Source: Computer and Video Games
According to Nintendo’s Jim Merrick, Nintendo’s forthcoming Revolution system will, in fact, boast graphics on par with Xbox 360 and PS3. What this will mean overall for the industry and the market is still unknown, of course, but what it does do is further solidify Nintendo’s position in the next generation as a complete wildcard (which almost sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it?). Fanboys on the Xbox 360 and PS3 sides of the table have continued to bandy about a previously unsubstantiated rumor that Revolution would “only be 2-3 times the power of the Gamecube”, for months, effectively removing it from the competition (at least in their minds), but this new development throws that entire premise completely out the window.
While speculation and rumor are sure to go flying more than ever now, one question remains: How will the
market react? There are plenty of opinions on the matter, but the one thing that’s becoming clearer is that Nintendo is looking to make itself the Next-Gen platform come 2006. If the system is indeed able to compete graphically with the likes of PS3 and Xbox 360, and if the new control system truly “revolutionizes” gameplay the way Nintendo hopes it will, they may just be on track for the single greatest comeback in gaming history. The question now becomes, where are the screenshots, trailers and playable demos for Nintendo’s newest system?
With any luck we should begin seeing Revolution games in a playable form when the console comes closer to release. According to Merrick, “Miyamoto doesn’t like to show incomplete games”, which explains why we haven’t seen so much as a screenshot to date, and reportedly will not within 2005. This strategy has often worked for Nintendo in the past, serving to build up huge anticipation for upcoming titles, though it’s worth
noting that we’ve seen numerous screens and videos for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a game which isn’t due to ship for another 6 months at minimum.
Whatever Nintendo chooses to do with regard to building their own hype and marketing juggernaut before Revolution‘s launch, this much is becoming clear: Nintendo plans to be a serious competitor
in the next console war.
