Nintendo Revolution
 

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

I'm also somewhat of a nintendo fanboy, but havn't heard of the things you mentioned, but they sounds friggin sweet, I really hope nintendo doesn't screw up with this system and it appeals to ALL gamers. I did hear that someone got there hands on a patent nintendo got recently, something to do with a vantage point or something. It was on IGN I believe.

"Project Revolution will change the way we play games forever"

nintendos only problem is all the "kiddy" games, i think people who grew up with nintendo also grew out of mario. Theyve shown with the gamecube that atleast in my opinion, when they make the games for older people they look spectacular.
Their controllers are far more comfortable than xbox and ps controllers except for the weird placement of the "z" button that has an odd finger movement.
i guess im a nintendo fanboy too, the only non nintendo console i ever had was the sega saturn (RIP, i loved that system)

Hmm...I don't really see the 'kiddy' games as being a problem. I love the vast majority of games Nintendo puts out. I can't tell you how many hours I spent playing Super Mario Sunshine and Luigi's Mansion. Not to mention the countless beatdown marathons with Super Smash Bros. Melee and Mario Kart: Double Dash.

I'm looking forward to the new Nintendo console just as much as I'm looking forward to the new Playstation and X-Box. And the new controller stuff sounds very interesting.

I hope that Nintendo's latest console appeals more the general public than the gamecube did. I'd hate to see Nintendo go the way of Sega...

dont get me wrong i myself enjoy mario, hell i bought the gamecube just for doubledash and the new zelda game.
its just when you hear people complain about the cube; thats the main arguement ive seen
i wouldnt trade my cube for xbox or ps2 even if they offered 4x the amount of games i have (i have 4)

I've heard all the same rumors, and I can't wait to see what this thing can really do. I played the heck out of my gamecube, and it wasn't until I *fixed* my XBox that I really started playing it instead. Look forward to seeing this and all the other next gen consoles in the next few months.

I'm exclusive to Nintendo for my console gaming as well, not because they are "kiddy", which is completely false, but because what most call kiddy, I call innovative, original and completely fun despite it's content. I can guarantee you that a game like Mario Sunshine would prove to be extremely challenging for the average gamer, and extremely difficult for a kid gamer. A game doesn't need to be riddled with gore, sexuality and violence in order to be fun. There are plenty of games, violent and otherwise that are plenty fun.

That said, I'm looking forward to Nintendo revolution, and while I hope they continue to be innovative, I hope it doesn't reach the point of gimmicky, because if they lose any fanbase to PS2 or Xbox, they are done in terms of console gaming, and that would be a true shame considering the quality and standards of their products. I would love to see something out of ordinary, but only if it serves a fun purpose. Either way, it sounds great and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Sounds gimmicky...

Anyone else think Virtual Boy and Power glove?

virtual boy made my eyes hurt when ever i played it.

How the fuck do you grow out of Mario?!


I say that in a friendly manner, not a flaming manner

Actually, I think DS and GameBoy Advance SP =)

Nintendo are in this round to win, and I think they have a decent shot at it.

Don't insult my sexy SP :P

But insult the DS all you want... there's gimmicky ^_^

All innovation is gimmicky until people start copying it ;) It'll happen real fast, I'll bet.

Well said, Deflock. Just because a game doesn't contain adult themes doesn't mean it's not adult hard. I look forward to all three new consoles. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy them all.

i dont think nintendo had a problem w/ their consoles...it is their lack of mature software that drove me to sell my GC on ebay. not every game has to be on the level of Doom or GTA, but i dont want every game to be a Mario spinoff.

As for the gyroscopic controllers and the touch-sensitive peripherals (sp?), i am guessing there will be a track ball-like device that we will be able to use...

I think Nintendo has had a problem with their consoles. They only market they've been able to maintain is the Portable one, since there has been no competition until now. I think the DS will flop because while it is innovative, it just seems to me like Nintendo going "Look! Two screens!".

Nintendo has always pushed their own proprietary crap when it came to their consoles (N64 and the cartridge, GC and the mini DVD) which hurts them in the long run. It wards developers off their stuff and increases the prices. While their software library has improved quite a bit, I still dont think its enough. Call me a pessimist, but I personally see Nintendo going the way Sega did and end up making games for other consoles.

