quote: What's in the Nintendo Revolution? Websites like GameTab.com do a wonderful job of keeping readers up-to-date on pretty much every game related rumor that floats to the surface of the Internet. But what are we to believe! There are so many contradictory rumors around that most of them have to be fake. On week one we see a picture of what is supposedly the PS3, and then on week two we see the exact same picture, made blurry and with Britney Spears airbrushed into the background, and suddenly it’s supposed to be the Xbox 2. What about the Nintendo Revolution? Nintendo is far more mysterious. Not only are there random and wild rumors going around, but they are also nearly impossible to confirm or deny. Unlike the other companies, Nintendo has claimed they’re doing something all-out different than game systems in the past, and as a consequence no one is willing to commit themselves one way or the other. If you look at GameSpot’s rumor control, you’ll notice that they declare rumors about the Xbox 2 and PS3 as being bogus or not bogus all the time, but when it comes to the Nintendo they normally abstain from answering. The basic line seems to be, “We won’t know until E3.” Rumors you should know: This article is not designed to confirm or not confirm rumors; we’re just listing what some people think might be in store for us with the next Nintendo system. If you want answers, wait 9 days; I’ll consult my psychic powers and probably have an answer to most of these by then, and you'll hear about it here. In the mean time... 3D Display: There’s been some speculation that the Nintendo Revolution will use some form of 3D display in its games. Many people on the forums seem to have mistaken this rumor as a promise to have 3D images displayed in the air like something similar to the Star Wars chess match in Episode IV; that’s not the case. If 3D technology does make an appearance on the system somewhere, it’s probably going to be far more traditional than that, but implemented in a unique way. Nintendo themselves has been documented as saying that their technology is more unique in its application than new unto itself, so this is a possibility. Traditional 3D works by showing your left eye a slightly different image than your right. The old fashioned blue-and-red glasses did that by filtering out different colors for each eye, but modern 3D tends to be technology driven and utilize shutter glasses that let your eyes see only one image at a time. This gives the 3D effect without being limited to an image that looks drawn out of Kool-Aid. I’ve also seen TV’s that are capable of creating this effect without glasses, but they are tremendously expensive. The fact is, if Nintendo ends up putting 3D in their system, they’ll be hard pressed to do it in an inexpensive and usable way. 3D sounds cool, but has potential gimmick written all over it. The last thing we want is something that gives you a headache after thirty minutes of play. Pressure sensitive controllers: Interestingly enough, the source of this rumor also directly contradicts the 3D rumor above, but also suggests that the Nintendo Revolution controller will have some sort of pressure sensitive aspect to it. The initial description suggested that it would be like playing a game using something like a stress ball; you squeeze different amounts to get things done. The source, a former Nintendo employee, also says that this is not the revolutionary aspect of the Revolution. Voice control: Voice control has been on the Nintendo list of features since the DS launched sporting a microphone. So far, that system hasn’t used voice command for anything particularly consequential, but that’s not to say that voice command might not be valuable down the road. Rainbow Six 3 for the Xbox utilized voice commands via the LIVE communicator, and similar implementation could easily show up inside the Nintendo Revolution. The source on this one claims that the voice control will function at an unprecedented level. It is my personal hope that I will also be able to order hot chocolate from the Revolution similar to the way they do from replicators on Star Trek, but no one has yet seriously suggested that’s going to be on the feature list. Controllers will have touch screens: The touch screen controller is one of the more interesting rumors. Nintendo has been extremely careful to make sure no images of the Nintendo Revolution, or its controllers, have been leaked, primarily because they’re concerned about others stealing their ideas. A controller with a touch screen interface would allow each game developer to create controls specific to that particular game, and let the system add, subtract, and move buttons as the game developers see fit. At first I thought this sounded like a horrible idea, mainly because I’ve played NES games on my PDA touch-screen, and the inability to touch two buttons at the same time (jump while shooting, for example) is really ineffective. However, if you can figure a way around that, and add a satisfying click for feedback purposes whenever you hit a button, and the idea has potential. Again, implementation is the key. Controllers will be wireless: This rumor exists for pretty much every system coming down the road. The PS3, Xbox 2, and Nintendo Revolution are all speculated to have wireless controllers. This could be good or bad. Not having cords is good. Having to charge batteries is not. The Wavebird pretty much proved that wireless controllers can be just as good in terms of response time as wired, and so the suggestion is certainly viable. In fact, this is probably one of the most viable rumors out there, since it utilizes technology that already exists. This might mean that there will be no rumble in your controllers anymore, though, since those devices drain battery power and shorten battery life. The system will have LIVE style service, but for free: That Nintendo needs to get into some sort of online play is pretty obvious. All it takes is looking at the average score differences between the Xbox and GameCube versions of Splinter Cell to realize that games on the Cube are hurting for its lack of online ability. With the wireless ability of the Nintendo DS, and the future implementation of an online gaming service for it, it’s not a surprise that Nintendo is probably thinking about a similar service for their home console units. The surprising part is the suggestion that it will be free. Plus, the Nintendo’s connectivity concept can still make a play. Now days you can link a GBA to a GameCube to add extra features; if the DS and Revolution were to run off the same online service, wouldn’t it be cool to be able to do that same thing over the Internet? Imagine being able to use your DS while hooked to a coffee shop hotspot in Seattle to help a friend defeat a bad guy at home in L.A. The microphone ability of the DS, combined with the voice control rumor of the Revolution above, would make voice communication between the two possible as well. It’s just a rumor, but this experience would be unique to Nintendo, and would be taking their connectivity concept to an online space. Nintendo will introduce a LIVE style service for the Nintendo GameCube: This isn’t a rumor specifically about the Nintendo Revolution, but it plays into the above rumor well enough that I’ll mention it. After Nintendo gets a online game infrastructure in place for the Nintendo DS, which the DS will be able to access via wireless hotspots, it’s not all that much of a leap to speculate about the release of a wireless adapter for the GameCube that would allow it to utilize the same network. Theoretically, such a thing could be ready for E3 2005. Wireless gyroscopic controller: In 2001, Nintendo apparently made a deal with a company that made game controllers with gyroscopes in them. Theoretically, these controllers would let your motions be used as a control device; pushing forward, or pulling back and jerking left, could translate into actual movement on the screen. Things like sword fighting might be possible. Whether or not this will ever make an appearance in a Nintendo system, who knows? The good news, at least, is that we don’t have all that much longer to wait until these rumors get at least partially confirmed or denied. It’s just a matter of a week or so.
