Support NeoGAF

[Dabanton]

Their article on WiiU is on:

http://www.01net.com/genere/article/fichiersAttaches/1314112925-nintendo-wiiu-english-parttwo.rtf

for people who can't be assed to DL it.

Confessions from a Nintendo insider

Wii U : when hardware goes into development hell


As we know, the Wii U is the result of a long engineering and refining process by its secretive R&D labs. But, according to our source, it seems that the final architecture has been rushed through the door, with undesirable consequences. Nintendo’s low cost policy, which has so far allowed the company to surf the tech wave in a distinctively offbeat way, all the while maintaining incredibly high margins, could be about to backfire.

Tethered so far
So far, the Wii U controller’s main chipset - that manages the device’s essential functions, including streaming and wireless – seems inadequate. This chip, described by our source as maybe a tad too cheap, has been the sources of many headaches in recent weeks. So far, the wireless functions simply do not work – at all. There have been so far three different prototypes, and a fourth iteration is expected by select developers at the end of the month.

Developers on the brink
So far, developers are working with a tethered controller: each one is fitted with a small black box with a tethered connection to the main unit. And even then, it still doesn’t work properly. Many developers are feeling lost, their progress impeded by a distinct lack of visibility, their working days paced by the quasi-daily software updates. In those conditions, many feel unable to properly exploit the system’s most innovative and promising features, those very features they haven’t been able to test properly so far.

What about the schedule ?
Ten months before the tentative release date – developers are still expecting a June 2012 release – the fact that Nintendo engineers are still struggling to make this supposedly final architecture function properly is worrisome at best. Could Nintendo have to make radical last-minute changes, and if so, what would be the cost? This unexpected development runs contrary to Nintendo’s reputation for carefully weighing all tech options long before any announcement. Inside the company, there have been talks of a delayed release, with September as a new tentative date. Being three months off-schedule doesn’t seem such a big issue, when compared to a home console’s life cycle. But this is not 2006 anymore. The industry is undergoing a radical mutation, and there is a growing amount of rumors positioning Microsoft’s next system to be unveiled during the 2012 E3 conference, and a relase in short order. If that was to happen, the Wii U would only enjoy a few months of “optimal run” alongside the Xbox 360, which would essentially moot the much-touted ease with which developers can port 360 code for the Wii U. To succeed in its incredibly audacious endeavour, Nintendo will have to walk a very tight rope.

Copyright 01net – 2011

Read the original article in French here.

 

[jman2050]

Did it expand beyond the meltdowns here, too? Were their similar cries from investors and people to quit making hardware?

There was a lot of "this is a third pillar, wait for Gameboy Next" at the time.

 

[BLagiver]

I will admit I'm not entirely 100% convinced myself, but judging by NSMB/NSMBW and MKDS/MKWii sales, those seem like franchises that the public really, really likes. Once new iterations come out, folks are going to want to play 'em, and to play 'em they'll have to buy the hardware to play them on.

Or folks could say, been there done that and be tired of those titles and want something fresh?

 

[blu]

Their article on WiiU is on:

http://www.01net.com/genere/article/fichiersAttaches/1314112925-nintendo-wiiu-english-parttwo.rtf

I particularly loved the 'Developers on the Brink' chapter - pure gold.

(article is written as if by somebody who's was recently teleported to planet Earth, and has no clue whatsoever of console launches. But has a good taste for drama. If the same person was around the xb360's launch, they could've wet themselves).

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Or folks could say, been there done that and be tired of those titles and want something fresh?

Six Call of Duty titles over six years says lol.

 

[rollingstart]

I will admit I'm not entirely 100% convinced myself, but judging by NSMB/NSMBW and MKDS/MKWii sales, those seem like franchises that the public really, really likes. Once new iterations come out, folks are going to want to play 'em, and to play 'em they'll have to buy the hardware to play them on.

problem is you can't bank on history

you're really only looking at ~6 years of Nintendo's long history, and only Nintendo's history. right now the 3DS most closely resembles the PS3. that's a favorite comparison because at least the PS3, while in last place, managed to stick around.

and the public isn't a reliable hive mind. the music genre was huge, and then no one wanted it, and Toys R Us is now selling $100+ kits for $10. who knows when the same will happen for Call of Duty, but that was hardly a presence until 2007.

you can say I'm using history to put on a pessimistic spin, but it's just playing devil's advocate. it's mostly disingenuous to make stringent claims for either or.

 

[jman2050]

Or folks could say, been there done that and be tired of those titles and want something fresh?

