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121

Video Game Chat / Extremely good Nintendo news!

« on: March 24, 2003, 01:31:39 PM »

The following post was taken from Nintendojo.com, which is a very reliable source for Nintendo news.

The N'terprise On the Rise: A News Round-Up
Nintendo has previously let loose a series of exciting announcments that truly represent their changing business structure. They are as follows:


Nintendo of America recently announced that in February, sales of its GCN console rose 110%, giving the company quite the morale boost in the wake of many third party cancellations. It appears that the free game offer, GCN's competetive price, and anticipation for the soon to be released Wind Waker were all key in this retail resurgence.
EA's 20 titles, with collaboration from Shigeru Miyamoto, was only the beginning. Expect to here some major third party backing in the coming months, particularly at E3.
Pre-orders for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker have now exceeded 600,000, breaking Vice City's pre-sell record. This certainly shows that it was wise for Nintendo to listen to their fans, bringing the tantalizing bonus disc with Ocarina of Time & Master Quest stateside.
At the DICW 2003 show, Mr. Miyamoto pretty much confirmed that the new Zelda under development is indeed based upon the realistic tech-demo featured at Spaceworld2000 when the GCN was first unveiled. Furthermore, he said that he plans to use the cel-shaded engine from the Wind Waker in an all new game. This style would lend itself particularly well to Mario, or better yet, Donkey Kong.
Also at the DICW 2003 show, Miyamoto reconfirmed three titles: Donkey Kong 'Next', Mario Kart, and Pokemon Stadium 3, which is to interact with Game Boy's Ruby and Sapphire. Both Donkey Kong and Mario Kart will be headliner titles at E3.
This is exciting, to be sure, and should help to build anticipation for this years E3, which hopefully features more surprises than last years strong, yet lackluster showing. (wj)

Source: Nintendo

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YES! I knew Nintendo would make a comeback! Though I had some doubts in the past regarding the success of the GameCube, I now realise that nothing can stand in the way of Nintendo's greatness! Great job Nintendo, good luck for the future!

Edited by - Mario Maniac on 3/24/2003 11:33:59 AM

122

Video Game Chat / Why are people predicitng Nintendo's downfall?

« on: March 19, 2003, 11:13:53 AM »

I also posted this topic at n-archives.com:

Why are so many industry analysts losing faith in the succcess of Nintendo? Everyone is saying it would be better for Nintendo to accept defeat and simply focus on games (no more developing console hardware).

Nintendo is not doing that bad. No matter how many people disagree with me, I am confident that Nintendo will find a way to recouperate from their losses (slow sales of their GameCube system, I mean). Just because their system is falling behind Microsoft's Xbox and is leagues away from Sony's PlayStation 2, that doesn't mean that Nintendo will give up. They can't give up. The video game industry will never be the same without Nintendo!

Believe me, Nintendo will fight back with their next system, they will try to topple the doiminant reign of Sony and force Microsoft away into the shadows...

People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

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Video Game Chat / Sony's promises with the PS2...

« on: March 18, 2003, 12:54:50 PM »

Why does Sony make their PlayStation systems so technically inferior compared to their other technology achievments? Let me give you an example: When the PlayStation 2 launched, there was a "parts shortage" that severely impacted the amount of PS2s that would be shipped worldwide. Because of this, Sony had to cut the initial amount of shipments in half (down to 500,000 in the U.S.). Most of the systems that had shipped were defected in some way.

Also, at the PS2's launch, there was a severe lack of good-quality games. It took about a full year for the PS2 to gain momentum and become the worldwide industry leader it is today! The reason: Grand Theft Auto 3, Gran Turismo 3, the list goes on. Most of these high-quality games weren't released until the second year of the PS2's life.

Also, it took Sony over 2 years for them to finally release the Network Adapter! Many people were wondering when (if ever) the PS2 would go online. But many of their expectations weren't answered immediately; the Network Adapter is strictly for GAMES only - none of the high-tech computer gadgetry that many people were anticipating...

Also, Sony kept the simplistic design of the PlayStation 1, failing to add 4 controller ports for multiplayer gaming! Instead, Sony insisted that people buy an extra device called a "Multitap" that has 4 controller ports built in, in order to play multiplayer games... 2 player games are so old now! Nintendo invented 4 player gaming with the N64; why didn't Sony add 4 controller ports in the PS2?

Another thing, what happened to the Hard Disk Drive that Sony had promised a year ago? Is this to become another one of those unreleased gadgets that could have had huge potential? Let's hope not...

If Sony truly wants to conquer the gaming world, then they shouldn't keep promising things before they have a finalized idea of what to expect. Nintendo did this same thing with the N64 - promising the 64 Disk Drive to be the next best thing in gaming since the analog stick, but they chickened out and never released the 64 Disk Drive outside of Japan...

