The Philippine Online Chronicles

Much like Sony, Nintendo revealed brand-new hardware in the closing act of their E3 2011 press conference: the Wii U, the successor to their current home console. Remember when I said that the Vita may be Best of Show? That was before Nintendo presented the numerous ways that the Wii U can revitalize gaming.

Nintendo of America President and Chief Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aime began the introduction of the new console by elaborating on its name. He explained that the original Wii was an attempt to spread gaming to a broader audience, including family members and friends who had never touched a controller in their lives, and make gaming a social, personal affair, hence the Wii name’s evocation of the pronoun “we”. While this strategy was effective, catapulting the Wii to an unshakable first-place lead in this generation’s console race, popular opinion is that Nintendo alienated the “core”, leading to Wii versions of multiplatform games to be severely gimped or cut altogether.

The name Wii U represents Nintendo’s attempt to incorporate the interpersonal gameplay of the Wii with the added focus on the single player dedicated to games—“you”. With the introduction of the Wii U, Nintendo consoles will have the deep gameplay that many “core” players want, but retains all the social functionality of the Wii; it can be enjoyed in even larger groups than before (up to five simultaneous controllers) or simply by yourself.

Central to this philosophy is the Wii U’s new controller, which looks like a tablet with the buttons of a traditional controller—a 6.2-inch touchscreen, four face buttons, four shoulder buttons, a D-pad and two Circle pads similar to the single one on the 3DS. Fils-Aime described the controller as “infinitely complex and yet perfectly simple at the same time”, implying that both gaming veterans players (its inputs are essentially the same as a modern console controller, except with a resistive touch display) and newcomers will be able to use it. So much attention was given to the controller, in fact, that the actual console was never shown in a photo by itself—but it was there as well. It looks like a Wii with rounded edges and interface.

A trailer was then shown highlighting the features of the new controller, as well as hinting at several new gameplay possibilities:

If someone is using the television, the Wii U controller’s screen can be used as the primary display, letting players have a full console experience in the palm of their hand without bothering whoever else is using the television—or sleeping, if the console is in the bedroom. Users can pause the game, change the TV channel, and continue play on the controller.

Since the new controller has tablet-like properties, it only makes sense that users can draw on it. I’d imagine the system comes with some sort of art suite with online sharing capabilities, much like Flipnote Studio for the DSi.

It’s also possible to play on the screen only, disregarding the television entirely. The next clip showed the new controller on a table, between two people drinking coffee (a reference to the system’s codename, Project Café) and playing Othello on the screen. It also demonstrated the controller’s motion-sensing capabilities—when one of the players lost, he tilted the controller bitterly, “shaking away” the Othello discs.

Motion control can also be used with the controller in conjunction with the screen. The trailer showed pitching in a Wii Sports-like baseball game—players can aim where they will pitch, and as soon as the ball is hit, control an outfielder to catch the ball. The sequence also demonstrated the sensing capabilities of the system: the TV (with a sensor bar similar to the Wii) can sense where the controller is in 3D space. In effect, the two screens can judge distance between one and the other.

New perspectives are also possible with the new controller. The example shown was that of golf—players can place the new controller on the floor, with a view of their ball and the ground immediately beneath it and use a Wii Remote to swing (all Wii controllers and accessories are compatible with the Wii U) then seeing their shot on the TV.

The new controller can also be used as a sort of sniper scope, aiming at tiny targets on the TV, but magnified on the controller’s screen. One of the most exciting tablet/television interactivity was the image of throwing stars on the tablet being aimed at the TV, flying with accurate trajectory.

The tablet controller also has practical uses. One of them was for browsing the internet—in addition to convenient typing input, the new controller can also interface with the website by scrolling, acting as a magnifier, and changing the page orientation. Images one is viewing on the controller can also be “sent” for display on the television, which implies multitasking is possible; one person could be browsing on the tablet, while someone is, say, watching a video on the television. Online video chat between consoles is also possible, which further suggests full network integration.

Closing the video was a demonstration of a how a high-definition Zelda game would look like; the clip showed Twilight Princess assets upscaled on the television, while an item selection screen was on the tablet controller. Take a look at the actual console below the right side of the TV; this perspective was the only one they showed of the unit itself during the entire presentation.

Nintendo Global CEO Iwata Satoru then took the stage, saying how previously, home console games had to occupy the TV. Now, using the system even while someone else is watching TV will be no problem. The system will be fully backwards compatible with Wii games, controllers and accessories, even that Balance Board you never use anymore. In fact, one of the possible uses showcased with the new controller was the ability to weigh yourself privately in Wii Fit.

Iwata then detailed the controller: it has traditional controller input plus the touchscreen, as well as rumble, a microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, and player-facing camera. He made sure to stress that the controller is not a portable system—it’s not doing any computing itself, just receiving data from the console wirelessly transmitted without any latency issues. It’s an impressive feat, but at present, there can only be one new controller interacting with the system at a time—other players must use Wii Remotes, which will make for interesting multiplayer mechanics. Nintendo is working out a way to use multiple new controllers, however.

There was also a video interview with Miyamoto Shigeru shown, where the legendary developer talked about the nearly infinite possibilities the new controller brings with its multiple configurations—just the tablet, just the TV, or both the tablet and the TV. Just like with the Wii, the new console will bring new styles of play. The full text version of the interview can be read in the latest issue of Iwata Asks.

Shaking up the theater even further was the announcement of a new entry in the Super Smash Bros. series, Nintendo’s crossover fighting game, for both Wii U and 3DS, which would have some form of interactivity between the two platforms. Another exclusive title was also announced for the two systems:  Lego City Stories, an open-world Lego game, shaping up to be a family-friendly Grand Theft Auto.

A tech demo was also shown of a bird among cherry blossoms, showing impressive effects almost up to par with modern animated feature films. This, like the Zelda tech demo, was all being rendered by the system, with people being able to manipulate the camera when they tried it on the show floor. Eight other playable tech demos were also available, each showcasing possibilities with the Wii U hardware.

The Wii U has strong third-party backing, with executives from Electronic Arts, Vicarious Visions, THQ, 5th Cell, Ubisoft, Namco Bandai, Irrational Games, WB Games all pledged support for the system, reiterating that the new console is revolutionary. Third-party games include Darksiders II, Tekken, Batman: Arkham City, Dirt, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online, Metro: Last Light, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. It should be noted, though, that the footage shown wasn’t of the software running on Wii U, but footage from PC/PS3/360. So if the graphics don’t look that impressive, it’s because it’s running on current systems. Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello then came onstage to personally announce full EA support, including upcoming title Battlefield 3.

Reggie Fils-Aime closed the presentation by bringing to mind the four current Nintendo systems and their legacy of innovation. When it launches in 2012, the Wii U will bring several experiences together: the traditional Nintendo experience, strong third-party support, a robust online system that has usernames instead of Friend codes, satisfying all tastes. With this reinvigorated vision, it seems that Nintendo as a company is well on the way to creating a platform with deeper gameplay and wider appeal.

Nintendo E3 2011 Press Conference Coverage:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Images courtesy of Nintendo's live stream of the conference.