How the Nintendo Revolution works
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Nov 1st 2005 at 4:43PM }
Howstuffworks has put together an explainer on how the Nintendo Revolution is expected to work, with
explanatory details on the gyroscopic hardware, the expected graphical power of the console, and a comparison to the
Nintendo GameCube. Check it out for a nice, pulled-together overview of what we know about the console as of today.
Here are the sources that HSW combed through to compile their information about the Revolution.
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"Understanding the Revolution Controller." IGN, September 16, 2005.
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"Revolution specs outed." The Inquirer, September 25, 2005.
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"Nintendo Revolution specs revealed?" ArsTechnica, September 23, 2005.
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"Hands-on the Revolution Controller." IGN, September 15, 2005.
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"You say you got a real solution." ArsTechnica FatBits, September 16, 2005.
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"Inside the Revolution controller (maybe)." ArsTechnica FatBits, September 26, 2005.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Scythe @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
I have a question, with this new controller does that mean places like Wal-mart and Best Buy won't have a display with the new nintendo when it comes out? I mean how can you have this controller on display and use it the propper way? I can see it now two kids will end up in a fight because one of them swung the controller and gave the kid a bloody nose and now the parent is sueing the store.
George @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Ok seeing this just makes me think that nintendo wont get any huge games, other than nintendo made games, because of the fact that it will just be too damn hard to control.
Fuzz @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Scythe- a few weeks before the controller was revealed, they did mention that it would be very difficult to put the revolution in a kiosk, due to the yet to be revealed controller and the space needed. So they have already acknowledged that it may not happen.
Nin10dude @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
HARD to control? How is this HARD? ...You move your hand while holding it... It does stuff. It's more simple then moving a control stick, pressing the right buttons, and that. Think of it from a non-gamer's point of view. This is something much more simple to control than a standard controller.
Dom @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6136946.html
"So now that gamers have a vague idea of when the Revolution will be released, when can they expect some footage of some games in action? Not this year, says Merrick. Nintendo is making sure that when a Revolution title is ready for the public, it is fully functional with the console's new controller. He goes on to say that Nintendo games have always stressed fun rather than graphics, and for that reason the first display of Revolution games will not be screenshots, but rather totally playable."
Sounds like there will be kiosks.
Babu @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Scythe, George... Thou art both ignoramus.
First scythe, the controller is meant for small conservative movements, not huge swings. If a kid is doing monstrous swings and knocks out another kid - than the parents will sue the parents of the rambunctious kid. The store demos will work fine. I bet you will have to ask an employee to use the controller and return it at the end or something. Its not too hard to figure something out if you take a moment to ponder it.
George, thou are thrice the ignoramus. The revolution is releasing a shell for the controller that will allow you to play gamecube games - nintendo 64 games. And of course ports from other systems. Programming for the controller will probably made very simple by Nintendo, I dont imagine they will make it difficult to program for it - their future is riding on it.
word. @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
How cool is it going to be to come home after a long day of work, recline on the sofa, grab the [remote]control, flick on the nintendo and play laying down...?
Bloo (formerly Glenn) @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
"I mean how can you have this controller on display and use it the propper way?"
Retractable metal leash just like they use for cameras, cell phones, etc. Easy eh?
Todd @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Remember when they said it would be 4-5 times as powerful as the Gamecube. Multiply 5 x 485 MHz and it comes close to 2.5 GHz. Hmmmm, it could happen.
Also, with the controler it will most likely be connected to a wire like a camera or cell phone on a display. You can use it and swing it around, but you can't go too far with it.
kojo87 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
how do you figure it will be to hard to controll? thats the whole reason that Nintendo made this new controller: so it would attract non-gamers who find the current system too dificult.
thank you for bringing up the shell Babu. not enough people realize that this exists. people who complain about it not being able to controll racing and some sports games obviously dont know that this will be available.
Todd @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Woah Bloo...great minds think alike!
mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
THE REVOLUTION WOULD MELT WITH THOSE SPECS THERE IS NO WAY ON EARTH THAT IT COUL DFIT IN THE SIZE OF BOX THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH PROPER VENTILATION
gjd @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Uh... can someone here fact check this thing? There were some things that just didn't sound right to me:
* Drumstick and Flyswatter demo. The HowStuffWorks article lumped these "demos" in with the point and shoot, fishing, and airplane demos. However, the drumstick and flyswatter wasn't a demo at all, but merely from the teaser video.
* 6-7 Cores of the 360 and PS3. Are there really that many? I'm probably mistaken but I thought the 360 only had 3, and the PS3 I don't know about.
* Detailed specs. How sure are they of all these? They list clockspeeds, RAM, makers, all sorts of stuff. Do they really know? Last I heard Nintendo wasn't actually going to release the specs of the Nintendo. Wouldn't these count as "specs"?
