Nintendo Revolution
Latest
CNET still not over it
And by "it", we of course refer to the cataclysmic tugging of the carpet that Nintendo so infamously performed when they quelled the Revolution (the what now?) and released the Wii. After Nintendo's powerful showing at E3, most people seem to have gotten used to saying the new name without breaking a sweat or breaking into laughter, content in knowing that the name means little in the face of a game like Super Mario Galaxy. The folks at CNET must not have played it, then.In their "Worst Tech of Q2 2006" article, CNET reserves the ninth spot for the Wii, awarding it with "Worst name change." Their justification is short, noting that "'Nintendo Revolution' sounds cool. 'Nintendo Wii' sounds dumb. That's about all there is to say." Well, fair enough ... coming from a website that sounds like something you catch fish with! ZING!On a more serious note, we also preferred the Revolution, but to put the name mame on the same list as Segway Polo and iPod imitations is just mean.[Via VGGEN, thanks AssemblyLineHuman!]
Just how many flaps does this thing have?
This is getting ridiculous. Just when we thought the mystery was solved and the conspiracy theorists were silenced, someone has to go and find another mystery flap on the Wii. What is it this time? A holographic laser cannon? An automagical DVD dongle? A nickel and dime slot for Virtual Console purchases? A scrumptious pancake maker? A completely fake photochopping attempt?We'll leave you free to speculate about its true, potentially evil purpose while we get back to eagerly pining for the flappin' games.[Via Joystiq]
Red Steel developer's blog goes live
While a little late in its development cycle, the team behind Red Steel opened a blog yesterday to discuss the game's progress as it reaches its final stages. The first topic: the much-discussed control scheme. Producer Marie-Sol Beaudry wants players to have fun and not "force people to become actual professional swordsmen" (it's good thing, too -- professional swordsmen make very little money these days). The matter of synchronization between the Wiimote and sword animation apparently proved tricky. Beaudry promises that the final sword-fighting will be more diverse and feature a couple of undisclosed special moves. One of the early comments suggested an option for players to have the option of switching between scripted moves and freestyle animation. It is a great idea, but we get the impression Ubisoft is not prepared to go in that direction for this title. Maybe another game, from a galaxy far, far away, can quench our thirst. O, to dream ...
Footage of every Wii game at E3
Gameworld Network (which is either a network of gameworlds or a gameworld of networks) has posted an epic collection of streaming E3 videos which clearly depicts each and every playable Wii game and how exactly one has to swing, wave, shake, point, wiggle and/or jostle the Wiimote in order to play. Feel free to grab a nearby TV remote and mimic the action. Sure, you'll get absolutely no response, but in the case of Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, that's a pretty good approximation.[Via Infendo]
ATI on Wii E3 graphics: Tip of the iceberg
Even after Nintendo's continued insistence that the Wii won't even remotely churn out the kind of graphics seen in other next-gen systems, some still hold out a vague and poorly formulated hope that someone simply forgot to flip a switch somewhere. GameDaily Biz pursued the topic of visuals with ATI's John Swinimer, Senior Public Relations Manager of Consumer Products and came up with the following choice quote: "I think what you saw [on Wii] was just the tip of the iceberg of what the Hollywood chip can bring to the Nintendo Wii."The thing with an iceberg is that you never know just how far down it goes -- it might not go down nearly as deep as your expectations do. Swinimer goes on to say, "I really don't think that it's about the [specs]; I think it's about the innovation that it brings to the table-the motion-sensing, the always-on capability, which is really cool too-the fact that the chip is powerful enough and responsive enough to be there at a moment's notice, and I think that's pretty cool for the average gamer."That's not the kind of answer that would imply a forthcoming bloom in graphics. And that's okay. The funny thing is that ATI and to a lesser extent, Nintendo, feel compelled to constantly explain why the Wii's graphical abilities don't stack up to the competition, instead of letting the system speak for itself. You've made your decision, Nintendo, and you've justified it with a strong E3 showing. That's all the explanation you need.
