Topic: More Onboard for Xbox 2 says Okamoto

[BlackNMild2k1]

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"[Final Fantasy creator Hironobu] Sakaguchi-san, [Space Channel 5 creator Tetsuya] Mizuguchi-san, and myself have been the focus of attention so far. But I've been hearing that some other designers will also be joining [in making games for the next Xbox]. There are a lot of surprises. I find myself saying: 'What, this development studio!? This game!? These people!?'."

"If the current line-up [of games] in development for the next-generation Xbox was revealed," Okamoto said in the interview, "it would not only surprise users, but the entire industry. There probably wouldn't be anyone [in Japan] that would still be uninterested in buying the next-generation Xbox when they see the line-up." He called the still-under-wraps list "a powerful fleet of Japanese designers."

source: GameSpot

Hmmm..... makes you wonder how many money hats are really flying around and to whom?  

[Ian Sane]

"There probably wouldn't be anyone [in Japan] that would still be uninterested in buying the next-generation Xbox when they see the line-up."

Bold words and bad news for Nintendo if it's accurate.  In Japan Nintendo is number two.  If MS edged them out in Japan Nintendo would be last place everywhere and that would be a pretty bad situation.  Hopefully this isn't as big as the guy is saying.  Say what you want about MS they're addressing a major issue with the Xbox by trying to get Japanese content on the Xenon.  We need to hear similar things from Nintendo because this sort of stuff creates hype.  Hopefully we'll hear good stuff at E3.

[PaLaDiN]

"If MS edged them out in Japan Nintendo would be last place everywhere and that would be a pretty bad situation."

Unless Nintendo edged them out somewhere else. I have a feeling next gen is gonna be a whole different game.

[BlackNMild2k1]

There is still alot of Sony territory that needs to be reclaimed, I think there is room for all three, if two of them unknowingly work together to put on the squeeze.

[Savior]

Microsoft already has Namco, Capcom , Sega and Konami (Not highly but still suport) so really whats left? Il be shocked if they get Square-Enix since Sony still owns part of it.  Im not too worried.

[Bill Aurion]

1) Sony's share in Square is almost nothing thanks to the merger between Square and Enix...
2) They wouldn't be passing moneyhats for Square-lite (Sakaguchi) if they could get SE...
3) This is being overhyped...

[Savior]

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1) Sony's share in Square is almost nothing thanks to the merger between Square and Enix...

Still a share.. How else do you explain why Nintendo had to create the new Game Developers Studio ? Or why we have just Crystal Chronicles from Square? I do agree that its overhyped.  

[Bill Aurion]

That is because Sony had the majority share in Square before the merger...Once the merger was complete, Sony has had no significant influence on SE's decisions...

[Mario]

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"There probably wouldn't be anyone [in Japan] that would still be uninterested in buying the next-generation Xbox when they see the line-up."

Bold words and bad news for Nintendo if it's accurate.  In Japan Nintendo is number two.  If MS edged them out in Japan Nintendo would be last place everywhere and that would be a pretty bad situation.  Hopefully this isn't as big as the guy is saying.  Say what you want about MS they're addressing a major issue with the Xbox by trying to get Japanese content on the Xenon.  We need to hear similar things from Nintendo because this sort of stuff creates hype.  Hopefully we'll hear good stuff at E3.

I agree, but I think they'd be taking more marketshare away from Sony than Nintendo if they did this. It could all just be empty hype though, who knows.

[Caillan]

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I agree, but I think they'd be taking more marketshare away from Sony than Nintendo if they did this.

Everybody thought they'd take it form Sony in Norht America, and look at what's happened to Nintendo there.

[BlackNMild2k1]

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Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
1) Sony's share in Square is almost nothing thanks to the merger between Square and Enix...
2) They wouldn't be passing moneyhats for Square-lite (Sakaguchi) if they could get SE...
3) This is being overhyped...

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
That is because Sony had the majority share in Square before the merger...Once the merger was complete, Sony has had no significant influence on SE's decisions...

AFAIK Sony never had a Majority stake, it was somewhere around 14-20%, the merger w/ Enix supposedly took it down to somewhere around 5-7% (going off memory - too late to look it up) or maybe less.

And why wouldn't Microsoft drop money hats to recruit Sakaguchi if that was gonna get them some influence (a voice that matters) over @ Square-Enix?

Not saying that that is what happened, just wanna know why you think they wouldn't use him as a back door.
 

[Mario]

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Originally posted by: Caillan

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I agree, but I think they'd be taking more marketshare away from Sony than Nintendo if they did this.

Everybody thought they'd take it form Sony in Norht America, and look at what's happened to Nintendo there.

True, but with Xbox having 4 controller ports, being the same colour, and taking Rare away from Nintendo, it did look like Xbox was the next N64 to some consumers. Next gen, I guess it depends which developers support which platform and whether or not some major franchises do some moving around.

[ruby_onix]

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Still a share.. How else do you explain why Nintendo had to create the new Game Developers Studio ? Or why we have just Crystal Chronicles from Square?

