Nintendo Is Always Working On New Hardware

[Keane Ng]

Nintendo Is Always Working On New Hardware

Worried that Nintendo is too busy sitting on piles of money and riding rollercoasters made of gold to think of some new ideas for hardware? Worry not. Nintendo's dreaming up new wonder machines at all times.

Nothing lasts forever, especially in this industry where one minute you're the top of the pops and the next you're shilling real historical battles with giant enemy crabs. Nintendo is undoubtedly the top of the pops right now, but having been there and lost it before, they know that success isn't permanent.

"We do not think that Nintendo DS and Wii will last forever," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said in an investor call. "Our internal hardware teams are always researching and working on new hardware so that we can launch them whenever we find a very interesting idea."

According to Iwata, Nintendo sometimes even completes new hardware, but then chooses not to release it. It takes three years to develop a machine, and then the company decides if it's worth putting out or not. If it's not, they can always save the ideas and technology for another day. Does this mean that there's a room at Nintendo HQ full of Nintendo systems that never saw the light of day?

The deciding factor for when to release new hardware, Iwata says, is when developers start asking for it because they've done all they can with the current consoles. "Nintendo has always been making the hardware in order to prepare for that day to come," Iwata said.

What about the day when a price cut will come for the Wii, a day GameStop expects [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91915-GameStop-Expects-Wii-PS3-Price-Cuts-This-Year] to happen this year? "I have never said that cutting the suggested retail price is not in the cards," Iwata remarked.

[Via Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/nintendo-always-working-on-new-hardware]]

Permalink

 

[Mister Benoit]

Man, working for Nintendo's R&D must be absolutely amazing. Unless you made the Virtual boy, but even that is cleansed cause he made the Gameboy.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

The big question is, does Nintendo continue with their motion controls or do they go back to buttons?

 

[Zyconis]

The big question is, does Nintendo continue with their motion controls or do they go back to buttons?

Honestly, I think that for now, they need to go back to buttons.
Unless the Wii Motion+ is as good as they say, it's just too imprecise to continue with.

 

[thoraxe5000]

"Worry not. Nintendo's dreaming up new wonder machines at all times."

Lol after the wii I really wouldn't call them dream machines. XD

 

[blackcherry]

Cool. It might just be something to smooth over any troubled shareholders, but I have a feeling there is an inkling of truth in this. Perhaps the next form of hardware would be an expansion to the wii, a step onward.

Honestly, I think that for now, they need to go back to buttons.
Unless the Wii Motion+ is as good as they say, it's just too imprecise to continue with.

From the small muck around I have had with one it seems to work. In tennis games and the like it was very responsive. Like the wii-mote though, it will all depend on how and if developers choose to use it in large numbers. After all, unless Nintendo start packaging them with wiis, its still just an add on.

 

[Podunk]

The big question is, does Nintendo continue with their motion controls or do they go back to buttons?

Honestly, I think that for now, they need to go back to buttons.
Unless the Wii Motion+ is as good as they say, it's just too imprecise to continue with.

I think people just expect too much from motion controls. It isn't a magic 1:1 movement converter. Gamers (and more important, developers) need to understand this to enjoy the console. Rudimentary movement controls can add enjoyment to a game (No More Heroes stands out in my mind) and I'm sure developers can think of more, compelling ways to correctly impliment the technology. (I have some notes...)

 

[sunami88]

Who wants to bet it's the DVD playback enabled Wii?

Anyone?

 

[Sewblon]

The big question is, does Nintendo continue with their motion controls or do they go back to buttons?

Honestly, I think that for now, they need to go back to buttons.
Unless the Wii Motion+ is as good as they say, it's just too imprecise to continue with.

I like the motion controls. It was about time someone made a new player-software interface device. Hopefully they will release deeper games with their next console.

 

[AceDiamond]

The big question is, does Nintendo continue with their motion controls or do they go back to buttons?

Honestly, I think that for now, they need to go back to buttons.
Unless the Wii Motion+ is as good as they say, it's just too imprecise to continue with.

I think people just expect too much from motion controls. It isn't a magic 1:1 movement converter. Gamers (and more important, developers) need to understand this to enjoy the console. Rudimentary movement controls can add enjoyment to a game (No More Heroes stands out in my mind) and I'm sure developers can think of more, compelling ways to correctly impliment the technology. (I have some notes...)

I agree with this. The problem was that yes, we were kind of led to believe they were very precise, but I think those who didn't get their expectations up too high (after all, when was the last time new technology worked 100% as they said it would?) weren't too put off.

 

[sauerkraus]

Is there a powerglove for the wii?

I really want a powerglove.

 

[Angron]

"Worry not. Nintendo's dreaming up new wonder machines at all times."

Lol after the wii I really wouldn't call them dream machines. XD

dont worry thats cause they didnt come up with the idea for the Wii, they just stole it

http://www.xavix.com/products/

it has everything, the motion control, all of the sports games, everythin, and it was released 2 years before the wii...

so its about time they came up with an idea of their own

 

[seamusotorain]

If by "new hardware" you mean a DS with a camera strapped onto it...

 

[KDR_11k]

The big question is, does Nintendo continue with their motion controls or do they go back to buttons?

I doubt they're going to abandon motion controls, they'll probably keep improving them until they really CAN do everything you want them to.

Hopefully they will release deeper games with their next console.

Why wait for the next console? Their strategy requires making more complex games for the Wii anyway and with the Motion Plus they should be capable of doing more natural (and thus versatile) things with the remote.

 

[D_987]

"Worry not. Nintendo's dreaming up new wonder machines at all times."

Lol after the wii I really wouldn't call them dream machines. XD

dont worry thats cause they didnt come up with the idea for the Wii, they just stole it

http://www.xavix.com/products/

it has everything, the motion control, all of the sports games, everythin, and it was released 2 years before the wii...

so its about time they came up with an idea of their own

You honestly think it took Nintendo 2 years to design and release the Wii? They would have been designing their console ages before this contraption was released...

 

[D_987]

Obviously fake, anyone who doesn't figure that out around Jackie Chan is stupid.

Are you one of those people who go on youtube videos and scream "Fake" when its not too?

http://www.amazon.com/XAVIX-Port/dp/B0002JZOHS

 

[Angron]

oh nvm, all i meant was that the Wii isnt as unique and cool as everyone says it is, its not liek they came up with it all by themselves, besides i dont think nintendo will release anythin in the future that will interest me one bit so i dont even no why im here...