Super Wii / Wii 2

[The NZA]

the rumor mill is going crazy, here's what we think we know so far:

 

EDIT 11:

 

Originally Posted by Edge:

Ubisoft studios have had development kits "for months", motion-sensing "better than Move"; announcement at E3?

 

Sources have this morning confirmed reports that Nintendo has a successor to the Wii in the works, telling us that thirdparty studios including those of Ubisoft, Activision and Electronic Arts have had development units of the new hardware for months.

 

They have also claimed that the system retains motion control, with capabilities that are "better than Move", meaning that they boast higher fidelity. We do not yet have word on whether or not its motion-controlled solution introduces a camera.

Source: http://www.next-gen.biz/news/sources...-wii-successor

 

Originally Posted by VG247:

The site [from the specs post below] also concurs that the controller is a touch tablet, with moderate , sub-HD graphic output with a single-touch 6-inch screen, a front camera which acts as a Wii sensor bar, two d-pads, two bumpers, and possibly more than two triggers.

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2011/04/14/repo...at-e3-in-june/

 

EDIT 10:

 

Important Note: The R700 is the Radeon 4000 HD series. The Xbox 360's GPU is based on the R500 (an upgraded Radeon X1900 variant with some R600 features) for comparison.

 

Originally Posted by CVG:

Wii 2 is 'Project Café', says report - tech specs, controller details claimed

Friday 15-Apr-2011 3:01 PM New console to be 'a bit more powerful than 360'

 

As if you haven't had enough today, the latest Wii 2 rumour report has emerged - and it's a big one, claiming tech specs and controller details for the not-so-secret-anymore Nintendo console.

 

French site 01net, which previously released the NGP specs long before any official announcement, has backed up widespread claims that Nintendo will reveal its next console at E3 this year.

 

It's also backed up CVG's scoop that the console's controller will feature a built-in high-resolution screen.

 

According to the latest report, 'Wii 2' is being internally referred to as 'Project Café', and sports architecture similar to that of the Xbox 360, "but a bit more powerful".

 

It says the console will include a custom IBM PowerPC CPU with three cores, a GPU from the ATI R700 family with a shader unit at version 4.1, and at least 512Mb of RAM.

 

This would of course make HD console ports very easy for developers, but 'Project Café' will also include backwards compatibility with both the Wii (including all peripherals) and GameCube games, it's said.

 

The controller has a six-inch touch screen, a front-facing camera, D-Pad, two bumpers, two triggers and "possibly more," and can allegedly be used as a Wii sensor bar.

 

Late 2012 is the release date, and another "big surprise" about the console is set to be revealed at E3, the report concludes.

 

As always consider this a strong rumour for now, but it's a good source indeed.

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com...tails-claimed/

 

EDIT 9: Jim Reilly - New Nintendo controller allows players to stream entire games to the device from the console - like a miniature television."

 

https://twitter.com/...991231140773889

 

EDIT 8: Jim Reilly - There will be first and third party "Wii 2" games at E3. No clue if they'll be playable.

 

https://twitter.com/...948527677648896

 

EDIT 7: Jim Reilly - Dual analog sticks on the controller. Can stream game content from the console. Not sure if it'll be full games, mini-games, or apps.

 

https://twitter.com/#!/jimreilly/sta...52595657596929

 

EDIT 6: IGN article updated to report screen on controller will have touch capability.

 

Quote:

Additional sources informed IGN the screen has touch capability.

EDIT 5: CVG reports all new controller with built-in HD screen.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-2012-sources/

 

Quote:

What's most exciting about the Wii successor however is its all-new controller, which industry sources have indicated is not simply an upgraded Wii Remote, and will even feature a built-in HD screen.

 

Our sources did not specify whether or not the controller displays will feature any other functionality, such as that of the DS's touch screen, but it's easy to imagine the sort of innovation an extra screen could bring to Wii 2 games.

 

"Nintendo's plans sound unreal," one source said. "Publishers are already planning launch titles and it's all very exciting.

 

"The hardware is even more powerful than current HD consoles and backwards compatible with Wii. The controller will be all-new and has a HD screen on it."

EDIT 4: Jim Reilly tweets that it will do 1080p. IGN article updated again

 

https://twitter.com/#!/jimreilly/sta...22803158642688

 

EDIT 3: IGN updates article stating it to be significantly more powerful than X360/PS3

 

Quote:

Our sources have said the the console is significantly more powerful than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and that Nintendo's intent is to recapture the hardcore market.

EDIT 2: BC with Wii games. Pre-announcement this month with full details at E3

 

http://wii.ign.com/a.../1161875p1.html

 

Quote:

Multiple sources have confirmed to Game Informer that Nintendo will reveal a new console between now and E3 2011 in June.

 

Game Informer's sources say the console is capable of running games at "HD resolutions," though it is unclear whether not it will be as powerful as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Our sources have said the console's power will be greater than or equal to the PlayStation 3. Nintendo is reportedly showing the console to publishers to garner interest for a late 2012 launch.

 

Sources tell IGN that Nintendo will release a pre-announcement this month with a full reveal expected at E3. Sources say the console will be backwards compatible with current Wii software.

EDIT: Kotaku reports more powerful than X360/PS3

 

http://kotaku.com/#!5792165

 

Quote:

Furthermore, we've heard that the machine will be more powerful than current-gen systems, meaning Nintendo, currently backing a Wii that is weaker in horsepower than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, will be showing a new console that is more powerful than those current competitors.

 

...........

 

ORIGINAL OP

 

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/a...ole-at-e3.aspx

 

Quote:

We have confirmed with multiple sources that this new home system is capable of running games at HD resolutions. There are conflicting reports, however, as to whether its graphics will be comparable to those on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 – meaning it could surpass or fall short of those systems. Either way it will offer competitive specifications. Moving to HD should greatly help Nintendo and its new console in getting more multi-platform triple-A titles like Portal 2 or Mortal Kombat. This, in turn, will strengthen Nintendo's historically poor relationship with third-party publishers/developers.

 

In fact, Nintendo is already showing publishers the system in an effort to get them interested and allow them plenty of time to start developing titles in anticipation of the system's reported late 2012 launch. This advance support marks a change from when the Wii launched. At that time, several Western publishers were outright surprised by the announcement, and it affected the software support for the platform.

 

...

 

"Nintendo is doing this one right," said an anonymous source. "[it's] not a gimmick like the Wii." What else, beyond graphics, this may imply about the system is unknown. What kind of controls the system will support (we imagine a need for both classic analog configurations and motion controllers) or what level of software and infrastructure Nintendo will provide for online gaming is also unknown. However, it's a positive sign that the system might be more than just an HD Wii.

 

....got all that? more as it comes. if you're like me, you're mostly scratching your head about how that controller's gonna look/work, so uh, here's as good a mockup as any:

 

[Thelogan]

Using high tech wizardry, I made a mock-up too.

[Newtype]

[The NZA]

 

i like the cut of your jib, logans...but i think i'd rather have a non-static friend code than a controller without 2 analogs this time around.

[Thelogan]

[The NZA]

 

i honestly didn't think the day would come when a design would beat my wu-controller. excuse me, i've got something in my eye...

 

ps more concepts!

 

[gunsmithx]

The controller is gonna cost a bundle to replace

[The NZA]

stop losing controllers, bro

 

cant wait to see more @ E3. i'm not as inclined to get a hardon with specs alone, need to see some games here - if the rumored price of $350-400 launch is true, i'm hoping for more than a port of Skyward Sword.

[Iambaytor]

Man, fuck the next console generation, this current one's barely cooled off. Also, isn't putting a screen on the controller counter-productive to making a machine that uses a TV?

[The NZA]

yeah, but this is fairly in-between generations, since i dont think any of us reasonably expect nextbox or ps4 before late 2012/2013 anyway. its like an inverse dreamcast.

 

speaking of, i loved VMUs, so im down to see what they do here. my interest/concern is that if it's a gimmicky thing that 3rd party devs cant easily take advantage of, i hope it doesnt hinder things (i.e., having a 2nd screen on the DS did not, regulating most titles to motion controls this gen did).

[Iambaytor]

Microsoft and Sony are looking to put their lambs to slaughter come 2014, which isn't super close but it will be at just about the point that the current gen is going to have figured their shit out just in time to go back to releasing a shovel-full of mediocre bullshit in time for launch.

 

I admire Sony for keeping the PS2 going for as long as it has, even if it's just putting out ports at this point, because toward the end of the last generation they were knocking that shit out of the park. I've yet to see a whole lot as proportionately awesome as God of Wars, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, or Shadow of The Colosuss were at the time. Oh sure, we've gotten bigger versions of all three of those (well, 2 anyway, though I suppose you could toss in Just Cause 2 as the surrogate San Andreas this round) but it seems like we're still in that figuring-shit-out phase. I mean ther've been a few greats like Fallout 3/New Vegas, Little Big Planet, Prey (Half-Life 2 doesn't count since the only reason it was next-gen was because the technology out at the time of its release couldn't run it) and the like but they still seem like early prototypes of ideas that haven't been fully realized yet and once the new console generation hits we just go back to zero and start all over again.

[The NZA]

yeah, i agree with most everything you just said - which is why this gen dragging along isnt something that bothers me at all. i too really like all the magic we manage to squeeze out at the end of the show, and am still playing PS2 titles.

 

i am glad to see nintendo gearing up for another go, though - at least on par with the others (though if they sit at 512MB of RAM that'd be kindve a shame, i think; its fairly cheap to put more than that right now and really blow the current stuff out of the water). I think the wii had a decent showing of software last year, but it's basically dead in japan and not great here either. i'm not big on following sales shit, but they just had a 52% drop in profits last fiscal year so even if 3DS is doing good, they can't just sit there and not capitalize on a market that's not even going to try to one-up them for several years to come.

[Iambaytor]

Nintendo's people have gone off the deep end, they've been concentrating so hard on "revolutionizing gaming" that they forgot to make a lot of games that were worth playing. I'm sure the new Zelda's gonna be the tits, but they released an exact copy of the last Mario game and stuck a 2 on it. This is the same company that released 3 Mario games in a row with entirely different play stiles (admittedly, one was jury-rigged but so what?) they seem to be focusing too much on coming up with cool shit that nobody's going to care about in 20 years (lets be honest, motion controls have about as much staying power as 3D, they're not this generation's rumble packs) and now their new console is going to be a slightly better Wii (but still inferior to the other 2 current-gen consoles) that has a DS duct-taped on top of the wii-mote and calls it innovative? That's just sloppy.

 

A lot of people draw parallels to the death throes of Sega, and that's fair. They released a weak system followed by a strong system that had a whole bunch of cool shit nobody cared about that was more powerful for the current gen, but so late in the cycle that the next round blew them out of the water. The thing is, Dreamcast aimed for the stars and if it had come out a few years earlier it would've easily been up there with the PS1 and N64 if not better, Nintendo seems to be aiming for a lesser level of mediocrity. All I'm saying is Nintendo needs to get its shit together quick cause I don't want to be playing Super Mario Adventures 2 and Yoshi the (gun-toting) Dinosaur on the Xbox in 10 years.

[gunsmithx]

yeah, i agree with most everything you just said - which is why this gen dragging along isnt something that bothers me at all. i too really like all the magic we manage to squeeze out at the end of the show, and am still playing PS2 titles.

 

i am glad to see nintendo gearing up for another go, though - at least on par with the others (though if they sit at 512MB of RAM that'd be kindve a shame, i think; its fairly cheap to put more than that right now and really blow the current stuff out of the water). I think the wii had a decent showing of software last year, but it's basically dead in japan and not great here either. i'm not big on following sales shit, but they just had a 52% drop in profits last fiscal year so even if 3DS is doing good, they can't just sit there and not capitalize on a market that's not even going to try to one-up them for several years to come.

 

To be fair, RAM in consoles isn't cheap like people think, it's not just pc ram it's much faster and costs more, that said only 512 would be dumb and stuipd. In fact a system only around as powerfull as the current gen means we are getting the wii treatment again but it will make them boatloads of money as they will be making nice margins on each system sold. Also there are reports saying Cafe will be a bit more powerful then current gen but we'll see.

 

You saw this with the 3DS too, alot of us thought it would have more kick too it but it didn't and will be outclassed by the NGP(now to be fair this won't mean either will win, it comes downs to games as always)

 

I'm gonna sit back and see how it goes, the screen on the controller sounds like a gimmick, maybe nintendo might do something with it but beyond them.... this is not launching till after march 2012(rumors say jap launch in june 12 and then worldwide in sepm to nov but we know for sure not till after this fiscal year for nintendo.) and if sony and ms launch in 2013(possible) then that gives them a year headstart but turns into the wii/ps3/360 set up again ;/

 

On a random note if you want to know how the ps4 will turn out look to the NGP, powerfull, off the shelf parts, lots of dev input. the real wildcard is MS due to the fact the kinect has sold very well they may try to go last in the gen...

[The NZA]

baytor - its not only way too early to comment on this system, comparing them to sega in the late 90s would mean they'd have to be bleeding money, which they're not. the only real misstep they've (again) made is alienating 3rd parties. i personally think they were really smart to stay out of the power race (its why theyre banking and everybody else is struggling), and yeah, still too early for me to say what kind've impact motion controls and 3D will have on gaming down the road. it made sense to explore them if they werent going to lose money on bleeding-edge hardware, though.

 

we could do a whole thread on what went wrong with (and long before) the dreamcast, but nintendo's not going anywhere at least.

 

gun - i honestly don't care if its only on part with the 360. no one's going anywhere for a while, and the option to play their stuff (even just 1st party, which they've still been consistent with) in 1080p or so is all im looking for, as well as a gamecube like system that at least has some level of 3rd party support (past just the great Capcom) and can hang/get ports of what everyone else is. between what Iwata's been saying and what weve seen with the 3DS, its obvious they know 3rd parties are their weakness, so bear in mind one of the pluses they had with the wii/DS was keeping production costs low compared to the others, and you gotta figure they're going to want to maintain that somehow here too

 

i think the bigger picture here is that if sony and MS do indeed show up 2013 or whenever with really powerful hardware, they're only going to fuel the current cycle we have of skyrocketing production costs and fewer avenues of return/more studios closing all the time - i want all 3 healthy for competition, but relying solely on that model is bad for everyone. you & i might want a nintendo system that looks even better than the Dolphin emulator, but i honestly can't blame them one bit if they're still playing that game cautiously.

 

i'm saying absolutely nothing about the controller because we know so little about it, and everyone who said the DS was gonna bomb because 2 screens was a gimmick had so much crow to eat back then.

 

ps @ your NGP - if it manages even more of a dent in the handheld market than the PSP did, i think that'd be awesome.

[gunsmithx]

Well I'm really curious whats gonna drive up production costs, art costs arn't going to go up they already do art high and downscale to just about everything, you could agrue more time due to increasly complex AI(good thing there) but I still think a big problem project managment and how games are priced(though that should be changing in the next few years).

 

again though, it's all about software and I think we won't see loss leaders like the ps3 ever again. I really think the ngp is the best preview for how to handle new hardware.

[The NZA]

and how games are priced(though that should be changing in the next few years).

 

i really hope you're right here.

off topic, but do we even have a price on the NGP yet? that's an odd statement to make at this point, i'd think. i want it to do well too and it looks great from what we've seen, but i didn't think hardware was really sony's big problem with the PSP, price aside (if this is somehow more competitively matched with the 3DS price, that'd help a lot though).

[gunsmithx]

BTW in terms of price I mean the cost to make the thing, it's going to be a low cost due to the fact that it's all off the self parts(yup even the oled, some of it is customized but it's still off the shelf) where as the psp and ps3 were complete custom jobs that cost a fuck load to make and in R&D.

 

As for market price.. 250 to 350 US, it's hard to tell since we are getting a 2 sku set up so the low end one might be a bit of a loss cause you can make it up on the high sku.