The Nintendo Revolution controller resembles your TV’s remote.
Different views of the Nintendo Revolution controller.
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Ending months of speculation, Nintendo has begun to unveil the ‘revolutionary’ aspects of its next generation video-game system - code-named Revolution.
Rather than playing the next “Mario” or “Zelda” game with a two-handed controller, you will use a device that more closely resembles a television remote control. The wireless unit, using internal sensors, will translate your wrist and hand movements into onscreen actions.
“This is an extremely exciting innovation — one that will thrill current players and entice new ones,” said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in a statement.
“For the fist time, a controller will allow you movement in every direction,” Reggie Fils-Aime, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America, explained to me. “Obviously left and right, but you can also move in and out, pitch and yaw.”
Because it’s so different than what the gaming world has seen for the past 20 years, it’s hard to explain precisely how the Revolution’s controller works. It fits in your hand much like any remote control, with one button easily accessible with your thumb. A second button, which is more like a trigger, is underneath the remote and can be used with your index finger.
While it will chiefly rely on those internal sensors to reflect movement on screen, the controller does have a D-pad, which can be easily reached with your thumb. (A D-pad, which is a standard feature on today’s controller, is a movement director that resembles a plus sign.) Developers, ultimately, will decide how often that feature will be used in titles.
Imagine a game that simulates the fly-fishing experience. Using one of today’s standard controllers, you’d likely press a button once to begin casting, then press it again to retrieve your line. Using the Revolution’s controller, you’ll actually mimic casting a fly rod.
Another example: You’re playing a first person shooter (perhaps the latest “Metroid” game). The controller would act as a virtual pistol in your hand, letting you point at and shoot objects on screen, using that aforementioned trigger button near your index finger.
“It is very responsive to the way your hand or wrist moves,” said Fils-Aime. “Frankly, that’s why developers have responded so enthusiastically to this. The hand motion is very straightforward but the possibilities of what you can do are quite mind-blowing.”
The controller also supports a variety of expansions and auxiliary devices. Nintendo released a photo showing an auxiliary thumbstick (a standard on current controllers), which the company said would add enhanced control to appease hard-core gamers. (Gamers, summon that same “Metroid” session in your head. The thumbstick would be used to control character movement, while the Revolution controller would be used for targeting and firing your weapon.)
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