Miyamoto on the Revolution

[if76]

IGN (http://www.ign.com) has an exclusive interview with Shigeru Miyamoto (http://cube.ign.com/articles/617/617000p1.html) concerning the DS and Revolution. It sheds some light on to how Nintendo operates.

As far as the Revolution is concerned, development is going really well. But at the same time, this is a trade show and we want to concentrate on our business for this year. So rather than rush out in a panic and try to get a bunch of information out to people, we want to give out some of the general concepts and we're going to save everything else for when we're all set. Next year, when it's the year of the Revolution, we'll bring out everything from under the wrapping paper.

As much respect as I have for the man, some of the things he said made me roll my eyes. Then again trying to defend the under-powered revolution isn't an easy job for anyone.

[EvilBob46]

How do we know if the revolution is going to be under-powered if virtually nothing about the specs has been revealed and almost everything is subject to change? Not having HD is going to suck, but Nintendo's opinion on the issue could be changed in a jiffy if the thing's not due for almost a year.

In general, there is a strong possibility that Nintendo is going to offer a less powerful console (though still plenty powerful) but release it for 250 bucks or less, making it stand out next to the rumored $400+ PS3 and XBOX360 beasts.

[sTubbs]

How do we know if the revolution is going to be under-powered if virtually nothing about the specs has been revealed and almost everything is subject to change? Not having HD is going to suck, but Nintendo's opinion on the issue could be changed in a jiffy if the thing's not due for almost a year.

In general, there is a strong possibility that Nintendo is going to offer a less powerful console (though still plenty powerful) but release it for 250 bucks or less, making it stand out next to the rumored $400+ PS3 and XBOX360 beasts.

We know it is going to be underpowered because Nintendo itself has stated that it will only be two to three times more powerful than the GC. The 360 is about 12 times more powerful than the XBOX, and the PS3 is 20 to 30 times more powerful than the PS2.

[Nessus]

"We know it is going to be underpowered because Nintendo itself has stated that it will only be two to three times more powerful than the GC."

I totally accept the possibility (likelihood) that Revolution will be significantly less powerful than the Xbox 360, and far less powerful than the PS3, BUT try to keep in mind back when people were trying to gauge how powerful the PS2, GameCube and Xbox would be the companies supplied the press with some numbers:

Sony said the PS2 could do 70 million polygons.
Microsoft gave 300 million.
Nintendo? Claimed 9 million.

Now we know the PS2 isn't ten times more powerful than the Cube.

[Phades]

To me it sounds a lot like the differences between the Revolution and the other consoles will be a lot like the differences between the DS and the PSP. The PSP is much more powerful but also costs more, yet it also has WAAAY more games. The DS is less powerful but cheaper. It also has a novel concept that is underutilized and has a game released every few months for it. Nintendo will talk about originality and innovation and then release another Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart.

[rein]

I wish Nintendo had not even brought the Revolution out this year. They had the whole mystery thing working for them. What do they do? Show a small black box and say the real Revolution will be even smaller. So, we didn't even get the real case? They could have made the backward compatibility announcement without even showing that black box. Big marketing mistake imo.. ..they went from a few days of internet (even though fake) attention to being insignificant in a lot of peoples eyes.

They gave the impression that they are not in it to win anymore. The only question now is are they shooting for second place or just happy to sit in as a quirky budget box?

[Blade]

If that quirky budget box gets a good 5-10 AAA games a year.. I'm in. :)

[jacktion]

To me it sounds a lot like the differences between the Revolution and the other consoles will be a lot like the differences between the DS and the PSP. The PSP is much more powerful but also costs more, yet it also has WAAAY more games. The DS is less powerful but cheaper. It also has a novel concept that is underutilized and has a game released every few months for it. Nintendo will talk about originality and innovation and then release another Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart.

That's true, but where are the PSP games at E3? There are hardly any. On the other hand the DS has a ton of incredible looking games that have been shown. The DS definitely got off to a too-slow start, but hopefully it will do better this summer. PSP is the more expensive and more powerful system but the DS is still selling twice as many.

