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Nintendo GameCube Clone Out In Japan
Jon F writes: "I saw this picture on Yahoo! today, it looks like Nintendo decided to license out the GameCube to Panasonic to make a clone. It's a hybrid DVD player/GameCube that came out in Toyko today. The only other article I came across about this was on IGN a few months ago. It has a mirrored surface and trippy purple lights on the controller port." Gaming guts (and purple bits) aside, this is one of the nicest-looking DVD players I've seen. Update: 11/01 23:50 GMT by T : As several readers have pointed out, this looks like just a tease for now, but will be out (in Japan) next month.
This is definatly something unique in the Console gaming market. It makes a lot of sense to do it as well. Console manufacturers have been losing money on the consoles themselves in order to gain marketshare, hoping to make bank on the games they play. Setting the cost on a 3rd party makes for good economics. Nintendo still makes money off of licenses and games, but is not responsible for losing money on the consoles!
This seems to be a first to me? I have NEVER heard of Nintendo doing any sort of outside licenseing of hardware, at least not of the console hardware. Still hope this extends to the US, that would rock, get a Tivo/TV/GameCube/PS2
You don't want Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3?
you don't want Resident Evil special editions? (A system exclusive at that!)
You have no interest in a new Metroid, Zelda, or Mario game?
Oh, I see, you're just a troll.
This seems like a fantastic idea for Nintendo. Rather than placing all their bets on their ability to produce enough hardware, market to a large enough population, get it in front of enough eyeballs, etc., they're spreading the liability of this kind of venture out.
Imagine if Sony had done the same thing with the PS2 last year. They might have been able to meat christmas production demands, rather than creating an artificial shortage.
Nintendo is banking on licensees sharing in the impact of the GameCube's success or failure.
Game companies complain about people being pirates, and they give rights to produce their hardware/software out to other companies. If this won't hurt Nintendo's sales, I don't know what will.
Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
Maybe it's not as cool as opening up the hardware and the software for everybody to use royalty free, but Nintendo is definitely not going to hurt itself by livensing the hardware and the software for other manufacturers to use.
This is the third time that /. has news on it that isn't that new.
Panasonic was making this way back when they showed a picture of it at Spaceworld. I believe it was last year's Spaceworld at that.
Still it is good to hear, I suppose. I for one would buy GameCube for the games and not the DVDs...I have my PC for that.
I have 3656.9 Bogomips. How many Bogomips do you have?
Isn't this what Sega was doing with Dreamcast just as it was getting out of the console hardware business? So is this a sign of things to come?
I was more than a little annoyed that I couldn't play normal DVDs in the GameCube...almost annoyed enough not to get one, but if this clone is a good copy (i.e. it plays the games just as well) then I sure hope it comes out in the States, because that's where my money will be going!
I think it's the future for games consoles. I know I'd sure buy one of these, but I'd see it first and foremost as a DVD player rather than a games console.
...this is getting out of hand
I didn't see anything that talked about the difference in price between the two units. DVD playback is a nice feature, but as the costs of dedicated DVD players are dropping, I wouldn't pay much for it.
Looks like a mini hi-fi without the speakers :-)
:-)
Still pretty cool tho... But they should add speakers and front-panel controls for the DVD to play CDs etc and this would be real neat
...this is getting out of hand
Will this version of the GC be available when the regular one is? If it IS available it would probably cause me to buy the GC instead of the XBox (depending on how the consumer version turns out) or PS2. I initially wanted the GC (Nintendo makes quality systems, not to mention quality GAMES) but the lack of a DVD player threw me a little. With the DVD on...
No sig for you.
weren't there like 3 manufactures of the 3DO? We all know what happened to that lame piece of hardware.
This isn't the first time Nintendo have licensed their hardware to another company.
Back in the SNES days, there was a TV that had SNES hardware built into it - it looked just like a normal TV, except it had two controller ports at the bottom, and a compartment at the top to put carts in.
