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Messages - RickPowers

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151
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Knowing what you know now...
« on: September 14, 2006, 08:47:31 AM »
OK, let's just stop the myth that the Japanese system costs $212.  It doesn't.  You can't do a Yen to Dollars comparison, it just doesn't work.  There's a concept that many of you aren't familiar with which is the "purchasing strength" of currency.  Factoring that in (I'm not going to bore you with the math, I did enough of that in another thread), the Japanese price of the Wii is actually higher ... only by single digits, about six dollars, actually, but still higher.

We're getting a HELL of a deal, not to mention getting it two weeks early.  Do I wish it were $199?  Sure, but who wouldn't?  Will I still get one at launch?  Yes, but the only other game I'll get is Zelda, where I might have picked up something else too.  But since Wii Sports comes with it, I have something to play with the wife, and that's all I really care about.

So here's my package.

Wii - $249.99
Wii-Mote - $39.99
Nunchuk - $19.99
Zelda - $49.99
2GB SD Card - $52.99

Total: $412.95 before tax, roughly $450 total.

152
Nintendo Gaming / Suprised no one is flipping out about this yet ...
« on: September 14, 2006, 08:40:37 AM »
IGN is reporting that Link is officially right-handed now, probably to make the swordplay more intuitive.  I expect people to start tossing out expletives and phrases like "travesty" any moment now ...

153
TalkBack / RE:Press Conference Live Blog
« on: September 14, 2006, 06:36:22 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by: TheYoungerPlumber
Oh yeah, and have I mentioned I am so friggin underwhelmed by Wii Sports?


Underwhelmed?  It's free, it's more games than we initially thought (both Boxing and Bowling are surprise additions), and ... it's frickin' BOXING.  And BOWLING.

I remember a time when I was the jaded one on this site.  

154
TalkBack / RE: Press Conference Live Blog
« on: September 14, 2006, 05:50:35 AM »
Found this at IGN, apparently with the Japanese launch, there will be a game called "Starting out with Wii" (English translation), which will include another Wii-mote, plus nine mini-games (including that Duck Hunt-like demo).  It's roughly $40 (4800 Yen) so you basically get the minigames free with the controller, if that's how you want to look at it.

I bet this is the reason we're getting Wii Sports packed in.

Super Paper Mario is now officially on the list of Wii titles as well.

155
TalkBack / RE:Press Conference Live Blog
« on: September 14, 2006, 05:35:06 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by: Tindermax
k ill concede for now but if its different come tommrow night im rubbing it in your faces if it isnt different or worse tommorow night i will do the unthinkable BUY A PS3 or just butn 600 in a bonfire i think the burning would lend me more and better use of my 600 dollars


Or you could just buy a Wii and Zelda and still have $300 left to burn.

Stop trolling.  Consider this your one and only warning.  I haven't hefted my almighty ban stick in quite some time, but I'm sure I could dust it off for old time's sake.

156
TalkBack / RE:Press Conference Live Blog
« on: September 14, 2006, 05:22:54 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by: Tindermax
http://www.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/10307/

here is my proof that we shouldnt condemn it....yet that we should wait until tommorow everythign we here aobut europe or north america is pure speculation. no one knows anything concrete yet. Agian wait to condemn till tommrow niht then free rain for all agian all speculation as of now nothing is proven or solid for us and europe and that is a reliable source.


Are you seriously suggesting that we should not trust our own reporter live-blogging from NOA's press conference, and instead trust the information coming from a website that live-blogged the WRONG FRICKIN' PRESS CONFERENCE?

157
TalkBack / RE: Press Conference Live Blog
« on: September 14, 2006, 05:17:58 AM »
Is $250 higher than I expected?  Sure.  Is it unreasonable?  I don't think so.  You're getting Wii Sports for free, which is unheard of these days.

Not to keep the rumor mill rumbling, but remember ... The N64 was supposed to launch at $249 as well, and dropped to $199 a mere three days before launch.  Supposedly, it was to ensure strong attach rates for Mario 64.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Nintendo pull the same trick with Zelda.

I just hope Wii Boxing lets you use two Wii-motes.  

The prices seem a bit high for the controllers, but think about this ... would you really need more than one nunchuck?  I think most splitscreen multiplayer games would only need the Wii-mote (Madden being a notable exception).

158
Nintendo Gaming / RE:The OFFICIAL Wii rumor thread *bring your own salt*(updated 8/27/2006)
« on: September 13, 2006, 01:40:25 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by: jasonditz
The guy who thought up blast processing was seriously a marketing genius though. What's better than having the something the customer wants that your competitor doesn't offer? The answer, of course, is having something the customer has been convinced he wants and you have that doesn't actually exist and therefore your competitor will never have.


Actually, Blast Processing did exist ... it just wasn't what anyone thought it was.

