Nintendo: For the Win

Biske

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I really liked this article. Now, I'm waving the Nintendo banner again.

Disclaimer: I am not a Nintendo fan. Of all Nintendo systems, I only owned the NES, GBA, and briefly, the SNES. The N64 was a subject of my humor and the GameCube earned immediate contempt for its storage format and the vastly inadequate memory cards it came with (it took 3 or 4 to save a season of Madden with rosters on release). Regular readers of the site will have no doubt read many of my scathing comments about the Revolution controller design.

Consider that in the past year, oil has doubled in price to hit and maintain historic highs. Except for handhelds, game sales have slumped across the board, even in the industry console darling PlayStation 2. The DOW Jones Industrial Average remained flat throughout 2005, with the S&P and NASDAQ barely keeping pace with inflation. At the end of that same year, Microsoft released the most expensive console yet, and one that sold out but is plagued by continuing supply shortages. In Japan, as usual, an American-made (or rather, American-designed) product has flopped. Like countless other American companies, Microsoft has faced a stiff, impenetrable and informal wall of Japanese nationalism which clings stubbornly to a Japanese product. In short, one of the three key markets for the Xbox 360 is denied.

Sony, meanwhile, faces its own problems. Rumors abound of a five hundred dollar PlayStation 3. That’s enough Benjamins to get your hands on a beater car or pay a month’s rent in most American cities not called San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York. It passes that psychological barrier of being half a thousand dollars, and even in these days of raging trade and budget deficits that devalue the dollar, a grand is nothing to sneeze at. There’s a reason that prices like $99.95 are more popular than $100, though that five cents is trivial.

Moreover, gamers are dissatisfied. Though game review scores live in their own little world of the 60-90% range (with everything below being reserved for Daikatana and Mortyr), last year was not a banner year either for game sales or game awards. Nothing blew us away, there was no equivalent of a Grand Theft Auto, a StarCraft, a Quake or even a Call of Duty. Well, there was Call of Duty 2, but it was a sequel, like just about every other major title, and gamers have shown their displeasure with sequels. According to release lists for most major publishers, this coming year will be little different – more sequels!

Gameplay has stagnated beyond the obvious sequelitis. What was the last major revolution in RTS development? Homeworld gave us 3D almost six years ago now. WarCraft III and Warlords: Battlecry gave us heroes about three years ago. Age of Empires III was so similar to Age of Empires II that many reviewers found themselves making sure they weren’t playing a graphics mod for the older game by accident. Where have first-person shooters gone? Great, we have realism. Now what? We had years of Quake games, then we had years of Half-Lifes, and then years of Counter-Strikes and Medals of Honor. Come on, developers and publishers, we need something fresh! And don’t even get me started on the pathetic state of the RPG market, things are as bad if not worse than during those years before BioWare and Black Isle came onto the scene.

Enter Nintendo

Now here comes Nintendo into this situation. Whether through some sort of master genius trend anticipator, a corporate account with Miss Cleo’s psychic hotline, or sheer dumb luck, Nintendo has just the strategy to take advantage of the situation. The Revolution will be cheap. Rumors range from $200 to $250. It will be a game system, not an all-in-one multimedia home theater experience extraordinaire (with built-in blender and Blu-Ray drive) like the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Its graphics potential will be considerably lower than the Xbox 360 and PS3, but for the first time in history, this may be a good thing. Game publishers and developers industry-wide are complaining of ballooning development costs, mostly due to art teams that have to grow exponentially to create all the content that’s possible. Think back to Mario 64, one of the best-looking games of the early N64/PlayStation generation. It had flat textures, maybe 1000 polygons per character, and trees that were made of a cylinder and sphere. Now, think about Call of Duty 2 or Perfect Dark Zero. How many man-hours would be needed just to model, animate and texture the faces of the characters? Never mind the technology involved in getting lip-synching working, or the various facial expressions, or all the special shader effects. The typical Call of Duty 2 level – just the level – probably has more polygons, textures and lights on it than all of Metal Gear Solid. Programming has faced similar growth in terms of demands and complexity, though at a slower pace. In short, team sizes have ballooned.

