The N Factor

Bond · 01-27-2002, 10:31 AM

Excerpt from an EGM editorial by Dan "Shoe" Hsu - shoe@ziffdavis.com:

Quote:

Why are they stiffing us (Nintendo)? The Japanese parent company is so protective of its assets, they're willing to hide almost everything from the press in exchange for warm, fuzzy feeling that their unfinished products are not being judged by the public. Needless to say, this is frustrating for us because we can't cover these great GC titles that we're excited to play and you're keen to read about. We've even sent a join industry letter (along with our friends at half-dozen competing magazines and websites) to Nintendo, complaining about the situation. (The reaction to the letter? "We're working on it.") But while we're waiting for old man Nintendo of Japan to ease up on his stinginess, we'll make the best of things and continue to provide the best GameCube (and other console) coverage possible.

EGM: We need screenshots of your new and exciting games, please.
Nintendo:We're working on it.

EGM:We need playable versions of your new and exciting games to preview and review. Please.
Nintendo: We're working on it.

EGM: We need a debug system. You know, the special machine that lets us play early GC games, including those from third parties, so we can preview and review their games and yours? Please!?
Nintendo: We're working on it.

This is also just a little excerpt from the editorial. It goes on to say how also leading third party developers, such as Electronic Arts, are peeved at Nintendo.

Now if anyone would like to say that Microsoft is like this, you are dead wrong. From personal experience Microsoft has provided and are providing their entire first party line up, upon some other videogames, real Xboxes and debug units to all of the leading magazines and their leading websites.

Shadow_Link · 01-27-2002, 10:47 AM

Where did you hear about EA being pis*ed with Nintendo for not providing de-bug kits? To my knowledge, they are pretty happy with everything, and were one of the first companies to receive all these kits from nintendo... Or maybe I am wrong?

Bond · 01-27-2002, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shadow_Link
Where did you hear about EA being pis*ed with Nintendo for not providing de-bug kits? To my knowledge, they are pretty happy with everything, and were one of the first companies to receive all these kits from nintendo... Or maybe I am wrong?

EGM stated that EA is peeved at Nintendo because: If Nintendo doesn't release the information for videogame writers to preview/review, the information doesn't get out. I've also heard it from several of my sources in the videogame industry.

But EA isn't the main fact, it's more like a supporting detail. The main fact is Nintendo is screwing up once again by letting completely nothing out and the majority of the industry is ticked off.

Shadow Fox · 01-27-2002, 02:18 PM

The industry can be pissed all they want, Nintendo is still the highest grossing developer in the world, and they've stayed this way by the "secrets" they're keeping. Now granted, alot of media giants and developers are mad about NCL not getting the word out about their third-party products, but it that anyone's fault but the developer? Nintendo does licensing, and quality assurance only for 3rd party devvers, not PR. The respective publishers of each devver (EA, THQ, Acclaim, Midway, etc) are the ones responsible for a game's promotion, NOT Nintendo.

Nintendo themselves as a first-party, as you may very well know, have no need for "PR", or early reviews/previews of games to help them sell, unlike 3rd and 2nd party devvers for other consoles. Nintendo sells games off its household name alone. Now, EA, Sega, and all the other big publishers have their own promotions/sales divisions, and it is their responsibility, not their console's licenser, to purchase/produce preview build software and hardware for press/feedback relations.

This is something I believe is being started by Microsoft spoiling the industry, since they still fund alot of their 3rd parties for promotion and marketing. Think about it; Sony was in the same spot Nintendo was in back in Fall 2000, but now PS2 dev kits are everywhere...but it took half a year to get to where they are now as far as media kit availabilty. Now that M$'s bankroll has spoiled developers and mainstream media alike by shipping dev kits everywhere (which they also counted as units sold to consumers

), Nintendo is being grilled for this after only 2.5 months in the market, and that is absolutely ludicrous.

Come what may, Nintendo has special "hard drives" in store for developers and media conglomerates, so as to cut down costs on GOD usage for its 3rd-parties, but I'm sure that will not be enough unless Nintendo themselves promote every 3rd party title as their own, just as Sony and Microsoft are now.

Just a little something I've noticed over the years...and it's sickening. At this rate, GamePro and IGN will start asking Nintendo for paychecks for giving rave reviews....

Revival · 01-27-2002, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shadow Fox
At this rate, GamePro and IGN will start asking Nintendo for paychecks for giving rave reviews....

