Nintendo WiiU

[he11ien]

For those who don't know, Nintendo has just announced the successor to the Wii to be called the Wii U. It features a brand new controller with a built in screen that is touch and stylus sensitive. We didn't get to see much in the way of games, but the controller featured being able to play on its screen without the use of a television (nice for when someone wants to watch TV and you still want to play). The controller can also be used in conjunction with all the other Wii related controllers.

The system will also feature pretty solid third party support (those were the majority of the games they showed, no first party so far), the ability to use yourself as your avatar, the ability to put your Mii character into classic games (like New Super Mario Bros Mii).

It looks like Nintendo just changed the system yet again, leaving Sony and Microsoft behind in the dust. No amount of "moving" or "kinecting" will equal what Wii U will bring. It's good to see Nintendo's future is still bright and its nice to see them embracing HD and the internet.

Check out the e3 site for more.

 

[easyroad]

Too soon to tell, but it can be great! Let's see what Nintendo has to show.

 

[braex27]

Early days but I will give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt. People were doubtful the Wii would pick... and look where we are now...

Don't like the name.

 

[goldenmoth]

Meh. Why did they keep the name? I'm sick of saying "I'm playing with my wii" only to be met with giggles.

 

[Corny]

The concept looks nice. It will be interesting to see if the games actually come up with a good way to use it.

I was a bit skeptical at first, but after seeing the videos I think it could be great!

 

[lobeznoz]

Video from E3

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3qaPg_keg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3qaPg_keg[/ame]

 

[GameOver]

This is not a device which Nintendo is banking on having a long lifespan. This is more like half a jump to the next gen.

The WiiU is essentially an iPad and the price is expected to reach $300 for the new console.

What we do know is that the WiiU is more powerful than the Xbox360 but still sits behind the PS3 in terms of processing power. We have yet to see what the WiiU can do because 3rd party footage at the conference was taken from the Xbox360 and PS3.

The Zelda demo looked impressive but turning that into reality? This is certainly not the revolution the OP thinks it is. Reggie commented that the actual console is of little relevance

Reggie Fils-Aime on Wii U's controller and console

When quizzed about why the Wii U's main console unit was kept in the background during the reveal, he said, "we're not emphasising the console because it's just a box."

People will see this as $300 for a new controller and while that certainly isn't the way of it, Nintendo could have done more to emphasize that it's a full console, not just a controller.

 

[he11ien]

This is not a device which Nintendo is banking on having a long lifespan. This is more like half a jump to the next gen.

The WiiU is essentially an iPad and the price is expected to reach $300 for the new console.

What we do know is that the WiiU is more powerful than the Xbox360 but still sits behind the PS3 in terms of processing power. We have yet to see what the WiiU can do because 3rd party footage at the conference was taken from the Xbox360 and PS3.

The Zelda demo looked impressive but turning that into reality? This is certainly not the revolution the OP thinks it is. Reggie commented that the actual console is of little relevance

People will see this as $300 for a new controller and while that certainly isn't the way of it, Nintendo could have done more to emphasize that it's a full console, not just a controller.

Depending on who you ask, Wii U will be stronger than anything Xbox or Sony has on the market right now. It would make no sense from a technical stand point (or commercial) for them to shoot higher than one, lower than the other. It would make it that much harder to get people to part with their money.

As for the extreme emphasis on the controller, the console itself is brand new. Everyone is still learning its ins and outs. It would have been a bad move to emphasize a console that technically doesn't have any games prepared for it yet. So they went with the next best thing, showing the controller (which was ready) and how it would function and interact. Once some actual games (and not tech demos) are ready, the console will take center stage I'm sure.

 

[brandhay]

I wonder how heavy that controller is. It doesn't look very comfortable for prolonged use, to me anyway. Interesting concept, though.

 

[GameOver]

Depending on who you ask, Wii U will be stronger than anything Xbox or Sony has on the market right now.

