Monday, October 17, 2005

Q3/Q4 release confirmed?

Just days after claims that the most recent financial report made a passing reference to a spring release, Nintendo Now has quite a different story. The source is still Nintendo itself, but this time it´s a consumer hotline. Here´s what they write:
Upon calling the Nintendo-Hotline (1-425-885-7529), a friend to one of our Nintendo Now Executives uncovered a recorded comment which states and I quote, that the Revolution will arrive “in the later half of 2006.”

The complete recorded statement is as follows:

"As the company with the strongest heritage of innovation, Nintendo moves the bar for all next-gen systems by employing a wide-ranging strategy that will attract more kinds of gamers to more kinds of games. When Nintendo's new console, codenamed Revolution, arrives in the later half of 2006, everyone will discover the meaning of all-access gaming."

To make this even more intriguing, back at E3 2005, Nintendo released this same exact statement in an official press release. The only difference between the two was that it merely stated 2006 and nothing more. This seemingly non-important fact actually has some further implications tied to it. More specifically, the recording from Nintendo’s Hotline went on to further explain the recently announced "freestyle" controller for the Nintendo Revolution. This means that the recording was done after the Tokyo Game Show. In other words, sometime between E3 2005 and TGS 2005, Nintendo added the "later half" qualification to "2006".

Now, I was unable to verify this statement since I´m not at home. But I guess the recording does exist. However, I regard information from a consumer hotline only as somewhat trustworthy. If the comment in the financial report can be verified after all, that would be the more reliable source, no doubt. From experience, though, I would expect a launch no earlier than summer 2006 myself. This is simply how long it will take for a sufficient number of third party titles to be ready for launch. So I expect the financial report claims to be wrong. And regardless of how unusual it is to have a hotline break some real news, the claims do coincide with my own predictions.

EDIT Oh, and of course it´s also a possibility that the financial report may relate to a Japanese launch date, while the US hotline would talk about a US launch date. Thanks to Infendo for helping my tired little head consider the obvious ;P But, again, unlikely when you consider a possible launch line-up.

59 comments:

Falafelkid said...

Just to let you know: I have had to enable word verification for leaving comments. Those sad spammers just really got on my dick. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I guess this was pissing us all off.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Thunder_Emperor. Welcome back and thanks for verifying the hotline quote. As I have said, I just don´t think Nintendo could muster a decent launch line-up before the summer. Having said that, we don´t know just HOW easy Rev development will be. It might be not just significantly cheaper, but also faster. If that is so, an earlier Rev launch could be possible after all, I guess.

About the Zelda debate: I don´t think an early Rev launch would necessarily endanger the TP launch for the Cube. The Rev hardware will not be that much more powerful than the Cube. For whatever reasons that may be (I don´t have to say it, do I?), it will certainly make sense to play TP on the Rev. Nintendo might even include Rev controller support. You never know. Now, of course, this is only based on the assumption that the Rev will be something like a portable GameCube with partly improved hardware. And that is only one of many theories (but, again, consider the size of the console).

Falafelkid said...

In fact, the main reason for delaying Zelda TP may be to enable a kind of dual platform compatibility... it´s unlikely, but it´s a possibility. Again, just consider the Rev´s size. They wouldn´t make the console so tiny (and consequently confine themselves to less horsepower) if this wasn´t for a very good reason.

Jason said...

Summer is not a smart time to release a console nor spring for that matter.

Lets face the facts Nintendo will be last like with the Nintendo GameCube.

Falafelkid said...

Hi HereticPB. Like I said, I myself think the Rev will launch later rather than sooner. But it needn´t be the last next-gen console out. I am sure as hell that Sony cannot stick to a spring launch. They themselves need a killer line-up to convince people that PS3 graphics are better than Xbox360 graphics. And on top of that, there´s the Blu Ray thing too. So: late? Yes. But: last? Not neccessarily.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Thunder Emperor. Thanks for the reply. I must admit that I´m not a techie, so I can´t really interprete your specs. But I agree with you about the PPU. There was already a soecific company rumoured to be collaborating with Nintendo on this. And it just makes sense, given the controller. Without good physics, it´s hard to imagine the games hinted at in the Nintendo demo reel shown at the TGS.

