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Communications Entertainment Games

Nintendo's First Podcast 49

Posted by Zonk from the big-n-entering-the-modern-era dept.
celerityfm writes "With the US release of an MP3/multimedia player add-on for the Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance just around the corner, Nintendo is already busy creating content for it with their first Podcast, produced by podcast pioneer Carl Franklin. Check out the first episode, it's all about Nintendogs." Commentary is available at Press the Buttons. From that post:"From the sound of things, girls love Nintendogs. Dog training tips are exchanged, fans are briefly interviewed, and even a parent weighs in now and then. Ms. McCollom's segment goes in to why girls are apt to love raising portable puppies and just how the Nintendo DS's wireless mode enables gamers to meet new players and their dogs. Teen People even proclaims the experience 'better than Barbie', so if that's not a young girl stamp of approval, I don't know what is. "
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Nintendo's First Podcast More

Nintendo's First Podcast

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  • Description lagging (Score:3, Informative)

    by Mr.Dippy ( 613292 ) on Wednesday August 31, 2005 @11:35AM (#13446593)
    Here is more info/price on the Nintendo media player http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000537028472/ [engadget.com]

  • The Play-Yan interests me (Score:4, Informative)

    by Guspaz ( 556486 ) on Wednesday August 31, 2005 @11:53AM (#13446749)
    I've been debating importing one for quite some time. Originally I discarded the idea because it turned out that videos encoded for the thing could only handle mono 8khz audio (Yes, eight kilohertz), which sounded horrible. However, a recent firmware update added support for AAC audio in the videos, allowing up to 320kbit 48khz stereo.

    What put me off importing is the price; the unit costs $50 US in japan, but the importers sell it for $80, even before shipping costs. I understand they want to make a profit, but a 60% markup over retail is a bit much. Because it is expected to sell for $50 when it comes to North America, I think I'll probably just wait for it to be available here instead of importing.

    When you think about it, the unit is really rather impressive. A hardware MPEG-4 decoder that can handle video at over a megabit, and AAC audio over 320kbit, at the same time, and it costs only $50.

    My laptop also has an SD slot, so I can save some cash on an SD reader.

    The only downside of the play-yan is that while it can be used in the DS, it only displays content at GBA resolution; the upcoming M3, a similar device, uses a PassMe type solution to allow it to run both in a GBA and on a DS at native res. This means that if I purchase the Play-Yan for my GBA, if I get a DS I won't be able to take advantage of the additional screen space.

    Oh well. I'll probably still pick one up when it launches here.
    • The slashdot and engadget articles mention it being an add on for the DS, but your post and the wikipedia article indicate that it's just a GBA game that is simply DS compatible just like any other single player GBA game.

      Do you get any sort of benefit from using the DS? The touch screen gives the potential for easier (much easier) navigation (forget about fast forward, just tap anywhere on the playback timeline), but if it's just a GBA title... yuck.

      • It is just a GBA title. On the DS it still works, but at GBA resolution (Which is a lower than the DS).

        None of this matters for music of course, but for video it does.

        The restriction comes from this using the GBA socket. It has to, really, since the DS socket is so tiny. But because it uses the GBA socket, it has to stay in GBA mode. The DS is very strict about that, and it requires hacked firmware, or a PassMe (goes into DS socket, plug DS game into passme, passme redirects DS execution to GBA slot).

        The M3
        • Good post. I wonder if Nintendo has any plans to extend upgrade the Play-Yan to take advantage of DS functions like the stylus/etc in order to better compete with the M3?

          Not to mention the possibility of WIFI connectivity with the Play-Yan. Imagine streaming podcasts, videos/etc over wifi right onto the Play-Yan. HOT!
          • While streaming podcasts and videos seems neat at first thought, I don't think in practice it would be all that handy. Any place I have a wifi connection I'd rather be using something like a laptop. If I'm at home I'd rather not be watching stuff on the small screen of a DS, and even if I wanted to, I could copy stuff to the SD card.

            Extending the Play-Yan to take advantage of the DS's capabilities would be nice, though unlike you I'd say that using the full screen size would be more important than stylus su
            • Another great post sir! Keep em coming.

              I agree with you that using the full screen is more important then stylus support! I said "stylus/etc" but by leaving the other features out I was just trying to not be redundant rather then rate their importance.

              You're right though about them probably not messing with it... being compatible with so many consoles all at once is awesome... heh.. when do we start seeing people putting play-yans in gamecube game boy players and making a Nintendo HTPC? :P

              As it is now peopl
              • You're right though about them probably not messing with it... being compatible with so many consoles all at once is awesome... heh.. when do we start seeing people putting play-yans in gamecube game boy players and making a Nintendo HTPC? :P

                An interesting thought, and one that is almost possible. The Play-Yan can actually decode video up to about 352x288, but can only display it at 240x160 due to the limitations of the GBA screen. If the GB player didn't have to follow the GBA resolution requirements it co
                • Sorry for the late response, hopefully you won't miss this post :P

                  Another great post sir, very very insightful and informative stuff on all counts. You really know your stuff!

