That is a pretty funny ad choice, maybe thunbs down means something different in Japan?

I have no idea what it means in Japan, but that picture is from a cutscene in the game.

We know that. The point is why it's on a display. Duh.

Because Samus doesn't do a V for Victory pose in the game.

Everyone knows that?  Awesome.  I guess I should just stop posting in this thread.

Just to point out again how is a miracle that Sony survives to its awful marketing, today I saw the second, SECOND, PS Move ad since its launch. Ten days since launch, and I could only see two Move ads. I know they were surely more, but if I saw just two of them, they weren't so many. OTOH, I already saw three times Halo ads, and the first ones very well timed just before the launch. And every now and then, even during the slowest periods of Summer, Nintendo aired ads for NSMBW and Wii, MS for XB360 and Sony for PS3. Not to mention again the overwhelming presence of Halo:Reach (and Starcraft too) in shops.

So, very good marketing for Halo, from decent to good for Wii, Mario, PS3 and XB360 through the year, but VERY bad and very badly timed for Move and M:OM. Yeah, the impression is like Sony and Ninty surrender to Halo launch.

While his post on minecraft is a little large for me to try to post, I feel this video is also important.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQpNhZ1SndQ

It discusses how to properly execute innovation, and has some interesting points, such as simply moving people to an innovation team doesn't always work, since they are not always in the mindset to innovate over what they have been doing for years.

I don't think Sony was placing as much faith in Move as Microsoft is placing in Kinect, therefore they did not bother to advertise it as well as they could have. If your business strategy for the Move is a wait and see if the Sony core gamers will pick it up, then why waste millions on a Move launch advertising campaign aimed at getting new Sony consumers?

As for Other M, as has been said here and elsewhere many a time, Metroid is a flagship series that has been in constant decline since Super Metroid. Other M was done just as a gimme to Metroid fans without much thought if the game would prove to be the nail in the coffin for the series. Metroid will pick up again once Other M beats Super Metroid at being the lowest selling Metroid game and another Nintendo Game God is given a shot at it.

Microsoft ain't positioning itself well either. Yes, the marketing is down pat like the study routine for a student with a 4.5 GPA. However, Microsoft seems to have Halo, Gears, and Fable to define the "Xbox experience." Gears of War, as a series, has not gotten better with each sequel, Halo is going to be milked out of all intrinsic value, and Fable is great, but still a huge unknown for many. For Microsoft to compete, they need more exclusives and Microsoft, for whatever reason, has been reluctant to go all out with 1st party games instead banking on their Live to make the Xbox the most played console for the latest, greatest 3rd party FPS.

All three have problems, some similar and some different. Both Sony and Nintendo need to market more. Nintendo is the best positioned out of the three. Sony needs to get back to gameplay first instead of technology first. Finally, Microsoft needs more exclusives instead of relying on Live and 3rd party support to drive their Xbox sales.

If 3rd party support is going to be the big grab next generation between the three, then Sony and Microsoft need to start developing new IPs ASAP or it will come down to whatever console is priced the lowest. If all three consoles are on parity with 3rd party support, then it will be hard distinguishing them beyond the size, shape, color, and name on the box.

So did his cautious optimism about Skyward Sword only last for one post back in June, or what?

I'll take that as a "yes".

Also, I find it odd that Malstrom still harps on the idea of a sequence where Link wouldn't have his sword, and says that it's typical of Aonuma moving away from what made Zelda great in that it would just be another gimmick sequence that would be terrible.

Now I know he doesn't know this since he's never beaten Ocarina of Time, but Link fighting without his sword wasn't Aonuma's idea, or at least not his alone. It happened in Ocarina of Time! It was the opening of the final boss fight! Incidentally, it's one of the most fondly remembered sequences in the whole series.