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[DrGAKMAN]

I for one didn't ask for controller innovation. I'm just fine with the Xbox 360 controller and PS3 controller as they are.

If Revolution pulls of some kind of miracle, hey good for Nintendo. Maybe I will enjoy it. If it turns out like crap then I don't have to buy it and I still have two other consoles to look at. HD on the other hand I know I like and I know I want in my movies and gaming.

Already I got a "Because I don't want things to change" responce.

Not pointing at Ponn01 specifically but I think there's this anti-Revolution thing going 'cos alot of you who don't want the current set-up to change. It's like some of you are really afraid that this could be Nintendo's turning around point and that they really could damage the mighty PlayStation standerd. FEAR.

I, likewise, could say I don't wanna have to buy a new TV to be able to fully enjoy new games. Eventually I, and everyone else will have a HDTV, but this is more a marketting ploy to sell the new Windows OS & Sony TV and (what I really dislike) a next-generation (yet undecided) disc format. I'm sorry, I don't have alot of money and I'm glad Nintendo stayed out of the BR vs HD-DVD war.

I know I'm in the minority for saying I don't want/need a new OS/TV/disc format "HD era" BS, but that's just on this internet forum...In the REAL WORLD I think alot more of the general public will be just as slow moving towards this magical "HD era" that all these CE giants, Hollywood Studios & corperate fatcats want us to burn our money on.

Alot of you are already typing responces showing me how big of an idiot I am for my contempt for this change/improvements to the "HD era" to which I respond:

"Why do you fear change/improvements in controller interface???"

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

All the fanboys clinging to the hope that the Revolution is still going to be some uber-powerful beast are in for some serious disappointment. It's not happening, it flies in face of EVERYTHING we know about the machine.

Don't be too disappointed though, after all the most powerful machine has only ever won a generation once in the history of videogames, and that was the SNES, and even then only just.

And even then SNES had a slower CPU and lower standard resolution than the Genesis.

 

[Ponn]

Already I got a "Because I don't want things to change" responce.

Not pointing at Ponn01 specifically but I think there's this anti-Revolution thing going 'cos alot of you who don't want the current set-up to change. It's like some of you are really afraid that this could be Nintendo's turning around point and that they really could damage the mighty PlayStation standerd. FEAR.

I, likewise, could say I don't wanna have to buy a new TV to be able to fully enjoy new games. Eventually I, and everyone else will have a HDTV, but this is more a marketting ploy to sell the new Windows OS & Sony TV and (what I really dislike) a next-generation (yet undecided) disc format. I'm sorry, I don't have alot of money and I'm glad Nintendo stayed out of the BR vs HD-DVD war.

I know I'm in the minority for saying I don't want/need a new OS/TV/disc format "HD era" BS, but that's just on this internet forum...In the REAL WORLD I think alot more of the general public will be just as slow moving towards this magical "HD era" that all these CE giants, Hollywood Studios & corperate fatcats want us to burn our money on.

Alot of you are already typing responces showing me how big of an idiot I am for my contempt for this change/improvements to the "HD era" to which I respond:

"Why do you fear change/improvements in controller interface???"

Again, it's unproven innovation. How can you hype something that you haven't even tried yet? If it works, great for Nintendo. Why must you be insistent that everyone do the same though and criticize them for it? The difference with that and HD is HD is a known good thing. There is absolutely no reason not to switch to HD if you have the chance. It's a proven thing.

 

[SnakeXs]

Again, it's unproven innovation. How can you hype something that you haven't even tried yet? If it works, great for Nintendo. Why must you be insistent that everyone do the same though and criticize them for it? The difference with that and HD is HD is a known good thing. There is absolutely no reason not to switch to HD if you have the chance. It's a proven thing.

On the converse, why doubt it when so little is known? "It" doesn't appeal to you (general you, not you you) doesn't work when so little is known about how it will be used in gameplay, and all anyone is basing this off of is totally false ideas of a gameplay style + Revmote, and just anti-N "I don't wanna be flapping my arms around thanks".

 

[Ponn]

On the converse, why doubt it when so little is known? "It" doesn't appeal to you (general you, not you you) doesn't work when so little is known about how it will be used in gameplay, and all anyone is basing this off of is totally false ideas of a gameplay style + Revmote, and just anti-N "I don't wanna be flapping my arms around thanks".

I can doubt it with my experience with past similar controller schemes. That is my opinion and i'm not going to debate it tonight, you just have to live with that. But then again i'm not the one trying to criticize all console makers for not going with an unproven controller innovation either, now am I

 

[DrGAKMAN]

I couldn't think of a great answer to your question.

MS and Sony haven't been criticized for not doing anything with their control interfaces because no one cares.

Both have a console. Each has games, online, and media capabilities.

Will unconventional control schemes really make an impact when there are 10x as many games on another console?

