Nintendo has said they want the DS to be a third pillar in gaming, with GCube and GBA as the other two. And the holy trinity series makes sense, or at least helps to explain they're not trying to do away with the GBA.
The "holy trinity" idea is nothing new for Nintendo. Back in 1995 they tried to expand into a third gaming unit with the Virtual Boy, and although we all know how that ended, I think there's still room in the market for a third pillar of a game system.
I bring up that last point because it sounds as if they are expecting you to bring the DS to a location (a movie theater) to get the data, rather than being able to get it over the internet through any hotspot.
Actually, it sounds more to me like they plan to use the Pokemon downloads to push attendance at the Pokemon movies. I'd assume that movie theaters will have a little box that will transmit the new data to the DS sometime near the end of the movie so you have to sit through the whole film to get the goodies.
Video game FAQs can be the worst. After scrolling through screens worth of useless ASCII renditions of the game's logo, there's a long table of contents, an introduction about why the author loves the game so much, a nearly word-for-word copy of the game's manual, then a little bit of useful game info followed by another screen or two worth of worthless contributions, copyrights, and accolades such as "Thanks to my buds Mudskipper92@aol.com and Bowserfearsme@wuzup.net! Nobody had better steal the information in this FAQ or I'll sue you! You hear me biggamesite.com? I'm watching you!" As if knowing how to beat the boss of Level 4 is some protected trade secret.
I'm looking at past trends. I've never had a stand-alone consumer electronics product that supposedly did everything actually do any one thing very well. This is from personal experience. Your mileage may vary, as they say.
The Advanced Media Network is currently in a state of flux. I'm one of the GameCube staffers at AMN and we're expanding to cover PSP, Xbox, movies, anime - all kinds of stuff. Everything should fall into place this week and right now some aspects of the site(s) are a little wonky, so until then please pardon our dust.
Also consider how many multi-function devices just don't perform well. The N-Gage is a classic example, combining a ton of functions and not really excelling in any one of them.
Re:They're not targetted at the same audience
on
PSP Pricing Announced
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· Score: 4, Insightful
The PSP, on the other hand, is more. It's supposed to play DVDs, music cds, mp3s, etc, etc. It's more of a multi-purpose thing that also plays games, and is priced as such.
So we're looking at a machine that does a lot of things but does none of them very well?
The fact that the DS is "just a game system" is a major selling point for me. I don't want a portable system that plays DVDs, MP3s, makes breakfast, etc.
All this talk of 32-bit 3D games and not a single mention of Nintendo's Virtual Boy. Despite it's poor showing in the marketplace, it does have several classic games such as Wario Land and Jack Bros. And the system and its games are popular in eBay circles. Nintendo DS? I say bring on the Virtual Boy Advance!
The Windows version of iTunes has those icons too. They're in the iTunes.exe file. Hopefully it'll only be a matter of time before they're put into service.
Hmm, well if Axel G. was involved with this I'm sure he was just working undercover for the Detroit police. Someone should tell the Germans to call Capt. Andrew Bogomil of Beverly Hills. I'm sure he can clear everything up.
Mario 128's status is revealed here . Here's a partial quote.
"Shigeru Miyamoto is still working on the game but is not ready to show it just yet. Apparently with his ongoing work with the Nintendo DS and his other projects, the next Mario game has dropped to the back burner for the moment. Kaplan assures that is has not disappeared and we will see it when Miyamoto is ready to show it. As soon as it is revealed you can count on GCA to bring you the information."
Exactly, and I agree with you. But some people won't see a benefit in "buying the same game again" to play the new levels. They see Super Mario World on GBA at the store and think it's the same thing.
I'll let the "child's toy" remark slide (some of those games are pure gold), but I'd say that the Game Boy picture should be left alone. That little device is quite ubiquitous; for many people it's instantly recognizable and represents portable gaming.
Actually, they can lose money on this. If you play emulated SNES games, then you're probably not going to buy ports of SNES games to the GBA. After all, why buy Super Mario Advance 2 if you can just emulate Super Mario World?
I still have all of my console game boxes: NES, GB, SNES, N64, even Virtual Boy. They're stored safely in the closet, unpacked and dusted from time to time. They're in great shape and some even still have the original marketing material that came packed with each game. I save them because they are a part of the game. A lot of time went into creating the cover art, the back-of-the-box text, and so forth. They just don't make box art like those anymore; everything's rendered and 3D and polished these days. Give me the classic 2D images of Mario with a turnip in his hand or the gold box with the Zelda logo on it any day.
This has got to be the dumbest idea I've ever heard. Seriously, I mean, what's the target market on this? How many people are clamoring for this computer ability? I can only think of three uses for this device: advertising, gross Flash cartoons, and script kiddie worms that spew out the most vile smells known to humanity. Why would I want this on my computer and why would I want to pay for the refills on top of that?
