Unnecessarily Large Image Update
Uh, Gawker, I'm pretty sure I invented putting semi-related video game images at the top of the post. Assholes.
September 26, 2005
July 21, 2005
Miyamoto Continues To Rock Hard
This is one of those "hey, sorry 90% of you don't care" posts, but look at this choice remark from Shigeru Miyamoto during a recent interview:
Miyamoto: "I have absorbed the criticism we got from Wind Waker that the sea was too big and the number of dungeons and caves were too few. The new game will have more dungeons. Many more."
There are better things in this world; I just can't think of any of them.
(And yes, I'm one of those guys that takes pictures of their yard.)
June 8, 2005
A Quick Note on Switching Chips
Astute social observer and programmer extraordinaire Peter Kovacs has pointed out that Apple's switch to Intel chips absolutely does not mean that programmers have to rewrite their Mac code. Now, I say "astute social observer" because I didn't even know this was a problem, until Peter showed evidence of people actually saying that.
So kudos to Peter for pointing out the real challenge of chips here: you have to recompile, but you don't have to rewrite. Sure, it's a pain, and I assume this means you need to, for example, offer separate downloads on your website for Intel and Motorola (right?) chipsets. So it may be a big deal for some people, but it's not like they have to burrow through ten-year-old code and figure out what the hell names like "hhh-moh" and "dummy_variable_47" mean.
But linking to Peter gives me the opportunity to make a similar point. I mentioned earlier that all three major video game console manufacturers are preparing for another round of system launches. In the case of the Microsoft XBox 360, a selling point claimed that XBox 360 would be backwards compatible with "top-selling" XBox games. Now, that qualifier is a little foreboding; I would expect that a remark like that means that backwards compatibility for every game turned out to be pretty complicated, so Microsoft decided only to write code to play the most popular XBox games on XBox 360.
Turns out the real answer is even lamer. Apparently, since Microsoft, like Apple, is switching chip manufacturers, XBox games need to be recompiled to work on the 360. Now, it's one thing with talking about downloading an alternate file for your new Mac. But video game consoles sure don't let you: a) recompile software code, or b) let you write this newly recompiled binary onto your unwriteable disc. If you ask me, that means you just have to go and buy the old game again, which of course means there's no reason you shouldn't just play it on your old XBox.
Fortunately, it looks like Ari Fleischer's gotten a job in Redmond:
"At launch, Xbox 360 will be backward compatible with the top Xbox games," Xbox PR manager Michael Wolf told GamesIndustry.biz today. "Our goal is to have every Xbox game work on Xbox 360. You will NOT need to purchase a new 'version' - your original games will work on Xbox 360."
I figure Microsoft's solution is one of two things: you can somehow download a recompiled version through XBox 360 Live, which, if even possible, sounds like it would take forever, or, even better, pixie dust. In either case, good luck.
UPDATE TEN MINUTES LATER: Whoops, looks like I should have checked my Bloglines feeds. After reading this, it turns out I was vaguely right the first time: Microsoft got the old chip maker to emulate individual games on the new chip maker's chipset. Or something like that; in any case they're going to see what games they do by popular demand.
May 18, 2005
Penny Arcade Is Funny Again
Yeah, I think I'm going to just keep doing this:
May 17, 2005
E3: System Overload
So all three major console manufacturers are unveiling their new systems. Microsoft is the only one who will go for winter 2005; Nintendo and Sony are releasing theirs in winter 2006, barring, of course, Nintendo's traditional delay. As Nintendo game design legend Shigeru Miyamoto says, "a delayed game is eventually good. A bad game is bad forever."
First I should state my biases: I am a Nintendo guy. I've never owned a non-Nintendo system, and really the only reason I still play videogames are Mario Kart, Zelda, and Mario. So I don't really care about the other systems, unless they're interesting.
So, my first interest is Nintendo. The new Nintendo machine, still code-named as Revolution, looks like this:
Now, apparently some Nintendo exec said back in the day that the Gamecube, their current system, is powerful enough for anything they want to do. Since Nintendo games are mostly cartoony anyway, that's probably good for them, but not as good for companies like Capcom that are trying to port over horror-style games like Resident Evil that depend on lifelike graphics. So one school of thought is that Nintendo is just releasing a new system because they have to if they want to stay competitive. Another school is that Nintendo needs a new system to implement innovations: they have led the way on updating controllers to include shoulder buttons and analog sticks, and we haven't seen their next controller yet. Also, with Revolution Nintendo will finally embrace online gaming, which is a highlight in itself, but the exciting corollary is that they're going to make their entire previous library available for download. So if you want to replay the original Mario Bros. or take on Harrison in Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball for SNES, you can do it. That's awesome.
