goldberg74:Wouldn't that be the place that you put the GameCube games?

Who Wants A Revolution?
posted 5.20.2005 | 6:50pm

No revolution started without a fair amount of hype. At first the masses would hear a whisper of discord, a hint of a new way of thinking. Most would initially ignore it, but the new idea would grow and blossom into louder voices, stronger emotions, and greater visibility, to where it couldn't be put aside. Yet even when everything seemed ready to break loose, there was still a little ways to go: a final build-up that would lead to an explosive wave of energy, sweeping across and challenging our familiar environment.

That's about where we stand right now with the Revolution: on the precipice of that last surge of hype, mystery, and gossip. The final push before the "big idea," be it good or bad, tumbles from the Nintendo bullhorn to provoke the gaming public. While we were hoping to get something more from E3 than what's facing us, we can't say that we've left empty handed. We've seen a prototype of the hardware, learned a major intent of Nintendo's wi-fi plans, and supposedly been given a huge "hint" as to what the biggest secret of Revolution is.

Physically, Nintendo has again designed a machine in the "less is more" philosophy that made the GBA SP so darn cute. While the decision to color it with PS2 colors is questionable, and the character of the machine is so sparse it's almost a wallflower, I commend the attempt to be as sleek as possible. The gaming industry and expectations of its consumers have matured and become more sophisticated. Regardless of the omnipresent child demographic, those ultimately paying money for the machines need to be impressed and don't want to plunk down US$250 for something that looks like a simple toy.

It's also delightful that a large number of classic games will be accessible through a simple internet interface. The selection and per-game download fees remain undisclosed, but the ability to obtain a cherished game of the past rather than track it down on EBay or a shady website is an astute acknowledgement of what older gamers want. If we're willing to shell out $20 - $30 for a pre-chosen compilation of classic games, be they Namco's, Midway's, or some other developer icon's, why not allow us to pick and choose our own compilation and ensure we get exactly what we want at an affordable price?

Further stepping into Nintendo's wi-fi plans, being able to play all wi-fi-enabled first party games for free on Nintendo's custom internet service is exciting for two reasons. One, we're finally getting an offer of online gaming in franchises we've always longed for (likely Mario Kart and Metroid, perhaps Zelda and definitely Smash Bros.), and two, Nintendo's not going to nickel and dime us to play them night after night.

Yet many questions remain, and therefore so does the hype. Like a child who almost caught Santa in the living room before he disappeared up the chimney, we sit frustrated knowing we're going to have to wait who knows how long to have a chance to know and see more. And the biggest of those unresolved questions all start with "why?"

Why would the Revolution only be two to three times more powerful than the GameCube when we've heard numbers like 10 - 15 times more for Xbox 360 and 30 time more for PS3? Why haven't we seen more teaser footage than a glimpse of the next Metroid concept? Why haven't we seen the controller? Why should we still care about Revolution with the prowess of Xbox 360 and PS3 laid plainly before us?

Here's the short answer to all those questions: Nintendo ain't talkin'.

At this point, we only have conjecture and guesses. Yet it's not hard to come up with a few quick guesses.

Regarding the power issue, Nintendo has always been a conservative company. What exactly does "two to three times more powerful" mean in this generation anyway? We've yet to see the final numbers or screens to support this generalization. The GameCube was far from underpowered this generation and in fact was stronger than the PS2. Two to three more times powerful that-- doubling or tripling the capability of that hardware-- is not going to be a disappointment. We'll see significantly and noticeably better graphics, and for comparison's sake, consider the disappointment many Xbox fanatics have had over what some derisively call "Xbox 1.5." Gears of War surely looks amazing, but many other games aren't "quantum leaps" in graphics performance. In fact, you could call many of them only "two to three" times more powerful rather than "10 - 15." At the end of day, it's purely subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Sony has never been one to shy away from hyperbole, either. There's no question that the PS3 is something of a be-all, end-all device with huge potential and staying power. And for many gamers, this is truly a seductive, beautiful device. How will Nintendo compete? We can't even say yet, but we do know one thing for sure: if people were upset and surprised by a US$250 price point for the PSP, you can only imagine the price point for the PS3 hardware.

On the topics of what we haven't seen-- game footage or the controller-- we can guess that the control input for the Revolution is so integral to gameplay that the big secret could be easily revealed just by seeing a few screens. As much as we would have loved to finally had the curtain lifted on the controller, it's easy to justify Nintendo's defensive, protective nature. They were pioneers in a lot of basic gameplay enhancements, be it rumble paks, analog sticks, and wireless controllers. Inevitably, if they have a really solid idea, it won't be long before we can get similar peripherals for XB360 and PS3, and at this point in the next generation race, it's a risky gamble to unveil it.

In Reggie's first speech of the press conference, one slide popped up that was unexpectedly impactful. It was really quite simple: it had a photo of the NES, the original Game Boy, the DS, and the game boxes of Donkey Kong Country and Mario 64. Reggie was saying that Nintendo had "changed the game" with these products. With most marketing-ese, verbiage like that flies right past me and it's mentally disposed of. Yet in this case, there was a large degree of truth to that statement. These were examples of innovation and reinvention that only Nintendo could take credit for. Clearly, they're putting the same kind of faith into Revolution.

There wasn't a landslide of "hot" games or hardware to see in the press conference because Nintendo is inevitably putting the majority of its energy and focus into the Revolution and likely the Game Boy's true successor. If those machines are anywhere near as industry-affecting as the original NES and Game Boy were, then that is the singular reason why we maintain our faith in the Big N, no matter how many 3s, 360s, gigahertz, and teraflops are thrown at us. So let the final build-up begin, Nintendo: we can't wait for the grand reveal.