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Thought last year was amazing? Can't wait to see what is in store for us this year?
Well round about nothing new will be appearing... at least not until Christmas... from Nintendo... I should imagine. Nintendo and their fantastic army of 2nd party monsters will be working as hard as possible in creating some of THE best titles for upcoming system codenamed: N5.
Nintendo cunningly declared a delay in a large selection of their first and second party titles last year, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, a game Dennis Dyack, head of Silicon Knights, swore would be ready for Christmast, was pushed back. Could Mr. Dyack really be a liar? Far from it, in fact the game was ready to ship by the end of the year but Nintendo opted to leave it for the Easter market.
Miyamoto has barley mentioned his baby sequel, the frankly fantastic Pikmin 2, the reason? He's finished it, it's done and dusted. The reason for it's spring delay is basically to fill up time. After contacting third parties Nintendo would have been aware that the first half of 2004 would be deserted. Japanese mega hit Harvest Moon would appear as would EA's James Bond title... but that is a poor show.
In order to fill up European and American release schedules games such as Pikmin 2, Donkey Konga, Mario Golf (European), Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Kirby's Air Ride and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes were delayed to help make 2004 a fantastic year. Naturally third party smashes with Harvest Moon, Beyond Good and Evil, Prince of Persia, Code Veronica, Everything or Nothing and Sonic Heroes will make this apparent lack hardly noticable (despite their being 3 AAA titles amongst the big list).
But it is the latter of 2004 that shows the most interesting results. Here we have first party Metroid Prime 2 for America and Europe being the big Christmas game whilst the Japanese have Zelda Wind Waker 2 (although never count out Mario). Other first party titles are in fact small GBA-GC connection games such as the special Zelda pack. Expect Mario Tennis and Mario Party 6 to appear to. It is up to the third parties to help the second half of 2004 for Nintendo to look good... can they do it?
Easily.
Killer 7 and Resident Evil 4 from Capcom is a great start, Starfox 2 from Namco will continue the great trend, other titles from Konami will start appearing, Geist will hopefully show up (unless they're scared away by X-boxes big guns Halo 2, Half Life 2 and Doom 3 this year) and not to mention the Pokemon games (expect Colleseium to kick a$$). And they're just the exclusive third party games don't forget some undeniable Ubi-soft classics... maybe XIII 2.
Naturally that is to far away to predict brilliantly. The BIG thing for Nintendo this year will be that product they are hyping up, could this really save the big N from an ever loosening hold?
What will we see at E3, and if it isn't the next generation of Nintendo consoles is there going to be a Spaceworld this year?
"2004 the year Nintendo fight back" - Satouri Iwati.
Well round about nothing new will be appearing... at least not until Christmas... from Nintendo... I should imagine. Nintendo and their fantastic army of 2nd party monsters will be working as hard as possible in creating some of THE best titles for upcoming system codenamed: N5.
Nintendo cunningly declared a delay in a large selection of their first and second party titles last year, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, a game Dennis Dyack, head of Silicon Knights, swore would be ready for Christmast, was pushed back. Could Mr. Dyack really be a liar? Far from it, in fact the game was ready to ship by the end of the year but Nintendo opted to leave it for the Easter market.
Miyamoto has barley mentioned his baby sequel, the frankly fantastic Pikmin 2, the reason? He's finished it, it's done and dusted. The reason for it's spring delay is basically to fill up time. After contacting third parties Nintendo would have been aware that the first half of 2004 would be deserted. Japanese mega hit Harvest Moon would appear as would EA's James Bond title... but that is a poor show.
In order to fill up European and American release schedules games such as Pikmin 2, Donkey Konga, Mario Golf (European), Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Kirby's Air Ride and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes were delayed to help make 2004 a fantastic year. Naturally third party smashes with Harvest Moon, Beyond Good and Evil, Prince of Persia, Code Veronica, Everything or Nothing and Sonic Heroes will make this apparent lack hardly noticable (despite their being 3 AAA titles amongst the big list).
