New Nintendo machine still a mystery

The enigmatic new machine at the centre of Nintendo's E3 plans, which is neither a GameCube nor Game Boy Advance successor, remains something of a mystery today despite reports that it somehow measures movement and may be compatible with existing game software for either Cube or GBA.

Speaking to a Japanese newspaper this week, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata reportedly commented that the new device will "enable fun and movement not seen before". It's as cryptic a comment as anything else that's been said about the device (which lacks even the relative comfort of a codename in press circles), conjuring images of dance mats, EyeToys and various other existing movement-based gaming pursuits. Whatever it actually does, Iwata-san expects the machine to become a third key product behind the existing GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

Meanwhile, a separate report in Famitsu tracks yet more puzzling comments, this time from Ken Toyoda of Nintendo's publicity division, who reiterated for the magazine that "The unique machine and its concepts are scheduled to be revealed during the E3," before saying that "With that as our focus, we are currently going into the process of exploring what we can have it do with conventional software." Is this, as some sources speculate, evidence of backwards compatibility?

All will be revealed at the E3 convention this May and, by the sound of it, not before.