Ever since Nintendo unveiled the GameCube at Spaceworld 2000, people have been clamoring over the prospect of playing the hottest Nintendo titles online. Fans everywhere were thinking of nothing but playing Smash Bros, Mario Kart, and Mario Tennis with people down the street and across the world. Now, close to three years since Spaceworld, and more than a year and a half has passed since the launch of the GameCube, and what do we have? Phantasy Star Online, and that's all she wrote.
Even with Nintendo's constant assurances that they are working their proverbial asses off to get some of their biggest franchise titles online, and the promise of free play for first-party titles, we're still waiting for even a confirmation of what games might be coming, if at all. This lack of news on what has been dubbed the "future of console gaming" has many people upset, and wondering what Nintendo is thinking, even as competitors Microsoft and Sony dish out one online game after another.
Nintendo, over the last few years, has held tightly to its assumption that, as of yet, there's no significant profit to be gained by online gaming, and that their people are working tirelessly to research the cost, efficiency, profitability, technology, and effectiveness of online play. We've watched some major Nintendo titles come to us with no ability to go online, from Super Smash Bros Melee, Mario Party 5, and Animal Crossing, to the upcoming Mario Golf, F-Zero GX and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! These games were among the top choices by gamers to be online, but none of them would be. Sure, SpyWare may be developing technology for games like Mario Kart for Internet play, but that's a third-party company and just not the same as if Nintendo itself were doing it. It's not going to be as reliable, nor will it be the same feeling of "Hey, Nintendo is finally going online!"
Many have been quick to say that Nintendo needs a solid online plan, such as Xbox Live, if it is to stay competitive on today's market. This may not be totally inaccurate, either. Developers seem to be flocking towards Xbox Live technology, as it is easy for gamers to access and use, with one monthly fee to play any game, first, second, or third party, and easier to develop for, with Microsoft providing the technology, whereas Nintendo is leaving it up to the developers to create their own databases, mainframes, etc. if they want to have games online for GameCube. Not very developer friendly, is it? This may be one of the key reasons third parties seem to be flocking towards Microsoft and Sony, while Nintendo appears to be simply an afterthought.
Yes, it appears that everybody seems to be all over online play, from the mainstream fan, to the hardcore gamer, to developers all over the world. Now, this only leaves me with the question: What's the big deal? What is the big draw to the prospect of playing a game with someone you don't know in a place you've never been to? For me, one of the most fun parts of playing games like Smash Bros, Mario Party, and Mario Kart is being in the same room as the people I'm playing with. Nothing can replace the feeling of being in a room of your closest friends playing these games. Most of the fun comes from being able to get loud and raucous while hopped up on Mountain Dew in a room full of people who love that little lunchbox as much as you do. Can online play really replicate that? Even the LAN setup for Mario Kart: Double Dash!! at E3 wasn't quite the same as playing on the same TV. Eight televisions with eight Cubes set up with eight people... sounds like a hell of a fun time, right? The only thing is...the fire wasn't there. I even at times forgot I was playing people and felt like I was doing a simple one-player Grand Prix race, while at the split-screen setup across the floor I got the true competitive feel.
Don't get me wrong, though, I can see where Internet capabilities can be beneficial, even in areas other than gameplay. It seems like every time I turn around I see someone eagerly awaiting the next download package for MechAssault for new levels and weapons and what-have-you. The ability to add new features to games that have already been released would appeal to just about anybody. But are there alternatives to online downloading for this? What if it was possible for a company to release a disc for $5-10 for certain games to add features?
Let's use Smash Bros Melee as an example. You'd pop this Super Smash Bros Melee Expansion Disc (or whatever it might be called) into your GameCube, the disc would read your memory card, find a save game file for Smash Bros, and add in whatever new levels, weapons, characters, or options that are included on the disc to your already existing game file. Sure, this might add a block or so to your game file, but I don't think anybody would really mind sacrificing some memory card space to play as Captain Olimar in Ganon's Castle with a Tanooki Suit (all these upgrades are, of course, made up by myself, and have no bearing on future characters, levels, or items in upcoming Smash Bros games). Now, I don't know if this sort of disc is possible with the technology we have as of right now, but I do believe that this is worth at least researching on the part of the developers, as it could be a very good alternative to downloads for those developers who don't want to go online, and, if done right, a potentially huge cash cow.
If online gaming is indeed the future of the gaming world, maybe we should let it be just that: the future. Until there can be a good system that's both cheap for developers and gamers alike, and can be implemented easily and lag-free (lag being one of the major problems with putting games like Smash Bros and Mario Kart on the Internet), we should just let the technology grow and evolve, so that when the future finally does come, perhaps in the next console generation, most of the problems we experience in this generation will be addressed and fixed. Let's not try to get too far ahead of ourselves and beg for the future before we're even done with the present. For now, personally, I just can't see the big deal of online gaming.
Send any questions or comments to carl@wiicafe.com or visit the forums.
Carl DeNovio
