Nintendo Revolution FAQ
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IGNcube's Nintendo "Revolution" FAQ
Absolutely everything we currently know about the successor to
Nintendo's GameCube home console.
June 17, 2004 - Nintendo's GameCube console is far from dead, but that
hasn't stopped the company from announcing that it is underway with a
next-generation successor, codenamed "Revolution." The system, still
very much a mystery, has been given an appropriate codename if
Nintendo is to be believed: the publisher says that the console will
revolutionize the way people play games. No easy challenge, but if any
company can do it, Nintendo can.
To help keep readers informed about any and all developments
surrounding the Nintendo Revolution, IGNcube has created the end-all
FAQ for the console. The following information represents everything
we currently know about the machine.
Q: What is the Nintendo Revolution?
A: The official codename for the successor to GameCube.
Q: How long has the Revolution been in development?
A: Preliminary development on Revolution began shortly after the
release of Nintendo GameCube.
Q: When was the Nintendo Revolution codename announced?
A:: On May 11, 2004 at Nintendo's pre-Electronics Entertainment Expo
2004 press conference, which took place in Los Angeles, California.
(The console had been tentatively referred to as "GCNext" by the press
before the unveiling of the official codename.)
Q: Who announced the codename Nintendo Revolution?
A: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. On stage at Nintendo's pre-E3 2004
press conference, Iwata said:
"Different also defines our approach to our next home system. It won't
simply be new or include new technologies. Better technology is good,
but not enough. Today's consoles already offer fairly realistic
expressions so simply beefing up the graphics will not let most of us
see a difference. So what should a new machine do? Much more. An
unprecedented gameplay experience. Something no other machine has
delivered before.
"The definition for a new machine must be different. I want you to
know that Nintendo is working on our next system and that system will
create a gaming revolution. Internal development is underway.
"I could give you our technical specs, as I'd know you'd like that,
but I won't for a simple reason: they really don't matter. The time
when horsepower alone made all the difference is over.
"Work on Revolution is well underway. When you see it you will be
excited because you will experience a gaming revolution."
Q: Will Revolution feature more powerful hardware than GameCube?
A: Yes.
Q: What are Revolution's technical specs?
A: Currently unknown.
Rumors abound indicated that Nintendo could separately be working on
two systems and that ultimately one would be chosen for retail. System
1 allegedly featured a 2.7GHz PowerPC G5 processor, 512MBs of RAM, and
a 600MHz graphics chip. System 2 allegedly featured dual 1.8GHz
PowerPC G5 processors. 256MBS of DDR Main Memory RAM, 128MBS of GDDR3
Video RAM and a 500MHz graphics chip. Both systems allegedly featured
a built in 15GB hard drive. As of this time, these rumors cannot be
validated.
Q: How will Revolution be unique?
A: That is the big question. The console is codenamed Revolution for a
reason: Nintendo expects it to be revolutionary. The system will,
according to Nintendo, fundamentally change how games are played --
literally. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said in recent
interviews that the dual-screened Nintendo DS offers a hint of what to
expect from Revolution. DS players can use a stylus pen to input
control data into the portable device. It's very possible that
Revolution may feature similar functionality.
Nintendo believes that technology alone cannot advance videogames,
which is why it plans to take Revolution into a dramatic new
direction.
Iwata in June 2004 described Revolution as a videogame machine "of a
different nature that does not follow the conventional path of new
game systems that increase speed and visual quality for making
elaborate games." He added: "The rule of satisfying customers by
increasing specifications worked once, but no longer applies now."
Q: Will Revolution feature screens on the console or the controller?
A: No. At a June 2004 analyst briefing in Japan, Nintendo president
Satoru Iwata said: We have no intention of making a two screen console
akin to the [Nintendo] DS."
Q: Will Revolution hook up to a television?
A: Yes. It will also be able to interface with a computer monitor. In
June 2004 Nintendo engineer Genyo Takeda said: "You'll be able to play
[Revolution] not just by linking up to a television but to a computer
monitor as well."
Q: Will Revolution go online?
A: Currently unknown. Nintendo continues to stress that it does not
yet believe in an online gaming model from a business standpoint.
However, the company at E3 2004 announced that its portable device
Nintendo DS would be able to go online using 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi
wireless capabilities. The company may seek to offer a similar option
for Revolution owners.
