Topic: No Revolution at E3?

[Dirk Temporo]

I assume that most have you have probably heard the rumors/news that Revolution will not be making an appearance at E3, due to Iwata's "fear" that Sony and/or Microsoft will try to steal their ideas for the console.

So far, I haven't seen anything that looks remotely official. It's all "It is possible that..." and "We've heard..." and "Nintendo might..." Until someone comes up with a direct quote from Satoru Iwata himself confirming this, I for one will not believe it. Or, maybe I'm just holding on desperately because I really, really want to see the Revolution in action in May.

What do you guys think?

[Bill Aurion]

I bet only video reels will be shown, which is what SHOULD be done, as much as gamers bitch and whine...

All Ninty needs to do at this E3 is prove that traditional games are more than capable on the Rev...

[Spak-Spang]

Bill you are somebody that I love on this board because we so often agree.  However, I disagree with what should be shown.

Nintendo needs to make a big splash at this show.  They need to take as much thunder away from Microsoft and Sony.  Videos will not do that, because every new console will be showing videos.  Many next generation games will be actually playable.  (At least for the Xbox.)

In the very least Nintendo needs to explain its concept completely, and behind close doors demo the system to select media.  Make them feel special and show appreciate to your press...it will pay off in the end.

[Dirk Temporo]

I completely agree with Spak. Don't have a super huge presentation to every Joe Everyman who walks through the door, but show the system, as well as the controller, and active demos of the games being played by a Nintendo representative (preferably Reggie :reggie, to select members of the media. Example: One member from IGN, Gamespot, and each magazine that covers Nintendo. And also allow at least a few pictures to be taken, that way the select members will be able to tell us how it's played, show us what it looks like, and just give us a general overview of the system.

We already know 100% that there won't be a playable at E3, but at least tell us what the controller looks like, right?

[Zach]

Quote
Originally posted by: Dirk Temporo
I assume that most have you have probably heard the rumors/news that Revolution will not be making an appearance at E3, due to Iwata's "fear" that Sony and/or Microsoft will try to steal their ideas for the console.

One thing is absolutely for sure, nintendo will have something to do with the revelution at E3, If they didnt, i could just hear the casual gamers now "OMG OMG OMG NiNtEnDo is goin teh way of Sega!!! lolololololololololololololololol (Infinate lols here)"

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nintendo will most likely not show the controller or system to anyone of the press, but they will most-likely give a behind closed door presentation w/ NDA's to all the rest of the publisher & developers that aren't already sold on the Rev.  

Like Reggie said "E3 will not be the Revolutions coming out party", I honestly think they will save that for a seperate event when they will have the spotlight all on them.  I'm guessing about a month or 2 or 3 before Xbox 360 is released, around Sept. or right when Zelda '05 is about to be released.

How about a Spaceworld 2005 for the official full unvieling of the Revolution? E3 is way too soon for something that won't be out for at least another year, year and a half.

[Bill Aurion]

I think it mainly comes down to just how far along the Rev is in terms of it's interface...Iwata said at GDC that they are still deciding on a final design, and I feel they should wait to showcase it once it has been finalized...Also, if games that show off the "uniqueness" of the Rev aren't ready, it shouldn't be shown...The hardware and software must seriously wow to impress a skeptical press and I'd rather Ninty get a big "WOW" later on when it's ready than a "I guess it's ok" sooner...  

[slingshot]

If you don't want your junk copied, then patant it- if you can't do that, then it will be copied as soon as it is released, so
you might as well show it now, and let us play it.  Who cares if the controller gets copied anyways.  Wouldn't you
rather buy the console that originated an idea, instead of one that copied another idea?

[Caillan]

This soon to be Slashdotted article suggests that it won't be. I don't know how reliable EuroGamer is, but refusing to show it on the grounds that it'll be stolen is a very Nintendo-ey thing to do. Nintendo is going to fall behind again if they don't show it sometime soon, and if they're still finalising their design they're behind already.

The article states that Nintendo is going to focus on Online at E3. I think this is a bad idea. They need to show and unveil it, but it shouldn't be the main focus. Nobody's going to be impressed when Iwata or Miyamoto show us their big plans, becasue the competition have been doing it for so long already. No-one's going to care because the XBox 2 and the PS3 are also being shown there.

[Bill Aurion]

Ok, I'm absolutely sick of seeing people say "Nintendo is falling behind" because they aren't showing what their system can do more than a year away from launch...That's like saying "Oh shi, this racer is in last place after 2 laps in the Indy 500"...If Ninty shows demo footage then they are already even with what is being showed with PS3 or the 360 since they ARE NOT going to have any special features...At this point, Ninty can only try to be AHEAD of the game, not behind it...

[kirby_killer_dedede]

From a business standpoint, all Nintendo needs to do this E3 is reveal the concept, show some concept art, reveal some games in development, and give a video demonstration or two.  Playability...at this point it's just a plus to the essentials.

