Official: Wii 2 (Project Cafe) coming in 2012 with touch screen on controller *Update 15*

This is quite a big rumor that's looking more and more true:

According to many sources (IGN, GameInformer, Kotaku, CVG) Nintendo is going to release the successor to the Wii just in time for the holiday season 2012. It is said to be "significantly more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360". Even more amazing is the rumored inclusion of a HD screen on the controller itself.

It was mentioned before that at E3 this year that the 3DS will be able to connect to an "un-named console" which had to obviously mean the next Nintendo console. It would be interesting to see if the 3DS could actually be used as a controller as well.

Either way Nintendo has some splaining to do at E3!

Here are some quotes from unknown developers who have seen/worked with the new Nintendo system:

"Nintendo's plans sound unreal," one source said. "Publishers are already planning launch titles and it's all very exciting. 

"The hardware is even more powerful than current HD consoles and backwards compatible with Wii. The controller will be all-new and has a HD screen on it."



Link to story


To go along with all of this great stuff, here is what we know so far about the system:


- console is significantly more powerful than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
- Nintendo is looking to recapture the hardcore market
- 1080p resolutions
- Nintendo will release a pre-announcement this month
- full reveal expected at E3
- backwards compatible with current Wii software


This news/rumor is quite a lot to take in I know, but everything will be made clear very soon. From judging on how Nintendo does business and with how much profit they have made with the Wii and the DS it makes perfect sense to me that they would again rise up and take back the hardcore market while still having games for everyone, just like they always have in the past. Nintendo has said time and time again that just having HD graphics wouldn't be enough and it looks like the interaction (HD screen on controller) with the system itself and the user will once again be the focal selling point. 


What do you guys think about all this? Excited? Non-believing? Tell me what you think in the comment section!!! 



*Update*


More info has come in since yesterday:


Controller:
- 6" touchscreen, not HD, not multitouch
- D-Pad, L, R, two triggers, others
- 'Front-facing camera'
- A sensor roughly analagous to the Wii sensor bar is incorporated in the controller - i.e. some kind of IR beacons/transmitters. Purpose isn't clear.

Specs:
- Custom triple-core PowerPC  (could also be a rumored AMD Trinity CPU)
- AMD/ATI GPU. 'Probably' derived from R700 series (Xbox 360 has R500 series)

Update #2 

"According to an Ubisoft employee -who wished to stay anonymous-, the publisher pushes all their development teams to cash in with a bunch of 360 ports to match the march 2012 launch. "Even with the extra horse power, in especially the graphical department, we aren't allowed to put extra textures or revise bugged physics that occurred in the original." He also stated that the 3D features the system offers are revolutionairy and stunning, because you don´t need any glasses or 3DTV to experience it! The controller with build in screen and camera plays a huge part of that hologram like 3D effect. "With the optional motion control and the right horse power the only thing I can say is, Nintendo did it right this time!"

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I wouldn't get your hopes up for the above rumor but I thought I'd post it just the same. What a crazy last couple of days! It reminds me of when I first started this blog when it was all about the Revolution.....



Update # 3


-Nintendo has been in talks with Rockstar and they have had Wii successor dev kits for months. 
-Grand Theft Auto V rumored to launch with Nintendo's new system next year. 
-Again mentions that the Wii successor is "signifigantly more powerful than 360"


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Update # 4  (RUMOR ONLY)

