Nintendo denies latest Revolution rumor

by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 23rd 2006 at 12:30PM }

Last week, the Official Nintendo Magazine reported that the Revolution's stand "also acts as a power supply." Well, guess what? That was a lie—er, as Nintendo put it, "a small production error in the magazine."

A Nintendo spokesperson dismissed the rumor, saying, "We have not announced any details of the Nintendo power supply at this time." As Eurogamer points out, the rumor was sketchy from the get-go, seeing as how the Revolution will function in both vertical and horizontal positions.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

dsub @ Feb 23rd 2006 12:50PM

I still firmly believe that dock will serve some sort of a second purpose other than just "holding" the system up. I mean look at it...the base of the dock is barely wider than the revolution itself, so it can't offer any true support to be functional as a stand to keep it from tipping over. It could be anything from a wifi device to a powersupply, or maybe it just has a few extra USB ports in it...who knows. The point is, the design of it isn't really functional as a vertical stand, besides the fact that it sits the revolution at a cool "oblique" angle. Who knows. We'll have to wait until may at E3 to find out.

Spence @ Feb 23rd 2006 12:56PM

Been saying it since I heard that bolox, I even made a big post about it here:
http://revo-europe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4459&page=3

It's just a fricking stand, look in the patent, it is merely decorative, and for stability.

It can be used with or without the stand hence the rubber feet on each face of the console..

Revolution fanboys are so deluded, I can't wait for the console and to know what the E3 secret is but it doesn't get any faster by running around the internet like a pleb claiming that you know what that secret is. And the idea that you KNOW what is under the Revolution's front flap is preposterous.

Please get a life. kthxbye.

Gareth @ Feb 23rd 2006 12:58PM

By the way it slopes downwards as you go towards the rear, I'd guess it's acting as just a stand that offers better ventillation than if you were to put it on its side.

I noticed my Cube knocks itself off after just a few minutes if the sides are too close to something - I always put this down to bad ventillation causing overheating.

Armin @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:03PM

Who in the world believed this in the first place? GameCubes powersupply is twice the size of that little stand...

come on... it's just not possible, nor does it make sense...

Ryan Williams @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:04PM

"kthxbye"? Whoa, I thought I'd regressed back into 2001 for a second then.

Please don't tell me that you make a habit of saying stuff like that.

Nintendo @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:07PM

We're all grasping on whatever we can. I just wish Nintendo would finally release all the info.

E3 is a long way away to wait for offical news

fawazr @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:12PM

hmmm... Nintendo also denied that the DSLite wouldn't be out so soon, they denied that Twilight Princess would have special revmote features, and Reggie denied ever seeing the ON video. Take Nintendo's denials with a grain of salt. It's hard to believe that ONM would let a massive detail like that slip out by mistake. Nintendo manages to spur interest with all these bits of leaked information as well as disinformation, leaving fans to piece together the puzzle of the revolution. In the end, none of us will know anything until E3 (70 or so days, right?).

Morder @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:16PM

i wonder where that jago is now...i bet he'd like to read this...seriously, how can people post on this site solely to piss other people off?

i am glad it's not a power supply or any such thing, i for one would like to put the console flat and not vertical, i hate that

sizcoz @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:23PM

We do know it will be small, compact, consumer price friendly and developer price friendly, this can only bode well for the small indie developers who exist or who could be formed due to small costs involved, this in turn will encourage risk taking and inventivness with storlines and ideas leading to hopefully new and refreshing games, IP's, characters for Nintendo.
Just think with a N-REV SDK at $2000 and a few talented mates you could be also soon developing for the mighty N.
http://www.nintendoinfo.com

Anticrawl @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:45PM

That doesn't dismiss the rumor in the least bit. Nintendo never really comments on rumors and speculation. They denied downloadable games for example when some information leaked or to much buzz gathered on that perticular feature. They like to be the ones to break the news. If anything saying they haven't announced ANY details of the Nintendo power supply at this time further supports the idea of it considering there is no approved patent of the stand and Nintendo is notoriously paranoid about every detail of their console being their sole ip(just look at the millions of redundant and pointless patents they file). Funny how they said "Nintendo" and not this console, revolution, or something to that effect. Either the quote was altered(which is highly probable considering Nintendo generally retorts with a "Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation.") or they're telling us Revolution is in fact not the consoles name.

