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Nintendo teases new Rhythm Heaven, Mario Party 9, Kirby titles
Though Nintendo didn't do its traditional "Here are a bunch of logos of games we're making," it couldn't resist a little info dump at the end of the company's press conference. Shown on a screen as attendees exited were logos for [deep breath] The Rolling Western, Paper Mario, Super Fossil Fighters, Rhythm Heaven, Fortune Street, Kirby Mash Attack, Kirby Wii and Mario Party 9. What systems are these games for? Who's making them? We have no idea. Have a nice day!
Nintendo Wii U console eyes-on
Sadly we weren't able to get our hands-on the new console that's going to come along with the Wii U controller. Every operational unit is clad in shimmering Lucite and locked away. But, from what we can see peering through the glass it's more or less a curvaceous Wii. It's a little bit chubbier, maybe a hint taller, but the design is much the same: glossy white and a big disc slot. Nintendo definitely isn't giving up on physical distribution for this round. All that we can see beyond that is a power button, a reset button, a red sync button, and a little flip-down door much like on the Wii. What's behind the door? Memory cards? More buttons? Magic? Feel free to speculate wildly in comments. %Gallery-125657% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Take a closer look at the Wii U's crazy controller
You've seen the press conference, you've read all about the games in development for the Wii U, and now we've got our first hands-on with the Wii successor's enormous, crazy controller. We'll have a full writeup for you as the day goes on, but we figured you might wanna take a closer look at the pseudo-tablet right now.%Gallery-125655%
IBM puts Watson's brains in Nintendo Wii U
Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, was finally unveiled to the world today at E3 2011, and we got a glimpse of its graphical prowess at the company's keynote. Details were scarce about the IBM silicon Nintendo's new HD powerhouse was packing, but we did some digging to get a little more info. IBM tells us that within the Wii U there's a 45nm custom chip with "a lot" of embedded DRAM (shown above). It's a silicon on insulator design and packs the same processor technology found in Watson, the supercomputer that bested a couple of meatbags on Jeopardy awhile back. Unfortunately, IBM wouldn't give us the chip's clock speeds, but if it's good enough to smoke Ken Jennings on national TV, we imagine it'll do alright against its competition from Sony and Microsoft. [Thanks, Sonny]
Nintendo Wii U controller, first hands-on! (video)
We just elbowed our way through the crowds and managed to get our first hands-on time with Nintendo's revolutionary new controller, the Wii U. As you can see in the images, it's a rather different thing than even the company's typically unusually styled contraptions. The dominant feature is the center-mounted 6.2-inch touchscreen, which actually looks really good. We'd expected Nintendo would cheap out to keep costs low, but that doesn't appear to be the case, at least not in our first impressions. Join us after the break for more details. %Gallery-125651%
Ubisoft developing 'hardcore FPS' exclusively for Wii U, four other titles revealed
Beyond the news today that Ubisoft is bringing Assassin's Creed to Nintendo's Wii U, the French publisher also announced a handful of other titles currently in development for next year's console. Among the list of established IPs -- Assassin's Creed, Rabbids, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online -- Ubisoft also announced a "revolutionary first-person shooter for the hardcore audience." Moreover, the shooter is being developed "exclusively" for the Wii U. Perhaps you're not too into shooters? The company is also working on a "multi-sports game" with family applications. A ... awesome? Anyway, while none of the games will be playable at E3 this year, Ghost Recon Online will be shown off on the show floor, so we'll be sure to take a peek at our earliest convenience.
Nintendo showing off prototype Wii U demos at E3 this week
Nintendo just announced the Wii U on stage at its E3 press conference, and while the new controller is interesting, we're all wondering just how powerful this "HD" console is. Game Informer's seen the demos shown off on stage in person, and apparently it's about as nice as you'd imagine: Not quite as high quality as the other HD consoles, but definitely better than the standard Wii. Nintendo doesn't have actual games to show yet, but there are a few interactive demos running. Chase Mii has Mario characters running around a maze and uses the Wii U controller's screen to track other players in the game. Battle Mii uses traditional Wii controllers as well as the Wii U controller, and GI says controls are a little tighter and quicker than the traditional Wii can handle (though the gyroscope in the new, presumably still a work in progress, controller is still a little awkward). Finally, Shield Pose has you moving the Wii controller around to try and block called shots coming in from a pirate ship, and is supposed to be fun in a sort of follow-the-leader way. We'll look for all three demos on the show floor this week, so stay tuned for our own impressions on just what the Wii U can and can't do so far. There's not a lot of information available yet (the Wii U is due sometime in 2012, and there's no price listed at all), but already it looks like the Wii U will definitely shake up console gaming. Update: The Guardian also got to play with the Wii U, and says the console will be HD via HDMI, and have internal Flash memory, along with SD and USB solutions for adding more. The system will be backwards-compatible with the Wii (which we heard at the press event), and play both discs and downloadable software.
This is what the Wii U looks like
Here it is, folks -- the Wii's successor, the Wii U. It kinda looks like a Wii and an Xbox 360 had an adorable baby. We'll have better shots of the Wii U as soon as we can, but for now, here you go! Update: We've got a more official shot (though similarly small, unfortunately) after the break. Update 2: A more official, significantly larger shot just came into our tips box. The Wii U: Still adorable. Update 3: We've got a full gallery of official shots now, just below. [Thanks Evan!]%Gallery-125664%
Smash Bros announced for Wii U and 3DS
Nintendo has announced that once Masahiro Sakurai is finished with Kid Icarus: Uprising that he'll be working on a new Smash Bros title. The game will be for Wii U and 3DS and work together "in some fashion." Details pending.
