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Nintendo Revolution Controller Revealed
kakos writes "At the Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has revealed what the Nintendo Revolution controller looks like. The new controller is a radical departure from traditional controller types. Has Nintendo struck gold with their new controller design? The reviewers seem to think so. It should be interesting to see how gamers react to Nintendo's new innovation."
Luanch titles for the system will include Dragon's Lair 1,2 and 3, Space Ace and any other old laser disc game that can actually be played on a tv remote and DVD player. Wait a minute, that sounds pretty cool actually. I miss those games.
Great, now I am going to accidently waste 10 minutes every game trying to control Mario with my DVD remote.
Thanks for the new controller Nintendo!
... it's so bad.
;)
Seriously, this feels like a move in a similar direction - I hope they improved the technology at least a little since then
HELL. YES. I just watched the video off of IGN's website, in one part, there was a guy using it as a sword. You could hear them clang. This has to happen, George, I hope your up late like me watching this because this has to happen.
Is it just me, or do you hate it when people say "Is it just me..."?
love it, just think about it for awhile, read some info don't just look at images. and check out IGN's movie of it in action here http://cube.ign.com/articles/651/651334p1.html the realization of how awesome it can be will flow over you.
I remember when I was a kid we would make fun of whoever was the kid who would move the controller trying to turn a car faster in a game... now look what nintendo did.
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Finally there can be a good cricket game!
I can see why they wanted to keep this thing under wraps for so long. This is going to either be the savior of Nintendo or a miserable failure. Though I think it will be the former.
The very act of being able to control things on screen with precision 'ala mouse will finally let First Person Shooters and Strategy games be played unencumbered.
Even if this controller for some reason doesn't pan out it's 100% wireless so theres no reason they couldn't always fall back on a more "traditional" controller if need be.
You are about to see what may be the fiercest wave of criticism toward a console we have ever seen.
Don't flame. Sit back, relax, and laugh.
Damn this machine is going to be fun.
What are you thinking? This controller will put Nintendo ahead of the competition.
Unless the other companies whip up some controller to imitate it as they invariably have in the past.
D-Pad, Analog Stick, Rumble - All Nintendo popularized.
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Isn't this going to really help people who are left handed when it comes to playing video games? I'm looking at the picture, and it's difficult to tell if it can work.
Some (*edit* Most!) people haven't spent years developing highly co-ordinated thumbs, but every person on the planet knows how to move their hands in free space.
Intuitive controls + fun gameplay = A sure bet.
This reminds me of the unwieldly Nintendo 64 controller. Nintendo ergonomics skips a generation.
Nunchuku configuration? Imagine using a traditional controller that's been broken in half and is now only held together by a dangling fragile wire.
In a game like tekken or halo, for example, I'm rough on the controller, and I like to grip onto something solid. This does not provide.
If this weren't going to be marketed to children, I'm sure the one-handed controller could warrant at least one AO-rated joke. Ooh, built in rumble? Make that two - one for each gender. How fair.
I am intrigued by one of the demos mentioned in the article - "Pilot Wangs".
Anyone remember when the neighborhood spaz would get über-pissed because he sucked at videogames and so he'd make a run to turn off the console, and a fight would ensue?
There really needs to be a way to prevent the console from being turned off remotely, or else there's going to be lots of bruises and bloody noses in homes that house both children and Revolutions.
I'm no Nintendo Fanboy, and was at first extremely skeptical, but take some time to read reviews, watch the video, and imagine the possibilities.
Engadget has some more information here and IGN has looked at some of the possibilities for each type of game here.. As some parent post said, a mass amount of instant unchecked emotion flaming is about to come, but before you post, take some time to think about the possibilities.
but you access a push button and a directional pad with the same finger? does not seem very functional.
RTFA. You don't use the d-pad for movement. You MOVE THE CONTROLLER.
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OK, so I was quite 'Eh' about it before... but man, that's really thinking outside of the box in regards to controllers... initially looking at it and thinking "Erm, that looks like a remote control, how uncomfortable", but then, reading that you move it around to control things... now THAT'S cool... and having plug in extras on flexible cords meaning it's perfect for righties and lefties... oh how very, very, very... wait... yep, very cool!
Bring it on please... come on, bring it on, over here.
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Here are some examples.
:)
Let's start off with the most obvious implementation: FPS. A genre that drives the PS2 and XBox (and dominates computers) will thrive on the Gamecube. Gone is the fiddling with the joystick. A quick flip of the controller, and you've completely turned around. Aiming is no longer tense; your hand eye coordination will allow you to better attack your enemies using a 3d mouse than with a regular controller (think about how many people are about FPS on the computer.)
Don't like FPS? Let's ignore that and move to a love of the Nintendo community: Zelda. Want to see Link do more than just two directions with his sword? No problem, since you will be controlling his sword. When you swing your arm, Link swings his. When you jab, so does he.
Want to control how tense your bow string is? Pull out the bow and arrow, go into first person mode, and extend your arm. Press a button to lock the start position, and pull back as far as you want.
Zelda isn't your thing? How about some fishing. A whip of the controller and you're casting off. You can bob the line back and forth, left and right.
And the accessories for the controller; you can be sure that these will be fairly inexpensive, meaning that companies can throw in their own little controller to add more depth to the game. How about hooking up the headphone set to talk to your buddies in online games to the controller instead of having to have an entire other attachment to the Revolution?
Now imagine that you hold the controller vertically. You're playing Star Fox. You move the controller, just like in a real jet fighter, and the plane moves with you.
Plus, you have a controller that is in one hand only. This means you can eat cheetos and play games at the same time.
The possibilities for this seem endless. Nintendo was not kidding when they named this the Revolution; we are on the edge of virtual reality, the thing that every geek has longed for since we saw the Holodeck in Star Trek: TNG. What Nintendo is doing is taking the big, hulking interactive setups of yesterday's arcades and turning them into the remote of tomorrow's homes.
You no longer control the machine; you control the character itself. Your arm swing is its arm swing. Your aim is its aim. As we've seen with DDR, gaming is turning into more of a physically interactive medium. With this controller, gone are the days of sitting around on the couch fumbling with the controller. Now, if not standing, you're leaning forward or sitting up straight, slashing with your might or blowing a hole in someone's stomach.
