http://cube.ign.com/articles/522/522559p1.html

IGNcube's Nintendo "Revolution" FAQ

Absolutely everything we currently know about the successor to
Nintendo's GameCube home console.
by Matt Casamassina

May 25, 2005 - Nintendo's GameCube console is far from dead, but that
hasn't stopped the company from announcing that it is underway with a
next-generation successor, codenamed "Revolution." The system has been
given an appropriate codename if Nintendo is to be believed: the
publisher says that the console will revolutionize the way people play
games. No easy challenge, but if any company can do it, Nintendo can.

Since it was revealed more than a year ago, a wealth of information on
Nintendo's Revolution has surfaced -- and there's still much more to
come.

To help keep readers informed about any and all developments
surrounding the Nintendo Revolution, IGNcube has created the end-all
FAQ for the console. The following information represents everything we
currently know about the machine. And as readers will see, there's
already quite a lot to know.

Q: What is the Nintendo Revolution?

A: The official codename for the successor to GameCube.

Q: Is 'Revolution' the final name of Nintendo's new console?

A: No. Nintendo confirmed at E3 2005 that the title 'Revolution' is a
codename. A final name for the new console has not yet been selected.
It should be noted, however, that the company said the same thing of
Nintendo DS, which ultimately proved to be the handheld's official
name.

Q: When was the Nintendo Revolution codename announced?

A:: On May 11, 2004 at Nintendo's pre-Electronics Entertainment Expo
2004 press conference, which took place in Los Angeles, California.
(The console had been tentatively referred to as "GCNext" by press
before the unveiling of the official codename.)

Q: Who announced the codename Nintendo Revolution?

A: Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. On stage at Nintendo's pre-E3 2004
press conference, Iwata said:

"Different also defines our approach to our next home system. It won't
simply be new or include new technologies. Better technology is good,
but not enough. Today's consoles already offer fairly realistic
expressions so simply beefing up the graphics will not let most of us
see a difference. So what should a new machine do? Much more. An
unprecedented gameplay experience. Something no other machine has
delivered before.

"The definition for a new machine must be different. I want you to know
that Nintendo is working on our next system and that system will create
a gaming revolution. Internal development is underway.

"I could give you our technical specs, as I'd know you'd like that, but
I won't for a simple reason: they really don't matter. The time when
horsepower alone made all the difference is over.

"Work on Revolution is well underway. When you see it you will be
excited because you will experience a gaming revolution."

Q: How long has the Revolution been in development?

A: Preliminary development on Revolution began shortly after the
release of Nintendo GameCube.

Q: Will Revolution feature more powerful hardware than GameCube?

A: Yes.

Q: What are Revolution's technical specs?

A: Mostly unknown. Click here for a summary.
http://cube.ign.com/articles/618/618832p1.html

In March 2005, both IBM and ATI confirmed that they have been making
the CPU and GPU for Revolution respectively.

In April 2005, MoSys, which supplied RAM for GameCube, announced that
it would also be providing the memory solution for Revolution.

At E3 2005, Nintendo said that with Revolution it is aiming to make a
"small, quiet and affordable console." It stressed this point and
avoided direct questions about technical specifications. Nintendo
executives also stated that the company is not interested in engaging
in a technical battle with competitors Sony and Microsoft.

In an interview with IGNcube, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto offered
further insight:

"You know, in regard to the power of the Nintendo Revolution versus,
say, the Xbox 360, we're looking at making a small, quiet, affordable
console," he said. "If you look at trying to incorporate all that, of
course we might not have the horsepower that some other companies have,
but if you look at the numbers that they're throwing out, are those
numbers going to be used in-game? I mean, those are just numbers that
somebody just crunched up on a calculator. We could throw out a bunch
of numbers, too, but what we're going to do is wait until our chips are
done and we're going to find out how everything in the game is running,
what its peak performance is, and those are the numbers that we're
going to release because those are the numbers that really count."

In an interview with the Seattle Post Intelligence, Nintendo president
Satoru Iwata elaborated on the company's philosophy where
next-generation technology is concerned:

"Sony and Microsoft are taking about the same approach for the future
by making machines with powerful and sophisticated technology. Nintendo
is taking a little bit different approach, and I think this is an
interesting contrast," Iwata said. "Of course, we are applying advances
in technology. But when you use those advances just to boost the
processing power, the trade-off is that you increase power consumption,
make the machine more expensive and make developing games more
expensive. When I look at the balance of that trade-off -- what you
gain and what you lose -- I don't think it's good. Nintendo is applying
the benefits of advanced technology, but we're using it to make our
machines more power-efficient, quieter and faster to start. And we're
making a brand-new user interface. I think that way of thinking is the
biggest difference."

