Revolution controller unveiled-- finally

[Locit]

If anything I think this will put third parties off of supporting Nintendo even more. I mean, in the DS there was at least some semblance of normal control, even with two screens. But the remote-control scheme absolutely boggles my mind.

Also, it will be like having one more remote to lose.

[Frieza2000]

I had always thought something like this would be a great idea. What I picture it being used for is camera angles. Theoretically it should work great, not only in first person but in free-floating views like Sonic or Mario.

I highly suspect there'll be a regular style controller, or that the gamecube controller will be compatible (which I think is already confirmed). Otherwise Nintendo isolates itself from the multi-platform release group. With so few and far flung buttons, converting a PS3 or Xbox game to the Revolutions controller would be either impossible or just really weird.

I share everyone's scepticism, but Nintendo usually tests their controllers really well for comfort and usability. As far as gameplay is concerned, they'll probably start off with some quaint gimmick games like they did for the DS, then use it primarily for camera control.

[chriscaffee]

So I'm playing my FPS and I go to grab a handful of munchies and in doing so my guy looks at the ground. Then someone else wants to sit on the couch so while I'm sniping I move over, thus my character strafes and I miss the shot, then I get bonked in the head and die. I get up momentarily to do some menial task like shutting off a light or closing a door and my onscreen avatar inadvertantly does something I don't want him to do.

I'd pause it but I'm actually playing an online multiplayer game.


Of course the fact that you can turn on the system without walking your ass all the way up to the box is pretty awesome.

[Locit]

The whole "I'd pause it" thing doesn't work while online regardless of the controller.

[Adam Adamant]

That was his point?

[chriscaffee]

The whole "I'd pause it" thing doesn't work while online regardless of the controller.

Yes, but moving my position across a room also doesn't affect the game with a conventional controller, thus it is irrelevant.

[Locit]

You could pause it and then turn off the light.

[chriscaffee]

Online game. Did you miss that part? Obviously not since your first response addressed that.

[Popcorn]

Well, I guess Chris isn't buying a Revolution.

[Esrever]

Chris, I think you've got it backwards. In an FPS, the tilt censor replaces aiming/camera stick, not the moving stick. All tilting will do is adjust your camera perspective... so in a game like Splinter Cell or Halo, it would adjust where you are looking/aiming. It's not going to physically move the position of your character, though, so you won't need to worry about your charcter inadvertantly walking off a cliff or strafing into a wall whenever you put the controller down to take a dump or whatever. All that could change is the direction he is looking.

Admittedly, if you have to move over on the couch or something, your camera angle is going to get jumbled for a moment. But think of how instantaneously you could correct that with a simple hand gesture. You just need to point where you want to look. I can really see that controller working for those kinds of games, provided they can get by with the low number of face buttons.

I can sort of see how it would work for a game like Mario, but I think I'd need to see that to believe it. I don't see how the tilt censor would be more intuitive a camera control than the stick was... I mean basically, you'd be using the controller to emulate the movement of the stick. And a lot of the time, you want the camera to sit at one angle for awhile. It could also get awkward if you want to position the camera at an angle that's a hard position to hold your hand in for any length of time. I think they'd need a way that you could turn the tilt censor on and off, so you could move the camera into position and then leave it there and get back to playing. Perhaps you could make it so that it only registered hand gestures when you are holding down the right trigger!

I can't see it working at all for any kind of button intensive game, like a figther. Fighting games don't work all that great with the controllers we already have, but this thing will be worse. I mean, the Dpad directions migth work as seperate buttons in some games, but not in ones that require you to press two or three of them at once. Now, I understand that there are going to be these different attachments and bases that convert the controller into different things, so maybe there will be one that works better for that kind of game. But even if there is.... traditional fighting games are only being made by 3rd party developers. Are they going to make a fighting game for a system that requires an additional peripheral to play them?

I'm sure there are other examples like that. I don't know, maybe it isn't a problem if they just don't support certain styles of games. I don't think Nintendo is shooting to be the only console in your house with this thing. If the price point is low enough, maybe that will work for them.

[Frieza2000]

I think the idea is to make playing more immersive. You sacrifice some freedom of movement in the real world to gain it in the game. It has its disadvantages in that respect, but I think they're both manageable and worth it. Just pause. And if it's online, distractions would hinder your playing ability regardless of the ultra sensitive controller. Just practice a bit of body control if you need to change positions or tough it out.

Also, I checked, the Revolution does have Gamecube controller ports. So as long as we're allowed to use them, there's no problem.

[Esrever]

Except that the Gamecube controller is LAME! :D

[chriscaffee]

Not as lame as the 64s.

