Super Mario 3D World Excludes Online Multiplayer

[Carnivean]

-snip-

It's ridiculous to expect online multiplayer in a title of this genre.

No, it's not. Games have been managing to sync literally thousands of invididual units in games for years now on much slower connections and weaker systems than the average we have today. You are completely delusional if you honestly think there's a significant technological barrier to implementing multiplayer on what is honestly just a basic platformer.

 

[Pleng]

I'm sure for a struggling, money-strapped team like Nintendo it's a real hard task.

Like if it was a small dev with little funding yeah, I could see it not making the cut. But for a company as big as Nintendo it's called just being goddamn lazy.

Regardless of how successful your company is, every project has a budget. The leaders of this project have clearly decided that their budget is better spent on other things.

 

[Gahars]

Given the complaints about the size of the recent Mario games, I'd say that the resources being given to to them are far from that peak point

Have people really complained about the length of these games? I haven't seen that criticism about that before.

Anyway, that's entirely speculation. A tighter, constrained pace may have been the intention from the get-go, so no matter how much money was thrown at the developers it wouldn't have changed the length. More money won't necessarily mean longer.

Yes and no. There's a lot more to think about when you have network latency and player sync, connection dropouts etc to worry about. It's not simply a case of "here's multiplayer now lets add in a connection"

I'm not saying it would take no effort whatsoever, but that the amount required would be relatively manageable and reasonable.

Yes a fair point. Although Nintendo recently claimed they have the lowest sell-on rates of the big three

Of course, but I'm still sure Nintendo wouldn't mind bringing that number down even more.

Yes I already eluded to the fact that if you can monetize it then it's clearly a positive. But Mario games have a pretty quick turn around. You don't necessarily want people to still be playing your game when the next in the series comes around.

Just because people are hooked to the multiplayer doesn't mean that they won't eagerly hop on board to the next entry - just take a look at the Call of Duty series.

That's subjective, and what we're debating in the first place, so you can't use it as an argument

Extra features that enhance the longevity of a product = more value for the customer. That's pretty hard to argue against.

Personally I'd rather have additional content in a Mario game than an online multiplay mode. Even if the amount of resources spared only allowed for one extra level, I'd take that.

And I'd rather have the option to experience the wealth of levels with all of my friends no matter how far apart we are. That's a huge value, and I would gladly sacrifice a level or two for such an option.

Naturally, your mileage is going to vary.

 

[Pleng]

Personally I'd rather have additional content in a Mario game than an online multiplay mode. Even if the amount of resources spared only allowed for one extra level, I'd take that.

And I'd rather have the option to experience the wealth of levels with all of my friends no matter how far apart we are. That's a huge value, and I would gladly sacrifice a level or two for such an option.

And Nintendo the project team have obviously decided that they are willing to sacrifice online for extra levels or graphics or whatever else it is they're using the resources for. They have decided that is what will make the game sell.

Are they right or not? Who knows. But Mario games have generally historically sold ok-ish without online multiplayer so one might guess this one will too.

 

[EZ-Megaman]

But it's not the inclusion of local multiplayer or the fact that it's multiplayer platforming that's annoying people, that's always welcome, it's not having local AND online multiplayer.

I have plenty of friends but like... I'm an adult. We're busy people. Between work and college, we don't always have the time to get together in the same room and have fun. That being said we can still have fun online, and while the experience isn't as good as local, it's an option and it still works.

It's also just horrendously shitty to say "Well it's your fault for not being able to get people in the same room" because any fucking adult would know that the issue isn't them, the issue is being a busy person.

Are you Nintendo's target audience? I mean, sure, it would be nice for you to have online multiplayer here, but people like you aren't Nintendo's main audience with this game. Why should they change their products for adults that lack time when the game is aimed towards children who don't experience the same problem?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Are you Nintendo's target audience? I mean, sure, it would be nice for you to have online multiplayer here, but people like you aren't Nintendo's main audience with this game. Why should they change their products for adults that lack time when the game is aimed towards children who don't experience the same problem?

