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[zmweasel]

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[MarioAllStar2600]

I really don't know what to think here. I will almost definatly get both systems within a year, but the PSP sounds nuts. I guess it all depends on the sale price. And yea EA will definatly help sales for the PSP.

[GameGuru]

I will definitely be buying both so I guess it doesn't matter if I can only play EA Sports games on the PsP. I am sure they will publish if the DS takes off though as they have always supported Nintendo hardware. Of course the dual screen scream for sports games so we might see EA there someday.

[IntvGene]

Not really surprising news, and it had to be expected.

EA gave up on the Saturn and the DC. And, I gave up on them.

Zach, you're so negative, you could have titled this thread: EA TO EVALUATE DS TECHNOLOGY instead, you know. ;)

[Bratwurst]

Not even the most inventive Nintendo fanboy can put a positive spin on this info... or can he?

Why Mr. Meston! If I didn't know better I'd wager you enjoyed the glorious flap dance of helmet wearing mouth breathers, much like some men subject themselves to PVC clad women wearing far too many nipple clamps that call their basements 'dungeons.'

Digital Press is your dungeon isn't it? Oh I'm on to you, sir.

What I wonder is if Sony will pass on the cheaper manufacturing costs to EA and other third parties, or if EA's getting special treatment. (For signing up early and potentially snubbing Nintendo?) If they are even a buck or five less it could mean a great deal of a difference when dealing with mass manufacture

[swlovinist]

Ahhh....you said the ever so important word......price point. Honestly, I think that both of them wont do as well as they want. You have possibly two "expensive toys" coming out a year before the release of three new home cosoles(2006?) If people are going to choose, which they will for something that is or over $200.00, neither. What is the market of the PSP, the average gamer? I hope not, because the average gamer wont support such an expensive portable. Look at the Atari Lynx, Sega Nomad, and the Turbo Express...all were accepted with limited appeal due to thier price point(ok so games were a factor!) The ONLY way Nintendo is going to have anyone give a fart about their new THINGIE is to offer it $50.00 to $100.00 cheaper then the PSP...I personally think that OLD FAITHFUL GBA SP is gonna kick both of their asses...............I dont think anyone is gonna trump that thing! I respect your views, you have the inside scoop, but being a Nintendo Fanboy, I had to chime!

[Ze_ro]

Looks like Nintendo's 2-screen soccer game won't be FIFA 2004...

--Zero

[GameGuru]

Mario Kart DS!!!!!! I just thought of this, you could have a rear view on the bottom screen and always see how close the other racers are to you!

[badinsults]

The DS was announced a week ago. The PSP was announced nearly a year ago. Of course the PSP is going to have more support right now. Still, I think that I will have no opinion on either system until E3 when they are actually shown.

[YoshiM]

The DS was announced a week ago. The PSP was announced nearly a year ago. Of course the PSP is going to have more support right now. Still, I think that I will have no opinion on either system until E3 when they are actually shown.

That's the funny thing, it was just announced. No dev kits (thus far) have been released, no talks of possible software and Nintendo wants to launch this sucker this year. Unless the big N has a good lineup for this system for an end-of-2004 launch windows I say the DS won't release until maybe next year. Now that I think about it this just may be a ploy to steal the wind from Sony's sails by saying it's releasing so soon.

[GameGuru]

That's the funny thing, it was just announced. No dev kits (thus far) have been released, no talks of possible software and Nintendo wants to launch this sucker this year. Unless the big N has a good lineup for this system for an end-of-2004 launch windows I say the DS won't release until maybe next year. Now that I think about it this just may be a ploy to steal the wind from Sony's sails by saying it's releasing so soon.

The will have some kick ass first party games at launch I am sure. Third party support might not flourish until middle 2005 since they will have a late start.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, this is pretty ironic, considering EA has supported almost EVERY gaming system released at one point or another -- and they are even porting games to the NGage! :D

[GameGuru]

Well, this is pretty ironic, considering EA has supported almost EVERY gaming system released at one point or another -- and they are even porting games to the NGage! :D

Make sure you read the story as the OP wasn't giving you quotes, just his slanted view on it. This is what it actually says:


When asked by an analyst about EA's plans for the DS, Probst demurred. "It's a technology we're evaluating, but we haven't made any decisions as to whether we are going to support it yet."

They are not diving in until they know more and that makes sense as until you actually see a prototype or dev kit you are not gonna swear support for something. As someone else pointed out the PsP was announced a long time ago so of course it has more people on board.

Don't count the DS out until we see it. Hell I still want a SuperGrafx!

