The Revolution begins

[Archaic]

Full news Report on BulbaNews

Thanks go to IGN for the information and pictures.

New details regarding Nintendo's next-generation console, codenamed Revolution, have started to sprinkle onto the Internet. The machine, which will be revealed during Nintendo's pre-E3 2005 show on Tuesday morning in Los Angeles, will sport a slick, black design and a front blue light.

Revolution will be "two-to-three times more powerful than GameCube," according to Nintendo, which also acknowledges that the next-generation race isn't solely about new technologies. By contrast, Microsoft's Xbox 360 console is 13-15 times more powerful than the first, according to the publisher. And Sony says it's PlayStation 3 is roughly 35 times more powerful than PlayStation 2.

Nintendo also revealed that using Revolution's new Wi-Fi connection, gamers would be able to go online to a free gamer-matching service. Interestingly, in a move similar to Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service, Revolution users will be able to download classic and new Nintendo games over the Internet. Nintendo cited such examples as Donkey Kong and Super Mario Sunshine, which suggests that Revolutionaries could have access to games for all the publisher's previous consoles.

[GreenShirT]

How fucking mint does the revolution look?

I like the look of the X-Box 360 and the PS3 is pretty ugly IMO but this just look sthe best out of the three and the more grown up!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._screen001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._screen002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2..._screen003.jpg

Truely breathtaking!!

[Mewfour]

Tiny little bugger, isn't it? I can only hope they don't follow Sony's lead and make a freakin' Bannana-phone controller. Seriously, is that a controller, or is that a Batarang?

[Jeff]

It looks pretty nice, not the most amazing looking thing, but better than the other 2 (love that blue light). So does anyone know if they are keeping Revolution as the official name, as they did with DS?

Edit:
http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.c...n=item&id=6274
According to one of the comments at the end of the article, SSB online is confimed for launch I hope it's true.

[Roy Karrde]

Just finished watching the Nintendo Conference. Most of the stuff was for the DS which was kindof annoying but they did get around to showing off the Revolution. First thing off the sucker is small, I mean like CD drive small, the pictures just do not do this thing justice. Second after seeing the size of the X Box 360 and the PS3 I really dont believe that the Revolution will be a powerhouse like the other systems.

Now, first thing off they showed off a test video of what looked like Metroid Prime 3 on the Revolution, then they started a slide show. The Revolution will come in five colors ranging from Black, to Silver, to Pink, to White * I'm not sure on the last color *. Next the Revolution will use 12 cm Optical Disks. Also you will be able to download Nintendo Games from the NES, SNES, and N64 onto the Revolution at a price. Games shown were like the original Mario, the original Zelda, Super Mario World, and Mario 64, and I thought I saw Pilotwings.

The other new system they showed was the new Gameboy Micro. The thing looks no bigger than the old little things you used to be able to buy at Radio Shack that was no bigger than the palm of your hand. The thing was tiny and I mean really tiny.

Finally they showed a new Zelda trailer, one of the aspects of it will be talked about for a while, and that is that Link is a Werewolf, and it seems like for some of the game your this little midget furry dude that rides around on Werewolf Link. Anyway that was the Conference.

[GreenShirT]

Just watched it too, Revolution is with out a doubt my console of choice. So wireless, the connectivity was amazing and some of the games on it look fantastic. Some of the new GC game coming out look awesome too. Mario DDR!

[Heald]

Those Nintendo fanboys will be eating their words:

"LOL THE GAYSTATION 2 IS A LONG BLACK BRICK LOL THE GAMCUB PWNZ U ALL !!!11!"

To be honest, it looks shit.

[Jeff]

About the new Zelda game...

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess -- official title

Looks good, the werewolf thing seems kind of strange for a Zelda game but it seems like that won't be through the whole game, in fact it might be a transforming thing like in MM. Heh, guess that wolf at the end of the 2nd trailer was supposed to be a hint and we all missed it.

[PNT510]

About the new Zelda game...

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess -- official title

Looks good, the werewolf thing seems kind of strange for a Zelda game but it seems like that won't be through the whole game, in fact it might be a transforming thing like in MM. Heh, guess that wolf at the end of the 2nd trailer was supposed to be a hint and we all missed it.

