The system, which was unveiled to the public at the E3 2005 press conference (though not yet available for purchase), promises to be just what its name implies: a revolution in gaming. The revolutionary aspect is not found in the system's technical specs, however, but in its controller. Resembling a television remote control and meant to be held in only one hand, Revolution's wireless controller is unlike any controller in video-game history in both design and function (check out a video demo at http://cube.ign.com/articles/ 651/651334p1.html). The new controller utilizes Bluetooth technology to communicate with various sensors, giving it the ability to sense movement and locate its position in three-dimensional space. Two sensors placed near the television and other sensors in the controller itself create an almost instant response and a gaming experience unlike any other. With the new controller, gamers are able to actually mimic movements such as fishing or shooting, instead of just pushing buttons. Iwata thinks this new dimension in gaming will appeal to experienced gamers as well as those who have never played. "The feeling is so natural and real [that] as soon as players use the controller, their minds will spin with the possibilities of how this will change gaming as we know it today," Iwata said. "This is an extremely exciting innovation—one that will thrill current players and entice new ones." Another perk for Revolution owners will be the ability to go online and download classic games. Gamers will have access to 20 years' worth of titles, and this access alone greatly influenced the design of the new controller. "We announced the ability to download and play the best NES games, S-NES games, and N64 games, in addition to Revolution games and GameCube games," Reginald Fils-Aime, Nintendo's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said in an IGN/G4 interview. "If you put those controllers all lined up together, they're all very different. So think about what kind of device is going to allow you to play all those different types of games. It's pretty interesting." The controller features a directional button at the top; a button labeled "A" underneath the directional button; and three small buttons labeled "Start," "Home," and "Select" in the middle. At the bottom, there are buttons labeled "a" and "b" and a "B" trigger for the index finger underneath. The controller also has a port on its underside, where attachments can be added. One attachment that may end up as part of the Revolution package resembles a nunchuk when attached to the controller via a short cord. It features an analog stick and two trigger buttons for more experienced gamers. Another attachment is a sort of controller shell or "Classic-Style Expansion Controller." This shell is perfect for players who want the motion sensitivity, but prefer a more traditional controller. According to Iwata, it is meant for playing "the existing games, virtual console games, and multi-platform games." The Revolution console is the smallest Nintendo has ever made and has been described as being "about the thickness of three standard DVD cases and only slightly longer." Inside its sleek shell, which can be situated vertically or horizontally, Revolution will be able to download software from the Internet, go online via a Wi-Fi connection, and use its 512MB flash memory to save data. The system will be backward compatible with GameCube, allowing it to play 12-cm Revolution discs as well as 8-cm GameCube discs, and will include a self-loading media drive. The console will also be able to play DVD movies, although an additional attachment will have to be added to enable this function. Many in the gaming community would love to know more about Revolution's technical specifications, but Nintendo is keeping this information under wraps. The company has said that it is less interested in waging technical wars with competitors and more interested in providing a "small, quiet, and affordable console." In fact, Jim Merrick, Nintendo's former head of European marketing, said in an interview with Dutch game magazine [N]Gamer that Revolution's GPU and CPU specs may never be released. However, Nintendo has announced that IBM has finished developing the CPU, code-named Broadway, and Canadian graphics-card maker ATI Technologies is developing the GPU, code-named Hollywood. "With IBM, we are creating Revolution's core processor, which we have code-named Broadway because Broadway is the capital of live entertainment," Iwata said. "With ATI, we are developing the graphics chipset, code-named Hollywood because Hollywood is the capital of movie entertainment. With Revolution, we are determined to create the new capital of interactive entertainment." Although it had been rumored that Hollywood was based on GameCube's GPU, John Swinimer, ATI's Public Relations Manager for Consumer Products, said that Hollywood is not based on any existing PC software. New games currently in the works for Revolution include sequels to Super Smash Bros. Melee and Animal Crossing, as well as new Zelda and Mario titles. As for the classic titles that will be available for download online, Nintendo has not released a specific list. "We have not set a price or determined a list of software for the Nintendo Revolution download service, but we're looking at this as a consumer service and not so much from the business end," Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario creator, said at E3 2005. "What we want to do is provide the product that is going to make the Revolution the console that people want in their homes. So it actually might be driven from the consumer end rather than from us. You know, the games that they most want might be the ones that we do. From a technological point, we can do any of them. It's just we haven't determined which ones we'll do yet." Revolution is set to be released in North America before Thanksgiving 2006, and Nintendo executives are considering an international launch that would leave no more than 14 weeks between the first and last launching regions. More information about the new system will be made available May 9, 2006, at the E3 2006 press conference for those gamers who stand poised to be a part of the revolution.

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