Nintendo’s Paradigm Shift

At the recent Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo finally unveiled their next generation controller. For quite some time, Nintendo has been talking about expanding the industry, simplifying the game experience, and leveling the playing field for hardcore, casual, and new gamers. Though many of their points, like reaching a broader audience, are clear, the idea of simplifying games and creating new experiences for all types of gamers so they all are starting with similar skill levels has been more of a puzzle, as well as a point of contention. It wasn’t until the controller was revealed that their ideas became truly understood. The following is The Game Chair’s reaction to Nintendo’s new interface.

Seth

My initial reaction to Nintendo’s revealing was one of subtle shock from their boldness. I felt a sense of awe and admiration simply because the controller was so different, intriguing, unexpected, and being delivered from such a well established company. How many companies do you know who have so drastically changed their core product? We have seen countless evolutionary products that build on previous foundations and improve upon them. There are so few revolutions and this controller reflects Nintendo’s next-gen code name so well.

I can’t wait to get my hands on this controller and experience Nintendo’s vision first hand. Until then it is hard to say how successful, fun, and innovative it will be. That being said, it has sparked a curiosity in me that has me imagining its application all the time. As I was playing and reviewing Geist, I kept thinking about how it would work and enhance the game. Recently, I was playing Battalion Wars and envisioned all these cool ways to direct and place my troops. For those of you that know, can you imagine a game like Descent being played with a controller where your actions in 3D space translate to your ships actions in 3D space?

Unfortunately, until I can get some hands-on time, I will be glued to the experiences of others. While in the media area watching Mr. Miyamoto sign autographs, I had the opportunity to talk to one of Nintendo’s PR executives. In our discussion, she mentioned that TGS was the first time she had seen the controller and was given the opportunity to try it. Although she wasn’t able to tell me anything more than what has been reported elsewhere, hearing her say how intuitive and cool it was after experiencing it first hand was really exciting. As our conversation continued I also asked about their plans for marketing the new console. She agreed that getting it into the hands of people is a priority. Once software is revealed and even if that software is excellent in every way, it seems to me that Nintendo will have a marketing challenge ahead.

People will need to experience this new interface in order to make sense of it. The Eye Toy is an innovative product; however it is a peripheral like the DK Bongos or DDR dance pads and therefore more of a niche-market product enhancement. Changing the primary hardware interface that we use to interact with the digital worlds on our TV screens is quite a different matter. The only comparison I can think of is when I held an Atari controller for the first time and used it to move my little tank across the screen. At that time games as a whole were new, so holding anything was a learning experience for anyone. Now, there is a prominent interface paradigm in place and in many ways people may have to unlearn what they know, as well learn and experience something new. I, for one, am game and am looking forward to the chance to forget about my game pad skills and experience something anew. I can only hope that when I do, Nintendo will deliver a new level of immersion and fun to gaming.

Jake

With the recent hoax video known as NintendoON, I must admit, I was pretty skeptical that this control announcement was the real deal. After all, the fan created NintendoON console also included a 3d motion sensor. Thanks to multiple confirmations, I can now dance for joy with the other rabid Nintendo fans. This is something I’ve been waiting for since the introduction of 3d technology. I am one of the unlucky few to own a Nintendo Virtual Boy, but that hasn’t caused me to give up hope. I routinely research head mounted display technology, always hoping for a breakthrough that will lead us one step closer to virtual reality, Tron style.

Bringing gaming into a 3d world introduced the battle of the participant vs. the control scheme. A lot of the hardcore gamers out there don’t notice this anymore, but hand the controller over to your mom once, and you’ll see just how intuitive dual thumbsticks really are. This controller could be the device that really brings gaming into the mainstream, combining simplicity with truly intuitive interaction.

Now that this technology exists and will be supported, I’m dreaming up peripherals already. For instance, how about a couple of wristbands for a boxing game. Or how about a headband for detecting the orientation of your head. Very cool. I’m a bit worried about arm fatigue or spectator injuries because a lot of people are going to be flailing this thing all over the place. However, if anybody can pull this off, it’s Nintendo, introducers of the analog stick, the rumble-pack, the Power Glove, the home light gun, and the Dual Screen. Also, if this doesn’t work out they still have the Gamecube controller ports on the Revolution to fall back on.

Let’s just hope that this technology goes the way of the DS, and enjoys support from third party developers. I’m sure PC game developers will have no trouble recognizing the huge potential of this device to be used in the FPS and RTS genres. However, I’d hate to see the capabilities of this control system go to waste by simply treating the device as a 2d mouse. The most intriguing demo for me was the plane demo, which involved controlling the orientation of your aircraft by tilting and moving the Nintendo remote. The 3d mouse has been tried before as PC input technology, but like the DS’s touch screen, it hasn’t been applied to mainstream gaming before.

Another intriguing characteristic of the new controller is if you turn it on its side, you almost have an exact replica of 1985’s NES controller. No coincidence I’m sure considering Nintendo’s plans to release older games for download. These games would be new to the current generation of gamers, while having the added benefit of nostalgia for older Nintendo fans.

Whatever the fate of Nintendo’s latest gaming gamble, some things are certain. The Revolution controller will be the most unique gaming experience for the next generation of consoles. Also, the remote’s simple design may appeal to people who have never picked up a video game controller before. While the next generation X-Box and Playstation will use the same old controller, Nintendo continues to push the envelope of interaction with our virtual worlds.

Maggie

My first thought upon seeing the Nintendo Revolution controller and accompanying blurb from various gaming sites was “Huh. That’s interesting.” The potential for game play was immediately apparent, and I could think of a lot of different types of games where this type of controller could be used in new and interesting ways.