In any case this doesn't "dismiss" any rumors. It just sets us back on our position that it could be either one, it lets us know nothing. But I don't see why this has generated so much buzz. So what if it's a power supply/converter or not? It certainly could be one, there doesn't need to be a magnetic direct contact to supply a charge and so what if it won't work on it's side? Wouldn't that be what the traditional plug is for? Didn't the original Gamecube launch have two video output cables? What's to keep the rev from having two choices to power the console. Power throught the stand would only make sense to add to the over all pleasing and conservative style of the console.

Anticrawl

RS @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:48PM

Nintendo renies a lot of stuff.

Blizz419 @ Feb 23rd 2006 1:50PM

@ Spence "And the idea that you KNOW what is under the Revolution's front flap is preposterous."

um actually its not proposterous, i know exactly whats under that flap, its no secret, thats were the SD card slots are

ngS @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:16PM

but then.. why hasn't it been shown????

Po0py @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:18PM

I'm seeing a theme here. It's called the Rumour - Confirm - Deny - Then Confirm again publicity campaign.

First nintendo releases a rumour into the wild. It creates a lot of publicity and all the blogs and news sites pick up the story. Then: "Thats not true!" says some nintendo official. Then a week later it is finally confirmed.

This has happend so many times before with nintendo. Remember the DS Lite rumours? First it was a rumour then it was officially denied. And not long after that it was confirmed and we started seeing "leaked pictures!! OMFG!" And so forth...

Need I mention the Zelda TP / revolution compatability romour mill.
"OMFG! Its a REV game!"
"STFU! NOOB! REV is backwards Compatible!"
"ZELDA will be on the REV and it will have special controller functionallity!"
"O Rly?!"

I can see through your BS, nintendo. I can see right through it.

Just release the damn console, already!

Blizz419 @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:31PM

@ ngs maybe it hasnt been shown cuz 2 SD slots are nothing special, but note nintendo has said that the Rev does have 2 SD slots, we have seen all of the system except under that flap and no were have we seen the the SD slots, and also a while back Matt from IGN also stated the SD slots were under that flap, so whats under that flap? um 2 SD slots of course

Anticrawl @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:33PM

To #12 (Blizz419). No you don't know what's under that flap. They haven't announced anything. At E3 and the Tokyo Game show that was the only part of the console that wouldn't open. When one reporter asked a spokesment what was in it they responded with "Um, oh well that's were the sd cards go." But later at E3 Miyamoto gave an exclusive interview(to spong I believe, one of those s news sites) and when asked what was under the flap he replied with, "That's the Revolution, right there."

Yes it was spong. Here is the link - http://spong.com//detail/editorial.jsp?eid=10109292&&cb=0.5416906532342852&&cb=0.6929565223590239&&cb=0.1563161211337456&&cb=0.9819106809262949
"Another flap shows twin solid state storage drives, another flap, the important and ominous-looking one on the front, would not open."There's a clue there," we were told by senior Nintendo staff today as we pawed the hardware, which we could power on and off and fully examine. "That's the Revolution, right there." The collective SPOnG mind boggled."
I still say projection has something to do with that flap, they've been working on something to that effect since before the launch of the gamecube as patents suggest.

Anticrawl

Blizz419 @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:38PM

if thats not were the SD cards are than were are they??? the only place they could be is under that flap obviously

Clu @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:54PM

I think that what the stand does is allow for air flow from underneath. if you have seen the sketches that show the bottom of the rev there is an air vent on that side as well as one on the back. The air probably blows out the back and sucks in on the bottom, or side if you lay it horizontally.
http://oami.eu.int/bulletin/rcd/2006/2006_012/000431309_0001.htm
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/14/revolution-patent-reveals-ports/

ry @ Feb 23rd 2006 3:24PM

if you check the graphics for the revolution case patent, there is definitely a connector on the back-lower corner (or, back right if it's lying flat). I'd wager that is in fact where the power source will plug in. Now, I doubt, too, that the stand itself is the power source, but I'd bet a million dollars that that the stand has a passthrough connection that the power source plugs into, and as such, the Rev will receive power from the stand. Power-Stand-Rev, or Power-Rev if you don't use the stand.

Anticrawl @ Feb 23rd 2006 3:55PM

One point.

Do SD cards really take up 2x4 inches of space. Seems wasteful for a conservative console.

And to number 19, I agree, but for some reason people can't seem to understand they didn't mean the stand will be like a feakin battery with no other plugs to power it from an outlet. It's just an option. I don't think the angle has anything to do with optimising cooling and air flow since heat rises but I do like your idea number 18(Clu), never really considered that possibility.

