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We all know that Nintendo hasn't had a good relationship with the third parties since the end of the Super NES era. With the cartridge format, difficult development systems, and higher costs, I'm surprised that any company outside of Nintendo developed for the N64. When faced with the more "friendly" PlayStation, I don't blame them for leaving. Fortunately, Nintendo has seen the proverbial light and decided that third parties are good for them. The GameCube was designed to be the "Anti-N64." Cartridges have been replaced by proprietery DVDs. Development kits are made so developer-friendly, it isn't funny. I'm not sure about costs, but THQ has said that development costs are 50% less than the PS2. Nintendo has done a great job thus far in winning back developers, but they still need to do some work.
For the first time in history, Nintendo is the underdog. They lost to Sony Corp's PlayStation. Thus, the hype is in Sony's favor. Developers and gamer's alike are committed to the PlayStation 2. Nintendo has to raise doubt in the PS2's abilities. It is widely known that the PS2 isn't the easiest console to develop for, but games are still being made in droves for it. Why? Because there is no other real next generation system to develop for. Sega's Dreamcast was made like most other Sega consoles: to compete with the current generation. Genesis was better than the NES but worse than SNES. Saturn was made to beat the SNES but was beaten by the PS. Dreamcast was made to beat PS and N64 but will be thrashed by PS2, gamecube, and X-Box. Nintendo should be aggressive in its marketing campaign to third parties and convince them that Gamecube will be easier to develop for and more cost efficient.
Once the Gamecube is released, tons of games that would be made for PS2 will be made for Gamecube as well. Sony no longer gets game exclusivety, so people won't have to buy a PS2 just to play certain games. Second, Nintendo must win back the mind's of the gamers. Today, the N64 is known as a "kiddy" system because there are too many "cute" games available. Well, that's because most of the games were made by Nintendo and Rare. If you think about it, that's how the Super NES was too. The only difference between the two systems was that the mature games were supplied by the third parties on the SNES. Since the N64 didn't have many third party supporters, the system didn't have that many mature games, and all that was left were the Nintendo-made games.
Winning back the third parties will bring back their mature games, which, in turn, bring back the older gamers. Nintendo increases it's userbase, loses the "kiddy" moniker, and continues to make family-oriented games. More and more developers make games for the system. This continues until finally, the outcome of the war is decided by exclusive 1st and 2nd party titles as well as the occasional mega-selling 3rd party title (Final Fantasy). Hopefully, Nintendo is doing all of this and more. If they are, Sony's not going to be the market leader for long. X-Box and Dreamcast will be crushed as an extra bonus. We'll see if this happens in the coming years...
For the first time in history, Nintendo is the underdog. They lost to Sony Corp's PlayStation. Thus, the hype is in Sony's favor. Developers and gamer's alike are committed to the PlayStation 2. Nintendo has to raise doubt in the PS2's abilities. It is widely known that the PS2 isn't the easiest console to develop for, but games are still being made in droves for it. Why? Because there is no other real next generation system to develop for. Sega's Dreamcast was made like most other Sega consoles: to compete with the current generation. Genesis was better than the NES but worse than SNES. Saturn was made to beat the SNES but was beaten by the PS. Dreamcast was made to beat PS and N64 but will be thrashed by PS2, gamecube, and X-Box. Nintendo should be aggressive in its marketing campaign to third parties and convince them that Gamecube will be easier to develop for and more cost efficient.
Once the Gamecube is released, tons of games that would be made for PS2 will be made for Gamecube as well. Sony no longer gets game exclusivety, so people won't have to buy a PS2 just to play certain games. Second, Nintendo must win back the mind's of the gamers. Today, the N64 is known as a "kiddy" system because there are too many "cute" games available. Well, that's because most of the games were made by Nintendo and Rare. If you think about it, that's how the Super NES was too. The only difference between the two systems was that the mature games were supplied by the third parties on the SNES. Since the N64 didn't have many third party supporters, the system didn't have that many mature games, and all that was left were the Nintendo-made games.
Winning back the third parties will bring back their mature games, which, in turn, bring back the older gamers. Nintendo increases it's userbase, loses the "kiddy" moniker, and continues to make family-oriented games. More and more developers make games for the system. This continues until finally, the outcome of the war is decided by exclusive 1st and 2nd party titles as well as the occasional mega-selling 3rd party title (Final Fantasy). Hopefully, Nintendo is doing all of this and more. If they are, Sony's not going to be the market leader for long. X-Box and Dreamcast will be crushed as an extra bonus. We'll see if this happens in the coming years...
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Our God. We have to sacrifice a newbie to him everyday, to keep him pleased...
Actually... ignore that.
Actually... ignore that.
You really have underestimated Sega. The Dreamcast is still out performing the PS2, even with a second range of games on the way.
While Sony's biggest game so far, Metal Gear Solid 2, may be a year off completion (or at least 3 quarters) Sega are producing games like Shenmue NOW! If Sega lose out to Sony it will certainly not be because the Ps2 has better games, or even graphics, rather that biased gamers buy Ps2's due the the PSone's success.
I remind you, that the DC is capable of handling just as good games as the Ps2, and like the Gamecube is so easy to program that top games can be made quickly and cheaply. Take for example the superb Soul Calibur. This was a first generation game. It took less than a month to port the arcade game over, and the rest of the development was spent on the Story mode. Tekken on the other hand was an up hill struggle due to poor dev kits and impossible deadlines. Okay, Soul Calibur was not a game created from scratch, but it serves to show how well thought out the console is... makeing Arcade/PC to Dc ports ver easy. (an ameteur programmer converted the original Quake in 2 weeks!).
I have no doubt that the gamecube will be successful, but do not underestimate sega! If the console was going the way of the saturn it would be dead already- in my eyes it is already a success and will no doubt have 10 million units world wide very soon.
SonicRav
While Sony's biggest game so far, Metal Gear Solid 2, may be a year off completion (or at least 3 quarters) Sega are producing games like Shenmue NOW! If Sega lose out to Sony it will certainly not be because the Ps2 has better games, or even graphics, rather that biased gamers buy Ps2's due the the PSone's success.
I remind you, that the DC is capable of handling just as good games as the Ps2, and like the Gamecube is so easy to program that top games can be made quickly and cheaply. Take for example the superb Soul Calibur. This was a first generation game. It took less than a month to port the arcade game over, and the rest of the development was spent on the Story mode. Tekken on the other hand was an up hill struggle due to poor dev kits and impossible deadlines. Okay, Soul Calibur was not a game created from scratch, but it serves to show how well thought out the console is... makeing Arcade/PC to Dc ports ver easy. (an ameteur programmer converted the original Quake in 2 weeks!).
I have no doubt that the gamecube will be successful, but do not underestimate sega! If the console was going the way of the saturn it would be dead already- in my eyes it is already a success and will no doubt have 10 million units world wide very soon.
SonicRav
I was talking to the one who posted this and has obviously gone.
Because you didn't write it Rhino.
*Sighs, and looks skywards*
*Sighs, and looks skywards*
You'll give ali a heart attack when he comes back and sees this! heh heh.
"Too many good posts today... not like the good old days, where we never saw one for weeks, I tells ya."
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