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[swerve]

The way sources are just spewing out leaks, this has to have been intentional.

Or news sites like advertising clicks?

 

[Neo C.]

You guys are crazy. So many pages in less than a day?

On topic, slightly more powerful than a PS3 would be enough for me, honestly. Just a few companies can handle 100 Million game budget, I don't see the need for a higher upgrade.

 

[subversus]

Why do they want to "recapture the hardcore market?"

Nintendo admitting going all in on the casual market might have been a mistake?

they want to have both.

also no gimmick = no casuals this time. they need to fall back on people who appreciate games.

 

[Vinterbird]

Why do they want to "recapture the hardcore market?"

Nintendo admitting going all in on the casual market might have been a mistake?

Nintendo owns the casual market. If they could regain some momentum in the hardcore segment, they simply get a larger user base. It's not a "we got burned on the casual wii world", it is a simple dollars and cents question for them.

The hardcore gamer buys a steady stream of games, while the casual consumer buys the main big Wii 'Something' games and a Madden, FIFA or similar IP once a year.

If Nintendo can get the attention of both user segments, they sell more games and more hardware.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

well one source said Nintendo was aiming for a Holiday 2011 release but will probably slip back to Spring 2012 like 3DS did. I imagine a 2012 release is more likely because Wii will still sale gangbusters this holiday season in Japan/America (Dragon Quest/Skyward Sword), and Super Wii would have more time to build a strong launch window line-up.

Seems like a Win-Win to me. Guess we will find out at E3.

If this thing came out in 2011 it would make for the biggest holiday season ever in gaming (that I can remember, at least). All of the huge games, the NGP, and this thing? That would be absolutely insane.

 

[Hixx]

Not worried about hardware, I would be absolutely dumbfounded if it wasn't considerably more powerful than the 360/PS3, it's been seven years.

More worried about their OS and online functions. I hate the Wii OS and the way they handle online, that's the big hurdle if they want the 'hardcore' to come back.

HD screen on controller would be cool, the VMU on the Dreamcast is probably one of the most underrated features in gaming. A modern version of that would be ace.

 

[DaMan121]

Why do they want to "recapture the hardcore market?"

Because they *actually* buy games?

 

[Omiee]

This might be the best e3 ever, with NGP, more 3DS games, WiiHD, and all the GAMEZZZZ

 

[maniac-kun]

You guys are crazy. So many pages in less than a day?

On topic, slightly more powerful than a PS3 would be enough for me, honestly. Just a few companies can handle 100 Million game budget, I don't see the need for a higher upgrade.

It says significant not slightly.

 

[Anerythristic]

Huh? What about the piles of money they've been raking in?

Exactly, I sort of dont buy that quote. It will be Wii HD, not a caged beast hardcore market console. It will be on par with current gen consoles, maybe a pinch more powerful.

Edit Well I will say this if it is a beast of a console, Nintendo of all companies will really enjoy being first to market next gen. They will be a juggernaut. Nintendo can do alot with the first to market advantage with a well timed Mario and Zelda with insane graphics.

 

[GCX]

Why do they want to "recapture the hardcore market?"

Nintendo admitting going all in on the casual market might have been a mistake?

I think Nintendo is trying to reposition themselves in the market.

There's the hardcore market (Sony, MS) and then there's the super casual market (Apple and other smart phone manufactures). Nintendo is probably trying to get best from the both worlds by being somewhere in the middle.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

You guys are crazy. So many pages in less than a day?

On topic, slightly more powerful than a PS3 would be enough for me, honestly. Just a few companies can handle 100 Million game budget, I don't see the need for a higher upgrade.

Good Point.

No one has really brought it up in the topic yet (that I'm aware of) but it is something to be concerned about. It's either Arcade/network/ware titles or basically full budget, even for Handhelds now.

Kinda scary.

 

[caligula13]

my girlfriend told me that some radio in Frankfurt/Main in Germany said that Nintendo has announced a new console. this is getting crazy!

 

[Futureman]

Wonder if the screen on the controller will be 3D?

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

You guys are crazy. So many pages in less than a day?

On topic, slightly more powerful than a PS3 would be enough for me, honestly. Just a few companies can handle 100 Million game budget, I don't see the need for a higher upgrade.

Actually a more powerful system does not always entail higher development costs. PS360 games already have extremely high-resolution artwork created for them, but they get slowly stripped down during the development process to fit inside the console limitations.

