WAKE UP PEOPLE! (Revolution controller unveiled)

Its actually kinda what I expected. I think it's kinda neat, but it will take some getting used to. I think it's success will largely depend on how well consumers embrace it.

So. Awesome.

I have no interest in Xbox 360 or PS3. I am still reserving judgement on the Revolution, but from what I can see, it's going to be interesting and stimulating. Finally a system that doesn't cater to Last Years AAA Title 3 and GraphicFest 4, featuring rehashed gameplay with a new shadow algorithm.

The Article wrote: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.

True, and sounds fun.

The Article wrote: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

Sounds awesome!

The Article wrote: 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

AWESOME!!!!!!

The Article wrote: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.

I also see this as a concern.

However, overall I think this is a great move. Nintendo figures that if you want 1999's games with better graphics then fine, get a PS3. But if you want to see a company pushing the means of enjoying interactive entertainment, then get a Revolution.

I think I will.

Meh, people can complain all they want about their arms getting tired. Maybe it'll get their asses off the couch and they won't spend too much time playing games like they do now. Besides, that's what arm rests are for :P

I personally can't wait to go swinging my sword, shooting my gun, and flying my ships. And for someone who is usually pretty skeptical of Nintendo, that is saying a lot.

Orion wrote: I think it's success will largely depend on how well consumers embrace it.

Wow way to go out on a limb! 😃

Initially I was kind of shocked and didn't think it was all that great but then I got to thinking about some of Nintendo's recent input explorations.

First came the DK bongos. For Donkey Konga they made sense but no one really knew if controlling an action game (DK Jungle Beat) was going to be good. The game is great and I'm not really sure if it could be played with anything but the bongos.

Next, take the Nintendo DS. For a long time even I felt like dual screens and a touch screen were unnecessary gimmicks. In a lot of the first-gen games for the DS this was true. However, developers are starting to get more accustomed to the dual screens and the touch screen and the current lineup of games is pretty nice. I don't think Meteos would be possible without a touch screen, and I'm very interested in the Viewtiful Joe on DS.

So, lately I'm used to Nintendo releasing something that is way out in left field. I trust that this will turn out as good as they claim it will because delivering on their promises is something they've been good at recently.

I'm curious how sensitive the device will be though. I tend to shake my hands a good bit so I hope you can adjust the thing to make it a little less sensitive.

On an unrelated note, what is it with Nintendo and rectangles? They really don't like to make curved things and I've noticed they are heading quickly back to the rectangle age after a brief stint in curvy controllers.

Something I found most promising at Nintendo.com's article was this:

Beyond its other innovations, the new controller gives third parties flexibility, allowing them the option to use as many or as few of the controller features as they desire.

I think an entirely different style of game is upon us and I think it will be good. Maybe they'll make a Power Glove 2 😊

I was reading the article about the demos, and the one about the fishing demo struck me. Just think of how much more fun a fishing game would be where, instead of using a meter to cast, you actually pull the controller back over your shoulder then flick it forward to cast the line like you really would. Then I was thinking, what about our baseball game? Imagine facing off against a big league pitcher, using the controller like a bat!

Cloral wrote:Imagine facing off against a big league pitcher, using the controller like a bat!

That would be totally sweet.

I honestly think this is cool, and I'm as far from a Nintendo fanboy as it gets. Sure, the Revolution won't be the way to go if you want to play the exact same types of games that will be on the PS3 or the Xbox 360, but it will be something new and interesting which is what the gaming community has been screaming about for a few years now.

Ideas:

1) A fighting game like Soul Caliber II: Use the analog stick plug in to control movement & swing the controller itself to swing your sword!

2) Baseball: Get in your best batter's stance and swing the entire controller!

3) Zelda: Swing controller to swing the bat, move with the analog stick plug-in. Use items with the buttons.

4) Star Fox: Moving the controller forward or back increases or decreases speed. Spin the controller fast for a barrel roll, tilt it to tilt the arwing, etc. Buttons used for lazers & bombs.

5) Mario Party: Virtually endless possibilities! Make characters run, jump, spin, crawl, etc. Perhaps a better version of the 'Battle of the Bands' sorta game where you use the controller to conduct the game.

6) Wind Waker: Since backwards compatibility is allowed, perhaps when you play the Wind Waker, the controller becomes the baton for which to conduct songs!

7) Shoot 'em Up Games: Perhaps a new "Duck Hunt" sorta game? You move the controller to target the ducks & click the triggers to shoot! Also used for first person shooter to move around, to aim, & to shoot.

THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!

Number 1. would actually be quite difficult. Screenshots show the analog stick plugged into the controller, so you would in turn be having to swing both at the same time...while still being able to move with the control stick.

And since when did Link have a bat? 😉

Well, I guess we all expected something different, but I'm pretty shocked by it. The look of this controller is defintely not what I was expecting. I think its neat that it's pretty much every-which-way-sensitive, but I can't say this thing is awesome unless I try. I'm all for a different experience, but... I'm speechless.

Nintendo, this better be good.

Also interesting to note that the basic controller is one-handed, so a single person could use two at once. Can't think of many uses for that offhand, though a Katamari game could be pretty interesting.

If it's to be swung around vigorously like a sword or a bat, I wonder how they'll deal with the possibility that you'll lose your grip and smash the controller into the wall or, worse, the TV. Maybe it'll have a wristband, or some such...

Beldaran wrote:Sure, the Revolution won't be the way to go if you want to play the exact same types of games that will be on the PS3 or the Xbox 360...

