Geekscape Editorial: ‘Miitomo’ 2.0 Update, Why It Failed & What Future Nintendo Mobile Games Can Learn

by The_aczNovember 11, 2016

Remember Miitomo? For about a month in March, Nintendo’s very first mobile game swept IOS and Android devices by storm. Then it just died, but why?

The biggest reason was mostly due to the fact that the game was very basic and nothing more than a glorified question simulator. Sure it was fun the first couple of times to answer some question, hear your opponents answers, and even make your Mii curse up a storm, but eventually the novelty wore off and the game failed to really incentivize players to keep the app on their devices. Now with a little over 10,000,00 downloads, Nintendo is now adding a “big” update to the game in order to win people back. Is it worth talking about, or should you just hit ignore? Let’s find out.

At the core of Miitomo’s new update, there are 5 new features that are being stressed. The first is the ability to now send private messages to your friends, and honestly, there is nothing interesting about this at all. It’s very underwhelming, and your better off just actually PM’ing your friend on Facebook Messenger or Discord if you want to talk to them.

Feature number 2 adds the feature to finally customize your own room. This feature even gives you the ability to hang custom posters in your room whether it be a Miifoto or any picture from off the internet. While this feature may sound miles better than the previous one, it still ends up being incredibly disappointing. Customization is limited to only wallpaper and flooring, and right now posters are only limited to one as so far there aren’t any means to unlock more. While there are some cool themed walls and floors you can get (Metroid Zero Mission, Super Mario Bros., Zelda Breath of the Wild.), those are the only ones worth while as the other walls and floors just seem very bland and boring. Feature 3 introduces a new location called Style Central. Here you can upload your current outfit for all to see online. You can even buy the outfits that other people are wearing if you like them (sometimes). While quite charming at first, immediately becomes a boring novelty. Sure at first it’s fun to see characters dressed up like Steven Universe, and Gravity Falls, but after about a minute of exploring, you’ll quickly grow tired of the endless supply of Undertale and Steven Universe Characters ( I mean I love Steven Universe, but come on guys there’s just too much there).

Oh, and about being able to buy other outfits. I said sometimes, because there will be times when you can’t buy a certain item due to it only being available in Miitomo Drop. So you either have to spend Coins/Money on multiple tries, or worse, wait for that event to go back into the minigame. Another interesting idea, but poorly executed.

Feature 4 introduces Answer Central, which is just as boring as it sounds. All you do here is look at randomly chosen answers from other peoples randomly chosen questions. There honestly nothing to talk about here. You’re just looking at random peoples answers. It’s even more boring when half of the answers are just blindly praising Nintendo for for making the app. You can get an interesting answer, but they are few and far between.

The 5th and final “feature” to the game comes in the form of Mii sidekicks. With this, you can now make multiple Mii’s which can now be used to send private messages, be sent to Style Central, and even get their own room to customize. This is by far the most useless addition to the game since you’ve already been able to add more Mii’s to your game by importing QR codes. It feels like an afterthought. It’s as if they really wanted to boast 5 new features but couldn’t think of a good 5th one.

In the end, Miitomo fell victim to the fate of all mobile games. Hollow content with no incentive to continue playing, but it didn’t have to be this way. I believe that if they try hard enough, Nintendo could rule the mobile market with an iron fist. Now, with Super Mario Run just around the corner, here’s what their future mobile games can do to make sure they’re a success!

1: Make sure all features are fully fleshed out

I know I know. This sounds super weird and obvious, but hear me out. Miitomo’s biggest problem in my opinion is that the game has some really interesting ideas to it, but all the features feel unfinished. Room customization is cool, but only being able to change the walls and floor is pretty boring. Why can’t I choose what furniture appears in my place, and how come I can’t put a poster just in the middle of a wall? Nintendo, if you’re planning on having the mobile version of Animal Crossing just be some watered down version of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer where all you do is move furniture and collectible figures, I implore you to not do that. No one wants to play that.