If this were to be beneficial to anyone (and that's a big if) I'd want this unit to be fully configurable. I want the ability to block scents that are composed of the less pleasant scents in the unit. I want to block all scent-senders unless they're on my approved scent-sender list. I want to turn it off when I don't want to use it. I want excellent security on this thing to keep a virus or worm from triggering it. Basically, before I would even consider using this device, I'd want so much control and security on it that I doubt it would be cost effective for the company to sell it to me.
However this is ill news for myself and others who have similar taste, because it sounds more like companies targetting game platforms for their contemporary licensed crap, rather than original music from various titles getting recognition.
I agree. At times like these we need more Koji Kondo (composer of some of the most classic Nintendo tunes including music from Zelda, Mario, and more) and less corporate synergy and licensing deals. I feel like I'm watching the lowly commoners invade another of my interests. First AOL brought the unwashed confused masses to the Internet, then Big Business moved in with its advertising and scumware, and before I knew it the good 'ol days of the anything-goes mostly-civilized web were gone.
This just goes to show that when something goes mainstream, it starts to become crap. Koji Kondo, come home!
There's some great inexpensive options on the GameCube right now. If you (or whoever you're buying a game for) missed out on Sonic the Hedgehog during the Genesis and Dreamcast era, Sega has ported a number of their classic games to the Cube.
Sonic Mega Collection includes all the 16-bit Sonic games plus a few nifty extras and bonuses, such as Ristar and some history of the blue hedgehog. It retails for $40. Keep in mind that's for Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 + Knuckles, Sonic 2 + Knuckles, Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Blast, Mean Bean Machine, Flicky, and Ristar. That's a great deal if you missed out on these games the first time around. They're aged very well.
$40 also picked up a port of the first Sonic Adventure title for the Dreamcast, now upgraded to Sonic Adventure DX. It also includes all the Sonic games for the Game Gear as hidden unlockables. The port's a little rough around the edges, but it's still a great buy if you missed out on it the first time around.
Part of the Player's Choice series includes Sega's port of Sonic Adventure 2, now redone as Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. This one costs only $30 and includes some multiplayer enhancements that weren't present in the original Dreamcast version.
Turning back to Nintendo itself, a number of their first party games hit the discount rack earlier this year. Don't miss out on Pikmin and Star Fox Adventures for $20 each, while Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Mario Sunshine are out there for $30. They're all worth your time if you've never experienced them before and come highly recommended. Also note that buying two of Nintendo's new releases (such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Party 5, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA), and 1080 Avalanche) will allow you to send away for the free Zelda Collector's Disc that contains the classic Zelda 1, 2, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, a demo of Wind Waker, and some other goodies. Or you might be able to find stores selling the disc seperately against Nintendo's wishes for between $10 and $40. Don't bother buying this from eBay if you want to pick it up seperately though; the people there who are selling it know they have a hot holiday item and will overcharge you like you wouldn't believe.
Wait a minute... why should I pay to play AOL's single player games in the AIM environment when I can go to Shockwave, Yahoo, or any of the other million free online game sites that support single and multiplayer gaming? I can understand AOL wanting to squeeze as much profit as they can from their IM service, but this seems like a foolish way to burn money from the consumer's point of view.
Well of course game rental profits are up. Have you rented a game lately? I rented Wario World last week and paid $7 for the opportunity. Then I beat the game - start to finish - with only five hours of play time. I remember back in the days of the NES paying $4 for a four day rental with extra days costing $0.50. The late fees now at more along the lines of $6 a day. High prices and short games leave a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to rentals.
Re:Terminator is trying to
on
Saving the Net
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· Score: 4, Insightful
But wait a minute - I thought that one of the requirements to be president is that the candidate must be an American-born citizen. Arnold, being Austrian-born and all, doesn't meet that requirement.
Slashdot Mirror
"The combination of alcohol and caffeine should be addictive as heroin but so far the sales haven't born that out." - Lewis Kiniski
GCAdvanced has issued an updated report this morning clarifying the issue. http://www.gcadvanced.com/article.php?artid=3316 has the story.
I'm looking at past trends. I've never had a stand-alone consumer electronics product that supposedly did everything actually do any one thing very well. This is from personal experience. Your mileage may vary, as they say.
The Advanced Media Network is currently in a state of flux. I'm one of the GameCube staffers at AMN and we're expanding to cover PSP, Xbox, movies, anime - all kinds of stuff. Everything should fall into place this week and right now some aspects of the site(s) are a little wonky, so until then please pardon our dust.
Also consider how many multi-function devices just don't perform well. The N-Gage is a classic example, combining a ton of functions and not really excelling in any one of them.
The fact that the DS is "just a game system" is a major selling point for me. I don't want a portable system that plays DVDs, MP3s, makes breakfast, etc.
All this talk of 32-bit 3D games and not a single mention of Nintendo's Virtual Boy. Despite it's poor showing in the marketplace, it does have several classic games such as Wario Land and Jack Bros. And the system and its games are popular in eBay circles. Nintendo DS? I say bring on the Virtual Boy Advance!
