Dearth of New Nintendo Games Could Indicate Wii 2

A speculative piece at Kotaku looks at the release cycle of Nintendo games over the past 10 years, pointing out a current lull that's quite similar to the one near the launch of the Gamecube. They suggest this could be because first-party developers are busily working on games for the Wii 2. Quoting: "The spring of 2002 was the longest Nintendo game drought on record, and has a number of characteristics in common with the season we're entering now. Nintendo has launched a major piece of technology (the 3DS) and is initiating the gradual retirement of a console with a large and reliable installed base. While we entered into this data mining project with the presumption that we could recognize a pattern that presaged a new console release—the Wii 2, obviously—the last time there was a Nintendo game drought this pronounced was after the release of the Gamecube. Still, you can neatly overlay the release history of the Gamecube overtop the current release history of the Wii—they match that closely."

Comments

Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[RogueyWon]

It could indicate the Wii 2 - or it could just indicate that Nintendo has once again managed to run out of first-party games to ship at pretty much the exact moment that the last remaining third party developers lose all interest in their platform. It wouldn't be the first time.

That said, I think Kotaku probably have this right. The Wii had a very strong few years but is pretty conclusively stalled now - I suspect that despite its early sales lead, it would still end up in third place overall if the cycle were allowed to run for 10 years as some had suggested. MS and Sony have far stronger release lineups for their platforms across pretty much every genre and have hardware that is probably good for a couple more years at least (though I've always been dubious about the 10 year claim). Nintendo will no doubt have a war-chest due to the Wii's early sales, so moving to a new platform which, at the very least, has technical parity with the 360 and PS3 to enable easier cross-platform development would be a smart move. Besides, with the 3DS's long-term success still far from guaranteed, they probably need another basket to keep some of their eggs in.

The big challenge for them is going to be getting third party developers to actually stick with their platform this time, in a way that they haven't for several console cycles now. This probably means facilitating cross-platform development, backing off with some of the "obnoxious" behaviour that they often seem to deploy with the wider industry and, perhaps most importantly, making a real effort to promote third party games on their system and demonstrating that they can actually sell. I'd also suggest shipping any new console with a "proper" controller as well as a motion-wand - a lot of games have felt really "forced" on the Wii-mote/nunchuck and you can't count on everybody going out and buying the classic controller when it's sold separately.

Re:Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[BenoitRen]

Nintendo will no doubt have a war-chest due to the Wii's early sales, so moving to a new platform which, at the very least, has technical parity with the 360 and PS3 to enable easier cross-platform development would be a smart move.

I don't think so. The HD craze is bleeding developers dry economically. The industry is sick (in a medical sense) at the moment.

One example is Bizarre Creations. Remember them? They made Metropolis Street Racer and the Project Gotham Racing games. Well, their last two games tanked, and they're now out of business. The industry is that fragile at the moment.

Re:Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[bluefoxlucid]

This explains all the cheap-to-develop Wiiware?

Re:Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[CastrTroy]

The thing is, Nintendo has made their money. They can go on to the Wii 2. They don't have to have the same console on the market for 10 years to recoup their research and development costs. They could probably release an HD Wii with BluRay, for the same price as the PS3, and price it about the same. Nintendo is very smart in that respect. They know how to make systems that make money. Even the Gamecube, which by market share was a flop, still made them a whole lot of money.

Re:Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[StuartHankins]

They may be cheap to develop, but if it involves using the Nintendo Wii store -- absolutely archaic interface and terribly slow even over a fast connection -- I will pass. I had some credits and tried to locate something worth buying... I didn't have the patience. Sorry.

Re:Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[elrous0]

I got a Wii sitting in my closet. I bought it cheap from a friend who had it sitting in *his* closet. It was fun for a while (for both of us), but the novelty wore off and the great games were few and far between. I'd say at least 90% of the games that have come for the Wii out were minigame shovelware titles (and that's being generous). the controller is fun in groups and at parties. But it's underpowered and the games just aren't there.

Re:Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[Kagato]

I suspect that despite its early sales lead, it would still end up in third place overall if the cycle were allowed to run for 10 years as some had suggested.

That's a tough sell as it stands its:

Wii 84 Million (2006) Units sold 2010 17 Million
Xbox360 50 Million (2005) Units Sold 2010 11 Million
PS3 48 Million (2006) Units Sold 2010 13 Million

Assuming a 10 year schedule the 360 sales numbers will continue to climb and the Wii numbers will continue to fall, but at some point they'll all flat line around year 9-10 as rumors of new systems come out. Basically they will have to beat Nintendo by at least 8.5M each year for the next 4 years if they have any hope to overtake Nintendo.

That being said, I think Nintendo is going to continue with 3D and has no reason to release this early until 3D gets more market. Still, I don't think it'll go 10 years. There's a $10-15 per game royalty at stake. Last thing they need is for PC hardware to be on the rise again.

Re:Could be Wii 2 or could just be bad planning

[thetoadwarrior]

Globally Microsoft is now in third place. http://www.next-gen.biz/news/report-ps3-passes-xbox-360-worldwide Not to mention Kotaku is, in my opinion one of the shittiest game sites around. They'll be relevant once their site has something more than fluff pieces and fanboyish trolls.

The Wii won't be around long enough to sink as low as Microsoft has. The WIi most certainly will be the first one to step into the next generation. It has the weakest hardware so of course it will run out of steam sooner and it has been an huge success. Where else can it go from here so might as well move onto the next system.

Unsurprising

[Anonymous Coward]

The Wii hardware has served well, but is getting a bit old now, and I'm sure that it's due for a refresh, if not a redesign. The chance to correct some of the oversights in the original hardware like the lack of HD support and so on, and even just a general cost-reduction (not that it's got the priciest BOM) would no doubt be a worthwhile thing to Nintendo. I imagine the extent to which the console has been opened up by the homebrew crowd is on their minds too.

Re:Unsurprising

[gmhowell]

Your nerdly corner case concerns are not the primary factor in their decisions. At all.

The 'oversights' of the hardware hasn't in any meaningful way slowed adoption of this console. I would argue that the modest hardware of the device helped keep costs low and family friendly in the beginning.

Re:Unsurprising

[Nursie]

Come on now, on a big tv the Wii does look a bit inadequate.

It could do with higher res (720p?) output and some anti-aliasing. Not a lot, just a bit of polish. Simple, cartoony graphics are good enough for a lot of things, and it's clearly capable of doing more than that on the non cartoon-y games. Smooth out the toons, up the res just a little, done.

What I find funny is that Dolphin can do things waaaaay better than the wii itself at the moment!

Re:Unsurprising

[iainl]

Lots more graphical power isn't a major concern. The general trend over to using HDMI for everything that connects to a TV, however, could do with looking at. My A/V receiver is converting component to HDMI for me, but most people don't have a big A/V receiver like me. Or, for that matter, a wish to purchase the 3rd-party component leads - My Wii is the only one I know that isn't running on the out-of-the box composite wire.

Particularly in Europe, where I don't think I've ever seen a TV set have more than one component input, a hardware refresh that adds a HDMI input (even one that just outputs 480p) would give the vast majority of people a huge improvement in image quality and convenience without breaking compatibility with current games. Coupled with some anti-piracy refreshes to persuade people to buy games again, and you're sorted.

Re:Unsurprising

[Anonymous Coward]

u mad bro?

