Collectible Badge Centre game of addiction

Here it is: definitely watch that trailer within: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/eshop/jwvj/index.html

I deleted this off my Japanese 3DS a couple of weeks ago. It's a pretty smartly designed piece of software, which lets you play a UFO-catcher game to pick up badges that you can adorn your 3DS home menu with. Or even new reskinned icons of the home menu icons. The UFO-Catcher game is great fun, with some convincing physics giving off the tension you'd expect when the crane gets caught on something it shouldn't, or when it drops the badge it's carrying.

It's interesting because it's the closest thing Nintendo has made to a modern 'app' service, in that it fetches new data every time you start it up, and Nintendo even runs seasonal events and regularly updates it with new badge content like badges from Rhythm Tengoku. It's well made, then, and certainly slows Nintendo aren't stuck in the past like some assume them to be.

So why did I delete it?

Like Amiibo, it feels like it's designed to get the superfans hooked in, or as the industry sometimes calls them, the 'whales', the people who want every thing. It's almost too smart at that, really.

You get a few free goes on the UFO catcher every few days, keeping you coming back. And then there's the new and seasonal/time limited content, which has the same effect of getting you back into the game. But the badges, and how you'll definitely need to grab more than one to complete a set, and how if you wanted two of the same badge you have to literally go back and grab another one, are the bigger issue. Having the Mario Kart 8 Activity Log badge just made me want to get the rest of the set for consistency's sake, and only having a handful of badges genuinely looks rubbish, you really need to seek out the entire set.

I felt like I was being compelled to play for reasons outside of me wanting to play the game, so I thought I'd draw a line and get rid of it. Especially when I know people who are literally hooked on the thing (you can pay 50 yen for 5 or so goes iirc): https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&q=%40socialanimeguy%20crane&src=typd (Sorry Mark)

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Sorry about turning that into a little story of mine, it's just that what Stu said over at the Pokemon Shuffle thread reminded me of how I feel about the whole Amiibo thing, and this too.

I still have it on mine at the moment but it's been pushed back to the end of the line

Sadly, this concept both repels and appeals to me in roughly equal measure. No way in hell am I paying for any of this guff, but the idea of having a free spin every now and then is an appealing one.

I'm very uncomfortable about the monetisation aspect, but in this day and age, sadly I don't think all but the traditional Nintendo fans will bat an eyelid. This is almost another way of getting folk to buy new themes, but split into tantalising, shiny fragments.

And whilst I'm at it: why would anyone pay for a theme? :S

I definitely think that Nintendo's strategy this gen is to get their core fans (whales) to buy more, rather than trying to expand their audience in any meaningful way.

Faceplates, Themes, Badges, Amiibo, extremely limited Special Editions..... it is an expensive time to be a Nintendo collector.

Nintendo's strategy has definitely become that, for sure, if it ever was anything else this gen. Only the core fans have bought a Wii U, so it's time to milk (primarily) 3DS owners for all they can get. It's saddening.

Stu_the_great wrote:

And whilst I'm at it: why would anyone pay for a theme? :S

No idea. If it isn't for free, it isn't for me. Somebody must be buying them.

I'm actually surprised that the game hasn't made it here yet.

This is coming out on friday.

I don't go near crane games...

Nintendo Badge Arcade, as I understand it will be called, might be alright for a laugh? I don't see myself spending a lot of money on, or time with, it... despite fronk's warnings!

Stu_the_great wrote:

And whilst I'm at it: why would anyone pay for a theme? :S

I bought a MH theme to match my MH faceplates, and have zero regrets. It's nice to boot up the 3DS and have it all consistently themed around a thing I like

I'll be getting this for sure, although I won't be spending any money on it.

I tried this, this morning and got 14 badges. It seems okay but not something I would go back to in a hurry.

I've managed to amass a fair number of badges without ever spending money.

Same here but the temptation is real, it really taps in to that obsessive psyche that we all have. I've been mainly focusing on the app launching badges so far, makes completing collections much easier.

Isabelle now guards my Activity Log and 8-bit Mario sits on top of my NES games folder. It's an amusing diversion but I can see myself tiring of all the notifications and deleting it.

...I went pretty crazy with mine.

The new Pikmin badges and theme has me really tempted to splash some cash, more so because I want a Pikmin theme, that makes it ok right?

This game's writing is surprisingly funny. Case in point - the greeter rabbit on why Pikmin are so strong relative to their size: "Don't skip leg day, lads!" ...I laughed.

He is a great character, any time he says "you have fun" I get a little disappointed I'm not gonna get to listen to one of his stories.

I do my best to login every single day to play this and see what little tale the Rabbit has for me. He's so funny! I love him!

I have got around 140 badges (currently) without spending a penny. I've been able to collect a number of sets but I sure do hope they come around again because otherwise i'm never going to complete them

I will spend money if we get Metroid badges and a cool theme though