Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said that his company is not interested in waging a technology war against Microsoft and Sony, whose next generation consoles promise more power and in turn high-definition graphics.
The Nintendo Revolution’s shipping configuration is beginning to look more solid thanks to both official and unofficial information about the next-generation console.
The Big N’s still-codenamed Revolution system is in contrast designed to be quiet, small and affordable.
Overview :
Nintendo has invested millions in an innovative new controller that has the potential to permanently change the way people play games - for the better, the company hopes. As a result, players would be hard-pressed to find any Nintendo executive willing to go on the record about Revolution technical specs.
Obviously, Nintendo is unable to take the same approach with game studios, many of whom are currently working with Revolution development hardware and in possession of finalized system specifications. Today, we present updated information on Revolution’s “Broadway” CPU and “Hollywood” GPU, which are provided to Nintendo by IBM and ATI respectively.
http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/9964/revolutionshorsepower200603290.jpg
Specs :
Revolution runs on an extension of the Gekko and Flipper architectures that powered GameCube, which is why studios who worked on GCN will have no problem making the transition to the new machine, they say.
Broadway -
IBM’s “Broadway” CPU is clocked at 729MHz, according to updated Nintendo documentation. By comparison, GameCube’s Gekko CPU ran at 485MHz. The original Xbox’s CPU, admittedly a different architecture altogether, was clocked at 733MHz. Meanwhile, Xbox 360 runs three symmetrical cores at 3.2GHz.
Hollywood -
“The ‘Hollywood’ is a large-scale integrated chip that includes the GPU, DSP, I/O bridge and 3MBs of texture memory,” a studio source told us.
Revolution’s ATI-provided “Hollywood” GPU clocks in at 243MHz. By comparison, GameCube’s GPU ran at 162MHz, while the GPU on the original Xbox was clocked at 233MHz. Sources we spoke with suggest that it is unlikely the GPU will feature any added shaders, as has been speculated.
Memory -
Revolution will operate using 24MBs of “main” 1T-SRAM. It will additionally boast 64MBs of “external” 1T-SRAM. That brings the total number of system RAM up to 88MBs, not including the 3MB texture buffer on the GPU. By comparison, GameCube featured 40MBs of RAM not counting the GPU’s on-board 3MBs. The original Xbox included 64MBs total RAM. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 operate on 512MBs of RAM.
External Ram -
It is not known if the 14MBs of extra D-RAM we reported on last December are in the current Revolution specifications. “The external RAM can be accessed as quickly as the main RAM, which is a nice touch,” a developer we spoke with alleged.
Harddrive -
“To hard drive, or not to hard drive?” Microsoft opted for a mixed solution for the Xbox 360â€â€two different systems differentiated in part by hard drive supportâ€â€and has earned criticism for it. Sony, after initially saying that a hard drive option might be excluded to keep prices down, settled on a 60GB drive for the PlayStation 3.
Nintendo is taking a third route. Knowing that their “virtual console” service will leave users wanting hard drives, they’re supporting them, but they’re not requiring them, either. Even better, the Revolution will be equipped with USB ports, and Iwata’s comments imply that Nintendo is going to be open to third-party storage products, saying that “practically any storage method can be used.”
Nintendo may in fact release their own add-on hard drive, but for now there’s hope that Nintendo will actually leave the storage solution up to the user.
Summing it up :
Revolution is exactly as Nintendo has publicly stated: a console whose primary focus is not quadrupling raw horsepower, but rather a potentially gameplay-changing new controller. Nintendo’s new hardware supports this innovative new peripheral and not the other way around. Looking back, it makes sense.
Sources close to Nintendo have, however, told that the company was experimenting with in-development GameCube controllers very similar to Revolution’s freestyle-style unit. The problem research and development faced at the time was that these controllers encountered unavoidable latency issues, which made them nearly incompatible with fast-paced software. Apparently the Big N overcame this particular hurdle.
Prices :
To go along with an inexpensive console, Nintendo is hoping for inexpensive games, too. Iwata already announced that the Revolution would ship for less than $300, making it cheaper than the Xbox 360 and the PS3. He is now saying that he expects the games to also be priced lower than the competition’s, saying “I cannot imagine any first party title could be priced for more than $50.”
[break=Nintendo Revolution Games]
Nintendo Revolution Games
Nintendo hasn’t announced official Revolution launch titles yet but has promised that all of its major franchises will make it over to the new system. Even better, Nintendo chief marketing officer Reggie Fils-Aime has revealed that Nintendo will introduce new game franchises on the Revolution. Publishing houses EA, Ubisoft, and THQ have signed on to release Revolution games but have not made official game announcements. Expect to hear more about Revolution games at E3 2006.
