Nintendo Revolution

[Xiangsu]

Taken straight from IGN:

"May 12, 2005 - The Electronics Entertainment Expo 2005 is still days away, but that hasn't stopped Microsoft from debuting its Xbox 360 console on MTV. And now Nintendo has followed suit, revealing some new, meaty details about its next-generation console, codenamed Revolution.

In a recent New York Times article, Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan describes the console as "very, very sleek." The system, which is reportedly tiny, will stand horizontally. Its height will reportedly be no more than three DVD cases stacked flatly on each other, or slightly more than an inch. That makes the console theoretically smaller than Apple's recently released Mac Mini computer.

Although Nintendo has historically selected proprietary media formats, such as the GameCube Optical Disc, for its platforms, the publisher is with Revolution opting for a more standardized medium. The new console will play standard DVD media, according to the company. Nintendo has not yet revealed if Revolution will as a result be able to play Hollywood movies on DVD, but that seems very likely at this point.

At the Game Developers' Conference in March, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that Revolution would offer Wi-Fi online connections out of the box and would be backward compatible with GameCube, or able to play GCN software.

According to recent information, Revolution will also be able to play high-definition games and regularly go online.

Finally -- something of a no-brainer given the popularity of the Wave Bird pads -- Revolution's still-secret controller will be completely wireless. Controllers for Microsoft's Xbox 360 are also wireless. Upon hearing this news, puppies everywhere let out a collective cry. "


and the first screenshot:











Things are looking up for Nintendo. I have to say this may just be the most stylish of the new systems. Its small, its sleek, and its sexy. I would make love to it.

[Church]

Wow, that's a great looking system. I hope it will be offered in white though. Then I can have all 3 systems in white. And that would be sweet.

It does sort of look like a PS2 though. :S

[Xiangsu]

I am still amazed at how small the damn thing is. I wish they would release the specs for the system so we can get an idea of how much power its going to be packing.

[stevie667]

Hot diggity, i can't wait for the Revolution to come out now, it looks amazing!

I hope they bring out some funky colours, i always wanted an orane GC, but they never released them over here damnit!

[exizldelfuego]

Is it just me or has anyone else started thinking that game consoles are now to the point where the processing power just isn't an issue any more? I mean sure, it was a big deal going from NES to SuperNES (due to obscenely increased palette) to N64 (with true 3D graphics) to GameCube (really nicely done 3D graphics). But it just seems that the GameCube, in terms of graphics power, is still plenty. Same can be said about PS2 and XBox (though perhaps less for the PS2, the oldest of the bunch). It seems like we already have the processing power, we just need to figure out how best to utilize it. I fail to see how having three times the processing power in the XBox360 will make its games any better. And perhaps this is why I've always been a huge fan of Nintendo: they're always prepared to flog the dickens out of a piece of hardware to make it dance and sing like nobody else's business.

Microsoft seems to take a PC-Commodity approach to its consoles which I think will ultimately hurt the market. It seems to foster a "Higher Polygon Count = Higher Fun Factor" mentality which I can't help but see as being destructive. As I look back on gaming throughout my childhood, the gaming industry has always held a graceful balance between technical ability and creative ability. And now, for better or worst, the technical ability of this new generation is so far out there that I wonder just how game makers are going to utilize it. Honestly, I don't think we've really yet managed to harness the technical ability of this outgoing generation.

Or maybe I'm just being over-nostalgic (a claim I certainly wouldn't deny). If you look at my current collection of games, almost all the recent ones are new titles based on old franchises. I mainly use my GBA for playing the NES and SNES ports. But above all else, I'm just afraid we're going to be inundated with a whole lot of crap taking advantage of the processing power of these new machines without having even a shred of creativity in the game. I am afraid of formulaic video games.

[Rdr4evr]

The revolution is incredibly gorgeous, and I think it surpasses xbox and ps3 in terms of beauty. I can't wait until the controller is revealed, im sure they have something crazy up their sleeves.

[hulk]

Hell, 2-3 times better than RE4? SOLD!

[Latch]

What made me cream (no not literally) was that they (apparently) plan on offering (for free?) a lot of the old NES/SNES games. If that comes true, I'll be in nostalgia heaven.