I propose some sort of conference this November where it will be playable.  Away from the hands of Sony and Microsoft.  Open to the press.  (yes, IGN too)

[Caillan]

Demos of the games in development don't mean anything. We don't know if they'll be running off actual prototype Revolutions or on equivilent hardware. If Sony and Microsoft have finalised their design while Nintendo is still unsure of what features it's going to have, of course their bloody well behind.

The press is going to be all over MS and Sony at E3 while Nintendo gets shafted again. They're just losing more and more mindshare. Right now they're going down while Microsoft is going up, and as the new XBox launches early they'll likely lose more of the console market. They need to make an impact with the Revolution, and screwing around while Sony and MS show everyone what they've got isn't going to help them. If you want to see how casual gamers/semi-gamers react to this, look at the normally pro-Nintendo comments on Slashdot.

[Savior]

Either show it all, or dont show anything

[Bill Aurion]

Demos of the games in development don't mean anything. We don't know if they'll be running off actual prototype Revolutions or on equivilent hardware. If Sony and Microsoft have finalised their design while Nintendo is still unsure of what features it's going to have, of course their bloody well behind.

Um, what?  It's the INTERFACE that's hasn't been finalized yet, not the hardware...

[Strell]

The problem with "we'll focus on online at E3" idea is that they are focusing on something that's been around for YEARS in the console market and eons in the computer market.  No one is going to care if Nintendo holds up a big sign that says "OH GEEZ ONLIENS!" and acts like they invented the f*cking wheel.  

I mean, c'mon.  How fully fleshed out and well maintained is XBL?  Or, for that matter, something like Battlenet?  MMORPGs?

There's absolutely no point to showing off online capability unless it's something so...*cough* revolutionary that it's going to change the way online gaming works.  We'd have to be talking about something never seen before - ideas that no other developer, hardware or software, has implemented.  Showing me Animal Crossing online is a nice idea and all (something I'm very hyped for), but shoveling it onto me at the biggest game show in the world and calling it ice cream isn't going to cut it.  

Stop with this "copy us" mentality, please.  The Xbox 360 is essentially done.  The controller is set, the console is set.  We have specs for god's sake.  So even if Nintendo showed off something so outrageously awesome that other companies would froth at the mouth and quickly try to incorporate it, it would delay systems of their respective releases.  I can imagine Microsoft going "OMGS ZERGLINGRUSH" when Nintendo shows off something new and then tries to put it into their system, and backlog their release another 6 months.  Likewise, my guess is that the PS3 is further along in development than the Revolution.  So even Sony would be crazy to scale back development because "we gotta get r dun from Nintendo."  

I mean, hell, the Nintendo controller wasn't, and isn't, all that different from a Dualshock, and people hate the button layout.  The digital click was COMPELTELY underutilized.  But Nintendo thought they were giving us ambrosia.  The controller is nice, yes, but it wasn't something supremely evolved and Sony and Microsoft didn't even bother to copy it.  They just added more buttons, and as a result, some multiplatform games have more functions than the Gamecube copy (Beyond Good and Evil immediately comes to mind).  

There's a good side to holding back, but from a pure console wars mentality, it's ridiculous.  Nintendo can delay the system all they want, but at LEAST tell us what it can do.  Or at LEAST show us something that it can do.  We're all tired of waiting.  

C'mon Reggie.  Go kick some ass in Japan.  I'll pay for your ticket.

[zakkiel]

Caillan, I think it depends. Hype is (ha!) overrated at this point in the game. If Nintendo really believes it has a revolutionary product, it would make more sense to drop the bomb the following E3 and upstage Sony a few months before they release. They won't have to compete as much with Microsoft at the event, sicne MS will presumably just be announcing games, and they'll be able to seize attention from Sony simply by releasing a massive quantity of information at once. As well, Sony will be quite distracted trying to sustain interest in its system with Xbox 360 already out. And of course it will allow Nintendo to shamelessly steal whatever Sony and Microsoft announce this E3.

If Nintendo doesn't have a revolutionary product, if it's just the same thing, then getting in the massive showdown right now would gain them little to nothing. Doesn't matter if Nintendo demos the exactly the same thing Sony's got, the narrative for this E3 in the media is set.

As for fallng behind, when the hell did Sony finalize its design?

All that said, I don't believe it's all-or-nothing and can't imagine why Savior does. I'm sure Nintendo will give closed-door presentations and probably some kind of tech demo. I just think they'd be smarter to save most of the unique ideas they may have until they can show how it works as a finished bundle, until they can say to everyone: it's not a gimmick. Here are the playable demos that show you how it makes gaming more fun. And here are the demos showing you it can also take on PS3's games, no problem.  

[Ian Sane]

On one hand it is completely illogical to not show the Revolution at E3 but on the other hand "OMG they'll copy us!" is pretty damn Nintendo-like.

No one will steal Nintendo's idea for two reasons.  1. Sony and MS are showing off their consoles at E3.  They're DONE.  They CAN'T steal the idea with completely rehauling their designs and MS in particular doesn't have that much time.  2.  No one cares.  Everyone has counted Nintendo out and ignores them.  If Nintendo's idea is hugely successful it will be so right under Sony's and MS's noses.  I just think that Sony and MS are too damn arrogant to regard Nintendo's idea as a real threat.  They'll think it's worthless and won't realize it's greatness (if it has any) until it's too late.

