VG Theory Productions

Nintendo is finally ready to unveil the juicy details of their plans for the Revolution launch. Whilst perusing IGN at two in the morning(as I am often apt to do, as mentioned in another rant), I happened upon an article detailing much of the information that I have wanted to know about the upcoming launch of the new Nintendo. As I read the entry, however, my excitement for the new console was somewhat tempered. Frankly, I think they have slipped up just a “wee” little bit(hah…hah…ha…).

“The Big N is set to officially announce that the system will hit retail in North and South America for $250 on November 19.”

Alright, technically Nintendo was perfectly honest here. The official word, back around E3 2006, was that Revolution wouldn’t cost more than $250 when it hit. However, this really implies that the price might go lower, maybe even significantly lower. But no, we are meant to purchase what is basically a souped-up Gamecube with a cool little controller that was originally designed to be an add-on for the Cube, at a premium price no less. Sure, it’s cheaper than the competition. The Xbox 360 weighs in at a “hefty” $300 dollars for the Core bundle(here in the states), and it only comes with next-generation graphical capabilities befitting a next-generation console.

This isn’t about graphics, though. I understand Nintendo’s idea with Revolution. I get it. Beefier hardware isn’t always the solution, especially these days. I get that. What I don’t get is how they can truly justify a next-generation price point for a system that is not really next-generation. An extra $150 bucks for Gamecube 1.5, yay. Sure, they beefed up the Revolution hardware somewhat. Smash Bros. Brawl looks absolutely stunning, as do many of the other games displayed at the various trade shows since E3. But let’s be realistic here.

“Nintendo’s Wii console will come packaged with one Wii remote, one nunchuck attachment, an AC adapter, an audio/video cable, a sensor bar, sensor bard stand, a Wii console stand and two batteries. The US package will also come bundled with a copy of Wii Sports, a compilation sports game that best shows off the mechanics of the system’s unique controller. Wii Sports features tennis, baseball, golf and previously unannounced bowling and boxing games.”

What are you actually buying when you purchase the Revolution? First, a Gamecube with better graphics. Not awe-inspiring graphics, just somewhat better graphics. They’re also providing WiFi capability, which is nice but relatively cheap. And the ability to use SD cards for game saves or Virtual Console storage. Pretty cheap. And the Virtual Console itself…We all know that the Gamecube could easily handle the emulation of every single console supported in the VC. With the exception of the TurboGrafx-16, it’s already been done. Look at Sonic Mega Collection. Look at Animal Crossing. Look at the Megaman X Collection. Unless I’m mistaken, even Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask were emulated for their ‘re-release’ on the Cube.

So we’re getting the online framework that should have been up and running for the Gamecube at it’s launch. We get a Pack-In. Don’t get me wrong on this one, I think packing in a game at launch for a console is absolutely superb. Most logical move possible, for any company, and yet it’s a rarity these days, aside from expensive bundles. Whether or not the chosen title, Wii Sports, is the right choice is best left for launch.

Oh, yeah, and we get one controller. ONE CONTROLLER. Nintendo has gone on record numerous times that the system is about bringing gamers together, about families playing games with one another. In other words, multiplayer is key. And we get one freaking controller? From the information released thus far, we don’t even get the ‘Classic Controller’ attachment for playing VC games. I think it borders on hypocrisy, frankly.

“Nintendo Co. Ltd. revealed that Wii’s various controllers would be available to buy separately at launch. The Wii remote will cost 3800 yen or about $40; the nunchuck 1800 yen or about $20 and the classic controller 1800 yen or about $20.”

At the top of their game, as usual, Nintendo is there to provide those extra controllers for you at launch. Ah, always thinking of the consumer. If you have ever wondered about Nintendo’s strategy for making money on low-tech consoles, just look at the peripherals. $40 dollars for an extra controller. How’s that for value? We don’t even know if the remote comes with the nunchuck attachment when you buy one(although, I am inclined to think that they are “sold separately”). So if you wanted a second controller for your new multiplayer console experience, you’re just now out an extra $60 dollars. Suddenly that value-packed console jumps from it’s perfectly reasonable $250 dollars up to $310 dollars. For a second controller!

“Wii’s much talked-about Virtual Console download service, which enables gamers to purchase classic games, will offer a library of some 30 titles when the system launches. Titles will include entries from the Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong franchises, Nintendo said. Virtual Console games will cost between $5 and $10 each. Specifically, Nintendo Co. Ltd. announced that Virtual Console games would cost 500 yen ($5), 800 yen ($8) or 1,000 yen ($10); we’re presuming these prices are for NES, SNES and N64 games respectively.”

