Triple A Launch Games: Are They Even Necessary?

Chris Buffa (Modojo): One of the biggest criticisms of the Nintendo 3DS launch was a noticeable lack of Mario. What nerve Nintendo had bringing its new system to market without a game starring the mustachioed mascot. After all, how could the big N ignore a history of proven success with consoles and handhelds that appeared alongside a Mario title? Super Nintendo and Super Mario World, Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64, Game Boy Advance and Super Mario Advance, DS and Super Mario 64 DS...all proven winners.

[Chaostar]

The massive price drop kept the 3DS afloat until the games came along. The most important thing for any gamer buying a new bit of hardware is the games, probably followed by price.

My guess is that price will hold back Vita at first but when COD hits it and the price drops it should do very well for itself indeed.

[Jirachi]

while i agree that vita will pick up in sales i don't think call of duty will be the game that does it(if i had to guess lbp and uncharted will if not something else will)

[Buff1044]

I'm the exact opposite. I think CoD will be THE game to buy for Vita. Imagine if Activision decided to not support 3DS with CoD but turn its attention to Vita. Huge momentum shift. I would buy that game for sure. CoD MP on a portable? Absolutely.

[Chaostar]

COD isn't my cup of tea to be honest but you can't deny the massive fanbase that it has.

I agree that LBP and Uncharted are killer apps themselves but talking from a purely sales standpoint they can't compete with COD.

[Jirachi]

I wasn't saying anything bad about cod it's just idt people will buy vita to play a cod game sorta like madden people buy madden but noone buys a system just to play it.

[Sharingan_no_Kakashi]

Yea.. and in the respect it's kinda hard to hate COD. Sure it's unbalanced and hasn't really evolved much, but the amount of money it brings to the gaming industry can't be ignored. Cod will push sales of the vita. Prolly not as much as it would on a home console but it will garner sales.

[TheDivine]

Yea i dont think cod will do much for the vita or 3ds. The psp and ds had multiple cod's on them but its not the same as on consoles. Even with vita bieng able to run cod very well and with online i doubt anyones going to buy a vita to play cod when they need wifi so they might as well be on a console. What will push the vita is multiple big name games like gow, a new ff, mgs exc. 3ds didnt take off until mario land, mk7, and zelda oot were all released.

[Pikajew]

People wont buy a Vita for COD. COD is a game you cant play on a handheld. COD multiplayer on the Vita will suck, and everyone is getting the wifi model so they wont be able to play on the bus. And they will only probably play console multiplayer at home and not on the Vita.

[Tanir]

price drop? um that was always the original price, look at the value of the 3ds compared to vita, obviously it wasnt worth the same amount.

its called a mark up, you make the product look expensive then drop the price to make it look attractive, you guys have been duped is all and most of you dont know basic marketing strategies

[Hicken]

If they aren't, they should be.

The same way that exclusives sway people toward one system or another, high-profile titles get people in the door on new system. Knowing that Uncharted will available at launch makes people more likely to buy a Vita; having a Mario game available at launch would have done wonders for the 3DS' early sales.

Exclusives, which are generally AAA, and big-name multiplats push system sales; naturally, if they're available when the system is first released, people are more likely to buy the system.

[guitar_nerd_23]

They are. I was contemplating a 3ds before launch but the launch titles, combined with price to hardware performance ratio put me off.

Now it's priced right and has some games but it's got into this stronger position too close to the Vitas launch for me and I'd rather have a new Wipeout than a new Mario atm.

[Horny]

I eventually want to get both. The only thing putting me off from getting a 3ds is the fact that a hardware revision with possibly a second analog stick will probably be out by the next holiday.

[Horny]

I eventually want both. The only thing putting me off from getting a 3ds is the fact that a hardware revision with possibly a second analog stick will probably be out by the next holiday.