Earlier this week, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto claimed his company had failed to “communicate the value” of the Wii U to consumers, a turn of phrase that struck me as quite amusing. As a fan of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, all I could think of was the first stage of Dennis Reynolds’ system of seduction, the D.E.N.N.I.S. System, whereby he “demonstrates value” to sucker a woman into falling for him. 

After thinking about it (and reading the Destructoid community’s reaction to the Nintendo/Dennis connection), I started to realize Nintendo and Always Sunny‘s lecherous sociopath have way more in common, and that the D.E.N.N.I.S. System may well be applied to the company’s business strategy in its entirety.

Nintendo might be taking lessons from the show as it perfects the art of seducing fans and breaking their hearts for its own sordid gains. 

While the system is designed for Dennis to trick women into having sex with him before abandoning them, its applications in business are frightening, and Nintendo’s mastery of it is absolute. Like Dennis, Nintendo is able to seduce and conquer its fans by demonstrating value, engaging physically, nurturing dependence, neglecting emotionally, inspiring hope, and then separating entirely. Do you remain skeptical? Read on and understand. 

Demonstrate Value

This one’s easy, because we already know, by Nintendo’s own admission, that it secures customer loyalty by demonstrating the value of its product. Through marketing promotions, competitive pricing, and pledging to offer the widest variety of games to the widest variety of consumers, Nintendo attempts to demonstrate its value to the user. More often than not, it succeeds.

In fairness, all videogame companies utilize the first step of the system. Duping the consumer into believing a product is worth the entry fee is what the game industry is all about. Nintendo’s as committed as any when it comes to demonstrating its value. 

Engage Physically

No other company works harder to engage its customers physically than Nintendo. With the Wii, the DS, the 3DS, and the Wii U, Nintendo has been doing more to encourage physical interaction with users than any other company in the games market. Whether you’re waggling a remote, tapping a touchscreen, or tilting screens left and right, when you’re on a Nintendo system, you’re 100% physically engaged. 

Even those shy to embrace Nintendo’s whimsical world of bodily nonsense are eventually suckered in. Games like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword test the resolve of even the most adamant anti-waggle gamer, and the excellent Nintendo DS library has us all dragging styli around like they’re little Weekend at Bernie’s corpses! If you’re a Nintendo customer, consider yourself physically engaged. 

Nurturing Dependence 

Nintendo has the key to the cage of some of gaming’s most beloved and cherished franchises. Your inner child is Reggie Fils-Aime’s bitch. Miyamoto is the way and the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Mario except through him. To get your hands on Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, and so many more, you depend entirely on so-called Big N. 

Nintendo knows it, too. It knows what you like, and it knows you have nobody else to turn to. Games like Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. feed your nostalgia, remind you of happier times before you became an evil-hearted adult, and convince you to stay with Nintendo if you want to keep getting that sweet, sweet hit. One look at the dogged loyalty of Nintendo’s most ardent fans will tell you this has already been achieved. They remain hopelessly in the thrall of their master, suckling at its red, cracked teats with all the gratitude of a freshly-fed dog. 

We’re halfway through the system, and Nintendo’s three for three!

Neglect Emotionally

Nintendo’s demonstrated its value to you. It’s engaged you physically with its cool new toy. It’s nurtured your dependence with the allure of childhood memories and honest-to-goodness gaming. What happens next?

Wii Music happens next. 

Yes folks, you’ve just been neglected emotionally!

Satoru Iwata’s band of merry men are wizards when it comes to this step, leading fans on for so long before totally cutting them off. After stringing gamers along, Nintendo does an about-face, making its press conferences and announcements all about family-friendly crap that nobody cares for. We get some maniac woman on a stage, grinning like a bargain basement Joker as she tells you she’s going to put a smile on your face. We get promises of Pikmin 3, but no actual news, while other favorite franchises are completely ignored. Reggie tells us Animal Crossing is a hardcore game and can’t understand why anybody’s feeling shortchanged.

“Nintendo has abandoned the hardcore gamer,” the cry rings out, over valley and hill. My Lord, why hast thou forsaken me? The answer is clear — Nintendo’s neglecting you emotionally.

