Resident Evil Mercenaries: 'One-Save' Feature Does Not Mean 'Play Once', Explains Capcom...

It has been a difficult week for the guys at Capcom. Since news about the perma-save/one save only feature included in their Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D game for the Nintendo 3DS became public knowledge, they have been busy trying to persuade the gaming community that the fact the game's save data cannot be reset does not affect the overall replay value of the game. Are they right?

 

Initial information gathered on Tuesday suggested that the perma-save function would also prevent the game from being reset back to the very beginning, meaning that the game could essentially only be played once.

However, Capcom have now begun to set the record straight on exactly how the one-save-only feature would work. According to them, the perma-save feature was added in order to give the game an intrinsically Arcade gaming feel.

According to Capcom sources, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is a time-based score attack game, akin to the old 80's-style Arcade games. Players must defeat zombie hoardes in order to rack up an overall high score before the timer runs out.

As such, the game does not feature a traditional campaign mode as offered by most modern shooter games.

However, when asked to comment about whether the fact that the game's data could not be reset or deleted also meant that the game could only be played once, Capcom were quick to offer this statement:

 

"This is not true. Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is a non-linear experience where there is no set end to the game. It is a score attack game and progression is defined as improving upon previous high scores. Players can replay each mission as many times as they like to continually challenge themselves to improve."

[sourced from: http://www.capcom-unity.com/resident_evil/go/thread/view/7391/27944601/About_the_Save_Data_(Official)]

Capcom also responded to claims that the perma-save feature would affect trade-ins and used copies of the game by saying:

"Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D consists of 30 time-based missions, through which the player unlocks skill upgrades as they progress through the game. Anyone purchasing a copy of the game secondhand would have access to all the missions and skills that the original owner unlocked, in addition to the content that was available to the original user." [ibid.]

Nevertheless, this does not mean that trade-in prices of the game have not been affected since the news about the perma-save went public.

HMV has refused to accept trade-ins of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D when the game becomes available in the UK on Friday, over fears that customers will be disappointed with buying a game that already has all the content unlocked.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D has been dramatically reduced in price in many stores in order to get customers to purchase the game dispite its apparent low resale value.

However, the Electronics Boutique (EB Games) store in Australia has gone one step further and has actually recalled all copies of the game from its stores in protest against the perma-save feature. Speaking to Joystiq.com recently, a representative of the EB Games Facebook Group said:

"We made the tough decision to remove [the game] from sale because we have everybody's best interests in mind, and don't feel its fair that you guys would be paying $60 for what is essentially a one use game."
[Sourced from: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/29/game-retailers-go-back-and-forth-on-resident-evil-mercenaries-3/]

So, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D CAN be played more than once, allbeit with any users' highscore data and previously unlocked bonuses and weapons undeletable, which is fantastic news for those gamers who wanted to purchase the game but were afraid that the game could not be replayed or would offer very little incentive to replay the game.

Nevertheless, the inclusion of the perma-save feature still has some members of the gaming community fuming.

One of the major causes of upset amongst Resident Evil 3DS fans at the moment is that Capcom has essentially removed the right to start the game over from scratch if players wish to, which could be said to deny gamers the feeling of personal ownership over the game.

It also means that any gamer who buys this game second hand will not be able to unlock any content for themselves and will also start the game with the previous owner's highscore in place (until they can beat it), which some gamers argue is very unfair and takes away some of the core enjoyment from the game.

The 'beat your high score' type of game is most definitely reminiscent of the 1980s Arcade games, which is what Capcom claims they are trying to achieve with this game.

Could Capcom's decision to include the perma-save function be seen as a gradualistic move away from the modern campaign mode games, which tend to offer gamers a wider choice within the game and  greater customisation options than Arcade-style games. If so, then what does this mean for the future of videogames as a whole?

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is set to debut in the UK from tomorrow.

HAVE YOUR SAY:

Is the use of a Perma-Save acceptable in videogames?

Would you buy this game?

Do you agree that not being able to unlock content in used copies of the game will make Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D less appealing to gamers in the future?

Please leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts on this subject.

UK Videogame Retailers Respond To Resident Evil Perma-Save Information

Yesterday, Mini Gamers brought you the devastating news that Capcom's new Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D [3DS] game has a "ONE SAVE ONLY"feature, which means essentially that game data cannot ever be reset to its original state once the game has been completed.

The perma-save feature means that any used copies of the game are essentially unplayable as there is no way to reset the game back to its original unplayed state at all.

