Will people embrace the Revolution?

I was thinking about this, and I've kind of gotten a bit concerned.

The PS3 and Xeon seem to all be about increasing processing power and graphical standards, where as Nintendo are finding different methods to improve their next console.

I just have a feeling that maybe the public aren't all together ready for anything so Revolutionary. I mean, I'm sure most Nintendo fans will end up getting the Revolution but if Nintendo plan to attract new customers, then where are they going to come from?

Will they be casual gamers who have wondered from the PS2 and Xbox, expecting whole new serge of shooting, football and movie titles every month, only as a new experience, or will they be complete strangers to gaming who may start to demand different things from Nintendo as we would?

I'm just trying to figure out where supporters of the Revolution are really going to be coming from, people like us naturally will be but I'm having a hard time believing that if this next console will be much more of a success than the Gamecube, that we'll be a substantial amount to keep it afloat.

I kind of feel it'll be a very large case of hit or miss. As in gamers and developers alike will see something new and jump aboard, or get scared away by it and continue to be attracted to the more standard consoles available at the moment.

Just wondering really, although I'm sure I shouldn't actually be worrying that much judging from sales of the innovational NDS in the UK, which is now the fastest selling console around.

Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts about this?

[ Edited by Soundworks on 2005/3/20 18:25 ]

Haven't Nintendo been talking about 'going back to basics' and developing ideas that have always been around, that kind of thing?

Possibly in that way it will actually appeal to more people then just current gamers and Nintendo will appeal to new audiences in that way.

If your worried about it becoming an uber hardcore console that forty people buy, I wouldn't, I mean look at the DS; its full of features (touch screen, dual screen, microhpone) - the kind of thing that should scare away many conventional gamers, yet they have embraced it with open arms.

I'm concerned too, as I believe Nintendo is starting this too soon...at least for the mass public. I really believe a lot of gamers will put up with just a great graphical update again. There is still lots of things to improve with graphics alone, just look at how nature is portrayed in todays games, pretty bad actually and then think what you can do with cloth, wind effects and clipping/collision detection in the next generation.
On one hand, I'm really excited about the prospect of a revolution in gameplay like recently Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat achieved, but on the other hand; just play Resident Evil 4 and you'll see what I mean.

but its not like the revolution wont have amazing graphics i think nintendo think its pointless only to increase power.

It's not pointless at all, because it will sell!

yeah but for nintendo i think they need somthing to stand out from the crowd i mean if they were all roughly the same like current consoles then ppl would probably go for PS3 xbox2 then Rev.

Maybe not if Nintendo could get full third party support and some great 'casual' exclusives, but I guess they won't so yeah, exactly, Nintendo needs to do this revolutionary thing.

I guess it all comes down to image/marketing.

On one hand, I'm really excited about the prospect of a revolution in gameplay like recently Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat achieved, but on the other hand; just play Resident Evil 4 and you'll see what I mean

Yeah, I agree, there is still a lot of potential in what we have already, hopefuly Nintendo won't drop this style of gameplay altogether.

[ Edited by Soundworks on 2005/3/20 21:18 ]

I think we are all worrying simply because we no very little about the console.

PS3 and Xbox 2 (especially) are being slowly but surley revealed to us.

Wheras the Revolution, all we have officially heard is just the Head Honcho's of Nintendo going on about new ways to play games, instead of actually telling us about it's features.

I'd say that Nintendo should start releasing some actual detail about their console. It is the only one that is so contraversial. We don't know what to expect with a name like "revolution". Neither do 3rd party developers. Nintendo, get out there, and Broadcast the Revolution. Make sure that it is a console we NEED to own.

If they can't have any actual console on display at E3, they should try to get some sort of emulation.... play on the audiences minds e.g.:

"Imagine if you do blah blah blah in a video game"
"wouldnt it be great?"

*Cue curtains to open, revealing cool technological booth*
Whadda ya think?