And in regards to the Revolution being less powerful than the other consoles, Shigeru put it nicely in the interview, "Sony and Microsoft are going down the same road. They have chosen their path and they're sticking to it. They're going down that road together. We have chosen the road less traveled and we're happy with that."

Nintendo is just bowing out of this dick-measuring contest. They are not lying, like Sony, they are not showing movies and claiming they are gameplay.

Let's let Shiggy take it away once more.

"You know, in regard to the power of the Nintendo Revolution versus, say, the Xbox 360, we're looking at making a small, quiet, affordable console. of course we might not have the horsepower that some other companies have, but if you look at the numbers that they're throwing out, are those numbers going to be used in-game?We could throw out a bunch of numbers, too. I do think it's very irresponsible for people to say, "This is what we're running on. This is the power of our machine," when they're not even running on final boards. I think the professional's job is to not believe those numbers."

Well said, Shigeru. You go, girl... I mean, dude.

[Liquidize105]

They gave the impression that they are not in it to win anymore. The only question now is are they shooting for second place or just happy to sit in as a quirky budget box?
Did you read the interview?

They're competing in their own ways. The question is are the consumers smart enough to recognize it? Sony and MS have big numbers, but power doesn't literally translate into fun games - more often than not, they don't. What nintendo is doing is giving more avenue to the developers to creatively express themselves.

Of course, nintendo would have to lead the pack in demonstrating how to utilize the "extra creative leg room" on the revolution, that which I have no doubt they would.

[Phades]

What nintendo is doing is giving more avenue to the developers to creatively express themselves.


In theory anyway, we don't really know what the "Revolution" is going to be.

More power is also a way to give developers more room to creatively express themselves. More power = More they can do.

[rein]

Did you read the interview?

They're competing in their own ways. The question is are the consumers smart enough to recognize it?

LOL, Isn't that the whole point? It's the consumer that has to recognize it and buy into it.

[[HATE]MyLife]

Maybe Nintendo's Revolution is the content delivery system. Developers can provide their games directly to consumers without the middleman.

Overthrow the opressive Publishers! Viva la Revolution!

Or... not.

[EvilBob46]

We know it is going to be underpowered because Nintendo itself has stated that it will only be two to three times more powerful than the GC. The 360 is about 12 times more powerful than the XBOX, and the PS3 is 20 to 30 times more powerful than the PS2.

You're comparing outrageously disproportional claims from companies that have repeatedly exaggerated the power of their hardware and software with a realistic one. The Revolution is going to have a 2.7GHz PowerPC G5 (aproximately). That alone is almost 6 times as much as the Gamecube and would qualify as being 6 times more powerful, at least (and that's just from a mere mhz perspective, not counting the far superior architecture).

More importantly though, you simple can not state that the Revolution is going to be significantly underpowered if no formal performance benchmark has been done between the 3 consoles. It's all just pure speculation.

[Rommel]

We have not sent out development kits to developers yet. However, development kits for the Nintendo Revolution are very similar to the ones for the GameCube.

Oh. My. God. I... just... oh my God!

What nintendo is doing is giving more avenue to the developers to creatively express themselves.

How exactly? By saying they care more about gameplay then horsepower? What exactly does this rhetoric do to give more creativity. This is the same company that said the N64 was going to only have great games, even if they are few are far between. Allow me to explain something about myself, I hate Nintendo. Not for blind fanboyism, but because I believe what they have become and what they produce is entirely counter to what I want. Still, I want to believe! I want more options so when I am in the store I say "Geez, which of these eight great games do I get?"

[bobbler]

Oddly enough, as Sebastard has mentioned many times in many threads now (which some of you can't seem to understand), this is the position PS3 would be in if they didn't show stuff (be it FMVs or Tech Demos).

The interest in revolution from the press is nil almost (same with retailers and consumers). Next years E3 will be all about the Revolution, AND PS3/Xbox2. Sony wasn't going to just give this E3 to Microsoft. Call it evil baby-eating if you want, but it was the only real move Sony could have made this early in their production, without sacrificing the market to Microsoft.

