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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."

72 of 1,210 comments (clear)

  1. No doubt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:No doubt by cornface · · Score: 5, Funny

      I miss those games

      Probably because you haven't played them recently.

    2. Re:No doubt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The weirdest part is that Nintendo doesn't care about the ability to play DVD movies, yet the Revolution's the only console that will ship with an actual remote.

    3. Re:No doubt by brandanglendenning · · Score: 4, Funny

      that is a prerequisite for missing.

    4. Re:No doubt by PhotoBoy · · Score: 4, Funny

      Surely Mario is Missing and Zelda: Wand of Gamelon are ideal ports to the CD-I^H^H^H^H Revolution?

    5. Re:No doubt by koi88 · · Score: 5, Funny


      My wife used the PS2, and then I came home and fixed it.

      It's not nice to refer to your wife as "it".

      --

      I don't need a signature.
    6. Re:No doubt by hoggoth · · Score: 4, Funny

      >> My wife used the PS2, and then I came home and fixed it.

      >It's not nice to refer to your wife as "it".

      Boy, the part that bothered me was getting his wife fixed. You could always use condoms, you know.

      --
      - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
  2. Nice Look! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!

  3. I love the power glove... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... 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 ;)

    1. Re:I love the power glove... by Guppy06 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, I'd more compare it to the even more bizarre U-Force. But still, if Nintendo can redefine wireless controllers, they can do this.

      Maybe it's just the rabid (very, very rabid) Nintendo fanboy inside me speaking, but my God, it's beautiful. Even if I find myself mostly playing with the "nunchaku" setup the article was talking about, just the idea of having the controller split up into two, independent components (one for each hand) makes me wonder why it wasn't implemented so well before. It's as small or as big as you like it.

    2. Re:I love the power glove... by Goldfinger7400 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Where did you here that this controller had a gyroscope? They only mentioned that was what people were rumoring.

      I reckon it will work similar to modern virtual reality wands, with the mentioned sensors presumably doing a good job of finaggling the position of the wand. Note this is very similar to how the power glove worked, its just that the technology has gotten a LOT better due to over a decade of research in VR which seems to just now be poised to make an entrance into consumer market.

      I've had the chance to play with this kind of stuff in CAVE and related applications, and it always seemed like it could be so much more, if only for some really solid software interface engineering...

    3. Re:I love the power glove... by some+guy+on+slashdot · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actually, it would appear that it has both. An external sensor for detecting position and an internal one for determining orientation. (1UP.com referred to it as a "chip", but I can't imagine what it could be other than an gyroscope.) Also, IGN confirmed that you can turn the controller over along it's axis as an input method. Can't do that with anything but a gyro.

    4. Re:I love the power glove... by Emil+Brink · · Score: 4, Informative
      1UP.com referred to it as a "chip", but I can't imagine what it could be other than an gyroscope.
      Do those have to be mutually exclusive? I don't think so, and people like Analog Devices seem to agree. I quote the linked-to page, one of several such products:
      The ADXRS150 is a 150 deg./sec. angular rate sensor (gyroscope) on a single chip, complete with all of the required electronics.
      Perhaps that is what Nintendo stuck in there? It probably contains one ore more accelerometers, too. I guess we won't know until Lik Sang or someone with similiar low respect for newly released hardware and high competence in the application of screwdrivers get their hands on it, though. :)
      --
      main(O){10<putchar(4^--O?77-(15&5128 >>4*O):10)&&main(2+O);}
  4. Two Words.... Light Saber by Lectoid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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..."?
    1. Re:Two Words.... Light Saber by iamhassi · · Score: 4, Interesting
      " HELL. YES. I just watched the video off of IGN's website, in one part, there was a guy using it as a sword. "

      I agree, i read the article and really think this would work great and cant wait to try it.

      Did the other people posting even read the article? Because I admit, at first glace it looks stupid, but after reading the demos (flying a plane, basketball, race car, Metroid Prime FPS) it sounds like it'd be really cool.

