Further GameCube Tunneling Software Announced

Thanks to Planet GameCube for their news story revealing that a GameCube version of the Xbox-specific Xlink Messenger tunneling software is in progress. According to the site, "The XLink team says initial testing with the GameCube and their... [Windows] software ran 'nice and smooth'." This free utility, due out before the end of the year, is an alternative to the Warp Pipe GC tunneling software previously mentioned on Slashdot Games - the products allow you to play LAN-only GameCube games over the Internet using "a PC... a broadband connection, and a router or a second ethernet card to connect the GC to your PC", in the absence of significant Nintendo support for much-desired online play.

Online? What for?

[Anonymous Coward]

...in the absence of significant Nintendo support for much-desired online play...
With ~1% of the Xbox owners beeing subscribed to Live I don't see "much desire". Nintendo will start offering online play when they can expect to get money out of it.
Don't forget: Microsoft is burning millions of dollars on Xbox, which is only possible because they have other businesses to back it up.
I think, Nintendo's route going through LAN is the best for the moment: You know the people you're playing with, and parent's don't have to worry about peadophiles picking up their children in Zelda Online. There is no online bill, and no credit card required.
And, come on: It is much more fun to defeat people, when you hear them screaming from the next room. Smiley.
And for geeks like us there is warp pipe, or a similar solution.

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[account_deleted]

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Re:Online? What for?

[sYn pHrEAk]

Just because a lot of people don't play online, doesn't mean a lot of people don't WANT to play online. Cost is probably preventing many people from playing online.

Most of my gamer friends live 100 miles north of me. I don't want to have to drive up there whenever I want to play multiplayer with them. Online play is a great alternative for those of us who live far from our gaming pals.

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[account_deleted]

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Re:Online? What for?

[AvantLegion]

>> But you're right about the WANTING part. I'd like to play online with my xbox, but I can't afford it. Or more exactly, I don't think it's worth 10$ a month.

You should do some fact checking and learn what the actual prices for Xbox Live are.

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[account_deleted]

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[account_deleted]

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Re:Online? What for?

[dstyle5]

I live in Canada also, but I don't think $10 is to much to pay, as long as you can play all games online with that $10.

How much do you pay for cable, high-speed internet, phone, or cell phone per month? All are probably a lot more than $10/month. Rent two movies a month = XBOX live. But then again, does Sony charge anything to play any of their games online? Or EA? I don't own a PS2 so I don't know.

Re:Online? What for?

[Anonymous Coward]

There is a difference here: The Atari 2600 was at the end of it's life, and was destroying itself with terrible games. The NES was more advanced technology, had much better games, and was very sucessful in Japan already.

As others in this thread have said, they would play Online, but they don't want to pay $10 for it. This is exactly the point. Especially if you consider the main target for Nintendo is kids with no own income. If I'd gone to my father, and told him he needs to pay $10 a month for me to play

Re:Online? What for?

[The_Rift]

I'm starting to think Nintendo might have bet on this happening.

Giving open source delevopers and game-spy enough to work with to develop numerous solutions for online play. Natural selection means the best performing solution should prevail.

All this means there's online play for those (appaently few) people interested in it without Ninty having to invest a single yen.

Re:Online? What for?

[AvitarX]

We will soon see if this is really the case. It should be obvious if the games were developed with high lag in mind as soon as a lot of people start playing them.

Warp Pipe's position

[calebtucker]

http://www.warppipe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=398 [warppipe.com]

Looks like the warp pipe guys think the xlink guys stole their alpha source code. I personally think Chad with warp pipe is being a bit paranoid.