Topic: Wii U - e3 is over... now what?

[Retro Deckades]

it would have been more effective to not have a name for the console this e3, when they first showed off Wii it was still going by its code name

I'm hoping and praying every day that "Wii U" IS the code name, and that by the time the system launches it will get a new and better name.

I think that Nintendo may possibly reconsider naming their next console the Wii U because of the lukewarm sales of the 3DS. They are currently in damage control mode with the 3DS, and investors do not seem particularly thrilled with the Wii U. Nintendo is an innovative company, yet both the Wii U and 3DS are likely their two most iterative hardware releases in history, and they are facing a lot of ambivalence.

More specifically though, on a recent episode of RFN, Greg Leahy discussed how Nintendo did little to differentiate the 3DS from the DS with their marketing campaign until recently (at least in Europe). If they feel that they may have lost some sales due to such circumstances, they may rethink their Wii U branding. Sure, they have already shown off the system at E3 under the name, but they also admitted to causing confusion about whether or not it was simply a new input device for the Wii. If there was ever a time that Nintendo would reconsider renaming the Wii U, I believe that time is now.

[Chozo Ghost]

Right now the Wii has a reputation as a dead and obsolete system for many people. The drought of games right now is just as bad as the Gamecube was. I think the Wii name is damaged goods for that reason if nothing else. The Wii U system is no doubt a beast and will kick a lot of ass from a technical standpoint, but the silly casual name "Wii U" is like having a pet Rottweiler and naming it "Poopsy". The name Poopsy works well if the dog is a poodle or something that sits on your lap, but not something that is more suited for chasing off intruders. The "Wii U" name is the video gaming equivalent of "Poopsy". Most hardcore gamers are going to steer clear of it and not want to be associated with it in any way.

[Adrock]

I greatly doubt they're changing the name. They probably should but they won't.

I was pretty fond of "Nintendo Stream." It's different, easy to pronounce, and describes exactly what the console does. At the same time, considering Nintendo just stuck a 7 at the end of Mario Kart, "Nintendo 6" pretty much gets the point across. More than anything, while I kind of like how the actual console looks, they should redesign it because looks too much like the Wii. They might even want to consider launching a black or platinum model first to further differentiate it from the Wii.

EDIT: yes, I'm aware that there is a black model Wii, but the white case is clearly the most recognizable color.

[nickmitch]

Like the GameCube and purple.

[Ceric]

Like the GameCube and purple.

Don't forget the Handle.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Looks like the idea of WiiU having onboard storage was right afterall

Umote has Flash Mem, Magnetometer, IR port & a Mic
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20110190052.pdf





Whats the Magnetometer for I'm sure alot of you will probably wonder.
Remember that Move also has a magnetometer and it's used so the the controller always knows which way is down. It can also be used so that the controller always knows what direction it's facing so that it never, ever needs calibration.

With that IR port I continue to hold onto hope for that universal remote idea that I had.

I'm not sure if we knew there was a mic or not before, but that just solidifies the possibility of a 3/DS player through WiiU

Flash Mem we first heard about the other day from the Nintendo Canada Exec.
I hope there is at minimum 2GB on there since it's so damn cheap anyways.

[ThePerm]

well for 3ds, they need to get more games that look like RE:Revelations because GFX sell games. I bet most people don't even know 3DS is a beast, you'd never know by most the games Nintendo is releasing, except maybe ocarina of time remake..which kinda looks better than Kid Icarus. Not onoly that everyone is WTFing on star fox because it seemes like it really misses the boat, would people be more happy playing the DS Starfox than 3DS starfox?  DS Starfox has online-mode....

[Adrock]

Doesn't 3DS have an IR port? I could see it possibly for some interaction even though it kind of sucks for anything but minimal, line of sight data exchanges. That's why it works for remote controls. It sends a simple command normally a few feet away.

For Wii U, I would imagine it would be to exchange data between a 3DS or another tablet controller when away from the console since I'm not aware of the controller having Wi-Fi or bluetooth.

EDIT: all these added perks makes me think a Wii U remote/nunchuck could be a real possibility.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'm sure the uMote uses bluetooth to communicate directional/button (and touchscreen) controls & gyro/motion/orientation sensors just like the Wiimotes.

[Adrock]

That's true, especially since the Wii remote is backwards compatible. Bluetooth devices have to be synched, right? Maybe that's why it can't be used for quick data sharing like Streetpass though I believe that uses Wi-Fi. 3DS does not have Bluetooth so there could be some interaction there.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Also from the patent

Nintendo considering Multi-Touch uMote?

In the present example embodiment, the touch panel 52 is a resistive-type touch panel. However, the touch panel is not limited to the resistive type, and may be a touch panel of any type including, for example, a capacitive type, etc. The touch panel 52 may be of a single-touch type or a multi-touch type.

I don't know if that means that Nintendo is still exploring the idea of a Multi-touch screen, and they might as well as it would cover all bases, especially for table top games (i.e. Air Hockey).
Or if this is them just covering it all in their patent so that no one can copy the idea with a multi-touch instead to try and bypass infringement.

