Nintendo announces a new console (China only)

[Adam Tyner]

From http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conews&tkr=SNE:US :

Nintendo to Enter China's Video-Game Market With a New Console
September 24, 2003 13:01 EDT -- Nintendo Co., Japan's second-largest maker of video-game consoles, will enter China in October with a new video-game player specifically designed for a country where the illegal copying of software has kept game makers such as Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. at arm's length.

[PixyJunket]

DOOM!! DOOM I TELL YOU!! HALF LIFE RULEZ!!



Okay, just kidding..

I thought the GC discs were supposed to be pretty pirate-proof..? I'm willing to bet they're just going to make a special version of the Cube..

[Adam Tyner]

From another forum:

Supposedly it's a N64-like console, with "downloadable games" on carts like the SNES carts that got burned "a la carte" with which game you wanted, when you wanted. All games translated into Chinese, supposedly.

[PixyJunket]

Strange.. though I don't see how that would stop piracy, they can produce bootleg carts, they've been doing it since the original Famicom days.

[Adam Tyner]

Dunno, I'm just copying and pasting.

[Adam Tyner]

More details, from http://www.the-magicbox.com/gaming.htm :

Nintendo announced they will launch a new console system exclusive to China in mid-October, called the iQue Player. The machine will retail for 498 Yuan (US$60). Games are stored on iQue Flash Memory Cards, which will retail for 48 Yuan (US$5.80) each. Game software can be purchased and download to the 64MB flash memory cards from game servers in licensed stores. Nintendo will offer 10 game titles at launch, include a Chinese version of Super Mario 64.

There's a picture of the "console" (which looks like it might just be a controller?) at the Magicbox as well.

[tanman]

Interesting, for some reason I can't see the pics.

Isnt' the GCN in China as well. Why would they want this console. And why couldn't someone devise an adapter so they can download the games from a home computer.

[menaz]

Theyre making the games available for download? Isnt that already screaming "bootleg me!"

[NeonGlow]

The controller looks like a mix of the N64 and Xbox controller. It looks like the size and shape of the big Xbox controller with the button arrangement from the N64 controller.

[Trigger]

I smell disaster.

[Sir Talos]

This should actually work quite well for them. Their strategy might not be clear at first look, but if you think about it, its fairly clever. It won't matter too much if people download and boot-leg games, because they will have to buy the iQue media to put the software on. At $5.80 a piece, thats 10% of the cost of the system. This is of course assuming that they made the cartridges difficult to replicate. Additionally, they will save costs on production, only having to produce blank discs. In fact they are probably banking on the fact that people will boot-leg their games which would in turn increase sales on their media. This would make their games easier to access and increase the demand for the game player as well. The fact that they offer the software for download and purchase in game stores is probably only a formality, offering a method for legitimate purchase. In summary, if i'm interpreting this right they are taking advantage of the supposed pirating epidemic in China.

[cheapskate]

Originally posted by Sir Talos
In summary, if i'm interpreting this right they are taking advantage of the supposed pirating epidemic in China.

Hmmm... sounds fair enough... seems pretty clever to me... :)

This sounds like a curious little product; it reminds me of an updated version of the Power Joy III (http://crazyape.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/browse.itemDetail/sku/PJ3/index.html)

AS SEEN ON CHINESE TV!!!!!!!!!

[the_dude8]

so nintendo is doing to games over in china like what apple is doing for selling .99 cents mp3 over in the US. pretty smart concept.