* "Projected price of $199". Nintendo hasn't said anything about the price yet. This is misleading as "projected" means the guess of a bunch of fanboys. The last few Nintendo systems have launched at that point, yes, and Nintendo has said it wants to be affordable, but it seems this makes it sound a little more set in stone than it actually is.
* Gyroscopes! We have no idea how the controller works, right. In fact, I feel like I remember reading somewhere that they're not actually using them. They partnered with that company back in the day that did 3D mice, but so far there's no word on how it works for sure.
All in all, I'm displeased with this article. It sounds to me like rampant speculation but given the appearance of sound research by the words it uses and being on HowStuffWorks. In order to have it up quickly, it seems they were willing to sacrifice quality. Hopefully when the thing actually comes out and they *know* what's going on in the system, then they'll be able to update the page or make a new one.
George @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
ya im w/ you on that i think this is gonna be the dumbest thing ever created
Scythe @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Babu have you ever worked at Wal-Mart? I have...I have seen kids Break the damn controller harness just so they can move back a little to see the screen. I have seen kids leanning back away from the controler to see what they are doing. I'm sure 14 year old bob isn't going to be all crazy but young timmy at 7 years old isn't thinking about the kid next to him watching what's going on. I have watched kids turn the controller while they are playing a racing game, so what do you think they are gone do to figure out how the new controller will work?
Also No store is going to give a kid a controller that isn't attached to something, and they arn't going to pay some body to stand there all day watching a kid play video games.
I worked at wal-mart for 3 years and kids will steal anything that's not tied down, and even then they will try. So unless they have a regular controller I don't know oh this will work. now they can have a think cable with a sensor attached like they do with cameras but that may not work either.
So watch who you call a ignoramus you little Beyotch!
vidGuy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
"First scythe, the controller is meant for small conservative movements, not huge swings. If a kid is doing monstrous swings and knocks out another kid - than the parents will sue the parents of the rambunctious kid."
Someone doesn't know how lawyers think. They would sue anyone they could get ahold of, including the store.
But it's beside the point because the controller would be on a tether just like cameras are, as others have mentioned.
I just wonder if the two handed controller that we know has become to much of a de facto standard for console gaming.
I'm all for it, and the Revolution is the only console I'll have on launch day, but I'm just a little wary about it, since de facto standards tend to rake in more money.
Babu @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
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THE REVOLUTION WOULD MELT WITH THOSE SPECS THERE IS NO WAY ON EARTH THAT IT COUL DFIT IN THE SIZE OF BOX THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH PROPER VENTILATION
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I understand sometimes we accidently hit caps lock and type without looking at the keyboard - so i'll ignore that your whole post is in caps.
But you are forgetting that the revolution is strictly a gaming machine. An extremely efficient gaming machine that uses less power to operate - Now lets review basic science. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed - it simply changes form. Now in a console that uses alot less (lets say 25%) of the energy required for the average console, than we in turn only produce (say 25%) of the heat, which is easily eliminated with minimal cooling.
George @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
im a huge nintendo fan, but...idk im stickin with the 360
mat @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
My laptop's never melted...
Babu @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Its not too hard to figure something out if you take a moment to ponder it.
" now they can have a think cable with a sensor attached like they do with cameras but that may not work either."
And you answered your question for yourself scythe, good job. Just think about it for a while, it wont hurt you. At the wal mart near me the electronics department has sensors, so if they attached a small sensor to the remote it would keep a kid from walking out of the electronics with it. The reason you are being ignorant is because you wont take a moment to think about how this could be done. Theres thousands of ways bound only by your imagination.
"Someone doesn't know how lawyers think. They would sue anyone they could get ahold of, including the store."
I would hope the store would place some type of warning near the kiosk like I have seen many times before. But a good lawyer will find a way to sue the store even if the plaintiff simply stepped on a stray deer dropping that rolled off the bottom of anothers shoe.
Stephen @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
It's possible that Nintendo will have a really long extension that can't be detached from the controller.
Noga @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
I'm no fanboy, but I'm not stupid to see the potential of this. Seems like half of you don't even know that it will have a normal shell used for many games as well. When I think of the possibilities using the Revolution, it really makes the other 2 systems look a little less special. The expansion slot is kickass. I just can't wait. Lookin quite forward to having all my favorite older games on my Rev, too. Ogre Battle 64 is one of the first in line.
Bloo (formerly Glenn) @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
"im a huge nintendo fan, but...idk im stickin with the 360"
Let me guess, you're also a huge fan of eating but you only drink. Why not get a job so you can afford a complete meal?
Alex K. @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
#12, so laptops don't exist???
