Nintendo Revolution - June '06

[shmokes]

According to Spong

[mo1e]

[SirPoonga]

a tag of $200 for the US,

[TalkingOctopus]

Have you guys seen this revolution video?

http://videogames.3yen.com/2005-09-19/nintendo-revolution-trailer/

After watching that, it really doesn't appeal to me.

[elvis]

The only thing that appeals to me about the revolution is the retro-gaming aspect.

I've still not read any official word on what that will cost.  The rumours that it would be free have all pretty much been squashed.

[mairsil]

I hope that Nintendo never airs that video on TV; I don't think that they will be able to handle the false advertising lawsuits/fines. As far as anyone has been able to tell, this is using an LED sensor similar to some lightgun games (i.e. The Lost World). There is no way in hell that it is going to be remotely as responsive to half of those gestures as the video would have you believe. Optical scanning certainly cannot keep up with those movements and forget trying RF.

Yes I am a pessimist, but I need to see both sides of the game. Without seeing how responsive the controller really is, I seriously have my doubts as to its capabilities.

[Samstag]

I hope that Nintendo never airs that video on TV; I don't think that they will be able to handle the false advertising lawsuits/fines. As far as anyone has been able to tell, this is using an LED sensor similar to some lightgun games (i.e. The Lost World). There is no way in hell that it is going to be remotely as responsive to half of those gestures as the video would have you believe. Optical scanning certainly cannot keep up with those movements and forget trying RF.

Yes I am a pessimist, but I need to see both sides of the game. Without seeing how responsive the controller really is, I seriously have my doubts as to its capabilities.

I believe it uses gyroscopic tracking.  And while I haven't seen the video that was linked (don't have quicktime installed) if it's the one I've seen on G4TV it's completely possible.  Gyroscopic mice have been doing the same thing for years.  We would have had gyro lightguns a long time ago but the technology has been too expensive.  I wonder how much those controllers will cost if you want to buy an extra.

[rchadd]

Wow, US is getting is cheap!

no, us brits have always been ripped off

[rchadd]

wow... for once i might consider getting a nintendo after seeing that video - just hope it can live up to the hype

hope all the games are not "kiddy" orientated though

[SirPoonga]

I hope that Nintendo never airs that video on TV; I don't think that they will be able to handle the false advertising lawsuits/fines. As far as anyone has been able to tell, this is using an LED sensor similar to some lightgun games (i.e. The Lost World). There is no way in hell that it is going to be remotely as responsive to half of those gestures as the video would have you believe. Optical scanning certainly cannot keep up with those movements and forget trying RF.

Yes I am a pessimist, but I need to see both sides of the game. Without seeing how responsive the controller really is, I seriously have my doubts as to its capabilities.

I believe it uses gyroscopic tracking.  And while I haven't seen the video that was linked (don't have quicktime installed) if it's the one I've seen on G4TV it's completely possible.  Gyroscopic mice have been doing the same thing for years.  We would have had gyro lightguns a long time ago but the technology has been too expensive.  I wonder how much those controllers will cost if you want to buy an extra.

Yep. it's gyroscopic.  The sites that have been able to get their hands on the controller and demo disc say the controller has alot of potential.  The demo disc included simple technical demos like one to dribble a backetball, one to play air hockey, and a demo of how the controller can be used in a first person game using the new metroid.  Thet have been saying it is pretty sensative technology.

maybe this will mean the return of samba de amigo.

The revolution compared to the other consoles is going to be alot like the DS compared to the PSP.  There will be alot of nintendo-ish games that will be awesome with that controller but third party games will be lacking, I fear.  Of course, that's how the cube is, the best games for the cube are mainly nintendo games.

[Hoagie_one]

it will be a fun system.  It may not compete with the big dogs for big dog game sales, but it'll be solid.

