Project Café tech specs leaked – report

By Fred Dutton Published 21 April, 2011

Plus, $350-400 price, 2011 launch mooted.

Nintendo's rumoured Wii successor, thought to be codenamed Project Café, will run off AMD's R700 GPU architecture, according to a new report.

Anonymous sources told IGN that, on that basis, the system will out-perform the PlayStation 3's NVIDIA 7800GTX-based processor.

Its CPU will apparently be a custom-built triple-core IBM PowerPC chipset similar to that of the Xbox 360 but with faster clocking speeds.

According to the sources, the console will output at 1080p with possible, but as yet unconfirmed, support for stereoscopic 3D as well.

It's also claimed that the console will be roughly the same size as the original Xbox 360 and resemble a modern take on the classic SNES' form.

The report claims it'll be manufactured by the Taiwanese Foxconn plant and be ready to ship this October, though Nintendo may hold back the release to build up stock and give developers more time to finish software.

A potential price tag of between $350 (£212) and $400 (£242) is suggested.

Earlier today, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto refused to confirm the system's existence, though admitted "there's no smoke without fire."

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (109) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • Haunted_Tree #1 1 year ago

    So many rumours at the moment ... must be true right?

  • smelly #2 1 year ago

    LOL!

    Didnt websites learn their lesson before the wi was announced? Cant believe anyone would take this stuff seriously.

  • captainCandy #3 1 year ago

    Nice GPU, lousy CPU.

  • Sabreman64 #4 1 year ago

    A potential price tag of between $350 (£212) and $400 (£242) is suggested.

    So, in UK money, that'll be £250-300. If the controller has a 6 inch touch screen, Project Café is not going to be cheap.

  • CrumpledPaper #5 1 year ago

    Would like to know the shader configuration. Saying it's R700 based could mean anything from a performance point of view. Anything from around the same power as PS3/360, or less even, to something a lot more powerful. Depends how many shader units they're putting in there, and the clockspeed etc.

  • Quixz #6 1 year ago

    Microsoft managed to shrink the old 360, I can't see Nintendo releasing a machine that's lager than the current 360/Ps3 slims.

  • NOSAVIOUR #7 1 year ago

    The more I hear about Project Cafe the less I believe it. It all sounds too good to be true. I have everything crossed it is.

  • joelstinton #8 1 year ago

    All of that tech speak as completely gone over my head.. what does it mean ? Needs videos and images.. Still though Super Mario Galaxy was one of the prettiest games to come out this gen... Just imagine what ninty art directors could do with those big Capital Letters and Large numbers. Slightly giddy inside.
    Edited by joelstinton at 21/04/11 @ 23:44

  • PinktotheLast #9 1 year ago

    One thing's for sure - Europe ain't seeing no Café in 2011.

    French codename or no French codename.

  • el_pollo_diablo #10 1 year ago

    So it's a ps3 then, right?

  • Ahskay #11 1 year ago

    But more importantly, will it play dvd's and blu-rays, does it have a decent enough hard disk for that price, how is the online infrastructure and is that 1080p with 60fps or 30fps (looking at standard-games for the 360-ps3)?
    Cause if it doesnt' have above issues covered i'll keep my 500 euros and build a low-spec pc that outperforms project cappuccino.
    Edited by Ahskay at 21/04/11 @ 23:49

  • Malek86 #12 1 year ago

    R700 doesn't mean anything by itself... could be similar to a HD4350 or a HD4890. I guess we won't know for a while though.

    Not that I particularly trust these rumors. Weren't the rumored 3DS specs terribly inaccurate?

  • globalisateur #13 1 year ago

    What about a controller with stereoscopic HD screen?

    Nintendo would not even need any Sony 3d Tv...

  • bluetoothion #14 1 year ago

    Wii was over priced for its tech especially after the 2ond to 3rd year that had no change in price.... right now to built something to outperform a PS3 and an xbox360 would roughly mean 150-200$/piece to mass product ... i mean really at this day and age an able machine to run at fullHD with 3D stereoscopic 1GB RAM and half a TB of HDD a confy processor to port some games that struggle on the verge on 30fps on 720p to healthy 60fps and 1080p w/o all the things that keep them from perfection tearing and custom AA gimmicks and Nintendo could make the greatest console alternative for the next 2 even 3 years to come.
    and its a perfect window to buy something like that really.

  • Malek86 #15 1 year ago

    @globalisateur: yes, I guess I wouldn't mind paying $300 for every extra person who wants to play.

  • Daeltaja #16 1 year ago

    Last thing we bloody need is another HD console. This really doesn't seem like Nintendo. What a nightmare for developers having to develop on 3 platforms simultaneously.. what's going on with the damn industry!

  • killemoff #17 1 year ago

    Nintendo, all you need to say is this:

    Backwards Compatible with Upscaling.

    BCU, make it happen.

  • Skeletor #18 1 year ago

    "What a nightmare for developers having to develop on 3 platforms simultaneously.. what's going on with the damn industry!"

    Haha...not really, probably quite the opposite. My guess is that porting existing 360/PS3 software to ninty's new baby will be rather easy compared to the nightmare that was the first wii. Wouldn't be too surprised to see the next GTA on all 3 consoles with a slightly better version on nintendo's new platform.

  • deez #19 1 year ago

    With snes styling? Might be walking home pissed but gone a bit weak at the knees..

  • richardiox #20 1 year ago

    UltraFamicom-X

  • davisorle #21 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • deez #22 1 year ago

    So is it almost certain that skyward sword is now a release game on this rather than wii? The timing wouldn't sit too well with such a blockbuster hitting the wii, and a launch title like that would be a system seller...

  • ruddiger7 #23 1 year ago

    I had an r700 and they had very nice fps, much better than a gtx7800. i really wonder how much more powerful this cpu will be. from the sounds of things itll play a lot smoother than ps3/360 and could be a lot faster. i cannot wait for zelda

  • ruddiger7 #24 1 year ago

    @deez also this console was supposed to have backwards support so wii games will work on it. I doubt theyll release a whole new skyward sword for this console with the same graphics.

