Sunday, August 06, 2006

DS to enable portable Wii features?



There are rumours that Nintendo will show off a DS accessory that will enable tilt sensitivity via the GBA slot and also turn Wii into a semi-portable system. The Nintendogossip blog has received an email by someone who wishes to remain anonymous, for obvious reasons. Here´s the details:
One of the first games that will use this gyro-sensor is Tony Hawk Downhill Jam for the DS. You’ll have to tilt your DS from left to right to steer your skater down the hill. This will give us the feeling like we’re playing with our Nintendo Wii on the road. Other developers got great ideas when they heard about this new accessory but I can’t share them with you yet.

Games like Excite Truck and Tony Hawk Downhill Jam for Nintendo Wii will allow you to connect your Nintendo DS (lite) wireless with your Nintendo Wii. The DS will be used as a controller. Don’t expect too much of this feature since the gyro-sensor cartridge for the DS isn’t as accurate as the Wiimote.

The size of this accessory is the same like the rumble packs for the Nintendo DS and the DS lite. Nintendo will show off this new accessory at the Leipzig Games Convention. I don’t know if there will be any games using this sensory playable on the show floor.


Now, let´s briefly discuss how credible this source could be. First off, there is always the question why such an anonymous poster would choose a relatively small blogsite to reveal information to, rather than a professional site like IGN. No disrespect to Nintendogossip, the same argument would apply if I had been sent that mail. Of course, the answer is that blogs are more likely to actually post that mail, since professional sites are more particular about what they post. However, this indicates that the author himself apparently does not believe the content to be good enough to be published on IGN. This hardly speaks in favour of what he has to say.

However, there are also reasons to believe in the authenticity of the claims. For a start, the mail is well-written. This is, unfortunately, something that stands out in this community. It´s no surprise, really, because a large number of people who take an interest in videogames are teenagers (and it seems it´s often those younger ones that are prone to setting up elaborate hoaxes for a laugh).

Secondly, one big factor in favour of the mail is modesty. By writing "Don’t expect too much of this feature since the gyro-sensor cartridge for the DS isn’t as accurate as the Wiimote", the author actually takes his revelation down a peg or two. Most fakers don´t want to exaggerate, but they will not want to sell their made-up story under value. This guy seems to be quite realistic and understates his point, if anything. If a faker, he´s of the clever sort.



Turning to the content, the whole thing would make a lot of sense. Connectivity between the consoles is a given. And since the consoles communicate, Wii can display content on the DS when you are on the go, for example.

A tilt-sensitive cartridge for the DS is to be expected (since the technology was already incorporated into WarioWare: Twisted, as the author correctly points out). And given that, the DS could easily function as some kind of mobile screen for Wii games.

Now, the Wii games would obviously have to be presented in a resolution that is fit for the DS. Scaling down Wii graphics to DS standard makes no sense (and is probably even near-impossible, from a technical point of view). It is my guess that the only way this could be done is by writing dedicated DS mini games or extensions into Wii software.

That would make the most sense, since this feature would not work well with a number of Wii games (take Trauma Center, for example). But it would work for Tony Hawk´s Downhill Jam or ExciteTruck. So this feature would be an optional one, like Wi-Fi compatibility for DS titles.

On the whole, I believe this story could well be true. And this would add another bonus to the Wii console, by either adding to the television screen or enabling portability for Wii.

But it´s important to take into account that this bonus would be no huge deal, since the graphics displayed would have to mirror the DS´ graphical capabilities, not the Wii´s. Rather, think of this as the Sega Dreamcast´s Visual Memory Unit (VMU) done right.

Source: Nintendogossip
Thanks to: GoNintendo, Infendo

79 comments:

Falafelkid said...

Again commenting on my own post, do you know what ridiculous idea I had ages ago, when imagining a portable screen or visor that would enable stereoscopic display on Wii?

Well, stereoscopic output consists of two separate pictures, one for each eye. What device do you know that has two screens...? I know it sounds ridiculous - and it is! - but I just wanted to share that idea with you now, since we´re talking about the DS becoming a mobile screen for Wii.

Anonymous said...

Hi Andreas.

Yes. you are right. I know also that in E3 2006 many people have seen what some other "two" screned game system might look like ;)

Haven you ever concidered that the Koi Pond at the Zelda section might be something Nintendo been testing if we like it or not?

What I mean is simple. They have mentioned before that we might look at DS for an examle on how Wii might look/feel.

Fact1: DS has 2 screens.
Fact2: DS lover screen is touch sensitive.
Fact3: Ds use a pointer as an input devise.


So imagine you play it in similar ways by standing on/in the interactive world (lower screen) which is sensitive and then you have the upp screen which is either color tv or monitor?

/silver

Anonymous said...

I say this rumor is fake.
The technology could - or maybe will - be presented by Nintendo sometime, but the first game that use it will be produced by Nintendo and not by some 3rd party developer.
I guess Nintendo has always released a game along a new piece of hardware... but maybe I'm wrong.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Silver.

Let me just add that I really don´t want to make a big thing out of my idea. Holding your DS sideways and up close to your eyes (if at all, it would have to slide into a frame, which would look like oversized glasses) would make you look ever so stupid and would hardly be practical. Also, the resolution of the DS would not really enable you to see anything. It was just a totally crazy idea I had that I felt I should share here for a laugh.

Hi Superuser.

I wouldn´t dismiss the rumour as such. All the technology needed is out or has been announced already (tilt sensitive GBA cartridge and console connectivity) and would only need to be repackaged.

There will be a tilt sensor for the DS via the GBA slot, I am sure. And it would only make sense to utilize that for Wii. After all, the hardware is so small that it could easily be used on the go. There are even plenty of uses I can think of when you have Wii connected to a television set.

So whether this guy is fake or not is not really important here. Because what he says will likely become reality anyway.

Anonymous said...

@falafelkid
"So whether this guy is fake or not is not really important here. Because what he says will likely become reality anyway."

Yeah I agree with you on this.

Oh, I read the article again. I realized this time that Tony Hawk will be ONE OF THE FIRST games for the new device - so this rumour could be true...

I'm going to read new articles twice before posting the next time - so I don't have to feel like an idiot!


Off-topic:
The first time I heard about the two screens for the next Nintendo portable console, I also thought the screens could be used for a stereo-3D effect like in those "Magic-Eye" pictures. Maybe someone tries to develop something like that with homebrew-software sometime.

Anonymous said...

Why isn't GC taking place in a major city like munich where international exhibitions like ISPO take place and where the fair grounds are a good deal bigger?

Which games do you look forward to most on Wii at GC?

Can we expect titles where the controller acts as a pointer like for example in Lucasarts adventures or strategy games ?

Do you think Nintendo lacks the hip image Sony has solely because of the name or also because of games like Pokemon,Kirby,Yoshi,Nintendogs etc.?

Do you think Nintendo targets mature audiences at all?
WarioWare and Wii sports hardly sound attractive for casual UK Wipeout,Final Fantasy,Winning Eleven mid twenty coevals.

Has Nintendo NCL released one single mature rated title to date with the great gameplay they are famous for?

Could it be that Nintendo deliberately targets kids with its games even if they dont admit it since they always capitalized on it with games like Donkey Kong and Mario?

Does Nintendo in all honesty think
that they can angle PC and PS2 gamers and adult nongamers with
Wii Sports and Mario Galaxy ?

Will Nintendo introduce significant new IPs for Wii in forseeable future?

Falafelkid said...

Hi Ciosc.

I won´t reply to all of your questions because they would all take some time to answer (and you have not taken too much time explaining your position, which would have been interesting). Also, other people have answered some of the questions in the comments to the last posts. So I will start at the beginning.

Why isn't GC taking place in a major city like munich where international exhibitions like ISPO take place and where the fair grounds are a good deal bigger?

People underestimate the sheer size of the Leipziger Messe. Though one of the oldest expo venues in Europe, the grounds were completely refurbished in 1996. In 2004, more than 10.000 companies exhibited at Leipzig and more than a million people visited the grounds.

It´s just not one of Germany´s biggest cities and does not have a massive airport near. But it´s only just over an hour´s trainride away from the capital Berlin and only three and a half hour´s away from Europe´s biggest airport in Frankfurt.

Add to that the fact that Germany is a heavily decentralized country (well illustrated by the fact that the biggest airport is not in the capital) and you begin to understand that Leipzig is a perfect host for the Games Convention and its developers conference GCDC.

Falafelkid said...

Just to add this: Leipziger Messe has five halls, all connected with one another, totalling 102.500 square metres of exhibit space.

