Note to Wii: Don't screw these five things up
Gaming Nexus outlines what they believe to be Nintendo's top five critical areas for success with corresponding probabilities of failure. From the article: "Dumb mistakes. Nintendo's made plenty of them in the past. From cringe-worthy advertising to burning bridges with developers, the gaming veteran has hit most of the metaphorical potholes. Does disaster loom? Well, that all depends on the new Nintendo, the Satoru Iwata Nintendo, and if the risks he's taking are right."The critical areas discussed in the article are as follows:
- Innovation: Small probability of disaster
- Virtual Console: Medium probability of disaster
- Third-party support: Small probability of disaster
- Nintendo Wifi Connection: High probability of disaster
- Marketing: High probability of disaster
[Thanks, Charles]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
RP @ Aug 9th 2006 4:33PM
How they have come to the conclusion that the Virtual Console has a higher probability of going tits up than 3rd-party support, i have NO idea.
Wiiii @ Aug 9th 2006 4:34PM
I think the Wii really needs to get online gaming straight, and if it sconnectivity is really easy that that is going to be great! I am only scared of the whole friend code thing, it could work nice if it was used as abuddy list thing where we can see if friends are online or not but it shouldnt be the main center of the WiiConnect or whatever.
Mayne I am just blowing out useless information, but online is what really needs to be fixed. Third party or not . . . Nintendo;s first party games are enough to make me go Wii.
GSI @ Aug 9th 2006 4:35PM
I fail to see how there is a "high" probability of disaster for the wifi connection and a "small" probability of disaster for 3rd party support.
I'm a Nintendo fan but I'm know that 3rd party support was lacking with the Gamecube.
logikil @ Aug 9th 2006 4:37PM
I'd agree with 3rd party support. I know it's the "IN THING" to say how great the Wii will be and it's so innovative and fresh, but when the smoke clears, if Nintendo doesn't grab some pretty decent market share, 3rd parties will fall off just like with the GC.
Frankly i want the Wii to do well, as i'll be buying one this holiday, but even the most Die Hard Nintendo Fan has got to at least be a little worried. To have the lowest powered new machine on the block, and be relying almost soley on the virtual console and the innovation of the wii-mote, has to be a scary proposition. I mean we all remember the E card reader, gba to gc connectivity, and any number of other "innovations" that went by the wayside with Nintendo.
geekRECON @ Aug 9th 2006 4:38PM
*Scratches head*
Yeah, shouldn't 3rd parties by the absolute most critical area?
exy @ Aug 9th 2006 4:38PM
I have to agree with you on ramping up the "third party" probabilty Blake; having Ubi and EA are amazing, but we're not out of the woods yet.
I also have to disagree on the "high" rating that the marketing option got. If anything is true, it's the fact that Nintendo could, can, and will do rediculous, yet hilarious, marketing and still thrive on name recognition alone.
These guys changed the "Revolution" to the "Wii" and are the better for it! Nintendo could name it the Crapbox and it will still sell out this Christmas.
I for one will be the first in line for Nintendo's Wii, or Revolution, or Crapbox, marketing faux pax or not.
Dizzy the Egg @ Aug 9th 2006 4:39PM
I dont know about the US, but over here in the UK the Nintendo DS adverts (commercials) are ABSYMAL. They started with various men holding the DS around their crotch and people asking if they could "touch it", then moved on to a puppet type show inside a big cardboard DS (you remember that Matrix ping pong video? Like that, but with terrible tetris and mario gags) and currently show absolutely awfully dubbed adverts showing a woman bringing a hotel bell boy into her room telling him to look after her dogs (3 Nintendo DS's playing Nintendogs) and a guy in his mid 30's shouting "jump, yes!" playing NSMB. Sony and MS dont do much better but at least you dont spit every time they are shown. As for online, F*ck friends codes, im not worried about myself or my children meeting paedophiles on the Wii so why should I suffer this horrid invention, and 3rd party should be greatly improved on the horror that was GC. I think Nintendo will do much better this gen, but I still wouldnt expect them to start caring about us Europeans.
existonfile @ Aug 9th 2006 4:41PM
I have a feeling that with the built in Opera Browser (did everyone forget about that?) friend codes will be no problem. Nintendo will probably create a section of their site where you can look up a person by their friend code for one game, and find their friend codes for other games. If not, just use your email. It won't be as bad as DS because you will be able to surf the web on the Wii itself.
