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Encyclopedia > Nintendo Revolution

Current event marker This article or section contains information about scheduled or expected future product(s).
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the product release approaches and more information becomes available.
Nintendo Revolution
Prototype of the Nintendo Revolution
Manufacturer Nintendo
Type Video game console
Generation Seventh generation era
First available After May - Before November 23, 2006[1]
Media DVD-ROM
GameCube Optical Disc
Secure Digital card (SD Flash Media)
Online service Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

The Nintendo Revolution is the code-name for Nintendo's fifth home video game console and the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. The codename refers to the console's promised "revolution" of the video-game industry. For example, the console's controller can detect its exact location and orientation in 3D space, a concept never before seen in mainstream video game consoles. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... A console manufacturer is a company that manufactures and distributes video game consoles. ... Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... A video game console is a dedicated electronic machine designed to play video games. ... Although the history of computer and video games spans almost five decades, computer and video games themselves did not become part of the popular culture until the late 1970s. ... The seventh generation era is a video game era in the history of computer and video games that began towards the end of 2004, but is not set to really take off until late 2006 with the release of new video game consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, the three... 2006 2006 in games 2005 in video gaming 2007 in video gaming Notable events of 2006 in video gaming. ... DVD is an optical disc storage media format that is used for playback of movies with high video and sound quality and for storing data. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the 128-bit era; the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... 16 MB SD Card 512 MB SD Card 1 GB SD Card Secure Digital (SD) is a flash memory memory card format. ... Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is an online service run by Nintendo to facilitate free Internet play in compatible Nintendo DS and Nintendo Revolution games. ... Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... A video game console is a dedicated electronic machine designed to play video games. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the Sixth generation era—the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ...


The system was unveiled at Nintendo's 2005 press conference and the system's game controller was revealed at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata during his keynote speech in September.[2] In an interview with Sankei Shimbun, Iwata confirmed that the Revolution will be released in North America no later than Thanksgiving 2006 (November 23).[1] Internationally, Nintendo is considering attempting a launch with no more than 14 weeks of difference between the first and last launching regions.[3] E3 logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo (or Exposition), commonly known as E³, is the worlds largest annual trade show and the third largest gaming convention for the computer and video games industry. ... Booths at the Tokyo Game Show in 2004 The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) is a video game expo / convention, similar to E³, held in Tokyo, Japan. ... Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata Satoru Iwata (岩田聡, Iwata Satoru, born December 6, 1959) is the fourth and current president of Nintendo Company Limited beginning in 2002, succeeding to the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi. ... Sankei Shimbun (産経新聞 Sakei Shinbun) is a Japanese language daily newspaper. ... Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual holiday observed in the United States and Canada to celebrate being thankful for the things one has. ...


Nintendo has announced that more details about the system will be made public on May 9, 2006 at their E³ 2006 Press Conference.[4] May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contents


Confirmed hardware

Design

Presented colors of the Revolution skin design at E3 2005
Presented colors of the Revolution skin design at E3 2005

The Nintendo Revolution is the smallest stationary console Nintendo has ever manufactured, described by Nintendo as being "about the thickness of three standard DVD cases and only slightly longer". The console will have the ability to stand either horizontally or vertically. The front of the console features a self loading media drive which is illuminated by a blue light and will accept 12 cm Revolution game discs and 8 cm GameCube game discs.[5] Description: Nintendo promo shot for their upcoming video game system, Nintendo Revolution. ... Description: Nintendo promo shot for their upcoming video game system, Nintendo Revolution. ...


When the console was unveiled at E3 2005 the console was colored black. However, at the Tokyo Game Show 2005 when the controller was revealed, promotional material depicted a white console. Nintendo has since revealed three additional colors (platinum, lime green, and red).


Controller

The Nintendo Revolution controller sets aside the traditional controller seen in other mainstream consoles in an attempt to appeal to a larger audience. The controller is shaped like a television remote control and is held with one hand. Due to its symmetrical nature, the Revolution's controller is able to be used by either hand, unlike other controllers.