Wii U games revealed
With a new console, there needs to be games, right? And, uh, the Wii U has 'em. Nintendo's apparently winning over third-party developers, as several have pledged support with their titles. Here's a list of what was shown in a brief montage during the E3 2011 press conference: Darksiders 2 Batman: Arkham City "Tekken" Assassin's Creed Lego City Stories Ghost Recon Online DiRT Aliens: Colonial Marines Metro: Last Light Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge EA CEO John Riccitiello also pledged support for the Wii U: a brief montage hinted at Battlefield and Army of Two for the new console.
New HD Zelda hinted for Wii U
During the last few seconds on Nintendo's Wii U announcement video, we caught a quick glimpse of what looked like a new Zelda title, in which Link fought a massive, hairy spider. Game Informer is now reporting that it was indeed real-time footage. Nintendo wouldn't confirm whether or not an actual game is in development, but we'd say it's more than probable.
Wii U controller revealed
You can play games solely on the controller, which handles like a tablet and presumably includes the stylus we saw interacting with it during the reveal. It's got a 6.2 inch screen, is backward compatible with all Wii games, Wii Remotes and other accessories -- a video showed showed it being used with the Balance Board and as a Wii Remote, so it's got motion controls built in. An example during the reveal showed an individual using it in a golf game, just like a Wiimote. It's got rumble, trigger buttons, bumper buttons, a touch-screen, microphone and speakers, and an accelerometer. It's also got a camera built in. Iwata says it's got support for the "widest variety of games can be supported" and can play games independently of the Wii itself. Oh, and it's HD.
The Wii U controller, revealed! (video)
Whoa! The rumors turned out to be true: a 6.2-inch screen will be built into the controller for Nintendo's next-generation Wii U console. It'll also feature a microphone, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, dual analog controls, two shoulder buttons and two triggers, a front-facing camera, a stylus, and yes, it's a touchscreen, too! Satoru Iwata was careful to forewarn that the Wii U's controller was "not designed to be a portable game machine," even if it shares some characteristics with handhelds. You will, however, be able to game and video chat even without a TV. Screen resolution isn't given yet, but the display ratio is stated as 16:9, matching every other widescreen in your living room. Check the video after the break while we go try to hunt down some hands-on time with this multifunctional new beast of a controller. %Gallery-125639% %Gallery-125641%
The Wii U, Nintendo's next console (video)
Coming in 2012, Nintendo's next home console will deliver "deeper game experiences" that aim to offer "something for everyone." And it'll be called the Wii U! A variety of new controls will be made available by that crazy new controller with a 6.2-inch touchscreen embedded in it. Most importantly, you'll no longer be tied to a TV to enjoy your home consoling action -- the Wii U controller can handle your gaming session when the television is needed for other purposes, while a built-in front-facing cam will let you video chat from anywhere too. Notably, you won't have to use the 6.2-inch behemoth if you don't want too -- the Wii U will be compatible with all current-gen accessories and software. Yes, your expansive Wii collection will play on the U version of the console as well. We've also seen some decidedly high-def visuals from Nintendo showing off the Wii U's graphical prowess. See video of the unveiling after the break! Batman: Arkham City, an Assassin's Creed game, Dirt, Ghost Recon Online, Tekken, Metro Last Light, Aliens Colonial Marines, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, and Darksiders II all got a mention as coming to the Wii U. Yes! EA's John Riccitiello just said the Wii U will deliver "brilliant HD graphics." Finally, the Wii is going HD! Speaking of HD, the fact sheet from Nintendo informs us that the Wii U can pump out 1080p video over HDMI. It'll also be compatible with component, S-video and composite cables. There'll be "internal flash memory" of unspecified quantity, which will be expandable via either an SD card or external USB HDD. IBM is, as with the original Wii, once again responsible for providing the processor inside. Four USB 2.0 slots are made available, while game media will be served up on "proprietary high-density optical discs." There's also another, worthwhile, reminder that the Wii U will play Wii games and their optical discs without a problem. Update: We just got word from the folks at Kotaku that Nintendo game designer Katsuya Eguchi has revealed the Wii U's proprietary disc format will hold up to 25GB of data. Update 2: And now we have the final piece of the puzzle: the Wii U's graphics will be handled by a "custom AMD Radeon HD GPU." %Gallery-125637% %Gallery-125641%
Nintendo Wii U announced
Nintendo Wii U -- that's the name of Nintendo's next console ... thing. The new high-definition system and controller pair was announced during the company's E3 2011 press conference, and is due to launch sometime in 2012. The controller features a large, touch-capable screen, paired with two circle pads, a directional pad, face buttons, a camera, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. Nintendo is positioning it as an entertainment sharing device, with video and gameplay working across the controller and your home console. It's weird, you guys.
Live from Nintendo's E3 2011 keynote!
Another day another liveblog, but not just another company. Today it's Nintendo that will be keeping us rapt with anticipation, and with any luck the big man, Reggie Fils-Aime, will be taking us on quite a ride. Will we see the unveiling of Project Cafe? Will Nintendo tell us just how its 3DS is going to compete in a PlayStation Vita world? Could we finally get that Nintendogs and Paper Mario mash-up we've been waiting for? We'll be going live shortly, at the following times below: 06:00AM - Hawaii 09:00AM - Pacific 10:00AM - Mountain 11:00AM - Central 12:00PM - Eastern 05:00PM - London 06:00PM - Paris 08:00PM - Moscow 01:00AM - Tokyo (June 8th)