Facepalm.jpg

The WiiU uses IBM Microprocessors, the same type used in Watson, so again, it will sit in between the 360 and PS3.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that it will provide the microprocessors that will serve as the heart of the new Wii U™ system from Nintendo.

I wonder how heavy that controller is. It doesn't look very comfortable for prolonged use, to me anyway. Interesting concept, though.

What they showed on stage was devkit.

 

[maxpowr9]

After Nintendo's recent stumblings (less than stellar 3DS sales, declining Wii sales and the recent "hacking") they need some good news coming their way. Nintendo's biggest problem has always been to woo third-party developers to their consoles so we shall see if that changes with the WiiU. However, the obstacle to overcome will be its price point especially for their controllers.

 

[Corny]

nintendo hacking? do you mean sony?

 

[maxpowr9]

nintendo hacking? do you mean sony?

No I mean Nintendo. It was nowhere near as dire as Sony's but still, it happened.

 

[Corny]

^ ah ok .. totally missed that. seems like it was just a defacement or something similar, nothing serious. would hardly list hat as a something that somehow hindered them in anything.

 

[GM1985]

So basically they've merged the DS and Wii? I was hoping for a true next gen console that could compare or surpass graphics wise the 360 or PS3.

 

[maxpowr9]

^ ah ok .. totally missed that. seems like it was just a defacement or something similar, nothing serious. would hardly list hat as a something that somehow hindered them in anything.

They still breached the system which is the definition of a "hack". Adding modifiers like stolen information or lack thereof doesn't change the fact that it occurred. Just because this "hacker" didn't do anything 'serious', doesn't mean another won't.

 

[Corny]

I know, I am from this field

See, there are things that it is rather difficult to protect against (see 0 days). But if your architecture isn't idiotic, people won't gain access to certain data as easily.

If somebody defaces your website - that's annoying. But that's about it. If somebody manages to copy your database. That is a disaster.

 

[easyroad]

This is not a device which Nintendo is banking on having a long lifespan. This is more like half a jump to the next gen.

The WiiU is essentially an iPad and the price is expected to reach $300 for the new console.

What we do know is that the WiiU is more powerful than the Xbox360 but still sits behind the PS3 in terms of processing power. We have yet to see what the WiiU can do because 3rd party footage at the conference was taken from the Xbox360 and PS3.

The Zelda demo looked impressive but turning that into reality? This is certainly not the revolution the OP thinks it is. Reggie commented that the actual console is of little relevance

People will see this as $300 for a new controller and while that certainly isn't the way of it, Nintendo could have done more to emphasize that it's a full console, not just a controller.

Is 5 years a long lifespan? Because it's very unlikely to me that Sony and Microsoft might come up with a PS4 or a X720 before 3 years at the very least. Sony has their "10 year plan" and Move; Microsoft has Kinect and another Halo trilogy. Not to mention that HD is just now getting popular, so there's plenty of potential consumers to convince without the need of a new, cutting-edge, ridiculously expensive machine.

As for WiiU's power, I wouldn't even bother thinking about it. Nintendo will never disclose that information. You'll only know for sure when someone tears it open and leaks its specs to the internet. Also, the thing is only a console and a few tech demos, so nothing is set in stone. People are saying that the console only supports one tablet controller and the rest will be regular controllers or wiimotes, but that can change. Many things can change until next year, so the best choice is to wait and see.

I wonder how heavy that controller is. It doesn't look very comfortable for prolonged use, to me anyway. Interesting concept, though.

There are many hands-on articles around and the general consensus is that it's very comfortable and nice to use. But still it doesn't look nice, so Nintendo will have to work hard on its marketing to change people's perceptions.

 

[braex27]

Watched the vid and all I could think was, show more Zelda!

Haha.

 

[braex27]

Hoping the cord is just to charge, and the rest of the time the controller is battery run? It would be quite limiting if the controller always had to be plugged into the console.