Now take Nintendo’s Revolution. It’s going to be easy to develop for by design, being a simple system rather than some convoluted multi-chip, multi-core, Microsony Playbox 363. Not only that, developers are going to spend less money on artists, because when they make games for the Revolution, the standard of art – the upper limit of what’s possible on the console – is going to be lower than what they’d have to compete with on the Xbox 360 or PS3.

Of course, the success of that strategy depends on the Revolution carving out its own niche. It has to separate itself from Sony’s and Microsoft’s offerings sufficiently so as not to be seen competing with them on their terms. If Revolution is seen to be in direct competition for a market, purely on terms of hardware performance, it will fail. However, Nintendo has three distinct features to move the Revolution into its own segment.

1. The most obvious is the controller. It’s wacky, it’s weird, it looks like a freaking TV remote from the 1980s but and it has been the butt of my jokes for months. This video, however, convinces me perhaps not of the ultimate utility of the Revolution controller, but of the potential. It will, at the least, work. Its potential, however, is high and it offers a new way of interacting with our games.

2. Price. The disparity between cost, especially in times of relative economic uncertainty, can put the Revolution into a new category. The GameCube was a cool “second system†because it was cheaper. The Revolution, on the other hand, is cheap enough to be “the people’s consoleâ€, for the every day Joe Schmoe – with the Xbox 360 and PS3 competing to be the second consoles, and only among the richer or more dedicated folk.

3. Image. Image is important. I mean, look at Apple – why would anyone, ever pay that much for anything unless they were image conscious. Nintendo’s image is different. The kiddie-friendly persona lures in parents, but the retro links and gaming history bait hardcore console gamers. Moreover, just the idea that the Revolution is cheap to develop for and might have cool independent games is sexy. Just like the iPod, it’s the idea – not the hardware – that’s sexy. And yes, I know I am helping to spread that idea with this very article.

The Controller

Of ultimate importance, however, is the Revolution’s controller. Nintendo made it, they probably have some ideas of what you can do with it, but the key point is that it’s out there. “OK devs, you’ve got this new toy – now do something with it!†It’s like the Soundblaster being released for the first time, with the actual possibility of voice synthesization! Or the first 3D game engines – imagine no more running side to side across a flat screen, but fighting in a 3D world! Enemies that don’t just jump up and down, but side to side!

That’s what the Revolution controller is. Now you may be inclined to say “pheh, what’s the point? I doubt it can do much more than the DualShock.†You may be right. Potential is hard to see and understand, so I’ll use the reverse analogy – the loss of ability, rather than what you can gain with it. As a loyal FiringSquad reader, you’ve no doubt played Quake and CS and other shooters for years now, with your trusty mouse and keyboard. You can get rail shots on fast-moving Quake marines in less time than the average drag racer needs to launch his car off the line. You can do the AK double-tap chest/headshot clear across the CT exit on de_dust, against a moving target at that. Now imagine someone told you to unbind your mouse and play those games with nothing but keyboard. The possibility still exists, just about every shooter still has the option of binding view directions to keys. Imagine if someone does something really cool that works great on the Revolution controller, but will be difficult – or worse, boring - to replicate on a DualShock.

Do you doubt that a controller can make a game exciting? Then you haven’t played enough flight sims. Il-2 is an interesting game with good flight models and nice graphics. It plays well enough with a standard joystick and keyboard combination. Buy a HOTAS, however, like the Saitek X-52 or CH FighterStick/Pro Throttle combo, when your hands never have to leave the controls to touch a mere keyboard, and you’ve got a whole new experience. Top it off with a TrackIR unit, which translates your real-world head movements into in-game movements that permit you to look around your virtual cockpit, to track your target without resorting to anything so crude as a hat switch or keyboard, and the immersion factor goes through the roof. Trust me, as someone who has recently rediscovered his love of flight simulators, controllers matter so much more in games than we’re prepared to believe until we actually experience it.

