Nintendo Revolution ready for mass production?
by Blake Snow 
{ Dec 26th 2005 at 2:00PM }
According to Playfuls, the Nintendo Revolution has
gone gold. From the article: "According to gamemag.ru, who is citing Inside Gamer, it seems that Nintendo
Revolution’s configuration is complete and the device is ready for mass production... Since the release date for
the Revolution is in May, that gives the Japanese manufacturers 5 months in order to manufacture enough
consoles."A May Japanese launch has yet to be revealed by the Big N. Furthermore, it is rumored that the Revolution will be manufactured in China not Japan, and the console doesn't even have an official name. While possible, strike this one up as highly unlikely.
[via Infendo]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Syl @ Dec 26th 2005 2:16PM
Wow, if this is true - then it is great news. They won't have nearly as much of a supply issue as the 360.
There are still a lots of unknowns about the revolution though, far too many unknowns. What is Nintendo hiding from us?
jason w @ Dec 26th 2005 2:36PM
That would be nice. I cant wait to have more than one next gen system on the market. Lets just hope this controller is all its cracked up to be. I love My 360 but there is room for the Rev on the shelf beside it.
Karmakin @ Dec 26th 2005 2:38PM
Nintendo is going to run a surprise launch immediatly after E3. Very Apple-ish.
At the end of the E3 speech. "Oh yeah. It's going to be out next week."
But what about the games?
My guess is that Nintendo has been working with certain 3rd party for a number of years now developing and funding Revolution game development. Once the specs are finalized, and beta units sent out to developers, it's just a matter of fine-tuning the framerate vs graphic detail levels.
My wife came up with a good theory right now. Look for any game that has "disappeared" off the release charts, or design teams that have had their output reduced as of lately.
For the first catagory.....Dead Phoenix. Sorry to beat the drum again, but that game looked too good to have just been trashed. As well, the flying action of it would be a great test for the Rev. controller.
And for the second catagory...Treasure. What the hell has Treasure done lately? Gradius V is their latest console game, and a couple of portable titles which as we all know take much less in the way of resources...
fable2323 @ Dec 26th 2005 2:41PM
This one seems quite possible. The machine should be completed at this point if Nintendo wants to give developers a good amount of time to put out quality software near on during the launch of the console. Nintendo has always said that they would launch WITH their competitors. If the PS3 is truly shipping this spring (March,April,May), Nintendo needs to be there. They cannot afford to ship their console too far behind Sony's in Japan if they dont want to be overlooked by consumers.
Also, they have also stated that they want to do a worldwide launch similar to that of the DS, with no more then 14 weeks in between the arrival of the console in each territory. That would mean the console still could potentially ship at the end of May (after E3) in Japan and then August in the US followed by an end of November launch for Europe.
Chey Gan @ Dec 26th 2005 2:51PM
That's all well and good, but I'd rather have sex with a cheese grater than spend money on a Nintendo product.
Hachi_roku @ Dec 26th 2005 3:00PM
^^^ I think thats a great theory. Games like Ravenblade and Dead Peonix will make there way to Rev one way or another. I dont really believe that Retro Sacced a game like Ravenblade so that they could make a Metroid Prime trilogy, because after 3 theres not much more Retro has left.
That other statement about reduced output, that could just be that they are developing for another next-gen system not neccesarily Revolution.
stank @ Dec 26th 2005 3:05PM
I always say watch for how the other guy does it wrong and therefore you don't make the same mistakes as Microsoft.
Pretty Obvious @ Dec 26th 2005 3:47PM
Thats very true and im sure Microsoft and Sony have taken note of Nintendos last two console f**k ups and have learned a thing or two.
Stephen @ Dec 26th 2005 4:06PM
If the Revolution is so easy to develop for, I can only assume that manufacturing them will be easier.
Sean @ Dec 26th 2005 4:07PM
I seem to recall some developers received updated Revolution dev kits around November.
It'll be interesting to see if May 2006 is enough time to complete a title. I realize certain developers have had pseudo-Rev kits based on the GameCube as early as the beginning of the year, but some of the hardware specific Revolution tools weren't ready until later. I'm sure Nintendo will be ready, but what about 3d parties developers?
As the release date draws closer, we should start seeing some demos.
SuicideNinja @ Dec 26th 2005 5:16PM
Sweet, I can finally get that worthless PS2 out of the way? The Gamecube can go in my room!
360 and Rev...and a spot to be misfortuned with a PS3. Talk about a way to make the entertainment center ugly. Two slick looking systems....then that atrocity known as the PS3. Someone please work on a case mod LOL!
