Revolution Secrets Revealed

By Frank Ling, GN Writer Monday, October 31, 2005 Microsoft and Sony have been heavily touting the qualities and features of their next-gen game consoles, but Nintendo has been relatively quiet in comparison. However, Nintendo™s Jim Merrick, senior director of marketing in Europe, has released more details on the Revolution in comments given to Meristation, a Spanish gaming website. According to Merrick, Nintendo of Europe is planning to set up over 25,000 wireless hot-spots all over Europe through a yet-to-be announced wi-fi service carrier. Merrick said that the Revolution™s online features would allow gamers to play certain games even if they did not own them — a reference to Revolution™s wi-fi capability to download games. This ability of the Revolution will be an important marketing factor in Europe as games developed in the United States are not always released to European customers because of marketing, packaging, manufacturing and shipping costs. The various hot-spots across Europe would make it possible for anyone there, to immediately download content. The information given by Merrick may have leaked another aspect of the Revolution. If European™s will be able to download their games via wi-fi hot-spots, how will they be able to see what they are downloading? If this logic is continued, is there a possibility that the Revolution will have a LCD screen accessory? Merrick also released details of the Revolution™s graphics ” it will be comparable to their competitor™s next gen consoles. This statement by Merrick will surprise many industry watchers as most have assumed that Nintendo™s Revolution would be less than the Xbox 360 and PS3™s graphic power. Merrick also volunteered that the Revolution will be able to play N64 games as well. Nintendo™s Revolution may be more of a surprise than first thought. As it was in Aesop™s fable about the race between the tortoise and the hare, will Nintendo be the winner of the Console Wars when the dust settles? We™ll all find out in less than a year from now.