8th April 2003, 3:17 PM
Rare did carry the N64, but they're nowhere near as important to Nintendo now as they were during the N64 days. If it weren't for Rare then there would have been only one, maybe two big releases per year. Now we get seven big Nintendo first and second-party games every year, so it's not a huge loss. But that's not what this thread is for.
I can see Nintendo making good use of the head start if they do these things:
1. Make a more mature-looking console and try to completely wipe away Nintendo's "kiddy" public image. No more purple consoles, no more lunchbox handles. And make sure to have DVD playback support.
2. Support the same or better optical format that Sony and MS will use, which will most likely be blue-laser DVDs. Don't be at a six GB disadvantage again.
3. Launch with at least three AAA games, even if that means canceling some Gamecube titles and moving them to the N2004/2005 launch. Have a new Mario platformer, a great new racing game like Wave Race or F-Zero, and a new Smash Bros. title at launch. Nintendo is the best game developer in the world, and they better come out the gate guns blazing. Sony and MS cannot do that. Capcom canceling RE4 in favor of a N2004 launch might be a good idea as well, since their RE exclusivity ends after RE4.
4. Have a couple more AAA titles come out just a couple of months after launch, and keep the hits coming on a regular basis. Six month gaps between big games is not acceptable anymore.
5. Have full DTS (or Dolby Digital, if DTS is not possible) 5.1 support for all games. Progressive scan must be supported for all games as well.
6. MS showed that having a built-in modem and HDD is necessary, especially for online titles. And they better have some sort of online model available at or soon after launch.
7. Have big games from every genre available at launch. Especially sports games. And the sports games better have online modes.
And uh, that’s all I can think of for now.
I can see Nintendo making good use of the head start if they do these things:
1. Make a more mature-looking console and try to completely wipe away Nintendo's "kiddy" public image. No more purple consoles, no more lunchbox handles. And make sure to have DVD playback support.
2. Support the same or better optical format that Sony and MS will use, which will most likely be blue-laser DVDs. Don't be at a six GB disadvantage again.
3. Launch with at least three AAA games, even if that means canceling some Gamecube titles and moving them to the N2004/2005 launch. Have a new Mario platformer, a great new racing game like Wave Race or F-Zero, and a new Smash Bros. title at launch. Nintendo is the best game developer in the world, and they better come out the gate guns blazing. Sony and MS cannot do that. Capcom canceling RE4 in favor of a N2004 launch might be a good idea as well, since their RE exclusivity ends after RE4.
4. Have a couple more AAA titles come out just a couple of months after launch, and keep the hits coming on a regular basis. Six month gaps between big games is not acceptable anymore.
5. Have full DTS (or Dolby Digital, if DTS is not possible) 5.1 support for all games. Progressive scan must be supported for all games as well.
6. MS showed that having a built-in modem and HDD is necessary, especially for online titles. And they better have some sort of online model available at or soon after launch.
7. Have big games from every genre available at launch. Especially sports games. And the sports games better have online modes.
And uh, that’s all I can think of for now.