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[Slime]

60? How about a mere 30 first?

As much I love certain aspects of Lords of Shadow (the soundtrack, mostly), the game has some really nagging issues in other parts. The framerate being the most obvious one.

Word. If the frame rate wasn't completely balls I think Lords of Shadow would be one of the prettiest console games of this generation, but unfortunately all that wasted visual potential is lost behind a layer of chugga-chugga-chugga.

Eh. Still looks to much like a micro and not enough like a tablet

Let me feel like I accomplished something for once! Don't take this away from me, damn it!

 

[From The Dust]

This one is the best. The others are too gamey.

then why even have interest in this device at all?

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

I like this one or the second one. There's just too much unused space on that one though. I feel like they could do something with all that empty bezel there. Maybe a speaker on each side?

No doubt. It would be lame to stream games and video and such and not have sound to accompany it.

 

[twinturbo2]

I would not be opposed to "Stream" being the name for the console. It rolls off the tongue, is easy to remember, and it rhymes with Wii.

Also, if the rumors are right about MS and Sony milking the X360 and PS3 cows for a couple more years, this means that Nintendo will get the head start in the home console wars for the first time in a long time, no?

Super Nintendo released 2 years after the Genesis
N64 released a year and a half after the Saturn and PS1
GameCube released a year after the PS2
Wii released a year after the X360

I think the NES got the head start on the Master System, but the NES was released in select test markets first, so I don't think it counts. Can someone look up the nationwide release dates for both consoles?

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

Word. If the frame rate wasn't completely balls I think Lords of Shadow would be one of the prettiest console games this generation, but unfortunately all that wasted visual potential is lost behind a layer of chugga-chugga-chugga.



Let me feel like I accomplished something for once! Don't take this away from me, damn it!

Im sorry bro! It did set my imagination on fire early on in this hoopla. Why dont you make another go at it but this time include things like speakers and the camera that so many are leaving out?

 

[wsippel]

I'm starting to think that Café will be another "third pillar". Not initially meant to replace the Wii, but it will if it takes off. It's basically the GBA to DS transition in reverse order. Back then, Nintendo introduced a relatively low specced system that might appeal to a more casual crowd, and told the people who expected a new, bleeding edge Gameboy without dual screens or touchscreen gimmicks that the DS wasn't really meant as a replacement. It was the infamous "third pillar". It took off though, so it eventually replaced the GBA, and the true GBA successor, a system we know actually existed, got buried, because Nintendo reached both audiences.

Nintendo tried to create a system that caters to both audiences with the Wii. They made a ton of money, but they still "failed". This time, they already have the casuals and try to get the core. So they come up with a new third pillar, a big, expensive, complex and powerful system positioned not as a replacement, but (like DS) as a backwards compatible alternative. If that's the case, I'm sure they're also working on a real "Wii 2" behind closed doors. If Café manages to reach both audiences like DS did in the past, they'll bury it of course. If not, they'll continue to support Café with "core" games, keep it on life support or bury it depending on how it does - and launch Wii 2.

 

[Mithos]

This one is the best. The others are too gamey.

Needs 4 shoulder-buttons though or probably bad 3rd party support due to to different controller, and that's why I like the middle one best it can have the 4 shoulder-buttons no problem, the Pad like one seems to be very hard to have shoulder-buttons and still feel comfortable to hold.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

I'm starting to think that Café will be another "third pillar". Not initially meant to replace the Wii, but it will if it takes off. It's basically the GBA to DS transition in reverse order. Back then, Nintendo introduced a relatively low specced system that might appeal to a more casual crowd, and told the people who expected a new, bleeding edge Gameboy without dual screens or touchscreen gimmicks that the DS wasn't really meant as a replacement. It was the infamous "third pillar". It took off though, so it eventually replaced the GBA and the true GBA successor, a system we know actually existed, got buried, because Nintendo reached both audiences.

As a Nintendo fan and a marketing major, i call that third pillar "strategy" complete marketing bullshit. The next gameboy was designed to have DS specs but then they in retrospect, decided to position the product away from the brand and move away from the kidde viewpoint. While i am sure they had some higher spec "if shit goes bad" hardware plan somewhere in development, it was only because they initially feared and smartly planned for the PSP and the potential for the DS to fail.

 

[ReyVGM]

Unfortunely, Tesla wasn't available to work with Nintendo..

=(

Laughing out loud.