[killeena]

Originally Posted by Latch

What made me cream (no not literally) was that they (apparently) plan on offering (for free?) a lot of the old NES/SNES games. If that comes true, I'll be in nostalgia heaven.

Apparently they said that they will have all kinds of games available for download, everything from the original Donkey Kong to Super Mario Sunshine. They didn't mention wether the downloads would be free or what. Hopefully at least the older games would be.

[aberkok]

Originally Posted by exizldelfuego

And now, for better or worst, the technical ability of this new generation is so far out there that I wonder just how game makers are going to utilize it. Honestly, I don't think we've really yet managed to harness the technical ability of this outgoing generation.

*strokes beard*...It has always been this way, my child...

[LoganSnake]

Originally Posted by hulk

Hell, 2-3 times better than RE4? SOLD!

PS3 and 360 are about 10 times more powerful than that...

[stevie667]

Originally Posted by LoganSnake

PS3 and 360 are about 10 times more powerful than that...

Everyone will tell you, it's not about how much power you have, it's how you use it

[Slayer]

I'm still waiting for the Revolutionary part.

[LoganSnake]

Originally Posted by stevie667

Everyone will tell you, it's not about how much power you have, it's how you use it

I disagree. While that statement is true to a degree, I will never shell out $300 on something that is only 2-3 times better than what I own right now. Two-three times more power does not scream Next Generation to me.

[akito]

Originally Posted by Slayer

I'm still waiting for the Revolutionary part.

The Revolutionary part is the ability to download games from the past 20 years of Nintendo history. THAT is an extremely smart maneuver by Nintendo.

[akito]

Nintendo Revolution Announcement

Nintendo went a step further, announcing Tuesday to applause and cheers that Revolution's built-in wireless Internet will provide downloadable access to the thousands of games in company's 20-year-old library, going back to the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

Had to go find that article, but there it is. Wanna play the original final fantasy on your Nintendo Revolution?? GO FOR IT!.

[blar]

who is crossing their fingers that hopefully they will start looking toward adult gamers?

i am like nintendo but they got to start looking at the older crowd like playstation and xbox has

[jonjon42]

Blar, they already have, go play Eternal Darkness or RE4 and report back. I would also like to argue that adult gamers do not necessarly want blood and gore in every game they play. I think they should be/are looking for something fun, even if it means crazy things like Pikman, Animal Crossing, or Super Smash Bros.

That being said, I think Nintendo saying that their next system being only 2-3 times faster is being brutally honest. I don't buy Microsoft's and Sony's stats. I think to an extent they are pulled out of the ass. I think it's all a marketing ploy that both companies have pulled before. Personally I will wait until they show the goods. I want to see a functional game on each system. Then I want to see how fun it is. The graphics should always be secondary in my mind. Gameplay should always come first. Nintendo is usually a safe bet on this, but I find alot of fun games on the PS2 too.

[akito]

Originally Posted by jonjon42

Gameplay should always come first. Nintendo is usually a safe bet on this,

Couldn't have said it better myself. Sure Nintendo maybe be on the back burner in terms of graphics sometimes, but I'll be damned if I dont have a great time playing Super Smash Bros. Melee with a bunch of friends.

[Fremen]

Don't know if this is real, but I like the green one, myself.

[Lasereth]

Originally Posted by jonjon42

Blar, they already have, go play Eternal Darkness or RE4 and report back. I would also like to argue that adult gamers do not necessarly want blood and gore in every game they play. I think they should be/are looking for something fun, even if it means crazy things like Pikman, Animal Crossing, or Super Smash Bros.

That being said, I think Nintendo saying that their next system being only 2-3 times faster is being brutally honest. I don't buy Microsoft's and Sony's stats. I think to an extent they are pulled out of the ass. I think it's all a marketing ploy that both companies have pulled before. Personally I will wait until they show the goods. I want to see a functional game on each system. Then I want to see how fun it is. The graphics should always be secondary in my mind. Gameplay should always come first. Nintendo is usually a safe bet on this, but I find alot of fun games on the PS2 too.

