As I write this, we are just about 6 months until E3 2005. Six months until Nintendo and numerous other companies usher in their yearly cavalcade of new games to try and gain the Gamer's dollar. However, it's easy to say this year is special. This year, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will unleash the first looks of the next generation of consoles onto the hungry eyes of the video gaming public.

Of course, if you believe the gaming mass media, it's just between Sony and Microsoft.

Nintendo's GameCube has been looked upon as the big loser of the current console generation. In a time when games have become bigger, flashier, more violent epics on immense scales, Nintendo has sat back and pumped out games that are just that - simply games. Nintendo believes that simplicity is the way to win in the current generation, which, unless there's some good weed floating around Japan lately, isn't true at all. And while Nintendo remains financially healthy (they are the only console maker to make a profit in this generation) the demand for inventiveness has gone down, and the demand for attitude has gone up. In a recent Washington Post article, the GameCube was called "clearly obsolete". While arguable, to say the least, it doesn't help Nintendo's image with the casual community. When Game Informer gave Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door a score of 6.5, their reason wasn't because the game was bad, but because they felt that since the game was obviously meant for young children, giving it a high score would offend the 15-30 demographic the magazine caters to, and cause a loss of subscriptions. The same can be said for Spike TV's snubbing of Nintendo for their Video Game Awards show, as most categories were without a Nintendo title amongst them. Why did they do this? The obvious reason was because of Nintendo's lack of appeal to the casual masses, which is exactly whom the VGA's cater to. It's a shame and a travesty, but it's true. And as much as it hurts me to say it, it's all Nintendo's fault.

Nintendo's Revolution needs to be more about a revolution of Nintendo themselves, not of gaming in general. Nintendo has said time and again that they are striving to achieve the market of older gamers, but with time, it has further slipped through their fingers. The GameCube is Nintendo's weakest selling console to date, and although Nintendo considers it an economic success, it can really only be looked at as a moral failure on the part of Nintendo securing the mass market. And now, with Sony's release of the PSP poised to take over the one market Nintendo has never been contested in - that of handhelds - imminent, Nintendo needs a severe attitude adjustment. They need a change. They need a revolution in the console realm. Here's how they can get it.

1. USE A REGULAR DISC MEDIA

One of the most poignant criticisms of the GameCube was its use of a smaller-sized disc for GameCube titles, rather than the DVD format adopted by the PS2 and XBox. While Nintendo stood by their new medium based on the fact that it would be much harder to pirate, the facts still stayed the same - GameCube discs could only hold 1.5 gigs of memory, while the DVDs used by the PS2 and Xbox held a whopping 7. What does this have to do with anything? Well, it can be pretty much inferred that Nintendo lost a lot of their third party support because of it. Companies like Tecmo, THQ, Konami, and even Electronic Arts only offer limited to no third-party support to the GCN due to this fact, simply because it's much easier to port a game from PS2 to XBox and vice-versa, and only the most powerful of companies can port a game to the Cube's smaller discs without causing problems, not to mention with the Cube's "niche" market tendencies. Even more rarely are the games GameCube-exclusive, which the PS2 and XBox both have in spades - Namco had the system's only two exclusives of 2004, while next year's third-party exclusives slate is completely blank with the recent announcement of Resident Evil 4 for the PS2 (which will have an huge negative effect on the Cube version's sales, mark my words). A larger disc medium for the Revolution is an absolute no-brainer - not only will the larger discs provide for more storage space and, overall, bigger and better games, companies will not be afraid to port their titles onto the system, thus promising better third party support. If the Big N can aggressively pursue other companies to port their games to the console (and not just based on the fact that they are Nintendo, something they've done in the past to little success), the sky is the limit.

2. MORE ORIGINAL, GROWN UP TITLES.

Nintendo is often given the moniker of "the mascot company". Why is that, you ask? Well, let's take a look at all of Nintendo's first-party titles that they've released since September, shall we?

Donkey Konga

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Mario Power Tennis

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Mario Party 6

Anyone else see a pattern here?