                  Though the link I posted was just a Gameboy emulator, not a GBA emulator :P Maybe someday they'll figure out how to pull off GBA emulation on the iPod but they are still struggling to just get GB going on it :)

                  So while I've got your attention, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Nintendo Revolution "mystery" controller.. care to spec
                  • Don't mistake me for somebody who is smart, I just read a lot ;)

                    I think GBA emulation on the iPod is highly unlikely; it seems the current issue with the iPod GB emulator is speed. The original GB had a Z80 processor, while the GBA had an ARM7 processor, IIRC. Much more complex.

                    As for the mystery controller, your guess is as good as mine. There are mentions of tilt resistance via gyroscopes, but I'm not thrilled with the idea; I've seen enough people playing games move their controllers all around as if it
                    • Very good stuff. That stuff about a touchpad with slip covers reminds me of the atari 5200 controllers... I would prefer to see a touchscreen that doesn't need overlays and something with haptics for example sounds sooo awesome. I think a gyroscope would be useful for not very sensitive, yet somehow useful EXTRA DIMENSION of control but not for main control for the reasons you listed there.

                      Of course what I really want is the Nintendo ON. But we can only dream of course.

                      As far as the Gamecube being a flop I
                    • Last I heard the Gamecube and XBox had sold more or less the same worldwide, with the XBox a bit ahead, but that was a while ago.

                      The main reason for this is that the XBox failed in Japan, whereas the GameCube failed in other markets. In the North American market, the GameCube was a failure when compared to the PS2 and XBox. My opinion is that this is because Nintendo targetted a much smaller market (younger kids) by selling the unit at a lower price than the other consoles and offering more youth-oriented g
                    • Well. Here's hoping that Nintendo continues to create consoles. I still mourn the loss of Sega.
        • Nintendo has said that the DS can use "expansion carts" (or such) in the GBA slot. They could possibly create a player for the DS specifically that is on a standard DS game card, and uses an SD adapter in the GBA slot.

          I'm not completely certain how it works, though I know certain games (AW:DS) can detect what is in that GBA slot.

          (Hoorah, I used "GBA slot" in every sentence)
          • Ah, here's an example. Link [ign.com].
          • Yes, which I gather is rather how the PassMe works. It is a device that plugs into the DS slot, and you then plug a DS game into the PassMe. The PassMe uses the game for authentication, but redirects execution to the GBA slot.

            This is the current method for running homebrew games. It stands to reason that an official game can do the same thing by itself. I suppose it is possible that we might see an update to the Play-Yan that incldues a DS cart to run the required DS code, but who knows how flexible the Pla
        • But because it uses the GBA socket, it has to stay in GBA mode.

          This isn't actually true, though. There are several known scenarios under which the DS will attempt to boot from the GBA slot in DS mode, under which in the boot menu you will see the phrase "DS Expansion Pak."

          We don't know how to intentionally invoke that yet, but that doesn't mean that it can't be dome.

          The M3 uses a passme-type device.

          Ahem. The passme is a FPGA or CPLD which sits between the DS slot and a DS cart, allowing the DS cart to per
          • Ahem. The passme is a FPGA or CPLD which sits between the DS slot and a DS cart, allowing the DS cart to perform authentication, then stepping in and injecting a branch to the GBA cart. You by definition cannot have a passme in the GBA slot. The M3 uses the DS Expansion Pak mode to inject the jump command. The technique is similar to, but significantly different from, the Passme.

            Mod parent down.

            Ahem. I never claimed that the M3 had a passme in the GBA slot. It ships with a device similar to the PassMe that
            • You seem to just be repeating my other posts, what exactly do you consider worth modding down?

              The part where you say software on a GBA cart cannot be run in DS mode.
              • It can't, not without anything in the DS slot. And certainly not currently without hacked firmware or a hardware hack. Please point out a site with proof that a great breakthrough has been made to allow you to run DS code off a GBA cart with nothing but a GBA cart and a stock DS. The point that you've been missing is that I don't think that the Play-Yan can suddenly become a DS product, not with a simple firmware update to the Play-Yan.

                I suppose it is entirely possible that Nintendo could issue a firmware u

  • Stop Podcasting - or the puppy gets it (Score:4, Interesting)

    by tod_miller ( 792541 ) on Wednesday August 31, 2005 @12:18PM (#13446972) Journal
    Look, there is no reason for the word podcasting to exist.

    It is one of those words when you first hear it you imagine this immense technology behind it. But no, it is a URL to an audio file, inserted into XML.

    Wow. I realise that Audio available through a non-html interface, i.e. a 'play list' application is good, but there is no reason to call this crap podcasting, any more than it is to call downloading a zip file of the internet spudcasting.

    It makes no sense.
    • Look, you have to see calling it 'pod' casting for nintendo is a little skeptical. Who is the self-righteous person who coined this phrase?

      I just know that bloggers and techno-fans everywhere went into full scale hump alert when this new word came around.

