Awesome News Piece about 20th Anniversary of Famicom!

[vealchop]

Man I wish I knew Japanese! This looks like it was taken during that famicom exhibition that had at the photo museum in Japan, the one where they sold that book you see on ebay all the time. Miyamoto playing SMB!! Awesome!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sko2qnWzzbI

[vealchop]

it looks like theres footage from both the "Star Soldier" caravan AND when the famicom first came out in stores! Nice!

[JC]

Hehe -- that's awesome! Dang how those stores have shelves loaded with games and glass display cases filled with CIB games. Wow.

Anyone know what 19,320,000 refers to? Price of the Famicom? Units sold? Games sold? Number of Japanese citizens?

[Doc]

That's pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen.

[manuel]

Anyone know what 19,320,000 refers to? Price of the Famicom? Units sold? Games sold? Number of Japanese citizens?

That's units sold in Japan.
The price of the Famicom was 14800 Yen and the number of Japanese citizens was roughly 120.000.000 at that time. So, about 1/6 of the Japanese population had a Famicom.

[vealchop]

manuel do you understand japanese? any chance you might want to translate that video? haha

[manuel]

Yes, I understand Japanese.
Maybe if I find the spare time I might translate the video.

[Juggalo/Hulkamaniac]

Wicked.

[manuel]

Well, it's only a quick translation, as I don't have that much time and patience  , but it should get you an idea of what's going on in the video. Enjoy!

Announcer (00:00)
It was 20 years before now when videogames first began to take over the main role in the Christmas sales war. Nintendo's Family Computer, or short "Famicom", which built the foundation for the worldwide games industry had it's 20th birthday this year and sadly ended the role it has played.

Narrator: (00:18)
Is it great entertainment, a fight for life, a social phenomenon in the end of the century, or just mere killing of time?

Woman on the street: (00:32)
Is that so interesting?

Shigesato Itoi: (00:35)
It has a terrific name... I mean it's lame, but it has a great name...

Narrator: (00:40)
19.320.000 units sold in Japan. It was the game machine of the common folk, which 1 person out of 6 owned, but...
chachachalalalala...

(00:56)
A game machine everybody was excited about, the Famicom. A memorial exhibition for its 20th anniversary is now held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. All 1252 Famicom games neatly lined up.

The exhibition positions videogames as a form of culture and honours the achievements of the Famicom until today.

Man playing: (01:25)
Yes, it's more interesting than today's games. I always played them back then, so, well, it may have to do something with fond memories, too...

Narrator: (01:35)
The Family Computer appears!
In 1983 the Family Computer came out. In a time when the personal computer was still called "my com" (short for "my computer"), game making started with the limitation of 8bit technology. Adding a moustache made the character more human. Putting on an overall made it livelier.

Shigeru Miyamoto: (02:16)
You jump against a block and it crumbles. And when you hit the next block, something comes out. You get curious about what will happen hitting the next block, right? Having a response (in the game) to actions you take very much builds up and in the next moment again crushes the relationship of mutual trust between the game creator and the player... that's how I think we make a game.

Narrator: (02:38)
Super Mario roared the Famicom's name out in the whole world and spread the fascination of games.

Shigesato Itoi: (02:48)
There was nothing that could, well, so much integrate you as a user. The feeling of integration when playing... As a user I felt the happiness that the game creator and the user were unified (throught the game).

Narrator: (03:09)
Mr. Itoi the copyrighter went on to make games himself.
A lot of masterpieces gathered on the Famicom.
The game producers developed the industry by competing with technology and ideas. Every time a new game was released it sold like hotcakes. In the heyday of the Famicom it was said only one hit game could make you a fortune. It was the time of the (video game) bubble. (for those who might not know the concept of "bubble": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_%28economics%29)

Shigesato Itoi: (03:39)
The fascination of games, you ask? ... It's the games!

Narrator: (03:47)
By being good in games you were sure to be respected in your class. Among the kids a hero was born.
A man who ruled the times with his legendary 16 shot rapid-fire record (i.e. constant 16 shots per second!!), yes, that's Master Takahashi. The Master, who travelled the whole country as a publicity man of a game company, was the target of aspiration for the children who called him the "Famicom Warrior".