If people are willing to buy a new CoD once a year, people will buy a new Mario Kart once every 3 years.

 

[Gospel]

They could turn this 5 part series into a telenovela and i would watch it.

 

[Graphics Horse]

As for anyone believing that Nintendo would add something like this to the machine - all previous add-ons for Nintendo have been using expansion ports built into the systems - where exactly do you guys expect this to plug and draw power from?

OK this might not be a good example, but here's an add on grip for the 3ds, it gives your 3ds bigger speakers and contains a rechargable battery for better battery life, naturally feeding the 3DS through the a/c port.

Adding a control stick to a more suitably shaped grip would not out of the question, transmitting into the 3DS's I/R port which is covered up by the left hand rear plate on the image above. But only if they reaaaally wanted a second analog stick.

 

[_Alkaline_]

If people are willing to buy a new CoD once a year, people will buy a new Mario Kart once every 3 years.

Let's not bring logic into this.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

If people are willing to buy a new CoD once a year, people will buy a new Mario Kart once every 3 years.

And if you're a handheld only player there hasn't been a new Mario Kart in what will be 6 years this November.

 

[Truth101]

OK this might not be a good example, but here's an add on grip for the 3ds, it gives your 3ds bigger speakers and contains a rechargable battery for better battery life, naturally feeding the 3DS through the a/c port.

Adding a control stick to a more suitably shaped grip would not out of the question, transmitting into the 3DS's I/R port which is covered up by the left hand rear plate on the image above. But only if they reaaaally wanted a second analog stick.

What is this contraption? Link please.

 

[KAL2006]

The 3DS is just too much of an outdated system. Everything about it is outdated, it's online infrastructure is prehistoric with no messeging and friends code. The store is barebones and sluggish, with no universal account and no backwards compatiblitity of old VC purchases from Wii. The digital library is also lacking compared to iOS and even XBLA/PSN, it is obvious digital games delivery is important with handhelds that is why Vita is releasing every games digitally and pushing indie scene with PSN and PS Suite. 3DS is not even using standard control schemes people are use in this day and age, such as capacitive touchscreen on the main screen which all smartphones have, or dual analog controls which the hd consoles have and which the PSP got a backlash for.

This is what I mean, Nintendo just got lazy with the hardware this time, nothing revolutionary this time, and nothing even up to the standards of todays market.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

OK this might not be a good example, but here's an add on grip for the 3ds, it gives your 3ds bigger speakers and contains a rechargable battery for better battery life, naturally feeding the 3DS through the a/c port.

Adding a control stick to a more suitably shaped grip would not out of the question, transmitting into the 3DS's I/R port which is covered up by the left hand rear plate on the image above. But only if they reaaaally wanted a second analog stick.

It seems like dropping this would break the pin inside the headphone jack.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

problem is you can't bank on history

you're really only looking at ~6 years of Nintendo's long history, and only Nintendo's history. right now the 3DS most closely resembles the PS3. that's a favorite comparison because at least the PS3, while in last place, managed to stick around.

and the public isn't a reliable hive mind. the music genre was huge, and then no one wanted it, and Toys R Us is now selling $100+ kits for $10. who knows when the same will happen for Call of Duty, but that was hardly a presence until 2007.

you can say I'm using history to put on a pessimistic spin, but it's just playing devil's advocate. it's mostly disingenuous to make stringent claims for either or.

Problem is that Nintendo's handhelds have dominated the market for over 20 years now, and while, of course, that's not going to be something that's going to exist forever, I think it's a bit too soon to say: "Yeah, welp, they're done."

 

[fabricated backlash]

I particularly loved the 'Developers on the Brink' chapter - pure gold.

(article is written as if by somebody who's was recently teleported to planet Earth, and has no clue whatsoever of console launches. But has a good taste for drama. If the same person was around the xb360's launch, they could've wet themselves).

I think the writers intention is painfully obvious. No need to make up excuses for this sensationalistic what if bullshit.

 

[beelzebozo]

And if you're a handheld only player there hasn't been a new Mario Kart in what will be 6 years this November.

they'd do better releasing a new i.p., like super lanky possum racer. something fresh.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

The 3DS is just too much of an outdated system. Everything about it is outdated, it's online infrastructure is prehistoric with no messeging and friends code. The store is barebones and sluggish, with no universal account and no backwards compatiblitity of old VC purchases from Wii. The digital library is also lacking compared to iOS and even XBLA/PSN, it is obvious digital games delivery is important with handhelds that is why Vita is releasing every games digitally and pushing indie scene with PSN and PS Suite. 3DS is not even using standard control schemes people are use in this day and age, such as capacitive touchscreen on the main screen which all smartphones have, or dual analog controls which the hd consoles have and which the PSP got a backlash for.

