Starfox and User Experience
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2015
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Nintendo, to me, always seems like they're TRYING to push the limit with what games are all about. A lot of folks still attest that their approach is too "kid-friendly", but I see it as "family-friendly", which in turn is just as broad as how far a Pixar film can reach its audience. I bring that up, because that ties directly into how they seem to want to test new ideas, carefully, in a way that benefits players with variation; something different. It's not always well-received and it doesn't always work, for sure, which is ironic, because then they have to go ahead and create more New Super Mario Bros. games, that people also gripe about...yet they continue to buy them, because they ARE about as safe and "samey" as it gets.
That said, I think Nintendo's push to still want to experiment with both its hardware AND software, shows that they still "get" us in the sense of not wanting video games to become a tired and repetitive concept. They've been consistently the most revolutionary game company in history and possess a lot of brilliant minds who all show initiative for evolution. Starfox itself was a great example of this, and funnily enough, not only is the NEW Starfox game something to look forward to in a similar way, but Miyamoto's other new concepts "Project Giant Robot" and "Project Guard" show that the Wii U still has plenty of room left for experimentation before moving into the next generation of console. Stuff like this is why Nintendo still continues to hold my interest above other consoles.
Well said
Christopher Niosi YOOOOOOO IT'S KIRB
+Christopher Niosi Yeah. nintendo Is just that. Innovation incarnate for video games.
I would definitely say Nintendo still gets us. For one example, look to Splatoon. For years people have been opposing modern shooters for their heavy emphasis on blood, gore, and violence. So then Nintendo comes along and creates a compelling, fun shooter that is still a shooter without blood, gore, or "extreme" violence. They took a genre that some people were turned off to and gave it new life. Not to mention, it feels like they do still listen to their fans and kind of deliver content according to our desires. Ever since Smash 4 got released, people were complaining about and wanting Lucas back as a playable character. So then Nintendo announces Lucas as DLC. It's these examples that really show to me that Nintendo does get us. But then there is the flipside where Nintendo doesn't get us like with UA-cam copyright issues and limiting online features. It's a double-sided coin, but those things they do listen and deliver on matter to me. It shows that they care about our opinion and thoughts, even when they might not. In an industry that constantly spews out unfinished games, it feels like Nintendo is there to be the light in the darkness. Sure they aren't perfect, but they definitely still get us.
Except they have onlibe gameplay with no voice chat, at all.
Haedox I personally don't agree. The genre of first & third person shooters is certainly not a genre lacking in inspiration. I find a lot of people look at the shooter genre as only Call of Duty. Call of Duty lacks innovation on the grounds that it doesn't need it, and will continue to sell for years to come. However, when you look at the genre as a whole, you can see many different interesting and unique titles that don't rely on only violence to sell copies. Shooters have been used to create engrossing and industry changing experiences like Half-Life 2, to being able to create a breathing universe, with games like the Mass Effect series. Even a game considered to be a gore-fest to the uninitiated like Bulletstorm is still a "good" game on the basis that it is inherently fun.
Splatoon is far from something I would call "new life" in the genre. Splatoon is uninspired, and has been done before. If there is anything that can been taken away from the release of Splatoon, relating to Nintendo's understanding of it's consumer base, it is the marketing. Nintendo of America's marketing division understands that UA-cam content creators sell games (This point can be seen as contradictory to Nintendo's stance on uploading content from their games onto UA-cam. It is important to keep in mind that Nintendo's marketing division and the aging dinosaurs at the top of the Nintendo food chain, who are making the poor decisions in regards to uploading Nintendo content, are very separated, if not completely unrelated). If someone like The Completionist, Peanut Butter Gamer or TheJWittz is given a review copy of the game, and told to give it a good review, this translates greatly into more sales for Nintendo.
Moving on, Nintendo is no different from any other company in terms of distributing DLC. If Nintendo genuinely cared about the consumer, Lucas would have been released for free. Nintendo knew that they were taking a fan favourite character out of, only to sell it back for a few extra dollars. From Smash 4's inception, Nintendo most likely had planned to have Lucas as DLC, knowing that it would be a hit. With Nintendo's overblown public image, along with the large amount of Smash fans, the Lucas DLC is almost destined to be another money maker for Nintendo.
The modern gaming industry certainly gets a bad name by most video game consumers, and Nintendo is only playing its hand. From creating a craze for amiibos by restricting the purchase of them, to getting popular content creators to push their games, Nintendo has a great understanding of the consumer and the gaming industry. There is no denying that the launch of the WiiU was a flop, years have gone by, and Nintendo's newest business strategies are certainly working in their favour. I don't even own a WiiU or a New 3DS, yet I still want to buy into the amiibo market, because Nintendo has created a demand for a product that may have just been another flop. So yes, Nintendo still understands its market, however not in the way you would think.
Leelee That's actually a very good thing. The voice doesn't need voice chat in order for it to be enjoyable. Nintendo made a game that is safe and fun for everyone to play. If voice chat was added, the integrity of the environment would be compromised by users yelling at your eight year old that they are terrible at this game, among other obvious forms of verbal abuse. Nintendo knows exactly what is was doing leaving the voice chat out of the game.
***** I believe the purpose of the developers was what I stated above. At least, that's what I read in Iwata Asks
***** You're going to eat those words like candy, man. Splatoon is hyped, has been hyped, and will be hyped for quite a while. Also, UPDATES!
And have you ever played a shovelware game? Yeah, get back to me on that.
It's like Christmas every time one of these pops up. Thank you for putting this much effort into your content, Satch. We all appreciate it.
I just want to point out that *at least* 60% of the comments on this video are thought-out paragraphs responding to a sincere question by the uploader. I love how Satchel has accumulated the 0.1% of UA-cam commenters who are behaved and intelligent enough to converse with such maturity.
The rarity of UA-cam comments in actual non-chaos is an awe to behold, and something not to be taken for granted.
