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Revolution Roundtable

1up.com is running a piece talking to six professional game developers, where they discuss the possibilities and possible pitfalls of the Nintendo Revolution. From the article: "I don't think it will be difficult at all to make full length titles for the Revolution. First of all, Nintendo has hinted that they will provide an add-on for the controller that will mimic a "normal" controller, like the GameCube's Wavebird controller. Second, as long as the device is light, movement based input is not that tiresome. I have used a gyroscopic mouse for many years, and can successfully play many games with it. I would presume that games specifically tuned for the Revolution's controller will be easy to use for extended periods of time. As a bonus, gamers who play that long will end up with impressive looking forearms!"

103 comments

  1. Had to say it! by Goalie_Ca · · Score: 0, Redundant

    As a bonus, gamers who play that long will end up with impressive looking forearms!"

    On /. we all have forearms as big as "Ahnold".

    +5 obvious.

    --

    ----
    Go canucks, habs, and sens!
    1. Re:Had to say it! by wbren · · Score: 1
      On /. we all have forearms as big as "Ahnold".
      Yeah, all us slashdotters have big forearms because we game a lot... yeah, that's it... gaming. Good excuse.
      --
      -William Brendel
  2. Gamers by JExtine · · Score: 5, Funny

    "As a bonus, gamers who play that long will end up with impressive looking forearms!" I thought gamers already had impressive forearms thanks to some of the other activities they do.

    1. Re:Gamers by Surt · · Score: 0

      That develops the bicep, which is in the upper arm, not the forearm.

      --
      "Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
    2. Re:Gamers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Depends on your technique.

    3. Re:Gamers by Surt · · Score: 1

      Bad mods! Bad! Overrated should be applied to posts with prior positive moderation!

      --
      "Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
  3. BONK THE ZONK!!! by Rhombus · · Score: 0, Offtopic


    At about 12:15pm on November 28th , Zonk posted an article about fixing the crashing XBox 360 with string, apparently oblivious to the fact that this story has already been posted yesterday. Add to this the fact that after the first posting of the story, there was a storyless gap of over ten hours, and it's difficult to see how Zonk could have missed this one.

    By the way, if you've clicked on the first link above, you've probably noticed the cute little 'Nothing for you to see here. Please move along.' message. This is because after about five replies, Zonk attempted to destroy the evidence of his incompetence by pulling the story.

    In fact, due to his heavy-handed gerrymandering, Zonk actually broke the link to his next story posting, Xbox 360 Has Nothing On Atari 2600 (posted at 12:34pm, November 28th), further crippling the site.

    Well, Zonk, your revisionism won't work. Your idiocy is common knowledge here...in fact, it is legend. We are sick of you killing Slashdot one story at a time, with your moronic self-submissions, vapid game reviews, and, of course, the ubiquitous dupes, which should be rechristened 'zonks' in honor of their greatest benefactor.

    Is anybody at the wheel there??? PLEASE do all of Slashdot a big favor and get rid of Zonk before he drives this damned site into an iceberg.

    Thank you,

    A Concerned Slashdot Reader.

    1. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by cornface · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      The only reason the parent is marked as "offtopic" is because slashdot provides no official public channel for user feedback. Sending mail to the various "editors" is an excersize in futility.

      The reasons for this are sadly obvious.

      The person who wasted a mod point to smash an contrary (and true) post in a thread nobody is reading is just sad.

    2. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I fully understand and wholeheartedly agree with you, however for months now I've been trying to get this same message across and all it got me was mysteriously temp. banned from the site for a month and a loss of all my karma (as if I care).

      I'm a long time /. reader and I have never seen this place such a mess of "reviews" that state nothing but the bleeding obvious, advertisement, and junk. I used to come here for really cool tech stories and cool homebuilt projects and even the occasional dupe... but now it is just mind-numbing and it seems the management - if it exists - is not just asleep at the wheel but most likely dead.

      Best of luck to you, but most likely you will just go down the same road I did.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
    3. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by fondue · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I'm sure the above post sounds like standard griping against the slashdot editors to many readers. And taken alone, maybe it is. However, hundreds of slashdot readers with an interest in computer and video games have been voicing complaints about Michael 'Zonk' Zenke's editorship of this topic for months on end now.

      Games.slashdot.org could be a useful channel for disseminating news (NOT rumour, puff-pieces, fanboy screeds and endless dupes) about games to a tech-savvy audience, not all of whom have the time or nous to seek out multiple dedicated games news sites and stay abreast of developments. It could nurture discussion between gamers with different (gaming and cultural) backgrounds. Maybe it could be a great platform for notable personalities in the industry (not just from the commercial side but also from the wild and woolly 'indie', fan-built, academic and hobbyist arenas) to answer questions, and get pertinent feedback.

      Instead, by the application of apathy frequently flirting with outright incompetence, the editors seem happy to let slashdot's games coverage stagnate. It's useless to the games enthusiast, who will have read the news days ago, had the rumours debunked, and not had to suffer the constant mangling of truth and sentence structure that is the hallmark of a Zonk-approved post. It's even more useless to the more casual reader, who will wade through a few pages of misinformation and playground politics and will promptly filter the channel out.

      No doubt Michael has a genuine enthusiasm for games (I understand he's a longtime pen-and-paper and MMO type of guy) but this isn't translating into useful or informative editorial work.

      --

      Preferences > Homepage > Customize stories on homepage > Authors > Zonk > Uncheck

    4. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by BushCheney08 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Games.slashdot.org could be a useful channel for disseminating news (NOT rumour, puff-pieces, fanboy screeds and endless dupes) about games to a tech-savvy audience...

      Let me know if you ever find this bizarro slashdot. I'd be interested in taking a look at it.

      --
      Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
    5. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Okay, well, since it looks like these meta-comments aren't getting marked off-topic like they usually are (gripe #1, no k5-style user-feedback on submissions):

      Am I the _only_ one here that has no problems with Zonk and the way he operates games./.? Although I don't mean to damn him with slight praise, he's no worse than any of the other "editors" here. /. has never been the zenith of journalism, although it's had its moments. I'd hardly expect too many of those moments to occur within games./., however, due solely to the nature of the content.

      Am I the only one here who appreciates the fact that Zonk even takes the effort to produce game reviews? Original content isn't always /.'s strong point, so it would have been easy for him not to even bother, given the low level of respect that original content gets around here. But he does, and I think it makes games./. a more interesting place than if he didn't.