Q: Who are Nintendo's hardware partners on Revolution?
A: During the course of the last two years, several major hardware
companies have been linked to Revolution including IBM, ATI, and NEC.
In December 2002 Bloomberg reported that Nintendo had agreed to
collaborate with NEC on a system LSI that would serve as the core for
the new console.
Just a few months later GameCube graphics chip maker ATI announced a
vague "technology development agreement" for use in future "Nintendo
products." Unconfirmed reports from insiders alleged that ATI had been
in development with the graphics chip for Revolution well before that
announcement.
And several unsubstantiated rumors have suggested that IBM will
deliver a modified version of its PowerPC G5 processor for Revolution.
Q: When will Revolution be released?
A: "If you're asking for a specific date for our next system -- we
don't have one. Nintendo is going to remain competitive and will
launch around the same time as competitors… not later than," said
Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs in a May
2004 interview. This is the same line other Nintendo executives,
including company president Satoru Iwata, have said for months.
Nintendo feels that its inability to bring GameCube to market before
PlayStation 2 gave Sony an advantage that it could never overcome. For
that reason, Nintendo will not launch Revolution after PlayStation 3.
Revolution will launch sometime in 2006.
Q: How much will Revolution cost?
A:: Currently unknown. But we feel confident that Nintendo will aim
for a mass-market friendly price on the lower side of the spectrum.
Q: When will Nintendo reveal more about Revolution?
A: At the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2005, which begins May 2005
in Los Angeles.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Revolution Software Partners
A lot has changed since the days of the Nintendo 64 "Dream Team."
GameCube arrived and a new Nintendo philosophy with it. The company
began the console's life-cycle with several funded "second party"
development studios including hit makers like Rare, Left Field, Retro
Studios and Silicon Knights, and all of these backers made titles
exclusively for GameCube. But it was not to last. Shortly into
GameCube's shelf life, Nintendo ended its relationship with Left
Field, sold Rare to Microsoft, bought Retro Studios whole and
terminated its second-party relationship with Silicon Knights.
As work on the company's next-generation console, codenamed
Revolution, ramps up, Nintendo once again seems to have a new approach
to development partnerships. The company appears to be less focused on
exclusive second-party houses and more interested in setting up
relationships with proven third-party studios.
In Rare's absence Nintendo inked an industry shaking deal with Capcom
Entertainment to make GameCube the exclusive home of the Resident Evil
franchise. Even before the door had shut on Left Field the Big N had
partnered with one-time-rival Namco Entertainment to include Legend of
Zelda's Link exclusively in the GCN version of Soulcalibur II.
Incidentally Namco went on to create Star Fox for GameCube. And
Nintendo has managed similar deals with everyone from Sega to Square.
The company will continue to partner with major third-party players as
work on Revolution continues. A number of leading third-party
developers, in fact, have already been approached by Nintendo make
software exclusive for the company's GameCube successor.
That said, historically most of GameCube's biggest games have come
from Nintendo itself and the same will probably be true of Revolution.
Nintendo has already started developing software for the new console
and has allocated more manpower to that end than ever before.
Below, a preliminary list of Revolution software partners:
Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s offices in Kyoto, Japan
Nintendo (Kyoto)
Situated out of Nintendo's main headquarters in Kyoto, Japan is the
driving force of the company: several different divisions working
together under the Nintendo label to make some of the industry's
greatest games. Nintendo's Kyoto office houses some 1,200 employees,
more than 850 of which are directly involved in game development.
Nintendo is, simply, one of the biggest and most powerful software
companies in the world.
The firm's Kyoto office is separated into following subdivisions:
Research and Development 1 (R&D1); Research and Development 2 (R&D2);
Integrated Research and Development (iRD); Entertainment, Analysis and
Development (EAD); Special Planning and Development (SP&D); Research
and Engineering (R&E); Software Planning Division (SP&D) and Nintendo
Licensing Division.
Nintendo Research & Development 1
General Manager: Takehiro Izushi (10 years)
Chief Director: Yoshio Sakamoto, Hirofumi Matsuoka
Staff: 100+ People
This is spiritually the oldest team inside of Nintendo. Created by
Gunpei Yokoi in the late 70's, the R&D1 team stands tall as the
original group behind all of Nintendo's first videogames. Since the
dawn of the Game Boy, Nintendo R&D1 has carried the burden of using
most of its resources for the Game Boy line.
