Revolution controller info from an "EA Insider"

K

koam

Member
I got this from the GCBGB over at IGN:

Well I am not really sure why I am posting this here because last time I posted some info I got about the Ngage QD way before it was announced I was made fun of to no end and it ended up all being 100% true. Anyways, I figured some people might like to know and at least talk about it.

I spoke with one of the programmers at EA who is a good friend of mine that I did some work with in college. He works at EA now out of Florida. Anyways, recently they got prototypes for the new Nintendo console. So he gave me some insider info on the new Nintendo controller.

Well some people have guessed this probably or at least when you put things together it really makes sense and in some ways I am glad to see Nintendo do it this way and to see that they really didn't go super far out with their Revolutionary idea in alienating developers.

Basically the prototype anyways, was two handles a left and a right one and in the middle was just a big touch screen. Much like the DS this touch screen can be mapped to any controls. How he explained it reminded me much of intellivision. He said from what he has messed with it it seems likely that all of the buttons can be labled on it and can be placed in any configuration desirable by the designer to allow for optimal play with no limitations to the controller design. I asked him if it had a seperate analog stick at least and he told me that at least the prototype he had did not. It did not even have shoulder buttons he said. This dissapointed me. I like the idea for a lot of reasons, but I am not sure I like the idea of all of the buttons being replaced. An analog and shoulder buttons would be nice. Also after using the DS I am not sure I will like the feel of it as there is something about hitting an actual button that feels right. It will be interesting to see what kind of comments nintendo gets over it. I will be going to E3 this year as always and I am sure they will show something then as well.

Sorry he didn't tell me anything else about it. He just knew it was there and had seen it, but isn't directly working on anything for it.

What do you guys think about a controller like this? Positives, negatives? I am glad Nintendo didn't go way out there and make us control it with our mind or anything, in that regard it is rather conservative. We'll see how it turns out I guess.
Click to expand...

At first I dimissed this cause it sounded absurd, but then I started to think over some of the rumors. Remember how there was a rumor that the Revolution would make you "feel", well look at this: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9991
If there's a touch screen that let's you feel the screen, you wouldn't have to worry about button placing. Overall, if this is the path they go, I'd be really pissed.
 
I dont know if this is the same "insider" but there was another post similiar to this weeks ago that supposedly spilled the beans on the Revolution controller. But it sounded fake because the guy was apparantly limited to certain info because of an 'NDA'
 
i honestly cant believe nintendo would do something as stupid as removing buttons from a controller... that's not revolution, that's devolution. I want my analog sticks, I want my pressure sensitive buttons. Map buttons to any configuration? blah how useful is that, just use the standard button layout the best you can... if nintendo wouldnt make their controllers so funky (N64, GC) button layouts wouldnt be such an issue. Their controllers are the only ones I've ever had trouble with in certain games (mainly fighting / twitch games that use a lot of different button combos).

Oh well, I doubt this is true.
 
While I first thought the concept sounded cool as hell, I'm beginning to have my doubts. Since you won't be looking at the controller, and you'll have no way to judge what part of the surface you're touching (except from routine) it'll be really awkward to use. Especially if developers have new control-schemes for each game. So the biggest benefit is also the biggest drawback.

The concept is very cool, yet incredibly sucky at the same time :p

But I'm not trusting these rumours completely yet.
 
I'm betting it's fake, unless there's some way to feel the buttons, It's just stupidly un-intuitive.
 
This was posted about three weeks ago or so from the original source.
 
Sounds fake... The controllers will be quite expensive :\
Too bad tough, becuse it has a lot of potential (If they can make you feel the buttons, I bet they'll find a way to make 'triggers')
 
Folder said:
This was posted about three weeks ago or so from the original source.
Click to expand...

It was a lot longer than that. It may have been reposted three weeks ago though.

Edit: Maybe it only seemed longer. But this is the third time I remember it being posted here.
 
Yeah...this is old. Doubt EA has the controller let alone a whole "prototype system" here in the U.S.!

Man...this is killing me trying to figure out what the revolutionary feature or features are. It's not hard to believe that Nintendo is getting rid of the D-Pad and normal buttons and that sorta fits with the rumor of the buttons being like "warts" (in other words you can still feel your thumb pressing & depressing them, but just that there's like a "skin" over them) but that goes along with the rumor that the whole controller is "rubbable" which I'm not too sure is very doable/practical let alone would really be a revolution in gameplay.

Then there's the whole gyro situation, in which case if they go with that then I think the controller should be in two peices (right & left handed) which would explain more recent comments about it being hard to convey/present and which may explain all along why they're never refered to the controller as a controller, but rather an interface. But would a gyro interface be intuitive enough...maybe they'll just opt for a built-in delux tilt pak instead?

