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[IdeaMan]

...

I know, this family has bad tastes

I could live with only 1 DRC, but damn, I want to be able to change it should it break without having to change the console...

I hope we'll know more about that at E3. DRC sold individually on stores like any controllers ? You have to contact your Nintendo local antenna to replace the one you broke, and 2 padlet mode only implies a friend bringing the one he own (or you buying another Wii U) ?

 

[BruiserBear]

Two DRC support is already cool strictly for games applications, but imagine the Wii U being the social, multimedia, high-tech hub in your living room: your 50 years old mum cry in front of Desparate Housewives displayed on the TV (through Netflix), your little brother is drawing a gothic cat with spikes, black & red fur, on the first DRC (Mario Paint/Colors!), while you play Superman 64 in the virtual console on the second controller.

Wii U will really be the "project café" as leaked first, like 3 friends ordering different drinks and meal BUT reunited around the same table.

It could be huge if they'll get it right in regard to OS, system features, services, etc.

You're really getting into fantasy land with those ideas. I would be shocked to see them allow multiple apps feeding to separate controllers at the same time. At best we're going to get the ability to have two players on the same game viewing content on their individual screens.

 

[Chuck Norris]

Nintendo builds success off social local gaming and innovative ideas

New console has no social local gaming aspect and no innovative ideas

SUCCESS!

 

[cgcg]

Wow so awesome. People may get to use 2 controllers!! What's next? So much excitement.

 

[snesfreak]

Nintendo builds success off social local gaming and innovative ideas

New console has no social local gaming aspect and no innovative ideas

SUCCESS!

Umm....

 

[fluffydelusions]

Wow so awesome. People may get to use 2 controllers!! What's next? So much excitement.

Yeah 2 controllers but how many systems have 2 controllers with full on touch screens streaming content to it?

 

[IdeaMan]

You're really getting into fantasy land with those ideas. I would be shocked to see them allow multiple apps feeding to separate controllers at the same time. At best we're going to get the ability to have two players on the same game viewing content on their individual screens.

It's not too far-fetched actually, the possibility to have two differing content on the TV and on one controller, this kind of multi-tasking, are already documented, planned.

I guess a netflix + a VC isn't much of a resources draw, so add a Colors! on the second DRC, and you have your envisioned "café".

 

[Mr. Robot]

I really hope this 2 U-Pads thing is true, Pikmin 3 would be glorious with 2 player mode, so i guess that nintendo found some long lost pikmin technology, possibly the legendary green pikmin, and implemented it in the Wii-U to allow for more processing and calculating power with streaming capabilities.

 

[Zee-Row]

How much power would a console need exactly to transmit an image to the controller screen? I figured it worked the same way remote play works on a PS3.

 

[botty]

Nintendo builds success off social local gaming and innovative ideas

New console has no social local gaming aspect and no innovative ideas

SUCCESS!

In the Wii U trailer, it showed two people playing on that touch screen. I think they might be able to expand on that idea in console games, and smaller Eshop games.

 

[IdeaMan]

I really hope this 2 U-Pads thing is true, Pikmin 3 would be glorious with 2 player mode, so i guess that nintendo found some long lost pikmin technology, possibly the legendary green pikmin, and implemented it in the Wii-U to allow for more processing and calculating power with streaming capabilities.

a local multiplayer RTS could be glorious, think of a Starcraft 2, each has its own screen (and the absence of multi-touch could be sidestepped with combinations of single touch + stylus + buttons, hell, even voice commands with the mic, etc.), while the TV displays some neat animations of the vehicles destroying each other, or bar charts, graphs (resources gathered, number of units controlled by each camp, it could be shown momentarily to put some pressure to the person behind in term of strength/workforce or lessen the surprise effect someone was counting on), or a huge, detailed map (think of SupCom with the zoom max out), or an extended view of the battlefield (you would be able to spot air attacks more in advance because the planes would appear sooner on this larger view).

seriously, the fun & interesting gamedesign possibilities for this system are endless

 

[IdeaMan]

I wonder, in the event that this support is activated, if the 2 DRC will be able to communicate directly with each other, or any interaction between the two must pass through the system before, and if it's the latter case, there won't be any noticeable latency problem, etc.