Truly copacetic.
Nintendo has the most respect for user experience out of all the major console players. This is a very controversial statement, so do let me elaborate. Microsoft and Sony lately have been sacrificing user experience for the developer's experience. Instead of really innovating and creating something creative and powerful, they sacrificed that in exchange for keeping big-name titles selling on their system. The Xbox One and Playstation 4 are nearly identical to their predecessors, with no real innovation. Sure the hardware is a bit better, but all the user gets is a similar but slightly better play through of similar but slightly better titles. Instead of throwing something new at devs, they give them all the tools they're used to. Nintendo, on the other hand, likes to throw in some curveballs. The Wii U is objectively less powerful than both other major consoles, but it makes up for that with a unique user experience. They threw in what's basically a tablet with buttons and told the third party developers to get to work. This is more hardware innovation than any company has been willing to risk as of late, with the exception of Nintendo again with the original Wii, or maybe Microsoft, too, if they can get on cloud gaming like they've promised. And while I've yet to see a game really make good use of the Wii U gamepad, it at least shakes up the market a little instead of just adding a small tweak and calling it a day.
Satch, this is the longest UA-cam comment I've ever written. Wanna support my writing career by responding?
Nintendo is just as guilty of cashing in on popular IPs as any other system. Maybe even more than any other company...
//ascension Maybe that's why Nintendo is against having their games featured on UA-cam. That word: experience. These aren't just games, they're experiences to be valued and maybe even be unique from person to person, and perhaps they don't want those experiences spoiled or sullied by UA-cam. Or maybe I'm reading too much into things.
Carlo Morelli If there's something I can say Nintendo is known for (regarding their IPs), is quality. All games with Nintendo IPs all work fresh out of the box. The recent Sonic games (Sonic '06, Sonic Boom) were rushed to release in time for the holiday season...by Sega. Practically every AAA PC title (MKX, Diablo 3, Battlefield) release with game-breaking bugs or faulty servers that require a patch to fix later on. Nintendo's not like that.
***** I'd argue that the dark souls series is just as immersive an experience to play, but also thrives on community sharing and streaming...Nintendo is just jealous and greedy about their IPs and only wants the community to gather in their dedicated servers...which is pretty out of touch
***** I agree that the standards for Nintendo's games on release are set to a high bar...I think more companies need that standard instead of bug-fixing with patches after release...but that's not the heart of the main issue. Nintendo isn't redefining anything with its games anymore, and its outlook on the gaming community is rather short sighted
Every time I sit down and click one of Satchbag's Good's videos, I am undone at how well put together the video is. The overall vibe of these videos is comforting and his attention to detail astounds me. I cannot get enough. I'm obsessed. Thank you so much for what you do.
Satch, your videos are by far my favorite to look forward to. They're always so pleasant and entertaining.
And now you're covering quite possibly my favorite game series, it just makes it that much sweeter! Thanks!
Always look forward to your videos Satch. So much thought and effort put into it!
I love your videos.
The design, the edition, the script, all amazing.
Great video, man! I learned a few things.
Star Fox is one of my favorite game franchises ever. The way the story is told through interaction between Fox and his wingmen is really effective in making the player feel like they were part of the team. I identified a lot with the characters, playing the SNES and N64 iterations, growing up.
Not sure how many people know this, but in the original SNES game, the other characters will actually perish if you don't protect them. Not like in SF64 where they return to Great Fox for repairs after taking too many hits. In Star Fox, they visibly explode right in front of you after relaying a final, agonizing message. This really shook me up as a kid and was probably the first time I ever truly felt empathy for a video game character.
Awesome channel. Randomly found it the other day while looking for interesting facts about specific characters. I like that you provide other content besides games as well, though your game content is well researched and organized as it is.
I always enjoy learning something from your videos. As always, keep the content coming!!
Absolutely fantastic quality video. Editing was phenomenal. Subscribed immediately!
Good to see you still making content. I really enjoy your insightful look into gaming
Always a treat to see a Satch video in my sub list. Great work as always, with high production value! Keep it up!
Good Lord, I love a SatchBag video to wake up to!
And how!
Satchel, I LOVE your content. It looks at games in an academic fashion reminiscent of an art design student, and I hope you get to keep making this incredibly well thought out, well designed content!
I cannot express enough how fantastic and underrated this channel is. The quality is extremely high and incredibly refined.
Wow, I want to see a lot more content from this guy. Great analysis and breakdown of the history with good pacing and pleasing voice.
Dude your videos are fantastic!!
We've missed you!
Great work as always, Satch! I always look forward to your videos.
Also, now I really want to play "Super Magoo" on the SNES.
amazing case study
your case studies show me a new side to games i thought i already knew well
I don't have any particular insight to share for this one. I just wanted to say, this was another fantastic video, Satch!
Jesus, Satchbag's creative direction on his videos outshines literally almost anyone else's when it comes to UA-cam and creating small video documentations on gaming or games. This looks so well polished.
Satchel's video's are always calming and insightful, wish he made more videos.
Just saw your DYKG video on Starfox. Checked out your channel. Love your material. SUBBED!!!
First of all I have to say, this is the first video I've ever seen of yours and I am instantly a new subscriber. As for the Nintendo issue, I personally believe that Nintendo still cares about the user experience, and tries very hard to connect and give their players the best experience possible. It truly seems like they listen to the community, at least on the development side of things. Even through their Nintendo Direct videos you can see they are trying their best to please everyone, and still make things fun, and not boring like a lot of press conferences tend to be. I do not agree with their stance on youtube sharing at this time, but that's a discussion for another time. Thank you for the great video!
I love hearing your opinions above all others satch. love your videos thank you
amazing retrospective and commentary on some really esoteric nerdy stuff. +1 subscriber.
Hey, just found your channel. I'm liking what I see!
ACTUALLY SCREAMS, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
thank you very much, this is one of the most interesting videos so far about Nintendo... Thank You!
