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GameCube Hardware In Depth on Anandtech
plootid submitted linkage to a fairly technical look at the GameCube running over at AnandTech. You can learn about the hardware that makes the new Smash Bros. possible. Something about seeing Samus doing battle with Pikachu makes me want to know more about the PowerPC chip that powers the system ;)
When I was down at E3, the differences were pretty evident, and as time goes on, I expect those differences to tone down a bit, but never really change.
Sony's main market is 16-25 year olds, which is the same as Microsoft's. Nintendo's is a little odder - they hit 9-16, and 25 and older. Aka, more of a "family" demographic. Granted, there is bleed over from one to the other (Nintendo's getting the Resident Evil remakes, while Sony's getting Kingdom Hearts from Square, a Disney/Square collaboration).
What's going to be interesting is to watch how all 3 use their powers. Sony's got shares into some very powerful game making company (Square, Enix, Verant (who has the Star Wars Galaxies game under their belt), as well as quite a bit of cash. Microsoft has cash, and the ability to swing PC game makers to the Xbox (since the Xbox uses DirectX 8, and it's easier to design a game for one system than for the 40 billion different kind of PC's out there).
Nintendo has two ace in the holes. First, they just make some great, fun games. Super Smash Brothers Melee, more Pokemon games (and I don't care what folks say - I enjoy it), and other licenses that aren't going away. And they're GameBoy Advance has no practical challengers out there, which gives them the ability to look at developers who want to make a GameBoy Advance game and say "Sure, you can make a game for the GBA - if you promise to make a game for the GameCube".
Either way, I don't see any of the three vanishing for some time. Nintendo will hold their position as a provider of fun games, Sony will probably stay on top (and the upcoming 40 Gig hard drive addition to the PS2 won't hurt), and the Xbox will continue to fight with Sony for whatever they can get, and push the other two guys to keep innovating.
Either way, the consumer wins from competition, and I'm eager to see what happens.
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
IMHO, I think it's good that Nintendo has an almost fluffy, cartoon feeling to their current crop of games (Super Monkey Ball, Smash Bros., and Luigi's Castle in particular). It carries forth the stylings of other hit games of theirs, such as great SNES games like Zelda: A Link To The Past and Super Mario World and the Mario game for the N64. I've seen so many dark, grim, gloomy, "edgy" games that I'm sick of them. Give me vivid colors, bouncy music, and a huge dose of good ol' arcade fun.
;)
Don't get me wrong, I've played plenty of dark, thoughtful and grim games. I enjoy many of them. But my game time is limited (what, with work, family, blah blah blah), so give me an ejoyable, light-hearted game where I can sit down, game on and let my brain go into "smile and drool" mode.
These are games, for cryin' out loud. Maybe they were targeted for little kids, maybe they weren't. Maybe we can all just hush up, quit worrying about the targeted market and enjoy them.
My sigs always suck.
Then you'll enjoy Jak & Daxter for the PS2. Give it a go, it's a hoot.
Also, Rayman Revolution for the oh-so-cheap DC should be a goodly entertaining platformer.
Oooh, and Bomberman Online just came out for the DC! Now there's some colorful, mindless fun!
I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.