Further GameCube Tunneling Software Announced

Thanks to Planet GameCube for their news story revealing that a GameCube version of the Xbox-specific Xlink Messenger tunneling software is in progress. According to the site, "The XLink team says initial testing with the GameCube and their... [Windows] software ran 'nice and smooth'." This free utility, due out before the end of the year, is an alternative to the Warp Pipe GC tunneling software previously mentioned on Slashdot Games - the products allow you to play LAN-only GameCube games over the Internet using "a PC... a broadband connection, and a router or a second ethernet card to connect the GC to your PC", in the absence of significant Nintendo support for much-desired online play.

Comments

Online? What for?

[Anonymous Coward]

...in the absence of significant Nintendo support for much-desired online play...
With ~1% of the Xbox owners beeing subscribed to Live I don't see "much desire". Nintendo will start offering online play when they can expect to get money out of it.
Don't forget: Microsoft is burning millions of dollars on Xbox, which is only possible because they have other businesses to back it up.
I think, Nintendo's route going through LAN is the best for the moment: You know the people you're playing with, and parent's don't have to worry about peadophiles picking up their children in Zelda Online. There is no online bill, and no credit card required.
And, come on: It is much more fun to defeat people, when you hear them screaming from the next room. Smiley.
And for geeks like us there is warp pipe, or a similar solution.

Re:Online? What for?

[JFMulder]

More than 5% in fact. 500,000 people have XLive and 10,000,000 have Xboxes. Still, it's not a lot, so it means not a lot of people play online anyway. I'm wondering how high is that percentage with computer games though.

Re:Online? What for?

[sYn pHrEAk]

Just because a lot of people don't play online, doesn't mean a lot of people don't WANT to play online. Cost is probably preventing many people from playing online.

Most of my gamer friends live 100 miles north of me. I don't want to have to drive up there whenever I want to play multiplayer with them. Online play is a great alternative for those of us who live far from our gaming pals.

Re:Online? What for?

[Mike Mentalist]

With ~1% of the Xbox owners beeing subscribed to Live I don't see "much desire". Nintendo will start offering online play when they can expect to get money out of it.

Someone could have said that they couldn't see much desire for another console after the Atari 2600 finally bombed out in spectacular style, but look where the NES took Nintendo.

I am guessing that you are one to moan at developers and publishers not taking risks with their games, but here you are quite happy to say that Nintendo shouldn't take their games online because it is much safer.

Re:Online? What for?

[The_Rift]

I'm starting to think Nintendo might have bet on this happening.

Giving open source delevopers and game-spy enough to work with to develop numerous solutions for online play. Natural selection means the best performing solution should prevail.

All this means there's online play for those (appaently few) people interested in it without Ninty having to invest a single yen.

Re:Online? What for?

[JFMulder]

You are totally right. But games are so pricey now that people don't always want to pay extra for being able to play online. XLive is a bit like Evercrack, except at least you get to play all the games you want.

But you're right about the WANTING part. I'd like to play online with my xbox, but I can't afford it. Or more exactly, I don't think it's worth 10$ a month.

Re:Online? What for?

[Anonymous Coward]

There is a difference here: The Atari 2600 was at the end of it's life, and was destroying itself with terrible games. The NES was more advanced technology, had much better games, and was very sucessful in Japan already.

As others in this thread have said, they would play Online, but they don't want to pay $10 for it. This is exactly the point. Especially if you consider the main target for Nintendo is kids with no own income. If I'd gone to my father, and told him he needs to pay $10 a month for me to play games, he'd told me we can't afford it. I'm now at an age where I have income, but different interests: family, car and mortgage. There is only a short period where you can blow $10 a month for playing.

I'm not saying Nintendo should never go online. I mean, they already made the first step and made this deal with AOL earlier. But Online is connected with major costs, not only operating the servers and paying for administration, but nowadays you need people to support your players as well, especially in that age range.
It is necessary to monitor usernames for profanity, and it is quite possible that you need to monitor chatrooms for illegal activities. You need to prevent cheating, and find ways to control people who want to spoil other people's games.
AOL can provide these services, as they already have experience with communities, and with technologies like instant messaging.
But I don't think it is a smart move at this point in time to base a business around it. They've got the BBA, so if anyone feels like it, he can add online content.

Re:Online? What for?

[AvantLegion]

>> But you're right about the WANTING part. I'd like to play online with my xbox, but I can't afford it. Or more exactly, I don't think it's worth 10$ a month.

You should do some fact checking and learn what the actual prices for Xbox Live are.

Re:Online? What for?

[JFMulder]

I should have added CAN$ after the 10. I'm in Canada. With the taxes, it's almost 10 candian dollars a month.

Re:Online? What for?

[Anonymous Coward]

So what's the problem? Most people would kill to pay $0.17 US a month to play online games.

Re:Online? What for?

[smic]

actually its $70 for 12 months, with taxes here in bc its $80.14
not $10 a month, even when it goes up another 20 bucks a year it'll be less then 10bucks a month canadian

Re:Online? What for?

[Anonymous Coward]

I live in Canada and it does not cost that much. I paid roughly $70 or soo, and too renew the subscription it's only $49 american. It's not that costly and well well worth the money. Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six are worth it, as well as SEGA's sports games and Motogp

Re:Online? What for?

[JFMulder]

Sorry then, I apologize.

Re:Online? What for?

[AvitarX]

We will soon see if this is really the case. It should be obvious if the games were developed with high lag in mind as soon as a lot of people start playing them.

Re:Online? What for?

[dstyle5]

I live in Canada also, but I don't think $10 is to much to pay, as long as you can play all games online with that $10.

How much do you pay for cable, high-speed internet, phone, or cell phone per month? All are probably a lot more than $10/month. Rent two movies a month = XBOX live. But then again, does Sony charge anything to play any of their games online? Or EA? I don't own a PS2 so I don't know.

Warp Pipe's position

[calebtucker]

http://www.warppipe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=398

Looks like the warp pipe guys think the xlink guys stole their alpha source code. I personally think Chad with warp pipe is being a bit paranoid.