2. Use a variety of I.P’s, not just the current popular ones.

Nintendo has always had this bad habit of over exposing their I.P’s once they become popular. We saw this with both Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem. AC suffered the worst a very bare bones decorating sim that was Happy Home Designer, and an abysmally depressing microtransaction slog that was Amiibo Festival. After so much exposure in such a small amount of time, people begin to grow bored of the same I.P’s, which is why so many people were attracted to Splatoon a breath of fresh air. Maybe instead of using Fire Emblem, you could use Advanced Wars. Instead of Animal Crossing, try using the Donkey Kong Country characters! There are so many other characters you own that could breathe new life on mobile. Doodle Jump esque Ice Climbers game anyone?

3. Go paid, not Free to Play

Another suggestion that sounds insane, I know. While yes, a free app will initially attract more people to a game, the game will struggle with keeping those same people if they can’t get people to pay for in app purchases. While it seems like Super Mario Run will be a paid title, I think the smartest thing to do is keep future titles that way also. I know it was announced a couple of months ago that Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem which were originally scheduled to be paid games, ended up making the jump to F2P. I say switch back to the one time payment. If you can create a fire emblem experience on phones that’s just as good as the 3DS, and you’re not charging people $5 every time you want a fallen ally revived, word of mouth and positive buzz can sell the game alone!

Yes, Nintendo may be struggling a bit in the mobile space right now, but I believe that by following this advice laid out for them, that they could truly rule over their own mobile empire. Only time will what happens, but here’s hoping for the best for the company I love.

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 73 – ‘If John Cena Wear’s Camouflage, CAN You See Him?’

by GeekscapeStaffApril 29, 2016

Join Carlos, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games! There is even a special guest!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Nintendo reduces their E3 prescence.

Nintendo NX releases March 2017.

Alicia Vikander is Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider movie reboot.

King of Fighters XIV get’s a release date.

EVO get’s 4,000 entrants for Street Fighter V.

Trials of The Blood Dragon leaked.

Borderlands movie gets screenwriter and producer.

Borderlands movie exists.

From Software not making another Dark Souls game and working on new IP.

No Man Sky has no story, but it does have lore!

Asura’s Wrath devs working on new game.

Retro Studios working on Nintendo NX game, NOT Metroid, Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong Racing.

Nintendo reports 61% profit loss.

Pokemon re-releases sell 1.5 Million copies.

Miitomo get’s Splatoon gear.

Xbox One gets seven backwards compatible games this week!

Rocksmith 2014.

Quantum Break.

Nioh Demo.

Dark Souls 3.

Mickey Magical Quest GBA.

Bravely Second.

Street Fighter V.

Valkyria Chronicles.

MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune Vs. Zombies.

StarFox Zero.

VHS Player’s Guide.

Mission Objective:

“What game did you get so stuck on that you were forced to get a walkthrough for, and why?”

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games: 6 Ways Nintendo Can Improve ‘Miitomo’

by The_aczApril 8, 2016

Miitomo released about a month ago, and it’s become a huge success. Reaching over a million downloads in just 3 days during their japan only launch, and then reaching 3 million downloads during its U.S Launch just goes to show how many people Nintendo’s little mobile game that could is reaching, but while all of us do enjoy it, there are things that could better or added to make the game even more fun. That’s what I’m here to ramble on about. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the top 6 things that Miitomo can do to improve itself!

#1: Ability to Like Comments

Now I know this one sounds weird, but hear me out. We all love striking up a conversation with friends and sharing photos, but there ends up being a time when a friend will post a reply or picture that you really enjoy, and would like to show others, and being able to like comments would help me keep track of some of those favorite comments. I know you can favorite entire conversations, but sometimes a full conversation can be a bit boring with only some specific parts that stand out.

