PSP: Eaten Alive

Now before some fanboy jumps on me for the title, allow me to include an "In Japan" first. PSP is performing quite well in the States. Currently it is almost selling as much as Nintendo in the handheld department (not bad, considering it is a three on one contest). But it is in Japan where Nintendo have really proved their dominance (one again) in the handheld gaming market.



The image above is courtesy of Aussie-Nintendo.com, and is simply a representation of the current situation in Japan. The Nintendo DS sold an impressive 3.2 million units, compared to the PSP's 1.7 million. Take into consideration that for Japan, both systems were released at around the same time. Just last week, the DS grabbed approximately 35% of the total gaming market share (home consoles included) while the PSP took around 20%.

Add in sales made by the Game Boy Advance SP, and the GB Micro, and you'll find that Nintendo are holding about 80% of the portable gaming market. On the other hand though, 20% of the market share is plenty enough for Sony to continue sales with its PSP, it is quite a healthy market share, when compared to performances made by consoles from Nintendo's past handheld competitors.

The gap between the two company's console should widen even further, when Wi-Fi is released for the DS, and long awaited titles including Mario Kart and Metroid Prime are launched.

I am interested in the sales statistics for the first month of the PSP's performance in Australia. If anyone has them that'd be great :). A prediction would be that sales made by Sony and Nintendo will be much closer in numbers than in Japan, similar to statistics from the States. Since it was the PSP's first month, I expect it to outsell the DS (this month), but should still be a little less than the DS and GBA SP combined.

Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

Nintendo has announced a partnership with Wayport, a well known Wi-Fi provider, to make free wireless access points to DS owners at Macdonald's restaurants across the U.S. The first Wi-Fi game Mario Kart DS launches on November the 14th, which allows up to 4 Nintendo DS owners to verse one another over the internet. Along with Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Tony Hawk, and Metroid titles will also support Wi-Fi play, and will be released in the coming months.

Here is a drect quote from IGN's article:

The Wayport deal will make playing DS games online at McDonald's a relative breeze, according to Nintendo. When users want to play an online DS game at a Wayport-equipped McDonald's, they simply launch the title in Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode and they're good to go. There is no further setup required and no fees whatsoever.

Updated information on Nintendo's Wi-Fi can be found at www.NintendoWiFi.com.

Alternately, gamers can also purchase a $35 USB router, which will enable Wi-Fi gameplay through a home computer, as long as it is broadband enabled. The device is expected to be released around the same time as Mario Kart. For more information, including pictures on the USB router, please check through this blog's previous articles :).

Summarising from http://ds.ign.com/articles/659/659005p1.html, the same type of wi-Fi service will also be employed in the outcoming Revolution, to be released next year. Users can connect through their PC, or selected hotspots to play online.

Quarter 3 or 4 in 2006

The Nintendo Power line, an automatied information phone service only available in America, has the following information regarding the Revolutiojn's release date:

"As the company with the strongest heritage of innovation, Nintendo moves the bar for all next gen systems by employing a wide-ranging strategy that will attract more kinds of gamers to more kinds of games. When Nintendo's new console, codenamed Revolution, arrives in the latter half of 2006, everyone will discover the meaning of all-access gaming."

If this statement is correct, the Nintendo next gen console may very well be the last to hit the home gaming market, again. Hopefully, the 2nd half of 2006 release date is aimed at the U.S, and Japanese gamers are able to get their hands on a Revolution before then. Or, could it possibly be for the world release?

Either way, Australia is always one of the last countries to receive their consoles, and nothing seems to have change. As long as I can play a Revolution console before the end of 2006 I am satisfied :P. But this time of release puts Nintendo's launch date dangerously close to the PS3's, even though PS3's hasn't been announced either, we can conclude it will be around that time period. I sure hope Nintendo know what they are doing.

One more thing, remember that this is NOT confirmation of a release date, it could still be changed. Nintendo have done it before, when they first discussed a release date it was "before compeition, not after", and now "2006".

