nemesis escreveu:
> Warp escreveu:
>>   Somehow it seems that Nintendo has understood some basic truth about
>> computing: It's not processing power that sells. Consider this:
>>
>>   Xbox 360: Triple-core CPU at 3.2 GHz, 512 MB of RAM.
>>   Units sold: 30 million.
>>
>>   PS3: A 3.2 GHz Cell microprocessor, which consists of one PowerPC-based
>> core and six SPE cores, 256 MB of RAM.
>>   Units sold: 22 million.
>>
>>   Nintendo Wii: A single-core CPU at 729 MHz, 88 MB of RAM.
>>   Units sold: 50 million.
>>
>>
>>   PlayStation Portable: 333 MHz CPU, 32 MB of RAM (plus 2 MB of GPU RAM).
>>   Units sold: 50 million.
>>
>>   Nintendo DS: A 67 MHz main CPU and a 33 MHz coprocessor, 4 MB of RAM.
>>   Units sold: 100 million.
> 
> Nintendo has been about 2 generations out of the spotlights with the N64 
> and GC.  They realized they couldn't compete hardware-wise and took the 
> easy route with a gamble:  let's repackage a slightly beefed-up Gamecube 
> hardware under new plastic plus a new motion sensing controller and 
> launch it with a truly silly name, silly games and try to appeal to a 
> new, familiar public rather than hardcore gamers.  Oh, and let's also 
> make it the cheaper of the consoles, so that we profit a lot from our 
> cheap, obsolete hardware while the competitors struggle with their 
> expensive new anti-social machines for geeks.
> 
> Guess what?  The gamble worked out!  The competitors seemingly didn't 
> see both an economic turmoil coming, nor the fact that running HD games 
> on a conventional CRT TV wouldn't be worth the trouble so that apart 
> from the expensive console you also need expensive HDTVs, nor the fact 
> that a broad new public to videogames are ok with silly old 8-bit 
> gameplay under N64-level graphics as long as it's fun and silly enough 
> to play with friends and parents.  Wheee!!!
> 
>> NES: 1985 (1986 in Canada)
>> SNES: 1991
>> N64: 1996
>> GameCube: 2001
>> Wii: 2006
>>
>>   Do we see a pattern here?-)
> 
> 6 years is the typical useful life cycle of a console.  Useful in that, 
> different from PC games, console developers benefit from many optimized 
> techniques evolved through time and actually extract every last bit of 
> power from the hardware -- some of the best games and swann songs for 
> the console come that late.
> 
> BTW, I left Nintendo behind after FAIL 64 and its lack of variety in 
> worthy games.  It's ok when people are ok with just Wii Sports, Wii 
> Sports Resort, Wii Aqua Sports, Wii Beach Sports, Mario, Mario 2, New 
> Mario Wii etc.  Not for me.

I also have to say part of the success for the Nintendo brand again is 
the same reason for its demise during 2 generations:  its loyal fans 
during the NES and SNES grew older during the N64 and GC, had to get a 
work, house, marriage and are now back to gaming, thanks to their kids. 
  And they go to the store and see the brand for their childhood 
colored-tinted memories and go for it, without looking back.  They 
mostly complete ignore the Playstation generation anyway and, thus, 
16-bit, raw gameplay without sophisticated storylines and presentation 
is a non-issue.

-- 
a game sig: http://tinyurl.com/d3rxz9

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