Messages

1

Nintendo Gaming / RE:EAD not good enough for 3D?

« on: November 26, 2003, 07:18:50 AM »

I actually think EAD has made some of the best, solid engines this gen. The only thing I can say that is bad about their games is short cuts in textures. I'm still in awe of Wind Waker today as I was when I finally had chance to play at a Circuit City kiosk back in Feburary. Few games have as fluid animation as the GC Zelda. And besides that, the game has a grab bag of effects such as depth field rendering, wave effects, some neat wrapping effects with the local lighting, reflections, and shadows on the characters that actually react to light sources unlike other cel shaded games I've played which have static ones. I tend to forget about some sloppy textures when so much attentinon had been paid to animation, effects, invisible load times, and really solid frame rates.

Pikmin, as mouse-clicker said, is another beautiful game. And the little bit of media that has come out for Pikmin 2 shows that it is looking better.

In the end, I think texture quality and things like bump-mapping that strive to makes surfaces standout are over-rated. These things won't make a game feel more solid if the basic engine is devoid of good art or a stable framerate for instance.

2

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Mario Kart Discussion (TALK ABOUT MARIO KART HERE)

« on: November 13, 2003, 05:10:48 AM »

IGN's review reminds me why I spend so much time renting games rather than listening to reviews. The score is not that bad when you look at the fact that it is inline with past score for Mario Kart. The problem I did have with review like many others is the nitpicking. It boggles the mind that one can see barely nothing else but praise for the latest Tony Hawk or Madden, but Nintendo has been hounded throughout the year for "rehasing."

MKD may have a lot issues, and it is the reviewers job to report them. But I think the almost angry tone of the review was more of message to Nintendo than anything else really. I'm still laughing about the unlockable skins remark. Does Fran know there is a high amount of customization in F-Zero GX? Did the thought ever occur to IGN that Nintendo purposely released F-zero and MK so close because they work hand in hand, influencing the way they approached bonus materials, speed, and difficulty to the game?  

3

Nintendo Gaming / RE:the deal with the new star wars?

« on: October 30, 2003, 06:31:01 AM »

Most of the thoughts in this thread correspond to mine. The PGC review as well as IGN and Gamespot pretty much hit the nail on the head.

This game would've been closer to 8.5 to 9 material had the on foot not existed. That doesn't mean that Factor 5 can't do it--they did make the awesome Turrican cames--but it seems quite clear that Julian was not joking in the RS documentary on the disc about the crunch in time that came from rewriting the engine. The technically stuff is spot on, inlcuding in the on foot engine. Unfortunately, it looks like there just was not enough time allowed for the designers and artist to really get the modeling right and to get the on foot gameplay to a point that it did not feel like a mindless version of Smash TV. The Hoth level is much better than the demo which suggest that some extra time would've been extremely benefical if not enough to turn the on foot stuff around to something bearable. Overall I think they would've done better to save the on foot engine for a seperate game where they could've really put the time in to get it right.

I'm still not sure why Thornado went on hold. The mystery just further fuels the opinion of many critics that Factor 5 is using the Star Wars license as a crutch.

I'm still enjoying the game, but make no mistake about it, the game has some big flaws and the series overall is getting too long in the tooth to continue to provide a satisfying experince. After Pilot Wings I hope for  Factor 5's sake that they take a very long vacation from anything Star Wars.

4

Nintendo Gaming / RE:George Harrison answers questions on GameCube 2 (N5) and next Gameboy

« on: October 30, 2003, 05:37:08 AM »

After seeing the new "Who are you" commericals and seeing some of the partnerships and things going on at Nintendo, I honestly feel they are getting a grasp on the situation. The aggressivness is returning, but the difference is there seems to be clearer direction and also some honest realizations about the market. Months ago I would've said that Nintendo needs to do more to compete directly with the other consoles, but now I don't think it is feasible.

If the video game industry is going to be the place where the battle of convergence is going to play out, then I don't see Nintendo ever becoming number one again. Sony and MS are waging a war that is far greater than the game industry, and unfortunately Nintendo is really hurting from it. Nintendo has said in the past that they consider themselves a toy company--their console is designed first and foremost to sell their various games and peripherals. They could care less about the other stuff because they are not selling MEDIA in general like Sony and MS. However, this philosophy is clashing with what is percieved as the true direction for videogames. There isn't a whole lot Nintendo can to compete directly against MS and Sony that would make sense or not be risky. Nintendo shouldn't make a entertainment hub if they are not interested in moving outside of games. Nintendo is a software company at their core;MS and Sony are big media using videogames as the birth place for convergence products to replace the PC and other stand alone appliances. Nintendo's core philosophy hurts them more than anything in competing with MS and Sony.