By comparison, the Los Angeles Convention Center only has 71.500 square metres.

Mind you, not the entire space is used by Games Convention, as far as I know.

Anonymous said...

"Mind you, not the entire space is used by Games Convention, as far as I know. "

Then why even bother? Nintendo's E3 press conference was supposed to be huge too with a big secret being unveiled in the room where the Oskar Awars are being held. But they ended up only using 20-30% of that room.

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid,

I'm curious to hear your point of view and to get more feedback regarding the questions.

I would very much appreciate it since it's rare that a person in your position,who is actively in touch with the industry,is approachable through forums like this .

Thanx for awnsering a question at all though.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Ciosc.

I'm curious to hear your point of view and to get more feedback regarding the questions.

But you are just asking loads of questions into the blue. It´s fine, but what is your opinion on them? That´s a better way to get an argument going ni my opinion.

Anonymous said...

If this story is true, what´s
about WiiConnect24? Do you
remember, what Iwata told you?

"Well, maybe you are underestimating
the power or potential of Wiiconnect24
now. After all, Wii is a console that
can be connected to the internet 24
hours a day with minimal consumption
of power. In the near future we can
reveal what it can do and then you can
understand many secrets behind the Wii
machine."

If you´ve an internet-connection,
the whole game could run on the Wii
and the DS could display the Wii-
graphics only with a lower resolution.

OK, it´s only likely with racing-games
or so on, because of the controle-
mechanisms. ;-)

Falafelkid said...

Hi Raphael.

Are you saying the computational power will be the Wii´s and not that of the DS? Good point. But would that not imply that the DS can display a far greater resolution than it currently does for DS games? Is that the case? I wouldn´t know, to be honest. Interesting point nevertheless.

Anonymous said...

Well my point is simply that I don't see Nintendo reigning again anytime soon with their contemporary software philosophy.


The controller is out of question.

However,how long do you think will Nintendo have the advantage when it finally prooves itself to be smoother than current input devices?

I bet you Sony and Microsoft will jump on the band-waggon before you can say knife when it ends up being successful.
It's just a matter of time.

If Nintendo rests on its laurels they are in for a rude awakining I'm afraid.

Remember?Nintendo had a bunch of advantages over its competitors with their "inventions" but they all ended in smoke in the long run!


Unfortunately,Nintendo still has remarkable deficits concerning 3rd party support.Except from Ubis' there simply aren't any noteworthy 3rd party titles.

I assume,most 3rd parties would happily stick with Sony wouldn't Nintendo innovate.
They knew that they simply had no other choice than to hit the road with fundamental changes to survive.

It might sound naive but the hard reality is that the majority of people around the world simply find the whole Sony Playstation brand and name more appealing from the design of the console to the games to the marketing.It's not too hardcore like Xbox 360 and at the same time not as cute and colourful as Nintendo.

The big advantage is that Sony is being perceived as neutral and stylish and it has a library of games ranging through all genres and they got something for every taste.

The paradox thing is that Nintendo is actually the company that wants to be Sony but can't be.
Sonys console really reached all audiences.Young and old.

And it did so only because of their software philosophy.

See the big difference between Sony and Nintendo is that Sony really understood how to reach everyone.
They reach everyone by releasing games for different tastes and ages.
Nintendo on the other hand always tried to reach all ages by releasing games that are supposed to appeal to all ages and not different ones like Sony.
It all comes down to this in the end.
Nintendo needs to step up to 3rd parties and build up confidence to the fullest.
No way around it.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Ciosc.

I bet you Sony and Microsoft will jump on the band-waggon before you can say knife when it ends up being successful. It's just a matter of time.

Do you mean that Sony and MS will copy the controller? For PS3 and Xbox360? Controllers have never been changed during the lifetime of a console and this will never happen. And the Wiimote is hardly something that could be an optional extra that some users have and others not. You either develop for it - or not.

If Nintendo rests on its laurels they are in for a rude awakining I'm afraid.

What makes you think they will? Nintendo is the one initiating change, after all.

Remember? Nintendo had a bunch of advantages over its competitors with their "inventions" but they all ended in smoke in the long run!

When was that? What are you referring to?

Unfortunately, Nintendo still has remarkable deficits concerning 3rd party support.Except from Ubis' there simply aren't any noteworthy 3rd party titles.

You cannot be serious. I am not even going to bother compiling a list of third party partners that are fully committed to Wii (some more so than they are to PS3). Sorry, but that information is all over the community.

Anonymous said...

i really hate to disagree with you falafelkid, but controllers do change amidst a consoles lifecycle *sometimes*. however, the only two examples i can think of would be PS1s "dual shock" (the addition of analog sticks and rumble) and Sega Genesis' (MegaDrive) "6-button" controller (the addition of 3 more face buttons). at first, some people had them, some didn't, but toward the end of the consoles lifecycles, they were pretty much the norm - most especially with dualshock.

anyways...

as far as a sony or microsoft stealing the controller goes... it's been my point of view since the controller was first announced that anyone who thinks they *won't* steal or otherwise mimic the controllers functionality is a fool. i'm certain that they absolutely will, but the difference being that their "me too's" will be optional, while nintendo's is required... which still helps to set nintendo apart. even if microsoft or sony don't make a mock wiimote for their systems, 3rd parties are bound to - sensing that there might be a buck to be made. look at these pathetic fuckin' ass holes "splitfish".

and i'm done.

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

hi!

technically it is no huge problem scaling the graphics down to display them on the ds. the graphic engine just needs to support the resolution of the ds screen. the completey rendered picture just needs to be send to the ds. it only needs to display it rather than render and display it, wich would be impossible due to lack of power. but that won´t happen because of the problem with controlling the game. wii´s controller is too complicated to be completely "implentable" into the ds. but i think this "game displaying on the go" could be possible for virtual console content. especially the 2d games would be excellent for that. i could imagine that this might be happening. but no "playing wii games via stream on your ds"

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid,

Nintendo NEEDS heavy-hitters !

Is Mario Galaxy a heavy hitter?

Is Zelda a heavy hitter ?
ummmmmmmmmm....HELL YEAH!!!!!!
:)

No seriously we need :


Silent Hill Wii

Street Fighter Wii

FINAL FANTASY Wii

Half Life 3 Wii

TEKKEN 7 Wii

WipeOut Wii

Grand Theft Auto

Monkey Island

Ninja Gaiden

Bio Shock

Tenchu

Genji

Indiana Jones

Halo

Shadow of Collosus

the WARRIORS

Pro Evolution Soccer

Anonymous said...

Hah Nintendo trying to be Sony? where have you been? its more like Sony is trying to be Nintendo.

Nintendo was always trying to reach everyone thats why most of there games are E for everyone.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Tactics.

Controllers do change amidst a consoles lifecycle *sometimes*. however, the only two examples i can think of would be PS1s "dual shock" (the addition of analog sticks and rumble) and Sega Genesis' (MegaDrive) "6-button" controller (the addition of 3 more face buttons).

I am sorry, I stand corrected. What I really meant was that you could not merely introduce a controller like the Wiimote to either PS3 or Xbox360 as an add-on - and replacing the current controllers entirely with something so different would really not be possible because it would irritate consumers and render at least some on-going developments obsolete.

I'm certain that they absolutely will [copy the controller], but the difference being that their "me too's" will be optional, while nintendo's is required... which still helps to set nintendo apart.

Absolutely. That´s why I doubt that the motion sensor in the PS3 controllers will be an integral part of every game, simply because it needn´t be. Nintendo really requires full use of the Wiimote and that, in turn, spawns original games.

Hi Coldblooder.

First of all, thanks for clearing that thing about scaling down graphics up for me.

Wii´s controller is too complicated to be completely "implentable" into the ds. but i think this "game displaying on the go" could be possible for virtual console content.

What I meant was that there could be dedicated minigames, written into the Wii code, that would run on the DS when connected to the Wii. Imagine the minigames on the Dreamcast´s VMU, only much more complex and tilt-sensitive. And good point about VC games. That could also work well.

Anonymous.

Nintendo NEEDS heavy-hitters ! Is Mario Galaxy a heavy hitter?

Are you kidding? Mario is most likely the most popular game license in the world. Nintendo reports "more than 185 million units sold worldwide". No other franchise has the power to bring together entire generations. Ask around and you wil find that almost every non-gamer knows Mario, while none of them know GTA or MGS. Ask your parents and you will see.

There are probably millions of people who remember Mario from Game & Watch or NES and haven´t picked up a console since. With its original controller and affordable price point, all those people are likely to be interested in videogames again.

