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http://blog.wired.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1556591
Wired had the opportunity to sit down after with Nintendo Vice-President of Marketing & Corporate Affairs—not to mention affable conference host—Perrin Kaplan to ask a few questions that weren't addressed in the press conference. • Will the Wii be region-free? Yes. Like the Nintendo DS, the Wii will be able to play games from other regions, such as Japan, without any restriction. Kaplan implied there might be a region lock that publishers would be able to flip on, but it doesn't sound like the first-party titles from Nintendo will be restricted. • Will games downloaded from the Virtual Console store be tied to an account like Xbox Live or a one-time-only download like iTunes? Tied to an account. Kaplan discussed a scenario where a player's Wii was broken or destroyed, but would be able to re-download titles they had previously bought to a new Wii machine. Because my left leg was burning from an accidental Zippo oil spill, I neglected to ask if a user would be able to log into friends' Wiis and play their Virtual Console downloads away from their home machine. • Will Wii users be able to add storage via USB hard drives? No. The Wii's storage will be exclusively via flash memory storage, such as SD memory cards, at least at launch. Kaplan said a hard drive addition could be in the future, but that sounds more like a "Sure, why not?" response than one based in any immediate plans. • How much will Opera cost? Unknown. No price has yet been set for the download-able Opera web browser, but it sounds like it could very well be free, once Nintendo finishes discussions with Opera. The big news from the press conference, besides the price—$250 for the console with one controller and Wii Sports bundled, $40 for additional Wii Remotes and $20 for additional Wii Nunchucks—was the showing of "Wii Channels," an instant-on interface where Wii players will be able to create "Mii" (me) personal avatars that work in supported games; a Wii Shop where Virtual Console games can be purchased for "Wii Points"; and photo, movie, and web browsing. It's a slick little interface, but I continue to question whether users will want to sit in front of a television browsing the web without a keyboard, especially at non-HDTV resolutions. I guess we'll see when the Wii launches in the Americas on November 19th. |
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
That's what I said earlier, the thing is a lot more complicated that the controllers of old. It's just hard to swallow when you first hear it because of what we've been used to. The Wavebird was $40 when it first came out, the 360 controller is $50 and you can bet your ass the PS3 controller will be at least $50 as well.
It's just that gaming is rapidly getting priced out of my range. I've never paid more than $200 for a console. I'm willing to go up to $250 for the Wii (Wiisports, as lame as it may be without a 2nd controllers softens the blow at least a little). But the controllers are had to swallow. Yes it's new technology, but were' used to seeing tech in other fields get better and cheaper at the same time (i.e. cell phones, mp3 players etc.) so it's doubly hard to swallow. I just hate seeing Nintendo stuff jumping in price when they'd done so well at keeping costs down. The console is still much cheaper than the competition for those that don't need component cables, HDD etc., so I applaud them for that. But I'd have loved to seen them keep the controller around $40 at most. |
Originally Posted by mmconhea
Since you were comparing the features/price to the other consoles, you have to compare similar hardware.... Nintendo has significantly less disk space and in order to compare properly, you';ll have to consider expanding the memory. Downloading VC games is going to use up that space quickly.
I'm a nintendo fan too, but give it a break.. you know this is a dissapointment for many people, it's obvious, stop teying to convince us otherwise. SNES games average at about 1.5 Mb. That's 300+ games @ 512 Mb. N64 games average at about 4 Mb. That's 100+ games @ 512 Mb. If you want to get a 20 or 60 Gb SD card to make it "comparable" to the Xbox's hard drive, go for it. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, I'm just not letting myself be as disappointed with asinine details like everyone else is. I got the price and release date and they were above my speculation but within what I was hoping for. Every other complaint seems to boil down to "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" essentially. |
Here's something else to ponder.
