Metroid Prime: Hunters [DS]

[agentgray]

It looks like a 1up.com editor has lost all sanity (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3142003&a=all) as he realizes that Metroid Prime Hunters for the DS will not have online multiplayer.Is it any surprise Nintendo's avoiding the hot button issue of online multiplayer with Metroid Prime: Hunters? The company absolutely loves highlighting the work they're supposedly putting into an online infrastructure for Nintendo DS, but they're showing time and time again that they completely miss the point.The game will still have wi-fi multiplayer.

Note: The article author's source link seems to be down, but you can get "no online" confirmation from an IGN E3 interview with the game creators (http://ds.ign.com/articles/616/616902p1.html).

This may be old news but raises an intereing question: Wouldn't it make sense for Nintendo to do this? Nintendo doesn't have any online service right now anyway. "Get the game out the door..."

[mister_slim]

Is it any surprise that 1up.com editors can't be bothered to do their research?

This has been known for months.

[Rangoth]

I was rather let down recently when reading the most recent issue of EGM and they were putting down the controls. WTF? Idiots.

[Rommel]

Yeah, but perhaps the editor hasn't played his DS for months. I find that to be the case with me. Maybe it fell off a shelf and he remembered he owned one.

[Kagger]

But will there be a single player game?

[Kamalot]

Kensuke Tanabe: We had a multiplayer mode in Metroid Prime: Echoes, but it was more of a bonus to gamers than the main focus. I really wanted to create a multiplayer mode for Metroid, but I haven't forgotten about the single player fans. We're going to make it very interesting.

IGN: With multiplayer being Metroid Prime Hunter's focus, and Nintendo's stance on going online with its Nintendo DS software, what can you tell us about the possibility of this game going online?

Kensuke Tanabe: Unfortunately, the game won't support the multiplayer internet function of the Nintendo DS. To do it, it's not that easy and we'd have to build the infrastructure for it to work properly. The timing of the game release and the building of the infrastructure just didn't match. So while it won't be online, multiplayer will still be very very fun.


It seems this is a very level-headed move. It has never been assumed that the title would be online.


Why is the 1up editor being so shrill and unprofessional?

[Rommel]

It seems this is a very level-headed move. It has never been assumed that the title would be online.

To express a point. He does not think Nintendo knows how to do Online yet.

[Kamalot]

Sounds like he is off his flippin' rocker.

[Draft]

Sounds like Big N talked a lot of shit about taking the DS online and is now failing to deliver.

[splatstick]

Aren't they constructing WiFi hot spots all over Japan? I wouldn't exactly call that failure to deliver... yet.

[Furious Wang]

Who cares? If the final release is anything like the demo its going to suck hard anyway.

[KDups]

Sounds like Big N talked a lot of shit about taking the DS online and is now failing to deliver.

Jesus, they never said Metroid would be online. They originally planned for Metroid to be out this spring, before the Wi-Fi network was up and running. It just got delayed.

If Animal Crossing and Mario Kart aren't online then you can say shit like this.

[Heretic Machine]

Jesus, they never said Metroid would be online.

Who said they did? Doesn't mean it's not fucking stupid when they are going to have their online service up in a month or two. Especially for a high profile game like this. You could easily say the same thing about the original Halo as well. It should of have online play built into it, or at least a way to connect to Live to then download a patch to enable Live multiplayer. Sure Live wasn't out yet, but it was right around the corner, and Halo was a perfect game to play on it.

But then again, I don't care, I have a laptop. My DS just gathers more and more dust... Hopefully Animal Crossing will fix this, but I'm having my doubts.

[Kagger]

You could easily say the same thing about the original Halo as well.

And I do

I know a few friends with DS's, but we never have them at the same time it seems. I don't care about the MP aspect...if this game wants my cash I want a full SP game. Is there any word on it?

[funtownarcade]

If Xbox launched with a virtually bug free demo of Halo and then the game was pushed back and came out after Xbox Live was already out THEN you could say the same about Halo.