There are other non-commercial SNES clones as well, such as the in-flight games on Singapore Airlines and the in-room entertainment at some hotels.
If anything, Nintendo is weary of not being open to partners - after all, the PlayStation only came about after Nintendo shunned Sony from making a CD-Rom addon for the SNES!
For those interested, the Japanese release date is Dec 14th.
Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
From: http://www.dvdgame.jp:
On-sale 12/14, Retail price 39,800 yen (at 110 yen per dollar, roughly $350)
According to http://www.dvdgame.jp/product/index.html, the main feature is really the DVD player and the new looks... they are listed as:
1) Compatable with the Nintendo Game Cube
2) The timer function helps you keep track of play-time. (laf, more like helps parents keep track of kids)
3) CD, DVD playback
4) A handy remote control for CD, DVD playback
5) "ABCD" (Advanced surround, Bass plus, Cinema mode, Dialogue enhancer) features for DVD playback.
6) Dolby Digital/DTS Fiber Out
Advanced surround = 2-speaker emulation of 5.1 dolby digital
Bass plus = the ability to add a subwoofer from a dedicated subwoofer output
Cinema mode = filters put in place to not make the TV screen appear too jaggedy during DVD playback. (shrug, I never knew this was a problem)
Dialogue Enhancer - enhances the center channel on DVD audio tracks where there is no center channel present. This allows you to hear dialogue clearly, even at night, without upsetting your neighbors. (ha, quite useful in Japan..)
They have a pretty darn big picture here -- enjoy.
Some hotels I've seen in the United States have televisions/cable boxes with a built in SNES of sorts. The controllers attached to the unit are derived from SNES units, and the units play SNES games.
Unfortunately for the consumer, these units do not simply take SNES cartridges; instead, they download games over the cable network. To use these, you typically pay per hour of usage. I wanted to play with one of these once; but its hourly rate was prohibitive (even for most parents).
To the person who asked about the price... In Japan, the Nintendo Game Cube is 25,000 yen (at 110 yen per dollar, roughly $225)...
The "Q", coming in at $350, is a big jump... While I understand the desire to get the added feature of a DVD player, this only makes sense if you only have one TV. The moment you have/get a 2nd TV, you're far better off with a GameCube and a DVD -- seperately...
(much like the DVD player + computer argument... you can't effectively use both at the same time)
I found it amusing that Nintendo's site has an ad for the "Q"... Yeah, it's in Japanese, but check out the middle of this page...
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/index.html
This is definatly something unique in the Console gaming market.
The only reason that this is "unique" in the (current) market is that 3DO tried it years ago and failed miserably.
If you don't mind waiting for it to come to US (If ever) and like the look (which looks slick) and don't mind paying the price tag. For the rest of us, probably be better off getting a console + DVD player.
kawai
pro skater 3 will be on PS2. I never could get into resident evil, the new metroid might be a decent shooter, but it is not metroid. Zelda? have you seen what the folks over at Nintendo DayCare Labs have done to zelda? The next mario won't even be out for another year, and I absolutely hated the N64 version. SOME THINGS SHOULD NOT BE MADE 3D!!! Nintendo's going down, and in a couple of years, the xbox will fade(obsoleted out by M$). And I'll have my PS2, playing the games I actually like.
Shift happens. Fire it up.
Can I get the nifty "Desk and Elbow" skin they're using on the demo model?
That looks like it rocks.
--Blair
You apparently missed that whole 4 people having fun with Goldeneye-Mario Party-Mario Kart thing. Too bad. Made a lot of friends with people who aren't excited by cartoon characters that are about pump action shotguns and cleavage.
Oh, and Grand Tourismo sucks. It always will, no matter how many versions. It is never fun obsessing about car decals and shock absorbers when you should be racing with four of your friends AT THE SAME TIME... WITHOUT TWO SEPERATE MACHINES AND TWO SEPERATE TELEVISIONS.