  • Collymilad #25 1 year ago

    Nice.

    Games please Nintendo.

    Yes games, not distractions

    Just faster than the PS3/360 is the perfect amount hardware wise for Nintendo. That way they can get their current audience again by keeping the price low, but maybe get back some of the core because they will have a 2-3 year window with no competition (hardware power wise, excluding PC of course)

    That is of course if they make decent games for it. Give me a new Metroid, Zelda and/or SM on release and I might consider getting this.

    HD consoles aren't the problem. Things need to advance, and surely by now having to develop for higher fidelity has become a non-issue. I mean devs have had 5 friggen years to get used to it. Do people really expect tech to just stay at one place because it's easier to develop? Where would the human race be if everyone had that attitude? (Disclaimer: Not saying games are important on the grand scale of the development of the human race, before anyone chimes in :p)
    Edited by Collymilad at 22/04/11 @ 05:20

  • Senate #26 1 year ago

    "the same size as the original Xbox 360." um....ok

  • Mentat_Idaho #27 1 year ago

    I have an HD4890 in my PC right now - It's a lovely card. It'd be nice if they had one of them in the Nintendo console... Eye candy for the masses!

  • oi #28 1 year ago

    Hmm...I was expecting something better than the ol' R700. Don't get me wrong here, the 4850-70 ect are better than the current consoles for sure but are still pretty long in the tooth now and personally I thought something based around the 6850 would have been used. Saying that it's new tech so better than waiting until 2074 or whenever Sony And Microsoft roll something new out...

    grr!

  • Canyarion #29 1 year ago

    Nintendo making a $400 console? FAKE.

  • themerlin13 #30 1 year ago

    We will know when the real specs come out, they will be underwhelming and over priced.

  • The-Bodybuilder #31 1 year ago

    If all this is true, what's gonna happen to 3rd party support of the wii?

  • Cjail #32 1 year ago

    The Nintendo new console will outperform machines that are 5 years old; really is anyone surprised!
    Also it will take at least two years to see a game that actually master the full power of the new console and by that time Sony and Microsoft will be releasing their new consoles that will inevitably outperform the Nintendo.
    Anyway don't expect to see Zelda HD soon because Miyamoto hasn't yet finished its new game on Wii; so Nintendo fans be careful because you might end up playing Project Cafe Sports!
    Edited by Cjail at 22/04/11 @ 09:15

  • Caimbeul #33 1 year ago

    Whilst the R700 archetecture is is around 2 generations old in PC terms it is a decent GPU and couldl easily Wii all over PS3 and 360's graphical capabilities BUT it all depends on the configuration and number of shaders & clock speeds etc. CPU seems decent enough to do a good job. Lets hope it has Blu-ray as the format for game media.

  • Caimbeul #34 1 year ago

    £250 (if it actually was in the UK/EU) would not be a bad price point to be fair. The 3DS was £229 at release. I'd much rather pay £250 for a proper games console that a handheld.

  • GamesConnoisseur #35 1 year ago

    Just faster than 5 years old machines? Thats not next gen that current HD game machine tech, Ninty just catching up finally.

    Sure its may be able to outputs a bit better frame rates, 1080p at 60 hz across majority of games is quite a tall task but if this machine can do this without blinking.... I ll gladly eat my hat.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #36 1 year ago

    An Xbox 360 put together with slightly more contemporary components is what i've been predicting for this. A combination of known console and PC tech should let developers get up and running with it quickly enough even to do full ports of this Christmas's blockbuster multiplatform releases.

    With such a setup, a release this year is definitely feasible - why else would there be a drought of firstparty Wii games now?

    What I don't believe is capacative screens on the controllers. Although I would say that capacative trackpads, like the backside of NGP, or the front of Apple's Magic Mouse, are something we could realistically expect.

  • Gojiratron #37 1 year ago

    Super-Famicom styling? Yes please!


    It'll never happen but I'd love it if they kept with the theme and it had some SNES classics like Super Mario World, Zelda LttP, Super Metroid and Super Mario Kart preloaded on the virtual console.

  • Chakitty #38 1 year ago

    Nintendo are in a really good position with this, Graphics for the hardcore, Nintendo brand for the casuals = Win Win

  • SpaceMonkey77 #39 1 year ago

    Well, I guess the closer we get to E3, the more info will come out. Sounds nice enough. Don't like that touch screen pad idea, as it feel like Nintendo overcomplicating what should be simply an eight button pad with two analogue sticks.

    I'm more interested in what size hard drive this thing will have, and whether Nintendo will go with a XBLA paid type service. Mustn't forget games too, where are they going to come from, if 3rd parties don't bite again? Even with 3DS, many of those games were quietly outsourced to small, off the radar developers, that few of us have heard of, yet many see these games and think Nintendo made them.

    This makes me wonder, how many games are NoJ actually making themselves? I'm sensing a serious lack of staff to make their games, judging by their annual output, that few are seeing. Correct me if I'm wrong.

  • joelstinton #40 1 year ago

    @Deez.

    Pokemon Black/white came out the week before the 3DS. It won't matter, no one loses out. Wii owners get there zelda, early adopters of the N6 (mostly nintendo fans) will have a game they can pick up amongst the early launch drought.

    What may happen is the wii will get Zelda as promised, but i wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo have outsourced to a team to be working on remastering the game in HD (ala GOWC HD)

  • infernox1 #41 1 year ago

    'Nintendo's rumoured Wii successor, thought to be codenamed Project Café, will run off AMD's R700 GPU architecture, according to a new report.