Re:Unsurprising

[jank1887]

heck, for $40-60 you could just buy one of these:

Neoya's Wii2HDMI
simple passthrough/converter. so you're monitor/tv needs to be okay with 480p coming over HDMI. I heard some cheaper models can't handle that.

vdigi's VD-W3
actual single piece upconverter. plugs into your wii output and one USB port for extra power, and gives you several HD-type signal output options. Obviously just an upconversion, and not really HD, but supposedly much better for certain things than going straight through on components. Got this one for my dad since his TV has a plethora of available HDMI ports, but only one Component or Composite input set.

Re:Unsurprising

[hairyfeet]

Yes but if you look at the sell through (the number of titles per console sold) you'll see it is pretty appalling, especially if you are a third party developer. From what I've seen locally most are doing with their Wii consoles what my family is currently doing with theirs, which is letting it sit in a corner and gather dust. Once you have played the first party titles there really isn't much left to do which is similar to the Gamecube at this point in the game.

The uniqueness of the controller and the cheap price got them so far, but now frankly everyone that wanted one has one and third party developers seem to be meh when compared to X360 and PS3. I'd say the one with the ability to hold out the longest will be the X360 simply because of XBL, the PS3 suffers from "the Saturn problem" in that while it is technically more powerful it is a royal bitch to program for from what I've read.

So Nintendo needs to be the first out the gate with a new machine, as others have put with a real controller to go with the WiiMote simply to give developers the ability to count on real controllers when the "Wii Waggle" simply won't fit the core gameplay of their game. I mean the X360 and PS3 both have motion control now, but you don't see every game trying to use it, do you? And hardware wise their machine is simply too far behind the curve, having the cheapest BOM is nice and all but not when the games look lousy on the current High Def sets.

So bottom line: 1080p support, real controller pack in, backwards compatibility with Wii and they have a winner. They really can't afford to let MSFT or Sony get out of the gate first, especially not MSFT thanks to XBL, and their console looks by far the worst sitting side by side with the other two in graphics. So I'd say if TFA isn't right it damned well needs to be as Nintendo can't afford to wait until the Wii has completely run out of gas before kicking out the new console. They simply don't have the support and can't keep an entire console afloat by themselves.

Re:Unsurprising

[Anonymous Coward]

The chance to correct some of the oversights in the original hardware like the lack of HD support and so on

That wasn't an oversight; that was a deliberate winning strategy.

Re:Unsurprising

[anyGould]

So bottom line: 1080p support,

Yes, if only because that's pretty much Industry Standard now. (It wasn't when Wii came out.)

real controller pack in

Maybe I'm weird, but I like the Wiimote + Nunchuk combo. I have a Classic Controller, and I only use it for older games that require it. Mario Kart, Smash Bros, etc - W+N all the way. And I *really* like the point-and-click ability. Give me my freakin' lightgun games, would ya?

backwards compatibility with Wii

Double-plus Yes. If they can keep the Gamecube emulation as well, that would be perfect. I look at PS3s, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my PS2 collection for it.

I'd also add - make MotionPlus standard on the controllers - I've tried Kinect, and it's barely equal to non-Plus Wiimote. With the Plus, you can start getting really fancy.

Also, important to remember - I don't think Wii 2 is going to make a huge push into hardcore gaming. Nintendo came out far ahead by letting Sony and MS fight out that market, while keeping things simple and amusing for the kids and grandparents. I wouldn't be surprised if they keep that same logic.

Re:Unsurprising

[hairyfeet]

While it wasn't the standard when the Wii came out 720p and HDMI most definitely WERE standards and not having native high def nor HDMI was a bad move. Most under $1k sets have plenty of HDMI, one composite, so having native 1080p and HDMI will be a must.

As for the controller you missed the point friend. One of the problems with the Wii is how many do the "Wii Waggle" simply because they can't count on a regular controller so even if their game isn't really gonna work with motion controls they have to use it because that is the ONE controller they can be sure of. Now I'm sure you've played enough games to know there are plenty of titles where motion controls simply make NO sense, yes? By having BOTH motion and regular controls you can make sure that games only use the motion where it makes sense instead of trying to shoehorn it where it doesn't, thus making it easier and better both on the developers AND the gamers.

As for backwards compatibility? Everyone made fun of MSFT for it in Windows and look how well that turned out. With the price on console games it simply makes good sense to let your users keep their old games, and MSFT was stupid IMHO not to keep the X360 having 100% backwards compatibility. One of the things that made the Wii a no brainer for my family was the youngest having a ton of Gamecube games, which meant all the money we had sunk into GC could be used in the Wii. We had both the Xbox I and still have a PS2 like you, and lack of compatibility ended up spooking us off.

Finally as to hardcore gaming? The price for the PPC chips that are currently in the X360 are frankly dirt cheap, as is the current HD5xxx and HD6xxx GPUs by ATI (who made the current Wii chip) So if they are smart they'd go COTS and keep the old Hollywood GPU for backwards compatibility and I/O, and use the X360 triple core PPC and a new ATI chip for their next gen unit. This would make porting between the Wii and the X360 MUCH easier, while giving the Wii 2 the power needed to do high def easily. And since they'd be using COTS the economies of scale would be in their favor and help drive the console BOM down.

In the end I don't think it needs to be about hardcore gaming so much as trying to keep third party developers. Thanks to the fact you practically have to write a completely new game because the Wii is so far behind what you end up with is shovelware from the third parties and Nintendo simply can't afford to go it alone. look at how few non Nintendo titles are worth owning and you'll see making it easier on developers needs to be job #1 at Nintendo, because frankly I don't see them keeping casual gamers as a core market and surviving. Casual gamers simply don't buy enough titles and it looks like the future will be PC and phone games for them anyway, things like Farmville and Angry Birds. IMHO they have to at least keep enough regular gamers to keep the sell through high enough to justify third party support which the Wii is seriously needing right about now.

Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Sycraft-fu]

Something I've noticed with Wii owners is that the Wii tends to end up like a board game: When it gets bought they play with it for a bit, then set it aside, only to take it out at parties or the like. This isn't universal, of course, but I've observed it in enough cases to believe that it is at least somewhat prevision and it isn't something I see with the other consoles.

It seems to me that some people get a Wii because they think the motion control looks cool, but quickly find out it is fairly gimmicky and they get tired of it and set it aside.

I could see that leading to less interest in games for it from developers. Given that a Wii port will require more reworking than the other consoles, due to the lower capabilities and different controls, I could see developers giving it a miss in cases where they don't expect as many sales.

That isn't to say there are no games sold on the Wii or it will die or anything, just that developers may be bringing less titles to it because perhaps people are purchasing less.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[RogueyWon]

I think this is correct. I also think that there's a big issue here about the audience that Nintendo were chasing - non-gamers. They did so very successfully during the Wii's early years. I have colleagues and relatives who would never have bought a "normal" console who bought a Wii. Back in 2007, this was the cool thing to have on the middle-class dinner party circuit.

Thing is, however, the novelty does wear off quite fast and the people who bought the Wii when it was cool and fun have moved on to other things - things which don't involve gaming. Gaming wasn't a part of their life before they bought the Wii, then they played with it for a few weeks and now gaming isn't part of their life again. They might get a short spike of renewed interest if there's another cool new accessory like the balance board, but the law of diminishing returns is very much in effect. They're certainly not going out and buying the games, so the system becomes a graveyard for third party developers, even the ones who do have decent products.

