[Definitive] Nintendo Wii Thread

[yankee lion]

Just as gamers are spawning 100 pages threads sobbing over alleged Revolution specs that don't match up to the competition comes a contradictory statement from executive VP of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aime during the UBS 33rd Annual Global Media Conference proclaiming Revolution will be "easy to port" for third party developers.

It's easy to see Nintendo's logic, though. Even though Revolution won't have the same memory bandwidth as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the familiarity with current generation development and tools that Revolution takes advantage of means most companies shouldn't have much trouble working Revolution into the mix.

Then again, that's bound to create similar situations that have occurred with multi-platform development currently, where companies simply emphasized work on PlayStation 2 and Xbox (where much of the money was) and left many GameCube ports to languish unpolished. With Revolution's interface providing a whole new obstacle, watching developers work around should prove interesting.

As more developers receive their finalized Revolution development kits, we should be hearing more about what this means in real-world applications. Maybe the gap isn't as significant as everyone's guessing. Stay tuned for more.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3146171

[Joel]

Why? You are just going to leave the hundreds of 360 threads laying out then aren't you?

This was a pointless move.

Not pointless at all. It's been policy on this board to merge non-released consoles, games and such into 1 thread, because until it comes out, it's just the same thing over and over again. The 360 threads are now legit (and their specific problems), because the console has been released. Trust me, we merged more than a few PS3, Rev and 360 threads when these consoles just ideas.

[savedandfamous]

I just noticed the power button on the controller, yay! I wonder if Sony will impliment a on/off button on the controller? Maybe that purdy shiny thing in the middle is it?

[stadsport]

I just noticed the power button on the controller, yay! I wonder if Sony will impliment a on/off button on the controller? Maybe that purdy shiny thing in the middle is it?

Yeah, in the promo video they show the guy hit it at the beginning and end to turn the system on and off.

[b mitchell]

Not pointless at all. It's been policy on this board to merge non-released consoles, games and such into 1 thread, because until it comes out, it's just the same thing over and over again. The 360 threads are now legit (and their specific problems), because the console has been released. Trust me, we merged more than a few PS3, Rev and 360 threads when these consoles just ideas.

It is just EXTREMELY hard to keep track of, or even keep up, multiple conversations on different aspects of consoles (released or not) when they are in just one thread.

[Joel]

Well, we managed it for other pre-release discussions. I have faith in you guys. :p

[Laughing-Man]

This is an awesome video I randomly came across, I don't know why they show these things to the public instead of press briefings: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...2567&q=nintendo

[DAaaMan64]

This is an awesome video I randomly came across, I don't know why they show these things to the public instead of press briefings: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...2567&q=nintendo

Good video, but I don't ever want to hear the words, "We expanded" ever again. :p

[Erich]

good video??? Lousy video lol. Looked very amateurish to me... ehn.

[The Teej]

They said expanded too many times @.@

[Dale]

This is an awesome video I randomly came across, I don't know why they show these things to the public instead of press briefings: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4...2567&q=nintendo

that was the intro to the nintendo press conference at the leizpeg games convention in germany some time in august. the press conference was called "expand the definition of gaming".

[AbandonedTrolley]

Hmmmmm pretty dumb video, but still not changing my views on Nintendo :D There is no doubt I will be getting one on the launch :D

[Ryan V]

EA Wants a Revolution

The unstoppable third party throws its support behind Nintendo's next console.

by Matt Casamassina

December 8, 2005 - Nintendo of America's vice president of sales and marketing, Reggie Fils-Aime, spoke at the recent 33rd Annual UBS Global Media Conference in New York, where he revealed that third parties are excited for the company's next-generation console, codenamed Revolution.

Fils-Aime made particular note of third party publisher Electronic Arts' acceptance of the upcoming machine, quoting the giant as saying: "It's a brilliant controller, and as usual we can credit Nintendo with being innovative and neat and fresh and fun. They continue to pioneer in our industry?they make some of the best games in the industry?and we look forward to partnering with them."

EA has not yet announced any games for Revolution, but the company is in full possession of alpha development kits and is already underway with software for the console. First EA-developed Revolution titles are expected to be unveiled at the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2006, which kicks off next May in Los Angeles.

