New Nintendo console - Wii U

Originally posted by dmills
Time will tell if the Wii u is a game changer. If it's a souped up Wii with a tablet then I imagine Sony and Microsoft will continue with their respective timelines for next gen system releases, possibly seeing if they can incorporate a peripheral solution into their current systems. However if the Wii u up's the ante graphically, then I could see them moving up the time table a bit.

True. This whole thing makes me nervous, my every instinct is screaming "Dreamcast: Part 2." Here's the thing, the current videogame market I'm not sure a company can "start the next gen" without their competitors. First party support is great, but you need third part support in order to be successful, and most importantly, hold onto that success. Third parties want multiplat support so they can stretch out their sales/profits, with that said it seems very impractical for Nintendo to make a system that is notably more powerful than the 360/PS3. Third party studios aren't going to make exclusives for a single next gen when they still have two current gen consoles with large install bases... and Nintendo first party studios aren't really concerned with making graphically impressive games in the first place. Alternatively if in a year or two Microsoft and Sony release heavy horse power systems that the Wii U can't compete with third party companies will have no problem abandoning the Wii U in favour of two systems. Maybe lightening will strike twice and the Wii U will be as large a hit as the Wii was the causal market and they can skate buy on an exclusive or two a year and copious amounts of shovel wear, but I have a feeling the majority of the people who bought the Wii won't be upgrade it, they are "causal gamers" who bought it for dance/exercise/party games, not exactly the type of people who will buy a console every gen. If Nintendo isn't careful, Sony and Microsoft could decided to coordinate their next gen releases and knock Nintendo from the top seat back down to third. The next few years should be interesting. It's all baseless speculation until we see the specs of the Wii U anyway.

It won't matter much because I believe we are at a peak graphically anyway. The next gen will be more refined graphically to be sure, but I can't see it being leaps and bounds above what current systems are capable of. Next gen will be all about features, speed, efficiency, portability. More evolutionary then revolutionary so to speak. The only problem is that traditional hardcore gamers tend to be a very conservative/reactionary bunch. However even with that I just can't see Sony and and Microsoft staying tethered to the living room much longer. They just can't afford to. Especially with Android and IoS growing, the emergence of the cloud and consumers general familiarity with mobile technology. I mean hell people are streaming netflix to their smartphones at broadband speeds now!

As I said before I think that the big N has the right idea, they just can't or couldn't take it too far because they'd risk cannibalizing the 3ds/ds. Sony will take it all the way, as will Microsoft -if they want to stay relevant-.

All that talk about 'starting the next gen without competitors' is just nonsense. The concept of generations has become very fuzzy anyway and Nintendo have already done great guns on a console barely competing with the established 'generation'.

It's an irrelevance. Nintendo have a new product coming which is sought after- that's all it needs. And its various new features make it absolutely worthy of the title of being 'next generation', for what that is worth.

Ain't sought after by me, that's for sure. I already have everything this new console is offering in other consoles, besides its gimmicky wannabe Ipad controller. To each his own, but, I'm not impressed.

Well I am, and I feel a lot of people will be.

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Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
Ain't sought after by me, that's for sure. I already have everything this new console is offering in other consoles, besides its gimmicky wannabe Ipad controller. To each his own, but, I'm not impressed.

Based on the E3 coverage from G4, Gametrailers, Kotaku and the other big dogs it doesn't seem like it is really "sought after" by anyone. None of the press junkets seemed particularly impressed by what we were shown... granted we weren't shown much.

Originally posted by RE: Blaxican
Ain't sought after by me, that's for sure. I already have everything this new console is offering in other consoles, besides its gimmicky wannabe Ipad controller. To each his own, but, I'm not impressed.

Meh, the more I think of the console, the more I'm less impressed.

I never once in my entire life thought, "Man, I wish I can play this same exact game on my controller when somebody uses the TV". I also never heard anybody say that either.

But I have heard people say for years. "I wish I can play tennis on my TV like in real life".

I don't think this will sell and I don't think core gamers will flock to it like Nintendo wants them too. And I don't think casual gamers really give a **** about the stupid IPAD controller.

Obviously you've never shared a TV/console with people who don't like games and/or don't like to share. Are you an only child?

No, I've never had that exact thought before (somehow I doubt anyone has, because no one ever thought it was possible before), but there's a reason why my DS/DSi has gotten the most gameplay of any system I own (and I have them all except a PS3) since I've owned it.

You really don't think that casual gamers will care about a tablet controller? Have you seen how popular iPhone/iPad games have become? That's 100% a casual market!

Touch-controlled games are a huge asset for casual gaming because people don't have to learn the relatively complex button layouts on traditional controllers. While they may be second-nature to us, those controllers are very daunting to non-gamers.

Originally posted by Smasandian
Meh, the more I think of the console, the more I'm less impressed.

I never once in my entire life thought, "Man, I wish I can play this same exact game on my controller when somebody uses the TV". I also never heard anybody say that either.

But I have heard people say for years. "I wish I can play tennis on my TV like in real life".

I don't think this will sell and I don't think core gamers will flock to it like Nintendo wants them too. And I don't think casual gamers really give a **** about the stupid IPAD controller.

That's weird, to me it's the exact opposite, I've heard children especially, but also adults, wish they could continue playing when someone else wants to use the TV. Heck, I'm surrounded by 4 screens, and I still feel I could add 1 or 2 on. On the other hand I've never once heard someone say they want to play Tennis on TV, while actually doing the motions of Tennis...people that want that tend to play Tennis..it is an option.