[EvilBob46]

Sounds like Big N talked a lot of shit about taking the DS online and is now failing to deliver.

With regard to games, Nintendo said Animal Crossing will be online by the end of the year...and it will be. A game that wasn't stated as having online MP ending up without online multiplayer, while disappointing, is no surprise really.

[Kamalot]

Failing to deliver means they need to have promised something. The only online promises I know of are:

Mario Kart DS
Animal Crossing DS
Super Smash Bros: Revolution

Can anyone else think of others?

[Kagger]

No, Kamalot, you've got it

Personally..I'm looking forward to online DS. It will be quite enjoyable. A guy in my clan is getting Animal Crossing...so maybe we can trade

[Nessus]

This is news? They confirmed no online for Metroid Prime: Hunters at E3.

[Adam Blue]

Just think....an Animal Crossing Clan.

[Heretic Machine]

Failing to deliver means they need to have promised something.

No it doesn't. Failing to deliver means it took a whole year for them to get out five games worth playing for their Handheld. Failing to deliver means having even less third party support on the DS than they've had on any Gameboy. Failing to deliver means that a game which -should- have online multiplayer but doesn't, even when it is available for them to incorporate though it's not open to consumers yet.

That's failing to deliver. Nintendo knows the phrase well.

[funtownarcade]

Failing to deliver means they need to have promised something. The only online promises I know of are:

Mario Kart DS
Animal Crossing DS
Super Smash Bros: Revolution

Can anyone else think of others?

Yeah, I've got one other promise they had, they promised that they were taking online seriously from now on! Three games isn't very special considering you will probably have to buy a special network adapter for your PC just to use it. And before anyone says no, look at the homebrew stuff, they can't get it to work with regular wireless network cards. As for all the wifi hotspots at airports and starbucks, most of these require you to pay and sign up for them, so unless there is a full blown web browser too that lets you log in and set up an account with each seperate hotspot (doubt this will happen) you are going to have to buy a special adapter to play three games online.

[Hellstorm]

Metroid + multiplayer of any kind = bad idea. See Prime 2 echoes.

[Hellstorm]

No it doesn't. Failing to deliver means it took a whole year for them to get out five games worth playing for their Handheld. Failing to deliver means having even less third party support on the DS than they've had on any Gameboy. Failing to deliver means that a game which -should- have online multiplayer but doesn't, even when it is available for them to incorporate though it's not open to consumers yet.

That's failing to deliver. Nintendo knows the phrase well.


Yeah, yeah and MS promised there would be no such thing as "patches" for xbox games with Live. Wow a company fails to deliever or live up to a promise? The Devil you say.

[Groo]

Yeah, yeah and MS promised there would be no such thing as "patches" for xbox games with Live. Wow a company fails to deliever or live up to a promise? The Devil you say.

When is the last time you downloaded a patch through Xbox Live?

[Neverborne]

When is the last time you downloaded a patch through Xbox Live?

Hmmmm...Let's see, all 7 million of the Halo2 auto-updates.

...and too reply to other ignorant comments above, all of the Homebrew applications for DS make your DS think that your computer is another DS, that's why you need to change drivers on your wireless card. To spell it out for the complete idiots: your DS can communicate with other DS's wirelessly without wi-fi. There is no true wi-fi networking out now. What will be released will be software related so it can communicate with wireless networks. Finally, there are millions of wi-fi hotspots and locations that offer free networking; leave your damn mother's basement. Hell, I'm even "borrowing" precious internets from a neighbor right now.

[Achilles]

I wonder if the Revolution’s Metroid Prime is going to have online multiplayer. It takes some doing to get that to work, not like Animal Crossing or Mario Kart. I also wonder if they’ll put in online multiplayer for Smash Brothers, and if they don’t, I wonder what the fallout would be like. Multiplayer is usually sketchy for fighting games, especially a fighting game like Smash Bros. which has 4 people on screen at once instead of 2.