With Metroid being delayed until 2007, will sales be hurt by Zelda--the only real marquee AAA launch game---also being available on the GC? I have to admit, I'm somewhat pondering putting my $160 gamestop credit into just getting the GC Zelda and some DS games and picking up the Wii down the road when there are more games out for it. |
[quote = http://nesdev.parodius.com/NESTechFAQ.htm ]
What is the biggest NES game ever made? The largest single NES game that I know of is Dragonquest 4 / Dragon Warrior 4. It has 1 megabyte of program ROM. Also, the Japanese game Metal Slader Glory has 512K of PRG and 512K of CHR ROM, making it also a full megabyte. Several pirate/unlicenced Famicom games are also pretty large. # What is the smallest NES game? Although the iNES mapper format deems 16K PRG ROM games as the minimum, there are in fact some 8K games out there, such as Galaxian. There is really no lower limit to the size of a valid NES game or demo, but why would you want to make one so small?[/quote] I didn't find SNES and N64 game sizes, but this gives you an idea that there will be a decent amount of space for old-school games on the included flash memory. Edit: Beaten to the punch. |
• Will the Wii be region-free? Yes. Like the Nintendo DS, the Wii will be able to play games from other regions, such as Japan, without any restriction. Kaplan implied there might be a region lock that publishers would be able to flip on, but it doesn't sound like the first-party titles from Nintendo will be restricted.
FUCKING LMNOP! ~headbangs~ |
Originally Posted by Michael Corvin
One of those also comes with HD cables and the other likely doesn't.
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
HD cables aren't required to play a system, a game kind of is.
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Originally Posted by Darknite39
I didn't find SNES and N64 game sizes, but this gives you an idea that there will be a decent amount of space for old-school games on the included flash memory.
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Originally Posted by Vandelay_Inds
Unless the new control truly revolutionizes the way we play video games, the Wii will be Nintendo's last console. They had everything to succeed and regain the video game market, but sheer greed will be their downfall. Bye bye Nintendo. :(
Originally Posted by Vandelay_Inds
Good news is I'll have more money to spend on all those great new and old PS2 games I have yet to play. :shrug:
I did, sadly, just realize that I accidentally traded in Ratchet and Clank 2 which I had yet to play. :( |
Originally Posted by PixyJunket
• Will the Wii be region-free? Yes. Like the Nintendo DS, the Wii will be able to play games from other regions, such as Japan, without any restriction. Kaplan implied there might be a region lock that publishers would be able to flip on, but it doesn't sound like the first-party titles from Nintendo will be restricted.
FUCKING LMNOP! ~headbangs~ HMM. Does this mean we might be able to snag a Japanese Wii for under $250 for those that don't want Wii sports? Or are the import mark ups too high to get it for that (sells for about $215 in Japan)? |
Originally Posted by Josh Hinkle
HMM. Does this mean we might be able to snag a Japanese Wii for under $250 for those that don't want Wii sports? Or are the import mark ups too high to get it for that (sells for about $215 in Japan)?
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Some good news for Metroid, and the Wii controller as a whole.
Hands-on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Retro Studios becomes the first developer to prove the potential of the Wii-mote with first-person titles. by Matt Casamassina September 14, 2006 - Readers have almost certainly heard the news: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has been delayed into next year. Not exactly the development we were all waiting to hear. However, we do have some spectacular news to report, too, which is that Retro Studios has become the first developer to prove the potential of the Wii-mote with first-person titles. Corruption was sometimes-clumsily controlled at E3 2006, but thanks to a new control method designed specifically for pros, that's no longer the case. As we played a new single-level demo of the Prime 3 at Nintendo's Wii event in New York City, the game's designers came upon and told us that we absolutely needed to try the new "expert" control mode. They explained that they hoped it would satisfy our cravings for first-person maneuverability similar to a mouse and keyboard configuration in FPSs on the PC platform. We started up a new level where heroine Samus Aran explores a vast space station and immediately switched to expert mode. We're happy to report that it simulates the accuracy of PC first-person shooters almost perfectly, and we found ourselves soaring through levels, zipping around corners, pulling quick turns and zapping down enemies with pinpoint precision without seconds. Simply put, Retro has nailed it - and it makes the wait to 2007 for the game that much more difficult. We're not kidding when we write that Prime 3 feels like a brand new game with this control. The latest level looks quite a bit more gorgeous than the two missions on display at E3 2006, both of which were also present again in addition to the third. In it, Samus treks through another futuristic station as it floats through the galaxy. She encounters a variety of old and new space pirates, must user her morph into ball form in order to navigate in-wall passageways, use bombs to blow away barriers, and more. Again, players will use the Wii-mote as an extension of Aran's hand to open some doors. Hit the A button and near some locks and the option to thrust Aran's arm forward and into the object, which can then be twisted and turned with a gesture, feels as responsive as ever. Some of the game's in-game cinemas are very atmospheric and