#2: Expand on Contests

Since Miitomo launched in japan, we’ve seen the introduction of Miifoto contests, a way for Japanese users to get really creative with their Miifotos. We have yet for this to happen in America. Now I’m not just suggesting that they add photo contest, but instead expand on it. How about being able to win a 5 game tickets for 3^rd place, 5 game tickets and 1,000 coins for 2^nd, and 10 game tickets and 3,000 coins for 1^st. You could also throw in special promotional stamps to encourage people to at least enter. Not only would this motivate people to start experimenting even more with Miifoto. Having that much money would allow you to buy some excess clothes for the month as well as well as the #3 item on this list.

#3: Decorating Your Mii’s House

Oh yeah. I bet you could see this one coming from a mile away. Since this game is so similar to the 2014 3DS game Tomodachi Life, many people (including myself) have been asking Nintendo to add the option to be able to buy new themes and decorations for your room. When you first start up the game, you’re given a randomly selected room, but the problem with this is that unlike a lot of other things in the game, this feels the least personal. This is a big problem since everything else is so customizable. So why not personalize one of the most personal things? Open up a furniture shop where you can buy misc. stuff like beanbag chairs, TV’s, Nintendo related items, wallpaper, etc. The possibilities are endless!

#4 & 5: The Compatibility Tester & Rankings Come Back

Yet another feature that can return from Tomodachi Life is the ability to use a compatibility tester to measure the love between 2 Miis of your choice and a rankings chart to see where you measure up with your friends. I know it seems a bit strange and maybe a bit unnecessary to add these, but a little always goes a long way. Just the thought of having a rankings chart for how many times you’ve changed costume or perhaps most candies used would be a small, but fun feature to see. Even most questions answered would be cool to see. Say, that reminds me.

#6: More Questions

The 6^th and final wish is a simple one. There’s no doubt about it that asking you and your friends questions is the main meat of Miitomo, but if you’re addicted to it just as much as all of us here at Geekscape are, chances are that you’ve already burnt through a lot of the questions and are starting to see repeats by your friends. There were times when no joke, my Mii asked us the same question about what I had just done twice in a row. I’d love to see Nintendo add more seasonal questions. Questions like: “What is your favorite Summer blockbuster this year” for summer, or even: “What’s your favorite part of Thanksgiving?” during Fall.

There’s still tons of untapped potential for this game, and I’m sure everyone wants to see it succeed and go on to live a healthy mobile life where it’s still relevant and fun to play by next year. If Nintendo really listens to fan feedback and implement new features such as these down the line, I have no doubt that the game can remain just as fun and relevant in the future as it is now. What features do you think they should add? Comment below, and have a great day!

Geekscape 405: Facing Our Demons With Bryant Dillon Of Fanbase Press!

by JonathanApril 5, 2016

Bryant Dillon is a longtime friend of Geekscape, mainly as one of the heads of indie publisher and news outlet Fanboy Comix! Now, Bryant returns to the show to announce their new branding as Fanbase Press! Bryant talks to us about the decisions going into the change and what it means for their fans! We also discuss my recent but undeniable addiction to Nintendo’s Miitomo app and Kenny fills us in on the VR title ‘Adr1ft’! And of course, what was up with that season finale of ‘The Walking Dead’?

Subscribe to Geekscape on Soundcloud!

Subscribe to the Geekscape podcast on iTunes!

Subscribe to Geekscape TV on YouTube!

Nintendo’s ‘Miitomo’ Launches In North America On March 31st!

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 29, 2016

Briefly: It’s about time.

Matt detailed Nintendo’s rough launch plans for Miitomo back in February, and today the big N finally revealed that anticipating gamers in Canada and North America will be able to join Miitomo as of March 31st!

Nintendo notes that the app had an incredibly successful launch in Japan, boasting that the title was downloaded over “1 million times in its first three days of availability, while achieving the #1 most downloaded free app status in both the App Store and Google Play storefronts.”