 

[crazy monkey]

Not sure if the new mockups from Kotaku has been posted, but I kinda like em.

1.

2. (like this one the most, but it will be kinda big it seems)

3.

Source: http://kotaku.com/#!5794851/weve-sketched-the-wii-2-controller-of-our-dreams

the french site said it looks like

with buttons around. I hate all of this. Wii remote was such a good idea.

 

[Snakeyes]

then why even have interest in this device at all?

Let me rephrase that; it doesn't look elegant enough.

 

[wsippel]

As a Nintendo fan and a marketing major, i call that third pillar "strategy" complete marketing bullshit. The next gameboy was designed to have DS specs but then they in retrospect, decided to position the product away from the brand and move away from the kidde viewpoint. While i am sure they had some higher spec "if shit goes bad" hardware plan somewhere in development, it was only because they initially feared and smartly planned for the PSP and the potential for the DS to fail.

I know that it's bullshit (I was in marketing myself), but I guess we can agree that "this is the third pillar" basically means "this is an experiment" - which seems to be what Café is if the rumors are true.

 

[thehillissilent]

in the same exact post I said that streaming full games won't happen, for many reason this is not possible, firsly input lag, there is not good enough technology to stream games without lag without having to be in the same room as the console, the only streaming that would happen is for things that lag would not matter for, such as checking messages, checking eStore and downloading, checking updates and etc. Simple Ipad/casual/touch games can work such as a board game. also this would make the 3DS less useful

EDIT: and the games that require motion or require the extra screen itself as well as the TV won't work, if they want developers to use the extra screen along with the TV then streaming those full games only on the handheld screen would remove that feature

I wouldn't worry about input lag. I use OnLive with Verizon FIOS and their is barely any lag and the servers are far away. It shouldn't be much an issue in the same house. It might not work for certain games requiring motion plus, but it is definately feasible. Again, lag is not that much of an issue on a local network. It will be built into game anyway. It really depends on how they tranfer the data. Is it wireless or something propietary?

 

[BlueTsunami]

Let me rephrase that; it doesn't look elegant enough.

Who cares about elegance? Ergonomics should be paramount in a controller. Lest we'll get the freaking Duke again. Leave elegance to the piece of hardware the gamer isn't handling, the console itself.

 

[ReyVGM]

RR3DS does look like that. In every aspect the PSP version out performs it. Yes, it's only one example, but even the best looking games like Kid Icarus or Resident Evil only look marginally better than what's available on PSP which was released in 2004. That's the whole point of my argument. People think Nintendo won't release a console (Wii 2) that's only marginally better or equivalent to Xbox 360/PS3. I'm saying they just did it with PSP and not to get your hopes up, but carry on.

What?? Someone post those Resident Evil Revelation gifs and tell me if there's any PSP that looks even close to that?

I agree with Kid Icarus not looking that hot, but that's Nintendo's fault, not the 3DS'.

 

[RurouniZel]

I hate all of this. Wii remote was such a good idea.

I'm with you, I was hoping Nintendo's next system would be an evolution of the Wii remote. It's the most comfortable controller I've used.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

I know that it's bullshit (I was in marketing myself), but I guess we can agree that "this is the third pillar" basically means "this is an experiment" - which seems to be what Café is.

I'm not so sure anymore. It plays Wii games and is compatible with Wii remotes and peripherals. Seems like a legitimate replacement, again moving away from their established brand, for good and bad.

 

[M74]

I would not be opposed to "Stream" being the name for the console. It rolls off the tongue, is easy to remember, and it rhymes with Wii.

Uh. Not really.

I'm starting to think that Café will be another "third pillar".

The IGN crew speculated on this, too, in passing during the podcast. They said it might not really have anything at all to do with the Wii. We just don't know yet. Might fit the whole Blue Ocean strategy if they think this will be the answer to yet another untapped market.

 

[ReyVGM]

RR3DS does look like that. In every aspect the PSP version out performs it. Yes, it's only one example, but even the best looking games like Kid Icarus or Resident Evil only look marginally better than what's available on PSP which was released in 2004. That's the whole point of my argument. People think Nintendo won't release a console (Wii 2) that's only marginally better or equivalent to Xbox 360/PS3. I'm saying they just did it with PSP and not to get your hopes up, but carry on.

There we go. No PSP game will ever look like RE Revelations. And this is a first gen game.

