Cool story about parenting: He has some time to get better at telling the story before she really gets what he's saying. This is his first draft.

I once did some work trying to put the Ocarina of Time story into something that would work as a movie and found some decent themes and a point of internal tension for Link. The problem with making this game into a movie is that many of the best moments happen deep in these temples with hours of just puzzle solving and gameplay. Doesn't work so well as a movie or even a bedtime story.

The Wii U Zelda has a chance to bring some disenfranchised "hardcore" players back to Nintendo. It would be fun to get a tease about what direction that game will take, but it's just going to be too early.

Metroid is the most "core" game there as a Nintendo first party title, but Other M really marred the franchise (even though it is severely underrated, imo). Metroid needs a reboot in image and the Wii U is the place to do it. I'd say there's a 50/50 chance that Retro is coming back to it. I'll be happy with a new Star Fox, but unless the approach is very tricky, it isn't going to bring much excitement to anyone but current Nintendo fans.

Mario is going to be the party NSMBM game, but I worry that the Mii aspect is going to be somewhat disappointing. Maybe Miis will get revamped? It's a bit funny at first blush, but I think that game has the most potential to bring in some core gamers because it's fantastic for nasty uncooperative play. It has the potential to feel edgy when played right. If Nintendo could play to that angle (and I'm guessing it won't) then it could attract some outsiders.

I actually think a new take on Zelda Four Swords would be a better draw and a better game! I DO hope it happens eventually.

Then, there's whatever take Nintendo is going to go for with the mini games. So far it looks like it's going to try to appeal to the broad market (like Wii Sports) and try to appease Nintendo franchise fans at the same time with cool themes and suits that include the Nintendo classic characters. That will be great, but not so much for the Microsoft and Sony crowd.

So, basically, it looks like it's up to third parties to bring in Sony and Microsoft regulars unless Nintendo has something very big and very secret coming. Well, there's that possibility of a Retro Metroid...

@3Dangerous3Dash
No, I think childofacid is 100% right. This patent is in use in that current example he cited. The patent doesn't say it has to be a game in itself or that it only counts if it's the "biggest part" of the game. Yes, it will manifest itself differently in other games, but it's being used already and childofacid's point is valid, IMO.

I remember waiting in line at Target and talking to people in the line. They were completely non-traditional gamers and yet they were anxiously waiting to get one and excited about the possibilities. When I got home, the power adapter DID NOT WORK. Fortunately, my brother got one, so we were playing before we knew it.

I'm still amazed at how the initial experience of Wii Sports was never quite matched. The feeling of Tennis was almost holographic as the game encouraged you to imagine exactly when the ball was hitting your "racket." So few developers really tried to tap into the best parts of the controller. Wii Motion is a fantastic improvement, but so few games have taken advantage and important games that could have used it came and went (Metroid Prime 3, for intense.)

I really hope that the Wii U sort of pushes Wii Motion Wii remotes along with the new controller. The plan for the next Zelda seems to include it, so maybe there's hope. Could the Wii U come with a Wii motion controller packed in so everyone gets one? I doubt it, but it might be a good idea.

I think the big challenge to this becoming a new franchise is the overlap in gameplay when compared to Star Fox. They really are similar, aren't they?

So, to me, it will be interesting if Nintendo tries to differentiate the two franchises by taking them in two very different paths. I'm really not sure what I'd want those paths to be because I haven't had the pleasure of playing through Kid Icarus yet, but I'm interested what people think about this.

And also, did Nintendo foresee this possibility and will the diverging nature of the games show itself in the possible E3 unveiling of a new Star Fox game? Will be fun to look out for!

If I have some concern about Retro doing Star Fox, it's in the characters. They are weird and tough characters to get mainstream appeal out of. A reapproach to their look could be great but I don't think character design is Retros strength. Really disliked their rendition of Samus without armor, for instance.

On the other hand, Nintendo has insanely good talent in that area (I especially love the design from the Zelda games) so maybe the collaboration will do some magic here.

Also, what about Metroid? What is next there if Retro is not doing it? I'd be content with a 2D metroid with the graphics engine used in the Rayman Origins/Legends games. Any Metroid fans at Ubisoft?

@CowLaunch
Fair enough. I just hope that every rumor about the Wii U doesn't have to have a stamp on it from folks who would rather have a similar new game on their system of choice — probably too much to hope! I guess I was just struck that any post that starts out "I'm not interested" or "it makes no difference to me" is disingenuos at best and felt like I should say something. I was a bit of tool about it, I admit, and I apologize for that.

To answer your discussion, for me and I believe a great deal many other gamers, portable systems with tiny screens are never going to be enough because of certain trade-offs. The biggest one for me is that I like to share my experience with others as we game for the most part and the DS and its predecessors has never allowed me to really do that. The other is the very cramped play style. I find it simply uncomfortable to use for the most part.

If you have smaller hands and don't mind playing in isolation most of the time and are often in places you don't want to be, like school, or travelling, the portable systems are a great proposition.

I sort of share the reverse frustration. Kid Icarus looks great to me, and I'd love to play the remakes of Ocarina and Starfox. In fact, I could see myself picking up a 3DS just for a game or two, which I have done before — Metroid Zero Mission is one of my favorite games, period.

My probably vain hope is that Nintendo will integrate 3DS support so deeply into the Wii U plans that we actually get to play 3DS games using the Wii U controller on the bigger screens (TV and controller screen). I wouldn't even mind if Nintendo made me buy a 3DS for this to work, so it could read the cards and transfer the data to the Wii U.

So... what do you do with the Wii U controller to make Star Fox controls make sense? Gyroscope for control? Maybe just for barrel rolls? Maybe aiming could happen via gyroscope and/or IR while analog stick for steering. Though I do like the tension between steering and aiming that comes from shooting straight off the nose, other wise it's too easy to make movement just about going in circles.

Any way that holding up the screen to the other screen would be useful? HUD could end up on screen of course... oh, maybe communications from other ships will take up the controller screen. That could work. Also, radar... hmm...

@Donjwolf and @Cowlaunch
Thanks for sharing. Curious why you thought anyone reading these comments would find that at all interesting.

One thing is for certain, there will be no pleasing everyone on this thread even if Retro IS working on StarFox. At least not initially.

I can't imagine it NOT on rails in some portions, honestly. 64 had a good balance and there's plenty of room to play with the formula. I'm very curious about what approach would be taken with the new controller.

It's interesting that Nintendo has a much fresher hit in Kid Icarus which has very similar gameplay to the old Star Fox games. There's room for both franchises now and they will have to diverge. Not sure if they really had time to plan for this though.

It's pretty cool how kids crunching on cereal louder makes Mario jump higher. Who knew? Maybe a new oral controller is coming!

These are fun and I remember Donkey Kong cereal and Pacman cereal but the commercials are pretty foggy... though I'm pretty sure I remember seeing that Pitfall commercial and the fact that the first kid is Jack Black is great.

@ThreadShadow
I'm ready for some reinterpretation of the art styles surrounding Mario myself. The current design is getting stale from overuse. Zelda gets a significantly shifted approach every time, is Nintendo brave enough to do that to Mario? Paper Mario is the most radical, right?

K'NEX has the licensing deal for Mario Kart specifically (and the toys are pretty cool actually), but this is Zelda. IMO, Zelda is a greater fit for LEGO as not as many objects have to float in mid air to make replicas of big moments from the game. XD

I once got psyched to make a Zelda replica in LEGO, but I started a little too ambitious and ran out of steam fast — tough with little ones trying to help, too! I was going to do the Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time. It's pretty vertical, however.

If I try again it will be one of the "Levels" from the original NES Zelda. That could be very cool even though it seems pretty simple at first. Hmm...

Loved Skyward Sword, and I've played the others so much now that I like them all for different reasons. I do wish the dialogue was shortened in Skyward Sword. It was all well directed and choreographed and animated. It was dramatic and emotional, BUT the text felt endless at times. If it was spoken dialogue that was more efficient this game would have had twice the dramatic impact.

As far as sales go... Zelda and Metroid are aimed at people looking for longer deeper game experiences and the Wii has alienated a great deal of those people. Nintendo already knows this. This is why on some level Nintendo is acknowledging the need to win the dedicated gamers back with the Wii U.

I think we'll see how serious Nintendo is about bringing them back with the NAME of the console or possibly another vector at attracting older Nintendo fans that remember the glory days but who value more hardware flashiness and serious subject matters. Perhaps a line of games like the old Touch Generations initiative that was meant to broaden the appeal of DS to non-gamers but... I guess the opposite.

@Cloud-San-VII
Hope your game is awesome and successful, but unless you have a development kit for Nintendo or at least a dedicated building for game development, current Nintendo policies don't even let you in the door to show the game.

There's plenty of good venues to sell a game though (iOS is one of the best for independent developers) and I have a feeling Nintendo is going to make a broader push for developers in this next generation.

It's not just a new IP we want but one that is worthy of being listed among Zelda, Mario, and Metroid. Even something that goes in the second tier of StarFox, Pikmin, F-Zero. I think Kid Icarus is almost in that group already. If they can pull of a Wii U version of Kid Icarus that is awesome... but if Nintendo has any confidence in a new IP to thrive alongside those others, then I'm paying attention. The fact that Miyamoto is teasing at all is a good, if weak, sign.

You know what I'd REALLY like to see? Studio Ghibli and Nintendo working together. A Miyazaki/Miyamoto collaboration. Some sort of soaring adventure involving flying, exploration, a sprawling imaginative world and larger-than-life characters.

I can dream right?

@Kirk I actually think there's a moderately good chance you'll see support for two Wii U controllers at E3. Nintendo reps seemed to take it to heart when so many people brought it up. The idea of a "friend bringing their own controller over" comes to mind as something that was mentioned early on.

It WILL be a problem that you can't REQUIRE it for any game and it COULD be that it is technically just not worth it (the streaming gets choppy beyond Nintendo tolerance, for instance) but it would be good for Nintendo to let this out before E3 as has been happening with information about digital downloads being same cost, etc.

I think Nintendo is really trying to control expectations here instead of keeping EVERYTHING secret until E3. It's a great idea, IMO.

Hoping these 4 player games with the Wii U controller have hot seat play where the controller is passed to a different player each round/level. Seems obvious enough that everyone would do it, but it's amazing the things that get missed when trying to meet deadlines.

Loved watching the platform get pushed on the controller. REALLY makes me wish that a new take on Zelda Four Swords was the big group play launch game. Because Nintendo doesn't have to make its games for other platforms there should be much more interaction with that controller throughout the games.

I bet Nintendo will wait until E3 to announce that you'll be able to transfer all your Wii downloads to the Wii U. It's a nice big ?-block to break open in front of the masses.

What gets me is the previous confirmation that the new Mario for Wii U is going to be in the NSMB vein. So... we are really getting two in one year? It just feels a bit weird unless they are somehow related or work together or something, but the August release seems to say otherwise.

So, is Nintendo keeping some other BIG cards close to its chest? I hope so. Maybe this is just a new strategy of trying to temper expectations. I'd rather hope that it means Nintendo has something bigger to show at E3.

I want a Zelda Four Swords game on the Wii U, personally.

Also, what drumsandperc92 said.

Oh, and I'd say this definitely means that the Wii U is going to have graphics performance that is a little bit better than PS3 and 360 or a little bit worse... actually there is a third option, which is BOTH. It will do better at some things and worse at others, which is very likely. What it won't be is a giant leap over PS3 or 360 and most likely not even halfway between those and what the Sony and Microsoft offerings will be next year.

If it was a leap that significant, Iwata would be saying something a little more like "visuals are less important than game play, BUT they are a significant and important part of gaming and we know that." He didn't say that. At all.

I agree with Nintendo's philosophy on this and I DO think this is Nintendo trying to temper expectations, but I also want the most powerful system possible.

After having a taste of Mario Kart Wii on a 100+ inch screen in HD and stereoscopic 3D, why wouldn't I want the new system to live up to that natively? It makes great games an even better experience most of the time.

I love that Nintendo remains as successful as it is and I don't think the F2P matches Nintendo's DNA at all.

I really don't enjoy F2P and I'm a big proponent of iOS gaming. I also don't like the Android model which is ad-supported free games, either. Why do I want diversions and ads all over everything?

10 years ago (more?) I remember watching a TV show and just talking to my wife and friend, "You know, if I could just feed a dollar bill (or maybe a bit more) into this TV to take the ads away, I would." Well, now we've come to it, and the old school Studios fight and fight against it because they are used to ad revenue. Still, many people see that a Netflix model or a reasonably priced model with video on-demand through the internet is the ideal.

Now, young start-up companies and peanut gallery shouters are trying to tell Nintendo to dive into the mess that savvy viewers are demanding TV to get out of.

Free to play devalues games for those who just twiddle with the free parts, sucks the weak into paying for little to nothing, and immensely frustrates the dedicated gamer. Does that sound like a model you'd like your own company to follow if you ran one?

I'm very curious which way Nintendo goes on this. This particular quote seems more about the teams approach to this particular game. Darksiders II was confirmed EARLY for Wii U, so they targeted a particular spec. The latest rumors seem to suggest that Nintendo may be trying to future-proof a little... as I think they should.

I believe Nintendo could really get a solid foothold if it makes the console powerful enough and is not afraid to break even on the console — or maybe even lose a little cash on each console like it is probably doing with the 3DS at the moment.

If it can fill the non-gaming entertainment role of PS3 and 360, have the "standard set" of 3rd party cross-platform games AND have the Nintendo exclusives, there are many people that would jump on that console and at least think they are going to ignore Microsoft and Sony's consoles.

Since I've jumped into the stereoscopic 3D bandwagon, I'm also rooting for Nintendo to amp up the specs just so it can have hi-res 3D unlike most PS3 games. I realize there are VERY few people who know how good 3D gaming can be at the moment and the industry COMPLETELY botched the momentum of stereoscopy at home, but I still personally want it. Racing games in 3D are amazing. (Maybe we get 3DS compatibility that way too. )

You guys have got to use a little more imagination. If you use the controller for map or reading, there are options. One, you can hold the controller up a little temporarily while you're running from place to place glancing back and forth quickly (hey, like a real map!) and if you have a buddy to play with they can read, check the map,etc, as you play.

Also, reading on the controller is usually more natural and comfortable than reading something on a screen across a room.

There's many, many possibilities. I'm more looking forward to cooperative modes like in Mario Galaxy, but you give the new controller to the "helper". That way the "helper" could be much more involved with a bunch more going on their screen while the main player is focused on the action. I imagine Zelda would be a good match for this, actually. Player 2 could be Navi or Fi or... Tingle. Especially since Zelda Wii U controls are all but confirmed to be Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Could work with Metroid Prime as well, with the "helper" scanning stuff live and targeting and pointing out and making stuff highlight for the main player as they find things. Will be fun to see what Nintendo comes up with.

(Also, I really want a new Metroid prime to use the Wii Motion Plus controllers because it has some of the best motion controlled actions, but they were hampered by inaccuracy of subtle movements on the original Wii Remotes.)

@TrueWiiMaster
IMO, you are oversimplifying when you say, "Rayman's art was just old fashioned hand drawn graphics. It looked great, but it was nothing new."

I've never seen a game accomplish the hand painted look so beautifully. There is a workflow involved that allows the artists to paint layered paintings that fluidly move about and retain all of the detail and nuance of traditional artwork. Technically, it has been possible for years, but that engine and workflow they put together produced something that hasn't been seen before as far as I know. It deserved recognition.

I love how Skyward Sword looks and it was my favorite game experience last year. The "painted" look is a nice photoshop-style filter that is applied more thickly as things travel into the distance similar to how past games have blurred the backgrounds. It is a more interesting and pretty way to solve the harsh aliasing that occurs and is more noticeable on object in the distance on Nintendo hardware. It works. It looks great, sometimes, but it could look 10x better with better hardware and in HD.

As for comparing the two, I agree that the hardware and the final resolution should have NO bearing on artistic judgement. I think I'd lean towards Rayman overall, but it's a close call. I also liked the style of the characters and buildings and overall design of Skyward Sword, though I found it a little scattered in direction at times. Some characters seemed to look as if they were from a different game to my eye, for instance. Skyward Sword was a much more interesting game to me, of course. I didn't buy Rayman.

Skyward Sword did NOT simply lift the Wii Motion Sports controls. It's significantly different and tuned to the type of adventure it is. I can't judge between it and LB2 because I've never played. Did they do something about the awful floaty painfully boring platforming from the first one?

As far as Peggle HD winning over SM3DL. Well, I haven't played the Mario game for more than a demo, but I still find that incredibly bizarre. Peggle is cute fun and well executed. But it's just so simple and casual-oriented and mostly brainless. There are about 2 dozen games that use the same formula that are actually new this year. I don't get it.

Oh, and:
"Skyward sword has a weak art direction because of the wii limits"
The art direction itself was not remotely "weak". However, the limits of the Wii are making these sorts of things less beautiful to behold when compared to the intricacy that can be achieved on other platforms in HD. If it was just in HD there's no denying that it would look better.

Rayman is gorgeous in 110" HD. I dream of a 2D Metroid using that same engine in HD. Would kill. PLEASE, Nintendo? Can't quite bring myself to buy Rayman, though. Anyone know if later levels than the demos introduce anything interesting as far as gameplay goes? It seemed more about visual drama than game.

Looks great and brings back memories.

@Kirk
Can't tell if serious. Here, I'll play along: All I ever look at is shadows! They are awesome. Without shadows a game is useless, nothing and outdated. I look at my own shadow all day! I'm going into the closet and turning the light off, right now. It will look better than this game.

I want a new Diddy Kong Racing and it just can't happen.
I'd also like a new Jet Force Gemini. sigh.
Banjo was great! Banjo Tooie was not. In fact Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Tooie show me that Rare was already on their way down before Microsoft bought them out.

Fun to read the young kids calling foul on stuff that has been practiced and documented by people for 20 years. Being old is fun sometimes.

Can't wait to see the visual style of the next Zelda. Nintendo has kept the look and style of Zelda surprising for 25 years.

I don't think one console release hasn't been surprising visually and thematically.

Who knew the first Zelda's simplistic icons could hold such a deep and layered game at the time. Zelda II went side view for a huge departure. Zelda III brought subtlety and mood and detail only hinted at in the first game. Ocarina of Time went 3D. Majora's mask went insane dark and quirky. Wind Waker was so surprising it divided gamers sharply. Twilight Princess was expected to go realistic, but the dark geometric and almost digitial nature of the Twilight realm kept it surprising. Skyward Sword has the painterly, vibrant look with an unmatched expressiveness in the characters.

Can't wait to see what's next. Incidentally, all of them (save the early 2D games) would look better in HD resolution. The finer I can see the edges and the details the better.

Free DLC is the way to go, but Nintendo may be behind the learning curve on this stuff. In the iOS App Store market where competition is insane, developers have learned that keeping people talking and sharing about your app/game translates directly into new sales. You don't have to charge anything for the updates with new content to make that happen and you still get money from new sales.

The other part about free DLC is that it takes away from the downside of online users segregating into groups that have DLC and those that don't and resentment of being nickel and dimed. In fact, free DLC earns goodwill.

Hopefully, Iwata is aware of this, though. Nintendo has had some good experiences with free downloads lately, I think/hope. Perhaps he is talking paid downloads here to investors who like the sound of pay, but is also softening them up to the real long term benefits that will come.

All in all, it looks like Nintendo is carefully entering the wider online world armed with lessons learned by others who have forged the way. It could end up working out very well for everyone. Here's hoping.

I see a bunch of talk about the controller being standalone. Nope.

I'm 99.9% sure it won't do anything out of range of the console except the most simple of display info that could be stored on a cheap embedded chip.

There will be nothing in there accept a sub processor to decode a wireless video stream and the usual bluetooth controller stuff that all controllers already have for sending the control info back. It will probably encode the camera info for the return trip as well. It will be hardcoded to do just that and won't have a general purpose processor, much less a graphics card that can do any polygon processing. That's all in the Wii U console.

So, the misinformed conclusions about the controller in here have given a good indication that Nintendo needs to be careful how they brand the idea of not-just-another-home-console. It's also a tablet for around the home. That's the pitch, I'd think. Not sure how to present that, but I LOVE the idea of calling it an ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM again. Perfect way to stir up good feelings from the core crowd they want to get back that used to love the NES and SNES, imo.

How to integrate Entertainment System with the word Wii? Not so sure. Wii Entertainment System is fine, but doesn't sound like a NEW system so much. Have fun Nintendo marketing department!

So, the 3DS "revision" could come with not just another slider, but a pair of new buttons and possibly a more comfortable to grip at the expense of being less portable. Maybe going bigger makes more sense. More room for the battery could make a dent in the other big shortcoming of the device.

Also, some people will be happy with their smaller sized 3DS when the revision comes because they don't want the bigger one. Or at least, it will be something to tell themselves to make them feel better.

I'd also love a bigger screen, but then the battery is big and not enough again.

NSMB Mii ideas shown on Wii U... promise of 2D mario on 3DS in the same fiscal year that the Wii U will launch... I'm thinking these titles might converge into a showcase of how the 3DS should work with the Wii U. No?

You could do multiplayer on the 3DS like NSMW, but also share in a big screen if playing with the Wii U. While regular play on the Wii U would maybe have a hot seat passing of the Wii U controller so players could dive down into secret areas on their screen, you could have multiple people play that way when they introduce a 3DS into the mix.

Explaining that all though makes it sound a bit too complicated to pull off. But it seems to me that a NSMB game could be completely solid in time for the Wii U launch and here is an official announcement about a similar game coming to the 3DS in the same time frame. How often does Nintendo promise something like this. Unless we are talking launch date, right?

Plus, Smash Bros was touted as showcasing this ability but it will be a long ways off. Nintendo needs a big popular title to get people on board with the idea.

At E3, Nintendo could show it off working with the 3DS and convince many people to pick up a 3DS before the Wii U launch... well, me at least. lol.

edit:
@Rapadash6
Looks like I took too long to write my post, but I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this

Other commenters have great ideas: Cloud storage of games so you can download and delete whenever you feel like it when there are storage space concerns.

Rare and imported games available even when the numbers aren't there for physical releases. Same goes for Gamecube games and Wii games.

Prices that are just a bit lower to encourage downloading vs. retail (not likely!)

That would be a massive undertaking for Nintendo, but Nintendo does seem much more committed to online services this time around.

Sooner the better on this. I'll spend money on an extra hard drive or large SD card for my Wii U if necessary. Removable media and boxes take up physical space, if I can cram it into a tiny space with no drawbacks, I'll do it.

On the negative side, this will eventually mean no used games market, although that would be a long way off. Also, retailers could backlash against this big time. In the short term I don't think it effect them too dramatically. Most people would still buy the retail versions.

(Seems like Nintendo is preparing in advance well enough that there could even be a hard drive solution for those that want it. I give it a 50/50 chance.)

@scrafty
There is no indication from hands-on reports by dozens of people that the controller is anything but great. What kind of improvements were you looking for? Or am I just feeding a troll here.

I hope this means there is at least one good solid launch game from Nintendo that is deeper than the mini games. This gives Nintendo more time for software and hopefully a little bit more oomf and polish in the hardware department. Nintendo can't afford to botch the launch so this is good news overall.

We're keeping our Wii alive just long enough to buy a WiiU. I wish there were more charger reviews. We were bitten by a horrendous Energizer charger that completely failed after using it about twice, so I'd be interested in this if it wasn't also a stand which will be useless to us sometime later this year.

Anyone else have to unplug your Wii every time you are done using it or the startup won't get past a black screen? That's us. At least the unplug thing works. Nintendo better offer an easy way to transfer WiiPoint purchases to the Wii U, though, because I'm ready to take this thing off life support (I guess the Gamecube will come back out though).

Had no qualms about getting the Zelda-gold motion plus controller, though, since it looks like Wii U will be using the Wii controllers as-is quite extensively.

Nice. Cheat codes have always been for gameplay testing though, right? I always wondered about the warp pipes in Super Mario Bros. though. They seem on the border of intentionally hidden for player discovery and cheat to make testing easier. Maybe it was a cheat retro fitted as a secret.

Nice fan dream. It's not impossible, but it seems highly unlikely at the pace that they've been going on the 3DS already.

But MAYBE this is what Retro Zelda is all about!

Let's make it a head-to-head battle between Nintendo proper and Retro Studios. They'll play rock/paper/scissors to decide who gets which one and then whoever makes the most sales gets to make the Wii U version.

Dreaming is fun.

(Where did the voice-acting conversation come from? lol)

The XBox and Playstation have a tough battle ahead. The WiiU really doesn't in my opinion. The WiiU is a simple idea: it revolves around a new controller while not abandoning the controllers everyone already has and it will be up to par with graphics capabilities finally embracing HD resolution (so it doesn't have horribly distracting jagged edges and blurry textures on the HD screens most people have now). Oh, and the killer feature: you will be able to buy it almost right away.

I can see Sony trying to leverage the Vita because it will be the one differentiator it has. Microsoft will try to do something with Kinect judging by the way it keeps pushing it. Maybe an upgraded Kinect with higher fidelity in reading. Maybe giving in to the idea that adding a button to the mix would actually be helpful? The big problem is going to be games. If they try to push out a new console quickly, it will need to do so without key games to push any new hardware beyond the spec bump. There simply isn't enough time. It's possible there have been some super secret non-leaked things going on, but that doesn't happen much anymore.

I personally don't see them launching consoles this year, but I'd bet money that they will tease the future of the platforms this E3 — very much like Nintendo did last year — to rain on Nintendo's parade a bit and lay out the plans for developers.

Like any other digital copying problem the way to fight it is to offer inexpensive and ultra convenient means to get the same thing. This device is neither inexpensive or convenient, unfortunately.

The virtual console is a good answer to the problem --and I've invested heavily-- but the selection is limited due to licensing issues and companies that don't exist anymore with their properties scattered around.

Ethically, why should it matter how you are playing a game if it's an old game you used to own or play --aren't those the only old games most people care about? — that isn't offered by any other means and there is no one willing to take the cash you'd gladly give over?

I personally want to support the people who make the media I like to consume with money or whatever they are asking for. It's too bad there's no way to do that in some circumstances.

Solution? How about ROMs available in perfect shape FOR SALE from Nintendo and people with the rights to arcade games, for instance. The other ways they distribute some of these games are often inferior to what emulator writers come up with and they are unwilling to develop more obscure games. What would it hurt to put the ROM out and make a few bucks? sigh Would somebody just take my money, please?

Good that it's selling because it really showcases some good solid motion controls. Great entry for the 25th anniversary for various reasons, too. Loving the game so far with a couple of minor gripes:

Too much text! Seriously, the dialogue writers need to learn about brevity. It's not badly written it's just needlessly verbose. That's one thing voice acting would probably take care of. However, the "acting" is fantastic. There's a huge amount of attention to the expressions and motions of the characters during the cinematics. So, even though the reading is laborous, the cutscenes are emotionally moving which is the important part!

Another gripe is that the rolling motion requires a little too much motion in my opinion compared to the other techniques and there is a narrow range of speed to distinguish between a slash and a feint to another side before slashing. Overall, there is a bit of delay to get accustomed to with everything gyroscope. For instance, when responding to menu choices if you are too fast to select, it reads your pointing to the right as center and then it gets awkward.

Beyond those gripes, I'm finding it engrossing and fun. I love that every encounter with a new creature is a mystery to be unraveled and really dangerous as there aren't as many hearts laying around and you can't just hack away.

And this is turning into an ironically verbose review, so, erm... GO ZELDA!

I don't get certain parts of this and I haven't played Skyward Sword yet. On top of this I never thought a timeline was even remotely necessary. It's just a legend being told over and over in different ways.

However, Wind Waker really tried to be connected to OOT and that did intrigue me and the connection resonated with me making the finale stronger.

On top of that, this alternate timeline set of games really kind of works and it makes it a pretty cool set of stories and adds some depth to the different types of directions the game has headed. I also like that the first two games are at the end of one timeline.

Very nice. Will be even more fun when it becomes clearer, I think. I bet all the Zelda fan sites are scrambling like crazy for a definitive timeline at this point. Fun.

Aw. No 2XL. Some people are tall and fat you know. I've lost close to 45 pounds since September and I'm looking forward to wearing some cool T-shirts again. lol.

It's a smart move, but I still hope for a new tidbit here or there around that time.

I have a feeling we won't get too much before E3, though. Lately, Nintendo has been keen that a poor E3 showing can sting. The more held back the bigger the splash at E3.

I bet Nintendo would LOVE to release it a week or two after E3 just to get a fever of hype to translate right into sales, but even if Nintendo is hoping for it, I have a feeling realities (games being done, hardware production ramp up, important third party titles not quite ready) are going to put the release date in a more comfortable zone: September to November.

Part of me wants the surprise release that is early, but I really want the launch to go right so I'm hoping Nintendo waits until everything is close to perfect. After the 3DS launch I don't think anyone at Nintendo would have it any other way. The best case scenario is that everything is actually close to perfect right after E3 without any crazy rushing. Nintendo could even enjoy a greater window without "next-gen" console competition. Unlikely but desirable.

@13
That's a good idea about the collections. All depends on how hard the conversion process is and it would be great if they could add some Wii U specific features. Sure would go a long way if there were some familiar franchises up there with the Wii U name on it. A promise of things to come right at the launch and (possibly) an inexpensive way to introduce new people to the franchises coming up in a year or so.

@11 I wonder what the "wii sports" of the Wii U will be? Seems like Nintendo will want to rake in more traditional gamers along with the non-trads, but I'm not sure what that looks like.
...
Actually, I think we've seen it a little bit. It's the games that use Miis but they have Nintendo character costumes on. And it's games where there is a team against the special controller person. It could work to a degree.

Will definitely need something deep to go along with it at launch. I think the effect of having a game like that was diminished at the Wii launch because Twilight Princess was also available for the Gamecube and the Wii motion controls were hammered in there. If Nintendo could come up with something that simultaneously captured the gamer looking for something deep and graphically competitive with XBox/PS3 while also utilizing the new controller in a universally captivating way, Nintendo could capture back a big portion of traditional gamers.

Now for the non-trads Nintendo has to overcome all the Wiis locked away in closets that people REMEMBER having a blast with but gave up on. I'm thinking the casual lounging angle could convince people that they'd use it more often. Yes, kids can play some games without hogging the TV, but anybody can do stuff like casual games, drawing, surfing the web, chatting like on a tablet and then turn it into a party device like the old Wii when you feel like it.