Topic: What if Nintendo licensed their consoles to electronic companies?

[Ian Sane]

Someone in the N-Gage thread suggested that Nintendo should make the next Gameboy a cell phone.  I thought to myself that I wouldn't want the next Gameboy to be a cell phone but it would be pretty cool if the Gameboy technology was licensed out so that it could be available in cell phones and Nintendo could still offer a base unit that only plays games.  So then I thought about what it would be like if Nintendo licensed the technology for their next console (which I'll just call the Gamecube 2 to keep things simple) as well.

Think about it for a second.  Nintendo designs the hardware for the Gamecube 2 and released it as a standalone console.  They then license out the Gamecube 2 technology to an electronic company.  I'll use Panasonic as an example since they're already making the Q.  Panasonic then includes GC2 with most of their DVD players.  Suddenly the GC2's userbase grows considerably as anyone who buys one of these DVD players can also play GC2 games and is therefore a potential customer.  Other electronic companies then license the technology as well and suddenly all DVD players (and TV/DVD combos) made by Panasonic, Philips, and Toshiba can play GC2 games.  The GC2 is introduced into several homes that intended on buying only a DVD player but got a game console with it as a bonus feature.

It's sort of like the way the PS2 comes with a DVD player but in reverse.  Instead of targetting the console market and using a built in DVD player as a selling point these DVD players target the DVD market and use gaming as a selling point.  People go out to buy a DVD player and notice that one allows you to play GC2 games and another doesn't.  Which do you think they'll be more inclined to buy?  They normally would not necessarily buy a Gamecube 2 on it's own but now they have one and are now willing to try it out and buy games for it.  By licensing the GC2 technology to electronics companies Nintendo could easily grab a huge chunk of the casual gamer market.  A market they have not been able to target very well on their own.  A standalone GC2 of course still exists and is targetted towards console gamers and children and naturally costs less money.

The best part is Sony would NEVER be able to match it because they themselves are an electronics company and would be less willing to license their technology to other electronics companies.  Afterall they've always stuck to their own way and likely would do the same here.  Microsoft would be able to copy it well enough but if Nintendo already makes exclusive deals with several companies beforehand they can have the "first to the market" advantage.

Of course I haven't taken into account stuff like what sort of profits this would bring in for Nintendo.  I merely think it's a cool idea and if it could be profitable would likely be a good idea.

[manunited4eva22]

It woudln't work. There are already thousands of mini storage mediums, and when you introduce gba carts as basically another version of them, it goes downhill. Security becomes more of an issue with cell phone crackers, rather than your normal console guys (remember what happened to xbox, hacked by computer guys...) It would just be a nightmare most ways you look at it.

[Termin8Anakin]

Exactly right.
I remember that Phillips did this with the CD-i. It was licenesed so that other electronics companies could make versions of it. Toshiba and Goldstar were a couple of the companies in this instance.

You can read all about the unknown Amercian consoles in DK's VERY COOL book called 'The Complete Guide to Multimedia'. It was made around 1998, so the latest console on it is the PSX. The consoles that get big page coverage are the Sega Saturn, PSX, 3DO and CD-i. The NES, SNES, Master System and Mega Drive get mentions too, but altogether on one page. The reason why the N64 wasn't mentioned was because it wasn't a CD based console, and therefore wasn't a viable leap in technology to make it into the book. Crap isn't it?

There is another good book from Osbourne books called 'Computer Graphics and Animation', which was also made around the same time. It has probably the ONLY officially published put-down for the PSX that I know of. They compared a PSX platformer with Mario 64:
"[This PSX game] uses FMVs (Full Motion Videos) to carry the story. The boy's arms and the surroundings are nicely shaded and rounded. The in-game graphics are what is used to play the actual game. Notice how the boy is now blocky and the individual pixels can be seen."

And now....:
"The graphics in the Nintendo 64 game 'Super Mario 64' are bright, vivid, imaginative and lifelike."
Nuff' said.
Haha.

Anyone here who goes to St Patrick's College Strathfield (in Sydney, Australia) can look up these two books in the McGlade Library.

[Uncle Rich AiAi]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I'll use Panasonic as an example since they're already making the Q.  Panasonic then includes GC2 with most of their DVD players.  Suddenly the GC2's userbase grows considerably as anyone who buys one of these DVD players can also play GC2 games and is therefore a potential customer.  Other electronic companies then license the technology as well and suddenly all DVD players (and TV/DVD combos) made by Panasonic, Philips, and Toshiba can play GC2 games.  The GC2 is introduced into several homes that intended on buying only a DVD player but got a game console with it as a bonus feature.

nice idea, but i disagree.  lets say Panasonic make a stand alone DVD player, and a DVD player the plays GC2 games.  if i were a customer looking to buy a DVD player, i'll buy the cheaper stand alone one, and not bother with the one that plays GC2 games.  a dvd player that plays GC2 games will be more expensive.  sure, it would be cheaper to buy one than buying a DVD and GC2 separately, but i can't see it increasing the GC user base a lot...

[yrrab436]

Remember that Nintendo is already using other companies' technology.
*looks at "Graphics by ATI" sticker on the GCN*

It's a neat idea but there are already various companies involved, such as Panasonic as you mentioned and ATI.

[Mingesium]

I wish that Nintendo would license their old consoles. I would buy a slick new NES for like $30.  Or may a SNES & NES combo for like $50.  

[Agent]

Quote
nice idea, but i disagree.  lets say Panasonic make a stand alone DVD player, and a DVD player the plays GC2 games.  if i were a customer looking to buy a DVD player, i'll buy the cheaper stand alone one, and not bother with the one that plays GC2 games.  a dvd player that plays GC2 games will be more expensive.  sure, it would be cheaper to buy one than buying a DVD and GC2 separately, but i can't see it increasing the GC user base a lot...

Exactly. It would just be a heck of a lot more expensive. The opposite wouldn't work.

Like the the original topic said. Its like the PS2 reverse. The user already wants to buy the expensive thing, and they throw in a cheaper thing. So if another person wants to buy a dvd player that are cheaper then consoles, they probably wouldn't pay more to have a built in consoles thats considered and "extra". Pluse the fact that PS2 and Xbox games are already on dvds, so it was natural just to have the ability ad dvd video support. They wouldn't have to throw in all new hardware, like the would with what your proposing.  

[superlevel]

is this the Q you are talking about?? GameGizmo.com Panasonic Gamecube  

[manunited4eva22]

Yes, that is the Q.