Iwata on Nintendo Revolution (IGN March 28)

[Acert93]

Iwata touched on the need for simplicity in future game design, arguing that games have grown overly complex in recent years. This trend, argues Iwata, has chased away potential gamers and limited the appeal of videogames.

"A goal of ours with Revolution is to expand the target market for games. The current consoles are constantly getting more complicated. The number of buttons on Joypads has been increasing steadily in recent years, for instance. Hardcore players can still manage, but for inexperienced people and beginners the degree of complexity is too big of a barrier."

The only logical conclusion, of course, is for Nintendo to make games less complex for non-gamers. How the company intends to do this is anyone's guess, and will be until the Electronic Entertainment Expo this May. Still, Iwata's recent comments hint at a system built on a foundation of supreme user-friendliness.

Yes, Iwata is 100% correct about the bolded comment.

BUT... the solution is not to remove buttons. The solution is in SOFTWARE. I think the Big GREEN and RED buttons on the GCN were great for that reason. The controller was comfortable and had a lot of buttons BUT, for beginners, simpler games could use GREEN and RED.

As it is console controllers already have certain limitations--they are either good for some goods and not as good for others, or vice versa. And there are always cases where a KB/MS is far superior (but a KB/MS stink for most action games like sports, fighers, racers, etc).

Typical Nintendo, the top statement may mean they want to open gaming back up to more casual gamers while not alienating hardcore gamers. BUT the perception is they are forgetting the harcore gamers. I know they do not intend such (recent interviews say as much) but Iwata needs to learn to say something like this:

"games have grown overly complex in recent years so at Nintendo we are taking a new approach that allows our console appeal to hard core gamers and developers while making the system approachable to casual gamers.

The only logical conclusion, of course, is for Nintendo to make games less complex for non-gamers.

All I can say to this is that it is usually safer to go after an established market--especially one you helped BUILD--than to be innovative and go after an unknown.

I love Nintendo's games, but sometimes they leave me scratching my head... of course I am a hardcore gamer, so I am not the intended audiance of this blurb. Hopefully at E3 they will show us they are just as serious about people like me.

 

[ninelven]

erased

 

[Carl B]

It all makes sense now... revolution will use the original NES controller.

Well, I know you're joking, but I think Nintendo is probably looking back at the systems where it gained it's popularity and thinking about how to re-introduce that sort of quasi-intuitive gameplay back into the current gen of games.

But I hope they keep a good deal of buttons on the new controllers. Let's not take two-steps forward, two-steps back.

 

[Legend]

I don’t want to have a 2 button controller and play pong.
I think Ninty will end up in a loony institute one of these days.

:?

 

[V3]

Nintendo is going after the RealArcade market ?

Simple Game&Watch style of gameplay will make a return on Revolution ?

Interesting.

 

[BOOMEXPLODE]

I really want to believe Revolution will be awesome....but Nintendo seems to be doing their best to make it suck....

 

[GwymWeepa]

I wouldn't be surprised if the touch-screen control rumors are true. I'm now envisioning a large touch-screen tablet, video data is streamed to it so there is no need to look away from the controller (there would be designated areas on the left and right of the controller for well, control surfaces, and the middle area for the video feed). Awkward, but something that wouldn't surprise me coming from Nintendo.

 

[hovz]

yea nintendo, your simplicity strategy has worked to great success, gamers dont want complex advanced games, thats why they sell millions of copies.. . thats why gamecube sucks and by the time the next gen cycle ends you will be in dead last in the console market.

u have to wonder how much of an idiot this satori guy is to believe the crap that leaks out of his mouth. considering the hardcore gamers are the ones who run out and buy multiple games a month id say u dont want to constantly release simplified garbage like mario kart double dash.

 

[Acert93]

I would be very surprised if the GCN finished 3rd.

Number 1 reason is LoZ. Even you cannot ignore this is one of the most anticipated games of 2005. While Xbox has Forza and Conkers, there just really is no comparison. LoZ may be the most anticipated game, on any platform, call fall 2005.

#2, Xbox shortages. Personally, I believe the shortages are partly connected with MS's goal to transistion to X2 cleanly. Xbox costs them a ton of money, no use having a lot of stock in a money losing console when your new one has arrived. I forsee Xboxes becoming more and more scarce after the X2 launch, while the GCN will be CHEAP and available.

#3, Nintendo will ride the GCN well into 2006, while MS is definately transitioning to the X2 now.

#4, People forget that there are a lot of budget gamers who buy games long after us hardcore people move on. With a GCN at $100 and a ton of AAA titles to be had in the $20 range sales do not immediately die.

While these are no guarantees, I see no substantial evidence that GCN will finish 3rd in total console sales this generation. I actually think Nintendo will continue to milk the GCN--something MS may not be able to do with Xbox.

 

[hovz]

triple a is a subjective comment.

 

[GwymWeepa]

Man you are such a nintendo fanboi hovz.

 

[jvd]

they aren't riding anything , alot of titles are already being made for the rev actually i have it on good athuroity that mario 128 is already being enhanced for the new system and they will announce that at e3 along with a new smash bros and a new luigi mansion game .