I do wonder whether the 3DS will suffer a similar fate - potentially worse, because I don't think it's had the kind of unprecedented launch hype that the Wii had. It's certainly vulnerable in some respects; the 3d effect will prove to be a gimmick for most people; I can't use it for more than 20 minutes without a splitting headache and pretty much all of the reviews I've read mention that the reviewer turned the 3d off after a day or two. Once you strip the 3d away, you're left with a platform that starts to look a lot like a more expensive and region-locked PSP (complete with loading times, battery life problems and single-analogue-stick control issues).

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[YoshiDan]

I played my wii heaps when I got it. Now I barely touch it. The reason for this isn't because of what you said, but because I've already own just about every Mario series game on the wii and I've finished them all. I want Nintendo to release more. There aren't enough Mario related games for the wii and that makes me sad.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Anonymous Coward]

"That isn't to say there are no games sold on the Wii or it will die or anything, just that developers may be bringing less titles to it because perhaps people are purchasing less."

And because people are purchasing less, developers bring even less titles to it, and repeat all the way down the hill.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Jezza]

Well, I think there is some truth in the "like a board game" aspect. Probably worth remembering that "Wii" is meant to be a play on "we" and the double "i" is meant to look like two players. So this "get it out when you have guests" is rather suggestive of Nintendo's original intent. With a lot of the Nintendo Wii games it seems pretty clear they were designed with multiple players in mind - not in the way Microsoft designed Xbox (or single players connected over the Internet).

Of course, there are Nintendo "classics" that are very "sit on your own" affairs, but hardcore gamers very rarely have only the Wii (almost never) most have the Wii AND Xbox360/PS3 (not often both, usually one or the other). In such a case it is REALLY unusual (almost never happens) for someone in that position to buy the Wii version of a game if it is also offered on XBox360 or PS3. For myself I can think of only one instance where I've done that, PES as it was quite different on the Wii due to the pointing controller.

I'm not sure I think the controller is "gimmicky" or at least not in the way I think you mean. For PES it changed the game utterly. For some games (Metroid: Other M) clearly there was a "gimmick", but it was unique to that game, so didn't need longevity (In Metroid the player normally views the action "third person" if you point the controller at the display then the view becomes "first person" - the player can attack in new ways, but cannot move; an interesting game mechanic to be sure). Then there are games the use the "Wii Zapper" again, a gimmick, but there aren't many that use it - so doesn't get a chance to feel stale.

One thing that is neglected is the Wii is very easy to develop for. But ports of games don't really do well - they tend to just look like rough versions with fewer features. The best Wii games are those designed for the Wii.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[thegarbz]

I tend to think that this is based on the types of games that people are attracted to on the console. I see you observation too, but if you actually go and look through the game library of the owners of abandoned Wiis you'll typically find a lot of gimmicky crap. Ok the tennis game on Wii sport was fun for about 5 minutes, but got very boring very quickly. Yet amongst the abandoned Wiis you'll find pretty much this game, and maybe a few more like Wii Fit, Wii Play, and other similar crap.

However the game collections of people who actively use the Wii seem to be quite different. Sure everyone has a copy of Super Mario Smash Bros to bring out at parties, but a lot of active Wii users will have things such as Guitar Hero / Band Hero, Pikmin, New Super Mario and the Galaxy games, and Donkey Kong Country Returns. If you know what you're looking for and ultimately have the ability to pick games that you can actually play rather than waving a stick at the console is fun and stays fun.

People have been saying the Wii is dead for years, yet by Dec2010 Donkey Kong Country Returns sold 4.21million copies worldwide. Clearly there are quite a lot of people who actually are still interested in their console. I think the biggest problem is that everyone tried a Wii, even those people who simply should not be interested in such a console. My grandma has one FFS.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Jarik_Tentsu]

Well the Wii was aimed more at the casual gaming audience. And the thing with casual gamers is they'll play a game for a bit, then dump it. And once they've played enough games that are similar to each other, they'll stop playing it altogether.

You're not gonna get the same kinda crowd as XBox360 gamers who will probably keep gaming daily, pay for DLC, and buy the latest games as they come out.

I wonder which business model works better?

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder which business model works better?

The only way to answer that question is to look at the profits each company has made this gen. The Wii has been by far the most profitable console ever. The 360 is making a respectable profit, though is no where near the Wii, and will never catch it. The PS3 is so far in the red for this gen that they will never show a net profit for the gen as a whole.

Probably not the answer you were looking for though.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[billcopc]

*dons pun-proof hat*

No one's used my Wii in years! *ducks*

Seriously though, it's exactly as you said: I enjoyed it for a little while, played Raving Rabbids with the wife for laughs, then started lending it to friends for months at a time, and eventually it came back to me. It has sat in a small carrying bag for the two or three years. The last game I remember playing was Metroid Prime 3. I've always loved Metroid, but the idea of a standard-def shooter really turned me off, especially with Crysis running on the monitor next to it.

Meanwhile the X360 has seen almost daily abuse since I bought it a year ago, and mostly on Modern Warfare 2 with my RL friends and workmates. There just wasn't any "killer game" on the Wii for me.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[RogueyWon]

Ironically, despite my earlier post and general Nintendo-sceptic attitude, my Wii does get switched on every day - for Wii Fit.

It's been partially supplanted by Your Shape on the Kinnect, but it's still a good way of motivating myself to actually exercise daily and has been instrumental in me dropping almost 4 stone and getting back into the "normal" range on the BMI chart.

But the last time I fired up a game that isn't Wii Fit Plus on the thing? God knows. I gave a rented copy of Epic Mickey a go for about an hour, before the camera controls drove me to despair. Before that? Probably Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, which I played through out of affection for the film, although the graphics and controls were truly painful.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

It's ironic, really:

Nintendo has a platform that would, arguably, be the most amenable to the efforts of indie and small-time dev outfits: Cheap hardware, fairly wide install base(including unconventional customers), an imperfect; but highly interesting, control model, and spec limitations that keep competition from the zOMG 1080P!!! AAA Shooter 2011 100million+ blockbuster titles to a comparative minimum...

On the other hand, Nintendo are control freaks, with among the strongest 1st-party skew of any of the consoles, and what seems to be a cultural/structural distaste for dealing with small-time developers. Frankly, this seems like an unfortunate thing for them(and for their hypothetical customers). Given all the crazy stuff that wiimote hackers have managed on the PC, and the huge success of 'casual' games, it would seem to me that Nintendo could make a killing(albeit a nickel and a dime at a time) just by providing a good-enough console that makes connecting to a TV to play casual games easy, and also has a stable of really out-there indie stuff that takes advantage of its unique input devices. Given that they have, by all reports, been selling Wiis at a profit from day one, their cost-reduced rev.N models could end up being damn cheap, very quiet, broadly accessible.

It is ironic that Microsoft, who is much better suited to conventional '1st and blessed BFF 3rd party AAA titles with giant budgets' model of console development, is a fair way ahead of Nintendo in terms of support for the little guys(like Apple's iDevice ecosystem, it ain't free as in freedom, or as in beer; but it is fairly cheap and fairly broadly accessible).

I'm not sure that Nintendo has any real hope of turning around an institutional/cultural mindset(as well as doing the nontrivial legwork on things like dev tools and online distribution mechanisms) in time; but it does seem like a missed opportunity...

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Siberwulf]

I'll ignore the pun part.