Here's another idea, applied to a sport setting, like baseball.
Player 1 must throw the ball with movements on its controller touchscreen (like the shuriken E3 2011 demo).
Player 2, on the other DRC, can visualize in 3D the ball coming directly in its direction, and must catch it while holding the controller, arms stretched, in front of him (like the shield pose demo).

It could be used for a lot of contexts, imagine a virtual war in your living room, combining the motion control capabilities of the padlet + its own screen as a "window" allowing to peer into the virtual world, one throw grenades or other weapons while the other protect himself by triggering a directional energetic barrier, etc.

 

[theBishop]

I read your first post 4 times and I don't see your evidence that there are 2 "DRC" ports on the latest kits. It's also worth noting that devkits almost always have more shit than the real unit. Remember this beast?

 

[IdeaMan]

I read your first post 4 times and I don't see your evidence that there are 2 "DRC" ports on the latest kits. It's also worth noting that devkits almost always have more shit than the real unit. Remember this beast?

Oh this is why i included many scenarios in my OP, one of them being that this additional DRC port doesn't mean we'll have 2 DRC content at launch or even after.

But the fact that there was only one port in all the previous kits, and it seems there's a second one that was integrated in the latest dev kits, that are mass produced, tagged final, etc, must means something positive, soon, or later, for the implementation of this feature.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I wonder, in the event that this support is activated, if the 2 DRC will be able to communicate directly with each other, or any interaction between the two must pass through the system before, and if it's the latter case, there won't be any noticeable latency problem, etc.

I don't see how it couldn't go through the system, if the controller isn't actually running the game. Shouldn't be any more latency problem than any other time you'd play multiplayer, though.

I read your first post 4 times and I don't see your evidence that there are 2 "DRC" ports on the latest kits.

He is the rumor source.

 

[IdeaMan]

I don't see how it couldn't go through the system, if the controller isn't actually running the game. Shouldn't be any more latency problem than any other time you'd play multiplayer, though.

I was thinking about the tiny additional time that could be involved for communication between 2 DRC, in a game situation. With only "controller 1", it directly exchanges information with the Wii U (video & sound <> control input, voice, etc.). Now see my example of a baseball title, if i send a ball from my DRC to the one of my friend located 15 meters away in the living room, it's pretty sure that the specific movement i did on the touchscreen that trigger the action is managed (rendering + streaming) by the system (because the controller can't calculate the scene on its own), then sent to the other DRC, and this situation implies an indirect communication between the two uPad, passing through the console. I bet if any latency exists in such cases, it won't be noticeable though.

 

[acm2000]

using 2 tablets would mean the games graphics etc would have to be massively parred back, like running split screen games

 

[Cosmonaut X]

using 2 tablets would mean the games graphics etc would have to be massively parred back, like running split screen games

Only if both were streaming full second scenes, surely? If you have two players with minimaps/tactical displays/etc. streamed to the controller then you should still have a great-looking game on the TV. If you push a personal view of the game to each controller, then you are likely looking at some graphical compromises - as with splitscreen - but I'd imagine the size of the DRC display would make up for that a little (just as a 3DS/Vita can look great on their display, but would look pretty ropey blown up to fit a flat-panel TV).

 

[acm2000]

Only if both were streaming full second scenes, surely? If you have two players with minimaps/tactical displays/etc. streamed to the controller then you should still have a great-looking game on the TV. If you push a personal view of the game to each controller, then you are likely looking at some graphical compromises - as with splitscreen - but I'd imagine the size of the DRC display would make up for that a little (just as a 3DS/Vita can look great on their display, but would look pretty ropey blown up to fit a flat-panel TV).

yes but horrible gimmicky crap will hurt the wiiu, having to look away from the screen/action, to use inventory etc, isnt exactly a great idea, by the time you look back up, youve been head shotted

 

[Cosmonaut X]

yes but horrible gimmicky crap will hurt the wiiu, having to look away from the screen/action, to use inventory etc, isnt exactly a great idea, by the time you look back up, youve been head shotted

Well, it depends on the game doesn't it? Something like a fighter is going to be more of a challenge to implement the pad in, whereas something like a TPS is going to have more opportunity for the player to check and interact with a secondary display.

