Dreaming of Connectivity
Connectivity is the latest buzzword surrounding Nintendo. Its a term that Nintendo itself focused on heavily during E3 2002. And, despite the relatively few published games to make truly significant use of the concept since that time, this years E3 seemed to revolve around it.
Nintendo seems to believe that the ability to link GameCube with Game Boy Advance will ultimately be a major draw card for both developers and consumers. Games such as Tetras Trackers and Four Swords not only utilize connectivity, but are entirely based on it. It is impossible to play either game without being able to link the GameCube and Game Boy Advance together. Not only that, but the multiplayer basis of both games implies the requirement of four GBAs and four GameCube link cables. In my discussions with others in the gaming media before E3, I found that a surprisingly large number of people were quite dismissive when it came to connectivity. Many seemed to feel that it was Nintendos answer to a question that nobody asked. But is that really the case?
As Ive mentioned here, the last year hasnt exactly seen a plethora of connectivity-based games. In fact, Id say that most of the connectivity-enabled games released over the last year are offering fairly gimmicky extras rather than any fundamentally new game play experiences. I was getting the feeling that wed end up with a handful of games that truly utilize connectivity, and a much larger number of games that use connectivity as a way of piling on relatively useless extras and bonuses. This years E3 changed that perspective, to some extent. Both Tetras Trackers and Four Swords are obviously big tests for Nintendo. These two games really exemplify some of the ideas that are possible with the GCN/GBA link. And ultimately, the success of these games in their own right will help to determine whether or not Nintendos enthusiasm for connectivity can be translated into an expanding share of the market.
The idea is a sound one. Leverage the Game Boy Advances massive user base to sell more GameCube consoles. In principle, the Trojan Horse idea is brilliant. But now that were really seeing connectivity-based video games, can we be as enthusiastic about the idea as we once were?
Yes, I think so. Of course, there are some significant hurdles here. For one thing, the sheer cost of having the optimum connectivity setup is pretty steep. Four GBAs, four link cables and a copy of the game itself. Unless you have three friends with GBAs (and link cables of their own), the prospect of actually achieving the appropriate setup might be a little daunting. And if these connectivity-based games were doing nothing other than using your GBA as an alternative controller, I would definitely be questioning the worthiness of the whole idea. But in the case of Tetras Trackers and Four Swords, I think were starting to move into some really exciting territory.
Gaming at home has always been about plugging your console into your television set. Unless you include some odd variations over the years, the basic process of playing video games at home hasnt changed since, well, ever. The connectivity between Game Boy Advance and GameCube offers an opportunity to truly move beyond this process, in my view. The ability to utilize two separate screens (five screens if youre playing a four player game) is something that presents some truly innovative possibilities. Nintendos Roll-O-Rama (first seen at E3 2002) is a prime example of how connectivity can be more than just a gimmick. The ability to roll the ball off a platform on your TV and have it drop down onto your GBA screen is a remarkable idea and Nintendo seems to have implemented it quite effectively. So far, Ive been disappointed by the lack of connectivity-based titles like Roll-O-Rama. However, games like Four Swords in particular, are a reminder that Nintendo hasn't forgetten the potential of connectivity.
In Four Swords, every screen is being utilized in a fundamentally important way. When all players are together (ie: in the same room or in the same location above ground), the action remains centered on the TV. But if one player decides to drop down into a little cave somewhere, their character "falls" down onto their Game Boy Advance screen. This concept solves one of the big limitations in single-screen multiplayer games. Traditionally, the screen has either scrolled constantly or players have been bound together by the screen's own boundaries. Connectivity singlehandedly solves this long standing problem and in doing so, allows all players to remain "together" in a four player environment (as opposed to being seperated in different physical locations, as with Internet-based multiplayer games). Of course, single player games can benefit from connectivity too. Games like the aforementioned Roll-O-Rama are examples of how single player gaming can be expanded via connectivity. I would definitely like to see Nintendo pursue such concepts further in the future, in terms of both single and multiplayer games.
Whether or not Nintendo's focus on connectivity will lead to any kind of market success is still debatable, though. Nintendo is going to have to work hard to encourage consumers to warm to the concept and in the end, the variety of connectivity-based games is going to need to grow. Despite Nintendo's slow start, however, things are definitely looking up. Nintendo is finally starting to invest more heavily in connectivity-based games and several key third party developers are also now jumping on the bandwagon. Many still remain skeptical about what connectivity can offer. And I'm sure that there are many out there - despite the increased focus at E3 - who will still see connectivity as nothing but a gimmicky sales-boosting attempt. But for my part, I see true promise in the idea. For me, there is one certainty; a very empty looking wallet as Tetra's Trackers and Four Swords arrive on the shelves.
What are your thoughts on connectivity? Is it just a gimmick or are there some worthwhile possibilities for the technology? Click the link below to send me your thoughts.