Nintendo Announces New Console: Wii U 330
_xeno_ writes "Nintendo has announced the official name for what had been known as 'Project Cafe:' the Wii U. It is an HD console, it retains backwards compatibility with the Wii (it's unclear if this includes GameCube software), and the controller does, in fact, have a touch screen on it. Nintendo demoed moving a game off the TV and playing it solely on the Wii U controller."
Also in E3 news, cylonlover writes "At its E3 press conference Sony finally revealed that its next generation handheld — previously codenamed the NGP — will carry the official moniker of the 'PlayStation Vita.' The PS Vita — which is Latin for 'life' — will come in two flavors: a Wi-Fi only version priced at $249 in the US, JPY24,980 in Japan, and EUR249 in Europe, and a 3G/Wi-Fi version going for US$299, JPY29,980 and EUR299."
My hands hurt... (Score:4, Funny)
My Hands hurt just looking at that controller.
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And it failed pretty miserably, because no one wanted to use a controller that weighed about a pound.
I have no idea what Nintendo was thinking with this. It looks completely impossible to play any game comfortably, or to even use this thing for more than 2 minutes. Either make the controller entirely touchscreen, or make it ergonomic. It can't be both.
I think it's time to sell Nintendo stock.
Re:My hands hurt... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:My hands hurt... (Score:5, Funny)
Hold off judgment until we hold them ourselves? You must be new here.
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Dreamcast's failure is unlikely to have had anything to do with the controller, PARTICULARLY since the LCD screen was an addon device that most games didn't even use and all 3rd party memory cards (and possibly some first part - my memory is fuzzy there) completely omitted.
Overall, I'd say that Dreamcast's failure was more so a combination of people opting to wait for Sony's console (given the track record between the two in the previous generation), as well as the fact that Dreamcast games could be pirated
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Not really, since the games WERE DRM'd. It just so happens that it was a very, very weak and easily circumvented DRM'd.
Also, as a Dreamcast owner who DIDN'T pirate games, I can honestly say that the library was a bit thin. I liked Soul Caliber, Grandia 2, and RE: Code Veronica. Other than that - it just didn't hold my attention. No fault of the hardware there though.
I'll admit that the ONLY reason I ended up getting a Dreamcast was because it debuted right after I left home for college. I had left my N
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How more affordable? I still see them costing well more than a current Wii controller.
That just turns me off from a cost standpoint. Controllers shouldn't cost as much as a game, and looking at the screen plus the size I don't see less than $60.
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You mean the VMU that ate watch batteries like they were candy and had the sophistication to play a really dumb version of Space Invaders? Yeah, I can see where you'd draw a comparison.
Re:My hands hurt... (Score:5, Insightful)
Over a decade ago, when our cell phones were still rocking monochrome displays and just then getting into WAP browsing? Yeah. That's a great comparison, actually, and points out where the concept would have begun in the 'modern' era. Remember, that was about the extent of what our technology of the era could bring to bear without HUGE cost, which incidentally I imagine will be a very present issue with the Wii u's main controller.
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More than that, the LCD display allowed the VMU to do substantially more than anyone expected from a simple memory card. Moving data around from card to card didn't require the console to accomplish, as it could be done directly from one memory card to another, and when you've been getting yourself engrossed in a game, you could take a little part of it with you, to play while you're out and about. In the mean time, the LCD offered a subset of the Wii U controller's advantages, in terms of giving individual
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er, did I just say that out loud?
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Good lord, that's the first thing I thought too. I love the specs and games they've announced, but Jesus does that controller look like it would be a pain in the ass to hold for any length of time. I get carpal tunnel syndrome just looking at it. Damn thing is almost as big as an iPad (and a lot heavier I bet).
Re:My hands hurt... (Score:5, Insightful)
Damn thing is almost as big as an iPad (and a lot heavier I bet).
Why on earth wound it be heavier? It is smaller, requires far simpler electronics, probably has much less in the way of a battery, and is primarily made of plastic.
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Having even a tiny black-and-white screen on the Dreamcast was nice; I think this will be great.
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The only issue I have with the Wii Classic controller is that the analog sticks are way too stiff for virtual console games like Ocarina of Time. It makes the carnival arrow game extremely difficult. Of course, with the new Wiittachment, you could just tap directly on the target, eliminating all that fuss with aiming. Heh.
-l
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I agree. While the N64 was one of the worst controllers I've ever used on a modern console, the Gamecube controller was absolutely fantastic. It's still the most comfortable controller I've ever used.
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I don't understand why people hate N64 controllers so much. I played Turok, Banjo-kazooie, Mario 64, and Zelda on it, and it felt just fine to me.
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It was the analog stick. Out of the box, it didn't have the best sensitivity and, after a couple months of modest play, it was just terrible. I went through 3 controllers and I barely even played the console.