However, the new add campaign is showing a different direction. Nintendo is doing what they failed to do at the beginning of the GC's life, which is clearly seperate it from MS and Sony's consoles. One poster at GA made a really good point about Nintendo providing an alternative. MS and Sony are going after the same crowd with a similar look and message--Nintendo in a sense has a responsiblity to consumers and to their survival to actually provide a clear alternative. We would be dealing with some serious saturation in the market if Nintendo just up and followed MS and Sony to the letter. On top of that, it would probably facilitate their demise because people will see through the facade. Nintendo hasn't fooled anyone in the past about being cool or on the cutting edge; consumers have more sense than that so Nintendo is ultimately doing themselves a favor by finally accepting this and developing a campaign that somehow gets to what Nintendo really is--whimsical and magical.  How this will play out, I don't know. However I do think that Nintendo can at least build a pretty secure niche if they can keep up their quality and not betray those elements that make them Nintendo just to cash so they can cash in on the trends.

One other comment I want to make is about the simplicity matter. Some people are blowing it out of proportion. Streamlining design should not be looked at as a poison to Nintendo's games. There have been misses such as Kirby (which I think is actually far better then what it is credited for) and Wario World (could've used a difficulty setting or removal or adjustment of the coins for life system), but their have been behind many solid games such as SSB:Melee and Animal Crossing which expound the current Nintendo philosophy on design. People should not assume Nintendo is trying to cut corners or regress. I think there are some valid criticisms they have made about the game industry and themselves in game design that keep video games from being truly mainstream in the sense of getting the whole family around the console, rather than just some hardcore geeks or "cool" 20 something males who are pretty easy to sell to. The VG industry still hasn't found a solid way to sell to girls for instance outside of the typical Mary Kate and Ashley shovelware. I think most of us are too caught up in the hardcore nature of games to realize the industry can and does alienate potential customers. Complex game design is one the biggest offenders in that sense if you compare games today to games in the past. It's been a long time since we have some truly break through games like Donkey Kong or Pac-Man. GTA is close, but now we are going into the realm of acceptable content in games, which is for another thread.

5

Nintendo Gaming / RE:The Suffering...Canceled

« on: October 29, 2003, 07:26:46 AM »

I would love to see what the reactions of these developers would be if for some reason Nintendo has the leading platform next gen. The stupidity of Sega's executives must have influenced a lot of western developers--many seem to have adopted a similar cluelessness of the present and future direction of the industry.

Nintendo needs more western support, but not from the likes of these fools. I'm hoping we will see more arrangements like the one with N-Space for Geist. There are lot of struggling developers making crap for these publishers who would love to get their pet projects of the ground. Nintendo might be better off going directly to these developers and completely ignoring the idiocy of the publishers.

6

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Who got Rebel Strike today?

« on: October 21, 2003, 05:33:02 PM »

I agree about the demo somewhat. I played Hoth about an hour ago and it's apparent that the demo version was an old build. The level is now rock solid--so rock solid in fact that it just gives me another reason to believe that Rebel Strike could've used some extra months in the cooker. Hoth and the Endor stuff are nearly flawless while some other levels seem like they were barely completed before going gold. Seems to be a common theme these days for everyone, including Nintendo unfortunately. Unlike a lot gamers who seem to have completely unreasonable expections, I don't mind delays in the least. Hearing that Pikim 2 was delayed into the middle of next year gives me hope that that game will really show theEAD perfectionism that prevailed in the N64 days.

7

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Who got Rebel Strike today?

« on: October 21, 2003, 01:45:02 PM »

Got it around 2:30 (Eastern time). I actually was able to whip through several levels quickly, though I got only a few bronzes and, in a case or two,n no medals. I actually think that's a good thing after pulling my hair out on RL. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but it seems that Factor 5 adjusted the enemy speed. Players who have complained about not being able to hanlde the X-Wing and other standard vehicles against enemies will find that control is less of issue in this game, though I agree with Fran at IGN that improvements are still welcomed in general control. I can't to try Geonosis again, though. Shooting of seismic(sp) blasts with the Jedi Starfighter is very cool and even awe inspiring. In the end, people who aren't very skilled can still finish the game, while the return of platnium medals should keep people who had the skill to own Rogue Leader happy.