impressive. In one scene, Samus must go into morphball mode and drop a bomb to propel herself into a nearby airlock. When she triggers the airlock, a cut-scene ensues that shows the character jettisoned into space, where she floats underneath a gigantic ship and eventually grabs onto a protruding lever and pulls herself back in through a gap in the structure. It looks absolutely fabulous - and you'll be able to see it for yourself in some of our movies coming soon. Samus is controlled with the analog stick on the nunchuck attachment; its Z button makes her jump and double-jump and the C button rolls her into morphball form. The Wii-mote, meanwhile, is simply aimed at the screen for near-perfect accuracy. The process of turning - an issue in previous builds - is no longer problematic with the inclusion of expert control. Pressing the A button fires her weapon and the B trigger is still used for locking onto enemies. The game is not yet running in 16:9 widescreen mode, but Retro is still looking into it. It does, however, support progressive-scan. We have to say, the new level looks great. Texture resolutions have been bumped up, bloom lighting complements areas, and the particle effects system is better than ever. Really, watch our latest videos and we think you'll be pretty impressed. The game runs for the most part at 60 frames per second, but we did notice a few spots where the fluidity dipped. After E3 2006, our optimistic outlook on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption transformed purely into hope that Retro would not overlook the controls. But our optimism is back and stronger than ever. There is no doubt in our mind now that Prime 3 is going to play and look great when it finally arrives next year. Samus officially joins Galaxy and Brawl on 2007's must-have list. |
Originally Posted by Vandelay_Inds
I am very sad and incredibly disappointed. Very poor decisions all-around. At these prices, Nintendo will not capture the casual market, and we all know the Wii's hardware just cannot compete with the more muscular and fully-featured 360 and PS3. Unless the new control truly revolutionizes the way we play video games, the Wii will be Nintendo's last console. They had everything to succeed and regain the video game market, but sheer greed will be their downfall. Bye bye Nintendo. :(
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Originally Posted by Vandelay_Inds
I am very sad and incredibly disappointed. Very poor decisions all-around. At these prices, Nintendo will not capture the casual market, and we all know the Wii's hardware just cannot compete with the more muscular and fully-featured 360 and PS3. Unless the new control truly revolutionizes the way we play video games, the Wii will be Nintendo's last console. They had everything to succeed and regain the video game market, but sheer greed will be their downfall. Bye bye Nintendo. :(
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Originally Posted by joeblow69
Did anyone really expect the casual market to jump onto the Wii at day one? I would assume that there'd be enough time for a price drop or two before these new casual players would be willing to buy a Wii. The casual market isn't going from website to website looking for all the latest info about the Wii. They will be exposed to it slowly as their kids, or other friends get Wiis, and invite them over.
The X-mas season is key to getting the casual gamers to by in. The best case scenario would be launch in Oct. The hardcores will get theirs and word of mouth will build up in schools etc. getting other kids excited. Then more shipments come in Nov and Dec and there are plenty on shelves for parents to buy. It sounds like they will have enough shipments that supply won't be an issue for x-mas, which is good. Just have to hope that it generates enough buzz, rapidly enough to make a difference in X-mas sales. |
Originally Posted by Josh Hinkle
The X-mas season is key to getting the casual gamers to by in.
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Originally Posted by Josh Hinkle
I agree. Nintendo isn't alone here.
It's just that gaming is rapidly getting priced out of my range. I've never paid more than $200 for a console. I'm willing to go up to $250 for the Wii (Wiisports, as lame as it may be without a 2nd controllers softens the blow at least a little). But the controllers are had to swallow. Yes it's new technology, but were' used to seeing tech in other fields get better and cheaper at the same time (i.e. cell phones, mp3 players etc.) so it's doubly hard to swallow. I just hate seeing Nintendo stuff jumping in price when they'd done so well at keeping costs down. The console is still much cheaper than the competition for those that don't need component cables, HDD etc., so I applaud them for that. But I'd have loved to seen them keep the controller around $40 at most. Is Nintendo's online network still going to be free? If so, then perhaps part of the cost of the Wii includes some defraying of the cost of the online service. Maybe they've seen how quickly the 360 sold and continues to sell at such a pricepoint and figure that they don't have to choke themselves on a rock-bottom price. By launching a few days after the PS3 launch, it seems to me that Nintendo plans to cash in on the frustration of people unable to buy a PS3. I can definitely see parents and grandparents who couldn't get a PS3 jumping on a Wii and loading up on extra controllers and other accessories and still be below what they were willing to spend on the PS3. If this is their plan, I could see an across-the-board price drop after the holiday season on the Wii and peripherals. I think that the $250 price point is fine. I think that packing in Wii Sports is a good thing. My only gripe, and it is a minor gripe, is with the pricing of NES and SNES games. These should be $1 a piece. |
Is this the perfect solution to what we wanted? No.
