Once the sole giant of the home video game industry, Nintendo is now making moves to stay in the game. With Xbox 2 and Playstation 3 possibly due out within the next year and a half, Nintendo is betting on a revolutionary new approach instead of trying to muscle the next generation consoles with power. Nintendo’s next console is internally code named N5, rumored to be have been Gamecube 2 and Nintendo 21 with the majority of us believing it will be called the Nintendo Revolution. On a new note, it has been reported that the Revolution may not be a successor to the Gamecube as Nintendo has claimed that support and software for the Gamecube will still be available after the Revolution launch. Could this be Nintendo’s strategy to combat the PS3? Would having the established Gamecube and the new Revolution simultaneously available somehow bring Nintendo closer to the front of the pack? Nintendo’s R&D department has increased spending approx. 39% ($209 million) over last year.

Here’s a list of current rumored info about the Revolution:

• Internal hard drive - The Revolution will have a two-sided, 8mm disk with a 5.4 GB capacity.
• Powered by two IBM central processors - code named “Broadway”
• ATI Graphics card code named “Hollywood”
• Online Gaming support
• No DS connectivity but will link up with Nintendo’s next handheld
• Some game studios already have pre-dev kits
• Apparently work has already begun on three of the launch titles - A Mario title , Zelda and Super Smash Bros.
• Will use IEEE protocol to act as a wireless hub in the home. This will allow interaction with other Revolutions in the area.
• Play games on your TV or computer monitor

The word is that the Revolution controllers won’t feature our trusty D-pad and buttons. Motion and tilt-sensing gyroscopes will be used in the controllers. Additionally these controllers will feature pressure sensitive “buttons” that will respond to rubbing and other stimuli. Other rumors are the possibility of a touchpad like the DS or an evolved trackball controller. The new controllers will not be wireless but the Revolution will have four controller ports just like the Gamecube. Nintendo also has a patent on a technology dealing with “fixation points”. Nintendo’s new technology will create a frame and a virtual frame. The idea is basically that designated objects that have priority in the game space will always be featured prominently despite the line of site. This happens when the object moves into the virtual frame. The image will be “deformed” to always include designated objects and provide greater detail and depth of field without having to zoom, or alter camera angles abruptly. Though this is all speculation, it would seem this new feature would be relatively transparent to the user. It would simply facilitate a clearer, and overall more enjoyable, visual experience for gamers. We shall soon see. Toyoda Ken, Nintendo of Japan PR Office Manager, told the Japanese publication ITmedia, “We are still looking at E3 as a launching pad for the ‘Revolution’ platform, and are deliberating if we should feature the actual console, visuals, or simply illustrate the concept behind it.”

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