Babu @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Basically this article sums it up - the revolution will own as a gaming console. The xbox 360 is better if you want all the media centre capabilities. But the revolution is going to be strictly for GAMERS. It will attract new gamers and old gamers alike, and especially what I like to call 'bored' gamers - gamers who are bored of the same ol' crap thats been around for years. I am going to get the revo for sure. Although some need their systems to be able to watch movies, play music, bake cookies, transform into crack pipes, etcetera... I prefer to play video games on it, and thats about it.
elgorino @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Maybe it's an American thing, but why all the fuss about whether or not Walmart can have a Rev kiosk? Seriously? You know, I'm just as hardcore a gamer as the next, and I will absolutely NOT be deciding which console I buy based on whether I can play it in a supermarket or not. Sometimes the comments on joystiq really crack me up.
some guy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Crazy fanboys, everybody disses good old Nintendo.
Anyways, fanboyism aside, I think this article is bullcrap but I do think Nintendo will do good this gen.
As far as the kiosks are concerned ...... I don't know about that, but they'll think of something. They could always just have the shell instead of the seperate controller.
When it comes to the graphics I think we will all be surprised .... in a good way. In this gen I think Nintendo might have the sweetest looking game in RE4, and Zelda looks great.
Now for the people who want to lay down and play normally or think it will be too hard, here is a list of things you could do:
1: Use the shell!
2: Use the shell!
3: Use the shell!
4: If that doesn't work then just go to sleep because if you're that lazy or tired that's what you would want to do anyway.
Besides normal people who aren't on videogame blogs every day won't care.
And George, you aren't a huge Nintendo fan because if you were you would get a Rev and you definitely wouldn't say it's gonna be the dumbest thing ever created.
The guy who said it's going to melt, just be quiet, it's not going to melt.
I'll be getting a Rev and PS3 on launch, I've decide that other console isn't worth it.
Mythmon @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
This is at #13: gjd
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Uh... can someone here fact check this thing? There were some things that just didn't sound right to me:
* Drumstick and Flyswatter demo. The...
[ Dunno about this one, but it would get the point across of what it /could/ do. ]
* 6-7 Cores of the 360 and PS3. Are...
[ The Xbox360 has 3 dual core processors, thats 6 total. And the PS3's cell processor's main advantage is the 7 "synergistic processing units" ]
* Detailed specs. How sure are they...
[ I dunno about this one, I know that nintendo announced that ATI ( I think ) is making the gpu, and IBM ( again i may be wrong ) the cpu, but im not sure how they got the numbers]
* "Projected price of $199". Nintendo...
[I've got nothing to add here]
* Gyroscopes! We have no idea how...
[ I read something that said they used 2 small sensors that you put on the side of your tv, and i think the black section on the top/front of the controller is an IR port, so i think that it might use that to posistion itself ( i hope not, cause then you need LoS ). But i know that its not gyros ]
All in all, I'm displeased with this...
[ I agree, i even found a typo in it! it said " in any first-person-shooter game, you will want to shot while running"
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octorok @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Im amazed by all the people I hear saying the rev controller will be "teh dumbest thing evar!!1"
Nobody knows squat about the Rev's games or how it will all interact - so why don't people do the sensible thing and reserve judgement until they actually know something about what they're talking about?
Answer: the world is filled with opinionated morons.
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
George:
How can you be a Nintendo fan but then not know anything about the new controller or anything about the system in general?
I know someone else already said this but I'll break it down REALLY easy for you:
(1) The Revolution is backwards compatible with Gamecube games
(2) It has (4) GCN ports and (2) GCN memory card ports on top of the unit that are covered by a small hatch.
(3) The Revolution remote/analog stick setup is an option to play the games. Not every game is going to use and Nintendo already said that there will be a "shell" for the remote to sit in that is like a normal controller.
(4)Just b/c something is powerful doesn't mean it has to be big. That might be the American way to design things (ie the original Xbox) but that is not the case when Japanese desinged stuff (look at the PSP, DS, Slim PSTwo, etc.) The Gamecube was much smaller then the Xbox yet it was just as powerful.
...on a side note: Wal Mart can kiss my ass...there is nothing worse then one of their stores opening up, closing down smaller businesses and then only allowing "certain" products to be sold.
mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Babu"
I understand sometimes we accidently hit caps lock and type without looking at the keyboard - so i'll ignore that your whole post is in caps.
But you are forgetting that the revolution is strictly a gaming machine. An extremely efficient gaming machine that uses less power to operate - Now lets review basic science. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed - it simply changes form. Now in a console that uses alot less (lets say 25%) of the energy required for the average console, than we in turn only produce (say 25%) of the heat, which is easily eliminated with minimal cooling."
the article says it is based on a R5XXN these need active cooling not even taking into account the cpu, the power of these gpu's make it run very hot, the article claims that the power is the same as the 360's gpu if this is true then in needs active cooling the revs case is les than 3 dvd boxes not enough room for this power
George @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
xbox 360 the best system ever built in my eyes
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Are you a technical engineer with the experience that ATI or Nintendo designers have? I HIGHLY doubt it.
