Yesterday's Nintendo press conference was probably the most subdued and honest of the three major events this week. While they didn't have anything really earth-shattering to offer up, the Gameboy Micro, the Revolution's game-downloading capabilities, and the new Zelda Trailer were all welcome news from a company that has been very quiet of late. Commentary, photos, and speculation available from:
Nintendo,
Engadget,
USAToday,
GamesIndustry.biz,
1up.com,
Gamespot,
Cube.IGN,
NYT,
BBC,
Gamasutra, and
CNN. Specific coverage on the new Gameboy Micro is available from
Gamasutra,
GamesIndustry.biz, and
CNN. My two cents about Nintendo's conference are available below.
Last night I took in G4's E3 coverage, and their discussion of the Nintendo press conference struck a chord with me. This last console cycle, with the Gamecube, Nintendo really missed the boat. The GC wasn't released until many months after the PS2 was already in homes lighting up screens, and their attempts to carve out a market share were always muddled by confusing choices. The most confusing choice of the current generation, by far, was their almost complete refusal to participate in online gaming. While the Xbox sailed by with the Live service and the PS2 limped into the arena with the broadband adapter, the GC quietly sailed on with only Phantasy Star to break up its lonely voyage. At last year's E3 Nintendo very specifically said that they were not going to miss the boat this time. They were going to release the next console right around the same time as the other two companies and make sure their name was out there.
I have high hopes for the Revolution, but to be honest Nintendo's press conference was very underwhelming. Even given that the PS3 isn't going to be on store shelves for another year, what Sony showed on Monday was literally jaw-dropping. Even if there was some liberal use of pre-rendered footage in the presentation, the press conference put on by Sony was designed to fire the imagination and get people excited about the possibilities of the next generation. Nintendo offered us Nintendogs. And a new Game Boy Advanced. Yes, I think that downloading old games onto your Revolution is a cool idea, but a...uh...friend of mine tells me that I can emulate those games on my PC for free.
Perhaps all this is just worrywortism. Nintendo has never failed to be innovative in the past, and their support of the DS and quirky games like Warioware is proof that not everything has to be same-old same-old in this ever more business-like industry. They have more than a year to get their ducks in a row, but I'm afraid that Sony and Microsoft may have already beaten them to the punch. In the end, it's not just about making fun games. You have to sell them too.
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Yes, I think that downloading old games onto your Revolution is a cool idea, but a...uh...friend of mine tells me that I can emulate those games on my PC for free.
Yeah, copyright infringement is soo much cheaper!
I thought those classic NES games for the GBA were a ripoff. They expect me to pay 20-25 bucks for the same exact game from 15 years ago without any new graphics or sound. I can download Nesticle and a couple hundred ROMS quicker that it would take me to drive to a store and buy one of those games. Hell, I could get on Ebay and buy an actual NES system with those games.
I think maybe Nintendo is feeling pressure from Sony's PSP, which is obviously superior to the DS, and they scrapped together something just so they can present. Lame!
...All I can say is that my life is pretty strange...
The Revolution's game-downloading capabilities
My Phantom can do that, and so much more. Infact my phantom is so much better: only those truely 31007, such as myself, can see its golden case...
3 degrees of separation from Vladimir Putin
I know I do, of the next-gen consoles it is at lesat the prettiest and the ability to download over 20+ years of nintendo content! Nintendo is coming back in a big way.
Ok, those look damn smoooooth if I say so myself BUT are those in-game shots or the dreaded "let's show the incredibly breath taking cinematic art and make it LOOK in-game even though we will soon find out after dropping 50 bones that the in-game graphics are as bad as ET the Extra Terrestial on the Atari 2600!"
Nintendo did miss the boat. They've parlayed their one-time leadership of the market into a great big bust. They could hope to catch the low-cost segment of the market with the specs that are given for the Revolution, but that would still require them to take advantage of media events like E3.
I think they're going the way of Sega and Atari. If they keep it up they won't be able to keep producing their own console.
more of the same on Twitter.
As a parent-to-be, I'd hope Nintendo's downloads for the Revolution are affordable (say a few dollars max for NES games). I'd much rather have the classic Mario games available to my son rather than pick through the dust bins for the occasional good children's title on the PlayStation or XBox.
Nintendo down the same path? I hope not. I'm an errant oldschool nintendo fanboy based on my 8bit experience mostly; and I bought a N64 on launch... Was i happy with it? Yes. I bought a PS1 only for FF7; and refused to buy a ps2 until a title i had to have was available. I did the same with Xbox and Gamecube; and i ended up buying none of them. We will see how it bans out... :p I really hope they dont go the way of sega and just become an excellent game house.
i actually feel bad for nintendo. some people say that did it to themselves whenever they were on top with the SNES, but it almost hurts to watch a company release 2 bad systems in a row. they do a great job at being innovative (DS for example) but in reality, people just want good games. it is only until the past year or so that they have began opening up to more a mature market. until then, it was constantly ignoring it. same with the broadband market. with the expection of a few titles, they constantly ignored it. but hopefully now they will get everything in order.
i own all 3 systems right now and im sad to say the GC gets the least amount of use out of all. when i bought my N64, i literally played the thing 3-4 times and never touched it again. i hope the revolution will change the pattern that nintendo has seem to be repeating. and while it is great to see that mario, zelda, metroid, mario tennis, and any other old game you can think of getting rehashed constantly, please stop. well dont stop, but get some other titles under the belt other than what is already there. all i see are the top dogs are nintendo saying 'well, we have a shit system, but hey! we have mario! our cash cow only second to zelda!'
Playing antique games is a novelty, NOT a major selling point! It's like having a Video Camera that also plays back mp3s... I mean why not if it's cheap and if gives the user another reason to love their product. Nobody will initially buy based on such a flimsy feature though.
I for one, am taking a wait and see approach.
I've been a nintendo fan from the start with NES. Yes they lost a lot of the market when sony entered the game and gave them real competition, but they've consistantly showed inovation in the gaming industry
From what I've seen from the Sony footage, it looks absolutely amazing, and I'm sure the XBox360 will be great, too.... but I have a Tivo, I have my computer for browsing the internet... I want a game system (don't even get me started on XBox360's connectivity to the MediaCenterPC.... does anyone even own one?). I want new games. I don't want more FPS games. I want new genres... something different. I have faith that Nintendo will provide that something different. The DS (though akward and lacking) shows that they're not really afraid to try something new.