Miyamoto preferred Revolution, at first
Wii haters, you almost had support in the highest of places.Legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto told CNN's Chris Morris that the Revolution name was "very appropriate to what we were doing ... but it is a name that was almost threatening to non-gamers." Miyamoto now, of course, accepts and endorses the name -- which he has known about since last year.Miyamoto feels that Wii is "more friendly and inviting." At this point, after having played the system and grown accustomed to Wii, many on the Joystiq staff have come to accept the Wii-naming; the initial shock has worn off and we are all almost through the 12 steps of wii-covery. How many Joystiq readers have also come to terms with the name?[via 1up]
Nintendo E3 keynote to be shown at Nintendo World Store
If you live in the New York area and are unable to attend E3 this year (given the hordes of sweaty, shoving geeks involved, it might not be such a great loss), be sure to drop by the Nintendo World Store on 9 May. The store will be broadcasting Nintendo's keynote, an event sure to host new DS games, Wii revelations and at least one appearance by Shigeru Miyamoto dressed as a Nintendo character. Missing it would be quite appalling.For more information and an opportunity to RSVP for the event, check out Nintendo's official World Store website. Be sure to snap some pictures and send them to us![Via N-Sider]
Wii marketing ideas
Making the best of a bad situation, the British Gaming Blog has posted an animation and some images relating to how they think the name "Wii" should be marketed to Nintendo fans. I especially like the Mario Kart pitch, with the letters in the logo breaking apart to form two racers battling it out at a deadly velocity (just don't ask where the four extra dots came from). Read - Weeeeee.Read - Nunchaku.Read - Mario Kart.
Next-gen Tony Hawk footage leaked
If the folks at Gaming Age are to be believed, this footage was swiped from an early build of a next-generation Tony Hawk game. There's nothing in the video that points towards this being Downhill Jam (confirmed for the Wii last month), but footage this early is unlikely to be tied down to a specific platform yet. It appears to be an animation test, showing a skater flail his arms about while attempting to maintain his balance. It looks good (if it's real), though expect next-gen naysayers to complain that "It's still just a guy on a skateboard. What's so next-gen about that?"[Via Gaming Age]
Wii know, wii feel the same way
Now that wii've (sorry, wii'll stop) had a few hours to let it all sink in, Nintendo's new "Wii" moniker for their next gen console still isn't ringing true. Sure, we get that whole community-ish thing they're going for, and we're happy for our friend, the letter "i," which has had quite a few successes in the consumer electronics industry, including a slew of popular Apple products and a double role in Intel's Viiv platform, but we're just not feeling "Wii." Turns out we're not the only ones, and between the comments on our Wii post earlier, Joystiq's informal poll, and the insightful commentary of our editorial staff...Ryan: "Eh, I thought the iPod was a pretty stupid name too. We'll just have to wait and see."Evan: "Just let me know when I can emulate the console on my phone."Marc: "Why?"Paul: "What do you want? Leave me alone! Can't you see I'm talking to Zelda right now?"Ross: "Sometimes, even hardcore gamers need to stop and take a Wii."...it's not looking like a home run for Nintendo marketing. Of course, the DS didn't get a lot of love at first, and in that case Nintendo clearly demonstrated that it's all about what you do with it. But with proponents of the console already facing an uphill battle in evangelizing the strange control scheme, Nintendo sure isn't helping out much.Read - Game Informer interviews N's Matt AtwoodRead - Joystiq's Wii pollRead - Joystiq's first impressionsRead - Revolution FanboyRead - Go NintendoRead - GameSpotRead - IGNRead - 1UPRead - Straight from the horse's mouth
Nintendo Wii -- the Revolution gets a real name
Seems like we've been calling this thing the Revolution for, well, forever. Well, we just got word over the wires that -- well ahead of any expected E3 announcements -- Nintendo announced the officially truly true name for the Revolution: the Nintendo Wii (like "we"). Nope, stop calling it the Revolution, it's not the Go, either. They're going for that whole gaming plurality thing that they've been talking about, bringing together communities who love to play, old school gamers, casual gamers, today's more evolved gamers: "It's about Wii, and together Wii will change everything." Ooook, guys, whatever you say. And yeah, we'll spare you all the puerile jokes.
TurboGrafx-16 retrospective
Nintendo confirmed last month that the Revolution will feature TurboGrafx-16 titles in their Virtual Console service. In recognition of this announcement, Game Informer Online has put together a lengthy retrospective on NEC's black sheep of the 16-bit console wars. The TurboGrafx-16 had some success in Japan and was the first gaming system to feature CD-ROM technology (Turbo CD). However, it was Sega's popular arcade titles on the Genesis, as well as Nintendo's exclusive licensing deals for the SNES, that eventually bonked NEC.Which TurboGrafx-16 games will you be playing on your Revolution?