I agree. Honestly, who cares about stats...stats aren't gonna save a game from being crappy. Ninja Gaiden and Halo 2 sure look good, but I don't consider them better than RE:4, Eternal Darkness, or Metroid Prime (all which look just as good by the way). Specs of a system mean jack and shit in today's world. It's too bad that many fanboys base their system biases on these specs (millions of XBox fanboys come to mind...MORE MEGAHERTZ = SONY SUX!!).

-Lasereth

[akito]

Originally Posted by Fremen

Don't know if this is real, but I like the green one, myself.

The green one is nice, I think i'd prefer the red one though honestly. Just because it'd stick out like a sore thumb with my home decor.

[Fremen]

Originally Posted by akito

The green one is nice, I think i'd prefer the red one though honestly. Just because it'd stick out like a sore thumb with my home decor.

Eh, it doesn't matter anyway. I just read that these were prototype colors and will be different in the final version.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata also said the Revolution will be even smaller than the model that's been shown at E3 by the time it's ready to sell.

[Derwood]

Originally Posted by Fremen

Eh, it doesn't matter anyway. I just read that these were prototype colors and will be different in the final version.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata also said the Revolution will be even smaller than the model that's been shown at E3 by the time it's ready to sell.

Everything is smaller in Japan! (um, he he he, gulp)

[stevie667]

Do we have a price range yet?

[LoganSnake]

Originally Posted by stevie667

Do we have a price range yet?

100 BILLION DOLLARS!

I heard it would be around $250-300. But it could be less...

[stevie667]

Originally Posted by LoganSnake

100 BILLION DOLLARS!

I heard it would be around $250-300. But it could be less...

Damn that was funny

Hmm, that would put it at around £150ish, which is i think around what the GC came out as originally. Thats all good.

[Glory's Sun]

I think the thing that is disappointing to me is the lack of an HD (unless I just misread every article or overlooked something). I just don't understand why they went with the 512 flash, considering Sony is putting a removable drive in their system. I'm a Nintendo fan, I'll get a revolution I know I will, it's just I want the space that I can have with a Sony or 360. Plus with the article I read today, it will be awhile b4 anyone can get a hold of one of these beauties.


edit: Thanks to this thread my fears have been squashed

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=89453

[stevie667]

I just realised something about the nintendo backwards compatability...

PERFECT DARK! GOLDENEYE! PERFECT DARK! GOLDENEYE! PERFECT DARK! GOLDENEYE!

[Robaggio]

exizldelfuego:

The cube doesn't have plenty of power. There are many instances where framerate suffers as a result of this. For example: developers still have to reduce the FOV (Field of View) in FPS games to lessen the polygon count. Halo and Metroid Prime 1/2 both have small FOVs to improve framerate.

There's much to be said about having more processing power. Graphics arn't the only thing that are effected. With more available CPU cycles programmers can write more complex AI routines, huge algorithms to generate content on the fly, and perahps run other programs simultaneously (chat program?).

In terms of options, these next generation consoles are the first pieces of hardware that will increase programmer's options rather than limit them. Even when the Gamecube, PS2, and XBox were released developers were severly limited beyond their full potential. Just now, things have finally caught up.

[zxello]

pictures are down, relink?

[biznatch]

Originally Posted by stevie667

I just realised something about the nintendo backwards compatability...

PERFECT DARK! GOLDENEYE! PERFECT DARK! GOLDENEYE! PERFECT DARK! GOLDENEYE!

Yes indeed. I played Perfect Dark again with some friends a week ago.
It was so much fun. That multiplayer was the best ever...Simulants everywhere, the coolest weapons...

The revolution is looking really good...I'm waiting for more pics, different angles and higher quality...Id like to hold it in my hands lol..
But just for the MGS4 factor, i'd buy the PS3 ...
Plus all my GTA and MGS series: games already bought...makes me a Sony sucker. Whatever. When I become president I'll buy all the systems, and the games.
And let my VP do the work.

[Mr.Deflok]

"Special plans for the Metroid series"

SOLD!

