So if you accept that the Wii U is Nintendo's system for the foreseeable future, and that the system itself is not going to make any major changes, you considerably narrow down the list of problems that Nintendo can conceivably address in order to improve their console market standing.
When there's a lot of stress or anxiety in the world, it's nice to take a step back and relax. Animal Crossing is a game that does this well while alone or even better when hanging out with friends. It's hard to find a title where doing next to nothing can feel rewarding, but in Animal Crossing just running around with friends feels like a fun time. There's a sense of companionship when sharing items or fruit and rivalry when catching bugs or fish. The core of Animal Crossing's entire identity is community, sharing interests and differences. New Horizons has players starting from nearly nothing and building their own world along the way. Eventually players can show off their hard work with a fully decorated house or a fantastic visit to the museum. Even just sitting down to take a picture together with silly expressions gives that relief that it's alright to take a break without thinking too hard now and then. Not even a wasp sting can hurt long when a friend is there to give some medicine or at least laugh over how ridiculous it was.
The world is currently in a tough place with most everybody being told to stay indoors and keep away from others in an attempt to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19. With many beginning to feel the the negative emotional affects of social distancing, it may be a good opportunity to turn to video games to participate in a new or beloved video game ripe with social interaction. As such, we've compiled a short list of titles that could help gamers come together during this temporary new world. Note that the intention of the article is not to make light of the pandemic, but instead provide a resource for those feeling the effects of Social Distancing to find a community to embrace.
While there are those who will gravitate towards single player or competitive games, I would personally recommend something with a friendly and helpful community that will help scratch your socializing itch. Of course one of those games is Final Fantasy XIV, an MMO where you can hop on with friends or find completely new players to traverse the vast world with. It’s a daunting task as there’s thousands of hours worth of content that can be dipped into, but that just ensures you’ll never be bored. We’re talking raiding, treasure hunting, PVP, decorating houses or apartments, fishing, mount farming and so much more. Of course there’s the terrific storyline that (especially in Shadowbringers) touches upon strong themes, but it’s the communal aspect that Final Fantasy XIV excels at, making this one of the best games to play whilst social distancing. You can even go onto servers that have an active role-playing community, if that’s your thing. The number of linkshells and discord servers I’ve become a part of over the last year alone has only helped me enjoy the game even more, showing me how much the community has grown. You’ll always run into someone who’s a bit toxic, but it’s such a rare occurrence. With Square Enix pumping out a steady amount of content -- with the last major update only a month old -- there’s plenty to dig through, be it for new or returning players.
Yes, you could say that. This is a free building game but it is story driven, and what is built drives the progression of the story which we feel is one of the more interesting aspects of the game. As you build up your town it attracts more NPCs, but it also attracts monsters that will come to attack your town and try to destroy it. There is an ending to the story and there are major events at certain points in the story but these can be reached at any pace the player chooses. The player can only focus on completing the story and rush through the game or they can complete the story at a leisurely pace and spent a lot of time building what they want to and exploring the world. Dragon Quest Builders was designed to be played in whatever style someone chooses to.
Having been introduced to the world of Dragon Quest when Nintendo Power included the NES copy of Dragon Warrior with a subscription, it should surprise no one that one of the upcoming games I am anticipating is Dragon Quest Builders. Taking gameplay elements from Minecraft survival Guide and mixing them with story driven adventure led to the creation of a unique experience within the world of Dragon Quest. After spending some time playing the demo, I sat down with producer Noriyoshi Fujimoto to discuss the upcoming game. In addition to learning about Dragon Quest Builders, I also learned that Mr. Fujimoto and I share a common love of inflicting unspeakable horrors unto The Sims.
Oh sure you could make those same arguments against the Wii as it measured up against the PS3 and Xbox 360, but the difference there is that the Wii did have shelf presence. It was something of a viral sensation for Nintendo as a few people bought them initially, and soon invited everyone they knew to come over and play it. Most people's first experience with the Wii was enjoying it with friends, which is how it was meant to be played. Seeing it on the shelf after that first time experiencing it made you instantly associate it with uniquely great times. That made purchasing it as a companion to your Xbox or Playstation, as opposed to an alternative in most cases, a much more reasonable proposition.