N-Banter Edition 4: A Viewtiful Time
Edition: April 20, 2003
Two minds...one site. Two motives...one goal. Two editors...one conversation. You have now entered a dimension unlike any other. This is N-Banter.
In this edition Jeff and Glen discuss lackluster GameCube sales, what exactly "Flash" is, and a certain Expo we like to call E3...2K3.
Glen: We usually begin these with shocking news. So...It looks like Capcom is terminating a decent chunk of its development projects.
Jeff: Yeah. 10 GBA projects have been terminated. I can only wonder how many GameCube.
Glen: It's 18 in total. So, the last eight I suppose is anyone's guess.
Jeff: Well two of the titles Capcom highlighted as having disappointing sales were for GameCube (Product Number 03 and Resident Evil 0). I believe RE 0 sold around 1.1 million, short of the 1.4 or so million Capcom projected. Product Number 03 sold pretty poorly during its opening weeks in Japan. It failed to break into the Top 10 at all so far.
Glen: Anyway, Product Number 03 just came out in Japan, Viewtiful Joe is being highly advertised, and I don't see them throwing Resident Evil 4 in the trash.
Jeff: Yeah and I am pretty sure Resident Evil 4 will remain a GCN exclusive.
Glen: Yeah, I don't think anything has changed there. By the way, did you see Viewtiful Joe is being featured on the Nintendo's demo discs?
Jeff: =) Yes. I am very pleased with that.
Glen: The GameCube market is pretty unpredictable. This E3 will probably be a good sign of where the system is heading. Hopefully there will be enough products shown, and surprises, to keep it competitive.
Jeff: Anyway, I think that Playable demo disks are one of the smartest things Nintendo has done in years. It will allow people that normally may only purchase 1st party titles to play some other excellent titles and possibly get hooked into buying. It will expand the horizons of the GameCube if Nintendo executes it correctly.
Glen: Definitely. Nintendo should have been doing this from the beginning. But we know how that goes. This, along with other recent events, is a definite sign of change for the company. The past few years, in fact, have been a culmination of change for the company. It is surprisingly not the Nintendo we knew just yesterday. I can't wait to see what surprises Nintendo has in store for us at E3.
Jeff: Oh, I know. I am more enthused about this E3 than I was even last year. Unlike many, I am not expecting any online titles either, and I am not upset about that. In fact I am kind of indifferent. In many ways I feel that Nintendo isn't making that large of a mistake by not investing heavily in online gaming so quickly.
Glen: Yeah, I find it annoying when people insist on Nintendo embracing online gaming. They think Nintendo is going to fail otherwise. People are going so far as saying Nintendo should go third-party. Here's a post I just made a bit ago over at GamerFeed about this. Microsoft has failed to make a significant dent in Sony's marketshare, yet people aren't suggesting the company drop the Xbox. Why then urge Nintendo to take such a ludicrous step?
The GameCube's fate was decided at Spaceworld 2001 when Nintendo made the decision to unveil a purple console with a handle and Luigi's Mansion as its flagship launch title. The GameCube is perceived as a less-advanced children's-console by the general uninformed population (perhaps justifiably, perhaps not). The GameCube launched a year after the PlayStation 2. While they may not tell the full story, the GameCube's current position in the gaming industry is almost entirely attributed to the above issues.
With that said, what's stopping Nintendo from correcting these issues for the release of its next console? Nintendo has yet to even issue anything concrete on its next-generation console (bar talks with technology partners), so how can anyone here be the voice to the fact that things are "not changing?"
As Peter MacDougall, Nintendo of America's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, made clear: "Nintendo is in the software business - to stay. Nintendo is in the handheld business - to stay. And Nintendo is most certainly in the home console business - to stay. Work is well underway on the successor technology to both Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube."
Give Nintendo a break.
Jeff: Very interesting Mr. Glen, I agree very much with you. Nintendo isn't going third party anytime soon.
Glen: Looking at their profits, they have absolutely no need to. GameCube may have failed to carve into the PlayStation 2's market share, but I see no reason Nintendo's next-generation console (developed for the right audience and marketed correctly) couldn't put up more than just a simple tap on the shoulder to Sony, but an all-out barrage of punches.