Nintendo has learned from their past mistakes (with the N64) and has focused on correcting them with their GameCube. Their current strategies seem to be working, though Nintendo is still a bit skeptical about online gaming... Nintendo has another advantage over Sony - they have good customer support. Nintendo has answered gamer's please for a lighted-screen in their Game Boy, and created the Game Boy Advance SP. In addition to a lighted screen, the GBA-SP has a rechargeable battery (No more wasting your money on AA batteries!), and a new compact design where the screen folds down to protect the unit from dust and scratches!

Sony should follow in the footsteps of Nintendo. They should study Nintendo's current strategies and try to build better respect from their customers. In other words...Sony should correct their mistakes and try not to mess up in the future!

Here's an idea, Sony should redesign the PS2 and make it have slightly updated technology, and 4 controller ports built in.

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Video Game Chat / PS3 will fail...

« on: March 13, 2003, 10:11:03 AM »

I posted this at the n-archives.com Nintelligent forums:

PS3 will not meet Sony's expectations. The new "Cell" chip processing technology that is being built into the PlayStation 3 hardware is far too advanced for game developers to fully program for. I read something at another gaming website that said EA was predicting a lack of good games for the PS3 due to the difficulty of programing for the Cell chip proccessor.

Also, all of these multimedia enhancements that Sony is talking about for the PS3 are ridiculous. I'm not going to buy a gaming system to play DVDs or download TV shows. I only want a gaming system for *gasp!* GAMES! If I wanted a DVD player, I'll buy one seperatly. If I wanted to download TV shows, I'll buy a TiVO or WebTV. All these extra features that are going to be incorporated into the PS3 are useless. Sony is simply milking the public for their ignorance and is trying to hype up the PS3 the same way they hyped up the PS2...

That's why I never supported the PlayStation in the first place! That's why I only like traditional gaming systems that are strictly for video games! That's why I only like Nintnedo out of the three competitors (Sony Microsoft Nintendo). Nintendo is focused on making gaming systems strictly for video games, and nothing else!

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Video Game Chat / Nintendo earns major awards at AIAS...

« on: March 03, 2003, 10:10:56 AM »

Taken from Nintendo.com news article:

Nintendo Sweeps Major Awards Ceremony
Feb/28/03 12:00 PST

Seven Top Awards; Wins Demonstrate Innovation Still Captures Gamers' Hearts



LAS VEGAS, NV, Feb. 28, 2003 – In a city known for high stakes wins, Nintendo walked away with seven major coveted awards for superior achievement in the multi-billion dollar video game entertainment business at the 2003 Interactive Achievement Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

The gala ceremony, held by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), is attended by the industry's elite and is the one annual event where creators are recognized for their works of art and voted on by their peers.

Despite the stiff competition – many of them top-selling games – it was clear by the votes that Nintendo's continued ability to innovate and create new ways of experiencing gaming is still held in the highest regard.

Nintendo's Animal Crossing for the Nintendo GameCube, earned three awards, including: ‘Innovation in Console Gaming;' ‘Console RPG Game of the Year;' and ‘Outstanding Achievement in Game Design.'

In addition, AIAS honored Metroid Prime, also for Nintendo GameCube, in the ‘First Person Action Game of the Year' category.

Mario Party 4 a hysterical multi-player game, won ‘Family Game of the Year,' and Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, the first true psychological thriller, received the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story' award.

In the portable category, Metroid Fusion blasted its way to ‘Handheld Game of the Year.'

"As an artist, the only way I know how to make a great game is to go by my intuition and heart," explains Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, the world's renowned video game master and senior managing director of all software for the company. "To win over and over in just one evening stunned our whole team. We're overwhelmed."

Nintendo takes extra pride in the recognition of its second-party development partners, Retro Studios of Austin, Texas, developer of Metroid Prime; and Silicon Knights of Ontario, Canada, developer of Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Both titles are exclusive to Nintendo GameCube and earned critical acclaim in a variety of print and online publications during 2002.

Located in Los Angeles, CA, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) is an official professional academy of the $9+ billion interactive entertainment software industry. AIAS is supported by the industry's leading companies and counts among its board of directors representatives from Activision, Bioware Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Ensemble Studios, Infogrames, Insomniac Games, the Interactive Digital Software Association, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Oddworld Inhabitants, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sierra Entertainment, and Carnegie Mellon University.
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FINALLY! Nintendo has gotten the recognition and respect they deserve! I knew it would happen eventually... Now let's hope that they can continue their success with the release of the Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker.

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Video Game Chat / Oh no... Nintendo wouldn't be that stupid...

