Nintendogs: The Biggest Game on the Planet Right Now

I hate to say it but I think you're wrong that this game will do phenomenally well in the West.

Pokemon worked well because it had a kind of universal appeal, some people liked raising and collecting Pokemon and some liked battling Pokemon (the former being the same group targeted by Nintendogs).

Nintendogs doesn't have this two-pronged attack, and in addition I see little attraction for older gamers. Pokemon was an excellent RPG in itself, and this is another reason it sold we amungst hardcore gamers.

I'll eat my words if this game becomes as big as Pokemon, but I'm dubious it will.

Nintendogs is Nintendo putting their money where there mouth is and the female public responding to it. This is great news and I really think Nintendog will have that universal x factor of cute that females go for.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the females of the rest of the world respond and I'm sure Nintendo will be watching like a hawk and preparing future versions (huskie version please).

Games like this will show everyone that that the female gamers do exist. Any news on the u.k DS release date?

I've been reading a bit more on Nintendogs, and I do like the sound of it. But it's no Pokemon.

Nintendo haven't set a US release date, let alone a UK one. However, some sites say that Nintendo intends to extend the range of dog species in the US versions.

Now all the UK needs to do is wait another 3 years before a release, a la Animal Crossing.

I'm soooo looking forward to this game. I've been thinking about getting it imported from Japan but my grasp of the language would no doubt cause me frustration.

Why do I like this game? Because I LOVE DOGS! Ever since I was 6 my family had 2 dogs that grew up with me. Now that I'm 26 and live in an apartment I can't have a real one - so Nintendogs is the next best thing. My girlfriends thinks it's cute but is concerned that it would get boring... I'm hoping she's wrong.

i dont know if they will expand how many dogs there are, but i thinkn they will change them. i would love to see a scottie ^_^.

anyway, this game is a must have for me. a guy who imported it from japan said he loves it. loves it loves it and loves it. the puppies are the qutest things ever ^_^.

I would buy a copy or two but I would understand that I might not get from it as much as say Zelda or Mario Kart.

Perhaps it's also this kind of audience who would then move on to titles like Trauma Center (Caduceus) and Phoenix Wright (Gyakuten Saiban). These games involve no gung ho violence that the industry is currently so hell bent on selling us. I'm glad that some publishers/developers are see this and getting more creative.

The main thing also is that more DS's are shifting and non-gamers are investing, which then make Sony look a little stupid at the same time. Seems Nintendo have a valid point many will now take more notice of.

I for one welcome our new puppy overlords

This is really Nintendo's master stroke. While Sony is catering to fanboy wetdreams, Nintendo is actually trying to expand the amount of gamers their games appeal to, not just appeal to the ones who have played video games since the 80's(like myself). I think Nintendo really could hit on something big with that approach. They still need to appease the hardcore fanbase, as they are your bread and butter demographic, but if they can toss out games every so often that appeal to other demographics, and get them exposed to other Nintendo creations in the process, they could get people hooked.

I don't like dogs!! ;P

I find it strange that sony aren't doing this sort of thing on the psp because the ps2 pretty much had games for everybody. it was like it was all things to all people. They really need this kind of thing on their handheld

..and no. I don't want nintendcats!!

You read Slashdot and I claim my five pounds!

Sony wouldn't want to do this because they are comfortable with the current state of gaming. Push the Nintendog concept in front of the likes of EA etc and it's big fat no to originality so long as profits come first.

The Nintendogs concept works better with dogs because you can teach them stuff whereas cats are the opposite. I have never personally had a pet so I'll look forward to this a lot (though it's no real subtitute). There is no reason why Nintendo couldn't move onto different animals later.

The only real way that Sony could answer is with those japanese dating games like Konami's Tokimeki Mermorial etc on PSP. Anything else would be a total knee jerk reaction to Nintendogs.

Nintendo is absolutely right! If the industry keeps selling the same kind of game over and over again, they end up finetuning a specific audience that may eventually become bored of that kind of game and turn away from gaming. So, new concepts and ideas must be presented.