Agent MOO @ Aug 9th 2006 4:44PM
I'm sold on this console for casual fun games. I think it was a great decision to set the hardware bar where they did. This way the graphics won't suck up the development budgets, and instead time can be spent on making more creative games that are fun to play.
jc @ Aug 9th 2006 4:44PM
I think the virtual console is going to be a key area to watch.
Nintendo doesn't have the infrastructure MS and Apple have when it comes to downloads and selling digital content. Mind you, this doesn't mean they can't do it... just that I think this is their current weakness.
Price of back catalogue games will also affect the popularity of the virtual console. MS has dropped the ball a few times in this area (I know, MS doesn't control all the prices in XBLM... but still), and it is easy to see how overcharging for 'micro-transactions' can tarnish a good service.
Wether or not Nintendo gets it right off the start remains to be seen... but I suspect that even if they stumble, they won't fall.
Cody S. @ Aug 9th 2006 4:46PM
Admit it Nintendo Fanboys, Friend Codes suck and you know it. Nintendo better develop a better system for keeping track of friends, or their online play is dead.
Richard Mitchell @ Aug 9th 2006 4:48PM
Okay,
Obviously, I am a 360 Fanboy, but friend codes are stupid. There I said it. And I doubt Nintendo will make it easy to spread them around. As I recall, Nintendo specifically asks that people *don't* share friend codes over the internet.
I'm not saying people won't (or don't already), but I doubt Nintendo would sponsor such activity. Allowing kids to share friend codes easily is against Nintendo's security/internet predator protection concept.
So, yeah, unless you like only playing random people *or* if Nintendo wises up and allows us to make friends more easily, Wi-Fi connection could definitely be a disaster.
If only they could come up with some way to keep track of friends, say, with some sort of list. A friends list, if you will. Seems simple enough.
Geist @ Aug 9th 2006 4:48PM
"Ah, remember when the Nintendo Crapbox came out?"
"Yeah, that was totally the best system of the generation. Those Crapboxes flew off the shelf faster than they could be stocked!"
"I still play my Crapbox every now and then, the games are that good."
Heh. Crapbox.
Anyway, if I've learned anything in my time as a gamer, gaming journalists know about as much as a thimble of tea. These are the same people who were calling the DS fairly gimmicky, saying it probably won't sell too well because of it's peculiar controls, etc. I say the only people who know how it'll work are the people of the future. And until we can talk to them, we'll have to wait.
Paul P. @ Aug 9th 2006 4:53PM
Friend codes suck. Nintendo has too much of a "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" attitude. Children are fine, but don't cater to them. Let their own parents be in charge of their wi-fi experience and let us easily connect with each other.
Leper Messiah @ Aug 9th 2006 4:54PM
There online sucks compared to the others, so thats out of the question.
I think they wont be able to market it to the targeted audience in the US as well as Japan, just because Japan is already in the Touch Generation frenzy with the DS, which hasnt exactly took the US by storm.
Third party is actually in the bag, because of how cheap it is and how excited they are to work with it.
Innovation was the big risk they took when they decided to go in a diferent direction, will the wii turn out to be more fun or more of a hassle to play?
They cant really fail with the virtual console, they could just not live up to some expectations, but I dont see the VC as being a problem in any way.
I'd say the biggest risk are the sucky graphics. The wii will probably end up being slightly better looking than most gamecube games in its first year, and over time, like with every console, developers will learn to get the most out of the graphics and power limitations and theyll look pretty good, but nothing near the 360 and PS3. I personally am glad because it saves me a lot of cash, as well as developers, and if all the games look as good as RE4 and MP2 and LoZ:TP, it wont bother me much, I'll probably end up getting a 360 or PS3 sometime down the road anyways.
Evan Geesman @ Aug 9th 2006 4:55PM
The mere fact that they are not including voice chat as a main feature for online play is a big mistake, and the friend code is a horrible idea. PS3 got it right when they borrowed heavily from Microsoft's XBOX Live. Why not do what you know will work, instead of venturing out into new territory blindly?
rgflame @ Aug 9th 2006 5:01PM
if nintendo uses friend-codes, i think it will be one code=one system.
manuel @ Aug 9th 2006 5:07PM
Admit it Nintendo Fanboys, Friend Codes suck and you know it. Nintendo better develop a better system for keeping track of friends, or their online play is dead.
I admit it. Friend codes suck.
And this from quite a Nintendo fanboy.
BPM? @ Aug 9th 2006 5:08PM
I honestly don't see why Friend Codes is such a "horrible" system. Really, I don't.
