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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Would You Be Angry If Nintendo Released A New Console But Still Supported Wii U?

Soundwave said:
zorg1000 said:
Soundwave said:
zorg1000 said:

Ok so a console thats equel to or greater in price and moderately more powerful than its competitors, with free online but no established online community, trying to steal some of the core demographic of 3rd party gamers from consoles with large install bases and established fanbases of said 3rd party core games. Sounds alot like Wii U vs PS3/360 in 2012-2013 doesnt it?


Well first off, the Wii U is not 3x more powerful than PS3-360 (sorry, nope). Part of that is because MS actually made a very high end system last time, but this time they made a mistake in going lower power, so it would be much easier for Nintendo to out-spec MS in a real meaningful way now, hell Sony is even doing it without benefit of a later launch date. 

Also Wii U in 2012 was coming out the tail end of this generation, to make your analogy work, the Wii U would be something that would launch in 2009 or so, in which case, sure perhaps things would be quite different right now as Nintendo would have years and years to iron out their issues and third parties would be more receptive to a technically relevant console for its time, rather than something that's showing up just as developers are starting to really focus on the next generation. 

I do think there are a ton of Wii owners that ended up buying a PS3 or 360 after 2009 because they simply got tired of Wii Sports and in effect, the PS3/360 already filled the oppurtunity gap that Nintendo had with Wii U. What's so special about the Wii U? It's an HD Wii ... well ok, but those people already bought a PS3 or 360, so what else does it have? A tablet controller? I already have an iPad. That's pretty much the beginning and end of the Wii U. 

Timing really can be everything in this business. 

Ur right its not 100% comparable but the point still stands, it will be competing with cheaper consoles with bigger libraries that already have established fanbases of the the type of games its trying to win over, much bigger/better online communities and vastly larger install bases. Lets look at some of the big 3rd party games on PS4/X1.

Call of Duty:Ghosts-1.94 (PS4), 1.57 (X1), 3.51 (total)

Battlefield 4-1.57 (PS4), 1.20 (X1), 2.77 (total)

FIFA Soccer 14-1.63 (PS4), .78 (X1), 2.41 (total)

Assassin's Creed IV:Black Flag-1.43 (PS4), .69 (X1), 2.12 (total)

NBA 2K14-.76 (PS4), .49 (X1), 1.25 (total)

Need for Speed Rivals-.79 (PS4), .31 (X1), 1.10 (total)

Madden NFL 25-.57 (PS4), .49 (X1), 1.06 (total)

This years installments will likely double these numbers and next years will be 3-4x these numbers. Also the first year of Nintendo's console will probably see many 3rd party games skip it or be late ports at best since they will be too far in development to make it in time. Games like Titanfall 2, Destiny 2, Watch Dogs 2 could all release in 2016 and would sell poorly on Nintendo's console because these games fanbases are all already on the competitors consoles. Even Japanese 3rd party games like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Kingdom Hearts will have found homes on PS4/X1 before Nintendo's console gets a chance to see them.

Other games like Witcher 3, Fallout 4, Far Cry 4, The Crew, The Division, Elder Scrolls 6, Evil Within, Grand Theft Auto 6, Dragon Age 3, Tomb Raider, Mass Effect 4 will likely already be out or close to releasing by the time Nintendo's new console hits meaning there will be a very very small window for it to get acceptable 3rd party support and the support that it does get wont sell well because the fanbases are already on consoles hitting there prime as Nintendo's console releases.


Well I'd present an alternate scenario, lets say Nintendo goes ahead with this, and come say 2017 some developer ends up making a really, really killer PC game. Something that really is going to grab the market and be the "next" big franchise (the next generation is not going to be about Call of Duty ... something else is going to rise in its place). 

Now imagine that Nintendo has far and away the best version of this game by virtue of having the better hardware. If they can become the destignated "go to" console for such a big franchise ... that certainly could move more than a few systems. 

It would be similar to the Super NES having Street Fighter II ... even though the Genesis had it too, no one really wanted the Genesis one. The SNES one looked far closer to the arcade version. 

The original Xbox had the superior version of games many times yet they usually sold much worse than the PS2 versions.

Street Fighter II is a horrible example because the SNES version released in June/July 92 in Japan/USA while Genesis didnt get any version of the game until Sep 93 In Japan/USA,  the fanbase had already chosen SNES by the time it came to Genesis.

