Will Nintendo Revolution suck balls?

GyroVorbis · Post by **GyroVorbis** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:08 pm

I was greeted after school the other day with a GamePro in my mailbox. I started reading it and I was really taken aback by Nintendo's sheer stupidity on the matter of their next gen console codenamed "Revolution".

Some points I'd like to address:

Online Ready?:

Sony:
Probably "Online is going to be an integral part of any console going forward," says Sony Computer Entertainment America President Kaz Hirai.

Microsoft:
Definately. Expect several new features for Xboxe Live. "One thing we're pretty excited about is the idea of what's loosely called spectator mode," says Microsoft Game Studios General Manager Shane Kim.

Nintendo:
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has said that "customers do not want online games," but the company can't ignore this wanted genre forever.

BackWard Compatibility:

Sony:
Very likely. "I don't see any reason why we shouldn't or we wouldn't want to do that," professes Hirai.

Microsoft:
Still up in the air. It may prove difficult since the console's underlying hardware will be different from X-box. (Which uses Nvidia-made GPU.)

Nintendo:
Doubtful. No Nintendo console has ever included such a feature.

Hard Drive:

Sony:
Doesn't sound like it. "We're looking to come out with other devices that can store data from your downloads [on]..." says Hirai.

Microsoft:
Reports abound that Microsoft will release multiple versions of its Xbox successor (hard drive/no hard drive, one with PC-related functions).

Nintendo:
Again, doubtful. Nintendo likes to keep consoles at a consumer-friendly price, and including a hard drive would make that nearly impossible.

So, after reading that do you not notice a pattern? I'm not even going to point it out. What do you think?

I think the Revolution is going to be another disappointment. Something that really may of been revolutionary like the DS if the games were more respectable.

NightStalker · Post by **NightStalker** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:12 pm

sounds like nintendo is trying to avoid what happened to sega with an online machine.although they should atleast consider a modem/bba add-on and just let developers who want to have a game online,add support for the add-on and keep up their own game servers...include the support for,but not actually invest money no further than providing the means for a net connection.it's a sound move that keeps them from going pockets deep in something that may prove fruitless for them.let the game developers foot the cost to have their games online.

Clessy · Post by **Clessy** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:18 pm

Yeah well revolution doesnt have online gaming but, it is supposed to have a large wireless play. Supposedly 3 miles of free play with anyone in that area. Which I think it really awsome. Wireless controllers are supposed to be standard too which is awsome. Backwards compatablity is a stupid thing that just raises the cost the same with HD imho.

GyroVorbis · Post by **GyroVorbis** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:19 pm

Whoah. Holy shit. Are you serious about the 3 mile wireless play? Well then maybe that's a pretty damn huge + I'd say.

Clessy · Post by **Clessy** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:22 pm

I doubt it will live up to 3 miles but probably about 12gz wireless. Think of a 2.4 phone. Which is about all the way down the street. You'll probably be able to play with anyone in your neighborhoods and bits of surrounding neighborhoods. Only way I could see them doing 3 miles is useing a cell phone type setup and then connecting with them. Which is highly possable.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:30 pm

Nintendo did a very good job in designing the Gamecube. If they did the same thing, with more online support and more 3rd party games at that same cheap price they could do very well

Clessy · Post by **Clessy** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:41 pm

Just more 3rd party support and tons of multiplayer games and i'm happy. I'm tired of online gaming as I rather play with my friends instead of some 12 yo kid telling me to suck his penis.

MKE · Post by **MKE** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:47 pm

i really dont like that article, i got the same magazine about a week ago....

Online ready.

how long ago did nintendo make that announcement? they are obviously realizing that people do want online multiplayer, or they wouldnt have included wireless b in the NDS. yeah, it's not "online" specific gameplay, but it's still multiplayer using different systems. (and isnt xlink or sumtin like that supporting the ds for tunneling like the xbox/ps2/gc)

Backwards Compatible.

this is nintendos first disc system. there system would look butt ugly with a cartrige port in the back like the saturn did., plus it wouldnt have made the system as small as it is. and, when nintendo was really big like 10/20 years ago, no/a select few systems were backwards compatible. also they kinda did make it "backwards compatible" with the gbplayer. no, it's not backwards compatible but were they supposed to make it compatible with ~8 other consoles/handhelds.

