Player Two Start: An SNES-CD Timeline

[RySenkari]

(Final Fantasy VII I still can't see. Even if it was a CD game and moved to the Ultra I just don't think it'd make launch, RPGs that long need too much time. Spring when the Ultra is back in stock would make more sense to me, and that's rushing it.)

Well, what I figured here is that because it was designed for the Ultra from the beginning, it might save Square a little time in putting it together (also because Square would've gotten a dev kit REALLY early on). It didn't make launch in Japan at least

Of course not an issue to worry about until you rewrite the whole timeline

If I ever do re-write the timeline, I'll need graphics I'm not that good at making graphics, but I'd love to have some custom Nintendo Power covers, even fake screenshots if I can find good ones. Hell, if I could draw I'd probably be doing some sketches of Squad Four and Ash Beckland to show off, hehehe....but yeah, if this was ever remade, graphics would be the big addition.

I'd caution you on giving too much weight to exclusives. Like your average major 85+ Metacritic one in the late 90s/early 00s will move only a third of a million consoles extra IIRC, I'll see if I can dig up that research paper.

True, then again this IS Sonic 4 we're talking about here. Now, Resident Evil might not have pushed as many Saturns as it did ITTL, but the price cut helped.

I was thinking best OTL match to a proto-DC is the Rendition V2200 or Voodoo Rush as both are decent autumn 1997 2D/3D GPUs. Sony didn't have the talent in 1995-6 to make a GPU honestly too much a Silicon Valley/UK thing, perhaps they buy PowerVR? Or Rendition? 3dfx would be too pricey I think. More likely a license deal with one of those 3, Kutaragi was never good on GPUs anyway so a deal would be better. (As I said I think it more likely Sony makes CPU and buys GPU, rather than the reverse.) Custom version better than OTL Rush/V2200 is totally doable then, even perhaps PowerVR1.5 kinda thing since PowerVR1 wasn't great (PowerVR2 in DC though, amazing).

Hmmm...some more research into this might've been better for us, this is a total spec overhaul considering what we did. So it WOULD have been better to have the CPU designed by Sony and then either Sony or Nintendo acquire a company to produce the GPU. I figured that the Ultra would be a total collaboration from Nintendo and Sony, pretty much half-and-half in terms of hardware and that splitting the CPU and GPU between them would be the best way to do that but perhaps I should've been thinking tech and not politics Makes me wish this board had an edit feature that lasted longer than a month, it would really help with those instant retcons but at least the clock speeds are accurate. Then again, perhaps ITTL, butterflies altered Hitachi's work so that the SH-3 is much closer to the SH-4 IOTL? Could work as a quick handwave anyway!

Given the infancy of 3D here, what hardware features are giving each system its signature "look?"

IOTL, the N64 had that weird 3-sample bilinear filtering combined with a vet small texture cache, to give it that blurry look, whereas the OTL PSX had no texture filtering or perspective correction to end up with the pixelated jittery PSX look.

Does the Saturn still have that weird blurry look the OTL N64 had?

Mmmm...I'd have to get back to you on this one, but yes, the Saturn looks a lot like OTL N64, maybe a bit better due to the better storage medium. For the Ultra, think some of the lesser Dreamcast games.

 

[Crunch Buttsteak]

Mmmmm...I'd have to get back to you on this one, but yes, the Saturn looks a lot like OTL N64, maybe a bit better due to the better storage medium. For the Ultra, think some of the lesser Dreamcast games.

The N64's texture limitations weren't entirely the result of the cartridge storage medium (but it did play a factor), but the system itself only had a 4kb texture cache (2kb if mip-mapping was used) to load textures through, you could do this as much as the system would let you per frame, but you were limited to a max texture size of 32x32. (Higher if you used a monochromatic texture)

 

[ANARCHY_4_ALL]

Hmmm...some more research into this might've been better for us, this is a total spec overhaul considering what we did. So it WOULD have been better to have the CPU designed by Sony and then either Sony or Nintendo acquire a company to produce the GPU. I figured that the Ultra would be a total collaboration from Nintendo and Sony, pretty much half-and-half in terms of hardware and that splitting the CPU and GPU between them would be the best way to do that but perhaps I should've been thinking tech and not politics Makes me wish this board had an edit feature that lasted longer than a month, it would really help with those instant retcons but at least the clock speeds are accurate. Then again, perhaps ITTL, butterflies altered Hitachi's work so that the SH-3 is much closer to the SH-4 IOTL? Could work as a quick handwave anyway!

