Nintendo Classic Mini announced

[Andromeda Stardust]

What's a fog expansion?

Many of the old N64 games used fog effects to mask the limited draw distance, Turok probably being the most extreme example. Normally when playing the game, distant objects would just disappear due to the limits of how many objects the graphics processor could render onscreen. Most games set render priority based on the distance of the objects so that important objects closer to the player would always be visible. However, to reduce the effect of objects simply disappearing when they passed outside of this invisible draw sphere, many games employed fog effects to mask this behavior. In many instances this fog just made the game more difficult because you couldn't see what was ahead.

 

The RAM expansion Pak doubled the usable memory from 4 megabytes to 8 megabytes, vastly increasing the amount of objects the GPU could render onscreen at once. So by using the expansion Pak, some games had improved textures and draw distances, enabling a clearer view of the world. Not that the presence of an expansion pak removed the need for fog. DK64 used fog effects for atmosphere, but the draw distances in this game were vastly increased over their predecessors so it did not impede movement through the levels like some other games [cough] Turok [/cough].

[+save2600]

^ now there's a history lesson.

[Atariboy]

I know what fog is and that N64 developers often utilized the effect to mask graphics popping up in front of the player, but I asked what was a fog expansion.

 

we got fog and ram expansions

 

If he's just commenting on the prevalence of this particular graphical effect on Nintendo 64 titles, my apologies for misreading it.

Edited December 15, 2016 by Atariboy

[high voltage]

Uk Computer Shopper issue Feb 2017.

 

Have we been fooled all along? UK gets the better deal?

 

Edited December 15, 2016 by high voltage

[0078265317]

Called a couple of local gamestops and they are all sold out. But getting limited tomorrow. First come first serve. So I will set an alarm and cross my fingers. Thinkgeek was a bust. No code yet. Probably tomorrow as its all week but no guarantee. So I will drive tomorrow and see. Hopefully I can score one.

[Turbo-Torch]

Does your employer allow you to use internet time, make phone calls AND take off work for this?

[Osgeld]

I never judge people's time schedules, there's a very good chance it doesn't meet mine

 

I have worked part time in the day and went to high school at night

I have gone to college at day and worked at night

I have punched a clock and worked objectives, goals and deadlines

 

everyone has a different schedule and priorities

Edited December 16, 2016 by Osgeld

[Atariboy]

NPD reports that Nintendo sold 196,000 NES Classic Editions in the US market during November.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Atariboy

[godslabrat]

Is there any doubt they could have sold twice that, were stock available?

[Pixelboy]

Is there any doubt they could have sold twice that, were stock available?

Twice? Easily.

 

My main concern now is whether Nintendo's production facilities (which are currently churning out NES Minis as fast as they can) will be altered for the production of the Nintendo Switch. If the NES Mini and the Switch are handled by two distinct production facilities, then I guess there's nothing to worry about, but if Nintendo discontinues production of the NES Mini in favor of the Switch, then the NES Mini could remain a hard-to-find item in 2017.

[Osgeld]

as someone who has worked electronics for many years I can say with 100% fact that production on different items is split up tween AT minimum across different facilities, or at most different companies, with the slight chance that final assembly and packaging at one, which is a fairly basic operation in the scale of things

 

nintendo does not have a factory making everything from pcb to box, its split up across different sub's with different abilities

 

now there's issues having your designers split from your electronics assemblers with the "throw it over the wall" deal with it tough shit, its only money mentality, but even where I work where design and pcb assembly is under one roof we deal with dozen's of sub's making PCB's, and custom components, and there's an army of reps selling us parts from parts makers ... and we are a sub ourself to someone who puts everything into plastics, who sell it to the ultimate customer, who packages it up as a final product to you, the consumer

Edited December 16, 2016 by Osgeld

[Atariboy]

By comparison, 263,000 units is the number floating around for the Japanese launch. So they actually shipped nearly 70,000 more units to a country that represents a significantly smaller slice of their business, than they did to the US.

 

Not only is this launch a testament to Nintendo's inability to get a handle on the marketplace while demonstrating their risk aversion that holds them back so much, but it also is yet further evidence where North America stands back in Kyoto (And Redmond's mismanagement and/or inability to make decisions for this region without fighting senior leadership in Japan at every turn).

Edited December 16, 2016 by Atariboy

[Andromeda Stardust]

I know what fog is and that N64 developers often utilized the effect to mask graphics popping up in front of the player, but I asked what was a fog expansion.

 

 

If he's just commenting on the prevalence of this particular graphical effect on Nintendo 64 titles, my apologies for misreading it.

The effect gets "real" when you operate a fog machine in your game room. Sometimes it so thick you can hardly see the TV...

[Andromeda Stardust]

Uk Computer Shopper issue Feb 2017.

 

Have we been fooled all along? UK gets the better deal?

 

SNES Mini all but confirmed? Also wtf is a "snooper's charter?"

 

EDIT: Sorry for the OT but wow dude, massive government sponsored privacy violation... That's George Orwell 1984 level shit right there...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_Communications_Data_Bill

[BillLoguidice]

I still say that not only will there not be a SNES Mini (until such time as the circumstances dictate like they did with the NES Mini), but they'll also stop resupplying stores with NES Minis prior to the Switch release. I would love to be wrong, but I still maintain that the NES Mini was just a money making diversion/stalling/rah-rah Nintendo tactic until the Switch hits retail.

[+save2600]

Re: the ad above, I first took them mentioning a Mini SNES to be a typo. lol

[godslabrat]

I still say that not only will there not be a SNES Mini (until such time as the circumstances dictate like they did with the NES Mini), but they'll also stop resupplying stores with NES Minis prior to the Switch release. I would love to be wrong, but I still maintain that the NES Mini was just a money making diversion/stalling/rah-rah Nintendo tactic until the Switch hits retail.

