Well. Who knows if he's serious or not. We'll just have to deal with it:

I'm making this response to DialgaMarine who seems to have gotten banned somehow (why?).
Well hopefully it's not permanent since I really want to keep the conversation going with him.
Wherever you are out there DialgaMarine, here's my reply.

Yes, I understand that late-in-life games from an outgoing generation & early-in-life games from an incoming generation will seem not as far apart at first since developers are figuring out how to work on the new platform & the potential of the new system hasn't been tapped into.
But the picture doesn't lie.
Even accounting for all that you said, there's virtually no difference between the 2 characters on PS4's Killzone: Shadow Fall & PS3's Killzone 3.

Super Mario World from the SNES was originally built from the NES & then transferred to the new system the SNES.
Remember when it was once called Super Mario Bros. 4?
You can see the connections between the 2 games but Super Mario World still looked much different than Super Mario Bros. 3.
Same with the comparison of Final Fantasy VI & Final Fantasy VII which began design on the SNES than later transferred to the PS1.
Even early-in-life launch games for an incoming platform are supposed to look SOMEWHAT differently than the late-in-life games for an outgoing platform.
Luigi's Mansion for the Gamecube didn't quite look like a N64 game, did it? It was a launch title.
TimeSplitters for the PS2 didn't quite look like a PS1 game, did it? It was a launch title.

Wii ended the graphics race. A weaker SD system owned these stronger HD giants all throughout the 7th gen.
It proved Iwata's E3 2004 quote. Should I post this quote again? I have been doing it constantly throughout this thread.
Sure why not? One more time: "The time when horsepower alone made an important difference is over."

I'll add one more thing he said from E3 2004 for bonus: "Better technology is good but technology is NOT enough. Today's consoles already offer fairly photorealistic expressions. Simply beefing up those graphics will not let most of us see a difference."
More: "So what should a new machine do? For both game creators and gameplayers, new machine needs to do much more. They must offer an unprecedented play experience. Something no other machine has delivered before."

Hell, I'll just let you hear it from the man himself.

Graphics are over. Refinement is a given but that's no longer where you push. That's no longer the selling feature. That's no longer the trump card.
Iwata said this stuff almost 10 years ago. Almost a DECADE ago. And he was right. Nintendo proved it UNDOUBTEDLY with Wii & DS.
What REALLY are the Xbox One & PlayStation 4 offering besides graphics? What are these 2 competitors adding to the gameplay experience?
Not bells & whistles like ESPN & NFL fantasy football. What are they adding to GAMEPLAY that Nintendo isn't already offering through Wii U?

Sony hires others to make games for them or Sony buys companies that make games. Sony in truth by itself is not a gamemaker.
And lately they're starting to copy EVERYTHING Nintendo does gamewise. LittleBigPlanet Karting & PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale & Sports Champions.
They're out of ideas. They don't know where to go or what to do. 'More Power' doesn't work anymore. And less people are buying into their bells & whistles than before. They had to bite, scratch, & claw just to get that Blu-ray feature for the PS3 to pay off.
They need the PS4 to be a success in the worst way. I think it might be wrap for Sony Computer Entertainment with one more major failure like this.

Microsoft is even worse off than Sony in the gamemaking department. Sony at least has a good hired team to make SOMETHING for them.
Microsoft's 1st party is barren & their best hired hand Bungie has split from them. Microsoft REALLY isn't a gamemaker.
Even Microsoft Flight Simulator was made by someone else. Microsoft just published them.
Microsoft not being a gamemaker hasn't figured out what to do with Rare in over a DECADE.
When Rare was with Nintendo, that Rare logo lived up to that gold standard.
Nintendo the Master Gamescrafter guided their hand & Rare put out its best material.

Who Killed Rare?
Excerpt:

"However, in time it became clear that everyone had underestimated how much of the studio's success was down to Nintendo's gentle steering. "It seemed like Microsoft was really a novice in the games industry and for some time they left us to try and see how things worked," Cook explains. "They wanted hit games for their console and since they weren't sure how to go about it they trusted Rare to do what was necessary. The problem here was that Rare was a very long way from the very corporate structure of Microsoft and when Rare had made games it wasn't in isolation from Nintendo but as a creative partnership."

The 3rd party is what sells Sony's & Microsoft's platforms. I said it on the opening post of this thread.
NOTHING Sony's & Microsoft 1st party teams put out can compare to what Nintendo produces.
And when the expenses get to be too much to make these pie-in-the-sky graphical wonders the 3rd party has gotten accustomed to, 3rd party output will be hampered which hampers Sony's & Microsoft's platforms by default.

Nintendo launched the Wii U ahead of their normal schedule because they knew Sony & Microsoft had to respond with their 8th gen consoles.
That explains the rare 'selling console at a loss' situation Nintendo undertook for Wii U. They NEVER do that.
But since components weren't cheap enough yet they risked the early launch knowing it would snare Sony & Microsoft in this trap.
Sony & Microsoft are not gamemakers & power boasts don't work anymore. Now they have to face Nintendo in Nintendo's arena.
It's gonna show VERY MUCH over this generation how lacking both the PS4 & XOne are.
Gamecraft matters more than ever before this generation & only one console maker understands gamecraft.

