TRADE LAUNCH GUIDE
“I was incredibly impressed by 3DS at E3 and was lucky enough to play it behind closed doors,” says Namco Bandai’s marketing director Lee Kirton. “I was thrilled to see 3D without glasses.”
As with any console, content is king. And Nintendo has gone to great pains to ensure 3DS has a diverse line-up by recruiting third parties. The biggest selling DS games were Nintendo titles (see ‘DS by Numbers’ over the page), but could that be about change with 3DS? “We don’t think it’s any secret that Nintendo has been working hard to ensure there are strong third party franchises on 3DS,” said Ubisoft’s brand manager Jan Sanghera. Ubi has one of the biggest slates on 3DS – more on that over on page 26. “As the hardware power and features of these handhelds grow, so too do players’ expectations, and Nintendo can cater to this with the help of third party support.” These third parties are bringing some big names to 3DS. In fact, the schedule for 3DS reads a little like a fanboy’s wet dream. There’s Metal Gear Solid, Assassin’s Creed, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, and so on. Is this a sign of Nintendo focusing its efforts on core gamers? “Every new console release starts with a core line-up to appeal to the early adopters – but if the product is compelling the audience will come,” continues Disney’s Carroll. Konami’s UK general manager
Pete Stone adds: “I imagine that the hardcore will be the early adopters,
22 March 11th 2011
but Nintendo has done a great job on making DS something that spans all areas of use, and this will continue.”
GOING DIGITAL Perhaps one of Nintendo’s biggest moves on 3DS has been in the digital space.
The company’s president Satoru Iwata admitted at GDC last week that the firm’s digital services ‘have not operated as well as they should.’
“
much a part of people’s everyday lives as a mobile phone. I really hope we are going to see lots of 3DS in the ‘wild’ enabling the sort of head- to-head gaming that have eluded the markets outside of Japan. “I think these networking options will enable that because added connectivity means more exposure to other games people are playing.”
What I didn’t expect from 3DS was this suite of network features.
Will Curley, Tecmo Koei The firm hopes to fix that with
3DS. Post-launch it is preparing a new eShop, a Game Boy, Game Gear and movie download service, and the chance to access 3D film trailers. It’s not just online services, either.
There’s the chance to interact with gamers simply by walking near them using StreetPass, while Spot Pass can detect wireless hotspots. “When I first saw the 3DS at E3 last year I was impressed by the 3D visuals,” says Tecmo Koei’s VP of sales and marketing Will Curley. “What I didn’t expect was the suite of network features. I see the 3D screen as the key for hardware adoption but Nintendo has thought about how to make this device as
3DS VS SMARTPHONES So can the 3DS – with its 3D screen, major titles and digital services – do what the DS did in terms of units? The handheld market has evolved a lot since the DS first arrived – not least with the rise of the smartphone. “There is real competition in the handheld market from iPhone, and Android devices at much lower price points,” says THQ’s CEO Brian Farrell. “It is going to be a very interesting battle between Nintendo and this other marketplace. We believe 3DS will get some traction because it is a strong consumer experience. But we will find out in a couple of weeks.” With pre-orders approaching
100,000 units in the UK, and with shops selling out in Japan, there’s little doubt that the consumer appetite for a new DS is there. “We’re just continually astounded by the success of DS – there’s just an ongoing consumer desire for it,” concludes Nintendo’s marketing director Dawn Paine.
“2011 is the year of the 3DS and the year 3DS will turn 3D into a mainstream proposition; it’s portable, affordable and doesn’t need glasses.”
(Clockwise from top left) THQ’s Brian Farrell, Koch’s Craig McNicol, Ubisoft’s Jan Sanghera, Disney’s Matt Carroll, Tecmo’s Will Curley, Konami’s Pete Stone, Namco’s Lee Kirton and Nintendo’s Dawn Paine
www.mcvuk.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88