Tendo City

No pics up yet, but IGN does have a description.

Quote:# Iwata speaking about Revolution controller
# Iwata unveils Revolution controller
# IGN will post high-resolution pictures, hands on impressions, feature breakdowns, roundtables, and more at 7:50 PM -- fewer than 15 minutes.
# Revolution controller looks like futuristic television remote.
# Glossy white design.
# Looks Apple iPod inspired.
# Controller is held in one hand. Attachments in the other.
# Attachments connect to the bottom of the controller. Iwata shows analog stick attachment.
# Thinking about packing Revolution with the main controller and attachment, Iwata says.
# Controller acts like a mouse in real-space 3D. Pefect for FPS games!
# Future attachments planned.

WE NEED PICTURES NOW!!!!

PICTURE!!

It's 7:50 (9:50 CST) now! Give me pics!

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3143782

You'd know this already if you had been in MSN... :) Hands-on preview with the various demos.

That is one shitty ass controller, IMO.

:p

Quote:September 15, 2005 - It was a rare opportunity. Yesterday, just outside of Tokyo, Japan, Nintendo invited us to experience the Nintendo Revolution controller for ourselves. Joined only by Shigeru Miyamoto and a few executives, we attended a sort of schooling on the controller, the centerpiece of the Big N's next-generation platform. It has long been speculated on, but now it's actually something tangible that we can understand -- or, try to understand anyway.

For months, years even, we've been hearing Nintendo reiterate that it does not want to be part of the same battle that Sony and Microsoft are deeply entrenched in. However, with a system like GameCube, the comparisons are inevitable. With Revolution and its one-of-a-kind approach to the controller, drawing these parallels just became a lot more difficult. This was an important message from Nintendo in our meeting. It wants to explore uncharted waters, be a blue ocean company, and not find itself sailing the bloody waters where the competition resides.

Revolution guarantees this. The main source of input is nothing short of unexpected and untraditional. It is essentially a wireless, square remote that works something like a computer mouse would in 3D space. Imagine sticking your hand into a virtual box and having your TV understand how it's moving in there. Now you're getting the idea.

Main Controller Features

* 3D Pointing. Sensors understand up, down, left, right, forward and backward.
* Tilt Sensitive. Controller can be rotated or rolled from side-to-side.
* Buttons Included. Has a trigger on its backside, face buttons, and a D-Pad.
* Multifunctional. Has an expansion port which can be used with different types of controller peripherals. Analog stick with two trigger buttons planned for left hand.
* Wireless. Totally wire-free. Currently there are no details on the max distance, source or power, or otherwise.
* Rumble Built-in. Included as a standard in all the controllers.

To show off its features, Nintendo designed a series of crude gameplay demos. Since it did such a good job of helping us understand how the controller works, we'll describe them in detail in the following paragraphs. None of them ran on the Revolution graphics hardware. They were strictly to demonstrate certain features.

Demo #1: Point and Shoot
Like a laser pointer, the main controller was used to move a simple cursor on the TV screen and shoot square blocks for points. It was simple, merely colored lines in 2D, but effective. It was easy to get a feel for just how sensitive the device is -- it responded to all the movements quickly and smoothly. We did feel the need to use two hands, however, to steady it and improve accuracy, but that only lends to the idea of just how sensitive it is.

Demo #2: Fishing
Much more advanced than just a simple cursor, this revealed how the controller can navigate a 3D space, moving an object on the TV screen not only left, right, up, and down, but also forward and backwards with depth. Users simply use the hand cursor on the screen to pick up a fishing pole and dip its line into a pond full of fish. Like nearly all of the demos, this was very crude, so don't go imaging even fishing on the Ocarina of Time level -- this was like a coloring book with flat fish in the water. The visual medium wasn't the point, though. It was pretty intuitive to just reach forward with our virtual hand, pick up the rod, and then dip the hook into the pond and dangle it there. When a fish finally bit, the remote rumbled, which was the cue to tug back on the controller to catch it. As it was only a prototype controller, it was wired because rumble was not in the wireless versions yet.

Demo #3: Shock Stick
Like the first, this was to show how you can point and move something. It was a bit like the board game Operation, only instead of navigating tweezers you navigated a rotating stick through a two-dimensional cave. The skill was to keep a steady hand, collect coins, and don't hit the walls. Small springboards on the side would change the direction of the spin of the stick, which aided in creating a strategy for navigating around things.

Demo #4: Air Hockey
This blended basic pointing with something new: twisting. As you might imagine, players hit a puck back and forth by maneuvering their "hockey sticks" with the controller. The catch was that by twisting your wrist, left or right, you could angle the stick to send the puck in another direction. Twisting, in addition to hitting was actually pretty difficult in this demo. It worked to a point, but it also lacked the intuitiveness that a real table would have. It seemed mainly aimed at familiarizing us with the notion of twisting the remote to turn things.

Demo #5: Basketball
Again, this focused on laser pointer style controls. The game was to simply move a basketball around on the court, not by bouncing it, but instead dragging it by pressing the B-trigger in back of the remote to create an indent. The ball rolled into the crevice, and you could drag it towards the hoops. Then, with the A-button, you could reverse the indent, creating a hill and pop the ball upwards toward the hoop. It was a simple two-player game, but worked to show off the sensitivity of the cursor and how it was interacting with another player in the same space. Surprisingly, it was easy to keep track of where you were on the court, allowing for blocks and steals.

Demo #6: Toy Plane
Set in the watery hub of Mario Sunshine, this demonstrated that not all controls are created equal. The remote could be held like a toy airplane, fingertips support its base, which allowed the player to tilt it forwards to dip down, back to gain elevation, and twisted left or right turn. The objective was just to steer the plane through rings in the sky. Of course the first thing that came to mind was Pilotwings, so it's easy to see how these simple applications of the controller could be grown into something more complex. It was pretty intuitive to pull off dips and quick turns. Miyamoto joked that you could have a controller peripheral shaped like a toy plane to really make it interesting.