I'm still torn by the on foot stuff. I think Factor 5 with another 5-6 months could've got the modelling and animation under control. It's kind of a shame that those elements did not gel, because the actual engine for the 3rd person stuff is one of the really impressive things in RS. I can see why they did not want to scrap some of the stuff they had for Thornado. A lot of internet geeks are going argue about this and say that Factor 5 should stick to vehicles, but I think if the development time spread over the various gameplay elements in Rebel Strike had just been focused on a character based game such as Thronado, F5 nailed it. Hopefully Thronado will not remain in permenant hibernation so I can what the could've achieve with more sane development time frame.

I'm impressed with the performance, though in bits of the 3rd person stuff and some of the flight stuff in Ratlir there is some slowdown as the particles start to fly. I can say overall that the performance is generally smoother than RL, though the game's engine is a bit more advanced than the old game.

That's about all I can say for now. I have some work I need to do for class before any more games. Hopefully I'll be through with that in an hour so I can unlock Endor, which is probably the game's true showpiece. My brother is going to swing by this weekend, so I may have some multiplayer impression then, but I'm sure others will have post their thoughts on it before I get to do it.

8

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Potential Rebel Strike issue...

« on: October 21, 2003, 05:52:03 AM »

I should be getting RS3 until this afternoon I hope, so I will see then what the issue is. I imagine though that it's the GC having issues with streaming information off the GOD. From what Julian E. has send in the last couple of months, this game probably has the most aggressive streaming engine the GC at the moment. With all the stuff going one,  I find it hard for GC not have a hiccup once in awhile. It could be a bug, but I doubt it.

9

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Game Informer's 'reviewable copy' of Rebel Strike as many a 20 builds away from the final version

« on: October 17, 2003, 08:51:57 AM »

GoldShadow 1--I see what you're saying. I suspect that this is damage control by someone disappointed with the reviews coming in. And even if the technical issues have been cleared (which I think is a strong possiblity because Factor 5 stated that they would be working to the last minute), I don't think reviews will be much better. Many people have had issues with the gameplay since the first game. I love the the series, but like PN 03, I know that many people will not be able to get past certain elements.

The game will sell well on the license and the technical mastery alone, but that will be in spite of what I predict is going to be reviews mostly in the 7 range. It'll do good business, but I'd imagine that Factor 5 will feel somewhat disappointed with scores after really trying to give gamers more bang for the buck.

10

Nintendo Gaming / RE:New EGM scores are in...

« on: October 17, 2003, 04:18:31 AM »

I'm surprised by the RS3 scores but it will still be a purchase from me. I've been big fan since the first Rogue Squadron and RS3 looks like it will return to the wide variety of levels and the more mild difficulty curve of the first game. I can't wait!

Mario Kart suprises me as well. After E3 you would've thought that everyone believed EAD was offically over the the hill. Hopefully this and Pikmin 2 will remind people that EAD can still own the entire industry.

11

Nintendo Gaming / RE: I can't believe that Rogue Squadron series could join the Dark Side

« on: October 13, 2003, 01:30:44 PM »

Grey Ninja--Thank you. . I agree that I don't like all this talk of titles moving to N5, but with amount of stuff that has already been push into the next year or so, PilotWings just seems more and more likely as a canidate for the next platform. When I think about it,  Rogue Leader was kind of  replacement for a PilotWings gam. I don't have much evidence to support that claim, but my feeling is that Nintendo was thinking the same way that I am right now and therefore insisted that Factor 5 have title ready for launch. Consequently, it just seems to make sense to them let them have a run at PilotWings to fufill that same role again. Factor 5 has not only proved their ability to push a platform and then some, but Rogue Leader showed that they could squeeze out an impressive game under a major time crunch--a nice quality for a developer working on launch title to have. It really says a lot about Factor 5 when their launch title arguably unmatched while we head into 3rd generation software.

12

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Sony to kill nintendo marketing idea

« on: October 13, 2003, 01:08:41 PM »

Price cut is unlikely. I think this rumour was started because of a few over excitied employees seeing flyers for a cut. I've learned recently that it a rather common practice to have flyers made in antcipation of a drop.

But besides that point, Sony really isn't doing that hot outside of the Playstation. An 80$ seems rather unwise when they could use all the profits they can get.

