I’m not trying to bash Sony. This is not flame bait. Nevertheless, this can’t be good.
I’m just sayin’.
Mashing buttons since 1984
by Tony 3 Comments
I’m not trying to bash Sony. This is not flame bait. Nevertheless, this can’t be good.
I’m just sayin’.
by Tony 5 Comments
I linked a handful of the “pro” sites with information about the new revolution controller when I first blogged it. Not to discount their contribution as gamers but I wanted to take a look around the gaming blogs and see what gamers are thinking. Here are a smattering of comments I’ve found over the past few days.
Kearns, like a lot of us, wasn’t sure about it at first but concluded, “Hot, hot, hot. No doubt, this is a must by.”
Kieron divides the haters and lovers into two camps – tedious luddites and Good People. Count me in with the Good People
For Tom at G-pinions, this was, “the most important news in gaming [he] can ever remember.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement but Joseph at Space Worlder says “Revolutionary? Depends on how you look at it.”
Alice’s great Wonderland has Iwata’s speech (in note form) and says the controller is “fantastic.”
The patron saint of La Revolution thinks everything will work out just fine: “Motion sensor controllers are actually kind of… obvious. Surprised it hasn’t happened before–and since they’re basically just another way to capture directional information, this should not, as I had worried earlier, make it all that hard to port to/from Revolution… You’ll just use a joystick for the non-Revolution versions.”
From Nintedorks: “after thinking about it more, I realize how incredibly awesome this is.”
Gaming Steve has a bunch of Revolution info, including the slides to Iwata’s speech. Be careful, there’s a lot there and your head may ache afterwards.
Brinstar has good advice for nay sayers: ” We should be welcoming this direction, rather than fearing it.” (and some good links, to boot)
Press the Buttons has a bunch of Revolution stuff. I feel the same way: “All I want is to make Mario run and jump.”
For a needed dose of reality, Hello, Nintendo links to this Ars Technica article asking some questions that will surely be addressed in the coming months but are germain to the discussion notheneless.
Video Game Pundit has a lot. Just go read it.
Astarte at Utopian Hell has Nintendo’s dream scenario. Her thoughts on the Revolution? I feel like the kid I once was, eagerly awaiting the next Zelda to come out.
Everyone and their mother are linking Lost Garden, but it really is something that must be read and digested.
Lots of stuff at Infendo, too.
Wow, that went a lot longer than I originally thought it would. Of course, this isn’t everything. A quick search at Technorati reveals that this something that a lot of people are talking about. If you’ve blogged about the Revolution and I missed ya, don’t hesistate to drop me a link. (I couldn’t possibly get everyone but if you take the time to let me know what you thought, I’ll gladly link it)
Personally, after I read that there will be ports for “regular” Gamecube controllers I felt a little relieved. IGN even has a mockup of what a Revolution Wavebird would look like. Drool. That makes me feel a little better. I was worried about third party support like many others, but this will help the skittish developers ease into the Revolution. Things will get interesting when developers are comfortable with the Revolution and see the possibility of the new controller and we start seeing some really cool stuff. Sounds like the “DS” cycle all over again. The hardware/concept gets poo-poohed, then interest and intrigue grow, and finally new, fun ideas begin to emerge.
The possibility of that cycle repeating itself sounds great to me.
Update: I know there’s a lot of gamers out there who don’t exactly agree with the direction Nintendo is going with the Revolution (as if it’s their call) but it really seems to have a polarizing effect on people. Cody at PixelJunkies seems to think Kieron Gillen’s statement is “moronic. Not I, you, or her have played a single game with this. A few reviewers on the other side of the planet have played several short tech demos in a completely Nintendo controlled environment, the furthest possible thing from playing a real game in your living room, and people are already passing this off as the single most brilliant innovation ever in games.”
Sure, only a few people have used the controller so far but it doesn’t take much imagination to start contemplating the possibilities. I don’t think anyone is calling it the “most brilliant innovation ever” but it has to be one of the more ambitious innovations. Hyperbole aside, Gillen is right, I think. It really comes down to who wants to give it a chance and those who have already made up their mind that it doesn’t fit in their idea of what a video game controller should look like or how it should handle.
The only people who are currently qualified to make any form of educated opinion are those that have used the controller. And they have all been unanimously positive. Let’s leave it at that for now. Let’s see what the big N does. Let’s look at what the developers say once they start putting the Revolution through its paces. Until then, let’s just chill.
More: Of course, we could just look to what Peter Moore, the Xbox VP. He says, “I want to give kudos for Nintendo for its attempt at innovation with the new controller…”
There’s more praise out there. I’ll link to it as I come across it.
Behold, the soothing power of video games.
If you’re ever feeling a bit spread thin, remember: Playing Nintendo may be just what you need.
by Tony 3 Comments
The first time I read this, I groaned, recognizing this as instant “Nintendo is for kiddies!” Fodder. Then I thought about it for a while and realized what they’re saying is actually good news:
Asked to identify the three “coolest” brands, 42 percent of respondents 8 to 12 years old chose Nintendo, while 36 percent think Disney is among the coolest.
I thought back to my first experiences with the NES – I was about 11 years old. Nintendo was cool. I was firmly in Nintendo’s camp in the Nintendo vs. Sega battle. The fact that 42% of these kids are associating Nintendo with “cool” means they are growing up with Nintendo! They fact that they recognize Nintendo as a brand is positive. I’ve said before that Nintendo should embrace this reaction and run with it. Kids love Nintendo. Even 21% of the 13-17 year olds cite Nintendo as cool (tied with Sony, the perpetually cool company). Hopefully this will foster interest in the Revolution and a new generation of video-gamers will hold Nintendo in the same regard as those of us who grew up with it.
I noticed that Xbox was missing from these lists. They did ask the kids about “Brands” so that may explain why. Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear that Microsoft is cool with kiddies. Very interesting…
We’ve talked about the coming Nintendo Revolution and the possibility of downloading the enormous library of NES, SNES, and N64 games that will be downloadable (I wonder if they’ll make Game Boy games available, too. That would make my head asplode). Anyway, this morning I saw this over at Evil Avatar. Like the title says, this stuff keeps getting better.
“People sort of picked on us for not prematurely jumping into online or internet gaming,” he mused, going on to point out that now the company has more to offer besides online gaming. Harrison then confirmed that past-gen, Nintendo-created titles will indeed be downloadable for free.
This is fantastic news. I would imagine 75-80% of the games that will be downloaded will come from the Nintendo library. To think that by simply purchasing the Revolution that you’ll immediately have hundreds of games to choose from is amazing. Who needs solid launch titles when your console launches with Mario 64, Zelda Ocarina of Time, Super Metroid, and hundreds more. Wow.
Another side effect this wil have is this — it will free up more money for downloading 3rd party games. Not having to pay for the Nintendo titles makes the price tag of Final Fantasy III and Chrono Trigger that much cheaper (overall).
Well played, indeed.
(See Also: Nintendo and the Long Tail)
Update: Of course some we do need perspective (and context) on this story, which can be found here.
Another Update:Unfortunately, it looks lke this was all speculation and wishful thinking. Joystiq is reporting that all Nintendo’s library will not be offered for free. It looks like some will still be downloaded for free but not all of them. That’s too bad. But so often is the case, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
by Tony 7 Comments
Something strange is happening. If you avoid the forum trolls and fanboys and talk to people that can string two sentences together, you’ll find that there’s a groundswell of optimism for the Revolution. Mike at GGA thinks this “virtual library of games” can work:
However, then Nintendo dropped the bomb for me. “Virtual console.” The ability to play 20 years of Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo 64 first-party (and hopefully third-party) games. Wow. Wow-oh-wow. This was what caught my attention. This is what I’m excited about with Nintendo’s new console, and I doubt I’m the only one.
No, you’re definitely not the only one. This may actually be a cool idea.
Amit thinks so, too
I’d like to slip in the theory that no matter what the Revolution promises to deliver, the fact that it plays every game Nintendo’s ever released is a revolution on its own.
