NintendoRevolution
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Nintendo marketing gets all edgy and subliminal
It would seem that there's a lot more to one of Nintendo's latest UK adverts than meets the eye. Once you get over the snazzy visuals and dramatic trailer choir (on loan from Steven Spielberg), you may spot the secret subliminal marketing going on in the background. Is that the word "Revolution" sneakily scrolling by in the background, or is it yet another case of our overactive and Skittle-enhanced imaginations getting the best of us? Most people (including the guys at Go Nintendo) seem to think it's the former, with the Revolution's appearance signalling its forthcoming reliance on the same online network that powers the DS. This hardly comes as a surprise, but it's arguably one the first real Revolution commercials, especially considering that the clip never specifically mentions the DS--only global, wireless, multiplayer gaming. If Nintendo decides to keep the service free, it could pose a significant challenge to Microsoft's Xbox Live offering and Sony's unified PS3 network whatever it is they're doing. [Thanks Eric!]
Evolution of the Revolution (minus convolution)
Though you might think that the concepts of evolution and revolution are incompatible, these scans that have surfaced from a Nintendo-published book (apparently intended to dazzle and lure in college graduates) prove that your thinking may require some adjustment. Don't worry, it happens to us all the time.Detailed in the scans posted on the GAF forums are some of the variations the Revolution controller has gone through, with Nintendo gently nudging it away from its TV remote beginnings to the now universally recognized (and often feared) elongated NES wand status. You can also catch a glimpse of the eye-meltingly bright Revolution colors, along with the machine's decidedly attractive hindquarters. Please restrain yourselves. [Via Joystiq]
Nintendo targets new demographic via...Oprah?
Speaking at the recent Las Vegas DICE summit, Reggie Fils-Aime once again delved into Nintendo's ongoing philosophy of encouraging everyone in the family to play games. And yes, that includes dearest Grandmother who thinks there are people living inside the television. Reggie was adamant about pushing the industry to open itself up to new types of gamers in addition to the hardcore guys. To further that end, he mentioned that Nintendo is looking at advertising in spaces that aren't traditionally occupied by gamers. Marketing through Oprah and Ellen? Nintendo thinks that's the next step.I can honestly see this working out for Nintendo. After investigating the story of a housewife struggling to overcome a Cosmo addiction, Oprah would surprise the audience by giving them all Revolution systems. Reggie would then promptly burst onto the stage, do several backflips, land on the couch and then, in true Tom Cruise fashion, violently assault her. He might even sneak in a comment like this one he shared at DICE:"We have been able to drive the appeal of games to a whole new segment who typically would not pick up a game. Imagine a games company targeting 50- and 60-year-olds. Imagine games as a treadmill for the mind instead of a playground for violence."If Fils-Aime is to be believed, hardcore gamers only make up 20% of the gamer market, leaving a massive 80% (our math skills are unmatched, as you can see) of people still up for grabs. If the Revolution managed to tap directly into that market (quite possible given the success of the DS), it would be very profitable indeed.
More Revo secrets in store for GDC?
Yeah, this is one of those posts that reveals the potentially imminent arrival of a new Revolution secret, but abysmally fails to reveal what the actual secret is. We're still betting on that long-rumored Revolution pancake functionality, though. Regardless, MCV have reported that lovable Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, will be commanding the stage this March at the Game Developers Conference and spilling several revolutionary beans. Though we'll have to wait another month before feasting on said beans, we still have quite an appetite for shameless speculation. We reckon that the final price point will be set, as well as a release date that's much, much sooner than anyone expects. The Virtual Console and its pricing may also be further detailed, though the actual available games (and Revolution launch titles) will be kept under wraps until E3 arrives. Does that sound about right, or do you vehemently disagree? [Via 1up]
Analyst predicts $200 Revolution
According to a Game Shout article, an analyst going by the name of PJ McNealy (isn't that a cartoon character?) was recently seen bursting forth from his poorly lit office, waving a printed pie chart above his head and loudly proclaiming that the Nintendo Revolution would be launching at the extremely attractive price of 200 of your American dollars. We're not entirely sure how he came to this conclusion, but it matches up with past internet murmurs, as well as Nintendo's low tech, low cost approach to designing the console. Though the words of an analyst should never be taken as fact, we believe this price is not only likely, but essential. Launching at a mere $200 instantly solves a lot of Nintendo's potential problems, allowing them to vastly undercut their competition--even the PSP. This strategy would finely compliment their mantra of being so different as to not compete with the 360 or the PS3. At that price, people wouldn't think too hard about buying their fancy next-gen console and a Revolution.