Well you could retcon through the table of contents. Just add in the post of the retcon wherever you want it. On the point of retconning the specs... Sony and Nintendo created the CPU/GPU in house with support from any of the companies electric monk suggested based off their original designs.

 

[Nivek]

I was thinking best OTL match to a proto-DC is the Rendition V2200 or Voodoo Rush as both are decent autumn 1997 2D/3D GPUs. Sony didn't have the talent in 1995-6 to make a GPU honestly too much a Silicon Valley/UK thing, perhaps they buy PowerVR? Or Rendition? 3dfx would be too pricey I think. More likely a license deal with one of those 3, Kutaragi was never good on GPUs anyway so a deal would be better. (As I said I think it more likely Sony makes CPU and buys GPU, rather than the reverse.) Custom version better than OTL Rush/V2200 is totally doable then, even perhaps PowerVR1.5 kinda thing since PowerVR1 wasn't great (PowerVR2 in DC though, amazing).

Sega's 1998 launch was essentially perfect timing CPU/GPU-wise (if not DVD, alas) IOTL if only NEC hadn't had PowerVR issues; finding best possible choices for yours was a fun exercise. Very much liked the neat ideas on how you mix and matched the N64 and DC and ATL Sony as well, I just wanted to expand out how I saw the choices and I always like talking tech .

Umm i even consider Voodoo 1 or proto Rush but later as two were two different plus Console=!PC we were looking for other areas, plus sony focusing in GPU is not incidencial, is based otl they make themselves the ps1 GPU(based even snes-cd PPU) here with nintendo knowledge they would do a pretty good job, the CPU was a collaboration with Flydeath after reading otl design document that CPU and how was pretty good for the era(and idea which was the inspiration), we thinkered a lot how make it work, for me is pretty good, still i'm an economist not a computer engineer so info may not be perfect(plus i knew more about sixth gen how work).

Can you share that paper? Killer app matters, and always have(Space Invader, SMB,SMB3, SMW, SM64, SSBM, wii sports among others) a place, have more info about that paper? i remember games are not the 'mega classic' still were mega hit(TMNT nes games, sports game, among others) still numbers are always skewered


Crunch Buttsteak, N64 esque look would be but later saturn game would be remember for more 2d esque elements but very impresive ones alongside the improvement of Ring, so game would be remember as OTL Model 2-3 games, yeah pale as Ultra looks far more impresive but sega have that weird charm in a way.

 

[Goldwind2]

Is Anachronox going to be released in this timeline. Also
Nivek, I am a little stuck with devopling my mutant league sport page over on implausible alternate history wiki. If you would please answer the this question(How many playable character should an racing game in 1998 have and How many playable character should an racing game in 2010) you would had help me get over my roadblock

 

[Electric Monk]

So it WOULD have been better to have the CPU designed by Sony and then either Sony or Nintendo acquire a company to produce the GPU. I figured that the Ultra would be a total collaboration from Nintendo and Sony, pretty much half-and-half in terms of hardware and that splitting the CPU and GPU between them would be the best way to do that but perhaps I should've been thinking tech and not politics Then again, perhaps ITTL, butterflies altered Hitachi's work so that the SH-3 is much closer to the SH-4 IOTL? Could work as a quick handwave anyway!

is based otl they make themselves the ps1 GPU(based even snes-cd PPU) here with nintendo knowledge they would do a pretty good job, the CPU was a collaboration with Flydeath after reading otl design document that CPU and how was pretty good for the era(and idea which was the inspiration), we thinkered a lot how make it work, for me is pretty good, still i'm an economist not a computer engineer so info may not be perfect(plus i knew more about sixth gen how work).

Sure a custom SH-3 could work, but Sega went with Hitachi because they did so back in the day on Saturn (politics, not tech on that one). Ultra wouldn't have that baggage. Custom MIPS, like PSX, more likely. That said I can certainly buy a custom SH-4 being termed custom SH-3 since it'll be 350nm, so as not to steal Hitachi's thunder in other markets, so good enough . Once Hitachi releases the SH-4 just have a little amusing bit where Sony-Nintendo are like "oh yeah, that's what our chip is, you tech nerds bugging us" lol .