This means that anyone who purchases the game second-hand is essentially buying a permanently used game, as there is no way to restore the game to its original default settings and start the game over from scratch.

Today UK videogame retailers have begun announcing their plans on whether to accept used copies of the game or not.

According to gaming website VG247, retail giant HMV has now refused to take any used copies of the game in the UK. A representative said that the discision to not accept used copies of the game is to:"avoid any potential customer disappointment for those purchasing a pre-owned version". [sourced from: http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/29/hmv-to-refuse-resident-evil-mercenaries-trade-ins-in-uk/]

It is not all bad news for those UK gamers who still wish to purchase the game though. Both GAME and Gamestation has confirmed to Eurogamer that they do intend to accept and trade-in all used versions of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D and sell the game as 'pre-owned' just as with other games.

In the USA, retail giant GameStop has controversially reversed its decision to not accept trade-ins. The store originally planned to refuse trade-ins of the game but have now said that they would resume trade-ins from today.

According to IGN, a representative of the store explained: "GameStop did ask the U.S. store base to stop accepting trades on Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D as we evaluated the save system for the game...Upon further review of the process with our publisher partner, Capcom, GameStop will resume taking trades on the game effective Wednesday, June 29th."

Meanwhile, in Australia, there has been no such turnaround from the Electronics Boutique (EB) stores, who have called for all stocks of the game to be recalled from their outlets.

The gaming community has so far reacted with shock and anger over Capcom's decision to include a permanent save feature into the game. It is unclear how this decision will effect the overall sales figures of the game, but we can guess that the figures are not going to be that great.

The game is set to debut in the UK on Friday.

HAVE YOUR SAY...

What do you think? Is a game that you can only play once in its full state really worth owning even if trade-ins of the game are not affected? Please leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D: Bizzare 'One Save Only' Feature Makes Game Pointless

With only a few days to go until the UK release of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, worrying news has begun to surface on the Internet that the game's 'Save' feature contains a one-save only function - this means that the game's save data cannot be reset at all.

Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D: The game you can only play once in full...

This may not seem like much of a problem until you consider that players may not be able to trade in their copy of the game as the old save data is completely undeletable, and that the game itself can only be played through once and cannot be reset back to its original state, meaning that all unlocked items, highscores, missions and weapons remain completed and cannot be rediscovered or unlocked once the game is completed.

This means that anyone wishing to start the game over from scratch is out of luck. It also means that anyone who purchased a used copy of this game will get diminished gameplay because they will not be able to start the game from its original unplayed state.

The news comes after details of the game's instruction manual became available on several gaming websites such as Tiny Cartridge, amongst others. The screenshot below clearly shows a warning at the bottom of the page, which reads: "Note: Saved data on this software cannot be reset."

The game is undergoing an international release starting this week with Japan and Australia. However, the countries are taking different steps in the wake of the one-save-only news becoming public.

For example, in Japan, gamers are being offered the game at a very low price because of the game's low resale value, whilst (according to Australian Website, Vooks,) EB Games, a popular Australian game retailer, is banning the game from their shelves as they claim that the one-save/perma-save feature will make the game less appealing to gamers in the future.

The game was released yesterday in Australia, but is now embroiled in controversy before it has even hit the shelves, which is likely to affect Capcom's sale figures.

It is very unclear why Capcom would deliberately release a game which can only ever be played through in its entirety once, although some websites are already speculating that this move was intended to slow down second-hand sales of the game.

However, In a recent statement issued to gaming website Giantbomb, Capcom insisted that it did not take the used-game market into account when choosing the one-save feature for the game.

According to Capcom: "Secondhand game sales were not a factor in this development decision, so we hope that all our consumers will be able to enjoy the entirety of the survival-action experiences that the game does offer." [Sourced from: http://www.giantbomb.com/news/capcom-used-games-not-a-factor-in-resident-evil-the-mercenaries-3d-lacking-data-reset/3430/]

It has to be argued however that Capcom might have proverbially shot themselves in the foot with this decision. The used-game market now accounts for a large proportion of all videogame sales, how is a game which can only be played in its original state one time going to survive against a mass of games which are available for second-hand trade?

The news is likely to anger the gaming community and have a negative impact on any future sales of the game.

Let's just hope that other videogame producers don't all decide to follow Capcom's example or else the thriving videogames market that we have today is unlikely to be around for much longer...

So, what do you think, is a game that you can only fully play once and may not be able to trade-in or swap with friends really worth owning? 

Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment in our 'Comments Box' today.

STORY UPDATE: Capcom explains the perma-save/one save only feature: http://worldofminigamers.blogspot.com/2011/06/resident-evil-mercenaries-one-save.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MiniGamers+%28Mini+Gamers%29

No 3DS games in the eShop: Why the Nintendo 3DS Shop Will Never Beat The PSN Store...

It is now almost three weeks since Nintendo launched their new eShop service, and a lot of gamers out there are all wondering the same thing: Why are the games on offer all retro Nintendo titles? Why can't I download new Nintendo 3DS games from the eShop as well?

These are two very valid questions, and as yet, there has been no satisfactory answer as to why the actual 3DS games that you can find in the shops are not available to purchase from the eShop as well, but this could be one of the core reasons why the new eShop has not proven to be very popular amongst 3DS fans so far.

Instead of offering a few good 3D games to play and download, the eShop tends to be filled with several 2D retro Gameboy and DSiware titles, which is fine for those gamers who want to play them, but has left several other 3DS users feeling disappointed recently.

A sample of the only 3D game on offer in the eShop at the moment

Don't get us wrong, the Nintendo 3DS eShop is very useful when one is planning which Nintendo 3DS title to buy next. The 'Coming Soon to Shops' section, provides details of several up and coming titles as well as video trailers, which are displayed in full-3D, so that you can really tell how the games will actually look on your 3DS console.

The 'Now in Shops' section is also useful for keeping track of new 3DS game releases as well, as it lists several new titles along with customer reviews, trailers and information, which is very good.

Retro 2D games feature heavily in the eShop

However, it could be said that the 3DS eShop is still lacking in several ways. Nintendo's rival, the Playstation Network Store offers a whole range of new games for its various Playstation consoles, including its PSP handhelds. These games are purchasable and are instantly downloaded onto the console's special Memory Stick.

Frogger would look so much better in 3D, but alas, 2D only...

The Nintendo 3DS has a removable SD card for data and game storage, so it would not be too difficult for Nintendo to offer its own type of 3DS game download service if it wanted to. This would save gamers having to pre-order new games, and would add real value to the 3DS eShop.

Furthermore, Sony's Playstation Network Store also offers its own video rental and download service, so that gamers can get the latest films straight onto their consoles.

Nintendo has recently begun a 3DS TV streaming service in Japan, and has suggested that this type of service might eventually become available throughout Europe via a company called NetFlix, but with no commencement date in place, it seems like this could be a long way off in the future.

So will we ever get 3DS games in the eShop? Nintendo has mentioned that they will be adding playable demos alongside video trailers but they did not say whether they would ever consider adding purchasable 3DS downloads to the eShop.

HAVE YOUR SAY...

Would you like to see downloadable 3DS game titles in the Nintendo eShop, or do you think that the Nintendo eShop is okay just the way it is? What other services do you think Nintendo should provide in the 3DS eShop?

Please feel free to leave us a comment, and let us know your thoughts on this subject. We'd love to hear your opinions.

Nintendo 3DS Game Release Calendar: July 2011- Dec 2011

A list of new 3DS games with potential 2011/2012 North-American release dates has recently come to light on the Internet. The list gives details of upcoming 3DS games along with their currently scheduled North-American release dates.

The leaked Nintendo schedule contains a few titles that already feature in the pre-order sections of many online shops at the moment, but also contains a few interesting titles that we did not know about.

 It has to be said that some of the games shown in the list are North American releases only, and there does not seem to be any UK equivalent release date at all.

How The Calendar Is Arranged:

As Mini Gamers has attempted to modify the 3DS release date list in order to include confirmed UK 3DS release dates as well, you might notice some slight differences between our calendar and the original list. We have tried to make the calendar as easy to follow as possible by implementing the following rules:

•  In order to distinguish between the North-American and UK release dates, we have included either (NA) or (UK) alongside the relevant titles.

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• Where the UK date has been confirmed as being in the same week and/or month as the North-American release of the game, we have only listed the UK release date in order to avoid confusion.
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• Where the North-American release date for a game has been generalised, (ie. FALL 2011) but the scheduled UK release date has been given in full (ie. 07 July 2011), we have given the UK release date only, in order to avoid confusion.
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• Where the release date for a game has been generalised (ie. FALL 2011), and there is no UK release equivalent, we have placed the game title in the most likely month for its release, (ie. Fall = October etc) but we have listed the game as 'FALL 2011 TBC'.

