Revolution Specs revealed!! Price possibly too!

G

Gamefan

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

Found this article, sorry if it has been posted already.

GAMEFAN
 
from the link above:

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.
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dang... $99-149 launch price...
I hate to admit it, but I am a little worried since they did not go for more power.....
I really really really hope the innovation works... at least double the Gamecube is not bad, but they are going to have to be SUPER INNOVATIVE MASTERMINDS to pull ahead... I hope they can do it.

nice post Gamefan :)

†B†V† :hat
 
with a launch price that low i think a lot of people will buy the rev instead of a PS3 or xbox 360.as for power,double the gamecube sounds pretty good to me......look at the 360,much more power,but so far it only looks a little better than the original x box...and that with an HD-TV
 
SpartanEvolved said:
The price seems like an desparate attempt of having a major advantage over the other consoles.
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Desperate or not Im glad one new console is going to be in the affordable range for me. I simply cant afford a PS3 or a 360 at those prices. Thank you Nintendo for allowing me to have one new next gen console next year. :) Which means that it leaves me enough money to buy more games for it also.
 
SpartanEvolved said:
The price seems like an desparate attempt of having a major advantage over the other consoles.
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Desperate? Maybe.

Smart? Most definately.

It's a move to snag the people who can't afford to chug out $400 dollars for one of the other consoles.
 
I am so looking forward to this new console. I am very pleased to hear the possible price point, and that it will allow you to play older Nintendo games on one system. I am begining to become more of a Nintendo Fan more and more each day! Let's hope all this comes true as I would hate to see this become vaporware.


GAMEFAN
 
welcome to the Nintendo fold :) the ability to play NES,SNES,and N64 games is a huge deal to me.....that's at least 50 percent of all good games ever made!I am looking forword to the revolution more than any other console in a very long time...possible ever
 
SpartanEvolved said:
The price is a very nice deal. But the games won't "seem" next gen. However, if it does sell for that I'll likely buy one for B/C.
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Well we wont know that for sure. At first, no, we wont see next gen type graphics. Which is why Im hoping Nintendo kicks it up a notch in the gameplay department because frankly thats all I care about since all the other systems already offer next gen type graphics.
 
SpartanEvolved said:
The price seems like an desparate attempt of having a major advantage over the other consoles.
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I don't think it is desperate... I see them as trying to physically harm them :lol

that is majorly undercutting the other systems.

BV :hat
 
It is a rather sneaky move. I have had discussions with other people and really hope that Nintendo isn't serious about this idea of not competing with the other companies. They were sneaky about making it cheap and twice as powerful as its predecessor, and they will have all the previous systems games will be available to play. Another good move. Then all the innovations like with the remote (I have had enough about all the jokes that come with it) and stuff, its looking pretty good.

So, if all these are more appealing to both die-hard Nintendo fans and the casual gamer PLUS non-gamers who are intimidated by games, sales could be good for Nintendo. You still have the hard-core gamers who will fork out money for the 360 (which has numerous glitches) and the PS3, but Nintendo may get a good cut of the sales at first. With it being cheap and something new, people will buy that first instead of the others.

Hurray for Nintendo's enginuity in the market place. Than again they could be serious about this whole "We are not competing" thing. Still, cool stuff.
 
well.... like a few people and myself have said here..... It is either a make it or break it move by Nintendo.

I mean, it could be a super success.... or a mediocre failure (I don't think it will totally bomb... they just won't gain any more market share and stay relatively the same while the Xbox and Ps3 battle for the main market share)...... I just don't see ANY middle ground on this system at all.

BV :hat
 
in every generation of consoles when the big N has been involved,they have had the best console....the nes was the best in its time,so was the snes,and the 64(almost tied with the saturn though :)....i think the gamecube is better than the ps2,or xbox because of games like Mario sunshine,Zelda the wind waker,smash brother....the list goes on for miles.with all these Nintendo exclusive franchises, it is inevitable that Nintendo will have a vast number of fans who will buy there system,and if it is so affordable than those of us who would have to save up for 3-4 months for a 360 with a couple games,or 5-6 months for a ps3 with a couple games(assuming the price is higher than the 360)can buy a revolution after saving for a month....then i think the revolution will have a lot of sales.
 
Nintendo has tried this before with the Cube. They launched it $100 cheaper than its competitors and it still didn't domoinate. I honestly think Nintendo will launch this console at $200. It just makes more sense from a businees standpoint than $99. If they do that then they will make an even bigger profit off of the Revolution and still be the cheapest of the 3 major competitors.
 
if nintendo is really trying to reach non gamers,then they will have to have a very low price at launch.i think they will launch it at $150
 
Fatty said:
Nintendo has tried this before with the Cube. They launched it $100 cheaper than its competitors and it still didn't domoinate. I honestly think Nintendo will launch this console at $200. It just makes more sense from a businees standpoint than $99. If they do that then they will make an even bigger profit off of the Revolution and still be the cheapest of the 3 major competitors.
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I really dont think it was the price that kept people from buying the GC. It was the lack of software. Not that many people are going to buy a system that has, in my opinion, a weak line up of games when compared to the other two systems.
 
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