Wired recently talked with Nintendo president Reggie FIls-Aime and the upcoming DSi was obviously a focal point of the conversation. More specifically, when quizzed about the DSi Shop and potential DSiWare that will populate its virtual shelves, Reggie wanted to stress that Nintendo will be focusing on quality titles, and not an overabundance of games and apps, like one might see on the iPhone.
Reggie rather smartly compares the emphasis on quality over quantity to that of a film festival and YouTube. He says Nintendo will focus on "high-class content done by knowledgeable developers," instead of the "YouTube approach of everything under the sun that is difficult for the consumer to navigate through."
He also says that the company will be granting third parties licenses to develop DSiWare and titles should be available around six weeks after the DSi's launch. But, he stresses that these companies need to create experiences unique to the platform and not available anywhere else, so don't expect a DSi version of SSFIITHDR or anything.
Reader Comments (59)
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 7:02PM Misfit Toy said
That's the "Dude, I'm pulling in some serious bank and there ain't nothing you can do about it" look...
Followed by the "Hardcore....pfft..." look.
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Followed by the "Hardcore....pfft..." look.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 5:43PM In A World said
Ahhhhhhhh!
.... oh, there's some sort of article hmmm....
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.... oh, there's some sort of article hmmm....
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 5:43PM (Unverified) said
Just like the regular DS, Wii, VC, and Wiiware right reggie?
Please stop talking.
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Please stop talking.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 11:09PM (Unverified) said
lol you're talking to someone who's never bought a bad game in his life. The point is, nintendo is the last company on earth that's allowed to talk about quality over quantity as the majority of all of their lineups is pure garbage. That's irrefutable and it can be proven by hard numbers.
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 11:34PM (Unverified) said
"lol you're talking to someone who's never bought a bad game in his life."
I remember you liked Fallout 3 quite a bit.
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I remember you liked Fallout 3 quite a bit.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 11:45PM (Unverified) said
Sorry tmac, but metacritic doesn't in any definition of the words constitute "hard numbers". A review is always just someone's opinion.
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Posted: Apr 4th 2009 12:49AM (Unverified) said
I wasn't aware you know what I buy. Maybe I just have a brain and know what I'm buying before dropping $60? It's that intuition and intelligence that steered me away from buying RE 5 and just renting it. Best decision I've made game-related all year.
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Posted: Apr 4th 2009 1:16AM chispito said
I can't speak for the Wii, but there have been many more worthy games on the DS than I have had the time or money to play since the handheld launched. Sure there's been a ton of crap, but it's not hurting for truly excellent games, either. (maybe there are a few genres that lack the AAA titles, like shmups, but that doesn't detract from the overall plethora of goodness)
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 6:50PM Istari Spartan said
apparently 0.3 mp is ideal for the screen size.
but, whatever. that quality in this day and age reeks of cheapness.
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but, whatever. that quality in this day and age reeks of cheapness.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 5:48PM Uncle Jesse said
Dick Tracy villian - Little Face?
The last time Nintendo was touting 'quality over quantity' was with the N64. I loved my 64 but wow, there were some long droughts waiting for the quality.
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The last time Nintendo was touting 'quality over quantity' was with the N64. I loved my 64 but wow, there were some long droughts waiting for the quality.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 7:35PM manyquestions said
Maybe that's the last time they emphasized the phrase, personally I don't follow trends in Nintendo marketing slogans that closely, but I think that's pretty much been their general approach for like a long time now. The number of important games on the N64 may be small enough to count on your own hands, but those were some of the best games litterally ever made: (OoT, Majora, Starfox64, Mario64?). Sure, they always have their fair share of minigames, lesser titles, and the rare utter failure, but the points that define them are their Zeldas, their proper platforming Marios, things that almost never disappoint.
Besides, it makes sense that the first party alone can never really create a majority of the titles for its system. That's practically what Nintendo had to do with the N64 as one third party after another defected to Sony, and it pretty well explains the droughts between Nintendo megatons. They were probably similar length to what they are every generation, you just noticed them more because there were fewer third party releases to distract you. The DS has already proved itself able to attract competent third party developers, hopefully that will carry over to the DSi shop.
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Besides, it makes sense that the first party alone can never really create a majority of the titles for its system. That's practically what Nintendo had to do with the N64 as one third party after another defected to Sony, and it pretty well explains the droughts between Nintendo megatons. They were probably similar length to what they are every generation, you just noticed them more because there were fewer third party releases to distract you. The DS has already proved itself able to attract competent third party developers, hopefully that will carry over to the DSi shop.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 8:03PM (Unverified) said
and in the long run, isn't that all that matters? Knowing that somewhere in this vast world of ours, Stephen is safe while we fight to survive?
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 6:15PM Mabui said
Oh Reggie - again with the zany things that will undoubtedly make people think less of you. You used to be the champion of the American Nintendo fans - and now you're just some old guy who seems out of touch with the world as it is.
I feel like this is a miss-step on behalf of Nintendo. But oh well, I don't own a DSi yet, so I suppose I shouldn't care what they do with it until I do.
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I feel like this is a miss-step on behalf of Nintendo. But oh well, I don't own a DSi yet, so I suppose I shouldn't care what they do with it until I do.