Regardless, I don't think that the gimmick is necessarily what gets the game played, rather, as GK correctly pointed out, it's the ease of use, that makes it possible for whole families (including children just getting their first game and parents who never once held a controller in their life) to participate together in video games.

Which is not to say that I think the Wii U will be succesful, I don't know if "casual" gamers will want to upgrade their console just for a new controller and the HD aspect...and I don't know if "hardcore" gamers will want a console that will essentially bring the same experience they already have on the Xbox or the PS3...but then again we don't know any of the arguments Nintendo will bring, and I think there could be a large chunk of the more casual market that still needs to be developed even. I for one will get it, cause I wanted a Wii for a while and I like cool stuff, and the controller is definitely cool and maybe there'll be some enjoyable exclusives on the platform.

On the other hand I've never once heard someone say they want to play Tennis on TV, while actually doing the motions of Tennis...people that want that tend to play Tennis..it is an option.

Yeah, same. I play tennis. When I want to play? I don't turn to a video game, because that's going to just be a pale imitation of actually playing. I grab a racket and go outside.

Originally posted by Peach
Obviously you've never shared a TV/console with people who don't like games and/or don't like to share. Are you an only child?

No, I've never had that exact thought before (somehow I doubt anyone has, because no one ever thought it was possible before), but there's a reason why my DS/DSi has gotten the most gameplay of any system I own (and I have them all except a PS3) since I've owned it.

You really don't think that casual gamers will care about a tablet controller? Have you seen how popular iPhone/iPad games have become? That's 100% a casual market!

No, I'm not the only child.

When somebody wanted to use the TV, we did something else. Also, as pointed out before, you can only use one Tablet, so a family of 4 is still screwed.

I do think casual gamers will not care about the new controller. Iphone/Android/Win 7 games are played on devices that people use for other things. Comparing the popularity of phones games to games that cost 40-60 bucks won't work.

All Nintendo has to do is retain their hold on the casual market, get back people like me who were/are Nintendo fans but didn't like the Wii and peel off 10-15% of the Sony/Microsoft fanbase. They do that and they're good to go.

That is true.

I just don't think they will retain the casual market. The Wii was a huge fad. It was impossible to find the console because everybody wanted it.

I cannot see that happening again. There was people buying the Wii who never bought a console before, or even showed an interest in play games. Will they plunk another 300-400 bucks for an HD version of the console and a gimmicky controller. I don't see it happening.

Originally posted by Smasandian
No, I'm not the only child.

When somebody wanted to use the TV, we did something else. Also, as pointed out before, you can only use one Tablet, so a family of 4 is still screwed.

I do think casual gamers will not care about the new controller. Iphone/Android/Win 7 games are played on devices that people use for other things. Comparing the popularity of phones games to games that cost 40-60 bucks won't work.

How exactly is a family of four screwed? Sure, if all four of them want to do different things at the exact same time, then it's not much good, but if two want to watch TV and two want to play Mario, then it's awesome.

And I disagree, but then again, it seems that you always underestimate the casual market. Look at how popular pickup and play/party games already are on consoles. I've said it so many times that it's starting to get ridiculous, but casual gamers far outnumber hardcore gamers. That's always been the case, that's always going to be the case.

Nintendo captured the casual market in a way that's never been done before outside of phone games with the Wii. Now they're going for the more hardcore market again, and with the third-party support they have, I'd say they have a good shot, since lack of good third-party games is the main complaint about the Wii (I dismiss any complaints about graphics, because graphics are not that important and do not make a game good).

Also, HAH. If the Wii was such a huge fad, then why did Sony and Microsoft scramble to copy it after it proved to be a success?

Originally posted by Smasandian
That is true.

I just don't think they will retain the casual market. The Wii was a huge fad. It was impossible to find the console because everybody wanted it.

I cannot see that happening again. There was people buying the Wii who never bought a console before, or even showed an interest in play games. Will they plunk another 300-400 bucks for an HD version of the console and a gimmicky controller. I don't see it happening.

Originally posted by Peach

Now they're going for the more hardcore market again, and with the third-party support they have, I'd say they have a good shot, since lack of good third-party games is the main complaint about the Wii (I dismiss any complaints about graphics, because graphics are not that important and do not make a game good).[/i]

I don't know peach. Hardcore gamers tend to be a conservative and whiney bunch and Nintendo hate runs deeeeep among a lot of that crowd. "Nintendo is for kids" is set in stone amongst the orthodoxy and its going to be extremely difficult for nintey to overcome that dogma. I'm already seeing stuff like "Well so what if its more powerful? It's not that much more powerful!"

Originally posted by dmills
I don't know peach. Hardcore gamers tend to be a conservative and whiney bunch and Nintendo hate runs deeeeep among a lot of that crowd. "Nintendo is for kids" is set in stone amongst the orthodoxy and its going to be extremely difficult for nintey to overcome that dogma. I'm already seeing stuff like "Well so what if its more powerful. It's not [i]that[i] much more powerful!

Oh, trust me, I know how set in their ways and whiny a lot of hardcore gamers can be. I'm having a conversation about that at this very moment 😉

Frankly, most of them need to grow up and realize that they're not the only gamers out there, and that they don't need everything catered 100% to them.