Simon @ Dec 26th 2005 5:24PM
May sounds all good and well, but we're talking about the Japan market here. Us Europeans will still have to wait a good 6 months to get our hands on it, judging by past console releases.
Mike @ Dec 26th 2005 5:31PM
Pretty Obvious, nintendo's last TWO console f-ups?
Since when was the n64 a failure?
BL @ Dec 26th 2005 5:48PM
A May release is not going to happen, no matter what the "inside source" claims.
Releasing a console the day after fully unveiling it would be the worst mistake in history, and Nintendo are far from being as naive as that.
Chalk this down as rubbish, people.
"5. That's all well and good, but I'd rather have sex with a cheese grater than spend money on a Nintendo product."
You are that ignorant it would do us all proud if you did have sex with a cheese grater, it would save us the trouble of reading your pointless rubbish.
simon @ Dec 26th 2005 5:50PM
#11 you probably missed Jim Merricks (NoE) word about the REV. he said Nintendo will try a worldwide launch within 14 weeks for all territories.
;)
Christopher @ Dec 26th 2005 6:05PM
"12. Pretty Obvious, nintendo's last TWO console f-ups?
Since when was the n64 a failure?"
You DO realize that the lifespan of N64 was way shorter than any other "sucessful" console, right? It lasted about 3 years. As far as I can remember, they stopped developing games for it way before the Cube was released.
That and it's horrible sales... As well as the cubes.
Jason @ Dec 26th 2005 6:10PM
back to chan gan.....
its sad to hear that you arent secure of your manhood, or boy hood. but you need to grow some balls... seriously. either that or you enjoy sexual actions with kitchen products..... sad either way.
im no specific fan of one console over the other (i have all 3), but if you cant play a game without bias you arent playing the game. if you feel that nintendo is only going to be fun for a younger generation, then you most likely arent going to give yourself the opportunity to experience games from a company that has made games that have been played and enjoyed by millions of people who had the "balls". if you hang around people who think that its a kids system, and you arent man enough to give it a chance, then its no ones loss but your own. again i enjoy games from the "big 3" and can honestly say that nintendo has overall made many of the best games out there. if u think that the ladies will think you weak or childish to play anything nintendo, then once again...grow some balls, be a man, or maybe just grow up...
shock @ Dec 26th 2005 6:11PM
I went to Insider Gamer and babelfished the content:
Saturday 24 December 2005 | To rumours Nintendo the Nintendo Revolution will have finished. Thus a prominent Japanese magazine writes (Dengeki). Nintendo this has however not yet confirmed officially.
The Revolution would be mainly ready, there small matter still some must be adapted. The game computer must launch in second half of 2006 worldwide. - Lauran bears
Source: Dengeki
Jason @ Dec 26th 2005 6:13PM
how is a system that has made more profit that both microsoft and sony put together a f-up?
xej @ Dec 26th 2005 6:14PM
The whole "Oh Yeah, its coming out next week" theory is pointless.
A console launching with no hype?
Can anyone say Sega Saturn?
The 360 Launch was a launch done right; plenty of hype right from the start.
Jason @ Dec 26th 2005 6:18PM
yeah but xbox 360 launched too early to support itself properly
Jago @ Dec 26th 2005 6:18PM
STFU Chey Gan...stupid trolls.
The Cube had horrible sales? The system may have been 3rd in the US (and possibly 3rd in Europe...I can't recall) but it was never that far behind the Xbox. Plus I wouldn't call something a failure when it was the first of this generations consoles to make money.
Oshi @ Dec 26th 2005 6:23PM
I can't wait!
Boy Fresh @ Dec 26th 2005 6:25PM
Sega did a suprise launch with the Saturn at E3 and we see how that turned out......
I think this is great news if true. I'd like to see a Independence Day (July 4) would be awesome!!
Cameron @ Dec 26th 2005 6:32PM
15.
You're mistaken. N64 launched July of 1996. GC came out November of 2001. Games were made for leading well up to the GC launch. Actually, the Xbox has the shortest "successful" console life. Came out November of 2001, 360 came out November 2005. 4 years in the US, and even less in Europe and Japan.
As for Revolution, I guess we'll see if this supposed May date is factual.
revo4life @ Dec 26th 2005 6:54PM
20 mill consoles sold faliure i think not
Badison @ Dec 26th 2005 6:54PM
Awesome
Jay @ Dec 26th 2005 6:56PM
"how is a system that has made more profit that both microsoft and sony put together a f-up?"
because it wasn't a f-up. they just want it to be becuase of their sony/M$ fanboyism.
something that makes money than its competition is not a f-up. from a business POV.
mike @ Dec 26th 2005 7:19PM
yeah but xbox 360 launched too early to support itself properly
---
whatever. it also has little to offer in the way of.. um.. new stuff (beyong proc. power) for gamers. we knew about it for a long long time.. and so did devs. the result? more snowboarding and football games with better graphics. yay.
this thing SHOULD be released in May.. after all.. Nintendo has said time and time again.. they'd be on the market at the same time or before Sony. MS doesn't matter.
