Topic: The OFFICIAL Big N rumor thread *bring your own salt*

[NWR_insanolord]

Its disconnected, two-part design is really the best thing to happen to controllers since the D-pad

This I agree with 100%. I'd love to see all three console makers incorporate this as an option in their controllers.

[Chozo Ghost]

Yeah, I would have to agree the GC controller's D-pad did suck really bad. There was no excuse for that coming from the company which invented it in the first place.

But, that was really a minor issue, because like I have been trying to point out, the D-pad is no longer as relevant as it once was. If the GC had a virtual console or the equivalent of it then a D-pad would have been much more useful, but as it was it was just used as auxillary buttons for certain games. So it sucked, but it wasn't like it was something you relied on and was constantly using in most games.

[Mop it up]

The 360 controller has a real D-pad

I wouldn't call that circle thingy a D-pad. To me, it's even worse than Sony's D-pad.

Btw, the original dualshock controller is basically a ripoff of the SNES controller. If you take an SNES controller and add some grips and two more shoulder buttons you basically have the dualshock.

If that's true, isn't the Classic Controller Pro inspired by the SNES controller, not Sony's controller?

[Ceric]

lol,  I need to dig them up but I did a series of hand sketched comics back when we were going through this with the Revolution and it made that same point. About the SNES controller being the grandfather of most of these designs.  Also had a stint of Nunchuck trying to find its mom.

I had a boomerang n64 contoller loved it.  Like the Wavebird, Dreamcast controller, and loved the NES Max controller (which ironicaly the 3DS is a lot like).  I'm sure I would like the 360 controller and if it wasn't so much I get the PS3 mod one for my PS3.
 
Edit:
Found the thread I was talking about:  http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=16006.msg234813#msg234813
And this thread is from when I first got my PS3 talking about the controller: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=21720.msg352932#msg352932
(its paid off for those interested)

[BlackNMild2k1]

It's even being rumored to have FULL BC with the Wii, because it would be STUPID not to. How do you follow up your biggest console success in this day and age and not have some way of easing in all the customers of the past 5 years, especially the massive casual market that now all own HD TV's?

The Wii is Nintendo's first home console with backwards compatibility so shipping without any backwards compatibility is not without precedence. Nintendo will put backwards compatibility in if they can because it's a nice feature, but it's hardly stupid not to and Nintendo has had no problem ditching this or that in the past. Most casual gamers probably have no idea what backward compatibility even is. The idea of "easing" customers in is total bullshit. If Nintendo wants to keep all of those casual gamers, they absolutely must come up with something brand new and innovative that resonates with that segment of the market because being able to play legacy games isn't going to hack it. Assuming Nintendo gets that killer app for casuals, if they really want to be nice and totally sweeten the deal, they can always upconvert Wii Sports and Resort and preload them onto the new console's internal memory.

Let's think about this for a second. Nintendo is obviously not gonna abandon the casual market that they so effortlessly conquered. But what is your common casual gonna think about the announcement of new hardware to replace their hardware? "Why would I want a new Wii when my current Wii works perfectly fine." "I'm gonna have to buy all new games for it? what about he games I already own?"

and the key statement in my quote was "In this day and age", this being the age after PS2/3 Xbox 360, Wii, DS,  3DS & iPhone/Pad. It's pretty standard practice to include BC where possible these days.

So to comfortably bring over the Casuals that may want to play newer games but not be with out the games they already own and then also bring over the Core gamers that never bought in and are likely to visit the back catalog is to provide FULL BC. If Nintendo can do Full BC (like Wii w/ GC) without breaking the bank to make it happen (like PS3) then it would be stupid of them not to do it.

[NWR_insanolord]

Since the Wii is literally pretty much the same hardware as the GameCube, except better in most ways, if Nintendo includes BC for Wii games, the system would be capable of playing GameCube games. The sticking point is the controller/memory card situation. Assuming they're not going to include the physical ports, they'd have to include some level of software emulation for those features. That shouldn't be at all hard, but, this being Nintendo, it isn't a given.

[Mop it up]

The disc drive would also have to be made to read GameCube discs, and the Wii drive is less durable due to its ability to accept those smaller discs. For that reason, I'd rather it not include GameCube support, though I don't care about backwards compatibility as I never play GameCube games on the Wii and would never play Wii games on whatever the next system is.

[NWR_insanolord]

Good point; I hadn't thought of that. My point's still the same though: it wouldn't be at all hard to include GameCube BC if they're already supporting Wii games, but, given that this is Nintendo we're talking about, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen.

