Column cubed - August 26, 2000 - Andrew Kaufmann
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of
the participants and the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIA. There
is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. Stinky. Don't say we didn't warn you.
I was thinking about the Game Cube's name. Well, not really thinking about it, as much as
considering thinking about it so I can have a good intro here. But then, I got to thinkin.
Like, legitimately thinking, this time. People wrote in letters about the name, so why not
think about it then, rather than now, and just babble for an intro?
| Stopping the pirating |
|
Heya AK -
Here are my four half-pennies to add to Ed and Ayla Sakura's comments on the Game Cube's "proprietary format." Be aware I'm not really a technically-minded person (as anyone who's ever seen me on IRC can attest), and much of this is fairly technical in nature. So if it seems like I'm talking about my patootie, it's because I am.
Anyway, yes, the GameCube mini-DVD format is actually not some paradigm-shattering concept; 8 cm is the size of a standard mini-CD, as Ayla Sakura said. And straight from the official DVD FAQ at www.thedigitalbits.com:
"There are many variations on the DVD theme. There are two physical sizes: 12 cm (4.7 inches) and 8 cm (3.1 inches), both 1.2 mm thick, made of two 0.6mm substrates glued together. These are the same form factors as CD."
So basically, Nintendo latched onto a standard (if uncommon) DVD-format size factor, sort of like Sega with the CD-sized gigabyte ROM. This means that eventually the GameCube format will be cracked by "elite hackers" with a lot of energy to devote to robbing game publishers blind, because the basic equipment needed to replicate the format already exists. More or less... there is the question of how, precisely, Nintendo has chosen to thwart pirates, because they seem awfully confident that piracy won't be a problem considering they've chosen to go with standard equipment.
My best guess is that they'll use some form of watermark - a physical image imprinted on each disc separately from the game data, invisible to the eye but legible to the DVD laser; there was an article about this very topic in relation to DVD video at Wired News a few days ago. This would be similar in concept to the PSX's lock-out technique (which apparently involves several blocks of "corrupt" data that regular CD-burners can't duplicate), except that the irregularities here would be part of the discs, rather than simply part of the data on the discs - therefore much harder to reproduce. So the task will be for pirates to figure out Nintendo's gimmick, and jury-rig their engines of theft to match it. It may take a while, but it's digital media; it'll be cracked. Hey, who knows - Sony might even help, like they did by beginning the mass-manufacture of gigabyte CDs a few days after pirates cracked the Dreamcast GD-ROM.
Me, I give it 18 months from the official Japanese release of GameCube.
Pretending to be smarter than I really am,
J. Parish
GIA Sketch Artist
|
Now, this is all good stuff, and makes sense logicaly. I don't follow the latest tech specs on
this kind of stuff, so I'm in the same boat as you. My only question is about the "image" you
speak of. How would the reader read it? Computers have trouble dealing with things that aren't
0s and 1s... corrupting them would just be corrupting the data, and as you pointed out, that
didn't work with the PSX. I have heard about using a trinary (I don't know if that's a real word,
but we'll go with it) system that has 0s, 1s, and 2s. Or as the computer would read it, "not there,"
"there" or "really there." That system has problems, though, or so I recall hearing... but I'm not
up to date on the stuff. So if you are, write in or something.
| Clearing up misconceptions |
|
Hey dig this man,
Nintendo- 6 inch tall system, awkward controller, only 3D SNES games at
launch, but it's a tiny bit prettier than PS2. Also, Metroid, Zelda, and maybe
Mother3.
Sony- viciously anticipated small stylish system, greatly improved version
of old dual shock controller, grotesquely large possibilties for gameplay,
but slightly less pretty than Game Cube. Also, FF10, FF11, MGS2, Munches
Oddysee, beyond arcade perfect fighting games, online RPGs that proll'y won't
suck.
Umm.. I can't decide between the dumbass box, and the thing I'd cut my toes
off for.
Gilbert
|
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold the phone there big guy! To quote Nintendo:
These images are provided as examples of the type of graphics you may see
on NINTENDO GAMECUBE. These images are not meant to imply that any games
starring these characters are planned for a future release in either Japan
or the U.S. But they sure look cool!
Nintendo's not confirmed any titles for the Game Cube, yet. Their release titles might be Sparky the
Big Toenail Clipping and Ping Pong Pandemonium. Or they might be Zelda and Metroid. Who knows. No one,
yet. So let's not jump the gun! The PS2 will be out in America so far before the Game Cube that most
people won't have to choose one or the other -- I mean, we're talking over a year, I'd wager. Well
over a year. Two Christmases. And Mother 3 is pretty much official done for... so relax, smell the coffee and the roses!
| Poor Nintendo |
|
WARNING: SHAMELESS NINTENDO BASHING WITHIN
Nintendo is not going to make a very big dent in the market this time
around. The hype and anticipation going into the 128-bit generation is over
the PS2, not the GC. When the hype was about N64 last time, releasing late
was okay... but imagine if last time the challenger released their console A
YEAR LATER than the current champion. A lot can happen in a year, especially
when the lead dog in the race is releasing their new machine in that year.
You'd be ignorant to say that people don't buy what their friends buy. One
guy buys a PS2, his friends'll be influenced and get a PS2 as well. That's
why I got my NES, my friend had one and I wanted one too.
Nintendo doesn't have anything new and exciting to offer. A new Mario, a new
Zelda, a new Wave Race, a new Perfect Dark. Been there, done that. The only
moderate surprise is Metroid, and it's not even a confirmed title for Game
Cube. Miyamoto said it was just to show what could be possible with
Nintendo's franchise games on Game Cube, not to tell everyone that a new
Metroid was definitely coming, far into development, and would be out in
time to blow MGS2 out of the water. No sir. If an when a new Metroid does
come out, what would it be like? Probably a cross between two existing
Nintendo games, Mario and Perfect Dark. Nintendo is not truly offering
anything that they haven't always offered.
Low anticipation due to the PS2, late launch, and nothing new and exciting =
no interest from me. Sorry Nintendo, not interested.
|
Wow, this is weird. I'm going to actually defend Nintendo a bit. An odd feeling.
The release dates between the PS2 and the Cube are going to be so far spread out
that I don't even know that they'll be able to be direct competitors. Nintendo
might actually be really smart. Rather than forcing people to choose between the
PS2 and the Nintendo (a battle they realize they might lose), they're spacing it out
so that when their system comes out, they might be able to make the PS2 look obsolete.
I'm not saying they will, but it's possible that they might.
But until we see this new system in action, it's PS2 all the way for me.
| Game Cube, eh? |
|
Who thinks up these names? "Game Cube?" Personally, I thought dolphin
was a much cooler name.
-SC4000
|
I agree. I'm not sure if "Dolphin" is the best name ever, especially to describe
a game console, but it's better than the Game Cube. I mean, come on. The Game
Cube inspires nothing. I'm not hip with that at all.
| Now you're playing with... geometrical shapes! |
|
Remember all the slogans Nintendo's had in the past? "Now you're playing with power," "now you're playing with portable power," "now you're playing with super power," "play it loud," "why go to the next level, when you can go light-years beyond," (StarFox's response to Sega's "welcome to the next level") "change the system," "get N or get out," etc. I'm sure I missed some, but what's next? Back when the N64 was called the Ultra 64, I expected "now you're playing with ultra power." Will the GameCube have "power cubed"? Or what?
-- Colin
P.S. I personally woulda yelled my head off in a theater if I ever saw a trailer for a Zelda game ending with "now you're playing with power. LEGENDARY power." I drool just thinking it.
|
This is a great question. I have no idea. I assume Nintendo ran the name by their marking people,
and that they have some ideas, but I don't know. Maybe, "Fun in a box" or something. That's horrible.
This question just baffles me. Marketing people, help me out.
| Well, you can't prove him wrong... |
|
AK
What the hell was Nintendo smoking?!
Nintendo Exec. #1: Heeeeeeeeyyyyy...whatcha got there?
Nintendo Exec. #2: Whooooaaaaa...it's my daughter's Easy Bake Oven. She
musta left it here from "Take Your Daughter To Work Day".
Nintendo Exec. #3: Yooooo dooooodssss. You know what would be funny?
Nintendo Exec. #1&2: Whaaaaaaat??
Nintendo Exec. #3: If we took the plans for that Lame Scube thingy and
switched it with a modified Easy Bake Oven!
Nintendo Exec. #1&2: Yeeeeaaaaahhhh!!
All Nintendo Execs.: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
-Agent X "i swear that's how it went down!"
|
Hey, you never know. Inspiration comes from weird places.
| Final Fantasies rule |
|
The other day someone said Final Fantasy 7 and 8 blew and I was just
wondering If you agree because personally I love these games and think
they are two of the best rpgs on the PSX and period.
"A person who thinks Final Faantasy rocks" Kramer
|
No! I don't agree! I've said before that FF7 and 8 weren't my favorites, but they certainly
weren't bad. I love them both. But I like other games in the series much more. But stacked
up to other RPGs, I still think FF7 and FF8 are both classics.
Closing Comments:
I'm sure the Game Cube debate will continue... so take care, and we'll see what tomorrow brings!
-Andrew Kaufmann
|
| |
| |