LMAO, that would be the day.

Bond · 01-27-2002, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shadow Fox
The industry can be pissed all they want, Nintendo is still the highest grossing developer in the world, and they've stayed this way by the "secrets" they're keeping. Now granted, alot of media giants and developers are mad about NCL not getting the word out about their third-party products, but it that anyone's fault but the developer? Nintendo does licensing, and quality assurance only for 3rd party devvers, not PR. The respective publishers of each devver (EA, THQ, Acclaim, Midway, etc) are the ones responsible for a game's promotion, NOT Nintendo.

Nintendo themselves as a first-party, as you may very well know, have no need for "PR", or early reviews/previews of games to help them sell, unlike 3rd and 2nd party devvers for other consoles. Nintendo sells games off its household name alone. Now, EA, Sega, and all the other big publishers have their own promotions/sales divisions, and it is their responsibility, not their console's licenser, to purchase/produce preview build software and hardware for press/feedback relations.

This is something I believe is being started by Microsoft spoiling the industry, since they still fund alot of their 3rd parties for promotion and marketing. Think about it; Sony was in the same spot Nintendo was in back in Fall 2000, but now PS2 dev kits are everywhere...but it took half a year to get to where they are now as far as media kit availabilty. Now that M$'s bankroll has spoiled developers and mainstream media alike by shipping dev kits everywhere (which they also counted as units sold to consumers ), Nintendo is being grilled for this after only 2.5 months in the market, and that is absolutely ludicrous.

Come what may, Nintendo has special "hard drives" in store for developers and media conglomerates, so as to cut down costs on GOD usage for its 3rd-parties, but I'm sure that will not be enough unless Nintendo themselves promote every 3rd party title as their own, just as Sony and Microsoft are now.

Just a little something I've noticed over the years...and it's sickening. At this rate, GamePro and IGN will start asking Nintendo for paychecks for giving rave reviews....

You are completely missing my point, I had this same discussion with Shadow Link.

My point is that, I don't want to know the endings to games and all the details, that is perfectly fine with me. But when Nintendo won't even supply it's own fansites and other magazines with a debug unit that is ludicrous. That is my point.

thatmariolover · 01-27-2002, 02:56 PM

Bond is right. I know from personal experience that Nintendo is doing jack-sh*t for Gamecube fan publications. It really is distressing.

Quite frankly I'm getting sick of it. I'd like to just bitch to them non-stop about it, but unfortunately I doubt I'd get anywhere with it.

They are not only uncooperative, they are rude. Very rude.

Me: "Hey, can I get an interview?"

Big N: "Sure! Send me some sample questions."

Me: "OK! Here's 50 questions I'd like to ask."

Three weeks later...

Me: "Hey, did you look over those questions?"

Big N: "What questions?"

Me: "The ones I sent you three weeks ago."

Big N: "Oh yeah... Send them again."

Me: "Ok...."

And so on, and so forth the patern goes...

So I'm getting really sick of it. That's the reason I've never blamed other publications for bad coverage. It's just the way things are. Hopefully things will get better.

Revival · 01-27-2002, 03:11 PM

^^^ Hehe, I can just see that happening

Bond · 01-27-2002, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shooter
^^^ Hehe, I can just see that happening

Honestly, it does. I've heard of people's experiences and I've had personal experiences with Nintendo's foolishness.

Y2Kevbug11 · 01-27-2002, 07:36 PM

Nintendo is a great company, and yeah, they make lots of cash (I don't know WHY you even mentioned that), but when push comes to shove, Nintendo is always shelling itself in secrecy, and in this day and age, it's only working against them.

N8 · 01-27-2002, 09:07 PM

Well, I really don't give a crap what the press has. Sure it may be neat to find out info on the games, but I mean come on...does it really matter as long as we get to play the great games? I don't see why you are getting all ticked about this.

Bond · 01-28-2002, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by N8
Well, I really don't give a crap what the press has. Sure it may be neat to find out info on the games, but I mean come on...does it really matter as long as we get to play the great games? I don't see why you are getting all ticked about this.

Without the debug units of the Nintendo GameCube for the press it is extremely hard to even preview/review imports and other games.

GameKinG · 01-28-2002, 10:19 PM

Yes, EA is peeved with nintendo yet they stated times before that they praise nintendo for its easy development, and technology.

I dont remember the peeved part. They must have saidit at the end. I only read 2/3 of that article awhile back.