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

[Ceric]

It's not going to be in the shape of a remote, guys. Get over it.

It's time to go back to what's functional, and what works... with a bit of added flair this time around.

The controller is going to wear pins!

Points if you can tell me what's that is a reference too.

[Mop it up]

It's not going to be in the shape of a remote, guys. Get over it.

It's time to go back to what's functional, and what works... with a bit of added flair this time around.

What makes you think that? Why would Nintendo abandon the perfectly functional Wiimote which has sold 80 million systems and probably at least twice that many Wiimotes in favour of a design from systems that barely managed to sell half of the Wii and lost billions of dollars for their respective companies?

[Sarail]

It's not going to be in the shape of a remote, guys. Get over it.

It's time to go back to what's functional, and what works... with a bit of added flair this time around.

What makes you think that? Why would Nintendo abandon the perfectly functional Wiimote which has sold 80 million systems and probably at least twice that many Wiimotes in favour of a design from systems that barely managed to sell half of the Wii and lost billions of dollars for their respective companies?

Perfectly functional? I beg to differ. Every... and I mean EVERY stinking Wii game I've played and owned (I have over 40 Wii games) has at least some minute fault in its motion control. Whether it's waggle not functioning as a "button", accelerometer based movements not registering properly, or gyroscopic bending/twisting/turning not recognizing said movements... this blasted Wii remote is far.. FAR from perfectly functional. Even Sony's Move is nowhere near those terms.

Get your head out of the sand. Nintendo experimented with a motion-based control system because they knew it would gain them enormous amounts of money from the so-called "casual" crowd -- which is why they wore out the terms "blue ocean" so much. Now that they have the money, and now that technology is much further along with what they wanted to do all along with the GBA/GC connectivity stuff... makes the time right to deploy what they envisioned so many years ago. "Project Cafe" screams social networking and social gaming. This is gonna be a console that brings together gamers both physically to play and online, too.

The one rumor that I fully believe is absolutely legit is the notion that this new controller has a built in IR-sensor... using it as a "sensor bar" on top of your TV will allow you to connect your Wii remotes to the new console (which also tells us that the new system uses bluetooth controllers once again.. yay). In turn, this allows for motion gaming (still.. ugh) and backwards compatibility with any Wii games.

Once again...Nintendo made their money. Now it's time to show the little boys how big boy games are made.

[Mop it up]

I just meant that it was functional in a practical way, not a technical one (though I don't agree with every issue you mentioned). There's no reason to go back to some "traditional" controller that a smaller portion of the market cares about, they're just going to tweak the Wiimote and Nunchuk, giving them better motion sensors, and maybe a few more buttons and a different design. Nintendo didn't enter another market, their goal was to expand the existing market, so they aren't just going to toss away the whole Wii concept and designs - and with it the largest portion of the market - just to please a few HD console fans.

Like it or not, the Wiimote is a new standard. Notice how Nintendo didn't toss out the touchscreen or two screens or any other functionality of the DS when they made the 3DS, so there's no way they are going to toss out anything about the Wii controller. They are going for both the "casual" and "hardcore" market.

[Sarail]

I just meant that it was functional in a practical way, not a technical one (though I don't agree with every issue you mentioned). There's no reason to go back to some "traditional" controller that a smaller portion of the market cares about, they're just going to tweak the Wiimote and Nunchuk, giving them better motion sensors, and maybe a few more buttons and a different design. Nintendo didn't enter another market, their goal was to expand the existing market, so they aren't just going to toss away the whole Wii concept and designs - and with it the largest portion of the market - just to please a few HD console fans.

Like it or not, the Wiimote is a new standard. Notice how Nintendo didn't toss out the touchscreen or two screens or any other functionality of the DS when they made the 3DS, so there's no way they are going to toss out anything about the Wii controller. They are going for both the "casual" and "hardcore" market.

See, I wanna know what this "smaller portion" is that you're talking about. Because when I see the NPD results of every month, I see only "core" type games completely blowing almost every Wii game out of the proverbial water. So you can't really use those terms here either. It's incorrect.

And who says Nintendo's going to stop catering to the casual crowd with the Wii? With all the money they've made, and their marketing know-how, they can fully justify keeping the Wii going for several years on end even after this new console debuts. The casuals can have their console, and rest of the gaming populace (i.e. real gamers) can fall in love with Nintendo's new effort just like we did with the SNES and n64 ('Cube, too, for some).  After all, Sony DID keep the PS2 truck rolling many years after the PS3 debuted.


I'm just thrilled to death because it sounds like Nintendo is going back to what made them awesome in the first place -- a console with superior graphics/sound/gameplay that fully stands apart from the competition -- but with this go-around... a BIG emphasis on finally bringing gamers together socially to play locally or online. THAT, to me, is Nintendo's next evolutionary step.

