Read the Miyamoto interview in full right here!
Mario, Zelda, everything – Full Famitsu translation inside
When Shigeru Miyamoto talks, people tend to listen. Although his recent appearance in Famitsu didn’t really break any ground (and is possibly disingenuous in parts) it does offer the freshest insight to date into the core production ideals at Nintendo.
Enjoy:
Interviewer Hamamura (hereinafter, Hamamura): Since the Nintendo DS (hereinafter, DS) was announced, over 2 million units have been pre-ordered, far more than the number that can possibly be shipped by the end of the year. How do you react to that?
Miyamoto: First of all, Nintendo announced it in January. After that, lots of people got to try it for the first time at E3 in May, and we got a considerable response.
Hamamura: It was pretty amazing, wasn’t it? People waited an hour and a half to try it.
Miyamoto: Really? [Smiles] But, returning to Japan, I asked my kids at home about it and they said, “What’s a DS?” I then realized that the name hasn’t gotten around yet. From the start, the DS has been for a market that doesn’t yet exist, as it was made with the intention of being something that would be more widely used in the world. What that means is, there was no way to be prepared for this news. In this case, I think it’s fortunate that so many pre-orders have accumulated due to high expectations.
Hamamura: President Iwata said so, but up until now, games have been controlled with a d-pad and A and B buttons. In that regard, the DS boldly introduces a touch-screen and voice input for a really unique means of control.
Miyamoto: The d-pad is also on the DS, but I was worried about its removal many times during development. However, it’s used by lots of previous games. Surprisingly, I didn’t know at the time that the DS would also play GBA games.
Hamamura: The design behind the DS aside, it seems that today’s players are worried about the video game industry.
Miyamoto: Looking at society as a whole, Nintendo has come to understand that there are people who play video games and people who don’t. That sense of crisis really does exist, doesn’t it? During the Famicom era, anyone could play.
Hamamura: It was new to everyone.
Miyamoto: Right, right. [Smiles] When we made Super Mario back then, people would react by saying, “Ah!” When we make Mario nowadays, people only say, “Oh.” [Smiles painfully] Since we want their attention, I think we’re making games on the DS that anyone can play.
Hamamura: With the Famicom, Nintendo established the d-pad and A and B buttons in video game culture. It took some courage to break away from that culture for something new, didn’t it?
Miyamoto: I was just getting tired of my own style of games. Games that just use the d-pad and A and B buttons seemed limited. Nevertheless, adding more buttons makes things more complicated… That’s something I’ve felt ever since the Nintendo 64, and so now we’ve made games like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Mario Party 6, and Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation. It’s good that the DS has two screens and a touch-screen. By trying out controls that have not been seen before, can games be designed to use only a stylus? That’s the kind of thing I think we’ll see a lot of.
Hamamura: Is that right?
Miyamoto: We’ve got some ideas rolling around. There will be games with classic controls like Super Mario 64 DS, the kind that can even be played on the latest cell phones, but that’s not the main goal of the games we’ll sell. Therefore, the DS will act as a pillar that won’t flow with the old style. That doesn’t mean that the GBA will be discontinued. We feel that both can continue to be supported.
Hamamura: So conversely, you say that the DS isn’t the successor to the GBA?
Miyamoto: Right, in our minds.
Hamamura: Is that so?
Miyamoto: Yeah. However, the next step for portables is certainly a high-powered GBA. This isn’t the successor. We feel that the DS can do things that the Cube and the GBA can’t.
Hamamura: PictoChat is built into the DS, and so everyone with a system can enjoy it.
Miyamoto: That’s right. I also thought it’d be good for public relations.
Hamamura: Drawing and sending pictures is fresh and really fun.
Miyamoto: Really. Anyone can bring up a new topic and things are kept interesting. [Smiles] For example, “Draw Mario!” and so on. If someone’s drawing is good, someone else will want to add another, spreading the fun.
Hamamura: Our editors are now taking up the subject of Puppy Times (tentative title). Its concept is also different from anything we’ve seen before.
Miyamoto: Although I’m worried that it can’t help but become a game, I think it’d be fine even if it didn’t. Everyone just wants something fun. If a game is fun, then I just think people will want it. In my own experience, women hold interest in games across a wider range of ages than men.
