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Nintendo's New Look
Forbes has an article talking with Nintendo of America's VP of Marketing Perrin Kaplan. She talks a little bit about Nintendo's upcoming plans, and the concept of the Blue Ocean. From the article: "For us, it's all about the experience, not if the technology allows you to play your game on the high-definition formats, which are now in such a small percentage of homes. Many independent sources tell us that experiencing current high-def games on a regular TV makes it near impossible to see everything clearly. That means the majority of homes are experiencing something lesser than what they bargained for. "
From TFA: Microsoft made the first move with the Xbox 360 three months ago, but with fewer than 700,000 units sold so far, gamers appear to be reserving judgment and waiting for Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Revolution, both expected by the end of 2006. Raise your hand if you've seen unsold 360's lying around unsold at your local retailer. This kind of misinformation leads me to question the impartiality of the whole article.
"but with fewer than 700,000 units sold so far, gamers appear to be reserving judgment and waiting for Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Revolution, both expected by the end of 2006. " Perhaps that has more to do with stocking issues than to do with lack of interest. Though I would like to believe that it is because of interest in the Revolution, I hope Nintendo do well this generation, as they continue to innovate, and produce excellent first party titles.
I think its safe to say that this strategy is going to be hit-or-miss. If Nintendo fails with "Blue Ocean" the Revolution (or whatever they end up calling it) will flop, simply because the market isn't there. If it does work though, Sony and Microsoft's "Red Ocean" will find themselves overfishing for a depleting market.
Wikipedia is good for one thing; illustrating how half-ass some people can be. Honestly I think a lot of bad reporting can be attributed to laziness rather than malice. Just because it has to sound interesting doesn't mean it really is... blah blah blah experts agree.
I'm right there with you. Have you seen the box art for the up coming Brain Training game?
One of the flagstaff 'blue ocean' titles, and they drop what I consider a great, descriptive name and then give it a bland photoshop job cover. The result fits in better with those 99cent self help books you see in the checkout aisle, rather than a hip adult mental excercise program.
I predict that the US market see's sales close to 1/4th that of Japan because of NOAs marketing.
These pretzels are making me thirsty.
We think there is an untapped nostalgia market: Gamers who grew up and cut their teeth on these older games could come back.
While I am very excited about greater support for this market, what exactly has Nintendo been doing with ports going as far back as Super Mario All-Stars, if not tapping this market? Exploratory Surveying?
Demented But Determined.
I live in the UK and Nintendo of Europe/UK is much much much better - it's incredibly ruthless and they absolutely pummel trains and TV programs with adverts, but they're usually pretty nice adverts and usually have that 'Ninty Charm'. I just feel that NOA just... aren't.... Nintendo.
"impassionate" means almost the exact opposite of what you mean, in general. It means to make someone impassioned (it's a verb, not an abjective). Actually, there is one definition close to what you meant there, but it's pretty rare, I think. In fact, impassionate only appears in unabridged dictionaries. impassioned is a much more common word, and does mean the opposite of what you meant.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
The DS has shown it can be about the experience. The PSP has multimedia functions and better technology and has more traditionally successful console style games. Yet the DS is in the lead, I can only assume because it offers an experience that can't be found anywhere else.
I didin't finish the article.. just got to the part where it's ranting off all these numbers.. and it didn't make much sense to me..
700k xbox360s -- isn't that the US sales numbers?
13 Million DS -- Isn't that global sales?
82% of handheld software sales -- wouldn't that be including the GBA? but then its written in the same sentence that mentions the 13 million DS sales.
WTF is gonig on, where are these numbers coming from,.
Your comment is interesting. You mention how awesome the interconnectivity of the 360 is (and you're right). But then you mention enjoying playing "indie" games for $5. With the exception of maybe Mutant Storm Reloaded and maybe Marble Blast Ultra, all the others games are about as non-HD as you can get. You don't need HD to play backgammon, or Bejeweled, or a billiards game, or any of the 1980s Midway arcade ports. You don't need an HDTV to enjoy Geometry Wars. Yet these are the games that are flourishing. Sure, they have some bells and whistles that take advantage of the hardware, but that's just that: bells and whistles. It shows there's a market for fun.
Now imagine something similar to Xbox Live Arcade, only the hardware is 1/3 the price. That could be very good.
Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
An amazing hardware and software platform get you nothing if you don't have the software to back it up. I've played most of the Xbox 360 titles that have been released so far, and nothing has really made me want to drop the $400 on the console. Honestly, the multimedia features are the biggest draw, but that's not saying much for a game console.
The PSP vs the DS is another excellent comparison. There is no question that the PSP is the superior piece of hardware. What does it have to offer? PS2 ports and clones, games that really aren't made to be portable. The offerings on the DS are MUCH more suited to the system and it's intended use. Hence, it is quite successful.
They're like a car company saying to their customers, "You don't want a big SUV - you want our compact car with good fuel economy".