[skinnymofo]

better revolution pictures
here you go for better pictures. discounting that blurry one which makes it look kind of stupid, the revolution is my pick for nicest to look at. small, simple and still unique

[stevie667]

Is the blue bit where the CD goes in, or is that just a light?

[biznatch]

I thought the media was gonna be really small discs..BluRay or something

[hulk]

New Interview!

For the linkage impaired:

Originally Posted by George Harrison and Gamespot

GS: So let's start off. You guys obviously have the advantage of being last. You've seen what the other guys have got, you've seen Sony's next-gen console and Microsoft's. So how do you think the Revolution is going to stack up to those?

GH: Oh, Revolution I think will have really no problem standing up to them. Sony spent so much time focused on technical specs, it's like they threw in the kitchen sink trying to compete with Microsoft. So for us, we're going to have plenty of power and plenty of capability in the Revolution, but the real thinking and the real value come in the creative game development, and that for us is what's really going to separate the three consoles.

GS: They are putting a lot of emphasis on power. But USA Today said that the Revolution is only going to be two or three times more powerful than the GameCube. Can you give me those details?

GH: Yeah, well we haven't released any of the technical specs. We're working with IBM and ATI, so certainly all the capability that we need is there right in our development partners. We try to figure out how to strike a balance between giving the developers everything that they need to make great games, and not having it be so much that they have to spend inordinate amounts of money. In the end it has to be a business. Publishers have to be able to create the game and sell it effectively, and be able to then support the next game.

GS: So do you think that's really going to ramp up more third-party support for Revolution? The fact that it's going to be easier to make games for than the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3?

GH: Well, we hope it will and, in fact, it's really important to us. There's some games that we do extremely well, our game franchises obviously, but there are others that we don't do. I think if we look at the GameCube and say, "OK, what's one of the things we missed in this generation?" Well, we really didn't have the Grand Turismos or the Grand Theft Autos, so those are the things that the publishers with their particular expertise can really fill in the gaps on, and that's important to us.

GS: So do you think that's Revolution's most compelling aspect from a development perspective--will it be just the cost-effectiveness or the ease of it?

GH: Well, I think those two things go hand in hand. Ease of development reflects on how many people it takes and how much time it takes those people to make the game, but [it's important to] make the point that not every game has to be an epic, photo-realistic game--there are many games that can be entertaining, enjoyable, and a great value to consumers that aren't pushing against photo-realistic graphics.

GS: Speaking of photo-realism and such, traditionally you guys have said that basically game consoles should be for games, and now you've added DVD functionality to it. What was the prime motivator behind that?

GH: I think at this point that's a fairly low cost add-on for the DVD player, but we're certainly not trying to turn into a multimedia center the way that our competitors are. They have different corporate motivations and we look at that and think that that's fine for them, but it really is not the heart of what we do. The heart of what we do is try to bring great games to people who own and play their console intensely for maybe three to four years, and as a result are looking to upgrade every three to four years.

GS: How are you planning on a transition between formats from GameCube to the Revolution? Are you going to phase out the GameCube over time? Are you going to make dual versions of it?

GH: Typically one console will sell for a year and a half maybe after the next one is introduced, and I think that will be fine. In this case, the Revolution is backwardly compatible right out of the box. You can just put your GameCube disc right into the slot. So we'll have to just watch the transition there and see what the consumer interest is.

GS: You guys haven't decided any price point at all so far, right?

GH: No, we haven't, and we're really in a good position in that we don't have to declare ourselves first. Microsoft is going to launch this fall. They'll probably have to tell people where they are by, we think, August. That will give us a good chance to understand what they think they can sell it for and also to estimate how much money they're going to lose on their box.

GS: Now, what exactly is so revolutionary about the Revolution? Is this still kind of a state secret at Nintendo?

GH: That will be a number of things. I mean, certainly the virtual console concept we describe with the ability to download the past Nintendo games is going to make it very unique. Not that someone else couldn't add that function, but they certainly can't add that kind of library and that kind of archive.

GS: Do you plan on having like a per-download pricing model along the lines of the microtransactions that will be used in the next-gen Xbox marketplace?