Awesome job on this one man, another interesting thought-provoking video. To answer that question, I think they do understand what "gamers" want, but they know they can't always give it to them. I believe that Nintendo is going through one of their hardest periods ever. They're constantly labeled as "baby games"or "nerd games" and, to an extent, they are, but they are losing an entire demographic that was once part of their main audience (Ages 12-18). They want to give the fans what they want, but selling games is really what they need to focus on. With the addition of things like amiibo, it shows that they want to give collectors and constant Nintendo buyers what they want, but it ALSO shows that they need something to give them a little boost financially. But I believe they thoroughly understand us, even with the whole fan-character Smash poll, but we can't always get what we want, because they're struggling.
Stephen Weir True. Almost all of Nintendo's recent releases have been really high quality. The amount of polish on Splatoon actually really surprised me, I never expected the game to be so fun or interesting from trailers. Fire Emblem If also looks REALLY polished in comparison to Awakening. However, I don't know if Nintendo's recent quality is directly linked to their bad financial state.
First and foremost - FINALLY! Missed your videos, truly some of the best, most thought provoking videos on Video Games
That being said, I think Nintendo does. The smile I get when I play any of the main Mario Games is still there and they manage to add just a little something to make the experience better. The New Super Mario Bros Wii U's addition of Miiverse had plenty of other players expressing elation and frustrations that I had. It was a small, but impactful feeling. Overall, Nintendo manages to excite me for each new release, not because "It's Nintendo," but because it always seems like Nintendo is innovating something, even it's small and overlooked at times.
this got my subscription, again normal boots killin it as usual
Found you from "did you know gaming?", you earned a sub my friend. Very cool videos and format. Informative and entertaining
I think Nintendo "still gets us". It seems like they've had some moments where they just are throwing out more of the same thing for money's sake (ahem, New Super Mario Bros.), but most of the time it seems like they genuinely are trying to come up with new things and find new ways to experience either existing franchises or new ways to experience a game with an entirely new IP, like Splatoon.
Do they always get it right? Well they're human, and obviously the answer is no. I wouldn't say the Wii U gamepad was their best idea, though I also can't say it's a complete failure. I don't really like the gamepad, but it truly seemed like they tried to come up with a new way to play games, even if it did kind of seem like just an upgraded Wii with an additional new smaller screen that no one likes. I've come to the conclusion it's more than that, but I still can see why anyone would make that accusation.
Anyway, I think Nintendo definitely still tries to come up with new original ideas all the time and I highly respect them for that.
My man, Satchbah. I see those GTO manga's. I love that series, even the live action versions.
I love the way you talk about video game history the same way you hear people talk about music history. You make all of the real-life figures seem mythological, cool, rockstars.
The whole story of the medium is crazy, a few new technological advancements spurring on new designers and creative minds thinking their way around the new technology and how to make it a good interactive experience. I'd glad someone's advertising that history. Have you ever thought of doing more videos on the history of the video game industry or do you think that's already been covered by experts?
OMFG dude this video was... AWESOME
I really enjoy how well thought out and put together these case studies are. Also, I consider myself a smart person but, hearing your vocabulary and intricate knowledge of technology and such, makes me feel like you are far more intelligent than I am. haha
I don't know if you consider requests but, I think it might be worth exploring choice in video games, such as DragonAge, Mass Effect, anything by TellTale, etc. I would love to see what you take from a subject like that. Cheers!
I'm torn. Splatoon and Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. are showing that Nintendo can finally make new IPs and NES Remix is updating classics for younger gamers without nostalgia, but at the same time I'm going to scream if we get another New Super Mario Bros.
We really need a return to the exploratory version of Mario a la Mario 64.
HellsAttack Nintendo has already acknowledged the fact that people are burned with Mario games, I mean the last time we got a real Mario platformer was two years ago, And Nintendo themselves has already said that there will be no more Mario games until they release their next-gen system, So probably sometime in 2017.
GMB "no more Mario games until they release their next-gen system" *Looks at Mario Maker*
Regular Random Person I was strictly talking about the platformers, Not the spin-offs..
HellsAttack Apart from the NSMB series, I find that every main Mario title explores new mechanics and concepts to see if they can be expanded upon following titles
HellsAttack Super Mario Galaxy 3? The Super Mario Galaxy series is the closest we’ve gotten to a continuation of Super Mario 64’s legacy. I’ve grown a bit sick of the planetary/gravitational theme though.
Hey Satchel, long time fan to basically everything that you do and enjoy all of your videos! Keep up the great work.
As far as Nintendo is concerned and whether or not they "get us" is a great question and one that I get and answer quite a bit. From my personal standpoint I feel that Nintendo understands its user experience is the drawing factor when it comes to playing a video game. This is where Movies, Books, and Comics differ as a form of media from Video Games. Gamers, and not all gamers but generally the ones with the loudest voice, cry out for innovation and change, but once they meet the innovation they scowl and wince because its not familiar. Out of the Big 3, I feel Nintendo is the one that isn't rehashing its franchises, even though they do it enough, in order to cash in on what the general public wants. Its also the reason that many of Nintendo's games are critically acclaimed but looked down on by the consumer base. I equate this behavior to a parent listening to a child about what they want for dinner. Microsoft and Sony seem to keep feeding their children ice cream and soda, while Nintendo tries its hardest to show us something new, something we might like. Then later down the road we realize that what Nintendo had to offer was amazing. The Wii U had a slow start, and I would say slow is an understatement, but its picking up now and I truly believe that Nintendo has and will always have their hands in true innovation, even if we the players don't readily see it that way. Just as the kids don't see how the parents are trying to explore new facets of taste. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed my take on it!
