In my mind, given their past (and recent) statements they have to release it on the Wii, especially given their past practice of releasing it for the console with the largest install base (NES, PS1, PS2, DS).  Makes no sense selling it on a system with a nascent install base like the U.  Unless you think they'll jump ship on Nintendo, which given Nintendo's support  for DQ (5,6, 9 and two new games announced today), that would be impossible to conceive of.

EDIT: I think ultimately the decision would be made with Nintendo's co-operation and almost entirely onthe basis on how both companies read the Japanese market.  Nintendo has been working hard to keep Square on good graces, that may extend to paying them for a U-pgrade (clever eh?).  Particularly given Square's tough times right now.

Dvader said:

^ If you are not watching those in 3D you fail. Its INCREDIBLE. Especially Mario.

I tried to tell you guys when I downloaded all those 3D screens of GC and WIi games. In 3D some of them look amazing, Sin and Punishment 2 especially. Even something like Xenoblade which has okayish graphics on wii, put it on the 3DS screen and its wow time. RE4 in 3D looks better than RE5 in HD if you ask me, the depth and richness in the picture is brilliant.

Dvader said:

Nintendo E3 sites NA release list has NO Last Story or Xenoblade.

I think a voice actor confirmed Xenoblade was coming to the US wii.

edgecrusher said:

The Dreamcast controller was the only pad that really hurt my hands after a long session. Any game where you had to use the triggers alot...they just didn't design them to be comfortable to rest your fingers on. But it was still playable. I can't see this controller being any worse.

Personally I'm fucking stoked....love what I'm seeing.

I love the dreamcast controller.

edgecrusher said:

This looks fucking badass....you guys are insane if you're not impressed.

I just heard, speakers are on the unit. Nice.

Ravenprose said:

What does the U stand for?

You.

Dumbass

Ravenprose said:

Where's Pikmin 3? I see nothing about it. Miyamoto you damned liar!

Yeah I wondered about that.

Agnates said:

In fact, that's what I'd want for many games on Wii U (if I ever get one). The touch & traditional controls as an alternative to pointer controls when wanting to play it semi-portable or when in the mood to go VR mode for games that work in that manner. Otherwise gameplay will just be downgraded. I mean, a successor to Skyward Sword without keeping and improving on the motion controls? A FPS by Retro without pointing?

Now I'm getting depressed. You're right. I don't like how they have shunned the very two-hand motion control they introduced. There are certain games which can't be done as well on Wii U. Red Steel 2? Skyward Sword? Elebits? Shattered Memories, any FPS.

Archangel3371 said:

I watched some videos of the 3DS games at E3 and while there's a lot of stuff I like some of it isn't looking quite as good as I thought they'd be graphically.

I don't have my 3DS with me, but you can update your 3DS now and get the trailers in 3D. Watch them please and give me impressions.

Dvader said:

OHHHH the controller will not be sold separately at all meaning you cant buy a second one. Now I get it. Wow that is crazy. What if it breaks? Basically that means your whole console breaks?

You send the controller or console in for repairs. I called it last night, you can see in the Super Mario U multiplayer pic, there is one Wii U controller and 4 wii remotes.

Agnates said:

But seriously, watch that embed on the last page, it's an extended version.

Watched it, nice weather effects. Yesterday I posted a story about the IBM chip inside it. According to the site they were in April this year bemoaning that there was no Watson supercomputer chip in any home hardware and then yesterday they worked out that the Watson IBM supercomputer chip was inside Wii U. Looks like Nintendo has got a cutting edge chip in there, though they are speculating.

_Bear said:

Don't kick it by accident when you are using it to tee off

Yeah I was WTF at that part. Why would you want to use it like that?

Duke Nukem reviews not here yet.  Looks like releasing them the day before release during E3 (with no demo except for pre-order customers) is working so far...

Call me cynical.

IGN hands on Wii U

IGN said:

As for the tangible controls built along the edges and base of the controller, the controls felt surprisingly familiar. Though separated by the display, the dual analogs, d-pad, action buttons, shoulder buttons, and rear-mounted triggers were intuitively placed and easy to reach. The grips on the bottom allow you to get a firm grasp, but don't impede your ability to hold the controller vertically or casually along the edge.

For a controller as large as the Wii U's, weight becomes a concern, but it actually felt comfortable to hold. Unfortunately, Nintendo has not specified what the approximate weight will be, and unfortunately, since the prototype controller was wired into a demo station, it was likely lacking a battery pack. Since, however, Nintendo will be using a rechargeable battery pack instead of AA or AAA batteries, they'll have more flexibility in terms of weight distribution.



Then, of course, there's the mystery of the console itself. Like I mentioned, the unit was hidden from close inspection by a special compartment, but from that limited vantage I was still able to get a sense of its design and scale. Though it has rounded edges and variations in the front interface, the Wii U is comparable to the original Wii in terms of size and aesthetic design.

MTV hands on Wii U

Despite the size of the controller, which feels just slightly smaller than an iPad, it's remarkably light and easy to hold. The back of the controller is curved for your hands, so your fingers naturally rest on the triggers. Unlike the Wii controllers, it's easy to see that the Wii U controller was designed for couch play.

Looks like you should not be worried about the shape or heft of the controller, all hands on so far say it's great and light and comfortable to use.

3rd party game footage was almost all (save for Ghost Recon Online maybe, since they showed it playable with the controller) from other versions, that wasn't hidden or anything. I didn't think it was Wii U footage when watching it personally, I just saw it as a reel of confirmed games. Made it all the more funny to see people on GAF during the live demo claim the games look worse than ps3, 360, whatever, when they were in fact the same trailers as those versions. Darksiders II devs in particular also said it's more powerful and the Wii U version of the game could be considered definitive due to that and the extra features they add with the controller. Though the journo really fished for that response aggresively. Anyway, seems fairly certain that Wii U is a beast compared to current stuff, of course ports won't have much of a difference. Just remains to be seen if it's gonna hold its own when the new systems are announced and if it will have exclusives that showcase its strengths by that time beyond current gen ports. I think it will do both. We're in the realm of diminishing returns. Games will look shiny, 1080p (not like ppl will buy even higher HD TVs by then, ppl don't replace TVs that often and "full HD" is gonna be the standard for a long time I think), full of pixel shaders, normal maps, HDR, and what not. If some more powerful system from MS and Sony allows for even more realistic or extensive physics, or even larger than already huge levels, or whatever else, will not really be that noticable and could just as well be attributed to talent, skill, design, production values, priorities, etc, than obvious extra power. Assuming the new systems will show up within a year or two of Wii U's launch that is, the difference could be vast if they're held back and released at the start of a potential new leap in technology like DX12.

Look at how they improved the fire effects in starfox:

Posted some RE Revelations 3DS pics in the thread

For 3DS it's darn good, although that shot is suspect.

EDIT: Actually if you look more closely you can see it's real, there are low res textures on the chairs and on the top left of the pic, the underside of the bannister. It's been bullshotted by removing jaggies though.

Also I reccomend the Eurogamer Wii U hands on preview

Eurogamer said:

Today's star, then, is the part of Wii U you can pick up. Good job it's absolutely sensational.

The Wii U controller is Nintendo hardware design at its absolute best. It displays innovation, lateral thinking, supreme ergonomics and a finish that, while not luxurious, makes you happy the instant you pick it up.



It actually has more in common with the DS than the Wii remote, and not just because it presents you with a second gameplay screen. It's rich with unexpected features and offers a subtly different way of relating to games, rather than a single high-concept gimmick.

There is more to the article and it explains a bit better how some of the tech demos worked.

travo said:

I like the controller, but I am surprised they passed on motion gaming. Did 3rd party developers have something to do with this? Maybe there was a major backlash from them.

In a real sense 3rd parties had a huge part to deal with motion gaming being ditched as they've made it clear they just want good graphics and an old controller - that's the only way that Nintendo would get 3rd party support. But I think that because Sony and Microsoft jumped on the motion bandwagon Nintendo saw that they needed to differentiate their new console and not just make it Wii HD, which would just be the same as PS3 and Move.

travo said:

Nintendo has ruined the console cycle forever, unless they support this system for about seven years. I hope this move doesn't come back and bite them in the butt.

I don't quite understand this, if anything they are the only company sticking to the 5 year life cycle as its always been. It's the other guys who aren't.

THQ said:

Wii U's new user interface "demands creativity and thought" from game creators, and UFC and Darksiders house THQ "love" it, CEO Brian Farrell said in an E3 analyst meeting this morning.



Speaking to assembled investors in LA, Farrell made clear that the new platform won't cause an increase in development costs at all, because THQ studios have already done much of the ground work on PS3 and Xbox 360.

"One of the reasons we love that as a platform is we've already created technical engines to make those games work, we have all the HD art assets and now it's [about] creating a user interface, which demands creativity and thought - it's not the expensive part of the game development process," he said.



"So in terms of developing for the Wii U, it's a tremendous opportunity which we think has good leverage for our investment dollars. We don't see development costs increasing for the foreseeable future."

So basically he's saying that all the 3rd parties already invested in high graphics engine tech, they are already doing it on the other systems so there is no cost involved in bulking up for Wii U development. Anyone else feel like Nintendo is cheating here? LOL

They held Wii 1 back a generation, now they get to release an HD console now which eveyone else already did -at great cost to them 5 years ago. Now they get to make a console with slightly better visuals (than 2006 tech) in a form factor no bigger than the original Wii. And 3rd parties don't even have to do much to make games for it. It's a cheat.

Iga_Bobovic said:

I find the Zelda Wii U to look boring. I rather have the Skyward Sword style to be honest. Miyazaki like visual should be the target.

And the Wii U better come with a Wiimoteplus and nunchuck included. They want to expand the audience, so they can't rely that everyone is going to bring their wii gear over. Some include a wiimotion++ and a wireless nunchuck in the box and we should be good.

Speaking of Studio Ghibli, their new film Arrietty is out on dvd in 10 days time.