Reggie discusses Revolution development kits, hints at a new franchise for the upcoming console, and more in an interview with Engadget.
Peter Rojas of Engadget recently interviewed Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo of America on a variety of topics, and the VP provided more than a few interesting responses. Rojas presses Reggie on the limits of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the state of Revolution software development (the company has shipped over 1,000 controller dev kits), and what we will see at E3.
Here's a snippet on why NOA is barely discussing Nintendo DS Lite.
Have you set a timetable for when the DS Lite will be available here in North America?
We have not announced the date and we won’t be announcing a date for the foreseeable future. We are working through our inventories and our allocations of product and frankly, we are doing everything we can just to meet current demand. Japan has already announced that they will launch in early March and they have the same challenges of meeting that very high level of demand.
We need to make sure that we have enough product in hand for us to launch effectively here in North America and as soon as we feel we are in that position we’ll announce it.
Readers engrossed in GameCube-Revolution forward-compatibility may need to reassess their hopes.
Speaking of GameCube, if you play a GameCube game on the new Revolution console, will you be able to use the Revolution controller or will you have to use the older style of controller?
Well, all of the GameCube games will be compatible only with GameCube accessories, so whether it’s a WaveBird or whether it’s a wired controller, you’ll only be able to play those titles with those accessories. Essentially what we’re saying is that Revolution titles are the only ones that will leverage the new controller.
And Fils-Aime assures gamers that new franchises will be among the games leveraging the new system and its controller—whatever it may be called. The company insists Revolution is a code name.
You can read the full interview with Reggie at Engadget.