With questions, come answers. In this edition we discuss Nintendo's online presence, the Triforce arcade board, and N-Universe. Sit down and relax with your warm cup of Chai Tea Latte. Gotta love that soy. Uh...
Online Gaming
What do you guys think will be Nintendo's first online title?-GoldToe
Glen: While Nintendo hasn't expressed overwhelming interest in online gaming, it is carefully examining it as well as researching its feasability for GameCube.
If you are to see an online title from Nintendo, chances are it will be something simple such as a racing title which could include Mario Kart. I believe online gaming would compliment Mario Kart's racing and battle modes. Other possibilities include Pokemon, Mario Golf, or Mario Tennis. Some suggest lag could be a huge deterrent for Nintendo to include online play for a game such as Mario Tennis since a second delay can mean a point lost. However, if anyone will have a talent at determining which games fit well online, it's Nintendo. Perhaps we will see something tangible in relation to Nintendo's online plans at the upcoming 2003 Electronic Entertainment Expo in May. There's bound to be a few surprises.
N-Sider not with the N
This is in response to articles such as N-Bits and Fanboy Confessions.I don't own a GameCube; I own a Playstation 2. However, in my defense I've owned all of Nintendo's consoles excluding the GameCube. Even though I enjoyed (and still play) many of the 64's titles, its lack of support changed my mind. I lost my reverence for the Gaming company, and broke from "fanboy"dom. I read your site's material because I know Jason, who introduced me to it. As an avid gamer I appreciate the level of detail you present, and the depth of background information demonstrated upon reading the articles. I have told him before that I think your site is great; it's very informative, the articles are relatively unbiased, and games are reviewed with a personal note, not from a media giant who only has time to report on titles like they're reading the game's packaging. I must say that I couldn't agree more with your point of view on many issues relating to Nintendo - things like their strategy for the future, support for third parties and the utter lack of any advertising budget that should seem common sense for the patriarch of gaming as we know it.
I have only one quibble with your organization. Your URL is N-Sider.com, and your focus is Nintendo and their products. That said, and knowing Nintendo's lack of advertising, you guys should be working on their behalf (on "Nintendo's Side" as it were). I find that you mention, if not focus (far too often) on the negative side of things. Help them out by being more of a propaganda machine. I'm not asking you to lose objectivity, to become like other sites out there, or revert to the likeness of a fanboy, but to simply not mention Nintendo's weaknesses as often as you do. By focusing on the positive, emphasizing the good, and turning your complaints into more constructive criticisms I believe your site would be much more relevant to the fans. This would make owners of Nintendo products more comfortable with your site, readers more apt to become buyers, and companies (both Nintendo and/or third parties) more likely to become sponsors.
Please don't hate me, this is only my opinion. I don't mean to tell you how to run your business. I just think your site should (and could benefit from) portraying more of a "For the fans, by the fans" scenario.
Thanks for your time, keep up the good work
-Nick
Josh: I think an integral part of being a fansite for any organization or company is portraying all sides of said organization or company, not necessarily just the positives. At N-Sider, we feel that our readers have a right to know about all things Nintendo, even if at times, what we have to say concerning the company may not be the most optimistic thing in the world. With that being said, however, you do make a valid point about our material being decidedly pessimistic towards Nintendo as of late, and while I nor any of the staff members regret this, I would encourage you to keep reading, as we've got some specials coming up in the future that will concentrate on the negativity of other aspects of the industry as a whole, rather then just Nintendo.
Glen: Also, sometimes it's simply a case of taking the "good things" for granted. Since we already know the things Nintendo exceeds in, it's sometimes easier to point out those areas in which Nintendo lacks.
Jason: Hey Nick, its nice to hear from you. To answer your question, I think another reason we cant become a propaganda machine is because its like preaching from the soap-box. Anybody who hears you wont take you seriously since you are so fanatical about it. We want to get to the point where someone can read a positive article and know that it means good things. Spewing hyperbole when describing Nintendo will only get you so far. I love the company and their games cater to my tastes 100%, but I dont believe its my duty to paint a flawless picture of an imperfect scenario. For instance, if we would be telling you how great Nintendo is all the time, would that have changed your stance on buying your PS2? It probably would have fueled the purchase of the PS2 after seeing such fanboys. I wish I could spend all day talking about the company I love, but in the end you need to have a balance. So dont get us wrong when we downplay Nintendo. When we say one thing negative, were also thinking three things positive about them
Triforce
Hello Glen. Great article on the Tri-Force. I'm very excited that Namco is making a new Star Fox and Sega is working on F-Zero. But I was just wondering why Sega and Namco won't make a Tekken vs. Virtua Fighter game? Why hasn't Nintendo forced them or suggest them to make this game? It would definitely boost GameCube sales by a 100%! Also making arcade games would be a lot cheaper on the Triforce right? So why doesn't Namco and Sega lower the price to play these arcade games? Then people will definitely go back to the arcades. I live in Canada and it costs $1 to play a regular game and sometimes $2 to play a brand new game. That's why the arcade business is going down the drain. But if Namco and Sega uses the Triforce then it will benefit everybody. I want a Tekken vs. Virtua Fighter game now! Thanks.-Jack
Glen: A Tekken vs. Virtua Fighter game would be incredible for enthusiasts of the fighter genre. "Why doesn't Sega and Namco collaborate" is a good question. Perhaps its due to their respective designers not having the same vision for such an ambitious video game or perhaps the idea simply has yet to cross their minds.
