Nintendo Revolution Controller Revealed 1210
kakos writes "At the Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has revealed what the Nintendo Revolution controller looks like. The new controller is a radical departure from traditional controller types. Has Nintendo struck gold with their new controller design? The reviewers seem to think so. It should be interesting to see how gamers react to Nintendo's new innovation."
I for one (Score:5, Informative)
Stop! Think about it first! (Score:3, Informative)
Engadget has some more information here [engadget.com] and IGN has looked at some of the possibilities for each type of game here. [ign.com]. As some parent post said, a mass amount of instant unchecked emotion flaming is about to come, but before you post, take some time to think about the possibilities.
Re:first impressions (Score:5, Informative)
RTFA. You don't use the d-pad for movement. You MOVE THE CONTROLLER.
I am NOW looking forward to the Revolution (Score:3, Informative)
Bring it on please... come on, bring it on, over here.
do NOT judge until you see the VIDEO (Score:5, Informative)
* Remote control design: constructed to appeal to a wide variety of potential players
* 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 standard in all the controllers.
Re:First thought was: (Score:5, Informative)
it did. why would you do this nintendo?
Now, before you get all up-in-arms about it, think of the possibilities! This article [ign.com] really makes you think of some of the extraordinary ways this device can be used! I know I'm looking forward to its release. Ah, finally some good RTSs on a console, or a shooter more akin to mouse+keyboard.
Also, the people [gamespot.com] who've had a chance to use it [ign.com] have generally come away pretty excited.
Don't fret if you don't like the gyro idea... (Score:3, Informative)
So, the system will be more than capable of playing games the "regular" way. Although I'd expect that most games for the system will end up supporting the gyro in some way. I for one, am excited!
Third-party games will NOT be hard to port (Score:1, Informative)
Just thought I'd point this out.
Re:Two Words.... Light Saber (Score:3, Informative)
Then you'll have no objections to the Revolution's RF wireless controller.
Re:If it uses Infrared... (Score:3, Informative)
On a side note, have a peek at this comment [slashdot.org] I wrote a while back. I regurgitated a few rumors going around about the Rev controller, and the "point" ability of the controller is one of the things that was mentioned. I'm relieved to say that the concern I had about the controller working with modern/future TVs has been addressed. (This isn't speculation, this was confirmed. It'll work with LCD and plasma TVs.)
I know it won't happen, but I'd love to play San Andreas with this controller. Oh well.
Re:This controller kills portability (Score:5, Informative)
"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."
"What we're seeing from this controller is the same thing we saw with Nintendo DS," said Chuck Huebner, Head of Worldwide Studios, Activision.. "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."
"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."
"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."
Now at this point it's just talk (I haven't heard of any Revolution Controller-specific games being announced by these folks), but if Nintendo does manage to get some key 3rd party developers on board, well, games will change dramatically! Some of the new ways of playing can be fantastically fun -- think, running down the field in a new EA game, juking left and right, flipping the remote up to do a quick jump. At least some big developers are keeping their options open.
Re:I love the power glove... (Score:3, Informative)
Scroll about halfway down the page to see the source of that quote
VIDEO (Score:5, Informative)
http://media.cube.ign.com/articles/651/651334/vid
I WANT ONE!
Re:This controller kills portability (Score:2, Informative)
Re:If it uses Infrared... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Left handed users? (Score:2, Informative)
Wha?...crap...cry...wait...COOL!!! (Score:2, Informative)
(You can see my detailed opinion here [nwizard.com])
REVOLUTION CONTROLLER: LINKS OF INTEREST
Re:Two Words.... Light Saber (Score:5, Informative)
http://media.cube.ign.com/articles/651/651334/vid
For all of you too lazy to read the article, this is definitely worth the watch. For this, I think i'll finally have to break down and become an early adopter.
Re:I love the power glove... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Two controllers (Score:2, Informative)
---
I type this every time.
Re:I love the power glove... (Score:5, Informative)
The Revolution has Gamecube Controller Ports. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Two Words.... Light Saber (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Fine motor skills and FPS (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Smash TV: 2 controllers per player (Score:3, Informative)
Re:How about accelerometers (Score:3, Informative)
once you have these, accelerometers become redundant, so why include them at all ?
Because the accelerometers can detect quick, small movements with high accuracy. That way your external position reference can be updated inaccurately only once in a while but you can still have very smooth and accurate data about the millisecond-to-millisecond position of your accelerometers. That should work pretty well with the small quick movements that games are likely to require.
