At today’s Nintendo press conference, the world finally got a look at the long rumored Project Cafe. Dubbed the “Wii U,” Nintendo showed off it’s next console entry with a barrage of announcements. So what is the Wii U all about?
A New Approach
The new console appears to be a bridge between Nintendo’s focus on the casual gamer and their desire to reach out to their stalwart fans. While announcing games like “Chase Mii” and a new Smash Brothers, Nintendo surprised many with the massive support from third parties. Games like Batman: Arkham City and Aliens: Colonial Marines will appear on the Wii U. Also, EA pledged to support the new console with the Madden and Battlefield franchises. The third party support that Nintendo has lacked for many years has finally faded.
It’s All in Your Hands
It's like a DS and an iPad had a baby
The main aspect of the Wii U shown at E3 was its controller. There were rumors of a touchpad controller, but what Nintendo revealed was much more than that. The controller features a 6.2 inch touch screen, making it similar in look to an iPad. It features the standard set of buttons, as well as dual analog sliders placed near the top of the controller. On the main body of the device are two triggers as well. The screen supports a stylus, as well as interfacing with the current Wiimote. This suggests a marriage between both consoles instead of simply replacing the Wii.
What’s in the Box?
This is the box you've been waiting for
Much of the announcement focused on the controller part of Wii U and not the actual console. We know that the controller streams games from the console, meaning it isn’t a truly portable system. While you can stream from the system and watch TV, a nod to the ADHD generation, not much else about the hardware is known. No announcements have yet to come out about DVD capability, or a price.
Is it everything you wanted Nintendo fans? Will those of you disappointed by the software support for the Wii come over to the Wii U? And will games like Batman and Battlefield sell well enough to keep support? Let us know what you think.
