Nintendo Wii U

[Mahaloth]

Thoughts?

I have to read more about it, but it sounds neat. Not sure about the name, though. Very weird name.

[borschevsky]

The concept seems pretty interesting to me. I guess there's still a year or so to wait while they actually get some full games up and running on the thing, so no need to decide one way or the other yet. Even without the touchscreen business on the new controller, it's a HD Wii, so it's interesting from just an updated hardware perspective. Plus the new controller is actually more traditional than the Wiimote in some ways, since it's dual analog and so on.

Wii U is a weird name, but I've given up worrying about the names of these things now. People made fun of "Wii" and "iPad" too.

[Mahaloth]

So, it looks like you can keep your Wii remotes and use those, too.

That's a nice idea.

[Munch]

It's a fantastic idea - but I'm afraid of a few things:

1. The cost of those controllers. They have to be more than $100 each. There's a big giant "sync" button on the front of the console, which suggests (to me) that people are going to bring their own over to play with you, because they're prohibitively expensive. (Or it could just be a mock up, since demos like this interchange parts all the time.)

2. The controller looks really uncomfortable. Until I feel it in my hands, my default reaction is that it's an ergonomic nightmare.

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Munch

1. The cost of those controllers. They have to be more than $100 each. There's a big giant "sync" button on the front of the console, which suggests (to me) that people are going to bring their own over to play with you, because they're prohibitively expensive. (Or it could just be a mock up, since demos like this interchange parts all the time.)

The Wii and 360 both have sync buttons on the front too (I don't own a PS3). I think it's just a standard fact of life when wi-fi devices like that occasionally need to be re-initialized.

[asterion]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

The Wii and 360 both have sync buttons on the front too (I don't own a PS3). I think it's just a standard fact of life when wi-fi devices like that occasionally need to be re-initialized.

The PS3 uses Bluetooth and makes the connection to the controllers (but not the remote) by making a physical USB connection for the initial pairing. I haven't lost the pairing yet. That said, I agree just having a sync button doesn't mean it'd have to be used very often.

[tim314]

For those who haven't seen it yet, here's a preview video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3qaPg_keg

[Hampshire]

Maybe they'll get Akon (from the Gwen Stefani Escape song) to do the advertising.
Wiiiiii-uuuuuuu....... WIIIIIII-UUUUUUUUU!!

[iamthewalrus(:3=]

Originally Posted by tim314

For those who haven't seen it yet, here's a preview video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3qaPg_keg

Some parts of that video are pretty (unintentionally) hilarious.

At 1:00, we see how nice it is to use the controller as a game board. It even keeps that awesome feature where if you accidentally bump the board, all the pieces fall off!

At 2:24, the user is apparently trying to pet his dog through the controller. Touch screens do not work that way.

At 2:47, there's apparently a creepy person sitting way back from everyone else in the room, spying on them and showing parrot videos. No one looks at or acknowledges this person in any way.

None of that really has an impact on how the actual product will be. I just thought it was funny.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by asterion

The PS3 uses Bluetooth and makes the connection to the controllers (but not the remote) by making a physical USB connection for the initial pairing. I haven't lost the pairing yet. That said, I agree just having a sync button doesn't mean it'd have to be used very often.

PS3 controllers have a sync button on them. You only need to make a hard connection when formating the hard drive (and even then there's a workaround).

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

The Wii and 360 both have sync buttons on the front too (I don't own a PS3). I think it's just a standard fact of life when wi-fi devices like that occasionally need to be re-initialized.

No, I understand the need for a sync button. I just think making the sync button so amazingly obvious and noticeable (as opposed to hiding behind a flap on the back of the console, like the Wii) suggests that syncing is going to be MUCH more common, what with everyone bringing their own controllers to people's houses (rather than just investing in an extra controller or two).

Again - it could just be because it's a demo version. When you have 8 displays (and 8 remotes), it's easy to mix them up, and you want to be able to easily re-sync them.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

As far as my feelings go, the exact same for the current Wii, unless I hear otherwise. There's really nothing for me there.

[Ferret Herder]

Yeah, the new controller looks bulky and unwieldy. I don't see a reason yet to upgrade from the Wii. (I also own a PS3, PC, and iPhone for gaming.)

[borschevsky]

Reports from the show are that the controller is actually quite comfortable, although I agree that it certainly doesn't look it. Apparently it's lighter than it looks, which I guess makes sense since it doesn't have as much internal components as a similar-sized tablet.

All the demo videos show only one new controller, sometimes along with a number of other Wiimotes. Maybe the intention is that you only use one?

[borschevsky]

Maybe only using one new controller makes sense. All the rendering is still happening in the console, right? So to use (say) 4 of the new controllers, the console would need to be able to render and stream 4 instances, along with the main HD display.