Also, most of the games you listed I wouldn´t consider heavy hitters. Ninja Gaiden, Tenchu or Genji do not have the appeal of a Mario title by far.

And there are good alternatives for games like Silent Hill, Street Fighter, Tekken or Pro Evolution Soccer (Resident Evil, Soul Calibur and FIFA - probably all coming to Wii).

And Half Life and Monkey Island are mainly at home on PC platforms, though a Wii version would not be a bad thing, I agree.

Shadow of the Colossus and WipeOut are Sony franchises, obviously, while Halo belongs to Microsoft.

I think you massively underestimate the strength of the already announced Wii titles. And remember there are even more to be announced at GC.

Also, it´s not as if all those titles you listed will be in any competition to Wii. Halo 3 won´t be coming out for another year, I guess. And the only PS3 launch titles that can be considered heavy hitters are Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid. And I wouldn´t be surprised if at least one of those titles didn´t make it for launch.

Anonymous said...

While I think the source is a bit suspect. A tilt cartridge for the GBA slot on the DS is such an obvious and natural thing for Nintendo to do especially if they want to turn more than 20 million DS owners into Wii owners. It is probably a smaller version of the tilt cartridge that was Wario Ware Twisted but without the game.

I,m sceptical of the Wii/DS connectivity bit, it didn't work for the Gamecube/GBA and it probably won't work for Wii/DS.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Mark.

I,m sceptical of the Wii/DS connectivity bit, it didn't work for the Gamecube/GBA and it probably won't work for Wii/DS.

I think that´s up to the software supporting the connectivity. Nintendo originally pushed that Pacman game for both GBA and GCN, but it just never materialized. If it had, it might have turned out differently. I wouldn´t say that these things don´t work out oer se, because the idea is inherently flawed or something. It´s just a question of great software using that connectivity.

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid,

FINAL FANTASY alone destroys everything that Wii has to offer!

Are you sleeping?

Crystal Ciddi Chronicles?

YOU must be kidding!

Matter of fact is,

BioShock,Gears of War,Gta,Mass Effect,Saints Row,Rare,Halo,Forza,
etc. damage Wii to the fullest!


Just as

FINAL FANTASY,SILENT HILL,METAL GEAR SOLID,TEKKEN,WIPEOUT,PRO EVO SOCCER,HEAVENLY SWORD,GTA,GRAN TURISMO,SHADOW OF COLLOSUS,NAUGHTY DOG, etc. smash Wii in the ground!!!

These games simply have more style and mass appeal!
All YOU say is Mario,Mario,Mario BOOM!
Mario is boring and the same since twenty years!
Kids will buy it no doubt!
But adult gamers simply stick to more elegant games on Sonys platform!
Falafelkid, if you dont come to terms with this simple fact you really must be living in Mushroom dreamland I'm afraid!

I also totally agree with Ciosc regarding how people generally perceive consoles and that the PS3
is the most neutral of them with games for every taste!
I guess you didn't pick up on that cause you just couldn't say anything against it!

Envy speaks out of you Falafelkid, and primarly bitterness .
You are so committed to Nintendo, that you always see youself in a position to defend them at any cost!Its called Fanboyism!

Peace to the SuperFan(stop smoking that shit:),D-Bone,910do

RETURN-OF-THE-IALS

Falafelkid said...

IALS.

First of all, try to post a bit more constructively, please. This is already pretty good (coming from you), but why don´t we all talk like adults, here, okay?

FINAL FANTASY,SILENT HILL,METAL GEAR SOLID,TEKKEN,WIPEOUT,PRO EVO SOCCER,HEAVENLY SWORD,GTA,GRAN TURISMO,SHADOW OF COLLOSUS,NAUGHTY DOG, etc. smash Wii in the ground!!!

No doubt Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid are very strong titles and will be quite some competition for Nintendo. But it´s not certain that they will be available at launch. So Nintendo might have their console already off to a head-start when those two come out.

These games simply have more style and mass appeal!

I think we have different definitions of mass appeal. Let me explain mine: In the portable market, the games with the most mass appeal are not GTA Liberty City Stories or WipeOut Pure.

They are Brain Training and Animal Crossing. They have outsold every PSP title manyfold - and that consistently for almost a year now. Let´s not forget that.

In this regard, Wii: Sports, for example, has much more mass appeal than Metal Gear Solid (it will likely come with the Wii console, too).

All YOU say is Mario,Mario,Mario BOOM!

I don´t, although SMG will be one of the strongest titles. But the Wii might just have one of the strongest launch line-ups ever. Wait until games Convention and see what else is announced there.

Mario is boring and the same since twenty years! Kids will buy it no doubt! But adult gamers simply stick to more elegant games on Sonys platform!

Mario boring? That´s just your opinion. Sales back me up, that´s for sure. No license is as recognized as Mario. Ask your parents. They have never heard of Snake or Grand Theft Auto. But they know Mario.

Envy speaks out of you Falafelkid, and primarly bitterness. You are so committed to Nintendo, that you always see youself in a position to defend them at any cost!Its called Fanboyism!

Haha, good one. People usually project their own faults and weaknesses onto others. I am a professional journalist, my dear friend. I simply cannot afford to voice anything but reasonable opinions, backed up by facts. You might want to read IGN´s discussion concerning Sony´s future. I am in line with what a lot of people have said there.

I am looking forward to PS3, of course. The console will have a lot to offer. I am particularly excited about the next-gen Eye Toy (and I know the Sony guys in London quite well, actually).

But if you cannot acknowledge that Sony will have difficulties remaining market leader (which no professional journalist disagrees with), then one of us really is a fanboy, but it´s not me.

Anonymous said...

Don't games like Mario Bros., Smash Bros., Mario Kart, Pokemon, Zelda and Animal Crossing routinely sell 5,000,000-plus?

Metroid, WarioWare, Mario sports, Pikmin, F-Zero, Kirby and Yoshi-based titles do well, too.

And what about recent moneymakers like Brain Training and Nintendogs?

Don't forget new titles like Excite Truck, Project Hammer, Day of Crisis and Wii Sports.

Also, from that largely useless "list" the previous poster keeps spewing (mostly under the "Anonymous" tag), Wii will have entries from series like Sonic, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, not to mentioned Dragon Quest.

We can't forget all the EA sports and regular franchises plus the recently announced Ubisoft titles. Even companies like Midway have thrown in their hats.

Add in the Virtual Console, and to someone like me, who's been in the game since Pong, this sounds like a damn good deal.

I'm sorry--what was the point again?

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid,

Wake up!

You simply don't see the general problem of Nintendo that Ciosc and
me are trying to make clear to you!

You beat about the bush because your ego is to big so you refuse to accept the casual mind state and preferences of people around the world regarding the 3 console giants.
I am repeating my self here.
Go and read what Ciosc said!

Its simply unchangable fact that Sony is the market leader in the home console sector since two generations BECAUSE it HAS and STILL IS being perceived by people around the world as the best allround,neutral console!
The marketing is better!
The games are aimed at different audiences whereas Nintendo always tried to aime its' games at all audiences!
The design of the console is better!
The name sounds better!
The brand is simply more appealing to the majority of people around globe!
You have to accept that they hit the nail on the head simple as that!
What I say is backed up by hundred million PS2s sold please savour this!
Nintendo is beautiful.I love Nintendo.But they simply can't hold a candle to Sony with their software philosophy!
Again read what Ciosc wrote!
They still think they can win over all crowds with their Kirbys and Pokemons and Peaches and Marios.

The first thing that Nintendo needs to learn is that it's way easier to reach the masses by releasing games for different tastes like Sony does,instead of trying to be E.T. or Star Wars or Jurassic Park!

EXCEPTIONS ARE RARE

Get it?

Anonymous said...

Hi D-Bone,

The problem is that the price doesn't matter at all!
I bet If the console won't sell the price will go down faster than you can say knife!

Remember the XBOX price tag when it came out?

They sold the Xbox for 475 Euros when it came out with no game packed in and I swear it took only 2-3 weeks until the price dropped to 250 Euros WITH TWO GAMES PACKED IN!
A friend of mine bought the Sega GT + cel-shaded rollerblade-spray game pack for that price.
Eventually Microsoft ended up 2nd worldwide.

Anonymous said...

...yes you're right about that price don't matter. If I want some thing that bad, i'll get it no matter what.

But! Let say 6 million ppl like me and you will buy this thing. Isn’t a little to naive here? so what about "the other" poor guys, family? How many are they reallyaout there?

You get my point right? And I know that billions ppl will actually buy Wii, ut it make alot of sense in business perspective of what Nintendo wants to acomplish, namingly - expanding the market.

