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http://cube.ign.com/articles/651/651559p1.html
Understanding the Revolution Controller
If you use two pointers, can four people still play? How will Revolution
handle more conventional games? We've got the facts.
by Matt Casamassina
September 16, 2005 - Nintendo's Revolution controller has set the videogame
industry abuzz with excitement and in some cases confusion. One glance
around popular community message boards proves that gamers are both blown
away by the possibilities and simultaneously scratching their collective
head about how the peripheral might interact with more traditional software.
The device is so dramatically different from the accepted norm that we'd be
surprised if readers weren't thrown for an initial double-take. But once the
details about the new controller sink in, it's not difficult to see the
gameplay possibilities lurking just beyond the horizon.
We've combed over all the controller details and put together a handy list
of facts about the peripheral that, we believe, will help clear up any
misconceptions about what it does and doesn't do. As readers will see below,
the Revolution's input mechanism is thoroughly flexible and preemptively
ready for any type of gameplay challenge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What exactly is so special about the Revolution controller?
A: The Revolution controller may look like a stylish television remote, but
there's a lot more to the device than its glossy exterior suggests. The
remote-like peripheral, which has been called the "free-hand style
controller" and "pointer" by Nintendo, interacts with two motion sensors
placed on the left and right sides of a user's television. The marriage
transforms the pointer into a virtual wand of sorts, enabling users to move
objects and characters in games simply by moving the peripheral. The sensors
read the pointer's every move in real-time space. They can detect up, down,
left and right motion, and also translate forward and backward depth. The
controller's sensors also recognize twisting, rotating and tilting
movements. In short, any motion made by arms and wrists can be translated to
Revolution games.
The free-hand-style unit also comes standard with three gameplay-specific
face buttons, three menu-specific buttons, a D-Pad and an underbelly
trigger. In addition, the unit's bottom shell can be removed, revealing a
slot for expansion peripherals. Nintendo has several add-ons planned, some
of which we'll detail below. The pointer is completely wireless and features
built-in force feedback. Gamers can rotate the free-hand-style unit on its
side to play NES software on Revolution.
Q: Can you give us an example of how it might work in a game?
A: Sure. Imagine a fishing game in which the pointer essentially becomes the
fisherman's pole. Gamers simply make a casting motion to send the line
flying and pull back on the pointer to tug a fish upward once it has taken
the bait. In a sequel to Luigi's Mansion, the pointer might be used as a
flashlight. Gamers point to the area they want to illuminate and Luigi's
flashlight spotlights it. Voila. In a tennis game, the pointer becomes the
racquet. Players swing the device as they would a racquet to smash tennis
balls back at opponents. The list goes on and on and the options only
increase when the peripheral's expansion functionality is considered.
Q: What kinds of expansions are planned?
A: Wide assortments of peripherals are possible, but thus far Nintendo has
only officially confirmed two of them. The first is an analog stick/trigger
unit that Nintendo has dubbed the "nunchuck-style controller." The second is
a conventional controller cradle/shell. Nintendo has also indicated that it
might like to explore other expansions. It used Donkey Kong style bongos and
a light gun as examples.
Q: What does the nunchuck analog/trigger unit do?
A: The small, ergonomic peripheral attaches to the bottom of the pointer by
way of a short cable, and is easily grasped in one hand. The device features
a single analog stick on its top side and two triggers, labeled Z trigger 1
and 2, underneath. The unit extends the functionality of the pointer and
really shows its usefulness in certain genres, particularly first-person
shooters. Imagine the possibilities. With the analog stick in one hand,
users move Samus Aran around the environments in Metroid Prime 3, freeing up
the pointer to act as the heroine's gun. The result is a level of control so
responsive and accurate that its closest rival is a PC/mouse configuration.
Incidentally, Retro Studios created a demo of this very setup that was at
TGS 2005 previewed to a select group of editors, IGN included, and it was
very impressive.
"Our current plan is for each [Revolution] hardware system to be sold with
the free-hand-style controller and the nunchuck-style expansion controller,"
confirms Nintendo of America's senior director of public relations, Beth
Llewelyn.
