Perrin Kaplan dishes bout the Revo controller

Seems like there isn't anyone that works for Nintendo who isn't willing to talk about the Revolution controller. Etoychest has an interesting interview with Perrin Kaplan that I have posted below. Definately worth a read.


Q: So, from a personal standpoint, what was your initial reaction when you saw the controller? I know a lot of us were, and perhaps still are, thrown into a bit of shock, and right now the camps seem to be divided into love and hate it categories.

PK: Right. Well, of course I saw the controller for the first time quite a while back, and was really excited about what it would mean. The Revolution controller is just very intuitive, and easy to use. It’s the sort of thing people really just need to get their hands on, and I think once people actually play with it that will really grow to like the controller.

Q: And how will the N64 and SNES games be controlled? Will players use the GameCube controller, or will they use one of the attachments?

PK: So for backwards compatability? What we are telling people right now is that there are several peripherals in the works that will be used for the older games. Of course, people will be able to plug their GameCube controller right in and use that, but if they want, they can use the Revolution’s peripherals for an entirely new and fresh experience.

Q: Is this the final design for the controller? Or is this like how we saw the DS initially at E3, and when it finally came out it had been redesigned to make it more comfortable?

PK: No, this is not the final design. You won’t see that until the release is here, but we are getting much closer. Just like what was seen with the DS the designers are continuing to work on the controller.

Q: Will all games use the Revolution’s unique controller, or will players be able to use the GameCube controller, for example, on new Revolution games?

PK: Yes, all Revolution games will use the new controller. Nintendo’s idea is that it’s all about creating the free and new experience, and the controller is central to that.

Q: Besides the analog attachment we have seen, do you know of any other planned attachments for the controller?

PK: Do I know of any? Sure, yea. There are many peripherals that are planned for the controller.

Q: Any examples you can share? Throw me a bone here [both laugh].

PK: I know, everyone wants more information, but as for right now we are focusing on the main controller. We’ve had some people here that have spent some time with it, and have written some stories on the controller already, and everyone seems to really have enjoyed the experience. It’s just so intuitive.

Q: Regarding the peripherals, has there been talk of price yet? The hobby is already becoming cost-prohibitive for many players, so the idea of having to purchase additional equipment to play certain games has many people concerned. How would you address their fears?

PK: Not yet, but again we aren’t really spending much time talking about the peripherals right now. As for price, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Nintendo is focused on making the Revolution accessible to players, and the designers are keeping all of these concerns on their minds. We’ll release more information on the peripherals soon, but players really shouldn’t be concerned about price right now.

Q: Do you know off hand how, using the new controller, the Revolution’s Super Smash Bros. will work?

PK: Off hand, even if I did, I would rather just let players use their imaginations to think about how it could be played. The controller opens up a number of possibilities to control a game like Super Smash Bros. I know people want to know more, but now isn’t the time. There really are just so many ways this controller could be used, and I think it’d be just more fun to see how players might imagine a game like that be controlled.


Q: With such a wildly unique controller, and with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3’s controllers adopting a more traditional design, it is conceivable that cross-platform games will not be seen, at least in their vanilla form, on the Revolution.

PK: Well, firstly, if a developer chooses to design a game for the Revolution, they can make the controls work how they would on another console if they want to. It’s just a small change, though, to make the game work for the Revolution’s controller. However they can also design it to take full advantage of the controller, which opens up a whole new range of possibilities.

Q: So, for example, a Tony Hawk game players purchase for the Revolution would seem to offer a totally different experience that what players would get from the Xbox 360 version players purchase, do you agree?

PK: It could offer a new and different experience, for sure.

Q: We saw in the press release that third-parties such as THQ and Activision have already commented on the Revolution’s controller. How has the overall reception been from developers and publishers?

PK: It’s been overwhelmingly positive, actually. Everyone seems to be really excited about the controller, and the possibilities it offers. Like the DS, Nintendo is all about developing tools that help developers be more creative, and they have been very open to what the company is doing for them, and the players.

Q: For our final question, because I know you are incredibly busy, is that with the four different colored lights on the controller signifying the player who is using the device, does this mean that the system will support a maximum of four players?

PK: What we are telling people right now is that four players can play on the Revolution, but what this means exactly we will unveil at a later time. We’ll have more information soon to come on this topic.