Nintendo's success with Wii was bound to fuel speculation and interest in its next console. Whether wondering about a new controller or how Nintendo would embrace HD, the entire industry seemed fixated on the Wii's successor. As rumors and leaks emerged earlier this year, that fixation reached a fever pitch. Whatever Nintendo revealed at E3 2011 would have to be tremendous to live up to the hype.
Wii's lack of software helped create a spotlight on anything related to Wii U. With its current home console effectively out of the picture, the press started searching for clues to what was coming next. Those details
started to emerge in April 2011. Initial reports captured the obvious - Nintendo's next system would feature HD graphics, specifically supporting resolutions up to 1080p. But it was the system's controller that became the focal point for rumors, speculation and ultimately Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference.
We quickly learned the controller would feature some sort of screen. That it would be capable of supporting touch commands came shortly after, and many began to wonder if the screen too might be HD - a fact that would ultimately be irrelevant given the relatively small size of the display. Some sources continued to suggest Wii controllers - or something like them - would play a role. We eventually learned Nintendo planned to continue to use Wii controllers in conjunction with next-gen software.
[source ign.com]
Wii's lack of software helped create a spotlight on anything related to Wii U. With its current home console effectively out of the picture, the press started searching for clues to what was coming next. Those details
started to emerge in April 2011. Initial reports captured the obvious - Nintendo's next system would feature HD graphics, specifically supporting resolutions up to 1080p. But it was the system's controller that became the focal point for rumors, speculation and ultimately Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference.
We quickly learned the controller would feature some sort of screen. That it would be capable of supporting touch commands came shortly after, and many began to wonder if the screen too might be HD - a fact that would ultimately be irrelevant given the relatively small size of the display. Some sources continued to suggest Wii controllers - or something like them - would play a role. We eventually learned Nintendo planned to continue to use Wii controllers in conjunction with next-gen software.
The leaks continued, even specifying that Nintendo would announce the console at E3 2011, and planned to release the system in late 2012. The Wii's successor would also be backwards compatible with Wii software. We learned all of this in rapid succession, most of it within the first day of rumors reaching our offices. The scramble was on to learn even more about Nintendo's plans.
Within days, the console's codename had been pinpointed - Project Cafe. More details emerged about the controller. We learned a standard control interface would accompany the touch screen, including a d-pad, dual analog sticks, and triggers. As we said months ago, it would mirror a GameCube in terms of functionality, though its form would be remarkably different.
More important was the information we gathered on how the console's controller-based screen would work. Nintendo planned to stream information to the remote device, including games. Though we'd have to wait for Nintendo to demonstrate the full range of this concept, the notion of a controller being an extension of the television was certainly exciting. Around that time we were also informed Nintendo planned to unveil first party games as well as some projects third parties were working on.
The closer we got to E3, the more details surfaced. IGN managed to get a hold of Nintendo's technical specs for the system, allowing us to build a rough computer-based approximation of the system. Accounting for some of the many variables between a PC and the actual product, we were able to determine Nintendo's new console would be more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3, albeit not drastically.
All of this built to a critical moment - Nintendo let us play Wii U.
In an odd parallel of its press conference days later, Nintendo focused entirely on the system's controller, running us through a series of game concepts. We wouldn't even learn the name of the console until it was formally unveiled by the publisher. Though the new controller certainly looked awkward at a glance, it was surprisingly light and comfortable and, as we played through the demos, started to reveal Nintendo's bold vision for the future. Truly, giving players a second screen away from the television led to some remarkably intriguing ideas about game design.
That's not to say everything was perfect. We would later write that the two Circle Pads, similar to what was found on the 3DS, should be removed in favor of traditional sticks and that the triggers desperately needed to be analog instead of digital. The criticisms of Nintendo's unique input device didn't end there, as all signs seemed to point towards only one being usable with the new console. The responses from Nintendo executives were a bit muddled at first, though the limitations for number of controllers seemed self-imposed given a presumed high price point for a controller with a screen built into it. In fact most of Nintendo's demonstrations incorporated several Wii remotes for multiplayer activity.
Nintendo's press conference was strong - incredibly so. In addition to a ton of 3DS news, the publisher outlined an incredible vision for the now-named Wii U, revealed plans for a new Smash Bros. installment (that would interact with a 3DS version) and some great third party support. However as the publisher ended its presentation, a number of significant questions remained, including one glaring omission - Nintendo never seemed to focus on the actual console, just its controller. To Nintendo and even many in the press, particularly those of us who had been writing non-stop about the system for a couple months, this didn't seem like a problem. Yet many were left with the impression that the controller was simply an add-on for the Wii - or that it was actually a new portable, designed similarly to a tablet. Later the company would admit that it had made mistakes with its Wii U reveal.
Problems with clarity continued to mount, as many demanded answers for tech specifications and online plans. Nintendo had revealed Wii U wouldn't see release before May 2012, yet many wanted more than was given. Intense scrutiny stemming from months of hype and the absence of Wii buzz created a double-edged sword. Everyone wanted to discuss Wii U - and everyone demanded more information.
For a system not due until 2012, the reveal of Wii U worked reasonably well. Nintendo has plenty of time to outline its broader strategy, and with any luck it will do this in the months leading up to E3 2012, where the system is scheduled to fully debut. More important than strategy, however, will be the games Nintendo has ready and whether this system, powerful as it might be, can stand against the final years of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and steel itself for whatever successors roll along in the years ahead.
Nintendo's gamble with Wii certainly paid off, sacrificing the bleeding edge of technology for an approach that would alter how the world played games, as well as who would play them. Wii U doesn't seem to be quite that revolutionary, but it certainly will be unique. Heading into 2012, Nintendo hopes that will be enough.
[source ign.com]
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