Nintendo launching new 2012 console, More powerful than PS3/360

[JacenElectronica]

you now realize that the new Microsoft and the new Sony consoles are also going to be more powerful than PS3 and Xbox 360.
also, wtf, i wanted to play Skyward Sword

 

[Lullabye]

I'm happy at this news. I didn't really care for teh wii.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I'm just... ugh... no. Don't initiate NxtGen consoles yet. Theres still plenty of life left in our current consoles.

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

you now realize that the new Microsoft and the new Sony consoles are also going to be more powerful than PS3 and Xbox 360.
also, wtf, i wanted to play Skyward Sword

Smart move on Nintendo's part if you ask me.Get everyone's wallets drained over our new idea first so when the other guys come over,sales diminish drastically.

 

[silver wolf009]

Hmmmm... tentativly intrigued... I'll come along for the ride, but I am hanging at the back of the line.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

This could be interesting. Idly Nintendo will not make their go to console from now on so they can a console more in keeping with PS3, 360 or even PC controls and with more AAA hardcore gamer titles and still pump out shovelwere on the Wii so they're able to do pretty much what they want.

I still adore Mario, Metroid and Zelda. I'd love to see them all in full HD with controls.

That being said I know I won't be able to afford it. Unless they really some really amazing stuff on there, maybe I'll get it 5 years down the line.

 

[Drake_Dercon]

*snip*

Err, newer Mario games would be considered AAA. As would any game developed by Nintendo themselves these days. And HD-quality graphics do not cost a lot these days. Any indie dev can pick up something like the Unreal or ID Tech engines and create something that looks good for little more than the price of their time. Given that Nintendo is already charging the HD rate ($60) for non-HD games, it won't make any difference.

But HD games (with detailed models that demand considerably more work than previous-gen ones) mark the developers spending considerably more time and money on any release. As games have improved graphically, other aspects have worsened. The Wii isn't necessarily limited by making things look pretty (I know it doesn't make much sense, but bear with me). Nintendo had what could have been a really great thing with the Wii, while I don't see the Xbox or PS3 doing any of what nintendo could manage outside of the "indie genre" because, while the technology is accessible, it still takes a lot of time to design the models used in a high-end game.

Zelda is really the only game I can think of that hasn't yet been ruined by getting better graphically.

OH WAIT.

For a new graphical level, a new style of games is needed. We don't have this yet.

Then again, if it fixed Sonic the Hedgehog and Metroid, I might be inclined to buy it.

 

[Zakarath]

Yeah; I don't particularly care what Nintendo does, but I hope this doesn't spur Microsoft and Sony into releasing new consoles... I can't really afford a new one right now. :/

 

[SomeBritishDude]

I do wonder a little if Nintendo's flag shit titles would actually benefit from Crysis like graphics. Mario Galaxy couldn't have been much prettier. Zelda still feels retro enough that it feels more natural with lower graphics. I could only see Metroid really benefiting. And Pokemon...that shit would just look scary.

 

[VGC USpartan VS]

I will only enjoy this console if it has no motion controlls whatsoever. If it does... then may it never exist and fade out into memory like the 3DS is doing right now.

 

[robinkom]

Well, this holiday season, the Wii will be hitting that 5 year mark that was once typical for home consoles. Considering as of last December, they sold roughly 87 million units worldwide, I'd say they milked it pretty well. Also, realize this: The hardware within the Wii... is a Gamecube. It's only a little faster and has a little more RAM. Said hardware debuted in the Gamecube in 2001... so the core components are going on 10 years of use now. Yeah I think it's time for a new machine.

Never let it be said that Nintendo weren't dedicated to the late Gunpei Yokoi's design philosophy. "Lateral thinking for withered technology."

 

[Leemaster777]

New console at E3? Plausable. Certainly wouldn't be surprised.

More powerful than PS3 and Xbox? I'll believe it when I see it. Not saying it isn't true, but frankly, Nintendo consoles haven't been top-tier in the graphics department in a LOOONG time. (since the 16-bit era, I believe)

Still, the thought of a new Nintendo console interests me. Nintendo is very good at innovation and experimentation when it comes to consoles, so this should be interesting to watch.

