Nintendo hiding its online plans?

[Cyborg]

Or another one of these unsolved mysteries?

Lets start with Iwata's comments at the E3 conference about online gaming

"I don't think its reasonable to make someone pay for a game and then make them prepare a network connection and also charge a monthly fee," Iwata said.

"In the near future we are hoping to announce something that addresses this issue" Iwata said

And now supposedly an interview GamecubeAdvanced's editor had with Jon Epstein, president of gamespy during E3

Today I went to the Gamespy booth to conduct a small and simple interview with GameSpy's President, Jon Epstein. After exchanging business cards, the questions began.

The word "tunneling" was introduced to many gamers with the software that Gamespy released for Halo and many of other Xbox games that didn't utilize Xbox Live but did use LAN.

Tunneling IS NOT being used for any of Nintendo's upcoming LAN utilized games. The information which came to me as a huge shock, is actually better than it sounds. According to Gamespy, Nintendo came to them about a year ago for LAN software. Nintendo did not want to use "tunneling, because it would require gamers excessive hardware such as hooking up multiple cables, computers, hubs, and what not.

Instead, Mr. Epstein, went on to reveal that Nintendo will be using Gamespy developed "in-game" software. Much is not known about this except the fact that all gamers have to do is hook an internet cord from the Gamecube to their broadband modem and that's it. You are online as soon as you plug in the ethernet cord and choose the LAN option.

I repeat: "tunneling" will not be used and extra hubs, computers, and extra ethernet cords will not be needed as Nintendo wanted to keep it simple. It is simple in-game software that will be used in upcoming Nintendo LAN games.

http://www.ultimategamez.com/newspro/fullnews.cgi?newsid1053027022,66127,


And a little reminder

http://www.gamespyindustries.com/press/releases/may_nintendo.shtml

(Irvine, Calif.) – May 21, 2002. Internet online gaming leader GameSpy Industries today announced its support for the just-announced Nintendo GameCube online gaming initiative. The company, which has become an authorized Nintendo tools provider, will port its middleware and back-end services developer suites for the Nintendo GameCube, for shipment to developers in early July.

GameSpy provides game developers with a collection of middleware tools which, when combined with GameSpy's back-end server infrastructure, enable a low-cost turnkey online gaming solution. GameSpy's tools are easy to integrate and interface-neutral, allowing developers to provide the following functionalities seamlessly within their Nintendo GameCube games:


In-Game Player Matchmaking Text Chat, Instant Messaging, and Buddy Lists

Online Competitions and High Score Ladders

Online Data Storage (for virtual memory card applications)

Usage and Game Statistics Reporting and Analysis

Data Transfer to and from the Internet

GameSpy's tools greatly reduce the cost and time required for developers to bring their titles online, and to manage the online gaming experience after game launch.


"Our middleware tools will allow Nintendo developers to add critical online features to their Nintendo GameCube games within a day or two, in most cases," said Mark Surfas, CEO of GameSpy. "But that's just the beginning of what GameSpy provides. We operate the servers, provide the bandwidth, and manage the whole online back-end once the game ships, saving publishers and developers hundreds of thousands in potential hardware, connectivity and staffing costs."
GameSpy's technology and back-end services have been powering online gaming experiences for more than five years, across all major next-generation console platforms and all major PC operating systems.


"By working with GameSpy, we're able to bring our developers proven technology, a fully-outsourced back-end solution, and years of expertise in making the best online experiences for game players." said Jim Merrick, Network Marketing Director, Nintendo of America Inc.
Nintendo GameCube developers will be able to purchase GameSpy's Developer Toolbox for $995, which provides complete SDK source code, sample applications, and documentation, in early July, to begin testing code and back-end integration. Pricing for deployment licenses is based on the specific toolkit suites used by the game developer.

Dont know about you, but it seems convincing to me. Maybe nintendo is waiting for the right time to push this and make the announcement. It would be quite a deal, every future releases that will support LAN would be able to go on the internet for free, its an old concept, peer 2 peer and IP browsers are nothing new, but it would be the ideal solution, not as fancy as LIVE, thats for sure, but its better than nothing and its free.

Thoughts? Nintendo keeping an ace up its sleeve or am i simply seeing something that isnt there?

 

[PC-Engine]

Hehe that's pretty sweet. Also if nobody has noticed it yet, Nintendo is starting to release a lot of LAN enabled games. That should be a good clue there....more LAN adapters sold

 

[Tagrineth]

One word.

Ingenious.

 

[Paul]

Nintendo needs to get their ass in gear at this point. They need to form a solid online plan and stick to it, as well as find out ways to boost hardware sale. After a lack-luster E3 pressconference things arent looking too great.

 

[clem64]

Woah!

Sounds like the real thing. Hopefully Nintendo will shed some light on this in the near future.

Can someone explain how that would work? I'm not familiar with the kind of service Gamespy provides. Would they setup and run the servers? If so, server maintenance and bandwidth fees would be paid by them. How are they making their money?

 

[Cyborg]

Woah!

Sounds like the real thing. Hopefully Nintendo will shed some light on this in the near future.

Can someone explain how that would work? I'm not familiar with the kind of service Gamespy provides. Would they setup and run the servers? If so, server maintenance and bandwidth fees would be paid by them. How are they making their money?

Yea, im not too sure how advantageous it is for gamespy other than the 995$ toolbox devs have to pay. Well in theory, IP browsers that gamespy offer are very cheap to maintain, dont have insanely high bandwidth demands, so depending on how many online games a publisher will plan to publish with their 1 gamespy toolbox, i guess they can get a profit in the end. Maybe nintendo also invested some of their own cash for the deal ?

Its the same concept PC games have been using for years, IP browsers for quake3, counterstrike, unreal tournement, or any PC games that dont require a monthly fee are all based on this technology in a way, they're free, so they must not cost too much to maintain if devs have been giving it as a bonus for years.

 

[zurich]

Well, the question is whether or not the LAN code in said LAN Nintendo games is actually 56k/cable friendly, or more built-for-ethernet. If its the later (ethernet), expect the same performance as the Tunnel..

 

[Tagrineth]

Well, the question is whether or not the LAN code in said LAN Nintendo games is actually 56k/cable friendly, or more built-for-ethernet. If its the later (ethernet), expect the same performance as the Tunnel..

Of course, if the "tunnel" software is built into the game, I'm sure they'll have some latency tolerance.