Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo Announces New Console: Wii U
_xeno_ writes "Nintendo has announced the official name for what had been known as 'Project Cafe:' the Wii U. It is an HD console, it retains backwards compatibility with the Wii (it's unclear if this includes GameCube software), and the controller does, in fact, have a touch screen on it. Nintendo demoed moving a game off the TV and playing it solely on the Wii U controller."
Also in E3 news, cylonlover writes "At its E3 press conference Sony finally revealed that its next generation handheld — previously codenamed the NGP — will carry the official moniker of the 'PlayStation Vita.' The PS Vita — which is Latin for 'life' — will come in two flavors: a Wi-Fi only version priced at $249 in the US, JPY24,980 in Japan, and EUR249 in Europe, and a 3G/Wi-Fi version going for US$299, JPY29,980 and EUR299."
My Hands hurt just looking at that controller.
those controllers look like they are going to cost more than the console...
No, that's the next version of the Wii - the Wii U2. It comes with a Bono and The Edge faceplate.
They call that a controller? Yeah maybe for a giant. The way the Wii was designed in the past you want real movement and reflexes with the controller.
Just thinking back to those people who accidentally threw their Wiimotes into their TVs, can you imagine the mess that one would cause :)
.. be called "Wii Soitonly"?
obligatory penny-arcade? http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/4/18/
If what I just said sounded like a troll, it was probably just a failed attempt at humor.
wii U is huge LOL
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
That's the ugliest controller i've ever seen.
Pii U.
a Wi-Fi only version priced at $249 in the U.S., JPY24,980 in Japan, and EUR249 in Europe, and a 3G/Wi-Fi version going for US$299, JPY29,980 and EUR299."
Right now, 1 EUR = 1.4682 USD. Thanks for trying to fuck us over again, Sony.
No love,
Europe
PlayStation Vista. I bet THAT ONE will be AWESOME.
Shiny. Let's be bad guys.
holy PISS! .. that thing is GINORMOUS!..
I've always said .. if only I could play a game on my TV while holding my PSP .... noW that would be gaming.
I though it was the Wii on U
The alt text for the image is "new nintendo wii e3 small". Yeah, there's nothing small about that control, people. This is probably the most anti-Nintendo thing I think I've ever seen Nintendo do.
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
Actually it's just an evolution of some ideas they've been poking around with tethering DSs to the Wii. There were a few games where you could use the DS as a Wiimote, and you had your own individual screen info.
Magic doesn't work in my presence. My power of disbelief is too strong.
The WII-U controller reminds me of the dreamcast controller.... looks very uncomfortable.
Previewing comments are for sissies!
wryyyyyy u ?!!!
> The PS Vita — which is Latin for 'life'
Vita - which is a Romanian derogatory term for "cow / bovine" :-)
1% APY, No fees, Online Bank https://captl1.co/2uIErYq Don't let your $$$ sit in a no-interest acct.
Doesn't look as bad. At least the sides are straight, rather than curving inward toward the rear like the DC.
Still not as huge as the DC controller itself, though, which for those unfamiliar with it, was approximately 1.3 Xboxes in volume. :P
The Wii U controller looks like a wicked mix of a normal controller, a handheld and a tablet. Why not just release the controller as the console itself...
The only way Nintendo knows how to distinguish itself from the crowd these days is with unconventional controllers. The Wii had nunchucks with tracking, and now the Wii U has a huge touchscreen controller.
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
I find it peculiar that Nintendo would move to this type of controller after successfully pushing motion detection with the Wii (forcing Microsoft to step up with Kinect). This is a strange step back, I guess that with the iPad and all they wanted to "tabletize" the control
Vita. Too bad I am Sony (and by extension, Vita) free.
But I guess we all knew I didn't have a life.
This controller seems like it's well suited for turn based RPGs and that's about it. You have to LOOK at the controller to do anything on that touch screen, and that goes against much of the philosophy of modern games. I get the general idea, you put your status indicators and such on the controller screen, but to really register anything you're going to have to be looking at it all the time.
I'm hoping that this is a mistake that this is the default controller and they expect you to normally used an evolved version of the current controller.
I just gave in and bought a Wii last week.
Oh well, at least it will be easy to find used games soon.
