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Some Revolution Downloads Will Be Free
GamesRadar has the details from an interview with Nintendo of America VP George Harrison, in which he passes on the very good news that certain past-gen Nintendo titles will be free for download onto the Revolution. The article seems to imply that primarily the games available for free download will be Nintendo created titles. From the article: "This is a clever move by Nintendo: regardless of the final power of Revolution and the frequency of new titles, Nintendo knows that its loyal fans will cry tears of joy over a free service that lets them download previous Nintendo classics straight out of the box."
Considering that anyone can go to a ROM site and download the entire NES and SNES library anyway, I think this is a great move on Ninetendo's part.
I'm sorry to say but I'm really burned out on most of today's games, regardless of which platform they're on. I don't have 20 hours to dedicate to a title. A lot of times I'm coming in from work, I want to blow off some steam and a round or two of Punch-Out would be right in line with what I'm looking for.
I know there's a big market for the Epic game title, but it's good to see that someone hasn't forgotten that millions of people loved those old school pixelated 2D games.
I'd buy the console for the old games alone.
Xbox Live Arcade
Nintendo are often crititised and being "for kids", this move looks like it's aimed at an older set of gamers who don't have the time/inclination to figure out the emulation scene but want to relive those games they grew up on.
Smart move in my book.
Hey, the article that reported this misunderstood the point that the interviewee was trying to get across.
Past-Gen Nintendo-Created Titles will not be downloadable for free.
From the original interview:
1) They contradict that it will be free:
"GS: Do you plan on having like a per-download pricing model along the lines of the microtransactions that will be used in the next-gen Xbox marketplace?
GH: Well, we can use it in a variety of ways. We've used some of the older games already as little bonuses, either as bonus gifts or hidden in levels of games. Certainly for the first-party titles we'll be making some of those available. We haven't really talked about whether we would sell them. The third parties can make their own decision whether they want to sell them, or maybe they will add it on as sort of a free benefit when you buy a current version of the game. "
2) The part of the interview that was misunderstood:
GS: To continue with what's so revolutionary about the Revolution...
GH: Well, I think certainly being wireless out of the box is revolutionary. People sort of picked on us for not jumping in prematurely into online or Internet gaming, but we just looked at it, the way it was evolving, and just felt that it was not time to jump in. But certainly with the next console it would be, with a couple of important changes like eliminating the access fee so there's not really a monthly subscription, and making use of first-party games, downloadable for free.
He speaks of eliminating access fees then says "making use of first-party games" outside of the context of backwards compatability; he could have meant that downloadables, such as new maps for a Nintendo FPS, would be downloadable for free because access fees would be eliminated.
I'd love to be wrong.
This is the feature that will make the Revolution sell to current non-Gamers. For instance, my wife, someone who is decidedly not a gamer, said we are definitely getting a Revolution as soon as I told her about being able to play all the old school Nintendo games.
The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
Here at Gamespot
Don't you love it when an interview conducted by a first-tier site is rewritten by a second-tier website a week later, then posted to Slashdot? I know I do.
*Looks up from his P2P app* huh?
Not convinced that this is the deal winner at all. All you would really manage to hit is the older Nintendo fans that don`t have their N64 sitting about somewhere.
Speak for yourself. I'm only 24 - hardly old (I hope?), and i'm giddy at the thought of being able to play NES, SNES, and N64 games while sitting on a comfortable couch instead of my desk chair.
Particularly stuff like Mario Kart, Starfox, Super Metroid, Pilotwings, etc. that I hope they figure they've gotten enough profit out of in GBA re-releases already.
...and Nintendo makes a killing on Flash Memory expansions.
While how many Nintendo titles will be free and how much it will cost for others remains dubious, any number of quality games for free would be a true boon.
Regardless, I highly doubt Nintendo will charge $9.99 for all but the most insanely good NES and SNES games (such as Legend of Zelda), and only pass that for some N64 titles. In fact, I find it far more likely that most titles for all three emulators will be either free or excessively cheap, unlike Xbox Live Arcade.
Xbox Live Arcade requires 1) Xbox Live 2) A Special CD 3) Money to buy each individual arcade game. If you look at the prices, it's typically $9.99 per.
Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
did they use a pc to show how much better their graphics are than pc's? probably.
In case of the XBox 360, they used Macs. Which should be kind of embarassing for Microsoft...
I don't need a signature.
Here's the quote:
XBox fanboy: "Nintendo R teh sUxX0rZ, d00d. XBox graphics R sick, w/ redder blood + tight controls + Live just r00lz. DOA Volleyball + Blood Wake R sw33t. I saw teh 360 on MTV and it pwns!"
Playstation fanboy: "I'm glad that you enjoy your cutesy games about fat, mushroom-eating plumbers. In the meantime I'll be enjoying the largest game library of any console, and the vast majority of those new games will finally make full use of my obscenely expensive HDTV. $400-$500 for the console? Hell, I wipe my ass with that kind of money. I really couldn't care less about the Revolution."
Casual gamer: "Is this one of those stupid blogs? I just wanted to check my email..."
Although not comfirmed, it's certainly possible to get N64 games for free also. Mario 64 as well as the Zelda games from that generation would make the Revolution worth owning just for those alone. When you throw in the SNES and NES games and it's a no brainer. It's great that Nintendo is moving forward with the most novel, and brilliant use of an online service we've seen yet, considering they wouldn't touch online with the last generation.
First off the Revolution will very likely be cheaper than the Xbox 360. Also picture the parent holiday shopping for their child. The clerk at the video game store says, well you can buy this Xbox 360 for $300 (Pulled the price from my ass) and then you can buy the games for it for $50-$60, or you can buy this Nintendo Revolution for $250 (again out of my ass but maybe it will also only be $200) and while the games cost $50 you can also connect it to the internet and download classic games (with some of them possibly being free). Think as a parent for a moment. Little Johnny could have a new game console with a new game or two and have the ability to play older games that he just downloads, or you could pay more without having the classic games download option? And while you might not be a fan of Nintendo you have to admit after playing some of their games that they are innovative and their games are just simply fun which is all that really matters in the end.
Has it occured to anyone else that this might be a move by Nintendo to bolster their third party support? I mean, if Nintendo can demonstrate that enough people are willing to pay a small ammount for an 'clasic' game ($1 Nes, $2 Snes, $5 N64) than many third parties (Sega, Namco, Konami, Square) may end up releasing both new and clasic games and using the revinue generated from the clasic games to offset development costs. If it is successful (and new 'clasic' games can be made) then companies could even end up having a small development team make a 2D game that is released at the same time as their New big budget game; for example square could Make Final Fantasy XX (at an enormous cost) and at the same time make Final Fantasy XX - 2D (at a comparitively smaller cost) and use the 2D version to tell another portion of the story.
To a certain extent, what I am saying is that if this works than Nintendo may have found a setup that is similar to how TV acts compared to Movies.
from an interview with Nintendo of America VP George Harrison
Where's the rest of the staff? John, Paul, and Gringo?