Source: http://revolution.ign.com/articles/674/674617p1.html

[quJim Merrick Comes Home

Our beloved Nintendo demigod is coming back to America. Full details inside.

by Matt Casamassina

December 8, 2005 - Developer website Gamasutra is reporting that former Nintendo of America technical director turn Nintendo of Europe demigod, Jim Merrick, is coming back to the states, where he will presumably take up another valuable post at NOA.

Merrick has been a big man at Nintendo since the days of Project Dolphin, the codename for GameCube. He took a temporary job at Nintendo of Europe some three years ago and has since made our lives easier by providing useful details about the Big N's Revolution console when other company executives wouldn't.

"Jim joined Nintendo of Europe three years ago on a short term contract from Nintendo America and is now returning to continue to progress his career with the company. His replacement will be announced in the coming weeks," said Nintendo of Europe in an official statement.

Before moving to Europe, Merrick was known as the integral second half of an outspoken team - the other being Perrin Kaplan - at Nintendo of America. The Jedi duo was known and feared for its extraordinarily advanced powers of saying a lot without revealing anything. We look forward to seeing that team reformed, but we're hopeful that Merrick and Kaplan will going forward tell us everything.

Source: http://revolution.ign.com/articles/674/674616p1.html

[quNintendo's Official Stance

What does the Big N have to say about Revolution's tech specs? Click to find out.

by Matt Casamassina

December 8, 2005 - Online reports are shedding new light on the horsepower for Nintendo's next-generation console, codenamed Revolution, and gamers are reacting. Fans who write Nintendo of America about Revolution's power will receive the following official response:

Our competitors would have you believe that the next generation of gaming will be solely defined by high definition graphics. High definition graphics look fantastic, but come at a price. To shine, high definition games must be played on high definition televisions, which aren't cheap. Games with high definition graphics are expensive to develop because they must be developed in both standard and high definition formats. Those development costs are passed on to you in the form of more expensive software. Finally, playing games with high definition graphics requires a system with loads of RAM and costly high-end graphics chips, both of which make it prohibitively expensive for most consumers.

Sharper graphics are certainly part of the next generation. We know that games for the Revolution will look brilliant whether played on a standard television or on a high definition television. However, is that all there is to next-generation gaming? We feel that sharper graphics should be combined with a new way to interface with the game itself. Our controller is a sharp departure from the current standard, to be sure, but it will provide a level of interactivity you can't get currently.

We believe in providing a single system that can play not only the previous generation's titles, but also games from a massive library built over 20 years of creating innovative and exciting games. We also believe in providing a complete wireless online experience right out of the box.

Nintendo has created a gaming system that is sleek and compact in size, powers up quickly with minimal load times, makes game development easy and fast, is easy to use, and is affordable for everyone. We are confident that gamers and non-gamers alike will support the truly next-generation experience only Nintendo can provide. Once you have a chance to play games on the Revolution, we think you'll agree!

Nintendo of America

Nintendo has chosen not to release official technical specifications for its next-generation console and it may never, according to company executives. The Big N believes that comparing horsepower between consoles is a lost cause and that the software standouts in the next-generation will be determined by the quality and originality of the games, not merely how flashy their graphics become.

Stay tuned to IGN Revolution for much more on the console.

Source: http://revolution.ign.com/articles/674/674611p1.html

[Guest]

Im just trying to understand whats so cool about the revoluton. I wouldnt buy any console just for the controler.

Microsoft or sony could release a "wand" like the revolution and develop games that use it, thus trashing the revolutions only chance of winning this time around.

At least Xbox and Sony wont be forced to use the wand in every game

[iconboy]

nintendo wont be fircing anyone to just use the wand either, there is an addon to the wand to make it a normal controller, and the GC controller works with the revolution. But your right, there is nothing stopping M$ and $ony from releasing a wand like accessory and cornering the market on games like that before the Rev even hits the market! So why go with Revolution? A) Revolution will be a lot cheaper B) Nintendo games (that alone is worth a console purchase) and C) with the wand being one of the major focuses of the system, you should see some high quality wand games unlike the potential M$ or $ony ones where it is just seen as a cheap addon. Then again $ony made the eye toy work so ;)

.... beyond that the Rev has little going for it, No HD, Less powerful and seriously lacking in 3rd party support right now.