Joshua @ Dec 26th 2005 7:45PM
Hell no is this true. It would suck if this was true, anyway. 5 months to develop games? They would suck big time. November worldwide is what I am expecting.
And there is no way it's already gone "gold". They're still finalizing the system in preparation for E3 '06 (I freaking can't wait!).
Oshi @ Dec 26th 2005 8:08PM
I call bullshit through the pipeline...
Joystiq says Playfuls says gamemag.nu says Inside Gamer says Dengeki says...
Traced back to Inside Gamer, they cited Dengeki, and skimming through the Japanese on Dengeki's site, I don't see anything about it.
However, holding any truth, this means developers have the final hardware to put out some quality games on launch.
E3 is going to rock so hard in this case.
Also, if there's this much production time to get supply up, and if the console is Region Free (god I wish), that could mean a simultaneous global launch, as in within the same week.
Cyberblade @ Dec 26th 2005 8:23PM
"A console launching with no hype?"
Alright, what are you nuts? Theres so much hype for the Revolution that announcing that it would be released a week later would result in nearly every Nintendo fan crapping their pants at the same time. Anyone remember the 300000000 controller mock ups? Theres plenty of hype for the Revolution, and the news of it's quick release would spread very quickly.
Jago @ Dec 26th 2005 8:24PM
"5 months to develop games?"
Developers have been told they can start developing games using the Gamecube SDK and make the transition to Revo SDKs with little trouble.
Kaibutsu @ Dec 26th 2005 8:26PM
Has it Jason?? Last time I checked it was Sony's system that made more money than Nin and Ms put together...
JulioC @ Dec 26th 2005 8:36PM
Err.. Number 12, turn of MTV a while will you?
Two things... The N64 wasnt a failure
It sold 32,930,000 units. The Xbox sold 22,000,000 in comparisison, and its developementhas been haletd, and the Gamecube has sold 20,000,000 and still haz Zelda on its way.
Not to mention half the games are nintendo-made, so half of software sales for the N64 went straight into Nintendo's $7billion liquid stock. (unlike MS's $$ which has is mostly applied)
Just to show how gullible minds fall for MS marketing.. N64 a failure indeed..
CrAzY American @ Dec 26th 2005 8:55PM
How, Jason, would you support that rediculiously idotic statement that you just spewed from your mind?
Super Cheez @ Dec 26th 2005 8:56PM
NINTENDO REVOLUTION ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alex K. @ Dec 26th 2005 8:57PM
the truth is, to those of you talking of nintendo's console f***ups, nintendo has actually never had a financially failing console.
the only system that lost money was the virtual boy.
even though the n64 and cube didn't fare so well, they both made money. everyone knows that nintendo is the most profitable console maker around. technically, though, the gamecube did sell less than the N64, but it did reverse the trend of no 3rd party titles a little.
nintendo has never held losses (per full fiscal year) since the release of the NES
Embassy @ Dec 26th 2005 9:08PM
the MS and sony fanboys ned to realize that nintendo makes consitant money on most consoles they realese and faired way better than MS did financially..at least in the short term perspective...
and nintendo fanboys need to realize that the n64 and GC..as compared to other dominant nintendo consoles..were a dissappointment in terms of games and 3rd party support and many other short comings...
oboreruhito @ Dec 26th 2005 9:13PM
The 360 hype was why I _didn't_ buy one. That and the shitty launch titles. And the price. And the local retailers' "bundles". And the inventory shortage. And the early reports of the power supply overheating. And the disc scratching when mounted vertically reports. And the fact that I haven't even beaten Vagrant Story yet, much less played Skies of Arcadia.
Oh, what? It's supposed to be shorter? Oh, ok. XSUX 360 SUXORS BALLZAK OMGDOUBLE-U-TEE-EFFLOLOLLLERERERERERRRR
Lyndon MacLeod @ Dec 26th 2005 9:45PM
I honestly can't see a launch in May. I would expect to hear an announcement in May during E3 as to the actual launch ( which at a guess will be in November for the prime holiday shopping).
troy @ Dec 26th 2005 10:12PM
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..........
I have a guess! why not Twighlight Princess and other useless (but fun) first party games!? Thats a major *HINT*
Kevin H. @ Dec 26th 2005 11:04PM
My crystal ball prediction is for an August launch. If Nintendo's first big announcement of 2006 is a firm launch window--and starting production on a console isn't something that can be kept under wraps for too long--they'll have plenty of time to rev up the hype machine and put the finishing touches on a launch line-up. They'll beat PS3 to market no matter what happens at this point--picture the Xbox 360 launch, one year to the date. Contrariwise, seven or even eight months of production might give Nintendo a glut of stock, but a launch price circa $150 will make it very attractive. Reggie promised steady information starting in 2006; expect to see actual hands-on gameplay demos at E3, but only a couple of titles. Nintendo is still wary of revealing too many game ideas to thirsty rivals.
rudimentalist @ Dec 26th 2005 11:13PM
I think the Revo launch would most likely mirror the DS launch. E3 in May, official system name revealed, launch line-up playable or demoed on the floor. System out here in the US sometime around November.
I don't know much about marketing, but I know how I feel and how several friends who work at game stores feel. Those hectic console launches suck and scare the average gamer away. I went to a midnight Xbox 360 release event because my friend worked there, and just to scope out the scene... most guys there were in their 30's. Maybe one or two other casual gamers walking in to get theirs. I think people wise up to the hype nowadays. It would be nice to have the Revo launch in the summertime to get all that tech-geek and ebay scammer junk out of the way. By the holidays Nintendo could fire out their AAA titles. Parents could make a better informed decision once Christmas shopping rolled around and the launch titles would have dropped in price. Most younger teenagers have summer jobs, and would be able to save up and get the system themselves. Like I said, I don't know much about marketing, and someone could probably tell me a few reasons why that scenario wouldn't work. I just know "hype" isn't all it's hyped up to be anymore, and if this system is targeted more at the average gamer then Nintendo would probably benefit from not creating a rat-race like Microsoft did.
Jack Sears @ Dec 26th 2005 11:23PM
If the 360's launch was done right, people like me who pre-ordered after E3 wouldn't have to wait till March.
The N64 was all the rage for it's first two years. After that, it seemed Nintendo started riding on the popularity of Pokemon. Fewer and fewer worthwhile 64 games came out of Nintendo (Pokemon Snap?) and third party support was poor. At that point a bunch of my friends and I got ourselves PlayStations. I know because I jumped ship, I missed out on some great games, like Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Perfect Dark. I couldn't stand the jibberish dialouge of a 64 platformer when I could hear a voice actor read the lines on PSX. Lack of FMV's was big back then too.
And yeah, Nintendo makes more money off an individual game sale than Sony or MS. An essay over at Lost Garden, I think about the Revolution, has all the details.
David @ Dec 26th 2005 11:24PM
Um, the N64 had terrible sales? Its final numbers were 36 million units. Current Xbox sales are at 22 million, so we're talking 50% more than the so-called "successful" Xbox.
Now the Gamecube, yeah, its sales sucked.
David
skyrous @ Dec 26th 2005 11:27PM
Actually a May launch does make a certain amount of sense if you consider what nintendo has already comfirmed.
The revolution completely compatible with the gamecube, in fact it is an extension of the gamecube. if you know how to program a gamecube than you know the basics of revolution.
remember the rumor we heard a couple of weeks ago that the new zelda was being delayed because they were going to make it compatible with the revolution's new controllers.
What if they're making the most of the backwards compatibility? Zelda which was nearly done becomes essentially a revolution launch title. No launch title ever comes even remotely close to pushing a new consoles abilities anyway, Nintendo may well have been developing gamecube games with the intention of adding revolution specific bells and whistles later in development. Zelda because it was already promised for the gamecube may be a hybrid title of sorts. A gamecube title with specific code to look cooler when running on a revolution.
Also if sony and microsoft learned from nintendo's mistakes why is the PS3 so hard to program? and why are games for the 360 so expensive? weren't those the 2 really BIG flaws in the N64?
jopojelly @ Dec 27th 2005 1:23AM
Hype hype....someone said thats there wouldn't be enough hype for a post E3 launch, and someone else said that theres a lot of hype...but really, if you go on the street and ask them what they think of the Nintendo Revolution, they'll be like, "whaaa...??"
What we need to do is get some high power news services to cover revolution news, and then every other news service will just copy them, and then the general population will know...maybe
Noga @ Dec 27th 2005 1:24AM
Chey Gan? More leik Chey GAY!
ledorky @ Dec 27th 2005 1:34AM
I call BS.
They're launching Nov just in time for thanksgiving.
Summer launches will fail.
Plus vast majority of devs don't have a devkit. Would Nintendo alienate the 3rd party this way?
Every publisher wants a nice cut of that launch money.
Hell no.