N-sider
Encyclopedia
N-Sider is a website
that provides news, reviews, history, and opinion articles relating to Nintendo
Co., Ltd. The site was founded in 2000. It is currently an independent media organization funded and managed by Cory Faller, with assistance from a variety of writers and contributors. Despite occasional confusion, N-Sider is unrelated to the now defunct official NSider forums operated by Nintendo of America.
worked for GameFusion's Dolphin Cove website, covering Nintendo's next generation console then codenamed "Dolphin". In the Spring of 1999, Fran began recruitment for "Project Sno w," a codename for a Nintendo-centric website which was to be launched as NFormer.com. This was the original incarnation of what is now N-Sider.com. Before NFormer launched in August of 2000, Fran's former co-workers at GameFusion decided to retain the rights to the NFormer.com domain. As a result, Fran made the decision to independently register the domain name N-Sider.com and establish a new website.
N-Sider.com officially launched on 2000-08-21, on the eve of Nintendo's GameCube unveiling at the SpaceWorld exhibition in Tokyo
, Japan
. Several staff members were hired and helped to round out the coverage.
Entertainment hub IGN
began its "Developer Profiles" section in January 2001, created by the staff of N-Sider.com. The developer profiles were analytical write-ups on Japan
ese, Europe
an and U.S.
development houses working on GameCube software -- these profiles included: Intelligent Systems, Rare, and EAD. The group was once again approached by IGN in early 2005, however this time with the offer to merge the entire N-Sider database with the site. The offer was turned down and instead N-Sider and IGN agreed to a deal where N-Sider would contribute a series of articles to be featured on the IGN GameCube section. Several N-Sider articles were distributed by IGN during this partnership, most notably an article about the art of Metroid Prime
, which included never-before-seen concept imagery.
Site founder Mirabella left N-Sider after its launch and was hired by IGN
Entertainment, where he became a co-editor of IGN's Nintendo 64 section. Staff writer Mary Jane Irwin also went on to write for IGN
's GameCube department.
In April 2001, N-Sider artist Kevin Freitas left the site and was hired at Sandbox Studios
in London, Ontario, later going on to work at Rockstar Games
Canada
, in Missisauga, Ontario, Canada. Staff artist David Hellman, who joined N-Sider in July of 2002, eventually left the website to pursue other ventures, co-creating the acclaimed webcomic A Lesson is Learned But the Damage is Irreversible and drawing the art for Jonathan Blow
's game Braid
. Former editor Jason Nuyens also works in game production with the independent production team Breakfall.
Other staff members currently pursuing other gaming industry ventures include Jeff Van Camp, who writes articles for technology website Digital Trends
, and Dean Bergmann, who assists with video production at Digital Extremes
, somewhere in the wasteland called Canada.
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
that provides news, reviews, history, and opinion articles relating to Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Co., Ltd. The site was founded in 2000. It is currently an independent media organization funded and managed by Cory Faller, with assistance from a variety of writers and contributors. Despite occasional confusion, N-Sider is unrelated to the now defunct official NSider forums operated by Nintendo of America.
History
In 1999, Fran Mirabella IIIFran Mirabella III
Francis Michael Mirabella III is an editor at IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation's Fox Interactive Media. He is currently the Director of Video Production, overseeing all video projects at IGN Entertainment....
worked for GameFusion's Dolphin Cove website, covering Nintendo's next generation console then codenamed "Dolphin". In the Spring of 1999, Fran began recruitment for "Project Sno w," a codename for a Nintendo-centric website which was to be launched as NFormer.com. This was the original incarnation of what is now N-Sider.com. Before NFormer launched in August of 2000, Fran's former co-workers at GameFusion decided to retain the rights to the NFormer.com domain. As a result, Fran made the decision to independently register the domain name N-Sider.com and establish a new website.
N-Sider.com officially launched on 2000-08-21, on the eve of Nintendo's GameCube unveiling at the SpaceWorld exhibition in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Several staff members were hired and helped to round out the coverage.
Entertainment hub IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
began its "Developer Profiles" section in January 2001, created by the staff of N-Sider.com. The developer profiles were analytical write-ups on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
development houses working on GameCube software -- these profiles included: Intelligent Systems, Rare, and EAD. The group was once again approached by IGN in early 2005, however this time with the offer to merge the entire N-Sider database with the site. The offer was turned down and instead N-Sider and IGN agreed to a deal where N-Sider would contribute a series of articles to be featured on the IGN GameCube section. Several N-Sider articles were distributed by IGN during this partnership, most notably an article about the art of Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
, which included never-before-seen concept imagery.
Further work
Several one-time N-Sider staff members have gone on to work in the gaming industry itself after their contributions to N-Sider.Site founder Mirabella left N-Sider after its launch and was hired by IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Entertainment, where he became a co-editor of IGN's Nintendo 64 section. Staff writer Mary Jane Irwin also went on to write for IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's GameCube department.
In April 2001, N-Sider artist Kevin Freitas left the site and was hired at Sandbox Studios
Sandbox Studios
Sandbox Studios was a computer and video game developer. Founded in 1998 by former employees of Utopia Technologies, the company had studios in London, Ontario, Canada and Dallas, Texas, USA. In April 2001, it was acquired by Digital Illusions CE....
in London, Ontario, later going on to work at Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in Missisauga, Ontario, Canada. Staff artist David Hellman, who joined N-Sider in July of 2002, eventually left the website to pursue other ventures, co-creating the acclaimed webcomic A Lesson is Learned But the Damage is Irreversible and drawing the art for Jonathan Blow
Jonathan Blow
Jonathan Blow is an independent video game developer. His game Braid won the "Game Design" award at the Independent Games Festival in 2006. He is currently developing The Witness, to be released in 2012....
's game Braid
Braid (video game)
Braid is a platform and puzzle video game developed by independent software developer Jonathan Blow. The game was released on August 6, 2008 for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. A Microsoft Windows version was released on April 10, 2009. Hothead Games ported and released the game to Mac OS...
. Former editor Jason Nuyens also works in game production with the independent production team Breakfall.
Other staff members currently pursuing other gaming industry ventures include Jeff Van Camp, who writes articles for technology website Digital Trends
Digital Trends
DigitalTrends.com is a high-tech lifestyle, technology news and information website created by Ian Bell and Dan Gaul in June 2001. It publishes news, reviews, guides, how-to articles, descriptive videos and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics products...
, and Dean Bergmann, who assists with video production at Digital Extremes
Digital Extremes
Digital Extremes is a Canadian computer and video game developer founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, specifically noted for its part in the highly successful Unreal series of games...
, somewhere in the wasteland called Canada.