Posted: Apr 4th 2009 6:20AM JRMG said
it happened when he became president of NOA. He's less creative now, backtracks a lot, and spews a lot more bullshit. He should just keep quiet now before he really shoots himself in the foot.
Now that I'm living in Japan, it has become easy to see that the Japanese market is still king for nintendo. The US is still its bitch, and if in 6 months japan has only had a handful of quality DSi games, then the US will have even less than that.
I know for a fact reggie is lying through his teeth, and it bothers me to no end to hear him speak nowadays.
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Now that I'm living in Japan, it has become easy to see that the Japanese market is still king for nintendo. The US is still its bitch, and if in 6 months japan has only had a handful of quality DSi games, then the US will have even less than that.
I know for a fact reggie is lying through his teeth, and it bothers me to no end to hear him speak nowadays.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 6:27PM RobAccomando said
can his face get any BIGGER??
Also, quality vs quantity? lol... right
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Also, quality vs quantity? lol... right
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 6:33PM rockies123 said
yeah right, can someone mention to him about wii's array of quality titles??
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 6:35PM Discotheque said
I wonder what these guys think when they have their cheesy mugshots posted up on blog sites?
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 6:55PM Mugen no Majo said
pft.... quality.. right... i really doubt that its gonna be quality over quanity.
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 7:21PM (Unverified) said
haahahahaha
DONKEY KONG in the FLESH!!!!
shaven of course.
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DONKEY KONG in the FLESH!!!!
shaven of course.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 8:12PM manyquestions said
Why's everyone being so negative? I'd much prefer to have A.) a conversation about the article rather than a series of lame attempts at humor about Reggie's face (aristokrat, you did good; everyone else, there's a place for that, it just seems over the top right now), and B.) one or two LostWinds or World of Goo-calibur games out of Nintendo every six moths to a year than have 150 "Frat Party Games" added every day. Quality over quntity sounds like a good idea to me.
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 8:37PM (Unverified) said
Whatever. I don't know where you guys get the time to game so much but there's more than enough quality titles on the Wii for me. Hell, I don 't have time for the four systems that I own but I can't find it in my heart to sell any one of them because they all have really good games that I just haven't gotten around to playing yet. I'm still trading my DS Lite in for a DSi tomorrow.
Anyway, has anyone heard whether or not I'll be able to play at least my NES and SNES VC games on the DSi? 'Cause that would be tits.
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Anyway, has anyone heard whether or not I'll be able to play at least my NES and SNES VC games on the DSi? 'Cause that would be tits.
Posted: Apr 4th 2009 5:31AM Bowser Rogozhin said
"'Im still trading my DS Lite in for a DSi tomorrow. "
Don't do it, you'll regret it. Trust me, I wouldn't lie to you.
"Anyway, has anyone heard whether or not I'll be able to play at least my NES and SNES VC games on the DSi?"
That functionality has not been enabled, but I don't see why it couldn't be implemented in the future.
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Don't do it, you'll regret it. Trust me, I wouldn't lie to you.
"Anyway, has anyone heard whether or not I'll be able to play at least my NES and SNES VC games on the DSi?"
That functionality has not been enabled, but I don't see why it couldn't be implemented in the future.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 9:00PM manyquestions said
You were watching NBC, weirdness is to be expected. :)
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 9:24PM (Unverified) said
Hmm, nintendo claiming quality over quantity... I'm having a severe case of dejavu!
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 9:35PM Roto13 said
"But, he stresses that these companies need to create experiences unique to the platform and not available anywhere else, so don't expect a DSi version of SSFIITHDR or anything."
I don't really like this. There are games out there that would be fine if they were just ported directly to DSiWare.
Also, I move that every picture of Reggie be replaced by a picture of Android 8 from Dragon Ball.
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I don't really like this. There are games out there that would be fine if they were just ported directly to DSiWare.
Also, I move that every picture of Reggie be replaced by a picture of Android 8 from Dragon Ball.
Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 9:59PM manyquestions said
In the Wired article it says that Nintendo isn't going to infringe on the creative freedom of liscensees. That's just a suggestion, albeit a strong one, not a madate as I understand.
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 10:30PM (Unverified) said
If there isnt an epic Zelda or new Metroid game coming at E3 I may need to kill reggie
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Posted: Apr 3rd 2009 11:31PM (Unverified) said
On the talk about this "quality" thing, I constantly keep hearing how the DS is supposedly the best system and way better then the Wii. I'm curious as to why that is, because all I see are the two libraries being very much the same.
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Posted: Apr 4th 2009 12:43AM (Unverified) said
In that case, you aren't looking hard enough. Name your 20 favorite Wii games (this includes Gamecube (Twilight Princess) and PS2 (DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 3) that you can honestly say you still play now and then.
I'll give you 10 from the DS right now: Pokemon Pearl, Blazer Drive, Sangokushi Taisen Ten, The World Ends With You, Shiren the Wanderer, Prince of Tennis: Crystal Drive, Super Robot Wars W, SD Gundam G Generation DS, Ouendan 2 (Elite Beat Agents), Band Brothers DX.
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I'll give you 10 from the DS right now: Pokemon Pearl, Blazer Drive, Sangokushi Taisen Ten, The World Ends With You, Shiren the Wanderer, Prince of Tennis: Crystal Drive, Super Robot Wars W, SD Gundam G Generation DS, Ouendan 2 (Elite Beat Agents), Band Brothers DX.
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