Hamamura: Uh-huh.
Miyamoto: The musical performance in Jam with the Band is also really fun because humming into the microphone can create a musical score.
Hamamura: The DS can be found to have fun experiences in totally different ways in its games, right?
Miyamoto: It’s not something to find, it’s truly there.
Hamamura: Is that so? Well then, I’m sure there’s more to come.
Miyamoto: Although there are lots of jobs to make regular video game that respond to customers’ expectations, unpredictable games are now appearing more and more. Which, when made, will be unable to stop the joy! [Smiles]
Hamamura: Sounds great.
Miyamoto: Further, worried game designers have looked at the DS since last year and were convinced of this. Will the different means of communication be interesting? A DS placed inside of a bag can automatically detect another system within 30 meters and can give rise to changes in games.
Hamamura: That’s a great breakthrough! With new concepts and actions, the DS is a machine that offers something we really haven’t seen before, isn’t it?
Miyamoto: Yes. [Smiles]
Hamamura: Nintendo has said that the Internet is not worthwhile to its business framework, but would rather find out how it can make playing fun. I think the recognition of that is spreading through society in general. However, something more was said: when there’s a use that lends itself naturally to play, then preparations will commence. The former statement seems very strong, and has given Nintendo an image of being against networking. Even at the presentation a few days ago (10/7), Mr. Kawazu of Square-Enix spoke very little about it during his appearance. Can you expand upon this at all?
Miyamoto: The management of the company has lately had talks with all sorts of other companies about whether we should handle the Internet. However, that will probably bear fruit after three or four years.
Hamamura: That long of a time span?
Miyamoto: With the DS, I think it’ll be faster. I think it will take more time to get users and investors to the same level of interest. In shaping the future, we’re moving in a positive direction. I can’t say anything more until it’s formally announced.
Hamamura: I see. For something that interesting, I don’t think Nintendo will be lacking.
Miyamoto: Yeah, because of our cooperation with Square-Enix. [Smiles] I think there’ll be a hint hidden in Animal Crossing.
Hamamura: With the DS offering so many new ways of playing, will the Revolution, with its heterogeneous goods, also expand the horizons of what consoles have been able to do?
Miyamoto: Like professionals, the players’ expectations won’t stop pointing the way. If we betray them, then I believe our products will lack value. The basic art form of creating interesting video games to play is still full of potential. Please look forward to the results.
Enjoy:
Interviewer Hamamura (hereinafter, Hamamura): Since the Nintendo DS (hereinafter, DS) was announced, over 2 million units have been pre-ordered, far more than the number that can possibly be shipped by the end of the year. How do you react to that?
Miyamoto: First of all, Nintendo announced it in January. After that, lots of people got to try it for the first time at E3 in May, and we got a considerable response.
Hamamura: It was pretty amazing, wasn’t it? People waited an hour and a half to try it.
Miyamoto: Really? [Smiles] But, returning to Japan, I asked my kids at home about it and they said, “What’s a DS?” I then realized that the name hasn’t gotten around yet. From the start, the DS has been for a market that doesn’t yet exist, as it was made with the intention of being something that would be more widely used in the world. What that means is, there was no way to be prepared for this news. In this case, I think it’s fortunate that so many pre-orders have accumulated due to high expectations.
Hamamura: President Iwata said so, but up until now, games have been controlled with a d-pad and A and B buttons. In that regard, the DS boldly introduces a touch-screen and voice input for a really unique means of control.
Miyamoto: The d-pad is also on the DS, but I was worried about its removal many times during development. However, it’s used by lots of previous games. Surprisingly, I didn’t know at the time that the DS would also play GBA games.
Hamamura: The design behind the DS aside, it seems that today’s players are worried about the video game industry.
Miyamoto: Looking at society as a whole, Nintendo has come to understand that there are people who play video games and people who don’t. That sense of crisis really does exist, doesn’t it? During the Famicom era, anyone could play.
Hamamura: It was new to everyone.
Miyamoto: Right, right. [Smiles] When we made Super Mario back then, people would react by saying, “Ah!” When we make Mario nowadays, people only say, “Oh.” [Smiles painfully] Since we want their attention, I think we’re making games on the DS that anyone can play.