If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
I also don't know that it'll work well this time around. The Wii did well because it sold kinda like a board game: Many people bought it that weren't in to video games. They often didn't play it a lot, putting it away only to take it out for parties, but they bought it. Ok fine. However this? Not sure you'll sell people on it. Particularly since a controller like this is going to be all kinds of expensive. A nice large LCD costs money, no way around it.
We'll have to see what goes on but Nintendo may have a dud this time around. Gimmicks can be great when they work, but they often flop hard.
So, it looks like Nintendo is getting on the tablet bandwagon now? That thing looks like a Nintendo DS ate a tablet.
OTOH, it's not necessarily a bad idea. Multiple people could browse the web on their controllers using the Wii's processor/rendering. Multiple people could play multiplayer bejewelled or whatever. It just seems slightly silly to attach the controllers to the side. But then again, kids that grew up with the DS are now adults. Maybe this is targeted at them.
Also, this controller is probably in addition to the Wiimote. Many games will stick to the wiimote instead, or use the wiimote on one hand while giving you instructions on the screen held with the other. They're probably hyping this out at E3 and later announcing a Move-like upgrade for the wiimote U.
I find it strange the whole concept of a second movable screen for gaming strange. How exactly do games benefit from this? If you're aiming for casual gamers, then the second screen will likely add "workload" (for the lack of a better term), as a player will have to share his attention between two screens. Will casual gamers want this? If you're aiming for the more hardcore gamers, than two screens can decrease immersion, as the player has to stop focusing on the game to twiddle with a touch screen. If the touchscreen also contains some important game functions like inventory as shown in one of the screenshots, then hilarity can ensue when you accidentally swipe the screen while trying to wrangle with that gigantic controller. I can imagine some multiplayer games benefiting from this, but it simply seems like a gimmick, not an innovation. Sorry Nintendo.
Is that a webcam in the black bar at the top of the controller?
What will happen when we all are carrying multiple cellular-enabled devices? Would you simply pop a SIM card into each cellular device? Will you have to pay for each device? Would your plan allow for up to X number of devices? Or would they simply bill you by total sum of bandwidth?
My guess is that, the cell companies will take the most complicated solution possible. You will need to bring each cellular device into the store so they can activate it for you. Each device will have a different bandwidth limit and your bill will be 10 pages long. Only approved devices will be allowed: so AT&T will support the Sony Vita and Verizon will support the Nintendo 3DG. Some other small company will support bot, for half the price but they will only have service in rural Kansas.
A few years ago I argued that Nintendo should add 3G to the DS. I had everyone on Slashdot telling me how that is impossible and kids cannot afford multiple cell plans how complex it would be. Well, now it is happening so the business model will have to find a way to work. Eventually, cellular networking could become as ubiquitous as wi-fi is today.
...is that Xbox and Sony are bound to have equal failures.
I will bend like a reed in the wind.
Surprising how much it looks like the wiiu controller. I wonder if Sony plan to have similar connectivity with the PS3.
Nintendo has quickly become synonymous with (too little, too late) gimmicks. They need a new strategy. Given their recent record with consoles (under supported, weak hardware in comparison to other consoles and PCs, short life span, aimed at house wives and children under 12, less bang for the buck than the competitors), I won't be touching it. I think they're also going to start losing their handheld market dominance due to the prevalence of smart phones. Anyone //really// into games on a handheld device will go for the PS Vita, except young kids who beg their parents for one because it's 3-D!!! The 20-40 somethings that were buying the DS (in Japan at least) were doing so because the phone games were awful 5-10 years ago and they needed something to kill time with while on the train besides reading and sleeping.
I haven't seen mention of how many of these new uber controllers can be active at a time. Just one? Hopefully two. I'm guessing the streaming video will limit on the number they can support.
I always liked my Atari Jaguar, but the thing that always bothered me the controller wasn't big enough. Thank god someone finally got around to making an even bigger controller to finally accommodate me.
When the Wii was announced people were _very_ sceptical about the whole motion control thing...
I'll wait and see if this is a winner or not. Also, I'm wondering if it will play my old Wii games. Not really that interested in keeping a stack of consoles in the living room.
.: Max Romantschuk
Already firing up my video editing software and putting the console in a certain scene from Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.
WEEEOOOOWEEEOOOOWEEEOOOO!
Hardcore games. It was fucking time.
I might end up buying Wii U just for hardocre games. But FFS don't make me use that crappy, huge, horrible controllers.
I look at that controller and I think both "Wow, cool!" and "Holy crap its big!" But it wouldn't be the first time we've all thought the Big N has lost their collective marbles only to be right. When they announced the N64 with its 3-prong controller, everyone said that looked like the most uncomfortable thing they'd ever seen -- and it was maybe the most comfortable one I've ever used, even to this day. When they announced the DS, everyone thought they were certifiable, and it turned into the best selling handheld of all time (no, we're not counting the goddamn iPhone just because it can play games). And I seem to recall that the Wii's announcement was also met with a fair bit of ridicule and it outsold its competitors (at least console-wise).
Of course, they also released the Virtual Boy (or whatever that thing was called) and that was a trainwreck. Still, I'm going to withhold judgement until I can try it for myself. At the very least, it sounds like there's some real possibility there. I just hope I'm not paying $150 a controller!
Wood Shavings!
- Godai
That Wii U photo makes it look a whole lot like one of several makes of Small UAV hand controllers.
A lot of work goes into the ergonomics of these things, because soldiers spend a lot of time using them, so there's a reason they all look very similar. Several ergonomic factors, obvious from the convergence of these designs, appear to be universal:
- Touchscreens are sexy but impractical. They're imprecise without a stylus, awkward to hold, and you have to obscure your view of the action to effect a control.
- It's nearly impossible make the screen too large. There's a reason the screen is big and dominates the faces of all of these units.
- Controls are arranged on the sides so that the fingers can take the weight while the thumbs work the controls without requiring the user adjust his grip.
- Control paradigms are borrowed from the original Playstation hand controllers because most users have prior experience with them.
- Light weight tradeoff against battery life, screen size, and ruggedness.
Looks like the convergence is happening from both directions. And it's not surprising because the human interface requirements are very similar in both applications.
I can see the fnords!
Actually it's just an evolution of some ideas they've been poking around with tethering DSs to the Wii. There were a few games where you could use the DS as a Wiimote, and you had your own individual screen info.
Actually Nintendo's been doing this for much longer. All the way back in the Game Boy Advance days you could plug one of them up to your Gamecube and use it as a controller.
"and can be used in conjunction with Wii controllers, the company said"
Hold your horses people, they aren't saying you have to use this mammoth just to play wii bowling.
My favorite part of the Reuters post is where it says '10 adp' (which is crossed out). I view this as an indication of the tech level of the reporter. Either that, or it's a shorthand I've never seen before, but one that I think I might adopt (for trollish purposes, of course).
"Wii U, Wii Mii, Wii-ing together".
I see a lot of possibilities here. What about a Battlefield 2 style command and control team system? The commander could have the main screen and the troops could use their controllers as FPS devices.
Or playing mario kart, each with there own individual screen and the TV showing a top down view of the amp with score keeping.
I'm excited about the potential...
So while playing your Wii U you get Xbox 360 ported fps games with upgraded PC like 1080p graphics?
And you are holding a small Wacom like tablet in your lap?
Then why not go all the way and add a wacom like (soft fabric, tablet cleaning) 3 dollar mouse to the standard package? Then you get PC game responsiveness as well and you are one upping the other consoles. The mouse could even have a glass scope target thingy, like a 30 year old CAD mouse, so you can hit target on the tablet with your mouse.
So you can pick a play with out the other player seeing what you picking.
They could have named it the Wii Wii.
for multiplayer strategy board games.
Imagine a M:tG game where you have your hand on your controler but you share the table with your opponent. Or a Clue! murder mistery, again with your own set of clues on your controler and the full board on display. Or an RPG with your character info and stats on your controler and the active game on the screen. Or a FF Strategies or Maden footbal style game where each player can control play selection, and possibly even FPS style game play on their control while the screen shows a typical football or kunfu movie interface.
I think there are definately uses for it, especially in multi-player and social atmospheres.
Not that I'm going to buy one, but it looks like there could be some action for it.
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
They will probably allow you to play Game Boy games on the controller.
Nintendo is making a classic mistake. After the success of the Wii and DS, they over-engineered a follow up that tries to blend DS and Motion control, but lost touch with reality on this one.
Waving a huge, "expensive" tablet in the living room doesn't sound at all like a bad idea.... Not only will you destroy the $2000 HDTV but a $200 game controller to boot.
Obviously, I am sure that Nintendo will have some smaller wand like controllers as part of their arsenal of value added controllers (which drove a $289 base console to well over $600 by the time you get a round of nun chucks and Wiimotes, and then eventually the stuff that made Wiimotes better). But I think Nintendo has missed the boat on this one. Like the 3DS, this will suffer from a lack luster response and most likely an uninspired of release titles (wow, can't wait for that Super Monkey Ball that will make use of a screen on the remote, sheesh).
And before some of you "clever" children go on about how successful the Wii was, Nintendo sold a lot of consoles, but it was not a successful platform. Game sales have been diving on the Wii for years and only first party titles like Zelda and Mario sold well. But Nintendo was coming off a stream of failures beginning with the N64 and the Wii it turning out to be an anomaly in terms of success for Nintendo, glad to see they are back to their old ways.
FYI, "Vita" is a Latin world as much as it's an Italian one. The meaning is the same, too....
more data in their servers. If they totally made a mess on the account data on the PSN with all of their security holes.... I just can not wait to see what happens with the 3G data.
Finally a console ready for mmorpg's!
This controller (too big for extended gaming periods, though it is likely to be revised before launch) and feature-set won't appeal to the hardcore gamer but is perfect for the mid-core gamer.
Backwards compatibility with the original Wii means a neverending stream of casual games (that will continue to be created for both Wii and WiiU), good to share with family and friends; but now finally A-titles will be released for the three main systems, so the mid-core player won't be left behind.
People speculated that this release would signal the 8th generation of consoles. What has happened is that all vendors have reached convergence, with MS Kinect and PS Move reaching maturity and catching up with motion systems, while Nintendo has released a console with competitive performance that can sell for a profit. Welcome to the 7.5 generation.
Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
Well, Wii U, too, pal! and yes... for those who are oblivious, replace Wii with F***
What game console is that?
I think it's Wii U
I we you what?
What's the third gen tech going to be - the "Wii U Mii"? Followed closely by "Thay Wii U Mii"?
From 2002's Kung Pow, hear Ling: http://youtu.be/92mFlANJ3Ew
the one geared more towards young kids? I wouldn't trust my kid with that.
What a stinky name.
This controller looks more like a cross between the Wii classic controller and an Intellivision controller.
Wii U, Wii U, Wii U :-(
My other account has a 3-digit UID.
Is there some kind of internal contest within Nintendo on who comes up with the most idiotic name? with big cash prizes? instant promotion for the winner?
I really can't explain it otherwise...
That's $365 for the Wi-Fi and $439 for the 3G in the EU - they don't list UK prices, but assuming £249 and £299 that's $409 and $491 respectively.
Laughable.
therefore it's going to be a resounding success.
I wish my lawn was emo, so it would cut itself.
I'm thinking about this more, and I've decided it's masterful. You can now do much of the activity without even using the TV. Quickly spend twenty minutes on WiiFit? Use the Opera browser, check news or weather?
All can be done while the TV is off or somebody else is using it. Kid playing a game and your show comes on? Switch it to the controller, and change channels.
The only problem is really the ergonomics of the large controller. Assuming that THAT is ok, the utility of this will be great. It reminds me of all the confusion when Nintendo first introduced the DS and the dual screen/touchscreen.
Wait...did you actually USE the DC controller? It's easily one of the most comfy controllers I've ever played with. Looks like hell, but a great controller.
They should call it the Wii Boy
I'm not a bird, I'm a super-advanced flying stealth dinosaur!
Inner Thigh Exercises - How to Get Sexy Legs and Butt
http://innerthigh-exercises.com
I was referring more to the HUGE controller than the features it provides. Yes they've done it before and it's a great idea. They need to do more of it. But the controller / handheld console / thing needs to be about half that size.
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
$249 in the US, JPY24,980 in Japan, and EUR249 in Europe
Hasn't anyone told them that $1 != 1€ != ¥100 ?