And it’s not just the bloggers. Talking to my buddy today and he tells me that when he heard about the ability to download old games he decided that the Revolution would be his first console purchase of the next generation. And the game he was most excited about downloading? Earthbound? No. Super Metroid? Nope. Tecmo Super Bowl. Tecmo Super “Bo Frickin’ Jackson” Bowl. I hadn’t even thought about that one. There are so many games that could be available, it just boggles the mind.
It will be interesting to see what kind of library will be available. Will it just be Nintendo titles or do they maintain publishing rights to everybody’s games? There are some A-list games that are not Nintendo’s IP so I’m interested to know if I’ll be able to download Final Fantasy III or RC Pro Am. If they release the whole library, HOLY CRAP ON A STICK, watch out. And prices? If they are a buck for run-of-the-mill titles and five to ten bucks for A-list games they will make a killing. Killing. And what if they release games that never made it over here to the states? My brain hurts thinking of the possibilities.
This is some cool stuff.
Update: I forgot to mention this earlier – buttonmashing.com was linked by the L.A. Times here. I hope the Los Angelinos enjoyed their visit and that they come back often!
by Tony 5 Comments
Hopefully everyone’s already seen, read, and digested RFA’s interview over at 1up.com. Definitely some good stuff, but the most important quote I gleaned was:
RFA: … The whole Internet gaming piece, we missed the boat on GameCube. We won’t miss the boat in the future.
1UP: So is this an admission that you should have supported it more heavily?
RFA: (laughs) You know what? This is Reggie Fils-Aime, a year with the company, who wasn’t around when those decisions were made. I can tell you, as a consumer, I miss it on GameCube.
At first I toed the company line, thinking online console gaming wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Then I played Halo 2 on Live and my eyes were opened. It was love at first sight. But that love slowly became a mild infatuation because of game after game playing with immature (yeah, I said it) gamers, kids, trash-clowns, whatever you want to call them, playing Halo 2. In principle, I am converted to online gaming. I think Microsoft has done a wonderful job in bringing the vision to the masses. Unfortunately, online gaming still has a way to go. For one thing, it needs to grow up. I agree, for the most part, with fenegi at Video Fenky:
One thing Nintendo does have right this generation: Online gaming really is pointless. Since everyone is a shithead, you only play with people you know, and can’t you (usually) do that around the couch in real life anyway?
– fenegi (Video-fenky)
The interview at 1up is great, but like thousands of others, I was looking forward to Iwata’s keynote speech at GDC. Everyone knew he was going to drop a bombs on all gamers (and it turns out, non-gamers, too).
As soon as I saw Kotaku (I’m listening to the podcast as I type this. This guy is a genius.) had any tidbit about Iwata’s speech I read it right away. Brian summed up what he had recounted:
I’ve got to go breath in a paper bag for a minute before I pass out.
I, too, was swooning. Revolution was going to be backwards compatible with my beloved Gamecube collection? DS and Revolution online? I wanted to rush home and blog all about it. I decided to let my mind mull it over for a while. Thoughts of online Animal Crossing or NCAA 2006 were daydreams. But are they? I’m not ready to make any predictions or rash judgements. I’m going to sit back and watch this develop. For now, just go and download the podcast.
GameCube: The Nintendo Minute: Vol. 6: Quotes like this give us Nintendophiles such hope:
And finally, in speaking directly on what Sony and Microsoft did well — Sony launched aggressively with a strong third-party line-up, and Microsoft nurtured community with its Xbox Live service.
That is from The Leader of The Reggie-lution, Fils-Aime, a Nintendo VP (and VIP). We get these glimpses, and we hope.
Oh, how we hope.
Today we are going to look at couple articles with differing points of view on the direction Nintendo is heading. The first comes from the venerable hardware site, Tom’s Hardware. (NB: I love Tom’s Hardware, a great place for hardware reviews. I haven’t read much in their video game section, but I’ll be keeping my eye on it now.)