Well the PSX didn't really have a GPU. It had a beefed up custom CPU (like how Sony wanted 2 Cells instead of Cell/GPU in the PS3 OTL). And it was a meh solution, at best. Sony's every attempt at avoiding having a GPU IOTL has failed, I'm pretty sure by 1997 Nintendo would insist on a proper 3D card not Sony's version. Nintendo was pretty smart about their partners, and would realize that Sony's skill with the SNES CD isn't going to translate GPU wise (Sony's skills, on the other hand, mesh perfectly with the CPU world).

And, in the interests of that darn edit function (which I agree with, 30 days blows), whatever GPU Sony/Nintendo buy/license can certainly be rebranded as a "Sony" one as you have it, because they'll probably get some tweaks after all. Not crediting BLANK as the designer would be an amusing knock-on consequence of the timeline too .

Working around limitations is fun .

True, then again this IS Sonic 4 we're talking about here. Now, Resident Evil might not have pushed as many Saturns as it did ITTL, but the price cut helped.

Can you share that paper? Killer app matters, and always have(Space Invader, SMB,SMB3, SMW, SM64, SSBM, wii sports among others) a place, have more info about that paper? i remember games are not the 'mega classic' still were mega hit(TMNT nes games, sports game, among others) still numbers are always skewered

Yep. The Effect of Superstar Software on Hardware Sales in System Markets [PDF].

However, though not substantiated with empirical evidence, case illustrations show that certain high-quality, “superstar” software titles (e.g., Super Mario 64) may have disproportionately large effects on hardware unit sales (e.g., Nintendo N64 console sales). In the context of the U.S. home video game console market, the authors show that the introduction of a superstar increases video game console sales by an average of 14% (167,000 units) over a period of five months. One in every five buyers of a superstar software title also purchases the hardware required to use the software.

Mmmm...I'd have to get back to you on this one, but yes, the Saturn looks a lot like OTL N64, maybe a bit better due to the better storage medium. For the Ultra, think some of the lesser Dreamcast games.

Crunch Buttsteak, N64 esque look would be but later saturn game would be remember for more 2d esque elements but very impresive ones alongside the improvement of Ring, so game would be remember as OTL Model 2-3 games, yeah pale as Ultra looks far more impresive but sega have that weird charm in a way.

If you don't mind, my rough entirely in my opinion guide based on the specs and Sega fixing OTL problems with the N64 chipset (audio chip, texture cache):

Sega Saturn like N64 games without the texture blur, with a stable framerate (audio processing lifted off CPU) because of Sega's arcade routes-->they won't make Zelda 64 at 15-20 FPS for instance so games will look different. They'll also have way way better audio (thanks CD) and FMVs would look like ~1-2 years ahead of OTL PSX videos.

Ring version, with extra RAM & power, would basically be M2 games. That is N64 games with solid framerates, way less fog, and sometimes higher resolution (like a super-duper N64 RAM expansion pack).


Nintendo Ultra like a Dreamcast with the settings turned down by ~20%. FMVs would be Dreamcast quality though, or close to it.

 

[Golden Darkness]

Regarding Sony not doing GPUs, this timeline also has them getting into the Workstation business for CG animation. While Krazy Ken may not have the insights into GPU design, maybe he could get people who could?

 

[Nivek]

Sure a custom SH-3 could work, but Sega went with Hitachi because they did so back in the day on Saturn (politics, not tech on that one). Ultra wouldn't have that baggage. Custom MIPS, like PSX, more likely. That said I can certainly buy a custom SH-4 being termed custom SH-3 since it'll be 350nm, so as not to steal Hitachi's thunder in other markets, so good enough . Once Hitachi releases the SH-4 just have a little amusing bit where Sony-Nintendo are like "oh yeah, that's what our chip is, you tech nerds bugging us" lol .

Well the PSX didn't really have a GPU. It had a beefed up custom CPU (like how Sony wanted 2 Cells instead of Cell/GPU in the PS3 OTL). And it was a meh solution, at best. Sony's every attempt at avoiding having a GPU IOTL has failed, I'm pretty sure by 1997 Nintendo would insist on a proper 3D card not Sony's version. Nintendo was pretty smart about their partners, and would realize that Sony's skill with the SNES CD isn't going to translate GPU wise (Sony's skills, on the other hand, mesh perfectly with the CPU world).

And, in the interests of that darn edit function (which I agree with, 30 days blows), whatever GPU Sony/Nintendo buy/license can certainly be rebranded as a "Sony" one as you have it, because they'll probably get some tweaks after all. Not crediting BLANK as the designer would be an amusing knock-on consequence of the timeline too .