Your analogy to the car market is a bit funny because it is right on and yet contradicts your point. I will admit that the SUV is a big market. Yet, not everybody wants a big SUV. A lot of people actually do want an economy car. Other people want sports cars. Other people want motorcycles. Have you been reading any news on General Motors? They posted record losses last year in the billion dollar range. Sales of SUVs were dismal in the second half of 2005. During the same time period, companies like Toyota and Nissan reported record sales of their mid-size cars. The demand in the market is changing.
In the same way, Nintendo is trying to target a totally different market and I think if this new controller works and they can produce fun games, they will see great success. Also, I would point out that unlike some companies, Nintendo has proven they actually can make a profit in the video game industry.
Why should I buy a Revolution when the 360 or PS3 has a better selection of games and is HD compatible?
What do you mean by a better selection? More, yeah sure they will have more, but better? I think you're assuming a lot there.
I think you should consider buying a Revolution when, like me, you've gotten a little bored of endless fps, third person shooters, sports games, and driving sims. You should buy it because, if they make a fishing game, you will cast by casting not by pressing "A." You'll swing a sword by swinging, not by pressing A. To shoot you would point and shoot, not by moving a stick and pressing A.I
Your clearly attracted to HD gaming, you mention it a lot, and I bet you're excited by it because it can make games more (photo)realistic, but understand that they way you can play a game can make it far more realistic than more pixels.
If you can't see why that, at the very least, you should consider the Rev over the PS3 & XBox, then you should re-think why you started playing games in the first place. I don't think it was to press "A" in HD.
It seems like you simply don't understand what the Blue-Ocean strategy is all about.
... Their plan in the only way they can go.
If you look at the history of the videogame market you will see one pattern emerging; that as time goes on, one of the platforms in each portion of the market eventually represents the majority of the users. Basically, you have one console everyone owns and one or two other consoles which did not even sell in the same league. Usually, the console which ends up being the market leader does not have better technical specifications and does not have more features; it usually is successful because it has the largest selection of interesting games.
Now what Blue-Ocean is all about is that when a market has too much competition you define a new market which you can thrive in; if the Revolution is successful it could define a completely seperate market (much like the Handheld market) where Nintendo can dominate.
Remember, except for DVD playback the Gamecube was a far superior piece of hardware to the PS2 (the XBox was in every way a better piece of hardware) and Nintendo produced several compelling titles for the platform (and Microsoft also had tons of good content on the XBox) and yet it never (for more than a week or so) even matched the sales of the PS2. At this point in time, Nintendo could produce a system that produced pre-rendered movie quality images, at 1080p, with every electronic device included in the system (including a toster) and sell it for $99 and they would still have problems selling more than the PS3.
Pure and Simple, if Nintendo wants to survive they need a new market
Oh, right. Sega died.
The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
Sounds an awful lot like what VW, and later Toyota and Honda said to their customers-- "You don't want that big lead-sled Buick! You our compact car with good fuel economy!"
Who are the crackheads that moderated this as Interesting? The post is full of mistakes that only somebody with an anti-Nintendo agenda would write:
o n_faq
On the subject of high definition:
Shigeru Miyamoto has said, "The majority of people won't be playing our system with an HDTV, though with the Revolution, 480p resolution will be standard."
While not 720p, it's still a lot better than SD.
On the subject of console prices:
Compare the PSP to the DS. The technical specs of the PSP leave the DS in the dust, but its pricetag leaves a lot to be desired. Parents don't want to buy a PSP for $280 when they can have a DS and three games for the same price. (Sorry, Canadian prices here) This helps explain in part the popularity of the DS.
On the subject of the ON/OFF button on the controller:
Look for yourself.
On the subject of "What will Revolution bring us?"
- Innovative controller and new game genres
- Downloadable games
- Online play
Read more here: http://www.revolutionreport.com/nintendo_revoluti
You're a troll, and not even a good one.
I've seen the games for the 360 and was just unimpressed. I haven't even thought of buying one. I'll probably buy a PS3 and the Revolution. The PS3 just because I've always been a fan of the quality of the PlayStation and the huge assortment of games available and the Revolution because it sounds really interesting. For me, XBox is a brand trying to replace PlayStation but not really pulling it off. They'd have to either really have some good titles available exclusively to them or Sony would have to really mess up for me to switch. I just don't need two $500 consoles so why would I switch to an unknown that isn't going to be compatible with what I already have? I'm getting the PS3 to play and the Revolution for the same reason I bought a Virtual Boy which is because I am interested in a company actually trying new things. Hopefully Revolution will be a bit more realistic than the VB. ;)
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
I fail to see the FUD in this. If anything, Nintendo is very much correct in their assertions about HD. Anyone that has a non-HD television pays for the HD feature of the 360, but don't experience HD gaming. And right now, that is an overwhelming majority of households. People keep saying that Nintendo is leaving a large portion of the market behind. But in reality, it is Sony and Microsoft that expect the market to catch up to them. By the end of this next gen console, you might have 50%+ HD penetration in homes.
