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Demoed GCN and X-box kiosks today... (1 Viewer)

Adam Nixon

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 21, 1999
Messages
334
It was great to finally get my hands on these things in OKC, OK. Unfortunately, there were some problems...
X-box: NFL Fever which had a good setup with nice sound and a reasonable screen size. Would have liked more games instead of just Fever, though. Controller is BULKY, to say the least, but I like the button layout. What I dislike is the thickness of the controller -- if it was thinner it would be close to perfect. As is, it's awkward to hold. UNFORTUNATELY -- the X-box CRASHED as soon as I pressed start. A complete lockup on the loading screen as soon as I tried to play. Not much of a consumer confidence booster -- several other customers walked by laughing, with such exclamations as "typical Microsoft product" and "piece of crap."
GCN: A good TV, but didn't have the sound system of the X-box's display -- at least it WORKED. Demo Disc offered playable versions of Luigi's Mansion, Rogue Leader and Waverace; in addition to movies of other launch titles. Controller is terrific, and an improvement over the N64. Rogue Leader was great, Wave Race is a graphical overhaul of the original, and I didn't try Luigi.
I'd heard stories about the X-box lockups, but I didn't believe them until I saw it myself. If that's any indication of the launch product, I'll be waiting 6 months until they fix it. What really surprised me was the indifference of the other shoppers. There were lines for the GCN, but no wait whatsoever for the X-box -- people didn't care.
 

Matt Birchall

Supporting Actor
Joined
Feb 22, 2000
Messages
839
Where in OKC, if you don't mind me asking? I live here, and have been half-assedly looking for a Cube kiosk for the past several days. Can't wait to check out that controller and Star Wars for myself.
Thanks,
-mwb-
------------------
Obi-Wan (to Anakin):
Why do I think you're going to be the death of me?
Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
May 22, 2002
 

Adam Nixon

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 21, 1999
Messages
334
Toys 'R Us by Crossroads mall. I also hit Best Buy, but their kiosks are only PS2 and N64(?!).
[Edited last by Adam Nixon on November 07, 2001 at 09:12 PM]
 

Dean Cooper

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 23, 2000
Messages
972
Sigh...you weren't kicking the kiosk while you pressed start right?
wink.gif

Its too bad you had one lock up on you, what did it look like on the screen? If you say some green screen of death I'm going to scream. 2 or 3 out of 10K aint bad I guess, if Nintendo had any where near that amount of kisoks out there we would probably see this type of thing with them too. I sure remember the PS2 kiosk locking up at the local store here. First impressions are hard to change, but try not to let one kiosk scare you away.
Dean
 

Leroy

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
304
Well, I had a somewhat opposite experience. I finally an X-Box and GC demo units in one place (Toys R Us). The GC was running Luigi's Mansion, Xbox NFL Fever.
Ther were many more people browsig the preorder selection and Xbox demo than the GC. I was there for about 30 minutes and only saw on person asking about the GC and no one playing the demo. BTW, NFL Fever looked pretty darn good. Better demo than Oddworld.
It was also my first chance to see the Cube in person, and is that thing SMALL!! IMO, Nintendo is going still going to have a hard time kicking the "kiddie" label, especially with a unit(purple on dispay) that looks like a Hello Kitty accesory.
I guess we'll see next week!
 

Camp

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
2,301
My office is 20 feet away from our GCN and Xbox displays so I have a rather unique perspective on which unit captures more attention.
The "subwoofer" in the Xbox demo unit certainly gets it some attention (it's actually just two 6" drivers right behind the Xbox console).
I'd say the two systems grab about the same amount of attention. Once we yanked the Xbox demo disc in favor of real games (currently NFL Fever) it began to compete with the GCN demo unit more favorably.
While the two units gather the same amount of attention I find many more people are asking about Gamecube. I don't know if its because it's received a bit less publicity or if the Nintendo name is enough to get people interested.
The $100 price difference seems to really be making an impact. People really get interested in GCN when they hear the price. That may become a huge factor in this period of cautious spending.
BTW, the PS2 demo unit gets almost as much attention as the other two. People haven't forgotten Sony.
 

Adam Nixon

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 21, 1999
Messages
334
Dean -- Nope, there was no "green screen of death," sorry to disappoint. The machine froze on the "loading" screen and didn't recover during the 30 minutes I was there. Believe me, I REALLY wanted to try it. Sure, the controllers were strange, but just holding them isn't the same as using them. I might have gotten a different impression if I had played a title with them.
WHY isn't MS using Halo or DOA3 as a demo??? The two most likely killer apps in the launch line-up would certainly get more attention than NFL fever or Oddworld. Doesn't make any sense to me. For example, I was THRILLED that I got to play Rogue Leader. That absolutely sealed the deal for me with the GCN. If I could have given Halo a try I could have had a similar reaction with the X-box.
 

Calvin Watts III

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 7, 2001
Messages
916
Adam,
I agree with you. It has not been easy promoting systems to my customers with just that Munch playable demo. The GC,on the other hand,has had a lot more interest because of what you can do with it.
Someday,maybe when I can make decisions,and not just suggestions,maybe things will be different.
------------------
"Never give up!!! .......... Never surrender!!!!!!!!!."
 

Calvin Watts III

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 7, 2001
Messages
916
LOL!!!!
Camp,maybe I should ask the same of you...
biggrin.gif

------------------
"Never give up!!! .......... Never surrender!!!!!!!!!."
 