But it is the latter of 2004 that shows the most interesting results. Here we have first party Metroid Prime 2 for America and Europe being the big Christmas game whilst the Japanese have Zelda Wind Waker 2 (although never count out Mario). Other first party titles are in fact small GBA-GC connection games such as the special Zelda pack. Expect Mario Tennis and Mario Party 6 to appear to. It is up to the third parties to help the second half of 2004 for Nintendo to look good... can they do it?
Easily.
Killer 7 and Resident Evil 4 from Capcom is a great start, Starfox 2 from Namco will continue the great trend, other titles from Konami will start appearing, Geist will hopefully show up (unless they're scared away by X-boxes big guns Halo 2, Half Life 2 and Doom 3 this year) and not to mention the Pokemon games (expect Colleseium to kick a$$). And they're just the exclusive third party games don't forget some undeniable Ubi-soft classics... maybe XIII 2.
Naturally that is to far away to predict brilliantly. The BIG thing for Nintendo this year will be that product they are hyping up, could this really save the big N from an ever loosening hold?
What will we see at E3, and if it isn't the next generation of Nintendo consoles is there going to be a Spaceworld this year?
"2004 the year Nintendo fight back" - Satouri Iwati.
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Notorious Biggles wrote:
> Which is rubbish. It was plain and simple preemptive positioning. By
> being Sony's best buddy they hoped it would pay off. If it wasn't for
> the fact that the GC has more of a chance than the DC does of
> surviving along with the fact that MS are NEVER going to go bust,
> then EA would develop solely for Sony. That's just business.
SEGA's online promise backfired with only a handful of online games, EA did not support the system and their advertisement campaigns DID NOT WORK... it is then understandable that Nintendo are cautious about Online play, they've jumped into bed with EA and their advertisement aren't that huge. Upon saying that Nintendo are all over Childrens channels all the time, which is just fantastic as Nintendo are making sure they don't lose their specialised market.
> Yes but it can also have the opposite effect... AKA SEGA.
>
> Sega's problem was lack of advertising towards the end of the DC's
> life. They didn't push hard enough. There was no clever guerilla
> marketing like there should have been.
The millions and millions and millions SEGA pumped into launching the Dreamcast was a massive failure.
> Only some Nintendo titles. For ever 18 year old that plays Mario,
> there is an 8 year old that plays it as well. Part of it is blind
> loyalty.
Exactly, in an article the other day I read how all 3 competitors can survive in this market VERY easily... Sony appeals to the casual gamer, Microsofts online service really attracts that specific type of gamer and Nintendo attract those after niche titles AND children. So they all attract a different gamer, just because Microsoft and Sony have more people in their market does not mean Nintendo are struggling.
> Yeah, those new boys Sony, how will they ever upstage the mighty
> Sega, everyone wants to see the follow up to the Mega Drive... 6
> years later and Sega are out of the market. The same arrogant
> attitude. Nintendo are not "cool". Sony are. PSP will sell.
> Might not win this round. But it will eventually.
The Mega Drive did not have the fan base of Nintendo's gameboy, looking at the two system it looks to me Sony have created another gadget.... it really doesn't look like a competitor to the GBA... a bit like the N-GAGE... that system has it's own market altogether. Are you aware that in November the GBA sold 1.3 million in America... that is just unbelievable... Sony had to defeat a SEGA company who had released a furore of unsuccessful add ons and a poor quality CD based next gen system/
> They were the reasons people thought it was worth spending their $80
> on. At $130 those games would still have sold, but not as many.
> Without those games, even at $80 the GC would be selling slowly.
But they're selling enough... they are in fact heavily on target for their predicted sales aim.
> Which is rubbish. It was plain and simple preemptive positioning. By
> being Sony's best buddy they hoped it would pay off. If it wasn't for
> the fact that the GC has more of a chance than the DC does of
> surviving along with the fact that MS are NEVER going to go bust,
> then EA would develop solely for Sony. That's just business.