[BlackNMild2k1]

They can support GC games though the VC and Disc support.

Later on somewhere down the line they can switch the drive to one that won't read GC disc to save money if it's really bothering them that much, but most people won't be playing GC disc by then anyway, so 99% of Wii2 owners, who bought a console that late, won't actually care.

Besides, a Wii will probably still be on sale for $99 or less by then, so you would have the same situation that exist right now with PS2/3.

[broodwars]

Good point; I hadn't thought of that. My point's still the same though: it wouldn't be at all hard to include GameCube BC if they're already supporting Wii games, but, given that this is Nintendo we're talking about, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen.

Given that switching systems gives Nintendo an excuse to now sell GameCube games via the Virtual Console service, I highly doubt that the Wii 2 will be backwards compatible with Wii games.  It's just too easy a money grab for Nintendo to pass off.  Naturally, I would be thrilled if they defied my expectations and put the feature in, though I can't remember the last time I played a GameCube game.

[NWR_insanolord]

Yeah, considering I have Metroid Prime Trilogy and NPC Pikmin 1 and 2, I don't have many reasons to ever need to play GameCube games. Still, one of these days I'm going to get around to playing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.

[broodwars]

Yeah, considering I have Metroid Prime Trilogy and NPC Pikmin 1 and 2, I don't have many reasons to ever need to play GameCube games. Still, one of these days I'm going to get around to playing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.

I'm going to have to go scavenge some GameStop or something and pick up a GCN version of Pikmin sometime in the near future.  I tried the NPC version of Pikmin 1, and I much prefer the GCN version controls since I frequently used the C-Stick to direct my troops.  The way the Wii version handles that function is...less than desirable.

But yeah, my GCN collection now is basically a collection of last-generation JRPGs (Skies of Arcadia Legends, Tales of Phantasia, the 2 Baten Kaitos games); Wind Waker; and SW: RS - Rogue Leader.  Not much reason to play those these days, though I have tried to start a replay of Baten Kaitos Origins a few times.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Because it was only mentioned and never linked to;
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/298241/news/wii-2-has-all-new-hd-controller-out-2012-sources/

What's most exciting about the Wii successor however is its all-new controller, which industry sources have indicated is not simply an upgraded Wii Remote, and will even feature a built-in HD screen.

Our sources did not specify whether or not the controller displays will feature any other functionality, such as that of the DS's touch screen, but it's easy to imagine the sort of innovation an extra screen could bring to Wii 2 games.

"Nintendo's plans sound unreal," one source said. "Publishers are already planning launch titles and it's all very exciting.

"The hardware is even more powerful than current HD consoles and backwards compatible with Wii. The controller will be all-new and has a HD screen on it."

[NWR_insanolord]

An HD screen on the controller is ridiculous. Apple calls the iPhone 4's screen, on which you can't see individual pixels because of the incredibly high pixel density, a "Retina" display because they can't legally call it HD since the total resolution isn't big enough.

[Kytim89]

I would be open to Gamecube being on Virtual Console only if I could transfer my game saves from my Gamecube memory card because I do not want to replay Twilight Princess again. This is allowed on the PS3 interms of the PS1 games, so why not the Wii 2?
 
Also, there many Wii games that I have never owned, so I would be open to purchase them as DLC for the Wii 2 if the prices were right.

[ShyGuy]

A new remote would kill backwards compatibility, would it not?

[NWR_insanolord]

Since Wii remotes work on standard Bluetooth it would be easy to support current controllers without any added hardware.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Rumor: Nintendo Planning Wii Successor, Could Use Blu-ray
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=6194

Nintendo are said to be looking at turning the fortunes of their home console business around and are set to announce the successor to their massively successful Wii home console at E3. Sources have revealed to Blu-ray.com that Nintendo are looking at including Blu-ray as the main optical drive. This would be a natural progression from the Wii which uses DVD, but it isn't clear if Nintendo would enable BD movie playback on the new console or whether they would just use it for data as they do with DVD on the Wii. This new device could be the internal successor to the Blu-ray enabled Wii that was rumored for release in 2010.

[Ceric]

I could see them using Blu-Ray it is the accepted high storage optical media.  Still wish it be flash based but oh well.

BnM:  I have to disagree with you about BC being a casual feature.  In my experience any casual where BC is a huge factor would just stick with what they have.  BC really comes into play with the Savvy parent market and Hardcore fans.  If I had to make a clear decision between BC being a hardcore or casual feature I go hardcore all the way.

