Nintendo's Iwata and Miyamoto talk Wii, DS, Micro, more

by Blake Snow { Jun 20th 2006 at 11:35PM }

Nintendo of Japan released the full transcript of the company's Corporate Management Policy Briefing today in which president Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto fielded questions regarding Wii, high demand for the DS, and disappointing Micro sales. A good bit of haps at this one, so we'll just list all the important stuff below:

Regarding expected Wii sales, Iwata replied: "Wii will be a failure if it cannot sell far more than GameCube did."
Miyamoto on Wii's inferior power: "I have not been able to use 100% of GameCube's power yet, so I am very happy with Wii's far superior functionality."
Iwata suggested that a more powerful system creates longer load times and interference with WiiConnect24 (?)
Regarding lackluster GameCube adoption, Iwata said, "To avoid repeating this with Wii, we have been intensifying the software development, both internally at Nintendo and at developers outside the company, in order to prepare aggressive software lineup for Wii at and after the launch."
Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that he is working on a secret project to be announced within the next six months.
Regarding DS Lite shortages in Japan: "We could have made a lot more DS Lite if we had had compromised on the quality level, but we have never wanted to do so."
On poor Micro sales: "[T]he actual consumers had to evaluate Micro without touching them (NOTE: Nintendo didn't use demo kiosks). In the end, we failed to explain to consumers its unique value and they concluded that Micro is not worth the price they have to invest."

[via Gamasutra and 1UP]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Judd @ Jun 20th 2006 11:40PM

Wiily excited.

bobeotm @ Jun 21st 2006 12:07AM

I always felt the micro was a pointless repackaging of a product that didnt really need a 3rd version. With a tiny screen, it took portability to an unconfortable extreme. As for the new Miyamoto project, just thing of a Nintendo franchise that has yet to have an announced game for it and you pretty much have what he's working on. I doubt it will be some new intillectual property, best guess being starfox of kirby, or perhaps yet another mario or luigi title.

I guess its the gaming drought thats making me cranky. These guys (Sony and Microsoft Included) seem to be talking to the public so much nowadays, it seems like blogs cover their farting habits. Im just getting burnt out on all the little soundbites they have been churning out.

Hemisphere @ Jun 21st 2006 12:19AM

Totally off topic but, that pic of Miyamoto isn't recent is it..? I've not seen it before but I gotta say if it is, he's looking damn good for 54 :)

Intellectualdiot @ Jun 21st 2006 12:22AM

"[T]he actual consumers had to evaluate Micro without touching them (NOTE: Nintendo didn't use demo kiosks). In the end, we failed to explain to consumers its unique value and they concluded that Micro is not worth the price they have to invest."

It also doesn't help that by the time this handheld was released, the market for potential Game Boy Advance purchasers had certainly dwindled down to essentially nothing - a situation not exactly conducive to moving a lot of units. Nor does it help that, for what it was, the GBM actually WAS noticibly overpriced and undervalued and Nintendo's advertising can't explicitly be blamed for that. (Their R&D however, perhaps can...) The Lite and the SP are examples of when it is advantageous to redesign a console, so Nintendo isn't inept when it comes to these things.

I'd bookend this with something positive, but I'm pretty much worshipped the Wii (...) enough that this should stand on its own. Still extremely excited about the console's potential though.

Joe @ Jun 21st 2006 12:27AM

Oh. So that's why the characters in Mario Sunshine looked worse than their Smash Bros models: so Miyamoto could say he didn't use the full power of the Gamecube. I'm so much more content with Sunshine now.

The ZeroCorpse @ Jun 21st 2006 12:31AM

I can agree with their statements regarding the Micro... When I was selling them, it was a pain to explain to people why they'd want one without being able to offer demo unit. All they saw was one GBA that was smaller than the other, and for some reason people think a bigger screen on a portable is a good thing.