I may be a Nintendo fanboy, but I even thought that the mighty Metal Gear on Playstation had some gameplay issues... mostly not being able to see more than 3 feet without using a "look" button. What a horrible design.
I would suggest Commandos 2 instead of Metal Gear anything.
Did anybody else notice the amazing similarity between the Gamecube graphic and the Inktomi logo?
Posted from the wireless couch.
"Attack of the Cubes"
Men believe what they want. - Caesar
and I got modded as troll?
Shift happens. Fire it up.
I'm sure the implementation is trivial, but think of the server loads!
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
From what I read, gamecube's main selling point is the ease of making game's for the system. Quite simply, they were under the opinion that impressive system specs only went so far. The next system after them will have better specs, because its a newer system. Their goal was to create good games, and the easiest way to do this would be make a system that is easy to develop and specalise on that. They said they learned their lesson from the N64, and are going to not make it again. That's why the Gamecube was a gaming system and nothing more.
Now a third party added a DVD player to the system. I see this a big plus to nintendo; they specalised in the gaming system, and let someone else deal with the gimmicks.
Now there isn't much of an excuase for me not to buy a Gamecube.
Liquid Gaming - Your daily dose of gaming news
It seems like they might have a better shot this time around. They can ride off of Nintendo's marketing, and the system is more reasonably priced. Plus, seeing as how Matsushita (Panasonic's parent company) created the special format dvd-drive, I'm speculating that the Nintendo got a sweet licensing deal in exchange for providing an equally-sweet licensing deal to Matsushita.
Though I do think it's a great idea and I'd love to see it take off. The gamecube/washing machine should really help take the dull off of doing my laundry.
The story *could* be a hoax (as are more than we like, even in the *accepted* stories lately, but WhoTF can tell, moreover, isn't almost every /. reader conditioned to this and ready to investigate and report it as such?
The post in question was regarding postal facilities in Texas. Is that so far from KC, MO? *NO*.
CNN is *not* reporting it, but if you can follow the link I provided, KC news *IS*.So is MSNBC...
So, those of you *blessed* with mod privs, start thinking out of the same "rare" brain-vein that Taco did on 9/11 - "Stuff that matters" never rang truer! As a community, if we can raise awareness, then WHY NOT DO IT?
db
Cig:
ôô
Actually the more likely reason Nintendo is avoiding DVDs (as they avoided CD-ROMS previously) is to make it more difficult to pirate GameCube games.
History has shown that any console system that uses standard media is easily hacked and pirate games can be distributed. While its true that non-standard formats like Dreamcast's GDROM and Nintendo's own cartridge formats are also piratable, the amount of knowledge and/or effort required to do so is generally much higher.
E3. They had it up front at the NOA booth. The US version does not have lights on it, but hey according to the Nintendo spokesperson it is supposed to have DTS and Dolby 5.1. Here is a picture I took of it:
http://www.dn3dgamer.com/e3/MISC/MVC-002F_3.JPG
sorry, I know the writer thinks it looks sweet, but i can't get past the fact that it looks like a toaster with controller ports.....
I SURVIVED THE GREAT SLASHDOT BLACKOUT OF 2002!
Everytime a thread on Slashdot takes place about gaming consoles, 5-6 people get scores of 3-5 (insightful) for pointing out that game makes lose money on the hardware to sell the software.
This gets mentioned frequently, and 3DO is mentioned as an example of what happens when they don't do that.
I've always been wondering, do we really know that this is true? Has anyone any financial data to prove this?
If there is some proof, can the Slashdot editors include this information in each posting, so those of us browsing at higher thresholds don't see half the posts with this insightful fact?
I also don't really buy this theory. I mean, how much can the licensing fee be for each $50 game? Also, in an age of video game rentals, how many games does the average console owner own?