It's alot easier to accomplish the 6 million goal in Mars 2007 by having cheapier prices.

I do admit that Sony have better image when coming to PS2. But that dosen't mean I hae bought one...

/silver

Anonymous said...

opps sorry

corrections:

"And I know that billions ppl will actually (not) buy Wii"


/silver :P

Falafelkid said...

Hi IALS.

Thanks for finally getting a good discussion going - and thanks for your constructive comments.

The problem is that the price doesn't matter at all!

Only to very few people, price doesn´t matter. And those early adopters will not decide which console wins.

If price didn´t matter, why did the technically far inferior GameBoy beat Atari Lynx and Sega GameGear? Why did VHS beat both Betamax and Video2000 - again being technically inferior? The only reason is price.

I bet If the console won't sell the price will go down faster than you can say knife!

Very doubtful. Sony is already losing up to $200 with each console sold, according to analysts and insiders I have spoken to.

Remember the XBOX price tag when it came out? They sold the Xbox for 475 Euros when it came out with no game packed in and I swear it took only 2-3 weeks until the price dropped to 250 Euros WITH TWO GAMES PACKED IN!

Let´s not forget that this was a huge disaster for Microsoft and almost broke their neck before they even started.

And the price dropped to €299. Also, no games were included. Games were used to compensate early adopters. See here.

Microsoft has money coming out of their ears, so they were able to survive this debacle. But it was a disaster nonetheless that cost them billions and pretty much their reputation at the time.

Sony is in a difficult financial position (in fact, the cost of some of the components just increased, as Sony announced) and will not be able to reduce the price until the second half of next year at the earliest.

Anonymous said...

ials...

it seems to me that you fail to realize the facts. i'm not gonna spend a lot of time on this, because it's apparent that your opinion is terribly skewed, but let me just say a couple things - and i want you to actually read and comprehend them, okay?

you keep referring to sony's market status with the ps3 as if it were the ps2. it is NOT THE SAME, IALS. there are BIG DIFFERENCES NOW.
for starters, NOBODY owns a ps3. remember that. regardless of how many ps2s have "sold", NOBODY OWNS A PS3 YET. there are NOT 100,000 PS3s sold.
secondly, remember this one simple fact - because it comes around to bite console-making companies in the ass every few years NO MATTER WHAT. third party developers (which is *all* sony has going for them) are interested in ONE THING ONLY: MONEY. with xbox360 in 10 million homes by '07, and wii in 4-6 million homes by '07, and ps3 in (a maximum of) 2-3 million homes by '07 (based on problems with blu-ray, cells ridiculously shitty hardware yields, etc) WHICH PLATFORMS LOOK MORE DESIRABLE FOR WHICH TO DEVELOP GAMES? that's right: the ones that have a deeper market penetration *AND* cost less for development. simple as that.

you'll see 90%+ of sony's "heavy hitters" getting ported to 360, and you'll find the only original content aside from those, that are actually worth buying, on wii or 360 - it's as simple as that!

people don't buy systems for hardware: they buy them for games.
third parties don't develop games for hardware, or a name: they develop games TO SELL THEM AND MAKE MONEY.

you'll see how this all plays out, i know.

sony is going to have a BITCH of a time producing a good amount of ps3s that actually run properly and don't break. be prepared to see an even more fucked up launch than xbox360, by the way, because sony has promises to keep: they promised their investors that 10 million (HAHAHAHA) ps3s would ship and sell before march '07, meaning that we're going to see A LOT of bitching and complaining on message boards and the like about broken-ass PS3s. incredibly, xbox360 bounced back from these issues, but they had no competition at the time. they were the "only next-gen console" when they did it. guess what? when someone buys a broken-ass PS3, goes back to the store to return it, and sees a giant xbox360 display, and a recent announcement that MGS4 and FF13 are coming to 360, they're gonna wonder why the hell they're even considering getting another PS3, and instead will decide to save money by picking up a 360 AND a wii instead.

you will see ials. 3rd parties are gonna start dropping sony just as fast as they all dropped nintendo back in the n64 days - remember? back when nintendo seemed infallible as the market leader? the video game company that was totally unstoppable? the company who saved video games? the company whose name was literally synonymous with the term "video games"? yeah, nintendo. 3rd parties started jumping ship on the QUICK, and guess WHY ials? there was a cheaper console on the market, that was also much easier and cheaper for which to develop games! sure, the graphics weren't as good - but it had AWESOME GAMES! remember that console? it was the PS1.

history repeats itself, IALS. some of us simply have the foresight to predict it.

I SAID GOOD DAY.

-"superfan" tactics.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Tactics.

Excellent post, there. Thanks for your contribution.

Sony has promises to keep: they promised their investors that 10 million (HAHAHAHA) ps3s would ship and sell before march '07.

I was just wondering: Hasn´t some developer openly doubted that Sony will be able to deliver this? It wasn´t Bruno Bonnel, but it was recently.

Anyway, here´s Electronic Arts´ corporate communications VP Jeff Brown with a little message for IALS ;)

"Your question was are we favouring one or the other, and we favour the one that has the highest installed base, the one with the most consumers.

If it's a choice - I'm guessing now - between seven million 360s around the world versus, first month, one million PlayStation 3s, well, guess which one we're going to favour. It's pretty simple.

That said, keep an eye on the Wii - that is a very interesting dynamic.

Anonymous said...

thanks falafelkid: it's my pleasure. hey, did you get one of these yet? an english translation might be fun...

http://gonintendo.com/?p=4399

thanks!

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

I've been wondering this for a while. The DS is innovative, but it seems that since it's launch the touch screen isn't groundbreaking anymore. We know how to touch, and use the mic, but in a few years the innovation just won't be there anymore. I think a tilt sensor, or something new would be cool. It's kind of the feeling that we have had something cool, and just as we start to know whats coming, Nintendo add's a new feature. It's unexpected but rekindles the flame. People get excited again. I hope that we get something new for DS.

@Falafelkid

Ever since the Wii controller was unveiled, I had an idea that if they added a motion sensor to the back of a stylus that they could create the same type of experience of Wii on the DS. Could you ever see this happening? Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid,

Sony has no other choice than to drop the price when the PS3 falls short of expectations at launch time!
You are all underestimating the Brand power of Sony!
How many people around the world who own PS2s do you think are up to date and care what happens at E3 or what magazines write or what analysts predict?
I bet you not even 10%!
90% of the people that own a PS2 simply walk into stores and convince themselfs by checking the shelves and the console.
And if they see that ProEvo. is there, that FF is there ,that MGS is there, they will happily stick to their succesor console.
Many people I know already told me that they are looking forward to PS3 and none of them really care what the internet gossip is throwing out.They didn't even know
how much it would cost and when I told them most of them said that they would wait until the price drops.
So you see they will get one nonetheless it's just a matter of time and that is what I meant when I said that price doesn't matter at all!
Falafelkid seriously, do you think Sony is dumb?
Do you think they would just sit there and watch how Microsoft claims the throne while their console sits on the shelves because it's too expensive?
I bet you they will do everything that is in their powers to get the console to the consumer by all means neccessary!
And if that means reducing the price they will do it because they very well know it's neck or nothing no matter how much they are loosing.

I would also like to point out that you still haven't responded
to the first issue regarding software philosophy in general which was aimed at you Falafelkid!

Anonymous said...

Where is the real IALS?
He was much wittier...
It is not us underestimating the brand power of sony. It's you underestimating the brand power of nintendo... and you're really underestimating the wiimote... you'll be amazed how fast word will spread about how immersing and fun it is. It's going to be the thing everybody wants. No doubt about it!
Just look at the DS and the PSP.
How is Sony's brand power helping in this comparison?!
People want something fun that's worth their money. And that is exactly what Wii will be.

*somegermanguy*

Anonymous said...

@somegermanguy

Papalapap
:)

Anonymous said...

ials,

sony simply can't afford to drop the price very much very soon, first of all, and secondly - you're stating sony's demise yourself and don't even realize it!

most of your friends are "waiting" to get a ps3. most people (according to you) are looking for ff13 and mgs4, in order to buy a ps3. guess what? neither of those are launch titles, and likely wont be out until the second-half of next year! on top of that, i think it's TOTALLY a no-brainer for kojima and square to port those two titles to xbox360 (so they can make the money they deserve with those AAA titles by selling to a MUCH larger audience,) and they won't even be ps3 system-sellers anymore - they'll be xbox360 system sellers. xbox360 will have a price drop at the exact same time ps3 will. don't forget: microsoft are friggin SMART guys when it comes to business, and they CAN afford a huge price drop.

listen to yourself ials. you're outlining the exact reasons why 360 is going to get all of ps3s "exclusives" ported to it, effectively destroying ps3s *ONLY* competitive advantage.

love you!