Reports from development studios seem to second these statements.
Software houses in the know have suggested that Revolution will not be
as powerful as Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Nintendo has revealed that Revolution will be backward compatible with
GameCube, play both GCN discs and proprietary new 12cm discs, go online
via Wi-Fi connections, be able to download software from the Internet,
use 512MB flash memory to save data, and feature wireless controllers.
In addition, the console will boast two USB 2.0 ports.

Q: Is Revolution "two-to-three times more powerful than GameCube"?

A: USA Today reported this news based on a comment from Nintendo of
America's vice president of corporate affairs, Perrin Kaplan. The
information was later determined to be false. We do not yet know how
much more power Revolution wields over its predecessor.

Q: What is Revolution's media format?

A: Revolution will play proprietary 12cm discs, which is the same size
as DVDs. It will also be able to play GameCube Optical Discs, as it is
backward compatible with the unit. Details on the new 12cm discs are
slim. Nintendo initially announced that the discs would be
dual-layered, offering upward of 8 gigabytes of storage. However,
shortly after the announcement, it removed all mention of dual-layered
discs from its official Revolution press release.

Q: Will Revolution be able to play DVD movies?

A: Yes. However, DVD-movie playback will not be available out of the
box. Revolution owners must buy an additional dongle that inserts in
front of the machine in order to watch Hollywood DVD movies on the
platform.

Q: How will Revolution be unique?

A: That is the big question. The console is codenamed Revolution for a
reason: Nintendo expects it to be revolutionary. The system will,
according to Nintendo, fundamentally change how games are played.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said in recent interviews that the
dual-screened Nintendo DS offers a hint of what to expect from
Revolution. DS players can use a stylus pen to input control data into
the portable device. It's always possible that Revolution may feature
similar functionality.

Nintendo believes that technology alone cannot advance videogames,
which is why it plans to take Revolution into a dramatic new direction.

Iwata in June 2004 described Revolution as a videogame machine "of a
different nature that does not follow the conventional path of new game
systems that increase speed and visual quality for making elaborate
games." He added: "The rule of satisfying customers by increasing
specifications worked once, but no longer applies now."

At E3 2005, Nintendo unveiled the Revolution console. It is the
company's sleekest unit to date. The tiny-sized system is designed to
be quiet and affordable. The revolutionary aspect of the machine --
it's input device -- remains a secret.

Q: Is the revolutionary aspect of the console its controller?

A: Yes. The console's revolutionary new mechanic will go hand-in-hand
with its input device, which may no longer look or function like
today's controllers. In a March 2005 interview with BusinessWeek,
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata admitted that Revolution's new input
device was still incomplete, and that multiple ideas were still being
tossed around.

"The new interface will allow some new forms of innovation," Iwata
explained on the subject. "Already, you're seeing changes in Nintendo
DS, which has a microphone, input pen, and touch screen. We have a
number of candidates for a new [Revolution] interface but are not ready
to reveal them. All I can say right now is that whatever we choose will
be intuitive and easy to use for everyone."

Q: Will the Revolutionary input device be a microphone?

A: Unlikely. Nintendo has stated on the record that while
microphone-to-game mechanics are intriguing, competitors have already
capitalized on them.

"But the fact of the matter is, to realize voice commands; all you have
to do is install a microphone. We realize a few of our competitors are
already thinking of following us on this, so it will not be a defining
feature of the new console," Iwata explained in a March 2005 interview.
"We may or may not use the microphone in the new [Nintendo Revolution]
interface."

Q: Will Revolution feature screens on the console or the controller?

A: No. At a June 2004 analyst briefing in Japan, Nintendo president
Satoru Iwata said, "We have no intention of making a two-screen console
akin to the [Nintendo] DS."

Q: What makes the controller so revolutionary then?

A: At E3 2005, Nintendo's executive of vice president of sales and
marketing, Reginald Fils-Aime, offered a hint.

"We announced the ability to download and play the best NES games,
S-NES games, N64 games, in addition to Revolution games and GameCube
games," he said in an IGN/G4 interview. "If you put those controllers
all lined up together, they're all very different. So think about what
kind of device is going to allow you to play all those different types
of games. It's pretty interesting."

Revolution's controller may enable gamers to configure their own
layouts in order to best suit their different gameplay experiences.

Q: Will Revolution hook up to a television?

A: Yes. It will also be able to interface with a computer monitor. In
June 2004 Nintendo engineer Genyo Takeda said: "You'll be able to play
[Revolution] not just by linking up to a television but to a computer
monitor as well."

Q: Will Revolution go online?