You will see what Wii U offers that the other console don't in due time. I have gone over this argument all over this thread.
The Gamepad—the UPad in conjuction with the Wiimote powered by the viral Miiverse will show its worth as those top-polished Nintendo games lead the way.
Sony did what Ouya did & put a screen on that old SNES/N64 derivative called the Dual Shock. That's not the same as the Gamepad.
Microsoft's SmartGlass ain't smart enough. Smartphones & tablets have no buttons.
And since this usability is not packaged in by default like Wii U's Gamepad it's going to end up like Move did for the PS3. Left on the side.

You keep talking hardware. Remember Nintendo's maxim. I'll paraphrase:
Customers reluctantly buy the hardware to get to the software they really want.
In other words, games sell systems. The system serves the game.
It's the SOFTWARE of Wii U that will shine down the road not the HARDWARE of the PS4/XOne.

Nintendo doesn't need to change ANYTHING about themselves. DEFINITELY not their approach to gaming.
All they need to do is show why Wii U is a worthy purchase. The games they put out will make the argument.
Cue The Rock: Millions...and millions of people out there preordering PS4 consoles.
Dreamcast had millions & millions also. Launches never tell the entire story.
I know Wii made everybody forget that since it was just that phenomenal.
But DS wasn't a made man at launch either. It took a while for it to catch on.
When it did though, it locked down the handhelds for the 7th generation.

I can't wait for the other shoe to drop. This time next year, there's gonna be a lot of people eating humble pie.
John Lucas

Thank you RedPikmin95 for that post.
There it is straight from the horse's mouth.

Nintendo: Wii wasn't intended as a casual console
Excerpt:

"We have made efforts to develop video games that are in tune with various consumer tastes; however, we have not been able to gain adequate consumer understanding regarding our intentions, while in the common perception there are no or few core users playing Nintendo platforms, which is not the case."

He went on to insist that Nintendo plans to develop games that "can be accepted by a wide variety of consumers, irrespective of age, gender or past gaming experience."

I remember that 2005 'Revolution Remote' reveal at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show.
I remember the date even. September 16, 2005. Burned into my memory. The Future of Gaming.
I saw that promo. They were (as always) intending to cover EVERYBODY.
Let me post it to remind everyone that may have forgotten.

Wii was supposed to be EVERYBODY'S Console. But the 3rd parties backed by Sony & Microsoft locked together & pigeonholed Wii into being the Casual Console.
In fact this whole talk of Casual & Hardcore is disseminated from the competition to diminish what Nintendo wants to do with the industry.
The gaming press become the mouthpieces for the competition & parrot the propaganda that influences the minds of the gaming public.
I don't even remember hearing these terms in the 6th generation, the PS2/GC/XBox era.
Nobody was talking about Hardcore this, Casual that as recently as the beginning of the 2000s.
By the middle of the decade though, here comes these BS catchphrases.

To me, it's the evolution of the 'Kiddie' propaganda thrust upon the Gamecube when it came out.
Those words are meant to diminish Nintendo's strength in the market.
Wii & DS were such juggernauts reaching so many people from kids to elders that the label 'Kiddie' wouldn't work anymore.
Enter the new propaganda called 'Casual'.
Then to contrast this & promote themselves against Nintendo comes the term 'Hardcore'.
What is this Pornography or something?

Microsoft probably came up with this mess come to think of it.
All of it just an extension of Sega's wars with Nintendo in the 1990s.
Sega got people thinking Nintendo was unhip, uncool, & behind the times back then.
The competition has been playing variations of that strategy against Nintendo ever since.
Whatever it takes to get an edge I guess.
But today it goes far beyond a simple rivalry & has turned into something that has segregated gamers from each other.
If a game ain't saturated in naturalistic art styles full of browns & grays, they don't touch it. No vibrant color allowed.
If the game doesn't have some angry looking shaved-head goon on the cover trying to look tough, they don't touch it. Can't have happy characters on the box.

Would Pac-Man have survived these modern times with these attitudes?
Would Q*Bert have survived? How about Mega Man/Rockman? How about the Battletoads? How about Earthworm Jim?

Thank God Nintendo resists this crap!! And with Wii U they will put an end to this garbage.
Wii U restores what was seen in that video that showed the Revolution's weapon, the Wiimote.
The Console for All Audiences, All Backgrounds, All Skill Levels.
Wii U. Wii UNITED. Reunited.
John Lucas

My pleasure, johnlucas! ;D And here's another one :)

I found an interesting video on YouTube regarding the nextgen graphics. 
This person actually proves that graphics are REALLY over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgulHQI_sGQ&hd=1

Ironically it is also necessary to EXPLAIN WHY the WiiU is THE console to buy. ^^
Just like with the other two nextgen consoles(graphics, see video above) you have to explain it's features 'cause it can't be understood by just seeing it as you said a few posts earlier. 

