Nintendo unveils the next Wii: ‘Wii U’ with touchscreen controller
As expected, the current video game hardware champs unveiled their next-generation video game machine, dubbed ‘Wii U,’ to help kick off this year’s E3 in L.A.
Just because it wasn’t a surprise doesn’t mean it’s not impressive.
As the rumours leading up to E3 predicted, Nintendo unveiled a high-definition successor to the Nintendo Wii at its pre-E3 press conference Tuesday morning.
The Japanese gaming giants took the wraps off Wii U, a new console that includes a 6.2-inch touchscreen that can be used to control the games – and see things that aren’t on the TV.
For example, a role-playing game might show a map, character stats, mission objectives or a notes screen on the Wii U controller, while the larger TV screen is used to navigate around the virtual world, interact with characters, solve puzzles and battle enemies. In multiplayer games, you might be able to do something discrete on the touchscreen controller, such as draw plays in a football game, so that the opponent on the couch beside you doesn’t know what you’re up to.
Apparently, you can play games on the 6.5-inch tablet without requiring a TV at all, though Nintendo says this isn’t a portable gaming solution. I’ll get more details on that in a couple of hours.
Nintendo says the information and/or view of the action can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its internal accelerometer and gyroscope sensor. The controller also has a rumble feature, forward-facing camera (yes, it supports video chats), a microphone and speakers – as well as a Classic Controller button scheme: dual analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A, B, X and Y buttons, L and R buttons and ZL and ZR buttons.
On a related note, along with the abilitty to display new games with HD graphics, Wii U is backward compatible with all Nintendo Wii games, says Nintendo, including support for up to four additional Wii Remote or Wii Remote Plus controllers (required to play the older titles).
Nintendo was mum on a lot of things — specs, games, price and launch date — but they said it should be out during the second half of 2012. I’ll get some hands-on time with the hardware today so I’ll update this post with impressions when I can.
Sync readers, are you psyched about a new Nintendo console? Are they smart to integrate tablet functionality into a home console?
From Nintendo’s press release:
LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2011 /CNW/ – At the E3 Expo, Nintendo introduced a new paradigm for video games and home entertainment: Wii U™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Adding a second screen to the living room creates a multitude of new video game experiences while offering families a variety of options to customize their entertainment.
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.”