Goodbye Wii. Hello "Project Cafe".

Nintendo's Next Console

More details of Nintendo's forthcoming console, codenamed Project Cafe aka Wii 2, have been revealed to IGN, including the system's estimated pricing, release, console design, processing architecture, and name.

According to sources with knowledge of the project, Nintendo's next console could have a retail price of anywhere between $350 and $400 based on manufacturing costs, and will ship from Taiwanese manufacturer, Foxconn, this October, putting the earliest possible retail release anywhere between mid-October and early November.

However, Nintendo could also opt to build up a sizable supply of the system and allocate more time for software and games development by launching in early 2012. Similarly, Nintendo could attempt to lower the retail price of the system with lower profit margins to make the price more alluring.

Since the manufacturing is taking place in Taiwan, the earthquakes and tsunami that hit Japan last month will not impact the console hardware as previously expected.

Additionally, IGN has learned that the system will be based on a revamped version of AMD's R700 GPU architecture, not AMD's Fusion technology as previously believed, which will, as previously reported, out perform the PlayStation 3's NVIDIA 7800GTX-based processor. Like the Xbox 360, the system's CPU will be a custom-built triple-core IBM PowerPC chipset, but the clocking speeds will be faster. The system will support 1080p output with the potential for stereoscopic 3D as well, though it has not been determined whether that will be a staple feature.

In terms of the design of the console itself, the overall size will be comparable to that of the original Xbox 360 and the system is likely to resemble a modernized version of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

As reported last week, it will indeed utilize controllers with integrated touchscreens and be capable of streaming games to each controller, though given the power of the system, could also feasibly provide a virtualized console for each individual unit.

Finally, Nintendo is considering naming the console Stream, though it is potentially one of several names currently being vetted by the company.

We contacted Nintendo representatives, but they declined to comment on "rumors or speculation."

IGN - Project cafe.

Goodbye inferior housewife console, welcome old school hardcore gaming console.

I wanna see how pretty it is! =(

Google images keeps showing me this ugly controller with a screen on it when I look up "Project cafe nintendo"

That's the controller, apparently. It got a touch screen on the controller.

"As reported last week, it will indeed utilize controllers with integrated touchscreens and be capable of streaming games to each controller, though given the power of the system, could also feasibly provide a virtualized console for each individual unit."

A touch screen on a home console controller?

Interesting concept but it's gonna be so annoying looking up at the TV screen then back to the controller's touchscreen. The only reason why it works on the DS and up is because the screen is right above the touchscreen >.> don't have to move your neck back and forth.

Who gives a ***about the hardware, what games will be on it?

The biggest leap Nintendo could make, is actually getting decent Third Party games on their hardware. Instead of relying on stupid controller gimmicks.

?

The hardware decides what games can be developed for it and played on it.

If the article says it's stronger than the PS3, you can assume the games will be of good quality, or else they could have just kept it simple.

Mario
Zelda
Some spin-off Pokeman game
Some type of Nintendo Sports game
Pilot Wings
Metroid
Super Smash Brothers
Mario Kart
StarFox

Doesn't matter if it's twice as strong as the world's best supercomputer, if there's ***3rd part support it'll suffer the same fate as the N64, GCN and Wii

Being awesome as hell consoles is a good fate.

Not necessarily. The Gamecube had reasonable power for the generation, yet had nearly as terrible Third-Party support as Wii does. Though Gamecube did have the most awesome of gems. A Horror game that breaks down the 4th wall. (Eternal Darkness)

Okay, here we go.
No complaints, every Mario Game delivers.
A game that's failed to evolve itself in almost thirty years. I Love a Zelda game as much as the next person, but they all feel exactly the same...
Mostly Garbage now. Granted, I'd throw down some Pokeman repetition over Madden NFL annual spam, but still.
Seriously? Not even worth it.
Right, cause we know that'll happen. How long did it take them to get a second Pilot Wings out? 12 years?
Long as it's not like "Other M".
Overrated, Overhyped, the very definition of pretentious trash. Does nothing special except masturbate fan-fiction writers.
Best. Racing. Game(s). Ever. Seriously, no sarcasm. I'd trade all the hyper-realsim of Grand Turismo for some Red Turtle shells any day.
The Last Starfox was an abortion on every level. There was supposedly one in co-development with Project Aces (Ace Combat Team) but I haven't heard anything for years.