    Anonymous sources told IGN that, on that basis, the system will out-perform the PlayStation 3's NVIDIA 7800GTX-based processor. '

    you dont need sources to tell you that. the ps3s 7800gtx based graphics card is similar to the AMD HD4650 (R700 gpu), except the 4650 costs less than £50 and uses alot less power. nintendo will go for the HD4850/4870, which would be considered low/mid range atm but a big step up from the ps3/xbox 360.

  • WillTheSecond #42 1 year ago

    1080p @ 60fps would be the minimum I'd expect from a next gen console at this stage. Nintendo shouldn't just aim for something 'slightly' ahead of current gen consoles or they might find themselves in the same difficulty as with the Wii (which missed out on Assassin's Creed, GTA IV, proper versions of the COD games and so on because of lack of processing power).

    1080p @ 60fps in 3D with CPU and GPU power enough for lots of shader, etc. effects that current gen consoles are not capable of would be impressive enough to be getting on with, I think.

    Y'know, just some random speculation to add to the pile...

  • Xboxfanuk #43 1 year ago

    I think we will see this announced at E3 this year. 3DS and new console in 2011 could trump everyone again.

  • Vlad27145 #44 1 year ago

    @WillThe Second

    Emm... and flying pink ponies? :D Seriously, not going to happen with an R700 GPU. I have a 4870X2, the top of the line GPU based on the R700 architecture. And I don't get 1080p at 120 FPS on many modern games. Quite few of them actually. And you can be sure the Project Café won't have anything so high end. It will probably have a 4870 based GPU, should be cost effective enough. Pus, that architecture, as great as it is, has quite a few flaws still.
    Edited by Vlad27145 at 22/04/11 @ 10:38

  • j-bo #45 1 year ago

    I know this is largely a cost issue, and if what I'm about to ask for was true, consoles would be in the +500 price bracket, but I just can't help be a bit meh about new console releases, when they always use tech which is susbtantially older then what I have sitting in my desktop at the moment.

    I miss the days when, say the n64 launched, and it felt like you actually had a cutting edge piece of tech there which was doing new things. With console development leading game's tech development at the moment too, it just cant help but feel that nothing is really pushing the envelope anymore.

  • Subdominator #46 1 year ago

    These specs seem like a Xbox 360 1.5, I think it would be tough to sell such a system, especially at that price and considering the fact that PS360 are still continueing to impress visually. Why buy a slightly improved console now (granted, it's a huge step from Wii but who plays Wii only?) when you can have a true next gen console in 2013/2014? I'll buy a NGP instead and wait for the next Xbox/PS4.

  • jumpdeveraux #47 1 year ago

    Never mind the hardware, need some decent leaks on the online component.

    Assuming Nintendo re-aim at the hardcore users it's a very reasonable expectation that these users either have a PS3, 360 or both given how long both consoles have been out in the market. I don't expect many of those users will move to a new console as asking all their friends who they game with them regularly to also buy one isn't going to fly - especially if it's just to play ports of titles they already have on PS3/360 (perhaps with some better textures/framerate).

    Perhaps Nintendo hope to upsell a "harder core" console to those that only have a Wii and not a 360/PS3... but I don't think that represents a sizeable population of users - and I would imagine the Wii user base to be more price sensitive.

    It's going to be very interesting to see how Nintendo plays this out.

  • BonzoBanana #48 1 year ago

    Just below the screen I'm typing this on I can see my wii and 360 next to each other, the wii is a quarter of the size of the 360 and I was thinking a wii 2 would be more like the original wii but with a higher disc slot because of it being slightly taller and wider case. If they are making a console now why would it need to be so large as the original 360? Also why retro styling when they were designed for cartridge games? Also what about a hard drive will it be conventional or will it have a flash memory arrangment?

    The chipset information I'm sure is close to the truth to remain compatible with wii and hopefully gamecube titles.

    I still think the powerpc chip may come in at less speed than 360 maybe even 2ghz or 2.5ghz but possibly be quad core. However I suppose if they really are going for a bulky original 360 size case they won't have to care about cooling much. I was thinking it would be slower as it would be in a small case like wii.

    I think part of the wii's charm was its sexy compact look which was a fraction of the size of 360 and PS3 consoles so it will be strange if Nintendo abandon that.

    Using a powerpc arrangement like the 360 clocked slightly faster certainly seems like a cheap option. Not much R&D there and an off the shelf AMD GPU arrangement sounds pretty sensible.

    It sounds like an ok console that won't be capable of much beyond current except better at 1080p gaming. If using bluray it won't be restricted with limited storage space like 360.

    Definitely feels more like Nintendo's entry into this generation rather than something of the next generation.

    Nintendo will try to sell this for £299 in the UK I bet and already the 360 is available for close to a 3rd of that without difficulty.

    It could be a tough sell unless it can show itself to be significantly more powerful than 360/ps3.

    It just feels like the minimum spec Nintendo can get away with but still be an upgrade on 360/PS3. The only trouble with that it will become technically obsolete very quickly and I can see multiformat games performing as well on 360 as wii 2. Also with the wii 2 being so close to 360 it will no doubt get straight conversions of 360 titles with no enhancment at all. The 360 titles will probably be cheaper and discounted more quickly and have far better online gaming options. You'll probably choose 360 over wii 2 if you want online gaming or wii 2 over 360 if you want 1080p support.

    If the wii 2 is like the original wii maybe nintendo won't pay to support bluray movie playback. So the ps3 may still have an advantage there.

    I feel the wii 2 definitely needs some sort of X factor to capture people's imagination and having a touch screen on each controller doesn't seem like that to me.

    I'm hoping for some sort of integrated kinect beating functionality.

  • pomegran #49 1 year ago

    Nobody has yet mentioned "silence". The Wii was the quietest of this gen and I don't see them releasing a machine with fans that are anything like a modern day PC, especially with the graphics chipsets being mentioned. Maybe it will have really large heatsinks to keep sound to a minimum, hence the size something like an xbox?

