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Nintendo Releasing Wireless Router for Revolution
nmaster64 writes "Nintendo is really pushing their Nintendo Wi-fi hard, completely reversing the anti-online mentality they've held in years past. Nwizard.com reports, "Nintendo will soon be producing a router that will allow access to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network on both the DS and the Revolution. The router plugs into a USB 2.0 port and transfers your computers internet connection wirelessly into your next-gen Nintendo devices." It should be noted this story came at almost the same time as Sony announced they dropped the PS3's router functionality." Update: 07/13 06:20 GMT by Z : Please note there is no source referenced for this "story", and this could in fact be some guy's pet theory.
Wait wait wait, somehow they are able to catapault bits and bites through mid air???
What manner of sorcery is this nintendo?!?
- Toby
nice... now i can buy this plug it into my pc at work and enjoy some nice DS games online..i wonder if i can get the go ahead at work if i promise to allow them to sponsor my animal crossing town... seems fair to me?
...is Mario WPA enabled? Without decent wireless security that princess will just get stolen again. :(
not only that they use their own proportary protocol
im onkly hoping that DS:linux can use the wirless in a meaningful way and gets beter so i can buy a cheap pda!
wish it had blue tooth
The ability to reduce the number of cables is absolutely outstanding. A console that can be attached to the Internet without having to run a wire from the router or wireless hub to the box is a godsend. The ping times might suffer a little, though, I bet.
I can't understand why Sony would want to withdraw WiFi from the PS3 spec, though. If it is a technical issue, then you can bet they will come back later with an add-on WiFi dongle. If it is something else, then they've got me in the dark as to why they would reduce the spec at this stage when PS3s aren't even scheduled to hit the stores yet.
But as wireless networking becomes faster, and broadband providers start providing wireless router modems, this kind of thing is going to become the norm. Not only games, of course, but almost anything that needs to "think" more than a "dumb" device will be designed to take advantage of the home-wireless LAN.
Jesus saved me from my past. He can save you as well.
How is it a router if it has to plug into a PC to use its internet connection and not nativley negotiate it coming in?
Wouldn't you just buy a router dedicated to handle both connections sepratley? They are not that expensive these days.
obviously its using a computer because they want to make it as cheap as possible (maybe even in the 30 dollar range or less) by eliminating things in the router a computer can do, but still offer it for the laymen 98% of whom DONT read slashdot and who are NOT tech savvy and thus might not have 802.11 access in their house or *gasp* use a dial up modem!!!
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
Not as revolutionary as Nintendo's next, the "Parasite".
Needing a computer to connect to so that it can use its CPU & GPU, it represents the very essence of Nintendo philosophy, the re-use and recycling of known and proven technology.
I'm curious what futire plans they have instore for this. Nintendo is always considered a great innovator so it stands to reason that they will come up with some intersting things to use this router for. At least I hope so, because who wants to us the ds to browse the net when you have to be near a computer anyway just to access the wifi signal =p
The luddites you describe are not going to buy the latest console for the same reason they don't buy any other bleeding edge gadgets. They will be happily playing their PSX or dreamcast without a care in the world.
- Toby
> obviously its using a computer because they want to make it as cheap as possible
/.ers said to know nothing about computers, have them infested with malware and run unpatched windows machines open for everyone. And somehow a device that plugs in one of them infernal machines is better than an accessory that connects directly to the console and just works? Surely you jest!
Computers are cheaper than a console accesory these days? Who'd have thought!
> but still offer it for the laymen
I though the laymen were the ones
---- Take the Space Quiz!
The "Revolution" is so advanced that... it needs a computer to have access to a Wi-Fi network
I think misunderstood that: the Revolution has built-in WiFi and Nintendo is selling a WiFi router so PCs can access that WiFi net... they use their own WiFi network. This means if you buy a Revolution and have a DS, the DS can connect to the Revolution immediately without the need of buying a connector.
AFAIK they have their own WiFi net because of the special requirements a gaming device has.
USB eh? Will it only work on windows? Nintendo has traditionally stayed away from the PC to avoid the inconsistency that comes with such a platform. I'm surprised they didn't just make a router that connects with a cat5 cable and does DHCP. Would be much more seamless than a USB device and OS independent.
As for security, I'm not worried. It is likely that this router will be for Nintendo devices only and wont be subject to war drivers. Notice on the bottom of the DS it says "RSA Secured". Whatever patented security mechanism that refers to is what makes Nintendo wireless different from the wireless our laptops use.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
It should also be noted that there is no connection whatsoever between the the statements/actions of either company and there is no point in the above sentence being in the article summary.
Besides, the Nintendo USB2.0 WiFi device is a bridge, not a router.
There's not much info in the article. Is this some Windows-only kludge?
Nice troll, but the Revolution, just like the DS, will work with any 802.11b/g router. This is just a cheap solution for those without a wireless network already in their home.
Well, no. The two aren't actually particularly related. Despite both being called "routers" in the press releases, the PS3 was going to be a router, where you could plug computers (or more PS3s, or whatever) into it to get online. This is actually a USB wireless access point, which is basically not a router at all, and is just a way of connecting your Nintendo products to your computer and/or the internet.
I notice this was submitted by the same guy that wrote the post over at nwizard. Is there any official news on it?
Party Time: Excellent
You buy and dl nes and snes games of course! Now, if only I liked the newer games they are putting out, I may buy the Revolution. The best games from Gamecube are the rehashes of the classics mmmm.
"If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominos will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate." -Zapp Brannigan
Does this mean Nintendo is going to make a comeback into being relevant again?
Nintendo was always relevant. Sure their sales were never as big as Xbox or PS2, but Nintendo had a great niche market that generated good revenue. They didn't need huge sales numbers. Nintendo has always made quality games and always been part of a niche market.
