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How The Revolution Will Change Games Forever
1up.com has a lengthy article discussing the possible ways that Nintendo's next console will change the face of gaming. A nice pie-in-the-sky article for a quiet Holiday afternoon. From the article: "... We're sick of waiting, so we came up with a list of hypothetical Revolution game concepts -- some pulled directly from Nintendo's Tokyo Game Show video that showed actors but no real games, others pulled from some of the popular ideas we've heard floating around -- and took them to impartial third-party developers to find out how practical it is for games on Revolution to be more than just gimmicks. Over the next five pages, we talk with developers from Harmonix, Radical Entertainment, Foundation 9, Atlus, and Midway to figure out how many of these hypothetical game ideas that are floating around have the potential to become actual games, and what advantages/problems might come with that as a result of the Revolution's remote control-shaped, motion sensor controller."
For me, it won't.
I know that's not the point of TFA, but it's nonetheless a truth.
"We stretch a three paragraph article to five pages!"
There's no point in slashvertising your site if it can never withstand a slashdotting. Seriously, I haven't gotten a single article of theirs that was advertised here to load. Ever.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Happy Turkey Day Slashdot!!!!!
zOMG!!
PlayStation3 - does the same thing as my computer. Xbox 360 - does the same thing as my computer. Nintendo Revolution - Gives me the opportunity to get away from my desk and sit back on the couch or play games with some friends who are in the same room as myself(without breaking the bank.) I remember when I was teaching my Mom how to play Super Mario Brothers for the NES 12 years or so ago ... No Mom! Just push the buttons, violently jerking the controller up in the air will not make you jump any higher. Ahhhh, memories.
Never Compromise
If they are going one about the whole "Remote Controller" concept, it will be a gimmick. Widely used in Nintendo's popular titles like Mario Party or Metroid, many third party developers will come out with a few novel games, but as long as other game consoles and the PC market use "traditional" gamepads, it will not be revolutionary.
I am not dissing the Revolution's RC, I think it will be fun if done right and depending on how well they integrate the add-on components, it could become a major selling feature of the Revolution. It could also become their crutch if ALL games for the Revolution must make use of this novel gimmick. But will it change game controllers forever? No.
Asside from that, there is nothing truely revolutionary about the Revolution. Sure, Nintendo will make their back library available for play on the new system, again a gimmick that will drive sales in the first year or so, but I bet Nintendo will opt for a subscription based service that people will grow tired of paying some $X amount of money a month to play games they already owned. Also, this concept isn't even NEW. PS2 could play its entire back library, and the new Xbox360 offers an arcade marketplace for downloading and playing old game favourites from arcades and PC shareware.
For size, I bet the Revolution will be the smallest again, but traditionally Nintendo isn't big on "slick" designs, and usually the end result looks more like a Fisher Price product. I expect that we won't see the slim silver/white wedge that their PR department has been coming out with. It will probably be made out of cheap plastic with handles and other superfluous design elements that aim more for the young gamer market.
From that point forward, your really talking about a game console with the same specs as each of the new game systems, albiet a little anemic compared to the PS3 or Xbox360, as was the Gamecube in its generation. I do agree that Nintendo's focus on "Games First" is beneficial, I really don't care about DVD/music playback on my game console, and those features have NEVER been used on my PS2. Focusing on games rather then state of the art DVD formats should be the focus of any game hardware, and I will welcome Nintendo's much cheaper price compared to the all-in-wonders Xbox360 and PS3. How many games out there in all honesty require 20 to 50 GB of data storage. NOT ONE, PERIOD.
So, will Nintendo evolve the game industry? Considering they have played catchup for the last 10 years, I doubt it. Nintendo may be able to create a breakout success with the Revolution after the lackluster "success" of the Gamecube, but one thing Nintendo NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION TO, the gamer market is now longer composed of people 15 and under. Nintendo really needs to start focusing on adult gamers, like the Xbox and Playstation do, and as long as they keep insisting on cheap gimmicks and revamps of Mario Party and Pokemon products, they will never start a Revolution in this industry.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
I hope this huge risk will not be as popular as their other new tech they tried some years ago with the Virtual Boy. At this time they have little competition and could afford to loose royally with one consol, but if the revolution doesn't established itself when it goes out, we can count Nintendo as the same league as Sega.
The Revolution is hippy garbage, and the PS3 will be so ate up with malware you won't be able to open the tray without a fingerprint scan. Once the Xbox 360 comes out, THATS when we'll se games change forever!
The first one is talking about using the controller as a baton for a music game. They talk to the guys at Harmonix (very cool company, they just released the AMAZING Guitar Hero). While the guy didn't seem to know it, the game Mad Maestro for the PS2 could be played this way with a baton controller (which I don't think was released in the US, only Japan got the controller). It was actually supposed to be a good game. Still you could easily use a pair of controllers to play onscreen drums, I think that would work great.
They mention using the controller as a sword or lightsaber. I agree with the mention that this would be problematic because there is no "feel" to it. While you can make it rumble, I don't think that will be enough. You swing your sword and your opponent blocks you. But your controller keeps going (maybe with a rumbling). I think that would be a problem.
They talk to the guy behind Trauma Center for the DS. While it is an interesting idea, I agree that the surgery wouldn't work as well as on the DS because you aren't touching a screen like with the DS. But the idea of using the controller in other parts of the game for diagnosis (otoscope, test reflexes, etc.) sounds very interesting. I like the idea he suggests about hooking up a DS for the surgery part and using the revolution controller for the rest.
That's all I can remember right now. I'll post back with more if I think of it and I think it's worth it.
I can't wait for the revolution. I don't know about its graphics. I don't know of a single game for it (they have confirmed various sequels and such but we've never seen anything about them). But I as still far more excited by it than anything else. Between the unique controller and Nintendo continuing to push against "more of the same", I can't wait. When they do something, they tend to do it right.
I hear a full 45% of Mario Kart DS owners are playing online. They may have waited to do it, but it sounds like they knew what they were doing. I haven't picked up the game yet (I intend to), but it looks great. The only thing I wish is I hear the online races are only four players. It would be nice if it was 8 (even if each DS supplied one computer player). But that is a minor gripe.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
From the view of a pretty avid gamer, with many friends who also game, it seems like Nintendo are focusing on a completely different market. To many people now, if you want a console that is fun for yourself.. you go Microsoft or Sony... if you want a console that is fun for when you have your friend's round, you go for Nintendo. Many people can't play a lot of Mario Kart on their own as it gets boring, but if you have many people playing with you, it is truckloads of fun. Nintendo just need to realise that not everyone always has lots of friends to play their consoles with.
Business Voyeur
no revulition yet (except for the new record of crashing consoles)
Nintendo's entire point with vastly simplifying the control over the other current generation offerings isn't to 'change games forever', it's to create a new market away from what most people currently consider video games to be.
They are trying to make Xbox360/PS3 vs Revolution an irrelevant argument by creating something for people that can't even fathom playing Xbox360 and PS3. Once they start marketting it heavily, it'll probably be mostly about showing grandmas playing with their grandchildren and any other 'fish-out-of-water' type imagery they can come up with that tries to change peoples' notions of who a video gamer is.
Even if it does become possible for grandma to play video games, I can't quite fathom how nintendo is going to convince grandma that she wants to. I guess that lies entirely in what games are made. It's already been shown that grandma will play internet card games if she can manage basic internet usage, I imagine Nintendo could muster up an easier to use version of that, but will they?
All the backwards compatibility with NES, SNES, N64, etc. etc. A brilliant move, and one propounded by myself and Frank Leibly of http://www.starroms.com/ years ago.
http://www.bedoper.com/404company/vcickie.htm
http://www.bedoper.com/bedoper/2004/twentieth.htm
Sandwich Boy Sues Nintendo
An insanely distraught Sandwich Boy today issued a flurry of fake lawsuits directed at video game giant Nintendo. At issue is software derived from this hardware. According to Mr. Sandwich, he has spent the past four months working furiously on a business plan involving the Vickie concept reborn as a software model. This software was just patented by Nintendo earlier this week.
"It's a coincidence, right? It has to be a coincidence. I know Jeffy Minter wouldn't do that to me. And there is no such thing as a shady VC firm, is there? It must be a coincidence. Regardless, I WANT MARIO DEAD! Luigi? - DEAD! Yoshi? - DEAD! I want Donkey Kong to carry out the hit."
As evidence, Mr. Sandwich offered this executive summary, conceived and developed three months ago. It is hoped that this lawsuit will bring attention to the fact that he is consistently ahead of the curve in the hardware and software development field, despite having no readily apparent skills or training.
Said Mr. Sandwich: "When my pen-sized digital slideshow generator hits the market next year, I am going to go ape spit if Newtek doesn't give me credit for the concept."