  • StooMonster #50 1 year ago

    BonzoBanana: I still think the powerpc chip may come in at less speed than 360 maybe even 2ghz or 2.5ghz but possibly be quad core.

    Interested to hear what makes you think that.

    The PowerPC chip in the 360 has three cores with two threads each, don't see why new Ninty would be any less? Perhaps less GHz for heat and power saving, maybe quad-core with two threads each? If it has the same number or cores/threads as Xbox 360's CPU but is same speed or faster then it would certainly make multi-platform ports easier, IBM could easily deliver this for them and they have a history of doing similar (e.g. famously used Cell's single PowerPC core as basis for 360's tripple PowerPC core).

    Keeping PowerPC makes sense for Nintendo too as both GameCube and Wii used this architecture, so emulation and/or native backwards compatibility should be easily achieved.

    The CPU along with use of DVD-ROM is a no-brainer in my opinion, what's not clear is amount of memory (but surely more than PS3, my phone has twice PS3's RAM), which R700 architecture (I reckon mid-range that can do 1080p60 gaming for Nintendo type titles), what kind of storage (SD cards again?), plus what they are going to do with controllers.

  • RobTheBuilder #51 1 year ago

    Sounds like a sensible enough spec. A similar but faster CPU than current machines, combined with a much newer generation of graphics card. Providing enough performance to be easily the most powerful machine at launch, but without blowing the cost sky high.

    The key though will be the controllers, and whatever the twist Nintendo has for us... it sounds like it will be interesting!

  • Mr.Spo #52 1 year ago

    They won't launch this Christmas--they'll leave this Q4 clear for 3DS. Consumers have a limited amount of money, and for now Nintendo will want that money spent on 3DS. They won't want to compete with their own system, and the Wii has one last big Q4 left in it with games like Zelda, Mario & Sonic, Rhythm Heaven coming out.

    The fact is, we don't even know if Nintendo are calling this machine Project Cafe, but it's guaranteed that if any major game site puts up a Project Cafe related story they'll get hits. That's all that's happening right now--after the initial, probably true rumours from Game Informer, Edge and CVG, sites like IGN are spouting anything they can find or invent to grab hits. Why launch another major machine when 3DS is trying to establish itself on the market? For all the money Nintendo have, they only have a finite number of development and localisation resources--another major hardware launch isn't on the cards this year. The reason they'll unveil at E3 is simple--shore up stockholders, ensure third party support. Nintendo caught third parties with their pants down with the Wii by revealing the machine six months from launch, and they can't afford to do that again, especially if third parties are only just getting development kits. This early reveal is designed to get third parties fully in Nintendo's camp, excite the media, reassure the stockholders--then they'll concentrate on Wii and 3DS till next E3, when they'll finalise details on the new home console.

  • Scopeh #53 1 year ago

    This will be another gimmick Console with no games worth playing for at least a year.

  • LetsGoFlames #54 1 year ago

    @Mr.Spo

    I disagree with you on this point. It makes perfect sense for them because of what i am about to propose. Suppose the wii 2 and the 3ds are compatible just like the ngp and ps3. Then it would not only boost 3ds sales but NGP sales as well. It also makes strategical sense because it gives them a 2 year gap between themselves and the ps4/720. I personally am tired of this gen and itching for the next one. Microsoft and Sony said that they will not release a new console till 2014. I will definitely pick up the wii 2 on launch because i can't wait and so will many others. People will cave because of that 2 year gap. New tech almost always equals automatic buy. By the time Microsoft and Sony come out with their next consoles, Nintendo will already have a large base. TBH, with a release in October to create a 2 year gap, Nintendo could pull of another wii and sell 75 million consoles.

  • LetsGoFlames #55 1 year ago

    @Scopeh

    You are very wrong. The architecture is so similar to that of the 360 that it makes it an easy port for developers. Games could be ported over in a month. I don't know if you watched the ngp reveal conference but devs were talking about how they ported games from the ps3 to the ngp in a week. If the architecture is really similar, then there will be tons of games at launch.

  • LetsGoFlames #56 1 year ago

    @Scopeh

    You are very wrong. The architecture is so similar to that of the 360 that it makes it an easy port for developers. Games could be ported over in a month. I don't know if you watched the ngp reveal conference but devs were talking about how they ported games from the ps3 to the ngp in a week. If the architecture is really similar, then there will be tons of games at launch.

  • sickpuppysoftware #57 1 year ago

    Ooo Rayman HD, Nintendogs, cats and gerbils and probably some Mario game 2 years after launch.

  • Syrette #58 1 year ago

    Does this (should there be any truth to it) equal a significant leap over what the 360 and PS3 are able to do?

    Getting your new console out before your competitors makes business sense but I imagine the Wii successor's specs will be obliterated by the PS4/next Xbox.

  • Syrette #59 1 year ago

    @TheDriffter

    You've got to be on the wind-up now, surely.

  • Incarta #60 1 year ago

    pfff. Controller with a touch screen. Just speculation by some "analyst" with no imagination.

    "duuuuh, The DS has a touch screen! I bet Nintendo can implement that into their new controller! Yeah, that must be it!"

    They said the exact same thing about the Wii controller before it was revealed and just like most of these rumours flying around right now, they are going to be proven utterly wrong. Again.

    I'm going for a controller you where like a glove! With motion detectors in each finger for precision on screen movement!

    That'd be sweet, coupled with HD graphics and a decent online system.
    Edited by Incarta at 22/04/11 @ 13:01

  • GreyBeard #61 1 year ago

    Nintendo's problem is that the Wii for all of its success was a money-pit for third party developers. Getting them back on board is a big ask, especially when both its major competitiors are still selling strongly on top of 50million+ install bases. For that reason I wouldn't expect the platform to launch until at least a year has passed from its official unveiling.

    Launching this year would be a disaster.