A game as beautiful as The Witcher 2 was made on a very small budget - 8 million dollars.

 

[LayLa]

It says significant not slightly.

er, you realize that 'significant' comes from IGN? i wouldn't take it as the truth if i were you.

 

[Neo C.]

It says significant not slightly.

I said for my taste. If it's significant, more power to you guys.

 

[subversus]

A game as beautiful as The Witcher 2 was made on a very small budget - 8 million dollars.

that's not because they didn't need to tone down artwork.

 

[AceBandage]

Wonder if the screen on the controller will be 3D?

Nah.
That would be an unneeded cost, since you won't be looking at the controller while playing.

Also, game budgets only balloon to 100million for studios that can't get their shit together.
There's no need for games to cost that much to make. Ever.
These aren't blockbuster movies...

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Why do they want to "recapture the hardcore market?"

Nintendo admitting going all in on the casual market might have been a mistake?

Attach rates. Compare the 360 and the Wii in that regard.

 

[swerve]

Because they *actually* buy EA and Activision games?

Fixed

Attach rates. Compare the 360 and the Wii in that regard.

Genuine question: what about PSX or PS2 attach rates?

 

[Dennis]

The Wii HD HAS to be significantly more powerful than the PS3. Otherwise it would be irrelevant.

Nintendo could get away with the very weak graphics because it came with a novel control scheme that captured the publics imagination. But that is old hat now. So they have to compete more on Sony and Microsofts turf now. While still maintaining their popular kid oriented franchises of course.

 

[Zeliard]

And if these are intentional leaks, there is bound to be one WTF feature that no-one can think of.

An online infrastructure that isn't the worst thing ever designed by anyone would qualify as a WTF feature in a new Nintendo console.

 

[Vinterbird]

Good Point.

No one has really brought it up in the topic yet (that I'm aware of) but it is something to be concerned about. It's either Arcade/network/ware titles or basically full budget, even for Handhelds now.

Kinda scary.

Which is why we don't need more powerful hardware then what the PS3/360/Wii2 will provide for many years yet. Some studios have yet to launch their first title for this generation, and budgets are not getting smaller over time.

New and crazy powerful hardware will do nothing but get us more space marines and focus tested games that doesn't foster creativity or different game experiences.

And if Nintendo can get on par with the two other consoles, it will be easier for third party to have games across all three platforms, sell more titles and get more money for new projects.

 

[maniac-kun]

Actually a more powerful system does not always entail higher development costs. PS360 games already have extremely high-resolution artwork created for them, but they get slowly stripped down during the development process to fit inside the console limitations.

A game as beautiful as The Witcher 2 was made on a very small budget - 8 million dollars.

Thats incredible only 8 million? How are other companys spending this 100 million dollar budgets?

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

that's not because they didn't need to tone down artwork.

Indeed, but it goes to show that beautiful games running on powerful hardware doesn't need "100 million dollar budgets". Metro 2033 is another stunner running on a small budget.

 

[Xater]

Man do I hope this is true. I want next-gen to start next year. These consoles are getting old.

 

[Kosma]

Seeing Nintendo's lineup I'm thinking there must be something to these very strong rumours indeed.

That Edge article has a source saying the motion control "is better then Move".

If true, please delay Skyward Sword to launch with Super Wii.

Dont worry it will launch on both prob.

With same graphics.

/Nintendo

 

[AceBandage]

Thats incredible only 8 million? How are other companys spending this 100 million dollar budgets?

They have a lot of bloat and are run like shit?
Seriously.
The increase in power isn't what caused higher budgets. It's studios thinking they needed 300 person teams with 5 years of development and 10 restarts.

 

[Vinterbird]

Thats incredible only 8 million? How are other companys spending this 100 million dollar budgets?

Because the cost of living in Poland isn't exactly that of San Francisco or New York.

 

[jax (old)]

I think the need to recapture the hardcore is 2 folds

1) casuals might not upgrade

2) 3rd parties will not embrace the console otherwise - inability to tri-port.

so as successful as wii was, its positioning and success with its demographics might have long term negative implications to its successors.

 

[Luckyman]

I think Nintendo is trying to reposition themselves in the market.

There's the hardcore market (Sony, MS) and then there's the super casual market (Apple and other smart phone manufactures). Nintendo is probably trying to get best from the both worlds by being somewhere in the middle.

Sell your Nintendo stock soonish. Just saying

 

[gofreak]

I don't think massively bigger budgets will be necessary to make games that can take advantage of a lot more power than PS3/360 can offer.