Its fine that Nintendo is putting out titles that are, although sometimes childish in their demeanor, from legitimate, beloved franchises. The problem is that that is ALL they are putting out. In 2004, the only Nintendo-developed title that was released that is not based on a franchise from the 80's is Pikmin 2! Looking at next year, it looks like the same thing - Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Star Fox Assault, even the new Zelda, awesome as it is, isn't exactly an original Nintendo concept. Not to mention that all of these titles, although a bit grown up, are still the same kiddy games Nintendo has always put out. Now, Nintendo fans can look past the childish visuals and find great games with load s of polish and great gameplay, but let's put ourselves in the shoes of John Q. 18-Year-Old Casual Gamer for a moment. Give him two games - GTA and Mario Power Tennis. Which game is he more likely to play? If you think he's going to pick up the same Mario game he's been playing since the 80's, you're dead wrong. The average gamer is a shallow idiot who enjoys blood, titties, and harsh language, and to that end is probably not going to play a game starring talking animals or cartoon plumbers, no matter HOW good it looks. Nintendo's games are kind of like the shy, kind of nerdy girl in school - she may have a lot to offer on the inside, but you wouldn't exactly like to see them in a porno. While the PS2 and XBox have gained mainstream appeal, the GameCube is often left out. You very rarely will ever hear anyone ask the question "PS2, XBox, or GameCube?", as only the PS2 and XBox have the mainstream appeal of coming from two massive companies like Sony and Microsoft. However, when talking about next year's Nintendo games, there's one shining light of originality: Geist. Although the game seems weird, the concept alone seems enticing enough to check out, since this isn't the normal Nintendo fare by FAR. If Nintendo can pump out more games like this, brimming with originality and great features, then who knows what might be next? Therefore, the Revolution's going to need some quality Nintendo titles. I'm not saying get rid of stuff like Mario and Zelda, simply dial it back a bit for stuff like Geist and Eternal Darkness (remember THAT?). Nintendo doesn't necessarily have to come out with games where Mario is raping hookers and chopping heads off, but some better first-party titles with epic storylines, soundtracks, and graphics would most DEFINITELY help. Nintendo may be all about the masses, but they won't be until they just conform.

And speaking of conforming…

3. ONLINE, DAMMIT

This is the big one. Want to get right down to the GameCube's main criticism? It's right there in black and white - NO ONLINE PLAY. Want to play Mario Power Tennis with your friend in Tulsa? Someone's gonna have to travel. Want to battle with your buddies in Mario Kart? Hope they're all in the same house. A Pokémon MMORPG? You wish.

Nintendo has constantly says that online gaming is not what the people want, and is the FUTURE of gaming, not the now. This is, for lack of a better word, crap. Nintendo wants to wait until online gaming is profitable for everyone and all. Quite simply, the people at Nintendo's offices need their heads examined. Imagine Super Smash Brothers Online. Zelda Four Swords Online. Mario Party Online! The possibilities are all there for Nintendo, and it's passing them by with every online title pumped out by Sony and Microsoft. Halo 2 alone nearly doubled XBox Live's subscribers, and, many have said, brought online gaming into the mainstream. Sony has embraced online as well, and has created several intuitive titles based around it. Nintendo? Nothing but a couple of Sega games maybe 5 people played. People say Nintendo doesn't want to evolve, and they're right. And they need to. The Revolution has to be online, from the OUTSET. No waiting 2-3 years after the system is launched, because by that point they'll be only overtaken further. Nintendo cannot wait until online play is profitable, because by the time they are ready to institute it, they will more than likely not be making a profit. Online play NEEDS to be a focal point of the Revolution. Just like Nintendo seems to be getting into it with the DS, they'll need to get into it with the Revolution right from the beginning. Online is the wave of the future, and for Nintendo to miss catching it would be downright suicide.

Nintendo is about to be faced with its biggest task to date - getting back into the mainstream with its latest console. Nintendo has fallen out of the public eye, and, although they continue to make a profit, unless things go right in the next era we may very well see Nintendo forgoing consoles to concentrate on handhelds, effectively going the way of Sega in the console business. The Revolution is make-or-break, and unless Nintendo does it right the first time, there may not be a next time. It's all well and good to be innovative, but Nintendo needs to conform at the same time in order to give developers and gamers the opportunity to play the games they want, as well as creating new experiences. In other words, you can throw in a bunch of gimmicks, but the system will still require the tried-and-true. In the end, it all comes down to what the consumer wants. The consumer has unfortunately proven that games with boobies, blood, and blowing shit up are what they want. If Nintendo wants to regain their former glory, they'll have to play by the rules. Nintendo needs to have a revolution within itself before it tries to create a revolution in gaming.

Eric Jones