As far as the shape of the controller, I didn't mind that so much. It was just that darn analog...it was terrible.
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Believe it or not, Nintendo is indeed capable of making mistakes. If you doubt it, I have two words for you: Virtual Boy.
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Heh. Yeah, Nintendo is capable of making mistakes, the most recent one coming to mind is a high-concept system from fifteen years ago.
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You know, I could get behind this. A red label along the lines of your description would let healthy gamers know exactly which games to round-file.
price (Score:5, Insightful)
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From decades of experience, I can tell you that ANYTHING that is related to that level of being optional will not catch on. Virtually anything that's not considered "standard equipment" (for ALL the players) will be avoided by the developers, as few want to target the smaller market segment.
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Re:price (Score:4, Informative)
Virtual Boy
PowerGlove
PowerPad
SuperScope
Super Gameboy
SNES Mouse
Satellaview
N64 Transferpack
Nintendo 64DD
N64 VRU
Gameboy Printer
There are a ton of Nintendo Accessories that flopped because they were off the wall and not supported by many games.
Re:price (Score:4, Insightful)
Why the fuck do people keep bringing up the Power Glove as a Nintendo accessory when it was made by Mattel?
Also, you forgot the E-reader. But also, you forgot that people buy the accessories because they think they're worth buying for the uses that are available. Anyone who bought a Gameboy Printer and thought it was going to hit some mainstream feature status that all games would use was an idiot. Only a fool would buy something solely based on what it might be able to do in the future.
--Jeremy
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those controllers look like they are going to cost more than the console...
The video is rendered and streamed from the console [gamespot.com] apparently.
So I'm sure that cut some corners, err I mean costs.
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From my pers
Err...What?? (Score:4, Insightful)
They call that a controller? Yeah maybe for a giant. The way the Wii was designed in the past you want real movement and reflexes with the controller.
Just thinking back to those people who accidentally threw their Wiimotes into their TVs, can you imagine the mess that one would cause :)
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Place the sticker first and remove it quickly so you won't have to shave.
Re:Err...What?? (Score:4, Interesting)
That looks even worse than the Atari Jaguar controller [wikimedia.org].
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Check the Nintendo website (Score:3)
Just thinking back to those people who accidentally threw their Wiimotes into their TVs, can you imagine the mess that one would cause :)
If you look at the Nintendo website you can see that the new system will also support the old Wii motes (and Wii motes with motion plus). You would likely use those for the more active (sports) games, and the new controllers for the games that are more similar to what is played on other consoles currently.
Name game. (Score:3)
Pii U.
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Actually, they're next model will be known as the Eff U
Mmmmmm (Score:3)
Hmm is that name right? (Score:2)
Alt text humor (Score:2)
The alt text for the image is "new nintendo wii e3 small". Yeah, there's nothing small about that control, people. This is probably the most anti-Nintendo thing I think I've ever seen Nintendo do.
It's just a rehash of stuff they've already tried (Score:4, Informative)
Vita (Score:3)
> The PS Vita — which is Latin for 'life'
Vita - which is a Romanian derogatory term for "cow / bovine" :-)
May skip this one now (Score:2)
This controller seems like it's well suited for turn based RPGs and that's about it. You have to LOOK at the controller to do anything on that touch screen, and that goes against much of the philosophy of modern games. I get the general idea, you put your status indicators and such on the controller screen, but to really register anything you're going to have to be looking at it all the time.
I'm hoping that this is a mistake that this is the default controller and they expect you to normally used an evolv
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I should have known (Score:2)
Oh well, at least it will be easy to find used games soon.
Doesn't seem like a very good concept (Score:2)
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Let's think about Multiplayer games instead, which to most "casual" gamers is what's important.
In some games, you actually want to keep things hidden from the other players. This is true of practically all closed-hand card games and LOTS of board games. Consider games like scrabble, where you have the "main" board and your own set of letters. This controller could easily have things like your "hand" which can be kept secret/hidden from the other players. The whole Ipad/Ipod scrabble thing (where you c
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Seems like it would be good for any multi-player games where a player would want to keep something secret from other players. If you're playing a sports game, make your play selection on the handheld screen, then do the actual playing on the TV. Make your car selection (Mario Kart) on the handheld, etc. In addition, it opens up all kinds of possibilities with card games, word games, board game simulations, etc.
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Not so interesting really: In a DS, touching the screen and using the buttons at the same time is extremely uncomfortable, and yet it's not been a problem at all, because it's really an either/or situation: They'll make games that are controlled my the touch screen, where you are expected to hold the console on your lap/table, and games where you'll use the buttons and the analog stick, where you'll barely ever use the touch screen. The most they'll ask for is one hand dedicated to buttons, and another to t
The first 3G non-phone (Score:2)
What will happen when we all are carrying multiple cellular-enabled devices? Would you simply pop a SIM card into each cellular device? Will you have to pay for each device? Would your plan allow for up to X number of devices? Or would they simply bill you by total sum of bandwidth?
My guess is that, the cell companies will take the most complicated solution possible. You will need to bring each cellular device into the store so they can activate it for you. Each device will have a different bandwidth
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Each device will have a different bandwidth limit and your bill will be 10 pages long.
Your bill is only 10pp long? I have 3 lines on AT&T and mine is 58pp long. Glad it's a PDF instead of mail, though.
-l
The good news (Score:2)
Multiple controllers? (Score:2)
Jaguar Controller finally improved upon... (Score:2)
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I'll wait and see (Score:2)
When the Wii was announced people were _very_ sceptical about the whole motion control thing...
I'll wait and see if this is a winner or not. Also, I'm wondering if it will play my old Wii games. Not really that interested in keeping a stack of consoles in the living room.
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Hard to say (Score:5, Insightful)
I look at that controller and I think both "Wow, cool!" and "Holy crap its big!" But it wouldn't be the first time we've all thought the Big N has lost their collective marbles only to be right. When they announced the N64 with its 3-prong controller, everyone said that looked like the most uncomfortable thing they'd ever seen -- and it was maybe the most comfortable one I've ever used, even to this day. When they announced the DS, everyone thought they were certifiable, and it turned into the best selling handheld of all time (no, we're not counting the goddamn iPhone just because it can play games). And I seem to recall that the Wii's announcement was also met with a fair bit of ridicule and it outsold its competitors (at least console-wise).
Of course, they also released the Virtual Boy (or whatever that thing was called) and that was a trainwreck. Still, I'm going to withhold judgement until I can try it for myself. At the very least, it sounds like there's some real possibility there. I just hope I'm not paying $150 a controller!
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Of course, they also released the Virtual Boy (or whatever that thing was called) and that was a trainwreck.
Headache-inducing, no good game lineup, and you had to sit in an awkward position non-stop to play it. That was a mistake from the beginning.
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<pedant>Technically, the Nintendo DS is the second best-selling console of all time, behind the Playstation 2 (146.42M vs. 150M as of December 2010).</pedant>
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The biggest issue with the DS was that it took a long, long time before interesting games became available on the platform.
-l
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You should have seen the Power Glove. It was so bad!
Looks like a UAV controller (Score:5, Informative)
That Wii U photo makes it look a whole lot like one of several [unmanned.co.uk] makes [suasnews.com] of Small UAV hand controllers [avinc.com].
A lot of work goes into the ergonomics of these things, because soldiers spend a lot of time using them, so there's a reason they all look very similar. Several ergonomic factors, obvious from the convergence of these designs, appear to be universal:
- Touchscreens are sexy but impractical. They're imprecise without a stylus, awkward to hold, and you have to obscure your view of the action to effect a control.
- It's nearly impossible make the screen too large. There's a reason the screen is big and dominates the faces of all of these units.
- Controls are arranged on the sides so that the fingers can take the weight while the thumbs work the controls without requiring the user adjust his grip.
- Control paradigms are borrowed from the original Playstation hand controllers because most users have prior experience with them.
- Light weight tradeoff against battery life, screen size, and ruggedness.
Looks like the convergence is happening from both directions. And it's not surprising because the human interface requirements are very similar in both applications.
and can be used in conjunction with Wii controller (Score:2)
Hold your horses people, they aren't saying you have to use this mammoth just to play wii bowling.
Command and Control for multiplayer (Score:2)
Or playing mario kart, each with there own individual screen and the TV showing a top down view of the amp with score keeping.
I'm excited about the potential...
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"Vita" means "Life" in Italian too... (Score:2)
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People in Italy speaking Latin?!? That doesn't make any sense at all.
Not for the hardcore gamer, but... (Score:2)
This controller (too big for extended gaming periods, though it is likely to be revised before launch) and feature-set won't appeal to the hardcore gamer but is perfect for the mid-core gamer [8bitrocket.com].
Backwards compatibility with the original Wii means a neverending stream of casual games (that will continue to be created for both Wii and WiiU), good to share with family and friends; but now finally A-titles will be released for the three main systems, so the mid-core player won't be left behind.
People speculated th
Oh come on! (Score:2)
What game console is that?
I think it's Wii U
I we you what?
What's the third gen tech going to be - the "Wii U Mii"? Followed closely by "Thay Wii U Mii"?
Isn't the Wii brand (Score:2)
Back from the... past? (Score:2)
This controller looks more like a cross between the Wii classic controller and an Intellivision controller.
Oh no!!! (Score:2)
What's with the name? (Score:2)
Is there some kind of internal contest within Nintendo on who comes up with the most idiotic name? with big cash prizes? instant promotion for the winner?
I really can't explain it otherwise...
Europe Screwed Again (Score:2)
That's $365 for the Wi-Fi and $439 for the 3G in the EU - they don't list UK prices, but assuming £249 and £299 that's $409 and $491 respectively.
Laughable.
HTPC (Score:3)
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Enjoying the results of forced warranties, difficult and expensive environmental regulations (RoHS, I'm looking at you) and takebacks on electronics, are we?
In the US, when it breaks, you get to keep both pieces. Although they do give you 12 months, it's encumbered by all sorts of conditions, and you get to pay for shipping (well, that's the usual MO here, don't know if Nintendo is breaking that mold or not).
When I bought a GBA SP, one of the first ones, it had an annoying bit of lint floating in the center of the screen. I put in a claim online and got a label. Slapped it on a spare box, shipped it in, had it back in about a week and a half. Nothing out of pocket.
Not too shabby, definitely beyond the letter of the law according to the warranty. Of course, this was back when their console division was a joke and they couldn't afford to be arrogant as an overall company.
Does seem to be the case (Score:4, Insightful)
I also don't know that it'll work well this time around. The Wii did well because it sold kinda like a board game: Many people bought it that weren't in to video games. They often didn't play it a lot, putting it away only to take it out for parties, but they bought it. Ok fine. However this? Not sure you'll sell people on it. Particularly since a controller like this is going to be all kinds of expensive. A nice large LCD costs money, no way around it.
We'll have to see what goes on but Nintendo may have a dud this time around. Gimmicks can be great when they work, but they often flop hard.
I could see it working... (Score:2)
for multiplayer strategy board games.
Imagine a M:tG game where you have your hand on your controler but you share the table with your opponent. Or a Clue! murder mistery, again with your own set of clues on your controler and the full board on display. Or an RPG with your character info and stats on your controler and the active game on the screen. Or a FF Strategies or Maden footbal style game where each player can control play selection, and possibly even FPS style game play on their control while the scr
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Amen to that. The first thing I thought on seeing this was "hmm... it looks a litte like the Dreamcast controller". Which is fitting, really, given I fully expect this thing to be the next Dreamcast.
Nintendo could find themselves in big trouble in 18 months time. I can't see this thing having the mass appeal of the Wii - or drawing the hardcore away from their PS3s, 360s and PCs. And while saying anything nice about Sony is unfashionable around here, the Vita looks like a far superior piece of kit to the 3D
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As opposed to the rest that think that a bump in resolution, polygon crunching ability, and CPU power is "innovation"?
--Jeremy
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True. Even if the wiimote didn't have motion-sensitive or pointing functionality, separating the left and right hands like that would have been a large step forward. I would love a 360 controller split similarly (like two nunchucks wired together).
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I was wondering that myself. From a high-level point of view, the thing practically looks like a PS Vita on its own - dual thumbsticks, same number of buttons otherwise, display, stereo sound, microphone, camera...
I'm now regretting submitting the link to the Reuters blog, but at the time I submitted the story, it was probably one of the "most trustworthy" (well, "least fanboyish") sources.
But now Joystiq has scant details on the console itself [joystiq.com] along with more on the controller itself [joystiq.com].
Still... looks neat. I
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Because they couldn't put hardware that has a decent battery life and enough 'juice' to run the games properly, and all for a decent price. The controller is just a very sophisticated dumb terminal.
Imagine if the processing was being done in the handheld itself: Who'd buy 4 controller for multiplayer gaming, if each controller costs as much as an iPad?
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Shit, that monster is way bigger than a PSP. It's like the Hummer of videogame controllers. Finally, another way for me to compensate for my tiny penis!
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Funny I was expecting this one instead: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2002/3/25/
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This is a strange step back, I guess that with the iPad and all they wanted to "tabletize" the control
Not really a step back. In a nutshell, Nintendo basically innovates while relying on cheaper hardware to get ahead of the competition. As soon as the competition catches up with its fancier, more expensive hardware, they move on to the next thing. For example, the Wii had very little horsepower when compared to the 360 or PS3; it relied on its new motion sensing tech to sell it.
Now the 360 and PS3 both have their own Wii-like motion tracking hardware.
Nintendo would be hard-pressed to directly compete ag
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You haven't seen the Jaguar controller, have you?
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I saw one in a museum once.
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Maybe they'll license the song for their ads and have him re-record it with the altered lyrics. He could use the money.
I had a dream,
I had an awesome dream
People in the park
Playing games in the dark
And what they played
Was a masquerade
From behind the walls of doubt
A voice was crying out...
"Wii would like to play."
Wii U, Wii Mii
Play it for always
That's the way it should be
Wii U, Wii Mii
Play it together
Naturally