NINTENDO revolution

[LARUTO]

REVOLUTION RUMOURS RAMPANT, NINTENDO SILENT

Another spurt of speculation about Nintendo's next-gen console splashes onto the net. Full details and stunningly predictable Nintendo response inside

10:47 A fat bundle of Nintendo Revolution speculation has belly-flopped onto the internet, causing fansites across the world to spontaneously combust with excitement.

According to hazy and totally unofficial reports, Nintendo's next-gen console will come broadband-enabled with an online service in the works, feature a hard drive, use controllers fitted with tilt-sensing gyroscopes, allow connectivity with the next-gen GameBoy, and play host to new Mario, Zelda and Super Smash Bros. games. The 'revolutionary' aspect of Revolution is also hinted at - "if you think too hard you'll never guess what it is."

The sketchy information - which we were sent direct last week and have been investigating - originally surfaced on a gaming forum, with the poster quoting an inside source. To be fair to the bloke who broke these rumours, he did preface his speculation with the assertion that his source had been wrong as well as correct in the past, and estimated there was a "65% chance" of the accuracy of these claims.

Here's the rundown of the alleged Revolution information:

* Motion and tilt-sensing gyroscopes will be used in the controllers. They will not come wireless as standard but the Revolution will have four pad ports like GameCube.

* The console will be powered by twin processors and will feature an internal hard drive. Games will come on HD-DVD format discs rather than Sony's Blu-Ray format.

* Broadband online gaming will be available out of the box via Nintendo's own service, which is currently "in development" and will be rolled out first on DS.

* The Revolution will not feature connectivity with the DS but will link up to Nintendo's next-gen GameBoy.

* Work has already begun on new Mario, Zelda and Super Smash Bros. titles, all of which are to be available at launch.

And what's revolutionary about Revolution? The inside source claims that talking about that "would get him into too much trouble" (whereas the rest of this stuff will presumably get him a pat on the back). He is quoted as saying: "if you think too hard you'll never guess what it is. It's nothing 'new', technically speaking. It's just something that hasn't really been applied to videogames yet."

He then signed off in deliciously enigmatic fashion with, "Touching is good but feeling is better."

Force feedback gloves? Electrodes attached to dangly parts of your anatomy? A force feedback full body glove made out of lycra? It's a proper riddle - answers on a postcard, or even better, in the forums below.

And it's a riddle Nintendo itself unsurprisingly doesn't have much to say about. When we contacted our spokesperson we were told: "Nintendo does not comment on rumour and speculation."

So what are we to make of this? The information itself does seem fairly informed and - in stark contrast to a lot of rumours that spark on the 'net - relatively sane. It doesn't instantly smack of the deranged ramblings of a semi-illiterate monkey.

But it also has that air of calculated vagueness and educated guesswork that at once lends it credibility and damages that same credibility. Are any of the alleged 'facts' offered about Revolution really anything that anyone with a little bit of knowledge about Nintendo itself and the games industry in general couldn't have come up with?

Not to worry - it looks increasingly likely that Nintendo is gearing up to unleash the Revolution at E3 in May. We'll know the answers for sure then, and as soon as we know, you'll know.

Graeme Boyd

[rumbelly]

nintendo idmc !!!!


was readin up on this same article
lookin nice, hope its true

the gloves sound like a very real nex gen idea

[LARUTO]

i found this online this morning


It’s no secret that Nintendo has been very hush-hush about its next-gen offering. And this opens the door for a lot—scratch that, a ton!—of speculation. Tipster, Matt Morales, believes he has his finger on the pulse of the Revolution. Is Mr. Morales really onto something? Or are these just the wee morning ramblings (posted at 2:55:47 am EST) of a guy eager to get his name in the books—or, at least on Joystiq… He writes:

As far as the Revolution goes, I’m going to put my official guess in. It’s going to have a system of monitoring your body systems such as pulse and perspiration. Nintendo is stressing more and more about getting emotional responses from players and with the title of Iwata’s keynote, that just sealed it for me. This will use the technology such as that used on a treadmill at the gym and will be right on the controllers. I’m calling gyroscopes and completely wireless as well. Nintendo is going to target a more active game experience with this technology so the emotional reactions also increase and become more prominant.

