Author Topic: Nearly Half of Mario Kart DS Owners Try Wi-Fi (Read 14721 times)

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #25 on:** November 23, 2005, 06:30:23 PM »

LucasArts > Nintendo

Mario · « **Reply #26 on:** November 23, 2005, 06:30:40 PM »

I like how my F-Zero GX radio still works from 2003. Best quality freebie i've never used ever!

ruby_onix · « **Reply #27 on:** November 23, 2005, 06:51:05 PM »

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Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
I want free stuff for nothing, please! If Nintendo doesn't give me free stuff they are half-assing it! >=|

Yeah. And 90% online penetration? Who the heck would want that? It's not like Nintendo's gonna earn any more money whether they have 90% or 45%. Nintendo's profits from online are roughly $0.00 anyways.

45% is a "good enough" start, and if Nintendo's online strategy fails again, well... it's obviously our own fault because we just don't want online.

Infernal Monkey · « **Reply #28 on:** November 23, 2005, 07:05:57 PM »

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LucasArts > Nintendo

Actually, Ninty published it over here, it was a Mario hat! =D

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #29 on:** November 23, 2005, 07:14:50 PM »

Well I guess ruby_onix's hypothesis is heavily flawed!

Mario · « **Reply #30 on:** November 23, 2005, 07:18:05 PM »

My hat! >=o

Artimus · « **Reply #31 on:** November 23, 2005, 08:44:45 PM »

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Originally posted by: ruby_onix
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Shipping it with the game would be a COLLOSAL waste! Most people won't even need one.

55%? Yeah, I guess that's technically "most" people. But if you gave them free dongles, what are the chances they'd stay in that category?

You don't give out add-ons with every game that uses them. That's just crazy. But if you want them to succeed, you should give them out for free with the first killer-app. Doing otherwise is just half-assed.

Fortunately, half-assed seems to be working for Nintendo right now.

Ridiculous. Those 55% aren't going to go online just because they have a dongle. Nintendo would not only be losing money, they'd be losing over $20 a game! You can afford to make next to nothing on a console, but not games. 45% is three times that of the supposedly successful XBOX Live. And, this is a week in. How many of those 55% might go into a McDonalds in the next year and just try it? When you're selling it online only and still getting 45%, there's clearly no need to ruin the game's profit by pandering to a greedy few.

Going online couldn't really be easier, and in March when the dongle is in store it couldn't be easier at all. Those 55% either haven't gotten a chance yet, or don't care about online. Giving them a free dongle won't change that.

ruby_onix · « **Reply #32 on:** November 23, 2005, 10:57:41 PM »

Let's see...

GameBoy Four-Player Adaptor = Free with F1-Race
Rumble Pak = Free with StarFox 64
N64 RAM Expansion Pak = $30 = Free with Donkey Kong 64
Transfer Pak = $20 = Free with Pokemon Stadium
N64 Microphone = Free with Hey You Pikachu
GBA Wireless Adaptor = $20 = Free with Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen
GameBoy to GameCube Link Cable = $10 = Free with Four Swords Adventures
Bongo Controller = $30 = Free with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

... and that's just off the top of my head.

If you want an add-on to have market penetration and have a chance at a future, you have to take a hit on one game, and give it away with the very first killer app. After that you've done all you could, since you can't do more without wasting your effort by giving people the same thing twice.

Nintendo WiFi Dongle, the foundation of the online strategy for both the Nintendo DS and Revolution = $35 = Free with Mario Kart DS? ... nah... not worth it.

IceCold · « **Reply #33 on:** November 23, 2005, 11:03:43 PM »

That's where your point is flawed Ruby... All of those things you mentioned could only be gotten through Nintendo. They made them, they sold them. In the case of the dongle, many people have a Wi-Fi connection already through a router or their own dongle. It just wouldn't make sense to include a dongle.

ruby_onix · « **Reply #34 on:** November 24, 2005, 01:03:47 AM »

I don't believe that Wi-Fi routers are exactly "common" with PCs right now. And I'd say that the non-Nintendo dongle is "extremely uncommon".

And even if you had a Wi-Fi router in your home, a free Nintendo dongle wouldn't exactly be wasted on you, since it serves another purpose (it's as portable as the DS).

I'm not saying Nintendo is doomed or anything, but they should've been doing everything in their power to put as many of these dongles into the hands of DS owners as possible, and they just neglected their biggest chance. It's not like they can try again and give these out with Animal Crossing or anything else, now that they're already out there and they've already made a bunch of people buy them (and compatible Wi-Fi routers).

