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

[AzBat]

LTTP? What's the consensus on the rumors? Legit? What about the blurry shots above? I like Markolt suggestion that the console is probably just lke a OnLive microconsole for streaming the games to the controllers. No need to hook it to your TV. The graphics performance would "only" need to be powerful enough to send 4 1080p streams to the 4 controllers. So they could probably skimp on the console & make the controller more expensive. Neat idea. No need to worry about having a HDTV anymore since it's in your hands. Makes the idea of using a 3DS as a replacement very probable too.

Tommy McClain

 

[Rangers]

If Nintendo was smart they'd probably ditch the console altogether , except as a shell for people to buy, and go to an Onlive type system altogether, complete with remote data centers streaming the games and all.

It might be risky, but I dont think they have much to lose because I think almost any other strategy dooms them to failure in the current market they play in. This Wii2/Stream for example, as a traditional console I'm certain it's doomed.

Cant wait to see shiny new hardware on store shelves though, that always gets me tingly.

I've been thinking, another consequence of Stream is it could put some pressure on Sony/MS regarding price cuts, finally. They dont really have any reason to cut as is but Stream could give them that pressure.

 

[ltcommander.data]

The graphics performance would "only" need to be powerful enough to send 4 1080p streams to the 4 controllers.

When I read those slides I interpreted it not as rendering 4 x 1080p images, 1 for each controller, but 1 x 1080p image, and sending a quarter of the otherwise split-screen view to each controller or 4 960x540 images (basically NGP resolution).

I'm guessing this thing will need to be a pretty reliable WiFi base station although at close range it probably won't be a problem.

 

[Nesh]

Unparalleled next-generation performance...

1080p rendering, the case seems big and it has an optical drive.

It's seems to me that it works this way: the console is like a rendering server, which renders, than push the frames to the controllers. Television may not even be needed, and player won't need to be in the same room to play.
It's like Onlive@home. But i don't think that more than a game can be played at once..


Edit: ops they may be fake

It says easy portablity from PC, XBOX 360

What is that??

 

[AzBat]

When I read those slides I interpreted it not as rendering 4 x 1080p images, 1 for each controller, but 1 x 1080p image, and sending a quarter of the otherwise split-screen view to each controller or 4 960x540 images (basically NGP resolution).

Ahhh, that's much more plausible & lot less demanding graphically.

Tommy McClain

 

[ltcommander.data]

It says easy portablity from PC, XBOX 360

What is that??

I don't suppose they would actually license DirectX from Microsoft?

 

[Refreshment]

That design in that fake news its the one most people are throwing around. If one listens to the rumors they say the screen is 6´´. If you couple a screen of that size in 16:9 format the screen dimensions are 2.94´´ by 5.23´´. For reference just the screen area will be similar to a 360 controller, a WaveBird or a half of a DSi.

So if NIntendo planned to insert the screen to a traditional 2 handed controller in a panoramic format, maybe the guys doing mock ups should imagine a clamshell design with the two thumbstick at the botton like a PS pad. The rest of the buttons would be hidden below the screen. This has the additional advantage that the screen is closer to the user´s field of view and it saves a lot of space.
http://www.abload.de/img/wii2proto_resized7wi.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/t3000_1_a_resizec7vd.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBYAqiw7J_M

If Nintendo was smart they'd probably ditch the console altogether , except as a shell for people to buy, and go to an Onlive type system altogether, complete with remote data centers streaming the games and all.

It might be risky, but I dont think they have much to lose because I think almost any other strategy dooms them to failure in the current market they play in. This Wii2/Stream for example, as a traditional console I'm certain it's doomed.

But thankfuly since Nintendo is a really smart company they won´t follow your sugestion since at this stage of time it doesn´t make sense

360's CPU was hot at 3.2ghz on 90nm, but process technology has come along way since then. Would 4Ghz plus really be such a problem on a 32nm or even 22nm process?

Not that I think the Stream CPU will be a higher clocked version of the same CPU as 360 anyway, I don't think IGN are saying that either.

Can´t find the original die sizes for Xenos/Xenon at 90nm. I know from memory that a 4850 its 256mm. Ditching the 10 mb Edram and asuming somehing like a Phenom 3 core CPU (say with a 6MB L3) + plus a 4850, how hard would it be to integrate both chips at a 32 nm process? If possible.

 

[MarkoIt]

It says easy portablity from PC, XBOX 360

What is that??

Similar architecture.. so porting would be easier.
I guess it's a hint for a UMA design.

 

[Rangers]

Nintendo wouldn't be mid term, the other two are late.

More like Nintendo would be way too early (Dreamcast, cough)

 

[Rangers]

For GPU, think of something incredibly rough, Xenos=48X5 stream processors, =240...

Any AMD 4XX part with say, 320 sp's?

 

[MfA]

More like Nintendo would be way too early (Dreamcast, cough)

No, that's a false dichotomy ... whether this year is too soon or not is entirely irrelevant to the question of whether it's on schedule with historical cycles.