The Nintendo Revolution controller from various angles.
The Nintendo Revolution controller from various angles.
The "nunchaku-style" analog stick peripheral (right) attached to the main controller
The "nunchaku-style" analog stick peripheral (right) attached to the main controller

The controller is also able to sense motion; a sensor placed near the television allows the computer to sense the controller's position in three-dimensional space. Other sensors in the controller itself allow it to sense its tilt and yaw. This allows players to mimic actual game actions, such as swinging a sword or using a flashlight, instead of simply pushing buttons. An early marketing video showed actors miming such actions as fishing, cooking, drumming, conducting an orchestra, shooting a gun, sword fighting, performing dental surgery, and what seems to be, a game of Super Mario Bros. with one handed play.[6] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1935, 341 KB)Nintendo Revolution controller. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1935, 341 KB)Nintendo Revolution controller. ... A game controller is an input device used to control a video game. ... Image File history File links Revcon_screen006. ... Image File history File links Revcon_screen006. ... Flight dynamics is the study of orientation of air and space vehicles and how to control the critical flight parameters, typically named pitch, roll and yaw. ... Flight dynamics is the study of orientation of air and space vehicles and how to control the critical flight parameters, typically named pitch, roll and yaw. ...


The controller also features an expansion port at the bottom which will allow various attachments to be added to the controller. Nintendo has revealed one of these attachments to be a unit which features an analog stick and 2 trigger buttons. It will connect to the main Revolution controller via a short cord, and its appearance while connected to the main controller has led it to become dubbed "The Nunchaku". Nintendo has stated the aforementioned "Nunchaku" add-on may be bundled with the Revolution console. An analog stick from the GameCube game controller An analog stick, often mistakenly referred to as a joystick, is an input device for a controller, often a game controller, that is used for two-dimensional input. ... A nunchaku (Chinese: 雙節棍 shuāng jié gùn, 兩節棍 liǎng jié gùn, or 二節棍 èr jié gùn), also known in English by the plural nunchucks (variously rendered as nunchuks, nun-chucks, nun-chuks, nun chucks, nun chuks, nunchaku, or just chucks for short), is a martial arts weapon of...


Nintendo has also announced a controller "shell" which will resemble a traditional game controller called the "Classic-Style Expansion Controller". The Revolution "remote" will fit inside this shell which will allow gamers to play games using a traditional controller while retaining the "remote"'s motion sensitivity. According to Satoru Iwata, it is meant for playing "the existing games, virtual console games, and multi-platform games".[2]


Despite the controller's similarity to lightguns which are only compatible with standard-definition cathode ray tube televisions, Nintendo has stated the Revolution and its controller will be compatible with all televisions including digital projectors. The NES Zapper, Nintendo´s light gun and regarded as the quintessential device of this nature A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games. ...


Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto, before exiting the stage of Japan's 2005 Digital Interactive Entertainment Conference, stated that "there are still secrets to this controller, and these will be revealed next year." Shigeru Miyamoto with some of his creations, from left to right - Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Mario, and Yoshi stuffed toys Shigeru Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本茂, Miyamoto Shigeru, born November 16, 1952) is a Japanese electronic game designer. ...


Connectivity

The Revolution has a flip lid which can be opened to reveal 4 ports for GameCube controllers and 2 memory card slots.


Additionally at E3 2005, Nintendo revealed that a small internal attachment (most likely a containing an MPEG decoder chip) to be sold as an add on to the console will allow the Revolution to playback DVD movies. The Moving Picture Experts Group or MPEG is a working group of ISO/IEC charged with the development of video and audio encoding standards. ...


It will also have the support of the free Nintendo Wi-Fi service, now availble on the DS.


CPU/GPU

Nintendo has announced that IBM has finished developing the CPU, codenamed "Broadway". IBM had previously developed the processor for Nintendo's current system, the GameCube. Nintendo has also announced that Canadian graphics card maker ATI Technologies is developing the GPU, codenamed "Hollywood", for Revolution. In an interview ATI's Public Relations Manager for Consumer Products, John Swinimer, confirmed that "Hollywood" has not been developed from PC architecture but developed specifically for the Revolution 'from the ground up'.[7] Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is an international company originally founded in Japan on November 6, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... International Business Machines Corporation (IBM, or colloquially, Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a computer technology firm headquartered in Armonk, NY, USA. The company, which was founded in 1888 and incorporated June 15, 1911, manufactures and sells computer hardware, software, infrastructure services, hosting services, and consulting services. ... Intel 80486DX2 microprocessor in a ceramic PGA package A central processing unit (CPU), or sometimes simply processor, is the component in a digital computer that interprets instructions and processes data contained in software. ... Broadway is the processor that is going to be used in the Nintendo Revolution console. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the Sixth generation era—the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... ATI Technologies Inc. ... It has been suggested that Video Display Processor be merged into this article or section. ...


