@Zaphod Beeblebrox Oh, wow, yes, I guess I wasn't really paying attention there. But still, I don't know that a massive hard drive is all that necessary. I wonder what a good happy medium would be. . . .
For the boring stuff, I'd say there would need to be a solid state drive (no spinning disks or slow acess times). If that was even 250 GB it would be more than enough in my opinion. I think game saves should be stored on HCSD cards. Perhaps there could be two slots. Saves could then be backed up on a computer if need be.
For the exciting stuff, I'm thinking of the controller. If the rumors have any validity, I think a screen would be awesome. I would like to see it be large (but not unwieldy) and capacitive with multitouch. Impagine the back was also a touch pad like the NGP! There should also be a gyro in addition to the cameras.
Why all this? I think Nintendo has identified what a handheld can do differently than an iPad or iPod touch--even the NGP. They are doing something Apple can't and shouldn't compete with. 3D is perfect for a system like Nintendo puts out an I really don't see it as a gimmick. But with AirPlay, I imagine more and more people will be playing iOS games on their TV's. Nintendo can't compete with the price and convenience of iOS gaming but it has always competed in terms of quality so bring a controller that looks like an iPod touch with actual controls off of it and gives you the same functionality as the handheld world is espousing and you bring all the good ideas into a package that is immersive and not bound by the need to be portable. That way you can blow the competition out of the water.
At the same time I agree with a Iwata and a lot of the sentiment expressed in the comments, I will defend gaming on my iDevices. I happen to applaud Apple for their incredible design--hardware and software. In fact, I often thought how Nintendo and Apple created similarly well designed products during the era of DS Lite and Wii. Now, I feel that the 3DS is shifting away from the sleek design and it saddens me. But that's not the point. It's the gaming I was going to talk about, right? Well, I will agree there are serious concerns. Price points plummeting, more shovelware than the age o' Atari. In fact, the volume of the App Store COULD create a video game crash though probably not due to the amount of games that are free or so cheap people often feel they made a good buy even if they only play something for an afternoon--and if you REALLY wanted, most games have a demo. That being said, there are legitimately good games on iDevices. Games that are better updates of DS games exist on there. Then there are originals that are just plain great. These are games I can and have sat down for hours to play. They may be much rarer than the cheap time-wasters, but they do exist. Anyway, I see it as much more nuanced. Heck, I just downloaded a game called Tiny Wings which is a 99 cent "sound bite" game but its quality and presentation rival many full console games I've played.
It seems like Okami had a similar beginning as what is expected for its sequel what with being released late in a console's life span and being overlooked as a result. My hope is that the backwards comparability of the 3DS and the cult status of Okami will help drive sales of Okamiden but I wonder if we will see a 3DS update of the game come out?
Oh and I certainly plan on buying lots more DS titles including the spectacular Ghost Trick and Batman: The Brave and the Bold!
I'm wondering if this isn't a way for Nintendo to combat a few criticisms. One is that they milk their key franchises, two is that they don't give third-party developers enough support and three is that they can only sell hardware because of their key franchises.
The 3DS has the current support and hype to allow for an experiment and it seems like they could be taking a chance, letting third-parties steal some spotlight and allowing their key franchises to sit one out. Perhaps this will give them a measure of how well they do on hardware alone.
You know, this could even be more of a way of regaining interest in Pilotwings as well.
This is a game I'm not going to hesitate to pick up. Unfortunately, me not hesitating usually just means it's high on my priority list. I don't usually get a game as soon as it comes out. I wish that game companies could rely less on initial numbers since the market is saturated with games. Many of them are excellent titles that I can't wait to pick up. Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the disposable income to keep myself up to date with the latest and greatest.
Nah, it wouldn't have been awkward at all. A number of years ago, on a family camping trip, I begged my parents to take me up there. People were very nice and we were able to see the wall that had envelope art submitted to Nintendo Power hanging on it. The place was small but very neat and it's a memory I'll always have. It's sad it's gone, but I'm glad I got to see it in my life. Now I have to go visit the new digs!
Personally, I thought Tails and Knuckles were awesome characters. I don't mind new characters so long as the end result is a good game. Remember, Sonic has had some pretty awesome friends.