A: Yes. The Revolution console will feature online play out of the box.
Nintendo at the March 15, 2005 Game Developers Conference in San
Francisco announced an aggressive new Wi-Fi strategy for both DS and
Revolution. Wi-Fi enables wireless, high-speed connections to the
Internet using such popular standards as 802.11b and 802.11g. Company
executives made strong statements about Nintendo's belief that gamers
should be able to wirelessly go online and play against each other.

"We intend to incorporate wireless technology in all we do," Iwata
announced at the event. "Therefore, Nintendo Revolution will be Wi-Fi
enabled, built into every system."

Q: Will Revolution owners be able to connect online and download
classic Nintendo games?

A: Yes. Nintendo announced at E3 2005 that Revolution would be able to
go online wirelessly and download classic Nintendo games. Nintendo has
not yet announced what titles will be available for download. However,
it has confirmed that Revolution owners could theoretically download
every NES, Super-NES and Nintendo 64 game ever made. The publisher is
reportedly already working with third party publisher to ensure that
popular third party games are also available to download.

At E3 2005, Shigeru Miyamoto said: "We have not set a price or
determined a list of software for the Nintendo Revolution download
service. But, we're looking at this as a consumer service and not so
much from the business end. What we want to do is provide the product
that is going to make the Revolution the console that people want in
their homes. So it actually might be driven from the consumer end
rather than from us. You know, the games that they most want might be
the ones that we do. From a technological point, we can do any of them.
It's just, we haven't determined which ones we'll do yet."

Q: Will Revolution be backward compatible?

A: Yes. At the March 2005 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco,
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata confirmed that Revolution would be
backward compatible.

"Contrary to much speculation, I can announce today that Revolution
will be backward compatible. The best of the Nintendo GameCube library
will still be enjoyed by players years from now," Iwata revealed.

The announcement was a surprise because analysts and media, IGN
included, figured that Revolution's radically different new input
device would make backward compatibility a near impossibility.
Evidently Nintendo has found a way around this hurdle.


Q: How are discs inserted into Revolution?

A: The unit features a slot-loading drive that accepts both GameCube
optical discs ands proprietary 12cm discs. Users simply insert the disc
into the front of the unit and the drive does the rest.

Q: Does Revolution have a hard drive?

A: No.

Q: How will games be saved on Revolution?

A: It depends on the game. The machine plays Revolution and GameCube
titles out of the box. A GameCube docking station located on one side
of the unit features four GCN controller inputs as well as two Memory
Pak slots. Data for GameCube titles will be saved to standard Memory
Paks. Meanwhile, Revolution software data will be stored on 512MB flash
memory, according to Nintendo.


Q: Who are Nintendo's hardware partners on Revolution?

A: During the course of the last two years, several major hardware
companies have been linked to Revolution including IBM, ATI, MoSys and
NEC.

In December 2002 Bloomberg reported that Nintendo had agreed to
collaborate with NEC on a system LSI that would serve as the core for
the new console.

Just a few months later GameCube graphics chip maker ATI announced a
vague "technology development agreement" for use in future "Nintendo
products." Unconfirmed reports from insiders alleged that ATI had been
in development with the graphics chip for Revolution well before that
announcement.

In March 2005, Nintendo confirmed that both IBM and ATI would supply
the CPU and GPU respectively for the Revolution console.

"We're excited to be developing the graphics chip set for Revolution,
which continues our longstanding relationship with Nintendo," explained
Dave Orton, ATI Technologies' president and chief executive officer.
"As the leading graphics provider, ATI is committed to delivering
exceptional visual performance that enables consumers to interact with
new and visually compelling digital worlds. ATI is proud to support
Nintendo's innovative contributions to gaming."

Q: What does Revolution look like?

A: Click here for official pictures of the console.

Q: Has IGN gone hands-on with Revolution?

A: Yes. Click here for our impressions.

Q: What are Revolution's CPU and GPU called, and why?

A:: The IBM-created CPU is called Broadway. The ATI-developed GPU is
called Hollywood. At the March 2005 Game Developers Conference,
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata explained the reasoning behind the
titles.

"With IBM, we are creating Revolution's core processor, which we have
codenamed Broadway because Broadway is the capital of live
entertainment," he said. "With ATI, we are developing the graphics
chipset, codenamed Hollywood because Hollywood is the capital of movie
entertainment. With Revolution, we are determined to create the new
capital of interactive entertainment."

Q: Has Nintendo sent out Revolution development kits to software houses
yet?

A: We're not sure.

In March 2005, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was asked bout
Revolution development kits. "Development kits are already out there,
depending on which stage you're talking about," he responded. "All I
can say right now is 'in the near-future' for the base platform
information they will need to get started on games."

When asked about whether kits had gone out at E3 2005, however, Shigeru
Miyamoto said no. "We have not sent out development kits to developers
yet," he confirmed. "However, development kits for the Nintendo
Revolution are very similar to the ones for the GameCube. So we feel
that the environments are so similar that they will be able to start
development very quickly upon receiving the development kits for
Revolution."

