30th April 2004, 8:40 PM
A few notes, was that SSX Tricky you played or SSX 3? Having never played either SSX3 or Avalanche, I have no place saying which was better. That's especially true considering my stance on reviews, and how I will never shape up my opinion based on them. I just noticed a few feature list comparisons and Avalanche came up short. Eh, if I ever get a chance to play both, THEN I'll decide which one I like more. I've never been a FAN of sports games, but that doesn't mean I won't play them when offered to me, for example I enjoyed the diversion that was the skateboarding courses in MGS2 Substance.
Oh, a minor note lazy, MGSTS on GCN is EXACTLY as long as MGS on PS1. They added no story or anything else to it, just gameplay additions and an altered script (as in wording, not lengthier). Well, the cinema scenes are longer, but that's so you can laugh at how weird the previously human Snake looks jumping off the top of a missile and firing a stinger in mid air. Hmm... I just realized something, and I think lazy did too at that last remark in the context of... Well, never mind :D.
Honestly lazy, I too think that, as a business decision, Nintendo made what was likely a good decision not going for online play. However, as a consumer, I am TERRIBLY upset about that. I WANT to shoot a red shell at you in Mario Kart lazy! That could still happen if some tunnel better than Warp Pipe would show up. By "better" I mean of coure "about a skamillion times better", because Warp Pipe, while a great thing for beginners, which the makers it seems are, is certainly not anywhere near as good as similar software, XBConnect, which is really superb except that it's FAR too strict about routers right now.
Online play is something you should mess around with. I know you don't have an XBox or current gen PC, but I do assume you at least have a PC capable of playing Starcraft. You can get a bundle that has both SC and the expansion pack for $10 in most stores, so I REALLY hope you get it. I think you'd find that Blizzard has a VERY good online solution that works VERY well, with friends lists and easy match finding and everything. That's not even the best online matching there is though, that's just a very good example of how far it's come since the last online game you've likely played. WC3, and XBox Live for that matter, have a very nice system where the game itself will find a match for you. WC3 in particular will find one on your skill level based on your current ladder ranking. It's not particularly GOOD mind you, I still have my arse handed to me by the thing far more often than not. However, the ability to just start the game and say "find me a match" right off the menu without having to do anything else is FAR better than the ancient days of having to call your friends or go to a BBS and find someone's IP address and then type it in manually to get a match going (which by the way is what Warp Pipe does...).
Oh yes, regarding the whole setup needed just to get online. Yes, that's a problem. Online gaming is however mainly marketted to those who already HAVE a net connection, and thus already have all the hardware they need. In the case of the GCN, however, you need to get the online adapter yourself. So, essentially in the case of XBox, it's not really an issue since only those who already have an online connection are really interested, and thus everything they need is already there. However, for the others, you make the point that there's a chunk of hardware one needs just to get the game going. Pity the poor fellow playing the PS2 version of FFXI, who has to get the online adapter, the hard drive, the PS2, some USB keyboard and mouse, and THEN a big desk of some kind, JUST to get the game going. If not for the PC version, I doubt that game would be anywhere near as popular as it is.
Wow, that went over the list didn't it? Anyway, one last thing, you pointed out one thing. We all just ASSUMED that there are a LOT of people who are choosing to buy a game ONLY because of the online play feature in it. Considering that I bought Mario Kart Double Dash even though it didn't have online play, and that I've never NOT bought a game because it didn't have online play, that kinda proves that it's likely not a major decision for the actual BUYING of games. People will be dejected but get it anyway. I do know my friends however HAVE decided between two completely unknown games, that are very similar (two military style FPS games) and made up their mind ONLY due to the online play. The question is, how often does this happen? I'm starting to think it's just not often enough for Nintendo to justify the cost.
As a consumer, that makes me upset of course. I'm not their accountant, so I really don't care. I do however understand their decision. Until there's actual PROOF that there is a substantial number of people not buying Nintendo games due to lack of online play (which we just assumed to be the case, and as I should know, just because you THINK of a theory that works doesn't make it true, the fact that you can't disprove something isn't proof in and of itself), Nintendo likely won't change their stance. Well, I can still hope. Besides, I figure if the costs for online games are reduced enough, Nintendo WILL go ahead and start adding that capability.
One last thing, I still refuse to buy Nintendo's current statement about why they aren't doing it. Their statement being that online play "isn't something that really enhances gameplay" is likely just a line for the press, and not their actual thoughts.
Oh, a minor note lazy, MGSTS on GCN is EXACTLY as long as MGS on PS1. They added no story or anything else to it, just gameplay additions and an altered script (as in wording, not lengthier). Well, the cinema scenes are longer, but that's so you can laugh at how weird the previously human Snake looks jumping off the top of a missile and firing a stinger in mid air. Hmm... I just realized something, and I think lazy did too at that last remark in the context of... Well, never mind :D.
Honestly lazy, I too think that, as a business decision, Nintendo made what was likely a good decision not going for online play. However, as a consumer, I am TERRIBLY upset about that. I WANT to shoot a red shell at you in Mario Kart lazy! That could still happen if some tunnel better than Warp Pipe would show up. By "better" I mean of coure "about a skamillion times better", because Warp Pipe, while a great thing for beginners, which the makers it seems are, is certainly not anywhere near as good as similar software, XBConnect, which is really superb except that it's FAR too strict about routers right now.
Online play is something you should mess around with. I know you don't have an XBox or current gen PC, but I do assume you at least have a PC capable of playing Starcraft. You can get a bundle that has both SC and the expansion pack for $10 in most stores, so I REALLY hope you get it. I think you'd find that Blizzard has a VERY good online solution that works VERY well, with friends lists and easy match finding and everything. That's not even the best online matching there is though, that's just a very good example of how far it's come since the last online game you've likely played. WC3, and XBox Live for that matter, have a very nice system where the game itself will find a match for you. WC3 in particular will find one on your skill level based on your current ladder ranking. It's not particularly GOOD mind you, I still have my arse handed to me by the thing far more often than not. However, the ability to just start the game and say "find me a match" right off the menu without having to do anything else is FAR better than the ancient days of having to call your friends or go to a BBS and find someone's IP address and then type it in manually to get a match going (which by the way is what Warp Pipe does...).
Oh yes, regarding the whole setup needed just to get online. Yes, that's a problem. Online gaming is however mainly marketted to those who already HAVE a net connection, and thus already have all the hardware they need. In the case of the GCN, however, you need to get the online adapter yourself. So, essentially in the case of XBox, it's not really an issue since only those who already have an online connection are really interested, and thus everything they need is already there. However, for the others, you make the point that there's a chunk of hardware one needs just to get the game going. Pity the poor fellow playing the PS2 version of FFXI, who has to get the online adapter, the hard drive, the PS2, some USB keyboard and mouse, and THEN a big desk of some kind, JUST to get the game going. If not for the PC version, I doubt that game would be anywhere near as popular as it is.
Wow, that went over the list didn't it? Anyway, one last thing, you pointed out one thing. We all just ASSUMED that there are a LOT of people who are choosing to buy a game ONLY because of the online play feature in it. Considering that I bought Mario Kart Double Dash even though it didn't have online play, and that I've never NOT bought a game because it didn't have online play, that kinda proves that it's likely not a major decision for the actual BUYING of games. People will be dejected but get it anyway. I do know my friends however HAVE decided between two completely unknown games, that are very similar (two military style FPS games) and made up their mind ONLY due to the online play. The question is, how often does this happen? I'm starting to think it's just not often enough for Nintendo to justify the cost.
As a consumer, that makes me upset of course. I'm not their accountant, so I really don't care. I do however understand their decision. Until there's actual PROOF that there is a substantial number of people not buying Nintendo games due to lack of online play (which we just assumed to be the case, and as I should know, just because you THINK of a theory that works doesn't make it true, the fact that you can't disprove something isn't proof in and of itself), Nintendo likely won't change their stance. Well, I can still hope. Besides, I figure if the costs for online games are reduced enough, Nintendo WILL go ahead and start adding that capability.
One last thing, I still refuse to buy Nintendo's current statement about why they aren't doing it. Their statement being that online play "isn't something that really enhances gameplay" is likely just a line for the press, and not their actual thoughts.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)