Survey says: Nintendo setting sights on Xbox Live
It really is a great credit to Microsoft's online Xbox Live network that its competitors are pausing to observe and take notes in their quest to provide a similarly seamless multiplayer experience. With Sony's forthcoming PS3 network (no really, they actually have an online strategy now) boasting similar features to that of Live, it would seem less surprising then that a recent survey sent out by Nintendo pokes and prods with regards to how they may adapt their Wi-Fi service in the future. If the information is accurate, it would appear that Nintendo is looking to trounce the current online king with a few interesting features.According to the information received by Joystiq, the following topics were tapped by the Nintendo Wi-Fi survey: Comparing game stats with your friends, enemies and loved ones. Uploading screenshots, including those proving that you got all the shines. Posting user-made content, such as art and videos, and rating the content of others. See what your friends are currently playing (and subsequently berate them for playing Barbie's Orchestra Conductor) Creating or reading blogs linked to the Nintendo Wi-Fi site. Scheduling specific times to play against friends. Submitting strategies and tips to a central to help those in need. Personalizing the WiFi.com homepage. The survey also enquires about Nintendo's current DS online service and the use of friend codes. Though it's just a survey, one can still take away some positive things from this. It not only shows that Nintendo cares about what gamers want (or that they're doing a stellar job of pretending they do), but that they are actively trying to improve their online service. While the DS Wi-Fi service is remarkable for bringing handhelds together online (for free, natch), its general use and feature set could definitely use some refinement before being shifted over to the Revolution. And by "refinement", we mean "dump the game-specific friend codes already."Though you may have your feelings on the Xbox 360 as gaming platform to contend with, there's no denying that the Xbox Live service has done the console world a great service by spurring on connectivity and highlighting the importance of multiplayer gaming across the globe. [Via Joystiq, thanks Sloopydrew!]
NiGHTS: Into Dreams sequel rumored for Revo
You may want to sit down for this one. Now, keep in mind that this chain of information has several links, some of which are brittle and not entirely trustworthy. Before you grab a firm hold of it, be sure to be equipped with several pinches of sodium chloride. That being said, it is likely that, should this rumor be confirmed as true, I would immediately have a violent and uncontrollable seizure of delight.According to a fellow on the NeoGAF forums (see, it's dubious already), the latest issue of Famitsu hints that Sega's Saturn masterpiece, NiGHTS: Into Dreams, is due to receive a glorious sequel on the Revolution. I'm sure you can come to this conclusion yourself, but picturing the game being played with the Revolution controller just makes a fundamental sort of sense that is difficult to deny. If there's any game that Sonic creator Yuji Naka can use as a stepping stone to get out of his current pit of mainstream-pandering mediocrity, it's this one. Of course, he might end up inexplicably ruining it all by giving NiGHTS eight in-your-face, squeaky-voiced sidekicks. And a gun.[Via Revolution-Europe]
Claim: Revolution Pilotwings developed by Hudson
In an innocent little e-mail sent to all members of the press attending E3, the expo's media relations team provide a list of some of the games that will debut at that annual nexus of flashing lights, blaring noise and ludicrously dressed women. Hudson Entertainment happens to be on the list, along with a brief description of their Revolution game, cleverly entitled "Flight Game". "Flight Game" - Nintendo Revolution - Take to the skies in a way never before experienced on any home console. Using the Revolution's "Gesture System" built into their innovative controller, Hudson's new "Flight Game" allows total plane control as players pilot their planes through various acrobatic flight maneuvers ranging from sky artistry to bomb drops.My claim? Flight Game is actually Pilotwings. The evidence? Well, it isn't difficult to make a connection between the above description, the Pilotwings rumors of the last few weeks and the recently announced relationship between Nintendo and Hudson regarding Virtual Console games. Add that to Nintendo's past habit of handing classic franchises to other Japanese developers (see: Sega and F-Zero GX), and it becomes a fairly reasonable claim to make.
"Flight Game" coming to Revolution
Some good news for any aviation loving Revolution fans out there, Hudson Entertainment has announced that it is developing an as yet unnamed flying game for the Nintendo Revolution. Naturally, the game will make good use of the Revolution's innovative controller, with objectives including the strange combination of bombing and sky artistry.The game will apparently be debuting at E3, just like everything else Revolution related.[Thanks, Hiro. Image credit: Natalie Dee (her tees rock!)]
65% of women, 35% of men aged 25-34 play games
According to the New York Times' interpretation of this study, 65% of women between the ages of 25 and 34 play video games while only 35% of men in that same age bracket play video games. The big difference is that women choose to play so-called "casual games" that are commonly found on portals such as Pogo.com, MSN.com, and Yahoo.com (and Xbox Live Arcade, too) while men favor games that are sold at places like GameStop. There's no hard data on why the sexes have such different gaming preferences, but many believe it's because women favor less competitive games that lack the violence and complicated control schemes so prevalent in "hardcore" games enjoyed by men. While there are plenty of companies serving either the "hardcore" segment or the "casual" segment, only a few companies are serving both well. EA's one such company. Through their Pogo.com subsidiary, EA snagged one million gamers willing to pay a monthly rate of $2.49 to $4.99 per month. Three fourths of these customers are female. Microsoft also chases both hardcore and casual gamers via software that runs on the Xbox, PC, MSN and mobile phone platforms. Nintendo's recent strategic shifts towards simpler control schemes and mass-appeal subject matter (Nintendogs, for instance) indicate that there's more than one company in Redmond chasing after the casual gamer.
