The moment has arrived. Not officially, of course, but rumors are flying fast and hard about what is to be Nintendo’s next revelation: a home console with the codename Project Café.
Currently, the Nintendo console on the market, the Wii, is by no means on its way out. It’s been around for about four and a half years, which is still considered young in video game console terms. And yet, here we are, being teased with words of its successor, thanks to sources at GameInformer and IGN. What details have been leaked, exactly, you ask? Let’s break it down.
- The console will be capable of full HD, perhaps even more powerful than the PS3 and X Box 360
- Its CPU will be a custom-built triple-core IBM PowerPC chipset
- It will likely be backward compatible with all Wii games
- It will implement an entirely new controller, with a built-in touchscreen which will stream content directly from the console
- The controller is rumored to have the form-factor of a tablet
- Retail price will be in the $350-400 range
- Console size will be comparable to the original X Box, but appearance will suggest a modernized version of the Super Nintendo
- It will be revealed by Nintendo at this year’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
- A 2011 release date is unlikely
Well, isn’t that tantalizing? From the sounds of it, Nintendo isn’t pulling any punches this round. With the Wii, they opted for a much wider audience and were not concerned with matching the HD capabilities of their competitors. Now it seems Nintendo is fixing their radar on the core gamer audience, who will no doubt be watching and listening intently during the E3 Press Conference. In only a short time Nintendo will put the cards on the table during the expo, which starts June 7.
