Posted October 15, 2005 http://cube.ign.com/mail - 14th Oct 2005 360 or Revolution Hi Matt, I run the SeriousGamer007 blog or whats left of it. I created hype for the Revolution hoping that in some way Nintendo has learned from its mistakes. Anyway after the unveiling of the Controller I feel that Nintendo is done. There past glory will not be found again.? Nintendo makes mistake after mistake. From the past mistakes of the N64 not having a CD-ROM which led many third parties abandoning Nintendo to the lack of online play during the Gamecube era. How can the house that Mario built that practically invented multiplayer action in the home not embrace online play. Now with this pathetic unveiling of the controller no one understands it and many look at Nintendo as being the second console if they will get it at all. Matt I honestly want to know how you can support this console? How can you support Nintendo anymore? You and I are both very similar in the fact that we are gamers and have been gamers for the last 20 years. And you like me can afford multiple consoles. However what happened to the days of Nintendo striving for dominance? Nintendo used to have a monopoly on the market. Now they are barely staying alive it seems. How can the forward thinking company that used to fuse innovation with mainstream appeal now only be going with innovation? Matt I have two questions for you. One is where do you think the problem lies with Nintendo? Is it from Satoru Iwata or the marketing teams? Don't you feel the unveiling was a little lame in Tokyo? Lastly how can you support a console from a company that is only a mirror of its former self? Finally Matt I want to know one question. If you only had enough money to buy one console which one would you buy an Xbox 360 or a Revolution? I want to know. Which console would you buy? Keep in mind you only have enough money to buy one. I know with your sweet ride (your car rocks dude) that you could easily afford all three systems. However lets say that all you have is enough for one. Whats it gonna be? I will be posting this on my popular blog tonight so everyone knows I sent it to you. I want some answers from ya. Why you? Because I respect your opinion in the industry. Thats why. Matt responds: Thanks for the letter. Your reaction to the Revolution's controller is dramatically different than mine, I have to say. I'll be the first to admit that I've often questioned Nintendo's motives. The company has made some downright stupid decisions in the past, as I see it. And sure enough, leading up to the Tokyo Game Show 2005, I was trying to figure out exactly what direction the Big N was going with Revolution because I just couldn't get my head around it. I was afraid that it was going to rely on some kind of input gimmick, but I'm actually very pleasantly surprised with the controller and the gameplay possibilities it opens up. After I got over the initial "remote control" shock and learned how it worked, it clicked, and I finally understood. Everyone seems to want Nintendo to directly compete with Microsoft and Sony, but the truth is that the Big N isn't interested in going that route. That doesn't mean it's given up any hope, however, of regaining a leadership position in the industry. Traditional videogames are more popular than ever with the mainstream consumer, but even so they are very targeted toward a certain demographic of 12-35 males, for the most part. Nintendo is trying to get beyond that and attract consumers normally uninterested in videogames. Whether or not Revolution will be able to do that is anybody's guess, but I really think it's in a better position than either Microsoft or Sony. And remember, this is all an admission from a person who is very keen on videogames making the jump into high-definition, a progression that Revolution foregoes. Nintendo is still very profitable. The company continues to do extremely well in the handheld sector, and its self-published console games are often big hits. It's not going anywhere -- that is, except along a different path than Sony and Microsoft. I'm not angry that it chose this path. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. If I could buy an Xbox 360 or Revolution right now, which one would I go with? That's a really tough question. Obviously, I plan to buy every system that comes out as I'm anticipating projects on all three platforms. If we're looking strictly at the current games and technology, I'd have to go with Xbox 360. I've played Kameo and it's a lot of fun, not to mention gorgeous. Call of Duty looks great. Oblivion looks outstanding. Project Gotham Racing 3 is beautiful. These are all soon-to-be-available projects that I'm excited about now. So speaking in the short term, I'd get an Xbox 360. However, at the end of the day I'm a Nintendo fan at heart. If we're talking about long term potential, I'd have to get a Revolution. I haven't seen a single game yet. I don't entirely know what to expect. But that controller is hot and I have faith that Nintendo will capitalize on the massive possibilities available to it. If you had asked me, would you rather play Halo 3 on 360 or Metroid Prime 3 on Revolution, I wouldn't hesitate for a second: it'd be Samus all the way and twice on Sundays. If you had asked me whether or not I'm more interested in Smash Bros. for Revolution or 360's latest Dead or Alive, I'd have to smack you in the mouth for even asking such a stupid question. It's a bit of a fanboy mentality, but there's no way around it -- I like Nintendo's franchises better than just about anything available for the other systems and the Big N has proven time and time again that it knows how to make the best games. Based on all of that, I'm pretty confident that ultimately I'd lean toward Revolution if forced to make the choice. Which, I guess, is why I'm the Nintendo editor. Well, the guy asking was a tad rude and demanding, to say the least, but I think Matt showed him where he was going wrong. Guessing Matt's response might not have been the glowing endorsement that some of you would like to have seen, but I felt he was being realistic; the Xbox360 has got the immediacy of being here within the next month or so, meanwhile we have yet to see anything that's being run on the Revolution. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2005 True because I might buy a second console aswell but the difference is I would buy a Revolution instantly at launch - for the second console I wait which wins the fight: PS3 or XBOX360. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2005 My faith is gone... I tought this guy died... him, and his blog.... It seems I was celebrating to soon... *Screams* WHY WON'T THIS GUY GIVE UP???????? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2005 Haha indeed he survived even though I doubt that anyone over 3 years will believe him anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2005 Who cares? It's a funny blog. Leave the guy be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2005 I understand Matt's dilemma, he is a cube editor, he loves Nintendo, but how can someone be excited about a console with not a lone screen of a lone game showed. Especially when you've played a next-gen Zelda killer and other great games of the 360. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2005 WhiskeyTangoFoxtrott? What next-gen game is a supposed Zelda Killer? I did not see a single game so far especially not on the XBOX360. If someone says "Kameo" now - I am prepared to yell "Kiddy Game" !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2005 WhiskeyTangoFoxtrott? What next-gen game is a supposed Zelda Killer? I did not see a single game so far especially not on the XBOX360. If someone says "Kameo" now - I am prepared to yell "Kiddy Game" !!! I've heard from several people who played it that it's too similar to Zelda, the gameplay is great, the graphics are gorgeous, the musical score is epic, you ride a horse and transform into other beings, but I will judge it myself next friday on the EGS, oh... and a Nintendo nerd yelling "Kiddy Game" should be the funniest! Better go and play Wind Waker for a while :p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