Nintendo: Yup, Revolution still coming this year
We've actually lost count how many times Nintendo has confirmed that the Revolution will launch in the year 2006, a fact which seems to indicate some sort of vaporware paranoia (as well as our very poor counting skills). As Punch Jump reports, Laurent Fischer, senior marketing director at Nintendo of Europe has once again reassured everyone that the Revolution will really, really, be available across the globe within the next 11 months. Of course, when it's also reiterated that Nintendo plans to launch the console in Japan, America and Europe within the space of a few weeks, "availability" suddenly becomes a touchy subject. If that is indeed Nintendo's goal, they'd better be ready to meet the demand or risk falling into a similar situation now faced by a rival console.
Revolution interface roundup
As if we weren't deluged enough by the hilariously inaccurate controller concepts before the Revolution was officially unveiled, stalwart photoshoppers and video wizards have now taken it upon themselves to create elaborate mockups of the Revolution's graphical interface. Our friends over at Joystiq have compiled a list of every attempt thus far (9 and counting), though their work is sure to be far from over. It should be noted that the mockup pictured above gains extra points for featuring a very believable Japanese man.Next, we'd like to impart some advice to those that are currently working on their own vision of Nintendo's virtual console and hope to impress us: Flash over substance! Be sure to put in as many lens flares, translucent windows and completely pointless explosions as your rendering software can muster. Don't skimp on the boot-up sequence either, because if you can't incorporate at least one spectacular car chase in there, you've lost our interest. Ridiculous new features! We've seen the standard "Virtual Console" and "Insert The Game Disc" rubbish already. Why not use this opportunity to add in some of the Revolution's previously rumored features? Throw in some menu options for "Read Mind", "Kill Neighbor" or "Make Pancake". You know, the stuff we really want. Shigeru Miyamoto screensaver! After a period of inactivity, a digitized Miyamoto starts running around on the screen and you attempt to swat him with the Revolution controller. If you're successful, he explodes into a diorama of the children of the world, living in peace and harmony. What are you waiting for interface mockup guys? Get cracking!
Revolution leading a new design trend
With the upcoming launch of the Revolution and the unveiling of the DS Lite, a snazzy update to Nintendo's ludicrously popular portable, it has become all the more interesting to note that whilst the Japanese giant is striving to grow and transform the gaming industry, it's undergoing a transformation of its own. We all associate certain, highly immovable things with Nintendo, things like portly plumbers, pointy-eared princesses, pink marshmallow things and Shigeru Miyamoto. Yes, until he's been proven to be an actual human, we're calling him a thing. But how about things that are sexy, sleek and sophisticated? Do those terms sound like they belong with Nintendo? If their current design trend is anything to go by, the answer to that question is a resounding, yet alluring "yes". This change is only an aesthetic one, mind you, as Nintendo's gaming vision has never been more focused than it is today. Shigeru's still there, but now he's slipping into a fancy dress, gently applying lavender lipstick and blowing you a kiss.And that's quite possibly the most disturbing mental image we've ever created. It would be best to abandon it immediately and get to the point: Nintendo's new systems look great!
Namco aims for simplicity
With the wacky and inherently likable Katamari Damacy series selling over 500,000 copies worldwide, it seems that Namco aren't the only ones to be surprised that a unique concept and accessible gameplay can go a very long way. It's unusual that strong sales are now spurring them on to produce more innovative titles--usually it's the money that causes us to be inundated with tired sequels and recycled concepts.Speaking about the rolling exploits of the Prince of All Cosmos, Namco explained that they "Set out to make a game that surpasses international boundaries, age, and gender; a game that anyone can pick up and quickly have fun," a line of thought that perfectly matches what we've been hearing from the good folks at Nintendo. Namco followed that up with a desire to create more games in the same spirit of Katamari, though we certainly hope that doesn't just mean more and more ball-rolling sequels. Instead, we're hoping that a commitment to simplicity and fresh ideas implies a commitment to developing for the Revolution, Nintendo's poster child for exactly that sort of thing (along with the DS, mind you). If there's anything that the Revolution could use more of, it's games involving massive, all-encompassing balls of junk.
Dragon Quest designer digs the Revolution
Speaking at a fancy launch event for the European PS2 debut of Dragon Quest VIII: Curse of the Enormous Subtitle, the project lead, series producer and generally creepy looking guy Yuji Horii talked about everyone's favorite wand-waving wonder and the implications it might have for the gamer. He expressed excitement at the Revolution's interface, noting that the feedback one gains from playing with it would be very rewarding to players. "You do something, and it reacts to you. It's human nature that to have some feedback from your actions is rewarding." While it's important to point out that just about every game on every console provides feedback to your actions, the point Mr. Horii is no doubt trying to make is that your motions with the Revolution controller will directly correspond to the on-screen motions of your character. Dance Dance Revolution is one game that does exactly that, no doubt the reason for my chronic addiction to it. So, does this mean we can expect a Dragon Quest game for the Revolution? According to the Eurogamer article, that's "TBD" (to be determined). Well, at least that's better than a "no", right?