Q: What does the conventional controller cradle/shell do?
A: This add-on makes it possible to play Revolution games in a more
traditional manner. The shell is designed to look and function like accepted
"regular" controllers, such as the Wave Bird. After its bottom casing is
removed, the Revolution's free-hand-style remote is inserted into a gap in
the middle of the controller shell. Gamers can then use the shell as they
would a traditional controller, with a notable difference: the pointer
remote's sensory functionality remains active. As a result, gamers get the
best of both worlds: more buttons and two analog sticks along with
motion-sensing operations. In a Revolution version of Madden Football,
gamers might be able to use the combo to control players with the shell's
analog sticks and execute pinpoint passes with the pointer's improved
accuracy.
Nintendo has not yet released official imagery of what the controller shell
might look like. However, we've created a mock-up (above) based on what we
know of its functionality. The real controller shell is likely to connect to
the free-hand-style pointer in a very similar fashion. Please note that we
realize our model is not entirely to scale, but this is the best we could do
on short notice.
Q: What do all of the buttons on the free-hand-style pointer do?
A: The main controller features a D-Pad, an on/off switch and several
different face buttons, three of which are dedicated solely to gameplay.
Directly below the unit's D-Pad is an oversized A button. Farther down are
two more buttons. In officially released screenshots, these buttons were
labeled "a" and "b" respectively. However, when Nintendo president Satoru
Iwata held the controller up at his Tokyo Game Show 2005 keynote speech, the
buttons were clearly labeled "X" and "Y." The buttons were also labeled "X"
and "Y" in Nintendo's Revolution controller promo video, which suggests that
the final product is much more likely to use the letters.
"The [Revolution controllers shown] are still prototypes so there may be
slight changes in the final versions," says Nintendo's Llewelyn.
It should be noted that the oversize A button is used for primary action
functionality. It might be used to make a character jump in a first-person
shooter, for example. The X and Y buttons are more likely to be used when
the controller is turned on its side in order to accommodate classics NES
games.
Located in the middle of the controller are three menu-ready buttons:
select, home, and start (from left to right). Nintendo has not yet explained
what the home button is used for, but it is likely to bring up a
Revolution's central operations page -- something akin to Xbox Live. From
here, we suspect gamers will be able to manage their downloaded software or
go online, among other things.
The only other thing of note on the face of the controller are the blue LED
indicators, bottom, that show what controller port the unit is wirelessly
using.
The underbelly of the controller features an ergonomic indent directly
opposite the top's D-Pad. This area houses the B trigger, which is also
considered a primary action button. This button, easily accessed by players,
might be used to fire a weapon in a first-person shooter or to grasp an
object in a god game.
Q: Does the Revolution's free-hand-style controller use batteries?
A: Yes, although the specifics in that regard are still being determined. We
suspect that the unit will use rechargeable batteries and that a charging
dock station will be made available either with the console or sold
separately. Nintendo may have chosen to attach add-ons to the unit with
cables instead of wirelessly in order to avoid further battery issues.
Q: Can users wield two free-hand-style controllers with Revolution games?
A: Yes. Nintendo's Revolution controller promo video shows players using two
pointer controllers to execute various gameplay tasks, such as beating
virtual drums.
Q: Can four players wield two free-hand-style controllers each?
A: No. Only four free-hand-style controllers can be used total, according to
Nintendo. Therefore, if one person used two pointers in a multiplayer game,
only two additional people could play, each with one pointer.
Q: Won't potential light gun add-ons fail to work correctly with Revolution
owners who use high-definition televisions?
A: No. Revolution's sensory technology does not interface with TV scan
lines, as is the standard with traditional light guns. Because of that,
light gun games are entirely possible with Revolution regardless of
television type.
Q: Has Nintendo revealed all the features of the Revolution controller?
A: No, we don't believe so. Certain secondary features still remain hidden.
