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Plotting the Revolution's Arc
Today, that little kid is beaming. The company that introduced me to gaming so long ago has picked itself up off the mat and looks ready to come out swinging this time around. We've already linked to 1up's coverage of the announcement, but if you haven't read it yet there are plenty of other places to get the specifics. Gamespot, Gamespy, IGN, and Game Informer all have photo spreads, video, and first hand impressions from their experiences with Nintendo's next venture. Commentary is available from CNN Money, Wonderland, Jeremy Parish, The Game Chair, Joystiq, and Next Generation. An interview with Nintendo's Senior EU Marketing director is available on Eurogamer, and if you want to see the announcement firsthand a webcast of the presentation is available.
All of these pieces spend at least a paragraph or two wondering about the future, and with good reason. Within half an hour of the story being posted to the internet there were already lamentations about "the end of an era" and blistering condemnations of the controller as a lark that will fail as badly as the Virtual Boy. Specifically, both the professional media and fan commentaries seemed to center around the reaction that third party developers may or may not have to this extremely intriguing idea. The combination of this new controller style and the mentality that "Nintendo is for kids" may cause the company some problems down the line. They're almost certainly right.
That said, if you've read the description of the Metroid Prime demo you can't help but pause. The mental gymnastics required to use a mouse and keyboard in a First Person Shooter have confounded non-gamers since the genre began. As anyone who's played an FPS on a console can tell you, the two joystick approach gets the job done but is far from intuitive. Attempting such a title on the console is basically out of the question unless you can work at the interface, something a non-gamer is rarely willing to do. Nintendo deftly sidesteps this with an interface that has ties directly into what we do in our everyday lives. Turning your head to observe your environment is already an instinct we posses, so not only will it be easy to explain it will be trivial to do. The natural flow of such an interface opens up many horizons. Shooters are well and good, but the immediacy of the first person perspective is a tempting way to just tell a story. Divorced of its more violent aspects and with an interface that doesn't require years of practice to use, who is to say that our mothers won't be playing something built in the Unreal Engine a year from now?
The FPS is just one example of a genre that we traditionally think of as "hardcore" which could be opened up to non-gamers by an interface that allows the user to interact with a gameworld in a less artificial manner . Real Time Strategy games would be a snap, as you wave your hand and the map moves effortlessly along beneath your outstretched hand. Driving games where you could actually apply your real life driving reflexes. Puzzle games where manipulating pieces is second nature. Sports games that require you to actually swing the bat or catch the football. Fighting games where you can feel a guy get punched in the face. At the end of the day, games are about having fun. Say what you will about their business acumen, Nintendo has always understood that. With the Revolution interface, the company is reaching out to the millions of people who have yet to pick up a controller. Why should those of us who have been playing since that first grey box reached our shores be the only ones who have access to the fun?
This is a risky venture, no doubt about it. If third party developers don't catch on to the possibilities here, if the EAs of the world don't take a chance with the new interface, then Nintendo will be looking at a big problem. This may be the last console larger than the DS we see out of the company for quite a while. If that's the way it's going to be, then I say so be it. Finally, at least, Nintendo isn't just going to sit there and try to imitate the other consoles poorly. Sony and Microsoft are very, very good at what they do. Instead of keeping up with the Jonses, Nintendo is striking out on its own. For better or worse, they've taken steps to expand the field of game players and change the nature of game playing.
The number of games at launch, third party commitment to the console, and the commercial reaction to this departure from the norm will be the only way to determine if Nintendo has made the right call. Either way we can look forward to a generation of consoles that will not only be graphically more impressive, but fundamentally different from the gaming systems we've played in the past. For me, at least, when I pick up the remote for the first time it will be like sitting down again on Christmas morning. I can't wait.
I've had my say ... what do you think? The controller announcement was put up early this morning. Now that you've had the chance to look at it more carefully, is your opinion any different? Most importantly, are you planning on buying one?
I found this interesting because it looks like an idea I threw out there long ago: a light gun with a built in joystick for the thumb of your left hand where it supports the gun. This would have allowed the light gun to be used for natural aim while navigating environments with the thumb in an intuitive manner.
:)
This takes the idea and makes it more flexible (and more palatable to the anti-toy-gun parents out there). The fundamentals are exactly as I proposed, even if the physical form is quite different. Should have patented that idea I guess
The fact it looks like a "remote control" actually may make it less threatening to non gamers, especially if coupled with games that don't require twitch reflexes. Considering this is the company that came out with Animal Crossings, I can see similar games opening up an interesting market. The idea that it spins ninety degrees and becomes a "classic gaming controller" opens another market. The obvious use in first person style games maintains an opening for the classic market.