So, while Nintendo's press conference may have been underwhelming, I'm still excited for the Revolution.
Slashdot: where repeating an article in a post is "+5 Insightful"
The implications of this are pretty far-reaching. One the positive side, it potentially allows for some different ideas regarding game-play. The lower power is also probably going to translate into a lower (perhaps much lower) launch price, which could be an asset during the opening months of the next cycle, when the other consoles are still $400+.
However, it's not all good news. Less powerful hardware and a "different" control system is almost certainly going to have ramifications for cross-platform titles on the Revolution. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the vast majority of 3rd party developers just didn't bother. The simple fact is that most developers are, quite rightly, more concerned with making games that are going to sell well than games that will be fun for their programmers to work on. The nice thing at present with the X-Box and PS2 (and to some degree the Gamecube) is that they have a large shared library of games. You can play at least some titles from the Burnout, Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance, Silent Hill, Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid franchises on more than one system and these are all A-list games. A lower price-point isn't going to be such a big selling-factor for parents if little Johnny can't play the latest big-name cross-platform game on the system.
Had Nintendo been making these moves at the end of the SNES generation, they would have had a decent (perhaps overwhelming) chance of success. However, that was the last time that they really had the market share (and hence the clout with developers) to dictate the shape of the future of the games industry. If they can make the design decisions they want to push through with the Revolution into industry standards, then they will recapture their dominance of the market. However, with Sony now being the real brand leaders, the odds are stacked against them to an almost impossible degree. If they fail, they're going to further establish their reputation as a niche player. Mario, Metroid and Zelda alone are not enough to stay afloat. In these days of spiralling development costs for both hardware and software, they couldn't hold that status for long before being forced down the Sega route.
I've not been much of a Nintendo fan for quite a while now; not since it was clear that they'd lost the plot during the N64/PSX generation. However, it's almost refreshing to see a company taking such risks in today's marketplace. Sadly, I think they've picked the wrong risks to take and this is ultimately going to lead to their demise.
Not an expert by any means but Nintendo probably wanted the spotlight to itself. Honestly, everyone is talking about Xbox vs. PS3 --- Nintendo can wait a few weeks/months and release info on the Revolution once PS3/Xbox talks get a bit stale.
My question is if Nintendo and Sony are going to have U.S. launch dates at around the same time as Japan, or is the PS3 going to be out months and months before, like the PS2?
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
Given the deep pockets they're competing against, if Nintendo doesn't have at least three out-of-the-park homerun titles for release on their next platform, I think they're dead as a hardware company and will have to turn themselves into a pure game publisher.
Nintendo always puts out the big information at Tokyo Game Show or some other usually Nintendo biased video game show in Japan. The fact they didn't supply anything at E3 is not a surprise. Why would you try to compete for press time when you can say something later and have the spotlight for yourself?
Nintendo didn't miss out on online in the current generation. Xbox Live has
been a mild success, though the majority of Xbox owners don't use it, but PS2
online was a fizzle.
Honestly, I think Nintendo has been trying harder than anyone to innovate. The
DS lineup is really out there: Nintendogs, PacPix, Electroplankton. Weird,
wonderful stuff. But maybe the rest of the hardcore gaming market has gone too
much over the top, expecting desaturated military shooters, which is what
everyone is announcing at E3 this year.
People like to cite Nintendo as the loser of the current generation, but that's
far from true. They dominate the handheld market both in hardware and game
sales. And though the Game Cube is the third place console, the big games for
that console are all coming straight from Nintendo, with each one pulling in
awards and selling like crazy.
Personally, I think Nintendo's biggest difficulty is that they lean much too
hard on old franchises: Metroid, Zelda, Mario, Kirby, and so on. They were once
fresh, but no longer. Hopefully some of Nintendo's experimentation will result
in a brand new hit for them.
Downloading games to your console is hardly a big deal. You can do it today with Xbox Live. I already have Ms. Pac Man and Dig Dug. The games start at $5.
With a sucessful marketing campaign, imagine the outcome. Imagine the NES generation, now in their 20s and 30s, with disposable income to spend a mere $200 on, and showing them with Super Mario 3 in their homes. And... here's where I think the MAJOR innovation and system-seller will make Rev sell like wild-fire: combine the internet Wi-Fi with the old-school games. You could play Dr. Mario head-to-head with your old next-door neighbor, even if she now lives in Seattle. You wanna get some Street Fighter II action on? Pop it in. Still remember Up, Up, Down, Down, L, R, L, R, (select) start? Then now you can play through 8 levels of Contra with your college roommate. And as with the great NES games, we often loved watching others play them. Well, if a "spectator mode" is installed, your elementary school/camp buddy/cousin is only a wi-fi connection away, and you can watch him pound away at Bald Bull, King Hippo and Super Macho Man.
The nostalgia market is enourmous. It's more than a Mario-All Stars rehash like the GBA games. This could be the console that Nintendo was sorta going for (but never quite even made much of a dent) with their "Who Are You?" campaign. This sort of strategy will send the message to non-gamers that Nintendo is synonymous with fun. Synonymous with their childhood, and that feeling you had when you first got to World 8 in Super Mario 3. And... perhaps their own 5 year-olds that they now have? Get them in with these games. Then... they'll try that Mario 64 they might have heard their girlfriend's 18 year-old younger brother talk about. Then, they'll try the new Mario 128. Like that? Well, in the Nintendo Online startup screen, here's a frontpage:
"Welcome BTWR! Your collection includes Metroid (NES), Super Mario Bros 2 (NES), Tetris DX (Gameboy Color), Super Mario RPG (SNES) and Street Fighter II (SNES). Might we recommend Super Smash Bros (N64), Tetris Attack (SNES) or Metroid Prime (Gamecube)? Also, look for Metroid: Mission X coming next month for Nintendo Revolution and The Legend of Zelda: World of Hyrule for the Nintendo DS. Press A to pre-order it now on your NintendoAccount and get a 60-minute FreePlay of Super Metroid (SNES) and one (1) free downloadable NES 'Players-Choice' game you wish"
The possibilities are endless...