Inspire Hope

Wait, they just announced Pikmin 3? Holy shit, was that a new Kid Icarus? New Donkey Kong? And what’s with this Wii U eShop? It’s, like, actually good. Nintendo’s got a new online strategy, Nintendo’s promising more core games. Nintendo’s back, everybody! Nintendo finally gets it. 

“Nintendo finally gets it.” I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve read that phrase over the years. After neglecting us emotionally, Nintendo makes some announcement or presents a fresh feature that has everybody (myself included) pull a U-turn and declare that, this time, Nintendo finally understands what we want, and at last knows how to give it to us. We are relieved. We are appreciative.

And then … we bang.

Separate Entirely

Weeks without games. A sudden 3DS discount that pisses off everybody who supported the system early. The eShop turns out to be bereft of content and shit as always. A reality that fails utterly to live up to the promises we breathed in like sweet oxygen. And all the while, Nintendo sits there, deaf to our pleas, blind to our entreaties. It’s working on something else now, and has cut its consumers loose.

It’s okay, though. You need not be alarmed. Nintendo will be back, next time it needs to demonstrate its value to you.

And the D.E.N.N.I.S. System rises again.

source Destructoid

The next Skylanders game was revealed early in the morning today and it’s going to let you swap different toy parts to make new heroes. Yes, you get to break the toys in half, but on purpose!

Skylanders: Swap Force has a pretty cool gimmick to it with the new toys, giving you a potential of 256 unique combinations. All your old toys will work in the new game in addition to the 16 new Swappable toys, and there will be totally new regular characters added to Swap Force as well.

And as you can see in the trailer, it’s looking pretty cool. You can’t tell by the trailer unfortunately, but what I saw in person makes it look like you’re playing an animated movie essentially thanks to the new engine by developer Vicarious Visions.

source Destructoid

Fire Emblem is a pretty mysterious series to many gamers out there. Firstly, it’s a strategy RPG (SRPG), which already places it in an established niche. Then you have to consider the fact that Nintendo didn’t release the series in American until the seventh game, Fire Emblem: The Sword of Flame, simply titled Fire Emblem in the US.

But with the release of the newest game in the series, Awakening, Fire Emblem has succeeded in captivating many new fans with the addition of a less intense optional mode of play, and thus, people are going to be looking for more games to satiate this newfound love.

Feel free to join me on a journey through the history of Fire Emblem.

The core pillars of the medieval flavored series are pretty simple to explain. Like many SRPGs, action takes place on a grid in a turn-based manner. If a unit dies, he is gone forever (otherwise known as permadeath).

Units can interface with each other in a number of ways, most notably with a relationship system that improves statistics of characters who fight together.

It’s not hard on paper right? Well, actually playing it out is much more difficult than it sounds, as this series can prove to be insanely challenging for people who aren’t acclimated to the genre. As a side note, the following list is in no particular order.

Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem  (Fire Emblem: Monshō no Nazo – Super Nintendo – 1994)

Provided you’re already acclimated to the genre, a fan translation of Mystery of the Emblem is a perfect starting point from a lore perspective, as half of the game is a remake of the first Fire Emblem (that was remade again on DS internationally, as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon in 2008).

Although it may feel antiquated by today’s standards, from a pure gameplay standpoint it’s still sound and offers the classic tactical action the series is known for, with a ton of content to boot. Unlike the first game, which had a fairly humble release, Mystery of the Emblem really helped put the franchise on the map.

Like the first two games before it, legendary Nintendo producer Gunpei Yokoi had a hand in creating Mystery of the Emblem.

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of Holy-War (Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu - Super Nintendo – 1996)

The fourth game in the series, Genealogy of Holy-War, is significant for being the first title to implement the “holy trinity” of weapon countering. Often referred to as the “rock-paper scissors” system, Genealogy features a system where lances beat swords, swords beat axes, and axes beat lances.

