Now that optical discs are getting less and less important and many may not even need an optical drive why not go back to the cheapest type available, a top loader. Not only does this reduce costs but it also allows easy loading of both full size and gamecube discs. If the next Nintendo console is sufficiently powerful it can emulate gamecube, wii and wii u and it really won't need to be super powerful to do so. 

The downside of course is you have to allow more space above the console and many consoles nowadays go for the convenience of slot loading, even Microsoft is a convert.

Keeping the optical drive costs down means more money can be spent on the main chipset or other features of the console. Not only that but improved reliability means lower warranty costs for Nintendo. 

Would you accept a top loader nowadays or would you prefer no optical drive at all. Is it worth the extra $5-15 in additional manufacturing costs that may represent $30-50 more at retail to have a smart looking slot drive? Is top loading too retro and likely to make Nintendo look out of date again, this time with the wrong type of optical drive?

That's a terrible idea. It won't even be able to hold as much data, be too expensive and just simply be out-of-touch/ DVDs are easier to manufacture, cheaper and hold more data. If top-loading systems and Cartridges were still so good they wouldn't have been ditched.

Err. some confusing responses there. A top loading optical drive can use just as high capacity discs as slot loading and optical drives are still important for the moment, probably more so to Nintendo than Sony and Microsoft who both have superior online support.

Haven't ever liked top loading on consoles. I thought the PS1, PS3 (slim) and Gamecube were all worse off for it. It feels nostalgic and fun, but in reality it's tacky and prevents you from stacking the console within any kind of enclosed space.

I love the PS3 Super Slim's loader. Superdrives break, but those things are very reliable.

Most consoles can't be stacked though for ventilation reasons even if they have slot loaders or disc trays perhaps the only exceptions being wii and wii u as they disapate heat at the rear and at the side (wii u). I don't know how the ps3 super slim is selling worldwide but clearly its a good cost saving for Sony hence their re-design and the ps3 super slim is still selling brilliantly here in Europe well ahead of wii u for example despite being a market already saturated with ps3's. 

Nintendo's next console I think will need to cut as many costs as possible if it is to succeed - however, I'm not sure the time is right for a top-loader. Lots and lots of people like to stack their stuff, and obviously this doesn't work with a top-loader. Also I think they are just slightly tacky compared to a slot - the Wii and Wii U were very sleek in appearance partially due to the slot.

The problem will be gone by the gen after, when physical media will be no more. However, the most important gen for Nintendo is the next one, and so these are the decisions they have to get right. We'll see.

We still got another year/year and a half right? They should work with someone to be the very first Cloud based system. It would be something brand new for Nintendo owners due to the need of the strongest online tech available, as well as a REALLY sizable hard drive if all games are digital. It would reduce costs of video game production drastically no more disks/cartridges/flash cards/ect, no more packaging costs, no shipping costs, ect. After the initial release (which would have the once packaged game pre-downloaded) all other games can be preloaded to a certain percent to be fully downloaded the day of release (like Splatoon). Once a game is downloaded, it can be played whether you are connected to the internet or not (like Splatoon). The only hickup would be sharing with friends... Not sure how you would do that, and not just allow one person to buy a game and making multiple copies to give (or sell) to other people.

Beyond that, emulate all the other systems (hell, everything but the Wii U is already emulated through the Wii U VC anyways. This would take almost 0 effort).

Make Miiverse 2.0 where you can share videos (full playthroughs even), and add videos like reviews, fan content, ect (I already had another thread discussing this) with a rating system for best videos to appear at the top.

This would also make it practically effortless for third parties to release games on the system (taking out all the questions of things like how many copies to produce in disk form, and where to send these copies). Make there system X86 in architecture and have it to where these teams have to do little more than push a few buttons to get these games on the Nintendo network.

And hell, you can call the the Neo (Nintendo Entertainment Online)

YES! I HAAAATE Slot loading and disc trays. Drive goes bad disc is stuck and seen it happen a lot. Bring back top loading disc drives. Brings cost down for them and consumer plus MUCH more reliable. My PS3 super slim is a top loader and I'm glad.

I like slot loading consoles but I wouldn't mind a top loading console either .