My second thought was that I was going to have some horrible hand cramps if I wind up purchasing a Revolution. I will admit to being a bit of a stick in the mud, as well as falling apart at the ripe age of 22; since my hand cramps up when using an ergonomic mouse for too long, I’m curious to see how this wee candy bar of a controller is going to work for me. It takes me a long while to learn new controllers, and while this one looks to be fairly intuitive, my trusty PS2 controllers work just fine for me - they’re comfortable for my hands and I know where everything is.

I’m curious to see where Nintendo goes with this. The future possibilities are just about endless, to be sure, but I have to wonder if a number of games on the Revolution aren’t going to resemble some of the games I’ve played on the DS in the “Cool concept, definite potential, execution needs work” area.

Scott

My first reaction to the Nintendo Revolution’s controller was shock. After hearing all the rumors flying around, I figured nothing could actually faze me by the time I saw the real thing. I was wrong. Nintendo still managed to surprise me.

The more I reflect on it, though, the more I’m intrigued by its potential. The Big N is definitely walking the walk…they’re not content to play the incremental improvement game Sony and Microsoft are competing in. And it seems they don’t think it’s a valuable game to play, either. Instead of just lip service, they seem genuinely interested in trying radically new ideas in order to break open gaming to a much broader audience.

Of course, the final judgment can’t come until we actually get our hands on it and use it. Controllers in themselves don’t make gaming fun. They’re just a means to enjoy what really matters: good games. In the end, the controller will be, and should be judged, on how intuitive and responsive it is and on much it allows developers to create new, exciting, and fun games.

Brinstar

Bravo, Nintendo. If there is any company with the guts to make such a move, it is Nintendo. Nintendo is making a bold step towards the future of gaming. Rather than continue with the status quo, with the way things have been in the past, they have issued a challenge to the industry. It’s a challenge to create new possibilities for play. It’s also a challege to gamers to think and play in new ways. It has so much potential, so much possibility, and I hope third parties take advantage of this and think creatively. I hope that people approach this with an open mind. People questioned shoulder buttons on the SNES controller, and they have become standard. People questioned the analogue stick on the N64 controller, and analogue sticks have become as standard. People questioned the rumble function on the N64 controller, and that has become a standard feature.

Will people embrace Nintendo’s latest innovations? I hope so, because the industry will not grow if it continues to stick to the old ways. Gamers are becoming more sophisticated and choosy in what they play. They won’t necessarily greet Halo 9 with wallets wide open, because it’s been done before. There is a point at which realistic graphics and fast processing speed will no longer be a draw. At that point, every console will be able to do essentially the same thing. We are rapidly approaching that point.

Gaming is about pushing the frontiers of play, not trodding a well-worn path until people are so bored and disillusioned with the lack of creativity that they decide that it’s not worth their time to play anymore. Almost as importantly, continuing to woo the current market without thinking of expansion to other markets (older gamers, women gamers, casual gamers, etc.), whilst keeping the same business model (Sony, Microsoft) of selling consoles at a loss will be bad news in the long run. I think Nintendo has the right idea in mind. Face the future head on. Innovate or waste away.

Atul

I love it. What disappointed me about the Gamecube was the fact that it was, in my mind, a “me too” system: put simply, there was no reason that any of its games couldn’t come out for the XBox and PS2. The only reason I bought it was so I could get a handful of its exclusive titles, which couldn’t come out on other systems for solely political reasons. A few months ago, I was disappointed that Nintendo was even bothering to try competing with Microsoft and Sony; it’d just mean I’d have to buy yet another “me too” system that was essentially a clone of its competition.

Sink or swim, interface innovation like this is really the only thing that can give Nintendo an edge in the hardware market. As with the DS, this interface is really going to dictate a lot about the games that come out for it–and if Nintendo plays their cards right, which I hope they do, there’s going to be a bevy of fun and innovative games for their Revolution that simply can’t be produced for other systems.

I’m also a fan of the controller’s lack of buttons. Today’s age of 12-button, 6-axis controllers and the games that are compelled to use all of them often end up confusing and frustrating me, so it will be nice to have a system that demands some level of simplicity from its titles. And as Tadhg Kelly wrote in his 12-step recovery plan for Technoholism, limitations like this can actually encourage creativity and innovation.

In the last roundtable, I wasn’t particularly excited about the next-gen systems, but now the Revolution is shaping up to be the first one that actually interests me. Thanks, Nintendo, for jumping off the graphical glitz bandwagon and going in a completely new direction.

Paul

What can I say? At first I was scared out of my mind when I saw that remote control that was doubling as the new Nintendo Revolution Controller. I was reminded of people playing Dragon’s Lair on their DVD Players using the remote to guide Dirk through the linear cartoon narrative. My stomach churned a bit in disappointment.

Then the information began to come in. Motion sensor detecting abilities, trigger underneath the remote, attachments for analog sticks and extra buttons, turn it sidewise and you get an NES controller and Metroid Prime fitted to use the a new FPS control schema.

Interesting!

I can see a pontential for both new types of games and new design choices for existing gameplay types. Fighting games where you swing your sword/axe, role playing games that you control by clicking at the screen, the remote doubling as a gun controller (House of the Dead 4 on Revolution anyone, please?)! Perhaps we can have a largescale RTS on a console now?

And then I did some more thinking: isn’t this the first main stream controller than one handed gamer’s could use? That’s pretty nice. How often do we hear that game designers and hardware manufacturers don’t reach out to make their products accesible to handicapped people. I’m being sincere, its a problem and I’m glad Nintendo stepped in with a solution.

Not too shabby. However, not a single pic has emerged of displaying any Revolution games. And That’s a problem. We all know that the success of the Revolution will depend on the software. Here’s hoping we get to slap King Koopa around in style this generation (and not blast him with a weak sauce water cannon).

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