Just imagine if they put out pairs of goggles that really gave you the whole FPS feel.
I think Nintendo has a good chance of winning this round.
I've been seeing this kind of reaction to it all night. Oh Noes!!!! Nintendo changed the controller. They just dug their grave!!!11!1One!!
Stop and think for one minute. Why do we even have game pads today? Because Nintendo bucked the trend of everyone and their dog with joysticks and made a gamepad for the Famicom/NES. What about analog sticks? Nintendo again with the N64.
Nintendo has made dramatic changes to the way we play our games twice now, and both times the industry fell right in step behind them imitating at their first opportunity. Who's to say they aren't doing it a third time here?
I'd tend to give a game company who's been around longer than half the population of this website the benefit of a doubt.
interesting tech, but what we don't know:
1). Wireless efficiency. The PC Jr. had a wireless keyboard. Is this thing going to work in a crowded house with lots of peanut butter flying around?
2) Durability. Speaking of which, how hard can you beat on these things? What's the MWBF (Mean Waves Between Failure) on this thing? Are people going to just wave them right into the rubbish bin?
3) Endurance. How long can a twelve-year-old boy wave his arms before fatigue sets in? Has anybody done any reasonable studies? What about 30-year-old overweight slashdot nerds longing for their misspent youth?
4) They are shipping at least two controllers per unit, right? 'cos if there's just one, then designers can't rely on the numchuck configuration.
* Remote control design: constructed to appeal to a wide variety of potential players
* 3D Pointing: Sensors understand up, down, left, right, forward and backward.
* Tilt Sensitive: Controller can be rotated or rolled from side-to-side.
* Buttons Included: Has a trigger on its backside, face buttons, and a D-Pad
* Multifunctional: Has an expansion port which can be used with different types of controller peripherals. Analog stick with two trigger buttons planned for left hand.
* Wireless: Totally wire-free. Currently there are no details on the max distance, source or power, or otherwise.
* Rumble Built-in. Included standard in all the controllers.
I suppose an new innovation is better than an old one, speaking tautologically and repetitively again.
it did. why would you do this nintendo?
Now, before you get all up-in-arms about it, think of the possibilities! This article really makes you think of some of the extraordinary ways this device can be used! I know I'm looking forward to its release. Ah, finally some good RTSs on a console, or a shooter more akin to mouse+keyboard.
Also, the people who've had a chance to use it have generally come away pretty excited.
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Wow. I mean, wow. You mean half the population of this website are over 116 years old?
The biggest fear everyone seems to be buzzing about right now is that the Revolution Controller won't be capable of playing "normal" games. Well, do you really think Nintendo would actually exclude themselves from those types of games? I think they're more clever than that; read this excerpt from one of the reviews: But what about for SNES or N64 games where there are more buttons or a need for a second analog stick? The Revolution controller can rest in a sort of controller shaped cradle which could add different buttons or control sticks to mimic the controller's predecessors. For example the analog stick portion would work quite well in the center of a N64 shell. Whether or not these shell cradles will come in the box, or if third parties will make shell cradles is also not determined. Not only that, but the expansion slot will enable any controller type to be hooked up to it allowing for wireless gameplay including dance pads, konga drums, and the like. No specific peripherals have been announced, but the possibilities are virtually endless.
So, the system will be more than capable of playing games the "regular" way. Although I'd expect that most games for the system will end up supporting the gyro in some way. I for one, am excited!
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You mean we won't be able to play the same things we've been playing for 15+ years. They can't clone last year's big-hit? No big budgets? How will they make money if they're spending little and having to come up with new ideas. Creativity is, after all, something only hardcore gamers like.
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Here's a video clip: http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2005/09/16/443527.h tml
While it's impossible to tell whether this move will work for nintendo, it can definitely be said that it opens interaction possibilities that just aren't possible with either console or PC gaming (which is what Microsoft and Sony have been promising). What's more, it was accomplished without getting sucked into the graphics/cpu arms race.
It's certainly different. Whether it's "Virtual Boy" different or "Nintendo DS" different remains to be seen.
This is a GREAT idea, but I have two worries.
One is that the main controller looks like carpal tunnel city. Admittedly, I haven't used it yet, but it looks awkward. The wrist will be under exactly opposing strains, from the thumb pushing down and the other fingers pushing up. My knowledge about wrists is mostly limited to just HAVING two of them, but when I'm holding a standard two-handed controller, it doesn't feel like the support strain is hitting my wrists too badly. It feels like it's radiated down my arm to my elbows. And the load is shared between both hands. With the new Revolution controller, the pressure is all on one hand and comes at the top of the controller. I can't help but think that the wrist will take the entire load... possibly like a lever using the wrist as a fulcrum... against itself.
It may be perfectly fine -- remember, I'm no expert here -- but I still wonder.
My other concern is how precise and repeatable the hand-gesture controls will be. It's a really superb idea, but it's going to require deployment of sensors on either side of the TV. I wonder how well Nintendo is going to handle the gamut of televisions, from 13" B&W up to 100" projection models. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea, but doing it right, and giving it the kind of sensitivity you have with mice and analog thumbsticks, will be very hard.
If they can get it working reliably, but it's a bit sloppy (which is my expectation), they'll need to adjust game designs quite a bit to accommodate it. But it'll give a degree of immersiveness that we will love. Practically everyone instinctively moves the controller around, trying to give their character or car an extra 'push' when they're in a tight spot... making that into an actual control mechanic is brilliant.
Upshot: I'm so there. I'll buy one when it ships. Even if it fails, at least they're really doing something NEW.
Everyone who loves it is a fanboy, continually having faith in anything and everything done or said by their favorite corporation come hell or high water (or goofy designs). Criticism isn't just heresy, it's undisputably wrong.
Everyone who hates it is a troll, stoking their own agenda of loyalty to competing corporations. They obviously (that term is solid gold in a flamewar) only play "mainstream" titles like Madden Football or some kind of low-brow FPS, and don't know what real gaming is.