An Interesting Read

An editor on 4 Color Rebellion has recently acquired a PSP console, and has presented his views in an article. It does seem a LITTLE biased, but a first hand view on the consoles nevertheless.

A couple weeks ago a golden opportunity presented itself, my friend (tired of his PSP simply sitting in its sock for months on end) was willing to sell me his PSP. The price was right, I had the money, and soon a PSP was in my hands.

There really is nothing like that new hardware feeling. It great just to have something new and different in your hands to play with, it always is. I’ve been playing with the thing for the past couple of months and have about 5 games for it.

The PSP can do a lot of things, and it does most of them well. Game, music, movies. All very easy to set up and all very easy on the eyes.

The PSP is truly the “next generation” of handheld gaming. If Nintendo ever released a successor to the GBA line… it would probably be a cheaper cartridge based PSP with no music or movie capabilities. But that’s just it, it’s more of the same.

When I play my PSP in public, the people who notice and hover over me are gamers. Guys, typically 18-24. The PSP is the magnum opus for this crowd. It plays Madden. It’s got awesome graphics. It looks sleek as hell, yet familiar. To the girl sitting across the aisle from me on the bus, I’m just another guy playing a “GameBoy”.

When I pull out my DS and pull out my stylus… a more diverse crowd reacts. Women, my parents, kids, and gamers. The DS is different, its odd, and it draws positive reactions from a breadth of people. People who normally don’t play games are much more open to learning how to draw clouds to help baby Mario to the ground then learning how to make this hovercraft in Wipeout move without hitting a wall.

Its not that Wipeout isn’t amazing… it is. It’s that it’s typical. And believe or not typical gaming has become a niche thing. As big as the numbers are, as huge as the sales are, gaming is not yet as ubiquitous as movies or television. The DS makes steps to change that, the PSP is stuck firmly in its roots.

This difference applies 100 fold to the Revolution. When someone sees the latest Xbox 360 kiosk in a mall 2 years from now they’ll say to themselves “Wow. Those graphics are amazing. Videogames are certainly getting realistic.” When they see a Revolution demo being played they will be intrigued and perhaps compelled to give the gizmo a shot. Whether or not they come away with a Revolution in tow is another matter for another day. The point is that people will be more willing to at least TRY it.

The PSP is strange to non-gamers because its a videogame. Nothing will change that, and nothing (not even its beauty) will make you buy a PSP if you’re a non-gamer. The DS is strange because its something different. It is that risk, that oddity that makes the DS (and by extension the Revolution) accessible to a wider audience.

Nintendo has effectively innovated the PSP into obscurity. Does this mean that I’m unhappy with my PSP? Absolutely not… the games I’ve bought thus far for it are great, and there looks to be some really compelling software coming out for it. But I am a gamer, and any system that has at least a couple years in it is going to have some great compelling software coming out for it. Not everyone is a gamer, and that makes the PSP an amazing system that was limited to a specific market from the start. Nintendo has indeed changed the game.

So basically, he prefers a DS over the PSP, but still enjoys playing with the PSP for it's better graphics and multimedia capabilities. He prefers the DS because of its ability to attract other audiences' (non gamers') attention. He also believes the Revolution will have the same effect, non gamers may not exactly be pleased with the console, but they would at least give the games a TRY, while the Xbox 360 will only be played by the traditional hardcore gamer.

It is interesting to think someone would get confused by a Game Boy and PSP, I guess some non gamers can't really tell the difference (lol).



Btw guys, about 8 people on average visit this blog every hour, and about 140 people a day. I'd just like to offer my gratitude to everyone who has spent time reading posts on this blog, so "Thanks guys!". Oh, and everyone is free to make comments to posts, please tell me what you think! :D

Japanese Gamers On Revolution
Source: Revolution Report

Famitsu has recently released results from a poll taken in late September, where 2000 Japanese gamers where surveyed on their opinions of the next generation consoles. Here are the results of their views on the Revolution.