There's so much that can be done on the rendering side relatively cheaply via middleware, for example, to take advantage of much better GPUs.

I don't think asset production cost has to go through the roof either. I saw Epic arguing that many devs are already producing assets worthy of a next-gen game before paring them back for current consoles...if there's a truth to that, I don't think things are necessarily going to scale up THAT much.

 

[Neo C.]

Good Point.

No one has really brought it up in the topic yet (that I'm aware of) but it is something to be concerned about. It's either Arcade/network/ware titles or basically full budget, even for Handhelds now.

Kinda scary.

It's always like this in GAF. Everyone is so hyped about specs until some producers say the production is too costly thus making multiplat shooters is the only way to deal with it.

 

[Myriadis]

Because they *actually* buy games?

Are you saying the crowd labeled as "casuals" don't buy the games?They're certainly not the crowd who likes to mod consoles to play pirated copies.

 

[Lonewolf_92]

Is it really hard to imagine a touch screen cellphone with a trigger on the back in place of the Wiimote (especially if it's multi-touch like I speculated earlier in this thread)? Also the "HD" in "HD touchscreen" almost certainly stands for High Density, just like the touch screens of most modern cellphones.

 

[BGBW]

Dont worry it will launch on both prob.

With same graphics.

/Nintendo

I love how the Wii has completely re-written the rule book on how Nintendo handles systems. If I were new to games and knew bog all, I'd assume that Nintendo systems are always under powered and every big launch titles has been a late title from their previous system the way people are going on about them.

 

[test_account]

Seriously.
Dual analog shooters suck after using the pointer.

Personally i feel the opposite, i cant play FPS with pointer. I shall admit that i havnt played too much with pointer though, and i guess that i can get used to it if i try it more, but what i have tried so far havnt made me want to contunie using it.

Wait, does this mean I can't keep my PS3 if I get the new Nintendo system? Has this been confirmed?

Yes, Nintendo has included some technology that wont let you start the new Wii console if there is a PS3 or a Xbox 360 in the same house, just kidding hehe Seriously though, he probably just ment that he would keep using his PS3 instead of buying the new Wii console.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

Now that its been said I'll say it again. Can't wait for Skyward Sword to get a years delay just so Link can be right handed, the world mirrored so it can be a launch killer-app. Oh and someone at Nintendo UK getting fired after saying to NGamer that was the case.

Then again I'm a beleiver that Baten Kaitos Origins only came out becuase of that...so if a Skyward Sword delay leads to a similar thing happening I might actually be happy with it.

didn't some other games bomb even in Japan?

Sin and Punishment 2 did (okay, I think Takt of Magic and maybe other did worse but thats besides the point...). Yet it still came out in Europe and America. But the Nintendos localisation record decided by a supercomputer discussion could be nearly as long a topic in itself...

 

[1-D_FTW]

So this thing supposedly has pointer controls significantly beyond Move.

And a touch screen.

This seems hard to visualize, unless... It's a 3 part controller. For super casual games you just had a simple touch screen (think ipod, but without any expensive processing hardware inside). You could play casual games with this alone.

You also had a left hand and right hand controller for things like shooters with pointer controls. And for traditional controller (Think Madden. Analog stick and buttons, but play calling on the touch screen), you could snap the left controller into one side of the touch screen, and the right controller into the other. Kind of like the old mock up of the PS3 motion controller (but with an additional piece in the middle).

 

[Graphics Horse]

I love how the Wii has completely re-written the rule book on how Nintendo handles systems. If I were new to games and knew bog all, I'd assume that Nintendo systems are always under powered and every big launch titles has been a late title from their previous system the way people are going on about them.

Animal Crossing, man!

 

[Hot Coldman]

PLEASE BE TRUE PLEASE BE TRUE PLEASE BE TRUE

I mean, at the end of the year I'll still be using my PS3, but the mere fact that 1080p Nintendo games running on tech beyond the current 'gen' may or may not exist in around a year's time would be UNREAL

Spoiler

ENGINE 4, COMING TO WII 2 2012

 

[NewFresh]

I don't think massively bigger budgets will be necessary to make games that can take advantage of a lot more power than PS3/360 can offer.

There's so much that can be done on the rendering side relatively cheaply via middleware, for example, to take advantage of much better GPUs.

I don't think asset production cost has to go through the roof either. I saw Epic arguing that many devs are already producing assets worthy of a next-gen game before paring them back for current consoles...if there's a truth to that, I don't think things are necessarily going to scale up THAT much.