I mean, if you figure that the average game now sells for $50, the store pays AT MOST $35 for the game. The distributer probably picks it up for $25 (so the BIG stores get the bigger margins, no separate distributers). This leaves $25 to be split among the maker and the console. I can't imagine that the license is more than $5. Maybe it is $10? That would explain WHY Nintendo and (until recently) Sega made systems, $5-$10/game is a nice margin, plus they get the revenue for the author when they sell their own games.
Let's figure that the average console owner owns 10 games/console (that seems REALLY high BTW, I owned 30-50 NES games, but they were mostly the original $30 games, and their weren't rentals in the early NES days), plus rents enough games to result in the local store stocking an extra 10 games. This is 20 games/console, at $10/game, yielding $200 in licensing.
Now, how much of that licensing is Nintendo or Sony willing to spend subsidizing the hardware?
I had always heard that the stores make little margin on the systems (not a loss, but a trivial profit) and make their money on the games/peripherals. This makes more sense, as they trade a little bit of store space to get the margins on the games. The games are good for toy stores, as the space/product is minimal compared to real toys and the prices are high.
However, the console maker subsidzing the hardware (more than a trivial fee) seems absurd. I mean, MAYBE the launch versions get subsidized, but given the demand (preorders, unavailability for 2-3 months), why would they subsidize sales when they could clearly move the units at cost or above cost. Now, I could see subsidizing post-launch consoles to move sales, but manufacturing costs should go down over time, allowing the prices to drop (which they do) or the profits on consoles to increase.
Now, I COULD buy that the console makers sell the machines at cost. This would result in a subsidy of the "fixed" costs (R&D, setting up manufacturing process), but still, this wouldn't be real. As the costs go down (consoles stay on the market for 5 years, electronics go down tremendously in 5 years, but consoles rarely drop THAT significantly in price... i.e. a $300 console may drop to $200, but the manufacturing costs 2 years out should be half the initial costs), maybe they recover the initial subsidies?
I mean, the common Slashdot belief that the 3DO was $700 because of no subsidies and needing a profit, while the $200-$300 consoles are sold at a loss is ABSURD. That implies a $400-$500/console subsidy (or $200-$300 with an extra $200 in profit for 3DO makes), which would result in assinine losses.
In computers, processors are sold at a premium when new, but moved at lower prices after R&D is recovered and Intel was traditionally trying to move more units. This is simple price discrimination, not a value judgement on valid profits.
I mean, maybe you sell consoles at a loss to create a software market. Then the software market creates a demand for the console which allows profits on the later consoles, but this subsidized hardware "theory" makes no economic sense.
Realize that 3rd generation games are planned AFTER the launch (first generation hit with the product launch or soon after, the second generation normally starts in after the first round are finished before launch, and the third generation don't start planning until 6-12 months of sales are known), so creating a demand by moving consoles allows third generations products to be made.
However, I'd like someone to either provide EVIDENCE of this subsidy, or at a MINIMUM some economic analysis to show WHY companies would do so. This simple assertion ("remember, consoles are sold at a loss") is neither insightful or useful.
Alex
P.S. Apologies for singling out one of the posts, this could apply to any of dozens of Slashdot posts on the subject.
I am fully convinced that Gamecube will become the dominant game system when it comes out. However, both this and the original Nintendo model have a big problem: They are shaped like toasters!
The taller they get, the more difficult they are to integrate into a stereo/home theater system. These devices will not fit ANYWHERE.
It boggles the mind. Sorry for the somewhat off-topic rant, but, AARGH.
Justin
"Why would God give us a waist if we wasn't supposed to rest our pants on it?" - Rev. Roy McDaniels
It is only the most powerful game console in the world.
You're right, that's about all it is (and even then only on raw specs).
While I certainly wouldn't rule out a small amount of Slashdot's anti-MS bias regarding X-Box articles, the fact remains that for a lot of people, or rather gamers, the X-Box isn't the next big thing. The hype surrounding it may be huge, but it doesn't take much to start to see through it. It simply isn't that impressive.
