The Rumor Mill
Column by Glen Bayer, Dean Bergmann
Edition: 05-13-2005
Can you
feel it? Can you hear it? The air is full of buzz -- tangible stories of things to come. The
winds carry whispers -- unbelievable words from a fairy tale's heart. Our canvassed oak arms
caress and tame these winds, gathering their curious secrets. Those deciphered secrets we then
present to you and await the day...the day they become reality or the day we lay them to rest
and forever remain in fantasy.
Welcome back to the Rumor Mill! The Rumor Mill will return to updating on a monthly basis here at N-Sider.com. For those unfamiliar with the Rumor Mill, here's a short tour of how things operate. This page, known appropriately as "The Mill" is the main update. Here you can find all the latest rumors and speculation regarding Nintendo and its products. These rumors are gathered from around the print, World Wide 'Net and gaming community. In the sidebar, you will find links to rumors from prior editions of the Rumor Mill that have either been established true or unarguably proven false. A link at the very bottom, called "The Storage Room" is where you can locate the directory of all past rumors discussed in the Rumor Mill. It is designed to help readers keep track of the status of past gossip and also determine credible sources of industry rumors. The final segment of the Rumor Mill is "The Pre-Mill." The Pre-Mill is where we occasionally turn the Mill back in time to present an insightful history lesson on some of the most well-known Nintendo rumors ever to grace the web.
Now lets get this mill turning!
| A Touch Screen Revolution? |
First Report: Shuken Diamond
Date Started: December 2004
Japanese magazine Shuken Diamond published an article in its 2005 Preview Edition that said the Nintendo Revolution would not utilize the traditional D-Pad and 'A' or 'B' buttons used in controllers of past. Although the article did not specifically explain what would instead serve as a replacement of the traditional controller scheme, it has been speculated by many that the Nintendo Revolution controller will be touch and pressure sensitive or make use of gyroscopic technology...or even both.
UPDATE: January 14, 2005
Follow-up Report: Nintendo Power Forums
Date of Report: January 14, 2005
User "910DOUGH" from the Nintendo Power forums had this to say:
"There has been a TON of speculation on Nintendo's upcoming console but little is actually known about it. There are so many different ideas that no one really knows what to think. So here are some supposed "facts" about the Revolution. I can't reveal my source because I've been asked not to. Sorry guys. I would say that this info has at least a 65 percent chance of being accurate. My source has been right before and he's also been wrong. Here goes...
Ok, first things first. Yes, Nintendo will utilize gyros in its controllers. I think most people pretty much already took this as fact. Also, the Rev will indeed have dual processors. Also broadband is built in, no modem to buy. Nintendo has an online strategy in development. It will be implemented on the DS first. There are no current plans to connect the DS and the Rev...the GB Evolution on the other hand...
The Rev will have four controller ports. It will have a hard drive which will be used in much the same way as the 64DD was supposed to be used. Things like Dolby Digital 5.1 and high def monitor support are included. There is no type of virtual reality or any kind of headset planned. It is backwards compatible with GameCube games. It will use the HD-DVD format and not Sony's Blu-Ray. Controllers are not wireless, but wireless controllers are planned. It will launch with an un-named Mario game and work on Zelda has already begun. Super Smash Brothers is in mid-development and will be a launch title.
Ok, so what's the Revolutionary part? That's what you all want to know. Well my source wouldn't tell me. He said it would get him into too much trouble, and could give Sony and Microsoft an advantage at this stage in the game. But he did say this: "If you think too hard you'll never guess what it is. It's nothing "new" technically speaking. It's just something that hasn't really been applied to video games yet."
He then said "touching is good but feeling is better". What exactly that means I have no idea. Some sort of force feedback device? We already have rumble packs."
Either someone has an incredibly active imagination or words of truth were heard. This and the prior rumor seem to be connected -- perhaps even built one upon the other. This individual did correctly state that the Revolution would be backwards compatible (this was confirmed in March at the 2005 Game Developers Conference) however he failed to mention the Revolution would feature a Wi-Fi wireless connection. So although this rumor looks to have the scent of becoming false, the original report may still have the chance of becoming true.
UPDATE: March 10, 2005
Follow-up Report: N-Philes Forum
Date of Report: March 10, 2005
A member of the N-Philes Forum posted an email from, he claimed, a college buddy whose boss at Electronic Arts had the opportunity to view the Revolution controller during a meeting.
