Messages

1

Nintendo Gaming / RE:I think I know why Nintendo is holding back VC games

« on: December 20, 2006, 12:00:49 PM »

While it's true that the Wii will someday be replaced the VC could easily continue-on as it's essentially an online-store with some drm verification to authenticate files stored on SD (or future mediums).  Any online-device could be setup as backward-compatible for VC with little effort.  Also, expect somebody to hack the SD encryption or for it to be "leaked" should they stop supporting it.  

As for pricing, if you don't want the game don't buy it.  I think most price-complainers are collectors who MUST OWN EVERYTHING and are mad because they can't buy it all cause they're not rich enough waah waah wahh.  Five bucks is nothing for a game.  Stop complaining.  I'm certain that as time goes on you'll see more creative ways of getting games cheap and/or free.  Expect to see Nintendo sponsor contents and competitions with Wii Points as prizes. There are many tie-ins for Wii Points (nintendo currency) that will explain why this is setup as it is.  

The original premise of this thread is right-on-the-nose.  Nintendo agreed to let these companies take the early lead and this is part of how they got them on their system in the first place.  Also, this lets 3rd parties experience the VC as a revenue-generating business rather than just a neat thing Nintendo is doing and making money off (from console sales).  Ideally the trickle of back-catalog will last long enough to meet the inevitable NEW VC offerings.  This will probably take an entire year but ultimately Nintendo wants Sega and others developing new games for the VC in addition to homebrew-level playres and small startups.  If companies like Sega, Nintendo etc are creating new, quality titles for the VC this will make it a major major hit.

There are many tactics and strategies at play here and it's important to remember that the Wii has not been out for an entire month yet.  Most people, myself included, can't even buy one yet.  No chance.  Nintendo is wise to use this time to work out kinks and get feedback so as to be fully prepared when the roll-out's second phase picks up steam and you start seeing LTTP and other popular games show up on VC along with more online services, more big games, Wii channels, etc.  I suspect March 2007 will be Launch #2 for the Wii.

Lastly, don't forget the inevitable DS connectivity...

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Why I Plan on Re-Buying All My Old School Games on VC

« on: November 29, 2006, 05:52:48 PM »

Nintendo doesn't care how many copies of a VC game they sell.  If they sell one copy for $5 that's just as good (better really) as selling 5 times as many for $1.  This is business.

You can't have tiered pricing because then you are forced to pass judgement on the quality and value of each game. Third-parties in particular don't want Nintendo saying "Eh, Ecco the Dolphin was overrated, 2 bucks on VC."

Lastly, the prices are quite good in comparison to what you can buy for $5.  Please, go outside, tell me you can get for a dollar.  Now, return to your VC and tell me that you should be able to buy River City Ransom for $1 on VC?  

The business model is the same as with ringtones.  Many sales will be to people looking for something very specific who will pay whatever the cost is.  The bulk of revenue will come from dedicated customers who purchase 3-4 games a month on VC each and every month.  That is still much less than one new Wii game.

VC is what will carry the console through dry patches on the release schedule.  Look for a surprise VC game to be sprung out of nowhere once the kinks are worked out of the online angle.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Never have I seen the sea turtle so quickly become the shark

« on: October 27, 2006, 09:37:41 AM »

what part of Reggie don't ya'll understand?

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: If A=B and B=C, then Wii= 720p?

« on: October 03, 2006, 09:40:15 PM »

If you design a game for a one resolution it won't look or play the same in others.  Nintendo doesn't want the experience to vary based on who has what tv.  

This is quality control.  Sony and MS would be wise to learn of it.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Seaman coming for Wii?

« on: September 11, 2006, 10:01:35 PM »

seems like a natural for DS

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: No playable Wii for public in Leipzig, Germany

« on: August 14, 2006, 10:08:04 PM »

keep the hype going

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:A serious gaming machine

« on: July 06, 2006, 04:03:07 PM »

Nintendo doesn't want the Wii included with PS3 and 360 as a "serious" game machine.  Why?  Because serious gaming doesn't sound fun to almost everybody.  Video games aren't supposed to be work, something measured in 'hours of gameplay."  This is stuff that "hardcore" gamers care about, eg people who do little else in their life other than play video games.  

When a tv/magazine/etc news segment comes on about "serious" game machines THE VAST MAJORITY of people tune out. They are bored, like you tune out when a Centrum Silver commercial comes on.  

Will it be ignored, then? No.  PS3 and 360 an have the entire "video game channel" all to themselves for all Nintendo cares. THEY will be ignored everywhere else, while Wii becomes a product known everywhere through all kinds of word of mouth and alternate discussions.  The DS has gotten popular how?