This is also why there is talk of not having traditional face buttons. They will be aranged like triggers instead because you will have to keep the palms of your hands on the controller at all times for the reading to be continuous. Think about it, it’s pre-existing technology that hasn’t been used in games before. It’s “feeling” but not physically but emotionally. It just all falls into place! It just goes hand in hand to what Nintendo encourages. As a company they have encouraged more and more interactivity. I think that yes guys, we are gonna be swinging a controller like a sword, shooting it like a gun, and tilting it like a steering wheel. Nintendo likes physical stuff. That’s why they like the I-toy.

Miyamoto is sick of playing games with just buttons and sitting down. They’ve also said they don’t release many games in summer because they think children should be outdoors doing physical activity. They loved a game like Boktai that made you go out in the heat of the afternoon just to get some good sunlight. The DS is just the beginning. The person who said “Touching is good, but feeling is better” was telling the truth. Except feeling is emotional feeling (perhaps they’ll use some technology like in those mice for physical feeling as well but that’s besides the point). Games like Resident Evil 4 (fear), Warioware (humor and franticness), Starfox (adrenaline pumping action), Donkey Konga (the pure joy of music), and Eternal Darkness (extreme paranoia), and Metroid Prime (loneliness) all promote strong emotional responses.

Now, Nintendo will be able to show this by using a good quality video camera. Remember the patent for the camera with the guy and his crazy face? The face of the character will change as yours does and the game will recognize signs of sadness, joy, fear, and anger. A mic will also be able to use your voice to check for emotional signs (how many of us have shouted at a game before?) All of this also explains why Nintendo is targetting non-gamers. They are less hardened than us! They will jump more, scream more, freak out more! Since that guy who said that feeling is better line, I believe, is the same guy who showed that pic of a makeshift revolution development system, let’s believe it’s real for a second.

What is that blue light? It is a projector or laser that will project onto the floor a space that will correllate to the space on screen. The camera will pick up where you are standing. Imagine being able to strafe with this! The necessary room for this also expains why Nintendo is going for wireless monitor connection and internet play. The camera will not be infrared and cannot detect depth. Remember the other patent for a camera ( think about it - as in in-game or perhaps a physical camera) system that eliminates moving focus points (ie, shifting the screen as you run forward in a soccer game)? This is why they need it. Your perspective changing all the time will throw everything off.

Also, remember the diagram where the screen had x,y,z coordinates and something that looked like it was on the floor only had x,y? This is why!!! The camera is taking the reading of your 2d movement and interpretting it to 3d in the game! This is all radical stuff and explains the big N’s worries of 3rd support if it doesn’t catch on. It really is a true “paradigm shift” in the way we play games.



[Thanks Matt!]

[Paradoxxx]

Thousands of video game developers in a standing-room-only crowd heard Nintendo President Satoru Iwata outline the company's bold vision for the future. Iwata, a veteran video game designer and player himself, made several major announcements during his Game Developers Conference keynote speech, The Heart of the Gamer, including such highlights as:

- Nintendo's next game console, code-named Revolution, is proceeding on schedule and will include both backward compatibility and Wi-Fi features. The sketches to your right were supposedly obtained from a Nintendo insider who actually saw a Revolution prototype.

- Nintendo soon will offer a free Wi-Fi connection service to Nintendo DS owners.

- Iwata demonstrated several new software titles using the innovative features of the Nintendo DS, including voice recognition, touch-screen control and wireless connectivity.

- Iwata unveiled new images from the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda adventure coming this year for Nintendo GameCube. For a stunning new video of the new Zelda game follow the download tab above.

Revolution: Iwata announced that Revolution will feature built-in Wi-Fi protocols, which will allow users around the world to connect with one another wirelessly. Revolution's technological heart, a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named Broadway, and a graphics chip set from ATI code-named Hollywood, are being designed to deliver game experiences not possible to date. This means that IBM will be involved in the processors of all major next-generation consoles.

