cube.ign.com

'Nuff said... :D

Edit: Just realised there was a GCN successor thread down the page so mods move this if you want.

I don't care how good the graphics will be. All I needed to hear was "Revolution would feature backward compatibility with GameCube".

Hopefully you can use GC controllers or some form of adaptor to use a GC controller.

As for WiFi, well Nintendo better properly tackle the online issue. Otherwise they are screwed.

-Stompy

-Stompy

Backwards compatibility rocks. :D I'm so happy Nintendo have done the right thing this time.

Hmm, I'm wondering two things here:

1) Is it going to have some sort of port to connect to the internet non-wirelessly? I'd imagine that most people don't have wireless setups.

2) If it's backwards compatible, does that mean they'll be using the same discs?

Wait, I lie, I have three things I'm wondering about:

3) If it's backwards compatible, it would indicate that the controller setup will be roughly the same. I just hope they redesign it so the Z button isn't such an annoying button.

Wow that's great, backwards compatibility AND WiFi online, some nice details, can't wait for E3 to see more :D

I believe more and more people are investing in wireless setups at home. I haven't got one yet but I'm planning to get a wireless adsl modem/router in the future. Plus it gets rid of the cable mess. Wireless is the way of the future.

$120 will get you a netgear WGT624 Wireless firewalled router with 4 Rj-45 ports it's 108Mbps with super G technology... So its not expensive to start up... I have one and its got good range and is very easy to set up.

No, it doesn't just have a look a some PC cd drive they both support 8mm and 12 mm discs.

Additionally, they could always have a different controller design, and have the Rev detect when the GCN game is being played and remap to a default setup or a user designed setup.

now that's some small discs!

what about the 80 and 120 versions? :D

Yeah those too. :P I meant cm not mm :P

For the first time in a long time, Nintendo have announced hardware specs that I can only nod at with a big smile. No gimmicks... just sensible advancement of their console.

They are saving those for E3... :P

Yes, I am very impressed by this announcement. Quite different from the Nintendo we have been hearing about lately.
Nintendo Respect +1

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Aside from the mini-disc format which was ok, what gimmicks did the GCN have?

GBA - GCN connection.

That is about the only one that I can think of.

...


This news is great, I can't wait to see more information. Not long now to E3. :)

I wouldnt call the GBA connection a total gimmick, it was a good idea, but unfortantly was difficult to execute due to all the hardware required for it to work, go play Four Swords Adventures if you can manage the hardware because it's GBA connection done go and play Four Swords Adventures (if you can manage the requirments) it's connectivity done right.

What gimmicks?

Sheesh. :P

ROB
Light Gun (Which is a gimmick on all platforms I must admit but seriously, leave light gun games to the arcades :P)
Powerglove
Connectivity
Touch Screen

I will admit that both the Xbox and the PS2 have had gimmicks (Eye-Toy, Singstar Microphone and Music Mixer Microphone for Xbox) but never have they pursued those paths as the way forward for the console. My problem with Nintendo gimmicks is that they seem to rely on them as the way forward... the future. And each and everyone has fallen flat on its face. Yes, touch screen is fun.. so was punching people with the powerglove (yes, I had one :P) but in the end they did not deepen the gaming experience.

Of all the companies out there it amazes me that the one so focused on hardware gimmicks is also the one who so often proves that it is the software that deepends the gaming experience. All of Nintendo's big improvements to gaming have resided in the game's they have developed not the toys they have made.

It is almost as if they just don't listen to themselves. "Hey guys, we've made great games over the last year that have done some amazing things to the gaming landscape."

"Damn! You're right! Quick! Lets make a touch screen."

Seriously... wtf?

I'm a bit worried about what we've been hearing lately. They look like they're correcting the mistakes of the past, by making the machine backwards compatible and giving more online support, but what about the things that they've done right in the past?

They need to be different, and keep developing ideas such as multiple screens, touch screens, voice recognition, different types of controllers (maybe not those specific ideas) until the industry accepts an innovation and plays the catch up game.

Say a 3rd party makes an online game such as soul calibur 3. You won't get the revolution version because the controller is too weird (if they really don't put digital control in then they'll alienate some great developers), and its the worst looking version out of the Xenon PS3 and Rev bunch. Somehow they need to stay different and still attract 3rd parties. A basic console that caters to everyone won't cut it in my eyes. They have to either be revolutionary with hardware, or get out of hardware any just make revolutionary software.

If all we get out of the next nintendo console is a prettier kart, golf, and tennis game that are online, they won't get my money.

What annoys me is Nintendo's constant referral to these gimmicks as innovation. I honestly wouldn't mind if Nintendo weren't placing such an emphasis on these gimmicks and made no attempts to cover up the fact that they are just that.

The mini-disc format kicks arse!
Come to think of it, the GCN had no gimmicks..
edit: ahhh, forget I said that. :P

That's what I was thinking. Sure WiFi is cool and all, but not everyone has a wireless connection. They'd be screwing people with a normal connection...

Other then that, it all sounds good. Come E3 we'll find out the rest.

Reading that there were universal wifi hubs one would think that you don't need any connection to the internet at all, let alone wireless, it will be provided for you :)

Given that the Revolution will be backwards compatible I cant see it being totally wacky that it will alienate developers, if the console can play more traditional games, then surely such games could be developed for the console.

Sounds to me that 'gimmicks' are merely a skeptical defention of innovation, a company tries to develop something new and innovative and then people shrug it off as a gimmick.

What it is innovation?
1. The introduction of new things or methods.
2. something new or different which is introduced.