« on: February 20, 2003, 09:03:43 AM »

What if Nintendo eventually loses the support from their fans and from 3rd-party companies? Would they have to then "pull a Sega" and exit out of the console hardware business? I hope not...

People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

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General Chat / Testing new signature...

« on: January 30, 2003, 04:03:38 PM »

Yes, I know it's the exact same topic that goodie wrote, but I felt you guys could post your opinions on this:





People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don''t like Nintendo obviously don''t like video games.

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Video Game Chat / Nintendo's next console...

« on: January 30, 2003, 03:24:22 PM »

I just read an interesting editorial at n-archives.com. The staff members of that website were arguing on when Nintendo should release their next system. Now, I want to broaden this discussion here:

Nintendo has current plans to release their next system along side Sony's PlayStation 3, which will probably be sometime in 2005. If they do this, then the GameCube will die out shortly after, since 3rd-party developers will see the newer systems as a better opportunity to develop more advanced games, and won't want to waste their time developing for an older system. However, if Nintendo decides to make their next system backwards-compatible with the GameCube (meaning it will be compatible with all previously-released GameCube games and hardware) then developers might be able to support the system for a few more years. Sony has made the PS2 backwards compatible with the original PS1, and people are still supporting it.

In addition, releasing their next system at the same time as PS3 will only shorten the lifespan of the GameCube to a measly 2 or 3 years. Why would Nintendo want to risk shortening the lifespan of their current system just so they can get ahead of the competition by releasing a newer product? This is not very smart on Nintendo's part.

Even though the success of the GameCube is rather dull compared to the PlayStation franchise, Nintendo should not just give up on it. Give it time; eventually the GameCube will be just as successful as PlayStation 2. It will take some time, but it is definitely worth it if Nintendo is insisting on making a major comeback in the video game industry.

However, if Nintendo decides to release their system after the PlayStation 3, then they will have extra time to focus on further developing their system to match, or possibly beat, the technology-performance of the PS3 (the GameCube far surpasses the technical power of PlayStation 2). But again, if Nintendo does deicide to go with this strategy, then they will be faced with the same problems they had the GameCube: the PS3 will have a ton of success, and when Nintendo does eventually release their next system, they will again have to play "catch up" to match the popularity of PS3. Nintendo definitely cannot risk the support of their fans by having a marketing strategy like this.

So what should Nintendo do: release their next system at the same time as PS3, and further risk having the GameCube fail due to its relatively short lifespan; or should they simply wait until the PS3's popularity increases before releasing their next system to the public?

NOTE: I did not include any comparisons to the Xbox 2's potential launch because I don't really care about the Xbox...


Edited by - Mario Maniac on 1/30/2003 1:36:57 PM

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Video Game Chat / Interesting poll at Nintendo.com

« on: January 30, 2003, 08:14:48 AM »

I guess Nintendo has read the news about the potential for a Metroid Movie...

If you were casting a Metroid movie, who would star as Samus Aran?

 Jessica Alba
 Cameron Diaz
 Jennifer Garner
 Sarah Wynter

Personally, I would not want to cast Cameron Diaz as Samus Aran. Cameron Diaz is not even an action/dramatic star, hopw can she pull off the role as an intergalactic bounty hunter? Jessica Alba, from the TV show Dark Angel, is a better pick. She had a hit action television show, and she is HOT, not to mention she was a good fighter!

Jennifer Garner, from the TV show Alias, is another good pick for the role as Samus Aran. She is hot, and she can kick @ss pretty well...plus her show is recieving good reviews.

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Mario Chat / Why did mario sell out!?

« on: January 28, 2003, 11:31:22 PM »

Whats the deal?  Mario sold out so bad when he moved  to the gamecube... that stupid jetpack, what was he thinking!?

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Video Game Chat / Nintendo needs more respect...

« on: January 28, 2003, 09:44:39 AM »

There are so many people who don't respect Nintendo any more. Now all the hype is on PlayStation... Will Nintendo ever get back the recognition and respect that they lost during the N64 era?

The bad thing about Sony is that their PlayStation systems are built with cheap technology and are rushed out to the market too fast... That's why they break so easily and need to be returned or repaired so often.

At least Nintendo takes pride in their products. You hardly ever hear of a Nintendo system breaking or malfunctioning... Good ol' Nintendo. I'm so glad they've managed to survive all these years. Competitors keep making threats to the big N, but somehow, Nintendo always seems to pull through and fight on! Go Nintendo!

I hope Nintendo's next system blows all the competition away!

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Video Game Chat / Next-generation system ideas...

« on: January 27, 2003, 01:02:09 PM »

Post your ideas for what the next-generation systems from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony should be...

