don't see the point in including the description of the product in the product's brand name.
Unfortunately, the "Retro" namesake may also be mistaken as part of the description of the console rather than the console name itself. But even then, in that case, you have no real name other than "Video Game System".. "Retro" is not yet an established enough brand for it to be recognized as such by many players/consumers who will become acquainted with the console before the magazine. And they may not even make the connection at all, simply because "Retro" is more of a descriptive word than a specified personal namesake of a company.
I'm not sure if a head-nod or a wink to an old system's name is worth sacrificing a degree of identity for the product that will build that sort of "NES" familiarity with time, rather than attempting to borrow it right out of the gate by taking the name.
I understand that there may be a sentimentality behind it, but even being sympathetic to that, I think a code name should go in-between the "Retro" and the "VGS". If the "Retro" branding/magazine will be recognized through the system, that's to be seen and you'd have to really push the magazine on the console player base via the retrovgs website. In any case, the magazine may obviously serve as an install base for the console, but it is no guarantee that the audience will see the absolute value in the sibling product. Being a "loyal" supporter of one product/service is no guarantee of supporting another if it doesn't make it's case.
Kickstarter Limited Editions
Instead of releasing three different model lines for the base console before the base console is even in circulation (Jewel, Treasure, Legends) and given that the potential audience for this is currently much smaller than the still relatively small demographic that it may eventually attract, I believe that there should ONLY be ONE exclusive kickstarter console for the pledgers who actually have enough faith from the get-go to donate the full proposed cost of a single console.
OR a single unique model line with two or three choices. I believe that limited edition shells should be an afterthought, once the console proves it's worth and establishes a solid, sustaining player/consumer base.
From a business perspective, if the full potential targeted demographic is statistically of a much larger number than what will be exposed to the kickstarter, and everything from the console to the carts are made-to-order, then... Wouldn't it make more sense in terms of profitability to wait until you have the attention of say, 300,000 Retro VGS players/potential players before releasing a limited edition console?
The manufacturing total limit could be raised, and result in a great overall profit. Would you rather manufacture 30,000 of a specific limited edition model later on to a user base of 300.000, or release a dozen LE's to the to-be-determined install base and only end up barely selling 7,000 because of the product's uncertain future even after being funded? (In terms of software support, at the very least.)
I realize that the kickstarter will be roughly a month long, but even in that much time, it may not reach nearly a quarter of it's perceived demographic target, and even then, the product needs to prove itself a sound entertainment investment. Many will not back the product at all, preferring to wait it out and make a decision when the dust clears. Others may donate, but choose to throw in a far cry from the cost of a single console being shipped to them in a year's time. It would make more sense, and not sacrifice the limited status of any of the LE's, to make the conscientious decision to only release a single kickstarter exclusive system.
If I were part of this project, I would personally have a single console shell design created by a paid artist who I feel would be suited to the task of creating artwork symbolic of their utter blind faith and good will, and have the artwork printed onto the console shells. Keeping in line with my whole "Genie" namesake idea, maybe artwork of a genie granting another genie's wish. Of course, it's just a quick random example off of the top of my head, based off of another split second off-the-dome suggestion. The previous points expressed above are still to be considered in my opinion.
The bottom line is that certain decisions can potentially make or break this product at this point. But at least I may have made myself heard, and hopefully gave a valid alternative point of view on some things, whether or not any changes are actually made. I will be optimistic that the kickstarter reveal will show a promising, attractive product.
The Retro VGS: What is it?
In an increasingly non-physical all-digital climate, there is less focus on production of media in physical form, the standard method of delivery being optical disc form. There is more of a focus on multiplayer experiences in which unremarkable single-player campaigns are tacked on for the sake of the product feeling more "complete".
There is less of a focus on linear game design, and more open-world preference. The latter is more fitting for multiplayer, in my opinion, while a linear game design mentality is far more valuable for developing a cohesive, memorable single-player gaming experience. Something that will stick with a player in the same way that a compelling, immersive book is capable of.
The open-worlds tend to be breath-taking in their sheer scope and graphic fidelity, but lack actual interactive content relative to the sheer size of the game. A lot of space to make up for a lack of ideas, and although I can appreciate the time and effort spent to create these worlds, they are often not particularly imaginative in my opinion even if they are an enjoyable experiences.
Then there are player vs. player first person shooter husks of games, that are also often graphically beautiful and envelope-pushing, but that's as far as their appeal truly goes, and when another over-hyped title is released, the game becomes less playable as time passes and the fickle player bases slowly trickle onto the next title, and the next.