The last sentence here is probably the biggest thing for me. I got bored of the party games. They were cute at first, but I wanted a game I could sink my teeth into. Something that took 60+ hours to get through. I beat MP3 in what.. 19 hours? Really? 5 nights of gaming for $60? It felt like a ripoff at that point. I wanted something like FF13, Elder Scrolls, hell... anything would have done. Zelda was cool. I love zelda. It was again...too short and shallow.

I won't be hopping on the Wii2 bandwagon until I can see they have games with meat on their bones. Something epic needs to be there for my gamer tastes..

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Anonymous Coward]

That is true for me, but the Wii is also the only console I own... if I want to play games, I'll play on a computer. If I'm having a party, I'll bust out the Wii so everyone can play together.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[jank1887]

what are some of the more popular games you hear about these days? It's not Modern Warfare, or Call of Duty version whatever. It's Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies, things like that.

These are the types of games people go crazy over. and like you said, there shouldn't be too much involved porting them to the wii, or offering them as DLC in the Nintendo Store. but can you??? I heard that they're finally planning on doing something like that but what took so long? The money makers these days are in the app store model. It works. People like it. It engages third parties and generates a nice % revenue for the platform maker. People have showed that they will shell out $5 ten times for ten little games, even though the same people won't shell out $50 for one new 'kickass' game. The wii has a huge installed base, and is networked.

So, I agree, they should really engage the indie crowd, and the appstore model would be a way to do that. My Wii gets used daily. But it's mostly by my kids. it's easy enough to get around the gimmicky control and just do the 'sideways wiimote' thing like they did for Super Mario Wii. it should be a viable outlet, but I think they might have missed their chance.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[VGPowerlord]

The last sentence here is probably the biggest thing for me. I got bored of the party games. They were cute at first, but I wanted a game I could sink my teeth into. Something that took 60+ hours to get through. I beat MP3 in what.. 19 hours? Really? 5 nights of gaming for $60? It felt like a ripoff at that point. I wanted something like FF13, Elder Scrolls, hell... anything would have done. Zelda was cool. I love zelda. It was again...too short and shallow.

It doesn't help that Metroid Prime Trilogy debuted at the same price (actually $50 USD since that's the standard Wii price). Which was, of course, three times the length.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[hansamurai]

I agree with you up until the 3DS. If it was just another DS Lite with simply the 3D as the selling point, this might be true, but this is the next generation portable platform for Nintendo titles and everyone else.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[RogueyWon]

Yeah, this is indeed a problem. There are a few "meaty" games on the Wii - but an awful lot of them are actually PS2 ports. I enjoyed Sakura Wars on the Wii - but then realised that there was a PS2 version out there as well which had better controls and the option of the Japanese language voice track. So even when I found a Wii game I could "get my teeth into", I still ended up regretting the purchase.

Zelda is firmly "been there, done that, bought the T-shirt" now and if I am not prepared to shell out cash to go through the exact same progression and story all over again. Metroid has gone in a few experimental directions recently without actually being particularly good - plus their genre means that they really do suffer next to the competition from not being on an HD console. The party games are... well... party games (and to be honest, Raving Rabbids tends to do it better than the Nintendo first-party stuff). I hated, loathed and despised Mario Kart Wii for stripping the last few "racing" elements out of what was once a decent series. Smash Brothers Brawl was fairly good, but over quickly. The only first party Nintendo game to have felt "meaty" recently was Mario Galaxy 2. And the third party titles? Don't make me laugh...

It's a pity really, because in their (entirely typical) arrogance, Nintendo have missed a colossal opportunity. There are a lot of Japanese developers who are scared to make the jump onto the HD consoles properly. They clung to the PS2 until the last possible moment. Now, a lot of these developers are putting out rubbish, but there are some absolute gems in the mix, such as Persona 3 and 4. These are really, seriously meaty games - 60 hour playthroughs at an absolute minimum, with replay value - and there are actually quite a lot of them. If Nintendo had aggressively courted these developers, it could have pretty much cornered the "quirky but substantial Japanese games" market. There were a few half-hearted stabs in this direction, including a Monster Hunter game, but nothing that really had much appeal - and even those efforts seem to have dried up now. Instead, these games all seem to come out on the PSP (and occasionally the DS). Missed opportunity...

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[SwordsmanLuke]

For those with the skills and inclination, I highly recommend installing homebrew on your Wii. Grab a classic controller and some emulators and you're set. :) I've been using my Wii to play through the last 3 decades worth of great games I either missed or wasn't old enough to play when they were new.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Anonymous Coward]

I think the biggest problem is that everyone tried a Wii, even those people who simply should not be interested in such a console. My grandma has one FFS.

I think you would find that the board members and the owners of Nintendo have a very different point of view.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Anonymous Coward]

yes, and i can think of all the other situations where that same group doesnt play games on their 360 or ps3 becuase they are involved with each other. see its the community that is making a break through with the wii. your looking at it wrong.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree that might not be such a bad analogy. I argue though that it not such a bad thing. The dollar value of the initial purchase of the Wii was significantly less than that of the PS3. So based on play time your recouping your dollars spent much faster. The PS3 and to a lesser extent XBOX 360 were very expensive at launch and both consoles failed to turn a profit at launch on the console alone. This is where Nintendo has a huge advantage. They have already re-couped and turned a huge profit on their R&D of the Wii. They are likely at least 1 year ahead of Sony & Microsoft in terms of re-couping costs. This can assist them in moving onto their next console. I imagine they will take to heart the graphics and game play concerns about the Wii.

One thing I think that might surprise many will be the uptake if Nintendo sticks to the roots of why the Wii was so successful. That is of course the medical/fitness industries. The Wii is used fairly regularly in the Physiotherapy industry as well as in the fitness industry. If Nintendo can continue to balance on the fence of both the Gaming and Medical/Fitness industries I'd expect continued success.

Re:Or maybe they just aren't selling as well

[Anonymous Coward]

Without any games with actual depth and significance it's just a matter of time before the thriller of the Wii wears off. Especially with the Kinect making it look long in the tough.

That graph doesn't say what they say it says

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't see any correlation at all. What about GBA->DS? DS->3DS? no gaps there at all.

Ugh

[gmhowell]

Still need to buy Epic Mickey.

Re:Ugh

[Amazing Proton Boy]

Don't bother. It's crap. The camera is horrid, the controls are sketchy, the save system is weird and incomplete and there are too many places where you miss a 1-pixle-wide jump or an item and have to go way back. Too bad as the art is wonderful.

Re:Ugh

[gmhowell]

Considering the people behind the game, these flaws are uncalled for. Still, I may pick up a copy used.

Hard to call

[abigsmurf]

The Wii is on a steep downward trend whilst the 360 and PS3 sales are picking up (I'd imagine the Wii's attatch rate is also getting quite low). It's already falling behind the PSP, 3DS and PS3 in Japan, it's not unthinkable it could happen in the west too.

Developers simply aren't making big budget games for the console. The last major western third party game was what, Epic Mickey? It wasn't a flop (did a million copy) but it was rushed out of the door. Tales of Graces F is coming out for the PS3 in the west but not the Wii version it's a port of, that's a death knell for the console.

Low budget party games still sell in large numbers on the console but major, meaty games are few and far between.

