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Nintendo Wii U


MrJibbles

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2X09hX3D8g&feature=player_embedded

It's the dawn of a new Nintendo generation. After five years of pursuing a "blue ocean strategy," the Big N is shifting to a new console, one that rivals (and potentially exceeds) consoles currently in stores. After months of having IGN's Nintendo team tracking down sources and bringing you a comprehensive picture of Wii's successor, I've finally had the chance to use the new controller and play demos on the system.

In short, Nintendo's gamble works. The controller is the best of both worlds, mixing traditional button inputs with the advantage of having an interface unlike anything we've seen from a home console.

THE CONTROLLER BASICS

What we've been reporting and suspected is true. The primary controller for Nintendo's next console is tablet based, featuring a 6.2 inch touch screen. This new device also features a very standard array of buttons, including a d-pad, four face buttons, four shoulder triggers, a power button and a camera.

One of the more interesting alterations to conventional design is the system features two analog sliders at the top of the controller rather than traditional sticks. Don't make the mistake of thinking these sliders are like the 3DS "circle pad." The texture and top shape of the sliders are much more akin to Wii's nunchuk, meaning the grip and precision of movement are much better.

The tablet itself appears large, but is actually quite comfortable to grip. The two sliders both being located at the top of the tablet make holding it considerably easier. A staggered configuration would only have worked with a much smaller design. Nintendo was also smart in making the new controller extremely light for its size, resulting in something that might look strange but is not as burdensome as it would seem.

The other major design element is a horizontal "grip" that runs underneath the tablet. The grip, however, is mostly there to house two of the system's triggers, with the remaining two being on the shoulder of the main body of the device.

More important is the fact that the new console is backwards compatible with Wii controllers. Nintendo's demos suggested it is very intent on utilizing its current generation remotes - without alteration - alongside the new tablet. In fact while the number of Wii remotes changed between mini-games, I only ever used one tablet controller.

THE TECH DEMOS

In addition to a few mini-games and one major franchise cinematic, Nintendo's presentation to me included a couple sequences designed to show off the power of the system and the innovative applications of the controller. The first, simply called "HD Experience," featured a hawk soaring through a traditional Japanese setting including cherry blossom trees and a temple. Graphically the scene was far better than Wii, of course, but I wasn't impressed at all with the quality of the textures or aesthetic design. For something that was supposed to demonstrate the power of the system, this particularly sequence failed to impress. One noteworthy element was that the tablet controller was replicating the visuals on the TV on its smaller screen, and moving the tablet would cause the camera behind the hawk to move, allowing the player to see more of the landscape.

The rough shape of this demo is no cause for concern, however. At the end of my time with the new system, Nintendo played an interactive cinematic that put all my fears to rest. The difference in quality between that sequence and this was light years apart, making me wonder why I watched the hawk video in the first place.

The second major tech demonstration featured live footage of Japan, with a camera moving down a crowded street, hovering above vehicles. Like the hawk demo, the tablet was also featuring the footage shown on the television. But as I moved the new controller, I was able to see more of the city around me, without altering what was being shown on the larger screen. I could move the tablet upward to see the sky, or downward to see the street moving under me. Even more impressive, I could start to rotate the controller or "aim" it behind me to see where I had been. Pressing a button would also flip the portable display behind me, allowing me to see backwards similar to a rearview mirror. The potential for racing games with this sort of technology is truly impressive.

CHASING AND BATTLING MIIS

I played two Mii mini-games on the new console. In a word, they are both fantastic. In concept, execution, scope and entertainment, they are leaps and bounds beyond what you experienced on Wii. I realize we all had fun with tennis and sword fighting, but Chase Mii and Battle Mii are very, very much capable of selling people on the capabilities of the new system. Most important of all, the concepts are easy to learn, but with some added settings and levels down the line, I'd very much like to see these as some sort of final product.

Click here to read more on Chase Mii.

Click here to read more on Battle Mii.

FIGHTING PIRATES WITH RHYTHM

It's no secret that I have absolutely no rhythm. I can't get one step right in Dance Dance Revolution. When Nintendo told me I'd be trying a music-based game, I cringed. Yet blocking airborne plungers with my shield in sync with a beat in the background turned out to be a rather painless experience. By far the most quirky demo I saw, Pirate Horde was fairly addicting, and the developers of the demo weren't afraid to step up the difficulty in relatively short order. This wasn't my favorite game, but it was strong.

Click here to read more on Shield Pose.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF ZELDA

To be honest, I didn't think Nintendo would be daring enough to show off any sort of Zelda HD demo, despite the fact that the franchise is clearly the one that would benefit the most from a vastly more powerful system. This was based off of the Twilight Princess era Zelda characters, not Skyward Sword, so those of you expecting Wii's last major game to jump ship, this demo wasn't proof of that.

I wasn't able to control Link, but the battle between him and Gohma that I saw was breathtaking nonetheless. Between changing the lighting, camera controls and even the tablet's display, this demo above all the others proved how Nintendo franchises might benefit from increased power. This was gorgeous stuff.

Click here to read more on Nintendo's HD Zelda demo.

That covers everything I had a chance to see during Nintendo's hands-on tour of the new system. At the time of my meeting, no details were given for much else about the system's capabilities. I didn't even see the design of the new console. Still, my time with the new controller opened my eyes to a new way of gaming. It's remarkable that simply adding an extra screen can truly change how games are played. It will be utterly fascinating to see how Nintendo and other developers take advantage of this innovative twist.

http://uk.wii.ign.co.../1173582p1.html

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Nintendo hasn't been too keen on letting us mere mortals stroke the Wii U, as no amount of coins could unlock the console's cabinet at E3. Surprisingly though, Inside Games managed to get up close and personal to this white box outside its little cave, and then came home alive with a few clear shots. Mind you, there's hardly anything exciting here: we're just gazing at some air vents on the side and back, plus a few ports -- including HDMI -- on the latter. As pointed out by our brethren over at Joystiq, only time will tell whether this curvy Wii U will come with an attachment to imitate its predecessor's vertical standing. Check out the backside after the break.

Nintendo Wii U console shown off in its bright, minimalistic entirety -- Engadget

Some Details On the Wii U’s Graphics Chip

Some specific details on the graphics chip powering the upcoming Wii U console have been reportedly obtained by Japanese site Game Impress Watch, who say that while it's running on "old" hardware, it still packs more of a punch than its current competition.

While the exact name and nature of the Wii U's GPU are under wraps, according to AMD insiders the site reports that the chip at the heart of it is similar to the R770 unit found on existing, "outdated" cards from around, say, 2009.

It'll also support Direct X 10.1, and interestingly considering the "two screens maybe" line being trotted out at E3, is capable of beaming up to four standard definition streams of the console's content.

While the GPU may be "old", and the Direct X not capable of going (literally) all the way to 11, remember that the Xbox 360's hardware is even older, and for the most part it can't go past Direct X 9.

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Guest 11 Bills

how long will tha controller work before it needs to be recharged?

only thing im lookin forward to is the NGP tbh, but they NEED a different UI or whatever, them logos in spheres aint working for me

could prob get it on a contract aswell cos it has 3G

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Guest 11 Bills

That looks so sh*t.

Gamegear >> That.

And Lol @ buying handheld consoles. So fail. New one comes out every 3 months like say its a phone.

swear NGP is as powerful as the PS3?

saving up for it already

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kinda lost faith in nintendo

they dont make gamers games any more

some weak ass console

crap graphics

i was so hyped when i first got a wii

all playing bowling and sh*t

then it just seemed so dead

let them focus on the casual gamer and all that coz they seem to be doing well which in a way is nice to see them, a strictly gaming company, not being pushed out of the market by sony and microsoft and ending up being software only like sega...

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kinda lost faith in nintendo

they dont make gamers games any more

some weak ass console

crap graphics

i was so hyped when i first got a wii

all playing bowling and sh*t

then it just seemed so dead

let them focus on the casual gamer and all that coz they seem to be doing well which in a way is nice to see them, a strictly gaming company, not being pushed out of the market by sony and microsoft and ending up being software only like sega...

C/S

I didnt bother with the wii tho, knew it would be a waste of time.

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A lot of news about Nintendo’s new console has been released in the past few hours. The Project Cafe has been confirmed for E3 this year. It has said to be playable at the convention and have a 2012 release date. Here’s Nintendo’s official statement: “We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles”. A few images have also been leaked, but no one is really sure if they are fakes are not. Check them out below.

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Nintendo confirmed that a new console is in production and will be unveiled and playable at E3 this year, earlier today.

Various information has crept up since then, but most interestingly, a image which is said to be of the controller for the console has surfaced aswell.

As you can see, it has a touch screen and buttons, all tucked into the controller. Although, this might just be an concept but rumours suggests that the final design would be similar to this one.

Nintendo’s set to unleash a flood of details regarding their new console in the coming E3 event, to be held in LA in June.

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This will continue...

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the console looks like a grey wii

and the controller looks like some revamped mr game and watch

:confused:

Alot of my best gaming memories are Nintendo. The first gameboy, gameboy pocket, gameboy colour - Nes (no SNES) and N64.

N64 was GOAT for me. 1997 the year it dropped I was 11 or something. Battering Mario Kart 64 >>>

*sigh*

I hope they do well.

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Guest 11 Bills

how u meant to be lookin at the controller and TV at the same time?

you get use to it same way you don't look at a normal controller when playing

I guess

kinda pointless having a screen on it if people dont look at it

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