Topic: Revolution Web browsing confirmed

[Requiem]

Linky

Revmote browsing? Hell yes!

[Mario]

Interesting... but to me it seems pointless.

I imagine the only places you can get internet on Revolution is near your internet connection. What's the point of surfing the net on your TV when your PC is right next to it, or just in the other room? I can't think of a reason I would use this.

[UncleBob]

Because daddy is using the computer for pr0n.

[KDR_11k]

More functionality means more complex firmware means more likely to be flashable means more likely to get new online features later (like game downloads that don't use any of the emulators).

[JonLeung]

Quote
Originally posted by: Mario
Interesting... but to me it seems pointless.

I imagine the only places you can get internet on Revolution is near your internet connection. What's the point of surfing the net on your TV when your PC is right next to it, or just in the other room? I can't think of a reason I would use this.

I say the same thing about Xbox games..."why would I need an Xbox when all the best games are available on the PC and I can hook up mine to my TV?"  

This is not that pointless for some people.  If multiple people in the household use the Internet, it's one more place you can access it if someone tends to hog the computer.  The hardware is all in place (I think), so if you buy a Revolution anyway, but don't happen to be playing Revolution games (or other Nintendo games) at a particular moment, you have that option.  The controller works smoothly like a mouse so it'll be natural.

I didn't read the link yet, but assuming the hardware is all there, then hurrah!  If there are extra hardware requirements it may be a different story, but in the case of the DS, I don't mind.

EDIT: Now that I did read the link, especially the part about purchasing it, well, it would depend on how much it is and if it's a one-time fee or subscription-based.  If it's a one-time fee, I would probably get it.  The convenience is there for it to be worth some of my dollars.

[wandering]

http://www.nintendogal.com/index.php?/archives/549-Revolution-To-Have-Web-Surfing.html

^that's the original sorce. This is from an NOA phone line, not an official announcement, so take it with a grain of salt.

Still, though, excellent news if true.

[BranDonk Kong]

It would actually be pretty cool, but really only if there is some type of keyboard released along with it, since a mouse would be 100% pointless.

[UncleBob]

Perhaps I'll finally be able to use my two GCN Keyboards for something besides the Action Replay?

[animecyberrat]

theoreticaly shouldnt you be able to use any standard USB keyboard? I mean tehres plenty of keyoiads around that either use the USB port or adaptors that let you use it.

Also this, if true, is just one more reason to beleive Rev CAN be a big hit, its one more feature the copmetitors wont have. MS wont let Xbox become a PC because that will hurt thier relations with PC makers. Sony on the other had arent smart enough to do anything right as fr as online goes so theres no reason to beieve that they will offer something liek this, considering they are trying to copy cat Live anyways.


This would be cool for me especialy since we only have 1 pc rigth now and 3 peopel wanting on it all the time.  

[Spak-Spang]

I really think this could be cool.  It would help alot of people purchase the Revolution.  Think about it, most people only have one computer to go online.  If you can use WIFI and go online with your television it would be a safer way to allow your kids to go online.  Your kids in the living room are going to have a much harder time seeing things they are not supposed to.

[thejeek]

Any additional function like this can only be good really - it's one more tick in a box in the features list on the packaging if nothing else.

Whether it's actually useful in practice will depend on the quality of the interface though, and I'm not sure I'd like to have to buy anything extra (e.g. keyboard) to use it.

Assuming it doesn't require an extra keyboard then I can see myself using it if the Rev controller works well enough as a mouse.

[JonLeung]

The keyboard would have to be wireless.

When I had my computer hooked up to my 57" TV, I was pretty much dependent on a wireless keyboard and mouse.  You can't have a big TV and be tethered to a keyboard, forcing you to be right up against the screen.  Any keyboard is better than no keyboard, though.

Though maybe they won't care about wireless keyboards if they think people aren't investing in widescreen HD-ready TVs...  

[BiLdItUp1]

Hmm...I feel like webbrowsing on a TV is pointless, unless that TV is HD (which the rev can't do) or the text is ridiculously big. Ah well, a feature's a feature, no complaints.

[Artimus]

This is NOT confirmed. Someone on the public phone line is definitely not a confirmation.