      Am I the only one who thinks that dupe stories _should_ be pulled? Of course, the fact that dupe stories ever get posted in the first place is my gripe #2, and is a just stupid legacy that all of /. should get rid of, by whatever means possible - including story deletion. If necessary, add an "updated story" feature, which re-opens older stories to user commentary and bumps the updated story up, whether it's the original or a copy.

      Am I the only one who doesn't mind if there are occasional "storyless gaps" in any of the /. sections? Some sections go untouched for days at a time. And on those days when there are story floods, most often people will complain about bias (like with the recent 360 launch) or relevance (like with many fringe topics). I come for the comments, anyhow. I think everyone does. (Without the comments, /. is WORSE than most dedicated news websites for keeping up to date. But with the comments, it's on a whole other level of interest for me.)

      Anyway, I don't see why you would take an editor pulling a dupe story and spin it into the diatribe that you did. None of the points you raise flip any warning signs on in my mind. Do you have other legitimate grievances against him, or perhaps some kind of anti-Zonk trolling bandwagon meme that you're trying to get rolling? Or maybe you were part of that "Simoniker Fan Club" -1 unfunny joke that took it a little too seriously when he left? (Why Simoniker got a fan club and Zonk gets all this baseless hatred I will never understand.)

      BTW, if you're reading this, thanks Zonk. I'm not one for unsolicited praise, but I do appreciate your work here. If you keep doing what you're doing the way you're doing it, I for one will keep coming back.

      Another Slashdot Reader (of about 7 years, now)

    6. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 1

      Wow, 7 years and you don't have the balls to post your little pat on the back as yourself but as an AC... That makes it all so credible. *rolls eyes*

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
    7. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 1

      Amen and pass the gravy!

      However, we all now will be modded downward so that this intelligent discussion never sees the light of day. I mean who wants to see and hear some real discussion when there are so many "insightful" and "funny" replies to mod up?

      I know it is a panacea, but it really wouldn't take much to turn this place around and right the ship. Now, don't get me wrong I don't miss the Natalie Portman/Hot Grits/Goatse days, but at least they were good fun and the place was alive and kicking... it just seems so sterile and bland these days.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
    8. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What you read as a pat on the back was written as serious questions. Is there really no one else who has no gripes with Zonk?

      Besides that, listen up, Mr. 877553. I like to let my posts start at zero and watch them go to 5, not based on who I am but on what I write. That's why I don't even log in here any more, and why I post so much more often on quickly-pruned imgboards and sites where moderation, post count, and post histories either aren't displayed/implemented or are considered as unimportant as they really are.

      It's not like I'm trying to leave some legacy here. It's all just idle, interesting conversation to me - and this convo is about improving the site, which applies to anons as well as logged-in users. Is recognition on /. that important to you? If so, why? Finally, would logging in with a low digit account have shut you the hell up before you even opened your mouth (which appears would have been the case, given how worthless your post was)? Again, if so, why?

    9. Re:BONK THE ZONK!!! by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 1

      Well, if it is of any matter to you i actually have a Slashdot ID in the very low numbers but don't use it in favor of this one... so it doesn't matter at all to me... but AC is just that Anonymous Coward. It's a stupid website, if you really place that much value in karma or any silly shit, then that's your own deal.

      If you think Zonk is doing a good job, that is your opinion. I was a game reviewer for many years and I can honestly say Zonk's "reviews" are barely passable and never would have made it past any editor I know of.

      Add to that the constant posts covering the exact same subject matter, the dupes, and the fact that most "news" is at least a day late on the games section... and you have a pretty poor section. And no matter your view on Zonk, there is absolutely NO reason for one of his wonderful "reviews" to be on the front page news. NONE.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
  4. Considering the DS... by Schezar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Considering how well the DS has fared, despite initial bemusement or cries of gimmickry, I think that the Revolution has a good chance of making waves. Even I was skeptical of the DS at first. I bought it with the rationale that it would either be an excellent system, or that it would be so terrible that, years from now, I could point to it as my friends point to their ancient Virtual Boys.

    The DS is doing insanely well. It's practically flooded the PSP out of the market, and must-have games are coming out in droves. That touch screen isn't a gimmick: it's a whole new world of gaming. I know several people who consider their DS to be their primary gaming platform.

    Sony is coming late to the field with an expensive system and ill will from their DRM fiasco. Microsoft arrived early with an unstable, overheating, overpriced system and a mediocre launch lineup.

    Both systems are hellishly expensive, and many of their titles will overlap. I can't imagine that many people will bother to have both: the only real deciding factor is between Halo/Xbox Live or Final Fantasy n+1.

    The Revolution, however, will be massively cheaper and offer games that can't even be emulated on the other systems. Nintendo would have to go out of its way to ruin the launch.

    --
    GeekNights!
    Late Night Radio for Geeks!
    1. Re:Considering the DS... by Pxtl · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Agreed. I love my DS. The DS is the first console that can really naturally play PC-style titles - the stylus is the ideal replacement for the mouse, so it opens the world to PC shooters and strat games. The Metroid Hunters demo is everything an FPS should be, without having to compromise the gameplay with slow movement and autoaim hacks like TV-console games do.

      The Rev will be my next console. While MS and Sony put out just another iteration of the same thing, Nintendo's branching out in a new direction with a proven ability to succeed in that direction.

      My only complaint is that the second stick will be practically _necessary_ for conventional gameplay - the wand on it's own is just a little too simple for most console-genre games.

      I'm looking forward to it.

    2. Re:Considering the DS... by Freexe · · Score: 1

      I bought a DS not expecting much and after a slow start I was alittle disappointed, but now I wish they would slow down on game releases because I can't complete them fast enough!

      Plus when I show it to people at work, it's not to show them the touchscreen, it's to show them the awesomes games or online/muliplayer play. The touchscreen is just a tool to allow me to play games easier and it's a damn fine one at doing that. But it's far from the reason to go out and buy one of these things!

      --
      "In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
    3. Re:Considering the DS... by Phisbut · · Score: 2, Interesting
      That touch screen isn't a gimmick: it's a whole new world of gaming. I know several people who consider their DS to be their primary gaming platform.

      And I am one of them. However, the touch-screen still seems gimmicky to me (and that's a Nintendo fanboy talking here). Even though I have played a couple of games that required the touch screen pretty extensively (Mario DS, Kirby Canvas Curse, and the wife is on Nintendogs), the two games I spend the most time with at the moment are Advance Wars DS and Mario Kart DS, and I only use the d-pad + buttons for both those games, never the touch screen.

