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Ok, so I was recently browsing all the latest news tidbits concerning the next generation of systems (while I'm supposed to be working, mind you) and i've got another bone to pick...with Nintendo, this time. Allow me to explain...Here's what we know (so far) about the new systems.
The XBOX 360: It looks nice, it's powerful, customizable, expandable, and will have great online play via XBOX Live (2 million subscribers ain't half bad). The controllers look great as well: very similar to the "controller-S" design, which I like, with only a few intelligent-looking tweaks.
Sony's PS3: It looks sleek and quite powerful as well, and will have massive, unbeatable 3rd party support. The controllers look like a bad idea, though. That design has been done before via a 3rd party Playstation 1 controller that I remember, and they were terrible. Let's hope i'm wrong.
...and then I get to reading about the new Nintendo unit...arrogantly codenamed "Revolution". Right off the bat, it looks like Nintendo is already admitting that the unit will be weaker than the other 2 consoles. But hey, it's all about the gameplay, right? Nintendo always has taken that stance: better hardware means nothing...it's about the gameplay. It's like saying that it's OK that your girlfriend's an ugly pig, it's what inside that really counts...and while that may be true in real life, why should you have to settle for one or the other in the gaming world (looks or personality, AKA graphics or gameplay)? Well, honestly, in this day and age, we shouldn't have to. The answer's simple: Nintendo, LAY OFF THE HOME CONSOLE HARDWARE AND JUST MAKE YOUR GAMES FOR THE OTHER SYSTEMS!
Ok, so I was recently browsing all the latest news tidbits concerning the next generation of systems (while I'm supposed to be working, mind you) and i've got another bone to pick...with Nintendo, this time. Allow me to explain...Here's what we know (so far) about the new systems.
The XBOX 360: It looks nice, it's powerful, customizable, expandable, and will have great online play via XBOX Live (2 million subscribers ain't half bad). The controllers look great as well: very similar to the "controller-S" design, which I like, with only a few intelligent-looking tweaks.
Sony's PS3: It looks sleek and quite powerful as well, and will have massive, unbeatable 3rd party support. The controllers look like a bad idea, though. That design has been done before via a 3rd party Playstation 1 controller that I remember, and they were terrible. Let's hope i'm wrong.
...and then I get to reading about the new Nintendo unit...arrogantly codenamed "Revolution". Right off the bat, it looks like Nintendo is already admitting that the unit will be weaker than the other 2 consoles. But hey, it's all about the gameplay, right? Nintendo always has taken that stance: better hardware means nothing...it's about the gameplay. It's like saying that it's OK that your girlfriend's an ugly pig, it's what inside that really counts...and while that may be true in real life, why should you have to settle for one or the other in the gaming world (looks or personality, AKA graphics or gameplay)? Well, honestly, in this day and age, we shouldn't have to. The answer's simple: Nintendo, LAY OFF THE HOME CONSOLE HARDWARE AND JUST MAKE YOUR GAMES FOR THE OTHER SYSTEMS!
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I've always acknowledged that Nintendo was and still is an amazing software development company...I love a lot of their work. Shigeru Miyamoto is a genius...Pikmin, the Mario and Zelda games, etc...are simply brilliant. Because of this, I've owned all the Nintendo consoles...but both the N64 and Gamecube collected dust way before the other systems i've had. Why? Because other than about a dozen Nintendo-made exclusives, I bought nothing else for them. The third-party game support for Nintendo has always ended up sub-par in recent years. I'm sure i'm not the only gamer tired of buying a whole damn system just to play a few exclusive games, no matter how good. It's time for "The Big-N" to face the reality of the situation. Sony and Microsoft are gigantic companies with deep pockets. Nintendo would be better off, like SEGA is now, JUST MAKING GAMES. Go ahead and ask Sega if they're happy now compared to when they were struggling with the Dreamcast. They were losing tons of dough fighting Sony. Now they're reaping the benefits of letting another company sell lots of hardware to play their games on. I wonder how many more copies of the new Zelda game Nintendo would sell if it was released on the PS2? Judging from the difference in the size of the console's installed user base, i'd say about 20 times more. Swallow your pride, Nintendo, and do what you should have done years ago, but didn't. You can have the handheld market for now: the Gameboy Advance SP is a fine system, but give up with the home console war, PLEASE. It just makes good business sense.
