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[Dash Kappei]

Doubt it. Skyward Sword will launch this holiday. Project Cafe won't be out regardless. Dragon Quest X in the same launch window if anything. It will backwards compatible however, so if the machine can do Dolphin-esque things to Wii and GameCube software I would be more than happy. That's what I'm hoping.

I see that as a pipedream, unfortunately.
PS3 doesn't achieve "Dolphinesque" beefed up looks for PS2 titles either, after all.
Upscaling, definitely, but up-rendering with Anisotropic filtering and AA tho? Doubtful.

 

[heyf00L]

That's ugly as fuck but would actually be comfortable to hold.

For me, the heavier and thicker the grip of a pad is, the better.

I have a feeling the screen is going to be used as a tablet, so requiring it to be within thumb's reach probably isn't a necessity. I think the mock ups that are "closest to the real thing" look great, but I can't imagine them being very ergonomic.

You are correct, sir. That's exactly what the PSO keyboard was like, and it was very comfortable actually.

 

[brochiller]

C stick is the number one con. I wasn't a fan of the hard edges around either analog stick, but they never became too much of a problem.

One thing I noticed about GC controllers is that the sticks tended to be very loose. After a few months of use they'd "fall" into a certain direction and get stuck there. Happened to every one I owned.

I didn't like the Z button on the GC controller either. For one thing, there should have been two of them, and for another, it felt like crap to press.

 

[Red]

The problem with these kinds of designs is the weight and the inclusion of a touch screen. Presumably, you'll sometimes have to cradle the thing one-handed in a fashion similar to the way people hold the DS, so less weight and a smaller form factor would probably make more sense.

Still, it could be more like a regular controller, but i personally think it's unlikely, especially since the mockup that 01.net says is closest looks a lot like a gameboy.

I know ultimately the controller will be designed for people with smaller hands (likely children), so I'm not holding my breath. I know what you're saying about less weight because of holding it with one hand, but even still I'd like it to have some heft.

The mockups are okay. I don't have a huge problem with them. My biggest complaint isn't the size or grip at all, it's the position of the right thumbstick. Why is it above the face buttons? But it's just a mockup, so I won't jump to (many) conclusions.

Some people look at me weird when I tell them I want controllers to be heavy. I loved the original X Box's Duke controller. It was huge, and felt great. The controller S and 360 controllers aren't bad successors, but there's less finger room on them than I'd like.

KAL2006 was right saying GC controllers were damn comfortable. They were great. Felt a bit plasticky and toylike but still much better than what Nintendo had done before. If they "relaunched" a GC style controller with the build quality of a Wiimote and an improved C stick, I'd be more than happy.

 

[defferoo]

I see that as a pipedream, unfortunately.
PS3 doesn't achieve "Dolphinesque" beefed up looks for PS2 titles either, after all.
Upscaling, definitely, but up-rendering with Anisotropic filtering and AA tho? Doubtful.

the PS3 also used a completely different architecture from the ps2. the cafe should be using the same powerpc instruction set. but you're right, unless nintendo is using software emulation coupled with hardware support for said emulation, it's unlikely we'll see Wii games being rendered in HD. I guess there's always dolphin...

 

[radioheadrule83]

I had a little go at this mockup business...

This is the Aino V8000HDW media player, compared with a PSP. It has a 6" 16:9 screen...

Here it is in someones hands

and here is a mockup made to the same scale

Bit cramped but you get the idea. If the 01net story is right, it'll be a bit more tablet like, but I couldn't really think of a way to reconcile that with the idea of two triggers on each side, so I added Classic Controller Pro handles.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else? Button placement, lack of a 4th shoulder button, the "squishy" shoulder buttons, the C stick, no clicking sticks, and the D Pad were all back decisions. The shape was amazing though, and the "feel" of holding the shoulder button worked, just not the mechanics.

If they go with a "handheld" looking controller, that'll be a problem IMO. Those things hurt my hands like no other. I need handles, and an ergonomic shape. Find a way to fit a screen if they want to go that route (which makes no sense to me other than the "playing when the TV's off" thing) and I'll be happy.

 

[Red]

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else? Button placement, lack of a 4th shoulder button, the "squishy" shoulder buttons, the C stick, no clicking sticks, and the D Pad were all back decisions. The shape was amazing though, and the "feel" of the shoulder button worked, just not the mechanics.