In 2017 that really really killer app multiplat will probably have strong appeal to the Call of Duty/Battlefield/Assassin's Creed/Titanfall/Destiny/Watch Dogs/Grand Theft Auto crowd which will already be firmly established on PS4/X1 since they will be 4 years old and have a combined Install base of 70-100 million so even if Nintendo has the technically superior version it likely wont mean shit because people already have a console that can play it and people that dont have a console to play it will probably buy the cheaper consoles with bigger libraries and large online communities.



When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.

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So many of the responses on here are hilarious because they talk about stopping support for Wii U which was clearly stated would not happen in the OP. Others talk about how could they support 3 platforms, which again is not an issue in this scenario.

OT: I love the idea and wouldn't be mad at all. I picked up a Wii U at launch and would have no problem springing for this new system. In fact, I'm already looking at either picking up a PS4 or new PC this year or next. There are a lot of third party titles that I love and that won't be seeing life on Wii U. The first two years of the U have been good with COD, AC and Batman all present, but the next titles likely will not be, and I really like those games. If Nintendo offered me a high-end option with third party titles, I would pick it up for sure since their 1st party games are by far the best.

I think to make it work, however, Nintendo would have to do a few things:

1: It has to be very powerful. The specs you listed are the minimum. It has to be a full step above the PS4, and also able to compete for a year or two with PS5. There has to be a measurable benefit.

2. It needs some compelling software. It's fine that all of the planned titles for Wii U will be cross-gen, but there should be at least one or two titles made to sell the system. These could be 3rd party partnership titles (like Titanfall). It could be a very special and high end version of a 3rd party title like Battlefield that pushes the max PC specs and makes it by far superior to the PS4 version. Or it could be that Nintendo buys up or starts a couple studios to make some launch games for it that can't be done anywhere else - preferably western studios that make flashy PS/XBox style games. Or it could be a port of a PC game that simply can't be done on the other two systems. A mix of Wii U games and 3rd party offerings isn't quite enough to make it feel "special".

3. Obviously, the system needs full, unrivaled 3rd party support.

I think the concept could be awesome and I hope Nintendo does it. If they launched it soon enough, they could sway some potential PS4 and One buyers their way, and if it is powerful enough and the games good enough they could even encourage a few mid-gen upgraders like those that bumped up from Wii to PS360. The unified OS that Iwata is pitching could really make it possible too, with different versions of the same titles appearing on Wii U, 4DS and this high-end machine, and resources not stretched too thin.



Business is business.  If that's what they feel like they need to do, I'm not going to be mad.  I just probably wouldn't buy it.

As to your scenerio.  XBOne is probably going to finish last and their next generation of platforms is hopefully going to be the fusion of the home and handheld platforms....  so, lets just let them take their time.  No need to rush.  The Wii U isn't selling at a neck-break pace, but it is selling...thousands each week.



TheLastStarFighter said:
So many of the responses on here are hilarious because they talk about stopping support for Wii U which was clearly stated would not happen in the OP. Others talk about how could they support 3 platforms, which again is not an issue in this scenario.

OT: I love the idea and wouldn't be mad at all. I picked up a Wii U at launch and would have no problem springing for this new system. In fact, I'm already looking at either picking up a PS4 or new PC this year or next. There are a lot of third party titles that I love and that won't be seeing life on Wii U. The first two years of the U have been good with COD, AC and Batman all present, but the next titles likely will not be, and I really like those games. If Nintendo offered me a high-end option with third party titles, I would pick it up for sure since their 1st party games are by far the best.

I think to make it work, however, Nintendo would have to do a few things:

1: It has to be very powerful. The specs you listed are the minimum. It has to be a full step above the PS4, and also able to compete for a year or two with PS5. There has to be a measurable benefit.

2. It needs some compelling software. It's fine that all of the planned titles for Wii U will be cross-gen, but there should be at least one or two titles made to sell the system. These could be 3rd party partnership titles (like Titanfall). It could be a very special and high end version of a 3rd party title like Battlefield that pushes the max PC specs and makes it by far superior to the PS4 version. Or it could be that Nintendo buys up or starts a couple studios to make some launch games for it that can't be done anywhere else - preferably western studios that make flashy PS/XBox style games. Or it could be a port of a PC game that simply can't be done on the other two systems. A mix of Wii U games and 3rd party offerings isn't quite enough to make it feel "special".

