Fils-Aime Talks Cheaper Revolution, HD Compatibility

Further details concerning the Revolution console's pricing and technical specifics have emerged via Nintendo of America executive vice president of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aime. Interviewed in Chris Morris’ Game Over column for news website CNN/Money, Fils-Aime has hinted that the Revolution will be significantly cheaper than either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. "Value has been a key card for us this generation and we'll continue to play it," stated Fils-Aime. "Do I expect us to be at a lower price point than our competition? Yes I do. Have we determined a price yet? No we haven't." Although this is essentially the same approach taken with Nintendo's last console launch, the GameCube, Fils-Aime was happy to admit that mistakes were made with the current generation console, in particular with a weak launch line-up, unattractive design and unnecessary emphasis on console portability. Fils-Aime also confirmed long held rumors that, unlike Microsoft and Sony's next-gen consoles, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the Revolution will not support high definition (HD) video. He cited extended loading times as one of the primary reasons for the decision (although cost saving and uneven penetration of the technology worldwide must also have been a factor). Finally, the Nintendo executive, who has become one of the company's most prominent worldwide spokespersons, hinted that a remolded Nintendo DS, which has also been criticized for its unattractive design, could also be underway, saying: “As soon as [the DS] was launched, we started looking at ways to tweak it visually." He also stated that there were currently no plans for price cuts on any current generation format during the Christmas period.