-"superfan" tactics.

Falafelkid said...

@IALS

I would also like to point out that you still haven't responded
to the first issue regarding software philosophy in general which was aimed at you Falafelkid!


So why did you post as Ciosc before? No matter.

See the big difference between Sony and Nintendo is that Sony really understood how to reach everyone.

They reach everyone by releasing games for different tastes and ages.
Nintendo on the other hand always tried to reach all ages by releasing games that are supposed to appeal to all ages and not different ones like Sony.


Sorry, that sounds completely confused. You cannot seriously claim that every single Nintendo game aims at everyone. Metroid or Geist (first party), Red Steel, Call of Duty, Far Cry... You make no sense.

But speaking about games that appeal to everyone. Where´s Sony´s next-gen Eye Toy or Singstar for PS3? those were the games that made lots of casuals adopt the PS2 recently, at a low price. And why did they buy it? Because those two games offer something new and exciting, something that other consoles weren´t offering. Did they care they were buying a system whose hardware was years behind the Gamecube and Xbox? Hell no. They don´t care about graphics, they care about fun. Are those people going to buy a PS3? Hell no. It´s far too expensive for them - and the console lacks exactly the types of games they bought the predecessor for.

@Tacics:

Did you get one of these yet? an english translation might be fun...

http://gonintendo.com/?p=4399


Yup, just opened the letter. There is nothing of importance on the invitation. I´ll post a translation when I can, perhaps the day after tomorrow. I´ll be on the go until Friday.

Anonymous said...

I just picked up on what Ciosc said!
This is what I wrote:


"Falafelkid,

Wake up!

You simply don't see the general problem of Nintendo that Ciosc and
me are trying to make clear to you!

You beat about the bush because your ego is to big so you refuse to accept the casual mind state and preferences of people around the world regarding the 3 console giants.
I am repeating my self here.
Go and read what Ciosc said!

Its simply unchangable fact that Sony is the market leader in the home console sector since two generations BECAUSE it HAS and STILL IS being perceived by people around the world as the best allround,neutral console!
The marketing is better!
The games are aimed at different audiences whereas Nintendo always tried to aime its' games at all audiences!
The design of the console is better!
The name sounds better!
The brand is simply more appealing to the majority of people around globe!
You have to accept that they hit the nail on the head simple as that!
What I say is backed up by hundred million PS2s sold please savour this!
Nintendo is beautiful.I love Nintendo.But they simply can't hold a candle to Sony with their software philosophy!
Again read what Ciosc wrote!
They still think they can win over all crowds with their Kirbys and Pokemons and Peaches and Marios.

The first thing that Nintendo needs to learn is that it's way easier to reach the masses by releasing games for different tastes like Sony does,instead of trying to be E.T. or Star Wars or Jurassic Park!

EXCEPTIONS ARE RARE

Get it? "


By the way I was talking about Nintendo Japan published titles not counting 3rd parties!

Anonymous said...

yet... your sony comparisons are ALL 3rd party games. what sony japan 1st party games appeal to all audiences? god of war? pfff... gran turismo? right.

you can't say "only count nintendo 1st party games, but count any and all of the billion 3rd party playstation games" you jerk.

and yes, i also find myself wondering, every time i read an ials post, what the HELL ever happened to the old IALS? i miss him. he was my friend. the new ials is a jerk; always taking completely unmerited stabs at falafelkid, and touting sony as the 2nd coming of jesus. knock it off ials. go join a sony fanboy blog: this is a nintendo fanboy blog :(

-"superfan" tactics.

Falafelkid said...

@IALS

I just picked up on what Ciosc said! This is what I wrote:

I read what you wrote. But you wrote nothing about Nintendo´s or Sony´s philosophy.

By the way I was talking about Nintendo Japan published titles not counting 3rd parties!

I totally agree with Tactics´ comments. Our arguments have made you back up into a corner. You are now only talking about games that are...

...first and second party.
...published in Japan.
...start with the letter ´M´.
...and were published on a full moon.

See what I mean? It´s getting a bit ridiculous now that your arguments are falling apart. Consumers don´t care who developed a game where and when.

I´m grateful you chose to become a constructive member of this community, though. Welcome.

Anonymous said...


Wii $299 AVR ?

Anonymous said...

Sorry but you totally don't get the point ! nothing fell apart.
You must be kidding me Falafelkid!
All the arguments speak for themselve!
You are still just beating up the push!But it's not worth it since it's obvious that your opinions are biased!

Anonymous said...

about the bush

Anonymous said...

ignoring ials for just a moment...

falafelkid: IGN just posted this story and then removed it promptly... first check out what the page looks like now, after the story was removed...

http://wii.ign.com/articles/723/723894p1.html

now read what it used to say before it was removed:

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console is out and Sony announced a release date for PlayStation 3 months ago. So the big question is, when will Wii launch? The only official answer from Nintendo is sometime before the Thanksgiving holiday in America. But sources — both on the hardware and development side — argue that the console will be hitting much sooner.

A number of big-name publishers are set to release their Wii games in mid-to-late October, which suggests that a system debut could not be that far off. And several insiders have told IGN that Tuesday, November 2 could, in fact, be the big day.

Thing is, not all of our contacts are in agreement on the date. Some have suggested that November 12 could, instead, by Wii’s launch date. Regardless, though, it seems that Wii fans can look forward to their console sooner rather than later.

Sources suggest that Wii will launch with a $229 price tag and will be available in both black and white.

Insiders claim to have seen final hardware. The Broadway CPU is allegedly in the 750 CL line, a continuation of the 750 GX series. IBM may be working on a revised Broadway chip with a lower clock speed for a future Nintendo handheld — presumably one that plays GameCube discs.

Nintendo has allegedly bumped production of Wii hardware to 5.5 million units by the end of the year, a significant upgrade to previous numbers. The jump is purportedly based on the positive reaction to Wii from press and industry analysts at E3 2006.

The console is unlikely to be region-free, although the lock is unrelated to hardware; a firmware update could theoretically allow gamers to play import software.

We presented this information to Nintendo of America for response, but a spokesperson for the company said that it does not comment on rumors and speculation.

--------------------------

now, before anyone else, i HAVE to say this:

I TOTALLY CALLED THE NEXT GAMEBOY USING GAMECUBE DISCS THING LIKE A YEAR AGO! swear to god i called it. it's gotta be on a message board somewhere. i'm gonna try to find it for bragging rights ;)

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

Pretending that my comments are falling apart is like you pretending that your ridiculous "Why 3D projetion makes sense" theory comes true I'm afraid KID!
;)

Anonymous said...

hahaha... so IGN has reposted the article now... but without the bit about the portable gamecube :) ooooooh i can't wait!

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

here is a image about the story that tactis wrote. you can see the new article on the left and the old one with a little extra information on the right.

http://img504.imageshack.us/
my.php?image=wiinewslw3.png

(copy and paste both lines into your browser)

Anonymous said...

Square-Enix entering the hard-ware business.

Link

So far no word yet on what it could be, I’m thinking something in the portable range. This could possibly mean that Square-Enix could drop support for other hard-ware (such as DS and PSP)but who knows it could end up being a music player like the MS Zune.

Anonymous said...

Just because a new Gamboy could play GC games doesn't mean it would have to play GC disks. Think of VC and internal Flash memory.. you put a GC game into the Wii and transfer the data to the flash memory of the GBE...

BS

Anonymous said...

that's what i'm thinking... because carrying around gamecube disks is even more ridiculous than carrying around psp games. i bet it could load a whole gamecube game into memory in like 20-30 seconds, spit the game out, and then you bounce. no load times while you play in this case, either, because it'd be all coming from flash memory.

that'd be a pretty sweet bonus. it plays its own games, but also can load 1 or 2 GCN games into memory for play on-the-go. could you imagine being in line at the post office playing resident evil 4? that would fucking PWNNNNNNNNN

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

dude, i totally agree. that's exACTLY what sucks about the psp.

but as a bonus? i mean really: if the new handheld has it's own games, plays GBA games, AND could load a GCN game or two to memory... that'd be ultimate pwnage.

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

and in my mind, too, d-bone. i tend to believe that nintendo feels the same way, as well. i think the reason the 3 pillar thing was even stated in the first place was kinda... well... it's like this: the gameboy is a symbol of unstoppable IP. the thing is a juggernaut. if they'd called the DS the "new gameboy" and it flopped... the gameboy name would've been tarnished forever. i think now that DS is a massive success that there's even a chance that the "2 pillars" merge into one, as you've said.

