Nintendo New console from Nintendo in 2011

[Sir Kenneth]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/wada-nintendo-will-release-new-console-by-2011

There isn't much info about it yet, but it still sounds pretty interesting. With the Wii still going strong, 2011 sounds like a strange release date. Especially if the hardware is going to comparable to the Xbox 360 and PS3 which are both several years old by now.

 

[Shu]

Well reviewing Nintendo's systems Nintendo has always been on the more of the cartoonier side of things. The games are always pretty Juvenile ever since Nintendo started overfranchising mr. Mario. When the Wii came out I wasn't the least bit impressed with the games, even if some were a lot of fun.. it almost felt like a guilty pleasure I was playing a thing a 8 year could adapt too. Hey but they have a lot of the sales, but I think that is because of regional basis. I mean smash brothers, Zelda and Wii sports are still very popular, but like I said guilty pleasures.

I know that sounds REALLY harsh, and I'm a bit of an ass when it comes to criticism but Nintendo has had many labels drop from them including Final Fantasy (with some spin offs "crystals blah blah"). When people say multi-platform they regret to inform you that does not always mean Nintendo Wii or DS.

Why? Because the port is basically impossible. Xbox360 vs Playstation 3 is where it is at still. Most games will blow your mind as far as graphics go, and even if some lack the plot depth, they still exploit major gameplay. (Left 4 Dead for example).

So if this new console is coming out.. I would expect to see one of two things. Outdated software OR quite of bit of bugs just as Xbox360 has had (god microsoft is bad). Hopefully Nintendo will make a rebound, but they have quite a bit of catching up to do to compete with the New Generation gamers.

 

[Cecily]

Is Wada serious?

A release date that early is kind of a slap in the face to Wii owners, especially if they stop developing on the Wii once a new system comes out (which Nintendo is prone to doing - see Gamecube as compared to PS2). Nintendo is usually smart on business decisions, so it would be weird for them to just suddenly decide this late in the game they want to catch up power-wise with the other two systems, especially because they're already winning the console race.

 

[Sir Kenneth]

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense actually. Sony is still throwing money out the window with every console they sell, so if Nintendo could have a new console on the market by the time the PS3 finally becomes financially viable, they could put a serious dent in Sony's earnings. Especially in Japan and USA where Nintendo traditionally have performed very well.

Microsoft and Sony have been struggling with quality and price issues in this generation, mainly because of the hardware. By 2011 it's likely that Nintendo could produce a console that's as good, if not a little bit better than those, and do it with a reasonable pricetag too.

 

[StarMasamune]

I'm not sure that this is true. Nintendo have stated several times recently that they are not intending to begin considering development of a new console for a number of years. And also, it says that Square Enix predict that Nintendo will release a new console by 2011. As Squeenix is a third-party developer and are only predicting, the console is not confirmed. We shall have to wait and see...

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

Meh, I can never see Nintendo rivaling Sony or Microsoft in terms of graphics, game quality and such like, I could see them making a media console like the PS3 but I don't think they'll have backing to make a successful console like the PS3 or 360 mainly because, it's unneeded, I have all three of this gen consoles and they all have functions that make them excel in one area or another, to me the PS3 the 360 are in the league of their own because it's always going to be a battle of who can produce the better graphics or the better exclusives whereas the Wii is unchalleneged because it's completely different and unique.

Nintendo, lately, has always seemed to be a family console as seen with the Wii and NDS, anyone could happily find a game that they'll enjoy because with the touch screen of the DS and motion control of the Wii there's an unrivalled amount of range to choose from, whereas, the PS3 and 360 choose to go down the route of an actual gamer rather than a family/fun console.

 

[Cecily]

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense actually. Sony is still throwing money out the window with every console they sell, so if Nintendo could have a new console on the market by the time the PS3 finally becomes financially viable, they could put a serious dent in Sony's earnings. Especially in Japan and USA where Nintendo traditionally have performed very well.

Microsoft and Sony have been struggling with quality and price issues in this generation, mainly because of the hardware. By 2011 it's likely that Nintendo could produce a console that's as good, if not a little bit better than those, and do it with a reasonable pricetag too.

