They basically confirmed that there will be a "shell" that the free-hand controller can attach to, which will allow more conventional gameplay styles to be used as well. But there is one little extra addition, the sensors in the free-hand controller still work so even with conventional gameplay styles there can be additional features added in.
In the end I'm sure Nintendo had a choice to either follow through with their innovation only to a limited degree and keep all the conventional controller features or sacrifice them in order to truly push gaming to a brand new level. Nintendo, for better or worse (which only time can tell), chose the latter.
The most key now on the software end is to ensure that the launch line-ups really show off the new way to play games while at the same time following and helping 3rd parties with their games so that they too can do the same. I expect Nintendo to make the splash at launch along with a few 3rd parties, most of them will be more minor but will turn things around a year later (compare launch title Spider-Man 2 with the upcoming Ultimate Spider-Man on the DS, the latter utilizes the DS surprisingly well and in a completely new way).
[quote name='GJ Skywalker]You're right. It is one thing to have killer app first-party titles but if a console does't have third party support' date=' they're sunk.[/quote']
There will be third party support, and that won't be determined by the controller but rather how well they think Nintendo will succeed, how well Nintendo does succeed and the interest garnered by the game designers that have a good amount of say at the company. Sometimes this may only require one killer app, just one can make all the difference and change all perception. Remember, while the Xbox obviously had a lot more games than just that one, Halo is the one game that made all the difference for the console and without it we probably would be seeing a failure system right now. It's not just about sales, but momentum that leads to sales.
- I'm sure there will be Sega support since Yuji Naka is likes the controller very much and he has even more say than ever since he's been promoted to General Manager of all the gaming divisions at Sega, although the only one he's directly involved in is still Sonic Team.
- I'm skeptical of support from the other Konami divisions, but one team that will most likely support it is Hideo Kojima's group. Why? The fact that he actually said he "loves" (actually used this quote) the controller... and those who know Kojima know that he's quite cynical and negative towards the industry. In fact him and Nagoshi (Space Harriers, Daytona USA, Super Monkey Ball, F-Zero GX) from Sega are two people who've been complaining about the industry in Japan for well over five years
. - Peter Molyneux also loves the controller and he's the founder of Lionhead so I'm sure he has quite a bit of say in things . Funny since when the controller was revealed and I was thinking about developers that would support is Molyneux was a designer that just rung a bell and made me go "that controller is MADE for him." Unfortunately Molyneux has been more about great concepts and unfulfilling execution this entire generation and late last. We'll see if he can turn himself around.
- Clover Studios from Capcom is one that I can also see supporting the Rev. They were very enthusiastic about the DS and even took the (not very smart IMO) decision of announcing a Viewtiful Joe game for it because they felt that they absolutely need to create a VJ game on it, but the problem is they did it before they even came up with an idea (thankfully they carried through though).
- Namco I can see supporting Nintendo since they've been establishing a relationship with one another that has only gotten stronger. What games will be a big question though although Nintendo seems really interested in the Baten Kaitos series (remember they're publishing Baten Kaitos II).
- Square-Enix will toss support, in fact their president Yoichi Wada has even praised Nintendo's online service and has confirmed that they will develop a Crystal Chronicles game for the system. Yuji Horii, creator of Japanese phenomenon and the first traditional turn-based Japanese RPG Dragon Quest, and Akitoshi Kawazu, creator of Crystal Chronicles and the SaGa series as well as the producer of Final Fantasy XII after Yasumi Matsuno had to step down due to health problems, have also both expressed their favoritism towards the controller.
They aren't the only ones but they are the ones that I have the most evidence to say that they will be among the first to jump on and truly support the system with exclusives.
Multiplatform titles are still an issue, but the new "shell" that was announced does ensure that 3rd parties will be able to port their games directly if they choose to do so (although I honestly want them to go the more creative route
). The only question I have is how 3rd parties will view it if the shell happens to be sold separately, granted it's possible that it can be bought for a cheap $15-$20 cost (personally doubt it will be less but it's possible).[quote=Veteran]I really don't think this will sell at all well, even if there's going to be some kind of happy medium where the controller (no doubt at an added expense) turns into a normal one.