• Square Enix, Capcom, Sega, Konami, Activision, Rockstar/Take Two, Electronic Arts, Namco and Ubisoft all have development kits.
• They each have at least one game in development for the Wii 2.
• Expect games to be coming to this system that you would never expect on a Nintendo console.
• Nintendo is kissing third party ****s with this console.
• The new Nintendo controller sounds more ridiculous on paper.  When you actually see the thing, it makes a lot more sense from a design standard. 
• Expect Nintendo to roll out the red carpet for third parties so their games don’t get overshadowed.  Nintendo has been preaching to third parties that third parties won’t get screwed this time around, so if you’re expecting a ton of amazing first party games at launch…well…think again.  Nintendo wants a launch that creates confidence in third parties again so expect very few first party games at launch similar to the 3DS.
• Star Fox is coming.  I can’t say when.  Very good chance that it WONT be at E3.  I am hearing Star Fox is coming for the new Nintendo system, but it is very early in development.
• Nintendo solved every storage issue a third party could possibly have with the new console.  I don’t know if it’s a harddrive or a different, cheaper way to store data. 
• Nintendo revamping their WiiWare and virtual console services.  I don’t think it will be called WiiWare anymore. 
• Almost positive that we’ll be seeing Pikmin in some shape or form.
• A first person shooter that people love will be ported to the 3DS.  I can’t say what game, but it’s popular among FPS gamers.
• Expect a crapload of 3DS love at this E3.  The show will be wayyy more 3DS than Wii 2 (Project Cafe).  3DS stuff will be at least 60 percent of the E3 pre-show.
• Don’t listen to anyone who says new Nintendo console will launch by end of 2011.  They are idiots.  This holiday season is all about the 3DS and Nintendo’s E3 show will focus on that.
• Don’t expect many games to be shown at E3 for new Nintendo console, but expect all of the key features to be revealed.
• Nintendo is thinking about launching Zelda: Skyward Sword around the same time as Wii 2 since Wii 2 is backwards compatible with Wii 1 games.  They want to follow the same strategy when they launched Pokemon Black/White when 3DS was coming out.
• I am 90 percent sure you will not see a Zelda: Skyward Sword port to the Wii 2.  It will remain a Wii 1 game.
• Nintendo approached Hideo Kojima about the new Nintendo console.  Nintendo and Hideo Kojima have a good relationship with each other.
• A Resident Evil game is in development for the new Nintendo system.  I don’t know if Capcom is developing an RE spinoff or something part of the “main” Resident Evil series.
• Retrostudios started working on a Wii 2 game.   It is NOT Metroid.  Retro is done with Metroid.

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- Retro Studios is making a game for the Wii 2 that "everyone wants them to do"

- Some devs working on the platform, but haven't received controller units yet
- Vitality Sensor not dead, but it's fate may rest with either the Wii or Wii successor.


Link, Link

Update # 5


- should be backwards compatible with Wiimotes
- Project Cafe controller may have some sort of gyroscopic control
- still saying the platform is significantly more powerful than 360/PS3
- Project Cafe controller with built-in screen is indeed the platform's main control scheme
- Nintendo wants to launch in Q1 or Q2 2012 if possible
- controller will most likely not be able to retain any data of its own
- for streaming game content from console to controller, there will most likely be a range for data transfer, and the system will have to be powered on
- controller's internal guts should mostly be related to the buttons and content streaming
- another statement saying that Project Cafe games will be at E3, but will most likely not be playable

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Rumor: The game Retro Studios is working on is Eternal Darkness 2 (I don't see how this is the game "everyone wants them to do" I was thinking F-Zero or Star Fox)

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Update #6

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So there you have it straight from Iwata himself at the Japan conference earlier. No further details were mentioned so I guess we'll have to wait another month and a half for the rest! Excited?


Update # 7


From Nintendo's investors meeting:


 “new concept and structure” for a console, which means they’re not just giving the Wii prettier graphics and slapping a higher price tag on it.


The topic of tablets is brought up, and there’s no need to worry about how the inclusion of a touchscreen will affect the Wii 2′s controller. Buttons aren’t going anywhere. Iwata believes that tablets will be widespread, but buttons are simply more responsive. This ties into the rumors of a controller with dual analog sticks, triggers and eight buttons.


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Iwata wants us to be surprised at E3 so I'm willing to bet that there is a lot more about the console that we do not know yet, like how they plan on using the controllers together with the system streaming. I'm excited to see what will happen next. 


Update # 8


- Project Cafe will be designed around the concept of connecting, sharing, and gaming with others
- Project Cafe will have a huge online presence as one of the primary focuses
- Watch streaming video of games being played from other's machines online
- Possibly join a friend's game online instantly from the video stream of them playing


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Update # 9


Could this really be the design of Project Cafe?

This is about the 3rd or 4th picture I've seen with this design. 


According to the original source on this:


“this is not the final design, this unit does not have a working drive or final parts. The unit powers on and is an internal test kit that is no longer being used because more complete units have now been distributed.”

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If this does in fact become the final design of the system, I think it looks pretty good but maybe a little too similar to how the Wii's design is. Regardless of the design, the cool thing about it will what it brings to the table for new gameplay experiences. 