Technical specifications

GCN Connectivity at side of Revolution console
GCN Connectivity at side of Revolution console

Nintendo has released very little detailed information at present concerning the technical specifications of the Revolution console. According to a recent interview with Nintendo's Jim Merrick, Nintendo may never release a complete system specification.[3] Some details have however been released by Nintendo and other third parties involved with the console: Image File history File links Nintendo-revolution5. ... Image File history File links Nintendo-revolution5. ...

  • Processors:
  • Memory:
    • Unknown amount of RAM
    • 512 MB built-in flash memory.[8]
  • Ports and Peripherals:
    • Two USB 2.0 ports.
    • Support for wireless controllers.
    • 4 Nintendo GameCube controller ports and 2 Nintendo GameCube memory card ports (for backward compatibility).
    • Optional USB PC-compatible 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless attachment.(see Connectivity)
  • Media:
    • Slot-loading optical disc drive compatible with both 12 cm Revolution optical discs and 8.0 cm GameCube optical discs (1.5 GB) as well as standard DVD discs.
    • 2 Front-loading SD memory card slots.
  • Built-in content ratings system:
    • PEGI 3+, 7+, 12+, 16+, 18+
    • ESRB EC, E, E10+, T, M, and AO.
    • CERO All Ages, 12+, 15+ 18+.
    • OFLC G, PG, M, MA15+
  • Networking
  • Video:
    • Not known - but will work with a computer monitor as well as any TV.[9]
  • Audio:
    • Not known

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM, or colloquially, Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a computer technology firm headquartered in Armonk, NY, USA. The company, which was founded in 1888 and incorporated June 15, 1911, manufactures and sells computer hardware, software, infrastructure services, hosting services, and consulting services. ... CPU can stand for: in computing: Central processing unit in journalism: Commonwealth Press Union in law enforcement: Crime prevention unit in software: Critical patch update, a type of software patch distributed by Oracle Corporation in Macleans College is often known as Ash Lim. ... ATI Technologies Inc. ... GPU can stand for: Graphics processing unit, a special microprocessor used in computer graphics hardware The State Political Directorate (Gosudarstvennoe Politicheskoe Upravlenie), the name of the secret police in the USSR in one of the stages of its development Global Processing Unit, a generic name for a distributed computing project... A megabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to approximately one million bytes. ... Ports on the Apple iBook (Early 2003) In computing, a port (derived from seaport) is a connection through which data is sent and received. ... A peripheral is a type of computer hardware that is added to a host computer in order to expand its abilities. ... Type A USB connector Dual images of the two Type B USB connectors, mini and full size, side and front view, compared with a U.S. 5¢ piece (nickel) in both images for scale. ... IEEE 802. ... Wi-Fi (also WiFi, Wi-fi, Wifi, or wifi) is a brand licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to products which pass testing demonstrating that they implement a set of product compatibility standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802. ... The Nintendo Revolution is the code-name for Nintendos fifth home video game console and the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. ... In computing, sound reproduction, and video, an optical disc is flat, circular, usually polycarbonate disc whereon data is stored. ... 16 MB SD Card 512 MB SD Card 1 GB SD Card Secure Digital (SD) is a flash memory memory card format. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games in the United States. ... Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) is the organization that rates videogame and computer software in Japan with levels of rating that informs the customer of the nature of the product and for what age group it is suitable. ... More than one country has an organization called the Office of Film and Literature Classification. ... Broadcom Corporation NASDAQ: BRCM is a leading supplier of integrated circuits (ICs) for broadband communications. ...

Features

Backward compatibility

Nintendo has stated that Revolution will be backward compatible with all GameCube software and most peripherals. The side of the console (or top if stood vertically) is the GameCube docking station, featuring four controller ports and two memory card slots compatible with GameCube Memory Cards and the Nintendo GameCube Microphone. The Revolution's slot-loading media drive accepts 8 cm GameCube discs as well as the standard 12 cm discs such as Revolution games, DVDs, and CDs. This is uncommon in slot-loading media drives, which typically only accept discs of a single size. In technology, especially computing, a product is said to be backward compatible (or downward compatible) when it is able to take the place of an older product, by interoperating with other products that were designed for the older product. ... The Nintendo GameCube Microphone was first released with Mario Party 6. ...


