Post by: Jonnyboy117 on March 23, 2006, 08:42:08 AM
Nintendo President Challenges Developers to Create Bold New Games
Nintendo Also Announces Plans to Offer Classic Sega and TurboGrafx Games
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.
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."
Post by: Larson on March 23, 2006, 08:54:20 AM
Post by: BlkPaladin on March 23, 2006, 08:55:19 AM
The Turbo Graphix announcment is pleasently surprising. It also kind of cement that there will be some kind of shell ship with the Revolution.
Post by: Hostile Creation on March 23, 2006, 09:00:41 AM
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on March 23, 2006, 09:01:30 AM
Post by: Mario on March 23, 2006, 09:04:18 AM
Today is a great day
Post by: KDR_11k on March 23, 2006, 09:06:44 AM
Post by: Caliban on March 23, 2006, 09:08:54 AM
Post by: jasonditz on March 23, 2006, 09:12:30 AM
Post by: vudu on March 23, 2006, 09:24:42 AM
QuoteWhat makes you think they won't do both? Nothing was said about exclusivity (was there?). Knowing Sega, they'll put their games on PS3, too. I believe a lot of them are already availabile on Wire Tap.
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Cool. I was pretty sure Sega would go with MS, seeing how they love pain so much.
Post by: Pale on March 23, 2006, 09:29:45 AM
Post by: Kairon on March 23, 2006, 09:42:01 AM
So...indie developers can have their games downloaded onto the Rev via the virtual console? Does that say what I think it does?
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: Fro on March 23, 2006, 10:33:47 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on March 23, 2006, 10:35:17 AM
Post by: Karl Castaneda #2 on March 23, 2006, 10:41:11 AM
Post by: Ian Sane on March 23, 2006, 10:47:34 AM
I would hope that the Genesis and TG-16 emulator would be available to everyone. But then who gets the licencing fees? Ideally Sega or Hudson would be deserving of a cut in that situation and I doubt Nintendo would like that. Plus there's the issue of games released for both the Genesis and SNES. Earthworm Jim is available on both but the Genesis version is clearly superior since it has an extra level. If Nintendo had a system where they get all the licence fees for Nintendo system games but has to share for Genesis and TG-16 they probably would only want the SNES version to ever be available leaving us with the "inferior" SNES version.
I say Nintendo shouldn't stop here. They should get MAME on this thing and then get some arcade games on here too. Get SNK involved as well.
Post by: Knoxxville on March 23, 2006, 10:48:09 AM
Post by: vudu on March 23, 2006, 10:52:45 AM
QuoteGive up Rondo of Blood, F-Zero Expansion Kit, Radiant Silvergun and Sin & Punishment and every hardcore gamer in the world will buy one.
The TG-16 in Japan also has a CD add-on and one of the game for it is Dracula X: Rondo of Blood! Having that game for download would be pretty cool.
Post by: Hocotate on March 23, 2006, 11:14:07 AM
If Ninty can get even more consoles on this like 3DO, Jaguar, and Neo-Geo, then there will be NO excuse not to buy a Rev!!
Post by: TMW on March 23, 2006, 11:18:48 AM
Gimme my Wand of Gamelon!
Post by: Pryopizm on March 23, 2006, 11:45:09 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: TMW
Come on CD-I!
Gimme my Wand of Gamelon!
Truth.
By the way, I hate to put a damper on things, but it's time for a reality check:
Guess we'll have to wait til E3 to find out anything more pertinent.
No release date, no official name, no Rev games shown. What's going on that Nintendo is focusing so much on their handheld and practically ignoring their next major console release? Ah yeah, wait for E3. Outside of the hardcore fan, who even knows what E3 is? While the casual gamer drools at the mere thought of the next PS3, Nintendo is catering to its niche fan base with talk of "Blue Ocean."
In fairness, the strategy is working well in Japan. The DS and its games (particularly the Brain series) are selling like hotcakes. In the US, they're quickly falling behind the PSP. Anyone hoping that Metroid will save it need only remember back as far as 2002 when Metroid Prime was soundly beaten in sales by Splinter Cell.
Nintendo seems to be ignoring the western market. It's nice to hear that they're not ignoring the casual gamer, but how about trying to sell to him, too?
Where's the hype Nintendo? How come, outside of the internet, hardly anyone I've met even knows that Nintendo has a new system coming out?
Post by: jasonditz on March 23, 2006, 11:54:17 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"Ian, when they say Genesis games, I pretty sure they mean first party stuff. Since Rondo of Blood is a Konami game, I think it'd up to them."