I loved my Micro. I only gave it up to move to the DS Lite.

ck @ Jun 21st 2006 12:34AM

The only thing that caught my attention was Miyamoto's secret project. I'm intrigued as usual, I just hope it's a new IP that isn't like Pikmin, Katamari or some weird Japanese "creative" game. I like those games, it's just you can only have so many games in that niche. I'd like to see a new platformer or fighting game, just as long as it makes good use of the controller.

rhork. @ Jun 21st 2006 12:50AM

Regarding the micro: "we failed to explain to consumers its unique value and they concluded that Micro is not worth the price they have to invest."

- It's pretty damn small.
- Bright, bright, bright screen.
- Pwiitty.

What other than trivial physicalities does this gba impose on the market? So, the market was either 'not ready' for such a product or the micro was truly not worth the money and Nintendo made a mistake. (Or at least made a mistake if they were assuming it was going to be a hit.)

Does anyone justifiably disagree?

vrf @ Jun 21st 2006 1:29AM

I wonder if the Micro was released with the old "three pillar" thinking in mind. With the DS becoming so popular, though, one of those pillars had to fall. (As we've seen with the comments regarding the end of the Gameboy line.)

LongshotX @ Jun 21st 2006 1:46AM

Mario is in his like 2000th incarnation. I'm guessing this is Miyamoto's secret project. The last time Nintendo had a new IP was like Pokemon in 1997. They usually don't create new franchises, they just use either Mario, Zelda, Starfox, Metroid, Kirby, and Pikachu and make games based off of them. But I bet it's a new Mario. Let's see we got he could potentially make: Mario American Styled Football and Mario Basketball, then Mario Boarders, Mario Space Wars, Mario Cop, Mario's Time Machine, Mario Lacrosse, Mario Texas Hold em' Up, Carboard Mario, Mario Prime, Mario Sims, Mario Flight, Mariolympics, Mario Man X, Mario: Italian Job, Mario vs. Sonic, Mario Tetris Edition, Mario RTS, PacMario, and maybe maybe in 15 years when HD takes hold Mario 1080p. Then Rock, Paper Mario, Mario Fantasy, Mario Presents: Peach Porn, Mario Hockey, Chutes & Mario, Mariopoly, Mario Combat, Covert Mario: Goomba Strike, Mario Canoe, Mario Scuba, Mario Grind, Mario Guitar, Mario Rush, Mario vs. Capcom, Mario Busters, Mario Boxing, Mario Fighter, Mario Uno, Mario Megamix, Mario 8 - 4000, Mario MotoCross, Mario GP, Mario ATV, Mario Nighttime, Mario Jazzercise, Mario Pocket, Grand Theft Drain Pipe, Mario Pimp, Mario Concerto, Mario Wiipeated, Mario Rap, Mario Cycling, Mario Gym, Mario Universe, Mario String Theory, Mario Light, Mario Sportscenter, Final Mario, Project Mario, Mario Stalkers, Mario Joystiq, Mario Surf, Mario Wave Runner, Mario 480i, Mario Canvas, Mario Puzzle, Mario Mix and Match, Mario CAD, Mario Engineering, Mario in Smoke that Pipe, Mario Killers, Mario Recycled, Metal Mario, Pulp Paper Mario, Mario Rape.

daniel @ Jun 21st 2006 1:58AM

longshotx youre talking rubbish on the gamecube they had pikmin as a new franchise and theyve announced exctitetruck, disaster day of crisis, wii sports for wii so theres not just those franchises you mentioned

awa64 @ Jun 21st 2006 2:10AM

10: Yeah, we know Nintendo never comes up with new franchises. They just stick with their old standby franchises like Pikmin, Advance Wars, Animal Crossing, Custom Robo, Nintendogs, Brain Age...

Omega2k3 @ Jun 21st 2006 2:18AM

awa64 thinks that Nintendo creates every game that comes out on a Nintendo console.

awa64 @ Jun 21st 2006 2:25AM

12: Pikmin, Animal Crossing, Nintendogs, and Brain Age are definitely first-party. GameFAQs has Custom Robo listed as being developed by Nintendo, and Advance Wars is developed by "Intelligent Systems"--who were also responsible for Fire Emblem, Super Metroid, Tetris Attack, Paper Mario, and the GBA Mario Kart game.

I check my facts before I post, Omega2k3. Do you?

