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[Freezie KO]

Pretty positive being able to stream home console games from the controller is pretty fucking big

Why?

 

[Seraphinianus]

controllers = detachable portable console

makes no sense, but then again, not a whole lot about this new system does.

 

[SloppehSlawlz]

This sounds like complete crap. Going after the hardcore my ass.

 

[Big One]

Why?

Because aside from RemotePlay, you just can't do that. Imagine being able to play CoD with all of the online functionality of sitting in front of a TV, in the palm of your hand, just sitting on the toilet or even going outside. That's some pretty fantastic and appealing shit.

 

[Pimpbaa]

Why are people thinking streaming games to the controller is the only way this thing is gonna be used? IMO, it's gonna be like the DS by default and the ability to stream games and media is going to be an optional thing.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

controllers = detachable portable console

makes no sense, but then again, not a whole lot about this new system does.

It's not a console, it's just the screen. All the computational gruntwork will be done by the box, and you are "tethered" to it. You can't play your games 10km away from the console, since the controller isn't what is running the game.

 

[PantherLotus]

I wonder how the hardware handles rendering 4 800x480ish screens and then one at full HD for a session of Mario Kart which traditionally runs at 60fps.

This whole screen on a controller dealio smells of questionable ballfunk

Maybe it's a notch better than a 360 or PS3?

 

[Fantastical]

I feel like a WarioWare game for this close to launch is a sure thing. That would show off a lot of uses for the new controller.

 

[DanteFox]

You know what would be neat? No 4-person limit. That was kindofan artificial limit based on split screens anyway.

Let's have a mario-kart party. I got koopa. 11 others can come over, but BYOC!!

fixed.

That would be a dream come true.
But I also have a feeling these controller are gonna be quite expensive. :[

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

This thing will fail. They have completely lost sight of what made the Wii so successful.

Nintendo is ______.

I'll let you guys finish.

 

[Laurent]

It's not a console, it's just the screen. All the computational gruntwork will be done by the box, and you are "tethered" to it. You can't play your games 10km away from the console, since the controller isn't what is running the game.

What he says!

 

[watershed]

I'm assuming the picture posted in the comments on that site is fake, but:

I don't believe it will look like that.

Well that is remarkably close to the mock up that they said is the closest match and it looks somewhat real.

 

[Instro]

This is the first of many "JEDI LIGHTSABER FIGHTS!" posts that we're all familiar with from about 4-5 years ago that only lead to massive disappointment and hand-wringing.

The difference here is that we already know what touch screens are able to do and how have been used in other systems including the DS and 3DS. None of the stuff he mentioned is outside the realm of possibility, since much of it has already been done on the DS itself. Motion controls were completley new and unknown before the Wii release so there was much to fall back on in terms of knowing what you would be able to do with the Wiimote.

 

[Operations]

I hope there's more than streaming to the controller. I wouldn't see the innovation over say, the PS3/PSP remote connectivity.

 

[PantherLotus]

This sounds like complete crap. Going after the hardcore my ass.

Who gave you that silly ass idea?

 

[SlipperySlope]

I wonder how the hardware handles rendering 4 800x480ish screens and then one at full HD for a session of Mario Kart which traditionally runs at 60fps.

This whole screen on a controller dealio smells of questionable ballfunk

As far as the frame buffer goes, rendering a HD game plus four 800x500 screens would be similar to rendering two 1080p screens. Interesting, but not impossible.

 

[Guevara]

It's not a console, it's just the screen. All the computational gruntwork will be done by the box, and you are "tethered" to it. You can't play your games 10km away from the console, since the controller isn't what is running the game.

pretty sure this has to be correct; it would compete directly with the 3DS otherwise

 

[carlo6529]

It would be cool just even seeing two views at once. For example, in a fps, if you could see someone sneaking up behind you from the controller screen, it would change the way the game is played.

Edit~ Even being able to flip a book that you picked up somewhere in the game with your touch screen would be pretty cool.

 

[Mailenstein]

Quiz games could be huge on this. Or let's say drawing stuff with oponenets etc...

 

[Vic]

HANDHELD GAMING FTW!!!

 

[Teknoman]

This sounds like complete crap. Going after the hardcore my ass.

Sounds like unconfirmed rumors until we get word from Nintendo. Besides, tons of "hardcore" people are now jumping in with motion controls via move and Killzone/Socom.

"Hardcore" today usually just means delivering HD graphics and having gritty shooting games. What the hardcore crowd should truly be, are those that just go after great games, no matter the system...or even genre to a certain extent.

 

[Door2Dawn]

It's not a console, it's just the screen. All the computational gruntwork will be done by the box, and you are "tethered" to it. You can't play your games 10km away from the console, since the controller isn't what is running the game.

Seriously, what the hell is the point of this thing?

 

[DECK'ARD]

Because aside from RemotePlay, you just can't do that. Imagine being able to play CoD with all of the online functionality of sitting in front of a TV, in the palm of your hand, just sitting on the toilet or even going outside. That's some pretty fantastic and appealing shit.

