Any thoughts on this?

http://wii.ign.com/articles/116/1162045p1.html

Reasonably credible now that the Wii successor will be announced in June at E3, if not before. Numerous developers are attesting to this, and there are several developers on Assemblergames under anonymous handles who are confirming it.

HD-capable, just slightly more powerful than 360/PS3 albeit with more RAM, potentially a screen on the controller?

I'm amped about it.

I've heard it's supposed to be significantly more powerful. If not...why bother? We are a;ready nearing the end of this current generation's life span. To introduce a current gen console this late in the season is stupid IMO. And screens on controllers = $$$.
I hate consoles as it is....so call me skeptical. And that first comment in the link pretty well sums up the issues I have with it.

Yeah they are shooting for a console with todays hardware in mind. Granted in the next 2 years or so we will see consoles 3x faster than current ones so I don't think this is a great move.

On the other hand, Project Cafe might be marketed to the same market that bought the Wii. Lower costs and less graphics. Selling hardware slightly faster than what is currently out will most likely cost $200-$300 while the other next gen consoles will be aiming for a $450-$600 price point. The Wii had higher margins than both Xbox and PS3 while being able to sell more of them. Yeah it wasn't for the serious gamer but that is what free markets are all about, supplying all segments of a market. It just happened that Nintendo was the only competitor in that market and made out like bandits.

I'm expecting it to be a "Dreamcast" leap forward, so maybe half a generation.

Given that Nintendo has something of a different customer base from the other two, I think they'll be successful.

CNN is running this rumor now, so there has to be something behind it.

I just hope this means no more gimmicky motion controls. I want to play Animal Crossing with a wavebird, not by waving a nunchuck around.

As far as hardware power, all I have to say is a firm "eh, whatever." The Wii's not exactly a powerhouse, but look how beautiful Super Mario Galaxy is. As long as it can power gameplay mechanics that can be used to build good games, I don't care if it's another repackaged Gamecube. If that means I can buy it for $250, more power to Nintendo.

Things I expect from the new console:
PROPER ONLINE SERVICES. No friend codes. I want a console-wide network experience. And it needs to be free (which is not something I'm worried about with Nintendo). I know online services did something to offend Nintendo when they were very young, but they needs to swallow their pride and realize that a LOT of us want to play SSMB with a friend without having to jump through more hoops than a circus performer. I want voice chat via headset, not room mic. I want a lobby system, and a "party" system like XBL (scowls at PSN). I should NEVER have to pick up a phone to get a multiplayer game going with friends. And I shouldn't have to turn to my other consoles or PC or phone for voice support and chat to play a game on NINTENDO's console.

CONTROLLERS WITH BUTTONS. I don't want motion controls. I don't want Kinect. I don't want some space-age neurolink. I want a gamepad. With buttons and analog sticks. And I REQUIRE every single game on that console to support it. Make neurolink hats optional, but leave me to my wavebird. I want to relax, not get an aerobic workout.

A STREAMLINED ONLINE STORE. PSN and even XBL are much slicker to navigate than the clunky pseudo-touchscreen pointer-based layout of the Wii Shop. I don't want giant quarter-screen Fisher Price buttons, I don't want 30 layers of categories to pass through to get where I'm going. Make it easily searchable, make it display as much relevant content on screen as possible at any given time, and make it easy to jump from category to category without backing all the way out to the top.

^^
Everything but that "controllers with buttons" bit is probably a safe bet.

Next on the list, after decent hardware, is to DEVELOP NEW f*** IP'S. There have been over 200 Mario games and dozens of Zelda games....talk about milking a product.

MinisterofDOOM wrote:CONTROLLERS WITH BUTTONS.

I used this when ever playing any Mario titles...

RCA wrote:

MinisterofDOOM wrote:CONTROLLERS WITH BUTTONS.

I used this when ever playing any Mario titles...

I have a Classic Controller and a Pro as well as a Wavebird and multipe wired GCN controllers. The problem is not all Wii games support all those options. They should. I mentioned Animal Crossing above, and it's one of the best examples. That game has no business using motion controls, and is ideal for play on a wavebird or classic controller. But Nintendo didn't even support gamepads as an OPTION. Which is stupid.

ScorchedNX2K wrote:Next on the list, after decent hardware, is to DEVELOP NEW f**king IP'S. There have been over 200 Mario games and dozens of Zelda games....talk about milking a product.

I have NEVER been able to understand this complaint. It's not milking a product, it's doing what works. And what works works for Nintendo AND for players. The Zelda, Metroid, and Mario formulas are spectacularly well-refined, and that only happens with iteration. And as a player, I find that it is when Nintendo tries to be DIFFERENT, not do what works, that gameplay lets me down. Metroid Other M? GARBAGE. Because it (A) tried to be approachable and (B) tried to be "fresh." If I wanted fresh I wouldn't buy a game from an established IP.

It IS entirely possible for new and old IPs to coexist. I WANT more of the same with Mario and Zelda and Metroid. I don't want Skyward Sword or Other M. What works well is good for me as a gamer. Avoiding it SOLELY because it's been done before is stupid. Don't fix what isn't broken.

The screen on the controller sounds like a 'meh' idea to me. There's already enough on a controller, the last thing I want on it is a screen. Can't they just leave things that work and have been around for ages alone?

The Wii outsold all of the other consoles in this generation by far. Also, a big-wig with Nintendo was quoted saying that Microsoft and Sony pushed their HD consoles out too fast and have not taken advantage of all that HD can offer the gaming world. I'm excited for a press release or an E3 announcement.

MinisterofDOOM wrote:I just hope this means no more gimmicky motion controls.

From any brand.

You think the same way I do. After playing the kenect, it is hard to hold a controller and play. Just doesn't feel the same.

Amays U G37S wrote:

MinisterofDOOM wrote:I just hope this means no more gimmicky motion controls.

From any brand.

You think the same way I do. After playing the kenect, it is hard to hold a controller and play. Just doesn't feel the same.

Lemme rephrase:
No more motion controls at all. Kinect is crap. Move is crap. Wiimote is crap. I want a keyboard and mouse or, failing that, a gamepad. I don't want to flail around. I don't even want superbly designed motion controls. I don't want motion controls. I don't like motion controls. I barely tolerate motion controls.