... that's exactly the same as the original GBA, which is the same as the GBA SP, which is the same as the GBA SP with the "retro" color scheme.
It's obvious Nintendo is in some trouble now since instead of coming out with really great new products, they're releasing a console that can't hope to compete against the XBox and PS3 (the GC sorta held its own because of the game selection at times), and yet another rehash of their latest Game Boy model. There's NOTHING exciting about the GBA Mini. It plays the same games I can already play... and now it's definitely too small for my hands.
I don't think they can afford to have the underpowered console yet again. Especially considering how wide the gap is this time around. I am a fan of Nintendo from the NES days, so I'll get the revolution eventually, but I don't have much hope for Nintendo succeeding in the US Market on this generation.
I believe that Nintendo is overstretching the life of the Gameboy. I mean, not to be a troll, but changing the configuration of a handheld doesn't extend its life, what does is making it more powerful. Does Nintendo think many people with an original Gameboy Advanced is likely to purchase a GBA sp, or a Gameboy mirco? I just don't see, now with the new consoles on the horizon, that there is a need for the Gameboy in its current state, especially due to the DS. Just my two cents.
public class null extends java applet { System.out.print ("Tabula Rasa"); }
It has that sleek look that means mothers will buy it. and the specs don't look bad. it's a 2 by 4 setup, and 1.8 centimetres (about 0.7 inches) and it definately looks like something dads would buy for their kids :D
Blah blah sig blah blah blah irony blah blah
I mean, seriously, half the G4 coverage w.r.t. the PS2 last night addressed that issue. Then I thought about what I'd seen. In the PS3 "ducky" demo, there was that bald SCEE VP allegedly tweaking the duck's movement. Was it live, or was it Memorex? We've no idea. We have to take the presenters at their word until somebody can lay their hands on a demo, which at this point, will not be the final hardware, or the game's engine isn't properly tweaked, or something.
Besides which, so what? The PS3 tech demos were, IMHO, better than anything MS showed, so why didn't MS show prerendered stuff too? Or did they, and it just doesn't look that good?
I suppose it's just one of those "lies, damnable lies, and benchmarks" kind of things, but it's a little absurd devoting much effort to a discussion.
How about a thread re: the estimated $400 console price on both the Xbox2 and PS3? I know that's going to keep me on my trusty PS2 for at least another year.
ceci n'est pas un sig.
The downloadable content isn't their big feature, its an effect of their new wireless play. Don't you guys remember a few years ago about how exciting this shadow of the online console gaming era was? The speculation, everything. Then Xbox had xbox live, but I've tried to use Xbox live for Halo, and Halo 2. The optimatch is soooo slow. It takes a good 3 - 4 minutes everytime you want to join a game. Screw that, I can join games instantly and stay in them indefinatly with neXBC (http://www.xbconnect.com/). Online console gaming is just not up to par yet.
Enter the revolution. That's all they are trying to do. Is let you have QUALITY online play. Think about this all you Nintendo fans. REAL online Super Smash Brother Melee tournaments. Don't even fucking pretend that you don't already have 60 bucks hidden behind a book or something just collecting dust in the event that SSB 3 will be released. I know I am ^.^
>Playing antique games is a novelty, NOT a major selling point! It's like having a Video Camera that also plays back mp3s... I mean why not if it's cheap and if gives the user another reason to love their product. Nobody will initially buy based on such a flimsy feature though.
Having an huge (legal) library of old games is a great feature. If it is such a flimsy feature, why is it that so many of the homebrew apps for the other consoles are emus. Nintendo saw that their competitor's consles could play their own past library of games, and probably had a small if not large decsion to do this.
if you check out NintendoOn.com it points mysteriously to an IGN article containing a link to a video that it calls a hoax. However, we know that IGN is in cahoots with Nintendo (Gamespy being the online content provider for DS and presumably Revolution). Also, if you check out the video, it's got amazingly high production values for a hoax.
From Gamasutra.com Article:
I've always wondered what it takes to be a trendsetter. Now I know, its some corporate businessman simply saying "if you buy our product, you are a trendsetter!" I can't wait to get mine and set some trends with my disciminating style.
Oh crap... I just realized my joke isn't funny because its the truth.
"After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless." - Tao of Programming
Nintendo has become the Apple of the gamming world, just look at the Revolution its self, almost exactly like a gaming version of the Mac mini. I think they are very happy being #2.
Now I got to wash my brain out for EVER agreeing with anything G4 has ever said.
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
So you say others are not? I don't know if PS3's spec is true or not. But if you base it on how good it looks, then you're wrong, because good does not equate to dishonest.
If you say that's the pattern of Sony, then you're wrong again, because you cannot judge until it comes out.
So, unless something came out from the conference that points out that they're not honest, I have to disagree with you.
I guess I'm the only person here who thinks that the ability to pay a few bucks (or, I hope and pray very loudly that it's only a few bucks...) for old skool NES and SNES games that can run on this system actually makes this a good selling point, the ability to illegally download them notwithstanding. Hearing about another in-house production game (Mario 32,000? Metroid Prime 16? Zelda I can't even think of a number high enough?) makes me sick almost every time I do - seriously does make me hark for the days of the older skool. Combine old skool goodness with new skool technology (the thing would look a helluva lot nicer than any previous Nintendo system with my home entertainment system, and if it's anything like the GameCube, it'll drop in price VERY quickly), and you've got something workable.
Want to know how to make it a lot better though? Simple: allow the purchase of import games that never made it to the US. I was definitely not the only person who didn't realize, for example, that Mario 2 was not really Mario 2, or Final Fantasy 3 was actuallly 6. Let me buy import games on an American system (new or old) and I think I'll just buy this thing.
Disclosure: the editor is on my friends list, yes, but that doesn't change the fact that he's doing Something Right.
I have to admit, I'm quite a Nintendo fanboy, so you can disregard my comments if you like. There a few advantages that the GC had over its peers that I'd like to point out.
1. Portability: The light weight and small form factor of the GC allows it to be toted around to a friends' house if you want to, or for it to be brought with you for weekend trips.
