Nintendo Confirms Work is Underway on New Consoles

[Guffe]

I'm pretty sure Sony and Microsoft also have plans laid out for the new generation of consoles already, coming up with ideas and plans. Of course it's only the base, since technology will evolve before they actually start making the things. So the base has to change according to that.

I'm just waiting for the new StarFox game now
Couldn't care about the "new console" sicne it will most likely be around 4-5 years before it actually releases (if they keep the "normal" lifespan of a console).

 

[Kenbo Slice]

I couldn't "Meh" harder. Nintendo doing its own thing as per usual, and in the process will likely further limit their audience to the 5 and 50+yr old circuit

Their audience isn't limited. Your mind is. They make games for everybody.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

All they have to do is make a Wii U that is as powerful as the PS4 with a standard gamepad and I'll buy it. I'll buy two, in fact.

 

[Remus]

I couldn't "Meh" harder. Nintendo doing its own thing as per usual, and in the process will likely further limit their audience to the 5 and 50+yr old circuit, alienating the vast expanse of gamers in between. Suspected system specs of the Wii-Me? (we all know that will be the name) - slightly below PS3 specs, because as we all know, better technology does not make better games. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to play Dragon Age: Inquisition, and might play Far Cry 4 soon after.

Just so your rants can be more accurate in the future.

I think you mean the next console will have "slightly below PS4* specs", since, the Wii U is more powerful than the PS3.

Also, by the current count of games on each console, I'd say that better technology doesn't even equal better performance, since the Wii U has more games running at 1080p/60fps than both the Xbone and PS4 combined

You could just save up and get yourself more than 1 console, it is possible to own both a Wii U and a PS4/Xbone (or all 3, plus a pc, ps3, x360, 3ds, and vita like I do!).

I could run a game at 1080p/60FPS too if I limited my poly count to 1/10th of the competition.
Fanboys are funny when they're angry, ya know that? And yes I'm calling you a fanboy if you're calling my post a rant. TBH I liked Nintendo at one point - many years ago, their "innovations" were cool and were imitated by the other companies. All the cool games were being released on their systems. What happened? They went more Disney than Disney. They self-censored to the point of irrelevance. Rather than letting other publishers come in and release games on their system, they locked them out completely, thus limiting the audience to 5 yr olds who have never been allowed near a controller at this point, or 50 yr olds who are nostalgic for the Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt combo pack. The demographic isn't shrinking. They've just moved on. So then Nintendo abandoned Moore's Law completely, refusing to reasonably upspec whenever a new console is released, further limiting the games hat can be created for that system. You may enjoy Mario, but when I look for games, I look for an experience I've not yet had, an enthralling story, visually stunning area in which to kill things, compete, explore, build on, or whatever. I've saved the princess multiple times across multiple platforms. This time, she can save her own damn self, or perhaps hire Liam Neeson.

 

[JayRPG]

I couldn't "Meh" harder. Nintendo doing its own thing as per usual, and in the process will likely further limit their audience to the 5 and 50+yr old circuit, alienating the vast expanse of gamers in between. Suspected system specs of the Wii-Me? (we all know that will be the name) - slightly below PS3 specs, because as we all know, better technology does not make better games. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to play Dragon Age: Inquisition, and might play Far Cry 4 soon after.

Just so your rants can be more accurate in the future.

I think you mean the next console will have "slightly below PS4* specs", since, the Wii U is more powerful than the PS3.

Also, by the current count of games on each console, I'd say that better technology doesn't even equal better performance, since the Wii U has more games running at 1080p/60fps than both the Xbone and PS4 combined

You could just save up and get yourself more than 1 console, it is possible to own both a Wii U and a PS4/Xbone (or all 3, plus a pc, ps3, x360, 3ds, and vita like I do!).

