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Come the Revolution

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the up-against-the-wall dept.

GamesIndustry.biz has a piece looking at what game developers think will be required to ensure that Nintendo's Revolution doesn't go the way of the GameCube. From the article: "While this mutual exploitation between indies and Nintendo may grant the GameCube some stay of execution, the Kyoto giant's next home console will require a very different approach to marketing. Solid details about the Revolution remain sparse, yet Nintendo has stated it hopes to attract a different audience to the one being aggressively chased by Microsoft and Sony. This is the console that will support a back catalogue of twenty years' worth of Nintendo games, as well as new titles utilising the intriguing new controller."

32 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Older is better by From+A+Far+Away+Land · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd actually consider buying a Nintendo platform that supports Gameboy and NES games as well as the new stuff. Either that, or gives owners a license to run an official NES emulator on their PC. Donkey Kong trumps new stuff any day.

    --
    Oh You POS
    1. Re:Older is better by keyne9 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You mean like the Gameboy Player addition for the GCN? Given the Revolution's aim to be able to emulate many (or most) of the older games for their older systems, I suspect you won't have much of a problem with your desire.

  2. Gamecube - premature death? by r_jensen11 · · Score: 4, Informative

    As far as I know, the game cube is far from dead. In fact, my roommate and my neighbors have been playing Mario Kart Double Dash, Mario Tennis, Mario Party 4, and Super Smash Bros. until 3am a many of times....

    1. Re:Gamecube - premature death? by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Where are you?

      I'm in the UK, and the article is pretty accurate, the 'Cube has dissapeared from most retailer's shelves (partly pushed out by the PSP, and ironically, the DS), and it's pretty much relegated to small amounts of shelf space in specialist games shops. I'm sure people get lots of play out of their 'Cubes, but Nintendo will probably have trouble selling more games and consoles when they can't pursuade shops to actually sell them.

      Nintendo fans shouldn't worry totally, the cash cows of the Game Boy and DS are doing far better.

      --
      10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
      20 GOTO 10
    2. Re:Gamecube - premature death? by CastrTroy · · Score: 4, Informative

      All the retailers still have it in Canada. You can pick one up for $100, with a game you actually want to play, and 2 controllers. That's very tempting for some people, even those who don't game very much.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    3. Re:Gamecube - premature death? by Manmademan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      you and your roomies are part of the problem. People who buy the cube tend to do so to pick up nintendo 1st party titles and ignore everything else, leading 3rd party developers to abandon the platform, or only give it token support. Right now there's a serious gap between the release of good software on the cube...5-6 months or more for "A" list titles. That's good if you want to play super smash brothers melee ad nauseum, but bad if you're craving something new.

    4. Re:Gamecube - premature death? by tekkou · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I owned both the PS2 and the GameCube, and actually bought the typical 3rd party games (mostly EA games oddly enough) for the GameCube because the system had much better graphics. When the game producers stopped releasing multi-platform games on the Cube I just stopped buying that kind of game.

      Basically I had the PS2 for the Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, and GTA franchises. The Cube is what I used for everything else.

  3. Go where? by Locdonan · · Score: 5, Insightful
    to ensure that Nintendo's Revolution doesn't go the way of the GameCube.

    You mean, make a profit from the start, build a good base of great games, and offer a wide range of stellar games? They make money, have a good base of people, and offer the best multiplayer on 1 system without falling short. Games are smooth are intriguing. I have no intention of buying a $400-500 system.

    My money is going to Nintendo, espically for castlavania, Smash Bros, Mario, Zelda, Golf, Baseball, and all the party games. Rock on Nintendo.
    --
    If I wrote something witty, you would say I stole it from somewhere.
    1. Re:Go where? by tukkayoot · · Score: 4, Interesting
      "The way of the GameCube" likely refers to the plumetting number of consoles sold. The NES sold 60 million units. SNES sold 49 million. N64 sold 32 million. The GameCube has sold about 21 million. Not a good trend for Nintendo, regardless of how profitable they are.

      If the Revolution sells fewer units than the GameCube, it's going to be hard for anybody, even Nintendo fanboys and Nintendo themselves to see that as anything but a failure. As the article explains, they need move beyond their niche appeal and break into the mainstream somehow if they don't want their home console business to sink into the abyss. If the rate of decline of sales in this generation doesn't improve from the last generation, the Revolution will barely sell more units than the Dreamcast.

