That is a really bad pun

After trying out the DC's modem and web surfing capabilites, I hope to GAWD that Nintendo's is better. According to Datamonitor there will be a Sh*!load of people using consoles to surf the net. This is good news for people that are lovin' online gaming or the concept of being able to do this with the Dolphin. Thanks to GameDaily for the word.

In a report by Market Analyst Datamonitor, it is predicted that by the year 2004, 45 million online gamers will be using Internet-enabled consoles, compared with 28 million people playing games online with PC's. In its report, entitled Online games and gambling in Europe and the U.S., 1999-2004, Datamonitor stated, there would be 165 million consoles in the U.S. and Europe by 2003, at which time the games-software market will be worth $17.2 billion with the console market would accounting for $12 billion, while the PC market would account for $5.2 billion.

Finally, this is the kind of stuff I like to hear...er...speculate.

Maybe we could have seen this info before. It seems there could be some secret networking plans between Nintendo, Matsushita, and Konami? Thanks to the Dorks for the stuff.

Nintendo is involved with Matsushita in digital network venture, tentatively titled x21. Now that's interesting, but that news has actually been around since E3 (look at this ). But remember Nintendo and Konami also founded a new subsidiary company called Mobile 21. This company is supposed to focus on GBA/Dolphin applications as well as online cell phone connectivity for GBA. On top of that Konami is also working on their own plans to deliver content over some kind of a network. I don't know, but the fact that Matsushita's network is codenamed x21 and Konami and Nintendo chose to call their subsidiary company Mobile 21...it's just weird. Perhaps they're all in cahoots; the significance being that Konami may be more actively involved with the future of Nintendo and Matsushita than anyone could've imagined. Yeah it's speculation so don't hold me to it, but my spidey sense is tingling....

Who wants to FITE?

IGN64 kind of confirms what we already speculated before. Looks like Sucker Punch is developing a game for the next generation consoles, and Dolphin is a possibility. Here's the juice....

Seattle based Sucker Punch, one of the most promising development upstarts in some time, told IGN64 today that it has begun work on a new game designed with the next-generation consoles in mind. The title, still without a name and story, will once again be based upon the proven physics engine and puzzle environments that received the company's only Nintendo 64 effort, Rocket: Robot on Wheels, so highly amongst critics. The software house has not decided on a specific genre route yet.

That company's name almost sound dirty...

Criterion Software? You know, the makers of such smash hit games like Redline, Sub Culture, and Scorched for the PC! Hmmmm. Well it seems our dear friends at Criterion Software have joined the ranks of many developers who believe Nintendo will not meet their projected 2000 release date, but they have also expressed interest in the console. Nintendojo has the juice.

dolphin: TGN recently conducted an interview with David Lau-Kee, Managing Director of Criterion Software. Among the topics, Nintendo's next-generation console, code-named Dolphin. Among Mr. Lau-Kee's comments:

Mmm turkey.

From all of us here at Planet N2000, we'd like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Even Kosta wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving, and he could give a rats ass about Thanksgiving because he's from Australia! We're just sharing the love people. ;) Just because all the corporate sites are on vacation it doesn't mean we are! So, in between sucking down turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie, and playing a ton of DK64, we'll be working. There will be updates through out the holiday weekend so keep checking back!

This means that we will have excellent platformers on the Dolphin.

Well, considering Ubi Soft has made some great games like Rayman and Rocket on Wheels for the Nintendo 64, it's great to hear that they'll be on board with the Dolphin also. Thanks to VideoGames.com for the Ubi lovin'...

In addition to the six PlayStation2 titles that Ubi Soft has in development,

the company is moving forward with Nintendo Dolphin titles. So far, we know of more than two games that are in the works - one of them is likely to be Rayman 3. While these games are only in pre-production (read: only on paper), actual development work will begin early next year.

There is no way possible that this can be seen as "good" news.

Rumors are floating around the latest Next Generation Magazine that Nintendo is talking with some big companies about online gaming. The latest rumor surrounding this topic is...America Online. There's also something surprising said about Gameboy Advance. Remember, it may be a rumor, but it's an interesting one. Here's the full scoop:

The fact is, Nintendo had a content network on Famicom in Japan in the

1980s, and chairman Hiroshi Yamauchi has repeatedly stressed his interest in connecting. However, the company has shown more willingness to innovate along these lines in Japan - the NES network, for instance, never came to the US, and it is unclear whether or not Game Boy Advance, which is designed to work with cellular phones, will ever see the light of day in the States.

Not very exciting, unless you really like 3rd party hardware.

Yea. Not the most exciting news, but Nyko will be making controllers for Dolphin. Thanks to Dolphin Cove for the biz.

Following in the footsteps of Interact's announcement that they would support Dolphin, comes an announcement from Nyko. Nyko informed GameSpot that it has plans to support Nintendo's Dolphin with game-controller peripherals and accessories.

These are merely statements of forward looking intentions from the companies. There are no indications, whatsoever, that either Nyko or Interact are actually developing any peripherals for Dolphin.

I sure freakin hope so!

Hark? Is there another game announcement today? Well, not quite, but there is a good rumor over at Diet Game-Online News. It looks like EA has the rights to the new James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough. (which I may add, is a pretty good flick!) A Dolphin version of the game a seriously being hinted at. Read on....

Although officially EA is sticking to its "wait and see" policy on next generation consoles, you can bank on a PlayStation2 version, with a Dolphin outing being strongly rumored. Despite the fact certain quarters are under the impression the gaming giant has issued support for Dreamcast, this is not the case. Confirmed so far are "multiple Bond-inspired titles developed for different platforms including the PC and next generation console systems".

Could this be Nintendo's network plans?

EE-Times has an article about HAVi, (Home Audio Video interoperability) which is basically something that will allow consumer electronic devices to connect to networks, specifically the Internet. Matsushita is part of this deal along with seven other companies, one being Sony. Could this technology be incorporated into the Dolphin? Who knows? Here's the real news on this subject.

Home Audio Video interoperability (HAVi), a digital AV home-networking architecture proposed by eight consumer-electronics companies, will reach the practical implementation phase early next year when the HAVi licensing program begins. Publication of the version 1.0 HAVi specifications and the establishment of the HAVi Organization, which will oversee licensing, are to proceed early next month.