Unfortunately, I cannot really tell you any more about my discussion with a developer at X05 other than his name and company affiliation. And I wish to keep that for myself. Sorry. But, again, he was clear on this: It will have the least powerful hardware and games will need to be ´toned down´ in order to be ported. I will also repeat what I have posted numerous times, though: I don´t think this difference will show much when comparing the consoles.

Falafelkid said...

Hmmm... good point. I guess porting Xbox360 games will take only a few months rather than a whole year. Good point, I may have to reconsider that one. But what about hardware production? If that´s starting now, when could they have built enough consoles to launch at least in one territory? When did Xbox360 production start? Anyone?

Falafelkid said...

Absolutely, the DS was crucial as a step leading towards the Revolution. With its success, publishers witnessed how the gaming masses ate up originality like popcorn. Without they might have viewed the Rev as more of an economic risk.

About the PPU: I remember seeing posts about a manufacturer´s website claiming to be in development of a PPU for a next-gen console. Could have been Ageia. I don´t know.

Anonymous said...

i mean, just because its technically weaker doenst mean by a big difference..
xbox has 3.2 ghz.. so rev would also be techn. weaker if it has "only" 3 ghz :D

Falafelkid said...

Hi Steve. I´d have to agree with Thunder Emperor here. My developer told me the games would have to be ´toned down´. And whatever that means in detail, it means the difference won´t just be 0,3 GHz.

Anonymous said...

Even if revo is 2,5ghz and 360 is 3ghz revo would be more powerful. why? Cos 360 needs more power to use bigger resolution(aka HD)! (Just my opinion)
And the download service gives more release games. I cant wait for smash bros WI-FI :P

-Iceleaf

Anonymous said...

Err... could this mean Rev only in 2007 in Europe ?

Anonymous said...

By Revolution's size. May be Nintendo is aiming for a global launch like Microsoft. (It will easy to deliver)

Anonymous said...

launch not lunch. Sorry, it was driving me nuts.

Anonymous said...

"Then again, if they build in rev controller functionality in TP"

They won't. TSA (webmaster of Zelda HeadQuarters and the most reliable source for everything Zelda-related) had news from NCL, and TP is definitely a 100% GCN title.
He also reported that we'll get some Zelda TP news before the end of this year.

Anonymous said...

umm..can som1 explain to me what a ppu does?

Anonymous said...

Is this from the horse's mouth or the rear end?

Anonymous said...

Almost everything right now is from the fly that was swatted by the horse's tail.

Anonymous said...

TP will be playable on the revolution because its backward compatable so the only extra thing they'll have 2 do is make it compatable with the rev controller.

NZ rules

Anonymous said...

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/nintendo-revolution1.htm
interesting.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Nuzeb. Cool link, thanks. Good tech spec speculation. Good explanation of a PPU as well, Anonymous. Here´s what they write:

"Nintendo will be using what appears to be a regular 2.5 GHz PowerPC chip as the CPU. The chip is made by IBM and will have 512MB of RAM on board. The main benefit of this approach is that it will make game development easy. Programmers are quite familiar with the software development process on a "normal" CPU. In contrast, many developers have stated that development on the 6-core or 7-core CPUs in the Xbox 360 and PS3 will be quite challenging.

The graphics processor will use an ATI chipset running at 600Mhz and connected to 256 MB of RAM. It will also have 32 shader pipelines -- 16 fewer than the Xbox 360. However, the Nintendo GPU is rumored to run at 500 million triangles per second (100 million sustained) -- roughly equivalent to the Xbox 360. It will also be able to handle 50 billion shader operations per second, which is about the same as the 360 as well.