Demo #7: Where's Pikachu?
One of the crudest demos, the screen displayed a flat map with many Pokemon characters crowded together on it. It was a spoof on Where's Waldo, the famous find-the-needle-in-the-haystack illustrated book. The controller lent the ability to look left and right by just pointing the cursor across the map, but also zooming in by moving towards the screen (or zooming back out by moving away). One can imagine how a sniper rifle in a first-person shooter might take advantage of those kinds of controls.

Demo 8: First Person Shooting
So, we lied -- not all of the demonstrations were completely crude graphics. For the final demo, the one that most represented how a game might feel with the Revolution controller, Nintendo displayed what was apparently a test by the team at Retro Studios for what they could do with Metroid Prime 3. They stressed it was just a test, quickly thrown together in just a few weeks. For this, the analog control stick peripheral was used. We held it in our left hand to control the forwards, backwards, and side-strafing motions, as well as having access to triggers in back for scanning; meanwhile, the right hand used the main Revolution remote control to behave just like a mouse on a personal computer. It was a very natural application and felt pretty smooth, but since it wasn't a polished game it did feel a bit awkward at times, making us wonder what kind of things a developer could do to calibrate these kinds of controls for users. Nonetheless, the potential is huge for the FPS genre.

A Bold Move
This concluded the demonstrations. At which point a mix of excitement and confusion set in. This is a bold step for Nintendo. It will seemingly exclude the Revolution from a lot of third-party release. They'll all have to be tweaked if they hope to work well at all. So, this creates a rather large uphill battle for supporting the system with a consistent flow of content. However, the exciting part is that most games that are actually made for Revolution will be very unique and that's what Nintendo is aiming for. Unfortunately, as the DS has proven, unique doesn't always equal better gameplay. Nintendo will have a lot to prove when it finally chooses to reveal real, polished software that's supposed to represent how Revolution will play. That is going to be the crux of Revolution entirely, because without a consistently fluid experience, this could also easily be a flash in the pan or something altogether frustrating. We have to wonder how it might be holding your arm in the air for an hour or more, and if that will cause any frustration.

On the flipside, though, the demos set our minds abuzz. It's easy to imagine why Nintendo is so heavily invested in the idea. There is such great potential to do so many unique things. Playing a real-time strategy game like Starcraft would be extremely fluid and intuitive. Mario Party, we're sure you can guess, will finally be a completely new experience. What of Zelda or Mario? No word yet, but imagine swinging your sword in Zelda instead of pressing buttons. Or, in Mario, imagine having to grab blocks and build platforms. Also, since the controller flips on its side to work very much like a NES pad, it would be interesting to mix up gameplay and throw in an old-school challenge.

This doesn't even explore the possibility of accessories. Nintendo wasn't making any announcement, but as an example Miyamoto commented you could hook it up to bongo drums or something else. Everyone agreed a Samba de Amigo would be perfect as well, to which Miyamoto-san confirmed, "Mr. Naka [at Sega] really likes this controller." What if you could use two controllers at once for Fight Night or a new Punch Out? How about if Namco release a gun peripheral for a new Time Crisis, where you moved with the left analog and lifted, aimed, and reloaded your gun as if it was real? The list could go on and on, but we're sure you're already starting to gather your own ideas.

Finally, you'll want to take some time to examine the main remote. We got to handle this prototype, which Nintendo says is pretty close to the final design. It feels very comfortable and, as you can see, looks sleek too. Nintendo was unwilling to comment on what the "Home" button does, but it's likely a place to manage classic games you've downloaded, online games, and hopefully much more. Also, if you're wondering, there's no set limit on the distance one can use the remote yet, but Nintendo has tested it on up to 80"-100" screens and says it works fantastically. It can be used on tubes, LCDs, plasma, projection or any kind of screen because the sensor is connected like a flat antenna under the display. They are still working on the details of what kinds of options users will have for placement. So, there's also no reason HDTV wouldn't work with this technology -- here's hoping Nintendo decides to support it in the final system.

It's all about real games, though. Nintendo itself has always said that it's the software that's most important. We'll take the optimistic side and assume that Nintendo has really nailed the technology. If it has, playing Revolution should be unlike anything else out there. Mario will never be the same. But it's going to be up to these real games -- like Super Smash Bros. -- to prove why this is a revolutionary step and not just a way of being different. At the very least, starting right now, the development community is going to have a lot to think about. Whatever games are on Revolution, are basically guaranteed to provide a totally different experience. And for that, we're beaming with anticipation.

Quote:That is one shitty ass controller, IMO.

Away with you!!!

I do know one person that's going to go crazy over this news: Lazy.

Geno Wrote:That is one shitty ass controller, IMO.

That was my first impression.

Then fifteen minutes later I couldnt' get enough of it. :D

GR: If you were on MSN you'd see how right you are.

Wow, and you get on just as I type this.

Personally, I like it. My first impression was jaw drop followed several "oh man oh man"s.

http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-15143-2567-x-x-x and gamespot's take

Hmm... I'll have to hold it before I can decide once and for all if I'm going to like it. It's... interesting, to say the least.

Well, this isn't "new" by any stretch. It's just going to be the first time a controller like this actually SELLS. I've been waiting for these sorts of things ever since I used one at a tech demo that was in town like... I dunno... 5 years ago I think. It was used on a game NOT made for that sort of interface, but I knew the concept was solid.

Anyway, why are they shaping it like a TV remote control? That may just be awkward... Oh well.

