GDC 2006: Return of the Iwata

Nintendo president to address Game Developers Conference for the second year in a row.

Last year at the 2005 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced that his company's next-generation console, the Revolution, would have built-in wireless functionality. Last month, he told a Japanese newspaper that his company planned to launch the Revolution by Thanksgiving in the US.

Next month will likely see Iwata divulge further details on the Revolution. For the second year in a row, the executive will be delivering a keynote address at GDC, which returns to San Jose after a one-year detour to San Francisco. In his address, titled "Disrupting Development," Iwata will "inspire developers to take risks and mine the depths of their imaginations to create innovative games regardless of the size of teams or budgets," according to GDC organizers CMP Media.

"We are extremely honored to feature an experienced platform leader such as Satoru Iwata as a keynote speaker," said GDC director Jamil Moledina in a statement. "As Nintendo reinvents the scope of what games can be, it is ever more crucial to share their creative and market-growing philosophies with the other leaders of the game creation industry."

Besides making some mention of the Revolution, Iwata will discuss his company's wireless network, the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, as well as the series of brain-training games for the DS handheld. GameSpot will be on hand to cover Iwata's address and all other happenings of import at GDC 2006.

74 Comments

  • XlpranksterlX

    Posted Feb 9, 2006 1:00 pm PT

    Still nothing concrete so dont get your hopes up.

  • DarKnite32

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 11:32 pm PT

    WHOOOHOOO SAN JOE! WESTSIDE

  • FuguNabe

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 10:14 pm PT

    Well still waiting for E3.. Glad Nintendo has big plans though. Need a lil more quality in gaming. Kinda glad for all three next gen systems. More competition = more push to outdo each other = more good games for us gamers (hopefully). As for DS I can see that system getting more quality games and some really interest andoriginal ones. I want to see Nintendo's network set-up and benefits for the Rev. and it's titles at E3. It'll certainly be interesting.

  • myballstingle

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 6:12 pm PT

    Wow... I'm not impressed. :/

  • Bluestorm-Kalas

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 4:12 pm PT

    rbarahona, you sound like your a plant from nintendo...lol....

  • Bluestorm-Kalas

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 4:11 pm PT

    rbarahona, you sound like your a plant from nintendo...lol....

  • Bluestorm-Kalas

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 4:04 pm PT

    xeidog69 me and you have so many different opinions and I like reading all your comments because they strongly show the other side but i disbanded nintendo's hand held for a psp, strictly because the touch screen made hand held games to difficult, new idea "innovative" and i never liked it, i love my psp because its same ol same ol, and same with the revolution, the controller is to different, so im goin to ps3, its not change of games I don't like, its change of gameplay...I.E. video games are not meant for touch screen or one hand controls and to playin ping pong with the controller or tennis, play real tennis or ping pong with a friend, its more excersize and its real life...you do make a good point though,

  • cyprus646

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 3:19 pm PT

    I cant wait to see whats iwata aka GOD is gona say will def be looking forward for some rev news .

  • cyprus646

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 3:19 pm PT

    I cant wait to see whats iwata aka GOD is gona say will def be looking forward for some rev news .

  • dmn_link

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 2:29 pm PT

    I prefer to wait till E23 for everything. (It will maintain me entertained)

  • adonspa

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 1:58 pm PT

    I heard the revo will incorporate speech to text chat program.

  • EvIlKiNgKoOpA

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 1:43 pm PT

    maybe he will show off the shell add-on,or something like that,or the REVO in system innerface,but no tech demo or gameplay,thats all for e3

  • Mafia217

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 1:04 pm PT

    Can't wait for more Iwata surprise jejejejeje

  • rbarahona

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 12:53 pm PT

    Another reason to follow this year's GDC. I'm not realy sure about how much info we will be getting on Revolution, but the new info will be great.

  • titledlive

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 12:21 pm PT

    I still not sure about the Rev. I have to see in action and see what games they are releasing for it. I hope they show something that gets my blood pumping however I am not holding my breath.

  • Kenzo287

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 12:16 pm PT

    Viva La Revolution!

  • cantlooseu

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 11:38 am PT

    wow cant wait, but one thing.. if the revoloution is going to be 2 or 3 times more powerfull than GC then i will be extremly disapointed, i want it to look similar to the 360, i think the should rev up the engines and make a powerfull and full of inovation masterpiece!!!

  • Super_C

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 11:17 am PT

    I'm guessing that if there's any Revolution info, it'd be less about hardware specs and more about developer support. I think the hardware stuff is coming in E3. They'd want to own E3 and (thus) minimize Sony's ability to respond (IE: they wouldn't want to give Sony a heads-up as to what's coming at E3).

  • Dace67

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 10:14 am PT

    Hopefully he'll drop something about the Revolution, but I'm not counting on it.

  • Konfusion

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 10:12 am PT

    This is great news. When Iwata talks, the world listens. But I expect more DS/WiFi news than Revolution news... E3 is still the place to be at.

  • EMH88

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 10:07 am PT

    How can you guys wait for zelda revo when zelda tp isnt even out yet. lol...Zelda ds is a possiblity tought.

  • remmbermytitans

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 9:10 am PT

    he NEEDS to show all the game developers what the revolution can do! bring a small short demo! show us them the rev graphics! let them use the controller! SOMETHING!!! this is the best shot nintendo has to gain third-party support!!!

  • joestierman

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 8:21 am PT

    please make the revolution region free like DS PLEASE

  • frankeyser

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 8:08 am PT

    i hope he shows some kind of revoltion game... like a mario game or something so i can see how in the world the controler is going to work with it. i mean i can understand fishing games, flying games, firstperson shooters, sword fighting games but platformers and adventrue games i am stumped on a bit as how it is going to really utilize the controler...

  • ufopuller

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 7:51 am PT

    He even looks like a gamer

  • Argama7

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 6:52 am PT

    Super!

  • smo_doggy

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 6:15 am PT

    Im really dont think Iwata will give much away, waiting for E3. Not to be pessimistic, but if well dont see more than first party titles at E3 Ninty could be in big trouble...

  • Kwiksilva

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 6:14 am PT

    Yes this is going to be interesting

  • redfield_137

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 5:50 am PT

    All I care about is whether or not RE5 will be out on the Rev. But I can't wait for it to be released in Aus...

  • easy33

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 5:29 am PT

    Thats great because I didnt think we would be getting anymore news about the REV until E3.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 5:21 am PT

    sweet. i doubt he's gonna say much about the rev though.....E3 will be the big event.

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 4:57 am PT

    i can't wait for it

  • TryMe01

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 4:02 am PT

    hope he isnt sick like last year...

  • CloudStrifeFFO7

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 3:38 am PT

    Nintendo always has been good about comeing up with new ideas insted of rehashing the same old stuff, hopefuly Nintendo will reveal alot more stuff about there new console!

  • Reetesh

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 3:18 am PT

    Will Be looking Forward to it. and also Expect that Some IDEAD more should be given Out

  • xeidog69

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 3:01 am PT

    I agree with ssvegeta...developers need to take some friggin risk like they did in the good old days between snes playstation and dreamcast..thats when I use to still get excited when I bought a new console...and new games for that matter....now its more or less seen that/done that/great game its just like the last one I played just differant levels .....lets get away from the typical formulaic games we are plagued with , dont get me wrong I still want my Final fantasies,resident evils,and FPS games, along with mario and others..but for real bring on some innovation ...I would like to see a samurai game that uses the remote like a sword..or a good ping pong game with a network feature cuz im buying two revolutions... it would be fun to play some tennis or ping pong in two seperate rooms...so they should not only have the online feature but a lan/network function as well...hopefully if the system is really cheap to make games for we might see some new game developers emerge like we did with the playstation and such...well thats all im saying for now...and kick some booty revolution..I hope NINTENDO never stops with home consoles because they really do force other companies to change there tactics and mix things up a little...playstation made a dual shock for instance cause 64 had it.analog stick and rumble packs...bring it on...

  • ssvegeta555

    Posted Feb 8, 2006 12:11 am PT

    Hopefully his speech will inspire developers to take risks, rather than relying on the same-old formula.

  • onigedaki

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 11:38 pm PT

    Did somebody say something about secrets?

  • andrewtyen

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 11:29 pm PT

    i can't wait

  • icebergstorm

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 10:57 pm PT

    Long Live Zelda!! Woo hoo!! info about zelda ds and/or zelda revo please iwata-san!!

  • s0l0123

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 10:47 pm PT

    Can't wait to hear about the news, it's gonna be awesome.

  • KojiBrother

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 9:55 pm PT

    Bring on the new Zelda trailer!

  • Game13a13y

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 9:42 pm PT

    can't wait for more info on REV!!

  • NeoJedi

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 9:08 pm PT

    Let's hope he reveals more stuff about the Revolution.

  • MrPuzzlez

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 8:56 pm PT

    I'm starved... for more Rev info!!!

  • killa-k

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 8:37 pm PT

    this should b a good experience 4 all Nintendo lovers

  • helluvagood

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 8:35 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • regulesblade

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 8:30 pm PT

    I'm really excited about it

  • Viquist

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 8:22 pm PT

    Iwata and Reggie = GODS of the Gaming world.... The 9th, this thursday, will be great along with the GDC - Can't wait!!!

  • Dafdiego777

    Posted Feb 7, 2006 8:20 pm PT

    Hope we find out about the rev.

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