So, Mario, Mario Cart, and I'll give Metroid the Benefit of the doubt since "Other M" was made by lolteamninja.

So 3 "Sure Fire" things for an entire console... I'm not sold. I can name 3 games coming out just in the next 7 months, for the other platforms that trump even the best that Nintendo could.

That's not nintendo's doing it's the developers doing. Nintendo hasn't been really ignoring 3rd parties, 3rd parties have been ignoring nintendo, because Nintendo sells well whatever the hell it make(Guess why). Nintendo itself doesn't really require 3rd parties to be successful, however it seems with this new project they want to try something new.

Don't get me wrong guys, I've been a Nintendo fan(boy) ever since we got a SNES for christmas all those years ago, and have owned, and loved, every system since then. But the cold hard fact of the matter is that Nintendo has been seriously lacking in 3rd party support for years. That doesn't mean there weren't some awesome games on those systems, but the variety was seriously lacking compared to the competition.

For the N64, the problem was that they stuck with cartridges instead of moving to CD, I don't know what the reason was for GCN and Wii, but the problem remained regardless.

I've personally never really been in the position to own more than one current gen console, so I've always chosen Nintendo for the games that are only available on Nintendo that I love so much. But at the same time, I've missed out on a lot of epic games that were on all platforms bar Nintendo.

I really have no idea why 3rd party support sucks so much for Nintendo, but it's got nothing to do with the tech specs. Nintendo could probably break records for most consoles sold with nothing but in-house developed games, but the more 3rd party support they get, the better for their consumers, and the better for them.

It doesn't matter if it's Nintendo's doing or the developer's doing, if they can bring in more 3rd party support, then everyone (except Sony and Microsoft) wins.

That ultimately ended up as StarFox Assault on the Gamecube, which was also an abortion. The first level? Amazing. Everything else? Garbage.


Nintendo have been making the same mistakes for years with third party support. With the GC I believe it was poor relations with developers and also the small disc media that put people off.

With the Wii, there were a number of reasons. First off was the hardware itself. The amount of shovelware on the Wii to this day is a testiment to the fact that most 3rd party developers didn't really feel like spending more development money to port an HD 360/PS3 game to the Wii with it's limited horsepower. At the beginning of the console's life this was fine since people were still developing for the PS2. Now, not so much.

Second was the casual gamer. Most people picked up a Wii just for Wii Sports and Wii Fit, meaning there was very little room in the market for any of those types of games. At the same time, hardcore games like CoD did infinitely better on 360/PS3. In that regard, why bother developing hardcore games for what is essentially marketed as a casual system?

Thirdly, shitty online systems. I've heard of many a dev falling out with Nintendo over it's online policy (Super Meat Boy immediately comes to mind) - simple fact is Sony and Microsoft offer far better services and support for things like DLC and additional content than Nintendo ever will. In essense, you have Nintendo taking away additional revenue streams for some publishers by simply not offering this stuff.

TL:DR - To even think about gaining back more 3rd party support, Project Cafe needs to cater to those publishers and not alienate them as they've done in previous generations. I can only imagine Sony and Microsoft are easy to deal with as they have similar business practices, whereas Nintendo is inferior in pretty much every area right now.

Nintendo will always put out first party gems, though, but as has been mentioned - there's only so many more times they can bring out a "new" Zelda and a "new" Pokemon with exactly the same wrapping before people start getting bored of it.

I think it's hard for Nintendo to focus on third party more since they've been so successful by their own, but who knows maybe the well is finally drying up.

I love the games that the xbox and ps systems offer, however... as a parent, the nintendo systems, have always offered good solid fun without being extremely violent,(as they do offer some shootem up games)... we currently have a game cube in the kids' room, and a modded wii downstairs on our plasma tv. i have no desire to ever get a ps3 or xbox, and eventually will probably get the wii 2 for this simple fact. I would rather my kids play wholesome games!