Working around limitations is fun .


If you don't mind, my rough entirely in my opinion guide based on the specs and Sega fixing OTL problems with the N64 chipset (audio chip, texture cache):

Sega Saturn like N64 games without the texture blur, with a stable framerate (audio processing lifted off CPU) because of Sega's arcade routes-->they won't make Zelda 64 at 15-20 FPS for instance so games will look different. They'll also have way way better audio (thanks CD) and FMVs would look like ~1-2 years ahead of OTL PSX videos.

Ring version, with extra RAM & power, would basically be M2 games. That is N64 games with solid framerates, way less fog, and sometimes higher resolution (like a super-duper N64 RAM expansion pack).


Nintendo Ultra like a Dreamcast with the settings turned down by ~20%. FMVs would be Dreamcast quality though, or close to it.

You're a Computer or Electronical Engineer? your thought are pretty direct and have been invaluable in all front, still in a lot of place we stick our guns(specially as i'm sketching future system too but would like your two cents is stuff like nova or sixth generation system, both OTL and ITTL would develop) and thanks for the paper, some good read to do later.

A Hitachi Made SH-X based both SH3-DSP and upcoming SH-4 would still work, and i think Hitachi would loved it and helped make it competitive price all side...if not we can got with Toshiba for something, Still the butterflies Sony working in GPU can have an impact too(and this a butterfly not properly mature but something nobody noticed it).

PS1-PSX did hace GPU IIRC, mostly 2D with minor 3d functions, but 3d bulwark was CPU. Unless Sony lied in all design documets and wikipedia and other source keep the lie, still sony advantage with microchips and other would helped masively, if not if you can give us more details how make a Custom CPU and a serial number filled off GPU buyed from some place, still i'm based heavily both otl companies philosopies and SNES GPU/PPU is something unique at this time alongside their expansion chips.

I don't remember if we put it but *Saturn did have APU, make by sega partner in crime Yamaha, so that helped Redbook and audio composition leaving all grunt work for CPU for games(and explained how expensive was saturn, all cutting edge and custom made parts).

The rest you nailed it but framerate are far better(turok being 30fps but turok 2-3 as example with ring would be 60fps if they made it possible). With Ultra the same but superproduction would rival and barely surpass dreamcast(Gran Turismo, Ballistic Limit2,etc)

Regarding Sony not doing GPUs, this timeline also has them getting into the Workstation business for CG animation. While Krazy Ken may not have the insights into GPU design, maybe he could get people who could?

This is something matter too and would sony make impact in future, we've a lot of plans and ideas, some are executed other scrapped, so depend a lot but for me we're more useful with Sony in GPU front for now with Using special custom made CPU or modified off of shelf one, still Electric Monk thouhgs have been invaluable.

 

[Electric Monk]

You're a Computer or Electronical Engineer? your thought are pretty direct and have been invaluable in all front, still in a lot of place we stick our guns(specially as i'm sketching future system too but would like your two cents is stuff like nova or sixth generation system, both OTL and ITTL would develop) and thanks for the paper, some good read to do later.

A Hitachi Made SH-X based both SH3-DSP and upcoming SH-4 would still work, and i think Hitachi would loved it and helped make it competitive price all side...

Some programming and theory, but otherwise not really. If I wanna talk about something I want to be on a sound footing doing it is all .

Like I said, limitations are fun. I think that's a totally reasonable solution, and politics-wise spurred by Sega not picking Hitachi ITTL so they strike up a deal with Sony-Nintendo.

PS1-PSX did hace GPU IIRC, mostly 2D with minor 3d functions, but 3d bulwark was CPU. Unless Sony lied in all design documets and wikipedia and other source keep the lie, still sony advantage with microchips and other would helped masively, if not if you can give us more details how make a Custom CPU and a serial number filled off GPU buyed from some place, still i'm based heavily both otl companies philosopies and SNES GPU/PPU is something unique at this time alongside their expansion chips.

"You are technically correct: the best kind of correct", I was interchanging GPU and not specifying 2D or 3D accelerator: my bad. One way to pull something neat off would be a custom Voodoo but since 3dfx is garbage at 2D Sony makes the 2D chip based on their SNES CD experience. That lets Sony call it whatever they like but still credit 3dfx elsewhere, and you get a much nicer Voodoo Rush, basically. Also the Glide API from PC so Ultra Nintendo is familiar to PC developers and real easy to develop for--developer programming tools are a historic weakness of both Sony and Nintendo after all.