Anyway, I do wonder why they couldn't just put that INSIDE a standard controller to have it all in one. I also just now, as I'm typing this, remembered the whole "what about having to move your hands around?" thing. Now you're getting it! The answer to that is to just move ONE of your hands about while the other does other things with the other "half" of the controller.

Nice idea, but that thing looks uncomfortable. Imagine actually reaching for those buttons... I really think the first thing they need to do is make that half a little more ergonomic. I've seen single handed controllers before that were shaped like weird eggs or something, and they worked great. Everything was in reach just fine. They should do that for this controller.

This could work pretty well with some adjustments and the assurence there will be plenty of buttons for the backwards compatibility.

Quote:Well, this isn't "new" by any stretch.

A controller with tilt sensors and motion sensors isn't new?

Well, there have been tilt controllers before... motion sensores that know where the controller is? I'm not so sure on that one.

Yes, there have been. As I said, I've used such things. You basically move it around the air and the game, a motorcycle game that doesn't really work with that kind of controller, moves around too. With the right game, it can do wonders. So yes, they've been around. Again, this is new only in the sense that it's "new to consoles", and really I don't make that distinction because it's a pretty cheap tactic.

Interesting...definitely unlike anything I expected, though I can see it as very useful.

As mentioned earlier, this has wonderful potential for FPS games, and the idea of using the controller alone to imitate the flight stick for a plane is sheer genius. You can bet there is going to be a Pilotwings title for Revolution!

You know it!

And, don't misunderstand the tone of my previous posts. This is an awesome idea. Apparently that sorce lazy checked out was right about a gyro sensor, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just a lucky guess at that :D.

I was just pointing out it's not new. Games actually USING it instead of ignoring it, that's new. Not really relevant though...

The only issue I have, Nintendo's promotions aside (and their statement of originality here isn't exactly unexpected or anything), is just the shape. The one I used was a lot more ergonomic, and I've also used even more ergonomic one handed (non motion sensing) controllers before that. This is a great idea, but it's not complete yet. Sure the look they have makes it look acceptable in a living room, but I really don't care about that. Make it conform to your hand shape and make all the buttons basically in a circle near the thumb and a couple other fingers (not the ones supporting it of course, that would be awkward).

Now, I haven't used it yet, but I do have a remote control, so I'm not unfamiliar with the layout.

Quote:Yes, there have been. As I said, I've used such things. You basically move it around the air and the game, a motorcycle game that doesn't really work with that kind of controller, moves around too. With the right game, it can do wonders. So yes, they've been around. Again, this is new only in the sense that it's "new to consoles", and really I don't make that distinction because it's a pretty cheap tactic.

You are more wrong than right, I think. Read the various previews. This does not simply react to your tilting the controller. It actually (via the sensors you put by the TV) gauges how far your controller is from the TV, the specific angle it is at, etc... so it's not just "tilt". It's full movement in 3d space... yeah, not new, but not quite like what's been done before for games.

There is so much potential here... I was nervous for what Nintendo would do, but they created something completely different, very simple, and yet with so many possibilities... I think that, especially in Japan, they have a huge chance to do really well with casual gamers... I'll be really interested to see how it does with casuals here. Done right it could be huge... but of course, it also could end up like the last two generations. We'll see... but Nintendo had to do something noticably different from what Sony and MS did, and here it is.

So yes, it'd be nice to see more buttons on the main unit... even just one, next to A, so that with the dpad the top of the unit could emulate an N64 when combined with the other hand (Z1 and Z2 (the two buttons on the analog stick attachment) for L and Z, R on B-trigger, A as A, and new-button-B-next-to-A as B), and an addon that has four or six buttons, for a classic fighting game's controls or stuff like that (for the right hand, main controller-dpad in left), but this as it is is pretty good. And I'm sure they'll iron out the classic game compatibility given how many times they've talked about this working for SNES and N64 games in addition to NES ones.

As for ergonomics, none of the previews have mentioned that as a problem (of people who have actually used it). I'll believe that above abstract thoughts of "that looks like potentially it could get hard to use after a while"... because remember, you hold this like a normal controller in your lap. You hold it either vertically or tip it on its side and it's a NES controller. You do not need to be pointing it at some base unit all the time like a remote.

I can see why third parties like the controller, it's very versatile. It can do as much (or as little, for that nmatter) as the the developers care to program it for. Some games can utilize the new gyroscopic feature, while third parties making multiconsole games can still include the Rev without having to completely rewrite their games (or just forget the Rev altogether). I'm trying to visualize playing certain console games with this controller. NES games would be easy, just hold it sideways. SNES games might be awkward but workable. I am actually very intrigued at the idea of how N64 games would work; using one hand to press buttons, and the other to move around. It would feel very much like a PC FPS and, frankly, I think it could work. At first I shared Ryan and Geno's apprehension, but now, after digesting the information and realizing the infinite potential it has, I'm loving it to death.

Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Nintendo is actually trying to get on a winning road for the next gen of consoles!

Viva la Revolution!

Yes that's about what the controller I used did. You could move it about.

How exactly can it tell where the TV itself is?

It's uses seperate sensors to know where the controller is in relation to the TV. So if you pull the controller back away from the sensors you can zoom out [or whatever] in the game or move the controller closer to the TV and zoom in. You can also move it up and down and left and right. It's not just gyros.

I love it. I'm actually kind of pumped about this, and note that I haven't been excited about a console since about the SNES. I was wary it might just be N64 mark III but it seems that, along with the DS, Nintendo is serious about exploring new gaming possibilities.

The only thing I'm not sure about is this "standing in the right place" business. Hopefully that will be corrected by launch time.

Just in case anyone is wondering, I masturbated to the pictures of the Revolution controller last night.