Nintendo DS: Iwata announced that the Wi-Fi protocol for Nintendo DS will provide users with a link to other players across the country or around the world. Once the service begins later this year, Nintendo DS users will be able to connect to the service wirelessly at Wi-Fi hot spots, whether they're at home, in a hotel or at a coffee shop. As one of several Wi-Fi games, Nintendo's in-house development team is creating a new Animal Crossing game for global Wi-Fi play.

On the keynote stage, Iwata also took part in a spontaneous eight-player wireless contest of Mario Kart DS to demonstrate the local area network capabilities of Nintendo DS. He added that shipments of the DS game system have now surpassed 4 million units to North America and Japan in the 16 weeks since launch. With the system set to debut in thousands of stores across Europe within hours of his address, that number will approach 6 million units shipped by the end of March.

DS software: The speech featured a live demonstration of two Nintendo DS software titles that Iwata said represented types of entertainment that go beyond the traditionally accepted definitions of "video games." One, Nintendogs, asks owners to nurture and interact with a variety of breeds of digital puppies. Puppy owners can issue voice commands, play games and train their puppies while developing real emotional bonds with them. Nintendogs is set to launch later this year in North America. The second title, Electroplankton, offers an otherworldly array of sights and sounds aimed to soothe or stimulate players with the innovative use of both the touch screen and voice interaction. This is designed to produce harmony, not adrenaline, Iwata said, apparently comparing Nintendo's console to Feng Shui.

Zelda: Iwata wowed the crowd by showing previously unreleased footage of the stunning Legend of Zelda adventure for Nintendo GameCube. The game will launch later this year; to see the video, follow the download tab above.

Nintendo will announce more information about both Revolution and the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi service at the Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in May.

[spoilt]

one thing i go say
playstation owns all base
thats all
even doh i had a 8 bit nintendo
that mc screw up meh life i had all A's in meh school work as i get meh nintendo is going to b and then c
lol
is stress i tell yuh
and neo blow up de mc
man cut the wire from de adptor and the 2 ends in the wall plug
damn thing start to smoke up :S

[barnicle]

i think nintendo is about to make a big comeback thats for sure. they are always leading in innovation. hopefully it'll raise the bar even higher!

[spoilt]

hahahah this is not cingular and at&t
lol
well nintendo have spunk thats all i have to say but the controller is not ment for fighting games
they are more mad for like well adventure games where you mostly press one big button lol
yeah thats more like it
but xbox ......
no clue about that
as mcuh i can say playstation still rules :P

[b00st]

Ninty eh making no "comeback and rule". But in order to get back into the competition and appeal to gamers they need to go online and they need to get a bit more mature. Another thing, dont laze around while the competition gets a head start.

If is anyone that comes up with outlandish original stuff its Nintendo though, you an count on that. All these rumours seem nice though. I look forward to see what they are doing.

So far the impressions on the PS3 seem very good. But for the last 2 consoles, SONY has been known to use...lets just say, cheap hardware.

[camrachi-mishima]

Everything Sony makes is cheaply done. They have the most expensive products but lowest quality hardware... reminds me of another large and dominating corp *cough*nike*cough*. I kept this in mind when I bought the PSP, and while the PSP feels solid I already found two problems with my machine.

The door does not shut sometimes, lets say 1 in 10 times which is once too much.

The draw is scratching the UMD body. While this second problem is of no consequence, or none that I can see so far, I can't say I appreciate the idea of the system damaging the media no matter what the degree

[b00st]

Interesting info there man. I plan on picking up one myself. I hear there is a region free one. OKay well JK says they have region free PSP's. I checked around online and i see that the GAMES are region free but not the movies, fair enough. If there is a region free PSP that would be good though.

As for those game problems, you see that mem stick. well i wonder if these 1GB mem sticks go work.
if so, i smell priate games and movies all the way.