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by the NWR Staff - September 28, 2004, 5:00 pm EDT

Time to get this bag shaking! Five new questions hot off the presses.

Ken Shin asks: I'm an major nintendo fan and won't by anyother system EVAR but, still I'm starting to get annoyed with nintendo's online and 3rd party policies, if nintendo really cares about the gamers they would have been playing super smash bros. online or I would be playing final fantasy 7 on my nintendo 64 right now instead of wishing it still worked on my pc. but in nintendo's defence like you said the 3rd party developer said many of them believe "why should I?" and thats a painful blow. the nintendo ds (which I think should have just been called the GBA 2) is being considered a third pillar so I get the feeling thats gonna get the same treatment the nintendo consoles get due to the fact that devlopers will think that it doesn't stand a chance, but getting back to why this is particially nintendo's fualt. like you stated nintendo does not offer incentive to develope for them, and I come to notice that when nintendo doesn't get something that people want thier excuse is always the same "we don't want that type of thing on our system" or "we don't think its something thats gonna be big"

if nintendo tried and promoted themselves the way sony did we (sorry I always perfer to nintendo as we, kinda like football fans do with thier teams) can be doing 10 times better than the xbox, but the nintendo stubburness that Yamauchi-san had created seems to be the blue print for nintendo's business system

Jonny says: First, I think the third-party prospects for DS are looking very strong right now. There are companies developing multiple games for DS that never did produce any significant GameCube titles. Heck, Konami has a Castlevania game on the way...that's a good sign if I've ever seen one.

As for your comment about Nintendo being stubborn, there's really no way to refute it. It's their business style, and has been for many decades. However, I think it is becoming clear to Nintendo, at least to many people at Nintendo of America, that this old way of business is losing its effectiveness. It may seem that things have not changed very much since Iwata took over for Yamauchi, but just like a head coach change in football (since you drew the comparison), changes in leadership can take a while to be felt throughout the company. In this business, major decisions are often made years in advance. You have to realize that both GameCube and GBA were released under Yamauchi, and if his bizarre interviews are to be trusted, he even had some influence over the DS's design. Certainly he oversaw the technology development in his last years on the job.

I think the real test for Iwata is yet to come. The launch of Nintendo DS will show how he handles this new, creative style of system, and the unveiling and eventual launch of Revolution will be entirely on his shoulders.

Jon says: The DS will certainly not lack third-party support. Nintendo's proven track record in the handheld market coupled with the grassroots buzz the DS has generated ensures that everybody will jump on board from the get-go (in fact, all the major companies already have).

From a business perspective, you must realize that Nintendo is about profit first and foremost. They aren't going to do anything risky that will lose them money, online gaming being the primary example. Nintendo isn't convinced that you can make money off of online console gaming so they won't do it, or they'll do it in a different way than everybody else (such as using the Nintendo DS for online connectivity). I don't necessarily disagree with this strategy. Console online gaming won't be as big as PC online gaming until broadband becomes as ubiquitous as dial-up, and even when that happens there'll still be a big technical barrier facing the mainstream market. Nintendo realizes this so they've been reluctant to throw money at the current online business models.

Revolution could change all this, however. If Nintendo figures out a way to offer free and easy online connectivity (and they may already have), they'll definitely enter the online market. Until then, don't expect much from them in terms of online development.

TYP says: What Nintendo fails to acknowledge is online gaming as a marketing strategy. Online play may not be profitable, but many consumers purchase products based on features they don't plan to use often (or even in the foreseeable future). If you don't know anything about the games, and you could care less if you pay $100 or $150 for a console, you will buy the one with the most flexibility. I'm sure many parents bought Xboxes over PS2s or GCs because they thought their kid might like to play online.

And when the kid doesn't play online, he isn't counted in those fancy surveys Nintendo is so fond of. But he still has an Xbox, and will therefore be spending money on Microsoft's games, or at least providing MS with that 3rd party royalty fee.

I'm not saying Nintendo has ignored this aspect of hype. I'm sure Reggie and his gang is well aware of how more features means more WOW factor. Heck, you could argue that WOW factor is why the DS has a microphone or even a second screen.

