Project Cafe Won't Use Wii Name, To Cost $299-$349

NowGamer: Industry analyst Jessie Divnich doesn't think the successor to the Wii will have any trouble gaining "the attention of the core video game community"...

[TimmyShire]

What the hell does 'Cafe' have to do with Wii 2.

[Kurisu]

I read in another article that every Nintendo console has had a "Project Name". Project Dolphin, Project Reality, Project Revolution etc. Simple codenames.

[GrieverSoul]

Japanese companies usually do that.
I remember something about Katana being the codename for the Dreamcast.

[malamdra]

and Revolution was the codename for the Wii

[badz149]

maybe this new console will be named Super Wii Two and in short..."SWiiT"! that would be funny! :-D

[despair]

it probably about not attracting attention, noone would link "project cafe" to a game system or maybe it makes coffee as well as plays games who knows.

[GrieverSoul]

Well, "Wii" sure is suggestive.
Lets play with my wii-wii. hehehe

[Deputydon]

Am I the only person that thinks if Wii 2 launches in 2012, and the next MS/Sony console launches in 2014 that two years apart would be a completely different generation of consoles all together? With the Wii 2 being an eight generation console, and the PS4/720 being a ninth generation console?

Technology improves so rapidly that two years later would make them a whole different beast.

[matey]

No ur wrong Wii2 is said to be upgraded over time thats almost a fact so it starts with DX11 and u can upgrade it to DX12 simple but ill say this DX12 looks no better DX11 anyway plus SM 4.1 is on Wii2 and that needs immence power to run

[Valk]

Thats not how console generations work. It isnt based on hardware. Just like How Genesis and Snes are from the same gen yet launched 2 years apart.
God there needs to be a site dedicated to educating people on how gaming works.

[DeadlyFire]

NES 6 won't be called Wii anything. It will be a new box with a new name. Nintendo never puts a 2 in a console name. Come on now. It was NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii. Do you honestly think the next one is gonna have a 2 in it?

Price point this is prediciting is lower than I expect. I am expecting $350-500. If there really is some sort of powerhouse in this console. Price would have to back it up.

[xShinigamix]

just like project 64 before they renamed it Nintendo 64

[meganick]

It was actually codenamed project reality. Then they came up with the name Ultra 64, then changed it to Nintendo 64.

[jimmins]

Could next-gen console war be 3-horse race?

[metsgaming]

in terms of what? Sales? quality? Graphics?

[SuperStrokey1123]

Its n4g, so its anything we can mindlessly fight about.

[kesvalk]

we? only the fanboys fight about sales while yelling "your console haz nogaems!"

[eagle21]

It most likely will have a new unique name that is in line with the new experience.

[GrieverSoul]

Like Nintendo CS??!

Has in Controller with Screen. :)

[nikola987]

Or Premuium NES :P AKA P-NES xD

[showtimefolks]

what will be their new gimmicky or are they ready to just be a next-gen system with wii motion and use their IP's which are some of the best in gaming today to compete with ms and sony

[evilunklebud]

Yikes..... what does that mean for the next xbox and PS (two I actually want)???

[skyward]

dunno, but you will have to spend more money if it's any good...

[maniac76]

we dont care the price,we will pay anything

[Raven_Nomad]

If They release their next console at $299 that will put pressure on Microsoft and Sony. I would definitely get a Nintendo console if they offered something along the lines of Achievements, Structured and paid online services, a console that has games like GTA, Resident Evil, COD ect....

Drop the friends code stuff and get down to business.

[firelogic]

How are they going to price a "significantly" more powerful than ps360 hardware at $300? Based on the components inside the PS3, I still don't think Sony's making any profit on each unit sold.

[evilsooty]

Urrrr, you do know that the PS3/360 hardware is extremely outdated?

My graphics card, a 5770 similar in performance to the 4870 from 2008 which is from the GPU series the new Wii is purportedly based on, blows both consoles out of the water and can be bought for around 90 GBP now.

[Godmars290]

Does that mean no motion controller?

Not that it'll mean anything what with Kinect and Move set to flounder for a few years.

[Raven_Nomad]

It's already been said that the next Nintendo console will offer both motion controls and a standard Analog controller.

Hopefully it's an option to use either or. I would have enjoyed some Wii games much more if I could have just used a normal controller.