The gun/knife/grenade:

Hold it like a gun. If your gun has a scope you could either press a button to use it, or actually push towards the screen to zoom in. Where you hold the controller, is where the gun goes: Hold it straight down and you hide the gun, point it straight up and you're looking at the ceiling. The Remoko (Japanese name for remote control) has a 'Z Button' like the N64 controller, the perfect gun trigger. Move with control stick attachment. Need to throw a grenade? Select them, now hold the Z trigger on the remoko. Count to 3... now move the remoko in a throwing motion and let go of Z as if you were letting go of the grenade... the harder you throw, the further it goes. I cant help but think of the Resident Evil 4 knife battle which can now be done entirely in real time because of this controller.

Nintendo says: The controller is modular so we can create 'sleeves'. So that the Remoko and the control stick can be put inside a 'shell'. That shell can resemble a gun, another controller configuration, or anything the game requires.

The Steering wheel:

for cars:

1.) Hold it straight up and steer it like a car. :D Forward/back motion can either dictate speed or changing gears. In fact, the remoko could be used as if it were a gear shift, instead of a steering wheel.

2.) Hold it straight, pointing at the TV. Twist to turn, or move it side to side.

3.) Virtual Car. The controller IS the car. This would work with games like F-Zero. Bash in to someone by smashing your controller left or right, speed up by pushing forward, slow down by pulling back.

for flight:

1.) Flight stick. Just like an actual yoke, your flight stick is complete with access to the ship's weapons systems. You hold it straight up for this configuration.

2.) Virtual Plane. (this was done in the demo) The controller IS the plane. Wanna do a loop? Make your controller do a loop.

3.) Arcade flying. This is a combo of the first two, it would work with Starfox. Pointing straight at the TV, your climb, dive, yaw, pitch and angle would all be dictated by the actual movement of the remoko. To do a barrel roll, you simply twist the controller hard, to fly on your side, twist it soft.

Imagine a 'shell' that is actualy round like a steering wheel. For F-Zero, you would steer by.. sterring. Rotating the sheel, or shift your weight by... shifting your weight, leaning side to side.

The sword.

3rd person (Zelda): Use the control stick to move, and one of the Z Buttons on the back to activate a shield, z-targeting, 'run', 'block' etc. With the Remoko, you can jab or slice in any direction. For example, a horizontal slice from left to right. The control stick dictates position. So you run up to your enemy, holding the Remoko up ready for the attack, and as you approach you slice with the remoko and Link splits the enemy in half.

1st person. The remoko IS the sword, where ever you hold it, your sowrd goes, it blocks, parries, stabs, slices, dices, minces, not sold in stores, makes a great gift. You move with the control stick attachment here. Hold down the z-trigger on the remoko and give it a throwing motion; release the trigger as if you were letting it go to fly out of your hands. You just threw your sword. :D DECAPATATION'D

The fighting game.

Method 1.) behind the fighter. Hold two Remokos, left arm, right arm. This is a super punch out type of set up.

Method 2.) Arena fighter (Soul Calibur, SSB). Punch and kick using the buttons, move your character, dodge, duck, flip, jump and run using the Remoko. You can add the control stick attachment here for camera movement, or for inputting combos. Combos and moves can also be inputted through the d-pad.

Method 3.) Barbarian. Control stick moves character, buttons attack. Movement on remoko is used for controlling a weapon like an axe. This 'independent movement' would be awesome for beat em ups where you could be attacking in two different directions at once.

The Mario:

Way too many ideas here... i'd say the easiest way would be a point and click setup. Move the remoko where you want to go, hit a button to jump. Use the control stick to move your camera. But in a Mario game, th level of interactivity between the player and mario would be mind blowing, it's hard to image how this set up would work or feel since you can literaly do anything with full 3-D movement.

Combonations: The new GTA

Driving along using the #1 config for driving. Jump out of the car and use the gun configuration to fire at your enemies. They give chase, jump back in your car and enter new setup: Control stick steers car, remoko aims gun. Push to zoom in and blow out their tires. They crash but you're out of bullets, jump out of the car and grab a baseball bat and enter fighting method #3 and take down the 4 guys.

*cries* it's going to be frucking awesome. Think about what Nintendo is basically saying:

'It's modular"

"It will have shells to create different configurations"

"Full 3-D movement"

Nintendo is literaly saying that this controller can do ANYTHING, you can literaly have a seperate shell and config for every game, making hundreds of thousands of configurations that are exclusive to that game. It's fucking incredible. I'll post my opinion on how the Rev controller will use the virtual console games later. I'm so happy that someone finally went in this direction and is going to bring us what 3-D games have needed since their inception: 3-D movement.

Quote:I'm trying to visualize playing certain console games with this controller. NES games would be easy, just hold it sideways. SNES games might be awkward but workable. I am actually very intrigued at the idea of how N64 games would work; using one hand to press buttons, and the other to move around. It would feel very much like a PC FPS and, frankly, I think it could work. At first I shared Ryan and Geno's apprehension, but now, after digesting the information and realizing the infinite potential it has, I'm loving it to death.

I'm hoping/expecting more addons that make SNES and N64 games more ideal... here is the NES controller, and I bet that they won't make us use some uncomfortable arrangement to run SNES and N64 games.

Quote:I can see why third parties like the controller, it's very versatile. It can do as much (or as little, for that nmatter) as the the developers care to program it for. Some games can utilize the new gyroscopic feature, while third parties making multiconsole games can still include the Rev without having to completely rewrite their games (or just forget the Rev altogether).

Yes, exactly... though of course we should hope for more games that truly use the hardware, and not multiconsole ports that either don't use it or don't use it well... though of course as always it'll be first-party titles that use it best.

Quote:It's uses seperate sensors to know where the controller is in relation to the TV. So if you pull the controller back away from the sensors you can zoom out [or whatever] in the game or move the controller closer to the TV and zoom in. You can also move it up and down and left and right. It's not just gyros.