Nintendo itself may be defining these features even as it tests and reworks
the controller.
http://cube.ign.com/articles/651/651559p1.html
Understanding the Revolution Controller
If you use two pointers, can four people still play? How will Revolution
handle more conventional games? We've got the facts.
by Matt Casamassina
September 16, 2005 - Nintendo's Revolution controller has set the videogame
industry abuzz with excitement and in some cases confusion. One glance
around popular community message boards proves that gamers are both blown
away by the possibilities and simultaneously scratching their collective
head about how the peripheral might interact with more traditional software.
The device is so dramatically different from the accepted norm that we'd be
surprised if readers weren't thrown for an initial double-take. But once the
details about the new controller sink in, it's not difficult to see the
gameplay possibilities lurking just beyond the horizon.
We've combed over all the controller details and put together a handy list
of facts about the peripheral that, we believe, will help clear up any
misconceptions about what it does and doesn't do. As readers will see below,
the Revolution's input mechanism is thoroughly flexible and preemptively
ready for any type of gameplay challenge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What exactly is so special about the Revolution controller?
A: The Revolution controller may look like a stylish television remote, but
there's a lot more to the device than its glossy exterior suggests. The
remote-like peripheral, which has been called the "free-hand style
controller" and "pointer" by Nintendo, interacts with two motion sensors
placed on the left and right sides of a user's television. The marriage
transforms the pointer into a virtual wand of sorts, enabling users to move
objects and characters in games simply by moving the peripheral. The sensors
read the pointer's every move in real-time space. They can detect up, down,
left and right motion, and also translate forward and backward depth. The
controller's sensors also recognize twisting, rotating and tilting
movements. In short, any motion made by arms and wrists can be translated to
Revolution games.
The free-hand-style unit also comes standard with three gameplay-specific
face buttons, three menu-specific buttons, a D-Pad and an underbelly
trigger. In addition, the unit's bottom shell can be removed, revealing a
slot for expansion peripherals. Nintendo has several add-ons planned, some
of which we'll detail below. The pointer is completely wireless and features
built-in force feedback. Gamers can rotate the free-hand-style unit on its
side to play NES software on Revolution.
Q: Can you give us an example of how it might work in a game?
A: Sure. Imagine a fishing game in which the pointer essentially becomes the
fisherman's pole. Gamers simply make a casting motion to send the line
flying and pull back on the pointer to tug a fish upward once it has taken
the bait. In a sequel to Luigi's Mansion, the pointer might be used as a
flashlight. Gamers point to the area they want to illuminate and Luigi's
flashlight spotlights it. Voila. In a tennis game, the pointer becomes the
racquet. Players swing the device as they would a racquet to smash tennis
balls back at opponents. The list goes on and on and the options only
increase when the peripheral's expansion functionality is considered.
Q: What kinds of expansions are planned?
A: Wide assortments of peripherals are possible, but thus far Nintendo has
only officially confirmed two of them. The first is an analog stick/trigger
unit that Nintendo has dubbed the "nunchuck-style controller." The second is
a conventional controller cradle/shell. Nintendo has also indicated that it
might like to explore other expansions. It used Donkey Kong style bongos and
a light gun as examples.
Q: What does the nunchuck analog/trigger unit do?
A: The small, ergonomic peripheral attaches to the bottom of the pointer by
way of a short cable, and is easily grasped in one hand. The device features
a single analog stick on its top side and two triggers, labeled Z trigger 1
and 2, underneath. The unit extends the functionality of the pointer and
really shows its usefulness in certain genres, particularly first-person
shooters. Imagine the possibilities. With the analog stick in one hand,
users move Samus Aran around the environments in Metroid Prime 3, freeing up
the pointer to act as the heroine's gun. The result is a level of control so
responsive and accurate that its closest rival is a PC/mouse configuration.
Incidentally, Retro Studios created a demo of this very setup that was at
TGS 2005 previewed to a select group of editors, IGN included, and it was
very impressive.
"Our current plan is for each [Revolution] hardware system to be sold with
the free-hand-style controller and the nunchuck-style expansion controller,"
confirms Nintendo of America's senior director of public relations, Beth
Llewelyn.