    Another big issue is online.Its been Nintendo's weak point for the last two generations and creating a service thats competitive with XBL (and to a lesser extent PSN) is simply not going to happen overnight. No matter how shiny a port they get of CoD, if the online isn't up to scratch who's going to buy it over 360? People go where their friends are.

  • dahsif #62 1 year ago

    After being hyped for the Wii, I gave away mine.
    Yep, you read it right: I gave it away.

    Lack of support for hardcore gamers did it for me, and I won't be jumping on it's successor anytime soon.
    It was the worst console I ever had. Before giving it away, I was using it as a balance board (wii fit) and playing VC Sonic 1 from time to time, that was it.

  • StooMonster #63 1 year ago

    LetsGoFlames: You are very wrong. The architecture is so similar to that of the 360 that it makes it an easy port for developers. Games could be ported over in a month.

    Exactly ... same (or slight faster) CPU, later generation of same GPU, same optical disc format (i.e. DVD-ROM), and the port from Xbox practically creates itself (assuming same or greater amount of RAM).

  • Subdominator #64 1 year ago

    I don't care about Wii 2, where is my Wii Vitality Sensor? ;)

  • Basoy #65 1 year ago

    GreyBeard, what makes you think the Wii was a money-pit for 3rd parties?

  • bobfish09 #66 1 year ago

    If any of these rumours are true, then I doubt it is a Wii successor, rather a whole new system to complement the Wii and compete with the 360 & PS3.

    There is nothing stopping Nintendo from having two home consoles for the two very different markets.

  • septimus #67 1 year ago

    Yawn...

  • tomkuryakin #68 1 year ago

    Specs don't sell consoles, games sell consoles.

  • RobTheBuilder #69 1 year ago

    @tomk Of course, but the specs determine the level of physics and graphical detail that the developers can play with; which helps create the great games.

  • riseer #70 1 year ago

    I will pass on nintendo,people need to understand this new console will be out of date when it launches.I rather just save up for a ps4 or 720 then dump money on a console that's a lil better then these 6 y/o consoles.Then the controller that has a hd screen thats not going to be cheap, and i don't see that making any diffrence when play a game.Idk about yall but i never look at my contrller while i game.I just don't see nintendo deliveing to the hardcore other then zelda and mario games.

  • riseer #71 1 year ago

    Eh the gpu is ok nothing great,it's a 3 year old gpu.The only way i see this being a good chip if it's near or better then a 4890.Even then the cpu is going to hold it back they need to go with a 6 core cpu with 12 threads and make sure the console has no less then 3 gigs of ram.Make it unified as well will make devs happy.
    Edited by riseer at 22/04/11 @ 16:26

  • digoutyoursoul #72 1 year ago

    i want this to be great but if its not really a gen leap from 360/PS3 then I cant see myself buying it.

  • sidneyfife #73 1 year ago

    The PlayStation 2 was by far the weakest of the 3 previous generation consoles, yet it destroyed the GC and XBOX in sales and still has the best library of any console released in the past 15 years. Even if the 720/PS4 are 25-50% more powerful on paper than the Cafe, we're at a point where increases in graphical power are far less noticeable than before. From a technical standpoint, what can really be improved on current generation games that would be overly impressive other than native 1080p? At worst, Project Cafe games will look better than the best 360/PS3 titles and Nintendo has far more than just Mario and Zelda. Starfox, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Punch Out, Wave Race, F-Zero and a host of other franchises that were updated recently or have yet to be retouched.

    If $350-400 is too expensive, imagine how much the 720/PS4 will be priced at. $400 is what the 360 was sold for at launch and then the 3 year headache with RROD. PS3 was $500 with a 60 GB HDD. If Nintendo can get the online right this time they can easily reclaim their glory days of the NES/SNES.

  • BonzoBanana #74 1 year ago

    @stoomonster

    I must admit I was thinking of a wii size or close to it wii 2 so the information of a xbox 360 size console has totally caught me off guard. I was thinking they might combine the cpu and gpu in one chip for blistering fast data paths between the two but the powerpc would be downgraded from the 360 to take less die space but the fast data paths would compensate considerably. I was expecting the gpu/cpu combination to sit behind the main optical drive with a huge fan arrangement blowing hot air at both the back and rear top of the case.

    I wasn't expecting this sort of thing;

    http://venturebeat.com/wp-content/upload...
    Edited by BonzoBanana at 05/05/11 @ 13:46

  • ronuds #75 1 year ago

    Doesn't sound significantly more powerful than the PS3 or 360, so that price is somewhat baffling.

  • RobTheBuilder #76 1 year ago

    @riseer Good to see you haven't made any snap decisions about which console you will be buying before it has even been announced or had specs confirmed.

    If the graphics chip is similar to a 4xxx series Ati card then it's still a fair leap on from what powers PS3/360, especially as it will likely be optimised for console usage.

  • Sid-Nice #77 1 year ago

    Project Crap.

  • ronuds #78 1 year ago

    @ploop

    Yeah, that isn't a bad price if it released today, but a year from now?

  • man.the.king #79 1 year ago

    So a Console about to be released in 2011-12 will be more powerful than Consoles released in 2005/06 and 2006/07?

  • joelstinton #80 1 year ago

    @sidneyfife

    Spot on, my sentiments as well.

    Another factor to consider, is value for money. PS4/XBOX3 game development is going to be astronomical in costs. Both sony/msoft realise this, and thus want to expand their own system lifelines. If Nintendo can sit at the top of the tree for a while, with there 3rd party support coming from PC ports (as suggested by a leaked image), and have the best console experiences of games such as BF3, Skyrim, and the graphical prowess of 1st party games, then they should be alright.

    Two things could happen. 1)When PS4/XB3 comes out, WII2 3rd party support dries up, and fails
    or 2) The costs are too high for developers to developer on PS4 et al, and they continue to support Wii2, PS3, 360 to keep costs down, or smaller developers will exlcusively produce content for this gen consoles.- as they are at the moments, we have studios, developers, companies, cut back, closing at the strain of dev costs.