There is no middle room for opinions, and facts are neither relevent nor plentiful. Only hype, speculation, and brand loyalty matter.
Personally, I'm intrigued by the controller and would like to find a link to the movie that still has bandwidth. But half the fun of this weekend is going to be watching the flamewars between the fanboys and the infidels.
No, we don't want to keep playing Grand Theft Auto. We already beated that game.
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That sensor's not for primary communication. The Rev controller uses RF. My guess is that the it's there so it can 'see' the reciever you'll have to attach to your TV. In other words, that's for the 'point' feature of the controller. Judging from the hands-on report over at cube.ign.com, it's clear that the controller works very well.
On a side note, have a peek at this comment I wrote a while back. I regurgitated a few rumors going around about the Rev controller, and the "point" ability of the controller is one of the things that was mentioned. I'm relieved to say that the concern I had about the controller working with modern/future TVs has been addressed. (This isn't speculation, this was confirmed. It'll work with LCD and plasma TVs.)
I know it won't happen, but I'd love to play San Andreas with this controller. Oh well.
"Derp de derp."
"Nintendo has long been a trailblazer, and this controller design reinforces that reputation," said Brian Farrell, president and CEO of THQ. "We enthusiastically support Nintendo's next console because we believe their approach of continual innovation is very much in line with our own strategy of creating unique and innovative games for the next generation of hardware."
"What we're seeing from this controller is the same thing we saw with Nintendo DS," said Chuck Huebner, Head of Worldwide Studios, Activision.. "It's a system that's designed with an eye on enticing new players to the video game industry, and that's something we firmly support."
"Game control is essential - it's the area where perhaps the most game-play improvement can be made," said John Schappert, Sr. Vice President and General Manager of Electronic Arts Canada. "While our portfolio represents a full array of titles across all genres, I think our sports titles might be the first to immediately take advantage of what this novel 'freehand' type of control has to offer."
"We were among the first publishers to see the control design in action," said Serge Hascoet, Chief Creative Officer of Ubisoft. "We're excited about the new controller and are looking forward to taking advantage of its innovative aspects."
Now at this point it's just talk (I haven't heard of any Revolution Controller-specific games being announced by these folks), but if Nintendo does manage to get some key 3rd party developers on board, well, games will change dramatically! Some of the new ways of playing can be fantastically fun -- think, running down the field in a new EA game, juking left and right, flipping the remote up to do a quick jump. At least some big developers are keeping their options open.
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This is going to either be the savior of Nintendo or a miserable failure.
I agree, and I think the thing that will make or break them is the question: Is it easy for 3rd parties to develop for? The article seems to say that, in practice, the idea doesn't inherently suck. Okay, so that's the first hurdle cleared. Now it's time to see if it's just as natural to develop for.
An believe you me, I sincerely hope it is.
This sig rocks the casbah.
Seriously though, this seems good for left-handers. Having the analog stick on a wire means it can be held in either hand.
Another neat thought while we're indulging ourselves. What if some games allowed you to use two controllers in conjunction with each other? Imagine dual wields pistols, or knives, or even, saw a bow an arrow: you'd aim with one controller and pull back on the string with the other. This could truly open up the video game industry to a whole host of intuitive controls.
Or it could not. Of coursem, how intuitive the controls are are due to the interface design of the game. So let's just hope that game developers are able to exloit this to its fullest potential.
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Video
s _1.html http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2005/09/16/443527.h tml
http://media.cube.ign.com/articles/651/651334/vid
I WANT ONE!
The article suggests that maybe the button is for menu navigation, but I figure if the controller is sensitive to where it is in space with relation to the TV/console/whatever, then the "home" button obviously tells the console what the controller's home position in that space is. Not some menu's home, the controller's.
its has to be .
I love two handed gameplay (the addon analog stick just feels real weird) and this looks really really cramped . Every unintentional nudge or move of my wrist now would cause me change my char position ?
during gameplay i frequently change my grip and holding positions intutively without having to stop/pause the game in any way..now how do i do that ?
this has to be some kind of joke
I agree. Nintendo has always had the best controller in the industry. Even now, IMO, the GameCube controller is one level above those of PS or XBox. The new controller actually makes sense. These types of "controllers" have been available at game arcades that are specific to a particular game - i.e. swinging, slashing, or otherwise moving it around to simulate specific actions tracked by the sensors. However, it seems like it will be the first for general gaming use. I could easily see players jumping around and swinging their swords, and throwing objects in Zelda, fighting against each other in many other games. At the very least, it may get people off the couches and involve some physical activity when playing most games - it's a step in the right direction.
Yes, developers are on board. On board to make games that take specific advantage of this controller (as you quoted), because that'll be the only practical reason to make games for the console at all. What does this mean? Puzzle and party games, as I've said. Things like MonkeyBall and stuff like that. AND, because making games specifically designed for this controller means that they'll ONLY work on this console, the game will be impossible (or at least VERY hard) to port to the other consoles, which means the developer will not give the game as big a budget since the profits are limited to one console only.
Likewise, games NOT designed specifically for this controller (most games on PlayStations and Xboxes) will likely not be ported to the Nintendo console. Why would they be? They need a completely different way for the gamer to interact with it now.
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The reason FPS games are so good with a mouse is that you are using very small precise movements with your wrist and fingers, with your palm and arm at rest.
Your fine motor skills can be trained to a much higher degree of acumen than your whole arm/shoulder/hand.
This controller may end up being worse for FPS games than even a traditional gamepad/thumbstick, but I guess we'll find out in a year or so.
there are four ports on the top of the system for gamecube controllers. ps3 and xbox360 have the same controller design as their previous generation. nintendo will just continue to sell gamecube controllers. wavebirds will work too.
It's not IR. It's RF, same as the Gamecube's wireless controllers. (They work flawlessly and from a great distance, by the way.) Nintendo knows what they're doing.