Did we have any reason to really expect a 199 launch? Not really. it was fun to speculate, and sure we'd all love to get the console, a 100 gig SD card, two Wiimotes and nunchucks, the zapper, and two retro controllers, plus wiiSports and the right to 20 VC downloads for the price of a happy meal, but it's unrealistic. The bottom line is... parents and casual gamers are going to walk into the video game store and see a PS3 and be in shock at the price. They're going to look at the Xbox and go "Hmm.... not AS bad." and then they're going to see the Wii at $249 with what appears to be everything you need, cheaper games, and a free pack in game. they might have to buy an extra controller, but that's going to be there with any of them. Which one seems like the better value to them? I don't think it's even close. I think we need to get over the fact that we, on these boards, are not the target demographic that Nintendo's really after. They've said as much, repeatedly. I think they've found a sweet spot in the pricing and the right spin to put on it to get the demo they want. could things be better for us? sure. But isn't that ALWAYS the case? |
Originally Posted by joeblow69
I disagree. Next X-mas season is the key to getting the casual gamers to buy in. Nintendo is talking about a fundamental shift in who buys and plays games. That sort of thing doesn't happen over 2 months.
If not many buy in this x-mas, then their might not be much buzz spread in this group by the following x-mas. Those people might not pay attention, or even notice buzz among the hardcore types (probably lable them the geek kids in school that they are too cool to talk to or whatever) or read mags go to game sites etc. The key, IMO, was to get a lot of casual gamers to buy in this X-mas and in the following months, get a ton of buzz built up so that the Wii is THE hot tech item next X-mas. That may happen still, or may happen without it being big this X-mas, time will tell. If it doesn't though, Nintendo won't gain any market share, and will be stuck in distant third like the GC. |
Is Dragon Quest Swords still a launch title?!
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No black? Bah! Oh well, I'm sure I'll cave fast. Then again, it didn't take that long for the Onyx DS Lite to be released...
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My dissapointment doesn't mean I think Nintendo is in trouble or the Wii won't sell. I am only looking at this from my personal standpoint and they failed to sell me a console at least for this holiday season. That said my wife may decide I'm crazy and buy one anyway. Thankfully there isn't a pink one available.
I still want some of the games coming next year and the potential is there. I'll buy in somewhere down the road. I will say that the reason XBLA is so popular is the original games, HD enhancements to old games, online play and achievement points. Doesn't look like Nintendo is offering much of that at this point. That makes the $5 - $10 a bit easier to handle on the 360. Nintendo is usually slow to get things rolling like they were with the DS. I have no doubt the Wii will be something I want, but right now it just isn't calling to me. I think the money would be better saved for all the games I want for my PC and DS or maybe on a 360. Next year I will get one I'm sure. |
Originally Posted by Vandelay_Inds
Like you said, Nintendo has made it explicitly clear they are targeting the non-gamer market. At these outrageous prices though (fuck, I can get a Capcom or Sega compilation for my PS2 that includes 20-30 games for $20, but am supposed to spend ~$150 for exactly the same shit just because it is on a Nintendo console!?! GIVE ME A BREAK :lol: ), no one but gamers will be even tempted to pick one up, and given how it is basically a 5-year old machine with a gimmicky controler, they will in most instances take that money and put it towards a more robust and truly next-gen gaming system.
Like I said, either the new controller utterly transforms the gaming experience, or this is Nintendo's swan song. End of story: They need to make a string of a half a dozen huge bombs like Sega did to "go the way of Sega." |
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