The Nintendo Wii has definitely been a cultural phenomenon and its place in pop culture is secured. The only problem is that its technology is over 10 years old.
How is Nintendo going to be able to continue to compete with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? It all comes down to two words: Project Café.
Project Café is the codename for Nintendo’s newest console that Game Informer leaked the first details of last week.
Since then, other inside sources have informed other members of the press the details behind Nintendo’s new console.
The first information to come out about the console is that it will be more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3. It will sport a processor similar to the Xbox 360 coupled with a graphics card that is more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360.
This is a smart move on Nintendo’s part as it lets them be competitive with the current market while keeping costs down. The rumored parts contained in the new console will already be a few years old once Project Café launches in 2012. This allows Nintendo to sell the console for a competitive price and still make a profit on each machine sold. They used this same strategy with the Wii.
The most exciting information coming from developers who already have development kits is the controller. The controller will sport all the usual trappings of a standard controller (i.e. two analog sticks, two sets of triggers, eight buttons), but it will also have a 6.2 inch touch screen embedded in the front of the controller.
Alongside that, the controller will have a camera and double as a sensor bar for use with Wii remotes.
The controller will act as a streaming device in that it will allow the console to stream game content wirelessly to the controller for display on the screen.
Nintendo has played with this concept in the past with the GameBoy Advance link cable for the GameCube. This allowed for additional information to be displayed on the GBA adding extra capabilities to the game.
As an example, imagine a “Legend of Zelda” game on Project Café that uses the controller’s screen for item management and for the display of maps. This would free up the actual television screen allowing for deeper immersion.
According to reports that emerged Thursday, Project Café will also allow the use of Wii remotes or something similar alongside the new controller. This would create a dynamic cooperative experience with one player controlling the game with the Wii remote while another uses the tablet controller to help the player.
Unlike most rumors, these have been confirmed by multiple inside sources.
Expect Nintendo to formally announce the console’s existence in late April/Early May. It’s already been confirmed that Nintendo will show off the new console in its entirety at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June.
With Sony and Microsoft not expected to release new consoles until 2014, this allows Nintendo to recapture the hardcore gamer for at least a little while before the other console manufacturers release new machines.
I for one am extremely excited about this new console. Nintendo has never let me down in regards to their console experiences. I have high hopes that they will be able to recapture the hearts of hardcore gamers they disappointed with the Wii.