This is what I mean, Nintendo just got lazy with the hardware this time, nothing revolutionary this time, and nothing even up to the standards of todays market.

I was wondering where the old KAL2006 was.

I guess he was just resting.

 

[jman2050]

The 3DS is just too much of an outdated system. Everything about it is outdated, it's online infrastructure is prehistoric with no messeging and friends code. The store is barebones and sluggish, with no universal account and no backwards compatiblitity of old VC purchases from Wii. The digital library is also lacking compared to iOS and even XBLA/PSN, it is obvious digital games delivery is important with handhelds that is why Vita is releasing every games digitally and pushing indie scene with PSN and PS Suite. 3DS is not even using standard control schemes people are use in this day and age, such as capacitive touchscreen on the main screen which all smartphones have, or dual analog controls which the hd consoles have and which the PSP got a backlash for.

This is what I mean, Nintendo just got lazy with the hardware this time, nothing revolutionary this time, and nothing even up to the standards of todays market.

It's also the only device out there that will play the next Pokemon.

 

[DaSorcerer7]

The 3DS is just too much of an outdated system. Everything about it is outdated, it's online infrastructure is prehistoric with no messeging and friends code. The store is barebones and sluggish, with no universal account and no backwards compatiblitity of old VC purchases from Wii. The digital library is also lacking compared to iOS and even XBLA/PSN, it is obvious digital games delivery is important with handhelds that is why Vita is releasing every games digitally and pushing indie scene with PSN and PS Suite. 3DS is not even using standard control schemes people are use in this day and age, such as capacitive touchscreen on the main screen which all smartphones have, or dual analog controls which the hd consoles have and which the PSP got a backlash for.

This is what I mean, Nintendo just got lazy with the hardware this time, nothing revolutionary this time, and nothing even up to the standards of todays market.

Yeah the Vita will be the second coming, we know KAL.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

they'd do better releasing a new i.p., like super lanky possum racer. something fresh.

I'm actually a bit surprised they haven't gone the Smash Bros. route and thrown in a bunch of different Nintendo characters into a kart racing game, TBH.

 

[French]

The 3DS is just too much of an outdated system. Everything about it is outdated, it's online infrastructure is prehistoric with no messeging and friends code. The store is barebones and sluggish, with no universal account and no backwards compatiblitity of old VC purchases from Wii. The digital library is also lacking compared to iOS and even XBLA/PSN, it is obvious digital games delivery is important with handhelds that is why Vita is releasing every games digitally and pushing indie scene with PSN and PS Suite. 3DS is not even using standard control schemes people are use in this day and age, such as capacitive touchscreen on the main screen which all smartphones have, or dual analog controls which the hd consoles have and which the PSP got a backlash for.

True.

I would also add : not powerful enough, bad quality ( and tiny ) screens, and no multitouch.

 

[Graphics Horse]

What is this contraption? Link please.

There seems to be dozens of the things, I just picked one at random. I cannot vouch for its quality
http://www.gamingzap.com/nintendo-3ds-rechargable-gaming-grip-with-speakers.html

 

[Monarch]

About the Wii U part, IIRC, all Wii U controllers at E3 were all wired to the unit right ?

 

[Lord_Byron28]

As someone who wasn't hanging around GAF for the DS and Wii launches, were the doom and gloom for those anywhere near the madness that is surrounding th 3DS?

Yes. Some things were much worse. Many out right denied sales, blamed Nintendo and said they were purposefully creating shortages on their hardware, many said sales or the existense of non-games didn't count either. However, there were reasonable posters that were doubtful of things and I'd say the people that predicted the DS and Wii would do as well as they did were rather crazy as well.

 

[Piercedveil]

I'm actually a bit surprised they haven't gone the Smash Bros. route and thrown in a bunch of different Nintendo characters into a kart racing game, TBH.

Unlocking certain characters could be cool.

 

[_Alkaline_]

they'd do better releasing a new i.p., like super lanky possum racer. something fresh.

This must happen.

Now.

 

[KAL2006]

True.

I would also add : not powerful enough, bad quality ( and tiny ) screens, and no multitouch.