      The FPS sounded especially cool, aim by moving the entire controller! Now all I need are VR googles so i'm not stuck staring at a screen across the room while my arm is pointed somewhere else.

      could this be it? could this be the VR system we've all been waiting for?? The controller's perfect for it.... tell u what, if it is then it'll SLAUGHTER the xbox and ps3. I dont care if it has N64 graphics a VR system would be AMAZING.

      just dont bring back the Virtual Boy. Anymore 2D red wire-frame graphics and i'll have to.... um, not buy it like i didnt the first time.

      --
      my karma will be here long after I'm gone
    2. Re:Two Words.... Light Saber by KnowledgeFreak · · Score: 5, Informative

      The link for that ign video referenced by the parent:
      http://media.cube.ign.com/articles/651/651334/vids _1.html

      For all of you too lazy to read the article, this is definitely worth the watch. For this, I think i'll finally have to break down and become an early adopter.

    3. Re:Two Words.... Light Saber by ndpatel · · Score: 5, Funny

      dude, what do you think wifi operates over? pixie dust?

      in other news: the wavebird is not a wifi controller. 0 for 2, killer.

      (also your wifi keyboard doesn't seem to have enough fairy powder in it to type a period.)

      --
      london is drowning and i live by river
    4. Re:Two Words.... Light Saber by Spy+Hunter · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I am not convinced the technology can live up to our expectations. The video looked cool, but those actors weren't actually controlling anything, and those are game concepts, not actual games. This type of technology has always been rather fiddly when you use it in real life. It will live or die based on how good Nintendo's tracking technology is, and I'm not convinced good enough tracking can be put into a durable consumer product. People's kids are going to be slamming these things, and it has to be reasonably cheap too.

      I have so many questions that can only really be answered by testing one myself. Does it have to be pointed at the TV to work? (I have read there are sensors you must place on top your TV). That right there would eliminate good swordfighting. How good is the accuracy really? Does it drift? If you move the controller quickly, or hit a hard surface with it, does it lose tracking? Does the accuracy get worse as the controller suffers from wear and tear? Does it have a limited tracking space? For four players, you would need a very large tracking space, or you would be hitting each other all the time. A very large tracking space could enable some really cool single player games, too. Could you walk around and wave the controller all over, or are you restricted to sitting down while holding the controller steady in a small "zone" and pointing it at the TV? One of the reporters mentioned that if you moved out it of a certain box while playing the demos, you would have to move back before continuing.

      --
      main(c,r){for(r=32;r;) printf(++c>31?c=!r--,"\n":c<r?" ":~c&r?" `":" #");}
    5. Re:Two Words.... Light Saber by GFLPraxis · · Score: 4, Informative

      I believe you can control by tilting the controller in place, rather than lifting your whole arm up. They talk about it in the 1UP article.

  5. I for one by Dance_Dance_Karnov · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

  6. remember when by skreeech · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

    --
    [20:36] wwwdot/.dotorg
    1. Re:remember when by eluusive · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bah that's nothing.. I use to jump up and down when I played Mario Brothers.

    2. Re:remember when by fodi · · Score: 5, Funny

      were you using real turtles?

    3. Re:remember when by climbon321 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Going back in time, it can't possibly be as uncomftorable as holding onto the base of an atari 2600 controller....

      Of course it's only been a couple hours since I last played a game on that system. The quality of the games still plays a huge role in it's acceptance.

    4. Re:remember when by mattyohe · · Score: 5, Funny

      Moms everywhere will all of a sudden kick ass at Nintendo.

      --
      - what is the definition of simultanagnosia?! I've been meaning to look it up!
    5. Re:remember when by goodenoughnickname · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was eating mushrooms.

      I think.

    6. Re:remember when by Shaper_pmp · · Score: 4, Funny

      Only after eating real red-and-white spotted mushrooms.

      Although my whole body didn't grow larger, my hands were huge...

      --
      Everything in moderation, including moderation itself
  7. Truly Revolutionary by Parabolic+Photon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:Truly Revolutionary by Frodo+Crockett · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's also such a radical departure from normal controller design that Sony and Microsoft won't steal it. Well, at least not until they know it's sucessful. ;)

      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.

