Pre E3 2005: Nintendo announces some new Revolution details

Wii News | That's right, next-gen news that isn't from Microsoft.

Today, Nintendo revealed some new details regarding its next gen console, Revolution.

Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo America's vice president of corporate affairs, stated that the next gen console looks "very, very sleek". She also said that it is very tiny, and stands horizontally. It will be a little over an inch wide.

Revolution will use standard DVD media, although it's still unknown whether or not the console will be able to play DVD movies. In addition, the Revolution will be able to play hi-definition games, and will have wireless controllers as a standard.

More news as soon as we hear it.

Related Content

Pre E3 2005: Revolution release date?
11 May, 2005 Release date for Nintendo's new console leaked.

Nintendo President details Revolution at GDC
11 Mar, 2005 Satoru Iwata drops hints on Revolution, and upcoming DS games and Wi-Fi capabilities.

Space Invaders Revolution Announced
01 Mar, 2005 Rising Star invade the Nintendo DS with an arcade classic.

23 Comments

onggie

7 years ago

Yeah just read this on IGN

IGN wrote

May 12, 2005 - The Electronics Entertainment Expo 2005 is still days away, but that hasn't stopped Microsoft from debuting its Xbox 360 console on MTV. And now Nintendo has followed suit, revealing some new, meaty details about its next-generation console, codenamed Revolution.

In a recent New York Times article, Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan describes the console as "very, very sleek." The system, which is reportedly tiny, will stand horizontally. Its width will reportedly be no more than three DVD cases stacked flatly on each other, or slightly more than an inch. That makes the console theoretically smaller than Apple's recently released Mac Mini computer.

Although Nintendo has historically selected proprietary media formats, such as the GameCube Optical Disc, for its platforms, the publisher is with Revolution opting for a more standardized medium. The new console will play standard DVD media, according to the company. Nintendo has not yet revealed if Revolution will as a result be able to play Hollywood movies on DVD, but that seems very likely at this point.

At the Game Developers' Conference in March, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that Revolution would offer Wi-Fi online connections out of the box and would be backward compatible with GameCube, or able to play GCN software.

According to recent information, Revolution will also be able to play high-definition games and regularly go online.

Finally -- something of a no-brainer given the popularity of the Wave Bird pads -- Revolution's still-secret controller will be completely wireless. Controllers for Microsoft's Xbox 360 are also wireless. Upon hearing this news, puppies everywhere let out a collective cry.

More details to come at E3 2005. Stay tuned.

Gtpod

7 years ago

Must be pretty long then, if it's 1 inch wide...

mrcivic

7 years ago

No it won't. Read it again, it'll be very very tiny.
I think that sounds cool and it'll probably be a huge step away from the Cube's...err, cube shape.

And too bad Nintendo is a few years late with DVD playback.

Andronicus

7 years ago

Yeah, the DVD thing is a bit late...

But think about it - a small and sleek console, with wireless cntrollers, and wireless online capabilities...
So tidy and modern!

Question though, is the Rev going to match te XB360 is graphical power (which so far is good, but a bit below what I was expecting to see), beat it, or match the PS3 (which I am assuming will have phenomenal graphics, even compared to the XB360... even though I could be wrong)?

I ask because if the Rev is supposed to have the graphical power of the XB360, then why is the XB360 so HUGE, and the Rev is said now to be "sleek"?

Just something I've been thinking about.
Yup...

David

7 years ago

Yeah, funny that. The original xbox was thrown together quickly from basically off the shelf PC components, and while it had a console architecture, still needed to be almost PC sized.

Xbox 360, however, is basically the Gamecube 2. IBM power PC chip, ATI graphics - it really is a powerd up Gamecube. Therefore Im not sure why it's so big - the harddrive is now extrenal, and if you're building from scratch you can make a much smaller frame, while still not overheating or such things - check out Gamecube, PSTwo or PSP to see what I mean.

Now the revolution will certainly be more powerful then the 360 - since it's using basically the same parts (IBM power PC, ATI GPU), but coming almost a year later, so it will have a year's better specs. I suppose if the 360 is the Gamecube 2, the Revolution is the Gamecube 3 (or maybe 2.5).

Now if Nintendo can make a more powerful version of the same machine in a smaller case, then MS may just be making it bigger to imply that bigger = powerful.

Gtpod

7 years ago

mrcivic wrote

No it won't. Read it again, it'll be very very tiny.

I mean, long in comparison to it's width. Unless you're expecting some 1 inch x 1 inch x 2 inch cuboid.

Gotta fit the DVDs in somehow...

armageddon12

7 years ago

I think they mean height rather than width GT.

I just want to see it now. I can't even be bothered speculating. I want to tune in to E3, and see Nintendo showing off the Revolution. Guess we'll have to wait until next E3 for that.

Hyperworm

7 years ago

armageddon12 wrote

I think they mean height rather than width GT.

Yep. Go here for the official news release from Nintendo, which is considerably better worded than IGN's...

