[KillerGremlin]

Okay, okay, okay, hypothetical scenario.

The year is 1996. Nintendo releases the N64, its new console. Over the next few years, Nintendo alienates most of its 3rd party support, and lets Sony find a ridiculously comfortable niche in a market that is ready for change. The Nintendo 64 was a turning point for Nintendo.

Sony releases the Playstation 2, Nintendo the Gamecube. Microsoft launches the Xbox. The Xbox finds a comfortable niche in a market that is still changing up to this point. Grant it, Microsoft probably wouldn’t have been able to do it without the billions of dollars they have backing them up, but it still happens.

Interesting point: Microsoft and Sony rely on third party support.

Consider this. This is the second generation with the Nintendo-Microsoft-Sony roundabout. Nintendo obviously realizes that they made mistakes in the last two console runs. Proof? They aren’t “competing” with Sony and Microsoft. They are trying to market the Revolution as something completely different.

I'm being optimistic about the Revolution, because right now it looks pretty awesome. But face it, the Gamecube sucked. I mean, I liked it, and apparently you did too. But hey. First, you have the sales. I can go dig up some charts if you want, but the PS2 outsold the Gamecube by a lot, and even though Microsoft lost money on their Xbox, the Xbox still came out on top of the Gamecube a few times. Second, Nintendo started to repair a lot of their third party ties this console run. That’s a good thing. Good for you, good for me, good for the Revolution.

I’m still weighing thought into the question I asked about 2 years into the Gamecube’s life, and it’s: where will Nintendo be in 2 console runs? The Revolution is a heck of a bold move because let’s face it; by having this sweet controller and graphics that don’t match the “competition,” are you scaring away third party support? We’ll see what happens.

But back to my original outburst, you really don’t see this as a kiss-off to the Cube? This game has been in development for ages. The way Twilight Princess is starting to shape out, it looks like the delays are coincidently mirroring the Revolution’s release. Who knows what Nintendo will do. But it’s like out with the old and in with the new! But almost more like, get the hell out we got something new.

Here’s to hoping Nintendo doesn’t pull another generation of E-Card readers and Gameboy-Gamecube connectivity that no average consumer will ever use.


Sure, I'm a zany prick. I also hang out at a few Nintendo-biased forums. And Nintendo is great, look at the Cube, it has tons of great games: a lot of them went under the radar. But, a lot of them were sequels, a lot of them were franchise titles. A lot of them didn't embark from the same cookie cutter mold that Nintendo continues to use for a lot of its titles.

The year is 2020. You'll be playing Metroid 47. And Zelda: The Battle to Defeat Ganon....again! And yeah, someone will be playing Halo 17. But this is more software than hardware, and that's a little bit of a different debate.