3. Obviously, the system needs full, unrivaled 3rd party support.

I think the concept could be awesome and I hope Nintendo does it. If they launched it soon enough, they could sway some potential PS4 and One buyers their way, and if it is powerful enough and the games good enough they could even encourage a few mid-gen upgraders like those that bumped up from Wii to PS360. The unified OS that Iwata is pitching could really make it possible too, with different versions of the same titles appearing on Wii U, 4DS and this high-end machine, and resources not stretched too thin.

That's simple. The OP is unrealistic. Since this is more or less an opinion poll then Its alright I suppose, but OP's question is like asking how would you feel if you lived in a saturday morning cartooon.

If you think more power will solve the problem with Nintendo's consoles, you don't understand why Nintendo is losing both consumer and developer support, and you definetly do not understand the scale or severity of this problems.

The issue is systemic. Every Nintendo console with the exception of the Wii has followed the trend of declining user base and developer support. Up till the Gamecube, Nintendo ruined 3rd party relations by being an asshole with proprietary hardware and licensing fees. After the Wii, Nintendo weakened 3rd party support by being significantly weaker than the competion.

Why is this the case? I'ts simple really, Nintendo does not like to follow the loss leader model, they like to make profits off of hardware sales, which is why they can sell so little and still profit. The negative effect of this is that Nintendo is not very willing to lose money from the onset thus we see intial prices at the Wii U level even though its basically in between last gen and current gen power wise.

Thus we have one of the reasons why 3rd party support is so bad, Nintendo doesn't risk much money on there hardware so its condierably lower spec then the competiton and thus more of an effort to downport for.

Furthermore, this is why we know that if Nintendo released this new console in this timeframe, its specs would have to be cost effectice which I doubt is feasible to do along with outperforming both hd twins combined. And even if it did happen it would be the most expensive.

In regards to the issue with consumers, Nintendo's Core has been declining and they haven't been replenishing it fast enough.

A new console to early would destroy consumer confidence, which would be fatal to the system sales wise and developer wise.

It would be disatrous, probably the worst launch in history.



In this day and age, with the Internet, ignorance is a choice! And they're still choosing Ignorance! - Dr. Filthy Frank

Nope. I would be pissed as fuck.



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Is that a fact or just hypotetical?



With every new console, they make new versions of Mario , Mario Kart, Smash, Zelda, etc

I need them to get done with that for Wii U so they can make some new unfamiliar games on Wii U.

I don't need them making any new consoles... not until 9th gen.



Releasing a console so soon would end up cutting Wii U`s potential growth, thus, ending Wii U with a loss instead of profits. Not to mention that the new console would be really expensive.
Porting game between 3 consoles would mean less human resources for other games.



Dr.Henry_Killinger said:
TheLastStarFighter said:
So many of the responses on here are hilarious because they talk about stopping support for Wii U which was clearly stated would not happen in the OP. Others talk about how could they support 3 platforms, which again is not an issue in this scenario.

OT: I love the idea and wouldn't be mad at all. I picked up a Wii U at launch and would have no problem springing for this new system. In fact, I'm already looking at either picking up a PS4 or new PC this year or next. There are a lot of third party titles that I love and that won't be seeing life on Wii U. The first two years of the U have been good with COD, AC and Batman all present, but the next titles likely will not be, and I really like those games. If Nintendo offered me a high-end option with third party titles, I would pick it up for sure since their 1st party games are by far the best.

I think to make it work, however, Nintendo would have to do a few things:

1: It has to be very powerful. The specs you listed are the minimum. It has to be a full step above the PS4, and also able to compete for a year or two with PS5. There has to be a measurable benefit.

2. It needs some compelling software. It's fine that all of the planned titles for Wii U will be cross-gen, but there should be at least one or two titles made to sell the system. These could be 3rd party partnership titles (like Titanfall). It could be a very special and high end version of a 3rd party title like Battlefield that pushes the max PC specs and makes it by far superior to the PS4 version. Or it could be that Nintendo buys up or starts a couple studios to make some launch games for it that can't be done anywhere else - preferably western studios that make flashy PS/XBox style games. Or it could be a port of a PC game that simply can't be done on the other two systems. A mix of Wii U games and 3rd party offerings isn't quite enough to make it feel "special".