Yup... up, down, left, right, in (towards the screen), out (away), rotation/twisting, distance and position from the screen, etc... it senses all that stuff, not just rotation/twisting. This also means it'll work with any TV (and doesn't need the end of the thing to be pointing at the screen)... it's not a lightgun, it uses its own sensors.

Quote:Nintendo is literaly saying that this controller can do ANYTHING, you can literaly have a seperate shell and config for every game, making hundreds of thousands of configurations that are exclusive to that game.

Price will make this extremely unrealistic. It'll crystalize around some certain number of configurations, based on what Nintendo itsself releases, except for those occasional special titles that might have used some special control scheme anyway, I think...

Quote: Well, we've all finally had the chance to take our first look at the controller for the Nintendo Revolution - and whatever you think of it, you can't deny it's different. We had a chat with Jim Merrick, Nintendo Europe's senior director of marketing, to find out more about what they're calling the "freehand-style" controller - how it'll work with multi-platform titles, when we'll get to play the games, and who's going to win the next-gen console battle. What's more, we got a personal guarantee out of him, too... Read on.

Eurogamer: So we've seen what the controller looks like, and some of the different ways in which you can use it... But can you describe what it feels like to play with?

Jim Merrick: Well, first of all, one of our goals was to create a controller that wasn't intimidating - that was as familiar and easy to use as a TV remote. So when you pick it up and point it at the screen, it's just like picking up and aiming a laser pointer, say.

It's designed to make you feel like moving around is very easy and natural. For years we've been moving backwards and forwards with our thumbs, but now all that's going to change.

To use an analogy, it's as natural as putting your hand out of the car window when you're a kid and moving it through the air like a plane. Well, now you might have a flying game where instead of using your thumbs, you're actually tilting the controller to fly the plane.

Then there's what we're calling the nunchuk-style additional controller, so in an FPS game you're holding the remote in your right hand and shooting with your left, using the analog control to strafe from side to side and crouch and so on. It's the ultimate controller for first person shooters.

We've talked a lot about expanding the population and breaking down barriers, and the new freehand-style controller, as we're calling it, is very much a part of that. This controller is just so intuitive - I hate using that term, but it really is!

Eurogamer: So how long has the controller been in development?

Jim Merrick: It's a difficult thing to pin down. I mean, two years ago, Iwata was talking about making a fundamental change in the marketplace and reaching new audiences. And of course, the minute we finished work on the Gamecube, we were thinking, 'Where do we go from here?'

I really started seeing references maybe a year ago - the developers started to get information, and then prototypes, and now they're working with what you saw today.

Eurogamer: Is what we saw today the finished product, then?

Jim Merrick: It's very nearly finished. We've got time to make a few refinements, but fundamentally it's complete.

Eurogamer: How come you didn't show off any games today?

Jim Merrick: We went to great pains not to show the software today because we didn't want to detract from what we are trying to show. We're talking about a fundamental change to how we see games and how we play games, and we didn't want to get hung up on polygon counts and so on.

Our official launch date is still 2006, and before we show the software, we want to make sure it's at a stage where you can understand exactly how it's going to work with the freehand-style controller - by actually playing the games.

Eurogamer: So when will we get to play them, exactly?

Jim Merrick: Put it this way. Without making a commitment, if I went to E3 2006 and didn't end up playing the Revolution, I'd be very disappointed...
Zoom in'Jim Merrick Takes Control' Screenshot tele

Jeez, it's not a "who's got the biggest" competition!

Eurogamer: A lot of Nintendo's previous controller concepts have been adopted by your competitors. Are you worried they're going to nick this idea too?

Jim Merrick: Of course! As someone pointed out to me today, here we are, about to throw away 20 years of controller designs - designs which Nintendo came up with! There will be an influence on the industry, absolutely. That said, Nintendo will aggressively protect its intellectual property.

Eurogamer: There's been a lot of talk about expanding the gaming audience and creating games for the whole family. Does that mean you're leaving Sony and Microsoft to take care of the hardcore?

Jim Merrick: Not at all. We know we have two audiences to reach - one is the expanding audience, new consumers or people who used to play games but have since quit.

But we can't only embrace that audience. We have to recognise the people who put us on the map, and make sure we continue create games for them.

For example, the first person shooter genre is very important, and as I mentioned earlier the nunchuk-style controller will change the way you think about FPS games forever.

Eurogamer: How is the controller going to work with games that aren't designed specifically for the Revolution - multi-platform titles and so on?

Jim Merrick: We're producing a classic-style expansion controller, based on traditional designs like the Gamecube controller. It's like a shell with a hole in the top into which you slot the freehand-style controller, and then you can play third-party ported games, and retro Nintendo games you've downloaded.

So there's that option - but even while it's inserted into the classic-style shell, the freehand controller will still be able to sense positioning and so on, so there are more options too.

It's something that's just as true for the DS - not every game uses the DS's unique features. But some multi-platform titles do, like The Sims 2 for example. We hope other developers will do the same and look at ways their multi-platform titles can make use of the Revolution's features.

Eurogamer: Some critics have voiced concerns about compatibility issues with all the different television standards around these days... Will the Revolution controller work with all types of tellies?

Jim Merrick: I guarantee it. It works with LCDs, plasma screens, projectors... Everything. It's not like the old lightgun technology, where you had the classic problem of requiring a CRT screen. But this isn't working on a scan line basis, so there are no issues there.

Eurogamer: Do you think the Revolution controller will give Nintendo the edge needed to beat Sony and Microsoft?

Jim Merrick: It certainly could make us market leader. We have formidable competitors and I'm not going to make any sweeping, grand statements, but the Revolution has the potential to appeal to new groups of consumers we've previously been unable to reach. It also has appeal for hardcore gamers, and the ability to bring a lot of people back to gaming.
Zoom in'Jim Merrick Takes Control' Screenshot dominoes

Can even be used in domino rally simulators

Eurogamer: So this is a big day for Nintendo, eh?

