Nintendo Clueless About Fatal Frame IV

[H.Bogard]

Anyone waiting for an European release of Fatal Frame IV anytime soon will not be pleased to hear this. Apparently, Nintendo of America doesn't even know that there exists a game by this name. GoNintendo reports:


During my interview with Denise Kaigler, I did manage to slip in a few ‘traditional’ questions. One of my inquiries related to Fatal Frame IV for the Wii. I wanted to know why we didn’t hear about it at the conference, and why it wasn’t on the show floor, or in Nintendo’s meeting room. I was a bit surprised to find out that no one during my meeting had even heard of the game. They weren’t familiar with the title at all. I thought for sure they would know the game I was talking about, considering Nintendo is publishing the title in Japan!Source (http://gonintendo.com/?p=49924)
Thanks to CVG for the tip. (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=193818)

Do they (Big N of America) take their third parties seriously?

[frederec]

Wow, that's just sad. I was really hoping for an official announcement at E3. Now I know why it didn't happen. This sounds vaguely reminiscent (on a much smaller scale) of the disconnect between Sega Japan and Sega of America before they withdrew from console production.

Hopefully if Nintendo keeps their heads up their butts, someone will come along and publish this for the US.

[jeffool]

Sweet horseradish sauce that's crazy. C'mon PR people... I know games are your 'job', and not your 'hobby', but really now, which one pays the bills?

[mkelehan]

Nintendo has a big show, in which all I want are Professor Layton 2 and Fatal Frame 4, and all I get is Wii Dog Frisbee.

[f1sh3r]

Nintendo has a big show, in which all I want are Professor Layton 2 and Fatal Frame 4, and all I get is Wii Dog Frisbee.

don't forget waverunner.

[Wolvie]

Nintendo's success is looking more and more like a blissfully ignorant retard who's stumbled across a lottery ticket and won millions.

[Norse]

MotionPlus totally ambushes third-party developers (http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/07/22/motionplus-totally-ambushes-third-party-developers/)

Nintendo just don't care about 3rd party at this point.

[captainspankypants]

If Nintendo's business model is working and making them billions, what do they care? Anyone and everyone else can go fuck themselves.

[Wolvie]

MotionPlus totally ambushes third-party developers (http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/07/22/motionplus-totally-ambushes-third-party-developers/)

Nintendo just don't care about 3rd party at this point.

Ha! And people ripped on Sony for ambushing their 3rd party developers with motion controls. I guess Nintendo has a hard time connecting with their 3rd party developers from the top of their huge ass mountain of money.

[Savok]

Nintendo really is losing all touch with reality.

Well NoA anyway, Iwata apologizing would indicate NoJ is still in the same solar system we are.

[mkelehan]

Iwata apologizing would indicate NoJ is still in the same solar system we are.You took that seriously?

[Savok]

You took that seriously?
Not really, but the very fact he did it at all means they still have some idea what's going on in Japan.

[PopoWRX]

It's disappointing to say the least. Pretty easy to see where Nintendo is heading these days. Then again, they gave us their core titles pretty early so I dunno if I should be complaining. I just wish they threw us a bone at E3.

[T-Rex Commando]

Q: Does Nintendo care about 3rd party support?
A: Look at every Nintendo console in the past 10 years

[Yellowman]

Nintendo's success is looking more and more like a blissfully ignorant retard who's stumbled across a lottery ticket and won millions.

And threads about Nintendo are starting to get endlessly repetative...

[Norse]

And threads about Nintendo are starting to get endlessly repetative...

...much like Nintendo itself

[SuperMonkeyFighter2]

I'm not saying this is the case, but it is likely that Tecmo didn't get concept approval for the title in the US yet. For Nintendo titles, you can wait on concept right until the end (Unlike Sony and MS).
No concept (product code) means it will not be on Nintendo's radar until one is applied for and granted

[ChypeFlux]

MotionPlus totally ambushes third-party developers (http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/07/22/motionplus-totally-ambushes-third-party-developers/)

Nintendo just don't care about 3rd party at this point.
Blind-siding the developers was a dumb thing to do, on the one hand...on the other, everyone knew Microsoft was going to jump into the motion controller bandwagon. From that angle, N also blind-sided their competition by preventing any chance of a leak.