      Or they could make it part of a more traditional controller. There's no reason it couldn't plug into module shaped like a traditional controller. For that matter, there's no reason it couldn't plug into a steering wheel or keyboard module, either.

      --
      "The newly born animals are then whisked off for a quick run through a giant baking oven." --heard on Food Network
    2. Re:Truly Revolutionary by Frodo+Crockett · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Also, given that that is the case, why did Nintendo consciously choose to go with this phallic looking, strangely operated controller?

      Probably because it's the shape that human hands are designed to hold. ;) Jokes aside, look at the shape of almost every human tool. What do hammers, wrenches, shovels, and most of the rest have in common? They all have the same basic handle shape.

      --
      "The newly born animals are then whisked off for a quick run through a giant baking oven." --heard on Food Network
  8. To those of you that get it by SetupWeasel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  9. Left handed users? by Antony-Kyre · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  10. Intuitive by Team+Zissou · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  11. Fun and Funny by likewowandstuff · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  12. Demos by GoogolPlexPlex · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am intrigued by one of the demos mentioned in the article - "Pilot Wangs".

  13. Power button not a good idea by sockonafish · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Otherwise the button configuration is an interesting mix of old and new: standard D-pad up top, near the power button (to turn the Revolution console on and off),


    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.
  14. Re:first impressions by Frodo+Crockett · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

    --
    "The newly born animals are then whisked off for a quick run through a giant baking oven." --heard on Food Network
  15. Radical Departures by The+Wicked+Priest · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The new controller is a radical departure from traditional controller types.
    I wonder if people have forgotten that what's now considered the "traditional controller type" was itself basically invented by Nintendo, as a radical departure from the then-traditional joystick.
    --
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    1. Re:Radical Departures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes, it is totally different from anything ever before - and it will probably change gaming forever, like it or not. Here's why.

      Like it or not, and regardless of what you think of their consoles, Nintendo has been responsible for every single important controller innovation for the last 25 years.

      The original Nintendo Entertainment System dispensed with the single joystick/button and came out with the direction pad (D-Pad) - something that's still included on every single controller design today, including Sony's and Microsoft's.

      The Super Nintendo Entertainment System came out with a new four button design. However, it wasn't the number of buttons that was revolutionary - it was the diamond shape that they where placed in. Again, this exact design is still being used.

      For the N64 Nintendo came out with the analog control stick - which ushered in the age of true 3D gaming. Once again, everyone immediately copied their design. And once again, the analog control stick is still being used today.

      Finally, for the Gamecube they came out with the "Wavebird" - the first truly well-designed wireless controller. And guess what?

      Microsoft and Sony's new controllers are wireless.

      Which is why I think that this new design will work - and stay around for a long, long time. Simply put, Nintendo has never ever faltered in their controller design. Their consoles, perhaps - but not their controllers. Instead, their new controller designs are almost always adapted as an industry standard nearly immediately. What's interesting about this time is that Nintendo waited until Sony and Microsoft had solidified the features on their new consoles - which means they won't be able to immediately copy them.

      It still remains to be seen at how this controller will work with the current form of games coming out. However, regardless of what you think, it IS revolutionary. It will change the way games are played, and I'm extremely interested in finding out what the games for the Revolution will look like. I'm not in the ecstatic "NINTENDO RULES SUPREME AND OWNZ ALL OF YOU" camp, but I am *very* interested in what this controller means - and excited, too.

    2. Re:Radical Departures by fredrikj · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Good post. But don't forget the L and R buttons on the SNES controller; those were a pretty important (and widely copied) innovation as well.

    3. Re:Radical Departures by rtechie · · Score: 5, Informative

      Which is why I think that this new design will work - and stay around for a long, long time. Simply put, Nintendo has never ever faltered in their controller design. Their consoles, perhaps - but not their controllers.

      Simply put, this is wrong. Remember Virtual Boy, Power Glove, the giant bazooka thing, the stupid little robot, etc.? Some of those were successes (the light gun), some failures (Power Glove), and some the jury is still out (Gamecube controller, DS).