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• Where a game has two separate release dates (ie. the same game is released in different months of the year) we have listed the game twice in its respective release month and used the (NA) and (UK) symbols to differientiate between the two versions.

It is impossible for Mini Gamers to list all the various pre-releases, so we have ommitted some of the games which have already been highly publicised, but there were a few 'surprise' titles that piqued our interest, which we felt were definitely worth a mention.

 Here we summerise the most interesting new 3DS pre-releases, along with their planned release dates. Please note, however, that all release dates are approximate, and may therefore be subject to change.

3DS GAMES July-Dec 2011

 JULY

Resident Evil: The  Mercenaries 3D July. 1 (UK)

Dream Trigger 3D July. 15 (UK)

MAHJONG CUB3D™ July. 19 (NA only)

AUGUST

Cave Story 3D Aug. 9 (NA)

Shin Megami Tensei® :Devil Survivor Overclocked™ Aug. 23 (NA only)

 

PAC-MAN® & GALAGA® DIMENSIONS Aug. 26 (UK)

James Noir's Hollywood Crimes™ Aug. 30 (NA)

 

Driver® Renegade Aug. 30 (NA)

 

Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights SUMMER 2011 (NA)

SEPTEMBER

DualPen Sports Sept. 2 (UK)

Driver® Renegade Sept. 2 (UK)

Face Racers Photo Finish Sept. 2 (NA only)

                                        

StarFox 64 Sept. 11 (UK)

FIFA Soccer 3D Sept. 30 (UK) 

OCTOBER

Thor: God of Thunder FALL (NA), TBC (UK)

Captain America: Super Soldier FALL (NA), TBC (UK)

FIFA Soccer 12 FALL (NA)

 

Tetris 3D OCTOBER (NA - TBC)

The Hidden Oct. 4 (NA ONLY)

WRC: World Rally Championship Oct. 7 (UK)

 

Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic Oct. 11 (NA ONLY)

 

Pet Zombies Oct. 11 (NA ONLY)

Imagine® Fashion Designer Oct. 11 (NA ONLY)


Order Up! Oct. 14 (UK)



Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Oct. 14 (UK)



The Sims™ 3 Pets Oct. 21 (UK)



Adventures of TinTin: The Secret of the Unicorn Oct. 21 (UK)

Cute Puppies Oct. 25 (NA ONLY)

 

Horses 3D Oct. 25 (NA ONLY)

NCIS (working title) Oct. 25 (NA ONLY)

Imagine® Babyz 3D Oct. 25 (NA ONLY)

Michael Jackson The Experience Oct. 25 (NA)

Dr. Lutrec and the Forgotten Knights Oct. 28 (UK)

James Noir's Hollywood Crimes™ Oct. 28 (UK)

 

NOVEMBER

Raving Rabbids® 5 (working title) Nov.1 (NA ONLY)

One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP Nov. 1 (UK)

Disney's Magical Star (3DS) Nov. 1 (UK)

Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 Nov. 4 (UK)

Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D Nov. 4 (UK)

Reel Bass Fishing 3D Nov. 4 (UK)

 

Cooking Mama 4 Nov. 11 (UK)

Farm (working title) Nov. 15 (NA ONLY)

Sonic Generations Nov. 15 (NA), TBC (UK)

Need For Speed: The Run Nov. 18 (UK)

 

Tales of the Abyss Nov. 18 (UK)

Cave Story Nov. 25 (UK)

DECEMBER

Resident Evil: Revelations Dec. 2 (UK)

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater Dec. 2. (UK)

Gundam Dec. 2 (UK)

Super Mario 3D Dec. 2 (UK)

Luigi's Mansion 2 Dec. 2 (UK)

Mario Kart 3D Holiday (NA), TBC (UK)

 

There you have it, several new 3DS games, which will apparently be released by the end of the year. We were pleased that  popular games such as FIFA Soccer 3D and Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 made the list, as well as many more besides.  

 As always, it is impossible to give accurate release dates as they tend to change so often, but we are hopeful that the information presented here is correct at the time of publication.

We have also used a reputable retailer for the scheduled UK dates (where listed), so we are confident that these dates are as accurate as possible. If you would like to read the original list, please click HERE.

Remember to check in with the Mini Gamers blogsite regularly for updated news about these games as it happens.

  

Japanese Gamers To Get TV Programmes On Their Nintendo 3DS...

Japanese Gamers are to receive a specially streamed television service directly onto their 3DS consoles from Tuesday.