Conclusion

Nintendo is poised for a coup. As someone who not so long ago was dismissive of what the company can accomplish, I today firmly believe that they’re capable of taking the #1 position from Sony. Slumping game sales, unimaginative games, expensive consoles and expensive games, consoles that will have features (Blu-Ray, HD-DVD) that we’re not sure we’ll need. In comes Nintendo, with the promise and the tools to let developers create cool games again. It’s guaranteed that we’ll see Castlevania, Zelda, Metroid, and Mario on the Revolution – but this time there’s the potential for so much more.

What Nintendo is, or at least should be angling for, is the thought that Revolution games should be judged solely against Revolution games. Just like you don’t judge wines by comparing them to beer, or handheld games to consoles, Revolution aims to be its own market. It’s important for Nintendo to establish itself as significantly cheaper than the competition, with a unique controller and that all-important Nintendo game library and image. As long as Revolution offers a unique experience, it won’t matter to gamers that Generic Sequel #168 or NFL Roster Update 2009 look better on the PS3.

The cheapness of the console will help it sell and it’s unlikely that Nintendo will face production shortages since it won’t use exotic and difficult-to-make components. With a large installed owner base, more developers will be inclined to take a shot at it, publishers will feel pressured to release key titles (like Madden) for the Revolution regardless of their past GameCube experience. The controller is standard enough to work for most titles – so Xbox and PlayStation games will most likely work on the Revolution without major trouble, yet that same controller offers unique features that will be difficult to replicate for Microsoft’s and Sony’s consoles.

Sony is vulnerable on three fronts. First, they’re late and they’re feeling the pressure. DreamCast was Sega’s and Sega didn’t have the financial muscle to keep it going. The Xbox 360 has no such problems. Second, Sony’s marketing cannot get away with another “Emotion Engine†claim. The media called Sony on their CGI presentations this E3 and quite frankly, we smell blood and there’s nothing anyone enjoys more than seeing the top dog go down. Third, Sony is betting heavily on Blu-Ray. If Blu-Ray fails to take off, PS3 owners will be stuck with this generation’s Betamax players (and Betamax, if you remember, was a Sony initiative – like the 8-track before it). Sony may offer an HD-DVD add-on in case of that eventuality, but the point is that someone – either customers or Sony itself – will have paid for the extra costs of Blu-Ray. Fourth, while the majority of Sony’s revenue is still from consumer electronics, its games division is the one that’s driving company growth. The only other section of the company to grow is its financial services division – all others have seen reduced sales in recent quarters. Microsoft is deliberately hitting Sony where it hurts, and Nintendo can tiptoe in between the battling giants and steal the prize.
Now, if you were able to read thru all of that, got any thoughts?

article available here
 

bamthedoc

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I must admit; the author has his points. That's pretty much exactly what Nintendo is doing. They are aiming to yet a third category in the gaming industry. You have the heavy console/computer systems. You have the convenient handhelds. Now you have a revival, of sorts, of the pure-gaming console.

Nintendo is hoping for a revolution in gaming, hence the codename for the N5. It also appears that Nintendo is taking their sweet time to release this system. They are, indeed, letting Microsoft and Sony duke it out. Both companies suffer from lawsuits and profit loss while Nintendo still manages to see black in their statement books.

They pulled something that nobody saw coming. Perhaps Nintendo is trying to reinvent the so-called failed VirtuaBoy. They've even gone out and bought an entire arcade devision specializing in 3D, virtual games. This has caused speculation to a Heads-Up display being made for the Revolution and/or some of its games.

Nintendo has made mistakes, but it has survived these mistakes. I, personally, liked the N64 and GameCube. In fact, some of my favorite games, Tactics Ogre 64 and Tales of Symphonia, are on these systems. They have taken a step back during these long, five years...likely more, and looked back on what works and what doesn't. They may well be more prepared for this spark in the industry than many, currently, give them credit.

