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.
I think the console games are owning for Delivery, and the MMOs (the traditional MMOG’s) are owning content. Who will emerge the victor with the killer app, I do not know.
Maybe if someone could change the model a bit … instead of monthly fees, you could pay to run your own server with your set of criterion to join (similar to like BF: V, et al) and the monthly fixes/content pushes would be available (for fee or free?) … maybe we’d have something. Not sure if that’s financially feasible, but something’s gotta give here.
There’s a game coming out for the Gamecube in Japan called Homeland that is trying to do something similar to what you’re talking about. (I’ve got a few links here).
Basically, one console would act as the server, with that person playing the game master, and everyone who joins that particular game are the role players. This may not make it out of Japan, but the idea sounds pretty cool.
Here’s to hoping it makes it to our shores.
Oh yes the imposters are spreading prolifically around the internet, soon I will not be able to distinguish my own posts from the fraudulent ones. I suppose mimicry after all is a compliment to some extent. Yet there may only be one Foton.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it’s possible that more than one person could be “Foton”. You could always go with Foton_2. The other Foton was like, here first or something.
If he’s capable of beating me at Halo 2 I might consider that, however that is greatly unlikely. Just sitting back and exploring Foton M1.