Sony decided to throw caution to the wind and name their next system after their two other systems. The Playstation 3, due holiday 2006, looks like this:
Yes, that's the Spider-Man logo. Apparently the PS3 is 35 times more powerful than the PS2, and runs on like 8 different CPUs at once. Again, I don't play many PS2 games so I can't really comment on the library. That said, apparently for the game version of Spider-Man 3 they're just going to run the CGI from the Spider-Man 2 movie. Put another way, whatever advanced system that Sony Pictures was using to create the effects in Spider-Man 2 is about as powerful as the PS3. Yikes. Finally, I'm impressed they stuck with the same button layout on their controller. Does anyone think the two analog sticks should be where they are? You can screw that up once, but screw that up twice, and ... [awkward pause] ... I won't screw up again.
Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 on an MTV special last week with the Killers and Elijah Wood. Elijah Wood looks like this:
Yeah, I know, they all look like iMacs or laser printers. Take your pick. Microsoft plans on launching its flagship game, Halo 3, not with their system launch but with Sony's next system launch. Observers have speculated for some time that Nintendo will fall further and further back in third place in the US market, and sooner than later will have to exit the console business. (Sega did the same thing; they make games now but not systems.) This ignores Nintendo's impressive profit margin, but for the sake of wild speculation let's go for it. Nintendo and Microsoft are both based in Redmond, Washington, and supposedly at events like this week's E3 the Microsoft and Nintendo executives go get beers together and make jokes about Sony.
So how about this idea: Nintendo decides it's not worth it being a system behind on something every time around (last time it was online play, this time it's HDTV support) and sells out to Microsoft. Nintendo realizes that Microsoft consoles are well powerful enough to support whatever Zelda and Mario Kart iterations they want to go with, and if Microsoft's in a good mood they even let Nintendo design controllers, since that's what Nintendo's good at. Who goes wrong with this? Anyone? All I care about are Nintendo games; I'll go where they go. So let's see how the next couple of years go in the video game industry, then let's start the petition.
E3: Twilight Princess trailer
The latest trailer to the next Zelda game, and the first to appear since the subtitle was revealed.
http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/legendzelda/
My comments (with spoilers) under the fold.
May 16, 2005
Nintendo World
I was hoping I could recruit a couple people into writing a snappy report of what it was like at Saturday's grand opening of Nintendo World in Rockefeller Center. Since my intrepid reporters failed both to come up with a report and to let me use more of our AIM conversations on the blog, I have to go with the fallback, some dipshit at Inside Pulse. Actually, I really like most of his report, but then he starts talking about Pokemon as if we should care and, well, my support starts to wane. Here's my favorite anecdote; it's a reference to how on the Nintendo DS handheld you can link up wirelessly with anyone nearby:
Speaking of PictoChat, that software actually came in handy over the course of the day. I'm serious! People waiting in lines often PictoChatted with other gamers, some of whom they couldn't even see due to the crowds. I joined in the fun, of course, using a false name and throwing random jokes and insults at other users. Nothing's more amusing then entering a PictoChat room loaded with Nintendophiles, sending a message in big letters that says "PSP RULZ!1!!!1!", then leaving. I could literally hear angry people across the line wondering who the jerk was that wrote that. God, I love my job sometimes.
Read the whole thing if you're interested in how it went. There are a fair number of pretty pictures. It's no Tokyo Games Show, though.
E3 starts off on a bad note
Dear God:
Please let this be a joke.
UPDATE 5/16 (right after the update below): Apparently the site I linked to took down their image. It was the logo to the new Zelda game, and our first look at the title. Yes, the new title is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. No word on whether you get to dress up and play make-believe.
UPDATE 5/16 (a little after 8 o'clock): Someone who doesn't like to be mentioned on the site suggests that the wolf (featured prominently in the preview videos, and the background of the painting posted below) is Zelda. Get it? Twilight Princess? She turns into a wolf at night? Oh jeez. I need another awesome new video, and stat.
Penny Arcade Is Funny Today
May 15, 2005
Nintendo E3 buzz
Oh my god:
I think I just lost use of most of my bodily functions. Thanks to planetgamecube.com for coming up with this one.
Does anyone remember what day E3 starts?