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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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Maverick42 wrote:
> A promise of backwards compatibility for the GameCube. A focus on
> developing games in new dimensions (i.e. they say a graphical plateau
> has almost been reached, so improving graphics will not be their
> priority), and the guarantee of several (not just one, several)
> revolutionary gaming surprises. And Dringo's already pointed out that
> they appear to be well into the development process of the new
> console.
But we've heard it all before, and history shows that companies like Sega, Atari, when they do fall, fall fast. To be honest Nintendo officials are talking rubbish with this graphical plateau nonsense. You're trying to tell me that something like F zero GX or the forthcoming Resi is the peak of graphical excellence? Half Life 2 is probably close, but only through needing massive computer resources to run at peak performance. As for revolutionary gaming surprises, well we've all heard this many many times. It will - and I guarantee this - be something clever yet barely marketable or profit making ala Pacman or this Boktai thing.
A new console is not going to save Nintendo, a company which has made itself a name for being about games should know that.
> A promise of backwards compatibility for the GameCube. A focus on
> developing games in new dimensions (i.e. they say a graphical plateau
> has almost been reached, so improving graphics will not be their
> priority), and the guarantee of several (not just one, several)
> revolutionary gaming surprises. And Dringo's already pointed out that
> they appear to be well into the development process of the new
> console.
But we've heard it all before, and history shows that companies like Sega, Atari, when they do fall, fall fast. To be honest Nintendo officials are talking rubbish with this graphical plateau nonsense. You're trying to tell me that something like F zero GX or the forthcoming Resi is the peak of graphical excellence? Half Life 2 is probably close, but only through needing massive computer resources to run at peak performance. As for revolutionary gaming surprises, well we've all heard this many many times. It will - and I guarantee this - be something clever yet barely marketable or profit making ala Pacman or this Boktai thing.
A new console is not going to save Nintendo, a company which has made itself a name for being about games should know that.
Is there ever going to be a GBA price-drop.
I know the things sell well enough without, but I need to get me one.
I know the things sell well enough without, but I need to get me one.
I think that maybe Nintendo aim their games at existing Nintendo fans too much. I mean there's Metroid Prime, F-Zero, Mario games etc, all games that have been seen on older Nintendo consoles before. These games appeal to existing nintendo fans, but not so much to a casual gamer.
So maybe if Nintendo (I know it's never gonna happen) dropped Mario and chums, and came up with some newer, more modern characters that will appeal to a much wider audience, then it would surely help them?
I own a GC at the moment but it's my least used console, becaue everywhere you turn there's Mario or Pokemon or something old and boring like that. So I rarely find any nintendo exclusives that I would like to actually buy.
So maybe if Nintendo (I know it's never gonna happen) dropped Mario and chums, and came up with some newer, more modern characters that will appeal to a much wider audience, then it would surely help them?
I own a GC at the moment but it's my least used console, becaue everywhere you turn there's Mario or Pokemon or something old and boring like that. So I rarely find any nintendo exclusives that I would like to actually buy.
It's not the first price drop
The Gamecube price dropped a few weeks before release for some reason.
Plus, I'm pretty sure it dropped somewhere inbetween
The Gamecube price dropped a few weeks before release for some reason.
Plus, I'm pretty sure it dropped somewhere inbetween
SEGA failed because SEGA took risks... they had a massive advertisement campaign, they put so much money into the Dreamcast... they set up a complex online service.
The advertisement campaign backfired, Online gaming did not take off and therefore EA did not sign aboard... The risks SEGA meant the fantastic console nose-dived.
Nintendo don't take massive risks. Nintendo don't advertise massively because if done wrong they could do a SEGA, they are reluctant to lunge into Online gaming because it has proven problamatic in the past.
Nintendo are known as the hardcore company in the gaming world, Gamers who own a Nintendo console go for the niche title, the smaller unknown things... they are hardcore gamers. Hence Viewtiful Joe being a Gamecube exclusive. Nintendo have a MASSIVE fan base, slightly damage by the sale of RARE but increased with the exclusivity of the Resident Evil series. Nintendo have a hardcore fan base and this is a fan base that just doesn't get affected by the same things as casual gamers, advertising a sony game does not make me want a PS2... not at all and I'm not the only one.
Nintendo also attract the younger audience... Nintendo have ALWAYS done this. Sony allowed Adults to play games and that has become the bigger market... but Nintendo have stuck with the same market from the very beginning and that market still means Nintendo can rake in profits.
You comment on the Gamecube rise being artificial, but that was the first price drop from Nintendo since the launch... Microsoft have had 3... could their success be based on artificial price cutting? Nintendo are not weak they are just not as strong as the opposition... but in the mind of the most stubbon company ever to have graced this earth... that doesn't mean a thing.