Titled “Why is Nintendo Ignoring American Men?”, Christiaan Allebest (Tom Hardware’s video game editor) talks specifically of the future of the DS but talks about Nintendo in general. He, like many others, feel like Nintendo is ignoring the “mature” audience of us American men, video gamers who were brought up on Nintendo. After complaining about the lack of DS games that would appeal to the male gamer, Christiaan closes with
Nintendo needs to reach out to older American gamers, not with the gloved, 3-fingered hand of Mario and his balloon animal friends, but with titles that deal specifically with what fascinates American males most: shooting things, blowing $%#@& up, and scantily-clad ladies.
I like blowing stuff up, just like the rest of us males, but I just can’t agree with this completely. There’s more to gaming that shooting and destruction. For me, I’ve got to think about who’s sitting next to me when I play. I have to be selective of what’s on the screen. The next article explains why.
From PC Magazine (WHAT!? PC Magazine? Bear with me, it’s worth it) we get this article by Jim Louderback, titled “For Families, Nintendo Slams Xbox”. He’s talking about his gaming experience with his son. From the article
Very few Xbox games so far have managed to hold our attention, though. The only one of note: Shrek 2 from THQ.
Shrek 2? That can’t be good. He continues
I’m using my Xbox less and less these days, and playing the GameCube more and more. I love console gaming, and I’m really glad my son does too. Someday we’ll be playing Madden NFL, Halo, and the rest. But not today.
Microsoft would love for the Xbox to become the center of home entertainment. But if the company can’t get its family-games situation together, that won’t happen. And based on what I’ve been playing, they have a long way to go. Without a family-game strategy, the Xbox will remain the province of older boys and men. My solution: Buy Nintendo.
There’s the key, at least in my case. Nintendo has always been my system of choice, and it grew up with me, for a while. People are always saying that Nintendo didn’t grow up enough and embrace us older gamers. But here’s the hitch – gamers like us have grown up. And now, some of us are getting married and having kids. I want some fun, gory games like the rest of us. Resident Evil owned me for weeks. But that’s not the kind of game I would sit down and play with my kids until they are much older.
“Mature” games are an important part of the spectrum of gaming. But Nintendo’s kid/family-oriented games are, too. Games like Paper Mario and Animal Crossing are currently influencing gamers that are as old as we were when we played Super Mario Brothers for the first time. I know after a kid turns 13 it’s all about playing Halo 2, but up to that point they should be playing games that are less serious and more about fun. Like it or not, Nintendo has the section of the market cornered. In the process, Nintendo is building another generation of gamers who know Mario and Luigi and don’t really care about Leon and Master Chief.
Ever since I rented Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, my two-year old daughter loves to watch me play Mario games. The title is the first thing she says to me when I walk through the door. She’s been watching me play video games since I could prop her up on a pillow (she watched me play Wind Waker all the way through) but until recently, they were just pretty colors on the screen with funny sounds.
Now that she’s realizing what is going on, now that she internalizes what she sees, it’s been a lot of fun to play games with her. I enjoyed the week of Paper Mario together, it was a fun game. (I didn’t get very far before I had to return it, unfortunately). I’ve gone back to Super Mario Sunshine and she loves that and I finally got around to opening one of my Christmas 2004 presents, Mario Power Tennis.
Super Mario Sunshine has been a mixed bag. It is still a really fun game with moments of insane difficulty and frustration thrown in. I still feel nostalgic when I hear the old-school Mario songs. I think Mario Sunshine is underappreciated.
Mario Power Tennis, on the otherhand, is pretty fantastic. The tennis is fun, the mini-games are a blast and while I haven’t tried the multiplayer yet, I’ve heard it rocks. I haven’t played a tennis video game in ages but Mario Power Tennis has filled the void, in the same way I hope the new Baseball, Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball game can fill another void. Oh, that Pennant Chase is like SNK’s Baseball Stars. (But what about Mario Baseball? I’m so confused!)
The best part of all this is my daughter is getting a history lesson in Mario-lore. She already can tell the difference between Princess Peach and Daisy and she knows Mario is in the red and Luigi is in the green. I couldn’t be a prouder dad right now!