[shmokes]

I love the design.  It's a great looking system, I think.  I think I like the PS3 design too.  I'm not a big fan of the Xbox 360, but I don't hate it and it certainly wins the prize for Greatest Aesthetic Improvement.  The original Xbox is the absolute ugliest console ever made.  As for stuff that matters....I've said it already, but....Nintendo deserves success.  It is nothing short of astounding that a company as big as Nintendo has the guts to take a risk like this.  I will preorder this system as soon as I can to get one on launch day.  If enough people buy one of these, third parties WILL support it.  Of course.  And if everyone takes a wait-and-see approach, third parties won't support it, and then those wait-and-see people won't buy it.  Some people simply have to have faith in the beginning or the system will fail.  This controller is worthy of the name Revolution, and any self-respecting videogame lover should do their part to help it create a revolution -- to help move videogames beyond the rehashed game, over and over, with nothing but incremental upgrades in graphics.

I don't necessarily believe that the console will be a success, but I do have faith in the potential.  Nintendo needs to do a lot of things right, but for the most part, at this point, it is up to consumers.  What do consumers want, and are they willing to take a risk in order to get it?  If they want an Xbox 1.5 (a.k.a. Xbox 360), and want to play games that differ in no way from Xbox games, aside from polygon counts, they'll buy the Xbox 360.  If they want to play games that are truly unlike anything they've ever played before, seriously....the choice is incredibly obvious.

But still, it won't happen if Nintendo doesn't do a few things exactly right.  They absolutely need the following:

Mario Revolution (This game must be absolutely ---auto-censored--- amazing)
Metroid
Star Wars (made by Factor 5, and incorporating light saber melee combat)
Smash Brothers
Madden '06
Final Fantasy

All of these games MUST MUST MUST be launch titles.  And they MUST be spectacular.  Not just really good, but utterly spectacular.  They need, of course, more games than that....but those titles had better be there.  And hopefully they're actually doing the smart thing and reworking the Zelda game currently in progress to release on the Revolution instead of the Gamecube.  It will disappoint Gamecube owners, but the number of people these days who actually care about the Gamecube is small - down to hardcore gamers who sometimes have to be sacrificed for mainstream success, unfortunately.  They've already said that the game won't be released until '06.  Might as well use it to open up the Revolution with a bang.  A brand new Mario, Metroid and Zelda would make for one helluva credible launch lineup. 

[Hoagie_one]

all of those titles will not be launch titles.  they will come eventually, but not at lauch

[shmokes]

I think Final Fantasy is the only really questionable one.  It's been ages since the last Metroid or Mario.  There WILL be a Mario, except on the off chance that they decide to push the new Zelda over to the Revolution.  That would give them the flexibility to hold Mario back for a bit.  Metroid is pretty much guaranteed.  They need an FPS to show off the new controller's ability in FPS games.

[darthbane2k]

hope all the games are not "kiddy" orientated though

And this is exactly the kind of comment I simply cannot make any sense of (it comes mainly from Playstation fanboys)
What exactly is kiddy?

Do you think playing a games console of any kind makes you more adult? Video game machines are essentially toys. Games are about escapism and fantasy - would an 'adult' mario game consist of an accurate plumming simulation?Or is it violence and whores (a la grand theft auto) that makes a game adult? In my mind its the REAL KIDS who actually get off more on 'adult' games than adults themselves.
Adults generally arent insecure in what they play.
I prefer super mario kart over gran taurismo, so what?

How do you feel when you play Ms Pacman?...

[ChadTower]

To most people now, any game in which you are not violently killing things or blowing things up excessively, is a kiddie game.

[tetsujin]

hope all the games are not "kiddy" orientated though

And this is exactly the kind of comment I simply cannot make any sense of (it comes mainly from Playstation fanboys)
What exactly is kiddy?