I rate Iwata very highly, I've been following all his speaches and interviews closely for a while now, and have always agreed with every word he says. 2 years ago, he was saying how its "hard to be excited" about the next generation of consoles, because there seams to be very little that can be improved with the current direction things are going in. And that was just what I had been thinking all along, I was worried at the time how much could be improved, I certainly wasn't looking forward to the future, and clearly Nintendo saw that as well. Then at E3 2003, Iwata went and said how in the future they'll be trying to invent new concepts - then at E3 2004, the revealing of the DS showed us all exactly what they were talking about - and suddenly I could get excited about the future of gaming again.

Of course, if everyone thought the same way as me and Iwata, after E3 2004 I think all interest in any rival consoles would've completely vanished, IMO Nintendo's plan for the future just gives so much a better outlook than the competition. But what amazed me was how gamers are so set in their ways and refuse to accept the clear fact that its a dead end, and we need something different.

So hopefully people will "embrace" the Revolution eventually, I think the future of gaming depends on it. At the moment, yes there are people who are excited, but I'm dissapointed that more people aren't.

I agree with Beam. It really is tough to get excited about anything these days. I remember back when Sega was releasing add-on after add-on (32X and Sega CD) to simply boost the graphic capabilities of their systems, yet it truly brought nothing new. Sure the eye candy was nice to look at, but it did nothing else; also the fact that we'd have to keep on spending money to even enjoy the view. Even Nintendo wasn't doing much (SNES). The original NES did however have some great things to enhance gameplay, such as the Power Glove and the Running Pad. Of course any of those things were a "hate it or love it situation"; I personally enjoyed using them because they were different and offered a new way to play games.

Sega did change its ways it seems and came out with the Dreamcast. It introduced some new functions to its home console line, but the big negative was the intial cost of it; which had me running away from it. I think the Revolution has a good chance to suceed if it brings new ideas to the gaming table and suceeds in driving them to meld with a gamer's playability. Even we know that the XBox brought some ideas into console gaming, even if it didn't (originally), it pushed those ideas (made them staples of the system); which is definately a reason why the console has become a sucess.

Right now I see the next "XBox" and PS3 only to be pushing their system's power capabilities. They will no doubt however exceed in those departments and supply us with stunning visuals, but thats it? Well the next "XBox" is going to have these gamer cards (tags) and a camera built into the sytem which is nice, coupled with their online strategies, is sounding good. Even the fact that they're getting great talent from Japan working on games, may swing me towards getting their system. Its all sounding good for MS. PS, they have Cell, what else? Nintendo has a "Revolution" on their hands to satisfy every gamer out there and if they indeed give us all a revolution, then surely the Gods (and everyone else) will be smiling upon them.

Ok I'm done.

ps L44 Nuriak Warrior, post 746

The original NES did however have some great things to enhance gameplay, such as the Power Glove and the Running Pad. Of course any of those things were a "hate it or love it situation"; I personally enjoyed using them because they were different and offered a new way to play games.

The SNES was less innovative though, it was more of an evolution of the NES, which was a good thing at the time because there was still a lot that could be improved with more power, but by the end of it people were quite fed up with 2D games. So we had another revolution, with the N64 and 3D games, and the GameCube is to N64 what the SNES was to NES. Its an evolution of the same ideas, which is good for the duration of its lifespan, but by the end of it we're crying out for some new things.

missing out on a lot of multiplatform games

This doesn't concern me for the sole reason that they have confirmed the Rev will be backward compatible (yay!). Which means it will have a control system that is either similar to the current, or can mimic it, which essentially means that it can play/mimic games that come out on the other consoles. I don't see Sony, or Microsoft, changing their controller scheme, it's tried and true.

As per the graphics chip, I've said this alot, but I can't see it being less powerful than X-Box 2's chip. They're being made from the same developer, only X-Box has just chosen to take a "next-gen" graphics card, where as Nintendo have taken a completely unique chip (crossing my fingers for a SLI type system). The same could be said for the next CPU also, Microsoft are just taking 3, 3GHtz PowerPC's. Nintendo, on the other hand, have once again opted to co-develop the chip with IBM.

I will be embracing the Rev, so that makes one person.

This doesn't concern me for the sole reason that they have confirmed the Rev will be backward compatible (yay!). Which means it will have a control system that is either similar to the current, or can mimic it, which essentially means that it can play/mimic games that come out on the other consoles. I don't see Sony, or Microsoft, changing their controller scheme, it's tried and true.