2. Load Times: The GC has much better load times then both PS2 and XBox. So much less that many games appear to have no load times at all.
3. Lower Price: A new GC can be had for 100 $CDN right now. XBox still costs around 200 $CDN, which is about double the price.
4. Better Controllers: While this is a matter of taste, I believe the controllers are much better on the GC. The buttons are much better laid out, allow easy movement between the buttons, and allowing the buttons to be easily located. One exception is that stupid z button.
I think the GC is one of the most underrated systems of all time. It lost out because people are afraid to buy something that looks kiddie, even though it is anything but. I hope Nintendo grabs more market with the Revolution. I also don't think that the Revolution will scare away 3rd party developers with some weird control scheme. Remeber, it is going to be backwards compatible with GC.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
*shock horror how can he say such a thing*
Well, the fact is that the console war is not a winner-takes-all game. At least Nintendo is not playing it that way. They are profitable, and very much so, by being third.
Also, the PSP is not killing the DS "shock horror how can... etc.". They have sold about the same.
Finally, the fact that the Revolution is not 100 times more powerful than the GC doesn't mean a thing. The graphic capabilities of the GC were already quite good, and of course, a little improvement doesn't hurt, but how much more power do games really need? Many games are perfectly enjoyable on systems like the Mega Drive already. The hardware capabilities of the game consoles of today are very close to just how much you need, because the human eye has it's own, physiological, treshold. Exceeding it is meaningless (except for penis-lenght battles, i.e. my penis has 8 cell processors - yeah, but my penis can do 2 teraflops and has 1 GBYTE of UBGRAM).
Sigged!
Third party support.
Where is it?
"Do I dare disturb the universe?"
Games Are Fun had a blog of the Nintendo conference with smaller "wrap-up" articles about the details for the DS and the Revolution. As well as lots of other E3 coverage of course :)
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Well, thank goodness we have the market opinions of Slashdotters. They told me how pointless the iPod mini was, after all! That thing sure was a flop.
Cough.
The Gameboy Micro is perfect. It's extremely tiny and cheap. People don't all want a giant PSP; they'll love a cell phone sized game machine that fits in their pockets.
To be honest I am not so keen on Sony or Microsofts new offerings. They are still running the spec race when it comes to video game performance. All tech industries run this race (computers, digital cameras, and media players) Its part of the way the industry works. every comany wants to flaunt concrete numbers to validate what is ultimately an abstract experience. For computers it was clock speed , for digicams megapixels, for media players hard drive/flash space. But as each of these sectors Matured the spec race has become less relevent (still a factor mind you but not the final say of quality). so here we have sony and micro$oft bickering over which console can do the most floating point calculations. Gimmie a break IF THE GAMES SUCK THE CONSOLE WILL ALSO SUCK. Ninetedo seems to be the only company who gets this, and I hope that they can pull off some great gameplay and content inovation with the revolution. If so then i think they could easly be the number 2 player in the hardware market, maybe even oust sony for #1.
It fell between PS2 and Xbox, and is a lot closer to the Xbox in power. It also shipped between them, but really at the same time as Xbox.
:(
This system looks to come out last, and be much less powerful
I'm a nintendo fan (M$ hater too) but I'm a bit worried that the Revolution may not so revolutionary after all. The only thing we have been let know about it are features already present in other consoles (wireless controllers, internet) or pointless stuff such as the size of the console. Why should I care what size the console is? It's not like I need to carry it around or something. I hope there are some great and unique features on the Nintendo Revolution, because so far this system seems pretty run-of-the-mill. Also, about the DS, this is a good system, but I'm worried we haven't seen games that use the dual screens creatively. Mainly, the bottom screen is just used as a touch-pad and that's it. What happened to the innovation? I applaus Nintendo's statements about how the game industry must find new ways of gaming and reinvent itself, and while Nintendo has made some interesting advancements, so far they have left a lot to be desired.
Give me the old Nintendo games, give me better graphics, give me a controller that can make me breakfast and walk the dog...as long as you give me free wireless gaming! This is my favorite aspect of the Revolution. Even though some developers may charge to play their games online, Nintendo garunteed that all first party games will be free online. The service itself is free no matter what, no monthly charge. This time around, online gaming is going to be big for consoles. Super Smash Brothers online at launch has already sold the system to me. If Nintendo embraces their online capabilities (which it appears they are by having launch games make use of it), that will sell the system. Free online gaming, it will make a world of difference.
G4's E3 coverage has been pretty good. Nice, somewhat fluffy, coverage of the new 3 yesterday was quite good. They don't dive too deeply into the hardware, and tend to get caught up on the little details, but better than nothing. Personally, I'm waiting for the end of the sea of fps and mondo destruction time wasters... it's got a f*cking teraflop, use it for benefit.
It seems interesting to me that Nintendo wants to re-release all this old content on a new system. It almost seems like they want to renew the copyrights on all of their old software. Let's see...copyrights on software usually are for a 28-year term...so that puts us at 1977, (coincidentally?) the year Nintendo released their very first console, the "TV Game Six"...
Having been stunned and dismayed by the quality of commentary that I've read in last 24hrs concerning Nintendo's E3 conference, I was excited that this article might perhaps shine some light on the messages from doom that are being put forth. Sadly, it's not exception, and once again shows complete ignorance on well publicized facts, both on Nintendo as a company, and on their upcoming console.
The buzz on most gaming sites is, expectedly, represented by two extremes. On one side, Nintendo fans and some "undecideds", praise the looks of the Revolution, and it's legacy game download feature.
On the other side, statements that have a stinky ting of "BSD is Dead" come in the following shapes and flavors (paraphrasing):
- "What a weak showing, Nintendo is going to hell, gonna get trounced, dead meat"
- "Legacy gaming?! Some revolution!"
- "PS3 and Xbox are going to smoke the Revolution."
- "Nintendo has made a huge mistake, and it's going to pay for it."
Let's clarify some facts:
- Nintendo made profit on the N64 and the Gamecube, both on consoles sales (they didn't sell at a loss), and games sales. So Nintendo did not lose this generation's "war". It made a profit, and that's always more important than being "first". (Yes Sony also made an overall profit with PS2, if we count games).