159
Nintendo Gaming / RE:The OFFICIAL Wii rumor thread *bring your own salt*(updated 8/27/2006)
« on: September 13, 2006, 11:37:01 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by: jasonditz
Quote
Originally posted by: BigJim
Well I have an uncle that works for Nintendo and he says that the VR headset is only an optional accessory and that the disc drive is writable and you can make your own games. Oh and that Genesis games won't be on Wii anymore because Sega won't license their "Blast Processing" technology to Nintendo. lolzftwbbq



Genesis does what Nintendon't



Nintendo is what Genesisn't.

160
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Fun With Math ...
« on: September 13, 2006, 09:49:06 AM »
Nope, Management and Marketing, actually.

161
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Fun With Math ...
« on: September 13, 2006, 08:40:34 AM »
Actually, it was probably done on a cost-benefit basis.  Would it be more expensive to hire temps and train them, or to build a machine to do it.  Then you have to amortize the cost of the machine over the lifespan of the product it creates.

Can't tell that I'm a Business Major, can you?  

162
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Nintendo Event September 14th
« on: September 13, 2006, 08:38:21 AM »
EDT ... Eastern DAYLIGHT Time.  When you're in Daylight Savings Time, you're supposed to switch from using EST to EDT so that people who don't observe Daylight Savings know what time you're talking about.  Important stuff to know as we move into a global economy ... not to mention that there is at least part of one state that doesn't obersve DST.

163
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Nintendo Event September 14th
« on: September 13, 2006, 06:59:04 AM »
I think the problem is you guys didn't factor in Daylight Savings time.  It's going to start at 8PM EDT, 5PM PDT.

164
Nintendo Gaming / RE: IGN reveals new Wii launch title and first pics of the Wii steering wheel attachment
« on: September 12, 2006, 12:23:34 PM »
Just so that there is no miscommunication ... the steering wheel "accessory" is made up entirely of foam.  There is no plastic core or anything like that.  It would feel a lot like those floaty stick toys you can find at a public water park.

165
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Fun With Math ...
« on: September 12, 2006, 12:18:32 PM »
Omen,

Unless Nintendo will be paying for overtime (and I doubt it; Nintendo is nothing if not cost-conscious), the number of shifts is meaningless.  It's still the number of people by the number of hours worked.  It is more efficient for the plant to run 24/7, but less efficient to pay people overtime (shift differentials notwithstanding).  The math still holds ... it is unlikely that any given employee of the 150 being hired will work more than a 40 hour week.

166
Nintendo Gaming / RE:Nintendo Event September 14th
« on: September 11, 2006, 12:58:01 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob
"One Piece at a Time" is a classic Country song by Johnny Cash.  The story is that, while working at a factory assembling Cadillacs, "he" (not Johnny Cash, but the person in the song) got the idea to steal him a Cadillac - one piece at a time - and put it together at his home, getting himself a free Cadillac.

The reference was that someone should get hired on for this job and steal them a Wii, one piece at a time, from the factory.


I wonder if the guy walking out with a windshield in his pants raised any suspicion ...

167
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Fun With Math ...
« on: September 11, 2006, 11:21:03 AM »
It's not really speculation.  It basically just shows that with conservative estimates (and Nintendo is a very conservative company), Nintendo could manufacture enough consoles for a solid launch before Black Friday, which I have to assume is the goal.  Then I just proceed to have a little fun with it.  Anything you might choose to read into that ... well, that's on you.  

After all, it's just kind of fun to look at the magical numbers and say, hey, they could really launch any time they chose.  TGS is most certainly not going to happen, but just about any time after that is just a matter of launch quantities.  

168
Nintendo Gaming / RE: IGN reveals new Wii launch title and first pics of the Wii steering wheel attachment
« on: September 11, 2006, 11:15:31 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by: Pale
It's really just a hunk of plastic.  Probably costs five cents to make.  These types of things could be interesting novelties that could be included in game preorders and what not.


Actually, it's a hunk of FOAM.  It probably costs more to package it than it does to make it.  Without any real weight to speak of, I can't see this being very useful.  I'd rather hold the controller than this.

169
Nintendo Gaming / Fun With Math ...
« on: September 11, 2006, 10:16:07 AM »
I sent this to the guys at PGC as well, so don't be surprised if a story gets made out of it.  But I wanted to share it with you guys too.

There's a screenshot of an ad floating around.  Manpower is hiring 150 people to work at North Bend to package Wii.  How many Wii units could 150 people package?  Depends on how long the contract is ... but that's not the point.  If they're ready to package, Wii is finished.  So could you use this to predict a launch date?  Assuming a standard eight-hour shift, and assuming a five-day work week ... the only variable is how many they could package in an hour.

150 x 8 x 5 x UnitsPerHour = 6000 x UPH.

If the average were 20 units per hour (which is probably conservative, at three minutes per unit ... a minute per unit is more likely), 120,000 units a week.  In 10 weeks, they would have 1.2 Million units ready.  This is just for the US, assume Japan has their own packaging staff.