      Simply having two screens is a big plus in itself, allowing for all the action to go uncluttered while the extra info is displayed on the secondary screen. Plus, I love how folding the thing instantly puts the game into sleep mode, which then makes for insanely fast "boot speed" when you take it back.

      The touch screen is definitely not the only good feature of the DS.

      --
      After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
      - The Tao of Programming
    4. Re:Considering the DS... by Phisbut · · Score: 3, Interesting
      My only complaint is that the second stick will be practically _necessary_ for conventional gameplay - the wand on it's own is just a little too simple for most console-genre games.

      But that is the whole point of the Revolution. We don't want EA to go and make yet another batch of traditional "console-genre games", we want a whole new breed of console genres. The "second stick" or whatever controller add-on one can plug in should always be secondary, or it should be as innovative as the wand. I'd really hate it if games required a regular controller to plug into the wand, and then only use the controller for regular gameplay.

      --
      After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
      - The Tao of Programming
    5. Re:Considering the DS... by tansey · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Nintendo would have to go out of its way to ruin the launch.

      I think more accurately, the developers would have to go out of their way to ruin the launch. It seems to me that with the stale game market these days, developers would have to be tied up to keep them from flocking to this console.

      Just imagine the current proposal for a game now: "Ok, it's a [insert genre] game where you play a [insert catchy character type] who has to [choose: save, kill, defeat] this [choose: victim, enemy]."

      Now think about some of the game ideas you could have with the Revolution--just from the unique controller: Drums player (2 controllers for sticks), pilot games (tilt/turn the plane with the controller).

      Then there are the improvements to current games: aiming a rifle, using a sword, etc.

      All that needs to happen is for a decent initial lineup of games to come out, which will attract a lot of users, and a lot more companies will follow. If all that can happen, the Revolution may really live up to its name.

    6. Re:Considering the DS... by Hellad · · Score: 1

      Do you mean the wand or the nunchuk attachment? I see the analog attchment as pretty necessary for traditional gameplay, but I don't consider 2 wands to be essential...

    7. Re:Considering the DS... by Freexe · · Score: 1
      Simply having two screens is a big plus in itself, allowing for all the action to go uncluttered while the extra info is displayed on the secondary screen. Plus, I love how folding the thing instantly puts the game into sleep mode, which then makes for insanely fast "boot speed" when you take it back.


      Yeah, I completly agree with you on those points, being able to use this on the train, and shut it at anytime without fear of losing your place or the battery dying is a big plus.

      Although I find I do use the touchscreen for some games (like Advanced Wars) I find that for Mario DS and Metroid Prime its not very comfortable.

      --
      "In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
    8. Re:Considering the DS... by Pxtl · · Score: 1

      Oh, I know - but a solid FPS game would be simple with something as simple a PS2-style second shoulder button. The rest is all there - move wand for aim, trigger/shoulder to shoot, thumb button + wand movement, for peripheral actions like switch weapons, reload, whatever. But no jump, or any other actions besides the basics because of the single trigger. Similar problems occur with Super Smash Bros.

      So as a result, I'm expecting that every developer besides Nintendo will simply expect you to have the stick in nunchuck configuration, which to me defeats the whole purpose.

    9. Re:Considering the DS... by Erioll · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Try out Meteos. I don't know how anybody could even THINK of using the buttons for it, even though it DOES technically support it. Using the stylus (personally I think the stylus is WAY too small, though there's not much you can do for it, and hence I use my TabletPC's big pen) is essential to that game. Honestly, I think that the only other control scheme that MIGHT work for that game would be a mouse, which would obviously preclude it being a console game, but the DS's screen works perfectly. Another game that would work great for this concept would be Yoshi's Cookie, which I played a LONG time ago (Rented) on the SNES. It worked OK, but that game would be even more natural with the DS's control scheme.

      Meteos takes a little getting used to, since it really IS different from just another tetris re-hash. About the only thing is has in common with tetris is that it has a "well" as the primary game space, and that you're not supposed to let things pile out the top. Besides that, it's a COMPLETELY different experience, since you're TRYING to "launch" things out the top. And add in the fact that every planet you play on is slightly (or radically) different (Gravitas is a nightmare IMO), different strategies are required depending on where you play on.

      I'll agree that for things like MK: DS the touch screen is superfluous, though the SECOND screen is useful. Being able to see locally or globally around you is invaluable. And the fact it's touch-responsive is great only that it's easier to find a stretch where you can take your left thumb briefly off of the "wheel" to touch the screen to change the view, while keeping your right thumb firmly on the gas 100% of the itme.

      I'm quite happy with my DS. I'll admit that I thought the 2nd screen, AND the "touch" aspect of it were both gimmicks, but after playing with it for a while I know it's a solid game system, with neither mechanic being a gimmick.

    10. Re:Considering the DS... by sehryan · · Score: 1

      you know, i have seen this "two controllers for drums" thing float around for a while. i know it was in their "commercial" for the controller. and i consider myself a nintendo fanboy.

      that being said, playing a drumset is a lot more than two hands - it requires two feet as well. a drumset is a four-appendage instrument (unless you are that dude from Def Leppord), and a game based around such a thing would, to me, feel lame without some sort of foot controls.

      --
      The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
    11. Re:Considering the DS... by M.C.+Hampster · · Score: 1

      I am also playing the DS more than I play either my Gamecube or Xbox. I'm absolutely addicted to Advance Wars DS and Mario Kart DS. However, I use the touch screen for Advance Wars, even though it sounds like most use the d-pad.

      Personally, I don't mind that not every feature is used in every single game. Just because the touch-screen is there, doesn't mean that it has to be used. Same with the microphone. Even though Mario Kart DS doesn't use the touch screen, I find it to be one of the most enjoyable games this year. It's kind of funny but last night I was playing MK with a friend over the internet last night and we both were on our Xbox's in Xbox Live Chat so we could talk while playing MK:DS. It felt a little dirty.

      --
      Forget the whales - save the babies.
    12. Re:Considering the DS... by Mprx · · Score: 1

      True, but most gamers don't play drums and aren't interested in learning. A game where the pedals are played automatically would allow you to concentrate on the hands, and play far more impressive rhythms without having to be an actual drummer.

    13. Re:Considering the DS... by Iriel · · Score: 4, Insightful

      For all the nay-sayers that think the motion based control in Nintendo games is childish, gimmicky or stupid: They said the same thing about DDR. I'm married and have an 8-year old son, and my wife and I compete with our son's friends in DDR still.

      Suffice to say, you gotta drop the hardcore gamer image sometimes to rediscover what's fun. I can't wait to the NR game line up.

      --
      Perfecting Discordia
      www.stevenvansickle.com
    14. Re:Considering the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DDR does not a console line-up make.

      If all the PS2 had going for it was DDR, it would be dead.

    15. Re:Considering the DS... by PeelBoy · · Score: 1

      Even if NONE of the games came out made much use of the touch screen I STILL think it isn't a gimmick. If nothing else I like the touch screen for the fact that it makes getting around in the games menus much easier and quicker.

      Also there is a lot more to the system than just the touch screen. Mario Kart DS and Castlevania DS are both GREAT games that make very little use for the touch screen, but both make great use of the dual screens.

      That's what I like about the DS. The fact that there are so many neat wasy to take advantage of what it can do. Games don't NEED to use 100% of the DS's features to be fun.

      Try playing Meteos. That game just isn't the same with out the touch screen. Also try out any FPS game where the touch screen acts as a mouse.

    16. Re:Considering the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was a point to his post and I'm sure DDR was just 1 of many examples.

    17. Re:Considering the DS... by chrismcdirty · · Score: 1

      Tell that to someone who plays in a marching band. Just because it's drums, doesn't mean it's a drumset. It could be quads or quints. Or it could be most parts of a drumset, along with a foot attachment daisy-chained onto the nunchuk arrangement.

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
    18. Re:Considering the DS... by DingerX · · Score: 1

      Okay, while Matt Leone over at 1up gives us another "Ask the Devs" bit of speculation on the Revolution's controller, let's take the time to consider the real news.

      At one year in, people are treating as obvious the fact that the DS roundly trounced the PSP in the handheld wars. A quick glance at the sales figures suggests that this is indeed the case, but I haven't seen any full studies yet. Clearly, some nintendo nut has got to have the time to collate the hardware and software sales data, make some pretty graphs, and mark the times of hardware and software releases in various markets. Add a little text, calling it "How Nintendo Won the Handheld Wars (again)", some inconspicuous ads, and you'll get instant slashdotting (after all, they're so desperate for Nintendo news they slap in another controller piece) -- if you're lucky, enough to buy beer for a week. The world demands that you do this market research, and for free!

    19. Re:Considering the DS... by UES · · Score: 1

      I agree with your take on this, and I would like to add that no one should underestimate the price point issue as a major factor.

      Imagine three conversations in late 2006:

      Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new XBox360 consoles. I really like the online content since you don't like to play games with me, Stereotypical Wife- I will always have someone to compete with with XBox Live. There are also some very cool games coming soon for that system, like a Marvel Comics Multiplayer Online RPG and Madden 2007. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we already have. We would need to upgrade to HDTV to get the full output of the system.

      Mrs: OK. How much is it?

      Mr: $400 for the base system, $50 for a second controller, $60 each for games, about $50 for XBox Live Gold.

      Mrs: Maybe if we win the lottery.

      ***A variation on the theme:

      Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new Playstation3 consoles. There are some very cool games coming soon for that system, like a DC Comics Multiplayer Online RPG and Medal of Honor IX: Homefront Defender. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we already have. We would need to upgrade to HDTV to get the full output of the system.

      Mrs: OK. How much is it?

      Mr: $400 for the base system, $50 for a second controller, $60 each for games, about $50/year for online subscriptions apiece for each individual game that has online content.

      Mrs: Maybe if we win the lottery.

      ***Now, imagine this conversation:

      Mr: I'm thinking about one of those new Nintendo Revolution consoles. I really like the interesting controller that lets me wave a virtual lightsaber or drive a racecar by twisting my hands. There are also some very cool games coming soon for that system, like Hogwarts Wizard School and Mario Olympics.

      Mrs: OK. How much is it?

      Mr: $175 for the base system, $20 for a second controller, $30 each for games, online connection is free with old school games at about $2-5 each. It is backwards compatible with some of the games we have now.

      Mrs: It's half the cost of the other two options. And I might actually play some of those games.

    20. Re:Considering the DS... by Kazzahdrane · · Score: 1

      While I agree with your point that price might make the Revolution very attractive(I've owned a PSX and PS2 and am considering switching to Nintendo next generation), I think your prices are way out. I'd love to see games at $30, but I don't think that's going to happen in the next generation of games. Aside from budget titles with low production values (some of which might be good, of course) it's already a given that the cost of games will probably increase. I live in the UK though so am a bit out of touch with the price of new games in the USA. I think $30 is pretty cheap nowadays though, am I right?

    21. Re:Considering the DS... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Nintendo's branching out in a new direction with a proven ability to succeed in that direction.

      I do not think that word means what you think it means. That's like saying that Ford is building a new type of vehicle, that is proven to succeed.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    22. Re:Considering the DS... by vertinox · · Score: 1

      However, the touch-screen still seems gimmicky to me (and that's a Nintendo fanboy talking here). Even though I have played a couple of games that required the touch screen pretty extensively (Mario DS, Kirby Canvas Curse, and the wife is on Nintendogs), the two games I spend the most time with at the moment are Advance Wars DS and Mario Kart DS, and I only use the d-pad + buttons for both those games, never the touch screen.

      IMO the game that uses the touch screen the best has to be Yu-Gi-Oh! for the DS. Since it is a card game after all. I do have to agree with the Advance Wars and the touch pad. I tried and tried, but the d-pad works a whole lot faster.

      Now if they would only make an online version of Advance Wars, I'd be set.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    23. Re:Considering the DS... by supabeast! · · Score: 1

      Comparing the two systems doesn't work too well if one looks at the cost of development. It takes a lot less money to develop for the DS because graphics are simple and low-res, which means art teams can be tiny, and since most of the games are for kids, it's ok to keep re-using sprites from old games. Also, what little 3D the DS can pull off is very limited, so one doesn't need several hotshot 3D programmers trying to get every last polygon and shader trick possible running at acceptable framerates. Handheld games are also usually shorter than console games - 10 hours of total play is considered long for non-RPG games. Creating a full-blown 3d console game, OTOH, requires a huge team of designers, artists, and programmers, and budgets are often pushed into the tens-of-millions of dollars. That's a huge risk, while in comparison it's not really a big deal to risk between a few-hundred thousand (or even a few million) dollars on a handheld.

    24. Re:Considering the DS... by DarkYoshi · · Score: 1

      What it means is that Nintendo is being extremely innovative with the Rev, and they are very good at innovating successfully. Take the DS, for example. It's innovative, and it is/was successful.

    25. Re:Considering the DS... by David+Nabbit · · Score: 1, Insightful
      Suffice to say, you gotta drop the hardcore gamer image sometimes to rediscover what's fun.
      To me, the hardcore gamer is the one who enjoys innovative gameplay. Hardcore gamers enjoy quality games no matter what the platform is. People who only play Military Shooter 28 or Sports Sequel 50 Billion are not hardcore. Nintendo has never lost the hardcore gaming population; Sony and Microsoft have just excelled at building up the poser gaming population.

      Your point is well taken though. The folks pumping out generic game after generic game could learn a thing or two about what's fun.

      --
      "Her idea of wit is nothing more than an incisive observation humorously phrased and delivered with impeccable timing."
    26. Re:Considering the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DDR is a niche, I agree, but the point he was making is that the DDR niche is not a subset of traditional gamers. As another example, my sister and her friends bought a Gamecube to play Donkey Konga, and don't own any other games. The motion sensing Revolution controller has the potential to open up hundreds of similar game experiences, where people who aren't into traditional console games can jump in and have fun because the controls are intuitive. This is on top of all the ways they can enhance traditional console games with a motion sensing controller.

    27. Re:Considering the DS... by Corbu+Mulak · · Score: 1

      I agree. The DS is insanely fun and has a lot of really good games. I am playing it now almost as much as my gamecube and xbox.

      My only complaint is the design of the DS itself. The buttons need to be a tad bit bigger and the whole thing needs to be a hare smaller, height wise (if the machine was open). If they just cut off everything from the bottom of the lower screen down, I think it would be a good size.

    28. Re:Considering the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uh, yeah, what makes you think a revolution controller will be cheaper than the others? It has all kinds of fancy sensors and stuff in it.

      Current Nintendo games and peripherals are no cheaper than Sony or Microsoft, and that's unlikely to change - for psychological reasons if nothing else. If you see Need For Speed 14 launch at $60 and Zelda 7 at $30 you will think that the new Zelda is a cheapass piece of crap and go for NFS. Frankly, Nintendo has a LOT invested in people thinking that their games are worth $50. (For the record, I don't often disagree with them.)

    29. Re:Considering the DS... by DeadScreenSky · · Score: 1

      Your Nintendo price predictions are a little optimistic, don't you think? $20 (ie less than the Gamecube controllers at launch) for that fancy gyroscope, etc. controller?

      And I'm not sure how you can ignore that the X360 right now is the benchmark when it comes to cheap new games. $5 for Geometry Wars Evolved, $5 for online enabled Joust, $15 for billiards, $10 for Bejeweled 2, etc. It's a pretty fanboyish argument to ignore Xbox Live Arcade while hyping Nintendo's virtual console feature (which we still lack prices for, not to mention a game list or even actual previews).

      Also, how cheap will X360 be when the Revolution is finally released?

      --
      There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
    30. Re:Considering the DS... by DeadScreenSky · · Score: 0

      Now think about some of the game ideas you could have with the Revolution--just from the unique controller: Drums player (2 controllers for sticks), pilot games (tilt/turn the plane with the controller).

      But both of these things are perfectly doable with existing controllers! Or at least instead of buying a second Revolution controller, why not get a similarly priced drum peripheral, one actually designed to mimic the act more?

      That's the problem I see with the Revolution controller. A lot of people talk about all these cool new things that can be done with it, but then they list a lot of things that are already done with existing controllers and for which the Revolution gives little (if any) improvement.

      I'm definitely looking forward to when Nintedo finally reveals some Revolution games, but people might want to lower their expectations a bit...

      --
      There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
    31. Re:Considering the DS... by floodo1 · · Score: 0

      might want to lower their expectations?

      there are PLENTY of things you can do with revolution controller that you cant do with a regular controller. use your imagination.

      --
      I KUT J00 M4NG!!!
    32. Re:Considering the DS... by Deliveranc3 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Nintendo could mess things up pretty well with even slight flaws in their controller, if performance isn't up to snuff the lag will destroy them, if wireless conflicts are a problem that will kill them.

      Most critical is how accurate this controller can be, if it has poor quality tracking people will have to lower the sensitivity (Totally destroying the fun) or simply will hate the thing.

      But it's damn good to see that the biggest problems they're likely to have are technical which is how it should be, there will be killer games for this system the fps control scheme alone practically guarantees huge interest.

      And the DS is really a feather in their cap, it's not totally dominating (yet) but it's technical acheivements are increadible in how seamlessly it handles things that would be considered a problem in another system,two systems (GBA and DS in one), two screens, two cpus, and two control schemes. Brilliant, I love mine.

    33. Re:Considering the DS... by SetupWeasel · · Score: 1

      So as a result, I'm expecting that every developer besides Nintendo will simply expect you to have the stick in nunchuck configuration, which to me defeats the whole purpose.

      I don't see it that way. I'm sure there were some that had a grand vision for the single handed wand, but more practical heads demanded a little more control. The important thing is that the additional control the wand allows is not sacrificed in the "nunchuck" configuration.

      The "classic shell" will be the vehicle for the 3rd party sellout not the nunchuck.

    34. Re:Considering the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How Nintendo Won the Handheld Wars (again)

      Clearly, some nintendo nut has got to have the time to collate the hardware and software sales data,

      Nintendo vs. Sony = Nintendo is 3.5 bil ahead (Sony installs rootkits!)
      Nintendo vs. MS = Nintendo is 2.1 bil ahead (Nintendo doesn't lose $152 on every console)

      make some pretty graphs,

      How about some WORDS!

      Nintendo....UP!
      Sony........FLAT!
      MS..........FLAT!

      and mark the times of hardware and software releases in various markets.
      1988, 1992, 1998 Mario, Zelda, pong etc.

      some inconspicuous ads
      Don't support da man

      ...You'll get instant slashdotting (after all, they're so desperate for Nintendo news they slap in another controller piece) -- if you're lucky, enough to buy beer for a week. The world demands that you do this market research, and for free!

      Well, the Revolution seems much more innovative than the 360. I haven't heard much about the 360 in the past couple days other than the overheating power supply. I'm much more inclined to buy Nintendo after the 360 launch.

    35. Re:Considering the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am very very *very* sure the NR will be less than the 360 (as in the 360 less the hard drive) at launch.

    36. Re:Considering the DS... by sehryan · · Score: 1

      think about actually playing just your hands on the drumset. you end up with just playing a bunch of 8th notes the entire time. and anything beyond 8th note fills would be beyond most casual gamers. and for people who actually can play the set, not having pedals would be boring.

      --
      The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
    37. Re:Considering the DS... by sehryan · · Score: 1

      I went with what the controller video showed me, which is a dude playing a kit. I used to play in marching band, and i thought about doing that. but seeing as how most marching music would be beyond the average user, and couple that with the fact that air drumming gives you ZERO rebound, you are left with what? Flams and 8th notes? real exciting.

      --
      The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe.
    38. Re:Considering the DS... by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 1

      I haven't picked up mario kart yet, I'll post a JE with my friend code in it when I do.

      And live!? Jebus man, hop over to the PC and use Teamspeak or Vent or one of the voice comm programs there.

      --
      The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
    39. Re:Considering the DS... by Soybean47 · · Score: 1

      Regarding accuracy: They're using Gyration gyroscopes, which are pretty awesome. So unless they plug them in wrong or something, or screw up the position sensing mechanism, the Revolution controller should be significantly more accurate than an analog stick, while not being quite as precise as a mouse (because you're not braced against a desk, not because of the technology).

      As for wireless conflicts... is that really a likely issue? Wireless technology seems to be pretty good these days. It seems everyone has at least a couple of wireless devices, and, in my experience anyway, conflicts seem to be pretty rare.

    40. Re:Considering the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I find that for Mario DS and Metroid Prime its not very comfortable.

      You know the shoulder strap that came with the DS? The plastic piece at the end isn't just a weight-bearer - it's is actually a "thumb stylus" - try using that in Metroid. After a little practice, it becomes very intuitive. Gliding your thumb across the screen is a great way to play the games...

    41. Re:Considering the DS... by Delphiki · · Score: 1
      The folks pumping out generic game after generic game could learn a thing or two about what's fun.

      So could Nintendo. My GameCube is basically a very expensive paper weight because I couldn't find more than a couple games a year I even considered buying for it, which didn't also come out for my PS2. And why get anything for the GameCube which I could get for the PS2 instead since the GC controller was a nightmare and this way I can just stick the GC in the closet instead of having it waste an input on my TV.

      Zelda games aren't innovative anymore. The puzzles are so simple that it's generally insulting, especially if you've played any other ones. Mario has been plastered on so many different games that the sight of him in anything more advanced than an SNES just irritates me. Metroid Prime was good, but not enough to make the system worth the price. Games like Mario Party and Super Monkey Ball bore the hell out of me at parties, I would much rather do just about anything else, and I can't imagine wanting to play them by myself.

      Oh well, I guess Nintendo doesn't want my business and I don't want their product, so it's a good situation.

      --

      Feel free to mod me "-1 - Angry Jerk".

    42. Re:Considering the DS... by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      Nintendo has never lost the hardcore gaming population

      They lost it when they lost the third parties about a decade ago. Unless your definition of "hardcore" only includes those with tons of cash to throw around.

      Rob

    43. Re:Considering the DS... by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      I think you've forgotten exactly what was gimmicky about the DS. It wasn't the touch-screen, though there were fears that that would end up being a gimmick too, but the dual screens. You know, the reason why the thing was named the "DS" to begin with? And that has indeed turned out to be a gimmick.

      As for the DS' success, it is in a much different situation from the Revolution. Not only was it first to market ahead of the PSP, but it already had a virtual monopoly behind it, so third-party developers were basically forced to make games for it, gimmicks and all. Not so with the Revolution. The only things that system will have going for it are a low price and first-party games, and the idea that those will be enough for it to gain even a moderate amount of market-share is wishful thinking, especially since the GameCube had the exact same advantages. The new controller just makes it less likely that a third party will ever make anything for the console that isn't either a port (which will use the controller cradle, not the controller itself) or a gimmick game, not more.

      Rob

    44. Re:Considering the DS... by M.C.+Hampster · · Score: 1

      Dude, I will once you get Mario Kart. :-) I was only using Live because we both had it.

      --
      Forget the whales - save the babies.
    45. Re:Considering the DS... by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 1

      Yea, it'll be my first non-inflamatory JE in a while too, unless I dig up the link to target's typoed $99 DS advert. Which they're supposedly honoring if you can show them a copy of it. And if they don't circuit-city/the other price-matching places will.

      --
      The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
    46. Re:Considering the DS... by M.C.+Hampster · · Score: 1

      They fixed the typo.

      You used to be able to go here and type in "DS" in the search box on the left under Search Catalog and it would come up as $99. It comes up as $129 now.

      I knew I should have picked up a third DS for $99 while I could.

      --
      Forget the whales - save the babies.
  5. Eric Holmes - chill out dude! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Was this guy biased against the Revolution or what?

  6. A Revolution in the bedroom... by astroblaster · · Score: 4, Funny
    From TFA:
    Karthik Bala (Vicarious Visions): "... It could be the system in the bedroom with the HD-based system in the living room..."
    Two words: rumble pak.
  7. Time to develop? by FadedTimes · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It sounds a lot like these developers haven't even seen a dev kit for the revolution. Which to seems odd to me if we are going to see a system in roughly 6months, and the 3rd party dev's don't have the dev kits; then how are they going to have decent launch titles? Maybe they need to interview developers who are going to have launch titles, but maybe big N has these people locked down on what they can say about the new system.

    1. Re:Time to develop? by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 1

      The CPU was just finalized and delivered to undisclosed dev studio's. I do know of three games in development right now so developers are working on some form of basic hardware.

      One title is a racing game that IMO looks every bit as high quality as PGR3 and based on the popular "Test Drive" series.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
    2. Re:Time to develop? by mthornton · · Score: 1

      Links please? I'd like to see some of these games and am at work so I can't really do much searching.

    3. Re:Time to develop? by mrgreen4242 · · Score: 1

      I remember reading that the IDE was the same as the GameCubes and that they built a (wired) Revolution controller for the GC development machines. Developers can/have been building games as GameCube games with the new controller last I heard, and will "simply" just have to bring it over to Revolution dev kits and start using all the extra graphical and computationa; capabilities. So, as I understand it, you start working on your game and just have textureless low poly count models for placeholders as you get the engine working. Then when you move to the real hardware you can start putting in real models and textures and adding more complexity to your physics and AI routines etc... that was just what I remember hearing, though, I could be way off.

  8. You mean like... by thepotoo · · Score: 1

    ...working out at the gym?

    --
    Obligatory Soundbite Catchphrase
  9. Oh! A valid exuse for... by ArwynH · · Score: 1

    "So tell me again, why is it your right hand is so much more developed than your left?" *cough*

    1. Re:Oh! A valid exuse for... by Shad_the_protector · · Score: 1

      Because I Played too much to P..... Revolution

  10. Um...? by solomonrex · · Score: 1

    "As a bonus, gamers who play that long will end up with impressive looking forearms!"

    And tennis elbow!

  11. A whole new realm of video game related injuries by HappyCakeOven · · Score: 3, Interesting

    impressive looking forearms... I think we're overlooking one of the revolution controller's biggest disadvantages. Before all we had to worry about was a bad case of Nintendo thumb. Now what? Carpal tunnel syndrome? Tennis elbow? A sprained shoulder? Will I have to get Tommy John surgury to play MVP 2007??

    --
    It makes real cupcakes, with a 40 watt bulb, and there's icing packets....but the secret ingredient is love.
  12. It's not that difficult... by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Everyone keeps referring to the quick Nintendo video showing the exaggerated motions with the new controller. They weren't real. They were just that, exaggerated motions to better illustrate the new controller.

    The fact is that all reports point to being able to use it resting your arm with minor motions, just like current controllers. Sure some games will allow for the dramatic sword fights and whatnot... but it is no big deal. Think about it... have you ever played tennis or ping pong? No massive forearm strength is needed, plus the game has built in pauses to rest.

    There are many more examples, but for christ's sake even if you are a geek I think you should be able to wave a 4-6oz. controller around for a couple hours even with no massive strain - we aren't talking about a cinder block here. If you are too weak to handle that, then it is really time to put the game console away and go excercise.

    --
    http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
    1. Re:It's not that difficult... by Shad_the_protector · · Score: 2, Insightful

      if you want to practice the feeling go do a couple of shooter arcade game. Tough these are a lot heavier. It's not like nintendo R&D are brainless. They have considered their controller and the possible problem that could come with this. They know better than us what they do and have surely tought about it more time than everyone of us.

    2. Re:It's not that difficult... by cornface · · Score: 1

      They know better than us what they do and have surely tought about it more time than everyone of us.

      Yes. This is why no company has ever put out a bad product. Ever.

    3. Re:It's not that difficult... by BushCheney08 · · Score: 1

      If it's really a problem then maybe you guys should order one of those lightsabers from thinkgeek and start practicing.

      --
      Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
    4. Re:It's not that difficult... by PakProtector · · Score: 1
      There are many more examples, but for christ's sake even if you are a geek I think you should be able to wave a 4-6oz. controller around for a couple hours even with no massive strain - we aren't talking about a cinder block here. If you are too weak to handle that, then it is really time to put the game console away and go excercise.

      Amen to that. People often seriously underestimate what their body can do.

      I used to swordfight quite often, and people were amazed that I could stand in about a hundred pounds of steel and do a cartwheel. Or that I could prance around in said hundred pounds of steel carrying a doubleweight practice shield and a doubleweight practice sword for about ten minutes.

      Now, I was fucking exhausted to hell after that, but I could do it.

      At the place where I currently work, one of the duties of the servers (read: girls) is to fill up the ice in the soft drink machine. There are several there who refuse to do it because they "can't." When I was six I could have lifted ten pounds of ice over my head. I finally got one who thought she couldn't do it to actually try, and she was suprised she could.

      --

      Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
      man: no entry for woman in the manual.
      "Qua!?"

    5. Re:It's not that difficult... by Shad_the_protector · · Score: 1

      not like Nintendo have a big percentage of their product that can be call bad too

    6. Re:It's not that difficult... by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 1

      Please, do tell the "Big Percentage" of bad... I'll wait, and I'll even start you off with the Virtual Boy... oh, yeah, there really isn't that much over the *25* years of Nintendo. I would venture to say they have had less flops over 25 years than Sony and MS combined in about 10-15.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
    7. Re:It's not that difficult... by Shad_the_protector · · Score: 1

      not like Nintendo have a big percentage

      I think you didn't understand, if there is something to say about nintendo is exactly the fact that so far they have been successful in nearly everything they did. Other than the virtual boy there is the N64 controller that was really cheap and easily broken, but this put asside, everything as been succesful so far with Nintendo.

    8. Re:It's not that difficult... by steveo777 · · Score: 1
      I've been doing northern shaolin kung fu for a long time now. If there's anything I've learned, it's that even a half pound weight on your arms makes a big difference. I agree wholely with you that the average gamer should be able to handle 4-6oz of controller, seeing as we alread do, just most of us tend to not flail it about.

      Seriously, though, there could easily be an add-on that makes the controller 5 pounds and includes a work-out video. Maybe you'd get points for how well you could stick to the routine. It could even teach you some of the movements of kung fu, tai kwon do, and the like. Maybe even be able to pysically battle somebody over the wifi across the world. It's a different matter when it's a question of who can mash buttons faster, but who's fists are faster? Hmmm?

      All in all, with a 3D space to work with (even if the videos have been exagerated) the possibilities really are wide open. I'm giddy with excitement.

      --
      This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
    9. Re:It's not that difficult... by cornface · · Score: 1

      Other than the virtual boy there is the N64 controller that was really cheap and easily broken, but this put asside, everything as been succesful so far with Nintendo.

      Yes, the N64 was a raging success that ensured their continued success dominating the home console market.

      Oh wait. No it wasn't.

      The Gamecube is widely heralded as one of the most successful consoles of all time!

      Oh wait. No it isn't.

    10. Re:It's not that difficult... by Soul-Burn666 · · Score: 1

      What's everyone's problem with the Virtual Boy?
      Just as all other of N's systems, it was profitable.
      Moreover, every person I heard who actually owned one loved it and only some reported eye strain.
      It wasn't a "huge success", but it wasn't a flop either.