Now I'm the exception to the rule. I have a 360 and a nice 62" HD TV. I'll share with you my take on HD gaming. The first few hours of gaming with my 360 I accidentally played at 480p (forgot to toggle the switch on the AV cable.) Before I realized this, I was still very impressed by next gen graphics. After switching over to HD, the picture did look sharper. But it was only a minor improvement. Especially compared to all the other advances in graphics. There is so much more we should be discussing about next gen graphics besides HD, but Microsoft and Sony have managed to frame the debate around this one narrow minded issue. If anyone is throwing out FUD, it's them.
That being said, I love my 360 (even though it ate my DOA 4 save file.) And I'm sure I'll love the Revo.
the cosmos in 20 words or less: thumbuki.com
Looks like people at Nintendo have been reading this:
"Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant" (2005, Harvard Business School Publishing), by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne.
Ironically, it's also the book Ford cited when it took the knife to its belly a few weeks ago...0 6601230398
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20
They also made a big deal how the GCN would play games in 480p, and now advertise that games support progressive scan, yet they force you to buy a used GCN if you want to play in 480p, because the new models of GCN don't even have a digital out anymore...
If there's anything more important than my ego around, i want it caught and shot now.
My comment was not that Nintendo doesn't have a valid product point by excluding HD in exchange for a lower price point. It was that they were insinuating that the HD graphics somehow looked worse than SD graphics on an SD TV. The 360 plays with regular televisions just fine.
I'm with you. I have a Toshiba DLP, and I'm reasonably happy with my 360. Condemned was pretty good, COD2 was great, NFSMW is great, and DOA4 is good (yeah, ate my save file too), but all in all, the starting lineup is a dud. And aside from the lighting effects in NFS and just about everything in Condemned, they haven't made much of a case for HD graphics with most of the games out so far. If Condemned is any indication, though, next gen games are going to look sweet =)
I have a unique perspective becuase i work in Redmond, WA testing the xbox 360 for a living. I have played just about every game on the market in HD and non-HD. Let me tell you that you are missing a LOT by not seeing it in HD. Many games such as Project Gotham Racing 3 is very difficult to play ona normal tv screen. The dark races are hard to see if the next turn is a left or a right. This system is made much worse when you must realize that not everyone has their optimal brightness/contrast/color ratios set. Many people turn up the brightness and contrast too high on their tv.
Games like DOA 4 as you mentioned are not as effected. You miss some of the finer tones on the skin btu the gameplay is alrgely uneffected. The game is brightly lit and there are not as many small details as in a dark racing game placed in a city.
unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
If it is indeed true that it is hard to play games that are designed for HD on non-HD TVs ("Many games such as Project Gotham Racing 3 is[sic] very difficult to play ona[sic] normal tv screen"), and most people now still have non-HD TVs, doesn't that imply bad sales for the 360? If most of the market will play games that the user has difficulty seeing, then what which is cheaper--buying a new TV to go with the game system, or getting a different system?
Seems like this is a point to Nintendo on this match. Their games will look good with what people have now, boosting sales over those whose games do not look good with what people own.
Funtime Candy Wow! - my plan for eventually conquering Japan.
Ironically, it's also the book Ford cited when it took the knife to its belly a few weeks ago...
You misspelled heart.
There's something good about a company that cant be had with doing things haphazardly cheap with slave labored components. It's only recently that "free market" measures have been implemented to green light something that looks nothing that is free trade, let alone being anything you could call "trade" wrt jobs. (Pro-globalization folks, please get out of the East/West coast and see flyover country for a while- and the Waltons dont count. They're exceptions to the "Dont Do Evil" Midwest.)
Knowing Harvard and how they damn well like to exclude(until somebody figures out how to do forcible no-nonsense admission and convince that it's better to keep the choice in the domestic student's hand), I presume the red ocean is the shark tank where every other idea goes against each other with nothing coming out alive.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
i think the point is more that games designed to be played in HD look like crap in SD. (you can't see all the details, might be hard to see monsters, etc, because they assume you'll be playing at high-res and you're not)
games designed for SD play well in SD.
So all things being equal, people w/ SD are better off getting a system designed for SD.
Honestly, I haven't been a solely Nintendo guy since the NES was at it's height. I went the Sega Genesis route when it released and then to the Sony Playstation in the mid 90's. I've been a Sony guy ever since, though I do own a GBA SP.
Right now I'm on the bandwagon for the Playstation 3, but all of these innovations are making me reconsider. I have seen a ton of great games for the N64 and GameCube, and no doubt those franchises and new ones will be made with the Revolution. While I really want to stick with the games on Sony's train like the Armored Core or Castlevania series, Nintendo might put up some serious competition and I might find myself buying both. My wallet could be hurting when I get back from Iraq.
What else can happen when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
You can buy a new Cube and trade it with Nintendo to get an old one.
g amecube/component_faq.jsp
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/nintendo
Made a big deal? I haven't noticed. Yeah, there is an extra icon on the back of the games, but that's about all the advertisement I've seen.
She mentioned the untapped nostalgia market. Well, with MAME, NES emulators, N64 emulators, etc., the "nostalgia" is already there, a click away. The problem is that it's more for quick amusement...doing the remember when. Sure it's fun to fire up some of these games, but I'm not sure I'd want to play all the way through, especially since I did so several times on the original consoles.
