New Speculation on Nintendo Revolution

[Daniel Thomas]

A weblog writer at BrokenSaints.com has some interesting details regarding Nintendo's upcoming Revolution console. Please keep in mind that what he discusses is still speculation, and is largely based upon fragments of information, insights offered by people on the inside, and the old-fashioned educated guess.

That said, read on: Nintendo Revolution?

Some of the features Nintendo may be looking to integrate include gyroscoptic control (ala Kirby Tilt 'n Tumble), touchscreen integration (ala DS), and wireless technology (mentioned elsewhere on these boards).

Interesting, of course, but certainly not revolutionary. The real revolution may be it's display:


"Okay. No major revelations there, but I bet its got you thinking about future game design and interactive potential, yes? Yes…but for me, the first twinge of excitement regarding this machine didn’t come until the final pieces of the long-rumoured DISPLAY puzzle fell into place:

"- the IGN boys posted this regarding a patent for Nintendo’s upcoming display technology, which I linked to a few days ago. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to glean that this conceptually portrays a form of 3D image projection.

"- at a major film conference called ShoWest just last month, a panel featuring George Lucus, Robert Zemekis, James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez, and a satellite feed from Peter Jackson has studio reps, journalists, and theatre owners seriously jazzed about their plans to integrate cheap digital stereoscopic 3D (like recent IMAX features or the oldschool Captain EO experience at Epcot) into ALL major chains by 2007. Lucas even showed several minutes of the original STAR WARS with remapped visuals that popped off the screen and hovered in front of audience members. When an agent friend of mine was chatting with Rodriguez (there to pump Sin City and discuss his experiences with Spy Kids 3D), he mentioned how they were aware of a game machine beating them to the mainstream 3D market.

"- the next day, I contacted another strangely influential industry pal/pundit and shared my thesis purely for fun’s sake (and perhaps some extremely lame bragging rights). The final shiny block of tetrisy knowledge slid into place when he excitedly shared the following - that the Big N had shown a real-time 3D add-on for Gamecube behind closed doors…AT LAST YEAR’S E3. It has since gone MIA. This is the sound of four rows dropping."


Again, please don't treat these as solid facts or gospel truth. But Nintendo is seeking to rattle the game industry; they simply cannot survive in the current business model. Is this how they plan to rewrite the rules? And, more importantly, could such an idea prove successful? Questions, questions.

[Ernster]

Well If it is some sort of 3D/VR system I honestly cant wait!

It would be extremely easy for Nintendo to Market this system.......the Nintendo 3D. I can imagine a Huge red Nintendo 3D logo all over major cities, the news, it could be huge, of course Nintendo wouldnt waste that much money on Advertising, I mean who needs to advertise? pfft..

[TheRedEye]

I don't think Nintendo is retarded enough to completely alienate the very large percentage of people who couldn't properly perceive 3D.

[petewhitley]

That would be a "revolution". I hope for Nintendo's sake there is some truth to that rumour.

[Promophile]

I don't think Nintendo is retarded enough to completely alienate the very large percentage of people who couldn't properly perceive 3D.

omg are you serious? I thought i was in a very small minority. One of my eyes is really bad and the other is like 20/20 so i can't see 3D .

[Kejoriv]

that would be great for Nintendo. I really hope with their newest system, that it propels Nintendo to the #1 system and knocks off Microsoft and Sony.

[goatdan]

If I'm not mistaken, the type of 3D that is being rumored here is the type that you only see if you want to wear the glasses -- otherwise it looks normal.

My only question is if this is it, why couldn't Sony or Microsoft do it? If I'm not mistaken, the 3D stuff would be a software thing, not a hardware thing.

That does seem to be the next big thing though. I've heard that the next step for the Star Wars films is going to be making them do 3D, which would definitely help popularize the model. If the Revolution was somehow the only system that could properly display movies like that, Nintendo would have a ton of guaranteed sales to people who may or may not even play games with it!

[howdoin]

I'd be glad it 3D is the Revolution becasue the Virtual Boy was a great idea only limited by technology but whose games really did bring something new to the table.

Let it be 3D!

[kainemaxwell]

Sounds very cool of Nintendo to try something completly new! I can see it either being a success or people completly not getting it and Nintendo failing. One thing N's been good at has been innovations.

[Flack]

I thought we just got done talking about how Nintendo was going to change the gaming industry with the DS and it's touch pad! Not to spark yet another console war, but I see PSP commercials almost every day and I never see Nintendo ads. I have started seeing kids at the mall with PSPs and I haven't seen anyone there with a DS.

History has shown that it takes more than innovative hardware to succeed -- it takes good games as well. This round of hardware introduced some genres to the world (GTA 3 for example) but when it comes down to it I personally don't care whether a new console has 3D, a touchpad, a can opener, or whatever. I just want some new, fun, innovative games.

[Jive3D]

Sounds great, I love new ideas like this - especially when they come to the gaming world (which as you all know is getting closer to the movie industry than any of us had anticipated about a decade ago).

I'm interested in any new way to play or perceive games. But honestly, I really hope that they DON'T call the machine 'Revolution.' Please.

...another thought - I can't find the video now - but a few months back there was a video of a product demo for Augmented Reality displays. Pretty much using a display to overlay computer graphics into the real world - an easy example would be imagne you are driving and your windhshield overlays graphics into what you are seeing outside, people, buildings, helicopters, explosions, little bunny rabbits or GOJIRA!!! - some speculated that this is the type of technology that Nintendo will be leaning towards. It might be kind of cool to see each mario level spring from the floor in your living room. The video that I saw had two guys giving a presentation in front of a crowd and with their graphics display, they implanted helicopters flying over the crowd and car crashes taking place on the stage, etc - anyone know an online resource for this video?

[ChickLi]

If I'm not mistaken, the type of 3D that is being rumored here is the type that you only see if you want to wear the glasses -- otherwise it looks normal.

How does that type of 3D work? I always thought that in order for something to appear three-dimensional, there needed to be two separate versions of an image present, something that the glasses would cause not to be noticeable. I would figure that this would be obvious without the glasses on.

And as a sidenote... I'm also a person who can't see in 3D. I have monocular vision that was brought on by having a lazy eye as a child. Each of my eyes works independently (they take turns seeing), so I can't use 3D glasses -- I'll see everything in either red or green, not both at the same time.

[kainemaxwell]

The industry needs innovation, not the same thing repackaged.

[poloplayr]

hey, maybe Big N is trying to hock all the Virtual Boys sitting unsold in warehouses?

[Lady Jaye]

Nah, they bought Sega's old SMS 3D glasses inventory...

[Cirrus]

Sounds very cool of Nintendo to try something completly new! I can see it either being a success or people completly not getting it and Nintendo failing. One thing N's been good at has been innovations.

Yeah, my thoughts, too. I can see it bombing hard. True, Nintendo has been great at innovations, and equally terrible at times. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. (I suppose the n64 sort of sat between huge success and dud.)

Not to write off the DS too quickly, but there is one problem: no one has one. I mean, sure, a lot of us do here, but I honestly don't know anyone else that has one. "Great, it has all of these neat capabilities for multiplayer. And I have friends, so this should work out well!" That hasn't worked out for me.

And to agree with Flack: where are the damn games? I want to see Nintendo innovate, I want Nintendo to succeed more than anything. They have so much quality, but lack serious quantity.

I will buy whatever Nintendo throws at me, what else can I do? I just hope they stop spreading themselves so thin and blow us away with the Revolution.

And release it with a pack-in Mario game, you dolts!

[hydr0x]

Not to write off the DS too quickly, but there is one problem: no one has one.

not wanting to start another DS discussion here, but you got to know that's not true, look at the actual hard sales numbers and you know people buy them. i work at a retailer and we sell around 5-10 per week right now, that's absolutely ok for our size and considering the fact that in my city the Cube is far behind Xbox contrary to the rest of Germany

[TheRedEye]

I don't think Nintendo is retarded enough to completely alienate the very large percentage of people who couldn't properly perceive 3D.

omg are you serious? I thought i was in a very small minority. One of my eyes is really bad and the other is like 20/20 so i can't see 3D :( .

See? Within like three replies on this board alone is someone who would not be able to play such a system. I really doubt Nintendo is eager to re-live all of the negative flack that they got for the Virtual Boy. This is a cool rumor, and for all we know it could be a PlayStation3 accessory, but the "revolution" part of Nintendo's next console is not 3D immersion.

[Cirrus]

Not to write off the DS too quickly, but there is one problem: no one has one.

not wanting to start another DS discussion here, but you got to know that's not true, look at the actual hard sales numbers and you know people buy them. i work at a retailer and we sell around 5-10 per week right now, that's absolutely ok for our size and considering the fact that in my city the Cube is far behind Xbox contrary to the rest of Germany

Okay, I know they are selling, but to who? I don't know anyone with one. Peroid. Me, that's it. Most of my friends are pretty big gamers, but they are going with the PSP, and I understand why. I'll keep with the DS, and hope and pray.

(Now we return to our regularly scheduled thread.)

[swlovinist]

Nintendo is definately a company that frustrates me. As many of you know, I am a pretty BIG Nintendo fan. I really hope that their new system lives up to thier hype, something the DS definately has not. As of the past few years, I personally feel the company has became way to dependant on gimmicks to sell their kiddie merchandise. I grow tired of the company who I grew up with forgetting about me. Don't get me wrong, I love RE4, Metroid, and the promise of the new Zelda game coming, but overall, the company has just lost its customer base to other systems. Hopefully this new system can change my mind, as I will be open to trying thier new system. The Gamecube was a decent little system that was not taken seriously by some due to its fisher price looking controller and kid dominated game base. Nintendo, if you are reading this post, FIGURE IT OUT, ADULTS WANT TO PLAY YOUR GAMES TOO! DONT FORGET ABOUT THE MILLIONS WHO GAVE YOU YOUR ORIGINAL DYNASTY. I could give a rats butt about another Mario Party, another Kirby tilt n tumble game, let alone a touch screen. I dont want gimmicks, I want content that will make me want to keep coming back!