Nintendo pulls back the curtain on its off-the-wall and yet oddly intriguing
new controller. What do pubs and devs think?
by Matt Casamassina
September 15, 2005 - During the Tokyo Game Show 2005, Nintendo president
Satoru Iwata unveiled the company's refreshingly original and slightly scary
new Revolution controller, and likewise stated the philosophy behind it.
"Every gamer who plays. Every one who used to play. Even those who have yet
to play. Nintendo is your bet."
The Revolution input mechanism, which is as far from a conventional
controller as could be possible, more resembles a television remote with a
touch of Apple style. The white, glossy device interacts with motion sensors
on television to enable players unexplored full 3D freedom of movement in
games. By pointing and manipulating the controller, gamers can do everything
from run, jump, spin, slide, shoot and steer to accelerate, bank, dive,
kick, throw and score in ". a way never experienced in the history of
gaming," according to the Big N.
"The feeling is so natural and real, as soon as players use the controller,
their minds will spin with the possibilities of how this will change gaming
as we know it today," explains Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president. "This is an
extremely exciting innovation - one that will thrill current players and
entice new ones."
"Nintendo has long been a trailblazer, and this controller design reinforces
that reputation," said Brian Farrell, president and CEO of THQ. "We
enthusiastically support Nintendo's next console because we believe their
approach of continual innovation is very much in line with our own strategy
of creating unique and innovative games for the next generation of
hardware."
"What we're seeing from this controller is the same thing we saw with
Nintendo DS," said Chuck Huebner, Head of Worldwide Studios, Activision..
"It's a system that's designed with an eye on enticing new players to the
video game industry, and that's something we firmly support."
"Game control is essential - it's the area where perhaps the most game-play
improvement can be made," said John Schappert, Sr. Vice President and
General Manager of Electronic Arts Canada. "While our portfolio represents a
full array of titles across all genres, I think our sports titles might be
the first to immediately take advantage of what this novel 'freehand' type
of control has to offer."
"We were among the first publishers to see the control design in action,"
said Serge Hascoet, Chief Creative Officer of Ubisoft. "We're excited about
the new controller and are looking forward to taking advantage of its
innovative aspects."
I'm quite ambidextrous and the two hand grip controller really works for me
with games. I expect that's true of a lot of people. I think a one handed
game controller isn't a good idea just as trying to play PC games with a
mouse doesn't really work very well. I think it has to do with how your
brain coordinates with the hands. Anyone know what I mean?
SCraig wrote:
> I'm quite ambidextrous and the two hand grip controller really works
> for me with games. I expect that's true of a lot of people. I think
> a one handed game controller isn't a good idea just as trying to play
> PC games with a mouse doesn't really work very well. I think it has
> to do with how your brain coordinates with the hands. Anyone know
> what I mean?
Um.
Mouse? Not good?
I can't image an FPS with anything else, tbh. Regular joypad controllers are
just nowhere near as intuitive. You *must* have tried Quake with a joystick.
It don't come anywhere close to the keyboard/mouse combination for sheer
agility.
Paul Dunn wrote:
> SCraig wrote:
>
>>I'm quite ambidextrous and the two hand grip controller really works
>>for me with games. I expect that's true of a lot of people. I think
>>a one handed game controller isn't a good idea just as trying to play
>>PC games with a mouse doesn't really work very well. I think it has
>>to do with how your brain coordinates with the hands. Anyone know
>>what I mean?
>
>
> Um.
>
> Mouse? Not good?
>
> I can't image an FPS with anything else, tbh. Regular joypad controllers are
> just nowhere near as intuitive. You *must* have tried Quake with a joystick.
> It don't come anywhere close to the keyboard/mouse combination for sheer
> agility.
>
keyboard/mouse isn't just a mouse, is it, which i think is what he was
trying to get at. stil wrong though, RTS & other strategy games are
perfectly playable with just the mouse.
--
[ste]
"Throw me your matches 'cause I like to burn stuff"
SCraig wrote:
> I'm quite ambidextrous and the two hand grip controller really works for me
> with games. I expect that's true of a lot of people. I think a one handed
> game controller isn't a good idea just as trying to play PC games with a
> mouse doesn't really work very well. I think it has to do with how your
> brain coordinates with the hands. Anyone know what I mean?
>
The fact that you're using both hands to hold a controller has nothing
to do with being ambidextrous. Also, the design of this new gamepad
being as it is, it doesn't matter which hand you use it in (unlike most
recent mice, which are contoured for the right hand only). Same goes
for the analogue stick add on, which brings us back to a two handed
controller (albeit in seperate parts) but more flexible than the norm in
that you can use either hand for either function. So, if you feel
you're quite ambidextrous you can put it to the test with the Revolution
controller by holding the parts in the opposite hands to what a normal
controller would force you to do.
--
[ste]
"Throw me your matches 'cause I like to burn stuff"
I guess I'm not being clear which isn't anyones fault but my own. What I
mean is that there's something about having two hands involved which allows
for better play with a game such as Wind Waker. In the past I've tried to
play flight simulators with a mouse and it's impossible because I need two
hands involved. I also find joy sticks totally useless for the same reason.
At any rate, I hope that Nintendo will leave its current controller
available as an option for all its future games.
Craig
"[ste parker]" <imaginey@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3p108vF87rk4U1@individual.net...
SCraig wrote:
> I'm quite ambidextrous and the two hand grip controller really works for
> me
> with games. I expect that's true of a lot of people. I think a one
> handed
> game controller isn't a good idea just as trying to play PC games with a
> mouse doesn't really work very well. I think it has to do with how your
> brain coordinates with the hands. Anyone know what I mean?
>
The fact that you're using both hands to hold a controller has nothing
to do with being ambidextrous. Also, the design of this new gamepad
being as it is, it doesn't matter which hand you use it in (unlike most
recent mice, which are contoured for the right hand only). Same goes
for the analogue stick add on, which brings us back to a two handed
controller (albeit in seperate parts) but more flexible than the norm in
that you can use either hand for either function. So, if you feel
you're quite ambidextrous you can put it to the test with the Revolution
controller by holding the parts in the opposite hands to what a normal
controller would force you to do.
--
[ste]
"Throw me your matches 'cause I like to burn stuff"
SCraig wrote:
> I guess I'm not being clear which isn't anyones fault but my own. What I
> mean is that there's something about having two hands involved which allows
> for better play with a game such as Wind Waker. In the past I've tried to
> play flight simulators with a mouse and it's impossible because I need two
> hands involved. I also find joy sticks totally useless for the same reason.
> At any rate, I hope that Nintendo will leave its current controller
> available as an option for all its future games.
>
Please don't top post.
Joysticks for slight sims often have throttle attachements, which
requires use of the second hand. It's besides the point anyway, the
Revolution controller lets you use two hands anyway. Even if the stick
controller isn't in use, you could hold it if it made you feel more
comfortable.
--
[ste]
"Throw me your matches 'cause I like to burn stuff"
In article <KLKWe.1614$Jm.191@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net>, SCraig wrote:
> At any rate, I hope that Nintendo will leave its current controller
> available as an option for all its future games.
The console is called the "Revolution". I don't think they'll have a "For
everyone except Craig" mode :-D
Choobs
--
Sir Chewbury S. Gubbins
"Dreamers come and go but a dream's forever"
Gaming Diary: http://www.nelefa.org "Roll for initiative, monkey boy!"
Thanks for digging up this old topic. I think you get more uptodate information elsewhere on the net. The new nintendo is now called "Wii". Good luck with googling.
Btw, i really wonder what this is doing in the handheld section but then again, that's not your fault (probably mine for putting it here in a restructuring effort).
