The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Long, long ago (well, about 10 years) there was a little something called the Gameboy). I would say that 85% of hard-core gamers would have played on this machine. Back in its day, it was a “must have” for everyone. I think that one of the nice things was, to us and to Nintendo, was that it appealed to girls, as well as it did boys. I think that this was partially to do with the great success of the Gameboy, not just in this country, but worldwide, and the fact that the games weren’t all male related.
As kids of the digital age, I think we all craved about having a portable NES in our hands on those boring car journeys we had. We are wanted to have something to do, but we never dreamed of having something as good as what we have today. Nintendo are not silly, they know what us gamers want. So, come 1988, they released their fantastic new handheld machine, which quenched our thirst for a hand held computer. At last, we could finally say goodbye to those boring journeys and look forward to playing the games like Mario, which would keep us entertained for hours on end.
As the gameboy was a huge success, Nintendo couldn’t help but make another handheld. This was called the Gameboy Pocket. What was new then? Well, surprise, surprise (as Cilla Black would say) this was a hand held that could fit in your pocket, mainly due to the original having the same weight and dimensions of a breeze block. The same thing happened, as before, it was a huge success.
Later on Nintendo found the technology to release another gameboy. The next Gameboy (named Gameboy Colour) would be in full colour. We could finally say goodbye to the black and white gameboys and say hello to the new coloured ones.
Where am I going with this? Well, Nintendo was very lucky to have the GameBoy so well liked by people. Let’s just take a second to look at the Sega GameGear. This had a bigger screen, and it was in colour (unlike the GameBoy original). The only problem was that, despite the fantastic games and Sega’s magic, the machine ate batteries for breakfast with its backlight screen and was far too chunky, being almost twice as big as the gameboy.
And even though Nintendo didn’t upgrade the machine for a long time, people were still buying the original Gameboy, leaving the GameGear to be a bit of a flop really. Now, let’s turn things around. Lets imagine that the GameGear was selling more than the Gameboy, then that would be it for Nintendo with the hand held side of gaming.
This is where we have to feel sorry for companies that didn’t quite get there. Even if their first attempt wasn’t super, if it was selling well then they would make money, and therefore have the money to make a new handheld.
This doesn’t just go for the computer companies, but also for the game companies. If they release a game that sells well, they are obviously going to make sequels.
This is where it starts to leave a sour taste in my mouth.
I wish companies would quit will they are ahead. I would hate to see a company go bankrupt just because they rushed into trying to make another console without putting as much thought as the previous consoles had. Why would they do this? Because money gets the better of them. I’m not saying that computer companies should stop making consoles altogether after they release a console that sells well, just to wait a long time until they release another.
I think this is a good tactic because the longer you keep gamers waiting for a machine, the more they are going to want to get it.
This leaves companies in a hard position. Deep down, they know that if they wait too long to release a console, another company could release theirs and then gamers would get that instead.
Personally, I think that companies should risk it, and wait as long as possible to release their console. I have four reasons for this,
1) It will keep the gamer waiting, therefore making them want it more.
2) The company will have more time designing, making, and just finishing the final touches to the console…everything counts, you know!
3) It would also (and this is very important) give the game developer longer to make the launch titles, making them look and play like they have not been rushed. Also, if a certain developer is having troubles, they know they are not being pushed too fast to make a game.
4) If you wait until rival consoles are released, you may find that people could be disappointed with them, and wait for your one to be released instead.
All these are some pluses in waiting to release a console, but you also have to look at the minuses.
1) As stated before, a company could halt the release too long, resulting in the gamer to look elsewhere for a computer.
2) Argh, I hate this one. HYPE. People are going to be hyped so much about the console because they have been waiting so long, and maybe their expectations have gone too high. This will leave them disappointed with the console, then they are bound to tell their friend that they are disappointed with it, and then the friends are going to think twice about buying one.
I really do think that the decision (when to release the console) is a very important issue with gaming because it could be the key to success or if you do not get it right, the slide to hell. I would hate if the decision was all down to me, wouldn’t you?
Sega decided that they wanted to release their 128-bit console before everyone else’s and just look at what has happened to the Dreamcast. Okay. It made some excellent games, and was loved by thousands but at the end of the day, come March 2002 the Dreamcast will stop producing games for all us Dreamcast owners. Now, let us just think for a moment. If Sega could turn back the clocks, do you think they would have released their console a little latter on?
If you ask me, they would have released it a couple of months either side of the Ps2 launch release, but that’s just a guess.