Nintendo will almost definitely make profit on the Revolution, so even if it's third, Nintendo won't "die".
- Nintendo did NOT intend to show anything important about the Revolution at this E3. They said it before the conference. So what is everyone whining about?
We also know (if we read the news from these months) that the console isn't finished, and that includes the controller. Why is that so difficult to understand? Even the Iwata should, is not the final version. It will be ready in a few months, and he invited user participation to make suggestions on things like color, etc...
Furthermore, they consider they have very revolutionary ideas, and hence don't want those copied early in the game.
So what was Nintendo supposed to show? Some freaky , wacky, OMFG graphics. NO, once again, you're not listening. "It's not about the graphics anymore (Nintendo)".
In conclusion, Nintendo is right on track, and when it's ready it will show it's console. When that happens, you can all open the floodgates of opinion and commentary, but until then read up on Nintendo before making uninformed comments.
Let me guess what the big surprise is - little DS like screen / touch pads built-in.
This console's success or failure will be forged in their choice of launch titles. If they can launch the Revolution with a Smash Brothers sequel (very likely), along with a new Metroid or Zelda title (somewhat unlikely), they will have unparalleled momentum as long as the price point isn't unreasonable. Plus, 3rd party developers won't feel screwed by finishing up their late cube projects because they will still be viable on the Revolution.
A $199 launch price + Smash Brothers + Wireless + built-in emulation = a damn fine starting point.
A few things:
The PSP and the DS do not exactly target the same market. The DS has two primary purposes - as a special controller for Revolution and as a handheld console for people who don't normally play games. That's why a lot of the upcoming titles are puzzle games and things like Animal Crossing.
Online capability: strange, even though X-box has Live, that didn't stop Gamecube from completely owning it in terms of worldwide sales... and Microsoft just started to turn a profit on X-Box???
Remember that Gamecube's primary customers are parents looking for family-friendly games. What if pedophiles started hanging out in Pokemon Online? The American media would eat it up and Big N would be dead in the water in a month. Definitely not something to be rushed into.
And as for those saying that Nintendo will stop making hardware: have you ever played with a Gamecube? Ergonomic controllers. Next to no load time. Sharp graphics. All in a small, light, durable box. $99 CDN. Sony and Microsoft wouldn't know how to pull that off, even if they had any interest in doing so.
If I want to play Ultimate Online Gorefest 2005 (complete with five-minute load screens before each level) I'll go play on my computer. However if I have some friends over and want to jump right into a really fun game, nothing beats Nintendo.
The US Army: promoting democracy through unquestioned obedience
Its possible that I've just missed any reference to this in the various articles and /. user comments, but has anybody from Nintendo specifically said whether they will or will not be charging fees for the old downloadable nintendo games? Many people seem to be assuming that these games will be free but quotes like this one from Nintendo.com really isn't specific enough to tell.
"The console also will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)."
When comparing Nintendo's strategy compared to Microsoft's and Sony's, it looks pretty bad. But that's not the point, Nintendo is doing something different than the other two.
Sony and Microsoft are attempting to bring hardcore gaming to the mainstream using convergence. Nintendo on the otherhand are attempting to change the nature of gaming to create something new for both hardcore and non-gamers. I don't really think that it's fair to compare the strategies of Sony and Microsoft to what Nintendo is going to do. If you're not excited by what Nintendo's strategy is, then you're just not part of their market.
While I agree that nostalgic games won't be a selling point for hardcore gamers, I guarantee that they will make a killing on the casual and non-gamer market through nostalgia. Believe it or not, nostalgic games are big moneymakers.
Also, the reason why I think people will buy the downloadable versions of the games instead of emulating those games for free on your PC is that you will be able to play multiplayer. You could play Mario Kart and Goldeneye as if you're playing on the N64 for example.
...that you don't know that GBA stands for Game Boy Advance. Not Game Boy Advanced. Nintendo are still WAY behind Sony and Microsoft, but I'm hoping that Revolution can make it a three-horse race again. And why would anyone buy a Game Boy Micro when they can buy a DS, get the great new games that are coming for that and play all of their old GBA games on it?
My Mind Is Rewired. Is Yours?
Nintendo is working on nailing a competition-free niche to distinguish their product as the only option in a certain market. They have the commanding lead in 'youth-oriented titles'. If they could make a strong v-chip style protection system for it and market it as the more affordable console for the younger gamer, they would secure their largely untapped market. You're right though, not playing ball is not playing ball. How long, though, before there's room in the market for several fringe players? Is that time already here? Nintendo seems awful optimistic after falling so hard and staying on the bottom of the heap. Affordability and technological ubiquity has made the game console market larger than ever before.
I can download Nesticle
Nesticle was good for its time, but compared to current emulators, it's an inaccurate P.O.S. In fact, an NES program can detect Nesticle with just four instructions. Use Nintendulator instead, especially if you're developing your own NES programs.
and a couple hundred ROMS
Now that Nintendo is renting ROMs online, the fair use argument for abandonware largely evaporates. Are you prepared to pay statutory damages if you're caught?
Playing antique games is a novelty, NOT a major selling point!
It's not a selling point to the public. It's a selling point to Nintendo's legal counsel, who can neatly bust through the fair use defenses that some of the abandonware(z) sites have been trying now that Nintendo is dealing in the works in question once again.
...except that GC and NDS consoles (and games) are selling fairly well in Japan (unlike, say, the Xbox). I know that Slashdot is USA-centric, but it irritates me that, because Nintendo encourage games fitting to the Japanese gaming style, Americans keep saying that the company is dying. Newsflash: it isn't, and there are those of us who deeply enjoy its games.
Prescriptive grammar:linguistics
Agreed. While already noted that if you wanted to play past titles that emulation was an option, for some of us it isn't.
Take my computer for an example, an aging Pentium 3@450mhz with 192mb of ram. For me, trying to emulate games like GoldenEye or Ocarina of Time results in a sound studdering, 5 frames per second, 300 pixel wide window of disapointment.
While I already own a Nintendo64, having to unhook my Gamecube, hookup the 64, and be limited to the games I already own kind of sucks. Sure there are lots of second hand game shops where I could get n64 games for a dime a dozen; but depending on their condition and all things considered, I'd rather have my NES+SNES+N64 all on one console.