And even if they do steal it the damage of not showing anything (or not enough) is far worse.  Nintendo has NO HYPE for the next console.  Most of the media doesn't even acknowledge Nintendo's existence anymore.  For all intents and purposes it's a two console race.  After E3 we'll know about the 360 and we'll know about the PS3.  The hype will be there and Nintendo just plain won't be noticed if they reveal the details later.  Nintendo has to prove everyone wrong and "DUH we got nothing" won't do that.  If anything it will just confirm that Nintendo is a non-factor in this coming generation.  Plus what ELSE are they going to focus on at E3?  It's not like there are a lot of Cube games down the pipeline.  Plus the Rev is supposed to launch before the PS3 so it might launch in the first half of 2006 so it doesn't have that much more time left to show things off.

Though Bill has a point in that Nintendo just plain might not have much to show.  They might not have enough finalized and they might not games far enough in design to be worth showing.  But the question is why not.  There's no excuse for them to not have anything solid ready yet.  If they've got nothing they've got nothing but that's unacceptable.  They're pretty much screwed if they don't have anything ready yet.

And if they do have something to show but don't people will assume it's because they have nothing to show.

[Zach]

While I would be disapointed if the rev is not shown I can see the reasoning, ninty has had a lot of stuff ripped off of them before, It would not be a very good thing if whatever the rev is doing that is unique, sony comes out with the same thing a month later.  I do think that they will at least show some video footage.

[Infernal Monkey]

Nintendo should be all "HERE'S THE REVOLUTION" and spin around on the stage. The crowd will all gasp and take out their Nokia 7003icu90 phones and use the camera function to take a photo of the Revolution all at once. "AARRR MY EYES" Reggie will scream, and BLOODBATH. All he has to do is fall into the crowd and the whole place will be sent to another dimension because it doesn't know what to do with such POWER.

In this new dimension, people won't get all obsessive and emotional about every bit of Nintendo news the internet spews out (OH CRAP THEY MIGHT NOT SHOW THEIR UNDIES AT E3, 18 PAGE WHINGE) and there will be a new Pilotwings game. It'll have all the old sound effects and some bananas.

[Mario]

I think perhaps we'll see a video of a game running on Revolution, but we'll say "wow I wonder how that is controlled" or something, but they won't tell us 'til a later date. Similar to what they did with Super Mario Sunshine how they showed Mario with the waterpack but didn't tell us what it was and what it did for until later. This way they WOULD create hype because message boards all over the world will be speculating wildly, while at the same time nobody can steal their idea.

[Caillan]

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Caillan, I think it depends. Hype is (ha!) overrated at this point in the game. If Nintendo really believes it has a revolutionary product, it would make more sense to drop the bomb the following E3 and upstage Sony a few months before they release.

That's something they could do if they were in Sony's position. Right now nobody takes much notice of them so it won't work.

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As for fallng behind, when the hell did Sony finalize its design?

I don't know if it's finalised. A few late tweaks can always be expected. But both Microsoft and Sony are showing off their consoles before E3, so they must be pretty close to completion.

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Um, what? It's the INTERFACE that's hasn't been finalized yet, not the hardware...

I'll take it that 'interface' is Nintendo's new buzz word for controller. If they've got the bulk of it done and are just wondering if they should add a mic or whatever, they should show it anyway. Why not? Ian pointed out why nobody's going to take their ideas, and it's not like the competition set to work on stealing Mario's waterpack from Sunshine. On the other hand, if they haven't got most of it done, they're behind.

[Savior]

Nintendos selling point is the interface and the gameplay

So it makes ZERO sense to show video clips and graphics, when Iwata has harked on and on on how these very same things dont matter

So really id like to see them show it, no one will copy them but if they wont show the selling point. DONT show it at all

[Mario]

Quote
Originally posted by: Savior
Nintendos selling point is the interface and the gameplay

So it makes ZERO sense to show video clips and graphics, when Iwata has harked on and on on how these very same things dont matter

So really id like to see them show it, no one will copy them but if they wont show the selling point. DONT show it at all

You make zero sense. They can show footage of a game and if it's new enough there'll be something different in the way it's played, and we'll be like "what?! how are they doing that?". I can't really speculate how they could do my idea because I have no idea what the Revolution is, but you get the idea of my idea, it's an example.

[Hostile Creation]

I don't know what all of you are talking about, companies have a long and prosperous history of copying virtually everything Nintendo does.  Like you can take Ian's word for fact.  Besides, he only said waterpack.  What if the Revolution is something companies want to steal?

[Savior]

If the controler is the new revolutionary idea, then thats what you have to show. Not the gameplay


Take Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

If you dont see people playing it with the Bongos, just see a clip of the game, would you know that its different? Or just another 2D DK plataformer?


The Next Xbox is done. Its going to be shown on the floor. Its too late for Microsoft to go into production and steal Nintendos ideas. So this paranoia, is just that. Paranoia