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  • E3 Rumor: Nintendo Project Cafe’s Touchscreen Controller

    The Electronic Entertainment Expo is upon us, as the gaming conference will kick off today. As speculation grows about all the new hardware and software that will be revealed in the next few days, one thing is for sure: Nintendo will be unveiling its next generation console.

    Though Nintendo’s press conference at the event doesn’t begin until 12 pm EST on Tuesday, there might be some information on exactly what shape that new console is going to take – at least its controller.

    Of the many rumors surrounding the the Wii 2, or Project Cafe as it is said to be codenamed, one of the biggest and most resounding across the gaming world was the talk of a touchscreen controller.

    A Japanese source Nikkei (via Mashable) is confirming the new controller that will be unveiled Tuesday will sport a nifty touchscreen. They say is will be the “size of about 6 inches.” They also say that the new controller will have a built in camera.

    What could a 6 inch touchscreen controller mean for the new Nintendo console? Will gamers be able to play games directly on the small screen – basically making it its own handheld? Will the touchscreen be used to control various actions on your larger TV screen? Hopefully both? Or will the touchscreen have some other capabilities?

    And about the camera, one has to think that some sort of video conferencing capabilities may be a part of the new system. Imagine online gaming chat being a visual thing, instead the pure audio chat you get with a headset.

    The big rumor about the “project cafe” is that it’s going to go after hardcore gamers. It is supposedly upping the graphics and speed. If Nintendo is going to compete with Microsoft and Sony for the Call of Duty and Battlefield crowd, they have to provide something new and innovative. Video conferencing from the controller wouldn’t be a bad touch.

    I guess we will see on Tuesday afternoon exactly how the new controller will work on the system. GameInformer has said that its sources think the new console will not be called the Wii 2, or Project Cafe, but simply “Nintendo.” That would be the equivalent of a band coming out with a self-titled release as their 5th or 6th album.

    But hey, my mother has called every video game system I’ve ever had a “Nintendo,” so it wouldn’t be very shocking to hear it simply called that.

  • Wii Price Falls to $150

    The Nintendo Wii will officially be 25% cheaper, come May 15th.

    It has been rumored for about a month that this price cut was coming, and today Nintendo has confirmed it.  The current Wii bundle available in stores costs $199.99 and includes copies of Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort.  The new bundle will cost $149.99, be available in either white of black and include Mario Kart with a steering wheel.  Some stores, such as Best Buy have already begun selling the old bundles for $170.  They will be discontinued.

    While still selling plenty of consoles, Nintendo has seen the Wii decline as of late.  The console sold over 10 million units in 2008, followed by 9 million in 2009.  2010 saw only 7 million Wii sold.

    Last month, Nintendo confirmed their next generation console will launch sometime in 2012, but will demo at this year’s E3 gaming expo in June.  The new system, referred to as the “Wii 2” or even “Project Cafe” by insiders, is rumored to be a giant leap for Nintendo.

    Some rumors have the new device as capable of full 1080p HD, fixing the problem of graphical inferiority which turned many hardcore gamers away from the original Wii.  It is also said that it will greatly increase performance.  Some other rumors involve a new controller that could possibly have a DS-like touch screen built right in.  Catch a full rumor roundup here.

    But Nintendo isn’t giving up on the Wii, in light of the exciting buzz surrounding “project cafe.”  The price cut is meant to spur sales of the Wii, especially for families and new gamers.

    “There is quite a bit more volume to be sold on the Wii home console,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime to USA Today. “And the way we are going to get there is by offering the system at this low price and by including a key software title like Mario Kart.

    “From our perspective, there are literally millions of consumers getting into the video-game-playing age,” Fils-Aime said. “And there’s no better system for those entry consumers than the Wii.”

    The two big Wii competitors, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3, have had their news follow different trajectories as of late.  Last week, Microsoft reported strong Q3 earnings, thanks in large part to the Xbox and Kinect.  Their gaming division grew 60% year-over-year, a staggering figure.

    Sony has seen better days, as the PlayStation Network outage continues and yesterday they reported that the hack that shut it down also compromised credit info for users of their PC gaming division, Sony Online Entertainment.