Computer and Video Games had a chat with Hein at Nintendo's breakfast. Hein leads a team in which evaluates if a game should be released in a certain regoin (Europe, USA) or not. Read on to discover some new Doshin and Animal Crossing facts.

So what are you working on at the moment?

Hein: Of course, this is very confidential so I can't really talk, but the major games from publishers pass through our hands.

So these are publishers like EA, Eidos and so on?

Hein: Exactly. All the big ones.

Do you work on first-party products as well?

Hein: Yes. We also do the first-party evaluation which is more marketing-based. We look at very, very early versions here from Japan and America, and then give senior management recommendations on whether or not they should be released in Europe. We assess whether or not we need localisation for titles, what the target age range for games is, and so on.

We've noticed that Animal Crossing isn't actually on the Nintendo release schedules. Is it coming out in Europe?

Hein: Animal Crossing? No. We have no plans currently to release in Europe.

Really? Why? We would have thought it would be a perfect title for Europe, a really fun, happy game.

Hein: I'm not saying we're not releasing it. I'm saying we currently have no plans. When you look at the schedule we have for the coming months, it's quite crowded. We already have a broad range of games, so we're happy with the current line-up. There is no need for this game at the moment. We'd like to see how it goes in America first, because it's a huge step from the Japanese market to the Western Hemisphere. We'd like to see whether or not it's well received in America: then we can consider it for launch in Europe.

Are you working on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire at the moment?

Hein: I haven't received anything yet, but you know, of course, that Ruby and Sapphire are coming. There is already a huge fan-base out there. Numbers for the Pokémon games are steadily high, so we believe fans are coming to the games again and again.

When can we expect to see the new Pokémon games in Europe?

Hein: I think we're heading for next year, but we haven't got a release date yet.

Can you tell us about some of the other games you're working on for the first half of 2003?

Hein: One of the major titles is obviously Metroid, which I think could be one of the most stunning titles for GameCube. This really makes clear that we're going for mature players as well. Of course we have Eternal Darkness and Resident Evil as well, but Metroid was a big title when I joined Nintendo with Super Metroid, and I know it from the NES. There is a big fan-base, not like Mario but more like a cult, and there is currently huge hype. With the combination of Metroid Fusion for GBA it's going to be a huge hit.

How do the two games actually work together?

Hein: Well, you can link them up, but we haven't actually announced what you can do exactly. I think the link between GBA and GameCube is only limited by the developers' imaginations. You can do a lot of things.

We have the link for Zelda which is very cool. One feature is that you have a map on your GBA for the GameCube game. You can help the actual player on the GameCube. You can walk around the map and place bombs strategically to help Link in his adventure. This is a fantastic idea.

How do you feel about games like Resident Evil and Eternal Darkness arriving on Nintendo hardware?

Hein: A Nintendo console is a platform, like a video recorder, and on a video recorder you can play everything, from mature content to family content. Game consoles are the same. What makes them special are the games.

I do not think that Mario and Zelda are necessarily kids games. I strongly believe they're for all ages. I grew up with Mario, and a lot of Mario fans are 30 years old and even older. Of course, the new games are appealing to younger players, but when I speak to gamers my age they all love Mario and Zelda.

I appreciate there are mature titles on the market that aren't for kids: Eternal Darkness is a perfect example, because it's not only mature in the Resident Evil sense, where you can shoot and stuff, but it's also intelligent.

What sort of factors do you take into consideration when you bring games to Europe from Japan and America?

Hein: Firstly, it has to sell. It makes no sense from a business perspective to bring, for example, a baseball game to the European market because the fan base is very small here. We then have to consider if the title is appropriate for European gamers. Some of the titles are very focused on Japan, and very colourful from a visual point of view. We assess whether or not games suit European tastes, and decide if they enlarge our portfolio in general.

Of course, we try to be a little bit brave. Doshin the Giant is a good example: I think it's a very Japanese game, but it can fit very well into our European portfolio. It's niche, but it's valuable in showing a complete range of GameCube game.

It's interesting you mention Doshin there, because it's not coming out in America is it?

Hein: No. It's only for Europe and Japan.

Why is it not applicable for the Americans?

Hein: This decision was made by Nintendo of America, and I'm not in a position to comment on their strategy, but our feeling is that we have to show a variety. We cannot focus only on the most important titles like Mario or Zelda, that will obviously be huge hits. Beside Pikmin there should be another strategic title that shows we can do other things apart from making games for the mass market.

How do you feel about the way Nintendo has positioned itself for this hardware generation compared to Microsoft and Sony?

Hein: Hopefully very intelligently. Microsoft tried to make an entertainment machine with Xbox. I listened to some speeches given by the German CEO of Microsoft and he said that the price was high because you can do a lot of things with Xbox. What's going on at the moment? They're dropping the price again and again and again. It seems it doesn't work. I think players want to have a videogames machine and nothing else. It's nice that you can watch DVDs, but I prefer using a DVD player for that. At the end of the day, we focus on what we do best, which is to making great videogames and the platforms to support them. The games are what it's all about.

The most important things we have learned from this interview is that Europe is not getting Animal Leader and Doshin the Giant has been cancelled in the USA. It is a hard knock life.

Source: CVG