This game has created a crazy fan art following on the net, it's a given as it's a very unique art direction and is fantastic imo.

The other thing to remember is that so far we've only seen Turf Wars with 2 teams. I wouldn't be suprised if Nintendo did a Splatoon direct in April that included a suprise reveal of a 4 team game mode, perhaps a 2 on 2 mode, local coop and local competitive multiplayer.

Knowing how much Nintendo crams into their games, I don't think we've even seen the start of what Splatoon involves.

I'm kind of torn in my views of this game. On one hand, I love the look and the vibe. The game-play bits I've seen look fun. On the other hand, anything can look fun in carefully selected video content and some of the things I'm reading make me wonder if Nintendo is pushing to hard to make Splatoon unique. That wouldn't surprise me, as the Japanese aren't exactly known for pvp multi-player.

I think one of the most important factors with pvp multi-player is that game mechanics should be about enhancing the absolute dead-simple idea of players having fun shooting each other. If you get too fancy with that, if you make pvp center around the game mechanics rather than the game mechanics center around the idea of "player verses player", then game-play becomes a chore where you're fighting the game rather than your opponent. That's bad.

I'm not saying that will happen in Splatoon, I have no idea, but as a veteran of MMOs, I know one of the worst things in pvp is when it gets bogged down with too many abilities. Effects like slow-downs are generally reviled in pvp. Just ask anyone who has ever played against a Hunter or an Ice Mage.

Add all that together and my real impression is "wait and see". Nintendo has a lot of factors in play in Splatoon, which means it's going to be difficult to balance. This looks like a game that needs to prove itself before people purchase tickets for the hype train.

The central mechanic is making a mess, I feel like it started with that and became multiplayer... 

The BIG difference is: de Blob originated from a university project of people learning to develop games.

Splatoon is made by people who know how to make games and unmatched sources of creativity behind them.

I agree that comparisions to CoD or any other shooter are simply silly. If Splatoon should be compared to something - then use board games whose goal is to gain ground. 

Seen this way Splatoon looks very promising in terms a depth of gameplay and strategic options. 

Combine that with Splatoons vibe and online capabilities Nintendo has an instant classic here which will be a bigger success then Smash.

Tell me how to design a muliplayer game without having a central mechanic first hand...

As Nintendo has shown off the multiplayer months before the single player campaign it is safe to assume that Splatoon was indeed created as a multiplayer experience first hand.

Which makes totally sense as if there is something the Wii U needs badly it is online and multiplayer experiences.

I wouldn't be suprised at all if that "Project Treasure" Bandai Namco game is also financed by Nintendo somehow...

BTW: of course the central mechanic is TO MAKE a "mess". Thats exactly what I do if I'm going to paint something...

No, I'm not, but then again I'm not a Nintendo guy.

You don't start a game without having a central mechanic, you start off working with a mechanic where (in this case) you are spraying ink and make sure that process is fun, then you figure out how it works. Its after that point that you find out how to build a game around the enjoyable process. Making four play stuff is complicated, especially if it requires networked consoles and, important game design fact I learned the hard way, you ALWAYS start with a simple to produce but fun idea and work out from there, or else - well in my case, you end up wasting so much time that you fail your college course despite your lecturers telling you that you have the skill and talent to get high marks.

I don't hate Nintendo or any company. I really like Pokemon. But I am not interested by this game and the only ones I've seen interested are the Nintendo fans. Ask any non-Nintendo fan and they wouldn't be interested in this.

Sadly I think its vibrant colors and cartoon art style will hold it back. Sure, I think some 'hardcore' gamers/gaming enthusiasts (as in people who are interested in a wide variaty of games, frequent boards and/or gaming sites.) will be attracted by it and might get a Wii U. On the grand scope of things I expect it won't do a lot. I hope I'm wrong though and it turns out to be a somewhat decent system seller.

The huge CoD, Fifa, GTA, AC... crowd (the 'casuals' not on Nintendo platforms so to say) will not be interested in this.