-"superfan" tactics.

btw, my gamecube is already portable. i have a 1.5 hr battery screwed to the bottom and a 3.5" screen attached to the top :) add a wavebird, and it's pwnage... for an hour and a half :/

RGB said...

I like handheld for 2 games. If it went in the way of GC 3D I will not be interested in it.

I think Nintendo are smart enough to know many others have similar stances (however in another view) and that this portable GC is BS. If it isnt BS that it is nothing like how you guys are talking about.

Falafelkid said...

@IALS

Nothing fell apart. You must be kidding me Falafelkid! All the arguments speak for themselve!
You are still just beating up the push!But it's not worth it since it's obvious that your opinions are biased!


First of all, you really were in a corner and wriggling to get out. Discounting third party games and those from territories other than Japan is proof of that, for it makes no sense. Why else would you have wanted to exclude so many titles, unless they proved the point that I and many others here were making (which they obviously did). So, I am afraid, you lost this one.

As to bias, this shows you up much more than me. Why else would you try to convince everyone here that PS3 is pretty much unbeatable?

In doing so, you are simply paying lip service to Sony PR people and pretending that they won´t have any problems getting the heavyweight juggernaut that is PS3 off the ground and up into the air. There are big problems ahead for Sony. Don´t just take my word for it. Many developers, publishers and industry analysts have recognized this. And I, as a journalist that is required to express a non-biased opinion, am recognizing this, too.

Of course, there may be big rewards, too. But at the moment, they are all but certain. You also haven´t answered to any comments about the possibility of more third parties leaving Sony, should the console not be able to sell according to expectation (which is likely due to the manufacturing difficulties alone). See the EA comment I copied out for you.

@Lord_Darcia:

If WII games look like top notch (not the crapola ) xbox360 and ps3 games, who cares what the specs are and who cares how they created it.

Exactly, that was my point. In fact, I couldn´t agree more, because you are acknowledging here that Xbox360 and PS3 games in general exhibit a wide range of graphical quality, from pretty unimpressive to excellent. Bear this in mind for later, please.

Take for example GRAN TURISMO 4. An absolute visual splender on ps2, yet ps2 is so much inferior to xbox and gamecub. (...) Or how about RESIDENTS EVIL 4 on ps2? Graphically the game looks pretty close to gamecube version.

I agree. But you fail to realize that the point you are making (which was mine: that only looks matter and not the hardware responsible for producing them) actually mitigates your clear-cut definition of next-gen. Let me talk you through it.

GT4 looks spectacular on a PS2, a console that from a hardware point of view is hopelessly outdated.

But compare GT4 and GT HD on PS3. See much difference? I don´t. So where is the big generation gap between current gen and next gen now?

Your whole argument about Wii not looking on par rests on the assumption that graphics on both PS3 and Xbox360 show marked improvements over their predecessors. They do, to some extent. But you yourself are telling me now that some PS2 games don´t show the console up as having hardware that is two years behind Gamecube or Xbox.

Likewise, some Xbox games look as good as Xbox360 titles. Or, as I would put it, some Xbox360 look no better than Xbox games. You said so yourself, remember from above? See where I am heading here?

There is no clear border between current gen and next gen. So it is very hard to construct an argument about Wii not being on par with the other two consoles. It is and it isn´t, at the same time. Inasmuch as the PS3 is partly a big improvement over the PS2, and partly looks pretty much the same.

And coming back to the point about hardware specs being irrelevant, which we both agreed on: people won´t buy the PS3 because they know it´s got the Cell chip in it, though it is, without a doubt, one impressive piece of hardware. People will simply look at the games and see if they like what they see.

So while games like Heavenly Sword may look better than PS2 games, GT HD won´t show much of a difference at all. Some Wii games, like Red Steel or MP3, will easily look on par with some Xbox360 or PS3 games, while others won´t even come close. It´s simply much more complex than you are making it out to be.

THATS WHAT I WANT WII TO DO. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW YOU DO IT, AS LONG AS IT GIVES ME THAT ILLUSION.

So, after this long rant, you will understand why I strongly believe that Wii will be able to deliver that ´illusion´, as you put it well. At least with regard to some titles.

RAYMAN (xbox360, ps3, wii)
SONICE THE HEDGEHOG(xbox360,ps3,wii)
CALL OF DUTY 3 (xbox360,ps3,wii)

Now playing those games on wii will be more innovating and perhaps involving because of the controller, but in the end where do you think that game will look best? I think most likely 360 and ps3.


Again, referring to the above, not necessarily. How keen do you think Ubi Soft and Activision are on entirely reworking those games (Sonic is a completely different game on Wii) for each console? Not much - so don´t assume that the graphical difference will be as big as it could be, given the differences in hardware.

That, again, is just coming back to your original point. Hardware specs don´t make for good graphics. I simply want to add this: Developers do.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Some Guy.

Square-Enix entering the hard-ware business. (...) I’m thinking something in the portable range.

I don´t think they will actually

Both markets, handheld and home consoles, are fiercely contested right now and there is brand new hardware to compete with.

The right time to enter a market is when one of the competitors appears to be dropping out (Microsoft waited until SEGA was already failing and then tried to fill the gap).

So I am pretty sure that Wada is referring to something like a proprietary controller that will be utilized by some of their upcoming games.

Anonymous said...

Hi Falafelkid,

"The strategy behind Nintendo and the iPod, to create a new environment based on hardware, is completely valid”

This quote is what makes me think that it is some sort of portable device, like I said in my first post it could be a game system or it could be a music player. It is possible that it could also be a controller but I have my doubts, they would need to make a controller for all three consoles along with a game that functions with the new proprietary controller. Then continue to make games for that controller since the average gamer will not spend $50 -$70 on a controller that only works for one game.

Also,
Both markets, handheld and home consoles, are fiercely contested right now and there is brand new hardware to compete with

Remember that this device has barely entered development yet and could be a while before it will be released. The market will be a lot different in two or so years.

Microsoft waited until SEGA was already failing and then tried to fill the gap

Microsoft began development of the Xbox 1998/99 before the Dreamcast was released. Granted they took full advantage over Sega’s departure. Then again they released the Xbox into an already crowded market (same week as GameCube) that was already being dominated by Sony’s PS2.

Sorry for rambling on but I guess the main point I am trying to make is that it would not surprise me if Square-Enix released some stand alone device in the future(perhaps a Japan only device. Anyone remember the Nintendo iQue Player that was released only in China? Maybe something like that.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Some Guy.

This quote is what makes me think that it is some sort of portable device, like I said in my first post it could be a game system or it could be a music player.

You´re quite right. That comparison would not really fit a peripheral as much as it does a stand-alone console (of whatever type).

You are also quite right about pointing out the problems with developing a proprietary peripheral. Though it could be only for one of the consoles, that would be a high risk. And widespread adoption would require a whole host of compatible software (Gametrak showed that a great idea with simply too little software can still fail).

Reading your comments made me reconsider somewhat. Maybe there really is going to be a stand-alone product.

My guess is, though, that it will not be a straightforward home or portable console. Maybe it will feature strong online features in a way that hasn´t been done before. Square Enix are very keen on developing online gaming. Some kind of portable device that allowed massive multiplayer gaming on the go, perhaps? Just a guess, though.

Thanks for pointing these things out, though.

Anonymous said...

Hey Falafelkid I know one of you favorite quotes is mario won't start shooting hookers well look at this http://youtube.com/watch?v=z1Sz9H22ZF0

Falafelkid said...

Hi Anonymous.

Very true. I love that quote - and I just saw the YouTube video (linked to on the NSider forums). I almost fell off my chair laughing. Very good effort, I must say. And thanks for your comments!

Anonymous said...

....please read this:


"a SMAFTI technology in cellular phones and other portable equipment that have stringent size and power constraints can achieve resolutions comparable to those achieved in high-definition television."

--> Aug 1, 2006 NEC

http://www.japancorp.net/
Article.Asp?Art_ID=12952


/silver

Anonymous said...

Hey FALAFELkid !!! if u laugh wif that video just wait to see this is hilarious http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rx2cT7-lUsI&mode=related&search=

Anonymous said...

" So, I am afraid, you lost this one."

First of all, Falafelkid ,I don't see this as a graffitti battle, or whatever you are trying to make this out!
I simply say whats on my mind and how I see things!
I can give you a penny for your thoughts and over confidence if you want me too.