- Also Sprach Doktor Merkwurdigliebe
This item has been in the works for some time. It was shown way back in May at E3 in Los Angeles and it hasn't changed at all. My guess it that it was part of Nintendo's original game plan for the GameCube. I just hope it still as the broadband connection for the future.
3DO's 62-bit M2 technology was never put into a game console, and instead was sold to some Japanese company that integrated it into industrial systems.
As for the 3DO, it sucked: too expensive, not enough developer support. Trip Hawkins' had a good idea, but it wasn't executed very well.
Also, anyone who remember the days of 3DO will see striking similarities between it and the XBox...
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
Cost is another factor. Nintendo doesn't have to pay a DVD license fee for every GameCube sold. Some of that money would have gone to Sony, so that was a definite incentive.
Don't forget that Friday is Hawaiian shirt day.
What I don't understand is if everyone (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft) sells these consoles as "loss leaders" then how can anyone make money selling clones? After all, isn't Nintendo going to be the only one making money on developer licenses for the GameCube?
The pay-per-hour playstation/nintendo/sega is pretty common these days. My question though, since when is $7/hr (the most common price I've seen) prohibitive? If you're in a hotel that has these, you've already demonstrated a willingness to pay $150-$400/night for a bed and a room, what's another $7 to entertain the kids for a bit?
The problem with the cube design is that unlike a PS2, it simply doesn't fit into a component stack because of its shape (except on top, where connecting controllers is awkward). It doesn't fit into the VCR space in standard TV cabinets. The only circumstance in which it's sensibly usable is when nothing else is really attached to the TV unit.
Note that the "plain" Nintendo Cube doesn't have this problem. It's a console, and as such is fine hidden on the floor behind the TV. But if you have as much as a VCR plugged in, wouldn't it make sense to have the DVD player nearby, rather than somewhere on the floor? Not to mention if DVD is to be an integrated part of a more complex entertainment system.
Ceci n'est pas une sig
Yeah yeah, different platforms altogether, but so are iMacs and PC's with iMac *like* cases (some of which were sued for only having an all in one form factor, not any translucent plastic, just looking like a monitor with a build in computer)...
I mean to an opportunistic lawyer, it could appear to look like a G4 Cube, and Apple could use the potential billions won in a lawsuit with Nintendo... Sure it sounds crazy, but it's happened before...
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
If the XBox truly costs $375 in marginal costs, and they are selling it for $300, they are engaging in dumping. It is illegal to sell products under marginal cost in an attempt to monopolize the marget.
A combination of Microsoft leveraging Windows (the DirectX API), a monopoly, into establishing a new monopoly through market dumping, should make this a no brainer.
MS got away with IE on a technicality. Because software, as we all know, costs 0 to copy, MS was able to give IE away without engaging in dumping because the marginal cost was 0.
They did spend bandwith. However, as bandwith is a fixed cost (you pay $X for Y Mb/s), the marginal cost for the copies remains zero.
I don't know if the idea of selling below marginal cost to make up backend revenues matters, but the entire Microsoft practice smells of dumping.
They are using their cash reserves and selling below cost in an attempt to put Nintendo out of business (Nintendo is a games company!) and cause Sony to bleed red ink.
This seems like a plain approach of market dumping.
The interesting thing is, most publically traded corporations are stereotyped at looking at the quarterly returns. Microsoft Corporation is unique in that it DOES look out for the big picture. The successfully leverage their monopolies and cash reserves to "cut off the air supply" of their competitors.
If Microsoft is selling under marginal costs to establish marketshare and monopolize the market (where they can then jack up the licensing fees, etc.) this should be clear cut.
Are any of the lawyers on Slashdot around? Am I on the right track?
Alex
I remember reading an article published by Nintendo that said they would release a GameCube/DVD hybrid in Japan only, shortly after the initial GameCube launch. This must be the fruit of that labor.
Matsushita is, of course, the company responsible for the DVD player add-on that can be used on standard GameCube's as well. This sounds like more of a collaboration, than a licensing of the GC itself.