& when the day comes that you can barely get a full lobby in a game, it's overall lack of content will be obvious. Plenty of game console servers have already gone down in the past, rendering the games unplayable and all DLC unusable. The last generation or so of physical copies and consoles could possibly become bricks, abandoned conduits, perhaps the 360 and PS3 less so than their next-generation counterparts.
The console
www.retrovgs.com
With that all being said, the Retro VGS is a video game console product equally as it is a symbol of rebellion in this industry; With physical distribution of the complete hypothetical library, truly treating all games equally, be they completely in 2D or 3D, whether independently developed or developed via major industry established companies. It will be another platform for smaller, unfunded developers to reach an audience, albeit one with physical distribution.
They are also opting for FPGA (field-programmable gate arrays) cores, which will allow them to produce cheap 20$ adapter cables that may process and play older console cartridges. It's likely that the adapters will contain the cores specifically configured to the console hardware of choice. This is not mere emulation, these cores are configured to the same specifications as the intended hardware. They will run exactly the same. This is ideal for someone with multiple older consoles and limited space. You could trade several relatively large and clunky consoles for a few measly interchangeable wires.
This also opens up a whole library for it's player base from the get-go, giving the console a chance to build up it's own internal library of exclusives, spiritual successors, and proper remakes of gaming intellectual properties that have either laid dormant and unused by their still-existing developer, or otherwise completely abandoned. The games themselves will be fairly priced, ranging from 20$ to 40-50$.
Even if the convenience of the adapters only appeal to those who actually own and play games on older consoles, the library of the console will be roughly 20-games strong at the time of the kickstarter.com reveal. Should you not be sold on the product but support what it claims to stand for, you will most likely have the choice of donating as little as 5$, the price of an item or two on a fast food menu, all the way to the price of a console. In which case you will literally be sent a console in a year's time, when the consoles are ready to be manufactured and sent out. You will also have the choice of two or three games, along with the pack-in title, I believe. Hopefully with an adapter of choice as well, but even if I have to spend 20$ for that, it's not a major issue for me.
The few revealed launch titles are all worth checking out if you are not allergic to stylish pixelated graphics.
http://songbringer.com/
http://midboss.com/rom/
http://www.piersolar.com/
NES/SNES-inspired Sydney Hunter & The Caverns Of Death
The pack-in title that will come with the consoles, The Adventures Of The Tiny Knight, doesn't seem to have a quick link to a proper trailer, aside from a youtuber's 8-minute long video. So I'm going to omit it for now, as there appears to be very little information out regarding it anyway. Might as well wait and see how it develops.
Of course, pack-in titles of the past have been known to be mere basic demonstrations of the system's capabilities, with more technically impressive titles being released later on as developers become more familiar with the platform and can push it to it's limits. I would say to be open minded, but unless you have a particular fondness for the style, you may have to wait for a more obvious sales pusher.
Super 3D Noah's Ark is also a title that I'm not going to bother listing. It looks a lot like Wolfenstein 3D - it appears to be a port of an interesting title by SNES developers Wisdom Tree - whom acquired the rights to Hellraiser, along with a license to use the Wolfenstein 3D engine from id Software in the interest of developing a licensed Hellraiser game. Apparently, the original concept was abandoned for several technical reasons, with the added conflict of the game being out of character for them as a family friendly christian developer. So they used the engine to create a game where you're Noah, trying to tranquilize some out-of-control animals, or something like that. It's odd, but cool. Not particularly interested in this myself, personally.
There has also been mention of potential ports of the following games, as well;
Wayforward Games' Shantae & The Pirate's Curse (Very likely to be a release title listed in the kickstarter)
http://www.cupheadgame.com/
The kickstarter point-and-click adventure fundraiser of Ron Gilbert & Gary Winnick of LucasArts.
http://www.mightyno9.com/
http://yachtclubgames.com/shovel-knight/
Kickstarter of officially licensed follow up to beat-em-up RPG classic: River City Ransom: Underground
This is the general caliber of the games that will make up the library of this console. This console is also intended to have a long support life-span of many years, and so if there is enough success, the console shall see a steady release of software for years after the console release. There have been mentions of quality control, and so shovelware is not likely to flood the library.
You are not being forced to order the games that you designate to be unworthy of purchase, and can obviously focus on the titles that you do want instead. For ports, you can look up trailers or videos of the games. Even for possible exclusives, I would imagine that they'd have trailers/preview videos to give the consumer a fair idea of the general quality of game/gameplay that they're getting. I would imagine that what the audience for this product may value in a game is different than what those obsessed with current gen's envelope pushing games may find interesting.