Weird Revolution Mockup #4: The Tilt 'n Squeeze
We thought it would be good for a laugh to look back at some of the Revolution controller designs that crept onto the Internet back when the system was nothing but a codename, a promise and a cheeky smile on Satoru Iwata's face. These are the Revolutions that weren't...and thankfully so.Actually, this one isn't nearly as frightening or insane as the last three we've looked at. For one thing, it looks like it could actually fit into your hands without damaging them in some way--always a plus when it comes to controllers. The large black areas on the left and right sides are gigantic grip buttons which respond to being squeezed, an odd innovation that may have your character accidentally jumping off a cliff every time you become frustrated. It's also got battery indication lights, a microphone and...what's this? A gyro sensor? What a crazy idea.Previously: Weird Revolution Mockup #1: The Identity Crisis Weird Revolution Mockup #2: The Vacuum Nun Weird Revolution Mockup #3: Ico Unfriendly
ZOMG: Ubisoft announces "Red Steel"
From the didn't-see-this-one-coming department is a new Ubisoft press release which reveals a brand new, totally unheard of FPS for the Revolution called Red Steel. The game sees players wielding the Revolution's magic wanger like a gun or a sword, either blasting opponents in the face with superb accuracy or slicing them up with unbridled malice. It all sounds very exciting."We’re honored to announce this exciting new franchise and we’re confident that Red Steel will be the must-have title for the Revolution when it launches,” says Serge Hascoet, chief creative officer at Ubisoft. Nintendo's very own Reggie Fils-Aime adds that, "Nintendo is excited to have Ubisoft bring Red Steel to the Revolution launch lineup."Amidst all the excitement, you may spot the official confirmation that Red Steel will be an exclusive Revolution launch title (one down, nineteen to go). Mr. Hascoet states that, "We have been working closely with Nintendo to take full advantage of the innovative controller to create a thrilling experience that can only exist on the Revolution.” That's certainly excellent news, since having a familiar and creaky genre such as the first-person shooter around will definitely help with easing sceptics into the new control system. Let's just hope developers don't dwell on the familiar for too long.
Even more Red Steel info unsheathed
Moz La Punk has obtained some substantial information from Game Informer's article on Red Steel, the Ubisoft first-person Revolution extravaganza which exploded onto the Internet this weekend. It's a lengthy read, but I've captured some of the highlights for those that have little in the ways of time, energy or attention span (see also: modern human being). Ubisoft is working closely with Nintendo on the project. They pitched it to Iwata and Miyamoto who liked the idea enough to not have the French team of designers executed. In the initial stages of the game, you're a reckless killing machine. By the end of it, you'll be an efficient and graceful murderer. The game clearly encourages you to better yourself. "The goal...is to use five bullets to kill five enemies". That is, if you ignore how much fun it is to kill one enemy with 45 bullets. Look at that ragdoll convulse! The game has bullet time. Cheer ecstatically or roll eyes as you feel appropriate. Accuracy is your friend: Shooting the gun out of an enemy's hand may prove to be more useful than shooting him in the face. Disarming him allows you to get nice and close with your sword. [Insert additional "disarming" joke here.] Depending on your performance and action, in-game characters will either loathe or respect you. It's easier to get your way with those that respect you. Especially the ladies. "Flailing your sword isn't a smart idea." Instead, specific motions will initiate deadly special attacks and combos. (It is not mentioned whether flailing your gun is smart or not.) Missions in the game can be completed in any order and are given out by either a sword master or a gun master. You need to show them both respect, or they'll treat you worse than Uma Thurman. You'll attempt to sway gang leaders to your cause. If that doesn't work, you'll have to sway them to an early and painful death. Aside from the usual split-screen gameplay, Ubisoft is working on secret, original multiplayer modes. Given their track record with the Splinter Cell series, I'd expect these to be very good indeed. "Aiming with the controller is as simple as using a laser pointer. You point your hand at a target and hit the trigger on the underside of the controller to fire." AI characters focus on "risk management", a term which apparently includes jumping over tables. "You signal "yes/no" answers by nodding the controller up or down or shaking it from side to side." Read that again. You nod your head with the controller as a form of communication with in-game characters. That is the single greatest thing ever. Red Steel is looking to be something very special. I always thought it would be a first-party Nintendo title that would really get the Revolution excitement rolling, but this is the game that finds itself in the enviable position of not only promoting its own concepts, but those of the Revolution itself. It's fair to say that a lot more people "get" the Revolution now than before this game surfaced. Whether or not this FPS lives up to its ideals is yet to be decided, but its value as an iillustrative example of the Revolution's potential is clear.[Thanks fischju! Color enhanced image courtesy of Kellan.]
