Confirmed hardware and technology Nintendo has announced that IBM has been working with the development of the CPU, codenamed "Broadway." IBM was previously involved with the development of the processor in Nintendo's current system, the GameCube. Nintendo has also announced that Canadian graphics card maker ATI Technologies is involved with the GPU, which is codenamed "Hollywood". Before the GameCube's release, ATI had bought ArtX, the company responsible for the GameCube's GPU and whose members were made of former Silicon Graphics employees involved with the Nintendo 64. Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata, also announced that the Revolution will be backwards-compatible with GameCube games and have built-in Wi-Fi allowing certain games to be played online, provided by Broadcom Corporation [4]. Nintendo has announced they will provide an optional PC-compatible wireless router for use by consumers that do not already have access to a wireless connection. The accessory is reportedly compatible with both the Nintendo DS and Revolution. While no ethernet port is planned, Nintendo has suggested ethernet may be possible for the system with USB via an adaptor. MoSys, whose 1T-SRAM memory technology was used in the GameCube, will again provide the random access memory technology for Revolution. Nintendo has gone on record as stating that the Revolution will use standard DVD/CD size optical discs. Nintendo would not be specific when asked about which format would be used. It will also have the ability to play DVD movies with an undisclosed add-on (most likely a hardware dongle). Presumably this is to avoid paying royalties and lower the cost of the system. While all major Nintendo consoles to date have expansion serial ports, none have been announced for Revolution. Other information states that Revolution will be able to hook up to a computer monitor as well as a TV, dating back in May 2003. However, Nintendo has confirmed that at this point in time, they are not supporting HDTV output for the Revolution, however, 480p will be standard. [5] This may mean that the system will be unable to output HDTV at all, or it may mean that HDTV support will be at the developer's discretion. Nintendo also has said the console will be "sleek", approximately the thickness of three DVD cases (pictures are of the prototype, which is three DVD cases large), considerably thinner than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will stand both horizontally and vertically. This new industrial design will also address remarks regarding the GameCube's unique look which some have complained does not fit in amongst most home entertainment components. Controller The Nintendo Revolution controller from various angles. The Nintendo Revolution controller, unveiled at Tokyo Game Show 2005, is shaped like a simple television remote control and operates like a mouse in three-dimensional real-space. The controller is a major departure from the last twenty years of console design. Two sensors near the television allow the controller to sense its position in three-dimensional space; other sensors in the controller itself allow it to sense its tilt and yaw. Players can thus mime actions (and receive "rumble pak" style vibration feedback) instead of simply pushing buttons. An early marketing video [7] showed actors miming such actions as fishing, cooking, drumming, conducting an orchestra, shooting a gun, sword fighting, and performing dental surgery. To communicate with the sensors, the Revolution's controller uses Bluetooth technology. [8] The "nunchaku-style" analog stick peripheral (right) attached to the main controller A digital directional pad is positioned at the top of the controller face, with a large GameCube-styled A button directly below it and a trigger on the underside acting as the B-button. Below the A button is a row of three small buttons: Start, Home, and Select. Near the bottom end of the controller are two additional buttons labeled lowercase a and b (labeled X and Y in promotional videos), suggesting that users can turn the controller 90 degrees and use it like a classic NES controller. Beneath these buttons are four lights which indicate which "port" is being used--at present, up to four players are expected to be able to play on a single Revolution console. The controller in various possible color schemes The controller can also slip inside or be attached to peripherals through a proprietary port on its bottom end. A tethered peripheral with an analog stick and two shoulder buttons (labeled Z1 and Z2) will, according to Satoru Iwata, be bundled with the free-hand controller (letting the user play games "nunchaku-style"). A "shell" peripheral is also slated to release for the Revolution that will be "very similar in style and form to the Wavebird" [9]. The official name for this is the "Classic-Style Expansion Controller". According to Iwata, it is meant for playing "the existing games, virtual console games, and multi-platform games" (TGS 2005 keynote, 40:43). The freehand controller will slide into a hole in the top of the classic controller, and thus it will retain the freehand controller's position sensing capabilities. IGN has an article called "Understanding the Revolution Controller", which discusses the shell as well as includes a mock-up of what the shell might look like. [10] Nintendo promises a wide variety of peripherals ranging from dance mats to analog game controllers. It is possible that they may be inexpensive enough to be bundled with games much like the rumble pack, expansion pack, and microphone for Star Fox 64, Donkey Kong 64, and Mario Party 6 respectively. President Iwata has confirmed that the sensors will be compatible with any television, including projectors. Information brought to you by; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Revolution