There's more stuff on Revolution than I thought

Originally Posted by Gamespot

June 9 2004
Iwata then outlined Nintendo's stance toward game innovation. He explained that games oriented toward veteran gamers cannot be played by new gamers, but games oriented toward gaming novices won't satisfy the hardcore element. “So what we needed was to find a way to make everyone start off from the same point, like back when the Famicom made its launch and everyone touched the controller pad for the first time," he said. "That's the concept behind the Nintendo DS. Its touch-sensitive panel and voice recognition capability will offer a wide range of experiences that will be new for both beginners and hardcore gamers."

So this means I won't be in pain when I watch my brother in his n00bish ways? Will this mean I become n00bish? Will this mean that there is a whole new world for the veteran gamers here?

Originally Posted by Gamespot

June 9 2004
Nintendo recently filed trademarks for two camera-related game products called "Manebito/Camera" and "Ningen-Copy/Manebito."

Could this be for the revolution? Interesting....I know this was said in June 9 2004, so if they are already using the camera please let me know. Also is it just me or does Nintendo start bringing out their better stuff toward's the end of their console's life?

Originally Posted by Gamepsot

June 9 2004
In a related note, Iwata commented that Nintendo might possibly acquire additional stocks from its partner Bandai

When did this happen?

Originally Posted by Gamespot

June 14 2004
According to the Yomiuri Journal, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata avoided making concrete statements as to whether its next-generation game console, code-named "Revolution," will be the successor to the GameCube in his company’s strategy conference last week.

"A 'successor' is really just an issue about wording. Whether the Revolution is or isn't the successor to the GameCube isn't too important, but we can't say anything about that subject today," stated Iwata during the press conference.

The Yomiuri Journal goes on to say that Iwata hinted that the Revolution will not be replacing the GameCube once the machine hits the store shelves. Nintendo made a similar statement earlier this year when it said the DS is not the successor to the Game Boy Advance, even though the DS will play GBA games.

I don't think stores have enough shelf space for that many systems. It'd be interesting to see if the Revolution doesn't replace Gamecube.

Originally Posted by Gamespot

January 14 2005
Intent on supporting the successful launch of the DS, and developing its next-generation game console Revolution, Nintendo is increasing cash flow into two key areas during the remaining months of its fiscal year.

The Nikkei Financial Daily reported yesterday that Nintendo is putting an additional 2 billion yen ($19.5 million) into R&D, up 39 percent from last year. The new R&D budget is 22 billion yen ($215 million). Nintendo also added an additional 3 billion yen ($29.4 million) to promotions and publicity for the year--that's an 8 percent increase over last year. That budget is now 58 billion yen ($580 million). Both the R&D and promotion budgets are record amounts for the company.

The Nikkei Financial Daily also reported that Nintendo plans to pour additional cash into its manufacturing facilities in order to increase output of the DS handheld. Facility funds will increase by 76 percent to 4 billion yen ($39 million). More precise figures for the current fiscal year will be announced by the company in its full-year financial report, which is due shortly after April 1.

That's quite alot of money...Does anybody know what R&D is? Revolution and DS? Nintendo's investing quite a bit into that peice of hardware we refer to as Revoltuion...for all we know it could be software....A really nifty peice of software.

Originally Posted by Gamespot

January 14 2005
In a full-page interview in Thursday's Kyoto Journal, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata commented on the current state of the company's next-generation game console--being developed under the working title "Revolution."

Iwata said the Revolution will cause a "paradigm shift" in video gaming, and reconfirmed that details on the machine will be unveiled at the upcoming E3 in May. He added that the machine will most likely come out somewhere between 2005 and 2006, when Sony and Microsoft are expected to release their next-generation consoles. Currently very little is known about the Revolution except that it may not use a conventional controller and may be able to connect to a PC monitor as well as the traditional TV screen.

"The keyword for the DS was 'innovative product,' but it will be 'paradigm shift in [game] play' with the Revolution," Iwata said in his interview with Kyoto's popular local newspaper.

"The concept behind our new console, tentatively named 'Revolution,' is the same as the DS. We want it to broaden the [video gaming] audience range, and we don't want it to be something that people will see as too irrelevant to them, too difficult to use, or as something that wastes space. We'll announce specific details at the E3 ... It will most likely come out between this year [and] next year, which is considered to be the transition period for home consoles," Iwata said.

Iwata said the DS and PSP aren't directly competing, because Nintendo is aiming for nongamers and retired gamers with its handheld, while Sony is targeting the traditional gaming audience. He added that his company will also attempt to avoid competing in the next-gen console market.

"Similar to the relationship that the DS has with the PSP, we won't fight over the same share of the pie with another company. We have no intention of fighting over shares of the market in a way that will shrink it. For us, success will depend on whether we can call back people that have stopped playing games, and whether we can also bring in a new base of customers. That way, our share [of the market] will increase since the market will grow bigger," Iwata said.

Iwata also took time to comment on the success of the DS. "We shipped 2.8 million units in Japan and America by the end of last year, and most had reached the hands of our customers by early after New Year's. Its sales are very good when compared to the launch of other game machines we've sold in the past. We feel that the DS has gained a wide range of audience. Aside from video game fans, people that haven't played games in a long time, or never played games before, have been picking up the DS," Iwata said. "According to research, the sales of game hardware for one month, starting in late November, increased by 75 percent compared to the past year, and game software sales also rose by about 10 percent. I believe that the DS is hindering people from losing interest in video games."

When asked by the Kyoto Journal what he thought of the PSP, Iwata stated relatively bluntly that Sony is going in a direction that Nintendo doesn't believe in, though he softened that by saying he welcomes Sony's entrance into the market--since it should expand the total gaming audience.

"In the past, the video game industry grew on high-quality graphics and data volume," Iwata said. "We decided to move into a different direction, since we believe that those days have ended. But by watching the PSP, we see that there are also people that have different thoughts from us. But it's up to the consumers to make the judgment, and it'll also be good if we can expand the market size by bringing out our best points."

Iwata also commented briefly on Nintendo's entrance into the movie market, hinting that although the company is strongly considering the move, it isn't completely sure if it will be going into the business just yet.

"We're strongly considering the matter. I've been in contact with the script writers, directors, and the production companies. We're looking into the potentials between movies and video games. But if we decide to really go into the movie business, it will be around summer of 2006 at the earliest."

Well there you have it, all the things I have found. If Nintendo is trying to attract retired and new gamers then they might add some nifty little feature. DS, had wireless and pictochat and Revoltuion will have something to niftify itself with. By the way would anybody happen to know the date of this years E3? Some of this information is probably well known so pardon me if I'm just saying old facts over again.

All I'd like to say is this: Nintendo puts way too much focus on hardware when end the in, we know what's it's going to be able to do: play games.

R&D means Research & Development, it's the Nintendo department that actualy makes the games.

And I hope Nintendo doesn't revolutionise hardware too much, and start inovating on games more. The N64 wasn't such a big revolution in hardware, but it's games were almost all inovative.

Well, but my expectations are high anyway, I'm hoping for a great console with great games. I kind of want and don't want to start over my gaming experience. (I think that the revolution will do that, making it's games feel like a first time play)

I feel like I have more to say, but nothing else comes out xP