Now for a weird thought what if they really meant Full Backward Compatibility, we're talking all Nintendo consoles.

[Chozo Ghost]

Wii backwards compatibility doesn't matter to me because my Wii is just gathering dust due to me having beaten all the games I care about. If I'm not playing Wii games on the Wii, then why would I be playing Wii games on the Wii 2? I'd much rather play brand new games designed specifically for the Wii 2.

As for the Bluray rumor, I hope that's false. I'd rather see Nintendo use HVD instead.

[Ceric]

Wii backwards compatibility doesn't matter to me because my Wii is just gathering dust due to me having beaten all the games I care about. If I'm not playing Wii games on the Wii, then why would I be playing Wii games on the Wii 2? I'd much rather play brand new games designed specifically for the Wii 2.

As for the Bluray rumor, I hope that's false. I'd rather see Nintendo use HVD instead.

Its not mainstream enough to be cheap.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nintendo owns patents on Holographic storage, so we don't know if they finally matured the tech enough to make it cheap. But this BRD rumor first popped up in 2009 for the release of a WiiHD in 2010, and now it pops up again with the news of a new N system, so I'd take it with a grain of salt.

----------------------

As far as the casual thing and BC, I sorta explained how it was for both groups and how both groups may look at it.
Casuals will think that the hardware they just bought a few years ago is working fine and how they don't need anything new, and if they do think about upgrading, they will think about the 100's of $$$ they've spent on all the software sitting on their shelves and if they will still be able to use any of it. There would have to be something in the new system to make them take the leap, and it will have to be especially good if they want everyone to abandon their current system and all it's software.
As far as the core, current Wii owners are gonna want their current software to work, and might go back and rummage through the bargain bins for anything they skipped over. People that Never owned a Wii because they never rationalized owning the system because there was "No Good Software" can now rummage through the back catalog for cheap gems that they skipped over (Punchout, TLS, Xeno, etc etc).

---------------------

And if there is a sizeable HDD of some sort, I'm willing to bet that GC will move to Virtual Console, I actually wouldn't be surprised if some Wii games showed up on VC too, depending on how powerful the new system is.

--------------

Something else I was gonna post last night(my computer reset and I can't remember where the links are now) was actually from a little over a month ago. An AMD employee was talking about how he was on the team that was working on a new chip for a next generation console due for release at the end of 2012. He said this back in the beginning of march. It's an AMD Fusion based design which is combined CPU/GPU upto 4cores @ 28nm and if I remember correctly, is the same type of design AMD did for MS with the Xbox Slim to eliminate the RRoD for Slim models.

It's assumed that this work was for MS and I wouldn't be surprised if MS was planning for 2012 all along. The 360 did come out in 2005 after all and Kinect came out in 2010, so 2 full years for Kinect before a new system seems reasonable. But what if this is actually a Nintendo chip?

quad core CPU/GPU combo and all RAM would be a shared pool since both chips are on the same chip.
R&D for a custom CPU/GPU combo would be expensive, but the chip should be significantly cheaper to fab once it's combined than if they were separate.

[Ceric]

Hopefully be significantly faster as well since it can be closer interconnects and the like.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Wii2 aimed for an early 2012 release?
http://www.neowin.net/news/rumour-nintendos-hd-console-to-be-unveiled-at-e3

Update: Neowin has received additional information from insider sources regarding the launch date of Nintendo's new console. The source has pointed out that a "major developer" is currently preparing games for the new console, and is planning to ship them in Q1 2012. They state that Nintendo may try for a Q4 2011 launch, but Q1 2012 is more likely. However, Nintendo may be willing to push the launch date a few months later to Q2 2012 and skip Q1, as they are not too thrilled with the lackluster sales coming from the 3DS's Q1 launch.

This is what I've been hoping for, and would honestly make a lot more sense if they are actually planning on blowing this thing out at E3 this year.


If they weren't planning on releasing it early next year, why not reveal it at TGS or something and keep it publicly quiet for now? I can't see a good reason for a full reveal 1.5 years before release, that only gives MS & Sony extra time to wrap up their projects and get something in motion. I'm sure MS is sitting on something already, but last I've heard whispered about Sony is that they scrapped their last next-gen design (late last year) in hopes to build a whole new design. Nintendo launching in less than a year with new hardware might make them rethink that plan.

[Ceric]

I hate to say this but who thought the 3DS would sell like gangbusters during tax time, at least here in the US, hasn't really been watching have they.    This time might not be a bad time to launch and let it ease into the holiday season.