If they go with a "handheld" looking controller, that'll be a problem IMO. Those things hurt my hands like no other. I need handles, and an ergonomic shape. Find a way to fit a screen if they want to go that route (which makes no sense to me other than the "playing when the TV's off thing") and I'll be happy.

If the ability to stream from console to controller leads to the creation of Four Swords type multiplayer games, it will be instantly worth it.

Also I'm guessing the controller screen would allow some UI space to get freed up on the TV.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else?

no

 

[Woffls]

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else? Button placement, lack of a 4th shoulder button, the "squishy" shoulder buttons, the C stick, no clicking sticks, and the D Pad were all back decisions. The shape was amazing though, and the "feel" of holding the shoulder button worked, just not the mechanics.

Analogue stick was brilliant, I prefer the face button layout to standard convention, the analogue triggers were great for some things (F-Zero GX) but not others... Z-button was just... strange xD D-pad and c-stick were a weak point for sure.

 

[KAL2006]

I had a little go at this mockup business...

I like this as it has handles like a normal controller while looking simple and elegant like a tablet.

One problem with it is that the right analog is in a bad position, it needs to be more in the middle and not straight below the face buttons as it would be hard to use, this can be solved by reducing the size of the face buttons (they seem to big based on the size comparison with PSP).

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else?

Ideal for first party games.

Unideal for third party???

Sure, but it was almost perfect for what it was designed for.

 

[TheLastCandle]

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else? Button placement, lack of a 4th shoulder button, the "squishy" shoulder buttons, the C stick, no clicking sticks, and the D Pad were all back decisions. The shape was amazing though, and the "feel" of holding the shoulder button worked, just not the mechanics.

If they go with a "handheld" looking controller, that'll be a problem IMO. Those things hurt my hands like no other. I need handles, and an ergonomic shape. Find a way to fit a screen if they want to go that route (which makes no sense to me other than the "playing when the TV's off thing") and I'll be happy.

Agreed in full. The GC pad felt absolutely wonderful and was nice and heavy and felt well made. The button placement though, while great for some games, was god awful for others.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

no

Wrong.

Analogue stick was brilliant, I prefer the face button layout to standard convention, the analogue triggers were great for some things (F-Zero GX) but not others... Z-button was just... strange xD D-pad and c-stick were a weak point for sure.

The main stick was good, yes, but the face buttons didn't work for a variety of 3rd party games. Unless your game was designed specifically for the GCN controller, there was usually a problem. I didn't enjoy the shoulder buttons at all, the Dreamcast and X360 have the best.

 

[Red]

Ideal for first party games.

Unideal for third party???

Sure, but it was almost perfect for what it was designed for.

Yeah. I don't think I ever played a game that wasn't first party or exclusive on my GC, so I never ran into any significant problems. F Zero, Metroid Prime, Smash Bros, etc. all worked perfectly.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

Wrong.

No. Also we've been through this n times. Is this some sort of running joke?

 

[brochiller]

Bit cramped but you get the idea. If the 01net story is right, it'll be a bit more tablet like, but I couldn't really think of a way to reconcile that with the idea of two triggers on each side, so I added Classic Controller Pro handles.

That is some great work there. I've been waiting to see a mockup of a controller with an actual 6'' to scale screen that is designed similar to the one you have there. It still seems pretty fragile since the only thing holding the two sides together is the screen. Should be some speakers on there somewhere too.

 

[KrawlMan]

That is some great work there. I've been waiting to see a mockup of a controller with an actual 6'' to scale screen that is designed similar to the one you have there. It still seems pretty fragile since the only thing holding the two sides together is the screen. Should be some speakers on there somewhere too.

If speakers are on the controller (I'd assume they would be in some form), I really hope they are better than the pos speaker they put in the wii remote.

 

[Father_Brain]

Interesting, albeit speculation-heavy article from 1up's Sam Kennedy:

With Project Cafe, Nintendo aims to create the first social game console. What do I mean by this? Well, here's where you have to start imagining the future with me. First off, no more friend codes, that's for damn sure. But start to think about what a company like Nintendo would want to do to have players gaming and sharing together. Take a look at what it's done with StreetPass on the 3DS (where players' items and achievements can be shared with others nearby even when the system is closed) and think about what it could do on its next connected console. Nintendo merely scratched the surface with its Mii parade (where peoples' virtual avatars could migrate to others' machines) and user generated polls on the Wii -- 5 years later, the company has much more ambitious plans. The new console will be designed around the concept of connecting, sharing, and gaming with others. Like you were gaming together in a café, if you will.