[bobbler]

Man... Reading that made me realize how much I really do like the way nintendo works. Even if they aren't the most mainstream now days, they have a really nice view of the game industry and market.

[evlg]

We know it is going to be underpowered because Nintendo itself has stated that it will only be two to three times more powerful than the GC. The 360 is about 12 times more powerful than the XBOX, and the PS3 is 20 to 30 times more powerful than the PS2.

What an absurd statement.

[EvilBob46]

I hate Nintendo. Not for blind fanboyism, but because I believe what they have become and what they produce is entirely counter to what I want.

So you don't want great games? They might not have online multiplayer or the most powerful console on the block, but they still have some of the most entertaining singleplayer games available. Hate them for it if you want. Personally, I'd rather have a Resident Evil 4 once every 3 months than half a dozen of shitty mediocre titles every week.

[Liquidize105]

In theory anyway, we don't really know what the "Revolution" is going to be.

More power is also a way to give developers more room to creatively express themselves. More power = More they can do.
Actually, if graphics are stressed above all else, all devs are going to do is to compete to see who can make the best looking POS. And that I think detracts from innovative freedom.

How exactly? By saying they care more about gameplay then horsepower? What exactly does this rhetoric do to give more creativity. This is the same company that said the N64 was going to only have great games, even if they are few are far between. Allow me to explain something about myself, I hate Nintendo. Not for blind fanboyism, but because I believe what they have become and what they produce is entirely counter to what I want. Still, I want to believe! I want more options so when I am in the store I say "Geez, which of these eight great games do I get?"
The first step is to do something creative about the hardware, then perhaps developers still have their imaginations intact to followup on the software level. Nintendo is encouraging developers to be bona fide artists. One of these days the interactive entertainment industry will transcend pure commercialism, and then perhaps gamemaking will become an artform.

Again, there's a certain level of risk involved, but don't forget that somethings in life are worth the risks.

[PotatoNinja]

I think every Nintendo related post from EA.com needs to have "TEH DOOMED!" in the title.

The proof is, as usual, in the pudding, and until there are playable demos on the E3 floor, all bets are off. All three consoles have caught my interest, and I'll be more than happy if any one (or all three) are worth my consumer dollars.

[Verocity]

Excellent article. I really like how he points out that nothing was "pretty and playable" on the PS3. This leads me to believe that when they show everything next year, they will have a very playable system on the show floor.

The kiddies can argue until it's their bedtime about what system is the most powerful, but for all the years I have been playing games, Nintendo has yet to let me down in the fun department.

[feeble]

Why is everyone so down on the revolution?

Shouldnt it be able the games then the graphics.

I still have high hopes for the revolution.

[score]

At a stretch and taking the words on system specs as gospel:

If the xbox360 is 10/12 times more powerful than the xbox then the alpha kits running the games at the moment are what, 3 - 4 times as powerful as the xbox ? (1/3 of the final expected power?)

Worst case scenario: If the Rev is about 3 times as powerful as the GC then I dont see it as being far off from whats being displayed now for the 360/Alphas. I mean, the current stuff they're showing is wowing people isn't it?

I hope my logic isn't too skewed...

[PotatoNinja]

Why is everyone so down on the revolution?

You must be new to Evil Avatar ;)

[jacktion]

More power is also a way to give developers more room to creatively express themselves. More power = More they can do.

More power = more expensive console. Yes, Nintendo could have entered this ridiculous arms race of power and then we'd have three consoles that cost $450.00. Instead they are going for a little more balanced approach.

We are going to get a great console that still kicks ass but is actually affordable for regular people. Nintendo likes balance. They need to balance affordability with development ease, and graphics. Sony and Micro$oft are like two weightlifters on steroids who keep injecting more and more to see who is bigger. They need to chill out.

[ElectricMonk]

well by the time the revolution comes out you'd think they could make a system that competes in performance to ms & sony. if they launched a year later and had an equal power system then they could at least get all of the cross-platform titles.

