We discussed it briefly in one of our podcasts, but it seems Nintendo put Josh’s fears to rest. There will not be an excessive amount of peripherals released. Instead, Nintendo has streamlined everything from the Super Nintendo to the N64 (oh, wait, there’s nothing in between) into a single controller that plugs into the Gamecube control slot.

The controller looks pretty cool, and will also likely be compatible with non-Wiimote games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This practically eliminates the need for IGN’s suggested “controller shell”, which was basically a mangled Gamecube controller with a Wiimote stuck in the top.

I watched Nintendo’s conference off of IGN earlier this morning, and I’ve got to say that it was kind of lack lustre. I’ve never seen Reggie doing a public speaking session before, but he did not live up to the hype at the Nintendo conference. He seemed a little groggy or distanced. Out of his element, perhaps. Nevertheless, some interesting things were displayed at the conference.

Many of them were the new games, which I will discuss in seperate posts.

However, there is some cool information to be salvaged from the conference:

The Controller 

The rumours about the nunchuk having an accelerometer built in have turned out to be true, adding just a bit more functionality to the Nintendo control system. This is definitely a plus, and I look forward to someday playing this system.

Moreover, the Nintendo Wiimote will have a built-in speaker. This feature was substantially less impressive. It seemed as if Nintendo was going for a portable, surround-sound feel with the Wiimote speaker, so that you could “hear the arrow go from your controller to the stomach of your enemy.” I can appreciate the attempt, but the fact that the speaker appears to be covered partly or entirely by your hand depending on how you hold the remote makes the feature seem moot.

The System 

It will apparently be connected to the Nintendo online service 24 hours a day in what is called WiiConnect24. An interesting feature for games like Animal Crossing and any MMOG that Nintendo decides to release, however, I can only imagine the toll this takes on server resources.

Otherwise, it seems most of the capabilities the system has to offer have been revealed previously.

The Launch

Reggie neglected to mention this part - despite promising to. The most likely reason for this is that after Sony’s announcement of a mind-boggling price tag, Nintendo decided that they had a lot of freedom to move around with the price. It is likely the price tag they had placed was extremely low compared to the Xbox 360 Core Pack. As a result, they are likely changing the MSRP to something slightly more profitable, although not entirely devestating.

As for the date, we’re all still assuming Nov 11ish to hit Thanksgiving in the States.

Now onto something more interesting.

Wow.

I’m not going to lie. Catching up on all of Sony’s new tidbits of information regarding the Playstation 3 certainly has been…interesting. Let’s go through some of these things point by point.

The Controller

I’m not going to lie. The PS3 controller was unremarkable and unsurprising. After Sony shelved the Batarang controller, I figured that they would return to what worked. I mean, the XBox 360 hardly deviated from the XBox S Controller, and nobody really cared. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

So, Sony returned to the DualShock controller design. Although, Sony is still subject to a court ruling - which is currently being appealed - that forbids use of DualShock technology. So, they cleverly removed the Rumble Pack and replaced it with a watered-down Revolutionary feature - a tilt sensor. As a result, the PS3 DualShake controller can be twisted, shook and tilted to reportedly enhance gameplay.

Despite this, it is clear that the Playstation 3 is leagues away from achieving the same amount of sensitivity as the Wiimote. Moreover, it seems to be a clever ploy to entice Revolutionaries to the Sony cause.

I’m not going to call this vile or deceitful as others have. However, I will say that I’m disappointed (although not entirely surprised) at Sony’s blatant underhanded dealings. Nintendo makes, Sony takes. I guess the old proverb is true.

However, despite the controllers various shortcomings, I think that the USB port on the top of the controller that allows for quick attachment and charging is a brilliant idea. It just seems so convenient, I wonder why it wasn’t adopted by Nintendo or something.

The System

It seems that the system has deviated from earlier schematics and has been dumbed down significantly. They have reportedly removed the dual-HDMI output on the system entirely.

But more than that is the confusion about the two different system bundles scheduled for release. There is the 20GB pack and the 60GB pack. For whatever reason, the 20GB has been completely stripped of features. No HDMI. No Wi Fi. No Memory Stick, Compact Flash or SD memory card slots. Nothing. The 20GB PS3 is being released as the 60GB PS3’s retarded cousin, who no one really wants to hang out with but they might pity it and purchase it anyway.

Unlike the Core Pack for the XBox 360, the 20GB pack cannot be upgraded. So, unlike Microsoft (which had a full system and an starter system), Sony has opted for essentially two entirely different and distinct PS3s. It doesn’t seem like a very wise move, because consumers who opt for the lower end model may become enraged at the lack of certain features.

The Launch

$499 and $599

November 17, 2006

After tax, here in Canada, we’re going to be paying $750+ for the 60GB bundle. All in all, Sony is asking for quite a lot of money in exchange for an unproven console. I mean, it does not appear to excel over the XBox 360 at this point in time, so Sony is really going to have to justify this purchase before their mid-November launch period, if they want people to fork over a hefty sum of money. I mean, do people really care about Blu-ray enough to purchase this expensive system (with games that will also be in the 60-70 dollar arena).

Watching Sony’s progress during the launch will be interesting. And being so close to Nintendo’s anticipated launch, it will be cool to see if this plays out like the DS/PSP, or if Sony’s new system (and ultimately, their new disk format) will crash and burn.

Well, it seems that - on the cusp of the greatest gaming trade show of the year - my Internet has decided to be retarded and have routine seizures and heart attacks.

As a result, I am unable to communicate effectively over MSN, and I am unable to read about E3! Why God? Why do you hate me?

DS owners - and those who expect to one day own a Wii - should be psyched that the Gamecube RPG Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles has given birth to twin sequels. Moreover, gamers can rejoice at the fact that additional peripherals are not needed to play this RPG with the four players it supports.

Hurray!

It appears that threats of computer banning were entirely idle. As a result, The Box can now return to its former status of regular video game posting without being fearful of the watchful eye of “The Man”.

To celebrate my freedom, it is time to move on to bigger, better, and brighter things.

E3 2006 is a mere two days away, and - to get people all psyched - it is time to do a little preliminary peeking at what we’ve got awaiting us. Following this post will be three seperate “Pre-E3 2006” posts: each one dedicated to a member of the Big Three companies of video gaming (because focusing on individual developers would be too tedious).

E3 is almost upon us.

Go.