According to gaming website andriasaang,  Japanese 3DS gamers will receive exclusive access to both Fuji and Nippon television services, including Sport and Sumo Wrestling, News and Information and even Animal Care or Wildlife programmes all in  full-3D.

The 3DS Television Streaming capability will become available via a downloadable application, which is called Itsu no Ma ni Terebi in Japan.

The 3D Television App

It is unclear whether this is a totally pay-per-view TV streaming service or whether some programmes might actually be free to download, but we do know that there are plans to have some of the programmes available for daily download via SpotPass.

A sample of 3DS Programmes on offer

The announcement has once again sparked interest from European gamers who are wondering whether they might also receive a similar service in the near future. The recent Green Lantern 3D Trailer has raised questions about whether a film service may actually be made available at some point as well.

Programmes will be available via SpotPass

However, although Nintendo has admitted that they have been working with companies such as Eurosport, Sky TV and NetFlix to bring these kinds of services to the European 3DS market, no actual dates have been given for the commencement of any type of television services yet.

Mini Gamers is excited by the prospect of 3D television and films on our 3DS consoles, but we realise that it could be a very long wait yet. Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blog for more information on this subject as it arrives.

Game of the Week: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D [3DS]

If you had any sort of interest in videogames back in 1998, then it is likely that you will have heard of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The game has received much acclaim since its original release and is often heralded as: "The best Zelda game of all time..." [Sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Ocarina_of_Time]

The original Ocarina of Time also employed many new gameplay mechanisms such as an enhanced Targeting Lock System and solid-looking characters that were all rendered in full-3D, which was no easy feat at that time. Furthermore, the Legend of Zelda series has gone on to inspire many of the videogames that we have today.

Thus, it is not surprising that Mini Gamers had very high expectations for the newly-released 3DS version of Ocarina of Time, (simply referred to as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D,) and we are pleased to announce that we have not been disappointed.

The first things that springs to mind when you talk about a 3DS game is, of course, the graphics. There is only one word that truly conjures up the graphics quality of Ocarina of Time 3D, and that word is 'WOW!!!'.

Now, the usual high-quality 3D rendering that we have come to expect from the Legend of Zelda games is actually viewed in real 3D for the very first time. The result is a visual eye-fest!

There is also a greater feeling of depth within the game and the real-3D capabilities also enhance the Camera View and Targetting Lock System, giving the game an even more realistic feel than ever before.

It is hard to describe how brilliant the new sense of depth really is to someone who hasn't already seen it for themselves, but it really does add an extra dimension to the way the game unfolds.

Although the main plot of this game remains unchanged from the original Ocarina of Time, some new 3DS-exclusive mechanics have been added to the new version, including use of the 3DS gyroscopic functions when using Link's bow and arrow, boomerang and Slingshot. This makes the current version of the game more challenging than its predecessor and a lot more realistic.

For those that struggle with the gyroscopic controls however, there is an option to swap back to the original analogue controls as well.

The 3DS version also has a Boss Challenge Mode, which allows players to fight all of the main 'Boss' characters in the game one after another in the order in which they appeared in the game.

Furthermore, the game also features a new video-hint system, called Visions. Visions can be selected in the Save Options menu when Link has been killed.

 Visions are a video snapshot, which reveals information about where certain key items are hidden in the game. This can prove invaluable when searching for important weapons etc.

The 3DS version also contains Master Quest, which first started as an expansion to the original Ocarina of Time game, but has since become bundled with the game on several different platforms.  Master Quest will only become available when the main game has been completed.

The 3DS version of Master Quest differs from the previous versions however, because the entire map is mirrored, meaning that all the overworld map locations and dungeons will now be flipped and reversed. Furthermore, all 'Bosses' in Master Quest Mode cause twice as much damage as in the main game.

Official E3 2011 Trailer

In conclusion, this game is a stunning graphical masterpiece. The gameplay is very challenging but also fun. The new 3DS-exclusive functions enhance the overall gameplay and add a few new twists for hardcore Zelda fans.

If you played the original The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time game, you will be instantly familiar with a lot of the areas of the game, but will also find new enjoyment in the amazing 3DS graphics and the new gyroscopic weapon controls.

If you have not had a chance to play this game yet, you really are missing out on something special. If you like RPG-Platform adventure games, then this is most definitely the game for you. Overall rating: 10/10.

A 3D trailer of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is available to watch for FREE from the Nintendo 3DS eShop now