Sony had bought 19% of Square, making them the #2 shareholder. The #1 shareholder was the company's founder (a guy named Miyamoto, no apparent relation to Shiggy), who owned something like 40% of the company.

After Square merged with the larger Enix, Sony's ownership was reduced to 8%.

Which made them the #3 shareholder, because Enix's founder had owned more than 50% of Enix.


The reason FF:CC was made by "Game Designers Studio" is because Yamauchi had that "Fund-Q" set up to help small companies get started, and that was how they "bent the rules" to get FF:CC's development and publishing paid for with a zero-interest loan from Yamauchi.

Square wasn't "tied down" to Sony in a contract that said they couldn't make games for other companies under their own name or anything like that, because that would've been totally absurd.

Plus, even if Sony had owned more than 50% and forced them into some odd contract like that, Sony obviously wouldn't have approved of letting them make this new company, right?

And if GDS was about working on the Cube "without getting Sony mad", does anyone seriously think that Sony wouldn't have seen through GDS in less than three seconds? Especially with all the press conferences and slapping "Final Fantasy" names onto things.

Nah, "Game Designers Studio" was about grabbing some of Yamauchi's Fund-Q money, and nothing else.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Quote
Originally posted by: ruby_onix
Sony had bought 19% of Square, making them the #2 shareholder. The #1 shareholder was the company's founder (a guy named Miyamoto, no apparent relation to Shiggy), who owned something like 40% of the company.

After Square merged with the larger Enix, Sony's ownership was reduced to 8%.

Which made them the #3 shareholder, because Enix's founder had owned more than 50% of Enix.

Nah, "Game Designers Studio" was about grabbing some of Yamauchi's Fund-Q money, and nothing else.

Thanks for providing the fact, as usual, along with the story.  I knew I had to be somewhere in the ballpark (i was very close).  And what happened to Fund-Q?  Did FF:CC use all the money, cause I don't remember any other games that were developed using it.
 

[ruby_onix]

Back to the original topic, I think that Microsoft is really looking like they're doing a good job of trying to get the next generation kicked off a year early, and taking full advantage of their lead.

I think this will hurt Sony more than Nintendo. It just looks like more of "Sony's turf" than Nintendo's traditional thing. MS is stealing Sony's thunder, building respect while spoiling the PS3 market.

If Nintendo was doing their usual thing, this would probably hurt them. A close 1&2 with a distant #3 looks a lot worse for the #3 party than a far-leading #1 and a close 2&3.

And if MS's new popularity with Japanese developers translates into "lack of death" in Japan, Nintendo's Japanese position as "distant #2" would clearly be in trouble.

And of course, it's a bit disappointing that Nintendo isn't the one seen to be powering up here.

But by the looks of it, Nintendo's not taking the typical route. They're stepping out of the line, and a lot of people are worried that they're gonna lose their place, even if it was only #3. This "lack of competition" is probably actually helping MS right now, as much as it scares some Nintendo fans. But what Nintendo has to do now is manage to swing around and come in from the side, launching a devastating sneak attack on both opponents, with... whatever their new super-weapon is.

A levelling-off between Sony and MS makes Nintendo's job of gunning for the #1 spot all the easier.


Edit: "And what happened to Fund-Q?"

No idea. I haven't heard anything, but that doesn't say much.

[couchmonkey]

I agree that Microsoft is doing a good job.  It's clearly taking this next gen battle seriously.  Sony had better not get too comfortable.  Neither should Nintendo, but Nintendo has less to lose anyway.

I don't think Microsoft is going to reveal any serious bombshells: I think in many ways this is a case of developers trying to grab some of the glory of a new game console.  GameCube had some surprising support early in it's lifecycle: Phantasy Star Online, Hitman 2 and Dead to Rights are games that nobody would bother publishing for the Cube today, and I think minor failures will have similar results for Xbox2 in Japan.

[Chode2234]

It is no wonder that MS is doing so well and that Nintendo isn't because MS hired many of the key people from Nintendo to start up its games division.  Do you remember hearing things at the onset of the generation about Ken Lobb leaving to MS and many others too.  MS essentially did a brain drain of Nintendo and they haven't been able to catch up save Regie.

Just my thoughts.

[Bill Aurion]

Ken Lobb doesn't do jacksquat...

[couchmonkey]

You've been standing over his shoulder every day at work, eh Bill?

[Deguello]

AFAIK Ken Lobb was pretty much "The Rare Guy" while he was at Nintendo.  He probably still is at MS.  Which means he was important from 1994 to 2000,  and became less important as Rare declined in quality.  Whatever Rare shows at E3 better be uber fantastic to make up for 4 years of abolute suckitude (save Sabre Wulf...  that gem came outta nowhere)

[Galford]

This annoucement is about mind share.  Xbox lacked Japanese developers.  Buy doing this,  MS is taking an active role in solving that problem.  It shows that MS is listening to people who buy it's console.

Then again this is coming from a bias Xbox site...

Nintendo is beginning to do this with Rev., but Nintendo is still too quiet on the 3rd party front.