Maybe you missed it, people have been speculating since that trailer came out about what the wolf ment, and alot of people thought it ment you could transform into it.


The Revolution looks pretty ugly to me, but maybe it will have some decent games.

[FTorchicX]

Meh. The Revolution looks better than the 360, but the PS3 looks better than all of them.

[Legends-Kuja]

The PS3 wins this E3. Although Ninty iterated time and time again not to expect too much Revolution Info, I can't help but feel disappointed. The nice news is that SSB is confirmed to be a launch game online. I beg Nintendo to include Sonic. *shot*

No dice on the games I'm keeping tabs on either, but this is before the actual E3.

[kainashi]

Meh. The Revolution looks better than the 360, but the PS3 looks better than all of them.

ps3 is the ugliest of the three, imo. i like the revolution the best myself.

[Heald]

To be perfectly frank, I care about what the games look like, not the consoles. It doesn't really matter if it's ugly.

And I think we can all agree on one thing: they all look as ugly as sin.

[Dark Scizor]

To be perfectly frank, I care about what the games look like, not the consoles. It doesn't really matter if it's ugly.

And I think we can all agree on one thing: they all look as ugly as sin.

Amen.

As much as I like Nintendo. The Revolution looks crappy, it reminds me of a USB DVD drive or something like that.

[kainashi]

good thing it isn't the final design huh.

[Roy Karrde]

It isn't? I may not have been able to hear the audio but after seeing the mockup of the different colors and other stuff for it I figured that would be the basic design of it with maybe a small change here and there in the end.

[The_Missing_Link]

I think the 360 looks better than the other two but I've always been a Nintendo person so the Revolution is probably going to be the only thing I'm gonna buy *can't wait for new Zelda game*

[FTorchicX]

I can't see Nintendo making any HUGE changes to the design of the Revolution, so you shouldn't expect it to look A LOT different when it's released.

Heald- I actually think the PS3 looks better than the PS2, but I guess I agree with what you said for the other two.

[SWAMPERT1]

Revolution is the one for me because of one main reason.

Smash Bros. Online = Launch Title = Sweet.

I personally like the revolution look but I want to know what is going to be so damn revolutionary!

[Jeff]

I personally like the revolution look but I want to know what is going to be so damn revolutionary!

The controller apparently. I just hope it's not too revolutionary and drives everyone away, but then again, it does have to be able to play old games...

[Misty]

The Revolution basically looks like a PS2. Which is perfectly fine - the PS2 was considered pretty "sexy" in its time, so it's not all bad. Multiple colors would be nice though, just as long as the main release color isn't purple. -_-

And yeah, Nintendo kind of disappointed with the Revolution. I mean, we all knew we weren't going to see the controller - but no specs? No gameplay videos? PS3 had a bunch of stuff and it's launching at about the same time. Nintendo needs to stop being so cryptic - I know it's their way of generating hype, but it's starting to hurt them, especially when you consider what Sony did with the PS3.

Final word - Sony won this E3. However, I'm kind of annoyed with them for ignoring the PSP. Oh well, different topic for that.

On a much better note, Nintendo did a great job with the DS. I've been a PSP fan for some time now, and this has been the first time in a while that the DS has truly interested me. Mario Kart online = definite step up for Nintendo.

[SWAMPERT1]

It has to deal with the Revolution and Nintendo so I might as well post it here.

The Nintendo Revolution is supposed to be 2-3 times as powerful as the GameCube. Does anything seem fishy to you people? Even if IBM and ATi contributed their lower end, bottom of the barrel processors and graphics chips, it would still be more powerful than three times the Gamecube.

I mean, theoretically, even if IBM used their slowest clocked G5 processor in the Revolution (1.6 Ghz G5 currently being phased out of the Powermacs), it would still run circles aroun the G3-based Gecko processor in the Gamecube. And it would be a massacre. Maybe 5 or six times faster. That's just the processor. Let's also theoretically imagine that ATi used their lowest powered graphics solution for the Rev (I'm saying this just for the sake of making a point). Their lowest end part would still be way more powerful than the Flipper in the GC.