Keep in mind that among those games will be titles like Guitar Hero, Katamari Damacy, and Gitaroo Man.

Those are non-traditional games, right? So why criticize Sony or MS for not pushing the boundaries of control and gameplay when developers are every bit as capable of creating innovation on their console.

And with more developers and a larger userbase, unique and interesting titles are just as likely to appear on the PS3 or Xbox 360.

That's assuming things stay the same and that Nintendo's new approach won't boost their userbase and thusly their support. Reamins to be seen, I know, but you're still making assumptions based on current general perception...perception that I think will change/improve and not just 'cos Nintendo's going for a radically different interface.

My overall "point" was to try to see a means to an end of this HD vs lack of HD crap, but I guess that's asking too much of GAF. I just don't understand why people complain SO much about the no HD thing. We get it, most people wanted HD waaa waaa waaa, crying about the lack of it won't make it suddenly appeal on Revolution. The system is CHEAP and it's SMALL and most likely Nintendo is trying to make a point of avoid HD 'cos they want Revolution to be DIFFERENT. And even if Revolution was announced to have HD tomorrow you guys would find something else to complain about *and* you'd probably deny such an announcement 'cos you want to be on the "where were you when Revolution failed and killed Nintendo" bandwagon.

Like I said, some people just love to complain just for the sake of complaining.

/end of argument

 

[SnakeXs]

I can doubt it with my experience with past similar controller schemes. That is my opinion and i'm not going to debate it tonight, you just have to live with that. But then again i'm not the one trying to criticize all console makers for not going with an unproven controller innovation either, now am I

I'm simply saying that if it's ok to bah something for what it is/isn't, and state that that's ok, it should be ok to post the opposite, and be ok with it.

 

[SnakeXs]

That's assuming things stay the same and that Nintendo's new approach won't boost their userbase and thusly their support. Reamins to be seen, I know, but you're still making assumptions based on current general perception...perception that I think will change/improve and not just 'cos Nintendo's going for a radically different interface.

My overall "point" was to try to see a means to an end of this HD vs lack of HD crap, but I guess that's asking too much of GAF. I just don't understand why people complain SO much about the no HD thing. We get it, most people wanted HD waaa waaa waaa, crying about the lack of it won't make it suddenly appeal on Revolution. The system is CHEAP and it's SMALL and most likely Nintendo is trying to make a point of avoid HD 'cos they want Revolution to be DIFFERENT. And even if Revolution was announced to have HD tomorrow you guys would find something else to complain about *and* you'd probably deny such an announcement 'cos you want to be on the "where were you when Revolution failed and killed Nintendo" bandwagon.

Like I said, some people just love to complain just for the sake of complaining.

/end of argument

While I'm not arguing with you by any means, there's 2 reasons for this.

For one, Nintendo Revolution can still be Revolution, with HD. It's not what Nintendo thinks is right, but it would still be what it is, a different way to play, with HD capabilities.

On the other hand, Sony/MS can't possibly release there's WITHOUT HD. Simple as that.

Reason #2? All the Nintendo love around here, obviously.

Spoiler

Sarcasm for #2, obviously...

 

[Ponn]

I'm simply saying that if it's ok to bah something for what it is/isn't, and state that that's ok, it should be ok to post the opposite, and be ok with it.

I'm not bashing it (if thats what you meant to type). I'm doubtful of it (don't be drawn into that fanboy realm of absolutes you either love it or hate it). I know I love the current controller schemes though, so why would I criticize 2 console makers for not following with an unproven controller innovation? Do you honestly think that makes sense? If it doesn't pan out wouldn't you want a console or two you could fall back on? Be honest here, think about what you're trying to say for a minute.

 

[SnakeXs]

I'm not bashing it (if thats what you meant to type). I'm doubtful of it (don't be drawn into that fanboy realm of absolutes you either love it or hate it). I know I love the current controller schemes though, so why would I criticize 2 console makers for not following with an unproven controller innovation? Do you honestly think that makes sense? If it doesn't pan out wouldn't you want a console or two you could fall back on? Be honest here, think about what you're trying to say for a minute.

I'm s aying by being critical of something, you should be open minded. Prior devices is a moot point, as nothing has been the same, then again with high quality software built around it. It's ok to be doubtful, and say you're fine with what you have, but what harm does it do to be open minded? Like I said before, it could very well flop, but it could also create a new, different outlet for games. Nobody loses.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

Again, it's unproven innovation. How can you hype something that you haven't even tried yet? If it works, great for Nintendo. Why must you be insistent that everyone do the same though and criticize them for it? The difference with that and HD is HD is a known good thing. There is absolutely no reason not to switch to HD if you have the chance. It's a proven thing.