This wireless will only add value to an already great, present, niche market. They know what they are doing.
right away people are bashing nintendo.
THis is awesome for people who wouldnt know how to set up a router at home. what could be easier then to just plug this into a usb port.
They are trying to make this really easy to go online . How come microsoft or sony haent thought of this?
Youre already ready to drop the PS3 into 3rd in the console wars because it wont do what an already existing, inexpensive piece of hardware you can pick up just about anywhere can do?
Call me crazy, but I thought graphic capability and its games "fun factor" were meant to be more important.
Perhaps now with the cash saved PS3 could TRULY revolutionize console gaming and include a friggin second controller out of the box.
...both interiorlly, and exteriorlly.
I'm getting the impression that for this generation of consoles, Nintendo's decided to sit out of the marketing hype war that Sony and Microsoft are enaged in. Then, whenever either of those two companies admits to overhyping their product, Nintendo swoops in and shows them up by announcing a previously-unknown feature (such as this).
I remember that old gray box with its 8 bit graphics...way back before I imagined the Net or wireless. It ain't exactly postmodern...but more like tensi-modern. What kind of cogency does this make for me (or you)? Just sit back, have a beer and reflect on it. With all the current graphics capabilities, remember how dust might stick to the old vent grill on your old gray box from the 80s (and you most certainly would slip through those grills given adequate size reversion and see exactly what caused those dusty cartridges to flash gibberish on your screen), and how impossible filth is to imagine in the wireless age collecting on anything! (But we know it does)
Meanwhile, Sony releases their next next-gen system codenamed "The Behemoth". The machine is a gaming system/computer/oven/SUV/washer-dryer-combo and can even double as a crib for your young children. However, parents be warned...Sony is not liable for The Behemoth growing jealous of the time you spend with your children and is not responsible for any unexpected deaths.
Well, not so much catapulting as jumping from floating platform to floating platform, but yes...
In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
Will it still work with a standard wireless router like the one I have in front of me?
I am trolling
Hopefully they will get some sense and make the same 180 degree turn around with their ridiculous anti-HD policy.
The Genesis, NES, and TurboGraphx16 werent online (well, the Genesis was with XBand eventually), and some of the most innovative, playable games were released on those 3 platforms.
Super Mario Bros 3, Earthworm Jim, the original Metal Gear, Final Fantasy - a long laundry list of original titles.
Here we are now in the wireless age and I cant count how many shooter titles are on the Xbox, or generic RPG titles are available on the PS2. The GC clearly still holds rank with gameplay innovation, but interestingly they sit 3rd overall in the worldwide console battle.
Its kind of sad, really. The market seems to be more concerned with whether or not I can get on the net with yet ANOTHER device, instead of making games compelling enough for me to WANT to get online with it.
...both interiorlly, and exteriorlly.
"...completely reversing the anti-online mentality they've held in years past."
Since when did Nintendo have an anti-online mentality? All I have ever read Nintendo executives say is that the market was not ready and would only be ready at the tail end of the GameCube's lifecycle, so it didn't make financial sense for them to go out of their way to support it on the GC.
So far I'd say they were pretty accurate. The XBox Live subscription level is about 2.5% of the worldwide sales; 350,000 subscribers out of 13.7 mil sales. Those numbers are from 2003 and late 2004 respectively. The fact that Microsoft hasn't published their subscription level for XBox Live since 2003 is pretty telling that they are in the very situation that Nintendo did not want to be in. They brought a product to market before the market was ready. It was just successful enough that it is going to be a pain to support, yet it isn't successful enough to be cost effective.
hehe, ok - this pyramid scheme is looking very attractive right now.
Any success?
The problems with Nintendo are much simpler than that. They pissed off all their 3rd party support with the N64 (expensive cartridges instead of cheap optical disks, and other stupid moves). And a lot of those third parties were still a little upset because Nintendo made some fairly anti-competitive moves during their NES monopoly marketshare days.
Also, while gaming in general began to market heavily towards the teenage male demographic with games involving gore, violence, and less clothing, Nintendo generally just kept making the games they wanted to make, and with Mario and the like they took on the aura of "kiddie games."
With all of that, Nintendo's marketshare has dropped significantly, and Sony and MS have become major players. In my opinion, however, Nintendo's games are generally just as high quality as they ever were. And they're definitely the most innovative of the big three.
Halo made the Xbox, no argument there. The PS2 is not riding high on the coattails of Katamari Damacy, its real killer app was GTA3, although it already had plenty of market share by that point.
*shrug* It's my anecdotal evidence vs yours at this point, but I thought the gamecube Mario Kart was a real improvement over the N64 version. I have all three of the current consoles, with a similar number of games for each, and the gamecube easily sees the most play. Not to mention that, except for Burnout3 on the Xbox, I can't get my girlfriend to play anything other than the gamecube.
I hope Nintendo keeps doing what they've been doing(with a few minor exceptions maybe). And hopefully as the gaming community continues to mature, more people will rediscover how Nintendo does a good job of making fun games.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil 4, Zelda, Metroid.. Just off the top of my head.
There are a whole lot of good games for the gamecube if you take off those blinkers and just look a little to the side.
I hate to tell you, however Xenon will most likely blow away revolution and Ps3. Mainly because Microsoft figured out that when they make a console, maybe they should think about having game designers sign up for them! So now that they have a dedicated proccesor, wi-fi, and game designers, they win. Dont' get me wrong, I hope that Nintendo think of some crazy innovative way of using the internet and games, I will probably buy it just for fun.
So from reading this it looks like that the Revolution will not be compatible with the WiFi net I have already in the the house.
What is the point of that?? I now have to turn on a PC with a USB dongle on it to connect to the internet. I hate wasting power. Why not realse one with CAT5 so i could hook it up to my current WiFI BB modem/router??????
I was getting excited about these, I hope I am missing something here.
