James O. says:
Yes sir. You might think that with the Xbox 360 launching this month, Nintendo would want to do something to somehow draw attention away from its competitors. Let's think realistically though. Do you really believe a screenshot of a game will convince someone not to buy into the Xbox 360 hype and save their money for at least six more months until the Revolution comes out? I highly doubt it.
The Revolution's won't be relying on its graphical power as its strength, so showcasing games may actually hurt Nintendo when compared to its competitors. I believe the only way to appropriately show off the Revolution is in playable fashion (i.e. E3). Every game will be a "revolution" in gameplay thanks in large part to its new controller, and the only way to understand that is through playing it firsthand. And finally, (believe it or not) it's too early yet for Nintendo to tip its hand to its third party competitors.
For now, gamers will have to settle for only screenshots of the console itself
John O. says:
No. You're right though, showing a glimpse of Revolution around the time Xbox 360 launches will not necessarily stop someone from buying a 360, but it would at least get them thinking about Revolution. It's advertising, and Nintendo doesn't do enough of it. Not enough people know about Revolution and what's going to make it revolutionary. A short clip of Mario doing something amazing (that can only be done with the new controller) is enough to excite people.
And I wouldn't worry about Nintendo showing footage that's graphically worse than an Xbox 360 game. If it were a short clip, then there wouldn't be any way to tell how powerful the system is anyway. The greatest risk is not taking one. Get people excited. Show us some games.
Question #2: The USB Wi-Fi adapter enables all DS players with a computer and internet connection to play online wirelessly. However, the adapter can only be bought online. Is this a good decision to sell the adapter only online?
John O. says:
Yes. It can be argued that a handheld system inherently isn't as exciting, sought after, or popular as its console brethren. Keeping this in mind, the demand for an added peripheral such as a USB adapter for a handheld system may not be as high as we think. Also, the day the adapter goes on sale online, only one DS game will actually support Wi-Fi (Mario Kart). Only three DS games will support Wi-Fi by the end of the year. Nintendo is saving money.
Also, Nintendo is paying much respect to McDonald's by only selling the adapter online. If Nintendo sold the adapter in stores then the number of gamers wanting to try out Mario Kart online while downing a Big Mac would decrease.
Nintendo's USB Wi-Fi Adaptor will enable users to easily allow an existing Internet connection to be connected with the Nintendo DS. It will only be sold at the Nintendo Store in New York and online at Nintendo.com
James O. says:
If this has anything to do with McDonald's or Wayport (wireless provider for Mickey-D's), I'm going to be very upset. It should be Nintendo's goal to reach out to as many people as possible to play online. The only way to do that would be to allow all game retailers (online and otherwise) to sell the adapter. Selling it only at Nintendo.com boggles my mind. Nintendo should be focused on creating a massive base of online-ready players for our third party developers to salivate over.
Nintendo is not trying to save money - it's trying to profit as much as possible by ignoring other retailers. Unfortunately, this will ultimately hurt us. Believe you me, there's plenty of demand out there, which is probably why Nintendo is not allowing others to sell it for them in order to maximize profits. Hopefully a reliable third party peripheral manufacturer (i.e. Logitech) will jump on this golden opportunity. But then again, I guess Nintendo is offering us a totally free online experience...
Question #3: For GameCube owners, is there any reason to be excited about this Christmas?
John O. says:
Well, yes of course – Christmas is a time of family gatherings and eating fudge... oh, we're talking about GameCube games? Yep, there are a slew of good GameCube games ready to come out.
Not including games already released and the fast-approaching Mario Party 7, this holiday we GameCube owners can look forward to titles such as Shadow the Hedgehog, Call of Duty: Big Red One, Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, Prince of Persia 3: Two Thrones, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. I'm especially excited to play From Russia With Love, Super Mario Strikers, and Peter Jackson's King Kong. Yes, there aren't any true "killer app" games coming this Christmas (and that's especially sad since Twilight Princess was supposed to be exactly that), but there's no reason why GameCube owners can't find enjoyment from these many solid third party titles coming soon.
Is Mario Strikers the GameCube's only hope this Christmas?
James O. says:
Negative. Assuming you're like everyone else (on a tight budget), the best advice I can give is to get excited for something else, like the Nintendo DS. When you're actually forced to do research to see what games are coming out this holiday season, you know the 'Cube is hurting. I can't ever remember a Christmas in which Nintendo's home console had a holiday lineup that was this unappealing.
Nintendo's Super Mario Strikers (December 5) is probably the most anticipated GameCube title this year, but is it a must-have? Not really. And other than Mario Party 87, you didn't even mention Nintendo's other two November offerings... I wonder why - Odama and Chibi-Robo. Rentals at best.
As for third party support, except for King Kong (as well as Red Hot Rumble, I suppose), I just see a bunch of sequels. That's not necessarily bad, but I'm guessing I'm not the only one getting tired of playing "revamped" titles. I'm more excited about what the DS can offer this Christmas season. At least with the DS, I'm almost guaranteed a one-of-a-kind gameplay experience.
Agree or disagree, it's all up to you and who you felt had a stronger case. Voice your opinion on the N-Philes forums; we'd love to hear your feedback on our rationale, and to hear your own opinions of the discussion.