Their target audience is supposed to be fucking everyone. Mario is known for its broad appeal. That's absolutely no excuse to cut a feature for no good reason other than "We didn't want to include it."

 

[EzekielRage]

I am pretty sure they had a good reason. In fact I am certain that reason is TIME CONSTRAINTS!
With the Wii U suffering games need to be released NOW! Not in a year when they had the time to implement and test those additional features, but now.
It happened with the GameCube, when Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker had a shortened development cycle to push sales of the GameCube. And look what games arrive this year, ten years later on a system that is struggeling! What a crazy random happenstance.

Let's hope the Wii U will turn out better than the GameCube though. I guess they are trying to go the 3DS route with the system. I believe it can work but there is no point in crying over spilt milk. Perhaps at a later date there will be an online Mario game...

 

[EZ-Megaman]

Their target audience is supposed to be fucking everyone. Mario is known for its broad appeal. That's absolutely no excuse to cut a feature for no good reason other than "We didn't want to include it."

So they're going to add guns to appeal to the FPS crowd, add a long, captivating story to appeal to the RPG crowd and add 16-bit sprites to appeal to retro gamers? Oh wait, I missed out fans of the puzzle genre too. I get that you don't mean people that like specific genres are meant to be appealed to as well, but it's a more extreme option.

Games targeted at "everyone" are typically played by children, though. Nintendo judges that most of the people that will play their game won't experience this problem, so they decided to omit online. Besides, if as an adult, you "don't have enough time", then why are you playing a game in the first place?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

So they're going to add guns to appeal to the FPS crowd, add a long, captivating story to appeal to the RPG crowd and add 16-bit sprites to appeal to retro gamers? Oh wait, I missed out fans of the puzzle genre too. I get that you don't mean people that like specific genres are meant to be appealed to as well, but it's a more extreme option.

Games targeted at "everyone" are typically played by children, though. Nintendo judges that most of the people that will play their game won't experience this problem, so they decided to omit online. Besides, if as an adult, you "don't have enough time", then why are you playing a game in the first place?

But like online gaming is something children can do too. Online gaming doesn't just mean joining random games, it means if your friend is at his house and you're at your house you can play together without getting together.

Online gaming isn't a demographical thing, even if it was it would only expand the demographic to add it.

Literally there is no excuse to not have such a basic, positive feature in this game other than "We're lazy."

 

[EZ-Megaman]

But like online gaming is something children can do too. Online gaming doesn't just mean joining random games, it means if your friend is at his house and you're at your house you can play together without getting together.

Online gaming isn't a demographical thing, even if it was it would only expand the demographic to add it.

Literally there is no excuse to not have such a basic, positive feature in this game other than "We're lazy."

Really? As far as I know, parents are wary of their children playing games online as they could be exposed to bad language through voice chat, though that may not apply to all places. Most children probably wouldn't see the harm that playing with random people could do and they would stumble onto obscene language.

Besides, would it be a completed deal breaker if you weren't able to play a 3D platformer, a genre with very little games that support online, didn't have online? I'm not arguing that online would be entirely bad (though there are a few negatives) but that a significant portion of the people who would play the game would prefer to have resources allocated to a better single player, as evidenced by the people in this topic arguing about how they don't particularly want online.

 

[Gahars]

Really? As far as I know, parents are wary of their children playing games online as they could be exposed to bad language through voice chat, though that may not apply to all places. Most children probably wouldn't see the harm that playing with random people could do and they would stumble onto obscene language.

Considering how many children I've encountered online, I'd say that's a definite no.

 

[FAST6191]

Really? As far as I know, parents are wary of their children playing games online as they could be exposed to bad language through voice chat, though that may not apply to all places. Most children probably wouldn't see the harm that playing with random people could do and they would stumble onto obscene language.

Are these the same parents that have not got the first clue about the content of various games: "If Timmy wants to play Grant Theft Auto, Timmy can play Grant Theft Auto"?

 

[Walker D]

But like online gaming is something children can do too. Online gaming doesn't just mean joining random games, it means if your friend is at his house and you're at your house you can play together without getting together.

