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[wsippel]

Hey guys, I hope I can get your attention on this.

The french website 01.net has posted perhaps what is the most complete story so far on the successor of the Wii. Link to the story (in french).

They have a very reliable source that previously told them about the specs of the Sony NGP.
Here are the bullet points. Most of them have already been reported by other sites, but here goes :

• the console is codenamed "Project Café"
• will be introduced at E3 2011
• architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360
• porting current xbox 360 titles to the Café should be very easy
• should be retro-compatible with GameCube and Wii games, and support all Wii peripherals
• Specs : CPU is custom IBM PowerPC with three cores, GPU should be an ATI from the R700 family, with a shader unit at version 4.1. Ram should be at least 512 Mb.
• the controller is a touch tablet, with moderate graphic output (appears to be sub-HD, so nothing comparable to an Ipad, for example.)
• controller specs : 6-inch screen, single touch (so no multitouch, it seems), front camera, acts as a wii sensor bar, has a d-pad, two bumpers, two triggers, possibly more.
• should be released in June of 2012 (for Japan ?), and holiday season (in the West ?)
• there is another big surprise they can't talk about just yet

I can do a full translation if you guys want, tell me what you think.

The bolded part alone makes the whole rumor very, very hard to believe. Because it makes no fucking sense - at all. Reads like something someone came up with who tried too hard and doesn't even know how a Wiimote works.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Hey guys, I hope I can get your attention on this.

The french website 01.net has posted perhaps what is the most complete story so far on the successor of the Wii. Link to the story (in french).

They have a very reliable source that previously told them about the specs of the Sony NGP.
Here are the bullet points. Most of them have already been reported by other sites, but here goes :

• the console is codenamed "Project Café"
• will be introduced at E3 2011
• architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360
• porting current xbox 360 titles to the Café should be very easy
• should be retro-compatible with GameCube and Wii games, and support all Wii peripherals
• Specs : CPU is custom IBM PowerPC with three cores, GPU should be an ATI from the R700 family, with a shader unit at version 4.1. Ram should be at least 512 Mb.
• the controller is a touch tablet, with moderate graphic output (appears to be sub-HD, so nothing comparable to an Ipad, for example.)
• controller specs : 6-inch screen, single touch (so no multitouch, it seems), front camera, acts as a wii sensor bar, has a d-pad, two bumpers, two triggers, possibly more.
• should be released in June of 2012 (for Japan ?), and holiday season (in the West ?)
• there is another big surprise they can't talk about just yet

I can do a full translation if you guys want, tell me what you think.

That just seems like overkill to me... this controller sounds terribly off-putting.

 

[gofreak]

Hey guys, I hope I can get your attention on this.

The french website 01.net has posted perhaps what is the most complete story so far on the successor of the Wii. Link to the story (in french).

They have a very reliable source that previously told them about the specs of the Sony NGP.
Here are the bullet points. Most of them have already been reported by other sites, but here goes :

• the console is codenamed "Project Café"
• will be introduced at E3 2011
• architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360
• porting current xbox 360 titles to the Café should be very easy
• should be retro-compatible with GameCube and Wii games, and support all Wii peripherals
• Specs : CPU is custom IBM PowerPC with three cores, GPU should be an ATI from the R700 family, with a shader unit at version 4.1. Ram should be at least 512 Mb.
• the controller is a touch tablet, with moderate graphic output (appears to be sub-HD, so nothing comparable to an Ipad, for example.)
• controller specs : 6-inch screen, single touch (so no multitouch, it seems), front camera, acts as a wii sensor bar, has a d-pad, two bumpers, two triggers, possibly more.
• should be released in June of 2012 (for Japan ?), and holiday season (in the West ?)
• there is another big surprise they can't talk about just yet

I can do a full translation if you guys want, tell me what you think.

They're definitely worth listening to, they were spot on with NGP's specs.

Sensor bar in the controller makes a certain kind of sense if there's an external observer - would give them the same advantage as Move in that respect, a reversal of the camera/sensor bar setup.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

I wait for official statements regarding the specs before believing some website i never heard about.