I'm okay Nintendo downplaying the whole graphics war; they're right in saying that the game play is what matters most. Hell, I'll play a game with stick figures if it's fun. The problem is that a lot of ther earier games *were* fun, and while I'll always have fond memories of the first time Mario moved around a 3d world, I'm not sure I need to revisit it again.
The DS has shown it can be about the experience. The PSP has multimedia functions and better technology and has more traditionally successful console style games. Yet the DS is in the lead, I can only assume because it offers an experience that can't be found anywhere else.
I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with the GBA compatibility and Nintendo's nearly 20 year lock on the handheld market.
To look at it another way, the fact that Sony's portable is selling as close to the DS as it is should probably make Nintendoa a little nervous.
The display is one of the bigger parts of the experience. And HDTVs will and are becoming more and more common.
Honestly, you come off just as much a fanboy as the OP was a "troll". You honestly seemed blinded by Nintendo's marketing machine, which has not shown a single game for the console, a single screenshot running on Revolution hardware, etc.
o n_faq"
"On the subject of high definition:
Shigeru Miyamoto has said, "The majority of people won't be playing our system with an HDTV, though with the Revolution, 480p resolution will be standard."
While not 720p, it's still a lot better than SD."
Well, actually, no it's not. 480p looks extremely jagged on most HDTVs. NTSC looks outright hideous, but that's besides the point.
Also, Shigeru Miyamoto is wrong -- HDTV prices have plummetted alongside Plasma/LCD. It's very reasonable than in the next 3 years (minimum lifespan of the console), most people will be using cheap HDTVs.
"On the subject of console prices:
Compare the PSP to the DS. The technical specs of the PSP leave the DS in the dust, but its pricetag leaves a lot to be desired. Parents don't want to buy a PSP for $280 when they can have a DS and three games for the same price. (Sorry, Canadian prices here) This helps explain in part the popularity of the DS."
Both are very popular. If you go to any schoolyard, you'll see children with both systems.
Also, your opinion that "the pricetag leaves a lot to be desired" is a little off. Those same children are carrying in $100 cell phones and $300 iPods. PSPs are just a drop in the bucket.
"On the subject of "What will Revolution bring us?"
- Innovative controller and new game genres
- Downloadable games
- Online play"
2 of those 3 have existed for over 20 years. Microsoft has pretty much perfected it this time around.
The "new genres" comment is debatable. What "new genres" has the DS brought with its innovative control scheme? A lawyer game? A doctor game? You need multiple games of one type to establish a "genre". I don't see a host of doctor games flooding the market.
The Revolution is going to see experimentation and innovation, but neither is a recipe for success.
"Read more here: http://www.revolutionreport.com/nintendo_revoluti
Final word of advice: never trust a gaming rag that only supports one company.
While not 720p, it's still a lot better than SD."
Well, actually, no it's not. 480p looks extremely jagged on most HDTVs. NTSC looks outright hideous, but that's besides the point.
Doesn't SD look more jagged? then 480p would look better than SD. Although where I am a HD TV and and XBox 360 == completely unreasonable spending so I can't really find out for myself.
Those same children are carrying in $100 cell phones and $300 iPods. PSPs are just a drop in the bucket.
What neighborhood are you in? Most adults I know find it hard to justify a PSP for themselves. I don't know a single human being under the age of 20 who has a PSP, and quite a few under 12s (and over 20s) with one or more of Nintendo's offerings.
For the record I bought a DS. Then a bunch of my friends (20+'s) got PSPs so I got a PSP. I'm thinking of selling the PSP. The games are not any more fun. And I tried the UMD movie thing (got sent Spiderman II for free) but in any kind of light you get bad contrast, and the original speakers can't compete with train/plane/bus noise. That leaves watching the movies at places where I so happen to already have existing devices that can play DVDs.
Digital TV != high definition.
I'm so sick of pointing that out.
"I realise this is not a very popular opinion but it's the truth, and there for needs to be said" -Bill Hicks
on your deployment. Godspeed.
The reason why they aren't being bid on is because the majority of them are either overpriced "buy it now" or have an overpriced reserve. No way in hell I'm spending $500-$600USD on a gaming system, when I could spend that much and upgrade my existing computer to uber proportions, and get more out of it than just playing a few games and maybe watch some DVDs. That's just fscked up...
:)
As far as the over aboundance in Japan, so what? That's in Japan, not here in the States. We all know that Japan is a finicky console market anyway, and that M$ was nuts for trying to sell there. But hey, no sweat off my brow. I'll just stick with my trusty puter.
its deeper than that:
/im/ interested in available in the foreseeable future.
- the ds is noticably cheaper than the psp
- it had a lead on the psp releases. europe only got the psp when? this past summer?
- it has backwards compatibility. an instant backcatalog of thousands of games is not to be downplayed.
- due to the lead on psp release theyve been able to churn out their post launch killer games and capitalize on them. nintendogs, animal crossing, mario kart, advance wars?