      What Nintendo has show is a real willingness to experiment with new controller designs, and opposed to the relatively conservative approach of it's primary competitors. For example, the PS2 uses a controller identical to the PS1 Dual Shock, and the PSP has a layout identical to the original PS1 controller except the analog "nub". The PS3 controller is very likely to look a lot like the Dual Shock.

      OTOH, I see this controller as a DIRECT snub to third-party developers, abandoning multiplatform releases almost entirely. Of course, the GameCube was already mostly there anyway.

  16. If you don't see the inherent awesomeness... by RyoShin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.

  17. Re:First thought was: by barc0001 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  18. do NOT judge until you see the VIDEO by BTWR · · Score: 5, Informative
    Seriously, you MUST see the video first. The pictures made me skeptical at first (a remote?), but wow... the video, and thr true nintendo-innovation makes you think "wow... PS3 and XBox360 are so more-of-the-same-but-slightly-better-graphics."

    * 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.

    1. Re:do NOT judge until you see the VIDEO by cmodcmodcmod · · Score: 4, Funny

      Buttons Included: Has a trigger on its backside, face buttons, and a D-Pad

      I too am frequently frustrated by those controllers requiring after-market button purchases.
      ;-)

  19. new innovation by 1u3hr · · Score: 4, Funny

    I suppose an new innovation is better than an old one, speaking tautologically and repetitively again.

  20. Re:First thought was: by Spaceman+Spiff+II · · Score: 5, Informative
    don't suck!

    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.

    --
    I understand that life's not fair, just why is it never unfair in my favor?
  21. Re:First thought was: by Babbster · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow. I mean, wow. You mean half the population of this website are over 116 years old?

  22. great idea, if it works... by Malor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  23. Just remember, moderators: by DoctaWatson · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  24. Re:This controller kills portability by Spaceman+Spiff+II · · Score: 5, Informative
    Actually it sounds like developers are impressed, or at least say they're on board.

    "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.

    --
    I understand that life's not fair, just why is it never unfair in my favor?
  25. Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers... by Vorondil28 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.
  26. Try looking at it in a mirror by starling · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously though, this seems good for left-handers. Having the analog stick on a wire means it can be held in either hand.

  27. Two controllers by wyldeone · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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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  28. "Home" button functionality seems obvious by Guppy06 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  29. Fine motor skills and FPS by DoctaWatson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  30. Re:If it uses Infrared... by Frodo+Crockett · · Score: 4, Informative

    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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  31. Certainly has potential by spoonboy42 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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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  32. You say you want a Revolution? by Inoshiro · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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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  33. Re:Your arm/hands are going to get tired. by roju · · Score: 4, Funny

    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!

  34. I like the idea by utexaspunk · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.

  35. Re:First thought was: by Spy+Hunter · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Not only the D-pad and the analog stick, but the rumble pak, controller expansion slot, top trigger buttons, wireless controller, and of course the DS. Where would gaming be without Nintendo? Nintendo's controllers have always been great despite the criticism. Much like their games.

    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.

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  36. Re:Suicide by tukkayoot · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The controllers we have now are so widely used because they work.

    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.

  37. An Entirely New Generation.. by RipTides9x · · Score: 4, Funny

    Gets to skip Nintendo thumb, and go straight to Nintendo wrist.

    Orthopedic Surgeons everywhere, rejoice!

  38. The Revolution has Gamecube Controller Ports. by _KiTA_ · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

  39. How about accelerometers by BobPaul · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.
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  40. Re:This controller kills portability by koi88 · · Score: 5, Interesting


    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!

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  41. Remember when... by spiderworm · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  42. Re:DVD Playback by Psykechan · · Score: 5, Informative
    From an interview:
    On the same note, Iwata said Nintendo had no desire to make people pay extra out of the box for the Revolution's DVD functionality, since most people already own one or more DVD players. He also reiterated that the DVD player will be built-in and not an external attachment. At E3 2005, the company confirmed that an additionally purchased dongle would activate the built-in DVD functionality.


    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...
  43. standards... by cgenman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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

  44. Re:This controller kills portability by falsified · · Score: 4, Insightful
    "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."

    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.

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