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A lot of people believe there isn't much to say about this console. Sure there's barely any information on the damn thing, but I believe that there is plenty to say about the little guy.
Nintendo has been a big part of what has made the gaming industry what it is today. Had it not been for the Nintendo Entertainment System, gaming may not have been revived from the horrible gaming downfall of the mid eighties. They reinvented and revived gaming with their creative style, which has become Nintendo's most note worthy attribute. They continued to innovate well into the days of the Super Nintendo, one of the most memorable gaming consoles to date. Then we were introduced to another side of Nintendo, stubbornness.
The Nintendo 64 was the only system of that generation of consoles not to be CD based; this decision directly affected third party support, as it was easier to develop games for Sony's Playstation. This same trend continued on the Gamecube, the media standard in this last generation was DVD discs; Nintendo opted to the smaller format, its mini disc. It also refused to take its console online. Nintendo stated several times that it's not what gamers wanted. I believe that its not what Nintendo wanted, because obviously with the success of Sony's, and more so Microsoft's online programs, there was a demand for it. This time around Nintendo has seemingly lost the stubbornness, as it will use a good media format, and has an onlineplan, a damn good one too.
The Revolution supports free online play for Nintendo's first party titles. Who wouldn't want that?! The mere idea of busting out Mario Kart online or kicking ass via Super Smash Bros online or even battling armies over the internet in Advance Wars is exhilarating to say the least. It's a safe bet to say that many people would have bought Gamecube's to play several Nintendo franchises over the internet. That feature alone will help sell the Revolution, and its all free (at least first party)!
The downside to Nintendo's online plan is that it's Wi-Fi based, like the DS. So are we all going to have to haul our Revolutions into coffee houses to go online with this thing? No, we can buy Wi-Fi adapters, and they shouldn't be to much of a hassle, and dear lord it would be more than worth it, possibly for Mario Kart alone.
Another awesome thing is that Nintendo's entire back catalogue of games will be downloadable through some kind of unknown service that Nintendo will provide. Another reason for why that Wi-Fi adapter will be well worth it. Just think, every Nintendo game you ever wanted right on one console. The thing is even compatible with Gamecube software, memory cards, and controllers. All these games in addition to the likely awesome titles to appear on the Revolution, equals one super gaming experience. You may never leave the comfort of your couch again, and all for a relatively cheap price, if the rumors are true.
See, Nintendo likes to keep things affordable, as shown with it's past consoles. It even went to making it's first party titles cheaper on the Advance, which eventually lead to every game becoming around the price of $30. So the rumors are arguably in the right direction. The Revolution should be the cheapest of the three consoles next generation, as the Gamecube was this time around. The games, will hopefully be cheaper too, I certainly am not ready to dish out the cash for sixty, or seventy dollar games. I'm just cheap, but others may just not be able to afford the prices of next generation games.
In the same vein, Nintendo has kept its specs for the system lower. Nintendo is using this to help independent developers who have creative, innovative ideas. The basic idea here is that the Revolution, with its lower specs, will aid independent developers whose teams may be smaller than those of a bigger, more well known development studio. These independent developers can make their ideas reality, and do it cost-effectively on the Revolution. This can make a huge impact on the industry, and if there was ever a time we needed creative games, it's now. If a major player supports innovation and creativity it can only mean good for the gaming community. But Nintendo always has supported innovation and creativity which makes this less surprising, but awesome nonetheless. This, for me, is reason enough to want to purchase a Revolution.
The ideas of Nintendo going online, and downloading every Nintendo game ever are enough to sell this system, but the ideas of independent developers being able to do their thing just makes me feel great inside. I believe the Revolution will live up to its name, and start something great for the industry.
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