If any casual gamers remained with Nintendo through GCN and the DS, they've certainly lost them now. Only die-hards will remain and it won't be enough.[/quote]
It's a big change Nintendo is taking, but it's probably for the best. Right now they're losing mindshare against both Microsoft and Sony and keeping the route they've been going may only make them slip further. This new direction they're taking is a very bold one, in fact probably the riskiest approach to videogaming I've seen since Nintendo created the NES for a market that not only crashed, but was so pitiful that retailers refused to stock the system and required Nintendo to come up with various strategies and actually go door to door to sell it to the retailers. If it fails it'll make them drop faster, but if it succeeds they can make the biggest impact on the videogame industry since the PSX threw the market into the 15-30 age group mainstream.
So to basically sum it up simply... there were two ways Nintendo can gamble their next generation console. One that will likely keep them in decline but at a much slower rate and one that can both bolster them incredibly and expand the home console market at the same time but at on the other hand will make their status drop even faster in the event of failure.
Don't underestimate the potential of the system to sell. Not only are there Nintendo fans, but also people who've never played games before that may take interest in the new control method that they can easier relate to and perhaps former gamers who lost interest somewhere down the road because they were tired of the current gaming crop. Plus current gamers who haven't supported Nintendo may become interested in the system if a game happens to catch their eye, I for one can foresee Star Wars fans getting giddy over a game that utilizes the free-hand controller for lightsaber duels
.But of course that will be determined on whether or not Nintendo can penetrate those markets. The hardest will be the non-gamers as, like it or not, this industry has a kind of negative stint as being mainly for adolescent and young adult (talking about 20s with this term BTW) males. But if properly marketed and with the proper games Nintendo can possibly change the industry so that those outside the current 15-30 male market have games targeting them that are also successes are the norm, not the extremely rare exception (Nintendogs, The Sims, Tetris and Myst off the top of my head... wow I can count the number of series with only one hand and number of titles total without even taking off my socks).
As I said... it can be something that will hurt Nintendo faster than they went the conventional route, or it could be one of the greatest success stories in the industry ever up there with the Game Boy and the PSX (the NES and Atari are in a league of their own
). This won't be determined by what you think, what I think or what the current participaters and observers of the industry think. This will be determined by what Nintendo does to try to expand the videogame market, and whether or not those people will embrace it.[quote name='Hero of Winds]Here's the problem (as I see it): swinging the controller like Link swings his sword is really cool' date=' but what about using items? Horseback combat? Just flat out running across a field? What if I'm facing down an army of Moblins, and my arm is tired as hell? Can I use the buttons for sword combat? Won't doing it the regular way feel extremely awkward on a controller that's obviously not designed to play games the regular way? These are the kinds of things that make me still skeptical about the controller.[/quote']
There are various other buttons available as well. The sensors may not just be used for sword combat. Think about how context sensitive buttons work, perhaps they can do it the same way. Plus there's always the d-pad and three other buttons (assuming one might be required to access the sword) that are completely free as well.
On the arm getting tired, the video was exaggerated for more of a flashy effect. According to the playtests the controller was very accurate and sensitive so that you can play mainly moving your wrists and possibly the arm slightly. Sharply moving your arm this way and that during the demos yielded not so pleasant results. I'm sure in sword fighting Nintendo will design it so that the amount of movement required won't really tire you out.