I don't think it'll get as much media attention, but I have to disagree that it'll be dropped entirely. All signs point to this thing being insanely profitable, margins must be through the roof. Now that Nintendo's paid off their initial R&D, setup costs, etc, any Minis sold would be almost pure profit. That's a nice thing to have when you're introducing new hardware elsewhere.

 

Just a thought... What if continuing to sell the Mini allows the Switch to be sold at a loss, thus allowing for a larger install base?

[BillLoguidice]

I don't think it'll get as much media attention, but I have to disagree that it'll be dropped entirely. All signs point to this thing being insanely profitable, margins must be through the roof. Now that Nintendo's paid off their initial R&D, setup costs, etc, any Minis sold would be almost pure profit. That's a nice thing to have when you're introducing new hardware elsewhere.

 

Just a thought... What if continuing to sell the Mini allows the Switch to be sold at a loss, thus allowing for a larger install base?

 

Maybe, but I think the margins here are probably about as much as a typical new release console game, possibly in the $15 - $25 range max per unit. That's nothing to sneeze at, but it does take up a lot of space at retail, relatively speaking, and is probably fairly involved from a production and distribution standpoint (somewhere between a traditional console and a disc-based game or Amiibo). At some point, there will also be market saturation, as well. Even though I always thought this had the potential to sell in the 3 million+ range, I suspect that's probably a rough cap. In other words, I don't see this ever cracking 5 million units sold worldwide, and likely much, much less than that due to several factors. With Nintendo's caution (and need to focus on the Switch), we're probably looking at them pulling the plug well before that point anyway. That could be at 1.5 - 2 million total units worldwide knowing Nintendo.

 

With the holiday season almost behind us, that might mean them pulling the plug even sooner, i.e., releasing a few hundred thousand more units into the wild and calling it a day, which would get us more to the lower end of that estimate.

 

All speculation, of course, but we'll all know soon enough, because the Switch is still likely on track for March, and Nintendo will have to replenish NES Mini stock in various territories at least a few more times before then.

[Great Hierophant]

If we assume that Nintendo is making a $20 profit sold on each console, then 196,000 units barely nets them $4 million. Not a bad profit, but Nintendo is a billion dollar company. If you add in the sales of the Japanese consoles, that gives them $5 million more. Then consider the numbers shipped to Europe and Australasia, which are probably about half the amount given to the U.S. and Canada. That is probably another $2 million there and we have just hit 550,000 units shipped world wide. They can probably sell three to four times as many worldwide before the market becomes saturated. The fears that Nintendo's product will be discontinued by March are rather unlikely.

[0078265317]

It is def popular. So they are making good profit. Today people line up at gamestop and took the last 2 and 1 at anther location. No luck. So a Super Nintendo mini will def be popular.

[BillLoguidice]

It is def popular. So they are making good profit. Today people line up at gamestop and took the last 2 and 1 at anther location. No luck. So a Super Nintendo mini will def be popular.

 

No one has ever disputed that an x Mini from Nintendo wouldn't be popular. Of course it would be. The dispute is whether Nintendo is going to bother in the face of supporting a must-succeed system in the Switch for fear of distracting their customer base with cheap, easy appeal toys that scratch a significant Nintendo itch.

[Keatah]

I understand the purpose of the mini was to get Nintendo's name back in the public eye.

[BillLoguidice]

I understand the purpose of the mini was to get Nintendo's name back in the public eye.

 

I think so, but moreso in a positive light versus stories mostly about how the Wii U isn't selling. Things like the NES Mini, Pokemon Go, Super Mario Run, etc., are all things Nintendo wouldn't have done in the past, but are doing now to great effect. It will be interesting to see if this "side stuff" that's clearly successful translates to momentum for the Switch.

[+GoldLeader]

My quick take...

 

Nintendo will continue to sell Minis...Living happily with the shortage headlines as a marketing ploy (Whether or not that was the initial intent...Perhaps they got their numbers by looking at VC sales and analyzing trends?...Hence getting Japan more Famicom Minis?...Just my guess ...)...And when March rolls around, while they continue to sell Minis, there will be more headlines...

 

This time they will be talking about The Switch being delayed, while Nintendo will claim they underestimated demand for the console, and they are now "Ramping up production to meet possible shortages..."

 

People, fearing a shortage, will be sure to line up to get The Switch when it does come out...Nintendo will have gotten lots of Free Press...Saved on their advertising budget...

 

And, behind closed doors will be patting themselves on the back for a job well done ...

[Andromeda Stardust]

I still say that not only will there not be a SNES Mini (until such time as the circumstances dictate like they did with the NES Mini), but they'll also stop resupplying stores with NES Minis prior to the Switch release. I would love to be wrong, but I still maintain that the NES Mini was just a money making diversion/stalling/rah-rah Nintendo tactic until the Switch hits retail.

If I was a betting man, I'd wager against you on this. At this point, the Minis are a cash cow. People will be more likely to pick up a Switch the more Nintendo is in the headlines. "Hey, these old games are fun. Hey look, they're releasing a new console. Maybe I should get one instead of or in addition to the PS4 Neo / XB1 Scorpio..."

 

Nintendo are fools if they don't think an NES Mini 2 or SNES Mini is a good idea next year. Just look at AtGames on their 7th iteration of the Atari Flashback, which the NES Mini totally dwarfs in terms of popularity and media coverage. Maybe throw in a self contained Game Boy portable as a stocking stuffer in year three or four. The Mini consoles are a "third pillar" in addition to their new Switch hybrids and twilighting 3DS line. Canning production now would be a big "FU" to fans, essentially like saying, "We don't want your money..." Then again, this is Nintendo, a conservative playing card company founded in the 1890s and known for leaving cash sitting on the table.