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After reading the commentary on 1UP, Gamespy, and elsewhere, it seems like the controller's orientation detection system is actually very robust, responsive, and accurate. The reaction to the tech demos seems to be generally positive, and the use of regular hand motions that translate directly into equivalent movements on the screen is probably the most intuitive game control scheme yet. Two actual action buttons (one for thumb and one for trigger finger) are a bit sparse by modern standards... but then again, the controller, right out of the box, can detect both translational & rotational movement in 3 dimensions, for a total of 6 degrees of freedom (compare to 2 degrees of freedom per analog stick on conventional controllers, which are considerably more clumsy than just picking up an object and moving it through space).
The addition of the plug-in thumbstick controller with 2 additional triggers increases the control possibilities, and with enough polish it seems like using the analog stick with one's left hand for movement while simply pointing with the controller in one's right hand (or vice-versa for the lefties) could be an even more accurate and satisfying control method for first-person shooters than the mouse and keyboard or DS touch screen (and certainly light-years ahead of two analog sticks).
The key with this radically different controller really is, you guessed it, control schemes. If we didn't have the position and orientation sensors, then 2 action buttons would be paltry and anemic for anything but a turn-based strategy or RPG game, or a simple puzzler or platformer. Certainly a modern fighting, action, or sports game would suffer. BUT, using the revolution controller, motion becomes much more important than button mashing. Swinging the controller through the air like the hilt of a sword would reproduce than sword stroke in the game. Or, imagine playing a basketball game where you use just one of the revolution's buttons to hold onto the ball. You lift the controller up, move your hand to make the shot, put a little spin on it and release at just the right moment... how much would that kick the ass of any other sports game?
One issue that arises, however, is that it becomes very non-trivial to port titles from other platforms. The Revolution's controller doesn't just enable radically different control schemes... it basically necessitates them, as there aren't enough analog sticks and buttons to map a conventional control scheme on to (unless a newer Revolution game were to make use of an older gamecube controller). Nintendo will probably have to lead the way on the system with strong first-party titles.
Actually, one can look at the history of the DS as a good reference point for this: in the very beginning, we had some games that were built like glorified tech-demos. They showed off the possibilities of the new interface, but they were little more than software novelties, and there wasn't a whole lot of game underneath. Over time, however, the system built up a library of first-rate ports (Super Mario 64 DS), innovative and fun re-inventions of classic genres like the platformer (Kirby: Canvas Curse), widely appealing non-games (Nintendogs), and extremely solid games for hardcore gamers where the touchscreen and dual screens are a natural and organic part of the gaming experience (Advance Wars: Dual Strike). Now, there are dozens of great-looking DS titles on the horizon, and Internet gaming is set to take off on the system.
I think we might be looking at something similar on the Revolution. We start off with very gimmicky titles designed to get people comfortable with the new controller and wow passers-by at the local electronics store. After a while, a next-gen Mario and Zelda will start to show how old-school genres can be transformed into a new, fun experience with the new controls. Meanwhile, something like Metroid Prime 3 will hit and add a new and brilliant control scheme to the mechanics of the shooter and possibly impress a lot of hard core gamers. Seeing
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This controller is beautiful, sleak and fits nicely with the look and feel of their console. Now the obvious...
It has hard edges. Sure it looks cool as some guy uses it as a sword, but hey real swords have cylindrical handles for a reason... BECAUSE you will end up doing more damage to your own hand with a cubic handle than you will do to your enemy. Thousands of years of development went into cylinrical things we have to grasp and hold for any period of time for a reason... example, swords, clubs, baseball bats, your dicks... Even the newest television remotes are ergonomic in this sence. Granted your standard dvd remote isn't as once you press play and hit enter a few times, you put it down for an extended period, but your tv remote is pretty much glued to your hand the whole time you are surfing so studdies showed that users wanted something that was more comfortable to hold for long periods of time.
Personally I don't think it has enough buttons... it needs more buttons to look really cool, because if it is too easy to learn to use, it just isn't a game controller.
The second handle is a cool idea and will, I assume, eventually be fully thought out over a number of years to be quite useful and full featured. As to Left handed players, I guess you will all have to wait till Ned opens his new store and starts to stock them...
From an ergonomic point of view, I think extended use will cause wrist problems as the position your hand is in when holding it facing the TV is not a natural one. I think they could have done a much better job on the ergonomics by moving away from the look and feel of the console. Granted they are part of a whole, but they both have very different uses. One is for looking good on the shelf the other is for feeling good in the hand.
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Satoru Iwata has said, again and again, that he wants to open gaming up. When Hiroshi Yamauchi stepped down, he left some words for Nintendo:
"As I retire from management, I have no words to share. Coincidental to my leaving the company, I would like to make one request: that Nintendo give birth to wholly new ideas and create hardware which reflects that ideal. And make software that adheres to that same standard. Furthermore, this software should attract consumers as new and interesting. Lastly, and of equal importance, is completing these products quickly and at a cost comparable to today's current market. I imagine most people question the feasibility of my request, but Nintendo has always pursued those objectives..."
I've watched the Microsoft and Sony and Nintendo E3 presentations. Sony and Microsoft both repeated the same thing -- we want to be the most powerful machines, and we have them here! Nintendo said, we want our machine to be easy to play and easy to develop for.
Sony said that they wanted to be a media hub. Microsoft said they wanted to break out of the male 18-34 demographic -- right before they stereo typed girls as casual gamers! Nintendo said they had something they felt would include more people in the games.
How about the games? I own Wario Ware: Twisted. It has some of the technology Nintendo has applied to the Revolution controller inside of it. It detects my hand motions, and uses those as means of control. I also have Wario Ware: touched! Between the two, you can quite clearly see that the folks at Nintendo are playing with various games and methods of controlling them (while also delivering interesting gameplay!).
While I am male and in the 18-34 demographic, I don't buy Madden every year. I don't want to buy another WW2 shooter. I don't feel like joining a 5-hour raid in WOW. I just want to have fun. I want to be able to have fun around my school, work, family, etc. I want to involve my friends and family in my fun when I can. The games Sony and Microsoft were showing weren't the games I can see doing that for me. Nintendo's games still do it for me 20 years later.
I don't think Nintendo is in trouble for this next generation.