Now it’s our turn. The company states that you can actually pre-register for Miitomo right now, right here, and that doing so, you’ll “receive an email when the app is ready to download. People that create their Nintendo Account and preregister before March 31 will also receive Platinum Points for the new My Nintendo rewards program, which will simultaneously launch with Miitomo. Aiming to be much more than a standard rewards program, My Nintendo is a comprehensive service that rewards users for interacting with Nintendo products and services in a variety of ways. Miitomo users who link the app to their Nintendo Account will be able to take advantage of My Nintendo to enhance their experience. Platinum Points can be earned by interacting with Nintendo apps and services, including Miitomo. Gold Points are earned when purchasing digital versions of games from Nintendo.com or Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Both Platinum and Gold Points can be redeemed for rewards like games, download content, in-app items and eShop discount coupons.”

It sounds pretty danged easy to get starting with Miitomo: “After downloading the application for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, along with Android devices, users create a Mii character and customize facial features like eyes and hair, as well as voice and personality. Users can also use the camera on their smart devices to snap a photo of themselves, which can be used to create a Mii, or they can simply import their Mii from theirWii U or Nintendo 3DS systems using a QR Code.

Once their Mii is ready, users can add friends who already have the app in person, or by linking the app with their existing Facebook or Twitter accounts. After that step is complete, it’s time to answer some questions! Miitomo creates conversations and turns discussions into a form of play by prompting users to answer all kinds of fun questions. How would you define your fashion style? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? If you were given 10 grand to spend in one day, what would you do? The answers get shared among friends, sparking interesting conversations – part of the fun is discovering unexpected facts about your friends. When users hear how their friends responded to questions, they can give answers a “heart” or a written or picture comment.”

The application looks weird as hell, but as a gamer who doesn’t spend a lot of time at home, I’m beyond excited to try out this unique experience on my iPhone. What are you excited to do in Miitomo? Be sure to sound out in the comments below!

After Miitomo, What Other Mobile Surprises Could Nintendo Have In Store?

by Matt RodriguezFebruary 5, 2016

Nintendo recently announced a plethora of big news, including details regarding the new My Nintendo account system, as well as their first mobile app Miitomo. Along with all the breaking news, the company also announced that they will be launching five smart device application by the end of March 2017 (including Miitomo). This is an absolutely huge move by Nintendo, and it’s always fun to speculate what may be coming next! So let’s go down the rabbit hole and take a brief look at their history with smart devices, and I’ll try at some guesses as to what we may see next!

I first heard of Nintendo creating an app for smart devices during a Nintendo Direct presentation detailing Wii U functionality in 2012. During a segment, Iwata goes into details for “Miiverse”, and a part of those details stated, “The social elements of Miiverse are also designed for Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and future Nintendo devices.” There was lots of speculation that this was going to be a smartphone app, and after some time, it was launched. However, contrary to what many had thought, Nintendo had chosen to make it exclusively a web app instead.

Nintendo continued the web-based application route, with recently releasing another app for Super Mario Maker. Titled “Super Mario Maker Bookmark“, this app allows you to queue a list of courses you would like to play when you’re on the go, so when you return to your Wii U at home, all of the search-work has already been completed. It also allows you to add identifier tags to describe your levels, such as “Gimmick,” “Puzzle,” etc.

When talking about brand new Nintendo gimmicks, there’s no name more popular than “Pokemon!” There are many times where Pokemon seems to be used as an experimental Intellectual Property for new ideas. An older example would be the N64 game “Hey You! Pikachu!” where the player can use a microphone to be able to command a virtual Pikachu on screen, and a newer example would be Nintendo’s first Amiibo, which were Pokemon NFC figurines for the Wii U eShop title, “Pokemon Rumble U!” I feel like Pokémon is always chosen because The Pokemon Company has a lot of wiggle room to work with the IP independently of Nintendo, but that’s still only conjecture on my part.

Many have heard of the Pokemon GO application being released this year, but it may be interesting to note that this isn’t the first Pokemon-based application to hit mobile devices. True to their pattern, Pokemon was again used in an experimental way. The very first Pokemon app (that I recall) making it to mobile devices was a virtual encyclopedia (otherwise known as a Pokedex) titled “Pokedex”. Originally, it only existed as an app on the Nintendo 3DS, but then became available through your smartphone or tablet! When this first came out, I was totally flabbergasted–I never imagined that The Pokemon Company was allowed to release any software that wasn’t on a Nintendo handheld! Several other apps were launched as well–an app for viewing “Pokemon TV”, a “Camp Pokemon” game, and a mobile port of the 3DS title “Pokemon Shuffle.”