I'll try to find the article, but I know this announced several months back.
Watch out, or I'll have the penguins eat you.
Oh...and, I'm liquid talent
This device isn't a clone, it's another proper version of the console. Nintendo teamed up with panasonic for the cube, since they needed to get a
realitively inexpense dvd reader for their console somewhere. Out of that partnership came two products, the game cube and this. Nintendo wants to focus on Games and wanted to keep the cost of their system down. So the base unit is the gamecube which is marketed by inintendo, and since panasonics market is DvD players and other more expensive electronics they are the ones handling the the sales and marketing and branding of the DVD capable one.
Okay, here goes. First, my (sort of) credentials: I was assistant manager for nearly 2 years at a mom & pop videogame store. I handled inventory, pricing, and ordering issues. The owner/manager pretty much just paid the taxes (and my paycheck).
First, the issue of profit on the unit:
When the PS1 came out, it cost $299. Sony WAS selling that unit at a loss. No question. My cost (to purchase one to re-sell at my store) was about $297. Unless I was willing to purchase LARGE quantities of units, my store actually lost money on selling the units (after we paid shipping).
Flash forward a few years, and the PS1 prices at, say, $129. Now, it still costs my store about $127. However, by this time, the fact that Sony is using (pretty much) the same equipment means that thier cost has dropped. They are actually turning a mild profit on each unit (maybe $10). Also keep in mind that this is the point in a console's lifetime when the majority of the supporters jump on board. This means that the greater numbers of people purchasing these units is outweighing the people who purchased them when it was a loss-leader.
Now for the game pricing issue.
Take your typical PS2 game, pricing at $50. Some are DVDs, some are CDs (it's up to the developer if they need the additional space). My store would have to pay approximately $42 for one of those games. We would order them from a distributor, who typically made $2/unit. So the total money going back to the publisher is $40/unit. That would allow Sony to charge anywhere from $10 to $15 a unit, and still leave a publisher with a very profitable unit.
Your estimation of ~10/person is a ways off. A not-so-hardcore gamer will purchase 10 games in the lifetime of the system. Assuming $10/game, that means $100 total to console manufacturer for licensing alone. Most gamers will purchase 15-20 games in the life of their console, and many will purchase 30-50. I can't tell you how many people I whom I saw on a nearly weekly basis in my store. There are quite a few folks who purchase the new sports games each year. So we can figure that maybe 20% of Sony's installed base is far-and-away exceeding the ~10 game estimate.
Now consider the issue of add-ons. A Dual Shock 2 PS2 controller retails for $35. That's pretty much the price you'll find everywhere. The markup in those units is about $6 by the retailer. Now consider that Sony only packs the system with 1 controller; 90% of PS2 owners will purchase at least one additional controller. Chalk up another $10 in Sony's pocket.
Oh, wait... you want to save your games?!? Well, you'll need this memory card. It's 8MB of flash RAM, but it retails for $35. Again, 90% of owners will buy at least one of these. Chalk up another $10.
Wait, wait... you're hooking that up to the ancient television in Junior's bedroom?!? Well, unless his TV has composite input, you'll need to purchase this Sony-brand RF convertor: $20.
The bottom line: videogames are designed to make a profit for the manufacturer only. No store that I know of can survive on new game sales alone. EB, Funco, GameStop, and all the Mom & Pop shops depend on the ~$15 margin they make on their used games, and the ~$50 margin they make on extended warranties. Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's, et. al. use videogames to lure customers into the store for bigger purchases ("say... I could use a new car stereo while I'm here"). So, basically, the lack of margin in the games and such allow maunfacturers to keep a lot of the money.
Plus some VERY exciting stuff coming down the line: Panzer Dragoon, Jet Set Radio Future, Project Ego (Yes, these are in-game!), Metal Gear Solid X, Brute Force, Bruce Lee : Quest of the Dragon, Shenmue 2
Um.. until very recently, there *were* no console systems that could be pirated. Even the first cd-rom based systems were fairly safe, as very few folks had burners in the early 1990's. Unless you're counting the several dozen "100-in-1" NES cartridges, pirated games have never been much of an issue until the Playstation. Which makes me wonder about your next point...
