Nintendo Revolution Controller

Have you seen this thing? I'm not here to tell you how it works or what it can do, you can figure that out on your own here and here. I'm just going to tell you what I think of it, because you should respect my opinion... or something.

Anyways, I believe Nintendo is poised to hit a home-run with this thing. Why? Are you aware that the new Xbox or PlayStation will arrive within the next year? No. Do you care? Not really. Do you know why? Because we aren't ready to move on from the current generation. Many of us are satisfied with our PS2, Xbox, or GameCube and probably aren't going to feel like forking over the $300 to $600 Microsoft and Sony will want for their new machines. What can the new machines offer that we can't already get? Sound can't get any better. The graphics are already near-photorealistic. And the entire industry is stagnating because of too many sequels and too few original ideas and franchises.

Nintendo probably won't excel in sound, visuals, or content much more than Sony or Microsoft, so they're going to change what seems like the last possible means of change the industry can muster; the input device. Since 1985 and the NES we've been using our two hands, our thumbs, and a couple other digits to control the action. During this time the other three things I've mentioned have improved by leaps and bounds. Now we've reached a wall with these aspects of games.

When the Nintendo Revolution, or whatever they're going to call the bloody thing, hits next year and we finally start looking around are we going to reach for more of the same or something different? And are new consumers going to reach for a sequel machine who's predecessor they didn't like or are they going to try this obscure, intriguing, original... thing.

Don't get me wrong, I'll probably get/want all three for my own reasons, and I know that if the controller doesn't work as well as Nintendo hopes it can then this will be a bust. But look at these pics, read those couple of links, and tell me you're not the slightest bit intrigued.