This details Nintendo’s short history of utilizing smart devices, however, there is one more question we must ask ourselves before we start speculating: “Why mobile?” If Nintendo has been adamant about anything, it’s had always been about creating software that can take full advantage of the hardware that it’s utilizing. A similar question to ask would be “Why is Miiverse and Super Mario Maker Bookmark simply web apps, while Pokemon Shuffle and others are installable apps?” First let’s have a look at the cool features that most smartphones have in common, and try to answer these questions:

-Front and rear facing cameras–useful taking photos and AR (Augmented Reality) purposes
-Gyroscope–useful for detecting snappy tilt movements
-Local Hard Drive–useful for holding large amounts of information
-Microphone–useful for voice commands

It wouldn’t have made sense to have had Miiverse or Super Mario Maker Bookmark as local apps simply because large amounts of storage would be required to view all of the data stored on their website, especially since they’re being updated in real time. Pokedex is a limited encyclopedia so even though it is very large, it still has a maximum limit–totally suitable for a mobile app. Pokemon Shuffle is a game in and of itself, so it wouldn’t make sense as a web app because you wouldn’t be able to play it while offline. However, web apps do have an advantage–web apps can usually be accessed not only by smartphones, but by PCs and others as well. Therefore, Miiverse and Super Mario Maker Bookmark were available to many devices, and not strictly limited to smartphones.

Using all of the above as a backbone, here is a (somewhat) organized list on my thoughts of we will see with upcoming Nintendo apps!

-Miitomo is included in the count, so that technically makes FOUR more apps that Nintendo will build. Miitomo is also stated as their “first app for mobile devices,” so they’re NOT including Pokemon apps in the count.

-True to the point above, Pokemon GO will not be one of the apps being counted. It will probably be launched under The Pokemon Company’s name and not Nintendo’s.

-While a Miiverse app seems unlikely, as it really wouldn’t make sense, a “Nintendo Hub” app of sorts that can keep a local copy of all of your friends’ posts, and perhaps even a local database of your friends’ Super Mario Maker levels could be useful. It would also be cool to be able to draw Miiverse posts with your phone’s screen, something that is not currently possible with the web app. This “Hub” app will keep together all of the major Nintendo services, extensions, and game offerings, perhaps similar to the Final Fantasy Portal app by Square Enix.

-Miitomo isn’t a game so much as it is a “social interacting tool” with game elements. I do not expect Nintendo to release full dedicated games–at most, possibly ports of games, such as Pokemon Shuffle. Out of the four games, I’m guessing at least one will be a port.

-A dedicated companion to Super Mario Maker. A long time ago, Nintendo created a game called “Warioware D.I.Y.” which allowed players to create Warioware microgames and share with others. However, this game had a unique feature–players could download an app specific to the Wii just to play the created games, although owners of the app couldn’t create games themselves. What if you could simply play Super Mario Maker levels on your smartphone–download a bunch and play them on the go, even if you couldn’t make any? It would be an interesting way for them to advertise Super Mario Maker.

-If Nintendo can master how to work emulation for smartphones, then it’s may be possible to link Virtual Console purchase to a smart device–the emulator could be an app all by itself, or it could be embedded in a different app (like a Nintendo Hub!).

-An Augmented Reality app or game that allows the use of Nintendo Characters in real life scenarios–Nintendo has already tested the AR waters with apps on the 3DS such as AR Games and Photos with Mario!