[TrackZero]

But will there be a single player game?

Yes. They've got a full single player campaign. This was confirmed at E3.

[TrackZero]

Who said they did? Doesn't mean it's not fucking stupid when they are going to have their online service up in a month or two. Especially for a high profile game like this. You could easily say the same thing about the original Halo as well. It should of have online play built into it, or at least a way to connect to Live to then download a patch to enable Live multiplayer. Sure Live wasn't out yet, but it was right around the corner, and Halo was a perfect game to play on it.

But then again, I don't care, I have a laptop. My DS just gathers more and more dust... Hopefully Animal Crossing will fix this, but I'm having my doubts.

I think a "month or two" is being optimistic. Knowing them it won't be up until October at the earliest. They'll target it for the holiday season.

[mkelehan]

Failing to deliver means they need to have promised something. The only online promises I know of are:

Mario Kart DS
Animal Crossing DS
Super Smash Bros: Revolution

Can anyone else think of others?

I'll be honest: if, after they make Smash Bros. Revolution, they never make an online game again, I'll be satisfied. If they make an online Tetris Attack on top of that, my life will end.

[IndependentGMR]

I'll be honest: if, after they make Smash Bros. Revolution, they never make an online game again, I'll be satisfied. If they make an online Tetris Attack on top of that, my life will end.

Ditto my good sir, ditto. They'd have to make it like that Pokemon version of Tetris Attack, though. I believe it came out for N64, and was quite fun.

Seriously, though. I don't see the big deal with online gaming. I do think it's fun, but not really a necessity. When I purchase Halo 2, I spent the next week playing through single-player, all the way through to the crap-tastic finale. Then, I messed around on Live for awhile, until I realized that matchmaking was kind of annoying.

[Groo]

Hmmmm...Let's see, all 7 million of the Halo2 auto-updates.

I don't remember "7 million" auto updates. The only auto updates I remember were the ones that opened up new maps.

And even so, Auto-update? Technically, that is not a patch. Besides which, I'm sure that MS made an exception for Halo 2

[Nintendo Revolution]

The way I see it, the DS option pak has been brought forth many times. An expansion or even a quickly online-optimized title could be summoned by early 2006. Metroid Prime Hunters is afterall a NOA project and they definately see more eye to eye (at least in online FPS gaming) than NCL does.

[Kamalot]

From what I understand, Metroid Prime: Hunters was never promised as being an online game. Why the 1up editor sounds like he just got off the short bus is a complete mystery.

In terms of online titles, didn't the Xbox take a year to launch Live after the system's launch? Likewise, what was the first Live killer app? Halo 2? Nobody can begin to jump down Nintendo's throat for failing to follow through if Microsoft is used as an example.

2001 - November 15 - Xbox Release Date in North America
2002 - May 15 - Price Drop to $199!
2002 - November 15 - Xbox Live launches in North America

The Xbox's Ethernet jack, like the modem in Dreamcast, was little more than a benign tumor for the first year of the console's existence.

[Neverborne]

I don't remember "7 million" auto updates. The only auto updates I remember were the ones that opened up new maps.

And even so, Auto-update? Technically, that is not a patch. Besides which, I'm sure that MS made an exception for Halo 2

There have been at least four: some were released coinciding with new maps, there was the gameplay "fixes" update, and others to deal with hacking and cheating.

If it fixed the game, call it whatever you want, its a patch.

[Kamalot]

And even so, Auto-update? Technically, that is not a patch. Besides which, I'm sure that MS made an exception for Halo 2

So, Microsoft upheld their 'no patches' policy except for exceptions?

That sounds like they didn't uphold their end of the bargin.

It's like a smoker who tells the world he's quit, only to find out he means he's quit when he isn't smoking.

Oh, and like I'm supposed to believe that a Windows 'Auto Update' isn't a 'patch' either, hmmm?