The Nintendo console is also rumored to have a PPU -- a physics processing unit. This would be a first in the console wars. A PPU is a custom processor for handling physics calculations (in the same way that the GPU is a custom processor for handling graphics calculations). Physics calculations include things like collision detection and the modeling of complex objects like moving hair and clothes. Having a PPU would offload all of these calculations from the CPU."

Anonymous said...

Some 1 tell that this is the last Zelda play in old style ... so Nintendo just wish first revolution's game all playing in new style ...

Or it will like new Pokemon Dungeon that make on both nds and gba (And tell developer how easy to program that controller or port other system game to revolution)

Anonymous said...

Hey Falafelkid your name says your a kid, this site is for adults T_T.

Oh yeah SERIOUSGAMER007 IS MY DADDY!!

Anonymous said...

WTF...

If I was told I would hear the name of SG007 again...

Anonymous said...

About that 'How Stuff Works' specs. If I remember correctly, these are just like the so-called Han-Solo specs, which have been already proven fake in some way. A guy going by this name posted them on the G4 TV forums and he claimed he was working for Factor 5 in the past. The head of F5 Julian Eggebrecht got angry about him on IGM. I guess you can read the story in one of IGN's earlier mailbags.

Han Solo is likely to be fake but not 100%, just about 98% :) If the specs were true though, they would rock, that's for sure, offering even more memory than Xbox360. But they're just too good to be true.

Anonymous said...

I think these specs were be fantastic...but I don`t think, that they`re true.

If Nintendo is offer such an powerful console, it`s unlikely, that it will launch for 99 €/$.

And about the portable revolution:

It "would" be one piece of the revolution-puzzle. No question! But if we think twice about it, there are a few heavy wheight questions:

-is it realy tiny enough for a portable console?

-isn`t it very unergonomic?

-what`s about the controller possibilitys?

But on the other side:

-it doesn`t use much power

-backwardcompatibility

-isn´t it too tiny to not be a portable console ;-)

Anonymous said...

Lol sry Falafelkid I was just having fun cuz you flamed that kid on your other post and that SG007 crap I made up.Just to let you know im not a kid so dont yell thx.

Anonymous said...

Hey Falafelkid, Have you ever been to see that RtR freaks site about his "inside" source?If so, let me know what you think of his bull.You can find him at:

http://freewebs.com/revealingtherevolution

Anonymous said...

"56K is going to be supported for those of you living in the 90's"

For DS Wi-Fi connection, it won't.
That was confirmed.
This screams fake.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I know. Do me a big favor and go here thx.

http://www.mindistortion.net/iwantyoursoul/?i_am=CYCOSTICK

Anonymous said...

Thank You

Anonymous said...

Hey, since this comments section has sort of deteriated in purpose, I thought you might all enjoy reading this article that was recently published in Time Magazine regarding the Revolution's controller. It can be found in full at Time's website.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1118351-1,00.html

Anonymous said...

those specs don't really jive at all with what your developer source told you.

it lacks the raw processing power of the other two, but it also seems as if it would have OoOE which would certainly help out with development ease.

however, take not those specs have 512 MB of system ram, and 256 MB of graphics ram. that's more than the others falafel kid. Texture quality is directly related to RAM in a console. with that much ram nothing would need to be toned down.

seriously.. don't post specs unless you know for a fucking fact. and if you know for a fact, prove you do. the way you're talking about what this guy said, it makes the Revolution sound VASTLY underpowered. you yourself a near the top said it wouldn't be much more powerful than GameCube.. that's AWFUL.

don't use a select few launch games to form an opinion about Xbox360 not looking that much better than Xbox. it's a massive jump in power, period. it's one thing if Nintendo is suggesting 480p to help with framerate and other things.. but if their system honestly CANNOT do 720p at all, than that is a serious serious disappointment, no way around it.

enough people have computer monitors to faciliate higher resolutions, and consoles (including nintendo's) should support them.

i mean shit.. they're hooking up with a PC GPU maker who's GPUs support all those resolutions. this shit shouldn't be a problem. no company is exempt from making the next gen leap.