Interesting, so this upcoming generation is gonna be the era of MARKETING.
And, come on, that's the REAL reason why WiiU is currently struggling. It LACKS OF GOOD MARKETING. (And games, but we know they are coming)

So Nintendo really has to BOOST it's marketing department!
I hope they will finally start with the campaign - backed by their viral weapon called Miiverse.

Except no, the vast majority of PS360 won't settle or want what WiiU has to offer, how is this so difficult to grasp?

One more thing: The Legend-of-Zelda-Franchise is actually one of the BEST examples proving that Ninty IS a "gamemaker at heart"

Eiji Aonuma talks about their approach when it comes to the development of Zelda games: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2013/09/12/eiji-aonuma-explains-what-makes-wind-waker-different-from-than-any-other-zelda-game/

Excerpts:

"Buried in the back of "Hyrule Historia" Eiji Aonuma closes out the overall history of "Zelda" with a letter to the reader about the book, and his involvement with the series. In it, he notes that "the question the developers of the 'Legend of Zelda' series asked themselves before starting on a game was, 'What kind of game play should we focus on?' rather than "What kind of story should we write?'" This helps to explain why each Zelda game feels different to the player, since that's what comes first, and why the stories are wildly divergent, as those come later."

"He finished up by noting, "I know that there are many games that were created to fit an existing story, and I don’t know that there are that many that have been very successful at it.""

"What I really, really want to create, what my ultimate hope or goal is, to create a game without a story - not to say that the story is nonexistent, but it's a story that isn't already created. It's a story that the player, in interacting with the space or environment, creates. So, a story that is defined by the player, not one that is already prepared, and a game that just kind of follows that path, if that makes sense."

Man, Nintendo really is a GAMEMAKER.

i am truly amazed by your words on this thread John, i was deeply convinced to acquire a Wii U after reading your thread and that's what i did and the moment i've started playing NSMBU on the gamepad i realized: man...Nintendo has some serious weapon to fight this generation.

This isnt much but you just brought back an old Nintendo fan back to its roots and im here to stay with Nintendo till the end.

I think PS4 will be as successful as PS2. Good price for powerful hardware and great software.

Wii U? High price for a weak hardware and few third party software. Wii just was lucky with its Wiimote appeal with the casual gamer. Wii U's Gamepad wasn't. I think it will sell as much as GameCube.

Xbox One? When Microsoft put Kinect apart and sell the console for a competitive price, it will sell much. Maybe it can reach 100 million units.

If one wants to mention the Wii here, it tailing off was an decent part due to it being underpowered. When you don't have sufficient power, and development goes on, your console can't keep up. That is what happened to the Wii, and the Wii U is at risk of similar happening.

I hope you guys don't mind me making predictions of my own.

By March 31st, 2014.

Xbox One: 2.5-3 Million Units Sold
Playstation 4: 2-2.5 Million Units Sold
Wii U: 11-12 Million Units Sold


Now those are just sales predictions. Now let me say something else, another prediction. PS4/XBO and the most underwhelming consoles I've seen, in terms of what's actually offered, which is nothing the previous consoles aren't offering. Nintendo is irrelevant now, sure. Come Holiday and Kart, when people outside of the core and the fanboys start buying the system, that's when it will become apparent. MS, Sony, and the media have tried hard at pushing Nintendo into a corner and making them seem irrelevant after the success of the Wii, but when it comes down to it, and people start getting their hands on this thing, it's going to explode.

This is a system that takes playing to understand and in the midst of silence, post e3 and all this, I've been keeping an ear out and I've noticed, attention is starting to garner with the Wii U. People are starting to get curious about it. What will happen when Nintendo does another Nintendo Experience event with Super Mario 3D World and Kart and people see their old time favorites in HD with this amazing new system that does so much more, when the other two don't do much of anything new.

This is after those 11-12 million sales, because once people have the box in their home, and maybe some having the other boxes as well, they'll be underwhelmed by the difference in the PS4/XBO. I predict they will become irrelevant and by this time next year, when Smash is out or about to be out, the notion of getting a PS4 or XBO will be ridiculous, even for the core gamers that were all up and excited at the Sony presser. That was me at first, I shouted into the air with that DRM stuff and proclaimed myself a Sony gamer. Then the dust settled and I asked myself, "why?" Then I looked into the Wii U which was honestly off my radar at the time, once I saw it, and what it could do, I became a believer.


As such, I've been buying stocks and I will be buying more in these days before the price drop hits, and especially before Pokemon hits. I don't know where the market will be 2 years from now, but I do know that the next year will be a good year for Nintendo.

P.S; it's not underpowered, it's more powerful than it seems but again, I'll get to that soon. I will say this, PS4 and XBO aren't getting better than what we'll see at launch. The reason things get progressively better with most consoles is that they use custom hardware which is hard to develop for and they don't know how to use the hardware and it takes time to develop special tools for them. That's not the case anymore with those two. They have no barrier for entry so what we see now is what we get from them. What we see from Wii U now, is only the beginning.