N5 for 2006

[Sonic]

I'm pretty sure Nintendo's next console system will be announced sometime this year with a speculative release date given. I'm still curious to see what the new product will be and how it will offer new kinds of entertainment. I've got some ideas, but they're silly ones.

As far as the leap in graphics next generation. I'm positive we will see a substantial leap equal in terms of the leap from the previous generation. I have no doubt in my mind that PS2/GCN/Xbox graphics will get comparatively worse in my eyes when I get adjusted to the new graphics achieved by newer systems.

 

[cthellis42]

I have no doubt in my mind that PS2/GCN/Xbox graphics will get comparatively worse in my eyes when I get adjusted to the new graphics achieved by newer systems.

Everything always does. ^_^ I keep thinking "big deal" when consoles show up, and then when I'm used to them deep in the game and go back to play old things I liked, I have to spend the first five minutes clutching my eyes.

 

[function]

I have no doubt in my mind that PS2/GCN/Xbox graphics will get comparatively worse in my eyes when I get adjusted to the new graphics achieved by newer systems.

Everything always does. ^_^ I keep thinking "big deal" when consoles show up, and then when I'm used to them deep in the game and go back to play old things I liked, I have to spend the first five minutes clutching my eyes.

I've noticed that too. When you can look back at the end of a consoles life to the console that came before it and say "nah, the old one was just as good" I'll start to worry about diminishing returns being a problem.

I remember when the MD/Genesis came out, I heard the sentiment expressed that it wasn't as big a jump as from the 7800 to the NES. Maybe it wasn't, but the difference was well worth having and I certainly didn't want to go back ...

 

[Megadrive1988]

heh, MD/Genesis was a bigger jump beyond NES than NES was beyond 7800.

7800 and NES were very similar in capability, each had some advantages over the other (7800 could do like 100 sprites, and more per scan line)

in 1983-84 Atari execs concidered both their own then-new technology, the 7800/ MARIA (or MARIE) and the Famicom's CPU/PPU combination.

7800 & NES are both early 80s tech while MD/Genesis is mid-to-late 80s tech.

 

[function]

heh, MD/Genesis was a bigger jump beyond NES than NES was beyond 7800.

7800 and NES were very similar in capability, each had some advantages over the other (7800 could do like 100 sprites, and more per scan line)

in 1983-84 Atari execs concidered both their own then-new technology, the 7800/ MARIA (or MARIE) and the Famicom's CPU/PPU combination.

7800 & NES are both early 80s tech while MD/Genesis is mid-to-late 80s tech.

Oops, balls up. I meant 2600. I'd just been thinking about the 7800, and how I never really saw any (unlike the 2600 which was everywhere). Look where thinking gets you.

 

[Dio]

AFAIK the 2600 is more late 70s technology. Doesn't even have a framebuffer. It's definitely not in the same category as the NES.

 

[function]

Yes, and I think that was the point.

[Edit: I.e. he thought the jump from 2600 to NES was huge, NES to MD not so huge. Seemed to find it a little disappointing. Wasn't something I considered at the time - too busy being excited about the coming 16-bit stuff.]

 

[Guden Oden]

Dio,
Technically speaking, NES doesn't have framebuffer either.

 

[Dio]

Drifting OT: I guess it's some kind of tilemap system (but so was the MD).

Don't know myself. Had a VCS (waaaay back in 1979 when they first came out) then had no interest at all in consoles, computers were far more interesting, until the MD came out. The NES and Master System did nothing for me. I think my experience isn't unusual, I don't think either did particularly well in the UK.

I would say the MD was the first console that offered 'arcade game' quality and therefore offered real differentiation over the home computer market that dominated the UK. Therefore, it's not a question of 'how much better than the previous generation is it' but 'it's now good enough to do the job people want consoles for'.

But who knows, it might all be down to Columns, Thunderforce III and Herzog Zwei. It probably was for me.

 

[function]

Herzog Zwei! Now there's a little known blast from the past. First RTS I ever played, possibly the first one ever, long before Westwood Studios claimed to have invented the genre.

 

[Dio]

It was quite strange. We had this cart sitting on the shelves for months, because the manual was in Japanese and nobody could play it, so me & the lads borrowed a system and worked it out one night. I was hooked. I think I've completed the game at least twice each as red and blue, and I still dig it out and play it occasionally nowadays.