R&D1 is responsible for a wealth of hit games including Metroid,
Metroid II, Metroid III, Kid Icarus, Kid Icarus 2, Super Mario Land,
Super Mario Land 2, Wario Land, Wario Ware, Balloon Fight,
TeleroBoxer, Mario Clash, Urban Champion, Tetris, Dr. Mario, Metroid
Fusion, Metroid: Zero Mission, Wario Ware: Mega Microgame$, Nintendo
Puzzle Collection, and Wario Ware DS.
The most famous creations probably come from the two main directors
within the division. Yoshio Sakamoto is the man responsible for
Metroid, Balloon Fight/Balloon Kid, Card Hero, and the Japan only
Famicom Detective Club (which is very acclaimed). Hirofumi Matsuoka is
the creator of Wario Ware (the franchise Mr. Miyamoto is jealous of
not creating), as well as the Wario Land series.
Nintendo Research & Development 2
General Manager: Kazuhiko Taniguchi (2 years)
Chief Director: Yoshinori Tsuchiyama, Masaru Nishida
Staff: 60 People
A very experimental group within Nintendo. The team developed a lot of
the Mario/Zelda ports for the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. It
also has developed quirky original titles like Kirby Tilt N' Tumble.
An impressive number of now-EAD employees that have emerged in the
last four years actually started working in this small, quirky
division, including Eiji Aonuma and Toshiaki Suzuki.
R&D2 developed NES Open Tournament Golf, Marvelous: Treasure Island,
Sutte Hakun, Super Mario Bros. DX, Kirby Tilt N' Tumble, The Legend of
Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, and Super Mario Advance.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Nintendo Integrated Research & Development
General Manager: Genyo Takeda (20 + years)
Chief Director: Unknown
Staff: Unknown
iRD developed Punch-Out (Arcade), Arm Wrestling (Arcade), Mike Tyson's
Punch-Out (NES), Super Punch-Out! (SNES), Pro-Wrestling (NES), Star
Tropics (NES), Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics 2 (NES), and NES Play
Action Football (NES).
The division also developed and co-developed Nintendo 64, Nintendo
64DD, GameCube Link Cable, GameCube Controller, Nintendo 64
Controller, N64 Controller Pack, GameCube Modem, and GameCube.
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
General Manager: Shigeru Miyamoto (20 years)
Chief Producer: Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Eiji Aonuma, Shinya
Takahashi, Tadashi Sugiyama, Hideki Konno
Chief Director: Toshiaki Suzuki, Masamichi Abe, Shigefumi Hino,
Katsuya Eguchi, Kiyoshi Mizuki, Kenta Usu
Staff: 400+
Formerly known as Nintendo R&D4, this is the largest and most famous
group inside of Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto and his division have
become the mascots of Nintendo.
EAD developed Pokemon Stadium (N64), Pokemon Box (GCN), The Legend of
Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GCN), Pikmin 2 (GCN), Pac-Man VS (GCN),
Mario Kart: Double Dash (GCN), Luigi's Mansion (GCN), Animal Crossing
(GCN), Super Mario Sunshine (GCN), and more.
Nintendo EAD is set to lead the way into Revolution development. The
group, which is working on the anticipated GameCube Legend of Zelda
sequel among other things, is also deep in development with Nintendo
DS software.
EAD head Shigeru Miyamoto is the creator of Mario
It is believed that one of EAD's first Revolution titles will be the
long-talked-about next installment in the Mario franchise, known
currently as Mario 128. In a recent interview with Shigeru Miyamoto,
the director admitted that work continues on the project, but that he
isn't sure what system it will come out for. Meanwhile, Legend of
Zelda co-director Eiji Aonuma recently stated that though he would
like to ready a Zelda title for Revolution's launch, a Mario game is
far more likely.
Nintendo's internal studio will also be in charge of demonstrating the
unique "revolutionary" features of the company's GameCube successor
with original software that takes advantage of the console's
strengths.