I'll take things a step further. Care to guess where the name "Stream" comes from? You've likely seen the supposed leaked image of the system's ability to stream games to its controller screens, but my understanding is that Nintendo aims to take this concept further and stream video of games being played to other peoples' machines so that friends can see what each other are up to. When you look at Nintendo consoles and handhelds, there's often a clear progression of its intent -- what starts as an experimental feature in one generation fully takes form in another. Chris Kohler just pointed out on Wired, for instance, that Project Cafe's touch-screen controller makes perfect sense if you look at Nintendo's past with the GBA to GameCube link cable.

But here's where things get potentially even cooler. Imagine seeing your friend's game in one of the screens. You click on it, and -- provided you have the game too -- you then seamlessly join his or her game. No waiting until the next match and no buffering to sync up consoles. Just a seamless online experience, exactly as Nintendo would want it. And the beauty of this is that the concept extends to not only new games, but potentially Nintendo's back catalog of classics. Got a friend racing the AI in Super Mario Kart? What if the game was retrofitted so that you could hop right in at any given moment? That, my friends, may well be the promise of Project Cafe.

And that's the thing I want to make clear about all of this: I really have no idea how much of this Nintendo will actually achieve with its new console. Again, Nintendo is hardly a company with a proven track record when it comes to online. But Nintendo does get social experiences, and if it's really ready to take the plunge on consoles, I believe it could revolutionize the market again, just as it did with the motion control interface last generation.

So when Stream or whatever it's eventually called is finally released and not everything is exactly as I hypothesized here, don't be shocked or disappointed. I just wanted to give you a taste of some of the rumblings I've heard, if only to paint a picture of what could be, regardless of how it ultimately takes shape. But I can at least assure you of two things: 1. This is absolutely the direction Nintendo is headed with its next console, and 2. Regardless of whether this all materializes in Project Cafe or in some console or handheld later, the future of social gaming as envisioned by Nintendo is sounding pretty darn exciting

 

[Net_Wrecker]

No. Also we've been through this n times. Is this some sort of running joke?

You can be wrong more than once.

Opinions, opinions whatever, but i'll be disappointed if they run with the GCN style anything on this new controller. The Classic Controller Pro is more where they should be looking. Just switch the placement of main analog stick and D-Pad.

 

[Red]

I wonder the camera will be used. Seems many mockups have one. A front facing camera on a controller can be used for video chats I suppose. I wonder if there will be any AR games using it, or if there is a rear facing camera for the same reason.

I'm guessing the controller isn't doing any calculations itself though, and I'm wondering how a camera streaming from a controller to a console and then back again will work for something like that.

You can be wrong more than once.

Opinions, opinions whatever, but i'll be disappointed if they run with the GCN style anything on this new controller. The Classic Controller Pro is more where they should be looking. Just switch the placement of main analog stick and D-Pad.

Man the classic controller is gross. All sticky plasticky and small. It's nice as a throwback to the SNES, but doesn't hold up under use.

 

[DataStream]

I'm having a lot of trouble understanding the point of the controller vs. just integrating control with 3ds.

This seems really odd to me.

 

[thehillissilent]

Interesting, albeit speculation-heavy article from 1up's Sam Kennedy:

It seems like he think Nintendo is going to become a more social version of OnLive.

 

[WillyFive]

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else?

Of course not, that would be wrong.

The analog triggers were perfect, the clear and distinct buttons were an excellent idea and something that should have been expanded upon by other consoles, and the controller was all around fun to use despite the lack of functionality.

 

[KAL2006]

If speakers are on the controller (I'd assume they would be in some form), I really hope they are better than the pos speaker they put in the wii remote.

I think the controller won't have speakers, I bet Nintendo will try to keep the cost of the controllers affordable, having speakers on a controller would just bump the size and cost up, decent speakers cost money and there is no point adding a speaker if it is a shitty as WiiMote speakers. You may ask then how will people stream without sound, well I expect a headphone port

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

It's not like anyone buys or even remembers new IPs when Nintendo makes them.

The ones people love were all new sometime. But every time they get a new successful one, it makes a new crowd clamoring for sequels to it, and increases the pile of reasons to not need new IPs.

I always thought it was stupid that the GCN controller had less buttons than the N64 controller.

