Sparrow and dementis make really good points that deserve attention... The hardware worries are a real red herring, and nintendo is really putting their energy where it matters (ai is a great place to focus the extra processing power, IMO)...

The reason I asked is because I've never really seen a problem with AIs being unintelligent. Then again, I've never really played an FPS where I presume those things would be important.

Yeah, but not just FPS (though that would be good... anyone ever played Crysis?).  If you've played an RPG/Adventure like Fable III on the Xbox, you know that any time there are more than a few NPCs on screen, there are severe framerate issues and even some inexcusable rubber-banding.  Fable III doesn't look all that awesome in terms of HD graphics... but the NPC AI in an environment like an RPG town, where each character is reacting to a number of variables regarding your character, his reputation, his current clothing and equipment, his actions, the actions of others, their own jobs and relationships to one another, etc., can get VERY demanding on a processor!

When i say M rated games i just use that as an example for most of the games I like, and i could care less about bieng cool cause everyone told me not a Wii but i bought it cause i loved the smash series and i played smash since i was 3.

Ha! Nice to feel vindicated! In that case, good for you, and you are definitely not alone in either your taste (I like many M-rated games too) or your worries about WiiU. Nintendo has a lot to prove... but I think that they will prove it. It will be HARD for them to mess up. Again, though, if you are falling in love with some exclusives on another system, there's no substitute for games you really like. Go with the system that has the games you like!

Im pretty sure hes talking about increasing the intelligence of AI.

Mostly this, but the former as well (more characters on screen).  Currently, the complexity of AI routines are severely hampered by available processing power.  This doesn't much matter in a game like Zelda, which seems to focus on duels rather than big battles with crowds... but I could see it doing great things for a franchise like Pikmin, where enemies (and player-directed AIs) are required to coordinate with/react to one another.  Big AI breakthroughs are a while down the line... but improved NPC coordination/interaction is an improvement we could see right away with a little more processing oomph in the hands of developers.

Dang, guys... can we refrain from vilifying a person's personal taste, here? I assume that he was just noticing that the particular games that he found to be fun were all rated M. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but I'd rather give too much than too little.

As far as the question goes, I agree with the other posters. Nintendo is explicitly uninterested in being "edgy"... "hardcore", yes, but edgy no. However, you will all-but-certainly see CoD games on the new console (and from the early reports, Battlefield and Crysis too)... but I wouldn't hold my breath for stuff like Dante's Inferno, if that's your cup of tea. Watch the news for Dead Space announcements. Supposedly EA's bringing over everything, and if they bring that over, it's a pretty good indication that the door's wide open.

I wouldn't worry about the "50% more powerful" talk, personally. There is a lot of that rubbish going around in PS/Xbox circles. Even if it was just "as powerful" and not more, the fact is that game designers are (and will be for the next three or four years at least) designing games with the current level of console technology in mind.

Watch the video trailers on IGN for Battlefield 3, and compare the PC version to the PS3 version. The PC version is pretty much the cutting edge. If you're not disappointed by the difference, then you have nothing to worry about... in two or three years, when PS and MS put out their new consoles, they will be using that tech *at best*, unless they plan on charging you $1000 for a console.

At the end of the day, what matters is that all the developers say that the WiiU is a very capable, exciting system. The buzz is good from major third parties, and with the new controller and it's possibilities, you can just do cooler stuff with the WiiU than with the other guys. Unless you're desperately in love with inFamous or Gears of War, I think you'll be decently happy sticking with the big N.

Of course, if you really are one of those annoying kids that mostly just worry about how their console makes them look - and you really do just want that one game because it has an M on it, "and it's cool to like blood, don't you know" - then you are already well aware that Nintendo is not "cool", and you already know that you need to run out RIGHT NOW and buy something PS or MS, whether it's fun or not.

Hope that helps.

P.S. There are some well-built games that I do not find fun. People tell me that God of War is fun... I see their arguments for the quality of its design, but I don't like it. Similarly, people tell me that Yoshi's Story is fun. I see their arguments for the quality of its design, but I don't like it. It's true that the M rating doesn't make a game fun... but it's equally true that a game's inherent quality will not make it fun for all people.