      I personally think Nintendo will recover in this generation, though. That's what I'm hoping, anyway. The 360 launch debacle and the PS3 delay certainly can't hurt. Nintendo is in a position to pull off a huge upset if things fall into place.

    2. Re:Go where? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I love Nintendo games. Their back catalog is far and away the best of any developer. Their games weren't just good, they had a timeless quality. They are a top quality developer all the way to this day too. Still, you gotta be realistic here.

      Nintendo's real success has been in software, not hardware. In hardware they had a near monopoly 15 years ago and it has been in free fall decline. They've gone from first place by far to niche player in the market. The N64 and Gamecube both completely missed the market, and both survived on the Nintendo brand alone.

      You say they are profitable, and that's great. I'd ask how could they not be? They have intellectual property that should let them mint their own money. Again, all from software or IP, while the hardware is what drags. Imagine the sales numbers if they sold Zelda, Pokemon and Mario games on the Playstation and xbox.

      We'll see what happens with this Revolution console, but my very-early prediction is a disaster.

    3. Re:Go where? by killmenow · · Score: 2

      I must admit: I am rooting for Nintendo nowadays too. I was never a huge fan of Nintendo (although I enjoyed the original Metroid and Mario Brothers games). But I've jumped on their bandwagon.

      In fact, this past Christmas, I could've bought an Xbox 360 but instead I asked my wife for a Game Cube and Metroid Prime 2. I've been playing it since, am 90% through the game and I *love* it. And it only cost $120 (GC plus MP2) and came with another game. We have a few games for it that we all enjoy, bought Animal Crossing even though it's old now, and both my 8 yr old and 14 yr old love it. The GC is a great little console. It's the first console I've ever allowed on my primary TV. Our original PS2, PS1, Sega Genesis, etc. have all been relegated to the small TV in the den. But the GC gets front and center on the big TV in the great room and it shines there.

      My gut tells me the Revolution will be a great console. I trust my gut.

    4. Re:Go where? by MaineCoon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Those numbers, if correct, are somewhat interesting when you consider the competition each console was up against:

      NES - practically no competition. 60 million units
      SNES - competition was the Genesis, which did somewhat weakly. 49 million units, still not bad.
      N64 - up against the PSX. 32 million units is still pretty strong sales considering what it was up against
      GameCube - 21 million. Up against the PS2 and Xbox.

      While using the 60 million as a baseline for future sales is bad metrics, it puts things into perspective when you consider the competition each iteration of Nintendo hardware was up against. The N64 sells half as many units as the NES, but unlike the NES has strong competition to go against. GameCube has 2 strong consoles to compete against, and sells 1/3 as many units.

      --
      Hunt your preferred prey at Aliens vs Predator MUD. Join the war at avpmud.com port 4000
    5. Re:Go where? by Darth · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The problem is that the market wasnt static during that time. The market grew dramatically. And while the market's size was increasing, Nintendo's userbase was shrinking. They not only failed grow their segment of the market, their installed base was eaten away by their competitors.

      I'm not going to sound the death knell for Nintendo, but when your installed base decreases while your potential market increases, there's no way to make that look positive.

      --
      Darth --
      Nil Mortifi, Sine Lucre
  4. Agree by w.p.richardson · · Score: 4, Insightful
    My kids love the gamecube, and I can lord it over them as a not so veiled threat.

    It's alive and kicking at my house. I do not plan to replace it anytime soon. We get a game maybe 2x per year. The games are fun for everyone to play, same as the older nintendo games.

    --

    Curb CO2 emissions: Kill yourself today!

  5. My $.02 by tekkou · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My opinion on this latest generation of video game systems is that MS and Sony may be trying to cram too much into a system. These things are supposed to play games first, everything else 2nd. Yes it's nice that I could use my PS2 as a DVD player along with playing games, but it wasn't a great DVD player, and when I had the money I bought one to take that function's place.

    I'm very happy that Nintendo is willing to take a gamble and keep with their trend of making GAME systems. One only has to compare the DS with the PSP to find that a GAME system is what more people want. Yes there are people that like the PSP for all its media functionality, but should that be in a game system? Why not just buy a PDA for that? You'd have the ability to view a wider range of media in that case .

