Revolution controller not done yet.

[SMES]

Shigeru Miyamoto announced today that the Nintendo Revolution controller is not yet finished.

Today, during a business strategy conference in Japan, Senior Director and General Manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (EAD) Shigeru Miyamoto disclosed that the Revolution's controller not only hasn't reached its final form factor, but is still very much in flux.
http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-15143-2087-4-4-x

[Tricky Thumb]

I figured as much.

I want to see this thing, I expect something crazy.

[Kamalot]

I read an article once about how Nintendo designs controllers. They go through a crazy number of iterations and prototypes to get the form factor just right.

After looking at the controller family tree posted a week or so ago, I can see why others copy their designs.

[mister_slim]

I read an article once about how Nintendo designs controllers. They go through a crazy number of iterations and prototypes to get the form factor just right.
Which is really the way to do it. I think the Z button on the GC was a mistake, but there is no way the black and white buttons on the Controller S or the L3/R3 buttons on the Dualshock were focus tested properly.

[Lint of Death]

I like Nintendo's controllers a lot.

[ezzkmo]

maybe they'll just say screw it and make the DS the default controller :p

[kokyunage]

They have said that Gamecube controllers will work on the Revolution. Recently it was announced that memory cards from the Gamecube will work as well. That's some $$$ saved.

[if76]

You'd think that if Nintendo were really courting 3rd party support like they say they are, some game developer somewhere would have leaked some information about this controller revolution. My guess is a very small number of studios will actually have Revolution games done in time for launch.

[sickfallout]

The controller is totally going to be an electrode that you have to jam into your brainstem. A step beyond even virtual reality! If you die in the game, the shock kills you. Nintendo Revolution: Play It! IF YOU DARE...

DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMM

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

They have said that Gamecube controllers will work on the Revolution. Recently it was announced that memory cards from the Gamecube will work as well. That's some $$$ saved.

But AFAIK they haven't said that Gamecube controllers and memory cards will work with Revolution games. The Gamecube peripheral support is probably a legacy thing to maintain backwards compatibility -- you almost certainly won't be able to save Revolution games on a GC memory card and I doubt you'll be able to use a GC controller with a Revolution game.

[TrainwreckX]

So the 'surprise' is that it will be a fully analog GC controller, like the jump from PS1 to PS2. SUPRISE EVERYONE!

[BigJonno]

Once again, Nintendo are going to shoot themselves in the foot by releasing a controller that is completely different from the commonly accepted, much-loved, fairly standardised controller design that they are actually mostly responsible for. This will cause third-party developers to get really annoyed when it comes to multi-platform titles, which will either have crap controls, awful workarounds (do the letters "EO" mean anything to anyone?) or just won't exist.

I'm all for innovation, but Nintendo seems to be innovating for it's own sake, rather than out of neccessity.

[Heretic Machine]

Obviously they skipped that particular system while designing the N64's controller.

EDIT: BTW, I'm not surprised it's not finished. I'd almost go so far to say that the "revolution" isn't even known to them yet, they're probably still trying to work out something that won't be TOO disapointing. I also get the impression that the downloadable Nintendo games was tossed in at the last minute just so they wouldn't get torn limb-from-limb at E3.

[crackeriah]

Once again, Nintendo are going to shoot themselves in the foot by releasing a controller that is completely different from the commonly accepted, much-loved, fairly standardised controller design that they are actually mostly responsible for.
When has this ever shot them in the foot?! I know there were a lot of complaints about the N64 controller, but clearly Sony liked it enough to copy it within a few years.

[erasmus]

you almost certainly won't be able to save Revolution games on a GC memory card and I doubt you'll be able to use a GC controller with a Revolution game.

I can understand why you might not be able to use a GC controller for Revolution games, but what the heck prevents a memory card from being used across systems? I mean, a save game is a save game, and a memory card is just a location to store it. There's no possible reason why this card could not be made to work across systems.

[Goronmon]

Once again, Nintendo are going to shoot themselves in the foot by releasing a controller that is completely different from the commonly accepted, much-loved, fairly standardised controller design that they are actually mostly responsible for.

