Topic: It's high time for info, nintendo

[Stimutacs Addict]

seriously,  the DS will allegedly launch in just over 2 months, and we havent seen anything new since E3.... we deserve some more lovin from Nintendo.

I dont want much, maybe even a 3rd party title or something;

either way i believe that we'll be seeing something big pretty soon; if indeed the console launches in November, the DS should get least 60 days of marketing and hype  

[Ian Sane]

I agree.  What's the launch lineup?  We haven't even really seen a real game in any serious way.  Even Metroid Prime: Hunters seemed more like a tech demo at E3.  At E3 the DS looked way more ready than the PSP but at this point it looks like neither system is ready for launch.

I'm guessing a delay.  This thing can't be seriously launching in 2004.  The Cube launched in November 2004 and the launch lineup was revealed in May!

[KDR_11k]

Deserve? Where'd you get THAT from? Nintendo doesn't have to say anything. They'll probably say something at launch, when they know which titles managed to get into the launch lineup and most third parties probably won't announce earlier (after all, the DS could be delayed or something and everybody would have forgotten about the ads by the time the game cmes out). The list of upcoming games is all we have for now (and knowing press releases they probably wouldn't give us any more information than two sentences and the genre, anyway)

[ruby_onix]

The Tokyo Game Show is coming at the end of the month. I don't know if Nintendo is going there (they usually preferred Shoshinkai/Space World, but they cancelled those), but Sony is going to TGS, and taking the PSP with them.

That close to the apparent launch, Nintendo has to have a better show than Sony (and they'll have some sort of showing, whether inside TGS or not, just because they have to). If the PSP has a more exciting show (or if the DS is a no-show), the DS will be in serious trouble. If the DS beats the PSP, the opposite will be true.

Nintendo can get themselves ready for the launch behind-the-scenes without needing to tell us squat. The current problem (that we know of) is that they're not getting the public ready for the launch. But TGS and strategic competition with the PSP seem like they'd be the major factor in that.

I just hope that Nintendo has more than "more refined versions" of the E3 games, and more hands-on time with the DS (along with explanations of things, of course). They need some surprises and secrets to reveal, or they might be in trouble. A lot of people thought the PSP beat the DS at E3, even though the PSP wasn't even playable, just because "it looked more sexy". Playable PSP games with superior graphics are probably enough to win over a lot of people. Unless Sony kills the PSP at TGS, by telling people what they didn't want to hear about the price, or something like that.

[kurst_chao3030]

u can now reserve the ds at a gamestop store around u, i'm leaving later today to go reserve  one! people at the store say nintendo came by a week ago to talk to them about it. the store says that by the end of the month, nintendo is going to have an official final release date and more info on the games! we'll just have to wait

[KDR_11k]

Nintendo announced they won't go to the TGS and instead try advertising in public places (some truck or something) since TGS isn't a consumer show and Nintendo wants to reach the consumer.

[joeamis]

Quote
Originally posted by: kurst_chao3030
u can now reserve the ds at a gamestop store around u

Yea I saw that too.  I'm not sure what should've been done for the impending launch.  Meaning, I don't know if Nintendo wants to wait until right after the PSP price and battery life are revealed at TGS, and then come up with their official price based off the PSP a little so they can have the upper hand but still sell the DS for enough money to them.  As far as the Cube launch titles being shown in May, well it was for a home console which takes more development time and it was also brand new technology whereas the DS is very close to the N64.  But even so, I think the launch titles need to be shown at the end of September.

[BlkPaladin]

I don't think its a price thing its a timing thing. For the most part quite a few people (analysts and some in the gaming communitee) say that Nintendo will easily undercut Sony buy $100 if not $200 or more. I think they are waiting to see whether they will make their March deadline, if not, Nintendo may delay the launch until there are more titles.

[Bloodworth]

I have a hard time believing there will be a delay at this point.  It's possible, but you usually don't wait this long to announce a delay, and Nintendo's continually trickling out info.   I'm guessing that they're waiting as long as they can.  Then they'll have a major blow-out with the price, game line-up, etc. to give them a huge momentum going into launch.

Remember Sony is entering this market fresh and they need to sustain heavy interest to keep more people from buying SPs or the DS.  Nintendo on the other hand has their current Game Boy market raking in the dough, and they need to get people interested in the DS without getting so excited that they stop buying GBAs.  Plus if they show everything too soon, the excitement could subside before it comes to market.

[BlkPaladin]

So in another words do a big media blitz a month or two before launch to stiffle any spark the PSP has gained. That sounds better than what I put out, but that still makes it a timing thing.

[Stimutacs Addict]

so the most of us agree that we should see some software before October, right?

[Bloodworth]

I'd say late September or possibly early October.  But it could seriously come any day.  We're watching.

[Zach]

what else is new, Nintendo has always been secretive about new products.

[UncleBob]

Did Nintendo say that the DS would launch in November?  All I remember was that it was supposed to be before the end of the year...