....Here's some more thoughts on the subject of Nintendo and their newest console...why is the Big-N so hush-hush as to what will be "revolutionary" about the unit itself? We know it'll have the ability to do what the current XBOX and PS2 can already do and the Gamecube can't (DVD playback and TRUE online gaming)...plus (evidently) some unknown, magical, never-before-seen, "revolutionary" qualities that are so amazing Nintendo won't say sh!t about them...I'm sorry, but from what i've seen, i'm of the opinion that Nintendo's "revolutionary" hardware ideas usually turn out to be stupid gimmicks with limited potential...the Virtual Boy and the NES's R.O.B. were the most embarrasing examples, but i'd say the Gameboy DS falls into that category as well...it's an N64 with a PalmPilot screen, for f#cks sake!
One more topic to rant about: let's talk about something currently known as ..."All-Access Gaming", which refers to "backwards compatibility to 20 years of Nintendo games". Most sources guess you'll be able to either purchase these games online singularly or pay some kind of flat-rate fee...In other words, Nintendo's admitting they're going to re-sell the games that we've already bought (10 times over) YET AGAIN! Do you realize how many times the original Super Mario Brothers has been redone and re-released...on NES, SNES, GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, etc...? Nintendo is the king of the rehash, and i'm sick of it. As said in the flick "My Fellow Americans": "That really steams my clams!!!" It's what is known in the DVD world as "double-dipping", and it's a sad shame.
So, to summarize, I leave you with these words: Nintendo, for the good of all of us gamers, PLEASE...
1. Give up your futile, pride-driven battle in the home console wars against Sony and Microsoft, and just MAKE GREAT GAMES.
2. Stop rehashing every game you've ever made. It makes you look like a cheap whore.
And, finally...
3. Lay off the f#ckin' POWER GLOVES.
I've always acknowledged that Nintendo was and still is an amazing software development company...I love a lot of their work. Shigeru Miyamoto is a genius...Pikmin, the Mario and Zelda games, etc...are simply brilliant. Because of this, I've owned all the Nintendo consoles...but both the N64 and Gamecube collected dust way before the other systems i've had. Why? Because other than about a dozen Nintendo-made exclusives, I bought nothing else for them. The third-party game support for Nintendo has always ended up sub-par in recent years. I'm sure i'm not the only gamer tired of buying a whole damn system just to play a few exclusive games, no matter how good. It's time for "The Big-N" to face the reality of the situation. Sony and Microsoft are gigantic companies with deep pockets. Nintendo would be better off, like SEGA is now, JUST MAKING GAMES. Go ahead and ask Sega if they're happy now compared to when they were struggling with the Dreamcast. They were losing tons of dough fighting Sony. Now they're reaping the benefits of letting another company sell lots of hardware to play their games on. I wonder how many more copies of the new Zelda game Nintendo would sell if it was released on the PS2? Judging from the difference in the size of the console's installed user base, i'd say about 20 times more. Swallow your pride, Nintendo, and do what you should have done years ago, but didn't. You can have the handheld market for now: the Gameboy Advance SP is a fine system, but give up with the home console war, PLEASE. It just makes good business sense.
....Here's some more thoughts on the subject of Nintendo and their newest console...why is the Big-N so hush-hush as to what will be "revolutionary" about the unit itself? We know it'll have the ability to do what the current XBOX and PS2 can already do and the Gamecube can't (DVD playback and TRUE online gaming)...plus (evidently) some unknown, magical, never-before-seen, "revolutionary" qualities that are so amazing Nintendo won't say sh!t about them...I'm sorry, but from what i've seen, i'm of the opinion that Nintendo's "revolutionary" hardware ideas usually turn out to be stupid gimmicks with limited potential...the Virtual Boy and the NES's R.O.B. were the most embarrasing examples, but i'd say the Gameboy DS falls into that category as well...it's an N64 with a PalmPilot screen, for f#cks sake!
One more topic to rant about: let's talk about something currently known as ..."All-Access Gaming", which refers to "backwards compatibility to 20 years of Nintendo games". Most sources guess you'll be able to either purchase these games online singularly or pay some kind of flat-rate fee...In other words, Nintendo's admitting they're going to re-sell the games that we've already bought (10 times over) YET AGAIN! Do you realize how many times the original Super Mario Brothers has been redone and re-released...on NES, SNES, GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, etc...? Nintendo is the king of the rehash, and i'm sick of it. As said in the flick "My Fellow Americans": "That really steams my clams!!!" It's what is known in the DVD world as "double-dipping", and it's a sad shame.
So, to summarize, I leave you with these words: Nintendo, for the good of all of us gamers, PLEASE...
1. Give up your futile, pride-driven battle in the home console wars against Sony and Microsoft, and just MAKE GREAT GAMES.
2. Stop rehashing every game you've ever made. It makes you look like a cheap whore.
And, finally...
3. Lay off the f#ckin' POWER GLOVES.