I was thinking about console gaming and computer gaming a few minutes ago and it hit me. Since the N64 has two popular coputer games ported to it (StarCraft and Command & Conquer) why doesn't Ambrosia look into porting EV/O to Nintendo's upcoming (and almost garunteed hit sell) the Nintendo GameCube? I mean, the NGC will be a VERY powerful and dedicated game system and will, like the Dreamcast, have internet accessability along with a slew of buttons on its controler. The memory cards to be produced have great capacity to hold info and the games will be on disc, so games can be even larger. This presents a BIG opportunity for Ambrosia to place one of its top selling games onto a system that promises to be at the top of the consol market, and produced by a company that readilly accepts promising thrid party developers to make sofware for its products, this company is Nintendo. The plug-in idea is also possible on the NGC, b/c of the modem periferal that has already been announced (the speed of the modem? its a 56k phone line modem), so a little bit of changing to the game code would allow the downloading of plug-ins on the net on a special site for NGC owners of EV/O to download plugs to the memory cards, and then select which plugs they'd like to use in the game. The basic EV/O engine might be able to stay unchanged (the biggest change would be the addition of menus to control actions done on the computer with the hit of a key). So, all in all, the NGC provides a perfect opportunity to spread the joys of EV/O to those who are unable to experience EV/O. I say to Ambrosia, "You're not making the game for Windows, so you'd not be making any morality infractions, and since the Apple and Nintendo aren't even competitors, why not take advatage of the latest console abilities. Make EV popular on consols as well as Macs".

Cheers,
~Jedibrass

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-author of "Dragerron"
-OotS member
-EVO plug developer, & amateur 3D graphics artist.
-Star Wars fan(atic)

It's the time factor. While Metrowerks make Codewarrior for Nintendo, the programmers would have to learn a new API. Also, the Nintendo Gamecube is geared towards runtime 3D, not basic sprite manipulation.

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--sitharus
The cure for writer's cramp is writer's block. - Inigo DeLeon
(url="http://"mailto:sitharus@ureach.com")mailto:sitharus@ureach.com(/url)sitharus@ureach.com

Quote

Originally posted by blackhole:
**It's the time factor. While Metrowerks make Codewarrior for Nintendo, the programmers would have to learn a new API. Also, the Nintendo Gamecube is geared towards runtime 3D, not basic sprite manipulation.

**

True, but the coding for EV/O is in place, its sort of a matter of translating code. And also, the graphics for EV/O can be changed to runtime 3D. There would have to be some changes made, but the basic game which we all know and love would, to the player, seem relatively unchanged.

Cheers,
~Jedibrass

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-author of "Dragerron"
-OotS member
-EVO plug developer, & amateur 3D graphics artist.
-Star Wars fan(atic)

It would be a nice idea but somehow i dont really see it happening.

ewan

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Quote

Originally posted by JediBrass:
And also, the graphics for EV/O can be changed to runtime 3D

I'm sure they can, but are you going to do it?

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And then there's the cost factor. Nintendo licences all it's games at rather stingy rates, and they also require developers to purchace the media directly from nintendo (Third party cartrages wont work with a nintendo macine, unless it's a third party macine as well
In other words, all your cartrages are belong to Nintendo.

I don't see Ambrosia becoming an authorized Nintendo developer any time in the forseeable future.

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"I don't want to insist on it, Dave, but I am incapable of making an error" - HAL 9000

Quote

Originally posted by Captian LeGrenadier:
**And then there's the cost factor. Nintendo licences all it's games at rather stingy rates, and they also require developers to purchace the media directly from nintendo (Third party cartrages wont work with a nintendo macine, unless it's a third party macine as well:D
In other words, all your cartrages are belong to Nintendo.

I don't see Ambrosia becoming an authorized Nintendo developer any time in the forseeable future.

**

Yeah, but Nintendo might be inclined to make an exception once they see the excellentness of EV/O, and besides, if Ambrosia becomes a licensed Nintendo developer, even though the cartridges would be the property of Nintendo, there's a little thing called royalties that Ambrosia and Matt Burch would recieve every time a NGC version of EV/O sold. That plus Ambrosia's profits just from Mac Shareware= much more $ for Ambrosia. And no I couldn't do the coding, I don't know that much computer code (actually just a bit of Visual Basic) let alone Nintendo's gaming code. But I AM a catalyst for ideas and I think someone might become inspired by what we're talking about here and maybe someday the NGC would have in its library a top selling game called Escape Velocity: Override NGC. Now thats a goal worth shooting for.

Cheers,
~Jedibrass

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-author of "Dragerron"
-OotS member
-EVO plug developer, & amateur 3D graphics artist.
-Star Wars fan(atic)

Since the GameCube is using a G3 processor will they really have to change that much code?

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"You have committed a fatal error and your existence must be terminated." Windows error message.

1. Third party cartriges DO work, how do people pirate nintendo games otherwise =P
2. The Gamecube is not cartrige based, it's based on optical disk technology. Dont ask me any more than that.