GH: Well, we can use it in a variety of ways. We've used some of the older games already as little bonuses, either as bonus gifts or hidden in levels of games. Certainly for the first-party titles we'll be making some of those available. We haven't really talked about whether we would sell them. The third parties can make their own decision whether they want to sell them, or maybe they will add it on as sort of a free benefit when you buy a current version of the game.

GS: To continue with what's so revolutionary about the Revolution...

GH: Well, I think certainly being wireless out of the box is revolutionary. People sort of picked on us for not jumping in prematurely into online or Internet gaming, but we just looked at it, the way it was evolving, and just felt that it was not time to jump in. But certainly with the next console it would be, with a couple of important changes like eliminating the access fee so there's not really a monthly subscription, and making use of first-party games, downloadable for free. That to us will be really revolutionary. Right now the estimates are anywhere between six and maybe 10 or 12 percent of console owners are playing online. You know, if you really have people embrace it and enjoy it, we think that should be well over 50 percent. I think I heard Nintendo president Mr. Satoru Iwata, and Nintendo vice president of sales and marketing, Reggie Fils-Aime, say this morning as much as 90 percent is the goal for DS online, which is a great goal, rather than keeping it a niche aspect of gaming, to make it a broad-based application.

GS: So do you have any plans on maybe making just one standard for an online service or is it going to be two-tiered like they're doing with Xbox Live?

GH: Right now we're not looking to have a two-tiered service. So for first-party games it would be free, and for third party, I think they just have to determine it for their own game. Not any kind of general access fee again, but for their own game, it's fine if they want to charge them that kind of a price for that.

GS: OK, let's move onto the Game Boy Micro. Now what was the primary thinking behind that?

GH: We think about new ideas for Game Boy all the time. Whereas the consoles are typically a five or six year lifecycle and we finish one and start up the next one, Game Boy is a continuous process of invention, looking at all sorts of ideas. The idea for a small Game Boy came maybe two years ago, and we refined it to the point where we felt like it can really have a place. It plays all the current Game Boy games, but it's got a place by virtue of its size. It's a little bit more image-focused, and maybe more appropriate for some of the people who are more casual gamers now.

GS: And you mentioned that the screen was the brightest one you've made so far, right?

GH: Yeah, it's a 2-inch screen. The Game Boy Advance SP screen is about 2.5 inches, so it's little smaller. But as a result of that we can get a clarity that's really incredible, and the screen is done by Sharp.

GS: So this is just kind of a remix of the Game Boy, a hipper Game Boy. Is this going to have a different price point?

GH: It may. We're also looking at what the price and bundle combination might be for the fall. One of the things that they've launched in Japan that we're considering is--it's called the Play-Yan and it allows you to play MP3 music or MP4 video files in your Game Boy. We're trying to see how that's doing and if that makes sense to bring out as a companion to this.

GS: There were some rumors that this would actually have the Play-Yan function built in...

GH: No this does not have it built in. The Play-Yan function can work either on the Game Boy Micro or on the regular SP.

GS: So is this going to work for games just like a regular Game Boy?

GH: Right.

GS: Now you mentioned the longevity of a Game Boy platform. It's been around for a while, and this will probably be around a lot longer. A lot of people heard there was a new Game Boy at E3, and some thought it was a completely new Game Boy, a totally new handheld platform. How long do you see the life span of the current Game Boy, and when can we expect its successor?

GH: Oh, the Game Boy, we don't really manage it on any kind of a fixed lifecycle. It really has to do with when consumer interest is ready to move on. We think there's a lot of life left in the SP at $79. It's a great value proposition relative to the DS. Backward-compatibility has been a big strength for us in Game Boy and there may come a point where you have to sort of break with that, and that's always more challenging.

GS: You've shrunk the Game Boy. Do you plan on a smaller GameCube? Something like the slim-line PS2?

GH: No, I think GameCube will stay in its current form. We'll be looking at more value in bundling options late in the lifecycle. As we get to the holidays we're going to announce this afternoon to the retailers that we're going to launch the Super Smash Brothers GameCube bundle in August at $99. So that'll be a good piece to carry us into the fall, and then we'll look at a couple of other options for the holidays.

GS: Now you guys announced a lot of games here and with the new Pokemon title and the new Zelda, you've given kind of a darker edge to them.