It's silly to think that IBM and ATi would use lower performing parts for a partner that has sold 10 million + units for them the past generation. If for any reason, the use of old technology is nullified because of the fact that old technology is often more expensive than the newer ones. As newer silicon is taped out, it becomes cheaper to produce something with a smaller nanometer process than an older, larger nanometer process. This is true of most x86 processor manufactureres today as they are going from 90nm to 65nm, which helps them create more chips per wafer, therefore more profit per wafer.

Now, we know Nintendo isn't stupid. They don't partner with companies that arguably make the best CPUs and GPUs in the business in order to put their lowest performing parts in their "most ambitious console ever." A company partners with another company because it provides it the edge to compete with others. In this case, IBM and ATi showed Nintendo the most promise and so they partnered with them again. They MUST be hard at work creating something amazingly advanced for Nintendo's next system or else Nintendo would have found other partners.

There is all this talk about the system being underpowered compared to the other two consoles. Two to three times the Gamecube? Why does that sound hard to believe? Oh, yes, because it simply can't be true considering Nintendo's partners. If IBM was able to create a TRIPLE CORE 3.2 Ghz processor for Microsoft, I'm sure they would have something similar ready for Nintendo's system.

Okay, here is where it get's weird. If all of this two to three times more powerful business is false like I claim, then why was it said in the first place? In a word, misinformation. Nintendo has fabricated a complex web of lies to underwhelm expo-goers expectations coming into tomorrow, hoping to blow them all away when they finally reveal the truth. Read this:

http://mozlapunk.web-log.nl/log/2569742


This makes a lot of sense. It would also mean that Nintendo, IGN, Brooke, and Aries are somehow in cahoots with eachother and have planned this all along.

The Nintendo-IGN connection makes perfect sense too. Gamespy, which IGN owns, is working on the online aspect for DS and possibly Revolution. IGN is a respected and well known journalistic site. They really know more than you think thanks to this Nintendo-IGN connection. For example, didn't Matt say he couldn't wait to see Link turn into a wolf in a recent mailbag? Sure, it has been speculated, but he said it as if he had insider information. It turns out he did. He knew all about Link's transformation and today's trailer finally confirmed it.

Now, the Nintendo ON video. This video is way too professional to have been created by a single fan who was "angry at the state of video gaming today." Most likely, it was a video created by Nintendo to spread more disinformation. Or maybe it really is the Revolution. Strangely, this mock up, showed up on IGN's main site, where millions of people were able to freely see it. Have you ever seen a mock up or anything unofficial being posted on an IGN site? I didn't think so. Nintendo released the video and then told IGN to discount it while simulataneously disseminate it, which they promptly did.

Onto this Aries guy. From what he has said, he seemed to be confident. Now we know that he has been credible so far. He said something on April 26th. I have quoted it here.



"In my next post I will “spill the beans” on everything I know about the Revolution. I’ll give you some hints though. All the rumors out there are not mere rumors. Some are planted by people who are working on the consoles. In fact, Nintendo is doing this right now with the information they’ve released on the Revolution. You are going to see why Nintendo hasn’t just come out and said confirmed that the Revolution is going to be very powerful. You’re going to be punk’d by them in a couple weeks. Pay attention to the boards, especially Nintendo’s board. It’s much better than OurColony."


You’re going to be punk’d by them in a couple weeks.
You’re going to be punk’d by them in a couple weeks.
You’re going to be punk’d by them in a couple weeks.

How will we be punked? Being punked is another term for being tricked. But how will be tricked? We have already been tricked, my friend.

At today's conference, the Revolution showing lacked the luster and excitement of any other system launch, especuially for one termed so revolutionary. Why would Nintendo hype the console so much if only to show Iwata going up there, mumbling like he is lost about a system that does not even have a final design? He shows a graphic with a very underwhelming Revolution logo with two discs in it, and then, asks the audience what color they think the system should be. Am I the only one tha finds this incredibly rediculous? As if they wanted to shoot themselves in the foot even more, they show a Metroid Prime 3 clip that isn't special at all and then fizzles in the background as not one soul in the room starts to clap.

