Revolution conspiracy (get your tin foil hat on)
by Christopher Grant 
{ Dec 9th 2005 at 12:15PM }
The guys at Playbomb have put their tin foil hats on and had a look at some questionable inconsistencies in various images IGN has of the mysterious Revolution controller.
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First in an image showing the controller it reads a and b for the buttons. Enhance, enhance, enhance. Stop! Now in the reflection you can clearly see a "y" with an "a" printed next to it.
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In the official video on IGN, the buttons are clearly labeled x & y, with a & b printed next to them. Back and to the left. Is this four seperate buttons or two names for one button? The rabbit hole goes deeper!
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In the Java applet released yesterday, the buttons are clearly labeled x & y with nothing printed next to them! Madness!
So what is it IGN? What do you know that we don't? Are the other two buttons only visible in an alternate dimension? We can handle the truth!
[Thanks grkfire]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jack @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Where's Steven Hawkins, the famous physicist when you need him?
Ryan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
The reflection's the prototype. The image was altered to reflect (pardon the pun) changes in the design.
vidGuy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Of course, it's most likely that Nintendo isn't sure if the buttons are going to be "a" and "b" or "x" and "y". Afterall, I wouldn't put little a and b in there with the A and B buttons. "Which button do I press!!??"... "The A button!", "Which a button!!??" see what I'm saying?
Though it would be really cool if the function of the button changed based on the pitch of the controller, but I think that'd be really tough to get used to. You'd have to remember to tilt forward, or back, or left, or right, to get the combos. Hahaha, that would stop all those people from saying the Rev controller didn't have enough buttons, it would have four times what it shows!
Rick Childress @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Hawking... Steven Hawking....
joelthecomic @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
No conspiracy. There's two buttons. The a & b refer to using the Rev controller sideways as a NES controller. On the NES its a & b. That's it. For SNES games or newer you'd use the shell. All of this is probably just because the controller isn't finalized and many of the early images are renders and not actual photos.
Spence @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
I vote for X and Y, alienates the possibilities of developpers porting to the revolution if there are merely two A and B buttons with the same function.
Brian @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
It's pretty simple... The x/y becomes a/b when you're holding the controller sideways for retro games.
Noga @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Am i the only one remembering that Iwata said that the lowercase a and b buttons will be changed to x and y, and were only like that to show people that it could be used for NES.
Jack @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
"X Y" the male chromosome "A B" the first two letter of the alphabet, the conspiracy get thicker and thicker.
But seriously maybe there's two version of the thing, X Y favoring Japan and A B for Western world or vise versa. Or maybe its a mockup.
robotplague @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Yeah, they're looking way too deep into it. Ryan summed it up the best...
"The reflection's the prototype. The image was altered to reflect (pardon the pun) changes in the design."
This happen all the time, things changed, get altered, fixed, tampered with, go through a million hands are finally released. Somewhere along the line they decided to change the buttons from a/b to x/y and forget to change the reflection (or however the sequence of events went). This stuff happens more then what you'd probably like to think. I don't think anything will materialize regarding this "conspiracy". Though, admittedly, it is interesting to read...but it's still bogus.
Noga @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Am i the only one remembering that Iwata said that the lowercase a and b buttons will be changed to x and y, and were only like that to show people that it could be used for NES.
Chiablo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
My theory is that it's the regular A/B buttons, but when you hold down the trigger on the underside, they become X/Y buttons.
LaughRiot @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
I vote for bright red, green, and yellow buttons and the controller being purple.
Joseph @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Maybe the buttons DO change. Aparently there was one feature about the controller that hadn't been announced yet.
I'm thinking for games where you use 2 controllers at the same time, the first lists b, a the 2nd lists y, x. To avoid confusion in the manual.
louis justman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
I have one question...WHO CARES? So there are X and Y buttons? Big deal. Do you all feel super manly because your proving IGN wrong? Maybe they messed up and didn't know themselves.
And second off... We all know IGN is stupid, and usually wrong, just stick with Gamespot.
GlitchCog @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
My guess is that they're just two different ideas for what to call the buttons and they hadn't decided yet when they made those production videos and prototype controllers.
But as for tilting it left and right for shoulder buttons... what do you do if you want to push them both? And if you tilt it forwards and backward to make a and b into x and y, then what if you want to push a combination of those? Nintendo isn't going to do this. They're trying to make the controller more simple, and this would do the opposite.
"No, no! Push X, I am, oh wait I have to tilt the controller! Now push A then hit L, wait I have to tilt down and to the left? Aw, screw this. I'm going to go get a PS3 where the buttons are all clearly labled."
Kibitzer @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
in other words...
nothing to report.
Alkaiser @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
You fools?!
"Revolution conspiracy (get your tin foil hat on)"
Don't you know tin foil hats AMPLIFY your brain wave patterns so the government can control your thoughts better?!
You're playing right into their hands!
http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/
Killian @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
If you look at the last picture they show, the "a" and "b" are tilted on their side. I think this makes it pretty clear (along with the controller's design) that it can be tilted onto it's side to be used as an NES controller. Or at least, someone had that function in mind when they made the prototype...
