New Revolution info revealed. Got yer salt?

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December 6, 2005 - Just yesterday IGN Revolution launched with technical details on Nintendo's next-generation console, codenamed Revolution. And today more development sources have come forward with both clarification and even more tech specs. The latest news begins to paint a clearer picture of Nintendo's aim with its next platform.

We cannot stress this enough: Revolution is not being positioned as a competitor to either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Nintendo has instead chosen to design a console that will be very affordable for consumers. For that very reason, say developers in the know, the Big N has opted out of filling the system with a massive supply of expensive RAM.

In yesterday's article, we wrote that Revolution would include 128MBs of RAM, or possibly less. Developers have clarified the makeup based on officially released Nintendo documentation. Revolution will build on GameCube's configuration of 24MBs 1T-SRAM and 16MBs D-RAM (40MBs) by adding an addition 64MBs of 1T-SRAM. The result is a supply of memory in Revolution that totals 104MBs. That number does not consider either the 512MBs of allegedly accessible (but hardly ideal) Flash RAM or the Hollywood GPU's on-board memory, said to be 3MBs by sources.

Revolution's Broadway CPU, developed by IBM, is an extension of the Gekko CPU in GameCube, according to official Nintendo documentation passed to us by software houses. The Hollywood GPU, meanwhile, is believed to be an extension of the Flipper GPU in GameCube. Since developers have not gone hands-on with the GPU, they can only go on Nintendo documentation, which is limited.

Exact clock rates were not disclosed, but one development source we spoke to had this to say of the Revolution CPU and GPU: "Basically, take a GameCube, double the clock rate of the CPU and GPU and you're done."

We presented that description to another informed studio, which clarified that the clock rates may even fall short of doubling those on GameCube.

"The CPU is the same as Gekko with one and a half to two times the performance and improved caching," said a source. "Our guys experimented with it and think they'll be able to get about twice the performance as GameCube."

"It's a gamble for the Big N," said another source. "It's not about horsepower for them -- it's about innovation and gameplay."

We've also been able to unearth firm details on the storage capacity for Revolution discs. Recent rumors suggesting that the discs can hold 12GBs of data are false. In fact, Revolution discs can store 4.7GBs of data on a single layer or 8.5GBs when double-layered on a single-side. This is a massive jump from the 1.5GB capacity of GameCube discs and more than enough storage capacity for any non-high-definition game.

Readers discouraged by Revolution's seeming lack of horsepower when compared to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 should remember that Nintendo is not interested in competing in the high-definition gaming arena, and as a standard-definition console, Revolution is more than capable. Capcom's Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most gorgeous games this generation and it ran on GameCube, a console at least half as powerful according to developer reports.

Software houses we spoke with also waxed on the immediate advantage to Nintendo's approach with Revolution, which is, of course, system price. Every developer was in agreement that Revolution should launch with a price tag of $149 or lower. Some speculated that based on the tech, a $99 price point would not be out of the question.

Stay tuned for more as it develops.













From Kotaku:

"IGN message boards are buzzing with words from Nintendo/Revolution editor Matt Casamassina. The already linked article targets the Revolution around Thanksgiving of 2006 and tonight, Casamassina claims he’s going to talk about RAM, DVD disc storage and some more tidbits on the system’s processing power. None of this is very official - yet, it’s all coming to him from developers and so far they’ve stayed anonymous. At least there’s a plot thickening for Nintendo’s next console, though."

Casamassina'a actual post:
"Whoa baby. I should put an end to some speculation before it runs out of control.

Tonight's article will be a continuation of last night's. Satoru Iwata has not personally delivered us the full spec breakdown. Nintendo doesn't want to talk specs and I don't think anything we do will really change that.

That said, devs do have official documentation and it has been directly quoted to me over the phone.

Tonight, we'll talk a bit more about CPU / GPU power. We'll also have a clarification on RAM. (And before you go thinking that we messed up and it has 512MBs, think again -- it's the other way.) And we'll reveal the real DVD capacity. That 12GB stuff was completely bogus.

Devs also speculate on a price point.

Can someone do me a favor and pass this along to the guys at the GA Forum before they toss me into the bonfire.

Thanks.

Matt"

I've got a boner already, kiddies. Everyone should watch IGN.com later tonight, and sorry if this is a repost.
 
Be prepared to be disappointed in the actual horsepower of the Rev.

/just sayin, still getting one + probably everything at launch, I can afford to not be a CAG for one day...
 
The guy had a Perfect Dark Zero review on the main page of Cube.ign.com with the caption: "Does Matt like it?".

I really dont like him.
 
This is going to turn into a big flame war with the people who will laugh at the specs for the Revolution regardless of what they are, and the lack of HD.

Well, to them, I save pre-emptively, "Go the bugger away!"
 
[quote name='Strell']Be prepared to be disappointed in the actual horsepower of the Rev.