Anonymous said...

Time Magazine has listed the Nintendo Revolution as one of the top five new things that "will blow your mind".

Time Magazine's forthcoming issue on "What's Next" features the Nintendo Revolution as one of the top five things that will "blow your mind". The controller for the next generation system is cited as the principal reason for the mention, as the publication strongly believes that it will allow for almost anyone to play Nintendo Revolution software.

The controller was listed as the second most mind blowing invention, with the remarkable carbon-fiber composite airplane edging out the device. Time Magazine has actually listed the controller ahead of a non fat deep frying compound.

The article goes on to say "When it comes to video-game controllers, Nintendo has always been an innovator. Back when Atari and its one-button joystick ruled, Nintendo devised a two-button controller with a directional thumb pad."

Be sure to check out the article in the next issue of Time Magazine,

Anonymous said...

wat would u say defines a kid and what age would it be . besides whats wrong with children having there say it is part of the market so nintendo supporters should convert em while there not smart enough to make there own desicions

Anonymous said...

GameCube vs. Revolution
The Nintendo GameCube was released in September of 2001. The Revolution will come out about four years later. It is interesting to compare the two systems and see just how much can change in 48 months:
The GameCube has a single-threaded PowerPC processor running at 485 MHZ. The Revolution's dual-threaded processor running at 2.5 GHZ should be at least 10 times faster.
The GameCube has 24 MB of RAM. The Revolution will have about 20 times more RAM with 512 MB.
The video card in the GameCube has 16 MB of video RAM, while the Revolution has 256 MB, or 16 times more.
The graphics card in the GameCube runs at 162 MHZ. In the Revolution it runs at 600 MHZ, about four times faster.
The GameCube is able to paint about 20 million polygons per second. The Revolution will be able to create over 100 million per second and they will be realistically shaded.
Unlike the GameCube, the Revolution will be able to play DVDs.
The Revolution will also using completely redesigned wireless game controller.

Anonymous said...

20 years ago today, if a variety of sources are accurate, the Nintendo Entertainment System was first available to U.S. consumers. October 18, 1985 wasn't the nationwide launch date, but the start of a test marketing run in NYC that ultimately got the machine on shelves across America in February of 1986

Anonymous said...

It dose seem like the rev will be alot more than just 2 or 3 times the power of the gamecube but im pretty sure noones confermed any stats for it.

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid, you keep saying that Xbox 360 and PS3 will have to be toned down in order to be ported to the Rev. I think your partially wrong on this one, whatever this developer may have told you, he probably exagerated. I don't think there won't be a difference in polygons, textures, lightning, framerate... but only in the resolution. High Def requires a lot of power from the GPU and I think that's the only thing missing from the Rev.

Revolution's graphics will seem worse when you look at the specs, but they'll be exactly the same or even better as Xbox360 on a regular TV. Graphics will indeed be worse on a HDTV, but everyone probably has a regular TV and you can hook up the Rev to your monitor too.

Like this developer said, games will indeed have to be toned down, but only HD will have to be cut, wich will make the resolution the same as this generation.

I'd appreciate if you asked this developer what he meant by toning down.

Anonymous said...

to Anonymous at 5:24 PM
Fact is now we don't see revolution picture.
And we don't see ps3 under playing picture too.

May be .. yes maybe even under playing ps3 picture we can't trust it ...

Why ?
- Cell cpu on ps3 can take speed form other cell cpu ...
- even you see 2d picture to 3d or even under playing picture you can't say that in form 1 ps3 or 50 ps3 work together.

---------------------------------------------------------
Same time I think ... May be Revolution plan some thing like cpu speed shareing on wifi internet.

Why ?
- ppu have it cost and may too expensive for 99-200$.
- Revolution used expensive flash memory not hdd (so it need durable eg open 24h.).
- Revolution used WiFi connection Than ADSL (so it need stable connection).

Yes it just thinking of my self

Anonymous said...