Undoubtedly the true forerunner of C&C. It is actually reasonably well known amongst strategy buffs.

 

[Ty]

It was quite strange. We had this cart sitting on the shelves for months, because the manual was in Japanese and nobody could play it, so me & the lads borrowed a system and worked it out one night. I was hooked. I think I've completed the game at least twice each as red and blue, and I still dig it out and play it occasionally nowadays.

Undoubtedly the true forerunner of C&C. It is actually reasonably well known amongst strategy buffs.

Yep. I still treasure my copy. It either was a launch title or one released shortly thereafter (I'm sure somebody will chime in).

 

[Guden Oden]

What's up with that oddball fascination the Japanese have with the German language?

There's tons of examples, not just computer games (Panzer Dragoon in addition to the one already mentioned, plus undoubtedly others), manga (gunnm is just one of them), etc...

Weird. Though cool too.

 

[ChryZ]

What's up with that oddball fascination the Japanese have with the German language?

There's tons of examples, not just computer games (Panzer Dragoon in addition to the one already mentioned, plus undoubtedly others), manga (gunnm is just one of them), etc...

Weird. Though cool too.

First relations between Japan and Germany were traced back to the Edo-era (1603-1868). German scientists and doctors worked for the dutch asia-expeditions and helped to inform Japan about the west. The shogun regimen opened Japan for international relations in Edo 1861 and in the same year offical friendship was declared between Japan and Germany. In the Meiji-era (1868-1912) Japan adapted a lot german knowledge like art, science, economics. A few influences are still present, e.g. the japanese boy's school uniform of many schools are inspired by german military uniforms. Ito Hirobumi took even the german constitution as draft for Japan's first modern constitution. In 1936 Japan, Germany and Italy joined a pact and even became allies in WW2. After the war in 1951 diplomatic relations were re-established and helped in the process of reconstruction of economics and war damages.

 

[cthellis42]

Oops, balls up.

Wow. Best... phrase... everrrr!

What's up with that oddball fascination the Japanese have with the German language?

The pretty much have the same thing with English, so hey. I guess when a place makes a cultural impact, you find some fascinating things to play with. Certainly the U.S. has drawn a lot of inspiration from ALL over. Just what happens.

 

[Dio]

Yep. I still treasure my copy. It either was a launch title or one released shortly thereafter (I'm sure somebody will chime in).

I believe it was a launch title for Japan - I think Tecnosoft did both Herzog Zwei and Thunderforce II as launch titles (I think they share some of the landscape tiles). I'm not sure how it ever sold. It got a Euro and US release (again as launch titles, I think) but never did much over here. Then again, many excellent Japanese games didn't make it.

Tecnosoft really nailed the MD right early on. Great graphics, great music, great gameplay. The only other launch titles of the same quality were Assault Suits Leynos (Target: Earth in the US, never got a UK release I think), Golden Axe and Daimakaimura (Ghouls 'n Ghosts).

And I have to thank Tecnosoft again because Devil Crash inspired the game I wrote that got me into the games industry in the first place...

 

[Dio]

In the Meiji-era (1868-1912) Japan adapted many german knowledge like art, science, economics. A few influences are still present

... one of which is beer. Japanese (and Chinese) beers were started up by German immigrants but embraced by the locals, particularly in Saporro of course, but Japan does still brew some Bock-style beer as well.

I don't know much Japanese history, but I do know my beer.

 

[Dio]

The pretty much have the same thing with English, so hey.

When we were importing console games, I had a revelation one day. All the Japanese MD carts had labels on the spines, and I saw that all the games that were 'Super <something>' started with the same few Japanese characters. One brief run for a Japanese dictionary later and we realised that the katakana are used as a phonetic alphabet to spell things that don't 'mean something' (this was our crude interpretation) and that most of the games were actually named in English!

After that the boss started to get Japanese computer game magazines and give them to us to translate the release schedules. Ah, there was many an evening spent with the four of us sat around playing console games and translating. You'd sit there reading out "Suu-Paa-Hi-De-Ri-Du" and trying to decide if 'Super Hydlide" was a real game or not (it was, but I think at the time we guessed it was going to be called 'Super Hybrid').

 

[Guden Oden]

Thanks for the history lessons and generally cool comments, guys!

It's appreciated!