With virtually all independently developed games worth having a physical release being relegated to digital download exclusivity, I truly appreciate the idea of a platform that will work with the talented though unproven, while producing long lasting physical cartridge copies of games a la N64, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, etc.. on a made-to-order basis, and so as long as there is a demand for a game in the sense that people order the game from their website's game library store, they will be manufactured. You won't have to worry about shady scalpers trying to hoard a niche title, because you can purchase it directly from the manufacturer.
There is less of a focus on linear game design, and more open-world preference. The latter is more fitting for multiplayer, in my opinion, while a linear game design mentality is far more valuable for developing a cohesive, memorable single-player gaming experience. Something that will stick with a player in the same way that a compelling, immersive book is capable of.
The open-worlds tend to be breath-taking in their sheer scope and graphic fidelity, but lack actual interactive content relative to the sheer size of the game. A lot of space to make up for a lack of ideas, and although I can appreciate the time and effort spent to create these worlds, they are often not particularly imaginative in my opinion even if they are an enjoyable experiences.
Then there are player vs. player first person shooter husks of games, that are also often graphically beautiful and envelope-pushing, but that's as far as their appeal truly goes, and when another over-hyped title is released, the game becomes less playable as time passes and the fickle player bases slowly trickle onto the next title, and the next.
& when the day comes that you can barely get a full lobby in a game, it's overall lack of content will be obvious. Plenty of game console servers have already gone down in the past, rendering the games unplayable and all DLC unusable. The last generation or so of physical copies and consoles could possibly become bricks, abandoned conduits, perhaps the 360 and PS3 less so than their next-generation counterparts.
The console
www.retrovgs.com
With that all being said, the Retro VGS is a video game console product equally as it is a symbol of rebellion in this industry; With physical distribution of the complete hypothetical library, truly treating all games equally, be they completely in 2D or 3D, whether independently developed or developed via major industry established companies. It will be another platform for smaller, unfunded developers to reach an audience, albeit one with physical distribution.
They are also opting for FPGA (field-programmable gate arrays) cores, which will allow them to produce cheap 20$ adapter cables that may process and play older console cartridges. It's likely that the adapters will contain the cores specifically configured to the console hardware of choice. This is not mere emulation, these cores are configured to the same specifications as the intended hardware. They will run exactly the same. This is ideal for someone with multiple older consoles and limited space. You could trade several relatively large and clunky consoles for a few measly interchangeable wires.
This also opens up a whole library for it's player base from the get-go, giving the console a chance to build up it's own internal library of exclusives, spiritual successors, and proper remakes of gaming intellectual properties that have either laid dormant and unused by their still-existing developer, or otherwise completely abandoned. The games themselves will be fairly priced, ranging from 20$ to 40-50$.
Even if the convenience of the adapters only appeal to those who actually own and play games on older consoles, the library of the console will be roughly 20-games strong at the time of the kickstarter.com reveal. Should you not be sold on the product but support what it claims to stand for, you will most likely have the choice of donating as little as 5$, the price of an item or two on a fast food menu, all the way to the price of a console. In which case you will literally be sent a console in a year's time, when the consoles are ready to be manufactured and sent out. You will also have the choice of two or three games, along with the pack-in title, I believe. Hopefully with an adapter of choice as well, but even if I have to spend 20$ for that, it's not a major issue for me.
The few revealed launch titles are all worth checking out if you are not allergic to stylish pixelated graphics.
http://songbringer.com/
http://midboss.com/rom/
http://www.piersolar.com/
NES/SNES-inspired Sydney Hunter & The Caverns Of Death
The pack-in title that will come with the consoles, The Adventures Of The Tiny Knight, doesn't seem to have a quick link to a proper trailer, aside from a youtuber's 8-minute long video. So I'm going to omit it for now, as there appears to be very little information out regarding it anyway. Might as well wait and see how it develops.
Of course, pack-in titles of the past have been known to be mere basic demonstrations of the system's capabilities, with more technically impressive titles being released later on as developers become more familiar with the platform and can push it to it's limits. I would say to be open minded, but unless you have a particular fondness for the style, you may have to wait for a more obvious sales pusher.
Super 3D Noah's Ark is also a title that I'm not going to bother listing. It looks a lot like Wolfenstein 3D - it appears to be a port of an interesting title by SNES developers Wisdom Tree - whom acquired the rights to Hellraiser, along with a license to use the Wolfenstein 3D engine from id Software in the interest of developing a licensed Hellraiser game. Apparently, the original concept was abandoned for several technical reasons, with the added conflict of the game being out of character for them as a family friendly christian developer. So they used the engine to create a game where you're Noah, trying to tranquilize some out-of-control animals, or something like that. It's odd, but cool. Not particularly interested in this myself, personally.