[Stimutacs Addict]

Nintendo never specified a Novemeber release, IIRC, but to capitalize on the Christmas sales, they should release the DS before Thanksgiving

[joeamis]

It's been rumored from different sources, all pointing to November.  As well as a price of $180 and games being $35-$40.  I'd say it's pretty critical to launch in November.  That's when all the Xmas shopping starts, especially right after Thanksgiving.  Plus by launching in November, it will be easier to have enough products to meet demand through the holidays, so there are no shortages.  

I just thought of something...  Metroid Prime 2 releases 11/15/2004, could it possibly be "METROID MONDAY!"  where the DS debutes on the same day along with Metroid Prime Hunters as a launch title...?

I can hear it now, "METROID METROID METROOOOOID MOOOOONDAAAAAY!"  Kinda like, "Sunday Sunday Sunday for those motocross/monster truck shows.  It could happen...

[Bloodworth]

if it is the 15th, my life will be thoroughly pulverized... Halo 2 a week before, then MP2, Baten Kaitos, Call of Duty, and the DS and it's launch lineup........   @_@

[UncleBob]

heh... They should release it on the 9th with Halo 2... heh...  Yeah...

[Spak-Spang]

I usually do not agree when people demands a company do something, because usually it is something stupid, like I demand a mature Zelda, or I demand Nintendo starts making M rated games.  Nintendo doesn't do that...if you want that get another system.

However, Nintendo really needs to start pumping the hype machine for the Nintendo DS.  It needs to start creating the image that this is THE hot christmas gift for 2004.  

Now does Nintendo need to start showing the system to the public and getting demos of it in all the stores...no not really...at least not yet.  I would wait until November to do that.  

Instead, Nintendo needs to go to all the gaming Media and start giving them samples of the games.  Let them play the betas of the games and let them create the hype for you.  It will hardly cost you anything, and the hype will be worth it.  

I believe Nintendo won't need to do commercials or anything until November, but if it isn't pushing the system hard for the October Magizines and online media sites it is going to be struggling to create the hype needed for the launch.

Good news is, that it appears Nintendo IS going to be focused on the DS in next month's Nintendo Power, and if Nintendo Power is getting information, all the magizines will be getting information, because Nintendo Power never scoops anybody.  They never have worthy 'new' information.   So I think we have one more month before the flood gates open.

Let's hope these floods gates open with something worthy for the wait.

[Ian Sane]

"if it is the 15th, my life will be thoroughly pulverized... Halo 2 a week before, then MP2, Baten Kaitos, Call of Duty, and the DS and it's launch lineup........"

Your life and everyone else's.  This Christmas season is insanely packed.  There's too much I want and I don't even own a PS2 or Xbox.

I think a "Metroid Monday" idea is interesting but would probably cause MP2 and the DS to cut into each other's sales.  We only have so much money and I know I wouldn't be willing to buy both on the same day.  Of course they did release Metroid Prime and Fusion on the same day two years ago and that turned out alright though in that case there wasn't a whole new system that needed to be bought as well.

I like the idea of releasing it on Halo 2's release date.  That would be so dirty.  I love it.  However if they do that they need to bring the hype because right now Halo 2 has tons of mainstream hype and the DS is still pretty unknown.  If they don't hype up the DS enough such a plan may have the opposite effect and Halo 2 may steal DS sales.

[couchmonkey]

In the past Nintendo has argued that products don't need marketing until something like 4 weeks prior to release.  I hope it doesn't still think so because it seems to me that Xbox's initial success was based heavily on all the hype it had in hardcore gaming circles, especially the PC.  I do think Nintendo needs to hype the DS, and I think it needs to do so soon, but maybe (hopefully) Nintendo is just waiting until TGS to see if Sony gives away any worthwhile PSP tidbits.

Anyway, yes, Nintendo needs to start hyping DS well in advance.  Before the end of this month.

[Zach]

I remember Nintendo did something really neat for the gamecube,  They gave computer demo disks (the size of a gamecube game) to all of the retailers, the retailers then gave out the disks for free.  The disks showed gameplay from a bunch of Nintendo's games on the cube.  The disk came in a cardboard version of the cube (lenght and width were the same dimensions, but it was flat.).  Maybe they sould so something like that for the DS.

I think I still have that disk buried somewhere.

[animex]

I still have that demo discs, i have like 20 of em =D everytime i went to toys rus i took one somttimes two

[SgtShiversBen]

I remember getting one of those, it was the best.  I couldn't believe that the GameCube would be THAT small, and now I'm like HORRAY!  It was all purple and stuff...ahh good times..

[MaleficentOgre]

Someone in this forum has a brain.  GOOD JOB!  Yes nintendo is waiting until after TGS to start hyping the hell out of everything, not just DS.  Seriously you just wait I don't give it two hours after TGS is over and the hype wagon'll start with rigorous vigor.  NOA knows it can't end up in third place after christmas, that would crush next years efforts.  Resident Evil 4 isn't coming out until next march, the january delay is just a blow softner.  Star fox isn't coming out until possible summer to be the summer title symphonia was suppose to be this year.  The one thing I;m really hoping for is a package deal.  I'm sure it'll sell well with or without, but if nintendo put a game in the DS then it would sell a bajillion times better.