      People who have never, and I mean NEVER thought about recording their voice into an audio file, and placing it online, suddenly were... COMPELLED to, as if somehow some new technology had some about that made it possible.

      IF there was a new technology, or ev
      • It's not because a new technology exists, it's because it recently became trendy (MP3 players, specifically iPods).

        I think its supposed to sound revolutionary as in, "With iPod, now anyone can broadcast (or podcast) their own radio show."

        As to who coined it, I'll bet dollars to donuts that they work for Apple. (Even if the first time the term appeared was in PR as opposed to marketing.)

        ...mmm... donuts.... glargh....

        Um, excuse me... where was I. Oh, I was going to say that in this case, DS/GBA-cast

      • Who is the self-righteous person who coined this phrase?

        I think Adam Curry coined the word [wikipedia.org].

        • From the wikipedia article you linked to:

          "Possibly the first use of the term podcasting was as a synonym for audioblogging or weblog-based amateur radio in an article by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian on February 12, 2004 [guardian.co.uk]." Adam Curry didn't event the word, but he did help popularize it.

          What's interesting in light of all the talk these days over the term "podcast" is that many of the people who were doing it back in 2004 resisted people calling it "podcasting"! In fact there was an ongoing bet between the o
    • a URL to an audio file, inserted into XML

      Yeah, that sounds better than podcast.

      you're right, no reason for this word to exist. I'm sure your mom knows that an "url" and "xml" are.

      And now I'm going to watch some picture wave signals on my picture wave signal decoder.

    • I agree. And what is with this word "sandwich"? All it is meat and bread? Why don't we just call it what it is meat and bread? Is it a revolutionary thing to just put some damn meat on some bread??? Sure it is easier to say than meat and bread but why do we need these trendy words?
    • It is one of those words when you first hear it you imagine this immense technology behind it. But no, it is a URL to an audio file, inserted into XML.

      Jesus Christ. How many times does this stupid notion have to be corrected on Slashdot, where the readers are SUPPOSED to be just a WEE BIT smarter than the norm? (No, I'm not new here.)

      Podcasting is not just "a link to an audio file in some XML". It is the ability for anyone, professional or amateur, to record an audio program in serial fashion, and allow som
      • Except almost every story involving a mp3 calls it a podcast regardless if it is or not.
        • I thought about my explaination of 'audio file in xml' and realised, what would I call it?

          But the problem isn't the notion of this word, it is the fact that before the word 'podcasting' nobody wanted to put up mp3's of their voice, and have people download it via RSS...

          Maybe it was the simple realisation that binary files linked over RSS could be fun as well.

          Anyway, regardless - the parent is right about misuse of this word now. Maybe I am just hypersensitive, but in a word of AJAX, JSON, SAX, DOM, XML, XSL
  • If you listen to the interviews in the Podcast, it really sounds like it's all scripted. I mean, do 'ordinary' people really reply with these kinds of answers?

  • The New M3 Adapter is More Interesting (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Aparently a new device for the GBA and DS that supports Homebrew is to be released soon called the M3 Adapter [dcemu.co.uk] and boasts these features: With unique Super Real Time Save Function, easily operates and it can revive without limits. CF/SD card +Reader can be used as a U disk and it only needs drag here and there when the game is burning. Saves money: CF/SD card can also be used in digital camera and other products, and you can share your card as you need it without the need to buy a dedicated card for you
  • Regardless of whether you call this a podcast or not, this is big news. Podcasts represent a way for companies to communicate with customers in ways that press releases can't. Nintendo should try to have as much dialog as they can with customers as they begin their "revolutionary" journey and podcasting is a great way to accomplish that.

    Now technically this isn't their first podcast because they released the audio of Satoru Iwata's keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference [nintendo.com] and called THAT a podcast.
  • So they recorded a downloadable message? Seems odd that it took Nintendo so long. I mean, my little sister downloaded a podcast last year. And really, it is NOT a podcast. There were mp3 players before the iPod. They were downloading pre-recorded Radio shows before the iPod. You don't need an iPod to do it. The term DAPcast is becoming increasingly accurate and necessary. But anal retentive technology classifications aside, it's good to see that the PSP is getting some competition, and that the features

  • Feed (Score:1)

    by Orkie ( 899576 )
    Does anybody know if there is a feed avalible for it rather than just the audio? It isn't really a podcast without one.
    • According to my sources they are working on an RSS feed. Best thing to do is to post comments on the the producer's weblog [asp.net] with requests for a feed. That way he can try to light a fire under Nintendo to get one set up faster!
  • here's an alternate url: http://nintendo.pwop.com/dogdaysevent.mp3 [pwop.com]
  • Nintendo of Japan is already officially dropping support for the Play Yan on Sept 11th [nintendo.co.jp]. It's going to be replaced with the Play-yan Micro [nintendo.co.jp], a unit specially designed for the upcoming Game Boy Micro. The new unit seems almost identical to the old one. Which one will America get?

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