Virtual Console

Main article: Nintendo Virtual Console

One of the most anticipated features of the Nintendo Revolution is its game download service, dubbed the "Virtual Console." Despite other rumors, Nintendo of America expects "Virtual Console" to be the final name of the service.[10] Using this Virtual Console service, users will have the ability to download and play many or all Nintendo-produced NES/Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, and N64 games for a small fee.[11] More notably, some games may offer free retro downloads as a bonus for the purchase.[12] Nintendo has also announced that games developed for the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 consoles will be offered via the Virtual Console download service. While not all of the Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx games will be offered, the "best of them" will be.[13] This gives the companies a pool of over 1000 Sega Genesis games to choose from. [14] Besides Sega and Hudson, Satoru Iwata stated that "a number of different publishers are now interested in participating in this virtual console system".[15] Moreover, while the gameplay will be the same for all of the retro titles offered via the Virtual Console, Nintendo has stated that some of the games may be improved with sharper graphics or better framerates.[16] In addition, gamers may be able to download games that were not originally released in their region, and some multiplayer games may be playable online, if it is technically possible.[17] The Virtual Console service will not be used exclusively for retro games, however. Nintendo has stated that they are interested in using the service to distribute new, original content.[10] Virtual Console is the name of a new game download service offered by Nintendo for users of the upcoming Nintendo Revolution. ... Nes is: A municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway, see Nes, Akershus. ... The Nintendo Entertainment System (U.S., Europe, and Australia) NES redirects here. ... The European SNES design is identical to the Super Famicom. ... This article should be merged with Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Famicom design differed from that of the American SNES, though the controllers are almost the same. ... An N64 (with Super Smash Bros. ... The Sega Mega Drive was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world. ... For information on the Japanese version of this console, see PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16 was a video game console released by NEC in 1989, for the North American market. ...


According to a Japanese press release, "all downloaded games will be stored on the 512 [MB] flash memory built into the system. To prevent illegal copying, downloaded games will feature a proprietary DRM system."[18] Digital rights management (DRM) is the umbrella term referring to any of several technologies used to enforce pre-defined policies controlling access to software, music, movies, or other digital data and hardware. ...


Parental controls

The Revolution will feature parental controls, prohibiting young viewers from viewing inappropriate content. This allows parents to set the age level of the system, and when a disc is inserted, it will read the content rating encoded on the game discs; if this rating is greater than the system's age level setting, the game will not load unless the user correctly enters a password to override the setting. For instance, a game carrying an ESRB rating of M for Mature, which is intended for those over the age of 17, will not play on a system that is set to only allow games rated E for Everyone (ages six and older). Parental controls are options, typically included in digital television services, violent computer and video games, or computer software used to access the Internet, that allows a parent to limit what a child can see or do. ... Putt Putt: Peps Birthday Surprise is rated EC (Early Childhood). ...


This will be found in all systems released around the world; it is confirmed that the European units will use the PEGI rating system[19], North American units will use the ESRB rating system[20], units for the Japanese market will presumably use the CERO rating system, German units will use the USK system, and Australian units will use the OFLC system. PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, is a European system for rating the content of computer and video games, and other entertainment software. ... Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) is the organization that rates videogame and computer software in Japan with levels of rating that informs the customer of the nature of the product and for what age group it is suitable. ... The USKs official logo. ...


Games and developer support

Games

Main article: List of Nintendo Revolution games
  • Many games featuring Nintendo's classic franchises, such as Mario[21], The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Super Smash Bros., have been announced. Additionally Nintendo has announced that it is in the process of developing an entirely new and original franchise to be added into the Nintendo universe alongside the Revolution (similar to the introduction of Pikmin alongside the GameCube).
  • A recent interview between Game Informer and Senior VP of Nintendo, George Harrison reveals that about twenty games will be out on the release of the Revolution.[22]
  • The game Red Steel has been confirmed to be released onto the Revolution and several other games, such as Raid over the River, Sadness, and Orb, are planned to be released with the system on or near the release date.
  • In the June 2006 issue of Nintendo Power magazine, it was confirmed that Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam will be available on the Revolution. [23]

