I dont think that the reason the do not make high end hardware is because they dont want... mostly because they cant... They dont have the Tech, nor the engineering to surpass MS or Sony in hardware terms... Good thing is they can make awesome software to be competitive even with lower Hardware. Bad thing is that the third parties like to go with better hardware...

It's the last 2 generations. And it's because of the success of the wii. Which by the way was a great idea. It's the lack of polish on that console and the dumb belief that the wii-u could continue that success that put nintendo in hot water. Also, with the wii, they may not have had confindence that the market could handle 3 console companies so they tried to differentiate themselves. It worked in the short term but not in the long. To be honest if the wii would have released and worked as well as the sony move we may be having a different conversation right now.

Not sure what you're talking about in terms of 3 generations. The gamecube was awesome!

Though I do agree with you, that's not what they're saying. The way they phrase it is clear (and wrong): graphics don't matter. The way you phrased it is 10x better and something a lot of people would agree with.

Better hardware does not always mean better games. Because you still have to work an them.
But weaker hardware STILL means weaker games. It restricts development and the evolution of their IPs.
And hardware is not just about graphic.

Nintendo tries to makes up for it with their ideas and unique gameplay, so the games are still fun.
But often it does not mean a big evolution. Its just different. Personally I think that's sad.

It's not like core nintendo fans are a given. Nintendo lost many of these fans and still will, if they are unable to handle their droughts. And I don't think they can if the NX is not strong enough for 3. party titles.
Power does matter. Fans can change their mind. And Nintendo is struggeling right now.

Thats why releasing a weak hardware is such a big deal.

1. This rhetoric and this argument are both old AND tired.

2. Gamecube was actually significantly more powerful than PS2 hardware in certain ways. It's main drawback was smaller disc size.

3. Raw hardware power means nothing. The Dreamcast was a very powerful console for it's time, and it bombed. The Sega Master System was technically more powerful than the NES, yet a lot of people in NA didn't even know the console existed. PS1 and PS2 were less powerful than N64 and GC, yet they sold far better.

4. Why should Nintendo fans "call Nintendo out" on lower hardware specs? If they give us good games, then who gives a shit? Wii U only failed because Nintendo did not, apparently, fully think things through when they entered into HD. Their marketing of the console was shit right out of the gate and never really recovered, and while it had many good games, it also never (within it's main lifespan when it would have mattered) had what I'd argue was a truly GREAT game, like the upcoming Zelda, that's now getting ported to NX. Third party publishers didn't leave Wii U because of it's power.

In fact, as people so conveniently forget, many publishers were on board at launch. On paper, Wii U's launch lineup was great, and gamers were initially very excited that it was getting (mostly contemporary) ports of games like Assassin's Creed, Darksiders, Batman, Mass Effect, etc. And it was originally supposed to have third party exclusives like Rayman Legends. It wasn't until sales dried up in a hurry after the new year in 2013, that they eventually migrated away from it. Companies like Ubisoft and Activision stuck it out for a couple of years, but in the interim, Nintendo had mismanaged their own development cycles, delaying Wii U software, and developing other games for 3DS that arguably should have been Wii U games.

There are many reasons Wii U failed, but not one of them was console power. Third parties were just fine with Wii U's power, they left because the system, and their games, weren't selling very well.

5. I can't speak for all Nintendo fans, but most of the ones I know, myself included, couldn't give a single hot shit whether Nintendo's next system is super powerful or not. So long as it's got GAMES, that's what matters. And just because they recently gave their typical "we care about games over horsepower" type of line, which honestly is a good philosophy, doesn't mean NX will be "weak" hardware.

What "Evolution" are you speaking of? How are any of the big IPs that Sony or Microsoft have produced, really evolved over the last couple generations, in major, meaningful ways?

At the same time, honestly....Wii was "weak" hardware, yet had quite a lot of revolutionary or at least fresh gaming ideas going on. Mario Galaxy was above and beyond what most anyone had seen out of 3D platformers in some time. Xenoblade was a massive game, and rated one of the best rpgs of that gen. And this new Zelda, built on Wii U hardware, is one of the most impressive looking (graphics, design, etc.) games I've seen from any developer in a long time.

Releasing "weak" hardware sure was a big deal for the PS1. Remember how that flopped because of hardware constraints? (Granted, many ports on it were ass due to load times, etc., but still).

You know what sucks ? The Xbox 360 came out in 2005 and after the WiiU is dead and forgotten, it will still have new software releasing for it!

Hardware power isn't the selling point. For me, the WiiU was satisfying and I'm glad to own one. Nintendo needs to make sure there is reason for third parties to want to support their new hardware. That's going to be the deciding factor. They need to be confident that software will sell.

If that's due to raw power, some "gimmick", or a Nintendo promise of financial support, they NEED third parties or nobody is going to buy their hardware. And if nobody buys their hardware, there will be no third party support.

Give devs the best place to showcase their hard work.  Give them some assurance. Shitty ports aren't going to cut it. It's time to be the best in some way, shape, or form.

This all day long.

1: Power in todays time is hardly even relevant.
2: Because when Nintendo cares about their consoles I get amazing games, and that;s all I want from them.