13

Nintendo Gaming / RE: I can't believe that Rogue Squadron series could join the Dark Side

« on: October 13, 2003, 12:53:29 PM »

I don't know about PilotWings being GC bound.  I would love to have it sooner rather than later, but the IGN rumour that suspected that it's headed to the next Nintendo machine is one of the few I would put some stock in. There's a lot of stuff coming next year that could possibly overshadow it. Also, PilotWings has had a tradition of being a launch title and tech demo, and it seems to me that after the amazing job Factor 5 did with Rogue Leader as a launch game, having them develop PilotWings in that launch title/tech demo tradition seems like a brilliant move in many ways.

14

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Nintendo will come out 1st

« on: October 13, 2003, 12:42:12 PM »

The ashes left from Sega's console business should be a warning to both Microsoft and Nintendo--releasing your maching much earlier than your competitors is a HUGE gamble if you don't have your act together. If Nintendo really wants their next console to do well, I doubt they would release their hardware no early than a month or two at least. Neither of the console makers can afford to let each other build a significant amount of hype over large period of time, otherwise the early bird could possbily find itself joining the Dreamcast.

15

Nintendo Gaming / RE:I can't believe that Rogue Squadron series could join the Dark Side

« on: October 13, 2003, 12:33:35 PM »

There is no truth to this rumour. Besides Factor 5 essentially stating that Rebel Strike at least would be far more trouble than it is worth for a port, Julian actually posted a response at the IGN boards saying that there is no truth to it. He also said if a port was being planned anyway, the PS2 would get first consideration.

What IGNxbox fails to mention in their little rumour is the overall weak performance of Star Wars games outside of KOTOR. People are kidding themselves or being misguided by all the hype if they think Factor 5 and Lucasarts will see  higher sales on an X-box port.

With that in mind though, Julian also stated that F5 and LA are watching holiday sales closely. Factor 5 have made it clear that they like to work on one platform, and while Nintendo has treated them well for the last several years, that could easily change if Rebel Strike bombs. I'm less concerned about an Xbox port and more worried that Factor 5 would no longer think of a Nintendo console as a viable platform. Nintendo and Factor 5 seem to be a good fit IMO, with both companies benefiting from the close relationship they had when Nintendo was putting together the GameCube.  

16

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Nintendo sees RED

« on: October 06, 2003, 09:58:37 AM »

ghostVi--Microsoft did say that they weren't concerned with the handheld market--for now. I think they're going to look real hard at the PSP and how it ties into the Playstation's business. If consumers start using PSP/PS connectivity heavily, then I would expect Microsoft to change their position on handhelds.

As for Nintendo, the news I have seen seems to suggest that changes between the dollar and yen are more responsible for the drop than anything else. Of course Nintendo is going to be making less money now than they had before--people forget that alongside the poor economy we have experinced world wide Nintendo is no longer the market leader. To expect the same sales they had with Snes or Nes seems rather foolish. That doesn't mean that they don't have issues though.

I think thecubedcanuck is right about changes having to be made, but we have yet to see all of Nintendo's cards. Nintendo's certainly going into a different direction by working against industry trends and going with a "back to basics" approach with stuff like Wario Ware or Donkey Konga for instance. The hardcore gamers that frequent forums have overreacted lately about this direction since the shift has only begun recently--I don't think enough time has passed for any real judgement.  With a lot of big games and some annoucements coming in the following year, I don't think we can really say anything conclusive until this gen is done, but I doubt the wiping Sony has put on Nintendo in the first place is going to help. Some people are just plained convinced that Nintendo being demoted from industry leader is automatically cause to suspect an announcment they will go third party.  

17

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Nintendo fans reach 'cult' status

« on: September 22, 2003, 04:28:39 AM »

I can definitely feel what you guys are saying.

I have always bought a different machines, but always found myself satisfied with Nintendo consoles. But I think my dedication towards Nintendo has increased of late because of their underdog status and my fear that Sony and Microsoft's direction towards convergence will somehow impact the videogames negatively.

It makes quite sad to see the bashing that GC has recieved. The console is an example of brillant engineering, surpassing the PS2 and keeping up with or surpassing some aspects of the X-box at the fraction of the size and cost. On top of that, the console is increasingly becoming the home the quirky, taking over the spot the Dreamcast held before its death. There is just so much going on for the GC it have to shake my head when I see the bashing. I think of lot Nintendo's issues are not just image, but also their refusal to do work the same way that Sony and Microsoft do.

18

General Gaming / RE:Rare: A Year Later

« on: September 18, 2003, 05:30:25 AM »

Interesting read, though I have to wonder about the writer drawing comparisons to the Capcom 5 and Rare support.