There has also been mention of potential ports of the following games, as well;
Wayforward Games' Shantae & The Pirate's Curse (Very likely to be a release title listed in the kickstarter)
http://www.cupheadgame.com/
The kickstarter point-and-click adventure fundraiser of Ron Gilbert & Gary Winnick of LucasArts.
http://www.mightyno9.com/
http://yachtclubgames.com/shovel-knight/
Kickstarter of officially licensed follow up to beat-em-up RPG classic: River City Ransom: Underground
This is the general caliber of the games that will make up the library of this console. This console is also intended to have a long support life-span of many years, and so if there is enough success, the console shall see a steady release of software for years after the console release. There have been mentions of quality control, and so shovelware is not likely to flood the library.
You are not being forced to order the games that you designate to be unworthy of purchase, and can obviously focus on the titles that you do want instead. For ports, you can look up trailers or videos of the games. Even for possible exclusives, I would imagine that they'd have trailers/preview videos to give the consumer a fair idea of the general quality of game/gameplay that they're getting. I would imagine that what the audience for this product may value in a game is different than what those obsessed with current gen's envelope pushing games may find interesting.
With virtually all independently developed games worth having a physical release being relegated to digital download exclusivity, I truly appreciate the idea of a platform that will work with the talented though unproven, while producing long lasting physical cartridge copies of games a la N64, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, etc.. on a made-to-order basis, and so as long as there is a demand for a game in the sense that people order the game from their website's game library store, they will be manufactured. You won't have to worry about shady scalpers trying to hoard a niche title, because you can purchase it directly from the manufacturer.
The obligatory introductory Post.
Passionate early 20s video game enthusiast, among many other things.
I often ponder a lot of gaming-related things, and I've figured a blog would be a great platform for potentially having my individual voice heard. Hopefully someone can relate to my musings, or click away from these pages having learned something new and interesting pertaining to the hobby, or, for many of us, the lifestyle. I'll probably even start to write up some posts about other mildly related stuff from time to time.
I've also started collecting games for consoles with the intent of playing them, and have recently desired to collect for and re-acquaint myself with systems of generations past, and to discover the even older "retro" consoles that I had never been able to explore. I'll most likely review these games as I play them, and hopefully someone will benefit from that.
Ever since I was a young kid in the 90's, my parents first purchased an N64 console for me with a copy of "Namco Museum" and then there was Super Mario 64 - My first tastes of the video game media form, ranging from 2D arcade classics to what would become an old-school 3D classic. From those two games on, I was hooked.
So I wasn't spoiled with high-resolution 3D hyper-realism from an early age as many gamers today are (and I'm sure that there are some of you older folks who'd consider me to have been spoiled with my SM64s), my initial experiences were with 68-bit 3D games, and with relatively less exposure to the sprite-based home console stuff. For example, I'd often come over to a neighborhood friend's house and played Super Mario World on his SNES, and I also had a radioactive green Gameboy Color and purple Gameboy Advance.
I never owned an SNES until recently, or any other predominantly 2D console for that matter. Never crossed my mind, unfortunately. Am now going to build up a decent but small library of SNES games, before I find myself a Sega Genesis next to experience for myself. Never even realized Sega had built consoles besides the Dreamcast. How ignorant of me!
I often ponder a lot of gaming-related things, and I've figured a blog would be a great platform for potentially having my individual voice heard. Hopefully someone can relate to my musings, or click away from these pages having learned something new and interesting pertaining to the hobby, or, for many of us, the lifestyle. I'll probably even start to write up some posts about other mildly related stuff from time to time.
I've also started collecting games for consoles with the intent of playing them, and have recently desired to collect for and re-acquaint myself with systems of generations past, and to discover the even older "retro" consoles that I had never been able to explore. I'll most likely review these games as I play them, and hopefully someone will benefit from that.
Ever since I was a young kid in the 90's, my parents first purchased an N64 console for me with a copy of "Namco Museum" and then there was Super Mario 64 - My first tastes of the video game media form, ranging from 2D arcade classics to what would become an old-school 3D classic. From those two games on, I was hooked.
So I wasn't spoiled with high-resolution 3D hyper-realism from an early age as many gamers today are (and I'm sure that there are some of you older folks who'd consider me to have been spoiled with my SM64s), my initial experiences were with 68-bit 3D games, and with relatively less exposure to the sprite-based home console stuff. For example, I'd often come over to a neighborhood friend's house and played Super Mario World on his SNES, and I also had a radioactive green Gameboy Color and purple Gameboy Advance.
I never owned an SNES until recently, or any other predominantly 2D console for that matter. Never crossed my mind, unfortunately. Am now going to build up a decent but small library of SNES games, before I find myself a Sega Genesis next to experience for myself. Never even realized Sega had built consoles besides the Dreamcast. How ignorant of me!
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