So the Wii would be like a placeholder, then, keeping Nintendo ahead in the race until they can develop better technology at a lower price to rival Sony and Microsoft... that is interesting and slightly diabolical.

And also, it says that Square Enix predict that Nintendo will release a new console by 2011. As Squeenix is a third-party developer and are only predicting, the console is not confirmed.

I feel the same, but wouldn't it be weird for Yoichi Wada to throw an outright lie into the press? Maybe he got a hint, or misunderstood an inside scoop - something like that.

Meh, I can never see Nintendo rivaling Sony or Microsoft in terms of graphics, game quality and such like, I could see them making a media console like the PS3 but I don't think they'll have backing to make a successful console like the PS3 or 360 mainly because, it's unneeded

More recently it has seemed Nintendo has carved out a niche (though a big one) in the market for itself and been happy with it because it's been bringing in that cash, but I don't know. It would be interesting to see them try to make a more hardcore system and remain the "family gaming" company at the same time. (Also, I'm starting to think Nintendo can do whatever it wants and succeed, except for the Virtual Boy.)

 

[Sir Kenneth]

I'm not sure that this is true. Nintendo have stated several times recently that they are not intending to begin considering development of a new console for a number of years. And also, it says that Square Enix predict that Nintendo will release a new console by 2011. As Squeenix is a third-party developer and are only predicting, the console is not confirmed. We shall have to wait and see...

Square Enix isn't just any third party developer though. They are perhaps THE biggest third party developer in Nintendo's home market. If Nintendo was to release a new console by 2011, a huge third party developer/publisher like Square Enix, would know of it by now. I doubt Wada would come out with something like this if there wasn't atleast some truth to it.

Meh, I can never see Nintendo rivaling Sony or Microsoft in terms of graphics, game quality and such like, I could see them making a media console like the PS3 but I don't think they'll have backing to make a successful console like the PS3 or 360 mainly because, it's unneeded, I have all three of this gen consoles and they all have functions that make them excel in one area or another, to me the PS3 the 360 are in the league of their own because it's always going to be a battle of who can produce the better graphics or the better exclusives whereas the Wii is unchalleneged because it's completely different and unique.

Nintendo, lately, has always seemed to be a family console as seen with the Wii and NDS, anyone could happily find a game that they'll enjoy because with the touch screen of the DS and motion control of the Wii there's an unrivalled amount of range to choose from, whereas, the PS3 and 360 choose to go down the route of an actual gamer rather than a family/fun console.

Come 2011 the PS3 will have been on the market for 5 years and the Xbox 360 for 6 years. Building a console that can match half a decade old hardware and putting a competitive pricetag on it, shouldn't be too difficult. As far as backing from third party developers go, I don't think that it matters too much really. If Nintendo makes a console with similar hardware to the PS3 and Xbox 360 and it sells just reasonably well, the developers will follow up.

 

[Aerius Sygale]

Interesting. I'm dying to find out if the new Nintendo console will have a 4th Super Smash Bros. game made for it.

I know even if that happens, it won't be for a while, even if Nintendo releases a new console by 2011, and imo I think that is a big if.

I won't take it as fact/confirmation until it comes directly from Nintendo, not Square Enix...

 

[StarMasamune]

Meh, I can never see Nintendo rivaling Sony or Microsoft in terms of graphics, game quality and such like, I could see them making a media console like the PS3 but I don't think they'll have backing to make a successful console like the PS3 or 360 mainly because, it's unneeded, I have all three of this gen consoles and they all have functions that make them excel in one area or another, to me the PS3 the 360 are in the league of their own because it's always going to be a battle of who can produce the better graphics or the better exclusives whereas the Wii is unchalleneged because it's completely different and unique.

Nintendo, lately, has always seemed to be a family console as seen with the Wii and NDS, anyone could happily find a game that they'll enjoy because with the touch screen of the DS and motion control of the Wii there's an unrivalled amount of range to choose from, whereas, the PS3 and 360 choose to go down the route of an actual gamer rather than a family/fun console.