Hamamura: With the Famicom, Nintendo established the d-pad and A and B buttons in video game culture. It took some courage to break away from that culture for something new, didn’t it?
Miyamoto: I was just getting tired of my own style of games. Games that just use the d-pad and A and B buttons seemed limited. Nevertheless, adding more buttons makes things more complicated… That’s something I’ve felt ever since the Nintendo 64, and so now we’ve made games like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Mario Party 6, and Yoshi’s Universal Gravitation. It’s good that the DS has two screens and a touch-screen. By trying out controls that have not been seen before, can games be designed to use only a stylus? That’s the kind of thing I think we’ll see a lot of.
Hamamura: Is that right?
Miyamoto: We’ve got some ideas rolling around. There will be games with classic controls like Super Mario 64 DS, the kind that can even be played on the latest cell phones, but that’s not the main goal of the games we’ll sell. Therefore, the DS will act as a pillar that won’t flow with the old style. That doesn’t mean that the GBA will be discontinued. We feel that both can continue to be supported.
Hamamura: So conversely, you say that the DS isn’t the successor to the GBA?
Miyamoto: Right, in our minds.
Hamamura: Is that so?
Miyamoto: Yeah. However, the next step for portables is certainly a high-powered GBA. This isn’t the successor. We feel that the DS can do things that the Cube and the GBA can’t.
Hamamura: PictoChat is built into the DS, and so everyone with a system can enjoy it.
Miyamoto: That’s right. I also thought it’d be good for public relations.
Hamamura: Drawing and sending pictures is fresh and really fun.
Miyamoto: Really. Anyone can bring up a new topic and things are kept interesting. [Smiles] For example, “Draw Mario!” and so on. If someone’s drawing is good, someone else will want to add another, spreading the fun.
Hamamura: Our editors are now taking up the subject of Puppy Times (tentative title). Its concept is also different from anything we’ve seen before.
Miyamoto: Although I’m worried that it can’t help but become a game, I think it’d be fine even if it didn’t. Everyone just wants something fun. If a game is fun, then I just think people will want it. In my own experience, women hold interest in games across a wider range of ages than men.
Hamamura: Uh-huh.
Miyamoto: The musical performance in Jam with the Band is also really fun because humming into the microphone can create a musical score.
Hamamura: The DS can be found to have fun experiences in totally different ways in its games, right?
Miyamoto: It’s not something to find, it’s truly there.
Hamamura: Is that so? Well then, I’m sure there’s more to come.
Miyamoto: Although there are lots of jobs to make regular video game that respond to customers’ expectations, unpredictable games are now appearing more and more. Which, when made, will be unable to stop the joy! [Smiles]
Hamamura: Sounds great.
Miyamoto: Further, worried game designers have looked at the DS since last year and were convinced of this. Will the different means of communication be interesting? A DS placed inside of a bag can automatically detect another system within 30 meters and can give rise to changes in games.
Hamamura: That’s a great breakthrough! With new concepts and actions, the DS is a machine that offers something we really haven’t seen before, isn’t it?
Miyamoto: Yes. [Smiles]
Hamamura: Nintendo has said that the Internet is not worthwhile to its business framework, but would rather find out how it can make playing fun. I think the recognition of that is spreading through society in general. However, something more was said: when there’s a use that lends itself naturally to play, then preparations will commence. The former statement seems very strong, and has given Nintendo an image of being against networking. Even at the presentation a few days ago (10/7), Mr. Kawazu of Square-Enix spoke very little about it during his appearance. Can you expand upon this at all?
Miyamoto: The management of the company has lately had talks with all sorts of other companies about whether we should handle the Internet. However, that will probably bear fruit after three or four years.
Hamamura: That long of a time span?
Miyamoto: With the DS, I think it’ll be faster. I think it will take more time to get users and investors to the same level of interest. In shaping the future, we’re moving in a positive direction. I can’t say anything more until it’s formally announced.
Hamamura: I see. For something that interesting, I don’t think Nintendo will be lacking.
Miyamoto: Yeah, because of our cooperation with Square-Enix. [Smiles] I think there’ll be a hint hidden in Animal Crossing.