There are other factors to consider.  Is the plant running seven days a week?  Is there overtime?  Are these people temps to supplement Nintendo's existing workforce.  The answer to all of those questions is YES, based on my knowledge of how Nintendo operates.

The math shows that at a minimum, Nintendo could launch in 10 weeks with 1.2 Million units.  That's Mid-November at the latest.  Assuming that these additional variables could be used to reduce time-to-market, perhaps to as low as six weeks, Mid-October becomes a possibility.  Regardless, the math also proves pretty conclusively that a surprise Tokyo Game Show launch (as has been rumored) is highly unlikely, but possible with lower quantity.

But what if my theory that you could package the units in an average of a minute a piece were true?

If that could be accomplished, Nintendo could launch with a Million units (1.08 Million, to be precise) in THREE WEEKS, with no other change in variables.

Just a little something to chew on today ...

170
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Major Wii News Coming TONIGHT?
« on: September 08, 2006, 07:49:00 AM »
Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up, but there's a reason why we don't post "come back to see something" type articles at PGC.  I just thought that it would be interesting enough to warrant a forum thread, and as it stands, it was just barely interesting enough for that.

What I can't understand is why the news was under embargo to begin with.  Xbox 360 is already out, and Sony has their head shoved so far up their collective keister that they wouldn't be able to capitalize on the knowledge anyway.  "Three weeks ago, we started shipping chips."  Bravo ... anyone with any business knowledge whatsoever would have assumed that to launch in October/November, you'd have to start shipping chips ... oh, about THREE WEEKS AGO.  

Quote
Originally posted by: Artimus
Quote
Originally posted by: RickPowers
Quote
Originally posted by: Artimus
Rick, it does qualify as journalism. Not the strict pure-facts news reporting denotation, but certainly a couple other. Check a dictionary. Entertainment Journalism is the term I'd use, personally.


I could care less what a dictionary says.  If you're just regurgitating information fed to you by someone who's interest lies in using you as a publicity method, then it is most definitely NOT "journalism".  I'm not even saying that we need hardcore investigative journalism, but any monkey with a keyboard can repost a press release.  Which is all this "news" is going to amount to.


Ok, so you don't consider PGC to be a journalist site either?


No, I most certainly do not.  I've done very few "journalistic" pieces in my career, like this trip to Nintendo's North Bend production facility, and I've been very vocal about the lack of journalism in the games industry.    The need for secrecy with many companies is certainly a major factor, but the fact is, we're used as an arm of corporate marketing.  It's just the way it is.  Honest reviews are not journalism.  Covering trade shows is not journalism.  We're writers, but quite frankly, I'm fine with that.

171
Nintendo Gaming / RE:Major Wii News Coming TONIGHT?
« on: September 07, 2006, 06:26:10 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by: Artimus
Rick, it does qualify as journalism. Not the strict pure-facts news reporting denotation, but certainly a couple other. Check a dictionary. Entertainment Journalism is the term I'd use, personally.


I could care less what a dictionary says.  If you're just regurgitating information fed to you by someone who's interest lies in using you as a publicity method, then it is most definitely NOT "journalism".  I'm not even saying that we need hardcore investigative journalism, but any monkey with a keyboard can repost a press release.  Which is all this "news" is going to amount to.

172
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Major Wii News Coming TONIGHT?
« on: September 07, 2006, 01:16:52 PM »
Final Fantasy? Could be, but I doubt it.  The line from them about having a "wee bit of analysis" was far more intriging.

By the way, you need to work on your reading comprehension.  Where in that quote does it say that Kotaku has the information?  It's clear that they do, and could be under the same embargo, or they could simply be respecting someone's wishes by maintaining the confidence.  Skilled writers use that kind of stuff all the time.  Leave yourself enough room to wiggle out of.  

173
General Chat / RE: PGC Doomed!! (Ok Not Really (Alexa Stats))
« on: September 07, 2006, 01:12:27 PM »
While I might be able to give you the scoop ... I'm not gonna.  

174
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Am I screwed? Should I already have pre-ordered?
« on: September 07, 2006, 01:10:03 PM »
Go to Walmart midnight on launch day.  Problem solved.

175
Nintendo Gaming / RE: Rumour: No Rumble fow Wii
« on: September 07, 2006, 01:09:03 PM »
Well, Kotaku has picked up the story, and Brian is now saying that he doesn't remember the controller rumbling when he used it at Leipzig.  The loss of rumble would certainly be an odd switch, but it could be that they didn't want to pay Immersion for the licensing.

In fact, now the rumor of DVD playback being nixed leads me to believe that Nintendo is trying to aggressively cut costs, since the license for DVD playback is an easily avoided fixed cost.  Still, the business person in me keeps saying that since the DVD playback would have only been possible through an add-on, you could pass on the cost that way, but there must have been another cost component.

Still, unlike DVD playback, rumble is still featured in the marketing materials.  Also considering that there was a time when both were present, I wonder when this decision was made.

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