The GCN's biggest "Flaw" was a lack of extra stuph as they say. The PS2 had a DVD Player, and surprisingly some people in japan bught the PS2 JUST for DVD Playback, and NOT for games, that's something to consider. The Xbox was loaded with extras, and even if most of them were useless (Custom Soundtracks a s gekko pointed out), they made the people who want game systems to wipe their @$$es for them, VERY, VERY happy.
If the GCN II had a yachtload of extra "junk" added into it, more of the older demographic would buy it, the watercoolers, modders, and those guys.
Also the the Pruiple lunchbox idea has to go, it works, but only if you have other "Cool Colors" with it, this wasn't a bads idea, until it was a purple-only thing, weird colors sell, as long as their are a LOT of them, kinda like Green PC's.
Also I thought about what Gekko said with HD-DVDs and my guess, is that unlike DVD-R's and DVD Videos, HD-DVD's won't catch on, I always new DVD-ROM would catch on, even as a Video-Only standard for Mac/PC (Windows or Linux), and sure enough it did.
Now "Format variants" as I like to call them, are a problem.
Video CD (VCD) caught on in Eurpoe and Asia, but not in the USA. Super VCD (SVCD's) Never caught on in the USA and nottoo much in Eurpoe either, btu their HUGE in Asia.
SACD's (Super AUDIO CD's) Never Really Caought on in the USA, and neither did 8-Track Aduio Tapes, think about it, the 8-Track player was short-lived, betamax VCR's died out afdter about 7 years, (Stupid because they had a better picture than VHS, VHS had better sound) and SACD's, while sold in stores like "Best Buy", aren't very common, and aren't seen as playable on many CD Players.
I own't even mentioin Laserdisk Players, they died quicker than 8-Track Audio.
Now what do all these things have in common? They were all "variants" of a previous "idea" that never worked, nor did it have any SIGNIFIGANT Advantages over it's predecccesor's of the time, even VCDs and SACDs are virtually unheard of to the general US Public, and thus, they failed.
Now DVD Video took off because of the HUGE Advance in Quality and shelf-life over VHS as well as what you could stick on one disck. DVD-ROM Discs still haven't become very popular and HD-DVD's are probably dead before their birht for a reason.
DVD Audio is next. Since DVD Audio would do to the Audio CD, what a DVD Video Did to VHS Cassettes and Laserdiscs, it's safe to assume, that this will be the next "Big" DVD Advancement for Early Adoptors, 6.1 Sound and more Types of Music than you can shake a stick at for compression, I could see MPEG-4 DVD Audio catching on quickly, and even the current PCM soundsystems remaining in use.
Then there are recordable DVD's, since people have the biggest gripe of "I have 500 VHS Videos, I cna't get the d@mn things on DVD!!!" syndrome, and DVD/VCR Combo machines are bulky and annoying for many, the Solution will be DVD-R/W DVD+R/W and possibly DVD-RAM used like a Tape-Storage Drive.
Since DVD RECORDERS will come into play soon as well, HD-DVDs probably won't make it, at least not until 2010, when the next next-gen consoles appear.
Also, think about S-VHS VCRs and how popular they are? Most people don't even know they exist, that's probably how HD-DVDs will be.
HD-DVD isa good diea in theory, with HD Signals being Mandated, but I can see them being overlooked just like the 8-Track Audio Cassette, the SACD, ther VCD the SVCD, and even the Betamax and S-VHS VCRs.
Ask a normal guy on the street if he knows what an SACD is, and he'lll probably say he doesn't. That's the problem with HD-DVDsa, they'll be as short-lived as Minidisk's for most people and won't be worth the trouble, DVD succeeded, ebcause it was a completely new idea for Video, and was M
My Idea, is to incorperate Panasonic's latest DVD Writer line (Namely the HS2) a $1000 Set-Top DVD Burner, with a 40GB HDD, which will probably drop in price soon, into the next Nintendo Console.
Japan had the Panasonic "Q", which could playback DVDs, but the USA Never saw this machine, and it hurt potential buyers for the DVD/Console Combo.