With the power now available in these nextgen consoles, I'm glad all 3 contenders are offering the backwards compatability I've been wishing for for years. Just the thought of playing some SMB3, then in a matter of seconds be traversing Hyrule in Link to the Past, then jumping into a good ol round of multiplayer on GoldenEye, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
Kudos Nintendo for continuing to give me reasons to believe in you.
How would these downloaded games be preserved? If Nintendo is smart, they will not charge a rental fee for the old games or even a per-play fee. If they allow you to repurchase their old library of games and KEEP them (possibly on the SD cards) or alternately allow gamers to play the old games on demand for free, including the Gamecube games, then this could be a huge success. I know I'd be more interested in being able to play some of those old SNES games along with the Gamecube games (many of which I want to play already). On top of that, I'd obviously be willing to buy new games for the Revolution. If they do this right, it could be a good selling point. In my opinion anyway.
KhyronWhat support for the DS are you talking about? Its been out since November and we have a crippled Mario 64 version, and an underwelming version of WarioWare. Thats about it. OK Feel the Magic is kinda cool, but the software definately wasn't ready when the console shipped.
"My head hurts, My feet stink, and I dont love Jesus." -Jimmy Buffett
From Nintendo's Japanese site - haven't seen all of these anywhere else yet:h tml
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/e3_2005/revo/index.
The second last one has what looks like ports for Gamecube controllers on top?? If so it adds weight to the new-controllers-are-weird theory - maybe you will need a gamecube controller to play gamecube games on it?
Nintendo obviously only has copyright for 1st party games from previous systems. Which probably means that either the selection will be limited, or it will be a pay service.
I think it will still be a pretty cool feature (very fortunate for Nintendo that their games maxed out at about 20megs before the GC) and will probably turn a lot of heads.
So, now that Nintendo is coming out with their Nth generation of portable gaming system, does anyone else think it's time to updates /.'s old GamyBoy icon to something a little more modern?
I'm a Zelda addict. I've bought every Nintendo console solely for the purpose of playing every Zelda game in the series.
I've been waiting for more official news of the next game, so this is great news. And if anyone hasn't already seen the trailer, they've put up a Zelda:Twilight Princess preview page with it (and other stuff) on Zelda.com
This one looks incredible, though I was secretly hoping for another cell-shaded version -- at long as it was a longer game than Wind Waker
It seems pretty obvious to me that online play had nothing to do with the success or lack of success for this generation of consoles.
The Xbox had the best online play with xbox live and it hardly beats out Nintendo for 2nd place.
If PS2's online service limps along then why is it by FAR the #1 consol and not the XBox?
I personally don't know anybody at all who plays their console games online and just about everybody I know owns all 3 systems.
Was online play really that big of a factor??!
As far as America goes I'm willing to bet that KIDS perception of playing adult games versus "kid games" has more to do with Nintendo's lack of success than anything else.
(the reason I say kids is because I don't know a kid over the age of 7 or 8 that doesn't think the GC is for kids..)
I don't know why everyone stresses online play for these console systems. For the majority of gamers, it doesn't even enter the picture. I'm guessing that ten or fifteen percent of gamers actually use consoles over the net. The only reason it's so big is that all the reviewers and game geeks are among that elite percentage, so most of the press goes on and on about it.
Really, how many average people in the US have braodband so far? It's getting popular, but it is by no means common. Even for those that got cable or a local DSL service, they either need to dedicate it to their gaming system (added expense) or set up a LAN so their console can access the net as well as their PC. For computer nerds, that's easy. Just stick the cable into your existing router and you're set. For the average teen living at home, or the twentysomething non-tech guy, it's not really an option yet. Maybe in five years, but not now.
On top of that, there's also the consideration that a lot of people just aren't interested in online games. Paying extra every month to play a game is the most obvious drawback, but there are others. A lot of people just want to sit down and play something in their spare time to blow off steam. Maybe they're not really competitive. I'm sure a good deal of them don't care to deal with screaming thirteen-year-olds. Me, I prefer a game with a story and advancement to running around shooting people, or gaining endless levels to get more equipment to gain more levels.
Nintendo may have some problems staying in the market these days, but I don't think lack of online is one of them. Hell, if I see a game that stresses online play, I'm less likely to buy it. One of the big reasons I don't have an X-Box is it focuses on Live and FPSes and other online/multiplayer type of things.
So how long after playing are your hands numb from clapping like a fool really hard because the faster you go the harder you clap?
I just got both of those last night. Holy crap what fun. Super monkey ball is a lot of fun too.
I'm outside their target demographic at 33 though I bet.
As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.
1. Ignore the budget market. Who cares whether it is profitable or not? It just isn't cool, Nintendo.
2. Ignore the preteen market. Who cares whether it is profitable or not? It just isn't cool, Nintendo.
3. Ignore the Japanese market. Who cares whether it is profitable or not? It just isn't cool, Nintendo.
3. Ignore the nostalga market. Who cares whether it is profitable or not? It just isn't cool, Nintendo.
Nintendo, you should be trying to compete directly with Sony and Microsoft, even though Sony is currently the market dominating 300 lb. gorilla and Microsoft doesn't seem to care about making profits or even breaking even.
Remember, you aren't in this to make money, Nintendo, you are supposed to be trying to impress random Slashdot posters with your 7337 hardcoreness!
solely for the next gen mario kart.
double dash has consumed my very soul for over 2 years now... and i never get tired of the game. i might run out of endurance and my contacts start popping out of my eyes - but ive never been bored of it... 16 highly repetitive maps you say?
that doesnt matter - the game straight out rocks.
At least in most western countries, copyrights are pushing the century mark. Early Nintendo games won't be public domain until well after most of us are dead and buried.
I gotta tell you, though... I've been playing emulated games for years now, and building a nice collection of original carts. If Nintendo can get the emulation 100%, with a nice selection of games (don't forget to include more than just the top-sellers, guys!), for a *reasonable* price, I'm more than sold. This will be like the ultimate emuPC, but legal, a proper TV-out signal, good controllers.. *drooooool*.
