Wii U dev kits to be updated to latest prototyping hardware in the coming weeks

Nintendo couldn't have put all those glorious names of third party developers up alongside its Wii U announcement earlier this month without giving those companies at least a glimpse at the actual hardware they'd have to code on. Sega Europe's Gary Dunn was among those to have tinkered with a development kit before we even knew what the Wii U would be called, but he says that Nintendo intends to refresh that hardware to the latest prototype model at some point before the end of July. According to Gary, coding for the new system is pretty straightforward, and though he wouldn't get into specifics about performance, he does expect more details to emerge once Nintendo starts distributing the latest version of the Wii U dev platform. Asked about how it compares to the Xbox 360 and PS3, Sega's dev leader simply said the new Nintendo console is “different.”
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nintendo says one Wii U controller per console; gladly sell you the second screen

Nintendo's tablet-esque Wii U controller raised a few questions when it was announced at E3. Questions like, “What kind of crazy games are going to use that thing,” and “How much will a second controller cost me?” The latter, at least, has been answered. Nothing. You don't need one. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata recently said in an interview that games enlisting more than one Wii U controller aren't being considered just yet — although they are possible. Iwata told Diamond Online that the Wii U can technically support multiple screen-controllers, but that additional slabs would be too expensive to sell on their own. Iwata went on to say that the console would ship with only one, and that game developers should design titles under the assumption that each console will use a single Wii U controller. Player two will have to settle for a good ‘ol Wiimote, and even Satoru himself admits that there are plenty of those around.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Wii U graphic running on last-gen Radeon, still more awesome then Xbox 360 and PS3

When you buy computers, you'll do research on their hardware specs, but not for consoles. Well at least they're not famous for their hardware specs. Even if someone tells you that Sony's PS3 is powered by a vector-type Cell processor, you won't know what that means.

And so, Nintendo announced their next Wii, which is the Wii U Wii U which sounds like the police's siren. Apparently Nintendo's Wii U console will come packing a custom Radeon GPU with a chip similar to the R770, and that the chip is competitively stronger than the GPUs of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but will you care? No...

Anyway, the chip is said to run DirectX 10, and is capable of handling four SD video streams — presumably only one of those streams will be necessary, however, given Shigeru Miyamoto's statements about the WiiPad. As GAME Watch points out, the Xbox 360 was limited to a variation of DirectX 9, while the PS3 employs OpenGL APIs.

But now we've gone right off the deep end — what we're trying to say is this: the Wii U has a pretty decent graphical processor. Or, more simply, Wii U games will look good, and likely even better than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games. There, that wasn't so bad!

Last gen... that should be the Radeon Cypress which is considered quite impressive and will easily runs games with high settings on 1080p smoothly, well... almost all games anyway.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Wii U does not do DVDs nor Blu-ray discs

We do know that the Nintendo Wii U which was recently announced at E3 2011 will be able to play back discs of up to 25GB in content, leading some to speculate that it might just be the Blu-ray disc format that Nintendo will be supporting – that will come as a surprise actually, since most folks know that Nintendo tends to keep to their own proprietary format when it comes to video games. Well, guess the Blu-ray bubble for the Wii U has burst, as Nintendo president Satoru Iwata touts that their upcoming gaming console will be unable to play back either Blu-ray (sucks) or DVD (sucks even more, considering your vast back catalogue of movies) no thanks in part to patent licensing fees.

Guess it is now official that the Wii U does not have DVD or Blu-ray playback capabilities, then again, it should not come as a shocker or a turn off since most folks out there would probably already own devices that are capable of playing DVDs as well as Blu-rays (PS3 owners, you hear me?).

What do you think of that? Is that a deal breaker for you if Blu-ray or DVD playback had been on your list as part of the package?
source: Ubergizmo

Wii U's online infrastructure will be “flexible”

More details surrounding the Wii U‘s online infrastructure are trickling in. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed in the latest Q&A Interview that he believes an online strategy where Nintendo creates the central infrastructure and allows developers to support it is “perhaps already out-of-date.” Instead, he wants to offer developers a more “flexible” Wii U online strategy. It sounds like Iwata is telling every game developer to manage its own servers and create its own backbone to support online play – no centralized friends list, voice chat or Achievement/Trophies.