[Omniscient]

Originally Posted by borschevsky

Maybe only using one new controller makes sense. All the rendering is still happening in the console, right? So to use (say) 4 of the new controllers, the console would need to be able to render and stream 4 instances, along with the main HD display.

Engadget implied that you'd be able to play the games on the controller without the TV. Essentially making the controller a handheld gaming device like the PSP. Whether all or any of the processing occurs on the controller of if it's all happening on the console and piped to the screen is a question. Presumably if it was happening on the controller then you could play games on the go, which would then allow you to sync your results back to the console later. That'd be a cool trick, but it'd also probably be prohibitively expensive.

Engadget also inferred that it's a resistive touchscreen and not capacitive, which means no multi-touch I think.

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Omniscient

Engadget implied that you'd be able to play the games on the controller without the TV. Essentially making the controller a handheld gaming device like the PSP. Whether all or any of the processing occurs on the controller of if it's all happening on the console and piped to the screen is a question. Presumably if it was happening on the controller then you could play games on the go, which would then allow you to sync your results back to the console later. That'd be a cool trick, but it'd also probably be prohibitively expensive.

Nintendo showcased this trick during their E3 press conference. The system can push the image to the controller and the game can be completely played on the controller while someone else watches TV.

I believe it's all the console doing the processing as Nintendo cautioned the Wii U controller is not a handheld (though it does do simple games like Othello away from the console).

[Palooka]

No one is going to bring their controllers over since it lamely only supports one tablet controller per console.

[Mahaloth]

Originally Posted by Palooka

No one is going to bring their controllers over since it lamely only supports one tablet controller per console.

Weird. I'm assuming it does not have Gamecube controller ports? Is that right?

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Mahaloth

Weird. I'm assuming it does not have Gamecube controller ports? Is that right?

Correct. The Wii U isn't backwards compatible with the Cube.

But I don't believe Nintendo has confirmed the idea of one Wii U controller per Wii U system. That's how it's worked in every demonstration so far but the console is over a year away. So who knows what will happen.

[Gangster Octopus]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

Correct. The Wii U isn't backwards compatible with the Cube.

But I don't believe Nintendo has confirmed the idea of one Wii U controller per Wii U system. That's how it's worked in every demonstration so far but the console is over a year away. So who knows what will happen.

I thought they were releasing it in May.

I think it is one of those things that may take time for developers to truly figure out innovative ways to take advantage of it. I would certiany hope you could use two controlers so when playing something like Madden you each could use the controller for your playbook.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

I thought they were releasing it in May.

I think it is one of those things that may take time for developers to truly figure out innovative ways to take advantage of it. I would certiany hope you could use two controlers so when playing something like Madden you each could use the controller for your playbook.

Am I doing it right?

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

I thought they were releasing it in May.

All they've said is 2012. Although last month, during quarterly a financial report, they said it wouldn't be out in the current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2012.

So April at the earliest. But we would have seen more at E3 if that were the case. It needs one more E3 at least to get buzz going so next July is the absolutely earliest it could be released.

[kushiel]

Originally Posted by Palooka

No one is going to bring their controllers over since it lamely only supports one tablet controller per console.

Whaaaa? Then what's the point? I thought this was a rehash of the old Four Swords Adventures stuff.

Not big on the screen though. I want to look at one thing, either the TV or the handheld, back and forth is hard. Didn't like that aspect of Four Swords.

Will buy near the end of lifecycle when its Zelda game comes out.

[Chronos]

I like the bits where the controller is providing another window onto the TV screen, a zoom or whatever. If that works smoothly enough, it could change all sorts of things. Flicking the shuriken onto the TV also looked cool, though I'm not sure how generally-applicable that is.

And if it works with multiple controllers, you could do things like multi-player card games in one living room. Put the shared cards and an animated dealer on the main TV screen, and then each player's controller shows their own hand.

[Hoopy Frood]

Originally Posted by Chronos

And if it works with multiple controllers, you could do things like multi-player card games in one living room. Put the shared cards and an animated dealer on the main TV screen, and then each player's controller shows their own hand.

Awesome! And for the price of one console game I could buy about 35 (give or take) decks of standard cards and do the same thing around a table and probably get even more hours of enjoyment plus better social interaction.

Console for card games? Really? Have we sunk that low?

ETA: (Granted this doesn't include the fact that a console will allow you to play online, but you can find sites that let you do that for free.)

[drgnrdr07]

I spent about three hours in line today at E3 so I could get a hands-on with it. Overall, I wasn't very impressed with it. I was really hoping that I would like it after getting to play with it for a bit, but it just feels like an addon for the Wii. Maybe this will all change once we get closer to the launch, but I give it a big resounding "meh."

I was thinking that once I got to play with it I would get it, but it just seems like they added half of a DS onto a controller and called it a day.

[borschevsky]

Apparently WiiU is going to have a gamertag-style online account, rather than friend codes. So hallelujah to that if it's true.

