Nintendo, AOL Enter Into Online Agreement

Thanks to IGN Cube for their story that Nintendo of America have reached an agreement for AOL to be the 'official preferred ISP' for GameCube. Nintendo have apparently informed IGN that "...developers who choose to create online games for GameCube will be licensed AOL connectivity software that will enable their games to connect online through AOL", but Nintendo also clarified that "...this does not indicate the unveiling of a new online gaming approach from Nintendo", making this partly an oddly cryptic co-marketing announcement, rather than any major breakthrough.

Comments

Say it ain't so!

[redgopher]

Nintendo partnering with AOL?
C'mon, that's like Ghandi partnering with Satan!

How can Nintendo make such a poor decision? Don't the Japanese hear stories of how hellish AOL's connection speeds and busy signal rates are?

I must be dreaming...

Let's hope our good ole Nintendo realizes the errors of their ways soon, and before too much money is lost!

Re:Say it ain't so!

[bigman2003]

This actually makes a lot of sense.

Both companies are aiming at the same 'simplistic' demographic.

"We make games that are easy to understand, and you can pick up quickly"

"We get you on-line, no matter how dumb you are"

People always complain that the Xbox and PS2 are less 'accessible'. So I think that Nintendo has found a good partner.

Sounds better for Nintendo than AOL

[tessaiga]

According to the article, AOL agrees to advertise Gamecube games by "spotlight[ing Nintendo products] on key AOL and AOL Time Warner websites". In return, Nintendo bundles more AOL coasters and agrees to feature AOL as their ISP of choice for internet games they don't plan to develop. We all remember Nintendo reporting that, unlike Sony and Microsoft, "We still don't see online gaming as a mass-market thing".

The same IGN press release announcing the partnership even rushes to point out that "this does not indicate the unveiling of a new online gaming approach from Nintendo. Nor does it signify that we have changed our position on the current business viability in the online console gaming field." Unless I'm missing something here, sounds an awful like saying "Yep, we'll use you if we ever want to go online, but we don't, so we won't."

My Take Between The Lines (Salt Grain Included)

[Babbster]

I see this "partnership" as being something brought on by developer dissatisfaction with Nintendo's online strategy thus far. I expect that Nintendo chose AOL as a viable stopgap solution giving them access to already existing middleware that they can give to developers, without having to invest any additional money in R&D to get a solution out themselves.

I would further theorize that Nintendo sees this as a way to shut people up about Gamecube online connectivity which I don't think they're going to support to any large degree in this console generation. I think they've decided that they're not really going to make any money on GC connectivity, so there's no point in developing anything permanent for it.

If Nintendo is actively pursuing any online plans, they are probably slated for the next console. You know, the next console which they've now pledged will not come out later than Sony or Microsoft despite their early assertions that the Gamecube would have a much longer lifespan than the average home console.

My prediction for Nintendo's TRUE entry into the online arena? I'm glad you asked (haha). With their next console, Nintendo will roll out with Internet capability built in. At launch, it will have at least two first-party, online-playable games which will be playable through Nintendo's brand-new online service. Further, that service will cost about the same as Xbox Live (matching any price increases that MS implements over the next two years).

Nintendo has made their position regarding online play quite clear. They aren't going to commit until they figure out a way to make money on it, and I don't think they believe an online capability for the Gamecube is a money-maker.