This.

It's stupid to criticise Nintendo's next console based entirely on hearsay.

 

[NaviLink]

navilink your are completely wrong. Nintendos PATENT applications point to it being an upgraded wii. With some things added to the sensor bar for more effects and things like a wireless nunchuck as standard.

Do not get your hopes up for a completely different system.

I'm not right or wrong here, buddy. I'm just reporting a story on a established site. Of course, everything has to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[gofreak]

The bolded part alone makes the whole rumor very, very hard to believe. Because it makes no fucking sense - at all. Reads like something someone came up with who tried too hard and doesn't even know how a Wiimote works.

It makes sense if there's a camera elsewhere looking for beacons on the controller rather than vice versa. This is basically how Move works, the beacons/'sensor bar' on the controller, the observer elsewhere.

You potentially lose some pointer precision though, depending. But maybe not if there's an array of beacons so that orientation can be determined from the camera as well as translation.

 

[KenOD]

Yeah I love the feel of Move, even if I haven't bought it yet, but those glowing orbs are something that annoyed me. Take those out and don't lose the tracking and it's easily better.

A PSP like/really big VMU inserted controller? Oh that's terrible. The rest just sounds like 01.net collected random patents and mashed it all together. Not that they are a bad site or anything, I use them from time to time for camera tech or USBs and other minor things, but this is just off.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Also, no analog sticks on the controller?

 

[The Mana Legend]

I see. They are targeting the MacBook using Starbucks drinking user.

Built in Screenplay app, that allows struggling writers to finally finish the screenplay they've been working on for years.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Hey guys, I hope I can get your attention on this.

The french website 01.net has posted perhaps what is the most complete story so far on the successor of the Wii. Link to the story (in french).

They have a very reliable source that previously told them about the specs of the Sony NGP.
Here are the bullet points. Most of them have already been reported by other sites, but here goes :

• the console is codenamed "Project Café"
• will be introduced at E3 2011
• architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360
• porting current xbox 360 titles to the Café should be very easy
• should be retro-compatible with GameCube and Wii games, and support all Wii peripherals
• Specs : CPU is custom IBM PowerPC with three cores, GPU should be an ATI from the R700 family, with a shader unit at version 4.1. Ram should be at least 512 Mb.
• the controller is a touch tablet, with moderate graphic output (appears to be sub-HD, so nothing comparable to an Ipad, for example.)
• controller specs : 6-inch screen, single touch (so no multitouch, it seems), front camera, acts as a wii sensor bar, has a d-pad, two bumpers, two triggers, possibly more.
• should be released in June of 2012 (for Japan ?), and holiday season (in the West ?)
• there is another big surprise they can't talk about just yet

I can do a full translation if you guys want, tell me what you think.

Oh God, please don’t be true....

 

[Sadist]

Is it E3 time already? No?

*53 days remain*

 

[Supervlieg]

if all is true, they have to call it the "Woo"

 

[Angry Fork]

Wii HD being PS360 or beyond, and I'm dumping the PS3 asap.

But the biggest reason for keeping a PS3 is for it's exclusives.

If you don't have a PC or 360 for multi-plats, even that may be sketchy, what makes you think these companies are going to make super powered multi-plats when PS3/360 are already at the forefront? I can't picture Capcom making a normal RE6 for PS3/360 and then a beefed up version for Wii HD. I think that would be counter productive for many devs unless Wii HD did manage to catch on quickly but we'll see.

Anyway I just think it's silly to get rid of a PS3 just because Wii HD is more powerful, I spend like 80% of my time on PC games but I still have my PS3 for the 1st/2nd party exclusives which are like at least 5 a year and end up being AA/AAA stuff.

EDIT - If those specs are true, smfh @ 512mb and 'a bit' more powerful than the 360 lol.

This thing better have at least 1gb ram and a quad core, if not that'll be incredibly disappointing.

 

[offshore]

porting current xbox 360 titles to the Café should be very easy

I can't make up my mind whether this is good or bad.

