Amiibo!!

[Cronozilla]

Spoilered for posterity:

The maximum size might be slightly outdated (the price is not), but NFC can go up to 8K (8192 Bytes), and current consumer cost is around $0.00948 per Byte. That would make an 8K NFC chip cost in the $77 range, for a consumer.

Amiibo likely use 1K chips. That cost is around $9.70 at consumer level. Let's say Nintendo gets them at cost around $5 or something, that only leaves $8 to cover the figure itself, the custom assembly, painting, packaging, and shipping. If you think Nintendo is only spending $2 or something total per figure, you're crazy.

If Nintendo is indeed using 1K chips, doubling that to allow more than one game would cost $19.42 for the NFC alone.

This amiiqo costs $49.99, it's probably 4K, since it comes packed with four figures. In NFC costs that's $38.83 ... that seems to line up.
This device isn't for back ups. Though backups are possible (with an update?) it's primary intention is to replace the use of amiibo entirely. That, to me, is pretty shady.

I would love to see some kind of amiibo backup utility, especially if it were on the Wii U system itself.

Just to note, I used the cheapest barest bones NFC tags I could find as a basis for the price. To put it into perspective, the cheapest storage we have is HDD, which is around $0.00000000004377 per Byte. NFC is significantly more expensive than that, literally 216 million times more expensive.

If I flubbed some math here, feel free to point it out (Not all significant digits were respected >_>).

Found some actual information on the chips used in the amiibo, it's the Mifare Ultralight line, which isn't too bad, $0.85 per chip, maximum size is 144B per chip. If the amiibo is using less than half of that, they could activate it for more than one game, However, if it uses all 144B ... there's no way. You wouldn't be able to put a second NFC chip in there, for example. They'd have to use another line (which is more expensive)

Chances are all they're storing is one or two full integers that's a derived, and can be read back to the system, like the passwords on NES.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Spoilered for posterity:

The maximum size might be slightly outdated (the price is not), but NFC can go up to 8K (8192 Bytes), and current consumer cost is around $0.00948 per Byte. That would make an 8K NFC chip cost in the $77 range, for a consumer.

Amiibo likely use 1K chips. That cost is around $9.70 at consumer level. Let's say Nintendo gets them at cost around $5 or something, that only leaves $8 to cover the figure itself, the custom assembly, painting, packaging, and shipping. If you think Nintendo is only spending $2 or something total per figure, you're crazy.

If Nintendo is indeed using 1K chips, doubling that to allow more than one game would cost $19.42 for the NFC alone.

This amiiqo costs $49.99, it's probably 4K, since it comes packed with four figures. In NFC costs that's $38.83 ... that seems to line up.
This device isn't for back ups. Though backups are possible (with an update?) it's primary intention is to replace the use of amiibo entirely. That, to me, is pretty shady.

I would love to see some kind of amiibo backup utility, especially if it were on the Wii U system itself.

Just to note, I used the cheapest barest bones NFC tags I could find as a basis for the price. To put it into perspective, the cheapest storage we have is HDD, which is around $0.00000000004377 per Byte. NFC is significantly more expensive than that, literally 216 million times more expensive.

If I flubbed some math here, feel free to point it out (Not all significant digits were respected >_>).

Found some actual information on the chips used in the amiibo, it's the Mifare Ultralight line, which isn't too bad, $0.85 per chip, maximum size is 144B per chip. If the amiibo is using less than half of that, they could activate it for more than one game, However, if it uses all 144B ... there's no way. You wouldn't be able to put a second NFC chip in there, for example. They'd have to use another line (which is more expensive)

Chances are all they're storing is one or two full integers that's a derived, and can be read back to the system, like the passwords on NES.

How dare you come in here with facts, numbers and a hardnosed sense of business. Don't you know that this is the internet where we feed off of raw emotions and ego!? Regardless, I like your moxie kid. Keep up the good work!

[KalessinDB]

I'll admit it -- I bought one to use to replace them entirely. I have no desire for a ton of toys around (though I may get a few of my faves), but I like the idea of having access to all the various DLC out there long after a console's stopped being officially supported. This helps me do that.

[Cronozilla]

How dare you come in here with facts, numbers and a hardnosed sense of business. Don't you know that this is the internet where we feed off of raw emotions and ego!? Regardless, I like your moxie kid. Keep up the good work!

I know, what's wrong with me?