Pablo
"Battle!!"
Not everyone wants to run Cat5 from their computer room, through the hallway, into the living room, around the couch, and into their gaming console. Dropping ports through the walls isn't the easiest thing for a lot of people either. God forbid Nintendo offer us any choices.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
The N64 their last biggest success? The n64 was their downfall. Sticking with a cartridge format and alienating all their 3rd party dev's is what shot them in the foot.
The gamecube is what has been helping them hold on to market share with titles such as resident evil 4 and the new zelda game coming out sometime this year.
Hopefully they use the momentum they're gaining and do well with the revolution.
...and just like that the big mystery behind the Revolution controller is revealed! The answers to the biggest mysteries are often right in front of our eyes (or something like that).
But seriously, I'm sure there will be some games that will allow the use of the Nintendo DS as a Revolution controller. They're definetly setting up for that, (they did it with the GBA, just not as wirelessly)
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur
Does this mean Nintendo is going to make a comeback into being relevant again?
They were always relevant. Their Gamecube is just kind of marginalized in the US market, which is not the hottest market for game consoles anyway.
And Sony's and Microsoft's hype tried to marginalize Nintendo.
But we will see. Sony and MS promise, Nintendo delivers.
I don't need a signature.
USB needs drivers, if I am not wrong for pretty much any OS there. Does that mean they will be developing drivers for all the myriad of Windows versions, Mac OS versions, Linux, and what other OSs? Because I doubt it. And I doubt it to that they will release anything under open source...
:-/
I already have my own router, so not that I care (unless its reasonably cute). Still, I guess the thing about N's router is that it will not need no port redirection in NATs or other stuff. Well, the XBox plays nice behind a router doing NAT with no need for tinckering with ports either...
Seriously though - am I one of the only people looking for a good single-player experience anymore? While I can see the appeal of online play in certain areas, it seems to discourage innovation in the areas of gameplay, story and dialog, and, well, *fun.* Just look at the options for online games right now - you have shooter clones, Splinter Cell and its clones, and MMO's. BO-ring. Give me the days of Morrowind, Planescape: Torment, and Deus Ex (or, for that matter, Metroid, Mario Kart, and Zelda: A Link to the Past) over those any day.
Many Bothans died to bring you this sig.
Also since when has Microsoft ever gotten a product right before the third generation?
I don't think Nintendo has officially said that the Revolution won't have an Ethernet port.
Deja Vu
n. 1. The sensation that you've read this very article before.
Microsofts Xbox has had wireless networking for a while now.
It should be expected of Nintendo and sony to match what Microsofts pervious console, anything less just means they are falling behind.
TruePunk | Games
No, you run the Cat-5 from the console to the cable modem/DSL box(modem/router)/whatever, and then to the wall. All that usually amounts to little more than a couple of meters of cable, nicely fitting behind a sofa. If you have cable TV and cable internet you pretty much have everything you need already next to the TV.
>God forbid Nintendo offer us any choices.
How is it offering ONLY Wi-Fi a choice, and offering only ethernet NOT a choice?
---- Take the Space Quiz!
I wonder if this thing will support all of the other OSes, not just Windows. If so, I will be happy (due to owning Mac, BSD, and Linux boxes).
Now Nintendo makes awesome games and they always have, but the competitions from Sony and M$ must be quite overwhelming soo maybe they should: 1)Release the OS for all Nintendo boxes as OPEN SOURCE .It would be a great idea for them, I mean, the number of geeks (including myself) that would buy it just to play around with it would be huge!
This would allow them to have one foot in the playground and the other in the computer lab!
2)Offer cool extra stuff, like two ethernet NICs etc and most importantly the full documentation for al this.
I mean, since Nintendo had always been about innovation and avant-gardisme....
P.S. My biggest dream has always been to run telnetd on my cell phone...
Perhaps now with the cash saved PS3 could TRULY revolutionize console gaming and include a friggin second controller out of the box.
That's about as revolutionary as upgrading the graphics card.
A quote from the article:
please, don't forget that the nintendo DS and revolution can still connect to standard routers.
This device that Nintendo is releasing is only for people who don't want to get a router/have dial-up.
What we need is a revolution, and I'm very curious to see what Nintendo is going to offer.
retard, its a cheap way of utilising the wireless features of the Revolution. not everyone wants CAT5 running around their home, this is a nice easy way to wirelessly hook up your revolution to the internet if you dont already have a wireless AP.
It's also worth mentioning that the Revolution's online play is supposed be FREE (as in no monthly subscriber fees). I don't see the Xbox or PS3 following that model, and the Revolution is using that online capability for more then just playing counterstrike with your buds, the Big N is planning on offering the ability to download and play classic NES, SNES, N64 and other games. Probably for a fee and maybe not amazing to an audience to whom ROMs are old hat, but hey, awesome nonetheless for everyone else.
I can't remember where I read it, but there was an article somewhere that was suggesting that Nintendo was going to take a different approach for online gaming. What was being suggested was only hardcore gamers actually pay up for the monthly fees, which are applied to the X-Box network and the MMORPGs. Nintendo was said to want to make the networked playing experience more accessible - I'm guessing reducing the entry cost or eliminating it, after all after paying $60 for the game, it is only a handful of people who pay extra for the pay-by-month online experience. Also when you consider that Nintendo has always made their consoles kid friendly, having a low online cost is important for the parents.
Other than the requirement of an extra screen you would now be able to do a revolution LAN party or maybe even use the console as a server to Gamebody DS games. I would be interested how Nintendo is going to make the online experience more accessible. The possibilities are endless, but the game developers just need to use a bit of imagination.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
This article: http://www.gametab.com/news/316739/, even though it seems to be written by a non-techie, implies that animal crossing DS will have a USB to DS cable that connects directly, as an alternative to using a normal router. This seems much more likely than a wifi bridge.