Q: When will Revolution be released?

A: "If you're asking for a specific date for our next system -- we
don't have one. Nintendo is going to remain competitive and will launch
around the same time as competitors -- not later than," said Nintendo
of America's vice president of corporate affairs in a May 2004
interview. This used to be the company line. But at E3 2005, Nintendo
sang a different tune. No longer concerned about beating Sony to
market, Nintendo executives said simply that Revolution would "launch
in 2006."

During a conference call discussing its financial status, Revolution
memory maker MoSys said that the console would launch in mid-2006.

Microsoft will debut Xbox 360 this November in America. Sony said at E3
2005 that it would like to launch PlayStation 3 by March 2006. Given
these plans, Revolution will likely be the last system to hit the
market.

Q: How much will Revolution cost?

A:: An exact price is unknown. But Nintendo is aggressively seeking to
deliver a small, quiet and affordable console. It seems likely that the
unit will debut at the sub-$200 mark and possibly cheaper if all goes
as planned.

Q: When will Nintendo reveal more about Revolution?

A: Before the end of the year, according to company president Satoru
Iwata. Nintendo may opt to hold a Space World show in Japan to debut
more details about the console. Traditionally, Space World events have
taken place in the August or September time frames.

Q: What Games are in development for Revolution?

A: Believe it or not, there are already a number of top-tier titles in
development for Nintendo's next-generation console. At E3 2005, the
company revealed that a Revolution sequel to Super Smash Bros. Melee is
being readied for the launch of the new system. Even better, the game
will be Wi-Fi compatible, enabling players to fight it out against each
other online. In addition, brand new Zelda and Mario titles are
underway for the upcoming machine.

When questioned on the subject at E3 2005, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto
did not yet know if the Revolution Mario update would be the
much-talked-about Mario 128. "In regards to Mario 128, we're currently
doing a lot of Mario experiments back in Kyoto. We are definitely going
to have a new Mario for Revolution. Whether or not that's 128 or not, I
can't really say. It might be a new Sunshine. We're not sure. We're
doing a lot of Mario tests right now for the Revolution," Miyamoto
said.

At E3 2005, Nintendo also revealed that Metroid Prime 3 is in
development for Revolution. The title is once more being handled by
Retro Studios. It will launch in 2006, say sources.

In addition, Nintendo confirmed that an Animal Crossing sequel is being
readied for Revolution. Little is known about the title, except that it
will interact wirelessly with Nintendo DS.

Nintendo also revealed that it has teamed with Square Enix to bring an
original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles title to Revolution.

Next, Nintendo's vice president of corporate affairs confirmed to
IGNcube at E3 2005 that Nintendo is working on a new IP that will
premiere with the launch of Revolution. "Wait for Revolution," she
said. "At least one new franchise. Brand new."

Finally, Bandai has pledged support for Revolution.


Revolution Software Partners
A lot has changed since the days of the Nintendo 64 "Dream Team."
GameCube arrived and a new Nintendo philosophy with it. The company
began the console's life-cycle with several funded "second party"
development studios including hit makers like Rare, Left Field, Retro
Studios and Silicon Knights, and all of these backers made titles
exclusively for GameCube. But it was not to last. Shortly into
GameCube's shelf life, Nintendo ended its relationship with Left Field,
sold Rare to Microsoft, bought Retro Studios whole and terminated its
second-party relationship with Silicon Knights.

As work on the company's next-generation console, codenamed Revolution,
ramps up, Nintendo once again seems to have a new approach to
development partnerships. The company appears to be less focused on
exclusive second-party houses and more interested in setting up
relationships with proven third-party studios.

In Rare's absence Nintendo inked an industry shaking deal with Capcom
Entertainment to make GameCube the exclusive home of the Resident Evil
franchise. Even before the door had shut on Left Field the Big N had
partnered with one-time-rival Namco Entertainment to include Legend of
Zelda's Link exclusively in the GCN version of Soulcalibur II.
Incidentally Namco went on to create Star Fox for GameCube. And
Nintendo has managed similar deals with everyone from Sega to Square.

The company will continue to partner with major third-party players as
work on Revolution continues. A number of leading third-party
developers, in fact, have already been approached by Nintendo make
software exclusive for the company's GameCube successor.

That said, historically most of GameCube's biggest games have come from
Nintendo itself and the same will probably be true of Revolution.
Nintendo has already started developing software for the new console
and has allocated more manpower to that end than ever before.