Even if you don't accept the C stick as a replacement of the C buttons, from the most common N64 hold to the only GCN hold it was trading one button for an analog stick, a d-pad, and analog shoulders. Definitely a step up.

And do not worry about the pointer controls... with the touchscreen, a similar system to the K&M setup could be replicated... kinda like Metroid Prime: Hunters on the DS... but more comfortable.

I'm worried about using a mouse/pointer with no buttons.

Even the 3DS has 3axis gyro.

A controller that also has a screen is likely to have at least a 3axis gyro.

Wondering if there will be motion controls is like debating whether the Dpad will make it into the controller.

No doubt. Whether one could play a new Wii Sports on a controller we don't already own, though, is in question.

Can we all just agree that the GCN controller had a great shape but horrible everything else? Button placement, lack of a 4th shoulder button, the "squishy" shoulder buttons, the C stick, no clicking sticks, and the D Pad were all back decisions.

Hard to get agreement on all that. The A/B/X/Y and analog shoulders with huge range + click are things I feel no other controller has done as well. D-pad, C-stick, missing left Z, and no clicking sticks I can agree are downsides.

If speakers are on the controller (I'd assume they would be in some form), I really hope they are better than the pos speaker they put in the wii remote.

If they're really going to be streaming games to the thing, I'd think they'd at least match what they've been putting in their proper portable machines. Having a bigger-than-SD screen resolution and a wiimote speaker would be crazy imbalance.

 

[Death Dealer]

A reasonable hypothesis is 3-4x on the GPU. Whether you define this as a notch or significantly more powerful is a matter of perspective.

In absolute terms, it will no doubt be significantly more powerful than PS360.

For a console beginning the "next-gen" it doesn't seem like it will be exceedingly powerful.
(Based on the rumors it will use a GPU derived from something 3-4 years old at launch)

But even if PS4/X720 swing for the fences, Stream won't be nearly as outclassed as Wii was this generation. Last gen, PS360 systems used modern GPU designs and were something on the order of x20 more powerful than Wii. It was practically impossible to simultaneously develop the same game for all 3 systems.

But I think it's reasonable to expect the future competition for Nintendo's system maybe anywhere from only a x3-6 increase. It should be close enough the Stream console will be able to catch many "graphically dumbed down" ports of future 3rd party PS4/X720 games. I think that had to have been part of Nintendo's strategy.

It may sound unlikely, but if Stream's sales really take off, and the other companies don't get around to releasing their systems until 2014, it could lead to a situation like PS2/Xbox where many multiplatform developers will simply target Stream and not really take advantage of the more powerful systems. At least until the other user bases amount to something substantial.

 

[Krowley]

I know ultimately the controller will be designed for people with smaller hands (likely children), so I'm not holding my breath. I know what you're saying about less weight because of holding it with one hand, but even still I'd like it to have some heft.

The mockups are okay. I don't have a huge problem with them. My biggest complaint isn't the size or grip at all, it's the position of the right thumbstick. Why is it above the face buttons? But it's just a mockup, so I won't jump to (many) conclusions.

I would personally be surprised if the button layout is the thing they're talking about. I agree that having the stick above the buttons would be very weird. I suspect it's more about the thickness, shape and function.

 

[KAL2006]

I'm having a lot of trouble understanding the point of the controller vs. just integrating control with 3ds.

This seems really odd to me.

Isn't it quite obvious
With 3DS+WiiHD you need to buy 2 whole consoles which isn't appealing for most people and isn't really a big feature. It would end up being PSP-PS3 remote play or GBA-GC connectivity.

With WiiHD coming with a controller with a screen on it out of the box and being a standard this feature is a big bullet point and everyone will be aware of it straight away.

The 3DS does it's own thing and has it's own market being a hanheld, being the only 3D device, plus the 3DS doesn't even have dual analogs anyway.

 

[Plinko]

That's what 01net said no ? And they were right on other things.

IGN is now stating that "Multiple sources" have said the system is "significantly more powerful" than current systems.

 

[[Nintex]]

Interesting, albeit speculation-heavy article from 1up's Sam Kennedy:

To think that Nintendo would go from friendcodes, unsorted friend lists(see 3DS), no communication between players online and no support for other online feature even the Dreamcast had to some sort of incredible online system allowing you and your friends to drop in and drop out of Mario Kart matches at any time is simply crazy.

 

[Red]

IGN is now stating that "Multiple sources" have said the system is "significantly more powerful" than current systems.