Nintendo has had an online service for every one of their major consoles, going all the way back to the mid 80's with their Famicom.
While they may not have a major one up and running today, they are far from anti-online. If you ask me, the only reason they don't have one currently is because there is no profit to be made today in that arena.
Its called smart business, not anti-online. In the same vein, is the MSFT games division anti-profit?
These pretzels are making me thirsty.
If it converts your existing Connection from connection x (be it Boradband or dial-up) to WiFi over Connection x it is a bridge (unless it is doing a NAT implementation) but i suspect it will just leverage Windows ICS.
I would be incredibly surprised if they didn't put an ethernet port on the revolution as well. The article linked hinted that they wouldn't, but that doesn't make it true.
Perhaps I'm just unusual, but out of the last four places I've lived, only one has had the cable modem sitting next to the TV. It usually goes where the computers go. I've got enough stuff plugged in in my living room already.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
"New wireless support will not help the company for as long as the same people who came up with Mini-DVD disks and whoever is in charge of their game licensing division are still in power."
He's not. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo's president since the late 40's, retired in 2002, nearly a year after the GameCube went to market. His successor, Satoru Iwata, is taking the company in a new, distinct direction as evidenced by the Nintendo DS, among other things. Under his lead, Nintendo has become more accepting of current technology standards. The DS has adopted 802.11 WiFi technology and will use SD memory cards in its media expansion. The Revolution will also use typical WiFi standards, as well as supporting DVDs, SD flash memory, and USB. As a longtime video game fan, Iwata seems to be much more in touch with what gamers want, and he has claimed to be committed to pleasing hardcore as well as new gamers.
Most journalists have been fairly impressed with the way Iwata has handled the company. He's already beginning to take steps that Yamauchi would never have taken, like the Revolution's backward compatibility, which is clearly designed for fan service rather than profit. Iwata has also been working with many third parties in order to win back the support that Nintendo lost in the N64 generation. We'll see how things go, but under his leadership, the Revolution could be the most exciting Nintendo console since the NES.
A couple of years back there was this scare about electricity towers having potentially harmful health effects because of the magnetism given off by the wires.
Now in spite of anecdotal evidence no scientist has been able to verify it.
Anyone else slightly worried though about the increasing airwave pollution from all this wireless stuff being shoved down our throats (so to speak)? You got the Nintendo Rev wireless router capability, you got wireless Xbox2 controllers, every familymember their own cell-phone, and then you got all your neighbours appliances to worry about as well.
(A real health-hazard turned out to be cell-phones..if you have a pace-maker that is. AFAIK cell-phones are still outlawed on ICU in hospitals.)
While Nintendo does not see the ridiculous number of console sales at the PS2, it's sales numbers are almost equal to the X-Box.
To be honest, I've often wondered about the legitimacy of the numbers that Sony and Microsoft tout for their Installed Bases. I can identify no less than three people who are on their second PS2, and I can name two people who've had similar X-Box problems. (In fact, it's how I finally got an X-Box... I got a free X-Box, replaced the DVD-Drive, and modded it.) Point being, If Sony's really sold 83 million (whatever it is), how many of those are actually still in use today. I understand they've got a larger install base than Nintendo, but in my experience I wouldn't think the number's anywhere near what they claim.
Of course, I'm being a bit facetious because all of Slashdot knows that lower sales numbers do not mean "downfall". If that were the case than Nintendo would have been bankrupt for years now. Except somehow the Gamecube sales still keep their books positive.
I do not think the Gamecube is clunky. I think its sleek and functional, but your opinion is your opinion. I think its safe to say that the X-Box is a FUGLY console.
DVD functionality. Yeah. I don't think that killed the gamecube. I use my PS2 to play games. I use my X-Box to play games. And I use my GC to play games. My DVD player plays my movies. Now I tried to use my PS2 to play DVDs. It's something I gave a lot of consideration, and I even donated my DVD player to another room for a while. But the PS2 sucks for that, so I reclaimed it.
I like Mario Kart 64. I like Mario Kart: Double Dash. They each have their own distinct advantages, and I still enjoy playing both. If you have the opportunity, you may wish to try Double Dash with 16 players via LAN Mode. Your perception of the game may change.
Pokemon hasn't disappeared, and it doesn't look like it will anytime soon. Considering there's been three GBA releases in the past year, a GC version, and an upcoming GC version. While the hype has died, people who enjoy pokemon still enjoy pokemon. You may also wish to try this game. While it is targeted for children ages 3-13, it's actually a very clever and complex RPG battle system. Of course, the games aren't extremely difficult, but if you can get a few friends involved, you'll stay challenged for months.
Of course, ultimately you're right. Any video game company needs to focus less on the hardware and more on what we enjoy: the games.
Deja Vu
n. 1. The sensation that you've read this very article before.
Actually, yes. I've received products from them before. I'm really looking forward to the DS for gaming. I thought the touchscreen was dumb until I actually took the time to play WarioWare. Nintendo may make kiddie-looking games... but they ALWAYS bring the gameplay. The PSP, that's strictly for emulators. The games just don't do anything for me. I never even bought a PS2. They look pretty... but I just can't get into them. And that Damn controller sucks.
Not everyone has this setup though. It's moot for me since I already have a wifi network setup in my house, but if I didn't, the solution you propose wouldn't work for me. My DSL modem is downstairs, and I keep my console in my room upstairs. Running cat5 to it wouldn't be an option.
this isn't really a troll.. its very true its rediculous that nintendo just isn't giving into the standard or atleast having a "router" that connect directly to your network via cat 5 instead I'd have to have my laptop running at all times (I don't have a desktop) so I can access games online..
I've read that article, and it is fascinating. I'm not in any way worried about Nintendo going out of business or anything, I'm just amazed at how much they get crapped on by so many people.