Below, a preliminary list of Revolution software partners:

Nintendo (Kyoto)
Situated out of Nintendo's main headquarters in Kyoto, Japan is the
driving force of the company: several different divisions working
together under the Nintendo label to make some of the industry's
greatest games. Nintendo's Kyoto office houses some 1,200 employees,
more than 850 of which are directly involved in game development.
Nintendo is, simply, one of the biggest and most powerful software
companies in the world.

The firm's Kyoto office is separated into following subdivisions:
Research and Development 1 (R&D1); Research and Development 2 (R&D2);
Integrated Research and Development (iRD); Entertainment, Analysis and
Development (EAD); Special Planning and Development (SP&D); Research
and Engineering (R&E); Software Planning Division (SP&D) and Nintendo
Licensing Division.

Nintendo Research & Development 1
General Manager: Takehiro Izushi (10 years)
Chief Director: Yoshio Sakamoto, Hirofumi Matsuoka
Staff: 100+ People

This is spiritually the oldest team inside of Nintendo. Created by
Gunpei Yokoi in the late 70's, the R&D1 team stands tall as the
original group behind all of Nintendo's first videogames. Since the
dawn of the Game Boy, Nintendo R&D1 has carried the burden of using
most of its resources for the Game Boy line.

R&D1 is responsible for a wealth of hit games including Metroid,
Metroid II, Metroid III, Kid Icarus, Kid Icarus 2, Super Mario Land,
Super Mario Land 2, Wario Land, Wario Ware, Balloon Fight, TeleroBoxer,
Mario Clash, Urban Champion, Tetris, Dr. Mario, Metroid Fusion,
Metroid: Zero Mission, Wario Ware: Mega Microgame$, Nintendo Puzzle
Collection, and Wario Ware DS.

The most famous creations probably come from the two main directors
within the division. Yoshio Sakamoto is the man responsible for
Metroid, Balloon Fight/Balloon Kid, Card Hero, and the Japan only
Famicom Detective Club (which is very acclaimed). Hirofumi Matsuoka is
the creator of Wario Ware (the franchise Mr. Miyamoto is jealous of not
creating), as well as the Wario Land series.

Nintendo Research & Development 2
General Manager: Kazuhiko Taniguchi (2 years)
Chief Director: Yoshinori Tsuchiyama, Masaru Nishida
Staff: 60 People

A very experimental group within Nintendo. The team developed a lot of
the Mario/Zelda ports for the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. It
also has developed quirky original titles like Kirby Tilt N' Tumble. An
impressive number of now-EAD employees that have emerged in the last
four years actually started working in this small, quirky division,
including Eiji Aonuma and Toshiaki Suzuki.

R&D2 developed NES Open Tournament Golf, Marvelous: Treasure Island,
Sutte Hakun, Super Mario Bros. DX, Kirby Tilt N' Tumble, The Legend of
Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, and Super Mario Advance.

Nintendo Integrated Research & Development
General Manager: Genyo Takeda (20 + years)
Chief Director: Unknown
Staff: Unknown

iRD developed Punch-Out (Arcade), Arm Wrestling (Arcade), Mike Tyson's
Punch-Out (NES), Super Punch-Out! (SNES), Pro-Wrestling (NES), Star
Tropics (NES), Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics 2 (NES), and NES Play
Action Football (NES).

The division also developed and co-developed Nintendo 64, Nintendo
64DD, GameCube Link Cable, GameCube Controller, Nintendo 64 Controller,
N64 Controller Pack, GameCube Modem, and GameCube.

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
General Manager: Shigeru Miyamoto (20 years)
Chief Producer: Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Eiji Aonuma, Shinya
Takahashi, Tadashi Sugiyama, Hideki Konno
Chief Director: Toshiaki Suzuki, Masamichi Abe, Shigefumi Hino, Katsuya
Eguchi, Kiyoshi Mizuki, Kenta Usu
Staff: 400+

Formerly known as Nintendo R&D4, this is the largest and most famous
group inside of Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto and his division have become
the mascots of Nintendo.

EAD developed Pokemon Stadium (N64), Pokemon Box (GCN), The Legend of
Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GCN), Pikmin 2 (GCN), Pac-Man VS (GCN),
Mario Kart: Double Dash (GCN), Luigi's Mansion (GCN), Animal Crossing
(GCN), Super Mario Sunshine (GCN), and more.

Nintendo EAD is set to lead the way into Revolution development. The
group, which is working on the anticipated GameCube Legend of Zelda
sequel among other things, is also deep in development with Nintendo DS
software.

It is believed that one of EAD's first Revolution titles will be the
long-talked-about next installment in the Mario franchise, known
currently as Mario 128. In a recent interview with Shigeru Miyamoto,
the director admitted that work continues on the project, but that he
isn't sure what system it will come out for. Meanwhile, Legend of Zelda
co-director Eiji Aonuma recently stated that though he would like to
ready a Zelda title for Revolution's launch, a Mario game is far more
likely.