Jim Merrick: Yes, absolutely! It's always fun when you can surprise people and spark their imaginations. But we do face a communications challenge, in terms of how we communicate exactly what this new controller is and what it can do.

There are so many great new capabilities - the controller knows not only what you're pointing at, but exactly how far you are away from the TV, for example - and it's important that we get all these across.

Eurogamer: Is the freehand-style controller your trump card, or have we got more exciting stuff to look forward to?

Jim Merrick: Let's just say we have more surprises in store.

Jim Merrick is senior director of marketing for Nintendo Europe.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=60917

Of course we want to see third-parties taking advantage of the Rev features, and I'm sure they will, but I don't want a situation like the GameCube has now, where only one multiconsole game out of 100 is included on GameCube as well as PS2(3) and X-Box (360).

Rejoice, DJ! The Select button is back!

A lot of people complained about the lack of buttons, but a really easy way to fix that is to release a button pad [with 4-6 buttons] that attaches to the bottom of the Rev controller. Then you simply turn the controller around. Bam! More buttons. I really hope Nintendo takes full advantage of the attachement slot and has a bunch of stuff ready for it.

Edit: Just read the article. Nintendo obviously thought this through before they went ahead with it.

Better than something that attaches on the bottom, I think, would be something like the analog stick attachment, but for the other hand... yeah, you couldn't use it with the analog stick, but for classic games (dpad) or games that primarially use the controller movement for controls, that'd be okay... it's either that or this thing in the interview about a larger more "normal" controller it can plug into.

Also... video of the full conference, with english voice.
http://www.irwebcasting.com/050916/03/ff...index.html

The answer is in the article above: Another 'shell' for the controller:

Quote:Eurogamer: How is the controller going to work with games that aren't designed specifically for the Revolution - multi-platform titles and so on?

Jim Merrick: We're producing a classic-style expansion controller, based on traditional designs like the Gamecube controller. It's like a shell with a hole in the top into which you slot the freehand-style controller, and then you can play third-party ported games, and retro Nintendo games you've downloaded.

If you watch the TGS video (watch it! It's well worth the 47 minuites.), Iwata says that same thing.

I've been reading a lot of articles and a lot of my concerns are answered, somewhat. BUT THIS ONLY RAISES FURTHER QUESTIONS!

I'm very excited about this controller now, but my skepticism is still a little strong regarding those buttons... The number is something everyone is going to talk about anyway. I don't need to go into that (but I might go ahead and do that anyway).

However, it really needs some sort of adjustment if you ask me. I did read the commentary about holding it like an NES controller (known as a bastion of comfort as it was...). However, it says that TO use those buttons you must do that. And, that would make the other buttons hard to use. Functionally, it has half the buttons it appears to, since you can only use a few with any comfort when held in various ways.

I submit they really should reshape the controller so all buttons, everywhere, are like RIGHT THERES for your fingers to roam across. I mean, since you are now freed from the prison of a thumb on a right control stick, let's make use of it and give us some BUTTONS.

The left one has exactly the right number of buttons.

That power button better be HARD TO PRESS. I'm sick of accidently shutting down my DS. Sure it's rare, but once is too often!

Well, turns out I did mention the button number as well as ease of reach.

I also wonder if any of those buttons are pressure sensitive. It would be nice if they were only adding axises here and not removing them... I'm thinking the triggers on the back at least may be...

Well, it's a nice controller, and I'm looking forward to it. However, I think maybe it could use a little more work is all. I know price is also an issue though.

And from the articles I've read, the battery thing? Yeah, it BETTER be rechargeble! I want this controller, but I'd just as well plug it directly into the system and give up the cordless freedom than have to ditch out cash for new batteries all the time.

And oh yes, TWO sensors, that'll do it just fine. That will get a little awkward on TVs that are in odd very confining entertainment setups I imagine. I really just need to know if I place them on the very bottom of the screen or more like to the middlin'.

The number of buttons isn't really a problem since you can plug the remote into a GC controller-esque shell and game specifically designed for the remote will use one of the other attachements or simply not need a lot of buttons.

That is NOT a solution! That is called "buying an add-on"!

GamesIndustry.biz interviews NOE's Marko Hein.

Quote:So the problem is, we are facing increasing development budgets, but the price for the end product is not increasing. It's actually declining when you look at it carefully. There are some factors with retail etc, but I think the consumer is unwilling to pay more for a more sophisticated product, which I can understand; what consumer would pay EURO 100 for a video game?

The question is, how do we overcome this problem? The money has to come from somewhere. So the only chance we have is to grow the market; to find more consumers and get them into videogames. What we see in Japan is that the market is stagnant; it doesn't grow very easily. Japan's market is even declining now. Europe is the only market which is quite healthy right now. So what we as Nintendo believe is that we need to look for different user groups to get into videogames.

Quote:What do you make of Phil Harrison's comment ahead of the PSP launch in Europe, saying that the competition between DS and PSP is irrelevant? It's funny because I heard that he was praising Nintendogs [in his GDCE keynote], saying that it was a fantastic product and that a lot of people at Sony were playing it. I have to give credit to Sony because what they've done with EyeToy and with SingStar has also opened up a different experience and new set of consumers. So I think we are going in the right direction; even Sony.

Microsoft I'm not so sure about right now, because they are traditionally very focused on the hardcore gamers. With Sony I can see tendencies that they take this innovative approach very seriously. I think we are just going further in providing completely new gaming experiences which we did with DS and we should definitely do with Revolution.