This would become a staple that would carry all the way into the 3DS game, 16 years later. It also introduced individual skills for units through the class/job system, which was pretty revolutionary for the time. In fact, Genealogy’s success would influence the rest of the series in many other ways, and it’s often regarded as one of the best SRPGs of all time by fans.

Sadly, this is the last game in the series produced by Gunpei Yokoi, as he passed away in a tragic auto accident in 1997.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Game Boy Advance – 2004)

As the second game released outside of Japan, Sacred Stones improved upon the release of the first international Fire Emblem (2003) in nearly every way. It features beautiful sprite work, it brings back the ability to wander a world map, and allows more general freedom in terms of how you choose to play the game.

Speaking of freedom, the class-change system was the crux of why Sacred Stones is so significant. For the first time, classes have branching paths that you can choose to follow, rather than pigeonholing units into certain jobs. It also featured the aforementioned skill customization of Genealogy of Holy-War, which was taken out of a few games preceding Sacred Stones. All in all, it’s one of the deepest SRPGs to date.

If you were a part of the 3DS Ambassador program, you have this game sitting on your 3DS. Go check it out!

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GameCube – 2005)

After the success of Sacred Stones, Nintendo decided that it was time to move the series back to consoles for the first time in six years. As the ninth game in the series, Path of Radiance offers a few concessions for the first time to more casual fans, including an “Easy Mode.”

In terms of a pure aesthetic perspective, many people were angry that the series started to move into a polygonal direction in terms of the character models. A stark departure from the sprites of the previous games before it, the graphics style was polarizing to many.

This tradeoff came with a number of other bonuses however. For instance, Path of Radiance was the first game in the series to feature voice acting, which helped breath new life into the game’s world.

Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS – 2012)

Yes, we’ve come full circle — from consoles, to portables, to consoles, to a portable again. The newest Fire Emblem game, released on the 3DS, is possibly my favorite in the franchise, mostly because it opens up its former hardcore-only borders, and as a result, garners even more fans and gameplay options. Hardcore players can still opt to enjoy the “Classic” experience for more of a challenge too, which is part of the game’s brilliance from a design perspective.

The visuals are also a treat, offering a perfect mixture of polygonal models and incredible artwork. And that’s not even bringing the 3D effects into the mix, which I mistook for real life insects flying near my screen on more than one occasion.

Simply put, Fire Emblem: Awakening is one of the best SRPGs of this generation, and proves the genre is still alive and well. I can only hope the next game in the franchise keeps the spirit of the series intact, while creating even more fans in the process.

source Destructoid

The next Skylanders is the last thing fans were probably expecting as there’s three major changes going on with Swap Force, the new entry in the series. For starters, it’s not developer Toys for Bob making this one. Vicarious Visions, the team responsible for the 3DS version of Skylanders Adventure, and the Wii U version of Skylanders Giants, is in charge of making the core versions this time around (With N-Space doing the 3DS version and Beenox handling the Wii version).

I’m not even going to give you a second to doubt another studio handling things here — Vicarious is really bringing it. The studio is using a new graphics engine that can very easily be mistaken for a Pixar movie. Seriously, it’s that good looking.

The biggest changes, though, are with the new toys. Swap Force is adding 32 new Skylanders heroes, 16 of which you can pull in half and fuse different top and bottom parts together to create new Skylanders. Take that in for a second. That’s a total of 256 unique combos.

Skylanders: Swap Force (3DS, PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 [previewed])
Developer: Vicarious Visions / nSpace (3DS)
Publisher: Activision
Release: Fall 2013

It looks like a Pixar movie

Activision showed off a very early look at Swap Force to us and even though there’s still a ton to work to be done, it’s easily one of best-looking games I’ve seen this generation. The visuals will seriously make you think you’re watching an animated CG movie, but it’s not just the graphics that give this feel.

Vicarious is infusing a ton of animation and life to the characters, capturing the spirit of what makes a Pixar film — and even some of the better Mario games, like Super Mario Galaxy — so charming and engrossing. Ridiculously high praises, but completely justified.

