Revolution
The Xbox 360 is coming by Christmas; Sony’s Playstation 3 is slated for spring 2006. I had assumed Nintendo’s Revolution was dead meat, because it will (we think) be released after Playstation 3. But not so fast.
Nintendo Revolution will have the coolest game controller on the planet. The design is minimalist and iPOd-ish. This new style of controller with motion sensors will reset the bar for all console (and PC…) games. You can do exciting new stuff traditional controllers don’t allow.
The question is whether it will be as comfortable and usable when doing what traditional game controllers do well. We won’t know until a few million ship and are in player’s hands.
For more on this controller, see Controller Steals Show at Game Fair by Martin Fackler.
[tease]
“Nintendo hopes the simplicity of its new controller and games will make them more accessible, especially to first-time players. Sony, on the other hand, wants to make its PlayStation 3 the most technologically advanced console. Microsoft will probably use its Internet expertise to appeal to those who enjoy playing against opponents online.
[tease]
“We felt there was a crisis,” [Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata] said. “People are scared away by the complexity of operating games.”
[tease]
“Another novel feature of Nintendo’s new controller is its use of motion sensors. A demonstration video showed users shooting it like a gun and conducting a virtual orchestra by using it like a baton. The controller can also work with sports video games, allowing players to swing it like a tennis racquet or baseball bat. ”
[via The New York Times]