Furthermore,what I really meant and what was devastatingly missunderstood with "Nintendo Japan published" were games that were developed by Nintendo in Japan but published around the world!I respect peoßple who can downright ignore the obviou just so that their meaningless speeches make more sense!
Hello?
Nintendo headqauter!All the big Nintendo teams in Japan!The studios responsible for Zelda and Mario!Shigeru Miyamoto!
Are you kidding me?
What I really tried to point out to you is that the heads at Nintendo Japan never ever released games that went beyond their colourful fantasy horizont!
Falafelkid!Again,don't beat about the bush!
Matter of fact is,that Shigeru Miyamoto himself,numerous times underlined that he and Nintendo always would want to make games that everyone can enjoy and NOT ones that are aimed at specific demographics!

Look at their games Falafelkid!
We have : MArio,Zelda,Kirby,Donkey,Pokey,Yoshi,Priness Peach,Nintendogs,Wario,Samus etc.etc.etc.

All these games have similiar styles!They all share the colourful Nintendo look with bright colours!Willst du mir nen Bären aufbinden oder was?

Nintendo has never ever released
a true mature title like Gran Turismo,God of War,Shadow of the Colossus etc. etc.!

The third parties are totally irrelevant to make this clear!Its just about showing you the difference between Sonys/Microsofts and Nintendos software philosophies!
That was my only intention and endeavour!

You are simply pulling a fast one on yourself if you don't acknowladge this simple fact!

People who are older generally stick to Micro or Sony because their games showcase an aestehtic maturation that people can relate to in games like Gran Turismo for example!

Please don't get me wrong again at this point: gameplaywise(not counting theme and aesthetics)
Nintendos simplest games like Mario can be a lot more challenging or "mature" but the problem is that the majority of older gamers simply prefer games where the aestethics (meaning the theme,world,colours,circumstances etc. and not the performance) have some maturation to them which they can relate to like in simulations,shooters,drug games,sports games!

Also you shouldn't forget that many,many people who grew up back then are simply tired of Mario and Zelda!
Ask Peter Weiss who did marketing for Acclaim before they went for broke!
He prefered Jack and Daxter and the other jump and run on PS2 because they provided a fresh world, new characters,new themes and probably a new twist on the genre!Same thing with Crash Bandicoot!

Do you understand what I'm trying to make clear to you Falafekid?
When I asked him "what about Mario?"
He responded:"Mario ist doch immer der selbe scheiss"
And eventhough there are some new twists on the Mario concept like the Sunshine waterpack and the galaxy,at heart Mario is still the same plumber from Mushroomkingdom on a mission to rescue Princess Peach with the same foes,colours,stories!

Alternation Falafelkid!People need alternation,not only gameplaywise but aestheticly too!
People want to move on and expirience new things!
Nintendo is colourful entertainment since 1985 and nothing else!

Unfortunately Nintendo has yet to learn how to win over the older crowds!
Sony did everthing right for 2 generations and deservedly so and it looks like Microsoft are filling their shoes now.
If you seriously want to tell me that Nintendo appeals to the majority of mature demographics with its 1st party offerings like Mario,Zelda,Pokemon,Yoshi,Nintendogs,Animal Crossing,Diddy and Donkey kong,Kirby etc. then I simply have no other choice than to say sorry Falafelkid,its immpossible that we ever find a common denominator and there is absolutly no more demand for discussion I'm afraid.

And I'm not even rudimentary confused with what I said or say!

I insist on the argument that overall,Sony and Microsoft reach more people by providing a much more vivid and diverse library of games and genres -with or without third parties- that are aimed at different demographics whereas Nintendo still tries to lump everything together by releasing similiar,colourful games that are supposed to appeal to everyone!

Its funny you know, to tell the truth Nintendos attitude is almost like "let 3rd parties do the donkeywork while we play it safe and stay family friendly.We avoid risks."

-IALS

Anonymous said...

Guys, guys, guys... (and that one girl IALS ...hehe)
Since it seems to be trendy to post video links I might as well join the bandwagon. If you want to see a really funny real life Mario video clip you have to check this out:

youtube.com/watch?v=Fi-clSIL5lw

Great humor!

@IALS
Cool down! What makes a game mature? Blood and gore? Hmm...
You forgot to mention Nintendo's great racing games like Wave Race, 1080° Avalanche, F-Zero. But for you they must be kiddy too. Don't worry, at LGC you'll see true 'mature' titles like Disaster: Day of Crisis, Project Hammer and Excite Truck which you didn't mention.
Maybe you should talk more about the QUALITY of Nintendo Games.
You mentioned three great 1st party Sony titles. You just added "etc. etc.!" because you couldn't think of anymore quality titles! Or maybe you didn't mention them because they're kiddy too (SingStar, EyeToy, Ratchet and Clank...).

"Also you shouldn't forget that many,many people who grew up back then are simply tired of Mario and Zelda!"
-This alone makes you look silly. Just compare your 'many, many people' with the Mario/Zelda fans out there. Don't you think there's a big difference between a tiny annoying fly and an elephant? Oh well...
Oh, and what do you mean Nintendo is avoiding risks? You mean
the DS wasn't a risk? Or maybe you think the Wiimote or leaving out HD aren't a risk? You think that trying to reach a new audience means no risk? Please think!


Now something for everybody's annoyance. ;-) Wouldn't it be cool to have a visor as an add-on for the Wii? It's not that unrealistic. Or is it? Or something similar to the Sega 3D Glasses:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:
SMS3dglasses.jpg


*somegermanguy*

Anonymous said...

Somegermangay?




Man füge an dieser Stelle das "Zonk" Geräusch ein

:)

huhuhuhuhuhuuuuuuuuu

Anonymous said...

Nintendo,sorry!

My brain is infected by Sony devils


-IALS

Anonymous said...

@Falafelkid


"So while games like Heavenly Sword may look better than PS2 games, GT HD won´t show much of a difference at all. Some Wii games, like Red Steel or MP3, will easily look on par with some Xbox360 or PS3 games, while others won´t even come close. It´s simply much more complex than you are making it out to be."


Nonsense Falafelkid!
First of all GT HD was merly a tech demo(in fact based on GT4) that was supposed to showcase PS3s 1080p output capabilities and nothing else in the first place.

It is in no way representative of the final next generation Gran Turismo.

Do your homework Falafelkid!
The GT creator himself admited at some point that the demo had been put together under enormous pressure in only 3 weeks.

(Du kannst also sehen wie schnell dein Kartenhaus zusammenbricht wenn mann sich mal die Mühe macht deine Aussagen näher zu betrachten bzw. in die Zange zu nehmen.)

Relying on a brief tech demo snippet that was never intented to see the day of the light to illustrate the visual range between Ps3 titles and to get your point accross isn't very remeniscent of a professional journalist from where I sit I'm afraid to say.


-IALS

Anonymous said...

oh eh light of the day
:)

Anonymous said...

here's what i want.

caution: this is the longest read i have ever read in dealing with somebody's nintendo fantasy. its very long and probably took me an hour and a half to two hours to read it. there are 20 sections (so far).

http://theboard.zogdog.com/
index.php?showtopic=13220


i thought it was worth the read though.

Anonymous said...

two more cancelled ps3 rpgs by "From Software" yesterday...

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

just to keep everyone from jumping to conclusions...

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/10/
ps3-2-down-200-still-in-the-works/

and i love the wii but man, people need to not care so much how the ps3 does.

Falafelkid said...

@IALS

First of all, Falafelkid ,I don't see this as a graffitti battle, or whatever you are trying to make this out! I simply say whats on my mind and how I see things!

Well, I sincerely apologize if I came across a little smug there. No battle thang intended. I was merely trying to point out that your last argument looked as if you were in quite a bit of a pickle. And you were, I believe. This time 'round, you might get a whole jar full, though, I wager.

What I really tried to point out to you is that the heads at Nintendo Japan never ever released games that went beyond their colourful fantasy horizont! Falafelkid!Again,don't beat about the bush! Matter of fact is,that Shigeru Miyamoto himself,numerous times underlined that he and Nintendo always would want to make games that everyone can enjoy and NOT ones that are aimed at specific demographics! Look at their games Falafelkid! We have: MArio, Zelda, Kirby, Donkey, Pokey, Yoshi, Priness Peach, Nintendogs, Wario, Samus etc.etc.etc.

Well, Samus indeed. Hello? Samus??? You're comparing Kirby to Samus? Because they´re both round (at times)? That's where your theory fails already. You might want to check some age ratings there. And while you're at it, check the ratings on Eternal Darkness and Geist, too (and that is not even mentioning Nintendo's new IPs for Wii).

