Iwata Discusses Revolution Launch
Nintendo planning pre-Thanksgiving US release.
by Anoop Gantayat
January 18, 2006 - Following an uncomfortably long silent spell, Nintendo has at last made mention of its upcoming next generation console, still operating under the code name Revolution.
Speaking with a Japanese newspaper on Wednesday, company president Satoru Iwata revealed that Nintendo is aiming to release the Revolution in America prior to Thanksgiving. The belief over at the Kyoto-based company is that failure to get the product out by that important date would result in low retailer support.
On the topic of price, Iwata states to the paper that we can expect a price that will be easy for consumers to deal with. While he wouldn't give any specifics, he suggested an upper bound, stating that the system probably wouldn't sell if it cost 50,000 yen (about $450 US).
The new bits provided by Iwata today aren't much, but they definitely take us a few centimeters down the path towards the Revolution's launch. Of course, all the big revelations will come closer to May's E3 show where, Iwata also revealed to the paper, we'll be seeing the Revolution in near final form.
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Resident Evil DS Producer Working on Nintendo Revolution Project
by Shawn White (01/17/06)
Speaking with Jeux-France, Minoru Nakai, producer for the Resident Evil remake on the Nintendo DS, revealed that he is involved in a project for Nintendo's next-generation console, code-named the Nintendo Revolution.
Nakai let slip that he is interested in the Revolution's controller, and even though he thinks its functionality could provide a nice evolution to the Resident Evil series, the current Revolution project is not a new title in the franchise (note: rough translations provided).
"Even if the playability of Resident Evil 4 thus remains very led to my taste, we would clearly like to use the potential of the [Revolution controller], because the players could end up wearying themselves of this style of gameplay," Nakai explained.
However, the producer cautioned that "it would be perhaps more judicious to develop a game other than Resident Evil on Nintendo Revolution, before attacking this series, and this, to familiarize myself more with this new concept, in order to better benefit from the potential of the [controller] thereafter. We [are working] there in this moment..."
Despite any sales success Resident Evil 4 enjoyed on the Nintendo GameCube, Capcom has yet to announce the game's next-generation sequel for Revolution, confirming it only for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. However, given Nakai's words, there seems to be a possibility that Nintendo's next console might receive a Resident Evil title, perhaps one that is tailored exclusively to the Revolution's controller.
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Dragon Quest Producer Excited About Nintendo Revolution
by Shawn White (01/13/06)
During the European launch event for Dragon Quest VIII held in London yesterday, series Producer Yuji Horii expressed his interest in Nintendo's next-generation console, code-named the Nintendo Revolution. (Note: some quotations altered due to rough translation)
"When I was making manga, I met up with the technology of computer games. I loved the fact that it was interactive, that you do something and you get feedback. I thought that an interactive story where you get feedback and rewards from everything that you do would be interesting," he said. "I like the idea of interactivity with the hardware, so there, where you mention the Nintendo controller, it's a new interface, and it's exciting to have that reaction. You do something, and it reacts to you. It's human nature that to have some feedback from your actions; it's rewarding."
In Japan alone, the Dragon Quest series has sold over 40 million units. "It might just catch on and become the next Harry Potter, we'll just see how it goes," Horii commented. Might the series find its way to multiple platforms including Nintendo's next console? Currently, that information is "TBD" (To Be Determined), according to press sheets handed out at the event.
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Well, there it is.
Iwata actually said that if it cost $450 USD that no-one would want to buy it. This is meant to be a jab at Microsoft and Sony, and not a possible price like IGN seems to be stating. Iwata said earlier that it would be below $300 USD.
Earlier Nintendo said that the Rev would not be released in the 2005 fiscal year, which ends this April. Iwata now states that it will be pre-thanksgiving. So really, it could be anytime in between those dates. I think it'll be August/September when it comes out.
That way it'll have time to gain interest and build up hype in time for the November/December shopping season.