/just sayin, still getting one + probably everything at launch, I can afford to not be a CAG for one day...[/QUOTE]

They say it's about 3-4 times the power of the cube(which I'm still skeptical about). even if that's true, that's 3 to 4 times the graphical prowess of things like RE4 andTwilight Princess. I think I can deal. Besides, if I want to whore myself graphically I can get a Ps3 ;).
 
Its stronger than the cube...im happy.

Of course i consider Katamari Damacy to be one of the best current gen games available, and they probably could have worked that type of magic on the original playstation later in that consoles life.

Its the controller and "other" features im stoked about.
 
I think Matt just had an interview with a hand puppet

If Matt is completely wrong about the Revolution specs, the world will believe him and he'll go entirely uncontradicted until May when Nintendo actually unveils the Revolution. And even after that, people will still think Matt's specs were the right one, because they saw the article on IGN but not the updates six months later. The Revolution will be out and we'll still have people going "wait, I thought I read somewhere that the Revolution has only 64 mb of RAM".
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']I think Matt just had an interview with a hand puppet

If Matt is completely wrong about the Revolution specs, the world will believe him and he'll go entirely uncontradicted until May when Nintendo actually unveils the Revolution. And even after that, people will still think Matt's specs were the right one, because they saw the article on IGN but not the updates six months later. The Revolution will be out and we'll still have people going "wait, I thought I read somewhere that the Revolution has only 64 mb of RAM".[/QUOTE]

Miyamoto himself could fire a golden scroll containing the actual Revolution specs out of his ass as the Marine Corps band played Hail to the Chief, and people would still miss it. It's those people who only have the intent to bash the console anyway. The revo could suport 650,000i and they would still be saying things like "WTF! Nintendo is for teh kidz its got the week grafx!1". Whether or not the guy is talking out of his ass...I need more revo info. I NEED IT!
 
letter-from-the-editor-20051205040446162.jpg


Matt 'Manboobs' Casamassina
 
[quote name='munch']
letter-from-the-editor-20051205040446162.jpg


Matt 'Manboobs' Casamassina[/QUOTE]

Wonderful, now every time I see his picture I'll think "Manboobs."

I tried to stay away from looking at his picture before since I didn't like to see his pug, now it'll be a matter of protecting my sanity.
 
who the hell is this guy, why is he important and what cup do you guys think he wears? seems like he's a professional rumor machine and I'm guessing a low B cup.
 
Honestly, they could put out a system with the same specs as the GameCube but with new Mario, Zelda, Metroid and other Nintendo exclusive franchises, and the system would do fine. While the system specs will surely be decent for the Revolution, it's safe to say that with Nintendo wanting to release the console at a lower price point, that the specs will not approach the X360 or PS3.

Oh well, I guess if hardware specs are posted tonight, it will give people something to argue about for a little while.
 
[quote name='scdoanintendo']Nov. 06 seems too long especially if the PS3 launches in the spring.[/QUOTE]

It does follow history, though--the GCN came out in November in the US IIRC.

And ha ha ha to the pic of the IGN guy. It's funny how a dude with manbreasts has to have his picture taken wearing a sweater...:lol:
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']Wonderful, now every time I see his picture I'll think "Manboobs."

I tried to stay away from looking at his picture before since I didn't like to see his pug, now it'll be a matter of protecting my sanity.[/QUOTE]

Did DragonLordFrodo get gastric bypass??

It would be interesting, IMO, if Nintendo slung itself into the market banking on lower price point on system AND games to carry it through this generation. It would definately work, regardless of increase in horsepower. It's the accessibility that they're going for, not a high end gaming PC.
 
I just want some games with some good gameplay. As long as it can PLAY that, it should be good enough specs for me. Graphics of course isn't everything, too bad America seems to want everything that looks good. But huh... I thought they weren't going to release, but eh.
 
I've already seen Revolution spec threads all over that eventually turned into "Teh ps3 and teh xbox0rz 36o is more nex jenerer"!?
 
The one place that i think Nintendo is aiming at (in part) are thos TV games. Baseball with a bat, Moto X with handle bars, Bowling with a ball...all those, but with the ability to play normal games as well. The play-all machine.
 
If you are a Nintendo fan, you know it's all about the gameplay. You don't get your eyecandy here. Nintendo knows what they are doing, I have no doubt of that.
 
Well that didn't really offer anything new. Just a lot of "I heard this" and "I heard that", that I've already heard. I wonder though how well the Rev would sell if it was $149.99 .
 