Re:Two Words.... Light Saber (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Two Words.... Light Saber (Score:2, Informative)
I'm also not a big fan of most current PS2/XBOX games but there is one good disc that you must buy if you own a PS2: The Sega Classics collection. It has remakes of all the classic Genesis games, taking advantage of the PS2's hardware. Games on the disc include:
Re:DVD Playback (Score:5, Informative)
Basically it will ship with a DVD player but need a dongle like the Xbox so Nintendo doesn't have to pay royalties on every system sold.
On a side note, I think that if any console deserved a port of Irritating Stick [gamestats.com] it would be the Revolution. Yeah, laugh now but when it actually happens...
Re:Just a thought (Score:3, Informative)
If I'm not mistaken many animals use the caged-ball method: take the human ear. It houses a small room which is filled with a liquid and nerves. The position of the fluid allows the brain to calculate the orientation. It's not a ball, but it's the same technique.
Even crazier, somebody who studies biology told me that lobsters have a small dent on their body and they put a grain of sand in it, succesfully applying the caged-ball method. When the grain falls out the animal loses orientation until it can put in a grain of sand again.
I should point this out, regarding your statement about not needing gravity
According to the Equivalence principle in general relativity, the effects of gravity and acceleration are the same, so an accelerometer can make no distinction between these effects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerometer [wikipedia.org]
note: the caged-ball method probably has a real name.
Re:Thumbsticks aren't the alpha and omega (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Radical Departures (Score:5, Informative)
Simply put, this is wrong. Remember Virtual Boy, Power Glove, the giant bazooka thing, the stupid little robot, etc.? Some of those were successes (the light gun), some failures (Power Glove), and some the jury is still out (Gamecube controller, DS).
What Nintendo has show is a real willingness to experiment with new controller designs, and opposed to the relatively conservative approach of it's primary competitors. For example, the PS2 uses a controller identical to the PS1 Dual Shock, and the PSP has a layout identical to the original PS1 controller except the analog "nub". The PS3 controller is very likely to look a lot like the Dual Shock.
OTOH, I see this controller as a DIRECT snub to third-party developers, abandoning multiplatform releases almost entirely. Of course, the GameCube was already mostly there anyway.
Re:Radical Departures (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Smash TV: 2 controllers per player (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Two Words.... Light Saber (Score:3, Informative)
I do, however, think the revolution controller could prove to be an excellent choice for an FPS. Though the mechanism of aiming is similar to a pistol, the prescence of a targetting reticule will make a world of difference.
The reason why it's so hard to keep a real gun on target --- and let's ignore recoil, weapon heft, trigger pull, and flinching --- is the fact that sight alignment is a bitch. In a game, the bullets just goes whereever your crosshairs are. In real life, the bullet follows a trajectory determined by the lateral and longitudinal alignment of the front and rear sights --- quite a bit more complex.
To get an idea for what the Revolution experience would be like in a shooter, try shooting with a parallax-free reddot. It's friggin' cake then: put the red dot on the target, and pull the trigger. Done.
I don't know if this will be as precise as a mouse, but I expect it to be much more precise than thumbsticks, for the simple reason that you have so much more "room to breath." And that being said, thumbsticks be damned, Halo 2 is still a blast to play --- and there are plenty of people playing it. Even if the revolution isn't as precise as a mouse, I expect it will be well beyond good enough, and hella fun to boot.
Re:Remember when... (Score:2, Informative)
Probably because people forget about it, because they never used it. Microsoft is including a camera as well, but I imagine the eyetoy tech is patented up the wazoo, so we'll probably not see games like that there.
Seriously, though, most of Nintendo's innovations that people refer to were included in thier base systems (with the exception of the Power Pad and Power Glove, which weren't terribly successful, and the Rumble pak which was successful despite that reason).
The construction of the new Xbox and PS2 controllers can basically be broken down into pieces that Nintendo either came up with (D-pad, shoulder buttons, layout of the 4 face buttons, analog sticks and rumble functionality) or first implemented in a useable manner (wireless).
MORE PICS of controllers from Japan site (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/tgs2005/gallery.htm
Re:Radical Departures (Score:1, Informative)
Re:standards... (Score:2, Informative)
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Eye of the Beholder, Civilization, Fun and Games, Lamborghini American Challenge, Lemmings 2: The Tribes, Mario Paint, Jurassic Park, Might and Magic III, Nobunaga's Ambition, Shien's Revenge, King Arthur's World, Sim Ant, Super GameBoy, Super Noah's Ark 3D, Super Solitaire, Terminator 2: The Arcade Game, Troddlers, Utopia, Vegas Stakes.