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Wait a minute? Grand Theft Auto? That sounds awesome with this controller. Think. Point to aim. Pull the trigger to fire. Top button to jump. D-Pad to choose weapons. And plug in the analog stick to move. This controller was just *made* for GTA and FPS games.
But we all know that the ladies like guys with big arms, right? Here's the solution to making geeks with giant pythons. Nintendo has started an exercise revolution!
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This is quite obviously the most adaptable input device ever created, and you think that makes it harder to port games to? If anything holds back portability on next-gen consoles it'll be the differences in programming for the different cpu/memory/graphics architectures of each.
And as far as game libraries go, I think having access to the entire back catolog of Nintendo games going back to the NES (quite possibly those from 3rd party developers as well) could just be considered an advantage.
(You can see my detailed opinion here)
REVOLUTION CONTROLLER: LINKS OF INTEREST
I like the idea, except for one thing- It shows the add-on setup using this second controller with an analog joystick that plugs into the first controller via a short cord. I really think it would be a lot better if they didn't have the cord there.
You can see in the video that the guy pretending to be playing a FPS and wielding the first controller as a sword is having to hold that second one up to his chest. The experience would look so much more natural if he could move his arms independent of one another.
And I can't be certain from just these articles, but it doesn't look like it has gyroscopic feedback- like using gyroscopic inertia to make it feel like you're carrying something heavy, or that your sword has hit something, or that your tennis racket has hit a ball, etc. It would seem a must to me.
Actually, what I think would be ideal would be two identical wireless controllers, each with 1 analog stick, 2 trigger buttons, and 1 combination ABCD/D-pad (because we all know they're pretty much the same) as well as gyroscopic sensors and feedback. Basically break a PS controller in two.
I definately agree with this, but I don't think you're giving people enough credit. This isn't just something that looks cool; it could mean an entirely new gaming experience. It may very well be that Nintendo's weapons based fighting game can't even be compared to the competition.
I think (and hope) people will recognize this as something new and grand rather than the usual variation on a theme.
What I mean to say is, that same person might think to themselves, "The last GTA was good, but that'll hold me while I get some extra cash. This Nintendo game, though, I can't really match that with anything already in my library." Maybe they won't put it as eloquently, but you get the idea.
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Your arm swing is its arm swing.
Does this mean that the next generation of game playing geeks will have well toned muscular arms?
They put more thought into their designs than their competitors. For example, Sony's buttons are neatly arranged, but it takes a while to memorize which one is square, or whether L2 is the top or bottom one. The Gamecube controller looks odd at first glance, but you never have to stop and think about which one is the little red "B" button, or which is the vertical bean-shaped "X" button. And that's exactly why Nintendo made it that way.
main(c,r){for(r=32;r;) printf(++c>31?c=!r--,"\n":c<r?" ":~c&r?" `":" #");}
And the reason we have the controllers we have today are because Nintendo basically invented them. The D-pad, the analog stick, the shoulder button, force feedback/rumble vibration, the analog button, these are all timely Nintendo innovations that were copied by the rest of the industry.
Whenever new funcitons are necessary for gaming, they can be easily adapted to the controler and be utilized.
Of course in a day down the road, the functions and actions in game will require for a complete and revolutionary controller.
On the contrary, I think that there comes a point where you have to make some fundamental changes to the controller setup before certain types of gameplay can be realized in a fun and worthwhile fashion. How many people would be playing Dance Dance Revolution if it had never been paired with a "dance mat" controller?
It seems to me we've reached a functional plateau with regards to the "output" we receive from video games, the video and the audio. Sure, the graphics continue to improve, but better graphics aren't really going to change the gameplay experience that much. Also, the addition of sheer processing power isn't going to add much to the equation either, aside from perhaps slightly better bot AI and more complex simulations.
No, right now it seems that technologically, the only thing you can feasibly change to produce a revolutionary leap forward in the gaming experience is to alter the way the player interfaces with the game.
Is it too soon for this kind of "paradigm shift"? Maybe, but I don't think so. Now's the time to start experimenting, when the current crop of controllers has grown stale and even the weakest of the CPU/GPU entrants are going to be capable of producing stunning visuals, and online play is reaching maturity as a standard feature.
I think this was the right time for Nintendo to make this move. Nintendo isn't shooting themselves in the foot "again". They're a profitable company that knows pretty well by now what they're doing. They've had a few missteps (all of the players have) but they are breaking new ground, and while they may not be dominating the market again (yet), they are doing something Sony and Microsoft really haven't been doing with as much success as far as I can tell, and that is that Nintendo is essentially creating new gamers by appealing people other than 19 year old males.
I sincerely doubt this will prove a "fatal" move for Nintendo even the console doesn't catch on like it has the potential to. Nintendo may regress further into providing a niche role in the market, where they can still be a "success" in terms of greatly satisfying their customers while turning a profit ... or they may prove a success on a "revolutionary" scale and be "The" company once again ... whereas Microsoft and Sony find them in a perhaps somewhat less enviable position, one where they vie for supremacy by means of a pissing contest that has both of them producing expensive juggernauts of consoles that will likely serve as "loss leaders" for the both of them for a good long while, in a battle that may leave many customers upset at their ultimate choice of a console ("damn, I'm not really enjoying this $400 toy as much as I thought I was going to!") and one company or the other ultimately losing money from the venture instead of earning it ... or not ... I'm not an expert on this stuff, but this is how it seems to based on various articles and such that I've read.
The back of a Volkswagen?
Geeks have already very strong wrists, they practice alot since puberty.
Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
Gets to skip Nintendo thumb, and go straight to Nintendo wrist.
Orthopedic Surgeons everywhere, rejoice!
Yes, but the same thing can be said for games made on the PlayStation and xbox360. Because of the different processors used there is no simple way to port between the two systems and likewise between revolution. All three systems have made design decisions that really make it difficult to conveniently port games freely between the three systems.
AnandTech: comparing PS3 and 360's hardware
And in my opinion a different controller design does not seem as hard a hurdle to overcome as different design philosophies imposed by the hardware. But that last part is just IMHO.
You mean we won't be able to play the same things we've been playing for 15+ years. They can't clone last year's big-hit? No big budgets?
