'Free' Pac-Man

[A Black Falcon]

http://nintendo.gamerfeed.com/gf/news/4333/

E3 this past May brought one of Nintendo's strangest announcements, Pac-Man Vs.. The game is more or less a remake of the classic Pac-Man with a twist. The game is played on a GameCube and a GBA. One player takes control of Pac-Man on a GBA, while other players can use the GCN game pads to take control of the ghosts. The announcement confused many fans and had people wondering: has Nintendo lost it? This was their big announcement?

Regardless, the game was announced, and the next question was how they would sell the game. Would people pay $50.00 for a remake of a 15-year-old game? Would they pay $20? The answers came out today; they would pay nothing.

It was announced today that Pac-Man Vs. will be packaged three different ways to reach gamers.

The first bundle is that Pac-Man Vs. will be packaged with Namco's upcoming game Pac-Man World 2. The game will retail for only $19.99 and will be available this December.

The second offering will give Pac-Man Vs. to gamers who pre-order the game I-Ninja.

The final way to receive the game will be will be to simply buy the game R: Racing Evolution for the GameCube. Pac-Man Vs. will be included with every game, pre-ordered or not.

What seemed like an awkward announcement a few months ago, now appears to have become a fantastic marketing and sales tool for both Nintendo and Namco.

Cool...

[Laser Link]

Very cool. That could be fun. Not fun enough to buy, but the fun factor of anything increases greatly if it is free.

[A Black Falcon]

Just remember that its only actually free if you want one of those three games... though I bet some stores will sell the disc by itsself for like $10...

[The Former DMiller]

What if I buy one of those games and then return it? :) Although I have become interested in I-Ninja.

[Dark Jaguar]

It's not free if you are paying to get the game. In fact, that's the exact opposite of free. Still, two for the price of one is good. Now then, if only I actually wanted any of those games...

[A Black Falcon]

But I-Ninja and R Racing Evolution look quite good... :)

[OB1]

Best Buy will probably sell the Pacman Vs. disc for pretty cheap the first week it comes out. They always do that when they're not supposed to.

Great news, but it does make the whole E3 thing seem even more pathetic since Nintendo's big game was a free one.

[A Black Falcon]

So you think they should have charged for it? Given the nature of the game, I don't think that would have been smart... its a good solution for how to distribute the game.

Oh, and its interesting that its only coming with Namco games... clearly that was in the agreement that let Nintendo make a Pac-Man game. :)

[OB1]

No no, I don't think they should charge anything for it. I just think it's sad that Nintendo's big E3 game was a freebie.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, didn't think so... :)

Its not that bad... there are still a lot of good (exclusive) games coming this christmas season...

[Great Rumbler]

I'll probably get I-Ninja, neither of the other games really appeal to me that much.

[A Black Falcon]

But Ridge Racer is cool... :)

[OB1]

Ridge Racer is great.

[Dark Jaguar]

Eh, racing games either have to be Mario Kart style or F-Zero style to interest me. If it weren't for those two game series I'd never play racing games at all.

[A Black Falcon]

Sad...

Anyway, Ridge Racer is a quite good arcade racing series, and R Racing Evolution is essentially a Ridge Racer game... so I well might get it. :)

[Great Rumbler]

My racing needs are pretty much taken care of. I have GT3 for realistic racing, F-Zero for futuristic racing, and I will have Mario Kart Double Dash for insane kart racing multiplayer action.

[A Black Falcon]

So you dislike standard arcadish racers too (you know, not futuristic/arcade like F-Zero and Wipeout, but still definitely arcade games)? Because I certainly wouldn't say that Ridge Racer is in the same category as any of those three... like SF Rush, or plenty of other games...

[Laser Link]

Heh, somehow I completely missed the games it will be packaged in. I don't know if I even read more than the title before commenting. :D

[OB1]

Heh, well the quote text is really tiny so that makes it more a chore to read. :D

[Sacred Jellybean]

Originally posted by Dark Jaguar
Eh, racing games either have to be Mario Kart style or F-Zero style to interest me. If it weren't for those two game series I'd never play racing games at all.

Agreed.

[Great Rumbler]

Originally posted by A Black Falcon
So you dislike standard arcadish racers too (you know, not futuristic/arcade like F-Zero and Wipeout, but still definitely arcade games)? Because I certainly wouldn't say that Ridge Racer is in the same category as any of those three... like SF Rush, or plenty of other games...

If want some play some standard arcadish racing I'll play Vice City. :)

I just think it's sad that Nintendo's big E3 game was a freebie.

I think Geist was Nintendo's big E3 game, if anything.

[OB1]

:stupid:

[Great Rumbler]

Don't point that thing at me!

[OB1]

:stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid: :stupid:

[Great Rumbler]

...

[OB1]

...

[A Black Falcon]

Vice City's not even a racing game... :)

[OB1]

Well there are racing missions...

[Great Rumbler]

Originally posted by A Black Falcon
Vice City's not even a racing game... :)

Maybe not, but you do... RACE...around the city.

...

Get it? It's a pun...it's funny...

[A Black Falcon]

But that doesn't make it a racing game...

[Great Rumbler]

Okay, here's the deal, I don't really want
R: Racing Revolution and I only mentioned Vice City as a joke. Okay? Don't make an issue out of it.

[A Black Falcon]

I wouldn't say Ridge Racer is as good as Rush, or F-Zero, or most other futuristic racers, but its a good series... not great (based on Ridge Racer 64), but fun. Better than most...