NEWSFLASH!
NEXT ZELDA AND N2000 INFORMATION

This is exclusive Zelda related information brought to you by "The Odyssey of Hyrule" (with the help of my friends, whether direct or indirect, in the gaming community) regarding some things that have been rather hearesay and conjecture until now. At this point I wanted to share everything I know regarding some of the most anticipated aspects of Nintendo's future, the Next Zelda games, The 64DD, and N2000. Here's what I found out:


If you don't get EGM (a video game magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly), there was an article on page 28, in the June 1999 issue about Shigeru Miyamoto discussing Nintendo's Future and EGM asked some really good questions and he gave some truly interesting answers for us gamers to look foreward to. Here's excerpts of what was said.

EGM: Of all your projects-Mario RPG 64, DD Zelda, etc. - what are you concentrating on most now.

Shigeru Miyamoto: I'm doing a variety of things, including trying to cultivate and train the younger game directors to be independaent so they can work without my support. So I'm doing supervisory things, not to be involved derectly in each game, so each director is now assigned to make his or her own games by himself or by herself. I'm also now going back to the basics and asking myself what kind of strategy would be uniquie and will appeal to the audiences, especially now thath Nintendo is combining the Game Boy with N64 and other combinations. I'm asking myself what makes games appealing? But as for more concrete projects, I am working on the Mario Artist series. More specifically, Talent Maker of that series.

EGM: What's the status of the DD version of Legend of Zelda 64?

(hey, wasn't that my question?)

Shigeru Miyamoto: We are working on a variety of things, and not limiting it to one software format, including DD, DD plus cartridge, or even cartridge alone. I think we'll be able to make some announcements about the next Zelda later this spring. It's actually a very interesting project. Whenever we finish one game software, we start from scratch for the next game system. But when it comes to Zelda, the new Zelda game is now being programmed as if the game has not been finished with the Ocarina of Time. So it is quite an new experience for us.

Miyamoto goes on to explain the use of The Game Boy as a PDA for games like Derby Stallion (popular in Japan) and Pokemon Stadium where horses or pokemon could be created or trained on the gameboy and exported to the N64. The next question EGM asks delves his involvement with Nintendo's next console.

EGM: Are you working on Nintendo's next generation system?

Miyamoto: Yes, I'm involved in the next-generation system, and because of that I want to keep the comment of no comment. But I will say we have the policy that we've got to support the current system for at least five years from the launch so when it comes to the N64, we have still so many years to support it. I for one can tell you I am involved in making the controller for the new system. That's partially because I'm very concerned with the fun aspect of the next-generation system.

EGM's next question involves the making of a sequel to Mario 64 for the N64 and Miyamoto emphasized that a sequel would be made using modern digital technology to enhance the gaming experience.


What does all this mean? Well, first off it solidifies the fact that there WILL be an ADDITION to Zelda 64 and from what I can tell a 64DD, which is a total surprise to me since I've seen it said that the thing was officially cancelled. You never know but we might see that Zelda 64 sequel sometime this year! I truly hope so. One thing I find interesting is that Miyamoto said that Zelda 64DD would take up where Zelda 64 left off, and that seems to reiterate my hypothesis that the Zelda 64 we play today was never intended to be THE FULL GAME, but rather a teaser, or part of a more massive gaming experience originally visioned by the gaming master Miyamoto when he started development on Zelda 64 back in '96. This is most likely is a tying up of all the loose ends and oddities left in Zelda 64 like most importantly, the final scene of the ending where Link sees Zelda again. He did say that he wanted to incorporate it with the 64DD, but so much controversy and remarks regarding it's demise have surfaced that it was assumable that Zelda 64DD was either put on hold or converted to an add-on cart as I saw on another Big Name gaming site. One thing that Miyamoto doesn't specify is if the 64DD is coming to America or not. I suppose we'll just have to keep a close watch on this to find out total confirmation.

A source has managed to obtain a transcript of the San Jose Developers Conferance and has donated it to "The Odyssey of Hyrule". I'm not sure where he got it from but nevertheless it is most intreguing. Here's the insider transcript of Nintendo's plans and N2000 information:

REMARKS AT PRESS CONFERENCE MAY 12, 1999

Thank you and good afternoon everyone.

While Nintendo's focus clearly remains fixed on the N64--We happen to believe that it has many more years of profitable life, both for our retail partners and for our company--I want to take this opportunity to share with you some of Nintendo's plans for the future.

Let me raise the curtain just a little on Nintendo's next home video game system. One that we are targeting for worldwide launch at the end of year 2000.

The code name for this product is "Dolphin." That's not the name of the product, but I'll use the Dolphin name this afternoon when I refer to our new hardware system.

While our new Dolphin hardware will be extremely powerful, it will not be expensive. It will retail at a mass market price for home video game systems.

And, as you're about to see, Dolphin's software will also be competitively priced at retail.

Nintendo has been working on dolphin for sometime now.

The graphics chip is being developed by ArtX of Palo Alto, California. This company is headed up by Dr. Wei Yen,--the man who was primarily responsible for the N64 graphics chip.

Dr. Yen has assembled at ArtX one of the best teams of 3D graphics engineers on the planet.

We are absolutely confident that Dolphin's graphics will equal or exceed anything our friends at Sony can come up with for Playstation 2.

Dr. Wei Yen is here today in the front row and I'd like him to stand and be recognized.

Of course, we need to power Dolphin with a CPU that's second to none.

A CPU that is the most powerful processor of any current or planned home video game system. How about a 400 MHz CPU?