 

[H_Prestige]

the french site said it looks like

with buttons around. I hate all of this. Wii remote was such a good idea.

That would be absolute shit. Pure shit.

 

[brochiller]

Did a quick mockup of the Kotaku controller with speakers. Looks a lot better to me for some reason.

 

[Cow Mengde]

I think some of the comments prove that graphics just don't matter. I mean, many people can't tell the difference in graphics unless someone tells them it's good. If they were to judge by themselves, many people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

 

[crazy monkey]

I'm with you, I was hoping Nintendo's next system would be an evolution of the Wii remote. It's the most comfortable controller I've used.

Exactly. Ergonomically Wii remote makes sense. My hands are almost free when i am playing. They are apart and I can relax and play. Of course I am not talking about waggle games but COD or something like it is so much fun with wii remote. Same with PES.

 

[Snakeyes]

Who cares about elegance? Ergonomics should be paramount in a controller. Lest we'll get the freaking Duke again. Leave elegance to the piece of hardware the gamer isn't handling, the console itself.

Attractiveness plays an important part in the mass appeal of a device. The DS Lite, Wiimote and iPhone wouldn't be as popular if they were ugly bricks. Of course, they have more important features but the physical design is very important.

 

[crazy monkey]

Attractiveness plays an important part in the mass appeal of a device. The DS Lite, Wiimote and iPhone wouldn't be as popular if they were ugly bricks. Of course, they have more important features but the physical design is very important.

Ergonomically speaking Wii remote was one of the best idea for controller.

 

[HYDE]

I still don't like the "stream full games" thing. in my dorm, I'm only 10 ft away from my tv at the most.

This could just mean Virtual Console games, for all we know....like the ability to play them at home or on the go. Who knows, wait and see what they show.


In regards to controller preference:
I actually prefer holding the nunchuck over the wiimote. I'd like two wireless nunchucks, with the exact layout of a wii classic controller, but seperate and with gamecube triggers.

 

[HYDE]

oops.

 

[ReyVGM]

I think some of the comments prove that graphics just don't matter. I mean, many people can't tell the difference in graphics unless someone tells them it's good. If they were to judge by themselves, many people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Yeah, everyone wants 1080p and 60fps, but no one really tells them apart unless some site mentions the differences first.

 

[Zeal]

this is basically flawless.

 

[wsippel]

I'm not so sure anymore. It plays Wii games and is compatible with Wii remotes and peripherals. Seems like a legitimate replacement, again moving away from their established brand, for good and bad.

But it sounds so different in concept. A $350 - $400 device the size of a first generation Xbox360 released in 2012 shouldn't be "slightly more powerful" than a PS3. It shouldn't even be "significantly more powerful". It should be a full generation ahead. It's huge, complex, expensive, and draws lots of power. At least the controller seems unusually approachable for what it is if the mockup truly is close to the real thing, but the system doesn't sound like a "Wii 2" to me - at all.

I'd also say that BC underlines it's position as an experiment, by the way. If Nintendo were perfectly sure it would replace the Wii, there'd be no need to make it backwards compatible. BC is always a tradeoff.

 

[Juice]

I continue to be enthused. I like different things.

 

[HYDE]

this is basically flawless.

wrong..... how are you going to reach all of that screen with your thumbs?

go go gadget fingers.... amirite?

 

[M74]

I was one of the people early on in this thread who decried the whole streaming to the controller thing as being useless, but as I keep thinking about it I can see how it might be a neat thing for some people.

I can picture parents watching a movie on the big screen, junior runs in and wants to play his games. He can't turn off their movie, so he just grabs the controller and runs the game with the console in streaming mode. I can see hipsters buying a controller for every sizable room in their house (bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc.) just so they would have easy access (and to show off, if this thing is indeed slick looking like an Apple device). I can see people enjoying playing games outside, potentially, if this thing can maintain a connection at a distance to reach the porch.

Shit. Nintendo might just be crazy enough to market this thing to the bank.

 

[Zeal]

the final design is probably going to be horrible, considering sources say it looks like an ipad, meaning vertical.

a 6.2" vertical screen with controls on the side is going to look like an abomination.

 

[AniHawk]

the final design is probably going to be horrible, considering sources say it looks like an ipad, meaning vertical.

a 6.2" vertical screen with controls on the side is going to look like an abomination.

it would be 4.8" vertical if it was shaped like an ipad.

also, we don't know if developers are speaking about a final design or whatever they got with their devkits.

also, this could all be bullshit.

