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

[pc999]

New rumor

Controller + touchscreen + front camera

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-20-wii-2-controller-has-a-camera

Will it run Android too ???

 

[Rangers]

Front camera had been rumored before I think, but I guess more confirmation is nice.

 

[fehu]

it will cost more a couple of controller than the entire system :S

 

[Teasy]

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?

A controller with a screen that allows you to play your console games anywhere in the house has a distinct advantage over buying a 7" screen from Amazon and lugging your console around with it. I doubt that's the entire point of the controller though.

 

[Teasy]

it will cost more a couple of controller than the entire system :S

We're talking about a touch screen and a camera here, neither would be particularly expensive.

 

[AlphaWolf]

We're talking about a touch screen and a camera here, neither would be particularly expensive.

adding enough battery will be

 

[pc999]

We're talking about a touch screen and a camera here, neither would be particularly expensive.

We are talking a high quality built big touch screnn and camera here, that needs to be very responsive for older gamers. survive kids, last for a few years at minimum, with a lot of battery that will probably be a pain to recharge, plus a high qualtiy wireless chip that can stream to and from the console...

At the very least this should cost the same as a very low cost android smartphone (and their usual bad built), that cost at least 100€ around here.

 

[wco81]

My point about portable TVs was people saying you could use the controller to play games if the main TV was used by the wife.

I really doubt the screened controllers are for that scenario. These days a lot of households have several flatscreens. Or at least one flatscreen and other TVs.

It will have to be about gameplay, not preventing domestic fights about using the TV.

Obviously when it's released and the teardowns are done, we can get a better idea of how much more they could have spent on core components like CPU/GPU/RAM rather than on the peripheral.

Of course from Nintendo's POV, the novel controllers could help sales more than better core components. But then that goes against the premise that they're advancing the next-gen to offer a better-performing console in order to get 3rd-part ports and better 3rd-party games sales.

If anything, having to support unique features on that screen controller would discourage ports or third-party developers wouldn't go too much beyond rudimentary support of the peripheral?

Did 3rd-party Wii games do as much with innovating on the motion controls as first-party games?

 

[Iron Tiger]

I think eDRAM fits very much in line with how Nintendo specs their consoles. If they want to make the next Mario game run in 720p with 4xMSAA, they'll put just enough eDRAM to enable that, and then every other Nintendo-developed game will run with the same specifications. But I'm not counting on them budgeting for MSAA at all, in this post-MLAA world. I wouldn't expect any Nintendo-developed game to have super-heavy demands on CPU, so why not donate a few cycles to MLAA?

Nobody's talking about audio yet. It'll most likely be digital, via HDMI, but unless Nintendo decides to support DVD movie playback, I'm not so sure they'll have Dolby Digital or DTS compression. Not specifically due to any hardware deficiencies, but simply to cut licensing costs. We may get DPLII over digital ports.

 

[Rangers]

I will bet you there is no EDRAM in the console.

 

[snarfbot]

i thought the vmu's for dreamcast were kinda neat looking, although they were completely useless.

i imagine the camera and screen could be some kind of videoconferencing thing? so, when youre wtfpwning some noob in fifa you can actually watch them rage. that would be nice.

 

[Teasy]

adding enough battery will be

Will it?, a decent 1500mAh battery can be had for $10 dollars and that's when its resold to a single consumer. Seriously the idea that a controller will need to cost $150 or so just because its got a touch screen and a camera is ludicrous.

We are talking a high quality built big touch screnn and camera here, that needs to be very responsive for older gamers. survive kids, last for a few years at minimum, with a lot of battery that will probably be a pain to recharge, plus a high qualtiy wireless chip that can stream to and from the console...

At the very least this should cost the same as a very low cost android smartphone (and their usual bad built), that cost at least 100€ around here.

Not that its even a very relevant comparison to begin with IMO but how much do you think one of those Smartphones actually cost to make?

 

[AlphaWolf]

Will it?, a decent 1500mAh battery can be had for $10 dollars and that's when its resold to a single consumer. Seriously the idea that a controller will need to cost $150 or so just because its got a touch screen and a camera is ludicrous.

a 1500mAh battery to power a 6" screen? That would be good for what? 2-3 hours tops?

I don't expect it to cost $150, or even much over $50. It's still a problem that that amount is probably 3x what the current controllers cost to manufacture. People typically want more than one controller and they won't be able to make any money on the markup for those additional controllers. The extra cost is also going to come at the expense of what's in the box.

 

[Teasy]

My point about portable TVs was people saying you could use the controller to play games if the main TV was used by the wife.

I really doubt the screened controllers are for that scenario. These days a lot of households have several flatscreens. Or at least one flatscreen and other TVs.

It will have to be about gameplay, not preventing domestic fights about using the TV.

Being able to play your console anywhere in the house without a TV and without moving your console has more uses then allowing your family members to continue watching the main TV while you play though. So I don't see why your judging the usefulness of this rumoured feature based on only that one aspect.

I agree that IF this feature is more then just a rumour that it won't be the only reason for the screen, obviously, but it still sounds useful to me. Maybe not something I'd personally find useful though.

 

[Teasy]

a 1500mAh battery to power a 6" screen? That would be good for what? 2-3 hours tops?

I don't expect it to cost $150, or even much over $50. It's still a problem that that amount is probably 3x what the current controllers cost to manufacture. People typically want more than one controller and they won't be able to make any money on the markup for those additional controllers. The extra cost is also going to come at the expense of what's in the box.

Well we agree then, I would expect a controller with these kinds of features to cost around $50 or so to make. My comment about those parts not being particularly expensive was in response to fehu insinuating that the controller will cost around $150.

I don't know how long a 1500mAh battery would power a 6 inch screen controller by the way (I'd guess 3-4 hours maybe based on Tablets I've seen), that was only one example.

 

[BRiT]

The final markup or street price for those controllers just may end up around $150 if not higher.

The normal console controllers are priced at $50 for a wireless controller with play-and-charge kit. That's $50 for a kit with a small rechargeable battery, a wire, some internal electrical wires and contact pads, and a lot of plastic. You expect any console maker is going to throw in a 7" LCD screen with a camera and not at least double the price to $100 if not triple it to $150?

 

[Teasy]

Just because standard controllers are normally sold for X mark up doesn't mean this controller has to be sold at X mark up. Companies sell things at a price they believe people will pay, even $100 would be pushing it. If you believe they'll try to sell it at $150 if not more then I don't know what to say, other then, not going to happen.

By the way just FYI the rumour is a 6" screen.

 

[ninelven]

Sure, if you ignore Nintendo's preference for making $$$ on hardware. I doubt it will cost 150, but $79.99 is lowest I would expect, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they charge $99.99 at launch.

 

[Teasy]

I'm taking that into account, otherwise I'd expect a price similar to a normal controller. I think $99 is possible, but is the absolute maximum IMO.

 

[pc999]

Not that its even a very relevant comparison to begin with IMO but how much do you think one of those Smartphones actually cost to make?

I am more worried with how much they charge than how much they cost



Anyway I dont think that a (comparatively) very very expensive controller, made of fragile stuff is very well indicated for games specialy considering that some people really get frantic and kids will be a probable market too.


If you point that it is very hard to do anything new and/or relevelant with that controller and will be a regression in the whole move paradigm I really would be disapointed with it