#1- I'm not insulting anyone who doesn't like the "waggle wand"
#2- I'm not insulting anyone who wants HDTV gaming

Those are just presumptous claims from someone who's viewing me as the a-typical diehard Nintendo fan. I'm level-headed, I have no problem with people not wanting new controllers or people who want the "HD era". What I'm just trying to point out is that some of us are a lil' bored with gaming and the new interface intrigues us with it's possibilities. And some of us also don't believe in the "HD era" nor do we have the money for it...eventually yes...but I'm certainly not gonna claim that's Nintendo's undoing 'cos they're waiting 'til next generation to do it.

 

[R-User!]

Nintendo is using a different strategy than Sony and Microsoft. For Nintendo the key isn´t the HD era is the FreeStyle controller and they need to put down the Revolution Specs for to create hype for the FreeStyle.

You just triggered a series of thoughts about the potential name of the Revolution (assuming they don't change it from that...).

You said "FreeStyle Controller", which made me think about the fact that you Capitalized the S in "FreeStyle", which led to the approximate series of thoughts that I had after reading your reply to this thread.

Here are my series of thoughts:

"Hmm. FreeStyle...

...Makes sense... ...you move it around in a "Free Style" way (motion wise, compared to our 20+ years of wired controllers)... and, Nintendo IS focusing on their Controller "Revolutionizing" games, so it would make sense for them give their console a name that reflects their focus... ...or not...

...Hmm... Nintendo FS...

...NFS...

...NES!...

NES...
NFS...

Nintendo FreeStyle System!!

...It "all" "adds up"..... hmm I wonder if it'll actually turn up that way...
...ahhh, I'll just have to wait a few more months or less....."


NDS
NES
NFS

so with this 'logic', the next MAJOR console or handheld to be released, may have letters "G" and "S" as part of its name... or they'll do some other shit, and I just wasted precious minutes of my life that I could have used to play a game or something......

 

[DrGAKMAN]

For one, Nintendo Revolution can still be Revolution, with HD. It's not what Nintendo thinks is right, but it would still be what it is, a different way to play, with HD capabilities.

Here's a different topic I can bite. If Revolution had HD that would more likely mean:
-people would find something else to whine about regardless
-people would still believe Revolution as the weaker of the 3 'cos it's made by Kidtendo
-it would up costs of the system, which ups the cost to me...fvck Nick Cannon, I'm broke bitch
-it would just lead to half-assed ports with last-minute revmote additions...just like with GCN
-less games would use the interface more fully 'cos the system would be just a PlayStation wanabe with a different controller as an afterthought
-"exclussives" wouldn't stay exclussive yet again
-Nintendo's focus on new ways to play may be lost in the sea of balancing graphics/gameplay

As it currently stands, the Revolution sorta forces developers to focus on it rather than try to cash in on half-assed ports. Also, Nintendo's aim is to get more casuals/non-gamers/drop-out gamers into Revolution...these people could care less about HD/specs, this allows Nintendo to again focus on new ways to play as well as reaching out to these people with a cheaper system. Since it isn't mega-uber-powerful, this makes games easier/cheaper/faster to make and again makes developers focus on the interface & gameplay as a way to sell the games, not graphics. On standerd TV's I seriously doubt many people will tell the difference between the systems.

Revolution will most likely end up with less games from outside companies...BUT...the games will be unique to the system due to it being so different than the competing platforms.

 

[Ponn]

I'm s aying by being critical of something, you should be open minded. Prior devices is a moot point, as nothing has been the same, then again with high quality software built around it. It's ok to be doubtful, and say you're fine with what you have, but what harm does it do to be open minded? Like I said before, it could very well flop, but it could also create a new, different outlet for games. Nobody loses.

I think you should re-read what I posted in reply to with Dr. Gakmans wondering why other console makers weren't being criticized for going with new innovations. If it did flop, and everyone had went with it or something else new, then yea people would be losing. We are in a situation where that won't happen and we can still be open minded and try it. We are actually in agreement I believe, there just seems to be a communication error.

#1- I'm not insulting anyone who doesn't like the "waggle wand"
#2- I'm not insulting anyone who wants HDTV gaming

eh? Didn't say you were insulting anyone, please don't quote me to make it look like I was saying that.

Those are just presumptous claims from someone who's viewing me as the a-typical diehard Nintendo fan.

eh, didn't say that either.

I'm level-headed, I have no problem with people not wanting new controllers or people who want the "HD era".

hmm..funny then what set this all off was your statement of

If you truly worried about "the future" of games so badly why aren't you equally bitching about Sony & MS's ~LACK~ of controller interface changes/innovations?

What I'm just trying to point out is that some of us are a lil' bored with gaming and the new interface intrigues us with it's possibilities. And some of us also don't believe in the "HD era" nor do we have the money for it...eventually yes...but I'm certainly not gonna claim that's Nintendo's undoing 'cos they're waiting 'til next generation to do it.