3. Obviously, the system needs full, unrivaled 3rd party support.

I think the concept could be awesome and I hope Nintendo does it. If they launched it soon enough, they could sway some potential PS4 and One buyers their way, and if it is powerful enough and the games good enough they could even encourage a few mid-gen upgraders like those that bumped up from Wii to PS360. The unified OS that Iwata is pitching could really make it possible too, with different versions of the same titles appearing on Wii U, 4DS and this high-end machine, and resources not stretched too thin.

That's simple. The OP is unrealistic. Since this is more or less an opinion poll then Its alright I suppose, but OP's question is like asking how would you feel if you lived in a saturday morning cartooon.

If you think more power will solve the problem with Nintendo's consoles, you don't understand why Nintendo is losing both consumer and developer support, and you definetly do not understand the scale or severity of this problems.

The issue is systemic. Every Nintendo console with the exception of the Wii has followed the trend of declining user base and developer support. Up till the Gamecube, Nintendo ruined 3rd party relations by being an asshole with proprietary hardware and licensing fees. After the Wii, Nintendo weakened 3rd party support by being significantly weaker than the competion.

Why is this the case? I'ts simple really, Nintendo does not like to follow the loss leader model, they like to make profits off of hardware sales, which is why they can sell so little and still profit. The negative effect of this is that Nintendo is not very willing to lose money from the onset thus we see intial prices at the Wii U level even though its basically in between last gen and current gen power wise.

Thus we have one of the reasons why 3rd party support is so bad, Nintendo doesn't risk much money on there hardware so its condierably lower spec then the competiton and thus more of an effort to downport for.

Furthermore, this is why we know that if Nintendo released this new console in this timeframe, its specs would have to be cost effectice which I doubt is feasible to do along with outperforming both hd twins combined. And even if it did happen it would be the most expensive.

In regards to the issue with consumers, Nintendo's Core has been declining and they haven't been replenishing it fast enough.

A new console to early would destroy consumer confidence, which would be fatal to the system sales wise and developer wise.

It would be disatrous, probably the worst launch in history.

The OP isn't unrealistic at all.  You can say it's unlikely, but it is completely within the relm of realism.  Part of it is actually alluded to, with Iwata merging hardware departments and stating that in the future their games will likely be multi-Nintendo platform.  We've already seen the first in Smash Brothers.  The only things that could be called a stretch here are Nintendo making a new system soon, and to a lesser extent that it would be powerful.

The problem isn't systemic.  There are multiple reasons that Nintendo doesn't get 3rd party support, and some of them have changed from gen to gen.  Choices in media format, choices in system power, system architcture and so on have caused third party trepidation.  There is also the issue that certain 3rd parties (such as EA) do not want Nintendo in the hardware business.  

The proposal is that Nintendo management, seeing the dire situation that Wii U is in, desides to change strategy to remain relevent in the console space.  They consult 3rd parties, build a system that is easy to port to and provide 3rd parties with incentive to bring their titles there.  None of this is rocket science, it's exactly what Sony and MS do and Nintendo could do it too if they wanted.

The issue with money-losing hardware has been a problem in the past.  However, it is no longer.  Sony and MS now sell their systems beyond $800 a unit (including subscription fees) and consumers are completely accepting of this.  Nintendo could adapt this strategy and make powerful hardware while still making money.  This is a trend they have missed with Wii U.

Your comment about launching a system early shaking consumer confidence is completely unfounded.  There is no example of an early launch killing consumer confidence, however there are multiple examples of an early launch capturing it.  Sega Genesis increased the Sega marketsare dramatically by launching early and cutting the Master System life very short, XBox 360 did the exact same thing to XBox, with sales increasing over 4X.  If no one is buying your product anyway... you make a new product.  The 6 million people who have a Wii U already are Nintendo nuts and would gladly pick up the new system.

Besides, the whole point is that it is Nintendo taking on a more i-Thing approach to products.  Wii U is still supported, but a new supperior model is made available.  Apple does it every year, and older products are still supported.  Nintendo doing this is not only possible, but likely.  As an owner of a Wii U, I'd be perfectly fine with Nintendo taking this approach.  As long as my product doesn't become instantly obsolete, I love the idea of having the option of upgrading when it works for me.



TheLastStarFighter said:

The OP isn't unrealistic at all.  You can say it's unlikely, but it is completely within the relm of realism.  

Its unrealistic because it suggests that Nintendo could just produce a new consoles within in such a small timespan.