Nintendo has played us. They have punked us. All the signs are there that they are underwhelming us on purpose in order to reveal something that will take over the show and overshadow the PS3 and Xbox 360. It is almost obvious that Iwata can't hold back his laughs as he held the system and told the audience that they can make it stand horizontally or vertically. Think about it. Is this the revolution? Is the fact it can stand horizontally or vertically the revolution? It's almost like he is playing us, and he was. We ate it up. We were stunned. That was intended. As Aries said today:


Don’t be dissapointed. Nintendo is punking you. Wait until the 19th.

It could just be a rant but it does bring up some points. Why would N not get the two companys to use great technology? How did it turn out that rumors of the Revolution were true (Well some off them)? Why did N not even show a video off ANY revolution game used with revolution capabilities? Sure there was Metroid Prime 3 but that looked to much like GCN graphix to me.

I love the Revolution so far of whats been shown but Nintendo needs to do something by the end of E3 or they may not due as well as either / both XBOX 360 or PS3 in the N. American market. Nintendo can't really on Smash Bros Online and WiFi use alone.

Thoughts?

[Razola]

good thing it isn't the final design huh.

It's really sad it took this long for someone to bring this fact up.

Idiots.

[Drago]

Pleh, it's no concrete brick. That's where all the money is in console design, CONCRETE!

Looking forward to a system better received than the GC, though that's not hard to top. That game download notion is pretty spiffy, and wee-ha Smash Bros Online. I'm easily pleased that way.

[Heald]

It's really sad it took this long for someone to bring this fact up.

Idiots.

I naturally assumed everyone already knew this. It's as obvious as saying Mario is a Nintendo character.

[kainashi]

It's really sad it took this long for someone to bring this fact up.

Idiots.

people don't know how to listen.

[Roy Karrde]

For the people wanting more info on the Revolution, Nintendojo reported that Mosys a developer for some of the hardware for the Revolution has dropped some info that may or maynot be true yet it is the best thing we have right now.

According to the site, the console will boast four 2.5Ghz IBM G5 Custom cores, with 128KB of level 1 cache and a 512KB shared level 2 cache, while the graphics will be powered by a dual core ATI RN520 chipset, with 16MB of on-board eDRAM for the frame buffer.

Source

Now obviously some people are expecting this machine to be just as powerful as the PS3 or XBox 360. What you have to remember is that the system at this point is tiny compared to those two and thus just doesn't have the hardware room to work with as the other two do.

Edit: The info is pretty far down the page due to the insane amount of press releases that happened yesterday afternoon and morning.

Edit Again: CNBC is at E3 Today and they just got done interviewing Nintendo's President of Marketing, nothing new was said except that their focus again isn't on specs or what is inside of the box, but on the games.

[Mewfour]

Edit Again: CNBC is at E3 Today and they just got done interviewing Nintendo's President of Marketing, nothing new was said except that their focus again isn't on specs or what is inside of the box, but on the games.

It's like they want to go out of business.

[Jeff]

I've been looking into the whole Aries thing, and I've found a few interesting facts...

• Aries said that the Revolution would be backwards compatible with games going back to the NES, two weeks before Nintendo announced the downloading service.
• He also correctly predicted that SSB online will be a launch title
• He also said the big surprise will be on May 19th, which is supposedly the 20th anniversary of the US realease of the NES.
• As mentioned above, Nintendo would have to go out of it's way to make the Revolution as underpowered as they said.

So what do you all think, do you think there really is some kind of conspiracy?

[Dark Scizor]

good thing it isn't the final design huh.

Yep, I love E3 concepts.

[Mewfour]

Being able to download games from NES to N64 is certainly a big up. Renders all of my ROMs obsolete, so I can finally get around to freeing up some of my disk space.