I could run a game at 1080p/60FPS too if I limited my poly count to 1/10th of the competition.
Fanboys are funny when they're angry, ya know that? And yes I'm calling you a fanboy if you're calling my post a rant. TBH I liked Nintendo at one point - many years ago, their "innovations" were cool and were imitated by the other companies. All the cool games were being released on their systems. What happened? They went more Disney than Disney. They self-censored to the point of irrelevance. Rather than letting other publishers come in and release games on their system, they locked them out completely, thus limiting the audience to 5 yr olds who have never been allowed near a controller at this point, or 50 yr olds who are nostalgic for the Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt combo pack. The demographic isn't shrinking. They've just moved on. So then Nintendo abandoned Moore's Law completely, refusing to reasonably upspec whenever a new console is released, further limiting the games hat can be created for that system. You may enjoy Mario, but when I look for games, I look for an experience I've not yet had, an enthralling story, visually stunning area in which to kill things, compete, explore, build on, or whatever. I've saved the princess multiple times across multiple platforms. This time, she can save her own damn self, or perhaps hire Liam Neeson.

Paragraphs dude, paragraphs.

I didn't really want to go into anything too serious, I was just trying to point out that there is no point in over-exaggerating to make a point that almost everybody would agree with: that Nintendo make less powerful consoles.

I hate to tell you though, Nintendo's hardware does do some things better than the competition, and I'm not just talking about playing Nintendo exclusives.

The Gamecube used mini-discs because it allowed the entire disc to be read by the laser at a constant speed all the time, this cut down loading times, which were significantly quicker on the Gamecube version of 3rd-party titles, and the Wii U handles memory better and has a much, much higher memory bandwidth than either the PS4 or Xbone, which is why developers have easily been able to reach the 1080p/60fps mark on the Wii U;

"...the Wii U's total bandwidth of gigabytes per second, including the possible 1024 bits per macro and GPU ? which, according to TechPowerUp clocks in at 550mhz ? would come out to around 563.2GB per second. Keep in mind that the Xbox One runs about 170GB per second of bandwidth between the DDR3 and eSRAM, as outlined by Xbit Labs.

This could explain the Wii U's ease of hitting 1080p at 60fps with nary many complaints from those who actually enjoy working with Nintendo's hardware."

Are the PS4 and Xbone capable of better graphics than the Wii U? Absolutely, they have more powerful GPUs and CPUs, no arguing here, but the fact the Wii U has better performing games isn't because they have "1/10th the poly count".

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by Nintendo locking 3rd party developers out completely.. there were tons and tons of 3rd party titles on the Wii. By 2010 First Party Software titles were at 27.5 million units sold, overall was 72.4 million units. So 1st party was a huge chunk of their sales, 3rd party still came out on top though. The DS and 3DS are in similar spots.

Nintendo hasn't actively shut anyone out, they have created hardware with architecture that is difficult to develop for, significantly much more difficult than the current PC architecture the PS4 and Xbone use. Third party's are actively choosing not to develop for the Wii U simply because they don't want to spend the time and resources. 100% Nintendo's doing because they went against the tide and made something harder to use, but they haven't been shutting third parties out...

As for over exaggerating yet again about there only being Mario on the system, I can tell you right now that my Wii U gets the same amount of use as my PS3, and both of those are way ahead of the PS4 and Xbone which have been collecting dust since Infamous SS/FL and Sunset Overdrive (respectively). Between Wonderful 101, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 1/2, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Hyrule Warriors, Sonic Lost Worlds, and the huge Wii back catalog I have because I never owned a Wii, it's a wonder I ever put my Wii U down.

I am a JRPG gamer, this is why my PS3 gets the most use, I bought a PS4 because I knew I would need one for Sony exclusive JRPGs, I could take or leave the Xbone at this point, and the X360 was only ever bought for 4 games. There are some of us out there that like the games that Nintendo makes.. I spent a hell of a lot more time in Xenoblade Chronicles' massive open world than I did Skyrim's, in fact, I hated Skyrim.. and I tried it twice, once on PS3 and once on PC, I was equally not a fan of Dragon Age inquisition, and am not a fan of the series as a whole, same goes for Mass Effect. AAA western studios do not make games I want to play (there are exceptions of course).