Sega loves the new controller. SquarEnix is working closely with Nintendo again. EA was surprised, even skittish, at first, but they have gotten right on board. Namco is as excited about the Revolution as they were about the DS. I'd go on, but I've only heard of Microsoft, and maybe Sony, second-parties dismissing the possibilities and clamor for the Revolution's controller.

It'll be unique, to say the least.
 

ReiGn

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Some things in that article has some of the dumbest load of shit i've ever read. First, Sony isn't late. They're still targetting for a Spring release. Worried? Not at all. Second, Many PS2 games have achieved what Sony showed about the Emotion Engine. The FFVIII ballroom scene was surpassed YEARS ago. The old man tech demo was achieved by Silent Hill 3, a game released on 2003. MGS3, God of War, Silent Hill, RE4 and a shit load more has surpassed all those tech demos. Third, Blu-Ray has a shit LOAD of support. A lot more than Hd-dvd. i don't see BR failing. Fourth, Sony is restructuring which is the cause of their losses. they are cutting jobs, closing down plants. But recent articles show Sony gaining back profit from all of their divisions, except for Sony Pictures.

Everything about Ninty is almost right though. I hope Nintendo learns from the n64 and GC and actually get devs to work on rev. and please not another Capcom 5, lmao.
 

bamthedoc

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Capcom 5?

Anyway... HD-DVD and BluRay... That arguement doesn't really belong here too much =/ but there is a point to be had there. It's true that BluRay has its support, but there is a public mindset that Sony has to overcome with it. It's too expensive to put onto that format, like Betamax, because of proprietization. One thing Sony needs to do to suceed is get over themselves! They are too obstinant to remain successful. People are getting fed up with all that proprietization of hardware.


I'll state this. I own more NGC games than I do PS2. I own more N64 games than I do PSX. I liked the systems for a lot of their games, not the least of which include Tales of Symphonia (NGC), Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (NGC), Lost Kingdom I&II (NGC), Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (NGC), Tactics Ogre: Person of Lordly Calibur (N64), Super Smash Bros. and Melee (N64 and NGC), and, dare I say it, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (NGC).


Nintendo has changed game plans. They are no longer going for the win. They don't want to compete with huge graphics. They want to remain the top gaming company, not become a computer company. They want to retain what made them great in the first place, imagination.

I'm sure Sony'll survive. I don't know if they'll make BluRay survive. They very well could. It's not for me to sit here and determine, however. What I do know, however, is that Sony needs to change their game plan if they want to remain on top of Microsoft, as they no longer really need to worry about Nintendo. They're only real competition was Nintendo, worldwide and in Japan. Now they have the overly-hyped Microsoft to contend with. Why overly-hyped? They only really sold well in the US with limited sales overseas, and the 360 is already seeing these limiters.

Sony is poised to rule the graphics arena whereas I see Nintendo poised to rule the gaming arena. There is a difference, and you can see it in Nintendo's stance.
 

Biske

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The guy mentioned a video in the article, I realized it didn't copy and paste the hyper link, so here it is.

I had never seen that video, and thr sword part, oh man, I pray to al lthat is good that Nintendo does something with Zelda for that.
 

bamthedoc

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It is rumored that Twilight Princess has been delayed to include features to be unlocked by the N5 Revolution's hardware. For example, you can swing the controller to swing Link's sword.
 

ReiGn

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Capcom 5 was a deal between Ninty and Capcom. Capcom will release 5 exclusive games to the GC(Dead Phoenix, Veiwtiful Joe, P.N.03, RE4 and Killer7). But all of them got ported to PS2 except for P.N. 03 and Dead Phoenix, which was cancelled.
 

bamthedoc

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Thanks for the insight ^_^

Hmm... Interestingly... Those were all the good games that got ported =/
 

_JaKE

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WHOA never seen that one b4, you cant really tell what graphis its a little blurry, yes at one piont i was gonna get a ps2, then i said MEH ill get a gamecube, its cheaper, ect. later i got upset cus i found out ps3 was gonna be really good, then i found out about the revolution (about 4-5 months ago)
and decided nintendo rocks hard. so ya...
 