That's fine, if you "don't believe in the HD era". You don't have to. If you "fear" the change of better picture you can stick with your SD tv. If you do switch over though the point is the only things thats going to change is you will get a better picture.

No one knows what were are getting with the Revolution controller yet though so is it really that far fetched to not be criticizing Sony or MS for going in the same direction? If you are questioning HD just go into a Best Buy or Circuit City to see the difference. Until I get a Revolution controller in my hand though i'm going to enjoy what I got and know if it truly turns out to be the almighty sent from god control scheme then I can pick up a Revolution. Aight? Aight.

 

[SnakeXs]

Here's a different topic I can bite. If Revolution had HD that would more likely mean:
-people would find something else to whine about regardless
-people would still believe Revolution as the weaker of the 3 'cos it's made by Kidtendo
-it would up costs of the system, which ups the cost to me...fvck Nick Cannon, I'm broke bitch
-it would just lead to half-assed ports with last-minute revmote additions...just like with GCN
-less games would use the interface more fully 'cos the system would be just a PlayStation wanabe with a different controller as an afterthought
-"exclussives" wouldn't stay exclussive yet again
-Nintendo's focus on new ways to play may be lost in the sea of balancing graphics/gameplay

As it currently stands, the Revolution sorta forces developers to focus on it rather than try to cash in on half-assed ports. Also, Nintendo's aim is to get more casuals/non-gamers/drop-out gamers into Revolution...these people could care less about HD/specs, this allows Nintendo to again focus on new ways to play as well as reaching out to these people with a cheaper system. Since it isn't mega-uber-powerful, this makes games easier/cheaper/faster to make and again makes developers focus on the interface & gameplay as a way to sell the games, not graphics. On standerd TV's I seriously doubt many people will tell the difference between the systems.

Revolution will most likely end up with less games from outside companies...BUT...the games will be unique to the system due to it being so different than the competing platforms.

I've understoof that for almost a year now, and agree with you 100% on every point (Except cost. I'd easily pay $50-100 for Revolution with the same visual capabilities, +HD [ie not at the cost of general power that it gained from lacking HD], without the negatives you mentioned). If only "they" understood that.

 

[TAJ]

>>>There are *far* more important things to be improved upon, before just mere resolution.
The only reason it is touted as much as it is, is because it is an easy and straight forward thing to do. Trouble is it takes bandwidth, shaderpower and RAM away from more important things, like textures, geometry and AA.<<<

Yeah, 1280X720 takes more bandwidth, but when that bandwidth is coming out of a completely seperate 256GB per second pool, who cares?
As for freeing up RAM, the difference between 480p and 720p is only going to be significant if the amount of RAM is as small as on Rev, lol.
Even Xbox, with less than an eighth as much RAM as 360, had 720p games.
Where Rev is really hosed is the CPU. Lower resolution will do jack shit to make up for that deficit.

 

[anachronous_one]

You just triggered a series of thoughts about the potential name of the Revolution (assuming they don't change it from that...).

You said "FreeStyle Controller", which made me think about the fact that you Capitalized the S in "FreeStyle", which led to the approximate series of thoughts that I had after reading your reply to this thread.

Here are my series of thoughts:

"Hmm. FreeStyle...

...Makes sense... ...you move it around in a "Free Style" way (motion wise, compared to our 20+ years of wired controllers)... and, Nintendo IS focusing on their Controller "Revolutionizing" games, so it would make sense for them give their console a name that reflects their focus... ...or not...

...Hmm... Nintendo FS...

...NFS...

...NES!...

NES...
NFS...

Nintendo FreeStyle System!!

...It "all" "adds up"..... hmm I wonder if it'll actually turn up that way...
...ahhh, I'll just have to wait a few more months or less....."


NDS
NES
NFS

so with this 'logic', the next MAJOR console or handheld to be released, may have letters "G" and "S" as part of its name...

. . . damn . . . just . . . DAMN.

... or they'll do some other shit, and I just wasted precious minutes of my life that I could have used to play a game or something......

Let me confirm that not only did you waste precious minutes of your life developing and recording this hypothesis, but you have robbed --- and will continue to rob --- unsuspecting forum members of precious seconds and/or minutes of their life as they read your transcription.

I want my 15 seconds back. NOW.