    Game experiences as they are, are astonishing at time, the next leap in console won't change the immersion in games that much no? the graphic jumps won't be the same as ps1-2-3 i doubt. I'm not too sure though.
    Edited by joelstinton at 22/04/11 @ 18:58

  • SpaceMonkey77 #81 1 year ago

    @Sidney

    I hear what you are saying, but you ignore the fact that PS2 was largely a pre-online console, that dipped in online gaming late in its life. Before games consoles realised the potential of online gaming etc, post DC with Xbox, what you say about PS2 applies. Once MS entered the arena, after years of knowing what makes online aspects tick, and building on DC online knowledge, Sony and to a greater extent Nintendo, missed the boat. Only Sony, built upon PS2s brief online learning experience.

    I'm sorry, but for all of the positivity for another Nintendo home console, there is no way that Nintendo will get all the problem bases ticked, to what's now expected from gamers. They couldn't even get them right with both GC and Wii (held my hope out that they would there too, only for them to fail again). Meanwhile, Apple have been kicking them out of touch and importance.

    The 3rd party angle, is one that I think will largely still elude Nintendo, since many jumped to Xbox from GC (with the rise of online gaming being a core reason). Look at the 3DS for example. The launch line up was poor, because of Nintendo and their anal ways, upset and annoy other devs. When Nintendo specifies that your game has to use the touch screen on 3DS, that's complete BS reaching that devs don't need, while paying for such a privilege. Better to go the Apple/MS/Sony route. Having experienced N64 and GC, with lack of games, and missing Wii because I saw this lame history repeating itself, I just don't see hardcore touching this, unless they are big Nintendo fans.

    Also as sweet as Mario and Zelda games are, we've been buying these for almost 30 years (and frankly, I'm tapped out). On a games front, hardcore gamers need and deserve hot new decently fresh IP from Nintendo. Controls need to be simple and gimmick free (touchscreens, OMG, why?). Just a normal dual stick controller, please.

    As for MS and Sony responses to Nintendo, I think those expanded life cycles they wanted might be cut short a little, MS and Sony will still do well, because the current gen has filled them with much knowledge, both positive and negative. Sony's paid PSN is already a positive step to match XBL. I expect MS to come out of the 720 blocks with huge dev support, PS4 being second and Nintendo.......where they deserve to be, for their debacles, 3rd place, minus 3rd party support. 3rd parties will play the safe card, until the next MS and Sony system turn up. Early games for them, will be a lot like what we now get, and as they get cheaper, be ramped up to higher tech standards.

  • sidneyfife #82 1 year ago

    @SpaceMonkey

    I don't see how Nintendo requiring developers to use the touch screen on the 3DS as being any different from Sony's requirement from the PSX days that 3rd parties could not make 2D games. Besides, SSFIV has pretty minor integration with the touch screen (special moves with one touch) so if that's the reason why games are taking awhile to come out that's a pretty bad excuse. Besides, most consoles/handhelds launch with few, if any truly compelling titles.

    I don't buy that things are drastically different now than they were in the PS2 days. Sony could have easily won this generation if they didn't launch the PS3 at $600 and make it difficult to program for. Start it off with a regular DVD drive and sell it at $300 and they would have blown past the 360 long ago, and most likely the Wii. Live is a more polished service than PSN but more people bought 360's than PS3's simply because it was cheaper, not because of the online. Plenty of people were playing SOCOM on the PS2 and PSN is far superior to what was available back then. It comes down to accessibility and that's where Sony messed up. Halo was a big part of the XBOX's success but it was the Call of Dutys, Grand Theft Autos and Maddens that drove the 360 to the top of the HD market. Despite Microsoft's online expertise, worldwide they are about even with the PS3 which leads me to believe that a more basic online service like PSN is enough to compete.

    If Nintendo can build a service that's anywhere close to even PSN, they'll be more than competitive on that front, especially since the hardware (if the specs hold true) is better than what the 360 and PS3 can do. From what's been leaked so far, they are going to release the system with a more traditional controller. It remains to be seen how much 3rd party support that Nintendo can garner beacuse that has been a weakness since the N64 days but it seems like they have their priorities in place.

    Again if everything holds true, when the Wii 2 launches it will be the most powerful system on the market, only console on the market that can do native 1080p and a decent online system. Seemingly it will also be the easiest system to program for as well, and again at this point, advances in graphics technology will be smaller and smaller as time goes on, at least as long as we're all gaming on 1080p LCD's and plasmas. Nintendo is in a much better position financially than they were before the Wii was launched and their name recognition is the best in the industry so if they can reel in the 3rd parties and a decent online structure, I don't see why they can't be on top again.

  • Claudiov1.0 #83 1 year ago

    I am fairly skeptical about this console.. in terms of hardware it is not very impressive.. the CPU should be better than the 360 one.. but the CELL, if properly used can be more powerfull.. the GPU is more powerfull than both console's (however it is not very tecnhologically advanced) in terms of hardware it should be a little more powerfull than the PS3 (think of how the gamecube was more powerfull than the ps2 and that sould be about the difference), however since hardware, isn´t fully know yet, any prediction will be nothing more than that.

    However as good as hardware is.. it's because of games that we buy consoles.. the ps3 has arguably the best catalog of the current gen, and wii will need new ip's and proper "third-party relationships" to compete with the awesome games that this console provides.

    The price is not very good for the hardware and presumable entertainment value(it will depende on games and the hability to play blu-ray movies, the online service.....) that the console will offer... if this console sells at 350-400 euros\dollars it isn´t a very atractive piece of entertainment.. i just bought a brand new desktop (HP pavillion HPE-420pt) and i wont probably buy a new console until the next gen.. and if i buy something in the next gen it will be SONY.. like them or not... they make great consoles with top of the line hardware... have a very good satisfatory online service( sure xbox live is more polished... but sony offers a very competitve service.. and in 1st party games, with dedicated servers.. the online experience is pratically flawless, however in 3rd party games it really depends on developers) and great games to top that...