As for the Wii 2... E3 is too early, they need to promote the 3DS. TGS is possibly too early as well (and I'm fully expect DQX to headline). A late autumn, early winter reveal at a dedicated Nintendo event seems likely to me. There also haven't been any rumours what could be featuring in the console either, pretty much every console announcement of the last few years has had lots of leaks hinting about what they'd feature.

As to what could feature in it... How about gyroscopic feedback? forget rumble, I want to feel the Wiimote kick in my hand, if I'm swinging a heavy sword, I want it to be harder to swing than a light dagger. The tech's been floating around for a while, I'd love to see if in a games controller.

Re:Hard to call

[gl4ss]

nintendo failing to bring in profit for a while tells all about the need to upgrade wii.

and everybodys got hd sets now, they cost less than a wii.

I don't think they will morph like sega though.

Re:Hard to call

[antifoidulus]

Maybe, but hard to say. Nintendo doesn't have nearly the global presence that Sony and Microsoft have and are much more vulnerable to a strong yen(the yen is insanely strong right now, even before the quake it was nearing an all time high vs. the dollar and euro). The last time Nintendo lost money the yen was also strong(though not as strong as it is now). Nintendo is very vulnerable to moves in foreign exchange rates since most of their costs are still in yen but the bulk of their sales come from the US and the EU.

Re:Hard to call

[VolciMaster]

and everybodys got hd sets now, they cost less than a wii.

Where are you finding HD sets for under $200?

Solution to SoftMod Problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wiis are notoriously easy to softmod, and pirates are loading USB hard drives full of games. Maybe Wii2 is the solution.

Re:Solution to SoftMod Problem?

[leuk_he]

Actually the easyness of the softmod keeps the commercial hardmod much more low-profile. Besided that, a new (compatible) wii statistically would be hacked again in 1-2 year unless they provided hackers with a homebrew system so the system does not need to be hacked.

Re:Solution to SoftMod Problem?

[tepples]

Besided that, a new (compatible) wii statistically would be hacked again in 1-2 year unless they provided hackers with a homebrew system

Which is why Microsoft wins this round. Microsoft introduced the XNA Creators Club and Xbox Live Indie Games model that Apple copied for the iPhone developer program and App Store, and the 360 modding scene has been far lower profile than that on the Wii. The PS3 modding scene only picked up steam once the Linux-compatible fat model got discontinued.

Controller....

[leuk_he]

I think you are ready for the electric feedback controller. If the opponent hits you you get a electric shock. The tech has been flaoting for a while and i would love to kick your but. And it would add a lot of extra sales for rubber gloves add on. ;) ;)

The roumers for wii2 are floating around now already. HD (finally..) , some kind of camera feedback, better graphics.

Yet another Wii death pray

[Anonymous Coward]

From anti-Nintendo fanboys, probably. When asked, Nintendo always say they don't have any plan to end the Wii's life, and they shouldn't. That thing is still printing money, still has the most market penetration, and the platform is well known by developers for a long time. Why should they kill it? MS and Sony sure would very much enjoy a fresh start on the race, but Nintendo?

And no, you can't overlay the Wii's history with the GC's. Nintendo pre-Wii was very different from Nintendo post-Wii. It is just ridiculous to compare both. In fact, it is ridiculous to insinuate that Nintendo needs to change the tide at all. Sure they are working on the successor of the Wii, they admitted it many times; as soon as they release a gaming machine they start working on the next one. But they don't have any reason to wrap up the ongoing project and release a new product, not when they are clearly in good position.

And the slow rhythm can be explained by many factors; they have a ton of software to make for the 3DS. Miyamoto is taking his sweet time with Zelda. And they don't really hire that many people, they know that in exchange for a limited growth they can keep top quality staff. Too bad for us that want to play more and more Nintendo games; but that is what makes them Nintendo games after all. Seriously, very few other companies have a reputation of being able to create good games on just about any genre.

Re:Yet another Wii death pray

[RightSaidFred99]

Right. "Ridiculous" - you keep using that word a lot, like you think it strengthens your argument. All that matters are sales. Let's see timely data on Wii console sales, and let's see current revenue from Wii content compared to Microsoft or Sony. It's 3/4 of the way to shit, and fast moving beyond to complete shit. And no fanboy here, I have a Wii. Like most people, though, I'm just not interested in playing it anymore.

The Wii got in at the _very_ end of the time when people would accept a console that uses ca 2001 technology, and it had pretty good success for a few years. But ultimately it's just too limited and primitive now. You'll shell out more for an Xbox+Kinect, but it's vastly superior in every way as a gaming platform and you have the Xbox Live market which seals the deal.

Re:Yet another Wii death pray

[Anonymous Coward]

> let's see current revenue from Wii content compared to Microsoft or Sony. It's 3/4 of the way to shit

Ugh. Contorted fanboy logic. There were *millions* more Wiis sold last year compared to the 360 or PS3. Current weekly sales of the big three consoles are neck in neck.

"revenue" is a bit of weasel word in this context, isn't it? The consoles are at different prices. Too bad revenue isn't profit.

Re:Yet another Wii death pray

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, Nintendo pre-wii was like Apple pre ipod. Nintendo's next gen console has been reportedly been in development since 2008 and I think it's going to be at least another year when they release it. Nintendo is going through what every console usually does in its last year; slow down etc. But a new Wii will print even more money.

Re:Yet another Wii death pray

[brkello]

They should get a Wii 2 out because the machine is severely underpowered when compared to its competitors. A Wii 2 can take advantage of technological progress and sell a much better system for a cheap price. The Wii has pretty much hit market saturation. Everyone who wants one has one. Those that don't can easily pick one up on the used market. You can milk an almost dead cow for its last bit of sour milk, or you can get an awesome new cow and start milking the sweet profits off of it.
 
What is wrong with saying Nintendo needs to have a new console? It doesn't make you an anti-fanboy. The only time I was ever not excited about a new console release from my favorite company was when I was a kid and mowed lawns for allowance money. It took me a long time to save up and get a Nintendo, so a Super Nintendo made me upset because I couldn't afford one.
 
It's time for Nintendo to get out a new console. Take a breath, it doesn't mean it is bad or insulting. The system is just limited now by its processing power. Just think of what Nintendo could do with a better system. Better graphics, bigger worlds, better AI...why would you not want that?

Fitting the Data to the Question

[enderwig]

A single game drought in early 2002 is somehow strong enough evidence for the author to verify his hypothesis. There is no pattern since the data analysis only began using information from 2001, and there is only a single gap. Not only that, the Wii was released a full 4 years later. If you believe his guess, then Nintendo started making Wii exclusive games approximately 3 months after releasing the Gamecube.

Due to the known lack of software support for the Gamecube, a more likely scenario is that lack of interest in the Gamecube prior to its release is a main component of the game release gap.

Re:Fitting the Data to the Question

[Anonymous Coward]

The 'gap' was from the N64 to the Gamecube, not the Gamecube to the Wii,

Re:Fitting the Data to the Question

[hansamurai]

Pretty much agree. GameCube was released in late 2001 and they're complaining about a drought half a year after that? If anything, that simply indicates the gap between launch titles and the next wave of games. Within 12 months of this "drought" we saw Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, Zelda: Wind Waker, Animal Crossing, Mario Party 4. And those are just first party titles off the top of my head.

It is about time, after all

[damn_registrars]

I for one would love to see a Wii with 1080p output and a better web browser. Although really even upconverting to 720p would be a substantial improvement; right now you have to buy an additional cable just to get it all the way up to 480p.

