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Gamecube: Launch Delayed, Logo Added
transient0 writes: "According to this article from Reuters, Nintendo Corp. has pushed back the U.S. launch of the Gamecube console by two weeks from November 5 to November 18. This means that the X-Box will be hitting U.S. shelves before the Gamecube does."
Alec Muzzy adds: "Does anyone remember this article where Nintendo Executive Vice President, Peter Main, said '...Microsoft has announced November 8th as their launch date, but I don't think that's final. The GameCube will definitely launch on schedule though...' In a related story, the GameCube will now feature a logo from IBM."
In a related story, the GameCube will now feature a logo from IBM.
GameCube: The only console that's guaranteed to kick your ass at Chess.
The Okamaaaaaaaaaaaa Gamesphere.
+5:offtopic,but anti-American
Why would you want anything else? B-17 bomber rules!
Now bring out a GC version of TMNT so we can have Pizza Hut ads on the screen and we'll be all set!
From the rumors, I think there's a good chance Microsoft will not have every X-box available at their launch that they'd hoped, so although this allows the folks in Redmond to steal a little of Nintendo's thunder, I don't think it'll have that much effect.
On top of that, the Gamecube audience (pre-teens and older) and the X-box audience (older teens, young adults) are different, so this is more of a disappointment for that audience than it is a real problem for the GC's success.
Sweet, sweet Mario Kart.
I think that the X-Box is going to be a disappointment to a lot of PC Gamers anyway. They're going to realize their new console is the same as the Dell high end gaming box. Granted, it's a lot cheaper and has the TV out why the duplication? I'd be willing to bet that within a year of the release Microsoft will release the "XBox Center" or some other snazzy marketing name yielding the ability to play Xbox games on your PC.
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
Microsoft is shipping not one thing on time, but TWO! and GameCube slips endangering the most successful console enterprise ever.
What's next MSDonald's?
I'm dissapointed to hear this. I remember when the big two in consoles were Nintendo and Sega. I wasn't sorry to see Sega and its Dreamcast go, as I think the PS1 & PS2 just blew them out of the water, but I am sad to see Nintendo possibly losing the Gamecube to the Xbox. Microsoft is the 800 lb gorilla in almost every market it hits it seems, and if they get the jump on the 'cube, things could go badly for Nintendo methinks.
Here's hoping they make their street date and shipping numbers for march. I'l love to see Nintendo's 'cube sink the 'box.
Beware the Whyte Wolf.
With a gun barrel between your teeth, you speak only in vowels...
So let me get this straight: at launch time, the Sony one will still be $299, the Microsoft one will be $299, and the Nintendo one will be $199?!? That's got to be the first time in history that the box with the IBM logo had the lowest price.
And on another note, I think this'll change that old slogan, "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM." I think if I expensed one of these, I'd have a hard time passing it off as an IBM part.
What's your damage, Heather?
And what's up with the comic book poll, it has only a couple hundred votes and no possibility for discussion! Surely Slash2.2 didn't take that feature away?
And finally, how the hell does one go about viewing (parts of) the submission queue or posting to stories not yet on the main page?
Thank in advance, asking what many want to know,
- a curious AC.
PS: I was hitting reload when the gamecube story came up, and when I hit "Read more", I just got a page saying "Nothing for you to see here. Please move along." Did Slashdot spot the constant reloading or what the hell is going on???
What's next, game programming in COBOL?
Je t'aime Stéphanie
To put the IBM labels on!!
"We canna stick any faster Captain!"
Clearly IBM believes that todays geeks will be the decsion makers of tomorrow.
/390 quake server?
A billion dollars in Linux research, now console gaming, what next,a
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Those of us in Europe have to wait until next year anyway.......
Well, at least they're coming out before Christmas, but, considering the way PS2s sold out and Tickle Me Elmos flew off the shelves, its very likely that Toys 'R Us will run out of stock and desparate buyers will have to start buying for $50,000+ on eBay :P
http://ryan.buterbaugh.org/
From whining like this its pretty obvious that many /.otters havent worked on large scale, combined HW/SW projects. Ive rarely seen anything that needed both a box, and the software to go in it, ship on time. Would you rather they hit the date with a piece of crap, or a great product a few weeks late?