Part of it is actually alluded to, with Iwata merging hardware departments and stating that in the future their games will likely be multi-Nintendo platform.  We've already seen the first in Smash Brothers.  The only things that could be called a stretch here are Nintendo making a new system soon, and to a lesser extent that it would be powerful.

How well is this working for them? Considering they're philosophy of software sales hardware it doesn't make sense and it looks like they are trying to increase their software sales by making their games on multiple platforms.

The problem isn't systemic.  There are multiple reasons that Nintendo doesn't get 3rd party support, and some of them have changed from gen to gen.  Choices in media format, choices in system power, system architcture and so on have caused third party trepidation.  There is also the issue that certain 3rd parties (such as EA) do not want Nintendo in the hardware business.  

Which are all just different forms of the same thing, Nintendo's desire for control. Bethesda put it best when they said Nintendo designed the Wii U for themselves but not third parties. Claiming that EA doesn't want Nintendo in the hardware buisness is ludicrous. EA desires to make as much money as possible and to do that they release on as many platforms as the can. The problem that the Wii U inherted from the Wii, is that dev costs aren't made up software sales of the system so its just a money sink for them. Many people on this forum complain about EA not making games for the Wii U, but they also claim they wouldn't buy them if they did so EA isn't going to waste money on a port that wouldn't sale.

The proposal is that Nintendo management, seeing the dire situation that Wii U is in, desides to change strategy to remain relevent in the console space.  They consult 3rd parties, build a system that is easy to port to and provide 3rd parties with incentive to bring their titles there.  None of this is rocket science, it's exactly what Sony and MS do and Nintendo could do it too if they wanted.

Again building a console is not something that can be done in this timespan and have adequate results. PS4 and XB1 Dev started a lot earlier. Its really isn't just about courting publishers, if publisher's don't see the user base, then Nintendo is going to have to money hatt to make up for it.

The issue with money-losing hardware has been a problem in the past.  However, it is no longer.  Sony and MS now sell their systems beyond $800 a unit (including subscription fees) and consumers are completely accepting of this.  Nintendo could adapt this strategy and make powerful hardware while still making money.  This is a trend they have missed with Wii U.

No its not. The PS4 and XB1 are still posting losses even though their dev costs are significantly lower then their predecessors. Also with a 1 year subscription fee and a game the XB1 is 620$ so I don't know where ur getting your 800$ a unit from. 600$ PS3 basically failed cause they had to price cut it for viability, and the $500 XB1 is struggling with its price as well. Nobody in their right mind would buy a console for 800 when they could get a pc for the same price.

Your comment about launching a system early shaking consumer confidence is completely unfounded.  There is no example of an early launch killing consumer confidence, however there are multiple examples of an early launch capturing it.  Sega Genesis increased the Sega marketsare dramatically by launching early and cutting the Master System life very short, XBox 360 did the exact same thing to XBox, with sales increasing over 4X.  If no one is buying your product anyway... you make a new product.  The 6 million people who have a Wii U already are Nintendo nuts and would gladly pick up the new system.

The Sega Dreamcast is the best example, wonderful system, destroyed by consumer support. The 360 was a next generation console and the Xbox was late to the party. Realising a new nintendo console damages credibility with consumers and sure you might get the niche, maybe even some of the mainstream, but you will lose the informed consumer and definetly the hardcore.

Besides, the whole point is that it is Nintendo taking on a more i-Thing approach to products.  Wii U is still supported, but a new supperior model is made available.  Apple does it every year, and older products are still supported.  Nintendo doing this is not only possible, but likely.  As an owner of a Wii U, I'd be perfectly fine with Nintendo taking this approach.  As long as my product doesn't become instantly obsolete, I love the idea of having the option of upgrading when it works for me.

I don't know why people think the Mobile market is even relevant to how the console market operates. Smartphones != Consoles. We're talking about something that sells in the billions, has global development support, and is seen by the mainstream as a neccessity, versus something that sells in the tens of millions, developed by a single manufacturer, and seen as a Luxury.

Gaming is a hobby, nobody needs consoles even for gaming, so there will be zero incentive to get a Wii U if the new console comes out, because the new console will do everything the Wii U can, but better, supporting the Wii U would be pointless, just like buying it would be pointless. Not to mention new consumers would be warry about it because of its lifetime. Only those looking to play the next mario or zelda would get it.





In this day and age, with the Internet, ignorance is a choice! And they're still choosing Ignorance! - Dr. Filthy Frank