Online gaming isn't a demographical thing, even if it was it would only expand the demographic to add it.

Literally there is no excuse to not have such a basic, positive feature in this game other than "We're lazy."

One thing that doesn't makes me too worry about this game not having online multiplayer is that Nintendo seems to have really looked intro that matter, and then, decided not to go with it.

Some of the last Mario Games had a glance on the multiplayer possibilities already (with the NSMB2 and Luigi's Mansion for example), and from the Developer's Direct Video for Super Mario 3D World, you can see that their main focus was enabling a good multiplayer experience (what indicates that they thought about the multiplayer possibilities well enough).
After all that, I find it difficult to believe that online multiplayer would be scrapped only cause of laziness

I mean ..we can imply that their decision was based in laziness, based on what ? ...The little that we know that the developers said about the game tell us that multiplayer was the point where they were more focused on.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I mean ..we can imply that their decision was based in laziness, based on what ? ...The little that we know that the developers said about the game tell us that multiplayer was the point where they were more focused on.

Because there's absolutely no other reason a developer with as much money and skill as Nintendo would exclude such a thing. It's kinda bullshit.

Also if it was "more focused on" multiplayer, why not include yet another multiplayer option?

Like I don't see anyone going "Hey, let's exclude a feature from our game that would only help it and not hinder it at all because we want to 'encourage playing a game in the same room.'"

I'm just flat out astonished that people can say this was a good decision or even be okay with this decision. Like it's okay to criticize a company, even Nintendo, they all deserve some criticism.

 

[EzekielRage]

Repost:
I am pretty sure they had a good reason. In fact I am certain that reason is TIME CONSTRAINTS!
With the Wii U suffering games need to be released NOW! Not in a year when they had the time to implement and test those additional features, but now.
It happened with the GameCube, when Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker had a shortened development cycle to push sales of the GameCube. And look what games arrive this year, ten years later on a system that is struggeling! What a crazy random happenstance.

Let's hope the Wii U will turn out better than the GameCube though. I guess they are trying to go the 3DS route with the system. I believe it can work but there is no point in crying over spilt milk. Perhaps at a later date there will be an online Mario game...

 

[DSGamer64]

I try never to underestimate rose tinted goggles, however that is not what I want to argue -- Perfect dark, probably the very definition of spiritual sequel, got an XBLA remake with online multiplayer.

And it was a complete hunk of crap to boot. You realize how dated those games are when you play them or when they get remakes.

SM3DW not being online is an irrelevant feature for a game that is generally focused on single player anyway.

 

[DiscostewSM]

What if they decided to release an update that included online multiplayer later on down the road?

 

[Bobbybangin]

I read the heading to the article and thought to myself, "who cares about online Mario?". Then I read the comments and realized I'm a minority in not caring. Then again, I don't really care for online gaming in general. I've owned every Mario title since the first, not crazy about Paper Marios or RPG, but playing online is the last thing I really think or care about when playing a Mario game. The two things I've always thought would ruin a Mario game is DLC and online. Guess I'm getting old.

 

[Deleted_171835]

What if they decided to release an update that included online multiplayer later on down the road?

Knowing Nintendo, how likely do you think that is?

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Because there's absolutely no other reason a developer with as much money and skill as Nintendo would exclude such a thing. It's kinda bullshit.

Also if it was "more focused on" multiplayer, why not include yet another multiplayer option?

Like I don't see anyone going "Hey, let's exclude a feature from our game that would only help it and not hinder it at all because we want to 'encourage playing a game in the same room.'"

I'm just flat out astonished that people can say this was a good decision or even be okay with this decision. Like it's okay to criticize a company, even Nintendo, they all deserve some criticism.

The reason that people are OK with Mario not having online is like, literally 20+ years of not having Mario online. The games have been pretty good so far, and many people are quite happy to play Mario games offline.


I am still waiting for that MMO Pokemon game....

Nintendo could monetize the hell out of that, combined with the card packs. Scan the code with the camera to add some rare pokemon to your MMO online game. Buy the game, buy the cards, buy the toys and the movies... lol