64 and Beyond: A TL about Gaming

[Deleted member 100251]

(NOTE: My first TL! Part 1 should come out later today or tomorrow. Anyone want to take a shot on what this scenario is about?)
Prologue - 1995



Things weren’t looking bright for the 3DO. The future of its hardware and software looked dim.

Companies like AT&T and Samsung announced they would make their own 3DO models, they never did. While companies like Panasonic started to become dissatisfied.

Despite its capabilities, and numerous ports of popular PC and arcade titles, like Myst, the only major third-party company who supported it, at the time, was EA. To make matters worse, multiple bad FMV titles plagued the system, turning some people away. Crystal Dynamic’s Gex, a multi-platform title, eventually became the system’s best-seller, selling around a million units in total.

Then things took a nosedive for the worst.







“Panasonic aims for deal with Nintendo” - New York Times, July 1995

 

[Nivek]

So, The 3DO is failing tht is the POD? so a n64 with CD or Panasonic helping in something else?(otl panasonic is the one making all nintendo disc after all), you need nintendo bite the bullet, more that CD cost was ram memory the issue...

 

[Deleted member 100251]

Yeah. N64 w/ a CD. (and the 3DO failing earlier) Nintendo's definitely going to bite a big bullet here with CD cost. But, who knows maybe game profits will help supplant that cost.

 

[Nivek]

Yeah. N64 w/ a CD. (and the 3DO failing earlier) Nintendo's definitely going to bite a big bullet here with CD cost. But, who knows maybe game profits will help supplant that cost.

As say expading the ram and using a new one, it will cost bigger(300$ bucks at launch) but will worth it, specially if panasonic keep cost low, plus nintendo will nintendo and keep similar price, the rest is having N64 working at time, the extra ram is vital, to having mario 64 always in motion(and later zelda) i imagine even having expansion pak later on to help with load times.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

Agreed. Would it need 8 RAM at launch, then add on an extra 4 (or maybe another 8) RAM later? Mario 64 and OoT are going to bigger (-ish) so more RAM is going to be more needed.
With the 64 having CD, here comes the obvious: the 64DD is butterflied. (Whether RANDnet is or not, that would be telling)

 

[Nivek]

Agreed. Would it need 8 RAM at launch, then add on an extra 4 (or maybe another 8) RAM later? Mario 64 and OoT are going to bigger (-ish) so more RAM is going to be more needed.
With the 64 having CD, here comes the obvious: the 64DD is butterflied. (Whether RANDnet is or not, that would be telling)

Yeah that will be the thing drive cost a lot but would be managable.

As 64DD...might not be fully killed, N64 DD was based on Satellaview, that the POD itself not butterfly away and maybe the would make a RANDnet Modem with the disk for content, or just the modem, so when 64DD is butterfly away, the would make a modem to be use for internet...still depends as n64 design might change(would be closer to saturn...the irony)

 

[Deleted member 100251]

N64 Era Part 1 - First Release

On August 15th, 1996, Nintendo’s fifth generation console, the Nintendo 64, was finally released to Japanese audiences. Launching with two Nintendo IPs; Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64, and an obscure virtual board game by Seta called Saikyō Habu Shōgi.

Super Mario 64 is the first of the 3D Mario titles, notable for emphasizing exploration of its 25 large worlds, using a dynamic camera system, and implementing a 360-degree analog contol. The plot follows the classic tale of Boswer capturing Princess Peach, and Mario having to save her. The game also features a minigame, hidden within the world hub of Peach’s Castle, involving two players playing as Mario and Luigi and going through a 2.5D style world to get 2 extra stars.

Pilotwings 64 is a collaboration between Nintendo and Paradigm Simulation and is a relatively simple 3D flight simulator having you do certain tasks while over famous US locations such as the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Or over major cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C.

The system itself is relatively similar to past prototypes in the sense it has the same CPU (a 64-bit NEC VR4300 running at 93.75 MHz) at heart. Major differences include of it using a CD drive manufactured by Panasonic, using 8 MB of RAM instead of 4, and being relatively closer to the SEGA Saturn in terms of design than it originally had.

On the first 3 days of being on the market it had sold 400,000 out of 500,000 units prepared.