Jeff: Oh very true. However, GameCube hardware sales (worldwide) for the fiscal year ending April 1st were 5.6 million units. This is a far cry from even the 10 million units the company predicted last year (44 percent lower than projections). Now not speaking in regards to software, this is a huge failure to miss projected sales by such a wide margin. The GBA exceeded projected sales for that same time period.
Glen: Yes, that hurts. I believe Xbox missed sales projections as well though. So it may not be just a Nintendo thing.
Jeff: Yes Xbox sold around eight million units during that period. Short of its projected nine or so million units.
Glen: It's probably more of an "I released a year before you guys, *Sony sticks out its tongue *" and Grand Theft Auto thing. I guess all we can hope for at this point is that Nintendo will learn from its mistakes and do right on its next-generation console release. And also continue releasing great games to keep its fans around and satisfied until the next round.
Jeff: Yes, but can we really blame GTA for Nintendo's lackluster holiday season? I mean Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance sold quite well as did Splinter Cell and a number of other titles.
Glen: That's cause all those games have the "flash". Ha.
Jeff: "Flash" huh. How do you define this "Flash."
Glen: (Shigeru Miyamoto in a thong? Just kidding.) Games that appeal to the gaming audience of 2003.
Jeff: I purchased Mortal Kombat: DA and I thought it was quite good. GTA: Vice City (though very similar to GTA III and with a few annoying errors) didn't reach its dominant position for no reason. At its core are some amazing physics and gameplay.
Glen: Thats true, but there is still some serious flash going on. In my opinion, Nintendo's E3 booth is going to be the place to be this year. Nintendo is embracing third-party developers and also expanding its own development (the new studio in Tokyo for example), I don't see anyone stopping the company. The dormant giant in Japan is starting to wake up again. (Heh, I know that sounds dorky, but I think it will hold true.)
Jeff: Dorky indeed. What do you mean by dormant though? I don't think it has been dormant in the least.
Glen: It has lost touch with the casual gamer though. It tried getting Metroid Prime and Eternal Darkness out there, but as Silicon Knights' president, Denis Dyack said, there just wasn't enough "flash."
Jeff: But how much flash do we really want? If Nintendo puts much more flash in, game quality could suffer. The problem is getting people to give the games adequate chance.
Glen: I know, you're right. Nintendo just needs to find a common ground - a medium where it can continue to make its own games, and perhaps have the third parties create the games with flash. Nintendo and Sega's F-Zero could potentially be that "flash".
Jeff: I am hoping that The Legend of Zelda: TWW will help Nintendo's image.
Glen: I dunno if it will. It may be difficult to get the people who are playing Halo and Grand Theft Auto, to give Zelda a chance.
Jeff: But see Nintendo has the ability to make games that are "must haves" and "gotta play this, dude." They did it many times with the Nintendo 64.
Glen: Yes, I know. But the appeal of games has changed since that generation. I suppose Nintendo's work is cut out convincing them.
Jeff: Anyway. Nintendo has failed in marketing titles to the new audience. That is the true problem. We have discussed it many times before.
Glen: True. So what do you think we'll see at E3? I'm curious to know what this Game Zero is.
Jeff: Oh I am very excited to see what Zoonami, Silicon Knights, Camelot, and Factor 5 will show for the GameCube and Game Boy Advance.
Glen: And I wonder if Rogue Squadron 3 will be playable? The GameCube does well with the Star Wars fans...I saw Bounty Hunter, Clone Wars, and Rogue Leader all in the British top ten sales chart for April.
Jeff: Yes, Rogue Leader sold quite well. I myself have Bounty Hunter and Rogue Leader. I can't say I would recommend Clone Wars though....;-)
Glen: I also think Too Human could turn out to be an incredible hit. It surprises me how many people are interested in the title. It was number one in our poll for the longest time, but Mario Kart GC has now edged it out. Those two games are my most anticipated titles.
Jeff: If GameCube owners will buy Star Wars titles, why haven't they been picking up Resident Evil, Eternal Darkness, and other third party offerings then?