Part of it is a general "winner take all" mentality, even though that's not how the economy works. MS and Sony are preparing to duke it out in the next generation, all over this "winner take all" idea, while Nintendo is perfectly happy to keep doing what they're doing.
All that being said, Nintendo had, at one point, practically won it all, and they basically owned the video game market. A number of factors went into their slide from that dominate position. I was trying to counter the original commenter's thesis, which was that Nintendo is "losing" because they don't make good games. It's my opinion that they've been making excellent games all along, and that their marketshare has been affected by other sources.
It's probably the fanboy in me, but I just get annoyed when people look at the sales percentages and whatnot and decide that Nintendo must be worthless. I guess I wish they'd get more respect, because even with their smaller marketshare, they still do more to improve video games than Sony or MS.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
what kind of credability does this aformentioned link have? they didnt list their sources.
This is OLD NEWS. Anyone who considers themselves to followers of gaming news should know this was talked about in depth a LONG time ago.
Man, seriously, research some slashdot.
If you don't buy a console for fun, what do you buy it for? To impress the ladies?
At least you'll buy the nintendo for the intended use.
Will you buy the xbox360 and/or the PS3 for tedium?
If these same 'luddites' are stuck in the past, and the Revolution will allow them to play games of the past (NES, SNES, N64) by downloading them, they will need some way to actually connect and download them. They might have trouble with a DVD player, and they might have trouble with the Revolution. But it'll likely be cheaper and simpler than shelling out $100 - $200 or so for a wireless router that would be insanely more complex than they would know how to work. This adaptor would make it easier for those with a computer and a connection to get to those oldies.
Only question is the security; will Nintendo implement some form of security that's transparent to the non-slashdotter without risking more zombie computers?
I think misunderstood that: the Revolution has built-in WiFi and Nintendo is selling a WiFi router so PCs can access that WiFi net... they use their own WiFi network
The Nintendo DS uses 802.11. This USB wirelessy thing is almost certainly going to just be a totally normal 802.11 router, just it plugs into USB instead of sitting between your modem and computer the way a Netgear would.
You have probably heard that Nintendo has some kind of "propreitary wi-fi protocol". This is true. However this protocol is used for DS to DS multiplayer. Like, if you have two DSes in a room. This "propreitary" protocol will also, as you note, probably be used to connect the DS to the Revolution.
However, when the DS needs to go onto the internet-- i.e. when you buy one of the online-enabled games such as Animal Crossing or Mario Kart coming later this year-- it switches to 802.11 TCP/IP.
I think we can completely assume that the Revolution will work the same way.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
Ooh ooh! Me too!
Pikmin 1 & 2, Mario Kart Double Dash, Super Mario Sunshine...
We used to get up every morning at six a.m., set up all the bricks to be broken, and then beg tuppence off of passersby to use for coins in the game.
But you try 'n tell that to kids today, an' they won't believe you!
You must be crazy! Everyone knows that this so called "fun factor" doesn't matter when you make games. It's only about the graphics (and sometimes the movie/TV licensing). And software QA takes a backseat to it all!
It's like sex, except I'm having it!
You're correct when you say that Nintendo was facing the fall-out of the N64 with the Gamecube; many developers were still angry with Nintendo for that system and saw little effort from Nintendo to attract their demographic (teenage males) to the Gamecube. This all started to change when Iwata became president.
Iwata has mended fences with Capcom, Namco, and Square; they have been working on strengthining their relationship with Sega, EA and UBI soft at the same time. If you look at what we know about the Revolution already you can see that much of it's design was focused on attracting large publishers. Think of the downloadable NES, SNES, and N64 games less as a way for you to enjoy older games and more as a way to allow Publishers a method to generate extra revinues when they release a new game; imagine if Square releases Final Fantasy Chrystal Cronicals 2 and at the same time makes Final Fantasy 1-6 available for download.
At the same time Nintendo's online strategy is very likely to attract more people to try their games online; there is no fee for connection (and quite possibly most games will be free) and, with it being wireless with and inexpensive 'router', most people who already have an internet connection will be encouraged to at least try online games. XBox Live will probably be a better, more feature rich, service but the Revolution's service will have far less barriers to entry.
The last thing to note is the 'revolutionary' concept in the new system, this is probably central to Nintendo's cryptic comment about the best ideas not the biggest budgets surviving. Much like the Nintendo DS this feature will not immediately scream inovative gameplay, but will be different enough that some of the more creative designers will be attracted to the system because they can produce something new.
Don't remember where I read it, but I believe that Nintendo is using an extremely similar API for the Revolution so people who have used the GCN SDK will be familiar with the Revolution SDK.
It's like sex, except I'm having it!
The purpose of this device is to allow the Revolution to go on the Internet without the customer having to fuck with the cables going into their router or the technical details of wifi. You plug the dongle into the computer, you go through a quick wizard and click OK a few times, you turn on the Revolution, and it's online. There's no step 4!
Just an optional router for somebody that has a PC with DSL (like most folks) and buys a revolution. I'm sure the revolution will work with existing wifi infrastructure if that is your desire. Sounds like a pretty good product to me.
Slightly off topic, but apparently, you have no idea of what a router is if you think that it is a requirement for a router to be able to natively negotiate DSL. And apparently the moderator that found your comment insightful doesn't have a clue either. According to wikipedia:
"A router is a computer networking device that forwards data packets toward their destinations through a process known as routing."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router
Nothing there about having to negotiate DSL.
So, as usual, you should get your facts straight before you post.
They aren't "stuck in the past", they just don't care about having the latest and greatest gadgetry. Either that or they can't afford it so they make due with older technology. In either case, they aren't going to have a brand spanking new console.
And for the record, wireless routers go for less than $50 nowadays. I just took a look on newegg and you can get a netgear 802.11b for $15.99 after mail-in rebate. So much for "$100 - $200".