Nintendo Special Planning & Development
General Manager: Satoshi Yamato (2 years)
Chief Producer: Satoshi Yamato
Chief Director: Shynia Kawada, Toru Osawa
Staff: 35+
One of the new divisions formed when Nintendo moved over to its new
and bigger central office in Kyoto, Japan. Toru Osawa, former R&D1
designer, joined under GM Satoshi Yamato to head this group. The team
was created in order to focus on Pokemon Mini, e-Card Reader games,
and GBA games.
NSP&D developed Momoko Sakurai Carnival (GBA) , Mario Party-e (e-Card
- GBA) , and Pokemon Mini Shocking Tetris (PM).
Nintendo Research & Engineering
General Manager: Satoru Okada (10 years)
Chief Producer: Satoru Okad
Chief Director: Kenichi Sugino
Staff: 50+
These were the engineers who actually worked with Yokoi on R&D1. When
Yokoi left, R&D1 split and dedicated itself to software, while the
engineers went on to create a hardware portable team at Nintendo.
Satoru Okada and Kenichi Sugino with the other team members have
created the main portable systems in regards to chip design and
industrial design.
R&E developed Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP,
and Nintendo DS.
Nintendo Software Planning Division worked with Retro Studios on
Metroid Prime 2
Nintendo Software Planning Division
General Manager: Akira Ootani (new)
Chief Producer: Akira Ootani, Kensuke Tanabe, Kenji Miki
Staff: 20?
A new set of producers joining a division created by Nintendo
president Satoru Iwata in order to free up Shigeru Miyamoto and other
NCL producers from having to fly oversees to work with American and
European developers creating first-party products for Nintendo.
SPD developed Metroid Prime 2, Geist, and Advance Wars: Under Fire.
Nintendo Licensing Division
General Manager: Shinji Hatano
Chief Producer: Shinji Hatano
Staff: 20?
A division of Nintendo that produces first-party published games by
independent developers in Japan, the team also is involved in
licensing characters like Pac-Man vs. from Namco, or Link to Namco for
use in Soulcalibur II.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Intelligent Systems
General Manager: Tohru Narihiro
Chief Director: Taeko Kaneda , Makoto Shimojo, Toshitaka Muramatsu
Staff: 90 People
A satellite development company that started as a one-man engineer
formerly employed by Nintendo to convert Famicom Disk software into
the America NES ROM cartridge media. Tohru Narihiro slowly expanded
his team by gaining a few engineers from Nintendo and other companies.
Eventually Intelligent Systems began programming games under the R&D1
team's management. The two teams have been closely linked, and have
cooperated on several games by creating internal teams between the
two. Recently, Intelligent Systems has become a much bigger force and
is now run completely independent of R&D1.
Intelligent Systems developed Paper Mario, Fire Emblem 3-7, Mario
Kart: Super Circuit, Advance Wars 1-2, Battle Clash, Tetris, and
Pokemon Puzzle Challenge (GBC)
With R&D1, the satellite developed Metroid 3, Wario Ware: Mega Party
Games (GameCube port), A Bell Tolls for the Frog Prince (Japanese
RPG), Card Hero (Directed by R&D1 Sakamoto), and Tetris Attack.
Nintendo (Tokyo)
In 2003 Nintendo funded a new research and development studio in Tokyo
that would create "unique games for Nintendo hardware platforms,
adding to the depth and breadth of Nintendo's first-party game
library." Yoshiaki Koizumi and Takao Shimizu, who worked on Super
Mario Sunshine as director and assistant director respectively, head
Nintendo's Tokyo studio. The 65-person studio's first game, the
original Bongo-controlled platformer DK Jungle Beat, received a wide
number of Most Innovative awards at 2004's Electronics Entertainment
Expo.
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is the first game from Nintendo's Tokyo studio
The studio, which aims to expand, is seeking experienced game
development staff to create new game experiences, according to a June
2004 report in Famitsu magazine.
Nintendo's Tokyo studio is poised to help the company deliver unique
and entertaining software for Revolution.
Game Freak
The 40-person plus company is credited for the creation of the Pokemon
franchise, which resulted in the incredibly popular phenomenon that
sparked a wide range of games across a number of Nintendo platforms.
More than 129 million Pokemon-branded games have sold to date -- a
figure that only Mario himself, with 175 million units sold, has been
able to best.
