bingle

I'm a Nintendo fanboy, let's just get that out of the way at the beginning. I am so excited about the next-gen stuff that I just can't keep it to myself any more!

There have been a lot of rumors recently on Nintendo's next-gen system, code named Revolution, that's going to be shown at E3. There have been a couple of purported "insider leaks":

First, some guy who claims insider knowledge says that the controllers will be gyroscopic, the system will connect online, and come with an HDD. It will supposedly use HD-DVD media rather than Blu-Ray. He also says there's another huge secret about the system, the only hint he'd give was "touching is good, feeling is better".

Secondly, there's someone in Japan who claims to have seen internal Nintendo documents about the new system. The really exciting things he shares are some sort of wireless hub/possible P2P connectivity, and, uhh, "rubbing" sensitive controllers. Hmm. That of course ties in with the whole "feeling" thing above, at least a little.

So... Which of these rumors do you think are true? Which ones are Revolutionary and which ones sound like a gimmick? Even if Nintendo comes out with something that changes the face of gaming, will they have a chance to compete with Sony and MS, or are they dead in the water before they start?

The gyroscopic controllers bit is easy to believe - Nintendo recently purchased a company making exactly that sort of technology. I read an article in which they described the ability to move the controller as an additional input - it could be useful for FPSes because all you'd need to do is tilt the controller around to move an aiming reticle about the screen. And I can believe the wireless networking, too, since the DS will probably integrate with the new system. I'm not sure that P2P wireless will be as successful as it should be, though - while it would be great to be able to play "online" without even having an ISP, it seems like one of those things that would work well in Japan, with its high population density and not so well in the US, where you'll probably be out of range unless you bring your box to a party or something.

I don't know if any of it will be enough to save the system - Nintendo will no doubt push the boundaries of gaming forward, but in the current console market that's dominated by mainstream gamers, I have a feeling the marketing image of Xbox Next and PS3 will dominate, sadly.

Bingle