Nintendo Revolution, Patented Controller Specs Revealed

[Mr M0by]

Apologies if already posted, did a quick search & probably would have found it on the first page if it had been discussed already anyway.... maybe.

The controller for Nintendo's upcoming Revolution console will feature gyroscopic, tilt-sensitive technology, an LCD touch screen, and a greatly reduced number of face buttons, according to documentation on the US patent website.

Gamesradar

[Tig]

an LCD touch screen

But Nintendo said they weren't going to do this!?



They said they weren't going to do this!!!


/runs off weeping

[Oh! My Car!]

it's only a patent, doesn't mean that's what it will actually be right?

[Reuben]

It can't have a greatly reduced number of buttons though, unless you plug your GameCube pad in?

[Mr M0by]

it's only a patent, doesn't mean that's what it will actually be right?

No, i guess not.

[mid]

It can't have a greatly reduced number of buttons though, unless you plug your GameCube pad in?

If you look at some of the pics from E3, there's a collection of four Cube pad ports on the side for this very reason.

[yesteryeargames]

i cant seem to get the pictures to load, can anyone post them on here please?

[Koizumi]

gamecube controller ports

[Ouenben]

sounds like rumours to me

[stoofle]

Plus Gamesradar claim that the LCD screen "suggests" a touchscreen...

EDIT - The article has changed...the patent is from 2003 apparently.

[Baseley09]

Motion sensor seems a given considering their successful Gamboy experiments with this.

[Dezm0nd]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/screenshots_library/dir_290/vortal_pic_145164.jpg

[Oh! My Car!]

I thought it wouldn't be the real deal, I don't think Nintendo would let it slip so easily. Besides isn't there a law about patents only being released a certain amount of time from their inception, hence we always find out about things afterwards (Nitro aka DS anyone?)

[Soi]

This patent was filed in the USA in May 2003, claiming priority from a Japanese patent application filed in May 2002. Both the US and the Japanese patent application were published in November 2003.

In short, this has been in the public domain for nearly 2 years. Therefore nothing in it is secret and it is very unlikely that Nintendo's "so secret we can't tell you anything about it controller" will be like this.

In any case, it defines a:

1. A game system displaying a three-dimensional game space on a display, comprising:

a housing held by a player;

a tilt sensor provided on the housing for generating output signals;

the display provided on the housing;

a viewpoint coordinates determination mechanism for determining coordinates of a viewpoint to be set in the game space in accordance with an output signal from the tilt sensor; and

a game image generation processing mechanism for generating a game image indicating a three dimensional game space in which a sight point set in the game space is seen from the viewpoint based on the viewpoint coordinates determined by the viewpoint coordinates determination mechanism;

wherein the viewpoint coordinates determination mechanism rotates the viewpoint about the sight point such that the three dimensional game space displayed on the display is tilted forward in conjunction with the housing when it is detected that the housing is tilted forward based on the output signal from the tilt sensor; and

wherein the viewpoint coordinates determination mechanism rotates the viewpoint about the sight point such that the three dimensional game space displayed on the display is tilted backward in conjunction with the housing when it is detected that the housing is tilted backward based on the output signal from the tilt sensor.

The display is clearly part of the housing (which is held by the user), so whatever this relates to it is a handheld system that uses tilt sensors to control a 3D enviroment.

It is worth bearing in mind that just because Nintendo applied for a patent for this doesn't mean that they are making it.

As for "touch screen". That bit was just made up in the initial draft of the article. But then again, journalists don't understand anything about patents and wild speculation makes for better copy.

[SubparMario]

Less buttons - because granny gaming is the future and we can't have them getting confused!