Nintendo's internal studio will also be in charge of demonstrating the
unique "revolutionary" features of the company's GameCube successor
with original software that takes advantage of the console's strengths.

Nintendo Special Planning & Development
General Manager: Satoshi Yamato (2 years)
Chief Producer: Satoshi Yamato
Chief Director: Shynia Kawada, Toru Osawa
Staff: 35+

One of the new divisions formed when Nintendo moved over to its new and
bigger central office in Kyoto, Japan. Toru Osawa, former R&D1
designer, joined under GM Satoshi Yamato to head this group. The team
was created in order to focus on Pokemon Mini, e-Card Reader games, and
GBA games.

NSP&D developed Momoko Sakurai Carnival (GBA) , Mario Party-e (e-Card -
GBA) , and Pokemon Mini Shocking Tetris (PM).

Nintendo Research & Engineering
General Manager: Satoru Okada (10 years)
Chief Producer: Satoru Okad
Chief Director: Kenichi Sugino
Staff: 50+

These were the engineers who actually worked with Yokoi on R&D1. When
Yokoi left, R&D1 split and dedicated itself to software, while the
engineers went on to create a hardware portable team at Nintendo.
Satoru Okada and Kenichi Sugino with the other team members have
created the main portable systems in regards to chip design and
industrial design.

R&E developed Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP,
and Nintendo DS.

Nintendo Software Planning Division
General Manager: Akira Ootani (new)
Chief Producer: Akira Ootani, Kensuke Tanabe, Kenji Miki
Staff: 20?

A new set of producers joining a division created by Nintendo president
Satoru Iwata in order to free up Shigeru Miyamoto and other NCL
producers from having to fly oversees to work with American and
European developers creating first-party products for Nintendo.

SPD developed Metroid Prime 2, Geist, and Advance Wars: Under Fire.

Nintendo Licensing Division
General Manager: Shinji Hatano
Chief Producer: Shinji Hatano
Staff: 20?

A division of Nintendo that produces first-party published games by
independent developers in Japan, the team also is involved in licensing
characters like Pac-Man vs. from Namco, or Link to Namco for use in
Soulcalibur II.


Intelligent Systems
General Manager: Tohru Narihiro
Chief Director: Taeko Kaneda , Makoto Shimojo, Toshitaka Muramatsu
Staff: 90 People

A satellite development company that started as a one-man engineer
formerly employed by Nintendo to convert Famicom Disk software into the
America NES ROM cartridge media. Tohru Narihiro slowly expanded his
team by gaining a few engineers from Nintendo and other companies.
Eventually Intelligent Systems began programming games under the R&D1
team's management. The two teams have been closely linked, and have
cooperated on several games by creating internal teams between the two.
Recently, Intelligent Systems has become a much bigger force and is now
run completely independent of R&D1.

Intelligent Systems developed Paper Mario, Fire Emblem 3-7, Mario Kart:
Super Circuit, Advance Wars 1-2, Battle Clash, Tetris, and Pokemon
Puzzle Challenge (GBC)

With R&D1, the satellite developed Metroid 3, Wario Ware: Mega Party
Games (GameCube port), A Bell Tolls for the Frog Prince (Japanese RPG),
Card Hero (Directed by R&D1 Sakamoto), and Tetris Attack.

Nintendo (Tokyo)
In 2003 Nintendo funded a new research and development studio in Tokyo
that would create "unique games for Nintendo hardware platforms, adding
to the depth and breadth of Nintendo's first-party game library."
Yoshiaki Koizumi and Takao Shimizu, who worked on Super Mario Sunshine
as director and assistant director respectively, head Nintendo's Tokyo
studio. The 65-person studio's first game, the original
Bongo-controlled platformer DK Jungle Beat, received a wide number of
Most Innovative awards at 2004's Electronics Entertainment Expo.

The studio, which aims to expand, is seeking experienced game
development staff to create new game experiences, according to a June
2004 report in Famitsu magazine.

Nintendo's Tokyo studio is poised to help the company deliver unique
and entertaining software for Revolution.

Game Freak
The 40-person plus company is credited for the creation of the Pokemon
franchise, which resulted in the incredibly popular phenomenon that
sparked a wide range of games across a number of Nintendo platforms.
More than 129 million Pokemon-branded games have sold to date -- a
figure that only Mario himself, with 175 million units sold, has been
able to best.

The company has stuck largely to Nintendo's Game Boy and Game Boy
Advance handheld platforms as of late, and the chances are good that it
will be a major player on Nintendo DS. But it may also lend a hand in
future Revolution-based Pokemon software.