*Update 10*


Nintendo won't be abandoning buttons anytime soon:

"Whenever we make a new game console, we've done it without throwing away buttons and the directional pad," Iwata said. "The reason for that it's better to have them, because buttons and directional pads benefit gameplay response."

"Taking this into account," Iwata continued, "Nintendo isn't planning on completely ditching buttons, nor is Nintendo thinking of taking tablets as they are today and implementing them in a game console."

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He said that they won't be implementing tablets "in a game console". What this statement means to me is that Nintendo is not interested in putting a tablet on the console itself, he never mentioned the controller which has already been confirmed to have a touch screen. Other sites have taken this statement a little too seriously thinking that it somehow affects Project Cafe's controller.

*Update 11*


Rumor:


Emily Rogers from Gameolosophy.com has promised that she is going to be posting Wii 2 (Project Cafe) screen shots of a game that is going to be available to her.

In the comment section she makes the announcement here: Link

This is a pretty large leap of a rumor since her reasons for having this stuff is because she "dates/sleeps with someone that works with Nintendo". There have been so many rumors and misinformation that I'd take this one with the biggest grain of salt yet.

Update #12

"Nintendo Wants to change the way we play - again. The success of the Wii was proof Essentially thats the controller is everythin bit as important as graphical technology. When Nintendo unveils ITS next piece of hardware on June 7 th , the presentation Will Be as much about the feel, as the look, the ITS of new games. The revolutionary aspect goodwill once again ask the controller found in Itself.

We have already heard that Nintendo will develop a controller with built-in screen. Since the information is leaked, it has drawn parallels to both Apple iPad and how Nintendo used the Game Boy Advance hand control to a few Gamecube games. But the new screen controller has another dimension - convey the sense of touch. Our source using the working title of Nintendo Feel .

- Haptic technology is a form of tactile feedback Used To Simulate the experience of touching Different objects best moments on screen. The player cannabis move Their fingertips across a surface and Clearly Feel the Difference Between Soft, smooth or rugged texture. Electronic companies across the World Have Been Conducting research in this field for years. It's Been That rumored Apple is close to patenting a similar technology, and we've seen the Toshiba demonstration of 'New Sensation UI Solution' That Applies a thin film over a screen in order to Achieve a haptic effect. In Nintendo's case, this is a natural progression of Both the Nintendo DS touch screen & the Wii technology.

Hardcore meets casual:
After receiving information about Nintendo Feel from our source, we have been able to confirm that the technology exists. Toshiba demonstration seems to have been presented to the public and we have long had a Novint Falcon at the office. Novint was one of the first companies to seriously introduced the gaming world of haptic feedback.

According to our source, work on the console going on for years, always with the goal of creating an equally direct and easily communicated concept that Wii.

- You Have to try Nintendo Feel to really understand. But the idea Itself is very easy to sell, no matter if You are Aiming for hardcore players or The Wider audience That was first introduced to games through the DS, Wii or Kinect."

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This is coming from yet another site claiming an exclusive....Man E3 cannot get here soon enough.

Update # 13


Rumor:


- will not include a hard drive
- contains 8 gigs of on-board flash based memory
- supports saving to SD cards
- may cap the system's output at either 1080i or 1080p (1080i is probably a misunderstanding)
- disc format for the new console will hold 25GB of data
- controller can function as a standard game controller that imitates 360/PS3
- in-controller screen can extend what's on TV to the controller, and allow for touch input
- stream console games to the controller to be played, but you must be within a certain range of the console

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Would it bother you guys if Nintendo's next machine didn't have a Hard Drive? I would think that 8GB plus the ability to use 32GB SD cards would be plenty for our downloading needs. What do you think?

*Update # 14*

Just a few days ago Nintendo filmed the promotional videos for the yet unannounced Wii successor's controller so you can imagine how nice the hands needed to look. They "had to be flawless" and "couldn't have blemishes, wrinkles or a lot of hair." 


Also we have another confirmation that Grand Theft Auto V will be unveiled at E3 as well. 

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Update # 15

- includes a front-facing camera system
- can be used for in-game images
- this source also says there's a six-inch touch-screen
- may include a stylus
- speculation that the 3DS could be used as a controller
- “The functions are the same. It is a standard wireless controller added with a front-facing camera and touch screen. That sounds far too much like a 3DS to me. But I can’t confirm this, Nintendo is being very cautious about the details.”

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