[Groo]

So, Microsoft upheld their 'no patches' policy except for exceptions?

That sounds like they didn't uphold their end of the bargin.

It's like a smoker who tells the world he's quit, only to find out he means he's quit when he isn't smoking.

Oh, and like I'm supposed to believe that a Windows 'Auto Update' isn't a 'patch' either, hmmm?

It's a subtle difference between a patch and an "auto-update." A patch is something you apply yourself. You download it, run it, install it, and pray to God it doesn't fuck up your game. An auto update is relatively invisible.

There is no way to find every single bug in a game, especially when it is played online by so many people. Bungie did a pretty good job with Halo. And I'm sure that there's very few people out there who didn't want to see the bugs fixed.

It doesn't look like MS lets devs "patch" their games just because they couldn't get it bug tested before they rushed it out the door. Exploits and bugs always turn up once you set a game loose on the gaming public. Always. And it's better to have a system to fix those problems (especially in a ranked online game like Halo 2), rather than to put your hands up to your ears and go "no patches, ala la la la," and let the game go to shit.

[Nintendo Revolution]

It's a subtle difference between a patch and an "auto-update." A patch is something you apply yourself. You download it, run it, install it, and pray to God it doesn't fuck up your game. An auto update is relatively invisible.

It looks like some people have completely different terms of patching.

A patch is defined as "A piece of code added to software in order to fix a bug"

Nothing further.

From what I understand, Metroid Prime: Hunters was never promised as being an online game. Why the 1up editor sounds like he just got off the short bus is a complete mystery.

In terms of online titles, didn't the Xbox take a year to launch Live after the system's launch? Likewise, what was the first Live killer app? Halo 2? Nobody can begin to jump down Nintendo's throat for failing to follow through if Microsoft is used as an example.

2001 - November 15 - Xbox Release Date in North America
2002 - May 15 - Price Drop to $199!
2002 - November 15 - Xbox Live launches in North America

That's a very logical response that I haven't heard yet. Well said. Something I'd like to add, whether or not it will come true:

Microsoft got about 10% of their Xbox userbase online (not at the same time obviously, but about 1-2 million users subscribed). That's not very profitable, but it's definately a start. Xbox Live is considered revolutionary in terms of online play for a console (even though I'd like to stick Seganet to that or even Xband) but 10% is very weak.

Nintendo aims for up to 90% of their userbase to go online. I believe Reggie said this and he was talking global too. In Japan I hardly see it to be a problem to hit such a high number when hotspots are nearly everywhere. That's a large goal, and if it is to be set, I can guarentee that we will see a Metroid Prime Hunters online.

[mister_slim]

Don't forget the DS Tony Hawk will have online play.

eh, go ahead and forget if you want.

[Rangoth]

They have already said Hunters will not be online. If they want to have everyone online, they had better make damn sure it does ship with kick ass online play. Something more then just plain Deathmatch thats for sure. DS Tony Hawk having online play is going to help but they are no longer the only game in town and they need to get serious fast.

[DaedalusFolly]

Metroid + multiplayer of any kind = bad idea. See Prime 2 echoes.

I don't know... I thought the multiplayer in Prime 2 was fun. It wasnt Halo quality, but it definitely added to the game while NOT subtracting from the single player. Given that, I wouldnt call it a bad idea.

[Nintendo Revolution]

Metroid Prime 1 & 2 are much different than Hunters is. I think scanning and lockon targeting in Prime 2 MP really felt awkward, although it works perfect in single player. Hunters does not have this and relies on a fast paced deathmatch formula.

It's also worth noting that MP:H is not being developed by Retro, but instead NST in Nintendo of America.

[dena miscreant]

Hunters' storyline isn't quite as good, in my opinion. Feels a little more simplistic.

I'm having a blast in the single player "Adventure Mode", though, and online play is fantastic! I just wish I had friends to play with.