Anticrawl

Blizz419 @ Feb 23rd 2006 4:13PM

maybe not 2" x 4" there may be something else in there i guess that is a possibilty but i still bet thats were the SD cards are and knowing nintendo they are probably side by side instead of on top of each other, that would leave room for probably one other thing i suppose, i highly doubt its any kind of 3D projection though

Greg2k @ Feb 23rd 2006 4:16PM

I'm pretty sure that flap will indeed reveal the SD slots. Now, I'm still open to speculation regarding that flap. For a start, it's been said DVD playback will be supported on the Revolution given a hardware add-on. Who's to say that won't be an SD card with the DVD playback software on it? I don't think it would be on a USB dongle.

If there indeed are two SD card slots, it only makes sense that one of them will be used for game data storage and the other one will have another use. Maybe it's this use of an SD slot which can trigger a "Revolution". I have absolutely no idea what Nintendo could do to an SDIO slot to make it shine, but if there are two SD slots, you can bet that one of them will be used for something other than storage.

Jago @ Feb 23rd 2006 7:11PM

"i wonder where that jago is now...i bet he'd like to read this...seriously, how can people post on this site solely to piss other people off?"

So I post on this site solely to piss other people off? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight...you keep thinking that.

Soemthing like this being a "small production error" seems a tad suspicious. Unless this "typo" was overlooked or sneakingly added in by the lead editor...I don't entirely buy the whole "small production error" excuse.

As for the small flap...I honeslty forgot all about that. I always thought it was just part of the design of the system. It wouldn't surprise me if it was for the DS cards b/c when those schematic were shown not too long ago there didn't seem to be any slots for the SD cards. However if that so called "hatch" was for the DS card, I would think they would have showed that in the diagram.

Who know though...until everything is officially unvieled on May 9th alot of this is stuff is either false rumor, suspicious "cover-ups" or "leaked" info.

Josh @ Feb 23rd 2006 7:12PM

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24328400
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24321276

slow news day @ Feb 23rd 2006 11:00PM

Even though we all suspected this wasn't true, it would have been a cool design idea. Why not hide the power supply and be functional at the same time? Granted heat would have been a problem...

Jago @ Feb 24th 2006 12:19AM

Funny how you guys say "There will be a hear problem if the base was the power supply"...yet you guys know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the hardware, the internal layout let alone what the actual finalzed hardware actually is going to be.

Jago @ Feb 24th 2006 2:36AM

correction: There will be a "heat" problem...

ran ran leche flan @ Mar 4th 2006 2:25AM

What do people make of this?

Might this have something to do with the Revolution's powersupply/stand (and possibly broadband connectivity and a hard-drive?)

I'd ignore the pics of the Gamecube, as patent drawings cover technology and the images don't necessarily have to accurately reflect design (thus Design Patents).

For eye-brow raised chin rubbing fun though, check out the claims (particularly 5-10):

What is claimed is:

1. A peripheral device for connection to a home video game system having a generally cube-shaped appearance and comprising an upper portion which receives a storage medium, at least one side portion to which input devices are connectable, and a bottom portion which contacts an underlying support surface, the bottom portion having a recess formed therein, the peripheral device comprising:

an electrical component;

a connector electrically coupled to the electrical component for connecting to a connector of the home video game system disposed in the recess;

a housing containing the electrical component,

wherein the housing is configured so that, when the peripheral device is inserted into the recess and the connector connects to the home video game system connector disposed in the recess, an outer surface of the housing is substantially flush with the bottom portion of the home video game system, whereby the generally cubed-shaped appearance of the home video game system remains substantially the same when the peripheral device is inserted into the recess.

2. The peripheral device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an additional connector electrically coupled to the electrical component, the peripheral device being configured so that, when the peripheral device is inserted into the recess and the connector connects to the home video game system connector disposed in the recess, the additional electrical connector is externally accessible via a cut-out portion formed in a side portion of the home video game system.

3. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component comprises communication circuitry.

4. The peripheral device according to claim 3, wherein the communication circuitry comprises a modem.

5. The peripheral device according to claim 3, wherein the communication circuitry comprises broadband communication circuitry.

6. The peripheral device according to claim 3, wherein the communication circuitry comprises wireless communication circuitry.

7. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component comprises expansion memory.

8. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component comprises a hard disk drive.

9. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein the connector is adapted for connection to a connector for a parallel interface of the home video game system.

10. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein the connector is adapted for connection to a connector for a serial interface of the home video game system.