The company has stuck largely to Nintendo's Game Boy and Game Boy
Advance handheld platforms as of late, and the chances are good that
it will be a major player on Nintendo DS. But it may also lend a hand
in future Revolution-based Pokemon software.
Genius Sonority
The Japanese studio, co-funded by Nintendo and the Pokemon Company,
officially began operation on July 1, 2001. The odd name actually
translates to "talent echoes to the heart," according to the company.
Genius Sonority is a small developer whose staff consists of people
who worked on such franchises as Earthbound and DragonQuest. The
studio released its first project, Pokemon Colosseum, in early 2004
for GameCube. The software house will likely continue to focus on
Pokemon related products for future systems including Nintendo DS and
Revolution.
Hal has created such hits as Kirby and Super Smash Bros. Melee
Hal Laboratory
Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee would not be possible if
not for the 80-plus-person staff at Hal Laboratory. The company was
founded in 1980 and has enjoyed a long, prosperous working
relationship with Nintendo ever since. In fact, former Hal head Satoru
Iwata now serves as president of Nintendo Co. Ltd.
Apart from the Super Smash Bros. franchise, Hal is perhaps best known
for its series of Kirby related platformers. It also co-developed the
original Earthbound RPG for Super Nintendo and began work on a
Nintendo 64 sequel, which was never released. Rumors that the
developer could be working secretly on an Earthbound sequel for
GameCube or for Revolution continue to persist, though no official
evidence of such an undertaking has been made public.
Hal released only one game in 2003: Kirby Air Ride for GameCube. It's
clear that it has other projects underway -- a possible Smash Bros.
sequel? -- but the developer is remaining quiet about its future games
for the moment. Regardless of whether or not Hal's next project
appears on GameCube or Revolution, the company will remain a major
Nintendo player in the next-generation race.
Retro Studios
This Austin, Texas-based studio, founded in 1998 as a Nintendo
second-party by ex-Iguana Entertainment president Jeff Spangenberg,
hit a couple of brick walls in its early years. A series of cancelled
projects and lay offs threatened to ruin the studio. But when Nintendo
offered Retro the Metroid license it stepped up in a big way and
created what was to become one of GameCube's best titles in Metroid
Prime.
Retro Studios is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo. The
software house, headed by Nintendo's ex-director of business
development Michael Kelbaugh, consists of about 45 people. Retro is
scheduled to release the ambitious follow-up to Metroid Prime in time
for the 2004 holiday season. The studio, one of Nintendo's technical
powerhouses, is likely to continue work on the Metroid franchise with
future projects for Revolution.
IGNcube will list several more Nintendo software partners, including
NST and Camelot, soon.
IGNcube will update the Revolution FAQ with new information as it
becomes available.
IGNcube's Revolution FAQ is maintained by Matt Casamassina with
contributions from Anthony JC.
_______________________________________________________________________________
video of Iwata talking about Nintendo Revolution at E3 2004
Toby Newman
> Q: Will Revolution feature more powerful hardware than GameCube?
>
> A: Yes.
Q: Will Revolution have "Nintendo" written on it?
A: Yes.
Q: Is Revolution intended for humans?
A: Yes.
Q: Will Revolution be made from boiled vegetables?
A: Possible, but rumours indicate not.
More Revolution Revelations to follow...
--
Toby
Matt
> Q: What are Revolution's technical specs?
>
> A: Currently unknown.
>
> Rumors abound indicated that Nintendo could separately be working on
> two systems and that ultimately one would be chosen for retail. System
> 1 allegedly featured a 2.7GHz PowerPC G5 processor, 512MBs of RAM, and
> a 600MHz graphics chip. System 2 allegedly featured dual 1.8GHz
> PowerPC G5 processors. 256MBS of DDR Main Memory RAM, 128MBS of GDDR3
> Video RAM and a 500MHz graphics chip. Both systems allegedly featured
> a built in 15GB hard drive. As of this time, these rumors cannot be
> validated.
Alright, that sounds like bs. That would be AWESOME if it were true though.
Grackle
here?
Toby Newman
> A new way gamers think about gaming...could the rectal interface
> finally be here?
>
>
>
Nah, Rez did that with the Trance Vibrator :D
--
Toby