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"Nintendo's future? Bright."

The Nintendo Gamecube was launched in America over a month ago. Despite the crazed ranting from ===SONICRAV---> it went well. The main question on people's minds though asked where were the big name titles. Where was Mario, where was Link, where was a brand new rising Nintendo star.

Well Link was in make up getting a new look and Mario was trapped in a Mansion but despite what you may think there were big names at the Nintendo launch or soon after. One was Smash Brothers, the original Nintendo beat 'em up was a classic now we have a Platform mode, more items, more characters, hundreds of new fresh ideas in fact a good all round title (I've gone into more depth about this before).

Pikmin, there is the new rising Nintendo star. Pikmin was good, very good it was a bit limited but it was great, innovative it was a Real time Strategy working on a console and Nintendo are already planning a sequel. Luigi's mansion wasn't great but it was still a Nintendo game with nice ideas a great graphics and special effects. So whilst Joanna was polishing her gun and Conker was filling up the swear box Nintendo were pushing out top rate titles.

Now I’m going to leave the first and second Party games for a while and move on to Third parties. Now as for Launch the third parties helped Nintendo out a great deal. Sony received an awesome Christmas this year with titles such as SSX Tricky, Devil May Cry, Tony Hawks 3 and Smackdown. Nintendo got the games PS2 fans had been waiting a year for at the very beginning (I could throw in Simpson's Road Rage) of the Gamecube's life a very promising site.

As for next year well it just gets better, Eternal Darkness, Star Fox Adventures, Resident Evil, Mario Sunshine, Sonic and many other big name titles. But we are Europeans and it is the European market that Nintendo will suffer in. Yes SSX Tricky and Tony Hawks 3 came out on the PS2 and Gamecube near each other but in Europe this simply won't be the case. But how advanced will the Gamecube be by then? The designer of Resident Evil (I would say his name if I could spell it) is hoping for an American and European launch to occur shortly after the Japanese launch which is in March. This places an opportunity for Resident Evil as a European Launch title!

Now that would be something but Nintendo's future doesn't rely on a few weeks it relies on the entire system's life span. The Gamecube's future is bright much brighter than Sony's. The N64 was better than the Playstation I will say that honestly, disagree as you will but my response will simply be but the Playstation didn't have any Nintendo games. These games first and second party are very important, I wouldn't care if Nintendo got no third party support the classics the big N produce are enough for any die hard Nintendo fan such as my good self.

This time there is more of Nintendo; Silicon Knights are here from the start, as are Left Field, Retro Studio's and Camelot with HAL working on another title maybe Earthbound. Nintendo themselves have grown in development teams (intelligent systems) as have RARE. These new third parties open up new ranges of Nintendo games. Left Field make sports titles an example of there creativity comes in the form of Excitebike, they are here to work on the Gamecube and give the sports department of Nintendo a huge spring clean, Camelot also like to design a good sport title like Mario Golf and Tennis, Although this is Second Party I still feel I can mention the massive amount of SEGA sports titles appearing on the Gamecube. Camelot is also great at making RPG's (Golden Sun) something the N64 was lacking and they have an RPG in the works. And now I can mention Silicon Knights, a second party horror company for Nintendo???? Eternal Darkness and Too Human are promised from this Capcom rival.

Now Third Parties, Namco a company who aren't big fans of Nintendo, a company that brought a whole 2 title to the N64 have promised a large amount of titles for Nintendo including Soul Calibur 2, Klonoa 2 and Ridge Racer 5. Namco committing so early is a good sign, EA are also committing early and considering they never went near the Dreamcast this is a good sign. Capcom, well that’s a tale in itself but with rumors rife about more exclusive Gamecube titles other than Resident evil are particularly interesting. Nintendo and Capcom have been close for sometime with Capcom working on the Zelda Oracle twins and Nintendo's prestigious Mickey Mouse license. Nintendo are also supporting young new companies by offering free money to them.

It all means Nintendo have taken the best bits of the PS2 and stuck them with a bigger and better version of the N64 (or even the SNES...) and we have the greatest games machine around.

I'm not saying the Gamecube will trounce the PS2 and the X-box I’m simply saying that the N64 survived and with it's sequel promising to be many times better will mean the Gamecube will survive much easier. And considering the slip ups Sony made early on I feel able to predict a closer console war this time round.

Here's to the Future

Dringo.

The game drought was a mistake something Nintendo are making sure they'll never repeat... and with the American Launcha alone they haven't.

In the words of Julia Roberts:

"Big mistake. Huge!"

Indeed, the N64's launch was a classic... with the head of Ninty saying hat only Nintendo were allowed to develop and realease games on the system to begin with...

Resulting in one launch game...

and ony 4 games after 3 months of release...


Classic.

Sonic

Yes, backlog tends to be a huge problem for Nintendo. I remember when the N64 was launched if you didn't like Mario you were like Pamela Anderson on her back.

I personally feel a backlog a problem, when i got my N64 the console had been out a fair time and i picked up as many old classics as i could before i got the new ones.

It annoyed me i could get Zelda or Turok 2 but i got Turok 1 and Lylat Wars as i was afraid they would be gone soon.

I like starting at the start.

Dringo.

The_King wrote:
Good points.
"However, you're saying that the GC will only appeal to 'hardcore, gamers, Ninty fans and the younger market'. Then go onto say that the console has some excellent exclusives... which most people won't realise! Well surely by definition a hardcore gamer, a ninty Fan and the younger market (who prolly fall into the Ninty fan bracket) WILL KNOW that the GC has great exclusives coming soon!"


Excellent point, but I think you missed the point...

Hardcore gamers will clearly know about the exclusive games- so that's a reason they'll get the console. Same is true of ninty fans. Younger gamers will be attracted by the console's "cute" games.

However, what about the rest of the market? These people will, in general, have no idea about the exclusives the console is going to get... after all, Ninty isn't going to advertise on TV saying "the res evil series is exclusive... and will come out in 5 months!".



"On you second point, XBox's price is major probelm £300 doesn't put it into casual gamer terrtory. You don't spend that amount of cash as 'somthing to do when you come back form the pub!' (which is how must casuals look at it). I really think XBox's price is totally contrary to the market they're aiming at!"


Yes... this is a problem for MS. You see, the console simply can't be sold at less than £300 due to the modem, HDD and fast processor. MS really have made the console a serious machine.

But the price is a turn off...

So, to combat this, they have really tried to put their point accross about the games... something that has pulled off in the US with their huge advertising campaign.

You see, in order to compete with Sony, MS have proved they have great games, but now need to prove this to the gamer on the street.


"The PS2 is a v attractive purchase, good price point and a huge back library. And this is the 'wall' that both Nintendo and Microsoft have to get over."

Yep... after all, neither of the new consoles can compete with the PS2's backlog... but really need to show they have something over the PS2 to the casual gamer.


"Nintendo's biggest advantage is that they've got the people who we've outlined above who'll buy their console regardless - and wait for the BIG games to come through. This will give the console a soild userbase to start from.
When this point is reached they can start to claw back some of the market share from Sony."

Indeed, and this is something they should not take for granted as they have in the past!



Sonic

Unless you already have a Dreamcast, theres no point in getting two, although it is probably cheaper to buy a DC with a controller rather than another controller.

can't w8 untill the GC's released... no i meen i really can't! i'm not going to get an import but i'm starting to get a little fed up with the long w8 for Nintendo's new wonder console, whilst over in japan and America there playing the likes of SSBM and THPS3! grr! neway i guess it's only 3 months!!! never mind i'll just start counting the days...
slik ~_~

===SONICRAV---> wrote:
> Well, good points Meka, but one thing I've said is that most gamers won't know that Res Evil is coming onto the GC- after all, if you don't read games mags and sites then how would you!

So, when the GC launches, no one will know about this, and be set a choice of which console to buy.

On one hand they have a £200 PS2 with a huge library of games, and (despite what some say) a far better "brand" than Ninty's kiddy image.

You have the £200 GC. This will appeal greatly to "hardcore" gamers, Ninty fans, and (let's face it) the younger market. But, AT RELEASE it has nothing over the PS2 except that it promises to have some great first party games (Zelda etc) and some excellent exclusives (Res evil series!).... which most people won't realise!

And then there's the £300 Xbox which will have huge marketting, lots of publicity and a strong launch.


OH! And add to that, the GC and Xbox are coming out AFTER xmas, which is when most new consoles are bought anyway!

Sonic


Good points. However, you're saying that the GC will only appeal to 'hardcore, gamers, Ninty fans and the younger market'. Then go onto say that the console has some excellent exclusives... which most people won't realise! Well surely by definition a hardcore gamer, a ninty Fan and the younger market (who prolly fall into the Ninty fan bracket) WILL KNOW that the GC has great exclusives coming soon!

On you second point, XBox's price is major probelm £300 doesn't put it into casual gamer terrtory. You don't spend that amount of cash as 'somthing to do when you come back form the pub!' (which is how must casuals look at it). I really think XBox's price is totally contrary to the market they're aiming at!

The PS2 is a v attractive purchase, good price point and a huge back library. And this is the 'wall' that both Nintendo and Microsoft have to get over.

Nintendo's biggest advantage is that they've got the people who we've outlined above who'll buy their console regardless - and wait for the BIG games to come through. This will give the console a soild userbase to start from.
When this point is reached they can start to claw back some of the market share from Sony.

It really is going to be a very interesting year! :-)

Ah! It's readible... have nothing to add except I totally disagree with that!

Sonic ;)