- the psp didnt come out with its first true system seller titles until oct/nov. [GTA and socom]
- they rereleased two new versions of their cheaper gameboy line to absorb consumer sales.
yes, it boasts a new experience too, but the popularity of the ds weighs upon more than just that single factor. who knows who will win the handheld race? i think the psp is doing well, all things considered. it may not be beating the ds in sales, but considering nintendos' domination of the handheld arena, the psp is doing a respectable job IMHO. its no secret that ive been on the fence regarding getting a ds too, but i see the psp upcoming lineup and there are games im interested in. personally, i dont get that same feeling from the ds lineup. the experience is one thing, but i cant bring myself to buy a system that only has four games
the idea of the revolution is one thing [and im skeptical of the premise], but i havent heard of any games to get me interested yet. the same hold true for a great many consumers.
I also started out using a non-HDTV with my Xbox 360. King kong was a bit too dark, I though, but games such as PDZ and Kameo looked all right, if not exactly impressive graphic wise. They looked like ordinary Xbox games, but with a lot more potential (more enemies on screen etc.).
I gew tired of using the 32" TV, though, so in january I bought a HD LCD projector. This projector can display 1080p in any size up to 300 inches. I currently display around 100-110 inches on my wall. The difference is truly astounding, with the above mentioned games now looking sharp and gorgeous. Even the Xbox Live Arcade titles improved a lot (except for Geometry Wars, which doesn't really seem to be hi-res).
The main selling point of the Revolution controller is that it is inherently more intuitive, and therefore a more transparent method of control.
just some guy
The PSP tries to be the jack of all trades and ends up being master of none. Let's go through its functions and compare:
1. Games: Supposedly the main reason to get a PSP, but the number of "must haves" can be counted on one hand currently. Not to mention the fact the psp, and in general PSP games are more expensive(around $50 for a game compared to $30 or $35 for DS games. Though some psp publishers are finally wising up and lowering prices). For the cost of a psp and 2 games($350) you can get a DS and 7 games: 4 $35 games and 3 $30 games.
Winner: The DS, but it will depend on the type of games you enjoy.
Web browsing: The PSP does have a browser, but unless you are a hardcore gamer who occaisionally needs to check email and you can't already do that on your cell phone, a PDA is a much better bargain.
Multimedia:Theoretically, this is where the PSP should really shine what with that oh so sexy screen. However, there are tons of devices that do it better, not the least of which is the iPod video. How can the iPod video do it better? Simple, unless you are watching UMDs Sony limits you to 320x240 for your movies, the exact same as resolution as an iPod. And if you are watching movies it makes no sense not to buy the giga-pack, priced at $299, the same price as the 40 gigabyte iPod. Now granted the battery life while watching movies is short on the iPod, but for most commuters 2 hours a charge is more than enough. And if you don't want to watch movies, you can still store a ton of music on the iPod.
I would love to watch "Kill Bill" on that sexy psp screen, but I have already paid $50 to watch Kill Bill in other formats: $12.50 to see the first one in Japan, $7.50 for a matinee to see the 2nd one, and about $15 for the DVDs. I refuse to spend another $50($25 a UMD) just so I can watch the same content again. Sony artificially limiting the movie playback on the device killed it for me. I'm willing to buy a movie once, but I refuse to buy it multiple times just so I can watch it in different formats.
PSP: jack of all trades master of none....
Monstar L
I don't hang out in schoolyards, so I honestly don't know what kids are carrying around. Except for conventions, I have never, in the entire time the two systems have been out, seen anyone I don't know with either a PSP or a DS out in public. Which would lead one to believe no one is buying them. I live in Nashville, TN, a fairly large city, so I know people have them. Visual evidence is not enough to prove a point, that is why people use sales numbers, and the sales numbers indicate that in Japan, the DS is outselling the PSP 3 to 1, in Europe it's outselling the PSP 1.5 to 1, and I don't have any recent numbers for the US, so I will just assume the US sales are equal. That still puts the worldwide sales of the DS far ahead of the PSP. And before you say, "Well that doesn't mean anything," sales numbers are what developers look at when determining what systems to develop for. That and attach ratio, and I've yet to find any reliable numbers for attach ratio on games for either system.
Downloadable games and online play have existed for more than 20 years, but they're fairly new on a dedicated home gaming console. Xbox Live & Arcade are truly wonderful, I'll give you that, but if that's the only selling point for the system, and I can get those two things on a system at 1/2 the price (assuming a $200 pricetag on the Rev, it may be $250, and remember, you can't use Xbox Live Arcade unless you have the harddrive, meaning you have to get the $400 premium 360 system, or the $300 core system plus the harddrive which runs some exorbitant figure of which I'm unaware since I plan to just get the Premium Bundle) then the only determining factor is the games. I have an Xbox, a PS2 and a GC. I have just under 50 PS2 games. I have a little over 40 GC games. I have very nearly 10 Xbox games. that should tell you something about the games I prefer. Whatever else you say about the DS, it does have a large number of fun, interesting titles, and people are buying them in droves. Can Nintendo guarantee that kind of software support for the Revolution? No. Are they going to try? Yes.
