Nintendo might just be retarded.

[Rodent]

As to the Revolution?  Ive heard rumors the whole controller is a touch screen thing like the DS.  At the moment its all speculation.

I keep hearing it will not feature a touchscreen. And that would probably be a good thing, if the rumours of the Revolution being backwards compatible with the GC are true.

[StGabe]

From what I hear, Nintendo is telling developers that they will be using the existing GameCube SDK for development ... which seems to indicate that a projection screen is out.  Could be wrong though.

Gabe.

[Margalis]

The original "rumor" was just one guy speculating.

Nintendo's online strategy is biased by the games they make. Party games are NOT the types of games that would be fun online. I would expect Nintendo to use online gaming much more in the next system. They have the capability and the Gamecube games that do use the online stuff work fine. But they often seem to act in somewhat contrary fashion. The Gamecube is a relative breeze to program for, there isn't any excuse for the 3rd party support. A lot of it stems from the SNES and N64 days of high licensing fees the high cost of manufacturing cartridges.

IMO XBox is clearly the worst of the 3 systems today though. Nintendo has the occasional awesome Nintendo game and a bunch of exclusives, the PS2 has the largest volume of games - I'm not sure what the XBox has, I can't think of a single game on the XBox I'd want to play. I can see people being into Live but without Live there isn't a whole lot going for it.

[Strazos]

IMO XBox is clearly the worst of the 3 systems today though. Nintendo has the occasional awesome Nintendo game and a bunch of exclusives, the PS2 has the largest volume of games - I'm not sure what the XBox has, I can't think of a single game on the XBox I'd want to play.

Funny, I say the same about the PS2. Since when does Volume = Teh Bestest?

Just sayin'.

[Margalis]

IMO XBox is clearly the worst of the 3 systems today though. Nintendo has the occasional awesome Nintendo game and a bunch of exclusives, the PS2 has the largest volume of games - I'm not sure what the XBox has, I can't think of a single game on the XBox I'd want to play.

Funny, I say the same about the PS2. Since when does Volume = Teh Bestest?

Just sayin'.

Well, I can think of a number of PS2 games that I would like to play. (And PS1 games) I really can't think of any for the XBox. I suppose a lot of it is a matter of taste. The PS2 has a lot of SRPG type of games, some RPGs, some 3D platformers, etc. There are a couple of XBox games that sound somewhat interesting but a lot of those come out for the PC later. I own an XBox solely for Street Fighter: AE with live support, because I was raised by Street Fighter machines as a child.

The Gamecube actually has the most number of games I want to play. The "rental potential" is low though because after you get past those there isn't a lot left. But I've had a lot of fun with Mario Kart, F-Zero (I love me my F-Zero!), Zelda, Metroid, Eternal Darkness, ResEvil 4, etc. The Cube is totally lacking is some categories though. (Although Fire Emblem will help rememedy a small part of that) Part of it is that I don't have a lot of time to play games, so 3 killer games a year is fine for me. I'd have a really hard time listing 25 GC games I would ever want to touch, but I can list 10, and that's good enough for me.

PS2 wins out as far as overall variety goes by a longshot though.

All in all 3 systems is one too many. There just aren't enough exclusive games to go around. I'd like to see MS blow up because they really don't bring anything to the table.

[Velorath]

Funny, I say the same about the PS2. Since when does Volume = Teh Bestest?

Just sayin'.

Well they do have God of War, and they've got Soul Calibur III coming up as well as Kingdom Hearts II, FFXII, and Dragon Quest VIII for the RPG fans.

X-box on the other hand did recently have Jade Empire.  Aside from Ninja Gaiden though, a lot of their exclusives do tend to end up on the PC later.

[Strazos]

Not to bash anyone, but it's kind of funny...I can never think of a PS2 RPG I would actually like to try. Hell, I haven't liked a PS1/2 RPG since VII, and I only went through it 1.5 times.

[SurfD]

As an RPG fan, I have always seen the PS2 / PS1 as the way to go.  I mean, look at it this way:

If you take ALL the RPG's made for the PS2 (and PS1 by backwards compatability inclusion), and rank them on a scale from 1 to 10, the total number of RPG's with a score of 9 or 10 available on PS2 would outnumber the total number of RPG's (or for that matter RPG like games) on both the XBox and Gamecube combined.

