Last week, we shared with you the complete list of existing rumors/facts about the Next Nintendo/ Wii HD/Wii 2. It’s a sharp-sounding device, and if the details hold up it could potentially bring Nintendo’s focus back to the core gamer.
However, there are still plenty of unknowns to the questions that have been popping up. What ABOUT that controller? What’s the online going to be like? Will it be 3DS compatible?
We hope the following list of questions will be answered soon, if any more viable rumors pop up. If you have questions of your own, please add them in the comments.
The Hardware
Question: Will this have a built-in HDD? Will it have external HDD affordability, such as SD cards or USB?
Nintendo (hopefully) learned their lesson from the miniscule HDD of the Wii. Once the “fridge” was full, buying Virtual Console and WiiWare games was a chore. A proper HDD, especially if Nintendo wants to take digital downloads seriously, would need to start at 80GB or more. SD cards would still be a nice feature to have as well, as there were users of the Wii who enjoyed the device as a photo viewer.
Question: Will the WiFi be 802.11n? Will the device have 3G capability?
Again, 802.11n is a must, but 3G (and possibly 4G) is increasingly becoming a “great to have”. Imagine a consoles that is (literally) always connected, whether WiFi is on at home or not.
Question: What disc format will the Nintendo HD (NHD) use?
Blu Ray is basically a must by now, as consumers are purchasing the format en masse. In order to have the capacity for 1080p it seems like a must. A proprietary disc, like the Gamecube or (to some extent) the Wii would suffice, but consumers want all-in-one media machines now. BDR would be a blessing, and probably not all that expensive to add in anymore.
Question: Will it utilize an digital/optical audio out?
Again, consumers are now HD- and multi-media savvy. The better the audio experience (see: Dead Space) the more probability to match up with the PS3’s capabilities.
The Controller
Question: Will it have a front- AND rear-facing camera?
The idea of a front-facing camera is great for personalization, but with Nintendo putting a big focus on augmented reality on the 3DS it would be important to include something similar with the NHD. Whether it’s two separate cameras, or a swiveling single camera, having the ability to take photos of anything would be a great selling feature.
Question: What is the quality of the camera? What can it actually do?
Will it just be a simple laptop-style video camera, or will it manage to incorporate some Kinect-like features? What’s the megapixel count? Can it take still photos as well as video?
Question: What will come of the WiiMote?
There were initial rumors that the new controller would allow for Wii Remote input. Does this mean that there will be a sensor bar on the controller? Or rather, will the sensor bar be plugged into the NHD, much like the current Wii does, rendering the Wii nothing more than an attachment/accessory? The latter seems like a great way for Nintendo to go. It allows the Wii’s motion gaming to remain relevant and the games to be completely backward compatible, while at the same not forcing it on the end purchaser. Buy it if you want.
Question: Will the new controller have motion capabilities?
We mentioned in our previous article that the new controller seems to have some motion capabilities. Will this be as deep as the Wii Remote, or more like the accelerometer & gyroscope of the iPhone?
Question: What are the wireless specs of the new controller?
Will the new controller work on a proprietary wireless technology, or via Bluetooth? Or better still, will it have wifi built in? The Screen Stream capability mentions playing the games on the controller’s screen but could the controller be used away from the console and logging in to a wifi network, with the console acting like a Slingbox gaming device? The Screen Stream has yet to be understood.
Question: If the controller can act as a separate touch screen, what happens to the touch screen portion if the Screen Stream is used with the TV shut off?
Will the functionality of the game change to remove the use of a second screen? The blogs made the device sounds like a giant DS, but what happens to the “bottom screen” if the “top screen” (the TV) is shut off? Does that function go away, or is it transferred to another controller or device?
Question: Will the controller have an on-board “OS” or any RAM?
The controller could potentially be used for a lot more than gaming, and could become a “lite” tablet device. But it’s unknown how it will function/power-up.
Question: How much will the controller cost?
We can’t imagine the controller to cost more that $50-$60 each. Nintendo doesn’t aim to kill the consumer, especially if they aim to have families still pick up the device.
Question: What is the compatibility with the 3DS?
Will the 3DS even need to be compatible at this point? There was absolutely minimal DS-Wii usage, but some brilliant GBA/Gamecube interoperability. What route will Nintendo take with the NHD, especially if the controllers already have a screen?
The Software
Question: Friend Codes?
The Nintendo Wii’s use of Friend Codes was nearly unusable. Will Nintendo go to actual online IDs, or will the 3DS’ single Friend Code system be used here as well?
Question: Will there be true online networking?
Again, the Wii paled in comparison to Xbox Live. Western gamers, especially, have flocked to Live as their primary gaming hub for multiplayer interaction, and it’s arguably added massive sales to the console. Can the NHD do something similar, or at least more organized than what they have now?
Question: What happens to our Virtual Console games?
These need to be able to be transferred over to the new console from the Wii. And as such, downloadable Gamecube and Wii games would be a natural addition, as the VC is getting fairly dry of content.
Question: What the heck is “M-Live Framework”?
Yeah, what is it? Is it the MT Framework that Capcom uses?
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