I probably just feel this way because it isn't "the norm" yet (remember the N64 vs all previous consoles?) but how many new ways do we need to control the videogame?

I just think that gyroscopic controls and whatever they mean by "touch" may be a little in excess... I am not a big fan of the gamecube controllers, and it seems to me that the controls are just getting more and more elaborate - which would be fine if games followed suit, but they are still very similar to the N64's games, where the controller suited it fine.

What was so elaborate about the 'Cube controller? I think it's a great piece of design work, mesself =) And if my siblings could use it at age 4, I'm sure it can't be too hard *grin*. I'm sure whatever they do with the Revolution controller, it'll feel so damned natural you'll wonder how you did without it. After all, they brought us analogue sticks, shoulder buttons, the original D-Pad, vibrating controllers.

Going from what's been said about MP:Hunters on the DS, with the touchpad being so close to a mouse-aim system it's scary, I think touch/feel/whatever controllers might be the way to go. 'Course, there's always a risk.

As for Nintendo going the way Sega did, that won't happen. Not for many many years yet, probably right after Microsoft start playing fair. The Dreamcast was an out-and-out flop. The GameCube ranks basically equal worldwide with the X-Box, whichever one is ahead is pretty much determined by who's shipped the latest A-release.

Well, that's the interesting bit - they're not adding gyroscopic and touch controls to existing controllers, they're going to be fundamentally changing the controllers by removing the d-pad and A and B buttons (at least according to rumor). So all in all it's supposed to be a way of simplifying control, not making it more elaborate.

Of course, it could go the way of the original D-pad, or it could go the way of the Power Glove. :-) We shall see!

I know one thing, though, I'm willing to kill someone to get sent to E3 this year.

Bingle

Hmm... I didn't know that :D

Well, if they are replacing controls instead of just adding additional ones, I think I'll like it a lot more...

Either way, I bet it'll be very interesting to see the final result...

Nintendo is poorly positioned in the console video games market right now. That can all change with an impressive next generation console, but from what I can tell, Sony and Microsoft control their own destinies as far as the next gen is concerned. Nintendo, even with Sega backing, is not in a position to compete in the games area with Sony, EA, and the Xbox. Sure, there might be a handfull of killer games that Gamecube owners had to have, but I strongly suspect that the per console game sales numbers for GC are a bit below that of the other two.

As everyone knows, console manufacturers sell their systems BELOW COST, and make money on the games.

All of this is a way of saying that Nintendo will have to deliver diverse, quality games to a somewhat broader audiance than they did with GC. Secondly, I'm deeply skeptical about the new controller promises. Sony did just fine by sticking with the familiar. If Nintendo brings a complex controller to market, and let's assume the thing is actually reliable, they'll have to undercut the price of it as well. Nobody's going to drop over $50 on a controller, much less the 1-3 more they have to have to play with friends.

So, that's just more lost money they'll have to make up from game sales. Or simply use their robust handheld sales to prop up their console division, though I wonder how long they're prepared to keep up such an arrangement, particularly with Sony determined to muscle its way into that arena as well.

(I suppose I let my economics brain seep in there a bit much, apologies if anyone was bored by the bottom line.)

Why does everyone think Nintendo are so far behind? They're not! They make more than enough money to sit quite happily with the GBA alone. The GameCube is profitable, quite comfortably, which is far more than can be said for the money-hole X-Box. They managed to turn a profit with the 'Cube at $200 AU, while Microsoft went nowhere with the X-Box at $300.

And again, how can they get more diverse than with the GameCube first/second party lineup? Zelda and Mario are right there with Eternal Darkness, Geist and Metroid Prime. Not to mention third-party titles like Resident Evil, Tony Hawks, Timesplitters and Soul Calibre. If there's a single major demographic out there that they're missing, I don't see it.

Have a look here. At the end of 2003. Also, the GameCube had a sales growth of 70% in Jan 2004 (here), and sales are getting higher with RE4 out and Zelda impending.