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:So what was the last secret?

« on: May 09, 2006, 04:20:07 PM »

apparently it can ring when someone wants to play online against you.  hence the "24-hour-online" thing.

pretty neat if you ask me.  just ring up your friend, if they're home and want to play they can pick up the controller.  

apparently from egm...

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Sony half-assed ripped off Nintendo

« on: May 08, 2006, 06:15:07 PM »

This is a really sad, last-minute knock-off from Sony.  Great news for Nintendo.

The key here is that Nintendo has disrupted Sony. Sony was forced to scramble and throw this together after Nintendo revealed the general concept (but not the product itself).  The technology introduced in the Sony controller is completely different and only really helps with marketing, at best.  It's a cheap knock-off, it's rushed, and it's very poor quality.

One of the things to undersand is that the Wiimote's "revolutionary" features are as dependant on software as anything else.  The system was designed around the remote.  Sony's last-minute-stuff-it-in-a-dual-shock is not going to feel natural or responsive.  I'd be surprised if it's utilized in any signifcant away.  Maybe a "frogger" game is coming for PS3 but NOTHING like what Nintendo has already let people see, play and brag about in the national press.

Sony is really treading water right now.  Nintendo has to be feeling real good as Sony's attempts to copy have validated their idea.  

[Professional 666]

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:What will likely happen at E3

« on: May 03, 2006, 04:44:30 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Professional 666
DELAYED

hilarious.  also probably the most realistic.  lol

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Speculation: Wii logo movie reveals final secret

« on: May 02, 2006, 04:04:01 PM »

I agree that there may likely be much more to the Wifi setup here than we realize but you have to consider that anonymity is very important.  Nintendo has already stated they don't wan't 8 year olds going online and getting cursed out, stalked, etc, ala xbox.  There is a reason DS online games are the way they are, and I kind of like that.  If only they connected faster...

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:A note about 3D and "Wii"

« on: May 01, 2006, 03:30:27 PM »

stereoscopic 3D does not use glasses.  The trick is there is a focal point, usually a dot, set behind the image if possible.  You focus on the dot and your eyes adjust for that distance and relax.  You don't have to "do" anything.

It is how you see naturally, ever wonder how two eyes make one image?  Nobody can say "stereoscopic 3D doesn't work for me" and be able to see with depth perception in real life.

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Nintendo Gaming / A note about 3D and "Wii"

« on: April 30, 2006, 10:50:42 PM »

The most significant thing about the name "Wii" is that it has TWO "I's"

Two Eyes

Stereoscopic 3D is accomplished by pushing images to both eyes and allowing them to naturally combine them.

discuss...

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Revolution - The Exclusive Console

« on: March 17, 2006, 07:23:04 PM »

The real key to success for third parties is how well Nintendo can sell them on their vision and their assessment of reality.  They know the market is at a turning point.   They know sales are down and that the demographic trend is not good.  Nintendo isn't just doing something different for the sake of it, they are doing it for the sake of their entire INDUSTRY.  Nintendo can't continue to get rich by selling video games if nobody is buying them.  Other devs must surely hate the likes of EA and Ubisoft when they release GARBAGE games and ports just to cash a check.  It lowers the bar and makes ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTS lesser in the eyes of consumers.  You push that too far and the market collapses.  That is the danger.

If Nintendo is successful in getting other devs to agree with them they will have TREMENDOUS third party support.  

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:New Gameboy

« on: March 02, 2006, 03:12:53 PM »

The three pillars idea has to factor in here as Nintendo has not brought it up recently.

Power consumption is the big factor but Nintendo seems better than anybody at getting juice out of a battery.  NOTHING i've ever owned can compete with nintendo devices in battery life.  They are the best.  

The screen would be as large as they want the device to be.

The discs can be held in a mini-dvd booklet, you can have 5 at a time in a very small space.  No big deal at all.  The dvd cases stay home.

The controls?  No problem.  Start where the PSP did, with that analog-nubbin thing.  I kind of liked it when I used it.  Nintendo can dramatically improve that and the design's functionality as well.  A portable GC is very possible technically speaking.

As for eating game sales, not a problem.  NEW GAMES WILL BE RELEASED ON THE GC FORMAT.  New games are always better than old games!  

Back to the third pillar...

For years the game boy has played the role of keeping old-school gaming such as 2D alive while the consoles left it behind. With DS and Revo changing control schemes, the new portable can keep old-school gaming (eg, this current generation) alive.  

This device would be a PSP killer.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: IF Revolution still is a code name...