Nintendo rightfully decided not to go online so late this generation. Everyone serious about online gaming already has an Xbox (or at least a PS2)--it would be a lost cause. Nintendo is sticking to its current user base, and (hopefully) planning wider diversity for its next system at launch. The question is: what online stance has Nintendo decided for the Revolution, where not going online could mean hundreds of thousands of lost hardware purchases worldwide?

Zosha says: Seriously, buy an Xbox and PS2. Both have a good library of games and there's a dedicated online service for the Xbox: Xbox live. Console fandom isn't exactly the best thing in the world. While the DS might be Nintendo's first dabbling with "online" (peer to peer wireless) gaming, don't expect a Nintendo Online service to magically appear.

Daniel says: As Silks hinted at, I really think that the high cost of broadband services is what's keeping Nintendo away from the online market. They've always strived to hit that big budget-conscious sector of the market rather than include extra features -- until the DS at least. I think that as we start seeing more cities explore the opportunity of offering high-speed wireless Internet for free (as Philadelphia is currently doing), Nintendo will start to take their decades of online experiments to the mass market through wireless technologies.

Jonny adds: I think Nintendo is concerned that online gaming is too complicated to set up and use for mainstream, casual gamers. I'd like to see them tackle a hardware/software solution, sort of how Microsoft has done with Xbox Live, but even simpler. Say you buy the Nintendo Wireless Router. It plugs into your broadband Internet connection and broadcasts to your entire household. It would have a passthru so your computer/network can still be connected. All your Nintendo devices...Revolution, DS, etc. can access the Internet transparently from that router, and all you need to do to set it up is enter the router's 5-digit security code. When your friends are over, they can easily put in your router's code in their systems to join in with the extra hardware, then switch back to their own code when they get home. This is just a speculative example, but it's the sort of thing Nintendo might be looking at as a way to bring online gaming into the mainstream. There's obviously a lot of network streamlining and such to be done behind the scenes, but the point is to take all of that out of the end user's hands. All he or she has to do is plug in that router and start playing, anywhere in the house or even in the yard.

Matt asks:

1. Will I be able to plug my e-reader directly into the DS?

2. Will the DS have a port in which I can plug the GBA link cable so that I

can have the e-reader plugged into one GBA and have it linked to the DS?

3. Will I be able to use the new wireless link cable in my GBA with the e-

reader so that I can wirelessly connect the GBA to the DS?

Daniel says:

1. It's hard to say, but the plastic above the GBA slot is probably just as thin as it is in the SP. This means that the link cable plug will be awkwardly poking out just like on the SP. If that bit of plastic is much thicker though, it won't work.

2. As far as I can tell, the GBA link port is nowhere to be found on the DS, which means no GBA functions that require a link cable would be compatible.

3. It hasn't been confirmed that the GBA wireless unit and DS can talk to each other, so that's your first hurdle. As far as an eReader program using the wireless adapter, it might be possible, but the feature would have to be included with the program code on newer cards since it's definitely not included in the eReader unit itself, and software has to be specifically programmed to take advantage of the wireless adapter. The amount of data that would require could be too much to store on the cards too.

My conclusion: If Nintendo intends to continue with the eReader concept on DS, they'll come out with a new unit that takes advantage of the system's features and may be vastly improved with more data per strip, etc.

Alex Asks: HI I live in Australia and own Gamecube and Gba sp and I am going overseas to Hong Kong and also Malaysia and would like to know if I can or how to buy games for both systems, will they work ,what do I look for, any info would be much appreciated.

Jonny says: Your GBA SP will be no problem at all. Every Game Boy ever released will play Game Boy games from all over the world, with no modifications or special codes needed.

