Nintendo, which plans to introduce the successor for its popular Wii game console in June and start selling it in 2012, said that its next-generation video game system will not ditch any hardware buttons in favour of new technologies. As a result, compatibility with current titles should be maintained and similar games will come.

"Whenever we make a new game console, we have done it without throwing away buttons and the directional pad. The reason for that it is better to have them, because buttons and directional pads benefit gameplay response. Taking this into account, Nintendo is not planning on completely ditching buttons, nor is Nintendo thinking of taking tablets as they are today and implementing them in a game console," said Satoru Iwata, the president of Nintendo, during a recent conference call with financial analysts, reports Kotaku web-site.

Nintendo code-named Cafe game console will reportedly feature custom triple-core IBM Power central processing unit as well as ATI R700/Evergreen DirectX11 class-like graphics engine, which will make it better than the Xbox 360. According to Kotaku, the new controller of the console will have eight buttons  as well as a large touch-screen.

Eight buttons (current system has six) on the controller along with a touch-screen theoretically point to rather sophisticated games that are not designed for a typical, but for a hardcore gamer. Potentially, this radically changes positioning of the Cafe compared to Wii (Revolution). However, Nintendo can easily bundle Wii controllers with its next-gen console and deliver appropriate games.

Nintendo promised to reveal the details about its next-generation code-named Cafe game console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2011 in June.

"We have decided to release Wii's successor in 2012. We plan to display it in a playable form at the E3 show to be held from June 7 in Los Angeles. The specifications are to be revealed at the show. I am afraid I can't say any specific here today but, at E3, the company hopes to propose a new framework for a game system to be enjoyed at home," said Mr. Iwata.

Tags: Nintendo, Cafe, Wii