SEGA's online promise backfired with only a handful of online games, EA did not support the system and their advertisement campaigns DID NOT WORK... it is then understandable that Nintendo are cautious about Online play, they've jumped into bed with EA and their advertisement aren't that huge. Upon saying that Nintendo are all over Childrens channels all the time, which is just fantastic as Nintendo are making sure they don't lose their specialised market.
> Yes but it can also have the opposite effect... AKA SEGA.
>
> Sega's problem was lack of advertising towards the end of the DC's
> life. They didn't push hard enough. There was no clever guerilla
> marketing like there should have been.
The millions and millions and millions SEGA pumped into launching the Dreamcast was a massive failure.
> Only some Nintendo titles. For ever 18 year old that plays Mario,
> there is an 8 year old that plays it as well. Part of it is blind
> loyalty.
Exactly, in an article the other day I read how all 3 competitors can survive in this market VERY easily... Sony appeals to the casual gamer, Microsofts online service really attracts that specific type of gamer and Nintendo attract those after niche titles AND children. So they all attract a different gamer, just because Microsoft and Sony have more people in their market does not mean Nintendo are struggling.
> Yeah, those new boys Sony, how will they ever upstage the mighty
> Sega, everyone wants to see the follow up to the Mega Drive... 6
> years later and Sega are out of the market. The same arrogant
> attitude. Nintendo are not "cool". Sony are. PSP will sell.
> Might not win this round. But it will eventually.
The Mega Drive did not have the fan base of Nintendo's gameboy, looking at the two system it looks to me Sony have created another gadget.... it really doesn't look like a competitor to the GBA... a bit like the N-GAGE... that system has it's own market altogether. Are you aware that in November the GBA sold 1.3 million in America... that is just unbelievable... Sony had to defeat a SEGA company who had released a furore of unsuccessful add ons and a poor quality CD based next gen system/
> They were the reasons people thought it was worth spending their $80
> on. At $130 those games would still have sold, but not as many.
> Without those games, even at $80 the GC would be selling slowly.
But they're selling enough... they are in fact heavily on target for their predicted sales aim.
Speaking of that Stinky Hatcher and the giant egg GAME, they're selling it for £9.99 on some site for one day.
So was PN03.
Cyclone wrote:
> Umm, I distinctly remember you being one of the most enthusiastic
> posters about Metroid Prime...
I loved some bits, but others I just found stupid monotonous and dull. It's a shame really, it had all the elements of a truely superb game, but it all just felt stupidly drawn out and boring after a while. I really had to force myself to finish it.
It started off excellent, went boring, picked up pace again and I really started to love it, then it went sucky again and didn't get any better. It's the one game where I felt I should be enjoying myself, but I just wasn't.
Don't even get me started on the final boss.
Cyclone wrote:
> Umm, I distinctly remember you being one of the most enthusiastic
> posters about Metroid Prime...
I loved some bits, but others I just found stupid monotonous and dull. It's a shame really, it had all the elements of a truely superb game, but it all just felt stupidly drawn out and boring after a while. I really had to force myself to finish it.
It started off excellent, went boring, picked up pace again and I really started to love it, then it went sucky again and didn't get any better. It's the one game where I felt I should be enjoying myself, but I just wasn't.
Don't even get me started on the final boss.
Dringo wrote:
> They were 2 examples... my mind had gone blank I should have also
> mentioned Product Number: 03, Super Monkey Ball 2, Billy Hatcher and
> Viewtiful Joe.
Sorry for the crap, pointless reply, but Billy Hatcher is bloody awful.
> They were 2 examples... my mind had gone blank I should have also
> mentioned Product Number: 03, Super Monkey Ball 2, Billy Hatcher and
> Viewtiful Joe.