Satch, I understand completely that UA-cam isn't your primary thing, and that it's more of a side-job, so I understand that if not because you have such high-quality video, it takes a while to get content up because you have other matters that come first. But allow me to say that I don't get as excited to see anyone else's videos in my subscriptions feed as I do to see one of your videos, and so allow me to follow-up with a true thank you for finding time to make these videos. They're pretty rad.
I could listen to you talk about star fox all day XD
Uhh, were down here satchell!
Great video btw
"Oh, Star Wars! It's great in the arcade!" That was another quote from "Famous Last Lines: Gaming Edition".
Great video, also, Vs. is a great album!
To answer your question; absolutely. You could probably argue that, for what "video game" has evolved in to in the eyes of a lot of the industry over the last decade (endless annual sequelization, chopping games into bits to sell as DLC, punishing UA-camrs who play their games, pushing graphical fidelity as far as it can go without breaking machines), no, Nintendo isn't on their game anymore when it comes to what us hip youths "want". BUT, from the actual perspective of gaming, that doesn't matter. The way they are handling their business, though different, is getting us some better products in the end. Their approach is very much still one of consumer value vs cost-to-create, an ideal that has to have stuck with them since their time as a toy company. Though they haven't handled it perfectly, they're not selling DLC unless it comes with a physical product like an Amiibo or adds significant value like the Smash/Mario Kart DLC. They don't release games under their brands just because it's a brand that sells - they only do it after significant progress or a new idea presents itself. They don't even go into new genres unless they have something to add to make it fresh and interesting, like Splatoon's take on the Third Person Shooter. Not saying that the ways other companies are handling it are wrong necessarily (EA, Square, and Bethesda still have some of my favorite devs), but I think Nintendo not "getting it" is precisely why they "get it" and why they still have so many fans. If that makes sense?
Anyway, great work as always, man. :)
The stylistic trends you speak on remind me of the same one's we see in other forms of art. The obvious being traditional forms of visual art: paintings, sculptures, and architecture. For over 10,000 years, we see progression. Paintings and sculpture began looking more lifelike. The graphics we see in video games mirrors this. And just like in the days of (look it up) the Romantic and Impressionistic art styles, we have indie developers who see these incredibly realistic art directions and say, "No thank you, I think I'll go this way." and revolutionize gaming. I find this evolution fascinating. I hope I'm not the only one.
In the end of the 8-bit era and the beginning of the 16-bit era Nintendo lost first bids on the 16 bit race to Sega. Many believed this was going to lead to the death of Nintendo. So much so that in later Q ratings (a rating of how recognizable a character is) Mario scored above Mickey Mouse again...but Sonic beat the mascot giant. The market had evolved and to many it seemed like Nintendo was left in the dust. However Howard Lincoln (vice president of NOA) had a very important piece of knowledge for anyone in the industry: "it would be a fatal mistake for anyone to underestimate Nintendo." The SNES vs Genesis might have been a deadlock in the end Nintendo won, Sega withdrew from the home console market years later. The Wii didn't connect to the hardcore market...but Nintendo won in sales. Any trial a licensee, competitor, or legislator threw at them: they. won. Even if Nintendo might have lost it's ground Nintendo will always find a way to get out of a corner by doing something no one ever expects. So I don't think it's important if they have it now or don't because when Nintendo is put in a position to please the customers or else they might "close down" (even though with they're current value it would take decades of running deficits to kill the giant) Nintendo will pull out all the stops to make something excited. Like any other time so far it's a good time to be a Nintendo fan.
reference: Game Over book by David Sheff and published by Random house. An excellent read.
Dude I love this vid - you'd be a baseball player on steroids if you did the Crash Course series on gaming
First time I've seen your vids, really good stuff! Keep up the great work.
Anyways, yes , I'd say Nintendo still makes a great game for the gamer. They've been consistent with their level of quality and I rarely am without a game.
I think Nintendo can still does care about creating new user experiences Splatoon is Nintendo's leap into the very crowded shooter genre. and while it is on the limited hardware of the Wii U it still runs well and looks super polished, compared to the AAA games that struggle to even run on high end PC's. Even though Nintendo might have the fastest and shiniest hardware they make sure that the user experience is fun and enjoyable.
Anyway Satch love the videos it's a shame because you probably are one of the most articulate UA-camrs out their and you production value on each video is so good. Thanks for making amazing content and see you next video.
Do I have to write an essay too?
Yes. Double spaced, MLA format with 12 point font in Times New Roman.
XHellXGeistX Fine. *secretly does 2.1 space, with 13 point font size*
AurumDude Almost every student ever in the history of the world.
AurumDude Don't forget to adjust those margins.
***** 1.2 inch on sides, 1.5 on top
Yes, absolutely. I never realised it until I had it in my hands, but the wii-u is hands down the moat user-centric experience available today. As a console it leans so hard to my desires in/around the television that it is my go-to console for general entertainment, games included.
I think Nintendo understands gamers on the level that is maybe the most important, while also misunderstanding gaming in a modern superficial level that makes them seem behind in the times.
Conceptually, each new 1st-party game out of Nintendo is extremely solid and focused heavily on the individual's experience. Super Mario 3D World uses a simple but repeatable style of level design to make new and exciting levels throughout the entirety of the game, making co-operative multiplayer both fun but no required by giving out more items as more characters join. The game is essentially two full experiences whether you play it alone or with friends. Pikmin 3 took the core gameplay loop of Pikmin and, like Pikmin 2, added one new change to your daily goals that made the game feel new again.. New Pikmin types changed how you could solve puzzles, and the ability to move characters around on the Wii U gamepad made micromanaging everything far easier. Splatoon has an emphasis on fun, simple, repetitive gameplay that allows for a user-tailored experience. One can focus on staying out of the conflict and painting more ground, or targeting enemies explicitly and forcefully with different weapon varieties. Short matches de-emphasize the pain of losing and allow the players to quickly get back into the experience.