I am very much looking forward to playing Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Fire emblem x Shin megami tensei, and Devil's third on my Wii U, If there's a console I have buyer's remorse over, it isn't the Wii U (it's more likely the Xbone, but it still has some merits).

Nintendo aren't exactly in trouble, they're already projected to make more than a billion dollars just from Amiibo; could they do better and release more powerful hardware so they can get all the same 3rd party titles that are already available on 2 other consoles? sure, do they have to do that to be successful though? nope.

 

[major_chaos]

"The story might not be too different from past "Star Fox" games,

"Different" here being eccentric-speak for "nonexistent" if his normal views on story in games applies.

OT: Hey Nintendo, howabout instead of a new console you put your brilliant minds into developing a unified online account like the ones the competition have had for two generations now so I can buy games on your online store and not worry about losing them if the I have to replace my console, and not have different funbux cards/wallets for each system. Hell I'll buy a WiiU tomorrow if they fix their online functionality and admit friendcodes are the stupidest thing they have done since the virtual boy.

 

[Colt47]

Well, they have considered themselves a hardware company for a long time so it makes sense they have something going in the back all the time. What bugs me right now is that they are innovating so much that the consoles tend to be unappealing in a lot of ways. I bought the Wii U and a PS4, for example, and I've used the PS4 way more than the Wii U for two very good reasons:

1. The controller on the Wii U is a massive tablet with controls sticking on it. Getting the Pro controller could probably help a bit in this regard, but it's worth mentioning.

2. The Services and games on the PS4 far outstrip the Wii U on almost every level. It feels like the Wii U survives off of purely Mario Kart and Smash Brothers, with everything else just being filler or curiosities.

Also, they need to stop it with the whole XL and regular versions of handheld consoles. As an adult who enjoys some of the light hearted titles on the handhelds it's disappointing to get a handheld that clearly wasn't designed with adults in mind, then decide shortly after that versions release to release an XL version designed just for that purpose.

The DSI was perfectly fine in screen size and usability. The original 3ds was definitely not...

 

[SilverUchiha]

That headline is a little sensationalist. He said that production lines are working on IDEAS for a new console. They're in early pre-production at best and far from actually working on a definitive "next gen console". This is like saying Valve is hard at work on Half Life 2 Episode 3. Sure, there have been rumors and talks they've started something. But until we get any more details, it's safe to assume it's gone no further than pre-production and remains in development hell for the foreseeable future.

 

[RejjeN]

That headline is a little sensationalist. He said that production lines are working on IDEAS for a new console. They're in early pre-production at best and far from actually working on a definitive "next gen console". This is like saying Valve is hard at work on Half Life 2 Episode 3. Sure, there have been rumors and talks they've started something. But until we get any more details, it's safe to assume it's gone no further than pre-production and remains in development hell for the foreseeable future.

Clearly defined facts doesn't bait as many clicks though!

 

[Sampler]

In other news, water's wet.

Of course Nintendo are working on their next console, of course Mario will be a launch title - it's pretty much standard that Mario's first out the gate in the classic brands that Nintendo keep publishing.

If you think that's news, here's some shockers for you:

The new console will have a Mario Kart, Brawl and a Zelda game.

Oh my god..

Also, it doesn't negate another Mario title on the WiiU, just that one will be a launch title on the next machine - he doesn't say next Mario title, just a Mario title.

This is all par the course, just like MS and Sony have there eye on the next console - may not be that much in detail, but they'll be a team somewhere spit-balling ideas.

I do wonder what the next Nintendo console will bring, the control pad screen was probably inevitable give the DS/3DSetc.. line has sold so bringing that dual screen nature to the larger console was a natural progression for them. I'm not overly sure it worked, but then in the week I've had my WiiU I've played pretty much Wind Waker (fifty hours of it) which being a GC remake I never got around to on the GC does make some use of the pad (the maps handy when sailing) but isn't a must sell and sometimes a bit annoying (having prompts onscreen to look at the pad for some menu items seems a tad silly when they could just be mirrored).

People seem to like giving Nintendo shit, but they're the only current generation console that's made me want to buy one (having owned every console since the NES that's a big failure on the PS4 & Xbox1 front).