[Chronos]

OK, now play a game of partners bridge with just you and one other person, and one of those $3 decks of cards. And it's not like that's the only thing you can use it for, either.

[Hoopy Frood]

Originally Posted by Chronos

OK, now play a game of partners bridge with just you and one other person, and one of those $3 decks of cards. And it's not like that's the only thing you can use it for, either.

Notice I said price of a game, not price of a console. (I was figuring you can get a generic deck of cards for a buck and a half.) Why buy a console card game? You can play card games online for free, including partners bridge.

[Chronos]

Notice I said price of a game, not price of a console. (I was figuring you can get a generic deck of cards for a buck and a half.) Why buy a console card game? You can play card games online for free, including partners bridge.

I expect that, if they do allow multiple controllers, a card game bundle will be one of the games that comes with the console, similar to how Wii Sports came with the Wii.

[Cubsfan]

Judging by the stylus I'm guessing the screen is resistive and not capacitive? If so that really sucks. Its going to seem dated the day it comes out.

[The Hamster King]

I was talking with some other game designers about it a couple of days ago. The consensus was that it was probably best suited for casual multiplayer games where each player has hidden information. This would include cards, but it could also be a football game where you use the controller to pick plays, or a war game where each side makes moves in secret.

However, we couldn't figure out how to make good use of it for a single player game. If there's a lot of action you don't want to look away from the main screen. And if there's not a lot of action you can get the same effect by popping up an alternate interface on the main screen. Unlike the wiimote, there don't seem to be any obvious cool things you can do with it.

I'm curious to see how Nintendo actually uses it in a real game.

[Gangster Octopus]

Originally Posted by The Hamster King

I was talking with some other game designers about it a couple of days ago. The consensus was that it was probably best suited for casual multiplayer games where each player has hidden information. This would include cards, but it could also be a football game where you use the controller to pick plays, or a war game where each side makes moves in secret.

However, we couldn't figure out how to make good use of it for a single player game. If there's a lot of action you don't want to look away from the main screen. And if there's not a lot of action you can get the same effect by popping up an alternate interface on the main screen. Unlike the wiimote, there don't seem to be any obvious cool things you can do with it.

I'm curious to see how Nintendo actually uses it in a real game.

I can think of one way, in a FPS you would treat it almost like a high tech GPS device you actually would have to carry around with you and look down at if it were truly in such a situation. It could also be something you get messages from HQ. SOmething like that, where the screen isn't a simple extension of what you see on the TV, but ann actual physical extension of what the game requires. Almost like the guitar accessory for RockBand/Guitar Hero.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by The Hamster King

However, we couldn't figure out how to make good use of it for a single player game. If there's a lot of action you don't want to look away from the main screen. And if there's not a lot of action you can get the same effect by popping up an alternate interface on the main screen. Unlike the wiimote, there don't seem to be any obvious cool things you can do with it.

I've seen a lot of people excited about eliminating the HUD on the screen, and transferring that to the controller. But I predict that people don't want to look down at that, and will change the default setting so the HUD is on the screen.

Maybe a map - maps can be distracting on the HUD.

[Jragon]

Originally Posted by The Hamster King

I was talking with some other game designers about it a couple of days ago. The consensus was that it was probably best suited for casual multiplayer games where each player has hidden information. This would include cards, but it could also be a football game where you use the controller to pick plays, or a war game where each side makes moves in secret.

However, we couldn't figure out how to make good use of it for a single player game. If there's a lot of action you don't want to look away from the main screen. And if there's not a lot of action you can get the same effect by popping up an alternate interface on the main screen. Unlike the wiimote, there don't seem to be any obvious cool things you can do with it.

I'm curious to see how Nintendo actually uses it in a real game.

One thing I can think of is to have it be sort of a different "level" of the game, like the underground portion is on the screen and the overworld is on the TV, so you can fight a boss that's going around on the foreground while you go into a cave and try to get under it on the controller screen, then use a bomb or whatever to hurt it from below. Kind of like Four Swords Adventures I guess.

Originally Posted by Dinaroozie

When it was first announced, this seemed less crazy than the Wii, but still interesting. The apparent news that you can only connect one controller (of the type shown - with the screen thingy) takes it from 'interesting' down to 'baffling'... the idea of multiplayer with private screens immediately made me think of loads of interesting things that could be done; without that, none of them are possible and none of this makes sense to me. I guess I'll wait and see where they're going with it.

I think the 1 controller limit may actually be a smart move to prevent developers from making games that require every player to have one to play. If these are 100-150 a pop playing a game with friends without a Wii U controller would get expensive, fast, discouraging local multiplayer which I don't think Nintendo wants to do after the Wii was so advertised as bringing people together.