-Amiibo Catalog–I think it would just be common sense for Nintendo to create an app for users to keep track of their amiibo collection. Although their website has an extensive database, it would be effective to link Amiibo purchases to your account, and be able to link it to all devices. This catalog can also be used to gauge interest in previously released figures, so Nintendo can do some guesswork as to how many people are interested in a figure that’s no longer available, perhaps even to manage their restocks. Even beyond smart devices, this could also simply software with “read-only” amiibo functionality–to a point. I just couldn’t help but feel exhausted after re-scanning all of my amiibo in Mario Maker to get all of the costumes.

Whichever apps come out, I have no doubt that at least one or two of them will be nothing less than revolutionary! Do you have your own theories as well? Please let us know in the comments!

Can’t Wait? Launch Plans For Miitomo Includes Pre-Registration And More!

by Matt RodriguezFebruary 3, 2016

Nintendo has finally unveiled their launch plans for Miitomo, which is their first foray into the mobile game market, soon to be available on iOS and Android devices!

These plans not only allow players to pre-register for an account and updates, but also rewards them for doing so! As detailed on Business Wire, “Starting Feb. 17, people will be able to pre-register for Miitomo by signing up for the new Nintendo Account service using their existing email, social media accounts or current Nintendo Network IDs. People who pre-register will be among the first to be notified about the availability of Miitomo when it launches in March. Nintendo will offer a special Miitomo bonus to anyone who signs up for a Nintendo Account between Feb. 17 and launch.”

Several other features of the game are also detailed, such as lighthearted fun conversations between Mii characters in Miitomo, such as “What song has been stuck in your head lately?” to as wacky as, “If you saw a nose hair sticking out of your friend’s nose, what would you do?” There will also be a “Miifoto” feature which will allow you to take photos featuring your Mii. Mii characters are central to this game, and they’ve been used a variety of ways since their introduction in the original Wii console–one of their latest adventures includes a friend and family simulator in Tomodachi Life, where Mii characters can build relationships, engage in activities, and even have families! They’ve also become characters in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, taking their powers from the various incarnations they’ve had over the years. We have no doubt that Miitomo will continue their lighthearted humor and provide a meaningful experience for players, as they allow users to be able to “interact with their friends in an entirely new way that transforms communication into a form of play.”

Miitomo will launch in March, alongside My Nintendo. Several details have been revealed for the My Nintendo account program, as we have recently found out.

…One last thing!

“Including Miitomo, Nintendo plans to release approximately five smart device applications by the end of March 2017,” according to Business Wire. Are you excited about this? We definitely are, and can only imagine what they have in store!

Source: Business Wire

‘Club Nintendo’ Successor ‘My Nintendo’ Launches Worldwide In March!

by The_aczFebruary 2, 2016

Nintendo recently finished having an investors meeting, and with that comes some new info on the company’s new rewards program.

During the meeting, Nintendo revealed that their successor to Club Nintendo titled My Nintendo will have an official worldwide release sometime in March.

The site will work very similarly to Club Nintendo, but with a few differences. The service will be available on both Wii U and 3DS as well as mobile.

Everything about the account system will be linked to your Nintendo Network I.D, and players can earn points and statuses by playing their mobile apps (Miitomo) and also accessing and buying games and more from the E-shop.

Check out the pic below for a more detailed info. Are you excited for Nintendo Account?

Say Hello To ‘Miitomo’ Nintendo’s First Mobile Game

by The_aczOctober 28, 2015

Nintendo just concluded their recent Shareholders meeting, and among the many announcements was the reveal for their first ever mobile game.

Miitomo will release March 2016 and seems to be a cross between Streetpass Mii Plaza and the surprise 2014 3DS game Tomodachi Life. President Tatsumi Kimishima explained to the investors how the game will work.

Looks like Miis go ahead and communicate with other Miis without your knowledge. This will help people who are hesitant to talk about themselves to communicate with others, and reveal a side of your friends you never knew

In the new “Miitomo” game, users will design their own avatars, or “Miis,” to communicate with other users. Executive Shinya Takahashi says that Nintendo will find ways to encourage people who are hesitant to talk to share things about themselves.

Check out an image from the game below! Are you excited for Miitomo?