Nintendo World Report
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| URL | http://www.nintendoworldreport.com |
| Type of site | Video game news |
| Owner | Jon Lindemann |
| Created by | Billy Berghammer |
| Launched | March 7, 1999 |
Nintendo World Report (formerly known as Planet GameCube) is a Nintendo-specific video game website that covers Nintendo's current consoles, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, and Wii.
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[edit] History
Nintendo World Report began its life as a small webpage run by Billy Berghammer in his spare time in March 1999. Berghammer's site eventually merged with friend Justin Nation's Nintendo site OPN2000 to become PlanetN2000. The site operated under this moniker until the unveiling of the Nintendo GameCube, upon which the name was changed to Planet GameCube. On November 14, 2006, the staff of Planet GameCube announced on their Radio Free Nintendo podcast the site would be renamed Nintendo World Report. The staff chose this name because of its professional sound, and the way it encompasses every Nintendo product, past, present, and future. The name and design change was made on November 16, 2006.[1]
Shortly after the site's fourth birthday in March 2003, Billy Berghammer retired as Director to become an editor at Game Informer magazine's new online edition. Taking over as Director for Berghammer was Jonathan Metts, who had run his own Nintendo website years prior with The Nformant. On November 16, 2006, the site announced Metts was stepping down as Director, transitioning to a more scaled-back role as Reviews Editor (he has since taken the role of Contributing Editor and considers himself "semi-retired"). Long-time staff member Steven Rodriguez assumed the role of website Director until 2009. The current website Director is former Reviews Editor Jon Lindemann, who took over on January 18, 2009.[2].
[edit] Content
Nintendo World Report content includes game reviews and hands-on impressions, game previews, editorials, and coverage of major industry events such as the Electronic Entertainment Expo. NWR also features a dedicated user forum community.
Games reviewed by Nintendo World Report are judged based on the following criteria: graphics, sound, control, gameplay, and lasting appeal (represented by the invented word "Lastability"). The game's final score is not an average of these scores, however.
[edit] Podcasts
Radio Free Nintendo is the official podcast of Nintendo World Report. It has been produced on a weekly schedule since May 2006. The show was conceived as a recorded discussion between Mike Sklens and Evan Burchfield, two of the staff's most outspoken members at the time. Over time, other staff members and special guests appeared on the show, resulting in a flexible roster that has sometimes fluctuated on a weekly basis. Karl Castaneda and Stan Ferguson began producing their own episodes of the show in the summer of 2006; this team was jokingly referred to as "Nintendo Pirate Radio", but it continued to be presented under the Radio Free Nintendo banner. Many episodes throughout 2007 featured various combinations of the original hosts and the Nintendo Pirate Radio crew; Jonathan Metts, a former Director of the website, also appeared frequently on the podcast. By the end of 2007, Sklens, Burchfield, Castaneda, and Ferguson had all left the staff or were taking on smaller roles, and Metts was asked to take over hosting and planning duties. The new "season" of Radio Free Nintendo was launched in January 2008; Metts assembled a new group of regular staff members to be on the show, including Jon Lindemann, James Jones, and Greg Leahy. Changes to the show format included more consistency in the lineup and increase episode duration (usually upwards of 90 minutes). Radio Free Nintendo celebrated its 100th episode in March 2008 with a special episode consisting of one segment with the current roster, another segment with Metts joining Sklens, Burchfield, and Castaneda, and a highlight reel of audio clips from previous episodes. Episode 100 is easily the longest in the show's history, clocking in at over three and a half hours. The show occasionally features guests from outside the Nintendo World Report staff; special guests have included Chris Kohler from Wired's Game|Life blog, freelancer Bonnie Ruberg, and freelancer Billy Berghammer (the founder of Nintendo World Report).
Radio Trivia: Podcast Edition is the newest podcast at Nintendo World Report. It is hosted and edited by Michael "TYP" Cole and typically features at least one co-host from the NWR staff. The bi-weekly show is adapted from Radio Trivia, a live audio/chat game originally introduced by Jonathan Metts and Evan Burchfield. The live version involved streaming game music to participants in a chat room, who then attempted to guess the game from which the music was selected. There were also bonus trivia questions related to each game. Scores were tallied, and prizes were sometimes awarded. Due to the labor-intensive nature of the live Radio Trivia and declining participation from NWR community members, the podcast edition was conceived as a way for more people to enjoy the game on their own schedules. Due to the previously recorded nature of a podcast, Radio Trivia: Podcast Edition is non-competitive, and no prizes are awarded. The idea of the show is similar to that of the live version—five games from Nintendo platforms are selected, and three songs from each game are played. The listener tries to identify the game based on its music, with the answer revealed after the third song is played. In lieu of bonus questions (since there is no scoring), the host asks a "hint question" before the third song that is intended to provide some clue as to the game's identity while also providing an additional challenge for those listeners who may have already realized the correct answer. After all three songs have been played and the answers revealed, the hosts usually discuss the game for a few minutes before proceeding to the next game.
[edit] Staff
Nintendo World Report has a volunteer staff of more than twenty writers, who have appeared in publications such as N64HQ, 64 Source, Next-Generation Magazine, Nintendo Gamer (Australia), America Online, Fusion's Intelligent Gamer, Prima's N64 Guide, AOL Critics Choice, GamePro and The Village Voice. They have been cited in major publications such as USA Today, MSNBC, CNN, CNN Asia, Famitsu, 64 Dream, and BBC News Online.
[edit] References
- ^ "Where is PGC" Nintendo World Report, Retrieved on June 4, 2008.
- ^ "A New Year, A New Direction" Nintendo World Report, Retrieved on March 13, 2009.
- About Nintendo World Report
- Nintendo World Report Policy
- Radio Free Nintendo Podcast
- Steven Rodriguez announced as new Site Director
- Former Director Billy Berghammer quoted in BBC News Online