The GameCube had a considerable amount of third-party support in the form of multiplatform games, but few developers and publishers offered content exclusively for the GameCube. Nintendo is hoping that the Revolution’s innovative controller design will differentiate the system from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. In addition to appealing to the imagination of game developers, Nintendo will also appeal to game-company budgets by offering lower production costs, exemplified by its recently released $2,000 development kit.
Rumors indicate that the Revolution hardware won’t prove difficult to code for, as the Revolution and the GameCube share many of the same characteristics. Nintendo’s current developer’s kit for the Revolution is little more than a GameCube with a Revolution controller attached to it.
The list of Revolution games we have below represents officially announced games currently in production. The list does not represent what titles will be available at launch, as the release dates have yet to be announced. Nintendo and its various third-party development houses have many more games in development, but they aren’t ready to talk about them yet.
Super Smash Bros. Revolution (working title)
Release Date: TBA
Duke it out with your favorite Nintendo characters in Super Smash Bros. Revolution.
Genre: 3D Fighting
Metroid Prime 3
Release Date: TBA
Metroid Prime 3 marks the debut of Nintendo’s action adventure series Metroid on the Revolution console.
Genre: Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter
Super Mario 128 (working title)
Release Date: TBA
Super Mario 128 is a working title for a Mario game from creator Shigeru Miyamoto for the Nintendo Revolution.
Genre: 3D Platformer
The Legend of Zelda (working title)
Release Date: TBA
The next installment in The Legend of Zelda series comes to the Nintendo Revolution.
Genre: Fantasy Action Adventure
Sukatto Golf Pangya Revolution
Release Date: TBA
Sukatto Golf Pangya Revolution brings the Albatross18: Realms of Pangya title to the Revolution
Genre: Golf Sim
Donkey Kong Revolution (working title)
Release Date: TBA
Donkey Kong makes his first appearance on the Nintendo Revolution.
Genre: 3D Platformer
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (working title)
Release Date: TBA
Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series comes to the Nintendo Revolution.
Genre: Action Role-Playing
[break=Sega announces Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz for Revolution]
[B]SEGA ANNOUNCES SUPER MONKEY BALL: BANANA BLITZ FOR NINTENDO’S REVOLUTION CONSOLE
New Controller Revolutionizes Ways to Have Fun with AiAi and the Super Monkey Ball Gang [/B]
SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced Super Monkey Ballâ„¢: Banana Blitz developed by SEGA Studios for the Nintendo Revolution system. AiAi and all his friends have rolled their way onto Nintendo’s new console with new mind-blowing puzzle levels and a wealth of new and exciting Party Games specifically designed to fully exploit the innovative Nintendo Revolution controller. Other titles will have a difficult time matching the multitude of possible variations in game control as presented in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.
“The Nintendo Revolution presents a totally unique avenue for our developers to explore the art of game design,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz will present a mind-boggling array of gameplay innovations that will excite and challenge gamers while pushing the boundaries of imagination forward.”
The single-player puzzle levels in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz have been innovatively designed to challenge gamers’ skills like never before. For the first time in the Super Monkey Ball franchise, AiAi and his friends will have the ability to jump when players flick the Nintendo Revolution controller in an upward motion. The ability to jump has given game designers another dimension in which to expand the Super Monkey Ball gameplay experience and allows gamers a whole new way to interact with the franchise; this time in true three-dimensional fashion.
The Party Games, for which the Super Monkey Ball franchise is famous, return with more variety than ever. An abundance of new Party Games have been creatively designed to take advantage of the Revolution controller in a multitude of ways. Gamers will find themselves competing in a traditional game of ring toss, or even smacking pesky moles in a game of “Whack-a-Mole.” Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz’s large library of Party Games is sure to inspire friendly competition anytime.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz is currently being developed by SEGA Studios. For screenshots and artwork, please visit the SEGA FTP site at: http://segapr.segaamerica.com .
SEGA’s E3 booth will be located in the South Hall, #946, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
[break=Konami’s First Revolution Title Revealed]
[B]Konami’s First Revolution Title Revealed
Famitsu gets the first word on Elebits. Details inside.[/B]
Japan’s Weekly Famitsu was promising a big Revolution scoop this week, and this appears to be it. The magazine is home to first details on Konami’s first Revolution game, the all original Elebits. Shingo Mukaitouge, known for his work on the Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania series, is serving as producer.
The magazine was able to reveal only a few specifics on the new title. In Elebits, players move around a game world, attempting to find and collect Elebit creatures. Elebits are small and cute like Pikmin, but they actually serve as the energy source that makes the game’s world move. The “Ele” in the name appears to stand for Electricity, with the “Bits” reflecting that the characters are tiny.