And yet, in spite of these excellent strides in gameplay and personal experience, Nintendo is still behind on modern ideas as well. In many ways it's simply because we all got used to how other companies did it, but other companies decided to advance this way because it was worthwhile. Splatoon launching without full private friends-only matchmaking seems like an unforgivable sin in 2015, as does Nintendo's binding of digital purchases to systems rather than an account system, despite the fact that my Club Nintendo account contains a record of every digital purchase I've made stretching back to my family's Wii that was robbed in a burglary. Time and time again, a great Nintendo product is hampered by Nintendo's limited understanding of online infrastructure in the data age, and reports from indie developers communicating with them show that many at the Japanese branch are actually unfamiliar with the competition's design philosophies on similar services (Xbox Live and PSN). This simple limitation can feel like all the difference in making an experience not work. We are surrounded by different tech and different services, especially if unlike me you have a smartphone. People need their technology to be seamless, and allow for the technologically illiterate or inexperienced to be able to problem solve. The messages that pop up while using their online store, or the unnecessary complications of playing with friends in games, are all things that feel not only frustrating to a modern tech enthusiast, but alienating to often their basic audience: Children.
Some would say it's impossible to expect younger kids to use tech and the internet to the extent that a lot modern technology demands, but those people are proven wrong again and again. Children understand technology more intuitively than all of us, and will continue to advance as the years continue. Nintendo's vast underestimation of the consumer's knowledge and skill, and their desire for ease of access, feels insulting and misguided. After you've watched a room full of kids set up and partake in Minecraft modded multiplayer sessions, you understand how simple it can be to make an experience that respects its audience in regards to technology.
And yet...There is always hope. Nintendo is scrapping Club Nintendo in favor of a theoretically more unified and amped up customer loyalty program that is being partially developed by a smartphone app company. Nintendo executives have admitted their online infrastructure is lacking and behind the times, and acknowledge that new tech from their company will focus on modernizing these aspects that they underestimated. While Nintendo severely underestimated and misread their audience in regards to making their technology interface-able, they have never stopped being the company that seems to give a damn about the player's experience before anything else. Modern-day DLC and patching practices have been included in their games for the first time in years, and have provided a wealth of content to games that really needed it. In the coming years, we will see Nintendo rise to the challenge of reclaiming their audience and proving they know what we want. Future titles will launch with the features Splatoon is having added in months after the fact, and their online interfaces will feel up to snuff after the help of other tech companies. Nintendo will fix their act, because at the end of the day, it's the gamer experience that matters to them, and they will always find a way to get back on top.
Awesome video! But if you say Polygonal like that one more time I will reboot my brain in order to forget it... That aside... great
video!
To me Nintendo is like that feeling when you come home after a really long vacation and the first thing you want to do is lay in your own bed. While it certainly isn't the most new or original thing, it's comforting and secure. You know what to expect and you're never really disappointed. Maybe while you were on that vacation you tried hang gliding for the first time or you tried a new exotic food or you took a tour of some ancient ruins. You did all these new things and they were so cool or amazing or even sometimes challenging but it isn't home. It's something you will always remember and be glad you did it and maybe even do it again, but it isn't home. The thing I love about Nintendo is that, despite all their problems, I know that I'm going to be smiling and having a good time when I pick up and play a Nintendo game. And sometimes that's way more important than playing a game with incredibly deep lore or innovative mechanics. Nintendo may not make the best games ever but I feel like they maintain the most consistent level of excellence out of all the game companies I know. For every The Last of Us or Journey or Dark Souls or Beyond Good and Evil I really value Nintendo's ability to just bring be back down to earth and let me turn on Super Mario Galaxy or Splatoon and just have some pure, no strings attached fun. And yes it does matter. Nintendo is the most accessible game company there is, which albeit comes back to bite them at times, but we all keep coming back despite all the complaints we may have with them. They've earned our trust because they were there from the beginning putting a smile on our faces and they're still doing it to this day. Of course that matters.
YO I SAW MENOS EL OSO IN THAT MUSIC LIST SATCH IS A GOD
i didn't watch yet but i am so excite
it matters as long as there are people that it matters to. It matters just as much as most any other artistic topic.
I believe Nintendo "still gets us" in terms of game design. I do think they have a good measured understanding of what is fun, and are one of the few developers still creating a "living room experience". And by that, I mean the type of experience you're excited to share with friends and family. I run into more and more people who agree that the Wii U is their favorite of the current-gen consoles as the games are the most fun.
However, their install-base is much smaller than the other consoles, which could be argued is the fault of Nintendo's marketing team - with names like "Wii U" confusing consumers. Alternatively, perhaps Nintendo no longer "gets us" - and the majority of consumers are simply no-longer interested in the types of products Nintendo has to offer. Nintendo has regularly been behind in-terms of the power of their console, as well as online play, which is a standard feature.
I'd like to believe it's more of a marketing issue, as I've seen many Nintendo detractors change their tune after playing the Wii U, but I can't say.
All of that said - great video on Star Fox! I always feel like I learn something from watching your videos, and love your visual aesthetics!
DaveControl I think it is the marketing. The Wii (the original one) had a very very active marketing campaign, the Wii U? There were few if any commercials if any at all. I wonder if this is because Iwata became President of NoA. It seems since 2012, the way Nintendo has been interacting with its fanbase has been more....troubled.
DaveControl hhHEHEEH
GO To trutHCoNTEstcOm< ReaD The pREsent
Indeed, I don't think people really dislike Nintendo games but certainly they may be thinking "is it worth it to buy another console just for a few exclusive games".
+DaveControl Agreed. Nintendo is just struggling to get new gen gamers who have CoD and What not to grow up in. They like BIG GUNS, NUKES, BOOBS (Badjoke) over simple stuff like running and jumping.