I think those things don't matter, the major things are no multi touch on the main screen, no dual analogs, shitty store and shitty online infrastructure.

EDIT: and low resolution screens

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I'm actually a bit surprised they haven't gone the Smash Bros. route and thrown in a bunch of different Nintendo characters into a kart racing game, TBH.

Sakurai once mentioned something about needing Nintendo approval to get their more well-known characters to do things.

Like "No, Link's circular slash wouldn't go on that long" or "Wario would only chomp on something once." One of the reasons he favors Kirby is that no one questions his decisions about what to do with him.

Maybe it's just easier to use Shy Guy instead of Metaknight.

 

[charlequin]

is it really unreasonable that nintendo releases a 3ds revision with a new name and two analogue sticks?

Yes.

To be fair, "every one of your customers" doesn't mean much in this case, because the system is so young and hasn't been selling all that well.

Showing that the people making decisions at your company are seriously deranged and reactionary does more than alienate people who already bought the product you're currently futzing around with, it warns everybody off from buying your next product because it becomes clear you won't stand behind it.

Do you think that the very idea of releasing a 3D-less revision of the system is a bad one too?

Yes, an outrageously bad one. The system is what it is. Whether or not 3D was a good idea, it's part of the system now and it's too late to roll it back.

Throughout this entire thread I see a lot of people saying, basically, "Nintendo should notice any feature that got anything short of absolute, slavish dedication from its fans and IMMEDIATELY apologize for it by releasing a new model that removes it." That's so wildly disconnected from the reality of product development I don't even know how to address it. Companies -- Nintendo, even! -- have had far less successful systems with far more problematic features in the past and none of them tried to desperately beg the public to take them back by tossing things out left and right.

 

[KAL2006]

Yes, an outrageously bad one. The system is what it is. Whether or not 3D was a good idea, it's part of the system now and it's too late to roll it back.

Throughout this entire thread I see a lot of people saying, basically, "Nintendo should notice any feature that got anything short of absolute, slavish dedication from its fans and IMMEDIATELY apologize for it by releasing a new model that removes it." That's so wildly disconnected from the reality of product development I don't even know how to address it. Companies -- Nintendo, even! -- have had far less successful systems with far more problematic features in the past and none of them tried to desperately beg the public to take them back by tossing things out left and right.

I completely disagree, I think down the line Nintendo will release a budget 3DS, kind of like the new PSP, where it removes 3D, but the price of the system is even more cheaper. The reason for this is to get rid of the fear of 3D will fuck up your eyes impression most people get, remember Nintendo's best customers are the kiddies. Of course this doesn't mean they won't make a 3D system anymore, I think they will have 2 SKU's in the future. 3DSi and 2DSi. So basically the new revision will have 2 models, the 3D one will be the premium model and the 2D one will be the cheapo model for the kiddies.

 

[StevieP]

Multitouch is completely and utterly useless for a system that has sticks/d-pads/buttons/etc at its disposal. I don't understand the rinse-and-repeat of KAL and French on this matter. I know the whole trolling aspect of it is there, especially in French's case... but really.

What the F are you going to use multitouch for? This isn't a buttonless iphone.

remember Nintendo's best customers are the kiddies

Are you talking about the gameboy-era Nintendo? Or the DS/Wii Nintendo? Because that is patently untrue. The rest of your post is rather humorous, however. A 2DSi? lol

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

I think the real problem in this thread is that people cannot comprehend just how low the chances are of doing many of these predictions. It's true the mind has trouble understanding odds that are so miniscule they might as well be zero.

We're still trying to argue about an "alternate reality Nintendo" as opposed to the reality we exist in.

But this thread is already for the birds once the Sony fanboys showed up to inform us about how bad the 3DS is.

 

[Maxrunner]

This is what I mean, Nintendo just got lazy with the hardware this time, nothing revolutionary this time, and nothing even up to the standards of todays market.

Its a freaking portable wii/GC for christ sake, just because Sony likes to jump ahead of tech generations the others dont have to follow and in this case bleed money like Sony does....

 

[StevieP]

Its a freaking portable wii/GC for christ sake, just because Sony likes to jump ahead of tech generations the others dont have to follow and in this case bleed money like Sony does....

Actually, unlike the Wii's GPU, the Pica can do shaders a lot easier than the TEV unit.

 

[theBishop]

It's disturbing that they can't get the streaming functionality to work properly. Streaming HD video technology has been available to consumers for over a year:

http://www.intel.com/go/widi/

 

[dark10x]

I don't think it would be smart of Nintendo to change the platform at this point. Such a division could have grave consequences in the long term.

