Wii U was revealed at Nintendo's E3 press conference on 7 June 2011. Here's everything you need to know about Wii U.
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Hardware
The Wii U was revealed during Nintendo's E3 2011 conference.
Here's everything you need to know about the Wii U and its controller:
Size: Approximately 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long.
New Controller: The new controller incorporates a 6.2-inch, 16:9 touch screen and traditional button controls, including two analogue Circle Pads. This combination removes the traditional barriers between games, players and the TV by creating a second window into the
video game world.
The rechargeable controller includes a Power button, Home button, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons. It includes a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble feature, camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, a sensor strip and a stylus.
Other Controls: Up to four Wii Remote (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers can be connected at once.
The new console supports all Wii controllers and input devices, including the Nunchuk controller, Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro and Wii Balance
Board.
Media: A single self-loading media bay will play 12-centimeter proprietary high-density
optical discs for the new console, as well as 12-centimeter Wii optical discs.
Video Output: Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. Compatible cables include HDMI, component, S-video and composite.
Audio Output: Uses AV Multi Out connector. Six-channel PCM linear output through HDMI.
Storage: The console will have internal flash memory, as well as the option to expand its memory using either an SD memory card or an external USB hard disk drive.
CPU: IBM Power-based multi-core microprocessor.
Other: Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible with Wii games and Wii accessories.
Note: Details are subject to change.
DVD and Blu Ray playback: Satoru Iwata has confirmed that you won't be able to play DVDs or Blu Rays on Wii U.
Online
While Nintendo has nothing "concrete" to share, Satoru Iwata has said that the company aim to appeal the third pary developers with a "flexible" system that could "take advantage" of voice chat and social networking.
Release date
Wii U will be released in 2012
Confirmed games
Assassin's Creed
Darksiders II
Ghost Recon Online
Dirt
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Metro II
Batman: Arkham City
Smash Bros Wii U
Ninja Gaiden: Wii U
Tekken
Rabbids
Killer Freaks From Outer Space
Pikmin
LEGO City Stories
No More Heroes Wii U
Prototypes/Yet to be confirmed
Battlefield
Battle Mii
Chase Mii
Measure Up Mii
New Super Mario Bros Mii
Zelda Wii U
Shield Pose
Games Engines
CryEngine
Unreal Engine 3
Basically the Hardware:Wii U review Building platforms around fresh gaming experiences is what Nintendo do best, and today they might just have revealed the culmination of that approach. The Wii-U controller adds streaming technology, vastly increased power and the ability to interact with existing Wii and 3DS tech to mark a bold new future for Nintendo gaming.
Of course, Nintendo make a habit of creating new tech that really has to be experienced first hand, and Wii-U is no different. What you don't get from the trailers and tech demos Nintendo premiered earlier today is the pin-sharp clarity of Wii-U's touch screen; the sturdy feel of the controller in your hands; the incredible precision of the gyro sensor; and the countless new ways in which games developers could use this technology.
The two Circle pads on the front of the controller feel a little tougher than the 3DS ones, and very different to the feel of a 360 or PS3 stick. It's also smaller and slimmer than it looks in some of the videos Nintendo showed in the conference - not as sleek as an iPad, obviously, and thankfully it's certainly not as plasticky as it looks in some of the press shots.
It's early days, of course, but the handful of different experiences which Nintendo are demonstrating here emphasise that this next step in home console gaming will take many different forms. Most obviously, Nintendo gamers will be getting all those military/sci-fi shooters that bored my pants off in the Microsoft, Sony, EA and Ubisoft conferences yesterday. We'll be getting the likes of Assassin's Creed, Batman: Arkham City and full high definition visuals for the first time just like the other consoles, but of course we'll be getting much more than that.
We'll be getting the games that make Nintendo special on top of all that, and with the promise of greater online integration, Nintendo is clearly looking to hit back at the two main criticisms of the company - that third party games don't work on Nintendo consoles and that their online services aren't up to scratch. It's also reassuring to note that there was also a lot of rhetoric in the conference to suggest that yes, of course Nintendo wants to get its games into the hands of as many people as possible, but it'll always ensure that the 'core' gamer (sorry) won't ever feel left out.
Wii-U has the ability to win on both fronts, and take a swipe at Apple's iPad while it's at it. It is unique enough to recapture the incredible buzz we saw around Nintendo's last home console and it'll cater for the core gamer's needs. It'll serve as an internet-ready tablet device, and connectivity with 3DS means there are further, yet to be discovered ways the tech can be used. Last year's E3 was spectacular for Nintendo; this year was easily as good, if not better. Once again, Nintendo has shone a dazzling light upon the future of videogames and right now it feels like they're going to own it. The rest of the industry can only look on in admiration.