I believe I submitted a story suggestion this morning about the IBM/Nintendo tie-in... Friggin slashdorks...
Just venting my sour grapes... I'll get over it.
"I thought I had an Appetite for Destruction, when all I really wanted was a club sandwich."
There are some big name, system-selling games for the Gamecube, most notably the latest Mario and Zelda titles. Nintendo showed only a few games at this past E3, but they were winners. I'd consider buying a Gamecube just to play them.
Microsoft, well, they don't have much that's exciting game-wise, even if they do have the "better" hardware. Their showing at E3 turned off many people to the Xbox. There are some long awaited vaporware products, like Halo, but they could easily turn out to be not worth the wait (as is happening so often these days with games in development for three or more years).
Obviously, Nintendo realized that it would be better if people could buy several games within the first week, as opposed to just 2. (Wave Race and Luigi.) So it got pushed back. Again.
I'm not happy about it in the least, but since I think Luigi's Mansion looks far too simplistic for my taste, I suppose I can live with it. (Better than only being able to play "Wave Race" for 2 straight weeks...)
I *so* want Rogue Squadran 2 and Eternal Darkness as soon as they come out...
I don't care if they pushed the release back to November 2002, I'm still waiting on the GameCube. Nintendo is and will always be the best video game console company. N64 was screwed by the 3rd party support dropoff, GameCube will blow everyone else out of the water.
~ now you know
They build up the hype surrounding the product. It woked for the Nintendo 64, didn't it?
Why are you guys willing to buy those boxes to run MAME??
I still got my Atari 2000 to play with.
Feel the sensation!
The newest phemonemon on World Wide Web, PFP are sensation that is make mouth tingle! We are not to let lamers (ha! haha) like teh CmdrTaco take away the firsts posts. To first post! Is our right! And no one takes away out right!
SO teh first post in every story is to be awardde Award of Pseudofirst Posting, even though the post has not number "1".
So band together, friends! For the is sweeping the Internet! PFP, the new sensation!
-- The_Messenger
Nintendo miss a lauch date?? That could *never* happen. ;-)
*L* Really nothing to worry about, as this is normal for Nintendo.. I guess we can just thank our lucky stars that it was only a few weeks instead of a few years, eh?
(And for those who don't know, the Nintendo64 was in development for a little over 4 years...)
What's a sig?
- Can you have a beowulf of those things?
- When is Linux going to be running on the GameCube?
Hmm, just imagine the next Big Blue will be a Borg Cluster, er, I mean GameCube cluster.okay my karma is too high, I need to mod myself down a bit
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
As long as Metroid is still going to be GameCube only, the delay shouldn't affect sales.
Mmmmmm.... Metroid.....
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
A beowulf cluster of /390 quake servers...
Best Slashdot Co
Somehow I like the idea of Microsoft being associated with K-Mart.
Microsoft, the Trailer Park of Software.
just a personal thing.
This opinion is not necessarily based in reality. But it could be.
- - -
Radiofreenation.com
is a news site based on Slash Code
"If You have a Story, We have a Soap Box"
- - -
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
-- The_Messenger
I mean come on, he looks like that guy from Fargo.
On the other side of the coin, does this matter? How many people are of the opinion "I gots to get me a next generation game system now! I don't care which it is. Whoever is first to market gets my money."
The reality of the situation is that if you were going to get an Xbox, you're still going to. If you were getting a Cube, you're still going to, just a week later. In this type of situation, first to market by a few days means very little.
there are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
This isn't a problem for Nintendo at all. Disregarding the rumors of a Xbox delay, most everyone has an idea of what console they want, and nobody will change their decision based on a two week delay. However, this could affect Christmas sales if parents want to get their kids a console, and want to get the one that comes out first (which wouldn't make too much sense anyway, because it would be two months till christmas at that point)
Halo.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
that in the next 18 months, M$ will see that it needs to do somthing to take out the competeing consoles, so it will beging to give away its x-box when you buy 3 or more M$ brand Games.
this is an important market for M$ as they need to control the game consloe market inroder to undermine the OEMs as they will begin to ship Xboxs the will be capable of hooking up to a Highspeed access point, have bootable Rom that will access M$ servers to bring up win2020 that will be totaly web based and subscription based.
this way they will control the web, tthe content, and peoples minds so that bill gates can take over the world!!!!