The Windows version of iTunes has those icons too. They're in the iTunes.exe file. Hopefully it'll only be a matter of time before they're put into service.
Hmm, well if Axel G. was involved with this I'm sure he was just working undercover for the Detroit police. Someone should tell the Germans to call Capt. Andrew Bogomil of Beverly Hills. I'm sure he can clear everything up.
Exactly, and I agree with you. But some people won't see a benefit in "buying the same game again" to play the new levels. They see Super Mario World on GBA at the store and think it's the same thing.
I'll let the "child's toy" remark slide (some of those games are pure gold), but I'd say that the Game Boy picture should be left alone. That little device is quite ubiquitous; for many people it's instantly recognizable and represents portable gaming.
Actually, they can lose money on this. If you play emulated SNES games, then you're probably not going to buy ports of SNES games to the GBA. After all, why buy Super Mario Advance 2 if you can just emulate Super Mario World?
I still have all of my console game boxes: NES, GB, SNES, N64, even Virtual Boy. They're stored safely in the closet, unpacked and dusted from time to time. They're in great shape and some even still have the original marketing material that came packed with each game. I save them because they are a part of the game. A lot of time went into creating the cover art, the back-of-the-box text, and so forth. They just don't make box art like those anymore; everything's rendered and 3D and polished these days. Give me the classic 2D images of Mario with a turnip in his hand or the gold box with the Zelda logo on it any day.
If this were to be beneficial to anyone (and that's a big if) I'd want this unit to be fully configurable. I want the ability to block scents that are composed of the less pleasant scents in the unit. I want to block all scent-senders unless they're on my approved scent-sender list. I want to turn it off when I don't want to use it. I want excellent security on this thing to keep a virus or worm from triggering it. Basically, before I would even consider using this device, I'd want so much control and security on it that I doubt it would be cost effective for the company to sell it to me.
I agree. At times like these we need more Koji Kondo (composer of some of the most classic Nintendo tunes including music from Zelda, Mario, and more) and less corporate synergy and licensing deals. I feel like I'm watching the lowly commoners invade another of my interests. First AOL brought the unwashed confused masses to the Internet, then Big Business moved in with its advertising and scumware, and before I knew it the good 'ol days of the anything-goes mostly-civilized web were gone.
This just goes to show that when something goes mainstream, it starts to become crap. Koji Kondo, come home!
- Sonic Mega Collection includes all the 16-bit Sonic games plus a few nifty extras and bonuses, such as Ristar and some history of the blue hedgehog. It retails for $40. Keep in mind that's for Sonic 1, 2, 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 + Knuckles, Sonic 2 + Knuckles, Sonic Spinball, Sonic 3D Blast, Mean Bean Machine, Flicky, and Ristar. That's a great deal if you missed out on these games the first time around. They're aged very well.
- $40 also picked up a port of the first Sonic Adventure title for the Dreamcast, now upgraded to Sonic Adventure DX. It also includes all the Sonic games for the Game Gear as hidden unlockables. The port's a little rough around the edges, but it's still a great buy if you missed out on it the first time around.
- Part of the Player's Choice series includes Sega's port of Sonic Adventure 2, now redone as Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. This one costs only $30 and includes some multiplayer enhancements that weren't present in the original Dreamcast version.
Turning back to Nintendo itself, a number of their first party games hit the discount rack earlier this year. Don't miss out on Pikmin and Star Fox Adventures for $20 each, while Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Mario Sunshine are out there for $30. They're all worth your time if you've never experienced them before and come highly recommended. Also note that buying two of Nintendo's new releases (such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Party 5, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA), and 1080 Avalanche) will allow you to send away for the free Zelda Collector's Disc that contains the classic Zelda 1, 2, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, a demo of Wind Waker, and some other goodies. Or you might be able to find stores selling the disc seperately against Nintendo's wishes for between $10 and $40. Don't bother buying this from eBay if you want to pick it up seperately though; the people there who are selling it know they have a hot holiday item and will overcharge you like you wouldn't believe.Happy shopping and happy holidays!
But do they have the elusive Lucky Wander Boy?
Wait a minute... why should I pay to play AOL's single player games in the AIM environment when I can go to Shockwave, Yahoo, or any of the other million free online game sites that support single and multiplayer gaming? I can understand AOL wanting to squeeze as much profit as they can from their IM service, but this seems like a foolish way to burn money from the consumer's point of view.
Well of course game rental profits are up. Have you rented a game lately? I rented Wario World last week and paid $7 for the opportunity. Then I beat the game - start to finish - with only five hours of play time. I remember back in the days of the NES paying $4 for a four day rental with extra days costing $0.50. The late fees now at more along the lines of $6 a day. High prices and short games leave a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to rentals.
But wait a minute - I thought that one of the requirements to be president is that the candidate must be an American-born citizen. Arnold, being Austrian-born and all, doesn't meet that requirement.