What will the next DS and Wii (or whatever they are called) be like? By going with new controls on the Wii and to some extent on the DS they attracted a large audience that had previously not been into gaming. This move proved to be a very smart business one, by going in a different direction Nintendo prevented a Gamecube 2 scenario.
Now the question is whenever the next console and hand helds come along what will Nintendo do this time? I see three possibilities for both the DS and Wii in the future (generalized ones):
1. Nintendo follows the Apple model and keeps reiterating the Wii and DS and continues to sell games to their large user bases.
2. Nintendo keeps the changes of the Wii and DS and simply makes the next DS and Wii stronger versions of them, maybe with small changes.
3. Nintendo completely changes their machines again and goes an entirely different direction.
At this point, I think 1 is the most likely scenario at least for a few years (especially on the Wii).
I don't think number 2 would be a smart choice, because I do believe that if Nintendo wants the new gamers that joined the Wii or DS to buy their next machines, they need to make their next console or hand held a big enough change that they wouldn't stick with their current DS or Wii and keep playing games on those. I think that non-traditinal gamers aren't simply going to go out and buy the next machine just cause it's made by Nintendo or because it is more powerful.
Number 3 would be the riskiest move and I don't see them taking a similar risk as they did with Wii and DS because they are on top now, at the time their situation was uncertain and a big change was required.
Thanks to Blacksaber for the sig!
