Fact: Nintendo to release HD console + controllers with built-in screen late 2012

[pc999]

To quote someone from another board to similar point that you're making:
"just like having dashboard on your card and having to watch your speedmeter is stupid?"

Well I never look at my speedmeter in the the midle of a crash, or any situation that is more dangerous I just look at it in the highway or places like that. However I often look at my life or #bullets in the clip in the midle of a firefight .

Anyway I doubt that this would be the only innovation, and I would doubt even more that they would regress the whole motion paradigm to keep people looking at their hands.

That said I wouldnt be to suprissed if they also included a touchscreen, I have seen some nice ideias, but ultimately to small to justifies this as major selling point, more like small add on to some kinds of games.

 

[function]

I don't recall reading this thread of anyone coming up with a valid reason to put a screen there.

It's the last idea that no-one else has stripped from the carcass of the Dreamcast.

But seriously, there are loads of reasons:
- Play on your NES 6 while other people are using the tv (I know parents that would love this)
- Multiplayer on the same system without skanky split screen
- Multiplayer on the same system using the tv, but with private data
- Per-game customisable pad interface with touch screen
- Play your NES 6 in bed, away from your hdtv
- Play NES 6 on the toilet (just like with your throne-friend the gba)
- It's a differentiator from your competition

There are loads of valid reasons. There are drawbacks too - some potentially quite large - but you can't pretend there aren't compelling positives.

 

[Gerry]

It's the last idea that no-one else has stripped from the carcass of the Dreamcast.

But seriously, there are loads of reasons:
- Play on your NES 6 while other people are using the tv (I know parents that would love this)
- Multiplayer on the same system without skanky split screen
- Multiplayer on the same system using the tv, but with private data
- Per-game customisable pad interface with touch screen
- Play your NES 6 in bed, away from your hdtv
- Play NES 6 on the toilet (just like with your throne-friend the gba)
- It's a differentiator from your competition

There are loads of valid reasons. There are drawbacks too - some potentially quite large - but you can't pretend there aren't compelling positives.

To be fair, all the reasons you listed there boil down to...
1) You can use your handset to play your games.
2) It helps with some multi-player games.

If that's the only differentiator then I don't think it'll do that well. Knowing Nintendo though there'll be more to it than just that.

 

[function]

To be fair, all the reasons you listed there boil down to...
1) You can use your handset to play your games.
2) It helps with some multi-player games.

You can boil it down even further to:
1) It can be used in the playing of games

Being able to have a custom, on pad touch interface is separate enough from being able to use the system independently of the tv, for instance, to be able to consider the benefits of separately IMO. As are the two different ways in which it can benefit multiplayer (the Dreamcast allowed one, but not both, so they are by no means automatically both present with an in-pad screen).

If that's the only differentiator then I don't think it'll do that well. Knowing Nintendo though there'll be more to it than just that.

With a strong lineup of software, and with Wii like motion gaming too, I think it could be enough. Although it'd certainly be cool if there was more.

 

[Gerry]

You can boil it down even further to:
1) It can be used in the playing of games

Come on though, you were listing being able to play it in your bed and being able to play it on the bog as two separate advantages!

With a strong lineup of software, and with Wii like motion gaming too, I think it could be enough. Although it'd certainly be cool if there was more.

I'm a bit confused as to how the motion controls are going to tie in with the new controllers. Are games going to try and make use of both or will you get separate waggle games and touch-screen games? I just wonder whether the console will lose it's focus slightly.

 

[function]

Come on though, you were listing being able to play it in your bed and being able to play it on the bog as two separate advantages!

Well you wouldn't want to confuse these two most sacred of places!

I'm a bit confused as to how the motion controls are going to tie in with the new controllers. Are games going to try and make use of both or will you get separate waggle games and touch-screen games? I just wonder whether the console will lose it's focus slightly.

I'd guess that you'd use two different types of controller. The losing focus things worries me too, but I've been surprised at how well Kinect has coexisted with the standard 360 pad. I don't expect Nintendo would abandon Wii style controllers after the success they've had, so perhaps Nintendo see both as viable?

This E3 is going to be the best one for years.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Wasnt one of the rumors that both a wii like controller and the new controller would be included? I'm not a big fan of that happening.