This franchise seems to be most closely associated in peoples' minds with the HD era - probably because the aesthetic of the Prime trilogy already tended toward this direction (I still think that Corruption looks good, even when compared to HD games)...

But I don't necessarily want another "Prime" (meaning, a first-person shooter/adventure)... I would be all for an entirely different mode of play for the franchise, as long as the core Metroid dynamic of recursive, layered exploration, haunting atmosphere, upgradable abilities, deep alien lore and complex environmental puzzles were all preserved.

Keep the above qualities, keep the realistic, captivating aesthetic, and you've got me sold...

I would be all over a full 3d version of a link to the past, but with OOT and star fox its now time to focus on new things again.

This is where I'm at, too... I have genuine love for the classics, and playing them again really takes me back. But there has been a LOT of remaking lately, and precious little progress into new realms. If a company relies too much on repackaging and re-selling to me games that they've already sold me before, eventually it starts to feel less like a service for the fans and more like a lazy way to make a buck, or even (and I flinch to say this) a lack of good ideas.

Nintendo is actually worrying me... I feel that they might be in the place that Disney got to be in, when Walt got old, endlessly combing over the old man's old ideas, looking for a note or a scrap of paper to turn into a full-length feature. I don't think Miyamoto is there... but I think that everyone could use a Pixar-like infusion of fresh genius - someone with really NEW ideas for a new generation, and an organic vision of future gaming that syncs with where the market's at.

Personally, I think that the 3DS is the perfect delivery vehicle for N64 re-releases (OoT has me stoked)... but if they were to completely refurbish the game (more akin to what MS is doing for the Halo:CE anniversary), I could see an HD version blowing me away. Even more exciting to me, in many ways, would be a re-imagining of the tale, like what Eurocom did with the recent Goldeneye for Wii.

Honestly (and I know this will be unpopular) I think Nintendo needs to cool it with the Zelda franchise for a while (other than these kind of remakes)... I like Zelda as a kind of epoch franchise, giving me a new tale for a new era. I would hate to see it become a serial, faerie sitcom... I think the same thing about Metroid, for now. I say, give me (or rather, give Retro) a new Star Fox... it's been ages for that franchise, and it would be in a great position to milk that HD goodness.

While I agree that it seems HIGHLY unlikely that Nintendo will charge for its online service, I can't say that I am particularly happy about this...

XboxLIVE is a great service. It really is... and millions of adopters, "hardcore" and "casual" alike, agree. I'm not saying that I really want Nintendo to do something similar, but I AM afraid that I will end up paying each individual company individual, monthly fees on separate account systems for online functionality in their particular game (which is a nightmare). A few things that Nintendo has said make me think in this direction, and I am REALLY hoping that this doesn't happen (but don't know how it can be avoided, especially being that companies like Ubi are already headed there)...

Agreed. We need more games like Secret of Mana. Those were the days...

If by this you mean co-op games... then I think you're in luck.  There are a WIDE array of great co-op games on the current HD consoles, and I imagine we'll be seeing a steady stream from our beloved big N now that they have the horsepower to pull it off without taxing the processor.

btw... I also LOVE Secret of Mana... most nostalgic gaming experience in my memory... played it with my brother on and on until the save file died.

Miyamoto's new IP, perhaps? Monolith's next game (Xenoblade is amazing, after all)? A potential new IP from Retro?

yeah, man... i totally forgot about Monolith for some reason. just the thought makes me stoked for the future. and I'm DYING for a new Retro IP!

They need games that make 14 year old boys feel like they own the world and are special and can blow things up.

That's for today's "hardcore gamer".
The rest of us just want a fun game.

yes, yes, you're clever in your satire and i certainly understand your point... but I don't want to write off those "14 year old boys" simply due to their conventionally touted narcicism! I mean, I like to blow things up too (and own the world, come to think of it)... aren't those valid avenues of enjoyment in video games, after all? I loved sim-city on the SNES, and Blast Corps was fun on the N64 because I got to blow things up. I played both smash bros. and goldeneye at college because I wanted to "own" my friends (and I had to break down and move on to Halo when it came along because Nintendo wasn't willing to continue pushing into new territory on this road... though they made what I consider to be the best first steps of anyone).

I doubt that you yourself have criteria as simple as "a fun game"... right? I mean, what kind of game do you like to play? What would make you run out to buy a new console that you hadn't planned on purchasing already?