This comes as no surprise, as Nintendo fans will know that the company has always provided a lackluster online service, from hardly supporting it on the Gamecube and then giving us the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection – a platform that can't hold a candle to Microsoft's Xbox Live or Sony's PlayStation Network. To prove my point, it's been nearly three years since Super Smash Bros. Brawl first allowed online matches, and I have yet to battle in one fair fight that isn't ultra laggy. Nope, not once.

Those who were holding out on an Xbox Live or PSN equivalent with the Wii U should probably just give up now. It's quite a shame that for all the acknowledgments that Nintendo has shown for its weak online offerings, it still doesn't seem to want to build the robust infrastructure fans so desperately desire.
source: Ubergizmo

Nintendo secures Wii U-related domain names

Nintendo went on a domain shopping spree recently, grabbing a few domain names related to Wii games (like rhythmheavenwii.com and kirbywii.com) as well as a lot of domain names related to Wii U, referencing things like New Super Mario Bros. Mii and several unannounced games and items like “Wii Zapper U,” “Wii Fit U,” “Wii Party U,” Wii U Balance Board, and even “Wii Music U,” most with variations like “Wii U Music.” All redirect to nintendo.com at the moment. Check the full list after the break, as reported by Nintendo World Report.

While we'd love to say that we had an early look at, like, the entire software and peripheral lineup for next year's console, this looks a lot more like Nintendo just registered everything it could think of, just in case. The duplicate registrations for name variants support this theory. Take that, thwarted domain squatters!
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nintendo Wii U Will Have No DVD or Blu-ray Playback

Were you excited when Nintendo announced its new game console, the Nintendo Wii U? Did you hope to have something more than playing games and owning an awesome controller that features a display? Wished that it could do something the original Wii couldn't, like play DVDs? This will probably be not much of a surprise for many though, especially if you're a fan of Nintendo, but the company has decided to make it clear that the console will not be capable of playing DVDs, neither will it play back Blu-ray discs.

Of course, it's not all such a bad thing, with lesser features, it means that the company can put its new gaming console at a more competitive price range. If it's any consolation, the original Wii couldn't playback DVDs either, the feature was left out for North American Wii consoles.

"The reason for that is that we feel that enough people already have devices that are capable of playing DVDs and Blu-ray, such that it didn't warrant the cost involved to build that functionality into the Wii U console because of the patents related to those technologies." - Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo.

Well, in a way, Nintendo is right, I already have a Blu-ray player that is capable of playing DVDs as well, my PlayStation can do that just as well, why will I need a Wii U? Then again just in case you didn't already have a DVD player, I'm sure it wouldn't be long before someone comes out with a solution would it? Will this affect your decision into buying the new Nintendo game console when it comes out?
source: 2DayBlog.com

Wii U Console Features Tablet Controller

The upcoming Wii U console was introduced by Nintendo at the E3 Expo last week. The new console will bring new controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Featuring an accelerometer and a gyroscope, the new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV and also offers the player a different experience than those looking at the TV. Other features include an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers. And don't worry the Classic Controller™ button scheme - two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons also available.
source: Trendy Gadget

Sega: Wii U is coming spring/summer 2012

Last week's E3 coverage for Nintendo's Wii U console and controller was insane. On stage, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aimes showed off the new controller with a built-in 6.2-inch touchscreen, dual analog Circle Pads and the ability to beam content directly from the TV to its screen and vice versa. Needless to say, the crowd walked away rather impressed. We even liked it (check out our Wii U controller preview here). So when will the console come out?

Concerning the actual hardware console at the reveal, Nintendo remained mum on specifics, namely pricing and release time. While Nintendo only said the Wii U would be out in 2012, Sega's executive vice president of marketing Alan Pritchard might have let it slip when the Wii will ship: spring/summer 2012.

To most prospective buyers, the sooner the console lands, the better right? Wrong. If the Nintendo 3DS is any indication, a console needs to be supported by strong games at its launch and during the months following it. If there isn't steady of good games with the launch, then selling the system early will leave it hanging dry.