Hamamura: With the DS offering so many new ways of playing, will the Revolution, with its heterogeneous goods, also expand the horizons of what consoles have been able to do?
Miyamoto: Like professionals, the players’ expectations won’t stop pointing the way. If we betray them, then I believe our products will lack value. The basic art form of creating interesting video games to play is still full of potential. Please look forward to the results.
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Comments
Showing the 20 most recent comments. Read all 30.
Ditto 30 Nov 2004 08:51
11/30
Microsoft and innovation...? Ha ha ha!
kid_77 30 Nov 2004 09:22
12/30
Well, M$ are the 1st console manufacturor to put a PC in a box and slap a green sticker on it??
Credit where credits due...
Credit where credits due...
more comments below our sponsor's message
config 30 Nov 2004 10:00
13/30
LUPOS 30 Nov 2004 16:30
14/30
kid_77 wrote:
Well, M$ are the 1st console manufacturor to put a PC in a box and slap a green sticker on it??
Credit where credits due...
Credit where credits due...
XBOX FAN BOY TOO THE RESCUE!!!!!
i know i talked about this the other day somewhere but, the xbox is not a pcs in a box. it is a pc processor this is true and its graphics chip is from a pcs graphics chip maker, and there is indeeed ram in it but the way it is put together is not a standard pc build. It is a custom made arcitecture with a faster bus than a normal pc at the time. and for refference sake the graphics chip in the cube is made by ati, a pc manufacturere, and the cube has a powerpc processor, the same kind used in macs. The PS2 is a bit more from scratch but it certainly has its design flaws so i wouldnt really consider that an asset.
also sega gets credit for analog control (knights in to dreams?) and microsoft have done more to revolutionize consol gaming with live than any one else has in recent years. As for the eye toy it is far from a new idea,they have had motion trackign games in arcades and things for years. The relative sucess of the device compared to other strange ventures into perpheral land (u-force, powerglove) is that there are liek 70 million ps2s in the world, selling a million eye toys aint exactly sucess, im sure 1 70th of all nintendo owners had power pads, but when they only sold liek 20 million systems world wide back then 1/70 wasnt enough to make it a success. In my opinion sega has done the most in the way of worth while inovations and its a shame they arent making consoles any more. they had built in internet support on the dream cast before M$ did it, they did analog first, they used cd's first. They made the first worth while 3d game system. I realize that turbo graphix had a cd player before sega did but that system ultimatly sdidnt hold up so the sega cd was probably the most succesfull cd based console in the beging(3d0 and cd-i where far from succesfull). Who here hasn't played sewer shark? and sonic cd was FANTASTIC! and the infamos night stalkers.
as for sony inovating anything that is just laughable, sega had the modem built in to the dream cast and sony cant even follow suit. consoles have had 4 controller ports since the n64 and they stick with 2, so you can buy a 40$ mulit-tap like a sucker(or cause the week ass system coudl handle four player split screen well enough). The controller for the ps2 is almost exactly the same as the dual shock on the ps1 and the only reason they ever added the sticks was cause they realized 3d games kinda suck when played with a d-pad, way to think ahead guys. Wasnt untill after sega released there analog controler and the n64 came out that they wised up. If any body has any other instances of sony inovation please let me know. Other wise i think sega and nintendo are the raining kings of inovation in this industry.
Also i own a virtual boy and love it dearly, it was incredibly cool and had some very creative game play that hasnt been recreated to this day, its a damn shame it was so big and not portable and expensive, and blinding, and red... but nobody's perfect :)
_____________
Ditto 30 Nov 2004 16:49
15/30
Technically the Xbox is a PC. As you stated it uses a PC processor, and therefore the supporting electronics are geared towards that. Quite how you think it can use a PC processor and a different bus is beyond me. They are almost one and the same (well I know that's not strictly true, but you know what I mean). If you used a faster bus with a standard PC processor then you would be overclocking it - not making it any less of a PC.
I agree with your other comments. Sony tend to be people that cause technology to mature in gaming rather than innovate.
I agree with your other comments. Sony tend to be people that cause technology to mature in gaming rather than innovate.