 

[V3]

LTTP? What's the consensus on the rumors? Legit? What about the blurry shots above? I like Markolt suggestion that the console is probably just lke a OnLive microconsole for streaming the games to the controllers. No need to hook it to your TV. The graphics performance would "only" need to be powerful enough to send 4 1080p streams to the 4 controllers. So they could probably skimp on the console & make the controller more expensive. Neat idea. No need to worry about having a HDTV anymore since it's in your hands. Makes the idea of using a 3DS as a replacement very probable too.

Tommy McClain

Hmm from that blurry pic, I read, "Screen Stream takes 1080p image and pushes each rendered quater to the player's personal screen. The TV can be turned off or left on to display ... "

Does that mean each screen display just a quater of 1080p ? You know like in 4-player split screen. So the graphic performance just need to be enough for one 1080p not four ?

I also wonder if a Wiimote version 2 is hidden somewhere in that controller and can be detached. Basically the controller is a shell with screen maybe extra battery and Wiimote need to be plugged into it for it to function. $100 for each controller ?

PS3 can do remote play with PSP with Lair, but I think this one is a little different in how it is implemented.

 

[V3]

More like Nintendo would be way too early (Dreamcast, cough)

Well

N64 - 96
Gamecube - 01
Wii - 06
Cafe - 11 ?

It's not out of line with Nintendo own console cycle.

 

[Nightz]

Is anyone else worried with the lack of multitouch? Also doesn't being able to stream Games to that 6inch screan mean the controller will need to have a built in processor and graphics hardware?

 

[AlphaWolf]

Is anyone else worried with the lack of multitouch? Also doesn't being able to stream Games to that 6inch screan mean the controller will need to have a built in processor and graphics hardware?

nothing significant in terms of hardware, it just needs to be able to display, the console (or is it cloud?) would be doing the actual work in terms of rendering.

 

[Nightz]

If Nintendo was smart they'd probably ditch the console altogether , except as a shell for people to buy, and go to an Onlive type system altogether, complete with remote data centers streaming the games and all.

It might be risky, but I dont think they have much to lose because I think almost any other strategy dooms them to failure in the current market they play in. This Wii2/Stream for example, as a traditional console I'm certain it's doomed.

Cant wait to see shiny new hardware on store shelves though, that always gets me tingly.

I've been thinking, another consequence of Stream is it could put some pressure on Sony/MS regarding price cuts, finally. They dont really have any reason to cut as is but Stream could give them that pressure.

The infrastructure isn't there yet for an Onlive type mass Market console. That tech requires massive bandwidth and a good quality connection near to the exchange. In fact Onlive would work on even Gamecube level hardware as you are just using the console as a terminal.

As for Nintendo launching too early, people said the same thing about the 360. It laughed a year or more before the competition. If anything having a headstart gives you an advantage because the competition has to play catch up.

 

[Nightz]

nothing significant in terms of hardware, it just needs to be able to display, the console (or is it cloud?) would be doing the actual work in terms of rendering.

That should interesting. Hopefully it will have enough juice to power four 6inch screens and one
1080p main display simultaneously.

 

[MarkoIt]

The "Stream mode" may just be used with some games, for example party games, RTS and in general multiplayer games. It would work well, for this type of game, because they are also less demanding, and it would be possible to use both TV display and remote display.
For other games, fps for example, on such a small screen all the cinematic experience would be lost.
The technology for streaming the video output it's already on the market, but it doubt that it would cover more than the living room (10~15m?).

 

[Rangers]

The infrastructure isn't there yet for an Onlive type mass Market console. That tech requires massive bandwidth and a good quality connection near to the exchange. In fact Onlive would work on even Gamecube level hardware as you are just using the console as a terminal.

As for Nintendo launching too early, people said the same thing about the 360. It laughed a year or more before the competition. If anything having a headstart gives you an advantage because the competition has to play catch up.

360 turned out comparable in power to PS3 though.

Stream wont be comparable to PS4/XBox 3.

 

[Nesh]

Well

N64 - 96
Gamecube - 01
Wii - 06
Cafe - 11 ?

It's not out of line with Nintendo own console cycle.

It is not out of line, but times have changed. No other generation console manufacturers were more reluctant to release their next gen product. Costs are over the roof, and there is more life into these consoles than any of us could have guessed in 2005.

The thing is, how much powerful and different will the new Nintendo console be next to the PS3 and 360 now that they ve got motion controls, a large gaming library and evolved online services? If its just a tad better in performance and the new idea isnt anything special to write about, people are simply going to wait for the next PS and XBOX.

If its just as innovative as Wii was back in 2006 hence it becomes a huge success and the cost of conversion to a PS4 or XBOX3 is large for the consumer, Sony and MS might have some trouble. Otherwise if the perceived value is large enough for a next Sony and MS console then its Nintendo who is going to have some trouble, as the competition can copy ideas and also add new due to technology evolution