I can’t stress enough how this new tone makes it really feel like a cartoon show. Characters you’ll meet in the world are fully animated and voiced now with the bigger focus on storytelling, adding to the kids-show aesthetics. Nothing is pre-rendered either, and cinematics such as the one featuring Flynn (voiced by Patrick Warburton) that I saw were all comprised of in-game assets.

The all new swappable toys

As I said, there are 32 new Skylanders. 16 of them are your basic heroes, and the other 16 feature swappable body parts. This essential gives you the ability to make 256 unique combinations of different heroes. The two halves are connected by two small magnets that keep them pretty securely connected. In fact, I thought I was about to break the toy I was handed when I first tried to pull it apart.

Combining different toys will serve multiple in-game purposes. One of the new Swap Force heroes I was introduced to was Wash Buckler, a water-element character that’s a pirate squid. At one point in the demo, Wash Buckler had to go up against a mini-boss named Gear Gollum and Wash wasn’t the best suited for this battle due to his slow speed.

So the toy was taken off the Portal of Power, and his bottom half was removed to be swapped with the bottom half of Magna Charge, a fire- and robot-based new toy that gets around by a singular electro-magnetic based wheel. The two toys now formed Wash Charge, and the combo of Wash Buckler’s attacks with Magna Charge’s speed was able to make short work of Gear Gollum.

Now imagine doing that with 256 characters. Not only that, but imagine the developers having to plan, animate, and name all of these different combinations, on top of everything else going on. It’s quite the feat, that’s for sure. Other new characters I saw included Countdown, a walking bomb that can throw his exploding head around and shoot rockets from his hands. Blast Zone is a knight made of fire that can breath fire and throw bombs, plus can move around with rocket boots. My favorite was Roller Brawl, a roller derby undead character who has giant claws on her hands, headbutts enemies, and moves around on roller skates with buzz saws in place of normal skate wheels.

You should also know that each half of the toys have a memory chip, so they’ll be able to level up on their own as you move them around to different halves. As for the level cap, Vicarious wasn’t sure yet if they’ll be raising it.

Elemental zones are back, with the addition of two new zone types. The first are the dual element gates, so either a Swapple featuring the two required elements or just two people playing co-op with the right elements, will be required to enter them. More of the same there, but the new Swap Force Zones (tentative name) present totally new experiences.

These traversal zones require a certain body type, and the one I saw needed a character with a rocket to enter it. From here, the player was actually free flying around an environment, hitting a bunch of rings in order to complete the challenge. You can expect various new gameplay elements, such as areas where you have to climb on walls, compete in races, and dig to find hidden underground caverns.

What’s old is new again

As with Giants before, all the toys from the first two games will work in Swap Force, and yeah, all your upgrades and extras will be intact. Plus, they’ll all feature new animations to match up with the new engine. All 100-plus characters now also have to ability to jump now too, a big fan demand that will add some new gameplay elements. Expect local drop in/out co-op, and versus mode to return as well.

So this begs the question, is Activision pulling a Call of Duty by having two studios switching off with yearly installments? It’s too soon to tell for sure, but I was told by the Activision reps on hand that Toys For Bob’s Paul Reiche and I-Wei Huang, the two men that have the final say for the toys in their version of games, have been part of the toy design for Vicarious’ version, imparting feedback to ensure the Skylanders feel is present.

You can expect Swap Force sometime this fall, and while it’s too soon to know what the final prices will be, we do know that the starter pack will consist of two Swap Force characters, one Series 3 Stealth Elf in a new pose and outfit, new Portal of Power, and the game.

Needless to say, I was quite impressed by the fresh visual design and really dug the new toys. I love the idea of being able to merge different pieces together, and if anything, this is a great counter to Disney’s Infinity project.

source Destructoid

The Mega Man Network has shared some Mega Man 10 robot master concept art from the R20+5 blowout book, and man is it interesting.

Most of these, I think, look better than the final designs. Some of them in particular are much more pronounced and interesting in the concept stage — for instance, Blade Man’s original idea of sharp edges jutting about his body, with more of a sense of regalia rather is much better than his final awkward Edward Scissor Hand arms design.