I'm beginning to wonder if the next controller or interface, as Nintendo calls it, has this one feature that will blow us away, or rather it'll have *several* features. I'd like a touch screen on the next controller, but not a huge one that's gonna up the price or eliminate other features...just one that would make games unique to Revolution. And a touch screen as a center revolutionary feature just doesn't make any sense 'cos you can't feel the software buttons and a touch screen can only sense ONE point on the screen at a time...plus if that's all it is then that would suck 'cos you'd constantly have to be looking down at the screen to make sure you're pressing the right thing since you can't feel it. I just don't think that's it at all.
 
Wonder if they're gonna go with seperated controller functions for two hands...the left hand for moving the character around with mutiple sticks, the right hand for the button presses.

Or hhell, maybe it's Nintendo's next generation Power Glove...put one (or two) on and every move is done virtually.
 
Shinobi said:
Wonder if they're gonna go with seperated controller functions for two hands...the left hand for moving the character around with mutiple sticks, the right hand for the button presses.

Or hhell, maybe it's Nintendo's next generation Power Glove...put one (or two) on and every move is done virtually.
Click to expand...


Any company that survives something as whack as the power glove will survive anything
 
I doubt i'd even get a Revolution if it didn't have analog sticks. There's no way i'm gonna be forced to control characters with a touch screen. Mario 64 DS was all I need to play to know that sh!t doesn't work for me.
 
why would a controller have three prongs and then have a touch screen? i mean seriously that doesnt even make sense.
 
norinrad21 said:
Any company that survives something as whack as the power glove will survive anything
Click to expand...

:lol Power Glove was a pretty cool experiment, not unlike the Sega 3D glasses (was never able to try those out, one of my gaming regrets). I seriously wonder if Nintendo (or anyone) could make similiar technology palatable for a widescale audience.
 
I really hope this turns out to be false, because lets face it; precision isn't a strong point for touch-screen controls. Not to mention the fact some games get pretty white knuckle, so if you're having to press a screen to do shit, how long is it gonna be before it goes *snap* and you need to buy another?
 
Lets say this touch screen thing is true, also consider this, its a work in progress. The prototype is just that a "prototype", far from finish. Button placement hasn't been determined yet. Nintendo decides to release prototypes to get opinions on the durability and feedback from developers on whether they'll support the feature in there games.

This could just be way for publishers and developers to evaluate the touch screen, this would be done so Nintendo can make adjustments to the size of the screen.

To be honest I think the Revolutionary feature has more to do with software development.
 
Lionheart said:
Revolution controllers could use the same port as GameCube controllers though. Just like PSOne controllers work on PS2.
Click to expand...

Is it too much to hope for a controller unveiling at E3? My fears need to be laid to rest. I don't want a touchscreen controller unless it can morph into a real controller like a Transformer. It'd make that noise too.
 
I think certain posters want this to be true, because of the negative ramifications and others don't believe it because they believe its to far fetched. Then you have those like Dr.G who has chosen to use some logic. I, myself have come to the conclusion that if there is a controller with a touch screen embedded in it, it will just be a feature of the controller. Well I guess that means my thoughts are similar to Dr. GMAN.
 
If it's not fake, it could be a controller that's going to be sold seperately for specific games. For instance, EA might be using it for a Madden game.
 
I don't think the "revolution" is a touch screen, as that's already been done on PDAs and the DS. It has to be something that hasn't been done before for games.
 
For those of you who think this is actually a good idea or even remotely feasible, please go to Best Buy, ask them to let you try out one of their touch LCD remote controls.

Now try and hit buttons on the touchscreen without looking down at the remote control. Now try and hit different buttons on the touchscreen as fast you would need to in video game without looking at the controller but looking ahead at the TV.

You will realize in about ... oh 5 seconds how stupid and unfeasible this idea this. I'm not joking or being sarcastic when I say Nintendo would be better off using the old NES/Famicom controller instead.

People are so friggin unoriginal with their fake rumors these days. Uh DS has teh touchscreen ... Revolution controller is teh touchscreen!

Next.
 
lockii said:
Is it too much to hope for a controller unveiling at E3? My fears need to be laid to rest. I don't want a touchscreen controller unless it can morph into a real controller like a Transformer. It'd make that noise too.
Click to expand...

Hell, I'd buy one just for that. REVOLUTIONS, ROLL OUT.
"che-chu-chow-chu-chew-che-che-cha-chah" (close enough)
 
You know this is fake because:

a. no napkin sketches
b. no Pepsi in the background
c. refers to friend as an EA insider
d. Iwata: "No touch screen on Revolution!!!1"

Oh and I found pics of your Revolution controller.

nintendo-revolution-1.jpg


nintendo-revolution-6.jpg
 
Sounds like ass for racing games, sure it 'May" be better for steering, but braking and aceleration sounds like a mess.
 
I just tought about something - is it possible technologically to have the touch screen display the in game action, and using the gyro technology makeing the camera angle change acording to where the controller is moved to? (It's probobly more suitable for handhelds tough) That could be cool with some games (like stealth games)
 
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