Well, that's precisely what we're going to use. And we call that chip the "Gekko processor."

I am pleased to announce that Nintendo's partner and the company that is now in the advanced stages of designing the Gekko processor and which will manufacture this chip at its world class manufacturing facility in Burlington, Vermont is.... IBM.

IBM & Nintendo have entered into a multi-year, $1 billion technology agreement under which IBM will manufacture the custom designed 400 MHz Gekko processor for Dolphin.

Gekko is an extension of the IBM Power PC architecture.

The Gekko processor will feature IBM's unique industry leading copper chip technology.

Only IBM has the technology to manufacture chips using copper circuitry. Click here to see an IBM PowerPC processor.

Nobody else in the world can do what IBM does. And quite frankly, anything less is simply not state of the art technology.

By the way, you may have seen a recent article in the New York Times about how Sony & Toshiba plan to build a brand new factory to manufacture a chip with quote "Cutting edge 0.18 Micron technology"?

The article went on to say that Toshiba had never mass produced a chip using 0.18 Micron technology.

Well guess what! IBM already makes 0.18 Micron chips at its Burlington, Vermont manufacturing facility!

That's where the Gekko processor will be manufactured. And the Gekko processor will be a 0.18 Micron chip... using copper chip technology.

As I said before, it will be the fastest and most powerful CPU in any home video game system, period.

Needless to say, Nintendo is very pleased with its strategic alliance with IBM.

Our engineers have for sometime now been working closely on the Gekko processor with a team of engineers from IBM Microelectronics.

IBM Microelectronics is headed up by Dr. John Kelly. At this time, I'd like to introduce Dr. Kelly and ask him to say a few words about the new IBM/Nintendo relationship. [dr. kelly remarks]

Thank you, John.

Well, as all of you know, the world's most powerful CPU and the world's best graphics chip have to play games on... something. On some software medium. And this time around, that software medium is not going to be ROM cartridges! Dolphin's software medium will not only be one that will be very inexpensive and quick to manufacture, it will also be one that is counterfeit proof.

Earlier today in Tokyo, Mr. Yamauchi, Nintendo's president, and Mr. Morishita, the president of Matsushita, held a joint press conference to announce another strategic alliance.

As many of you know, Matsushita is the largest consumer electronics company in the world. It's best known outside of Japan for products marketed under the "Panasonic" brand.

Here's what Mr. Morishita and Mr. Yamauchi announced:

First, Matsushita will develop, manufacture and supply to Nintendo a DVD disk drive for incorporation into the Dolphin hardware unit.

The software medium for Dolphin will be DVD and this DVD software will be manufactured by Matsushita and supplied to Nintendo.

Second, Dolphin's technology will be integrated into various Matsushita or Panasonic branded DVD consumer electronic products, enabling consumers to play movies and music as well as Dolphin games published by Nintendo and Nintendo's third party publishers.

Third, the Matsushita and Nintendo strategic alliance will enable the two companies to explore various ways of extending Nintendo's Dolphin technology and Matsushita's DVD technology to other products.

I mentioned before that Dolphin's software will be competitively priced at retail.

Let me assure you that this is a critical objective for Nintendo--as is the need for flexible and quick manufacturing turn around of Dolphin software and strong and effective counterfeit protection.

All of these objectives will be achieved under the Nintendo-Matsushita alliance.

Joining us today from Princeton, New Jersey is Dr. Paul Liao ("lee ow") the chief technology officer and vice president of Matsushita Electronic Corporation of America.

Dr. Liao is also president of Panasonic Technologies Inc. And the head of R&D for Matsushita in North America.

Dr. Liao is sitting in the front row and I'd like him to stand and be recognized.

Thank you, Dr. Liao ("lee ow").

In a nutshell, Dolphin hardware and software will be fast, powerful and inexpensive.

Need I say that it will also feature world class video games from people like Mr. Miyamoto and the Stamper brothers?

Is there any question about Nintendo's proven track record of mega hit video games spanning the last 15 years? I don't think so.

Well, there you have it.

We've lifted the curtain a little on Dolphin. But we aren't going to lift it all the way.

We're going to continue to be very circumspect in revealing all of Dolphin's specs... for a very simple reason--there are more technological surprises to come, and we'd like to keep them just that--surprises--for you and especially for our competitors.

But as I stand here this afternoon, I think Nintendo is very well positioned to take on Sony and Sega.

And with partners like ArtX, IBM and Matsushita, I'm very confident we'll do very well in that coming battle. In fact, we can hardly wait!

I've got to hand it Nintendo they really are full of surprises and may perhaps pull that rabbit out of the hat that might overcome the potential reign of Sony's "Dream Machine" as far as technological power, but everything remains to be seen just exactly what will happen with the big three console companies when push comes to shove. (did I use too many cliches) From the looks of it, Nintendo is no way out of the game, and very well could overtake domination of the console market if a vigorous campaign is underwent to make this machine the best it can be with the greatest games of all time. Hint, make Mario AND (most importantly) Zelda launch titles in 2001 and you'll start off on the right foot. Have Rare make another action thriller like Perfect Dark and you'll be on your way. SEGA is in the running for release of Dreamcast in the States on 9/9/99 so we have that to look forward to, but for them to keep pace with their competition in 2000, and 2001, they had better make something really good out of that Launch and keep it going to establish that user base before Sony and Nintendo gobble up their market share. The possibility of playing DVD movies on Nintendo's console is most promising indeed. I personally can't wait until all these next-gen consoles come out because those games are going to be one hell of a ride.

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