I would hope that the Genesis and TG-16 emulator would be available to everyone. But then who gets the licencing fees? Ideally Sega or Hudson would be deserving of a cut in that situation and I doubt Nintendo would like that. Plus there's the issue of games released for both the Genesis and SNES. Earthworm Jim is available on both but the Genesis version is clearly superior since it has an extra level. If Nintendo had a system where they get all the licence fees for Nintendo system games but has to share for Genesis and TG-16 they probably would only want the SNES version to ever be available leaving us with the "inferior" SNES version.
I say Nintendo shouldn't stop here. They should get MAME on this thing and then get some arcade games on here too. Get SNK involved as well.
There could be a structure of who gets the money like... say they charge $0.99 per ROM.
$0.19 goes to the download service (Nintendo)
$0.30 goes to the hardware being emulated to play the ROM (mostly Nintendo, sometimes Sega or NEC)
$0.50 goes to the company that owns the rights to the game itself.
or whatever pricing model makes the most sense.
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on March 23, 2006, 12:05:41 PM
Besides the GDC is not nearly as big as E3, so even if some big secret was revealed the casual gamers still wouldn't know! E3 is the best venue for this, and Nintendo has made it quite clear that E3 will be when the top is blown off of things. Consoles only need 5-6 months of hype before release, before that time only those closely following things will know. Anyway I think this was a solid keynote speech, a new Zelda was revealed (looks great), and the announcement of Sega games for Rev is great news. I'm sorry but Rev's backward capabilities will whip X360s arcade, which is still quite lame!
Post by: TMW on March 23, 2006, 12:07:18 PM
Post by: ThePerm on March 23, 2006, 12:20:20 PM
Post by: Pale on March 23, 2006, 02:30:10 PM
http://www.penny-arcade.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1073820759
If you are wondering anything about the Turbo Grafx 16, it's a great place to start.
Post by: Renny on March 23, 2006, 02:36:30 PM
Post by: UncleBob on March 23, 2006, 04:04:37 PM
I never had a TG-16. Never knew anyone who did. But man, I *loved* playing the demo kiosk at Childern's Palace. I don't know if it was because the games were loads of fun or if it was just because they were games that I didn't normally have access to, but I know I spent a large chunk of time there playing them.
Yippie.
Post by: Djunknown on March 23, 2006, 04:49:06 PM
Quote
Plus there's the issue of games released for both the Genesis and SNES. Earthworm Jim is available on both but the Genesis version is clearly superior since it has an extra level.
I'd be guessing that the SNES version would get the nod. Circumstantial evidence is the Megaman Anniversary collection: Mega Man 8 was the PSone version, not the Saturn Version with Cutsman/Gutsman. The superior version tends to be 'forgotten' by the big-wigs (also see Castlevania Symphony of the Night Saturn version...)
All I want out of this is simple: The Streets of Rage >Final Fight series. Though it'd be a blast to play TG-16 titles, I always wanted to play Bonk's Adventure.
Quote
In fairness, the strategy is working well in Japan. The DS and its games (particularly the Brain series) are selling like hotcakes. In the US, they're quickly falling behind the PSP. Anyone hoping that Metroid will save it need only remember back as far as 2002 when Metroid Prime was soundly beaten in sales by Splinter Cell.
Point taken. I still remember the shock when I saw the sales figures that year. The motherland is safe and secure; what about where the real money is made? I guess we'll see if Brain Training becomes a gateway drug game for the non-gamer market in North America and beyond when it the time comes.
Post by: Louieturkey on March 23, 2006, 05:02:55 PM
Post by: Smash_Brother on March 23, 2006, 05:51:08 PM
Jaguar had a cart system and a CD addon. The cartridges could be downloaded pretty easily, I bet.
Alien vs. Predator on the Rev? Schweet...
Post by: ruby_onix on March 23, 2006, 07:46:25 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on March 23, 2006, 08:48:19 PM
Must be danish because the closest thing in German is "Spannung" and that translates to "tension".
Pale: WTF? Dragonball vs. Batman?
Post by: Knoxxville on March 24, 2006, 07:21:35 AM
Post by: IceCold on March 24, 2006, 01:20:11 PM
Post by: jasonditz on March 24, 2006, 04:28:44 PM
Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
I'll be downloading "Bonk" of Turbographix 16 phame.
Jaguar had a cart system and a CD addon. The cartridges could be downloaded pretty easily, I bet.
Alien vs. Predator on the Rev? Schweet...
The Jaguar's got 17 buttons on its standard controller. There's no way Nintendo's going to make the shell controller capable of simulating that monstrosity.