With reasonable expectations an upgraded Wii should be possible that could potentially squash interest in the Kinect and PS3 move. Nintendo actually has quite a bit to work with, they just need to decide how to use it.

Re:It is about time, after all

[meddle99]

I don't buy a game for the graphics. I buy it because it is fun to play. I will play a fun game with ok graphics a lot more often than a bad game with awesome graphics. And most games lately are just copies of older games with improved graphics. I am a casual gamer. I have a Wii and a 360 - the Wii gets a lot more play time. I bought the wii on the day it was released and my daughter and I still play Mario Kart two or three times a week for an hour or so. Come to think of it, I am not even sure the xbox is plugged in.

I for one would love to see a Wii with 1080p output and a better web browser. Although really even upconverting to 720p would be a substantial improvement; right now you have to buy an additional cable just to get it all the way up to 480p.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Anonymous Coward]

Whilst an evolution of the existing hardware is logical, really they need to rethink the whole software architecture too. The Wii has never improved over time in the way that its competitors have e.g. got a better browser, new stuff on home screen etc, and new peripherals like MotionPlus are not backwards compatible, because of the decision to basically bundle different versions of the whole "OS" with each game.

Also: seriously guys, stop pretending that the hardware specs don't matter at all because they DO, e.g. be generous with the RAM for a change. This is especially important early in the console's lifecycle, when developers don't know how or have the time to hand-tune assembly to get some performance out of the thing. Remember all those terrible ports like Far Cry? First impressions count, especially with a casual gamer heavy audience.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Anonymous Coward]

...just copies of older games with improved graphics... ...Mario Kart...

Yeah, I can see that.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Darth_brooks]

True on the graphics but.....Nintendo is losing ground to the PS3 because of the blu-ray player, and the fact that a PS3, or a 360, actually have the processing power to stand up to doing some steaming. My wii tends to chortle and gag on standard def Youtube videos that run more than 5 minutes. Nintendo beat everyone to the punch with cool features, but didn't come to the plate with enough horsepower. Also, not supporting 1080p at this point is like a car that runs on leaded gas. When the Wii hit the scene, 480p was still "HD." Now? Wal-Mart's selling 1080p, and 720 gets you laughed out the door.

DVD/Blu-ray would be nice in a Wii 2 (won't happen), but lets at least get a decent hardware base in first. CPU, Memory, HD Output, and Storage. The Wii is dead last in all four, and by a Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide margin. 360's and Ps3's represent a convergence of devices that give them a nice extra selling point (I could probably get the wife to go for a PS3 now, since it'd offer Hi-def streaming from Netflix or Amazon and it wouldn't look like crap on our TV, and it'd be a blu-ray player.) Nintendo can't make the mistake of thinking that simply making the best game console is enough to even be a player in the console wars.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Machtyn]

Well, sure. But the Wii, and other consoles, have turned into a nifty "entertainment" unit with the addition of Netflix. It's a bummer that my Wii won't play the Netflix movies at a higher definition than 480p. I won't be getting an XBox (why pay twice for my internet service) and I won't be getting a Playstation (too expensive, no need for Blu-Ray, it's Sony).

Re:It is about time, after all

[damn_registrars]

the processing power to stand up to doing some steaming

I don't know about your situation, but I've steamed Netflix movies that were over an hour long on my Wii with no trouble.

My wii tends to chortle and gag on standard def Youtube videos that run more than 5 minutes

How are you watching youtube videos on the Wii? Are you using playon?

Re:It is about time, after all

[MistrBlank]

Really? Bluray? Thta's pushing PS3? I can go to Berkley and Jensen's and buy a Vizio wireless BR player for $110, a third of the price of the PS3. I still look through the PS3 library and right now, the only game in the entire catalog that I can't get on my (imo better) Xbox 360 isn't even out yet, Twisted Metal.

PS3 is kind of a dud if you ask me and after all of the install other OS BS that's happened in the last year, I'm even more resolved to stay away.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Anonymous Coward]

Hate to feed a troll, but Mario Kart for the Wii offered multiplayer for the kart game for the first time. And new tracks, new ways to play, new vehicles (motorcycles), new abilities (tricks while jumping to increase speed), new weapons...

Re:It is about time, after all

[BenoitRen]

My wii tends to chortle and gag on standard def Youtube videos that run more than 5 minutes.

Well, duh. Flash still sucks. News at 11.

Nintendo beat everyone to the punch with cool features, but didn't come to the plate with enough horsepower.

It has plenty of power for 480p gaming, which is what it does.

When the Wii hit the scene, 480p was still "HD." Are you referring to the misleading HD/ED labelling?

What are you smoking? No one has ever considered 480p to be "HD".

Re:It is about time, after all

[geminidomino]

I still look through the PS3 library and right now, the only game in the entire catalog that I can't get on my (imo better) Xbox 360 isn't even out yet, Twisted Metal.

Plus the two Ratchet and Clanks. The only games on the damn system that I'm dying to play. :(

Re:It is about time, after all

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Wii, and my kids use it a lot. I'd like to see 1080p not for the awesome graphics but just to get more screen real estate for games like Lego Star Wars. Yes, it's nice to finally have screen splitting so that they don't kill each other over who gets to go where, but the 480p isn't dense enough to really see anything, so they wind up having to coordinate anyways just to see what's happening.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Dwedit]

Wii has a web browser with Flash 7, it's called the "Internet Channel".

Re:It is about time, after all

[Anonymous Coward]

And youtube no longer supports Flash 7.

Re:It is about time, after all

[damn_registrars]

Wii has a web browser with Flash 7, it's called the "Internet Channel".

I use that channel fairly often, but I always figured with that ancient version of flash it would never be able to browse youtube or anything else that needed flash. Considering Flash people trash all over version 9 as ancient, version 7 mush be positively prehistoric - hence I've not bothered to try to use it for anything.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Fallingcow]

Funny, I feel the opposite way: the one and only game on the 360 I can't play on my PS3 but wish I could is the port of Perfect Dark. If I had a 360, though, there'd be several games I like that I wouldn't be able to play (LBP series, Uncharted 2, and MGS4 come to mind immediately).

Playing BR is a nice bonus. It's also very good at playing video over a network--not sure how the 360 is at that, I got rid of mine before I tried it. I don't play online much so the free online play is much better for me than XBL; I'd never ever play online if I had to pay for it, since I wouldn't use it enough to make it worth the money. For those whose main use for their console is online multiplayer I can see how XBL would be worth it, though.

On the other hand: Sony. God they suck.

Re:It is about time, after all

[Fallingcow]

Huh? Mario Kart has always been multiplayer.

Double Dash is the best one, but my group of friends has abandoned the series for the very-similar Blur anyway.

Re:It is about time, after all

[demonbug]

Huh? Mario Kart has always been multiplayer.

Double Dash is the best one, but my group of friends has abandoned the series for the very-similar Blur anyway.

Meh, double-dash was okay. Mario Kart 64 is still the best.

Re:It is about time, after all

[RightSaidFred99]

The problem with your logic is that you pretend it's either or. I will play a fun game with good graphics more than a fun game with OK graphics, especially on my 65" TV. Also, you're not typical - most people have gotten bored with their Wii.

Re:It is about time, after all

[tepples]

How are you watching youtube videos on the Wii?

Probably Internet Channel.