And maybe if Sega released the Dreamcast later on, it may have been much more successful and we wouldn't be seeing headlines such as “Dreamcast. RIP”. We will just never know though.
So, this is where I would like to ask you if you think companies should release their console before, the same time, or after rival consoles?
Have your say.
Cheers.
As kids of the digital age, I think we all craved about having a portable NES in our hands on those boring car journeys we had. We are wanted to have something to do, but we never dreamed of having something as good as what we have today. Nintendo are not silly, they know what us gamers want. So, come 1988, they released their fantastic new handheld machine, which quenched our thirst for a hand held computer. At last, we could finally say goodbye to those boring journeys and look forward to playing the games like Mario, which would keep us entertained for hours on end.
As the gameboy was a huge success, Nintendo couldn’t help but make another handheld. This was called the Gameboy Pocket. What was new then? Well, surprise, surprise (as Cilla Black would say) this was a hand held that could fit in your pocket, mainly due to the original having the same weight and dimensions of a breeze block. The same thing happened, as before, it was a huge success.
Later on Nintendo found the technology to release another gameboy. The next Gameboy (named Gameboy Colour) would be in full colour. We could finally say goodbye to the black and white gameboys and say hello to the new coloured ones.
Where am I going with this? Well, Nintendo was very lucky to have the GameBoy so well liked by people. Let’s just take a second to look at the Sega GameGear. This had a bigger screen, and it was in colour (unlike the GameBoy original). The only problem was that, despite the fantastic games and Sega’s magic, the machine ate batteries for breakfast with its backlight screen and was far too chunky, being almost twice as big as the gameboy.
And even though Nintendo didn’t upgrade the machine for a long time, people were still buying the original Gameboy, leaving the GameGear to be a bit of a flop really. Now, let’s turn things around. Lets imagine that the GameGear was selling more than the Gameboy, then that would be it for Nintendo with the hand held side of gaming.
This is where we have to feel sorry for companies that didn’t quite get there. Even if their first attempt wasn’t super, if it was selling well then they would make money, and therefore have the money to make a new handheld.
This doesn’t just go for the computer companies, but also for the game companies. If they release a game that sells well, they are obviously going to make sequels.
This is where it starts to leave a sour taste in my mouth.
I wish companies would quit will they are ahead. I would hate to see a company go bankrupt just because they rushed into trying to make another console without putting as much thought as the previous consoles had. Why would they do this? Because money gets the better of them. I’m not saying that computer companies should stop making consoles altogether after they release a console that sells well, just to wait a long time until they release another.
I think this is a good tactic because the longer you keep gamers waiting for a machine, the more they are going to want to get it.
This leaves companies in a hard position. Deep down, they know that if they wait too long to release a console, another company could release theirs and then gamers would get that instead.
Personally, I think that companies should risk it, and wait as long as possible to release their console. I have four reasons for this,
1) It will keep the gamer waiting, therefore making them want it more.
2) The company will have more time designing, making, and just finishing the final touches to the console…everything counts, you know!
3) It would also (and this is very important) give the game developer longer to make the launch titles, making them look and play like they have not been rushed. Also, if a certain developer is having troubles, they know they are not being pushed too fast to make a game.
4) If you wait until rival consoles are released, you may find that people could be disappointed with them, and wait for your one to be released instead.
All these are some pluses in waiting to release a console, but you also have to look at the minuses.
1) As stated before, a company could halt the release too long, resulting in the gamer to look elsewhere for a computer.
2) Argh, I hate this one. HYPE. People are going to be hyped so much about the console because they have been waiting so long, and maybe their expectations have gone too high. This will leave them disappointed with the console, then they are bound to tell their friend that they are disappointed with it, and then the friends are going to think twice about buying one.
I really do think that the decision (when to release the console) is a very important issue with gaming because it could be the key to success or if you do not get it right, the slide to hell. I would hate if the decision was all down to me, wouldn’t you?
Sega decided that they wanted to release their 128-bit console before everyone else’s and just look at what has happened to the Dreamcast. Okay. It made some excellent games, and was loved by thousands but at the end of the day, come March 2002 the Dreamcast will stop producing games for all us Dreamcast owners. Now, let us just think for a moment. If Sega could turn back the clocks, do you think they would have released their console a little latter on?
If you ask me, they would have released it a couple of months either side of the Ps2 launch release, but that’s just a guess.
And maybe if Sega released the Dreamcast later on, it may have been much more successful and we wouldn't be seeing headlines such as “Dreamcast. RIP”. We will just never know though.
So, this is where I would like to ask you if you think companies should release their console before, the same time, or after rival consoles?
