System Discussion: Nintendo Revolution

[AgtFox]

Obviously the name will probably not be Revolution, but for now it is a placeholder...I will change it if the name is truly given.

Nintendo has given some info on the Revolution (such as being a little bit higher than 3 DVD cases, that it will use DVD technology and that it will be backwards compatible), but outside of that not much is known.  Chances are they may show a prototype and give a ballpark release timeframe.

What are you guys looking forward to with the Revolution?

Nintendo's pre-E3 conference is at 9am PT on Tuesday.

[Bullwinkle]

Obviously the name will probably not be Revolution

Why "obviously?"  I thought that was the name, not a placeholder.

[Kevin Grey]

Traditionally the code names don't end up being the actual name of the console.  Gamecube was code-named Dolphin for example.

I personally hope they don't go with "Revolution" as the name- I think it sets them up with an impossible standard to live up to.

[AgtFox]

As Kevin said, traditionally codenames do not end up being final names.  Nintendo had Ultra 64 for the N64 and Dolphin for the GameCube for instance.

[Bullwinkle]

Sure, I knew that.  I just had the impression that Revolution was to be the name for this one.  

Guess it just wasn't obvious to me.

[Tebunker]

Don't forget that the machine will fully support HD and widescreen as well as support a hookup to your Monitor out of the box. Oh yeah it's wi-fi out of the box as well, and obviously will have some crazy ass wireless controllers.

[stiffler]

But Nintendo, I didn't think anybody used that stuff?  You can't even buy the cables in the store and the new Cubes don't even support them.  Yeah, Nintendo is all over the HD craze.  Not even going to get started on their online support...

Just kidding with you, Tebunker.  I'm really glad to see them hop on board so everybody can go, "woohoo!"

Figure we can shake the trolls out of the trees early by getting that out of the way...

[Tebunker]

to me it just shows, that at least at this early stage they've got their heads out of their asses, now Nintendo just needs to support all this stuff for real.

[stiffler]

to me it just shows, that at least at this early stage they've got their heads out of their asses, now Nintendo just needs to support all this stuff for real.

Amen!  With backwards compatibility with the library of Cube games I never played, I'll definately have my eye on Nintendo's next offering.  I really want to play Eternal Darkness and Paper Mario 2!

[Rob_Merritt]

More info here:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/games/2005-05-17-revolution_x.htm?POE=TECISVA

Nintendo makes more modest claims that Revolution is two or three times more powerful than GameCube. "It's not all about having 'turbo power,' " Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan says. "It's about what you do with it."

Analyst Richard Doherty of The Envisioneering Group says one of Revolution's chief advantages is that designers will find it far easier to create games for Revolution than for competing systems. "They do not need to make major changes from the games they were designing," he says. "They have better performance without having to do a lot of extra work."

Says Kaplan: "We've built Revolution around the concept of 'all-access gaming,' " a term Nintendo uses to mean the system is easily adapted to by both gamers and designers. "We're about sticking to the soul of gaming."

You know what, after the past week of crap about changing face plates, micropayments, Blue ray disks, rock music,and general dick wagging, Nintendos approch seems very refreashing.
Right now, I'm more interested in what nintendo has to offer. Still, they have plenty of E3 time to screw up.

[wonderpug]

Is this it?



From this USA Today article

[Rob_Merritt]

Yes thats it. Looks cool for a change.

[Devil]

Looks nice!

[wonderpug]

It looks pretty cool, and it's amazing how small it is, but I'm not sure I understand what the point of having a removable stand is.  Why would you ever need to seperate your console from the console holder?
pic of the stand

Oh, and Bullwinkle, I think you might just be redeemed:

[Rob_Merritt]

More pics and details
http://1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3140623

[Devil]

Ease of development is what Nintendo claims separates their next-generation hardware from the competition. "They do not need to make major changes from the games they were designing," said analyst Richard Doherty of The Envisioneering Group. "They have better performance without having to do a lot of extra work."

This scares me. So they are saying it's easy to make the same old games with better graphics?

That's my problem with Nintendo... :cry:

[wonderpug]

Revolution will offer broadband access to a free internet based player matching service, similar to Xbox Live, that also will have downloadable versions of nearly every nintendo game-- from arcade classic Donkey Kong through current titles such as Mario Sunshine.[/b] (Nintendo hasn't decided whether downloading will be free).

 :shock:  :shock:  :shock:
That is awesome.  I can't see them offering it for free, but even so, what a great feature.

[Rob_Merritt]

This scares me. So they are saying it's easy to make the same old games with better graphics?

No they are saying developers don't have to waste vast amounts of time and resources learning an alien architecture.