So, in the last sentence there you're basically saying that only people who buy PS3s and 360s are hardcore gamers? Pile of bull-sh*t. I personally find people who think of the Wii solely as a "family-friendly" console as complete planks. I agree, Nintendo have been going down a family-friendly route recently, but they still produce classic hardcore and mature games. Browse the shelves and you're sure to find some titles that suit your taste, hardcore or mature. MadWorld? Metroid Prime Trilogy? Super Mario Galaxy? Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess? Okami? House of the Dead: Overkill? Resident Evil 4? No More Heroes? Did you overlook all these titles, and more?

It's not as if I have anything against people who play PS3s and 360s, or the consoles themselves. I myself plan on getting a PS3 sometime in the near-future. But, it severly annoys me when people discard the Wii because of the rubbish party games that clog the shelves and charts. It's sort of like people saying that "The 360 only has FPS'!!!" or "The PS3 only cares about graphics, there's no good games on it!". In my eyes, all consoles are equal, with certain ones attracting certain types of gamers. I will not, however, tolerate people giving off about a console with more or less no reason.

 

[Linnaete]

Well to be fair, the "hardcore" games on the Wii haven't been selling very well. Madworld certainly did rather disappointingly. I don't have statistics right now to prove it, but it should be rather well known now. What does sell tremendously are the more "casual"- "family friendly"- however you may want to put it- software such as MySims, Wii Sports Resort etc. This is a strong indicator that the "hardcores" have given up on the Wii and have migrated to Sony and Microsoft. Therefore- that's jumping the ship. Essentially, the vast majority of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners are what are considered hardcore, because their games suit them much more. It's not bulls**t at all. It's the reason why such cynicism is being directed at the Wii now from these gamers.

The Wii itself only has very few good quality titles. If you look at the shops- they're buried by hundreds of games like Deca Sports or Carnival Games. The sad reality is, many people see the Wii as being families only now- because of the shovelware. I still love my Wii because of prospects like Crystal Bearers, No More Heroes 2, the next Zelda, Mario Galaxy 2 and Dragon Quest X in the distance- but it has to be accepted that I'm only a minority who thinks like that.

 

[StarMasamune]

Well to be fair, the "hardcore" games on the Wii haven't been selling very well. Madworld certainly did rather disappointingly. I don't have statistics right now to prove it, but it should be rather well known now. What does sell tremendously are the more "casual"- "family friendly"- however you may want to put it- software such as MySims, Wii Sports Resort etc. This is a strong indicator that the "hardcores" have given up on the Wii and have migrated to Sony and Microsoft. Therefore- that's jumping the ship. Essentially, the vast majority of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners are what are considered hardcore, because their games suit them much more. It's not bulls**t at all. It's the reason why such cynicism is being directed at the Wii now from these gamers.

The Wii itself only has very few good quality titles. If you look at the shops- they're buried by hundreds of games like Deca Sports or Carnival Games. The sad reality is, many people see the Wii as being families only now- because of the shovelware. I still love my Wii because of prospects like Crystal Bearers, No More Heroes 2, the next Zelda, Mario Galaxy 2 and Dragon Quest X in the distance- but it has to be accepted that I'm only a minority who thinks like that.

This is what I'm getting at. People only see the Wii as a "family-friendly" console because of all these "casual" games stocking up store shelves, obscuring "hardcore" titles. Sales have little to do with it. Just because the sales are bad doesn't mean that games can't be appreciated. Look at, for example, EarthBound. It sold horribly in the U.S. when it was initially launched: it is now classed as one of the greatest and most sought after video-games in history, and has an absolutely massive fan-base. And Nintendo couldn't be more "hardcore"; they were creating games before most gamers even picked up a controller. Nintendo were always the innovators. They brought gaming into mainstream, dominated the console market for over a decade, led portable and home gaming, and introduced numerous things to gaming, more recently motion controls.

What I'm trying to say is it's not how well a game sells or how many rubbish titles are on the same console: it's how good the game itself is.

 

[HighwindPilot]

I was going to say that this would be an awkward thing to do from a marketing stand point... But as I think about it, Wii's produced a LOT of duddy games. Apart from your typical games like "SB" or Mario Kart... There doesn't seem to be too much hype around a list of them.. I don't know, a lot of my friends have complained about Wii ownership. Perhaps they're hoping a "normal" console would make up for that? Would be kind of interesting to have them both out. Still iffy though...

