New Patent Details Virtual Console Interface?

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cuinneas

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"New Patent Details Virtual Console Interface?"

Information about the Nintendo "Revolution" is sparse. I know it is still a long time until it's launce but I still want the dirt! This is the most recent information that I have heard about it. I was listening to The Weekly Geek podcast and they started talking about this article.

http://www.revolutionreport.com/articles/read/198

Now I am not a genius and my knowledge of systems is limited. However, I found this article intriguing. Mostly becasue i do not understand a single bit of it. So I ask you...

What do you think? Any speculations?
 
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Well, it seems as though Nintendo has taken out a patent for the software that will emulate the older machines (NES through N64). My understanding of the article is that the emulators (software that pretends to be the firmware of the older consoles) will be built in to the Revo's own firmware. As far as I'm concerned this was expected, and not really news. In order to fulfill their claims of 100% "backwards compatibility", Nintendo had to develop something like this.

What I'd like to know is what the old games will be sold for, and will the Revo have a HDD to store them? If not (because they haven't said that it will), how will they be stored? Will the gamer have an online account that allows access to the games online only? (i.e. no downloads, just streaming gameplay.) If the old games are only available online, then what happens when I'm playing offline if, for example, my broadband service is down? If there is a HDD, how big will it be, how many old favourites will I be able to fit on it?
 
If they're streaming, they can probably be held in memory, at least for NES/SNES games, and probably some N64 games too. If there's no mass storage, it's also possible that classic games will be sold separately on game discs.

Another option is flash memory. Flash memory is really cheap right now -- about 1GB for $50 -- so flash memory could store tons of games if the emulators are built into the hardware.

And, welcome to the site Basil.
 
BCampbell said:
If they're streaming, they can probably be held in memory, at least for NES/SNES games, and probably some N64 games too. If there's no mass storage, it's also possible that classic games will be sold separately on game discs.
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Agreed, I'm sure that the Revo's RAM could handle most of the games from the older consoles. I never got the impression from the interviews, announcements or rumours that archive discs would be sold, though.


Another option is flash memory. Flash memory is really cheap right now -- about 1GB for $50 -- so flash memory could store tons of games if the emulators are built into the hardware.
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Yes, that would work very nicely. Also, though I doubt Revo will use this tech, holographic storage is worth noting as a possibility for the future of data storage on any device.

Here's an article about it.


And, welcome to the site Basil.
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Hey, thanks. It's good to be here. I found out about this site from an ad for reviewers on GameJobs.com (I think that was the name of the site, anyway). I think I may submit a review, I've always wanted to write, or write about, video games.
 
Yeah I'm familiar with holographic data storage. I think that, within a certain near future timeframe, flash memory will outstrip any optical medium in terms of density. I wouldn't bet the farm on it, but it's only getting smaller with higher capacity, and it's much more convenient than optical discs.

And hey, we can always use more talented staff. What platforms do you own?
 
Yes. Flash is obviously the ideal way to go, being so stable and having no moving parts. And it's stinking light!

I own a Game Cube, and will be getting a Revolution (or whatever it ends up being called) when it's released.
 
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