Interviewer & Toshiyuki Takahashi, aka "Master Takahashi": (04:18)
Excuse me... Ah!! - Good day. - Master! - Good day - You're the "Master", right? - Yes.

Narrator: (04:24)
Master Takahashi. Up till today he endeavors after the spreading of videogames. ... He hasn't changed.

Takahashi: (04:30)
When you look at old photos, there are lots of photos showing kids' faces. They face the console, clenching their teeth, their eyes sparkle. We didn't make the flame bigger, but the children did, and maybe we were just dragged into it I think... and inspired by them... so much power did that have.

Narrator: (04:55)
Now Mr. Takahashi can only do 13 shot rapid-fire per second. You can feel that time has passed, but still that skill of his fingers is fantastic.

Takahashi: (05:04)
...I failed. Ah, I'm tired. (laughs)...

Narrator: (05:12)
Entering the 90s the Japanese gaming industry with its rapidly progressing technology grew to a trillion/billion (American/British) (=1.000.000.000.000) yen scale.
In the shadow of this, the name of the Famicom, that was the general term for video games, was forgotten. But gorgeous imagery and sound would not automatically result in interesting games.
What is the essence of games? Now the Famicom celebrating its 20th birthday is again in the middle of attention.

People in a used game store: (05:51)
There were games you could not play by all means. Those you can get here.
If you say it in a bad way, it's rummaging for memories.
How dare you say that! (laughs)

Narrator: (06:01)
It's not only the "Famicom generation" who yearn for the good old times, but also younger users who value it.

Young man: (06:08)
Interesting games are interesting even when the graphics are not that good. I feel more involved when
it's not that real (i.e. the graphics).

Narrator: (06:19)
The Famicom pursued the simple fun and joy of gaming. This year, sadly, the production was discontinued.
But there were 60.000 Famicoms sold in the last year! There are still people out there who need this mechanical toybox. The game is still not seeming to be over for a long time.

People in the studio: (06:48)
(a lot of mumbling) ... I haven't played this for over 10 years, I've gotten dull. - You played that the whole show already. All the time. - Well, Mr. Morino, you're a bit older than the so-called "Famicom generation", right? - But I played together with my children (...) - This year production was discontinued. But the consoles of the last production lines are still out in the stores. - If you buy all those up, the price will rise I tell you. - You bought them up? (laughs) ...

(07:23)
Ms. Uema, are you of the Famicom generation? - I wanted that one so badly. But nobody bought it for me...

[vealchop]

Wow man...thank you so much for doing that! I enjoyed this clip even more now! And I love what Takashi Mejin says:

"When you look at old photos, there are lots of photos showing kids' faces. They face the console, clenching their teeth, their eyes sparkle. We didn't make the flame bigger, but the children did, and maybe we were just dragged into it I think... and inspired by them... so much power did that have."

....how true that is.

[Doc]

AMAZING! Maybe we can put this on the site.

[Juggalo/Hulkamaniac]

Sounds good to me!

[Profeta Yoshitake]

Awesome!!!
Imagine you in the place of Master Takahashi, with a series of games like
the Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima (Adventure Island)!!
How about Yoshitake Meijin no Bouken Jima
Sounds great!!
Fascinating!

[Cospefogo]

Wow man...thank you so much for doing that! I enjoyed this clip even more now! And I love what Takashi Mejin says:

"When you look at old photos, there are lots of photos showing kids' faces. They face the console, clenching their teeth, their eyes sparkle. We didn't make the flame bigger, but the children did, and maybe we were just dragged into it I think... and inspired by them... so much power did that have."

....how true that is.

Indeed.
A quote that deserves to be preserved for eternity.

Cospefogo.

[Profeta Yoshitake]

Wow man...thank you so much for doing that! I enjoyed this clip even more now! And I love what Takashi Mejin says:

"When you look at old photos, there are lots of photos showing kids' faces. They face the console, clenching their teeth, their eyes sparkle. We didn't make the flame bigger, but the children did, and maybe we were just dragged into it I think... and inspired by them... so much power did that have."

....how true that is.

Indeed.
A quote that deserves to be preserved for eternity.

Cospefogo.

Welcome aboard, Sheppherd!!!