NOw my Idea is this, DVD recorders shoudl drop in price to about $250 by the time our Next-Gen GCN arrives, the GCN coud comein two versions, one would be a "Standard" DVD Player/Game Console Combo, and the other, more expensive $300 GCN II could incorperate the functionality of a DVD Burner into it, based on the Panasonic DMR-HS2.
Since the only thing you'd need ot add in to a system that already has a 40GB HDD, a DV Input, and is basically a DVD Player/Recxorder is GAMING Capabilites, you could easily stick four controller porst on a "Varation" of the DVD Writer, and make it possible to play GCN games with an "Input switch" that would read "GameCube/DVD/HDD" on the remote control.
In addition, the unit wouldn't be like the Nuon desinged only for Games as a "Side Idea, the System would be branded with botht he Nintendo and Panasonic Logos, and would function as a multi-purpose device with Gaming in mind, the idea would be having a broadmband modem hardwired in the back for exclusive content from Nintendo delivered througha cable line and whatnot, as well as recording and Watching DVDs.
This would be good for College Studnets short on space, and would bring DVD Burners into more common use. In addition, Nintendo would be the first to have a System that recorded, and Played DVDs as well as games, and maybe it could allow people who want to play out of region games to get a "Regional Code" like the ones DVD's use.
In addition, the new GCN II should NOT have a Slot-system, because it restricts the format of discs to the point where you can't play 8Cm disc and "Standard' Dsics in the same machine, also I've heard Slot-loading DVD/CD Drives have a habbit of breaking more often.
I wouldn't mind a "Front-loading' Tray though, as long as the Disc doesn't require a "protective case" like some DVD-RAM Discs do, which again, is goodfor recording because Panasonic's DMR-HS2 DVD Writer allwos the use of BOTH Cartirdge and NOn-Cartirdge DVD-RAM Discs, I guess the idea could be that if you needed to play an 8Cm GCN I Disc, you could put it in a "cartirdge Tray" like a DVD-RAM and if you needed to play a GCN II Dsic, you could put it in a regular disc tray.
I don't think HD-DVD is the way to go, I think an integrated DVD Burner, or 6.1 Audio is a good idea though as is a new "Version" of the 8cm Discs and using "Standrad' DVD Sized Discs, but with a new fromat designed specificallyfor the GCN II.
To check against Piracy, the Disc could be Encrypted "DVD Style" with a Reghional Code, if you wanted a back-up, you'd have to pay Nintendo to mkae one and stamp it 'Archival", basically an idea that would mkae it so that you couldn't back-up your games legally (You can't now either, but tihs would reinforce the idea) and that it would be easier to tell a Pirated game from a genuine one.
In additon, maybe nintendo could "Etch" the Seal of Quality in the Bottom of "Liscened' games, so you'd know what was real, an what was priated, an idea being used in CD Burners now.
The differance owuld be that the Seal of Quality could have the look of those M$ CD's that say "Microsft" and then "Genuine" when titled, but for games.
My point in closing, avoid HD-DVDs they'll be a fad, nothing more until 2010, DVD Audio will catch on because it's essentially a "New" Format for Music, and HD-DVDs will last as long as SVCD and SACD's have lasted.
Also, I'd design three Systems as follows:
1. GCN II "Lite Version" -- Would be just a game Consoel by Nintendo.
2. GCN II "Standard Version" -- Would include DVD Playback capability from Panasonic and Nintendo.
3. GCN II "Deluxe Edition" -- Would be expensive, include a DVD Burner and would be produced in Limited Qauntitiues for places like Eb and Gamestop as well as Video stores, not sold in palces like Wal-mart and Target or other Chains.
If anyone sees where I'[m going with this speak up. I want to know how many people would thinkof this as a more "Customized' GCN, or a waste fo the Big "N's" Money. I could see the differetn "Verrsions' appealing to differnt Demographics. Obviously a 5 year old wouldn't get the Deluxe Version, and a Techie wouldn't get the "Lite" version.
) like the Xbox features. Pretty useless I think, but some people love them.
Linear Mode