This is a list of games that are confirmed to be in development for the Nintendo Revolution video game console, organized alphabetically by name. ... For over 20 years, Mario has been Nintendos official mascot. ... The Legend of Zelda series (often shortened to just Zelda, TLoZ or LoZ), first published on February 21, 1986 by Nintendo, is a series of video games created by Shigeru Miyamoto. ... Box art of the first Metroid game The Metroid ( Japanese : メトロイド) games are a series of video games produced by Nintendo. ... Super Smash Bros. ... A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters or setting of an original film, video game, or work of literature. ... An image of a claymade red Pikmin creature. ... Red Steel is a Ubisoft video game in development for the upcoming Nintendo Revolution. ... Tony Hawks Downhill Jam is an upcoming video game based on Tony Hawk Pro Skater franchise. ...

Developer support

Activision, Inc. ... AQ Interactive is a Japanese game developer and publisher. ... Artdink is a Japanese developer of console and computer games, currently based in Tsukishima, Tokyo. ... Atlus is a Japanese computer and video game developer and publisher. ... Blitz Games - Independent Video Game Developer Based in UK COMPANY INFORMATION Dec 2005 Mission Statement To create critically and commercially successful games within a stable, friendly and professional environment conducive to maximum creativity. ... A development studio of Capcom. ... Crossbeam Studios Entertainment (CSE) is a video game development company. ... Electronic Arts (EA) (NASDAQ: ERTS) is an American developer, marketer, publisher, and distributor of computer and video games. ... Grasshopper Manufacture is a Japanese videogame development house responsible for the unconventional and artistically stunning game Killer 7 (PS2, GameCube). ... Koei Co. ... Kojima speaking at the Tokyo Game Show about Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. ... Konami Corporation (コナミ) TYO: 9766 (NYSE: KNM) (SGX: K20) is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling computer and video games. ... Kuju Entertainment is a European computer and video game corporation. ... Midway Games (NYSE: MWY) is an American video game publisher known for such game series as Mortal Kombat, NBA Jam and Spy Hunter. ... Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc. ... See also the Jujube fruit tree (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Sega Corporation ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... SQUARE ENIX (Japanese: スクウェア・エニックス) is a Japanese producer of popular video games and manga. ... Ubisoft Entertainment (formerly Ubi Soft) is a computer and video game publisher and developer headquarters in Montreuil, France. ... Tecmo, Ltd. ... Pandemic Studios is a video game developer notable for creating destructable environments that is based in Los Angeles, California and Brisbane, Australia. ... THQ Inc. ...

Revolution unveiling

A near-final Nintendo Revolution console will be unveiled at Nintendo's pre-E3 press event, which is slated for 9:30 a.m. Pacific time on May 9, 2006. The venue will be the Kodak Theatre—home of the Academy Awards—in Hollywood, California.[4] Nintendo and AOL are holding a contest that will give the winner the opportunity to be the first consumer to play the Revolution, on stage at the conference.[1] May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. ... Academy Awards The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent film awards in the United States and most watched awards ceremony in the world. ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ...


Rumors and Speculation

Price

While the price of the system is not yet announced, rumors are abound. Each of the past four generations of Nintendo consoles have launched at $199 (USD). This has led to speculation of a $199 launch price for the Revolution as well. Due to the technology, a price of $249 is also likely. A small number of others speculate the launch price to be as low as $99 (USD) in order to undercut competition.[25] The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...


Hardware and specifications

  • Nintendo has hinted that not every major feature of the Revolution, and specifically its controller, has been revealed. According to Nintendo of Europe's Jim Merrick, they "have not shared everything that there is to know about Revolution or its controller."[26]
  • An Ars Technica journal entry speculates that the controller may use a combination of IR and ultrasound to function, much like some existing, similar products such as "virtual whiteboards"[27] and Nintendo's investment in Gyration, Inc.[28] may also give a clue as to some of the technology used.
  • Ars Technica has also speculated that the Revolution's CPU may be based on that "Xenon" chip in the Xbox 360. Since the "Broadway" chip is being developed by IBM, it is possible that it is simply a low-cost version of the Xenon, using only one or two cores instead of the three in the current Xbox.[29]
  • IGN.com claims to have received information from third-party game studios regarding the hardware specifications. Among their claims:
    • The Broadway CPU runs at 729MHz according to Nintendo specifications.
    • The Hollywood GPU runs at 243 MHz and is actually an integrated "system-on-a-chip" that includes "GPU, DSP, I/O bridge and 3MBs of texture memory."
    • The system RAM is divided into 24MB of "main" 1T-SRAM and 64MB of "external" 1T-SRAM; access speed for both banks is the same.
    • The console runs on an extension of the Gamecube Gekko CPU and Flipper GPU architectures.[30]
  • Nintendo has filed a patent for a method of playing games for older less capable systems on a more capable system.[31] It seems likely that this relates to Nintendo's 'Virtual Console'.
  • The Revolution will have connectivity with the Nintendo DS and the next Game Boy system. Nintendo Power magazine has said this is likely in its July 2005 issue. A reported interview with Shigeru Miyamoto seems to confirm this.[32]