But it is true that Nintendo really needs to stay on the ball if they want to do better with Wii than they did with GameCube.
But, I have more faith in the Iwata Nintendo than I did for the Yamauchi Nintendo.
Miharu @ Aug 9th 2006 5:08PM
If this console is not region free, that will be a major screw-up. Of course, it will be region locked just because people want it to be region free.
Ryan @ Aug 9th 2006 5:11PM
I believe it's extremely odd that people speculate on the future when what the present holds still is unclear. Nintendo has not released any launch information yet, nor any information about how the Virtual Console will work, nor how their online gaming network will work, and yet I constantly read such negativity and pessimism concerning the Wii from posters on blogs and forums. So much is still unclear, so many questions are unanswered, and quite frankly , I believe we will all be a little bit closer to obtaining actual truth rather than stupid speculation come August 23rd.
I remember prior to the Wiimote's unveiling, stupid people all over the internet posted a mock controller they made and labeled it the real deal. People like that need to die, or just shut the hell up. And now the same crap is going on with people posting crap about the Wii's price and release date as if it's real. Man, get a frickin' life and GROW UP! Don't post lies!! Lies make baby Jesus cry! We'll know it when we hear it from Nintendo themselves. Til then, take a chill pill and play some games that are already out and available already. It wouldn't hurt to live in the present once in a while, ya know!
DG @ Aug 9th 2006 5:12PM
I've played Tetris DS online since I got my DS a few weeks ago. I have zero problems playing against people. I'm not really looking to make best friends -- I kind of just want to play Tetris. The online system works great, never drops out, and is always smooth. I anticipate the Wii will be about the same.
dotun.o @ Aug 9th 2006 5:12PM
Virtual Console, MEDIUM??? If you ask me, the only way WiiVC could fail would be if the games were expensive or the Wii itself didn't sell. Otherwise, it will be a resounding success. Remember a key feature to the most commercially successful gaming devices, GameBoy and Playstation, is backward compatibility, the ability to play your old games and not have to lug around their respective hardware. Even if the original games remain "un-upgraded", just provide them dirt-cheap and the chance of large USB storage devices, and you've got video game's iPod. I think Nintendo should be smart enough to know that; as of know, I see no risk here...
GSI @ Aug 9th 2006 5:14PM
@ Cody S.:
"Admit it Nintendo Fanboys, Friend Codes suck and you know it. Nintendo better develop a better system for keeping track of friends, or their online play is dead."
Admit it...you came off like a complete dick with that comment.
It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that the whole friends code thing (as it stand with how it's used on the DS), won't work all that well on a console.
[-Z-] @ Aug 9th 2006 5:16PM
On my gamecube, I bought Tales of Symphonia and that's basically it. It really lacked of 3rd party games support. Although, my GBA/DS are totally different stories, but i do think that consoles market will remain the same since Nintendo is going the same children/family strategy as GameCube again. Kids simply prefer DS/DS lite because they won't hog TV. IMO Wii's lifespan will be a little bit shorter than 360 and PS3.
martinj88 @ Aug 9th 2006 5:25PM
Nintendos friend code could be the biggest problem for the Wii, especially with multiplayer games such as call of duty. Whats the chance 16 of your friends being online at the same time
but Nintendo might let games companies have there own servers where friend codes are not required
all the othere problems are minor really
Bascanuwegos aKa Prodigy-Maestro @ Aug 9th 2006 5:27PM
The Friends Code system is crap. I hate it on my DS because it's tedious and just not logical. Sony will likely base its online service around the solid Live service, which is an excellent idea. Nintendo, as much as I love them, will likely try the same too late in the game. Nintendo has screwed up BIG every time it counted.
The Virtual Console system is mildly appealing, but the pricing, especially for Nintendo 64 titles is stupid. Why buy it for Wii when I can purchase it for MUCH less at a Electronics Boutique.
The biggest question is this- will it be worth it for developers to make a 360/PS3 version of a game and then a Wii version with "revolutionary" controls? Say Wii becomes the secondary system of 360 and PS3 owners; will they buy next-gen version or a current-gen version with "revolutionary" controls.
Take the new Zelda for example, is the Wii version really worth it becuase you can go fishing with the "revolutionary" controls?
Dux @ Aug 9th 2006 5:37PM
None. Nintendo will rock in all.
Morder @ Aug 9th 2006 5:39PM
"Why not do what you know will work, instead of venturing out into new territory blindly?"
