Wii HD

[Massive Invisible Dog]

I think it's their way of making a move back towards normal controllers but still having some unique aspect to it. I'm sure motion controls will fit in there somehow, but the one with the screen will be the de facto controller. That's what every rumour has been pointing towards, and there's be little talk to the contrary.

[Stanley]

All they need to do to add exactly the same functionality as a standard controller is add an analogue controller to the remote.

The screen won't do much beyond showing a players Mii, or very basic info. Pretty much like the speaker in the current remote it's use will be limited.

I'm thinking about backwards compatibilty too - they're not gonna kill off 60 million Wii owners just like that.

[Rev]

I just don't think it will be its USP. It's so cost prohibitive and ultimately pointless. I can't think of many people who'll be willing to fork out for extra controllers. People complained about Wii remotes being expensive.

If it has a screen it will be basic and cheap, like something on a £10 mobile phone. The games will be played on the TV.

For the price of Wii Remote, plus nunchuk, plus Plus you can get a lot of screen.

[Massive Invisible Dog]

I'm thinking about backwards compatibilty too - they're not gonna kill off 60 million Wii owners just like that.

There's nothing to stop it being backwards compatible with the Wii controllers and games.

[Alex W.]

For the price of Wii Remote, plus nunchuk, plus Plus you can get a lot of screen.

£55 doesn't get you all that much if you go with a capacitive display, which is a given these days. One thing we can be sure of is that it doesn't get you a streaming media receiver.

[Teeohbee]

There's nothing to stop it being backwards compatible with the Wii controllers and games.

That's what I was thinking, why do they have to release a new motion controller?

[Aloha Snackbar]

It will stream from the main console. It will be optional. It will be expensive. It will be 3D.

[scottcr]

that's what I said a while back - it'll just continue to use Wii M+ controllers. There might be more than just an IR based sensor bar though for tracking it.

[Rev]

£55 doesn't get you all that much if you go with a capacitive display, which is a given these days. One thing we can be sure of is that it doesn't get you a streaming media receiver.

So, they'll put better tech in the touchscreen for their home console than they do for their touchscreen console? Also:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/7-touch-screen-tft-lcd-google-android-1-6-tablet-pc-w-wifi-camera-via-wm8505-arm926-42070

[Daley]

I can't believe there will be a screen on the controller, surely it will be just too expensive.

[Stanley]

That's what I was thinking, why do they have to release a new motion controller?

Whilst this is true, it flies in the face of the 'better motion control than Move' rumour and alienates the new audience they've built up with Wii who've got used to using the remote.

I believe the remote will make a come back on the new machine. They're NOT going to go back to a mor standard controller. That would be a huge step backwards.

[Alex W.]

So, they'll put better tech in the touchscreen for their home console than they do for their touchscreen console?

If they're going to do a big touchscreen, I can't see it being anything but a big capacitive panel. Big screens are made for fingers, resistive screens are not.

£55 gets you a very cheap and nasty resistive touchscreen being driven by the CPU from the original DS, give or take a few MHz. I'm not sure it could run 30fps 2D graphics at that panel's native 800x480, much less the video streaming that some people are proposing.

[OogyBoogy]

- ‘Child’ device houses game cartridge, can be detached from ‘Parent’ device

Maybe with multiple Child devices it means that I can play Mario Kart in the bedroom (on the tv) and someone else in my household can play Zelda on another tv in another room?

[mushashi]

Nobody here read the thread on NeoGAF obviously

-Controller screen resolution of 800x500.

-Can play games, watch movies, and more without turning on the TV by just streaming them to the controllers. Can stream to multiple controllers at once.

-Each controller acts a terminal, with the console doing all of the calculations to reduce latency, controller cost, and bandwidth requirements.

A story of streaming

IGN also talked about the design of the console, saying that it is a kind of futurist SNES. Our sources cannot talk about this, since most developers don't have a prototype with the proprietary casing. Also on the English website, Nintendo consider calling the console "Stream".

Here again, our source cannot confirm this, but it could be a plausible choice and clever (excluding the urinary connotations, in the same lineage of the Wii, that already make people laugh on the English web). The streaming will have a central role for the attraction of this Project Cafe. The console will be able to wirelessly broadcast (stream) many type of streams (misc media, games) to the controllers. It will be possible to play games without turning on the TV, or begin an intense match on the TV and continue it in the bathroom. A true revolution.

Taken from the French site, sounds plausible enough, whether it's a killer USP, like basic motion control was, remains to be seen, the mooted pricepoint might be a problem.

[Not Thread Owner]

£55 doesn't get you all that much if you go with a capacitive display, which is a given these days.

It wasn't on the 3DS.

[scottcr]

wonder if you can stream your screen to other streamers... something I've wanted for AGES has been the ability to say 'HELP I'M STUCK' and someone comes on the chat, can view what I'm doing and talk me through it - or even better, play the bit for me.

See Me, Super Metroid and Cywuhx

[Not Thread Owner]

If they're going to do a big touchscreen, I can't see it being anything but a big capacitive panel. Big screens are made for fingers, resistive screens are not.

Up until the 3DS, I agreed - but that machine's touch screen is at least as good as my iPhone 3GS's in terms of sensitivity. I was amazed it *wasn't* capacitive.

[Alex W.]

Maybe with multiple Child devices it means that I can play Mario Kart in the bedroom (on the tv) and someone else in my household can play Zelda on another tv in another room?

I'm just not going to bother in future.

[Fatsam]

Whilst this is true, it flies in the face of the 'better motion control than Move' rumour and alienates the new audience they've built up with Wii who've got used to using the remote.

I believe the remote will make a come back on the new machine. They're NOT going to go back to a mor standard controller. That would be a huge step backwards.

This.

Waggle and pointing gaming is amazing, and Nintendo's waggle games sell shit loads and make them huge amounts of money.

If they ditch motion control I'm officially joining the Nintendo have lost it club.

There is massive scope for improvement of Wiimote and motion plus. Not only in its motion capabilities and getting some ace 3d space tracking in, but also things like button layout and the quality of the speaker. The idea of having people just using their old wii controllers is a completely rubbish one.

[Alex W.]

There is massive scope for improvement of Wiimote and motion plus. Not only in its motion capabilities and getting some ace 3d space tracking in, but also things like button layout and the quality of the speaker. The idea of having people just using their old wii controllers is a completely rubbish one.

Maybe some Dual Shock/Dual Shock 2 type scenario, where the old controllers still work but there's some refinement and some nonessential new feature in the new version that makes it much nicer. But something more convincing than analogue buttons.

[Alex W.]

A Nintendo console with streaming music, movies, and TV entertainment as a selling point? I'll keel over and die if that happens, assuming their big E3 surprise isn't that they've been bought by a media conglomerate. It sounds more like wishful thinking from people enviously eyeing the featureset of the PS3 and Xbox 360* than something Nintendo has the connections, attitiude, experience or ability to create.

*Like myself

[mushashi]

3DS - netflix, going on about getting Hollywood movies in 3D on the system, taking 3D photos with it, possible update to shoot 3D video.

Wii - netflix, iPlayer , Nintendo's Japanese efforts to get unique online streamed entertainment content for it.

Not as far fetched as you might suggest.

What other untapped USP is there left?, holography is too expensive, and still uncommercialised.

Vitality Sensor has been re-confirmed for Wii.

Project Cafe, a modern multi-use entertainment centre, sounds a bit familiar, with the controllers with built-in screens being the thing which takes it to the next level.

[Stanley]

They don't have to reinvent the wheel with every new console though. All anyone ever wanted from the Wii was more power. It seems that they're addressing this and adding a few other bits and bobs, but - sorry to repeat myself - this streaming games/media to the controller thing just sounds wrong to me.

[Alex W.]

3DS - netflix, going on about getting Hollywood movies in 3D on the system, taking 3D photos with it, possible update to shoot 3D video.

Wii - netflix, iPlayer , Nintendo's Japanese efforts to get unique online streamed entertainment content for it.

Not as far fetched as you might suggest.

One service per nation* is not enough to make it a viable product, especially when the service is TV. People have lots of TVs. Being able to watch TV in one room while someone does something else on a TV in another room is not a selling point, any more than the ability to burn the Wii as a source of fuel was.

*I'm being generous and assuming that Japan's not-yet-existent original content counts.

[mushashi]

Those were more examples of Nintendo having previous ambitions in the multimedia entertainment device market, a game-only console is so last decade it seems, that idea's time is over, even for Nintendo

The apparent ditching of motion control too is more surprising, a 6" screen controller is not really something you can swing about.

[Alex W.]

Those were more examples of Nintendo having previous ambitions in the multimedia entertainment device market, a game-only console is so last decade it seems, that idea's time is over, even for Nintendo

The apparent ditching of motion control too is more surprising, a 6" screen controller is not really something you can swing about.

I'm just not really convinced Nintendo has many plans to bring non-games content to its machines. It always seemed to me that the iPlayer and Netflix came to the Wii, rather than the other way around.

For controllers, it could be a bring-your-own controller setup like using GC games on the Wii.

[Mr. Gerbik]

Worth quoting again because I totally think that this is what's going to happen:

i called it earlier, the Wii was just a very elaborate troll on Nintendo's part; make loads of money re-releasing the gamecube with waggle for all the families, make Sony and MS copy them after the Cube went down the toilet after the 3rd parties fucked off and then sneak in with the SUPER WII 64(gig) to clean up while the other two try and make waggle work on their 7 year old machines.

Now that is how you do a long con, fucking genius.

And like others have said, motion control will still be in there only they won't release a new controller for it. It will be the same wiimotes that everyone already has or you can buy separately. The only question is whether ardent waggle lovers like Scott, ramone and insin will think it's pure Nintendo genius yet again or that they will explode in fanboy rage over Nintendo moving on from their beloved motion controls.

[Alex W.]

There is plenty of life left in the pointer controller, it's just waiting for developers who can do it justice. A souped-up Wii with maybe some Kinect-style business for the waggle games would be just the ticket.

Knowing this, Nintendo will throw it out in favour of something really boring, like a GC pad with tilt plus a webcam accessory, leaving the remote's untapped potential as unfulfilled as the little clippy slots on the back of the Classic Controller.

[Mr. Gerbik]

There's clippy slots on the back of the classic controller?

[Alex W.]

Yes, two horizontal slots and a button up between Z1 and Z2 that releases them. They are one of gaming's enduring mysteries.