Are you interested in acquiring the Revolution?
- Yes I will: 36%
- Absolutely not: 10.4%
- Not for the moment: 40.6%
- I don’t care: 13%

Reasons to buy Revolution
- 80%: I like its download plans
- 42%: I like the Nintendo Wi-Fi feature
- 41.7%: I like the controller’s features
- 40.9%: I like its features
- 37.1%: I like the controller’s design
- 33.2%: I like its design
- 20.6%: etc (I think they meant other)

Reasons to NOT buy Revolution
- 53.4%: from the beginning I did not want to buy one
- 32.4%: no games have been shown yet
- 24%: I don’t like the controller’s design
- 22.5%: I don’t care about its features
- 16.2%: I don’t see what it is going to bring
- 14.2%: the price is unknown yet
- 12.7%: I don’t like its design
- 12.3%: I don’t like the controller’s features
- 11.8%: the date of the launch is still unknown
- 9.3%: I don’t care about its download service
- 5.4%: I don’t care about its Nintendo Wi-Fi service
- 17.2%: etc (other)

'Wait and see'
- 72%: I don’t fully understand its features
- 60.6%: I would like to know its price first.
- 34.3%: I don’t fully understand its download service
- 22.7%: I will try the controller to make my mind
- 21.9%: I don’t fully understand its Nintendo Wi-Fi service
- 21.8%: I don’t think the console’s final design has been revealed yet
- 17.3%: I would like the know when the console will be launched

Opinions on Controller
- 45.6%: it looks very amazing
- 29.7%: it looks very uneasy to use
- 25.1%: I like its design
- 24.2%: I prefer standard controllers
- 19.1%: I like its color variations
- 16.5%: it looks very easy to use
- 16.4%: I don’t fully understand it yet
- 12.7%: I hate its design
- 9.3%: I don’t care about it
- 3.5%: I don’t like its color variations

It seems that over 80% of gamers are attracted by the Revolution's downloading capabilities. 53% didn't want to buy a Revolution from the beginning (the poll should allow more open views, a question like this would really limit the fanboys). 72% are undecided as they do not fully understand the consoles features (read some reviews!). And 45% thought the controller was amazing (again, this answer would be dominated by fanboys, sorry to say but it is true. This survey needs more selections :P).

Nintendo's New Quiz Game

http://cube.ign.com/articles/658/658610p1.html

Nintendo has thus far pushed its adult-oriented game lineup to owners of the DS and Game Boy Advance. GameCube will at last be joining in on the fun with an all new quiz game from the big N titled Densetsu no Quiz-Ou Kettei-Sen (Legendary Quiz King -- Championship).

Set for Japanese release on 12/8, Densetsu no Ouiz-Ou features 8000 questions across a variety of genres, including sports, movies and food. The game is meant to feel like a quiz show, as you use the GameCube microphone for responses. Score big during quiz sessions, and you'll earn trophies and other bonus items as a reward.

Densetsu no Quiz-Ou will feature support for up to four players and is scheduled for release only in Japan at this time.

This game sounds pretty interesting, it really makes good use of the microphone. Though the drawback is, you would need to own a copy of Mario Party 6 or 7, since I believe the microphone cannot be bought seperately.

New Info on Mario Kart

Thanks to Rawmeatcowboy's post on nintendonow.blogspot.com, there is confirmation that there indeed WILL be at least one Rainbow Road track available for Mario Kart DS. I don't know about everyone else, but Rainbow Road is by far my favourite track in any Mario Kart game.



There isn't much detail being shown, but I am fairly certain the screenshot had been taken from the Mario Kart 64 version of Rainbow Road (the stars on the edge give it away).

Hehe, I can't stop myself from saying this, but I dare ANYONE to try and break my Rainbow road record on Mario Kart Super Circuit, the GBA version. To give you an idea of how fast my record is, check this out:
http://www.mario-kart.net/downloads/mksc/movies/rainbowroad.mpeg
No, this isn't me racing. my record is 36.28, about half a second slower than the movie (also using Toad). But if you manage to beat it... I bow to you (lol).