The reason it dosn't bother me though, is that I'd be perfectly happy if, like the DS, it is practically impossible for multiplatform games to work. That way we won't get some of our best games ported to other consoles, and we won't get any crap ports from other consoles - also the revolution will be so much better that anything else is going to seem backwards anyway. Good all-round.

[ Edited by beamrider2600 on 2005/3/21 12:16 ]

If the rumours that huge next gen dev costs will cause game prices to rise, then maybe fun original games will become more popular as they cost less to develop.

beamrider2600 wrote:

But the NES didn't need those things...

Thats true, but being being a mere child back then it was fun to have them. Kinda like screaming "Ooooo Toys!". But yes, gaming has somewhat moved past those add-on (besides third-party hardware) and would rather have everything incorporated.

I'm with Arkyris and will also embrace the "Revolution", would be nice to see some of it though. (pokes Nintendo, hoping they get the hint)

OK I've not read any reply's here but this is my 2 pence.

Nintendo, as a company, are very smart. They can survive of their fan base but they know they need to get more fans back and especially Iwata knows this.

Let's not forget that although the PS2 has a very large casual demograph it also has a decent amount of hardcore fans, I feel the Revolution isn't actually aimed at the former but the latter - win back those people who for various reasons have strayed from Nintendo's user base.

Also let's not forget that while the Revolution is focusing on the gameplay and innovation it'll also boast a very powerful chipset set that will rival the other systems - the names Hollywood and Broadway are obviously bold examples of this.

I honestly only see one outcome from the new console, Nintendo rising back up the console pecking order and producing a massively acclaimed system.

Concern level - non-existent.

Sadly, as DC proves, critical acclaim doesnt always make a profitable or high selling system...

I have confidence in Nintendo after the DS, I just hope they can make something truly worthwhile.

Very true, though I wasn't very clear - I was more meaning the acclaim of the hardcore gaming sector, the public/consumer.

I don't think it'll be similar like you say, it will probably just support old GC controllers if its backwards compatable.

Iwata said it was backwards compatable at GDC, so it's no longer a matter of "if". However, even if they did have a totally revolutionary game-pad design, the developers could still opt to use the Gamecube controllers for multi-platform games.

Beam: I disagree about your comment about the DS though, it does have the capacity to have multi-platform games on the system as it has the standard controls aswell. Though I would be less likely to buy them over an innovative game, and I hope the revolution situation is similar.

It's not the crap ports that i'm concerned about, more the AAA titles that other companies get. While it would be a personal benefit to have every developer choose the development innovations of the Revolution and have exlusive games for the system, I don't see that happening while there is still a market on the other consoles.

Though I do agree that these ports are a largely insignificant part of the Revolution "ideal" and I for one wouldn't miss them terribly if they weren't on the system. However, I can see the need for them for the casual gamer.

The thing I like about the concept of the revolution is it not only targets hardcore gamers, but it also targets gamers who have difficulty understanding the complexity of current generation games.

Yeah, but so was I!

DC has a wide hardcore base, but almost no casual base, that was its downfall. Nintendo needs to get both to gain on Sony.

Iwata said it was backwards compatable at GDC, so it's no longer a matter of "if". However, even if they did have a totally revolutionary game-pad design, the developers could still opt to use the Gamecube controllers for multi-platform games.

OK, I see what you're saying... but after being spoilt by what the revolution can offer, do you really think people are going to want ports that don't use the revolutions full functionality? Consider this, even if the DS had an analogue stick and hence more-or-less capable of PSP ports, would people really want to buy a game that only used 1 screen and none of the touch features they bought the machene for? I wouldn't.

Consider this, even if the DS had an analogue stick and hence more-or-less capable of PSP ports, would people really want to buy a game that only used 1 screen and none of the touch features they bought the machene for? I wouldn't.

Graphics still have a long way to go when you think about it, no matter how good they are on the surface.

I don't see it as them slowing down because they've hit the graphical wall, it's more they are preparing for when they DO hit the graphical wall. There are still technologies such as Ray Drawing, or something, that have to be improved, and even introduced.

Can you imagine the economic problems that will occur when we hit a technological "wall"?