Obviously, you have never actually played any of these Nintendo games. Which is fine. Just don't pretend to be in a position to talk about them.

Nintendo has never ever released
a true mature title like Gran Turismo,God of War,Shadow of the Colossus etc. etc.!


Well, they have. See above. I just wanted to laugh at you noting Gran Turismo as a mature title. *laughs*

The third parties are totally irrelevant to make this clear!Its just about showing you the difference between Sonys/Microsofts and Nintendos software philosophies!

How are they irrelevant? Gamers are free to buy third party titles for Wii just as much. And there are tons of exclusive mature titles in the works, as you should know.

It's just that you prefer to ignore all these great titles coming to Wii to make the console look like a kiddie's toy - and that's where you meet the good old pickle jar again.

People who are older generally stick to Micro or Sony because their games showcase an aestehtic maturation that people can relate to in games like Gran Turismo for example!

You're at it, again! You know, I never noticed the hookers being shot by the side of the racetrack.

The majority of older gamers simply prefer games where the aestethics (meaning the theme,world,colours,circumstances etc. and not the performance) have some maturation to them which they can relate to like in simulations, shooters, drug games, sports games!

Well, first of all: you might want to tell that to the five million plus (older) gamers that have bought Brain Training in Japan alone, for example. And second of all, even if you were right (which you are not): Red Steel, Call of Duty 3, Far Cry, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (all First Person Shooters); Sadness, Prince of Persia, Heroes, The Godfather, Dragon Quest, Blazing Angels, Disaster: Day of Crisis, Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil. And who knows what Kojima will come up with for Wii. Also, you wait which platform will really rock the Star Wars franchise. And those are just the ones I can think of at the top of my head. You try to name five FPS games and as many other mature titles in development for PS3.

Ask Peter Weiss who did marketing for Acclaim before they went for broke! He prefered Jack and Daxter and the other jump and run on PS2 because they provided a fresh world, new characters,new themes and probably a new twist on the genre!

I know Peter personally and he's a great guy. But we all have our individual preferences and his are no more of a measure than mine. Needless to say, mine are very different.

If you are genuinely interested in the opinion of movers and shakers in the industry, here are two that you might not expect to be quite so full of praise for Nintendo: Cliff Bleszinski, Peter Molyneux (before the Microsoft takeover) and Peter Molyneux (after the Microsoft takeover). That's not mentioning what people like Yuji Naka or Hideo Kojima say about Nintendo and Wii.

And eventhough there are some new twists on the Mario concept like the Sunshine waterpack and the galaxy,at heart Mario is still the same plumber from Mushroomkingdom on a mission to rescue Princess Peach with the same foes, colours, stories!

Makes you wonder who those millions of gamers are that keep buying those games, eh? Check the record-breaking sales of New Super Mario Bros. Must be Nintendo buying their own boring games. Either that or the pickle jar delivery company is bringing a truckload to your door by now.

If you seriously want to tell me that Nintendo appeals to the majority of mature demographics with its 1st party offerings like Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Yoshi, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, Diddy and Donkey kong, Kirby etc. then I simply have no other choice than to say sorry Falafelkid,its immpossible that we ever find a common denominator and there is absolutly no more demand for discussion I'm afraid.

Indeed, there isn't. But stop pretending that you are talking cross-purposes only with me. You have no common ground with the rest of the gaming world if you compare Samus to Kirby and fail to acknowledge that Nintendo publishes games that target an older demographic (and that's first, second and third party, pickle).

I insist on the argument that overall,Sony and Microsoft reach more people by providing a much more vivid and diverse library of games and genres -with or without third parties. (...)

Again, respond to my experiment I have asked you to conduct twice already. Ask your parents which game character they have heard of: Snake, Master Chief or Mario. I know what they'll aswer. So who reaches more people if even yo momma knows it?

Its funny you know, to tell the truth Nintendos attitude is almost like "let 3rd parties do the donkeywork while we play it safe and stay family friendly.We avoid risks."

This is marvellous. Right at the end you totally contradict your entire theory you just tried to establish. Because why are family friendly games less of a risk? Perhaps because they sell better? Indeed they do. No other series has sold as many units as Mario and Zelda and they continue to sell millions. Thanks for finally realising it. What's green and soaking in brine?

Relying on a brief tech demo snippet that was never intented to see the day of the light to illustrate the visual range between Ps3 titles and to get your point accross isn't very remeniscent of a professional journalist from where I sit I'm afraid to say.

Tsk, tsk. Tut, tut. Now, now! No returning to your old and shameful ways of mere insults and slurs. I prefer the more recent incarnations of IALS.

Secondly, your 'brief tech demo' occupied the longest slot of the Sony conference (ten minutes, I recall, which everyone who was there - i.e. not you - complained about being far too long and unimpressive). Also, as you correctly pointed out, the game was supposed to be showing off the quality of 1080p output. Now, if 1080p doesn't look vastly different to what GT4 has gotten us used to on SD, then that's just a tiny little downer for one of the PS3's selling points.

Though put together quickly (which is no measure at all, since the first Metroid demo on Wii was thrown together in half the time), this long segment in Sony's presentation was supposed to showcase the console's next gen graphics.

You also simply have to acknowledge that I am an acclaimed games journalist (I have been a member of the Games Convention's best of show jury from the beginning, for your information) and am in constant contact with industry insiders and reps from all companies. Calling me biased (or worse) is really pretty ridiculous - and can only show you up as a fanboy - or the world's number one pickle baron.

Anonymous said...

Hi,,

I'm currently running a Nintendo blog titled Sickr, and I'm looking for affiliates to share, and trade links with. As a regular reader of your site I was wondering if you would possibly be interested in exchanging links between my blog and yours.

Hit me back @ Pennywisedude(at)gmail.com

Cheers,

Mark.

RGB said...

Is this crap still going on. Move on. I havent read any of it as it involves IALS. He speaks utter nonsense. Sorry IALS but you are quite boring.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Pi.

I already read the number of games for ps3.
fact it's 164 - not 200


To be truthful, it should be pointed out that some of the 151 Wii games listed on Wikipedia can also be discounted. Orb, Thorn and Darkness (by Crossbeam Studios) are listed and I will eat my hat if these guys ever manage to publish a game on a console platform.

The official list still stands at 77 (last updated in May). You can add a few to that, like the four extra Ubi Soft titles and three extra titles from Midway. But 151 is an exaggeration, too.

Anonymous said...

@Falafelkid

Ok Falafelkid,
Du hast Recht-You are right.
Kirby,Donkey,Peachy,Pokey,linky,
Crossy,Yoshi,Luigi,Doggie,Diddy and the whole family are absolutly
adult only!

You have just totally convinced me that Nintendo always has and always will only release mature 21+ titles.

I wish you a lot of fun with Donkey and the fam and maybe we
can exchange some Pokies via Nintendos WiFi connection when I'm
old enough sometime in the future to play these games
and if my "momma" let's me.

You are absolutly right Gran Turismo is in no way as much a mature title as Kirby and I'm thankful that you finally opened my eyes.

Self-praise doesn't stink as we in Germany would say!

Nintendo is the ruffest Corleone of videogames and Sony just entered Kindergarden not to mention Microsoft.

King Falafel Top its majesty is sharp and always on point with everything he says.(Wehe dem der ihm widerspricht)

THE INFAMOUS ANONYMOUS LIGHT SHEDDER shall now know the true promise of Nintendos unsurpassable masculine maturation by following the path its majesty King F Top enlightened.

THE IALS rather goes out in blaze than giving his alterego the glory.Thus he shall find what he has been seeking for:
The sagacious godfather Kirby.

THE IALS WAS LOST IN THE STORM:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q3JbS_-HnCQ


But at the end of the day King Falafelmän Top only knows too good that :


THIS IS JUST A MINOR DISSAPOINTMENT !

I SHALL OVERCOME IT!


THE INFAMOUS ANONYMOUS LIGHTSHEDDER

Falafelkid said...

@IALS

Ah, well. Can´t say that you didn´t have a short bout at intelligence. Doesn´t work for everyone, it seems.

Falafelkid said...

P.S.: When you have run out of arguments, it´s the easy way out to accuse your opponent of hubris.

Unfortunately, you do admit total defeat as far as the matter at hand is concerned. You didn´t reply to a single point of mine.

And since you brought up good old German...

Self-praise doesn't stink as we in Germany would say!

... the little pickle turned into a beleidigte Leberwurst.

Kinder wie Dich ess ich zum Frühstück, Junge.