Quote

Originally posted by spl_cadet:
Since the GameCube is using a G3 processor will they really have to change that much code?

They are the same processor, superficially, but IBM have adapted that version to work better with games, so it is not exactly the same, and the API's wont be the same.

I'll just briefly explain what an API is:

API stands for Application Programming Interface. It's what an application calls to do stuff. When an application starts up it calls around 5 API's for a hello world app. The multi tasking in Classic is an API (WaitNextEvent()), the entry point for events in Carbon is a API (WaitNextEvent() again).

Every system has different API's, that's why porting to windows is such a big deal, you not only have to change the structure to work with windows' system, but you have to change every single API call in your app.

A similar process would have to be done to port EV to the Gamecube. The only consolation the porter would have would be that matt's low level blitters for translucent stuff wouldnt need much work, maybe...

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--sitharus
The cure for writer's cramp is writer's block. - Inigo DeLeon
(url="http://"mailto:sitharus@ureach.com")mailto:sitharus@ureach.com(/url)sitharus@ureach.com

Quote

Originally posted by JediBrass:
Yeah, but Nintendo might be inclined to make an exception once they see the excellentness of EV/O...

I'm pretty sure that's not how it works.
-david-

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(url="http://"http://www.meowx.com")Meowx Design Studios(/url)
Graphics. Games. And more...

I doubt the gamecube has enough buttons to play EVN, and plugins are pretty much out. Really, EV is, and always will be, a computer game.

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I don't think EVO / EVN would work on a console. Too many controls, too little buttons. Besides, computer games are generally cooler than console gaming. Besides, the animation problem is always there. And have you seen the prices of Nintendo games recently? Would you really pay $60 for a GameCube version of EVO or EVN when you can get the computer version for $25?

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P L A T Y P U S

Gamecube games willbe cheaper than N64 games - different technology

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--sitharus
The cure for writer's cramp is writer's block. - Inigo DeLeon
(url="http://"mailto:sitharus@ureach.com")mailto:sitharus@ureach.com(/url)sitharus@ureach.com

Maybe - but just because its optical doesn't mean they'll lower the prices that much. Cartridges can't possibly be worth $60, so you know the GameCube CDs will cost quite a bit.

I have an N64, so I hope the games prices will go down when the GameCube premieres!

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P L A T Y P U S

I think that EV/O for Gamecube or whatever else is a bad idea. The problem I've always seen with games like C&C; on a console is the lack of controls and feasable maneuvering.

Now, the thing that caught my eye was the net access. Did I hear anyone say "Avara"? Okay, probably not but it would be really cool, no?

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"I want Karma!" "I want karma!" "I want Karma!" "I want karma!"

I can already play it on something. I want more features. I don't need to play it on a Gamecube if it already works on my iMac. It is better to have a terriffic game for the computer than an awful one that runs on...

...take a really deep breath and consult your phonics books...

Atari 800, Atari ST, Playstation, Playstation 2, Macintosh Classic, Macintosh Carbon, Macintosh Cocoa, MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, NextStep, OpenStep, Sega, Sega Saturn, Sega DreamCast, Gameboy Classic, Gameboy Color, Super Gameboy, Super Color Gameboy, BeOS, Linux(all flavors), Unix(all flavors), Amiga, A/UX@, BIOS, CHORUS, CP/M, GEOS, Mach, Inferno, Hurd, Magic Cap, Minix@, Multics, OS/2, NetWare, Java, OSF DCE, S/390, Xinu, X Window System, Nintendo 24, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, Nintendo GameCube, XBox, Sega Master System, Neo-Geo Pocket Color, Thomson TO7, Commodore 64, SAM CoupŽ, Acorn BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows ME, Windows XP, Amstrad PCW, Apple I, Apple II, Apple III, BBC Micro, Esdac, IBM Series 1, Memotech MTX, MIPS R2000, MO5, MSX, Oric, PDP-8/E, S.S.E.M., Sinclair QL, Sinclair ZX81, Sinclair ZX-Spectrum, Thomson TO8, TI99, TRS-80, TRS-80 Color Computer, VAX, VIC-20, X68000, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Colecovision, Intellivision, PC Engine/TurboGrafx, Sega Genesis, TB-303/TR-808, Z80 Processor, 6502 Processor, 68000 Processor, 6809 Processor, Vector-based, Space Invaders, Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear, HP 48, Palm, TI Calculators, Dreamcast VMU, and even ENIAC(talk about low system requirements).

I got a little carried away there, but you get the point. Just don't ask me what those are.

Quote

Originally posted by Ellmist(no cookies):
**I can already play it on something. I want more features. I don't need to play it on a TI Calculators, Dreamcast VMU, and even ENIAC(talk about low system requirements).

I got a little carried away there, but you get the point. Just don't ask me what those are.**

Technically ENIAC wan't even digital, making it really hard to port EV to.

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Lead plugin programmer, Corsair Development