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[JaxJag]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but I wonder how the Wii will be looked back upon by games in the years to come.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

Q1/Q2 2012 for Power Wii.

That would be my guess too, with 2011 E3 / Spaceworld showing off hardware design, specs and launch titles

 

[brain_stew]

It has everything to do with audience retention; Microsoft and Sony have amassed a huge audience of core users that are already enjoying the efforts of first and third parties alike. These audiences will be content with their system until there's a major effort from their platform holder of choice.

Nintendo has abandoned this audience this generation, so it's going to be VERY difficult for them to get them back just by baiting slightly more powerful hardware in their face; more powerful hardware is already out there with the PC if that was the only factor involved.
.

So basically Nintendo are fucked forever more in the home console space and will never be able to attract core gamers ever again? Is that your point?

Nintendo will be releasing a successor to the Wii, that much is certain. The simple question then is when? I then ask of you what on earth does Nintendo have to gain from postponing the release until 2013? How is that going to help matters at all?

Nintendo have a huge window of opportunity here. They can release hardware that comfortably surpasses Sony while still costing less. They can have two years without a next generation competitor on the market and benefit from the ultimate version of the big third party titles (i.e. the very same games that are driving PS3 and 360 adoption) throughout those two years. They can also cash in on the mindshare, awareness and strong brand that the Wii has built up, which will be completely destroyed by two years in the wilderness.

All of that means that they'll have very little issue building up a base of 20m+ users before the PS4 and Xbox3 ever hit the market, and that'll be a userbase that has been fostered to support big third party titles as well. Along with more modern technology it'll be enough to guarantee the vast bulk of third party suport throughout the system's life and will thus add the one major thing that the Wii was lacking.


Why would they throw away all those advantages? What could a launch in 2013 possibly gain them?

 

[kswiston]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but I wonder how the Wii will be looked back upon by games in the years to come.

Better than N64 or Gamecube. Worse than SNES and NES. If it had the third part support that the first two Nintendo systems did, it would fair much better.

 

[Sadist]

That would be my guess too, with 2011 E3 / Spaceworld showing off hardware design, specs and launch titles

Yup, that's my guess as well. With the presentation of E3 2011 they will mainly focus on 3DS and will give some attention to titles like Skyward Sword, Last Story and Pikmin 3. At the end of the show they will give us a look at the hardware design and maybe two or three titles.

I'm convinced that EAD Tokyo is working on next-gen Nintendo hardware.

 

[HK-47]

It probably get to 1 million - 1 million something WW at the end of the gen for Other M, probably superpassing games like Echoes or Zero Mission. Metroid is not a franchise that sales a lot, but Nintendo will still make Metroid games and they are probably be slightly profitable at the end. Its iconic, so I dont see it going anywhere (it could go the "generation rest" as lots of nintendo franchises do, like Metroid during the N64 days, or F-Zero now) but we will surely get another Metroid game, sooner or later.

Also, I dont think they will change the formula a lot, my opinion is it that Sakamoto will probably try to rework the things that didnt seem to click in other M and work from there, and that could make an impressive game.
If it does the generation rest, it will probably come with even a more classical game like Super and Zero done by Sakamoto, or give it to another team and try new things.

Thatll be some epic channel stuffing. In order to pass Echoes itll needs 1.2 million sales. I dont think it has the WoM to do that.

 

[Redbeard]

So basically Nintendo are fucked forever more in the home console space and will never be able to attract core gamers ever again? Is that your point?

Nintendo will be releasing a successor to the Wii, that much is certain. The simple question then is when? I then ask of you what on earth does Nintendo have to gain from postponing the release until 2013? How is that going to help matters at all?

I think Nintendo are in a situation where they can't compete in the traditional fashion with the way Microsoft and Sony operate, or at least, they've shown that they don't want to given the risks involved. Sony and Microsoft have lost a LOT of money on the PS3 and 360, and if that business model doesn't change to ride out generations longer and recoup their investments, then it is simply unsustainable.