[Ceric]

When Move works it works well I just have a problem getting it to work.  I have to agree with Rachtman, their isn't a Wii game I can say I had a 100% reliable control experience with.  Though their is 1 Game where the Wii control really weren't that great but, I went and replayed it on PS3 controller and they were worse.

[Sarail]

Oh, absolutely, Ceric. And I agree with your last statement, too.

For example, I'm seriously considering picking up Tiger Woods '12. Am I going to buy it for the Wii using Motion Plus, or do I opt to get it for my PS3 -- in turn having to buy a Move controller to get it's functionality out?  Nah, I'll pick it up for the Wii... primarily because last year's version had some pretty slick play control -- it wasn't perfect, but it was awesome.

[Mop it up]

Maybe, but the Wii top ten overall games sold is far more than the other two systems. It may be having some issues right now, but new games like Donkey Kong Country Returns still go on to sell millions even if they don't chart.

Sony continued the PS2 because the PS3 practically bombed. They wanted people to buy a PS3, but few actually were for some time. So that isn't a good example, because they had no choice. Besides, if Wii software isn't selling as you claim, what would be the point of continuing the Wii? Nintendo needs to push the new system to keep people interested in their products and games. And like the 3DS proves, one system can successfully appeal to all types of gamers. It just needs to strike the right balance, and Nintendo seems to admit the Wii has not.

You can degrade gamers outside of the "hardcore" if you want (me included) by insisting they aren't "real" gamers, but they still exist.

[Sarail]

But the problem is the types of games that are million sellers for the Wii -- not the fact that they go on to sell millions of copies.  The majority of it is all casual-focused garbage. C'mon... Just Dance, Carnival Games, Wii Play? Seriously. Those aren't games that I'd be proud to stand by as a claim. Sure, DKCR is selling decently well, but still nowhere near as well as the majority of core type games out there. And I hate that, because as a Nintendo core type gamer, it makes me upset to see that more people won't give it a chance like they do all of the Call of Dutys and whatnot.

A new traditional type console could get things rolling in that direction again, though. But Nintendo's gotta market it correctly. That's the key. GOT to establish better third-party relationships.


I'm not degrading them when I use that terminology at all. My sister plays the Wii like a mad woman... she loves the bowling on Wii Sports. But is she a "real gamer"? Of course not. And she'll even tell you that.

[Mop it up]

4 million+ sold isn't very good? How many other games have sold that much? For reference, only 3 games on the PS3 have sold more than that number.

I still don't understand the "traditional" sentiment. Just because motion controls appeal to people who've never played games before doesn't mean they can't be used for all different types of games that appeal to more seasoned gamers too. The technology just needs to get to a point where it can be accurate, and Nintendo will make that happen.

[Kytim89]

Should we start a naming price pole for the new Wii console?

[Ceric]

$299.99 Mark my Word on it.  Oh and we should do Price is Right Rules and probably start a seperate thread.
Thread Made: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=34112.msg667323

[Adrock]

As to whether or not "Fusion" is what was used to get the 360Slim onto a singe chip, I don't know, but what they are working on for this next console (due in 2012) is in their current pipeline and their current pipeline is Fusion.

IBM is the one that came out and said they were working on chips for both Sony & Nintendo (cell infused PPC's), so it would also make sense, knowing what AMD has already done for MS, that AMD could be doing the same for Nintendo.

Fusion is an AMD brand for processors that combine the CPU and GPU on a single die, not the process of combining the CPU and GPU on a single die. Several companies have done this so this isn't AMD exclusive by any means. From what I understand, what AMD did for Microsoft for the 360 S has nothing to do with their Fusion line. It seems built strictly for heat reduction rather than heat reduction AND efficiency. Announced in 2006, Fusion was built from the ground up to pair AMD's CPU technology with the GPU technology they acquired when they bought out ATi and take advantage of a unified system. Nintendo could have AMD put an IBM CPU and an AMD GPU on a single die but that still has nothing to do with AMD Fusion. I guess that was what was throwing me off. Looking at AMD's Fusion roadmap doesn't give you an idea of where Nintendo may be going with their next generation console unless they use Fusion or something Fusion derived.

I'm still trying to figure out what the hell the difference is between an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit, what AMD is calling Fusion) and a system-on-a-chip.

From what I've been able to gather, Nintendo has made no announcements regarding it's next generation CPU so IBM may be in the running, especially considering their history with Nintendo, but no contracts have been signed (that we know of). I doubt Nintendo would be happy with IBM dropping this info well before they were ready to even announce a next generation console. That's very un-Nintendo-like.

[BlackNMild2k1]

IBM didn't necessarily come out and say what they were working on, just that they were working on chips for Sony & Nintendo's next gen systems.

They then went on to state how their Power line would have cell integrated and Power chips would be able to do the things that cell does.

And I admit I don't know a whole lot about this, so I appreciate you explaining it, I also put Fusion in "" because I know it was a specific line, I was just using it as a reference for combining two chips like they did for 360 Slim. but I'm just dropping the puzzle pieces on the table here and trying to see how they all fit together.

AMD guys says what he says about pipeline, so I look at their published pipeline. IBM says what they say, so I assume they are both working together. Just putting 2+2 together and seeing what I come up with.

I'll requote the IBM guy;

IBM is working with gaming machine vendors including Nintendo and Sony, said Jai Menon, CTO of IBM's Systems and Technology Group, during an interview Thursday. "We want to stay in the business, we intend to stay in the business," he said.
[...]
"I think you'll see [Cell] integrated into our future Power road map. That's the way to think about it as opposed to a separate line -- it'll just get integrated into the next line of things that we do," Menon said. "But certainly, we're working with all of the game folks to provide our capabilities into those next-generation machines."

Menon did not elaborate on specific chip and hardware developments for gaming systems, but said its Power processors have capabilities that are similar to those of the Cell chips.

"The kinds of things you used to be able to do with the Cell you can do in ... [the] Power line," Menon said.

What I noticed when I had first post this was that IBM made no mention of Microsoft, so maybe when the AMD guy mentioned his roadmap, maybe he was referring to MS using a Fusion APU. MS has been with the 360 for going on 6 years now, so a new system next year wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities.
That thought was just kinda layed to the side when MS posted jobs for next generation console development 2 months ago. Made me think they were just gearing up the planning stages for a release in 2 years (2013).


Mix this info with the rumors of the last 2 days, and you figure the pieces have to fit the same puzzle. I might have it all wrong, or slightly confused and mixed up, but I'm only speculating based on what info is out there. So all insight on what is and isn't possible, what does and doesn't make and why is always welcome.

[RABicle]

Pietriots is reporting that WiiHD will hve 14 cores in it's gigaflops. I was skeptical at first but they backed it up with another, more solid rumour.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I know everyone has been having a had time imagining what the Wii2 controller must look like assuming that it has a 6" screen and full Wii BC.

The only thing I could think of that made sense was something similar to the uDraw tablet, but with a touch screen instead of a drawing surface. I would also imagine the Wiimote being on the right side instead of the left.  Anyways, someone made a drawing that captures that thought perfectly;



That is pretty close to what I was picturing, and reversible too.

[Ceric]

I know everyone has been having a had time imagining what the Wii2 controller must look like assuming that it has a 6" screen and full Wii BC.

The only thing I could think of that made sense was something similar to the uDraw tablet, but with a touch screen instead of a drawing surface. I would also imagine the Wiimote being on the right side instead of the left.  Anyways, someone made a drawing that captures that thought perfectly;



That is pretty close to what I was picturing, and reversible too.

I would say that hand grips be part of it.

[Chozo Ghost]

But what about motion games that require a nunchuck? Maybe the Nunchuck snaps onto the opposing side of the screen?

[Stogi]

That mock up looks extremely cumbersome. I'm not saying it's not bad, but I hope Nintendo has a better solution; again, if the rumors are true.

We all have to remember that Nintendo, despite the rumors that they want to take back the core demographic, have a strong hold with child and child-like gamers. Simplicity is the key to their success and durability is what forged it.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I just can't see how it would have better motion tracking than Move if it didn't retain the wand like wiimote style.

But maybe it has a Wiimote 2.0 and they package the CCProTouch2.0 in the box too.

this could be more what you like?

[NWR_insanolord]

I wish I had one of those Phantasy Star Online keyboard GameCube controllers, because if I did I'd tape my iPad to it and sell the pictures to IGN.

[Chozo Ghost]

I wish I had one of those Phantasy Star Online keyboard GameCube controllers, because if I did I'd tape my iPad to it and sell the pictures to IGN.

You can probably find pictures of it online and then photoshop it.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I wish I had one of those Phantasy Star Online keyboard GameCube controllers, because if I did I'd tape my iPad to it and sell the pictures to IGN.

You can probably find pictures of it online and then photoshop it.

Good enough?

[Chozo Ghost]

Have that screen display a video of that weird looking Mario. *shudder*

[Ceric]

I wanted one of those because I really loved PSO.  What got me was they pretty much just did a reskinning jove for the new content...

BnM:  Yeah that mock-up be closer to what I was thinking.  Maybe with a dot and a slot up top towards the center for Mic and Camera.  It would have to be fairly light because your going to have to 1 hand it during games every once and a while.  Now if you can make it Indigo it be 100 times better .