Dear Satchel like a bag,
I just wanted to say thank you. Upon watching this video something clicked in my brain when intro played and i saw the books stacked up for the first time. I'm not sure why it happened with this video because I've viewed most of your stuff and you sir can toot your own horn because it is phenomenal. I can't do two things enough. 1) recommend your UA-cam channel and 2) thank you because of that stack of books. it is leading me down some incredible paths I may not have found if not for this video. In return I would recommend some books to you that I'm sure you've already digested. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and Subliminal by Leonard Mlodinov.
Thank you again,
Redsox
Crap! Now I have to subscribe to this Bagman!
I think it would be pretty awesome to see Satch do a Case Study of Cave Story :)
I think when it comes down to it, Nintendo is doing things that help bring us closer to our games than we ever could have dreamed. In the case of this video, with Turbo FX, Nintendo was able to create 3D graphics using hardware quirks that we didn't necessarily think were possible before. This was a huge step and allowed designers to create more immersive experiences because we had our hands on technology that, for the time, created "realistic" environments, outside of the side-scrollers we were bombarded with for the time.
Fast forward about fifteen years and we have the Wii. What the Wii did was try and immerse us even more into our games by introducing motion controls, unheard of for the time. Nintendo's goal in this was to bring the player into the game, controlling some aspects of the player they directed around in the digital world. While a lot of the attempts to do this came out as gimicky and clunky, Nintendo still tried to give us a good experience.
I wrap this topic up with a look at the Wii U. Yes, the Wii U is getting a bit of flack for being "unusual," but it's this unusual nature that makes it shine. There is not a single console out there right now that has a controller with a screen of its own. The Wii U has innovated and created a better experience for us gamers by giving us a window into the game in our hands. Not only that, but we can bring our console with us (to a degree) and play on it without the need for a TV. By doing this, Nintendo has given us, as players, the most immersive experience thus far, that Sony and Microsoft have yet to match in caliper.
Overall, I say that Nintendo does still get us. Yes, they don't always listen, but they understand that what we want as consumers is things that are cool and exciting. With Star Fox, the Wii, and the Wii U as just a couple examples of this, I think that Nintendo is still getting us, even if we don't quite get us.
I was really hoping this was going to be a Case Study on "What Is Slippy's Gender?"
1:05 Minus The Bear! Satch has great taste in music :) :D
I would like to think Nintendo still understands us as its market. When it comes to video games, they know that there are plenty of different genres that are available to the public. Nintendo can still produce quality games, they just need to be taken as their own genre. They want to remain simplistic in their game design and in how we enjoy their games. And as of right now, Nintendo is doing a great job at keeping their spirit in an ever changing market. That's something I can appreciate
Holy fuck! I've missed you videos!
I don't know for sure when you fully got rid of it, but thank you for ditching that damn beep that played during topic transitions. That was seriously the only thing I didn't love about your videos. Can't wait for the next video!
I believe Nintendo's goal is still simply to create products that are completely true to the concept of "fun" in all its simplicity. Where all game designers fundamentally try to connect with the player through emotional interactivity (think Telltale Games' the Walking Dead series) Nintendo speak to our subliminal instinct, well knowing what the games - as well as we - are all about; it's achieving the essence of having fun.
After putting far too many hours into Splatoon these last couple of days on my newly acquired WiiU I'm inclined to say yes. They definitely get us, far more than their two competitors do at the very least. After getting used to the controls I found myself experiencing that childlike glee usually reserved for when I dust off my Nintendo 64.
Hey, Satchbag. This is by far my favorite video of yours, so thank you for creating this.
As far as your question at the end goes, I think it bears stating that Nintendo has its own style. Hardware isn't simply, as you described, something to be ruthlessly efficient and customized. I think Nintendo has concepts it wants to deliver to users and in that regard I feel like you're asking a dangerously qualifying question.
"Is Nintendo out of touch?"
I actually don't think so. But I do think that they're continuing to run risks of developing art and unique voice in a market that won't all fall under one banner. It's a very powerful, dominating voice I imagine. The way that you present their history shows that we rarely privilege one individual as auteur. Gunpei Yokoi, for instance, is implied/folded into this banner we call "Nintendo."
I think hardware is something I like out of Nintendo, but the many factors running against them at the moment are things that I think put them in a precarious situation. This is something I don't think hinges on giving people entirely what they want, but knowing how to compromise.
So I think the answer here to me is "Yes and No." If Splatoon is any indication to me, it's that Nintendo can deploy designers through their hardware vision to create something compelling for its sense of world/experience. Does this answer the disinterest and confusion in branding their consoles or reacting to trends? I think Nintendo likes to set trends and if those trends don't take off, we're left asking this question, but that is the weight of having such an expectation.
So, yes and no, but most of all I'd say that credibility should always be in question. So an absolute "Yes" or "No" should be no reassurance to anything unless Nintendo somehow is destroyed by any number of factors. I'm left still confident about their ability to enact the vision of people working together. For me, I'd put more weight on that "Yes" than the latter "No."
I would say that Nintendo has managed to continually provide us with new gaming experiences over the years, and I think the primary reason is that they always try to innovate when it comes to designing their consoles. Whether they're giving us the first console to utilize a second screen, giving us motion control, or combing the two to give us the Wii U, Nintendo's consoles are always unique, and so their new games continue to evolve and improve. For example, Wii Sports would not be possible to play on the GameCube, Kirby Canvas curse would not be possible on a Game boy, and Splatoon, Nintendo's newest IP, would not be possible on the Wii. By innovating in their console design, Nintendo continues to innovate in their game design.
I believe they do. I've always been a fan of theirs since the beginning. I appreciate they don't follow the norm and make games that are popular. It's the experiences that matter the most. Sure the game should look pretty, but it's how you play them is what matters most. If the game looks awesome but plays horribly, it's a bad experience. If it plays great but looks bad, the experience is marred by just a bit, depending on your experience.
I saw "Menos El Oso" in there. Very nice.
Another amazing video Satch. how'd ya do it?
Awww yeah!
Love the video and your channel in general, keep up with it.
