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

[Mobius1aic]

I consider myself a core gamer (I've bought about 50-60 over this gen over several current gen platforms) but I do very little online gaming. I spent about 15 hours on COD:MW1&2, another 15-20 hours on KZ2 and maybe 10 hours spread across a plethora of games. With COD and KZ2, all that online time falls with 3 2-week periods.

I consider online gaming very monotonous even though I use to love military based FPSes on PC where over time I enjoyed going from max 32 to 64 to 150 on Joint Ops:Typhoon Rising with super huge maps. I kind of fell off with online gaming after Battlefield 2 on the PC when I migrated mostly over to console. My desire to online game never really migrated over with me.

Maybe its the concept of going from single player to multiplayer that bothers me, as it only highlights the act of going over the same handful of favorite maps doing the same thing over and over again. In my view the concept hasn't really changed all that much over the years.

I'm inclined to say that I'm tired of games trying to cover both single and multiplayer fronts. While I understand developers trying to keep their games relevant and "long lasting" by having multiplayer, it's true that so many of these games just recycle single player maps. However, some like CoD and Rainbow Six Vegas do a good job keeping it fun across both modes. I just wish games like Uncharted or Mafia II which are completely story driven so much from the get go would stay single player, offering a longer campaign, or co-op campaign/side story/whatever in place of versus multiplayer. That to me would be exciting, though unlikely, since the length both Uncharteds' is just about perfect in length and pace (so I would be all for dedicated co-op campaign or likewise DLC). It surprises me that Mass Effect has stayed single player, though co-op would be cool, but would mean changing the structure of the game. Mass Effect at least fulfills my need for a long game, and has plenty of replay value.

BF3 I could care less about single player, but I may invest in it once it hits if it looks compelling enough. Right now, I don't give a flying fudge.

 

[joker454]

So to get to the heart of the subthread about online, it appears that the point of contention boils down to whether or not all core gamers =online gamers. Some people seem to assume this a fact, as if the very definition of core gamer is wrapped up in online play.
I don't know what the exact answer is but I suspect the answer is no not all the time.
If the answer was clearly YES then it would be obvious that Nintendo must include unified online gaming features to attract the core.
If they are not including these features for core gamers,they are either ignorant,stupid,lazy, or perhaps have data to suggest not all gamers who play core games, require online features.

I don't think online==core at all. The unified online setup helps with social interaction. Simple example, when I gamed on console more it was totally normal to get online, start playing a game single player like say Magic The Gathering, then a friend would come on and start chatting with me over live. We were each playing our own games single player but we were just chatting about stuff totally non related to gaming. The only reason it was possible to do this over all these years is because of a complete and unified online setup called XBLive. I wasn't doing anything "core" in that example, yet that online support provided by XBLive was key to making the experience much more enjoyable even though we weren't even playing a game together.

Obviously core gamers want that sort of thing but casuals do as well. If Nintendo doesn't provide simple stuff like that which has been available now for years, then I have no clue how they expect to be able to compete.

 

[wsippel]

I can see steam being implemented in the Wii U. Though, not as a default Nintendo provided service. I could seeing it as being something auxiliary like Netflix.

Whats the word on the default storage medium and space?

8GB internal flash storage, but SD cards and USB mass storage devices are supported.

 

[lilbroK]

8GB internal flash storage, but SD cards and USB mass storage devices are supported.

Damn, not even double digits? That's sounds like it is going to be insufficient.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Perhaps Activision and/or EA et al will also provide cloud storage as part of their online solutions for Nintendo games, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Damn, not even double digits? That's sounds like it is going to be insufficient.

Insufficient for what? There seems to be no game installs so that takes aways the bulk of space one might need. That leaves DLC/wiiware/virtuale console games. Initially 8gb is probably more than enough for that. Besides you can hook up any usb drive you want so if space becomes a issue just buy a 1+tb disk for 50 bucks and your done. Actually seems like a better solution than including a (relative) expensive hdd.

 

[function]

Also lets you make the case smaller, even f it'll look cheap and kinda cacky with a usb cable and caddy nearby.

Original 360 owners that want the Wifi module and Kinect have to have the wifi unit give the front usb ports a reach-around using a USB extension cable. Nice. Wu is totally down with that sort of thing.

 

[Rangers]

Insufficient for what? There seems to be no game installs so that takes aways the bulk of space one might need. That leaves DLC/wiiware/virtuale console games. Initially 8gb is probably more than enough for that. Besides you can hook up any usb drive you want so if space becomes a issue just buy a 1+tb disk for 50 bucks and your done. Actually seems like a better solution than including a (relative) expensive hdd.

What happened to "bubu then developers cant count on the HDD in games" that X360 got reamed for for so long?

 

[ninzel]

I don't think online==core at all. The unified online setup helps with social interaction. Simple example, when I gamed on console more it was totally normal to get online, start playing a game single player like say Magic The Gathering, then a friend would come on and start chatting with me over live. We were each playing our own games single player but we were just chatting about stuff totally non related to gaming. The only reason it was possible to do this over all these years is because of a complete and unified online setup called XBLive. I wasn't doing anything "core" in that example, yet that online support provided by XBLive was key to making the experience much more enjoyable even though we weren't even playing a game together.

Obviously core gamers want that sort of thing but casuals do as well. If Nintendo doesn't provide simple stuff like that which has been available now for years, then I have no clue how they expect to be able to compete.