The irony being that one of the Revolution's major selling points is downloadable versions of classic Nintendo games. Turn the controller sideways and it's perfect for the classic games. The same games that get re-released with EVERY Nintendo system. Do we really need another release of Excitebike?
Congratulations, Nintendo, you have successfully created a new machine with absolutely NO third-party support. I'll be looking forward to seeing you implement the unique features of the controller on yet another version of Mario Party or Warioware.
I really hope they release some games using stereoscopic 3d Glasses (like at Disneyland). If they do it right, it could usher in a new era of virutal reality, the last one was a little too short lived for me!
Yay me! ^^
No real text here. Just that there's a flip top cover on the top / right side that conceals 4 upside down Gamecube Ports. Don't like the modular supercontroller? Plug in a GCN controller and awaaaaay you go.
Can't do that with anything but a gyro.
Rather than a gyro, how about a series of accelerometers (1 for every axis). If you know the acceleration in an access, derive it and you have speed. Derive it again and you have the distance moved.
This is much more likely than gryos.
--
Google innovative? Phhfft! This is Zombo-com!
Clever signature text goes here.
A lot of people seem to think this will be a great controller for FPS, but I disagree. The idea is that if you want to snap your aim in some direction quickly you can do so with a quick movement of the controller. I agree that this could work very well. But now I ask, how do you turn around and face the other way? Well, the obvious way is that you turn the controller just like you did for aiming. But now let's say you want to move in the new direction. You can recenter your arm or you'll turn back! This system leaves you facing one direction - the one facing the tv. Of course there are many ways around this like using the controller movement for fine-grained or snap movements and using the stick for gross motions, or maybe pressing a button in tells the game not to interpret moving the controller as game motion so you can ecenter. But while these solutions do solve that problem, they are much less intuitive that the simple control motion = character motion you may be hoping for. I can see how this controller will be a lot of fun and could be a step above the old style for console FPS, but I don't think it's the end all and be all that others see. Overall, I think this controller will make the Revolution an excellent secondary system. I think that Xbox 360 or PS3 will make a better main system for console gaming, but I also think that the Revolution with this control set up coult offer enough unique and fun games to make it a worthwhile edition to the stable. *sigh, looks like I'll have to buy both an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Revolution - goodbye cash, I hardly knew ye.
Recent advances in gestural technology have allowed programmers semi-Minority Report style interfacing with computers. But it's incomplete and inefficient at this point, and requires hardware (and software, for that matter) that the casual user is afraid of. But here Nintendo introduces the very first mainstream, real-time, 3-D, gesture-based interface for use every single day in the home.
The idea isn't necessarily new, nor is the technology, but until now, very few people use simple hand gestures to interface with machines they use every day. Some time next year, though, yes, we can have a near-actual swordfight, and yes, we can go fishing, but how will we navigate menus in the game? How will we navigate menus from within the Rev's own dashboard, for that matter?
This has the potential to revolutionize, not just gaming, but the way everyday people interact with their machines. Nintendo will be sure to keep the IP rights to their (wonderful--I'm drooling here) controller, to be sure, but the implications of this in technology in general are huge, and that cannot be overstated. Especially considering how much mainstream computing borrows from the gaming industry.
The Virtual Boy was too ambitious--ahead of its time for the technology available then--but I'd say the Rev is right on time, folks.
/first post :)
Don't expect to see Madden for the Revolution.
Next you'll tell me not to expect a heavy boot planted right into my balls.
making games specifically designed for this controller means that they'll ONLY work on this console, the game will be impossible (or at least VERY hard) to port to the other consoles,
I've seen FPS on consoles that were originally designed to work with mouse and keyboard.
You know what? You can also play them with a console's controller that's completely different (however, most gamers prefer the mouse/keyboard combo).
Same with this controller: Some games will run better than with standard controllers, some not so well.
But imagine playing Resident Evil and actually swing your chainsaw the way you want it! This might also bring games like Soul Calibur to a whole new level!
I don't need a signature.
Remember the first time you picked up a Nintendo controller for the original Super Mario Brothers games? Remember swinging your arms in the air like a moron, as if the movement of the controller was actually going to do something? Now we've been trained ourselves to keep our arms and our wrists still, and move only our fingers. Now it looks like Nintendo is asking us to revert ourselves, not revolt.
It will be interesting to see what comes of this. Surely the Asian markets alone will create the sort of community needed to spur game development and innovation with the thing. And I do appreciate that Nintendo continues to surprise us, whereas Sony and M$ continue to offer the same old, same old. Lest we forget, however, not every suprise is a good thing (remember Virtual Boy?). I'm betting on Nintendo to deliver the same quality, innovative fun that they've been delivering for decades now.
I noticed it. However, being a normal, healthy human being, I instantly recognized that it was supposed to be a dentistry simulation.
No? Then look here:h tml
http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2005/09/16/443527.
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
I remember owning a toy aircraft which could sense wether it was taking-off orlanding by the angle I was holding it in.
:p
Inside was a small copper ball in a little rail, constraining the ball's movements along it's nose-to-tail axis.
- When the plane was tilted forward, the ball would roll and touch 2 contacts on the front end.
- When the plane was tilted with tail down nose up, the same ball would roll down and close a different circuit, at the tail end.
- when the plane was held horizontally, it woudnt close any circuits.
This was how the aircraft "sensed" it's angle and thereby produced take-off and landing sounds.
I believe that using this idea it would be very easy to create hardware that can orient itself.
You make a "cage" like the toy aircraft used, but in a (roughly) spherical form. You put in a matrix of electrically conducting contact points on the inner surface of the sphere. You put in a copper ball, small but heavy enough.
As you now twist and roll the sphere, the little ball moves around.
This means: if you turn the controller upside down the metal ball will touch certain points inside the sphere, allowing electric currents from those points. you could quickly calculate through "reference points" what the position of the sphere is or look it up in a table.
USAGE:
------
-best results would come from ROLLING and TURNING:
The "PATH" which the ball follows while it closes contact points could graciously followed.
-SHAKING would yield really interesting ouput from the device I presume.
