I personally feel Nintendo is walking on thin ice with their Wii U. They need it out cause they abandoned the Wii, but they also don't have a good cause to get those Call of Duty and Halo teenagers to switch over. If Nintendo can hammer out a very robust online in time for launch (Which I highly doubt as it took Sony a good 4 years to do that with PSN and Nintendo is a lot farther away compared to what PSN even launched with), then they may be off the ice. As far as handhelds go, the 3DS will sell well, but it'll be a far cry from what the DS sold. there's just too much competition in the mobile space. I personally think the next Nintendo handheld will be the last unless they turn into a phone.

Motion gaming was never a nightmare.

It was the promise of something awesome, that was never fulfilled.

In the states not by any means. In fact Nintendo has an uphill battle going against them. Xbox really has made a dent into their casual market.

That being said Wii U should do VERY well and I won't be surprised it if does pull next gen out, but if I had to make an early prediction unless MS does something truely moronic next-gen they have the best chance of winning NA.

I won't comment too much on WW sales of the system since my focus is NA.

console wise, its too early to tell who'll win, besides Nintendo, we have no idea what Sony and Microsoft are planning, or if Apple is planning to step its toe in the console market again

I'm not totally sure how the Wii-U will do, market perception is a key thing, and I'm not sure if Sony and Microsoft's main userbase will embrace the Wii-U unless it gets COD, Assassin's Creed 3 and FIFA 12 and the best versions of those games this winter, after this year Nintendo will have to then compete with the Xbox 3 next year and maybe even the PS4 too

but on the handheld's, Nintendo are looking to win again quite comfortably right now against Sony, but if you compare Apple to them, not even Nintendo can compete with iOS devices

I don't feel like Nintendo has locked it up quite yet. I'm excited for the Wii U but we still have to wait to see what Sony and Microsoft can give us next generation. If their consoles are powerful with great graphics and they also have great games for their launches then Nintendo may have their hands full. However, if Nintendo can find the sweet spot with pricing and first party launch titles with good third party launch support then it could be lights out for the other two. Again, I won't predict anything right now until we see what Sony and Microsoft have to offer next gen.

I don't know. I'm not going to judge them based on their successes (and failures) this generation because it really doesn't mean shit.

I agree but for completely different reasons. I don't consider Wii U a 'next' gen system. I consider it on par with Move/Kinect and therefore merely a part of this generation. All Wii U does is put all three back on equal footing - IE: All have motion and HD.

As for the tablet functionality, it's old. Nintendo thrives on new experiences and so far, this isn't new. Sure I can see the perk of a second touch screen, its a logical extension of DS in home console and probably more than anything an preemptive move to not allow Apple to come in and seem like they are out innovating once they (inevitably) allow ipod/pad/phone games to stream to Apple TV for similar gameplay.


I expect MS will launch the 'next' gen and it will offer substancially more power and far better Kinect useage. PS will follow a year later with a direct response to MS and then Nintendo will follow a year after that (2016) with something truly innovative - once again zigging where the others zagged. Unlike this gen where Sony tried to ape Wii by dropping the boomerang controller for Six Axis, MS and Sony will be too entrenched in their direction to respond, giving Nintendo a blue ocean once again.

Nintendo will win the next gen. But this isn't it.

No I dont feel that way at all. I do respect the nintendo fans but they seem to compare their hardware to both sony and microsoft. The wii should of be compared to the ps2/xbox not ps3/xbox360, its insulting. Its like comparing macdonalds to a new york steak.

The 3ds is the first indication that nintendo is in trouble. No one bought it in the beginning until the price drop. The second indication is the wii was a huge hit and priced around $220 + wii sports (for second wii mote) and with taxes = $300 (canadian). The rest of its software was crap b/c of the expectations of the consumer - cheap. Now nintendo is trying to put the breaks on and join in the sony/xbox domination. 

So the question is will a 100 million sony/xbox fans suddenly drop their respective consoles and buy the wii u?

Will the wii fans suddenly stop playing dance 3 or wii fitness or any that crap and pony up 400 - 500 bucks for a new console + extra controller and a game or two?

There is no doubt they will sell units but I dont think its going to be the same as the wii or ps3 or the xbox. The bottom line is nintendo is in trouble wii u wise. But their software department is probably secured no matter what happens.

User has been moderated for this post - Kantor

I Havent bought a Nintendo console since the n64, and the WII-U looks just as gimmicky as the Wii
Im not the least bit interested in the thing, Nintendo will need AAA 3rd party exclusives to get me to buy one!

No.

The hardware is not going to be up to next-gen specs by any means. That will hurt its lifespan once other next-gen consoles roll out.

Nintendo is about three steps behind in regards to online integration which will be a huge selling point of next-gen consoles. Yes, the tablet is there, but when consumers will be buying regular tablets in droves, the weaknesses of the Wii-U will be fully fleshed out.

Its not going to be DOA, but its not going to sell anywhere near the Wii. I expect between 50-60m units sold by end of generation.