N-Query

Has Resident Evil 4 been delayed?

Zelda

Hey Matt. Any chance Nintendo will release clearer Legend of Zelda screens any time soon? The current batch is kind of blurry, especially when compared to the higher-res SW2000 pics.

Matt responds: I'd be shocked if Nintendo did, to be honest. My feeling is that the game will go into hiding until Nintendo shows it off again at the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2005 sometime next May.

Wireless

This is something I would really like to see addressed in your Revolution FAQ, which I'm glad to see up and running with a lot of detail and insight.

I would like to know if Nintendo will continue to tout wireless as the standard next gen. Will all the controllers be an evolution of the wavebird? Or will Nintendo stick with the dependable, but always in the way cord controllers?

Thanks and love the site.

Travis
(Insider name: Igotnintendo2)

Matt responds: Given the success of the Wave Bird controller, I have to think Nintendo will go the wireless route in full. Remember: the company has more recently stepped further into the wireless arena with Wi-Fi and wireless support for its upcoming dual-screened portable.

On the other hand, we would probably to well to avoid presumptions about Revolution's controller at this point for it may not be a controller as we know them. Nintendo has indicated that wants to revolutionize the way games are played. There's a strong possibility that Revolution's controller will have a role in that goal. If that's the case, it could be entirely different from anything we've seen so far.

RE4 Delayed?

The message boards have been going a crazed panic about RE4 possibly being delayed to 2/1/05! So I thought you guys can help!

I've seen eb games and it says RE4 is to be released in 2/1/05 which is the release date to Outbreak File #2. Why would Capcom do that? And Gamestop has changed it's release date back to 11/16/04 but eb games hasn't. So is it delayed or what?!

P.S. Put this in the N-query so that everyone may know the truth!

Matt responds: One online retailer is listing February 2005 as Resident Evil 4's ship date, but according to Capcom that it is false. I spoke with a company representative today who said that the survival horror sequel is still scheduled for a winter 2004 release -- that nothing has changed.

Thoughts

Matt,

Since you are the main "Nintendo Voice" on IGN, I was wondering what your thoughts are on Nintendo's claim that the future of gaming is no longer based on better technology and graphics, but on better and more innovative gameplay? Do you agree with the thoughts of Nintendo? I personally think that there is truth in the statement, but I also think that gaming technology and graphics are not quite top notch in the gaming world yet.
Louie55

Matt responds: I agree with you on the subject. I think Nintendo's executives are kidding themselves when they say that graphics have reached a point where gamers can no longer tell the difference. Even in today's cutting edge software there are blurry textures, undefined geometry, a general lack of vegetation, skin, hair, physics, artificial intelligence and more, and still framerates suffer as processors and graphics chips struggle to keep up.

If technology has reached a point where additional power is moot, then why can I only command 100 Pikmin at a time? Why did the framerate in Super Mario Sunshine stutter? Why aren't there individual blades of grass in Hyrule? One need only look at the dramatic difference normal-mapping makes in the visual presentation of games like Chronicles of Riddick to know how important the role that technology plays remains. Technology allows developers to create atmosphere and realism, which in turn sucks players into the games.

On the other hand, I couldn't agree with Nintendo more in that technology alone is not the answer for the next-generation of consoles. Hardware makers have simply boosted the performance of systems and brought relatively nothing new to the table. As a long-time gamer, I'm hungry and optimistic for true innovation, let alone a total revolution. If Nintendo can deliver either, sign me up. But I don't think that the revolution should come at the sacrifice of immersive, beautiful graphics and presentation.

Burned

I'm addressing this letter to both Douglass C. Perry, and Fran Mirabella, who conducted an interview on March 15 of this year with a couple of the guys who worked on Burnout 3. Mr. Perry and Mr. Mirabella, I notice that nowhere in the interview do you ask your subjects WHY Burnout 3 isn't coming out for the Gamecube? Why didn't you ask them? I mean, you HAD 2 people involved with B3 right in your hands, practically, and, knowing how many IGNCube members are out there, didn't you feel a bit duty-bound to inquire about it?

Matt responds: We've been told several times why it's not coming to GameCube. The reason is that Burnout 3 is a very online-centric racer and Nintendo's console features lackluster (at best) online functionality. Not a mix, in other words, and so the decision was made not to make a GCN build.