In any case, I think Nintendo made the right choice. Considering how much it would have cost Nintendo to fully buy out Rare in contrast to what they would get out of them, Nintendo would've ended up on the short side of the stick. I'm already seeing people in this thread questioning the talents of SK and Retro, but whatever you may think of their track record, they help bring variety to Nintendo's offerings.

Rare has made a variety of games of course, but mostly they worked on platformers which oftened played similarily to Nintendo's, an observation that I feel played a part in Nintendo's decision to not buy Rare out. SK has a certain style of cinematic adventures, something that Nintendo has little of. I'm not sure what direction Retro will take when they're done with Metroid Prime 2, but they have at least shown some real skill in first person action games--again, a genre that Nintendo could use more of. Nintendo really doesn't need another Banjo game or something like Grabbed by the Ghoulies.

In the end, I don't think we will really know what effect Rare's absence will have at least until they get all of their Xbox games out. However, I'm willing to bet that Nintendo's pursuit of stronger ties with specific high profile 3rd parties coupled with thoughtful usage of their current second parties will do far more to help Nintendo than having Rare onboard.

19

Nintendo Gaming / RE:PN03, am I the only one?

« on: September 16, 2003, 03:42:00 AM »

Taramoor--You're not the only one. I lost about half my weekend to PN03.

Having finally played it myself for a substantial amount of time, I can see how the old school game comparisons become valid. I think many had the impression that this would be a standard third person shooter ala Tomb Raider or Devil May Cry. This game can't be further from that.

The restraints put on you from the Resident Evil controls is both the bane and treasure of this game. Gamers have despised the RE controls for years, which has factored into some of the really bad reviews of this game. On the other hand, the control structures the gameplay into something that there really does seem old school. You must memorize enemy movements to dodge attacks and also rack up combos (where the big points are). And since you have to buy your continues and power ups with those points, the game further forces you to refine your play. You need to master the gameplay so you can use those points on power ups rather than continues.

The game obviously has an unpolished look and can become monotonous, but I can't fault the developers for that. I remember hearing that the games in the Capcom 5 (except RE 4) were to be produced with low budgets in mind so that the developers have a little more room to experiment. There are still some things that could have been fleshed out, but overall I find the experince satisfying.

I hope that we do get a sequel that is more polished and features more variations in locale and more moves for Vanessa. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening soon if not ever. Reviewers have slammed the game really bad in the US (reviews in Europe and Japan seem to support more of my view). Again, I think reviewers were expecting something bigger in scope with ultra polish and Zelda-Tomb Raider-DMC kind of adventure. In reality the game is a small scale project with an emphasis on conceptual gameplay (much like the new shooters coming out of Japan today such as Ikaruga or the shooters that Crave make).

I didn't think the game would do well as something to attract the casual gamers, but I do have high hopes from the more dedicated GameCube users. However, scores of 5s are going to scare people away. However, don't be afraid guys--rent it at least.  

20

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Nintendo to go the way of Sega - Nintendo is for kids

« on: September 10, 2003, 01:51:14 PM »

*Sigh* How am I not surprised that an article about this has come out this soon. As much as I love to slam idiots like Eidos, the reality is that their words do serious damage. Nintendo doesn't have to hurt their own image, misinformed reporters and poorily ran 3rd parties seem just as lethal. : (

I hope for Nintendo's sake they have a tremendous Holiday season. I want EAD to shut the haters up with MK: DD. I want SK to silence their critics with MGS. I want Viewtiful Joe to explode in the west in ways Capcom may not have imagined. I want Factor 5 to show the fanboys how to make a Star Wars game. Every time I see crap articles like this it just makes me wish even harder for Nintendo and its true supporters to come out swinging. Nintendo's has its problems, but even when they have done something good there are people who will find a way to spin it in a negative light. There just seems to me that much stupidity and vitrol being lobbed at Nintendo right now.

I'm now at the point where I'm seriously not interested in getting any of the next gen consoles. This industry is turning to trash in my eyes, and I rather not fund it. Video games are quickly becoming just bad as the music and movie industry.

(Sorry for the ranting, but there are days when I come online to read the news and just wonder about the direction of the video game industry and Nintendo. In spite of Nintendo's issues, I feel that they nearly solved all of their big problems from the N64 days and overall I'm by far more satisfied with the GC than any other system this gen. I just find it ridiculous that the press and some of 3rd parties can't seem to get beyond the family image and see the improvement and the effort.)  

