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Guide for the Nintendo Fan at E3
IGN.Cube has details on what its expected Nintendo will be showing off at E3 this year. Whether or not the Revolution gets much airtime is up in the air, but it's anticipated that new DS titles and the system itself are going to recieve the lion's share of attention. From the article: "...we predict that Nintendo will put a noticeable emphasis on its DS lineup and -- save for the new Legend of Zelda -- downplay some GameCube titles. This move seems to make sense as many of the GameCube titles sure to be on display in playable form will either have been previously shown at another event, or will be on the verge of releasing in America. In contrast, we expect several major surprises for the publisher's portable system."
Yes, this, more than the kiddy thing (which I don't really "get" anyway - Nintendo's real fan-base is nostalgic ex-gamers), is what I really don't like about the DS.
I bought my DS about a week after the US launch and, to be honest, I'll wondering why. I mean, Tiger Woods Golf and Madden don't really do anything for me and even if they did, they'd be the kind of game I'd be more likely to play on a "set-top" handheld system than a hand-held anyway.
Mario 64 DS would probably have kept me entertained if it wasn't for the fact that I'd already played the game on the N64. I mean, even if you add in the little bonus games, there just isn't enough new stuff to keep me interested. Wario Ware was a cool concept once, way back when, but these days it's feeling very tired and repetative. The driving games (NSFU2 and Asphalt) are ok, but both of them are pretty shallow by the normal standards of the genre. Plus, of course, the controls in NSFU2 feel really, really horrid.
I've probably put in more time on my PSP in the two weeks that I've had it for than I have on the DS over several months. Lumines and Wipeout are both superb. Metal Gear Acid is... well... quirky and not quite to my tastes, but it's interesting and a decent length. Mercury is also a great concept, although it's badly in need of some kind of free-play mode. The irony is that while Nintendo get the usual props from the slash-horde for innovation, all the really innovative handheld games are on the PSP.
I guess Nintendo could still rescue the DS, which they'll be aiming to do at E3. Ultimately, however, they're going to need to start thinking outside of the tired and predictable "new Mario Kart, new Metroid, new Zelda, nothing else of note" mode that's been setting their direction for far too long now.
How many DS games are "N64 rehashes"? Apart from SM64DS? I don't see many, and I don't see many in "production". So I don't get it why people keep complaining about the N64 remakes when there is just one? I think there was some racing game ported from N64 too, but that's about it.
I realize this is a troll, but I wanted to comment on one thing:
Look at what the next XBOX does, it's as much media oriented (or more so) than it is about gaming.
Is anyone else annoyed by this trend? I don't want a game console/DVD player/Tivo/music station/carpet cleaner. How about individual components that each do their chosen function well intead of one that does them all poorly? Not only that, but with individual components, if one breaks, it has no effect on the others. With a merged setup, if it breaks, not only do you lose the ability to play games, you also can't watch movies or TV, you can't listen to music, and your carpet is a mess. Want to try getting it repaired? Good luck. No one except the manufacturer knows how that thing works, and they'll be charging you the price of a new one to repair it.
Let's keep our media components separate. It makes almost everything much simpler.
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Promoting critical thinking since 1994.
I'm not talking about the cost of manufacture here; it doesn't especially matter that MS used to lose money on every X-Box sold for the first year or two.
They are still losing money on every XBOX sold.
We've also seen Nintendo's game-development suffering a lot over the last two cycles, particularly during the lifespan on the Gamecube. The fanboys may like their new Zelda/Mario/Metroid games, but ultimately there just haven't been enough games selling enough copies.
Nintendo is the second biggest game publisher in the world. Only EA sells more games. Quite a feat for a company that only markets to their own systems.
Nintendo has billions of dollars in the bank for development. If you look at the launch of the PSP vs. the DS, Nintendo was the company prepared to pay the dough to bring more factories online when the demand was higher than expected while Sony gave everyone some line about how they had to focus on the PS2.
Here is how the big three stack up financially:
Microsoft: Company is on sound financial ground, but their games division continuously loses money. They have lost billions on the XBOX.
Sony: Games division makes money, but the company on the whole is not doing well. They are set to eliminate 20,000 jobs by 2007 and hired a non-Japanese CEO which is a pretty desperate move for a Japanese company.
Nintendo: Company as a whole is profitable. Gaming business is very profitable.
Why would Nintendo allow themselves to be bought? Microsoft can't make money on games, and Sony is in serious trouble.
Nintendo are profitable for the moment, but in any kind of long-term endurance battle, they know they couldn't hold on for long.
Nintendo has been in the console business longer than Microsoft and Sony combined. They are always profitable. In fact, in the fifty years since Nintendo went public, they have only had one quarter loss.
They HAVE endured.
- I want to see something to get me interested in the new Zelda.
- Odama confirmed for release by the end of the year.
- Confirmation of a Golden Retriever in the US release of Nintendogs.
- Pilotwings. Please God give me Pilotwings.
- Alpha Centauri DS online.
- Mario Kart DS online.
- Animal Crossing DS in August.
- Serious Revolution eye candy to shut the haters up. (like it would work)
- The New Tetris DS (you remember, the one from the 64. With the gold and the silver blocks. Best Tetris ever.)
Last E3 was huge for Nintendo fans. Nintendo had promised new ideas and new thinking for years, and they finally brought it to the conference. I can only hope this year will be as exciting.