[quote name='thorbahn3']Well that didn't really offer anything new. Just a lot of "I heard this" and "I heard that", that I've already heard. I wonder though how well the Rev would sell if it was $149.99 .[/QUOTE]

The info hasn't been posted yet. Unless you're talking about the Article that was put up yesterday on IGN. The new stuff should be up soon. I hope.
 
really if you boil down to it, the future outcome of game success will not be graphics (as a majority of people nowadays choose their games based off of this, but most avid gamers don't) as technology will reach its peak graphicly, but gameplay will be the new focus of companys. Our kids will probably be playing AI a million times better than what we have today, just because gameplay will be a large focus. Nintendo is already ahead of the rest of the crowd, in terms of gameplay.
 
I also added this to the OP.




"December 6, 2005 - Just yesterday IGN Revolution launched with technical details on Nintendo's next-generation console, codenamed Revolution. And today more development sources have come forward with both clarification and even more tech specs. The latest news begins to paint a clearer picture of Nintendo's aim with its next platform.

We cannot stress this enough: Revolution is not being positioned as a competitor to either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Nintendo has instead chosen to design a console that will be very affordable for consumers. For that very reason, say developers in the know, the Big N has opted out of filling the system with a massive supply of expensive RAM.

In yesterday's article, we wrote that Revolution would include 128MBs of RAM, or possibly less. Developers have clarified the makeup based on officially released Nintendo documentation. Revolution will build on GameCube's configuration of 24MBs 1T-SRAM and 16MBs D-RAM (40MBs) by adding an addition 64MBs of 1T-SRAM. The result is a supply of memory in Revolution that totals 104MBs. That number does not consider either the 512MBs of allegedly accessible (but hardly ideal) Flash RAM or the Hollywood GPU's on-board memory, said to be 3MBs by sources.

Revolution's Broadway CPU, developed by IBM, is an extension of the Gekko CPU in GameCube, according to official Nintendo documentation passed to us by software houses. The Hollywood GPU, meanwhile, is believed to be an extension of the Flipper GPU in GameCube. Since developers have not gone hands-on with the GPU, they can only go on Nintendo documentation, which is limited.

Exact clock rates were not disclosed, but one development source we spoke to had this to say of the Revolution CPU and GPU: "Basically, take a GameCube, double the clock rate of the CPU and GPU and you're done."

We presented that description to another informed studio, which clarified that the clock rates may even fall short of doubling those on GameCube.

"The CPU is the same as Gekko with one and a half to two times the performance and improved caching," said a source. "Our guys experimented with it and think they'll be able to get about twice the performance as GameCube."

"It's a gamble for the Big N," said another source. "It's not about horsepower for them -- it's about innovation and gameplay."

We've also been able to unearth firm details on the storage capacity for Revolution discs. Recent rumors suggesting that the discs can hold 12GBs of data are false. In fact, Revolution discs can store 4.7GBs of data on a single layer or 8.5GBs when double-layered on a single-side. This is a massive jump from the 1.5GB capacity of GameCube discs and more than enough storage capacity for any non-high-definition game.

Readers discouraged by Revolution's seeming lack of horsepower when compared to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 should remember that Nintendo is not interested in competing in the high-definition gaming arena, and as a standard-definition console, Revolution is more than capable. Capcom's Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most gorgeous games this generation and it ran on GameCube, a console at least half as powerful according to developer reports.

Software houses we spoke with also waxed on the immediate advantage to Nintendo's approach with Revolution, which is, of course, system price. Every developer was in agreement that Revolution should launch with a price tag of $149 or lower. Some speculated that based on the tech, a $99 price point would not be out of the question.

Stay tuned for more as it develops."

Taken with Mucho salto.
 
Wow, $100-150 sounds awesome to the cheapass in me. As a regular user on this site, I like to feel the inner cheapass in me is strong.

So what are you all waiting for? Go sell your 360 for $500, then buy it back in a few months and have enough left over for a Revo!
 
I'd love to see Nintendo really pull this off. I still have doubts that 3rd parties will really support the unique aspects of the controller and gameplay. I see most games made for PS3 with some/most ported to the 360 and a share of those shoe-horned onto the Rev. But if it does come together I'm sure I'll be picking one up at some point in '07.

No high end HD support is a bit of a drag (although I don't have a nice HD set right now I do plan on getting one someday...) but if it means a cheaper price I can deal.
 
I'm gonna have to mull this one over, but I'll go out on a limb and say that they're going to make a killing with the Revolution. Casual gamers are going to love the price point and the recognizable franchises, and hardcore gamers are going to go for the innovation and the old school game compatibility features. I'm sure that there will be a few A/V nuts who will turn their nose up at it, but I really think this is the ideal "2nd" console to have beside your powerhouse 360 and/or PS3.

Who here is NOT going to pick this up after seeing the 360's pricetag???
 
Wholly cow - I can only begin to imagine the resulting splash should the Revolution launch at $150, let alone $100. That's comparable to, or less expensive than a DS!!!

At that price point, it gives little reason for people on the fence to wait it out.

Which is spectacular strategy when you think about it...

