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Miyamoto Speaks, Nintendo Ditching the Hardcore?

Posted by Zonk on from the strange-week-to-be-a-nintendo-fan dept.

After Nintendo's very ... different ... press conference, you may be wondering what's going on. In a roundtable discussion with Nintendo, folks like Eiji Aonuma and Shigeru Miyamoto discussed Zelda, Mario Galaxy and WiiFit , giving some context to the message the company had on Wednesday. The balance board begged the question from the people there, is Nintendo ditching the hardcore? According to the Nintendo folks, not at all: "Aonuma believes that control can be pick-up-and-play, but that doesn't necessarily mean a game overall has to be easier. But he still states that his 'goal was always to appeal to...a vast audience.' One attendee pushed the issue further, asking if all Zelda games from now on are going to cater to the more casual crowd--will we ever again need a strategy guide to complete a Zelda game? Aonuma says that judging by Japanese sales so far, accessible 'stream-lined play has been effective,' but he wants to see how Western audiences react to the new Zelda before making a final decision on future games' difficulty levels. Aunoma also hopes to venture into new territory and create a wholly original game at some point in his career." For a lengthy treat, check out Kotaku's series of interview clips with Mr. Miyamoto.

6 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Strategy guide? by Zelos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    will we ever again need a strategy guide to complete a Zelda game?
    Why would anyone want a game that requires a strategy guide to complete? That's normally a sign that the game has failed for me.

    1. Re:Strategy guide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As an example of something so redonkulously unintuitive that it makes someone wonder what the hell the game makers were thinking, just look at a game like Final Fantasy 12.

      Obtaining the best weapons in FF12 is literally IMPOSSIBLE without a strategy guide/faq. Hell to get the "best" weapon, The Zodiac Spear, a player has to refrain from opening 4 specific chests throughout the course of the game. If one does not open these 4 chests, a chest in an optimal dungeon near the end of the game will contain the Spear (otherwise it will be empty). The 4 chests you can't open are not distinguished in ANY way and are in plain sight, making the entire process retardedly obscure.

      I enjoyed FF12, but stuff like that made me wonder what the fuck Square was thinking. If Nintendo can make games that don't resort to that kind of bullshit just to sell a $20 game guide, them I'm all for it.

  2. Re:Never wholly geared to hardcore by Winckle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Excuse me? For a long time in the 80s to early 90s "Nintendo" was "Video Games".

    What do you interpret hardcore as meaning?

  3. Re:Softcore by Chr0me · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Of course they are abandoning the hardcore gamers; there is simply so much more money to be had in blasé games and infinite sequels. Yeah like Madden, Final Fantasy, Halo, any WWII shooter, DooM, Quake, UT, etc...

    Oh wait, you meant that games "hardcore gamers" play *aren't* blasé, infinite sequels. Sorry, I was confused by your contradictory point.
  4. Hardcore by GWLlosa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I used to define myself as a 'hardcore' gamer. In college, all night-lan parties every weekend were the norm. Games had to have ludicrous depth and complexity before we'd consider including them.

    Times change. I'm married. 2 kids. 9-6 job in a cube. I now love the fact that so many games that are available are simple 'pick-up-and-play-in-the-evening'. In a way, Nintendo's game console has evolved to match my needs just as my needs changed. I imagine I'm not alone.

  5. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion