Will the Revolution Controller be revealed at TGS?

[HyrulianHedgehog]

I can't wait to see RTS/Adventure/RPG games using this controller. Imagine playing Baldur's Gate on the Revolution! Not the sucky action Dark Alliance, but Tales of the Sword Coast and Shadows of Amn. I'm salivating already! For the first time we might have a decent RTS game on a console.

I just hope that you don't have to do a kind of dance to play. You should be able to sit on the couch and point at the screen, not stand up and work up a sweat.

[klausien]

I haven't read through every post yet, so please forgive me if I repeat something. I think everyone who loves video games has to vent on this, be their feelings positive or negative.

I am flabbergasted, even more than I was with the DS, but I really like it. I will say that is has taken me some reflection, but I am definitely on board now.

Two things of importance that many might be missing that I learned from the IGN article on playtesting the thing (lucky bastards!) and the pictures & video:

1) The controller is generally shown in Japanese hands. It is a lot smaller than most of us are envisioning, and still could go through some changes before the final is released. Hopefully they will keep it small because that is one of the coolest things about it.

2) Nintendo will be offering an attachment that places the rectangular piece in the center. There will be standard controls on this to facilitate N64 & SNES play. This also allows a combination of the truly 3D control AND standard control. Imagine the possibilities!?!?!

This also makes for a $nice$ add on too. You can play NES out of the box with the wand, but SNES & N64 will require an additional hardware purchase. This is one of the ways Nintendo will make their money, in addition to what constantly builds up with the downloadable content. Hopefully they will go with a cellphone game-esque pricing model as opposed to something like what Sony has done with UMD movies vs. DVDs.

Sit back and admire what Nintendo has in store for us this generation: The DS with its touch screen, The GB Micro which is TRULY pocket sized (and is going to make a KILLING. People are actually excited about it.) & now the "Revolution" and its frankly mind expanding controller. Relish this. It is for US, the people who don't want more of the same with better graphics.

Final Thought: Imagine Rez with this thing. You could actually get up and groove with the avatar! My head is going to explode!

[studvicious]

On that subject, remember, with that port on the end of the "remote", third parties can make add-ons for the Revolution, I totally expect to see some sort of Touch Screen add-on from Nintendo.

I seriously doubt that. From the very beginning they've said that the Rev and the DS will be able to communicate through wi-fi. (Think GBA adapter/controller thing) but MUCH cooler.

[Daria]

Am I going to want to pay $50 for a game and $20 for a controller extension so I can play it?

Aren't Sony and Microsoft already talking about charging $60 - $70 per game? If Nintendo charges the same price for a game bundled with the controller ad-on I'd say it's the better deal.

[njiska]

Am I going to want to pay $50 for a game and $20 for a controller extension so I can play it?

Aren't Sony and Microsoft already talking about charging $60 - $70 per game? If Nintendo charges the same price for a game bundled with the controller ad-on I'd say it's the better deal.

Launch MS xbox titles are currenly priced at $49.99 and that's offical from MS.

[classicb]

Donkey Konga and Jungle Beat were both sold for $49.99 with the Bongos.

I think it's a little early to be speculating prices of add ons

[anagrama]

Hell, I had absolutely zero interest in the next-gen systems before this, and despite the initial "what in the HELL?" reaction many others seemed to share, this has really got my interest piqued.

Look at it this way: How many times, here and on every other vg board in the wolrd, have you heard people lamenting about the lack of innovation and the dreaded 'casual' gamer ruining today's industry?

Nintendo have obviously been looking at this, realised they are not going to be able to compete for that market on an anything approaching an even level with Microsoft and Sony, and have besically said "Screw it." - instead, they're producing a genuinely innovative product that will attract the attention of anyone who *doesn't* just want sports games/driving games/GTA clones, and while that may not be a majority, it is a significant minority and certainly enough of one to be profitable.

To all the nay-sayers and "WTF?"-ers: go back to your PS2s and XBoxes: Nintendo doesn't expect or want you to buy this, and are quite happy about that. Just don't be surprised when you see Sony & Microsoft copping some or all of their ideas further down the line.

[dan2357]

Well Im thinking how they said there would be ways to get credits or such to purchase old games. I imangine that if you buy an extension retro controll, it will come with some free downloads, to help justify the purchase.

Is the revolution just going to end up being an all in one
XaviX, the video of the people playing reminded me of people infront of the display in best buy.

[Vectorman0]

If this thing does end up launching with a pricepoint below the other two, which it will, it will surely snag potential buyers. Nintendo also is going to have a huge portion of their entire library available as well, which is another big selling point. The only turn off I see is the intimidating controller. I bet that there will be demonstration videos playing on store TV's and GC Kiosks in the near future to change some peoples minds.

[hezeuschrist]

Man, quite a thread.

Anyways, for those of you willing to crucify Nintendo for this, have a gander:

http://cube.ign.com/articles/651/651559p1.html

Q: What does the conventional controller cradle/shell do?

A: This add-on makes it possible to play Revolution games in a more traditional manner. The shell is designed to look and function like accepted "regular" controllers, such as the Wave Bird. After its bottom casing is removed, the Revolution's free-hand-style remote is inserted into a gap in the middle of the controller shell. Gamers can then use the shell as they would a traditional controller, with a notable difference: the pointer remote's sensory functionality remains active. As a result, gamers get the best of both worlds: more buttons and two analog sticks along with motion-sensing operations. In a Revolution version of Madden Football, gamers might be able to use the combo to control players with the shell's analog sticks and execute pinpoint passes with the pointer's improved accuracy.


Nintendo has not yet released official imagery of what the controller shell might look like. However, we've created a mock-up (above) based on what we know of its functionality. The real controller shell is likely to connect to the free-hand-style pointer in a very similar fashion. Please note that we realize our model is not entirely to scale, but this is the best we could do on short notice.

[ianoid]

Fascinating company, this Nintendo.

Just to be a hatemonger, I have little respect for you card carrying Nintendophiles (which implies hating all other consoles because they are not Nintendo, and listing the reasons why you hate all the other companies doesn't make it any more reasonable.) Boring!

This controller with it's similarity to the original NES pad is oa big surprise. Will it be sunk like other mercury switch controllers in the past? Or is the technology read for us? This is much more interesting than the DS, which should probably be called the 2GBA+t.

[goatdan]

Man, quite a thread.

Anyways, for those of you willing to crucify Nintendo for this, have a gander:

(*delete interesting picture...*)

The question remains in my head... why don't we see that as the standard release, and the "remote" thing that they want to do can be a seperate release. Bundle the "flailing" technology with a real controller, and it's a really neat concept. Force consumers to buy an extra controller and game developers to develop stuff for a third party extension (which of course, most won't) and I think you're asking for trouble.

[classicb]

Man, quite a thread.

Anyways, for those of you willing to crucify Nintendo for this, have a gander:

(*delete interesting picture...*)

The question remains in my head... why don't we see that as the standard release, and the "remote" thing that they want to do can be a seperate release.

who's to say that we won't? As of now the "shell" thing is spoken of as a add on but who knows maybe it will be included. It sounds like the "shell" will be needed to play SNES/N64/Cube games as well as multi platform games so maybe they'll bundle it with the system at launch.

you know most of the news out there on the net is speculation from images and some hands on experince with demos but Nintendo is still keeping allot information secret.

I can't wait untill Nintendo tells us more or even better shows us some games.

[Wavelflack]

Pretty much what I was thinking. Maybe Nintendo will be the first company to go back to the "old days" and pack in TWO controllers with the system.

As for the thing itself? I suppose it's revolutionary, but so would a system with a five pack of buttplugs included in the box. "Revolutionary" doesn't necessarily equate to "excellence". I'm personally disappointed that it's not a VR system of some kind. How many more years am I going to have to wait before that happens? They thought about it in the 90's, and since then it has been a back burner issue. I don't understand why. The technology is there (all things are calculated and rendered in 3D anyway), the hardware is there (color LCD/ plasma screens are cheap these days), the games that could use it are there.

I wanted REAL VR.

I guess I'm of a split mind.