(And yes, I know that Nintendo skipped the boat with the Link Cable and FF:CC, and still managed to hop back on with the Link Cable and FSA, but Connectivity required multiple cables, so the potential overlap wasn't a problem, and I don't think anyone would say that not including a Link Cable with FF:CC didn't hurt Connectivity's potential.)

Plugabugz · « **Reply #35 on:** November 24, 2005, 02:06:17 AM »

"It's not like they can try again and give these out with Animal Crossing or anything else, now that they're already out there and they've already made a bunch of people buy them (and compatible Wi-Fi routers)."

I personaly disagree here. Buying Wireless Routers is a future proofed guarantee that nearly all wireless devices will work rather than the USB dongle which only guarantees the DS and Revolution to work. Personally, £30 is too expensive to pay for a USB adapter that will only work with DS/Rev when £15 can get me one that works with everything.
The biggest failing currently is that the DS doesn't work with WPA encryption which limits nearly all routers to older standards and poorer encryption techniques.

Nintendo, IMO, should have released Mario Kart individually and then a bundle pak for say £/$5 more which includes the dongle.

Artimus · « **Reply #36 on:** November 24, 2005, 03:31:39 AM »

One other thing, Ruby, all of those accessories are Nintendo made. When you produce something yourself it can be significantly cheaper. And do you really think the rumble pack cost $30 to make? Not likely. Buffalo, however, sells almost the exact same dongle for ten bucks more than Nintendo is. Stop being greedy.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #37 on:** November 24, 2005, 06:29:42 AM »

I think that Mario Kart DS should have come with the dongle. Or at the very least something like a coupon that gives you 5 or 10 bucks off. They also should have them in stores.

But the DS can be played in hot spots so it is possible for someone to at least try playing online without the dongle or a wireless router. The Rev, being a console and thus isn't going to be brought with you to McDonald's, doesn't have this advantage so I think that for it including the dongle with a game is MUCH more important. Logically it makes no f*cking sense for the Rev to be wireless only anyway so in that case Nintendo should at least include a coupon.

If Nintendo doesn't make it easier to get the dongle for the Rev SSB Online is not going to have 45% of buyers trying it. No way in hell.

Artimus · « **Reply #38 on:** November 24, 2005, 10:58:08 AM »

Ian...the dongle is being sold in stores starting when MP: Hunters comes out. Duh? Though this is probably just you ignoring anything that might make your criticisms invalid.

Why do you people hold Nintendo to such ridiculous standards? They offer free online and yet that isn't enough! They offer a comprehensive site with a moron's guide to connection and yet that isn't enough! They offer several options for connection and yet that isn't enough! Stop living in a world where everything is free and it's just a matter of want. Nintendo isn't rich like Microsoft, they can't afford to lose two billion dollars on a free online system. If a person doesn't know how to get online that is their own fault, because Nintendo has done everything but send a person to their house to hook them up.

Nintendo is first place in the handheld market. They've just launched their first online game ever and the only problems were six hours where it took a long time to get connected. The online service is free. In one week 45% of people to buy Mario Kart have tried it. One week! That's amazing. Nintendo clearly made the right decision. They're making a profit off of the game, not blowing it on wasted dongles, and they're hugely successful. You people are basically expecting Nintendo to pay you to pay their games. It's easy! It's free! It's a success! It's popular! Why on earth would a company want to abandon money off a product that successful? Free dongles are a waste of millions of dollars for people who don't need them. 50,000 people went online and likely less than half, considerably less, needed a dongle.

Welcome to the real world.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #39 on:** November 24, 2005, 11:32:11 AM »

"Ian...the dongle is being sold in stores starting when MP: Hunters comes out."

Really? When did this come out? Seriously this is the first I've heard of it. I thought they were making it online only.

Arbok · « **Reply #40 on:** November 24, 2005, 03:28:31 PM »

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Really? When did this come out? Seriously this is the first I've heard of it. I thought they were making it online only.

"Currently the wireless adapter will only be available for purchase from the Nintendo.com website, but when Metroid Prime Hunters is ready to go Nintendo will reportedly back that launch up by releasing the USB adapter to retail."
http://ds.ign.com/articles/665/665128p1.html

UncleBob · « **Reply #41 on:** November 24, 2005, 03:47:44 PM »

Just for fun, not really relevant to the topic...

