Interviews
May 19, 2005
N-Sider makes an attempt each year to meet-up with Tom Harlin, Nintendo of America's public relations manager. Usually it's just to clarify some of the things Nintendo said or has showcased on the show floor, but sometimes new info is gleaned. So check out the interview and see how our questions fared.
Q: Is Revolution going to be compatible with the Wavebird controller?
Tom Harlin: Its going to have a wireless controller but we havent said whether itll be compatible with a Wavebird or how that would work. Honestly, I dont know. We know the [Revolution] controller will be wireless-enabled.
Q: Will Nintendo be allowing 3rd-parties to support the "All-Access Gaming" aspect of Revolution (specifically the emulation of retro titles)?
Harlin: Will we allow them? I think wed like third parties to join in. Were going to have to leave it to their decision -- because its their properties and how they want to treat them. But I think we definitely plan to have third parties take advantage of it. I think to put an example to that, you saw with the Nintendo DS last E3 before we launched it; there were a lot of items that were tech demos on the floor, and I think Nintendos idea is to paint a picture of some of the things that we think wed like to do with our hardware and allow other developers [to see], you know, "Hey this is a possibility." The DS is a good example of that, and I think the Revolution is trying to take the same line of innovation, unique interface, unique games that change the way you play games. So the DS is a good example, because last year at the show, we had all those tech examples out because we were trying to let developers know, these are some options you could use two screens, the mic -- and I think were starting to see DS games take advantage of that. And I think announcing the downloadable classic content, is a similar fashion -- letting developers know, "Hey, this is the path Nintendos going to take." Not only do we think you could take advantage of it, but stretch your minds a bit with what youd like to do with it.
Q: Are the SD cards and Flash memory -- and of course the GameCube memory cards -- the only storage options available on the Revolution?
Harlin: Uh, no, well theyve announced the SD cards. And then the GameSpy network has some storage options as well.
Q: So server side?
Harlin: Youre just able to store some personal content, scores, levels -- those types of things. Those are the two options that weve revealed, but Im not going to necessarily say theyll be the only options. But youll have to wait and see on that.
Q: Similar question, do you think itd be possible for players to use the flash memory and the wireless online, to play certain games with each other using a single disc?
Harlin: I do not know. Im not even going to fathom a guess at that.
Q: Will there be an option to connect a USB hard disk, Flash-Key, or something similar to the Revolution?
Harlin: Its possible. Theres two USB ports on the Revolution so it sounds like itd be technically feasible. I think Nintendos thoughts on "All-Access Gaming" -- with the Revolution, DS -- is to find ways to use hardware to really maximize the gaming experience. They obviously know how to take care of hardcore fans and technophiles, those who know how to use technology. But they also want to take care of the casual gamer; and I think providing options is something Nintendo wants to do for gamers. I guess you could look at it the same as the Broadband and Modem adapter for GameCube. We brought it out as an option, it wasnt fully utilized, but it was there for people who were interested, they were able to take advantage of it. So I assume there will be similar options for Revolution and DS.
Q: Does Nintendo right now have a tentative price range for the Game Boy Micro?
Harlin: Not that were going to tell you [laughs].
Q: Heh, figured it was worth trying. Anyways, can you give more of an explanation of the DS wireless online network?
Harlin: Sure...have you guys seen a Micro?
Q: Yeah.
Harlin: [pulls out micro] I have my Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones in here. As you can see its very small, very sleek, compact. Its got the headset adapter on the bottom. On/off switch. On the side is the volume, as opposed to a dial, it's more of a toggle.
Q: Does it use the same Lithium Ion batteries as the DS/GBA?
Harlin: Yes, it uses Lithium Ion batteries, rechargeable right here.
Q: Can you use the SP/DS charger with it?
Harlin: Its a smaller slot in this one, and well see if theres any modifications before the launch in the fall. Its looking pretty good at the moment.
Q: We're not sure if this was Atari Classics or whatever, but there were several single-colour games on the floor [on the Micro].
Harlin: A lot of things on the floor are to demo the hardware, youre also seeing it run with the Zelda trailer. A lot of it is just to show off the quality of the graphics. Its the Game Boy Advance hardware architecture, so its compatible with all GBA titles. Its really an extreme makeover for Game Boy, rather than a change in direction for the system. So one more great hardware option for GBA users.
Q: We noticed that Charles Martinet was...here [rather than Seattle or New York as it was inferred on the floor]. So we're still not sure..we don't have a grasp on how the DS network will work?
Harlin: Obviously at E3 on the show floor, theres a lot of electronics, a lot of interference. So were trying to show a possibility of how the Wi-Fi connection could work. You know the voice activation tools, one where you talk to Charles Martinet, or another where you put your headset on and talk to someone on the other side of the booth with your DS...
Q: So is that something you guys are planning on?
Harlin: You know, its another tech example -- its a way of Nintendo saying, "Hey, look at another unique way to use the system." I think Nintendo DS has versatility and it will continue to expand how people look at handheld entertainment. And hopefully well see Nintendo and other third parties put that into products.
Q: With the DS network, will there be firmware upgrades, or does the DS not have that ability? Because currently theres nothing in the menu system of the DS about online play.
Harlin: Itll be built into the software. The idea is, if I have a lot of friends who casually dabble in games and Im trying to get them playing more often with me; so the idea is to give you games you love, like Mario Kart DS, which has the highest number of tracks of any Mario Kart so far. It has up to eight players, if youre playing locally, it has the download function so you can play up to eight players on a single cart. But for the Wi-Fi connection, we want to make it easy and make it fast; so if you were on a Wi-Fi hub -- whether that is the broadband and Wi-Fi modem you have in your house, or a school or coffee shop or whatever -- we want you to be able to turn on your software, use the GameSpy network, and start playing.
Q: What happens if your network is WEP encrypted; how will you be able to use your DS on your secure network or another Wi-Fi hotspot that requires a password?
Harlin: Thats a good question. I believe theyre working that out, but I havent seen an example of that yet, so Ill have to talk to our engineering group and ask them specifically. But plug and play is the concept.
Q: This question is probably digging a bit too deep. But do you know if the developers of Animal Crossing have anything planned that will prevent someone from entering your town and cutting down all your trees?
Harlin: A lot of what theyre imagining with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network is to connect and play and connect with friends. So theyll liken it to Instant Messaging possibly. So you have a set group that are part of your community and chat with. And you assign them rights, especially for a game like Animal Crossing, is your option to play with your friends and have a network/community is definitely the direction theyre going in. Any type of communication, if you go into an online chat room and someone is rude, you have an option to walk away from that.
Q: We noticed that Jam with the Band is listed in Nintendo Power under upcoming releases. Does that mean its still being localized?
Harlin: Did they put a date with it?
Q: No.
Harlin: Good. [laughs] You know, theres a lot of titles like Electroplankton, Jam with the Band, that are being looked at for the US market but havent had a launch date or time period set yet. It looks like an interesting game, and the folks in the Tree House are pretty hot on it, so it definitely helps brings things to the US. What would also help, is since you guys are playing the Japanese version, have some people send notes to Nintendo. Also we watch the boards, Reggie watches the boards, it helps us make marketing decisions.
Q: Also, we wanted to pass along our interest in a Mario Paint DS title.
Harlin: Thatd be good.
Q: Do you know the developer of Mario Soccer?
Harlin: I dont know off the top of my head.
Q: We heard it was the developer of Segas Soccer Slam [Visual Concepts or EA Black Box]?
Harlin: I think it may be part of the same team -- Im not sure if its the same developer. It definitely has that great fast-paced feel to it, and the Mario-esque elements add quite a bit to it.
Q: Is EAD behind New Mario Bros.?
Harlin: Yes.
Q: We also thought you guys did a great job on the press conference Tuesday.
Harlin: Were glad you enjoyed it, were you surprised? By Micro?
Q: Yeah, we knew there was a new Game Boy, but we didnt know what form itd be.
Harlin: Yeah, there were a lot of rumours online about a new Game Boy.
Q: We also watched Microsoft and Sonys conference.
Harlin: You been to both booths?
Q: Microsoft is a maze, 360 stuff stuck in the back.
Harlin: I thought the 360 looked good, but it was dropping a lot of frames... But let me check if we can finish up with some Revolution stuff today.
So that ended our conversation with Mr. Harlin. We sat for a minute or so while he went to see if we could have a moment to view the Revolution up close. He returned and unfortunately we were given the thumbs down. The room was already apparently occupied. Tom said he would get back to us regarding our questions on "Who the director of New Mario Bros. is?" and "How will players connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi with an encrypted network?". Once we have those answers, we'll be sure to pass them on to you.