Thursday, February 09, 2006

No Revolution news at D.I.C.E.

Matt Slagle, Technology Writer with the Associated Press has just filed this report through Yahoo:
Nintendo Co. announced new wireless features for its DS portable video game player Thursday, including a free service that will let consumers beam game demos and other content directly to the device.

Beginning in late March, the company plans to deploy electronic kiosks at thousands of U.S. retailers including Best Buy Co. Inc. and GameStop Corp.

Owners of the dual-screen DS who go near the kiosks will automatically receive a notice on their devices offering game demos, movie trailers and other content for temporary download. The information will be erased from the DS once it's turned off.

The service uses the DS's local-area wireless networking capabilities, which until now had been used just to facilitate head-to-head play by gamers near each other.

Nintendo also said it was adding voice chat to the sci-fi action game "Metroid Prime: Hunters," available March 20. Players who join up for multiplayer battles over Nintendo's wireless Internet service will be able to talk to each other through the system's built-in microphone before and after games, but not during, said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America Inc.'s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

At least one game for rival Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s PlayStation Portable offers a more robust feature. Teammates in "SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo" can talk to each other wirelessly during battles.

Fils-Aime added that a slimmed down, all-white Nintendo DS Lite would go on sale in Japan next month.

Handheld video games and hardware helped buoy the industry to record sales of $10.5 billion in 2005, according to the NPD Group research firm.

Nintendo said it has sold about 4 million DS systems in North America since it was launched in late 2004. Another 4 million PlayStation Portables have been sold in North America since the unit went on sale last March, according to Sony.
No Revolution news at all, it seems. This should reveal a whole number of fakers, I guess.

EDIT Next Generation was the next news site to post. They quote Fils-Aime in more detail:
He said that Nintendo would be using new marketing channels, such as daytime television shows, Oprah and Ellen. Fils-Aime talked about a "blue ocean of opportunity through new types of gameplay.

In what has become something of a Nintendo mantra, he said Nintendo was seeking to attract female gamers and older gamers. He also warned that the number of teenage males is declining in North America, and high school students are saying their interest in games is declining.

However, he pointed out the the success of Nintendogs in North America with its 1 million unit sales and Brain Training in Japan with 2.5 million sales show that new demographics are willing to embrace games.

Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day will be launched in NA on April 17.

"We have been able to drive the appeal of games to a whole new segment who typically would not pick up a game," Fils-Aime said during his speech. "Imagine a games company targeting 50 and 60 year olds. Imagine games as a treadmill for the mind instead of a playground for violence."

Fils-aime once again referenced proven business book strategies which focus on expanding markets. He said, "It's not about what is, but what can be." He pointed out to the audience that hardcore gamers make up only 20 percent of the entire gaming market, saying "You and your teams can capitalize on that 80 percent."

During his speech, Fils-Aime focused on the success of the handheld games market over the last year compared to the decline of consoles. He drew broad comparison with "disrutptive technologies" such as Apple iPod, which took Sony and its music business by surprise.

At the end of the speech, he finally turned to Revolution, and offered little new details. However, he said that the machine would "create a democracy of ideas. It's not going to be about those with the biggest production budget."

He also indicated that publishers and developers could create "simple games" so that they could sell them at "more affordable prices if you want."
So there was a little Revolution info, but nothing substantial.

EDIT I have not yet seen a full transcript of the speech. But I recommend Gamasutra and IGN for in-depth coverage.

Source: Associated Press (through Yahoo), Next Generation
Thanks to: Product_Number_18

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Indeed, a lot of fakers out there... Especially No End Soon bloggers. It would seem nintendo's schedule changesall the the time, though. Sheesh, another long wait until GDC. Couldnt they at least announce the name or some games...

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid is a clown sometimes I'm afraid.

Falafelkid said...

You said it! ;)

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid is a clown sometimes I'm afraid.He refuses to talk about 3D Mario Paint.

Falafelkid said...

No, seriously. Forget the Revolution console for a minute. We are going to get voice chat on the DS, people. This is great news.

Anonymous said...

Hehehe, war wohl nix..

Aber was solls..

Hey Luzerner, bie der nächsten E3 ne Lifestream Party bei mir? (nehmt frauen mit...)

/ajk von consolewars.de

Anonymous said...

Juhu voice chat.thenk you falafelmänyou are so good to mee lets play some animal crossing together and drink cacao.Voice chat is the best thing that could happen yeahyeahyeah so from now on I can hear your sexy voice keep it pink my man

Falafelkid said...

@Anonymous: Me? A clown? YOU are wearing the funny pants and make-up from where I´m sitting, mate.

Anonymous said...

Fk,

I'm afraid the DS CPU simply isn't powerful enough to handle both a 3D engine and compress/decompress the audio stream. It IS good to know that nintendo isn't against it, that bodes well for online games on the revolution.