When too many games are wholly cutesy and completely lacking the boldness to be even vaguely offensive...  there's nothing wrong with a game like that, but I don't want all my games to be like that, or even most of them.  I enjoy fanciful, stylish games like Windwaker and I enjoy relatively simple, accessible games with good gameplay mechanics (like Bomberman, and the various Mario games like Mario Kart and Mario Baseball, which have little to do with Super Mario Bros. but which use the familiar characters to give flavor to an otherwise simple but worthy game) these kinds of games are often lighthearted and accessible and very playable, and therefore also very good for multiplayer.  But I also enjoy other kinds of games, and I feel those other kinds of games are under-represented on the Cube.  I do enjoy fantasy that's presented with a realistic edge.  It's still unrealistic fantasy but the pretense of realism makes it a fantasy I can embrace.  And while I don't feel a great need to play GTA or BMX XXX, personally, as an adult I do want my games to exhibit some adult themes, too.  (Though, at the same time, incorporation of sexual themes into a game rarely comes off well...)  For all my games to be perpetually locked into some degree of kid-friendly limitations, that would feel stifled.  I want games that can reach as far as my experience and beyond into my imagination.

Of course there are such games on the Cube (Resident Evil or the Star Wars games, for instance), or even of Nintendo's titles on the Cube, (Metroid, or the upcoming Zelda, for instance) but I can relate to the people who look at the Cube's software lineup and see mostly Mario games rendered in kid-friendly Disney style.

Nintendo makes good games which are often imitated: they've proven that they know how to make a good game-playing experience.  That, and their attempts to create new kinds of playing experiences (through the novel controls of the DS and Revolution) have earned me their business - I will own a DS and I will own a Rev.  But I'm currently a PS2 owner, and most of my favorite games never made it to the Cube.  That concerns me a little, with regard to the Revolution, but it's a chance I'll take.

[darthbane2k]

To most people now, any game in which you are not violently killing things or blowing things up excessively, is a kiddie game.

exactly.
To be honest, a lot of the content on the various Playstation format disturbs me. I have a 2 year old toddler who loves games, he doesnt play them properly but loves them just the same. Im comfortable with him playing gamecube, but ps2, no way - a lot of the content in many ps2 games is bordering lewd (Look at the GTA'hidden' features).

Nintendo make games for the family, they dont single out certain age groups. As I said before, most people who are fans of Playstations 'adult' themed games are actually kids with something to prove. I, as an adult, have NOTHING to prove, so I feel no less of a man when Im playing super mario sunshine or even wonderboy on mame.

The sony generation have stripped a lot of innocence from gaming. Most games these days which are popular are no more than interactive R-Rated FMV sequences.
Look what the 'sony influence' did to Final Fantasy for example, is there a need for so much swearing and bad language in these games now?...

Dont get me wrong though, Im not into censorship...

[tetsujin]

To most people now, any game in which you are not violently killing things or blowing things up excessively, is a kiddie game.

exactly.
To be honest, a lot of the content on the various Playstation format disturbs me. I have a 2 year old toddler who loves games, he doesnt play them properly but loves them just the same. I'm comfortable with him playing gamecube, but ps2, no way - a lot of the content in many ps2 games is bordering lewd (Look at the GTA'hidden' features).

Do you feel the same about TV?  Your DVD player?

I imagine not, but I'm also going to go out on a limb here and say you wouldn't buy R-rated videos for your toddler, or let him watch Cinemax late at night...  More likely you buy him sove kids' videos or let him watch certain shows.  Am I right?

So why is a game system any different?  You have the choice of buying the kid whatever games you think are appropriate for him.  PS2 has "E"-rated games, and Gamecube has a few "M"-rated titles.  I don't suppose you'd buy your kid Resident Evil for Gamecube, eh?

And if you're referring to "Hot Coffee", yes, it's very well-hidden.  You cannot access it through gameplay, you can only do so by circumventing the game to access the media directly.  But if you're talking about GTA, and a two-year old, forget it.  The stuff that's not-hidden is rated "M" to begin with.  It's a playground for adults who have enough sense and experience to draw a line between fantasy and reality, and not cross it.