And actually, Revolution Report is a very good site. They don't knock what Sony & Microsoft have done right, and even point out the lessons Nintendo should learn from them. And they have no problem lambasting Nintendo when they make a mistake. You should visit a site before disparaging it. Just because it focuses on only one category doesn't mean the content creators of the site are unreasonably biased.
just some guy
I'm sorry, but my 20" RCA SD CRT is going to have to make it through this generation. I'd love to throw a grand down the toilet, but I guess I'll wait until congress finally forces me to.
Current penetration of HDTV in the US is less than 10%. Current penetration in markets other than the US is less than 1%. Even assuming you can get an HDTV for less than $200 (which you can, but only up to 480p, for a tv that supports resolutions greater than 480p you're still looking at an average of $400), market penetration is not going to increase to greater than 50% in the US within the next 5 years. I work for a cable company, it's taking us forever to get customers to convert from analog to digital service, HDTV isn't going to be any easier. And this is with the government push behind it. Nitnendo is an international company, they're going to try to provide an equal experience to all markets.
I just wanted to point out that in the US, the FCC has mandated changing TV transmissions from analog to digital, starting in 2007. While taxpayers will have the option of getting an adapter that allows them to still watch TV on their SDTV sets, I can imagine that most folks in the next few years will opt to just upgrade. Most people will admit that there is a very noticable difference going from standard TV to HDTV, much the same way users jumped from VHS tapes to DVDs. True, HDTVs are much more expensive than DVD players themselves, but the sets are constantly going down in price. (Then again, the cost of the DVD player and converting your entire movie library from VHS to DVD could probably cost as much as a decent HDTV)
Also, a lot of folks don't realize that HDTVs are available in non-LCD, LCD, or Plasma form. The rear-projection CRTs, while big and bulky, are generally much more affordable. I personally didn't realize this until I started shopping around for an HDTV myself.
Now, I DON'T think there's going to be a migration from DVD to any of the "next gen" DVD formats (HD-DVD or Blu-ray) any time soon (if ever). There's not nearly as obvious a benefit, at least visually. I think the main benefit is just going to be in storage. Instead of 5 LotR DVDs, there may be just 1 HD-DVD or Blu-ray disc. Then again, I can totally see Hollywood churning out even more "special" collectors editions (multiple languages, view angles, cut scenes, etc.), so to get the total package, it still spans multiple discs. They'll know fans will still eat it all up. Anyway, I see Blu-ray and HD-DVD going the way of the Laserdisc. Enthusiasts will pick it up, but the general public will wait for the next revolutionary medium (holo cube anyone?).
-- jchenx
Big sweeping arm movements (sword swinging) will get you killed after a relatively short while. Watch how fencing is actually done next time it's on at the Olympics. There's none of this flashy Errol Flynn slashing and flourishing of the sword. It's all about relatively small, precise, quick movements.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
What this means is, it is cheaper to buy a digital tuner (currently running about $50, prices will lower quickly) or just to get cable and a digital box (averaging about $50 a month) rather than a new tv. Some people will buy HDTVs, most will not. Also, the analog shutdown date was pushed back to 2009, because current adoption rates of digital TVs, as well as the necessary digital broadcast equipment, is too slow to meet the 2007 date. What that means is, the Rev will be a third of the way through it's lifespan before that becomes an issue, and even then, people are more likely to get a EDTV which is less than $200 over an HDTV which, even a CRT, is still between $200-$600.
Also, if customers do get cable tv, the cable companies can, if they choose, convert the digital signals to analog (which is really just silly, but they'll do it if it means more customers) and encourage people to get cable instead of buying a new tv.
just some guy
I also think that NOA has made a mediocre job of marketing their products.
You think you've got it bad, Nintendo marketing is virtually non-existent in the UK. No wonder most shops don't have Gamecubes or Nintendo games anymore. The Gameboy and DS do fairly well, although most people probably wouldn't know about the Gameboy micro.
Come on Nintendo Europe, sort it out!
Nice, another comment moded as troll because you expressed your POV and it was different than the general /. crowd.
I just want to note something, Nintendo is going to fail with the revolution and will end the same way Sega ended, we will see the Mario Brothers on the PlayStation 4. Mark my words, it will happen.
It will be nice, whoever (Microsoft vs Sony) gets the Mario/Zelda franchise is going to win the console game wars. I preffer Sony (not because I am pro Sony, I HATE sony for they DRM and Rootkit) but in some way, if Sony wins it will be a force against Microsoft Monopoly. If MS wins, we will have to stand the big MS Monopoly for another 10 years.
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
I think the spokesperson is actually pretty clear here about Nintendo's general strategy. While Sony and Microsoft are busy duking it out over whose version of FacePuncher 7 has more polygons, Nintendo will keep trying to draw in new gamers - as they have been for decades, with titles from Mario to Pokemon to Animal Crossing.
They're being tight-lipped, yes, but their reasoning sounds pretty honest: every time they reveal a major innovation, it's on the competiton's systems in under a year. (Dual Shock anyone?)
There are no big surprises or new revelations in this interview, but then again, it's not like Nintendo held a big press conference. They just let their rep talk to a reporter. If their marketing person uses some marketing lingo... well, isn't that to be expected?