In answering "Does Nintendo still get us?" I'd hold up Splatoon as a very contradictory answer. On the one hand it feels like a shooter built for those frustrated with the genre, it doesn't value extreme accuracy like others, has good means of encouraging teamwork, and ways of preventing camping.
On the other hand, the online matchmaking is a bit off, for example you can't group together with friends and play, and you can only leave matches and matchmaking by switching off the console or waiting until the end of a match.
In some ways it feels Nintendo has the experience of play done perfectly, it's just the surrounding interface that's independent of that they seem to have a struggle with.
Satch is back!
FINALLY!!!! TT ^ TT A NEW VIDEO :'D
I'm young, only seventeen, so my experience with Nintendo and gaming in general is definitely not comparable to that of people who spent years of their lives coming home from school and trying to beat that same tough level in that NES game... but my experience, in that way, is unique to people my age. My fondest memories of Nintendo come from the Gamecube, with games like Sunshine. I believe that gives me a viewpoint that is at least not biased towards the "golden" age of Nintendo games in the 90's. I'll say, that from my experience, I can tell that Nintendo still has the most respect for its gameplay and user experience out of any large-scale game developer today. First party developed Nintendo titles are not something that you'll see just being tossed out the front door, much like the problems that a lot of people have with companies like Ubisoft. Every game they make has love put into it, even if the pressure of the massive scale of what their in charge of pressures them into sticking within a few set boundaries, which is what I think caused the many repeated "New Super Mario Bros." titles. As a gamer, I value the medium as a childhood experience well over other mediums, and honestly, I think a young child picking up their Wii U gamepad and turning on Splatoon for the first time is just as valuable, if not more, than my first time playing Mario Sunshine. In that way, I think Nintendo still gets its audience.
I'm quite happy with what Nintendo has been doing recently, mostly Splatoon, Bayonetta, and Smash, but I want them to explore both avenues of looking to the future for new IPs and the past for reviving older titles like Super Mario 64. Regardless, Nintendo still holds some of the best user experiences I've been part of. Hopefully they can keep this strong with the passing of mr. Iwata.
Yes I think they do have a respectable handle on creating new experiences. I just saw this with splatoon. This still matters since we still don't know what their future will be.
Many people would say Nintendo does get the user based on quite recent experience or future promoting ideas. I would think they still have as they've been blending old ideas and new functioning ideas for awhile successfully. The combinations that allow multiplayer platformers that people have wanted for decades to be functional and fun are out there as well as still maintaining charming aesthetics to various enjoyable series's. They also don't forget they have a wide range of audience desires wisely, maybe not exactly enough for some tastes, but with having mature titles of Bayonetta or No More Heros style on their systems they capture that interest.
The reason that yes, Nintendo still has a hold on us, is largely due to their retention of the snappy and punchy character control and movement from the NES and SNES eras. Things like the direction that a character faces (or character rotation) used to simply be a change of west to east in a single frame, both intentionally and due to resolution and hardware limitations. We often liken this to an "arcade" feel, one where our inputs are almost immediately registered on screen. A lot of gaming has made a move toward cinematic, immersive player input, so that jumping, reloading, and running are all as realistic as possible, with the ultimate goal being realism, while player satisfaction may fall to the wayside. The overall aesthetic of older Nintendo games is stylized and vibrant, and I feel they've retained that to this day not only to remain family-friendly, but because it blends well with that immediate, arcadey, feel. Just look at the difference in control experience between Splatoon and a realistic shooter. An inkling is able to move and become a squid in an instant, without the worry that it won't look real enough. A realistic shooter will have you get winded after running, and will go to exhaustive lengths to have the human on screen reload. As a matter of opinion, realism often feels floaty, and plagued with dissonance between input and what happens on screen, while Nintendo's nostalgic grasp on us comes not only from visual aesthetic, but mechanic aesthetic as well.
I think Nintendo was always great at knowing what the consumer wanted, even before the consumer knew what that want was. Even with recent IPs such as Splatoon, I think they are still very much able to create fun and new user experiences. Even if they weren't doing this, I think their past achievements have given them an infrastructure to stand on when their understanding of their consumers isn't exactly on point.
I was just wondering today when a new Satchel video would arrive, and here it is.
I feel very conflicted about nintendo's competence as a developer. I think that really has to do a lot with how it's actually a collective of different developers more than anything else though. While things like the NSMB series seem about as derivative and uninspired as it gets, occasionally somebody over there seems to have a stroke of ingenuity and thinks up something like Captain Toad, which while not being quite as experimental as some of their Super Nintendo era creations, is still an interesting twist to expected Mario formulas.
Something interesting to look into in regards to nintendo's understanding of it's fans is their stance on modding, and the effect that's had on the smash bros. scene.
i feel that as the recent years have passed by us, that nintendo has recieved a fair amount of flack for not launching any new ip's recently (aside from splatoon) and that they still stay true for the most part to their old liscenses.
however with that said, as new pieces of hardware are made, the experiences presented to us as the gaming community have drastically changed.
an example of this is how if we look at the widely beloved "Zelda" franchise, the formula may be incredibly similar throughout the different titles, yet each one is more than capable of providing new and innovative ways in order to satiate that lust for new experiences.
and so i'd like to use this following example as a way to show this.
LttP is not the same as LoZ, and Twilight Princess is not the same as OoT.
the changes that are made in every ip nintendo makes are in my opinion set at a point where it offers us each a new experience with each console generation, and i have no doubt that whenever the wiiu Zelda game is released that it will blow many people away with yet another experience.
nintendo i feel does believe that the user experience is a valuable part of their titles and i dont feel that their mindset will change any time soon.
-Thank You for taking the time to read this.
Pearl Jam! You have good taste, sir.