I see,so something like what people do in Facebook except you were voice chatting?
I guess on a console text chatting would be clumsy without a keyboard?
Ok I think I've finally seen the light and can see the universal appeal on a console. I have to admit I've been looking at it the wrong way all this time.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

What happened to "bubu then developers cant count on the HDD in games" that X360 got reamed for for so long?

Who knows what nintendo engineerd to work around that. For all we know maybe a partition of the flash memory is reserved for tempory game caches? You don't need a whole lot of storage for that I think. So they might have 6gb available for storage and 2gb for cache, os updates/whatever might need storage in the future.

 

[pc999]

Insufficient for what? There seems to be no game installs so that takes aways the bulk of space one might need. That leaves DLC/wiiware/virtuale console games. Initially 8gb is probably more than enough for that. Besides you can hook up any usb drive you want so if space becomes a issue just buy a 1+tb disk for 50 bucks and your done. Actually seems like a better solution than including a (relative) expensive hdd.

I hope they end up with a USB3 port ...

What happened to "bubu then developers cant count on the HDD in games" that X360 got reamed for for so long?

Getting a external drive is pretty usual today it will not scary anyone, I think.

I certainly think they also have a solution for streaming (the flash memory probably) it would be pretty hard to do ports without it, I supposed.

 

[BRiT]

I see,so something like what people do in Facebook except you were voice chatting?
I guess on a console text chatting would be clumsy without a keyboard?
Ok I think I've finally seen the light and can see the universal appeal on a console. I have to admit I've been looking at it the wrong way all this time.

Not to mention text-chatting prevents you from playing the game, where as cross-game voice chat does not prevent your own gaming.

 

[ninzel]

Not to mention text-chatting prevents you from playing the game, where as cross-game voice chat does not prevent your own gaming.

Personally when I play single player games I get very immersed and the last thing I want is someone talking to me or interrupting me. Probably why I never saw how it would be of value or saw it as something very MP related where the feature would add to the actual gameplay.
So it's still not likely to be a feature I would use. But I can start to see how for some people it could be useful.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

I hope they end up with a USB3 port ...

I think that's very unlikely, given all the "we need to have an affordable console" speech until now.

However, I'd bet that SDXC will eventually be supported via software update, just like the Wii supported SDHC several months after its initial release.

 

[patsu]

I guess on a console text chatting would be clumsy without a keyboard?

Pretty much !

However, the people who prefer text chat will have a wireless or USB full-sized keyboard in the living room for web browsing, chatting in PS Home and the XMB chat room.

In general, text chat is great for talking to "strangers". In a large party like RFOM's 20 man team, voice chat alone was confusing when multiple people talk at the same time within the short lobby time. Reading text can be challenging too if people type too fast, but at least you have a log and can scroll up. I think the best is to have both in the lobby. I remember the rowdy ones were laughing loudly in the RFOM lobby, while some type into the text chat.

I suspect text chat usage will grow with mobile consoles because people feel strange talking into a Vita/3DS in the public. The surrounding may be noisy also. Casual games on the web also support text chat, so the concept should not be alien to newbies.

Hopefully, new devices will make typing easier. Google TV has a built-in keyboard and track pad. Phones, iPad, Vita and WiiU have touchscreen. If Nintendo revive PictoChat, they can also send scribbles and drawings/maps to other users.

 

[Rangers]

Both PS3 and 360 have those mini-keyboard that fits on controller things.

But I've used one, no substitute for a real keyboard, much like a software keyboard on a tablet.

 

[patsu]

Yeah, small keyboards are hard to type. I am amazed some people are very quick on phone keypad and BlackBerry pads though. A friend types up office email everyday on his tiny BlackBerry keyboard.

For tablets, they may need to think of better ways. WiiU has the advantage of pen/stylus input. We may be able to get by with scribbles and drawings.

I am pretty quick with a virtual keyboard on a large, multi-touch screen like iPad (Use it like a regular keyboard). The smaller screens like Vita's will feel cramp. Need to try it out.

Most PC folks have a full-sized USB keyboard. I agree it works best for typing.

 

[Mendel]

I just wonder if a dual screen game has stereoscopic 3d content on tv screen and 2d content on the controller screen, how is that going to work?

Think about it the other way, I think either the controller screens will have to be s3d capable or we won´t see much in the way of stereoscopic 3d gaming with the Wii U. (?)

 

[Mendel]

Both PS3 and 360 have those mini-keyboard that fits on controller things.

But I've used one, no substitute for a real keyboard, much like a software keyboard on a tablet.

Much more convenient though than the on screen keyboard. It is faster and other people wont see the passwords and such that I type.

 

[patsu]

Miyamoto attempt to clarify Nintendo's online plans...
http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2011...-become-the-number-one-online-gaming-company/

"We're not going to sit here and say that our goal is to become the number one online gaming company, because that's not our goal," he said when discussing the online functionality plans for the Wii U. "But, understanding that the types of experiences our consumers like to play do often contain elements to them that can be improved or may even require an online connection and also knowing that the system is going to have a browser I think suggests that obviously internet and internet connectivity is going to be very important for the system."

"For example, there are opportunities to take advantage of online to expand a local, same-room multiplayer experience by connecting that to the internet and making new types of play that way. Also by having the smaller screen, being able to go online and perhaps see what game your friend is playing or see what TV they're watching, I think there's a lot of possibilities for how you could use that. Certainly internet functionality is something that will be important for the system."