Carlo_M

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 31, 1997
Messages
13,385
I just played an XBox kiosk at EB in the mall. It was playing a FPS shooter game (didn't see the title) and it was split screen action (top and bottom of the screen were different players).
I thought I detected slowdown while the others were playing it. But when I got to the controls, I knew there was slowdown (I'm a PC gamer and can recognize it when I see it). Wish I knew what the title of this game was.
Anyway, I'm not real thrilled with the controller, either. It didn't feel intuitive to me, and it was kind of big and cumbersome.
I will go around and look for a GCN kiosk. I guess these are going to help me decide which company gets my hard earned cash this Christmas season.
 

Dean DeMass

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
1,826
I finally found a Gamecube kiosk to play. I 1st checked out EB and Babbages - no go. I then checked out KB Toys since they are in the same mall - nope. Finally went to Target, of all places, and they had one up and running. Played Luigi and Rogue Leader. Both games amazed me. The controller is probably the best controller I have ever held. Nov. 18th cannot get here fast enough.
-Dean-
------------------
My HT Equipment
"I've seen you and you are not cool."
[Edited last by Dean DeMass on November 10, 2001 at 05:44 PM]
 

David_LM

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 20, 2000
Messages
61
What really surprised me was the indifference of the other shoppers. There were lines for the GCN, but no wait whatsoever for the X-box -- people didn't care.
This was not my experience. I visited the Wal-Mart Superstore near my house today to check out the demos myself. In the 60 minutes I hung out in the Electronics Department, I saw only four people demo the PS2, around 12 demo the XBox and maybe 6 demo the Cube. The ones playing around with the Cube were very young and looked like they were looking to step up from their Game Boys. The ones playing with the XBox were older kids and adults. Did not see any lock-ups on any of the systems.
 

Mike_G

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 1, 2000
Messages
1,477
Real Name
Mike
I finally found a GC kiosk at my local TRU. Both the GC and XBox kiosks were next to each other. What's sad is that the XBox had the old demo disc in it with the Munchworld playable instead of the newer one that had DOA3, Halo, and Munch playables that my local Software etc. has.
Anyway, there were much younger kids hanging around the GC, and older kids and people my age hanging around the XBox. Looks like the target audience is correct. I played with Rogue Leader which is the ONLY title for the GC that I want. I really liked it, but it's not enough to sway me away from the ass-kicking XBox. It's a shame because I was kinda looking forward to using my GC Adv. as a controller. When the price drops to $150, then I'll consider it again and see what games are released then. Also, Zelda's a big factor. If they're going the "Looney Tunes" route with it, it's going to be another reason to skip the GC.
Mike
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Carlo_M

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 31, 1997
Messages
13,385
Thanks Brian,
I went back to EB and yep, it was Halo. I watched it again for a few minutes while others played, then when it cleared out I played it again, trying to give XBox a chance at my hard earned wages.
Unfortunately I really don't like that controller. It just feels bulky and awkward in my hands, even compensating for the fact that it was attached to the kiosk.
I guess I'll have to look around for a GCN kiosk. Hopefully it will be running Rogue Leader which looks insane on the review sites, on mov and mpgs anyway.
 

Morgan Jolley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2000
Messages
9,712
Circuit City and Wal-Mart have GCN and XB setups.
I checked one out a few days ago. The GCN controller was overall better (what everyone says about both controllers, the XB being too big and the GCN being just right but weird, is right), the GCN video looked better (than the Munch demo that was up), and the GCN just felt better to play with. My experience just further solidified my want for a GCN.
Damn is it tiny!
 

Michael Hudson

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 13, 2000
Messages
73
The X box controller is much better when not attached ot the kiosk. I found it annoying when attached but almost perfect when alone. :)
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Michael
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TimG

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Messages
361
I am not looking at getting either the Box or the Cube at launch, but ran across the triple set-up Target uses over the weekend. (X-Box, PS2, Gamecube) First I find it interesting that they put the box and the cube on separate ends of the display, not side-by-side. Coincidence? Second, I would agree with David that in the half hour or so that I watched only saw a couple people older than 12 playing with the Cube. Most of the older players watched for a couple of minutes then went to the X-Box. Unfortunately they only had Oddworld and they had the sound turned down so low you couldn't hardly hear it, but people seemed to like it anyway. Finally I thought the X-Box controller was the perfect size for my hands, in comparison the Cube was too small for me to use comfortably.
Tim
 

Dan B

Screenwriter
Joined
Sep 17, 1999
Messages
1,389
I finally got around to checking the GCN and Xbox kiosks today at Best Buy. Here's what I came away with:
To my surprise, I slightly preferred the Xbox controller! The faults I noticed were that my finger brushed against the right side analog stick while using the buttons constantly, and I found it to be a bit heavy...but not terribly so. The 2 top buttons are hard to reach. I didn't find it to be too "large", however. Force feedback seemed good.
The Gamecube controller was a bit disappointing. I found it a bit too small for my liking, and the Z button & B button were awkward to use. I think that I could live happily with either controller, and my opinion might change after more extensive playtime. I didn't notice any force feedback...?
The only games I got to play were NFL Fever on Xbox & Luigi's Mansion on Gamecube. I thought NFL Fever was excellent from what I could tell in my short playtime. I couldn't really get into Luigi's too much...I don't think it's for me.
To summarize, I came away impressed with the Xbox & disappointed that I couldn't try more games for both systems.
-Dan B
will be making sweet love to an Xbox soon
[Edited last by Dan B on November 12, 2001 at 05:33 PM]
 

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