| Nintendo | Last Updated: April 24, 2000 |
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MSNBC Takes a Look at Nintendo
To Nobody's Surprise, Dolphin Officially Delayed
I'm hoping that none of you seriously believed that Dolphin would launch in 2000. Optimism has always had its place, but in regards to Nintendo launching a new console on schedule, it is extremely unrealistic. Having said that, I must say I'm surprised that the delay was not more significant. However, please remember that N64 was delayed twice, and that there is still a very good chance that Nintendo will choose to delay Dolphin again, this time into fall 2001 (as I had previously expected). If, however, Nintendo can actually adhere to this new schedule, the delay may not damage them too much. For example, if Dolphin launched in March 2001, Sony will have sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 million Playstation 2's (in the U.S. alone). Obviously, Nintendo cannot hope to match those sales, but with high-quality first party titles they should hold a comfortable position in second. So things may not be so bad after all... Maybe.
Surprising nobody and giving anti-Nintendo propagandists fodder for criticism, Nintendo responsed to the launch of what will inevitably be the most successful video game console in history by revealing nothing. For once, this may have been a good strategy in light of the full attention that the video game industry has given to the PS2 release. Keep in contact with the major Playstation news sites for what I'm sure will be an interesting weekend for the video game industry. Understatement of the week: Nobody in Kyoto (Nintendo's home city) is sleeping well...
The Dolphin Delay In response to a thread titled Why isn't Nintendo TRYING? Marshmallow wrote: Nintendo isn't trying. They've had the same amount of time to get this thing together as Sony, the same amount of time to work on software, hardware, and everything else -- still, their release date is nearly two years behind that of Sony. Don't attempt to say that a lack of development kits is the problem, as our friends at Sega have shown that if the need -- the urgency -- is there, kits don't have to be done for quite some time. In other words, Nintendo isn't trying. They stress that they have learned from their past mistakes, that third parties are key to getting a large piece of the pie. "We are attempting to get as much support as possible!" they tell us this with every interview and special occasion; no third party company outside the closest to Nintendo has even showed any signs of this. They're all busy with the PS2. Enix and Square don't know what the "Dolphin" even is, while literally hundreds of other parties are waiting in line for a PS2 development kit. In other words, Nintendo isn't trying. While the entire video game industry is having orgasms as the smell of the PS2 drifts over the country, Nintendo does nothing. After Sony's lead chairmen, representatives, and all the other big whigs step down from the podium, finished with another monumental PS2 announcement, Nintendo does nothing. "Information by the end of 1999", says Lincoln. Nothing happens. "Expect something at the end of January", says he. Nothing appears. "10-15 days, at the most!" he assures us. Nothing happens, and nothing will happen. In other words, Nintendo isn't trying. Meanwhile, millions of Japanese gamers are stroking their wallets, feverish to get their slimy hands on yet another Sony machine. Nintendo sits there with a big smirk on their face, still thinking as if it were the NES days...that they are God, and everyone will wait for them. Like some senile old man, they sit there watching the PS2 loom ever closer, the hype growing to a ridiculous height. Parents didn't used to say "Little Johnny is playing videogames!"...they said "Little Johhny is playing Nintendo." You know what they say now? "Little Johnny is playing Playstation." It might not even be a Playstation; all they know is that the words "videogame" and "Playstation" are interchangeable. Nintendo fully realizes this, as they got their asses severely beaten this generation. They do nothing to stop the PS2's momentum. Not one single spec, not one single screen-shot, not one single, ONE SINGLE cry from the now small "n". Nintendo isn't trying, and never will again. "But why?!" screams the devoted, loyal, somewhat naïve Nintendo follower. "Why not try?" You can think up of some fanciful, whimsical story that sounds nice, and calms everyone down. "It's a marketing ploy", the fans say. "To surprise us," they somehow utter with a straight face. You can reach deep down into your pocket of logic, and attempt to think of some reason why Nintendo isn't trying. But there is no logical, intelligent reason. Nintendo is in another realm of reality entirely, where logic doesn't apply and Sony is just another four letter word. Or perhaps it's because... ...they are Nintendo. And Nintendo is a huge ****ing dimwit with a pathetic short-term memory.
When this announcement comes, I'm hoping I'll be able to write an analysis of the newly divulged information. It had better be worth it.
If this analysis is accurate (even if the price is actually only $300 or $250), it's great news. What's important now is that Nintendo get their system out on time to take advantage of Sony's overpriced launch. I'm sure that even after a year Nintendo will still be able to beat Playstation 2's price, but it would lack the contrast that you'd see if Nintendo appeared on the scene at PS2's debut.
It's good news for all of us who want to see Nintendo change its childish image, though I hope that the changes won't be too major. In my opinion, Mario is one of those titles that shouldn't be (too) mature. It is, after all, an interactive cartoon, and I actually like having happy faces on clouds, eyes on hills in the background, etc. Maturity should be reserved for titles like Wave Race, F-Zero, and (definitely) Zelda. In any case, I'm sure Mario will be a masterpiece, so my concerns are pretty inconsequential. More important, however, is the extent to which Nintendo is willing to change its traditional image. It becomes increasingly apparent that the Nintendo that launches Dolphin will be very much different from the company that guided the release of NES, SNES, and N64. From relinquishing their traditionally iron grip on hardware to reworking their established franchises (such as Mario), Nintendo has engineered some uncharacteristically fast and major changes in preparation for the next generation. While I have no doubt that they will continue to be the Walt Disney of video gaming, we can also expect to see less of the traditional fare coming out of Kyoto. Regarding the increasing optimism towards Nintendo meeting its holiday season 2000 release schedule, I'm happy to see any evidence that I'm very wrong about a Dolphin delay. With Miyamoto hinting that significant development on the new Mario title has begun, fall 2000 might be possible after all. As the resident pessimist, however, I'm not getting my hopes up (so that if Dolphin does launch in fall 2000, I'll be all the more happy).
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