Also a touch screen would be great on a controler , many of my female friends love the touch screen of the ds and love playing the games on it . Make them 3d and use a tv to display the image also and you've got a success on your hands

 

[JacksBleedingEyes]

You know for a long long time I kept trying to figure out who hovz reminded me of. It was on the tip of my tongue every time I read one of his posts. Finally it came to me, simply put its Hitler. He always complains about one thing or other, not one of his posts has been positive, ever. All he shows us are the problems in the most negative possible manner, and never a suggested solution.

Hovz, I salute you.

 

[PC-Engine]

I would be very surprised if the GCN finished 3rd.

Number 1 reason is LoZ. Even you cannot ignore this is one of the most anticipated games of 2005. While Xbox has Forza and Conkers, there just really is no comparison. LoZ may be the most anticipated game, on any platform, call fall 2005.

#2, Xbox shortages. Personally, I believe the shortages are partly connected with MS's goal to transistion to X2 cleanly. Xbox costs them a ton of money, no use having a lot of stock in a money losing console when your new one has arrived. I forsee Xboxes becoming more and more scarce after the X2 launch, while the GCN will be CHEAP and available.

#3, Nintendo will ride the GCN well into 2006, while MS is definately transitioning to the X2 now.

#4, People forget that there are a lot of budget gamers who buy games long after us hardcore people move on. With a GCN at $100 and a ton of AAA titles to be had in the $20 range sales do not immediately die.

While these are no guarantees, I see no substantial evidence that GCN will finish 3rd in total console sales this generation. I actually think Nintendo will continue to milk the GCN--something MS may not be able to do with Xbox.

Dont forget that Revolution is backwards compatible so GCN games may continue to sell well.

 

[JacksBleedingEyes]

PC fair enough, its a cool feature to have, but the only ppl who really benfit from backwards compatible consoles are the ones of owned the previous console in the first place. Sure some games may continue to sell, but these would be the best of the best uber niche games, eg LoZ (is the only one that comes to mind).

 

[Acert93]

PC fair enough, its a cool feature to have, but the only ppl who really benfit from backwards compatible consoles are the ones of owned the previous console in the first place. Sure some games may continue to sell, but these would be the best of the best uber niche games, eg LoZ (is the only one that comes to mind).

One benefit of backwards compatibility is you do not have to be as conflicted about releasing a top game on the older system.

e.g. a lot top level games are in development 2, 3, and even 4 years. What if a LoZ type game was intended for release in 2005 after a 3 year development period but it looked like you may have to rush it to hit that mark. But you do not want to release in 2006 because the new console comes out.

Solution? Come out in 2006, hit the larger install base on the new system, and get a solid release that looks nice on the new system. Frequently last gen games are much better than first gen games on new consoles.

Backwards compatibility is also great if it makes your older games look nicer and also means after dropping $300 on a console you can play your old games OR buy great games you never bought on the cheap. Slow month for Rev titles? Pick up a quality GCN title for $20. Only problem is backwards compatibility can eat into new console game sales... but if the games are better then that should not be an issue.

 

[Johnny_Physics]

I would be very surprised if the GCN finished 3rd.

Number 1 reason is LoZ. Even you cannot ignore this is one of the most anticipated games of 2005. While Xbox has Forza and Conkers, there just really is no comparison. LoZ may be the most anticipated game, on any platform, call fall 2005.

I predict that EAs The Godfather will sell better than the new Legend of Zelda, so I don't think LoZ will be the super-stellar AAA++ title of the year when it comes to pure sales.

When EA starts to crank out the hype it will be one of the most anticipated games of 2005, right now I have no doubt about it.

 

[London Geezer]

I'd have posted "DragonBall Z Sagas will sell better than LOZ" but really, thinking it over for a little while, i think LoZ will sell a whole lot, it is the Zelda everyone was waiting for in this generation, and it looks like we'll only get one "real" Zelda in this generation.

Still it's embarrassing to see some games outselling real gems on the grounds of being sold by EA or being based on huge licenses. Usually it's both.

 

[Bohdy]

One thing that I have learned with Nintendo is that you will always be pleasantly surprised when they actually reveal what it seems like they have been trying to make sound horrible

Take the DS, for instance: People were holding their heads in disgust at how idiotic it sounded, then Reggie came out brandishing the thing and it turns out to be actually kinda damn cool.

 

[Johnny_Physics]

Yeah, a game can receive stellar reviews and still sell like crap.
I belive that Zelda, compared to The Godfather, will come out on top when it comes to reviews and ratings, but The Godfather will sell much better.

Other games that without a doubt will sell a bucketload this autumn:
Black (Criterion/EA)
Resident Evil 4 PS2
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (prediction: will be delayed until May/June 2006


uhr, that's pretty much the only ones I'm certain will sell really well. Burnout 4 will probably sell really well too, worldwide(i.e Europe/France for some reason).
STALKER seems to be a hit-or-miss so I don't feel any certainty about that. Battlefield 2 will sell like hotcakes, but that won't come out this autumn.
But it's really too early to predict things like this when we don't know what will be revealed at E3.