Microsoft's next system should be backward's compatible with existing Xbox software and hardware. That's one thing that made the PS2 so popular, it was backwards-compatible with previous PlayStation software and hardware. There are much improvements to be made to the Xbox, so Microsoft should get things right with their next system. One HUGE complaint is the Xbox's massive size. The existing Xbox system is twice the size of a PS2 (not that big, but it's still too big to carry around). Microsoft has hinted that they will make their next system much smaller. Hopefully a bit bigger than the GameCube, but still small enough to carry around without breaking your back trying to lift it... Microsoft already addressed consumer's complaints regarding the size of the controller, making the redesigned Controller-S much smaller and having an improved button layout. The Controller-S should be the primary controller used for the next Xbox system; kind of like how Sony reused the same controller design for the Dual Shock 2. The Xbox 2 should be DVD-playable right out of the box, like the PS2, with no annoying adapters or remote controls to buy seperately...

Sony's next system should be about the same size as PS2. It should be backwards-compatible with all existing PlayStation software, and should include extra DVD features like the PS2 and Xbox. The PS3 should be DVD-playable right out of the box, like the PS2, with no annoying adapters or remote controls to buy seperately... Sony should keep the same controller design for the Dual Shock 3. The PlayStation controller is a great controller, and I love the simple, yet easy-to-use design.

For both the PS3 and Xbox 2, they should use the new mini-DVD 3-inch disk format that originated with the GameCube. I heard a rumor in PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation Magazine that the PS3 will use Sony's new BlueRay disk technology that has a DVD housed within a small plastic case, to prevent scratches on the disk. Xbox 2 should use a similar format...

Nintendo's next system should be about the same size as the GameCube. It should be backwards-compatible will all existing GameCube software and hardware. Nintendo should keep the GameCube's controller design, since it is one of the best controllers I have ever used! Nintendo's next system should also be DVD-playable right out of the box, since Nintnedo needs some sort of extra features on their next system to ensure a good success... Look at PS2 and Xbox, they're popularity is mainly based on their DVD features as well as their games.

Any comments/complaints you need to adress, you can reply here. You may even post your own ideas if you want!

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Video Game Chat / A Metroid movie is being planned!

« on: January 22, 2003, 12:48:51 PM »

Go to Nintendojo.com for more info. I posted the article here:

Metroid Movie in the Works
Apparently some people out in Hollywood have gotten their hands on one of Nintendo's hottest properties. Hollywood producers Warren Zide and Craig Perry are currently in the process of gathering writers, actors, and a director for work on a new Metroid movie. Here is the only official info we have direct from Variety.

The story is set in a once peaceful galaxy, which has its prosperity shattered by a startling discovery: On a routine mapping expedition of a planet, a survey crew discovers a new airborne life form -- the Metroid. Able to engulf other living beings, feed on their energy, and multiply in great numbers, they prove a terrifying menace. Female bounty hunter Samus Aran is commissioned by the Galactic Federation to eliminate the pests, but she soon discovers that pirates with a stolen Metroid specimen are plotting to breed an build an unstoppable army.
(jm)

Source: Variety
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I played Metroid Prime the other day at a local GameStop store. THAT GAME IS FRICKEN AWESOME! The graphics are amazing, way better than anything the Xbox can do... The sound effects are sweet, the music is pulse-pounding eerie, and the gameplay is kept in the style of the classic Metroid games... Play Metroid Prime, YOU'LL LOVE IT!

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Video Game Chat / Another competitor in the video game console market???

« on: January 21, 2003, 09:53:25 AM »

Taken from Nintendojo.com:

Infinium Labs Announces New Console

Infinium Labs, a Tampa Bay technology company, announced plans to create a high-performance game console to compete with the X-Box, PS2, and Gamecube. Some of the feature's that set this system apart from past consoles are:


Pre-Loaded Games
Games on Demand
Game Rentals
Different subscriptions for casual, moderate, and hardcore gamers

Whether Infinium Labs can make good on these promises and lure developers is still to be seen. One of the major features mentioned in the release is "Cross Platform capabilities." However, what other platforms the system will support have yet to be announced. More on this story as it becomes available.

(md)

Source: Infinium Labs

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Great, another competitor in the never-ending console battles! I wonder if this new company will have better success thanb Microsoft, probably not. The current console battle is intensely competitive, so we don't need another company to wage war against...

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Video Game Chat / Predictions of the fate of Xbox... We all know the truth!

« on: January 17, 2003, 09:44:03 AM »

Come on people, everyone could predict the Xbox would be a failure... Japan doesn't have the same preferences as U.S. gamers do, so obviously trying to release an American product like the Xbox in Japan would be a very difficult process! Why couldn't Microsoft realize their errors and simply keep the Xbox in the U.S.?