A Nintendo Canada executive has confirmed that the Revolution controller will feature force feedback or rumble features, the console will launch in fall 2006 along with a lineup of about 20 titles. The interview also revealed that U.S. gamers can blame the Japanese for the delay in getting DS Lite units in N. America.
As E3 approaches the excitement about Nintendo's announcements regarding its Revolution console and the various innovative features it will carry is reaching a frantic peak. As far as PR and marketing is concerned, the underdog of the next-gen console wars seems to have gained the upper hand. Part of this excitement is expressed as open season for Nintendo executives. The latest victim: Nintendo of Canada's Director of Marketing, Pierre-Paul Trepanier. In a French language interview on a Canadian Radio station, Mr. Trepanier confirmed a few details regarding Nintendo's giant killer.
When asked by the presenter if the controller would include force feedback Mr. Trepanier replied, Yes there's feedback in it even though it is wireless, we will show more at E3. Before in our wireless controllers, we didn't put feedback because of battery life problems but now we have found a way to do it without lowering the battery life of the remote. Since the interview took place in French, it seems that it is not exactly clear if the above comments mean that the new controller will have full force feedback or just some form of rumble feature.
The interview went on to highlight how the controller will be used, mentioning how tilting the unit will also be reflected in-game and how a sensor will be placed above the TV in order to detect the controller's exact position. The Canadian executive mentions that Revolution will detect how far the person holding the controller will be from the television, it's not quite certain how that information may be used during gaming but the monumental proportions of the excitement surrounding the capabilities of this unit is inciting Nintendo smirks.
Mr. Trepanier also confirmed what George Harrison of Nintendo America said to Game Informer magazine regarding the 20 title launch lineup and the fall launch.
The final piece of information to come from the short but sweet interview involved the DS Lite and the reasons behind its delay in reaching N. American shores. It appears that demand for the handheld unit in Japan has been so high that there haven't been enough units to ship elsewhere. This of course could just mean that Nintendo have some sort of hardware shortage and decided to make sure their home turf had enough stock but it is unlikely that this delay will last long.
The month of May is expected to be a hot one for Nintendo and gamers alike so stay with MegaGames for the best out of E3 coverage.