Nintendo has a strong enough market in Asia, America and PAL regions to stay up. They're not knocking anyone dead, but they sure as hell aren't going anywhere.

yeah, nintendo is doing just fine. worldwide they're neck-and-neck with microsoft as far as volume. add to that the fact that they aren't losing money on hardware sales and have greater margins on their software licensing. and that is just the consoles. gba moves ludicrous amounts of units and software... the DS had a very successful launch. while they might not be king-of-the-hill like they used to be, i like their market position.

i'm with rdr4evr and the rest of ya. other than the visceral content, most of the "adult" games seem like kiddy games in actual play mechanics. i'll take the depth and attention-to-detail of nintendo's first party games any day.

as to the revolution: i hope that the "revolutionary" part of the controller will be an addition to the conventional controls... not a replacement. let's face it, most games are multiplatform these days... no sense in handicapping yourself by making a port impractical for 3rd party publishers.

hey, watch what you say about the dreamcast, that's all some of us have :)

seriously, $25 for a dreamcast system and either find roms or pay $2.99 for most games at used shops and maybe $15 for soul calibur and you have a kickass fun system :) i don't think i've ever played as many games for one system that are quite this addictive...

as for nintendo...i have always liked their systems and have been a pretty much diehard nintendo console buyer until the N64. i buoght it, bought a few games and was kinda sad at how much more fun some of the playstation games were in comparison. GT1 and 2 being the two most memorable...then again, on the whole, i have more fun N64 (conkers, banjo, FzeroX, etc) than i have for playstation. it's like some systems put out a TON of games that may have a few must haves while others put out less games that are just 'better' or at least, 'better for me' like, look for the ratings on dreamcast adn you get a lot of 8/9/even a 10 with only a very few 2-5 ratings, while the xbox and ps2 are a bit more spread out across the spectrum. gamecube is in between, but i have spent more time playing "kiddie" games like mario sunshine than things like max payne or rogue spear/squadron.

now, back on topic.

nintendo won't really go the way of sega based on the next console. Simply put, nintendo has done well enough since what, 1988, when the gameboy came out. After that, they have had a HUGE market in the portable gaming industry that does not appear to be dying off anytime soon. Hell, it took 10 yrs just to get color, and it was still selling well...

as for the new console...I really hope nintendo drops the proprietary disk/chip/software/whatever else they are thinking of making proprietary. it just seems to drive up costs for the consumers...As long as it is not based on cartridges, i'll be happy :)

it's been a while since i've had the time to play any games lately. as i'm typing this in the school library, there are 3 games in the library that i haven't been able to even take off the wrapper. (suikoden 4, mario party 5, some other game...)

the times i do get to play, it is with friends and such. i will have to say that although the library isn't as extensive as for as numbers go. there are always going to be those games that are only available through the nintendo systems that are a blast to play with friends.

hmm... there should be a checkbox for gaming near the "do you smoke", "do you drink", and such for personals. if there was... i'd be a social gamer. :-P

it will have a HDD...interesting

Except for Nintendo! They actually make a profit on each console sold, which is part of the reason they're doing quite well financially still. The other reason, of course, is the GBA/Pokemon combination.

Your point is valid, though - game sales drive profit a lot more than console sales, and Nintendo needs to get some developers aboard if they're going to compete in next-gen. I doubt this is what they'll do, but here's my hope for part of their strategy:

The gyroscope company Nintendo bought has already hinted it could be used sort of as an improved lightgun or mouse - move the controller to move a little pointer or reticule around the screen. Make that REALLY EASY for developers to do, and get games like Splinter Cell, Counterstrike, and other "realistic" FPSes to sign on. Maybe a new version of GoldenEye? Sponsor FPS tournaments and things. Make sure you've got stellar online support, a la Xbox Live, and watch everyone flock to your platform to play "adult" games (as if FPSes aren't full of more 11-year-olds than Mario games). Then you make a great attraction for developers, a huge amount of titles, and you can make the only console FPSes that don't suck. Also, you shake the curse of being the "kiddie" platform, but you can continue to make Mario games and so forth. You can also do versions of the same game on the DS, using the touchscreen capability.

Unfortunately, they'll probably just license Mario some more (NASCARKart 2006, anyone? Battlefield: Mushroom Kingdom?) and pollute their fantastic IP
while still not catering to the mainstream audience that's avoiding their platform like the plague. That way they can piss off their existing fans who hate to see Peach spreading her legs on the street corner while still presenting the "juvenile" face to the rest of the world. Argh.

Bingle

not worry, Nintendo of japan is VERY protective of their IP. They are playing a little with it now because the cube is at it's end of life. That's all. I think MS is learning from the Xbox and it's competitors, but Im confidant that Nintendo will pull out some great games and ideas for the next gen systems. They wiill all do well, NOA just needs to improve it's public image some more.