Microsoft, and to a lesser extent Sony, can afford to do this because gaming isn't their sole business. Nintendo simply can't play this way, they have to be more conservative on costs. And over the years, particularly the last five years, they've eschewed the normal core market for an expanded audience and it has been successful for them, even if it's been more short lived.

The question of "what can Nintendo do?" is one I don't have an answer to, and one that most people don't have an answer to given how the Wii came out of left field. However, If Nintendo releases a console that is simply a Wii HD with slightly more powerful graphics than a PS360 and with motion tracking on par with the Move, they are not going to be anywhere near as successful as the Wii once was, and they're not going to be able to attract the core audience of CoD players and shooter fans because they already exist on the PS3 and 360, and those users will wait until either of those platform holders make moves.

The other problem is that the third party ecosystem will still be focusing on PS360 development, while Wii HD would get better ports, but base development wouldn't be focused on optimizing for next-gen hardware. And as such, third parties will not flock to establish a new baseline for next-gen development just on the Wii HD, they will wait to do that for the Xbox 720 / PS4 because that's where their audience is.

 

[Snuggles]

Could someone please define 'channel stuffing' for me. I aren't understand.

 

[Chris1964]

Thatll be some epic Capcom channel stuffing. In order to pass Echoes itll needs 1.2 million sales. I dont think it has the WoM to do that.

Fixed

 

[Mooreberg]

Some of the issue with the Wii is that it was already at market friendly prices for a long time. It was going to plateau and decline faster than PS3 or 360 because those systems were always going to have back loaded sales with the launch prices they had (I'm not even going to touch the the topic of people replacing out of warranty 360's).

I don't see that as a huge issue, they can probably drop the price again if they want to (they don't really NEED to). The software release schedule seems to be a bigger problem. Not a whole lot of great stuff coming out this fall, but you could easily say the same about Sony and Microsoft. It may have gotten to the point where the "expanded audience" has gotten what they wanted out of the system. Microsoft's big victory this gen was courting the PS2 owners that bought a shitload of software.

 

[dragonfart28]

Good numbers for Other M. I wasn't expecting it to break 100,000 units considering it was too 'avant-garde' for most gamers.

 

[HK-47]

That's subjective.

Personally I thought it was a great game that finally brought the old gameplay back to the franchise but in 3D, but fell short of matching the brilliance of series' best efforts. It did however lay the foundations for what could be a seriously impressive sequel - Samus' movement is so much better than it was in the Prime series, and that alone makes Other M worth playing.

Metroid has never been a big series sales-wise, even Super and Prime didn't sell gangbusters (Prime being the best at a bit over 2 million, though some of that was bundled) and Other M will probably still end up besting Zero Mission and maybe Echoes. But there's no doubt it's disappointing, since this was intended to bring in new people to the series and the advertising this time around was pretty comprehensive.

2.7 million isnt a bit over 2 million. Its the best selling game in the franchise, with 3 at the third spot most likely.

 

[brain_stew]

Microsoft, and to a lesser extent Sony, can afford to do this because gaming isn't their sole business. Nintendo simply can't play this way, they have to be more conservative on costs. And over the years, particularly the last five years, they've eschewed the normal core market for an expanded audience and it has been successful for them, even if it's been more short lived.

Wait, wait hold up are you sugesting that Microsoft and Sony are going to fund another round of losses on hardware? Because I've got news for you, it aint happening, if these console divisions aren't self sustainable then they'll be axed, there's already been more than enough angry investors that have called for this to happen. The razor blade model is dead and buried (not a single piece of console or handheld hardware is sold at a loss today) and it isn't being resurrected anytime soon. The investors and execs have spoken, prove you can run a self sufficient business or fear for your future, there's no promise of a golden goose at the end of the road anymore.


It follows then that Microsoft and Sony actually can't offer any better technology at the same time and pricepoint, they all work with the same partners and neither of them drive a harder bargain than Nintendo do. So no, they can't eclipse Nintendo in technology if they want to compete on price.

 

[HK-47]

Good numbers for Other M. I wasn't expecting it to break 100,000 units considering it was too 'avant-garde' for most gamers.

Yeah I'm sure it was too experimental for gamers...

