"I'M ALL IN"

Woah! What a hand Nintendo has put down on the table (please forgive my poker references).

On Sept. 15, 2005 at the Tokyo Game Show in Japan the new controller for the Nintendo Revolution (code name for next videogame console) was introduced to the world (HT: Tom Dale). Nintendo press release.

It is basically a remote control that you use like a wireless 3d mouse to play video games. Watch the video to see what I mean. Want more info? 4CR is a great starting place with great links. Here is what Edge Magazine has to say:

"Revolution has taken the manual for console controller design and torn it into tiny bits. And instead it has delivered one of the most streamlined, classic and neatly designed controllers seen so far in videogaming."

Highlights:
1. Precise control - you will be able to move the controller in any direction in space (up, down, left, right, front, back) and your actions will be instantly reflected on screen.

2. Easy access - people intimidated by complex controllers will be able to get involved with videogames. I might be able to finally play a FPS!

3. Innovation - no one (sony & microsoft) expected this. It is brilliant. It is intuitive. It is like nothing else.

Many people say they don't understand my love for videogames when I hardly play them. They ask why I follow videogames and the industry if I don't have time for games, I haven't played a videogame at my house in about 3-4 months (it was Paper Mario).

Well, I love videogames because they are so artistic, fun, and create camaraderie. I miss those times I spent with my brother and friends playing videogames all night. Now, I follow the industry because it is a great field for new gameplay, artistic expression, and new technology.

Nintendo has done it. They have brought me back to gaming (or at least the hope of gaming). Though I rarely have time to spend on games, with the revolution, I think it will be possible to get into actual gaming again. Maybe one day my wife will play videogames!? I might finally be able to share something so special to me with her.

It seems that Nintendo's controller intuitiveness could make that happen.