WHAT? You mean the company that has been innovating gameplay from the beginning? Nintendo is consistently changing the way we play games through innovation. Mario 64 is a perfect example of perfect transition from 2d to 3d. Once Nintendo paved the way, everyone else followed.
Everytime a company innovates (read: Nintendo) most people complain that it's gimmicky or that it just wont work. Well the DS definetly proved that 'gimicks' can work.
If the industry didn't innovate, try new things, we'd never know if there was a better way of doing things. I am not saying that ms/sony online system is the way to go or that Nintendo will blow us out of the water with a new system. You'll never know until someone sticks their head out and gives it a shot.
Paul P. @ Aug 9th 2006 5:44PM
"The Virtual Console system is mildly appealing, but the pricing, especially for Nintendo 64 titles is stupid. Why buy it for Wii when I can purchase it for MUCH less at a Electronics Boutique."
What the hell are you talking about? No prices or price ranges for any Virtual console games have been released. Nothing but baseless speculation.
billychaos @ Aug 9th 2006 5:50PM
I do think they have an extremely high chance of failing to market correctly. History has shown that nintendo comes in last when it comes to marketing. Marketing is all that really matters when it comes to any product. It could be the dumbest thing that no one really needs (i-something comes to mind), and people will buy it just because it was well marketed.
Having a graphic design background I must say, the true art of marketing is manipulating people to want something they dont really want or need. Usually when people finally buy it, they realize (or make up reasons) why they do need it.
Evan Geesman @ Aug 9th 2006 5:55PM
"WHAT? You mean the company that has been innovating gameplay from the beginning? Nintendo is consistently changing the way we play games through innovation. Mario 64 is a perfect example of perfect transition from 2d to 3d. Once Nintendo paved the way, everyone else followed.
Everytime a company innovates (read: Nintendo) most people complain that it's gimmicky or that it just wont work. Well the DS definetly proved that 'gimicks' can work.
If the industry didn't innovate, try new things, we'd never know if there was a better way of doing things. I am not saying that ms/sony online system is the way to go or that Nintendo will blow us out of the water with a new system. You'll never know until someone sticks their head out and gives it a shot."
Friend Codes are not innovation, they do not IMPROVE on any one thing. Im talking about theyre approach to only gameplay, not the system itself. I actually might buy one.
dsub @ Aug 9th 2006 5:57PM
"If history has taught us anything, it's that Nintendo struggles when it comes to third-party support on a home console"
actually prior to the N64, they had pretty much ALL the third party support.
As far as mistakes that Nintendo could make...I have come up with a list of things that Nintendo could do that would spell disaster.
1. Crappy Online Service...
Since the Wii has built in WiFi, I like many others, will be looking forward to just taking this thing out of the box and connecting right up without having to run any wires from my router or anything. Nintendo needs to make sure that any issues with this are worked out in full before release. Other things that could hinder Nintendo's Online Service could be expensive downloads, lack of games that support the service, and the lack of a headset (I have yet to see any evidence that Nintendo plans on supporting headsets). This will be Nintendo's first adventure into online console gaming...and if there online service is ANYTHING like the PS2's online service, Nintendo will have dropped the ball...big time.
2. Piss poor marketing (i.e. focusing too much on marketing the Wii to non-gamers)...
One thing that worries me is that Nintendo is going to try so hard to get this thing into the hands of non-gamers, they are going to lose touch with there fanbase. If nintendo has to many titles released like Brain Age, or other simplistic titles aimed towards non-gamers, that could spell trouble. It's good to be innovative, but if they get too innovative, they could alienate themselves.
3. a higher than expected price point...
Although the recent 7-11 rumors are most likely false, this could also spell disaster for Nintendo and ruin what is looking to be an otherwise flawless launch. Many gamers are looking to Nintendo to provide them with a value packed console for a low price point. If Nintendo decides to up the price to $300, they have essentially alienated themselves once again and gond back on there word. This would put them in the same price bracket as MS goes, and graphically, MS is obviously superior, so many people may feel with MS there getting "more for there money".
4. lack of HD support...
I know I'm going to get drilled for this one, but I have to raise the topic once again. Nintendo is not supporting HD because at the price they want to sell the Wii, they simply cannot incorporate the technology. While in the immediate future this may not harm them, but 2-3 years down the road when MS and Sony are waist deep in eye candy that takes full advantage of your HD set, Nintendo will still be stuck in 480p. At the moment Nintendo's choice to keep last gen's graphics in exchange for an innvative controller and cheap price sounds genious, but 2-3 years down the road it could come back to haunt them.