[Heretic Machine]

So you don't want great games? They might not have online multiplayer or the most powerful console on the block, but they still have some of the most entertaining singleplayer games available. Hate them for it if you want. Personally, I'd rather have a Resident Evil 4 once every 3 months than half a dozen of shitty mediocre titles every week.

And I'd rather have a great game every 3 months on my XBOX, with a countless number of mediocre titles in between, some of which might actually turn out to be fun.

[mister_slim]

I've been wanting to play Paper Mario and Earthbound for a while, so I'm happy.

[Orz]

I had extremely high hopes for the Revolution.

Nearly everything I've seen so far has bit by bit reduced those hopes. I hope they're not following Sega's footsteps....

[bobbler]

Its hard to compare Nintendo to Sega, they are in a far better financial situation than sega ever was (they have pokemon and all that jazz bringing them in cash like crazy), they also have like 90+% of the hand held market. Worrying about nintendo going the way of Sega is silly at this point. They also, usually, make profit on consoles sold before anyone else (from past experience thats usually the case, so I can only assume it will be on this next generation). They're doin fine.

[MosBen]

I know the arguments about how trying to build the biggest and most advanced console is an expensive game and doesn't *always* help innovation, but at the same time Nintendo does down play technologies that it *chooses* not to incorporate as simply not important yet. All too often, however, they're wrong. CD quality sound and storage was important a generation ago. Voice acting and multiplayer was important *this* generation.

I understand the desire to be and do things different and to attempt to avoid the big budgets that reduce risk taking, it just seems to me like Nintendo has a tendency to end up on the back end of some of the innovations but ends up playing them down as unimportant. I wonder what they'll consider unimportant for this generation.

[Phades]

More power = more expensive console. Yes, Nintendo could have entered this ridiculous arms race of power and then we'd have three consoles that cost $450.00. Instead they are going for a little more balanced approach.

We are going to get a great console that still kicks ass but is actually affordable for regular people. Nintendo likes balance. They need to balance affordability with development ease, and graphics. Sony and Micro$oft are like two weightlifters on steroids who keep injecting more and more to see who is bigger. They need to chill out.

True, More power = More expensive. Yet going the lower cost route didn't exactly work out this generation for Nintendo so I guess being cheaper isn't always the best idea. Remember, at launch the Gamecube was $100 cheaper than the Xbox and PS2 and has remained at least $50 cheaper. Yet in overall installed base it's still in last place. Nintendo must like it there.

[Nessus]

If you want the prettiest graphics and "teh mateur" franchises get a PS3.

Then if you like the kinds of games Nintendo makes get a Revolution 6 months later.

I don't see what the problem is.

Most of the people on this site seem to be skewed towards older. They should be able to afford to get both (or all 3) consoles.

I don't understand the hold outs who still haven't gotten a Cube. You can pick one up used for $50. Less than the cost of a game and you can get a console that has a fair number of high quality exclusives. Although I guess I can understand if you simply don't like the kinds of games Nintendo makes. I don't particularly like the GTAs, and the Gran Turismos (though I readily acknowledge the high quality of the Gran Turismo games, simulation racing's just not for me), etc.

This rampant fanboyism favoring one multinational corporation at the expense of others is perplexing. Yes, out of the three I prefer Nintendo, but I also have a PS2 and I'm getting a modded Xbox tomorrow, actually. I recognize that good games are available on all 3 and if you have an even somewhat decent job you should be able to afford all 3.

[fushi]

I think every Nintendo related post from EA.com needs to have "TEH DOOMED!" in the title.
You must be new to Evil Avatar
I know this is silly but it won't stop bothering me. Why do people keep saying that discussions around Nintendo at Evil Avatar are onesided bashfests with Xbots harassing Nintendo fanboys and people constantly saying that Nintendo's time is up. None of the posts before yours stated that Nintendo is dying, people are just dissapointed/confused by how Nintendo is marketing it's console. There aren't many boards where people can have intelligible discussions around video games, so stop yer bickering, it's not needed.