I was actually reading this interesting article in an Acoustic Guitar Magazine e-mail right before reading this post. The following is copied and pasted:
If your computer has an existing audio input (typically a 1/8-inch mini-jack), you could just use an adapter to make your guitar cable fit, but that's not ideal. To get the optimal tone, it's best to use an intermediary device or interface. An audio interface digitally converts your voice and guitar into data-the stuff that can be stored and retrieved on your hard drive, manipulated onscreen, and then sent to speakers, the Internet, or a recordable CD. Traditionally, an interface is a "box" with a bunch of jacks that accept microphone and guitar inputs (for recording with your guitar's pickup). You plug your mic or guitar into the box and it converts the analog signals (i.e., your music) into digital data. That data is sent to the computer via a USB or FireWire cable, which plugs directly into the computer's corresponding USB or FireWire ports. Audio interfaces usually include multiple kinds of connections (XLR, 1/4-inch, headphones), level-matching knobs and switches, phantom power (for condenser mics), and other bells and whistles.
Another simple way to get your music into the computer, and one that's especially useful if you lack a decent mic, is to use a USB microphone. These mics work just like traditional microphones, except that they convert your signal inside the microphone housing, and the signal travels from the mic to your computer via a USB cable, thereby eliminating the need for any additional hardware
By Jon Chapell
And thus ends the copied and pasted section. If you are looking for the best quality capture, then this would be the way to do it. Another way would be to plug into an external multiple-track recorder. Those run a big range in price but could be simpler in some ways.
Hi all, I'm new here . . . thought I've browsed this site a lot in the past year. And after that shameless little plug, I thought I'd mention that the most exciting part of this article for me is knowing that the design of the 3DS as it is now is not necessarily the final design. It's not unbearable, but I do think it could be better. I like the direction Nintendo had been going with the DS lite, the Wii, the DSi and DSi XL and this seems like a step backwards to something that looks more like the original fat DS and doesn't have the nice sleek design that makes you feel like you're holding a fine piece of elegant equipment. That being said, I don't care what it looks like at this point, it sounds like what it does and how it feels is awesome!
Comments 262
Re: Max & the Magic Marker Relaunching on Wii and DS
As much as I hate to admit it, this is one of those rare cases where the iPad version blows the Nintendo devices' versions out of the water.
I enjoyed the WiiWare game but it got tiresome because of how difficult it was to draw accurately. Once I got it for the iPad I was hooked.
Re: Talking Point: What You Want in a New Nintendo Home Console
@Zaphod Beeblebrox Oh, wow, yes, I guess I wasn't really paying attention there. But still, I don't know that a massive hard drive is all that necessary. I wonder what a good happy medium would be. . . .
Re: Talking Point: What You Want in a New Nintendo Home Console
For the boring stuff, I'd say there would need to be a solid state drive (no spinning disks or slow acess times). If that was even 250 GB it would be more than enough in my opinion. I think game saves should be stored on HCSD cards. Perhaps there could be two slots. Saves could then be backed up on a computer if need be.
For the exciting stuff, I'm thinking of the controller. If the rumors have any validity, I think a screen would be awesome. I would like to see it be large (but not unwieldy) and capacitive with multitouch. Impagine the back was also a touch pad like the NGP! There should also be a gyro in addition to the cameras.
Why all this? I think Nintendo has identified what a handheld can do differently than an iPad or iPod touch--even the NGP. They are doing something Apple can't and shouldn't compete with. 3D is perfect for a system like Nintendo puts out an I really don't see it as a gimmick. But with AirPlay, I imagine more and more people will be playing iOS games on their TV's. Nintendo can't compete with the price and convenience of iOS gaming but it has always competed in terms of quality so bring a controller that looks like an iPod touch with actual controls off of it and gives you the same functionality as the handheld world is espousing and you bring all the good ideas into a package that is immersive and not bound by the need to be portable. That way you can blow the competition out of the water.
Re: Iwata Hits Out at Smartphone and Social Network Game Developers
At the same time I agree with a Iwata and a lot of the sentiment expressed in the comments, I will defend gaming on my iDevices. I happen to applaud Apple for their incredible design--hardware and software. In fact, I often thought how Nintendo and Apple created similarly well designed products during the era of DS Lite and Wii. Now, I feel that the 3DS is shifting away from the sleek design and it saddens me. But that's not the point. It's the gaming I was going to talk about, right? Well, I will agree there are serious concerns. Price points plummeting, more shovelware than the age o' Atari. In fact, the volume of the App Store COULD create a video game crash though probably not due to the amount of games that are free or so cheap people often feel they made a good buy even if they only play something for an afternoon--and if you REALLY wanted, most games have a demo. That being said, there are legitimately good games on iDevices. Games that are better updates of DS games exist on there. Then there are originals that are just plain great. These are games I can and have sat down for hours to play. They may be much rarer than the cheap time-wasters, but they do exist. Anyway, I see it as much more nuanced. Heck, I just downloaded a game called Tiny Wings which is a 99 cent "sound bite" game but its quality and presentation rival many full console games I've played.
