From N-Philes:

Quote:NPD Group has a report out on the profitability of online game consoles. Other information released from unofficial sources have projected online gaming sales to increase pretty well in the next generation, but NPD is the only one to have information for the current generation. So has Nintendo been right in skipping online gaming? The number of online games sold in 2003 was 23 million and the sales amounted to over $1 billion dollars. That's nearing a 200% increase over the previous year. Online games have sold 33 million units in total since 2000.

There's a very large asterisk to these numbers though. Since developers put offline modes into online-enabled games many of the "online" games sold might not be played online at all. Easy examples of that would be Sega's Phantasy Star Online series for GameCube. "It's important to note that the increase in sales for online-capable games does not mean that the masses are moving to online gameplay," said Richard Ow, senior industry analyst, The NPD Group. "In some cases, consumers aren't necessarily aware they're buying games with online capabilities, but whether they're aware or they aren't, the onus falls in the laps of the software developers to provide games with multiple playability features."

The majority of online game sales are for the shooter and sports genres. In 2002, sports games accounted for 70% of online games. That has decreased to 51% last year with shooter games taking a large chuck with 22 percent. Other genres are beggining to find a good nitch, 15% for racing and RPG has 4% of total. GameCube isn't known for being strongest in any of these genres and it's easy to see why Nintendo hasn't gone with a large online plan because of it.

"The challenge to the console gaming industry can be more attributed to the expanding demographic," explains Ow. "According to The NPD Group's Consumer Panel, more than half of the console gamers are 17 years old and younger, which means these gamers, who do not have access to credit cards, must rely on their parents to fund their online gaming habits. This is one of the reasons why most development teams tread cautiously in the world of online gaming. However, by providing first-rate titles with rich graphics, compelling content and online as well as offline capabilities, gamers of all ages and income levels can take advantage of these games."


Posted by Ethan Pearson, Founder, Director

Quote:Last week, rumours hit the internet about a new Final Fantasy game for the Gamecube after a Japanese magazine published concept art from a game called "Final Fantasy: Guilty Wing" said to be in development by Square-Enix. The aforementioned rumours were then said to be false by a number of sites and publications...

...but it seems they were wrong! This months issue of V-Jump magazine has published art from the game under the same name and confirms that this game is currently in development!

No further details are available on the title at this time, and we would hope that mre information will be released closer to E3. However, apparently it states in the magazine that the game, which will be exclusive to Gamecube, will possibly be set in the Final Fantasy VII universe -which many fans believe represents the epitome of Final Fantasy. Will this be in the mould of a fully fledged Final Fantasy game? Or will it break away and try something new like Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles? If the not-so-good sales of the above are anything to go by, we can only hope that the Cube will soon have its' very own classic Final Fantasy game!

Quote:It seems, almost logically, that as games get better their memory card usage increases. While not always the case a lot of games are now requiring a lot of memory card space.

Originally Nintendo released the Memory Card 251 to counter this, but there are still problems for people with some games. But fret not, Nintendo have a solution.

Nintendo are to release a memory card with 1019 memory card 'blocks' so you can save any game on them. While no official price or release dates have been announced it will probably be shown at E3 and released shortly after, if not before.

1. I just bought a Gamecube game for the first time in about 14 months. (the awewsomeness that is NHL 2004, which brings my grande total to a whopping 9 games) How does that make you feel?

2. Are there any cases in which you can hold Gamecube games? You've got zippered cases for CDs DVDs, PS2 games etc. Do they have any for the tiny Gamecube discs?

That is all.

edit-I think this is the very first post that I've made in the Tendo City forum. Amazing.

First you'll need the xvid codec which can be found here.

And here is the video: http://www.xboxyde.com/news_529_en.html

Very cool stuff, but from an old build. A newer video will be released shortly.

Quote:Posted by
Johnny Ruiz at 10:08:19 PM EST on 03.22.2004.


Kikizo games recently posted an interview with the powerhouse R&D heads at Sega. Those interviewed included Those present were Yu Suzuki of AM2, Tetsuya Mizuguchi of UGA, Smilebit's Takayuki Kawagoe, Yuji Naka from the Sonic Team, Noriyoshi Oba from Overworks, Toshihiro Nagoshi from Amusement Vision, Hisao Oguchi of Hitmaker, and Yukifumi Makino from sound studio, Wavemaster. You can check out the full interview here.

However, the truly interesting bits were in questions in regards to sequels. Noriyoshi Oba was asked about the possibly of a sequel to Skies of Arcadia and responded “The Skies of Arcadia sequel is in the planning stages at the moment.” Of course, plenty of games are “In the planning stages” but this raises hopes that a sequel could indeed be on the plate for the future.

As for Rez, Kikizo posed the question: “Would you make a sequel to Rez to improve any parts of the first game you weren't happy with?” to Tetsuya Mizuguchi who responded with “Maybe, yes! [smiles] In terms of sales figures, I wasn't satisfied with Rez, but we should give Rez more time. I need to trust myself.”.