ATi on the Revolution graphics chip
In the midst of this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the guys over at Revolution Report managed to corner ATi's Public Relations Manager and fired off a few questions regarding one of the major unknowns in the Revolution--the graphics. Not an awful lot is revealed in the interview, but it is made clear that the graphics solution (codenamed Hollywood) will not be based off any existing PC technology."It is designed the same as the Flipper was -- from the ground up for a specific console. Totally different sort of architecture from what you might find on the PC." The interview also reflects Nintendo's current stance regarding how well the Revolution compares to the polygonal power of the Xbox 360 and the PS3...which is to say, a non-stance. ATi reiterates that the graphics capabilities are not a specific highlight and only serve the purpose of cementing the console's ability to be a fantastic provider of original games. The Hollywood chip most likely won't be in the same league as the one found in the Xbox 360 (both are designed by ATi), but it would be a mistake to assume that Revolution games will be completely ignoring visuals in favor of gameplay. On a seperate note, isn't the choice of Hollywood as the name of the Revolution's graphics chip interesting? The real Hollywood is known for its constant flow of sequels, remakes, tired content and general lack of originality. "Yup. Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes."
Jim Merrick and Nintendo part ways
In case you didn't know, Jim Merrick was Nintendo of Europe's senior director of marketing. Oh, and Nintendo is this company that makes really cool games and stuff. And by "part ways", we mean Jim Merrick has decided to leave his position in the company in order to chase after his other dreams, possibly ones involving fishing and easily obtainable sticks of dynamite. As the generic press statement from Nintendo says, "After nearly 12 years with Nintendo, the last three of which were at Nintendo of Europe, Jim Merrick has left the company to pursue other opportunities. We thank him for his many years of valuable service and wish him luck in his future endeavors."Why should you care? For one thing, there's no European equivalent of The Reggie, and so the job of bringing Nintendo's name, image and games to the public is made all the more difficult and all the more important. As much as we'd love to think that we live in a utopian society where good games alone are enough to guarantee commercial victory (though they do play a large role, as witnessed with the DS), the fact of the matter is that people won't buy something they've never heard of. With the huge success of the DS in Europe, Mr. Merrick must have been doing something right in that respect. Let's hope his successor doesn't disappoint.
Sonic racing to Revolution?
Gameshout is carrying word that our old friend Sonic may very well be headed to Nintendo's next-gen machine. What makes this bit of info and rumor all the more interesting is that this new Sonic may be different than the other new Sonics (you know, the ones that have already been announced as in development for the Xbox 360 and PS3).Could this be the start of developers taking true advantage of the Revolution's unique control capabilites? We'll keep our fingers crossed that Sonic Revolution will be more than just a port.[Via Gameshout]
Survey says: Virtual Console shaping up nicely
"Virtual console? That isn't anything like the Virtual Boy, is it?"As your spine and 20/20 vision will attest to, the Virtual Console and the Virtual Boy are thankfully very different things. For one thing, the Virtual Console actually lives up to its illustrious title, being able to take the shape of past Nintendo consoles (excluding the Virtual Boy) at the press of a button and allowing you to play some of your favorite games of yesteryear. It's certainly one of the Revolution's most appealing features, but the exact specifics up until now have been...well, not very specific at all.This may have something to with the fact that Nintendo appears to still be deciding about a lot of things regarding the feature. As a leaked marketing survey (complete with menu mockups and a list of games!) uncovered by 1up seems to suggest, they're not quite sure on how games will be delivered to the player and how exactly the costs will be managed. Gauging by the questions asked in the survey, Nintendo may be considering 3 different service models: Purchase: You'll pay a set price for the game of your choice, download it and then play it whenever you want. Rental: You rent the games for a specified period of time. This could be implemented in a number of ways, possibly having you download the game and then "unlocking" it for a month. Subscription: You pay a monthly fee which opens up the entire Virtual Console library for your playing pleasure. You download games and get to play them as long as you continue being a subscriber. We reckon the subscription model could work if it was reasonably priced and the library continued to grow consistently, but otherwise the ancient tradition of paying a fee and permanently receiving a game has always made sense to us. What's your take? Also, be sure to check out the full article for the list of Virtual Console games that appeared in the survey!