You're right in that prices of arcades have gone up considerably. Playing just a few games is now the equivalent cost of watching a movie at the theatre. It's my hope Sega, Namco, and other arcade manufacturers can lower these costs somehow. However, with the arcade market these days as small as it is, that may not be financially possible for these companies. On a related topic, take a look at this news story about Pacific Theatres 15 creating game centers. Perhaps this is the future of arcades?
Wario 'Cube
I have heard that Treasure is involved with Wario World's development. Do you know if this is true, and can you confirm any other new information about this game (e.g., are there transformations like in other Wario games for the GB?)? I figured you all would be my best shot at knowing something since you have been a great source for facts about internal NCL happenings in the past.-Jim
Glen: Coverage of the game has been minimal, and thus there is not much to say.
According to Nintendo, the story goes like this. Deep within Wario's castle lies a treasure room filled with the spoils he has plundered during his many adventures. A mysterious black jewel, ensconced among the treasures, has a strange power to transform gems into monsters. While Wario rests in his castle upstairs the jewel begins to morph his treasure trove into a host of monsters, turning the basement of Wario's beloved castle into a bizarre parallel universe. Awakening the next morning to monsters instead of treasure, Wario must step into that alternate world to win the treasure back.
The camera in Wario World is set up in a side-scrolling fashion. The gameplay consists of puzzle solving and the considerable thumping of bad guys. Beyond that little information, including that of Wario transformation, is known about Wario World.
Also, the game was originally slated for a November 2002 release, but has since been set for release on May 26, 2003 according to Nintendo's offical website.
Triforce Comment
I say the Triforce deal will be big for Nintendo. It will give them an avenue to experiment with more insane game ideas that dont work as well on the home console market (Thinking of games requiring large "Steel Battalion" style peripherals). It'll also shift more GameCube's by making the games more accessable to the general public.One idea is Broadband enabled Triforce Arcade units. By making Mario Kart Online (Or Smash Brothers Melee Online) for the Triforce, it'll expose more people to online gaming, increasing potential customers and satisfying those who live without such luxuries. I propose a similar solution to Microsoft and their Live service for the Xbox. It would be a viable solution for countries like Australia where broadband isn't as accepted as say, America.
-Ben Rommell
Glen: You must remember though, there's always two ends to the transportation of information. Despite someone on one end having access to broadband and the person on the other end having a 56k modem, the one with the modem will still never exceed his modem's capabilities. For broadband to really work would require both users to have access to it. Unfortunately, however, it will still be some years before broadband is as widely spread as your garden-variety telephone line.
The network and online aspects of Triforce-created-software was mentioned at the Triforce's unveiling. However, nothing more than 'talk' has come of it since.
Finally, about your games comment, I too hope developers will come up with creative ideas.
SC2 - Link Dress-up
Hey guys, do you reckon that Link will have alternate costumes in Soul Calibur 2? I realize that all the recently released screenshots show Link only in green tunic splendor but do you suppose they'll take the easy way and just change his tunic color as opposed to being a little more daring and creating an entirely new outfit or two? Also, I've seen nothing with regards to Link having his own stage either, will he at least have his own exclusvie moves? Keep up the great work!-Alexander Alza
Glen: There have been different reports on Link's available moves, whether they will be unique to his character or similar to those of another. Also, there's no indication whether or not Link will have different costumes or his own stage. I would hope Namco puts a little artistic touch on Link. Link could use a change of clothing as well as a hair cut, no? Perhaps one of those Jenny Jones or Ricki Lake "makeovers"? "I was a dork in Hyrulian highschool but look at me now!" (crowd applause) Or maybe not...
N-Universe
Why does the N-Universe blow? As I recall, early hype claimed that it was going to be a sort of card GAME. Not to mention its terrible artwork, extremely shrunken images, etc. I can remember my great expectations for it back in the day... Too bad; too, too bad.Shiggy concurs that the N-Universe is a real piece of crap. Convinced yet?
-Drew O. Inman
Brenden: The card game idea was part of a very, VERY early draft done up by our old Editor in Chief, Pete Deol. Unfortunately, the project became over ambitious; the artists at the time dissapeared and the project came to a grinding halt. Dean picked it up and worked on making something out of it. Then came the hyping...something that, in my opinion, never should've been done. If I had the choice, it would've been kept completely quiet and then announced about a week before it was to be released. All the same, myself, and the rest of the staff still feel that it has plenty of potential to be something great.