Right, but it's still IGN.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Man the classic controller is gross. All sticky plasticky and small. It's nice as a throwback to the SNES, but doesn't hold up under use.

I just meant general shape and button placement, not the actual size or type of plastic.

Of course not, that would be wrong.

The analog triggers were perfect, the clear and distinct buttons were an excellent idea and something that should have been expanded upon by other consoles, and the controller was all around fun to use despite the lack of functionality.

Hard to get agreement on all that. The A/B/X/Y and analog shoulders with huge range + click are things I feel no other controller has done as well. D-pad, C-stick, missing left Z, and no clicking sticks I can agree are downsides.

I am surprised to see that people liked the huge A button with "orbiting" smaller buttons around it. That placement made many genres feel very weird with the GCN controller. For platformers or SSB, it was great, but I feel that other genres started being designed with the "normal" placement in mind making the GCN controller feel more and more out of place.

 

[KAL2006]

IGN is now stating that "Multiple sources" have said the system is "significantly more powerful" than current systems.

didn't 01net say based on R700, well a 4770 and 4870 is significantly more powerful than a 360

 

[Plinko]

But here's where things get potentially even cooler. Imagine seeing your friend's game in one of the screens. You click on it, and -- provided you have the game too -- you then seamlessly join his or her game. No waiting until the next match and no buffering to sync up consoles. Just a seamless online experience, exactly as Nintendo would want it. And the beauty of this is that the concept extends to not only new games, but potentially Nintendo's back catalog of classics. Got a friend racing the AI in Super Mario Kart? What if the game was retrofitted so that you could hop right in at any given moment? That, my friends, may well be the promise of Project Cafe.

If Nintendo pulls this off it would be absolutely amazing. This really would be a major step in perfecting the online system.

 

[Shiggy]

but my understanding is that Nintendo aims to take this concept further and stream video of games being played to other peoples' machines so that friends can see what each other are up to

Sounds reasonable, that's what I could gather from a somewhat recent patent (which would also fit the Wii-DS connection though).

 

[DataStream]

Isn't it quite obvious
With 3DS+WiiHD you need to buy 2 whole consoles which isn't appealing for most people and isn't really a big feature. It would end up being PSP-PS3 remote play or GBA-GC connectivity.

With WiiHD coming with a controller with a screen on it out of the box and being a standard this feature is a big bullet point and everyone will be aware of it straight away.

The 3DS does it's own thing and has it's own market being a hanheld, being the only 3D device, plus the 3DS doesn't even have dual analogs anyway.

All fine and good, but do you really see spare controllers being low in price? I'm guessing they'll be about 40% the total cost of a 3ds.

I'm sure there is some grand scheme here but it all seems a bit weird... and totally different direction from their last console.

 

[brochiller]

Isn't it quite obvious
With 3DS+WiiHD you need to buy 2 whole consoles which isn't appealing for most people and isn't really a big feature. It would end up being PSP-PS3 remote play or GBA-GC connectivity.

With WiiHD coming with a controller with a screen on it out of the box and being a standard this feature is a big bullet point and everyone will be aware of it straight away.

The 3DS does it's own thing and has it's own market being a hanheld, being the only 3D device, plus the 3DS doesn't even have dual analogs anyway.

Exactly. Developers would actually put time into thinking about what they can use a second screen for since everybody that has the console will have one. Plus having a touch screen opens up up endless possibilities and could pave the way for genres that have traditionally struggled on consoles to finally succeed.

 

[Plinko]

Right, but it's still IGN.

True. They seem to have more concrete (as concrete as rumors can get, I guess) information about the hardware itself, though, don't they?

 

[majortom1981]

To think that Nintendo would go from friendcodes, unsorted friend lists(see 3DS), no communication between players online and no support for other online feature even the Dreamcast had to some sort of incredible online system allowing you and your friends to drop in and drop out of Mario Kart matches at any time is simply crazy.

Just like controllers to the wiimote right? Nintendo has done it before with controllers and dual screens so why not online?

 

[Door2Dawn]

Right, but it's still IGN.

How does that negate the fact that it has multiple sources?

 

[Red]

How does that negate the fact that it has multiple sources?

IGN claiming multiple sources adds no credibility to what they're saying. It could be that the information is correct, but I wouldn't implicitly trust them.

 

[Ickman3400]

Interesting, albeit speculation-heavy article from 1up's Sam Kennedy:

Ugh. There's too much obsession over social crap in gaming. No co op or multiplayer game will ever come close to the single player masterpieces we've had. But who cares when I can shoot my bros.