Anonymous said...

I think the DS wifi speed is so slow that it is not capable of sending audio data simultaneously with gaming data.

Many people underestimate the DS' CPU power, I think Metroid Hunters will demonstrate how good graphics can be on a DS.

Blizz419 said...

hopefully Revolution will be able to take advantage of wireless g instead of just b

game on said...

I'm excited. Just wish there was SOMETHING about the Revolution. Anything would've been nice.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Mr. Inc is using the fakers fall back. The good old "Last minute change of plans" line. Oh well, I hear all that backpedaling is good for you buns and thighs.

Anonymous said...

As I say. Nothing At D.I.C.E.

... blue ocean
... is there something connect to dolphin (cube) ?

Blizz419 said...

Connect to cube? what are you talking about Pi?

Anonymous said...

Voice Chat. All I needed to hear.

Anonymous said...

If Inc's blog still exist by E3, he'll probably say,"Sorry guys No End Soon is delayed to 2007 because we took down everybody's game ideas from my blog and added them into the game."

I don't wanna be mean but a lot of those game ideas those people posted on his blog are just not great or sound to silly to be added in a game

Anonymous said...

Regginator:
"Innovate or die!!!!!"

That will be the boot up-sequence when you turn on the Revolution I presume.

LOL :)

-The I.A.L.S.

Anonymous said...

I can tell some things what originally was planned to be shown. I’d like to include that in my post in the next two days, as you guys deserve to know at least some of it and I don’t see any reason why I’m not allowed to do so.

Even though plans have changed, it’s not as big of an impact for the No End Soon project as you might think. In fact it’s more a problem for me this last minute change happened then for you guys. I give you one example now of what Mr.Reggie originally was supposed to show.

Mr.Reggie would originally show more or less the final controller for Revolution. In fact I’m not even surprised if he held the thing in his pocket during the whole conference. I’ve promised to showcase the controller right after Mr.Reggie did from different angles to Kevin, as it would impossible to make a “fake” off something new within minutes to prove this whole thing is real. Fact is, while I’m writing this the pictures I took previous week lay next to me ready to be scanned. Problem is, it’s impossible to show them now, as it would break the policy and I would get in enormous trouble, not to mention one of Nintendo’s competitor could adjust a last minute change to their hardware as well. Even though the controller has only changed a little bit and received some tweaks, those changes would have been enough to know the third revolutionary aspect without even thinking. Now it’s confirmed Nintendo’s competitor would showcase their hardware within days, the risk was to big and unacceptable to show it at this time, which is something I understand and why Nintendo delayed this showcase in the last minute.

It’s pretty logical as well if you think about it. I just read at IGN Mr.Reggie even hinted at it by saying "We have the capability to show it to people here during the next two days if those opportunities come up." I hope you all understand what he meant with opportunities, which of course depends on competitors announcements these days.

Besides this Mr.Reggie was about to reveal the final name for Revolution as well. This can be explained with the same reason as above, as it would have given away to much hints for their competitors and because of the suddenly changed circumstances unacceptable.

And besides those two things, there a number of other things Mr.Reggie was about to reveal. I’d like to point out no games where planned to be showed by the way! I’d like to talk about those other numbers of things within two days if you allow me to do that is.

I appreciate your last comment by the way metaldave, which is way nicer then before. I will not go into discussion to beg to believe this real, because as you said, by E3 2006 you will be served. If you’re planning to comment here in the future it would be very nice if you could continue like this, in a nice way.

unbelievable.
How braizen people can be...


-The I.A.L.S

Blizz419 said...

just give it up mr inc seriously

Anonymous said...

Reggie did hint at some Revolution stuff, not much though. Most of it we already know due to people digging up patents, but Nintendo has never said anything officially.

I personally liked Reggie's hints about how Developers could use the Virtual Console to make quick and cheap games. Not demo things, but like a 4 man team making a new SNES game or something along those lines.

As for the DS, I am glad to hear about the voice chat and that the Brain games will be comming to the US.

Blizz419 said...

hinting does not mean announcing new info either.

Falafelkid said...

I hear all that backpedaling is good for you buns and thighs.

*lol* Humour is such an effective weapon... ;)

Anonymous said...

This is great news that there will be no voice-chat during games! It made Halo2 on XboxLive nearly unplayable. Most gamers are rather annoying and far from clever in their "taunts" and insults. Nothing could induce more eye-rolling than being shot and then called a "faggot" by some frat guy.
-MNT

Anonymous said...

yeah agreed i think full on chat in game is more a pain than a advance keed the chat and voice chat between game sessions but a message system between buddys that u can open and read or listen to wilst playing would be cool as for chat wilst play on the ds think how destracking that would be and anouing chatting between battles mutch more suitable

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