That is why Volume > Teh Bestest when dealing with some things.

I mean, sure there ARE a few RPG's I would be willing to purchase a Gamecube for, but when budget is tight, and you can only afford one system, the choice is fairly easy to make. 

Which would you rather have? A system with 5 good and 20 crappy games in your favourite genre, or one with 30 good games, and 200 crappy ones?

Since a savvy consumer will manage to avoid the Crappy ones, you might as well go with the system that has the wider selection.

Hell, there are more RPGs available on PS2 that I want to play then I have time OR money to actually finish.  The same could not be said for the other systems.  If I had a Cube or Xbox, I would probably have exhausted their entire library of worth playing games ages ago.

[Megrim]

I suspect what Strazos is saying, is that while the PS2 has a goatload of RPGs available to play, most of them are of the Square/Enix-flavoured gameplay variety. Which is throughly disliked by a number of people (myself included). This inadvertently limits the choices somewhat.

 - meg

[Velorath]

I suspect what Strazos is saying, is that while the PS2 has a goatload of RPGs available to play, most of them are of the Square/Enix-flavoured gameplay variety. Which is throughly disliked by a number of people (myself included). This inadvertently limits the choices somewhat.

Even so you've got more choices than the other systems.  You've got Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Shining Tears, Growlanser: Generations, and even FullMetal Alchemist doesn't play like a typical Square game.  Aside from Shadow Hearts I don't know first hand how good any of those games are, but there are options outside of typical Square/Enix style games.

[HaemishM]

X-Box has the best versions of the sports games, IMO. That's it's real strength, as well as the ease of playing online as opposed to the PS2 and the lack of said online stuff on the GC. It also has a good deal of FPS games, which, unless you were raised on PC shooters, are the bizzomb. Note, I'm not talking about me, because I suck at FPS games on consoles, but Halo certainly sells a lot of copies.

For exclusive games, the KOTOR games (if you must get them at release), Jade Empire, Fable (IMO). I ultimately chose the X-Box over the PS2 because of better graphics (since I was getting it for sports games), and a built-in hard drive. I fucking hate memory cards.

[Strazos]

I suspect what Strazos is saying, is that while the PS2 has a goatload of RPGs available to play, most of them are of the Square/Enix-flavoured gameplay variety. Which is throughly disliked by a number of people (myself included). This inadvertently limits the choices somewhat.

 - meg

Thank you Megrim. 

I usually take that opinion a step further and feel that the Vast Majority of console RPG's, for me, are not really RPG's; in many games, you are given yuor character and have very little control over their development, and the game is basically on rails. No thanks, I'll keep my BioWare gems, and continue to supply them with supplies for their money hats.

And I agree with Haemish, HDD >>>> Memory Cards. I also like the (revamped) X-Box controls more than the PS controls.

I will say this though....I still own 2 PSone memory cards and 2 games. What games? NHL '98 and Final Fantasy Tactics.

[Jain Zar]

I usually take that opinion a step further and feel that the Vast Majority of console RPG's, for me, are not really RPG's; in many games, you are given yuor character and have very little control over their development, and the game is basically on rails. No thanks, I'll keep my BioWare gems, and continue to supply them with supplies for their money hats.

And I agree with Haemish, HDD >>>> Memory Cards. I also like the (revamped) X-Box controls more than the PS controls.

I agree with you almost 100 percent there.
By and large I hate the Squenix styled RPGs.  However I love strategy RPGs and Japan seems to be the only one willing to scratch that particular itch.  Sure there is the odd Silent Storm for the PC, but if you want turn based strategy gaming, you pretty much have to look towards consoles with a heavy Japanese game bias.

Though for RPGs of a more proper sort Jade Empire and both KOTORs nearly beat out the ENTIRE PS1/PS2 traditional RPG library released in the USA by their lonesomes. 

[Shockeye]

Nintendo to launch new game console in 2006

May 14, 2005 — TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co. will launch its new video game console sometime next year, missing the key 2005 holiday shopping season and putting it a step behind Microsoft Corp. in the battle for the next-generation game machine, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Saturday.

The report comes two days after Microsoft announced its new console, called Xbox 360, will be in stores in time for the 2005 year-end shopping season, giving it a head-start on the competition if Sony Corp. and Nintendo don't introduce their new consoles until next year.

The Nihon Keizai said it obtained the information from Nintendo on Friday, without citing sources. Nintendo has not officially set a date for its next generation console, code-named "Revolution," although a 2006 launch has been widely expected.

Nintendo officials were not immediately available for comment.

Based in the ancient Japan capital of Kyoto, Nintendo was the dominant brand in home video game consoles for much of the 1980s and early 1990s until Sony entered the market with its PlayStation and Microsoft later introduced its Xbox machine.

Nintendo has said that Revolution will be ready for wireless Internet gaming and be backward-compatible with the current generation GameCube, which is now in third place in the console market behind Sony's PlayStation 2 (PS2) and the Xbox.

The new console will be powered by a chip developed by IBM code-named "Broadway" and a graphics processor from ATI Technologies Inc. code-named "Hollywood."

Revolution will use 12 cm optical discs and be about the size of three DVD cases stacked together, the Nihon Keizai said.

Sony has not said when it will release its next-generation console, tentatively named PS3, although industry watchers generally expect it to hit stores sometime next year.

Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are expected to show off their next-generation gaming consoles to developers next week at the annual Electronics Entertainment Expo, or E3, as all three companies seek to entrench themselves deeper into living rooms with advanced computing, graphics and multimedia features.

[HaemishM]

So Nintendo is sticking with its proprietary format for games, which means the system will NOT have DVD playback, and will have wireless Internet. The backwards compatibility is nice, other than maening it will fuck the system for having DVD playback, which is again, RETARDED.

No, DVD players are not expensive, and can be had for $40. But, when you are trying to fit all these electronic pieces in an entertainment center, having one less device is one less device. You'd think they'd get this. If you are looking at 3 consoles, the first thing you look at is games, then you look at features. This is missing a feature that is standard on the other two, which means it loses a checkmark in the gamer's mind. There aren't enough GC games to make the backwards compatibility mean much.

Yes, Nintendo IS retarded.

[Special J]

No, DVD players are not expensive, and can be had for $40. But, when you are trying to fit all these electronic pieces in an entertainment center, having one less device is one less device. You'd think they'd get this. If you are looking at 3 consoles, the first thing you look at is games, then you look at features. This is missing a feature that is standard on the other two, which means it loses a checkmark in the gamer's mind. There aren't enough GC games to make the backwards compatibility mean much.

But you also look at price.  Especially if you're mommy or daddy getting a system for little Billy.  And what to do they care about DVD playback? They've already got the Wal-Mart $40 special.

[HaemishM]

But you have to sell to the hardcore gamer first. The early adopter. Mom and Pop getting it for their kid are generally going to wait until Christmas, at which point if past history holds, both X-Box 360 AND PS3 will have a shitton more games on the shelves than the Revolution.

[schild]

Doesn't matter when the Revolution comes out. It won't have 1/4 of the games when the system dies 4-5 years from now as either one of the other systems. And Nintendo knows that, Christmas launch or not.

[ahoythematey]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/05/13/news_6124449.html

Not sure if this belongs in useless news or not, this thread seems appropriate enough.

[schild]

They keep adding shit on to the revolution. I heard it was playing DVDs the other day. And you know what flashed through my mind?

The Phantom.

The Revolution is turning into the Dolphin more and more and more.

[HaemishM]

Never mind then. Not playing DVD's is just a bad idea, when you are already down. Amazing that they saw this. It's also quite funny that the X-Box guy doesn't even consider them as a competitor.

[schild]

Nintendo isn't a competitor anymore. Even you bought the system solely as a supplemental resident evil 4 TV Adapter. My Gamecube sat unused for a year until RE4 came out. Well, except when my friend played Tales of Symphonia on it. I logged all of maybe 10 hours of Baten Kaitos. Bleh. I would like to finish it one day, but then there's 60 or so other games saying "Finish Me!" as well.

[ahoythematey]

Nintendo gives me Zelda, Metroid, and Mario.  Seems like a fair trade for my dollars.

[Yegolev]

I will say this though....I still own 2 PSone memory cards and 2 games. What games? NHL '98 and Final Fantasy Tactics.