LUPOS 30 Nov 2004 19:42
16/30
Im not an expert on the specifics of it nor woudl i claim to be but the way i had read about it is that its basically like a high end custom pc designed just for graphics, like if you buy a computer from SGI. The board that conects all the parts was specially designed to work best with all the specifics parts, it doesnt have any of the bottle necks and errors that would be more of a problem when tryign to make a one size fits all pc part. Also just because it uses the same procesor as a pc isn't necesarily a knock against it, it just bugs me that people just throw that phrase around like its a bad thing. "oh its just a pc in a box" so what, what if it is, its the strongest system out there and it is incredibly easy to develop for, unliek the ps2 which everyoen complained about when it first came out caus of the wrid way the architecture is set up. remember those first few games that wheren't even anti-aliased caused they couldnt do it without slowng the whoel thing down. Seems to me liek it was a fantastic idea shoving pc parts in a smaller box. somebody tell me the down side to their strategy cause if there is one i dont know about it. and no the fact that its kinda big doenst count as a negative to me, i dont live in a closet in japan so i dont mind the extra inch of console on my shelf.
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Ditto 1 Dec 2004 08:55
17/30
But if you compare the Xbox PC architecture to the Gamecube's PowerPC they must be nearly comparable in terms of multimedia performance. You can almost recompile for Xbox rather than have to wrestle with the Emotion Engine - it is much easier to develop for.
I just think that Mircosoft are lazy bunging a PC in a box. Their next generation Xbox, based on PowerPC, should be much better.
We can all predict what Microsoft and Sony will come up with, the interesting thing is quite what Nintendo will do with Revolution...
I just think that Mircosoft are lazy bunging a PC in a box. Their next generation Xbox, based on PowerPC, should be much better.
We can all predict what Microsoft and Sony will come up with, the interesting thing is quite what Nintendo will do with Revolution...
kid_77 1 Dec 2004 09:45
18/30
This article is very interesting, and informative.
BTW, I'm not a Xbox hater; I own one and love it (mainly due to reasons mentioned in the above article).
BTW, I'm not a Xbox hater; I own one and love it (mainly due to reasons mentioned in the above article).
SPInGSPOnG 1 Dec 2004 11:44
19/30
Adam M wrote:
I just think that Mircosoft are lazy bunging a PC in a box. Their next generation Xbox, based on PowerPC, should be much better.
It'll just be another PC in a box. A newer PC in a box, sure. But a PC in a box all the same...
kid_77 1 Dec 2004 13:03
20/30
Well, it actually looks like it will be GameCube in a box:
CPU - IBM
GPU - ATi
;-)
CPU - IBM
GPU - ATi
;-)
LUPOS 1 Dec 2004 15:07
21/30
kid_77 wrote:
Well, it actually looks like it will be GameCube in a box:
CPU - IBM
GPU - ATi
;-)
CPU - IBM
GPU - ATi
;-)
thats what i'm saying. i dont understand how people thinsk its lazy of them to make a pc in a box. probably saved alot of money on development. and the parts for it are goign to be mass produced for pc's as well so that makes the purchase price for ms cheaper in the long run than if they where xbox specific chips. I just don't see the down side of a pc in a box, especially since its the best sytem going at the moment. I'm actully suprised sony arent following suit with the ps3 since they have the same "all-in-one media center" vision for there consoles as ms does.
As for the fact that it is easy to get pc soft ware to run on it doesnt seem like a knock against it either, im sure alot of xboxs have been sold specifically to uses as media center pcs. im sure it is possible to get make a web browser for the game cube and ps2 also, it woudl just be more difficult cause it is a different platform. All the resources are there. hell the ps2 has usb ports on the front so you can use a mouse and keyboard.
anyway, fine xbox is just a pc in a box... what i want to know is... so what? why is this bad? i asked that in my last post and still havent gotten a good reason. its just a talking point, and it was used as a jab at m$ which to me doesn't make sense.
__________
kid_77 1 Dec 2004 15:48
22/30
I agree it's a nonsense to ridicule a console on the basis of it combining PC parts (LAN Card, IDE HD) to a PC motherboard (Intel Celeron, DDR Memory, IDE Controller, Ethernet Controller), because - as we all know - it's all about bigotry... ... I mean enjoyment ;-)
I really don't expect the XB2 to be quite so blatantly dependent on current PC technology, but really all we can do is speculate on the final product.
