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Revolution Information

Codename: "Revolution"

     

Officially announced on May 11th 2005 at at Nintendo's 2005 pre-Electronics Entertainment Expo press conference in Los Angeles, California, the "Revolution" is the codename Nintendo has given to their next generation system, the follow-up to their GameCube. Also referred to as the "GameCube Next", "N5" (Nintendo's fifth home console) and the "Nintendo 21", this system is set to bring about some new innovations to the next generation of home game consoles.

Project Revolution is said to have been in the works ever since the announcement of the GameCube back in 2001. A large amount of money is said to have been invested in this project, and you can expect to see some new characters and franchises to come with the release of the system as well.

The Revolution will be made backwards compatible with GameCube games through the same slot-loading disc drive. It will also be made backwards-compatible with SNES/Super Famicom and NES/Famicom games, though through emulation with games being available for download.

Although Nintendo have stated they will not be including screens on the controllers of system itself, it is possible that the Revolution will wirelessly connect with the DS or Game Boy, much like Sony are doing with their PSP and PlayStation 3. The system will also contain Wi-Fi features upon release and DVD playback will be possible through an "internal upgrade". Unfortunately, though, Nintendo have said their system will not feature an in-built hard drive like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, nor will it have HD (High Definition) support. Nintendo of America's vice president of
corporate affairs, Perrin Kaplan, stated that abstaining from this technology would help keep the cost of games down, however, many consumers are protesting against this decision and hoping that Nintendo will change their mind.

After months of speculation, Nintendo finally unveiled the "revolutionary" controller for the Revolution at Satoru Iwata's keynote address at the Tokyo Game Show 2005 on September 16, 2005.

The controller resembles a TV remote control, held and controlled with one hand. The top of the controller features a + Control Pad, large A Button and a B trigger button on the back. Below that are START, Home and SELECT buttons in a row, and below that are another A and B button (referred to as X and Y in some shots). These two lower buttons can be used by turning the controller horizontally, for playing classic NES games.

At the bottom of the remote is a port where you can attach a number of additional controls. So far only the analogue stick with two shoulder buttons have been shown, though further controls for playing SNES and N64 games have also been announced. This allows constant customization of control methods.

Finally, and most importantly, the controller itself is used to control - sensors attached to the TV can detect precise movements and distance of the controller, allowing simple hand gestures to create movement. Described repeatedly as a computer mouse operating in 3D space, this control method has excited a lot of RPG and First Person Shooter developers who are often wary of the console market altogether.

Nintendo has also confirmed that the Revolution and its controllers will be available in a range of colors. It is likely to be released sometime in late 2006.

    *Information courtesy of: Console Database

Nintendo Revolution Teaser Video (TGS 2005)


 

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This site was last updated 01/25/06