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

So, in the last sentence there you're basically saying that only people who buy PS3s and 360s are hardcore gamers? Pile of bull-sh*t.

Depends what you class as hardcore, I said "actual gamer" which could range anywhere from a sports player to an RPG player to an FPS player and further along the scale. At the end of the day, most of the games that the Wii churns out are aimed at families and/or groups of people, for fun.

I personally find people who think of the Wii solely as a "family-friendly" console as complete planks.

Nintendo/Wii fanboy I see. I'd put money on that the more "hardcore" Wii players are a minority. Yes, there will be people who buy the Wii for other things than "family-friendly" but the large majority will have it for that genre of games.

I agree, Nintendo have been going down a family-friendly route recently, but they still produce classic hardcore and mature games. Browse the shelves and you're sure to find some titles that suit your taste, hardcore or mature. MadWorld? Metroid Prime Trilogy? Super Mario Galaxy? Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess? Okami? House of the Dead: Overkill? Resident Evil 4? No More Heroes? Did you overlook all these titles, and more?

Take Mario out of there, it's not a hardcore game, it's a Nintendo Trademark. But you could hardly compare them to the likes of Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, Halo, GoW, Final Fantasy (main series) series, possibly with the exception of one or two like Zelda:TP. - and we're talking about the Wii, not Nintendo in general.

In my eyes, all consoles are equal, with certain ones attracting certain types of gamers. I will not, however, tolerate people giving off about a console with more or less no reason.

Fact is, the Wii attracts more of a family/party audience than "hardcore" gamers, if they tried the latter group the Wii would have been ripped apart by the PS3/360 because there's no demand for another console of that type. Note how the DS/Wii are extremely successful because they brought something new to the table. When the PS3/360 start producing more family-friendly titles and less games that appeal more to a mature audience and the Wii does the opposite you'll have a valid point, but until then, you've not really got a case.

What I'm trying to say is it's not how well a game sells or how many rubbish titles are on the same console: it's how good the game itself is.

You really need to get your head into the modern gaming world, sales are everything, it affects nearly all aspects of a gaming company, why do you think Japanese companies are trying to appeal to the Western market? Because if they don't they're gone. Period. Take The Last Remnant, on the whole it's a decent game, however, because it didn't sell well on the 360 the PS3 version was cancelled.

Of course the quality of the game is important, but at the end of the day you still need a large quantity of a certain genre to attract that genre of fan to the console, which is why the PS3/360 has more RPG/Sport/FPS fans than the Wii and the Wii has more of a broader family/party fan group.

 

[Serah]

Alright, this coming straight from my husband's mouth. I'm just posting it for him.

People are going on about hardcore gaming and consoles and shit in here? Dude, the PS2 is the most hardcore console EVER! Wanna know why? Because it had Leisure Suit Larry, dammit! In that game you could get drunk, party, come close to having sex with women, you can also insert the greatest cheat in the world and see the women naked, nipples, bush and all! Ohohoho 8F You can also go around and pee on people! Now that's some hardcore shit right there. So, until the Wii gets a game out where Mario can bone Princess Peach or whatever her name is now, I'd say it's probably the less hardcore gaming system out there. Though I doubt anything like that would happen considering the Wii is mostly geared up for family/fun. I don't really classify Mario Kart as hardcore gaming.

And that's all folks.

/Please don't come after me. This was my husband's words after all. 8F

 

[Cecily]

People only see the Wii as a "family-friendly" console because of all these "casual" games stocking up store shelves, obscuring "hardcore" titles.

I think that's just the point. It's not that the Wii is a bad or unworthy system or that it doesn't have any "hardcore" games at all - Wii just has more games in that "family-friendly" group compared to the other systems.

 

[SaShman]

Initially I was surprised that Nintendo was already planning a new console but after 2 minutes of research it really isn't that surprising. The N64 was released in 1996 and was replaced by the GameCube in 2001 which was replaced by the Wii in 2006 which (if this rumour is true) will be replaced by 'console x' in 2011. Can anyone see a pattern?

Now as for how well the console will do I am unsure. History shows that Nintendo was always producing the dominant consoles up until the N64 and GameCube. Note that during the time when the N64 was released the PSX was released. Nintendo then started trailing in the console wars up until they released the Wii which has thus far been the most successful console. But the key difference between the Wii and its predecessors was the new technology.

In my opinion it is no coincidence that Nintendo sales started dropping when the PSX was released. The Playstation and the Xbox were able to establish themselves as better consoles (as far as traditional gaming goes). Not to say that the N64 and GameCube were particularly bad but they certainly sold a lot less than their competitors.

But unlike the 360 and PS3, the Wii offered people a whole new gaming experience which naturally appealed to people's curiosity. But if the functionality of 'console x' is designed to be more like the 360 and PS3 (ie. a more traditional style of gaming). I don't think Nintendo will stand a chance.

Nintendo's niche is innovation. Which happened to appeal to a more family/casual based audience. If Nintendo's new console adopts a more traditional style of gaming not only will it lose its niche it will lose a lot of its audience, which as I said before (and others have debated above me) is more casual.

 

[Sir Kenneth]

Alright, this coming straight from my husband's mouth. I'm just posting it for him.

People are going on about hardcore gaming and consoles and shit in here? Dude, the PS2 is the most hardcore console EVER! Wanna know why? Because it had Leisure Suit Larry, dammit! In that game you could get drunk, party, come close to having sex with women, you can also insert the greatest cheat in the world and see the women naked, nipples, bush and all! Ohohoho 8F You can also go around and pee on people! Now that's some hardcore shit right there. So, until the Wii gets a game out where Mario can bone Princess Peach or whatever her name is now, I'd say it's probably the less hardcore gaming system out there. Though I doubt anything like that would happen considering the Wii is mostly geared up for family/fun. I don't really classify Mario Kart as hardcore gaming.

And that's all folks.

/Please don't come after me. This was my husband's words after all. 8F

Tell your husband that the Leisure Suit Larry game for the PS2 sucked. Who was that Larry Lovage twat anyway? That was about as cool as getting to play as Raiden instead of Solid Snake in MGS2 (which was not cool at all). Now Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail, starring Larry Laffer himself, that was a great game

 

[Serah]

Tell your husband that the Leisure Suit Larry game for the PS2 sucked. Who was that Larry Lovage twat anyway? That was about as cool as getting to play as Raiden instead of Solid Snake in MGS2 (which was not cool at all). Now Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail, starring Larry Laffer himself, that was a great game

He just shrugged his shoulders and said "Dude, I wasn't being serious. But to each their own." Basically his post was to just lighten the mood in this thread. No need to take it so seriously, tbqh. Anyway, I'll stop derailing now and allow you folks to carry on.

 

[Sir Kenneth]

He just shrugged his shoulders and said "Dude, I wasn't being serious. But to each their own." Basically his post was to just lighten the mood in this thread. No need to take it so seriously, tbqh. Anyway, I'll stop derailing now and allow you folks to carry on.

lol I wasn't being serious. Hence the emoticon

Anyway to get back on topic, I think Sashman brings up some excellent points. These last couple of years Nintendo has really set themselves aside from the other hardware manufacturers and gone their own way, aiming for innovation and bringing something different to the table rather than trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft in a costly hardware war.

If Nintendo went ahead and said goodbye to the Wii-mote and just made a carbon copy of the 2 other consoles, it would probably fail miserably. I doubt that's what they'll be doing though. They are much more likely to let the Wii and the new console overlap each other. The biggest problem with the Wii is that it offers too little incentive to the serious third party developers. The majority of the Wii userbase is not interested in anything beyond Wii Sports, and the hardware is too weak to make sharing multiplatform games with the PS3 and the 360 viable.

If however Nintendo were to make their new console backward compatible with the Wii hardware and games, they could have their cake and eat it. They could keep pumping out crappy party games playable on both consoles at a massive profit, and the third party developers would stop overlooking Nintendo when it comes to multiplatform games. Or atleast that's the way I see it.