 

[CrunchinJelly]

I wonder if third parties will ever take a Nintendo console seriously after being burnt this gen when they are way out front.

 

[szaromir]

I'm with brain_stew on this one - if Nintendo designed Wii with newer processors so that downports for the platform would be easy and decent, the platform wouldn't lose so much steam nowadays as it would have many popular 3rd party franchises that we all enjoy so much. Going for next gen, Nintendo can fix that mistake by having roughly the same architecture as the competition so that developers can target it as the lowest SKU fot multiplatform games - PS4/Xbox3 would simply run at higher resolution etc.

Of course, Nintendo stil needs some other selling points (interesting gimmicks etc) as well as better online infrastructure. There doesn't seem much left to be done to breathe the life back to Wii, so it's better to act quickly. 5 years is still a decent lifespan for a console.

 

[brain_stew]

Could someone please define 'channel stuffing' for me. I aren't understand.

I believe the dictionary definition reads: Microsoft's gaming division circa Holidays 2006.

 

[PhoenixDark]

The problem with the Wii is that it relied on a very fickle casual audience that has now moved on to other things. Nintendo was able to sell systems like hotcakes off the hype alone, with little to no good software being released on a regular basis is biting them in the ass.

Software sales hardware. That's why the 360 is dominating right now. Nintendo fans are always going to buy Mario and Zelda, but with the casual audience getting split up now among MS and Sony too, all Nintendo has left is their hardcore fans.

The Wii had a good run, and I hate to sound all fatalistic but it reached its peak awhile ago. The 360 is the dominant system in the US now, and I honestly think the PS3 will make a decent enough comeback to compete with the Wii on a monthly basis in the future.

 

[Owzers]

Could someone please define 'channel stuffing' for me. I aren't understand.

Retailers: " We don't need anymore copies of Lost Planet 2"

Capcom: " Here's 10,000 more!"

 

[brain_stew]

The question of "what can Nintendo do?" is one I don't have an answer to, .

Then why argue so vehemently against one possible solution? It doesn't matter if its not the perfect solution (as there's no such thing as a perfect solution), it only has to be the best solution on offer for Nintendo to pursue and all evidence points to a late 2011/early 2012 being the best possible solution.

Of course Nintendo will put their own "spin" on things and probably make the experience unique in a few ways but launching in 2011 doesn't stop them from doing that. They've been working on potential Wii successors for at least 4+ years now, its safe to say that if they haven't thought up a possible gimmick to capture the imagination of the market at large by now, that they're never going to.

Taking the opinion that "Nintendo are fucked no matter what they do" doesn't add anything to the debate and is in no way a compelling argument against a 2011 release. Some time between 2011 - 2013 Nintendo will be releasing a new console platform, if you can't offer any justification as to why a later release is a better option then you're simply accepting that a launch, sooner rather than later, is on the cards. All the "problem" you've presented would face a Wii 2 in 2013 as well but they'd also lose a lot of the current advantages and opportunities that they have.

 

[Takao]

I know this is a bit off-topic, but I wonder how the Wii will be looked back upon by games in the years to come.

Probably as the worst market leader in modern gaming.

 

[friskykillface]

not bad for Metroid other m and dead rising 2

 

[Mooreberg]

but with the casual audience getting split up now among MS and Sony too, all Nintendo has left is their hardcore fans.

I'm not convinced they even moved on to another system. Halo Reach didn't see a jump over Halo 3's first month sales even though it had a longer selling period and three years more worth of hardware sales. There hasn't been any surprising increase in sales of "casual" games on 360 or PS3. Xbox Live top ten looks the same as ever. I think a lot of those people just stopped buying games.

 

[dragonfart28]

The problem with the Wii is that it relied on a very fickle casual audience that has now moved on to other things. Nintendo was able to sell systems like hotcakes off the hype alone, with little to no good software being released on a regular basis is biting them in the ass.

Software sales hardware. That's why the 360 is dominating right now. Nintendo fans are always going to buy Mario and Zelda, but with the casual audience getting split up now among MS and Sony too, all Nintendo has left is their hardcore fans.