It could happen.
I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
"Our industry has learned the dangers of arriving at a launch party without enough gifts," said executive vice president of sales and marketing for the company, Peter Main. "By increasing our day one shipments to almost three-quarters of a million, we not only should come close to meeting total demand at launch, but also assure virtually uninterrupted restocking through the holiday season."
See- the reason for the delay is simply to have more units at launch (700k as opposed to 500k)
The same story appeared earlier today on this Register article, where it is mentioned that Nintendo plans on having 700,000 'Cubes ready for launch, instead of 500,000. In fact, Nintendo plays this up in this announcement on their web site, while skillfully avoiding mentioning the delay.
In Soviet Russia, Jesus asks: "What Would You Do?"
from the article linked:
"Its PowerPC
chips run devices ranging from
television set-top boxes to mobile
phones."
which says nothing of the millions of Apple Macintosh computers the chips run as well (presuming this is the same PowerPC we're talking about.. it doesn't give model numbers).. does this mean all new Macs will have this "IBM Technology" logo on them, too? since they went to translucent plastic, the PowerPC logo has been absent
nor does it mention anything about the fact that the chip is derived from the Power family of RISC chip designs, intended for use in IBM servers... or that the platform was co-developed by motorola for the desktop and embedded markets.
i just thought i'd add my 2 cents (3 cents canadian) to the obviously lacking fluff on C|Net
--hey! where's my sig?
- Entertaining Bits from the Ancient Kernel Tree
IF I EVER MEET YOU, I WILL KICK YOUR ASS!
pre-teens and older seems to me to totally overlap older teens and young adults, in fact a wider range...
Consider that one of the launch titles for the Gamecube is an amazing Star Wars:Rogue Squadron game. I'm past my 20's but I'm pre-ordering a Gamecube just for that - very targeted at the exact people who might be buying an XBox.I think advertising will really define who will come up on top - it's a matter of Nintendo convincing as wide an audience as possible to buy thier system, and Microsoft convincing as many people as possible that the new system has something great to offer.
Of course, it will also be interesting to see what Sony does at the same time - will they sit silent and let Nintendo and MS beat on each other? Will they come out with a series of ads touting impressive new games like GT3 and MGS2 to try and steal some thunder?
And the final question - will anyone have spare money at the end of the year to buy new systems, or will they all fall flat?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I was hoping they meant the cool little game with the turtle and the "go 25 / right 90" commands... drats.
I really hate signatures, but go to my website.
If I am figuring my budget right I can now buy an extra controller and another game with the extra two weeks of money that I will have built up :)
Can't wait but I guess I will.
I doubt Gamecube's slippage is going to make any difference to unit sales. Nintendo's main strengths have always been Shigeru Miyamato's launch titles and sheer marketing power.
They screwed up with the N64 by choosing cartridge media instead of CD's. That single decision cost them more than any other event in their company's history. It essentially gave the mid-late 90's to Sony.
PlayStation 2's aren't doing stunningly well by any means. Last I heard Mickeysoft still hasn't come up with a comprehensive online strategy for the X-Box. Given their inability to cope with security issues, I can see why. That hard disk is a nice fat target for anyone with a Mickeysoft grudge and some time. The fallout from a successful mass hack would be intense.
The world has moved on since the X-Box announcement. In a year, the X-Box is going to start hitting the low-end edge of the PC curve. Newer graphics tech will make it look old. Sure it has the total lack of configuration issues common to all consoles, but Sony and Nintendo have got the games.
And those Japanese dudes do know how to design console games.
And seriously. Does anyone want to play Halo with that X-Box controller instead of mouse and keyboard? I think I'll pass.
Of course it may become more attractive if Nvidia keeps X-Box and higher level graphics chipsets at an unreasonably high price. (Hmm... Mickeysoft leverage the best chipsets in the business and prevent consumers from buying competing tech in one fell swoop?)
But then... they wouldn't do that... would they?