Some of them are probably better off without the concepts (even if Pump Man’s faucet chest still looks really stupid), as a few of  them resemble former franchise Robot Masters a little too closely (the old one is totally Aqua Man!).

But as a general rule, I love these concepts.

Concepts unearthed [Mega Man Network]

source Destructoid

With Netflix open to all subscribers on Xbox 360 this weekend, regardless of account type, now seems like a good time to highlight some Netflix streaming videogame films well worth watching. Be sure to add your own picks below!

eXistenZ (1999)

“Leading virtual-reality game designer Allegra Geller is testing a new prototype when an assassin wielding a daunting organic weapon attacks her. She survives the assault but must “portal” into her own game to get to the bottom of the intrigue.”

Why watch? Just as director David Cronenberg’s Videodrome explored televisions subversive effect on our unconscious, eXistenZ does the same for videogames.

Also, WILLEM DAFOE!!!

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

“Two scientists have created a virtual reality 1930s Los Angeles so true-to-life that the occupants don’t know they exist only in a computer chip — until a homicide connects the parallel worlds of the simulated and the creators.”

Why watch? Overshadowed by The Matrix, The Thirteenth Floor quickly left theaters without even developing a cult following — it certainly deserves one, as it’s one of those great mind-benders that makes you ask the big questions about reality.

Special When Lit: A Pinball Documentary (2009)

“Special When Lit rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon: pinball. This award-winning documentary joins fans, collectors, designers and champion players from around the globe who share the story of a phenomenon that once swept the world.”

Why watch? Though I prefer Tilt, a similar documentary, this one also does a good job of documented a scene and era that few know today. Before Call of Duty and Doom were the bane of politicians, pinball was. Strange, no?

Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade (2007)

“At the unassuming Twin Galaxies arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa, early gamers fought for bragging rights at the 1982 Video Game World Championships. See how competitive gaming started, and meet arcade owner Walter Day, who still oversees scoring.”

Why watch? It’s a shame that King of Kong isn’t on Netflix streaming right now, but, in all honestly, Chasing Ghosts is a much better film on the same subject. This humorous, feel good documentary takes a broader view at hi-score chasers without applying bias.

Indie Game: The Movie (2012)

“This captivating documentary follows several independent game designers as they painstakingly develop their games and hope for breakthrough success. It also explores the quirky sensibility these personalities bring to their art form.”

Why watch? A gorgeously shot time capsule of indie game development in the early-2010′s. Read my full review on Flixist.

Video Game High School (2012)

“In a world where professional video gaming is the biggest sport on Earth, hapless young gamer Brian D gets the chance of a lifetime: to sharpen his skills with the best of the best by enrolling in the most elite private gaming academy in the world.”

Why watch? Originally a $600,000 web series, but it works just as well as a movie. If you want to zone out and see some mildly funny videogame references, it will do the trick.

Postal (2007)

“Clearly inspired by the provoking humor of “South Park,” this dark, cheeky satire loosely based on a video game of the same name centers on jobless trailer-park resident Dude (Zack Ward) and his ethically challenged Uncle Dave (Dave Foley), who are desperate for cash. The men cook up a scheme to pinch a shipment of Krotchy dolls and sell them on eBay. Unfortunately, Al-Qaeda has the same idea … but plans to lace the toys with avian flu.”

Why watch? Because you can’t beat Verne Troyer getting molested by an angry horde of monkies.

Double Dragon (1994)

“In earthquake-ravaged “New Angeles,” an evil tycoon holds half of the “Double Dragon,” a medallion that — when whole — will give him mystical powers. But two teen brothers possess the other half — and aren’t about to give it up without a fight.”

Why watch? There is no arguing whether it’s great or not — I mean, it’s God-awful. But, pair it with the Podtoid commentary and some beer and you have yourself a good time.

Avalon (2001)

“Set in futuristic Europe, Avalon follows the contestants of a virtual-reality war game played for money and points. The game, however, is illegal, and players quickly become addicted — but one can only leave the game by winning. The primary action of this technology-saturated sci-fi thriller focuses on the elimination of a player whose soul has become trapped in the game. Mamoru Oshii directs this Japanese-Polish film.”

Why watch? This live action, MMO-influenced film by the director of Ghost in the Shell isn’t nearly as embarrassing as you may suspect. It’s actually pretty darn neat!

WarGames (1983)

“After unwittingly hacking into a supercomputer at North American Aerospace Defense Command, David moves his piece in a seemingly innocent video game — and tells the computer to start preparing a real nuclear strike.”

Why watch? WarGames may have the most dated technology on this list, but it is the most timeless film. This one deserves all the praise it gets, from the tense-as-all-hell opening to the cathartic finale.

——————————————-

Looking for more films to watch? Explore our movies tag or visit our sister site Flixist!

source Destructoid

Vblank Entertainment has released the full map for Retro City Rampage in image form — spoiler alert — it’s huge!

But the world map wasn’t the only thing that was released however, as the entirety of the game is pretty much accounted for. Can you find the Destructoid Robot Factory?

In addition to looking at the sprawling map and planning your next crime spree, you can also enter a contest. Just go to the following link, choose a new color scheme, and enter for a chance to have your scheme featured in the game. Sweet!

@RetroCR [Twitter]

source Destructoid

The Wii U is getting something this week in the form of a game that was released on PC, Mac, Xbox Live Arcade, and the PlayStation Network last year — Puddle. If you haven’t tried the wonderful game The Cave yet, check out Conrad’s review as you download the new demo.

On the portable side of things, Ikachan is available, as is Witch’s Cat, Bloody Vampire, and Ice Climber for the eShop Virtual Console. If you’re so inclined, you can pick up Fire Emblem for $39.99 on Monday.

To top things off, there’s a DSiWare game called 99Moves that comes out today, in addition to Sparkle Snapshots 3D DLC, and Metal Slug 4 for the Wii Virtual Console.

If you missed last week’s installment, here it is.

As for what I’m getting, I already have Fire Emblem, Puddle, and The Cave, so I’ll probably just be picking up Ikachan this week.

source Destructoid

It’s good news, bad news time.

Good news: After suffering a rough year of losses thanks to the 3DS’ sluggish start, Nintendo was able to become profitable again through the first nine months of the 2012 / 2013 fiscal period. Net profit is ¥14.5 billion (~$160 million) — not the billions Nintendo was earning during the Wii’s heyday, but it’s a start.

Bad news: It doesn’t look like Nintendo hardware / software will meet their targets, thus forecasts have been revised. The Wii U was expected to sell 5.5 million units by March, but current sales through December (3.06 million) have prompted a forecast reduction to 4.0 million. The 3DS is faring a bit better (12.71 million), but it too has had its target dropped from 17.5 to 15.0 million. DS and Wii targets have also been lowered, but I doubt Nintendo is as concerned by them.

On the subject of sales figures, it looks like the Wii and DS are poised to hit some pretty significant milestones. The Wii is at 99.38 million worldwide, meaning that it might cross the 100 million mark by March, becoming the first non-Sony home console to do so. Meanwhile, the DS is at 153.67 million, putting it within spitting distance of King PS2, last reported in March 2012 to be lounging above 155.1 million.

Nintendo posts $160M net income,cuts 3DS/Wii U/NDS/Wii forecasts [NeoGAF]

source Destructoid

You know how Nintendo is known for never reducing the price of their first-party titles until years later under a re-release line of games? Well, this week is one of those extremely rare cases where a retailer is significantly reducing the price of a Nintendo game, and a huge one at that. All week until this coming Saturday, 2/2/2013, you can nab The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for only $19.99 (note: it looks like this is in-store only).

There’s also good word out there that a ton of the copies still have the “limited” Symphony of the Goddesses CD that was packaged in as a short run of the original copies of the game. If you’ve never owned a Wii, and just got yourself a Wii U recently, I would not only recommend you buy Skyward Sword, but that you should go out and freaking buy it this very second (in addition to considering these fine Wii titles as well).

Zelda Skyward Sword $19.99 at all Targets until 2/2 [Cheap Ass Gamer]

source Destructoid