Other than that, Nintendo's launch is looking like it will be an easy victory for them. It's the continued sales down the road that worry me.
William @ Aug 9th 2006 5:59PM
Nintendo won't have problems with 3rd Party Support this time around if you take a look at Ubisoft, Atari, and Miday, that's like 25 games announced. We're even getting Prince of Persia! Nintendo won't have a 3rd Party Problem, Wifi Connect, serioulsy how could that have any problems!? The Virtual Console is really the only risk, if they do manage to pull off a safe, easy and quick way to use it then it will be awesome.
Being the most likely to have the most consoles sold for this gen (if ur counting xbox360 as the start of the "next gen") Nintendo has the ace in the hole.
John Lucas @ Aug 9th 2006 6:08PM
For the last time...
Everyone repeat after me:
(((~THE WII IS THE FUTURE OF GAMING~)))
Nintendo is going to DOMINATE the next generation.
And that's a guaran-DAMN-tee.
For them to mess this up would have to have Shigeru torching R&D in saki-induced haze with Satoru coming down with rabies biting the staff with Reggie getting caught in an O.J. Simpson type scenario.
In other words, the Wii can't fail.
The Wii won't fail.
The concept & execution of this project is just that damn good.
I'm just patiently awaiting the launch.
John Lucas
dsub @ Aug 9th 2006 6:15PM
William...
hate to burst your bubble but Ubi made all the Prince of Persia games for the Gamecube last-gen. So the fact that their making it for Wii this time around isn't exactly a huge feat.
RUSKULL @ Aug 9th 2006 6:16PM
Be cafreful not to set your expectations too high, John Lucas. Would be a shame if you were to fall from that distance ;)
Erik Novak @ Aug 9th 2006 6:20PM
There's no way Nintendo can dominate the next round because there is no way they can corner the market on mature gamers (RPGs, Sandbox design games, FPSs). Whatever fanboys scream to the hills about innovation, better graphics and sound will always attract an audience. The only thing that's certain in my eyes is that no one company will dominate this next console round.
Kyoji @ Aug 9th 2006 6:24PM
Who cares how well it does, as long as I enjoy playing it, screw the rest of the world. Just me and my Wii.
Mabui @ Aug 9th 2006 6:31PM
Places where Nintendo could drop the ball.. lets see..
1) Simplicity.
Nintendo needs to make Wii easy to use, everything must be extremely user friendly or their dream of reaching further into the market than any other company has done yet will fail.
2) Focus.
They definately need to stay focused on what they are shooting for and what their plan is this time around. While the hardcore players are the most vocal, they need to stick with their guns to see where this new plan will pan out.
3) Marketing
Segmenting their product line will definately help out the customer and their total success. Things marked "Touch Generation" for DS are relatively easy to pick up titles that anyone can play, they need to stick to this sort of format to avoid confusion.
4) Community
Reaching out to third party developers will still be a must for Wii. The next big thing could come from anywhere and Nintendo need to be ready to ride what ever wave comes up, as in, get behind really good ideas that have legs to carry them deeper into the market, first, second or third party produced.
5) Fearless
I sincerely believe they need a lot of guts to pull this off, allow a wide range of titles for your system, help mold it into a real entertainment device rather than just a standard gaming console.
nambit @ Aug 9th 2006 6:38PM
I think people have to remember that Nintendo is trying really hard to distance the Wii from the other 2 consoles. All 3 will definitely be fighting for your entertainment dollars, but so far, the Wii is being marketed as a different product in a class of its own.
And "History" has shown nintendo had great 3rd party support up until the N64.
Bascanuwegos aKa Prodigy-Maestro @ Aug 9th 2006 6:40PM
PAUL P.
Your late. Approximate pricing was announced by Nintendo eons ago. Lol. . .so much for that star. . .
N64 titles were suppose to cost up $14 buddy. "What the Hell are you talking about?"
John Lucas @ Aug 9th 2006 6:40PM
RUSKULL @ Msg #33:
[[ 33. Be cafreful not to set your expectations too high, John Lucas. Would be a shame if you were to fall from that distance ;) ]]
I'm not worried at all, RUSKULL.
Though I have a healthy fear of heights I have no problem going out on limbs. ;)
Guess it's that big red & white ellipsoid cushion beneath me giving me that confidence.