JRM @ Jun 21st 2006 2:27AM

the micro was a dumb idea to begin with--even when Reggie took it out of his pocket at E3 last year. Actually, it wasn't dumb. It was more like overkill.

Worse is that they never made an NES faceplate.

Conn @ Jun 21st 2006 2:34AM

10: While you're wrong on Nintendo not creating anything since 1997 (uh.. Smash Bros., Custom Robo, Stafy, Animal Crossing and Pikmin.. that's about it :/), I agree. Nintendo relies too heavily on brand recognition.

11: Advance Wars and Fire Emblem are each 20 years old. Nintendogs and Brain Age are not franchises since neither have sequels or spinoffs (Big Brain Academy is a completely different game, okay?)

Omega2k3 @ Jun 21st 2006 2:34AM

Intelligent Systems is not Nintendo. Just because they make games that use the franchise does not mean that it was made by Nintendo.

Omega697 @ Jun 21st 2006 2:42AM

Brain Age is the US version of Brain Training. Anyone want to guess if there are any sequels to Brain Training?

(Hint: the answer is yes)

LongshotX @ Jun 21st 2006 2:43AM

Conn I see where you are coming from and I was incorrect, but I do feel like Nintendo milks the crap out of it's brands especially Mario. I mean Mario had a baseball game...for what? The concept just escapes me. Strikers was fun however. But baseball?

On a side note, I think the Zelda series is the most reinventing out of it's first party lineup. Starfox is presumably dead, nothing like it use to be. And the Metroid Prime style is starting to get very old: stories aren't as deep as other FPS's such as Halo or Half-Life 2, and the constant back tracking for the whole "I lost every single power...AGAIN thing" is starting to lose its edge.

Eat that one Nintendo Fan boys. Chew before you swallow.

awa64 @ Jun 21st 2006 2:51AM

15: OK on Fire Emblem, but there are no less than five Nintendogs games, and Brain Age has a sequel already out in Japan.

16: Um... yeah, Intelligent Systems is Nintendo. It's the name of one of their internal development teams. Intelligent Systems was Gunpei Yokoi's game team before he quit, same way EAD was/is Miyamoto's.

scab @ Jun 21st 2006 3:28AM

is it just me or does iwata look like an asian version of lil jon

Conn @ Jun 21st 2006 3:30AM

Awa64; Okay, Brain Age does have a Japan-only (for now) sequel, but I don't consider that a franchise, exactly. I mean, do you consider Jet Set Radio a franchise? The 2 games it has are completely different in gameplay and slightly different in style.

Nintendogs, however, does NOT have any sequels. Yes, there are 5 games.. and guess what, they're the exact same but with different breeds at the start! If those count as seperate games then Pokemon isn't released with two versions, but rather two different games are released at the same time.

Longshotx: I agree on Metroid Prime as well! The game was pretty good (if you could ignore the god-awful controls) but it offers nothing over traditional Metroids. Give one of the hunters in.. Hunters.. a FPS spinoff and let Samus return to her action/platformers, please.

Jay @ Jun 21st 2006 7:18AM

I plan on importing a US Micro. Just I'd like a black one and in the UK we're limited to Green, Blue, etc... primary colours like. Great machine. Plan on buying a few of the GBA games I missed out on when the DS took off (Astro Boy, Pokemon Emerald etc).

martin @ Jun 21st 2006 7:38AM

First of all number 4... GBA was not dwindling when Micro was released. GBA outsold DS and PSP that holiday season. second of all to number 10, Nintendo is constantly making new IPs. Yes Animal Crossing, Nintendogs (brand new), Brain Age, Pikmen, ChibiRobo(brand new with a sequel coming out for DS)(advance wars and fire emblem are old franchises).
There was also Wave Race, they have a few coming out for the Wii too. WiiSports, Excite Truck, Project H.A.M.M.E.R. (I think is by Nintendo), Disaster: Day of Crisis.