[black.ops]

First off they couldn't release a wand because of Nintendo's patents, but of course they will somehow get around that.

And why would you never buy a console for its controller? I suppose that you haven't seen what you can even do with it. Nintendo is even releasing shells for the 'wand' that would allow you to play classic games. That and the fact that it already has Gamecube controller ports.

As for other benefits, you can download NES, SNES, and N64 games by using Nintendo's new Virtual Console service. Plus you get Nintendo quality titles instead of "My Little Pony: A Winter Wonderland" since they will be too lazy to develop for the new controller. Oh and EA is onboard with Nintendo now, so you will have your favorite game, Madden.

Finally, it will probably be $99-$199. WAY cheaper than the other consoles.

[ahhell]

No body really knows yet as everything is speculation and Nintendo hasn't released much info. As for reasons for buying it, here are a few:

- access to Nintendo's entire back collection of games (there are lots of games that i never got a chance to play)

- compatible with Gamecube disks including the upcoming Zelda game (there are a few outstanding GC games)

- controller could revolutionize gaming (if Nintendo can do something great with it)

- system is supposed to be inexpensive too

[magik]

I beleive the Revolution will also have a standard Controller. Nintendo has yet to reveal it, however.

It is also the most backwards compatible of any of these next-gen games. I believe close to 100% of ALL nintendo games (GB, GBA, DS, GC, etc). Now that's backwards compatability! :D

[Dale]

well, if I am correct, microsoft and sony can not copy the wand due to the patents... where do i start..

quoting it off the nintendo site because they say it best

http://www.nintendo.com/revolution

Decades of Games

Revolution will play all of your favorite Nintendo GameCube games, and deliver downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

the revolution controller is a big hit, offering expansions, it can also be turned ont he side to play NES games. Nintendo WiFi connection will be a free online service, the system will be wireless out of the box, offering free game downloads through Nintendo WiFi Connection. Roumers of DS/Revolution connectivity are there, it can play with all of the previous Nintendo gamecube accessorys because it has gamecube ports.

as for the games, Super Smash Brothers Online, and Metroid Prime 3 are in the list + the regular Nintendo exlusive titles. There will be with no doubt Mario Kart Revolution, and Potential Chance of Mario 128 (or another mario sunshineish game).

wait till E3 2006 to be wanting to know whats so great about it, Its hard to say something is so great because we really don't know anything about it.

[Guest]

So basicially theirs a lot of speculation about the console, and not much has been confirmed so far?

[Laughing-Man]

No body really knows yet as everything is speculation and Nintendo hasn't released much info. As for reasons for buying it, here are a few:

- access to Nintendo's entire back collection of games (there are lots of games that i never got a chance to play)

- compatible with Gamecube disks including the upcoming Zelda game (there are a few outstanding GC games)

- controller could revolutionize gaming (if Nintendo can do something great with it)

- system is supposed to be inexpensive too

In addition:

- Console is wireless, FREE online gaming with Nintendo Wifi

- Initial prototype system is size of three DVD cases, final system supposed to be smaller

- Low powered, quiet, and fast loading of games.

- 512MB removable flash cards

- Ports for GameCube controller

- Just read the first post of the Revolution thread, I forget what else.

[black.ops]

So basicially theirs a lot of speculation about the console, and not much has been confirmed so far?

Actually most of it is confirmed. There is apparently still one secret to the controller that we do not know yet, and we don't know the hardware specs. Otherwise we know everything (I hope... :shiftyninja: )

[Joel]

Im just trying to understand whats so cool about the revoluton. I wouldnt buy any console just for the controler.

Microsoft or sony could release a "wand" like the revolution and develop games that use it, thus trashing the revolutions only chance of winning this time around.

At least Xbox and Sony wont be forced to use the wand in every game

A) They can't, thanks to patants, and

B) no one is forced to use a wand in every game.

Less powerful and seriously lacking in 3rd party support right now.

Power isn't everything, and your intel on 3rd party support is last generation's. Check out what the developers are saying.

[Laughing-Man]

Speaking of this junk, I updated the frontpage hardware, speculation, and games sections.

[Joel]

Speaking of this junk, I updated the frontpage hardware, speculation, and games sections.

Frontpage of what?