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?

[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.