In a wide-ranging interview with Kotaku regarding the new Wii U console, one of Nintendo’s chief game designers, Katsuya Eguchi, confirmed that the system’s proprietary disc format will hold 25 Gigabytes of data. That squares with our own reporting from before E3 and puts Nintendo in a good place to run games that fill up a single-layer 25GB Blu-Ray disc, the format used by current console king of large game discs, the PlayStation 3.

Eguchi declined to comment on our report, from the same people who told us about the 25GB, that the system’s internal flash memory is 8GB. Earlier today, a Nintendo rep explained that the new console will support external USB drives, for added storage capacity.

We’ll have tons more about Wii U, including a lot of insights from Eguchi about what makes this console special for Nintendo, in the coming days.

(Source: Kotaku)

Respawn Entertainment, the new studio founded byCall of Duty creators Jason West and Vince Zampella following their messy split from Activision, is of course working on a shooter. But what kind of shooter? A future shooter, that’s what.

The game is being published by EA, and at an event earlier today EA Games’ Frank Gibeau said that, alongside Insomniac’s Overstrike, Respawn’s title is one of two “sci-fi-oriented shooters” on the company’s books.

This isn’t too surprising; it had long been rumoured that Infinity Ward (at least when Zampella and Young were still there) was working on a sci-fi shooter, so it must be great for the pair to actually get the chance to make it.

Gibeau says this will allow EA to finally compete directly with games like Halo and Gears of War in a genre the company has traditionally had little clout.

(Source: Kotaku)

Holding the PS Vita could be hard, HANDS ON!!!

 New Xbox Live Dashboard for Xbox 360

What we need know about the Nintendo Wii U so far

Hands on with the Nintendo Wii U

Nintendo has introduced the world to the Wii’s touchy new big brother: the Wii U.

The Japanese gaming giant on Tuesday unveiled the Wii video game console’s successor, which will broadcast high-definition video and feature a touchscreen controller that can detect motion and interact with what appears on a television display.

“Up until now, home console games had to occupy the TV screen in order to be played,” said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. “The new controller for Wii U, with its 6.2-inch screen built in, means you won’t need to give up your gameplay when someone else comes in the room and wants to watch a TV program.”

The white touchscreen controller, reminiscent of Apple Inc.’s iPad and other tablet computers, can broadcast standard-definition video but also features a directional pad, microphone, dual analog sticks, speakers, two pairs of shoulder buttons and a front-facing camera, which can be used to make video calls.

The console itself will use proprietary high-definition optical discs, 1080p HDMI output and internal memory that can be upgraded with USB and SD technology. No other technical specifications were provided.

The prototype controller was demonstrated during the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming industry’s annual convention, in several ways: displaying a player’s inventory in a “Legend of Zelda” game, offering an alternative way to play a chasing game, being used as a shield from incoming attacks in a first-person shooter game and showing the image of a teed-up golf ball on the ground before it was struck to a putting green depicted on a TV.

The controller was also shown being used to browse the Internet both on a TV and the controller. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America president, noted that the touchscreen controller is not meant to be a portable gaming device and that the system is dubbed the Wii U because its “unique, unifying and maybe even utopian.”

Nintendo said the Wii U will be released between April and December next year and will be backward-compatible with Wii games and controllers.

“Smash Brothers,” “Darksiders II,” “Batman: Arkham City,” “Tekken,” “Assassin’s Creed” and “Metro: Last Light” were among the titles announced that would be released for the system.

The price for Wii U was not revealed.

The unveiling of the Wii U comes after two years of slumping sales for Nintendo’s Wii, which remains the overall top-selling home video game console against Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3. Those consoles already feature high-definition graphics and added motion-sensing capabilities similar to the Wii last year with their respective Kinect and Move camera systems.