    When I first heard about how Nintendo was planning on this new controller idea, having the back catalog of games, and keeping it just a game system I knew I wanted one. Nintendo has always been more focused on gameplay I feel. I did own a GameCube, and the Nintendo franchise game validated the purchase. I only wish I still had it for the upcoming Zelda game.

    Personally I think that MS jumped the gun a bit with the 360. As has been mentioned countless times prior, it isn't much of an improvement over the previous XBox. I have a feeling that the PS3 might get pigeonholed into that same category (though I still will likely get one for Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, and other PS only series), but the Revolution is the one thing that I'm truly waiting for because it's the only one to promise doing something new and different.

  6. Yes, dead as a platform by xswl0931 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Just because you continue to play old games on it, doesn't mean it isn't dead as a platform. There isn't much of anything being developed for the Gamecube at this time. Mine's been sitting the closet for over a year now. I'll probably bring it out to play the next Zelda, but that's about it. Double Dash came out 11/03 Mario Tennis came out 11/04 Mario Party 4 came out 10/02 Super Smash Bros came out 12/01 Saying the Gamecube is still alive is like saying the Atari 2600 is alive if I was still playing Adventure on it

    1. Re:Yes, dead as a platform by TheBlackSwordsman · · Score: 2
      Gee, I wasn't aware that there's been no good games released for the 'Cube since 2004. I guess that's because I'm currently enjoying Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Chibi-Robo, Killer 7, and Resident Evil 4 - all released within the last half year or so, give or take a few months in either direction.


      Is development for the Gamecube slowing down? No question - it's slowing down for EVERY current-gen system. Does the PS2 trump the 'Cube in software library size? Yes, it does. But I don't get people who act like there are only 4 or 5 good games for the Gamecube and they're all several years old. I consider myself a pretty avid gamer, but by no means "hardcore", and I own about 40-50 titles for the system. There's probably at least 30 other GC games that I'd like to play at some point, but I'll probably never get around to it. Why? Because I can't even get through all the GC games I currently own!


      No offense, but people with attitudes like yours are why many great games for the 'Cube bomb in terms of sales - Battalion Wars comes to mind - too many Gamecube owners won't touch a game that doesn't prominently feature Mario, Samus or Link. I love those series as much as the next Nintendo fanboy, but c'mon. Every example you listed is a friggin' Mario title. Try playing a game that isn't part of a Nintendo franchise sometime. There are plenty of them out there.


      It's one thing if you want to argue that there aren't enough good shooters or RPGs for the Gamecube, or something like that. I'll listen to that, as long as you don't bring that tired "there are no mature games" garbage. But your post makes it sound as if you've played every single quality Gamecube title, of which there are only 4 or 5, and you have no other use for the system. If that's really the case, I feel sorry for ya, cuz you've missed out on some killer games.

    2. Re:Yes, dead as a platform by Kuukai · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The Dreamcast still has new games coming out for it. You tellin' me it's not dead?

      --
      Sendou Wave Kick!!
    3. Re:Yes, dead as a platform by AK__64 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Incorrect, sorry. Check out 1up.com, the 10th game on their hottest games of the now list is for the GCN. Get deeper in the section and you'll find lots more preiews and release dates. Maybe not on the same scale as the PS2, but still not bad for an older system.

  7. The elephant in the room by Thad+Boyd · · Score: 5, Funny
    Titles such as Black, TOCA Race Driver 3 and FIFA Street 2 should ensure the Xbox and PlayStation 2 remain comfortable under consumers' TV sets for the rest of the year. At least, that's the case for the two leaders of the pack - but a browse around retail outlets will reveal little in the way of software or hardware support for Nintendo's GameCube.
    Seems like Nintendo had some kind of game coming in the fall though...jeez, what was it called? The Legend of something or other.
  8. The Revolution will be great by jshackles · · Score: 2, Interesting
    The one feature of the Revolution I'm looking forward to is the back catalog / download ability that (if done correctly) should be like xbox live arcade on crack.

    Yes, my xbox can play every NES, SNES, Gameboy, and N64 game. I hate that the only options I have to play a lot of these games is to buy the system / games used on eBay which in no way rewards the original developers.

    Plus it would be cool if they add online functionality to games. Anyone up for an online game of Goldeneye?