Re: Talking Point: Is the DS Dead at Retail?
It seems like Okami had a similar beginning as what is expected for its sequel what with being released late in a console's life span and being overlooked as a result. My hope is that the backwards comparability of the 3DS and the cult status of Okami will help drive sales of Okamiden but I wonder if we will see a 3DS update of the game come out?
Oh and I certainly plan on buying lots more DS titles including the spectacular Ghost Trick and Batman: The Brave and the Bold!
Re: Reggie: Steel Diver Makes Up for Lack of Zelda at Launch
I'm wondering if this isn't a way for Nintendo to combat a few criticisms. One is that they milk their key franchises, two is that they don't give third-party developers enough support and three is that they can only sell hardware because of their key franchises.
The 3DS has the current support and hype to allow for an experiment and it seems like they could be taking a chance, letting third-parties steal some spotlight and allowing their key franchises to sit one out. Perhaps this will give them a measure of how well they do on hardware alone.
You know, this could even be more of a way of regaining interest in Pilotwings as well.
Re: How Nintendo Manufactured the Famicom on the Cheap
Nice one, The Fox.
Re: Capcom's Okamiden Limps to Retail in Japan
This is a game I'm not going to hesitate to pick up. Unfortunately, me not hesitating usually just means it's high on my priority list. I don't usually get a game as soon as it comes out. I wish that game companies could rely less on initial numbers since the market is saturated with games. Many of them are excellent titles that I can't wait to pick up. Unfortunately, I don't have the time or the disposable income to keep myself up to date with the latest and greatest.
Re: Game Over for Nintendo of America's Former Redmond Headquarters
Nah, it wouldn't have been awkward at all. A number of years ago, on a family camping trip, I begged my parents to take me up there. People were very nice and we were able to see the wall that had envelope art submitted to Nintendo Power hanging on it. The place was small but very neat and it's a memory I'll always have. It's sad it's gone, but I'm glad I got to see it in my life. Now I have to go visit the new digs!
Re: Archie Writer Reveals Sonic Colours Comic, Hints at New Characters
Personally, I thought Tails and Knuckles were awesome characters. I don't mind new characters so long as the end result is a good game. Remember, Sonic has had some pretty awesome friends.
Re: Guides: How to Get Your Musical Creations Off Your DS
Magicpegasus,
I was actually reading this interesting article in an Acoustic Guitar Magazine e-mail right before reading this post. The following is copied and pasted:
If your computer has an existing audio input (typically a 1/8-inch mini-jack), you could just use an adapter to make your guitar cable fit, but that's not ideal. To get the optimal tone, it's best to use an intermediary device or interface. An audio interface digitally converts your voice and guitar into data-the stuff that can be stored and retrieved on your hard drive, manipulated onscreen, and then sent to speakers, the Internet, or a recordable CD. Traditionally, an interface is a "box" with a bunch of jacks that accept microphone and guitar inputs (for recording with your guitar's pickup). You plug your mic or guitar into the box and it converts the analog signals (i.e., your music) into digital data. That data is sent to the computer via a USB or FireWire cable, which plugs directly into the computer's corresponding USB or FireWire ports. Audio interfaces usually include multiple kinds of connections (XLR, 1/4-inch, headphones), level-matching knobs and switches, phantom power (for condenser mics), and other bells and whistles.
Another simple way to get your music into the computer, and one that's especially useful if you lack a decent mic, is to use a USB microphone. These mics work just like traditional microphones, except that they convert your signal inside the microphone housing, and the signal travels from the mic to your computer via a USB cable, thereby eliminating the need for any additional hardware
By Jon Chapell
And thus ends the copied and pasted section. If you are looking for the best quality capture, then this would be the way to do it. Another way would be to plug into an external multiple-track recorder. Those run a big range in price but could be simpler in some ways.
I hope this helps,
treeofmana
Re: E3 2010: 3DS Could be Region-Locked
Hi all, I'm new here . . . thought I've browsed this site a lot in the past year. And after that shameless little plug, I thought I'd mention that the most exciting part of this article for me is knowing that the design of the 3DS as it is now is not necessarily the final design. It's not unbearable, but I do think it could be better. I like the direction Nintendo had been going with the DS lite, the Wii, the DSi and DSi XL and this seems like a step backwards to something that looks more like the original fat DS and doesn't have the nice sleek design that makes you feel like you're holding a fine piece of elegant equipment. That being said, I don't care what it looks like at this point, it sounds like what it does and how it feels is awesome!