 

[Principate]

yes but horrible gimmicky crap will hurt the wiiu, having to look away from the screen/action, to use inventory etc, isnt exactly a great idea, by the time you look back up, youve been head shotted

How is it a bad idea those sorts of things would distract from you anyway, changing inventory crap (a lot more than the limited selection that can be put on a game pad) is a great idea. also ideally it'll be optional the sorta crap you put on it, you don't have to everything just the crap you don't look at very often but would be annoying going into a menu to use or seeing all the time. Basically it removes menu's and option to remove screen clutter you don't need to see all the time but don't want to go into a menu to see which is not a bad thing....

 

[EVIL]

yes but horrible gimmicky crap will hurt the wiiu, having to look away from the screen/action, to use inventory etc, isnt exactly a great idea, by the time you look back up, youve been head shotted

Do you have tunnel vision? If its used for inventory, then you only need a quick glance, not enough to be totally distracted from the events on your tv.

 

[PdotMichael]

How is it a bad idea those sorts of things would distract from you anyway, changing inventory crap (a lot more than the limited selection that can be put on a game pad) is a great idea. also ideally it'll be optional the sorta crap you put on it, you don't have to everything just the crap you don't look at very often but would be annoying going into a menu to use or seeing all the time. Basically it removes menu's and option to remove screen clutter you don't need to see all the time but don't want to go into a menu to see which is not a bad thing....

I don't see the difference between using a menu and using the screen on my controller.

 

[Principate]

I don't see the difference between using a menu and using the screen on my controller.

One requires you to pause the game.... Think of skyrim

 

[Ryoku]

using 2 tablets would mean the games graphics etc would have to be massively parred back, like running split screen games

Depends entirely on the game. If the console has to stream two 2-dimensional images, such as maps, inventories, etc., then there is not really a hit on performance.

 

[Always-honest]

using 2 tablets would mean the games graphics etc would have to be massively parred back, like running split screen games

As long as that only happens when you actually play with two controllers.

 

[Wrestlemania]

I don't see the difference between using a menu and using the screen on my controller.

Not pausing the game, no delay in bringing it up and the benefits of using a touchscreen.

 

[Hoo-doo]

One requires you to pause the game.... Think of skyrim

It's not like you are actively doing something on the top screen while you sort out your items on the tablet. Either way the focus on the actual game part will be broken.

 

[Cosmonaut X]

I don't see the difference between using a menu and using the screen on my controller.

Really? One will pop up onscreen overlaying - or pausing - your game until you have finished interacting with it. Either way, using a menu onscreen will mean you stopping what you're doing ingame to deal with it.

Now, imagine that the menu is always on the DRC display. As it's on a touchscreen and you don't have to use the controller buttons to interact with it, there's no need for you to interrupt your play to tap an option or two to change things on the fly. You'll have to take a thumb off a stick for a second to press the screen, but otherwise you're not interrupting your play at all.

Used in something like Darksiders II, you could have the secondary display set up to display your equipment and be able to switch gear on the fly without having to interrupt the game, drop into a menu, use the control pad to select a new weapon and then get back into the game. It's all more fluid, it doesn't interrupt play and it allows the player instant control over their equipment in the middle of combat.

That's just one of the small conveniences and changes to play that having a second screen can offer, and I'm sure people here can come up with many more.

EDIT:

For something like Skyrim, you're talking about a more complex second display that will require more attention from the player, but even there there could be the option to set up a basic hotswap display, dividing the touchscreen into 4-6 panels that correspond with items/weapons/etc. As with Streetfighter on the 3DS, you can tap those panels without even looking. Anything more complex and you can dive into a full inventory/whatever screen on the pad, but those simple things can be brought to the surface and made easily accessible to keep the players in the game for all but the most in-depth secondary interactions.

EDIT 2:

Talking about interaction with a full menu or inventory screen is missing the point. You can have a halfway between a quick-swap button on the controller and a full submenu that offers you more options at your fingertips, even if it doesn't give you the complexity and detail of the full inventory/menu. And again, this is all just one basic option that you can use the secondary screen for.

 

[PdotMichael]

One requires you to pause the game.... Think of skyrim

for short weapon change I have my quick button.

And even with a screen on my touchscreen I can't change my weapons and equipment in the middle of a battle without to die.