Sorry for the crap, pointless reply, but Billy Hatcher is bloody awful.
gerriod_the_princess wrote:
I would rather
> play real people
Y'know, people who play on live are REAL
Heh heh
I know what yer meant though
I would rather
> play real people
Y'know, people who play on live are REAL
Heh heh
I know what yer meant though
Dringo wrote:
>
> EA did not like SEGA's bussiness stratagy... I read a statement from
> an ex-SEGA employee who stated they played too many risks with the
> Dreamcast.
Which is rubbish. It was plain and simple preemptive positioning. By being Sony's best buddy they hoped it would pay off. If it wasn't for the fact that the GC has more of a chance than the DC does of surviving along with the fact that MS are NEVER going to go bust, then EA would develop solely for Sony. That's just business.
EA gave several official reasons. So they said it was about licensing. Then they said it was because it wasn't 3DFX based chips in the DC and that not using 3DFX meant that EA was at a competitive disadvantage. No, seriously that is what the Vice President said in an interview.
>
> Advertisement is also what made Sony the main force in the games
> industry today. And Xbox Live has shown that online gaming can be
> brilliant if done properly.
>
> Yes but it can also have the opposite effect... AKA SEGA.
>
Sega's problem was lack of advertising towards the end of the DC's life. They didn't push hard enough. There was no clever guerilla marketing like there should have been.
>
> Yes they were... they're not now... but Nintendo are hardly casual
> either... it is the most hardcore company on the market.
Only some Nintendo titles. For ever 18 year old that plays Mario, there is an 8 year old that plays it as well. Part of it is blind loyalty.
> No it isn't. The success of the GBA is so great Sony will not defeat
> it with a £200, battery guzzling system that offer the same as
> Nintendo's next system.
Yeah, those new boys Sony, how will they ever upstage the mighty Sega, everyone wants to see the follow up to the Mega Drive... 6 years later and Sega are out of the market. The same arrogant attitude. Nintendo are not "cool". Sony are. PSP will sell. Might not win this round. But it will eventually.
>
> As did the release of Tales of Symphonia, Zelda, Metroid and Mario
> Kart. Not just the price cut.
They were the reasons people thought it was worth spending their $80 on. At $130 those games would still have sold, but not as many. Without those games, even at $80 the GC would be selling slowly.
> Microsoft are making more of a loss on each system than Nintendo...
> who of course used cheaper components, Nintendo also make a killing
> software wise.
So they say. But the ATI graphics chip and IBM processor were proprietary components that require research and development and money. The Xbox uses very slightly adapted off the shelf components. In fact the only thing that pushes the Xbox unit cost up is the hard drve.
> 60% of shares are owned by Nintendo themselves, the other 40% are
> distributed mainly between Nintendo employees.
And me. Hence the anger.
>
> EA did not like SEGA's bussiness stratagy... I read a statement from
> an ex-SEGA employee who stated they played too many risks with the
> Dreamcast.
Which is rubbish. It was plain and simple preemptive positioning. By being Sony's best buddy they hoped it would pay off. If it wasn't for the fact that the GC has more of a chance than the DC does of surviving along with the fact that MS are NEVER going to go bust, then EA would develop solely for Sony. That's just business.
EA gave several official reasons. So they said it was about licensing. Then they said it was because it wasn't 3DFX based chips in the DC and that not using 3DFX meant that EA was at a competitive disadvantage. No, seriously that is what the Vice President said in an interview.
>
> Advertisement is also what made Sony the main force in the games
> industry today. And Xbox Live has shown that online gaming can be
> brilliant if done properly.
>
> Yes but it can also have the opposite effect... AKA SEGA.
>
Sega's problem was lack of advertising towards the end of the DC's life. They didn't push hard enough. There was no clever guerilla marketing like there should have been.
>
> Yes they were... they're not now... but Nintendo are hardly casual
> either... it is the most hardcore company on the market.
Only some Nintendo titles. For ever 18 year old that plays Mario, there is an 8 year old that plays it as well. Part of it is blind loyalty.