I won’t go too deep into the Virtual Console concept here, but a couple of nagging details bother me. Firstly, $5 dollars for an NES game. Cheaper than the GBA’s Classic NES series, that’s for sure. But worth noting is that, in the Classic series, at least then you got a physical cartridge, box, and manual. I can see $5 dollars as being a bargain for those games you never got to play as a kid, maybe the games that are now considered pretty rare. In that sense, sure, it’s a bargain. What about the games you know you’ll want to play, the ones that can be had in used game shops for less than $5 dollars, again for the physical goods, and some with boxes and manuals? Are you really willing to buy Super Mario Bros. for $5 dollars when you can pick up the actual cart for a buck? “Tain’t a real bargain there, folks.

Let’s face it, the retro games, at these prices, are really only for impulse buyers or for the people who don’t care about the price. Mainstream consumers. The kinds of people that buy cheap $5 dollar Java games for MIDP-enabled cell phones. Most gamers I know wouldn’t want to buy most of these games again. Hell, a lot of people I know, myself included, still have a lot of these games.

If Nintendo were to release a cheap $10 dollar USB adapter that had a cartridge connector on the end that let you back up your own, legally owned, cartridges to the internal memory of the console, then I would be perfectly fine with the pricing. I’d lay off right now. Why? Because I wouldn’t have to make the decision to buy any of these old games again. I own quite a few old NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64 carts(sorry T-16 fans, I never had one growing up. Never even saw one growing up…). Right now, though, for me personally, Nintendo is trying to convince me to buy the same games from them AGAIN. And, except for a few rare occasions, i’m not willing to do it.

And why is Nintendo only prepping around 30 games for download from the VC service? I mean, that’s kind of how an emulator works. It emulates a system, so that for the most part, any game for that system will run just fine. Just seems silly to me, unless they plan to stagger the ‘release’ of VC games, which also seems silly, given that most VC games are already pretty old.

“In a surprise announcement, Nintendo said that it wanted to make Wii a living room centerpiece by shipping the system with features outside of the videogame realm. Wii will include a photo channel, enabling users to display their digital photos through the console. It will also boast regularly updated news and weather channels. In addition, the system will ship with the Opera Web browser, enabling users to connect online.”

Aside from the inclusion of the Opera browser, I’m not sure I really get the point for these “channels”. Photo channel? Like, you take an SD card with photos and view them on the console? Uh, okay….I don’t really see the point, but I won’t argue with you. Bundling the browser, though, now that makes great sense. I’m not sure how practical it will be to browse the web on your tv, with all the resolution issues, but in a way, it is cool that you could just fire up the browser while you’re on the couch and check your email real quick, or look something up, etc. Let’s hope Opera doesn’t castrate the Revolution browser like they did with the DS version.

“One of the channels available on Wii is called the “Mii Channel.” Here, players can customize avatars by selecting from a variety of face shapes, hair styles, color schemes, and so on. The hook is that these avatars can not only be stored on the console itself, they can also be transfered to the Wii remote itself — presumably so players can easily access their personalized characters and take them with them when playing against friends.”

Not having seen it yet, nor tried it, I can’t really say much about the “Mii Channel”. Seems almost pointless, but whatever…

“Nintendo will launch Wii in Japan on December 2 of this year for 25,000 yen, it revealed. North America will get the system first.”

For the second time since the DS launch, Nintendo is bringing it’s console to the American market BEFORE it hit’s the Japanese market. The reason this is cool news(well, for US gamers) is that Nintendo, up till the DS launch, had a habit of launching new consoles in Japan first. So, it’s kind of a cool moment for US gamers to point and laugh at our Japanese brethren for a couple of weeks. Pointless, sure, but damn fun.

I’m not overly pessimistic about how well the Revolution will fare once it’s on the market. I’m sure it will do just fine for Nintendo. I’m equally sure that gamers, and perhaps even non-gamers alike, will get plenty of fun out of the console in the next few years. At the same time, I am kind of perturbed for the hardcore gamers. For people that look at the console and compare it to it’s competitors, and to previous launches, and we watch Nintendo’s every move with binoculars while hiding in the bushes; that’s who I am upset for. Nintendo will rake in money this holiday season, and unfortunately, I am not convinced the price equals the content.

-Ricky Coulter, upset about the details but happy to have them, nevertheless.