AJ @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Maybe this is nothing, but why in the picture is the reflection different? that is what confuses me. Maybe they added the reflection after they changed it to X and Y so that is why the reflection is different. That secret still out there, maybe it wasn't included with the TGS controller?
Jonathan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Nintendo has repeatedly said that the controller has another secret, which I believe has to involve more buttons on the remote without an additional pack to allow the playing of retro games. If Nintendo doesn't include this feature, then they are going to be out alot of business from individuals that would download retro SNES games but can't because they don't have a compatible shell.
If you look at the controller, you'll see there is an indentation that goes all the way around the remote unit. While it may very well be a soldering point for the gadget, it could also flip open like a DS and have a different interface available that would more easily suit retro games. Perhaps this is the remaining controller secret.
-Jonathan
http://philoneist.com
Truth @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Playbomb also throws out some ideas with Rev having a VR visor. The article is pretty conviencing. Check it out. Instead of playing Rev on a TV, just pop on the VR glass and let the fun begin. Nintendo hints at this in some of their speeches.
32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
I'm going on the wild theory that there have been multiple prototypes designed, and that the pics show different ones. Out there, I know.
AJ @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Perhaps the shell will be included with the system.
AJ @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Perhaps the shell will be included with the system.
Rare Hare @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
meh. i hope it's 'X' and 'Y' instead of 'a' and 'b'. wouls make things easier.
but what would be REALLY cool is if the buttons were holographic so that they would look different if you flipped the controller on its side they changed to accomodate it.
that would make me pee myself with glee.
Brian @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
No, if you'd STOP WITH YOUR PARANOIA you'd realize that "a" and "b" have been changed to "x" and "y"
All of the official Revo images have "a" and "b" on them, but Mr. Iwata's controller that he had at TGS had "x" and "y" on it. When questioned about he, he said that the buttons would most likely be labeled "x" and "y" when the design is finalized.
Pretty Obvious @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Who cares if the buttons are x and y or a and b, the damn thing still only has 2 buttons. What you should be caring about is how completely childish and simple this set-up is. Revolution? Nah, Devolution, yeah that sounds right.
Sean DL @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Yeah, got look at the controller and tell me that it doesn't look like you can take the top part with the buttons and the directional pad off....
Just saying, why else would that line go all the way around the controller,....
Joshi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Sean: "Just saying, why else would that line go all the way around the controller,...."
Er, because that's where they put the two pieces of the controller body together?
Look at any controller ever. It'll have a line around the edges...and yes, this line goes all the way around the controller.
Benchwarmer @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
its so when you turn the conrtoller on its side to play classic nintendo games, they buttons become And B.... but when the controller is being held vertically, they are XandY, because the A and B buttons are being used on the top of the controller.
vidGuy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Pretty Obvious:
Don't know about you, but I count 11 useable buttons on the pointer plus another analog and two more triggers on the attached nun-chuk. There will be plenty of control.
Please, stop the trolling.
Jay @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
holy jesus this is old! I noticed it just after the Rev video hit the internet.
Michael the Great @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
What if a game requires you to hit a and x at the same time??? Aren't there any snes games where you have to hit two buttons at once?
This tilt Idea is awfully complicated to go along with nintendo's big "simplicity" push. Design changes happen.
Jordan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
IS ANYONE LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE IGN 3D model program thingy??? Look very closely at the side of the controller, lengthwise, and tell me if you notice anything??? Seems like there is quite a seam going down the side of it, all the way around the entire controller. COULD THIS BE THE SECRET MIYAMOTO WAS TALKING ABOUT??? Could you actually remove this faceplate, and say, put a snes faceplate, or another faceplate on it? what do you think??? LOOK AT IT AND POST AWAY!
Beto @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Some games will require or work with 2 controllers per person. Hence right hand a + b and left hand x + y.
Playbomber @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Beto:
While that is a possiblity, it would suggest the buttons would have to change label from a + b to x + y.
Why? Because there would be no sense in buying another Revolution controller just because the label on the buttons are different.
Either 1. when using two controllers at the same time the buttons are labeled the same on both controllers
or 2. they are labeled differently on one controller and the change originally occured upon detection of dual controller use
i think the controller face plate idea i interesting too though. It would be wild if you didnt have to purchase a controller faceplate, but rather just turn the current one over and it reveals 4 buttons instead of two plus shoulder pads.
perhaps thats a bit far out, i dont know. i just look at every possibility. admittedly, it could be nothing at all
ptfreak @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
They probably won't be used in normal gameplay. I think that they'll end up as 'a' and 'b'. If you turn the controller sideways, you see it looks like the NES controller. It would only work with NES games, since SNES has 4 buttons, but it would still work.
Paul @ Dec 18th 2005 9:13PM
Maybe a reason HD wasnt implimented and another reason the system isnt very powerful is to keep the cost down so you can have a VR visor. Its not like Nintendo hasnt tried the visor route (VirtualBoy). I think though that a VR headset would be right at home with this console. They already have the VR controller, just have to add the headset and you have a truly revolutionary gaming system. I want one.