"...on Friday we had our weekly meeting with our technical director who obtained some info from Nintendo. Since yer big time Nintendo I'll tell you what he told us. The controller for their next system is gonna have a touch screen that flips on the backside of it. My boss tells me Nintendo wants developers to have an extra tool and provided a list of recommended features this can be used for. Some were cool and some were just ok. We are going to use it as a playbook in the next Madden (BTW, I told you we would get the license!) so you can hide your plays if you play with buddies and also a grid to hold certain gameplans on. From the meeting I can tell he is in love with this feature already. For example, you can press on the grid that says three yard plays and choose from a selection of plays that you input for those short yardage situations. The list also included stuff like using it for FPS to see behind you to avoid turtlers like me who hide in corners and try to ambush you...so I dont like that use. My boss said he got a lot more info about the controller that in words "is ****ing sweet" but can't say anything else due to stupid NDAs and ****. I'll let you in some more when I get some more info..."
This one is very iffy -- especially with the last comment where he says that he can't discuss more due to non-disclosure agreements. If this was true (that his speech was bound by an NDA) he wouldn't be allowed to discuss ANYTHING regarding the Revolution controller. Despite this, since Electronic Arts is the largest third-party developer in the world, they would be one of the very first to get a hold of Revolution development kits. Although we will be placing very little faith in the credibility of this particular source, we'll give the benefit of the doubt and save the final verdict for E3.
UPDATE: March 20, 2005
Follow-up Report: Game Informer
Date of Report: March 20, 2005
In March, Game Informer magazine featured an article that stated the Revolution controller would be one large touch screen. According to Game Informer's sources, the controller is said to be a completely-programmable, touch-sensitive device. With the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo in May, we expect this rumor to either be confirmed or gently put to rest. As developers get their hands on Revolution development kits later this year, it's only matter of time before a credible leak is made.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Game Boy Evolution and DS Enhanced? |
First Report: N-Sider.com
Date Started: April 24, 2004
N-Sider reported on information regarding Nintendo's next-generation model of its highly successful Game Boy line. It was reported that the console was being created under the working title of Game Boy Evolution and was scheduled to release in 2006. Furthermore, the system was reported to feature advanced graphics on par with the Sega Dreamcast and have Bluetooth wireless networking built in. Moreover, games for the console would come on mini-discs, as opposed to the traditional cartridges used in the past. Finally, the system would feature backwards compatibility of which Nintendo has made a standard with former Game Boy hardware.
UPDATE: March 02, 2005
Follow-up Report: Spong.com
Date Started: March 02, 2005
Spong.com reports, "The new model of the Game Boy Advance will be shown at Nintendos E3 press conference this year in what will be one of the most remarkable moments in recent videogame history."
According to Spong's sources, the unit will feature a large high-quality back-lit screen and analogue controls. The preliminary hardware will be announced during Nintendo's press conference on May 17 and also showcased on the showfloor alongside the Nintendo Revolution. Furthermore, the new Game Boy will be "based around existing Nintendo GameCube hardware and will be, when it launches in the US and Japan towards the end of this year, the most powerful handheld console on the planet." Spong speculates the device will also utilize GameCube software and feature Revolution connectivity.
In addition, Nintendo will further its three-pillar strategy by announcing a suite of PDA-focused software for the Nintendo DS powered by recently licensed Palm OS technology. The machine will evolve from a pure gaming machine into a PDA equipped to play Nintendo 64 quality games.
Although we don't intend to add fire to this rumor, N-Sider recalls Nintendo mentioning in the past the potential use of GameCube discs in a handheld system. When speaking to GameSpy in April of 2004, Satoru Iwata said the following:
"Some time in the future we may be able to combine the technologies of Game Boy and GameCube in a unit that will be small and light with a long enough battery life and a low enough price for the market," Iwata said. "We [will] need to find a reasonable balance between the high-functionality and the other requisite features in a portable system....Timing is very important. Even if there are new technologies that will make portable games more fun to play, if the price is too high or the other requisites are not met, we say it is premature."