Re:It is about time, after all

[tepples]

I still look through the PS3 library and right now, the only game in the entire catalog that I can't get on my (imo better) Xbox 360 isn't even out yet, Twisted Metal.

What's the Xbox 360 counterpart to LittleBigPlanet?

Re:It is about time, after all

[meddle99]

The problem with your logic is that you pretend it's either or. I will play a fun game with good graphics more than a fun game with OK graphics, especially on my 65" TV. Also, you're not typical - most people have gotten bored with their Wii.

I didn't say that I don't want gameplay AND graphics. But, If I have to make a choice, I choose gameplay. It seems too many games (and the consumers, I guess) choose graphics. But, If most people are bored with their wii, they still sell an awful lot of games. I have not played every game, but I find the wii games much more fun than the 360. But like I said, I am not a hard core gamer.

Re:It is about time, after all

[scot4875]

Yes, it's nice to finally have screen splitting ... but the 480p isn't dense enough to really see anything

Sheesh. We played Goldeneye and Mario Kart on 4-player split screen at 480i on a 25" TV back on the N64. And we had fun. And there were no complaints that people couldn't "really see anything".

If the game is fun, the graphics really don't matter as long as they're not a distraction. If the game isn't fun, the graphics won't help.

--Jeremy

Re:It is about time, after all

[toddestan]

Mario Kart 64 with the obnoxious rubber-band AI players? Bah. I'm still partial to Super Mario Kart myself.

Re:It is about time, after all

[deek]

Or the Xbox 360 counterpart to Demon's Souls
Or the Uncharted series
Or Heavy Rain
Or Flower
Or most of the Pixeljunk games
Or Valkyria Chronicles

Just a few quality games off the top of my head.

Mario Kart...Smash Brawl...Maybe New Super Mario..

[Anonymous Coward]

Those three titles are really about it for games worth still playing for this console. I think a new one would do them well actually, with 3D televisions becoming more and more popular. HD tv's are now pretty much the norm, a new Wii is needed just to stay current, as the current ones do not support either of these widely popular viewing experiences.

Just my humble observation. :o)

Not Wii 2

[Anonymous Coward]

I heard Nintendo's new console will be called the Puu.

Huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

I wasn't sure if they were talking about Darth of Nintendo or Death of Nintendo. It appears to be a combination of the two.

Re:Huh?

[ThatMegathronDude]

Vocabulary fail.

The REAL indication of a new console coming...

[Turken]

If it's patterns we're looking for, then the real indicator of a new console is when the release of the new Zelda game gets delayed "so we can polish it to perfection."

Just like they repeatedly "polished" Twilight Princess for the Gamecube, only to use it as a hook for selling the Wii to the "hardcore" crowd.

Re:The REAL indication of a new console coming...

[rjejr]

I've been saying this since Jan. 1st (on Nintendo Life). Sure, they could release the new Zelda game and sell a million copies. OR they could release an HD Zelda game and sell a million CONSOLES. I honestly don't know how many Wii vs. GC copies TP sold, but I'm sure Nintendo does, and I'm sure they could sell both SD and HD versions of the new Zelda. I think if they are building Zelda without HD for use somewhere down the road (I think God of War sold ok) than they are idiots.

Will it be called a Wii 2 ?

[Anonymous Coward]

My money is on a Nintendo Puu

Metroid Prime Trilogy == Player's Choice

[tepples]

Metroid Prime 1, 2, and 3 were all sold separately earlier and had all earned what they were going to earn in their first run. So I see Metroid Prime Trilogy as more like Super Mario All-Stars, like three budget rereleases (what Nintendo calls "Player's Choice"), or like buying three N64 games on Wii Shop.

But then waiting for a game to hit the bargain bin or a compilation isn't always the best strategy. Not all games' prices go down; some go up. How much does a copy of Earthbound go for again?

Re:Metroid Prime Trilogy == Player's Choice

[VGPowerlord]

Metroid Prime 1, 2, and 3 were all sold separately earlier and had all earned what they were going to earn in their first run. So I see Metroid Prime Trilogy as more like Super Mario All-Stars, like three budget rereleases (what Nintendo calls "Player's Choice"), or like buying three N64 games on Wii Shop.

But then waiting for a game to hit the bargain bin or a compilation isn't always the best strategy. Not all games' prices go down; some go up. How much does a copy of Earthbound go for again?

Metroid Prime Trilogy was also the only way in North America or Europe to get the first two games with the Wii control scheme.

It was also a limited-time pressing like (ironically) Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition for the Wii, so you can't get new copies of it any more.

Kotaku forgot Skyward Sword

[stillnotelf]

Maybe all the devs are working on Skyward Sword. God forbid we get a Wii2/Wii release the way we did for Twilight Princess...

Re:Kotaku forgot Skyward Sword

[Anonymous Coward]

lol... If they put all their resources for one game it better be something epic beyond imagination but from my understanding Skyward Sword may not even be able to compete against TP. Nintendo's prime focus is to not lose their audience and capture even more of the casual gamer market and in order to do that they need to bring back the appeal that the Wii had when it first released and to do that they need to develop something even better. It may not be a new way to play games, but it may be a stronger system that allows more robust gameplay, and the ability to understand things like 4-player speech recognition. Perhaps they will try to create a system to try and rule them all like how they did with the N64. It was powerful, it was capable of running high-quality games like no other system, and they would allow any kind of game on their system even outside of Japan. Perhaps, just perhaps this is the system that will change console gaming for the better. I highly doubt it but whatever they do, they have to do it right because this might be their last console before everything moves towards PC gaming (very likely).

Tsunami impact

[Anonymous Coward]

Or maybe the developers are still living in shelters after the tsunami, or can't get to their gear because of radiation...

As a recent video game retiree...

[Anonymous Coward]

... this doesn't interest me. In fact, nothing short of fully immersive virtual reality will interest me going forward. Anyone who has played video games for at least 20 years will realize that the pattern is:

1) New console comes out to much fanfare with some "new" and "innovative" feature or functionality that is supposed to revolutionize game play.
2) Titles for the first year are fairly good and incorporate some of the new features of the console and while not polished, still makes for some decent gameplay for a good 3-6 months.
3) Subsequent games released are rehashes of previous games and/or concepts, while still fairly good, nothing new and barely worth my money or time.
4) A 2-3 years after console release, lack of any decent or original titles leaves said console collecting dust on my entertainment center. Some buyer remorse finally begins to set in.
5) Getting bored with the new console, I fall back on some classic NES titles such as SMB3 or FF, or maybe break out the 2600 or PSOne.
6) Repeat step 1.

Being a consumer in the industry for this long, I can predict that for the Wii 2, there will be a few good titles at release, then Nintendo will eventually fall back on the family-fun titles, alienating their loyalest demographic, and rendering their once "cool" console a mere kid's toy. It happens every time, it's been happening since N64 and nothing will ever change that. Knowing this, I feel there are much better uses for my money than continuing to buy console after console after console. Three things are clear to me now that I have decided to retire: No one will ever be able to reproduce the success and longevity of the NES, the last console that will have ever attempted to push the absolute limits of the hardware was the PSX/PSOne (IMHO), the next console I buy will be for my kids, once I get some. I will, however, continue to rock the old titles. Now get the fuck off my lawn.

All right. I can't take it anymore.

[killmenow]

I'm undoing my mods by posting to this, I know. Sorry. I just can't take it anymore.

To all of you who saying your Wii is never used anymore: please SEND IT TO ME.

