DS NEWS This release just hit the wire

Rev NEWS This release just hit the wire

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintendo President Satoru Iwata
today challenged a crowd of game developers to think differently and take a
fresh approach to the creation of video games. During his keynote address at
the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., Iwata said Nintendo will
provide developers with the tools they need to disrupt the traditional methods
of game creation, much as the company already has.
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These tools include the controller for Nintendo's next home console
(code-named Revolution), which lets users control the action on their
television screens through the motion of the controller itself. The
controller lets game developers create new kinds of gaming experiences, ones
that enhance the experience for hard-core gamers while making video games more
accessible and less intimidating to novices. The new forms of innovative
software that can be created by any size developer will be made available for
download via Revolution's Virtual Console service.
"This new approach is like stepping onto an unexplored continent for the
first time, with all the potential for discovery that suggests," Iwata said.
"No one else can match the environment we're creating for expanding the game
experience to everyone. Our path is not linear, but dynamic."
Iwata also announced partnerships with Sega and Hudson to offer
downloadable access to their classic games via Revolution's Virtual Console.
Revolution owners will be able to relive their past gaming glories from the
Sega Genesis console by playing a "best of" selection from more than 1,000
Genesis titles, as well as games sold for the TurboGrafx console (a system
jointly developed by NEC and Hudson). These games join Revolution's access to
20 years of fan-favorite Nintendo games from the NES(R), Super NES(R) and
Nintendo(R) 64 eras.
Iwata also revealed for the first time that a new game called The Legend
of Zelda(R): Phantom Hourglass would be released for Nintendo DS later this
year.
Iwata, a game developer himself, revealed behind-the-scenes stories about
the development of three key initiatives.
For the industry leading Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, internal engineers and
developers overcame a series of hurdles to make the system seamless and
flexible enough to allow players to choose to play wirelessly either with
friends or against unknown opponents. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection reached
1 million unique users in just 18 weeks -- nearly five times the adoption rate
of the leading online game console network.
He described a pivotal meeting in coming to agreement on development of
the incredibly popular "brain games" in Japan. A leading Japanese scientist
attached a sci-fi-looking wired helmet to a Nintendo staffer and then visually
demonstrated stimulation of brain activity as the staffer played prototype
software.
Finally, he described the hundreds of sketches, dozens of prototypes and
company-wide collaboration that led to the final form of the unique Revolution
controller system, which resembles a traditional TV remote control. He called
the related research and manufacturing costs of the new control system,
"...our method to disrupt the market...realizing a new way to connect a player
to his game."

 

Probably even better for people who owned them at one time, but no longer do, which is a huge market considering systems like the Genesis sold 16 million units and the NES something like 35 million, but the vast majority of those people don't have their systems anymore (where'd they all go?). I'm in that position for the NES, SNES, and TurboGrafx and I can definitely see myself buying a few games for those systems if I get a Revolution. I'd probably also buy some Genesis titles, even though I have that system and most of the games I want for it. I wonder if there'll be Sega CD games, too?

The real question is how much the downloads will cost, I guess, but I can easily see spending $5 maybe even $10 for really good games that I like to play even though I could just emulate them for free on my Dreamcast or through my laptop (which plugs into a TV just fine). Something cooler about doing it this way.

One thing I've been thinking about, though, is control. If somebody (whether Nintendo or a third party) doesn't release a line of retro controllers for the Revolution, I guess there's gonna be a run on those Hori Gameboy Player Gamecube controllers since those would be good for most of the systems in question (even the Genesis since it does have three buttons in a line like the 3-button Genesis controllers), though not really perfect for any of them.


...word is bondage...

 

Well...I'm in the boat that I already have massive libraries for all the supported systems...

That said, do you think Nintendo would even bother with Turbo Grafx games in the US? The system was barely a blip on most peoples' radars.

 

Interesting whether they will let PAL people get PCE games - since the system was only ever released in spain on a very limited release

 

What percent of the market do you really think still owns a working NES, TG-16, or Genesis? I am the only person I know (in my area) that has these systems still in use and working.

 

I agree, its chepaer to just jump on ebay and buy a big pile of used games all at once. As Sweater Fish Deluxe said the download option is for people/customers who used to own the old systems and somehow lost them over the years. Its all the same thing to them.

 

So will Twilight Princess still be released on the GC???

 

I cant see these "roms" being a main selling point for a console, espeically with emulation what it is today (and free).

I'd say Nintendo are going to offer this as a side thing or more as a novelty than a main selling point, I'm sure most people would agree that they will want to play next-generation games rather than 4 generation old games regardless of what platform they are offered on.