What has M$ come out with lately with new IPs? What about Sony. And I don't mean this to bash them. Sony has some of my favorite franchises. But they do the same thing as Nintendo. They already started with the racing games after several sequals. The next step if it works out is Jak Syncronized swimming, and Sly Cooper Dual Analog the Controller is not ready to Rumble extreme wrestling.!!!

kevin @ Jun 21st 2006 7:46AM

You know what I find most hilarious is the fact that the people who basically throw away these franchises and say that they're dead are the ones who haven't played them.

Honestly no franchise Nintendo has ever made will be dead. Star Fox in it's next iteration (DS) looks freakin awesome. If you can't understand why Metriod is so appealing then try playing the 2d versions and understand what it is. Once you get the story down then play the 3d version and start to understand that the step that they are moving in with Metroid is much needed.

I do agree that their are alot of mario games. If you don't like them don't buy them. Honestly I've bought a couple like 'mario tennis' 'mario golf' 'mario kart' mostly on 64 and I do say they are quite addictig. It's game prefrence. If you don't like it, you don't have to comment about it. It's not going to change the fact that you don't like the game now will it?

J B Cougar @ Jun 21st 2006 8:56AM

Isn't this all the same old story though? Nintendo announces another Mario game, or whatever, then all the Nintendo-bashers hate on it for 6 months before its released, and then it gets released and makes an obscene profit for Nintendo. Kotaku recently had a post where they were in Japan, in a classroom, and the children were all asking the guy to draw Mario, and not all the other silly shapes being asked by the Brain Age game. Meanwhile, I'd say that the Mario/Link name recognition is probably at that same level with 20-somethings like myself as well. Bash it all you want, the facts just don't support all these "Nintendo recycles" posts.

New Super Mario Bros. anyone? The game single handedly won the month of June for the DS, with or without the Lite!

MosquitoControl @ Jun 21st 2006 8:59AM

The micro was useless because people interested would most likely just shell out a bit more for the DS, which can play all the same games the Micro can and more.

I don't get the complaints about so many Mario games. I see it constantly. Would Mario Golf be more fun if it was generic characters instead of Mario? Is it really fair to say Mario Strikers is a sequel to Super Mario Brothers? Is it even fair to say Mario 64 was a sequel to Super Mario Brothers?

So long as they keep doing interesting things with the IP I'm happy. And there's something more fun about causing pure chaos with a stupid cartoon plumber than an assasain. I'd probably prefer Hitman and MGS if they swapped out Agent whatever and Solid Snake with a Mario model and the Mario giggle. Just because it would be hysterical. Which is why Snake in Smash Brothers is so appealing to me, it's so out of place.

Bowser @ Jun 21st 2006 9:25AM

The Micro is good for what it is - an ultra portable system. The best thing about it is that it's so light & small that when I put it in my pocket I forget it's there. The SP and the DSL would be uncomfortable to carry around in your pocket all day.

ThatFuzzyBastard @ Jun 21st 2006 9:51AM

A thought on all the Mario games: I'd argue that there's more gameplay innovation in Mario Strikers, Mario Baseball, Mario Sewer Management, etc., than in a lot of supposedly "original" IPs.

I know, I know, fanboyism, but hear me out: On the Xbox (for example), we have a buttload of FPSes. Most of them are based on new IPs---that is, they have new characters, and a new story---but the gameplay is the same (and oh boy, is it ever!).

While Nintendo often uses the same gameplay for a series (all the Super Marios play the same, though with different moves and enemies), they're equally likely to drop the same characters in very different kinds of games. Mario Strikers, for example, plays very differently than Mario Tennis, which is totally different from Super Mario. This allows them to keep game buyers comfortable with a game, even as Nintendo does some pretty serious innovation in gameplay (as in the upcoming Mario Hoops, which looks very different from any other basketball game).

If you ask me (which you didn't), that's a pretty smart way to leverage an IP, and thereby get yourself some sales, while actually being able to innovate on gameplay, which is what counts. So I don't consider the two million Mario games a sign that Nintendo's not innovating---they're a sign that they've figured out how to innovate without going broke: change the gameplay, but use familiar characters.

David D @ Jun 21st 2006 10:01AM

People act like Nintendo is the only one reusing franchises. Take a look at the premiere launch titles for the ps3.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Final Fantasy XIII, Killzone 2, Resident Evil 5, Devil May Cry 4, Silent Hill 5, Armored Core 4 , NBA Live 07, Unreal Tournament 2007, Grand Theft Auto IV, Tekken 6, Rainbow Six Vegas and Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.