Glen: They need to call them Star Wars: Resident Evil and Star Wars: Sanity's Requiem. Kind of like what Nintendo does with Mario. ^_^
Jeff: Hah Definitely. Too Human has been one of my most anticipated games for years now. I believe that game could be a "Must Have" if it ever hits shelves. Heh. However, my number one most anticipated title for GameCube right now is Viewtiful Joe.
Glen: Yeah, Capcom may have a hit on its hands with Viewtiful Joe. It seems to be a title that the GameCube audience would be interested in. I wonder how Sega's Billy Hatcher game is going to be. Speaking of Sega, I wonder how this whole crazy, Sega/Sammy/Namco thing is going to turn out. Frightening to see Sega in the position it is today. Just goes to show that anything can happen in this industry. That's probably why I find it so fascinating.
Jeff: Viewtiful Joe is perhaps the most unique and interesting title I have seen in some time. It appears to be a title of classic arcade action with a new edge about it. It is difficult to describe my enthusiasm for the title. Hears to hoping it doesn't become a sleeper hit.
Glen: Yes, I agree. Capcom and Sega have always been innovators of videogames. It's sad to see them not doing as well as other publishers.
Jeff: Ah yes. The Sega situation really puzzles me. They have really fallen pretty far. It is sad because many of the companys titles are still top notch.
Glen: We're going to have nearly 10 people going to E3 with N-Sider this year. I wish you could join us. I have a feeling this is going to be the best E3 yet. The competition is simply getting so fierce.
Jeff: I know. I feel so left out. I will be manning the news front here at home though. Its cool that the whole expo itself will be bigger than it has been for years, in terms of floor space. I expect we will have some N-depth articles about not just Nintendo made titles this year. As in Viewtiful Joe!
Glen: Of course. I recall Nintendo saying its booth's focus this year would be third party games.
Jeff: You know Nintendo always seems to dominate E3 shows, yet hasnt been able to dominate anything with those same games months later. It puzzles me.
Glen: The same could have been said for Sega and the Dreamcast. When the Dreamcast was still alive, it dominated content wise. I guess E3 really doesn't give a true indication of how the following year will play out.
Jeff: Yes. It really goes to show the distance between the views of us in the journalism field and the public.
Glen: Yeah, you're right.
Jeff: What are your thoughts on the GBA SP? Impressions, concerns, etc.
Glen: I have concerns about it. Mostly by looking at what competition has done for GameCube, Xbox, and PS2 games-wise. And how something similar could possibly help expand the handheld market. But I won't deny that the GBA SP does look spiffy, heh.
Jeff: Yes it does. I wish that Nintendo would have made the D-pad (directional control pad) on the GameCube in a similar way to the SP's D-Pad. It is much more comfortable yet the same size as the original GBAs D-Pad. But where will Nintendo go next with the Game Boy line? I fear that the company will again go the route that they did in the mid 90s and make another cartridge based system. However, I don't have the foresight to predict whether history will repeat itself in the handheld market.
Glen: Honestly, I think I'm still stuck back in the SNES generation. I honestly don't find much appeal in today's games (including some of Nintendo's). Vice City, The Sims, and games of these sort I think are the current popular genre. First Person Shooters it appears have received a revival as well with Medal of Honor and Halo. RPGs, action-adventure (the Marios and Zeldas), appear to be yesterday's pop games. We'll see if Nintendo can bring racers back into the limelight with Mario Kart and F-Zero. Things have cooled down in that genre since the release of Gran Turismo 3. It always fluctuates. Some genres will cool down, others will heat up, or new ones will be created.
Jeff: You know you bring up some interesting points there. I guess this will really be a test of that. There will be a great variety of titles this year. We shall see if GTA fever can last a third year.
Glen: I think so. It may or may not. Or maybe Viewtiful Joe will bring something unique enough to make developers' eye's shift to the next best thing. Its difficult to say until the next wave is upon us.
Jeff: I hope Viewtiful Joe will be a reminder. A reminder that what is new and what is accepted as next generation gaming needs to take a serious reality check into what is really fun. Because I can tell you that there are more side-scrollers, NES, and Genesis/SNES games that I consider brilliant than anything since.
Don't agree with the positions taken by Jeff or Glen? Want to have your voice heard? Send questions, feedback, or even a bit of ranting to the revived N-Sider Q&A Mailbag.