Let's hope it's the former. Utilization of patented ideas is much better then covering it so no one else can improve upon your implementation and then sue them after they try and succeed.

[Mop it up]

Sounds like the Wii Motion Plus could use a magnetometer so it doesn't need to be calibrated anymore.

[nickmitch]

Nintendo showed video chat at E3, right? That explains the mic. Now, we just gotta hope they don't go with VGA cameras. . .again.

[Chozo Ghost]

Does the controller also come equipped with a Flux capacitor? That will be needed for true retro gaming.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Also from the patent

Nintendo considering Multi-Touch uMote?

In the present example embodiment, the touch panel 52 is a resistive-type touch panel. However, the touch panel is not limited to the resistive type, and may be a touch panel of any type including, for example, a capacitive type, etc. The touch panel 52 may be of a single-touch type or a multi-touch type.

H.264 Compression?

The game device 3 can exchange data such as images and sounds with the terminal device 7. When transmitting game images (terminal game images) to the terminal device 7, the input/output processor 11a outputs data of game images generated by the GPU 11b to the codec LSI 27. The codec LSI 27 performs a predetermined compression process on the image data from the input/output processor 11a. The terminal communication module 28 wirelessly communicates with the terminal device 7. Therefore, image data compressed by the codec LSI 27 is transmitted by the terminal communication module 28 to the terminal device 7 via the antenna 29. In the present example embodiment, the image data transmitted from the game device 3 to the terminal device 7 is image data used in a game, and the playability of a game can be adversely influenced if there is a delay in the images displayed in the game. Therefore, it is preferred to eliminate delay as much as possible for the transmission of image data from the game device 3 to the terminal device 7. Therefore, in the present example embodiment, the codec LSI 27 compresses image data using a compression technique with high efficiency such as the H.264 standard, for example. Other compression techniques may be used, and image data may be transmitted uncompressed if the communication speed is sufficient.

Does that mean decompression is handled on the uMote? That would require some some more chips right?

WirelessN in WiiU

The terminal communication module 28 is, for example, a Wi-Fi certified communication module, and may perform wireless communication at high speed with the terminal device 7 using a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technique employed in the IEEE 802.11n standard, for example, or may use other communication schemes.
[...]
That is, the wireless module 70 has a function of connecting to a wireless LAN by a scheme in conformity with the IEEE 802.11n standard, for example. The transmitted data may be encrypted as necessary or may not be encrypted.

 It seems that the wireless video may be working on the WirelessN spectrum. Well, that is good to know. Increased wireless spectrum, greater distance, more bandwidth.

[Caliban]

Does that mean decompression is handled on the uMote? That would require some some more chips right?

Does not have to decompress on uMote at all. It just has to be able to play video in whatever format the video was compressed to on the WiiU.

[oohhboy]

"Decompressing" is "Playing" the video. You can't stream an uncompressed video due to the lack of bandwidth. Greater the compression, more work must be done to decompress, therefore more power used.

[Kytim89]

It is still not too late for Nintendo to change the name to "Super Wii." There ia a sense of empowerment when you say that word and the name "Wii U" just seems to similar to the Wii's name and conjures up bad memories of a system that burned bright and fast during its tenure. Also, the name Super Wii fits in better with its HD rivals. For example, GTA 5 and Max Payne 3 for Xbox 360, PS3 and Super Wii. This has a better ring to it than the Wii U. Lastly, I am still in the category of Nintendo building a motion controller for their next system.
 
This might sound like a dumb question, but will the Wii U have a console stand like the original Wii? From the E3 presentation it seemed as if Nintendo does not intend on having one available for the console.

[stevey]

It is still not too late for Nintendo to change the name to "Super Wii." There ia a sense of empowerment when you say that word and the name "Wii U" just seems to similar to the Wii's name and conjures up bad memories of a system that burned bright and fast during its tenure.

Too bad the name super wii conjures up even worst "bad memories" of something in japan

[ThePerm]

lol super furry

[Luigi Dude]

Too bad the name super wii conjures up even worst "bad memories" of something in japan

At least it'll help them in appealing to the Idolmaster audience then.

[Stogi]

It is still not too late for Nintendo to change the name to "Super Wii." There is a sense of empowerment when you say that word...

For some reason, I couldn't help but laugh at this.

[shainentinpock]

I really hope that the WiiU has multi touch and isn't like the 3ds screen. If they want to excite the casual crowd they have to give them what they want.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nicalis (Cave Story) is now a licensed Wii U dev.
http://www.n-europe.com/news.php?nid=16122

[Mannypon]

I think the announcement of DQX for WiiU has completely changed its outlook in the East.  This has solidified its place in Japan as a success I believe.  I'm really hoping this brings back the golden years when rpgs were flooding Nintendo consoles (the SNES era of course)  Ever since the N64, rpgs have been few and far between outside of Nintendo's handhelds.  Having this game come out hopefully at the WiiU's launch will develope a huge rpg fanbase right off the bat.