While I think the PS/2 is pretty awesome and will certainly be purchasing one at some point, I will be making a point of purchasing a GameCube as well. Nintendo has made a very smart decision in choosing not to try and do everything. They've chosen the path that has made unix tools so great. They are going to do one thing and do it well. That's produce an entertainment console and great games, instead of pretty much making a PC and selling it as a computer. They are focusing on what they know and I applaud that.
"No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."
--James Madison
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IBM's PowerPC processor will be the engine for the console
Does this mean that people can start porting LinuxPPC to it? Or how about Mandrake Lite(tm)?
(Not-at-all)Seriously, the PS2 people shouldn't be the only gamers with an alt OS...
______
Once: you're a philosopher. Twice: a pervert.
http://www.ukresistance.com/ukr/dc_releases.htm
the Game Cube will still be on shelves before the X Box. And so will games for it.
Although this may cause Nintendo to lose some customers, I think most people will be buying consoles based on which games they want to play. So this probably won't be too big of a deal for Nintendo.
Speaking of the games, Space World is starting, and there are some new clips from the movies coming out. There are some at GameSpot and IGN (QuickTime only at IGN).
Wow, an AC flamed me.
/. community now. I feel so honored.
Guess that means I'm an official part of the
X-Box might get a quick jump, but it's only 2 weeks. I don't think there are that many people waiting around going to buy the first one that ships.
Besides, both releases give more than enough time for Christmas shopping. If X-Box releases first and either flops, or has some kind of shortage, all parents/christmas shoppers can get a GameCube shortly after. Releasing after the X-Box could turn out to be a good move.
I have to say it... the IBM logo itself is pretty cool. Much better than any of the "Ready! For OS/2"-type logos we saw on old VESA video cards.
Save Maine's economy: write stuff down. All comments are exclusively my own, not my employer.
Any word on the US release date for Matsushita/Panasonic's GameCube unit, or whether software will be able to use the extended area for FMV or possibly game data as well? One would imagine that if the extra data capacity (data capacity of the 8cm disc being used in the GC is ~1.5gb, whereas a single-layered 12cm DVD is ~4.5, double-layered ~8, and if one extrapolates density from 8cm and 12cm CD sizes, a 12cm GC data disc should be approximately 6gb...) was usable for software, this would make that version much the preferable system, even at a higher price... especially given that the sizes of some of the newer PSX RPGs are approaching 1.5gb.
They doesn't care about their customers
Their games haven't been that great
Nintendo has the best games out there
They've got enough money from their other markets, why ruin this one
I've always been a strong Nintendo supporter, and always will be. Yeah, eventually I'll get a PS2, when it's good and cheap, but I doubt I'll ever buy the x-box. Computer games are computer games.
This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
it's not being launched with Pilotwings Cube.
A 2 week delay I can handle, but thank God that Nintendo is not launching its 3rd console in a row with a Pilotwings game. I think thats what really did N64 in.
International Business Machines, the company known more familiarly as IBM, was found dead at the age of %s in its upstate New York offices today at the age of 78.
Nasty rumors started immediately started cirulating about the cause of death. IBM had recently taken up with the notorious commie freeware Linux, and it is rumored to have caught a nasty GPL virus from it.
All those cops are so full of angst and the shows full of beautiful desolate view lacking car chases and shoot-outs..
When you consider that the xbox still has a rather crucial problem (let me know if you want to know what it is) that Intel and MS are working out I don't think its a biggy - especially when you consider the xbox will probably be delayed for another month, unless they forgo this problem and ship it anyhow.
Why else would they insist on posting pictures of the BSD daemon happily porking Tux who obviously doesn't want to participate in the homosexual perversions!
Will the poor users of the X-box have to relicense their console each time they buy three new games? Format their memory cards, change the channel on TV?
I had been holding out for an X-box, but with the decline of my opinion about Microsoft this year I decided to wait no more and get a PS-2. After being hit with Code-Red, a DNS server vulnerability, and many more problems this year, I no longer have faith in Microsoft Products.
yadda yadda yadda & etc
<would one of the troll interns please fsck'n finish this off for me? thx>
Could we someday see a Mac with an IBM Technology logo on it? I've heard there's a possibility that Apple may use IBM chips at some point, and they already use some IBM drives. Wouldn't that be something to behold? It'd really confuse the folks who still use the term IBM Compatable.