Some DETAILS:
-------------
-You need gravity for this to work in a way that nintendo uses it. (easiest part, we already have that) You see the idea is: if the ball touches a circuit, it means that it's forced to touch it, either by gravity or by shaking.
-FINDING the orientation:
ADRESS TABLE: each circuitpoint has a unique ID and a table containing these ID's and their pre-calculated position on the sphere.
e.g: - circuit XYZ is closed.
- Table returns XYZ's position on Sphere
- Software calculates.
RESOLUTION:how many little circuitpoints there are, would depend on how much we'd spend on the technology and what is considered a useful resolution to play a game.
okay it's maybe far fethced, butwho cares?
"The majority is always sane, Louis." -- Nessus
http://slashdot.jp
Star Wars Racer on N64, had a code to enter to enable 2 controllers. One for each jostick on a podracer, as in the movie.
Cue pages upon pages of posts by people who didn't even read the article but come up with all kinds of crazy reasons why this would suck. Take a look at it and think about how this would actually work, and it is interesting. This controller is flexible. With the attachments it can handle any game out there and many types of games that don't exist yet. You know how people always lean over and move the controller trying to make that desperate jump? That could actually work now.
It's impossible to tell how well they implemented the idea until you get to try it for yourself, but this has the potential to be a really good controller. At the very least, it's something fresh and interesting that'll be fun to explore. And if you don't like it? You can always plug in a traditional controller instead.
I get the impression that Nintendo aren't too bothered about rushing to the market place but the timing of this unveiling has me confuzzled.
On one hand it makes perfect sense in that Microsoft are now unable to change their controller to offer similar functionality. On the other hand Sony do have enough time to rip Nintendo off. If this opens up gaming to people who dont usually play games (like nintendo says it does) then Sony would have nothing to lose and everything to gain by rushing a last minute version into the PS3.
I'm not clever enough to try and pick out who the big loser of this generation will be, however I think sony are probably fairly safe (playstation is a massive worldwide brand).
The only other prediction I will make is that Microsoft will regret rushing to market. It seems like they couldn't really make up their minds with regards to the hard drive and so have fudged it by making it optional (a pretty expensive thing to do for both MS and consumers just so you can put a tick on the spec sheet saying it supports hard drives). And Microsoft also faces the prospect of having to re-release the xbox 360 with a HD-DVD drive some time in the future which will inevitably piss off early adopters. In comparison, despite the lack of details so far, the PS3 looks like being the best all round entertainment and gaming platform.
Nintendo is betting their entire next-gen hopes on this controller. This isn't a funky looking peripheral that'll make a brief movie appearance and then be ignored for the rest of time, this is a technology that will make or break Nintendo's console business. If the technology isn't damn tight, they're going to be joining Sega in the software only game. They've got to have devoted everything to making this as perfect an implementation as humanly and corporately possible.
developers are ALWAYS on board if they can score free publicity.
*
- think, running down the field in a new EA game, juking left and right, flipping the remote up to do a quick jump.*
imagine doing that for few hours. now imagine your wrist. now imagine the sidewinders with tilt sensors that ms had ages ago and how much 'fun' they were.
though, they DO say that you'll be able to stick this into more traditional controllers(bongos and shit).
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Basically it will ship with a DVD player but need a dongle like the Xbox so Nintendo doesn't have to pay royalties on every system sold.
On a side note, I think that if any console deserved a port of Irritating Stick it would be the Revolution. Yeah, laugh now but when it actually happens...
The problem with the power glove wasn't that it was idiotic or without merit: playing punch-out with the power glove was an experience above and beyond any other on the NES. The problem was that almost no games were coded to take advantage of it. The same is true of all of the other perhipherals you mentioned. Everything from the SEGA Justifier to Konami's DDR mats can be considered failures because of the simple fact that none of them shipped with a console and none of them reached their full potential. The SNES and Genesis mice were complete failures in the market, as they only had one game that supported them, yet as we all know mice are not at all failures as interface devices. The only truly "successful" addition to a console can be considered the 4MB memory pack for the N64, primarily because that sucker shipped with a few massively popular games that used it. In other words, no attachment to a console has ever been successfully supported, because it didn't come standard with the console. That shouldn't be a failure here, as this is the controller, and as such will be supported extensively.
Think of it this way, it's a pointer. It's a 3D pointer with angle information. All of the games on the PC can now be done with an even more naturally 3D controller. RPG's menu systems should become a lot more intuitive with just point and click. Click on the ground and your characters will walk over to it. Click on a menu to attack. This seems somehow more civilized than trying to hotspot around with a d-pad. You can steer a plane by, well, steering a plane, or swing a bat by swinging a bat.
I suspect it will be a little uncomfortable at first, but I remember how much my thumbs used to cramp up when I first started pressing down on buttons. I also remember how uncomfortable using a mouse used to be. If you rest your elbows on a knee this should be fine.
Not to burst any bubbles, but the PS2 launch was 90% hype and conjecture that really had no intention of panning out, much the same way that ROB the robot was not intended to be used as anything other than a way to sneak into electronics stores. All system launches are like this. Remember how the Saturn was going to replace your home computer for all internet-related activities? The PS2 had nothing like this. Honestly, I've been waiting for wand input for consoles for some time now... the closest thing was the aforementioned Power Glove, but the Power Glove really was the wrong input for a batch of games that had no analog sensitivity, let along z-axis.
Nintendo knows what they are doing in general... Except for the second analog stick and L3/R3 buttons, every part of the modern controller design can be traced back to a Nintendo system... D-pad came from the NES (and the game-and-watch), the analog stick from the N64. Shoulder buttons and the diamond button layout were from the SNES. The rumble pack first appeared on the N64. So nintendo should be given some credit. Even the Virtual Boy controller was a great piece of work... the dual D-pads with triggers were perfect for TeleroBoxer.