The Wii had a good run, and I hate to sound all fatalistic but it reached its peak awhile ago. The 360 is the dominant system in the US now, and I honestly think the PS3 will make a decent enough comeback to compete with the Wii on a monthly basis in the future.

All it needs is a price drop.

 

[szaromir]

I'm not convinced they even moved on to another system. Halo Reach didn't see a jump over Halo 3's first month sales even though it had a longer selling period and three years more worth of hardware sales. There hasn't been any surprising increase in sales of "casual" games on 360 or PS3. Xbox Live top ten looks the same as ever. I think a lot of those people just stopped buying games.

It's not only about Halo anymore though, a stable of big franchises has grown since Halo 3 (COD emerged right after Halo 3 came out and surpassed it). Come November and you'll see very successful launches of COD, Assassin's Creed, Need for Speed... Fallout and Fable can sell fantastically thismonth as well.

 

[brain_stew]

If a Nintendo console with strong thrid party support, all of Nintendo's first party titles, the best graphics technology on the market and the best motion sensing technology on the market, is not a compelling product at $299 then no future console is ever going to be. So for those that saying this product would be dead in the water, are you seriously suggesting that we'll never see hardware in the console market refreshed ever again? You really think people in NA/Europe/Japan will still be using 360s as their primary gaming device in the 2020s?

If Nintendo were happy to cut short the lifespan of the NDS after less than 1 years worth of sales declines then how can people seriously believe that they'll allow the Wii to suffer 5 years of year on year sales decline before introducing a successor? I'm trying to find the logic but I'm just not grasping it, sorry, it makes no sense at all. The only counter arguments anyone has ever raised are factors that would count against the Wii 2 no matter when it launched. I've not seen anyone present an argument as to what Nintendo would have to gain by waiting another 3 years to launch the Wii's successor, so if you've got a compelling argument for this then please present it.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

I wonder if third parties will ever take a Nintendo console seriously after being burnt this gen when they are way out front.

Third parties took the wii seriously and got burnt?

When did this happen?

Software sales hardware. That's why the 360 is dominating right now. Nintendo fans are always going to buy Mario and Zelda, but with the casual audience getting split up now among MS and Sony too, all Nintendo has left is their hardcore fans.

What are the Wiis tie ratios like again? I ignore facts can't remember.

 

[HK-47]

I don't think the Dead Rising franchise has anywhere to go if they don't radically change the game design. The premise has wide appeal, but execution is so niche that i can't imagine most of the people who buy the game end up enjoying it.

In what way? DR2 is far more accessible than 1, even though I do think 1 had better design (and survivors are too easy now).

 

[brain_stew]

5 years is still a decent lifespan for a console.

In fact, its the average lifespan of a console, plenty of consoles have been on the market for much shorter periods (and even with a successor in 2011, the Wii would still be on the market for 1-2 years after that point), so I'm failing to see why the outrage is coming from especially since it was sold very cheaply at launch. No one is getting burnt here and I'm positive a large chunk of the Wii's userbase is clamouring for new hardware (the PS3 and 360 wouldn't be both in the ascendency if that wasn't the case), so why concede those sales to Microsoft and Sony without putting up a fight?

 

[ezekial45]

Very happy for DR2.

Hopefully word of mouth will keep it selling.

 

[HK-47]

If they want to keep dead rising dead rising, then they shouldn't expect it to sell a lot of copies. If they are okay with that, then i am as well. Dead Rising in it's current form is a chore. People like chores, just not a ton. People grind for achievements and farm enemies in FFXIII for trophy items. But the main gameplay in Dead Rising 2 will never catch on. A weapon creation system where the weapon breaks after twenty hits is not fun, and the solution to " go back and make another one" is something only a fan will ever say. I'd have special weapons never break. They'd instead level up along with you. What good is a world full of zombies if you are only saving your fun weapons for bosses?

The time limit has to go. Even if i have plenty of time to get somewhere, i still feel like the game is hounding me. I'd replace it with a branching decision-based path. All paths lead to an "ending". This would enhance replayablity the same way failing and restarting the game does, except it wouldn't be incredibly stupid. You could have it so that certain events are time based though, you have X amount of time to save a survivor etc. I'd change a lot more, i'd have psycho fights that were more about interactive fun than just brute force meleeing and healing. I'd have survivors who could help you and wouldn't die in one or two hits to a random psycho.

