Two bundles, one for USD 299 and one for USD 1999, MGS 4, next-generation graphics and the secret of what is hidden under the front flap of the Wii are just some of the Nintendo secrets revealed by a controversial forum post last week.
Nintendo fans have been active in the past few weeks trying to uncover the remaining secrets of the Wii console. An improved sensor bar, an onboard physics processing unit (PPU) and the specter of Project Reality have all guest-starred in an odd collection of rumors which seem highly unlikely especially since they mention AO rated games.
Oddly enough the most important factor that has brought these rumors to our attention is the fact that they have been consistently tracked and removed from any forum which has hosted them. Were it not for this persistent hunt by, we can only assume, Nintendo we would have dismissed these as the rumblings of excited gamers but we now feel obliged to mention them, along with our strictest reservations regarding their authenticity.
So let us examine the rumors, at their basis lies a recent Nintendo comment hinting that hardcore gamers should pay special attention to the remaining Wii secrets as they will be the target audience for them. The story suggests that Nintendo will host a Space World Event in August 2006 in order to reveal the final secrets of the Wii. During the event the company will announce an additional 13 games for the console including a Miyamoto title, a spy title from Zoonami, apparently rated AO, MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots and a Deus Ex title from THQ. The same rumors claim that Nintendo will offer AO games a new home on the Wii platform.
It is claimed that the August event will also confirm that the Wii will become available in a USD 299 bundle that will include two Wiimotes, a nunchuk attachment, classic game pad attachment, DVD9 attachment, wireless headset (limited) 2GB SD card, Wii sports game, plus ten free virtual console downloads. A USD 199 bundle will offer one Wiimote, a nunchuk attachment, a classic game pad attachment, a Wii Sports game and five free virtual console downloads. Launch date will be set at Nov. 10 2006.
The rumors also claim that the Wii will come with a 32 MB PPU hardware attachment which will be of great help to the CPU and GPU and will add that extra next-gen touch to games.
The most extravagant claim however, has to do with how the CPU and GPU of Wii will work. On the back of a recent comment by ATI executive John Swinimer who stated, I think what you saw [during E3] was just the tip of the iceberg of what the Hollywood chip can bring to the Nintendo Wii, the rumor claims it has the answer.
During the N64 development cycle a study codenamed Project Reality was initiated which however, failed to be complete on time for that console. It is suggested that elements of that study will now be utilized in the Wii with IBM and ATI creating a unified entity which will power the new console. The logistics and engineering behind such a feat seem extremely unlikely and might create great problems for developers but unless we know the details we cannot safely speculate on what those may be. It is claimed however, that Nintendo has created a patented development tool which allows game creators extreme freedom and can assist them in creating anything from a visually stunning next-gen game or a simple gameplay focused mini-game.
The final rumor mentioned has to do with the flap in the front of the Wii. According to the information provided the flap rises to reveal a camera which will assist the sensor bar in some games and will allow users to record/stream video. When needed, in-game, the flap will rise automatically while users will also be able to access the camera through a Wii menu.
The information offered over the forum posts went into extreme detail but we have spared you that as we, yet again, stress how unlikely it all seems. The details offered seem very well researched though and the way its content has been hunted down from forum to forum suggests that maybe, just maybe, some of the many rumors mentioned may contain a morsel of truth.