In a magical world where lag doesn't exist.

And then when the NGP comes out you can play it without lag and actually leave the house with it. Hell if Sony give it a TV out you've totally killed this whole concept stone dead.

I love Nintendo, but unless we are missing a huge bit of the jigsaw they have gone totally mad here.

 

[Hugh Buelow]

Here is a rough translation of the article on 01net.

Project Cafe: a few precisions on the controller and the streaming

A tablet similar the UDraw, advanced streaming functionalities with the console and the tablets/controllers, the latest news on the Wii 2.


The informations published yesterday by IGN on the Project Cafe technical characteristics confirm what we have published in our April 15 article (http://www.01net.com/editorial/531636/toutes-premieres-fuites-sur-le-successeur-de-la-wii/ . Also, our sources confirm that the "mablette" [TN: untranslatable] (contraction of controller and tablet), that we revealed the existance here (http://www.01net.com/editorial/5316...2-de-nintendo-aura-une-tablette-pour-manette/ , has been described by Nintendo as a version 2.


Similar to the UDraw [TN: bad translation]

To give us an idea of what it will look like, our sources suggest to imagine a near cousin [TN: read, similar] to the UDraw graphic tablet, designed by THQ for the Wii, with a touch screen in place of the pen pad, and the controls distributed around the screen (triggers, d-pad, 2 "bumpers" (shoulder button?), sticks, etc.)

The Project Cafe controller could be described as a near cousin of the UDraw tablet that THQ created for the Wii.


Screen is not HD

The 6" panoramic screen is, for now, single touch with an uncommon resolution 5**x8**, clearly below 720p. We think the tablet (V2) seems to be most credible development path [TN: really not sure about this one]. Remember that until the planned release in June 2012, tentative date given to the developers, Nintendo will have the time to significantly change the shape and look of the controller and the console.

[Label to the first mockup] A non-official mockup, described by our sources as one of the closest to the design of the V2 controller.


A story of streaming

IGN also talked about the design of the console, saying that it is a kind of futurist SNES. Our sources cannot talk about this, since most developers don't have a prototype with the proprietary casing. Also on the English website, Nintendo consider calling the console "Stream".

Here again, our source cannot confirm this, but it could be a plausible choice and clever (excluding the urinary connotations, in the same lineage of the Wii, that already make people laugh on the English web). The streaming will have a central role for the attraction of this Project Cafe. The console will be able to wirelessly broadcast (stream) many type of streams (misc media, games) to the controllers. It will be possible to play games without turning on the TV, or begin an intense match on the TV and continue it in the bathroom. A true revolution.

[Label to the second mockup] A last mockup that does not correlate to the description by our sources, but remains credible.


Thin client?

The console and its controllers could work using a principle of "virtualization", where most of the processing is done on the console and the controllers act as display terminals, displaying pre-computed content [TN: code in the original article]. This system could broadcast high quality games on the controllers, with no noticable latency and without using compressed video streaming, which requires large bandwidth.

 

[EatChildren]

This is the first of many "JEDI LIGHTSABER FIGHTS!" posts that we're all familiar with from about 4-5 years ago that only lead to massive disappointment and hand-wringing.

It was Red Steel 2, it was fucking awesome, and you should all be ashamed for not playing it.

 

[DreD]

Wouldn't it be cool if eStore games that are made for the 3DS were also compatible with this new console? The eStore could kinda act like the Apple AppStore in the way that it provides content to multiple devices. This way, Nintendo would really benefit from the synergy with its portable game device business. Quite frankly, its the only reason I can think of for them to put a touch screen on the controller.

 

[Nirolak]

Who gave you that silly ass idea?

It was one of the first rumors, so we can't really blame them for believing it.

Here is a rough translation of the article on 01net.

Thank you.

 

[enzo_gt]

Why?

There are so many possibilities when you can play games sitting in different rooms or different parts of a room without the use of a TV, it's hard not to see the crazy amount of possibilities that this can produce. This is, even beyond just the gimmick and DS-touchscreen-similarity-in-use factors.

 

[Pimpbaa]

Seriously, what the hell is the point of this thing?

What the hell is the point of the 2nd screen on the DS?

 

[wonderfuldays]

I wonder how the hardware handles rendering 4 800x480ish screens and then one at full HD for a session of Mario Kart which traditionally runs at 60fps.

This whole screen on a controller dealio smells of questionable ballfunk

 

[PantherLotus]

Hi guys, it's been translated 4-5 times now.

It was one of the first rumors, so we can't really blame them for believing it.

That's fine, but does something like that even pass the smell test? Does that make sense in any way? Has anything Nintendo has done since the N64 indicate that they're increasingly focusing on a games-first teenage (13-17) male audience?

 

[KarmaCow]

So if this is supposed to stream video, what would they do about the aspect ratio? I don't think they would letterbox it, so then every game has two (three?) UI layouts. How does remote play on the PSP work?