Couple of ideas that would make this my own personal wet dream:
1. Cross-license with Sega. Have Master System and Genesis (and maybe Saturn!) games available too.
2. Sell (reasonably cheap, say $10-15) controllers that plug into the Rev, with the original button layout and design. Actually, if it's all going to be wireless, this should just be a form-factor issue.
Everyone else can enjoy their $50 games. If Nintendo can keep the price reasonable (I dunno, $1-5 per), I'd spend hundreds each year. Much easier to justify a $2 impulse purchase than a $50 one. And I'd be doing it every other day.
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
ok Im going to hold my comments about revolution , yes what Nintendo shown was underwhelming, but then we havent seen much of it to state anything so...
However what I can I say is about the ps3 , the ps3 was impressive, seriously but is also a lot of theory with no actual game demos to talk about. Lets talk per example about the Alfred Molina demo in which the actor was rendered using 3d technology and was almost good enough to pass as a human photograph, impressive yes, but you can clearly see that,it was the only thing done by the system, we couldnt see the famous octopus arms moving around, the entire 2 teraflops of power were used to render one single character head. How could you do a game like that? obviously you CANT.
Then there was the unreal 3 engine demo, and the announcer tried to convince the audience it was made in 2 months, even the developer tried to say "yeah, but we are er, very good at this..." FYI the U3 engine took around 3-5 years to be created! it may have taken 2 months to port it to the PS3 but theres no way you could do that in 2 months!
That leads me to believe the sony wasnt preocupied on the veracity of their statements. And yes, that leads me to believe that what we saw was mostly prerrendered.
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
Playing old games? Please. Where is the "revolution"?
Think of this as the iTunes of video games.
Sure didn't seem like a big deal at the time. Downloading music? Please. I've been doing that for free with Napster for years!
I'd say that was quite a revolution for the music industry. Only difference this time is that Nintendo will lose out on the folks who only want to play this year's games. Seeing as how you can still buy PS1 games brand new in stores, and most of the Playstation market is the newer generation of game players, I don't think there are too many of the "old games suck" crowd left.
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
I have to say, and this as a erstwhile PS fan, Nintendo definitely wins the design prize this time around. The XBox 360 and PS3 both strayed from the simplicity mantra of great design. With the addition of DVD playback and the ability to relive my childhood through those old ROMs, this might actually find a place in my cramped dorm room.
I can totally see my floor girls having Bubble Bobble night in my room.
How exactly did MS force it's way in??? From what I know, they developed the console, made a few hundred thousand of them, put them in stores to sell. Where's this force people keep talking about?
The Digital Couture Collection
Is it just me or does this seem like a rehash of a PC game title that is still around?
I'm not sure how many people recall the "Catz" and Dogz" series of virtual pet games that have been around for years. When I first saw this game that was the first thing I thought of, "Oh! They ported Dogz to the Nintendo DS....um and this is big why?".
Ubisoft still makes/distributes the games/sims or whatever you want to call them. Check them out at:
http://petz.ubi.com/
If I'm not mistaken (and I could be) microsoft sold about 20 million xbox... and they have 2 million live subscribers... How is this a mild success for a concept that's never been brought to the console before? I don't care what anyone says, but MS did a wonderful job with Live.
The Digital Couture Collection
Best. Zelda. Evar.
Not since Marie-Antoinette played milkmaid has looking simple and honest been so fake and complicated.
"according to Nintendo's measurement about the weight of 80 paper clips."
Yes, yes, but what is that in sticks of gum?
Though I am buying the Xbox 360, nomatter what, I am very interested with what nintendo has to offer, esp their controllers and how its just gonna be soo much more different, and it does look much, much better this time around, i usually hid that purple little cube, this time it looks like its all shiny black!
Your skill in reading has increased by one point!
According to NPD, DS in Rhode Island.
According to NPDI, DS in Luxembourg.
According to P'kau M!M!xitj'graeeb, DS in the outer galaxies.
But I hear the PSP is outselling DS in some kid's dreams. Rumor has it that this kid lives in a basement and has a wild imagination. For example, you know those snowy water dioramas of some random cityscape? He once wrote a story about the tiny imaginary people that live in one of those things.
Quite a coup for Sony. I believe exactly five huzzahs are in order, one for each PSP sold to European gamers.
I own an Xbox and a GC and I play the GC a lot more than I do the XBox. Right now the favorite is Donkey Konga. I've got Halo 1/2, KOTOR, Doom3, all the favorites for the XBox. But I just seem to enjoy playing the GC more. Tales of Symphonia is the coolest looking game I've seen in a while.
It could just be that I'm a 10 year old trapped in a 30 year old body though.
"For a successful technology, honesty must take precedence over public relations for nature cannot be fooled." -Feynman
I hadn't seen it. It... made me cry. I've gone from 'moderately interested' to 'I MUST HAVE THIS GAME.'
By reading this you acknowledge that you have read it.
I should also mention that GCN games can run in progressive scan mode.
Doesn't progressive scan need component outputs? And don't component outputs need the "DIGITAL A/V OUT", which isn't present in newer GameCube units? And don't the older units that have "DIGITAL A/V OUT" cost beaucoup bucks on eBay?
Even in the cartridge days, they didn't start measuring them in "megabits" to make them look 8x bigger until everyone else was doing it (notably SNK with Neo Geo, I think that was where that started)
To the best of my knowledge, Nintendo of America didn't even disclose the ROM size of its Game Paks until the late 1990 issue of Nintendo Power that reviewed the game Dr. Mario for NES, a 512 Kibit game.
XB360s interchangable faceplates (lame concession to the X-Treme gamer segment I abhor)
Is not. Nintendo started it with the Game Boy Play It Loud series, monochrome GB systems with differently colored cases. It continued through the N64 and GameCube, whose controllers were available in different colors.
I currently own an PS2, XBox, and Gamecube. I bought the PS2 first for FF, then the Cube for the nintendo games (and it was cheap) and finally the XBox because I got a good deal on it. After reading all of the stats the only console I'm definitly going to buy is the Revolution. NES/SNES/N64 Library? Where do I sign up?!?! I know I'll get a PS3 or X360 (or both) but I'm waiting to hear what games are coming out for which. The Revolution, on the other hand, is going to have a huge library of classics I grew up on, so that one I'll preorder. Good move Nintendo I say.