It will change the way that many games are developed for the Wii. It being cheap to develop for, many smaller companies (and large one who want to make a quick buck) had the oportunity to create things on the Wii that they couldn't have done for the other two. But this hopefully will get rid of the PETZ games

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Does anyone else feel like we're starting to reach the point of diminishing returns when it comes to 3D graphics (especially on consoles)? I mean, there is certainly room for improvement when it comes to modern HD consoles, considering a lot of the games don't even run in full HD (or at 60 fps), but as far as texture quality and basic graphical fidelity I feel like we're in a pretty good spot.

What I'm saying is that I honestly think a Nintendo console that was made to be powerful enough to run PS3/360 quality games with a higher level of IQ (especially in terms of resolution and frame rate) would be fairly future compatible. I almost feel like the features of the console, specifically with regards to online and digital distribution, will end up being more important than the raw power under the hood.

This only seems more obvious to me with games like Super Meat Boy, a game that looks and plays perfectly and really doesn't need to improve graphically. It seems like developers can do a lot with what they currently have, so a "significant" but not huge upgrade over the current HD twins seems like a perfectly workable solution for Nintendo. I mean, it's not like TV's are going anywhere in terms of maximum resolution anyway (at least, not in the near future) because the focus seems to be on 3D at the moment.

 

[NewFresh]

So this thing supposedly has pointer controls significantly beyond Move.

And a touch screen.

This seems hard to visualize, unless...

Think Power GLove with a touch screen on it

Does anyone else feel like we're starting to reach the point of diminishing returns when it comes to 3D graphics (especially on consoles)? I mean, there is certainly room for improvement when it comes to modern HD consoles, considering a lot of the games don't even run in full HD (or at 60 fps), but as far as texture quality and basic graphical fidelity I feel like we're in a pretty good spot.

I am hoping that we begin to see a much higher focu on art style and not necesarilly graphic power. So think more Kirby's epic yarn and less Crysis 2
Not saying I don't like crysis, because I do, but just that kind of path

 

[maniac-kun]

Does anyone else feel like we're starting to reach the point of diminishing returns when it comes to 3D graphics (especially on consoles)? I mean, there is certainly room for improvement when it comes to modern HD consoles, considering a lot of the games don't even run in full HD (or at 60 fps), but as far as texture quality and basic graphical fidelity I feel like we're in a pretty good spot.

What I'm saying is that I honestly think a Nintendo console that was made to be powerful enough to run PS3/360 quality games with a higher level of IQ (especially in terms of resolution and frame rate) would be fairly future compatible. I almost feel like the features of the console, specifically with regards to online and digital distribution, will end up being more important than the raw power under the hood.

This only seems more obvious to me with games like Super Meat Boy, a game that looks great but really doesn't need to improve graphically. It seems like developers can do a lot with what they currently have, so a "significant" but not huge upgrade over the current HD twins seems like a perfectly workable solution for Nintendo. I mean, it's not like TV's are going anywhere in terms of maximum resolution anyway (at least, not in the near future) because the focus seems to be on 3D at the moment.

There is still a lot of room for improvements in every area.

 

[Neo C.]

Also, game budgets only balloon to 100million for studios that can't get their shit together.
There's no need for games to cost that much to make. Ever.
These aren't blockbuster movies...

These are blockbuster games. People always like to play the budget problem down, but this gen should really be lesson enough.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Everything is more expensive in Californina, be it Movies/TV shows/Game development. Why do you think so many movies are being filmed in Eastern Europe? Or why so many video game studios are based in Canada?

 

[RedSwirl]

Thats incredible only 8 million? How are other companys spending this 100 million dollar budgets?

The Witcher 2 was developed in Poland. Man hours over there are probably not nearly as expensive.

 

[Kosma]

I love how the Wii has completely re-written the rule book on how Nintendo handles systems. If I were new to games and knew bog all, I'd assume that Nintendo systems are always under powered and every big launch titles has been a late title from their previous system the way people are going on about them.

Yeah I'm just kidding but this has been Nintendo trend for 3 console launches now. Ofcourse they might change direction again, would be a pleasant surprise!

DS > Mario 64 DS
3DS> Zelda 64 3D (in June but its the first big Nintendo game)
Wii> Zelda GC with Motion Control

Comparing to the ones before:
GC > Luigi's Mansion
N64> Mario 64 / Pilotwings