« on: February 26, 2006, 09:27:26 AM »

N5 is a good name, in large part because it sounds like it's two generations ahead of the ps3 and xbox3(60)

americans are so stupid it'll work.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Why is the console so small?

« on: February 26, 2006, 09:04:14 AM »

On the topic of HD, market penetration is really not very good as of yet.  Sure, it will improve incrementally this year and more so next year, I figure HDTV will become a major player around Xmas 2007.  Survey respondents may well say they "intend" to buy an hdtv this year but they won't do it.  It's expensive.  More importantly, the PROGRAMMING isn't there.  THAT is what is slowing HDTV adoption in the USA.  I'm a baseball fan and would absolutely buy an HDTV (willing to spend the 1k) if I could watch all of my team's games in HDTV, heck, even if HALF of them were available.  They're not.  The ones that are are not in "real" hdtv, they're just in a slightly enhanced signal.

The majority of hdtv's out there aren't operating in real hdtv resolutions.  A huge percentage DON'T OWN HDTV TUNERS.  I know several people who have hdtv's in their house and they don't even use it's higher resolutions.  This is because until this year tv's weren't required to have tuners.  Only now are the largest sizes required.  My xmas 2007 timeframe is rather realistic.  Only then will HDTV be a real issue.

That said, in Japan high-def tv is a reality and has been for quite some time.  Nintendo has an office full of hdtv sets.  That's probably all they play games on. Progressive scan, moderately improved graphics and wide-screen support are what the next gen of consoles really need.  Programming games to take advantage of HDTV is a major cost for a limited improvement.  Video games are falsely created worlds, there are zillions of tricks to make things look better and more real that CANNOT BE APPLIED TO LIVE TV.  Television gains quite a bit from real HDTV.  Video games?  not nearly so much.  Progressive scan is responsible for a significant percentage of the "performance increase" people see in hdtv games.

Further, Nintendo has a HUUUGE advantage.   Development.  Developing has become very expensive as more and more people are trying to get into the biz.  They know that smaller, independent (for now at least) outfits can and will produce good games if given the chance.  The GC development kits have been out there for years.  The Rev will have very solid games coming out in its first year because it's development platform is maturing.  The "ceiling" has not been reached at all, but it's going to start out in its stride whereas the PS3 will be a newborn at that time and xbox360 will just be starting to walk.  Developing for HDTV is a major expenditure.  

The fact of the matter is that most people won't be able to tell the difference when shown a Revo game on a widescreen hdtv and most 360 and ps3 games.  There are studies that show that most consumers can't really tell the difference on hdtv's/sdtv's right now.  Sad, but true.  WE can, but we're mostly techies.

As for Ian Sane, he lives in a bubble.  He's way too concerned about appearing uncool in public and is very aware of public perception in that manner.  The other way to perceive public perception acutely is to be a leader, a trendsetter.  Ian Sane is not a trend setter, he's a catastrophist.  Nintendo's marketing this time around is so far very very good.  Reggie is doing a number on their way of doing things.  

Price point also makes a huge difference.  Console design is VERY BIG.  The Revo will appeal to a huge number of people who wouldn't buy the ps3 or xbox.  This is a reality.  Watch sales of DS-Lite when it comes out for confirmation.  THEY WILL EXPLODE.

Nintendo is doing everything right.  If the third-party developers come along for the ride things will work out.  Sony is going broke on the PS3.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:The untold revolution demo behind closed doors!

« on: September 16, 2005, 11:42:20 AM »

Funny, I don't have a mouse that I can twist or lift up and down in 3d space.  

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Nintendo Gaming / Think about the bonus levels in Super Mario Sunshine...

« on: September 15, 2005, 08:53:39 PM »

Remember how they were the FUNNEST levels in that game?  

Now imagine how much better they are on revolution.  As the cylinder rotates you keep pace with light twisting of the wrist to hold your balance.  It speeds up.  To a pace impossible with an analog thumbstick.  You twist back and forth, get near the end, flick the controller up to the next cylinder, pull the trigger to duck the swinging axes above your head, twisting to the left at the same time to avoid being thrown from the cylinder...

In the regular mario sunshine game I could never really get into the water pack.  Too hard to control.  Why?  Because the analog thumbstick is a vertical tool and the waterpack in the game is HORIZONTAL.  My brain is working too hard, making it less fun.  The waterpack, with subtle twisting and up and down motions, is infinitely more fun with this controller.

The Gamecube backwards compatibility is going to prove to be a big deal.  Revolution may have been in the planning stages far longer than any of us realize.  Mario Sunshine could very easily be adapted to this control scheme and immediately become better.

