Nintendo Forms Sound Alliance
July 30, 1999 - Nintendo has announced that it will be working with Factor 5, Metrowerks, and Applied Microsystems to develop sound tools and hardware for Nintendo's next generation console. Factor 5 will be supplying its MusyX Audio Tools (formerly called MoSys FX, the system used for Rogue Squadron), allowing game developers to approach the audio quality of redbook audio while providing interactivity in the music. Applied Microsystems will be supplying hardware that connects development kits and PCs to the console. Metrowerks, which had been enlisted earlier to provide tools for Nintendo's current consoles, will produce a custom version of its CodeWarrior software. CodeWarrior allows developers to use common programming languages in their console software production. Nintendo is readying these tools to prepare for their planned holiday season 2000 release, which (according to IGN64) Nintendo is still intends to pursue.

In a separate story, IGN64 details the advantages of Factor 5's MusyX audio tools and speculates that Dolphin will feature a sound chip, despite their earlier assertions to the contrary.

One of the most pronounced shortfalls of the cartridge format was low-quality sound, a problem that any N64 owner could attest to (I've heard SNES music that was better than much of N64's offerings). The mere fact that Dolphin will be utilizing DVDs assures that Nintendo's new console won't fall behind in the sound department, but with Factor 5's expertise, we should also be hearing some improved interactive themes. While that news is certainly encouraging, it's more important to note how determined Nintendo is (or seems to be) regarding their planned launch date. I'm still very skeptical of their ability to meet their fall 2000 target, and I find it dangerous that Nintendo is continuing to adamantly restate that they will meet this goal. While it's not pleasant to acknowledge it, Sega's Bernie Stolar is for the most part correct when he says Nintendo has never met a release date (major releases, anyway). If Nintendo does launch in 2000, I'd wager on a meagre lineup with either no third-party titles or very mediocre (rushed) ones. In any case, I want to be wrong. Very wrong.
Read the full story at IGN64
Read about MusyX at IGN64

Howard Lincoln Offers More Nintendo Next Gen Info
July 07, 1999 - In the latest issue of Next Generation magazine (which I haven't receieved yet), Howard Lincoln reveals some more of Nintendo's strategy regarding their next console. "We are committed to bringing out the very best videogame-playing device at a very, very aggressive price point," Lincoln told the magazine. Next Generation cited speculation that the console would debut at $99, but did not specify the basis of such speculation. However, the low price point also means that Dolphin will not benefit from additional multimedia applications such as CD and DVD playback. "You will not be able to play audio CDs on Nintendo's machine, and you will not be able to play movies. Nintendo is a videogame company, and that's exactly what our device will do."

It's great to hear that the new machine will be cheap, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a $99 price point. Sure, taking a loss on hardware is nothing new, but such a significant cut would probably hurt Nintendo much more than it would help. $200 sounds more reasonable, and if Nintendo is as "aggressive" as Lincoln says, we may be lucky enough to see Dolphin come out for $150 (considering the technology and the effects of inflation, both prices are extremely reasonable). Many people in the media don't see the lack of DVD playback as being particularly important, but I'm very disappointed. Just as people expect any device that reads CDs to be able to play back audio CDs (such as Playstation, Saturn, or PC CD-ROM drives), I'm pretty sure consumers will expect Dolphin, a DVD-based machine, to be able to play DVD movies. Hopefully, it won't be an issue, but if it becomes one, Sony will very likely take the opportunity to offer video playback in their machine, chalking up another great feature for their system. However, with Nintendo's alliance with Matsushita, I fully expect to see Dolphin-based machines that can also play video DVDs, even if Nintendo will not be the company that produces such machines.
Read the full story at Nintendojo

MSNBC's Stephen Kent Tackles the Next Generation
July 07, 1999 - MSNBC has a story summarizing some aspects of each of the three major next generation video game consoles. Stephen Kent reports that Nintendo has abandoned the "Dolphin" name and is now referring to their upcoming console as "the next generation Nintendo console." Also, no development kits have been sent out to third parties as of June 10. Nintendo had invited R&D teams from Namco, Hudson Soft, Capcom, and Konami to their headquarters for meetings that proved to be nothing more than a restatement of the specifications that were released in May. Spokespeople from Nintendo reiterated that game development is underway at Rare and Nintendo's internal development teams, but given lengthy game development time and the fact that dev kits have not yet been released to third parties, Nintendo's planned 2000 release does not look likely. Square Soft and Namco have no plans to support the next Nintendo. Square cites a desire to concentrate on one platform, and Namco is still bitter over negotiations from the NES era.

Square and Namco are software powerhouses, and without their support, Nintendo's next system will probably do little to dent Sony's dominance in Japan. It should matter a bit less in the United States as Nintendo has done fairly well without their support (or very much support at all, for that matter). Much more disturbing, however, is Nintendo's apparently lackluster "meeting" with third-party staff. Given that the matter of attracting third parties is extremely important to Dolphin's success, it didn't help at all that Nintendo raised false hopes and offered nothing new to show their potential partners. If Nintendo doesn't produce some more substantial information regarding their next generation system, I fear that consumers and third parties alike will quickly become disillusioned with the hype.
Read the full story at MSNBC