The Nintendo press conference touched on aspects of the Nintendo Revolution, but offered no details on what "the" revolution is. No word on the controllers or when the console will be released. One new tantilizing aspect of the console was announced, though: "The console also will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo® 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System® (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System® (NES)." No word on pricing, of course, but exciting nonetheless.

very smooth ...

The Nintendo press conference this afternoon revealed the new Game Boy Advanced format: the Game boy Micro. The new handheld will play all GBA titles, and is only slightly larger than an iPod. From the article: "The sporty, silver metal Game Boy Micro measures a mere 4 inches wide, 2 inches tall and 0.7 inches deep, allowing it to sit comfortably alongside today's hippest technological gadgets. It weighs an astonishing 2.8 ounces, or about the weight of 80 paper clips. Yet Game Boy Micro has the same processing power and plays the same games as Game Boy Advance SP models, complete with standard face controls and gleaming shoulder and Start/Select buttons that literally shine." Photo available from the AP. ...

Alright, Nintendo intro’d the Revolution just a few minutes ago, here’s what we know so far:

Release is sometime in 2006.
Prototype shown is larger than final unit.
Nintendo is still determining final colors for the console.
All-Access Gaming, which refers to backwards compatibility to 20 years of Nintendo games, NES, SNES, N64. We don’t know particulars of how it’ll be accessed or what, if any, the cost structure might be.

Downloadable to 512MB of flash memory.
SD memory card slot.
Wireless controllers.
Two USB 2.0 ports.
Built-in WiFi.
WiFi used to interface with the DS.
DS likely to enhance future games.
Self-loading optical drive that will play 12cm Revolution discs and smaller GameCube discs
Self-contained attachment for playing media content, including DVDs.
No controller was shown. So even though the box looks a lot like the one leaked over the weekend, the accompanying controllers were not presented. So was it a leak, or a really good guess? ...

Nintendo also unveiled the Game Boy Micro this morning, here’s what we know so far:

Launch is slated for this Fall.
Silver in color for now, expect all sorts of rainbow-flavored variations.
Dimensions: 4 inches wide by 2 inches tall and 0.7 inches thick.
Weight: 2.8 ounces (80 paper clips’ worth of weight).
Processor: Same as GBA SP.
Form factor: “Gleaming shoulder and start/select buttons that literally shine”, removable and customizable face plate.
Screen: 2-inches, backlit and the “best Game Boy screen ever” with adjustable brightness controls for use indoors or outdoors.
Marketing angle: “We’re making the gorgeous Game Boy Micro for image-conscious folks who love video games, the ones who want the look of their system to be as cool as the games they play on it” according to George Harrison, Nintendo of America Sr. VP of marketing. It’s clear that they’re going after the kids who are too cool to carry around an obvious gaming device but who don’t mind carrying something that looks like the cell phone that they’re already carrying.
Accessories: built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery; supports standard headphones.
Software: the Game Boy Advance has nearly 700 titles available, all of which will be playable on the Game Boy Micro. ...

Dream over Nintendos new slimline GBA ...

Nintendo Press Conference has just ended in at LA E3. Big N kicked things off with the portable side of things, where he is still leader, but with the breath of Sony in its back...

Starting off with some Nintendo DS talk, the Kyoto based company re-adjusted its media communication strategy, by re-centering its third-pillar as more than a gaming device: it's a creation and interactivity tool "expanding the universe of gamers". Reginald Fils-Aime has been hyping Electroplankton along with a famous DJ, then conceptual Virtual Puppet Sim' Nintendogs -interestingly presented by a woman, couple of minutes after Reggie stated that the "online games" nowadays were mostly all macho- before he finally went into praising the free wireless online gaming capabilities of the latest Nintendo station, announcing Mario Kart DS to be Wi-Fi playable tomorrow live at E3. Nintendo also confirmed that getting online with NDS will be cost-free, no subscriptions, no installation fee, no nothing, except a Wi-Fi Hot Spot near you.

Then, Reggie took a small iPod-like thingy out of his jacket and showed to the crowd what's now to be called GameBoy MICRO. The name comes from the extremely reduced dimensions and weight (3 times lighter than iPod!). It plays GBA games and is not meant at replacing the SP, which will stay in production and available on store shelves worldwide. Design will be customizable with a complete array of faceplates to be introduced along the little gadget. It's coming this fall, expanding further the handheld line-up of Nintendo.



