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LostWinds finds a home in Europe
Nintendo doesn't release sales numbers for VC or WiiWare titles (although stat lovers might be able to figure out some estimates). To give us a better idea of what's hot and what's not, though, everyone's favorite marketing guy Laurent Fischer reports that LostWinds is dominating Europe. The two games that "come close" to LostWinds' sales in the continent are TV Show King and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King.Fischer also reports that WiiWare titles are enjoying a "constant flow of downloads," which makes sense in today's digital media environment. As for LostWinds, we're glad to see a game that's such a breath of fresh air get the recognition it deserves.
No plans for external hardware, says Fischer
After screwing up and subsequently apologizing, Nintendo Europe's Laurent Fischer wants to get back to work. He does so by addressing the ever-present desire for extra Wii storage space. Yeah, kind of a touchy subject to bring up so soon after Fischergate, but there has to be some big revelation, right?Well, apparently Nintendo are "working on a solution," but "there's no plan to issue hardware." Fischer is referring to an external hard drive, a device that geeks and otaku gamers are eager to get. Iwata gave everyone hope, but those sentiments have been pretty much squared away in the bollocks box. There's always talk, always rumors and speculation, but still no storage -- and now, no plans.Check out the full feature for more details, but beyond telling us what we already know, Fischer and Nintendo aren't revealing anything.
Fischer regrets 'geeks and otaku' comment, Jaffe sticks oar in
The internet, as it tends to do on occasions, went and got itself in a great big tizzy last week, after Nintendo of Europe's Laurent Fischer suggested that only "geeks and otaku" cared about the Wii's storage issue. It wasn't the smartest move of Fischer's career, and it attracted considerable bile -- and not just from Nintendo fans.God of War creator David Jaffe, as he tends to do on occasions, got narked, and expressed his annoyance over the comment in a colorful entry on his blog. After dedicating a hefty part of his amusing rant to comparing Fischer's remarks with 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love, Jaffe accused Nintendo of "arrogance [...] that should make the company very ashamed," and suggests that Fischer "has no real clue" about games -- all while getting Fischer's gender wrong (" ... she really needs someone to sit her down and explain to her ... "). Brilliant.Anyway, just as Jaffe was about to hoisted onto the shoulders of Nintendo fans everywhere, Fischer went and spoiled all the fun by apologizing ... sort of. "I have huge respect for those who, like me, share a common passion for Nintendo and want to make it clear that I would never use and I didn't use this terminology in such a context or way to cause offence," Fischer blubbed. "I regret that this misunderstanding has created such offence and disappointment within the community."It's not the most heartfelt apology we've ever heard, but we'll take it. Now give us a hard drive, Fischer.[Via Eurogamer]
Nintendo says: Only geeks and otaku want a harddrive
Are you running out of storage space on your Wii? Then Laurent Fischer of NoE thinks you must be a big nerd. When asked about storage dilemmas at a recent press event, the managing director of marketing replied that only "geeks and otaku" want this issue addressed. Burn! We're not denying that we're geeks, mind you, but considering how much money video game addicts like us pump into Nintendo, you'd think they'd try to be a bit less dismissive.Edge Magazine also points out some other flaws in the WiiWare service. For one, Nintendo is leaving it up to bloggers and journalists to promote WiiWare titles, as the company doesn't plan to spend much money marketing the service or its games. Another issue is the interface for the shopping channel, in which WiiWare titles can get lost easily once a lot of games start showing up -- just look at the problems that XBLA is facing. Although we enjoy the service, WiiWare can certainly stand to be improved in a few areas. Let's just hope Nintendo is willing to meet developers and consumers halfway.[Via MTV Multiplayer]
NoE: 'There is no casual gaming'
Over in Europe, the senior marketing director, Laurent Fischer, says that the casual gamer is none other than a myth? Really, Laurent? For him, apparently, it's all black and white, with a very clear distinction between gamer and non-gamer and no gray area between."For me, you are a gamer or non-gamer," he says. "I think most of you know that you can spend ten or twenty hours on an internet flash game and have not realised. The guy who plays these games regularly - he's a core gamer." Laurent went on further to explain his point, stating "I don't like this word casual so much. Because people consider that casual needs to be something easy. If you're good at any game you can play at a high difficulty level. Take Tetris. There is incredible gameplay, it's very simple, very easy to understand, but it's also very different. I think a game can be a light enough to enjoy and for all gamers to become a core gamer on it."When looking over his comments, it's kind of an "in the eye of the beholder" thing. For us, yes, we think there is casual gaming and it's fairly defined what is and isn't a casual title. He doesn't agree with us, though, because, to him, there "is no casual gaming. There is just a different way to play."
Nintendo Europe promises Wii production boost, how nice
Shortly before pointing out that the sky is blue and that oxygen is a somewhat necessary element for the continuation of human life, Nintendo Europe's Laurent Fischer has confessed to Gamesindustry.biz that the console maker is "still struggling to deliver the right numbers of hardware to cope with demand." The senior marketing director cites the "recruiting power of the Wii" which is "more powerful than anyone had guessed." Apparently, looking for a Wii means going up against some sort of surprise Nintendo militia. When will these silly shortages end? Fischer offers no clue, but explains that it'll take more than a couple of days (more than ninety, at least). "We're planning to increase the production capacity but it's not something that can be done in a couple of days. We have to be patient." One can only hope patience production amongst consumers remains steady while Nintendo replenishes their critical duct tape supply.
NoE's Laurent Fischer talks Wii drought relief
Laurent Fischer, Marketing Director for Nintendo-Europe, recently spoke with German financial hub Finanzen regarding the massive Wii shortage. Fischer admitted that early demand for the console, particularly in Europe, outstripped expectations, and since the trend shows no sign of slowing, Nintendo of Japan has already begun to work on expanding production capacity. For those of you who are still Wii-less, this can be nothing but good news. Fischer also mentioned that despite shortages, Nintendo's set to easily reach their goal of six million systems sold worldwide by March 31.
