What's the chance the secret feature of Revmote is a mic?

[Guden Oden]

We've not had a good speculation thread based on this yet, and while E3 - where everything's set to be revealed - isn't exactly CLOSE, it's at least approaching.

So what are your ideas? What feature could Nintendo realistically incorporate into a handheld controller if it isn't a mic? Well, it could be a fully working tazer I suppose, but the chances of that isn't very big.

 

[Titanio]

Very probable, there should be one in fact, IMO.

 

[function]

If they're going online they need a mic. And I can't see Nintendo expecting you to wear a headset (they have a point - headsets work great but I don't like wearing them).

I hope it's a mic.

 

[NANOTEC]

If it's a mic, I hope it doesn't drain he DPD's battery excessively. Wired mics suck. Might be cool they have a separate wireless mic with its own battery using bluetooth or something.

 

[dukmahsik]

so they may put all the money into hardware besides cpu/gpu/next gen dvd format... interesting

 

[Refreshment]

Good topic.

If it is a mic integrated into the remote. How are you supposed to use it?

This is a serious question.

 

[Bobbler]

Good topic.

If it is a mic integrated into the remote. How are you supposed to use it?

This is a serious question.

You yell at it while akwardly waving your arm around...?

It should be able to pick up voice from typical distance you'd hold a controller from your mouth. It doesn't necessarily have to be very high quality to do it.

 

[Refreshment]

So, if theres more than one player theres the possibility of interference?

I really hope theres an integrated mic because is a cheap device that has a lot of interesting aplications.

 

[pc999]

One of my personal dreams for Rev

I would really love to see one as standard with Rev not only for online (which make it mandatory IMO) but see my signature with a today CPU you can make really good things with one micro/headset, plus I would love to never more use menus in Fable, Zelda, Splinter Cell etc... those things really brake the gameplay. Also it would be really good for RTSs and tatical games , only good things IMO would come. And it would make many games easy enought to be playable for everyone, even no gamers (I doubt that a first time gamer if (s)he try a good RTS or Fable ... will try it by a long time).

I used t expect one in XB360 too (specially after know that GoW do have voice control, probably like any UE3 powered game could have it easly), but .

 

[one]

It works as a cellphone!

 

[Mendel]

No no no, no mic. But here's the true secret.

It will work as a Super Mario Pasta Cutter to make some revolutionary pasta experience. After all, you need to eat every once in a while between gaming too!

Also there will be the Super Happy Family Together Sushi Thrilling Experience but more about that as things unfold.

 

[Rodéric]

It works as a cellphone!

Nah ! It's a universal remote control ! ;=

 

[Squeak]

A mic in the mote would be really bad design. It would restrict you too much in the ways you could hold it.
If I have to make a guess about the alleged extra revolutionary feature, it would be that it has something to do with the VPU. Why would Nintendo have ATI develop a proprietary VPU, if a tweaked conventional one would do the trick? The z detecting capability of the revmote would come into it's own if they have found a way to display 3D in a more convincing manner that regular consoles.

 

[Teasy]

The controller may have a microphone, but I doubt that will be the secret feature. I'd suggest a speaker and force feedback on the controller (and I think that's actually more likely then a microphone). Think about a baseball game, you swing and hear the wind rushing past the virtual bat and as you make contact with the ball the rumble feature mimicks that contact (not perfectly of course but as close as possible) and you hear a 'crack!' coming directly from the controller. Same goes when using the controller as a gun in a FPS, or a sword ect. I think a speaker plus clever use of rumble could add to the effect of the controller quite a bit.

 

[Guden Oden]

A speaker would be a neat gimmick, it's a good idea. It'd be hard to hide it in that glossy design of the wand tho, and it would sound very tinny considering how small (and cheap) it would have to be. I'm a bit sceptical about it, but apart from a mic or a speaker, it's hard to know what else the wand might incorporate. It's already been announced to have motion sensing capabilities as well as rumbling, plus the expandability of course and wireless communication ability.

So what the heck else COULD it be? It'll hardly be a pencil sharpener or a tin can opener, that's for sure!

 

[pc999]

What is this force feedback that people keep talking? In other forums they seems to talk about the same 3º(?) Law of Newton - for every force there is a equal reaction (or something like) althought in this case a virtual force/reaction, but this seems impossible to me.

That said, I dont expect the GPU to have any big feature (at least in the eyes of the uses ie marketing) althought it wouldbe quite nicely somethingh that could do some processoral work so they could offload the production costs (like sugested in the MS patent but for Xenon).

Althought I have have big hopes for a mic somehere I dont think that is the secret as themselfs downplayed it as one

Q: Will the Revolutionary input device be a microphone?

A: Unlikely. Nintendo has stated on the record that while microphone-to-game mechanics are intriguing, competitors have already capitalized on them.

"But the fact of the matter is, to realize voice commands; all you have to do is install a microphone. We realize a few of our competitors are already thinking of following us on this, so it will not be a defining feature of the new console," Iwata explained in a March 2005 interview. "We may or may not use the microphone in the new [Nintendo Revolution] interface."

but indeed there are very good chances of getting one and considering that even DS as one (and it seems to be pretty nice and make a lot of buzz within games) so I think it is a safe bet.

My main question (for now) is if the secret will be as big as the controller or no?

 

[winstonsmith1978]

I kind of like the built in mic thing. It would force you to have to put the controller up to your mouth, like a walkie-talkie, microphone or cell phone. This would make your in game character vulnerable for the amount of time that you speak, adding a whole new dimension to gaming.

At the very least, it would make all those obnoxious loud mouths easy pickings in a death match.

I like the idea that you would have to hide in a bush or behind a tree to secure a moment to speak. It reminds me of the enemy soldiers in Metal Gear Solid ----- how they have to pull out their walkie-talkie and call for back up.

 

[pc999]

That would be very nice for some games but not for all IMO.

 

[Guden Oden]

Omnidirectional mics aren't difficult to implement. I got one in my ancient Philips webcam; it's totally rotten except for the mic, which picks me up no matter where I am in the rather large room the computer's in. Installing a mic in the revmote that would hear the user at no further than arm's length would be a doddle, technically speaking.

 

[ROG27]

Alright....time for non-gamer marketing perspective:

Having a mic built into the rev remote would be perfectly natural, and it would coincide with Nintendo's mission for the Revolution...getting more Non-gamers involved in gaming/interactive entertainment. Nintendo already took the step to make the controller for the Revoltuion look more like a TV remote to appeal to those who might be afraid of tradional controllers. Why not make the rev remote second as a traditional handheld microphone, as well? Can you say NON-GAMES. For example, the Revolution might have title like..."Kareoke Extravaganza" (older, tradionally non-gamer audiences would like that), "American Idol" type game (voice and motion can be captured), Game Show / Trivia (ie. Jepordy) type games (where many players buzz in and speak into their rev remote Mic to answer the question), Brain Training / learn new foreign language / academic non-games, Voice activated search engine to go along with Opa Internet Browser, Voice chat of course, Voice recognition messaging/ email, Vocal minigames like who can scream the loudest or who can read the passage on the screen the fastest and most accurate. Holy crap...Nintendo should be stealing every idea I listed here if they haven't already. Either that or I should be working for Nintendo.