Q: What does the conventional controller cradle/shell do?
A: This add-on makes it possible to play Revolution games in a more
traditional manner. The shell is designed to look and function like accepted
"regular" controllers, such as the Wave Bird. After its bottom casing is
removed, the Revolution's free-hand-style remote is inserted into a gap in
the middle of the controller shell. Gamers can then use the shell as they
would a traditional controller, with a notable difference: the pointer
remote's sensory functionality remains active. As a result, gamers get the
best of both worlds: more buttons and two analog sticks along with
motion-sensing operations. In a Revolution version of Madden Football,
gamers might be able to use the combo to control players with the shell's
analog sticks and execute pinpoint passes with the pointer's improved
accuracy.
Nintendo has not yet released official imagery of what the controller shell
might look like. However, we've created a mock-up (above) based on what we
know of its functionality. The real controller shell is likely to connect to
the free-hand-style pointer in a very similar fashion. Please note that we
realize our model is not entirely to scale, but this is the best we could do
on short notice.
Q: What do all of the buttons on the free-hand-style pointer do?
A: The main controller features a D-Pad, an on/off switch and several
different face buttons, three of which are dedicated solely to gameplay.
Directly below the unit's D-Pad is an oversized A button. Farther down are
two more buttons. In officially released screenshots, these buttons were
labeled "a" and "b" respectively. However, when Nintendo president Satoru
Iwata held the controller up at his Tokyo Game Show 2005 keynote speech, the
buttons were clearly labeled "X" and "Y." The buttons were also labeled "X"
and "Y" in Nintendo's Revolution controller promo video, which suggests that
the final product is much more likely to use the letters.
"The [Revolution controllers shown] are still prototypes so there may be
slight changes in the final versions," says Nintendo's Llewelyn.
It should be noted that the oversize A button is used for primary action
functionality. It might be used to make a character jump in a first-person
shooter, for example. The X and Y buttons are more likely to be used when
the controller is turned on its side in order to accommodate classics NES
games.
Located in the middle of the controller are three menu-ready buttons:
select, home, and start (from left to right). Nintendo has not yet explained
what the home button is used for, but it is likely to bring up a
Revolution's central operations page -- something akin to Xbox Live. From
here, we suspect gamers will be able to manage their downloaded software or
go online, among other things.
The only other thing of note on the face of the controller are the blue LED
indicators, bottom, that show what controller port the unit is wirelessly
using.
The underbelly of the controller features an ergonomic indent directly
opposite the top's D-Pad. This area houses the B trigger, which is also
considered a primary action button. This button, easily accessed by players,
might be used to fire a weapon in a first-person shooter or to grasp an
object in a god game.
Q: Does the Revolution's free-hand-style controller use batteries?
A: Yes, although the specifics in that regard are still being determined. We
suspect that the unit will use rechargeable batteries and that a charging
dock station will be made available either with the console or sold
separately. Nintendo may have chosen to attach add-ons to the unit with
cables instead of wirelessly in order to avoid further battery issues.
Q: Can users wield two free-hand-style controllers with Revolution games?
A: Yes. Nintendo's Revolution controller promo video shows players using two
pointer controllers to execute various gameplay tasks, such as beating
virtual drums.
Q: Can four players wield two free-hand-style controllers each?
A: No. Only four free-hand-style controllers can be used total, according to
Nintendo. Therefore, if one person used two pointers in a multiplayer game,
only two additional people could play, each with one pointer.
Q: Won't potential light gun add-ons fail to work correctly with Revolution
owners who use high-definition televisions?
A: No. Revolution's sensory technology does not interface with TV scan
lines, as is the standard with traditional light guns. Because of that,
light gun games are entirely possible with Revolution regardless of
television type.
Q: Has Nintendo revealed all the features of the Revolution controller?
A: No, we don't believe so. Certain secondary features still remain hidden.
Nintendo itself may be defining these features even as it tests and reworks
the controller.
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