Even if that's why N did it though, I'm not sure it's worth the perception that you are crapping on the 3rd party developers more than you already were.

[Wyrm]

Q: Does Nintendo care about 3rd party support?
A: Look at every Nintendo console in the past 10 years

True. It should be noted that third party support is what has made the 360's software attach rate so high, and the Wii's so low.

I think part of the fault lies with the developers though. There is some great opportunity to spend time developing a good game for the Wii that utilizes the motion controls in creative and unique ways, but so few developers have bothered to take the time to do it right.

Nintendo isn't helping, but the developers aren't exactly setting their sights high.

[Disgustipated]

I think you could have shortened the title of this thread to "Nintendo Clueless" and it'd be more accurate.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

If Nintendo's business model is working and making them billions, what do they care? Anyone and everyone else can go fuck themselves.

That's a great attitude to have. :rolleyes:

[bean19]

And threads about Nintendo are starting to get endlessly repetative...

You think so? For the last year, half the participants on this board would cry bloody fucking murder and lynch anyone for apostasy if they spoke ill of Wii godhead.

I'm thinking this new trend where people don't eat Nintendo's shit (while insisting it's pudding) is refreshing.

[RMan]

You think so? For the last year, half the participants on this board would cry bloody fucking murder and lynch anyone for apostasy if they spoke ill of Wii godhead.

I'm thinking this new trend where people don't eat Nintendo's shit (while insisting it's pudding) is refreshing.
Hehe, 360 superfan and Wii hater enters EvAv forum to bitch about Wii superfans, predictably proving Yellowman’s point. I am RMan’s complete lack of surprise.

[KSmitty]

So one person at a company doesn't know something about a game and now that company is clueless?

Shane Kim says hello.

[OldEnoughToKnowBetter]

The sum total of Nintendo concept approval at this point is...'Do you have a title and platform? Great, concept approved.' There is no longer any Mario Club or anything like that on this side of the pond.

As far as Nintendo not caring for 3rd parties, I know the individuals at NOA care about the 3rd party system and they would LOVE for 3rd parties to be successful on their systems and sell lots of software. But the organization as controlled by NCL in Japan does not allow for that to come to any meaningful fruition.

All that said, PR hacks can and will be morons more often than not.

[Variable Gear]

So one person at a company doesn't know something about a game and now that company is clueless?

Shane Kim says hello.
Shane Kim knows less about his company's portfolio, and the games of Microsoft's competitors, notably Sony, than anyone connected to the industry. He's a massive tool. It's an embarrassment to the company.

[Wolvie]

And threads about Nintendo are starting to get endlessly repetative...

...much like Nintendo itself

What Norse said.

[Sl1pstream]

Blind-siding the developers was a dumb thing to do, on the one hand...on the other, everyone knew Microsoft was going to jump into the motion controller bandwagon. From that angle, N also blind-sided their competition by preventing any chance of a leak.

Even if that's why N did it though, I'm not sure it's worth the perception that you are crapping on the 3rd party developers more than you already were.

Weren't those rumors that turned out to be fake? Also, it's a perception? I think this (among other things) just shows that they are actually doing just that. Sure, they make tons of money, but that doesn't exactly help me. Good 3rd party games would help me, because it's not as if Nintendo comes up with a new and exciting IP every year. (Nintendogs doesn't count, because it's fun but more of a toy than a game).

[Lutheran]

So one person at a company doesn't know something about a game and now that company is clueless?

Shane Kim says hello.


Imagine how much worse they would be beating the shit out of Microsoft/Sony if they had a clue eh?? :rolleyes:

[Kamalot]

So, the USA team happens to not know about one game being published in Japan? Is this as bad as Microsoft thinking that Resident Evil 5 coming to the 360 is news, almost a year after it was announced and shown to the public at a major trade show? Yeah... didn't think so.

[mkelehan]

So, the USA team happens to not know about one game being published in Japan? Is this as bad as Microsoft thinking that Resident Evil 5 coming to the 360 is news, almost a year after it was announced and shown to the public at a major trade show? Yeah... didn't think so.

Yes, because Microsoft isn't the publisher of RE5.