:lol

 

[Juice]

Ugh, to the people railing on the guy making the SD quote, this is what he was trying to say:

Regarding 4:3 SDTVs:
*As of 2005, Game Consoles
-Do not look photo-realistic, do not convince the viewer they're the real life images they emulate.
-Source: Real-time renderings; Bottleneck: Real-time Renderings
*As of 2005, TV programs
-Are certainly not as pretty as running in HDTV, but they successfully suspend our disbelief.
-Source: perfectly photorealistic; Bottleneck: Display device

So obviously, if your goal is to suspend people's disbelief, amping up the resolution is the LAST thing you want to do, because it'll just show all the imperfections in the artwork. That's just what art is, a man-made replication of real life. However, the more limited the output device, the more likely we'll be able to be convinced the generated output is real due to two things:
-The fact that photorealistic video less resembles reality
-Less hardware power is necessary to render it real-time

I mean, go find some amazing source video of a game trying to look realistic and then some TV show or something and output it in a 1" square frame. It's far more likely the game will come closer to convincing you it looks like real life than it would blown up on a huge screen at a high resolution /low dpi.

What he was trying to say was that if developers worked at the same resolution indefinitely, they'd actually be able to definitely approach realism. Every time you raise the resolution, you reset a certain amount of believability because of the needed horsepower and improved art.

So many of you are so quick to argue against anything that isn't a complete HD whore that you don't even follow the simple logic of scaling technologies to maximize immersion. That's what the kid was talking about. Take off your "HD R0x" goggles for two seconds and you'd see that.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

Guess what this mainly comes down to is I can't afford an HDTV nor a $300+ console.

If you can fine, but why criticize Nintendo for not doing it? It's really rediculous to do that when A) you can't change it & B) that's not their focus. When I was saying why don't people blast MS/Sony for the lack of interface innovation, my point wasn't literal...it was more about it being rediculous to complain about something that A) you can't change & B) that's not their focus. See the theme here?

Instead of focussing on the negative of Nintendo's lack of HD (which alot of GAFers seem to be doing) why not focus on the possitive that Nintendo's doing something different? Likewise, instead of focusing on the negative that MS/Sony aren't trying to change things (something nobody's doing, hence the hypocracy) why not focus on what makes their next generation systems great?

 

[the androgyne]

Has it been stated that revolutions lack of HD will DEFINITELY be because of a lack of power?

I mean, considering SC2 on Xbox can run in 720p, is it reasonable to assume GCx2 (for the sake of argument) would easily be able to run 720p IF it wanted to?

I'm just not sold on the fact that the hardware won't be powerful enough IF someone wanted to run in 720p. Would they go to the trouble of disabling the ability to go that high? It sounds more like it will just be a recommendation that games must be 480p, but don't have to be 720p.

(just so you know, i'm in Australia where we dont even have 720p AFAIK, it's just 576p, and HDTV is virtually non-existant and i won't have one for a good 5 years probably.. so it's not like this matters to me, so i'm clearly not a "HOPER" in that regard, just observing )

 

[gamergirly]

Companies typically target the broadest audience. In Nintendo's case, it'll be the audience that doesnt have a HDTV or probably doesnt even know what it does :lol. Something like that isnt going to change anytime soon, it'll take years for it to affect the mainstream enough to a point of where it'll be a "deciding" factor in marketshare.

Microsoft and Sony might be laying down the foundations for this transition to occur, but the reality is that that transition depends on several factors, some of which are independent of the gaming industry: income and media perception(brand perception alas).

Income because no matter how much a person wants something, it all comes down to money. Whether they can budget or afford it. Word of mouth and advertising gets your product out there, but the price is the determining factor. Secondly, media perception because for those who arent informed or some who are very caught up in the here and now(whats popular and whats not) that's going to be a huge factor in for them. To the point of where it almost doesnt matter if a console is more powerful(PS2 vs Xbox) or a brand is more known(Japan's tradeoffs of PSP vs DS), people will buy a certain brand as long as the media(including advertising and news reports) touts that.

 

[commissar]

Has it been stated that revolutions lack of HD will DEFINITELY be because of a lack of power?

I mean, considering SC2 on Xbox can run in 720p, is it reasonable to assume GCx2 (for the sake of argument) would easily be able to run 720p IF it wanted to?

I'm just not sold on the fact that the hardware won't be powerful enough IF someone wanted to run in 720p. Would they go to the trouble of disabling the ability to go that high? It sounds more like it will just be a recommendation that games must be 480p, but don't have to be 720p.)

If I recall correctly, the Xbox used a more expensive TV converter dongle in the box than the PS2 or GC had, which could account for the increased output range.

Then again, it could be they made the Xbox so it could output 720p anyway.

In any case, I seem to reall hearing the Rev will have pc monitor support out of box, just like the Xbox360 & PS3. Does anyone know about this or am I a victim of internet rumour?

Because in that case, assuming Nintendo don't lock the GPU to output at specific resolutions, the Rev could in theory do HD, as a lot of HDTVs have the monitor inputs.
Which would be awesome if it were up to developers

 

[the androgyne]

Which would be awesome if it were up to developers

This wouldn't surprise me hey - everything they're doing points to under-promising and over-delivering on all fronts (price/specs/features)

 

[DrGAKMAN]

If I recall correctly, the Xbox used a more expensive TV converter dongle in the box than the PS2 or GC had, which could account for the increased output range.

