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Nintendo Revolution Rumours Emerge
In more next-gen console news, ComputerandVideoGames.com has rumourmongering info on the new Nintendo console. Interesting bits like gyroscope sensing controllers and an online service make for intriguing ideas, but no details yet on what's going to make this console a revolution. From the article: "And what's revolutionary about Revolution? The inside source claims that talking about that "would get him into too much trouble" ... 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."
thumb trackball.
kind of a d-pad + the analog control into one...
just a thought.
Well, this may be hit or miss. Nintendo's "innovations" have either been huge successes or horrible failures. Some of these innovations include:
My bet is on something with voice-recognition, and I hope that it is a success. If it is voice-recognition, I hope they don't overuse it, like they have overused the rumble feature of controllers.
Note to self: Stop putting jokes in my insightful comments so I can get something other than +1 Funny!
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Here's what my imagination "predicts" about the revolution.
Revolution = wireless DS hub + broadband ethernet.
16 people with DSes sit around a revolution in one city and play on a team against 16 people sitting around a revolution with DSes in another city. a 16vs16 person game where everyone has two screens and a controller. Also the revolution hooks up to a tv to provide the "big screen" for the whole team to see.
And that's taking it to the extreme. If you just keep it simple with something like internet enabled smash brothers with a new innovative control scheme you've already struck gold.
Nintendo is making the video game hardware that is truly revolutionary by innovating the game interface. They started by inventing the first real gamepad (the plus) and now the're taking it a step further. The only problem is that they do not make software that takes full advantage of the potential of the platform. And the quantity of software that takes advantage is not enough. I think it is because they are very protective of their dev kits, unlike Sony and MS who are very open in this area.
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It's really about time for someone to innovate (at least a little) in the controller field. There really haven't been any improvements since the N64 controller, except for analogue buttons, and we all know how amazing those were...lol. Games are getting far to complex for the simple controllers we use. It's no fun having to remember what all 22 buttons on your gamepad do...
"A truly wise man realizes he knows nothing."
I think the most interesting tidbit in this rumor is that the Revolution may actually come with a built in hard drive! Sony's already said they're not going to have one, and Xbox 2 is still iffy on it. I think the hard drive was the best feature of the Xbox and I'm very glad to see Nintendo having one too (if it's true).
"A truly wise man realizes he knows nothing."
Meanwhile, if we look at what we actually know, this set of rumors has two small details that don't seem that they could be true. So putting aside "sources", here's what we can predict about the stuff in this article based on what Nintendo's actually said and done:
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
If we're going by the "Touching is good but feeling is better." hint my guess is that it's some sort of tactile force feedback in the controller. Or at least that's my hope. While force feedback can be fun(see Metal Gear Solid for one it's best uses) most games use it for just another effect when your character gets damaged or something basic like that.
I remember reading about these tactile feedback control in video games a few years back. They had motors in the controller that responded to what was going on in the game. For example, if you had a character walking up a hill the controller stick would respond back by pushing in the opposite direction so that you could feel how tough it was going on up the hill. The only big drawback was that I imagine controllers like that were pretty expensive.
I can't imagine the price being much cheaper now but if there's anyone I would expect to try it out in their controllers(even if it's on a really basic level) it would be Nintendo. With the exception of the Gamecube(and some of their portables) they have tried to put something new into each controller design. NES d-pad, SNES shoulder buttons, N64 analog stick, etc. Even if this all speculation, if Nintendo doesn't try this for their next-gen system someone else should.
-Shawn "If the Name Don't Rhyme It Ain't Mine" Conn
Xbox has about as many decent games as PS2 and Nintendo, they're all about equal. Just Xbox and PS2 crappy game:good game ratio is a bit higher than the Gamecube.
PS2 comes out with the new GTA's first, Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, etc.
Xbox is still new and trying to find their niche. But in the meantime you have Halo, Halo 2, KOTOR, Fable, Ninja Gaiden and they currently have the BEST online console on the market with XBox Live.
Nintendo has Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and now Resident Evil. All are pure classics and make for FUN games.
Violence doesn't neccessarily make a game fun. Heck, look at all of us who played Tetris for hours and hours. Currently I own all 3 systems and play them all equally, they're all good in their own regards.
Nah - he's just another one who would only admit to liking Zelda if it were full of profanity and sex. It's just not cool otherwise.