Well if this isn't a kick in the teeth. The prospect of an Animal Crossing MMO on the Wii sounded absolutely delightful, and offered real potential for Nintendo to make a serious step forward in the online gaming market. Well, we can all pack up our hopes and go home, because Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has put paid to the dream. Now it's a case of Animal Crossing MM-NO.
"The virtual-world services out there now still aren't at a place where we'd like to join in," Iwata claimed, possibly while poisoning a well and curbstomping a puppy. "And certainly not to the point that we'd want to jump into competition with everybody else. We'd rather focus on doing things that nobody else would do." Gee, why don't you go break a kitten's back legs while you're at it, killjoy?
Seriously though, this is sad news, but if Nintendo doesn't want to make a potentially awesome title, then so be it. Iwata would rather make balance boards, as he states that "nobody else wants to develop a videogame where you get on the scale and see how much you weigh." Yes ... that sounds so much better than an Animal Crossing virtual world ... it really does. Can't wait for a "brushing your teeth," sim, either.
Perhaps we'll see it one day, but for now, Nintendo's focus is clear, and it's not interested in pursuing this venture. Here's hoping the Wii's online network can at least support Super Smash Bros. when it arrives, at least. Something worries me about that.
Contest:
9:01 AM on 02.06.2008
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Animal Crossing is a good game to play if you just want to relax and screw around with maybe ONE or two friends. Turning it into an MMO would just take away that relaxation aspect and fill it with people like harassers, gold miners, and the people who try to take what would be an enjoyable experience and fill it with jack-assery.
I'm expectng that next week, just to piss me off, there will be only one VC game. And it'll be Superman 64.
Clever.
It's fun to play, and addicting without being one. If it was an MMO that would just be about 20 times worse.
I'm going to go cry in the corner now.
However, this isn't to say that there still isn't Wi-Fi play, right? Just because it isn't an MMO doesn't mean people still can't visit your village, ne?
It's all so innocent until people get involved :|
It's as if some gamers just want them to be more like everyone else. Sony and Microsoft are expected to be themselves and no one minds that, but an off beat Japanese company which has always been a bit leftfield is constantly criticised for being the very thing they have always been. Nintendo will never go down the already proven and conventional path and they never have. So why do people still get annoyed about this?
If you want MMO's and an extensive paid for online service then the good news is that you can find that with the PC and 360. If you want a completely different pace and tone which thrives on personality, charm and subtle seductive game mechanics then buy Animal Crossing. Whatever you want, your tastes are well catered for and there is no reason to bitch about one not being more like the other.
Stop getting pissed off with Nintendo for being Nintendo.
Are they still gonna make an Animal Crossing for the Wii?
This seems awfully reminiscent of their stance to initiate an online presence in the first place.
One that has at least Gamecube quality graphics.
I don't want an MMO format. You know all you oould do is talk in predetermined speak, and people would make nothing but penis stuff. The game would be too hard to regulate for Sony or Microsoft, much less Nintendo.
now if they gave it balance board support, I'd be set.....
I also agree with Neonite. The game would be too chaotic as an MMO. Kids would be having arguments over apples, turnips, and fossils. "NOOOO! I PLANTED THAT TREE!! THOSE ARE MY COCONUTS!!" It just wouldn't work.
And why is ANYONE surprised by this? This is the very same man that said during the Gamecube's run "People aren't interested in online gaming." Did anyone HONESTLY expect an MMO from Nintendo? I sure as shit didn't. Nintendo has been two steps behind in hardcore gaming trends since the N64 days. Get used to it.
What would you do chat all the time, deliver gifts and run errands?
Look a few posts up.
Exactly. Nobody else makes you register your friends online with a 32bit integer, for example. And I can certainly understand why Nintendo wouldn't want to compete with any other company in offering an online platform: they can't.
I agree with Zardoz. Nintendo does things the Nintendo way, whether it's good, bad or ass-backwards and stupid. There's going to be a lot of bellyaching from many people over this, and I don't see why (aside from complaining for complaining's sake).
I'm glad Nintendo isn't making an MMO, Animal Crossing or otherwise. If they did, they'd just cock it up.
Does Nintendo's attitude strike anyone else as being a little arrogant? We'd rather focus on doing things that nobody else would do." Like they are so fucking superior!? Fuck them, if they can;t compete, fuck off, stop pretending to be a games company. Bleeding your crumbling fanbase dry with smash bros. when it suits you, at the smae time, telling the gamer demographic to fuck off because you can;t be bothered to cater for them. JEEZ!
Like what? Make another uninspired first party game, or one that involves that stupid scale?
I agree with a lot of people that Animal Crossing would not work in an MMO format. But at the very LEAST, they could make an Animal Crossing for the Wii that allows connectivity with your friends. I mean, that's what the Friend Codes are for, right?
There's enough MMOs. Nintendo's quirky genius is record-breaking, and it's easy to take shots at number one.
Is that Smooth Moves?
I knew Wii just had to have a teeth brushing sim in those minigame crapfests.