Genius Sonority
The Japanese studio, co-funded by Nintendo and the Pokemon Company,
officially began operation on July 1, 2001. The odd name actually
translates to "talent echoes to the heart," according to the company.
Genius Sonority is a small developer whose staff consists of people who
worked on such franchises as Earthbound and DragonQuest. The studio
released its first project, Pokemon Colosseum, in early 2004 for
GameCube. The software house will likely continue to focus on Pokemon
related products for future systems including Nintendo DS and
Revolution.


Hal Laboratory
Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee would not be possible if
not for the 80-plus-person staff at Hal Laboratory. The company was
founded in 1980 and has enjoyed a long, prosperous working relationship
with Nintendo ever since. In fact, former Hal head Satoru Iwata now
serves as president of Nintendo Co. Ltd.

Apart from the Super Smash Bros. franchise, Hal is perhaps best known
for its series of Kirby related platformers. It also co-developed the
original Earthbound RPG for Super Nintendo and began work on a Nintendo
64 sequel, which was never released. Rumors that the developer could be
working secretly on an Earthbound sequel for GameCube or for Revolution
continue to persist, though no official evidence of such an undertaking
has been made public.

Hal released only one game in 2003: Kirby Air Ride for GameCube. It's
clear that it has other projects underway -- a possible Smash Bros.
sequel? -- but the developer is remaining quiet about its future games
for the moment. Regardless of whether or not Hal's next project appears
on GameCube or Revolution, the company will remain a major Nintendo
player in the next-generation race.

Retro Studios
This Austin, Texas-based studio, founded in 1998 as a Nintendo
second-party by ex-Iguana Entertainment president Jeff Spangenberg, hit
a couple of brick walls in its early years. A series of cancelled
projects and lay offs threatened to ruin the studio. But when Nintendo
offered Retro the Metroid license it stepped up in a big way and
created what was to become one of GameCube's best titles in Metroid
Prime.

Retro Studios is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo. The
software house, headed by Nintendo's ex-director of business
development Michael Kelbaugh, consists of about 45 people. Retro is
scheduled to release the ambitious follow-up to Metroid Prime in time
for the 2004 holiday season. The studio, one of Nintendo's technical
powerhouses, is likely to continue work on the Metroid franchise with
future projects for Revolution.

IGNcube will list several more Nintendo software partners, including
NST and Camelot, soon.


Revolution Rumors

Most everyone appreciates a good rumor. They set imaginations ablaze
with possibilities. And for the average gamer, there's no rumor like
the one concerning a future game system. Taking it a step further,
there's no rumor like the one hinting at fundamental changes in the
games industry. Take the Nintendo Revolution, for example. Here's a
system promising much more than a jump in graphical capabilities. It
promises something altogether different. Sure, it will undoubtedly look
better than what current consoles dish out, but Nintendo has stated
numerous times that the Revolution will live up to its name.

Precisely how Nintendo will pull this off has bloated the Internet with
rumors and speculation. Especially this last week, which saw a bunch of
information make its way unto forums and message boards across the Web.
First, there was a supposed "leak" on the Nintendo Power Forums
detailing some of the Revolution's key features. Second, Nintendo has
been updating certain patents that may or may not deal with Revolution,
but sound interesting nonetheless. Finally, there's the "Nintendo 21"
rumor, which states the Nintendo's next-generation system will act as a
wireless hub and feature pressure sensitive controllers. Keep in mind
we're merely presenting what popped up in the forum. The info could be
legit, and it may be total hogwash. But since rumors are so undeniably
tasty, we'll print it anyway.

Revolution Rumor 1

>From Nintendo Power Forums

The poster claims his information came from an insider privy to
Nintendo's plans. As is usually the case, the source goes unnamed and
unverified. But he does spout some pretty interesting stuff. For
starters, he claims the Revolution does in fact employ gyroscopic
sensors in its controllers, even though they will not be wireless. He
also claims the Revolution will sport dual processors and feature
built-in broadband, with some kind of online strategy in the works.
Nintendo will supposedly go online with the Nintendo DS first with the
Revolution following suite. A hard drive will also be included. As far
as controller parts are concerned, the Revolution will feature four
like the GameCube.

The poster also claims the Revolution will forego using Sony's Blu-Ray
storage format in favor of HD-DVD. The system would launch with a
currently unnamed Mario title. The source wouldn't say why the system
would be revolutionary, stating the leaked information would land him
in hot water. He also claimed it would give Sony and Microsoft an
advantage at this point in the development cycle. The source did claim
the technology itself was nothing revolutionary, only that the system
would use it in ways never before seen. The source then added,
"Touching is good, but feeling is better." What that means is open to
debate, but it leads us into...