    1. Re:The Revolution will be great by pluke · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm just looking forward to a proper emulation of the N64, the xbox versions have a long way to go yet for many games i love - eg blast corps

      --
      "all through my house i set up traps, it seems like the rats have a map, so now i feed the rats crack" - Donald D
  9. Money Talks. by ucaledek · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Let's not forget in the midst of all this next-gen marketing: Not everyone has HD. I don't care how much saturation of the market people expect hi-def to get in the next 5 years. Plenty of people still can't use this feature that Sony and Microsoft have as an "edge" over Nintendo. It's been said before, but if you're not a person salivating over the latest HDTV's to come out, you're probably not going to want drop $1000 for a new console and enough games to make it worthwile (and only 10 games or so for Xbox360, maybe half that with these rumors about PS3). I know that of all the consoles, Revolution is the only one reasonably in my price range (grad student!). Even if in this generation I buy an HD set, I still won't buy either of the other two until then, when presumably the prices will have already dropped alot (meaning even worse losses for Sony and Microsoft). And my brother got a PS2 before I bought a DVD player. I waited 8 months or so, and for half the price of the PS2, I got a DVD player that didn't suck like the PS2. Why shouldn't I expect the same this time around? However Blu-ray/HDDVD falls, there will have to be players not half-assedly attached to a game console. And even though Nintendo seems stuck in the same pattern as the other two when it comes to a glut of sequels, there is still plenty of innovation in their first party franchises. Zelda has always differed greatly between games both in style and gameplay. Hell, me and my roommate still play,frequently, MarioKart 64 over the Xbox games he has.

  10. go way of the gamecube? by Frag-A-Muffin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... required to ensure that Nintendo's Revolution doesn't go the way of the GameCube ...

    ummm what would that be? out selling the xbox 360? :) In japan anyways :)

    I'm not even joking or pulling numbers out of my arse or anything, just look here and see for yourself. The GameCube is outselling the xbox360 in Japan.

    --

    AirSpeak - http://itunes.com/apps/AirSpeak
  11. So is... by FluffyWithTeeth · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Dude, dead ferrets are outselling the Xbox in Japan. That's not even live ferrets! Well, the ferret trade is reasonably steady, actually. But nonetheless...

    I had a point somewhere...

    Well.. uh.. the GPX2 is probably outselling the Xbox as well..

  12. Nintedo Dojo by Brothernone · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You know what.. i'd like to see any other platform IN HISTORY have the love and memmories of as many gamers as Nintendo. They were there from the start, they continued to kick ass, and here is is 2k6 and they're still whompin tall and proud. Is there a person on the planet that doesn't remember playing a zelda game for the first time... i can even tell you who the freinds were that helped me figure it out as we all went through it. All this talk of Nintendo being in trouble is sad. I'll sum it up with a challange. If there is any system that thinks it's got a bigger fan base than Nintendo.. Let them show up to the dojo and we'll fight this thing out 8 bit style.

    --
    He whom you called four-eyes yesterday, you call Sir tomorrow.
  13. Nostalgia alert by Manmademan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Gaming is just as expensive now as it's ever been. The atari 2600 launched at $3-400 in the seventies. SNES carts like FFIII, Chrono Trigger, and The Seventh Saga (which SUCKED) made their debut at 74.99 and STAYED there. The concept of "greatest hits" titles didn't show up until the psx era...the $19.99 game is a VERY new thing, relatively speaking.

    In regards to your "flash cart" idea..it's not bad but it's already being done one better. Xbox live arcade has good classic and independent games available for only a couple of bucks. You don't even need the hard drive, you can use the memory card. Nintendo is making their classic library available to download to the built in flash RAM on the Revolution. (prices haven't been announced but come on now, we're talking 15 year old ROM images here.)

    combine this with a booming used games market and you have nothing to complain about. There's a good case to be made that 2006 is a cheapass gamer's wet dream.

  14. Marketing the Revolution by lpangelrob · · Score: 2, Insightful
    You know, that was a pretty good article. We could use more of those every day. Something that doesn't give the same old "The Revolution will rule!" or "OMG the controller!" takes.

    That said, I can kind of see the marketing problems that Nintendo will have to overcome, but I don't think it'll be that bad. One TV, one Revolution hooked up to the Internet, one or two controllers. Demo three launch games that make the most use of the fact that the controller is the way it is (I dunno, Pilotwings, Zelda and Super Duper Duck Hunt come to mind) and demo 10 downloadable games from past generations. Then stick a sign next to it saying you can play all 2,000 Nintendo games... ever.