I actually hope it will be (and backward compatible), because the XBOX mod scene is the most exciting thing to happen to consoles ever - unless you only care about "professional" games, with plumbers and ocarina wielding elves ;-)
I really don't expect the XB2 to be quite so blatantly dependent on current PC technology, but really all we can do is speculate on the final product.
I actually hope it will be (and backward compatible), because the XBOX mod scene is the most exciting thing to happen to consoles ever - unless you only care about "professional" games, with plumbers and ocarina wielding elves ;-)
Joji 2 Dec 2004 02:43
23/30
Lupos, check your gaming history before you put your foot in your mouth. It was Nintendo that produced the first analogue pad with N64, and Mario 64 was the first game to be use it.
Sega's answer to this was Nights on the Saturn and their own analogue pad to try steal Mario 64's successful thunder. This is more or less the only reason Nights ever existed in the first place.
"Analog "thumb-sticks" have appeared on the latest generations of console controllers, beginning with the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. The thumb-operated analog stick allows for fine control within the game which would be impossible to achieve by digital means only."
That quote is taken from below, follow link for a history lesson.
http://archive.gamespy.com/hardware/june02/sticks1/
Despite loving or hating Xbox, it is a pc in a box. A PC you can mod, you can too with Xbox. Xbox has a hard drive just like a PC. Xbox is even large like a PC and gives you online gaming updates and patches, just like a PC.
Some of you might ask why is Xbox being like a PC so bad? It's great from a gamers perspective and I'm all for freedom of modding you machines, just like you would your PC. The problem is MS, and because Xbox is THEIR baby, they don't want you cracking it open and making improvements, that they would normally not bat an eyelid to, were Xbox a normal PC. Talk about double standard, and instead of encouraging this freedom of creativity by the same fans that helped them to not only design Xbox and pads, but also helped them two number spot, MS turn round and kick you in the teeth. Nice.
The final nail in the coffin of the XBox/PCbox arguement is that just like the PC, piracy is also rife on Xbox (so much for playing DVD movies, eh? Now MS and Sony are feeling the other side of he double edged DVD sword), to the point it's hurting MS's arse. However as I've said before, this piracy problem is MS's own fault. Piracy has been a problem on PCs for years, but they leave Xbox more open than a lady of the nights' legs. You can never convince me that MS never thought of this, after the several attacks and piracy Windows OS has had in many years on the PC. As a result the likes of Valve, Rockstar, Bungie etc are hurting bad. Perhaps their greed blinded them, while rushing Xbox to the market.
Looks like a pc in a box and acts like one, it's a pc in a box, just more like the bare bones of one, but for gaming.
Sega's answer to this was Nights on the Saturn and their own analogue pad to try steal Mario 64's successful thunder. This is more or less the only reason Nights ever existed in the first place.
"Analog "thumb-sticks" have appeared on the latest generations of console controllers, beginning with the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and Sony PlayStation. The thumb-operated analog stick allows for fine control within the game which would be impossible to achieve by digital means only."
That quote is taken from below, follow link for a history lesson.
http://archive.gamespy.com/hardware/june02/sticks1/
Despite loving or hating Xbox, it is a pc in a box. A PC you can mod, you can too with Xbox. Xbox has a hard drive just like a PC. Xbox is even large like a PC and gives you online gaming updates and patches, just like a PC.
Some of you might ask why is Xbox being like a PC so bad? It's great from a gamers perspective and I'm all for freedom of modding you machines, just like you would your PC. The problem is MS, and because Xbox is THEIR baby, they don't want you cracking it open and making improvements, that they would normally not bat an eyelid to, were Xbox a normal PC. Talk about double standard, and instead of encouraging this freedom of creativity by the same fans that helped them to not only design Xbox and pads, but also helped them two number spot, MS turn round and kick you in the teeth. Nice.