>GameBoy Four-Player Adaptor = Free with F1-Race
There's like, what, three games that work with this? Who can name more than a handful without looking 'em up? Useless (unless I ever manage to get my 16 player Faceball 2000 tournament going)

>Rumble Pak = Free with StarFox 64
This one went over pretty well... Not Useless

>N64 RAM Expansion Pak = $30 = Free with Donkey Kong 64
As did this one... Not Useless

>Transfer Pak = $20 = Free with Pokemon Stadium
Well, this pretty much did work with three games (well, four that I can think of)... Useless

>N64 Microphone = Free with Hey You Pikachu
heh. Useless

>GBA Wireless Adaptor = $20 = Free with Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen
About a dozen or so games work with this and the majority of them, most people don't even know they do work with it (Some of the NES Classic series). Useless

>GameBoy to GameCube Link Cable = $10 = Free with Four Swords Adventures
Well, while I *loved* FSA and Pac-Man Vs., I'd say for the majority of people... Useless
(It's important to note that pre-orders and initial copies of FF:CC also had the Link Cable!)

>Bongo Controller = $30 = Free with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
err, um... The Bongos didn't come free with DK:JB. DK:JB was sold by itself for $40 and the bongos were included for $55.... Anywhoo, with three games that use 'em... as much as I liked DK:JB - Useless...

And thus, packing an accessory in with a game doesn't mean crap.

Artimus · « **Reply #42 on:** November 24, 2005, 05:06:01 PM »

I had to buy a rumble pack, and Four Swords Adventures is hardly a good deal because you need at least two cables to really play it...

Mario · « **Reply #43 on:** November 24, 2005, 06:26:46 PM »

Heh, I never bought DK64 or Starfox 64, never knew they came with a rumble pack / expansion pack either til after I bought them seperately.

Also, maybe Nintendo can't produce enough Dongles to have enough to be sitting on the shelves in retailers yet.

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>Bongo Controller = $30 = Free with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
err, um... The Bongos didn't come free with DK:JB. DK:JB was sold by itself for $40 and the bongos were included for $55.... Anywhoo, with three games that use 'em... as much as I liked DK:JB - Useless...

The bongos were free with Donkey Konga.

Artimus · « **Reply #44 on:** November 24, 2005, 09:04:32 PM »

There's one other difference between the dongle and those things, as well. Except for the rumble pack (and 4-way GBA thingy) the respective games required those accessories. Mario Kart DS doesn't require the dongle for online, it's the most expensive way of doing it in fact. It's simply an OPTION for people who need one for specific reasons like portability, or people too dumb to figure things out.

UncleBob · « **Reply #45 on:** November 24, 2005, 09:20:08 PM »

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The bongos were free with Donkey Konga.

Well, considering that DK2 sold for $35 without bongos and $50 with them, I'm sure DK1 would have likely done the same thing if the bongos had been out before then. Plus DK1 is a much better game than DK2 and therefore more worth the $35.

Mario · « **Reply #46 on:** November 24, 2005, 09:37:02 PM »

Isn't $50 the price of a regular game there?

Infernal Monkey · « **Reply #47 on:** November 25, 2005, 12:16:14 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob

>GameBoy Four-Player Adaptor = Free with F1-Race
There's like, what, three games that work with this? Who can name more than a handful without looking 'em up? Useless (unless I ever manage to get my 16 player Faceball 2000 tournament going)

Oh holy crap, I loved that game. Finishing a race to see Samus or Link standing around FOR NO REASON. But yeah, that four player adaptor was virtually useless. Four copies of F1 and four link cables needed, yeah that's gonna work.

KDR_11k · « **Reply #48 on:** November 25, 2005, 04:23:17 AM »

Both Donkey Konga and Jungle Beat had versions with the bongos. I think only JB had a no-bongos version.

With previous bundles we have to consider the prices of the games. Sure, N64 games came with goodies but the games already cost 60-70$. Mario Kart DS sells for half that.

UncleBob · « **Reply #49 on:** November 25, 2005, 03:26:12 PM »

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Both Donkey Konga and Jungle Beat had versions with the bongos. I think only JB had a no-bongos version.

Donkey Konga did not have a bongo-less version, but Donkey Konga 2 did (along with DKJB).

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Isn't $50 the price of a regular game there?

New games range from $30-$50.

News:

Author Topic: Nearly Half of Mario Kart DS Owners Try Wi-Fi (Read 14721 times)