Zero Punctuation: Fifth Console Generation

[darkrage6]

I don't think those games stand the test of time at all, especially not Ocarina of Time.

That's your opinion and you're welcome to it. As for me, I only have to look over at the Metacritic page for re-release of Ocarina of Time [http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d] for the 3DS and see about 1000 opinions to the contrary and a big fat 94% average between over 80 professional reviewers, so I'm not feeling particularly obligated to defend my position considering I seem to be one molecule in a tidal wave of similar sentiment. And if you want to make a point they're not the same game, I'm not going to believe you, because I played them both and they are similar enough in all ways that would seem to matter to me.

So, the fact that you have an unusual opinion about Ocarina of Time having been stated, my opinion remains that Yahtzee overshot a bit by devaluing the contributions of the 5th generation of consoles in his quite possibly tongue-in-cheek assessment of them. I don't suspect it's as unusual of an opinion, but then, it's not like I have a Metacritic entry for that.

That's the remake though, not the original version. The reason people loved the remake of OOT is because it fixed a lot of the bad shit that was in the original game(having to constantly pause to switch items, the awkward as hell controls, etc)

 

[deadish]

The way I remember it, Nintendo stuck to cartridges for the N64 because the games in those were harder to copy than discs.

They were also a lot harder to make. Cost more. Requires a large lead time - months vs weeks of CDs.

CD brought the prices of games down as CDs are a few cent a disc compared to $20-$30 a cartridge - a cost that the consumer has to pay increase the price of the game by a mandatory $20-$30.

Due to the long lead times, you either place a huge order up front and risk going bankrupt if the game doesn't sell and you are left with worthless cartridges that costed you 100s of thousands OR you place a small order up front and cap your sales if your game is super successful - by the time new cartridges get made, newer games would have come out and interested players would have bought second hand.

Low per unit price + low lead times was a dream come true for publishers and developers.

Edit: No the future isn't flash. It's over the internet download. Steam has proven that it's works very very well. Blurays will serve as a backup distribution route - they are after all still just a few cent a disc like CDs before them and are quick and easy to mass produce on short notice.

 

[4Aces]

Here I thought the animator wandered off for a vindaloo burrito at the end, when the "Loading" finally loaded, and coffee is once again part of my typing experience. 11/10

 

[Darth_Payn]

Just now thought of another bit for those developers who switched from Nintendo to Sony: "Konami (back when they still cared about quality games) got off of Nintendo's couch, got in the backseat of Sony's car, and gave birth to twins: CASTLEVANIA: Symphony of the Night, and Metal Gear Solid."