Panadero

You know, it's just semantics, but it bothers me when people say that the most powerful system in a generation has "NEVER, NEVER" succeeded over less powerful systems when it's not entirely true. The Super Nintendo is regarded as having won the 16-bit war (if even only by a little bit), and it was more powerful than the Genesis in nearly all aspects except clock speed. Granted, the point is accurate otherwise.

And this "souped up Gamecube" bullshit has got to stop. Have you drooling morons stopped to think that ALL of the systems are "souped up" versions of their previous systems? The XBox 360 is a souped up XBox with better controllers and a more developed XBox Live. The PS3 is a souped up PS2 with a new storage format and a somewhat more coherent online service. The Wii is a souped up Gamecube with actual online capabilities and an entirely new control scheme. As much as you posers would like to make it sound, the Wii offers a lot more than the Gamecube right out of the gate and is comparable with the other systems in the number of improvements and adjustments made - they're just different adjustments.

I love it when people attribute people complaining about the price of the PS3 to not being able to afford it, as if they're jealously lashing out at Sony because they don't get enough for their allowance.

The fact of the matter is, at even $500 for the cheaper version, the PS3 is just. not. worth it. Were I inclined to support Sony for some insane reason, I could afford two PS3s. The thing is, that doesn't matter. I still wouldn't because what you get doesn't justify the price and it doesn't look like it will in the near future.

Not everybody who is complaining about the price is doing so simply because they can't afford it.

Just use the freaking game engine. Not only is it cheaper and requires less loading time, but it can lead to more dynamic "cutscenes" because you don't have to have every specific detail set in stone like with CG. If a character is wearing a particular suit or has a particular item in hand, those will be present in the cutscene as well. That and the fact that CG still looks better than ingame graphics means that using the engine would be less jarring when transitioning between gameplay and cutscenes. We should be past the "oooh, shiny" stage and be done with CG.

Wow, it feels like it's the early 90s again when "multimedia" was a buzzword and developers were only just getting used to cds. This is inexcusable.

filterpunk: You do realize it was really Sony that pulled a fast one on Nintendo with regards to the Playstation, right? The way the contract was written, Sony would have had complete control over both the hardware and software developed for the system. When Yamauchi found out about it, he was furious and ended their relationship with Sony.

At any rate, all the negative mainstream press is Sony's fault for promising everybody the world when in the end it's just another console that thus far hasn't lived up to those promises. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are all prone to hyperbole, but Sony's was at an epidemic level and those in the mainstream press picked up on that and are now calling Sony on it.

Fred T: Get over yourself. All you have to do is look at any lineup for the Wii, any mainstream news article about the Wii (read: not hardcore and likely not having allegiance to any of the three companies) and you'll see plenty of people who are either nongamers, lapsed gamers, or anybody else outside of the scope of gaming who are generating just as much demand for the console. The "Nintendo fanbois" did pick up a Gamecube and they did pick up a Wii. But it's painfully clear that they're not the ones having an impact on its continued demand.

Show me a commercial where the players throw the controller as hard as humanly possible or practically swing their arms around like a windmill, as all these morons have done in their Youtube videos. Even in the most active Nintendo promos like the one for Red Steel, the guy uses more wrist and forearm movements than full arm movements. He may be doing stupid backflips and ducking behind the couch, but his controller use is actually within Nintendo's recommendation.

These mental cases breaking their straps either didn't bother to even notice the dozens of warnings about responsible use or chose to ignore them, and proceeded to use the controller in an extreme way. "Without merit" is an understatement.

LostToys: The wrist strap's primary purpose is to prevent accidents under normal use as recommended by Nintendo. As Nintendo is not telling people to throw their controllers around at the speed of light like some people seem to be doing, it is not their fault. Yes, the wrist straps can and should be made of better material. But using the controller in a reasonable fashion will not cause them to fail.

32 Footsteps: I agree with you on your main point about more third parties meaning more competition for a developer, and I realized that as I was typing my post. I never said it was entirely clear cut. But the way I see it, given the reduced third party support Nintendo consoles have been receiving, their first party titles take center stage more than ever before. Unless you make games the calibur of the titles you mentioned before (and overcome the notoriously fickle Nintendo fans when it comes to third party games), it seems to me it could be rougher to develop primarily for Nintendo consoles.

I'm interested in where I can find information about GC versions of cross-platform titles selling comparably to other versions, because as far back as the beginning of the Gamecube's life cycle, there were third parties pulling games for the system, citing low sales. Not that I don't think this is ludicrous, given that I think third party publishers and developers should look at percentages of sales in relation to userbase and not just raw numbers. Selling a game to 75% of a smaller fanbase should be considered as much of a success as selling a game to 40% of a larger fanbase.

32_Footsteps:

As good as the first party Sony games you mentioned are, very few games - first party or third party - have the pull that Zelda, Metroid, or Mario games still have after all these years, or arguably as much polish. I would not be surprised at all if third parties are somewhat daunted by the task of their game going up against a top-tier Nintendo title as opposed to having a more level playing field on the other consoles where third party support is (currently) stronger.

As for Soul Calibur 2, it sold the best on Gamecube because of the exclusive character for each system, and Link was in the Gamecube version. And as for Resident Evil 4 selling better on Gamecube, I have a feeling it's because the game was originally developed exclusively for the Gamecube and thus runs and looks better on it, in addition to it being released on the system first.

- She says, "Yeah, I liked Duck Hunt, it was hilarious!"

- He says, "It was a hook to bring people in, but nobody used it. It was very gimmicky."

I can't take it any more. Your roommate is a dumbass. The Zapper is one of the highest regarded console peripherals and was used by a number of games, including some third party games. The ROB was a gimmick, but not the light gun. His opinions aside, every word he has stated as fact has been woefully misinformed. Do us all a favor and not subject us to any more of his hot air.