Nintendo is positioning themselves interestingly in this next generation. With the radically visceral controller and a slightly lower system cost / power, they seem to be going for shorter, more intense experiences. This seems like a wise way to differentiate themselves from all of the other consoles and computers. For physical games, you can use the controller in a very natural fashion. Tennis on this system would be brilliant, Golf could be great. Pool. Baseball. Burnout: Revolution. I'm afraid to think of how many of these things are going to get accidentally thrown through windows, but it sounds like a fun process of discovery to me. For intellectual games like the Sims, you have a natural cursor-style input device. I'm not so sure how the z-axis would play into such an arrangement, but maybe it doesn't have to.
And then you have Tekken and a whole bunch of other games that probably can't physically be played o
The ______ Agenda
Most people are saying that it would be harder to play an FPS, as it's less precise. Guess what, everyone will be handicapped the same way, and it's actually more realistic. Since when do you aim a gun just by moving the mouse? Aiming at a person, literally, and shooting would be so much more intuitive.
Oh, and on another point. If the controller did have an IR port, and it could detect furniture, could you imagine your precious fps played in real life, ducking behind furniture and such? I sure can.
I wonder if, for this reason, they'll need to make games harder. It (hopefully) will be so intuitive that the separation between the user and the game will be gone, meaning that the controller won't trip people up anymore. And that seems to be where half the challenge actually is.
HI, MY NAME IS ISAAC.
When I read that the controller will have built-in rumble, two things came to mind. 1. I thought they ditched the rumble functionality in the wavebird design because it consumed too much battery power. Hopefully they'll have that issue sorted out by then. 2. Is the rumble feature going to disrupt the tracking ability of the controller? Imagine you're playing an fps and you're getting rocked by some guy with a chaingun or similar rapid-fire gun, your controller rumbling all to hell as you try to draw a bead on them. First of all, is the rumble option going to be mandatory? Because if not, I don't see anyone having it on for that reason, which pretty much makes rumbling useless in FPS games. If not, it's either going to add a new, interesting mechanic to the aiming system, or be extremely annoying. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Whatever man. Like us geeks really need another one-arm-only exercise.
free music
How about... encouraging kids to actually move is a good thing. Seeing how fat american kids are today, a little movement during their gaming sessions wouldn't hurt...
After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
- The Tao of Programming
And yet, none of your non-gamers people ever told you that it doesn't feel natural to hold a controler with both hands, and then press one of 10 buttons to swing a sword? While it may seem pretty natural for gamers to press buttons to have your characters perform actions, I would actually think that it is more "logical" to actually swing your arm if you want to swing a sword.
Try going to a medieval fair sometime, and in one of those fake duels, locate the appropriate buttons on your sword that will make you swing it...
After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
- The Tao of Programming
Actually, the Revolution consoles itself does have USB ports. (Or at least it did at E3, according to all the usual gaming media.)
I have seen the revolution, and it is unquestionably good.
If this controller delivers half of what the video promises, it actually will deliver a revolution in gaming. My only sadness comes from the fact that many, many people will be too frightened to accept such a massive change.
If you look at the feature list, it is everything the 'true' gamer could want.
1) Controller makes completely new types of *genres* possible.
2) Backwards compatibility with 'Cube games
3) Wifi Downloadable content for all the good games of yore.
4) The design is a beautiful example of form following function
5) DVD playback you don't pay for unless you want to.
6) Cost of the hardware is probably only minimally affected by the controller. This isn't like Sony's extra $100 (or whatever) cost to include the Blu-ray drive. This is taking simple pieces and making a much better whole.
It is *almost* perfect. However, the obstacles to overcome are not insignificant, and most are brought on by the fact that the 'true' gamer wants things that Joe Six-Pack does not. There is unfortunately room for quite a bit of doubt:
1) Studios will have to throw out almost everything regarding game design that they know. This will require an entire reworking of our fundamental concepts of gaming. Read this as "huge cost of time and money, with a significant risk of loss"
2) The hardware has to work right, and not be plagued by sensor issues and bad logic.
3) Pretty sure Nintendo said no 1080i support. This is not as huge as #1 & #2, but prices on Hi-Def displays continue to creep downward.
4) Graphics, although unimportant in my eye, must be taken into consideration. Sony and MS have sold billions of consoles on screenshots alone. The public still loves teh shiny, so we can't have any moments where people think "but the XBox makes it look *real*!"
5) Adults. Nintendo, I beg of you, do not forget us. We have loved your games for years, but we've grown together. I have happily followed you into dangerous waters before, and games like Nintendogs and Animal crossing have made the journey fun. For the love of god though, can we have some games that actually cater to adults with unique challenge *and* themes?
6) Net gaming is here to stay. Can you please join us at the table of the internets? We have saved you a seat, but you missed the hors doeuvres . It's ok though, make sure you're here when the main course arrives and we'll fill you in on what you missed.
-- I have fans? Wow.
Goldeneye and Perfect Dark certainly had such a mode, four of them in fact.
I am trolling
Here are some more pics of the controllers incase you are interested:l
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/tgs2005/gallery.htm
Analog stick invented by atari I'm too lazy to look up the rest but Nintendo didn't invent jack. They are ones who made it popular because there were the largest console maker for the last 15 years.
Have you ever been to a turkish prison?
Ok, I imagine that a gyroscope is quite expensive. It will require either a high-speed wheel of some sort, bearings and detectors. It is also quite delicate, and to imagine a gyroscope that should survive a kid dropping it on a floor...? An optic gyscope perhaps, but then the price tag would be quite different...
Furthermore, a gyroscope (mechanical or optical) will only detect twists and turns. It will not detect movements along the three axes, which is something the controller can detect.
And then there is the two small devices that needs to be placed with some distance, one on each side of the TV/monitor....
But... What if these two small devices were IR diodes, and the controller contained a small camera for motion detection....?
It would then be able to calculate twists, turns and movements along the axes, by looking at the diodes, and calculate the movements! It woul certainly give the wanted precision in some of the directions (depending of the IR camera resolution, of course)
Another thing that could hint some IR detector on the controller, is the 'window' on the end that points in the direction of the TV/monitor. I do not see an IR receiver on the 'Revolution'...
Comments anyone...?
And we all know what that looks like, don't we? "You'll go blind if you keep doing that!"
--
"Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
"Open source is evil." - Microsoft