The first cover of Nintendo Power featured a clay sculpture of Mario from . ... Shigeru Miyamoto with some of his creations, from left to right - Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Mario, and Yoshi stuffed toys Shigeru Miyamoto (Japanese: 宮本茂, Miyamoto Shigeru, born November 16, 1952) is a Japanese electronic game designer. ...

Games and developer support

  • Mr. Miyamoto said in an EGM interview that he is thinking of making a Pikmin game for Revolution.
  • NGC Magazine claims that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, when inserted into the Nintendo Revolution, will utilize its native "free-hand" controller. This claim gained further support after Nintendo of Europe's interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, in which he stated, "...because Revolution can run GameCube software, when you play Twilight Princess on Revolution you can take advantage of the Revolution controller."[33]
  • It has also been hinted that older games, such as Kid Icarus, will be reintroduced on the Revolution as well.[34]

Pikmin (ピクミン in Japanese) is the first of the Pikmin series of video games which are designed by Nintendos Shigeru Miyamoto (of Mario and Zelda fame). ... Cover of Issue 59, style used from its inception to this issue. ... Screenshot of Kid Icarus The save screen from the FDS version of Kid Icarus Kid Icarus (derived from the Greek myth of Icarus) is a console game for the Famicom Disk System in Japan, where it is known as Hikari shinwa: Parthena no kagami (光神話 パルテナの鏡 Hikari shinwa parutena no kagami), or...

Absence of "true" high-definition support

Online arguments commenced when Nintendo of America's Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Perrin Kaplan, announced there would be no HD support for their upcoming system. Kaplan stated beautiful graphics and innovative game play could be achieved without HD and that abstaining from the technology would help keep the cost of games down. Perrin Kaplan is Nintendo of Americas current vice president of marketing and corporate affairs. ... It has been suggested that High Definition Video be merged into this article or section. ...


It has been confirmed that the Revolution will support 480p (a.k.a. EDTV, currently the native output of a standard NTSC DVD), as did the GameCube (only on units made before 2003), and will not support (720p/1080i). Regardless, the support of 480p will still mean an improvement in graphics quality when properly hooked up to and viewed on an HDTV set (or any digital [non-analog] set, i.e. DTV or EDTV sets), when compared to viewing on an analog (480i-only) television set. 480p is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... Enhanced-definition television, extended-definition television, or EDTV is a CEA marketing shorthand term for certain television formats. ... NTSC is the analog television system in use in Korea, Japan, United States, Canada and certain other places, mostly in the Americas (see map). ... DVD-R writing/reading side DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... 720p is the shorthand name for a category of video modes. ... 1080i is the shorthand name for a category of video modes. ... An analog circuit (or analogue circuit) is an electric circuit that operates on analog signals. ... Digital television (DTV) uses digital modulation and compression to broadcast video, audio and data signals to television sets. ... 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode. ...


Miscellaneous

  • A book possibly intended for university graduate recruitment entitled "The Nintendo Book" contains images of the Revolution controller in various stages of developement as well as photographs of Nintendo Revolution case mouldings. It is a free publication possibly used for company recruitment containing amongst other things an introduction of Nintendo and its president (Satoru Iwata) and financial and sales figures for the preceding year.[35]
  • The final name for the console has yet to be announced. It is expected to be revealed at E3 this year.
  • Rareware Titles most likely will not appear in the Revolution's Virtual Console lineup depending on curent liscensing and Rare's permission.[citation needed]

E3 logo The Electronic Entertainment Expo (or Exposition), commonly known as E³, is the worlds largest annual trade show and the third largest gaming convention for the computer and video games industry. ...