That said, I've felt the 3DS hardware itself was poorly thought out from day 1.

First and foremost, the 3D directly conflicts with many other features of the system. Using the motion sensing function, for instance, kills 3D in nearly all cases as movement of the device breaks the illusion.

Secondly, directly interacting with the game via the touchscreen is also an issue in that you cannot support a 3D game featuring any sort of direct touch mechanic. This was very common on DS and is the only way to play on smart phones. This, along with the use of a low quality resistive screen, seem like a large oversight.

Then you have things such as the stylus placement, which is awkward and difficult to use, the terrible battery life (worse than the original PSP even), the ultra cheap cameras, and the absolutely terrible viewing angle limitations (double images are common even when viewing properly).

I like the 3DS and have owned one since day 1, but I definitely feel as if it doesn't live up to what it could have been. The 3D isn't anywhere near as cool as I had expected due to some unforeseen problems (high contrast images look terrible in 3D, for instance) and the rest of the system feels somewhat clunky and at odds with itself. The original DS was hideous, but the core functionality worked properly and introduced something original to the gaming space (touch).

Honestly, I feel that 3D as a whole is kind of a bust. Consumers were fascinated by it initially (myself included), but it just isn't as good as companies would like us to believe. Viewing it is still a hassle (even on 3DS) and the effect isn't as dramatic as one would hope (everything appears as flat cutouts). I'm sure it will still be successful to a degree, but it seems like they've made some errors this time that may hurt the system. Nintendo's reaction to its lack of success has also been rather surprising as they've never taken such drastic measures before.

I'm curious to know if Sony views all of this as a good or a bad thing? On one hand, Nintendo is competition, but on the other hand it could represent the death of a standard handheld games machine in favor of smart phones. Still, hardware wise, I think Sony made some wise decisions. The Vita can support hardcore games perfectly, but it also offers the same quality of multi-touch as a smartphone in addition to a lot of fleshed out features.

It's disturbing that they can't get the streaming functionality to work properly. Streaming HD video technology has been available to consumers for over a year:

Interestingly, Sony did this years ago with PSP and PS3 via remote play. You could connect to your PS3 over the internet using a PSP and display the XMB for movie, music, and photo playback along with a number of different games. Some of the games supporting this function were quite bizarre as well (Lair was one of them).

Still, Nintendo is trying to deliver this sort of thing at a much higher quality. They need to display artifact free 60 fps imagery on the Wii U controller for it to feel right.

 

[theBishop]

Multitouch is completely and utterly useless for a system that has sticks/d-pads/buttons/etc at its disposal.

Multitouch is just the standard now. Not only is it ... um ... multitouch, but capacitive technology is much more finger-friendly than a resistive screen.

 

[StuBurns]

I mentioned it on the last page, but it was an edit when we were already on here, but seriously, what is going on with DS pricing?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004ISLDV0/
Black 3DS, £130

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001T8W2LW/
Black DSi, £140

What?

 

[AbsoluteZero]

The 3DS is just too much of an outdated system. Everything about it is outdated, it's online infrastructure is prehistoric with no messeging and friends code. The store is barebones and sluggish, with no universal account and no backwards compatiblitity of old VC purchases from Wii. The digital library is also lacking compared to iOS and even XBLA/PSN, it is obvious digital games delivery is important with handhelds that is why Vita is releasing every games digitally and pushing indie scene with PSN and PS Suite. 3DS is not even using standard control schemes people are use in this day and age, such as capacitive touchscreen on the main screen which all smartphones have, or dual analog controls which the hd consoles have and which the PSP got a backlash for.

This is what I mean, Nintendo just got lazy with the hardware this time, nothing revolutionary this time, and nothing even up to the standards of todays market.

Why can't you just accept that it's not for you and move on with your life?

 

[StevieP]

Multitouch is just the standard now. Not only is it ... um ... multitouch, but capacitive technology is much more finger-friendly than a resistive screen.

The standard for *what* exactly?

multi-touch

 

[rollingstart]

Problem is that Nintendo's handhelds have dominated the market for over 20 years now, and while, of course, that's not going to be something that's going to exist forever, I think it's a bit too soon to say: "Yeah, welp, they're done."

again, you're only looking at Nintendo. in those, their competition was hardly ever strong. game gear, wonder swan, neo geo pocket, zodiac...ngage. nothing really mattered. psp is the first to really compete, at least in Japan. and Apple is a big force in the west.

no one is saying their done. nintendo isn't some small company. but there's a good chance the 3DS won't come near the success they've had with the last two systems. like the PS3 to the PS2.

