I think Nintendo is trying awfully hard in their R&D to concoct a creative, innovative interface that would revolutionize gaming much like the Wii remote + nunchuck did. It will probably be something no gamer has never dreamed of. I think Nintendo is going go all out "risky" and "experimental" on their next console because they really don't have better options. That's the mindset they had with the Wii and it worked. I believe they will definitely have that same mindset for the next console. Nintendo knows that they need a new 'hook', that is the only way for their next console to succeeed.

Although Nintendo was smart enough to know they need to differentiate themselves from their competitors, Nintendo made a big mistake thinking the Wii U gamepad would be an interesting 'hook' to pull in the Wii owners and new owners en mass. The thing wasn't/isn't appealing to the mass market, it was too safe and lacked innovation. 

I also think hardpower is largely irrelevant (the fact that Wii sold 100+ million and Nintendo handhelds have always outsold their competitors with more powerful hardware is very telling) and Nintendo knows it so I suspect the Wii U successor to be roughly the same power as the Wii U to keep cost down.

I expect to be wowed on 2017 with Nintendo's next console.

The new hook should be games, make a game that blows peoples' minds, if they try something too different and fail again, like the Wii U, shit may get serious.

My opinion is Nintendo should double down on what their current (Marketable) appeal is and then go from there. By that I mean the successor should be:

-About half as strong as whatever Sony makes next (Instead of 10x weaker)
-Be $300 at most (Aim for half the price of the competition)
-Come with just a gamepad
-Launch with a few great Nintendo Titles and one or two NEW hardcore titles
-Get their Network together and make it creative and special

Think about it. If they did that people would say "Well it is half as strong as the PS5, but it does have every other third party game and all of those great Nintendo titles for half the price." The family will love it!

they need to make games

I think Nintendo is too afraid of the gamecube... The gamecube was more powerful than the ps2 and had the best controller at the time as well as it inspired the 360 controller... It really was just a gaming system that had everything that a "hardcore" gamer needed but it didn't sell... So I think Nintendo will never try to make a "plain" console ever again..

But I do wonder what the successor would be... Clearly the Tablet is not enough and so isn't motion controls and they have to make it powerful enough to be competitive... It will be interesting for sure

But do not get your hopes up... Its better to not get hyped and get wowed but get hyped and be dissappointed

Edit: Well, I may as well say this... By hardcore, I mean compared to the wii

The Gamecube was FAR from hardcore.  

-It looked like a kids toy

-It had near zero network and media capabilities

-None of Nintendo's exclusives really benifited from the extra horsepower.  

If it was hardcore where was something like COD, SOCOM, or Halo?  There wasn't.

I think Nintendo will try one of two options for their next home console.



1.) One last attempt to gain third party favor. The system will be on par with Xbox2/PS5 in terms of graphics, online infastructure, everything. The hardware will be focused as much as possible on being easy to develop for.



2.) They accept their niche status in the home console market. Their next system will only be slighty more powerful than Wii U, but it will launch at $200. Most of their resources will then go towards expanding and creating more development teams, so that they can fully support their system without the need of 3rd partys.

Just put out the NES again. Just call it the Wii Screw U

http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Finest-Hour-Gamecube-Jewel/dp/B0001OK7V2

Halo is a first party exclusive but the gamecube had plenty of third party games... 

You're joking, right? The Gamecube lacked 3rd party support.