Gallery

See also

Major video game consoles
First generation
Magnavox Odyssey | PONG | Coleco Telstar
Second generation
Fairchild Channel F | Atari 2600 | Magnavox Odyssey² | Intellivision | 5200 | ColecoVision | Vectrex | SG-1000
Third generation
NES | Master System | 7800
Fourth generation
PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 | Mega Drive/Genesis | SNES | Neo-Geo | CD-i
Fifth generation
3DO | Jaguar | Saturn | PlayStation | PC-FX | Nintendo 64
Sixth generation
Dreamcast | PS2 | GameCube | Xbox
Seventh generation
Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Revolution

This is a list of video game consoles by the era they appeared in. ... This article deals with the history of the first generation video game consoles. ... The Magnavox Odyssey is the first home video game console, predating the Atari Pong home consoles by three years. ... PONG was a video game based on ping-pong, released by Atari on November 29, 1972. ... The Telstar is a video game console produced by Coleco which first went on sale in 1976. ... This article deals with the history of the second generation video game consoles. ... The Fairchild Channel F The Fairchild Channel F is the worlds first cartridge-based video game console. ... The Atari 2600, released in 1977, is the first successful video game console to use plug-in cartridges instead of having one or more games built in. ... Philips Videopac G7000 shown playing Pickaxe Pete The Magnavox Odyssey², known in Europe as the Philips Videopac G7000, in Brazil as the Philips Odyssey, and also by many other names, is a video game console released in 1978. ... The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1980; development of the console began in 1978 (less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the legendary Atari 2600). ... The Atari 5200 is a video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari. ... The ColecoVision The ColecoVision is Colecos second generation video game console, released in August 1982. ... The Vectrex is an 8-bit video game console developed by General Consumer Electric (GCE) and later bought by Milton Bradley Company. ... The SG-1000, which stands for Sega Game 1000, is a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega. ... In the history of video games, the 8-bit era was the third generation of video game consoles, but the first after the video game crash of 1983 and considered by some to be the first modern era of console gaming. ... The Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, is an 8-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and Australia. ... The Sega Master System (SMS for short) is an 8-bit cartridge-based gaming console that was manufactured by Sega. ... The Atari 7800 is a video game console released by Atari in 1986 (a test market occurred in June 1984). ... In the history of video games, the 16-bit era was the fourth generation of video game consoles. ... The PC Engine is a video game console released by NEC, a Japanese company, in 1987. ... The Sega Mega Drive was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan (1988), Europe (1990) and most of the rest of the world. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... The original Neo-Geo console was greatly advanced for its time. ... CD-i or Compact Disc Interactive is the name of an interactive multimedia CD player developed and marketed by Royal Philips Electronics N.V. CD-i also refers to the multimedia Compact Disc standard utilized by the CD-i console, also known as Green Book, which was co-developed by... In the history of computer and video games, the 32-bit / 64-bit era was the fifth generation of video game consoles. ... 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (most commonly referred to as the 3DO) was a line of video game consoles released in 1993 and 1994 by Panasonic, Sanyo and Goldstar. ... The Atari Jaguar is a video game console introduced in November 1993 as a powerful next generation platform. ... The Sega Saturn (Japanese: セガサターン, Sega Saturn), is a video game console of the 32-bit era. ... The PlayStation is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid-1990s. ... The PC-FX console The PC-FX was NECs 32-bit sequel to its PC Engine (US:TurboGrafx 16). ... The Nintendo 64, commonly called the N64, is Nintendos third home video game console. ... The sixth-generation era (sometimes inaccurately referred to as the 128-bit era; see section below) refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. ... The Sega Dreamcast (Japanese: ドリームキャスト; code-named Blackbelt, Dural, and Katana during development) was Segas last video game console. ... The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the Sixth generation era—the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... The Microsoft Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console first released on November 15, 2001 in North America and Puerto Rico , then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. ... The seventh generation era is a video game era in the history of computer and video games that began towards the end of 2004, but is not set to really take off until late 2006 with the release of new video game consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, the three... Xbox 360 The Xbox 360, known during development as the Xenon, Xbox 2 or the Xbox Next, is the successor to Microsofts original Xbox video game console. ... The PlayStation 3 (PS3) will be Sonys seventh generation era video game console in the PlayStation series. ... This is a list of games that are confirmed to be in development for the Nintendo Revolution video game console, organized alphabetically by name. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the Sixth generation era—the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... The Nintendo DS, (sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS), is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, released in 2004. ... This is a list of computer and video games published by Nintendo. ... The seventh generation era is a video game era in the history of computer and video games that began towards the end of 2004, but is not set to really take off until late 2006 with the release of new video game consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, the three... Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection logo The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is an online service run by Nintendo to facilitate free Internet play in compatible Nintendo DS and Nintendo Revolution games. ...