1. It's different, and will necessarily require a different approach to games. This could be the start of something new.

2. It's not the quantum leap (in the colloquial sense) that I was expecting. I've been listening to Nintendo and their misleading information since Zelda 2 had a "chip shortage". I have a tape with Nintendo Game Counselors telling me that the SNES was actually faster than the Genesis. I have EGM magazines with specs for the SNES CD. I have Project Reality articles alluding to the technology behind Jurassic Park's graphics being a part of the system.


I suppose I simply dislike extremists in either camp. The Nintendo haters are shallow, and the Nintendo apologists are naive.

[Daniel Thomas]

I've got my thoughts on Nintendo Revolution on my new weblog, so feel free to walk over and pay a visit. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Excerpt:


"Let's get straight to the action: Nintendo's Revolution controller is the most important invention since the microprocessor. Yes, you heard that right. The first Great Invention of the 21st Century.

"The way that humans interact with computers is going to completely change. Everything we've become accustomed to going to become extinct. Just think about that for a moment; think about how you interact with your computer, your television, your media center, your games console. Fold up the space car, George Jetson, and welcome to the future.

"Don't think about videogames for a moment. Think about Steven Spielberg's Minority Report. For that film, Spielberg consulted with scientists and futurists to depict the most accurate depiction of life 50 years from now. In the future, we see Tom Cruise manipluate computer images, not with a keyboard or mouse, but with a glove, with the movement and grace of a symphony composer.

"That is how we are going to interact with computers in the future. And Nintendo Revolution is the first great step in that direction. That's what I'm talking about."[/color]

[Anthony1]

And just wait until those Madden fans realize they can "throw" the ball with the revolution controller. If there's one thing a pig skin aficionado is going to love is the immersion in his sport. Just tell them they can actually throw Peyton Manning's ball and they'll come running.

So are you saying that they are going to have Madden play from a First Person Perspective?



Because, how the hell are you going to throw the football with that controller? When you throw something that is going to leave your hand, like a baseball or a football or a basketball, there is something known as "follow through".


The only time you can have a "follow through" is if you actually throw the thing and it leaves your hand. I can just see the lawsuits now! People throwing their remotes at the TV with extreme force, or throwing them accros their living room and hitting somebody in the head.


The one thing that you would be able to do accurately, would be to do pump fakes. And the reason that would be accurate is because in a pump fake, the ball doesn't leave your hand. I just don't see them using the controller like that. The controller will be used as a bat for baseball (no brainer), a glove for baseball (maybe), a hockey stick in hockey (likely), tennis racket in tennis (absolute certainty), golf club in golf (extremely likely), maybe even boxing gloves in boxing (maybe special gloves that can be purchased sepeartely for a really hardcore experience).


But anything that leaves your hand, will be kinda hard to do, because of the "follow through" type thing. I mean, I guess you can kinda fling your arm like you are going to throw and not throw, but the motion will be off from a real throw.


But for games like Tennis, Baseball (bat and maybe even glove), Golf, Hockey and Boxing, this could be unbelievably revolutionary.



Ah, revolution ary.

[Anthony1]

As for the thing itself? I suppose it's revolutionary, but so would a system with a five pack of buttplugs included in the box.

Now that was some funny shit!!

[lendelin]

I know this is a heated and premature discussion due to the lack what we know and lots of hopes. Nevertheless:

1) Discuss this controller in the context of a handheld/portable system. It is absolutely futile to discuss controller abilities for games like Madden or Zelda or Star Wars. (like I read on this board and IGN and other sites)

This controller was designed for a system which doesn't intend to play these games. You won't get them on the Revolution; and if you don't trust me, trust Miyamoto. Last week he said that Twilight of the Princess for the Cube is the last Zelda as we know it. How much more straightforward can Nintendo get?

You won't get a traditional Super Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Resident Evil or Madden because the system targets another audience, it was never intended to compete with the PS3 and 360.

2) The controller seems to be ideal for handheld games; for shorter, more approachable games which give gamers a quick game fix. It is ideal for a Super Monkeyball and Warioware and has lots of other potentials (like for sports games with simplified gameplay engines); but it's not ideal for complex adventure games like Zelda (moving, lock-on, backflipping), Resident Evil, Metroid as we know it, and almost every triple A title I can think of.

I cannot imagine to move my hand and press buttons at the same time with that thing which limits its potential for a LOT of games which will be developed for the 360 and PS3.

3) The 'shell'-thingie is ridiculous and inconsistent; what is left of the revolutionary control scheme if I can play the (same?) games with a standard controller. Furthermore, if the revolutionary sensory movement is still intact when this shell we almost know nothing about is attached, how can I control the movement with the controller and press buttons at the same time? This won't happen.

The shell is probably intended for the playable Cube and N64 games. In combination with the sensory control it doesn't make sense.

4) The Revolution won't be a competitor to the 360 and PS3 and isn't intended as such. You can't demonize or hail N in such a context. It is an attempt by N to put the most powerful handheld/portable on the market, and it will be a great competitor for the PSP.

This way N will strenghten its healthy economic leg in the handheld business, and gives up the traditional console business. A smart and sound economic move by N instead of pulling a Sega 'all-or-nothing-game.' It wouldn't have made sense for N to put out another traditional console after the losses of the N64 and GC for the last nine years.

5) The marketing strategy for N and therefore the control scheme for the Revolution and the system itself makes perfect economic sense. They're going with smaller, shorter, less expensive, unique, and maybe even innovative games after the hardcore crowd and the extreme casual gamer and the so far non-gamer.

It makes sense because the market potential is there.

First, the hardcore gamer, extreme casual gamer, and the non-gamer are very similar in their tastes. The spoiled and jaded hardcorer regards the Revolution as an interesting variety to existing systems, and wants less complex, shorter games with unique entertainment value like puzzlers and a la Warioware. The same goes for the extreme casual and non-gamer. It is the old horseshoe model. When you go to the extremes, they converge and become similar.

The hardcore console crowd and extreme casual gamers are potential revolution owners.

Second, the potential of third party support is there. In times of steadily rising development costs smaller developers look for a platform which gives an opportunity to develop cheaper games. The big developers might contribute with slimmed down versions of the big titles.

The crucial Q remains the good use of the 'new' control scheme (like the second screen for the DS) for all the games. The success or failure of the system depends on the innovative use of the control scheme. This is the true risk. How well the controller works, we don't know and has to be seen. How good or bad third party support for the new system will be has to be seen. Great N games alone won't be enough for sure.

Overall, this is the final good bye of N for the traditional console business. An smart business move by N. As such, N has to be given a chance to survive -- not in the console business, but in the handheld business.

The console business will be fought over by Sony and MS, the portable/handheld business will see the fight between N and Sony. I see a chance for N to remain the driving force in the handheld business with the Revolution.

[Avenger]

sorry buddy but speaking as a harcore gamer myself, i dont think the "'shell'-thingie is ridiculous and inconsistent"..i think its brilliant...it means that not only will the revolution be able to play completely new and innovative games, it will be able to play all the genres we know and love, in new innovative ways...AND if the game is all in all better suited for a 'normal' controller...then bam, you just pop it into the shell and your good to go...

Nintendo has got every angle covered, and with the expansion pack at the bottom of the 'remote' the possibilities keep growing and growing...all thats left to see is what the graphical potentional is.

and whos to say these 'normal' controllers are the best way to play games?....lets see...the PS2 cotroller sure doesnt look like either: a gun, a tennis racket, a sword, a fishing pole, a magic wand, a car, a boat, a plane, a golf club, a hockey stick, or a baseball bat & glove (the list could go on and on), but we use it to control these sorts of objects on screen everyday, so whos to say the revolution controller isnt better suited to control said items...

I think if you really think hard enough, you'll see just how amazing this is going to be.

and yea, the Rev could have awesome Star Wars/Zelda/Madden games...it has the potential to do any game

edit: i guess i missed something in your post, i dunno, its late, but how do you see the Rev as a handheld system?

[lendelin]

Nintendo's Revolution controller is the most important invention since the microprocessor. Yes, you heard that right. The first Great Invention of the 21st Century.

That is ridiculous nonsense. This thing is nothing, but absolutely nothing new.