The Console Skirmish: Decisive Tidings

by The Freelancer

Iâm sorry, Xeros89, but Jeff Hagadorn couldnât be more right. Every system has bad games, and every system has good games. However, let us take a peek at the history and future of this whole video game revolution.

äIt all began at some point around the mid-nineties. Prior to this moment, Nintendo was undoubtebly overtaking the console gaming market, and was overtaking it well. But·whatâs this? Square, after such hits as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, after a long relationship with Nintendo, has decided to produce games for Sony? WHY?

Square announced they were working on a sequel for Nintendo's new system, which was simply called Project Reality back then. As they had worked together with them for a long time, Square expected Nintendo to go with the latest technology, because they knew Nintendo went with only the best. Undoubtedly the new system would be able to handle the new game Square was planning. Surprised they were when the new system was announced officially.
Nintendo revealed that their Nintendo 64 was going to be cartridge-based. A pity, because Square had been working on computer graphics in the form of full motion video and high-resolution stills for a long time. They decided to look beyond Nintendo and their eye fell on Sony and their new PlayStation. Even though it was only 32-bit it had cd-rom drive necessary for what Square had in mind for their next Final Fantasy.
In a smart move, Square quickly released their first game on the new Sony platform. Tobal No. 1 was nothing more than a mediocre fighting game, but it had a demo of the new Final Fantasy. Tobal sold like hot cakes, because everyone wanted to see what Square's new role playing game would be like.ä

The preeminent is a quote from the TotalRPG Final Fantasy VII review, which I believe sums up Squareâs decision quite well. The question is·why did Nintendo go with a cartridge-based system? No one really knows·

BUT! Wait a second. Everyone knows that RPGs are exhaustively compatible with cartridges (i.e. Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy III, the list goes on). So, why arenât there many RPGs on the Nintendo 64?

Luckily Nintendo and their friends at the UK-based Rare backed the system in a marvellous way, with just about only fantastic titles. RPGs have arrived, and a couple are still coming up, but they don't seem to be a high priority. Nintendo of America's president, Howard Lincoln, has said that the genre that's mostly lacking on the Nintendo 64 are sports games, without even talking about RPGs. On 1997's Space World show in Japan, Hiroshi Yamauchi told the visitors in his speech that RPGs are no fun, and that people are wrong in liking them.

The above is a quote from the TotalRPG Nintendo Profile. Um·excuse me? RPGs are no fun, and people are wrong in liking them? Maybe Square shouldâve moved to Sony, after all.

Whatâs next you ask? Because of Nintendoâs hugeerror, Segaâs past errors, and Microsoftâs modernity, Sony will win the crown in this future console skirmish. However, this is star-crossed. The Dolphin and The X-Box will both have much better hardware than The Playstation 2. But, this just goes to show how reputation will always win the battle.