Though I still don't like their approach of innovation over power. The masses don't nwant innovation, they want eye candy. Sad as it is, it's undeniably true. And the only reason why the PS2 has a stranglehold on the market now is becuase it debuted their fanciest eye candy when nobody else could. And it was pure brilliance the way they marketed it. "Dreamcast is dead, PC gaming is space-consuming, and Nintendo lives in their own little world. This is the console for everybody." That philosophy gained them powerful 3rd party support like Square-Enix, Capcom, Namco, and a billion other small companies. Sega was dying, Nintendo was for the fringe, and the PS2 was for the everyday gamer. Sheer, unbridled brilliance. And because of that, even though the PS2 is the most underpowered of the current 3, it still dominates both by long and far.

But now here's where things get interesting. Sony no longer has a headstart advantage, but they still have support from pretty much everyone. And that Bluray technology they're including in the PS3 will definetly provide the eye candy by the bucketfuls. Microsoft is going the same route too, just like they did with the Xbox. "Hell with experimentation, here's your online play, here's your pretty pretty graphics, there you are."

People don't want innovation. People want more power and more "In" games. Almost every Xbox fan I've met boasts the fact that the Xbox is graphically superior to every system. Almost every PS2 fan I've met boasts the fact that they have the most 3rd party support, the most sports games, and the most games, period. Us Nintendo fans? What have we to brag about? "Well, uh, we're like second best and all, but we have all the oldskool franchises! Like Zelda!"

"Zelda?" says the PS2 fanboy, "Isn't that the game that's all cartoony and crap?"

I hate to say this, but Nintendo's isolationism is only going to dig them a deeper grave, and they'll die a long painful death like Sega did.

[Razola]

I hate to say this, but Nintendo's isolationism is only going to dig them a deeper grave, and they'll die a long painful death like Sega did.

So is that why Wind Waker was only outsold by Ocarina of Time in terms of the series?

Nintendo iz d00med!1!

EDIT: People don't want more power. They don't want "in" stuff. Idiots want that. People want good games.

[PNT510]

I hate to say this, but Nintendo's isolationism is only going to dig them a deeper grave, and they'll die a long painful death like Sega did.

The thing is SEGA was losing money for years on top of years before they left the console market. Nintendo has always made money, and will probably keep making money for a long time.

[Crazy]

Nintendo isn't going under,because whether or not the majority likes them there will always be enough fans to support it. As far as I'm concerned that's all that matters.

[Razola]

The thing is SEGA was losing money for years on top of years before they left the console market. Nintendo has always made money, and will probably keep making money for a long time.

Facts have no place in this forum.

Nintendo = Sega, dagnabbit.

[Roy Karrde]

Well today is the 19th, it was supposed to happen at 10:10 West Coast time, and nothing happened. Then a interview was supposed to happen at Mid Day West Coast time, and so far I have seen no interview.

If people wanna know how a company goes about killing itself this is a pretty good example. Well maybe killing itself is a bit harsh, yet it seems that out of everything that has happened. Nintendo basically being blown out at the Press Conference, and letting the let down that was Aeris go through with out as much as refuting it. Well the worst happened today in a interview at IGN.

Miyamoto went on and basically said that we will most likely not see the Revolution until E3 2006, which will mean that the X Box 360 will be out on the market for five months before we even know anything about the Revolution. And that they have not even sent out development kits to developers. To make matters even worse he added that they had only even talked to a handful of developers for the Revolution. And to top it off, the download old games aspect of the system, they have said that they still have not set the price for the games * Meaning you will have to buy them *, or which games will be on the service.

So to basically round up E3, Sony showed off a Power house of a system, Microsoft showed off what will most likely be the best Online service of the three systems, and for Nintendo? Nintendo showed off a new version of a handheld that has been on the market for years, a Zelda Trailer, and two DS games.

Edit: The Interview did come, nothing new was said, only that the Nintendo On was a hoax, and that they would not show off the Revolution Controller in fear of people stealing their ideas.

[Misty]

Sad. Just sad.

[stickachu]

The problem is, even if that controller is the biggest revolution in gaming ever, and that's looking less likely everyday, if no one knows about it, no one will be able to take advantage of it. If the big N is so afraid of the secret getting let out that they won't even send out devo kits.... *shiver*

Nintendo has to realize, they haven't been in the position to have this kind of secrecy for years. If they have something truly great, they need to hype it up and then bring it out to market before anyone can steal the idea. By not showing it and continuing to talk about how incredible it will be... expectations will be set too high. It's the same problem that happened with the Star Wars prequels. G. Lucas got too confident and began to think that he was infallible. Thus... the slop that was Episode I. Then he refused to learn his lesson and made Episode II. After seeing Episode III... maybe he learned his lesson but it's too late now. Even if I loved Episode III, and I might have, the failures of the past have tainted it.