    Then make it look pretty. Can't be that hard, but you are relying on the open-mindedness of the consumer to this whole concept. Alternatively, open up Nintendo Stores, a la the Apple Store concept of three (or so) years ago... (keeping in mind that Sony has already done it, to less effect)

    --
    -Rob

    Biblical fiscal responsibility

  15. My take on it by danpsmith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's funny is I bought an N64 years ago, and I was pretty thoroughly disatisfied with the quality of the games for my age group. At the time I guess I was really into violent games and what have you. I loved Goldeneye and Zelda and Mario 64 but the rest just seemed too kiddish for me. I also didn't like how staying with cartridges seemed to chase out some third parties.

    Now I'm a bit older, and as I play most new games I'm starting to realize they are striving for graphics over gameplay, and that the control design isn't even on their mind anymore. A FPS controlled with both thumbs at the same time isn't my idea of fun or interesting design. Consoles have come to be FPS machines as much as computers, except with mouselook it's easier to control. And the day I buy a mouse and keyboard for a console game is the day I stop playing console games.

    Nintendo, doesn't seem to be focused on gearing things to adults. Which, at times can make you feel like a stupid man playing a kid's game. However, at least they try to innovate. Sony was more than happy to have everyone controlling 3d games using a d-pad until the N64 came out. Some of the best strategies for controlling 3d on a console were developed by Nintendo.

    And now, I find myself looking at a market gone haywire. I skipped the xbox, PS2, and gamecube generation of consoles because I felt I had been burned so badly on having to buy both N64 and playstation to get my fix. And now, the price of consoles has gone up to an exorbant amount and every console maker seems intent on making a living room computer instead of a gaming system that would be fun to play with friends. But I already have a computer. I don't want to spend 500 bucks on something that plays FPS already played better on my computer. I want a console that will be fun, innovative, with games that look and feel different from the last 5 years of gaming. In short, I want a change from this MS/Sony norm, I want revolution.

    While the other console makers are busy putting in every last doodad, into what will still simply be a game console to the public, and charging 5000 bucks for it. Nintendo slides in with a unique design, promises innovation and a developer platform for 1000, console at 150, you have to love that.

    After all these years I'm thinking of doing what I thought I would never do again. I'm thinking of going back to the land from which classic console games came...Go revolution!

    --
    Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Esteem and love were never to be sold.
    1. Re:My take on it by G-funk · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Nintendo is interested in selling games to adults. And kids. And girls.

      The only people who are worried about only playing "mature adult games" are 17 year old boys. Now the 17 year old boy market isn't going to disappear, as there'll always be more of them. But they're all going to grow up, and some of them are even going to get married and have kids. Then they'll be shopping for games one day at the age of 25, and realise "Madden 2008" and "Super dethkill 7" are kinda... boring. And they'll pick up a Revolution. Nintendo will make a profit on every one sold, Joe six-pack will get games he can play with his family, and he'll have an extra $200 to spend on beer / his kids / buying his missus the $50 present once a year on valentine's day for a little play.

      Sony and Microsoft will continue to "have the most successful consoles", and be super-1337, and losing money hand-over-fist. Who cares?

      I'll be at home playing Zelda.

      --
      Send lawyers, guns, and money!
  16. Ignore the Games and focus on Features by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because, as we all know, having really cool games that are fun to play is less important than having 200 versions of football games which simulate raindrops spattering off the helmets of the football players and audio surround-sound of their breathing.

    After all, it's always true that following the true path:

    1. make FPS or Sport Game with little or no story line
    2. put it on a console that you lose money on
    3. expect people to buy lots of games, like say Final Fantasy I to XII.
    4. Profit! ... now if I could only find the sarcasm key on my keyboard ...

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  17. Let me put it this way by SpaghettiPattern · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I disliked the purple color of the Gamecube because IMO it was childish and ugly. It's only out of supply reasons that I got a purple one.

    Then I played on it ... and boy do I like the Nintendo games.

    Now I hope the Revolution comes in purple.

    --

    I hadn't the slightest objection to his spending his time planning massacres for the bourgeoisie... (P.G. Wodehouse)