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Nintendo Announces New Console: Wii U

Posted by timothy on from the touched-I'm-sure dept.

_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."

10 of 330 comments (clear)

  1. My hands hurt... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    My Hands hurt just looking at that controller.

    1. Re:My hands hurt... by jbonomi · · Score: 5, Informative

      IGN's hands on says it's light and comfortable to hold. I think we should hold off judgement until we can hold them ourselves.

    2. Re:My hands hurt... by Runefox · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Over a decade ago, when our cell phones were still rocking monochrome displays and just then getting into WAP browsing? Yeah. That's a great comparison, actually, and points out where the concept would have begun in the 'modern' era. Remember, that was about the extent of what our technology of the era could bring to bear without HUGE cost, which incidentally I imagine will be a very present issue with the Wii u's main controller.

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      Screw the rules, I have green hair!
    3. Re:My hands hurt... by Purity+Of+Essence · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Damn thing is almost as big as an iPad (and a lot heavier I bet).

      Why on earth wound it be heavier? It is smaller, requires far simpler electronics, probably has much less in the way of a battery, and is primarily made of plastic.

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      +0 Meh
    4. Re:My hands hurt... by slapout · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hold off judgment until we hold them ourselves? You must be new here.

      --
      Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  2. price by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    those controllers look like they are going to cost more than the console...

    1. Re:price by scot4875 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why the fuck do people keep bringing up the Power Glove as a Nintendo accessory when it was made by Mattel?

      Also, you forgot the E-reader. But also, you forgot that people buy the accessories because they think they're worth buying for the uses that are available. Anyone who bought a Gameboy Printer and thought it was going to hit some mainstream feature status that all games would use was an idiot. Only a fool would buy something solely based on what it might be able to do in the future.

      --Jeremy

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      Jesus was a liberal
  3. Err...What?? by Houndofhell · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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 :)

  4. Hard to say by Godai · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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!

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    Wood Shavings!
    - Godai
  5. Looks like a UAV controller by bughunter · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

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    I can see the fnords!