E3: Nintendo Tips its Hand
Pretty much everyone had been waiting on pins and needles for Nintendo to unveil its upcoming successor to the Wii. At yesterday’s press conference, they finally gave us our first good look at Project Cafe, dubbed the Wii U — another name that has left many of us scratching our heads. Unlike Sony, Nintendo remained silent about many of the specs surrounding the new console, choosing to simply post the details on their official site. However, what they did share seemed really impressive. A tablet controller with the ability to transfer content seamlessly from the the tablet to the screen, and a graphics engine that finally rivals that of other current generation consoles.
Initially, many in attendance found Nintendo’s presentation to be a bit confusing and I can’t really blame them. Nintendo practically spent the entire time focused entirely on the system’s unique control scheme. That, combined with Satoru Iwata’s choice to avoid the use of the term “console,” had many people wondering if it was truly a new console, or merely just a controller with a high resolution display. Confusion aside, Nintendo highlighted a shift in their target demographics by introducing video reel aimed at hardcore gamers. It began with interviews with third party developers, and ended with a montage of titles like Battlefield 1943, Ninja Gaiden 3, and Darksiders 2. Additionally, EA has announced that they’ll be throwing their weight behind the new console.
While Nintendo may have a long way to go before they manage to convince hardcore gamers to return, Wii U is definitely a large step in the right direction. Unfortunately, Nintendo didn’t feel it’d be necessary to show all their cards at once. The price point and official release date remain unknown. Though, we would have to assume it’ll be higher than the price tag on their 3DS, which currently retails for a hefty $250.
Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, he serves as Features and Reviews Editor for the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.