Have your say.
Cheers.
Page:
Yes there is, pokemon!!
Like the high sales the Dreamcast managed to float upon??
Edge Master wrote:
> So the ideal time of releasing a console? It has to be when the
> games firm is ready, with enough funding for marketing the thing,
> but more importantly - when the market is ready. October time is a
> good time, like when the Dreamcast was released - as Christmas would
> then be high sales time!
Edge Master wrote:
> So the ideal time of releasing a console? It has to be when the
> games firm is ready, with enough funding for marketing the thing,
> but more importantly - when the market is ready. October time is a
> good time, like when the Dreamcast was released - as Christmas would
> then be high sales time!
The vice president of the Xbox, Steve Gibson or something, was in dundee the other day holding a meeting with the SGA (Scottish Games Alliance for the uneducated). Apparently he gave Abertay an Xbox, hopefully they will let me play it when I go in September
The Game wrote:
that fortune teller woman down the street... although she
> said i'd find love in a matter of minutes......she then proceeded to
> strip as I ran for the exit....
>I bet she was French!
My sister isn't French.
Oops, I mean, ummmm, look over there! *points*
While The Game was looking "over there" M16 sprints for the door.
I had a phone call day from Mr Gates.
He said he was busy making X-Box-Squared.
that fortune teller woman down the street... although she
> said i'd find love in a matter of minutes......she then proceeded to
> strip as I ran for the exit....
>I bet she was French!
My sister isn't French.
Oops, I mean, ummmm, look over there! *points*
While The Game was looking "over there" M16 sprints for the door.
I had a phone call day from Mr Gates.
He said he was busy making X-Box-Squared.
M16 wrote:
That's
> all in the past now, let's see what happens with the release of the
> GAMECUBE and the X-Box. Maybe we will find out if my theory
> (whenever you release your console effects the success of it) or
> Grix's theory (consoles that are black flops)
Only time will
> tell.
Yes it will... or that fortune teller woman down the street... although she said i'd find love in a matter of minutes......she then proceeded to strip as I ran for the exit....
I bet she was French!
Game
That's
> all in the past now, let's see what happens with the release of the
> GAMECUBE and the X-Box. Maybe we will find out if my theory
> (whenever you release your console effects the success of it) or
> Grix's theory (consoles that are black flops)
Only time will
> tell.
Yes it will... or that fortune teller woman down the street... although she said i'd find love in a matter of minutes......she then proceeded to strip as I ran for the exit....
I bet she was French!
Game
4 & 5, neither of them will work!! I'm now confused, anywhere which has them in real player??
Grix Thraves wrote:
> Erm...
Well...
Have you got version 4? If so, download it
> again. If not, download it. :0)
Grix Thraves wrote:
> Erm...
Well...
Have you got version 4? If so, download it
> again. If not, download it. :0)
I had a look at some of the images and, the only one that looks more impressive is battle over bespin. And the fact that its got x-wings in it.
Grix Thraves wrote:
M16, great post. There is one major flaw though,
> Nintendo DID leave the N64, like you said to do. It failed, in my
> opinion.
Well, I think taht the reason why it wasn't as successful as we all hoped was because of the Playstation being more popular, basically.
Also, many casual gamers seemed to like the Playstation better than the N64, and we all know why they THINK this, don't we?
If only the N64 was not black...*sigh*
:)
We need to face it though. It is black. Nintendo have realised this, after a long time of thinking it was sky blue and have done two things about it. 1) Made the GAMECUBE in more colours than just black, 2) Gone to the opticians.
That's all in the past now, let's see what happens with the release of the GAMECUBE and the X-Box. Maybe we will find out if my theory (whenever you release your console effects the success of it) or Grix's theory (consoles that are black flops)
Only time will tell.
M16, great post. There is one major flaw though,
> Nintendo DID leave the N64, like you said to do. It failed, in my
> opinion.
Well, I think taht the reason why it wasn't as successful as we all hoped was because of the Playstation being more popular, basically.
Also, many casual gamers seemed to like the Playstation better than the N64, and we all know why they THINK this, don't we?
If only the N64 was not black...*sigh*
:)
We need to face it though. It is black. Nintendo have realised this, after a long time of thinking it was sky blue and have done two things about it. 1) Made the GAMECUBE in more colours than just black, 2) Gone to the opticians.
That's all in the past now, let's see what happens with the release of the GAMECUBE and the X-Box. Maybe we will find out if my theory (whenever you release your console effects the success of it) or Grix's theory (consoles that are black flops)
Only time will tell.
Page: