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Nintendo finally admitting serious GC problems...
Seemingly, Nintendo has given up on its “all is well, honest” stance, admitting that the GameCube has some serious problems that need to be overcome, and fast.
Speaking yesterday, Nintendo of America’s George Harrison made the most candid comments to date regarding the plight Nintendo faces in an increasingly hostile three-way console race.
“The real question is, as we start ‘03, what are we going to do differently?" said Harrison, the senior vice president of marketing for Nintendo of America. "For us it’s about trying to get the GameCube business moving and restore the confidence of the licensees."
This follows practically all the industry’s key third party-publishers taking a tentative step away from GameCube support over the past few weeks.
THQ, Sega, Electronic Arts, Codemasters - the list goes on, and the problem, with snowball-like effect, will only get worse unless confidence, both at consumer and industry level, is restored. Nintendo’s problems in the UK have been compounded by rumour that key retail chains are considering reducing GameCube exposure, or removing the machine altogether, in what would undoubtedly prove a killer blow.
The upcoming Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, a hotly-anticipated game sure to be a massive hit, is expected to revive the GameCube’s sales and profile as a killer-app hosting machine. “It’s [Zelda] clearly what we need - to get the GameCube moving,” stated Harrison.
Seemingly, Nintendo has given up on its “all is well, honest” stance, admitting that the GameCube has some serious problems that need to be overcome, and fast.
Speaking yesterday, Nintendo of America’s George Harrison made the most candid comments to date regarding the plight Nintendo faces in an increasingly hostile three-way console race.
“The real question is, as we start ‘03, what are we going to do differently?" said Harrison, the senior vice president of marketing for Nintendo of America. "For us it’s about trying to get the GameCube business moving and restore the confidence of the licensees."
This follows practically all the industry’s key third party-publishers taking a tentative step away from GameCube support over the past few weeks.
THQ, Sega, Electronic Arts, Codemasters - the list goes on, and the problem, with snowball-like effect, will only get worse unless confidence, both at consumer and industry level, is restored. Nintendo’s problems in the UK have been compounded by rumour that key retail chains are considering reducing GameCube exposure, or removing the machine altogether, in what would undoubtedly prove a killer blow.
The upcoming Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, a hotly-anticipated game sure to be a massive hit, is expected to revive the GameCube’s sales and profile as a killer-app hosting machine. “It’s [Zelda] clearly what we need - to get the GameCube moving,” stated Harrison.
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With the GC being so damn cheap (£99 + 1 game in Dixons), it's almost a crime to miss out on it.
Good post Wookie, I think Nintendo will always have a place in everyone's heart.
Simple choice, you either buy a Gamcube because you want one or you don't, YOU are in control of your wallet (or your Mrs is)
Simple choice, you either buy a Gamcube because you want one or you don't, YOU are in control of your wallet (or your Mrs is)
Shadow Knight wrote:
> because Nintendo are well know for making cartoony platformers or
> having other developers release cartoony games, i'm not attacking the
> Gamecube but pointing out the image problem Nintendo have.
So the graphics are colourful - does that constitute a kiddy game? No.
> Also don't forget Nintendo have Pokemon which is a kiddies game.
There's nothing kiddy about Pokemon. Where did you get that idea?
Nintendo are NOT a children's company. They are a FAMILY one.
> because Nintendo are well know for making cartoony platformers or
> having other developers release cartoony games, i'm not attacking the
> Gamecube but pointing out the image problem Nintendo have.
So the graphics are colourful - does that constitute a kiddy game? No.
> Also don't forget Nintendo have Pokemon which is a kiddies game.
There's nothing kiddy about Pokemon. Where did you get that idea?
Nintendo are NOT a children's company. They are a FAMILY one.
Da_Killa wrote:
> And of course people of that age have the PS2 because they know how
> great it is because of the OLDER people who own it, which makes it
> great.
No.
I liked Spot the dog when I was 4. That was great. A 20 year old wouldn't, but I would still like Spot.
> And of course people of that age have the PS2 because they know how
> great it is because of the OLDER people who own it, which makes it
> great.
No.
I liked Spot the dog when I was 4. That was great. A 20 year old wouldn't, but I would still like Spot.
phi11ip wrote:
> What's the console with the kiddy image...
>
> The console with more 18+ users than kids or the console with more
> kids owning one that mature people?
>
> You'll find that although people say the GC is for kids, most of the
> PS2 owners are little 12 year olds themselves!
I'm a PS2 owner and frankly I'm a lot older than 12.
And of course people of that age have the PS2 because they know how great it is because of the OLDER people who own it, which makes it great.
> What's the console with the kiddy image...
>
> The console with more 18+ users than kids or the console with more
> kids owning one that mature people?
>
> You'll find that although people say the GC is for kids, most of the
> PS2 owners are little 12 year olds themselves!
I'm a PS2 owner and frankly I'm a lot older than 12.
And of course people of that age have the PS2 because they know how great it is because of the OLDER people who own it, which makes it great.
The problem is that, as many gamers have got older, Nintendo's image hasn't.
Nintendo readily admit that their main target audience is younger than Sony's and Microsoft's, and to be honest, the designs of their consoles doesn't exactly scream "big boys toys", with large buttons and bold, bright colours used throughout - something traditionally associated with children's toys.
Read this artcile, on a Nintendo-oriented site: http://shooters.ngenres.com/editorials/3.html
With the advent of the Gamecube, the software base has changed a little, but not enough, and not quickly enough, I think. I enjoy the games I've got for my 'cube, but there aren't enough of the type I like available. I've got Resident Evil, Eternal Darkness and Super Monkey Ball; I will also be getting Resident Evil Zero.
For my PS2 I have Ratchet & Clank and Sly Raccoon, and also had Jak & Daxter - all of which I've enjoyed very much, and all of which are more 'kiddy' than anything I have on my 'cube.
But I also have GTA3 and Vice City, as well as The Getaway, Stuntman and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X. Then I have other titles which, while not specifically adult-oriented, are designed more with the older gamer in mind.
The image Nintendo have is one that they've built up over many years in the industry, and a few adult-oriented games are not going to shake that off overnight - but it is at least a start. Sony's 'older' image is now similarly entrenched, and that's why I feel we are seeing more 'cutesy' games appearing on PS2 than we did on the PSone in it's early years.
As for Nintendo's profits - we know two things. Firstly, they have been found guilty of maintaining artificially high prices in the past. Secondly, most of that profit comes from sales of the numerous Gameboy variations over the years.
Of course, it also makes a complete mockery of the frequent claim that "Sony and Microsoft don't care about the gamers, they're only in it to make money."
Personally, I resent IB's implication that PS2 owners are all spotty imbeciles who buy PS2 simply to be 'cool', or because 'my mates all have them', or simply because we simply know no better than what the press tells us.
I rushed out to pre-order my PS2 and got a launch machine. Was that because:
(a) the hype got me?
(b) all my mates were getting one?
(c) The Sun said it was the Next Big Thing?
(d) Some Boy Band said it was great?
(e) it just, like, looked, you know, so damn cool, man?
Well, shock horror, it was none of the above! I rushed out to get a PS2 purely and simply because the PSone gave me years of fantastic gaming, and with a more powerful machine and a lot of the same developers signed up, I pretty much knew it would be money well spent - and I haven't been disappointed.
I play games because I find them fun - whether that fun comes from leaping from platform to platform, piloting futuristic craft, killing zombies, or doing things in a recreation of a city that you can't do (and wouldn't want to do) in real life. It's not because they make me feel bigger, cooler or more of a man - it's purely a bit of escapism and fun.
For all the whining about 'our' fanboys, we know they don't account for the majority of PS2 users, either in this forum or the world in general, and I'm sure many of us find them equally annoying. Just like with all areas of society, the minority creates a bad image which inevitably receives more attention than the majority, who are perfectly reasonable people.
However, I can remember countless times in the past when we kicked up about the Ninties doing *exactly* the same thing. Fortunately, most of them disappeared, and those that did stay around thankfully grew up.
But they are still around, if just not on these particular forums. A mild example - http://www.sptimes.com/2002/11/11/ (SPACE) Technology/Nintendo_hopes_to_she.shtml
The original poster apparently can't even spell GAMECUBE... witness also the 5th and 10th posts, which say "Yep,i like Nintendo and game cube,they're cool!" and "GameCubes going 2 rock!!!"
When it comes down to it, though, I still maintain that IB is just as big a fanboy as any of the others - he's just more literate, eloquent and (probably) better educated than most of them. He also seems to overlook the possibility - as do we all sometimes - that maybe these people really *are* just young kids, and not necessarily 17-year-olds acting like kids.
I've moaned about the Xbox in the Xbox forum when I felt the software was letting it down, and I was called a fanboy by some - but at least I had the machine, and I wasn't putting it down as such, I just wanted better software for it. I've also had the odd moan about the Gamecube - I believe at this moment in time, it's suffering like the Xbox did, with titles being too slow to arrive. And yes, I have even moaned about Sony and the PS2 in the past!
I prefer Sony's machine, because it offers more of the type of games that I want to play. But it hasn't stopped me buying the other systems, because I will readily admit that there are some damn fine games on them. But having a preference is a world apart from being a fanboy.
Top Score and co. do, I believe, go over the top with some of their posts and claims, but I don't consider them to be idiots. What they do isn't really that different to a large number of IB's posts - they're all deliberately trying to cause controversy and spark heated debates, and they do it well - their threads always get stacks of replies, even if the topic isn't even remotely interesting. So you could actually say that they're doing the forums a service.
But if you don't like what they're doing, the simple answer is to ignore the threads - don't make *any* reply whatsoever, even just to say "you're an idiot". It's not always easy, I know - but it's the quickest way to stop them. Your response is exactly what they're after, so they'll do it all the more.
Nintendo readily admit that their main target audience is younger than Sony's and Microsoft's, and to be honest, the designs of their consoles doesn't exactly scream "big boys toys", with large buttons and bold, bright colours used throughout - something traditionally associated with children's toys.
Read this artcile, on a Nintendo-oriented site: http://shooters.ngenres.com/editorials/3.html
With the advent of the Gamecube, the software base has changed a little, but not enough, and not quickly enough, I think. I enjoy the games I've got for my 'cube, but there aren't enough of the type I like available. I've got Resident Evil, Eternal Darkness and Super Monkey Ball; I will also be getting Resident Evil Zero.
For my PS2 I have Ratchet & Clank and Sly Raccoon, and also had Jak & Daxter - all of which I've enjoyed very much, and all of which are more 'kiddy' than anything I have on my 'cube.
But I also have GTA3 and Vice City, as well as The Getaway, Stuntman and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X. Then I have other titles which, while not specifically adult-oriented, are designed more with the older gamer in mind.
The image Nintendo have is one that they've built up over many years in the industry, and a few adult-oriented games are not going to shake that off overnight - but it is at least a start. Sony's 'older' image is now similarly entrenched, and that's why I feel we are seeing more 'cutesy' games appearing on PS2 than we did on the PSone in it's early years.
As for Nintendo's profits - we know two things. Firstly, they have been found guilty of maintaining artificially high prices in the past. Secondly, most of that profit comes from sales of the numerous Gameboy variations over the years.
Of course, it also makes a complete mockery of the frequent claim that "Sony and Microsoft don't care about the gamers, they're only in it to make money."
Personally, I resent IB's implication that PS2 owners are all spotty imbeciles who buy PS2 simply to be 'cool', or because 'my mates all have them', or simply because we simply know no better than what the press tells us.
I rushed out to pre-order my PS2 and got a launch machine. Was that because:
(a) the hype got me?
(b) all my mates were getting one?
(c) The Sun said it was the Next Big Thing?
(d) Some Boy Band said it was great?
(e) it just, like, looked, you know, so damn cool, man?
Well, shock horror, it was none of the above! I rushed out to get a PS2 purely and simply because the PSone gave me years of fantastic gaming, and with a more powerful machine and a lot of the same developers signed up, I pretty much knew it would be money well spent - and I haven't been disappointed.
I play games because I find them fun - whether that fun comes from leaping from platform to platform, piloting futuristic craft, killing zombies, or doing things in a recreation of a city that you can't do (and wouldn't want to do) in real life. It's not because they make me feel bigger, cooler or more of a man - it's purely a bit of escapism and fun.
For all the whining about 'our' fanboys, we know they don't account for the majority of PS2 users, either in this forum or the world in general, and I'm sure many of us find them equally annoying. Just like with all areas of society, the minority creates a bad image which inevitably receives more attention than the majority, who are perfectly reasonable people.
However, I can remember countless times in the past when we kicked up about the Ninties doing *exactly* the same thing. Fortunately, most of them disappeared, and those that did stay around thankfully grew up.
But they are still around, if just not on these particular forums. A mild example - http://www.sptimes.com/2002/11/11/ (SPACE) Technology/Nintendo_hopes_to_she.shtml
The original poster apparently can't even spell GAMECUBE... witness also the 5th and 10th posts, which say "Yep,i like Nintendo and game cube,they're cool!" and "GameCubes going 2 rock!!!"
When it comes down to it, though, I still maintain that IB is just as big a fanboy as any of the others - he's just more literate, eloquent and (probably) better educated than most of them. He also seems to overlook the possibility - as do we all sometimes - that maybe these people really *are* just young kids, and not necessarily 17-year-olds acting like kids.
I've moaned about the Xbox in the Xbox forum when I felt the software was letting it down, and I was called a fanboy by some - but at least I had the machine, and I wasn't putting it down as such, I just wanted better software for it. I've also had the odd moan about the Gamecube - I believe at this moment in time, it's suffering like the Xbox did, with titles being too slow to arrive. And yes, I have even moaned about Sony and the PS2 in the past!
I prefer Sony's machine, because it offers more of the type of games that I want to play. But it hasn't stopped me buying the other systems, because I will readily admit that there are some damn fine games on them. But having a preference is a world apart from being a fanboy.
Top Score and co. do, I believe, go over the top with some of their posts and claims, but I don't consider them to be idiots. What they do isn't really that different to a large number of IB's posts - they're all deliberately trying to cause controversy and spark heated debates, and they do it well - their threads always get stacks of replies, even if the topic isn't even remotely interesting. So you could actually say that they're doing the forums a service.
But if you don't like what they're doing, the simple answer is to ignore the threads - don't make *any* reply whatsoever, even just to say "you're an idiot". It's not always easy, I know - but it's the quickest way to stop them. Your response is exactly what they're after, so they'll do it all the more.
But for the 'Cube, it's the equivalent of 100 PS2 games a year, considering EA's past "treatment" regarding Nintendo.
DeltaJava wrote:
> To correct your "news", Darwock - EA aren't exactly taking a
> step back with the announcement of 20 titles in the following year,
> are they?
---
Well, they are in a way, when compared to what they do for the PS2. They churn out about 45 titles a year for it...
;-)
> To correct your "news", Darwock - EA aren't exactly taking a
> step back with the announcement of 20 titles in the following year,
> are they?
---
Well, they are in a way, when compared to what they do for the PS2. They churn out about 45 titles a year for it...
;-)
To correct your "news", Darwock - EA aren't exactly taking a step back with the announcement of 20 titles in the following year, are they?
Even if I had said that, it wouldn't have made sense!
phi11ip wrote:
> All of the PS2 owners are little 12 year olds themselves!
Nå†ßu© wrote:
> Which makes you just as bad...
Very long day...
phi11ip wrote:
> All of the PS2 owners are little 12 year olds themselves!
Nå†ßu© wrote:
> Which makes you just as bad...
Very long day...
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