[Devil]

I still read it as "License for Laziness"

[Kevin Grey]

This scares me. So they are saying it's easy to make the same old games with better graphics?

No they are saying developers don't have to waste vast amounts of time and resources learning an alien architecture.

Yeah, its hardly a negative.  Frankly there is nothing I've seen for PS3 or 360 that exceeds a current generation "design."  The technology, physics, etc sure but I've yet to hear of any games that we'll be getting that just weren't possible before.

Unfortunately, the Cube was also very easy to program for evidently and I'm not sure it helped out a whole lot.

[Rob_Merritt]

Having stupid mini DVDs  didn't help either.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

This quote is a bit concerning:

Nintendo makes more modest claims that Revolution is two or three times more powerful than GameCube.

Two to three times? That's nothing. I want power. POWER!!!!!!

[Rob_Merritt]

Nintendo is probably the only one telling the truth.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Nintendo is probably the only one telling the truth.

I want lies about power. LIES ABOUT POWER!!!!!



 :wink:

[Torfish]

This quote is a bit concerning:

Nintendo makes more modest claims that Revolution is two or three times more powerful than GameCube.

Two to three times? That's nothing. I want power. POWER!!!!!!

Gamecube can hold its own when it comes to power, imo.  Graphics are pretty darn comparable to xbox and ps2, but with very minimal load times.  2 or 3 times more powerful than that sounds pretty good to me.  

Right now I wish I had a front row seat at the Nintendo's meeting.  I want a live video feed darn it!!!

[Torfish]

I am most interested in the launch titles.  Hopefully they will annouce a few of them.

[Kevin Grey]

I like the system design a lot.  I'd put it below PS3 but above the 360.  If the 360 were available in brushed metal vice white then I'd put them about equal.  

It does look like they are going with the name Revolution, since they have a logo and everything.  And that's a mistake IMO.

[leo8877]

Yeah if the Cube can pump out RE4 and that new Zelda graphics, then I'm not worried about 2-3 times better than that.

[Torfish]

I like the system design a lot.  I'd put it below PS3 but above the 360.  If the 360 were available in brushed metal vice white then I'd put them about equal.  

It does look like they are going with the name Revolution, since they have a logo and everything.  And that's a mistake IMO.

Revolution seems like a fitting name for Nintendo.  Completely new hardware design, using dvd discs, full support for wireless internet gaming, and probably other new stuff that we will learn about in the next hour.

[Kevin Grey]

But when their competitors are already offering those features they are hardly revolutionary.

I love Nintendo but in order for a "revolution" to happen it takes people.  And until consumers embrace Revolution then it won't matter what innovations Nintendo brings to the table.  If this backfires then the name is only going to end up being the butt of many jokes.

[leo8877]

Yeah they may not be revolutionizing the industry, as much as their image.

[Torfish]

But when their competitors are already offering those features they are hardly revolutionary.

I love Nintendo but in order for a "revolution" to happen it takes people.  And until consumers embrace Revolution then it won't matter what innovations Nintendo brings to the table.  If this backfires then the name is only going to end up being the butt of many jokes.

Very true.  But I can't seeing it backfiring to the general public.  Nintendo seems to cater more to the general public than hardcore gamers.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Yeah if the Cube can pump out RE4 and that new Zelda graphics, then I'm not worried about 2-3 times better than that.

But it's all about the competition. If Revolution can't compete graphically with the X-Box 360 and PS3, Nintendo will have a hard time making up much ground.

[Belgedin]

Nintendo seems to cater more to the general public than hardcore gamers.

As opposed to Sony or Microsoft? Those two are the companies whoring themselves to horny little teenagers.

[leo8877]

Does any company want to sell themselves to hardcore gamers?  Isn't that like 5% of the people who buy games?

[Belgedin]

Good point.


P.S. I forgot to mention the nine-year-olds who think "blood = teh mateur!"

[ChaoZ]

The only way I will be impressed with what I've seen so far is if Nintendo comes out and says $149

[Scraper]

Simple fact is that the revolution may come in third this generation, but even if it does it will still sell well enough that Nintendo wont loose their shirts. Millions of people will buy the Revolution for the first party titles alone. I know I will.

Also, did anyone else notice the lack of slots in the console pics, I wonder if there will be memory card ports in the back only or if they are reverting to the N64 Dreamcast design of having them in the controllers (bad idea).

[leo8877]

It's 10 O'clock, where are the details from the 9 AM meeting?

[Rob_Merritt]

It hasn't started yet.

/edit: yes it has, just no details from the stream. Just talking up nintendo's past sucess. Can't watch the stream while at work.