Post by: ActorJ on September 20, 2004, 10:51:10 PM
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/gear/entertainment/2004-09-21-nintendo-ds-launch_x.htm
Let's see, 149 price point, wi-fi, two screens, touch screen, 3d capable, 10 hour battery, backlit transflective screens (the best of both worlds!), card media for no load times and no moving parts, GBA compatablity, voice reconiftion wilth built in mic, pictochat built in, built in clock etc, and if that wasn't enough we get the news that the days of a PACK IN GAME AT LAUNCH are back.
Competition is a great thing, and it looks like Nintendo has decided to wipe the floor with it.
Post by: ruby_onix on September 20, 2004, 10:55:48 PM
Post by: ActorJ on September 20, 2004, 11:51:30 PM
before someone says its a demo, think, does releasing a demo on a memory card style medium seem cost effevtive to you? Yeah it cheaper than GBA cartridge meda, but it is STILL pricy to manufacture compared to a disc.
Post by: Blackknight131 on September 21, 2004, 02:21:59 AM
Gawd I love calling people "J". Its so cool.
Anyways, packing in a game at this point (and Im cautiously choosing to beleive the article here as it is by Steven Kent who I feel knows his snuff) is speaking volumes for the price of these DS games. If Nintendo is finding it cost-effective enough to pack in a game card....surely we will find game prices to be much closer to the standard price of handheld games instead of this $50 rubbish that EB and other stores have posted...
Post by: Blackknight131 on September 21, 2004, 02:29:18 AM
I will say tho, that it is rather late and I did google this some months back. So, if anyone is motivated to do so: Matrix Semiconductor 3D Memory are the keywords.
I actually kind of wonder if the pack-in is more of a stripped down version of Hunters....its just so hard to beleive they would pack in one of their premier titles, and one that is not for many gamers to boot, including me (there are many gamers who are not fans of FPS/FPA). But hey, maybe touch screen will make me one.
In pure pack-in sensibility a title that showcases a bit more of things you can do with a DS makes more sense....like maybe WarioWare or a tech demo pack.
Post by: Bill Aurion on September 21, 2004, 02:31:01 AM
Post by: ActorJ on September 21, 2004, 12:02:15 PM
i am impressed. the fact that it is cost effective to release a demo on a memory card bodes very well for the future. this stacked memory technology must be very cheap indeed....
Post by: kurst_chao3030 on September 21, 2004, 12:29:38 PM
Post by: MattVDB on September 21, 2004, 06:49:50 PM
Look at the new screenshot of Hunters. What is different about it? That's right, the screens are switched. AKA, you can't touch the top screen to pivot and shoot. Therefore, since E3, the controls have changed substantially to something different, and supposedly better. But what could they be?
Post by: Berto2K on September 21, 2004, 10:52:53 PM
Post by: Blackknight131 on September 22, 2004, 02:58:07 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: ActorJ
im still seeing conflicting reports. it seems there is now consensus that this is a demo, but still disagreement about whether or not any single player levels will be included. hmm.
i am impressed. the fact that it is cost effective to release a demo on a memory card bodes very well for the future. this stacked memory technology must be very cheap indeed....
Yea, the technology is indeed compelling.
But one thing that sorta made me go "meh"
Reggie in the teleconference call held Tuesday the 21st of Sept mentioned that manufacturing times from the current main plants in Asia would be roughly equivalent to GBA games, at least at first: that is, 4-6 weeks.
For anyone who looked it up, one of the benefits of this new technology is supposedly field programmability...in other words ultimately cutting down on the manufacturing time (field programmability roughly means being able to stockpile blank data cards for writing games onto at any time).
However, perhaps the quoted manufacturing period is merely a reflection of the plant's far off location. Reggie did also mention plants being built perhaps in the US which would bring down those overhead times.
Another thing about the game cards (this is the term Nintendo was using in their press release): every one of em will have Save RAM, eliminating the cheaper publishers desire to use password systems. Nintendo is making this standard now. A small thing, but conveneint nontheless. Passwords do get annoying when you are forced to use them...
Hm, cheaper media indeed...
Post by: kurst_chao3030 on September 22, 2004, 03:47:13 AM
Post by: KDR_11k on September 22, 2004, 04:31:31 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on September 22, 2004, 07:00:41 AM
Awesome.
"It is a demo, consisting of both single player levels and multiplayer levels. So you could take people on right in the parking lot of the store you just walked out of with First Hunt."
Well I don't think I would challenge a complete stranger but it's a cool idea. I'm glad that it includes single player levels. A multiplayer only demo, as it was initially assumed to be, would suck because if none of your friends bought a DS at launch it would be useless. Ideally the pack-in should make it so that you don't have to buy another game if you don't want to. If it was multi only you would have to buy another game unless someone living with you bought one as well.
Post by: PaLaDiN on September 22, 2004, 07:56:59 AM
Nintendo did mention another control scheme being an option. Therefore, switching the screens may be an option.
Note that in this mode, you can select missiles and such with the stylus.
I want to know if Pictochat is upgradeable. If not, they better make it perfect from the get-go. And that means I want to be able to use the mic, like a walkie-talkie, if I want to.
Post by: foolish03 on September 22, 2004, 09:58:48 AM
Post by: TOY on September 22, 2004, 10:00:30 AM
Quote
It is a demo, consisting of both single player levels and multiplayer levels.
Accorcding to the PGC main page, the demo is only multi-player.
Quote
UPDATE: Nintendo has also revealed that Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt is being bundled with the DS. First Hunt is a four-player demo, designed to show off the system's wireless multiplayer function. There is no single-player mode in the demo, but it is expected in the full version of Metroid Prime Hunters which will be released at a later date.