Notice all those 4s and 5s and 6s? And what is the most anticipated game for the xbox 360? I'll give you a hint. It has a 3 on the end of the title.

ThatFuzzyBastard @ Jun 21st 2006 10:21AM

Hey---any idea what they're talking about with the reference to "Kirby's Rumble and Stumble"? I couldn't find anything about it via Google...

bladestar @ Jun 21st 2006 10:54AM

"Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that he is working on a secret project to be announced within the next six months." Nano ds lite? Pink ds lite? wait I know! Smaller version of the wii! multi-colored wii? Like that they can make more profits by selling 2-3 wii to the same person (I know people that own 2 DS (Lite & Fat) and want the black version. I will buy all wii colors! I can't wait! Even though I will probably use only one (DS anyone?). Why do I feel like Nintendo's is taking advantage of our inability of knowing that they are selling us the same product dressed differently or in a different color? uhhh? Don’t matter viva la wiiiiiiiiiii!

J B Cougar @ Jun 21st 2006 11:03AM

bladestar, congrats. You just figured it all out. The check's in the mail, as is a questionnaire from me for you to fill out and send back so I can learn about all that is you.

Michiel @ Jun 21st 2006 11:09AM

I love my Micro (Famicom edition), I really truly love it. It just looks so gooooood...

My setup: DS for gaming anywhere at home, my Micro for gaming anywhere outside, and in a couple of months a Wii for gaming on the couch and big screen.

The original GBA sucked, I gave it away. The SP form factor doesn't suit me (too geeky looking to my taste), so the Micro is the only option for outdoor gaming. DS doesn't really fit my pocket...

Rootbeer @ Jun 21st 2006 11:18AM

"I mean Mario had a baseball game...for what? The concept just escapes me."

1) Would the baseball game have been just as fun with generic baseball-player characters in place of Mario and friends?

2) Would the baseball game have sold just as well with generic baseball-player characters?

kee @ Jun 21st 2006 11:31AM

"Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that he is working on a secret project to be announced within the next six months."

Fuck yeah!!

TDub301 @ Jun 21st 2006 11:35AM

Oddly enough Longshot, more than one of those games is real, let's see if you can pick out which ones, but it is a good point and hilarious. Adding to what the last few people have said, as long as they're good, fun games, why hate? Instead of making generic characters, like on Waverace, they just use the already popular nintendo characters and they're on a role with this. Each Mario game that comes out makes a killing, why do you think they keep doing it? Not to say that they are literrally "Mario" games, because he's just the face of the game, similar to Dwayne or Ben being on the cover of NBA Live or Madden (except Mario doesn't have the best stats in the game like they do). Wave Race probably would've done better if it was a mario game, for that matter. A lot of the games on that list I'd look forward to, especially the football and basketball one, which will probably happen eventually.

daniel @ Jun 21st 2006 12:06PM

#37 not quite so eventual mario 3 on 3 basketball is out for ds later this year

LongshotX @ Jun 21st 2006 12:12PM

Guys I never said anything about Mario not being fun or the fact that he should die. I mean he is the face of Nintendo. Sometimes I think the constant use of the character is ridiculous but it's what Nintendo does. While I wouldn't consider Mario completely innovative or revoluutionary as the case was when Mario 64 came out it is nontheless fun and imaginative.

I use to be a NES/Genesisfanboy but after the N64/Saturn/Dreamcast I changed my loyalties to the Xbox cause. However I still will be picking up a DS lite, to play it's awesome titles, yes the New Super Mario Brothers will be my first title, but I am still not convinced the Wii/DualCube is going to warrant a purchase just because it has a new controller and Virtual Console. I guess time will tell.