Nintendo has revolutionized video games before, but it wasn't with vaporware. It was with quality, ORIGINAL games. Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario 64... Pretty much everything by Shiggy really... These games changed the face of videogames to come after them.

BUT... nintendo has revolutionized controllers before as well. They invented the d-pad, were the first system with a standard analog controller, 4 controller ports, force feedback, shoulder buttons. But these controllers weren't the reason systems sold They sold because of the games produced to take advantage of them. If Nintendo sucks it up, reveals the controller and makes the awesome games for Revolution that we all know they can, they can actually accomplish something next generation.

*Sigh* But they won't.

[Razola]

If Nintendo sucks it up, reveals the controller and makes the awesome games for Revolution that we all know they can, they can actually accomplish something next generation.

*Sigh* But they won't.

Sorry, but this is five pounds of retarded. Completely pulled out of the ass.

Did Nintendo not make excellent games for the Gamecube? We got two Zeldas, Mario Kart, Mario, TWO Metroids, the whole nine yards.

So why won't they do this with the revolution? They tried innovating with the Cube. eReader ringing any bells? The debacle that was the GBA-Cube connection? Yet somehow they still made the quality games they've been known for.

You people need to start looking at facts and stop listening to the doom and gloom posted by the media. Nintendo turned huge profits last quarter, and yet we're sitting here acting like the company is just waiting to die. It's insanity.

About 3rd Party....it's a lost cause. Name the big 1st Party Titles developed BY Sony and Microsoft. It's slim pickings. These other developers whine about Nintendo not doing well with its versions simply because they can't compete with Nintendo titles or because some bullshit variable (yeah, Splinter Cell without online play and release months after the other consoles ISN'T GOING TO DO THAT WELL).

I'm not a Nintendo Fanboy, I just like games and hate to see a good company die when nothing is wrong. You're shocked that they are going to charge for 20 years of games? I hear Disney is still selling SEVENTY year old movies for like 20-30 bucks. Go yell at them.

[stickachu]

I guess I wasn't clear. It's not that I think Nintendo can't make great games. I know they can and they will. I also know that I'm going to buy the Revolution. Not because I'm a fanboy but because I trust that they will continue to make excellent games. Actually, that might make me a fanboy. Whatever.

The point that I tried to make is, while Nintendo is still turning a profit, the tactics they are using might jeopardize that. And no, I don't know more about the industry than they do, but I look at how well they did with the DS (The advertising was great and it's sold extremely well.) They just don't seem to be doing this with the Revolution. And if Nintendo doesn't turn a profit, then there actually IS a serious danger of them leaving the market. It won't happen right away like many doomsayers predict, but I want my children to be able to grow up in a world with Mario, Link, and Pikachu.

As for the E-reader and link cable... they were bombed by the media because they were gimmicky. Both had a ton of potential but as of yet, outside of a few examples, that potential has not been realized. And realistically, I don't think it will happen this generation. Sure Four Swords and Pac Man Vs. are great, but what else? Four Swords requires a massive investment by the gamer, which goes against the affordable policy that Nintendo has maintained.

However, I also don't like what Sony is doing right now. They are eerily reminiscent of Atari right before the big industry collapse. A lot of garbage ware among a relatively few worthy games, and an decreased focus on the games themselves. Hopefully, this is what Nintendo sees and the Revolution might just be their plan to counter this.

What I predict will happen, and I probably won't be right but I don't care, is that the PS3 will sell a ton. EA will continue to grow and eventually, the bottom will fall out. The video game market will all but collapse under the weight of Sony and EA but Nintendo and Microsoft will survive. Nintendo will pull away with the market, and Microsoft will become the new Sega. Then history will probably repeat itself in a decade. But I'm no psychic.