[thejeek]

I was wondering if a browser might be a security risk - even if it's quite locked down it's probably easier to exploit than savefiles etc. since to be any use it'll have to implement JavaScript and DOM and probably Flash - all of which seem vunerable and the PSP browser was quickly hacked.

For a company like Nintendo that takes copy protection very seriously, a browser could be an easy way in for people who want to crack the system.

[UncleBob]

Quote
Originally posted by: JonLeung
The keyboard would have to be wireless.

When I had my computer hooked up to my 57" TV, I was pretty much dependent on a wireless keyboard and mouse.  You can't have a big TV and be tethered to a keyboard, forcing you to be right up against the screen.  Any keyboard is better than no keyboard, though.

Though maybe they won't care about wireless keyboards if they think people aren't investing in widescreen HD-ready TVs...  

Perhaps a keyboard attachment for the Revolution's Remote?

[Ceric]

Nintendo also knows when to let things go in that department.  Take the Gamecube for example.  No one has viably hacked the discs really and there is supposedly a way to use the Network adapter to stream over games, which I would love to know how to do (I have the network adapter).  Those things were hard.  Then you get to the region protection.  I've seen what it looks like in there for that.  In fact Nintendo could have only made it easier by either putting the switch in themselves or having an official diagram.  They had jumpers for goodness sakes.  Also if that wasn't enough they didn't block doing it with software.  No weirdness or anything.  That makes it even easier.

I could see them turn around and be like, if you want to turn your Rev into a Linux box go right ahead but the VC won't work anymore.  Go about there business.

[thejeek]

I admit that Nintendo seem to know their stuff when it comes to securing the hardware but this is high-risk and high-stakes: the danger is that you'll have account information (for buying games online) and saved game products (already bought) in the Revolutions internal flash memory - this means that if the system is exploited then your account could be compromised (if it's an external attack, from the net) or Nintendo's downloadable game content could be stolen (if you yourself crack the system). I can't see them wanting this to happen and a fully functional web browser is clearly hard to secure (both Firefox + IE have exploits documented regularly)

EDIT: spelling
 

[Nosferat2]

Quote
Originally posted by: Mario
Interesting... but to me it seems pointless.

I imagine the only places you can get internet on Revolution is near your internet connection. What's the point of surfing the net on your TV when your PC is right next to it, or just in the other room? I can't think of a reason I would use this.

Why surf the web on your 17 inch screen while sitting at a desk, when you can surf the web on a 50-65 inch screen, while laying on your bed or couch?  

[Strell]

Quote
Originally posted by: Nosferat2

Quote


Why surf the web on your 17 inch screen while sitting at a desk, when you can surf the web on a 50-65 inch screen, while laying on your bed or couch?

Cuz unless your TV is HDTV, the text will be all blurry and crappy.

[animecyberrat]

it kinda reminds me of webtv, that stuff sucked really bad. I am having second thoughts if it will go well but if its a feature nobody else has then it will be a selling point to those who are into which system has the best features. I can see the sale person explaining it to a 40 year old man that its not just a game system it also works a s dvd player and lets your bowse the internet. That will sell to the non gamer crowd I think.  

[odifiend]

And yet his point somehow still remains...

[kirby_killer_dedede]

Quote
Originally posted by: wandering
http://www.nintendogal.com/index.php?/archives/549-Revolution-To-Have-Web-Surfing.html

^that's the original sorce. This is from an NOA phone line, not an official announcement, so take it with a grain of salt.

Still, though, excellent news if true.

This wouldn't be the first time a phone operator leaked news, an Australian one leaked news about the USB WiFi connector months before the official announcement.

[hudsonhawk]

One of the best features about the Dreamcast was the web browser.  That's not because the web browser was any good - it wasn't, for the record - but because you could easily download game saves off the internet.

I'm sure some purists and developers hate this (judging by how many companies lock their savegames on the original Xbox), but it was a really nice way to skip the tedious unlocking necessary to make some games fun (Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, I'm looking in your general direction).

[UncleBob]

Quote
Originally posted by: Strell
Cuz unless your TV is HDTV, the text will be all blurry and crappy.

There's text on this-here interweb thing?  I thought it was only for those pictures.... (.)(.)