How about Fzero on GC?  That game is HARD.  One big reason is the sublte, quick movements necessary with the analog stick.  Once again the brain has to think too much and it slows it down.  The NATURAL physical reaction is to move your entire wrist or hand left to right, not just a slight thumb movement.  Forcing yourself to use the thumb stick takes the VISCERAL out of it.  Until you have logged many hours and even then 10 minutes or so into a new session it is not natural.  You are not one with the controller.  Nintendo seeks to take this part out of the game.  The Revolution controller brings you CLOSER to the experience.

This thing is going to be lots and lots of fun.

As has been said elsewhere, if you're not liking it you probably lack imagination.  

Remember the first time someone new would play Super Mario Bros on the NES?  This was a new type of experience.  They had never played a video game like this on this type of controller.  What did EVERYONE do?  They moved their hands up to jump and flinched with both hands, moving the controller around.  Then you laughed at them because moving the controller around didn't make anything happen.  

Now, moving the controller makes stuff happen.  Welcome to super mario bros on revolution, where your 8 year-old sister's initial reaction, to JUMP with her hands when mario needs to jump, actually works.

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Revolutionary Controller

« on: May 19, 2005, 08:46:40 PM »

SNES had a mouse (Mario Paint).

What many people don't realize is that there is far more going on business-wise behind the scenes affecting the timing of such things than is apparent.  Once Sony and MS seal deals, ship development kits and most importantly, make public promises, show their console, etc, it's locked-in.  If Nintendo wants to show off something real neat tomorrow it's a good time to do so because when Sony or MS try and copy it EVERYONE WILL KNOW.  They will then be able to market from the point of view that you can get the REAL THING or a cheap knockoff thrown together at the last minute by Sony or MS.

Think about it, if Sony and MS had anything else really exciting it would've been shown during E3.  

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Nintendo Gaming / RE:Thursday-aton!

« on: May 19, 2005, 04:44:53 AM »

The "new" video doesn't load.  Alternate link?

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: Thursday-aton!

« on: May 17, 2005, 09:08:53 PM »

The videos were clearly clues, one where a woman says "We're ready for the launch on Tuesday..."

And why would they do it?  Easy, look at how much discussion there is on the internet already, the SAME DAY as the conference about Nintendo and the Rev?  There's more palpable excitement than I can ever remember about Nintendo.  EVERYBODY wants to know just what they are up to.

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Nintendo Gaming / Nintendo Revolution System to be released 12-14-05 (not official)

« on: May 17, 2005, 09:06:57 PM »

You heard it here first...

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Nintendo Gaming / RE: very interesting video i ran across Nintendo ON???

« on: May 13, 2005, 09:12:59 PM »

I watched the vid without sound so maybe I missed something but clearly it's 90% flash and presentation and basically 10% substance.  The idea that somehow the castle scene PROVES something is absurd.  Animation is DRAWING.  You can DRAW anything you want.  It's rather easy to draw a piece of the castle array and replicate it with graphics software.  Cleary whomever did this is a talented video editor, designer and animator but that's basically all it proves.  

There are moments where it comes off as amateur and you can bet that Nintendo would not do that.  All of the logos (way too many, takes up time, distracting you from the real point of the presentation) would only be present in a legitimate presentation if it was designed to be shown to an important, discerning audience.  In that environment you wouldn't put anything in that wasn't perfect.  Each second of a presentation of that sort is scrutinized and edited.  There's basically no reason to leave something BAD in there.  This presentaiton is mostly filler.  That's a key indicator of bullsh!t.

Also, the thing is ridiculous.  A bike-helment looking contraption that you wear on your head, or don't you?  If you don't wear it on your head, why is it shaped like that?  If you do, where does the cd fit in?  

Also, the "little box" next to the GC.  THOSE ARE SKETCHES!!!!!  If they were fully rendered images of actual products maybe this would be something to point toward but they're not.  Some joe drew a small box with a question mark and put it to music with some fake logos andyou guys are going nuts over it.

Take off the blinders, this is not a Nintendo presentation.  

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TalkBack / RE:More Revolution Tidbits

« on: May 13, 2005, 10:27:00 AM »

Not a chance in hell that Nintendo would pay Sony licensing fees for Blu-Ray.  Even if they "merge" the technologies they'll both be getting a license fee which will probably go up, hence the upside for toshiba/sony to do it.

With regular dvd it made less difference but i'm thinking that if I get an hd tv i'm going to want a high-quality hd-dvd player that's really designed for that purpose rather than shoe-horned into a console.