I've always wondered about that.
Supposedly, Gamecube was the fastest selling console in its time on the UK.
"If you were playing a fishing game, before you would just press buttons on a controller held in both hands in front of you. With this, you can move your arm back and forth and cast your bait. It senses depth. As someone who doesn't spend hours per day gaming, I was thrilled with the experience."
Kind of like what I've been doing for 6 years with Sega Bass Fishing? I bought the controller AND game brand new when it came out for about $60, which is the apparently the new price point for this next generation of games.
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Nice, another comment moded as troll because you expressed your POV and it was different than the general /. crowd.
I just want to note something, Nintendo^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Apple is going to fail with the revolution^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H iPod and will end the same way Sega^H^H^H^H Creative/Rio ended, we will see the Mario Brothers^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H better MP3 players on the PlayStation 4^W^W^W^W that Sony or Microsoft can come up with (add sarcastic comment about how stupid America is about not accepting the MiniDisc here). Mark my words, it will happen.
It will be nice, whoever (Microsoft vs Sony) gets the Mario/Zelda franchise^W^W^W MP3 player is going to win the console game wars. I preffer Sony (not because I am pro Sony, I HATE sony for they DRM and Rootkit) but in some way, if Sony wins it will be a force against Microsoft Monopoly. If MS wins, we will have to stand the big MS Monopoly for another 10 years.
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The moral of the story is that anyone and everyone can and will make wild business predictions that can't be backed, but companies like Apple and Nintendo have changed the way technology is used and enjoyed, and will continue to do so as long as they have innovation and an audience with dollars that hasn't been reached.
-Rob
Biblical fiscal responsibility
God, why do I never have mod points when I see something asinine like this modded up. Geometry Wars looks and plays better in HD. Marble Blast Ultra looks much better in HD. In any game you can see more detail and more clarity in HD (if it's written to play in HD). The Revolution is not going to retail for $133 and might not have anything other than classic nintendo games, so forget the "Xbox Live Arcade for 1/3 the price". They're entirely different products.
And for christ's sake, every time a Nintendo fanboy tries to pretend that Sony, Microsoft, and the PC gaming industry aren't marketing fun, it makes me hope that every single one of Nintendo's offices burn to the ground and they never produce another piece of hardware or software again, just to spite the ignorant fanboys. Nobody is worse than Nintendo fanboys in my opinion. Nobody.
With all that said, I'm looking forward to picking up a new DS in a couple days with my tax refund.
Feel free to mod me "-1 - Angry Jerk".
Who modded this troll up?
You do not have to be the market leader to have a successful and profitable company.
Note that Nintendo has lots of money. They have a boatload in the bank and lots of revenue in sales.
They own the handheld market. The psp is barely a competitor.
Mario is not going to be on the PS4 or XB720. Even if the next console fails, and *they decide* not to make a successor - they will continue thier franchises on handheld systems.
normally i wouldnt reply to you, but i think you have me wrong. i was simply explaining why the ds has a lead over the psp. i never said that the revolution didnt boast many of the same traits/ qualities.
/that/ bad a position for sony to be in. software sales arent where they wish, but as more publishers start releasing their second wave of psp titles, i expect that all to change.
1. the revolution is noticably cheaper than the ps3/xbox360
- the revolution is supposed to be cheaper. how much cheaper? we dont know. neither sony nor nintendo have dropped those magic numbers. sony could pull a major coup and drop the ps3 for $150 for all we know and eat the cost tremendously. or nintendo could drop at the same price as the ps3. dont take everything you read literally. nintendo has not made an official announcement; that means they reserve the right to change their minds.
2. the lead was about 3 months in the US, 1 month in Japan, and the DS had a real shortage of quality software until just a few months ago. europe had a longer release lead, but europe is not exactly capable of shaping the gaming industry in any way.
- yes, but when that release gap gives away a holiday season, its major. the psp wasnt released in the us until feb/march, so that xmas money was prob spent by the time the psp was released. your second statement is outrageously biased. no country can be counted out. particularly in the new nintendo worldview where they are trying to pick up these very same casual gamers.
3. yep, revolution has an even larger backcatalog potentially.
- i have to stop you for a second here. the revolution will be different. it may play gamecube discs, but any of those old cartridge games will require third party permissions and royalties. i foresee nintendo having all first party titles available, but third party titles will trickle into the system one publisher at a time. on the other hand, the ps3 architecture will most likely [none of us have proof that it will work as seamlessly as the ps2 backwards compatibility] allow for any of the previous playstation games to work so long as you have the original discs.
4. again, these games just came out in the last 3-6 months and the system release lead wasn't big.
- yes, but dont forget the power of buzz. maybe not you or i, but many people will purchase a system in expectation of a large upcoming title. "oh, im waiting on the next GTA.", "oh, i just want to see what the new socom is going to be like", "im buying a x360 because i know it will eventually have halo3"...
5. and the DS had a horrible first year for software until August with Nintendogs, then nothing big until November with Mario Kart.