Furthermore, Nintendo has been mulling over such an idea long before 2004. The initial development of the GameCube discs was said to be created with the insight of a long-term use in mind. Speaking at the 2000 Space World unveiling of the Nintendo GameCube, Genyo Takeda said the 8cm GameCube Optical Discs would be the future of interactive entertainment. Jim Merrick, former Nintendo of America technical director and current Nintendo of Europe managing director of sales and marketing said during an interview in September 2000, "Nintendo doesn't want to invest in a media format for the short term." With further comments in early 2000 from Shigeru Miyamoto that indicated the company could see the GameCube having a lifespan of eight years, all sorts of wild theories have since spread around the net. So like you, we shall stay tuned.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Nintendo Turns 21? |
First Report: Gaming-Age Forums
Date Started: January 26, 2005
A member of the Gaming-Age Forums reports that info was leaked from a shareholder meeting held by Nintendo Japan. It was said, by one of the apparent attendees, that Nintendo's next-generation console will be named "Nintendo 21". The Nintendo 21 is said to feature pressure sensitive controllers, with the buttons and handles sensitive to rubbing. A sketch was also included that claims the Nintendo 21 will arrive in retail during 2005 and will use a two-sided, 8mm disk with a 5.4 GB capacity in a shell case. According to the rumor, the Nintendo 21 will be jointly developed with Kyocera and will act as a wireless hub that will allow it to communicate for free with other Nintendo 21 consoles in its vicinity. It will serve as a "Home Game Function" and use IEEE protocol. Save data will be stored on the main unit and affect other machines over the network. A "Nintendo Home" machine will also be placed in many locations and use the PHS network for communication (popular mobile phone network). The individual concluded his report saying this news would arrive on January 27.
UPDATE: March 20, 2005
The January 27th date has since passed and no additional news relating to the Nintendo 21 has been leaked. It could be said that this rumor has met a timely death. Unless otherwise similar legitimate information arises, we can safely put this rumor to rest.
Final Verdict: False
| Star Fox, Wario and Chrono DS? |
First Report: N-Sider Forums
Date Started: April 05, 2005
N-Sider Forum user 'remnant', reports to have heard about several Nintendo DS titles in development. He states:
"I just heard a huge rumour for Star Fox DS. We recieved an e-mail from our insider (works freelance in the industry. He has worked at many places. EA, Sega of America, Nintendo of America, THQ etc.) Apparently the game will be a top down shooter with a 3/4 camera angle (think FFTA). You start at the far left of the screen shooting enemies along a rail. Eventually the camera moves to the far right depending on the diretion of the rail. You shoot with the L trigger and launch bombs with the R. He also hinted at being able to go up and down different layers of the skies to help your friends. Please note this is a huge rumour. We don't know if it is real or not or if it is being developed internally by Nintendo. Also the Chrono 3 rumour...we believe a side project Chrono game is in development for the DS/PSP yet we highly think Chrono 3 will be a PS2 exclusive."
A month earlier remnant also posted this information. He explains, "A big DS [rumor] concerns a new rpg that plays like Wario Ware. Apparently you attack enemies by doing a bunch of simple tasks like slashing, poking, scribbling and tracing the screen. It sounds insane, but the craziest thing is it's coming from Square Enix and will be announced at this year's E3. It sounds fun, but my friend is a kidder and April 1st was just yesterday..."
UPDATE: April 6, 2005
Follow-Up Report: Games Are Fun
Date of Report: April 06, 2005
A day later, Games Are Fun posted a similar rumor regarding a new game in the Chrono series. They even went so far as to post an image. The image is clearly a fake. Perhaps fake enough to put all three of these rumors to rest? We'll give it a little more time, but the outcome appears to be heading in that direction.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Metroid Prime First Hunt Online? |
First Report: Spong.com
Date Started: April 04, 2005
Spong reports that according to one of its senior US retail sources, "The game [Metroid Prime for Nintendo DS] will be fully online and we were as surprised as anyone. Nintendo told us that we should 'think along the lines of Halo 2, deathmatches, online leagues and so on'. It is going to be shown online at E3 and will hit [in the US] in mid-summer."
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said there will be a large library of games taking advantage of the network since developers currently working on short-range wireless games can easily expand their projects to include wireless Internet play. Since the demo of Metroid Prime First Hunt includes short-range wireless play, we feel it's very possible the game has since been upgraded to include global wireless play. It's a rumor we'll stay tuned in for.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Three Versions of GCN Zelda? |
First Report: Spong.com
Date Started: April 05, 2005
Spong reports that Nintendo of America will have three versions of the new Legend of Zelda title for retail later this year. One of the versions will supposedly contain a bonus disc.