The final nail in the coffin of the XBox/PCbox arguement is that just like the PC, piracy is also rife on Xbox (so much for playing DVD movies, eh? Now MS and Sony are feeling the other side of he double edged DVD sword), to the point it's hurting MS's arse. However as I've said before, this piracy problem is MS's own fault. Piracy has been a problem on PCs for years, but they leave Xbox more open than a lady of the nights' legs. You can never convince me that MS never thought of this, after the several attacks and piracy Windows OS has had in many years on the PC. As a result the likes of Valve, Rockstar, Bungie etc are hurting bad. Perhaps their greed blinded them, while rushing Xbox to the market.
Looks like a pc in a box and acts like one, it's a pc in a box, just more like the bare bones of one, but for gaming.
kid_77 2 Dec 2004 09:26
24/30
Joji wrote:
The final nail in the coffin of the XBox/PCbox arguement is that just like the PC, piracy is also rife on Xbox
Agreed. Piracy on the Xbox is so easy, and once modded with a huge PC hard drive in it, all you have to do is hire a game and copy it to the HD. For the modders, it takes enormous self-restraint not to do this, nor participate in the whole DC++/ BitTorrent method of piracy.
I must admit, I used to download games in order to "try before you buy", but it was obvious I wasn't helping the situation, as I was contributing to the spread of Pirated software.
Joji wrote:
You can never convince me that MS never thought of this, after the several attacks and piracy Windows OS has had in many years on the PC. As a result the likes of Valve, Rockstar, Bungie etc are hurting bad. Perhaps their greed blinded them, while rushing Xbox to the market.
Yes, in having, essentially, an nVidia motherboard with a simple BIOS ROM as it's means of protection (BIOS ROMS are easy to flash), it's incredulous that they thought it was safe from hackers.
I still love my XBox (not M$) though ;-)
LUPOS 2 Dec 2004 13:21
25/30
Joji wrote:
Lupos, check your gaming history before you put your foot in your mouth. It was Nintendo that produced the first analogue pad with N64, and Mario 64 was the first game to be use it.
Nights released 8-21-96
N64 released in the US in sptember
...but the 64 came out in japan in june so you are indeed correct, but being 16 and living in the states i was not as well informed of what was going on in japan as i could have been.
me = pwned , you rule, be proud. way to correct a comment i made three posts ago that is complelty unreleated to what we are talkign about now, thats big of you, mmmmm my foot is soooooooo tasty!
anyway...
so the only reason for complaint anyone can come up with for the xbox being a pc is that its easy for you to get free games for it... uh... guys... i dont know that i would call that a bad thing, especially considering alot of the peopel who bought and modded xbox's never woudl have bothered to buy the system if they would have had to pay for the games. i know at least one person where this is true. so its not really a lost software sale as it is a gained hardware sale (down side for ms is they count on games sales to make up for the fact that they under charge for the system to begin with.) now seeing as i above admitted my error in the xbox being pc question i will try one final time to further my main point... from the perspective of the consumer (i.e. the guys on here who call the xbox a pc as an insult) what is the down side of the xbox being a pc? it is looked down on by alot of people for it and i dont think it has had any adverse affect on the quality of the system or the games.
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ohms 2 Dec 2004 15:22
26/30
LUPOS wrote:
me = pwned , you rule, be proud. way to correct a comment i made three posts ago that is complelty unreleated to what we are talkign about now, thats big of you, mmmmm my foot is soooooooo tasty!
sheesh 3 posts ago Joji man, why you bringing up old s**t ? LOL
Ditto 2 Dec 2004 17:02
27/30
Xbox is just a PC - I will keep repeating - technically it is a PC in terms of hardware. Christ, it even runs the Windows 2000 kernel!
To Rod Todd: the next Xbox will probably be a Mac. PowerPC processors are most widely used in Macs. The GC's PowerPC processor was customised with extra instructions for Nintendo to use. Generic code compiled for some G3 Mac processors will run on the Cube too - hence the Linux on Cube project. However, the hardware supporting the processor in the Cube is, as far as I'm aware, fairly non-standard. Even the graphics card is not typicall ATi (I believe that it was developed by another company before being passed to ATi as the result of a take-over although I can't confirm that). Microsoft used almost "off-the-shelf" components for the Box.