You might like those PS2-only Nippon Ichi offerings, then, depending on what you like about FFT.

[Yegolev]

There aren't enough GC games to make the backwards compatibility mean much.

Yes, Nintendo IS retarded.

I'd use the same rationale that you did regarding the DVD player.  Just replace "DVD" with "GameCube disc" and you will see why I want me some backward-compatibility.  It's mostly about space, although the texture smoothing that the PS2 does with Vagrant Story would be a nice feature in the Rev.  I'll have to keep the Cube nearby, though, because I really doubt that the Rev will support the GCGBP... but it won't live in the "good" cabinet with the workhorse machines.

[Margalis]

Playing DVDs is very important, because, you know, in this day and age most people don't have a DVD player already. Seriously, who gives a shit? I have THREE fucking DVD players already. I think it's very reasonable to assume that the owner of the Revolution will own a DVD player, PS2, PS3, XBox or XBox 360 as well.

[schild]

You're a geek. Joe Dumbass wants to replace his old console when he trades it into EB for the new console. Jesus, it's as if geeks think they are the only ones left sometimes.

Just remember the stupid redneck down the road and you'll understand why DVD is so goddamn important. He's lucky he ever got the Xbox plugged in in the first place.

[Strazos]

Wait, he missed the Blue Light Special on the Sylvania DVD player at Wal-Mart for $40?

[AOFanboi]

Playing DVDs is very important, because, you know, in this day and age most people don't have a DVD player already. Seriously, who gives a shit? I have THREE fucking DVD players already. I think it's very reasonable to assume that the owner of the Revolution will own a DVD player, PS2, PS3, XBox or XBox 360 as well.

But every console coming out will have DVD playback (Plus BD on the PS3), not including it is to make your console have one feature less than the competition. And that's not a good way to stay in business.

[Triforcer]

Nintendo gives me Zelda, Metroid, and Mario.  Seems like a fair trade for my dollars.

As long as Nintendo keeps those three properties in an iron death-grip, they'll always get my money.  You can never have too much Zelda.

[Yegolev]

But every console coming out will have DVD playback (Plus BD on the PS3), not including it is to make your console have one feature less than the competition. And that's not a good way to stay in business.

I agree with this since most people are not like me.  The coveted 18-25 (or whatever) demographic might not already have a DVD player, but the real issue, IMO, is how many appliances do you want taking up space on your coffee table, especially appliances that you can't rest a bong/drink/ashtray on?  How many separate inputs do you have on your $150 TV?  Where do you put this shit during the party?  Fewer machines mean fewer hassles.  More hassle + small library + gay helmet = go back to making playing cards.  I love Nintendo but I'm worried about their life choices.

[WayAbvPar]

You're a geek. Joe Dumbass wants to replace his old console when he trades it into EB for the new console. Jesus, it's as if geeks think they are the only ones left sometimes.

Just remember the stupid redneck down the road and you'll understand why DVD is so goddamn important. He's lucky he ever got the Xbox plugged in in the first place.

Dear sweet Christ, I could tell you some horror stories from my days at Nintendo trying to help people hook up their NES boxes. The sheer ignorance, inability to follow simple instructions, and chimp-like vocabulary made baby Jesus cry. A lot.

[voodoolily]

Nintendo gives me Zelda, Metroid, and Mario.  Seems like a fair trade for my dollars.

As long as Nintendo keeps those three properties in an iron death-grip, they'll always get my money.  You can never have too much Zelda.

A-fucking-men, kid. That is really the only kung fu they have, but it is very powerful monkey-style. If they just kept putting out a new Mario platform every year instead of trying to get ahead of the hardware curve, they would be wearing their money hats proudly and this thread wouldn't exist.

Schild - you should suck it up and pick Baten Kaitos up again. The lull is brief. The worlds are stunning visually and in a class by themselves in originality.

And who really, really gives a shit that the GC doesn't have DVD capabilities? Seriously, have you ever used your PS2 to play a DVD?

[HaemishM]

And who really, really gives a shit that the GC doesn't have DVD capabilities? Seriously, have you ever used your PS2 to play a DVD?

My X-Box is my primary living room DVD and whatnot.

[voodoolily]

Amateur. You should be rockin' region free. That is, if you like watching foreign films that weren't translated by asswads.