(And no, I don't mean the "never have enouhg to drink" kind of a problem!)
we might get a new design for the much-awaited xBox version of the blue screen. Hey, maybe there will be a nice animation !?
Can't wait...
IP Therefore I am.
I think what you mean to say is, "Nintendo got screwed because they made it hard for 3rd party developers to come anywhere near a development kit."
Sony 0wn3d them in this department by releasing Yaroze units to anybody and his brother for what, 100k yen? Not to mention, Nintendo has always tried to shove the idea into consumers' heads that NINTENDO IS GOD. WE MAKE SYSTEM. WE MAKE GAME. YOU WILL BUY NOW. OTHER DEVELOPER IS IRRELEVANT.
Sony didn't mind people associating Playstation with 'mascots' from other companies, such as Cloud (Final Fantasy 7) and Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid). Nintendo wants you to see that big N, and say, "It's a me, Mario!" (Or, more recently, "Pika?")
Anyway, the point is that Sony has been MUCH more supportive of 3rd party developers, both in terms of developing games and branding, than Nintendo has. But hey, they've still got four bullets left, and there are plenty more places to shoot themselves.
i had a mariokart shrine on the web in 96. i still have it kicking around. anyways, question: it didnt say anything about a new mariokart being in the release titles. does anyone know anything that will get my hopes up?!
slashdot: where everyone yells sarcastic metaphors to themselves to understand the issue
I think the real story here is the fact that IBM is now pushing the PowerPC line. With the news that Motorola may be jumping the AIM processor ship, I think IBM is now looking to take it in a whole new direction.
Now instead of the "Intel Inside" it will be a "Powered by IBM" or even just the good-old "PowerPC" logo.
Who knows, but it looks like the dismay of Motorola may not be the demise of the PPC.
sin(6cos(r)+5A)
Yet once again, Nintendo makes the same mistake which has cost them so dearly in sales in the past. Game consoles are not what they were in the 80s and early 90s, selling a box that looks like a children's toy with cartoonish games to match will not give it the appeal with the vital age 13+ market which makes or breaks a console.
I can't understand how a company that is prepared to spend hundreds of millions of $ in research on the technological side of a product can miss some absolutely blantent marketting flaws.
The Gamecube will fail because it looks like a childish toy. Both Sony and Microsoft have understood the market and made their consoles appeal accordingly. This is why the Playstation 2 and the X-Box are both black and 'macho' looking, and not made to look like some 1980ish "SuperMarioland" theme.
This will go the way of the N-64, a good piece of technology that nobody wants.
For coverage, check out:
Gamespot's SpaceWorld Coverage
IGN's GameCube site
Most impressive to me is the footage of the new Mario and Zelda games. While lots of other developers worry about targetting the "cool" gamers, the "hardcore" gamers, Nintendo seems to be the one of the only ones focusing on the FUN in their games, and targetting the kid in all of us (as well as the real kids among us.) ;-) That's going to be the factor that wins them the #1 position in the upcomming console wars, in my opinion. This focus on pure fun is evident in their entire GameCube and Game Boy Advance lineup.
paulb
Paul Bettner
Game Developer et al
Gamecube delay
SSB: MEELE DELAY
ETERNAL Darknes delay
Zelda-It's cel shaded (looks like rugrats-yuck)
Mario-looks like mario 64
Nintendo is gaining profit from the hardware sales.
2 games at launch.
wait for it.....
the Atari Jaguar!
The fisrt batches was made by IBM and the later ones by Comptronix.
Atari Press Release:
ATARI AND IBM ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC MANUFACTURING CONTRACT FOR MULTIMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- June 28, 1993 -- Atari Corp. announced today that it has contracted with the IBM Corp.'s Charlotte, N.C., facility to manufacture the Atari Jaguar, Atari's new 64-bit multimedia entertainment system.
IBM's multi-year contract is valued at $500 million.