If Nintendo started their presentation with the Nintendo DS and the Gameboy Micro rather than going straight to the point... it's probably because the audience wouldn't have paid enough attention otherwise. Cause the main course still had to be served: RE-VO-LU-TI-ON! That's right, the nextgen home entertainment system made it to the show, Iwata-san holding it in his right hand in front of a cheering crowd. Nintendo did not reveal the mysterious controller, but underlined again it would change gameplay (and the face of earth?) forever. Satoru Iwata did not spend too much time into tech specs, numbers and horsepower condiderations, still stating that the graphics would make you say "wow" and that IBM and ATI are making sure the system would be competitive. But he insisted that gaming is not only about the technology, Nintendo clearly going for an alternate strategy as competing console manufacturers, as it was already hinted at the Nintendo DS presentation last year. Satoru Iwata said that Miyamoto (father of Mario and Zelda) was already working on a complete new revolutionary software creation for the console, that this nextgen system would be Wi-Fi compatible and would have at least two key Wi-Fi compatible megahits at launch. He also stressed that Nintendo Revolution is supposed to be the most affordable nextgen platform to work with from a developer point of view, with major cuts in cost due to time saves and ease of use. Certainly, big N has not yet given up on third-party publishers support. They stated clearly that Revolution would probably be the best system on which to develop and give a try to new creative and innovative ideas. Finally, the Revolution will be an all-in-one box, allowing you to simply play all retro titles ever created on any Nintendo branded living room system. From Famicom to Super NES, N64 and GameCube! Most of the classics will be available for download, a media-rights content managing software being integrated in the system for this purpose.

The dessert was finally the new Zelda GameCube game, Twilight Princess, with new in-game video footage displayed on the giant screen, Super Mario Strikers (soccer!) and some more games to make it to GameCube within this year (more coverage on these while the show goes on). ...

One hour away from the Nintendo Press Conference at E3 Expo, the Nintendo Revolution has already been unveiled in local newspaper hitting streets earlier today stateside. Here are the three pictures of the system:







Specifications currently confirmed are backwards compatibility with the GameCube, wireless controller (the revolutionary weapon is still a no-show so far though and rumored innovative features like touchscreen incorporation or gyroscopic control are still un-discussed), online support and DVD playback function.

Eschewing its previous business ideas, Revolution will be online-friendly, and support a broadband gaming service similar to that of Microsoft's Xbox Live. Its most significant contribution to online gaming will be the ability to download games, and not just simple puzzlers or platformers from the NES days. GameCube titles will be downloadable, though it's not clear whether the games will be saved to a storage devices or memory cards.

Power of the system is supposed to be two to three times more than the GameCube, while Sony claims PlayStation 3 has dozens of times more to spit from under the hood than the previous (current) generation of systems. What the final machines can really do, future will tell, but Nintendo already had this comment to add to the debate, speaking to USA Today: "It's not all about having 'turbo power, It's about what you do with it."

Release date is expected to be somewhen in 2006 (speculations go for Spring, same as they foresee the PlayStation 3 launch and Halo 3 release on Xbox 360 within this time window). Price is unknown. ...

Lino has got commercial games running in his Nintendo DS Emulator, heres a screenshot: ...

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2005 in Los Angeles, Microsoft Corp. today announced it will release a free software update to Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 that will enable customers to take advantage of the Media Center Extender technologies built into Xbox 360 (TM) gaming systems to access and enjoy digital entertainment anywhere in the home. Every Xbox 360 will have Media Center Extender functionality built in and available out of the box. The Media Center Extender functionality, coupled with the software update for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, will provide customers with seamless access to digital music, video, photos, and standard and high-definition television and movies on Media Center Edition 2005-based PCs through any Xbox 360 game console in the house.

Inclusion of Media Center Extender technologies in Xbox 360 represents Microsoft's latest effort to provide consumers with seamless access to the same great experience provided in Media Center Edition PCs on any TV in the house. The Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 experience will be accessible on Xbox 360 systems by pressing the green button on the new Xbox 360 remote control. And, for the first time ever, the extender technologies that are built into Xbox 360 will enable customers to enjoy high-definition entertainment. For example, Xbox 360 will let players stream high-definition TV and movies stored on Media Center PCs, allowing them to watch a high-definition sports event while they chat with friends in other parts of the country who are watching the same game. Or they can receive a friend's invitation to play a game while watching live television. ...