Then again, it could be they made the Xbox so it could output 720p anyway.

In any case, I seem to reall hearing the Rev will have pc monitor support out of box, just like the Xbox360 & PS3. Does anyone know about this or am I a victim of internet rumour?

Because in that case, assuming Nintendo don't lock the GPU to output at specific resolutions, the Rev could in theory do HD, as a lot of HDTVs have the monitor inputs.
Which would be awesome if it were up to developers

You're not crazy. One of the FIRST things announced for the system was the fact that it could output to a PC monitor out of the box. Nothing has been said about this feature since then, BUT recently there was a Nintendo book revealing the back of the system which had 3 holes for connections,. The first 2 are obviously for power & digital output, but the 3RD, I believe, will be for an SVGA output.

Now I'm not "keeping the hope alive" or nothin', but if the system is gonna be GCN X2 or X3 then that would most likely mean it could do HiDef resolutions as even the original X-BOX could do 720p. Is Nintendo downplaying the power of Revolution for the shock'n'awe effect or are they saying that they themselves are only going for 480p or are they pretty much putting a hardware cap (limitation) at 480p for all games?

Here's a theory about Nintendo's inclusion of PC monitor support. In AUS, EUR & ASIA the HD movement is sorta slow...however, alot more people in these territories (as well as here in the America's) own PC's which run at higher resolutions than SDTV so maybe Nintendo wants to give higher resolution games to people who already own PC's instead of going straight to HDTV. No special cable required to hook-up your Revolution to a PC monitor either since it has the SVGA port built in. In fact, as Tisan said, there's alot of HDTV's that take SVGA signals so that could be Nintendo's answer.

 

[AndoCalrissian]

You're not crazy. One of the FIRST things announced for the system was the fact that it could output to a PC monitor out of the box. Nothing has been said about this feature since then, BUT recently there was a Nintendo book revealing the back of the system which had 3 holes for connections,. The first 2 are obviously for power & digital output, but the 3RD, I believe, will be for an SVGA output.

The 3rd hole is for the USB slots. And I don't think they ever said it would hook up to a PC monitor out of the box, just that it could hook up to a monitor. Besides, that was announced a long, long time ago and nothing has been said about it since. They might have dropped that idea, but if it's still in their minds I imagine you will just have to buy a different cable or adaptor.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

This wouldn't surprise me hey - everything they're doing points to under-promising and over-delivering on all fronts (price/specs/features)

Yeah, they already did it a couple of times with the NDS & Zelda. Up to E3 2004 Nintendo was saying that maybe only a couple of people will like the NDS when they show it off and they were still acting as if the new Zelda was going to be WW2 with the cel-shading.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

The 3rd hole is for the USB slots. And I don't think they ever said it would hook up to a PC monitor out of the box, just that it could hook up to a monitor. Besides, that was announced a long, long time ago and nothing has been said about it since. They might have dropped that idea, but if it's still in their minds I imagine you will just have to buy a different cable or adaptor.

We'll see. I still think it's SVGA as the USB would be better placed on the front of the system under the front panel flap with the SD card slot. I mean, it's not like they're gonna have that big flap in the front just for the SD card slot!

 

[commissar]

The 3rd hole is for the USB slots.

Whatever for? I can't think of why they'd want USB slots on the back of the machine.

Unless they're for the recievers due to the information + power source.
Still, to me it makes more sense for it to be a monitor out.

(yays I'm not crazy~)

 

[DrGAKMAN]

Whatever for? I can't think of why they'd want USB slots on the back of the machine.

Unless they're for the recievers due to the information + power source.
Still, to me it makes more sense for it to be a monitor out.

(yays I'm not crazy~)

Agreed. The only 2 functions thusfar announced for the Revolutions USB ports are the DVD dongle & the ethernet dongle...both of which would be better situated at the front of the deck rather than the back.

Plus, my long-standing theory is that the chipset would be at the back end of the system (behind the DVD slim drive) so that it has more space for cooling/ventilation...putting USB back there just sorta cramps it.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Agreed. The only 2 functions thusfar announced for the Revolutions USB ports are the DVD dongle & the ethernet dongle...both of which would be better situated at the front of the deck rather than the back.

Plus, my long-standing theory is that the chipset would be at the back end of the system (behind the DVD slim drive) so that it has more space for cooling/ventilation...putting USB back there just sorta cramps it.

You have way too many theories.

 

[commissar]

Agreed. The only 2 functions thusfar announced for the Revolutions USB ports are the DVD dongle & the ethernet dongle...both of which would be better situated at the front of the deck rather than the back.