    I'll wait for the PS4, since this new console doesn´t look like a very good idea to put my money in...
    Edited by Claudiov1.0 at 22/04/11 @ 22:20

  • sidneyfife #84 1 year ago

    @joelstinton

    I agree that development costs will only increase from here on out. Nintendo will be competitive from a hardware standpoint this time around so if they can show that they are the most profitable platform out of the three early on then I think that will give them a big advantage. I believe you're right when the difference between this generation of HD consoles and the next will not be as noticeable as the PS1-PS2-PS3. If the average Wii 2 game looks like Uncharted 2 (in 1080p nonetheless), just how much better can graphics get? Maybe a few more textures here and there and a slightly longer draw distance but it's like Hollywood films these days where even average CGI is quite good. Until we're playing on the Holodeck, games will be limited by the screen and controller. We're not going to get much better graphics wise.

    Again this is all assuming that the specs hold true and play out in practice as they do on paper and the online system is much improved.

  • Joao_pt #85 1 year ago

    ps3 grafic card=7900gtx 5 years ago

    today the
    ps3 grafic card twiked=8800gt

    but the new r700 for Nintendo works on dx10....( already overrated)

    ps3&360 works dx9...

    but the ps4&720 will have dx11 or dx 12

    will do better...

  • 3william56 #86 1 year ago

    Um, wasn't one of the reasons the Xbox tanked in Japan the size? Whoops.

  • Sid-Nice #87 1 year ago

    I hope with all this power under the hood of the new Nintendo console they don’t decide to neglect the casual gamer. We need Just Dance et al in 1080p.

  • jumpdeveraux #88 1 year ago

    Rumour has it the controller has been leaked out.

    [link url=http://www.neowin.net/news/nintendo-wii-2-controllers-leak-out
    ]http://www.neowin.net/news/nintendo-wii-...[/link]

    Console splits multiplayer screens onto the controllers. Digest at will.

  • Mkwone #89 1 year ago

    I'm curious to see how a new console will cope considering neitherSony nor MS (from what we understand) and anywhere near releasing a new console. Is this a next gen console or is it meerly a minor step up to make it more competive to the more powerful consoles.

    The last time we saw a console come out on it's own was the Dreamcast - Sure it's a cult console and many speak fondly of it, but it was a failure for Sega.

    The main thing this console needs is a good online component. No more of these stupid friends codes or what have you.
    But considering the newly released 3DS still uses them we might be disapointed.

    Speaking of the 3DS, that had a price point of £220 or there abouts. For a similar sort of price can we expect ninty to give us a next gen console?

  • Nevflinn #90 1 year ago

    All of these leaks are just making me a bit sad for Nintendo. Everyone's minds would have been utterly blown at E3 had this all been kept hush-hush. :(

  • karaokequeen3 #91 1 year ago

    SNES-like design? If it takes cartridges, color me sold!

  • cattypat #92 1 year ago

    Nintendo is in a very strange situation with their consoles at the moment. With the Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox360 and even the iPhone offering so many advanced features for more than just playing games, and with the Xperia/NGE and Windows7 phone games on the way already, you see that Nintendo really is stuck in the traditional games making business. The Wii was Nintendo's brilliant trump card when it came out, but today it is so limited with what it can do with gesture controls, with Kinect and Playstation Move gathering momentum to replace it with superior technology and gameplay. One of the major failings with the Wii is its online features, offering far less than other consoles in terms of competitive gameplay, balanced controls for multiplayer and managing online friends. It will be interesting to find out if they want to compete directly with Sony and Microsoft or will again go for something completely new and experimental again.

  • IcaruZx #93 1 year ago

    I'm really looking forward for this years E3. I would really like to see if Big N is showing the Wii follow-up console.

  • Byzanite #94 1 year ago

    As big as original xbox. Big then... !

  • RawNinjaKid #95 1 year ago

    I don't believe everythong in this "leak". But of course any new Nintendo home console is going to be more powerful than the PS3/Xbox360.

    I hope this will be Nintendo back at full strength again. I can never fault them gamplay and console design wise.
    Edited by RawNinjaKid at 23/04/11 @ 19:54

  • SpaceMonkey77 #96 1 year ago

    @Sidney

    Speaking as a seasoned gamer since 83' I don't expect to be right all the time. However, I have to disagree with you.

    The gradual rise of online gaming is indeed what kicked all traditional consoles in the teeth. The DC gave us a taste of it done well, before its time ended. PS2 had a try with SOCOM and FFXI, which did okay, but like I said, these games while cool came out towards the end of the PS2s cycle.

    From the embers of DC, MS were damn smart to build Xbox there. With all games arriving with online play out of the box, it changed the game for consoles, there's no mistaking that, and its a vital point that Sony picked up on early (PS2 did kick DC out of the exit door early, and like I said had an online try), but Nintendo totally missed it. To have online play out of the box, playing games with other gamers globally, this was previously the preserve of PCs and Macs, so its impact shouldn't be underestimated. No longer were we restricted to 2-4 players local games (not everyone has present friends, but online, no matter the nation, there's more chance of finding other players). Live was the smart key to all of this.

    Now, if you were a staunch, japanese console gamer, I was too, such change seems to spoil your traditional party. Sure, I had my GC back in the day, and I felt the pain of change, when GC, a console that was supposed to be online, had a broadband modem released, but no online games to support it (Nintendo had no online plan at all in place). Late in GC's life, while enjoying some of its awesome fruits, I had to concede that Nintendo failed with GC, especially after playing an Xbox, and previously laughing at MS entering the games industry. How wrong was I about MS? Very wrong indeed. Now that I have an Xbox and Xbox 360 Slim, I can't go back to waiting for Nintendo to pull their finger out of the arses, and get with the good stuff.

