So, Nintendo revealed their new controller design for their next-gen console, the Revolution, at the Tokyo Game show this past week and WOW does it ever live up to the console's name.
The possibilities are endless. Nintendo has done what the other big names have not—they have taken the necessary step to move video gaming into a whole new plane. I've heard so many people wonder, what's next, really? Graphics can only go so far on any given screen. Online gaming can only handle so much until the entire gaming community gets better connections. So what's left to improve upon?
Nintendo says, let's make gaming less static. Let's bring our parents and grandparents in. Let's make gaming fun for everyone, and serious for those who want it to be serious. And it's brilliant. The controller is motion tilt, and speed sensitive, and will allow for truly revolutionary gameplay. Features include:
And since one of the features reported by Nintendo to be included in the Revolution is the ability to download old school Nintendo games, the controller is to have a shell to wrap around the one-handed rig which will effectively turn it into a Gamecube controller, thus allowing for more traditional gameplay; this feature will work for Revolution games as well.Source: OhmyNews International
- 3D Pointing. Sensors understand up, down, left, right, forward and backward.
- Tilt Sensitive. Controller can be rotated or rolled from side-to-side.
- Buttons Included. Has a trigger on its backside, face buttons, and a D-Pad.
- Multifunctional. Has an expansion port which can be used with different types of controller peripherals. Analog tick with two trigger buttons planned for left hand.
- Wireless. Totally wire-free. Currently there are no details on the max distance, source or power, or otherwise.
- Rumble Built-in. Included as a standard in all the controllers.
Of course, this isn't as new an idea for Nintendo as some may think—they've been trying this since their first foray into consoles. Remember the lightgun with the original NES? How about the Power Glove? Nintendo is where all good (and bad) gimmicks go to die, but this time they have the technology (we think) to do what they're trying to do... and this looks great.
For all of you who can only see a remote, think of this in a less-static fashion. Imagine the mini-games embedded in such titles as Animal Crossing. Need to catch butterflies? Okay, get moving! Fishing in Zelda? Get ready to reel it in. What about a golf game, or tennis? Instead of just pressing buttons, your abilities can depend on... well, your real abilitiles. And this is without mentioning the ultimate in possibilities—the first person shooter. Be still my heart.
But better yet, bring your granddad over and set him up with a fishing game on your Revolution. How neat is that? And since the Revolution and its games are to be cheaper than either the Xbox 360 or the PS3... why not get one?
Article comments
1 - Tan The Man
It looks really good. Can't wait to play with it.
2 - Victor Plenty
On first seeing this I felt an excitement I had not felt since before Halo was bought out and eviscerated by Microsoft.
Eviscerated? you ask. Halo? The game millions of people are playing? Yes. Halo is a triumph of marketing, but pretty much every serious gamer agrees its single-player storyline is sadly lacking compared to earlier games produced when Bungie was still an independent developer. I am convinced it would have been a much better game if Microsoft hadn't gotten hold of it.
Nintendo's Revolution looks like a system that could have new games which are worth playing for their own sake, not merely because everyone else is playing them. It's guaranteed to have old games worth playing, if Nintendo follows up on the promise of making the entire Nintendo back catalog playable through the Revolution system.
3 - Steve
I see standing in front of the TV waving your arms around getting pretty old, pretty quick. This controller will live up to the hype for 10 minutes, until your arm gets tired and you plant your ass back on the sofa for some serious gaming.
4 - lj
in 1997 dual analog sticks? right no one will use that its too hard to do. and where are we now?