Although, I think Nintendo has a further agenda with their games that is beyond the dollar signs that Sony and Microsoft look for in the future of games. I took Psychology as a minor in college and Journalism as my major. However, a branch of Psychology that deals with how people learn is where a lot of the truth comes out. People learn in many ways, but the key factor for learning is interest. There has to be a set interest factor first. The simple way to put it is that the vast majority of people are captivated by play and thus learn by play. Nintendo is trying to force a type of mental exercise known as Radiant Thinking and Logic on the unsuspecting masses. Unbenownst to the gamer, games like Meteos, Tetris, Panel De Pon, etc. teach you to multi-task. Every single Legend of Zelda game is about problem solving with set logic rules, and exploration/memory skills.

When you sit down and play Lost In Blue.. just like when you first played Harvest Moon or Survival Kids.. did you get the feeling you were learning "something?" Remember Oregon Trail? Tanagrams? All are considered as Radiant Thinking and Logic tools. It is by no accident that Nintendo's "Brain Trainer" is called that. Nintendo is practically coming out and saying it.

Games like ElectroPlankton are meant to reward the player with audio/visual stimuli for interacting with the game in the same way we put mirrors, or bright objects in a toddler's play pen. We put bright objects in a toddler's play pen to relax or incite various emotional response. While ElectroPlankton is supposedly "art," it's really a stress relief aid to give people who do not "play" games, something to do.

Nintendogs is meant for people who live in apartments who may not be able to own a pet. It presents a very "real" responsability to the game player. While, there is a detachment that people eventually feel from solo pets like Tamagotchis, Nintendogs has wireless competitions and such, so people can take pride in their own pets as compared to other peoples pets. (Like Neopets, but more realism based.) This helps to foster a prolonged acceptance of the virtual puppy. Keeping it as realistic as possible may prepare gamers for a little bit of how it is to own a real dog and thus foster a prolonged use of the section of the mind that sets responsability and priorities. Nintendogs allows you to roleplay as a pet owner. This role playing creates association in the mind of the player. I wonder how many people will feel more prone to buy or adopt a real dog after getting a taste of one way dog ownership is like with Nintendogs? Nintendo isn't always constructive with their toys. The Light Zapper was a neat and interesting idea, but Nintendo has sort of abandoned the idea of light guns because it teaches an aggressive action. In his speech at GDC, Iwata noted that the FPS game Metroid Prime Hunters was for the more hardcore audience. This is the now gamer. Nintendo will try to keep the now gamer happy, but is looking to create things to satisfy the non-gamer. I think the ultimate goal is to gently force non-gamer people at younger and younger ages to think in instantaneous ways in multi-tasking situations. Not sure why.. my guess is that Nintendo's games exercise various aspects of the mind. Exercise is a way of strenghtening and finetuning something.

Why do you suppose Nintendo enjoys abstract concepts and then focuses on "making it compelling" and "fun?" Not for money, but really... to teach us things.

That said, I am buying my little sister Shiba & Friends because the Toy Poodle looks like a dog she used to own. I'm getting Dachs & Friends because of a dog I used to own, then we're gonna share the Chihauhua one. Yes, I did buy her Sapphire while I chose Ruby, and then I had Leaf while she had Fire. When Nintendo splits games like that, it's really the best way. I can't wait to play what they'll show us at E3.

On a side note: Where the HELL are the old PC ports for the Nintendo DS? I want to play Police Quest on the DS, or play Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. Where is MYST?

That was a really good and interesting post Philip. Dunnno if the Sony fanboys will take it onboard though.





Nearest thing you have to these are Nintendo's Another Code which is kind of Myst like a little. Indeed games like Police Quest would make a great additions to the DS catalogue. I bet it's only a matter of time before someone takes notice and it's released.

To add to this all... how do you win a handheld war? By creating the next pokemon-game first.
Sorry Sony but Nintendo is first and probably has some more surprises up their sleeve.
It shows also that Sony knows jack about the handheld bussiness. Handhelds are NOT supposed to have loading times or memory cards or run flat after 3-4 hours.
This is great for Big N though...they can go to thrid parties and say "so we got the gamers and non-gamers...what's the PSP got...the "i use my PSP on the toilet to watch my hentai" audience...*

Do note, i'm talking in a very Japanse kind of angle here.

Is it also worth pointing out that it got a perfect 40 in famitsu.