 

[brochiller]

the final design is probably going to be horrible, considering sources say it looks like an ipad, meaning vertical.

a 6.2" vertical screen with controls on the side is going to look like an abomination.

iPads don't always have to be held vertically. Plus I think the case for the screen having a 16:9 aspect ration is too strong. If you're going to stream games to it, you're going to want to use all the screen real estate for the game image, not half for the game and half for a virtual second screen.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

Nintendo is not going to make this thing feel like shit while you're playing. That goes directly against their philosophy.

 

[HYDE]

it would be 4.8" vertical if it was shaped like an ipad.

also, we don't know if developers are speaking about a final design or whatever they got with their devkits.

I could see the third project cafe design, if the screen only reached the top of the controller, looking like a gamecube wavebird controller.

 

[Zeal]

iPads don't always have to be held vertically. Plus I think the case for the screen having a 16:9 aspect ration is too strong. If you're going to stream games to it, you're going to want to use all the screen real estate for the game image, not half for the game and half for a virtual second screen.

agreed, good point. it's still too early to even speculate in depth at this point. i think everything will much clearer come monday.

 

[Red Bull RB5]

The Kotaku mockups are alright as well as some others. But if the controller is going to look like anything what the french site is posting, this thing is going to be crap. I'd even prefer an upgraded Wiimote and I'm not a big fan of motion controls.

 

[brochiller]

agreed, good point. it's still too early to even speculate in depth at this point. i think everything will much clearer come monday.

I really hope so, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[mj1108]

Not sure if the new mockups from Kotaku has been posted, but I kinda like em.

1.

My concern on this one is what about the shoulder buttons? Also, the buttons and second analog would need to be a little further apart or you'll end up having to reach over the analog stick to use the buttons. Unless of course they forgo using the "standard" analog sticks and use the 3DS slide pad for analog sticks instead?

I think we all need to keep an open mind on this after what happened when the Wii controller was revealed. Nintendo isn't stupid. They aren't going to just throw some crap together to get this out the door.

I wonder how many developers are reading this thread who have the SDK and have seen/have the controller just sitting back and laughing...

 

[The M.O.B]

This I like, but there needs to be a second smaller layer behind it to house the L+R buttons.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

All the leaked details are so wildly stupid sounding that it's almost pointless to think up what it will be like. E3 couldn't be any further away, just want this thing cleared up already. I expect Nintendo to be cryptic during their investors call or whatever that is monday/tuesday.

 

[brochiller]

My concern on this one is what about the shoulder buttons? Also, the buttons and second analog would need to be a little further apart or you'll end up having to reach over the analog stick to use the buttons. Unless of course they forgo using the "standard" analog sticks and use the 3DS slide pad for analog sticks instead?

I think we all need to keep an open mind on this after what happened when the Wii controller was revealed. Nintendo isn't stupid. They aren't going to just throw some crap together to get this out the door.

I wonder how many developers are reading this thread who have the SDK and have seen/have the controller just sitting back and laughing...

I think they could put the shoulder buttons on the back if they made handles protrude from the back a bit. It's not like we have to design this thing like an actual tablet or handheld console remember, because it's not really being designed for portability, which is hard to imagine for something with a screen on it.

I agree though, Nintendo has put more thought into this than everybody in this thread combined, I'm sure, and will probably come up with something better than any of the mockups posted here.

 

[AniHawk]

All the leaked details are so wildly stupid sounding that it's almost pointless to think up what it will be like. E3 couldn't be any further away, just want this thing cleared up already. I expect Nintendo to be cryptic during their investors call or whatever that is monday/tuesday.

at the very least, we'll know the timeframe for the system. if they have a sales forecast for it, it'll come out this fiscal year. if not, then later in 2012 it is.

 

[beelzebozo]

steam in a cafe is used to make frothing milk.
stream in a cafe is used to make frothing demand.

- ign

 

[Boney]

steam in a cafe is used to make frothing milk.
stream in a cafe is used to make frothing demand.

- ign

*ahem*

lol

 

[abstract alien]

Maybe its the lemon drops I just drank, but I don't get it.

 

[watershed]

steam in a cafe is used to make frothing milk.
stream in a cafe is used to make frothing demand.

- ign

Is this your own little limerick or something else?