 

[Nivek]

Some programming and theory, but otherwise not really. If I wanna talk about something I want to be on a sound footing doing it is all .

Like I said, limitations are fun. I think that's a totally reasonable solution, and politics-wise spurred by Sega not picking Hitachi ITTL so they strike up a deal with Sony-Nintendo.

"You are technically correct: the best kind of correct", I was interchanging GPU and not specifying 2D or 3D accelerator: my bad. One way to pull something neat off would be a custom Voodoo but since 3dfx is garbage at 2D Sony makes the 2D chip based on their SNES CD experience. That lets Sony call it whatever they like but still credit 3dfx elsewhere, and you get a much nicer Voodoo Rush, basically. Also the Glide API from PC so Ultra Nintendo is familiar to PC developers and real easy to develop for--developer programming tools are a historic weakness of both Sony and Nintendo after all.

Yeah that expalin a lot and thanks for all the answer and inquiring, helped a lot remind a lot of details re do pausability checks, still will need a lot to discuss with ry but so far make sense for us(and would still keep stuff, as we keep vague details because of it, at least focusing in an area for butterflies in the future).

umm, still wonder a lot, at least sega will have something keeping closer otl but still pretty divergent, working in other stuff about it, if need to retcon we will ask info about it.

 

[RySenkari]

Is Anachronox going to be released in this timeline.

I think we'll see another RPG by Ion Storm, but not Anachronox.

Sega Saturn like N64 games without the texture blur, with a stable framerate (audio processing lifted off CPU) because of Sega's arcade routes-->they won't make Zelda 64 at 15-20 FPS for instance so games will look different. They'll also have way way better audio (thanks CD) and FMVs would look like ~1-2 years ahead of OTL PSX videos.

Ring version, with extra RAM & power, would basically be M2 games. That is N64 games with solid framerates, way less fog, and sometimes higher resolution (like a super-duper N64 RAM expansion pack).


Nintendo Ultra like a Dreamcast with the settings turned down by ~20%. FMVs would be Dreamcast quality though, or close to it.

I think that definitely works. Parasite Eve is going to look amazing with FMVs that good, although I'll talk more about that in the December update

As it pertains to retconning, I think for now we'll leave things as they are, but if we ever go back and redo this as a sort of enhanced remake with graphics and the like, we'll refine some of those specs. I DO like the idea of the Artemis being a custom Voodoo CPU, so maybe instead of just outright retconning it in a post, we could mention what Sony did with Voodoo in an update sometime soon (possibly in the 1998 year-end update if I can remember). Thanks for all the info! Now I'm starting to get a bit nervous about the specs for the Ring, I'm checking things extra carefully before that update goes up, probably on Thursday.

I think also along with the 1998 year-end stuff, I'm going to try to have some lifetime software sales lists for the SNES-CD. I'm thinking maybe doing a global sales ranking of all the games that sold a million or more, along with top ten charts by region. The monthly charts that I post, sales are only a small component of those, they're also ranked on fan and magazine editor voting, so yeah, those aren't terribly accurate for sales but I do like to do those to give a kind of snapshot of what games are popular at the time.

I'll tell you what though, right now, here is a best-guess estimate top ten global sales chart for the Ultra Nintendo and the Saturn, total lifetime sales as of October 31, 1998, including pack-ins:

Ultra Nintendo:

1. Super Mario Dimensions (18.5 million)- game was a pack-in title for North America and Europe but not for Japan
2. Ultra Mario Kart (6.3 million)
3. Goldeneye 007 (4.4 million)
4. Final Fantasy VII (3 million)
5. Gran Turismo (2.7 million)
6. The Dreamers (2 million)
7. Resident Evil (1.8 million)
8. Star Fox 2 (1.75 million)
9. Ballistic Limit 2 (1.55 million)
10. Killer Instinct Ultra (1.5 million)

Sega Saturn:

1. Sonic The Hedgehog 4 (9.5 million)
2. Virtua Fighter (6 million)
3. Resident Evil (4.5 million)
4. Virtua Fighter 2 (3.8 million)
5. Tomb Raider (3.5 million)
6. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (3.2 million)
7. Tomb Raider II (2.5 million)
8. Sonic Jam (2.4 million)
9. Virtua Racing (2 million)
10. Tekken 3 (1.8 million)

 

[Goldwind2]

Tom Hall made UP Sly Boots (the main character of Anarconox ) when he was college. If Ancornocox doesn't get made does any body that Sly would appear in another Ion Storm game

 

[Golden Darkness]

Regarding the possibility that 3Dfx had a hand in the Ultra GPU...