The Atari Jaguar, to be made in the United States, is an interactive multimedia entertainment system which features over 16 million colors in 24-bit true color graphics and produces shaded 3-D polygons for manipulation in a "real world" in real time. A 32-bit expansion port will allow for future connection into cable and telephone networks, a digital signal processing port for modem usage and connection to digital audio peripherals. The Jaguar will also feature a double-speed compact disc peripheral.
"This system is clearly the wave of the future," said Sam Tramiel, president of Atari. "Because the Jaguar will feature such an array of visual and audio special effects, we wanted to work with a premier company that we are confident can manufacture the quality product we have developed."
The Charlotte-based IBM plant, which for 15 years has manufactured and developed products only for other IBM businesses, just recently began working with outside companies to meet their production needs. The Atari Jaguar project represents one of IBM's first entries into manufacturing for the mass consumer electronics market.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to work with Atari and their new system," said Herbert L. Watkins, director of Application Solutions manufacturing at IBM Charlotte. "Everyone expects IBM to manufacture complex information technology products, and with this, we'll show that we can competitively build a sophisticated consumer product."
In addition to assembling the Jaguar, IBM will be responsible for the component sourcing, quality testing, packaging and distribution. The Jaguar, announced on June 3, is based on an Atari-designed proprietary 64-bit RISC processor that features four times the technology currently seen in the marketplace today. The sound system is based on Atari's proprietary, high-speed, Digital Signal Processor dedicated to audio which can produce CD-quality sound. The Atari Jaguar will be available on a limited basis in the fall, focusing on the New York market. A national roll-out is expected next year, and the Jaguar will retail for approximately $200.
NOTE: Atari Corp. manufactures and markets personal computers and video games for the home, office and educational marketplaces throughout the world. Atari headquarters are located at 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089.
The IBM Corp.'s Charlotte facility manufactures and develops for IBM and other companies a wide variety of products, such as banking systems, automotive diagnostic systems and electronic circuit boards. The site includes 2.3 million square feet of work space on a 1,200-acre site. Its address is 1001 W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28257. Telephone: 704-594-1000
Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.
X-Box is so macho, you need the arms of Steve Austin just to lift it out of the packaging.
oh, and you sir, are a sad little muppet
Fuck off, newbie.
on the machine to get past European laws that Tax consoles but not PC's.
The article also notes that the big N will be spending almost half a billion on advertising worldwide, which matches Microsoft's much touted ad budget for X-Box.
Nope, hence the square brackets saying where the link posts.
Nintendo's GameCube :
Photos show how gamers will eventually have the choice of a 56K modem or a broadband modem and
2 slots for 4-Mb Digicard flash memory cards or a 64-MB SD-Digicard adapter. The biggest change that Nintendo has made between the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube is that the GameCube will be the first Nintendo console not to use game cartridges. The GameCube will use small proprietary discs.
the logo they're plastering on these things is awful. Paul Rand would puke.
sure it's the right blue (maybe - web colors suck for ID standards) and there are the stripes, but gradients and dropshadows? on a logo?
okay, so i don't play the part of design nazi very well, but i did have the logo usage standards drilled into my head when i worked at Big Blue, and it sucks to see them ogilvy-and-mathered. yarf.
- Entertaining Bits from the Ancient Kernel Tree
First, Mario isn't slated to come out for another 8 - 12 months, and Zelda 'till the tail end of 2002. Also, making the claims that the x-box games aren't very exciting seems a bit strange unless you've tried them. Oddworld, Malice, Halo... They'll have to start somewhere, just like Zelda, Mario, and Pokemon did.
You write that they could easily turn out to be not worth the wait when referring to the xbox games. How about the other side of the coin however? They could be fantastic. or not...
"I wasn't sorry to see Sega and its Dreamcast go, as I think the PS1 & PS2 just blew them out of the water"
What are you talking about? The PS2 hype hurt the Dreamcast, not the actual machine. They have yet to come out with a game that makes me want to buy that thing. Metal Gear Solid 2 is about the only game that looks like it's worth the hype. The Dreamcast has some great games, don't give a shit what you say.
Remember the first time you saw someone perform "The Jump" shortcut at Wario's Stadium?