[Valk]

God I hope not I want gaming to move forward not backwards. I am sure lots of people enjoyed Radios in the day as their primaary entertainment but television was better. I cant imagine how sad thins would be now if we just went right back to radio like some people wanted.
Or 8 tracks. Or Cassette tapes. I know some people had a hard time grasping the controller being in 2 pieces but that shouldnt keep the rest of the world moving on. My 5 year old mastered point on click on Wii, I see no reason to stop it because a few retards couldnt.

[Raven_Nomad]

Whats wrong with offering both? If Nintendo is truly going after a core audience then they will need to lure them back with a solid analog controller.

Sort of how Sony does with the Move, games like Killzone and Socom can be used with Move or a regular controller, that is what Nintendo needs to do as well.

[Shnazzyone]

not a bad price for the most powerful console out right now.

[Gears_of_War_3]

Xbox 360 will drop probably for 129$ the Arcade Version and 199$ the 250GB so how in hell are they pricing Wii 2 so high ? Are they really trying to compete here with Xbox and Ps3 ?

On the other hand makes sense because if we see a 2012 Fall launch Xbox 3 will probably be at 2013 and will need to cost >400$ in order to MS dont lose much money because of the Top Ultra HD material(i think MS wants another Future-proof Console) just Like Future PlayStation so we could see here another Wii vs Ps360 battle with Wii kicking asses at first because lowest price + New controllers...

Only time will tell what Ninty will do next and if it will pay off or not... i hope not... I want a big leap in graphics next gen and Wii2 is basically an reivented 360 with little more power. Basically is a Gamecube - Wii Like difference.

What do you guys think ?

[STK026]

Well, for one, I'd say that pricing it around 300$+ makes sense, considering that while the Xbox360 arcade might drop close to 100-150$, this project cafe is the big N's next generation console. When the 360 came out, the PS2 was selling for something like 130-150$ and that didn't stop MS from pricing their console much higher.

Just like you said, the next generation offerings from MS and Sony are likely to be announced soon to be released a year or two after project cafe's release, therefore, it would allow Nintendo to be the first on the market, and to be the least expensive console in this new wave of entertainment systems.

As for Ultra HD, don't count on it, today's so called HD systems (the X360 and the PS3) only have a handful of full HD games, even GT5, one of the best looking game on any console isn't in full 1080p. If anything, the next generation of consoles will be full HD and will actually have games most if not all of their games running in full 1080p and maybe 60fps. Add to that the need for these consoles to have a solid 3D support, as both companies will likely try to make sure their consoles have all the features the consumer already has access to on their current game consoles.

If anything, nintendo is set to dominate the "console war" next gen when it comes to hardware sales, but of course, customer satisfaction and software sales, mostly those of third party publishers, could prove to be as disappointing as they are on the wii right now.

[Emilio_Estevez]

Analysts are stupid....

[kookie]

They get fat salary.

[tweet75]

i read rumors somewhere that it will be backward compatable and the controllers will work like wii bar receiver to use wiimotes with the system. But the system will be a traditional controller based system primarily.

[SuperStrokey1123]

Well if the 299 price is correct then expect a $100 price cut to the top end PS3 and 360 this year or prehaps early next then.

[Otheros00]

$299 for parts from 2008 in a "new" system? No thanks.
I sure they can price it at $99 and still be profitable.

[evilsooty]

Funny, isn't it? If the rumours are right Project Cafe is based on the R700 series from 2008 which is already antiquated by PC GPU standards. My 5770 (similar in power to what the Wii 2 will be) is going for around 90 GBP at the moment and will probably be discontinued by the time the new Wii comes out!

[Valk]

No whats funny is how that is how it works with consoles yet some people are so uninformed they actually think the stuff in the PS3/360 was masde just weeks before launch. Cell was made in 2004. PS3 launched in 2006. How exactly was PS3 harmed by using out of date tech?

[evilsooty]

Valk:

I only mentioned it because Nintendo seem to be going for the bare minimum when it comes to performance yet again. Of course, I can't blame them given how popular the Wii has been.

[lizard81288]

Thats not a bad price, thats what i'm guesstimating. Lets just hope it has some good games & stuff. I wonder how much the controller will cost too. maybe nintendo will just combine the prices of a wiimote+nun, so the Cafe controller will be what, $35? I also wonder if games will cost $60 too.

[2EHO]

Nintendo from what im hearing is trying its hardest to get away from anything Wii with this console. believe me guys this console will be HARDCORE, will be next-gen in graphics, and will be sony and Microsoft worst nightmare.

[QuodEratDemonstrandm]

"...Sony and and [Microsoft's] worst nightmare..."

For about 18 months.