GH: Yeah, well I think Miyamoto has really taken Zelda in many directions. Now that he's given [Twilight Princess producer] Eiji Aonuma, the opportunity to go off and sort of create his own vision, you know, Link has gone from mostly animated style to a more realistic style. But it always starts with the storyline and what we have Link doing, who will be the adversary and those kinds of things. The Pokemon XD [: Gale of Darkness] game, I've seen only little bits of it, but you could do storylines and graphics and environments on the GameCube that you can't do on the Pokemon games on Game Boy. So it gives him a chance to do something a little bit more--let's say more aggressive that we think will be very interesting.

GS: At the beginning of the press conference, Reggie said actions speak louder than words. What actions can we expect from Nintendo in the coming months?

GH: Well, certainly you saw a lineup of games that we're going to launch that are very important to us. And we're not going to take our eye off of existing players, but most people can't buy the hardware right away, and so they want to know, "what's good for me in the next six to nine months?" And we think we've got a great game line to do that. And certainly in the handheld area, making the effort with Game Boy Micro to add on the DS, there should be a whole lot of innovation coming that will keep them excited.

GS: Sounds like a plan.

[stevie667]

Sweet as fuck (is that 10 frickin characters?!)

[tacobaal]

the consol looks beautifull (i really really really like blue glowing things lol) but after my GC purchase and only playing it a couple times since launch... i wont be buying a revolution. just not the type of content i like, although the downloading of all the older games peaks my intrest... probably not worth it considering i still own my super nes and N64

[Slayer]

I read somewhere where all the Nintendo created game will be free to download and third party will have to pay a fee to download.

If that is true then i'm sold.

edit*

Found the link.

http://gamesradar.msn.co.uk/news/def...sectionid=1587

NOA vice president George Harrison talks 'bout a Revolution

Amid the loud roars and beating chests of Sony and Microsoft last week, you'd be forgiven for forgetting about Nintendo completely.

Nintendo - the once dominating force of videogames - sat quietly in the corner, all alone and looking at its watch every five minutes, while its rivals danced and cheered the night away, full of satisfaction and optimism.

But Nintendo hasn't given up. The lack of any next-gen gameplay footage and the omission of the 'revolutionary' controller at the pre-E3 Nintendo conference may have been a disappointment, but Nintendo does have a plan up its sleeve.

In a recent interview with US website GameSpot, Nintendo of America vice president George Harrison answered some burning questions, finally giving some kind of clue as to how Nintendo plans to play this generation.

Beginning by referring to Nintendo's next-gen chances, Harrison confidently claimed, "Revolution will have no real problem standing up to [PS3 and Xbox 360]," keenly pointing out that, while Sony and Microsoft have laid their cards on the table, Nintendo is yet to actually reveal its final specs, regardless of what has been said by the press.

Harrison then explained that getting developers on board is key to the Revolution strategy, and Nintendo is working hard to ensure Revolution is both easy and cheap to develop for.

As far as what makes the console revolutionary, Harrison was coy regarding the controller, instead focusing on Nintendo's online plans and downloadable games service.

"People sort of picked on us for not prematurely jumping into online or internet gaming," he mused, going on to point out that now the company has more to offer besides online gaming. Harrison then confirmed that past-gen, Nintendo-created titles will indeed be downloadable for free.

This is a clever move by Nintendo: regardless of the final power of Revolution and the frequency of new titles, Nintendo knows that its loyal fans will cry tears of joy over a free service that lets them download previous Nintendo classics straight out of the box.

Third-party developers could charge for the privilege to download though. Or, alternatively, they could offer downloadable classics as an incentive to buy their next-gen full price releases. Either way, classic Nintendo titles such as Castlevania and MegaMan may not be immediately accessible.

A similar model applies to online gaming. Playing Nintendo titles across the internet will be free, whereas third-party publishers will be able to charge whatever subscription rates they wish.

Still, with a massive back-catalogue of titles and some key franchises that gamers have been wanting to play online for some time - Mario Kart, to name but one - it's unlikely the occasional fee for a third-party offering will spoil Nintendo's idea too much.