It's no news that Nintendo has a special edition planned for the release of the next Legend of Zelda. Reginald Fils-Aime confirmed this fact at the past March 2005 Game Developers Conference. He spoke with GameSpot.com and said Nintendo would make a "super premium edition" of the game available. The only answer we are awaiting now is whether there will be a third version? It seems a bit unnecessary though, so we shall see.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Camelot Working on Revolution? |
First Report: Famitsu Magazine
Date Started: February 17, 2005
Game-Science reports on this factual news from Famitsu.
"A two page ad in this week's Famitsu reveals Camelot Software Planning is working on an RPG for a next-gen console, presumably Nintendo's Revolution. The catchphrases in the ad are "I want to do what I never thought possible" and "I want to make something that I've always wanted." The positions sought are programmer, graphic designer and planner. Camelot have worked on the Shining Force series for Sega, Minna no Golf for SCE, and Mario Golf, Mario Tennis and Golden Sun for Nintendo. They are also known to be working on Mario Tennis for the Game Boy Advance."
Camelot Software Planning is known for its innovative Golden Sun series on the Game Boy Advance as well as its Mario Tennis and Golf series on the home and portable consoles. The company has long been known to be interested in developing a RPG for the home console realm. The team is quite small though, so it's simply a matter of waiting until the time is right and enough resources are readily available.
Final Verdict: True
| Voice Chat, Online and More for DS? |
First Report: Edge Magazine
Date Started: March 02, 2005
Edge Magazine had some interesting rumors and thoughts to share regarding the future of the Nintendo DS and Nintendo and third-parties' strategy for supporting it.
"Many ideas are still to being designed and tested, but the first to come out of prototyping should be wireless voice chat - and protocols are already being developed by Nintendo. This could be an important step for the machine, in light of Japan's typically rabid adoption of wireless. Nintendo may find the DS has a double life as a communications tool - ironic considering its positioning as a 'pure' gaming device rather than Sony's convergance-based vision of the future. Other companies are already developing internet browsing interfaces and protocols, and Bandai revealed that it already has the DS successfully interacting with PCs. Square Enix also intimated that it is experimenting with enabling the DS to interact with its own PlayOnline service (which supports Final Fantasy XI, among other titles).
Even without PC connections, the DS's potential could be even greater than Nintendo is predicting - other developers confirmed they already have 32-machine networks operational, a massive step up from the conservative eight players Nintendo is currently willing to guaruntee. However, these developments won't become available immediately. Several companies suggested that it wouldn't be until E3 next year that they could show the kind of advanced and ambitious games which could take full advantage of the DS's potential."
It's no surprise Nintendo has big plans for the Nintendo DS. Those specific plans however have not yet been revealed. A Q&A in the February issue of Nintendo Power Magazine may shed further light on Nintendo's plans.
Question: I got myself a Nintendo DS on November 21 and I love it, I really love it. But a couple days ago I found this little port right next to the headphone [jack] and I have no idea what it is. I was just wondering if you guys at Nintendo Power know what it's used for. -gidilalla via the Internet
Answer: We've had a lot of readers ask us this question. The port is for an external microphone or headset, though no such peripheral exists at this time.
What's this mean? We've no choice but to wait until E3.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Nintendo DS to go online? |
First Report: IGNDS.com
Date Started: January 24, 2005
Craig Harris from IGNDS.com responded to an email with the following bit of insight:
"In the meantime, however, there's been rumblings at Nintendo that indicate that the company will finally unwrap its DS online plans very very soon. As it goes, Nintendo left the keys to the WiFi car in the hands of the third-party developers, but the third-party developers didn't want to drive it without Nintendo making the engine. So, as a result, if we've been hearing things correctly, Nintendo will finally and very, very soon, reveal its own "Xbox Live" like service for developers to adopt. And the first game out of Nintendo to use this service will be one of those massively killer Nintendo brands that people have been wanting to play online for years..."
UPDATE: March 10, 2005
Follow-up Report: IGNDS.com
Date of Report: March 10, 2005
During his keynote "Heart of the Gamer" at the 2005 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed Nintendo would launch a wireless network for the Nintendo DS. He explained the network would be free and would link Nintendo DS handhelds the world around. The first big game announced to take advantage of this network was said to be Animal Crossing.
Final Verdict: True
| New Legend of Zelda trailer? |
First Report: Spong.com
Date Started: March 07, 2005
Spong reports that a new extended video of the new Legend of Zelda game for GameCube would be shown on March 10 at the Game Developers Conference. The video would be shown during Satoru Iwata's keynote speech.
UPDATE: March 10, 2005
Follow-up Report: Spong.com
Date of Report: March 10, 2005
As it turns out, a completely new video showing new characters and environments in the upcoming Legend of Zelda title was shown during president Satoru Iwata's keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference.
Final Verdict: True
| Manebito Camera? |
First Report: IGN.com
Date Started: June 1, 2004
According to IGN.com several patents were registered at the Japanese Patent Office by Nintendo -- "Manebito: Camera" and "Ningen Copy: Manebito" roughly translate into "Impersonator: Camera" and "Human Copy: Impersonator" respectively. Two logos were included in the patent. The first shows a humanlike figure posing with a device that looks like a camera. The second logo features two human figures facing each other, with one using the device to take a photo of the other person. The Nintendo Camera concept may date back several years. At E3 2002, Nintendo unveiled a prototype called 'GameEye' which was to be used through the Game Boy Advance to support Stage Debut. Perhaps this device has since been upgraded and combined with additional features.
It was known that Nintendo had plans to release several peripheral devices for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005 and this would be one of them. Satoru Iwata and several other Nintendo executives were quoted as saying the company would release peripherals that would "enhance the GameCube's playability." With the decline of the GameCube market however, it seems Nintendo has since opted forgoing its release for a potential next-generation use.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| A Mega-Departure? |
First Report: GameSpy.com
Date Started: January 10, 2005
In his column at GameSpy.com, Raymond Padilla made several predictions for the year 2005. One such prediction is that a major defection would occur.
"New consoles often result in breakups and new couplings. Longtime Square fans were surprised when the company went to bed with Sony and announced that Final Fantasy would be a PlayStation exclusive. Well, we have a slew of new systems in the works. Though they'll be coming out over the next two years, a big announcement will take place this year, probably at E3 2005. I'm talking enormous -- along the lines of Square taking Final Fantasy back to Nintendo or Rockstar taking Grand Theft Auto to Xbox 2 exclusively.
My sources have given me an idea of who will be leaving who, but I can't really say right now. I'm pretty sure I'd get an easily identifiable weapon through the head. (Perhaps that's a hint.)"
UPDATE: February 24, 2005
We feel it's highly possible this rumor could have been referring to the announcement that former Square president Hironobu Sakaguchi's new studio called Mistwalker is developing console software titles exclusively for the next-generation Xbox. Or yet, it could still be something entirely different. We'll hold the verdict on this one until after E3.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Karaoke Revolution: With Mario? |
First Report: N-Sider Mailbag
Date Started: March 29, 2005
In our mailbag last week, a reader wrote in with questions about a possible extension of the "Revolution" titles from Konami onto the GameCube (or possibly the Nintendo Revolution). With the impending release of Dance Dance Revolution With Mario, there's been some speculation whether or not the Karaoke Revolution titles will get the same "With Mario" treatment. According to one of our readers, Jason Blake, who has e-mailed Harmonix Music (creators of Karaoke Revolution), and claims that a cryptic hint was left in one of the replies they sent him.
"We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the games. If there were a GameCube version in the works, we wouldn't be able to talk about it until it was officially announced by our publisher, Konami. Such announcements are common at the E3 convention in May. ;-)"
As with any text-based communication, intentions and sarcasm are hard to decipher; could the smiley face be an unofficial 'wink' to say that we can expect something at E3 this year? We'll find out in three short weeks. But rest assured, any other 'Revolution With Mario' titles will likely only be the result of phenomenal sales of DDR With Mario.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| Microsoft to Stick to Software? |
First Report: N-Sider Friend #5
Date Started: May 05, 2005
As is common-knowledge, Microsoft has lost a significant amount of money on its Xbox project. Apparently though, according to this rumor at least, the company is now looking for an escape route from this highly competitive and unpredictable industry. Supposedly the reason Microsoft hasn't made any significant steps to exit and are actually developing a successor to the Xbox console is the fact that the company hates to lose and are now simply trying to save face. There is further speculation that Microsoft is trying to build the brand up a bit more before trying to sell it off.
What might this accomplish? Well, by giving the hardware -- all the responsibilities and most importantly costs associated with it -- to someone else, Microsoft would have ultimately accomplished its goal of continuing to supply the software that runs it. It's a juicy rumor indeed, but perhaps not one we'll know as truth or fact for months or even years from now.
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
| St. Mario travels to third dimension? |
First Report: Broken Saints' Blog
Date Started: April 23, 2005
Brooke Burgess, the creator of the much respected and ever popular Broken Saints online comic has posted that he has speculation and rumors to share based on early information recieved about the Nintendo Revolution. For those of you unaware of the Broken Saints' history, they've been long rumoured in development of a console-based game for next gen systems. It's no secret that these guys are Nintendo fans, so it's very likely they are trying to get something on their next system. Although it is uncertain what this information is, he is expected to reveal it soon.
UPDATE: April 24, 2005
Apparently Brooke couldn't wait any longer and decided to spill the proverbial beans. Through talks with his friends in the industry (see: developers), Brooke believes that the next Mario game, or perhaps any Revolution game, will be projected in some sort of stereoscopic 3D. For the laemen of you, this means a purdy 3D hologram-esque environment, much like the clayfighting in Star Wars. His blog speaks of many sources in the film industry aware of a little-console that could beat them to the punch at introducing stereoscopic 3D to the mainstream; whether or not this is idle speculation, abuse of powers, or a misinterpretation of a patent, is yet to be seen.
Although, it is the belief of N-Sider.com that the patent in question is nothing more than a method of displaying objects on a screen for use in the game "The Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords" for Nintendo GameCube. It boils down to logic: the GameCube is pictured in the image contained within the patent, the characters (while generic) are holding swords, the individuals who filed the patent are members of the Four Swords development team, and not only does the game use a unique set-up to show players' screens, but it uses 3D effects in a 2D environment; so it is logical to say the patent would be for that game and not for the Revolution.
Despite this, we cannot conclude that Nintendo won't use this stereoscopic 3D technology for the next generation. But then, since Brooke used this patent to fuel his speculation, we feel this rumor is very much in limbo of becoming a statement of fiction. We'll hold off on labeling this one true or false until after E3.
UPDATE: April 28, 2005
Within the response section of Brooke's blog, user "Aries" claims the Revolution will not use stereoscopic 3D. Although he does not specifically say why he knows this, hints are dropped that would lead one to believe he is an employee of a third-party developer that is working together with Sega on the next Vectorman scheduled to release on all three next-generation consoles. Furthermore, he claims to be a former employee of Nintendo of America.
Within his posts, Aries says that Nintendo distributed Revolution development kits at the recent Game Developers Conference to such publishers as Electronic Arts and Midway. Capcom, Square Enix and Namco also apparently have dev kits in their possession.
He also claims that both Sony and Nintendo have a "Halo killer" in development. He says the Revolution will be more powerful than the Xbox 360 and that the Revolution controller will be "quite normal in the sense that it will have a d-pad and buttons", however that it will also utilize gyroscopic controls, pressure sensitivity and wireless connectivity. He says one of the best features that will be included in the Revolution is its voice recognition technology. Nintendo apparently sent the company wireless headsets which can be used to send advanced voice commands to games. Finally, Aries describes an advanced internet service that Nintendo has in development:
"The only way I can describe it is as an internet service. Imagine turning it on and checking your mail on the system. You see previews and demos of DS and Revolution games that you can download. A magazine similar to Nintendo Power will be exclusive to the system, and you will be able to access it on the Revolutions homepage. As you check you[r] mail, you will also see various invitations from gamers on your buddy list who want to play you. There are so many other ways this is going to be used. Once the Revolution comes out, there will be no reason to hang out on message boards. Message boards as well as chat rooms will be available on the Revolution so that gamers can discuss and challenge each other all day. And the best thing is that the entire thing is totally free and easy to use. Why play Madden on Xbox Live when youll be able to play it for free on the Revolution with much better services?"
Final Verdict: Wait-and-See
I guess there's not much to say. You've read the rumors and formed your opinions. Now happily join us in the agony of waiting for E3. And be sure to keep an eye out for the next edition of The Rumor Mill.
Final, Final Verdict: Don't be a Gullible Fool