Nintendo Direct Speculation |OT3| Nintendo Direct Speculation Trilogy HD

[Atheerios]

What would you guys prefer?


- A Mini Direct this month and a general Direct on April
- A Full Direct this month and that's the only general direct until E3


In both cases, I would also add an Animal Crossing Direct in February and a Pokémon Direct / Press Conference in May.

 

[MondoMega]

What would you guys prefer?


- A Mini Direct this month and a general Direct on April
- A Full Direct this month and that's the only general direct until E3


In both cases, I would also add an Animal Crossing Direct in February and a Pokémon Direct / Press Conference in May.

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As long as the same content is eventually covered in either scenario, i'll take a beefy January Direct and wait a little bit longer for E3.

 

[Deleted member 42484]

What would you guys prefer?


- A Mini Direct this month and a general Direct on April
- A Full Direct this month and that's the only general direct until E3


In both cases, I would also add an Animal Crossing Direct in February and a Pokémon Direct / Press Conference in May.

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But is Metroid Prime Trilogy announced in the mini direct?

 

[Melpomene]

What would you guys prefer?


- A Mini Direct this month and a general Direct on April
- A Full Direct this month and that's the only general direct until E3


In both cases, I would also add an Animal Crossing Direct in February and a Pokémon Direct / Press Conference in May.

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Gonna have to go with January full Direct as well. I can handle a wait later on, but a full Direct would (hopefully) give a good idea of the game plan for the first half of the year, so I'd know right up front what I was going to be interested in picking up from now 'til E3.

A Mini would be fine, I guess, but I don't see a point in splitting up the distribution of information just so we can have a second "WHEN IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN, GODDAMMIT?!" hype cycle in April.

 

[Mory Dunz]

EAD Ninja speculated that IS isn't exactly ready for big budget HD development.

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disagree, since they already did.
CS was already a full HD game. The issues with the game were related to game direction and bad design choices, not to graphics, performance, presentation, tech, and it didn't have any major delays that we know of.

 

[Guaraná]

Is it possible that we'll pass through this entire generation without a single Mario Paper?

 

[DXB-KNIGHT]

Regarding Major Holiday releases
In 2018 Nintendo had Smash
In 2019 Nintendo had Pokemon
Both release dates or years were known.

We still don't know what their main game this year.

 

[Melpomene]

Is it possible that we'll pass through this entire generation without a single Mario Paper?

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It's possible, though I think not likely.

And if we do, it will be either a godsend or an absolute tragedy, depending on what kind of Paper Mario they're looking to make next.

 

[Lord Vatek]

It's possible, though I think not likely.

And if we do, it will be either a godsend or an absolute tragedy, depending on what kind of Paper Mario they're looking to make next.

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Has Nintendo shown any sort of inclination to change direction from Sticker Star and Color Splash at this point?

 

[Aostia82]

Has Nintendo shown any sort of inclination to change direction from Sticker Star and Color Splash at this point?

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Passing from a huge disappointment to a veeeeery good game is an impressive change of direction

 

[MondoMega]

Has Nintendo shown any sort of inclination to change direction from Sticker Star and Color Splash at this point?

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I mean, Tanabe DID said they would do a different gameplay style next time after Color Splash released.

 

[Prof Bathtub]

It's not surprising that they haven't had a PM right out of the gate for Switch when the last one was pretty much their final WiiU release.
With the parade ending and fireworks, Color Splash had more reverence for PM64 than SPM did, apart from Whacka and some of the Merlin running gags.

 

[Melpomene]

Has Nintendo shown any sort of inclination to change direction from Sticker Star and Color Splash at this point?

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I must admit the likelihood of them going back to 64/TTYD-styled Paper Mario games is pretty infinitesimally small.

Though, considering both that and AlphaDream's current and extremely unfortunate status, I'm wondering if we're going to have a more traditional Mario RPG at all in quite a while.

 

[Instro]

What would you guys prefer?


- A Mini Direct this month and a general Direct on April
- A Full Direct this month and that's the only general direct until E3


In both cases, I would also add an Animal Crossing Direct in February and a Pokémon Direct / Press Conference in May.

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The latter. The earlier we can get info, and the more we can get, is better for planning purchases and the quality of discussion to be had about what Nintendo is working on. I'd rather actually be talking about games, things that have been shown, picking apart trailers or press release info, than the endless circular chatting about when the next direct is, what might be announced, what's rumored, etc.

 

[Lord Vatek]

I mean, they said they would do a different gameplay style next time after Color Splash released.

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Seems like a bit of a loaded phrase, but fair enough.

 

[MondoMega]

The quote in question is:

However, I do feel as though we reached the end of where Color Splash is headed, so if we get the chance to continue the series, I think we'll want to create a Paper Mario with a different system.