A well-timed jump over the first wall on the left is dramatic and adds a bit of tactics (should I try the jump and lose a couple seconds if I fail, or should I just race?), but a seven second lap (jump over the left wall, then jump over the wall again, making sure to go around the left pole of the s/f line, repeat, repeat for a 22 second run) is just cheap.
Or being knocked off a ramp by a well-timed red shell?
I remember what part of Wario Stadium you're talking about, but I normally did it with a row of banana peels. With a red shell, it a was good comeback tactic, but with an unstoppable Blue Shell Of Death(TM), it was cheap.
But what about MK64's cheesy Battle Mode music, the invisible banana peels in 150cc multiplayer, or the other couple dozen bugs and design flaws in the Mario Kart games? Perhaps this is why Mario Kart Super Circuit for GBA is going back to the SMK roots. (/me starts a petition to get Kamek the Magikoopa and Pinocchio the non-Disney little wooden boy added to Mario Kart 4 for GCN.)
Will I retire or break 10K?
I cant remember when Nintendo launched a console on time.
that you're tired of posting messages to yourself and need some company there?
On the bright side that means 15-20 dollar generic [controller]s.
Not if Nintendo's controllers encrypt all communications. Because Nintendo owns copyright on the boot code and some game software, and because the games check for the presence of a controller so that the players can Press Start, the controllers effectively control access to a copyrighted work as required by 17 USC 1201. Nintendo is well aware of the DMCA; the company produced only cartridge systems (hiding behind mask work copyright, which prohibits backing up semiconductor ROMs for 10 years after first publication) until TW and Disney bought the DMCA (which prohibits backing up encrypted discs for 95 years after first publication). Even though 17 USC 1201 provides an exception for reverse engineering for interoperability, Nintendo's unlimited legal budget will allow the company to bring baseless lawsuits and filibuster the trial until the smaller company has run out of money. Just look at Mad Catz, a manufacturer of popular independently produced gaming accessories: hey caved to MS and paid the protec^H^H^H^H^H^H licensing fees to produce official Xbox controllers
Will I retire or break 10K?
I saw a news story about GameCube a week or so ago, and they said it supported HDTV at 1080 out of the box, and Microsoft will have HDTV support as an extra add on. That said. I'll never waste my money on another Nintendo product. I don't know yet if I'll waste it on one from Microsoft. But MS, if ya hadn't noticed has acquire a few game companies in the past couple of years. More over they've developed some brands of their own, Age of Empires, their sports series. Not to mention Sega will be developing games for all three of the boxes. I've seen stuff about Xbox getting a new grand theft auto, and crazy taxi. That sure as hell appeals more to me than anything with Mario.
The killer app I would buy either of them for on the spot would be a tight Macross game.
--Jimmy has fancy plans; and pants to match.
No, its not 128 bit. Its 64. Sorry.
And P6 (used in Xbox's PIII) still has only eight 32-bit integer registers. A system doesn't have "64 bits" until it has native support for long long (64-bit) integers.
It has the same PowerPC architecture thats been around for years.
The Nintendo GAMECUBE system has a 480 MHz PowerPC Gekko processor. Its PowerPC core is about twice as fast as P6 clock for clock.
proprietary, smaller, storage of the GC(N64 anyone?)
Yes, I know N64 only went up to 32 megabytes (256 megabits) in games such as WWF Attitude, Ocarina of Time, and Mario Party 3, but GAMECUBE supports 3-inch DVDs that can store 1.5 GB of data. And you won't experience PSX loading syndrome because the disc mechanism is fast enough to stream in the next couple rooms while you're playing.
no internet out of the box
Xbox can't access AOL either, no matter how many FREE HOURS!!!1!1 they give away.
realtime Dolby Digital
The audio coding state of the art has already almost left AC-3 (the Dolby Digital codec) behind; AC-3 will severely distort rapid impulsive sounds such as raindrops on a tin roof. Ogg technology shows much more promise.
Will I retire or break 10K?
it didnt say anything about a new mariokart being in the release titles.
Mario Kart is never a release title; it comes out 6 to 12 months after system launch. For example Mario Kart 3: Super Circuit is coming soon for GBA, and Mario Kart 4 for GCN is in development.
Will I retire or break 10K?