 

[katsumoto03]

transvestite teens with 10 foot swords will look a bit better than 4 or 5 colored blocks with eyes?? Oh boy....

Actually, I believe that's Sony's forte...

OT: Would you guys look down upon me if I say I totally just got a boner reading that?

 

[funguy2121]

Calling Bullshit on this.

The wii was sucessful because of how cheap it was.

They said it was powerful, not expensive. As was pointed out in the thread that ninja'd this one by about an hour, the N64 had more processing power than the PSOne and the Gamecube had about the same as the PS2.

Both of those systems sold in part due to their being affordable. The Wii sold not because of how cheap it was but because Nintendo took the opportunity to market to casual gamers as gaming in general took a big leap forward in becoming mainstream. This is the only console they've made where any fair argument can be made that serving their core demographic was subjugated to expanding their base. Here's betting that it won't be more than $100, $150 tops over the Wii's price at launch, even accounting for inflation. Hopefully they use the surplus they made on the wii to take a good faith hit like Sony and Microsoft initially did and lose money on their systems hoping to make money on games.

I was wondering why they've been so quiet. I guess now we know.

 

[HellspawnCandy]

The challenge has begun! I'm sure Microsoft isn't gonna wait 5 years to make another console.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Calling Bullshit on this.

The wii was sucessful because of how cheap it was.

Producing a console with greater power than the 360 or the PS3 can be done for a relatively trivial price simply because technology has advanced dramatically in the interim. Consoles, like any other computational system, follow Moore's Law, after all. The bottom line is for a relatively low price (> 300 USD) one could easily produce a console that is more powerful than the PS3 or 360.

 

[Smooth Operator]

I wonder what it will be called. (Please not Wii2)

Well they already did a wee, so now it's Number 2

I really do wonder how the HD and old school Nintendo games will mix.

 

[Byere]

Yea, I'm not surprised by it either... The mass slow-sales and lack of anything worthwhile being released by Nintendo (not including more rehashes of Mario and Legend of Zelda) in recent years means they could have secretly been working on a new console.

I'll believe it when I see it.

If it's a new console based around motion controls though, it can go straight to hell.

Totally agree with the latter though. If I see any more motion-bullshit released, I'll scream. Bring back old-style controllers. What is the point of motion-based crap if it never works and clicks out every time you move slightly away from the screen? I want to push buttons and move with joysticks, dammit!

 

[Drake_Dercon]

*snip*

Improved graphics aren't the cause of a decline in game quality/complexity. After all, developers have been striving for better graphical quality since the advent of the video game as we know it, and we didn't see a sharp decline in those aspects until the beginning of this generation of consoles. Nintendo is actually a big part of the problem in that regard. The 'streamlining' of video games is due to the developers realizing that the big money isn't actually in designing games for gamers, but is rather in designing games for non-gamers. People who don't like the industry as it is now or as it was just a few years ago. The Wii attracted the most people from the non-gamer demographic, more than anyone thought possible, and Sony/Microsoft followed suit in an attempt to gain some of that market for themselves.

Regardless of where graphics go from here on out, forward, backwards, whatever, 'streamlining' is here to stay as long as developers believe there's more profit to be had in it. No point in rallying against improved graphics when they're just along for the ride.

There's that, but the "for the gamers" area also has that problem, due in part to HD graphics. Hear me out.

Main factors as I understand it:

Trade-in generates no profit for devs
Devs must eat to live
Devs must make games that sell on release day
Graphics sell on release day
Emphasis is put on graphics rather than more important parts of the game
People eat it up
People get sick of games with zero replay value and trade them in
Trade-in generates no profit for devs

When I say "I don't want Nintendo to be dragged down by HD graphics", I mean "I don't want Nintendo to have the same capability to be dragged into this cycle".

There's only so much focus you can put on graphics before you break the console.

For this reason, the Wii has been privy to slightly more innovation than the Xbox or PS3. But I agree with you that appealing to non-gamers almost in exclusivity has been dragging Nintendo down.

Here's a big question: Do you want Nintendo to have BOTH problems.

That's what I'm irrationally afraid of.