HDD.

are any other companies looking to use an hdd? no, the xbox made it known that having a 4th "storage" medium (the dvd, mem card, ram, and now the hdd) would decrease load times and increase capability. but they are limited by the speed of it (not that much, but it is) so nintendo to might be looking at an alternate storage medium just like m$ and sony are.

they make it look like nintendo is screwing up this time around because if they say the gamecube kicks xbox and ps2's ass, then the ps2/xbox fanboys wont look at that mag anymore because they supported nintendo.

i really think/hope nintendo fixes the mistakes they had with the gc, but i hope they keep it the same (being cheaper then the other 2 and having the better platformer's/exclusives)

az_bont · Post by **az_bont** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 6:59 pm

1. Most gamers don't care about online gaming.

2. Most consoles do not feature backwards compatibility.

3. The only console to ever come with a hard drive as standard is the Xbox, and it hasn't really proved useful enough to be a necessity in all future consoles.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:03 pm

GamePro sucks huge balls.

GyroVorbis · Post by **GyroVorbis** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:09 pm

einbebop44 wrote:GamePro sucks huge balls.

Agreed.

CoasterKing · Post by **CoasterKing** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:20 pm

Tbh I haven't been impressed with what I've heard about the Revolution but it's all rumour & conjecture so I'm not that worried. Online play is essential for me but I certainly couldn't give a toss whether it was backwards compatible or not. A HDD isn't essential but would be nice to have as custom soundtracks + no memory cards = win.

Clessy · Post by **Clessy** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:24 pm

Magzines suck period.

butters · Post by **butters** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:50 pm

Price is my prime concern when buying videogame systems, followed by game selection. Nintendo tend to release the best priced systems compared to their competitors, and when I buy from them I know I will have access to the Nintendo's "brand" of merchandise.

Video game consoles are fairly unique in the marketplace because of how they hook the customer into buying their products. Most people can't afford to buy more than one of the current generation's consoles, and once that person has bought it, he or she won't be making another console purchase for a few years. During this time it is the game company's responsability to create games that will appeal to their prime audience. Nintendo goes about this by making games that will appeal to people of all ages, and because of this limits violence and foul language, while Sony and Microsoft are going after the teenage market and aren't afraid to release products that might include some violence and sexual content.

Sorry for being long winded, but thinking about consoles as brands got me thinking and I typed what I was thinking.

Skater_dusto · Post by **Skater_dusto** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 8:25 pm

I like the way that the gamecube accomodates my needs. Right now I've not enough time to mess around with emulation, but would go nuts and mod the hell out of an xbox if I had a personal unit. The revolution sounds like it's going to have a good solid foundation suspended by a good solid game library. Just like a house I tell ya. Solid... and wooden. Err.

And there's nothing wrong with getting more than one new console either, asides from the money issue. Anyone who's pretty nerdy and passionate about console gaming would spend the dough on a dedicated gaming machine, and have one for everything else as well.

MulletMan13 · Post by **MulletMan13** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 8:30 pm

I don't know about anybody else but I *love* the Xbox having an hdd... Not worrying about managing a memory card, not worrying about any of that is great, having custom soundtracks in certain games is very welcome. I love it and think its a very innovative thing to come to a console. Also, if integrated wireless controllers is true that would be excellent, I love the wavebirds.

Nintendo maybe needs to add in support for some local lans... maybe wireless 802.11g, as well as an ethernet port. Either way I'm sure I will buy this as well as MS's new console.

GyroVorbis · Post by **GyroVorbis** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 8:58 pm

I don't know, maybe it just seems to me like Nintendo is really wierd.

They seem open to all sorts of newfangled ideas like dual screens and built in microphones, but with the more practical peripherals such as HDs and Online play and such it's almost like they're restricting their consoles for some wierd reason.

Covar · Post by **Covar** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 9:17 pm

i once read somewhere that a nintendo rep wanted to make sure they did online right, something like xbox live but free.

GamePro sucks huge balls.

seconded

MKE · Post by **MKE** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:01 pm

Covar wrote:i once read somewhere that a nintendo rep wanted to make sure they did online right, something like xbox live but free.

that would be great. not only would that give decent online to the Nrev, but also make microsoft either make xbox live free altogether, or have a basic online gaming service for free and then if you want to pay a monthly fee you get all the extras like scoreboards, and stuff like that.

impetus · Post by **impetus** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:12 pm

what I really want to know is, since gamecube has online capabilities, and they obviously know now that online is a plus, why aren't they offering it NOW with newer titles?