Just thinking back to those people who accidentally threw their Wiimotes into their TVs, can you imagine the mess that one would cause :)
If you look at the Nintendo website you can see that the new system will also support the old Wii motes (and Wii motes with motion plus). You would likely use those for the more active (sports) games, and the new controllers for the games that are more similar to what is played on other consoles currently.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
If Nintendo get off their collective asses and add some decent HTPC capability to this unit, that remote would be quite awesome.
"In the absence of the ability to establish the attribute of truth they tried to establish the noble attributes."
Did anyone notice that it looks like there's a built in camera in the black bar at the top of the controller?
Which of course has its roots in the GBA to Gamecube connectivity, driven by Nintendo and Square's collaboration a decade ago.
It could also be viewed as turning the home console into a giant DS of sorts. Your TV serving as the top screen, and the touchscreen in your hands on the couch.
A few years ago I bought myself a Wiimote just to play around with after watching Johnny Chaung Lee's demos. The Wiimote packed a lot of tech in a small space and I found it finding new and interesting uses for it. This new controller got me wondering about all of the cool ways this could be used on a PC. I mean forget an iPad (yes I know it's not the same), but if I could play PC games, or emulators, or what ever else with this I want it. Sure I might be more expensive than a Wiimote, but I;m guessing it'll be much cheaper than most tablets.
and where to get them.
You can't take the sky from me
It looks like a game gear with a 50x larger screen. I see a couple things wrong with this...
-1. The ergonomics of it are practically nonexistent. There is no special gimmick to the controller as far as feel goes, it's a brick.. plain and simple. I thought we evolved from the brick controllers of old times.
-2. That large of an lcd is impractical and unnecessary. For things that it will be used for, much like how the Dreamcast worked, I don't think you would need even half of that size of screen in order to tell what items you have in your inventory, details you need to know, etc.
-3. In a Sony like PS3 launch move, they are jamming an expensive technology into something that should be reasonably priced. Not going to be popular with the majority of consumers. I can easily see these controllers costing $100 or more, and I bet Nintendo will lose a lot of money because of it.
Most forget the main reason the Wii sold so well. It wasn't because of the gimmick of it entirely. It was simply the best buy at the time. No one had seen a $250 launch price for a console in recent times. The gimmick was good for occasional party people who would break it out for some light entertainment, so it was sensible.
I think Nintendo may lose this round if they aren't careful.
to have a console matching the hardware of 5 year old PS3 (6 years by the time it is released) is a bit late in the game. Just like they did with the Wii, they hope the casual consumer, the mom, the kid, just looks at the prices and how it looks special and chooses that console, rather than the fact they're getting less value for their money and the game companies will drop it within a few years like they did with the Wii. Nintendo is making money off of this strategy, but it's bad for the consumer if you want a solid console that consistently has great game releases from a variety of companies. .
Bah.. Now to sell my Wii before gamestop lowers its trade value to 20$ like they do every time a new console is announced.. Then place a pre order even though I don't really want this -_-
Damn you Nintendo for tapping into my inner child!
Also anyone know if there's anywhere that you can pre order from? Amazon doesn't have it up yet and the only site I saw that has some sort of recognition for pre orders is www.preorder-wiiu.com.. but even there you still can't pre order.
Wii U? More like pee-yew!
...I'm sorry, I'll show myself out.
It looks like that controller has a reasonably decent CPU and graphics hardware on it. Given the camera and other hardware on the unit, it is very likely that the device is locally executing some program to interact with the main console. It isn't really that practical to render everything on the console and stream it uncompressed to four separate tablet remotes, so I think this is the likely implementation. If this controller had some form of local storage or even an SD card slot, it could hypothetically be used as a standalone "Nintendo tablet." This would involve Nintendo competing against itself in the handheld gaming market, but if the controller has high enough specs, it might be a good hedge against the 3DS catastrophically failing against the new Playstation Vita. While the device could obviously not directly compete with iOS and Android devices, it could fill an important niche role, especially if Nintendo could market the device as a safe tablet for children. With the right apps, they could even sell the things to schools.
There were a few games where you could use the DS as a Wiimote, and you had your own individual screen info.
Now, see, THAT makes sense. If you own a DS then you've got a controller+screen combo already laying around. This thing is going to be about half the price of the NDS yet is tethered to the console so you can't take it with you, WTF? [Screen, buttons, wireless, RAM for the framebuffer, possibly a microcontroller to hold it all together. Add general purpose RAM, a cart slot and an ARM9 CPU and you'll have a 1 screen DS (better screen res than the DS as well)]
Oh, and it ACTUALLY rips off the SEGA Dreamcast (at least, possibly others before it, I seriously doubt the idea was original) which had memory carts that had screens which you could play mini-versions of some of the console games on (Sonic Adventure had a Chao Garden you could take with you) and would show stats from the game if it was plugged in whilst you played.
But if that LCD does 3D without glasses like the 3DS, it's sure to be a smashing success.
Another thought: That's not a controller, that's a murder weapon.
--
Toro
It was Prof. Miyamoto, with the Wii U controller, in the Game Room!
Soooo... 249/299$, and 249/299€, eh? When did the Euro and the Dollar become linked currencies? I hadn't heard that the concept of "exchange rates" had been obsoleted.
Thank you for yet more assrape, Sony. Fuck you with a broomstick, I'm not your milking cow. You can keep your crap.
What a depressingly stupid machine.
What about videoconferencing? You see the person you are calling on the TV, and whatever you are filming with the controller (usually yourself) on the controller...
Sounds like a simple way of having videoconferencing that is as living-room friendly as the kinekt version, without all the fancy skeleton tracking.
Of course, to be really useful it would need to talk to skype or google talk or something... And they could beat the competition by making it free since it doesn't cost them anything (why should I need to pay a subscription to use a device I own to talk over the internet connection I pay for?).
So, $1 = 1€ all over again :(
In Soviet Russia, Wii U!
What? Like the back of a Volkswagen?
Maybe it's because I have big hands, I owned a game gear, I normally game on pc (lots of hand space between the mouse and wasd keys makes for rather comfy gaming), and I actually prefer the old huge xbox controller I am saying this but I like this controller idea. I am sure after seeing all the complaints nintendo will probably make a smaller version so those people can happily squint at a smaller screen or something. Looking at it being used on videos, it doesn't look that uncomfy to me, I mean they are showing little asian women using this with small hands and not having a problem, I think that maybe I will be okay. I do hope though these controllers can somehow be priced in the 50 dollar area or so though. That wouldn't break the bank for me. I can't say I would hate it if the xbox players doesn't buy it though. Those of you who have had to sit though the rubbish they spew out on their headsets (not tactical data, or teamwork, but the vocal equivalent of goatse) probably appreciate a game online without voice. When they were showing the starfox64 remake with the video all I could think was, "If this was on 360, all you would see are penises)", and when they were showing off drawing stuff on the tekken charactors, "Yeah, that would be all penises and swasticas on live...".
I wonder why console makers even bother with buttons anymore. A part from hardware shoulder buttons, the rest of the controller could be one big multi-touch screen with vibration feedback. That way developers could have as many buttons as they like, placed however they'd like them.
~Syberz
I can't believe nobody has mentioned this yet. What the heck happens when one of your [kids, douchey semi-friends, drunken evil twins, etc.] drops and breaks one of these controllers?
If you ask me, these controllers look like a VERY bad idea, if only for this reason. I'd imagine the controllers alone are going to be $100 a pop. I don't think I'll be buying this, if only to prevent assault charges on myself when I rage after one inevitably gets broken by somebody being careless.
meata - accessory that monitors your pulse and heart rate so it can adjust gameplay to scare the crap out of you better
vegimin - headpiece accessory that detects when brain waves go beta so they can interrupt your game with a commercial
insensitive clod overlords obligatory xkcd car analogy russian reversals whoosh pedant fanbois ftfy in 3...2...1..PROFIT
Fifa 12 release date has been officially announce check the release date http://www.gamesngage.com/fifa-12-3ds.html
Id rather see this thing hacked, so we could stream info/screen/movies from a mythtv box to the controller, then use the controller as a big selection input device to select a movie, and bang, play it on the remote, or play it on the tv.
That would rock more!.
I wonder what sort of vid format it would use, h264 or something with subchannel info for 'menus/controlls' touch areas, with 'urls' back to the host, or byte streams.
In any case, would even work as a remote desktop to your linux/windows box too, and as a cheap home tablet in a way. Just need a remote desktop to an 'android session' if you could have android in a VM.
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.