Some information regarding MKDS's Wi-Fi and multiplayer has been announced. With Wi-Fi, players can choose from five categories of opponents, depending on your skill level. Online play can support up to 4 players at once. Tracks are voted, and a tie in voting causes a random stage to be chosen.

There is a single pak mode. Though you'd have to use Shyguy, up to 8 players is supported at once, and 8 tracks are available to race from. It is set to 100cc.

The game will also feature battle modes, and different karts to choose from for each character, similar to the Double Dash version. Man, I am absolutely DYING to play this game. Maybe I could have the chance to verse one of you?

Nintendogs A Smash Hit
Source: Revo Europe

http://www.revo-europe.com/news.php?nid=8348

Nintendo has confirmed their extremely popular puppy sim sold over 160,000 units during its first weekend in Europe, and looks set to repeat the success story it's been in Japan and, more recently, America, where Nintendogs became not only the hottest-selling video game, but the best-selling new franchise ever for a portable video game system.

Nintendogs is clearly helping sell new Nintendo DS hardware. Aligned with a price drop to £89.99, Nintendo DS sales are up between 400-700% across Europe, this will further cement our position as leader in the portable market," commented Nintendo Senior Director of Marketing, Jim Merrick.

Nintendogs lets owners train and care for lifelike puppies using the Nintendo DS system's touch screen and microphone. Nintendogs has gone on to sell over 1.5 million copies in North America and Japan - having sold out in its first week of release in the USA with over 250,000 copies flying off the shelves during the first week on sale.

Nintendogs launched across Europe on 7th October 2005 at the estimated retail price of around £29.99. The Nintendo DS: Blue and Pink Nintendogs Bundles also launched on October 7th 2005 at the estimated retail price of just £99.99.

Mario Kart DS Bundle

It has been confirmed that Nintendo will release a Mario Kart bundle with their DS console next month. The bundle will retail for $149 U.S, though there is no current confirmation of a similar package for Australia. The bundle is expected to be released at around the same time as the game (November 14th), and will include a red Nintendo DS and the Wi-Fi supported Mario Kart.

DS Advanced has also claimed there will be a special Mario Kart stylus included in the pack:



Though I would rather prefer using the standard DS stylus, an afforable bundle with a wireless online game included, is always welcome. Remember, you would also need a USB Wi-Fi adaptor to play online, and it costs around $35 U.S, $50 in Australia. Simply connect the device up to your pc and it turns your computer into an instant wireless hotspot. Sadly, the gamers who are still stuck on dialup internet won't be able to play online through the DS.

I really feel sorry for you guys, just a year ago I was on dialup too, begging for ADSL. LOL it was horrible, downloading at 4k/sec, being cut off every time someone calls etc. ADSL plans are quite affordable nowadays in Australia, TPG, Exetel and Optus offer fairly cheap ADSL and cabler plans. 256k ADSL is almost as affordable as dialup, just don't join Bigpond and you'll be fine :D.

An Edge on Revolution

This isn't news, I've seen it posted on multiple blogs already. But this is too important not to post, October 27th, could that possibly be the date to more Revolution information being revealed? Here is the full article from Joystiq:

Apparently, there’s a scan from the October issue of EDGE Magazine touting a mysterious article on the Nintendo Revolution—or a glowing vertical slit of some kind—in issue 156 to be released October 27 (at least in the UK).

In addition, there’s a circular view of organic-cell-like shapes in a microscopic view on the opposite page, which could be construed to make up the letter “E” (we think). Could this be Nintendo’s version of Microsoft’s ourcolony.net viral marketing campaign for the 360? [UPDATE: Then again, that “E” could just be the typical way that Edge promotes its next issues. We’ve been disappointed with next-gen “exclusives” before, so it’s probably a good idea not to get our hopes up too much. Thanks for commenting on this, CrispyXUK, d_d_dallas, & funkyflea!]

If anyone can confirm this scan, or a story on the French Nintendo fan site linked, we’d most certainly appreciate it. (Vlad?) [UPDATE: Thanks for the confirmation of the pages in the mag, Edge subscribers! Hopefully we’ll get something decent when the 27th comes around.]