> No it isn't. The success of the GBA is so great Sony will not defeat
> it with a £200, battery guzzling system that offer the same as
> Nintendo's next system.
Yeah, those new boys Sony, how will they ever upstage the mighty Sega, everyone wants to see the follow up to the Mega Drive... 6 years later and Sega are out of the market. The same arrogant attitude. Nintendo are not "cool". Sony are. PSP will sell. Might not win this round. But it will eventually.
>
> As did the release of Tales of Symphonia, Zelda, Metroid and Mario
> Kart. Not just the price cut.
They were the reasons people thought it was worth spending their $80 on. At $130 those games would still have sold, but not as many. Without those games, even at $80 the GC would be selling slowly.
> Microsoft are making more of a loss on each system than Nintendo...
> who of course used cheaper components, Nintendo also make a killing
> software wise.
So they say. But the ATI graphics chip and IBM processor were proprietary components that require research and development and money. The Xbox uses very slightly adapted off the shelf components. In fact the only thing that pushes the Xbox unit cost up is the hard drve.
> 60% of shares are owned by Nintendo themselves, the other 40% are
> distributed mainly between Nintendo employees.
And me. Hence the anger.
Worrying about the future of games is like worrying about not getting a job, or about getting hit by a car - pointless. Just be happy with what you already have. Tiltawhirl likes his Xbox with Live, and according to him it's the best thing in the world. I would rather play real people or play proper games on my own than play half baked one trick ponies against people that I don't know, but there you go - we're both happy. And if Nintendo stop making consoles, then they can still make games. It's not the sight of your Gamecube that gets you excited, it's the games you play. As long as I don't have to use a Dual Shock I'll be fine.
Tiltawhirl wrote:
> >
> Other than Zelda, the other 2 really weren't 'that' good.
>
Umm, I distinctly remember you being one of the most enthusiastic posters about Metroid Prime...
This is all pointless anyway. I will always buy Nintendo games, but also Xbox games now as well. But who has made my favourite games? Nintendo. Which generation is my favrouite game from? The Gamecube. So in my book they are fine.
Sure they have major deficiences in the bigger and far more important picture, and these need sorting, there is no denying. I hope Nintendo do so.
> >
> Other than Zelda, the other 2 really weren't 'that' good.
>
Umm, I distinctly remember you being one of the most enthusiastic posters about Metroid Prime...
This is all pointless anyway. I will always buy Nintendo games, but also Xbox games now as well. But who has made my favourite games? Nintendo. Which generation is my favrouite game from? The Gamecube. So in my book they are fine.
Sure they have major deficiences in the bigger and far more important picture, and these need sorting, there is no denying. I hope Nintendo do so.
I actually agree with Nintendo that graphics are good enough at the moment.
And they have talked adamently about researching many different and innovative ways to bring gaming to next level for their next console. Hence, their promised "surprises".
And they have talked adamently about researching many different and innovative ways to bring gaming to next level for their next console. Hence, their promised "surprises".
Yukikaze wrote:
but I'm saying that
> this same bunch of people tend to only buy first party nintendo stuff
> and not the perceived hardcore titles from elsewhere, like Ikaruga,
> Skies of Arcadia etc
Look I'm not going to go on about it but the reason Capcom saw releasing those 3 titles exclusivly on Nintendo's system finacially viable is because Nintendo gamers tend to go for the more odd... quirky title.
Ikargu and Skies of Arcadia did very well in fact. Especially in Japan.
but I'm saying that
> this same bunch of people tend to only buy first party nintendo stuff
> and not the perceived hardcore titles from elsewhere, like Ikaruga,
> Skies of Arcadia etc
Look I'm not going to go on about it but the reason Capcom saw releasing those 3 titles exclusivly on Nintendo's system finacially viable is because Nintendo gamers tend to go for the more odd... quirky title.
Ikargu and Skies of Arcadia did very well in fact. Especially in Japan.
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