Source: Kikizo.com

http://www.queenbr.ubbi.com.br/titanium.swf

Quote:Two of the biggest GameCube titles of the year will join the Nintendo DS at the company's pre-E3 press conference in May, sources close to the company have revealed, with new Zelda and Metroid games both set to appear.

According to our source, attendees at the platform holder's pre-E3 press conference will be treated to a presentation of both Metroid Prime 2 - the highly anticipated sequel to Retro Studios' stupendous first-person action-adventure - and the next GameCube Zelda game, which was first mooted by Nintendo of Japan in late 2003 for release by the end of this year.

</INTRO>The same source was unable to confirm whether Mario 128, as the next Mario title has been dubbed in the media, would be on display. Nintendo itself has happily confirmed that the title is well on into development in the past, but has been reluctant to show it off - reportedly in case a competitor decides to cull its ideas.

When contacted earlier this afternoon, Nintendo Europe told us it "does not comment on rumours, especially Internet rumours," and hasn't made any announcements relating to its E3 showing at this time. Other, that is, than the planned unveiling of Nintendo DS.

The showing of key titles such as Wind Waker 2 and Metroid Prime 2 ought to silence critics who have claimed that Nintendo is winding down support for the GameCube in order to focus on the forthcoming Nintendo DS platform and even on its next-generation home console platform, N5.

Asian people look weird and smell like baked chicken.

I say this with confidence and understanding of asian people. However, I have recently found myself wondering new questions and seeking answers Questions like; How many teeth do asian people have? Have you ever noticed that no one has seen a baby asian? Can asian people wear boots? And many other questions. My research has been long and tedious, but it has reached a fruition. I will share my current knowledge of asians.

1. These young asian boys seen here are practicing a traditional ceramony where they give flowers to their parents while frowning. this is called; "Mooshuing" or as Americans would call it in its translated form; "Asking for permission to have sex"

http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/16/commenta.../index.htm

Quote:Commentary > Game Over********
Nintendo embraces instant messaging?

New handheld system will feature free wireless gaming, IM capabilities.
March 16, 2004: 3:06 PM EST



NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Nintendo's latest handheld system seems to be moving even further away from a pure gaming machine.

In an analyst report issued Tuesday, P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research said the upcoming Nintendo DS will offer Instant Messaging functionality. Rather than being offered nationally, though, the DS is more likely to offer local IM service, using free bandwidth with unlicensed RF spectrum (essentially, the same bandwidth that's used by two-way communication devices). Users would type messages on a touch screen using a stylus.

The addition of IM would be the second potential step for the DS to be a multimedia device. In an earlier note, McNealy revealed a two-hour movie has been successfully demonstrated on the machine. Nintendo has not confirmed any non-gaming functionality, however.

Additionally, the DS will feature free wireless gaming, McNealy wrote. Exactly what that might mean is unclear. It could be that the machine will simply allow players in the same room to play together without the need for a corded connection. (Indeed, a wireless adaptor for the Game Boy Advance is already being sold in Japan.) Conversely, Nintendo could allow friends in different locations to compete against each other or co-operatively, should the wireless signal be strong enough.

Nintendo declined to comment on the report, citing its policy of not addressing rumors or speculation.

As talk grows about the DS sporting additional functionality, interest in the system is increasing. Industry observers are curious whether the company will use the DS to go head to head with Sony's PSP, a handheld game device that offers additional multimedia functionality. Sony (SNE: Research, Estimates) in late February delayed the North American launch of the PSP until early 2005. Nintendo said it is still on track to release the DS this holiday season.

Though the PSP was originally seen as a threat to Nintendo's Game Boy, that talk has quieted in recent months as major publishers have suggested it will carry a price tag ranging from $199-$249 and software will run for $40. Neither Nintendo or its publishing partners have suggested a price point for the DS. McNealy has written that software will likely range from $20-$30.

Nintendo has tried hard to keep details about the DS under wraps, only acknowledging it would feature two, three-inch LCD screens and two separate processors. There has been tremendous speculation on how the machine will look.

McNealy's note, which cites "several [unnamed] industry sources," said the machine will have design characteristics similar to the popular Game Boy Advance SP.
*
The DS will incorporate the 'clamshell' look of the Game Boy Advance.

"The form factor will feature two three-inch screens that fold together, similar to that of the Game Boy Advance," wrote McNealy. "There will be two flipper controls, two directional pads, and an 'a' and 'b' button. The stylus will be used for gaming, Instant Messaging, and other multimedia functionalities."

The possible inclusion of wireless multiplayer gaming has long been rumored for the DS. Sony has reportedly dropped wireless functionality from the PSP, which could give Nintendo a leg up. (It's entirely possible Sony is still debating whether to include some sort of wireless gaming, however.)

Wireless technology likely will play a significant role in the next generation of consoles – with Nintendo's next generation machine due in 2006. If the DS does have wireless functionality, it's possible the device might be able to sync up with the new console, much as the GBA can link up with the