As you find Elebits, the game world will slowly evolve. The game will offer a feel of “hunting,” suggesting that perhaps the Elebits won’t just be sitting around waiting to get caught.
Specifics, including genre and gameplay systems, will have to wait until a future update, although Mukaitouge was able to add a few more details in an interview with the magazine.
The Elebits game design stems from three concepts, Mukaitouge revealed: letting the player feel like they’re actually touching the inside of the screen; finding stuff by moving things; and Konami’s creation of a new character, the Elebits themselves.
The first two areas are of particular interest due to their dependence on the Revolution’s controller. Konami wanted to be sure and create something that could not be replicated on an existing controller. While not going into specifics on how exactly players will use the controller, Mukaitouge suggested the image of real time movements of on-screen objects based on movements of the controller.
With the cute Elebit characters, Elebits may seem like it targets casual users. The game will include some stages that can be played in under 10 minutes, but core gamers will also find lots of secret content. Network functionality is also being considered, although this is an area that will get Konami’s attention only once the single player experience has been fully developed.
Further details on Elebits are expected at E3. The game is currently without a release date.
[break=Rev Controller Has Force Feedback]
Rev Controller Has Force Feedback
During an interview conducted on Canadian internet radio station Radio-Talbot, a Nintendo of Canada representative may have revealed that the Nintendo Revolution’s innovative new controller will include force feedback capabilities.
In the interview, Nintendo of Canada’s Director of Marketing, Pierre-Paul Trepanier, was asked whether the Revolution’s motion sensing controller had force feedback and he answered “Yes, there is forcefeedback in it.” Due to the interview being conducted in French there are issues as to whether he was actually referring to force feedback or merely to a simple rumble feature, his words literally translate into English as “force feedback”, so we will assume that is what he meant.
The interview was jockeyed by Denis Talbot, very popular in Canada’s entertainment industry. He is on staff on Music Plus, a music channel on Canadian television, and he also runs his own video game focused show called Monsieur Net. In his interview with Mr. Trepanier they touch upon many Nintendo related issues including the Revolution’s controller and the Nintendo DS Lite, here’s some interesting tidbits from the transcript:
[B]NoC = Nintendo of Canada
R-T = Radio-Talbot
ABOUT THE REVOLUTION[/B]
NoC: "It looks like a small television remote, very easy to use, very small and wireless."
R-T: "Is there any force feedback in it?"
NoC: "Yes there's feedback in it even though it is wireless, we will show more at E3. Before in our wireless controllers, we didn't put feedback because of battery life problems but now we have found a way to do it without lowering the battery life of the remote."
R-T: "Everyone who talked with me at Radio-Talbot said it was an amazing controller. For example if we want to fly a plane, we could put it upside down and use it like a joystick"
NoC: "Exactly! There's plenty of possibilities and we will see much more of them at e3. We measure a lot of things with the revmote. For example the axis X, Y and the distance with the screen. Also it measures angle, so if you twist the controller, the information is sent to the system. Even before pressing any buttons, the system already has an idea of what the player will do"
R-T: "So that means there will be some sort of thing to place on the tv?"
NoC: "It is to be confirmed, but I'm pretty sure it (the revolution) needs some sensors near the television. This way the revolution will know where the remote is"
NoC: "Everytime the player makes a movement, the controller then sends the information to the system and it calculates everything, for the hardcore gamer it really immerses them into the game"
R-T: "I guess you can't talk about how many games there will be at launch, or you don't have that information? Or you simply can't talk about it?"
NoC: "I can't really say anything about this, I can only repeat what George Harrison from Nintendo of America said to Game Informer magazine, we will have around 20 games for the launch this Autumn"
**ABOUT THE DS LITE**
R-T: "So when will the DS Lite be released in the USA"
NoC: "We will confirm this in 1 or 2 weeks, it really depends on the japaness market,..."
*some conversation*
NoC: "We are simply waiting for the demand to stop over there so we can gather enough stock from there to launch it here"
A very interesting interview indeed, there are many things to take in. As you can see the reason for the DS Lite not reaching American shores yet is because of the intense demand for the system over in Japan, the Nintendo Revolution’s controller may have force feedback features or at the very least, “rumble” capabilities and there will be approximately 20 Revolution games available during the launch window of the system.
This is all important news but I will repeat the most unmissable news (in case you missed it)…the Revolution will launch in the Fall! That narrows it down to 3 months, according to Nintendo of Canada, Nintendo’s next console will be released sometime during August, September or October this year. This would put it head to head with the Playstation 3’s launch.