They have fun games, most aren't ported to PC where I can buy them cheaper (bizarrely), which brings the other two down to their handful of exclusives and there's simply nothing to attract my tastes - it's also backwardly compatible with the Wii giving it a massive range of games (so I could pick up another copy of Skyward Sword I never got chance to finish before emigrating to Australia).

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Paragraphs dude, paragraphs.

I didn't really want to go into anything too serious, I was just trying to point out that there is no point in over-exaggerating to make a point that almost everybody would agree with: that Nintendo make less powerful consoles.

I hate to tell you though, Nintendo's hardware does do some things better than the competition, and I'm not just talking about playing Nintendo exclusives.

The Gamecube used mini-discs because it allowed the entire disc to be read by the laser at a constant speed all the time, this cut down loading times, which were significantly quicker on the Gamecube version of 3rd-party titles, and the Wii U handles memory better and has a much, much higher memory bandwidth than either the PS4 or Xbone, which is why developers have easily been able to reach the 1080p/60fps mark on the Wii U;

"...the Wii U's total bandwidth of gigabytes per second, including the possible 1024 bits per macro and GPU ? which, according to TechPowerUp clocks in at 550mhz ? would come out to around 563.2GB per second. Keep in mind that the Xbox One runs about 170GB per second of bandwidth between the DDR3 and eSRAM, as outlined by Xbit Labs.

This could explain the Wii U's ease of hitting 1080p at 60fps with nary many complaints from those who actually enjoy working with Nintendo's hardware."

Are the PS4 and Xbone capable of better graphics than the Wii U? Absolutely, they have more powerful GPUs and CPUs, no arguing here, but the fact the Wii U has better performing games isn't because they have "1/10th the poly count".

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by Nintendo locking 3rd party developers out completely.. there were tons and tons of 3rd party titles on the Wii. By 2010 First Party Software titles were at 27.5 million units sold, overall was 72.4 million units. So 1st party was a huge chunk of their sales, 3rd party still came out on top though. The DS and 3DS are in similar spots.

Nintendo hasn't actively shut anyone out, they have created hardware with architecture that is difficult to develop for, significantly much more difficult than the current PC architecture the PS4 and Xbone use. Third party's are actively choosing not to develop for the Wii U simply because they don't want to spend the time and resources. 100% Nintendo's doing because they went against the tide and made something harder to use, but they haven't been shutting third parties out...

As for over exaggerating yet again about there only being Mario on the system, I can tell you right now that my Wii U gets the same amount of use as my PS3, and both of those are way ahead of the PS4 and Xbone which have been collecting dust since Infamous SS/FL and Sunset Overdrive (respectively). Between Wonderful 101, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 1/2, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Hyrule Warriors, Sonic Lost Worlds, and the huge Wii back catalog I have because I never owned a Wii, it's a wonder I ever put my Wii U down.

I am a JRPG gamer, this is why my PS3 gets the most use, I bought a PS4 because I knew I would need one for Sony exclusive JRPGs, I could take or leave the Xbone at this point, and the X360 was only ever bought for 4 games. There are some of us out there that like the games that Nintendo makes.. I spent a hell of a lot more time in Xenoblade Chronicles' massive open world than I did Skyrim's, in fact, I hated Skyrim.. and I tried it twice, once on PS3 and once on PC, I was equally not a fan of Dragon Age inquisition, and am not a fan of the series as a whole, same goes for Mass Effect. AAA western studios do not make games I want to play (there are exceptions of course).

I am very much looking forward to playing Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Fire emblem x Shin megami tensei, and Devil's third on my Wii U, If there's a console I have buyer's remorse over, it isn't the Wii U (it's more likely the Xbone, but it still has some merits).

Nintendo aren't exactly in trouble, they're already projected to make more than a billion dollars just from Amiibo; could they do better and release more powerful hardware so they can get all the same 3rd party titles that are already available on 2 other consoles? sure, do they have to do that to be successful though? nope.