    Nintendo's biggest problem is that their success came with a huge hybris. All are below them somehow, and they feel they must always lead and never follow. Unfortunately, look where such thinking has got them. The Wii's success was a double edged sword, courting casuals and kicking hardcore to the curb. Apple enter with iPhone and Nintendo sit on their hands, spinning yarns about they aren't competing with Apple etc. Total bs. Was it really so hard for them to court both, and stop being arsemonkeys? Wii should have been such an equaliser, but from the get go, poorly thought out spec (no hard drive, no decent online, no demos) killed it in the eyes of many developers, while the controls bought it success with the masses. 3rd parties thus treat Nintendo like the local fool, and rightly so, til they get with the program.

    And the biggest irony of all, is that because of the competition that's not annoying Nintendo at all, they are now going exactly for both hardcore and casuals. If this means including an individual normal dual stick controller, and a Wii mote as control options with Wii2, then so be it.

    Many look at Nintendo, and seeing the hearts and flowers of their cool games etc. However, some of us can look deeper beneath the veil of cool, to see their twisted myopic roots, that could easily send them down Exit Industry Avenue. I love their games too, but Nintendo need to step out of their cave once in a while, and be open to learning and copying from others, as opposed to always being an industry teacher.

  • sport #97 1 year ago

    Cartridges or GTFO!!!!

  • Badassbab #98 1 year ago

    So going by these 'rumours'

    Technically it will be a couple of years more powerful than the PS3 and 360. The GPU is ok but still we are talking 2008 here and the CPU is based on the 360 one which is 2005. So all in all it will be a modest technical leap over the current HD gen but still far behind today's PC. Dissappointing IMO but not surprised. But at least the price is quite good.

  • seruso #99 1 year ago

    The controller, with cameras and touch screen looks too much like a 3DS. And the name Stream suggests that the Wii 2 can stream data to the 3DS ans use it as a controller.

  • smelly #100 1 year ago

    "Stream"?!?! And people STILL dont think this is a joke?!?

    Wii Stream? REALLY?!!?

    People are taking this nonsense seriously?!?

    Oh dear.

  • Claudiov1.0 #101 1 year ago

    Im from Portugal.. its curious how the industry "uses" (just saying this as an interesting fact, i don´t know if it is true) portuguese names for some projects:

    Project Natal (christmas in Portuguese)
    Project Café(this is not hard.. even for someone who doesn´t know portuguese)

    Funny stuff, it may not be true, but interesting notherless
    Edited by Claudiov1.0 at 24/04/11 @ 23:44

  • deez #102 1 year ago

    Um, both Natal & Cafe are words in the English Language also...

  • TAPNGO #103 1 year ago

    if it has an option to play without motion controls, i'll be getting it. i hate the 10 year console lifespan b s, 4 to 5 years is perfect.

  • TexMurphy01 #104 1 year ago

    1080p at 25+ FPS. Can be done with the 4850, if they choose to go with it. Personally I can see it being 720p quite easily, and why not?

    They are in a difficult position here. It can be the most graphically impressive console, and it can hold that position for maybe two years. But it has to be noticably better, and I can't see it being that. Time for some gimmicks.

  • murphsp1 #105 1 year ago

    The 360 came out 6 years ago. Now, Nintendo wants to sell the same (or maybe a slightly higher clocked versions) of 6-year old hardware for about the same price?

  • FeralYouth #106 1 year ago

    Technically advanced or not, what does it have over the Ps3 or Xbox 360? PC games don't sell more, and that's way way way, more technically advanced. It's easy enough to build a HTPC, and if that's what people wanted they'd do it. So trying to out box the Xbox isn't the best of ideas, especially where the American market is concerned.

    Is the online infrastructure better, knowing Nintendo probably not.

    Is online free?

    How will the market place work.

    Does it have achievements, or trophies?

    What does it have to make me want to give up ALL of my DLC, Achievements, trophies, and "people" on my friends lists.

    What does it have to make me want to switch over? Because let's face it, three is a crowd.

    This generation isn't as throwaway as last gen, not even close, hence the reason why it has lasted so long.

    The big question is, is this machine designed to compete with the current gen machines, if so that is a big risk and one almost certain to fail in the west at least. And if it truly is designed to be a next gen Wii then don't be too sure that the bulk of the Wii fit buyers will even care about the machine, they seem to be quite happy with Just Dance and the like.

    Also I'm not sure how wise it is releasing two new pieces of hardware within a space of a year, talk about spreading yourself thin.


    One appealing thing for me is having current Wii games at Dolphin emu quality.I just hope that Nintendo stick with the unique route they've taken of late. Another PS3 or Xbox isn't what the market needs right now. "


  • SeesThroughAll #107 1 year ago

    @Claudiov1.0: Don't mind the neggers, I enjoyed your funny post! :D

  • LLT_taz #108 1 year ago

    To most the tech of the new Nintendo console is important, for me it isn't so much the Gpu or the chip or even the hdd or Media format.
    What matters to me and the 90 percent of the gaming world is the games. I'm not taking about a new mario,or Mario karts, or zelda, metroid prime. these games have all been around for like two decades and have been made again for every ninty handland and home console.
    so i ask please make some new franchise's, and if you are planning on making it a powerful beast us it... and not for the mario cartoon faces, games like uncharted, gears, batman have all had great graphic and gameplay so evolve ninty.

  • Kaminari #109 1 year ago

    "Game Cube 3 will run off AMD's R700 GPU architecture"

    Yeah, big deal.

    Except there's a cosmic difference between a Radeon 4800 and an entry level Radeon 4300 (which is probably the GPU retained by Nintendo for cost reasons). The 4300 can't even start to compare to the raw performances of a 1800 (which equips the X360). Shader model is not everything.