EDIT: well 5:3 is not far from 16:9 i guess

 

[Door2Dawn]

What the hell is the point of the 2nd screen on the DS?

The DS has TWO screens!? :O

 

[Codeblue]

I really really hope pointer controls replace the touch screen when you play on a TV. They did an amazing job moving controller design forward with the Wii, I'd hate to see it all thrown away.

 

[Uno Venova]

I really hope the actual controller is more ergonomic than the mock up.

 

[Big One]

In a magical world where lag doesn't exist.

And then when the NGP comes out you can play it without lag and actually leave the house with it.

I love Nintendo, but unless we are missing a huge bit of the jigsaw they have gone totally mad here.

Since when was the NGP able to RemotePlay perfectly?

 

[Laurent]

Hi guys, it's been translated 4-5 times now.

Bonjour les gars, ça été traduit 4-5 fois depuis.

 

[Dr.Palutena]

Nintendo is ______.

I'll let you guys finish.

honestly it's like we've entered a time warp.

 

[Pimpbaa]

The DS has TWO screens!? :O

This thing is gonna be the Super DS man!

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Seriously, what the hell is the point of this thing?

It allows for splitscreen gaming without screen cheating, it allows for alternate screens for whatever reason (inventory at a glance in an RPG, a map of the gameworld, whatever), and it also allows you to play in bed or when someone else is using the television already.

It would also be fantastic for coop "Spec Ops" style gameplay, one player is using a Wiimote style pointer controls with the TV playing a regular FPS, and player 2 is controlling a UAV via the stream controller, providing support for player 1.

 

[rpmurphy]

Split screen gaming would be so good with the new controller with everyone having their own screen on their controller.

I wonder though if the console would have enough guts to handle all that. Having to output to the HDTV + 4 or more controller screens sounds like a lot.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

800x480 is a *VERY* interesting resolution.

....

I want this so bad.

 

[_Alkaline_]

Good.

Now lets talk about why I hate the lack of pointer again.

I refuse to believe Nintendo would get rid of their current console's best feature.

On a side note, I'm surprised no one was interested in the DKCR2 rumour, regardless of its validity (or lack thereof).

 

[M74]

Yeah I would say this is a pretty obvious assault on the tablet market while still trying to cater to the console market as well.

Is it really, though, if this thing doesn't work outside of a set distance away from the mother console? I mean, it's like having a tablet that can't leave home. Would the market still see this as an alternative to the tablet market?

 

[AstroLad]

Bonjour les gars, ça été traduit 4-5 fois depuis.

Hello young boys, it has been translated 4-5 livers since.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

look the important thing is now we can have an hd console trauma center with touchscreen controls

that's pretty much proof of a benevolent god so i think we should all be happy

 

[Medalion]

controllers = detachable portable console

makes no sense, but then again, not a whole lot about this new system does.

The controller is not a portable console, there is still the core system we haven't seen yet... the controller can get stuff streamed to it but it is not the console itself.

 

[Father_Brain]

What the hell is the point of the 2nd screen on the DS?

A much better question: What the hell is the Cafe controller doing - in terms of substantive additions to gameplay, not the minor convenience afforded by being able to carry the controller a limited distance away from the TV - that couldn't be done by using 3DS as a controller?

 

[Hugh Buelow]

It was one of the first rumors, so we can't really blame them for believing it.


Thank you.

I will do some corrections. If there is anything that is not clear, let me know. I did it in one pass.

 

[Snakeyes]

Here's a quick translation of the French article;

Our sources revealed that the "tabtroller" (contraction of tablet and controller) is referred to by Nintendo as "version 2" (V2).

For an idea of how it looks, our sources told us to imagine a UDraw tablet with a touchscreen replacing the touchpad and traditional buttons around the screen (shoulder buttons, d-pad, sticks, etc...)

The 6 inch panoramic screen (16/9 or similar) is a single-touch screen (at least for now) and has a 8** x 5** resolution, clearly inferior to 720p. A tablet design (V2) seems like the most logical design choice. Remember than Nintendo could make a lot of changes to the final design before June 2012, which is the placeholder launch date given to developers.

http://www.01net.com/genere/article/fichiersAttaches/1303503627-01net-cafe-02.jpg

Our sources state that the above mockup is one of the closest to the V2 design.

Our sources were not able to comment on the redesiged SNES look of the console or the rumored "Stream" name (plausible because it fits and would be a clever follow-up to "Wii" because of the urinal connotations). Current devkits may or may not look like the final design. Streaming is definitely a central part of Project Cafe. The console will be able to stream different types of content (games, media) to the controller. It will now be possible to play without even turning on the TV or start a gaming session on the big screen and keep playing without interruption while going to the bathroom. A true revolution!

The console and the controller could function as a type of virtual client, with the box doing all the calculations and the controller as a display terminal. That would allow the system to stream content to the controller with virtually no latency or using a compressed video stream requiring a sizeable bandwidth.