Nintendo redefines backwards compatibility

[Dangerous Dan]

just listen to this:


9:27 am: Iwata: Convinced game development on Revolution will be easier and far less costly than for other machines. "Big idea can prevail over big budget." Revolution is a solution to help maximize creative freedom. Iwata then talks about backward compatibility. "Redefining term of backward compatability." It's a virtual console, able to download 20 years of Nintendo content. You will be able to Download NES, Super NES and N64 games. You can get every Nintendo game ever made. "Revolution shares a vision with DS. The machine is just a tool for software."
full presentaion here http://cube.ign.com/articles/615/615089p1.html?reload=true

ok, i'm officially excited :D

[SALvation]

I have mixed feelings about Revolution. being able to download past games is great, but I could just go into my basement, hook up my old machines, and play them there. It's nice to see it will play GC games and be wireless along with the others, and it will be cool to see a new Zelda on it.

However, its disappointing that it is only 2-3x more powerful than GC. It's been 5 years since GC came out. I know power means nothing without games, but it just doesn't sound like the quantum leap PS3 and XBox360 are making.

Can't wait to see it in action though.

[Dangerous Dan]

but there's one thing about that "how many times more powerful" thing... that being, just what will a system that produces something that's 2-3 more times beautiful than the current zelda game look like? i can't imagine looking at the graphics and saying "ewww! take it AWAY!!!!" we're getting to an age where games like Resident Evil 4 will be seen as "ugly" in a few years, and i can't find that imaginable... another concern i have, is the price of games in the future... both sony and microsoft admit to huge price escalations in consol prices and game prices (projected to enter the $59.00 starting price, and in canada est. $69), and don't get me started on the price of systems...

So basically, what i'm saying is that i REALLY don't think processing power is going to "win" the next generation, because the visiible differences between the consols is going to be so minute, dispite the huge numbers. I mean look at the PS2... GREAT games, and its last in the field of power.

But i do have to agree, if Nintendo doesn't have a REALLY good plan cooked up, they will be the ones getting fried.

...but look at the size of that thing it's liek a hard drive lol.

[SALvation]

I'm having flashbacks of paying $80 for Phantasy Star on Genesis because of the battery. :)

Honestly, I don't think we'll see games regularly at $59. There is so much competition among stores and the net that I have a hard time believing they will all stick to the MSRP after people have seen games at $40-50 for the last decade.

Even today games MSRP at $49 but its rare when you can't find it on sale during that first week for $5-10 cheaper.

On a side note, will Revolution support HDTVs?

[Dangerous Dan]

I'm having flashbacks of paying $80 for Phantasy Star on Genesis because of the battery. :)

Honestly, I don't think we'll see games regularly at $59. There is so much competition among stores and the net that I have a hard time believing they will all stick to the MSRP after people have seen games at $40-50 for the last decade.

Even today games MSRP at $49 but its rare when you can't find it on sale during that first week for $5-10 cheaper.

On a side note, will Revolution support HDTVs? yeah, good point, althoguh EA has repeatedly (explicitely) expressed a desire to up the prices.. and it can be seen already. Just look at most of EA's games for the nintendo DS. Nintedo made it so DS games woudl be $39.00 Canadian (or 29 US), but games such as tiger woods 05 sell at 49.99... might just be me, but i'm already suspicious...

as for HDTV, yes, its a go, was annouced prior to E3 last week :D

[SALvation]

EA is a special circumstance because they hold the exclusive rights to entire genres now. If you wanna play an NFL game this year you have to pay what they decide (although I have a feeling consumer backlash will bring the prices back to normal pretty quickly).

As for HDTV, that is fantastic. It's official, I have to buy an HDTV with my next console(s). Time to spend the next 8 months researching TVs.

[EXEcution]

This is really cool, i'm sure it will be as popular as anything when it comes out and it will be a step away from the non-hand-held consoles. I think backwards compatability is an excellent choice, i would love to be able to play all of the old n64 games as well as some SNES ones.

One question tho, where excatly are the players going to be able to download the games from? That's gotta be one helluva server to handle thousands of games.

[SALvation]

Nintendo plans on building an online network like XBox Live. I hope Sony follows suit this generation and also builds an uber network. Thinking about pwning GM peeps on any console or PC in any game makes me have to change my pants.

[Dangerous Dan]

ah, found the link, at the bottem here it says "Legit specs for Revolution have not yet been made public, but we do know the console will be powerful enough to play high-definition games." (i couldn't find the "official" annoucement, but it came up a while ago and i don't feel like routing through the millions of E3 report news things pouring in by the second lol.

http://cube.ign.com/articles/613/613493p1.html

as for the online aspect of nintendo... that has to be the part that has me most anxious, simply becuase nIntendo said last generation that they would never enter the online service until they coudl develop technology that would allow them to build a service the way they wanted... which is something that shouldnt be taken lightly :D

[Dangerous Dan]

I'm having flashbacks of paying $80 for Phantasy Star on Genesis because of the battery. :)

Honestly, I don't think we'll see games regularly at $59. There is so much competition among stores and the net that I have a hard time believing they will all stick to the MSRP after people have seen games at $40-50 for the last decade.

Even today games MSRP at $49 but its rare when you can't find it on sale during that first week for $5-10 cheaper.

On a side note, will Revolution support HDTVs?
...LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK ;)

looks like you better get used to it :P (maybe alittle premature.. its still "speculative")

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/615/615220p1.html

the only thing good i can see coming form this is Ninteodo's defiance and implied comitement to provide affordable games...

[MR. SLiK]

Smash Bros. Online is a confirmed launch title, YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY