Wii2 to be announced at E3...

Gunmonkey

.......and it runs in HD and rumoured to be more powerful than a PS3.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/04/14/new-nintendo-console-at-e3.aspx

So far Nintendo has responded with:

"Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation."

Could be intresting, been a lot of rumour about a new home Nintendo console. Gonna be a good E3 anyways.

From IGN http://ie.wii.ign.com/articles/116/1161875p1.html

Additional sources tell IGN that Nintendo will release a pre-announcement this month with a full reveal expected at E3 and that the console will be backwards compatible with current Wii software.

So it will support the Wiimote, but will it rely on it or come with a normal controllor (a sorely missed opportunity by Nintendo that pigeon-holed a lot of devs)

Josey Wales

Looking forward to seeing what Nintendo have lined up for E3.

Dozen Wicked Words

So, if there is a price cut for the Wii next month, its a good indicator that Wii 2 is on the way at E3

http://www.industrygamers.com/news/wii-price-cut-next-month-means-nintendo-has-something-much-bigger-for-e3/


Would love a HD wii, more powerful than a PS3 but just cant see Nintendo going that way. Going to start saving money I dont have regardless.

WolfForager

Heh, wasn't the Wii released after the 360 and PS3? So much for decent life cycles!

Looking forward to seeing the specs though!

Gunmonkey

Will be interesting what reaction Sony and MS give if its true, since MS said the Kinect would prolong the 360's life cycle :rolleyes: and Sony saying the PS3 had a 12 year life cycle and wouldnt be replaced till around 2017 or so.

Just have to wonder what nintendo will do about online, since its always been its major stumbling block in the past few years. All the power wont help if your versions of shooters still have to use friend codes or other BS (not sure if they are still widely used, only ever used a friends Wii). I know its to protect the younger audience that the Nintendo consoles attract but they have to realise the strides XBL, PSN and even Steam and such have made they cant sit this next few years out.

Dozen Wicked Words

Well the 360 should be ok for a while, its just got the killer, must have game us Wii owners have been lucky enough to have for years.



PS3 owners looking on in envy I should think.

Nollog

WolfForager wrote: »

Heh, wasn't the Wii released after the 360 and PS3? So much for decent life cycles!

Looking forward to seeing the specs though!

Nintendo are just sticking to 5 years, Sony and Microsoft are claiming 10 year lifecycles for their consoles.
The hardware can definitely last 7 or 8 years in the 360 and ps3 imo.

Also, I called this last year when the Wii wasn't doing very well at Christmas.
DK, Kirby etc. seemed like the last gasps to me.
I can see them going beyond PS3, it's a regular jump from wii to ps3, ps2 to ps3 was abnormal imo.

MrExcitement

Glad to hear that finally the Wii is going to have some horsepower and hopefully improved control elements which should address many of the critiscms from devs and players.

For example: the Wii controls SHOULD have been a perfect fit for FPS. (PC is perfect but that discussion is for a different thread)

When I compare FPSs on the Wii versus 360, while the Wii control feels much more natural and fun, the frame rate scuppers the IR sensor and the visuals just pale compared to 60fps on a 360. So I end purchasing the 360 version even though I'd rather the Wii controls at 60fps. This would hold true for many types of games on Wii where you know, if the horsepower was there, the playing experience and controls would have benefited. For those that have played Goldeneye on Wii, there are certainly plenty of moments in that game that demonstrate how much more fun FPSs can be on the console.

If the hardware spec is close on PS3/360, the devs finally get to revisit the notion of developing a unique control scheme without sacrificing advancement in visuals and without costing a fortune in redevelopment. Cost being such a problem for publishers, cross-platform development is now the priority for maximising their profit so this would certainly mean more AAA titles hitting Nintendos console.

I know people are probably craving a "next-gen" console generation but I struggle to see how much further they need to push it at the moment. Given the new Unreal Engine seems to be pushing the boundry further, it should show that the current generation spec has a lot more life in it yet.

Whatever is done, I do think Nintendo are on the right track with the type of motion control scheme they have. It certainly has more potential for more variety of games vs kinect for example.