While its true that non-standard formats like Dreamcast's GDROM and Nintendo's own cartridge formats are also piratable, the amount of knowledge and/or effort required to do so is generally much higher.
The Dreamcast is one of the EASIEST systems to pirate, at least for the average person. Its GD-ROM format didn't save it in the least. And Nintendo's systems of the past few years have consistently had flashrom/cd-rom hardware available for them, if you order through Hong Kong.
In fact, other than the Playstation and Dreamcast, there really have been no hugely pirated systems. And we all know just how much piracy has hurt the Playstation (still selling for over $100, 6 years -or is it 7 now- after release).
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
Saw it at E3 and decided to wait until I could get my hands on one before buying a Game Cube. It really does look bitchin.
Nintendo and Matsushita have been partners on the Cube since its inception. There's probably not much of a need to license here, kind of how there were the Eagle Talon, Chrysler Laser, and Mitsubishi Eclipse cars there can be multiple flavors of the Cube from its separate developers.
This document(http://formen.ign.com/news/35095.html) dated 21st of MAY!!
Shows how old this news is...
I am following it pretty closely and the only "killer app" it has is Halo. The rest of the games you quote are either ports available elsewhere (Madden, Silent Hill, MGS, THPS), games that are way overhyped (like Munch and DOA3) or games about which it's simply unknown whether they will be a great success. Yes, the X-Box has a pretty extensive (in quantity) launch line-up, but what about after the launch? There's a good chance the X-Box will run out of steam should the launch not go as expected, whereas both Nintendo and Sony have made it clear that lots more is still on the horizon.
- Also Sprach Doktor Merkwurdigliebe
theres been many cases in Japan where big console names have let their partners manufacture their own branded consoles. sometimes they are very similar (theres a few different models of the Sega Saturn), sometimes they are all in one type machines (the JVC wondermega, someone mentioned the Sharp twin famicom, and now this alternate Cube). while this practise appears to be a strange new concept to the visitors of this board, its neither strange nor new in Japan.
Hello... This unit is real it is basically the gamecube w/ a DVD player on top. This is meant to compete w/ the buyers who want a PS2 or Xbox for DVD playing needs. I got to see this unit at e3 this year and it is what I plan on buying next year. Gamecube all the way ;)
--- Whasabi!
Many years ago, Nintendo worked out a deal with Sony to allow them to manufacture SNES systems with a built in CD drive. Nintendo was going to distribute a CD based add-on. Sony also provided the sound chip (which actually synthesizes better than a PSX chip) for the SNES. To make a long story short, Nintendo backed out on the deal and Sony created their Playstation as a result.
All of the hotels I've seen these at seem to have them in the $10 range.
:) and I'm just not willing to plunk down $10/hour of my own money (they don't reimburse movies or games) for very old games.
... newer games might have been worth the $10/hour.
... the GBA games are often better than the SNES games. I think most kids probably would rather play their portable game system, too.
At least in my case, I expense any hotel I stay at (since when I'm not working I stay at a motel
I've never seen anything but SNES
I'm a whole lot happier playing my Gameboy than SNES
Or, better yet, spend the $10 on a cab ride and go catch a local attraction.
It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
PSX is far easier to pirate for the average person than DC. Any moron can rent a handful of PSX games and burn them. Not all of them are willing to lurk around the necessary newsgroups and IRC channgels to get a significant number of DC game images.
:)
The only thing hard about PSX piracy is the mod chip stuff...and the majority of people still own ones that have the parallel port, so the Action Replay and similar units can be used instead. Besides, anyone who can't find some dude who works at a video game store that sells and installs mod chips just isn't trying.