Shiggy on Saito and smiling
Make no mistake - if even the simplest of phrases escapes from the mouth of legendary game designer Shigeryu Miyamoto, we'll be grabbing our nets and chasing after it as if it were a fluttering and fleeing butterfly. In a recent issue of Famitsu, the man had some good things to say about Yoot Saito, creator of the voice-controlled Seaman game and the forthcoming Pinball / Real-time strategy hybrid, Odama (also enhanced for the Gamecube microphone). After praising Saito's understanding of how "games go together", Miyamoto was keen to impart some additional wisdom when it comes to game design, no doubt reflecting his current mindset for developing games on the Revolution. Apparently, the trick to a good game is implementing something new that has you smiling all the way to the end. "Before making a game, one must understand precisely how it will end." "A game that keeps a smile on the player's face is a wonderful thing."He also reiterates Nintendo's back-to-basics-for-something-new mantra: "Nintendo's theme for 2006 will be 'Create new fun.' 'Spread the fun of games to everyone.' To do this, we must return to the beginning, to recapture the essence that made people who enjoy games even now enjoy them in the first place." But what about fancy graphics? "Presentation' is not what kind of picture you paint; it is how you behold your beholder." So, if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then the beholder of the beholder will see the beauty depending on how he beholds the eye of the beholder...which has the beauty and....yeah. We'll have to think about that some more.
"Hip" European Revolution postcard
Whether they're extending a foreign arm of warmth and happiness across the ocean or if they're merely reminding Europe that the Revolution will be released over there too is uncertain, but the guys over at Jeux France have found themselves on the receiving end of a hip Nintendo postcard of sorts. Now, Nintendo and the concept of "hip" haven't exactly been the greatest of friends in the past, so it comes as a relief to see that they have finally come to understand each other. Because when you think "hip", you obviously think "shirtless guy striking cool poses".Hopefully this greeting card doesn't indicate that "shirtless guy striking cool poses" is an integral part of their forthcoming Revolution marketing campaign. Not that we have anything against shirtless guys striking cool poses (heck, we do it all the time), but we were under the impression that a unique new control method and Nintendo games were slightly more appealing than say, shirtless guys striking cool poses. Perhaps we've got it all wrong?[via 1up]
Hideo Kojima's into spanking?
There's a thin line between genius and madness, and it seems that Hideo Kojima finds himself treating said line like a drunken driver during a sobriety test. According to a Gamebrink correspondent at the Digital Interactive Entertainment Conference held in Kyoto, Japan, Mr. Kojima expressed his desire to make a DS game revolving around the mechanic of spanking ladies. "The only interesting thing to come out of it was Kojima talking about wanting to make a game with the DS where you used the controller to spank girls asses... at least that's what I THINK he said!"Now, this is surely just a hilarious translation error and shouldn't be considered as "news" by any means. Besides, we all know that a spanking game would be so much better suited to the Revolution. We can easily envision sitting on our couches and whacking imaginary buttocks with our Revolution remotes, complete with accompanying moans and smacking sound effects. So easily, in fact, that we've already signed up for therapy. [Via Joystiq]
Atari founder: Revolution rocks, triangles are scary
Ah, Nolan Bushnell. The man that created Atari, sold it off and later established the lucrative Chuck E. Cheese line of restaurants. That last part especially had us dying to hear what he had to say about the Nintendo Revolution, a feeling undoubtedly shared by the attendees at the Digital Interactive Entertainment Conference recently held in Kyoto, Japan. He had very good things to say about it, actually, but in doing so may have revealed an underlying and deeply rooted fear of basic geometric shapes. "If you look at today’s controller with triangles, Xs, squares and circles, it’s scary. It’s like a keyboard. People are interface phobic.”Ignoring the fact that keyboards have neither squares nor circles on them and tend to feature approximately 95 more buttons than a DualShock 2 controller, does the man have a point? Are today's controller's really so frighteningly complex?
Weird Revolution parody video
Remember that promo video Nintendo released for the Revolution? You know, the one where an old couple conducted an orchestra and a bunch of Japanese people acted like lunatics on their couches? Well, here we have a parody video of that. Revealing the flipside of innovation, the clip demonstrates some potential pitfalls of the controller's design, some of which result in unexpected displays of ultra-violence and weird toothbrush / porn combinations....Yeah.[Via Joystiq]
Revo Smash Bros. not developed by Nintendo?
Following from our previous post about the Smash Bros. series being reunited with its creator, Masahiro Sakurai, it seems that development on the Revolution version of the game may have started with a different development company altogether, a company which was most notably not Nintendo. The IGN article fails to reveal the identity of the mystery company, but does state that they had enough experience with the Gamecube version to satisfy Sakurai when he took over. Following his arrival, Nintendo set up some brand new offices to accomodate the entire development team who are, interestingly enough, using many tools and assets from Super Smash Bros. Melee in their design. That's the plan, at least, since most of said development team has yet to be hired. I guess when Satoru Iwata made that surprise announcement of the game at E3 2005, he really meant it as a surprise to everyone.
