Here's a one-stop location for all the "supported" rumors about Nintendo's sixth console. UPDATED 4/25
LAST UPDATED: 4/25 - Added official confirmation of the new system, Project Café references, IGN hardware specifications. All updates indicated with *
The rumor engine has started up again, and is already running at full steam. Starting with the report in Game Informer, news outlets have begun to report rumors about Nintendo's next home console.
Here we will try to provide you a list of "supported" rumors. Supported meaning that they are rumors from news outlets where they claim to have from first-hand sources.
The Basics:
What: Nintendo will announce their next console at E3.
Origin: Game Informer first reported the news and many other sources have since echoed it.
*Confirmed 4/25: Nintendo has confirmed that Wii's successor is in development and will be unveiled in a playable at E3 2011.
When: The new console will launch in late 2012. It will be shown at E3 2011 (June 7 - 9).
Source: Game Informer, IGN (see below for details)
The original Game Informer article reported the launch date. IGN reported that the console will be at E3 2011.IGN News Director Jim Reilly later tweeted that the first games, both first and third party, will be at E3.
*Confirmed 4/25: As part of the same announcement that confirmed the new system would be shown during E3, Nintendo confirmed their plans to launch their next home console in 2012.
The Name: While no source claims to know what Nintendo will call their sixth home console, it has been reported that it is being developed under the codename "Project Cafe."
Source: CVG
*Confirmed 4/24: Individuals investigating the Café rumor probed the Nintendo's Software Development Support Group website. In the process they located multiple references to the Café name.
What's in it:
Hardware: The hardware in the next Nintendo console appears to be similar to the Xbox 360, but more recent versions of the hardware.
Sources: Game Informer, IGN, 01net (see below for details)
The original Game Informer report stated that the new console was capable of HD, but the processing power, relative to the Xbox 360 and the PS3, was unconfirmed.
IGN followed up that report with comments from developers that the new console "will be greater than or equal to the PlayStation 3."
French site 01net reports that the new system is a "cousin" to the Xbox 360. It will use a custom three core IBM PowerPC and a custom ATI graphics processor capable of shader technology more advanced than the ATI R500 in the 360. The RAM is likely in excess of the 512 MB in the 360.
Other sites have misinterpreted 01net's extrapolations into exact specifications, but they don't claim to have any exact hardware components.
*IGN has updated their original information with specific hardware specifications. Their information is mostly congruent with the previous report from 01net. They confirm the triple-core IBM PowerPC chipset. They state that the GPU will also be a newer version of the one in the Xbox360 - the "revamped" version of the AMD R700 chipset. More interestingly they note that the system "will support 1080p output with the potential for stereoscopic 3D" but say it isn't confirmed as a "core" feature.
The Controller: The current rumor is that the controller is some sort of tablet-like device. It features a six-inch screen, face buttons, and motion control. There is some disagreement on the details.
Sources: CVG, vg247, Edge, IGN, 01net (see below for details)
Sources have confirmed to CVG that the new controller will feature a six-inch HD LCD screen. '"'Nintendo's plans sound unreal,' one source said. 'Publishers are already planning launch titles and it's all very exciting.'"
Gaming site vg247 confirmed the CVG's report but said the screens are sub-HD, and that they are touchscreens.
Edge notes that motion controls are retained, and improved beyond the capabilities of Sony's Move controller.
01net's sources say the screen is sub-HD, and that it is capable of simple stand-alone processing (like a tablet computer). It communicates with the console wirelessly. Their sources claim the controller also features a D-Pad, L and R buttons, 2 "triggers," as well as other buttons, and most interestingly, a front-facing camera. They also say their sources functionality to replace the Wii's sensor bar are integrated into the new controller.
IGN's Jim Reilly has indicated that the controller "allows players to stream entire games to the device from the console - like a miniature television." He also indicated that the controller will feature two analog sticks.
Backwards Compatibility: IGN has reported that they have been told that the new system will be fully backwards compatible with Wii games. It is reasonable to assume that this could also apply to GameCube games, given the similar architecture between the two systems, but this has not been "confirmed."
How it looks:
*The console itself: The system will look like a modernized Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and will be roughly the size of an Xbox 360.
Source: IGN
Disclaimer: All of what we know are nothing more than rumors. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and Nintendo World Report will continue to provide updates as they become available.