 

[bluehat9]

So what, $100 controllers?

 

[Mithos]

There's no telling, especially since we've never seen how Nintendo would handle modern hardware that's capable of outputting games at 1080p.

Yeah that is true, but if I personally would have to make a guess, Nintendo will go for 1080p @ 60fps or 1080p @ 30fps and scale back on the graphics to keep the framerate, because that's what they have been doing during GC/Wii era pretty much.

 

[Zeliard]

Certain parts have gotten so cheap that it would be strange for Nintendo to limit their 2012 console specs to that of 2005 hardware. If they want that third-party support then they have to aim for the ballpark of MS/Sony's new console. Doesn't have to be at that level, and probably won't be, but it can't be as far behind as the Wii was this gen.

Unless they're just banking on releasing the system so early they'll get some third-party support that sticks even after the 720/PS4 come out.

 

[[Nintex]]

Just like "Project Butterfly" "Project Cafe" makes no sense.

I also doubt this:
CPU is custom IBM PowerPC with three cores,

PowerPC is dead.

 

[The Mana Legend]

I can't make up my mind whether this is good or bad.

It will be bad the second the morons start screaming "Halo for Wii 2!!! HALO FOR WII 2!!!! OMGOMG!!!11!!"

 

[frankie_baby]

Hey guys, I hope I can get your attention on this.

The french website 01.net has posted perhaps what is the most complete story so far on the successor of the Wii. Link to the story (in french).

They have a very reliable source that previously told them about the specs of the Sony NGP.
Here are the bullet points. Most of them have already been reported by other sites, but here goes :

• the console is codenamed "Project Café"
• will be introduced at E3 2011
• architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360
• porting current xbox 360 titles to the Café should be very easy
• should be retro-compatible with GameCube and Wii games, and support all Wii peripherals
• Specs : CPU is custom IBM PowerPC with three cores, GPU should be an ATI from the R700 family, with a shader unit at version 4.1. Ram should be at least 512 Mb.
• the controller is a touch tablet, with moderate graphic output (appears to be sub-HD, so nothing comparable to an Ipad, for example.)
• controller specs : 6-inch screen, single touch (so no multitouch, it seems), front camera, acts as a wii sensor bar, has a d-pad, two bumpers, two triggers, possibly more.
• should be released in June of 2012 (for Japan ?), and holiday season (in the West ?)
• there is another big surprise they can't talk about just yet

I can do a full translation if you guys want, tell me what you think.

six inch tablet controller er yeah right, not gonna happen

 

[Riddick]

architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360

Expected. What's the source of that "way more powerful than PS3" quote that there's on the title?

 

[madara]

Been gaming too long to buy all this. Especially Nintendo rumors.

 

[Interfectum]

architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360

That would be inexcusable IMO. There is absolutely NO reason why they can't at least double the 360 specs and still sell at a low price by 2012.

 

[Future PhaZe]

Would be so ridiculous of them to release a new console that is only SLIGHTLY stronger than the 360.

Load that thing up with RAM that costs almost nothing and a vid card that was released a year or so back and it still blows current tech out of the water. SMH if thats true.

 

[wsippel]

It makes sense if there's a camera elsewhere looking for beacons on the controller rather than vice versa. This is basically how Move works, the beacons/'sensor bar' on the controller, the observer elsewhere.

You potentially lose some pointer precision though, depending. But maybe not if there's an array of beacons so that orientation can be determined from the camera as well as translation.

Pointing with a device that's basically the size of an iPad and held with both hands sounds like a terrible idea and very un-Nintendo.

 

[mclem]

What would be the purpose of adding a screen to the controller? I genuinely can't think of many uses for it

Tingle could be on it telling you where treasure is.

"Why... why is he pointing at my crotch?"

 

[Cosmonaut X]

I can't make up my mind whether this is good or bad.

Well, it's good if it's along the same lines as porting 360 titles to PC - relatively easy to do, but a big step up over what the 360 can manage. It's not so great if it's along the lines of 360 to PS3 - relatively easy to do, but with little-to-no improvement.