Here's hoping come 2013, I'll be sniping in Battlefield 4/Thief 4/Crysis3 ( or something impressive) at 60 FPS at 1080p and it'll be all shiny

SK1979

Some sort of Feature List that includes some of the following and I think they'll be onto a winner:

Decent HDD (anything above 250gb would suffice).
Full backwards compatibility with Wii (and Gamecube too)
Advanced Motion Controls (far more accurate etc)
Traditional Controller option too (bundled with hardware so its clear Dev's have the choice of either using or not using motion sensing)
Much stronger Online Support - Surely this is a no-brainer, hell they can even charge for it and make money
Achievements etc - Gotta be done, not particularly bothered myself about them but lots of people are.
More powerful than PS3 / 360 - Doesn't have to annilihilate them in powers of pure CPU / GPU but it needs to be a bit better.
Architecture that allows easy portability so that it can benefit from ports of the forthcoming "current gen" mulit-platform games (maybe ME3 etc).
Own 1st party games that show off a greater level of detail to the current gen (i.e. 1080p / 60fps).
Good 3DS linkup
Also maybe some sort of agreement with Apple (as Sony have SE and MS have Nokia / windows phone) that will appeal to the casual gamer. Maybe some sort of link with the App Store etc.

One would like to think that there's a chance that the reason Nintendo have been so quiet over the past 2 years (1st party games wise even) is that they've been secretly developing new games for a new console.

MrExcitement

SK1979 I agree.....problem is, it seems they were.... and its called a 3ds

ScaldyMc

Will consider Wii2 if compatible with gamecube. Otherwise as cheap Wii would be nice.

Dman001

I think HD is a given at this stage, I don't see why they wouldn't go down the HD route. As for it being more powerful than the PS3, I can't really see it as Nintendo has always been about the User Experience more so than having the most powerful console.

This sounds very interesting though:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a314731/wii-2-to-feature-hd-controller-blu-ray.html

Apparently the control will be "all new and have a HD screen on it". Sounds very Nintendo anyway.

Chaotic_Forces

I liked the Wii but it was just too tacky and didn't have enough horse power for the seventh generation.

Still, if it's a more powerful Wii and we can have controllers, I'd imagine that they might offer GameCube games in the shop since they're probably 2 gigs at most.

Dozen Wicked Words

Not new news, but a nice summary of Wii HD/ 2 or whatever should it exist from the Guardian here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/apr/18/wii-2-rumours-latest

Still have this overwhelming feeling the big news from Nintendo will be a Shaun the sheep v Raving Rabbids cross over game. Really hope I am wrong, and that I will have some money by the time this rumour materialises (the wii 2, not Raving Sheep)

Mr.Saturn

Chaotic_Forces wrote: »

I liked the Wii but it was just too tacky and didn't have enough horse power for the seventh generation.

Still, if it's a more powerful Wii and we can have controllers, I'd imagine that they might offer GameCube games in the shop since they're probably 2 gigs at most.

Tacky?

Nollog

Mr. Turnbull's in overdrive today.
So many Wii2 rumours...

Corholio

/\/ollog wrote: »

Mr. Turnbull's in overdrive today.
So many Wii2 rumours...

Indeed

- Retro Studio's supposedly working on a game for Wii2 that "everybody wants"

- GTA to also be unveiled at E3.

Bull**** or not, it's gonna be an interesting E3. Can't see ALL of these to be completely untrue, as unreliable as the games rumour mill can be.

Korvanica

Nollog

http://ie.wii.ign.com/articles/116/1163362p1.html
IGN SRS article.
They seem very certain this time.

madbeanman

All these rumours are very interesting adn I would appreciate a well powered console that went after the core, however, none of these rumours address Nintendo's central "gimmick" (and I dont mean to be derogatory when I say that) for this console generation. Perhaps the touch screen controller is it however, it would have to be pretty innovative to make sense.

red_fox

Edit: double post. Contents below.

red_fox

In a move similar to (but less detailed than) the 3DS announcement

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2011/110425_4e.pdf (PDF link)

Basically, it's coming 2012, maybe before March and it will be playable at E3. No other details!