Emperor Pan I

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RE4 was by far not good, despite the hype which was probably created just to sell the damn game anyways.
 

_JaKE

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pan said:
RE4 was by far not good, despite the hype which was probably created just to sell the damn game anyways.
my friend owns it so i guess ill find out what all the hype was...if i ever get it from him.
 

Biske

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And now, RE4 is being ported over to the PC. Capcom is becoming the Hardware Whore; once told Nintendo "For you only baby" then goes and sells her ass she promised to Big N and breaks his heart.
 

Revelade

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As much as I respect his writing, it's pure speculation. Nintendo might succeed greatly or only sell a few units. It's really up to the consumer. I just hope the consumers have their facts straight, instead of buying something just because it's "childish".

What I like about Nintendo is that they give the consumers more control. Sony and Xbox FORCE the people to buy the DVD players built in the console. The cube allows you to buy a seperate dvd player with the saved $50 and yes, there are dvd players that sell for that, or even lower.

And as the new generation blooms, the Xbox has a built in DVD player, photo viewer, media powerhouse as with Sony. It's like combing the vcr, dvd player, essentially, the whole multimedia scheme into a box, which raises the costs. Nintendo has chosen to give the choice to the people. You can buy a dvd player that's built in, or just the console.

The point is that Nintendo gives more choices as what to buy, which I appreciate, compared to being forced to buy multimedia options, which not everybody will use.
 

_JaKE

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i say the same with the psp, why the hell do you buy it? to watch movies and listen to music????????? same with an ipod video. do you want music or to watch movies? and that go also to xbox360 and ps3, do you want a GAME console, or a mutimedia $400 dollar system...that also why i like nintendo, they focus on the GAME part of a system.
 

bamthedoc

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Nintendo is doing a lot to try to dislodge the false "kiddy" label that has been so cleverly casted...at least in the US, on them. They are designing a sleek, stylish system that will immediately retail in five or more colors. It just looks like something "sexy" you wouldn't mind next to your recreation room's full entertainment system.

The writer does have a point, however. With such styling and pricing, it's more likely that households will have two systems. With the unique games the Revolution will be able to offer, the N5 has the greatest opportunity to become the primary gaming system in said households with the X-Box 360 or PS3, as few households will want to dish out over $1k for just the three conoles (discluding games, controllers, and peripherals), will be the entertainment center.

There will be people like me, however, who'll use their Revolution for the primary gaming and DVD system while opting to wait for Sony to work out the bugs that are bound to be in the PS3 and the innevitable price drop. I, for one, am not into nearly enough X-Box or 360 games to warrant buying either of Microsoft's bulky, in size and wallet required, systems.
 

Jimbo

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I was planning on buying a revolution before i read this, and this hasin't really told me anything i allready didin't know.


Revolution > all consoles.
 
L

Laharl

I'm still using a n64 and I really enjoy it. I dumped my sony for it and have no regrets. What games in particular does rev have that I should be aware of?
 

bamthedoc

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There are only a few "announced" and "rumored" games, at the moment. That's not to mention that 200+ library that'll be available for download, and that list could increase in size before the final release.

However...there are at least two "comfirmed" titles.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (tenative title; SquarEnix)
Super Smash Bros. Revolution (tenative title; Nintendo/HAL)
 
L

Laharl

Sounds good, could you possibly tell me how much this system would cost? Or estimate?
 

bamthedoc

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$200, $250, or $300 are my best guesses. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that A and B are the most likely with C being a " o_O Huh? Wha...?!" That games'll likely be around $45+, but likely no more than the $60+ pricetag you see with 360 and will see with PS3 games.
 
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