The official Nintendo website wrote

In its final form, Revolution will be about the thickness of three standard DVD cases and only slightly longer. The versatile Revolution will play either horizontally or vertically, allowing the user total flexibility in setting up a gaming session wherever they have a television.

armageddon12

7 years ago

Slightly longer than three stacked DVD cases? Which way are they stacked? Does it mean longer than a DVD case? Can't believe Nintendo worded it just as badly. I assume that it is about an inch tall and about five inches long. I guess it has the depth of a DVD case. So it's going to be just that bit bigger than the PSTwo. That's a pretty good size. Should hopefully be a pretty sleak machine then.

Cerebral

7 years ago

I think it's safe to assume it'll be around this size.

Just to put things into perspective.

Qbert

7 years ago

I hope it's that sleek too

. So it will have the same, if not better graphics than the 360 and be about half the size which is really good. I think people will be impressed to see a console more powerful than the 360 and so much sleeker. But does anyone think M$ will release a "XBOX three-sixty" like the PSTwo and PS1 around the NREV and PS3's launches?

GroovySamurai

7 years ago

CerebralAssassin wrote

I think it's safe to assume it'll be around this size.

Just to put things into perspective.

LEAKED REVOLUTION SCREENSHOTS!1

Cerebral

7 years ago

MEGATON!!!@1111

Someone had to say it.

ObsoletE

7 years ago

what sort of DVD cases are they talking about?

the aussie amaray cases are different to the US ones i've imported... the US ones are about half the thickness...

given that this is "slightly more than an inch" the Au (which are the same as the UK cases i've imported) cases would be too thick, since 3 of these is closer to 2"

i only have 2 US cases to measure, and from that i think 3 of the US "slimline" cases are what they are refering to...

apologies if everyone was already thinking in these terms...

GroovySamurai

7 years ago

Just read this:

Here we have it: concrete information from the source about Nintendo's next console.

In its final form, Revolution will be about the thickness of three standard DVD cases and only slightly longer. You can stand it horizontally or vertically.

Partners IBM and ATI have apparently "packed [it] with power" - meaning amazing graphics.

The Revolution will be backward compatible, playing both Nintendo GameCube 8cm disks along with its own 12cm, dual-layered, 9GB capacity, optical disks in the same self-loading media drive.

Revolution will be wireless Internet ready out of the box. The controllers will also be wireless.

It also has a quick start-up time and quiet, low-power operation like the Gamecube. It still has an expected release date of sometime in 2006.

Perrin Kaplan, from Nintendo of America, has commented that the system will bring a new standard of high-definition gaming - nice, since there's a distinct lack of it on the Gamecube. The self-loading media drive comment has me thinking of an Apple iBook or Mac Mini - but how would that work for the smaller disks? It's good that Nintendo haven't underpowered the system. It's also nice to hear that it's small, fast and quiet. You don't have to make too much of a stretch to guess that it would play movie DVDs, and also can link up with the DS.

armageddon12

7 years ago

Pretty sure they mean standard cases ObsoletE, not the slim line ones (of which none of my US imports are). So 3 gamecube cases would have been a better way to put it.

The self-loading drive sounds cool. But smaller disks may well cause problems. Unsure if it will play DVDs though. Sounds like these dual layered DVDs will be proprietary, and thus probably spin backwards.

mrcivic

7 years ago

CerebralAssassin wrote

I think it's safe to assume it'll be around this size.

Just to put things into perspective.

I'd buy that for a dollar!

timeparadox85

7 years ago

What do you guys mean "too late" with DVD playback? The 360 will still be using DVD's contrary to the rumours that it would be opting for HD-DVD. I think the DVD is still a strong media and even though Ninty are a tad late to include multimedia features after the GCN, its a good idea to be including it this generation.

I think this gen will be a good year for all three major manufacturers. BTW, wtf happened to the Phantom?

Hyperworm

7 years ago

timeparadox85 wrote

I agree, but DVD playback is no longer going to be such a selling point as it once was, since an awful lot of people will already have a system capable of it in the form of PS2 or Xbox. Their inclusion of DVD support in this coming generation is more obligation now than a sales booster.

ObsoletE

7 years ago

^ or a standalone DVD player... they are cheap as chips at the moment... (assuming you buy chips for $79AUD)

timeparadox85

7 years ago

Pfft! I bought my DVD player for $45 brand new! ...Wait, having said that I just countered my previous argument. ****.

Anyway, DVD is not dead, Microsoft are behind it also, and thats a good thing. Its the PS3 and the Blu ray discs that is breaking new ground in media. Maybe BRD's will be standard next gen? (2010)

ObsoletE

7 years ago

^ either way, the DVD comment was in reference to DVD-VIDEO compatibility, not DVD-ROM media...

Qbert

7 years ago

Let's hope next-gen isn't around by 2010 - that's only giving the consoles 5 years. I know, the XBOX was like 3.5 years, but I don't see how much better graphics can get to warrent a purchase of $600+. Unless, both M$ & Sony both try to release consoles like the REV becuase it will kick so much ass!!

View as forum topic

Add Comment