 

[EatChildren]

Touch tablet controller sounds fucking terrible. I call bullshit on the basis that it pisses me off.

 

[sixteen-bit]

So what, $100 controllers?

wii remote + motion plus + nunchuck was already like $80

 

[1-D_FTW]

Hey guys, I hope I can get your attention on this.

The french website 01.net has posted perhaps what is the most complete story so far on the successor of the Wii. Link to the story (in french).

They have a very reliable source that previously told them about the specs of the Sony NGP.
Here are the bullet points. Most of them have already been reported by other sites, but here goes :

• the console is codenamed "Project Café"
• will be introduced at E3 2011
• architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360
• porting current xbox 360 titles to the Café should be very easy
• should be retro-compatible with GameCube and Wii games, and support all Wii peripherals
• Specs : CPU is custom IBM PowerPC with three cores, GPU should be an ATI from the R700 family, with a shader unit at version 4.1. Ram should be at least 512 Mb.
• the controller is a touch tablet, with moderate graphic output (appears to be sub-HD, so nothing comparable to an Ipad, for example.)
• controller specs : 6-inch screen, single touch (so no multitouch, it seems), front camera, acts as a wii sensor bar, has a d-pad, two bumpers, two triggers, possibly more.
• should be released in June of 2012 (for Japan ?), and holiday season (in the West ?)
• there is another big surprise they can't talk about just yet

I can do a full translation if you guys want, tell me what you think.

Sounds awful. That would kill a boner in a hurry. So wait till 2012 to get 360 graphics? And a big brick for a controller? Erase my name from the sign-up list.

Touch tablet controller sounds fucking terrible. I call bullshit on the basis that it pisses me off.

My sole motivation too. LOL

 

[Dennis]

architecture is very similar to the Xbox 360; the Café is a bit more powerful than the 360

Horrible, just horrible if true.

Not nearly powerful enough.

Tablet controller also sounds awful. Nintendo is doomed.

 

[fabricated backlash]

Project Cafè? REally, why not call it Project Starbucks, or Project Corretto, or even better Project Ristretto...

The more rumors come out the more it sounds like a hoax.

 

[Jocchan]

Expected. What's the source of that "way more powerful than PS3" quote that there's on the title?

So that you know, this rumor is likely bullshit. And not because of power, because of the tablet-based concept and the sensor bar built in the controller.

 

[Interfectum]

Touch tablet controller sounds fucking terrible. I call bullshit on the basis that it pisses me off.

Seriously. Game consoles better not drop fucking buttons.

I understand why something like the iPad or iPhone doesn't need buttons but on a dedicated gaming device? Fuck that.

 

[Vinterbird]

That would be inexcusable IMO. There is absolutely NO reason why they can't at least double the 360 specs and still sell at a low price by 2012.

They need to go 360/PS3 power level in order to secure ports, and keep the developer budgets within reasonable limits.

Doing anything crazy hardware vise is just plain stupid. Especially since Nintendo could produce the machine at an extremely low cost and launch at 250 if they wanted to.

 

[Sidewinder]

La manette-tablette sur le billard

– Taille de l’écran : 6 pouces.
– Ergonomie : croix numérique, L, R, deux détentes, autres.
– Ecran tactile : single touch.
– Capteur pour la Wiimote (remplace la barre-capteur de la Wii).
– Caméra : une frontale.

There's a d-pad, L and R buttons, two triggers and other things on the NGP erm Wii 2 controller according to this rumor.

I'd rather have a touchpad on the back of a traditional Controller than an Ipad with d-pad and buttons attached to it, looking at the touchscreen taking your eyes away from the TV ist just silly IMHO.

 

[ultron87]

These rumors sound cool, but I fear for my wallet having to buy 3 additional touch screen controllers.

 

[UncleSporky]

The bolded part alone makes the whole rumor very, very hard to believe. Because it makes no fucking sense - at all. Reads like something someone came up with who tried too hard and doesn't even know how a Wiimote works.