To whom it may concern:

Re: Wii's successor system

Nintendo Co., Ltd. has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii, which the company has sold 86.01 million units on a consolidated shipment basis between its launch in 2006 and the end of March 2011.

We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Sales of this new system have not been included in the financial forecasts announced today for the fiscal term ending March 2012.

Thrill

Nintendo announces Wii 2 console




http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13186597

GTR63

Odd that Ninty announced this so early,there are so many "leaked" photos its hard to take any Serious.Part of me hopes to see this leaked before E3 I want to see what that controller with a touch screen looks like.I've seen a lot of supposedly leaked pics of the console look like the slim 360.

TheBuilder

Looks like this could be interesting, will watch out for it.

Nollog

GTR63 wrote: »

Odd that Ninty announced this so early,there are so many "leaked" photos its hard to take any Serious.Part of me hopes to see this leaked before E3 I want to see what that controller with a touch screen looks like.I've seen a lot of supposedly leaked pics of the console look like the slim 360.

It's not odd, it's sensible.
The wii isn't selling as well as their investors have come to expect.

iMuse

Be interesting to see which spec the console is compared with the 360 and PS3. They could make it similar spec so that 3rd party titles could be ported over easily (huge problem that the Wii had with no HD COD, Fifa etc.) only problem with that is they risk obsolescence if MS and Sony launch a new console in the next few years (2014 rumoured) which could leave Nintendo with the same problems as the Wii.

Dman001

I heard a good point being mentioned. If the controllers do have a screen of some sort on them, if you need to replace them or buy another one for mulitplayer it will realistically cost €100+ for one.

iMuse

Dman001 wrote: »

I heard a good point being mentioned. If the controllers do have a screen of some sort on them, if you need to replace them or buy another one for mulitplayer it will realistically cost €100+ for one.

I read somewhere that the console will do most of the work so that the controllers will not be as costly. All just rumors though till they announce a price.

Nollog

iMuse wrote: »

Be interesting to see which spec the console is compared with the 360 and PS3. They could make it similar spec so that 3rd party titles could be ported over easily (huge problem that the Wii had with no HD COD, Fifa etc.) only problem with that is they risk obsolescence if MS and Sony launch a new console in the next few years (2014 rumoured) which could leave Nintendo with the same problems as the Wii.

They're both waiting for Nintendo to make the first move.
If Nintendo go ps3/360-spec I think the spec upgrade on ps4 and 720 will be minor. How they'd justify that, I don't know.

iMuse wrote: »

I read somewhere that the console will do most of the work so that the controllers will not be as costly. All just rumors though till they announce a price.

All the work.
But you still have a wiimote's inards, a ds or 3ds touch screen, and the huge plastic moulding to up the cost. It'll easily be 70 or 80 euro without a doubt.

shizz

/\/ollog wrote: »

They're both waiting for Nintendo to make the first move.
If Nintendo go ps3/360-spec I think the spec upgrade on ps4 and 720 will be minor. How they'd justify that, I don't know.


All the work.
But you still have a wiimote's inards, a ds or 3ds touch screen, and the huge plastic moulding to up the cost. It'll easily be 70 or 80 euro without a doubt.

Perhaps, or hopefully, that controller's design isn't going to be specific to play a game on the console itself. I mean they might just offer another dimension to the game you are playing, like the dual screen on the ds does, but its primary reason is to stream small games to he controller to allow playing anywhere around the house? Just a thought but if the price of the controller is going to be that high, I think a move like this is neccesary.

Nollog

It'll support the wiimote+ (rumour).

Gunmonkey

Probably just be used as an item screen or such. But could lead to some great stuff like another Zelda: Four Swords where you move to the screen on your controller instead of a GBA. Or an adventure game where the screen shows hidden clues and such that are invisible on the TV when you look at it on the pad screen (like a blacklight for luminous writing).

Oh well, roll on E3 when wewill get some confirmed info.