I think it's fair to say that MS launched the original X-Box and then the 360 in order to gain a foothold in the living rooms of the world with a multimedia capable device and to stop someone else (Sony) getting there first.

This they seem to have managed by thwarting Sony by not only launching the 360 to market first, thereby stealing the early HD console adopters, but also by forcing Sony to show their hand too soon, crippling the PS3 at birth with too high a price.

What MS may have done though is create a bigger future monster for themselves in the form of Nintendo which now rules the gaming market with the Wii in the same way Sony had done with the PlayStation brand in the two generations previously.

Now, Nintendo seem to have designed the Wii (and DS) with a “only a gaming device” mentality, however I’ve read before now of the potential for a DVD playing Wii - http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/09/wii_dvd_playback_delayed/ - what if this is a sign of things to come?

Nintendo, being purely a game console making company, probably don’t have a great deal of multimedia knowhow, so what if they teamed up with a company that have, a company that rivals MS for software development and that’s currently riding high on iPod– Apple? A Nintendo/Apple Wii2 anyone, could you imagine the possibilities?

I know it probably wouldn’t happen – cultural differences between an American company and a Japanese one, Nintendo being in too powerful position to consider needing to team up with someone else etc. but I’m sure Apple would love a piece of the gaming pie and would have skills useful to Nintendo and a strong brand to bring to the table.



 

Nintendo would be smarter to skip all the extra multimedia stuff and just make their system a gateway for the pc.

Much like apple TV or other set top boxes, the Wii2 could wirelessly connect to your pc and just transfer anything from it to your tv. This way you could have you pc as a media device, dvr, hd tuner, any type of media player you want, full internet capabilities, etc.

Just use the Wii2 and the driver and controller. Have keyboard/wiimote and have a PC channel on your Wii that will automatically gain control of the pc. Then you have as much multi functionality as your little heart desires.

Nintendo and Apple could never get along for long enough to even finish a phone call.

You're talking about what are two of the most uppity, design-oriented, stubborn, and innovative companies on Earth. They're too similar to ever make a product together because neither will back down from their ultimate vision and concede something to the other.

I love 'em both but they're both annoyingly stubborn to a fault.

Dude, don't worry about Wii 2. Worry about Wii!!!! I remember reading somewhere that some guy ported IPTV to the Wii!!!! Nintendo, could do this this year! (Imagine a super firmware upgrade!) Nintendo, with all the megabucks, could team up with Apple or others and bring all the stuff you mentioned to the Wii! (though the high tech part wouldn't come true a lot can be done with wii and its motion capabilities!!!!!!)

Imagine if Nintendo unveiled a Wii 2 which would just be a Wii with next-gen hardware. Boy wouldn't that be a kick in the crotch for MS and Sony.

rocketpig said: Nintendo and Apple could never get along for long enough to even finish a phone call. You're talking about what are two of the most uppity, design-oriented, stubborn, and innovative companies on Earth. They're too similar to ever make a product together because neither will back down from their ultimate vision and concede something to the other. I love 'em both but they're both annoyingly stubborn to a fault.

 Too true =P

And like you said their stubborness is well-founded.  They both look at it from the same perspective really. Which is "This vision has made us what we are today why should we compromise now?".  And there is a lot of validity in that thought process. 

 

superchunk said: Nintendo would be smarter to skip all the extra multimedia stuff and just make their system a gateway for the pc. Much like apple TV or other set top boxes, the Wii2 could wirelessly connect to your pc and just transfer anything from it to your tv. This way you could have you pc as a media device, dvr, hd tuner, any type of media player you want, full internet capabilities, etc. Just use the Wii2 and the driver and controller. Have keyboard/wiimote and have a PC channel on your Wii that will automatically gain control of the pc. Then you have as much multi functionality as your little heart desires.

 that, superchunk, is a great idea.  

I don't think it's a sign of things to come. In this era, a games console without a DVD player is like a VCR without a clock. If a company came out with a revolutionary VCR that didn't have a clock, it would be awfully strange, yet people might overlook the missing feature because the VCR's other features were so impressive. And when they released a new version of it with a clock, people wouldn't say "My god, it's a VCR and a clock! They're trying to take over every appliance in the house!" They'd say "Oh. Finally they put a goddamn clock in. That's good, I guess."

In any case, I'm doubtful that Nintendo has any interest in being anything but a gaming company. They've had the opportunity to do things like this before, and they've outright refused. They've seen, maybe, that adding tons of multimedia functionality dilutes your message and usually raises your price, limiting your audience. In the end, if you've got an all-in-one box under your TV, by definition you only need one box. There isn't room for Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony under there if they're all going after that market. I think there's a good chance Nintendo will stay the course, since it's obviously working for them.

Sweet Tintin picture there.