Nintendo's Revolution is aptly named, but not for the reasons you might think. It will not be a revolution in graphics. It will not be a revolution in processing power. It will not even be a revolution in multiplayer. It will be a revolution in game play. At least, it better be. That's because, by design, it's specs cannot compete with the PS3 or 360 in any way. IGN has reported the technical specs leaked to it by a number of "major developers." These specs make it clear that Nintendo has no intention of worrying how realistically the blades of grass move as Link runs by. But, don't take my word for it, let's review what's been leaked.
For starters, it packs 104 MBs of RAM (88 MBs 1T-SRAM and 16 MBs D-RAM). Compared to the 512 MBs of RAM in the 360, it's almost tempting to say the Revolution isn't Next Gen. But wait a minute, what does this RAM difference really mean? The biggest difference, and the one Nintendo has to hope you won't care about, is that the Revolution won't support High Definition resolutions. Once you take that away, 104 MBs of RAM suddenly seems like plenty.
Clock speed has not been disclosed, but the consensus seems to be that it will be about double that of the Gamecube. While there is some debate about how valid clock speed is to use as a comparison factor, twice as fast and more than double the RAM of a Gamecube should still make for a decent console. Call it current Gen+ or next Gen-, depending on whether you are a glass half-full or half-empty kind of guy.
So, if you aren't going to compete on graphics and you aren't going to compete on power, how are you going to compete? Well, as any business owner or economics major will tell you, there's this little thing called competing on price, and it's been used successfully by companies all over the world since the invention of commerce.
Yes, the Revolution is going to be the console for all of those who balked at the thought of $400 for an XBOX 360. Although there have been no official pricing announcements, the consensus is that the Revolution will launch at a price of $149 or less. But, what will you get for that price? Will you "get what you paid for?" Or will you get a lot more?
The answer to that lies in three things: the controller, the willingness of developers to build games for the system, and the gameplay. We'll look at each of these.
You have read on this very site my overall dislike for the Revolution's controller, having admittedly never used one yet. We continue to hear a lot about how developers are "intrigued and excited" by the new controller, but we have yet to see exactly how it will be utilized. If developers embrace it, it may well be the reason the Revolution succeeds (in which case, I'll owe all of you a retraction).
As to developers' willingness to create for the Revolution, the jury is still out. Most likely, the best games for the Revolution will be created by Big N themselves, but outside developers will help determine the ultimate success of the platform. There are good reasons why developers may balk. Since it is a no-brainer to create for the 360, the PS3 and the PC, developers will have to ask themselves if it's worth creating versions of their games that can play on the Revolution's lower specs. Both in money and in time. If they decide it's not worth it, then there will be few, if any, third party cross-platform games that include the Revolution. Even worse, it may make it too much of a gamble to create new franchises for this system, relegating it afterthought status.
Finally, consider gameplay. This is what Nintendo purports to be all about, and this is where they absolutely must hit Home Runs continuously if they hope to compete. History is on their side - you never hear people complain that Nintendo does not know how to make enjoyable games. They do. And, they've got whole new areas of gaming available to them due to their new controller.
Ultimately, let's face it, if Nintendo or a third party developer comes up with a few games for the Revolution that are instant classics and take gameplay places it's never been before, you'll go buy one, and so will I. Especially since the console will most likely cost the same as two or three XBOX 360 games. Nintendo is certainly gambling, but, when long shots pay off, they pay off big. We'll just have to wait and see if the specs make the machine.
Clock speed has not been disclosed, but the consensus seems to be that it will be about double that of the Gamecube. While there is some debate about how valid clock speed is to use as a comparison factor, twice as fast and more than double the RAM of a Gamecube should still make for a decent console. Call it current Gen+ or next Gen-, depending on whether you are a glass half-full or half-empty kind of guy.
So, if you aren't going to compete on graphics and you aren't going to compete on power, how are you going to compete? Well, as any business owner or economics major will tell you, there's this little thing called competing on price, and it's been used successfully by companies all over the world since the invention of commerce.
Yes, the Revolution is going to be the console for all of those who balked at the thought of $400 for an XBOX 360. Although there have been no official pricing announcements, the consensus is that the Revolution will launch at a price of $149 or less. But, what will you get for that price? Will you "get what you paid for?" Or will you get a lot more?
The answer to that lies in three things: the controller, the willingness of developers to build games for the system, and the gameplay. We'll look at each of these.
You have read on this very site my overall dislike for the Revolution's controller, having admittedly never used one yet. We continue to hear a lot about how developers are "intrigued and excited" by the new controller, but we have yet to see exactly how it will be utilized. If developers embrace it, it may well be the reason the Revolution succeeds (in which case, I'll owe all of you a retraction).
As to developers' willingness to create for the Revolution, the jury is still out. Most likely, the best games for the Revolution will be created by Big N themselves, but outside developers will help determine the ultimate success of the platform. There are good reasons why developers may balk. Since it is a no-brainer to create for the 360, the PS3 and the PC, developers will have to ask themselves if it's worth creating versions of their games that can play on the Revolution's lower specs. Both in money and in time. If they decide it's not worth it, then there will be few, if any, third party cross-platform games that include the Revolution. Even worse, it may make it too much of a gamble to create new franchises for this system, relegating it afterthought status.
Finally, consider gameplay. This is what Nintendo purports to be all about, and this is where they absolutely must hit Home Runs continuously if they hope to compete. History is on their side - you never hear people complain that Nintendo does not know how to make enjoyable games. They do. And, they've got whole new areas of gaming available to them due to their new controller.
Ultimately, let's face it, if Nintendo or a third party developer comes up with a few games for the Revolution that are instant classics and take gameplay places it's never been before, you'll go buy one, and so will I. Especially since the console will most likely cost the same as two or three XBOX 360 games. Nintendo is certainly gambling, but, when long shots pay off, they pay off big. We'll just have to wait and see if the specs make the machine.
