- Today at the GDC was the day everyone was waiting for: Nintendo finally gave people what they wanted (and then some).
First, Nintendo delivered a new Zelda trailer, and it was real crowd pleaser, especially with the internet smarts. The faith of countless Nintendo fans, which was rapidly depleting, has been instantly restored (yet again).
Personally I like it, but I don’t think its the greatest thing on earth. Then again, I’m one of the few who was actually disappointed to see the Winder Waker look go, but I’m happy with the more gritty look, since its a natural and logical expression of the earlier games, plus it put an end to all the incessant bitching and moaning.
If I was going to be truly nit-picky, I’d say that I’m a bit underwhelmed with the graphics; the environments seem a bit empty, but overall it does look really nice. My biggest beef is actually with the animation, which just doesn’t move very elegantly, though that might be just me missing Winder Waker 2 again (which was never about the look but how it conveyed motion, but most people seemed to miss that).
Next, DS online plans were revealed. The company plans to offer free Wi-Fi connection service so folks can play with other across the country, even across the globe. Specifics details weren’t revealed, but Iwata mentioned that the service will utilize Wi-Fi hotspots, and according to one source at least, even alluded that the basic foundations are already in place.
Iwata spoke of creating games that would “go beyond traditionally accepted notions of video games” and showed off two representative titles. The first was Animal Crossing DS, which in my opinion was the GameCumbe’s golden ticket to online gaming that Nintendo totally dropped the ball on. Needless to say, this will be the killer app the DS has desperately needed. The second was some music creation game called Electroplankton which relies on both touch and voice for interaction among players. It’s been described as “trippy.”
Finally, a few Revolution details were disclosed, the biggest being that it too would allow Wi-Fi connectivity for play with others across the world. But there’s one bit of info that most are not paying much attention to that I find rather amazing: the Revolution will be backwards compatible. Though absolutely nothing else was said on the subject, one has to assume that it will support GameCube games.
This news is quite simply historic. It’s the first time that Nintendo has finally delivered what it’s most loyal fans have been begging for years, and systems, ago (at least on the home end). It was what Sega used to entice players to their side of the fence, though they totally went about it the wrong way (with their Genesis/Sega CD/32X trifecta of crap). But more notably, its what Sony used to great success and Nintendo is finally following suit.
This is a bold move from a traditionally stubborn company, especially with the embracing of the online play-field. Didn’t they say not too long ago that players didn’t want to play on the internet? We can all guess the reason behind the change of heart, so maybe its best not to dwell on them. Most are just happy that it’s finally happening.
For their sake, they had better deliver on their promise this time, since it holds the keys to the DS’s salvation.
- With Nintendo pledging backwards compatibility, and its assumed that Sony is already doing so, that just leaves Microsoft. And that more than anything else is what I need to know about the new Xbox. Having Revolution support Cube games means nothing to me since I already have that system. And I already know that I’m getting Microsoft’s new console because of Mizuguchi’s upcoming games (and to a lesser extent, the new Mistwalker and Team Ninja titles). I really don’t want to buy the first Xbox just to play a small handful of Sega titles. So will Microsoft do what makes the most sense and support their first real success? Who really knows. Seems like MS thinks its on a roll, and one gets the feeling that they just might screw it all up with stupid moves laced with idiotic and arrogant assumptions.
In yesterday’s speech, Allard used the term “the HD Era”, and I figured it was a blanket term for all content in the future that could be considered high definition, both in a literal as well as a conceptual sense. But it seems that he was only talking about HD televisions sets and how they will be key to unlocking the next Xbox, since it is assumed that everyone will be on a HD set in just a few years time. Whatever. I know that there’s always these stupid reports that says everyone will have a HD TV in blah, blah, blah years, but guess what? They have been saying that for years, and its still gonna take even more for everyone to have one so long as the prices are high. Good strategy Microsoft, banking on the techno-elite…
And according to at least a few reports, some in attendance were not sold on the MS’s HD vision, even though… get this… everyone got a free 23″ HD TV from Samsung. WTF?! Sometimes Microsoft really annoys the hell out of me (and its not just because I’m an Apple guy, though it plays a part). I guess it goes to prove that for some people, its truly only is about the graphics. Plus it all falls into MS’s practice of focusing on a very narrow market, which while lucrative, needs to be expanded upon if they want long term success. You can spin their focus on young male adults who love virtual bling, like the aforementioned “remix generation”, all you want, but the hardcore audience has always been proven to be less than reliable.
BTW, the reason why I never got an Xbox in the first place? That thing’s a goddamn eyesore.
- Also, the winners of the Game Developers Choice Awards were announced today…
Best Game of the Year: Half-Life 2
New Studio award: Crytek for Far Cry
Excellence in Writing: Marc Laidlaw for Half-Life 2
Excellence in Game Design: Katamari Damacy
Excellence in Audio: Halo 2
Excellence in Character Design: Half-Life 2
Excellence in Technology: Half-Life 2
Excellence in Visual Arts: World of Warcraft
Innovation Awards
– I Love Bees
– Donkey Konga
– Katamari Damacy
Community Contributor: Sheri Graner Ray
Lifetime Achievement: Eugene P. Jarvis
First Penguin: Richard Bartle
… Personally, I would have given Katamari the game of the year award, but getting one for excellence in game design is justice enough. Though it was robbed for best audio. Halo 2?
- One final bit of news, not from the GDC, but still Nintendo related: the DS has a mascot in the UK. It’s “The Bear” from an extremely popular UK show called Bo’Selecta…
Yeah, I know. Anyway, one person at the GAF supplied this as Sony’s response…
God I love the internet.
And in case anyone’s wondering, that’s Dorf. And if you have to ask who it is, then you’re obviously younger than me.