[Half Japanese]

I haven't seen a portable EA game worth getting excited about anyway..hell, for that matter none of their console games do jack shit for me. I realize they're important for Sue & Johnny Mainstream, but the fact that they may or may not develop for the DS doesn't mean a thing to me. Then again, one of my favorite systems, while dying an undeserving death, had plenty of great games without EA showing up at the party. I'm still waiting to see how the DS will be used and try out some games before dismissing it as "another shitty idea from that failing Japanese company"....something a few of you should consider as well.

[Ze_ro]

Hey, I just realized that the DS might be a great system to have a hockey game on! With two screens mounted vertically, you could see a much bigger chuck of the ice in an NHL 95 style game (Assuming there's no break between the two screens).

Of course EA's only GBA hockey game, NHL 2002, rather sucked... in fact, all their hockey games since NHL '99 kinda sucked. Maybe we'll get lucky and Sega will make one of it's great ESPN Hockey games on the DS.

--Zero

[Stamp Mcfury]

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6087083.html

The world's #1 software publisher has between eight and 12 games in the works for the PSP, but refuses to say more than a generic "we're evaluating the technology" about the DS.

EA's CEO says he expects a PSP price point of $199 or $249, and that the PSP's profit margins will be higher than the GBA's.

Not even the most inventive Nintendo fanboy can put a positive spin on this info... or can he?

-- Z.

I'm really no Nintendo fanboy, but I really don't give a crap abought EA. I know the sell alot of games, but EA just seems to be one of the most dissliked developers in the industry right now.

[calthaer]

If anything, this is news in the DS' favor. EA's sports titles are hardly the biggest loss, and their...uh...well...now what else besides Sims, Sims expansions, more Sims expansions, and movie licenses *does* EA do?

Oh wait - I forgot they were still whoring out the Command & Conquer license since they shut down Westwood.

EA is a one-trick pony, and that trick is called Sims. If Will Wright were to leave tomorrow I'm sure they'd turn that license into their harlot as well, but most of their genius has left on their own accord or been driven out by the fatcat execs trying to foist as much shovelware as they possibly can off on the gaming public.

I'd take Nintendo's half-dozen titles that are worth playing to the fifty half-baked titles EA throws out the door any day.

[AB Positive]

Why Mr. Meston! If I didn't know better I'd wager you enjoyed the glorious flap dance of helmet wearing mouth breathers, much like some men subject themselves to PVC clad women wearing far too many nipple clamps that call their basements 'dungeons.'

Digital Press is your dungeon isn't it? Oh I'm on to you, sir.


...jigga-what?

-AG

[SoulBlazer]

I expected this kind of anti-EA attitude in this. Hate EA as much as you want, guys, but they make a lot of great games, a lot of games I buy and play, and they are a powerfull developer and publisher. If Nintendo wants the DS to do well it would REALLY help to have some of the 'big guys' on their side.

[badinsults]

According to the latest news, the screens will be stacked one on top of the other, meaning it can be used as a single screen.

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6087084.html

[Ze_ro]

EA is a one-trick pony, and that trick is called Sims.

They also have over a decade worth of Madden games... I'd wager a guess that their Madden franchise is somewhere near a full half of their video game profits. For some reason people keep buying them despite minimal changes, so EA is basically printing money.

Aside from their earlier hockey games, I haven't been too interested in their stuff.... if they make another Mail-Order Monsters game though, then I might take notice. EA was the freakin' pope back in the C64 days.

Sports games seem to be the ones that would most benefit from two screens, so if EA isn't coming aboard, it could be a big loss for the system. Sega could easily fill that void though.

--Zero

[Oobgarm]

EA is/was supporting the N-Gage, so support for the DS isn't totally out of the question.

:)

[calthaer]

but they make a lot of great games, a lot of games I buy and play

Just because you buy and play them doesn't make them great. I would change that "make" to "made" - past tense.

They used to make a lot of good games back in the day...well, they and a lot of the companies that they've eaten for lunch used to. The titles released now under those same names are mere shadows of their former glory - not only from my perspective, but from a lot of peoples'. Their sports games are mere iterations of the same thing, as has already been pointed out. I won't say the Sims isn't a good game, but one game doesn't make a company great. You've obviously never played Earth & Beyond, or any of their other MMOG stinkers, either (barring Ultima Online, which they essentially bought in-production when they took over Origin and killed the rest of the Ultima series).

I will concede that they do graphics fairly well and that they are masters at hype generation - which could account for them selling a lot of games.

