Rumor: Nintendo Wii 2 to have 8GB storage, 25GB discs

By Jeffrey Van Camp May 3, 2011

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The Internet can’t get enough of Nintendo’s next console. Maybe it’s because we’re expecting something bonkers or maybe its because Nintendo is the only system maker still adhering to the five-year console lifecycle. In any case, Kotaku has heard that Nintendo’s next console will have full 1080i/1080p graphics, 8GB of internal flash storage, and run on discs that can hold 25GB of data.

In the same article, Kotaku reiterates its belief that the system will be as powerful as the PS3/Xbox 360 and that the controller will feature a controller with both a touchscreen and traditional controls.

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If these rumors are true, The Wii 2, which some are calling Project Cafe, will have about 16 times the internal storage of the Wii, which had a scant 512MB of onboard memory. Nintendo eventually augmented this with the ability to store and run games via SD card. Though Nintendo likes to invest in proprietary media, the 25GB disc theory sounds a bit odd. If the Wii 2 is only as powerful as a PS3 and Xbox 360, does it need more than dual-layer DVDs? And will Nintendo’s format allow Blu-ray viewing on the Wii 2? With the exception of a special edition GameCube released only in Japan and the recent inclusion of Netflix on the Wii, Nintendo has avoided becoming a full-bore media player.

More crazy Wiiquel rumors will likely come soon. Nintendo will unveil its next console at E3 in June.

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Gaming

Nintendo investors don’t like the Wii U

Nintendo Wii U controller, console in background

Nintendo's unique new console, the Wii U, is the hottest thing so far to come out of this year's E3 video game conference, which is taking place in Los Angeles this week. But despite the buzz surrounding the next-generation gaming device, Nintendo's investors are reportedly less than pleased.
Following Tuesday's unveiling of the Wii U, Nintendo shares dropped 5.7 percent on Japan's market, reports Reuters. Investors apparently believe that the introduction of the Wii U indicates that Nintendo is still too focused on gaming hardware, rather than software and online gameplay, the battlegrounds to which the industry titans are headed.
"Although some experts seem to like the new device, I expected Nintendo to move more into the social networking business," said Mitsuo Shimizu, a market analyst with Cosmo Securities in Tokyo, who spoke with Reuters. "It's a warning from investors that the company should reconsider its business strategy and move more aggressively into social gaming operations."
Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata brushed off the drop in stock price and criticism from investors and analysts, saying that Nintendo remains committed to creating games that don't need a social aspect to have value with gamers.
"It's not that we're negative about the network, but if we ignore those customers who don't link their game consoles up to the Internet, that goes against our strategy of expanding the games market," Iwata said at a press conference. "We are just trying not to shrink our own market."
The most distinctive aspect so far known about the Wii U is its controller, which comes packed with its own touchscreen display. The console can play the game on a connected television, or beam it directly to the controller. Overall, the Wii U is a more robust gaming device aimed and more hardcore gamers, and takes aim at competitor consoles, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.
Not everyone believes Nintendo headed in the wrong direction with the Wii U. Instead, some believe the console is ahead of its time, not behind it.
"Nintendo is ahead of the curve for once," said analyst Michael Pachter. "It can do anything a tablet can do and people might be asking, why can't my iPad 2 do this kind of gaming too?"
The Wii U will launch in 2012, and is estimated to cost $299. For more about the Wii U, check out our full "What you need to know" guide here. And check back with Digital Trends for our complete E3 coverage.

Gaming

Does Nintendo’s Wii U only support 1 touchscreen controller?

Though the masses don't seem to have picked up on this yet, one of the first things we noticed when Nintendo unveiled the Wii U this morning was that, though it showed plenty of multiplayer game concepts for the new console, none of them involved more than one Wii U controller at a time. We can confirm that the console definitely supports a Wii U controller and up to 4 more Wii Remotes, but we are becoming fairly certain that Nintendo is not currently planning to support more than one Wii U touchscreen controller on its upcoming system.

Below are a few reasons why we think Wii U only supports one touchscreen controller (at this time).

Gaming

Nintendo E3 2011 Press Conference: Meet the show stealer, the Wii U

nintendo e3 2011 press conference meet the show stealer wii u new carousel presser

Nintendo show highlights:

The Legend of Zelda celebrates its 25th anniversary, and Nintendo has big plans to celebrate.
Several big franchises are heading to the 3DS, including Mario Kart, Star Fox, Super Mario, Kid Icarus and Luigi’s Mansion.
But by far the biggest announcement was that of Nintendo’s new console, the Wii U.