I'm all for innovation, but Nintendo seems to be innovating for it's own sake, rather than out of neccessity.
Are you actually claiming that gaming would be better off if companies just stuck with a "standard" and never tried to improve or innovate with their designs? Come on. IMO, the controller right now is the main thing thats holding gaming back. How can the games change when the controls haven't changed in 6+ years?

[BigJonno]

There is nothing wrong with innovation. I'd rather someone tried something innovative and failed than do something mundane and succeed. It just seems to me that Nintendo are trying to be different for the sake of it. Look at the four button controller. It was fantastic on the SNES. It was copied on the PS, the DC, the PS2 and the Xbox. It works, people like it. You can't tell me that someone at Nintendo seriously thought the four button design was holding gaming back and came up with the GC button layout to push gaming forward.

Until there is some major breakthrough on a par with the 16 to 32bit leap and the widespread use of 3D that came with it (and the development of 3D cards which brought a similar jump to PCs) hardware will not cause some videogame revolution. Nintendo make some fine videogames and I will never dispute that, but for a company that remakes the same games every generation and has lost the vast majority of third party developers to its rivals, this talk of revolution smacks of desperation.

[netcraazzy]

I can understand why you might not be able to use a GC controller for Revolution games, but what the heck prevents a memory card from being used across systems? I mean, a save game is a save game, and a memory card is just a location to store it. There's no possible reason why this card could not be made to work across systems.

I don't think PS1 memory cards work for saving PS2 games do they? While I'm sure it's feasable for Nintendo to create a system where you can save on your Gamecube memory cards I'm guessing there are financial reasons not to allow this. Memory cards are high profit and the sale of them probably helps offset the loss on the console.

[Kamalot]

I also get the impression that the downloadable Nintendo games was tossed in at the last minute just so they wouldn't get torn limb-from-limb at E3.

Lets see, Nintendo has recently announced:


Free Online Wi-Fi Multiplayer for DS titles
Free Online Wi-Fi Multiplayer for Revolution titles
Downloadable content
Downloadable firmware updates
Downloadable Revolution Demos
Downloadable DS Demos
Free Wi-Fi hot spots all around Japan
Free Nintendogs trading terminals at train stations


Yep, sounds like they are simply making this all up at the last moment, right?

If Nintendo says there will be something, I believe it. They have a great track record for delivering more than they promise when compared to Sony and Microsoft, both of which claimed we would have downloadable game demos for THIS generation of consoles.

[Furious Wang]

Lets see, Nintendo has recently announced:

Yep, sounds like they are simply making this all up at the last moment, right?

If Nintendo says there will be something, I believe it. They have a great track record for delivering more than they promise when compared to Sony and Microsoft, both of which claimed we would have downloadable game demos for THIS generation of consoles.

Ha!

Remember that CD addon that was supposed to come out for the SNES?

Remember back when Nintendo claimed that Project Reality would have realtime ray traced graphics?

Or, remember that 64DD add-on with promised online service that would let you play games like Legend of Zelda "forever"?

What about Mario 128?

Yeah I believe everything Nintendo says.

Sounds to me like these guys got nothing. They didn't show their controller at E3 not because they didn't want their ideas stolen, but because they didn't have any ideas to steal.

Here's hoping, though.

[Kamalot]

I could go on for pages and pages of Sony lies if you like. We'va all been down that road though.

BTW, the 64DD did come out, in Japan. The CD addon did come out, as the Sony Playstation. Mario 128 will come out, not for GameCube.

I don't believe everything Nintendo has to say, but they have a MUCH better track record for under promising and over-delivering as opposed to Sony that blows smoke up our ass.

[Kamalot]

The More I think about it, the happier I am that Nintendo is actually taking their time with the controller, tweaking it to make it just right.

Look at all the flack Sony took over their shiny-double-dildo they call a controller that they unveiled at E3. Looks like it was designed without any testing whatsoever but the design team thought it LOOKED good.

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

he CD addon did come out, as the Sony Playstation.