Problems of using the PC x86 architecture:
* It's not optimised for gaming. Designing new processors or modifying them for gaming allowed them to perform optimally.
* As much as we love it, the PC uses old technology. Surely it's best to develop new technology that can encorage innovation?
* It makes developers lazy. It's so easy to develop for Xbox that developers could be encoraged to just recompile existing and not that great games for Xbox.
To Rod Todd: the next Xbox will probably be a Mac. PowerPC processors are most widely used in Macs. The GC's PowerPC processor was customised with extra instructions for Nintendo to use. Generic code compiled for some G3 Mac processors will run on the Cube too - hence the Linux on Cube project. However, the hardware supporting the processor in the Cube is, as far as I'm aware, fairly non-standard. Even the graphics card is not typicall ATi (I believe that it was developed by another company before being passed to ATi as the result of a take-over although I can't confirm that). Microsoft used almost "off-the-shelf" components for the Box.
Problems of using the PC x86 architecture:
* It's not optimised for gaming. Designing new processors or modifying them for gaming allowed them to perform optimally.
* As much as we love it, the PC uses old technology. Surely it's best to develop new technology that can encorage innovation?
* It makes developers lazy. It's so easy to develop for Xbox that developers could be encoraged to just recompile existing and not that great games for Xbox.
LUPOS 2 Dec 2004 18:07
28/30
ohms wrote:
sheesh 3 posts ago Joji man, why you bringing up old s**t ? LOL
fine if you want to point out the error, but the foot in mouth thing was unnecesary, and from where i was standing, in america, i was not wrong as far as i knew, my bad nintendo wins by a month, ok thats, good thanks for the correction, there was no need for the snide comment attatched to it.
LUPOS 2 Dec 2004 18:18
29/30
"Problems of using the PC x86 architecture:
* It's not optimised for gaming. Designing new processors or modifying them for gaming allowed them to perform optimally.
* As much as we love it, the PC uses old technology. Surely it's best to develop new technology that can encorage innovation?
* It makes developers lazy. It's so easy to develop for Xbox that developers could be encoraged to just recompile existing and not that great games for Xbox."
THANK YOU!
1) no its not optimized for gamming but it was a much faster cpu than the others had whch made up for the difference(it is still the most powerfull sytem going), ms probably (and this is just my assumption) thought that it woudl be cheaper to pay a little bit more for each systems parts than it would have been to have developed an entirly new system. save on R&D
2)i agree fully, good point. in the long wrong the xbox's design hasnt really dont anything to aid the progress of console development or technology in general.
3) while this is theoretically true it hasnt really been the case, the ps2 has seen just as many pc converts as the xbox has so its similar architecture didn't really lead to an over abundunce of pc games. However this is due mainly in part to micirosfts policy of keeping the xbox from seeming like a pc because that was one of the early concerns.
thanks again for furthering the conversation
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* It's not optimised for gaming. Designing new processors or modifying them for gaming allowed them to perform optimally.
* As much as we love it, the PC uses old technology. Surely it's best to develop new technology that can encorage innovation?
* It makes developers lazy. It's so easy to develop for Xbox that developers could be encoraged to just recompile existing and not that great games for Xbox."
THANK YOU!
1) no its not optimized for gamming but it was a much faster cpu than the others had whch made up for the difference(it is still the most powerfull sytem going), ms probably (and this is just my assumption) thought that it woudl be cheaper to pay a little bit more for each systems parts than it would have been to have developed an entirly new system. save on R&D
2)i agree fully, good point. in the long wrong the xbox's design hasnt really dont anything to aid the progress of console development or technology in general.
3) while this is theoretically true it hasnt really been the case, the ps2 has seen just as many pc converts as the xbox has so its similar architecture didn't really lead to an over abundunce of pc games. However this is due mainly in part to micirosfts policy of keeping the xbox from seeming like a pc because that was one of the early concerns.
thanks again for furthering the conversation
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Ditto 2 Dec 2004 20:06
30/30
LUPOS wrote:
However this is due mainly in part to micirosfts policy of keeping the xbox from seeming like a pc because that was one of the early concerns.
I must admit that M$ has done an excellent job in this respect. They have managed to filter out a lot of the rubbish that should have populated Xbox.