I just find it funny how people keep ranting about 3rd party support, but looking at how 3rd parties are just farting out the same crap they did last gen except even more shallow than before along with being increasingly homogenized and boring, I'm really wondering if Nintendo is actually missing out on anything meaningful. Thus far, the first years of the PS4 and XB1 have been the same as their predecessors: filled with cross-gen titles available on more widespread systems or shitty tech demos that are hyped to hell but are then forgotten within a month or remembered for their gigantic faults. Seriously, as it is now, there is next to NOTHING on the PS4 or XB1 that has me interested in them. The only two games that interest me at this point are the DMC4: Special Edition and Disgaea 5. Yeah, a port of a SEVEN YEAR OLD GAME interests more than the "next-gen" stuff that has displayed itself to be utterly milquetoast because I at least know DMC4 is good and putting new content actually intrigues me.

And that's before we get into how the people whining about 3rd party support are the very same people who are calling those same 3rd parties incompetent. I believe someone on another forum put it best: "Hurry up and make more of what I won't buy!" Because that's the attitude going on; because they're never going to buy 3rd party titles due to how much they're currently sucking. And considering how Nintendo is by FAR the most stable company in the business (3rd parties struggling to widen profit margins especially since their DLC and Season Pass obsession has done nothing to fix the underlying issues of rampant mismanagement and incompetent developers while MS hasn't made a single cent off of their gaming division and Sony is a giant money blackhole with even more issues cropping up) I'm starting to think the reality people are trying to paint isn't the one we're living in.

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

Oh what glorious times await us as the Wii-Thrii comes closer and closer to release.

The ever present "IS NINTENDO DEAD?" articles the first year, the inevitable "NINTENDO IS BOUNCING BACK!" articles after they get some games out and folks start buying the machine, and the usual arguments over tech versus design and how third parties just don't support Nintendo anymore. How eager I am to relive all of this again and again and again.

This must be what it feels like to be Link.

 

[Colt47]

Oh what glorious times await us as the Wii-Thrii comes closer and closer to release.

The ever present "IS NINTENDO DEAD?" articles the first year, the inevitable "NINTENDO IS BOUNCING BACK!" articles after they get some games out and folks start buying the machine, and the usual arguments over tech versus design and how third parties just don't support Nintendo anymore. How eager I am to relive all of this again and again and again.

This must be what it feels like to be Link.

They aren't going to die out. Sega didn't disappear with the Dreamcast, and Nintendo certainly wouldn't disappear if they suddenly got into a similar situation. That being said, the transition to software only has done Sega no favors, so I doubt that nintendo would ever truly leave the console business. They might go full mobile with consoles and no longer produce home consoles, though.

 

[Something Amyss]

The only reason I can imagine (right now) that Nintendo is making a new console is because Wii U is now 3rd in Global sales and they hope to release a new console before Wii U is 2nd in Japan sales.

As Crystal said, the more reasonable explanation is that they're working on a new console because that's what you do. I'd be surprised if Microsoft and Sony weren't working on new consoles, too. Like, literally the only people who should be shocked by this news are the ones who think consoles are dying.

Their audience isn't limited. Your mind is. They make games for everybody.

They really don't. They exclude the "limited minds" out there. And that seems to be a big part of the gaming market. Blaming the fans for Nintendo's failures to appeal to the broader market is absurd.

Nintendo aren't exactly in trouble, they're already projected to make more than a billion dollars just from Amiibo

One estimate said they would do so, and it was immediately called out. IGN is now reporting it's more than likely a million Yen (a bit over 8 million dollars) is what was meant. And you consider that their operating losses last year were well over that, I wouldn't just assume that they're not in trouble because they're looking to rake in a bit over 8 million US.

Clearly defined facts doesn't bait as many clicks though!

"Clickbait" would be more "Miyamoto speaks about consoles. You'll never guess what happens next!"

Calling it clickbait is in itself misleading.

 

[Something Amyss]

In other news, water's wet.

woah woah woah woah...You got a source on that, buddy?

