Nintendo Reveals Wii U

Wii

At today's E3 press conference, Nintendo lifted the lid off its new console - or at least, its controller. Named Wii U, the name suggests you can enjoy it together, but it's tailor made for you. Unique and unifying - something for everyone, including the hardcore.

Most of the focus of the conference was on the system's controller, a large, white tablet with a six inch touch screen that sits flush between two circle pads, and a D-pad and face buttons. With two triggers on each side, a stylus, microphone, stereo speakers, forward-facing camera, sensor strip, gyroscope, accelerometer and rumble, it can do just about anything. It's not meant to be an on-the-road device, as it streams video from the console itself without latency. It is also, thankfully, rechargeable, so no more AA battery drain.

Developers can use Wii U as a traditional system, with the TV screen displaying crisp HD graphics and the controller being simply that - a controller. You can use it as a secondary screen, with simple commands, item management or a map within easy reach. Wii peripherals like the Wii remote and Balance Board are compatible, and some multiplayer games can make use of the different peripherals to play people off each other. One person can have a screen with a top-down view of the action, while others are stuck in a maze trying to find each other.

The screens can also be used in complimentary ways, like in an arrow dodging game where the second screen offers a new view on the game world, so holding the pad up and to the left of the TV will reveal new enemies or targets, much like the 3DS' augmented reality but without the reality. Finally, the system can be used with only the controller. You can change the channel on the TV and the image will jump into your hands so you can continue uninterrupted.

Nintendo made efforts to point out that they had heard the complaints from the core userbase about missing out on the more mature titles due to the Wii's limited specs. Darksiders II, Dirt, Aliens, Ghost Recon Online, Metro Last Light, Tekken and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge trailers were shown, and were just as dark, gritty and blood-filled as you'd expect. EA's president even hinted that Battlefield 3 would hit the system. Batman: Arkham City and Assassin's Creed will also ship for Wii U - and those are some pretty huge gets. Oh, and did we mention the gorgeous delight of HD Zelda!? Not just Skyward Sword, either - a Twilight Princess-esque Gohma battle in the crispest dungeon you've ever seen.

Actual system specs weren't shown, nor were prices, but it does run an Intel Power multicore processor. The system supports up to 1080p through HDMI, with internal flash memory and options to expand using an SD card or USB drive. The system takes proprietary high-density discs (which doesn't sound like Blu-Ray) and Wii discs. Four USB ports will be included.

The games on the E3 floor are just tech demo experiences and won't necessarily be actual products. Smash Bros. will be coming to the system too, and will interact with a 3DS version. Up to four Wii remotes can be connected at once on top of the new controller.

Some people will still be hesitant about the controller, but the strength of the game line-up and console's grunt (unlike anything Nintendo's produced before), should more than assuage fears that the company's forgotten its core base. We're doing our best to get images up for you, but Nintendo's site is understandably hammered with traffic right now. Stay tuned.

Reader Comments:

Posted by admeister 08/06/2011 4:10am

It's a pretty bad name for a console. All I can think of is Pii U!

Posted by zen 08/06/2011 7:33am

console looks nice - like an updated wii.
completely unsure about the controller. looks awkward to use : http://vimeo.com/24784728
they should have done like the dreamcast and made the controller its own little games machine, instead of just a streamed to device. might have cannablised the ds sales a small bit, but its pretty much an upszied gba with touch screen anyways.
i think i will wait and see how this console does before buying it

Posted by Ant292 08/06/2011 9:21am

Maybe I'm just horribly cynical, but that was a lacklustre presentation. It felt like a board room meeting than a presentation where they unveil a new console. They were so scant on details (they barely showed off the console itself, leading to confusion as to whether or not the controller is a stand alone system) and they had virtually nothing to show for it aside from some tech demos: none of the third-party footage was from the console and the Zelda HD trailer harks back to the presentation they made when unveiling the GameCube for the first time.

It seems to me that the same situation that hit the 3DS also hit the Wii U: they played their hand too early and instead of blowing everyone away with a combination of unique, new ways of playing AND an incredible software line-up, they spent the entire keynote talking and dancing around the thing. It felt very last minute to me: sure, they trotted out big name franchises, but nothing was confirmed or denied. It was so...sly.

I hate thinking like this: I've been a hardcore Nintendo fan since the SNES and I own all their home consoles. After being let down by the Wii (and subsequently shifting a bulk of my gaming time to the PlayStation 3 and back to the PC), this was their chance to really hammer home the ways that they're going to target everyone. Instead, they gave a "we're totally going to do it! Seriously!" message with so very little to show for it. Honestly, the best thing to come out of that conference was the promise of Smash Bros for the 3DS and Wii U, but was there anything attached to it? A screenshot? A logo? Nada. Nothing.

For God's sake Nintendo, get me excited about your products again. Everyone thinks you've had the best conference show for the past two years, but you haven't recaptured any of the old feelings that I have for your history. Put some flair in there. Plan your presentation. Don't give me a bunch of lifestyle videos: tell me why this is going to be a hardware revolution with some epic software.

After watching the Sony keynote, I found myself actually wanting a PlayStation Vita, something unprecedented for me. It just seems to do more than what the 3DS can do, and at a cheaper price. Having said that, the lineup of 3DS games revealed today swung the needle back over to the 3DS camp, but who knows if it'll stay there.

I know it's still early days and what not and I'm sure the situation will improve as the launch draws closer, but I can't help but think that Nintendo blew a huge opportunity to sell the console to me right there and then. Trotting out Ken Levine and making him say that Nintendo is targeting the hard core gamer just doesn't work if there's no substance to back it up.