Topic: Router REV?

[Don'tHate742]

I found an interesting article regarding the WiFi feature that's built-in with the REV.

clicky

If you don't want to read it, it basically says the REV will hook up directly to your broadband modem. It will than use it's built in WiFi to give access to the internet to other WiFi capable products, like the DS. Personally I doubt it's a router, if anything it's an access point. Having the DS access the internet through your REV is a wonderful idea though, and I hope it ends up being that way. This information also coincides with the REV hooking up to a monitor. Most peoples' routers or broadband modem are located right next to their computer, so instead of dragging a TV over or buying a WiFi router, you can just plug it into your monitor and hook it up to your modem. Most computers have two vga inputs, so no rewiring, just a simple push of a button to switch channels. I can see this hitting big with college students, and those that want to play the DS online. To be a router, it would have to have ethernet-out connections and not just WiFi, because that would limit the type of connection to much. That's why I think it's just an access point, if anything.

I don't believe it though, to me it seems like they heard this information second-hand instead of being at GDC themselves........but who knows.

[RickPowers]

OK, here's the thing.  The implementation that is being discussed means that the Revolution would HAVE to be a router, and not just an access point.  You have to have something in the middle that will assign IP addresses, and most broadband modems will only grab ONE IP address from the host service.  The router is how you get around that, the router takes that one IP, then creates an internal network with it's own IPs, which get "routed" out to the internet.

A wireless access point would only be a bridge, allowing wireless devices access to the wired part of the network.  It's effectively a "dumb" device of sorts, simply translating one type of signal into another.  Nothing about a wireless access point would allow a device to get onto the internet itself.  There's also the problem that a wireless access point would have to be wired to the ethernet network.  Connecting wirelessly to another access point or router would be completely redundant.

Here's where the holes really get punched in this particular interpretation, though.  The DS will be online first ... so relying on the Revolution to bridge the wireless DS would critically hamper that functionality.

In other words, hooey.    Revolution isn't going to be anything that complicated, it'll connect to an existing wireless network just like the DS will, but it will be capable of ad-hoc mode to create wireless LANs as well.  It's not going to be able to magically connect other devices and to your broadband connection, though.  

[Don'tHate742]

That's my point about it being an access point instead of a router. All it will do is allow for WiFi products to access the router as well. That's alot more likely than it being a router itself.

I understand the DS Online is coming first, but people who have yet to adopt WiFi, especially colleges students, can do so in the next 2 years with a gaming system no less. Those same people will probably resort to going on campus or something with there DS to play online.  

[Truthliesn1seyes]

I was just wondering, If the Rev comes with an internal HD, can it work as a Hub or network of Hubs for MMORPGs?  I don't know much bout it so I was just hoping it can be clarified a bit.

[Talon]

Id say its more likely that Nintendo will provide a free service to play games online rather than act as an ISP. Hopefully if nintendo provides a free service that all developers, developing games for revolution (especially 3rd parties i.e. SEGA) will also be able to utilize this service so we dont have to pay to play any nintendo revolution game.

Quote
I was just wondering, If the Rev comes with an internal HD, can it work as a Hub or network of Hubs for MMORPGs? I don't know much bout it so I was just hoping it can be clarified a bit.

When you say 'HUB' do you mean the revolution can act as a host/server for MMORPG's?

IMO I dont think revolution would allow you to host your own MMORPG, it kinda defeats the purpose of a MMORPG and whenever you turn off your revolution everyone playing on your server would get disconnected. Technically its not impossible but more than likely you and everyone else in your area will conect to a host server thats been created by the games developer or nintendo. Maybe they might offer you the ability to setup a LAN but that would be software dependant.

Im sure that if the revolution comes with a HDD you would be able to download game updates, patches...etc to do with the MMORPG. Otherwise whats the point of having a HDD? For game saves? If it is used for game saves only then you may as well stick with memory cards. But I doubt very much nintendo would do something like that.

[Truthliesn1seyes]

I get what your saying, it does seem very unlikely.  As for the Rev coming with a HDD?  I think there is a good posibility it will.  There is a rumor that it will but thats just what it is, a rumor.  The only reason I see them going with a HDD for the Rev is becuase of their dreams and ambitions from the 64DD.  They had alot of good ideas for games that were nevery realized as a result of 64 DD's lack of success.  To me, it seemed as if it was more of an experiment, a learning process.  

I remember Nintendo was speaking about ever changing worlds (in the case of Earthbound 64).  Where you can plant a seed and over time, it'll grow into a tree.  This was possible becuase the disks were rewritable so some space was left for the actions and changes you've made in the game.  If the Rev were to include the HDD then it can store this info on the HDD instead of a rewriteable disks like the 64 DD's format.