WTF if this is true does that mean that Osoko Tanaka was right all along.He got the controller right and he has been saying that Kojima and his team are going to make an exclusive title for the revolution for ages.

Anonymous said...

I can exclusivly reveal that the following games are in development for Nintendo Intend(final name) : Duke Nukem Forever,Earth Worm Jim rebirth,Street Fighter 2 turbo remake,Turok Revolution,and an unamed detective game by Shigeru Miyamato!

Anonymous said...

sssd : He said the controller was two, "2 PARTS".

I saw it before the unveiling.

Anonymous said...

Hi tunder emporer,
All I can say is that my father, who who works in this industry told me all of this the other day!

Anonymous said...

Eh, sorry I meant thunder emperor

Anonymous said...

He said that the controller would be in two pieces (in the nunchuk form)like 30 min before Iwatas speech at TGS

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid where is your intelligence at you are not as cool as you meant to be in the room full of dreams you better check your pocket to prove what is beneath the surface without sacrificing the truth regarding some of your mates that no longer remain on your side so be careful and be blessed with the fate of the people on your blog that surround you in favor of their time that is running out of porportions so rember to be patient in front of the big n if you feel the pressure that rises to uncontrolled hysteria it is not supposed to let you know what the decisions look like in the form of a sentene that surprises with its sheer power to resemble magnificent announcements that reproduce excitement on various forums of knowlege that spread the word to your beloved nature without trying to manipulate the hourglass as it stands still to free you mind soon as the leaves show red and gold it is not vulnerable to suggest the incoming flavor of enlightment leading them to the day of doom...

Anonymous said...

"He said that the controller would be in two pieces (in the nunchuk form)like 30 min before Iwatas speech at TGS"

Give me one reason why I should believe that.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"Falafelkid where is your intelligence at you are not as cool as you meant to be in the room full of dreams you better check your pocket to prove what is beneath the surface without sacrificing the............"

if you want anyone to read what u wrote i think you should use some punctuation

Anonymous said...

You should read some old things from Osoko's blog. You will see that he was right at a lot of things...

Anonymous said...

"You should read some old things from Osoko's blog. You will see that he was right at a lot of things..."

You're kidding right? His game list sounds made-up and his screenshots from the so called Kojima game comes from the RE movie. I saw the high res picture myself. And what about this sentence:

"A new technology has been developed for the pad. This technology allows to anyone
feel inside the game. FEEL inside the game(...). FEEL
Your hands...your eyes...your fur...No more."

How does that relate to the Rev controller?

He also said that a new game by Hideo Kojima would be announced at the 16th of september. That didn't happen did it?

He was telling for months that Matt from IGN knew the secret of the Rev controller, but guess what, he didn't know it at all. He has confirmed this himself just after the unveiling of the controller.

Anonymous said...

I remember having seen the post about the two parts before the controller was unveiled.
Still, you're right : he is way too vague.

Anonymous said...

Hay read this.

http://www.revolutionreport.com/articles/read/145

"due in 2006" ... is a stating about revolution
Ps. Maybe I got wrong Translation ... I not good in english.

Anonymous said...

OMG people lol....please stop givin any attention to Osoko Tanaka's blog. The guy is a proven fake. End of story

Anonymous said...

"OMG people lol....please stop givin any attention to Osoko Tanaka's blog. The guy is a proven fake. End of story"

IAWTP.

Anonymous said...

Still, how did he know about Kojima producing a game for the revolution, which it has been confirmed.I know he is really vague and some of the stuff he says is pretty messed up but he is the only one that got anything right that is completely and utterly related to the revolution.I mean, how did he know, lucky guess?Oh yeah ,@ Anonymous above me, I heard that he was proven fake like you said but how was he proven fake?I haven't been studying revolution rumours very long as of now, thx.

Anonymous said...

He was proven fake since May 19th.
Said that the Revolution would be fully unveiled at E3.

Anonymous said...

Ohh... thx for the info

Anonymous said...

I think Osoko isn't a fake too.