Fine then... controller and analog, that comes in the box. Let's count. Analog side: One stick, two buttons. Main controller: analog movement/tilt, 2 main buttons, dpad that provides four more buttons (directly above one of the main buttons), start and select. There, 10 buttons. I know, four are on the dpad, but it can be done, and the location is good... but for something that really wouldn't work on that controller (like a NES or SNES game), that's what the plugins are for. They have said SNES and N64 controller compatibility will be more greatly achieved with the addon controller thing.

Quote:However, it really needs some sort of adjustment if you ask me. I did read the commentary about holding it like an NES controller (known as a bastion of comfort as it was...). However, it says that TO use those buttons you must do that. And, that would make the other buttons hard to use. Functionally, it has half the buttons it appears to, since you can only use a few with any comfort when held in various ways.

Think of holding it. You really can't use the lower a and b (or X and Y, depending on who you ask or which shots you look at) while holding it normally (fingers on A and B at the top). Those two buttons are there specifically for when the controller is held horizontally.

Quote:I also wonder if any of those buttons are pressure sensitive. It would be nice if they were only adding axises here and not removing them... I'm thinking the triggers on the back at least may be...

Does this really matter? The pressure-sensitive GC triggers brought us nothing good... I myself would be happy to see the return of the N64's trigger, actually.

Quote:And from the articles I've read, the battery thing? Yeah, it BETTER be rechargeble! I want this controller, but I'd just as well plug it directly into the system and give up the cordless freedom than have to ditch out cash for new batteries all the time.

By default it uses AA batteries, but I'm sure there will be chargers (remember, wireless X360 controllers also by default use batteries... the charger cable is an extra $20...).

Quote:And oh yes, TWO sensors, that'll do it just fine. That will get a little awkward on TVs that are in odd very confining entertainment setups I imagine. I really just need to know if I place them on the very bottom of the screen or more like to the middlin'.

They mentioned it working fine on screens up to 100'... so I'm betting at each end along the bottom. :)

Well I think Nintendo has definitely acheived the uniqueness that could have a potential to reign the competition, especially now that we know that there is a cradle for the remote that has a conventional controller design to it. First of all, they could make a real nail in the coffin for the competitors if they would just support HDTV, but in terms of uniqueness, every freaking Xbox and PS3 game can probably be ported to the Revolution. However, any game that is made with the Revolution in mind, cannot be played well on the other systems for lack of a way to control it the way it was intended to be controlled.

Unfortunately, I think this can go both ways for Nintendo. Either developers like this idea, and begin to develop a lot of exclusives for Nintendo while porting all the other multiconsole games to Nintendo, or they will think that it is an extra hassle to try to program exclusive titles that use something vastly different from the other consoles to be worth the investment. However, if they care about the games, they'll realize that they can probably rally behind Nintendo, and make a lot of cash by making exclusive games, as well as conventional multiconsole ports.

Indeed I think the controller is awesome, and Nintendo definitely acheived the goal of uniqueness. Now that we've seen the thing, the other consoles have got nothing in terms of gameplay. All they've got really is the potential to have a better graphics, but games will essentially be the same. Here is where Nintendo will definitely go down in history as having initiated a "revolution" in console gaming, and likely to affect PC gaming too I'm sure. We can also be sure that Sony and MS will shamelessly rip of Nintendo in the next round, but to be optimistic, maybe this will allow Nintendo to return to the good old SNES days of absolute domination.

There is no shame in copying what works N_A. You act like them recognizing a good thing when they see it and adapting it themselves is actually a sign of weakness. What would you say if everyone REFUSED to copy it? That's like saying copying the horseless carriage would be shameful, or copying the lightbulb. Well, not to that degree... Okay, more like copying the mouse. Adapt or be left behind.

ABF, about the NES thing? That's what I SAID! You can't use those two buttons when it's held vertical so you hold it horizontal, but what then? Now you can't use the other buttons, and so what do you have, functionally? You have TWO buttons to use at any ONE time as opposed to FOUR. That's all I'm saying here. And, as I said, they can easily eliminate that one problem if they simply shrank down the size and made it sort of a... okay think painter's pallette but more rounded. What I'm thinking of here would let the thumb reach any of the buttons fairly easily. Okay, let me draw it crudely in paint in about 10 seconds...

Okay, as I have clearly demonstrated, I can't draw... at all...

So, this is my idea for a controller perfect for any six fingered... wait what the? Anyway, yeah... the D-pad, which is that thing that's more to the right and up on that hand potato would be ... there, only more towards facing the thumb, and also the A and B buttons. And, other buttons where the 5 fingers could get to them...

Yeesh what the heck is that anyway?

Also, I didn't even size the image correctly...

So anyway, all I can say is a long time ago, I saw a picture of a controller for handicapped kids who could only use one hand for various reasons. The idea was simple and it actually looked pretty neat. Of course at the time I would have rather used both hands for maximum fingerishness, but now with this in mind, that came rushing back to me as very near a perfect design for a one handed controller. Just have buttons all around an odd L shaped potato and you are set. It would take some work to get used to it, but you wouldn't need to adjust the position of it just to reach some extra buttons.

Oh and, a and b? There is NO way I'm saying "Okay, press the capital A button!". That's retarded. That's like, if we were going with a colored button naming scheme, instead of black and white, you instead have green, forest green, lime, kiwii, and so on.

AP: Nintendo Produces New Remote Control

Quote:"I just don't think there's any brand loyalty in the video-game business," Maruyama said.

Oh yeah, here's a potential use. The mouse. In fact, this could replace the PC mouse it's so good, in some sort of 3D desktop or game. No more 2D interface designing 3D models, welcome to the new world of graphics design! Holy carp! THIS IS THE REVOLUTION! And you can use it from your BED!

I'm just not that fond of the shell AROUND the amazing innovative concept. And yeah, it's been done before, as I myself pointed out, but it may actually CATCH ON now! To the best of my knowledge, the only people actually using stuff like this are people in companies that are currently trying to get people to BUY this stuff :D.