Okay let's assume it replaces where you look rather then where you move. It's still going to mess up your shots. Not important most of the time unless you are using a twitch-weapon like a shotgun or sniper rifle. I've got enough problems with lag and my own suckitude without having to worry about sneezing at the wrong time. Besides, your thumb is more precise then your hand as a whole. It'd be like trying to aim a real pistol, but then you would have the game's built-in inaccuracy compounding the situation!

The way I see it, the Revolution controller is impractical. It seems to be a solution looking for a problem. To be honest, I'm not crazy about wireless controllers in general.

Then again, I could be wrong. I'll just have to wait for someone else to buy one so I can try it out!

[Esrever]

Yes, I'd love to see how it handles. For something like that, it would have to be incredibly accurate to be effective.

The hands on impressions are interesting, though. One of the fellows at IGN mentioned that for the shooting portions of some of the tech demos, he found it was more comfortable to hold the controller with two hands -- I guess basically trying to simulate how you'd hold a pistol -- to steady his aim and shoot more accurately. If it's that sensitve to hand jitters, I guess it is a little touchy!

[Neo Yi]

In truth, I like the design of the new Revolution controller then PS3's so-far, boomerang-ish fugly one, but I'm durn curious on how it works. Do we hold it like a remote control like they show or can we also hold it sideways ala' a controller?
It boggles my mind and while the look feels uncomfy, I'll reserve judgement when I actually hold the damn thing myself. Considering every other Nintendo control pads have been remarkably comfy for me, I hope this will continue the tread. I really do have faith in Nintendo.
~Neo

[Squirrelknight]

From what I understand, you can rotate the controller 90 degrees and use it like a NES pad for more traditional games... The motion sensor in the controller notices when you do this and adjusts the orientation of the D-Pad accordingly (so up is up and so forth)...

I dunno, the more I think about the controller, the more I see what Nintendo is getting at, and I'm sure there'll be some decent applications for it, but goddamn, is it weird. I guess there won't be much third party support for it...

... But then again, Nintendo hasn't really had any substantial third party support since the SNES.

[Neo Yi]

Yea, I've managed to read one of IGN's article on how the controller could be used on a different genre of games and my mind is currently at ease at the moment.
~Neo

[PSMad]

The light gun style aiming has to be super accurate, I mean more accurate than I can imagine it being for the thing to work.

To be fair I’m very interested in how Nintendo hopes on getting past some of the criticism levelled at it. The biggest problem I see is with fighting games. They could come up with a bizarre stick and movement combo thing or produce a ‘fighting game holder’ with more damn buttons.

I’ll probably buy one though

[Segaholic2]

I don't think they can do fighting games, and probably a lot more other kinds of games with such a limited control interface. I'm sure there will be fun games for it and I'll undoubtedly get one eventually, but I can't help thinking most games for it will be as gimmicky as the controller seems to be.

[Baba O'Reily]

I had something witty to say, but more or less, my thoughts are, "It's a fucking remote control."

[Esrever]

I'm hearing a lot of concerns about the fact that it is shaped like a remote control. I'm a little curious about that. Do you guys have, like... trouble using remote controls? Do you find them challenging?

You've got to be able to hold this thing in one hand. It needs to be narrow so that you can wrap your fingers all the way around to the left hand side. Otherwise it's going to have no support on the left. That's why remote controls are shaped the way they are in the first place. What the heck would you shape it like? Half a regular controller? How would that be comfortable?

[PSMad]

It's the fact that a remote control doesn't usually emote 'fun' while a joypad does.

[Locit]

I'm hearing a lot of concerns about the fact that it is shaped like a remote control. I'm a little curious about that. Do you guys have, like... trouble using remote controls? Do you find them challenging?

You've got to be able to hold this thing in one hand. It needs to be narrow so that you can wrap your fingers all the way around to the left hand side. Otherwise it's going to have no support on the left. That's why remote controls are shaped the way they are in the first place. What the heck would you shape it like? Half a regular controller? How would that be comfortable?

I think the general idea is that most of us still aren't quite used to the shift from conventional pad to weird-remote-corded-analog pad yet. If you saw an orange shaped like a banana, you'd be weirded out. Perhaps this new orange would present easier access to the fruit itself and would be easier to grasp lengthwise and peel than a normal orange, but it's still a banana shaped orange. And that just looks weird.

[Baba O'Reily]

It's unusual, and it's yet another thing to worry about getting batteries for.

[Timestones]

At this point I could speculate on the pros and cons to this newfangled controller until I'm blue in the face, but until I actually see it in use with some games there really isn't much point to it right now, other than temporarily satiating my curiosity.

If nothing else, I can picture a Star Fox* game actually working fairly well with the Revolution controller.


*And by Star Fox game, I mean another one like Star Fox 64. Not another Adventures or Assault.