I just think that, if Nintendo wants to reach a broad range of gaming enthusiasts, it will need "fun games" of both the endearing-characters-in-charming-environments-trying-to-solve-engaging-puzzles variety, as well as the intense-sci-fi-ownage-with-big-explosions-and-stuff variety.

I want a diversity of games, because everybody has a different definition of fun. I have fun with Mario to God of War to Zelda to Uncharted.

agreed, and I think this is the hope for me as well. perhaps the true gaming enthusiasts are the ones who have replied consistently that they really just want a fun game from any genre, and I really respect that, too. I think I, personally, tend to be a "mood" gamer who wants the title I'm playing to match a particular theme that i'm currently "in to"... and I think I was wondering where the real pulse is in gaming, and what would bring these dedicated gamers to the new console in droves (because I want to see the new system succeed)

Always nice to hear that Miyamoto-San is cooking up something new... I guess new characters could mean a new franchise, or some new faces in an existing one.

I guess we'll have to see what becomes of it...

Maybe we will be able to stream other things into the controller...  Like a Blu-Ray player maybe?

I could definitely see this as a possibility.  But Nintendo has, strangely, been known to include mysterious ports that never get used... remember the expansion ports on your SNES and N64 (the ones on the bottom)?  Some of those get used for Japan-only releases (like the Famicom disc-drive)... but this?  I can only assume that it's a way to link the WiiU to another player, or a yet-to-be-named peripheral like a video camera... weird.

... What?

I just don't think that amazing tech specs would do it... you couldn't make an affordable console that could approach what PCs are doing atm, even if you wanted to.

Like the recently made statement says, it's got to be the games... but what kind of games? Certainly 3rd party ports with marginally better graphics won't do it (why buy a whole new system so you can play the new Battlefield with a few more particle/lighting effects?).

Is it the HD versions of beloved franchises like Metroid and Zelda? Will that bring people to the big N (or bring them back)?

Is it a new 1st party IP? Some good 1st/2nd party exclusives?

I wonder this in all sincerity, as I often waver in my own resolve to pick the system up at launch. What kind of game would it take to put me in line on day one, happy to fork over my $400 for hardware + game?

At the moment, I think that in the absense of a serious reboot (i.e. full reimagining) of Zelda/Metroid/StarFox, it would take a rather epic new adventure game to capture me hook-line-and-sinker. I really want a fresh and compelling universe (no matter who it comes from) - one that I could only get on Nintendo's console; something as captivating as Uncharted, as addicting as Halo, but as polished and solid as Mario. Ninty has taken the risk before with games like Eternal Darkness... and I think it will take that kind of boldness to attract the gaming enthusiast.

What does everyone else think?

WiiU-ware perhaps? For a few bucks it would be fun... I'm honestly hoping for a big breath of fresh air on this console... some new franchises to fall in love with. I only have so much nostalgia!

I certainly agree with the sentiment of the OP.  It would increase my own sense of positive expectation if very small snippets of teaser artwork, or perhaps cryptic tweets, were slowly-but-steadily released to the webernet to keep us uber-fans salivating.  I think that this kind of info would also do good things for the marketing of the system at large (speading awareness of new and intriguing gaming concepts to pique curiosity), while allowing Nintendo to keep their oh-so-precious focus on games.

I do agree, of course, that the ultra-high-expectation crowd is an ultra minority right now.  My brother, to judge by the amount of money that he has spent on Nintendo products, would certainly seem to be a big Ninty fan... but he frequently has to be reminded about what the WiiU even is when I bring it up in conversation... for the majority of gamers, it seems that the system really isn't on the radar at this point.

I suppose this could be used to support both sides of the argument.  On the one hand, lack of awareness about the product might mean that Nintendo doesn't have to worry about frustrated expectations (because they don't exist).  On the other hand, lack of awareness about the product might mean that Nintendo really ought to work on generating some real buzz.  Of course, one could always argue that the best time to do that is, in fact, a couple of months before release...

man, is anyone else sort of disappointed about the timing on this, though? I was desperately hoping that Retro would have something spectacular ready for the system's launch... this seems like team-building, which is awesome for the future, but sheds some doubt on the state of Retro's current activity. I sure hope that a core team, at least, has been diligently plugging away at an epic masterpiece for the last few years...