Nintendo knows this, that's why it's working with publishers to schedule its own first-party games around third-party ones. A spring/summer release would also be strangee because it misses the holiday shopping season – a time when shoppers are more likely to buy new hardware. What can we make of all of this? Not much except the fact that the Wii U is still on track to be shipped in the second half 2012.
source: Ubergizmo

Nintendo's Reggie says Wii U can actually support two tablet controllers

Unveiled at E3 last week, Nintendo's Wii U console and touchscreen tablet controller stole everybody's attention near and far. The one bit of bummer news that we left with from E3 was that the Wii U would only be capable of connecting with one Wii U controller and up to four additional Wii Remote/Plus controllers as well as a Wii Fit balance board. It appears Miyamoto's statement that although the Wii U will come standard with only one Wii U controller, it is possible for at least two of the new 6.2-inch, gyroscope enabled tablet controllers to be connected at any given time.

Or at least that's the claim gaming analyst Michael Pachter told IGN. So, here's the deal: Nintendo president of America Reggie Fils-Aime told Pachter that the Wii U can support two Wii U controllers and then Pachter told IGN. Hopefully, something didn't get lost along the way and Fils-Aime was quoted incorrectly.

In our preview, we speculated that the Wii U would only support one Wii U controller mainly because of bandwidth beaming limitations between the console and the controller (we noticed no noticeable lag), but perhaps Nintendo has managed to solve that problem as well and can allow two Wii U controllers at once. Until solid details are revealed, it's all speculation, but it'd be nice to have the option to use two Wii U controllers – although a higher MSRP is likely due to its large touchscreen.
source: Ubergizmo

Nintendo's New Wii U Console Powered by AMD Radeon

AMD put out a press release last night confirming rumors that they are making the GPU for Nintendo's new Wii U console.

To many this was largely expected since ATI, which is now owned by AMD, collaborated with Nintendo on developing a GPU for the Gamecube and the first generation Wii.

The press release was rather short on technical details, only stating that the Wii U would contain a custom "AMD Radeon HD GPU" which provides "high-definition graphics support; rich multimedia acceleration and playback; and multiple display support".

Some of the more plausible rumors suggest that the GPU found in the Wii U will be based on AMD's R700 GPU architecture, though this is far from being confirmed.

IBM is said to be providing a 45nm PowerPC based CPU. The Wii U is expected to be released in 2012.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nintendo Wii U

E3 2011 was very exciting, and there were a lot of very good demos and announcements. However, it is fair to say that for a lot of people, including myself, Nintendo was the most innovative hardware company this year. Its upcoming Nintendo Wii U and the new controller have made headlines, but after coming back from E3, I found that a number of people were confused about some details, so I thought that gathering the information in one place, would help. This is the complete story of the Nintendo Wii U and its touch-display controller.

Wii U, what is it?

The Wii U main "box" that hosts all the processing power

Wii-U (for Wii-you) is a completely new game console, running on new hardware. At E3, Nintendo was demonstrating a few internal games running on Wii-U, but the production process was not advanced enough to share it with all developers yet. This should come very soon. Nintendo itself has acknowledged that some of the demos shown at their E3 press event were not actually rendered on the Wii-U, and might even have been Xbox 360 or PS3 footage. The point of those demos was to convey a sense of how powerful Wii-U would be, and what type of games it could run.

From the demos that we were shown, it is fair to expect something *at least* as powerful as PS3 or Xbox 360. Depending on how much Nintendo chooses to invest, it could use technology that is well beyond today's consoles and still stay within a manageable budget. That may give them a 2 years lead before the next-generation Sony and Microsoft consoles show up, but this remains to be seen.

Wii U Technical details

Although Nintendo has been relatively silent about the internal specifications of the Wii-U, it is known that IBM will provide the main multi-core processor. This CPU will contain on-chip memory, possibly all the memory (RAM). We don't know yet how much but IBM says that it is “a lot”, whatever that means.

The silicon technology is interesting, but the software is where the real value is

Watson-smart? Some media have been quick to report that IBM uses “Watson-like technology” in the Wii-U processor (Watson is a super computer that did beat humans playing Jeopardy). It's true that the silicon technology used in the Wii U is the same one used in Watson, but the same technology is also used in a number of other totally non-sexy semi-conductor products as well. Also, what makes Watson truly smart is its software, not how its transistor are built. Don't fall for this marketing stunt.

GPU: On the graphics side, Nintendo has selected an AMD graphics processor (GPU). If you remember, the Nintendo 64 had a GPU made by a talented team called ART X. This team was then bought by ATI and revived their GPU efforts until this day. Obviously, the GPU will be fast enough to handle 1080p in-game graphics. With today's technology, a medium-range GPU can do that without sweating too much. Watch the graphics demo that Nintendo has used at E3:

Storage: Nintendo has said that its Wii U system would use 25GB discs. Although this would make anyone think “Blu-Ray” (BR), Nintendo has not disclosed that piece of information. It is technically possible that Nintendo would use a non Blu-Ray technology, although it would seem dumb at this point, as users could not watch BR movies.

And while all the attention has gone to the Wii U controller, the little white box that's actually doing all the work as received little attention. The Wii-U box (as it is today) is very small, much smaller in fact than a PS3 or an Xbox 360. This means that there is little cooling (compared to XB360 and PS3), and this is always a good indicator that this machine has not been designed to be a “performance monster”.

Finally, the “specs” say that the Wii U can read both “high-density” 25GB dics, or current Wii discs. This would hint to a backwards compatibility with current Wii titles.

Wii-U Hardware Highlights

IBM multi-core processor (how many?), with embedded RAM (how much?)

AMD Radeon GPU

Internal storage: flash memory. Unknown quantity.

12cm, 25GB discs (Blu-Ray?). Can also read Wii discs

Size: Approximately 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long.

4X USB ports and USB external storage support

SD Card support

Up to four Wii Remote Connected

Support for all Wii controllers and input devices

1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i video resolutions supported.

Box will contain HDMI, component, S-video and composite cables

Nintendo innovates again by introducing something truly new

It's not a tablet!

The first thing that we need to be clear about is that the Wii-U controller is not a tablet. It looks like a tablet, it feels like a tablet, but all the smartness is in the Wii-U box, and that's a huge difference when compared to the iPad, Galaxy Tabs, Playbook and others… It's not a tablet as most people understand the term today.

All the images that we see are rendered in the box, then streamed over a local network connection to the Wii-U controller. The controller itself is just an array of sensors, and a display.

It's not multitouch

This is an important factor: because the Wii-U controller has a stylus-friendly display, it looks like Nintendo chose a touch technology that is not compatible with multi-touch support. This is a big deal because it means that many forms of multi-finger gestures simply won't be possible on the Wii-U.

First impression

In our Wii-U controller preview, we have noticed that the controller is incredibly light (maybe because the battery was missing? They were wired ). Note that the controller presented at E3 still has a “prototype” status and could change before the official launch. The controller is very comfortable and it does not slip from “sweaty” hands, even after a good gaming session. Read our preview if you want to know more.

Only one touch controller

Because the Wii-U console has to render and stream real-time images to the controller, only ONE controller can be connected at any given time with the Wii-U. Again, this points to the fact that the

Wii-U Controller Hardware Highlights

6.2-inch, 16:9 touch screen (rumored resolution = 854×480)

HDMI and Wii Remote access port

Traditional button controls + two analog Circle Pads

Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons

Accelerometer, gyroscope

Camera Microphone, 3.5 mm audio jack

Speakers Stylus

Sensor Strip, IR port

The Games

The overall plan is to continue providing casual games that are typically associated with the Wii, while at the same time adding games that have been too power-hungry to run on the original Wii system. Game developers will be able to port current games to the Wii-U relatively easily as its performance should match, or exceed, Xbox 360 and PS3. Will that save Nintendo? Possibly. Read my take in Nintendo Wii-U: a Savior?

Conclusion Wii-U is set to either profit from, or disrupt the 10-year life cycle of the Xbox 360 and the Sony PS3. Executives from both Sony and Microsoft have pledged that their consoles would have such a life span, but beware, it does not mean that they won't release a new console before then. After all, the PS2 is very much alive and selling.

That said, it seems unlikely that Sony and Microsoft would release a new console next year, so that would give Nintendo a lead of one, or possibly two years with a fresh platform. This doesn't sound bad, and in the short term it's quite exciting for Nintendo and its fans.

However, it remains to be seen how Nintendo will resist in the longer term. When the Wii controller came out, I expected Sony and Microsoft to copy-cat it quickly and I was wrong. I predicted that without high-powered graphics, Nintendo would get into trouble. I was right, but my timing was terrible. Nintendo legitimately had time to “milk” the Wii, as it was profitable from day 1. It looks like Wii-U has been designed to be just like that as well.

How long will it take for Microsoft and Sony to respond to the touch-screen controller challenge? If both companies have learned from the Wii lesson: pretty quickly. In the meantime, it looks like Nintendo has once again used agility to escape a direct “brute force” confrontation that would end up being costly.

The Wii-U will come in 2012.

Links Official Nintendo Wii page, more stories about wii-U, more stories about Nintendo, E3 Coverage
source: Ubergizmo

Nintendo unveils new Wii-U console

Nintendo has just unveiled its new 2012 Wii-U console. The new console will have a speedy IBM Power-based multi-core microprocessor, internal flash memory, HDMI and many new features. But the main attraction of the Wii-U console would be the new controller. The new controller has a built-in 6.2 inch touch screen along with the standard button controls plus two analog circle pads. But that's not all, it also includes a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble feature, camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, a sensor strip and a stylus.

That's some super duper controller. But you might ask what would it be used for? Nintendo demoed a game which plays like hide and seek tagging. The player with the new controller has a top down view of the map area and runs around and hides from the other 4 players with the regular Wii controllers. The other 4 Wii controller players will be viewing on the tv screen trying to seek out their hidden friend.

The new controller can also act as a stand-alone gaming unit which makes it feel like a big screen gaming tablet. Apple better watch out...gaming with buttons still trumps multi-touch screens.

It's a pretty interesting way of gaming and I can't wait to see how it is going to change the way we interact within the games.
source: The Gadgeteer

Nintendo shares fall 5-year low after announcing Wii U

Are you impressed when Nintendo unveiled their new generation console gamer, the Nintendo Wii U with the rather-odd and massive controller? I was somewhat skeptical about the practicality of this new gaming method, and well it seemed that some people agree with me. It appears that Nintendo's shareholders aren't very convinced with the product. Nintendo's market shares dropped to pre-Wii levels after the reveal of its upcoming Wii U console at E3 2011, and that's a really big drop.

The Wii U is aiming to win back the hardcore gamers it lost with the previous family-oriented Wii machine. Investors are worried that Nintendo is putting too much focus on hardware and ignoring the industry shift over to social networking.

“Although some experts seem to like the new device, I expected Nintendo to move more into the social networking business,” said Mitsuo Shimizu, deputy general manager at Cosmo Securities in Tokyo. “It's a warning from investors that the company should reconsider its business strategy and move more aggressively into social gaming operations.”

Reuters reports that Nintendo shares closed down 5.7-percent in Japan on Wednesday, reaching low levels not seen since before the launch of the original Wii in late 2006. But Nintendo seems stuck to its guns in addressing the hardcore gaming audience this time around despite complaints of a lack of social networking features by critics and the press.

“It's not that we're negative about the network, but if we ignore those customers who don't link their game consoles up to the Internet, that goes against our strategy of expanding the games market,” Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata told reporters in a roundtable. “We are just trying not to shrink our own market.” He also pointed out that the company's hit games had always been social.

The Nintendo Wii U is currently still in development, and is not slated to hit the market until sometime between April and December 2012. Sony's handheld PlayStation Vita, on the other hand, is slated to arrive this holiday season sporting PlayStation 3 graphics and 3G connectivity.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Hands on with Nintendo's new Wii U controller

We just stormed the show floor at E3 and strong-armed a few people to get right up close and personal with Nintendo's brand new Wii U controller. The demo game required a lot of movement on the user's part - there was a lot of shaking involved with controlling the character on the screen - but the interaction definitely looked like nothing we've seen before. The large touchscreen display was bright, too, and the controls are all comfortably within reach of your thumbs. We dig the white color of the controller as well, and it absolutely looks like a substantial high-end device. Hit the gallery below to see the rest of our hands-on images!
source: Boy Genius Report

These are the Wii U's geeky tech specs

The Wii U might have been announced at Nintendo's E3 press conference this morning and the Wii U touchscreen controller might have been the focus of everybody's attention, but do you want to know a little more about what's powering the Wii U console itself? Sure you do. Follow the link over to get the low-down on the Wii U's tech specs. According to IBM, Nintendo's Wii U is powered by a custom 45nm multi-core processor with embedded DRAM. In addition to its IBM heart, the graphics are powered by a custom AMD Radeon HD GPU. What does that mean to the regular gamer? Not much, except that the console will be able to churn out 1080p HD video with detail that should be on par with what is available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

As far as storage, ports and disc format goes, the Wii uses a 12 cm optical disc via a slot loading tray again. It'll have four USB 2.0 ports, a little front hatch for expansion through SD cards, an unspecified amount of internal storage, external hard drive support when plugged into a USB port as well as HDMI, component and S-video cables.

From a design perspective, the Wii U's ditched the silver vertical stand and even the controller and memory card ports for the Gamecube. All of the console's buttons are now positioned horizontally and we're not sure if the glowing blue optical disc drive light is gone as well.

Oh, let's not forget that the Wii U is backwards compatible with all Wii games (it won't upscale the current games to HD, though), so don't start using those as coasters yet.

Nintendo didn't release any information on whether or not the Wii U can play DVDs or Blu-ray discs, but we can probably make a good guess that streaming content such as Netflix and YouTube as well as a web browser will make its way onto the Wii U, as it did on the Wii.

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are entertainment hubs for the living room. If Nintendo wants to truly compete, it needs to not only bring that same experience but with its classic Nintendo touch, but also provide a robust and solid online experience that can truly compete with PSN and Xbox Live.
source: Ubergizmo

Wii U Controller Preview

Shocking nobody who's paid any attention to all the rumors over the last couple of weeks, Nintendo unveiled the Wii U and its controller at its E3 press conference this morning. Boasting a 6.2-inch screen, dual analog circle pads, a mic, two pairs of rear triggers, a stylus and more, the controller wowed Nintendo fans near and far, gamers casual to hardcore and even many Sony and Microsoft diehards.

Just like the PS Vita, we immediately hopped over to Nintendo's booth and awaited to go hands-on with the Wii U and its controller. Our full preview is just a click away.

Design and Weight

Let's cut to the chase. The Wii U controller is extremely light. As with the PS Vita preview, the Wii U controllers on display were prototypes, albeit working ones that more than likely do not have any sort of battery pack included. Final retail Wii U controllers could become heavier, but we're hoping it won't be too noticeable.

One thing we did notice that was missing was rumble/force feedback. Even with our repeated pestering, Nintendo reps refused to acknowledge whether or not the final controller would or wouldn't have rumble in it. No rumble would be a huge step backwards (anybody who bought a SixAxis PS3 controller when Sony nixed it before going back and adding it in the DualShock 3 will know how important rumble is).

Overall, the Wii U controller felt exceptionally comfortable, the back was a nice matte non-slip plastic (we did sweat while playing New Super Mario Bros. Mii) and the A/B/X/Y buttons and triggers felt solid enough. One thing we're not so sure about yet are the two analog Circle Pads. While rubbery, the Circle pads don't appear to have as much rotation as old analog sticks on the Wii Remote and Gamecube controllers. Also, if they're anything like the 3DS Circle Pad, then they're going to wear out rather quickly (see Nintendo 3DS review).

Features We manhandled the living heck out of the Wii U controller and here's everything we found on it:

6.2-inch touchscreen (diagonal)
2 analog circle pads, D-Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, ZL/ZR and L/R triggers, Home, Select/Start (Minus/Plus)
Volume slider
Mic and speakers
3.5 mm audio jack
Gyroscope/Accelerometer
A/C Power adapter port
Stylus
HDMI and Wii Remote access port
IR port


Nintendo didn't provide any specific details on screen resolution, battery life/what type of battery, whether it's lithium polymer or what how far the range for the controller is, but that stuff should make it out into the news in due time.

Screen Seeing games on the screen on both the HDTV and the Wii U controller is truly amazing. Like the Nintendo DS, dual screens is coming to the home living room gaming system and it is fantastic. Again, although we don't know the screen resolution, games looked crisp and mostly sharp (at least Nintendo first-party games, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online looked awful) when beamed over.

Nintendo is stressing that the Wii U controller is not a portable, but it can be used to play Wii U games if your TV is occupied by someone else or if its switched off. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata promised no lag, but we're still skeptic. Most demo games in Nintendo's E3 booth did run buttery smooth, but we did see a few hiccups in frame rate in New Super Mario Bros. Mii.

Demo Games

Several games were demoed at Nintendo's booth and we got to play with a bunch of them. In Shield Pose, players had to move to a rhythm to block arrows fired from a pirate ship. Holding the Wii U controller to the left, to the right, above and in front of you to block it was sort of fun, but shaking the controller to rack up points was plain embarrassing, especially when you have various international media recording your every reactions!