The problem with being first on the market is the other two will have time to tweak their systems for a year or two and release more powerful systems. Look at the difference between the Sega Genesis (1989 in North America) and the Super NES (1991 in North America), or the difference between the Xbox 360 (2005) and the PS3 (2006).

As fir Nintendo not using the Wii name.... that's been the pattern so far
NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii. with the exception of those first two... the name has always changed. So why wouldn't the "Wii 2" have a completely different name?

[2EHO]

QuodEratDemonstrandm: nintendo is the smartest gaming company out. believe me with the economy the way it is microsoft or sony wont come out with this super specs console that cost 600-700 dollars. in order to be competitive they have to have a price point around the same as what nintendo next console will be. Sony almost hung themselves this gen putting out a powerful console with a price no one wanted. by the way who is in last place this gen... oh thats right. i do expect sony to have the most powerful out of the three next gen(because they cant sleep at night unless they do)but all three will be comparable. the reason the next nintendo console will be a nightmare is because nintendo will be able to have good ports of hardcore games next gen that along with their exclusives will put them over the top.

[skyward]

It could do what the Game Cube should have done....

[madjedi]

@2eho

"the reason the next nintendo console will be a nightmare is because nintendo will be able to have good ports of hardcore games next gen that along with their exclusives will put them over the top." Really ports of games people already beat a yr or 2 ago, isn't going to make ps3 or 360 owner scramble to get a new nintendo at a another $300+.

Most of them will wait for the next gen ps or xbox, this is hilarious all we know is vague rumors and analysts predictions and you people are practically drooling over a vaporware console.

And people are claiming nintendo wins another generation already, just like everyone knew the wii wouldn't sell for sh*t at launch, then proved everyone wrong by exploding.

"Sony almost hung themselves this gen putting out a powerful console with a price no one wanted. by the way who is in last place this gen... oh thats right." Funny i don't own sony stock, so being in third place hasn't destroyed the playstation franchise, in fact i would rate sonys 1st party exclusives better compared to last gen, nor do a have a axe to grind against nintendo like you do with sony.

"believe me with the economy the way it is microsoft or sony wont come out with this super specs console that cost 600-700 dollars." Welcome to the common sense rational from 2-3 yrs ago, $400 is the max the gaming public will tolerate.

"i do expect sony to have the most powerful out of the three next gen(because they cant sleep at night unless they do)but all three will be comparable." Yes because anyone with a brain knows thats how sony does their thing, just like nintendo does their own thing.

If sony didn't help push technology along your wii 2 wouldn't be as powerful, someone has to push technology, because it's not nintendo.

Really is it that hard to capitalize the beginning of your sentences, and have separate paragraphs, to avoid wall of texts posts. People said sony and ps3 fans needed some humility at the start of this gen, i think some nintendo fans are getting just as bad with the wii being so successful.

Btw look up okami install base roughly 220 million, and still sold less than a million, and the stagnant cod series sells 6-10 million+ with each new release.

Who is 1st or third in sales, is little more than a fanboy dick fighting contest, i'd rather play games myself, nice to know the nintendo equivalent of xbox 360's sales analyst units.

[GOODKyle]

n4g.com/news/745896/wii-2-its- happening

[ZeroYui]

349.99 sounds good for system that is Supposedly more powerful that the x360 and ps3. I hope they include a faster blu ray drive and big harddrive.

[PirateThom]

I'm trying to get excited, but after how disappointing the Wii was and how I don't even play it, this is the first Nintendo console I'm not remotely excited for. I don't care if it's the "most powerful console" for two years, it's Nintendo's whole game development stance that is off putting.

Unless they massively turn around their multi-million dollar earning shovelware machine, I don't really care anymore.

[boss_killa]

$299 to $349 for a system that might be only a little bit more powerful than the 360? Hmmmm I dunno about that move. It seems like another Wii move by Nintendo.

If they really want to capture the hardcore crowd their machine better be significantly more powerful than PS3/360. If they can do that at $299 to $349 then it would be more reasonable.

Anyways e3 2011 can't come soon enough. There's so much anticipation people are going crazy! It would be hilarious if no new Nintendo console was announced.

[NLGSean]

I say WRONG... Nintendo has never released a system over $250...

[RockmanII7]

I would say $350 then when MS/Sony release their systems Nintendo will cut the price down to $300.

[fastrez]

If the specs are comparable to a high end console then I can believe a higher price point.

[kuroukage]

With the release of the 3DS and it's title selection; it's doubtful Nintendo is going to change it's "for the kiddies" formula for any type of hardware they release. So color me shocked if they do.