Nintendo's new system | Wii U | The future of gaming?
The big reveal finally happened at Nintendo's E3 conference yesterday, and understandably this new console and controller combination has the press divided. I can safely say it looks awesome. While many people seem to be under the impression that the control pad is in fact the new system, as you can see from the first promotional pictures below that's not the case. Set for release next year, the Wii U should be able to overcome its awful naming curse and really change the way we see gaming.
The setup is like this: the console (above) plays games in glorious 1080p HD, so Nintendo can finally compete with the PS3 and 360, and apparently will be able to play old Wii (and presumably GCN) discs too. It can connect to the internet and stream videos and photos to the TV, and most importantly, has a wireless connection to the unusual looking control pad.
It's not an iPad, critics. The controller (top) is actually not as big or as 'plastic' as it seems from the picture, and besides having every possible button under the sun houses an over 6 inch touch screen in the centre. Early reports say it works brilliantly, and is comfortable to hold. The most exciting part is that it enhances games played on the Wii U, or can even be used as an entirely separate device, with internet too. But that's the simplified explanation; the possibilities for game-changing choices are almost endless. The tech demos showed the control pad on the ground acting as a tee, from which golf can be played using the Wii remote as before; also shown was the controller being pointed at the TV, and a flick of the hand across its touch screen launched a projectile from one to the other. It's pure genius.
And of course, boasting all this HD and internet business (which is where Nintendo were having trouble from competitors previously) means that we'll see the release of games like Assassin's Creed and tons of HD shooters finally being released on a Nintendo console. It really looks like they'll be combining the market into one super-console.
But what the industry, media, and most importantly gamers like myself are still waiting for is the price. It'll be a while until it's announced, for sure; but with all that impressive tech, Nintendo's affordability might be hard-pushed to be as successful as the Wii to populate the world's living rooms. Here's hoping, though.
The setup is like this: the console (above) plays games in glorious 1080p HD, so Nintendo can finally compete with the PS3 and 360, and apparently will be able to play old Wii (and presumably GCN) discs too. It can connect to the internet and stream videos and photos to the TV, and most importantly, has a wireless connection to the unusual looking control pad.
It's not an iPad, critics. The controller (top) is actually not as big or as 'plastic' as it seems from the picture, and besides having every possible button under the sun houses an over 6 inch touch screen in the centre. Early reports say it works brilliantly, and is comfortable to hold. The most exciting part is that it enhances games played on the Wii U, or can even be used as an entirely separate device, with internet too. But that's the simplified explanation; the possibilities for game-changing choices are almost endless. The tech demos showed the control pad on the ground acting as a tee, from which golf can be played using the Wii remote as before; also shown was the controller being pointed at the TV, and a flick of the hand across its touch screen launched a projectile from one to the other. It's pure genius.
And of course, boasting all this HD and internet business (which is where Nintendo were having trouble from competitors previously) means that we'll see the release of games like Assassin's Creed and tons of HD shooters finally being released on a Nintendo console. It really looks like they'll be combining the market into one super-console.
But what the industry, media, and most importantly gamers like myself are still waiting for is the price. It'll be a while until it's announced, for sure; but with all that impressive tech, Nintendo's affordability might be hard-pushed to be as successful as the Wii to populate the world's living rooms. Here's hoping, though.