 

[KAL2006]

Multitouch is completely and utterly useless for a system that has sticks/d-pads/buttons/etc at its disposal. I don't understand the rinse-and-repeat of KAL and French on this matter. I know the whole trolling aspect of it is there, especially in French's case... but really.

What the F are you going to use multitouch for? This isn't a buttonless iphone.



Are you talking about the gameboy-era Nintendo? Or the DS/Wii Nintendo? Because that is patently untrue. The rest of your post is rather humorous, however. A 2DSi? lol

The reason for multitouch is to be able to touch game enviroments. It is basically a standard in mobile interfaces. Anyone knows how to use a touchscreen and feel more comfortable with it, for navigating menu's for using apps like facebook and web browser and etc. Also many games make use of touchscreen, as shown by all the iOS games. Hell many new versions of old DS franchises could have used multitouchscreen, such as Nintendogs. Lets not forget the exception of not having dual analogs is a mistake. Like I said everything about 3DS seems outdated, from control interface, to OS, to online infrastructure, to online store, to even the screens (it's like they basically reused the old DS screen, except it is slightly higher res, hell isn't the res the same as PSP which is bad for a next gen handheld).

 

[dark10x]

Multitouch is completely and utterly useless for a system that has sticks/d-pads/buttons/etc at its disposal. I don't understand the rinse-and-repeat of KAL and French on this matter. I know the whole trolling aspect of it is there, especially in French's case... but really.

What the F are you going to use multitouch for? This isn't a buttonless iphone.

Multitouch is simply a function made possible by the use of a capacitive touch screen as opposed to a resistive screen. Capacitive screens are MUCH more responsive for the user and have been the standard in smart phones for a while. Going to the 3DS screen feels like an enormous downgrade.

So, again, this isn't about multitouch, rather, the use of a higher quality type of touch panel more suited to gaming.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

I mentioned it on the last page, but it was an edit when we were already on here, but seriously, what is going on with DS pricing?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004ISLDV0/
Black 3DS, £130

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001T8W2LW/
Black DSi, £140

What?

It's normally priced on the US Amazon. Maybe it's a regional thing.

3DS: $170
DSi: $150
DSiXL: $170

 

[gogogow]

I mentioned it on the last page, but it was an edit when we were already on here, but seriously, what is going on with DS pricing?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004ISLDV0/
Black 3DS, £130

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001T8W2LW/
Black DSi, £140

What?

Different sellers.
Amazon.co.uk is selling the DSi for £109.99 and 3DS for£129.91

 

[StevieP]

No.

 

[KAL2006]

Its a freaking portable wii/GC for christ sake, just because Sony likes to jump ahead of tech generations the others dont have to follow and in this case bleed money like Sony does....

I am not saying it has to be a graphical beast, no were in my previous posts I have mentioned this, all I was saying it could have kept with the standards of smartphones and Vita and even old hd consoles in terms of controls, online infrastructure, online store and etc.

 

[dark10x]

No.

Stop being an idiot. Capacitive screens are worlds better than resistive screens regardless of whether they use multitouch.

Interacting with a finger is much better than using a stylus on a portable unit. The stylus placement is so poor on 3DS that it becomes even more of an issue when you are forced to use it. Using a finger on the 3DS screen is a chore compared to any capacitive screen.

I've been played OoT 3D lately and all menus are driven by the touch screen and expect you to use your thumb. The poor quality of the resistive screen, however, results in a less than satisfactory touch experience. It would work much better with a capacitive screen.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

The reason for multitouch is to be able to touch game enviroments. It is basically a standard in mobile interfaces. Anyone knows how to use a touchscreen and feel more comfortable with it, for navigating menu's for using apps like facebook and web browser and etc. Also many games make use of touchscreen, as shown by all the iOS games. Hell many new versions of old DS franchises could have used multitouchscreen, such as Nintendogs. Lets not forget the exception of not having dual analogs is a mistake. Like I said everything about 3DS seems outdated, from control interface, to OS, to online infrastructure, to online store, to even the screens (it's like they basically reused the old DS screen, except it is slightly higher res, hell isn't the res the same as PSP which is bad for a next gen handheld).

Y'know you seem to be describing a device awfully similar to this thing that Sony's releasing next year called the "Vita". Maybe you can try it out and see if it's more to your taste.