To be fair, I was way off on the amount of storage amiibo requires. Then again, that means the amiiqo is absurdly overpriced. If it stores 4 amiibo at 144B each (being generous), that's only $3.40 worth of storage. They're selling it for $50. The device also appears to utilize your android phone as the database, only allowing four characters on the device at any given time. At least that's how it appears.

Now, I think the thing is interesting. It serves a lot of purposes. But it does tread the grounds of being somewhat scummy. It's like ... getting an R4 instead of buying DS games. I don't know if that's a legitimately condonable action for most uses. For every KalessinDB whom has some legitimate concern, there's probably 20+ people whom are just trying to get out of paying Nintendo for something they made.

I think if people see this is a device they'd rather have, then that's just a different audience than the people whom would be annoyed that amiibo can only store one game at a time.

To be perfectly honest, I'd be much more interested if there was just a phone app where you could store your amiibo, or use an NFC chip to talk to the console.

I was looking into it at one point, but I just don't know enough about how NFC is structured to figure out the password system. I also don't have any extra NFC chips to see what the Wii U says.

So, a dedicated NFC device like this, that still requires your phone, and costs that much, seems really shady to me.

[alienjesus]

Shovel Knight amiibo was announced. It adds a co-op mode on the Wii U game and special challenges on both Wii U and 3DS.


The most interesting thing about it to be is the base it's standing on. It looks like it has the gold base with the black border the same as the Smash Bros. series do. Shovel Knight for Smash?

Announcement trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBI9kvbaQVQ

[noiseredux]

Shovel Knight amiibo was announced.

crap. Is it weird that I kind of want to buy that even though I have zero plans to get a Wii U?

[foxhound1022]

Shovel Knight amiibo was announced.

crap. Is it weird that I kind of want to buy that even though I have zero plans to get a Wii U?

Not at all. At least you aren't bitching about not being able to get them and then bitching about the Wii U while pretty much everyone can tell you won't get one.

[Blu]

So in a matter of 22 days will we see people frothing at the mouth trying to get their hands on the complete set of Animal Crossing Amiibo Cards? I'm curious about getting my hands on a few of them. That and I want to play Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer :3

[Tanooki]

I've been strongly considering getting the old 3DS Animal Crossing again. Unlike the last 2 of them I found it engaging and fun, but just stuff got in the way and I ended up selling it as it just rotted on the shelf. I'm stunned and truly amazed Nintendo has not gotten off their collective asses and put that game on android and ios. It's begging for mobility and ease on that level, doesn't even need IAP like Pokemon Shuffle Mobile, though they could exploit it having instant builds with gems on renovations and other projects as a choice.

I know I'm not alone that people would be glued to their tablet or phone a lot if they'd even just lazily port that 3DS game to it let alone made a new one. There is a true knockoff of it like castaway island or something that came out within the last year.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I've been strongly considering getting the old 3DS Animal Crossing again. Unlike the last 2 of them I found it engaging and fun, but just stuff got in the way and I ended up selling it as it just rotted on the shelf. I'm stunned and truly amazed Nintendo has not gotten off their collective asses and put that game on android and ios. It's begging for mobility and ease on that level, doesn't even need IAP like Pokemon Shuffle Mobile, though they could exploit it having instant builds with gems on renovations and other projects as a choice.

I know I'm not alone that people would be glued to their tablet or phone a lot if they'd even just lazily port that 3DS game to it let alone made a new one. There is a true knockoff of it like castaway island or something that came out within the last year.

Couldn't disagree more, but of course, that is to be expected. Although completely unrelated to the topic of this thread, I find the idea of a mobile phone/tablet version of Animal Crossing just plain impossible for a variety of reasons.

First off, Animal Crossing New Leaf was roughly 1 Gig in file size. Having Hearthstone on my phone and its hefty 1.33 gig filesize leaves little room for me to do much on my Galaxy s5 phone. So no.

Second, Nintendo would have to set up an on-line infrastructure for the mobile phone, interacting with other players, the Dream worlds, Street Pass and on and on and on and on. No.

The game uses a dual screen. Phones don't have those, so a lazy port is not possible. No.

As for the ripoff you are referring to, are you referring to The Island: Castaway? If so, the two are not even remotely related. One is an energy-based survival game akin to a game like Lost in Blue and the other is a game where you decorate homes, collect items, expand and customize a town and interact with other players. No.

I know you want Nintendo to be strictly mobile phone/tablet or whatever, but you aren't going to get that. Sorry.