| DerNebel said: And you think Nintendo just gives out the permission to call something an Amiibo without looking at what the figurine does or how it looks like? To give an extreme example, lets say a dev makes an NFC figure that unlocks a sex minigame in a certain title, would Nintendo in that case let that dev use the Amiibo name? My problem here is that the OP is trying to portray Nintendo as an innocent bystander to the decision about what content is locked behind the Amiibo. I'm not saying that Nintendo should necessarily start policing indies, but I'd like it if we'd call a spade a spade here, to say that this (Nintendo exclusive) content that is linked to a figurine that carries a Nintendo licensed product name has been created entirely without Nintendo having a word in the matter, is simply wrong. |
Here's a great interview with Nintendo's Damon Baker if you want to explore the company's thoughts on this.
"As soon as we made announcements about amiibo... there were pitches and proposals... we wanted legitimate proposals, we didn't want it to be exploitive. We really wanted it to pertain to gameplay and to enriching the consumer experience and the fan experience. ...When we started collaborating (with Yacht Club Games) we were like, 'What's one thing that Nintendo can do that nobody could ever do?' and the natural fit was amiibo."
So sure, Nintendo was part of the discussion. Ultimately, though, it's on Yacht Club. Nintendo didn't make, publish, or license Shovel Knight. The product they licensed is the amiibo. That means they have an interest in ensuring that the amiibo meets their 'standards'. That it is high-quality in appearance and offers an experience that justifies its asking price. For the record, Nintendo's 'standards' in this regard are pretty awful so far, considering some of the amiibo that do next to nothing even in the games for which they were made (Splatoon comes to mind). So far it sounds like the Shovel Knight amiibo ranks pretty high in terms of how much you get with it. Sure, as with most amiibo implementation it does nothing that couldn't have been done with a simple DLC, so as far as that goes I have as much of an issue with it as I have with every other amiibo.
Bottom line, there's no fundamental difference between this and every other amiibo. It's being made for amiibo fans. People who like amiibo will like this. People who don't like amiibo will not. There's nothing to be "extra" dissatisfied with. From the perception of one who already objects to amiibo, Nintendo hasn't done anything new here. They're just continuing to reinforce their stance that amiibo are limited, expensive, physical DLC. So when people point fingers at Nintendo for this... like, yeah, no shit. Where have you all been for the past 10 months? They are the ones who set the precedent here. But Yacht Club are the ones making and publishing the content, making and distributing the amiibo. This is all them.