3Dfx only existed in 1994. Their products then came out in 1996, with them supplying chips for graphic card makers and arcade boards. The first game to feature their tech is this: http://www.thedodgegarage.com/3dfx/q3d_arcade_hrd.htm

Midway would later use 3dfx for some of their arcade titles, released under the Atari Games name.

Nintendo and Sony started planning on the Ultra in March 1995, with its roots in Sony's cancelled Nova project even earlier. Somehow either of them have to get wind of 3dfx's work. At the same time, 3dfx would have to be convinced to keep silent for the moment of their work on the Ultra.

Maybe there would be some other deals between Sony and 3Dfx. Maybe Sony's an investor, or Sony's also buying the right to use 3Dfx chips for its PC business.

And once 3Dfx is outed as the real minds behind the GPU, Ultra emulation could get easier if they only have to do is capture GlideAPI calls.

Edit: This seems to be a nice guide for the notable 3D solutions for PC gaming that came out since the beginning - http://www.maximumpc.com/from-voodoo-to-geforce-the-awesome-history-of-3d-graphics

 

[Pyro]

Just wanted to report that I have my MacBook back after I had to get the hard drive replaced. Luckily, I have the files for my AH.com stuff on backup or in the "sent" folder in my PMs. Hopefully, you'll see some superhero stuff from me very soon.

 

[ANARCHY_4_ALL]

Just wanted to report that I have my MacBook back after I had to get the hard drive replaced. Luckily, I have the files for my AH.com stuff on backup or in the "sent" folder in my PMs. Hopefully, you'll see some superhero stuff from me very soon.

I can't wait for Fantastic Four ... I've been wondering what your take on it will be like. I'm not so eager about Casper as Captain Amerirca however but I'll just have to wait and see. Also I don't think Cruise is a good replacement for Downey, eh. Regardless I love what you've done with comicbook movies. Hopefully we will see some great Alan Moore adaptations down the road.

 

[Goldwind2]

I have created an multi pdo alternate culture timeline on The ‘Implausible’ Alternate History Wiki called a Different Channel. Here is a link to it http://implausablealternatehistory.w...ferent_Channel. Niviek used to help me devople video game related articles for the time but lately he has become too busy. I have reached a road block for my last different channel video game article Would somebody please help me over come it by answering these question. How many playable character should an racing game in 1998 have and How many playable character should an racing game in 2010

 

[Nivek]

I have created an multi pdo alternate culture timeline on The ‘Implausible’ Alternate History Wiki called a Different Channel. Here is a link to it http://implausablealternatehistory.w...ferent_Channel. Niviek used to help me devople video game related articles for the time but lately he has become too busy. I have reached a road block for my last different channel video game article Would somebody please help me over come it by answering these question. How many playable character should an racing game in 1998 have and How many playable character should an racing game in 2010

make a thread in off topic please for stuff like this, not beign rough but better that way

 

[Goldwind2]

I have been asking this on messages that I left on your personal talk page but you never responded

 

[woweed]

Oh, you have NO idea. Nivek and I have discussed how this timeline will play out over the next 20 years... no spoilers but safe to say that things will be...interesting and there will be some surprising role reversals in the future.

Should I be worried? I LIKE OTL Nintendo.
Also:

BTW, a note. November 1998 will be split up into two updates, with Sega/The Ring in the first update and Nintendo/Zelda in the second, with various pop-culture/news stuff (mostly the midterm elections) split between them.

That's three years now the November update has been big enough to be split in two parts. I get it's probably because November is close enough to CHristmas for people to buy it as a gift but not too close for people to have not had time to buy it but still, it's odd.

 

[RySenkari]

Should I be worried? I LIKE OTL Nintendo.

If you like OTL Nintendo, you shouldn't be worried. I'll just say that. Maybe I've said too much.

That's three years now the November update has been big enough to be split in two parts. I get it's probably because November is close enough to CHristmas for people to buy it as a gift but not too close for people to have not had time to buy it but still, it's odd.

November has traditionally been a pretty big month for video game releases, hardware and software, so it's a coincidence, not a very unlikely one, that it's been big like this for three straight years. I will say that looking ahead at the 1999 schedule, it's unlikely that November is split next year.