Nintendo Revolution specs

[CrONoS]

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/673/673799p1.html

More Revolution Specs Uncovered
Developers come forward to reveal new performance details on Nintendo's next-generation console.
by Matt Casamassina

December 6, 2005 - Just yesterday IGN Revolution launched with technical details on Nintendo's next-generation console, codenamed Revolution. And today more development sources have come forward with both clarification and even more tech specs. The latest news begins to paint a clearer picture of Nintendo's aim with its next platform.

We cannot stress this enough: Revolution is not being positioned as a competitor to either Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Nintendo has instead chosen to design a console that will be very affordable for consumers. For that very reason, say developers in the know, the Big N has opted out of filling the system with a massive supply of expensive RAM.

In yesterday's article, we wrote that Revolution would include 128MBs of RAM, or possibly less. Developers have clarified the makeup based on officially released Nintendo documentation. Revolution will build on GameCube's configuration of 24MBs 1T-SRAM and 16MBs D-RAM (40MBs) by adding an addition 64MBs of 1T-SRAM. The result is a supply of memory in Revolution that totals 104MBs. That number does not consider either the 512MBs of allegedly accessible (but hardly ideal) Flash RAM or the Hollywood GPU's on-board memory, said to be 3MBs by sources.

Revolution's Broadway CPU, developed by IBM, is an extension of the Gekko CPU in GameCube, according to official Nintendo documentation passed to us by software houses. The Hollywood GPU, meanwhile, is believed to be an extension of the Flipper GPU in GameCube. Since developers have not gone hands-on with the GPU, they can only go on Nintendo documentation, which is limited.

Exact clock rates were not disclosed, but one development source we spoke to had this to say of the Revolution CPU and GPU: "Basically, take a GameCube, double the clock rate of the CPU and GPU and you're done."

We presented that description to another informed studio, which clarified that the clock rates may even fall short of doubling those on GameCube.

"The CPU is the same as Gekko with one and a half to two times the performance and improved caching," said a source. "Our guys experimented with it and think they'll be able to get about twice the performance as GameCube."

"It's a gamble for the Big N," said another source. "It's not about horsepower for them -- it's about innovation and gameplay."

We've also been able to unearth firm details on the storage capacity for Revolution discs. Recent rumors suggesting that the discs can hold 12GBs of data are false. In fact, Revolution discs can store 4.7GBs of data on a single layer or 8.5GBs when double-layered on a single-side. This is a massive jump from the 1.5GB capacity of GameCube discs and more than enough storage capacity for any non-high-definition game.

Readers discouraged by Revolution's seeming lack of horsepower when compared to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 should remember that Nintendo is not interested in competing in the high-definition gaming arena, and as a standard-definition console, Revolution is more than capable. Capcom's Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most gorgeous games this generation and it ran on GameCube, a console at least half as powerful according to developer reports.

Software houses we spoke with also waxed on the immediate advantage to Nintendo's approach with Revolution, which is, of course, system price. Every developer was in agreement that Revolution should launch with a price tag of $149 or lower. Some speculated that based on the tech, a $99 price point would not be out of the question.

Stay tuned for more as it develops.

[DinoDoc]

Awesome!

[CrONoS]

If small studio can't afford to make games on PS3 and Xbox360 because of the higher cost to produce a games on these console. Maybe we'll see some new studios making games on the revolution!!!

Nintendo can lose a lot, or win a lot.

Edited:

Nintendo have different kinds of games than Sony or Microsoft. I own a gamecube just to play Metroid, Zelda, Mario. At this price, maybe some XBox/sony owner will own a Revolution, just to play different kind of games

[CrONoS]

When I look at this:
I think about Nintendo merging with Apple......

Nintendo and Apple... Can be a good idea to produce handheld portable.(Gameboy x Ipod = can be a good idea)

[Guynemer]

[laurentius]

Games like Geist on GC demonstrate that you dont need to have the best console spec-wise to have cool and innovative FPS games.

[Asher]

Dispossess a rabbit? WTF?

That's not innovative, it's retarded.

Anyway, there's already a thread on this: http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showt...hreadid=145029

[laurentius]

Its less retarded than the aliens etc clichés in Halo

Your thread is severly biased and only one opion is tolerated in it. Its uninviting and doesnt encourage discussion. Your whining has ruined it, just like you do in all the Apple threads. Also this thread is only about Revolution not PSP3 as well like yours.

[Asher]

The thread was about both consoles, and all opinions are welcome.

Even if you think a Gamecube++ console is innovative and a good idea.

We all know that the small/efficient/cheap Gamecube was such a good idea, they decided t otake it to an extreme level with "Revolution", which uses recycled technology 5 years old.

[asleepathewheel]

At that price point, this will be tough to pass up. I'd rather play a handful of new games + the old nintendo games anyway rather than the games so far released on the 360

[Asher]

Originally posted by cronos_qc
If small studio can't afford to make games on PS3 and Xbox360 because of the higher cost to produce a games on these console. Maybe we'll see some new studios making games on the revolution!!!

Nintendo can lose a lot, or win a lot

Isn't it cheaper for small studios to make games and sell them through Xbox Live Arcade?

There's lots of small but addictive/fun games on there already.

[CrONoS]

I do not talk about small games or small arcade games.

I talk about full games, but with new idea...new gameplay... different than what we can already fund on Xbox/PS. And different from Super Mario XXX.

We'll see, I only hope the new division of the console war will bring plenty of option for us. But whatever, I'm a morons so I love to play Zelda, Mario and Metroid. Dont know why, like chess(and Civ) I can't get enought of it. But if small studio can produce good games on Revo it can be a really good thing.

see ya

[Asher]

Do you think consoles with far more horsepower in every department and connectivity options for any other peripherals you want will be more open to new ideas, gameplay?

I'm really baffled that people seem to think that beefier hardware can restrict innovation. It opens the doors for new kinds of games that just aren't possible on weaker systems.

[Elok]

Well, it's pretty plain that small, innovative game development has gone down the crapper as graphics and the like got more and more sophisticated. You need a massive budget to get all the eye candy you need to compete on a super-advanced console, and with that much money on the line people aren't willing to take risks as much.

Technically they CAN do something huge and unprecedented, but they have to be able to convince the suits that it WILL be popular in order to get the cash for it. It's easier (stupid, but easier), to just borrow a lot of features from games that were already successful, meld them together, and vomit out a quasi-clone by committee.

Plus all the money that goes into implementing better graphics also adds up in the game's price tag, decreasing the likelihood that gamers will take a chance on it.

[Asher]

With all of the middleware available, like RenderWare, small companies can use the middleware which implements graphics, AI, etc. and only give a portion of their revenues to RenderWare. They can focus on game elements.