References

  1. a b Anoop Gantayat, "Iwata Discusses Revolution Launch", IGN, January 18, 2006.
  2. a b Satoru Iwata. TOKYO GAME SHOW 2005 : TGS FORUM Keynote Speech. URL accessed on 2006-03-15.
  3. a b Ellie Gibson, "Rev specs may not be released", Eurogamer, November 1, 2005.
  4. a b "http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140464.html", Gamespot News, November 28, 2005.
  5. "Nintendo Reveals Early Details About Revolution", Nintendo, May 13, 2005.
  6. TGS 2005: Revolution Teaser Video. URL accessed on 2006-03-16.
  7. Shawn White, "Interview Exclusive: Revolution Report Talks with ATI about Hollywood", Revolution Report, January 11, 2006.
  8. "Nintendo's Compact Console Will Turn the World of Gaming on Its Side", Nintendo, May 17, 2005.
  9. IGNcube's Nintendo "Revolution" FAQ. URL accessed on 2006-03-17.
  10. a b GDC 06: Beth Llewelyn On the Record. URL accessed on 2006-03-23].
  11. More Revolution Bits And Pieces. URL accessed on 2006-11-09].
  12. "Iwata: Revolution downloads not free", CNET, June 8, 2005.
  13. GDC 06: Revolution to play Genesis, TurboGrafx games. URL accessed on 2006-03-22].
  14. Nintendo, Sega team for gaming iTunes service. URL accessed on 2006-03-24].
  15. Nintendo president vows cheap games. URL accessed on 2006-03-30].
  16. Patrick Klepek, "Nintendo Remaking Classics", 1up.com, 21 June, 2005.
  17. "Miyamoto and Iwata Talk Revolution", IGN, July 25, 2005.
  18. Brand New Revolution Details Revealed. URL accessed on 2006-03-17].
  19. "Revolution To Feature Parental Controls", Planet Gamecube, November 16, 2005.
  20. John Scalzo, "Revolution ponies up parental controls", Gaming Target, November 16, 2005.
  21. Tim Surette, "Mario done gleaming the 'Cube", Gamespot, June 16, 2005.
  22. Shawn White, "Harrison: Approximately 20 Launch Titles", Revolution Report.
  23. Shawn White, "Downhill Jam", Revolution Report.
  24. Q: Which developers have pledged support for Revolution?. URL accessed on 2006-03-17.
  25. "Nintendo Revolution Report: What We know", Gamespot.
  26. Dominic Shiels, "New Revolution Details Surface Courtesy of Nintendo of Europe", DS Revolution, September 16, 2005.
  27. Inside the Revolution controller (maybe). URL accessed on 2006-03-16.
  28. Nintendo's Investment In Gyration. URL accessed on 2006-03-16.
  29. Waiting on a Revolution: a look ahead at the next-generation console wars. URL accessed on 2006-04-14.
  30. Matt Casamassina, "Revolution's Horsepower", March 29, 2006. URL accessed on 2006-03-29.
  31. Taho; Sagahiro, Akasaka; Hideya, Murakawa; Teruki, "Game information storage medium and game system using the same", United States Patent, October 18, 2005.
  32. Frequently Asked Nintendo Revolution Questions. Revolution Report. URL accessed on 2006-03-19.
  33. Nintendo of Europe, "Miyamoto in Paris - exclusive interview!", Nintendo of Europe, March 15, 2006.
  34. Matt Casamassina, "E3 2005: Shigeru Miyamoto Interview", IGN, May 19, 2005.
  35. Nintendo of Japan marketing report pictures. gamesarefun.com. URL accessed on 2006-02-10.

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 22 March is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year star