 

[monome]

No Upads sold individually is a catastrophe in the making.

 

[dwu8991]

One requires you to pause the game.... Think of skyrim

amazing their are people prepared to play the game with long menu pause interruptions throughout out the game.

if skyward sword was bad them skyrim is 10x as bad

 

[PdotMichael]

amazing their are people prepared to play the game with long menu pause interruptions throughout out the game.

if skyward sword was bad them skyrim is 10x as bad

It was in my 19 years of gaming never a real problem. And you never used the menu in games like Skyrim or Darks Souls in the middle of a battle or something.

The touchscreen as menu is more gimmick than feature.

 

[IdeaMan]

Really? One will pop up onscreen overlaying - or pausing - your game until you have finished interacting with it. Either way, using a menu onscreen will mean you stopping what you're doing ingame to deal with it.

Now, imagine that the menu is always on the DRC display. As it's on a touchscreen and you don't have to use the controller buttons to interact with it, there's no need for you to interrupt your play to tap an option or two to change things on the fly. You'll have to take a thumb off a stick for a second to press the screen, but otherwise you're not interrupting your play at all.

Used in something like Darksiders II, you could have the secondary display set up to display your equipment and be able to switch gear on the fly without having to interrupt the game, drop into a menu, use the control pad to select a new weapon and then get back into the game. It's all more fluid, it doesn't interrupt play and it allows the player instant control over their equipment in the middle of combat.

That's just one of the small conveniences and changes to play that having a second screen can offer, and I'm sure people here can come up with many more.

EDIT:

For something like Skyrim, you're talking about a more complex second display that will require more attention from the player, but even there there could be the option to set up a basic hotswap display, dividing the touchscreen into 4-6 panels that correspond with items/weapons/etc. As with Streetfighter on the 3DS, you can tap those panels without even looking. Anything more complex and you can dive into a full inventory/whatever screen on the pad, but those simple things can be brought to the surface and made easily accessible to keep the players in the game for all but the most in-depth secondary interactions.

Exactly, as in Mario Tennis Open also, i like to call that "virtual buttons". With easily reachable and in a distinct spot on the touchscreen, you can press those buttons without even seeing the screen.

And i would say that one must not underestimate the brain capability to handle two displays at the same time, there are many attraction in theme parks, movie theaters, where the spectator must understand/"read"/share its focus between two screens. We'll grow accustomed to this kind of setting, and i'm sure the prospect of navigating your ship in space with the thumbstick while quickly customizing its equipment (weapons type, distribution of the resources between the shield, the maneuverability, etc.) before a fight against an opponent you spot in your radar at 1 minute of in-game distance will be conceivable. Btw, we NEED a X Wing/TIE Fighter/Rogue Squadron/Wing Commander/Freespace/Privateer/IWar/Whatever title on Wii U !

Hell, it's already happening on PC, how much things i could do while playing on WoW for example, like opening elitistjerks in the second screen or an excel tab do to theorycrafting, while i fly over Azeroth to gather some resources. So imagine a content built from the start with two screens in mind (even if the second one in this case is smaller and not directly close to the TV, but it's nonetheless telling about our brain skill to adapt to such configurations).

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I was thinking about the tiny additional time that could be involved for communication between 2 DRC, in a game situation. With only "controller 1", it directly exchanges information with the Wii U (video & sound <> control input, voice, etc.). Now see my example of a baseball title, if i send a ball from my DRC to the one of my friend located 15 meters away in the living room, it's pretty sure that the specific movement i did on the touchscreen that trigger the action is managed (rendering + streaming) by the system (because the controller can't calculate the scene on its own), then sent to the other DRC, and this situation implies an indirect communication between the two uPad, passing through the console. I bet if any latency exists in such cases, it won't be noticeable though.

Still, don't think there should be any difference whether it's 1 or 2 controllers. With one controller it would be

Some unit of time: action
1: Touch DRC screen
2: Action interpreted by WiiU and new image processed
3: Result visible on DRC screen

Whereas with two controllers it would be
1: Touch DRC1 screen
2: Action interpreted by WiiU and new images processed
3: Result visible on DRC1 and DRC2 screens

 

[IdeaMan]

No Upads sold individually is a catastrophe in the making.