Get my free Hitchhiker's Guide Tribute Novella:
...Why is Microsoft software so popular all over the world? Because you can get it for free (illegally) so easily, and Microsoft really doesn't give a shit about it.
PS, XBOX were moddable so you could play pirated games. All thorough the history Nintendo was hack-proof.
As long as Revolution isn't crackable, it won't take off as much as the competition. Sorry.
(btw, turn by 360, you just made a revolution.)
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Look at how crazy successful games like DDR are. My sister in high school saved money with friends so they could buy a nice DDR pad. They get a bunch of people together some weekends and create tournaments. Otherwise they don't play video games.
If the Revolution (games) can deliver on creating that sort of experience even on a infrequent basis (not every game, but 3-4 a year), it could signal a shift in how some developers think.
However there is still a huge demand for "traditional" games too, but the Rev has that covered with the ability to use GC controllers (unlike the PS3 and Xbox where you have to buy all new hardware.) Yeah I'm a slight Nintendo fanboy, but if I weren't, I'd still be more interested in the Revolution than the competition, because I'm a gizmo nerd first and formost.
No sig for you!!
Perhaps the people who play video games just need more friends(in real time or in real life.) I have to admit that after I saw the propaganda video from Nintendo I have more of a desire to get my hands on one. Remember the old Nintendo Commercials - they showed kids walking around as if they were in the game environments or sometimes they ran into an exploding Nintendo Entertainment System Kiosk http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/50/ . I must agree with the idea that Nintendo is more for friends in the room while psx and xboxs might be more considered for the lone gamer who makes friends online (not that there is anything wrong with that.) However based on the friends factor alone I feel like we are missing the point. 1. Not everyone is rich enough to drop 400 bones on a gaming system. 2. Then you need to buy games at 50 bones a pop. 3. If I want to sit alone in my room for hours on end - its because I am already doing it with my computer. The computer with the mouse keyboard input options offer much more than a console with any type of "joystick". Think Arcade. Think Friends in the same room. Think the reason that games became popular in the first place - to have a good time with your friends (solitaire is one of the few exceptions I can think about for the moment.)
Never Compromise
need i say more?
Gravity gun. We can only hope that Valve are drooling over the possibilities as much as the rest of us.
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Theres been lots said about the fact you'll be able to download and play old Nintendo games but has anything been shown of the new games that'll be availible for the system yet?
To err is human. To forgive is not company policy.
Sorry guys, but I think Nintendo (and its fans) are overreacting quite a bit about its controller. 3 reasons
1.-Even if all the ways of gameplay shown in the revolution trailer worked (most of them are just theories) it will still be tiresome trial and error before developers would (if ever) get those right and make them fun as well, meanwhile they will feel and play like experiments.
2.-ITS JUST A CONTROLLER, how difficult is it for a peripheral like this to be made for the PC, the PS2 or the xbox? legally all they would have to do is to use another method for getting the signal and they wouldnt be violating the patent.
3.-It has already been done, the DS has two screens and an stylus for control, a nice novelty yes, did it changed portable gaming forever? NO, not even in the very DS the 2 screens or the stylus are not used in a significant way in most games, I mean seriously how important is to scribble spells in Castlevania to make it enjoyable? how much do you need to check the map all the time? wouldnt be the same to have a transparent overlay on top?
Seriously guys this is the 21st century if Nintendo wants to gain the market back, they have to do better than that.
IMO they could
*Reduce the console price with the same components than competition. (a cheap ps3? count me in!)
*Cater a lot more for third party developers specially for adult/teen market. (can I play the latest GTA or FPS in it? no not halo , but at least battlefield would be nice)
*Connectivity, Free (or very cheap) international gaming service, enough said. (I think they are actually doing this one, thats good! but they are missing the other 2)
If Nintendo would be able to deliver that (and not just a controller to play the same games they've made in 20 years), just about anyone would be glad to go back to them.
If they dont want to or they make money otherwise, cool, but dont expect everyone to jump in the bandwagon just because of a controller. The sales of the xbox360 and the (sure bet behemont) incoming sales of the ps3 pretty much confirm that.
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
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That may be true if Sony and Microsoft were both only in the game biz. Both companies can and, from the looks of it, will spend billions to own a part of your livingroom. Nintendo wants to sell you games, Microsoft/Sony wants your eyes.
That said, I think Nintendo will stay around for a while longer. :)
Spell cheek you've failed me four the last thyme!