For more information on this subject, refer to this.
Phantasy Star Online Rental
Why did you tell Steve that he shouldn't consider giving PSO (Phantasy Star Online) for GCN a rent? I think PSO is a very fun game.-Jeff
Glen: I'm sorry. Yes, you're right. Phantasy Star Online is a fun game. Although the four player ability on GameCube is a nice addition, I still feel it's best played online. I should've made my response more clear.
I suppose if you're considering purchasing a modem and going online with GameCube, renting PSO (the only available online game for GameCube) prior to making the decision would be a wise idea. It wasn't my intention to deter anyone away from doing such. Thanks for the question.
Jason:Actually Glen, as far as I know you were right. You shouldnt rent the game because in fact you cant rent the game. Sega didnt make it available to rental stores as far as I know. The reason being that the game registers itself to a machine the moment you go online with it. This makes it impossible for any other person to use that same disc. Hence, the game is not a rentable title. So if you want to try out PSO before purchasing, you really dont have that option unless you know someone with it already. If you enjoy co-operative games and want to go online, then just take the plunge sometime soon.
Zelda sales
What are the reasons for Zelda: The Wind Waker's less than outstanding sale numbers in Japan, do you think that the same results are to be expected in US, Europe and other countries?-Jason
Josh: Zelda's sales in Japan are just as mystifying to me. I think a part of it may be the GameCube's relative lack of userbase; more systems on the market may have resulted in more sales for the game. Or perhaps Japanese gamers are simply growing weary of the franchise (though all things Final Fantasy -- a franchise far more overdone then Zelda -- seem to be chugging along quite nicely, but that's another rant). As for the US and Europe, I honestly wouldn't be expecting blockbuster numbers. The biggest obstacle the game will have to overcome in these territories is the conception that it's a "cartoon" not worth the time of "adult" players, and that's something to blame on the industry and player demographics.
Jason: I do have a theory about the less than outstanding sales in Japan, and its not something Nintendo is going to want to hear. My theory is that multiplayer or party games are what most people own the system for there. Mario Party 4 and Super Smash Brothers Melee have sold a remarkable amount. Zeldas sales werent all bad considering its been just a shade under two months, but they could have been a bit higher. My thinking is that Nintendo will have to expect single player games to start selling a couple hundred thousand (breaking 500,000 is a lot) and still get returns on them. For instance, Nintendo has had a lot of success selling smaller-budget games already. Perhaps they will let a small team go forward to create a Mario and Zelda sequel while spacing out their other resources to create less big-budget games with multiplayer features.
'Cube still got game
I have to say that I really enjoyed your article and found it to be very interesting. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks that the 'Cube is a great machine with a really bad marketing strategy, though I feel I have to disagree with you guys on the conotation you guys attatch to the 'Cube. I dont believe its dead or that it's too late for them to come back from the brink. I say we wait until after E3 to count out our little purple bundle of joy from this console race. Also, I should point out that worldwide GameCube sales are higher than those found over at the Xbox camp. I know you guys already know this but I found it was worth mentioning. But all in all I feel you guys were dead on with alot of your commentary.-Manny
Glen: It's too late in that, Nintendo should've began releasing games that appealed to the mainstream audience from the get-go. The Xbox consistently outsold Nintendo's GameCube in the year 2002 in both Europe and North America. At the moment, the Xbox has both the marketshare and mindshare that Nintendo lacks in. If it wasn't for Japan, Nintendo would be last. I suppose you're right in that all hope is not yet lost. At least we can be satisfied that, unlike the Xbox, Nintendo is actually making money off of its console and games. Nevertheless, Nintendo still has "some" catching up to do.
Digipen
Do you guys at N-Sider know if there are any other colleges, 2-year or 4-year, out there that teach video game develoment, excluding Nintendo's Digipen? Digipen is very tempting, but I live in New York, and going all the way over there in Washington state for 4 years is extremely displeasing, knowing I will have to say goodbye to my friends and family for awhile. If you guys can help, you have no idea how appreciative I will be. Thanks a lot N-sider.com!Matthew LoPresti
Staff: Here's a non-comprehensive list of schools nationwide that carry game development programs. It appears the closest one to your area may be Netcom Information Technology. My suggestion would be to talk to a college counselor and do some thorough research, and you may just find the college that fits you best.
Speaking of Digipen, I've heard how difficult it can be to get in there. In fact, while Digipen gets 24,000 requests for applications from prospective students each year, only about 200 spots are actually available at the school. And that's not all. In 2001, just 36 students made it through the four-year program. However, I believe anyone with the determination can do it. Good luck.