(NOTE: Part 2 is going to be on the North American release, including the price set for North Americans)

 

[Nivek]

Well this begins, as Namco who hated both nintendo and sega already make his bed with Sony, is natural they might not port anything, the rest with N64, Super Mario 64 is the only thing that matter(not offense to Pilotwings). Well i can imagine resident evil will be the director cut and come later.

So hope to see how consoles fare this side of pacific.

Nice update, the fun just started.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

For now, Namco is staying with Sony and the PSes. (No ports, Ridge Racer 64 might not even exist.) RE is definitely getting a director's cut. Yeah, Pilotwings always kind of seemed to be one of Nintendo's smaller franchises.
Nintendo might fare better for both sides of the Pacific. What really is going for it is if it can get more third-party support.
Thanks, Nivek! You're right, the real fun just started. Let's see how Sony and SEGA will fare here.

 

[Nivek]

Nintendo might fare better for both sides of the Pacific. What really is going for it is if it can get more third-party support.

I want to hear Third parties lies and excuse again....
Regardless want to see how this unfold, when will be next update?

 

[Deleted member 100251]

Either sometime tomorrow or Monday.
As for Third-Party, I have plans for Square, Rare, and Argonaut. Namco stays with Sony, for the time being. Konami is pro-Sony, as well. Ubisoft, Enix, and Capcom are multi-platform. (I won't spoiler which consoles they're supporting for now)

 

[Deleted member 100251]

Oh yeah, Nintendo's releasing the N64 later in NA too. (it's 1 month late for Japan, for NA it could be a little more)

 

[Nivek]

Either sometime tomorrow or Monday.

Yeah tell me when is to read it, well Argonaut did was interested in a yoshi 3d platfomer...(not even dare to use Squad Four without rysenkari authorization....there will be blood...) among others(like keep working in starfox franchise)

Oh yeah, Nintendo's releasing the N64 later in NA too. (it's 1 month late for Japan, for NA it could be a little more)

Well, the better so can get more games at launch too.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

I won't use Squad Four I was planning the Yoshi platform ... and more Star Fox games.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

Any suggestions on what should happen to Square? I can't decide what to do with them, while staying in the realm of possibilities at this point in time.

 

[Nivek]

Any suggestions on what should happen to Square? I can't decide what to do with them, while staying in the realm of possibilities at this point in time.

Well...Depend, i would imagine if they did trully want to work with nintendo would start FFVII by now(and making-porting tobal too, a fighting game for N64 would sell a lot) depends if they want to make FFVII multiplatform or exclusive, as long they don't do something stupid(like insulting the console or company...as otl...) it can be open, i they keep FFVII exclusive to N64 they might keep as second party(square did have that prerogative and nintendo did make them loss all their privileges, they were unable to touch the Gameboy at all and the same with Gameboy Advance they till personally apologize) if going full multi, games would land in both console(with better looking in N64), so depend what they want.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

Thanks for the help. I think I have a decision.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

Well. I'm done with the next part. I'll post it soon.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

N64 Era Part 2 - North American Release



Over three months after its original release in Japan, Nintendo brought the N64 to North America on November 25th, 1996. While critics criticized the Japanese launch for having limited launch titles, when it came to North America it launched with more titles than before. These titles including Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64, Wave Race 64, Midway’s Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey, and Rare’s Killer Instinct Gold.

This came at a price though, a price of a hefty cost of $300 (thanks to the CPU, added RAM, and CD drive). Many considered the N64 worth it though and still bought it. Overtime like its fellow consoles it saw price drops. After its first month the console had sold 150,000 units in North America.

In December, the North American N64 library saw the additions of Cruis’n USA and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and the Japanese library saw the likes of Mario Kart 64.

Mario Kart 64 is the second Mario Kart title and the first 3D title. It had 10 playable characters in total, including Kamek and Daisy. It had 6 cups, and 24 courses all together. The Cape Feather from the original Mario Kart also saw its return. It is notable for being one of the smaller games released for the N64.

By the end of the year, the N64 had sold 2.5 million units.

 

[Nivek]

Well Seems that the new price have not slowed down the n64 sales(a little but 2.5 million units in 2 months is something to not sneeze at) and all major games are the same for now, did Killer Instict Gold got improved here?.

So the first year is always the easy one, now the fun begins next one.