It was vaguely their position one year ago, as reminded in the OP, but it was clearly still in flux, they weren't sure of what they will do, and after all the concerns this point generated + the fact that they worked seemingly hard to support a second DRC + this apparent recent support, there are a lot of chances it will change.

Now we can speculate about the price of the thing (some BOM lists spread on the net lately), how they will distribute it, package it, because the size of the controller is such that the box will be of a serious dimension, will it be stored in shops stockrooms like the systems or available in shelves (generally the massive products are under the games) as the other platforms controllers ?

Small questions about not really important matter, but still fun to speculate about

 

[Cosmonaut X]

It was in my 19 years of gaming never a real problem. And you never used the menu in games like Skyrim or Darks Souls in the middle of a battle or something.

The touchscreen as menu is more gimmick than feature.

Well, you never used the menu in the middle of battle because there was no way to do it before on a standard controller!

Think of all the PC games that use hotkeys for certain actions or menu options and imagine that applied to the DRC screen, to be used in conjunction with the standard pad controls. Does that not instantly give you more flexibility without having to sacrifice button inputs, or having to jump into a menu?

As for gimmick, well everything's a gimmick until (if) it becomes accepted as a useful gameplay tool. As a "for example", imagine combat with a unique enemy in a game. It's fast, aggressive and it can change resistance to your weapons while you're fighting it. Instead of pausing a fast-paced battle to hop through menus to change a weapon or switch to a different spell, you can use a hotkey setup on the touchscreen to switch on the fly and not have to interrupt the fight at all, letting you respond quickly to the changing conditions.

 

[IdeaMan]

Still, don't think there should be any difference whether it's 1 or 2 controllers. With one controller it would be

Some unit of time: action
1: Touch DRC screen
2: Action interpreted by WiiU and new image processed
3: Result visible on DRC screen

Whereas with two controllers it would be
1: Touch DRC1 screen
2: Action interpreted by WiiU and new images processed
3: Result visible on DRC1 and DRC2 screens

Yeah this is why i said that it surely won't be a problem. Maybe for heavily dynamic gameplay, implying quick interaction between the 2 DRC, and therefore the system must send content to botch DRC at the same time. But if they added this second port and worked hard to support an additional controller, it surely means the hardware, the components, involved in the encoding > streaming of the content reach an acceptable level of latency when two controllers are used, even intricately/extensively (we know it's the case for 1 DRC, fortunately and naturally).

 

[IdeaMan]

Well, you never used the menu in the middle of battle because there was no way to do it before on a standard controller!

Think of all the PC games that use hotkeys for certain actions or menu options and imagine that applied to the DRC screen, to be used in conjunction with the standard pad controls. Does that not instantly give you more flexibility without having to sacrifice button inputs, or having to jump into a menu?

As for gimmick, well everything's a gimmick until (if) it becomes accepted as a useful gameplay tool. As a "for example", imagine combat with a unique enemy in a game. It's fast, aggressive and it can change resistance to your weapons while you're fighting it. Instead of pausing a fast-paced battle to hop through menus to change a weapon or switch to a different spell, you can use a hotkey setup on the touchscreen to switch on the fly and not have to interrupt the fight at all, letting you respond quickly to the changing conditions.

It's similar to the idea i presented just before about quick, on the fly, customization, adaptation of a space ship in the middle of a dogfight. Those kind of applications are really intriguing and promising.

 

[Nonoriri]

As for gimmick, well everything's a gimmick until (if) it becomes accepted as a useful gameplay tool. As a "for example", imagine combat with a unique enemy in a game. It's fast, aggressive and it can change resistance to your weapons while you're fighting it. Instead of pausing a fast-paced battle to hop through menus to change a weapon or switch to a different spell, you can use a hotkey setup on the touchscreen to switch on the fly and not have to interrupt the fight at all, letting you respond quickly to the changing conditions.

Or you could use a button to do that.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Has anyone mentioned 4 u pads, with 2 having their own viewpoints and 2 having their screen off with a split screen (half) on the TV? There has always been sacrifices with local multiplayer and I'm ok with some sacrifices now. By the end of this cycle, I'll have three kids above the age of 5. I'll need 4 equal controllers. Maybe unequal game play is the next revolution but I want 4 usable pads. Turn off some screens if you have to.