Consider that it will still take 3-4 years before HTDV takes a substantial part of the market. By that point, the 360 and PS3 will more than likely have dropped in price point, making it more competitive w/ the Revolution.

But it won't matter, because the Revolution will have used those 3-4 years when only a small percentage of the population has HD TV to build up its user base, when people won't care about its lack of HD capabilities.

It really will be geared towards a compliment to PS3 or the 360, not direct competition.

Bravo to Nintendo if this actually pans out!
 
no matter how low the specs would be for the Rev, if it sold between $100 and $150 I would be all over it. If they do the pricing like they have done fo rthe DS, it will be a great affordable system. Hoora!
 
Also, at the price point and the resulting potential market penetration, I see little reason why other companies wouldn't make ports to the Revolution - thus shoring up 3rd party support.

I sense some genius coming on...
 
I dont know what to think, but maybe the lower system requirements, and the fact its an extension of a known architecture will allow cost conscious, or small time developers to create games for the Revolution. Maybe this is a good thing.

I really just want to use the nuchaku setup to kill people in a FPS/Metroid game.
 
[quote name='RelentlessRolento']really if you boil down to it, the future outcome of game success will not be graphics (as a majority of people nowadays choose their games based off of this, but most avid gamers don't) as technology will reach its peak graphicly, but gameplay will be the new focus of companys. Our kids will probably be playing AI a million times better than what we have today, just because gameplay will be a large focus. Nintendo is already ahead of the rest of the crowd, in terms of gameplay.[/QUOTE]


Couldn't agree more :) I can't wait until the graphics war is over.
 
I love the sound of a $99 system. Heck you can even buy two 360 games for that. So what would one rather have two games or a brand new console? I'm psyched about this.
 
well i was planning on picking one up, but some of the comments about the casual gamer will love the pricing at the 100 - 150, I don't know about that statement, as isn't the casual gamer all about games such as madden. And for the on the fence people, I would imagine it will come down to will there be enough games to warrant a purchase. Yes I plan on getting one, but if there isn't a crop of games to make someone go and buy one for the first year or so, the big n most likely won't make a big push into being a 2nd console. It all comes down to does the system have games, and a fair amount of them, that the consumer will want.
 
[quote name='ryanbph']well i was planning on picking one up, but some of the comments about the casual gamer will love the pricing at the 100 - 150, I don't know about that statement, as isn't the casual gamer all about games such as madden. And for the on the fence people, I would imagine it will come down to will there be enough games to warrant a purchase. Yes I plan on getting one, but if there isn't a crop of games to make someone go and buy one for the first year or so, the big n most likely won't make a big push into being a 2nd console. It all comes down to does the system have games, and a fair amount of them, that the consumer will want.[/QUOTE]
I think it's more that the nongamer will love it. Old people, females, people you wouldn't think to buy a system now, will find it easier to adopt. Especially when titles like Nintendogs Revolution come out, you'll see a lot of people buying a Revolution that you wouldn't have expected.
 
[quote name='evilmax17']I think it's more that the nongamer will love it. Old people, females, people you wouldn't think to buy a system now, will find it easier to adopt. Especially when titles like Nintendogs Revolution come out, you'll see a lot of people buying a Revolution that you wouldn't have expected.[/QUOTE]

Nintendogs Revolution...that would cause some serious insanity - what with the new controller interface.
 
I had no problem dropping $200 for my GC...

I'll have no problem dropping $200 (or less?!) for Rev.
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']Also, at the price point and the resulting potential market penetration, I see little reason why other companies wouldn't make ports to the Revolution - thus shoring up 3rd party support.
[/QUOTE]

Because it won't be powerful enough to play the games perhaps?
 
[quote name='Ecofreak']Nintendogs Revolution...that would cause some serious insanity - what with the new controller interface.[/QUOTE]
I don't know, yes some will get into it, but how many more...it all comes down to games, and if they don't have them, no matter how cool the controller are. IT NEEDS TO MOVE MORE UNITS THEN THE CUBE DID. One can't say it will/won't be successful now as we don't have a list of games that actually will hit the store shelves, hopefully the comments by shiggy about more suprises at e3 will be the thing that will make this a must have system. The article was on gamespot
 
If they could get it above the 1st Xbox's capabilities, then publishers could do easy ports with better antialiasing (and many some other bonuses) and the Revolution could quickly build a quality library of games will little capital. It might be a "best of" the previous generation, or maybe a collection of overlooked gems.
 
[quote name='ryanbph'] It all comes down to does the system have games, and a fair amount of them, that the consumer will want.[/QUOTE]

You're absolutely right. But we're talking Nintendo here - we've already got potential for Smash Brothers, Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, Metroid, Fire Emblem, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Star Fox, et al. Every one of these could easily be killer apps.

(Here's hoping for a big Kid Icarus comeback too)
 
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