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Nintendo Revolution Details Reaffirmed

Posted by Zonk on from the lantacular dept.

Nintendo President Iwata has reaffirmed details already released about the upcoming Revolution console. Gamsutra has details from his talk, where Iwata touches on the wireless capability of the Revolution, the designer friendly attitude of the console, and the secretive nature of the console's controllers. From the article: "For the next-generation console, we plan to introduce a friendly user interface so that, for example, a mother who's watching her child playing a game might say, 'Oh, I'd like to try that too.' However, user interfaces are devices that can be easily imitated by other companies, so I can't reveal any details right now." GamesIndustry.biz also has coverage on this topic.

9 of 61 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Waste of my time? by Rs_Conqueror · · Score: 3, Funny

    "For the next-generation console, we plan to introduce a friendly user interface so that, for example, a mother who's watching her child playing a game might say, 'Oh, I'd like to try that too.' Somehow I get the feeling that we can say goodbye to duel thumbsticks...

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    Behold, another webcomic!
  2. Re:Waste of my time? by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Somehow I get the feeling that we can say goodbye to duel thumbsticks..."

    It's about time! It takes forever to kill somebody with a thumb stick.

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    "Derp de derp."
  3. Other links by frikazoyd · · Score: 5, Informative

    Also of interest,
    Rumor Control: http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/25/news_61211 12.html
    Same story from Gamespot: http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/29/news_61212 64.html
    More Rumors and speculation from IGN: http://cube.ign.com/articles/522/522559p1.html?fro mint=1

    The latter has some interesting theories and "leaks", as well as some drawings of interest.

  4. Note to Nintendo: by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you want to make free on-line gaming work, game developers were need to make it so that a PC can host their games. I doubt many people will want to dedicate a Revolution system towards hosting games 24x7.

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    "Derp de derp."
    1. Re:Note to Nintendo: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Mostly because Nintendo has gone on record as saying that they want whatever online gameplay they come up with to be free.

    2. Re:Note to Nintendo: by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "Why would they do that when they could charge you monthly to connect to their game servers?"

      *sigh*

      Do you realize that the whole reason that Nintendo isn't on-line right now is that they DON'T want to do business that way? (It's this exact reason that a lot of people are under the mistaken impression that Nintendo is anti-online.)

      a.) It's not all that profitable, especially considering the maintenance involved.

      b.) It's not all that popular. Only a small fraction of PS2 or XBOX users actually pay for the service.

      c.) Quality of service issues making charging for it that much more difficult.

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      "Derp de derp."
  5. Re:Waste of my time? by SetupWeasel · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't think the thumbsticks complicating today's controllers. They are very easy to understand and use. I think the real complexity is in the number and position of the buttons.

    You have no idea how long I tried to honk my car horn on GTA3. when I found out that the left control stick was "L3," I yelled, "What fucking asshole invented this? It makes no sense."

  6. Never a truer word has been said by shoptroll · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Taken from the poster:
    However, user interfaces are devices that can be easily imitated by other companies, so I can't reveal any details right now.

    That's probably the truest thing about Nintendo. Look at the SNES controller design, near perfect. Sony sees that and copies it for the PS. Why nintendo didn't continue using that idea is beyond me. It's definitely done a good amount for Sony.

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    Insert Sig Here
  7. Nintendo = The remaining innovator by MMaestro · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Look at the SNES controller design, near perfect. Sony sees that and copies it for the PS. Why nintendo didn't continue using that idea is beyond me.

    Thats because after Sony copied the SNES controller design to make the original PS1 controller, Nintendo one-upped them by blowing people away with the thumbstick AND a Z-trigger. Suddenly people could play FPSs on their consoles and not get bashed on by their PC playing brethen (at least, not as much). Soon after, Sony releases the 'analog' sticks and after Starfox64 is released with a free packaged rumble pack, the 'dualshock' is created. Fast forward to today and Sony is still basicly using the same controller design they basicly ripped off of Nintendo. Course other game companies aren't innocent of this either. The Dreamcast took the Z-trigger a step farther removing the shoulder buttons in exchange for a second trigger and the X-Box simply added a second thumbstick and the black and white buttons.