Dringo.
The advertisement campaign backfired, Online gaming did not take off and therefore EA did not sign aboard... The risks SEGA meant the fantastic console nose-dived.
Nintendo don't take massive risks. Nintendo don't advertise massively because if done wrong they could do a SEGA, they are reluctant to lunge into Online gaming because it has proven problamatic in the past.
Nintendo are known as the hardcore company in the gaming world, Gamers who own a Nintendo console go for the niche title, the smaller unknown things... they are hardcore gamers. Hence Viewtiful Joe being a Gamecube exclusive. Nintendo have a MASSIVE fan base, slightly damage by the sale of RARE but increased with the exclusivity of the Resident Evil series. Nintendo have a hardcore fan base and this is a fan base that just doesn't get affected by the same things as casual gamers, advertising a sony game does not make me want a PS2... not at all and I'm not the only one.
Nintendo also attract the younger audience... Nintendo have ALWAYS done this. Sony allowed Adults to play games and that has become the bigger market... but Nintendo have stuck with the same market from the very beginning and that market still means Nintendo can rake in profits.
You comment on the Gamecube rise being artificial, but that was the first price drop from Nintendo since the launch... Microsoft have had 3... could their success be based on artificial price cutting? Nintendo are not weak they are just not as strong as the opposition... but in the mind of the most stubbon company ever to have graced this earth... that doesn't mean a thing.
Dringo.
Notorious Biggles wrote:
> Nintendo artificially boosted sales of the GC by slashing the price
> of it. When the Xbox and GC were the same price, the sales went to
> the Xbox.
But didnt they slash the price of the Xbox cus it was massively overpriced in the 1st place?
> Nintendo artificially boosted sales of the GC by slashing the price
> of it. When the Xbox and GC were the same price, the sales went to
> the Xbox.
But didnt they slash the price of the Xbox cus it was massively overpriced in the 1st place?
Sure Nintendo survived when Sinclair failed, when Atari failed and when Sega failed. But each of those companies were the weakest in the market at the time of failing.
This time round Nintendo are the weakest. That isn't just about how many good games you churn out, or even necessarily how many consoles you sell. What determines how strong you are is how much money you have, and Sony and Microsoft have an awful lot more than Nintendo do.
When the Dreamcast was in production it was the best console around in terms of quality. But Sega were financially weak from the Mega CD, 32X and Saturn fiascos. But it had the games. In the end though, it just couldn't hack it.
"Oh but Nintendo have sold more Gamecubes than Xboxes"
Maybe. But then I haven't seen figures for the Xbox, whereas Nintendo were very quick to trot some out for the GC. I'm sure MS's next will have the Xbox ahead again. But it doesn't really matter.
Nintendo artificially boosted sales of the GC by slashing the price of it. When the Xbox and GC were the same price, the sales went to the Xbox. But when the GC had a 38% price cut it had good sales. It will also have cost them an awful lot of revenue and profit. Which makes them weaker in the medium to long term.
Nintendo still make great games. I won't deny that, although personally I don't think they've been as good recently as they were on the N64. But still, normally they make 85% scoring games.
But they can't seem to manage a business to save themselves, and whether Nintendo like it or not, they are indeed a business. In Europe they just have no market savvy at all. Sorry, not true. Some of the things I've seen for the GBA SP have been genius, like the "second best thing to do in the dark and over 300 ways to do it" advert.
If they could produce something like that for the GC then it would stop being seen as kiddies console, which it is to casual gamers in the 16-25 age group who are after all the ones who spend the most money. 69 million of them have a PS2 remember.
I want Nintendo to survive, I really do. But whatever they have up their sleeve better be brilliant, because if it isn't, after the N5, Nintendo will go software only UNLESS THEY LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES.
So far they haven't. They said things would be different with the GC. Except 3rd party support isn't as good as Sony's, again. They said they wouldn't use a stupid format, but they did, again (although at least it is based on a DVD and doesn't cost several ££'s to make this time around).
And of course they are still up to their old tricks of suing importers.
What Nintendo needs for the Gamecube is some decent driving games. Don't go "Mario Kart Mario Kart Mario Kart Mario Kart" at me, because it doesn't cut it. They need a Gran Turismo or a PGR, because most people in the 16-25 age range (who they NEED) don't aspire to a 100cc kart when they get a car.
They need a big FPS. Don't go all Metroid Prime on me, because just one isn't enough. And don't say Metroid Prime 2, because it will be more of the same. They need different ones. Like the Xbox has Halo AND Rainbow Six 3 AND Counter Strike AND Half Life 2 AND Doom 3.