No one ever said that you couldn't also use Gamecube controllers for Revolution games. Think about that.

vegeta1215 wrote:No one ever said that you couldn't also use Gamecube controllers for Revolution games. Think about that.

I don't think the revolution will have the necessary power to run the graphics extravaganzas planned for the 360 and PS3. Also, the architectures are so vastly different that cross platform games will become more and more rare, as porting to a system becomes a great deal more expensive.

Beldaran wrote:I don't think the revolution will have the necessary power to run the graphics extravaganzas planned for the 360 and PS3. Also, the architectures are so vastly different that cross platform games will become more and more rare, as porting to a system becomes a great deal more expensive.

Many of the games that come out on the Gamecube and X-Box today are downgraded in terms of graphics when they appear on the PS2, so there's no reason that couldn't happen for the Revolution.

That's not my point though. My point is if developers need to, they may be able to use the Gamecube controller with their games on the Revolution - so they won't have to spend time figuring out how to make their X-Box 360 or PS3 game playable on the Revoltion with the "crazy" new controller.

EDIT: There's a video on IGN showing people "playing" games on the Revolution from the TV' point of view - you don't see any games, but you get to see how people may move around and use the controller. Looks cool.

Heh, very clever. Technically, now couldn't they make an add-on to let you play DS games on the big screen, with the controller acting as a big stylus? o.O

It's not what I expected, but that's good, I suppose..lol

Gah. I go on holiday for 4 days, and see what happens? I need to go away more often 😛

This is really, REALLY weird. It looks cool, but until I can actually see someone playing a game with this, I'm going to reserve full judgement. Even so - mo tion sensors! WOO!

At first I thought this was an April Fools joke, but then I realized that it was September. That controller is bizarre. I cant pass complete judgement, of course, until I try it. But it will probably be like Virtual Boy... something new gone terribly wrong... (Or perhaps done too early...)

At this point, Nintendo needs least to focus on innovation, especially in this department.

At least they've topped Sony in terms of outlandish controllers.

Who knows, maybe it will turn out good. I'm in as good a position to judge as any of you.

I went from a "Goddamnit Nintendo" to a "This is going to be awesome" in the span of 15 minutes.

Yeah it looks kind of stupid if you just look at the thing but if you actually read about it, it sounds pretty cool.

Of course there are already fanboys cheering about how "Nintendo is now doomed" -_- Of course no one ever remembers the freaking system has support for the GC controller as well... *sigh*

Watch this:

http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2005/09/16/443527.html

There they go again - innovating. This is exactly the sort of thing I've come to expect from Nintendo. Maybe they should pair with the Google folks to form the greatest conglomerate of genius in the world.

Though I do have to say that actually "swinging" your "sword" for Zelda sounds horrible. Think of how rapidly you needed to stab multiple times in some of the Zelda games. I can't imagine that you get the same effect by swinging instead of pushing a button. More realistic I guess, but also frustrating I imagine.

AlexMax wrote:Watch this:

http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2005/09/16/443527.html

To say "It looks like a remote control" would be halfway accurate. o_o' You can tell it'll pretty much redefine the way people game. I mean, look at the past controllers of the world. You've got joysticks, you've got these weird analog pads, you've got ... Controllers that look like Banshee fighters from Wing Commander 4, ... ... God ... ... So many varieties.

But none of them really looked like a Remote control. O_o' None like this, anyway. O_o' Pretty scary when you think about it, how it can really change the entire gaming industry. People will follow in its footsteps, or attempt to make major changes of their own to keep up with the innovation this presents to the gaming market ... Oh boy.

Saffith wrote:Also interesting to note that the basic controller is one-handed, so a single person could use two at once. Can't think of many uses for that offhand, though a Katamari game could be pretty interesting.

We're all also forgetting the as yet unspecified add-on capability. It may well be that one or more of the add-ons will be geared towards allowing for a more conventional controller. Or could even include adapters to allow controllers from other systems.

Saw someone post this:

LOL.. haha

lol nice image XD
I dunno this controller seems like it's going to be wierd... although maybe not so weird since I sit all day with a tv controller in my hand anyways. It's sleek though, dam that red one there looks spot on. interesting how it doesn't have a joystick though.
As bizzare as this is, I think using this looks more comfortable than the boomerang thing for Xbox or PS3 or waht ever it was for... that thing was god awful.

MANDRAG GANON wrote:I think using this looks more comfortable than the boomerang thing for Xbox or PS3 or waht ever it was for... that thing was god awful.

You're referring to the PS3 controller, which does resemble a silver boomerang.

I was thinking about it, and the bottom line is this:

Everyone basically knows what to expect from Xbox 360 and PS3: More of the same but slightly nicer looking and much, much more expensive.

No one knows what playing the Revolution will be like. People will be talking about it, rumors will be flying, and a buzz will build. Even if this thing sucks, Nintendo has gotten themselves in a great position form a marketing standpoint. They are the only players in this field that have a sense of mystery about them, and that is invaluable.

Nintendo really seems to be the only company that's actually doing something different. Quite refreshing considering that the other companies are concentrating on driving the industry into the ground with the same old format, except with more bells and whistles. And higher prices.

That Nintendo would do something completely original is no surprise. Remember people, Nintendo gave us the D-Pad, the Analog Control Stick, the multi-tap and four controller ports, rumble, handheld gaming, and probably some other stuff I forgot to mention. Something tells me that Microsoft and Sony (in that order) will start to pick up on something like this as well.

It was said that there will be an attachment with a slot for the freehand-style controller that will have more buttons, allowing for ports of games for other platforms. Sounds interesting, but kinda clunky.

As for the people preaching he downfall of Nintendo, they really need to get an imagination.