Nintendo Revolution Controller Unveiled

from Metafilter:

"This morning at the Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata unveiled the unique controller for the company's upcoming video game console, code named Revolution. Legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto demonstrated the device to the press with a series of hands-on demos. While no full games have yet been shown on the system, the controller offers many possibilities for novel, accessible, and compelling game experiences."


This really does seem pretty revolutionary (har har). It uses two motion sensors next two the TV (or wherever I suppose) to sense where the handheld controller and any optional secondary devices are in realtime space. This is an idea that has been around for a long time and the gut reaction is that this might turn out to be just as awkward to use as everything else was.

On the other hand, if Nintendo is using this as the basic control scheme for the Revolution then its a good bet they've worked out all the kinks. I don't think this kind of thing has ever been attempted for anything except 2D games before... which may have been the problem with all those other paper-weights. This just makes sense. Nintendo is the only game company with any ambition left these days. Its depressing and exciting at the same time.

Oh yeah, I'm not even sure why this thing reminds me of the CD-I but it does. Gross.

I hope they plan to finally redesign that uncomfortable thumbstick before its released. They've been using it since the N64 and the thing's a beast.


Say You Want a Revolution - News Story @ IGN

Revolution Controller Mock-ups - Story @ 4 Color Rebellion from June

Omni Magazine

While searching for something unrelated tonight I found this post on another blog about Omni magazine. I remember reading it religiously (I was a subscriber) every month cover to cover for years and years... even the bits I couldn't understand a word of. I remember tearing the circus freaks pictorial out of the 10th anniversary issue and throwing it away so I wouldn't have to look at it again. I remember, after not having read the magazine in a few years, seeing an issue in the high school library. It was a super slim issue that had the cast of Deep Space Nine on the cover or something. I knew then that the magazine's days were numbered. I don't know when exactly, but at some point in the last ten years I lost all my back issues.

This article from 1997 that talks about the move to an online only format. The Wikipedia entry says the print version ceased in 1995. I didn't even know it lasted that long. I just know I let my subscription lapse at a certain point in junior high and it became impossible to find.

now www.omnimag.com redirects to Penthouse

why did this magazine have to die?