Quote:[size=2]Nintendo offers a few quotes from Western publishers.[/size] <!-- AdSpace Network=ugo size=300x250 adtype=over affiliate=planetgamecube suba=planetgamecube channel=games subchannel=nintendo category=tic PT=ct CR=ti pez=tic --> <iframe style=\"display: none;\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" bordercolor=\"000000\" src="http://mediamgr.ugo.com/html.ng/Network=ugo&size=300x250&adtype=over&affiliate=planetgamecube&suba=planetgamecube&channel=games&subchannel=nintendo&category=tic&PT=ct&CR=ti&pez=tic" align="right" frameborder="0" height="250" scrolling="no" width="300">&lt;script&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;noscript&gt;&lt;a href="http://mediamgr.ugo.com:80/click.ng/params.richmedia=yes&amp;amp;Network=ugo&amp;amp;size=300x250&amp;amp;adtype=over&amp;amp;affiliate=planetgamecube&amp;amp;suba=planetgamecube&amp;amp;channel=games&amp;amp;subchannel=nintendo&amp;amp;category=tic&amp;amp;PT=ct&amp;amp;CR=ti&amp;amp;pez=tic"&gt;&lt;img src="http://mediamgr.ugo.com:80/image.ng/params.richmedia=yes&amp;amp;Network=ugo&amp;amp;size=300x250&amp;amp;adtype=over&amp;amp;affiliate=planetgamecube&amp;amp;suba=planetgamecube&amp;amp;channel=games&amp;amp;subchannel=nintendo&amp;amp;category=tic&amp;amp;PT=ct&amp;amp;CR=ti&amp;amp;pez=tic" border=0 align="right"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/noscript&gt;</iframe> <!-- /AdSpace --> [size=2]Nintendo passed out a few quotes from Western publishers with tonight's Revolution news. See their reactions below: [/size]

[size=2]<small>THQ
"Nintendo has long been a trailblazer, and this controller design reinforces that reputation," said Brian Farrell, president and CEO of THQ. "We enthusiastically support Nintendo's next console because we believe their approach of continual innovation is very much in line with our own strategy of creating unique and innovative games for the next generation of hardware." </small>[/size]

[size=2]<small>Activision
"What we're seeing from this controller is the same thing we saw with Nintendo DS," said Chuck Huebner, Head of Worldwide Studios, Activision, Inc. "It's a system that's designed with an eye on enticing new players to the video game industry, and that's something we firmly support." </small>[/size]

[size=2]<small>EA
"Game control is essential – it's the area where perhaps the most game-play improvement can be made," said John Schappert, Sr. Vice President and General Manager of Electronic Arts Canada. "While our portfolio represents a full array of titles across all genres, I think our sports titles might be the first to immediately take advantage of what this novel 'freehand' type of control has to offer." </small>[/size]

[size=2]<small>Ubisoft
"We were among the first publishers to see the control design in action," said Serge Hascoet, Chief Creative Officer of Ubisoft. "We're excited about the new controller and are looking forward to taking advantage of its innovative aspects."

</small>[/size]News Article: Publisher Reactions to Revolution Controller

I think it's hilarious that Ubisoft is trying to brag that "we saw it first!". It's apparently THAT awesome.

So what do you think it's gonna be called? I think they'll bring back the Famicom name in Japan. America on the other hand...

Quote:Revolution controller: insider interview
Nintendo's head of European marketing sheds more light on next-gen device
16.09.2005 - 15:25

After months of speculation, Nintendo finally revealed their top secret Revolution controller at the Tokyo Game Show today. With its TV remote design and motion-sensing functionality, Nintendo looks set to continue apace on its crusade for making gaming accessible to, well, absolutely anyone and everyone.

We managed to speak to Nintendo's Jim Merrick - the man responsible for the company's European marketing - to find out more about the controller, how it will work and where it fits into Nintendo's master plan...

It would have been nice to actually see some of the games that the controller will be compatible with featured in the video presentation.

We went to great lengths not to show games in the trailer! It's more about keeping the focus on the interface. If you show the game then everybody gets distracted by the graphics and what we really wanted to focus on was the human interface with the game and the machine.

Is the motion-sensing aspect of the controller going to be compatible with all Revolution games?

Like the Nintendo DS, which offers many different input devices such as voice and touch-screen, not every game is going to use every capability of the controller. The Revolution controller can sense not only where you're pointing, but where your relative position front to back, how close you are, whether you're tilting or rolling - it senses all of these things. Those may or may not be appropriate for different games, so there's no absolute requirement that all games should use it.

The current controller design does work reasonably well for certain types of game - we're not going to throw it all out, but we wanted a fresh start and a fresh way of thinking to bring new consumers to the console.

Quote:Can you explain a bit about the classic controller? It's effectively a shell like a standard controller with a hole in it and you slot in the freehand controller. So for games that are well suited for a traditional style controller, well, there you are.

The classic controller is important for us for our virtual console games. When I'm playing my favourite game - the N64 version of Goldeneye - it's built for that kind of controller.

Quote:Shigeru Miyamoto recently stated that Nintendo was still adding and removing various functions of the controller - can you explain the transitions the device has undergone during development? We spent a lot of time puzzling over what types of human interface we can do that will be really beneficial to both new gamers and existing gamers, and we've considered all kinds of ideas.

You've seen all the different kinds of technologies that are out there and we needed something that was accurate, reliable and relevant for our audience.

Mr Miyamoto is correct that the design is not 100% final. It is basically complete, but we reserve the right to move buttons and round corners. However, we have not shared everything that there is to know about Revolution or its controller.

So there are still some secrets to be revealed?

C'mon, we're Nintendo - we like to hold things until the very end!

Full interview: gamesradar.com

HOLOGRAMS!