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3DSWiiU

Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS Development Has Not Begun

by Neal Ronaghan - June 22, 2011, 10:14 pm EDT
Total comments: 11 Source: (Famitsu), http://www.1up.com/news/don-expect-smash-bros-anyt...

Developer Project Sora was planning to make Smash Bros. 3DS after Kid Icarus all along.

Kirby and Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai hasn't given too much thought to what the next Smash Bros. game, announced for both Wii U and 3DS by Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata at E3 2011, will be like.

The head of Project Sora, currently working on Kid Icarus: Uprising, talked about the game in his column in Famitsu. "Project Sora had intended to make a 3DS Smash Bros. once it had finished up a game on the system and had gotten used to the hardware's feature set," Sakurai said. "With the advent of the Wii U, though, we had a choice to make. Iwata asked us if wanted to make the next Smash Bros. on the Wii U or 3DS, and my thought was that we had to go on both platforms."

The announcement at E3 2011 was definitely a tad premature, though Sakurai says there are pros and cons to the early unveiling. "I'm not sure it's the smartest thing to make gamers wait for several years, but the early announcement was made chiefly in order to attract new team members."

That new team, Sakurai said, will have to play a large role in the design and direction of the game, as he hasn't been afforded the time to plan the game and lay out a design document. "The hardest part about game development is the burdens it places upon me," he said.

Talkback

AdrockJune 23, 2011

Not terribly surprising. We all pretty much knew that the game hasn't started development. Sakurai will most likely have access to the code and materials of previous games so it's not like he's starting completely from scratch.

It might be a good idea for each version to have their own directors and designers with Sakurai taking a more overseer role, similar to Miyamoto, and he could step in for more a direct role when needed. That or he could direct/design one game and oversee the other also stepping in if needed.

Ian SaneJune 23, 2011

If this hasn't even been started yet, why did Nintendo announce it as a Wii U title?  What IS going to be released for the Wii U at launch?  Why didn't they tell us about that instead?

UltimatePartyBearJune 23, 2011

I thought this was made perfectly clear during the conference when Iwata made the announcement.

GoldenPhoenixJune 23, 2011

Quote from: Ian

If this hasn't even been started yet, why did Nintendo announce it as a Wii U title?  What IS going to be released for the Wii U at launch?  Why didn't they tell us about that instead?

Because people would complain, like yourself, if they didn't. The fact is that the Wii U's launch date hasn't even been set yet, isn't it kind of early to start talking about launch games? Especially when whatever games that are in development are early on. Nintendo has NEVER been a company that likes to show games unless they are far enough along in development. They aren't Sony or MS who show CGI trailers if a game is not ready to show. The Wii U is likely about 1 year out, isn't it kind of ridiculous to expect them to have a launch line up already set in stone?

CericJune 23, 2011

I would expect a couple of games to be set in stone by a year in front due to development/maketing/testing/printing times.

BlackNMild2k1June 23, 2011

Quote from: UltimatePartyBear

I thought this was made perfectly clear during the conference when Iwata made the announcement.

I was gonna say the same thing earlier.... but opted not to.
Now I didn't have to.

GoldenPhoenixJune 23, 2011

Quote from: Ceric

I would expect a couple of games to be set in stone by a year in front due to development/maketing/testing/printing times.

Once again when has Nintendo done this, especially lately? Wii's lineup wasn't revealed until several months before it came out. Nintendo has never liked to show games so early in development, especially under Iwata. It doesn't mean they aren't coming out, and my guess they will be revealed at a Nintendo centric event in the fall, or if they are planning the Wii U's launch in Fall of 2012, next E3. It is already tough enough to keep a release date, just a couple of months out, much less a full year. It seems at this E3, Nintendo's focus was the controller's abilities. Still more then enough time to hype whatever launch games they have. It isn't being released this Fall or something like that. We'll see how it goes but I really don't expect the console to release in Spring, I am still thinking a Fall release date.

Nintendo is secretive, and has always been secretive about stuff, why are people surprised this time around? I remember when the Wii was first revealed at E3, all they showed as a mock up unit. Not only that but for whatever reason Nintendo seemed ill prepared for E3, the confusion caused by teh Wii U being a controller, console or both was pretty bad. Obviously they wanted to focus on the potential game play aspects of Wii U, like they did when Wii's controller was revealed (If I recall there weren't any games announced for launch then either, it was around a year before the Wii's release) but this time around it kind of fell on its face.

Also regarding this story, I thought it was clear as well, I could have swore it was said that development wouldn't start until Kid Icarus was finished?

AdrockJune 23, 2011

@GP - I agree for the most part. Every time Nintendo has shown games early, the sky falls. Twilight Princess was first shown in May 2004 at E3 with an expected Q4 2005, then got delayed an entire year. Even if you ignore the delay, there would have been at best a year and a half until the projected release date. What's the point of that? I actually prefer NOT knowing, like last year when Donkey Kong Country Returns was unveiled and I got to buy it 6 months later.

Nintendo just needs to keep the flow of information on new releases steady so there's always something to look forward to on store shelves. They dropped the ball big time lately with the current dearth of titles until Skyward Sword. They don't have to be WiiU titles since it's such a ways off. However, NOA holding off on not one but TWO big completed Wii titles is nothing short of inexcusable.

Ian SaneJune 23, 2011

The problem with Nintendo being secretive about release dates is that right now they have nothing.  The Wii U isn't until next year but they also have zilch except Zelda due on the Wii.  So what the fuck are they working on?  They could at least give their fanbase SOME reason to give a shit.

But they did anounce this.  So sometimes they won't mention a damn thing until six months before release, yet with this and with Pikmin 3 they tell us about it YEARS in advance while other projects, that I would assume are further along, are kept under wraps.  Huh?  These guys can't even be consistent with this stuff?

steveyJune 23, 2011

Iwata did the same thing when Brawl was announced, less than a week after Sakurai agreed he announced brawl. I think it's Iwata's way of fucking with Sakurai ...

Quote from: UltimatePartyBear

I thought this was made perfectly clear during the conference when Iwata made the announcement.

Yes, but the specifics and Sakurai's view is new.

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