They also need to sort out online gaming. It's here to stay Nintendo, get used to it. I like being able to have a multiplayer game of RS3 at 05:00. On a GC that just doesn't happen unless I have some sort of insomniac friend staying over in which case there is probably better things we can do than play video games.
Dringo will have been right when he said that nothing will ever tempt the hard core Nintendo fans away. But hard core fans just aren't enough to keep them afloat, Sega proved that.
This time round Nintendo are the weakest. That isn't just about how many good games you churn out, or even necessarily how many consoles you sell. What determines how strong you are is how much money you have, and Sony and Microsoft have an awful lot more than Nintendo do.
When the Dreamcast was in production it was the best console around in terms of quality. But Sega were financially weak from the Mega CD, 32X and Saturn fiascos. But it had the games. In the end though, it just couldn't hack it.
"Oh but Nintendo have sold more Gamecubes than Xboxes"
Maybe. But then I haven't seen figures for the Xbox, whereas Nintendo were very quick to trot some out for the GC. I'm sure MS's next will have the Xbox ahead again. But it doesn't really matter.
Nintendo artificially boosted sales of the GC by slashing the price of it. When the Xbox and GC were the same price, the sales went to the Xbox. But when the GC had a 38% price cut it had good sales. It will also have cost them an awful lot of revenue and profit. Which makes them weaker in the medium to long term.
Nintendo still make great games. I won't deny that, although personally I don't think they've been as good recently as they were on the N64. But still, normally they make 85% scoring games.
But they can't seem to manage a business to save themselves, and whether Nintendo like it or not, they are indeed a business. In Europe they just have no market savvy at all. Sorry, not true. Some of the things I've seen for the GBA SP have been genius, like the "second best thing to do in the dark and over 300 ways to do it" advert.
If they could produce something like that for the GC then it would stop being seen as kiddies console, which it is to casual gamers in the 16-25 age group who are after all the ones who spend the most money. 69 million of them have a PS2 remember.
I want Nintendo to survive, I really do. But whatever they have up their sleeve better be brilliant, because if it isn't, after the N5, Nintendo will go software only UNLESS THEY LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES.
So far they haven't. They said things would be different with the GC. Except 3rd party support isn't as good as Sony's, again. They said they wouldn't use a stupid format, but they did, again (although at least it is based on a DVD and doesn't cost several ££'s to make this time around).
And of course they are still up to their old tricks of suing importers.
What Nintendo needs for the Gamecube is some decent driving games. Don't go "Mario Kart Mario Kart Mario Kart Mario Kart" at me, because it doesn't cut it. They need a Gran Turismo or a PGR, because most people in the 16-25 age range (who they NEED) don't aspire to a 100cc kart when they get a car.
They need a big FPS. Don't go all Metroid Prime on me, because just one isn't enough. And don't say Metroid Prime 2, because it will be more of the same. They need different ones. Like the Xbox has Halo AND Rainbow Six 3 AND Counter Strike AND Half Life 2 AND Doom 3.
They also need to sort out online gaming. It's here to stay Nintendo, get used to it. I like being able to have a multiplayer game of RS3 at 05:00. On a GC that just doesn't happen unless I have some sort of insomniac friend staying over in which case there is probably better things we can do than play video games.
Dringo will have been right when he said that nothing will ever tempt the hard core Nintendo fans away. But hard core fans just aren't enough to keep them afloat, Sega proved that.
As long as I get Madden 2005 I'm a happy man.
Icarus wrote:
> Dringo wrote:
>
>
> It will take a hell of a lot to actually defeat Nintendo and their
> die hard fan base.
>
>
> Something like the competition from Sony in addition to Microsoft's
> endless budget then? Think that would be enough?
But you miss the point....
That won't attract me from Nintendo.... and the same applies to other die hard nintys... they won't get pulled by Sony's popularity or Microsoft's advertisement campaign.
> Dringo wrote:
>
>
> It will take a hell of a lot to actually defeat Nintendo and their
> die hard fan base.
>
>
> Something like the competition from Sony in addition to Microsoft's
> endless budget then? Think that would be enough?
But you miss the point....
That won't attract me from Nintendo.... and the same applies to other die hard nintys... they won't get pulled by Sony's popularity or Microsoft's advertisement campaign.
Icarus wrote:
> Something like the competition from Sony in addition to Microsoft's
> endless budget then? Think that would be enough?
Doubt it.
Remember what they're up against. Nothing and no-one equal the development talent and brilliance of Nintendo that they're famous for.
> Something like the competition from Sony in addition to Microsoft's
> endless budget then? Think that would be enough?
Doubt it.
Remember what they're up against. Nothing and no-one equal the development talent and brilliance of Nintendo that they're famous for.
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