Nintendo increases R&D spending - N5 not a GC sucessor ?

[Megadrive1988]

http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2004/05/28/rtr1388082.html

Nintendo talking about a 'Revolution' for gamers
Reuters, 05.28.04, 5:26 AM ET


TOKYO, May 28 (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd <7974.OS> said on Friday it has codenamed its next-generation home console "Revolution", cementing a pledge to offer video game fans an entirely different gaming experience from current machines.


The company said on Thursday it would like to debut a new game machine at next year's E3, the game industry's annual trade show usually held in May, but Nintendo officials said it would be wrong to call Revolution a successor to its current GameCube console.

"This won't be a continuation, but rather something entirely different," Nintendo Senior Managing Director Yoshiro Mori said at an analyst's briefing. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told Reuters earlier this month that the next-generation game machine would change how people now play video games, sitting in front of a television holding a controller.

The Kyoto-based game maker said it plans to boost research and development (R&D) costs 27 percent from a year ago to 20 billion yen ($180 million) in the business year ending March 31, in part to fund development costs for Revolution.

Nintendo generated buzz at this year's E3 with a new dual-screened handheld game called "DS", which will come with two, three-inch (7.6 cm) LCD screens, one of which is touch-sensitive and works with a pen-like device.

The company forecast on Thursday that it plans shipments of 3.5 million "DS" machines this business year, but Nintendo's Mori said the potential is much bigger.

"If it is well received by consumers, it's not out of the question to see shipments rise to 10 or 15 million units in the next business year," Mori said.

well, I don't think Revolution is going to be a 4th hardware entry into hardware (meaning DS, Revolution, GCNext, GBNext). I'm thinking Nintendo might have Revolution playable with or without a televison / monitor. maybe it's some sort of VR device. now THAT would be a revolution. but it's probably too much to expect. still, I'm really curious to find out what they've got cookin'

 

[thop]

I don't think it will be VR after the VirtualBoy desaster. Nintendo holds a patent for some gyroscopic technology (meant to be included in DS first), but i think that's not enough to be a revolution.

 

[jvd]

gameboy 2 . portable gamecube

 

[MfA]

So basically the timing of that announcement is more or less a distraction from the fact that they wont be able to match Sony and Microsoft's schedule?

 

[Squeak]

I don't think it will be VR after the VirtualBoy desaster..

Well, at some point someone will have to do it.
Might as well be Nintendo. They could really use the attention, being first with a popular, widespread VR system, would cause.
If microsoft and Sony are the ones holding back on VR headsets, as standard equipment, Nintendo could get a head start in that field.

 

[Teasy]

So basically the timing of that announcement is more or less a distraction from the fact that they wont be able to match Sony and Microsoft's schedule?

You mean like the PSP announcement at E3?

Seriously though I don't know what your talking about.

 

[zurich]

So basically the timing of that announcement is more or less a distraction from the fact that they wont be able to match Sony and Microsoft's schedule?

You mean more like perfect timing to offset the disaster of Nintendo's profits being down 50% year on year and missing their GC shipment target by over a million units

 

[GHost]

You mean more like perfect timing to offset the disaster of Nintendo's profits being down 50% year on year and missing their GC shipment target by over a million units

Curiously enough Nintendo's stock jumped. Not that I hold any...

Anyway. I still hope "Revolution" is going to be backwards compatible with GC.

 

[cthellis42]

I suppose they may want to "pull a DS" in the mainstream console arena as well, but I have no idea what they'd be trying to do... And frankly if they don't improve on their console dramatically (in pursuit of something "revolutionary") in the same timeframe that Sony and Microsoft do... They're going to lose even more ground.

The pursuit of new concepts can be done simultaneously with what the public accepts as "a console," and it will live or die on its own merits. If it turns out to be a Virtual Boy...? Who'll care? It'll be a joke for years to come, but it won't interrupt the flow. The DS looks good, looks to be nothing like the "3rd pillar" system changing the whole way we think about games and the other random hype we've been getting so far, and if Revolution(TM) turns out the same way...?

Whatever it is, if it were to kick back a genuine successor to the GameCube too long, I think Nintendo will feel it on their bottom line.

 

[Trawler]

My take on Revolution is that it will use an EyeToy like interface. Whether this interface will be supplemented by a 'classic' style controller I can't say.