Hmmm I must be a wee bit out of the loop, what is this DVD dongle? I disagree with you on the Ethernet at the front - most people (from a poll of one) want their ethernet ports at the back of the console so it stays nice and tidy out of sight.
That is if there's even an ethernet port - the damned thing might just be wireless (IIRC the Nintendo USB Wi-Fi adapter will be compatible with the Revolution...which might make for some lag issues though, so hopefully I'm wrong).

Plus, my long-standing theory is that the chipset would be at the back end of the system (behind the DVD slim drive) so that it has more space for cooling/ventilation...putting USB back there just sorta cramps it.

USB plugs don't take up that much space. But what chipset are you talking about? The TV converter one or the GPU? If it's the TV converter one then that's a bit of a no brainer to have it at the back Actually, [edit]I am so stupid[/edit]

 

[DrGAKMAN]

Hmmm I must be a wee bit out of the loop, what is this DVD dongle? I disagree with you on the Ethernet at the front - most people (from a poll of one) want their ethernet ports at the back of the console so it stays nice and tidy out of sight.
That is if there's even an ethernet port - the damned thing might just be wireless (IIRC the Nintendo USB Wi-Fi adapter will be compatible with the Revolution...which might make for some lag issues though, so hopefully I'm wrong).

USB plugs don't take up that much space. But what chipset are you talking about? The TV converter one or the GPU? If it's the TV converter one then that's a bit of a no brainer to have it at the back Actually, [edit]I am so stupid[/edit]

-DVD dongle is an USB attachment that will allow the Revolution to play DVD's
-Ethernet dongle is an USB attachment for those who'd rather go online via an ethernet cable instead of using WiFi
-Revolution (like NDS) has built-in WiFi
-USB ports don't use that much space, but I'm refering to the pics of the back of the console inwhere the 3RD hole is rather large for 2 USB ports
-By chipset I meants the GPU & CPU

Someone post the pic from that Nintendo book of the back of the Revolution...

 

[Oblivion]

After thinking about it, I'm not "too" worried about the Rev's graphical abilities. It's not gonna focus on HD, so it doesn't need as much ram and GPU/CPU power. If Xbox360 can get away with being called a next gen machine with double the GPU speed of an Xbox, than so could the Rev.

 

[japtor]

http://www.gamesarefun.com/newsimages/misc/nintendobook/16.jpg

none of the holes looks anything remotely close to the shape of a vga port. and what would be the point? if space is at a premium, why internalize something that could easily be done with an external attachment, and on top of that, the attachments could probably be made with high profit margins.

of course those could just as well be just mockups. the real one might have even more (or less) vents, or it could have one big ass vent.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

http://www.gamesarefun.com/newsimages/misc/nintendobook/16.jpg

none of the holes looks anything remotely close to the shape of a vga port. and what would be the point? if space is at a premium, why internalize something that could easily be done with an external attachment, and on top of that, the attachments could probably be made with high profit margins.

of course those could just as well be just mockups. the real one might have even more (or less) vents, or it could have one big ass vent.

The hole doesn't need to be in the exact shape of a VGA port, just big enough for one. The hole on the far right is big enough. The point would be to have a built-in VGA port so that we could play Revolution on a higher resolution PC monitor. Space is limited, but the footprint is larger than the GCN's which had all kinds of port connections. An internal SVGA wouldn't take much space, crack open your PC and see. Yes Nintendo has liked to make outside peripherals before, but going simply by that logic why not make WiFi, GBA cart slot, GCN ports, GCN BC, etc. outside peripherals for the NDS/Revolution? They didn't...all that stuff is built-in, so it's not like Nintendo is looking to slap a premium on everything, maybe a built-in SVGA port isn't out of the question?

The pic could be of an earlier shell design, but even so I think the desision of how many ports on the back of the system should be finalized by now.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

Anyone else wanna take a stab at what all the ports on the back are for?

 

[PhoenixDark]

Anyone else wanna take a stab at what all the ports on the back are for?

Super vents.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

=|

 

[Spike]

Anyone else wanna take a stab at what all the ports on the back are for?

1. Power Connection
2. Video Cable Connection
3. Connection for the tracking device that will be placed on the top and bottom of your tv screen so that the system knows where you are pointing the rev controller.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

1. Power Connection
2. Video Cable Connection
3. Connection for the tracking device that will be placed on the top and bottom of your tv screen so that the system knows where you are pointing the rev controller.

That was already discussed...that's what I think it might've been at first, but 1) none of the holes are placed right for clutter free placement of the sensor bar anywhere around the system, 2) all the holes are too big for such a connection, 3) the sensor bar will most likely use RFID which means it'll be wirelessly placed near the system to relay data from the DPD to the Revolution.

What I'm thinking it is now is SVGA...which would mean good things.