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Then again, Tanabe also said this just beforehand in regards to bringing back partners

Personally, I don't give much thought to how we are leaving old methods behind in any series, not just Paper Mario. I always prioritize thinking about how we can build new methods and new elements.

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so... let's hope for a change of heart?

 

[lunanto]

Haha. Thanks for stopping. I was going to if you referenced another song about love. This has been a ride <3

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Yes, it was great. Thanks for it :)

 

[Deleted member 11276]

I must admit the likelihood of them going back to 64/TTYD-styled Paper Mario games is pretty infinitesimally small.

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Um, why? Many other Nintendo series are going back to the roots, so I'd say the chance of getting a real Paper Mario is higher than ever.

 

[Sandfox]

I hope we get release dates for RF4S and FoMT in the Direct. I know they are aiming for February with the former.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Is it possible that we'll pass through this entire generation without a single Mario Paper?

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No it's not. We get Paper Mario every generation. We will have one new Paper Mario game on Switch

Um, why? Many other Nintendo series are going back to the roots, so I'd say the chance of getting a real Paper Mario is higher than ever.

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We go through this every month. Like idc what Tanabe said in old interviews from Wii U days. This isn't the Wii U. Nintendo got the memo just like other series.

He just produced Luigi's Mansion 3 and what do you know it corrected stuff people wanted to see and it's the most beloved LM game by far.

 

[MondoMega]

Like idc what Tanabe said in old interviews from Wii U days. This isn't the Wii U. Nintendo got the memo just like other series.

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Hey; someone asked if they ever showed interest in changing direction after Color Splash, and I pulled out the receipts :)

 

[Melpomene]

Um, why? Many other Nintendo series are going back to the roots, so I'd say the chance of getting a real Paper Mario is higher than ever.

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True true. I think the last two Paper Mario games have made me a bit pessimistic about the series, unfortunately. Couple that with the fact that I wasn't as keen on Super Paper Mario as many, and there hasn't been a PM game I've really, truly loved since 2004.

Here's hoping they got the message, but I'm personally in the "I'll believe it when I see it" phase.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Hey; someone asked if they ever showed interest in changing direction after Color Splash, and I pulled out the receipts :)

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😡😡😡

Spoiler

🤪

 

[Dark Cloud]

Tanabe could be the best producer at Nintendo.

-Luigi's Mansion
-Metroid Prime
-Paper Mario

Just needs to get Paper Mario on track. 3 great series under his belt.

 

[Timppis]

Regarding Major Holiday releases
In 2018 Nintendo had Smash
In 2019 Nintendo had Pokemon
Both release dates or years were known.

We still don't know what their main game this year.

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We didn't know anything about Smash release date until March 2018

Pokémon was teased multiple times but it was confirmed for last year in February last year.

So there's quite a big chance that we still don't know their holiday game at this point.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Regarding Major Holiday releases
In 2018 Nintendo had Smash
In 2019 Nintendo had Pokemon
Both release dates or years were known.

We still don't know what their main game this year.

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We still might not know it after this direct. Since I believe we'll have a March/April direct I can see us finding out then.

2017 basically had 2 directs in the first half. I know the Switch presentation in January wasn't a direct, but it kind of filled the role. Then we got a direct in April.

 

[Imran]

Nintendo's specific reasoning is they wanted to differentiate Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi and at the time Mario & Luigi was the more successful series following BiS. Now differentiation is probably...less of a concern.

Just a question of whether any theoretical new Paper Mario game was designed with that lack of concern in mind.

 

[Radishhead]

Doesn't "bad" Paper Mario sell more than the old games ever did? I don't think we're getting a "back-to-roots" version of Paper Mario for this reason.

 

[MondoMega]

Nintendo's specific reasoning is they wanted to differentiate Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi and at the time Mario & Luigi was the more successful series following BiS. Now differentiation is probably...less of a concern.

Just a question of whether any theoretical new Paper Mario game was designed with that lack of concern in mind.

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The next Paper Mario title definitely began planning before AlphaDream's downfall, but I wouldn't rule out Intelligent Systems independently coming to the decision that "we need to fix something here".

 

[Dark Cloud]

Doesn't "bad" Paper Mario sell more than the old games ever did? I don't think we're getting a "back-to-roots" version of Paper Mario for this reason.

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You mean the Garbage one on the install base of 75 million outsold the one that's on a system that sold 22 million by not much?

 

[Sandfox]

We didn't know anything about Smash release date until March 2018

Pokémon was teased multiple times but it was confirmed for last year in February last year.

So there's quite a big chance that we still don't know their holiday game at this point.