New Super Mario Bros. Mii is basically the same game as the Wii's 2D platformer, but with HD visuals and of course, the inclusion your own playable Mii's, which in our opinion was kind of weird. We like the Miis, but seeing them in more Mario games (Mario Kart Wii was one of the first) is starting to feel like Nintendo's running out of fresh ideas.

Battle Mii was a nice game that actually felt like it was the best demo out of all of the games. The game has players riding in a space UFO and then tilting the Wii U controller left and right to control the camera and using both Circle Pads to glide the ship up and down. The R trigger shoots and the L trigger zooms in. Who do you shoot? Why other Miis through an obstacle-laden course, duh! It's fun, it's simple, and everything happens on the Wii U's screen. If Nintendo bundles Battle Mii with the Wii U, they'd have a hit.

Chase Mii and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online were also available to play. We missed out on Chase Mii, but Ghost Recon was very disappointing. Yeah, it was essentially running Xbox and PS3 assets, but the game looked terrible for a high definition came. The rendered map on the Wii U controller's screen was also jaggy as heck, leading us to the conclusion that the screen's pixel per inch density is not very high.

Conclusion Unfortunately, because the Wii U and its controller is still a prototype at this stage, Nintendo has yet to announce price, release dates or launch games. Frankly, it's not too hard to speculate that Nintendo will sell the console at a competitive price to lock heads with the PS3/Xbox 360.

On the other hand, the Wii U controller might be a little pricier seeing as it does have a 6.2-inch touchscreen, a couple of motion sensors and all the stuff a regular controller has. Buying two or more of these controllers could become costly real soon. Then again, the Wii U is totally compatible with Wii Remotes and Wii RemotePlus' so for all we know, most games might only require one Wii U controller.

Nonetheless, we came off very impressed with the Wii U controller and like all of the excited third-party publishers, we're psyched and can't wait to get our hands on one ourselves. We think Nintendo really is going to disrupt the PS3 and Xbox 360′s 10-year life cycle yet again. Throw in a few hardcore games like GTA, Call of Duty and Battlefield and the Wii U could come out on top just like the current Wii.
source: Ubergizmo

The Wii U controller is real! Touchscreen and camera!

It seemed that the rumours are true after all. Totally unbelievable, Nintendo actually pull this off like a boss. The Wii U will have a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. It will be built into the controller for Nintendo's next-generation Wii U console.

It'll also feature a microphone, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, dual analog controls, two shoulder buttons and two triggers, a front-facing camera, a stylus, and oh yeah, did I say it's a touchscreen? Because it is!

Satoru Iwata was careful to forewarn that the Wii U's controller was “not designed to be a portable game machine,” even if it shares some characteristics with handhelds. You will, however, be able to game and video chat even without a TV. Screen resolution isn't given yet, but the display ratio is stated as 16:9, matching every other widescreen in your living room.
source: 2DayBlog.com

The Wii U is Nintendo's next generation console, sounds like police alarm!

Coming in 2012, Nintendo's next home console will deliver “deeper game experiences” that aim to offer “something for everyone.” And it'll be called the Wii U! A variety of new controls will be made available by that crazy new controller with a 6.2-inch touchscreen embedded in it. Most importantly, you'll no longer be tied to a TV to enjoy your home consoling action — the Wii U controller can handle your gaming session when the television is needed for other purposes, while a built-in front-facing cam will let you video chat from anywhere too.

Notably, you won't have to use the 6.2-inch behemoth if you don't want too — the Wii U will be compatible with all current-gen accessories and software. Yes, your expansive Wii collection will play on the U version of the console as well.

Batman: Arkham City, an Assassin's Creed game, Dirt, Ghost Recon Online, Tekken, Metro Last Light, Aliens Colonial Marines, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, and Darksiders II all got a mention as coming to the Wii U. Yes! EA's John Riccitiello just said the Wii U will deliver “brilliant HD graphics.” Finally, the Wii is going HD!

The Wii U will be able to deliver 1080p video over HDMI. It'll also be compatible with component, S-video and composite cables. There'll be “internal flash memory” of unspecified quantity, which will be expandable via either an SD card or external USB HDD. IBM is, as with the original Wii, once again responsible for providing the processor inside.

Four USB 2.0 slots are made available, while game media will be served up on “proprietary high-density optical discs.” There's also another, worthwhile, reminder that the Wii U will play Wii games and their optical discs without a problem.
source: 2DayBlog.com

Nintendo reveals its Next Gen Console at E3 with the Wii U and Wii U Controller

Scheduled to come in 2012, the Wii U is once again a huge surprise and comes with many innovations that will definitively make gamers want one. One of the many improvement compared to the first Wii, is its 1080p video capability as well as internal flash memory expandable via SD and external USB HDDs. But the coolest feature of all is its Wii U Control that comes with a 6.2-inch touchscreen with dual analog dual analog controls, two shoulder buttons and two triggers, a front-facing camera, gyroscope and accelerometer. Think this is cool? Well what do you think of it being capable of playing ALL your games directly from your Wii Remote when the TV is powered down or used by someone else? Yep, a bit like an Android or iOS tablet you will be able to play games directly on the Wii U Remote without the need of a TV and with for once real controllers.

“Wii U redefines the structure of home entertainment by fundamentally changing how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together”

Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience. Visitors to the E3 Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:

In single-player games:

The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.

The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.

In multiplayer games:

The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities.

In addition to the 6.2-inch screen, the new controller also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers. Adding these features to the Classic Controller™ button scheme - two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons - will enable a breadth of game-play experiences while appealing to both casual and dedicated video game players.

Wii U combines motion-sensing game play with the ability to support full HD graphics. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote™ or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories. The Wii console has sold more than 86 million units globally and greatly expanded the overall audience for video games. Wii U aims to expand that audience even further. Developers worldwide are already working on new games and experiences for the console.

“Wii U redefines the structure of home entertainment by fundamentally changing how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together,” said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. “The experience enabled by Wii U and the new controller takes players deeper into their games, while reaching out wider than ever before to be inviting to all kinds of gamers.”

Nintendo 3DS™, which lets users see 3D images without the need for special glasses, launched in the United States on March 27 and continues to evolve. Owners will find that their Nintendo 3DS experience is different every time they pick up the system, thanks to new content and updates delivered by Nintendo, by third parties and exchanged between users.

A new system update is now available for the Nintendo 3DS system. Users who connect to a wireless broadband Internet connection and install the system update will instantly gain access to the Nintendo eShop, which contains a variety of games and applications for download using a cash-based system.

Users can browse original 3D software, 3D Classics (select classic video games re-mastered in 3D), classic Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color games, and more than 350 games and applications currently offered for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service. Visitors can also see videos and screen shots for games, plus see how other players rank games.

The system update also provides Nintendo 3DS owners access to free items, including an Internet browser that can show 3D images on sites specifically designed to show 3D images, a download of a re-mastered 3D version of the NES™ classic Excitebike™ game (free until July 7) and Pokédex™ 3D, which lets users discover and view more than 150 Pokémon™ from the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games in visually engaging 3D.

Nintendo also announced a huge lineup of upcoming new and fan-favorite franchise games, many of which are playable on the E3 Expo show floor in booth 4922.

Nintendo 3DS: Super Mario™, Luigi's Mansion™ 2, Mario Kart™, Kid Icarus™: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox 64™ 3D, Animal Crossing™, Paper Mario™, Picture Lives!, The Rolling Western™.

Wii: The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword, Kirby™ Wii, Wii Play™: Motion, Mystery Case Files™: The Malgrave Incident™, Mario Party™ 9, Rhythm Heaven™ and Fortune Street™.

Nintendo DS™: Kirby™ Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Specter™, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker™ 2 and Super Fossil Fighters™.

Nintendo kicked off its E3 Expo Presentation by announcing a number of initiatives to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. A re-mastered 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches for Nintendo 3DS on June 19, while Wii owners will see the arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in the 2011 holiday season. Additionally, Nintendo announced a tour of orchestral concerts featuring music from the beloved franchise. Additional commemorative activities will be announced at a later date.

For the duration of the E3 Expo, Nintendo will provide fans with exclusive videos and Nintendo content on the Nintendo Network. People can visit http://e3.nintendo.com to watch developer interviews, get all the information about new games and see coverage coming directly from the show floor. The same exclusive content also will be streamed through the Nintendo® Channel to Wii owners who have a broadband Internet connection.
source: Akihabara News