Nintendo is a lot like Disney.
At least Nintendo doesn't make distorted adaptations of popular folk tales and then try to use trademark law and copyright term extensions to deter otherwise non-infringing and/or non-commercial competition. (There was the SuicideGirls incident, but that was Nintendo's law firm's mistake, not Nintendo's.)
Nintendo is a lot like Disney. 9 times out of 10 they put out the highest quality stuff around
May be true of Nintendo but not of Disney. Of Disney's last five canonical animated films (Atlantis, Lilo & Stitch, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, and Home on the Range), only Lilo & Stitch got overwhelmingly good reviews.
Here it is straight from the source in case hyperlinks are suddenly too taxing:
"Freedom of design: A dynamic development architecture equally accommodates both big-budget, high-profile game "masterpieces" as well as indie games conceived by individual developers equipped with only a big idea."
Maybe the idea is to encourage new developers to break into commercial games, something that is very difficult today. And considering they are already intending to sell past content online, they'll have the perfect distribution method already set up. Just a thought, it'd make me buy one.
To borrow a line from a song, Nintendo is "glorifying their past while the future dries up."
Banking primarily on your past catalog is something that tired old rock stars do when they can't hit the notes, write the songs, or bring in the fans anymore with something new. While I understand there's a lot of well-deserved goodwill towards Nintendo's old titles, at some point you have to look ahead and re-releasing and rehashing over and over again isn't innovative and it sure as hell isn't revolutionary.
Nintendo said that many developers would be turned-off by their new console and I can see why. It is designed to promote their back catalog above all else. They are the has-beens of the console world and would rather focus on the latest repackaged "Greatest Hits" collection than dare to even try something new.
When it comes down to a choice between Super Mario Bros 2 or playing Mario 45 and Zelda 37, you can't expect to be seen as doing anything but spinning your wheels.
The Xbox Live Arcade will offer old games up for download as well. Microsoft views it as icing on the cake and not the Be-All, End-All of gaming and a pinnacle of innovation that will change everything.
Online Smash Bros. sequel available at launch?
Nintendo has sold me a console.
...but is it art?
- Nintendo made profit on the N64 and the Gamecube, both on consoles sales (they didn't sell at a loss), and games sales. So Nintendo did not lose this generation's "war". It made a profit, and that's always more important than being "first". (Yes Sony also made an overall profit with PS2, if we count games).
Nintendo has sold the Gamecube at a loss.
Just copying and pasting the standard info, feel free to find links yourself (your nonsense is posted too often to bother with a custom post):
May 24, 2001
In the GameCube business, industry specialists estimate the company will lose 5,000-10,000 yen per console, each carrying a 25,000 yen price tag, at least for the first year.
Spaceworld 2001
"We expect to incur a small loss on the GameCube hardware initially, and you're right that it hasn't been our habit in the past but we expect it to turn okay early next year." - Peter Main, Nintendo
January 14, 2004
Perrin: "I would say that our losses are really negligible. It's such a small amount. Plus with the amount of software that's being sold we're still definitely in a solid profit situation."
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
Repeat after me: The Nintendo Revolution IS NOT A VR HELMET.
True, but that doesn't mean that something like Nintendo On can't be the fourth pillar (console, handheld, dual screen handheld, VR system).
Remember that incredibly impressive Zelda demo back when the GameCube was unveiled?
That became Super Smash Bros. Melee and Soul Calibur II Link Mix.
Please Nintendo, allow a downloadable and *legal* version of TECHMO SUPER BOWL! Updated rosters would be nice!!! he,he...
My reactions to the design of the new consoles, as they have been unveiled:
Xbox 360: "hahaha, looks like a bent, beige clone PC case! The PS3 is gonna look so much better!"
PS3: "WTF??? Looks like a laminating machine? Or is it the new version of the George Foreman grill?"
Nintendo Revolution: "Hmmm... looks like a squarish black mac mini with a neon disc slot. Not bad."
I own a PS2 and will probably get a PS3. Maybe I'll try hacking the case to make it look better. I've never owned a Nintendo console, but the interesting thing is that they have peaked my curiosity with this one. If this download of the back-catalog of games thing pans out I think I will be buying a Nintendo finally.
As for the Xbox, never, thanks. That's where I draw the line on Microsoft's invasion of [the|my] world.
I usually just filter comments to 4+. It's an interesting read at 4+, almost exclusively people daring to go against the grain and support nintendo. One post after the other saying, "I don't care what everyone else is saying, nintendo is the bestest!" I guess i'd have to go down to 1 or even lower to see what those other people are saying.
In any event, If Nintendo chose to do so, they could probably force Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) to allow those games to be sold on a Nintendo-branded service.
It depends on the contract between Square and Nintendo. Publishing contracts written and signed in the NES days will likely not specify any sort of permission or royalty structure for electronic distribution and reproduction, and given New York Times Co. v. Tasini et al. , Nintendo can't just rely on its old cartridge manufacturing contracts.
I thought the Xbox360 arcade is going to be stuff like freecell and solitare and online checkers, chess, go etc. Not stuff like classic PC or console games.
Anyone care to clarify with some "official" documents?
"Cheeze it!" - Bender
If computing power doubles every 18 Months then surely each generation of consoles should be 10 times as powerfull as the last? (2^(5/1.5) ~= 10)
A doubling or tripleing is pretty crappy if you ask me. I'm sick of the lack of N64 and then Cube games.
Revolution may be the first Nintendo console I don't own.
No kidding... those water and forest scenes looked awesome - especially the ones with the dynamic lighting. And I noticed a lot more subtle fabric movements are present than in previous games (aside from Wind Waker). Wonder if that's in-game or pre-rendered stuff.
I need an official release date so I can start the countdown
The most confusing choice of the current generation, by far, was their almost complete refusal to participate in online gaming.
Nintendo must be crying itself to sleep every night thinking of the 7% of Xbox owners who use Live.
Online gaming is a god-damn niche. Just because you and I play games online doesn't mean everyone and their dog wants to play online.