I'm still not sure if a screen on the controller is really going to be usefull. Ofcourse we don't know what else wii2 will have/do but the whole screen idea sounds a bit weak to me.

A touchscreen really isn't going to be that much more of a help in games than a improved wii remote and you can't use it for much ingame either because focus will always be on the tv. So that leaves the remote play thing but, imho, streaming to the 3ds would have been a much better option for that. Not only would Nintendo sell more 3ds' that way (and earn extra money), they would also sell more 3ds software (is even more money) and on top of that they could turn every wii2 game into a 3d game because of the 3ds' 3d screen.

At the end of the day, the amount of people who would really stream games is going to be quite low anyway I think. You don't buy a console to game on a 6'' screen and consoles are often hooked up to a second tv anyway. So percentage wise I don't see why you would want to do something relative as expensive as including a screen while there won't be a whole lot of people using it.

 

[Rangers]

Well you wouldn't want to confuse these two most sacred of places!



I'd guess that you'd use two different types of controller. The losing focus things worries me too, but I've been surprised at how well Kinect has coexisted with the standard 360 pad. I don't expect Nintendo would abandon Wii style controllers after the success they've had, so perhaps Nintendo see both as viable?

This E3 is going to be the best one for years.

Yeah, I was looking at the lineup, Nintendos press conference goes last as usual, normally they're an afterthought to me. Never ever though I'd say, I might be looking forward to Nintendo's Press Conference the most, simply to see Wii2

 

[Tchock]

Hmmm, what about a big touchpad instead? Makes more sense with multifinger tracking, gestures and such.

Unless Nintendo wants to defy the notion of gaming on a TV that is...

 

[wco81]

This screen controller could be like the Blu-Ray in the PS3.

People criticized Blu Ray as eating up a lot of the costs which might have been used elsewhere (more RAM, better GPU, etc.) to make a more competitive product.

But a lot of people bought the PS3 for the Blu-Ray, including some home theater enthusiasts.

Will people buy this new Nintendo console because of the screen controller?

 

[dragonelite]

Dont know i think my little brother or parents will find it handy when they are watching tv the child can still play his games without disturbing them.

 

[Gerry]

Dont know i think my little brother or parents will find it handy when they are watching tv the child can still play his games without disturbing them.

I can certainly see it being useful - something like the ability to stream iPlayer from the BBC onto the controllers would be quite handy I think. I struggle to see how you can keep that functionality with games though without compromising the "full" experience. i.e. a game with full motion controls obviously won't play the same way on the controller. Similarly a game which makes use of the TV and controller for displaying different info - how would that work?

I'm intrigued to see what N have up their sleeves though.

 

[liolio]

Dont know i think my little brother or parents will find it handy when they are watching tv the child can still play his games without disturbing them.

+1 and that's not only true for children, in plenty of cities worldwide people are space constrained, for my usage it's a big addition. I've a tiny garden underused because whereas I like being outside there's not much to do. My wife watch TV my 360 is connected to a PC monitor, I would prefer play on Tv when available and if not play on the pad to remain next to her (instead of insulated), I must not be alone.
I think the argument about "you have a handled" is falacious what if you don't? I don't for exemple, I'm not a hardcore gamer I still not that bad as a costumer. And even if you don't can you play the exact same game as on your console?

really N has something really compliant for a lot of gamers, what they need now is:
1) acceptable processing power for their system
2) don't let the wiimote concept go to dust and consistently improve it
3) a cam based system for more extensive motion capture can come later as tech becomes more trivial (by the way the system would have to last.. see point one).

 

[wco81]

I just checked Amazon which has LCDs from $50-70, for 7-10 inch screens.

If playing on a separate screen is required, flatscreens are pretty affordable these days.

Unless they can deliver these screen controllers for $50 or less, what exactly is the advantage?

Or wouldn't Nintendo rather that people who can't use the big screen also buy a 3DS or at least a DS in addition to the console?

 

[borowki]

Okay, I thought about this some more, and I have to concede that there really are some intriguing game-play possibilities with the setup. To understand the purpose of the touch-screen, we have to stop assuming that it's active at all time. It makes much more sense if it activates only when you bring it up to your face. The action is a intuitive way of simulating picking up an object to examine it closely. Imagine you're playing a FPS. You use the stick and buttons to control your character when the gamepad is at a normal position. The screen is off at this point. When you bring the gamepad to a vertical position, the screen comes on and serves as your sniper scoop and you use motion control to line up a shot. The neat thing is that you don't completely lose your sense of surrounding--you can take peeks at the television. Or imagine an adventure game where you have to pick a combination lock. Here's where the touch-screen comes in.

