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Some New Gamecube Bits

by Justin Nation - January 27, 2001, 4:54 am EST
Source: Consoles-France

Justin posts an Altavista translation of an interesting article.

It appears that between this and the Gameboy Advance post below that the folks at Consoles France have been busy. Here's a translation of the linked article above, of course it has its quirks since it is just a machine translation... if we have any fluent French speakers who feel inclined everyone would obviously love to hear a better one.

Exclusive test of GameCube

1/26/01 - 23:35 - by Fabien

You must suspect it, Nintendo after a fashion tries not to reveal any information on Gamecube. However, it is possible to have news; third editors! We thus were to question a developer (a programmer) of a French company, which has last week summer invited by Nintendo Of America in Seattle for, during one day, to attend a presentation of GameCube.

With the program; its opinion on the console, on the lever which it has pû to test with, and it is precisely another point which will be treated, a play developed by - undoubtedly - Factor 5, to present the console. With him, we will give as a progress report on last information relating to Nintendo, some modifications as the firm already brought to its console (and its lever), as well as a small description of what we again learned on their intentions with GameCube.

I - The Gamecube' Journey - Presentation

Nintendo makes a point of maintaining the greatest secrecy on its presentation; for celà, they invite the developers by groups of 4 or 5 (belonging all to the same company) and their present during one day whole the kits of GameCube development, and the possibilities offered by the machine. One day thus filled well!

For this presentation, not of personalities such as Jim Merrick. Only the engineers were there, each one at its station. By the way, we know that Nintendo named a person to deal exclusively with the requests of the developers compared to the RAM of the console.

During this day, the developers have pû to be tested with the handling of the lever thanks to a demonstration (of a play StarWars, on which we return a little lower on the page). But not only! Purely technical demonstrations were also presented to them. Thus, in the revolving medium of the cubes in 3D, with multiple effects of lights and distortions, one could admire Rebirth but this time entirely in real time. Once again, we return there a little further.

The developers thus set out again happy, by entrusting their comments to us which you find throughout the article.

II - GameCube Vs Ps2 Vs Xbox

It is the question which I hastened to put to our developer. After a few moments of réfléxions, it came from there to support the fact that Gamecube, if it were not as powerful as Xbox in the specs, would be used surely better, because much simpler to program, and especially, structured much better! Explanations...

First of all, a common point enters GameCube and Xbox; the two consoles will be the first to have memory hiding place integrated into the processor! It is a first, and it is really brilliant! The PS2 does not have any, therefore as soon as it is wanted that information is processed, it puts 100 times more time to arrive to the RAM than on GameCube/Xbox. It is a true innovation, which they immediately noticed! (NDGekko: The memory hiding place level 2 of Gamecube is of 256ko, against 64ko for XBox)

Now, let us pass to the advantage of GameCube on Xbox. When you look at the mother board of GameCube, you see what? A very small card, with in the medium a very small frame main, and on the side a graphics processor very small him as, but 4 times larger as the CPU Not need to explain you celà during hours, you will have included/understood it: on GameCube, all the graphic data will be processed by the graphics processor. The CPU will be thus " quiet ", which quite simply means in practice that there will be no deceleration!

- lucky - the developer, as affirmed us as there was no secrecy: a processor Power PC + Cache (GameCube) is definitely higher than a X86 processor + Cache (Xbox).

Last information showing the superiority of GameCube compared to Xbox; the RAM is very very fast, and very flexible. No problem from this point of view there!

Another question came to me to mind; what will it be problems of antialiasing and flutter? Apparently no problem since Nintendo thought of including in the graphic functions of the console a video filter (anti flutter) which will avoid the strange effects that Ridge Racer 5 connait so well!

III - the GameCube lever

First of all, we learned that Nintendo changed the GameCube lever on some points! It should indeed be known that in accordance with what Miyamoto had announced after Space World, the pad is not final! We have known thus that for a few weeks, the lever is modified every 10 days! Ideas, comments of the developers, all is good to start again the manufacture of a prototype. We thus know that the provision of buttons A B X and Y changed, to leave the place to something of even more ergonomic. Button Z has evil to find its place, and Nintendo did not connait its final site yet. We had in addition the confirmation of the presence of an integrated kit vibration which will avoid you thus any purchase of pile (or even besides of this additional accessory).

The lever is thus very ergonomic, and to quote its own terms: " Really excellent! Super catch in hand, good accessibility of the buttons, nothing has to say!".

IV - play and demonstrations presented!

Nintendo presented only one playable demonstration, that of a play Star Wars. A priori, the play is not officially under development for an output near general public, but one never knows!

One could in this demonstration try oneself to control X-Wing during the famous scene of the attack of black star (NDGekko: the first or the second?). Tens of StarFighters arrived then, and shootaient with all goes. Of course, all celà was playable, with effects of light in real time, and completely fluid! Once again, it was splendid, in a word: extraordinary!

It also was entitled to a presentation in 3D real time of Rebirth, it video which had been presented at Space World in precalculated. Once again, it was a genuine slap! All was very fluid, and really resembled so that one had seen in SpaceWorld, with the small details which prove that it is real time moreover!

In addition to that, some other demonstrations were presented, but it was purely technical; a teapot in 3D, lights in all the directions... Nothing good interesting for us players.

V - Kits of development

The kits of final developments are finally in the course of delivery at the American and European companies, which will be able to be thus put at work as of the weeks which come. When it is known that the development of a play lasts approximately 1 year, that really lets predict an American output at the end of 2001!

VI - additional Comments...

According to our contact, GameCube is a very good console. But beyond his power whose praise is not even any more to make, one can only extasier in front of the facility of programming more than disconcerting. The tools all proposed are very easy to use, and supports it which will be brought on behalf of Nintendo to the third editors will be more than appreciable and of very good quality, in particular thanks to the site reserved for the developers.

Always according to him, qualities of GameCube will make quickly forget the large défaults PS2, comforts which should very quickly be forgotten if all that we heard confirms thanks to the first plays.

We will have very soon new information, we propose to you to remain on Console-France its next weeks, the topicality should be charged!

-- As you can see, translators have a tendency to not do so well but certainly you can get a good idea of all the report had to say. Thanks to Fabien for sending me the link but credit also goes out to peter dtvn for posting it in our Forums even before that.

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