By many indepentant accounts, HALO ran like ass. And now its main selling point, TRIBES like multiplayer is gone, leaving many to wonder whether to spend their money on HALO for pc or upgrade their current computer and play TRIBES 2.
I Browse at +4 Flamebait
Open Source Sysadmin
While I might buy the ethernet card, but I can't really fathom why I'd need a hard drive ... With a well-designed format, an 8Mb FLASH card should be able to hold many, many savegames.
Answer: Mario Artist. The sequel to Mario Paint will be released on GAMECUBE, not N64 as originally planned. If you're going to be storing full-color lossless images (PNG/TIFF), you need lots of space.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Nintendo is infamous for delaying releases of new consoles. They did the same thing with the SNES and the N64.
Proprietary? I thought the GC's media was just a ~3" DVD
The Nintendo GAMECUBE system uses 8 cm DVD-based media, but the format may not be UDF, and it's probably encrypted, making any unauthorized backups a violation of DMCA.
Will I retire or break 10K?
other companies did. MS just ported Windows NT, and finally got some nice API's
Heee, I noticed that the reason IBM was getting involved was because its a PowerPC chip inside...
yeah, I know there's a lot more to a box than the CPU, but...
Winton
(Pinocchio, however... why?!)
First of all, Di$neyCo doesn't own the copyright on Pinocchio.
Toad's real name is Kinopio (scroll down to Player Select). If Kinopio made it in, why not rival Pinocchio? Pinocchio was expected to make it into Super Mario RPG (I have the Nintendo Power back issues to prove it) but was replaced at the last minute.
Will I retire or break 10K?
After years of reading these boards, your post was the first that made me snicker!
Hitler invading Russia.
Think about it. Everything is going good for Bill Gates but he's making a fatal flaw, he's getting too greedy. He's going to try to enter a territory he's not too experienced with. We all know his masterplan is for the Xbox to become a boxtop PC that is in everyone's home. Its like the Riddler Device in Batman 3. Sending you messages how microsoft is great and Bill Gates is the lord of the Universe.
But he's gonna the get screwed. The Russian winter is gonna slow him down and Nintendo is gonna make Bill Gates look like a fool. And this is when everything is gonna go down hill. Bill Gates is gonna get screwed over with the Xbox.
Think about this, who plays video games? Kids! Of course we 'big kids' who the XBox markets as well. But what is mommy and daddy going to buy you for christmas? Well another electric razor of course and little Jonny gets a Game Boy Advance and new Gamecube. And is the Xbox no different then the PC you already got? Of course it isnt, I dont wanna hear this 'its a console' bs. Its a freaking PC in an ugly box with games that you will play on your PC anyway.
Give me a break, your stoner friend Gavin might buy the Xbox but thats it. And in 4 weeks he will tell you how attractive Bill Gates looks and you wont believe him when he tells you in the kitchen 'where the Xbox cant hear' that he thinks the Xbox is satan.
Um, the PS2 was crap.
The hardware was and is crap.
It has a tendency to destroy DVD's and games.
What the hell was Sony thinking, releasing
a console without hardware anti-aliasing?
If I want to see a Monet I'll go to the freaking louvre.
I know Dreamcast is less powerful, but Sega's
games are so much better. I can't think of a better way they could have gone out of the hardware business.
Sony and XBox buy out their talent. They are hardware only. They have a way of sucking the fun out of the entire industry.
Nintendo is my last bastion in console gaming. I know they are headed for the same fate as Sega, but I feel I must give them my support.
Have fun with your souless boxes of monopolized entertainment.
even more scary that it was called "The Box".
Take another look in the video store. HDTVs are down to $1500 US for a widescreen picture tube model (a nice Panasonic Tau model). I expect sub-$1000 models by next year.
That's cheap enough that I'm beginning to plan how I'll be making the jump.
The issue for me is not so much the HDTV, but figuring out the best way to build a system around it.
And, FWIW, broadcast HDTV doesn't even enter into the equation for me. It's all about home theater, where an HDTV utterly kills anything NTSC. After watching DVDs on my 19" computer monitor at HDTV resolution, I can never go back!
Jon Acheson
All opinions expressed herein are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled.