On Tuesday, Nintendo will take to the stage as it delivers its presentation at this year's E3 expo, at long last revealing details on the Wii's successor. So naturally, there's just enough time for more rumours to be backed up by another source.
Japanese newspaper Nikkei reports that the console could launch as early as mid-2012. The controller will have a touch screen measuring 6 inches, allowing gamers to use it as a traditional button-based controller as well as a tablet computer.
Nikkei also reports that Nintendo's successor to the Wii will be a more complete package that offers more convenience, with the goal of attracting more users by offering a home console that doubles as a portable system. This suggests the controller will be capable of performing as a individual device independent from the console.
The publication also backs up previous claims that the controller will have a built-in camera.
One thing's for sure: you want to be tuned into Nintendo Life when Tuesday arrives.
[source translate.google.co.uk, via e3.gamespot.com]
Comments 62
Guess the DS-as-controller compatibility might work out after all
Controller as an independent handheld wouldn't make sense as that would cannibalize 3DS sales.
I'd love it if they made 3DS a compatible as an controller.
PLEASE come out in 2012. I still don't have a 3DS yet, just let me buy one of those first.
Why does this sound terribly uncomfortable?
The tablet computer tidbit sounds interesting...I wonder.
Touch screen inventories sound more and more appealing.
Sounds like they want to kill the 3DS before it even got started.
If this controller doubles as a game system then it'll hurt 3DS sales.
If true, it won't be a dedicated handheld console, it will essentially still be a controller. You're not going to find game slots on it. Or will you? Hmm, I'd like there to be a DVD slot.
On a serious note, I worry about the battery consumption with all this supposed functionality.
It's definitely not going to be a handheld. There's no way.
That would = $200 per controller? No way in hell that's something Sony would do
All the controller is going to get is content streamed to it and the possible option of the playing the game without the telivision- if this whole thing is even legit. Nintendo's not stupid enough to ruin their 3DS/DS. Hell, if the console is significantly more powerful than this generation's, well, just as someone from Sony said regarding their NGP being as strong as PS3- that crap will burn and explode in your hands.
I personally hate the idea, if that rumor is real i will SO not buy it. Nintendo will shoot themselves in the foot by making a controller that directly competes with the 3DS.
That would kill the 3DS and make the controllers really pricey. I wonder how much this system will cost?
has anybody even realised that the gaming world is once again talking nintendo, and not ps4 and xbox 720 which were rumours just the other day, just to kick ms and sony , they release more propaganda to get INTERNET tounges waggling. They did a great job to, everyone is talking cafe again! e3 roll up, roll up!
Just PLEASE put the touchscreen on the bottom of the controller (like the keyboard attachment to the 360 controller)... I want to be able to hit the touchscreen with my thumbs for instant access, instead of having to let go to pick an option!
@14
To me, I think they're just kissing booty. Certain websites.
Wanna know how Nintendo can help with controller cost? Bundle 2-4 in with the console from the start. =P
I'm wondering what that controller's battery life is gonna be like, honestly.
@Sko
I think having the screen in the middle is better. NGP works in a similar way- in that it's screen is touch enabled with the input and analog buttons on the side. Though, it won't be THAT big but it'll be comftorable for sure.
Same thing with the lower part of the 3DS/DS systems.
i doubt very much that the wii 2 controller will be a fully functional console like the 3DS. maybe it could download (and possibley store) mini games from the wii 2 disks, so that you could play for extra content, or unlock certain areas within the main game.
or they could even use it to play card games like poker or black jack, and you could also share photo`s while chatting to friends if they decide to bring out an updated version of wii speak.
i don`t see this as a direct threat to the 3DS if nintendo set the controller up not to cut into the handheld market, but more of an extrension of the wii 2 itself.
@11
I bet the cost per touchscreen controller will be closer to a DS Lite price, and hopefully under $100. For having friends over of course they can bring their own or possibly use a DSi or 3DS as the 2nd/3rd/4th controllers.
"with the goal of attracting more users by offering a home console that doubles as a portable system"
For handheld gaming we have the 3DS!
i still dont know what to think about the whole touch screen thing. i need to see it to really understand how it is going to be. i like the way the wii controller is now... will the new controller still use pointer controls?!?!? i like those...
I Was One f The First To Predict A Controller For Inventory And Sidequests Purposes And I Believe I'm Gonna Be Right...Again
This is stupid, there should be some sort of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) equivalent to protect the rank and file workers from legitimate leaks. Whenever this happens, those people are put into a destabilized situation, which increases their work stress.
To use an RTS reference, the current system of security for video game trade secrets is a "fog of war". When that "fog of war" is unveiled, as in this report by a reputable source such as the enormous media corporation Nikkei, the corporate accountability of the trade secret (new product) is damaged, oftentimes resulting in a weakened stock market perception. This doesn't make the video game executives happy, and the video game employees are the ones who deal with the risk of lower compensation and/or tougher crunch times. If this leak is false, then whoever at Nikkei is responsible for it's release is in danger of losing their jobs.
I think the touchscreen controller idea is a step backward from the Wii Remote... the Nintendo R&D departments were given a slap in the face if this supposed touchscreen controller is all they were tasked with. The "link portable system to the console system as a controller" idea is archaic- remember the GBA to GCN cable? The SD card is enough for a standard of data transfer between different system types. The Nikkei report is worrisome... I hope Nintendo unveils something new and different... like a sensory controller.
It might even be something like emirblade suggested...
How much is it going to cost?
"599 US dollars!"
Hurry up e3 and give us an answer to all these questions and confusion!!!
actualy, nintendo are planning world domination by providing controllers that use brain power.
the telepathic / psychokinesis controller will sit on your head with the correct stimuli beamed directly into your brain, making you think and feel that you are actually "in the game".
nintendo plan to use this to control the players to into taking over power of the world, confirming the fears that parents had when nintendo brought the NES to the west, that video games will rot your brain, and nintendo will control the children, and dominate the free world.
@ 28 ????
GBA to GCN cable and Zelda Four Swords was AWESOME for the 10 minutes we could play with everyone's batteries working at the same time. That issue will be solved, the screen will be 6 inches (which is pretty massive) and it will be a primary feature of the system.
It's going to make any same-room-multiplayer games twice as fun by default. It's going to make HUDs migrate to between your hands helping to give more immersion, and there will be a new class of games from Nintendo that rely on each player having a screen to themselves AND a main playing screen, think co-op to the extreme and streamlined euro board games for instance (and if you aren't a big board game player you don't know how appealing that could be).
It won't replace the 3DS. The DS and 3DS are only good for portable play. There's not much reason to play those at home being all cramped and tiny. For home you'll play on the big screen, and possibly some games right on the large screened controller using the new console. Makes perfect sense to me.
Can't wait to see how Nintendo has packaged all this and what games they'll be showcasing it all with.
can't wait for Tuesday so we can move beyond the name "GameCube 3", sick of it.
This will be pretty cool
Don't go against the touchscreen just yet. While not confirmed, if it IS true, then Nintendo will make it work. As Stuttering Craig from ScrewAttack always says, Nintendo is smarter than us, and they will find a way to "wow" us with whatever it is they have.
@31
Eh... I'll tune into E3 Network on that Nintendo website to gets news far ahead of any other website. Did that last year and got news on that website ahead of anything else.
i wonder how much the contoller will cost
If all this is true, basically we might be getting a true successor to the GBA, and the DS line can return to being Nintendo's Third Pillar.
"Nintendo's successor to the Wii will be a more complete package that offers more convenience, with the goal of attracting more users by offering a home console that doubles as a portable system. This suggests the controller will be capable of performing as a individual device independent from the console."
Didn't that handsome chap CowLaunch suggest consoles may be going in this direction a while back?
@6: I feel the same way.
@28 lol must play mario. dont know if this controller is true but starting to like the sound of it remember loving dreamcasts controller and that was a basic detachable with small screen im guessing youd still be able to hook up remotes if you wanted which i probably would not long left to find out wonder if we get any info sent to our 3ds
.... sounds epic. In fact Nintendo's new innovation will prob b the home console doubling up as a portable via the touch screeen (+ buttoned) controller. (??)
@SanderEvers
It most likely will not be... It would be nice, but unlikely. Why? Because Wii 2 is supposed to be backward compatible with wiimotes, which use bluetooth for connection. 3DS doesn't have bluetooth! It's very unlikely that you would be able to connect controllers both via bluetooth and wi-fi. 3DS and Wii 2 will probably be able to interact a lot though!
VMU time!
i very much doubt that the controller could play games without the consle, therfore it probaly won't ruin 3ds sales
i hope you can use 3ds/dsi/ds as a controller
@RyuZebian the wii does NOT use bluetooth, it uses ir like a tv remote
Portable system? Hmmm...
I don't like the idea of my wii's controler being an itouch...
Now I am even more curious to see Project Cafe in it's entirety.
@46 check your facts on the bluetooth. You are woefully wrong.
@48 The rumors suggest it won't be an iPod touch for many reasons: 6 inch screen, standard control methods with real buttons and grips around the screen, tethered to the wifi range of a console, plays Nintendo games. What's not to like?
While the controller may not be able to operate independently of the console, it could still hurt 3DS sales because some people (like me) buy portable gaming systems so that we don't always have to wait for the TV to be free. If these rumors are true, I would be completely set with this console. I still have my phone for gaming on the go and my DS Lite when I need a deeper game for travel.
@MadScientistMan: IR is indeed used for the wiimote pointer, but bluetooth is how our wiimotes were made wireless. i think you've got your facts mixed up :3
Am I the only one who thinks this is an awesome idea? It won't be totally intended to be a handheld, just a handheld that could play the games from the console portably and possibly away from the console. It'll be like a bigscreen DS, with the TV being the "top screen" and the controller being the "touchscreen". Of course, the controller won't have a gameslot, so it won't be able to play games on its own. Plus, there will probably be totally different games available on the 3DS for this controller to really damage the 3DS sales.
Of course, these are just my speculations. I hope it becomes reality; I've been dreaming of having a console controller that doubles as a handheld ever since I had an N64.
@18 If the rumors of a 6" screen are correct that is a bit bigger than the NGP screen. So it may well be BIGGER. I don't know about the 6" rumors, though. That is massive. It makes me wonder if it really will just be planted between two sides of buttons or if there is some other arrangement... or maybe it just isn't that large in reality?
I'm interested in the persisting rumors about a camera in each controller, too. Could be cool for quick pictures of yourself to identify players quickly, but it doesn't seem worth inclusion just for that. Maybe it's just the IR camera? So you can't still use pointing? Maybe both.
Personally, I think there's plenty of room for surprise in this new console despite some solid info from multiple sources.
Maybe this is the the reason for the IR port on the back of the 3DS.
If they are going in this direction, it means potentially that 8 or more people can play the same game. Also if it can hold enough data, it could mean you could take entire save files with you and sync them with someone else's game.
@3 agreed
interestingly, I've dreamed (while sleeping lol) about a controller that would work as a portable console... but yes, it'd mess up the whole 3DS idea...
If it makes coffee then I'm going to go ahead and get in line tomorrow.
Everyone needs to calm down. You will just be able to download your VC games to the controller in order to play them whenever and wherever. This does not encroach on the 3DS which is all about the graphics and functionality. You will not be able to play NEW games on the STREAM controller that far away from the system as it is supposed to use Bluetooth to send just the video image to the controller. Old games will be saved on the controller's flash memory.
I don't feel like paying for 3 extra controllers with all this tech crammed in. is going to be expensive.
Falco: I can't wait to see this secret weapon.
No, really, I really am glad E3 is this Tuesday. No more rumors. Solid facts.
yeah, this is no big deal, and is an ok idea.
It just means using taking parts of large games on the road for outside functionality. It probably can hold smaller sub games to accomplish tasks using the cameras and augmented reality type of stuff. Face and image recognition things you can grab or find in the real world, and pedometer to put you on mini quests within your larger home games. The possiblities are really massive with what can be done now in image recognition and motion tracking. It almost does sound like they could have just merged the 3DS into being a controller for it and put them together.
I think the AR cards have that much potential using reference points to map things but need more processing power and the big dedicated screen to use the functions best for really immersive content. We'll have to wait and see; I'm really excited about it, and the 3DS is still a fun run up to it, even if it did dig into it's sales then. Hey, why not even just release an updated 3DS at launch that becomes a controller as well, I'd be happy to trade mine in if they can get them to sync nicely with the Wii 2.
who cares if they cost a lot as long as it comes with at least one, it still means having an extra mobile game machine and who doesn't have a DS AND a Wii already? If it works wouldn't it also effectively dominate home AND portable console sales at once if you get a little machine that can play downloadable mini games (i.e. ios type games) and HD console games at once with sub-games included to achieve things? Aren't cool achievements the great component that's given the Xbox content the edge this generation?
6 inches? D:
this kinda further makes me think that the controller can also be used as a portable for your WiiWare and Virtual Console software. Sounds neat! Can't wait till tuesday!!
mmmmmm....not judgin or any thing but... i might as well buy 2 more 3ds's.......its seems mike thats wats happening ..''and @ 28 u r hilarious!!! : D!!
I fail to see the point if the rumors are true. When I play on a console, I look at my TV screen. It would be annoying if I need to look at two screens when playing games. Also, this will likely make the controllers awfully expensive.
In a world where Sony and Sega dominate the Hard-Core market, one company rises again! Coming soon to a living room near you - "Project Cafe: VMU Resurrection".
This film has been rated "R" for "REALLY?!"
Hot diggity, say hello to over $100+ controllers!
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