Nintendo please reinvent Metroid like you did when the first Prime came out. The gameplay is stale and repetitive. Create a deeper story than the "Ohhh I got infected by the X virus because I killed all the Metroids that preyed on them, now my armor is gone and I have to get it all over again" (Fusion was still a great game), or the "Space Pirates are attacking harvesting the Metroids for energy collection", or "Damn let's go find all of those suit parts so I can fight the dark version of myself". And take out that blasted auto aiming!!!!!! Thank you!

martin @ Jun 21st 2006 12:37PM

32. "Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that he is working on a secret project to be announced within the next six months." Nano ds lite? Pink ds lite? wait I know! Smaller version of the wii! multi-colored wii? Like that they can make more profits by selling 2-3 wii to the same person (I know people that own 2 DS (Lite & Fat) and want the black version. I will buy all wii colors! I can't wait! Even though I will probably use only one (DS anyone?). Why do I feel like Nintendo's is taking advantage of our inability of knowing that they are selling us the same product dressed differently or in a different color? uhhh? Don’t matter viva la wiiiiiiiiiii!

Wow, at least they don't go by Sony and M$ and force you to buy the new version because there is a lifespan on their system of under 1 year! You want to know how PS2 sold over 90 million units. 30 million people bought them and replaced them 2 times!

bladestar @ Jun 21st 2006 12:47PM

I agree with you. Nintendo it is a lot smarter. They make people buy a new version of their same product every six months. i.e you think they didn’t know people would prefer the ds lite over the big white brick? Why didn't they just make the lite? I got news for you Nintendo is not in the business of charity to help the poor; they are in the business of making money to get richer! that does not make them better or worst than $ony or M$. They just simply have a different business strategy. Which seem to be working very well. Sorry to brake it to you. I know you think of Nintendo as the savior of all humans but someone has to do it.

Grant @ Jun 21st 2006 12:49PM

The VC ALONE is worth the purchase, I think. I don't see how people think that potentially revolutionary control and access to games from 6 consoles might not be worth less than half the price of the PS3. The only way it wouldn't be worth it is if the VC games were extremely overpriced and/or scarce and if motion control truly, truly didn't work (and after E3, I think it clearly will work in many cases, considering that these were all demos builds of first-gen Wii games and lots of them got great receptions), but I don't think those will happen, do you?

Aran @ Jun 21st 2006 1:19PM

@ 41 (bladestar)

So Nintendo is the bad guy of game business? Well, I've heard about PS1, PSX, PSone, PS2, PStwo, PS2 Slim etc. White PSP is coming out, or is it out already? X360 is going to have a processor update later and so on.

Yes, Nintendo does this all for money because they are business company after all, but I don't recall getting many different versions of GC, or N64, or Snes, or Nes for markets to get sales up in a way you described.

I just don't see those new versions as a bad thing as you do. PS2 is ugly, I mean really ugly. On the other hand PS2 slim looks very nice (I own it). I have purple GC too, and it looks horrible compared to PS2 slim. Does it make GC games worse than PS2 titles? Hell no.

I didn't get DS when it was released, it just didn't interest me at all. Now I'm thrilled about DS Lite, it looks awesome! And soon I'll be getting mine... :P

LongshotX @ Jun 21st 2006 1:58PM

Xbox 360 is not getting a processor update per se. It is getting it swiched from the 90nm process to the 65 nm process to cut down on manufacturing costs. This will bode very well for consumers as we will see a cheaper Xbox 360. This "update" as you call it does not increase functionality, or change how the 360 works. Unlike Nintendo and Sony, Microsoft Xbox does not repackage the same product in a different shell. If you don't like it either mod it thereby terminating your warranty, don't buy it, or buy a face plate. I doubt very seriously we will see a Xbox 360 lite, or a Xbox 360 micro.

By the way the Ds lite was a extremely smart move by Nintendo. I will be purchasing one soon. PSP! Step your game up!

...Xboy...

Wii=DualCube

josh @ Jun 21st 2006 3:26PM

I'll never understand why people care if a company releases a revised version of a product. Every time Apple releases a new iPod or Nintendo a new gameboy/ds, people complain. Why? Did Sony make the original Walkman and throw in the towel? Uhh.. no, they made dozens of different version of the Walkman, with newer features and slimmed down cases when the manufacturing process got better. That's just the way technology goes - you can almost always build something better a year after it originally came out. If you don't want the newer, slimmer version... DON'T BUY IT. After all, your older, bulkier version still plays the games. But just because someone people bought the original, bulky version doesn't mean they should limit the market to just that version in perpetuity,

Josh @ Jun 21st 2006 3:40PM

I picked up a micro + crappy pelican extras for $24.90 from Costco last year. No regrets.