If this is true it stinks, If there going to spend the money packing it in, you would think they would give you at least 1 or 2 single player levels to check the game out. A multi only game will be useless to most peolpe.
TOY
Post by: Ian Sane on September 22, 2004, 11:07:01 AM
Post by: Pale on September 22, 2004, 11:14:56 AM
QuoteUnless its gonna have internet over WiFi play from day one... Maybe thats what October 7th is for. ()8)
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
...virtually no one can play.
Post by: Ian Sane on September 22, 2004, 11:34:28 AM
That would great but HA! Like that's going to happen. I'm going to be shocked if the DS, depite it's ability to, even goes online. But yeah that would make the pack-in worthwhile and would be another huge advantage for the DS.
Post by: Bill Aurion on September 22, 2004, 11:58:14 AM
This is the most ridiculous exaggeration I've seen in a while...It's not like Ninty has to give out a demo at all...(I know *I'll* be using the multi demo)
Post by: odifiend on September 22, 2004, 01:05:21 PM
1) They are making most customers happy. The last pack in I got was when I purchased my Sega Genesis (Actually they had a form where you could send away for another free game, so I got two games free
). Those days are so missed, and I am suprised and overjoyed that they are packing anything in at all.2) If it is true that they are releasing metroid hunters at a later date, everyone will likely shell out for the full version after playing the demo.
To complain about a pack in when there is no discernable price increase is ludicrous. Though I do think one single player level would be smart to include to ensure a greater success for the actual release of metroid Hunters.
Post by: Ian Sane on September 22, 2004, 01:09:27 PM
Sure a multi-only pack in is not going to doom the DS but all these little "mistakes" have to stop. That kind of carelessness is exactly why the Cube is an ignored loser console. With the DS they can make mistakes like that but they CAN'T with the Revolution. So naturally stuff like this worries me big time.
Post by: Perfect Cell on September 22, 2004, 02:27:14 PM
The important thing is a good selection of launch titles. Something lacking with the Last couple of Nintendo consoles. If theres plenty of cool games, then the demo wont matter.
Post by: The Omen on September 22, 2004, 02:40:32 PM
Post by: Pale on September 22, 2004, 03:19:49 PM
Post by: Blackknight131 on September 22, 2004, 04:29:42 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
IGN mentions the single player stuff. It BETTER have single player stuff or I take back any praise I have given for the pack-in idea. A multiplayer only pack-in is f*cking useless. In fact such a obvious oversight would change my whole opinion of the launch thus far. A genius would include a pack-in. An idiot would include a pack-in that virtually no one can play.
Guys, listen....its free. Extra. Unexpected. Unanticipated.
Even without it, as almost no one expected any kind of pack in anyway, we are getting the hardware with Picto-Chat built in and pretty much most of the rumored features intact for a price point either below the most recent estimates or in line with most folk's lower bound estimate.
Really tho, its whole purpose of existence is to hammer home the beauty of new wireless multiplay. Nintendo really wants the consumer to take note of this feature. That said, at the worst we should expect a multiplayer mode but with the option of playing against CPU opponents. I agree Its illogical to have this game needing human players to play. Illogical to the point where I wouldnt worry about it.
Post by: Bloodworth on September 22, 2004, 04:45:49 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on September 22, 2004, 10:36:13 PM
Post by: Stimutacs Addict on September 23, 2004, 02:20:14 PM
when is the last time a console launched with a pack-in game? (bundles dont count)
people should be glad that we are at least getting something... shoot i was ecstatic when i learned that it would launch at $150; hearing that we were getting a metroid demo was icing on the cake.
if it is multiplayer only (which honestly i dont think NOA is that stupid), is it really going to botch the launch, make DS fail, and push nintendo out of business?
no, so quit complaining and start saving your money for the most bitchin handheld since the original GameBoy
Post by: TOY on September 23, 2004, 05:16:32 PM
Quote
so quit complaining
I wasn't complaining, I just think its dumb to bother putting in a mp only game. Like I said before, Give us a couple levels or some bots to play against. I dont have a problem with mp games but I dont know anyone else buying a DS. My friends dont play video games so for me and I'll bet alot of others it will be useless. By the way i'm probably much older than the average poster here which is why my friends dont play.
TOY
Post by: joeamis on September 23, 2004, 06:07:48 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: TOY
I dont have a problem with mp games but I dont know anyone else buying a DS. My friends dont play video games so for me and I'll bet alot of others it will be useless. By the way i'm probably much older than the average poster here which is why my friends dont play.
I am in the same position, mp multi demo for me is useless as is pictochat because I will never be near anyone I know (even if they buy a DS). Although I think including mp demo is a good idea overall. Picto chat is multiplayer only, and people are all going to buy atleast 1 game when they get their DS. If they so happen to know someone else who gets a DS, then they can fire up the mp demo.
What I am wondering is how long will the mp demo be included? Just upto a few months after the PSP launches? What will Nintendo do in March when the PSP launches in NA? Will they lower the price at all, include a better packin, or anything at all? Or just release some good titles and hope that helps hurt the PSP launch?
Another thing I'm wondering is will the Xmas launch really help the DS a helluva lot (it will to some extent)? This Xmas has the most AAA titles ever for all systems, they're gonna dig into DS sales.
Post by: Perfect Cell on September 23, 2004, 06:31:39 PM
Post by: MaleficentOgre on September 23, 2004, 06:37:54 PM
Post by: kurst_chao3030 on September 23, 2004, 07:04:00 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on September 23, 2004, 10:02:40 PM