It's always been called the Sensor Bar and it makes perfect sense. It'd be incredibly easy and cheap to jam a few IR lights onto anything.

 

[Riddick]

So that you know, that rumor is likely bullshit.

Has Nintendo shown any proof that they're willing to spend money on modern hardware? 3DS was the same old Nintendo (and hardware) as per usual.

 

[Jarmel]

Pointing with a device that's basically the size of an iPad and held with both hands sounds like a terrible idea and very un-Nintendo.

I thought that too. There is no way I'm doing long term(10 hour+) gaming sessions on an Ipad. Especially if I need to wave it around. This sounds so horrifically bad.

 

[maniac-kun]

Well i get it anyway for Mario and Zelda games alone ._.

 

[Zeliard]

La manette-tablette sur le billard

– Taille de l’écran : 6 pouces.
– Ergonomie : croix numérique, L, R, deux détentes, autres.
– Ecran tactile : single touch.
– Capteur pour la Wiimote (remplace la barre-capteur de la Wii).
– Caméra : une frontale.

There's a d-pad, L and R buttons, two triggers and other things on the NGP erm Wii 2 controller.

I find it amusing there's no mention of analog sticks.

 

[awa64]

Can you give me an example of what this looks like visually? It's hard to measure the magnitude of a "huge impact on graphics fidelity" from a basic graph with lines.

Like this.

Raytracing, as a process, basically involves taking each pixel in a scene, bouncing it off every object in the scene and tracing its route back to the light sources in the scene. It gets vastly more computationally intensive each time you add another light, reflective surface, or especially refractive surface (eg water, glass). It also gets very computationally intense when dealing with ambient occlusion shadows and the edges of shadows.

But the upshot is... well, essentially, photorealism. It's heavily used in prerendered computer graphics (eg movies), but rarely used in videogames because... well... it takes a *lot* of time to render frames. Some "realtime preview" functions in rendering suites handle that by drastically reducing the resolution of areas that change while redrawing, but things like changing camera angles will basically force a full-frame redraw.

 

[Jocchan]

Seriously. Game consoles better not drop fucking buttons.

I understand why something like the iPad or iPhone doesn't need buttons but on a dedicated gaming device? Fuck that.

Nintendo just added physical buttons (well, a circle pad) to a handheld already equipped with a touch screen. Dropping physical buttons to turn a controller into a tablet would make no sense.

 

[gofreak]

Pointing with a device that's basically the size of an iPad and held with both hands sounds like a terrible idea and very un-Nintendo.

The article doesn't say anything about the size or form of the device, really. A 6" screen will have very different forms depending on its aspect ratio.

A screen layered on top of a current wiimote would be around 6" diagonal, I think...I don't have one in front of me, but it works out around 5.9 something inches, based on dimensions off the web. Kind of uncanny if accurate.

 

[From The Dust]

Just like "Project Butterfly" "Project Cafe" makes no sense.

since when did project names make sense? Nitro? Twilight? Dolphin? CTR?

also, I HATE the tablet idea. HATE. IT.

 

[Huff]

This.

It's stupid to criticise Nintendo's next console based entirely on hearsay.

Then should we lock this thread until Nintendo puts out a statement?

Whats wrong with conversation and speculation?

 

[Kai Dracon]

The controller acting as a sensor bar makes perfect wacky nintendo sense.

If the console is to be compatible with the Wii, it needs a sensor bar.

However, it is inefficient (in a sense) to package a whole Wii sensor bar with it should the owners of the console never bother to play Wii games or use Wii accessories.

So, one would assume, you set the controller down in front of the TV when using a Wii Remote.

It's a typically odd, yet efficient, Nintendo solution to such problems.

 

[Vagabundo]

Hmmm bizarre. Wouldn;t put it past them.

I'm not sure if I'd be interested. Would have to wait until I get a hands on.

The remote/nunchuck model I think is perfect for so many games that I hope it continues as the standard.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Seriously. Game consoles better not drop fucking buttons.

This times 10 million! The Wii lacking buttons was bad enough.