- well like i listed. nintendo is in the midst of its second wave of titles, and out of that "launch" quality crap. animal crossing, mario kart, advance wars, castlevania and not to mention the gameboy advance titles such as the final fantasy re-release have made for solid game experiences. the psp wont see this burst of software until this year when killzone, streetfighter alpha3, metal gear acid2, the upcoming "traditional" metal gear, and other stuff gets released.
6. I'm not sure what this has to do with the DS doing well.
- well, in the handheld arena you forget that the psp isnt battling the ds alone. the psp has to do battle with nintendos full line of gameboy products as well. sales of the gameboy advance usually mean one less sale for the psp.
i agree, and second place isnt
I have played just about every game on the market in HD and non-HD. Let me tell you that you are missing a LOT by not seeing it in HD. Many games such as Project Gotham Racing 3 is very difficult to play ona normal tv screen.
Oh, all that tells me is that your system will get poor reviews and those that do play it at a friends house will not like what they see. I'm sorry, I'm not buying an HD TV to play video games. I get my HD gaming from computer games. I'm not going to pay $400+ for a video game system then spend about the same or double that for a new HD TV. For one thing, I don't have that kinda of money. I'd be able to buy a Game Cube, acc, and several games for what any of these new systems will cost and it would work on my existing TV. I'm happy with my none HD experience. My parents have a HD tv. I can't tell the difference so it is just a big waste of money to me.
Uh-huh, it will be using them, but you won't be seeing them. That's the whole point.
Details will simply not be visible, small text will not be readable anymore, and so on.
You really underestimate the vast amounts of resources (eg. money) Microsoft has. Last year they pulled in $10 billion in profits.. and that's after taking into account any losses from the first gen xbox along with the R&D and all that for the 360. They have $64 billion in assets and is worth $273 billion. (http://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/compin fo/CompanyTearsheet.jhtml?cusip=594918104)
They broke into a market they had no presence in and which is highly competitive and gained second place in their first generation. Money is what does that. They bought second place for a relatively high price, but still not much compaired to what resources they have. It would be asinine to think they would drop an entire market that they're second place on in the beginning of the next generation that they are currently the only company involved in. It would also be silly to assume they wouldn't follow through with trying to reap the benifits of their investment in the first xbox (userbase and infrastructure) along with the R&D of the 360 before this generation ends. I would actually be pretty surprised if MS isn't in the generation that follows the 360, as they will see this current generation as either a profit, or moving themselves further towards greater marketshare and eventual payoff. They're a stubborn company.
"I'd love to throw a grand down the toilet, but I guess I'll wait until congress finally forces me to."
You mean you don't pay taxes?
I bought a HDTV just before Christmas. I have a GameCube now and love it, but the games really don't look that great on the new set (especially considering I have a newer GC without the component output). I was going to hold out for the Revolution, but the lack of HD support may drive me to the PS3. I think Nintendo may really be missing the boat by not supporting HD, unless they're planning on shortening the product lifecycle and launching the Revolution2 before the 2009 switch to all-HD in the US.
Ahh, you're right. SDTV isn't totally going away. (Although I can imagine that there'll be lots of marketing and store clerks tricking people into thinking that they DO need to get an HDTV right away)
:)
I still think, though, that we're going to see HDTV adoption really grow over the next few years. No, I doubt we're going to see a majority of HDTVs in 5 years, but I think it's going to continue to be the hot ticket item in consumer electronics. Anecdotally, I've noticed a lot of buzz around the last holiday season and even around the Super Bowl, from guys getting HD sets.
I just know that I've been getting my friends to check out our new HDTV and they can only drool.
-- jchenx
480p looks extremely jagged on most HDTVs.
Only on sets that have shitty upscalers. A decent CRT will display 480p natively or upsample it to 960p, or a decent LCD or plasma will upsample the signal using an appropriate band-limiting (that is, blurring) filter. But a lot of the downloadable games will actually run in 240p, as that's what all NES games and the vast majority of Super NES and N64 games ran in.
If you go to any schoolyard, you'll see children with both systems.
By "schoolyard" do you mean a college campus, or do you actually mean K-12? I've read about parents not letting their minor children have a PSP even apart from the pricetag because 1. it's so fragile and 2. there aren't a lot of good E or E10+ rated games or G or PG rated movies. The only compelling title that isn't a PS2 port or a Tetris clone is an M-rated gangster sim.
2 of those 3 have existed for over 20 years.
Until Xbox Live Arcade, downloadable games hadn't shown up in games designed to be played on 27" TVs instead of 17" computer monitors, in genres designed for gamepads instead of keyboard/mouse, or in genres designed for same-screen play instead of online play (e.g. Smash Bros.).
never trust a gaming rag that only supports one company.
Because it'd be like trusting an IT rag that supports the power company over the local Amish leadership.
I saw this same FUD before the DS came out. How the unstoppable Sony machine was going to eliminate the DS, and that Nintendo, in a year no doubt, would be out of the market. Fast forward over a year later and while Nintendo is busy trying to keep the DS in stock, Sony is busy trying to convince people that the PSP was designed to watch the movie "Hitch". End game, match Nintendo.