On the subject: I was pretty underwhelmed by the press conference, I just can't stand this cockteasing they are doing, mostly because it feels like they are shooting themselves in the foot yet again (even if they aren't). I just wanted the future of Nintendo to look as confident as Reggie himself. Knowing that I could rest easy, because my favourite console developer is going on a different path than the others and it seems like the right path to take. I am saying this mostly because I have very little interest in the other two next-gen machines. It would seem that almost every next-gen game is heavy on PUMPING ADRENALINE INTO YOUR MIND and doing that in a Bruckheimer way, rather than being a bit more stylish about it (dark sector is a nice exception here).

And I seriously don't care about horsepower. The new Zelda from this gen looks more appealing than any next-gen game, even though the textures are low res and so on.

But that interview I liked, especially because Nintendo isn't like most other Japanese developers who usually answer questions with less than ten words.

[Furious Wang]

How do we know if the revolution is going to be under-powered if virtually nothing about the specs has been revealed and almost everything is subject to change? Not having HD is going to suck, but Nintendo's opinion on the issue could be changed in a jiffy if the thing's not due for almost a year.

In general, there is a strong possibility that Nintendo is going to offer a less powerful console (though still plenty powerful) but release it for 250 bucks or less, making it stand out next to the rumored $400+ PS3 and XBOX360 beasts.

Well, for one its going to be really really really really really really small. That means its not going to be bleeding edge tech anywhere close to the other consoles or else it would need to be far larger to store cooling systems.

Also, its going to be really really realy really really really cheap. Nintendo doesn't take losses on their consoles.

Stop making the following argument: "Well how do we know? We can't know for sure!" No we can't know for sure. We can't know for sure that a massive meteor might not strike the Earth tommorrow and destroy the planet. But we have these telescope things that let us make pretty accurate assumptions.

[Furious Wang]

If that quirky budget box gets a good 5-10 AAA games a year.. I'm in. :)

If GCube didnt get 5-10 aaa games a year, this won't.
Ive played more quality games on Xbox so far this year than I have throughout the lifespan of the gamecube.

[Furious Wang]

Oh man how bout that interview. How bout the part where Miyamoto said he didn't check out any of the other systems. Now what professional in his right mind doesn't check out his competition? Or how bout the part where he said once again that gamers don't want realism, they want fun games. How about both? or how bout this:

IGNcube: Can we expect Nintendo to collaborate with more third parties on Revolution games?

Shigeru Miyamoto: At this point, we've only been talking with a few companies. However, if other companies come forward and they want to join us to work with us to create games, of course that would be great for us. One thing we want to make sure that we don't do is have too many games of the same type or genre. We don't want too many games involving the same themes or characters.

There are so many things wrong with this statement that I won't even respond to it.

These guys are elitists in the worst possible way.

[fushi]

These guys are elitists in the worst possible way.
I somehow missed that part of the interview (Nintendo-blinders lol), went back and re-read the whole interview and... yeah. They are quite elitist, especially Shiggy, who never acknowledges anyone outside Nintendo. I guess it's their way of showing that they are going in a different direction than others, but saying things that sound like "It's our way or no way" won't attract many developers.

[mister_slim]

Oh man how bout that interview. How bout the part where Miyamoto said he didn't check out any of the other systems. Now what professional in his right mind doesn't check out his competition? Or how bout the part where he said once again that gamers don't want realism, they want fun games. How about both? or how bout this:

IGNcube: Can we expect Nintendo to collaborate with more third parties on Revolution games?

Shigeru Miyamoto: At this point, we've only been talking with a few companies. However, if other companies come forward and they want to join us to work with us to create games, of course that would be great for us. One thing we want to make sure that we don't do is have too many games of the same type or genre. We don't want too many games involving the same themes or characters.

There are so many things wrong with this statement that I won't even respond to it.

These guys are elitists in the worst possible way.
Do you have any idea how busy E3 is? Can you even read?