I believe that Nintendo still does care about user experience because of how they make their games. It is shown in the most recently released titles like MK8, Sm4sh and Splatoon. All these games are very well crafted to look very well aesthetically and have a very good look and feel to them instead of going for hyper realism. Another good thing is that they are not afraid of delaying a game, like Zelda U, so it had enough time to develop. The problem I find is that Nintendo is very stubborn with online mode in games which can cause many inconvenience to the user.
TL;DR: Nintendo makes very good games but bad online practices.
PokemonMasterGSpike I just ranted about how smash 4's menus need a lot of work.
Loved the video, man. Far more intellectual than most crap on UA-cam. As to your question, I'd say this: In the SNES and 64 eras, the majority of gamers enjoyed relatively the same qualities about games and the lack of online play and major search engines allowed each game to provide a personal, fine-tuned experience for each player. So, Nintendo - along with everyone else - didn't have to necessarily get "us". What they had to get was what would aid this game in creating a personal experience for the player. So in 2015, where every single game is ripped open and dissected by every internet user and every tiny flaw is exploited by social media, it's truly hard to create a game that everyone can mold their own experience to. So, to simply put it, game developers have gone from creating games that everyone can relate with to creating games that have specific relatability. They think they must appease every critic. Nintendo still gets "us" in the sense of how we buy, but not so much anymore the sense of what drew us to them in the first place. A quality, personal gaming experience. No, it's not their fault - our culture has changed - cutting personalized experiences out of the equation.
Hello Satchbag. As a fan, I want to thank you quickly for your thought provoking videos and the opportunity to contribute.
To answer your question, I feel that Nintendo, more so than many developers, has the greatest interest in creating a new gaming experience for the gamer. This is evidenced, as you said, through their hardware, if nothing else (though one might argue that the recently released Splatoon also shows evidence of this).
I think what holds them back is attempting to be profitable. No one should hold this against them of course, but their concern as of late seems to have been focused less on creating new play experiences and instead marketing what they know will sell. Look at how many New Super Mario Bros. titles they've produced in the last ten years. A series once cherished and released once a console is now being produced as a throw back multiplayer experience on an almost regular basis.
However, even in those, it seems like Nintendo is still trying to craft a memorable experience. It just seems that perhaps they have decided that they wish to go with a sure seller these days, given their hesitancy behind most of their new IP releases or making any changes to game play that they feel have worked for them.
Look at Gunpei Yokoi. I find that a lot of what we from the 90s determine as intuitive user experience came out of his designs. It's my belief that his untimely demise has left Nintendo in a state that is constantly rehashing old ideas, at least, in the handheld arena. (i.e. Game&Watch multiscreen and the Nintendo DS)
Nintendo still completely understands us. The visual presentations of ideas seen in Splatoon is instantly understood. No percentage is presented on screen in match yet the use of colours allows the player to understand who is winning. This is incredibly intuitive.
Experience
encounter or undergo (an event or occurrence).
I feel that Nintendo creates engaging experiences with games like Fire Emblem: Awakening, where your actions have real consequences and you as the player feel the effects of those choices. Or like Animal Crossing: New Leaf where the life simulation aspect makes it so you are always under the possibility of interaction with villagers, (who can move away and move in) or the strengthening of a relationship with a grumpy store tailor who at the beginning won't even talk to you.
I think Nintendo gets us more than we get us ourselves, when reading reviews and analysis, generelly picking games apart as a whole, artistic expression, user immersion, interactivity, realism and a whole lot of other ideas crop up. I feel that to the big N all those things are incidental. They're not out to build a multi-media experience they're out to build a toy. Plain and simple. Miyamoto even stated he doesn't really play games excepting ocasionnal racing game bouts, much like a carpenter might make beautiful toys without ever playing whith them (though much of the rest of the staff are most likely devoted gamers).
At any rate that way of looking at things and that kind of emotional detachment lends itself to developpement questions like "Is this fun for most folks?" "Is this going to make somebody quit?" "Would a kid want this?" "Would a parent buy it for his child?" it's very product oriented from the get-go, very commercial. In many interviews whith various developpers (almost any really) they can start going on about emotion, polygon pushing, epic stories etc. it's just a different way of looking at the product. Nintendo seems to have a pretty simple strategy when it comes to developping : find an interesting mechanic or use a beloved one and make it engaging through gameplay. When they step away from this (Skyward sword anyone?) it becomes obvious that they're struggling whith most things that are not pure mechanics. And yes their IPs have rpgs and games that step out their comfort zone but those are outsourced for the most part.
So do they get us? Are we a bunch of kids who just want to play? Nintendo certainly thinks so.
They'll stop making mario when we start hating platform games much like that carpenter will stop carving toys when boys start hating cars and trains.
I think Nintendo still has a good handle on creating new experiences. The thing is they often wrap that experience in something familiar. Two examples that come to mind are Super Mario 3D World and Legend of Zelda: A Link Between worlds.
In 3D World, each level introduces something new in each level making it feel fresh. But the way the concept is introduced almost always follows a pattern; introduce, develop, twist, and conclude. This allows them to experiment and try new mechanics without alienating the player. Plus, the game is framed within the familiar trappings of older mario games (i.e. Super Mario Bros 2).
In Link Between Worlds, the world map is almost completely the same as the map from LOZ: A Link to the Past with only a few small changes. The new experience comes in with the turn-into-a-painting mechanic. With this mechanic the player can interact and experience a familiar setting in new ways.
On top of that games like Splatoon show that Nintendo is willing to bounces ideas off the wall and try something new. Still it often feels like they rely on nostalgia too much, such as how most of their Mario games feel like they try to evoke Super Mario Bros. It feels like the last truly ambitious Mario game they made was Super Mario Galaxy.
Chowder T As for why why matters, It goes to the core of why we play games I think. We play video games to experience something new, whether it's being a hero in Zelda or understanding what its like to be in a warzone like in this war of mine. If a developer doesn't create a experience that feel unique to the player then they're going to have a hard time getting the player to care.