I'm not sure how they're going to go about replacing the display mechanism.

I think they'll be aiming at something somewhat portable. Around the size of an existing GameCube, but not requiring mains power. Something you could take to the park and play games with your mates with.

IMO, if it does turn out like this it'll bomb, but it will pave the way for more interactive devices of the kin in the future.

 

[Farid]

Well, at some point someone will have to do it.
Might as well be Nintendo. They could really use the attention, being first with a popular, widespread VR system, would cause.

Personally, i think it'd be great to see VR headsets available next-gen.
The question is: is that technologie "grown" enough for the "hardcore gamers" (more than 1 hours playing per day)?
All the video headset until now give a headache after a few moment (1 or 2 hours), IIRC.

 

[Guden Oden]

My take on Revolution is that it will use an EyeToy like interface.

Eyetoy-like interfaces are totally impractical for the vast majority of games, so no, obviously it will NOT have an eyetoy-like interface.

Whether this interface will be supplemented by a 'classic' style controller I can't say.

Of course it will have a controller.

I'm not sure how they're going to go about replacing the display mechanism.

Of course they're NOT going to replace the display mechanism, don't be silly. Unless you want to spend $2000+ on a LCD headset you're not going to find any display device that outclasses a (HD)TV set.

I think they'll be aiming at something somewhat portable. Around the size of an existing GameCube, but not requiring mains power. Something you could take to the park and play games with your mates with.

IMO, if it does turn out like this it'll bomb

So you predict Nintendo is designing a device intended to bomb! Methinks you give them way too little credit!

 

[Pepto-Bismol]

Well, if Nintendo's past efforts are any indication of their future, then Revolution is going to be cute (ooh so cute!!)...and practical...and the quickest to migrate to affordably!

Unfortunately, it may be the last console out of the gate...

 

[Evil_Cloud]

Revolution will be all about the games, that's the simple meaning of the device.

 

[jvd]

Well, if Nintendo's past efforts are any indication of their future, then Revolution is going to be cute (ooh so cute!!)...and practical...and the quickest to migrate to affordably!

Unfortunately, it may be the last console out of the gate...

If it is the last out of the gate then it can still compete while being affordable .

 

[Guden Oden]

This time Nintendo REALLY has to kiss some serious booty to get 3rd-party support. The lip-service they paid with GC and even more so with N64 is only outclassed by the sheer arrogance they showed during the NES/SNES era. Back then they knew they were king shits and could dictate the terms, but they still haven't learned their lesson despite announcing the opposite several times.

N5 needs BROAD-BASE 3rd-party software support if it is to succeed, especially with a strengthened MS from this current gen. If N5 is relegated to a niche slot then indeed it might well be the last stationary Nintendo console.

 

[zurich]

N5 needs BROAD-BASE 3rd-party software support if it is to succeed, especially with a strengthened MS from this current gen. If N5 is relegated to a niche slot then indeed it might well be the last stationary Nintendo console.

Which is why I'm convinced that the next Nintendo console will fully integrate their handhelds. IE: the GBA/2/DS _WILL_ be the controller. Nintendo NEEDS to leverage their handheld business in a much more convincing way than controlling spider bombs in Splinter Cell via 'connectivity'.

 

[Evil_Cloud]

Something like link cables that both link and supply power for the 'handheld controller'?

 

[thop]

I doubt it's gonna happen. Nintendo likes to sell through 1st/2nd party, i don't think it'll change anytime soon. They still didn't swallow the PSX pill yet (or only recently).

The good thing is the GBA (and maybe DS or even GBA2 sometime). It's too important to be missed by game developers, so they can't afford to show Nintendo the cold shoulder. They will use the GBA/DS to get devolopers on the N5. It's the same thing that happened to Square. Of course this could all change with the PSP.

Even if the N5 bombs i don't think they will get out of the home console business. They still have enough very loyal 1st party fans to stay profitable (they might become the Apple of home consoles ). And more than enough money in the bank to survive a few bad runs.

 

[Guden Oden]

Yeah, but living on as the Apple of consoles isn't going to make them as much money as it could if N5 is at least the 2nd best-selling console in the market. However, it seems everything goes in waves, the leader gets overconfident and then stumbles and falls.

...Wonder when that will happen to Sony! (And in a longer perspective; MS, hehe.)