Revolution Rumor 2

Taken from a Nintendo document

Gotta love this one. This rumor includes a shopping list of system
features and a hand-drawn picture! Supposedly, the artist drew the
picture from memory after seeing a document headed toward a Nintendo
shareholder's meeting. The (very) rough sketch depicts a number of
things, including a controller, shell case disk and a game system from
two different angles. Emblazoned across the middle of the page is
"Nintendo 21," which seems to indicate a name change from Revolution.
Below that lies the "Nintendo 21" logo, which closely resembles the
GameCube logo. It also serves to note that both angles of the system
drawn on the page also resemble the GameCube, down to the placement of
the four controller ports, as well as the "power," "reset" and "open"
buttons.

But wait, there's more. The sketch is also connected with information
detailing key system information. First, the "Nintendo 21" would hit
retail late 2005. It will use a two-sided, 8mm disk with a 5.4 GB
capacity and feature a shell case. The Nintendo 21 will also act as a
wireless hub and serve a "home game function," letting it communicate
with other Nintendo 21 consoles in the vicinity by using the IEEEE
protocol. Kyosera, known primarily for designing cell phones and
printers, is jointly developing the "home game" function. And here's
some more info: the "Nintendo 21" will feature pressure sensitive
controllers, with the buttons and handles sensitive to "rubbing" and
other such stimuli.

 Revolution Rumor 3

>From Japanese Publication Shukan Diamond

In late December of last year, Shuken Diamond published a rather
interesting bit of information concerning the GameCube's successor. The
article, found in the 2005 Preview Edition of the magazine, claimed the
Nintendo Revolution Controller would not feature a traditional D-Pad or
"A" and "B" buttons. While the information goes unverified by Nintendo,
the information strengthens the company's claim that Revolution will
alter the way people interact with games. It also ties in nicely with
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's recent statement, in that Revolution
presents a "paradigm shift" in gaming. All of this begs the question:
what exactly stands in for the missing D-Pad and pair of buttons?

Your guess is as good as ours is. Moments after the news hit the Web,
gamers stuffed message boards full of theories and wild speculation.
Most of which centered on gyroscopic technology. To be fair, Nintendo
does in fact hold patents for such technology, so it's possible that
Revolution will mark Nintendo's first foray into tilt-sensitive
controllers. Then there's the pressure sensitive controller, which
respond to a player's "rubbing" of the handles. Others speculate on the
possibility that Nintendo will use an evolved form of trackball. Still
others think Nintendo will take the DS approach and include a touchpad.
We've even heard rumors of a fancy new rumble device. Supposedly, it
would allow a new level of immersion by accurately interpreting digital
output into physical sensations.

Revolution Rumor 4

>From U.S. Patent filed on July 21, 2004

This rumor centers on new technologies that would change the way a
gamer actually watches a game. To start, here's a brief intro: a
fixation point is whatever a gamer stares at most of the time when
playing a game. Thing is, most games feature several of these fixation
points, so developers have needed to devise methods of including every
object on screen at all times. When this wasn't possible, the display
needed to shift and prioritize objects according to the action.
Developers accomplished this by zooming the image up or down, to help
gamers re-focus their attention. Just look at any number of sports
games. The camera invariably follows the soccer ball, baseball or
football. The document argues that the constant change in perspective
makes playing games tougher than it should.

The patent describes a technology that would prevent a fixation point
from moving and prevent the display area from changing in size.
Regardless of where a player sits, he (or she) would command a deep
view of the happenings on screen. This would also carry over into
multiplayer gaming, where multiple players would normally require
multiple fixation points. The new set of technologies would eliminate
the strain associated with split-screen gaming. In summary, this would
all make for excellent game sessions thanks to unparalleled view of the
display. Changing the way a gamer watches the action unfold on-screen
would be somewhat revolutionary, but again, it's too early to tell
exactly how Nintendo plans on using the tech described in the patent.
Unless, of course, they already have to some degree...

But that didn't stop anyone from speculating. Once again, rumors seeped
into websites and forums. The conjecture pointed at everything from
holographic imaging to new methods of image processing where a
developer could create hyper realistic vistas at a fraction of the
current processing cost. The latter of which alleviates concerns over
the rumors that the Revolution will lack the raw processing power of
both the PS3 and Xbox 2. If Nintendo has found a way to render
realistic imaging at a relatively low processing cost, then it really
doesn't matter that the Revolution will lack some of the punch of
competing consoles. What matters is that it will stand on equal footing
from a graphics stand point. Furthermore, the technologies developed to
nix the forever-changing "fixation points" problem will only reinforce
the new rendering methods...or so go the rumors.
IGNcube will update the Revolution FAQ with new information as it
becomes available.

IGNcube's Revolution FAQ is maintained by Matt Casamassina, with
contributions from Anthony JC.