Video Game "What IF?"

[GrandAmChandler]

Everyone who knows Marvel Comics has heard of the "What IF" series. If not, basically it portrays what it would be like if a major event in history changed. In this case, we will be doing Video Game History. So, one Person will Post a "What If....?" Then the next Person posts an answer, then another "What IF??" question.

I will start!

What IF Nintendo had partnered with SONY to make the SNES CD Add-on?

[Dangerboy]

What IF Nintendo had partnered with SONY to make the SNES CD Add-on?

The world as we know it would be an entirely different beast.

1. Sega would have gone under faster
2. Microsoft might not have made the plunge, since the Xbox was merely a cock block to Sony's "Computer Entertainment" aspect.
3. Mario would have been the hidden character in Tekken 3, not Gon.
4. Three words: Final Fantasy CD
5. Ken Kutaragi is removed from Sony as the then still president Yamamuchi (sp?) wouldn't have taken shit / ego from him.
6. Reggie keeps his old job, and Nintendo fans never get to cheer about taking names and weeping at a delayed Zelda.
7. 3DO merges with Atari, creates the ADO, and then fold since there was much ADO about nothing.

The Next Question:
What if Street Fighter II has been a failure?

[MrSparkle]

the nintendo 64 would have been based on optical media

what if they released the n64 DD in north america

[Oobgarm]

The Next Question:
What if Street Fighter II has been a failure?

Another huge difference.

1. Violence might not have been a huge focus, since Mortal Kombat probably wouldn't have come out either. I dare say we might not have had an ESRB if it wasn't for Street Fighter.

2. Tournaments for gaming might not have really materialized.

3. Not to mention the complete change in the gaming landscape, and less of a focus on beat-em-ups and their ilk.

Next question:
What if Nintendo had dropped out of the console biz after the N64?

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

Next question:
What if Nintendo had dropped out of the console biz after the N64?

Then we would be playing games like Grand Theft Mushroom, where Mario has free run of a 3D environment in which he has to retrieve whatever it is that Bowser has stolen this time.

We would be playing Nintendo Game & Watch mini-games on our PSPs, (Assuming that they also dropped the GB & DS lines).

Next question: What if HDTV had not been invented?

JY

[InsaneDavid]

Next question: What if HDTV had not been invented?

"Current" gen would have much better market penetration as it would matter less about your setup (a reason most of us got away from PC gaming) and more about the games themselves.

Next Question:
Since it was in the last issue of RTM, what if Atari ended up accepting the offer to release the Famicom in the USA?

[theoakwoody]

If Atari distributed the famicom I don't believe much would have changed. The only thing I can think of is that Atari may not have paid as much for PR and advertising which may have effected sales but it all came down to Mario anyways. Any money Atari received would have been pumped into their home computer division which in turn may have funded an ST revolution. Instead of everyone using PC's today that are all "IBM compatible" we may all be using STs. This in turn could have effected Microsoft as I don't see the Tramiel's being interested in outsourcing their Operating System. At least Atari would have given Apple more competition. Perhaps the STs could have found a niche as a gaming computer especially with access to the entire Nintendo library.

Next Question:

What if the crash of '83 never happened?

[udisi]

We may still have had Intellivison and Colecovision in the console market.
We may have had more of the early third party developers survive too.

along the lines of an earlier question.

What if the N64 was a CD based system?

[j_factor]

It would have been more expensive, which would mean that for most of its life it wouldn't have had price parity with PSX. But the games would've been cheaper.

I think some of Nintendo's "flagship" games of that era wouldn't have been as big as they were because some things would've had to be cut/changed for the worse, considering CD drive speeds at the time. However, N64 games overall would have benefitted from the increased storage and better audio. But, I remember reading that there was something to do with the way N64's processor worked that meant it would've had a difficult time with CD-ROM media without also having more memory.

It would've had better third party support, but probably not by that much. As I recall, developers weren't crazy about the N64's overall hardware and some of the features like the antialiasing. Also, Nintendo still charged a higher licensing fee than Sony and Sega at the time.

In the end, N64 would've had a higher price tag, some more games; a few games would be worse, a few would be better; and overall I don't think much would've changed in terms of market share.

What if Neo Geo Pocket Color had been a big success?

[ssjlance]

SNK would still be in the console business and we would've seen a home version of the Hyper 64.

What if the TurboGrafx reigned in the 16-Bit generation?

[parker619]

then the wars would have been all different,
turbografx might of went on to another gen and released a handheld meaning earlier forms of xbox/boy handhelds

what if sony , microsoft and nintendo failed to produce the ps2,xbox,and gamecube?

[Cryomancer]

We'd still be playing Dreamcasts, Asia would still be watching VCDs.

What if the Sega CD / 32X CD focused more on animated cutscenes and the like instead of live action?

[DeputyMoniker]

We'd still be watching Phantom previews.

What if Gunpei Yokoi were alive today and remained a big shot at Nintendo?

EDIT: Oop...Cryo beat me to it.

[Oobgarm]

What if Gunpei Yokoi were alive today and remained a big shot at Nintendo?

Metroid wouldn't have gone first-person. Maybe we'd see a new R.O.B.

What if the NES wasn't a huge success? (not a failure, mind you)

[DeputyMoniker]

Metroid wouldn't have gone first-person. Maybe we'd see a new R.O.B.

What if the NES wasn't a huge success? (not a failure, mind you)

We did see a new R.O.B. It's called the Wii-mote. Or nun chuck...whatever the real name is. It's a toy that sold the system. Only difference is that ROB sold the NES to retailers while the nun-chuck is selling the Wii to consumers. I don't think that's so different. They're both gaming hardware that put Nintendo on the map.

Answer: You mean like how the Xbox fared? Not a failure but not the big show of the generation. Umm...I think the 7800 would have done much better. We would have missed out on the first great RPG's. Mario would probably be no more a part of our life today than Sonic is.

What if R.O.B never existed?

[Oobgarm]

What if R.O.B never existed?

Nintendo might not have gained a foothold in the market. R.O.B. was important since most toy retailers didn't want to mess with video games, but R.O.B. kinda helped disguise them somewhat.

And I may not have gotten an NES for Christmas (I got the deluxe set)

What if Crane, Kaplan, Miller, and Whitehead had never split from Atari and formed Activision?

[8bitgamer]

What if human beings did not have opposable thumbs? Imagine the controller configurations.

[blissfulnoise]

What if Crane, Kaplan, Miller, and Whitehead had never split from Atari and formed Activision?

Third parties were innevitable so that wouldn't have been impacted necessarily, just somewhat delayed. But perhaps the great number of crappy titles wouldn't have flooded the market due to this delay and it could have postponed our outright avoided the crash.

Secondarily, quality titles for the VCS would probably have diminished since Activision really raised the bar for everyone designing games at the time.

I suspect it would have had little long term impact, but it certainly would have shaken up the early history of the VCS.

Question: What if Final Fantasy bombed and Square went under (FFVII never happened). Particuarly in terms of their current impact on the US market?

[Dragon Warrior Jasen]

Enix would have reigned supreme with Dragon Quest and Square-Enix would not be around. There would be a lot more in the DQ series than there are now... I feel RPG's really livened up the scene and has a huge fan base that would have latched onto something eventually.

What if SNK got back into manufacturing NEW NEO-GEOs for home use?

[Steve W]

They'd be able to fill a niche with a new modern 3D console like the original Neo-Geo did. I don't see them taking over the console industry or anything, but they could easily get their little percentage of the game world and stick it out in the long run like the old days. But it might be a hell of a lot more difficult nowadays than back in the early '90s. Instead of four or five guys programming a great 2D game in six months, you now have to have a forty person team and take a couple of years to get a so-so 3D title out. SNK might be able to do it, but that kind of thing's better left to the multinational corporations with deeper pockets.

Next question:
What if the Tramiels were never ousted from Commodore, and didn't buy Atari after the video game crash?