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IGNcube's Nintendo "Revolution" FAQ
Absolutely everything we currently know about the successor to
Nintendo's GameCube home console.
June 10, 2004 - Nintendo's GameCube console is far from dead, but that
hasn't stopped the company from announcing that it is underway with a
next-generation successor, codenamed "Revolution." The system, still
very much a mystery, has been given an appropriate codename if
Nintendo is to be believed: the publisher says that the console will
revolutionize the way people play games. No easy challenge, but if any
company can do it, Nintendo can.
To help keep readers informed about any and all developments
surrounding the Nintendo Revolution, IGNcube has created the end-all
FAQ for the console. The following information represents everything
we currently know about the machine.
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Q: What is the Nintendo Revolution?
A: The official codename for the successor to GameCube.
Q: How long has the Revolution been in development?
A: Preliminary development on Revolution began shortly after the
release of Nintendo GameCube.
Q: When was the Nintendo Revolution codename announced?
A:: On May 11, 2004 at Nintendo's pre-Electronics Entertainment Expo
2004 press conference, which took place in Los Angeles, California.
(The console had been tentatively referred to as "GCNext" by the press
before the unveiling of the official codename.)
Q: Who announced the codename Nintendo Revolution?
A: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. On stage at Nintendo's pre-E3 2004
press conference, Iwata said:
"Different also defines our approach to our next home system. It won't
simply be new or include new technologies. Better technology is good,
but not enough. Today's consoles already offer fairly realistic
expressions so simply beefing up the graphics will not let most of us
see a difference. So what should a new machine do? Much more. An
unprecedented gameplay experience. Something no other machine has
delivered before.
"The definition for a new machine must be different. I want you to
know that Nintendo is working on our next system and that system will
create a gaming revolution. Internal development is underway.
"I could give you our technical specs, as I'd know you'd like that,
but I won't for a simple reason: they really don't matter. The time
when horsepower alone made all the difference is over.
"Work on Revolution is well underway. When you see it you will be
excited because you will experience a gaming revolution."
Q: Will Revolution feature more powerful hardware than GameCube?
A: Yes.
Q: What are Revolution's technical specs?
A: Currently unknown.
Rumors abound indicated that Nintendo could separately be working on
two systems and that ultimately one would be chosen for retail. System
1 allegedly featured a 2.7GHz PowerPC G5 processor, 512MBs of RAM, and
a 600MHz graphics chip. System 2 allegedly featured dual 1.8GHz
PowerPC G5 processors. 256MBS of DDR Main Memory RAM, 128MBS of GDDR3
Video RAM and a 500MHz graphics chip. Both systems allegedly featured
a built in 15GB hard drive. As of this time, these rumors cannot be
validated.
Q: How will Revolution be unique?
A: That is the big question. The console is codenamed Revolution for a
reason: Nintendo expects it to be revolutionary. The system will,
according to Nintendo, fundamentally change how games are played --
literally. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said in recent
interviews that the dual-screened Nintendo DS offers a hint of what to
expect from Revolution. DS players can use a stylus pen to input
control data into the portable device. It's very possible that
Revolution may feature similar functionality.
Nintendo believes that technology alone cannot advance videogames,
which is why it plans to take Revolution into a dramatic new
direction.
Iwata in June 2004 described Revolution as a videogame machine "of a
different nature that does not follow the conventional path of new
game systems that increase speed and visual quality for making
elaborate games." He added: "The rule of satisfying customers by
increasing specifications worked once, but no longer applies now."
Q: Will Revolution feature screens on the console or the controller?
A: No. At a June 2004 analyst briefing in Japan, Nintendo president
Satoru Iwata said: We have no intention of making a two screen console
akin to the [Nintendo] DS."
Q: Will Revolution hook up to a television?
A: Yes. It will also be able to interface with a computer monitor. In
June 2004 Nintendo engineer Genyo Takeda said: "You'll be able to play
[Revolution] not just by linking up to a television but to a computer
monitor as well."
Q: Will Revolution go online?
A: Currently unknown. Nintendo continues to stress that it does not
yet believe in an online gaming model from a business standpoint.
However, the company at E3 2004 announced that its portable device
Nintendo DS would be able to go online using 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi
wireless capabilities. The company may seek to offer a similar option
for Revolution owners.
Q: Who are Nintendo's hardware partners on Revolution?
A: During the course of the last two years, several major hardware
companies have been linked to Revolution including IBM, ATI, and NEC.
In December 2002 Bloomberg reported that Nintendo had agreed to
collaborate with NEC on a system LSI that would serve as the core for
the new console.
Just a few months later GameCube graphics chip maker ATI announced a
vague "technology development agreement" for use in future "Nintendo
products." Unconfirmed reports from insiders alleged that ATI had been
in development with the graphics chip for Revolution well before that
announcement.
And several unsubstantiated rumors have suggested that IBM will
deliver a modified version of its PowerPC G5 processor for Revolution.
Q: When will Revolution be released?
A: "If you're asking for a specific date for our next system -- we
don't have one. Nintendo is going to remain competitive and will
launch around the same time as competitors… not later than," said
Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs in a May
2004 interview. This is the same line other Nintendo executives,
including company president Satoru Iwata, have said for months.
Nintendo feels that its inability to bring GameCube to market before
PlayStation 2 gave Sony an advantage that it could never overcome. For
that reason, Nintendo will not launch Revolution after PlayStation 3.
Revolution will launch sometime in 2006.
Q: How much will Revolution cost?
A:: Currently unknown. But we feel confident that Nintendo will aim
for a mass-market friendly price on the lower side of the spectrum.
Q: When will Nintendo reveal more about Revolution?
A: At the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2005, which begins May 2005
in Los Angeles.
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IGNcube will update the Revolution FAQ with new information as it
becomes available. Tune in next week when we take a look at the
next-generation console's software partners and key franchises.
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ATI/IBM hardware - good
SEGA games - good
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