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It's probably going to be BotW2 with another November/December title releasing alongside it.

 

[Dark Cloud]

The critical reception of Paper Mario has gone down a lot by reviewers and fans. Sticker Star barely outsold TTYD. It had bad word of mouth. Even if Wii U was successful Color Splash wouldn't have sold great. The series isn't seeing growth because of Nintendo and critical reception of the series.

 

[MondoMega]

I'll immediately know that we're in for a treat when the trailer opens with a storybook and the dialogue "Ahem! Today..."

 

[Sandfox]

The critical reception of Paper Mario has gone down a lot by reviewers and fans. Sticker Star barely outsold TTYD. It had bad word of mouth. Even if Wii U was successful Color Splash wouldn't have sold great. The series isn't seeing growth because of Nintendo and critical reception of the series.

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Sticker Star is pretty much the only one that had a poor reception.

 

[MondoMega]

Sticker Star is pretty much the only one that had a poor reception.

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I already know what Dark Cloud might post in reply to this, so lemme give this a try:

Color Splash has a passable metascore of 76, but it isn't even comparable to the first three installments (93, 87 and 85 in release order).

 

[Melpomene]

My concern, personally, is that the same mentality that prompts Nintendo to keep porting Wii U games to the Switch - i.e. "the Wii U did poorly, so we'll give these games a new life on our more successful platform" - could prompt them either to port Color Splash, make another game in a similar style, or both. There are a few promising quotes, and a slightly favorable set of circumstances, as well as a fairly loud fan demand for a rediscovery of the series' roots, but I'm just not sure yet that Nintendo are 100% convinced it's the style of game that has an effect on sales. They could very, very easily look at Color Splash's pretty-decent review scores, decide that it just didn't perform well because of the Wii U, and make the same mistake again.

They could also, of course, not do this, and the chances are pretty sizable that they won't, but I'm not willing to get my hopes up for them to recapture the magic, only to get another game in the current format.

 

[Prof Bathtub]

Nintendo's specific reasoning is they wanted to differentiate Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi and at the time Mario & Luigi was the more successful series following BiS. Now differentiation is probably...less of a concern.

Just a question of whether any theoretical new Paper Mario game was designed with that lack of concern in mind.

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People listen to what you have to say, you don't need to perpetuate this conception. We had a whole thread full of people cheering the loss of people's jobs, just so their preferred game might come back (though it would have nothing to do with Alphadream's state.) After all, "Jobs aren't lives" so any company I don't like can get canned!

Plus, Tanabe and Kawade had already announced their intention to not make more 1/2 style PM games right after SPM and two years prior to BiS. So if the choice had anything to do with M&L, it would have been in response to the first two.

 

[DXB-KNIGHT]

What is the chance that members from Alpha Dream joins IS?
Like with Mario Party's Hudson and NDcube.

 

[Aostia82]

Today's outcome of a mini february direct full of wii u ports is depressing
Let's come back to uber hyped metroid full january direct please

 

[MondoMega]

What is the chance that members from Alpha Dream joins IS?
Like with Mario Party's Hudson and NDcube.

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I don't know if we would've heard anything about that by now; but I certainly hope Nintendo is able to absorb them into some studio.

Though, if we're looking at IS specifically, i'd say the Hudson and NDcube situation is a bit different though; as while IS are well-staffed enough to have multiple teams working on multiple games, NDcube were stagnant for a long time until the ex-Hudson staff breathed life into the studio and gave them the numbers to start working on console titles.

 

[Sandfox]

I already know what Dark Cloud might post in reply to this, so lemme give this a try:

Color Splash has a passable metascore of 76, but it isn't even comparable to the first three installments (93, 87 and 85 in release order).

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Color Splash has it flaws, but the stuff he said should probably be reserved for Sticker Star lol. If they really don't want to build on Sticker Star I would expect them to either do something completely new with the series or retire it. This discussion has made it pretty clear that the series have never been all that big in the first place and they would probably have more success with a new/different IP. People are just assuming Paper Mario is coming because it hit previous platforms, but that's not a guarantee.

My concern, personally, is that the same mentality that prompts Nintendo to keep porting Wii U games to the Switch - i.e. "the Wii U did poorly, so we'll give these games a new life on our more successful platform" - could prompt them either to port Color Splash, make another game in a similar style, or both. There are a few promising quotes, and a slightly favorable set of circumstances, as well as a fairly loud fan demand for a rediscovery of the series' roots, but I'm just not sure yet that Nintendo are 100% convinced it's the style of game that has an effect on sales. They could very, very easily look at Color Splash's pretty-decent review scores, decide that it just didn't perform well because of the Wii U, and make the same mistake again.