 

[radioheadrule83]

I'm having a lot of trouble understanding the point of the controller vs. just integrating control with 3ds.

This seems really odd to me.

If its true that they've found a way for the console to process gameplay and stream video to these controllers, then the controllers themselves don't need the more complex components that something like a 3DS has... which has two screens, its own logic board, a card reader, an SD card reader, a PICA 200 GPU, two ARM processors etc. These controllers would need a chipset capable of syncing with the console, outputting the video they receive and sending back controller input. So in essence, one of these controllers should be a lot cheaper than a 3DS, or indeed - a PSP/NGP, smartphone or tablet. The concept of gameplay transmission to these devices sounds a bit like OnLive meets "Connectivity", only based entirely in the home. And of course, it will play games normally on a HDTV just fine.

Because a powerful console is doing the processing, the visuals on the small screen should be beyond what other devices can do, and I can imagine it serving as a cool multi-purpose gaming and multimedia device as long as you're within range of the console.

In essence, the value proposition becomes - should I buy a high-end portable / iPad 2 - OR - should I buy a Café and get a HD console and powerful household portable for the price of one?

Of course, there will be gameplay benefits to having an extra screen in your hands too. Imagine an FPS game where everyone has their own screen and the HDTV acts as an Arena-Cam or plays highlights. Imagine a quiz game like Buzz where people can select hidden answers. Imagine people gathering around the console for a game of Pictionary or something... or the new generation of connectivity games like Four Swords Adventures, FFCC and Pacman VS. Another good idea someone mentioned was a game where other players play on normal controllers or Wii remotes, and one player uses the tablet controller to set up traps around a level... Nintendo has probably thought of possibilities that we haven't even considered.

I like Sam Kennedy's post, but it's really nice pie in the sky thinking imo... I would love him to be right about some of that but I doubt he will be.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I am surprised to see that people liked the huge A button with "orbiting" smaller buttons around it.

GCN's A and B are so rad. Take an SNES button layout. Are the main buttons B/A or Y/B? Depends. The entire PlayStation controller family has gone on for 15+ years unsure from game to game and region to region whether X means "Strike out! Cancel" or X "marks the spot! Confirm". With GCN there's no doubt. The big green button is your main/confirm button, and the little red satellite is the secondary/cancel button. Occasionally a game would do something like have Y be cancel, but those games were forced to wear dunce caps.

Only in cases like Street Fighter where you have some parallel (row of punches in ascending strength, row of kicks in ascending strength) do I think the GCN layout is clearly at a disadvantage.

 

[Bert]

Two things spring to mind:

1) This is perfect for family board games and the like, and poker nights, etc. Overall I really hope it brings back awesome local multiplayer, instead of reliance on online only.

2) If the controller has a front facing camera, how hard would it be to implement eye tracking, so you could just glance down at the screen and select an option? Would remove the problem of having to reach the touchscreen while playing.

 

[WillyFive]

I am surprised to see that people liked the huge A button with "orbiting" smaller buttons around it. That placement made many genres feel very weird with the GCN controller. For platformers or SSB, it was great, but I feel that other genres started being designed with the "normal" placement in mind making the GCN controller feel more and more out of place.

Having an chain of hierarchy in the face buttons helped made it more logical.

It's not like with the SNES-style button scheme, where either B or A could be the main action, or backwards with the 360 controller.

With the Gamecube, not only was it harder to miss and press the wrong button, you knew where the main and most important function was going to be (unless the developer was stupid).

 

[Ashodin]

Ugh. There's too much obsession over social crap in gaming. No co op or multiplayer game will ever come close to the single player masterpieces we've had. But who cares when I can shoot my bros.

Life is about the human experience, and that's with other people.

Singleplayer experiences are you seeing into a one-way street.

 

[brochiller]

You've likely seen the supposed leaked image of the system's ability to stream games to its controller screens, but my understanding is that Nintendo aims to take this concept further and stream video of games being played to other peoples' machines so that friends can see what each other are up to.

This is awesome. I can't wait to be playing a game and watching a friend of mine die in Zelda and proceed to call him a noob.

 

[Ickman3400]

Life is about the human experience, and that's with other people.

Singleplayer experiences are you seeing into a one-way street.

and that one-way street is glorious, like a one way street down paradise compared to the ghetto that is multiplayer.