They aren't gonna pull a Microsoft and design the size of the casing at the last minute. Just b/c something is significantly smaller doesn't mean it is less powerful.
mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
the gpu is stated to run at 600mhz which is even higher than the xeon generatig even more heat doesnt really match up with the comment at TGS
"Iwata said. "Of course, we are applying advances in technology. But when you use those advances just to boost the processing power, the trade-off is that you increase power consumption, make the machine more expensive and make developing games more expensive."
Ati have developed the GPU they are using the same technologies as the ps3's gpu (silicon on insulator etc) there have been no huge advances in this area...
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
"Ati have developed the GPU they are using the same technologies as the ps3's gpu (silicon on insulator etc) there have been no huge advances in this area..."
Do you sit with Iwata or the designers everyday? DO you know every little thing there is about the system hardware? No you don't...and going off of what was announced today I doubt anyone will for a while.
It would be nice if people could actually base their opinions on real facts, that way no stupid rumors or comments would be said.
octorok @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
George - ouch!! Did it hurt when they built it in your eyes?
Troll.
mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
well yes i work for a company that actually creates the majority of technologies that are used in chip production, including ati. the production of chips is based on technologies that are relevant for all processing units be it cpu's or gpu's there have been no developments in this area that can produce the power we are talking about with less heat, of course you can pair back the perofrmance but that is not what is claimed in the article.
Hachi_roku @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
I wana know how the 360 is Cooled? Does any one have pictures of the insides of a 360 yet? If not then how can you say that the system requires this much cooling. I think by reducing the die size of a chip you reduced the energy consumption and the heat output. If I was right about that then Rev could run cooler then the 360 if the GPU is a newer model.
mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
but the point is 90nm is the current standard anything smaller cannot yet be produced in any numbers, if you reduce the die size you reduce the number of transistors hence the complexity of the gpu, hence the processing power
the xbox 360 has sealed liquid cooling and dual fans
Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Ok Mike...if you are telling the truth...then fine. But if you read what was said today, Nintendo has no real intention of releasing info on every little spec about the Revolution hardware. So for all we know, they may have done something to the processor or managed to find some kind of work-around.
Either way it doesn't matter. This is Nintendo we're talkin about. Unlike some Sony stuff that has planned obsolescence (for all we know the PS2 may have the same thing), Nintendo has always built quality stuff. If there is a remote chance that the Revolution will overheat, I'm sure they would have discovered it by now.
mike @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
yeh i agree its the article i disagree with not your comments :-)
e2 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Unbelievable. Why is this on "How Stuff Works" when it should be on "How Stuff Could Work"
ZeroCorpse @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Jack Thompson and his ilk are going to have a field day with the Rev controller. I can just imaginge the hyperbole:
"Now, it's not just an abstract control pad! Now you ACTUALLY SWING THE CONTROLLER LIKE A SWORD and people die on the game! This is a murder simulator! People could train to use swords and guns with this contraption! Where are my pills?"
Hachi_roku @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
@ Mike thanks for the info.Yeah i guess your right 65nm is next but probably too far away to be used in the Rev. But the half specs on Howstuffworks seem decent. They are syaing same power as 360 on paper atleast. Also I wonder where they got there numbers from?
Hachi_roku @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Just checked out some website it says that Intel plans to roll out 65nm chips the second half of 2006.
BlackYoshi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Fuzz, not having kiosks is a bad idea. If you want people to buy something so radically different, they are going to want to play it before plopping 200+ on it.
mocax @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
maybe instead of kiosks, stores will have small rooms where they lock up little kids as they play with the Revo. If the kids broke something, they remained locked up until their parents have paid for the damages.
Bloo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
I love how mike conveniently ignores all of the laptop comments... so I'll add another. My buddy has a $3500 Alienware. It's actually even thinner than the REV is going to be but about twice as wide. Of course, it also has a 3.8GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 6800 Ultra, 2 f'ing hard drives, 2 DVD writers, and WiFi! Guess what, he's used it for hours at a time many a time... AND IT HASN'T MELTED!!!
OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
Don't tell me to "use the shell". If i'm going to use a standard controller then why am I buying the Revolution in the first place? I flat out REFUSE to buy the Revolution if not more than 90% of the games (including 3rd party) use the console's features 100%. I bought the DS and am kinda disappointed in it because of the lack of using all the features like the mic and touch screen. Meteos uses the touch screen but it's only a puzzle game and Mario64DS is nearly impossible to control with the stylus. It's early in the handheld's life so I have faith that they will get some badass games out on it.
Falsoman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:05PM
why would you want to control mario 64 with the stylus?... that's why there's the thumbstrap that the nintendo DS comes with... it is almost as easy to use ti that way as with the analog controler of the N64.