Would I have paid $99 for it? Hell no.

Tom B. @ Jun 21st 2006 4:13PM

Why is anyone complaining about variety in their choices for a console? As manufacturing becomes more feasible, hardware revisions are a natural and healthy part of the product lifecycle. Whether the changes are innocuous (such as color variations, some of the PS2 revisions, or the upcoming Xbox 360 chip replacement) or profound (such as GBA SP and Micro), they help the console remain competitive until the next generation. Revisions don't imply a critical flaw in the old model, and no one is being forced to buy the new one. The goal is always to appeal to new customers.

Remember, not everyone buys a console on or near the launch date. I couldn't afford a PS2 until after I graduated college. By this time, the Slim model was out, so that's the one I got.

If little Billy wants his very first console to be an N64 shaped like Pikachu, let him have it!

If people aren't buying GBAs or DSs because they're not stylish enough, make them more stylish!

Not everyone who buys the revised version is replacing an older model. Those who are will have sold or given away their old machine anyway, so it's not a complete loss for them (or their girlfriends, little brothers, grandmas, etc.). Console manufacturers are in the business of selling hardware. If you were compelled by the hype to buy the latest model, then they've done their job! No one held a gun to your head; the choice was yours. And that's the point of a hardware revision. Choice.

striderhayasa @ Jun 21st 2006 4:21PM

jeez, Metroid Prime getting old? I disagree. It's one of the few examples of a great 2D game making a successful jump to 3D, unlike say, Castlevania which has 3D versions that a suspect at best. I liked the story for Prime and Prime 2. My problem with it is the marines in Prime 2 died too easily and you don't actually get to see the events mentioned in the Lore. Some cuts scenes would have been great for that.

@longshot

How many damn times is Solid Snake going to fight Metal Gear. We've been doing it since the 80's it's 2006.

Like I mentioned in another post...How many Final Fantasies are we going to have to play until we actually reach the FINAL fantasy.

How many street fighter 2s did we play until we play until we actually got to Street fighter 3...nuff said

Dynasty Warrior sequels...why?

Resident Evil? how many have we seen now with more coming..,

Another Ridge Racer, another Tekken, Another Silent Hill, another Madden

Sequels aren't a Nintendo problem...it's an industry problem.

@josh, that's my problem with the Micro. there is no way in hell I'm spending anything more than 40 bucks for a Micro...period. When I can get one on a come up for cheap, I'll take the plunge.

I don't understand the hate on the revised hardware either. If the revision is a clear improvement of the hardware and doesn't cost an arm and a leg then I'm all for it. I'd buy a PSP revision if they fixed the damn D-pad, gave me better battery life and a second analog nub/stick.

I'll stand by a Nintendo that makes a console that can works with great first party support before I support Sony that makes a console that will die on you in the first few months and expect you to shell out for another one....every generation of hardware they've released from PS1 to PSP to PS2 to the god-awful, overly expensive, PSX has all had that same story.

Michael @ Jun 21st 2006 4:44PM

The problem with the micro -- Price.

I remember when it was announced. Everyone here (including me) was drooling over it. It looked like a cheap, small pocketable system. It may not have been the DS, but for when you didn't want to be weighed down by the DS it was great. People were guessing prices between $40 and $60.

Then it came out at almost the same price as the DS. I know that miniaturization costs, but a lot of us would have bought it as a cheap throwaway system. As a premium choice it didn't have enough going versus the DS.

Michael

Brian @ Jun 21st 2006 5:24PM

striderhayasa,

Just two points:

1. You need a new Madden every season to update the rosters.

2. I don't know why people keep saying the PS2 broke easily. A bought a PS2 at launch and it worked perfectly until 2 months ago when I opened it up, cleaned off the lens and adjusted the laser height and it now works fine.