Sorta-kinda-not really. The Playstation was a ground-up redesign and had basically nothing in common with the aborted Sony SNES CD-ROM -- Sony was obviously able to apply some of the console development expertise they learned from their work on the SNES CD-ROM, but it's not as if they just took the SNES CD-ROM, tweaked it a bit to work as a standalone system instead of an add-on, and released that as the Playstation. And entire reason Sony ended up going it alone was because Nintendo decided to go with Philips instead, an arrangement that never amounted to anything beyond a few legendarily crappy CD-i games based on Nintendo franchises.

[Royal Fool]

You'd think that if Nintendo were really courting 3rd party support like they say they are, some game developer somewhere would have leaked some information about this controller revolution. My guess is a very small number of studios will actually have Revolution games done in time for launch.

It can be hard to develop for a system when you:

1) Don't have a SDK
2) Don't know how the control interface will be
3) Don't know the hardware specifications
4) Don't know how the platform is built

I seriously doubt Nintendo will have a lot of 3rd party support near launch, if any. Yep. If there are 3rd party games, they will be half-assed and rushed projects to meet the launch deadline, games that hungry Nintendo fans will buy, which in turn will make Nintendo look good because their lack of software variety will make the sales for those few games look good.

[KDups]

If there are 3rd party games, they will be half-assed and rushed projects to meet the launch deadline, games that hungry Nintendo fans will buy, which in turn will make Nintendo look good because their lack of software variety will make the sales for those few games look good.

As opposed to nearly every other console launch ever. The PS2 had a fantastic launch line up right? How about the Xbox launch? Yet somehow one or two key games coupled with lots of flash, marketing spin, and promises of good things to come get these systems off the ground.

[Royal Fool]

As opposed to nearly every other console launch ever. The PS2 had a fantastic launch line up right? How about the Xbox launch? Yet somehow one or two key games coupled with lots of flash, marketing spin, and promises of good things to come get these systems off the ground.

No, no, no... I think the Revolution launch software will be far worse than anything the PS2, Xbox or other launches have offered so far.

[Goronmon]

If there are 3rd party games, they will be half-assed and rushed projects to meet the launch deadline

You are right, and the launch deadline is approaching really fast too!

Oh wait...

[Heretic Machine]

I don't believe everything Nintendo has to say, but they have a MUCH better track record for under promising and over-delivering as opposed to Sony that blows smoke up our ass.

So? Ya, Sony is full of shit too, but that doesn't excuse Nintendo for doing the same friggin thing.

[ElectricMonk]

I'm betting the controller just implements a trackball. It seems like something that's overdue. and it would work with the revolution theme.

[Nessus]

The GameCube controller wasn't completely finalized until a few months before launch.

http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/detail/gcnprot1.jpg

Meanwhile the Revolution's launch is over a year away. It doesn't even make sense to have a finalized version of the controller this early, especially one that is supposed to be such a paradigm shift.

I don't know whether or not the controller will be all that different or if it will be worthy of the title "Revolution" (in fact I'm leaning towards not). But compared to Sony and MS Nintendo has a much better track record.

For every set of bongos or Power Glove they have a d-pad, L&R buttons, and rumble pack.

And honestly, even if it isn't that revolutionary, if Metroid Prime 3 is anywhere near as good as the last two, then I'll be getting the system just for that. To say nothing of finally getting the chance to play titles like Smash Bros. online.

[Furious Wang]

No, no, no... I think the Revolution launch software will be far worse than anything the PS2, Xbox or other launches have offered so far.

No way it can bet worse than Luigi's Mansion.

[TrainwreckX]

I'll buy a Rev just for online Smash Bros and the NES downloads. That will last me for a few months until the 3rd party goods start out.

[TrainwreckX]

I don't think PS1 memory cards work for saving PS2 games do they? While I'm sure it's feasable for Nintendo to create a system where you can save on your Gamecube memory cards I'm guessing there are financial reasons not to allow this. Memory cards are high profit and the sale of them probably helps offset the loss on the console.

It's a matter of size. One PS2 game save is much much too large to fit on a PS1 card. Some games can take a whole PS1 card by themselves, but most won't fit. Plus its formatted in a block system, it just wouldn't work. I suppose the GCN and Rev relationship will be the same way.