Gaming Update: Revolution

Just when I stopped caring about next-generation gaming because there was too much focus on graphics and hardware power and not enough on fun, Nintendo reveals its long-awaited Revolution controller. Months ago, when Sony and Microsoft were having a very Freudian big-dick contest over whose system was the most powerful, Nintendo openly admitted that its Revolution system would be much less powerful than either of its competitors. In fact, that was just about the only specific detail Nintendo would release about the Revolution. They did, however, offer one more ambiguous statement: "The controller will change the way people play games."

Understandably, the rumor mills started churning out speculation immediately. Some said the controller would use gyroscopes to measure the angle at which the controller is held. Others thought it would incorporate the touch-screen technology seen on the Nintendo DS handheld system. Microsoft and Sony seemed to ignore the Ninten-underdog and went on touting their own graphics giants.


But nobody has heard a peep from either of them since Nintendo revealed its new controller on September 15th. All I can say is "whoa..." This baby is hot. It looks just like a TV remote, meaning you can play with just one hand. There are only a few buttons, but with a few sensors placed next to the TV set, the controller's input potential is almost limitless. Your own hand motions control action in the game. If you're playing a baseball game, the controller acts like a real bat. If you're playing tennis, it becomes a raquet. It can be a golf club, a gun, a sword, even a drum stick. Alternatively, the controller could serve as a mouse-like pointer device, except unlike a mouse, you can move it in three dimensions. Hell, there's no idication that the sensors can't detect yaw, pitch, and roll as well. Imagine controlling a plane in a video game the same way moms make imaginary planes when spoonfeeding infants.

In case you couldn't tell, this is very exciting news. I couldn't care less about graphics getting even better than they already are. I want games that take me to new places, the way the original Nintendo did, and the way the original Playstation did. It's too bad that Nintendo is the only system developer who are still able to dream. I hope game-makers are up to the challenge of building a playground in this new dreamscape. If they are, then I'll see you on the swings.