The best thing about Dead Rising is the set-up. Zombies in a mall, lots of items, psychos, potential for a crazy story, survivors, action, etc. But the execution in it's current form takes all the potential fun and tells you " well, you have to work for it"

Ewww level up specials? Especially when you get access to the materials for 1 or 2 in every workshops? The fun of DR is using a constantly rotating bunch of weapons and balancing weapons, healing, mags and other stuff in you limited inventory, yet never being far away from new shit. DR2 is a lot more forgiving than DR1 in this regard. Food items are always around, combo material and powerful juice combos are always near the creation location, guns are better, and the spiked bat is ridiculously powerful and you can make one every time you leave the SR. Also the survivors in this game can survive plenty of hits and they shouldnt be getting hit in the first place. Waypoint them away from psychos.

God your ideas are horrendous.

 

[brain_stew]

. Nintendo fans are always going to buy Mario and Zelda, but with the casual audience getting split up now among MS and Sony too, all Nintendo has left is their hardcore fans.

Arghh, so Nintendo are forever resigned to GCN level hardware sales, gotcha................



The absurd thing is, even if this is the case its actually only evidence for an early launch. If those buyers are going to buy your software anyway, you might as well sell them a new piece of $300 hardware.


No matter how disengious concluding that Nintendo are "forever fucked" is, it still doesn't offer a compelling argument against launching in late '11/early '12, far from it. So honestly, what was your point again?

 

[Snuggles]

Ewww level up specials? Especially when you get access to the materials for 1 or 2 in every workshops? The fun of DR is using a constantly rotating bunch of weapons and balancing weapons, healing, mags and other stuff in you limited inventory, yet never being far away from new shit. DR2 is a lot more forgiving than DR1 in this regard. Food items are always around, combo material and powerful juice combos are always near the creation location, guns are better, and the spiked bat is ridiculously powerful and you can make one every time you leave the SR. Also the survivors in this game can survive plenty of hits and they shouldnt be getting hit in the first place. Waypoint them away from psychos.

That and the thrill of improvising with the random items around you when shit gets real. Plus, part of the fun and challenge of DR1/2 is managing your items and preparing for tackling missions or taking down psychos. If you take away those things, you're taking away a lot of what makes the series so great and unique. It seems like some people just want a straight forward hack and slash game with Zombies, but maybe the series just isn't for them.

It's a shame that a lot of people don't appreciate the design, and that it doesn't sell billions of copies, but I was be seriously disappointed if they ever compromise the design to cater to the people don't get it.

 

[Sadist]

I've not seen anyone present an argument as to what Nintendo would have to gain by waiting another 3 years to launch the Wii's successor, so if you've got a compelling argument for this then please present it.

They can't present an counter argument because we all know since E3 that Nintendo is outsourcing their console titles except for Skyward Sword and possibly Pikmin 3. Yes, every Nintendo owned studio will be working on 3DS games but I'm pretty sure that several of them have already started on software for new hardware. Maybe for several years already.

 

[BishopLamont]

Software sales hardware. That's why the 360 is dominating right now. Nintendo fans are always going to buy Mario and Zelda, but with the casual audience getting split up now among MS and Sony too, all Nintendo has left is their hardcore fans.

They're not exactly hardcore fans if they're buying a Wii years later. :lol

 

[HK-47]

That and the thrill of improvising with the random items around you when shit gets real. Plus, part of the fun and challenge of DR1/2 is managing your items and preparing for tackling missions or taking down psychos. If you take away those things, you're taking away a lot of what makes the series so great and unique. It seems like some people just want a straight forward hack and slash game with Zombies, but maybe the series just isn't for them.

It's a shame that a lot of people don't appreciate the design, and that it doesn't sell billions of copies, but I was be seriously disappointed if they ever compromise the design to cater to the people don't get it.