 

[Spike]

- DVD dongle will go inside the system from the front. I think it was Jim Merrick that mentioned this.

- VGA connection will most likely be a cable like the X360, that plugs into the a/v output port.

I don't think that the sensor bars will be wireless. I don't really want to speculate too much. For a sub-$300 system, wouldn't wireless for the controller and the sensor bars add too much cost? What about technical issues in terms of people calling in with setup/troubleshooting questions? Nintendo has been a company that wants to make it as easy as possible to setup, and I think that having the sensor bars wired to the system makes the most sense for ease and troubleshooting any problems later down the line.

 

[AndoCalrissian]

What about the back of the unit, though? Tech-nuts want to know, what kind of outputs does the machine have? Well, there are two USB ports and a power connection. The machine features no digital audio out. Instead, it boasts a single proprietary output for video and audio.

Why would Nintendo make a seperate out for the monitor when they could just release a cable, like Microsoft did? That way they don't have to drive up the cost of manufacturing the console, drive up the cost of what's in the box at retail, and can actually make money off the sale of the cables individually.

IGN says it's USB ports, which is far more likely than whatever outlandish theories people want to put forth.

 

[DrGAKMAN]

I see what you guys are saying, but Ando...you're basing that off a conflicting report. The USB *could* be in the back, but why's the flap on the front pannel so big then?

As far as SVGA not being built-in, remember the GCN featured 2 outputs, so it's not like it's out of the question.

The sensor bar, as someone pointed out earlier, wouldn't require a power source or a dirrect connection to the system thanks to RFID.

 

[sc0la]

The sensor bar, as someone pointed out earlier, wouldn't require a power source or a dirrect connection to the system thanks to RFID.

You have to know how ridiculaous that sounds. There is no way th sensor bar is not going to be wired to the system.

 

[Fafalada]

Only stout Drinkies really except it to simply be GC Turbo.

No, not only them, but not everyone talks about what they expect.

But you COULD consider that a hypothetical console launching at 100$ would be positioned against PSTwo in the market - and with casual minded pricing, casual minded controller, and a very large backwards compatibility library, it could actually make a lot of sense.

That said, I'm not suggesting that will happen at all(I honestly have no idea what Rev will really be like) - just that it isn't so ridiculous a possibility as some people say.

 

[japtor]

The USB *could* be in the back, but why's the flap on the front pannel so big then?

cause they hate you and want you to shut up.

or it could have an sd card slot or two, and a usb port or two up there as well as in the back. there are reasons to have usb both in front and back you know (or maybe you dont apparently). and its not really that big if you consider the whole size of the console.

As far as SVGA not being built-in, remember the GCN featured 2 outputs, so it's not like it's out of the question.

well it was a stupid decision. they shouldve just dropped the old port completely and made a newer one that could handle audio+component or whatever other output.

and why do you keep saying svga btw? are you just referring to the resolution, or are you referring to the physical port? cause you know its no different from a plain 'vga' port right? or do you just like to anger me?

 

[zou]

After thinking about it, I'm not "too" worried about the Rev's graphical abilities. It's not gonna focus on HD, so it doesn't need as much ram and GPU/CPU power. If Xbox360 can get away with being called a next gen machine with double the GPU speed of an Xbox, than so could the Rev.

Wait, what? So 3x 3,x Ghz equals a 7xx Mhz Celeron CPU?

 

[SnakeXs]

I'm upset to see no digital audio out. Very upset. Lacking that and real 5.1 sound will single handedly get me really angry at Nintendo. They've shit on sound for far too fucking long.

And this is coming from somebody very excited about Rev.

 

[soundwave05]

I'm upset to see no digital audio out. Very upset. Lacking that and real 5.1 sound will single handedly get me really angry at Nintendo. They've shit on sound for far too fucking long.

And this is coming from somebody very excited about Rev.

Dolby Digital 5.1 has to be supported by the Revolution, otherwise they can't have DVD movie playback (which is already confirmed). The DVD Forum requires it I believe, so Dolby Digital should be in for sure.

The XBox 360 has the optical audio out (for DD 5.1/DTS etc.) on the back of its A/V connector, but there's no actual audio out on the XBox 360 either ... Rev will probably be similar if I had to guess.

 

[SnakeXs]

Dolby Digital 5.1 has to be supported by the Revolution, otherwise they can't have DVD movie playback (which is already confirmed). The DVD Forum requires it I believe, so Dolby Digital should be in for sure.

The XBox 360 has the optical audio out (for DD 5.1/DTS etc.) on the back of its A/V connector, but there's no actual audio out on the XBox 360 either ... Rev will probably be similar if I had to guess.

But wouldn't that mean a change A/V connections? Damnit, there goes my hope that my $50 GC Component cable, but that's good news regardless... Here's to hoping that's true, and that it's used.

Thanks.