      --
      ^_^
    11. Re:It's not that difficult... by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 1

      I own one, and I actually enjoyed it. I never had headaches or motion sickness or any of the usual bashes against it... it just didn't have many games. The funny thing is that when people come ove to my house they see it and want to try it because they've only ever heard stories... many of them think it is pretty neat. It's just more of a novelty than a serious system.

      I got mine from Kay Bee Toystores on clearance for $2.49 for the Virtual Boy and each game for $0.79... can't beat that.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
  13. I yam what I yam by BruceTheBruce · · Score: 2, Funny

    "...gamers who play that long will end up with impressive looking forearms!" Will also enjoy spinach, and attempt to woo impossibly skinny women.

  14. HDTV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    We're seeing in a lot of early Xbox 360 games that games designed for HDTVs don't always look significantly better than current generation games when shown on normal televisions.
    How comes no one gives the obvious response: games don't look better because the extra processing power goes into rendering at HDTV resolution instead of effects and smother models.
  15. Wavebird on the Revolution by Launt · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Everyone always seem to ignore the fact that all gamecube controllers will work on the Revolution. It is suppose to have 4 ports for Cube controllers. Save your wavebirds because you can use them on it. So there is no reason to worry about the funky Rev controller since you can use the Wavebird still. Thats a good thing since its about the best controller ever made. They will probably rebadge the Wavebird and sell it as a Revolution controller too just so there isn't much confusion.

    --
    "When the going gets Weird, the Weird turns Pro" - Hunter S. Thompson
    1. Re:Wavebird on the Revolution by tepples · · Score: 1

      Wavebird on the Revolution

      Unless they use the same wireless band and the Wavebird protocol doesn't allow for enough selectivity at the receiver.

      Everyone always seem to ignore the fact that all gamecube controllers will work on the Revolution.

      But will Nintendo allow the developer of a Revolution game to make the game use GameCube controllers exclusively, or will games that use the old controller be required to use only the GameCube hardware and come on an 80mm disc?

    2. Re:Wavebird on the Revolution by Launt · · Score: 1

      Good question. I read in an interview somewhere to not worry because you'll be able to play multi-platform games like Madden with the old controllers still. I sure hope we can use the wavebirds for new games on it and not just gamecube titles.

      --
      "When the going gets Weird, the Weird turns Pro" - Hunter S. Thompson
  16. Re:A whole new realm of video game related injurie by fwitness · · Score: 1

    It's been brought up, many times. The answer is that we really don't know yet, and can't really tell until we have more data. A lot of these recently noticed (medical research speaking) injuries are do to the very cramped nature of inputs our hands have been forced upon in modern times.

        It's entirely possibly that naturally waving one hand and pushing one or two buttons in a 2' range will result in less injuries than unnaturally cramping all ten fingers to reach all 10 different buttons, two analog sticks and a d-pad in a 2" range.

        Bottom line, jury's still out.

    --
    -- I have fans? Wow.
  17. Yet again, unfounded claims from the industry. by Driving+Vertigo · · Score: 1

    I think the claim of impressive forearms cause by repeated motion is unfounded. I've been doing that for years without any impressive resluts. As a matter of fact, it's only ended in shame.

    --
    To a noob, root is like a gay bar...and he's wearing assless chaps
  18. News just in!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ANIMAL CROSSING ALSO PICKED UP THE FOLLOWING AWARDS AT YESTERDAY'S STAR-PACKED CEREMONY:

    # The Gay Pride Gayest Little Game Award
    # The Sugar Magazine Girl Gamer Award (4-8-year-old category)
    # The Most Embarrassing Game For a 32-Year-Old-Man To Be Seen Playing On The Train To Work In The Morning Award
    # What Paedophile? Magazine's 'Best For Grooming' Award

    Nintendo ranked highly in all categories!!!

  19. Anecdote != data by tepples · · Score: 1

    Nintendo is being extremely innovative with the Rev, and they are very good at innovating successfully. Take the DS, for example. It's innovative, and it is/was successful.

    Past success in innovation does not guarantee future success in innovation. Remember the Virtual Boy?

    1. Re:Anecdote != data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful


      Remember the NES (Gamepad, D-pad)?

      Remember the SNES (Shoulder buttons)?

      Remember the N64 (Analog stick and Rumble)?

      Remember the Wavebird (First-party wireless)?

      Remember the DS?

      Nintendo has a long history of innovating and being successful in that innovation.

      The Virtual Boy is the "anecdote" that goes against the existing data.

  20. Auto-pause in Virtual Boy games by tepples · · Score: 1

    plus the game has built in pauses to rest.

    So did games on the Virtual Boy, if that's any indication.

    1. Re:Auto-pause in Virtual Boy games by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 1

      Actually I meant in games like Tennis and Ping Pong in real life, the games are designed to give the players frequent breaks in the action. I didn't write it the clearest.

      When you are holding a real raquet and having to run and strike the ball with force no one complains that it is impossible to keep up for more than ten minutes... yet, somehow, to hold a couple ounce controller with no force or running involved is *outrageous* and no one could possibly do *that*. We really are a nation of candy asses... quite litterally.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
  21. You're right, motion would be SO awful! by ianscot · · Score: 1
    Before all we had to worry about was a bad case of Nintendo thumb. Now what? Carpal tunnel syndrome? Tennis elbow? A sprained shoulder? Will I have to get Tommy John surgury to play MVP 2007??

    Gosh, it's a good thing all previous human activity has been limited to a tiny range of motion for our thumbs and forefingers. What would our early ancestors have done if they couldn't kill antelope with their B button? Now that we're really pushing the limits, who knows what kind of muscles we'll develop? Maybe some on our big fat butts, from walking around! The mind boggles. ;-)

    I do agree, and this would be repetitive motion -- but carpal tunnel syndrome, oddly enough, is a problem associated not with tennis or baseball or other active pursuits. It's skyrocketed with the basically sedentary use of traditional input devices this controller doesn't resemble much. Seems like we're maybe worrying the wrong way around...

    --
    "Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
  22. Dance Dance on the Revolution by rev063 · · Score: 1

    Y'know, speaking of DDR, this would be a great game with the Revolution controllers. One of the problems with DDR is it looks like you're doing that Irish dancing when you play -- it's all in the legs, and your arms can just hang down at the side. But what if you played DDR on the usual footpad but you had a Revolution controller in each hand. There would be on-screen actions for both your feet and your hands. That would be cool, and a better workout to boot!