[darthbane2k]

To most people now, any game in which you are not violently killing things or blowing things up excessively, is a kiddie game.

exactly.
To be honest, a lot of the content on the various Playstation format disturbs me. I have a 2 year old toddler who loves games, he doesnt play them properly but loves them just the same. I'm comfortable with him playing gamecube, but ps2, no way - a lot of the content in many ps2 games is bordering lewd (Look at the GTA'hidden' features).

Do you feel the same about TV?

[shmokes]

I think I've made it clear that I'm a big Nintendo fan, so don't get me wrong.  I'm not a PS2 or MS fanboy.  But I'm with tetsujin here.  Nintendo has an image problem.  They are viewed as kiddie, and for the most part, they deserve it.  It was a conscious, short-sighted decision made by the company.  And it is an image they've been trying to shake for quite a while now. 

What possible reason, other than some diabolically evil collaboration with Satan, would Rockstar have of targeting GTA at kids?  65% of console gamers are over 18 years old.  People often seem to forget that videogames are all grown up these days.  They aren't a "toy" any more than books or DVDs.  They're a legitimate form of entertainment -- a form of entertainment, I'll reiterate, that is used significantly more frequently by adults than by children.  Not only is the GTA content made to appeal to adults, but adults are obviously who Rockstar hopes will buy their game.  There's a lot more money there.

Nintendo needs to take a page out of Disney's book (and they are trying).  It's not like they should give up Mario and Kirby.  Obviously not.  They bring in loads of money.  But Disney's also got Touchstone, making edgier, adult fare.  And Disney's got....well, I don't know, but they've got a lot of different companies, making entertainment for every demographic.

Nintendo can't afford for more than 60% of the market to feel like a Nintendo system is "kiddie" or even "family" oriented.  I like a lot of family oriented content, but that's just it; content should be family oriented, not a system.  Some of my favorite movies are rated G.  But I would never, in a million years, buy a DVD player that only had G-rated movies available for it.  I think Zelda: Wind Waker, and GTA: San Andreas are two of the greatest games ever made.  I own and love them both.  But I have to own two different game systems in order to do so, and most people will not buy two game consoles.  It's extremely important for Nintendo to quit alienating what is by far the largest segment of the videogame market.  Resident Evil 4 was a helluva an olive branch.  I hope they keep it up.  And the sheer success of the PS2 means that the "kiddie" segement is still very well represented on that system.  All Nintendo needs to do is hype V-Chip-like functionality for their system -- simply allow parents to lock out M-rated or T-rated content with a password to hold onto the family niche they have.  But if they don't start courting, and providing more adult content they will exit the hardware market altogether.  We would be witnessing the most innovative videogame hardware manufacturer in history exiting the hardware market. 

Anybody who wants Nintendo to continue making consoles should want Nintendo consoles to have more adult oriented games available for their systems.  It's a matter of survival.  Nintendo is just grooming kids to grow up and defect to MS and Sony.  Nintendo gets them hooked and then abandons them as soon as they finish puberty.  Sony and MS must love Nintendo.  Nintendo is like the gateway drug that leads to Playstation.  They can't limit themselves to being marijuana, though.  Nintendo needs to become crack cocain.   Sony realizes this and is even starting to give its portable systems names that sound like drugs.






p.s.   I apologize for what this post degenerated into by the end...

[geomartin]

Wow!  PSP, LSP, PCB...what a transition   Honestly though, I bought my kids GameCube a couple years ago at Christmas strictly because they had the kid oriented games.  I looked at PS2 and XBox and they did not offer much for kids at the time.  I do own an XBox for myself though, because I could not find the games I was most interested in on the Cube.  So, I would say both points are valid and it would serve Nintendo to purchase some franchise to market towards an older market.  This would leave the Nintendo franchise pure, but still diversify the content available for thier system.

Geo

[SOAPboy]

Have you guys seen this revolution video?

http://videogames.3yen.com/2005-09-19/nintendo-revolution-trailer/

After watching that, it really doesn't appeal to me.

honestly, made me want one..

Gives me hope for the inovation of that damn controler