If done correctly, Nintendo may bring a larger audience to the table and really tap into those markets that are not well served by the other big consoles. The big concern is how well it will work in more conventional gaming situations. From the descriptions it works quite well and frankly doesn't sound *that* different from an input viewpoint for portability of games *to* the system: it is a fancy analog stick. If it works better than the dual stick inputs for first person games it might even quell the "hard core and insecure about themselves" group that has traditionally slammed Nintendo for being for kids and rejected the system even when games like RE4 came out. Frankly, nearly anything works better than the dual stick inputs on the consoles (yeah, I have learned to cope, but it sucks compared to mouse and WASD) so there is some hope there.
I like the big N... it is a company that produces games that are fun for parties and families. They still understand that a game should be fun first and then comes the chrome, but the developers have really left them by the wayside this go around. Hopefully they will couple this kind of innovation with a more aggressive use of third parties to round out the library.
As an aside, I should point out that I own the Cube, two PS2s and an X-Box, along with my PC game collection: I'm aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each platform and library. Nintendo is a company that I have the most *fondness* for (and anyone who complains about games reaching the point of sameness needs to at least recognize that they are doing there best to avoid that fate), Sony the company I have the most games from and the X-Box is my "co-op gaming Saturday" system. Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike is ready and waiting. My PC is for RTS and other games that elude the console input scheme.
Sig under construction since 1998.
they are constantly trying to change the market, which very few companies ever do. they tried the virtual boy (which didnt do so hot) but the DS is doing very well, and i think that with their new control, there is a HUGE amount of potential. just think of sports games alone. you are going to be swinging a 'bat'. throwing a 'ball'. playing golf, etc etc etc. of course it will probably take some getting used to, but i hope this definitely takes off as much as nintendo wants it to. :P
fencing games can now be fun
If this Revolution does not fundamentally change the modes of production in society, then it cannot really be considered revolutionary. This is just more petty-bourgeois reformism.
Well since last quarter they were the only console company of the big 3 to post a profit, and large even if smaller than hoped at 33 million. But up 33 million is certainly better than in the hole 52 million (sony) or 179 million (xbox). Give me the patented Nintendo brand of failure any day.
Source of the figures
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Graphically and gameplay wise, there is no line between home and arcade systems anymore. They've more than caught up to each other.
Arcades still have a huge lead when it comes to input devices. A few examples.
Dance Dance Revolution and it's varients.
Just about any cockpit driving game.
Spy Scope (Konami light gun game with a scope)
I can't really remember all the names off hand, but in the arcade intuitive controls is the game. You got games with replica harley davidsons, jet ski's, hang gliders and even futuristic battle pods from which you do mech battle.
I don't think nintendo is taking any kind of a gamble with the revolution controller. They know intuitive control is what has kept the arcade alive for so long and they're following suit.
But only Nintendo could take what was an idea from 20 years ago, and bring it forward. Also, the power glove had so many limitations: bulky hardware, non-intuitive interface (using fingers for buttons?) and only a 2-D tracking system. The applications of the Powerglove were very limited, and it had difficulty applying to new situations. This new controller, on the other hand, with its ability to track depth as well as position (and allowing for multiple controllers to be tracked at once for multiplayer or more complicated games) has serious potential. Not limited in shape to the human hand, the new controller can be applied to many situations. Just looking at the video's Nintendo has released, we can see many great examples: FPS Fishing Games Swordfighting Instruments Strategy Games And that's just listing the gametypes that already exist. Who knows what new types of games might open up now? I won't deny that I've always trusted Nintendo over any other company to provide my video game entertainment, so call me biased, but I'm happy to see them taking the hard path. Most sites I go to have lists of what is needed to "save the game industry" from a repetitive, downward spiral of safe franchises and rigid gameplay. Sure each new console looks better, but I play a game now and think "this is generic jumping puzzle #5" or "There is definitely someone hiding behind that explosive barrel". Nintendo Revolution has the potential to change that. I can tell you now, I'll buy one, if only to support Nintendo and encourage a company that I feel is doing proper innovation.
From the GameInformer article:
Not only is the D-pad used for movement, but the Revolution controller can control movement by raising and lowering, but also by twisting, turning, and moving the controller left, right, up, down or forward and backwards
Thanks to 20 years of computer programming and gaming (both PC and many of the consoles that made Nintendo a gaming powerhouse), I get to use a trackball and ergonomic keyboard at work, per doctor's orders.
I try to imagine what I would do with a one-handed controller that required me to twist, turn, and roll my wrist in convoluted ways to play the game, and my wrist starts to hurt just thinking of it.
My first thought after looking at this new controller is that it's going to be an ergonomic nightmare.
Why?
If Nintendo was a Sega then we would probably would have never seen some of the great games that have come out and are coming out on the DS because they would have had to develop for other people's(Sony)'s platform. The only reason Sega did what they did was because that was the only other choice besides going bankrupt. Sega was losing tons of money and could no longer afford to design and manufacture new devices, so they were forced pretty much against their will to become a software only company.
Nintendo isn't exactly losing tons and tons of money likeRemember, Nintendo has only had 1 unprofitable quarter, and a big reason for that was Nintendo did not accurately predict the large downward swing in the dollar(hurt a company that measures profits in Yen). However, they have since taken corrective measures that shield them a bit from currency fluctuations....
Monstar L
If every game related post Zonk green lights, SOMEBODY has to make a comment about how somegamesite.com is paying him money for the articles.
Now he posts an article with links to EVERY GAMING SITE. So have at it trolls - explain that one!
Nintendo has created the first controller that can recognize when you throw it at a wall in frustration!
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In the off chance it matters, I am a game developer.
As long as it works without being overly glitchy, they at least clinch 2nd place.
They are promising to deliver the back library of the NES and SNES already. And you have clean backwards compatibility with the Gamecube, and this will keep the owners of gamecubes happy. And while the installed base of the Gamecube may not be as impressive as the Playstation 2, it is not inconsiderable either.
So you can get the nostalga buyers. And unlike the DS, I can easily imagine games that would use this tech that I would want to play. This has real possibilities.
Simply looking around in 3d space is now a resolved issue. Its blindingly intuitive to that purpose, and that alone will make many games much more playable.
Put a cursor on the screen, and you have a very viable mouse replacement. RTS games become much easier to do. You could probably make HomeWorld playable on a consle. Can you imagine doing that on existing consoles?
And while the video of people playing games with the controller shoes no shots of the actual gameplay, it does serve one important purpose. The fishing, 'conducting music', and other types of gameplay do demonstrate one thing. This controller will permit gameplay types that simply are not possible right now. And even if conducting an orchestra is not likely to appeal to the 16 year old, counterstrike demographic, it will appeal to some people. It will pull in entirely new sorts of gamers.
Between Nintendo loyalists and the new players, it can probably clinch 2nd place. And if the 3rd party publishers are intrigued enough to make a serious effort to port their games to exploit this controller, it can likely unseat Sony in the number 1 position.
END COMMUNICATION
If this controller is a big hit it won't be too hard for Sony and MS to add one to their systems. Nintendo then loses what might be their main selling point. So in the end, it's still all about the games.
Your message contains the reason why this is not a serious problem for Nintendo. History shows through every generation that controller add-ons extremely rarely do well if they require game support. (In fact, "our system will have tons of add-ons" has become one of those things they just say every generation and most of us have learned to ignore.) How many games are there for the dance mat? The light gun? etc. Obviously, the answer is not zero, but it is extremely rare for a totally new controller to ever achieve significant penetration. As a chicken-and-egg consequence, nobody makes the games for the controller.
I don't think Sony and Microsoft can match this in the current generation. Whether they try in the next depends on what happens with the Revolution, and whether this represents a new two-part gaming industry, 18-34 males and everybody else. Even if they try, they'll probably end up with an inferior copy that nobody will code games for.
MS and Sony can't "answer" this, certainly not now (it'd just give legitimacy to the idea, and their strategy is almost certainly going to be to mock it as openly as possible), and not later (when it'll be an "add-on" to an established system that nobody will buy, and if there is pressure to "answer", that basically means everybody already has a Revolution). Their next chance will be ~2010 in the next generation.
That's why this is such a daring play for Nintendo. If this works, they will own this space for 5-7 years, in almost exactly the same way they own (currently) the portable space. Doesn't mean it's the whole of gaming, doesn't mean it'll "kill" MS or Sony, but the big N doesn't have to to make the big bucks.
check it out!!!
r evo.swf
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I have a powerglove.
It most certainly did not.
The powerglove only had digital values for movement: up, down, left, right and center. No analogue movement. It also tracked forward and backwords in a way that it would tie these to existing controller inputs(punch forward as the "a" button in punch out).
As such, even the general settling of your arm would cause mario to jump off the cliff and force you to re-"center" the PG by hitting a button every 2 seconds. Above that, twiddling your finger to make a button happen was far from intuitive.
Every demo produced at TGS showed that this interface is smooth, responsive and intuitive to use. Not to mention it looks lke a helluva lot of fun.