And what is a gimmick?
a novel or tricky means or device, especially one intended to boost sales

Interesting how the two words fall together, we want innovation (something new) yet we dont want it to be a gimmick (something tricky intended to boost sales). However isn't anything that is new, 'tricky' when it is first introduced since people have to adjust to the new device, and isn't such innovation intended to boost sales?

It seems that anything that is innovative, will always be seen as a gimmick at first glance, however once it becomes established it's true merit will be revealed.

When people deride advancements as gimmicks it is because the advancement in question does not and can not deepen the game play experience.

Items such as the eye-toy and the like are unashamedly gimmicks and marketed as such. Their role is generally very focused and not intended to revolutionise the way we play games.

The analogue joystick was a significant advancement and not once was it ever called a gimmick. The reason was because it was obvious how this would effect gaming.

There is nothing wrong with gimmicks... just don't talk about them as though they are going to change the face of gaming.

I thought about that, then I thought you could have a wireless modem that could connect to a hard line somewhere else in the house. That would be perfect for setups that don't require the cable to be in the room the console is in.

And then of course the modem would connect to the wireless network throught the broadband connection and things would be dandy. Sounds very costly to implement - very un-Nintendo like, but who's complaining? :P

I don't think advancements in hardware need to deepen the game experience and/or change the face of gaming to be regarded as innovative. Any hardware advacment is seen as a gimmick when it is first introduced, I know people thought of the control stick as a gimmick when it was first shown, it was only after using the software that utilised it, did people realise it's true merit.

The analogue joystick hasn't replaced the DPad, many people still prefer using the DPad for fighting games for example, does this mean that the control stick is a gimmick? The control stick, like other hardware advacments gave birth to new genres.

The eye-toy has also achieved this, it has brought a new way to play interactive games, and thus in effect it has created a new genre of games. I don't think a hardware advacment has to change the entire face of gaming for it to be considered innovative, rather it needs to by defention 'introduce something new', thereby creating a new genre and thus expanding the game industry.

I do agree that the lightgun is a gimmick, because it was poor in comparsion to the arcades and it didnt really bring anything new at all to games, it was merely a poor version of the arcade games in the home.

Have you ever used a Gcon45 on the old PSX? It was every bit as accurate as the arcades, pity it never got the amount of games it deserved.

Shouldn't this be in the Next Gen thread? :blink:

I dunno, a debate about innovation vs gimmicks sounds like it belongs in the revolution thread.


On that note - lightgun - have to agree its a gimick. Theres not a huge vatiety of gameplay possible with a lightgun.
Now when I saw that rhythm game that was a bit like ddr but it used motion sensors like eye toy, I was just as surprised as when I saw the first 3D games in japanese arcades. I think eyetoy could be developed into something awesome, assuming that it could sense movement in 3D (it doesn't do that now). It could have the same kind of gameplay possibilities as a wireless VR suit..... or something...

Games are at the point now where its pretty difficult to bring something new and for it to be as accepted as a control pad with dpad anologue control and buttons. Theres some awesome devices in the arcades but most of them would be too expensive to bring into the house (games like R360 and Air Trix).

To reiterate a previous point, I'm unsure of whether Nintendo want to be innovative with online (a ship that has sailed) or be innovative with a new input device, or both. I think some obvious ideas will definately happen, like a huge possibility of smash bros online.
So I'm wondering if this "revolution" will be a revolution in nintendo's world, or a revolution in the overall gaming world. I'm not really expecting much. The games that have impressed me haven't needed anything particularly new to win me over. They've just been responsive, challenging, and fun. The ideal for me would be enough time for devlopers to remove glitches, and create engaging games. I don't give a stuff about new input devices.

That is the big question isn't it, what exactly is going to be 'revolutionary'? We'll have a better idea come E3 :) .

so the revolution isn't next gen? :P

I really don't think this revolutionary idea is going to be that good. That's just my feeling. I'll still get the Revolution first over the other consoles. But I don't have high hopes.

I think that people are thinking that the Revolution is going to be totally out there, when in fact it seems that it's going to use technology that exists but hasnt been applied to games yet.

If Its backwards compatible, I might purchase it eventually.

Is it just me or isn't there enough Revolution hype on these boards?

We will definitely find out more within the next couple of days but here is something to get the ball rolling...

Big Things to Come in Small Package

Interesting to note that Nintendo have retracted the previous statements saying it will use standard DVD media and will now use a "12cm optical disc". Did Nintendo reveal more than they intended previously or are they sticking to their proprietary guns? Even so moving over to the larger disc diameter should remove the issues developers had with lack of disc space on GameCube.

I think the proprietary discs are fine :) , the fact that they will be 12cm indicates that they should rival the Xbox and X360 disc sizes which would mean no more space issues :) .

Some nice solid info there UltraGekko, it sounds like a normal game console, which is probably refreshing to some people that were worried that the console was going to be weird and crazy, also note that Nintendo state that graphics will be awesome, hence it's likely to be the same as the other next gen consoles. While the graphics jump isnt so big this generation, it's nice to see that Nintendo still recognises it's importance :) , can't wait for E3!!

Uh guys, normal CDs and DVDs are 12cm...

They are just using different wording is all.

Thats some nice info on the revolution there. It will be interesting to see whats in store at E3.

On and another thing my friend jsut told me... Microsoft ripped the 360 from Nintendo:
360 = Revolution :laugh:

Yeah I know, but I'm assuming the proprietary 12 cm discs indicate that it is not a DVD standard, the actual look of the disc would be the same though.

Blurays are 12cm are the not?

yes they are