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akb825 wrote:

This week I started interning at a small startup game company, (PixelActive) and I'm working on getting their stuff working on the Wii. The owner is a guest professor at my university for some of the graphics classes, and I wowed him enough for him to offer me a job.

We have some WoW players around... oh, wait. Nemind.

Bat: currently, there actually isn't much "fix". It's a dev kit, so it doesn't really play normal games. Since I'm the first and only person to touch it, there isn't much running on it yet...

You touched it and it's still working?! ...well, give it time.

But don't worry: the Wii is really the only next-gen system that I plan on getting at this point. I just haven't gotten around to getting it yet.

Kewl. I've heard it even uses that easy, old-fashioned OpenGL so you shouldn't have much trouble. (How high's the version support?)

Now get thee over to Bungie Day and read about REAL games before it's too late.

I knew about the PS3, but I could've sworn I read the Wii does also. Apparently the source or my memory was wrong... hmm, a semi-proprietary API. Then again, each Xbox has had its proprietary version of DirectX. Consoles are about getting max features and performance from a fixed platform, after all (which is why each XBox 1 game needs an emu profile to run on 360- different chips from different makers, slightly different DXs; dedicated sound hardware vs. a software engine etc).

No Bungie?! You are a heathen. Bungie has done a lot more than FPSs; a student of gameology should know that.

Maybe you've heard of Myth...

...nah.

Sounds fun, and good luck figuring out that new API.  I'm taking graphics next semester (OpenGL) so maybe then I'll be able to understand some of your occasional techno-babble posts.

Pimps...

What's really annoying is that whenever I talk to people who get their information exclusively from G4, they insist that "Pimps At Sea" is/was the codename for Halo 3.

It's like... um. The joke predates Halo 2, even. But they won't listen.

elpato84 wrote:

Come on, even Microsoft had their act together by this time.

Bat wrote:

From what I've read recently, they won't take on additional suppliers like when MS added Celestica to build more 360s.

Really??? Microsoft has their act together???

NPR wrote:

NPR story link
Microsoft announces it will take a $1 billion charge to expand the warranty for its Xbox 360 video game consoles. The company says too many of the machines have succumbed to "general hardware failure." Microsoft is extending the warranty on the machines to three years.

According to the company, game owners can tell if they are affected if they see three flashing red lights on the front of the console. Microsoft says it will repair or replace affected machines free of charge, including postage.

I don't think it would be wise for Nintendo to follow their lead.

Bat wrote:

We're talking about production and meeting customer demand here. What you've just linked to has been covered to death in other nearby threads already.

It is absolutely relevant. If you're not careful you can outsource the manufacturing to a firm that will not meet your high standards. So, while demand would be met initially it can cause problems at the back end. You were making the assumption that Nintendo is approaching this the wrong way and Microsoft has the answers. I'm simply pointing out another perspective. Sorry I didn't acquiesce to your point of view.

Frank

You also have to factor in the fact that Nintendo has almost pushed as many systems as microsoft - in half the time.

One could argue how complex a Wii is to build compared to a 360 as much as we like, you might even loose that debate (fancy wiimotes + sensor bar are harder then a revved up G5 tower) - but for all intents and purposes they are about the same.

The 360 may cost more, but I doubt it's hard to put together.

Yeah, but it's just more things to "build".  Granted, the Xbox power supply is more complicated then an F-22, but still…

Bat wrote:

Equally I apologize for not assuming MS can do nothing right, and that Nintendo just might have an interest in making money... they're here to spread pure joy. That money is coming back their way is serendipitous karma.

You're still a day late and a dollar short with your NPR story link. We've been discussing this for days.

ConnertheCat wrote:

You also have to factor in the fact that Nintendo has almost pushed as many systems as microsoft - in half the time.

It's easier to build slingshots than nuclear subs. I think that by this time, if N wanted to have more Wiis in the pipeline they could've found adequate manufacturing capacity that met their standards.

So I see you've resorted to pure sarcasm to try to make your point. Is that what happens when your argument falls apart?

1) I never said that MS can't do anything right. I simply stated a FACT. They recently cited a $1,000,000,000 charge to their bottom line due to warranty extensions to cover "general hardware failures." Again, this is a FACT. It is not in dispute. My point was that you can't put up a company as your example of how to manufacture game consoles in the "right way" when they are taking a $1,000,000,000 charge because of "general hardware failures."

2) It really doesn't matter if the NPR story was already discussed. It was on point when disputing your solution to what you see as Nintendo's problem.

3) You then state that Nintendo is doing this on purpose as a way to make money. That is an interesting point of view but most companies make money by selling more of an item, not less. So, I guess you actually think they are limiting the supply intentionally as a master plan to drive up sales? I guess it never occured to you that they simply underestimated sales and they keep getting surprised by the continued demand for their system? You want them to ramp up and build another factory to build more systems. Why don't you look at the reality which includes the fact that this system has only been on sale for less than 8 months. When should they have started building the factory? Since console sales usually decrease during the summer they would have had to make the bet back at the beginning of the year that this trend was not going to occur for them. The bottom line is that initial demand for a system is usually the highest a company will ever see over the life of a system and the sales figures usually trend downward at a steady rate. Knowing these facts, why would it make sense for them to build more factories when history tells them that the demand is going to continue to go down. The only mistake they made was in thinking it would go down faster than it did. They are having a huge success that wasn't really predicted by anyone and you exptect their executives to be able to look into their crystal balls and know otherwise.

4) Are you actually calling the Wii a slingshot to the XBox 360's nuclear sub??? Give me a break. I guess that statement lets us know how much your analysis is worth.

Frank

ConnertheCat wrote:

Frank, it's pointless - Bat is the biggest douchebag on the boards, attempting to argue with him is un-possible.

Thanks for the heads up!