2 pads with sub HD graphics, and 2 people looking at the TV? I'm ok with that.

 

[Cosmonaut X]

Or you could use a button to do that.

4 or 5 different weapon/spell types and one button? Yes, you could, but you'd be cycling through instead of going straight to what you want to use.

 

[Principate]

Or you could use a button to do that.

That limits your potential playstyles, actions and control options. it's like some people haven't played a reasonably complex PC game. Sure you can do it buts it's a majorly gimped version. All you have to do is memorise button placements and you don't even need to stare at the controller.

 

[IdeaMan]

Has anyone mentioned 4 u pads, with 2 having their own viewpoints and 2 having their screen off with a split screen (half) on the TV? There has always been sacrifices with local multiplayer and I'm ok with some sacrifices now. By the end of this cycle, I'll have three kids above the age of 5. I'll need 4 equal controllers. Maybe unequal game play is the next revolution but I want 4 usable pads. Turn off some screens if you have to.

2 pads with sub HD graphics, and 2 people looking at the TV? I'm ok with that.

Don't know why it couldn't be possible, in this event, the DRC will just become a classic controller, and will only send input signals (button pressed, sticks manipulated) like a normal, wireless, controller.

We can even imagine, to avoid children crisis over the ones who get the "activated" padlet, that each players keep its DRC, and the titles will change the roles every match, etc, like i described here.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

there are TONS of things you could do with 2 DRCs.
Any game that benefits from having public and private data between 2 competitors would gain from this setup.

And that's before you start to think about all the different asymmetrical uses for the thing.

Personally I would love to have a game for 3 players locally, together piloting a massive B-17 type machine (or a mech) with different things to do for each player (Pilot, Gunner, Bomber, Navigator, Radio Operator, etc.) and together completing missions that require verbal cooperation as well as good timing and team work.

After completing the main campaign players would go online for 3 on 3 battles!!

 

[japtor]

there are TONS of things you could do with 2 DRCs.
Any game that benefits from having public and private data between 2 competitors would gain from this setup.

And that's before you start to think about all the different asymmetrical uses for the thing.

Personally I would love to have a game for 3 players locally, together piloting a massive B-17 type machine (or a mech) with different things to do for each player (Pilot, Gunner, Bomber, Navigator, Radio Operator, etc.) and together completing missions that require verbal cooperation as well as good timing and team work.

After completing the main campaign players would go online for 3 on 3 battles!!

Steel Battalion U!

 

[IdeaMan]

there are TONS of things you could do with 2 DRCs.
Any game that benefits from having public and private data between 2 competitors would gain from this setup.

And that's before you start to think about all the different asymmetrical uses for the thing.

Personally I would love to have a game for 3 players locally, together piloting a massive B-17 type machine (or a mech) with different things to do for each player (Pilot, Gunner, Bomber, Navigator, Radio Operator, etc.) and together completing missions that require verbal cooperation as well as good timing and team work.

After completing the main campaign players would go online for 3 on 3 battles!!

I thought of this very same example of old bombers with different positions in the vehicle, the pilot could control it with motion controls on the TV, using wii-mote, while his two friends, with their own DRC, could be for one, a gunner, trying to shoot at opponents (so the uPad would displays a sky setting, with clouds, aircrafts, lot of bullets, etc.), for the other, a bomber that must hit certain objectives on the ground (then the padlet would show landscapes, the floor, etc.).

Seriously, it would be amazing !

 

[jman2050]

Console RTSes would suddenly become viable on a Upad, just as a quick off-the-top-of-my-head example.

 

[rpmurphy]

Console RTSes would suddenly become viable on a Upad, just as a quick off-the-top-of-my-head example.

Yep. I'd like to see a setup where you have the pad for smaller map and action selections, and then you use the Wii Remote pointer for doing stuff on the big screen.

 

[IdeaMan]

Just wrote something about DRC & dev kits, classic controllers, etc, on the speculation thread, it's based on data available on the net, believable hearsay and second-hand knowledge.

What's interesting, cross-read with this apparent support of 2 DRC, are the possible combinations of controllers in multiplayer, like 2 DRC + 2 wii-motes or 2 classic controllers.