If you wanna just kill hordes of zombies, play L4D. Or hell just ignore the missions and kill shit loads of zombies. You'll level up so much after a play through that a second runthrough will be cake. In fact just going around killing zombies, familarizing yourself with the layout and where wrokshops, items, and stores are is a good way to do a first playthrough. Just do missions at your own pace and such. Go play poker with three jack offs in the middle of an apocalypse and shoot the breeze.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

So many shitty ideas about Dead Rising.

Are you serious?

 

[donny2112]

If we assume that they are going to break from the GameCube design, would Nintendo be committed enough to backwards compatibility to make sure they could emulate (or build in) the Wii hardware to run Wii games?

Personally, I think their first preference would be FOR backward compatibility. If that's the case, would they 1) scale again on GCN tech (not likely), 2) build in Wii hardware enough for BC (somewhat likely based on handheld BC), or 3) focus on an emulation system?

Emulation system doesn't seem like Nintendo to me, but how feasible would it be to build in some amount of Wii hardware (not talking about ports for peripherals, here) to allow BC to Wii titles?

 

[szaromir]

If we assume that they are going to break from the GameCube design, would Nintendo be committed enough to backwards compatibility to make sure they could emulate (or build in) the Wii hardware to run Wii games?

Personally, I think their first preference would be FOR backward compatibility. If that's the case, would they 1) scale again on GCN tech (not likely), 2) build in Wii hardware enough for BC (somewhat likely based on handheld BC), or 3) focus on an emulation system?

Emulation system doesn't seem like Nintendo to me, but how feasible would it be to build in some amount of Wii hardware (not talking about ports for peripherals, here) to allow BC to Wii titles?

Nintendo would be stupid to give up a modern hardware design for BC. That's why they're losing sales nowadays and repeating that would be extremely unreasonable. No one cared for GC's library, no one will care for Wii's library. They can port selected few titles and the audience willeat them up like they did with God of War collection on PS3.

 

[brain_stew]

They can't present an counter argument because we all know since E3 that Nintendo is outsourcing their console titles except for Skyward Sword and possibly Pikmin 3. Yes, every Nintendo owned studio will be working on 3DS games but I'm pretty sure that several of them have already started on software for new hardware. Maybe for several years already.

A lot of the announced 3DS software was outsourced work as well (like Layton) and those that are internal are mostly low cost projects like the N64 ports and that submarine game. If Nintendo haven't got a bunch of studios working on Wii 2 titles then they must have a lot of employees sitting idle.

 

[brain_stew]

Nintendo would be stupid to give up a modern hardware design for BC.

They wouldn't have to give up BC. They'd be taking such a giant leap forward in hardware specs that they'd be able to offer a comprehensive BC solution through a pure software solution, no matter what design they go with.

 

[Lonely1]

Arghh, so Nintendo are forever resigned to GCN level hardware sales, gotcha................



The absurd thing is, even if this is the case its actually only evidence for an early launch. If those buyers are going to buy your software anyway, you might as well sell them a new piece of $300 hardware.


No matter how disengious concluding that Nintendo are "forever fucked" is, it still doesn't offer a compelling argument against launching in late '11/early '12, far from it. So honestly, what was your point again?

Well, the only sensible reasons is that Nintendo wasn't gearing for a 'normal' 5 years lifespan console gen and the software/hardware isn't ready for a 2011-2012 release. That would be the only feasible reason, and if its true then Iwata needs to resign to his position along with all his best CEO awards.

 

[BishopLamont]

If we assume that they are going to break from the GameCube design, would Nintendo be committed enough to backwards compatibility to make sure they could emulate (or build in) the Wii hardware to run Wii games?

Personally, I think their first preference would be FOR backward compatibility. If that's the case, would they 1) scale again on GCN tech (not likely), 2) build in Wii hardware enough for BC (somewhat likely based on handheld BC), or 3) focus on an emulation system?

Emulation system doesn't seem like Nintendo to me, but how feasible would it be to build in some amount of Wii hardware (not talking about ports for peripherals, here) to allow BC to Wii titles?