My N-surance, if you will. ;D
John Lucas
Zorak @ Aug 9th 2006 6:40PM
This list is ass backwards. Third party support has the biggest probability of disaster, obviously. Next is innovation - if the controller doesn't pan out, the Wii doesn't pan out, a la Virtual Boy. The Virtual Console and the Wifi Connection stand no chance of disaster - look at the DS wifi success...and the VC classics will now somehow be unfun? We'll have to wait and see on marketing, but it seems to me that the Wii has generated far more buzz than any other next-gen console so far. Harumph.
Yamen @ Aug 9th 2006 6:42PM
I don't really see a big difference between Friends Codes and a Buddy List. You add someone (by entering the friend code they gave you) to your list of friends. This is hardly different from entering someone's screen name, right? And given that you can still play against random people if you choose, what's the problem?
And I kinda agree that 3rd party support isn't that much of a "disaster risk" for the Wii. Sure, it'd be bad if there was no third-paty support, but that's not the situation we're looking at. Remember that for more than half of Nintendo's system history (NES, SNES, GB, GBA, DS) Nintendo has had more third-party support than any of it's competitors. Nintendo is also taking big steps to make the Wii an accessible platform for developers, and we're getting quite a bit of positive feedbakc on that end.
This article is not saying "How bad would it be if there wasn't any 3rd Party support?" it's saying "How likely is it that 3rd party support is going to be a big problem for the Wii?" And from that perspective, I'd also rate it low.
peej @ Aug 9th 2006 6:43PM
The whole argument is a bit of a misinterpretation... risk involves much more than the likelihood something will happen. One must consider note both the probability that it will occur, as well as the consequences of such an action. For instance (hypothetical!), before the game cube, it was predicted that with 25% certainty they would lose 1 3rd party. not very bad, right? but turns out, this company was square, and with it final fantasy. not likely that it would happen, but you can see the consequences were huge.
Lynx @ Aug 9th 2006 6:58PM
I agree on all of those except marketing. I really think Nintendo has learnt it's lesson now, and with Fils-Aime now President of NOA, he certainly has the power to push more of that successful advertising he's known for.
Stick_Man @ Aug 9th 2006 7:03PM
Why would you question the VC? Out of everything Nintendo has going for them the VC is the "Golden egg chicken"
Keep in mind that Nintendo is Rich as hell. While they don't /wrists to bleed money like sony and MS they have a veritable f__k ton of money to throw down on making VC servers and the VC the most user friendly and widely used content distributor of the big three.
Friends codes are one of the best Ideas ever to hit the console market. In theory Xbox live should be the best Virtual Console, but when it comes down to the brass of it The lack of any filtering tools leads to people yelling stupid crap in your ear every time you want to have a little fun.
The codes were nessesary on the DS because the interface is so simple and there really isn't a front end for connectivity. On a console though (built in flash memory even) a much more flexible front end can be built to allow for free play as well as friend codes.
So next time you have some 13 year old Hungarian screeching in your eardrum that "Joo HAX!!!11 at least you know that you can filter him out and enjoy your game a little more.
Amethyst Nighthut @ Aug 9th 2006 7:05PM
Friends codes suck when poorly implimented. They work rather nicely in Animal Crossing or Metroid Prime Hunters, allowing you to see if friends are on and playing the game in question. The times when it was done poorly would be such as Mario Kart, where you couldn't really see who would be on, and had to plan in advance to make sure you got the friends you wanted to play with.
If you guys were expecting something similar to X-box Live's service for Nintendo's WiFi on the DS, then you got what you deserved. Most of X-box's Live service is, from what I have seen and heard, just mostly fancy bells and whistles. I haven't actually used their service, mainly because I have no 360, nor do I plan to get one any time soon, and so I will stop talking about it that now.
As for the Virtual Console, it was mentioned earlier that it would be cheaper to buy N64 games from EB. First off, as was stated before, there is no price point set on the games for the Virtual Console, and so there is no real foundation for that, unless you were saying it as a prediction. Secondly, the Virtual Console is more for picking up the really old games that you CAN'T get at EB. I know that almost all my local EBs either don't have any N64 games to sell, or have a very lousy selection of such, though that might be different for you.
Anyways, that's enough for now. I've said what I've wanted to, and that'll be that.
mctucky @ Aug 9th 2006 7:11PM
marketing- high probability of failure?
hmmm....i guess those e3 lines that stretched all the way from the convention center to Orange County were a bit paltry....