They aren't going to die out. Sega didn't disappear with the Dreamcast, and Nintendo certainly wouldn't disappear if they suddenly got into a similar situation. That being said, the transition to software only has done Sega no favors, so I doubt that nintendo would ever truly leave the console business. They might go full mobile with consoles and no longer produce home consoles, though.

It's done them no favours because they're still running the business in the same way they ran their consoles into the ground. I doubt Nintendo would be that out of touch. I mean, I do think they're somewhat out of touch, but they've managed to market games that still make people buy them, even when their consoles are questionable. If, and I do mean if they were to drop out of hardware, I'm pretty sure they'd be fine.

 

[Dragonbums]

Cant mean that. Hinting at a new console or no Mario until a new console will damage sales. So im sure its something else. Though no idea what that could be.

Why would it hurt sales though. It's not like this is a surprise to anyone. Everyone knows that they only release one big Mario game per console and leave the rest up to other titles.

I'm fairly certain Microsoft and Sony are doing the same. Granted this is probably just paper and writing shit at this point.

 

[Dragonbums]

Look. I don't care which of you is right, it's still wrong. The only demographic gaming should cater to is MEEEEEEE! Is it too much to ask that gaming consider my specific and personal desires as a priority?

Hold on man, your getting too ahead of yourself here. As we have learned these past few months- only a specific group of people are allowed to be catered to personally.

Everyone else are just non gaming whiners out to ruin vidya.

 

[Colt47]

In other news, water's wet.

woah woah woah woah...You got a source on that, buddy?

They aren't going to die out. Sega didn't disappear with the Dreamcast, and Nintendo certainly wouldn't disappear if they suddenly got into a similar situation. That being said, the transition to software only has done Sega no favors, so I doubt that nintendo would ever truly leave the console business. They might go full mobile with consoles and no longer produce home consoles, though.

It's done them no favours because they're still running the business in the same way they ran their consoles into the ground. I doubt Nintendo would be that out of touch. I mean, I do think they're somewhat out of touch, but they've managed to market games that still make people buy them, even when their consoles are questionable. If, and I do mean if they were to drop out of hardware, I'm pretty sure they'd be fine.

Well, it largely depends on how they handle their IPs and what kind of direction they take with those IPs. For example, bringing back Metroid Prime style games for the Metroid series would likely be a good move since the game type has proven itself, where as trying to do something like Super Mario Sunshine again might not be the best idea. On the hardware end Nintendo also needs it's producers to seriously ask themselves if being one generation in hardware behind Sony and Microsoft is such a good idea. So far the only thing it has done is hurt them since other AAA developers are looking at hardware and realizing releasing on the lower end platform is problematic. If someone owns a PS4 and a Wii U and the same game is released on both consoles for the same price, it makes sense they are going to buy the PS4 version.

People have been saying the best hardware historically has not resulted in the most successful consoles, but times are changing and following such old news in light of how hardware is getting priced now can be disastrous.

 

[xaszatm]

Hold on man, your getting too ahead of yourself here. As we have learned these past few months- only a specific group of people are allowed to be catered to personally.

Everyone else are just non gaming whiners out to ruin vidya.

Look. I don't care which of you is right, it's still wrong. The only demographic gaming should cater to is MEEEEEEE! Is it too much to ask that gaming consider my specific and personal desires as a priority?

I think the two of you have reached peak sarcasm here. Perhaps you should stay away from its source. Clearly you should know that we tabletop gamers are the TRUE GAMERS OF THE EARTH!!!

 

[Slegiar Dryke]

Well, it largely depends on how they handle their IPs and what kind of direction they take with those IPs. For example, bringing back Metroid Prime style games for the Metroid series would likely be a good move since the game type has proven itself, where as trying to do something like Super Mario Sunshine again might not be the best idea.

100% agreed about Metroid prime style games. Those were and are some of the top tiers of the series, and it's a shame things with Metroid seem to have been a bit quiet since Other M.

I'd contest though about Super Mario Sunshine, since, while not everyone liked the FLUDD system, the gameplay itself still felt pretty decent, and the game followed Nintendos history of trying something different. That's part of what makes them an interesting company methinks, they don't always go the easy path ^^