- Toby
Nintendo is trying to become the Apple of the game industry. Fit into a niche the big boys don't care about or have trouble attacking. Cultivate a "hardcore" fanbase that's guaranteed to buy your product and provide a steady stream of income. Make first-party products so good that it doesn't matter if you have third-party support. This strategy could keep Nintendo going indefinitely if they keep their game standards up and if they don't care about being the undisputed king of the hill any more.
If you ask me, I've been thinking Nintendo = Apple since the beginning of the GC/PS2/Xbox era.
And yes, as long as Nintendo makes *good* Metroid and Zelda games, they'll get my money.
Then, *perhaps*, I'll buy a PS3 (that DVD-jukebox rumor would surely make it happen, but only after I have a Revolution).
I'm going to be nit-picky here.
First of all, most others would not say their last major success was the N64, they would say it was the beginning of the downfall. Sure, it was their first 3D console, but as an earlier poster said, they made a lot of 3rd parties mad by using cartridges, which also limited textures and such because of the limited memory of the cartridges.
You say the GCN has a clunky shape, but it seems to me that I can place it anywhere near my TV without it looking out of place. If I have an extra 6-8 inches on the side of my TV, I can put it there. DVD functionality should matter not these days. I just bought a DVD player better than both PS2 and Xbox for $30.
Xbox has its various Halos. You mean both 1 & 2? Is that all the good games it has? PS2 has Katamari Damacy, and GCN has no quirky games like this? No Wario Ware? No Super Monkey Ball? No Pikmin? And it's blasphemy to say that MK64 is better than MK:DD. The graphics and framerate are so bad in MK64 that it's nearly unplayable. I'd much rather play the original Mario Kart with sprites in Mode7 than play with 2D sprite characters in a 3D world.
And where exactly is the problem with mini-DVD discs, as you call them? The only problem I see is that it deters pirates, not only because of the smaller disc size (which you can probably buy nowadays), but also because the track is written and read from outside-in, not like normal CDs/DVDs which are read inside-out.
It's like sex, except I'm having it!
Riiiight. But what if your computer and cable modem are upstairs in an office and your console is downstairs in the living room? Should I purchase another cable modem and account so that I don't have to do wireless?
I'm sure that the Revolution will contain an ethernet port also. It would be pretty stupid not to.
Forget the whales - save the babies.
Any broadband capable console can be made wireless with the right adapter, including PS2 GameCube and Xbox. The Revolution will have wifi BUILT IN. Does the Xbox have that?
Hmmm, let me check mine....
NOPE!
While Nintendo does not see the ridiculous number of console sales at the PS2, it's sales numbers are almost equal to the X-Box.
With how much cheaper GCs are, though, they really should be selling more than Xbox. Personally, I chalk a lot of that up to lack of online support...XBL is the only reason I own an Xbox; I was perfectly happy with my GC+PS2 before that.
Point being, If Sony's really sold 83 million (whatever it is), how many of those are actually still in use today.
Not mine...it barely reads discs anymore, and has started to make funky sounds as well. It had been retired to bedroom DVD duty, but once it was no longer able to reliably read brand-new DVD's straight from the store, into the closet it went. I'd sell it, even cheaply, but I wouldn't wish that POS on anybody else. I've yet to see any games I simply HAD to play that weren't on Xbox or GC.
I do not think the Gamecube is clunky. I think its sleek and functional, but your opinion is your opinion. I think its safe to say that the X-Box is a FUGLY console.
The GameCube was meant to be moved, carried from place to place for portable 4-player goodness. Where I am now I often grab it and head to somebody else's room so we can get our game on. That handle is there for a reason. I'd say the GameCube is physically the best-designed of the 3 consoles...but people think it's clunky just because it deviates from what they expect home electronic devices to look like.
Personally, I'd say the GameCube was the best (if not the best selling) of this generation's consoles. It definitely redeemed Nintendo from the debacle that was N64. Of course, the N64 made them plenty of money too. Even when Nintendo "fails" they always seem to fall bass-ackwards into cash...go figure.
If Nintendo had had the foresight to embrace online, a la Xbox Live, it would probably be the only console I own right now...except the PS2 in the closet, of course. Then again, that's probably just me, because I think I'm the last 18-26 year old male who doesn't care one bit about GTA.
If you can't own the wires to the house, which means you'd probably get some service fee, why not own the box at the end of the wires? The best part about owning it is that you get to say what QoS you give to the PC, and what you give to the Revolution and DS.
I'm guessing the PC will get "best-effort," while the DS and Revolution get much better service. After all, why launch an internet-enabled console which happens to have a widely touted online game-download service, if you didn't want to give it a great, always-on connection with which to buy new games? This lets you put the Revolution in the family room without running wires, and ensures that any DS expandability has a device tested and checked to work perfectly with it.
Nintendo is intelligent. If they have such a good strategy for getting their devices into the home, I see no reason why they won't continue to make money like no tomorrow!
Sony's strategy seems to be that they announce the crap out of their hardware, cut whatever doesn't work, and then wait for 3rd-party people to make software for it. Nintendo has a fully-baked, complete plan. I'm betting they turn heads if they can execute it.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
Nintendo was always relevant. Sure their sales were never as big as Xbox or PS2, but Nintendo had a great niche market that generated good revenue.
Actually the worldwide Gamecube sales were consistently better than those of the XBox up until Halo 2 was released... XBox really only ever was leading the Gamecube in the U.S...
Even now that the XBox is unambiguously ahead of the Gamecube, it's by such a rediculously tiny margin as to be almost meaningless. The Xbox has like 19 million sold, the Gamecube has like 18 million sold. Great! The PS2 has about 80 million sold...
This is to say nothing of how those numbers might potentially tip this fall, when the Gamecube's Halo 2 (Zelda) comes out... it could get to be *gasp* 20 million gamecube to 19 million XBox. What then? Do we declare doom for the XBox?