Whether they're big or not is inconsequential. I'm saying that I don't care how many "big" publishers are supporting a device - if it doesn't have high-quality games, my dollars won't leave my wallet. They haven't left my wallet for an EA game in years, so I fail to see how this is going to be some sort of big deal if they don't support the DS (which, incidentally, doesn't look like my cup of tea anyways).

[zmweasel]

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[zmweasel]

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[SoulBlazer]

Yes, I've played Earth and Beyond. Been there since beta. Still play it every week (and FFXI as well, the only two online games I play). Love it.

And I buy every new Madden and most of the other sports games. The changes are NOT always minor.

And all the new Command and Conquer games. And Black and White. And the Medal of Honor games.

And the LAST thing I would call myself, with my niche tastes in other areas, is a 'mass market gamer'!

(Curiously enough, I can't stand the Sims, and I normaly love simulation games. That's one I can't explain.....)

And thanks for the support, Zach. Leave it to you to re-state my points. ;)

[Tritoch]

You've obviously never played Earth & Beyond, or any of their other MMOG stinkers, either (barring Ultima Online, which they essentially bought in-production when they took over Origin and killed the rest of the Ultima series).

Don't get me started on the death of Origin, UO2, and Ultima in general. Nothing in the industry has ever made me angrier than that whole sordid affair. :angry:

Majestic was another decent MMOG, it just never took off. I've always thought that EA gave up on that one too early too.

[link1110]

They were also "Down" with N-Gage and had (still have) games coming out for it. Yeah, hearing these guys are making games for a syatem give s me confidence in it. LOL

[ManekiNeko]

Not even the most inventive Nintendo fanboy can put a positive spin on this info... or can he?


Sure he can! Electronic Arts sucks... they've gone from a small team of innovative, well-intentioned game designers to a soulless, spiteful corporation over the course of twenty years. They snubbed the Dreamcast in the past, and that certainly wasn't any worse off without their support. Thanks to Sega Sports' excellent selection of games, you hardly noticed that EA was gone.

Now I'm not saying that the Nintendo DS will be a success, but its failure will have little or nothing to do with Electronic Arts' refusal to support it. I say screw 'em, just like EA screwed Sega when they refused to make software for the Dreamcast just because Sega wouldn't design the system with EA's primitive 3Dfx technology. All Electronic Arts is good for anyway is are sports games and the occasional movie license.

JR

[hezeuschrist]

No offense Neko, but you saying EA sucks is merely an opinion. I don't have any use for the developer either, but this is still potentially bad news. The fact is they move units, and they move systems. When the casusal consumer (the majority of the current market) goes to pickup a system, they look at the games. Most of them will take one look and see "WTF, no madden? Give me something else."

That'd be akin to saying that if Square-Enix jumped ship and went exclusively to Microsoft that it wouldn't mean squat. You might hate Square-Enix (hypothetically), but the games move systems, period.

Now, there's still nothing solid about the DS other than it's got two screens vertically alligned, so who's to say EA isn't gonna support them after they take a long look at/after E3? If they end up not supporting the system, it'll be a huge blow to the possible commercial success of the system.

[badinsults]

I still see no reason why the assumption is that EA is not supporting the DS, as that has not been explicitly stated yet.


I am going to write up a Nintendo Fanboy vs. Anti-Nintendo fanboy article sometime. I already have lots of ideas for it.

[NintendoMan]

Mario Kart DS!!!!!! I just thought of this, you could have a rear view on the bottom screen and always see how close the other racers are to you!

BEAUTIFUL!!! I get goosebumps just thinking about it!! @_@

[zmweasel]

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[ozyr]

I'm really no Nintendo fanboy, but I really don't give a crap abought EA. I know the sell alot of games, but EA just seems to be one of the most dissliked developers in the industry right now.

Disliked by whom? Hardcore gamers? Casual gamers? Industry developers?
-- Z.

Well, just my two cents - but I don't care much for EA either. Yes, I realize there on top, but I don't give a damn - still can't stand them. Most of their games just don't hold up, and the good ones don't hold my interest long enough. Just my opinion - jump on it all you want (I won't reply)!

As for PSP and DS - they're two different machines. It's obvious you favor sony over nintendo, so why even bring the subject up?! Time will tell which sells better - and again, I don't care. I'll buy whichever one looks good when they are actually released - until then....

[calthaer]

I'd much rather see an article about the console-fanboy mentality in general, one that analyzes what leads young males -- and it's almost always young males, full of passion and lacking in wisdom -- to pledge their hearts to a manufacturer of videogame hardware.

Everybody, quick - bow down and worship the weasel as god. He is much more l33t than all of us. I can't even believe we have the priviledge of listening to him insult us.

Not that I'm a die-hard Nintendo fan so much as I am an EA-hater, but that last comment was just so condescending that I just couldn't let it pass. Are you actively trying to start a flame war by being so supercilious, or is that just your default setting? I thought this was about the DS - which I don't think anybody really thinks is going to succeed - and EA. What's up with the snide asides?

[Stamp Mcfury]

I'm really no Nintendo fanboy, but I really don't give a crap abought EA. I know the sell alot of games, but EA just seems to be one of the most dissliked developers in the industry right now.

Disliked by whom? Hardcore gamers? Casual gamers? Industry developers?

Industry developers? In a September 2003 article in Game Developer, EA was rated 8 out of 10 in the categories of milestone payments and producer quality. Not much resentment reflected in those numbers.

Casual gamers? EA estimates total revenue for its latest fiscal year will clock in at $2.91 billion to $2.93 billion. Madden might be the same-old same-old, but that's not stopping the masses from buying millions of copies.

Which leaves hardcore gamers -- although I'd put myself in that category, and while I dislike individual EA titles, I don't despise the company as a whole. No, the EA of today is nothing like the EA of the early '80s, but every one of the game companies to survive the past two decades has experienced enormous and inevitable change.

-- Z.

Well I mean disliked by hardcore gamers.

Also since EA seems to be a company that goes with the sure shot franchise over new idea's (Sims Fill in the blank) it's not really suprising that they would look at the DS concept with dread

[zmweasel]

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[zmweasel]

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[zmweasel]

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[SoulBlazer]

And it was a important note, Zach. Just seems some people tend to get to personal in their debates. ;)

No, I'm not insulting anyone. I'm just saying we all have our opinions and our own ideas, and we need to respect each other and not LET every thread get into a flame war.

As for me, I said my piece allready and nobody tasked me on it, so I'm happy. :D

[Duncan]

Before I get started, I am not a "fanboy" of any sort. In my ideal world, every console maker would be doing as well as they possibly could. But this is not an ideal world, and Nintendo is currently in a bit of a rut.

So...


Even if EA was excited about the DS, which it's obviously not, it's too late in the development process for EA to shift gears.

You get that gigantic generalization from "We expect that [the margins] will be better"? Well, duh. The PSP is (so far as we know) a normal handheld, while the DS hasn't been so much as hinted at. If I were EA, given the current information, I'd say it's a no-brainer that the PSP will have more momentum behind it because they know next to nothing about the DS. But you take that simple comment and say that EA is "not excited" about the DS. Okay then...


As for the "Yeah, well, EA's supporting the N-Gage, too!" comments: EA has indeed thrown a bone to Nokia in the form of can't-miss sports titles such as FIFA 2004. It's not developing original IPs for the N-Gage as it is for the PSP, and it's certainly not pouring a significant amount of money or time into the development of N-Gage titles, as it is for the PSP. Sega supported the N-Gage as well -- you gonna rag on them, too?

Who cares? In reality, no one is "actually" supporting the N-Gage. The whole library is made up of half-hearted ports and lackluster reworkings of currently available or old games from other more successful systems. The N-Gage is a joke, and Nokia would be wise to focus on gaming for regular cell-phones instead of their expensive "lifestyle device". EA's support - or anyone's - of the N-Gage makes no difference. It's DEAD.


Electronic Arts believes very strongly that the PSP will succeed, and that it will shake up the portable market (translated: kick Nintendo's ass). You don't think other third-party publishers, especially in the U.S., take their cues from EA? You don't think financial analysts care about where the world's #1 software publisher has placed its bets?

From the article, EA's Larry Probst says that "publishers must adopt or pass on the PSP," and that "there will be winners and losers." I agree that other publishers will probably take a cue from EA - they are the Microsoft or Intel of the game-creation world. But it's ludicrous to believe that all developers will live or die by the hand of EA - if that were true, then the Dreamcast (and its small platoon of committed developers) would certainly not have lived past mid-2000.

I find it funny that you failed to mention (and surprisingly, no one has yet noticed) that, according to the very same article, Namco and Konami are both basically set to develop for the DS. Would it be fair to say that those two are "major developers"? I would; I don't know about you.

I smell bias...or at least an unhealthy lack of journalistic integrity. You could at least attempt to give the DS a fair shake. We all agree here (for the most part) that Nintendo's concept sounds somewhat dicey, but no one really knows yet what they've got planned. And until that happens, they deserve to have the benefit of the doubt.

Rant over, thank you. :)

[NvrMore]

Bash-boy mentality. Immediate use of the "keyword". Flame-baiting. Only posting news aspects that can be constrewed as negative whilst remaining ominously silent on the flipside of subject related news. All coupled with decidedly shakey claims of being unbiassed - oh, hey Z, I never would have guessed *utter-shock*

Regardless of anyone's platform of choice/distain, I liked this news of late..


NiGHTS has lots of fans. And as long as I am in Sega, they promise to make the sequel of NiGHTS. If the voice of many fans is heard, NiGHTS will become one of my next projects in the future.

Of course, it's just a tease at present and it's not decidedly bashy, but it presents a nice prospect.

BUT, I'm sure even the most uninventive bash-eager flame-baiter could easily warp it to be indicative of the doom one system or another against which no bias is held, whatsoever.

[calthaer]

Now, a snide aside would be my pointing out that you, the same guy who once ranted about my intentional misspelling of "beaucoup," don't know how to spell "privilege."

So you *are* trying to foment flame wars. Thanks for letting us all know. I mean, if I were a Nintendo "fanboy" posting on this thread, and someone described me in the manner that you did, I would think it insulting, but hey.

Do you actually keep a running list of people who critique you - like written down by your computer or something - and then check them off when you get to zing them back? I'm just curious, because I don't usually remember who does those things after a month or so.

[SegaTecToy]

Pfff... EA is Sony's bitch and is acting like a shameless whore. I simply dont buy its games anymore, unless it is a "must-have" title.

[zmweasel]

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[zmweasel]

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[hezeuschrist]

I've already declared in other threads that I'll be thrilled if the DS blows me away at E3, that I'll gladly eat crow and congratulate Nintendo for justifying the DS's existence as a true advancement in videogaming, as opposed to a cheesy two-GBAs-glued-together gimmick to draw attention away from the impending launch of the PSP. But after 15 years of writing about videogames and hearing the same false claims a thousand times over, I reserve the right to be skeptical.

Haha, check out the board. It's working.

[SoulBlazer]

HUH? That last post lost me. x_x

[hezeuschrist]

The DS has a half dozen threads on the board right now, and the only mention of the PSP anywhere is in said threads. Nintendo's ploy is working.

You know, I wouldn't be suprised at all if they had no honest intentions behind the thing. The entire industry is talking about the DS and the only time the PSP is mentioned is in comparisons. Even if sony were to release something on the PSP in the next week or so it would be released with a bombardment of DS info in every article about it.

[Ed Oscuro]

The DS has a half dozen threads on the board right now, and the only mention of the PSP anywhere is in said threads. Nintendo's ploy is working.

You know, I wouldn't be suprised at all if they had no honest intentions behind the thing.

Haha, I almost started off with "You know..." as well. Yes, the idea that the DS, while not Nintendo's successor to the GBA, is in part a ruse to keep people's minds away from Sony. After all, the PSP can't play PlayStation discs, and Nintendo's in a great position to pull a "Hey look, we make Zelda and Metroid, woohoo!"

What can Sony come back with? Well, some folks over @ the CV Dungeon boards are thinking that the PSP will get a port of CV: Symphony of the Night, and then there's the folks who are waiting for new Final Fantasy games on the system. Sony really should work on pushing that price down. On the other hand, Nintendo's DS will undoubtedly be cheaper to manufacture, so any announcement from Sony would not only put constraints on the system's capabilities (though if you ask me they need it), but open them up to embarassing price undercuts from Nintendo.

Nintendo's biggest problem with the DS is that it's going to take money out of the pockets of GBA enthusaists who can't pass up getting a DS, and possibly restrict future sales of the new GBA (call it the GBA SP+, SP 2, Turbo, whatever MSX console name variation suits you) and, more importantly, its games.

...unless Nintendo plans to use discs for the new GBA, and has the DS as a last hurrah for cartridge based media. That doesn't make sense, though, from the comments given about how the new 1 gigabit carts will help extend the technology into the future. Hmm...

[Ze_ro]

Pfff... EA is Sony's bitch and is acting like a shameless whore. I simply dont buy its games anymore, unless it is a "must-have" title.

Considering all the people who have replied saying "I don't buy EA games"... who the hell is buying them all then???

Off the top of my head, the only post-Genesis EA title I have is NHL 2002 for my GBA... I don't actively avoid EA stuff though.

--Zero