Nintendo doesn't need BC in the Wii2, it works against them. It'll cost them more and it'd eat into the original Wii's sales since we're assuming they'll launch first (its actually MS and Sony who's prolonging and Nintendo will just be playing by the books). The only reason The Wii has BC compatibility is because it basically came for free. No other console was BC.

Really the only thing that puts off Sony and MS from launching new hardware is because of the costs involved and the software needed, none of which is a problem to Nintendo.

A lot of the announced 3DS software was outsourced work as well (like Layton) and those that are internal are mostly low cost projects like the N64 ports and that submarine game. If Nintendo haven't got a bunch of studios working on Wii 2 titles then they must have a lot of employees sitting idle.

The last Wii_ title was Music, which came out n 2008. Vitality sensor is nowhere to be seen, Wii Party is outsourced, all the new traditional titles are outsourced or have been in dev for years. If Nintendo has no Wii2 games in an advanced stage, then they're forever doomed to their conservative nature.

 

[V_Arnold]

A lot of the announced 3DS software was outsourced work as well (like Layton) and those that are internal are mostly low cost projects like the N64 ports and that submarine game. If Nintendo haven't got a bunch of studios working on Wii 2 titles then they must have a lot of employees sitting idle.

Layton is a 3rd party game, not a first party, how can you outsource THAT?

 

[szaromir]

They wouldn't have to give up BC. They'd be taking such a giant leap forward in hardware specs that they'd be able to offer a comprehensive BC solution through a pure software solution, no matter what design they go with.

That's what Microsoft did with 360, but it was a giant pain in the ass for them and probably outside of Halo games not many people even used it. Surely once you get the emulator running, you can run a lot of other titles, but it requires a huge amount of testing. Porting selected titles is a much easier solution.

A lot of the announced 3DS software was outsourced work as well (like Layton) and those that are internal are mostly low cost projects like the N64 ports and that submarine game. If Nintendo haven't got a bunch of studios working on Wii 2 titles then they must have a lot of employees sitting idle.

Or later, original 3DS titles.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

Nintendo would be stupid to give up a modern hardware design for BC. That's why they're losing sales nowadays and repeating that would be extremely unreasonable. No one cared for GC's library, no one will care for Wii's library. They can port selected few titles and the audience willeat them up like they did with God of War collection on PS3.

If Nintendo were going to abandon backwards compatibility, I would find it more likely that they did what they did with the DS and phase it out with a major hardware revision rather than scrapping it completely from the get go.

The point of nintendos blue ocean strategy with the Wii was to attract a new audience to replace the dwindling numbers of 'core gamers' (as much as I loathe that term) and they have so far been incredibly succesful doing that.

I don't see them abandoning that audience with a new hardware cycle - they are likely to try and make things as easy and compelling for that audience to want to transition to new hardware as possible, not try and start again from scratch.

 

[brain_stew]

Well, the only sensible reasons is that Nintendo wasn't gearing for a 'normal' 5 years lifespan console gen and the software/hardware isn't ready for a 2011-2012 release. That would be the only feasible reason, and if its true then Iwata needs to resign to his position and all his best CEO awards.

So the only counter is that Nintendo have been sitting idly for the past 5 years and have only just realised that the Wii is going to need a successor at some point!? :lol

It must be awesome landing a job in Nintendo's hardware divsion. You get to take 4 year year long vacations! :lol

 

[brain_stew]

Layton is a 3rd party game, not a first party, how can you outsource THAT?

Its a Nintendo published title. Its first party.

 

[Mooreberg]

It's not only about Halo anymore though, a stable of big franchises has grown since Halo 3 (COD emerged right after Halo 3 came out and surpassed it). Come November and you'll see very successful launches of COD, Assassin's Creed, Need for Speed... Fallout and Fable can sell fantastically thismonth as well.

You're absolutely right but I don't think sales for those games are coming from disaffected Wii owners as Phoenix Dark was talking about. Microsoft has done a great job making 360 a lot more than "the Halo box" and I think part of that was getting the PS2 customers that bought a variety of third party games.

 

[szaromir]

Its a Nintendo published title. Its first party.

Isn't Level 5 self-publishing in Japan nowadays?