Nintendo announces its new console "companion": Wii U

[Nikolai]

If you had watched the press conference(which I guess you didn't do, based on your previous comments ), you'd have known that there is a lot more to this controller than merely having a touch screen. I think there will come some kind of summary soon, but it was a lot of ways to use it. If it will remain a gimmick I don't know, but it seems like they have got loads of game devs on it, and it certainly sounded very interesting.

[Asher]

IGN knew the scoop and had a picture. Go figure.

IGN was given a private briefing before the press conference.

[Asher]

If you had watched the press conference(which I guess you didn't do, based on your previous comments ), you'd have known that there is a lot more to this controller than merely having a touch screen. I think there will come some kind of summary soon, but it was a lot of ways to use it. If it will remain a gimmick I don't know, but it seems like they have got loads of game devs on it, and it certainly sounded very interesting.

Of course it sounds nice when marketing people try to sell products coming out 18 months later infront of a rabid crowd of fans.

It is simply a touchscreen in an awkwardly oversized controller. Period.

[Asher]

And if Nintendo charges $50 for a Wiimote, I can't imagine how much that controller would cost.

[Nikolai]

Of course it sounds nice when marketing people try to sell products coming out 18 months later infront of a rabid crowd of fans.

It is simply a touchscreen in an awkwardly oversized controller. Period.

Point is, there is more ways to use this than you seem to imagine.

[Nikolai]

Found this floating on the net:


EDIT: The forum resizes it. Right click and show in new tab to get a bigger view.

[Nikolai]

GameInformer has first hand impressions written up, reading now: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/a...d-console.aspx

[Nikolai]

IGN has tried it too: http://wii.ign.com/articles/117/1173582p1.html

No exact numbers, but on the weight:

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.

[DinoDoc]

They should shoot whoever names these things.

[Nikolai]

They should shoot whoever names these things.

Yeah, the names are merely so-so.

[Asher]

There's so many problems with this.

1) There's only 1 Wii-U controller per console. Notice how it's 1 controller and up to 3 WiiMotes.
2) You can only look at one thing at once. It works on the DS because they're the same size, right next to eachother. The Wii-U is like a DS, but applied in a way that makes no sense. You can either be looking at the controller, or the bigscreen. Not both. What's the point?

[Nikolai]

You can throw ninja weapons with it. Instant win. You can use it for golf(lying on the ground and you swing your arms over it), overview map in games. It has potential, IF it is easy enough to use, accurate enough and the game devs can find out how to use it properly. That's a lot of ifs, but I think it can be done. The price is what concerns me.

[Asher]

This isn't new. It has never worked.

First was Sega's VMUs, then came Nintendo's vaunted (circa 2002) GBA/NDS + Gamecube collaboration ("IMAGINE!", they said, "You could have a mini map on your Nintendo DS corresponding to your Gamecube game!!! Or you could use it to play mini games!!").

It's never worked, it's not original, and it's got many problems on its face. Further, Nintendo is going to be releasing hardware comparable to 2005-era consoles in 2012, a year shy of MS & Sony's new big guns.

The Wii was a success because it captured the (temporary) imaginations of many non-gamers. This will do no such thing, clearly. Hardcore gamers are not impressed, casual users will be confused.

[Asher]

Also:

You can use it for golf(lying on the ground and you swing your arms over it)

Seriously? You'd buy a $100-$150 controller to put it on the ground and have its very inaccurate IR technology try to guess your swing?

Kinect is a far better option for that.

[Nikolai]

I wouldn't. A lot of people, regular people, will probably think this is cool.