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curl-6 on 06 December 2015
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Aielyn said:
curl-6 said:
They need all the hype they can get, Nintendo's cred with gamers is arguably at an all-time low at present.

And the fact that 13 seconds of footage caused such a stir is because fans have been starved for 11 months, it's like a guy who hasn't had a drink in two days losing his mind over a dripping tap.

Again, what is the benefit of that hype, now? Do you honestly think there's any gamer who is holding off on buying a Wii U because we haven't seen enough of Zelda U?

Nintendo's "cred with gamers" isn't anywhere near an all-time low. They just won at the Video Game Awards in two categories that, a year ago, people would have scoffed at the idea of Nintendo even getting a nomination, with Halo, Destiny, CoD, etc all releasing in 2015, with a game that completely bucks the trend of the genre. Super Mario Maker is being lauded far and wide. Xenoblade Chronicles X is so strongly regarded, the only way that reviewers can justify being controversial with a lower score is by claiming that it's "too big" with "too much to do". Smash just got Cloud confirmed as DLC, with a big hype machine around what else they've got to reveal in the upcoming Smash presentation (which looks like it'll either be on Monday, or on the 16th). There's a big Pokemon announcement coming in the next week or so (probably on Monday) that has everyone speculating. Hyrule Warriors Legends is hotly anticipated - practically a first for a Warriors title in the west.

The only way you can claim their "cred with gamers" is low is if you look only at two titles - Mario Tennis, and Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival - two titles that were clearly stopgap titles, rushed to fill the gap made by Star Fox Zero. And most people are just ignoring those games.

And yes, they've starved people of Zelda U information, so that 13 seconds of footage showing Link on a horse becomes a big thing. That's EXACTLY my point - hype is a relative thing. Water that is freely available is boring. Water is the most delicious beverage in the world to a guy dying of thirst. By being so stingy with the Zelda U information, they're keeping everyone thirsty for more. So when they DO have the big reveal in about 6 months, it'll taste all the better for it (if you'll excuse the continuation of the metaphor).

People were near-orgasmic over that 13 seconds of footage. What happens when they have the big reveal?

Look at Wii U's sales. They are getting annihilated even by the much-derided Xbox One, much less the PS4. It's on track for a whopping 86% decline in sales from its predecessor. Even 3DS will be lucky to sell half what the DS did. Look at how much disdain mainstream gamers have for Nintendo these days. I'm curious, tell me, when it their history as a console manufacturer has their situation ever been this bad?

And just cos the man dying of thirst gets excited over a drop of water, doesn't mean he can live on it. Hype dies down if not regularly replenished with new momentum.