I pre-registered and had a Wii on day one. This is the only time I've EVER bought a console at launch. We have ~50 games and they get played a LOT (I have 4 kids).

So much so that the optical drive in our Wii is now dead. I know I can send it in to Nintendo and pay $75 plus s/h for repair. But WTH...it seems there are many people on slashdot with Wiis sitting in closets or in a bag or on a shelf collecting dust, so won't somebody think of the children and send one my way?!

Re:All right. I can't take it anymore.

[domatic]

The most common problem with the optical drives is that the laser fails. You can replace the laser yourself for about $20. There are many demonstrations on Youtube that describe how to carry out the repair. If you're ok with spending $70 or $80, replacing the entire drive is easier. You use the same video for laser replacement as a guide and omit the steps that involve opening the drive and just swap out the units.

Re:All right. I can't take it anymore.

[killmenow]

It's actually something else. The discs won't spin. I bought a new drive motor for $15 and replaced it. The new motor does the same thing. I will probably buy an entirely new optical drive and replace it myself rather than send it in to Nintendo.

That is: UNLESS SOME GENEROUS SLASHDOTTER WANTS TO SEND ME THEIRS.

nudge nudge...say no more...

Re:All right. I can't take it anymore.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is the best comment I have even seen on slashdot so far :) Seriously, you are right.

Re:All right. I can't take it anymore.

[VickiM]

You can't have mine! I don't have the common Slashdotter problem of not using my Wii. I have to fight with my significant other so I can play my games; he's been playing Rock Band 3 almost daily since release (laugh if you want XBox fans, but he got his keyboard on release, not three months later). I used to have two consoles per generation (a PlayStation and a Nintendo) but now I just have the Wii (and DS) and have no complaints. Except that there's no Pikmin 3 yet.

Re:All right. I can't take it anymore.

[Anonymous Coward]

jit ebay up and look for wii logic board for 74.99 its actually the full wii minus the dvd drive.. i did and it works greats.

mine died from the black dots of death.

about the article. If Nintendo cant rely on numbers of third parties sells then whats the freaking point. the 3rd parties will die, and then a big third party will gobble them up then will have million sellers and then the big 3rd party will lay everyone off. Then all the laid off employees will make smaller studios that rock, and the cycle starts over.

not a very insightful article. but then again I am from the industry so I pay more attention. I am glad that outsiders are finally seeing the trends that have existed for a long time.

Do I want more third party support? yes as long as it doesn't cost my brothers and sisters their families like it did mine.

The demand for 480p gaming is slipping

[tepples]

It has plenty of power for 480p gaming, which is what it does.

As I understand the article and other articles like it, the demand for 480p gaming is slipping now that even entry-level TVs have VGA and HDMI in.

Re:The demand for 480p gaming is slipping

[BenoitRen]

I don't think the casual gamers, which the Wii is targeted at, care what video resolution their system uses.

Re:The demand for 480p gaming is slipping

[tepples]

If this were true, then all the "Comcast has more HD than satellite" advertising would be wasted.

In France, they could release games about Cannabis

[Anonymous Coward]

Then, it would reflect the way the console is pronounced Wii Deux -> Oui duh -> Weed

Wii2 dev - yes; but Sims Medieval for Wii released

[WillAffleckUW]

While I think you're probably correct about the Wii 2 dev, I should point out that they are releasing Sims Medieval for the Wii right now.

Basically, indications are that the licensing of the 3D tech for the iPad 3D slowed down dev resources, and they wanted to implement a strong HDTV 1080p 3D console, but didn't want to be too bleeding edge until that firmed up.

Not sure about exact timing of the release though, since the iPad 3D will be coming out for Thanksgiving 2011 to allow for Xmas 2011 sales buzz and the techs won't be fully back at Nintendo until then.

(caveat - I sold all my Nintendo and Apple shares)

I won't be getting a "Wii 2"...

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't get me wrong. The DS Lite was great; it was like a little laptop. I could run DS Linux on it, and pirate every single game released for the system. Total cost: less than 200 USD (~2005).

Nintendo has been doing well as the proverbial "bitch of hardware" because of that NDS. That's all they have going for them.

Unless the "Wii 2" is a severe loss-leader that is so easy to hack and so cheap that I can buy 5 of them as desktop replacements for my grandmothers, I will have to move on to raping the next corporate anus.

Come on Wii 2? That's ridiculous!

[Anonymous Coward]

If anything Nintendo need's to come out with a more powerful like PS3 Xbox360 console like perhaps the GameCube! The Wii was fine. But what is out for the Wii now is outdated! Nintendo need's to make a shocking suprize this coming E3 2011! I would like to see a supped up Wii perhaps? Or a Supped up console as powerful as the PS3 and Xbox360!

Saw Answers

[bburningice]

want to know more about do visit http://www.sawanswers.com..../ you we will find what ever you like .....

Blame Kinect

[jseale]

Kinect on the XBox is the swan song that is driving people away from Wii. Take the fact that you don't have do hold anything in your hand to play the games, and add the fact that Kinect also adds voice activation and video networking, and you've got quite an incentive to switch. Lets not forget that games on the XBox are displayed in HD.

HairyFeet's "GREATEST HITS", PART DEUX ("NOT!")

[Anonymous Coward]

See subject-line above, & these "prime examples" below via links to the originals of WHY hairyfeet shouldn't have gone to "ITT Tech", in his TECHNICAL BLUNDERS, & more (regarding HOSTS files):

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Static vs. Dynamic Adbanner addressing (lol, "according to hairyfeet"):

(Which even BestBuy Techs know!)

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2061048&cid=35681060

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DNS Client Cache turn off for HOSTS, a TECHNICAL Blunder by Hairyfeet:

(Which even BestBuy Techs know also (just like the one above!))

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2061048&cid=35686054

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Hairyfeet's single solutions SECURITY FAILURES? See inside:

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2064694&cid=35690260

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Your sources on "security" vs. mine (actual security people) (AND myself, a source on it):

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2064694&cid=35690328

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Lastly, as to your LIBEL of myself (w/ arstech):

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2061048&cid=35668740

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The defeat of hairyfeet by APK (video analogy - hilarious, BUT, apt):

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2064694&cid=35690536

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They say it all, & usually vs. hairyfeet's own words quoted! I wouldn't pay him too much heed, especially after you read the above b.s., lies, changing figures, & even LIBEL of others that hairyfeet likes to do. After all - he's from "ITT Tech" (student)...

Worst part of ALL, here?

Hairyfeet just clearly doesn't even understand how HOSTS files benefit you for:

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1.) ADDED Reliability (vs. DNS going down, or being 'poisoned', & even DNSBL (DNS Block Lists))

2.) ADDED "layered" Security online (vs. known bad sites &/or servers (botnet C&C) + maliciously scripted adbannners by BLOCKING them out)

3.) ADDED Speed (not loading adbanners, and hardcoding your fav. sites into it)

4.) Even more ADDED 'anonymity' online (vs. DNS request logs)

(Even server admins might NOT mind having the load on their DNS servers lightened up also, bonus!)

---

APK

P.S.=> Personally though - because hairyfeet is only a "techie"? I suspect he doesn't want people to know about HOSTS files' added LAYERED SECURITY benefits to the end-user: Why?? Because if users stop getting so much "malware-in-general" which layered security (and HOSTS) give you added layered protection against, he's out money...apk