Yeah... I wish, for silly aesthetic reasons, that there was a greater contrast to the look of the Wii. I like some curves... but then again, I think the N64 was the sexiest looking console ever released.

Ultimately, however, I don't think the look matters (as long as they give me an option of black, so it blends in with ALL THE OTHER ELECTRONICS OUT THERE).

It seems like Animal Crossing was a halfway-house attempt at a Nintendo MMO, before the tech was really feasible for the console market.  I could see a new MMO on this level - a Pokemon-like world based on collecting, trading, socializing, and "flair"-like display of your personal creations.  I can't see them pulling off anything on the level of WoW... but I admit that the idea excites me.  Nintendo's art style seems well suited to a WoW-like persistent-world RPG.

1. Being that the 1st party offerings we've seen so far have been pretty slim, I would certainly bet on some big announcements/reveals at E3. Nintendo has historically been pretty good at keeping quiet about big projects (with some notable slips, as mentioned above).

2. As everyone else says, it's very unlikely. Announcing the specs creates a centrifugal force, propelling people away from the tightly-controllable presentations and hyped-up game teasers at the conference as they run off to coldly prophesy/calculate the system's potential in terms of numerical values on their own. Nintendo wants to coax and guide your thought process and your expectations through engagement with their experiences, helping you to see their project as they envision it; not turn you loose to spiral down into the paranoia of a tech-based inferiority complex. I mean, have you heard some of the crazy-unrealistic hopes that people have for this tech? No console could live up to these expectations in terms of raw power...

^ Nollog nailed it people. He didn't mean the consoles havnt been announced, he meant they havnt announced which consoles ue4 is meant to operate on.

Grammitically, he didn't need to say "intended" and "aimed". It makes that sentence confusing, especially when being read.He should have said, "the platforms this is intended for have not been announced."

or... "we have yet to announce the platforms for which this is intended"... if grammatical precision is absolutely paramount anyway, i agree that nothing conclusive was said...

but hey, in relation to the whole frustration regarding "the games industry" and DLC... I realized not too long ago that I actually ended up paying $90 for Gears of War 3, after adding the cost of the DLC season pass to the original cost of the game... so yeah, I get the point about feeling a bit hustled. But you know what? I'm actually ok with it. I appreciate that games are expensive to develop and publish, I like all the bells and whistles that come with high production values and traditional packaging, and the slow feed of extra content is welcome to me. The digital/new media age has spoiled me a bit, but at the end of the day I am still a fan, and fans of all stripes have always been ready to shell out ridiculous amounts of cash for overpriced merchandise!

Also... I remember paying $70 for a game on many occasions during the "good old days" of gaming (talking SNES here)... and that was in 1992 dollars!

Of course I would buy it! Sure I don't have a load of cash lying around... but that's what kidneys are for, right?

They bought it a few years back, it's first party now.

wow, this is good to know... and yeah, I'm really excited for Monolith's future games. Thanks to jono for bringing this studio up...

Metroid Prime
Metroid Other M

LOL... exactly!!! It's kind of like saying you don't mind which director makes your comic book movie as long as it gets made (*sob, sob*)... and we all know how that has worked out for us...

I'm interested in whatever company gets to make the next Starfox game.

YES, YES, and HECK YES... and, at risk of being droll/predictable, I'd really love it if it turned out to be Retro.

I want it to be like the Vita's touchscreen. As far as touchscreens go, it's pretty good.

Agreed... a capacative (OLED) screen with a decent physical texture to its surface and good point correction for multi-touch is actually very nice for gaming, though as several people have already pointed out, all the plans that have been mentioned have indicated a resistive, single-touch screen (ergo, the stylus).

Believe me people, you do NOT want a capacitive touchscreen for gaming.

Right... because NOBODY uses their iPhone for playing games... oh wait!

Seriously, though, the iPhone/iPad screen is (technically speaking) WAY more responsive than the DS variety of old, old, old resistive screens.  It responds to a very light touch and can be incredibly precise (ask any Infinity Blade enthusiast).

I think gamers can easily get used to either style though, to be honest, so I'm not too worried about the WiiU controller in this department