And I love Hong Kong...should be getting my GBA "backup and development" system any day now
"That's Tron. He fights for the Users."
If this knock off doesn't obey reqion encoding, I'm buying it.
New games and consoles are the ONLY thing sold at a loss (and new games aren't sold at a loss, it's just a razor-thin margin; maybe $3-$8 after shipping).
We typically made 75-100% margin on used games (the bulk of income). We made about 50% margin on used consoles. We made around 40% margin on extra controllers, memory cards, and various other accessories. Most game stores sell posters, toys, and game cards (Magic, Pokemon, etc.). That is how any store that operates purely on games and game related material works their business model. The new games/consoles are designed to lure people in. Someone wants a new PS2, so they trade their PS1 and the 10 games they owned with it. We would "buy" their PS1 for, say $35, and mark it up to $55. We would "buy" each of their games for $5-$15, and mark them up to $10-$30 (depending upon popularity/rarity of the game). 'Buy' is in quotations because there was typically no exchange of actual US currency... people were trading these items for new games (which means there's actually less margin being made on a new game/console, since the profit won't actually be made until the used item is sold; plus, changes in the retail price of the new game will cause our price to be altered). The next person in may trade some of their old games for some of these old games, but eventually the games are sold for a healthy profit.
Even Electronics Boutique (The largest game/game-related only retailer, since they bought out babbages and software etc. a few years back) would go broke within a year stictly selling new games/consoles. Walk into an EB and tell me what you see. In addition to new games/consoles, you'll see extended warranties for the consoles (almost pure profit), game/sci-fi related toys (sold at 30-50% margin), game/sci-fi/anime-realted posters (sold at 100%+ margin), strategy guides for the latest games (sold at 50% margin), and a whole wall full of used games (sold at 75-100% margin). The difference? Sony doesn't get licensing on any of those products (well, maybe a tiny bit on toys/posters/guides relating to Sony developed games), so the margin is much higher.
Space.
Nintendo has shown more out on the horizon than Microsoft has? To my recollection, they've shown Mario Sunshine, Zelda and Metroid Prime. They've announced probably 5-10 others.
Microsoft has shown (first party): Project Ego, BC, Brute Force, the new Rally game, Maximum Chase and Kakuto-X, and announced that something like 40 first party titles (including launch) are in development. Something like 300 total titles in development if you count 3rd party. If the launch doesn't go as well as they hope, they have the 2nd and 3rd generation games to bring people in. MS has said this is a long term initiative for them.
As far as "killer apps", most editors who have commented so far say Xbox has Halo and DOA3 at launch, and GameCube has Rogue Squadron. DOA3 may be overhyped, but it sounds like it will be one of the better games this holiday.
Good point, but don't mistake "announced" games for released games. There may not be a second or third generation and those games you mentioned, while graphically impressive, are mostly unknowns. If the launch fails, many of those third parties who have claimed to support the X-Box will leave it for what it is, remember there was a lot more third party support for the N64 before developers abandonned it.
Nintendo is not just it's core franchises, though they are very important. There's also plenty to come from Rare, LucasArts, and stuff like the RE move may not be a one-of-a-kind event. Nintendo will always continue to support a console, they proved that with the N64.
Likewise Sony is not going to abandon the PS2 and developers know it. Beside the guaranteed support of Square, there's also a lot riding on it for the company.
Microsoft will leave the X-Box for dead should it fail and everyone knows it. Sure MS is in it for the long haul, but it may very well take the X-Box 2 or 3 before they succeed. Meanwhile, why should a consumer buy a machine that may be obsolete in a short time with nothing but several very pretty games on it? Microsoft still has an unproven record when it comes to consoles or first party games. I'm not saying the X-Box will definitely fail, especially if it's supported by some of MS' strong-arm tactics, but there's absolutely no reason to assume it will either succeed or have a big impact.
- Also Sprach Doktor Merkwurdigliebe
Except Gamecube games are dual layered DVDs not CDs. So there goes you're whole theroy.