[Justin_Bailey]

Yes, because Microsoft isn't the publisher of RE5.

And Nintendo of America isn't the publisher of Fatal Frame IV.

[mkelehan]

And Nintendo of America isn't the publisher of Fatal Frame IV.

...but their Japanese arm is, so NOA would have first refusal for NA publishing rights. Thus, they'd certainly know if the game existed. Not knowing about a second party game is a good deal worse than not knowing the history of a third party game.

[Shodan2020]

While I don't like it that Fatal Frame IV is a Wii only title, I'm dying to see what Suda51 has up his sleeve for it.

It sucks that Nintendo is clueless about it.

[Justin_Bailey]

...but their Japanese arm is, so NOA would have first refusal for NA publishing rights. Thus, they'd certainly know if the game existed.

Why? Isn't it possible that Suda signed a publishing deal only with Nintendo of Japan for Japan, leaving all of the other regions wind open? Also, Fatal Frame was created (and is owned) by Tecmo. Wouldn't they have right of first refusal for a NA release?

Not knowing about a second party game is a good deal worse than not knowing the history of a third party game.

But again, Fatal Frame IV is not a Nintendo of America second party game. So why would their marketing people have any knowledge about a game they're not marketing?

[RMan]

...but their Japanese arm is, so NOA would have first refusal for NA publishing rights. Thus, they'd certainly know if the game existed. Not knowing about a second party game is a good deal worse than not knowing the history of a third party game.
Conjecture aside, knowing of a game published by a sister company in a territory you don’t work with would be entirely academic, where knowing about 3rd party games is not. Of course, neither is remotely a big deal, and is being given way too much attention, the companies are big, the industries are big, and these mistakes are small. Mountains of molehills, I say.

[bean19]

Conjecture aside, knowing of a game published by a sister company in a territory you don’t work with would be entirely academic, where knowing about 3rd party games is not. Of course, neither is remotely a big deal, and is being given way too much attention, the companies are big, the industries are big, and these mistakes are small. Mountains of molehills, I say.
The reason I'm not a fanboy and instead a gamer who likes games on his Xbox 360 is that I applaud the good things about the experience (online service, game library), but I'm absolutely as much of a critic about the bad things that Microsoft does (ridiculously expensive peripherals, poor reliability, etc.) as other gamers.

You can't see anything wrong with Nintendo's behavior and probably convince yourself that it's okay for them to change their focus entirely away from core gamers and just produce tons of shovelware. Bad graphics and poor game technology = everyone who says so is a graphics whore. Poor library with few standout titles with those standout titles mostly being first-party titles that fail to innovate (with few exceptions) = someone who is a "Wii hater".

Become a gamer. Except the good and bad about your console of choice. Stop attacking people for having negative opinions about your console.

[RMan]

You can't see anything wrong with Nintendo's behavior and probably convince yourself that it's okay for them to change their focus entirely away from core gamers and just produce tons of shovelware.
Hehe, wow, Nintendo releases shovel ware and have abandoned core gamers? Have you even so much as glanced at what Nintendo has released, or are your blinders that narrow? If they had done what you say, then I wouldn't like it, and would say so, but of course they haven't. You are choosing to see something I cannot, I am not complacent about Nintendo's direction, I do in fact think they're doing much better than their competitors for gamers.
Become a gamer. Except the good and bad about your console of choice. Stop attacking people for having negative opinions about your console.
Dude, you didn’t even read what I said, did you? I was merely pointing out that NoA’s oversight regarding a game they don’t market and is in no part their job is arguably not as bad as MS’s oversight about a 3rd party game. This was a point someone else brought up, and I was merely adding perspective, but I still called both mistakes, just not big ones. And here you come, yelling something which I can’t completely discern, but clearly not understanding what you think you’re responding to. Seemingly set off by the idea that I suggested MS’s mistake might be worse in a realistic sense, and you do this while calling ME a fanboy?

I have in fact only attacked one person, if you want to call it an attack, and that was you. And it was not in defense of Nintendo, but rather the people YOU attacked with your statement, which featured nothing about the console or even the issue at hand. You should actually take a second to read your statements, because it’s pretty funny.