[quote name='BrendantheJedi]I am intriqued by Nintendo's choice. Like anything with Nintendo' date=' this is either Brillance or madness. I wouldn't completly judge it until you have it your hand yourself. In any case, we will whether it is good or not at launch./QUOTE']
"There was never a genius without a tincture of madness."- Aristotle
[quote name='Dark~Nut]^ that's why there is the gamecube ports' date=' so you can play third party games there. I mean, the other controllers (Xbox and sony) didn't really change, so the third party will not have too much trouble, since My guess is that they will use the GCN controller. I mean, what else can they do? i don't think they'd abandon nintendo...[/quote']
Not really a good idea, the Gamecube ports should just be left for Gamecube games. Nintendo can't go in assuming that the people buying the Rev already own a Gamecube, especially considering one of their main targets are new gamers and gamers that grew tired of the industry, both of which likely don't own a GCN (although the latter can possibly have it stored away somewhere). You also shouldn't require customers to purchase a completely separate $30 controller just to play certain games, especially considering the games on the system will most likely take advantage of the free-hand controller. The shell idea is a much better one in the end.
[quote name='Selena]That joypad extension is included in the deal' date=' I hope. Unless I missed reading that and am just being a dumbass. Which I probably am, but eh.[/quote']
Right now the plans are to include it, but I think it would be nice if Nintendo included the "shell" as well although I personally won't care too much for it from my gamer's point of view, although will from an observant point of view of things as a business. Just afraid that the shell, although perhaps a slim change, might actually make things counter-productive as for as creativity from 3rd parties go.
[quote name='Hero of Winds]Most third-parties have either cut themselves off from Nintendo' date=' or treat them like they're an afterthought. Kind of "Well when we're done finishing this game for Xbox and PS2, take the PS2 port, slap a Nintendo logo on it, and call it a day." I wouldn't be surprised if this controller caused third-parties to just flat out leave?[/quote']
The only danger will be multiplatform titles, and titles that publishers would like to leave out in the open to be ported later.
When it comes to exclusives it will remain the same no matter what, and unless the Revolution sells poorly compared to the Gamecube it's likely that there may be even more exclusives since Nintendo has been improving their relationship with 3rd parties over the past five years, with sharp increases with the release of the DS and the upcoming release of the Revolution. 3rd parties have praised Nintendo for their support with the DS, and according to THQ's president they're even more aggressive with the Revolution.
[quote name='Hero of Winds]That's the problem' date=' I can't. How would you play SSBM with the Revolution controller?[/quote']
Remember that the basic gameplay doesn't need to stay the same, it's possibly they'll take the series to a brand new level. Besides, it's possible that the time is due for the SSB series for some major changes considering that they've basically done every possible major change while keeping the same formula with Melee.
[quote=Dryth]Their old business model of charging third-parties obscene amounts in manufacturing costs has fallen apart.[/quote]
Kind of wish this would be dropped already since it was over 5 years ago. Nintendo has completely changed their stance towards 3rd parties from what they did previously.
In fact the worst treatment towards 3rd parties now come from Sony, although it's not bad treatment... just not much effort put into 3rd party relations in comparison to Nintendo and Microsoft presently. That and Sony does have a few restrictions on their systems, most notorious one being their stance on 2D games.
[quote name='BrendantheJedi]Saw the teaser trailer. God' date=' Nintendo can make a splash. The teaser seemed so cool. Just imagine if Halo 3 could be on the system. Imagine if you will indivdually aimed duel wielding. Wouldn't it be awesome![/quote']
Uh... don't think that can work since... we'd have to find a way to move and we don't necessarily have a 3rd arm (well... normally anyways) to move the character. Now an on-rails lightgun game, that's another story.
[quote=Veteran]WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHITE?!?!!?!?DAS;LKHDSGHK
...
This is the death of Nintendo as a console manufacturer I can proclaim without a shadow of doubt. Everyone saying this isn't the worst thing in the world, and people hoping that there's still some... well, hope: you are deluding yourselves.
It's a bloody CD-i controller with "innovations"!!
Looks like Twilight Princess will be the last console Zelda I play. Unless I can get a Revolution for free of course.[/quote]
I wouldn't normally reply to this but I'll do this because your status here on the boards.
It's alright to be conservative, that I won't get on your case about as that's up to individual preference. But then you had to proclaim the system a failure with apparently no thought of a possibility of a contrary and calling people who have hope for this system delusional... well... let's just say I expect better from someone who has a Triforce symbol next to their name.