I don't know how many of such scenarios there are, but there's definitely something to the concept.

 

[pc999]

Okay, I thought about this some more, and I have to concede that there really are some intriguing game-play possibilities with the setup. To understand the purpose of the touch-screen, we have to stop assuming that it's active at all time. It makes much more sense if it activates only when you bring it up to your face. The action is a intuitive way of simulating picking up an object to examine it closely. Imagine you're playing a FPS. You use the stick and buttons to control your character when the gamepad is at a normal position. The screen is off at this point. When you bring the gamepad to a vertical position, the screen comes on and serves as your sniper scoop and you use motion control to line up a shot. The neat thing is that you don't completely lose your sense of surrounding--you can take peeks at the television. Or imagine an adventure game where you have to pick a combination lock. Here's where the touch-screen comes in.

I don't know how many of such scenarios there are, but there's definitely something to the concept.

While I agree with you, there is some cool ideas for that, like those among others that I saw, but...

Are those cool/big/enough in number to bet your new console on it????

Personally if well implemented they would very nice as a part of something bigger.

 

[function]

I just checked Amazon which has LCDs from $50-70, for 7-10 inch screens.

If playing on a separate screen is required, flatscreens are pretty affordable these days.

Good luck holding a 7 inch LCD in one hand and a controller in the other while you're sat on the toilet!

Unless they can deliver these screen controllers for $50 or less, what exactly is the advantage?

Integration, convenience, portability; using several controllers and one console to accommodate several players instead of several consoles, a network, several tvs, several copies of the game and several controllers.

Or wouldn't Nintendo rather that people who can't use the big screen also buy a 3DS or at least a DS in addition to the console?

You're assuming that Nintendo could force every Cafe user to bleed money on a 3DS. Or haemorrhage money on several 3DS'. And that they'd be happy to play their upgraded 360 port at a resolution of lol x lol on a tiny screen. With sub-360 ergonomics, and controls missing.

 

[AlphaWolf]

You're assuming that Nintendo could force every Cafe user to bleed money on a 3DS. Or haemorrhage money on several 3DS'. And that they'd be happy to play their upgraded 360 port at a resolution of lol x lol on a tiny screen. With sub-360 ergonomics, and controls missing.

so throwing in a 6" HD display with enough battery power and cpu power to run some games is going to be free for N because it's in the controller? And why would N want to bleed their own portable business? Out of the goodness of their heart?

 

[function]

so throwing in a 6" HD display with enough battery power and cpu power to run some games is going to be free for N because it's in the controller?

Yes, that was exactly what I was saying!

Where does the stuff about the screen being "HD" and the handset gaming on its own come from?

And why would N want to bleed their own portable business? Out of the goodness of their heart?

The 3DS and a Cafe pad having a screen in it doesn't make them direct competitors. For a start, one is a portable games console and the other is a joypad. And while a portable games console can normally fit in your pocket (lol Lynx), an extended size joypad probably wouldn't. Also, only one is likely to be 3D.

While you could - signal permitting - use either on the toilet or in bed, Nintendo would (if the Cafe rumours are true) be assuming that a small degree of possible overlap within the house wouldn't undermine their handheld business. Phones are the real threat to that.

 

[Rangers]

Where does the stuff about the screen being "HD" and the handset gaming on its own come from

It was actually reliably rumored to be 800X500 resolution or so. Which I'm sure it will be, as that's essentially common phone resolution.

Also cuts down on bandwith requirements. Streaming wireless video to 4 800x500 displays is similar bandwidth to streaming a single 1080P display. They could do that with wi-fi direct or so. Whereas, 4 1080P wireless streams I would think would be problematic/expensive.

Edit: Nevermind that a 1080P or even 720P 6" display probably doesnt exist and would be prohibitively expensive....Just saw something on Engadget days ago about Toshiba showing a 720P 4", and that was considered highly impressive/novel as it trounces the Retina display in PPI.