I haven't been so mad at Nintendo ever since this, but I calmed down by now and tried to analyze, what went wrong with amiibo in Hyrule Warriors.
It's actually quite simple: amiibos were introduced and designed for "figure play". Figure play means that you scan a figurine and bring it into the game. The figurine offers a new way of interacting with the game and it keeps being useful, because you'll use it whenever you want to bring the figure character into the game.
But that's not what happens with Hyrule Warriors. You scan the figurine, unlock the Spinner and then put the figurine aside. The Spinner is normal DLC content exactly like Epona, which should be available on the same means. But here the Link figurine acts as a physical DLC code.
Now let's think about, how the Spinner should have worked as figure play. There would be an actual Spinner figurine, which you can buy. And whenever you scan it during the game, it lets your character (any character, not just Link) switch to the Spinner moveset. Whenever you want to switch back to your normal moveset, you press Up on the Dpad. Hey, this actually sounds like fun... not that a Spinner figurine would actually sell, this should simply illustrate the way, how figure play works normally.
With the Link figurine it should spawn Link in the game as a helper character, who takes keeps and defeats officers (unlike the usual comrades). Sort of like a virtual coop play. It could have nice nods like spawning a Dark Link, when you scan the figurine while playing as Cia.
That's how figure play is supposed to work. Nintendo should try to give an incentive that makes you want to buy amiibo and play with them. In Hyrule Warriors you just scan the thing once and then it collects dust. You might even try to scan it through the package and then return it afterwards. And that people might try that, simply shows how this is not about figure play or the figurine, but only about the DLC content, where the amiibo is nothing more than an overpriced way of unlocking it.
It's actually quite simple: amiibos were introduced and designed for "figure play". Figure play means that you scan a figurine and bring it into the game. The figurine offers a new way of interacting with the game and it keeps being useful, because you'll use it whenever you want to bring the figure character into the game.
But that's not what happens with Hyrule Warriors. You scan the figurine, unlock the Spinner and then put the figurine aside. The Spinner is normal DLC content exactly like Epona, which should be available on the same means. But here the Link figurine acts as a physical DLC code.
Now let's think about, how the Spinner should have worked as figure play. There would be an actual Spinner figurine, which you can buy. And whenever you scan it during the game, it lets your character (any character, not just Link) switch to the Spinner moveset. Whenever you want to switch back to your normal moveset, you press Up on the Dpad. Hey, this actually sounds like fun... not that a Spinner figurine would actually sell, this should simply illustrate the way, how figure play works normally.
With the Link figurine it should spawn Link in the game as a helper character, who takes keeps and defeats officers (unlike the usual comrades). Sort of like a virtual coop play. It could have nice nods like spawning a Dark Link, when you scan the figurine while playing as Cia.
That's how figure play is supposed to work. Nintendo should try to give an incentive that makes you want to buy amiibo and play with them. In Hyrule Warriors you just scan the thing once and then it collects dust. You might even try to scan it through the package and then return it afterwards. And that people might try that, simply shows how this is not about figure play or the figurine, but only about the DLC content, where the amiibo is nothing more than an overpriced way of unlocking it.
4 comments:
This is actually a good idea.
Do you think Nintendo may have lost its interest because of reading the attitude of the previous post?
I doubt that Nintendo is reading this blog at all. They check out my things on ZeldaEurope, but there I try to keep it professional. :D
I have two additional comments.
1. the spinner figurine is not an IP, but a game tool/weapon, so a figurine based on that wouldn't sell
2. based on the original logic if Link wouldn't be part of the game, the use of Links figurine would allow you to play as Link (bad example, but you get the idea)
Of course a Spinner figurine wouldn't sell. It was just a bad example, how figure play is supposed to work.
In any case what Nintendo's doing with amiibo is just a terrible marketing ploy.
Post a Comment