21

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Eidos drops all Gamecube support

« on: September 06, 2003, 12:34:04 PM »

That's a little harsh there AgentSeven. While Hitman 2 was a bomb (how many of you went "huh?" when it suddenly appeared a couple months ago without much warning?), TimeSplitters did okay. Far from a million seller, but still profitable enough that a 3rd part is being worked on. The great irony of the game's sales is that the GameCube version may have had the best tie in ratio--it sold only 85,000 less than the PS2 with it's gigantic userbase.

In the end, these kinds of announcements are bad for Nintendo's image, whether we hate Eidos output or not. That is why I'm dissappointed with the press release because it's an uneccesary and dishonest jab at Nintendo, and also a slap to the face of the GameCube userbase. It's like we are being blamed for having standards or at least having the common sense to know when trash is being shoveled our way. That kind of insult has insured that I will never purchase anything with their label attached to it ever again. The bankruptcy of their company can't come any sooner.

Nintendo has some big problems with western 3rd paties, but this is case were they shouldn't bother. Eidos dug their own grave and are now calling it on Nintendo to try to spin that blame off of them. Seeing absolutely no support from someone like a Take 2 or an EA is one thing; being blasted by an Eidos is entirely different. Nintendo nor its fans can't be blamed for bad sales when Eidos published too few titles on the system with major delays and obvious quality issues.

22

Nintendo Gaming / RE:Eidos drops all Gamecube support

« on: September 05, 2003, 04:17:35 AM »

They also published Timesplitters 2, but now that's out of their hands. GameCube was not a significant part of their business this gen anyway, which is why I kind of pissed off that they made an annoucement like this. This is giving the finger to Nintendo when they clearly have no blame in Eidos woes.

But this will only work against Eidos in the end if Nintendo becomes an attractive platform again. They are essentially burning the bridge and I don't think Iwata will give a damn about rebuilding it when companies like Capcom and Namco are giving better and more significant support.

23

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Nintendo gets the Shaft again!

« on: September 04, 2003, 05:00:57 AM »

I totally agree with Perfect cell. It doesn't matter what opinion that the majority of Nintendo's userbase has of GTA or R*. The fact that the GameCube is the only system lacking their support helps to draw an even bleaker picture of Nintendo's situtation in the west.  

In Japan NCL is busting their asses for exclusives by getting the Capcom 5, a Square title, a Konami title, and several titles from Namco that almost included Soul Calibur 2. The problem I'm seeing now is that this is not extending to the west. There are some deals with EA and we also have Factor 5, which looks realitively week to Sony and Microsoft.

I don't know what exactly is going on though. Maybe Nintendo is xenophobic, or doesn't have a high opinion of western developers. Maybe western developers no longer have a high opinion of Nintendo. Whatever it is, they need to get over the hump. This isn't 1993 anymore. Japanese companies used to dominte the whole scene, but the industry is now being split with western gamers going for more western styled games while Japan sticks closely to its tastes. Nintendo is seemingly treating everyone  as the same market while in reality they are being further alienated from Europe and North America by not appealing to the paticular tastes of casual gamers in these places.  

24

General Gaming / RE: GTA3 and Vice City double pack coming to ps2 and XBOX!

« on: September 03, 2003, 06:01:19 PM »

I don't think this pack will do a whole lot for Microsoft either. Not only does it come out later than Sony's own pack, but also much speculation is already being made about Sony scoring GTA4 for the PS3 before allowing R* to do this. Microsoft is likey the loser in this deal, but still not as much as Nintendo.

This is a glaring example of Nintendo's biggest weakness--the western audience's perception of the GameCube. The fact that it's now the only console that does not have a GTA or any other R* game in the works further gives the impression that either Nintendo has been forsaken by western developers or that they no longer give a damn about America and Europe. NCL is seemingly getting its act together in Japan, but it is being flung to the side in pretty much every other important market.  

25

Nintendo Gaming / RE: Cant EAD make decent graphics?

« on: August 23, 2003, 05:26:14 AM »

KDR_11k--I can see what you are saying with that point. All that open ocean in Wind Waker did worked against the brilliant dungeons. I still find the animation and effects mindblowing, but sometimes I forget how sparse things are.

In the end, I think technical power is often confused with design. I can see how some people are not enthralled with Nintendo's art direction, but to say that their games are technically weak without some knowledge of what has to be done to achieve the look of their games is folly.