The Gamecube is definitely a niche compared to the PS2... but it seems really wierd to me that people look at the XBox with 20% market share and think "mainstream" and the Gamecube with 20% market share and think "niche"...
Exactly. People forget that when Nintendo owned the market, the video game industry as a whole was pretty much a niche market. It was a very big niche market, but far from the mainstream indsustry we have now.
Sony came in and expanded the market, which is great, but I don't think Nintendo has fallen as far as some people would have you believe.
Sinch
I agree. They already function a lot like Apple. Probably why I'm such a big fan of both. It will serve them well, and hopefully, like Apple did with the iPod, Nintendo will once again figure out a product that really resonates with the market, and they'll gain some more prominence. The whole industry would benefit from that.
One time I threw a brick at a duck.
No, you run the Cat-5 from the console to the cable modem/DSL box(modem/router)/whatever, and then to the wall.
In my case, i'd have to run the cat-5 straight across the center of my wife's desk and the living room floor - not everyone has their game consoles and TV sitting right next to the cable/DSL modem.
Nobody buys games for "fun" anymore.
Get with the times, man!
Fit into a niche the big boys don't care about or have trouble attacking.
Except that now Sony is trying to muscle on on a large part of their turf (handhelds). Personally, I'm hoping that Nintendo shows them what kind of mistake it is to attack them on their own turf...and while the DS got of to a weak start in my opinion, it's showing a lot of promise down the road game-wise.
I'm only worried because Nintendo is in a transitional stage right now, which makes them a little more vulnerable than, say, Apple with their iPod. Where Apple seems very sure of what they're doing and how they want to do it, the Nintendo DS seems more like a big question mark. "What do you think, guys? Is this cool? It has a touch-screen...neat-o, huh?" The complete opposite of the GBA, which was a straightforward evolution of a well-established product line.
I'm babbling. Anyway, I hope the DS pans out for them. I'm confident that Revolution will...it will likely do just as well as the GameCube, if not better. I've already started saving my pennies.
And it's blasphemy to say that MK64 is better than MK:DD. The graphics and framerate are so bad in MK64 that it's nearly unplayable. Personally, I prefer MK64. The games are so similar that it's just the little things that make the difference. The hop. The way you drifted corners. The item system (no character specific items). No kart selection. Simpler, aye, but you didn't need the knowledge of what character has what items and what kart is the one for your duo. Now, with all that said, I did enjoy it immensely with 4 players. Co-op was pretty fun too. And yes, the framerate was just terrible but, like with Golden Eye and Perfect Dark, it still beats all these damn car and shooter sims when it comes to down to what's fun and what's not.
BackIn, I agree with you completely.
/shrug. Then again, now that Microsoft has Rareware, that opportunity is gone. Not that Rare's done any good games since MS.
;) /shrug. Who am I to say anything about video games, though. Aye.
I loved my N64 because the 12 games I owned for it were great games. I played Goldeneye for months because it was well designed and easy-to-learn-but-tough-to-master. I was satisfied paying $60 for games like that.
But everyone wants GTA or Halo these days. I'm sorry... GTA was fun for about 12 minutes, and then I moved on.
Halo was a relatively well built FPS, but it just wasn't as well designed as Goldeneye.
Laugh this one up if you will... I own three gamecubes. Well. One I bought when they dropped the price to $150. One I bought so I could use it as a travel system (I do a lot of travelling, and it was bundled with Zelda), and my Fiancé brought hers when she moved in with me. Am I disappointed? No! All three of them get used on a fairly regular basis (Crystal Chronicles rocks when you use the GBPlayer in conjunction with a second monitor, especially when you got Peep).
I fired up my X-Box last week so I could play Mario Kart 64 (easier than finding the cartridge and all my N64 controllers). Aside from that, though... X-Box is as useful to me as church is to my family... Three times a year: Christmas, Easter, and Death.
Then there's my PS2. Its getting lonely downstairs. The TV its hooked up to hasn't been turned on in months. At least its keeping my Atari company, though.
Deja Vu
n. 1. The sensation that you've read this very article before.
I suggest you take a look at Nintendo's financial statements. 111,522 million yen operating income and 87,416 million yen net income, both of which are up over previous years.
While Nintendo doesn't have userbase of the other console companies, they are making a profit on each console sold as well as on the games, unlike Sony and Microsoft who are taking losses on console sales.
Except that "Microsoft's previous console" was actually a stripped-down PC without a monitor or keyboard.
It was the ultimate swindle. I'll never stop laughing about it.
Slowly but surely, people will return to Nintendo. Sony's choice to remove the PS3's router super powers is probably to cut back on it's production cost. Already costing them nearly $500 to make and selling for $400, they're gonna skimp on a feature or two to save some cash. Nintendo's gonna do what it's always done, make fun games. My friends and I have a short saying, "The level of fun rises exponentially to the number of Gamecubes present" and the same will be true for the Revolution. I feel Nintendo was right about the market not being ready for online, at least in the way that they pictured it. Nintendo wants everyone to play online, not some small percentage, like what is present for Xbox. While there's no denying that Xbox live was a good idea and really gave some steam to the online console market, it's not quite what Nintendo wanted, it's probably the reason they didn't support online play as much as we wanted with the Gamecube. Yes, Nintendo pissed off 3rd party developers....big time, now that has definitely cost them, they have learned from their mistakes. We have yet to see the revolutionary aspect of the Revolution(the controller), but it will for sure be interesting. One thing I really wish for is somehow, just somehow is to be able to trick the old games into thinking there is a player 2(or 3 or 4) hooked up, when it is actually an internet connected player. Come on, nobody can deny the allure of Ninja Turtles or Sunset Riders from the SNES, having it multiplayer with friends miles away.