The GameCube is a different story. If you live in Australia, you probably own a PAL GameCube, which does not normally play NTSC GameCube titles. Legitimate games sold in Hong Kong (expect to see tons of pirated games, though not on GameCube) are in the NTSC format, as in Japan and North America. Datel sells a disc called the Freeloader that lets you play NTSC games on PAL systems (and vice-versa). It doesn't work perfectly on every game, but it is cheap and easy to use. The other option is to buy an NTSC GameCube. Since you are going to be in Asia and will probably have access to Japanese GameCube titles more than American ones, I would recommend buying a Japanese GameCube if you decide to go this route. (The Freeloader would also let you play American games on the Japanese GameCube, or you could have it electronically modded at a number of import shops.)

Unfortunately, there is no way I've ever heard of to physically mod a PAL GameCube to play NTSC games. If you don't want to buy a new GameCube, the Freeloader is the way to go.

TYP says: If you buy a Japanese GameCube (or any other NTSC system), you'll want to buy a NTSC -> PAL adapter so you can play it at home (assuming you have a SCART TV). Our retail partner, Lik-Sang, sells a fairly cheap adapter, though I know nothing of its quality. This might work for you as well. You'll probably be able to find such products while in Hong Kong.

You'll also need an Australian->North America (or Japan) AC power converter--don't cheap out on that purchase...

Aussie Ben says: Actually, if your TV is fairly modern, it probably won't need a signal converter. Most new TVs will allow you to plug in an NTSC system and display it in the correct colours. But a power converter is very important. Japan and the US use 110 volts for their power, but Australia uses 240 volts. If you try and jam in a US or Japanese plug, your system will literally fry.

Mystic4d asks: I'm still hoping for a TRUE sequel to the Super Mario RPG franchise. Paper Mario is good, but it still isn't the Mario RPG sequel i've been waiting for since the SNES. What chances do we have of seeing Square-Enix & Nintendo team up to create a sequel to possibly one of the greatest RPGs of all time? Will Nintendo fans ever get to see Geno or Mallow again? Can we at least see a Port of the Super Mario RPG game on GBA or DS? It just doesn't feel right if its not with Square-Enix!

Jonny says: With Nintendo and Square now working together again, anything is possible. It is odd that we haven't seen the original game ported to GBA. Some people have theorized that Square may hold some of the rights on the game, which means Nintendo could not re-release the game without Square(-Enix)'s consent. It may also be that the game is very difficult to emulate/port, having been a very advanced SNES game in several respects.

Though it may not be the good news you were hoping for, the new Paper Mario for GameCube is great. Beyond that, we can only hope that original game will someday be continued.

TYP says: Oh, so two Mario RPGs in two years isn't enough for you? Well, I think there is still a chance of Mario (and hopefully Luigi) venturing out with Square-Enix. Geno even appeared in Mario & Luigi! As I see it, Square-Enix is not interested in making such a game: they can make more money with their own strong franchises. They don't want to split profits for the Mario franchise. Of course, some would be quick to point out they did just that with Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and Sword of Mana, where Nintendo acted as distributor (and co-publisher, I believe).

So, if Square-Enix thinks they can make money (as in, Nintendo is willing to largely fund the project), I think we could see at least a Nintendo DS Mario RPG. It would be a smart move on Nintendo's part to have such an awaited title for a new system.

Juan says: I just hope if a new Mario RPG, by Square and Nintendo, is made it gets released in Australia OR if they port the original it gets released, I want to game one day.

Brian Asks: Where in the world is Super Monkey Ball 3 at? Any news?

Jonny says: Though various rumors have popped up from time to time, there is really no indication that Sega is working on Super Monkey Ball 3 is or ever was in development. It's strange, considering how well the first two sold and how cheaply they were developed. PS2 and Xbox owners are getting an upgraded combination of the first two games, Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, which includes some brand new levels, but so far a GameCube release has not been announced. Hopefully, if that game sells well on the other platforms, Sega will gain some more confidence in the series and will announce Super Monkey Ball 3 for all platforms, or at least GameCube.

TYP says: Sega needs to make a profit. Or should I say, Sammy demands a profit. That's why Sega's playing it so safe lately, focusing on multiplatform and ports, and doing less of their often off-beat game design. I can't see how this will actually improve Sega's position--we'll just have to see.

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