They could also, of course, not do this, and the chances are pretty sizable that they won't, but I'm not willing to get my hopes up for them to recapture the magic, only to get another game in the current format.

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If they did port Color Splash I don't think that would take away from a new Paper Mario game and someone already posted a quote about them feeling done with the Color Splash style. IS probably wouldn't even be involved with a port.

 

[N75]

disagree, since they already did.
CS was already a full HD game. The issues with the game were related to game direction and bad design choices, not to graphics, performance, presentation, tech, and it didn't have any major delays that we know of.

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I can hardly say for sure, but scanning through the credits for Colour Splash shows there was quite a bit of outsourcing.

I do think that Paper Mario is a priority for them, otherwise it wouldn't have made much sense for the rest of the SoV team to not work on Three Houses based on the claim IS made about it being "impossible" without Koei.

 

[Mory Dunz]

I'll immediately know that we're in for a treat when the trailer opens with a storybook and the dialogue "Ahem! Today..."

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True.
I need a trailer to show partners and bowser talking. Only then will I believe

 

[T002 Tyrant]

What would you guys prefer?


- A Mini Direct this month and a general Direct on April
- A Full Direct this month and that's the only general direct until E3


In both cases, I would also add an Animal Crossing Direct in February and a Pokémon Direct / Press Conference in May.

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I want:

- A beefy Jan Direct with details everything coming out up until June 2020, no fluff or in-depth looks at anything like Animal Crossing
- An Indie World in February for indie games coming the first half of the year
- An Animal Crossing Direct in March
- A Twitter Direct in April with some dates that were just given as "spring" in January"
- A Mini direct in May with some stuff you don't want eating into E3
- A Beefy E3 Direct June showing the second half of the year with some teaser trailers for a few games for 2021
- Announcement of a Switch Pro in August/September

 

[K Samedi]

Nintendo's specific reasoning is they wanted to differentiate Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi and at the time Mario & Luigi was the more successful series following BiS. Now differentiation is probably...less of a concern.

Just a question of whether any theoretical new Paper Mario game was designed with that lack of concern in mind.

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yeah I always thought the two didn't go very well together. If I had to pick one I would go for Paper Mario (GC style) although I thought Bowsers Inside story was one of the best RPG's I ever played. I'd rather they turn Bowser into its own IP.

 

[Melpomene]

either do something completely new with the series or retire it.

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All I know is, if they retire Paper Mario after AlphaDreams having gone defunct, every Mario series with any connection to traditional RPG elements will be essentially dead, and that's not a timeline I want.

 

[Mory Dunz]

People are just assuming Paper Mario is coming because it hit previous platforms, but that's not a guarantee.

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That's simplifying it a bit.
For the past 20 years the two big IS franchises have been FE and PM. And everything else is around those two.
PM has released around 3-4 years consistently for almost 2 decades.
As of now IS has released a FE game and as of now IS has not announced a big game that would involve major staff.

If IS announces a big new IP tomorrow then I'll be the first to say PM is likely on hiatus. Or even gives an interview saying they're hiring for something with a "new direction" or whatever. Just anything indicating a change

Until then sticking with decades of a consistent pattern is the better school of thought imo

 

[MondoMega]

yeah I always thought the two didn't go very well together.

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I dunno, I felt like having one home console Mario RPG and one handheld Mario RPG was absolutely perfect for the time that lasted. The 3DS is where they became mixed up on the same platform; and where both of them experienced their lowest points (and unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Mario & Luigi will ever be able to recover from that).

 

[JangleLuke]

People listen to what you have to say, you don't need to perpetuate this conception. We had a whole thread full of people cheering the loss of people's jobs, just so their preferred game might come back (though it would have nothing to do with Alphadream's state.) After all, "Jobs aren't lives" so any company I don't like can get canned!

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Yeah, that thread really soured my opinion of some fans (or in simpler terms, I hated it).
As someone who absolutely loved Dream Team and liked Sticker Star enough, I have "complicated" feelings about this whole debacle.

Now, on more positive things, what I really want from 3rd parties is a portable Monster Hunter (pretty please Capcom, I finally got into the series with MH4U when it was too late) and for the AC Ezio Trilogy to be ported in any way to the Switch (please Ubisoft, I swear I'll buy the Rebel Collection, later, I just want to play in my hometown on the go).

As for 1st party, finally getting to play BotW has me really excited for the sequel, and as a late adopter there's just too many must-have games I have to get, and apparently they'll keep coming! My poor wallet...

 

[Dark Cloud]

We have 2 decades straight of Paper Mario and it got 2 games in one gen (3DS and Wii U) so yeah I'm going with another Paper Mario is coming on Switch. Lol not sure why I would think it's dead.