I don't think Nintendo has a big problem of being a kiddy-system.

I think Nintendo can push the Metroid & Zelda series to be marketed towards mature gamers.

There we go again, the concept of the 'mature' gamer. Please note, the biggest audience for 'mature' games are, I'd say, an average of fifteen. Hardly mature.

Are you saying Metroid isn't mature? 'Cause you know, even if it's your opinion, it's totally wrong.

Actually, the largest target market in the gaming industry right now is the 18-35 market - they buy more games than anyone.

Of course, the games that are marketed for 18-35 also usually end up being played by 15-year-olds, but that's not the intention :-)

Bingle

I grew up w/ Nintendo, and being an avid gamer... I have to say Sony has my main business, with Nintendo at a distant 2nd.

I could easily name 20 great games for PS2, and maybe just a few for GameCube. I agree with others that their games are too "kiddy" oriented.. however, Resident Evil 4 looks great, the Metroid Primes are awesome.. aaand.. oh yeah, the Resident Evil remake was sweet. They do have good games, but too few, and that bothers me.

The last Zelda... kinda disappointed me. It was a big reason why I got a gamecube in the first place (I knew eventually they'd make a Zelda sequel). The graphics were great and the game had potential, it was just simply way too short and easy. It kinda aggrivates me I waited and anticipated that game only to have some short mediocre sequel (eh, it was bound to happen, I guess). There was seriously not one challenge to it that I can think of. Ocarina of Time was a masterpiece, just as Link to the Past was before it. I don't know why they broke the chain.

Mario Sunshine was a big let down as well. Very easy, very short.. more or less a Mario 64 clone w/ updated graphics.

Now, w/ Zelda and Mario being WAY too short and easy like that, how were they NOT geared towards children? Hell... even to this day I can go back and play Super Mario World and Link to the Past and still get a decent challenge from them compared to these more recent sequels. What happened?

Unfortunately, the whole "it will be revolutionary" is hype, I think. They made similar claims last year about what turned out to be the DS. While it is the only "different" system in that it has a stylus-pad, it's an N64 - definitely not something I'd call "revolutionary". The N64 had.. what, 4 good games?

Let's hope what they say is true and use this chance to recover.. I was hoping "touching is good, feeling is better" referred to some device that would allow you to "feel" what goes on in the game, but I think we're far from that sort of technological breakthrough.

I don't even bother w/ the XBox. It's really just a PC, and I already have one of those (every decent game for XBox is either on PS2 or PC).

Oh and let the flamewars begin! (This coming from a Sony Fanboy)

What I think Nintendo did, this time, was mess with their IP a little too much for their re-entry into the big-time. The Cellda and Mario Sunshine incidents, in particular ;) I loved both games, but they failed to appeal to the masses, who couldn't see the golden gameplay underneath the toon shading or big ol' water pistol sitting on Mario's back.

The GameCube is definately going to go out with a Bang, though. It's last hurrah? Link back to being awesome and the 'true' sequel to Mario 64. What should have been released first, instead of last ;) At least the Revolution will be backwards-compatible.

Oh, that's the biggest user group, but most of those who rant and rave about 'mature and kiddy' games aren't quite old enough to play them. That was my point ;)

lol

My post came out a bit wrong.

I was thinking of Metroid & Zelda in the SNES sense.

N64 Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were both amazing. I don't know what their target audience was though.

Too bad there was no Metroid for N64.

As for Metroid Prime, I think it is a mature game, due to the suspense. Then again, I've only played it @ video game stores. I'm looking to buy my copy after this semester's done.

At first glance, Windwaker seems childish, because of the graphics. However, I haven't played it, so I can't really say that in general.

http://mxemu.com/img-news/n1.jpg
there are more photos on -> http://mxemu.com/news.php?newsid=1109199353

That looks badass, but I doubt it will be anything close to that. Didn't Nintendo say they are going to avoid the "plugging a control into a box" deal? If so, that concept is out of the question.

i am not sided with any video game company but i can say nintendo some very good games if you are a bit open minded to the "younger" audience.... my brother has a gamecube and i cant say i dont like any of his games(besides wolverines revenge) and he has games like pikmin and mario sunshine

and that pic that crossova posted looks cool, but i highly doubt itll look like that........