[ZenBeam]

Originally Posted by Jragon

I think the 1 controller limit may actually be a smart move to prevent developers from making games that require every player to have one to play. If these are 100-150 a pop playing a game with friends without a Wii U controller would get expensive, fast, discouraging local multiplayer which I don't think Nintendo wants to do after the Wii was so advertised as bringing people together.

I could see this to start, then when the price drops to be more reasonable, they could release a system update to enable multiple controllers at once. A setup where you could have one controller, but also have several DSs linked to have an individual screen for each player would be another work-around, but that seems too much to hope for.

Both of those assume the issue is the controller cost, and not a more fundamental issue like limited bandwidth to push imagery to the controller.

[Gukumatz]

This would be pretty awesome in a RPG game if the tablet could function as a spellbook, inventary system and so on so that the game on the TV would be GUI-less.

[Wolverine]

Has it been a year already? Anyways, Nintendo has just announced the US price and release date.

Nov. 18 with an 8GB model at $299.99 and a Deluxe set 32GB model at $349.99. The Deluxe set also includes Nintendo Land and a charging station. Kotaku mentioned in Japan's earlier announcement that the Deluxe set also comes with a free subscription to Nintendo Network Premium. No word if that is coming to the States.

I'm one of the few people that still uses the Wii so I'm in no rush to upgrade. I also haven't heard if my Virtual Console and WiiWare games will transfer over.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Wolverine

I also haven't heard if my Virtual Console and WiiWare games will transfer over.

I thought I heard that had already been confirmed. Can't find a link though. I'd be really surprised if they didn't.

[Wolverine]

Originally Posted by Munch

I thought I heard that had already been confirmed. Can't find a link though. I'd be really surprised if they didn't.

I looked at Wikipedia WiiU page and apparently it was confirmed in the Japanese event earlier today that a system transfer will be possible. Nintendo had announced at E3 that 2 GamePads could be used simultaneously (also in the wiki article).

[Kinthalis]

Does the console support more than one tablet controller at a time? That was big question before.

[Red Barchetta]

Originally Posted by Kinthalis

Does the console support more than one tablet controller at a time? That was big question before.

Yes, it supports 2. Though no games in the first six months will have support for it.

[Hampshire]

Since I'm a sucker for Zelda I probably will get one if and when a Zelda game is made for it. And knowing Nintendo's pace of putting out new Zelda titles it will probably be Fall of 2014.

[MyFootsZZZ]

Since I was 6, I've only had Nintendo consoles. From the NES to the 3DS XL, it's all been Nintendo. I'm a HUGE Mario and Zelda fan. It's sad, but for once I think I might be hesitant to blindly follow the company that's been a big part of my life. I'm totally not sold on the Wii U and want to wait for the competition to reveal their products and game libraries before making any kind of decision.

I think Wii U dropped the ball. Actually, it all started with the Wii, which has two of my favorite games on it, (Galaxy 1 & 2), but also had massive game droughts and little 3rd party support.

I didn't mind "casual games", but there were only a few of them which were quality experiences. Speaking of casual... I doubt Nintendo will have as much success with casual players do to the price of the Wii U. Grandma's probably not going to buy one.

Core gamers could just buy a X-Box or PS3 which are capable and already have a huge library to choose from. No, you wont get the tablet... but I really don't find the tablet all that important for game experiences... at least not yet. If I have a PS3 or a 360, I would probably NOT consider a Wii U at all.

Wii U TVii looks great btw. It's not a system seller, but it's pretty cool.

I really DO want my Mario and Zelda. I've been vocal about the New Super Mario Bros. series not being the what I'm looking for, but I must say that the Wii U version looks amazing.

I wouldn't be able to afford Wii U at launch anyway. It just breaks my heart that, if I DID have the money for one, I would still wait. I really think Nintendo's in trouble. We'll see.

[Cubsfan]

Incredibly underwhelming. Very limited launch game selection for what is essentially a souped up Wii. I suspect this will be another Virtual Boy.

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Cubsfan

Incredibly underwhelming. Very limited launch game selection for what is essentially a souped up Wii. I suspect this will be another Virtual Boy.

Limited? The selection of games is not eye-poppingly awesome, I'll grant you that, but 21 Wii U games will be released on launch day. That is the exact opposite of limited.

[Mahaloth]

Is it more powerful than the PS3 and 360? Will its graphical capabilities rival the PS4 and next Xbox or is it more or less even with the current PS3 and Xbox?

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Mahaloth

Is it more powerful than the PS3 and 360? Will its graphical capabilities rival the PS4 and next Xbox or is it more or less even with the current PS3 and Xbox?

It's more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it's unlikely to rival the PS4 or Xbox 720. Though it might since we know less than zero about those two systems right now.

[Mahaloth]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

It's more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it's unlikely to rival the PS4 or Xbox 720. Though it might since we know less than zero about those two systems right now.

Interesting. Thanks.