Nintendo Getting Into PS4 vs. Xbox One Next-gen Battle? Rumoured Design for New Console, Fan’s Redesigned Game Boy
With the PS4, Xbox One and now even Steam Machines becoming the main focus of gaming as the next-gen dawns upon gamers, it seems that Nintendo does not want to give up the fight just yet.
Rumours are now swirling that, despite its own "next-gen" console being only 2 years old, a new console may already be in the works for Nintendo to catch up with what's happening to the rest of the gaming scene.
Admittedly, no one seems to be paying a lot of heed to the Wii U, even though it was the first next-gen console to debut with an entire year's worth of head start compared to the two rivals. But since the Wii U doesn't seem to be looking at a very bright future, Nintendo may not be faulted for wanting to dabble with a new console.
According to GaminRealm, a source claiming to be an insider has stated that the codename for the newest main console release is FUSION, the handheld unit as FUSION DS and the home unit as the FUSION TERMINAL.
*Despite gaining good miles for December over the PS4, the Xbox One is not in the middle of hot water as a new rumoured scandal surfaces: Read the full story here.
What's even more surprising is that there are already specs that have come out along with the rumours. For instance, the FUSION DS is seen to be loaded with ARMv8-A Cortex-A53 CPU, 3 GB LPDDR3, NFC Reader, Bluetooth v4.0 BLE, 16 GB of storage, Thumbprint Security Scanner with Pulse Sensing Feedback and 3,300 mAh Li-ion battery.
As for the FUSION TERMINAL, it boasts a 64-bit custom POWER 8-based IBM 8-core Processor, 4 GB of unified DDR4 SDRAM, four custom Stream-interface nodes up to four Wii U GamePads and that it will come out with two versions, the Disk Slot Version with 60 GB of internal storage or the Diskless with 300 GB of internal storage.
"Nintendo has already [begun] making demo software for the targeted prototype hardware in efforts to curb the Wii U mistake in the software pipeline (they started creating software after prototyping and were unable to give major software push the first two years as a result). Nintendo plans to make most of the software prototypes into games and applications around the launch of the unit," said the insider to GaminRealm.
*Is the gaming experience taking a turn for augmented reality? Sony may be considering this route for the PS4: Read here for more.
It's interesting that the FUSION TERMINAL that was suggested by the Nintendo insider considers both the physical and the digital aspect of gaming. It's a definitely much better way to tackle the possibility of evolving games into the digital sphere without suffocating gamers of surprising policies that restrict them.
While the source points out some improbable areas in the released specs, for example, the GPS tracking for the handheld unit, but overall, there is potential in the rumoured Nintendo next-gen software.
Fan-made Game Boy Design Impressive
Speaking of Nintendo's potential in the next-gen gaming scene, a fan has created a new design for the Game Boy. Dubbed as the Game Boy Evolution, the fan creation is designed to run with a 5.3-inch 1,080p display, a 2.4 GHz quad-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, 16 GB memory, 5G connectivity and a 120-MP rear and 3-MP front cameras on the hardware.
*No more pure touchpad Steam controller for Valve---backwards compatibility means more than revolutionary design? Read the details here.
Nintendo Life has obtained the photos of the concept design, aside from the fact that it looks sleek enough on paper---almost like one of those smartphones that's thin and compact enough for comfortable gaming.
What's even more interesting about this Game Boy Evolution, and basically what sets it apart from a smartphone or a tablet for gaming is that it features fold-out physical controls. The design looks sleek enough as a device, but it heavily deviates from any gaming devices that Nintendo has churned out before.
It's not bad-looking and even though the thinness and fold-out controls may prove to be a hazard for those who get too much in the game, it is a viable option, perhaps with a different design to accommodate the signature of Nintendo.