I think a lot of people are misunderstanding this...
Nintendo has stated many times that a DS will be able to "play online at any wireless hotspot around the world". This USB adaptor is not because the DS or Revolution will only connect to it, it's because...
Nintendo wants stuff to be easy. Your girlfriend (yeah, right) wants to play Animal Crossing DS online, but doesnt know shit about computers, thats why she lets you hang around. Say youre out of town and she she wants to set this up. The process:
1) Buy Nintendo USB adaptor
2) Plug it in to a computer
3) Play Animal Crossing DS online
It is cheap and thoughtlessly easy, and that is how it should be. For the rest of us, we can use our existing WAPs and not have to bother with this.
They should make a real router, not a bridged access point that 1. requires the computer to be on and 2. takes up system resources and 3. takes up a USB slot (what about us with lots of peripherals?).
If you can't convince them, convict them.
Just a thought, but... If it's directly connected to my computer via USB... well, I controll my computer. And thus what my computer sends to that port. So in theory, people should be able to write all sorts of fun things to take advantage of this fact. Especially given that the gameboy DS already has the ability to download games over wireless. I predict some fun hacks coming out of this, unless I'm missing something here...
The NES, like every Nintendo console, was online in it's own way. NES had a download service in Japan, who's name I forget right now. Starband?
There was a special version of Dragon Quest 1 you could get from it.
Bonk was freakin' awesome.
I have a TurboGrafx in a box in storage somewhere...
As long as it can link up to my Trapper Keeper 2000, I'm cool with that.
Will it work in Linux? I don't trust my mom and dad's computer >.>
Show this to your friends and family that don't know what a real hacker is
Saying the world is not ready for online play sounds pretty anti-online to me, at least when it concerns the Gamecube. You, along with Nintendo, are ignoring the fact that online play is not a business of its own, it's a tool that should be promoting the mainstream business of selling games. It doesn't need to make money through fees if it's helping the company sell more copies of Mario Brothers online. Nintendo sabotaged any hope for PS2-style free online play by not supporting their broadband adapter beyond making it *barely* available for use with Phantasy Star Online. That $5 ethernet adapter should have been fused into the Gamecube's shell at launch. In this sense none of the three players got it right: the PS2 required an addon network adapter (which they at least bothered to support) and the XBox, suddenly demonstrating more ambitious goals, decided addon hardware and monthly fees should be the gateway to online play. No wonder the market remains small. One last jab: freely distributed server binaries work great for online PC gaming. Why is it so taboo in the console world?
Step 4: Profit... Theres always a step 4!
I guess being one of the most profitable game companies IN THE WORLD isn't relevant enough
"Super Console Wars" - a goofball retelling of "Star Wars" with Darth Mario.
Only about 2-5% of Xbox owners use XBox live and I doubt even 1% of PS2 owners use their PS2 online.
Nintendo was 100% right when they said the market wasn't ready.
I agree about the sales numbers 100%.
I've purchased no less than 3 PS2's my self and I'm not even a huge fan of it, and to top it off I'm about to buy another one for my bro (for the third time) because once again the thing has quit working (making it a total of 4 ps2's I've purchased). I've also owned 2 xbox's one which broke and the other which was stolen along with my PS2 (I never bothered to re-purchase these for my self because I dont play them anyway and my roommates already have them).
I've only ever owned 1 gamecube. I got it when it came out and I have NEVER had a problem with it.
Now lets take a look at my roommates heh..
2 of them have gotten no less than 2 PS2's each because they keep breaking and my friends XBox just broke so he's getting another one of those.
Almost everybody I know who has a PS2 has purchased at least 2-3 of them.
Considering Nintendo makes more profit then ALL of Sony (Electronics, Movies, Music, and Games) Id say they have not fallen far at all.
So... how long until we get a Web Bowser on the DS?
Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
Just to clear up some confusion, you don't HAVE to use the Nintendo router, it's just an option for those who don't have a Wi-Fi network already set up. I've edited the story over at nwizard.com.
"It should be noted this story came at almost the same time as Sony announced they dropped the PS3's router functionality." It was known that Nintendo would release a USB wifi adapter to share a connection for a month or two. Don't have a specific link, but I remember reading about it.
oh oh! Now let's name all the games from 2004!
Uh...
Resident Evil!
Now all the games this year.
Uh...
yeah...
Funny when people mention great games for the gamecube, but have to rummage up 3-4 year old games. Gamecube is great if you like a slim selection.
The luddites are going to hear "Mommy! Daddy! Nintendo's got this new Revolution thingy, and I need one, and this NiFi thingy so I can download games on it!"
Most of my friends at least have one current-generation console, and most of them don't even have DIAL-UP at home, FWIW. (Heck, a couple don't even have a computer...)
Then again, I've got cable, two working computers of my own, but no console (unless you count the old SNES lying in a corner). (And, the best GPU I've got is a nVidia TNT2...)
I will probably buy it just for fun.
what else would you buy it for?
Why would you assume everyone keeps their router near the TV? Mine is 2 floors down in the basement. That adds up to a little more than "a couple of meters of cable, nicely fitting behind the sofa".
Nintendo have always been on top.. I didn't realise quite how much until a month ago when I got round to getting a Gamecube with RE4, Rogue Squadron, Mario Sunshine and Pikmin - I realised how much I had been wasting my time with a PS2 these past 4 years or so. You know its funny, but number one in the market is rarely best - it just means they are number one at marketing, which is an entirely different thing.
Just so everyone is aware, Nwizard.com has completely changed since the posting of this article, and unfortunately it means the link in the article no longer works. If you want to see the new post, you can go here:
Nintendo Making a Revolution Router
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AND MY STORY IS NOT A PET THEORY! NWIZARD.COM ONLY REPORTS ON STORIES WITH LEGITIMATE SOURCES!